EBS - Electronic Brain Stimulus
FOR A NEW LIFE IN the future
Dr. Bob Boland & Team/16 – November 6, 2013
Act 1 – Crime Epidemic in Pavlova
Act 2 – Five Years Later 2018
Act 3 – The New Reality
Actors:
Eliza – 63 years French doctor - traditional, ethical, highly intelligent
George – 82 years American doctor – hilarious, energetic, forgetful
Alfred – 44 English doctor - professor, medical research, Chicago University
Robert – 31 English doctors – adventurous, frank, very skeptical
Polza – 50 Pavlova president - traditional, polite, sensitive
Timo - 26 Son in Solata Family in prison – sad, proud, hopeful
Gloria – 24 Timo’s sister – confident, intelligent, ambitious
PAVLOVA Reporter – Positive CNN Reporter - Negative
The play is designed as amusing fiction unrelated to current reality, to encourage a new peaceful world. It does not seriously relate to any real persons or events.
Pavlova an imaginary small European Country wants to join the European Union. It is rejected due to epidemic crime and corruption. With help the medical profession develops a solution. EBS - electronic brain stimulus for crime control and possibly unlimited new health care. Crime begins to be treated rather than punished. Prisoners are released. The Pavlova environment changes with unexpected political, economic and social disasters. Will EBS be a reality in the future?
Copyright: RGAB/2013
Act 1 Crime Epidemic in Pavlova - 2013
(Eastern Europe)
Scene 1 Family gathering
George working at desk
George: Oh dear. There is a crime epidemic in Pavlova in October 2013. I wonder what is the latest news?
PAVLOVA NEWS REPORTER
In 2013, PAVLOVA, a small East European country is seeking EU membership to bring economic development to the country.
Like other East European countries, PAVLOVA is trying hard to be admitted despite a crime epidemic.
George: Oh dear!
CNN NEWS REPORTER
PAVLOVA has been long rejected by the EU because of reports of overwhelming violent crime and corruption.
Over 10% of the population is in prison, with uncontrollable gang and sexual hardships, and almost no humanitarian standards.
George: Oh dear dear!
ALFRED ARRIVES
George: Oh Alfred. Hooray! The news today is terrible, but such a joy to see you and to have my sons, on visit here in Pavlova. Your brother Robert will be here soon. Your mother and I are spending time here, after our years with the UN in Geneva.
Alfred: lovely to see you dad. How are you feeling?
George: With the Pavlova crime news, terrible but at 82 I am a bit forgetful. I remember well what happened 20 years ago, but can’t remember where I put my glasses 20 minutes ago.
Alfred: That seems to be a bit awkward?
George: The understatement of the year. I am like the absent-minded man who went to see a psychiatrist:
'My trouble is,' he said, 'that I keep forgetting things.'
'How long has this been going on?' asked the psychiatrist?
'How long has what been going on?' said the man.
LAUGHTER
George: That’s me but I can still laugh at myself. Perhaps Dr Alzheimer is calling, but I am too busy and so happy.
Alfred: Happy without memory? Seems a bit strange, dad?
George: Yes Alfred, you see I only remember the good things. All the bad things are just forgotten. It is great.
Alfred: Well now, I am not sure I thought of it that way before.
George: Yes, but now in Pavlova I have three problems, if I can still remember them: One memory. Two Pavlova business school. And three the Pavlova crime epidemic in Pavlova. I am a good friend of President Polza. But what about you? What is it like as professor of neurology at Chicago University?
Alfred: A joy for me, dad at Chicago. We all work 80 hours a week, and travel the world teaching, researching and publishing research reports. Alas nothing much to do with crime.
George: I read somewhere that something like 40% of published research reports gets disproved by further research, published two years later.
Alfred: Yes, even scientific proves changes regularly every two to three years. . Sometimes we are wrong, but it is not criminal, just too careless to be published quickly. We have to deal with it. Tomorrow I give a presentation on neurology management to the Pavlova medical association. Then I am free and need a break from research. I am so happy to be with the family, with no work to do. Except of course for my portable telephone which rings incessantly, but gives me the illusion of feeling important. Now dad, where is our busy mother? Is she still saving the world from over population with WHO?
George: Yes. Still saving the world. She is due back, if I can remember …ah yes … any moment now. From that Geneva visit. I am waiting for her call. I don’t use my portable phone much, as I and don’t want to be woken up from my dreams, 20 times a day. But I think children with portables, average 50 calls a day! Perhaps it makes them feel important?
Alfred: Hooray, please may I ask you, why you chose to leave wonderful Geneva for Pavlova? You were both so happy retired in Geneva without problems, and now you have three great problems in Pavlova? Now what were they? Do you remember?
George: Well. It is a long story, but before medicine I was trained at Chicago to teach and start up new business schools. Then I worked for the UN based on Geneva. But now on retirement I cannot resist the temptation.
Alfred: Whisky or Sex? Very dangerous at your great age 82, dad.
George: No. Not that. Just the temptation to help to set up one more business school in Pavlova, despite the current crime epidemic.
Alfred: Crime epidemic?
Georges: Yes. The European Community refuses to admit Pavlova because of the current crime epidemic. About 10 % of population is in prison.
Alfred: It seems impossible to me?
Georges: Yes with failing economy too. But my new business school will hopefully begin soon, with funding from our good Pavlova friends (the Polatas) and support of the Pavlova government (Polza). So I can’t resist the temptation to make it go.
Alfred: And who is Polza?
Georges. Polza is President Polza of Pavlova, who wants to get Pavlova into the EU. He strongly supports the need for an ethical business school here, to influence a cut back on crime and corruption. I see him often and he keeps me informed on the Pavlova political, business and cultural, environment and the challenge in this lovely country of epidemic crime and corruption. Impossible of course. But that always motivates me.
Alfred: I don’t know but, Pavlova must be a strange place. Should be so interesting for me to meet your friend the President.
George: Yes, but we also have a sad moment. A crime problem. The Polatas son Timo, of our friends, the Polatas, has just been sentenced to 10 years in prison for financial fraud. His sister Gloria is furious. She says it’s a political manipulation, but now with stress, his mother has breast cancer. So that is my fourth problem. How to get him out?
INTRODUCING TIMO AND GLORIA
Timo: How could this happen to me. I was only doing what all the business managers do to avoid tax.
Gloria: Your own fault Timo. You should have known better. You must have made enemies in the tax department!! Not paid enough under the table! So they have chosen you as an example.
Timo: But I did paid them off.
Gloria: Not enough!!
EXIT TIMO AND GLORIA
Alfred: What a tragedy. Sad indeed. Need to do something about it. Somehow.
George: Well, we are all doctors in this family, Alfred? Perhaps we need a medical solution to crime, for more ethical business?
Alfred: Really dad? First let me ask you a question? Are there really no ethics in business here? Only a list of unethical things which businessmen should not do … unless they really have to … ? Is it legal?
George: Nothing is illegal if 100 well placed businessmen decide to do it
Alfred: Oh no??
George: Well. Your very ethical French mother will not be pleased, but alas business has no ethics. You see nobody sympathizes with a failed business. The key management skill in business is not ethics, but survival! First personal survival and then business survival.
Alfred: Makes me feel very sad about business!
George: Yes. So you are better off in medicine and health care, until of course l the lawyers give you hard time, for a ¨mistake¨. They will call it deliberate ¨malpractice¨ and persuade the patient to sue you for compensation in millions, with huge fees for them. They tempt people with the plan: ¨We sue for you, and if we don’t win, no fees to pay”. This is a bit hard to resist.
Alfred: Not very ethical, but I would call it irresistible. But not yet relevant in my case. Yet! But who knows about the future. Meanwhile, all of your poor sons have had to do Medicine. But I am so happy with research at Chicago University. Even better than computer games.
Georges: Yes indeed. Now younger brother Robert is also here for a visit. So we shall all be together. He is in London training in general medical practice. He is very skeptical about medicine and everything. He is still not sure where to go next and what to do with his life. Just now, he is here in Pavlova for a few days, researching Pavlova health care and even thinking of doing a possible MBA with me in my new school? He thinks he might even enjoy a bit of crime and corruption?
Alfred: I wonder if you feel just a bit guilty dad. You even encouraged our mother to give up sociology and do medicine with you. She may have forgiven you by now.
George: Yes. She is due back now from Geneva and should be here any moment.
BELL RINGS WITH SUDDEN ARRIVAL OF ELIZA
George: Welcome home my love. Did all go well with WHO in Zurich? Have you saved the world from overpopulation?
Eliza: Geneva not Zurich, George.
George: Oh sorry, Dr Alzheimer calling again.
Eliza: WHO Geneva went very well indeed! So Alfred and Robert are here for a few days. Hooray. I am so happy to see them. But … right now it has just happened! Damn it!! Just your thing George, crime and corruption!
George: Oh dear. What has happened, mother? Something went wrong?
Eliza: At the airport. I was just ringing you to say I had arrived back safely. I put down my bag to take the phone. I put my bag on the floor. A very nice young guy came up and asked me the time. I stopped to show him my watch, I am a bit short sighted, and what did he do? He picked up my bag and ran off. Crime in this country is terrible!!
Alfred: Was he an Olympic runner, mother?
George: Did you run after him screaming stop thief in Pavlovian?
Eliza: No my Pavlovian is not yet good enough. At 63 I have climbed Kilimanjaro for five days, but I can’t catch a high speed young man at the airport. So I explained my problem to the taxi driver who is now outside waiting to be paid … please?
Alfred: I will do it right away mother.
Eliza: Thank you dear, I need a rest!
George: Well as you have no bag now … so you have no unpacking to do. That’s lucky!
Eliza: Lucky, George? I lost my bag! Your English Humour George, is not appreciated here. With my French culture, I cannot laugh at your humour. It is just too sarcastic for me.
George: Sorry. Sorry. Dear. Please sit down and have a nice cup of English tea, dear? My best medication for every health anxiety problem, except perhaps gin and tonic. Now where did I put the tea? Oh yes, over there.
SERVES TEA FOR ALL
Alfred: So sorry mother. Are you feeling bad now? Tough for you in Pavlova. Must be so nerve racking! But you are so lucky there was no physical attack. I just heard the sad prison news of Timo, of son of your Pavlova friends, the Polatas.
INTRODUCING TIMO AND GLORIA
Timo: How could it happen to me. Just working in the Polatas family business. Doing my best to avoid income tax, like all the other business manager in Pavlova, when suddenly. Suddenly a senior government officer who doesn’t like our family, decides to target me as an example. And here I am charged with tax evasion and liable to ten years in prison. I hope my father can help me, but he is getting old and his good old business friends have passed on.
Gloria: Have to learn, Timo. But I will do my best for you!!
EXIT TIMO AND GLORIA
Eliza: Oh Timo what a sad case. So difficult to get a fair trial in Pavlova. Crime is everywhere, in government too. I begin to believe it. So sad indeed. Crime epidemic is like a sickness, which I think needs to be treated! But meanwhile, we have to survive, somehow.
George: Sorry not to be there, my love. To fight off the guy and defend you with both feet. My left arm doesn’t work too well.
Eliza: Nor the right one either George.
George: Too true. Yes I am falling apart. Bits falling off, but trying hard to still be useful. I think something must be done about crime here in Pavlova. My project for a new business school is almost impossible without control of violent crime. But of course I don’t get too excited about peanut corruption, with a discrete reward, under the table; to be sure official paperwork gets processed on time. Oh and here is the news.
PAVLOVA NEWS REPORTER
PAVLOVA has been rejected again by the EU because of reports of overwhelming violent crime and corruption.
President Polza is trying again.
CNN NEWS REPORTER
In Pavlova. over 10% of the population is in prison, with uncontrollable gang and sexual hardships, and almost no humanitarian standards.