#LifeTurningMoment
I was talking to a very well-dressed, frail old woman, with perfectly styled white hair, when she became physically distraught about the horrible state our country was in.
Supply Trumps Demand
Just had one of those lightbulb moments
re why the haters (wealthy or wanna be)
think immigrants are the country's problem.
The algorithm is this:
Suka’s Farm by Ginger and Frances Park
Suka's Farm is a quietly reflective children’s picture book that offers a glimpse into the life of a poor Korean family during the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1941…
The State of Our Beaches and NC Gerrymandering
Even NC's beloved summer beach economy isn't enough for the state to *allow* localities to implement the protections necessary to keep our water safe. ..
Piggle the Pig by Dudolf: A Book Review
Whether it's spreading mud on the furniture, getting paint all over himself, or trailing trash from a holey garbage bag, Piggle provides lighthearted moments for children to laugh at, while subtly teaching them about persistence and the value of self-awareness…
Playmakers’ Little Shop of Horrors Justifies the Multigenerational Cult Classic
The current PlayMakers Repertory Company production of Little Shop of Horrors has all the makings of a Broadway production, especially the strong vocal talents required by characters Audrey, plant Audrey II, and the trio of female "street urchins" who narrate in harmonic doo-wop throughout the production…
Bigger Buffers Better
… It is well known that erosion, sedimentation and pollution from industrial and agricultural activities or sewage is reduced by “maintaining forests in riparian zones along watercourses” (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).…
Mengwe Wapimewah Gives a Broadway-Caliber Performance in Dominique Morisseau's Confederates at PlayMakers Rep
Set in two distinct periods -- during the American Civil War and in the modern day -- Confederates moves seamlessly between a one-room slave cabin on a Confederate plantation and a prestigious university professor's office in the current world. What could easily become preachy or overly sentimental instead feels strikingly personal and intimate…
#VIMH: Social Security Was Always A Tax (?)
About 25 years ago, shortly after I moved to Australia, I met an American expat who ranted about the farce of Social Security in America. She insisted it was nothing more than a tax -- or would be, in the end -- and resented being forced to pay it, which is one of the reasons she left the country…
History of Bullying/Unsafe Behavior at DPS Middle Schools
My letter to Durham Public Schools Superintendent and the DPS Board of Education today. in response to a student death by suicide at one of their middle schools.
Why Not Free Choice?
… if the school system is broken, let’s fix it, not undermine it by creating alternatives that compete on an unlevel playing field. If charters receive public funds, they should have the same requirements, for better or for worse, of other publicly funded schools…
If You Give a Mom a Cracker…
This is my first comic strip. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
Leanne Bernard's Masterful Lady Bracknell Is the Star of Stone Soup Theatre Company's Rendition of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest
… Stone Soup Theatre Company's Feb. 21-March 2 presentation of The Importance of Being Earnest is a production worth seeing. Oscar Wilde's sharp critique of Victorian society is as relevant and funny today as it was in 1895. If you've never experienced The Importance of Being Earnest, this is your opportunity to see it in a charming, unconventional setting. The production is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a few of the play's iconic lines ringing in your ears.
My Place in the Current
… Regardless of any personal definition of ‘The Powers that Be’, it’s hard not to feel that I am being pulled by a current, whether or not I play any part in creating that current and whether or not I choose to ride the current or paddle against it…
The Patience of a Corpse
… “for to know God's will was Martin's heart's desire, and to attain such a state of perfection - a union with God in mystical ecstasy- required the patience of a corpse." -John Irving, A Son Of The Circus
From an Agnostic Christian
… When I sit at an intersection and am approached by a nearly toothless, orange-jacketed beggar with a sign saying “Living In Woods, Please Help. God Bless You,” I ask myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’ …
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at DPAC Is FABULOUS, with Flawless Music and Acoustics
On Tuesday, Jan. 7th, I attended the opening-night performance of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at the Durham Performing Arts Center with my mother-in-law, who experienced Neil Diamond's music as it was released; but I had never been a Neil Diamond fan. Well, I am now…
Mothers and Daughters
My daughter is a lot like her mother.
This frustrates the heck out of me…
Stone Soup Theatre Company's Guys on Ice Is a Fun and Quirky Musical About ... Ice-Fishing
Stone Soup Theatre Company's production of Guys on Ice: An Ice Fishing Musical is a fun and quirky performance that brings together humor, catchy tunes, and a sense of community. Directed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, with music director Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, the show presents a day in the life of a couple of guys from Wisconsin, combining ice fishing, friendship, and Green Bay Packers fandom in an intimate look at the upper Midwestern United States.