Tangled in a World Wide Web

I like to think of myself as a curmudgeon 1 . Most people have different names for me. Most are not particularly flattering and if I had feelings or cared what anyone else thought, I might be upset. Luckily, I sleep soundly, never giving it or them a second thought. I remember I used to love Christmas... as a child, as a teenager, even as a young adult raising two kids. Somewhere along the way, the magic died, the stress, the financial burden, the greed and commercialization all took over and a Grinch was born - or hatched. As the kids got older, and particularly after they left home and I transitioned into a single, forty-ish bachelor living alone, I became less enamored and more jaded. This year has seemed especially hard for many reasons. The weather has been warm. I haven't had much money (big club, I know), I didn't see much chance of my getting back to my hometown and family for the holidays and aside from being a world-class procrastinator, I was working constantly and d...

Let me say, without any bias at all, that my niece is a budding actress and a damn fine one at that. All of my sister's children have participated at one time or another in plays and skits and such. Spenser, at 14, has decided he prefers behind the scenes work now, usually with lighting and or sound. Reed, 10, won an outstanding student award this summer, after attending a camp sponsored by the Springer Opera House, an honor for sure. Sydney, 7, and Macy, who just turned 6 last week have each had small roles in several productions at Family Theatre . My sister and her husband Jason, have acted, directed, written and everything else you can name from snacks to photos. Last night, (Saturday) I saw Macy in her first lead role; it was the title character in Heidi. Now, I'm no actor, nor am I a critic. I consider anyone who can get onstage in front of a bunch of people without wetting themselves darn talented and darn lucky. However, Saturday night, in a show of about 14 characters ...

This was originally posted at myspace.com/imanetjunkie HERE . (On Thanksgiving) It is so easy to forget what Thanksgiving is all about or to become so self-involved as to forget what we have to be thankful for. I haven't forgotten that the economy is bad. I haven't forgotten that we are in the middle of a war with no real end in sight. I haven't forgotten that people are starving and homeless here at home and abroad. I haven't forgotten Aids or Alzheimer's. I haven't forgotten that in the same year of change that we elected the first black President of the US, we also categorically and intentionally denied the freedom and rights of a growing portion of the population to enjoy the same privileges to share their lives and declare their love in front of God and man, to secure the same benefits as a traditional married couple. In essence, we haven't stepped forward, only sideways. I seem to have forgotten my point momentarily, however. I expected to be working o...