Yes, that is a rather cryptic headline for today's post, but it is most apropos given the day's events. With yet another car bombing (this time in Glasgow) I fear my beloved UK is truly under seige. After watching the news report from the Glasgow airport, I kept thinking of a minor character from Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. Jocky Linton's primary distinguishing characteristic is a tattoo of a Lion Rampant with "Scotland Forever" beneath it.
While I'm not going to rush out and get a tattoo like Jocky's, I share in his feelings. My heart lies in England, but Scotland is "part of the family," and She just got attacked. Today, we are all Scottish. Since I indulged in a little free-flowing reverie yesterday when London was hit by two (mercifully undetonated) car bombs, I think it only fair to pop in the cd of Brigadoon and reminisce about Bonnie Scotland...
I have flown into Glasgow and spent a little time there, but my main exposure to Scotland has been through the city of Edinburgh, which I have visited a couple of times. Actually, Edinburgh dispelled me of the delusion that there is no such thing as bad fried chicken. The KFC I visited served something grey and vaguely meat-like, but it wasn't the southern-fried goodness we all know and love. Who cares? I'd still eat a bucket of it today just because...
Edinburgh Castle is a great sight/site to see, and I especially enjoyed the Scotch Whisky tasting offered there...The Royal Mile is home to some amazing shopping. I got my mother a red serape cape there about 10 years ago, and I think Alabama has gotten cold enough to allow her to wear it 5 or 6 times so far. Oh well, it looks great in her closet...Aberdeen is another neat Scottish town, home of Loch Ness, where Nessie, alas, failed to appear the one day I visited her loch...perhaps she was getting her beauty sleep.
FLT3
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
God Save The Queen...
...and the rest of London. This morning was most distressing. I awoke to the news of a car bomb having been discovered in the West End of London. Within hours, Buckingham Palace had been sealed off and a second car bomb had been located in the Haymarket area, also near the West End. Apparently Al-Quaida is the obvious source of these instruments.
As usual, I am waving the Anglophiliac flag with pride. Today, I would honestly join the British Army if I could. Just the thought of someone attempting such a despicable act in what I consider to be the most wonderful city on Earth (in the most wonderful country on Earth) makes my blood boil.
Today has been a busy day, but I still took the time to say a little prayer and ask God to watch over the metrop. I have been humming "Rule, Brittania" all day, and will have a cup of tea in a little while (at 4:00 of course! :-)
Thinking lovely thoughts of Harrod's...Soho...Trafalgar Square...Shaftesbury Avenue...Hyde Park...Westminster Abbey...The Tower...Park Lane...Covent Garden...St. Paul's...Big Ben...The Adelphi Theatre, where I once saw Me And My Girl with a lovely British girl. (Yes, it was one of those nights when God was in His Heaven and all was right with the world.) Actually, it's a story that bears re-telling...
In 1991, I was in London for my 21st birthday (thanks, Mum & Dad!) with a friend of mine. He and I had separated for a few hours, and were due to meet at a particular pub at 10:00. By 9:45, when I realized I was hopelessly lost, I stopped a group of girls to ask directions. Well, as it turns out, they showed me where the pub was, and I asked them to join my friend and me for a drink. They accepted, and by the end of the evening, I had a date for the following night with (in my opinion) the loveliest of the bunch. While a gentleman never kisses and tells, I think her reputation will be safe if I only mention her first name, which was Joy. The date was, without exaggeration, idyllic. We saw the play, had dinner, had a drink, and took a long walk around the city. We wound up spending the next week basically attached at the hip. (Luckily, she and my friend got along just fine.)
Of course we made all the standard promises to keep in touch, and exchanged a couple of letters and a phone call or two (this was before email.) Eventually, we lost touch and I have often thought of her. I don't know if she ever realized how perfectly perfect she made the trip for me. I hope wherever she is, she's happy and remembers our week as fondly as do I.
The memory still makes me smile.
FLT3
As usual, I am waving the Anglophiliac flag with pride. Today, I would honestly join the British Army if I could. Just the thought of someone attempting such a despicable act in what I consider to be the most wonderful city on Earth (in the most wonderful country on Earth) makes my blood boil.
Today has been a busy day, but I still took the time to say a little prayer and ask God to watch over the metrop. I have been humming "Rule, Brittania" all day, and will have a cup of tea in a little while (at 4:00 of course! :-)
Thinking lovely thoughts of Harrod's...Soho...Trafalgar Square...Shaftesbury Avenue...Hyde Park...Westminster Abbey...The Tower...Park Lane...Covent Garden...St. Paul's...Big Ben...The Adelphi Theatre, where I once saw Me And My Girl with a lovely British girl. (Yes, it was one of those nights when God was in His Heaven and all was right with the world.) Actually, it's a story that bears re-telling...
In 1991, I was in London for my 21st birthday (thanks, Mum & Dad!) with a friend of mine. He and I had separated for a few hours, and were due to meet at a particular pub at 10:00. By 9:45, when I realized I was hopelessly lost, I stopped a group of girls to ask directions. Well, as it turns out, they showed me where the pub was, and I asked them to join my friend and me for a drink. They accepted, and by the end of the evening, I had a date for the following night with (in my opinion) the loveliest of the bunch. While a gentleman never kisses and tells, I think her reputation will be safe if I only mention her first name, which was Joy. The date was, without exaggeration, idyllic. We saw the play, had dinner, had a drink, and took a long walk around the city. We wound up spending the next week basically attached at the hip. (Luckily, she and my friend got along just fine.)
Of course we made all the standard promises to keep in touch, and exchanged a couple of letters and a phone call or two (this was before email.) Eventually, we lost touch and I have often thought of her. I don't know if she ever realized how perfectly perfect she made the trip for me. I hope wherever she is, she's happy and remembers our week as fondly as do I.
The memory still makes me smile.
FLT3
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
PARIS IS LIBERATED!!!!
Today has been an excellent day. Paris Hilton has been released from jail.
Okay, before the cacophany of "you just say that because she's hot" begins...well, you're partially right, but that's beside the point... The law used (or misused) to justify her return to jail was shaky at best and illegal in all likelihood. The activism and overreaching of the judge was most egregious, and the slippery slope down which he may have started will be treacherous, indeed.
Enough said. La belle Paris est la fille de liberte. Magnifique! (Et oui, elle est tres belle, mais n'est pas importante...)
Francois le Trois
Okay, before the cacophany of "you just say that because she's hot" begins...well, you're partially right, but that's beside the point... The law used (or misused) to justify her return to jail was shaky at best and illegal in all likelihood. The activism and overreaching of the judge was most egregious, and the slippery slope down which he may have started will be treacherous, indeed.
Enough said. La belle Paris est la fille de liberte. Magnifique! (Et oui, elle est tres belle, mais n'est pas importante...)
Francois le Trois
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Blackpool And Parrish
As usual, I have let too much time pass between postings...my apologies to all four of my confirmed readers. (Paul, Andy, Jennifer and Aaron, thanks for reading!) If anyone else ever reads any of this, please respond. I'm thinking of holding an appreciation lunch for my readers in a single booth at Shoney's...
I have been cast in a VERY funny play, "Blackpool And Parrish." It is directed by a good friend of mine, Clay Boyce. So far, the cast seems extremely talented and FUN! Nice, nice people and a hilarious script. I know the show will be successful, and I am going to do my best to get lots of people in the theatre.
Not much else to mention...the CenterStage Rising Star workshop is going well...the kids will be performing "Grease" next Friday/Saturday night, and I am really proud of the work they are doing. It's a talented group, and even the one or two slightly mischeif-prone kids are so good-natured it's hard to fuss at them too harshly. Besides, it's summertime and they're having fun, so all is well.
That brings up a point of philosophy I have been pondering lately in re CenterStage...for those unfamiliar with the Bham theatre scene, let it suffice to say that there is a LOT of theatre and as many philosophies as there are companies. Schools of thought range from "we're all here to have a good time" to "this is as serious as a heart attack." I think we (as a company as well as a collective of individuals who love theatre) have found a nice balance between the two. On one hand, you don't want to just goof off and do a crappy fraternity skit, but at the same time you don't want to make the process so opressively harsh that the final product, while good, is borne out of drudgery. It's a hard balance to strike, but I think we succeed.
"Futurama" is coming on now...got to run.
FLT3
I have been cast in a VERY funny play, "Blackpool And Parrish." It is directed by a good friend of mine, Clay Boyce. So far, the cast seems extremely talented and FUN! Nice, nice people and a hilarious script. I know the show will be successful, and I am going to do my best to get lots of people in the theatre.
Not much else to mention...the CenterStage Rising Star workshop is going well...the kids will be performing "Grease" next Friday/Saturday night, and I am really proud of the work they are doing. It's a talented group, and even the one or two slightly mischeif-prone kids are so good-natured it's hard to fuss at them too harshly. Besides, it's summertime and they're having fun, so all is well.
That brings up a point of philosophy I have been pondering lately in re CenterStage...for those unfamiliar with the Bham theatre scene, let it suffice to say that there is a LOT of theatre and as many philosophies as there are companies. Schools of thought range from "we're all here to have a good time" to "this is as serious as a heart attack." I think we (as a company as well as a collective of individuals who love theatre) have found a nice balance between the two. On one hand, you don't want to just goof off and do a crappy fraternity skit, but at the same time you don't want to make the process so opressively harsh that the final product, while good, is borne out of drudgery. It's a hard balance to strike, but I think we succeed.
"Futurama" is coming on now...got to run.
FLT3
Friday, June 08, 2007
FREE PARIS!!!!
I cannot believe this...out in LA, Judge Michael T. Sauer has sent Paris Hilton back to jail. I have never seen a more egregious and absurd display of judicial abuse of power. Driving with a suspended liscence...oh yeah, she's a menace to society. I can only hope that the citizens of Los Angeles create a sufficiently loud outcry to force this moron from the bench. If I lived in LA, I'd already be there with a picket sign.
I'm sure many of my readers (both of you) think I am merely taking Paris' side because she's beautiful (I suppose I should say "hot.") I'll admit that if she looked like Ernest Borgnine I may not be as passionate about the case, but the legal issue would remain...the sheriff had the right to release her to house arrest. This bastard judge is merely trying to make a name for himself, and I hope it will backfire. Hopefully he will become the most reviled figure in the California legal system.
O.J. walks free after killing two people, yet the system (and the imbecile on the bench) decide to make an example of a socialite with a traffic violation who couldn't hurt a fly. Where is the justice?
Today is day one of ParisWatch. Hopefully we won't even make it to day two. FREE PARIS!!!
FLT3
I'm sure many of my readers (both of you) think I am merely taking Paris' side because she's beautiful (I suppose I should say "hot.") I'll admit that if she looked like Ernest Borgnine I may not be as passionate about the case, but the legal issue would remain...the sheriff had the right to release her to house arrest. This bastard judge is merely trying to make a name for himself, and I hope it will backfire. Hopefully he will become the most reviled figure in the California legal system.
O.J. walks free after killing two people, yet the system (and the imbecile on the bench) decide to make an example of a socialite with a traffic violation who couldn't hurt a fly. Where is the justice?
Today is day one of ParisWatch. Hopefully we won't even make it to day two. FREE PARIS!!!
FLT3
Sunday, June 03, 2007
How do you set the Blogspot Clock?
It is now 12:10am on 4 June, but my last post, which is only minutes old, says that it was posted at 8:58pm. I'm so confused.
FLT3
FLT3
I'll be 36 for another hour...
Yes, that's right. I am about to turn 37. Tomorrow (4 June) is my birthday. I am getting older, which kind of bites, but is, as they say, "better than the alternative." (Unless the aletrnative is living forever in some sort of Peter Pan-style Neverland, where one remains mid-20's in perpetuity. That could be nice.)
Anyway, I decided I would spend the last hour of my 36th year doing something I love...writing. This post will most likely be somewhat lengthy, rambling, and intermittently interesting. I can't promise cohesion of plot or even linear thought. Read at your own risk.
I spent a few hours this afternoon with my mother, which was very nice. We went shopping and stopped in at the World Market, which is sort of an importer's warehouse-ish "everything store." I, of course, wound up in the British food section, and eventually (with some help from Mum) found several tiny jars of Devonshire Clotted Cream. For those who have not tasted clotted cream, ignore the name. It sounds disgusting, which even those of us who love it will freely admit. When spread on a scone or shortbread cracker,however, it tastes beyond delicious. I didn't even wait to get home...I spread some on a cookie and dug in. Although my body was at the Galleria, my taste buds were at Harrod's. The best way to describe the taste is...well...just to say that it tastes British. That's the highest compliment I can give, and the only one that fits. Of course, that really doesn't describe the taste, so I'll do my best and describe it as a slightly sweet cream-cheesy-buttery-whipped-cream-icing-ish taste. Good stuff.
That taste took me away to London just as effectively as What's Up? took me to Manteo. (If you don't know what the hell that last sentence means, read the post from a few days ago titled What's Up?.) It's interesting that I would have two experiences of such a nature so close together in time. I suppose taste is another great memory trigger. Smell certainly is...if clotted cream tastes British, deisel fuel smells British. Any time I smell deisel fuel, it smells like Trafalgar Square...all the traffic helping to create a very specific (but not unpleasant) eau de metrop.
Twenty minutes into the hour, and I haven't yet started to ramble beyond all hope. This is a good sign.
I have been wrestling a lot with death lately. (No, I'm not, to my knowledge, dying.) Actually, that's the problem...none of us are "dying" in the sense of progressing in an orderly, predictable manner towards a specific and scheduled demise. It's all so random...the teenage kid in perfect health drops dead for no reason, while an octegenarian proudly attributes his longevity to drinking, smoking, and enjoying a high-cholesterol diet...a child is murdered and dies at 10 while another person dies in a car crash at 95...and so forth. It's the sheer randomness that I find so terrifying, yet oddly intriguing. There's an old Southernism, "you can't take the devil to the ground lest you got a hold of him first." That is exactly what makes death the rat-bastard that it is. You can't get a hold of something that follows no real pattern. (Okay, yes, as someone gets older, the likelihood of death increases, but the actual "when and how" are still capricious to say the least.)
Onward, onward...we're at the half-hour, and it's time to get on to cheerier subjects.
I saw the tail end of a news report on the Democratic Presidential Debates. I am holding my breath, but I honestly believe Hillary can get the nomination if she doesn't make any major blunders. My guess at this point is that it'll come down to Hillary vs. Rudy. As much as I hate to say it...I'm afraid she'd lose. Rudy is gonna ride that 9/11 train for all it's worth, plus he's the one Republican in the race who is completely detatched from Bush.We may have some hope that Rudy's famous temper will flare at the wrong time, and he'll be the new Howard Dean...aaaaaarrrrrghhh!
Hillary can beat John McCain or Mitt Romney. Bill Richardson should just go ahead and concede at the Republican Convention if he happens to win the nomination (unlikely.) Not sure who among the dems could beat Rudy at his best...maaaaaaaaybe John Edwards, but he'd have to play up the Kennedyesque resemblance to the hilt. If anything, Rudy is less attractive than Nixon, so maybe that would give Edwards an added edge. Personally, I think a Clinton/Edwards ticket could be formidable. It would be like having the second comings of Bill Clinton and JFK. (We should all be so lucky...)
A quarter to it, as Scrooge would say. I'll be 36 and writing for 15 more minutes.
Kelly Ripa really is hot. Just thought I'd mention that.
My childhood superhero fascination has been mildly re-ignited with the new Spider-Man and Fantastic Four sequels at theatres. I haven't seen either of the movies, but the surrounding advertising blitz has kept the characters in my face for several weeks. These were my two favorite comic books as a kid, so at least I recognized the costumes. It's interesting to me how sequels/recreations change the whole frame of pop culture reference...for instance, if someone mentions the character of Spider-Man, I immediately think of the comic books of the 1970's, while someone in his 50s would probably think of the original comics. A kid of 10 would probably think Tobey Maguire of the films. All three of us would be correct, given our frame of reference.
Five minutes of 36-hood left.
I really doubt that most "firsts" are remembered in equal proportion...I mean, I remember my first kiss, first car, first job, etc., but I couldn't tell you who my first best friend was, or what I ate for dinner on my first date, or the name of my first pet. I'm sure there are people who remember the exact "firsts" I have forgotten, and vice-versa.
One minute...okay, song lyrics...
"Forty-Seven Ginger-Headed Sailors"
Now there's a good ship, HMS Cock-Robin,
On her home trip. Up and down she's bobbin'
Well, the sea is so rough, the crew is so tough,
They're all fed up and say that they've had more than enough.
And then her father, he's an able seaman
And they call him Red-Haired Tom.
He wired to say "I'll meet you,
And with your friends I'll greet you,"
And who'd you think he's got a message from?
Forty-seven ginger-headed sailors,
Coming home across the briny sea.
When the anchor's weighed and the journey's made,
We'll start the party with a
"Me hoady hearty!"
Forty-seven ginger-headed sailors,
You can bet you're going to hear them when they hail us!
An old maid down in Devon
Said "My idea of heaven
Is forty-seven ginger-headed sailors."
( From the BBC Television series Jeeves And Wooster. )
Wow...I've been 37 for 4 minutes. So far, so good... :-)
FLT3
Anyway, I decided I would spend the last hour of my 36th year doing something I love...writing. This post will most likely be somewhat lengthy, rambling, and intermittently interesting. I can't promise cohesion of plot or even linear thought. Read at your own risk.
I spent a few hours this afternoon with my mother, which was very nice. We went shopping and stopped in at the World Market, which is sort of an importer's warehouse-ish "everything store." I, of course, wound up in the British food section, and eventually (with some help from Mum) found several tiny jars of Devonshire Clotted Cream. For those who have not tasted clotted cream, ignore the name. It sounds disgusting, which even those of us who love it will freely admit. When spread on a scone or shortbread cracker,however, it tastes beyond delicious. I didn't even wait to get home...I spread some on a cookie and dug in. Although my body was at the Galleria, my taste buds were at Harrod's. The best way to describe the taste is...well...just to say that it tastes British. That's the highest compliment I can give, and the only one that fits. Of course, that really doesn't describe the taste, so I'll do my best and describe it as a slightly sweet cream-cheesy-buttery-whipped-cream-icing-ish taste. Good stuff.
That taste took me away to London just as effectively as What's Up? took me to Manteo. (If you don't know what the hell that last sentence means, read the post from a few days ago titled What's Up?.) It's interesting that I would have two experiences of such a nature so close together in time. I suppose taste is another great memory trigger. Smell certainly is...if clotted cream tastes British, deisel fuel smells British. Any time I smell deisel fuel, it smells like Trafalgar Square...all the traffic helping to create a very specific (but not unpleasant) eau de metrop.
Twenty minutes into the hour, and I haven't yet started to ramble beyond all hope. This is a good sign.
I have been wrestling a lot with death lately. (No, I'm not, to my knowledge, dying.) Actually, that's the problem...none of us are "dying" in the sense of progressing in an orderly, predictable manner towards a specific and scheduled demise. It's all so random...the teenage kid in perfect health drops dead for no reason, while an octegenarian proudly attributes his longevity to drinking, smoking, and enjoying a high-cholesterol diet...a child is murdered and dies at 10 while another person dies in a car crash at 95...and so forth. It's the sheer randomness that I find so terrifying, yet oddly intriguing. There's an old Southernism, "you can't take the devil to the ground lest you got a hold of him first." That is exactly what makes death the rat-bastard that it is. You can't get a hold of something that follows no real pattern. (Okay, yes, as someone gets older, the likelihood of death increases, but the actual "when and how" are still capricious to say the least.)
Onward, onward...we're at the half-hour, and it's time to get on to cheerier subjects.
I saw the tail end of a news report on the Democratic Presidential Debates. I am holding my breath, but I honestly believe Hillary can get the nomination if she doesn't make any major blunders. My guess at this point is that it'll come down to Hillary vs. Rudy. As much as I hate to say it...I'm afraid she'd lose. Rudy is gonna ride that 9/11 train for all it's worth, plus he's the one Republican in the race who is completely detatched from Bush.We may have some hope that Rudy's famous temper will flare at the wrong time, and he'll be the new Howard Dean...aaaaaarrrrrghhh!
Hillary can beat John McCain or Mitt Romney. Bill Richardson should just go ahead and concede at the Republican Convention if he happens to win the nomination (unlikely.) Not sure who among the dems could beat Rudy at his best...maaaaaaaaybe John Edwards, but he'd have to play up the Kennedyesque resemblance to the hilt. If anything, Rudy is less attractive than Nixon, so maybe that would give Edwards an added edge. Personally, I think a Clinton/Edwards ticket could be formidable. It would be like having the second comings of Bill Clinton and JFK. (We should all be so lucky...)
A quarter to it, as Scrooge would say. I'll be 36 and writing for 15 more minutes.
Kelly Ripa really is hot. Just thought I'd mention that.
My childhood superhero fascination has been mildly re-ignited with the new Spider-Man and Fantastic Four sequels at theatres. I haven't seen either of the movies, but the surrounding advertising blitz has kept the characters in my face for several weeks. These were my two favorite comic books as a kid, so at least I recognized the costumes. It's interesting to me how sequels/recreations change the whole frame of pop culture reference...for instance, if someone mentions the character of Spider-Man, I immediately think of the comic books of the 1970's, while someone in his 50s would probably think of the original comics. A kid of 10 would probably think Tobey Maguire of the films. All three of us would be correct, given our frame of reference.
Five minutes of 36-hood left.
I really doubt that most "firsts" are remembered in equal proportion...I mean, I remember my first kiss, first car, first job, etc., but I couldn't tell you who my first best friend was, or what I ate for dinner on my first date, or the name of my first pet. I'm sure there are people who remember the exact "firsts" I have forgotten, and vice-versa.
One minute...okay, song lyrics...
"Forty-Seven Ginger-Headed Sailors"
Now there's a good ship, HMS Cock-Robin,
On her home trip. Up and down she's bobbin'
Well, the sea is so rough, the crew is so tough,
They're all fed up and say that they've had more than enough.
And then her father, he's an able seaman
And they call him Red-Haired Tom.
He wired to say "I'll meet you,
And with your friends I'll greet you,"
And who'd you think he's got a message from?
Forty-seven ginger-headed sailors,
Coming home across the briny sea.
When the anchor's weighed and the journey's made,
We'll start the party with a
"Me hoady hearty!"
Forty-seven ginger-headed sailors,
You can bet you're going to hear them when they hail us!
An old maid down in Devon
Said "My idea of heaven
Is forty-seven ginger-headed sailors."
( From the BBC Television series Jeeves And Wooster. )
Wow...I've been 37 for 4 minutes. So far, so good... :-)
FLT3
Friday, June 01, 2007
Don't Cry For Me, Argentina...
Tonight was fun. I saw a local production of Evita, which was very nicely done. The director and half the cast and orchestra are friends of mine, so it was nice to see so many people I know. All in all, it was an outstanding production with a few minor flaws. (I feel compelled to mention the flaws just to avoid looking too easily impressed.) I definitely recommend it to anyone who may be considering going.
FLT3
FLT3
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
What's Up?
No, I'm not offering a casual salutation with today's header (although it can certainly be taken as such if you like...:-)
What's Up? is the title of a song made famous by a group called "4 Non-Blondes," which was popular in the mid-1990's. Lots of guitar riffs, a lyric which begins with a less-than-optimistic line, twenty-five years and my life is still trying to get up that great big hill... (and so forth.) My point in writing this is not to explore the poetry of the song (although that would be interesting) but rather to discuss how powerful music can be as a catalyst for emotional recall.
I have owned this cd since it came out, but had probably not listened to it in close to 10 years. We all have those cds...the ones that take up space in the folder, yet aren't disposable. Anyway, for whatever reason, I happened to pull it out in the car today and stuck it in the cd player. I immediately clicked ahead to What's Up? just because I recalled having liked it. Well, that's where the story gets interesting...
Within the first 10 seconds, I was absolutely transported to summer, 1994. That was a particularly nice time for me...I was working at a summer theatre called The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC. I had a pretty girlfriend who worked in the costume shop, a raggedy red convertible, and I was being paid to live at the beach. I was barely 24 years old (actually, I turned 24 during the rehearsal period) and life was good. It was one of those hopeful, happy times that remind us that life is worth living. (Side note...I can remember calling home on the Sunday night of the Tony Awards and telling my dad how I felt like I really "belonged" for the first time in my life.)
Back to the story...as soon as this not-heard-in-a-while music started to play, I listened with great happiness for a minute or so, and that is when it got weird. I realized that there were honest-to-God tears in my eyes, and a growing flutter in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sad...it was a far more textured emotion than sadness...a wistful yet somehow pleasant melancholia would be the best way I could describe it. I had to turn it off, not because the experience was painful. It was...intense. I was having happy memories, but there was a tinge of regret at their being only memories. It was like seeing long-lost friends standing before you, but evaporating when you tried to touch or talk to them.
What does this mean? I suppose it means that I am at what most statistics would say is the half-way point of my life, and I am starting to realize the finite nature of things. Not being pessimistic, but there are so many things I will never experience again...and summer of 1994 is among them. There are, of course, good and special times to come, but that particular experience is gone forever. Such is the way of life. However, memories make us who we are, and even the ones you regret being "just memories" stand as proof of a life well-lived.
The comedian Jackie Gleason put it best:
"Acting young isn't what makes you young. But if you've got some memories, some good memories of when you were young, that's what keeps you young."
-FLT3
What's Up? is the title of a song made famous by a group called "4 Non-Blondes," which was popular in the mid-1990's. Lots of guitar riffs, a lyric which begins with a less-than-optimistic line, twenty-five years and my life is still trying to get up that great big hill... (and so forth.) My point in writing this is not to explore the poetry of the song (although that would be interesting) but rather to discuss how powerful music can be as a catalyst for emotional recall.
I have owned this cd since it came out, but had probably not listened to it in close to 10 years. We all have those cds...the ones that take up space in the folder, yet aren't disposable. Anyway, for whatever reason, I happened to pull it out in the car today and stuck it in the cd player. I immediately clicked ahead to What's Up? just because I recalled having liked it. Well, that's where the story gets interesting...
Within the first 10 seconds, I was absolutely transported to summer, 1994. That was a particularly nice time for me...I was working at a summer theatre called The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC. I had a pretty girlfriend who worked in the costume shop, a raggedy red convertible, and I was being paid to live at the beach. I was barely 24 years old (actually, I turned 24 during the rehearsal period) and life was good. It was one of those hopeful, happy times that remind us that life is worth living. (Side note...I can remember calling home on the Sunday night of the Tony Awards and telling my dad how I felt like I really "belonged" for the first time in my life.)
Back to the story...as soon as this not-heard-in-a-while music started to play, I listened with great happiness for a minute or so, and that is when it got weird. I realized that there were honest-to-God tears in my eyes, and a growing flutter in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sad...it was a far more textured emotion than sadness...a wistful yet somehow pleasant melancholia would be the best way I could describe it. I had to turn it off, not because the experience was painful. It was...intense. I was having happy memories, but there was a tinge of regret at their being only memories. It was like seeing long-lost friends standing before you, but evaporating when you tried to touch or talk to them.
What does this mean? I suppose it means that I am at what most statistics would say is the half-way point of my life, and I am starting to realize the finite nature of things. Not being pessimistic, but there are so many things I will never experience again...and summer of 1994 is among them. There are, of course, good and special times to come, but that particular experience is gone forever. Such is the way of life. However, memories make us who we are, and even the ones you regret being "just memories" stand as proof of a life well-lived.
The comedian Jackie Gleason put it best:
"Acting young isn't what makes you young. But if you've got some memories, some good memories of when you were young, that's what keeps you young."
-FLT3
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Horror
I suppose the header of this post could refer to a fun-filled summertime "scary movie" complete with vampires, monsters, and a snack of candy and popcorn.
How I wish it did.
Today in Texas, the bodies of a mother and her four children were found hanging in a mobile home. As in strangled to death. The one survivor was an 8-month-old infant. I can barely keep from crying as I think about it.
The news media are speculating that the case is a murder/suicide. This makes it even worse. Some mealy, self-pitying bitch hangs her children and then takes the cowardly way out by kiling herself. I have no doubt that there will be numerous attempts by psychiatrists and talking heads to explain how she was suffering from depression, or whatever. Allow me to call "bullshit" right now.
I suffer from depression. I probably spend at least 35 or 40 percent of my waking life either pretending to be happy or just trying not to be debilitatingly sad. Some days it's all I can do to get out of bed and not burst into tears for little or no reason. It hurts. It's very sad. My depression has cost me relationships, opportunities, and countless happy times that I could have enjoyed if I had not been curled up on my sofa sniffling.
HOWEVER, I have never once thought of harming anyone, much less a child...much less my own child...(not that I have kids, but you get the point.) I can only wonder how sweet, how trusting, how innocent those kids must have been, especially the 8-month-old who could only smile and make baby noises when her "mother" picked her up and wrapped a rope around her neck. God, it makes me want to vomit.
Those who know me know that I am a proud liberal. I think our jails are ridiculously overcrowded, and I believe that minor (non-violent) crimes can usually be handled outside the penal system. I think the death penalty is barbaric, and that even prisoners deserve humane treatment.. That said, I still wish that scum-sucking pig of a woman had lived so that she could be beaten, abused, gang-raped and eventually murdered in prison. Nothing that would be done to her could be half bad enough.
I am not proud of these thoughts, and perhaps as the immediacy of the event passes, so will some of the hatred in my guts. I doubt it.
If you are religious (and even if you aren't,) please pray for these poor, innocent children who had the misfortune to be born to a true waste of human life. I suppose if I truly lived my own religion, I would solicit prayers for the "mother" as well. That is, as the saying goes, "what Jesus would do."
I'm just not there yet.
FLT3
How I wish it did.
Today in Texas, the bodies of a mother and her four children were found hanging in a mobile home. As in strangled to death. The one survivor was an 8-month-old infant. I can barely keep from crying as I think about it.
The news media are speculating that the case is a murder/suicide. This makes it even worse. Some mealy, self-pitying bitch hangs her children and then takes the cowardly way out by kiling herself. I have no doubt that there will be numerous attempts by psychiatrists and talking heads to explain how she was suffering from depression, or whatever. Allow me to call "bullshit" right now.
I suffer from depression. I probably spend at least 35 or 40 percent of my waking life either pretending to be happy or just trying not to be debilitatingly sad. Some days it's all I can do to get out of bed and not burst into tears for little or no reason. It hurts. It's very sad. My depression has cost me relationships, opportunities, and countless happy times that I could have enjoyed if I had not been curled up on my sofa sniffling.
HOWEVER, I have never once thought of harming anyone, much less a child...much less my own child...(not that I have kids, but you get the point.) I can only wonder how sweet, how trusting, how innocent those kids must have been, especially the 8-month-old who could only smile and make baby noises when her "mother" picked her up and wrapped a rope around her neck. God, it makes me want to vomit.
Those who know me know that I am a proud liberal. I think our jails are ridiculously overcrowded, and I believe that minor (non-violent) crimes can usually be handled outside the penal system. I think the death penalty is barbaric, and that even prisoners deserve humane treatment.. That said, I still wish that scum-sucking pig of a woman had lived so that she could be beaten, abused, gang-raped and eventually murdered in prison. Nothing that would be done to her could be half bad enough.
I am not proud of these thoughts, and perhaps as the immediacy of the event passes, so will some of the hatred in my guts. I doubt it.
If you are religious (and even if you aren't,) please pray for these poor, innocent children who had the misfortune to be born to a true waste of human life. I suppose if I truly lived my own religion, I would solicit prayers for the "mother" as well. That is, as the saying goes, "what Jesus would do."
I'm just not there yet.
FLT3
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
From the other side...a casualty.
I just read online that Jerry Falwell died today. While I rather enthusiastically disagreed with 99.999% of the bile he spewed on an almost daily basis, my immediate response was "oh that's awful." Aside from having been raised with manners, I have no idea why I said that. Obviously, his family and friends will be sad, as will a legion of right-wing extremist nutjobs, but I can't say that my daily life will really be affected.
The cleansing power of death is an interesting thing...earlier this year, Gerald Ford (who had been nothing more than a punchline for years) died at almost 100 years old. Although a slight nod to the Nixon pardon scandal was perfunctorally offered once or twice, the overall opinion of Ford seemed to be that he was a great statesman who made a difficult (but right) decision. It will be interesting to see if the mainstream deifies Falwell now.
Did I want to vomit at most of what he said? Absolutely. Do I think he will have "some 'splainin' to do" when he reaches the pearly gates? Without a doubt. (That whole hate-fueled bigotry thing you know, not to mention making millions in the name of God while ignoring that whole "love your fellow man" business...) HOWEVER, out of respect for the dead, I will say "so long Jerry." If nothing else, you were "to your own self true," and you gave those of us on the left a hell of a target. Requiem in terra pax.
FLT3
The cleansing power of death is an interesting thing...earlier this year, Gerald Ford (who had been nothing more than a punchline for years) died at almost 100 years old. Although a slight nod to the Nixon pardon scandal was perfunctorally offered once or twice, the overall opinion of Ford seemed to be that he was a great statesman who made a difficult (but right) decision. It will be interesting to see if the mainstream deifies Falwell now.
Did I want to vomit at most of what he said? Absolutely. Do I think he will have "some 'splainin' to do" when he reaches the pearly gates? Without a doubt. (That whole hate-fueled bigotry thing you know, not to mention making millions in the name of God while ignoring that whole "love your fellow man" business...) HOWEVER, out of respect for the dead, I will say "so long Jerry." If nothing else, you were "to your own self true," and you gave those of us on the left a hell of a target. Requiem in terra pax.
FLT3
Monday, May 07, 2007
An Ethical Dilemma
I had a very nice (non-contentious) conversation with my dad this morning, which prompted some self-reflection. I mentioned having contributed to PETA in the past, and he asked me if I actually agreed with everything the organization represents. I answered that yes, I do oppose animal testing and animal cruelty. He agreed, but brought up the issue of eating meat (which I do.) I also enjoy fishing, but had always assumed it was "ethical" as we always eat the fish we catch. I don't enjoy hunting, but I have always believed hunting to be morally acceptable if the meat is eaten. (I remember being taught at an early age that hunting solely for a "trophy" was the pinnacle of trashy, unsportsmanlike behavior.)
After reflecting (and visiting the PETA website,) I suppose I would have to re-examine my beliefs. As a carnivore (and a rather enthusiastic one at that) I definitely do not live up to the full teachings of PETA. I am reminded of a marvelous song from the Rex Harrison film, Dr. Doolittle. (I believe the title was "A Reluctant Vegetarian.") In the scene, Dr. Doolittle is telling a friend how he became a veteranarian/vegetarian:
"When I see my fellow men consuming sirloin steak,
And I find myself enjoying tea and Dundee cake,
There is only one conclusion I can make...
I'm a devoted vegetarian.
When my host at dinner offers succulent roast beef,
proudly I refuse it. People stare in disbelief.
Lost in admiration as I nibble on a leaf...
A very noted vegetarian.
I stay away from deviled ham on principle.
I wouldn't eat roast duckling if I could.
Willpower has made me invincible.
(My word, those sausages look good.)
(Doolittle notices that two rabbits have eaten his dinner)
Where's my dinner gone? Who's eaten it this time? It's bad enough to have to eat this muck in the first place! Just because I eat this instead of eating them, they think they can take advantage of me!
I eat every flowering shrub there is except for gorse!
Sometimes I get luxuries like beetroot leaves of course!
My life's much the same as any English horse!
Why should I be a vegetarian???
Turnip pie and peanuts, that's the sort of filth I eat!
Any sort of rubbish that is wholesome and discreet!
Why don't I admit that my hypocrisy's complete?
I'm a cheat! I love meat! Yes I am...
I love red-blooded juicy chunks of meat!
Legs of lamb, sides of beef, steaks and chops
and ducks and veal, and pork of course my favorite meal!
(The pig, "Gub-Gub," squeals at this)
...and then I hear poor Gub-Gub squeal.
Oh me...oh my...a reluctant, but sincere vegetarian
am I.
And there it is. While I must admit I have not even tried to be a vegetarian (and am not sure I could succeed if I did try) I do sympathize with the Doctor's plight. It does present a moral conundrum. If I had to watch cows and pigs being slaughtered, would it make a difference? If I visited a chicken farm, would it make a difference? Perhaps.
The question of nature and nutrition come to mind. Are we, as humans, supposed to eat animals? One could argue both Biblical and evolutionary points to the affirmative. On the other hand, can we not get everything we need nutritionally from plants and grains? On a personal level, am I the product of 37 years of cultural conditioning? Is my body and my digestive system so accustomed to eating meat that it would be difficult to stop now?
These are difficult questions...perhaps I will try to take a "vegetarian day" every now and then, just to see if I could do it. No promises that I could ever give up steak and chicken, but who knows...?
The bottom line, however, is that I do agree with and support the mission of PETA. Do I live up to their every standard? No. However, there are quite a few issues with which I agree 100% with PETA.
Animal Testing: Absurd. Barbaric. (And even though I don't often use this word, IMMORAL.) Can anyone truly think strapping small monkeys and rabbits down and spraying them in the eyes with perfume is civilized? Injecting animals with household cleaners to catalog their response? Utterly inhumane. How about the baby monkeys and puppies sent up in tiny spacecraft with no plans for getting them home? (Luckily, this practice seems to have stopped.) Animals should never be abused in this manner.
Fur: We live in a world in which faux fur is literally indistinguishable from real fur. I have nothing against a glamorous look. (Hey, I like glamorous women.) However, I can not understand how wearing the body of an innocent animal who was raised just to be killed for it's pelt is attractive. I love leopard-print, and think it's the most alluring thing a woman can wear, but man-made leopard- print is just as sexy... and a woman with compassion as well as allure is even more so.
Animal Cruelty: Beat a dog, go to jail. Kick a cat, go to jail. Starve a horse, go to jail.
...which leaves only the food issue. I am flawed, but I am aware of this.
FLT3
After reflecting (and visiting the PETA website,) I suppose I would have to re-examine my beliefs. As a carnivore (and a rather enthusiastic one at that) I definitely do not live up to the full teachings of PETA. I am reminded of a marvelous song from the Rex Harrison film, Dr. Doolittle. (I believe the title was "A Reluctant Vegetarian.") In the scene, Dr. Doolittle is telling a friend how he became a veteranarian/vegetarian:
"When I see my fellow men consuming sirloin steak,
And I find myself enjoying tea and Dundee cake,
There is only one conclusion I can make...
I'm a devoted vegetarian.
When my host at dinner offers succulent roast beef,
proudly I refuse it. People stare in disbelief.
Lost in admiration as I nibble on a leaf...
A very noted vegetarian.
I stay away from deviled ham on principle.
I wouldn't eat roast duckling if I could.
Willpower has made me invincible.
(My word, those sausages look good.)
(Doolittle notices that two rabbits have eaten his dinner)
Where's my dinner gone? Who's eaten it this time? It's bad enough to have to eat this muck in the first place! Just because I eat this instead of eating them, they think they can take advantage of me!
I eat every flowering shrub there is except for gorse!
Sometimes I get luxuries like beetroot leaves of course!
My life's much the same as any English horse!
Why should I be a vegetarian???
Turnip pie and peanuts, that's the sort of filth I eat!
Any sort of rubbish that is wholesome and discreet!
Why don't I admit that my hypocrisy's complete?
I'm a cheat! I love meat! Yes I am...
I love red-blooded juicy chunks of meat!
Legs of lamb, sides of beef, steaks and chops
and ducks and veal, and pork of course my favorite meal!
(The pig, "Gub-Gub," squeals at this)
...and then I hear poor Gub-Gub squeal.
Oh me...oh my...a reluctant, but sincere vegetarian
am I.
And there it is. While I must admit I have not even tried to be a vegetarian (and am not sure I could succeed if I did try) I do sympathize with the Doctor's plight. It does present a moral conundrum. If I had to watch cows and pigs being slaughtered, would it make a difference? If I visited a chicken farm, would it make a difference? Perhaps.
The question of nature and nutrition come to mind. Are we, as humans, supposed to eat animals? One could argue both Biblical and evolutionary points to the affirmative. On the other hand, can we not get everything we need nutritionally from plants and grains? On a personal level, am I the product of 37 years of cultural conditioning? Is my body and my digestive system so accustomed to eating meat that it would be difficult to stop now?
These are difficult questions...perhaps I will try to take a "vegetarian day" every now and then, just to see if I could do it. No promises that I could ever give up steak and chicken, but who knows...?
The bottom line, however, is that I do agree with and support the mission of PETA. Do I live up to their every standard? No. However, there are quite a few issues with which I agree 100% with PETA.
Animal Testing: Absurd. Barbaric. (And even though I don't often use this word, IMMORAL.) Can anyone truly think strapping small monkeys and rabbits down and spraying them in the eyes with perfume is civilized? Injecting animals with household cleaners to catalog their response? Utterly inhumane. How about the baby monkeys and puppies sent up in tiny spacecraft with no plans for getting them home? (Luckily, this practice seems to have stopped.) Animals should never be abused in this manner.
Fur: We live in a world in which faux fur is literally indistinguishable from real fur. I have nothing against a glamorous look. (Hey, I like glamorous women.) However, I can not understand how wearing the body of an innocent animal who was raised just to be killed for it's pelt is attractive. I love leopard-print, and think it's the most alluring thing a woman can wear, but man-made leopard- print is just as sexy... and a woman with compassion as well as allure is even more so.
Animal Cruelty: Beat a dog, go to jail. Kick a cat, go to jail. Starve a horse, go to jail.
...which leaves only the food issue. I am flawed, but I am aware of this.
FLT3
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Marry Me A Little...
Well, all is going well for both Mega-Heroes and Side By Side By Sondheim. The former had it's first full run-through today, and it is shaping up to be a very respectable show. The latter is in rehearsal, and I am enjoying working with the cast and director...nice folks, all.
There is a song in SBSBS that really does sum up the quest for love, at least from my perspective. There are certainly those who will disagree, but I think the lyrics truly speak to the human condition in those of us somewhere between thirty and dotage...if complete candor was allowed in real life, I can see (hear?) myself actually saying this to a woman and meaning it in a sweet way:
"Marry me a little, love me just enough.
Cry, but not too often, play, but not too rough.
Keep a tender distance so we'll both be free.
That's the way it ought to be.
I'm ready...
Marry me a little, body, heart and soul.
Passionate as hell, but always in control.
Want me first and foremost, keep me company.
That's the way it ought to be.
I'm ready! I'm ready now!
Oh, how gently we'll talk. Oh, how softly we'll tread.
All the stings, the ugly things, we'll keep unsaid.
We'll build a cocoon of love and respect.
You promise whatever you like, I'll never collect.
Right? Okay, then. I'm ready now..."
Cynical? At first glance, but the deeper meaning seems so damned civilized. Here is someone clearly seeking only the pretty side of love. Imagine the sweet glances, the held hands, the romantic evenings out (or in) and all the joys of love without the hassles and headaches that come with even the best of relationships. (I'm not just talking about free sex...anyone with semi-decent looks and the social skills God gave a turnip can get laid.) This is more of an emotio-intellectual fantasy of sincere love and affection kept just light enough to prevent the onset of jealousy, anger, ennui, etc. Who among us would not consider such a proposition incredibly positive?
It's late and I am sleepy. More later...
FLT3
There is a song in SBSBS that really does sum up the quest for love, at least from my perspective. There are certainly those who will disagree, but I think the lyrics truly speak to the human condition in those of us somewhere between thirty and dotage...if complete candor was allowed in real life, I can see (hear?) myself actually saying this to a woman and meaning it in a sweet way:
"Marry me a little, love me just enough.
Cry, but not too often, play, but not too rough.
Keep a tender distance so we'll both be free.
That's the way it ought to be.
I'm ready...
Marry me a little, body, heart and soul.
Passionate as hell, but always in control.
Want me first and foremost, keep me company.
That's the way it ought to be.
I'm ready! I'm ready now!
Oh, how gently we'll talk. Oh, how softly we'll tread.
All the stings, the ugly things, we'll keep unsaid.
We'll build a cocoon of love and respect.
You promise whatever you like, I'll never collect.
Right? Okay, then. I'm ready now..."
Cynical? At first glance, but the deeper meaning seems so damned civilized. Here is someone clearly seeking only the pretty side of love. Imagine the sweet glances, the held hands, the romantic evenings out (or in) and all the joys of love without the hassles and headaches that come with even the best of relationships. (I'm not just talking about free sex...anyone with semi-decent looks and the social skills God gave a turnip can get laid.) This is more of an emotio-intellectual fantasy of sincere love and affection kept just light enough to prevent the onset of jealousy, anger, ennui, etc. Who among us would not consider such a proposition incredibly positive?
It's late and I am sleepy. More later...
FLT3
Monday, April 02, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Back Again...
Why is it whenever I make a pledge to update my blog, that's when I usually have a several month hiatus? It's not as if I don't enjoy blogging...or even that I don't have that many interesting things to say...it just seems to slip my mind...
I have been shamed into making my semi-annual attempt to post more often. My friend Aaron White (who is a very judicious and dedicated blogger) has mentioned more than once that I am somewhat slack in keeping my postings up-to-date, so I will try once again to be more attentive to all three people who read these missives...:-)
Things are going pretty well. There is a potential romantic attachment in the making...waaaaaaay too early to call it anything serious, but she's really quite lovely and I'm interested to see what can happen...I won't jinx it by saying any more...
Just started rehearsal for Mega-Heroes, the show I am directing for Bham Children's Theatre. It's typical kid-show material, but it's basically a big comic book onstage, which is fun. The set is GINORMOUS! Quite possibly the most ornate and large set with which I have worked in several years. The cast is excellent, and I know the kids will enjoy the show. I am also involved (as a cast member) with Side By Side By Sondheim, which is being produced and directed by my friend Jack Mann. The cast of 4 people includes some heavy-hitters of Bham musical theatre. Kristi Tingle-Higginbotham, Jan Hunter, and Lonnie Parsons are my fellow cast members. I have one song and a snippet of a second one, but mine is mostly the role of host/emcee. I think it will be fun...if nothing else, I am learning LOTS of Sondheim trivia while learning my lines. SBSBS runs April 19-21 at Hoover Library Theatre, if anyone is interested.
On the political front, Bush seems to be progressing ever more rapidly towards self-destruction. His news conferences are becoming increasingly petulant, and his ratings continue to drop through the floor...please, God, just get us through the next year and a half...HILLARY IN '08!
The pollen count has to be somewhere around 100%. I drive a black car, and it has taken on the appearance of a bumblebee the past few days. Breathing isn't terribly easy, but at least it's spring. I LOVE SPRING!!!!! :-)
Well, there it is...not much else to report. I promise to at least try to post more frequently...it would help encourage me if those who read would make some comments...hint, hint...
FLT3
I have been shamed into making my semi-annual attempt to post more often. My friend Aaron White (who is a very judicious and dedicated blogger) has mentioned more than once that I am somewhat slack in keeping my postings up-to-date, so I will try once again to be more attentive to all three people who read these missives...:-)
Things are going pretty well. There is a potential romantic attachment in the making...waaaaaaay too early to call it anything serious, but she's really quite lovely and I'm interested to see what can happen...I won't jinx it by saying any more...
Just started rehearsal for Mega-Heroes, the show I am directing for Bham Children's Theatre. It's typical kid-show material, but it's basically a big comic book onstage, which is fun. The set is GINORMOUS! Quite possibly the most ornate and large set with which I have worked in several years. The cast is excellent, and I know the kids will enjoy the show. I am also involved (as a cast member) with Side By Side By Sondheim, which is being produced and directed by my friend Jack Mann. The cast of 4 people includes some heavy-hitters of Bham musical theatre. Kristi Tingle-Higginbotham, Jan Hunter, and Lonnie Parsons are my fellow cast members. I have one song and a snippet of a second one, but mine is mostly the role of host/emcee. I think it will be fun...if nothing else, I am learning LOTS of Sondheim trivia while learning my lines. SBSBS runs April 19-21 at Hoover Library Theatre, if anyone is interested.
On the political front, Bush seems to be progressing ever more rapidly towards self-destruction. His news conferences are becoming increasingly petulant, and his ratings continue to drop through the floor...please, God, just get us through the next year and a half...HILLARY IN '08!
The pollen count has to be somewhere around 100%. I drive a black car, and it has taken on the appearance of a bumblebee the past few days. Breathing isn't terribly easy, but at least it's spring. I LOVE SPRING!!!!! :-)
Well, there it is...not much else to report. I promise to at least try to post more frequently...it would help encourage me if those who read would make some comments...hint, hint...
FLT3
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Settling Into Routine
Well, the holidays are officially over, life has returned to normal, and I am once again subbing pretty much every day at VHHS. (I am also registered at Mountain Brook, but Vestavia keeps me occupied most of the time.)
Rehersals are underway for GUYS AND DOLLS, which I am directing. The show opens in March, so we have plenty of time to make it perfect. The cast is particularly strong, and we have local celebrity Jeh Jeh Pruitt (of "Good Day Alabama" tv fame) in the role of Sky. Jeh Jeh is a great guy, and it'll be fun working with him. He's also quite talented, and will be wonderful in the role. Leah Luker is opposite him as Sarah Brown, and Mike Bridges & Valerie Lemmons are Nathan and Adelaide. These are all "A-list" Bham performers, so I'm looking forward to a good production. I am particualrly happy to have Ron Wilson with us as Arvide. Ron and I have been good friends for 15 years, and he has always been a sort of "second dad" to me. It'll be fun to work together again.
Not much else going on. The Democrats continue to hold a slim majority in Congress, so I have hopes that gas prices will stay remotely affordable in days to come. I watched Dubya's speech last week with disgust. Not only was he arguably drunk (or just slurring worse than usual) he actually proposed an escalation in Iraq which bears a striking resemblance to the failed efforts in Vietnam. Oh well, I'm sure he never bothered to learn about that "unpleasantness."
A few of my readers have suggested that I may be too harsh on GWB. Personally, I don't think I say half as much as I could. I'm sorry, but when a smug, semi-illiterate, heartless smartass is in the Oval Office, I think criticism is in order. I will grant that he was smart enough to select an even worse VP, so he'll be safe from impeachment. (Dubya may be an uncaring moron, but that beats a malevolent not-so-dumb nazi. "President Cheney" just has a scary sound to it...)
I am still supporting Hillary at this point, but she seems to be collecting a rather formidable group of challengers. Obama is one to watch, as is Edwards. I think Kerry is a good guy, and would have made a good president, but his chances seem slim right now. Time will tell...
On the other side of the aisle, it looks as if the GOP nomination is pretty much McCain's for the taking, unless he really screws up. There are rumors that Alabama Gov Bob Riley is on the short list for VP candidates if McCain gets the nomination. Riley hasn't screwed anything up too badly in his first term in Montgomery, but I still don't want him for VP. Anyone 100 years old with a jet-black pompadour is immediately suspect, in my opinion. Reagan was the last man alive who could pull off that look.
I am watching (well, listening to) a movie about Spanish family life for the third time today, and I have 3 more to go. It's about as thrilling as it sounds.
FLT3
Rehersals are underway for GUYS AND DOLLS, which I am directing. The show opens in March, so we have plenty of time to make it perfect. The cast is particularly strong, and we have local celebrity Jeh Jeh Pruitt (of "Good Day Alabama" tv fame) in the role of Sky. Jeh Jeh is a great guy, and it'll be fun working with him. He's also quite talented, and will be wonderful in the role. Leah Luker is opposite him as Sarah Brown, and Mike Bridges & Valerie Lemmons are Nathan and Adelaide. These are all "A-list" Bham performers, so I'm looking forward to a good production. I am particualrly happy to have Ron Wilson with us as Arvide. Ron and I have been good friends for 15 years, and he has always been a sort of "second dad" to me. It'll be fun to work together again.
Not much else going on. The Democrats continue to hold a slim majority in Congress, so I have hopes that gas prices will stay remotely affordable in days to come. I watched Dubya's speech last week with disgust. Not only was he arguably drunk (or just slurring worse than usual) he actually proposed an escalation in Iraq which bears a striking resemblance to the failed efforts in Vietnam. Oh well, I'm sure he never bothered to learn about that "unpleasantness."
A few of my readers have suggested that I may be too harsh on GWB. Personally, I don't think I say half as much as I could. I'm sorry, but when a smug, semi-illiterate, heartless smartass is in the Oval Office, I think criticism is in order. I will grant that he was smart enough to select an even worse VP, so he'll be safe from impeachment. (Dubya may be an uncaring moron, but that beats a malevolent not-so-dumb nazi. "President Cheney" just has a scary sound to it...)
I am still supporting Hillary at this point, but she seems to be collecting a rather formidable group of challengers. Obama is one to watch, as is Edwards. I think Kerry is a good guy, and would have made a good president, but his chances seem slim right now. Time will tell...
On the other side of the aisle, it looks as if the GOP nomination is pretty much McCain's for the taking, unless he really screws up. There are rumors that Alabama Gov Bob Riley is on the short list for VP candidates if McCain gets the nomination. Riley hasn't screwed anything up too badly in his first term in Montgomery, but I still don't want him for VP. Anyone 100 years old with a jet-black pompadour is immediately suspect, in my opinion. Reagan was the last man alive who could pull off that look.
I am watching (well, listening to) a movie about Spanish family life for the third time today, and I have 3 more to go. It's about as thrilling as it sounds.
FLT3
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Just in case you ever wondered what they were...
Here are the lyrics to "Rule, Britannia." I am very bored at work today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_Britannia
FLT3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_Britannia
FLT3
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Fighting The Blahs
Ah, January...that lifeless month which brings all the joys and excitement of...(cue crickets chirping.)
The past couple of days have been glum. I don't start back to work subbing until tomorrow (Vestavia High School) and the past week or so has been uneventful to say the least. I spent New Year's Eve with the flu, which was no fun. Now that I seem to be crawling out from under the weather, I am left facing the bleak landscape of the first two months of the year.
Ever since I was a child, I have hated the first 59 days of the year. January is utterly without merit, and would be best slept through. February is (with apologies to the poet) the cruelest month. The thrill of Valentine's Day is gone after middle school...if you have someone special in your life, it's a pain in the ass to come up with a fun and original gift, and more often than not your expectations fall flat. If you don't have a significant other, it's just a depressing reminder of your solitude. Not to mention that by February's end, I am almost ready to scream with ennui. Slate-grey skies and 5:00pm sunsets will do that to you.
Add all of these factors together and toss in some post-holiday blues and a natural tendency towards depression, and there you have my mental state. I have an almost constant feeling of being just inches away from crying, but the "cleansing freshet of tears" (of which Ferrol Sams wrote so descriptively) never quite makes it to the surface. No matter where I am or what I am doing, it just seems sad. Not screaming-with-grief, wringing-hands-and-rending-garments sad...just a low-grade glum.
Luckily, I am about to go into rehearsal for Guys And Dolls (which I am directing) which will help. I am also making a plunge into opera with a chorus part in Opera Birmingham's La Cenerentola (Cinderella.) Although it seems miles and miles away, there is also the glowing beacon of EASTER which shines in the distance. I love Easter...it's by far my favorite holiday. All the warmth and the green, blooming, renewed feeling in the air never fails to bring me out of the doldrums. I need only hear the first few notes of "Welcome, Happy Morning" and all is right with the world. It'll be here soon...until then, I'll just look out the window and pretend I'm in England. It helps. :-)
FLT3
The past couple of days have been glum. I don't start back to work subbing until tomorrow (Vestavia High School) and the past week or so has been uneventful to say the least. I spent New Year's Eve with the flu, which was no fun. Now that I seem to be crawling out from under the weather, I am left facing the bleak landscape of the first two months of the year.
Ever since I was a child, I have hated the first 59 days of the year. January is utterly without merit, and would be best slept through. February is (with apologies to the poet) the cruelest month. The thrill of Valentine's Day is gone after middle school...if you have someone special in your life, it's a pain in the ass to come up with a fun and original gift, and more often than not your expectations fall flat. If you don't have a significant other, it's just a depressing reminder of your solitude. Not to mention that by February's end, I am almost ready to scream with ennui. Slate-grey skies and 5:00pm sunsets will do that to you.
Add all of these factors together and toss in some post-holiday blues and a natural tendency towards depression, and there you have my mental state. I have an almost constant feeling of being just inches away from crying, but the "cleansing freshet of tears" (of which Ferrol Sams wrote so descriptively) never quite makes it to the surface. No matter where I am or what I am doing, it just seems sad. Not screaming-with-grief, wringing-hands-and-rending-garments sad...just a low-grade glum.
Luckily, I am about to go into rehearsal for Guys And Dolls (which I am directing) which will help. I am also making a plunge into opera with a chorus part in Opera Birmingham's La Cenerentola (Cinderella.) Although it seems miles and miles away, there is also the glowing beacon of EASTER which shines in the distance. I love Easter...it's by far my favorite holiday. All the warmth and the green, blooming, renewed feeling in the air never fails to bring me out of the doldrums. I need only hear the first few notes of "Welcome, Happy Morning" and all is right with the world. It'll be here soon...until then, I'll just look out the window and pretend I'm in England. It helps. :-)
FLT3
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Happy Boxing Day!!!
Well, the gifts have been opened, the carols sung ad infinitum, and enough calories consumed to feed a small European country...yes, Christmas has come and gone once again. Given the progressively earlier retailing of the holiday, I wouldn't be shocked if the malls started hanging out signs reading "Only 364 days till Christmas! Start shopping now!"
Christmas was, as usual, a very happy and exhausting day with family and friends. I was given many wonderful gifts, and enjoyed the day. Being the Anglophile that I am, I am celebrating Boxing Day today. I think I am supposed to give a little gift to the mailman or something, but I may not celebrate to that extent. (Unless I leave that unwanted fruitcake in the post box...)
Much excitement has surrounded the incipient arrival of Jerry, my parents' new Jack Russell Terrier puppy. Jerry should be here on or before 7 January, and he has no idea the tub of butter into which he has fallen. I have no doubt that my sister and I were loved and treated very sweetly as babies, but the attention lavished on Jerry may surpass that which we enjoyed. My dad has built a doghouse nicer than most apartments in which I have lived. My friend Kim is making him a sweater (designer originals at only 8 weeks old...) and my parents' house is already filling up with doggie toys and items. I am just as excited as everyone else, so I can't really be too critical. :-)
More to come...my New Year's Resolution is to post at least twice a week. We'll see how long that lasts.
FLT3
Christmas was, as usual, a very happy and exhausting day with family and friends. I was given many wonderful gifts, and enjoyed the day. Being the Anglophile that I am, I am celebrating Boxing Day today. I think I am supposed to give a little gift to the mailman or something, but I may not celebrate to that extent. (Unless I leave that unwanted fruitcake in the post box...)
Much excitement has surrounded the incipient arrival of Jerry, my parents' new Jack Russell Terrier puppy. Jerry should be here on or before 7 January, and he has no idea the tub of butter into which he has fallen. I have no doubt that my sister and I were loved and treated very sweetly as babies, but the attention lavished on Jerry may surpass that which we enjoyed. My dad has built a doghouse nicer than most apartments in which I have lived. My friend Kim is making him a sweater (designer originals at only 8 weeks old...) and my parents' house is already filling up with doggie toys and items. I am just as excited as everyone else, so I can't really be too critical. :-)
More to come...my New Year's Resolution is to post at least twice a week. We'll see how long that lasts.
FLT3
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Hear The Bells All Over London Town...
...how joyously they ring! See the lights aglow in London Town and hear each caroler sing...
So goes the song that opens A Christmas Carol, which is being performed this weekend and next by CenterStage. For a glimpse at a few of the stars, check out our website at www.centerstage-productions.org and click on "A Christmas Carol." Scroll to the bottom of the cast list and you will see Scrooge ("Dollar" Bill Lawson,) Tiny Tim (Julia Fleisig,) The Ghosts of Xmas Past (Kim Dometrovich,) Present (Paul McCracken,) and Yet-To-Come (Pam Cooper.) Each of these performers, along with the rest of the cast, has performed brilliantly. If you live in the Birmingham area, please come to the show...you won't be disappointed!
I got nice and riled up reading the editorial page today. More on that in my next post...as for now, It's time for bed. :-)
FLT3
So goes the song that opens A Christmas Carol, which is being performed this weekend and next by CenterStage. For a glimpse at a few of the stars, check out our website at www.centerstage-productions.org and click on "A Christmas Carol." Scroll to the bottom of the cast list and you will see Scrooge ("Dollar" Bill Lawson,) Tiny Tim (Julia Fleisig,) The Ghosts of Xmas Past (Kim Dometrovich,) Present (Paul McCracken,) and Yet-To-Come (Pam Cooper.) Each of these performers, along with the rest of the cast, has performed brilliantly. If you live in the Birmingham area, please come to the show...you won't be disappointed!
I got nice and riled up reading the editorial page today. More on that in my next post...as for now, It's time for bed. :-)
FLT3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
