David Head, Ph.D.

We are happy to welcome new LLI instructor, David Head, Ph.D., to our program this fall. Dr. Head teaches history at the University of Central Florida and will present “Revolutionary Rogues: The Spanish American Pirates and Privateers Who Tried to Conquer Florida,” on Monday, Nov. 19 at 12 p.m. To register for this one-time lecture, click here.

Hello Lifelong Learners,

I’m new to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute this year, and I thought I’d share a bit about my recent work. I teach history at UCF in Orlando, usually the large intro lecture courses on U.S. history or western civilization. I love the challenge of reaching students in these courses, which will probably be the only history courses they’ll take in college—and maybe the last formal instruction in history they’ll have for a long time.

My research focuses on two topics: pirates and George Washington—but NOT George Washington and pirates!

This summer I’ve made progress on both topics.

In June, a book of essays I edited was published by the University of Georgia Press. “The Golden Age of Piracy: The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Popularity of Pirates,” features chapters from the leading experts on Atlantic piracy in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. I wrote the introduction and conclusion.

I’m really proud to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented people. The book provides an overview of the development and suppression of piracy, how pirates organized their operations, and why pirates have been so popular for centuries.

To see a preview of the book, click here.

I am also working on a new book about George Washington’s leadership at the end of the American Revolution. In particular, I’m writing a history of the so-called Newburgh Conspiracy, a mysterious event in 1783 in which Continental Army officers, angry about a lack of pay and pensions, supposedly collaborated with politicians in Philadelphia, such as Alexander Hamilton, to use the army to help push for new taxes and a stronger central government.

Because of my research, I’m skeptical there was a real conspiracy. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating story about how the Revolution almost collapsed at the very end and how General Washington intervened to try and save the day.

Looking forward to speaking to you this fall!

David Head

Robert Rabil, Ph.D.

My summer was fruitful, insightful, and family-oriented. Besides spending quality time with my family, I undertook significant research based on primary sources in various languages and interviews with officials, analysts, and activists. As a result, I wrote a number of articles in major outlets. My articles in the Palm Beach Post and Eurasia Review dealt with the unfolding situation in southern Syria and its ramifications for the security of Israel. As I analyzed, Israel came to agree with Russia over the Syrian regime deploying back next to Israel’s border including in Syrian Golan Heights. I expressed doubt that Russia could force Iran from Syria.

I wrote two articles in the National Interest dealing with the threat of terrorism. One article dealt with the expansion of Salafi-jihadi operations and the growth of their transnational networks on many continents. I urged the Trump Administration to keep fighting terrorism a priority. In the second article I highlighted the fact that ISIS and al-Qaeda have not been defeated in Iraq and Syria. I also underscored that ISIS, al-Qaeda and sister Salafi-jihadi organizations have launched a concerted propaganda campaign to incite Muslims in the West to carry out terror attacks on vital Western interests. I argued that this campaign reveals that not only Salafi-jihadis are cooperating to attack the West but also adapting to new military configurations, including in Iraq and Syria.

I wrote two articles in the Washington Post. One dealt with the misconstrued concept of jihad and the other on the emergence of an Iranian-Russian-Turkish axis in the Middle East. I argued in the first article that jihad as a concept in Muslim society has been exploited by extremists to justify their terror. I argued in the second article that the Trump Administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East is unwittingly bringing Iran, Russia and Turkey together. I highlighted the point that these countries have historically felt vulnerable to secessionist movements, which compels them today to cooperate together even if they embrace different outlooks for the Middle East.

I also wrote two articles for the Washington Institute, which were translated to Arabic. I wrote about the development of jihad and takfir in the Sunni and Shi’a conceptual frameworks. I underscored the ideological difference and nuances of jihad in the Sunni and Shi’a communities and examined the ramifications of Sunni and Shi’a jihad for the West, especially United States.

To view the articles, click on the links below.

• ISIS Isn’t Dead Yet — The National Interest, September 1, 2018.
• Contextualizing Jihad and Takfir in the Sunni Conceptual Framework — The Washington Institute, August 31, 2018.
• Contextualizing Jihad and Takfir in the Shi’a Conceptual Framework — The Washington Institute, August 31, 2018.
• Donald Trump is reshaping the Middle East — in Russia’s favor — The Washington Post, August 22, 2018.
• The distortion of Islam that drives terrorism — The Washington Post, August 1, 2018.
• Trump Should Prioritize Fighting Terrorism — The National Interest, July 18, 2018.
• Assad’s Impending Victory Raises Stakes for Security in Israel — The Palm Beach Post, July 16, 2018.
• Syria’s Victory and Israel’s Predicament — Eurasia Review, July 12, 2018.
• The Last Thing The Middle East Needs Now Is Another War – OpEd — Eurasia Review, May 1, 2018.

Dr. Rabil will be presenting the following one-time lectures and course.

Critical Challenges to Trump’s U.S. National Security Strategy (Course)
Mondays, Starting Oct. 15, 2018
9:45 a.m.
To register, click here.

Trump’s National Security Strategy and Russia: The Inevitable Confrontation?
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018
2:30 p.m.
To register, click here.

Israel and Hexbollah: Preparing for Israel’s Strategic Threat and Unpredictable War
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018
12 p.m.
To register, click here.

Matt Stabile, Artistic Director of Theatre Lab

Photography: Niki Fridh

Greetings from The Lab!  My name is Matt Stabile and I am the Artistic Director of Theatre Lab, the professional resident company of Florida Atlantic University.

Established in 2015, on the Boca Raton campus in its intimate 99-seat Heckscher Stage theatre space, Theatre Lab’s mission to “inspire, develop, and produce new work, audiences, and artists” engages the South Florida community with world-class professional theatre performances, workshops, and conversations with leading playwrights and theatre artists. Our commitment to make great theatre accessible for everyone by providing our audience and community with an in-depth understanding of every aspect of new play development is highlighted by our dynamic programming each season.

Under the guidance of Founding Director and Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in the Arts, Louis Tyrrell, Theatre Lab has established FAU as a force in the national professional theatre movement with a focus on community engagement.

In addition to our three-play MainStage season of regional and world-premiere productions, Theatre Lab provides an artistic laboratory and a home for theatre artists to explore and develop new American plays.  To date, we have presented more than 50 staged readings of new work and amassed an impressive list of visiting playwrights including: Pulitzer Prize winners Nilo Cruz & Marsha Norman, regionally produced playwrights like Steven Dietz, and emerging local playwrights.

Continuing our commitment to the development of “astonishing new work in American theatre”, Theatre Lab is pleased to bring the 2018-19 Playwright’s Forum Series to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FAU Jupiter.

Now in its third year, the Playwright’s Forum Series aims to pull back the curtain on the process of playwriting and new play development.  This October, we are thrilled to welcome Andrea Stolowitz, Ken Weitzman and E.M. Lewis to present readings of their newest work.

If you have never attended a staged reading, I want to personally invite you to join us for this exciting stage of a new play’s development.  Unlike a full-production with lights, costumes, and scenery, this is an event focused on the text itself – engaging an audience’s imagination with dynamic performances from some of the region’s best actors.  Each performance is followed by a discussion with the playwright about the work, their process, and the importance of new-play development.

Whether you are keenly interested in the playwriting process or simply enjoy the transformative power of live-theatre, these entertaining and informative events offer something for everyone.  We are thrilled to bring these exciting events to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and hope to see you this October!

To read  about the highlights of the FAU Theatre Lab, click here.

To register for the Playwright’s Forum, Generously Sponsored by the René Friedman Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment, please click on the links listed below.

Playwright’s Forum Series: Berlin Diary by Andrea Stolowitz
Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m.
To register, click here. 

Playwright’s Forum Series: Justice is Dead (A Madcap Comedy) by Ken Weitzman
Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
To register, click here.

Playwright’s Forum Series: Apple Season by E.M. Lewis
Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m.
To register, click here.

Welcome Back!

There’s something about the fading of summer that builds excitement in the air. Maybe because the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FAU catalog is on its way to your mailbox? We have an exciting array of lectures and courses for you this fall. The curriculum includes our on-going favorites, but it also includes new topics and instructors.

Several OLLI faculty members have provided additional snippets about their upcoming lectures and courses. We encourage you to review the catalog online to see the variety of riches available. The fall semester starts October 15. We hope that you have had a great summer and we look forward to seeing you back in the classroom!

Fall 2018 Lectures

Roy Klein, J.D.-New OLLI Instructor
Is Free Speech Really Free?
#F1R1
Thursday, October 18, 2018
2:30- 4 p.m.

I want to make sure my October 18 presentation titled “Is Free Speech Really Free — Censorship and the First amendment” is as timely and current as possible.  So, I’m constantly updating it to include a discussion of important recent developments, such as SCOTUS’s four June 2018 free-speech decisions and potential issues arising from the NFL anthem protests, the firing of FBI Agent Peter Strzok and the revocation of the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. I look forward to discussing these and other headlines in the “Political Speech” portion of the lecture, during which I’ll also discuss the controversial Citizens United case.  And, I’ll also be talking about other hot-topic issues like school speech, defamation, hate speech and obscenity.  It promises to be a lively, informative and entertaining 90 minutes.  Please join us.

To register, click here.

Margery Marcus, Ed. D.-New OLLI Instructor
The Banned and the Burned: Books in America
#F1R3
Thursday, November 1, 2018
2:30-4 p.m.

Did you ever sneak a copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover into the house when you were growing up? I did, and I remember I couldn’t make any sense of it all. Same with Fanny Hill.  While we might all agree that these books are titillating, we might not agree on whether or not they should be censored.  Many people are surprised to learn our country has a long history of book banning and even burning. Join me for a lively lecture on book censorship from the Puritans until today. My lecture concludes with a countdown of the top ten most banned books in America.  You may well be surprised by the titles!

 To register, click here.

Mark Schug, Ph.D.
All-Star Panel of FAU Economists Analyzes Happenings in the News
Get the Latest Economic Analysis of the Headlines
#F1T5
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
4:30-6 p.m.

Want to get all of the latest analysis of how the economy is preforming?  Our All-Star Panel of FAU Economists returns to the FAU Lifelong Learning Institute to provide the latest economic insights.  What are the notable economic achievements of the past year? Unemployment? Jobs? Growth? Stock markets?  And, what are the notable setbacks?  Tariff wars? Large deficits? Economic uncertainty? Check us out to learn the latest news and amaze your friends with your new insights.

The All-Star panelists are:

• Daniel Gropper, Florida Atlantic University, Dean of the College of Business
• Professor Keith Jakee, Economics, Florida Atlantic University, Wilkes Honor College
• Professor Kanybek Nur-tegin, Economics, Florida Atlantic University, Wilkes Honor College
• Professor Mark C. Schug, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Emeritus and FAU Adjunct Professor of Economics

Professor Schug is participating in the All-Star Panel on November 13, 2018.  He is also presenting a one-time lecture on the economic thoughts of George Washington titled, “The Economic Thoughts and Actions of President George Washington” on December 4, 2018 at 9:30 a.m.

To register for the All-Star Panel, click here.
To register for Economic Thoughts, click here.

David Head, Ph.D.-New OLLI Instructor
Revolutionary Rogues: The Spanish American Pirates and Privateers Who Tried to Conquer Florida
#F1M2
Monday, November 19, 2018
12-1:30 p.m.

Today, Amelia Island is a relaxing getaway in Northeast Florida, famous for its beaches, golf courses, and historic charm. But, in the nineteenth century the island was entangled in international affairs, caught between the United States, Spain, and a nascent Spanish American independence movement.

My program takes audiences back 200 years to the year 1817 when Spain ruled Florida—tenuously—as its colonies rebelled and the United States looked to expand.

I tell the story of two groups of Spanish American privateers and pirates who chased out the Spanish, set up their illegal trades, and tried to found a government all in the attempt, they said, to advance revolution.

Audiences will learn more about:

• How pirates were different from privateers.
• How the Spanish American Wars of Independence were fought in Florida.
• How the new James Monroe administration handled its first foreign policy crisis.
• How today’s “historic charm” hides a shady past.

Also: There will be pirates!

To register, click here.

Steve Engle, Ph.D.
The South: Exploring an American Idea
#F1W4
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
2:30- 4 p.m.

It has been said that we may not know where the American South is anymore, but we know when we are in it. Historians are fascinated by the region, its people, its culture, and its impact on the development of the American republic. The South, wrote Wilbur Joseph Cash in his classic work, The Mind of the South “is not quite a nation within a nation but the next thing to it.” Yet, it is an inescapable part of the United States, which often led to tensions and conflict resulting in the Civil War that left an indelible mark on the nation. In the aftermath, the relationship between black and white southerners shaped an enduring Reconstruction that powerfully influenced its history. Perhaps now more than ever, the South has attracted new interest in helping us understand our current political culture. By surveying the South and reassessing the region, the people, and the region’s cultural identity, Dr. Engle examines the gap between the appearance and the reality of what we have come to believe about this fascinating region.

To register, click here.

Stephen Kowel, Ph.D.
The Robots Are Coming for Us
Humanity’s Greatest Opportunity or Most Ominous Threat?
#F1T9
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
12-1:30 p.m.

In 2014 Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates spoke out about the looming dangers posed by advanced artificial intelligence. Hawking warned that AI “could spell the end of the human race.” This year at a broadcast town hall the CEOs of YouTube and Google vied to assert the benign nature of AI, with the YouTube CEO confiding that “I’m not personally scared.”  Intelligence is evolving much faster in robots than in biological lifeforms (us). The question we have to consider is: How smart can robots get? Can they become self-aware, truly autonomous?

To register, click here.

Ronald Feinman, Ph.D.
The Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson: A Lesson for Today
#F1M5
Monday, December 10, 2018
12-1:30 p.m.

Andrew Johnson was the first President to face impeachment, by the House of Representatives, and trial by the US Senate in 1868.

Andrew Johnson was the most combative President until Donald Trump, and a study of Johnson and his impeachment and trial is instructive for present day events.

Andrew Johnson was controversial in his Reconstruction policies after the Civil War, and antagonized the Republican Party which had elected him Vice President, although he had ties to the Democratic Party.

Andrew Johnson did not commit acts that deserved impeachment, and yet, he was almost convicted and removed from office, being saved by one vote short of two thirds of the Senate, and finishing his term in office.

The other Presidents who faced impeachment were:

• Richard Nixon in 1974, but he resigned before the entire House of Representatives was able to vote on the impeachment articles drafted by the House Judiciary Committee.
• Bill Clinton, impeached at the end of 1998, with Senate trial in early 1999, and found not guilty by a wide margin, as compared to the “close call” of Johnson in 1868.

To register, click here.

Fall 2018 Courses

Paul Mojzes, Ph.D.
North American Churches and the Cold War
#F4T2
Tuesdays, October 16, 23, 30; November 13 (No class on November 6)
12-1:30 p.m.

You’d have to be a hermit not to be aware that the concern and anxiety experienced by us during the Cold War (1945-1990) is threatening us again.  True, Russia and its former Communist Bloc nations are no longer communists, but new forms of coalescence between assertive nationalism and Russian Orthodoxy make them regard Western liberal democracies as enemies.  It is time to see whether we can learn something from our Cold War experiences on how to deal with what American Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, calls the “Hot Peace.”

The course is based on the insights gained by over 30 scholars in a newly published book, North American Churches and the Cold War, edited by me.  The book was published by Wm. Eerdmans Publishing Co. in late August 2018. The over 30 chapters are clustered in sections along denominational lines: Canadian, Catholic, and Orthodox churches, and due to their diversity, the Protestant chapters are organized into three sections: Main Line churches, Evangelicals, and Peace churches. We did not include Mexican churches because it is hoped that at some point there will be a volume dedicated to Third World Christian responses as well as European, East and West.

To our (American) surprise, our Canadian allies did not experience the Cold War as such a stark threat as we did. To them, the “red menace” was relativized by the belligerence of their southern neighbor, which, due to great power rivalry with the Soviets, pushed the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation.  American church people all shared a common concern for the communist threat but did not respond equally. Protestants are the majority Christian population and also the most diverse. The so-called Main Line denominations (such as Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, United Church of Christ) feared Soviet aggression and were concerned for their fellow Christians behind the Iron Curtain but supported a nuanced policy of containment, negotiations, arms control, and détante, and favored building bridges between East and West wherever possible.  The theologically and socially much more conservative Evangelicals accused Main Line Christians of naiveté if not complicity as they perceived the East-West conflict in apocalyptic terms between “the children of light vs. the children of darkness.” In the early years of the Cold War, Main Line Protestant leaders used to have open access to the US government but from President Nixon onward lost it to Evangelicals, who by consistent support of hardline policies, gained far greater influence.

At first Catholics appeared to be united in an unbending anti-communist position but after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), Catholics became open to dialogue and diverse interpretation of the world.  Some Catholics continued the hardline attribution of all problems to communist aggression while others opted for analyses of social and economic factors as causes of local conflicts.

Since all Orthodox churches (except the Greek) had their headquarters in communist countries, nearly all of them experienced schism and conflict.  Many leaders and members preferred to retain their canonical linkage with the mother church; others, especially emigrants after World War II, were unalterably opposed to what they perceived as church leadership controlled by communist secret services.

The traditional peace churches (Mennonites, Quakers, Church of the Brethren, and Amish) continued their pacifist service to friend and foe. Additionally, Christians in many denominations dedicated themselves to bridge building between the East and West, including Christian-Marxist dialogue.

Two authors, one a Canadian and the other American, provided comprehensive evaluations of what transpired during the Cold War, directing the reader toward some lessons that may be garnered from these studies to help Christians and others in future conflicts, such as with radical Muslims and now with a resurgent Russia—which is attempting to regain influence in its sphere of influence whereas the West sees them as attempting to subvert liberal democracies.  Under the influence of President Trump, a major re-alignment seems to be taking place in the US with Evangelicals now viewing Russia in a positive light whereas the more moderate and liberal Christians perceiving Russia as a threat to our values. It would appear that a new confrontation between right-wing authoritarian populism and chauvinistic nationalism is competing with democratic political structure for preeminence in the twenty-first century.

 To register, click here.

Kurt Stone, D.D.
One Hundred Fifty-Six Pictures a Year . . . and Counting
Awesome Films That Somehow Got Lost in the Crowd
Mondays- October 15, 22, 29; November 5, 19, 26; December 3, 10 (No class on November 12)
7-8:30 p.m.

 Back in days when major Hollywood studios (MGM, Paramount, Fox, Universal etc.) exercised all but total control over the lives, stage-names and biographies of their on-screen players, it was not uncommon for a star, leading or supporting actor –even extras – to appear in a half-dozen or more films a year. Consider the following:

• Between 1930 and 1984, James Cagney appeared in 70 films, with 30 of them coming in just 6 year.
• Bette Davis starred in 122 movies with 24 of them in just three years (1932-34)
• John Wayne rode and warred in 177 films during a nearly 50-year career with a full three dozen of them occurring in just 2 years (1932-330
• Supporting actress Bess Flowers known as “the Best-Dressed Woman in Hollywood,” appeared in an amazing 914 films between 1923 and 1967.

Today’s stars are lucky to appear in one movie every 18 months.  They are no longer employees of studios, but rather independent contractors.  Frequently, they are paid more for a single film than the likes of a Gary Cooper, Clark Gable or Catherine Hepburn made in an entire career.

The main reason why Golden Age Hollywood stars were in so many movies is that their studios released one “A” and two “B” pictures a week, 52 weeks a year.  Why so many films?  Because they owned their own theaters and motion picture palaces and had to keep a steady flow of new films on screen.  Now logically, when a studio releases more than 150 pictures a year, they’re going to run the gamut from future classic to absolute stinker . . . and everything in between.

In this course, we have selected 8 studio-era films which are both largely unknown and definitely in need of being rediscovered and revived.  And who knows . . . perhaps, one of these days, Turner Classic Movies will offer a screening of:

1. The Last Flight (Warner Bros., 1931): A film about the “lost generation” which owes much to Fitzgerald and Hemmingway and Fitzgerald. Starring Richard Barthelmess, Helen Chandler and Johnny Mack Brown.
2. Of Human Bondage (RKO, 1931): Unquestionably the best of 3 adaptations of the celebrated Somerset Maugham novel, starring Bette Davis, Leslie Howard and Reginald Denny.
3. Ruggles of Red Gap (Paramount, 1935): Comedy about the butler to a down-on-his-luck Britisher who is won by his flamboyant nouveau-riche American cousin. Starring Charles Laughton, Charles Ruggles, ZaSu Pitts and some of Hollywood’s greatest character actors.
4. The Gilded Lily (Paramount, 1935): The best of the 7 movies starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert. He’s a newspaper reporter; she’s a stenographer.  He’s in love with her; she’s in love with handsome, titled Brit played by Ray Milland.
5. In Old Chicago (20^th Century Fox, 1938): Tyrone Power and Alice Faye star in a film about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow who caused the great Chicago Fire. Best known for its climactic fire sequence that lasts a full 20 minutes.
6. Three Comrades (MGM, 1938): Adapted from a best-selling novel by Erich Maria Remarque, this was the first and only film for which F. Scott Fitzgerald received credit. Robert Taylor, Robert Young and Margarat Sullavan star in a tale of three WWI veterans.
7. Showboat (Universal, 1936): The first movie musical that showed the power of sound. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber with words and music by Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern, it stars Irene Dunne, Charles Winninger, Hattie McDaniel and Paul Robeson.
8. Ah, Wilderness! (MGM, 1935): Based on playwright Eugene O’Neil’s only comedy, Lionel Barrymore, Ailine MacMahon, Wallace Berry and Mickey Rooney star in this tender, affection, and humorous portrait of what O’Neill wished his childhood could have been.

Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday evenings this fall as together, we share the best of unknown Hollywood!

To register for the full 8 weeks, click here.
To register for the last 4 weeks, click here.

Irving Labovitz, J.D.
Objection! Current Contentious and Confusing Legal Battles
#F8R3 (Full 8 Weeks)
#F4R4 (Last 4 Weeks)
Thursday- October 11, 18, 25; November 1, 8, 15, 29; December 6 (No class on November 22)
12-1:30 p.m. 

“Admittedly, it should be a lackluster and enervating forthcoming OLLI school year in my course, with only a few modest and mundane Constitutional and legal issues to be anticipated.

A few illustrative examples…

Can the President of the United States be involuntarily subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury?  What about his being indicted and tried for one or more alleged crimes either prior to or during his term of office?  Is a President susceptible to civil lawsuits for claimed legal wrongs occurring before taking office?  Does the Federal Govt. have legal or Constitutional liability for forcing both extended involuntary separation and containment of illegal alien children and their parents seeking asylum in the United States?  Has Congress, to any extent, abrogated a Constitutional mandate to provide an independent ‘check and balance’ to any alleged problematic executive actions?  Is the Supreme Court, as will likely soon be constituted, about to decide the best way to cross a Constitutional river now subject to historical virulent legal currents…whether to Ro[w]e or Wade?  Does the Executive, Congress, or the Judicial Department have requisite Constitutional authority to limit, constrain, or terminate the ongoing Special Counsel inquiry, or those who oversee its scope?  Did we just see the first Federal Appellate Court decision confirming the NRA view that Amendment II mandates that states must allow ‘open carry’ of loaded guns without limitation or constraint; and will the Supreme Court grant certiorari to a likely appeal seeking a continuum of Amendment X predominance? Did a recent 2018 lower federal court threshold decision construing President Trump’s ownership interest in his D.C. hotel as a possible violation of the Constitution’s Emolument Clause just ‘open the door’ to discovery of the hotel’s financial machinations as well as a potential future finding of a violation of this never-before litigated postulate?

With only these few insignificant issues, and other mundane matters of like kind, to be raised in this forthcoming school year, I would suggest you opt out of my course and consider an alternative discussion of historical French poetry. I shall, of course, look forward to engaging the remaining few OLLI students still persuaded to contemplate prospective happenings in our usual interactive discussions.”

Irving D. Labovitz, J.D.

To register for the full 8 weeks, click here.
To register for the last 4 weeks, click here.

Benito Rakower, Ed.D.
Now What is Love?
The Rapture and Anguish of Love
#F8F5 (Full 8 Weeks) #F4F6 (Last 4 Weeks)
Fridays – October 19, 26; November 2, 9, 16, 30; December 7, 14 (No class on November 23)
1:30-4 p.m.
Post-film discussion 4-4:30 p.m.

The fall film course title, “Now What is Love?,” derives from a poem by Sir Walter Raleigh.  Raleigh was one of England’s great sea captains and also one of its greatest lyric poets.  The title, and first line of the poem, suggest a sophisticated and ambiguous attitude regarding romantic love.  In partial answer, Raleigh says that love is a “sunshine mixed with rain.”

These eight films explore the different contexts in which love appears, but always with the same effect. It simply takes possession of one’s life and disrupts everything.

In the eight film that make up the fall film course, we will explore how several of the most distinguished actors and actresses have portrayed the “sunshine and rain” of falling in love.

Steve McQueen tries to walk away from Natalie Wood.  Not an easy thing to do in any circumstance, as he finds out.  Kirk Douglas has everything a man could want.  It is not enough if Kim Novak is living down the street.

Kevin Kline is a French petty thief.  He meets an American woman on a flight to Paris.  They totally change each other’s philosophy of life.  Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve, two icons of French cinema, find themselves stranded on an island off the coast of Venezuela with nothing in common.  A game of disdain erupts that can have only one outcome.

The sweep of these films ranges from Hollywood melodrama to French rapture.  The appeal in each case is irresistible.

To register for the full 8 weeks, click here.
To register for the last 4 weeks, click here.

This summer, Katie Muldoon will present a six-week course titled “Bending Fate: International Films with Tales of How Ordinary People Try to Control Their Destiny” at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Jupiter.

by Katie Muldoon

        

Perhaps you are like me right now: although I want to understand what is going on in politics, it has become so overwhelming that I want it in the background as much as possible.

So when I started researching films for this summer’s program, I found that there were a fair number of excellent films but way too many of them dealt with such stressful subjects as war, sexual harassment, and other politically-charged messages.  Enough of that for now, I said to myself!

Instead, I looked for something that would still offer intelligent depth of emotion but on a more thoughtful, identifiable level.  Plus, I wanted some of those lesser-known film gems, the ones that not only have plenty of awards or other such recognitions but also have deeper personalities that reflect the country from which they originated.  In that way, we can feel as if we are actually “living” in that country, not momentarily visiting it. The six films in the course show us “ordinary” people sharing extraordinary moments in their lives with us.

These are not “slick” films, but well researched (two of them are based on true stories) and superbly written. There are no wasted words.  Every word, backed by precise cinematography and concise acting, helps us understand the choices and the decisions our characters face.

I found it almost always possible to identify with the stresses, excitement, fears and ongoing emotions of the very real people in a wide range of livelihoods and moments in life – Estonian farmers, rural bee-keeping teenagers, Talmudic scholars, Hong Kong pre-teens, Welsh bar folk and the others that appear in these films.  And if I couldn’t personally identify with them, I did wisely learn from them, as I suspect you will, too.

Overall, these are Smart Summer Films that allow escape, cheer, discovery, smiling, and perhaps even a bit of weeping — but no politics!

This film course will be held on Wednesdays, July 11, 18, 25; August 1, 8, 15, 2018 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. (1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on July 25).
The cost is $60 for members and $85 for non-members.
To register, click here.

This summer, Terryl Lawrence, Ed.D. will present a six-week course titled “A Potpourri of Summer Delights: Part II” at Osher LLI in Jupiter.

By Terryl Lawrence, Ed.D.

All we have to hear is the word “Paris” and our minds immediately go to memories of strolling along the Seine, sipping wine at a romantic cafe, or simply revelling in its intoxicating atmosphere. Since we cannot all go to that city of stunning light this summer, why not journey with me through words and pictures to that legendary place?

On the few occasions when I was fortunate enough to be in Paris, I could easily imagine Hemingway and Fitzgerald discussing writing there, Matisse and Picasso meeting for the first time at Gertrude Stein’s salon, Picasso impressing young women with his self-important charm, and Degas and Bonnard devouring the treasures of the Louvre.

Paris is a city that has inspired a world of creativity, love affairs, lifelong friendships, and endless stories. Every corner that you turn presents a new experience worth writing and talking about. Ernest Hemingway summed up its aura in this sentence written to a friend in 1950:

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

I still remember the crowds of Parisians waiting outside of a little shop next to my hotel. I wondered what they were so anxious to buy. It turned out to be chocolate, which is a favorite treat there. People stand in long, slow lines in anticipation of purchasing and consuming exceptional sweets. For me, Paris is a lot like chocolate because it is delicious, soothing, energizing, and always satisfying.

This course will be held on Tuesdays, May 15, 22, 29; June 5, 12, 19, 2018  from 1-2:30 p.m. The cost is $60 for members and $85 for non-members. To register, click here.

Dr. Taylor Hagood is a Professor of American Literature at FAU, and has been a faculty member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for many years. Over the years, Dr. Hagood has acquired quite a following of students who greatly enjoy his classes. They have nicknamed him a “Modern Renaissance Man.” This past semester a student in Dr. Hagood’s course, “The Fireside Poets,” took it upon herself to write a poem about her favorite Osher LLI literature professor.

ODE TO THE RENAISSANCE MAN
By Cookie Karp

We don’t want to waste your time
Be patient if you can
As we describe the attributes
Of the modern Renaissance man

He must be well traveled
And seen places of intrigue
Speak a multitude of languages
And join a writers league

It takes a man with lots of charm
And ability to toil
With pen and ink and paint brush
With epee and with foil

A special man who’ll acquiesce
When he gets the call
To teach a bunch of seniors
Who think they know it all

Yes, we think we know it all
So-how can it be
That a young southern charmer
Knows so much more than we

Taylor’s the modern Renaissance man
He writes, he paints, he sings
He plays every instrument
Woodwind, brass and strings

When he recites poetry
He puts on a show
We all become mesmerized
As words like honey flow

Sometimes he stops reciting
Excuse him if you please
He has to say God bless you
When he hears a person sneeze

Taylor helps us with our Shakespeare
A subject hard to grasp
Now I know my elbow
From Cleopatra’s asp

Where do Renaissance men come from
Do they grow in Mississippi
If Taylor came from Soho
Would he have been a Hippie

He usually stays on subject
But sometimes goes astray
He talks about his family
In such a loving way

His Mom, his Dad, his Grandma
Olivia, his Sis
Taylor thinks his nephews
Are ready for Old Miss

He dresses like a Southern beau
He really is quite handsome
If Taylor should be kidnapped
You bet your life we’d pay the ransom

Taylor, you reach perfection
In all that you pursue
Leonardo da Vinci
Cannot compare to you

Here’s to Taylor Hagood
From each and every fan
We are proud to be the students
Of the modern Renaissance man

Taylor Hagood, Ph.D. and Cookie Karp

This summer, Dr. Benito Rakower will present a six-week course titled “Tuscany and Provence – The Reinvention of Cinema” at Osher LLI in Jupiter.

Benito Rakower, Ed.D.

Romanticism was born in Provence.  The Renaissance began in Tuscany.  Both regions also have a legendary beauty and cuisine that express what it means “to live well.”  The six films in this summer course reflect that sense of being alive.

Tuscany, Italy

A 17-year-old French girl conquered the French literary world with a novel about love in Provence.  It would not have worked anywhere else.

More recently, a French film director drew attention to the drama of land, inheritance, and family that can divide a family.  The splendor of his depiction has never been rivalled in film.  The two-film sequence will be presented in separate showings.

Pont Du Gard Provence, France

Other films in this series deal with the problems of writers, the disparities in love, and the intoxicating vivacity of dance.  The course is a pleasant alternative to actually going to Tuscany and Provence this summer.

This course will be held on Thursdays, May 17, 24, 31; June 7, 14, 21, 2018 from 1-3:30 p.m.
A film discussion will follow from 3:30-4:00 p.m.
The cost is $60 for members and $85 for non-members. To register, click here.

By Sandi Page, Member, FAU Osher LLI Jupiter Marketing Committee member

By popular demand, we’re back with more tales of travel disasters…just in time for your summer vacation planning!

One of my travel mishaps took place once again in my beloved Greece. Every other year, we would choose one or two of Greece’s many islands to explore. Our days were filled with sun, figs, grapes, pots of basil, warm, yeasty bread, and sightings of pelicans stealing fish from small local restaurateurs who would chase them, outraged. The pelicans always got away. Our lives felt charmed until one day, our luck almost ran out.

We were in a port hotel lobby at 6 a.m. on the island of Samos waiting for the ticket office to open to buy passage on the first boat of the day to Turkey.  Suddenly, a wasp flew out of nowhere and stung my companion on the finger.  Without thinking, he put his finger in his mouth to try to remove the stinger – a most regrettable action. His face and neck started swelling immediately. Fortunately, Samos is one of the few islands that has a hospital.

Knowing he was in grave danger, I calmly told him that we needed to get to the hospital immediately.  The taxi drivers refused to take us, thinking that the very short distance and, therefore, small fare, did not warrant losing their place in line. I offered them ten times the fare to no avail. They had been burned by tourists before.  We had no choice but to walk.  Upon arriving, the hospital lobby was dark and the reception desk unmanned, due to the early hour. I called out but no-one came. I yelled. Still no-one. In desperation, I started screaming. Finally, a disheveled-looking doctor, who had obviously been asleep, appeared, struggling to get into her white coat. She spoke no English or French and my rudimentary Greek was unequal to the task. By this time, my companion’s face had swelled up so as to be unrecognizable, his eyes mere slits, and he was having trouble breathing and was starting to panic. The doctor, in her sleep-dazed state, seemed unable to grasp the situation, so using my best “charade” skills, I acted out the wasp sting scenario. She gasped as it finally sunk in what had happened and she stepped closer to look at his face. He was immediately put on a stretcher, given a shot, hooked up to an I.V., and then put in the Men’s Ward, a huge room filled with 10 beds, all full, all Greeks. Families started arriving a few hours later, laden with food, and because of innate Greek hospitality and kindness, we were immediately adopted as one of their own.

One of the patients, a sweet young man with Down syndrome, offered us some fruit from a large platter his father had just brought in.  I took a piece and thanked him profusely in Greek. He then happily but painfully walked away to the next patient to share his treat.   As he passed, a sweet, sickening odor emanated from his legs. Gangrene was working its way up them.   Hiding my shock, I pretended to have noticed nothing unusual. I have never forgotten him.

Needing a break, I went into the hall and saw an old woman crying quietly on a bench. I sat down beside her. Sorrow and pain are a universal language and with a few small gestures to me – pointing to her wedding ring, then pointing to her heart, then pointing to her eyes which she slowly closed – I understood that her husband had just died. We fell into each other’s arms and wept together. I felt honored that she had invited me in to share her grief.  I have never forgotten her, either.

Only Greek-speaking doctors and nurses were on duty that day so all of my companion’s treatments were explained to us in sign language. The kind hospital staff let me spend the night in a bed in the children’s ward which was, thankfully, empty.

When an English-speaking doctor finally came in 34 hours later, he told us over and over again how very lucky we were – that if this had been my companion’s second wasp sting, he would have surely died, given the severity of his reaction to this first one. It went without saying that without hospital facilities, he would not have made it, either. The doctor told us that we must always carry shots with us for any future stings, but to follow up their use by immediately seeking out medical personnel. We were finally, after many goodbyes in Greek to our new friends, allowed to leave the hospital.

We found a little square in the town and sat down. My companion was very quiet, a silence I respected after all he had been through. He finally said, “You know what? I would really, REALLY have hated for my epitaph to read, “KILLED BY A WASP IN SAMOS.” We looked at each other, burst out laughing, and once more, we were back in vacation mode, with the almost-disaster behind us.

Read on as first our Osher LLI instructors and then our fellow students share some of their own harrowing travel adventures.  BONNES VACANCES, Y’ALL!

Taylor Hagood, Ph.D., Instructor
When I first found out about the travel disaster blog, I didn’t think I had much to contribute, since luckily I have not yet been robbed, kidnapped, or murdered while traveling. I was then informed that “disaster” could mean any kind of mishap, and that opened things up for me, since I have had plenty of those. Which one to tell about?
I guess I can tell one on myself. My father and I went to Rome several years ago. One of the biggest problems we encountered was finding a public restroom: strangely, many Europeans I know constantly complain that they cannot find public restrooms in the United States, and many Americans complain that they cannot find public restrooms in Europe.
As it turned out, there was a stand-alone, self-cleaning restroom near the entrance to one of the Metro stops. These are little container-like buildings with automatic doors that unlock and open when one puts a coin in them. My father decided to use it. He put a euro into the slot, the door opened, and he went in, closed the door behind him, took care of business, and came back out again.
I needed to use the facility too, but it seemed to me that the door would need to shut and the unit to clean itself first. I waited for the door to close. It didn’t. Having never used one of these before, I wasn’t sure how long to wait. I decided I had waited long enough. I closed the door behind me. Then the trouble started. I heard a click as the door locked. The light that had been on inside went out. A noise started. Suddenly I felt water spraying all around me.
I will just end the story by saying you can rest assured those self-cleaning toilets are sanitary.

Kurt F. Stone, D.D., Instructor – From Teddy to Grizzly
Back in early 1979, I was approached by an international Jewish concern working in tandem with American intelligence and asked if I would consider going on a two-person mission of discovery in the then-Soviet Union.  The purpose of the mission was to locate and report on about two dozen Jewish “enemies of the state” whose major “crime” was holding underground classes and gatherings for the sole purpose of teaching modern idiomatic Hebrew.  After a bit of pondering, I agreed, met my traveling partner (a librarian fluent in Russian and Yiddish as well as a smattering of French and Hebrew), and then began a months-long course in how to be a spy.  Our handler taught us code, evasive tactics and how to communicate inside bugged spaces (that’s why the good Lord invented the “Etch A Sketch”), honest graft, and a host of methods to keep us safe in the Soviet underground.  We were also “armed” with about a dozen cartons of Winston cigarettes – the Russians’ favorite Western smoke.
Upon our arrival in Leningrad (now, once again, St. Petersburg) and clearing Soviet customs, we were delighted to find that everyone was quite cordial and smiling.  It was as if the fierce Soviet Bear had become a lovable Teddy.  The reason? The 1980 summer Olympics were to be taking place in Moscow – that’s why.
And then came the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the “Graveyard of Empires.” Seemingly within the blink of an eye, much of the free world turned against the Soviet Union, threatening reprisals . . . most notably, the boycotting of the summer Olympics, which would cost them untold billions in foreign capital. Almost overnight, the Teddy Bear turned into a Grizzly.  No longer would a Winston or two guarantee that “the crones” (the older, uniformed women guarding elevators in hotels where foreigners stayed) would permit us access or egress after hours. Now, our government-appointed tails (theirs, not ours) were as obvious and irritating as a hangnail.
Nonetheless, we had an assignment and had to keep on locating and interviewing the brave men and women who, against all odds, continued teaching Hebrew at a series of underground gatherings.
So, what to do?  Weighing our options, we concluded that despite being Communists, the crones, tails and other minor officials who made our lives difficult had two things in common:
a) they were all chain smokers and b) they were all greedy.  And so, we took to surreptitiously handing out Winstons by the pack.  As a result, we started becoming everyone’s best friend and little by little, they left us alone. Disaster averted!
In retrospect, we in the West could have saved ourselves hundreds of billions of dollars in defense spending if only we had bombed the country with Winstons . . .

Benito Rakower, Ed.D., Instructor – The Altiplano
The altitude of Mexico City is 7,300 feet.  The once clear and arid air made it one of the healthiest cities in the world.  It also combined three distinct cultures.  Originally, an Aztec city built on a lake, it had the most pitiless civilization in human history.  The conquering Spanish introduced a new architecture.  Under French domination, it boasted the best restaurants in the world.
My mother had the idea that health was the result of sparse diet and healing came from herbs. On Sundays, she would take me and my older sister on excursions into the relatively empty scrub and cactus landscape of the plateau enveloping Mexico City.  She was looking for herbs and plants that promoted life.  I was four and my sister was ten.
We would take a bus out of the city and get off at some spot that attracted my mother’s interest. We roamed zig-zag with no destination and one Sunday, it went wrong.  We were lost. My mother, in her Chinese hat and snugly fitted dress, took stock.  Before choosing a direction, she looked toward the sun and regarded the distant mountains.  We walked side by side for some hours.  Miraculously, we came upon the stone arched entrance to an estancia.  There were no buildings visible.  A solitary guard wearing a large-brimmed, straw hat was leaning against one of the stone pillars.  There were crossed cartridge belts around his chest. A rifle leaned against the stone pillar by his side.
My mother asked if we could cross the estancia, as she surmised there was a road on the other side where we could catch a bus back to Mexico City.  With the suave courtesy of the unyielding Mexican character, he said that was impossible.  My mother pleaded with him for her children’s sake.  He maintained his adamantly courteous but negative stance.  A truly frightening confrontation.
My mother became sarcastic.  The guard reached for his rifle. I screamed.  My mother gave in. We began our silent march around the perimeter to the wire-enclosed estancia before coming to a grove of trees and more uneven ground. I could no longer walk.  My mother and sister alternated carrying me piggy-back.  I thought we would all perish but my mother and sister were grimly silent as they marched on.  There was a road back to the city.  And a bus.
I later learned that all women were just like my mother.

René Silvin, Instructor – Aboard the QE2, 1978
During the 1970s, my business was on both sides of the Atlantic and I used to cross from New York to Southampton, England, aboard the QE2, several times each summer.
On one occasion, during a typical “mid-Atlantic” storm, I was in the ship’s casino when, around 1 a.m., we all heard a huge crash and felt an odd, prolonged vibration. Shortly thereafter, I noticed the engines had been shut down. I went on deck only to see crew scurrying around the ship’s “whale back,” the area on a ship’s bow where docking equipment is stored.
By morning, the ship was, once again, under way but moving very slowly and listing slightly forward. Eventually, I discovered that one of the huge bow anchors had come loose and had smashed against the ship’s starboard side. It had pierced the hull at several points just below the water line, as the ship kept moving forward.
We limped into Boston, the nearest port, at a slow speed where passengers had to disembark and be transferred by bus to New York. It was an odd accident, which could have been much worse. Thankfully, there was no loss of life.

Wesley Borucki, Ph.D., Instructor
My one great travel disaster goes back to January 1987.  I was a junior in high school in suburban Detroit, and I was invited with about ten others from my school to participate in a delegation to the North American Invitational Model United Nations in Washington, D.C.  The day we were supposed to fly there, a huge blizzard hit the eastern seaboard; it affected cities from Boston all the way south to Atlanta, and airports up and down the east coast were closed.  That afternoon, Northwest Airlines got word that National Airport in Washington had re-opened, so they boarded us on a plane in Detroit, and we took off.  When we were almost to Washington, both National and Dulles Airports closed again.  There was no airport open close by, so the plane actually circled Washington, and the pilot announced that he was flying us back to Detroit!   When we landed, a reporter from the Detroit Free Press happened to be in the terminal.  When he heard our story, he interviewed us, and we got our picture in the next morning’s newspaper as a group.  Well, we all went home, and we did get a flight into Dulles Airport the next day just in time for the Model U.N.  While we were there, more snow fell in Washington and we could not get out for several days after we were scheduled to leave – the Metro trains were not even operating to National Airport.  While we were stuck, it was really brutal because I ran out of clean clothes.  As a result, whenever I travel now, I’m always guilty of overpacking!

Barbara DePalma, Student – Near Disaster in Labrador
Austria was experiencing a very warm February when my husband and I went to St. Johann for a week of skiing. Due to the overnight freezing of the melting snow during the warm days, only expert skiers were allowed on the slopes. Instead of skiing, we had a marvelous time touring Austria.
Shortly after takeoff for our return to New York from Munich, we were informed that, due to an engine oil leak, we would be stopping in Amsterdam for repairs. The nine-hour layover allowed us to tour Amsterdam and experience a rijsttafel. No problem as that was something we had always wanted to do. Leaving Amsterdam, the pilot explained that the engine should be fine but, as a precaution, we were taking a longer northern route which flew over more land mass than the previous route over mostly ocean. Excellent decision because hours later, more engine problems necessitated a forced landing. The nearest airport was in Labrador which did not have a long enough runway to accommodate a 747. We were warned to be prepared for a rough landing. The flight crew secured everything possible and distributed pillows and blankets to cushion the landing.
As soon as the landing gear touched ground, maximum brakes and reverse thrust were used to stop the momentum before we reached the end of the runway. The engine was again “repaired” and the crew was faced with a more critical problem. Landing a decelerating 747 on a short runway was easier than taking off. To have a chance of clearing the runway, brakes needed to be depressed and maximum throttle given to the engine before going forward. The roar of the strained engine and the shaking of the plane while reaching maximum power would have woken the dead! Even though it was a short runway, the high-speed blast seemed like the longest ride of our lives. Once committed, there was no way to abort mission.
Upon landing in NYC, our plane was met by emergency vehicles who escorted us to the gate. As we deplaned, we were greeted by cheering newsmen, photographers, and airport personnel. We were spared the ordeal of going through customs because “we had already been through enough.”

Paul Newton, Student – Bad Start to a California Trip
About ten years ago, a couple of my buddies and I decided to take a motorcycle trip to California and back.  They decided to start the trip by qualifying for the “Iron Butt” challenge. The ride had to be fully documented using photos and gas receipts showing that you had ridden at least 1000 miles in one 24-hour period.  This did not sound like a good idea at all to me but since I really wanted to go on the California trip with them, I begrudgingly agreed.  We started in Greenville, North Carolina about 5:00 a.m. and worked our way west stopping only at gas stations for the shortest time possible to refuel. As we approached the 700-mile mark, my body was aching badly and I knew that I was in trouble.  By 800 miles, it was hard to stand the pain and I did not know how I could ever finish this self-inflicted torturous task.  For the last hundred or so miles, every tenth of a mile was absolutely grueling and almost unbearable. About 10:00 p.m., we pulled into a gas station in Marietta, Oklahoma after traveling 1038 miles.  We could hardly get off our bikes, stand or use our hands to fill our gas tanks.  This 17-hour ride felt like the longest and most miserable day of my life. We kept the daily distance under 600 miles for the rest of what turned out to be a most wonderful trip.

Barbara McConaghy Johnson, Student – Car Trouble
Back in the ‘80s when I was going to the Fall Fashion Collections in Milan, I had a travel disaster that I’ll always remember… both for fear and for admiration of keeping cool in adversity!
Leaving from La Guardia, our night flight was about 2 hours over the Atlantic when I saw a fireball strike the wing of our plane. It was lightning, and there was lots of screaming, bumpy turbulence and panic. Seemingly without missing a beat, our Captain got on the speaker and said, “Hi, everyone, no need to worry; it seems we’ve had a little car trouble and we’ll be heading back to New York. I’ll keep you posted.” After that, there wasn’t a sound in the huge cabin except for a girl saying her prayers in Italian. As we approached the airport, we could see that the runway was lined with ambulances, fire trucks and hoses in the arms of at-ready firefighters…still not a sound as we made that miraculous landing except for our brave captain saying “Welcome to New York” and then the whoops and applause of grateful passengers and crew who couldn’t wait to be back on the ground.

Paul Brown, Student – London Shopping – An Experience of a Lifetime
After another exciting trip to London, all that was left to do was return once more to Harrods to give my wife, Cynthia, a last try at convincing me to buy the spectacular leather jacket that she had shown me earlier in the week. After disappointing her with my decision, I suggested that she go up to the 2nd floor and settle the VAT tax issues while I sat in one of the “husband” chairs and read the International Herald Tribune. No more than five minutes had gone by before there was a sudden explosion in the street which destroyed the nearest door, approximately 40-50 feet from where I was sitting.  The public address system announced that there had been “an incident” in the front of the building and that all shoppers should leave through one of the side doors.   People immediately began their departure – no pushing, shoving, screaming or shoplifting.
I was relaxed, just watching the people, knowing that Cynthia was on the 2nd floor dealing with the VAT charges. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind. It was Cynthia. She had gone back to the men’s department one more time.  The bomb had gone off about fifteen feet from where she was standing.  Luckily, there were no windows in the men’s department.  She was fine.
We quickly decided that the VAT would be taken care of at the airport. As we left the building, the police were on horseback and bodies were on the ground.  Walking quickly down one side street after another, we were able to get a cab back to the Connaught.  The phone was ringing. It was her dad calling to let us know there had been a bombing in London.  Cynthia told him we were fine and packing for the flight back.   They would never learn how close we were to that IRA bomb.