Three Women Driven Insane

I'm too sleepy to do it justice, but Three Women Driven Insane is definitely worth a visit to Dream Theatre. It's 3 short plays by Jeremy Menekseoglu interwoven into one piece, with 3 actresses playing 8 roles. It's very short - it ran a little over half an hour - and cost just 10 dollars.

It's being put on as a special event of the Chicago Fringe Theatre Festival.

AnnaLou Weiler Menekseoglu, Annelise Lawson, and Natalie Breitmeyer light up the stage and tear up the minimalist scenery.

Insane,

funny in the midst of pain,

passions fly

and more than one must die.

Making Faces

Here are faces I was making a couple of weekends ago, exerting myself on the bike, and wrapping up the run:

Memory is funny. If you'd asked me how my bike ride went, I would have said it was a breeze, but my cycling-photo expression makes it look like I was in a state of serious discomfort.

I really don't recall

feeling miserable at all.

At Least It Had The Right Number Of Stripes

An elementary school in a Chicago suburb has been using a 48-star flag for decades. Guess who finally pointed out the problem?

It was not until last year when members of Cub Scout Pack 78 marched with Old Glory in a Memorial Day Parade that someone noticed that something about the flag’s symmetrical rows of stars looked odd.

It was back in 1959 that Alaska and Hawaii came into the Union. And not both at once. There was an 8 month period where a 49-star flag flew on government buildings. It was kind of a stimulus program for flag-manufacturers! But I don't think too many regular people actually invested in the 49-star version.

As I recall, my family waited. If they weren't just being thrifty, then fifty years seems long

for not a single teacher to notice the count was wrong.

Canine Frustration

My hounds hunt for hares
with sniffs and studious stares
but never seem to catch them unawares.

Who Picks These Names?

Ironically, Irene means "peace",
not "rain and wind that will not cease".

Super Sprint Tri

I did the Fleet Feet Super Sprint Triathlon this morning at Foster Avenue Beach in Chicago. It was a very pleasant experience. Well organized. Lots of people who had never done a tri before. It's actually kind of set up for getting your toes wet in the sport. It's associated with the massively attended Chicago Triathlon, but it's the day before, and it takes place on a much smaller scale. Also, you can sign up for less than half of the price of tomorrow's event. And I parked for free - something that would not happen in the downtown venue.

Now and then someone asks me how many triathlons I've done, and I say I've lost count. But I do keep a list and today I reviewed that list. 52 triathlons. I started in 1992, so I haven't hit my 20th anniversary yet. I remember what a challenge it seemed like when I started, just to finish one. My youngest sister and one of my younger brothers had both done a triathlon at that time, so I figured if they could do it, I could do it. Somehow I was the one who really caught the bug and stayed involved in it.

And... why? I needed more exercise, and I found that races were very motivating. If I had a race coming up, I would consistently do more exercise than if I didn't.

But why triathlons in particular? I like the childishness of the sport. Swim, bike, run. It's like a child's summer day. And for some reason I like the mental overload of the sport - the way it feels like you have too much to think about.

You swim, you bike, you run,
and finally you're done!

Hasket Morris

Hasket played the male lead, Jason, the hero if you will, of my play, and he played him charmingly and disarmingly. The challenge of the character is that he is odd, but on the edge of normal, and must be sympathetic despite being an unusually persistent suitor. Hasket figured out how to do all of that, including how to deliver the "bad jokes" I had put in the script for his character to say.

The character must also come across as rather bright and quite goodhearted, and Hasket had no trouble figuring out how to do either of those things. I think they just came naturally.

Jason loved to study engineering.

Hasket made sure we found that fact endearing.

Gypsy Kings

We saw the Gypsy Kings at Ravinia. I was quite impressed with their musicianship.

A gypsy king
is born to sing.

And a glittering guitar
is bound to take him far.

Denise Smolarek

I'm not done praising the people who worked on my recently staged play. Today is Denise Smolarek's turn.

I first met her when we were doing Little Women together. I was playing the father of the 4 girls. She was playing their aunt. She had great presence on stage, and a clear gift for comedy.

I made a point of inviting her to audition for the role of Yuliana, and I am very glad I did. The role requires a certain dashing glamor, combined with a very real motherliness, and Denise supplied both - all with a Russian accent that had many audience members wondering whether she really was Russian!

And somehow, despite the fact that her character's methods were more than a little manipulative, she always won the sympathy of the audience when she finally confessed to her main motivation.

Mother and glamorous spy,

her plight made the audience sigh.

We Do What We Can

I walked into yoga tonight, I saw our instructor had cut her hair, and almost everyone noticed as well, complimenting her on her new "do".

Then, as class opened, she told us she had donated her hair to a charity that makes wigs for cancer patients. Because a childhood friend - who now has stage 3 melanoma - had asked her to do so.

Someday I pray all cancer will be cured.

But for now this fact must be endured:

cells growing out of control

enact a hellish toll.

5.8

My daughter lives in Virginia, so I was awfully glad this quake didn't do much damage.

The ground trembled

but no buildings disassembled.

A roof that decides to fall

is worse than no roof at all.

I Can Do A 3 Hour Triathlon Without Injury, But...

Today, on my way to work, I was running for a green light, on the sidewalk, when my toe caught the lip where a manhole cover was inset. It looked something like this one:

Anyway, my toe caught, and I went horizontal, landing on toes, knees, and hands.

My knees are scraped
my wrists are sore.

I need to lift
my feet up more!

Qadaffi

I'm not too clear on who's replacing him,
but I'm glad to see somebody erasing him.

Saugatuck MI

I'm at a house I've been coming to for 58 years.

Visiting in Michigan

Makes me feel like a kid again.

Back on Stage

I've been cast as Mr. Bennet, the father of all those daughters, in a local production of Pride and Prejudice.

It's funny because I also played the father in Little Women, also a father with a lot of daughters. But in Little Women, the father is very earnest.

In Austen's chronicle,

the father is more ironical.

Unhelpful Advice

A farmer in Illinois was worried about some new regulations he had heard about. So he asked Obama about it. On Obama's mega-bus listening tour. Obama said he should just call the USDA.

“Talk to them directly. Find out what it is that you’re concerned about,” Obama told the man. “My suspicion is, a lot of times, they’re going to be able to answer your questions and it will turn out that some of your fears are unfounded.”

The president's suspicion - that the USDA could answer - turned out to be mistaken.

An enterprising reporter, MJ Lee, called up the USDA and proceeded to get the run-around - through multiple agencies and organizations. It all culminated with this CYA email from the PR department at USDA:

“Secretary Vilsack continues to work closely with members of the Cabinet to help them engage with the agricultural community to ensure that we are separating fact from fiction on regulations because the administration is committed to providing greater certainty for farmers and ranchers. Because the question that was posed did not fall within USDA jurisdiction, it does not provide a fair representation of USDA’s robust efforts to get the right information to our producers throughout the country.”

So - no answer on whether the farmer's fears were well-founded.
But you have to admit the run-around was well-rounded.

Plain, Honest Men

Tonight at book club we discussed a book by historian Richard Beeman - Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution. It is a very readable account of the Constitutional Convention, which includes recent research on the topic.

I learned a lot, and felt the author was evenhanded on controversial topics, letting the story tell itself, making the characters come alive while clearly explaining the points of disagreement and compromise. The author plainly admires these men and their accomplishment. I felt he was particularly good at recreating the sense of uncertain outcome of the American experiment in self-government.

From a contemporary perspective, one of the most striking things about the convention was the way that an assembly of politicians were actually able to keep their proceedings secret for months.

Today there'd be a leak
within a week.

Nay,
within a day.

Auditioning for Mr. Bennet

Tonight I auditioned for a local production of Pride and Prejudice. I read for Mr. Bennet, the heroine's father. I like the character. I hope I get the part. I think he's one of Austen's more interesting men. Not quite as interesting as Mr. Darcy, of course.

One of his problems is that he has 5 daughters and no son.

He has trouble asserting his will
in a house where the voices run shrill.

Inequality Blues

In the Wall St. Journal today, Bryan Caplan gave a mixed review of a book called The Happiness Equation, which delves into the strange world of "happiness research", which I often find puzzling to read about - so puzzling it makes me unhappy - so I don't read about happiness research much.

Nonetheless, Caplan zooms in on the author's point that "income comparison" makes people unhappy. You know, the idea is that I'm unhappy because you make more money than I do. And it turns out, that if you look around, it's almost always true that somebody makes more money that you do.

Caplan then makes the point that the solution to such unhappiness doesn't have to be redistribution of income.

Yes, you could fight inequality of income. But you could just as easily fight comparison of income. Instead of praising those who "raise awareness" about inequality, perhaps we should shame them, like the office gossip, for spreading envy and discontent.

Purveyors of alleged awareness
are always seeking out unfairness -
real or imagined, it doesn't matter,
as long as it leads to envious chatter.

Bangs Lake

Did the Bangs Lake Triathlon today, in beautiful Wauconda, Illinois. It was great racing weather - mostly cloudy, and unseasonably cool. On the swim, the water was warmer than the air. I hoped for a time of 3:20 and came in at 3:16, so I was pleased.

As with other challenging races,
it left me sore in various places.

A Polite "No, Thank You" Would Have Sufficed

What the...

A woman is in the hospital after her son on Thursday allegedly stabbed her repeatedly with a butcher knife when she offered to make him a sandwich.

No word on motivation. One suspects a history of craziness is forthcoming.

Be wary of offering food
to a scary crazy dude.

UPDATE: Okay, reading between the lines here in this other version of the story:

Authorities said Georg's mother brought him home Thursday from Edward Hospital's Linden Oaks behavioral health facility in Naperville, where he had been a patient since July 31. At Georg's bond court appearance, Assistant State's Attorney Deb Brewer did not disclose the nature of Georg's hospitalization, and the hospital would not comment.

So maybe he was in the hospital for a severe life-threatening allergy to peanuts. And maybe his mom offered him a PBJ. So maybe he can claim it was self-defense.

He can say she was trying to take his life
and he had no choice but to go for the knife.

Deserters

Just what the prez needs - a new problem:

"When you ask about the economic team, it's kind of like, 'What economic team?'" said Edward Mills, a financial policy analyst with FBR Capital Markets. "They are very thin at a very critical time."

Only Timothy Geithner remains of his original all-star team. For some reason the others have left, and suitable replacements have not yet been installed.

Of course the original all-star team failed to deliver the promised robust recovery. So a lot of ordinary citizens now see the original all-star team as a bunch of losers.

But when you think of them, don't curse.
They'll tell you: If not for their smarts
and money-printing arts,
the whole disaster could have been much worse.

A Very Terrible Father, by Jeremy Menekseoglu

A Very Terrible Father takes you into the world of a man who is dying, a man who has his regrets, a man who needs to see his discarded daughter before he dies. It is set in the contemporary world, in Germany and America, and is elegantly presented on a simple set with a backlit screen that serves as a changing backdrop as scene follows scene.

We have both German and English speaking characters, with exquisitely rendered scenes of misunderstanding. But somehow, even though all the actors are really speaking English, the audience never becomes confused about who is speaking what language. In one of the play's haunting scenes, our protagonist tries to explain things to his daughter, in words she cannot understand.

Key parts of the play are set in a certain Florida theme park, you know the one, a place that is portrayed with obvious affection. Because of my personal history with this park, because we took our middle child to this park when she was dying, I found this setting almost unbearably sad. But I think the setting works quite well in the play, emphasizing the special beauty that is life.

Jeremy Menekseoglu turns in a tour-de-force portrayal of Matthias, the dying man who is forced to confront the truth about his own history. Mishelle Apalategui is captivating as Lilli, the girlfriend he met at a support group for the dying. Courtney Blomquist simmers and finally explodes as Zita, the mother of his daughter. Natalie Breitmeyer is perfect as the young woman herself, every inch an uncomfortable and uncomprehending American 12 year old. Last but not least, Chad Sheveland embodies the character you love to hate – Bill, the well-meaning American adoptive father, who thinks that most of life's tragedies can be resolved by drinking the right sort of organic smoothie.

Menekseoglu often writes plays involving legends and fantasies. But in this play he has stuck very close to life, and death, as we know it. The result is a play with the look and feel of ordinary reality, but the power and force of myth.

73 Per Cent

Not that they agree
on what the direction should be:

Almost three-quarters of Americans say the United States is on the wrong track, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found Wednesday.

But plunging toward the dirt
has got to hurt.

What a Riot

Over the year, in various ways, the UK has moved away from allowing people to defend themselves.

Now they are paying the price.

When looters
meet shooters
they stop
or get dropped.

Was His Signature Wobbly?

A mayor in New Mexico thinks his city should have an "out" from some contracts he signed.

"The day I signed, I had way too much to drink. It was after 5 p.m. and I signed it and I didn't know what I was signing," the Sunland Park mayor wrote in response to questions from lawyers for the architectural design firm Synthesis+.

Was he out of his mind
when he signed?
Or is the booze
a lame excuse?

Nearly Free in NYC

Had to happen:

Some busy Starbucks coffee shops in New York City have started blocking electrical outlets to discourage laptop users from hogging space, and to free up seats for other customers.

No doubt there were people who sat there for 4 hours, after buying one small cup of coffee, enjoying the Wifi and the electricity.

Look at it from the New Yorker's point of view.

This rich corporation says I can sit here all day on one cup of coffee, in this nice comfy chair, with a better view than my apartment, while working on my laptop. Who am I to say no? If they want me to leave, they can tell me so!

But, no. Starbucks isn't telling them to leave. It's just cutting off the power.

Starbucks may think that this is sufficiently strict,
but I will go out on a limb and predict
that some New Yorkers will reply
by buying bigger batteries that take even longer to die.

Careful What You Communicate

Peggy Noonan, who wrote some speeches for Ronald Reagan, writes of him:

He thought speaking was a big part of leadership, but only part, and in his farewell address he went out of his way to say he never thought of himself as a great communicator. He thought he simply communicated great things—essentially, the vision of the Founders as applied to current circumstances.

Her theory is that his opponents drew the wrong conclusion from the success of his speeches. They didn't think what he communicated was great. It was conservative poppycock. So somehow his sheer oratorical gifts had sold that stuff to the American people.

Part of the Democrats' current problem, she writes, is that they thought they had their own Reagan in our current president.

They hoped his oratorical gifts could sell his stuff.
But as it turns out, that wasn't enough.

The More Things Change

Sometimes you hear that most of the human genome is constant, and only certain variable parts of it are where the mutations take place. That appears not to be the case.

Indeed, far from most of the genome being effectively constant, it can be estimated that every position in the genome has been mutated many, many times over in the human population. And each of us carries hundreds of new mutations that arose during generation of the sperm and egg cells that fused to form us.

The author says this is why, so far, things have not been going well in the search for genetic causes of diseases. We're all mutants.

You may remember that great progress was expected immediately when the human genome was decoded. Pundits envisioned a medical revolution that hasn't really occurred so far. That's partly because the biology is a lot more complicated than they contemplated.

You peel a layer back,
and what do you get?

New problems to attack.
No end in sight yet!

Grand Bargains

Tyler Cowen, an economist, contemplates the possible S&P downgrade of U.S. debit and opines:

The Republican Party made a big, big mistake passing up a chance for a “grand bargain” with Obama. It’s time to be a realist about revenue increases, rather than signaling ideological purity.

I'm unclear
on his logic here.

Of course the Republican Party is not a monolith. There were elements in the party who seemed willing to be "realists" and raise taxes. It was the newer reps, the tea party people, who were dead set against it - partly on principle, and maybe partly because they want to get re-elected.

At this point, the numbers look bad for the Democrats in 2012. It's early, of course. But perhaps the Republicans were wise to hold off on a grand solution. In a year and a half they could be in a much stronger bargaining position.

I'll vote yes
for "spend less".

UPDATE: The S&P downgrade has occurred.

Naked Simulated Truth

Better living through graphics software:

In her upcoming movie "The Change-Up," actress Olivia Wilde opted to wear pasties for her big nude scene with Ryan Reynolds. After the final shots came out, it was obvious that Wilde wasn't completely nude, so producers gave the actress several CGI nipples to choose from to complete her big sex scene.

Why reshoot
when you can recompute?

Stock Shock

Central bank wizards are stunned and uncertain.
Were snake oil salesmen behind the green curtain?

Costing Who Exactly?

I was amused by this MSNBC headline:

FAA dispute costing millions more than it would save

But if you read it, it turns out that it's costing the government millions of dollars it would have collected in taxes. 

The situation is screwing up FAA workers' finances, and stalling construction projects. But the fact remains that for now it is actually saving money for the flying public.

You might want to fly today
before Congress acts
to bring back the tax
and re-fund the FAA.

Fair Folk Short On Shekels

More bad economic news - children are getting less money under their pillows for losing their teeth.

Getting the Tooth Fairy to pony up in this sagging economy has been like pulling teeth.

A recent survey found that the national going rate has seen a 40-cent decline this year: From $3 to $2.60.

Yes, it's the scary truth:
even the Fairy is paying less per tooth.

More Genealogy Info

I just heard from a distant Irish cousin. How distant? We're both descendants of a pair of my great-great-great grandparents. That's pretty distant!

Bear in mind, you have 2 sets of grandparents, 4 sets of great-grandparents, 8 sets of great-great grandparents, and 16 sets of great-great-great grandparents - unless you've got some cousin marriages in the family tree, and the math suggests we all do, somewhere back up the line.

Of course, if you trace it back, we're all related,
but figuring out just how is complicated.

Jordan Leigh Wakefield

(photo by Giau Truong)

I didn't know Jordan Leigh before this play. She just showed up to audition, and blew us all away.

Her role, Maggie, is the hub around which the complicated plot revolves. There is rarely a moment during which Maggie is not on stage. It's a demanding role that way. But Jordan Leigh was up for it, and worked very hard to make sure her lines rang emotionally true - which gave her the engaging believability for which many audience members praised her.

I fear the entire play would have fallen apart on stage if her character had not been so convincing.

She made the audience feel

that what they were seeing was real.

South Shore Tri 2011

I meant to do a tri
earlier in July
but I didn't do it
because I slept through it.

That was by choice. I had signed up, but when the morning came to do it, I was actually exhausted from not getting my normal amounts of sleep during the run of Wild Flowers. So today, at last, I did the South Shore Tri, the earlier and smaller of the 2 Chicago triathlons that involve swimming in Lake Michigan.

We had great weather. Tranquil water. Lovely sunrise over the lake. A warm, cloudless day, but not extremely hot.

The race was well organized except for one thing. A group of us had the wrong name on our race bibs. My bib read "Francesca".

But no one yelled to me: "Go, Francesca!"

I felt energetic after the race, but a wave of tiredness just hit me like a slap.
I need a nap.

Planning Ahead

For Halloween
I plan to be seen
as a giant balloon of debt -
the most monstrous costume yet!

And I'll ask each and every friend
for interest payments without end.

Teasdale, Hunt, Shakespeare

I spent a fun 2 hours in a seminar reading poems by Sara Teasdale, Leigh Hunt, and William Shakespeare.

Herds of words

gallop and thunder

leaving behind

a wallop of wonder.

Registry of Shame

There's a story about a guy permanently labelled a sex offender, because when he was 19 he had sex with his 15 year old girlfriend. He's married to her now. But he's still "a sex offender".

Having been on the sex offender list for nearly half his life, Frank is unable to secure a job with a major corporation or leave the state without notifying local law enforcement. He cannot coach soccer for any of his daughters, who range in age from 4 to 11 years old.

She wasn't yet his wife,
so punish him for life!

Phone Message Fiasco

Thus does a career
disappear:

The Oregonian reported Friday that a young woman left a distraught message with Wu's Portland office accusing him of what the newspaper described as "aggressive and unwanted sexual behavior."

Congressman Wu,
We bid you adieu.

Pulling Up The Tent Pegs

The Wild Flowers run,
for now, is done.

At times it was stressful,
but it proved successful.

We had a great closing night, with the theater nearly full, and a very enthusiastic question-and-answer session afterward.

I'm still basking in the glow but I know that in a day I will be missing the people I worked with. Theater projects nurture intense, family-like feelings of exposed emotions.

What a great cast.
We had a first-rate blast.

Wrong Conduct

Occasionally some Buddhist monks take sexual advantage of those who revere them.

And punishment can sometimes be minimal,
even in cases that sound rather criminal.

A Tribune review of sexual abuse cases involving several Theravada Buddhist temples found minimal accountability and lax oversight of monks accused of preying on vulnerable targets.

Because they answer to no outside ecclesiastical authority, the temples respond to allegations as they see fit. And because the monks are viewed as free agents, temples claim to have no way of controlling what they do next. Those found guilty of wrongdoing can pack a bag and move to another temple — much to the dismay of victims, law enforcement and other monks.

Being non-hierarchical has its uses -
it's hard to get sued for your "holy" folk's abuses.

Shaking Up A Dietary Decree

It started out as a reasonable scientific hypothesis, but then the public health people got hold of it - and kept beating us with it, even after the evidence had shifted.

This week a meta-analysis of seven studies involving a total of 6,250 subjects in the American Journal of Hypertension found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death in people with normal or high blood pressure.

Understandably, the scientists want more funding for studies to keep looking into the subject, because their results are still confusing.

But unless we have clear data, evangelical antisalt campaigns are not just based on shaky science; they are ultimately unfair.

The assault on foods that are salty
appears scientifically faulty.

Why was so much odium
heaped on cholride of sodium?

Mat Chapman

That's a moment with Maggie and Trent, played by Jordan Leigh Wakefield and Mat Chapman. Mat has a marvelous gliding physical presence. Trent is probably the least sympathetic character in the script, but Mat does an astounding job of bringing out Trent's vulnerable side. From talking to the audience, I know that a lot of them LOVE the character, even though his character is a bit less than sterling.

As I always say, by the time a play is on stage, a good actor knows more about his character than the playwright who invented the character.

That's just a plain fact

about artists who act.

Atmosphere of Fear

We had quite the thunderstorm and downpour last night. I was up at 3 a.m. to make sure that the pump was running - and to try to calm Juliet, my elderly lab mix. She has never liked explosive noises. The 4th of July is no celebration for her.

But lately it seems that house-shaking thunder has become even MORE terrifying to her.

I wonder if it's the new arthritis med she's on. I see "restlessness" is a possible side effect. But this isn't restlessness. It's cowering in fear!

 

Do vets prescribe puppy Prozac for canine panic attacks?

How, I wonder,
did I commit the blunder
of owning a dog that's scared of thunder?

Small World

Tonight a man from Oregon attended the play. He was in Chicago for a night, as he periodically is, and likes to pick a show to see on such occasions.

Much to his surprise, when he read the program, he saw that our lead actress was a recent graduate of Southern Oregon University.

As it turned out, our lead actress was good friends with the daughter of one of his good friends.

The world is not really small,
but coincidence does come to call.

How About A Nice Game Of Chicken?

Is there some clever way
for me to make a financial play
and put profits in my vault
when the U.S. slides into default?

Do you wonder why this question vexes my brain?
Because the light at the end of the tunnel is sounding like a train!

John P. Enright & Deborah Hickey

I received an email from a gentleman in Ireland. He introduced himself as being an amateur genealogist, and then inquired: "I was wondering if you are a descendant of John Pierce Enright (1841-1902) and Deborah Hickey (1846-1935) of Listowel?"

I sure am. That's my great-great-grandparents.

I guess I got about one sixteenth of my genes from John Pierce Enright, and another sixteenth from Deborah Hickey.

Thanks for the DNA, and I reckon
my kids should both thank you for their one thirty-second.

2006 and the Debtly Hallows

Ah, yes, I remember it well:

Flashback: Every Dem Senator Including Obama Voted Against Raising Debt Limit In 2006…

That was back when the Dems were the party of not spending beyond our means. They were out of power, and didn't like what the Pubs were spending money on.

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.

That's our current prez, back then.

It's so nice when we

can agree.

Sunk Cost

What a headline:

Two Navy Ships That Cost $300 Million Are Headed To The Scrapyard Without Having Seen A Day Of Service

Actually, the ships were never quite completed in the first place. A contract dispute was involved.

Shouldn't we should all be overjoyed
about the people who were employed
building ships to be destroyed?

I, for one, am elated
about the jobs created.

Origin: Mockba

A woman from Moscow attended the play tonight and was enthusiastic about it. She actually came to the play in part because it involved Russia!

It's always a relief, after writing a foreign character, to have a person from that country embrace your portrayal. This is especially true when you've exploited the humorous side of the cultural clash between the foreign character and the American characters on stage.

One strength of having a foreign character is that she brings an outsider's perspective to a play, and is able to point things out that Americans would avoid pointing out, due to cultural taboos.

It's fun to watch foreign attitudes
cut through conventional platitudes.

This is a Stick Up!

I finally put the new city stickers on our 2 vehicles. The 15th is the deadline. The police are going to start writing tickets. They're calling it "Stick It or Ticket".

Last year I was lazy, and didn't bother taking off the old stickers. So for a year we've been driving around with 2 city stickers on each car. Not real pretty. Not the way you're supposed to do it.

I don't mean to be picky,
but these stickers seem too sticky.

Pulling them off leaves glue
windshield residue.

Straining His Noodle

Some of you may be familiar with the parody-religion called Pastafarianism, whose god is the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The idea is to make silly assertions with an air of certainty - and to dare your opponents to disprove your arbitrary assertions.

Now, in Austria, some self-proclaimed Pastafarian has taken it to another level. In Austria your driver's license photo is normally supposed to be bare-headed. But there's an exception for religious headgear. So the Pastafarian fought for the right to wear a spaghetti strainer on his head for the photo.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Mr Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

First they made him talk to some shrinks, to make sure he was mentally fit to drive.

He's perfectly sane,
he's just being a pain -
wearing a pasta sieve
to express what he doesn't believe.

Someone Give Me A Beat

You know that lock box everyone trusted?
Well I'm here to tell you that safe is busted!

The funds have all been given away,
with nothing saved for this rainy day.

But there's a solution we hope to get -
a cash infusion by going into debt!

Hyperbole I Hope

From the department of overstatement:

Every aspect of life in America today is worse than it was when [President Obama] took over.

That's Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida.

The rest of the quote looks like he's talking about the economy, and not truly "every aspect" of life in America.

I mean, the economy is not impressive
but is absolutely everything regressive?

Surely for someone, something got better
even if the nation is increasingly a debtor!

Whoosh

This morning when I got up it was sunny. There was a forecast for morning rain, but I didn't take my umbrella. I had an umbrella at work! Clearly I had plenty of time to get downtown before the rain came.

Wrong. When I got off the train the water was blowing sideways at high speed through our open-air train terminal.

Around 463,000 ComEd customers were without power Monday night after fast-moving severe thunderstorms tore through Chicago and its suburbs earlier in the day.

I got wet. I'm not going to complain, because my power stayed on, and no trees fell on my house, and I didn't get all THAT wet.

But I did spend time in the men's room using the hand blow-drier to dry my shirt off. You know, I don't like those hand blow-driers much. But I do have to say it did a fine job drying my shirt!

If I were a smarter fella
I woulda brought my umbrella.

Tricky Plot

Today our big local free weekly, The Chicago Reader, posted an online review of my play by Justin Hayford:

The various story lines in John Enright's tricky plot collide and stall at first. But once everything's on the table, his quirky, lighthearted script bounces efficiently forward, spirited along by Giau Truong's appealing cast.

There's more at the link, with spoilers aplenty!

I'm very pleased. The Reader is the dominant reviewing force in the Chicago fringe theater scene. They review more plays than anybody else in Chicagoland. But they don't review every play. So I am glad they reviewed mine and I'm glad the reviewer liked it, and liked my director and my very appealing cast!

Much can be forgiven in a plot
that neatly unties its own knot.

Tricky Plot

Today our big local free weekly, The Chicago Reader, posted an online review of my play by Justin Hayford:

The various story lines in John Enright's tricky plot collide and stall at first. But once everything's on the table, his quirky, lighthearted script bounces efficiently forward, spirited along by Giau Truong's appealing cast.

There's more at the link, with spoilers aplenty!

I'm very pleased. The Reader is the dominant reviewing force in the Chicago fringe theater scene. They review more plays than anybody else in Chicagoland. But they don't review every play. So I am glad they reviewed mine and I'm glad the reviewer liked it, and liked my director and my very appealing cast!

Much can be forgiven in a plot
that neatly unties its own knot.

James Weighs In

James at The Frugal Chariot has written an appreciative and insightful review about my play. It does contain some mild plot spoilers, if that matters to you. It's like normal reviews - it reveals a little bit.

I have found that by reading enough reviews of a book or movie I can usually reconstruct the whole story.

Each review
provides a clue
and if you're skilled
you can rebuild.

So I'll just end with a part of the review:

I was very impressed with all aspects of the production. The play was entertaining both due to the presence of interesting ideas and believable characters.

Does that spoil the plot?
No, it does not!

Thumbs Up

I have been remiss in posting the last couple of days. This play has been consuming so much time!

Kathleen Tobin, the reviewer from my neighborhood paper, The Beverly Review, liked it a lot and gave me this pre-review blurb:

A well written, intriguing plot with a contemporary flair and several layers of international and character complexity, suberbly realized by a thoroughly believable cast, 'Wild Flowers' is a little gem of a play that holds one's attention from start to finish.

Well, I can't complain about a description like that!

Some reviews are sweet,
but some leave you feeling like ground-up meat.

Wild Flowers Opened

Wild Flowers opened strong. One of the actors mentioned to me that the audience's laughter surprised her. That's normal with comedies. When you rehearse them over and over with no audience, you somehow forget the play is funny. I mean, you may know it consciously, but you just don't feel the expectation of chortles.


The audience had a good time. A critic who attended said she liked it a lot.

As for me, I'm very happy. Giau Truong, who directed, is very happy. And our actors looked pretty happy, as they deserve to be.

That this play would succeed...
was always my belief.
But seeing it come to pass...
was certainly a relief!

We Open Tomorrow

I'm tired, and I don't even have to DO anything at rehearsals. I can't imagine how exhausted the actors feel.

Well, I bet they get a burst of energy tomorrow, when Audience shows up to watch. I will report, of course.

An actual audience ups the stakes -
it's so important to keep them awake!

That Case

I think I'd be very upset if I'd been following a certain high profile murder case. But I haven't been.

The verdict from that jury
Unleashed even more fury.

Revolutionary

The rebellious colonists were both plucky
and lucky.

Almost There

My wife and son came to see a run-through of the play tonight. The 3 of us were the whole audience. My wife has read multiple versions of the play, and she has attended a reading. Heck, she has even read one of the parts out loud with friends. But my son had no idea, going in, of what the play was about. They liked it a lot, laughing a fair amount, and felt that time flew by quickly - all of which is good.

The cast had occasional trouble recalling lines, but are good at recovering from, or covering up, such lapses, and nothing truly essential was lost. They've got that team psychology thing happening. It's a joy to watch.

Here's the latest poster:



It always feels like fair weather
whenever a play comes together.

Exercise of Rights

Our new mayor is proposing an ordinance to allow gun ranges in the city.

After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down our handgun ban, the City Council made pistols legal again - on condition of paying some money and taking a shooting course.

But gun ranges remained banned. So if you lived in the city and wanted a legal pistol, you had to travel to the suburbs to take the shooting course.

The city is currently facing a federal lawsuit saying the city’s ban of gun ranges in the city has created a burden for those seeking a Chicago gun permit.

That lawsuit was going to cost the taxpayers' money. And the outcome was predictable.

If there's a right to learn to shoot,
the city was sure to lose that suit.

False Witness

It looks like zealous prosecutors fell for another fake rape story in the case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

When the conversation was translated — a job completed only this Wednesday — investigators were alarmed: “She says words to the effect of, ‘Don’t worry, this guy has a lot of money. I know what I’m doing,’ ” the official said.

She knew how to lie and cry,
and she hung this guy out to dry.

Ironic Collision

Today at work I heard a siren followed by a thud. I looked out my window and saw a motorcycle and a helmeted man lying flat on the asphalt at the intersection of State and Jackson. Also in the intersection: an ambulance. How handy.

Apparently the motorcyclist had crashed into the ambulance, which I'm guessing was crossing the intersection against the light.

The motorcyclist was talking, and moving arms and legs, so I'm hoping he was okay. I think it was a slow-speed crash. They put him in the ambulance, then switched him to another after a while, which sounds like he was probably in pretty good shape.

Somehow people routinely crash
into loud machines with lights that flash.

Collies vs. Gulls

And I bet the collies are having a jolly time of it:

A report on Illinois beaches released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests that the use of border collies to harass gulls has helped reduce water contamination levels at area beaches.

Letting boys harass gulls for free
would be subject to prosecution.

But paying for dogs to harass them
is a natural solution.

Ulysses and Penelope

Ulysses came ashore unrecognized
In Ithaca, the land where he was king.
The wear and tear that age and weather bring
Had left him gray and grim, as if disguised.
His cunning had not faded, and he mounted
An archery attack upon the men
Who filled his house, surprising them, and then
Cutting them down. Their bodies fell uncounted.
When he was done, he turned to greet his wife
With bloody hands. She stared into his face.
“You come home and you nearly wreck the place,
After you've been wandering half my life.”
He felt her hurt, and wondered where to start.
“Your voice,” he said, “is music to my heart."

This brings us to the conclusion of our trio of sonnets based on the Odyssey. We will now return to our regular programming!

Penelope and the Suitors

Beset by suitors who refused to leave,
Penelope spun plots to stall them all.
"I must complete this hanging for the wall.
And then I'll choose. Both day and night I'll weave."
But while they snoozed at night, she pulled the thread,
undoing all the work from that same day.
Drinking to kill the time, they missed the way
that they were being stealthily misled.
"Where has that bastard gone?" she sometimes thought,
especially at night, when without joy
she pulled the thread. "I know he sailed from Troy
long years ago. If he's alive he ought
to send some word. And if he's drowned at sea,
his body should wash up to set me free."

Ulysses and the Sirens

The song pulled at his sinews and he strained
to burst the ropes that held him to the mast.
"Untie me or this day will be your last!"
he shouted at his men, but they remained
fixed on the task of steering clear of shocks,
deaf to his orders, beeswax in each ear,
purposely put so only he would hear
the voices of the women on the rocks.
"Noble Ulysses, we have eyes for you.
We long to feel your kisses on our lips.
Here in our arms, you'll have no need of ships.
Fully possess us, nothing else will do."
Speechless for once, he gasped at their appeal,
no power left except the power to feel.

I Guess I Need A Time Machine To An Alternate Universe

In ancient Roman yoga
did the teacher wear a toga?

And lacking a rubber mat,
did downward dog slide flat?

Change of Schedule

We decided to reset our opening night to July 7th, to give everybody 5 more days to open the play. It basically goes back to the fact that our original director suddenly became unavailable, which caused some calendar chaos.

It's still a fevered pace,
but things are falling into place.

Liberty "Barber" Dime

On my walk home from work, my eye was caught by a round spot in the dirt - this 1909 dime, as it turned out.

I'm told the silver value is about $2.10. As a coin, it's a little higher.

But how long had it been there? Had erosion revealed it after a decades-long burial?

How odd, after all this time
to find this liberty dime
lying inert
in the dirt.

Holding Out

Illinois is about to become the only state that does not allow its citizens to carry concealed guns.

So second amendment fans are turning their attention to the land of Lincoln.

“This battle will be waged relentlessly at the polls and in the courts,” said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. “We expect a favorable outcome in the courts, but if these actions fail, it just means that more actions will follow. We will fight until we win, no matter how long it takes.”

Illinois' dominant politicians are still big gun-control advocates, but they now face the expense of lawsuits that they'll probably lose, at a time when the state is practically broke.

The city of Chicago, which is also fairly broke, is being forced to pay attorney's fees in the big gun-control case they lost: McDonald vs. Chicago.

I also think the evidentiary tide has turned on this issue. States that allow concealed carry have not suffered any big increase in shootings. And Illinois has not become a murder-free paradise.

In retrospect, hampering self-defense
looks sort of dense.

What's In It

Government help:

President Barack Obama's health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed.

Basically it means retired 62 year olds are eligible for Medicaid until they turn 65, at which point they're eligible for Medicare.

Up till now, Medicaid was just for poor people.

Hey! I'll be 62 in about 3 years...

Early retirees get free Medicaid?
Well played!

The working 62 year olds can see that my bills get paid.

Don't Try This At Home

Bail has been set
for a self-appointed vet
who tried surgery on his pet:

Gibbs told the officers he had been using a butcher knife to remove a cyst from under the dog’s ear, and had turned on the water in the bathtub to clean up the dog, according to police and prosecutors.

He was caught because water from the bathtub spilled to the apartment below his.

He was found naked and drunk, covered in blood. He told the cops he was a cardiologist. But it sounds like he's actually a hospital administrator.

I hope the dog is okay.

Surgical techniques cannot be mastered
when plastered.

Saving Face, Revisited

 

Here's a new building in progress. In the front of it, to the viewer's left, way at the bottom, is a preserved facade from a small old building. (Yes, if you're wondering, that's Sullivan's Auditorium to the viewer's right.)

Here's a pic, from earlier in the construction process, of the facade from another angle, held up only by a temporary steel framework.



Preserving facades is a trend I don't especially like. I like old buildings. I live in an older house. But sticking an old facade on a new building detracts from a pleasing sense of unity in the new building's design.

But there are tax credits for Historic Facade Easements!

It's my considered guess
that any aesthetic trend
backed by the IRS
will not soon come to an end.

Think Journal Symposium Issue

I received the latest Think Journal in the mail. No poetry this time, just a sustained round-table discussion of the idea that writing poetry is somehow deeply mathematical.

As usual with poetry, it's hard to get the experts to agree on using the same terms for the same things.

I haven't finished the issue yet, but it splashes open with an essay by David J. Rothman, who maintains that the poet must count while she works.

Counting her words, tuh-dum, tuh-dum,
hearing them mount to a rhythmic sum,
dancing along on delicate feet,
computing her way till the song is complete.

Sauce for the Goose

I approve of the first part of this plan:

New York City plans to capture pesky geese that threaten planes departing area airports and send them to Pennsylvania to be cooked for meals for the poor, city officials said.

But isn't New York broke? Why don't they give these meals to their own poor? Or why don't they just sell them to help deal with their budget deficit?

I'm hoping this idea comes to Chicago. Maybe they could sell them right at the food stands in the airports - with appropriate sauces, of course.

I prefer a ginger glaze
with just a hint of jet fuel haze.

Peeved Avians

The hot smartphone game is Angry Birds. Grown ups and kids love it.

In the game, players use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playfield. As players advance through the game, new birds appear, some with special abilities that can be activated by the player.

I've tried it. It's fun. But something puzzles me...

The pigs don't exhibit much - if any - aggression.
Maybe the birds need an anger management session?

On Their Feet

The actors got up on their feet today, moving with the play instead of just reading. It tends to to be a liberating but awkward transition. I think that's partly because you, as an actor, have some incorrect assumptions about what the other actors are going to be doing physically.

It's always a surprise
and more than a little distracting
to see the other guys
acting out their acting.

Drug Shortages

Alex Tabarrok has a nice piece explaining how government regulations are causing shortages of crucially needed drugs in the U.S.:

Currently there are about 246 drugs that are in short supply, a record high. These shortages are not just a result of accident, error or unusual circumstance, the number of drugs in short supply has risen steadily since 2006. The shortages arise from a combination of systematic factors, among them the policies of the FDA. The FDA has inadvertently caused drugs long-used in the United States to be withdrawn from the market and its “Good Manufacturing Practice” rules have gummed up the drug production process and raised costs.

If you make the safety rules strict enough
and make the price controls tight enough
then the makers will not make enough
stuff.

Fool's Gould

The popular writings of Stephen Jay Gould were never very popular with me. I'm sure he knew more biology than I'll ever dream about, but I often got the sense he was hand-waving in his more contentious arguments. And now the NY Times reveals that he went beyond hand-waving. He simply dreamed up his evidence for a charge of racism:

In a 1981 book, “The Mismeasure of Man,” the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould asserted that Morton, believing that brain size was a measure of intelligence, had subconsciously manipulated the brain volumes of European, Asian and African skulls to favor his bias that Europeans had larger brains and Africans smaller ones.

But now physical anthropologists at the University of Pennsylvania, which owns Morton’s collection, have remeasured the skulls, and in an article that does little to burnish Dr. Gould’s reputation as a scholar, they conclude that almost every detail of his analysis is wrong.

A Wisconsin paleontologist offers this opinion:

Some of Gould's mistakes are outrageous, with others it is hard for me to believe that the misstatements were not deliberate misrepresentations.

Gould is gone, but Wikipedia has this to say about his politics:

In describing his own political views, he has said they "tend to the left of center." According to Gould the most influential political books he read were C. Wright Mills' The Power Elite and the political writings of Noam Chomsky.

People who stare at the evolutionary process, often start thinking that some individuals of a species may be more "fit" than others. This is the sort of thing that stirs doubts in the hearts of contemporary egalitarians. I always had the sense that Gould was struggling to suppress such dangerous thoughts, in others and in himself.

Unjustified charges of bias by race
are vicious and base.

Green is the New Invisible

Failure to grow:

Nearly three years into Obama's presidency, the White House can't point to much solid evidence that significant numbers of Americans are scoring the green jobs the president has been touting.

They're singing the blues
in the news.

Since the jobs that are green
can't be seen.

Guest Rhyme

My father wrote this one:

That Facebooking flasher named Weiner,
Says,"I find myself getting obscener,"
"So I'll hop in a cab,"
"And dash off to rehab,"
" 'Til my act is perceptibly cleaner."

Taps

The sun sets over the decommissioned golf course.

The end of a day
with no golfers at play.

Operation Bunny

We have a couple of grated basement window wells. A little bit like this:

Except ours are rectangular and have more room for a little animal to fall through.

Yes, this cute baby bunny got stuck. By the time Marsha noticed him, he wasn't looking too lively, but I got him free and put him in the yard and he seemed to perk up.

She found a rabbit
and had me grab it.

I put it out
to hop about.

Feedback

People keep asking why a congressman would email pictures like that to women. The implication being that women wouldn't actually be receptive to such an approach. But, apparently, some were. At least, they played along with his game. And that's all it takes - some minimal level of positive feedback - to convince a guy that he's got great charm and technique.

I still claim
that it's his name
that really set this scandal aflame.

Milk of Human Kindness, Revisited

Transgenic cows!

Chinese scientists have genetically modified dairy cows to produce human breast milk, and hope to be selling it in supermarkets within three years.

Coming soon to your chocolate shake:
milk like mama used to make!

The Boot

Car "boots" are annoying devices that clamp over your car wheel, making it impossible to drive the vehicle.

Well, that was the idea. But here in Illinois we have people who are up to the challenge!

Carina Rios, 19, and Alejandro Alvarez, 22, both of Zion, were both charged with theft for allegedly trying to drive away with the boot on their car, said Gurnee Police Cmdr. Jay Patrick. They didn’t get very far, and damaged the boot, Patrick said.

I think I should prepare,
and so I want to know where
you buy the key
to set you free
when your wheel is caught in this snare.

Evening in the Park

The day was hot, but the evening cooled, and for rehearsal we spent a couple of pleasant hours in a city park, the actors and the director and me.

The standard advice, for a new play, is that it's smart and helpful for the playwright to attend rehearsals. But the playwright has to be careful to let the director be the one who directs. We're trying to put together a racehorse here, not Dr. Doolittle's 2-headed pushmi-pullyu:

I don't mind hearing what the actors or directors have to say about the play or the characters. But being sensitive people, they often worry about offending me. I think it takes them a little while to get used to me being there.

They usually find some things about their characters puzzling - things I may not have found puzzling at all. I may even think, in the moment, that I have an answer for them. But a lot of the actor's art is actually taking place at precisely this step - where the actor tries to get a grip on the character.

 

While they develop their grip

I mostly zip my lip.

Story Finally Becomes Unignorable

Representative Weiner has confessed to what he denied -
emailing something it would have been best to hide.

Play Status Update

I'm now very happy to have a talented cast:

Jordan Leigh Wakefield will play Maggie.
Hasket Morris will play Jason.
Matthew Chapman will play Trent.
Denise Smolarek will play Yuliana.

And I have not one but two directors.

Giau Truong will direct, and Anna Menekseoglu will do character direction.

We did a first reading together, and the actors were already trying out their roles like new sets of clothes.

Characters in dramas
get tried out like pajamas.

You want them to feel just right
since you're going to wear them all night.

Net Neutrality Or Not?

I guess it's good news that this story came out:

Documents made public yesterday by Judicial Watch describe extensive collusion by Federal Communications Commission officials with a left-wing advocacy group in a campaign to expand government regulation of the Internet.

Why is net neutrality
so partisan in reality?

The "left-wing advocacy group" has a name which sounds benign enough: Free Press Institute. They describe themselves as nonpartisan. But then ALL 501-3C groups describe themselves as nonpartisan. They have to, to get the tax break.

So what kind of nonpartisan are they? Their website has a lot of attacks on giant corporations, so you would think they were populists of some kind.

But a friend sent me these quotations from Robert McChesney, the founder of the Institute:

‎"They've got to be held accountable; our broadcasting system has to be made accountable; and unless it is, it's going to be very hard to change anything else for the better in this country."

"There is no real answer, but to remove, brick by brick, the capitalist system itself, rebuilding the entire society on socialist principles."

Of course, that's just the founder. But it does worry me.

I fear he wants to neuter
the view from my computer.

Caddyshack, the Remake

Ann Althouse alerted me to a varmint-hunting case in Wisconsin. Skunks and raccoons, hunting for grubs, have been digging up the lawns at the Edelweiss Golf Course. So the manager hired some people to hunt the varmints. They took a golf cart and headed out to do some shooting, but somehow ended up arrested.

"We tried to use live traps, but the raccoons just turned the traps over to get at the food," Ellingson said.

Raccoons - are they welcome guests,
much too cute
to shoot?

Or would it be best
if these parasite-infested pests
were all laid to rest?

Unassisted Suicide

Some guy committed suicide the other day by wading slowly into cold water in the San Francisco Bay Area. After a while, he died - while people watched.

First responders and about 75 people watched the incident on Monday from a beach in Alameda, a city of about 75,000 people across from San Francisco.

The "first responders" did not respond, except to watch.

If they're not allowed to respond, I doubt
it was worthwhile to even send them out.

Data Security Fail

Oopsie:

A discarded laptop found in the garbage has turned out to be a treasure trove of new information about the only lawsuit the Securities and Exchange Commission has brought over Wall Street’s mortgage securities debacle.

If you're doing things that will not stand the light of day,

sledgehammer your laptop before you throw it away.