Dicky Ticker and Pajamas

ABS has been an Oakland Raiders fan since 1960 and he has become inured to their poor play and so he spends his viewing time mocking their incompetence because that is what a true fan of professional entertainment does.

What, if you paid good money to listen to Luciano Pavarotti sing Nessun Dorma * and you ended-up hearing him sound like Lemmy of  Motorhead, you wouldn't be perfectly within your rights to boo or mock him?

The Raiders defensive front four plays with all of the disarming intensity, and speed, of an old lady painstakingly searching the shelves for a bargain at The Christmas Tree Shop.

Two of this front four are rookies.

One, Maurice Hurst, from the University of Michigan, is burdened with a bad heart and other NFL teams would not draft him. Of course, The Raiders drafted him because bargain...

ABS calls him Dicky Ticker **

The second rookie is a player from a small school college, Sam Houston State College, and although P.J. Hall is short, fat, and slow, he is also reputed to be about in the middle of the pack of the low information defensive lineman in The NFL.

ABS calls him Pajamas.

ABS is rooting for a team with defensive lineman named Dicky Ticker and Pajamas and he is not supposed to mock them?

*

** https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/dicky

Puccini, G. (1858-1924)

Turandot

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Composed 1920-1924; completed by Franco Alfano 1925-1926. First performed April 25, 1926. Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni (in Itarian), after Gozzi.

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A Summary of “Turandot”

Act 1 In a legendary time, at the square in front of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, the Princess, Turandot, is a woman of great beauty, but has a cold heart that is as cold as ice. She said, “Any prince seeking to marry me must answer three riddles. But if he fails, he will have to die.” At the square, a failed prince’s fate, who is going to the guillotine, excites a lot of the audience’s blood. In the crowd, a vanquished king of Tartary, Timur, meets his long-lost son, Prince Calaf, again. Calaf falls in love with Turandot at first sight. He proclaims to try to answer her three riddles. One of Timur’s slave girls, Liu, attempts to stop his reckless resolve, but his determination strengthens. Act 2 Turandot appears, and begins to ask Calaf her three riddles. Q1. What thing is reborn every night? ...A. ‘Hope’ Q2. What burns hot, but is not fire? ...A. ‘Blood’ Q3. What ice can make fire? ...A. ‘Turandot’ Calaf successfully answers her three riddles. Turandot is upset, and refuses to marry him. Calaf says to her, “If you can learn my name by dawn, I will forfeit my life.” Act 3 Turandot gives the crowd in Beijing an order not to sleep until someone learns his name. The people of Beijing frantically find out his name. They catch Liu. Turandot asks Liu why she never says his name. Liu answers that it is because of her love to him, and kills herself. After the crowd goes home, Turandot remains alone to confront Calaf. Then, Calaf gives away his name to her. At the break of dawn, Turandot proclaims the victory to learn his name in front of the crowd. She says to the crowd, “His name is …Love”, and she then concedes defeat and marries him.

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A Comment on “Turandot”

This opera is the last opera by Giacomo Puccini. When Puccini died, he hadn’t finished composing this opera. But, Puccini left some rough notes. Using Puccini’s notes Franco Alfano, who is one of Puccini’s private pupils, took over the writing of the opera from the duet of Turandot and Calaf in act 3. In the first performance of “Turandot,” it was conducted by Arturo Toscanini, who is a famous Italian conductor, Toscanini finished conducting this opera before the duet in act 3, and he told the audience that this point was the death of Puccini. On the next day, “Turandot” was completely performed. “Turandot” is a large scale opera which is set in Beijing. The features of this opera are powerful chorus, having some Chinese melodies, and the solution of three riddles. You will find a lot of highlights in this opera. The most famous aria is especially Calaf’s aria, “Nessun dorma! (Let No One Sleep)” in act 3. The Tenor who plays Calaf, dramatically sings this aria with his pride of victory and his affection to Turandot. Luciano Pavarotti, one of the three tenors, sang this aria at the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Torino (Turin). Shizuka Arakawa, who won the gold medal in women’s figure skating in this Olympics, used this aria in her free program. This aria is perfect for a victory! Of course, Turandot just cannot be ignored. In addition, a slave girl, Liu, is also an important role. Liu is not described in the original of this opera’s libretto, but is added by Puccini. Liu sings two arias, “Signore, ascolta! (My lord, listen!)” in act 1 and “Tu che di gel sei cinta (You who are begirdled by ice)” in act 3. She kills herself because of her love for Calaf. She leaves us with a strong impression.

http://www.murashev.com/opera/Turandot_libretto_English_Italian