Frances Bay

So I'm watching "Twins", and Arnie gets to the orphanage to dig up info on his brother, and the nun helping him seems familiar. Holy cow, I thinks to myself, is that Mrs. Tremond? (No further explanation needed, right?) I had to look it up, but, yes, indeed, that was she! And she's still working today, in her 90s. And her first role wasn't until she was nearly 60. Wow, that's the role model for me! Of course, digging a little deeper, she did study acting and did some stage and radio work 40 years before she appeared as Mrs. Russel in "Foul Play", but still. Close enough. Look out, Hollywood. In a few years, my teeth will be straight and white (just like me!) and I can start appearing in those really small parts in 3 or 4 movies & tv shows a year. For the next 40 years!

The Jobs Halfway House

If you're keeping score at home, I'm technically not unemployed right now. I got hired for a two month contract by my previous employer. So, not exactly employed full-time, but working full-time for two months. Of course, some people do that forever, going from one contract to another. Two things make that untenable for me: being a true contractor (i.e., not the ones employed full-time by a consulting firm) means no benefits -- and I need me some group health insurance (although, technically, I don't know if Papa Obama has changed this dependency for me); and contracting is a life of continuously looking for the next job -- just poke my eyes out!

But having that extra two month financial cushion in my current job search is way better than not having it.

Drunk History

I managed not to be aware of these until now -- it is a big world out there.  Coming to HBO.  There are 5 shorts on FunnyOrDie.com that started two and a half years ago.  They get someone -- presumably someone who knows about history, not some dropout joker off the street -- get them drunk and have them teach us a little about their personal area of historical expertise.  Of the ones on FunnyOrDie, this story of William Henry Harrison literally had me laughing out loud.

Drunk History 4 - Featuring Paul Schneider - watch more funny videos

Twin Peaks Summarized

Summarized in Lego, that is!

MySpace Unsigned Band Competition

No new Ancient Order of the Killer Owl songs yet, but this preliminary mix of "Looks Like" that I mentioned before is now in this year's MySpace competition. Once the entry deadline passes, you should be able to vote for it. Go on. Do it. I think the voting only actually gets one band into the semifinals, the "people's choice". The others (a dozen?) are chosen by the contest runners. But after the semifinalists are announced, I think it's open season on voting.

Today's Economic Outlook

Today's outlook is: not good? I was getting my car washed at the dealership today. It was so quiet. I was the only one in the waiting room, enjoying my complimentary fancy coffee and bagel. Usually at least a couple other people are there. For comparison, back in 2003-2004, it'd be packed on a Saturday morning and you could wait a couple hours.

Out in the showroom it wasn't any more busy. There were a couple people milling about -- all salesmen. Heck, out in the front parking lot, there was a big empty section. I would think you'd arrange the empty spots to be out back somewhere and always keep the front area near the street full of shiny new cars. At least, that's how it usually is. I guess that just means their inventory is low and I'm not sure what that means, economically speaking.

In non-car dealer news, I saw this in a Chicago Tribune story this morning. The numbers make for a staggering comparison. (On the other hand, the world can change a lot in 45 years.)

In 1960, 77 percent of women and 65 percent of men had acquired certain traditional markers of maturity by age 30: leaving home, completing school, full-time employment, marriage and family. In 2005, the figure had plummeted to 27 and 39 percent, respectively, according to the MacArthur Research Network.

And that's today's economic outlook!

"Lost" Fatalities

"Lost" is almost over. Have you noticed a lot of people die on that show?  Or, I should say "die", since who knows how it will turn out with two more shows to go.  Charlie's death still gets me weepy no matter that I've seen the episode multiple times.  Here's a collection, set to that beloved old Jim Carroll chestnut.

A Leading Woman

Did I mention I got cast in another show somehow?  It'll be my 35th.  "A Leading Woman" is being done by Waukegan Community Players and it opens in only two weeks.  It's the world premier of "the happy true story of how a band of struggling actors stood up to the mighty Broadway producers in the summer of 1919."  George Gershwin, George M. Cohan and the founder of Variety are all in the show.  I play Benjamin Brookings, a "young" director excited about the new theater of Chekhov and Ibsen .It's not a musical, but there are a couple songs, including one with a solo for me.

Admission is 12 bucks (sorry, no credit cards).  Shows are at the Dr. Lynn Schornick Theater in the Jack Benny Center in Bowen Park at the north end of Waukegan:  39 Jack Benny Dr., Waukegan, IL.

Shows are May 7, 8, 14, and 15th at 8:00 pm; May 9th at 3:00 pm.

Jobs

Jobs just seem to come and go.  See that!  That's mine, going.  Here's a nice summary. The part about "abandon development of its Symphony blood bank donation management software"?  That's the product I've worked on the last 5 and a half years.  And the facility to be closed in Chicago?  Yeah, that's where I worked on it.  The Chicago office was an independent company until only a couple years ago when Haemonetics bought it.  Easy come, easy go.  It's not personal, Sonny, it's strictly business.

Hansel & Gretel

My next show -- with the Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater -- opens in a week:  The Story of Hansel and Gretel.  That's me in the role of "Father".  Shows are at the Robert Rolek Community Center in Round Lake:

Friday, Apr. 16, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Apr. 17, 2:00 pm
Saturday, Apr. 17, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Apr. 18, 2:00 pm

It was all Mother's fault that the kids got lost in the forest, you know.