Recent favorite links

Ouch, it's been nearly a month since I've posted. Apologies to my loyal fan. This may be a boring post but here it is anyway,a collection I've been gathering all summer:

These are comments from a progressive Alaskan blog on Sarah Palin. Who knew there were progressives in Alaska?

This is an excellent argument against lowering the drinking age, which I think is the wrong response to a worsening problem. A cop-out by people who should know better.

This is Alice Bradley, author of the Finslippy blog, on the city versus the 'burbs. 'Course, we live in the country, pretty much. Or rather, our street is suburban but the country is a block away. (How do you define 'suburban'? If you can smell cow manure at your house is it country? Farm land? Not that we smell manure at our new place, but the Valley is full of farms.)

This is a GREAT LINK !!! It's a Danish department store's website. Trust me. Watch it.

This is Animator versus Animation. Another great link.

This is Einstein the Bird. What a smart bird.

I suspect a lot of us have been watching HBO's John Adams series, but if you haven't, I totally recommend it. There's some harsh stuff in most episodes, but then, those were very hard times. I've never really understood tar and feathering before . . . ugh. What a man! And what a romance. Rumor has it my mother's family is related to Abigail, but that may just be a rumor. I wouldn't mind that one bit if it were true.

Finally, I've been proselytizing Slings and Arrows all summer. Here's a review of the first season. It's a pretty recent Canadian series, 18 episodes in all, depicting a theater company similar to Stratford. It's very West Wing in its ensemble of quirky, strong characters, fast pace, and superb writing. Also really really really funny.

These are the lyrics to a couple of songs on Slings and Arrows:

CHEER UP HAMLET
Cheer up Hamlet
Chin up Hamlet
Buck up you melancholy Dane
So your uncle is a cad
Who murdered Dad and married Mum
That's really no excuse to be as glum as you've become
So wise up Hamlet
Rise up Hamlet
Buck up and sing the new refrain
Your incessant monologizing fills the castle with ennui
Your antic disposition is embarrassing to see
And by the way you sulky brat the answer is To Be
You're driving poor Ophelia insane
So shut up you rogue and peasant
Grow up it's most unpleasant
Cheer up you melancholy Dane

I DON'T PLAY MACKERS
Call me superstitious or cowardly or weak
But I'll never play a character
Whose name one dare not speak.

I'll play Hamlet
In doublet and hose
Or either of the Dromeos
But sorry, I won't play Mackers.

I'll play Richard the Third
With a hump and a wig
Or Henry the Eighth
That selfish pig
But sorry, I don't do Mackers.

Every soul who plays this role
Risks injury or death.
I'd rather sweep the bloody stage
Than ever do
Mac-you-know-who

So gimme King Lear
Cleopatra
Romeo, Juliet
Doesn't mattra.
I'll play them all for free.
But I'd be crackers
To take on Mackers.
You see, I'm skittish about the Scottish tragedy.
...Och, aye!


CALL THE UNDERSTUDY
Call the understudy
I can't go on tonight
I'm drinking with my buddy
I'm getting good and tight
Before they raise the curtain I'll be higher than a kite
So call the understudy
I can't go on tonight

Tell the cast and crew to break a leg (break a leg!)
Roll me out another bloody keg (bloody keg!)
I need to ease the pain that life can bring
And liquor is what will hit the spot
The play is not the thing

So call the understudy
I think it's only right
My diction will be muddy
I'll never find my light
Before the intermission I'll be pissin' on a sprite
So call the understudy
I can't go on (he can't go on!)
I won't go on (he shan't go on!)
I can't go on tonight (damn right!)

By Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, who wrote The Drowsy Chaperone.
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Finally, Pilobolus is a fun dance troup. This is them on Conan O'Brien recently. Summer in the city, indeed!

Wondertime needs your “First” holiday photos

Please feel free to forward this to folks who might be interested. Old snapshots are welcomed too.

Do you have photos of your child’s first experience of a holiday tradition? Think out of the (gift) box: First time eating latkes, putting up decorations, going caroling, writing New Year’s resolutions, hanging a stocking, lighting kinara candles, polishing the menorah, or watching the ball drop. Anything that says “holidays”—and don’t forget, these could even be pictures of you as a child. Email your photos and two or three sentences about each to firsts@wondertime.com, along with your contact information. Photos may also be mailed to Wondertime Firsts, 47 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA 01060. Sorry, submissions cannot be returned.