Good morning Boys and Girls.

Drove over to see my son perform in a Second City show last night. Sat with my baby brother and his wife. I laughed hard. Dear son-o-mine has an uncanny ability to know when to go over the top with whatever character he's playing, and when to tone it down. Last night's show was scripted, as opposed to being composed of pure improv games like most of the last show I saw a couple of months ago.

It struck me, while I was driving home, that the tighter the writing of a particular bit, the straighter Ryan played it, to let the the script shine through, I think. In places where the script wasn't quite as strong, he seemed to step up his own performance, at times taking the characters wayyyy out there - to the point of absurdity - but man did it ever work.

While all seven cast members had great moments, three of them sort of stood out to me as being genuinely funny people. Ryan and this other big heavy guy named Jeff Mansk had a couple of scenes together that were absolutely hilarious - the chemistry was natural but it was pretty obvious they'd worked together quite a bit. Afterward, Ry told us that Jeff and he are both part of another comedy troupe, and so they do work together often.

The third or fourth bit of the evening - (the bits come rapid-fire, by the way, with no time between them; cleverly choreographed) - started with six folks on the stage introducing themselves. A minute or so later Ryan walks on looking at a piece of paper, and muttering, his brow furrowed. Soon you realize he's actually mouthing every line being said by the other cast members, some of which, during the introduction, seems meant to be "off the cuff." Shaking his head, he interrupts and in a warning tone explains that every single word being said is in the script to which he points. Shocked, the other cast members start protesting, but even these lines of protest are right there, (he jabs his finger hard at the paper in his hand) Ryan says, and he starts echoing each line in a quasi monotone - reading along - and tilting the script toward the others who crowd in to read it. There's no escape, he tells them and eventually he's reading the now panicky complaints concurrent with them being uttered by the other cast members. God it worked well. Really good writing.

The final bit of the show was a song - sung in harmony, of course - in which they revisited, and "explained" each of the bits in the show. Man, it was funny.

-Got home by eleven too, which was nice.


Be good to everyone.

Good Morning Boys and Girls.

Finally got to hear the speech Obama gave yesterday in Berlin. What I heard sounded pretty innocuous, but, of course, he upset some folks since he had the audacity to reassure those listening that not all of America has been on board with the "its impossible for America to do, (or ever have done) anything wrong," sentiments so important to those simple folks who love our country the way a toddler loves it's parent, as opposed to the way a parent loves their child; which is to say that we love our kids in spite of whatever wrongs they've done, or for that matter whatever wrongs they will do in life. We aren't blind the way a toddler is to their parent's faults.

Evidently, Rush Limbaugh, and others, have decided that Obama was committing treason by speaking that simple truth.

The clip I saw of Limbaugh gyrating mockingly over this tiny slice of what Obama had to say struck me as just another proof of how desperately clueless - or calculating - the man is. Why am I bothering saying anything at all about Rush Limbaugh and his predictable antics? I don't know. He's always gotten under my skin way too easily. I have a difficult time just laughing him off, though I know that ignoring him is probably the more prudent thing to do.

McCain too had to criticize Obama's effort, though McCain's take seems to be that making any speech at all in a foreign country - especially Germany - is a sign of impertinence and bad judgment if one has not yet been elected President. His logic escapes me, but since I'm quite sure that this particular objection isn't rooted in logic at all - and I suppose he had to say something about it - this foolishness was probably all that was required. I suppose it allowed his supporters to nod and feel superior, wise and thoughtful, so, good enough.

McCain complained that policy speeches ought be the purview of presidents alone, (so what if Obama's speech had nothing to do with specific policies other than to say we need to do better. In other words, I think Obama knew very where the lines were; lines he could safely could approach but shouldn't really come within a rock-toss of with regard to what he ought say there; hence the overall blandness of his words there yesterday.

I've heard a half dozen people say it already, so I'm sorry to steal their lines, but it was sure nice seeing American flags being waved in another country that weren't on fire. I sure can't see how America is less secure when and if we elect a leader that gives the citizens of other countries hope that we will once again be the country they rallied to the side of in the aftermath of 9-11, instead of the one that, despite the Smirking Chimp's initial promises, has thumbed our noses at so much of the rest of the world ever since. Can't wait till the "either do what I want or I'll scream and lash out," attitude so typical of toddlers is relegated to the past with regards to the way America deals with others.

Be good to everyone.

"What'll you do now?"

"Well, the way I got it figured, you're up, you're down, you sin, you're saved. You do the best you can,
and you leave the rest to the Lord."

"You really do believe in the Lord, don't you?"

"Damn right I do. It does a man good to get down on his knees once in a while. That's why people
come to a place like this, because they're scared, or sick - or because they got no money, or too much money.
Or before a war, or after a war. Praying's the cheapest first-rate medicine I know."

..............

I'd forgotten these lines from Elmer Gantry - toward the end of the film. 

I like 'em.

Be good to everyone. 

Good morning Boys and Girls.

There's a beautiful woman sleeping in the other room. I don't think she's even snoring, or if she is I can't hear it through the door. Maybe I'll make her breakfast in bed this morning before she heads back home in a few hours.

It's been a very busy two weeks and I'm sad to see them end. -Tired though. Getting to be a bit much to do the back and forth all the time. Hoped things would get to the point where it might be possible for them to come here to live by now, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon, if at all. Guess it's time to suck it up and either lease this place to some lucky soul or sell it outright. Either prospect makes me a little sad. I'd made the decision to do so a few months ago, but decided to wait to see what happened on the off chance things could get worked out.

Never thought I could come to love a house the way I love this one. It's not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it overtly large, but I love the layout, and certainly cooking in the kitchen here is a real treat. -Love the front porch and back deck and the way the hills surround the place making the semi-rural setting feel even more private than it really is. Holy schmackers. -Sounds like I'm writing a real estate ad doesn't it? Maybe I'm getting ready to.

I'm fifty-one years old. I've come to terms with my own age of late, but damn, my baby brother turns 40 today. That's just wrong. He's still a kid with his whole life in front of him. He's in high school impressing the hell out of the music department faculty. He's in college at Oberlin writing short stories and telling me about his experience listening to Margaret Atwood talk about her writing. Just after college, he's getting ready to go to England and Europe to bum around for six months. He's home now and writing his song "Circuitry" that seems to reference the trip.

No. These days he's a Dad with two kids and a wife and a house and a job, who still makes time to write his music and perform some. His is the best of us in my family, and he's always been someone of whom I'm especially proud; not because he's any brighter or more talented than the rest of us, but because he's always made such efficient use of his brains and abilities while staying focused on what's most important.  He has - for lack of a better term - his priorities straight.

Happy Birthday Matt.

Now... French Toast for Sweet Lady? What do you think? Hmmm. I'll figure out something.


Be good to everyone.

By the way, my apologies for not replying to comments the past week or two. Just been busy as all get out. Please forgive me.