Guest guest Posted May 8, 2005 Report Share Posted May 8, 2005 Nisargadatta , " Durga " <durgaji108> wrote: > Nisargadatta , " misterenlightenment " > <misterenlightenment> wrote: > > snip > > > > Lady Astor: " Winston, if I were your wife I'd put poison in your > > coffee. " > > Winston: " Nancy, if I were your husband I'd drink it. " > > This exchange is sometimes attributed to Winston's good friend > F.E. > > Smith, but in Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan's The Glitter and the > Gold > > she writes that the exchange occurred at Blenheim when her son was > > host. See also the American edition of Martin Gilbert's In Search > of > > Churchill (not in the British edition). In Nancy: The Life of Lady > > Astor, Christopher Sykes confirms Consuelo Balsan's account. " It > > sounds like an invention but is well authenticated. [Churchill] > and > > the Astors were staying with Churchill's cousin, the Duke of > > Marlborough, at Blenheim Palace. Nancy and Churchill argued > > ferociously throughout the weekend. " > > > > Now why don't you show me a mullah nassrudin story that is even > > remotely similar to this? > > > > I've already checked. You won't find one, believe me. > > > > Baba Garydas > > Nancy Astor was an American wasn't she? She became a member of > Parliament in England, I believe. She was married to Waldorf Astor, > hence of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, where the Waldorf > salad (which I think is horrible) was invented. Didn't Waldorf go > down with the Titanic? Or am I wrong about that? I get my most of > my history from watching BBC productions on TV, and my facts are > somewhat sketchy at best. > > When I was a child, my grandmother would sometimes take me to New > York for the weekend, and we would stay in some pokey little rooms > at the back, in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which were reserved for > members of her waspy club, The Junior League. It was all pretty > Junior League actually. > > My grandmother liked to sit with me in the lobby of the Waldorf, > watching the fancy ladies in their evening dresses waltz in and out. > > This was in the 1950's and crinoline was all the rage. All of those > elegant ladies, with their small waists and voluminous pastel > skirts, looking just like Grace Kelly. > > I always felt that just sitting there watching them was pretty > stupid. I thought we should have gotten dressed up and joined > them. Strange idea of Waspy voyeurism circa 1959. > > My favorite Winston Churchill story went something like this. He > was staying at the White House as a guest of FDR, hoping to gain > some support for the war effort in England, even though at the time > the US had not yet joined the war. > > FDR walked into Churchill's room one evening while Churchhill was > dressing for dinner. Churchill, who was stark naked at the time > quipped, " I have nothing to hide. " > > But that isn't as good as the poison story--Durga>> Almost as good, Durga, that's for sure. Good story!! Small World Dep't.: Believe it or not, my mother used to work as a switchboard operator at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel on 49th. and Park Ave. (I think that's the address) in NYC in the 1950s. She use to hear all the dirt via listening in on the phone conversations of all the famous people. It wasn't only my mother, all the operators did it, especially if some famous personage was ordering up an expensive call girl to come over and " share a little prana " etc. etc. Then there's always the story of Cardinal Spellman and his predilection for young Hispanic boys but I think by now, we've all been there, done that, as far as the Catholic clergy is concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 8, 2005 Report Share Posted May 8, 2005 Nisargadatta , " garyfalk1943 " <falkgw@h...> snip > > Almost as good, Durga, that's for sure. Good story!! > > Small World Dep't.: > > Believe it or not, my mother used to work as a switchboard operator > at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel on 49th. and Park Ave. (I think that's > the address) in NYC in the 1950s. > > She use to hear all the dirt via listening in on the phone > conversations of all the famous people. It wasn't only my mother, > all the operators did it, especially if some famous personage was > ordering up an expensive call girl to come over and " share a little > prana " etc. etc. Well, the only dirt she would have heard from me, was an order for a bowl of oatmeal. Anyway, that call probably went through 'room service.' At that point in a little girl's life, ordering anything from room service and getting it was enough of a thrill for me. A world of possibilities opening! Desire/satisfaction. Desire/satisfaction. Desire/satisfaction. Desire/disappointment. What! That one didn't work. Let's try it again!--Durga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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