I got this from my Dad, but I am not sure of the original source.
Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.
If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given her.
So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of sh..t.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Amusing Thought of the Day
Monday, December 08, 2008
Dang, That Was Close
Check out what happened 2 miles from my office. An FA-18 Hornet crashed into a house. This is the down side to working really close to a military base. Fortunately, there don't appear to be any casualties.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Ode to the Boy in Maya's Class
One of Maya's fellow students was a McCain supporter. He's disappointed in the way the election turned out. His solution? Write limericks rhyming Obama with Osama, of course. So, I helped Maya with a rebuttal:
There once was a boy in my class
Whose rhymes were really quite crass
He thought he was clever
But all he was ever
Was a really big pain in the butt
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
I Know, I'm Supposed To Tell Vacation Stories
But I am still catching up on everything I didn't do while I wasn't here. And this hilarious video crossed my monitor this morning. I had to share. I realize this does not portray my Yes on 8 friends accurately, but it does contain some good points. Plus it has some of my favorite celebs and, as I mentioned, is funny!
See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Back From Vacation, But Still Digging Out
View Larger Map
In the meantime, check out the route we took from Friday to Friday. I'm going to try to start writing up our adventures. There were many and they were exciting. The map above shows our stops along the way. The link from B to C was by train, not car. Otherwise, we drove all of that. Oh, and the start and Finish are at H. As an added bonus, I now know where Cornville, AZ is. Fun!
Monday, November 17, 2008
More California Earth Shaky Goodness
I'm officially a Californian. I was awakened by an earthquake at 4:30 this morning. I rolled over, noted the time, thought "Hm. I wonder how big that one was." and went back to sleep. Of course, once I was awake, I needed to get the details. So, I looked it up here. It was a 4.1 and was about 30 miles from us. Nothing was damaged and the kids didn't even wake up.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Quantum of 'Splosions
The question is, which definition of Quantum am I using? Do I just mean "a particular amount" or "a large quantity"? You'll have to see the movie to find out. Mostly, I was looking for a play on words and that was the best I could come up with. I guess I'm not feeling too clever this morning. But I am feeling like writing a movie review, so read on if you want to know what I thought of the movie...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Blog Bling Goodness!
I got an award! I am officially a "Superior Scribbler". I'd like to say I earned it due to my journalistic integrity and excellence. But that's not really what this blog is about. In this particular case, I got it because I entertain and amuse my friends. And really, that is better than journalistic excellence in my book.
So, what is it? Read on...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
WTF and WTF II
The kids pointed me to these weird cartoons. Clearly, Charlie needs some better ways to cope with his unicorn tormentors. It's hard to pick the weirdest thing, but I'm going to go with "Magical Leopleurodon".
Charlie I
Charlie II
Friday, November 07, 2008
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
My friend James pointed me to President-elect Obama's transition web site. On there, you have an opportunity to share your story, your ideas, and your vision for America. This is what I submitted:
This campaign, for me, has been about Hope. Not little 'h' hope, but big 'H' Hope. The kind of Hope that we rarely see. The kind that motivates people to believe. President Obama made me believe that anything was possible. Now I look forward to helping make that change real.
I honestly think that the biggest issue facing our country, the one that could stop us from overcoming any of the others, is the hate and fear that we have been experiencing over the last eight years. President Bush claimed he was going to be a uniter, not a divider. But there was no true reaching across the aisle. He reached across to invite his opponents to come to his side, not to meet him in the middle.
We have become so polarized as a nation that the speaker of an idea has become more important than the idea itself. We need to heal those divisions and build trust if we are to end the war, protect the country, or restore the economy.
I don't have all the answers for how to do that. I'm just going to try to listen to people I know who have a different view and understand what their concerns and beliefs are. When I respond, it will be to address their concerns, not to express my fears. What is it that Covey says? "Seek first to understand, then be understood."
I look forward to the next four years and hopefully four more after that.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sometimes They Do, Josh
Sometimes, I wonder where they get this stuff. We had a very weird conversational exchange at my house the other night. Here is the scene: Maya was trying on jeans and commenting on the size of her butt. She-who-is-no-help-at-all decided to have some fun with our Middle Schooler.
Mom: You do have a big butt, honey. I can't lie.
Me: No she doesn't. You're fine, Maya.
Mom: She does, but not in a bad way.
Me: *sigh*
Mom: It's a cute butt. Someimes, boys like a girl with a cute butt.
She was clearly trying to embarrass Maya. But Maya was playing along and having fun. Then, out of left field:
Josh: Sometimes they like hot, sexy girls.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Two Kid Stories
Maya and Josh do many things that amuse me. I just thought I'd share a couple from this week.
Tuesday was "clan dance" day for the 6th graders at Maya's school. They were studying ancient tribal societies and learned about tribal dances. They were required to come in some sort of tribal costume for their class presentations. Students who did not have a costume had to 'buy' one for $200 in class cash. They also would only be able to get 90% credit. As she packed for school, I noticed her putting some extra stuff in her bag. "What's all that for?" I asked her. "I'm bringing an extra costume. If someone forgets theirs, I'll rent them my extra for $150 class cash. And they won't get docked on their grade." Is this how Donald Trump got started?
On Wednesday, She-who-is-pretty-overwhelmed needed to keep Josh occupied while Maya did her homework and she did her work work. So, she told him to give Maya a practice spelling test to prep her for Friday. He was doing a pretty good job of it, with a few exceptions. After all, he is in second grade and she is in sixth. She may have the occasional word he does not know. "Maya, what does R-E-S-C-U-E spell?" he asked. "It spells 'rescue' Josh." "Ok. Your next word is rescue. Spell rescue."
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Hey, Look, A Blog!
I think I have one of those. I should post to it. Here's an Australian comedian I've recently discovered and am enjoying making fun of an insipid song that I think should be featured on my friend James' "This Song Must Die" meme.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Vacation: Day 1
Day 1 shouldn't even really count. It was only a vacation in the sense of the root word vacate, as in "we vacated California". Our flight was at 1, but we were up at 7 to finish packing and prepping the house for our departure. We were to the airport by 11 and the plane left on time. We connected in Salt Lake City and went on to Boston. The flight was more than a bit bumpy and the movie was "Drillbit Taylor", but there was no real suffering beyond that. I think we only encountered one inconsiderate person all day! We landed at Logan at 11:30 but didn't leave the airport until 12:30. Checkin at the hotel was slow because "the computer slows down when it isn't being used". We finally crashed at 2. So, why the crap have I been awake for 3 hours already?!?
FYI - The inconsiderate person was encountered when we were on the shuttle from the rental car place to the airport. We rent cars one way instead of driving and parking or taking one of the airport shuttles. Contrast: One way rental - $37 including gas. Shuttle for 4: $125+. At any rate, we were on the shuttle waiting to get dropped off at our gate, but the driver had to pick up arrivals, too. After a couple pick ups, we were pretty full and there was no room on the luggage rack. The driver was ready to leave when this woman ran up and tried to get on. He pointed to another shuttle from the same company two cars back and just waiting to pull into the spot he was vacating. He explained that we were pretty full. She insisted on getting on THIS shuttle and piled her luggage in front of the rack, making it difficult for others to get their stuff. I suppressed the urge to say something to her.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I Wish I'd Said That
But I suppose it is funnier coming from a 7 year old. No, this one is not from Josh, though I may teach him to say it for entertainment purposes. This one comes from a theater friend. She has a 7 year old daughter that Josh sometimes plays with. We'll call her Sage. Sage was talking to their new pastor one Sunday after church while her mom was talking to another friend nearby. What could go wrong? I don't know what the pastor said to her, but the best guess is that he asked "Why do you do X?" Her response? "Oh, I just do it for the laughs, the money, and the beer." What more could a seven year old possibly need?
Friday, June 27, 2008
Summer Sleep Attire
Josh cracks me up. Maya does too, but in a more deliberate way. Josh is still a source of unintentional amusement. We had a pretty nasty heat wave here a week ago. To give you a sense of it, the temperature dropped to 100 degrees at 6:30 p.m. Josh had his shower and was getting ready for bed. We told him that it was summer, so he got to sleep in his underwear. His response? "Sweet! (pause) What's the bad news?"
Thursday, June 26, 2008
No Evil
Three days in a row. Nothing really to say. But a friend sent me this link and it amused the heck out of me. So, I had to share. It's from a cell phone company. I'm not sure how their service is, but their ads have tempted me to at least look. After you watch the initial, check out all the links in the League of Evil. It's so "Justice League vs Legion of Doom" from the 80's! The company is called "Net 10", but their website is ne-evil.net
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Homeward Bound
I wish I was. And I am. Hey! I fished my wish. The long awaited return of Clan Briwei to Massachusetts is approaching. We are going to fly out of here on 7/11 and fly back on 7/20. Of course the first and last days are travel days. Everything else is open thus far. We will probably have a pool party on 7/13 for Maya's birthday. But even that is up in the air. So, who is up for a game day? Pool party? Barbeque? Trip to the USS Constitution. Speak up!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Overwhelmed
It's no surprise to any of you that this blog is badly neglected. It has been for a long time. It's been worse lately because of how overwhelmed I am feeling. Not sure if it is the length of my commute, which is about an hour each way, the cost of gas, the state of the world, or something I haven't identified yet. Part of the problem is that I am not a list maker. Another part of the problem is that the "must dos" in my head are so numerous, there seems to be no time for the "want to dos". So, every time I try to decide what to do next, I just see a wall. My mind can't settle on any one thing. The end result? A lot of time goes by and I can't explain what happened to it. And I just switched to a new project at work, which means big learning curve. Sounds so melodramatic, doesn't it? I think it is a side effect to my routine being so badly disrupted from my leg injury. I haven't really recovered from that in many ways.
Well, enough whining. Or whinging. Is there a difference between whining and whinging? No matter. I think I need to reconnect with my community. I'm going to try to do mini-updates here and comment more out there. I think contact helps.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
DnD 4th Edition
Not that we play any more, but I love their take on what the 4E rules will mean to all the panicked gamers out there.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Indiana Jones
Last night, I took the family to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was a social event for my company. We had two screens just for us and we were allowed to bring guests. There's something extra cool about a private screening. Not sure why, but there is. Here are my impressions of the movie. Worry not, I have not included any spoilers.
First, a six word review: Predictable and formulaic, but fun anyway.
Now the longer version: Dang. Harrison Ford got old. It took me a few minutes to get used to his voice. I had watched the original Raiders with the kids last weekend to prep them for last night. It's amazing how much his voice had changed. He looks older, too, and they haven't tried to hide that. This one takes place in 1957, so he is expected to be a bit older and slower.
There are no real surprises in the plot. It starts pretty much in the middle of things as Indy adventures usually do. We learn something about the crystal skull early on. From there it follows a pretty linear and unsurprising run through the elements of the last few movies. If you go in expecting shocking plot twists, you will be sorely disappointed. Nothing in the movie is outside the expectations of the reality, though. After all, in Temple of Doom, they jumped out of a plane in an inflatable raft. As I recall, they and the raft survived the fall and several terrain changes. Expect a similar level of the incredible here.
Acting wise, it is a little below average for the series. Shia Labouef is good, as is Karen Allen. I thought Harrison Ford looked a little tired and the Indy charm came off a little more smug than cocky. My main complaint was Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko. Her Russian accent drifted a bit and she had as much depth and character as Natasha Fatale.
Flow wise it started a little bit slowly. I'm honestly not sure what they were trying to accomplish with the opening sequence. It felt a bit long to me. Once Indy gets on the trail of the Crystal Skull, though, it moves quite nicely. There is a good blend of action and silliness and only a slight amount of creepy. There was only one occasion when I actually said "Ewwwww!"
Overall, I'd say it would be fun if you had passes. Otherwise, wait for the rental.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Who Is This For?
Last weekend, to escape the heat, we went to the movies. We were finally able to use the Fandango bucks that Uncle David got us for Christmas. We were torn between Iron Man and Narnia. I wanted to see Iron Man and everyone else wanted to see Narnia. We saw Narnia. A good time was had by all. As it was the premiere night, they did a Narnia trivia contest for prizes. Maya won a Narnia t-shirt. We even enjoyed the trailers. Well. All except one. Watch this and tell me if your reaction is the same as mine.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Don't Waste It
Some very profound events have happened here recently and they got me to thinking. What if someone saved your life? Would you live it any differently than you had up to that point? You've been given a second chance by a benevolent person. Do you have any responsibility to make the most of that?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Strange Church Near My House
I drive past many churches on my way to work. In fact, I drive by at least three in the first five or so miles. Each of them has one of those billboards where they can put up their own messages. (No, this is not going to be a post where I show faked billboards.) One of them goes for the cutesy, pithy sayings like "Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it!". The second just posts information like "Spanish Services: Sunday at 10 am". The third one is the one that is weird to me...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
M-R-Ai-yi-yiiii
I got my MRI a couple Friday nights ago. You read that right. It was not a typo. The MRI was at night. It was at 9:30 to be exact. I outsmarted myself once again. I asked that the MRI be done in La Jolla, so it would be close to my office. The reason, I explained, was so I could use my appointment as my lunch break. I could just zip over and zip back to work. Glad they were listening...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Mistake or Subliminal?
Take a look at the proposed new logo for the UK Office of Government Commerce.
Notice anything odd about it? I'll let people comment on it before I say why it made me laugh.
Hat tip to Rich for this link. I can't find a link to your blog, so I'll link to your company instead. :)
Friday, April 18, 2008
De-Toothified
I survived my three-dentists-in-three-days event in Escondido. Doesn't that sound like a masochist's vacation package? Sadly, it was no vacation. The first dentist told me something was wrong. The second dentist gave me the specifics of what was wrong. The third dentist solved the problem. He had to pull the tooth, which proved more difficult than anticipated.
In spite of the struggle in getting the evil tooth out, the office was very warm and inviting. I was helped by at least five different people and each one told me who they were and what their role was. I was also told what to expect next and assured that the next person was excellent and would take good care of me. It kept me from stressing out too badly, except when the actual pulling was occurring.
The tooth pulling was not stressful because it was painful. It was stressful because the tooth wouldn't come out. The oral surgeon was a tall, fit, muscular man. And he was struggling to get it to come out. It ended up coming out in about five pieces. It was quite obstinate.
After the extraction, I had to bite down on a piece of gauze for an hour. Then I had to change the gauze every 45 minutes until the bleeding stopped. That took about 4 hours. I didn't really eat all that much that night, as I am sure you can imagine. What surprised me was that I wasn't allowed to rinse vigorously or use a straw. Either of these could dislodge the clot.
My recovery followed the after care instructions almost exactly. I lost a day and a half to the Vicodin and have been coping a little better each day. The pain is mild now, but still present. And the socket is still noticeable to me. My voice sounds weird to me, but nobody else seems to notice.
I now have to wait three months for this to heal. After that, they will put a screw into my jaw and put a cap on that. Then that will heal for three months. Then my regular dentist will put a screw on the cap and a fake tooth on the post. The good news is that my dental insurance looks like it is going to partially cover the implant. Woot!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
When Is It Time To See The Dentist
That's right. My life has become a bad joke:
Q: When is it time to see the dentist?
A: At 2:30. (Tooth-hurty)
That's really what time my appointment is, too.
Warning: The rest of this post talks about pain and teeth.
I have a dentist appointment today. It's my third in three business days. The first one was with my regular dentist. He determined that there was likely and absess or infection and sent me to the endodontist to determine the specifics. The endodontist has determined that a root canal I had done 22 years ago was not done well. He made a crack in the tooth that ran deep into its root. Well, at some point recently, an infection managed to creep under the crown. It may have happened when I had the crown replaced 6 months ago. Who can say for certain. At any rate, the infection is causing swelling inside the dead tooth. The pain that woke me up last Thursday night is from the swelling trying to push through both the inner and outer walls of my jaw. Yuck.
The endo told me that the tooth really had to come out. I'm risking bone loss in healthy teeth and in my jaw if I leave it in. I could save the tooth if I wanted to have the crown removed, the posts taken out, the infection treated, the root canal redone, and the crown replaced. My mouth aches just thinking about it. Well, that, and from the infection.
So, today, I am going to my third different dentist. I'll be seeing an oral surgeon today. He'll yank the tooth under local anesthetic and tell me exactly how much it is going to cost me to get an implant. The other option is a bridge, but that is less appealing even though it is less expensive. To put a bridge in, they would have to cut down the two healthy adjacent teeth so that the bridge has someplace to attach.
In the immortal words of Clubber Lang: "Prediction? Pain."
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Back From Vacation
We had a mini-vacation to replace the canceled one. I thought I'd be able to blog about it while I was there and it was fresh, but there was no internet or cell phone access. So, I am back and trying to reconnect to the world. If you tried to reach me, I have not been ignoring you. Unless I've been ignoring you. Then, I've been ignoring you.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Why MRI?
A few of you have asked why I am having an MRI. Just because something isn't healing quickly is no reason to jump in the scanner and spend all that time, right? Ordinarily, I would agree with you. But there are a couple factors in this case that are pushing me the other way...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Losing Streak
I know. I'm supposed to focus on the positives. And there are positives. I have plenty to be thankful for. Especially with the way the economy is going. But I also have plenty I am not thankful for. I feel like I am on a bit of a losing streak right now. And sometimes you just have to get it out there so it can move on. Or you can move on. Maybe you and it move on, just in different directions. I'd sure hate to let it out and have it follow me...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Less Amazing Three Legged Man
Well. Going crutchless was a bad call.I had a really hard time walking on Saturday and was in a lot of pain. It was more than just fatigue from lack of use, too. When I tried to stretch it, it felt like it was going to snap again. So, I stopped. I'm going to see the doctor again and push for an MRI so we can find out what is really going on in there. In the meantime, I have procured a cane. It's not rhinestone studded and it doesn't have a laser. It's made of wood and has a curved handle. If not for the painted, carved parrot head at the end of the curve, it would look like an old man cane. Let's all take a moment and be thankful for the parrot.
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Amazing Two Legged Man!
I am now fully off the crutches. I'm not jogging around or anything, but I am walking under my own power. I've got a slight limp, but I'm not shuffling or dragging a dead leg behind me. Some friends have suggested a cane. They would prefer one with LEDs or rhinestones or maybe something concealed in the handle. I think they are just enjoying how silly I look. There is one oddity about the whole thing, other than the fact that, a month later, there is still bruising. When I walk, my left arm still keeps in synch with my left leg, instead of alternating. It is used to reaching out in support with a crutch when that leg steps. The overall effect is that I look like a white guy trying badly to be hip.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Jump For Joy
Yesterday, Josh was working on his homework. He usually gets a multi-page packet on Monday that is due on Friday. This week, a few of his pages dealt with the concept of estimating. For example, one page asks him to circle the activity that will take longer. The picture on the left is of a girl drawing a flower. The picture on the right is of a girl drawing a full mural. You get the idea. The other class of problem gives an activity and asks the student to circle the correct estimate. Here's one for you:
How long you would jump rope:
1 minute?
1 hour?
1 week?
What do you suppose Josh answered? Therein lies the story...
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Who Wants to See Gross Foot Pics?
I have a few pictures of the bruising on my leg from the calf muscle tear. They look pretty nasty. These were taken 2 weeks after the injury. Any bets on how long it will take for the bruises to clear? Click on if you want to see.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Regime Turnover
Just a brief heads up that I am contributing to a new blog. It was started by James over at Aces Full. It's a time limited blog that will run up to the last day of Dubya's Presidency. All of the authors are left of the political spectrum and most of us seem to favor Obama. Hopefully, it will have interesting observations on the environment between now and next January. Or maybe it will just be a bunch of "crazy libruls" ranting. Check it out and see for yourself. It's called Regime Turnover. I personally think our logo should be Dubya wrapped in a flaky pastry and drizzled with a fruit sauce, but I'm not in charge.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Diebold Lets the Cat Out of the Bag
Sometimes the timing is too perfect. Check out this news report on Diebold.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The San Diego Primaries
Well. I did my civic duty a few weeks back. It may even have counted. But with the electoral system out here in California, I have no great confidence. Time for a briwei rant on primary day in San Diego...
Monday, February 25, 2008
I Accidentally Pooped on My Toe
Sometimes, it is good to be on crutches. Of course, it is even better not to be home. That was the case last night. I was at a theater meeting leaving she-who-says-I'm-no-help-on-crutches-anyway to get the kids through the tub and into bed. As such, this is a retelling of the tale I was told when I got home...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Oops, I Did It Again
This is NOT a post on Britney. This is a post on where you can find your gastrocnemius. It's also a post about my skills at basketball. Mostly, it's an opportunity for you all to mock me again...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Dim Sum is People!!!
If you have never gone out for Dim Sum and are culinarily adventurous, I recommend it. I am not, but she-who-deserves-a-night-out is. So, I thought I'd see what I could find that was to the North of us. I know what is to the South and wanted something against the flow of traffic. Here is an unedited snap of a section of my search:
Note the first entry on the map search and tremble.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Surprise! I'm a Nerd.
Hat tip to barbie2be for the quiz, even though she only rated as "kind of nerdy".
I may be a nerd, but I'm NOT a loser.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Whiny Californians
I'm not sure when it happened, but I have become one of those whiny Californians. The other day, I was complaining I was cold. It was 55 degrees. I had on long pants, a long sleeved shirt, and a sweatshirt. When did I lose my New England toughness? And how does that happen? When I lived in Massachusetts, 55 degrees was a balmy spring day. Heck. When I first moved here, I wore shorts all year round.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Switching from the Gold Standard
Hat tip to Kitten Herder for unearthing this important change in our treasury system.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
How Fortunate
Hat tip to barbie2be
 | My Fortune Cookie told me: I wish you wouldn't wall-mount those Trappist monks. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune |
Monday, January 21, 2008
Affluenza!
Sadly, I am not writing about the PBS show, of which I have heard many good things. There is also a play of similar name. The author added an exclamation point to help us differentiate. I had assumed that it was inspired by Oliver James'studies on consumption and materialism and I was looking to update the dramatic offerings at our community theater. So, I ordered a copy to read...
A hilarious new play from James Sherman, AFFLUENZA! borrows classic characters from Restoration Comedy like the cuckolded husband, the coquette, the wiley servant, and the fop to create a contemporary comedy of manners. When multi-millionaire, William Moore brings home his new girlfriend, his son and ex-wife are threatened by the potential new heir to the family fortune. Who gets what and who ends up with whom is revealed in this dazzling display of wit and word play.
"James Sherman has created a Moliere play for our times. A clever and delightful piece of theatre." Chicago Reader
"James Sherman's AFFLUENZA! is an impressive piece of work -- a witty balancing act that gets laughs from age-old human foibles as well as our present age of untrammeled corporate greed." The Kansas City Star
"Sherman's vital Americanese displays all of the lightness, gaiety and poetic skill of the French satirist's classic French." The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
I'll admit, I probably ought to have done a bit more homework before ordering a perusal copy. But I was just surfing for recent plays that sounded interesting. Ah, well. Lesson learned.
To be blunt, this play is transparent, insipid, and banal. To be more blunt, I read it while dealing with a stomach bug and IT stank worse. The first thing that made me cringe was when I discovered that the entire play is written in rhymed couplets. Think bad Dr. Seuss impersonation. It is also peppered with references to pop culture and current events. References of this sort are not a bad thing in and of themselves. If they are used as a part of the story, they can be effective; even moving. Most of them here are offhand throwaways. Various politicos, right and left, are name dropped. But the reference is meant for a laugh and nothing more. And given that the laugh is supposed to come after 80 pages of bad poetry, I found it hard to muster. Don't take my word, though. Here is a sampling:
If Affluenza's a new word for you
Please listen 'cause I can give you a clue.
The days, the rich people are quite numerous.
Our poet thinks they're rather humorous.
They look for all the ways they can explore
How to get more. And more. And more. And more.
Except of course, for my Great Uncle Bill.
This is his house. Man, it is such a thrill.
Come in, dear ladies and kind gentlemen
Please notice - You can see Lake Michigan.
Gah! Enough. No more. That is the opening to the show. That's not even half of the Prologue. Then there is the fact that each act is broken up into 'scenes'. Of course, one scene picks up where the previous one ended. And there is no change in location. So, I fail to see the need for scenes aside from making the play feel longer. And it already feels plenty long to me! Then there are occasions where he rhymes a word with itself. And the ones he does this to are not for effect. Nor are the difficult words to rhyme. Here's an example:
How dare you think she's mercenary. Her?
Well, I'll show you. I'm gonna marry her!
Riveting. No, wait. Revolting. To make matters worse, the message is so heavy handed. Everyone in the play except the main character is a greedy materialist. There is no nuance. No subtlety. I hesitate to even call them caricatures, because caricatures usually bear some resemblance to reality.
Perhaps nobody has ever communicated with Mr. Sherman in a language he can understand. I'll revise my review for him.
You probably think that you're clever
Writing a rhyming play? Whatever.
The characters were two-dimensional.
What little humor seemed unintentional.
I get that problems stem from greed
But I knew that ere I saw your screed.
But the part of this lesson that really sucks
Is that learning it cost me eight bucks!
Read More......
Friday, January 18, 2008
Right Wing Political Hit Job
Well. It's started. A calculated e-mail campaign to make us afraid of Obama. It originated with the Washington Times and has spread to the usual suspects. Fox News defended its irresponsible handling of the story by saying that its 'reporters' were merely expressing personal opinions.
F.Y.I
It was reported that snopes.com confirms the below.
Who is Barack Obama?
Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii.
When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also spent two years in a Catholic school.
Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that he is not a radical.
Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.
Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.
Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.
Note the clever reference to Snopes. This is meant to give the accusations credibility. The link takes you to the home page and leaves you to find the article yourself. If you do find the article, it's here by the way, you'll see it refuted on a point by point basis. I like how they constantly repeat his middle name 'Hussein'. Quick, tell me what Romney, McCain, or Huckabee's middle names are. Anyone? I also like the fact that the word RADICAL is in all caps.
The other worrying thing to me is that they are conditioning their followers to be afraid of certain people based solely on religion. What would be the big deal if a candidate were a Muslim? I'm not talking about an America hating, suicide bomber supporting radical. I'm just talking about a regular Muslim in the same way many people are regular Jews or Christians. They go to Church. They try to treat others well. They do the best they can for themselves and their family. So, why is that a bad thing? Read More......
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Distance + Loss = Teh Suck
No, this is not an excuse post about why I haven't posted. That is because I got burnt out. Now I'm burnt in, so I'm back. Last week we had a death in the family. My Great Aunt Ruth passed very suddenly after a short battle with Legionnaire's Disease. It was less than 48 hours from the time sister Sara-Anne told me Aunt Ruth was being checked into the hospital with a high fever until she was gone. She was a very sweet woman who will be missed by us all.
It was especially hard for me because I am so far away. I felt a bit lost. But it also got me thinking about how differently people grieve. I am sad that she is gone, but she lived a good long life and did not suffer or linger. But, for me, the grieving isn't just about losing her. It's also about mortality and the fact that the preceding generations' time is growing shorter. That's a lot to deal with when most of the people you care about are over 3000 miles away. (Don't get your hopes up. It doesn't mean I'm moving back. ;-) ) It's made even harder when the people you live with don't grieve the same way.
She-who-does-things-differently saw my grieving as just moping and wallowing. From her perspective, I was not doing anything about it and she was concerned I was going into a protracted depression. I had something resembling a plan. I didn't share it, but I had one. To her, the way you grieve is by going out and being productive. You feel better by proving to yourself that you can go on and can accomplish things.
My approach is different. I get some extra rest and then I do some mindless activity. I try to process the emotions until it gets too much. Then I go back to the mindless activity. I also found some time to exercise and gave blood. Those were the things that helped me. I'm doing much better this week. But it was a bit tense as I tried to do my thing while getting her to understand.
How do you guys do it?
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