"away, boxelder!"

away, boxelder!

- you, annoying cockroach, you -

i'd step, but you stink

Here's a swarm from last year. I hate them.

Sofuku.

My best friend in Cali (Maria) plays this. Maybe she's given it up. I do this now and then - no plan, no rhyme or reason, no methodology. I start with "1" and go across and see how far I can get. 6 rows completed...as far as I've gotten. Even though it's all wrong.

lint. any suggestions?

It's from the dryer. I know it has some practical uses. Curious if anyone has tried this. I'm gonna see how much I can collect.

Love & Maple Syrup.

The title of this post is a Gordon Lightfoot song I had never heard (can't find it to post here but you can look on Amazon). Great yield this year, better than last season, largely due to my brother modifying his collection technique.

Found a podcast on maple syrup in New England from the editor's of Yankee Magazine...if you're interested in hearing more about syrup production. I know you don't have anything better to do. We'll go up this next weekend I think to finish most of the sap off. Good times. Click on READ MORE! to see how stopped by to say say, "hello".

Me, Brad, Greg and Jas. People will stop by now and then to check out what we're doing. Sometimes they stay for a while and imbibe.

My dad with Jas' dog, Molly.

Brad and his wife, Joy.

Greg and his son, Henry.

Meet Eva. Part Cinq.

For past American Apparel posts, click here: Reverse Cowgirl & Sasha Grey., Meet Britney. Part Deux., Meet Britney. Part Trois., Meet Britney & Sasha. Again. Part Quatre., and Best Bottoms in the World.

Miss you, Jan.

(Photo by Dean Torrence, 1965)

Jan Berry, one half of the singing duo Jan & Dean, passed away 7 years ago today, March 26th. He would be 70 now.

Listen to "Baby Talk", the group's first big hit from 1959.

Shatner? Captain Kirk? 80?

Missed your birthday last Wednesday, Bill. That's OK - wanted to let the hubbub die down a bit so you and I could enjoy the moment alone.

I love William Shatner. I may even put him right up there as my 2nd favorite all-around entertainer (2nd to Dean Martin). Loved him in Star Trek, on The Twilight Zone, Boston Legal, (never watched T.J. Hooker), like his Priceline commercials, love his "singing" renditions of popular songs. But what I like best about the man is he doesn't take life too seriously and has an innate ability to poke fun at himself. That's a rare quality. I don't know anyone else who transferred the Shakespearean acting technique to places it should not go - like television and movies. And Shatner has spawned a whole generation of impersonators, jokesters - all at his expense.

And does Shatner care? Fuck no. Here are a few clips you should watch if you're not familiar with the Man called Shatner:

1.) Worst fight scene ever. Capt. Kirk v. Gorn.
2.) Shatner singing "Rocket Man" on television.
3.) Shatner singing "Mr. Tambourine Man" - audio only.
4.) Shatner on the original Twilight Zone in episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet". Inarguably in the top 10 of all Twilight Zone episodes. Notice I said, "inarguably".
5.) Shatner doing his verison of the Cee Lo Green song, "Fuck You".
6.) Denny Crane meets the Chinese on Boston Legal.

Come on...all those clips beat the pants off Leonard Nimoy's (Shatner's close friend) song, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins". If that's not enough for you, check out William Shatner's website here.

Live long and prosper, Mr. Shatner.

Quran burning sighted.

Uh-oh. Quran burning is in the news again.

It's perfectly legal to burn a copy of the Quran (or is it "Koran") - or the United States flag - in the U.S. I wouldn't do either, out of respect for those who follow the Quran and out of respect for my own country.

So why does it always seem like an exercise in walking on egg shells whenever there's talk about burning a copy of the Quran in the U.S. or elsewhere (aside from countries who follow the teachings of the Quran)? Enough so that the President and the FBI get involved? What's with the "oh no - they're gonna burn a Quran" attitude that follows? Why do alarms go off whenever there's a chance that a culture might be offended?

Perhaps the more pointed question is why does one culture get bent out of shape when their sacred object is burned/desecrated and yet people burn the U.S. flag all over the world (and yes I take offense to it) but I don't swear out a death warrant for the person who torched it.

I'm not saying it's a smart thing to do. I wouldn't. But explain it to me like I'm a four-year-old. What about our right to free speech? I mean, free speech enabled thousands of people to protest against Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal in Madison, Wisconsin. And I doubt many of those protestors had any respect for the governor while holding signs that said,
" Walker's mother should've swallowed that load".

What's the difference?

The next "right" fight to take to Madison?

Court of Appeals reinstates Milwaukee sick pay law.

According to Georgia Pabst's article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the city's paid sick day ordinance would require large businesses to provide employees with up to nine sick days a year, while small businesses would have to provide up to five sick days.

9 days? How 'bout 8, or 7, or 6. Two weeks paid sick days? Well that's not unreasonable with today's economy. I mean, it's a right - you know. Gotta have two weeks paid sick days. No sacrificing here.

The court agreed with the voters, and if we have to take this fight to the state Capitol and beyond, we will.

- Dana Schultz, lead organizer of 9to5, the National Association of Working Women

TGIF! presents...."Fuck You Like An Animal" by Nine Inch Nails.

One minute Trent Reznor writes this tune with Nine Inch Nails and the next minute he wins an Oscar at this year's Academy Awards for composing the score for the film, The Social Network.

Study of a Barn, Part Deux.

This is the 2nd time I've shot this barn, only this time it's the interiors. Here's the first picture shoot.

Jean Francois Millet & Robert Dudley.

I stopped in Marion, Iowa (named after the Swamp Fox) on my way into Cedar Rapids Friday afternoon and had a chance to peruse a few antique shops. Picked up three nice pieces. I have no idea how old they are but they're great and they're mine.

Above: Jean-François Millet, The Gleaners, 1857, oil on canvas

Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. He is noted for his scenes of peasant farmers and is categorized as part of the naturalism and realism movements. I have a theme of pastoral-esque scenes on the first floor. Country, revelry, various folks, family - that sort of thing. It fits.

The other art pieces are from Robert Dudley, one of the premier etchers of his day. There's scant information available on Dudley but I was able to find out that "chromolithographs" represent the zenith of the lithographers art, which peaked around 1870. These are two of the 36 colored plates from "The Shakespeare Library", published by William Mackenzie in about 1870.

The one above is labeled, "Come away death", Act VI, Scene I from "Twelfth Night". However, there is no 6th Act in "Twelfth Night". And "come away death" is in a different scene in that play. The back of the print says, "Where there's for thee and there". That quote is from Act IV, Scene I of "Twelfth Night" and more accurately reflects the drawing/etching above.

This second one is correctly labeled, "Master, be one of them", from Act IV, Scene 1 of "Two Gentlemen of Verona". An art coup! in Marion, Iowa (I should be on American Pickers).

i'll take your candle wax.

I do dabble. I'm dabbling today.

Sugaring time in Booth Hollow.

Earlier start this year. Weather was a factor - and my brother fine-tuned his collecting technique. Last year we ended up with 150 gallons of sap (that's 4 gallons of syrup). We have 300 gallons already. For last year's sugaring posts, check back in my RECENT POST & BLOG ARCHIVE (scroll down, right panel) under late March 2010/early April 2010.

That tarp was to keep the rain off the evaporator - and us. The trade-off is that once the sap starts boiling, it gets like a sauna in there and it's hard to see. It's pretty cool how you can smell the maple syrup in the burn-off.

Jason saved this little guy from jumping into the fire.

Fungi. I think.

"Untitled" (2004). Nick Perkins.

I'm honored to have this in my office, Nick. Go raibh míle maith agat!

"The Beaver". Spring 2010.

Mel's next film is How I Spent My Summer Vacation and co-star Scott Cohen had this to say about working with Gibson (BlogTalkRadio.com):

He's quieted down... I found Mel to be really giving and really generous. When I first met him his energy was so intense. What comes out of his eyes is so magnetic and so fierce, you're like, 'Oh my God!

But he was nice, just joking around. He gave the director (Adrian Grunberg) an opportunity to direct his first movie, and Mel was there all the time kind of helping him with shots. I found him to be incredibly educating.

Don't be too hard on Mel...I mean, the Beaver. Info and trailer here.

Nick & Ang & Ava & Me.

Nick and Ang accompanied me to Theatre Cedar Rapids' production of "Sweeney Todd" (see separate blog post below).

Their daughter Ava. 16 months already. I love kids who warm up quickly to their uncles.

5 for 5 meat pies for TCR's "Sweeney Todd"!

Everyone said it was great, so that's what I was expecting. And it was. My former stomping grounds really nailed this very difficult Stephen Sondheim musical - from the performances and set to the make-up and costumes, including Sweeney Todd's barber chair. Brilliant. Direction, music...an A!

And a special shout out to Lincoln Ginsberg who was equally as brilliant in the role of Tobias. Look it up. He nailed it. His parents are good theater folk/friends of mine, Megan & Steve, so I was really, really crossing my fingers that Lincoln was as good as everyone said. Very proud of you, Lincoln.

Click on READ MORE! for a few more after-show party pics at the Ginsberg's!

Catherine Blades was in from NYC for a couple events. She performed in the "Bye, Bye Birdie" Revival on Broadway with John Stamos and she just had a part on the television series, "Blue Bloods". I've known Catherine since she was 2 and I've always said she was talented. I think she's got quite the career ahead of her. That's why I cornered her at the party to talk about theater - and MY PLAYS (before she makes it really big).

Left to right: Scott, me, Amy (mother of Catherine, above), someone I just met who was very nice and David. Theater folk going all the way back to 1994 when I first started. Solid. All of them.

Steve G. told me he hardly ever wears his smoking jacket and the after-party he and Megan hosted was one of those occasions. My camera's interior shots suck (I should really check those settings) but Steve and his jacket look good in this blurred image. Need some jewelry or other fine gifts for a special occasion? Ginsberg Jewelers.

Dick Winter's (of "Band of Brothers" fame) memorial.

Major Dick Winters, who led the real "Band of Brothers" during WWII passed away on January 2, 2011. A public memorial will be held at the Hershey Theatre in Hershey, PA, tomorrow (Saturday) at 2 pm.

Major Winters' character was a primary focus during the film, and he was heavily featured during the narration segment of the television series.

Separated at Birth? Me & my Dad.

My dad (left) and me (1995). Ha....separated at birth....trick question. Hmmm...do we look alike?

TGIF! presents...Ginger Michael.

Stumbled upon this guy on YouTube (like I search YT for oddballs). There's a remix version that's just as funny but I wanted you to see the real Ginger Mike in action

Sláinte! from Dalton's Pub, Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!

"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra" from Going My Way (link for FB).

Charles Haughey versus Don Lydon. Dublin-style!

A good Irish door is easy to find - unless you're Irish politician Don Lydon. After a heated discussion with Charles Haughey (left), then Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Lydon (right) was having difficulty finding the door out of Charles' wood panelled office in Dublin. After a few moments, Charles looked up.

CHARLIE
What are you still doing here?

LYDON
I can't find the door, Prime Minister.

CHARLIE
Then why don't you jump out the fucking window?