yeah I know you did not ask!
The crow has the largest brain, relative to its body size, of any bird. Studies show that crows may be almost as intelligent as monkeys.
Rev. Joe’s Random Thought # 2,465
yeah I know you did not ask!
I understand Ted Cruz. It is not a difficult thing to do. He is a nutcase… certifiably so. What I do not understand are the people of Texas that elected this nutcase to a Senate seat. That is beyond my comprehension
The Phantom of the Opera at The Fabulous Fox
We saw The Phantom of the Opera presented at The Fabulous Fox Theatre on March 7, 2015. I had long desired to see this Broadway presentation of the classic novel by Gaston Leroux. I had this yearning for a two-fold reason. First, the show has had such good press and reviews over the years I was sure it must be at the pinnacle of theatrical delight. Secondly, having read the book I was curious to see how they were going to adapt it to stage. This curiosity was driven by the beauty and the beast paradigm that the show’s advertising seems to apply to the Opera Ghost and to Christine Daaé. My reading of the book gave me no such impression. While Leroux attempted to bring the reader around to a position of pity for Erik at the end of the book, in my opinion Erik’s misdeeds outweighed the one act of good that he did out of love(?).
The stars of this presentation were Chris Mann as the Phantom of the Opera. Mr. Mann is a graduate of the talent show, NBC’s The Voice. He was Christina Aguilera’s finalist on that show.
Katie Travis played the role of Christine Daaé, and Storm Lineberger was Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny.
To put it bluntly, Continue reading “The Phantom of the Opera at The Fabulous Fox”
Word of the Day – Balut
- Noun: Balut
- a food in the Philippines consisting of duck eggs incubated almost to the point of hatching and then boiled – from the Tagalogbalót, balút
- For a story about balut: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/travel/how-to-eat-balut/
- Synonyms:
- None found
- Usage:
- “Everyone watched the American tourist with anticipation as balut was served to him.”
- Encountered:
- Visiting with a Filipino co-worker about food oddities around the world
To see more Words of the Day, visit this link: Words of the Day
Not your average NPR feed…‘Am I Normal?’ Check Biggest Study Yet Of Penis Size, Among 15,000 Men
I found this story on my NPR feed on Facebook. It is definitely not what you would expect from them. They ware actually linking to another site, and here is that link.
‘Am I Normal?’ Check Biggest Study Yet Of Penis Size, Among 15,000 Men
Anything I could add would be superfluous. But do remember the graph is centimeters. There are 2.54 centimeters to the inch.
Select Shorts podcast – Against All Odds
I am absolutely in love with this show, Select Shorts and generally listen to the podcast every week. Their description of the show is as follows:
“Its story time for adults with PRI’s award-winning series of short fiction read by the stars of stage and screen. Recorded live at Peter Norton Symphony Space in NYC and on tour. A co-production of Symphony Space and WNYC Radio.”
This week’s show was especially good. The first reading by Amy Ryan was of Lauren Groff’s , At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners, a tale of a sensitive boy growing up in a house full of snakes. Her imagery was as delicious as the story was captivating.
The second reading which starts about 33:30 was intense, and of more than general interest as I spent 3 years in Jackson, MS. I recognized many of the landmarks he referenced. It is a coming of age story in the racist South by writer Kiese Laymon. The essay, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, is read by Brandon J. Dirden. I found it very intense, and emotional. It is an essay that lingers as you maul over injustices in our nation.
Quote for the Day – Tom Waits
“Don’t you know there ain’t no devil, it’s just god when he’s drunk.” ~ Tom Waits
To see more Quotes for Day, visit this link: Quotes for the Day
The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin is one of the greatest intellects that mankind has produced. He is also a great communicator and writer. This book was well received by a populist audience in its time. It is still an immensely accessible book. It is at times even poetic.
“Among the scenes which are deeply impressed on my mind, none exceed in sublimity the primeval forests undefaced by the hand of man; whether those of Brazil, where the powers of Life are predominant, or those of Tierra del Fuego, where Death and decay prevail. Both are temples filled with the varied productions of the God of Nature:—no one can stand in these solitudes unmoved, and not feel that there is more in man than the mere breath of his body.”
The book is first, and foremost a travelogue. The HMS Beagle left England just at the end of 1831 for a planned 2 year expedition. The voyage stretched out to almost five years, and circumnavigated the globe. The actual time Darwin spent on the Beagle was Continue reading “The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin”
“Honey, is there something you need to tell me?”
A friend of ours made a remark to her daughter (from another period of her life) that she going to buy a Subaru as that is what lesbians drove… 
Subarus. Her daughter was visiting with us and telling us this story about her mother. We recently bought a new Subaru Outback for Robin.
I turn to Robin and say, “Honey, is there something you need to tell me?”
Fortunately I was able to duck her slowing swung swat directed my way.
Fortunately I Ducked Quickly
Robin wanted to get out the house on this snowy day, and recruited me to drive with her to Whole Foods. As we are driving we were discussing our upcoming week and what each of us had planned. I reminded her that I had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday.
She asked, “Is that with the skin doctor?”
“No,” I replied, “it is with the dermatologist.”
Fortunately I was able to duck her slowing swung swat directed my way.