It’s a hit(?) The Winston-Salem Journal writes a review of Bug. Largely a plot synopsis, but — s’okay — it’s a positive: “Buckle up and brace yourself … ” So begins the recording that callers will hear when they dial Theatre Alliance for reservations to its latest production: a play by Tracy Betts called Bug, which opened last night in … Read More
Bug Plug [Bumped and Promoted Post]
Advanced sales not what they should be. C’mon, people. This is a good show. Yeah, I know. "Eeeeeew. But it’s about bugs!! Who wants to see a play about bugs?!?" Look, it ain’t about bugs. I mean, it deals with bugs superficially, but it is about love, loss, fear, paranoia. It’s a mystery in the tradition of Lost and X-Files … Read More
I Can’t Follow This Utah Mine Story Anymore
It’s too depressing. I would be nice, at some point, to focus on mine safety and the people who appoint to oversee that: It turns out that the guy in charge of mine safety for the federal government, Assistant Secretary of Labor Richard Stickler, couldn’t even get approved by the Senate back when it was under Republican control because his … Read More
Your Local GOP
Sigh. Another day, another scandal: A Franklin County commissioner was arrested late Wednesday on charges of drug possession and assault after a 911 call was placed from a boat in the Pamlico Sound. Harry Foy is charged with one count of assault on a female, possessing less than half an once of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, said Dare … Read More
I Need A Catch Phrase…
…so that when I die, it can be in the obit headline, as in Holy Cow: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89. Really, that’s kind of tacky. What happens when Downtown Julie Brown dies? Is the headline going to read "Wubba-wubba-wubba: Julie Brown dead at 89"? Will we someday see the headline "AAAAaaaaaay!: Henry Winkler dead at 89"? Still, I better … Read More
Rove To Quit
Cool. Apparently without irony, he told reporters that he is going to go dove-hunting. Seriously. People think that Rove was an "evil genius" because of his strategic brilliance. Carpetbagger thinks that a lot of hype, but: His significance has everything to do with his cutthroat, win-at-all-cost style. Rove believes the political rule that there are no rules. Laws are meant … Read More
Bug: The Preview
Nice little write-up of the upcoming show, with a picture of yours truly, in today’s Winston-Salem Journal: Play is guaranteed to bug you Director says psychological thriller will leave the audience stimulated, surprised and wanting another chapter Sunday, August 12, 2007 By Mary Martin Niepold He’s never been one to choose the easy stuff, the plays that any director worth … Read More
Another Bridge/Overpass Collapse
This time in Arizona. Thankfully, no one hurt, probably because it was under construction. Do these things happen in threes?
Little Late, Isn’t It?
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) has always, like a good little Republican, been strongly against raising taxes (especially against the wealthy). In the past two years, he has twice vetoed legislation to raise the state’s gas tax to pay for transportation needs. Needs, like, oh, building better bridges. Now, with at least five people dead in the collapse of the … Read More
Disaster Porn
It’s rare that agree with James Lileks, but I agree with him here. Describing a news story (available here) which lets you listen to the screams of the children on the bus in the Minneapolis bridge collapse (one of the children called her Mom and left a voice mail immediately after it happened), Lileks writes: You know what? I don’t … Read More
The Most Dangerous Bridge In North Carolina
With the collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis, lots of people are talking about the dangerous infrastructure in their backyard. WFDD did a story on this yesterday. Guess where the most dangerous bridge in North Carolina is located? Right here in downtown Winston-Salem, on the heavily travelled Business 40. It’s the portion of the highway that passes over Liberty Street. … Read More
Vox Populi (and Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Updates)
James Hafner of Coon Rapids, MN wrote a letter to the editor of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, complaining about the new Minnesota Twins stadium (the groundbreaking ceremony, now postponed, was to take place today). In his letter, Hafner wrote: It sure looks like Carl Pohlad and the Twins could have paid for the entire stadium project and had enough leftover to … Read More
Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
Cheryl doesn’t like driving over bridges. I could never understand that. But okay. Now I can a little. Think back a few weeks ago to the exploding steam pipe in the middle of Manhattan, and perhaps you’ll recognize that one of the big issues to face this country in the next decade or two is our aging infrastructure. Things are, … Read More