Batman...

With the huge success of "The Dark Knight" and Heath Ledger's unforgettable performance, I hope folks will take a look at this terrific 2-disc animated thrill ride which includes a video-bi-op of creator Bob Kane and four terrific episodes from the Batman animated series.

Hinckley, Ohio 44233

The buzzard picture in the center was drawn by Al Capp himself, creator of Li'l Abner and the folks of Dogpatch, U.S.A. Pretty neat, eh?

Hinckley, Ohio is notorious for the annual return of its flock of buzzards (turkey vultures) every March 15th, which is celebrated the following Sunday at the Hinckley Elementary School.
Visitors can enjoy a Pancake and sausage breakfast, check out a live buzzard provided by the Cleveland Zoo, and buy buzzard related items in the gymnasium like T-shirts, hats and such.

Put it on your calendar for next year.

Christmas in July...

Mt.Pleasant will be celebrating Christmas in July this Sunday. Church will be followed by a good old-fashioned pot luck dinner. Come one, come all. We always have plenty of food for everyone.

Does this image cause you to squint a bit? It's no brighter than the white background of this website. White is white, right? But optical illusions are still fun and fascinating. Include your favorites on the comments page for future sharing.

Jiminy Cricket to the world...

Reverend Skull preaching now:

Want to save on tip money? Well, not really, but it will seem like a bigger tip when you leave or present it. Use the person's name. The wait person, busguy, cabbie, maid, hairdresser, whomever. Be clever about finding out what it is. Many staff people wear name tags. "Thank you, Joyce," registers as almost ten times simply saying "Thank you".

Our great goal to bring smiles to as many faces as possible continues.

Amen

Reverend Matthew Wald (back row, left of cross) decided it would be fun if we all wore Hawaiian shirts to church last Sunday (see link for Bennett's Corners). Here's the result.

What I Learned from Wardrobe...

Two important lessons I've learned from my dressers over the years and I'd like to share this wisdom with you.

1. Your own saliva will get rid of your own blood.

Nothing worse than going onstage with red stains on your beautiful costume caused by an accidental cut, or scrape. Spit on the stain and gently rub with a cloth or tissue.

2. Like cloth rubbed against like cloth can remove dry dirt (don't try this with a greasy stain).

You get dirt on your pants cuff. Rub the other pant leg over it to remove the dirt. Wool aganst wool; cotton against cotton; silk against silk. I think it may be related to similar thread counts or something.

If you know of other priceless wisdom feel free to add your comments.

And God loves you.

Vegas...?

Coline tells me Satya has eighty-sixed the lovely Central Park wedding and opted for a chapel affair in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately, my round-trip only covers Cleveland to Dulles to LaGuardia and the reverse. So I plan to enjoy a brief stay in the West Village with metro trips all over the Big Apple. Strand Book Store here I come. Watch-out Actors Equity!

Should you be there and care to see me just call or email.

Revenge can be funny...

Joyce Nolen reminded me today of our final performance of "42nd STREET" at Tuacahn last October. She played Dorothy Brock to my Abner Dillon. We never really got to finish the show that night because the wind was just too powerful. Did I forget to mention Tuacahn is outdoors?

Well, we had a scene in the Regency Hotel bar where Dorothy gets drunk and nasty and throws her drink in my face. However, with this ferocious wind howling by, it stopped the liquid in mid throw...I could see the globes floating momentarily in the air between us. Then they reversed their trajectory and Joyce received a good splash in the face. She says my look of incredulity almost caused her to crack up, which we both did after we finally exited stage left.

Just thought I'd share that special theatrical moment with you.

Forrest Gump Has Nothing On Me

It helps to be an actor in New York if you wish to cross paths with famous folk.

Working with them---Nathan Lane, John Raitt, Tom Wopat, Neil Diamond, John Cullum, Theodore Bikel, Richard Kiley, Patti LuPone, Jamie Farr, Faith Prince, Rob Ashford, Andy Blankenbuehler, Elliot Feld, Adam Arkin, Jonathan Frakes, Scott Bakula, Ed Ames, Leslie Uggams, Richard Dean Anderson, Jonathan Freeman, Alyssa Milano, Gary Beach, Ernie Sabella, Susan Lucci, David Cassidy, Peter Gallagher, Harve Prenell, Jane Connell and Ronald Reagan, to list a few.

Eating with them at Gracie Mansion---Ed Koch and David Dinkins, mayors of the Big Apple.

Partying with---Madonna, Red Buttons, Bea Arthur, Eric Stoltz, Alec Baldwin.

Catching them with my stereo 3D camera---Brooke Shields, Hayley Mills, Phoebe Cates, Mimi Miyagi, Al Goldstein.

No wonder I'm deluded with grandeur!

Blessings.

My first black friend

My first black friend was a fellow eight year old camper at Camp Crag YMCA in Hinckley, Ohio. Our first day at camp we were introduced as cabin mates. I was surprised to learn his name...Junebug.
Now, I was acquainted with Stymie and Buckwheat of Little Rascals / Our Gang fame on Captain Penny's TV show. But I knew them to be fictional comic characters and never thought I would meet someone in 1959 who would carry such an amusing and quaint appellation.
Junebug was a charity camper from Medina, meaning his family were too poor to pay for his camp experience, so some kind person or organization was sponsoring him. I guess we must have felt a little sorry for him because I don't recall anyone making fun of his name. He was a nice boy, too. That helped.
Check the links, please.

Big Apple, here I come

Coline phoned yesterday with the sad news of her mother's passing. But she also said I could stay with her while in New York for her daughter's wedding, so that's the good news.

I hope you get to visit some of the links I've included with my blog. I'll be adding more soon.

Blessings.

Disney

Back when Disney Magazine was still being published (why isn't it still?)

They opined that should you choose to collect Disney collectables, it would be prudent to choose just one favorite character for your focus. And Mickey would not be a good choice unless you have unlimited funds.

I chose TinkerBell for obvious reasons, but now I find (especially with her new DVD movie almost upon us) She may be even more prolific than our favourite mouse.

Such is life in the fast lane.

Blessing unto thee.

What now?...

No car. And this is farm land where the public transit is for old or handicapped people and doesn't come out this far anyway. Bummer.
And I still don't know if I have a place to stay in New York.
Help.