Bum Pinching and Yard Work

Now this is just funny...apparently her bum was just too irresistable...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/6924592.stm

Not much going on this week...various workshops have drawn to a close and the mad rush of first-of-the-year subbing has yet to begin, so I have a week or so of relative freedom. I have been spending a lot of this time helping my dad put up a fence in my parents' back yard. From digging holes to mixing cement, I have done a little bit of everything, and actually sort of enjoyed it. We've been able to spend some time together, and the work has been hard but rewarding.

Comedy of Errors continues apace. I am struggling with memorization...Elizabethan prose is something you can't really paraphrase, so it's a bit tricky. The show is going to be performed outdoors in Aldridge Gardens, which will be very nice.

I have a few more Harry Potter comments, but I am still sort of forming my thoughts...lots of philosophical imagery...will post them soon and hopefully get a discussion going. It is fascinating to see how the series "grew up" with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The first few books were obviously for children, and then the series got darker and more sophisticated. I am still planning to read the entire series again, in sequence. Maybe I will offer a running commentary as I go along.

FLT3

BBC Link

God Save The Queen! The new PM, Gordon Brown, is in America talking to Shrub...I must confess to imagining Winston Churchill or Clement Atlee meeting Jethro Bodine...however, I will hope for the best. I just hate the thought of how many derisive laughs are gotten in the halls of Parliament over the dumb-as-a-bag-of-hammers American President.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6918997.stm

Potter Commentary

Well, I have sped through Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, and am now almost finished with a more relaxed, thorough second reading. IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK AND DO NOT WANT TO READ ANY POTENTIAL SPOILERS, STOP READING NOW.

Okay, now that the disclaimer is out there, we can continue...

I found the book to be very exciting and well-written, as is always the case with Rowling...I particularly enjoyed the escape with the "Seven Potters" and the ensuing shoot-out with Voldemort. Another favorite moment was Snape's back-story, which really created some true sympathy for the character. Fred's death upset me, as did the many deaths of various members of The Order of the Phoenix. However, we were warned by Rowling that there would be loss of life...

Rumor has it that JK Rowling's next literary undertaking will involve a boy archaeologist. I would hazard a guess that it will also be a well-written/well-received series, but nothing will ever replace Harry and Co. (At least not to this Muggle! :-)

If you have not yet read the Harry Potter series, please do...whether you're eight or eighty, you will love it.

FLT3

Back To Hogwarts...

Have read the first hundred pages or so of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. DON'T WORRY! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL ANYTHING ABOUT THE PLOT. Instead, I will just make a brief comment about what I saw at the bookstore. It was a joyous sight to me to see so many kids getting excited about a book. I always feel happy when I see young people actively enjoying reading...it gives one hope for the future!
Blackpool And Parrish continues apace. Tonight's audience was happy and lively, and as always, the show was great fun to perform.

FLT3

Back To Comedy...

Today was a very nice day...I started another workshop/teaching job, this time for Birmingham Childrens' Theatre. I have a great group of kids, and they are (at first glance) extremely talented. I am looking forward to working with them.

I also resumed rehearsal tonight for The Comedy of Errors, with Park Players. This is the same group with which I have been performing Blackpool And Parrish, so it's sort of becoming like an extended family. :-) As with Blackpool, the cast is extremely nice and welcoming. I am playing two twins (Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse) so I have definitely got my work cut out for me! The show seems to be taking shape nicely, and I predict quite a success. Comedy will be performed outside at Aldridge Gardens, which should be nice.

Not much else to say today. All is well, but somewhat uneventful.

-FLT3

Have Yourself A Happy Little Bastille Day...

Okay, admittedly, we are rather short on Bastille Day carols...I also considered "Have A Holly Jolly Bastille Day," "I'll Have A Blue Bastille Day Without You," and "I'm Dreaming Of A White Bastille Day," but none of them really seemed to work...

Feeling terribly Francais today, albeit (as always) with a British twist...I just read (on BBC.co.uk of course) the report of the festivites on the Champs-Elysees...and somewhat wistfully wished I was there. While England will always be The Motherland, I have enjoyed a few trips to France, and the Champs-Elysees has always been a high point of any visit to The City Of Light.

For a look at the day's events, click here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6899011.stm

And now on a completely different subject... I noticed that Pope Benedict has declared the Catholic Church "the one and only true faith." Interesting...

With all due respect, the Pope is full of crap...wouldn't the Greek Orthodox denomination be the closest to the original teachings of Christ? Of course, I am firmly convinced God is an Anglican, but I certainly don't think He turns a blind eye to those of other denominations or faiths...I fear that more revisionist back-tracking will be issuing forth out of The Vatican in the days to come... oh John Paul II, we miss you...

Thank God my inspiration comes from Canterbury and not Rome...

Au Revoir

Francois le Trois

Lamenting The Wigs

According to a story out of London this Morning, the Lord Chief Justice has announced that England's barristers will no longer wear the traditional horsehair wig in civil or family court cases. (They will remain in place for criminal cases.)
While I can't say this affects my daily life in any significant way, I am mildly upset at the news. When I was in Law School, I spent a month at University of Durham on an exchange program, and we were taught one class by an English barrister, who brought his wig to class a couple of times. It was far from what I'd call attractive, but steeped in tradition.
Oh well, here's the article if anyone is interested. God Save The Queen!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070713/od_nm/britain_wigs_dc_1;_ylt=Akp8EFexm6cRTUEH6r.xPcML1vAI

-FLT3

A Successful Opening

Well, we opened Blackpool And Parrish tonight to a very receptive audience. I have never performed on the stage at ASFA before, and I really enjoyed it. The show itself, while very funny, deals with such issues as death, destiny, good vs. evil, etc... it will make you laugh while making you think, which is really pretty wonderful...

The cast for this show is rather small (only 5 of us) but it has definitely been one of the most warm, inviting, and all-around "fun" groups of people I've ever worked with. The director has been a good friend of mine for years, and the rest of the cast & crew are just so incredibly nice that mention must be made of the fact. We all play together so well that we (as a group) are already looking for projects to do together in the future.

Not much else going on. I am doing some writing again for WBHM, which is good from both a creative as well as income-based perspective...I've also been teaching at the CenterStage theatre workshop, and will begin working at BCT's workshop next week.

Shameless self-promotion time... Blackpool And Parrish runs through next Saturday. For ticket info, please visit www.bhamparkplayers.com

-FLT3

This Sceptered Isle...

Once again it's 4 July and most Americans are celebrating the break from Mother England 231 years ago. While I will admit that life under George III was probably not an idyll, I still sometimes wish we hadn't been so hasty...

If anyone knows me even remotely well, it's not a shock that I am an Anglophile of the first degree...no disrespect to the USA, but there's just something in the Motherland that really speaks to my soul...

Short posting today, but it's late and I've had a full day. I am happy to say that I did not embarass my parents (who had a very nice cookout) by breaking into "Rule, Britannia" or "God Save The Queen" at any point during the proceedings...although the thought did cross my mind... :-)

FLT3

Retraction

Okay...I have to take back the begrudgingly-positive things I have been saying about Dubya for the past day or so...I really agreed with him on the Scooter Libby thing...(see post below.) 30 months for perjury seemed excessive, and I really believe that non-violent crimes can be punished adequately with fines, probation, etc.

Now, in typical fashion, Dubya has issued a statement that a full pardon is "not out of the picture."

Yeah, my jaw hit the floor, too.

Once again, this corrupt, self-absorbed, maniacally delusional MORON is taking care of his cronies and thumbing his nose at what is right. This man Libby was involved in a massive cover-up FAR beyond anything Clinton ever lied about. (Hmmmmmmm...one lied about the outing of a CIA operative and covered up illegal acts by the Vice-President while the other lied about sex with another consenting adult...you tell me who did more damage.)

President Dubya has once again proven himself to be beneath contempt. The beautifully-choreographed visit by Putin to Kennebunkport was just ruined by the comment on Libby.

Hillary in '08...Hillary in '08...Hillary in '08...

FLT3

Scooter, Scooter, Scooter...

The announcement came today that Dubya has commuted Scooter Libby's prison sentence. If I understand correctly, he will still have to pay the fine and bear the stigma of the convicted felon. The only deus ex machina turn is that he will not have to actually serve time in prison.

While I am disgusted by Libby's actions, it may shock some of you to learn that I have no problem with the commutation. I have long held (and espoused) my belief that non-violent crimes can usually be handled outside the penal system. I just think prison sometimes creates more problems than it solves...and tossing Libby in with serial killers and hard-bitten thugs wasn't the answer. (I also think Don Seigelman and Richard Scrushy could have been punished outside the prison system, but that's another story...)

A quarter-million dollar fine, two years probation, and forever being branded a felon is punishment enough for what Libby did. I know that many of my fellow Democrats will be screaming for blood, but for once (JUST ONCE) I actually agree with Bush...Libby's sentence was too harsh.

...but I still think Dubya is an idiot. ;-)

FLT3

Small Things

I just ate the most wonderfully cold, sweet, crunchy watermelon I have eaten in a long time. I know it sounds silly, but it actually got me thinking about all the tiny little pleasures we take for granted in our daily lives. With that in mind, I started thinking of others, including...

.A nice, hot, shower with plenty of soap and shampoo. When you stop and think of how many people on Earth don't have this luxury, it really makes it seem special. I have always loved the shower...I used to take toys into the big shower in my parents' bathroom when I was a little kid...I'd stay in and play with Star Wars figures or whatever until I literally looked like a prune. As I got older, I discovered that I could lie down diagonally and take a nap while the water cascaded down...this became a bit of a ritual when I was in high school...I never fussed too much about getting up because I knew I could catch another 15 or 20 minutes of sleep in the shower before someone would bang on the door and wake me up.

.Books. I have hundreds (literally) spread between my apartment, my friends' houses, the homes of various family members, etc. etc. When you read some statistics on literacy (or the lack thereof) it will blow your mind at how many people do not have the skills to lose themselves in a book.

.Ice Cream. Yes, I'm being a bit cheeky, but sincere. I love ice cream. I could eat a gallon of it at a time. I love everything from cheapie store-brand to Haagen-Dazs...pretty much any flavor, although my absolute favorite is Mint Chocolate Chip. Bryer's Vanilla Fudge Twirl is a close second. As far as life's little pleasures go, ice cream is near the top for me.

.Friends. I have some really good ones.

. This is a bit more esoteric, but there is a particular tingly feeling that you get when you are about to kiss someone for the very first time...you're close enough to smell her perfume, you've both got your eyes closed, and the head-tilt has happened...yet for one brief shining moment (with thanks to Alan J Lerner for the phrase) you just hang there in space with delightful anticipation. It's a second or two at the longest, but wow...what a rush...

.Music. I can't imagine my life without it...I grew up in a house where the radio or record player (yes, I'm a child of the 70's) was usually always on. Getting in the car usually meant turning on the radio, too. Throughout my life, music has always been a backdrop to the day's events.

...and the list goes on. I suppose the point of all this (if there is one) is to point out some of the small things that make life pleasant, yet often get overlooked. I'd love to hear some more from others...anyone...?

FLT3

Sunday, Sunday...

I have always enjoyed Sundays. There's a serenity and happy glow to Sunday that goes all the way back to childhood for me...especially in the summertime. I always associate Sundays with going to church, going someplace nice for lunch, and then just relaxing for the rest of the day. Obviously, some Sundays are more full than that, but the overall flavor of the day is one of contentment and coziness.

When I was living in Tuscaloosa, I went to Christ Episcopal, which was a little grey church with a tiny courtyard and a beautiful little sanctuary...I always felt peaceful there. Having grown up in Birmingham, I have always gone to church at Advent, which is much more grand but equally soothing. When I was a kid I used to want to be left entirely alone in the church so I could take a nap on the pews...I suppose they have rules against such things, but it always sounded so restful...

Sunday nights always have had an appeal as well...I find myself going to Books-A-Million frequently on Sunday nights, especially in cold weather. Getting a coffee and browsing the shelves while the cold wind and rain spits and sputters outside always seems comfy, safe, and good.

Sort of a rambling rumination on Sundays today... I think I'll leave it there. I'll hold forth on politics, theatre, my life, etc. next time. Today's post is just warm, fuzzy, and happy.

After all...it's Sunday... :-)

FLT3