Christmas Trees from the Ircink's, Tamra and the Peterson's!

My family's tree in Wisconsin. Smallish - but we have three.

Tamra's tree in Florida.

The Peterson tree in Arizona.

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I'll see your eye gouging and raise you a slap on the hand.

Florida coach Urban Meyer suspended Brandon Spikes for the first half of this Saturday's game against Vanderbilt (2-7) due to attempted eye gouging of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey last Saturday.

Granted, the NCAA may take further action after it reviews the case. But a big SHAME ON YOU Coach Meyer for basically doing nothing to Spikes. First half suspension???? Are you fucking kidding me? For eye gouging??? This disgusts me.

If you missed this flagrant foul committed by assfuck Spikes, watch it here.

I realize the Georgia running back said Spikes shouldn't be suspended and that the attempted eye gouging didn't come close to his eyes. OK - sooooo....do we just forgive people for attempted armed robbery? Attempted murder? Attempted kidnapping? Where in the NCAA rulebook does it say "eye gouging, etc.....welllllll....if you're caught, we won't discipline you for it" ? Why don't we let players carry other weapons ('cause your hand is a weapon) onto the field with them? Make the game really interesting. What sort of example are you setting on the high school football level? Wonder what Knute Rockne and Lombardi and Landry and Halas (college and NFL coaches) would do if they were in Meyer's shoes?

HALF GAME suspension? Highly unlikely.

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"Pass the Salt, Please." heads to Miami in June for SE premiere in "America's Short Play Festival"!

What do the following playwrights have in common: David Ives, Jeffrey Hatcher, Kenneth Lonergen, Brian Friel, Jose Rivera, David Mamet, Tina Howe, Christopher Durang, Jane Martin, David Lindsay Abaire, Shel Silverstein, Neil LaBute and Steven Dietz?

They've all had at least one short play performed at City Theatre's Summer Shorts Festival in Miami. And my award-winning "dirty little play" - "Pass the Salt, Please." - will be among those represented at this year's festival, dubbed as the home of “America’s Short Play Festival”. From City Theatre's website - "With a growing reputation for artistic excellence, the company has a strong following with thousands who celebrate this popular festival as the official kick-off of the summer season and “the COOL thing to do on a HOT summer night”.

With packed houses and rave reviews annually, Summer Shorts is one of the few festivals nationally devoted to World or Florida Premieres of “shorts”, original comedies and dramas running 3 - 20 minutes each. "PTSP." will get a 5-week run in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale from May 30 - June 28 and, as this is an Equity (union) production, I get a contract...which my father is very happy about. Check out City Theatre's site here.

City Theatre also has an artistic alliance with one of the nation’s most prestigious regional theatres, the Actors Theatre of Louisville, which sponsors the internationally renowned Humana Festival of New American Plays. As co-sponsors of the National Ten-Minute Play Contest, City Theatre and ATL receive over 1,200 annual submissions for consideration for the Summer Shorts and Humana Festivals.

Incidentally, I had submitted "PTSP." for the National Ten-Minute Play Contest last year. Probably too risque. City Theatre Artistic Director Stuart Meltzer got ahold of it and I got the call Tuesday. Seems in the last year there's been a demand for "naughtier" productions, so City Theatre added "Undershorts" to their festival's slate. Enter "PTSP."

I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that I'm of the same caliber as the playwrights I mentioned above. But I will say that a burgeoning playwright such as myself can't ask for better company. This sort of exposure is excellent for the playwright and the play, as well as the opportunity to foster a relationship with two very influential theaters - City Theatre and Actors Theatre.

Check back for updated information.

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Poolside in Florida.

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Sonofabeach! California just made Frankie & Annette cry.

Florida's Caledesi Island was chosen the Top Beach in Dr. Beach's Top Beaches of 2008. Funny - not one beach in California made the runner-up list. Matter-of-fact, not one California beach has ever been named Top Beach since "the doc" began his list in 1991.

And here I thought that amenities such as our beautiful beaches was one of the reasons why we pay outrageous sums of money to live in LA.

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