Lint Trap, part 2

I've been working on a couple of different projects lately, which is partially why, until yesterday, you haven't heard from me in a while.

For the past couple of months I've been doing some side work with my buddy Reynald for Prestige Comedians. Reynald started Prestige about a year and a half ago and he had an idea which, if it worked, would make us both very rich. So far, it hasn't.

As part of Prestige, but not part of the "big" project, I decided to start a comedy troupe. Simple enough. I've started two others in the past, and been involved with the beginnings of two more. The difference this time was that there wasn't a group of talented people who had a lot of talent and the desire to work together. Nope, this time around it's just me--and it has been rough going.

I held auditions and got 16 responses but on the day of auditions, only 5 people showed up...of varying degrees of talent. I don't want to start any old comedy troupe, but the BEST comedy troupe, and I could see that wasn't going to happen. In the weeks that followed, I received a few more inquiries, but was not able to put anything together. I even went to a student show at Second City to recruit people. There were two really good prospects, but I heard no response. I kind of lost interest.

What I decided I would rather do is write a show that showcases me. Not necessarily a one man show, but a show with a small cast with me as the central focus. I've begun to put things in place for this project, which will probably be a much larger undertaking than I had thought. I hope to develop a website for cross-promotional purposes, posting movies, songs, and other tidbits on a regular basis to entice people to see the show, and then use the show to entice people to go to the website, and on and on. I'm pretty in love with the idea of being self-reliant for a change.

Then I got a response from those talented Second City cats, and they're interested in the troupe yet. Don't know if they'd be interested in the latter project. I'll let you know how things turn out.

I'm also working on writing a musical. I started to write it, but it wasn't turning out to well, so I've decided to write in short story form first and base it off of that. The short story started with a full head of steam, and now it has slowed down. Who knew a short story could take so long to write!?

--

On March 28th, I read this story on Yahoo News. I've been meaning to comment on it ever since but I haven't had the time. I just went back to my email to reread it and unfortunately, the page has expired. See how far behind I've gotten?

In the article, if you'll allow me to bery general, this couple in India were officially divorced because one or the other of the husband or wife had said some word three times--while sleeping! I thought it was peculiar. I know we're not fighting a war in India, but in a geographic context, we're fighting in that part of the world against people who still base public policy who believe similarly. Iraq is not India, I know, but when we complain about how long the war and the conversion to a free Iraq is taking, think about where they're coming from!

Here's another backwards story--from today and from about 2 hours south of London:

Officials in Lyme Regis have canceled a local contest and tourist attraction of over 30 years because animal rights activists have threatened to draw negative pubilicity to the competition. What is the competition? Conger cuddling!

Conger cuddling is a "game" where two teams of nine men try to knock each other off a platform by swinging a giant conger eel, which is suspended over the harbor by a rope, at them. WHAT?!

Okay, now the 25 pound eel is actually dead so it's not being hurt. And, by God, what else are you going to do with a 25 pound dead eel? I can't see how animals have "rights" anyway(protections, sure, but not rights), but a DEAD animal? It doesn't matter if you eat it, wear it, or fling it at swaggle of nine burly Brits, the damn thing doesn't feel a thing!

Now, before I sound like I'm condoning the practice I would also like to ask, who came up with this "game" and why can't they just go bowling? It's much--less disgusting!

--

I just spent a couple of days in Indiana visiting my buddy Michael and his wife, Liesl, who are getting ready to move to South Carolina in a couple of days. I've been in Chicago so long, I often forget some of the simple pleasures of the Hoosier state. Scotch eggs, Ding Dong cakes, motorheads, cheap beer, cheap gas, a sky with actual stars in it, and, of course, good friends! So long, friends. Well miss you!
--

Let me wrap things up here. The Cubs have taken the first three games out of a four game series with the Cardinals. Woo-hoo!!! If they win today, not only do they sweep the extended series, but I can start watching them play again. Of course, I'll have missed their sweep of their arch rivals--so what was it all for? Anyway, GO CUBS!!!! (Oh, and Keep Greg Maddux!!)

My next post will be my fiftieth. I promise it won't be retrospective!

Good day, y'all!