Bernard Dov Wisser's

Journal of advice, opinion, and ventilation...also raps about art, spirituality, being a human being and everything else....

So, this Blog is going to be sort of an advise column—have any problems this is the place to come with them—I’m still not sure whether you can post them here yourself or not but if not you can write them to captainmarvelnl@yahoo.com under “subject”—write “advice” or I’m liable to delete it suspecting its some Nigerian Spam. Why is it always $26,000,000 they want to share with me? Anyway any advice I give you will be skewed toward the transcendental, the non-politically correct, the oblique and anything else you can expect from a 66-year-old bourgeois, parlor, semi-retired hippy. I also hope to make this a Journal of Opinion, yours and mine—mine whether it is weird, sane, smart or not, and yours if yours strikes my fancy which doesn’t mean you have to agree with me…but someday I would like someone to agree with me. Thirdly, although I haven’t keyboarded firstly, or secondly, I want to have the Hodgepodge serve as a sundry ventilator (and don’t ask me what that means but that’s what SETH [the non-materialized being] told me to say)….So on with HodgepodgeBlog!

Oh by the way did I tell you I’m writing this from Holland, where I have been living the last few years…now I told you…Okay, I was sad to hear and see on CNN this morning that the great actor Richard Harris died, especially since he was only six years older than me—which in itself is a message to make each day I have left as beautiful, and fruitful as I can…or perhaps I’m personalizing to much.

What’s too much? Anybody who tells you that they are not the star of their life production and others are not just co-stars, character actors, supporting actors, bit players, and extras, is out of contact….

Back to the late Richard (not very late but late). I ran into him once somewhere around 1970. Harris warmed my heart and touched me although he had stolen a gorgeous, delicious looking gal away from me that night. You might very wisely say to me, “You can’t lose a lady that you dpn’t have”, but that was not the way I felt about it initially as it was happening. So here is the story.

It was in Max’s Kansas City the hangout of Andy Warhol and the Factory crew who favored the back room. Other hangers at the time was Janis Joplin, Jasper Johns, John Chamberlain, Bob Rauschenberg, Marian Javits,Joni Mitchell, George Siegal, Ben Pollack, Bruce Marden, Smokey Meyers, Viva Superstar, the crew of HAIR, the Living Theatre, Emmy Lou Harris (before anybody knew that name) along with her ex-husband Tommy both of whom were my buddies at the time, and so on and so on…
I called myself Bernard Superstar in those days, and sometimes I hung around with Warhols Superstars, although none of them or Warhol had appointed me as a Superstar—I just had Chutzpah and gave myself the title. The superstars accepted it, and some of them even liked it, my costumes, and me. By the way you must know the operational definition of Chutzpa. What you don’t? Well I’ll tell you The operational definition of Chutzpa is: A gal or a guy who kills their mother and father, and pleads for mercy at their trial on the grounds they are an orphan.

Oh, we were talking about my costumes, which obliquely is part of the Harris story. So in those days one of Bernard Superstar’s favorite costumes was a floppy Three Musketeers type hat that sported an antique band and WooWally Bird feather (given to me by Valorie Poore the designer) a Tom Jones balloon Sleeve silk shirt, A leather vest, and black brown boots over tight fitting velvet pants or jeans. Anyway, there I was in Max’s in the backroom, and getting on around 1:00 A.M. spotting no women who caught my fancy and not particularly interested in the guys who fancied me I walked to the front of Max’’s to do some hunting. In the side booths on the left as you walked out, I spotted a Raven haired beauty sitting with some friends. She gave me that Come Hither look I always loved. I did something real cool like just nodding or something that which was suppose to connote “ of course were destined to be together at least tonight”. Anyway I walked over and sat down in the booth connected to hers, which luckily was empty. She turned towards me, and I said I would very much appreciate it if she would join me for a drink, a short rap, and some play. So that’s what happened. After about a half hour passed and I had mesmerized Raven with my Bernard Superstar charisma I asked Raven if she would like to go to my place and play, and she accepted my invitation. We got up to leave and when we got to the front of Max’s near their huge window, Raven stopped to say good bye to a group of her friends and I stopped to say goodbye to my friends Tyrone and Hank.

Just then Richard Harris dashing as all get out with his long white haired mane came sweeping in through the entrance, with a bunch of friends, go-for’s, and sycophants. His eyes caroused the place, and he immediately focused on Raven (just about anybody with taste would). He went over to her whispered something in her ear, she looked at me whispered something to him and stayed there exchanging remarks with her friends. Harris approached, and very softly said to me, Your new girl friend has decided to go to my hotel with me and I’m sorry but I can’t invite you because the would spoil my plans and probably hers too. So if you want to try to take a swing at me now’s the time to do it.’ I answered with something clever like, “easy almost came, easy go.” He laughed a hearty laugh. I continued, “but Raven over there missed an evening with a painter who is just as great as you are an actor—in my humble opinion. He chuckled. Then he said, “If its any comfort neither of us will ever know if she chose me over you, or the icon Movie Star, or the Icon Richard Harris Movie Star.” I was quite touched by his compassionate attempt to comfort me and I said something like “Yeah it must be the Icon thing because my broken nose is so much more beautiful than your broken nose.” He put his arm around me and ordered us both a brandy...we kibitzed and had a great time for about ten minutes, until Raven came over kissed me on the cheek, grabbed his hand, and they swept out of the place surrounded by his camp followers.

In case you are wondering; although, Raven and I remained Hello acquaintances I never pursued her again. After all I am a prince from the House of David,,,,as my mom Lilllian Wisser reminded me over and over again.

So I want to take this opportunity to wish you well Richard…Om mani padme hum guru Padma sidhi hum. Have an easy voyage through the bardho or whatever.

All right that is it for issue # 1. I’m going to try to make this a five day a week column, but I might miss a day now and then. If you are smart or not so smart you will solicit my advice—it’s free…Tune in tomorrow…and check out Marvel Place http://www.marvelplace.20fr.com and if you would like to link up to either Marvel Place or http://HodgepodgeBlog.blogspot.com You can also link to me at my new quick redirerect URL: http://clik.to/BernardDovWisser I sure would appreciate it.

Click Here, for a Great Art Site worth checking out. SRC=http://wwar.com/wwar1.gif>





posted by Bernard at Saturday, October 26, 2002