Thoughts from the Oasis Amidst the Corn

15 books in 15 minutes

2009-06-18T12:22:00.002-05:00

Everyone's doing it...

1) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I think this may be one of the most important books ever written. It's beautiful.

2) The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Had a huge impact on me when I was young. Helped me explore concepts about heroism, ends justifying the means, honesty... Just a great story, too.

3) The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook by Gary Gygax. My first real roleplaying book it opened up my creativity in a way that has profoundly affected every part of my life since.

4) The Day of Dissonance by Alan Dean Foster. It's the first "Spellsinger" book I ever read - a gift from my sister. It was set in a world with talking animals, but they were not all cutesy - no no. The hero has to drag his otter friend out of a whorehouse in chapter 2. The book was an eyeopener for my 11 year old self. Thanks, Jane!

5) A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. Those of you who have roleplayed with me know I'm drawn to the tragic hero. This was my first taste of tragic heroism - Sydney Carton. What a great story and a great ending with two of the best lines ever written in the English language.

6) Watership Down by Richard Adams. A book about rabbits. But not really.

7) A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. This one was great, but the series is starting to wilt a little bit so I worry it won't end as well as it began.

8) Ulysses by James Joyce. Yes, I have actually read the entire thing. This is probably one of the best books ever written. It basically says hey, you can do whatever you want in a book. Just try it dammit. The stream of consciousness internal monologue chapter is one of my favorite moments in all of literature.

9) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I chose this one from the Narnia books because it is my favorite and because I like the redemptive nature of the story. Plus, the idea of sailing on a ship to the end of the world is just a great concept.

10) Mythology by Edith Hamilton. It was assigned in school and was my first real in depth experience with the Greek myths, which have a huge impact on all of us.

11) The Hero with a Thousand Faces By Joseph Campbell. If you know about Campbell, you know how important his work is to understanding humanity. Read it, if you haven't.

12) Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls? Read this is 5th grade and it had a profound impact on me. I re-read it every couple of years.

13) The King with Six Friends by Jay Williams. This is a children's book that taught me how to be a leader and the importance of having a leader. Still one of my favorites.

14) Here Be Dragons by Sharon K Penman. Introduced me to historical fiction. Great series of books.

15) The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Great novel and incredible writing.

My daughter, the songwriter

2009-05-21T12:34:00.003-05:00

First it was plays. Now she's moved on to songs. Rachel, who is eight, has decided to write a song. The topic of her song. Love. Peace. And little sisters.

A Song about Love and Peace

(peace signs and hearts adorn the paper)

Sometimes I remember
When we were kids
You want to always fight

I just wish we loved each other
And we had peace
I wish you weren't mean
That made my days worse
Stop fighting me, sister

I thought we were gonna have
Love and peace the rest of our life
Well, you thinked wrong!
Fine, be your mean self
I'll get you back
I promise.

Of course you're not hearing it the way she sings it - with passion and regret and a little bit of revenge at the end.

A conversation with Rachel

2009-04-10T20:48:00.001-05:00

"Dad, I wish God never invented owies."

"Then you wouldn't appreciate feeling good. Without knowing what being hurt feels like you can't appreciate feeling okay."

Silence.

"Someday you'll understand, Rachel."

"But not today!"

Sammi and Reading

2009-03-04T09:37:00.003-06:00

Sammi is determined to learn how to read. And she's actually getting pretty good at it. We have this set of books that my mom gave us when Rachel was learning to read. You work through each one and when they can read it perfectly, they get to put a sticker in the book wherever they choose. A sticker is a huge motivator for a five-year-old. Sammi always checks out which sticker she gets when she finishes a particular book. I am fairly certain Rachel and I did not get through the full set of books. Eventually, we'll get to a book that doesn't have a Rachel sticker in it somewhere, but so far (book nine) we still see Rachel stickers.

Sammi is very good at sounding out words. She knows all of the single letter sounds and some of the blends (sh is her favorite because she can put her finger to her lips and say "Shhhhhhhhhhh." She can also apply that knowledge to sounds at the end of words. She is really coming along. We started just the other day with sight word flashcards. Once we build up her vocabulary with a lot of the basic words, I think the lightbulb will turn on and she'll be reading.

There have been moments of difficulty though. One night when she was struggling, I suggested we stop for the night. She started to cry. When I asked her what was wrong, she brayed, "I have to learn to read before kindergarten!" I explained to her that kids don't have to know how to read to go to kindergarten. In fact, I said, most kids don't learn to read until the middle of first grade. She asked me when I learned to read and I told her first grade and I pointed out Rachel learned to read in first grade too. So I think she felt better about it.

But she is still determined to learn as soon as possible. Every night, she wants to read another book.

Peggie

2009-02-26T08:27:00.004-06:00

My sister-in-law, Peggie, who's really more sister than sister-in-law, is very ill. She's in the hospital with an infection in her heart and has to have open heart surgery. She's had some kidney and lung failure. Things don't look good.

Peggie and John started dating in high school. I was around 10. It was true love from the start... for them, I mean. She was very easy to love though. Peggie was a wonderful surrogate big sister back then since my real one was out of the house. She would bring me the latest cool candy she had found. Or Matt's Chocolate Chip Cookies. She always had a smile and a contagious enthusiasm.

Please pray for her if you do that. Or send good thoughts her way if you can. Thank you.

UPDATE: Peggie is doing much better. At this point, she does not have to have open heart surgery. We are hoping she'll be able to recover without those sort of drastic measures.

This is a good plan

2009-02-05T08:36:00.002-06:00

Let's try this out.

Basically it's lowering home interest rates to 4% so people can refinance their mortgages. Getting a 4% rate would immediately help the many, many people out there who are making payments on their mortgages and didn't buy more house than they could afford. We'd have more money every month which could lead to more spending which could help the economy. In times of economic trouble, let's not just help those who are totally screwed, but also those who are teetering on the edge.

Write to your congressman - insist they support this plan!

The Day the Music Died

2009-02-03T12:47:00.000-06:00

February 3, 1959. Fifty years ago today.

Snow day

2009-01-14T11:30:00.002-06:00

Last night and in the early morning hours more snow blanketed my town. As usual, Kirkwood was closed and so was Rachel's school. So I'm home with the girls plus three. Two older girls from down the street showed up at 10 and shortly thereafter, the six year old from across the street ventured through the snowdrifts. So far, they've played pirates (Sammi's idea), house, and danced to wedding reception favorites such as the Macarena and YMCA. So far no blowups or tears which is good. I'm sending them all home for lunch and then they can reconvene after that.

While I like having a day at home, it's actually sometimes more stressful than going to work. At least at work I don't have to deal with girls in tears... well scratch that. I actually had two crying students yesterday. One refused my kleenex.

Sammi turned 5 today. I can't believe she's five already. Time is flying, flying, flying. I am very happy that she loves dragons.

In other news, TV is starting to get better again - 24 premiered after a two year hiatus because of the writer's strike. And it's just as good as, if not better than before. I am looking forward to the premiere of Lost. American Idol won't really get good until we get to at least Hollywood, although I admit I did watch most of the premiere last night. No one really stood out. I have nine episodes of Fringe on my DVR... should I bother? Is it any good? I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes and thought it had potential, but it kept getting shoved down my list of shows to watch and now I'm really far behind. The newest Survivor cast only has 18 castaways. I wonder if that means we might finally do what I've been wanting them to do for a long time - a season without twists - just straight up Survivor old school like the first two seasons.

I have been accepted to graduate school. My first class starts at the end of this month. It's about curriculum development in colleges.

What else...

Well, I didn't do my big 2008 wrap up, 2009 preview post like I have done in other years. I will just sum up:

2008 - sucked
2009 - going to be a lot better

So yeah, stop arguing about it

2009-01-08T08:56:00.003-06:00

For anyone who wants to argue that George Bush's tenure in the White House has been good for America, I give you this link.

The last statistic is the one that I think is most telling.

U.S. BUDGET
Then: +236.2 billion (2000, Congressional Budget Office)
Now: -$1.2 trillion (projected figure for 2009, Congressional Budget Office)

Fiscal conservative? Yeah, right.

Aw hell

2009-01-03T02:25:00.001-06:00

I will miss Bill.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T10:39:00.004-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas morning with kids exclaiming excitedly about their presents, tasty cinnamon rolls, and an exciting game of Rachel's newly acquired Sorry! I was worried about one present we gave Sammi. It was a collection of eight plastic dragons. There were four adults and four baby dragons. It was the family aspect of it that I thought Sammi would dig. And well, I like dragons, so there you go. Turns out, Sammi is a dragon lover, too. So far the dragons have carried off Little People farm animals and played in our game of Sorry! They are also visiting the Lego house Rachel is building. They were the source of my favorite Christmas quote so far.

"The Baby Dragons stay home while the Daddy Dragons go out scaring people!"

On the agenda for today: sledding, cookie making, and lasagna. And plenty of playing with toys.

Winter break fun!

2008-12-24T12:08:00.005-06:00

Today was the start of a two week vacation for the girls and me. It is perhaps the best perk of my job that I always have two weeks at home with the girls during Christmastime. If only Sharon could have a job where she had that perk. Anyway, today we started the day by building a blanket fort at Sammi's request. This is one of the girls' favorite things to do. Piper really enjoyed it, crawling through the fort and laughing when she emerged out of one of the exits. She did stand up a few times which knocks down the fort. We had to keep admonishing her "Crawl, Piper! Crawl! No standing in the fort!" She caught on quickly and then only stood up when she wanted to cause trouble. Oh well, she's learning anyway. That's a picture of Sammi posing in front of her fort.

After a while, we decided we had to go outside and enjoy the beautiful snow that has fallen today. We got all bundled up in snowpants, hats, mittens, boots, coats and scarves. Piper could barely walk. She was really uncertain about walking in the snow. But then I got out the sled and Piper loved going for a ride with her big sister, Sammi. Here's a picture of that.

We then made snow angels. After that, Piper decided she had had enough of the cold and we decided to head inside. I thought the bigger girls would want to stay outside and play some more, but they were also done, so inside we went to peel off the wet clothes and get warm. This is going to be a fun two weeks.

Naming babies...

2008-11-06T08:20:00.003-06:00

I knew this was going to happen, but I thought "Barack" would be the name of choice...

President Barack Obama

2008-11-04T23:53:00.003-06:00

I was struck by many of the words he spoke tonight, but one moment in particular stood out. He said that this election in and of itself is not the change we have been seeking. It is the opportunity to make that change. He called on all of us to work and to sacrifice to make our country better.

This man is a true leader, who understands how to bring people together, when to stand strong and when to inject a little humility, and most of all how to inspire.

I am happy for all Americans tonight, but I am personally so happy for my girls, who will grow up in a country lead by a man of character and intelligence and resolve.

Finally, did you watch John McCain's concession speech? He showed class and honor and took the opportunity to bring this country together.

I am so proud to be an American.

Les MisBarack

2008-11-04T16:14:00.000-06:00

Election Day

2008-11-04T09:07:00.004-06:00

Rachel and I voted at her school this morning. They have a "kids vote" booth set up. The ballot has pictures of the candidates, which Rachel appreciated since "you know, we're just kids." The only race she was familiar with was the presidential one, but apparently there were the Senate races on there too. She voted for the Democrat in every race. Apparently she's been listening to her mother too much. I think I need to talk to her about voting for the person, not the party.

We got there about five minutes after the polls opened and the line was out the door. I was the 77th person to vote at Wickham. I'd say we're in for a record turnout, no doubt about it. Of course, after what happened caucus night, that's no surprise.

The main feeling I have today is elation. For the first time, I am voting for someone and not against the really bad choice. No lesser of two evils choice this year! Of course, it will come as no shock to anyone who reads this blog that I voted for Obama. We are at a turning point in history and he is the man to lead us forward. Every step of the way, he has shown courage, conviction, intelligence, and insight into the issues that face our nation and the world. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the right choice. I am proud to say I voted for him.

Rachel told me that really wants Obama to win because then she will have shaken a president's hand.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:07:00.003-05:00

We carved our pumpkin last night.

Sharon and the girls did the gut cleaning out.

(No, we didn't adopt a 12 year old. She's just over a lot.)

Sammi has had two costumes this year. One is a pumpkin.

We had a halloween party last Sunday. Rachel and Sammi were 50s girls with poodle skirts. Piper is a tiger. We also had Cleopatra, a lamb and a clown. (And two twelve year olds. I tell you, Coralville's crawling with them.)

The malformed faced pumpkin.

I scared both of my big girls with this mask. Piper just laughed at me.

I love Halloween. It's a great holiday.

Transformative figure

2008-10-24T08:55:00.001-05:00

This is an example of why Barack Obama is a transformative figure for America.

"Say It To My Face"

2008-10-09T08:10:00.002-05:00

"I am surprised that, you know, we've been seeing some pretty over-the-top attacks coming out of the McCain campaign over the last several days, that he wasn't willing to say it to my face. But I guess we've got one last debate. So presumably, if he ends up feeling that he needs to, he will raise it during the debate." -- Barack Obama, challenging John McCain to bring up the Ayers accusation.

This is what I like to see - a candidate willing to fight against the bullsh*t that's being thrown out there.

(Of course, I would also like to see this candidate stop letting his campaign throw out bullsh*t about the other side.)

One reason why I despise Moveon.org

2008-10-02T08:43:00.002-05:00

From Factcheck.org:

The MoveOn.org Political Action ad blames a banking deregulation bill sponsored by former Sen. Phil Gramm, a friend and one-time adviser to McCain's campaign. It claims the bill "stripped safeguards that would have protected us."

That claim is bunk. When we contacted MoveOn.org spokesman Trevor Fitzgibbons to ask just what "safeguards" the ad was talking about, he came up with not one single example. The only support offered for the ad's claim is one line in one newspaper article that reported the bill "is now being blamed" for the crisis, without saying who is doing the blaming or on what grounds.

They are a despicable group that only cares about one thing - making sure the Democratic candidate wins. The truth doesn't matter to them at all. It's pathetic. They offer free Obama stuff, but I won't take it because I refuse to display or wear anything with their logo on it. We recently got a car magnet that we did not realize had their logo on it. I think the only way I can stomach having it on my car is if I cross out their name.

Read this

2008-09-11T10:13:00.002-05:00

This essay by Joe Klein of Newsweek really captures where we are as a country. This last bit explains Barack Obama's greatest challenge:

So Obama faces an uphill struggle between now and Nov. 4. He has no personal anecdotes to match Palin's mooseburgers. His story of a boy whose father came from Kenya and mother from Kansas takes place in an America not yet mythologized, a country that is struggling to be born — a multiracial country whose greatest cultural and economic strength is its diversity. It is the country where our children already live and that our parents will never really know, a country with a much greater potential for justice and creativity — and perhaps even prosperity — than the sepia-tinted version of Main Street America. But that vision is not sellable right now to a critical mass of Americans. They live in a place, not unlike C. Vann Woodward's South, where myths are more potent than the hope of getting past the dour realities they face each day.

9/11

2008-09-11T08:25:00.001-05:00

Just remembering.

Just going by money alone...

2008-09-04T16:50:00.003-05:00

You can use this information to decide who to vote for just based on who will raise or decrease your taxes. If you make over $603,403 each year, Obama will raise your taxes significantly. If you make under $226,981, then Obama will cut your taxes. McCain cuts taxes for everyone, but the percentage cut decreases as you go down the income scale. This graph was created by the Washington Post using information from the Tax Policy Center. Click on the image to make it easier to read.

So many kids

2008-08-24T18:13:00.004-05:00

A dance party in our living room was the culmination of a day of neighborhood play for our girls.

As usual, Rachel and Sammi had Monet, their friend from across the street over today. At some point the two boys (ages 5 and 4) from across the street came over too. And then the two 12-year-old girls who live down the street and sometimes babysit were here, too. All of that is pretty normal these days. (We did have two new boys who were about 11 stop by with one of the boys from across the street, but Rachel and the older girls were not thrilled with this. And I don't think the boys were really that interested in being here either.) It is nice having the 12-year-olds play with our girls because basically they watch the kids and we get free time to get stuff done or watch the Top 101 Best Moments of SNL. So the kids were riding bikes, swinging on our swings, going for stroller rides, and sometimes the big girls even took Piper, which really made it easy to get stuff done. I got to say I'm thrilled that there's a whole tribe of children in the neighborhood. They do seem to end up at our house more often than not. I am not sure what it is about our little house that makes us so popular.

Anyway, the day ended with Rachel, Sammi, Piper, Monet and the two 12-year-old girls dancing to "We're All in this Together" from High School Musical. I think one of the older girls was surprised I knew the words. It was a nice Sunday.

Our basement flooded

2008-06-28T14:19:00.003-05:00

You see, I don't feel like I can really complain all that much. My house is far away from the flood plain. I didn't have to evacuate. I have co-workers who lost literally everything. So I don't want to make it sound like things are terrible for us when so many others are going through so much more.

But yeah, our basement flooded. A few times. The carpet was a total loss. I was out of town in Ohio for the first flooding so Sharon and her mom had to deal with it. Sharon's mom removed the carpet. After the second flooding, which I was present for, we discovered mold growing on the walls. I had to remove a 4' tall section of every wall (with the help of a good friend). Fortunately, the drywall panels were set horizontally so I didn't have try and cut the drywall, just cut the paint and plaster in between each piece. We also lost some books, a few toys, and some other stuff. A lot of our wooden furniture, like our four bookcases, were damaged by the water.

Still our basement wasn't filled to the top with water. Our first floor never came close to be touched. So really, we're lucky.

It still sucked.

Here are some pictures.

This is the basement after we removed the walls. So much for the finished basement, huh?

The mold. I hate mold now. Not that I was a big fan before the flood, but now I hate it.

My truck filled with stuff that had to be hauled to the landfill. Fortunately, because the stuff was flood related, the city didn't charge us to dump it. That was nice of them.

The good news is our insurance guy came today and it sounds like we will be able to get some money to help fix things up.

Flood

2008-06-13T10:21:00.002-05:00

I don't have anything meaningful to say about the flood. It's just overwhelming. We're fine where we are, but as I look at the pictures of Cedar Rapids, I just have no words. And now the Coralville strip. This is nuts.

Lunchrooms, and ninjas and bears... oh my!

2008-05-29T12:05:00.003-05:00

I have taken this week off from work because I had some vacation to burn before July 1. We can only carry over five days and I never seem to use all of mine up even though I usually hike the Trail every year and we take a family vacation every year. I know, terrible problem to have, right? Anyway, since I was home all week, Rachel asked me to join her for lunch at school. I figure I should take advantage of these opportunities since as she gets older it will no longer be cool to have Dad visit school. I arrived and sat in between Rachel and her friend Grace. Next to Rachel was her other friend, Madeline. I quickly made friends with Madeline by complimenting her on her earrings. (Which I may regret later should Rachel decide she needs earrings now instead of when she's 16 which is Daddy's opinion of how these things should go.) I asked about Grace's lunch and she chatted happily about her potato chips and applesauce and sandwich (no crusts).

Across the table from us were three boys who ignored Rachel and her friends just as Rachel and her friends ignored them. Boys never change no matter what year they were born. I asked these boys what they liked about the Fall Fun Fair last year (I was one of the organizers) to get some feedback on what we should do next year. One boy told he didn't like any of it. The other boy told me he didn't go, but that I should have X-Box available next year. He also wanted an AK-47 shooting range. Basically, if it involved shooting something, it was okay with them. They were very chatty with me once they starting dropping names like Deadpool and I could talk intelligently about him. Then they started telling tall tales. One boy was a thousand years old. The other boy was a ninja. I asked him if he had throwing stars and nun-chuks. He countered with his superior knowledge of sais. Rachel and Madeline were giggling as I discussed all things boy with the boys.

The girls had better opinions about the Fall Fun Fair, making it clear which inflatables they liked best. And Rachel bragged to her friends that I was in charge of it.

After lunch is recess and it was a beautiful day so I was surprised to find that they were going to have indoor recess. I asked why, but Rachel didn't know. Madeline suggested that some workmen were outside working. One of the boys said confidently that it was because there was a dirty man outside who was looking in windows and they were keeping the kids inside to stay away from him. That was a little freaky, but I think he actually meant "dirty" as in "hasn't bathed recently".

The lunchroom was very loud and the teachers had to come around and say "Team 2! Too loud, Team 2! Team 2!" The teachers seemed way more annoyed with the noise level than I thought they should be. It is lunch after all. But then it's nearly the end of the year and I am sure both teachers and students are counting the days.

I walked with Rachel to her room, said goodbye and headed home. I didn't see any suspicious men hanging around the school. When I got home, there was a message from the Principal stating that there had been bear sightings in the area and as a precaution, they were keeping the kids inside. Bears! Well, that's better than that boy's story.

It's finally over...

2008-05-07T12:39:00.003-05:00

Barack Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee.

And win the White House in November. What a time to be alive.

My lil Wookie

2008-04-26T10:43:00.007-05:00

Piper has new talent. When she gets upset, she somehow manages to vibrate her vocal chords in such a way to make a perfect Wookie sound.

Fortunately, my little girl is cuter than a Wookie.

The Englert's position

2008-04-16T10:53:00.002-05:00

Nancy Mayfield, Marketing & Development Manager for the Englert, sent me this statement concerning the Englert story I wrote about yesterday.

"I know many people are upset about the article in the P-C about the recent letter from the Englert. Unfortunately, the P-C did not tell the entire story. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors REQUESTED a statement from the Englert about how the new theatre might affect our operations. We have all known about the Coralville performing arts center for years and are not trying to halt its progress -- in fact, we hosted the fundraiser for it, "Circle Full of Stars." The intent of the letter was to emphasize how important it will be for both spaces to work together to best serve the community.

Since the letter was sent, (admittedly, sent in a rush because the Supervisors needed it right away), members of the Englert staff and Board have engaged in several conversations with the City of Coralville. Already a lot of good dialogue has been created about what the new theatre's administration will be like, and how the two organizations might support each other. Englert representatives are meeting with the Johnson County Board of Supervisors this Thursday to continue discussions. I look forward to seeing the new theatre grow, and the many wonderful events that will take place there."

The fact that the PC left out the important item that the Board of Supervisors requested the letter changes things a little bit. At least we know now that the Englert wasn't being quite as aggressive as it appeared. But that doesn't change the substance of the actions of (some of) the Englert Board. Now Nancy, whom I know personally and trust completely, says the intent was to "emphasize how important it will be for both spaces to work together to best serve the community." I have copied the letter below. If that was the intent of that letter, they ought to fire the author. Working together does not come up in there at all.

However, Nancy also writes that discussions are ongoing about how to work together. So that's good news. However, based on that letter, it's clear that some of the Englert Board just want the Coralville space to never happen. We need to support those on both sides who are trying to work together.

I also should mention that Nancy is happy to talk to anyone who has concerns about this issue. Go here for her contact information.

The letter from the Englert to the Board of Supervisors:

April 9, 2008

To the Johnson County Board of Supervisors:

The purpose of this letter is to make you aware of our concerns with the proposed development of a new theater and community performance space in Coralville's "Plaza on 5th project.

It is undeniable that a vibrant cultural environment is essential to creating a great community in which to live, work and play. At first glance the proposed theater may seem to make a positive contribution to that environment. However, we question whether the theater will actually produce that desired effect. We believe it will instead seriously jeopardize the future of another community performance space -- The Englert Theatre -- and thereby dilute the cultural environment of the Iowa City/Coralville area as a whole.

After the Englert closed in 1999, hundreds of volunteers contributed countless hours and raised over $5.2 million to reopen Iowa City's last historic theater as a community performance space. It was a grassroots effort by ordinary people who had extraordinary vision, passion and commitment. Since reopening in 2004, more than 3,000 artists of all ages have been on our stage, performing in front of more than 30,000 people.

Our mission charges us to "highlight the talents of local artists, as well as host regional, national and international touring performances." With the stage filled more than 160 nights a year in front of sizable and appreciative audiences, the community tells us we are fulfilling our mission and serving them well. However, the proposed theater in Coralville will adversely affect our ability to do that:

1. Approximately $100,000 of our yearly revenue is generated by renting the Englert to various community groups. An additional $20,000 to $30,000 of revenue comes from collaborations with community theater groups and non-profit organizations. We anticipate that in the short term the new Coralville theater will take half or more of that revenue away from the Englert. Some organizations will use the new theater because the city requires them to choose it over the Englert (as with City Circle Acting Company) or it may be selected simply because of its novelty as a new building. Others may use it because a facility subsidized by the city may be able to offer a lower cost than our independent non-profit organization, which currently receives no city funding.

2. Although initial conversations about the Coralville theater suggest they will not seek out regional/national/international touring acts, we are inclined to think this may change over time. We believe there will be a great deal of pressure for the city to use the new facility as much as possible, and there is nothing to prevent them from working with third-party promoters to book exactly the kinds of shows that the Englert has been booking.
These two reasons threaten the financial viability of the Englert by diverting many tens of thousands of dollars away -- money that will then have to be raised through contributions in order for the theater to survive. With a not-yet-achieved fundraising goal already in excess of a quarter million dollars, how much more can the Englert ask the community to give?

Perhaps the biggest question is this: can our small geographic area support two theaters of similar size and mission within a couple miles of each other? The new theater will have the effect -- intended or not -- of seriously jeopardizing the Englert's ability to remain open by directly competing for performers, donors and audience members. Financial challenges that are already difficult will be made even more so by spreading the area's supply of performers and demand by audiences too thin. Even after the renovation and the success the Englert has experience since reopening, the people of Iowa City could still lose their last historic theater.
We urge you to consider our view that financially, logistically and practically, it does not make sense for the City of Coralville to create a new theater and community performance space at the expense of an existing nonprofit theater and community performance space right down the street. We believe Iowa City and Coralville should cooperate -- not compete with each other -- as the southern end of our "cultural corridor" develops. We are simply too small to do otherwise.

Warm regards,

The Board of Directors and Staff of The Englert Theatre.

Oh, Englert...

2008-04-15T12:13:00.004-05:00

There's an article in PC today about how some of the Board of the Englert (but not all) sent a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors raising concerns that the new theatre in Coralville will hurt the Englert. Sidenotes has a wonderful blog post about this. I'll just explain why I'm so annoyed with (some) of the Englert board that I can't see straight.

When the Save the Englert project first started, and I was there at that meeting at the library when they picked the first board members, the idea was to create an affordable community performance space. That didn't happen for a whole host of reasons that I've come to accept. And I do see the positive contribution that the Englert has made to the community. I applaud that work.

However, the fact remains that the Englert is not affordable for small local non-profit groups. As the founder of one such group, I know this all too well. So fine, we can't afford the Englert. I can accept that.

What I cannot and will not accept is the Englert's efforts to stop the creation of a space my group and others might actually be able to afford. Rethink this one, (some of the) Englert board. You are way, way out of line.

No Smoking in Iowa

2008-04-09T08:10:00.003-05:00

Governor Culver will likely sign a smoking ban bill soon. This is welcome news to me. It will be so nice to go out to eat and not have to worry about breathing in someone else's cigarette smoke. Or worse, my kids breathing it in.

I understand what people are saying about how government shouldn't tell people what to do. But my argument for that is simple - their smoking affects my health and my kids' health. Therefore they don't have the right to do it in a public place where we are both welcome. You would think it would be common sense. You would think all smokers wouldn't want to hurt other people with their secondhand smoke. And a lot of them do care. A lot of smokers are very considerate and that's greatly appreciated by people like me who don't smoke. But since some of them demonstrate that other people's health doesn't matter to them when they smoke in restaurants or bars where people are eating, for example, then I guess the government does have to step in.

And I do understand that this is a tough issue for some smokers because they have tried a million different methods and just can't seem to make that quitting plan stick. And while I care about those people, I think banning smoking in public places will actually help them. The less places they have to smoke, it seems to me the easier it'll be to quit.

I am just glad this smoking ban is finally going to happen.

40 years

2008-04-04T07:59:00.003-05:00

Forty years ago today, Martin Luther King was murdered. The day before he was killed he gave a speech where he said, "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!"

He was speaking to blacks and he was talking about them reaching a promised land of equality. But the fact is, no one is in the promised land if we're not all in the promised land. And we've not reached the promised land in this nation. There is still division between the white American and the African American. Things have gotten better, of course, in my lifetime. And things will be even better when my daughters are my age.

We have not reached the promised land. And I probably won't get there any more than King did. But we, all of us, black, white, latino, asian, all of us, will get there. I have hope. And one of the reasons I have hope is because of this man.

I'm not talking about politics now. I am talking about faith.

Scootering

2008-03-31T10:32:00.002-05:00

This weekend Rachel decided to show Sammi how to ride her scooter. She was very conscientious and got a helmet for her little sister. They rode on the sidewalk in front of and on the side of the house (we have a corner lot). Sammi apparently loved it. When asked if she wanted to ride her trike, she said "but scootering is more funner." Rachel relished her big sister role of explaining the proper scooter riding method. This is why I am glad we were able to have a second (and third) kid. That sibling relationship is unique. Which is something I needed to be reminded of after seeing my own siblings at Easter this year.

Lockdown

2008-03-25T10:25:00.002-05:00

Because of the murders in Iowa City yesterday, my daughter's school was put under lockdown. I had no idea what that actually meant. I figured they lock all the doors, maybe lock the classroom doors, police patrol the area, and everything proceeds as normal for the kids. Apparently, that's not what happens. Rachel sat silently against the wall in a locked classroom with the lights out. They were not allowed to read or draw. They were positioned so anyone looking in the window in the door would not see the kids. I am not criticizing the school for this decision. It was a good one. I do wonder if maybe we need two types of lockdowns: a soft lockdown in this situation when there is no direct threat to this school and a hard lockdown when there's a decent chance the threat is coming at that particular school. A soft lockdown would be as I had imagined above. In cases of uncertainty, go with the hard lockdown.

Today I am, however, very angry at the person who killed the Sueppel family. It was probably Steven Sueppel, of course. I am angry not just because he killed five innocent people that he was supposed to protect and love. I am angry because his actions are going to have an impact on our entire community. I had to explain what happened to my daughter. So far, I have not had to tell her about the murders. I explained the lockdown was because a bad man who stole money was driving around town. When she asked if they caught him, I told her he died in a car accident. However, it seems highly unlikely that no one at school today won't be talking about the murders. And so I'll have to explain to my seven year old why a father killed his wife and four small children. And since I don't understand it, I don't know how exactly I'm going to be able to explain it to Rachel.

One thing I have noticed is that it's a lot harder to protect the younger sibling from these sorts of situations. If Rachel had been a four year old when this happened, she'd never have known about it. But Samantha is right there when I am explaining it to Rachel so her four year old brain has to wrap itself around the idea of a bad man driving around town. This isn't supposed to happen here in Iowa. We're supposed to be safe. That's one of the reasons I chose to live here.

Finally, I want to point in the direction of SideNotes, who has posted a poem someone wrote in the comments of one of the PC stories. It does a wonderful job of summing up how we're all feeling today.

Pop Tart Hero

2008-03-21T10:41:00.003-05:00

A couple of months ago, Rage Theatrics produced my short play, Pop Tart Hero, as part of their Hero Stories production. It was very well received. And now it's on YouTube!

Part One:

Part Two:

Cast:
Stan- Thomas Henrich
Becca- Emily Dokken
Jim- Matt Falduto
Sensei/ Cashier- Brian Tanner
Boss/ Criminal- Aaron Haworth
Virtual Fighters: Nika Niehaus and Nate Kula

The Clinton civil war

2008-03-18T08:28:00.002-05:00

A caveat - I'm not a huge Kos fan. Frankly, he's too extreme for me. He embodies the win at any cost Democrats that give me the heebeegeebees. (Of course, the other side of aisle win at any cost people scare me even more.) Anyway, what's important about what Kos wrote is that it sums up Clinton's character and shows us exactly why we need someone else in charge. We need someone who is willing to talk to everyone in the United States, not just those who already agree with them. Obama can do that. Obama can bring us together. Clinton will not only tear this country apart, she'll tear the Democratic party apart.

Bush violated FISA before 9/11

2008-03-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

Check out this post from a fellow Iowa blogger. All along I've given Bush at least a little benefit of the doubt by thinking that his reaction to 9/11 of taking away our civil liberties, while terrible for our country, was at least understandable on a human level. An overreaction to a terrible tragedy.

But this shows us a very different picture.

He is definitely the worst president in my lifetime - and I was born during Nixon's administration.

Clinton lies

2008-03-11T09:28:00.002-05:00

This is, of course, from the Obama campaign. The bold is mine and this is only part of the memo that was sent. It just shows that Clinton is more of the same politics that have created a generation of cynical Americans like me. We need honesty. We need character. We won't get that from Hillary Clinton.

To: Interested Parties
From: Greg Craig, former director, Policy Planning Office, U.S. State Department
RE: Senator Clinton’s claim to be experienced in foreign policy: Just words?
DA: March 11, 2008

....When asked to describe her experience, Senator Clinton has cited a handful of international incidents where she says she played a central role. But any fair-minded and objective judge of these claims – i.e., by someone not affiliated with the Clinton campaign – would conclude that Senator Clinton’s claims of foreign policy experience are exaggerated.

Northern Ireland:
Senator Clinton has said, “I helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland.” It is a gross overstatement of the facts for her to claim even partial credit for bringing peace to Northern Ireland. She did travel to Northern Ireland, it is true. First Ladies often travel to places that are a focus of U.S. foreign policy. But at no time did she play any role in the critical negotiations that ultimately produced the peace. As the Associated Press recently reported, “[S]he was not directly involved in negotiating the Good Friday peace accord.” With regard to her main claim that she helped bring women together, she did participate in a meeting with women, but, according to those who know best, she did not play a pivotal role. The person in charge of the negotiations, former Senator George Mitchell, said that “[The First Lady] was one of many people who participated in encouraging women to get involved, not the only one.”

News of Senator Clinton’s claims has raised eyebrows across the ocean. Her reference to an important meeting at the Belfast town hall was debunked. Her only appearance at the Belfast City Hall was to see Christmas lights turned on. She also attended a 50-minute meeting which, according to the Belfast Daily Telegraph’s report at the time, “[was] a little bit stilted, a little prepared at times." Brian Feeney, an Irish author and former politician, sums it up: “The road to peace was carefully documented, and she wasn’t on it.”

Kosovo:
Senator Clinton has said, “I negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo.” It is true that, as First Lady, she traveled to Macedonia and visited a Kosovar refugee camp. It is also true that she met with government officials while she was there. First Ladies frequently meet with government officials. Her claim to have “negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo,” however, is not true. Her trip to Macedonia took place on May 14, 1999. The borders were opened the day before, on May 13, 1999.

The negotiations that led to the opening of the borders were accomplished by the people who ordinarily conduct negotiations with foreign governments – U.S. diplomats. President Clinton’s top envoy to the Balkans, former Ambassador Robert Gelbard, said, “I cannot recall any involvement by Senator Clinton in this issue.” Ivo Daalder worked on the Clinton Administration’s National Security Council and wrote a definitive history of the Kosovo conflict. He recalls that “she had absolutely no role in the dirty work of negotiations.”

You can read the full memo here.

Ah, politics

2008-03-10T10:15:00.001-05:00

Have you heard about Hillary Clinton's 3 AM fearmongering ad? I found this to be very funny.

I also wish Saturday Night Live would stop screwing up this election. I swear Hillary's comeback in Ohio and Texas can be traced to Tina Fey's rant for Clinton a few weeks ago as well as the parodies of the debates the show did. Yes, I laughed. Yes, I thought Fey made some good points. Yes, I like that we live in a society where people can say stuff like that.

But dammit, Obama is the better candidate. He can change the country and the world. If he doesn't win this nomination, I'm voting for the Green party candidate. Or I'm writing my dog in.

Gary Gygax

2008-03-05T10:32:00.002-06:00

When I think about the influences in my life that have made me who I am today, I easily point to my family, a few very close friends, later on my wife, and most recently my children. But the one I never really talk about is Gary Gygax. I never met the man, but his creation - Dungeons and Dragons - may have had the most profound impact on my life. That game provided me with a outlet for my creativity, expanded my vocabulary and my math knowledge, gave me skills to be a leader later in life, and actually helped determine my moral compass. That's a helluva lot for a game that nerdy kids play instead of running around outside in the sunshine.

When you play D&D, you make up stories collaboratively with a group of people. All the writing I've ever done and all the acting I've ever done... it can all be traced back to sitting around a table covered with books and little lead figurines while rolling funny shaped dice and scribbling notes about hit points and armor classes. I was often the dungeon master, which meant I had to create whole fantastic worlds and a complex narrative that the other players would follow. Also, when you're the Dungeon Master, you play all the other individuals in the game - from the bloodthirsty orcs to the crazy shopkeeper to the old gruff barkeep. Talk about preparation for a theatre career!

As a nine year old, I learned words like alignment (we pronounced it as "alige-ment" in those early days), chaotic, constitution, dexterity, charisma. I had to do complex math in order to determine whether someone was hit by a sword or just took a glancing blow off their chainmail. We had to figure out how to read charts, graphs, maps. I learned so much from that game.

I got to pretend to be a leader in the game which taught me how to be a leader in real life. That has certainly served me well in the years since.

And finally, I know a lot of people played D&D just for the chance to pretend to kill monsters. But it was so much more than that for my friends and me. We became these characters. Whether it was the noble knight who would sacrifice himself for his comrades or the sneaky thief who was only out for himself, we got to try on these roles and experience what it was like to make those choices. It was an easy choice for me - give me the hero any day. And later on, as my college friends know all too well, it was give me the flawed hero who more realistically reflected who we truly are.

D&D in many ways made me who I am today. Yesterday, the man who created D&D, Gary Gygax died. And I was hit with a wave of sadness for a man I'd never met. I wish now I had traveled to his house and knocked on his door like so many fans have over the years. Word has it, he'd invite you in to play a game or two. 'Cause that's the kind of guy he was.

Thanks, Gary.

Dad Related Happenings

2008-02-17T17:57:00.003-06:00

I recently joined a Facebook group of Dad Bloggers. (Yes, I'm on Facebook. Yes, I feel very old when I am cruising Facebook. Yes, using the word cruising to describe moving through Facebook confirms my age.) Having joined the group, it occurs to me that I really ought to blog about being a dad. I don't think I've done too many kid-related posts recently.

So let's see. Lately the kids have been sick. First Sammi was sick. Now Rachel is sick. Which has meant Sharon and I staying home from work, something neither of us can do very easily. There was one day last week when both myself and another financial aid advisor were home with our sick children. Unfortunately, that left only one advisor to deal with the student questions. Fortunately, it's a slow time of year. Rachel seemed to be getting better yesterday morning, but by evening she was burning up with fever. And today she says her ear hurts. Probably an ear infection, which is not something we deal with very often in this house, fortunately. So I'll be taking her to the doctor tomorrow. Another day of work missed. Sharon is in an even worse work situation as her assistant quit recently and she's doing two jobs.

Onto good news. Rachel and I went to a Daddy-Daughter dance a week ago. It was Girl Scouts sponsored. She really seems to be enjoying the Girl Scouts. We had a good time although Rachel wanted to run around with her friends instead of hang out with Dad. We did dance a little bit. Her piano teacher was there with his 12 year old daughter. He told me that when they get older they actually want to dance with their dads. When his daughter was Rachel's age she ran around with her friends, too. So that's something to look forward to.

And that brings me to another topic - piano lessons. I really like Rachel's teacher. He understands that it needs to be fun for her to really buy into the idea of piano lessons. So there's no pressure and she really seems to be having a good time. We do need to get the piano tuned, however.

Four year old Sammi is preoccupied with writing. She has been asking us how to spell things lately. One time Sharon was asked how to spell, "No one is helping me." Clearly, she has her own ideas about how helpful we actually are. She's also been asking "What?" a lot even though I am fairly certain she heard what we said. And I think she's getting more jealous of baby Piper than she was in the beginning. But that's to be expected. Fortunately, despite the jealousy, she still plays with her little sister and shows her love for her every day with kisses and hugs.

Piper can crawl and pull herself up to a standing position. She's beginning to get into things she shouldn't. She can also clap her hands. The sight of her big sisters is always the cause of a smile. And she's very vocal. I love the baby "yowls". We often talk by yowling to each others. I will miss that when she actually learns to say words. I can't believe she's already eight months old. She's still a little peanut. I wonder if she'll be my smallest girl. Rachel has the tall thing going on. Sammi seems pretty normal sized. And Piper appears to be heading toward being the little one. Of course, even she ends up bigger than her sisters, she'll still be the littlest one.

Sidenotes is back! Sidenotes is back!

2008-01-11T10:22:00.000-06:00

Yes, she's back to the blogosphere. And we're all better off for it. Check out this post about the gender politics vs. racial politics of Hillary and Barack.

Caucus photo!

2008-01-04T11:08:00.001-06:00

That's me on the right with the shock of grey hair holding Piper and handing in my red ticket. A bit of Sharon's head is in lower right corner and the top of Rachel's head and her arm are at the bottom of the photo as well.

Ha!

2008-01-04T10:28:00.000-06:00

"This feels good. It's just like I imagined it when I was talking to my kindergarten teacher."

-- Sen. Barack Obama, quoted by the New York Observer, on his new status as Democratic frontrunner. Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign has claimed that Obama has been plotting a presidential run since he was in kindergarten.

"We will we will Barack you"

2008-01-04T08:56:00.000-06:00

That slogan was written on a shirt of one of the precinct captains at my Coralville precinct. She was, as you might expect, young. Iowa was Baracked - no doubt about that.

We had 764 people show up in our Coralville precinct. Someone said four years ago it was around 400 people. I asked a number of people standing next to me if they had caucused before and all said No. It was a family event for us as all three girls joined Sharon and me. Sharon was told there would be childcare (and a movie!) for the kids, but that didn't materialize. When I called the Barack campaign, they told me it would only take 45 minutes to an hour, which I didn't believe and of course, that wasn't even close to being true. The girls spent the night on the floor trying not get stepped on. Rachel made a couple of forays to the Clinton table to snag some water. And she got cookies from Edwards supporters, I think.

The first tally was something like 180 for Clinton, 120 Edwards and 320 for Obama. (Numbers are not exactly right.) The cheers that erupted from the Obama group gave me chills in that stuffy 100-degree-packed-to-the-rafters-elementary-school gym. After the second count, Clinton was over 200, I think, Edwards was about the same and Obama was around 350. Obama got five delegates, Clinton got three and Edwards got two.

I was surprised at how... informal it seemed. They handed little red tickets like you'd get at a carnival. The precinct captain for each candidate gathered the red tickets from their supporters. Sometimes they just held out their cupped hands, some people used the plastic top from a salad bar container, and I think I saw someone using a hat to collect tickets, too. And then, as one guy pointed out, they were counted and the totals reported by the precinct captain for each candidate. I guess I would have thought there'd be neutral counters and a couple of people overseeing things to make sure it was all on the up and up. Not that I really doubt the results at all. I have complete trust in the people who were there - they're my neighbors after all. But I suprised at the informality of it all.

I watched Obama's speech on CNN last night and I was inspired. I wonder if this is how people felt about Kennedy? I hope he wins New Hampshire and clinches the nomination early.

Political thoughts

2008-01-03T07:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was talking to two different friends about the caucus tonight. One offered me hope and the other depressed me.

Let's get the bad news out of the way first. My friend was talking to me about his relatives and made a comment that his grandmother would never support Barack Obama. The clear implication was because he's black. I was surprised and actually asked if that was the reason. My friend said something to the effect of "how sad" it was. Just when I was really hopeful that we were moving past such prejudice, I am reminded that it's still here, in my own state, not that far away at all.

The second friend I talked to yesterday bleeds Republican. He is thoroughly within the conservative political movement. We don't often talk politics, but yesterday he told me that he did his research and had come to a startling conclusion. He is supporting Barack Obama. My friend is younger than I am, late 20s, and to me this speaks to the idea that the younger generation is looking for hope. Something new. Conservative or liberal (whatever those terms really mean) - we all are joined by a desire for something more. Something better. Something beyond the cynicism the political gridlock in Washington has nurtured within us.

I guess that's why I am supporting Barack Obama. Because I still have a shred of hope.

What's ahead for 2008?

2007-12-31T15:08:00.000-06:00

I was asked for a New Year's Resolution from the local newspaper as they apparently see me as an "area leader" because I founded Dreamwell. What I told them was:

"I resolve to increase Dreamwell's efforts to work collaboratively with other arts groups; to be open to what my three insightful daughters can teach me; and to always remember how lucky I am to have such a wonderful wife and partner in my life."

That's all true, but I think I should get a little more specific.

Dreamwell is once again working on a permanent space and this time we're trying to make it happen in a partnership with a couple of other arts groups. I resolve to work hard to try to make that happen.

I also have a new project in mind that I don't want to talk about too much yet. But I'd like to get Project X started this year sometime.

Last year, I managed to write two short plays. I think it's time to write a full length play. So I resolve to do that in 2008.

I did a poor job keeping myself in shape in 2007. I am finding that my body aches in ways it never has before. I am on the road to 40 and I'd like to make that road less bumpy. I resolve to take better care of my body this year. This includes running regularly, eating better (fruits and veggies!), and trying to get more sleep.

I'd like to read more in 2008 than I did in 2007. I don't know what that means in terms of numbers of books, but I definitely feel I could have read more last year.

2008 will be the year my oldest daughter starts second grade. My youngest will turn one and start walking. And my middle girl will start making strides to being ready for kindergarten in 2009. Sharon and I will hit our 12 year anniversary in September. That's an accomplishment I am very proud of. And maybe, just maybe, our country will make history by electing the first black president. I sure hope so.

I am really looking forward to 2008. I think it's going to be a great year.

Obama saves Christmas

2007-12-29T17:14:00.000-06:00

Go here to read the story.

So how did I do?

2007-12-21T10:10:00.000-06:00

It's that time of the year again. Time to reflect about 2007 and think about 2008. I could wait til after Christmas to do this, but with my sporadic blogging these days, if I put it off, it might not get done til February!

So last year, I decided on the following resolutions:

1) Run a mile or more three times a week over my lunch hour at the Rec Center at work. It looks like my metabolism is finally slowing down as I've put on weight and even have a stomach for the first time in my life. I need to work on that.

2) Be the best Financial Aid Advisor I can be.

3) Complete a new play.

4) Forge a tighter bond with Sammi.

5) Take the 50 book challenge.

I am pleased with my work as a financial aid advisor. Beyond doing a good job helping students figure out how to pay for school, I've also implemented improvements in the way the office works, making us more efficient. (Of course, I haven't done that all on my own. We have a great team.)

I completed two plays, one of which is being produced by Rage Theatrics as part of their Hero Stories event. So I am happy with that.

I feel better about my relationship with Sammi. We've definitely grown tighter over the past year.

I took the 50 book challenge. Fortunately, I didn't write "complete" the 50 book challenge, as I don't think I've actually read 50 books last year. But I took it! Yep. Hrm.

Unfortunately, I did not complete the first resolution on my list. I haven't been running with any regularity and I have jeans I literally cannot zip up anymore. This has not happened to me since I was probably 15. So that one's a no go.

But overall, I do feel good about 2007. I accomplished a lot. I adapted and directed a play about 9/11 and I am very proud of my work on that project. I continue to have a wonderful relationship with my wife. Together Sharon and I raised three beautiful girls, ushering them through milestones like reading and gaining confidence in themselves and army crawling.

And of course, Piper was born which makes 2007 one of my three favorite years.

So what do I want to do in 2008? I'll have to think about that and hopefully get back to this blog before February with some answers.

The politicians are lying...

2007-12-13T13:23:00.000-06:00

That's the problem with election time. You can never be sure what's true and what's not. I know it's easy to just assume all the Republicans are lying (if you're a Democrat) or to just assume all the Democrats are lying (if you're a Republican). Or you can do what I do. Check out FactCheck.org. It's a perfectly neutral site that will tell you if what the candidates are saying is true. Great stuff.

My poor tree

2007-12-12T15:04:00.000-06:00

One of the things I love about my house are my huge pine trees. For one thing, I don't have to mow under them as they blanket the ground with soft needles. As I have a large corner yard, that's a very good thing. But more than anything, they're just cool to look at it. And climb. If I were a kid, I'd be climbing the one all the time. Rachel has tried to climb it a little bit and I expect more climbing in the future.

That is if the ice doesn't kill it. The last time we had an ice storm, a number of the large branches fell off from the weight of the evil ice. My tree looked very bare. And yesterday, more branches suffered that same fate. I can only imagine what it will look like when the broken branches are cleared away this time. My once full, lush tree will be a stick pointing forlornly to the sky.

Makes me want to cry.

Push polling

2007-12-07T08:58:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, I received a phone call from a nice young lady who wanted to ask me about the presidential candidates. It's not the first phone call like that I've received. First she asked me who I was supporting and then she asked how certain I was in that support. Then she said she was going to tell me facts about a specific candidate and my job was to tell her if that made me more or less likely to vote for that person. Okaaaaay... that seems like it could go badly. And it did.

First question was about Hillary Clinton. The woman asked if the fact that Hillary supported tax cuts for the rich would make me less likely to vote for her. Then Barack was his with "Does the fact that he's taken money from lobbyists in Washington make you less likely to vote for him?" Finally, even John Edwards took a hit with this: "Does the fact that some people have called John Edwards call for an immediate removal of all troops from Iraq irresponsible make you less likely to vote for him?" (These are slightly paraphrased as I wasn't taking notes, but the gist of the attack is clear.) At least the questions weren't as bad as what Bush allegedly did to McCain in 2000.

I asked the young lady what company she worked for. She told me it was Timberline Total Solutions. When I remarked to her that this sure seemed like a push-poll and made me pretty uncomfortable, she said I wasn't the first caller to say that. I have left a message for Tom Behm of Timberline, but he has not returned my phone call.

My main question is who hired Timberline to make the calls. Is it one of the second tier Democrats? One of the Republicans trying to hurt the Democratic frontrunners?

Four things

2007-11-27T14:24:00.000-06:00

Four things about me that you may or may not have known in no particular order. I stole this from Sharon whole stole it from Dieter.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Pen Buyer
2. Technical Writer
3. Stay at home Dad
4. Arbys man

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. Stand By Me
2. Aladdin
3. Aliens
4. Star Wars

Four places I have lived:
1. Iowa City, IA
2. LaGrange Park, IL
3. York, PA
4. Darien, IL

Four TV Shows that I watch:
1. Heroes
2. Survivor
3. How I Met Your Mother
4. Cold Case

Four places I've been :
1. Baseline Lake, MI
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Ground Zero, NY
4. The mountains of Georgia

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Lasagna
2. Pop tarts
3. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
4. Pizza

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In bed
2. With Sharon
3. In Hawaii
4. Filming Survivor

Four things I am looking forward to next year:
1. Something happening with Dreamwell's space issues
2. My Appalachian Trail hike
3. Rachel learning to really, really read
4. Piper learning to walk

Directions: Copy and paste this into your blog, but fill it out with your own answers.

Where goes our American culture?

2007-11-19T09:10:00.000-06:00

So I'm on Facebook. And there's this movie quiz application. And so I've been answering really easy movie questions for much of the morning. After you answer the question, they tell what percentage of those who answered it got it right. Here's my most recent question:

In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, who was the character who wanted a brain?

You Chose:
b. Scarecrow (Correct - 10 pts)

Correct Answer:
a. Tin Man (11%)
b. Scarecrow (84%)
c. Dorothy (2%)
d. Lion (3%)
e. Dorothy's dog (0%)

Can you believe 11% of the people who answered this question thought the Tin Man needed the brain? What is this world coming to?

Gotta be smart to read this...

2007-11-08T13:01:00.001-06:00

Not that I've been posting here lately, but if I did you'd read posts with a lot of intelligence behind them. This website proves it:

Writing plays

2007-10-15T19:19:00.000-05:00

For over a year now, I've been participating in a local playwriting group called the Black Doggers. We meet every couple of weeks, read our stuff, and critique each other. Not unlike River Valley Writers, the group I started when I was in college, except this is playwriting only. It's been a great way for me to get back into playwriting, something I've really missed the last seven or eight years. And now all that work has paid off. I submitted a ten-minute play to Rage Theatrics' Hero Stories event and it was accepted. The play is called Pop Tart Hero and is a humorous look at what it takes for one Walter Mitty-esque guy to find the hero in himself. There's a lot of stage combat in the piece as that is Rage's niche. It goes up January 20 at Space/Place.

Sammi threw up yesterday so I was home with a sickie all day. Since she (and Piper, who was also home but not sick) spent most of the day sleeping, I had time to write. I carved a ten-minute play out of an unfinished longer piece that I had been struggling with. Today is the last day to send in a submission to City Circle's short play festival which goes up in February. So, even though I wasn't completely satisfied with my play, I emailed it to them. I know they've had a lot of submissions, so the competition will be fierce. It seems unlikely that I'd have two plays produced within a month of each other, but you never know. It's a play about a dad who is having a hard time being a good dad to his teenage daughter.

It just feels good to be writing again. And finishing. Really, that's what feels good. Finishing.

Bang bang!

2007-10-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

I have never in my life considered playing the drums.

You Should Play the Drums

You are often hyper, restless, and full of a little too much zeal.
However, people may be surprised to know that you can focus your energy well.

You are driven and engaged enough to be a great drummer... and you have the stamina to practice for hours.
In fact, when you can channel your energy productively, it only increases!

You are independent and spirited... but also consistent. You can definitely keep the beat.
You work well in a group and contribute heartily - without needing to take the lead.

Your dominant personality characteristic: your aggression

Your secondary personality characteristic: your precision

What Musical Instrument Should You Play?

Obama's Girl?

2007-10-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

Rachel and I went to an Barack Obama rally last night in Coralville. It was going to be a family event since it was originally planned for ST Morrison Park, but the weather changed that plan. We were conveniently enough in the tornado shelter ballroom at the Marriot Hotel as the tornado sirens announced the presence of a twister or two. There were very few seats and they were far away from the action, so we stood a few people back from the protective barrier around the stage. Rachel couldn't see anything unless I held her up. She drew pictures and read books while while we waited an hour for the man to arrive. It was a very long wait for a six year old, but she did really well. She was excited to get some Barack signs. She knew the sign was red, white and blue because of the colors of our flag, but I had to explain the rising-sun-new-day imagery to her.

The main thing she remembered from his speech is his phrase "It's time to turn the page". People were chanting "turn the page" at the rally and it stuck in her head. the best part of the night was at the end, when I held her up and she reached out her hand hoping he'd shake it and he did. He really had to work hard to reach her as she was three people back from the barrier. He had a great expression on his face - an "I am going to shake your hand, you cute kid" look. Here's a picture from the event:

That isn't Rachel's hand (it's too big), but that does give you a good idea of how hard he had to work to reach her.

I am very close to supporting Barack Obama for president. Hearing Ted Sorensen, who was an advisor to President John F. Kennedy, compare Barack to Kennedy was very persuasive. He said that while Kennedy wasn't thought to be very experienced, he did have good judgment which he demonstrated during the Cuban Missle Crisis. Barack, said Sorensen, has that same quality. I found an article Sorenson wrote comparing Barack and Kennedy. It's worth a read.

Rachel, however, isn't sold on Barack yet. She still likes the girl who's running for president.

Stories project

2007-09-28T16:58:00.000-05:00

Remember how they were going to build a ridiculous rain forest in Coralville? Fortunately, that project has moved to somewhere else (Pella?). However, Coralville still has this amazing space down by the Iowa River that needs development. One idea floating around is the Stories concept. The idea is to capitalize on the fact that Iowa City is one of the literary capitals of the world with the Writer's Workshop at the University of Iowa and such. So it would be similar to Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame except for books and authors - a Literary Hall of Fame. It could also have amusement type stuff for kids. Perhaps a performance space to transform literature to the stage? All in all, it is a million times better than the rainforest idea.

You can download a pdf file and check it out if you'd like. However, realize that this is all very much in the planning stages and what you see there will almost certainly not be the final result.

Still, if they do even half of what they're proposing, it sounds great to me.

11 years

2007-09-28T08:45:00.000-05:00

Time sure moves quickly when you're not looking. Sharon and I married eleven years ago today. It was a beautiful day, the pig was in Dieter's pocket, Ali cried, the unity candle almost went out but then I glared at it, Uncle Wally danced crazily at the reception, Rachel P. was not falling down, Grandma said we needed a little more church in our lives, my brother and sister and their families sang "All you need is love" on the video, we danced the macarena not once but twice, all of our friends hated our photographer, we received The Big Pig as a wedding present, and Sharon was absolutely beautiful.

I do it all again. In fact, I'd really like to do it again right now, but Sharon says we have to wait 14 years.

Happy anniversary, Sharon.

Role Reversal

2007-09-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I was in the car listening to a Chris Daughtry CD. It was pretty loud but not deafeningly so. From the back seat, I hear "Turn it dooooownnn, Daddy!" My three and a half year old has turned into an 80-year old grandma who doesn't like loud music. Shouldn't I be the one telling them to turn their music down?

Theatre on the prowl

2007-09-28T08:10:00.000-05:00

Check out this post about non-traditional theater spaces. Worth a read.

What?

Yes, I am trying to drum up traffic for the Iowa City Theatre Blog.

Dennis Chamberlin

2007-09-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

I love taking pictures. I'm not in any way skilled at it, but I do have a sincere appreciation for those individuals who can take a great picture. Dennis Chamberlin is one of those individuals. His collection Screen Culture is currently showing at Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids, but you can also view it online here. My favorite is the first one in that gallery entitled Gameboy. Instead of settling into bed with a book, this little boy is huddled in the dark with his Gameboy. I get such a sense of love from the boy for that little piece of plastic and wires. While my immediate reaction is to lament that the gadget has taken the place of the book, I also wonder if maybe I'm just an old fashioned foolish man who won't accept that times have changed.

Why K-Ville won't last

2007-09-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

I don't think I'm being very prophetic here. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there predicting K-Ville will crash and burn. I watched the first episode (yay for DVRs!) and the moment I was certain this show would tank was in the last five minutes. I am going to spoil it now, so stop reading if you care. But trust me, you don't care.

Okay. So in the last two minutes of the show, the black cop tells white cop he knows that he was in prison when Katrina hit. Black cop knows white cop should still be locked up. These writers just wasted the best storyline of the show. Why tell us that in a two minute scene when you can develop the story over the course of a number of episodes? We don't care about white cop yet. The first episode was all about black cop. We care about him. Give us a white cop episode, get us caring about him, and then reveal that he's an ex-con. Terrible writing.

And that's why K-Ville will crash and burn.

Bland house

2007-09-14T15:10:00.000-05:00

Our walls are white. Every single one of them. They're boooooooring. When I visited my friend Mark's new house, I was impressed by how well he used color on the walls. Really gave the house a great feel to it.

Sharon found this fun website which helps you mix and match colors. Just click on the Color Visualizer link on the left hand side of the screen.

The main problem with this plan is that I have little to no confidence in our ability to paint our walls well. And we're certainly not about to hire anyone to do it. So yeah. It's a grea idea...

Dreamwell remembers 9/11

2007-09-12T13:22:00.000-05:00

Last night at the Iowa City Public Library, Dreamwell hosted a remembrance for those who died six years ago on 9/11. We performed two scenes from That Day in September, read the names of the victims who had lived in Iowa and surrounding states, sang a couple of songs, and shared our memories and thoughts about that day.

I was touched most by the mom who talked about her son who had assisted in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. She recalled praying that he wouldn't see any bodies, but of course he did. But she shared something else that really warmed my heart. Her son said that everytime they found a part of a victim, they treated that person's remains with complete reverence and respect.

It was broadcast live on the Library channel and will be shown again in October. So watch for it if you can.

Crimes of the Heart

2007-09-12T13:21:00.000-05:00

Check out the Iowa City Theatre blog for a new post about Crimes of the Heart, which opens this weekend at ICCT.

Where were you?

2007-09-11T13:13:00.000-05:00

September 11 will always be one of those "Where were you when it happened?" days. Like JFK's assasination and Challenger explosion. Six years ago today I was at work at NCS. I got a call from Sharon telling me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. While we were on the phone, the radio said a second plane had hit it and we knew then it was no accident. I spent the rest of the day not working, just surfing the internet getting information about what was happening. My best source of information came from the members of a Survivor message board I belonged to. One of the people on that board worked in DC and gave us up to the minute accounts of what was happening there until she was evacuated.

What I remember most about that day is the fear I felt for Rachel. She was less than a year old and safe at her babysitter's house. But even though I knew that Coralville, Iowa was not on the list of terrorist targets, I was terribly worried about her. I think I realized then that no matter what was going on, she would always be my first worry.

And now I have three little girls to worry about. And the world doesn't seem any more safe now than it was then.

New blog

2007-09-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

I've started an Iowa City Theatre blog. The reason for it is in the first post. I'm looking for contributers. Check it out.

Coming soon will be a post about Crimes of the Heart, the next ICCT show.

That Day in September articles

2007-09-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

Two articles appeared today. The funny thing is they contradict each other.

It didn't take long for Matt Falduto to decide to stage "That Day in September." is the first line of the PC story.

It took some time for Falduto... to sign on to produce September... says the DI story.

So which is it?

What I told each reporter is that I wasn't sure we wanted to do a show about September 11, but then I read the script and decided it was something we had to do. Which just goes to show reporters can interpet what you say any way they want.

I also never said Van Why didn't want to be in our creative space, which was great as the DI reporter wrote. I don't think I've ever used the term "creative space". Next time a tape recorder would be a good idea, I think.

Still, I really don't mean to complain. It's a well written article. Both are, in fact.

So come see the show!

I'm feeling very bloggy today...

2007-09-03T14:04:00.001-05:00

Pictures from That Day in September

2007-09-03T10:12:00.001-05:00

New Yorkers enjoying the day at the Plaza at the World Trade Center Towers.

Artie (portrayed by Jeff Mead in this scene) getting his daily coffee from his Coffeeman (Michael Connell).

Seeing the plane hit the World Trade Center.

Emotional exercise

2007-09-03T09:59:00.001-05:00

I was talking to one of my relatives yesterday about Dreamwell's upcoming show That Day in September. The questions I was asked about the show ranged from "How long is it?" to "How did you advertise it?" Not one question about the subject matter of the play despite the fact that I mentioned it was a show about 9/11. You would think that would elicit a question or two about the actual show itself. But this family member is clearly more focused on the practical elements of a production. I think this frame of mind is why it's so hard to talk to people about my theater ambitions. I don't care about making lots of money. I don't care about being the biggest theater in the city. I don't care about having a hundred people at a performance. What I care about is creating art that makes me people think, that challenges their preconceived ideas about the world, and that touches their hearts.

Most people don't think about such things on a daily basis. They are too caught up in daily life for such reflective thoughts. Once in a while they see a show or read a book, are moved, and that's enough. But I constantly want that stimulation. And I love providing it. It's exercise for our emotions and it's what makes us who we are. That's what matters to me.

Not how we advertised the show.

A little plug

2007-08-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine, David Miessler-Kubanek, has a website for his freelance design work. He's very talented. Here's a link to his site. He's done three designs for Dreamwell productions and all are among the best flyers we've ever had for a show. His most recent design is for our next show, That Day in September. Check it out:

Barack at the Iowa State Fair

2007-08-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

That's one of his daughters with him. I wish I had a professional photog taking a picture of me when I was in the bumper cars with Rachel at Adventureland. Our pictures were too dark to see anything. I imagine we had similar expressions on our faces, too.

Picture by Scott Olson/Getty.

My birthday plans

2007-08-17T07:55:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a while. I haven't had much to say recently, I guess. I have to be careful about what I say about my job because of privacy issues and I haven't quite worked out how to tell some of my crazy financial aid stories. There is plenty of material there, that's for certain.

I can tell you what I'm doing for my birthday this evening. I will sitting on my couch watching the premiere of a sure to be classic movie... High School Musical 2.

You see, yesterday I heard through the grapevine (Sharon) that Rachel was assuming that was what I wanted to do on my birthday was watch High School Musical 2 with her. When I talked to her last night, looking into those big blue hopeful eyes, I said well... maybe. It's not that I don't mind seeing it sometime with her, but for my birthday? Anyway, I put Rachel to bed with the "maybe" answer. About a half hour later, she comes out of her room, sniffling. She sits on the couch and hugs me and I see big old tears welling in her eyes. What's wrong, I asked her.

"I really wanted to watch High School Musical 2 with you tomorrow."

Well, what's a dad to do?

Of course, I'll watch it with you. Don't cry. It's okay. I'm looking forward to it. We'll make popcorn. It'll be fun. Just don't cry, okay?

Yep, that's my plans for my 36th birthday.

And really I can't complain.

We're breaking free

2007-07-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

Tonight I came home to find Rachel dancing to the High School Musical soundtrack. She was more than dancing to it... she was performing with gestures appropriate to the emotion of the song. It just reminded me of, well, me. I can't dance or sing, but that didn't stop me from performing like a nut to every cool song I knew when I was a kid. It's weird to see yourself in your kids, but it's also extremely gratifying. It makes you realize how connected you are to them and it allows you to relive some of the joy you felt as a kid.

So yeah, we danced together. It was fun.

Some pictures

2007-07-17T13:20:00.000-05:00

We had a great time on vacation in Michigan. The last two pictures are from that trip. The others are just cute photos of the girls. I can't believe how big Rachel is getting. She looks older than a first grader, doesn't she?

Auditions!

2007-07-13T00:53:00.000-05:00

Auditions for That Day in September are this weekend.

"Auditions are for Dreamwell Theatre’s production of “That Day in September,” by Artie Van Why. Roles are available for a diverse cast of eight actors, ages 18 to 80, men and women. Copies of the script are available at the library. Directed by Matthew Falduto, the play is based on the author’s experiences before and after the September 11 attacks."

When: 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, July 15, 2007
Where: Iowa City Public Library
More information: (319) 541-0140

I am getting excited about the show. What is making it more interesting to me is the unusual nature of the play. It's not a staright narrative with multiple characters interacting and reaching a resolution. This is a play with one character played silmutaneously by eight very different actors. There's going to be a different feel to it. The direction is going to be key to making it work. Oftentimes in plays, actors have a pretty good idea of what will work well in a scene. But this show really throws a lot of that out the window. I think there will need to be an emphasis on the physicality of the interaction between the actors. Lots of touching. There must be a feeling from the audience that these actors are connected and I think a good way to do that is to show that connection with physical interaction. That's, of course, not in the script anywhere, so we're going to have to figure it out together. I am torn about lights. I am beginning to think they will be a distraction to the feeling I want to create of bringing the audience into the show. Lights up and down could create a separation that might not work for this piece. But at the same time, I don't want to lose all theater conventions that we're used to.

The other part of the show that makes it exciting for me is the subject matter. We, that is the citizens of the United States of America, need to talk about September 11 again. It's starting to become history and we need to remember it. We need to remember how it made us feel to see those planes hit the Towers. We need to examine our collective reaction to that tragedy - the good parts and the bad. We need to figure out what we did right and what we did wrong. And when we look at the mistakes we made, we need to take a moment to understand how we got there and why.

"He who fights monsters should look into it that he himself does not become a monster. When you gaze long into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Added a blog

2007-07-12T12:53:00.000-05:00

I added Nelle's blog to my sidebar. Check it out.

That's what we're all about

2007-06-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

I saw Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde tonight. What a great show. The acting was perfect, the direction was tight and well coordinated, and the technical elements worked well. It's a long show (around two and a half hours), but Dawn Wittke-King's direction moved things along a good clip. This show is a perfect example of why Dreamwell exists. I am too tired to write well right now, but seeing this show makes me proud to be one of the ones who created this theater over ten years ago.

Brewbaker's wig was somewhat distracting, but only because I know him personally.

An excellent night at the theater.

I am still proud to be an American...

2007-06-25T13:20:00.000-05:00

... but our current administration makes it difficult. You have to read the Washington's post series on Dick Cheney, who they refer to as the most influential vice president in history. It provides an in depth look at how the administration, with Dick Cheney directing, has changed our government into one that tortures people and does not provide them with the basic rights that we are taught from the earliest age apply to all people.

"That same day, Aug. 1, 2002, Yoo signed off on a second secret opinion, the contents of which have never been made public. According to a source with direct knowledge, that opinion approved as lawful a long list of interrogation techniques proposed by the CIA -- including waterboarding, a form of near-drowning that the U.S. government has prosecuted as a war crime since at least 1901. The opinion drew the line against one request: threatening to bury a prisoner alive."

Emphasis added. This is what an Australian citizen claims happened to him at Guatanamo:

"Interrogators questioned him under guidelines that gave legal cover to the infliction of pain and fear -- and, according to an affidavit filed by British lawyer Steven Grosz, Hicks was subjected to beatings, sodomy with a foreign object, sensory deprivation, disorienting drugs and prolonged shackling in painful positions."

When is sodomy with a foreign object ever justified? And what kind of a monster do you have to be to be willing to do that to someone?

How can you support a government that does this to anyone?

Gross Indecency

2007-06-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

The Daily Iowan has a great article about Dreamwell's latest show, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, which opens tonight. It's a show I've been wanting Dreamwell to do for many years but we had to wait for a while because the University of Iowa was planning a production of it when I first proposed it.

You can make reservations through the website or by calling 541-0140.

I won't have a chance to see it until next weekend, so if anyone goes, let me know what you think.

Dora needs a new map

2007-06-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

Rachel, six years old, is watching Dora the Explorer with Sammi, three years old. Sammi is enthusiastically responding to everything Dora asks. At one point, as they do every episode, Dora consults Map to find out which way to go. Map tells them they have to go over the troll bridge, over the big rock and then get to the library. Rachel looks disgusted.

"Why don't they just go around the big rock?" she asks.

Clearly, someone has outgrown Dora.

Thoughts on Pirate Master...

2007-06-18T10:21:00.000-05:00

... are over at DTV. Basically, I don't buy it.

The feel good story of the day

2007-06-18T09:03:00.000-05:00

These three girls have started their own newspaper!

It's the sort of thing I hope one of my girls decides to do when she gets older.

Introducing...

2007-06-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Piper June...

My Three Daughters

2007-06-11T08:43:00.001-05:00

Piper June joined our family on June 10 at 5:20 PM. She weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz and measured 19 3/4 inches. She's a good eater and snuggler and has a lot of dark hair. Mom is feeling pretty good. Big sisters are both thrilled that they have a little sister.

This is the only picture we have on a digital camera. Better pictures of the baby will be forthcoming.

June 10 is going to be an important day

2007-06-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm going to become a dad again at some point tomorrow. We're heading in to be induced as the baby is ready to come and the doctor made the offer. Hopefully by the afternoon we'll have a new Falduto!

Wish us luck!

I can solve the immigration problem

2007-05-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

So there's this problem, see, with all these illegal immigrants sneaking over the southern border and screwing stuff up. Or something. And we gotta fix that, right? So I propose a simple solution. Eliminate the border. We take over Mexico and make it the 51st state. Send the tanks tomorrow! Sure, we'd probably have to rename it "Old Mexico" since we have a state called New Mexico, but that's not a problem - that's what they called it in those Young Gun movies, I think, so there's a precedent. Once Old Mexico is a state, everyone there is already an American citizen so they can move to Texas if they want to - no big deal. Of course, this new state needs a lot of work, so we'd have to start fixing things down there. We don't want our Old Mexicans to be second class citizens.

And really, that's where I'm going with this. Congress and the president are attacking the the symptons of this immigration problem, not the root cause. The root cause is that Mexico is apparently a really sucky place to live. At least, that's my assumption since so many Mexicans risk their lives to come here. If I were a Mexican I would be ashamed of my country. And I'd try to do something to fix it. But since it's not just their problem, it's ours what with all the illegal immigration, it would make sense for our government to help Mexico's economy. Make it a better place to live and then we won't have so much illegal immigration.

Or we could just send the tanks.

Thoughts about the debate

2007-04-27T08:09:00.000-05:00

I watched most of the debate last night, although I missed the end where apparently Obama had a good moment. Here are some quick thoughts:

--Bill Richardson is pretty much off my radar. He looked uncomfortable, didn't speak well, and went on and on. Too bad because it sounds like he has good foreign policy experience. Maybe he'll show up as Secretary of State or something.

--Who the hell is Mike Gravel? Besides a crazy ol' coot, I mean. He certainly filled the quota of comic relief. What a nut - he reminded me of Ross Perot without the charisma.

--Clinton impressed me. She is certainly capable. This debate makes it easier for me to support her if she wins the nomination.

--Edwards seemed very presidential. I liked him and his answers although I'd heard all of his best lines before like "It's time to get Americans patriotic about something besides war."

--Obama did not impress me, which was disappointing. He seemed to have a hard time figuring out what he wanted to say. Although, like I said, I missed some really good moment towards the end of the debate.

--Biden was very good. Had the best answer of the night to this question (paraphrasing): Can you control your penchant to stick your foot in your mouth if you become President? Answer: Yes. Heh.

--Kucinich attacked the Senators who voted for the war by saying it wasn't enough to admit to a mistake - you have to get it right the first time, which of course he did by voting against the war. Still, he has no chance and the debate did nothing to change that.

--Dodd did nothing to impress me.

Edwards and Obama are still my top choices, in that order. But I feel better about Clinton and Biden.

My daemon

2007-04-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

The book series, His Dark Materials, inhabitants of one of the worlds have daemons, which is basically a piece of the person's soul in animal form as a constant companion. So I found this quiz on Dieter's livejournal which determined what my daemon would be.

But if you don't think the tiger is me, you can change it...

The Books of 2007, Part 2

2007-04-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

9-18) The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital, The Carnivorous Carnival, The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril and The End by Lemony Snicket - I enjoyed the rest of this series a lot. After book four, the pattern that was clear in the beginning of the series changed and that kept it more interesting. The End had a suprisingly satisfying conclusion. And the series get three Oasis palm trees.

19-21) The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman - What a great fantasy series. Wonderful ideas about religion and God, innocence and responsibility, love and our souls. Groundbreaking work, really. Check it out if you can. It's not just for kids. Four Oasis palm trees.

Twenty one books in four months. I think I'm going to be okay. And I'm trying to remember if I read anything else between those two series.

They still have segregated proms!?

2007-04-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

I can't belive this story. The students of Turner County High School in Georgia had their first integrated prom this year. You know, that crazy idea of black and whites going to the same high school dance. This is 2007, right? What's truly amazing to me is that they're proud of themselves. Proud? Because they finally caught up with the rest of the country thirty years late? I mean, really, the people of this community ought to be embarrassed that this has gone on for so long.

And of course, there are actually idiots in the community who think the integrated prom is a bad idea.

"I've asked, 'Why can't you come?' and they're like, 'My mommy and daddy -- they don't agree with being with the colored people,' which I think is crazy," she said.

At least the students realize it's crazy. And who the hell still uses the term "colored people".

History to be made... or not

2007-04-23T12:45:00.000-05:00

I've been following the presidential race even though it started ridiculously early. Still, being an Iowan, I have the rare opportunity to have a real impact on who gets nominated to represent the Democratic party. I did finally register as a Democrat in 2003 after being a proud Independent for many years. I did so because I wanted to have an impact on the caucuses in Iowa and if I have to choose, and I really wish I didn't, but if I have to, I'll come down on the Democrat side. Anyway, after years of having zero really good candidates, we are suddenly awash in good candidates. Of the big three, I particularly like Obama and Edwards. Clinton seems like a political tool in my opinion, although I try to keep an open mind. But here's the amazing thing - we have a chance to nominate a black man or a women to represent the Democrat party. This is historical! This is awe-inspiring! I can't wait.

Except...

Except... I like Edwards best.

How frustrating to like the old white male over the two historically significant choices. I would love to see a black president or a female president. Let's break some barriers - let's show the world that we're not dominated by old white men. Let's go for it!

Except... I like Edwards best.

And I'm trying to find reasons to dislike the man. But when the best anyone can come up with is a $400 haircut, well, that doesn't change the fact that he has the most specific and comprehensive plan to turn this country around. His views on healthcare, the environment, national security, foreign policy, and on and on are right on the money. He has the right words and he says them with conviction and passion. He sounds presidential. He is presidential.

I hope he wins the nomination... and picks Obama to be his VP.

Because... I like Edwards best.

In the heartless neighbors category...

2007-04-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

Or perhaps it should be in the sloppy reporting category. This story states that seventeen neighbors are petitioning to get a family to remove a camper that's an eyesore and hurting property values. It's against zoning rules, too, apparently. The caveat is that the family with the camper lost a son in Iraq and the camper is a reminder of him.

What's missing from the story is whether the neighbors approached the camper family and discussed moving it before filing the petition. What was camper family's response? Did the seventeen families know that it reminded camper family of the lost son? Did you ask those questions, Press Citizen reporter person?

This is why when the PC called me last week and asked me sign up for their paper, I told them that I found the paper to be less than satisfactory.

A sad day

2007-04-12T08:03:00.000-05:00

A moment of silence please for one of the finest American writers of any generation, Kurt Vonnegut.

He died last night at the age of 84.

What I liked most about him was not that he was a extremely talented writer, but that he used that talent to challenge the way we think and encourage us to challenge the ideas of our society. And he was damn funny, of course.

Remind me why I live in Iowa...

2007-04-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

I can't believe this. It's freaking April and there's a snowstorm raging outside my office window.

Where the hell is spring?

The only thing that could make this day worse is if I foolishly venture over to State 29's blog and read something about how this snowstorm "proves" global warming is a myth.

I'm a little evil

2007-04-10T09:33:00.001-05:00

You Are 30% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.
In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?