Energy - The Hostage of Oil (More News Links & Update)
Current mood: disappointed
Category: News and Politics
UPDATE 5/18/08:
More and more, we are seeing that gas prices are not going down and technology is not being released fast enough to help compensate for the growing need of cheap transportation. This is something that will become a HUGE topic of debate for presidential candidates. The republicans and democrats will try to blame eachother when we are ALL in this mess together and we need to look for solutions... Not someone to take the blame.
When the war began, it wasn't about oil. No, it was about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for those poor middle-east inhabitants who just couldn't do it on their own and the fact that we needed to make stand and protect ourselves. When information leaked and was made public about Enron and the Bush's link to certain middle-eastern friends, it wasn't about oil. No, it was about foreign relations and shows of good faith. When gas prices went up here in the US to more than double what it was 6 years ago, it wasn't about oil. No, it was about basic economics..... f*cking us all.
It's only now that people are suddenly jumping at alternative energy. It's only now that people are starting to realize what's been going on and why oil is such a big deal - why it always has been.
Oil has been a basic energy source that American's particularly took for granted. We not only rely on it for heat, but more importantly, for transportation. Most people think only in the bubble of themselves - their own gas costs for driving to and from work.
Bodily transportation with cars and planes has been a dominant topic in the news. What is only now coming to American's attention is the fact that EVERYONE has a gas bill - including the truckers and airlines that move our foodstuffs across this vast nation. These extra costs cannot all be absorbed by each respective customer, they're passed on to the consumer.
The focus has been so much on gasoline prices for the individual, that the big picture has been forgotten. Basic food stuffs are going to sky rocket in price; they already have in most other countries. Transportation across the country will become increasingly more difficult when fewer people put their money into travel because they have to feed themselves.
Oil should have never been left as a commodity. There are many factors filtering down that are dissolving the world as we once knew it even 5 years ago, but this is the breaking point. Alternative sources of energy have been out for YEARS, and all I can think of are extravagant conspiracy theories for explanations as to why the public has so little information and access to them.
The greedy bastards who are lining their pockets at the expense of not only America, but of the world, will never be ashamed of themselves. This is the epitemy of capitalism. This is what happens when the media teaches us instead of real facts. This is the price we pay for allowing ourselves to sit in lazy ignorance.
At this point, I'm angry that I know people are still making money even as they perpetuate this problem. They will cause people to starve. They will cause people to riot and die in confusion.
Read between the lines next time you pick up the paper. Then, double check the information against other news sources. Then... THINK.
We are in a recession folks. Prepare yourselves and be smart about the decisions you make in the next few years. The US's "slowdown" effects the WORLD. Be careful, be weary, be safe.
In September, I decided to try to take advantage of a new product Verizon was spinning - their Freedom Essentials package. I figured that I wanted to stop using phone cards and having the hassle of others calling me back to talk long distance. The cost of the package was close to what I was paying already, but if I talked a lot on the phone, it was going to be worth it.
Well, I didn't talk on the phone very much until a couple months later. So after 3 months, I recieved a bill with a very high number on it with a dollar sign in front. It was $30 - $40 higher than what I was expecting to pay. So I called. Apparently, the woman I talked to months ago hadn't done ANYTHING to my account. And because I hadn't seen that the change hadn't been made on my phone bill sooner, I was held responsible for the bill.
Yes, I was pissed. but I understood their point. They should have done their job, but I also should have apparently checked in with them and wasted more of my valuable time making sure they had done their job correctly.
I paid the bill with the assurance that my next bill was going to be around $40 for the various mixups and discounts that could be applied to my account.
WRONG.
I got a bill a month later saying I was late in paying the previous month's bill. I HAD RECEIVED NO BILL FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH. And they wanted $193+ !!!! I had made my last call to them at the BEGINNING of the previous month and hung up only after I was up to date!
I balked and dialed them up for the THIRD time. Altogether, I had wasted at least 3 hours of my time with these idiots.
I asked to speak to a manager after the first person I talked to told me I was going to be held responsible AGAIN. He put me on hold and after several minutes returned to the line and told me that he had talked to his supervisor and she had confirmed that I would have to pay the whole bill. I took a few deep breaths and told him I wanted to speak to the manager.
A few more minutes of hold went by before a female voice came on the line and began the shpeel of a supervisor. I cut her off in a polite fury after she repeated "I understand how you feel, I'm a consumer as well." for the third time.
I explained that I had been willing to pay the usual $80 (above the $40 I was expecting to pay) right then and there, but since no one there wanted to take responsibility for not only wasting my time but also my money, I wanted to talk to a MANAGER or switch my service. She got huffy with me and told me that a manager wouldn't be able to talk to me. That they would have to call me back in 72 hours! To which I replied, "Well if he, she, or it wants my money, they'll have to call!"
I hung up with little ninjas stealing my money and hoping I wouldn't notice bouncing around in my aggravated little head. I vowed I would stand my ground even after this '72 hour' cooldown they were trying to give me.
Did I recieve a call? NO.
I did call Charter and was switched to their services completely within a couple of weeks. I told them about my situation with Verizon and they VEHEMENTLY told me NOT to contact them AT ALL about any of it.
So I didn't. Besides, Verizon was supposed to be trying to contact ME.
Nothing. Until.....
I recieved an e-bill in my email from Verizon a couple days ago. I opened the email and the statement in the email said nothing was due. I rejoiced! I thought it had been taken care of! Until I recieved another e-bill from Verizon. The statement in the email ALSO said nothing was due. But if nothing was due, why would they send me ANOTHER "bill"?
I decided to try to login to the verizon site and see what was going on and whaddaya know?!? A $265 bill was sitting there for me. However, I can't make any payment on it through the site! A step beyond that - I hadn't been using all of the Verizon services! Two days after I had hung up with them, I had switched to Charter cable. A week after that, my phone was switched.
I called from work just a bit ago. I figured that while the boss was at lunch, I could call from here (during their biz hours) to clear this up.
More than 45 minutes of hold and not one human voice addressed me.
Do I intend to pay the full $265?
HELL NO.
I will be contacting the BBB and every consumer advocacy place I can think of for help. This sort of thing is like cramming and on principle shouldn't be tolerated by ANYONE. Especially someone who tried to play by their rules and do all that they wanted.
Lesson?
Keep an eye on your bills and take detailed notes including the name of the person(s) you talk to, extension(s) or direct phone number(s), quoted price(s)/cost(s), etc when calling for changes or information.
UPDATED 9/30/08: 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN - Interactive Quizzes and More Links
Current mood: impressed
Category: News and Politics
Updated 9.30.08
Despite the uneasy rise in my blood pressure that the debates cause, I'm still on the lookout for more information that can help us all make an educated vote come November. Over the past few weeks, I've found some interesting quizzes and interactive sites on the candidates. The more information we all have, the better! Take a look:
Updated 9.11.08 This is a day to remember who have fallen before us. This is a day to remember what this country stands for to each individual who hails the stars and stripes as a banner of home and who have the power to make it a better place.
Take a moment to think about that and I'll continue....
I have not paid much attention to minor parties in this year's election. This is unfair. The Libertarian party in particular was brought to my attention by a friend who strongly believes in their principles and I think it's good to know about all stances that will be brought to the table November 4th. Here are the links to the websites of the other candidates:
http://www.bobbarr2008.com/ I might not agree with all that Bob Barr is promoting, but he has some good points on healthcare and marriage laws that I was glad to read about.
http://www.politicalbase.com/people/cynthia-ann-mckinney/9286/ Cyntha Ann McKinney has no official website, but I find it interesting that a BLACK WOMAN is running for president and it's only when you dig that you find her as a candidate!!! WOW...! She's got some good running points too.
http://www.votenader.org/ Ralph Nader is running yet again. I don't agree with a lot of his points, and to me, he seems a bit too sensationalist without a grasp on the big picture. But he has been a presidential candidate many times over - that's got to say something.
http://www.baldwin08.com/ Charles Baldwin has some interesting points. His stance on education sounds similar to Barr's, and I'm not sure how their ideas would really work out. All the same, it's worth a read.
John McCain and Sarah Palin are the headrunners on the Republican side. I don't agree with a lot of what they're saying and even how they're going about saying it, but they're website is pretty!
He's got a lot of good information on here along with a nice tool that helps you find out if you're registered to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, or even find an early vote location. Very helpful regardless of who you're voting for.
Updated 8/29/08:
Video: Barack Obama at Mile High -- "The American Promise"
Barack Obama has the vision, charisma, and determination to move this nation in a direction that it has been waiting to turn towards for years. But my opinion should not sway you. It is the FACTS of what each candidate stands for and is determined to push forward that every voter should be most concerned with. Please, research your candidates and choose wisely. This country cannot suffer another year under a president who cannot lead us towards a more stable and prosperous future. We need to make a change for the better. And yes, we can.
Yes, Obama has put up a website to debunk the plethora of internet deployed smears that have been launched against him over the past year. Now that he is truly the Democratic Presidential Candidate, this is one of the most useful tools he could have given the American people.
It seems like everywhere I turn, someone is going off on how Barack is Muslim, giong to BLOW up Pakistan, or even get assassinated simply because he's black! This is ludicrous.
When you make a choice, ANY choice, that is based on fear and lies, you are not only doing a shameful deservice to yourself, but others around you. Are we not all supposed to be striving to be better human beings? Are we not supposed to be striving for a better world? How can the American people do that if we continue to be led around like sheep through the use of half truths and looming threats?
Facts are Facts.
Our duty, as Americans, is to cast a vote for a presidential candidate that promises to set out to do what we believe is in the country's best interest. (Not necessarily our own best interest, but AMERICA'S.)
Regardless of whether or not you agree with me on the idea that Obama is the better candidate in this election, cast your vote not because of what you may have heard, but on what you can find in fact.
The American people have lived through almost 8 years of fear and deception. I want a CHANGE.
Start really digging into the candidates. LISTEN to the debates. READ the news. Stop living in fear and join me in living in FACT.
Here are a few unbiased sites to help get you started:
First and foremost, I want to say that everyone is entitled to their OPINIONS and BELIEFS as long as they are respectful and don't infringe on anyone else's well being... That extends to politics.
But in a recent conversation I had with my mother, I was sadly informed that she couldn't think of voting for Barack Obama because not only is he a Muslim, but he's also unpatriotic!
These two things have apparently been so tactfully drilled into people's minds because of a horrible set of chain emails that people are ACTUALLY BELIEVING WITHOUT CHECKING THE FACTS!
I will make this clear:
ANY BIT OF INFORMATION YOU RECEIVE (PARTICULARLY VIA EMAIL) NEEDS TO HAVE REFERENCES AND BE CHECKED SO THAT YOU, THE VOTER, CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION!
I decided to do the digging and see what I could find.. lo and behold:
Barack Obama is NOT Muslim!
Nor was he refusing to Pledge Allegiance to the Flag!
For the Muslim thing, here are at least 2 sites that prove that he is NOT Muslim:
He didn't have his hand over his heart for the horrific rendition of the national anthem (one of the links shows video and my GOD IS IT AWFUL! haha How many people do you truly know hold their hand over their heart for the song anyway?)
He DOES put his hand over his heart for the PLEDGE of Allegiance and that's where it matters. In anycase, he's patriotic where it counts to me - in his beliefs, policies, and hopefully his actions if he's elected. A PIN doesn't mean someone's patriotic, nor does an empty hand over your heart for a song.
Anyway, I don't care who you vote for as long as you vote for someone who supports policies you really approve of. That's what it's all about anyway and everyone's bound to disagree on their choice(s).
I just wanted to show that those emails that circulated were viscious and misconstrued, if not total lies. That's not fair to any candidate and I feel horrible that the man has to face that sort of ridiculous attack.
______________
I figured I should throw in as many unbiased links for information concerning the candidates so that people can easily figure out the real deal with who they think they want to vote for. More to come. Please post links if you find them before I post them!
Saturn Shat in My Cheerios - And Chevy Cleaned up the Mess
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Automotive
My car has done me a lot of good since I got her. I put about 25,000 miles on her over the past few years and have had no problems to speak of. I wasn't alwasy the greatest on keeping up with oil changes because Saturns simply burn the shit like crazy - just the way they run. So I was always pouring more in. 9 times out of 10, you could either find a few empty or full bottles of oil in my car. But she did me right across the country... til now.
On the road to Umatilla for Thanksgiving (you non-locals should think of it as a 30 - 45 minute lil buzz through some hills,) I heard a pop. I thought I'd run over a soda can because the car didn't do anything out of the ordinary for the rest of the trip there or back. Not til a couple days later anyway when D and I were going about 40 on a straightaway and there was a LOUD pop followed by a high pitched squeal. It was louder than my radio! I wigged and slowed up to pull off to a closeby parking lot. That was when I knew I had to take her in. So I did, yesterday.
Apparently, the differential in the transmission is going out and spraying metal all up into the fluid. Cost to repair with a best case scenario - $1200. Worst case upwards of $2500.
In any case, I'm scared to drive it. Since the drain and refill, it squeals more often and I'm scared the damn thing's gonna blow up in my face. Biggest issue is my commute to work - about 10 miles away from home.
D is a godsend keeping me as sane as I can possibly be about the whole situation and being uber-flexible on splitting the use of his car between us, but it's still a shoddy situation.
It blows the idea of getting the new TV I wanted right out of the water along with putting a damper on Christmas and the hope of a Florida trip in early March.
So my proverbial 'cheerios' is my car - shat to hell because I can't imagine dumping that kind of money into a car I've never really truly liked for all sorts of little reasons.
For a bit more money, I can get a different car and I intend to. That will be the silver lining of this whole shitstorm, however I'm not looking forward to having another bill. I'm so used to having my car paid off that this will be an interesting switch-up. However, it will work to my advantage if I can get approved for financing - I need credit!
In anycase... I really just typed this whole thing up to get my thoughts into a physical format - it's a form of stress relief for me. By making this public, I'm hoping to get a some extra knocks on wood for this whole situation.
UPDATES
Wednesday 2:30pm I think I'm approved for a loan through Wachovia! SO FRIGGIN HOPEFUL!
4pm I was approved, however the only cars they have good deals on in my price bracket are a few 07 Ford Taurus'. I hate Fords, much more the Taurus. Sad, because they're good deals and so new. *sigh* Back to the drawing board.
Thursday 9:30am - I found an '06 Nissan Sentra for $10,995!!! Awesome mileage, still under warranty, and in a price range that I'm almost positive I can get approved since I was already approved by Wachovia for a car around the same price. I'm going to hit up the local credit unions to see if I can get a better APR. Wish me luck & thank you all for your well wishes and support...!!!!!
Friday 8:30am - The Nissan gave me a smooth test drive last night. It feels smaller inside compared to the Saturn - that's my only complaint. It's under bumper to bumper warranty for another 9k miles so that gives me quite a bit of peace of mind. The guy will give me $3300 for the Saturn. Less than what I hoped for, but he IS giving me a great deal on the Sentra. I will hear back from him within the next few hours to find out if I'm approved and how high my APR will be. This will all work toward building my credit up, so I intend to only keep this car for a year or so til about the end of the warranty and then trade up to get a lower APR on the next car's balance. With an 18.9% APR quoted by Wachovia, I'll have no choice but to refinance or trade up later. But, I'll have a car and better credit for it. :) SOOOO CLOSE!
2:30pm Denied. Everyone wants a cosigner and I keep getting bitch-slapped with denials. I'm trying for a cheaper car now. I'm pathetically sad about having to back away from that bad ass Nissan though. If I can't get approved for this 05 Chevy Aveo, I'm gonna be pretty SOL. Hello high car payments and high APR. :( The same guy who fought tooth and nail to get me in the Nissan is now gonna fight to get me in the Aveo. It's a $2000 price diff. It's gotta work....
Saturday 8:30am - No go for Johns Auto Mart. A shame, I liked that salesman. Whenever I do business with cars again, I'll be going to him. Anyway, Budget has me approved at 18.9% for a car up to $13k. That's the best I think anyone will be able to do. That sort of thing only enforces my plan to keep whatever car I get for a year and hopefully get her at a low enough price to keep equity and trade-up next year for a lower APR once my credit score increases. Anyway, I kind of harballed Budget into letting me leave my Saturn there and take this 06 Chevy Malibu they want $11,995 for out last night. I intend to take it for an inspection before I head back to continue talks on buying it. I'm surprised at how nice and roomy she is. She'll do me just fine. Better than fine! Wish me luck on dealing with the salesman. He's a bit swarmy, but lucky for me, I'm immune to swarmy and I have a few tactics of my own.
CONCLUSION - Saturday, 7:30pm - IT IS DONE! I got $3K for the Saturn, I imagine that was mostly because I couldn't get the damn key to work when we went out to check the odometer. It baffles me that no one wanted to check her out mechanically or at least drive her around. Whatever!
I am now the proud owner of a 2006 Chevy Malibu! I can almost hardly believe I'm driving something so nice and that I did it on my own! I couldn't get the guy to budge on the price, but it was honestly a damn good value. I did get him to throw in new front tires, a wash and vaccuum though. :)
She's under factory warranty for another 7K miles, so I feel pretty worry free. Altogether, I'll be paying a little bit more than I wanted to per month to keep her. With insurance I'm looking at about $360/mo. I'm definitely going to up my hours at work to make up for the difference in my budget. That crunch will only be felt because it's been a very long time since I had to pay for a car and it's just an expense I'm not used to yet.
ANYWAY! I will be posting pictures soon! Thank you all for your kind words! They helped keep me sane in the valleys of this weeklong journey...
The Busy Nutshell
Current mood: creative
Category: Life
So much has happened since I've posted anything to my blog here. I've been busy with life and generally uninterested in taking the time to sit down and write.. but here I am! Doing it! So strap yourself in - I'm taking the fast track bulleted version to the past few months.
- Job
I left SK (The real estate company I had worked for since March of 06) for a new job. It was completely unplanned. The job pretty much feel in my lap and was simply too good to refuse. I now work in a small office with just myself and my new boss (if he happens to be in town) as an admin assistant. Low workload, higher pay, benefits. It's a good deal in every way.
-Home
Moved out of the apartment Dale shared with his best friend Steve. Steve had moved out almost a year before we left, so it was just Dale and myself in the 2Br/2Ba for $625/mo. We found a duplex in a nice location about 2 minutes away for $725 that's 3Br/2Ba/1Car Garage and a yard! We've been happy with our decision so far, although the landloard is currently jumping on my last nerve by ignoring certain repairs that were supposed to have been completed 2 months ago. They're minute, but I don't like unfinished things.
That's overshadowed by the presence of a working dishwasher though... it's the little things.
-Acting
Since 'The Competition', things had been quiet. They're just now starting to pick up again. I'm currently helping out with a movie/TV pilot for presentation. I'm a trophy wife murderess - very evil! haha I wanted to add some age to my face and I knew my hair wasn't gonna be able to do what I wanted for the role, so I wound up buying a wig.
Jessica Rabbit at your murdering pleasure. These projects have at least put my face and name out there. I've been contacted for a commercial project, but was then politely told I wasn't needed after all.. a bit of a let down, but I'm busy with other projects anyway and at least I know that people know of me and have me on file for the future.
As far as the stage is concerned.. I really don't know what I'll audition for next. The spring holds a couple of interesting options. Time will tell. Nothing since 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change' has caught my eye or heart.
-Music
Lyrics keep coming out, but no music comes with them... til a couple days ago. I wrote a ditty that will hopefully get some strumming behind it soon. It's been so long since I've been able to chill with my favorite jamming buddy that I almost forgot how easy it is to lose track of time when you get on to something!!
I was priviledged enough to meet up with some of A's friends - a family band with a great spanish sound I love - and jam! We'll see if I can bring something to the group that can help them. They're on a deadline to get up to snuff for a gig opportunity, so the pressure is on and I'm nervous.
- Dale
Dale's awesome! Above is a pic I snapped before we left Nehalem - the area he grew up in.
Our relationship is healthy and still disgustingly cute. We're both working on finding a way to get our work schedules to match so we can not only make alil more money and better our future, but also spend more time with each other.
Since my pseudo older bro Josh (exhibit A)
moved in with us, we've been going out a lot more and it's given me a chance to see a silly young side of him I hadn't seen before. With Josh around, we go out much more! But when left to our own devices, we're much more quiet. I'm wondering how this will change now that Josh will be leavin us just after we got used to havin him around. I'm gonna miss his crazy ass, but it was good while it lasted :)
Anyway... that's my life in a nutshell over the past few months. I may come back to this and add more if I remember something.
Oh PS - Seattle is amazing. I won tickets to a private concert for Swell Season and Dale and I shot up there to watch it. FANTASTIC city. AMAZING FRIGGIN CONCERT!
Currently
listening
:
The Swell Season
By
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
Release date: 22 August, 2006
Onward & Upward
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Life
Well... it's finally happening..! We're going to be moving out of apartment life and into something bigger and better!
We found a duplex about 5 minutes away from our apt that's REALLY nice. 3BR/ 1.5BA, 1 car garage, cute yard, central air, new carpet and linoleum, almost everything new in the bathrooms... it's just a cute place that will fit our needs and wants perfectly!
I think I'm most in love with the fact that it's walking distance to Templeman's Meat Market. YUM! Outside Templeman's is usually a fresh fruit and veggies stand so I can run right on over there and grab everything fresh that I might want!
Dale is excited that it's right across the way from a 24 hour quickie mart. He likes being able to walk somewhere really quick to satisfy his midnight munchies! Gamers need thier munchies!!
All of this we owe to Rach & Nick. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! I still can't believe you turned my debacle around so quickly. I'm still reelin and overwhelmed that it's actually happening - all because of you!
The new landlord was able to work it so that if we paid a $750 deposit up front, he could hold this place until the 15th, where we could pay half a month and officially move in. We're being held responsible for September's rent for the apt we're currently in because we missed the 20 notice mark by 5 days. VERY FRUSTRATING... Before R&N swung in to the rescue, we were looking at the prospect of letting this awesome place go or coming up with a little over $2K in less than 2 weeks!
But... we're good to go and ready to be in someplace that we can truly stretch our legs. A place that I'm comfortable putting all the crap I have yet to get shipped over from storage in PA. A place where I can put stuff on the wall and truly call home.
What was once fiction is becoming reality. Technology is catching up to our dreams. We may not be in the age of flying cars, but there are quite a few VERY notable advances that are bringing us closer to a cybernetic age than one might think. Here are a few of the stories I've run across that have caught my eye.
A NUMBER - June 15 & 16 - Richland Players 8pm!
Current mood: energetic
Category: Art and Photography
If you woke up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?"
-Chuck Palahniuk.
This is the question that rolls through my mind when I think of this show. In one hour, it addresses this and other questions about our individuality that will leave you not only in awe of the actor's delivery, but also with quite a brain buzz. It's short, poignant and altogether intriguing!!! Come support a pair of fine actors and your local theatre!
******
How would you feel if you discovered your entire life was a lie? That you were not the son you thought you were? That there were a number of genetically identical copies of you walking around?
"A Number," a new one act play by British playwright Caryl Churchill, explores these questions and more.
The Richland Players will be presenting this intriguing play as a post script to their regular season. Directed by Jo Brodzinski, the father will be portrayed by Ted Miller with Geoff Elliott as each of the three sons. The play runs about one hour without intermission. Show dates are Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16 at 8:00 PM at the Players theatre in Richland. Admission is $5. Tickets are available at the Battelle Performing Arts Center (943-ARTS) and at the door. For more information visit www.richlandplayers.org.
**I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - Updated & Done
Current mood: satisfied
Category: Life
The play is over.
Strike is today.
And here I am... finding myself at the bittersweet goodbye to a fantastic show.
Everyone in this cast is SO very talented and such a pleasure to work with. Every night was hard work and we all had our moments when we didn't want to be there, but WOW. By the time the show actually began, we could do these roles in our sleep. I couldn't think of a better cast.
And apparently, neither could our audiences. We sold out EVERY night and actually had to turn people away at the door in DROVES! I heard rumor that people were actually scalping tickets for our show!!! On top of that, EVERY night we received the honor of a standing ovation...!
Thank you ALL for being so supportive, encouraging, and wonderful!!!
With this chapter closing, I'll post here the review the local critic gave to us. Apparently, she never thumbs-up a show... and yet.. heh.. Here it is:
If I gave plays a numeric value of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, The Richland Players' production of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change would get about a 12. It's that good.
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is a collection of nearly 20 short, provocative, irreverent, naughty and insightful skits. Whether you're married, divorced or dating, there's bound to be something that covers you.
To say the play is just a musical comedy does it an injustice. Sandwiched between hilarious lines and lyrics are profound moments of heart -- fleeting, but intense. The humor is laced with frank dialogue about that most human of needs: the need for contact -- of the romantic kind.
The 10 actors who take on multiple roles are well-cast and do a fantastic job. Not only is the acting first rate, the singing is amazing. The lines and lyrics are cheeky and impertinent and resonated with the audience.
Jessica Ballard, William Bradt, Sergio Bueno, Wystie Edwards, Art Klym, Darlene Mahon, Ted Miller, Barbara Parsons, Lois Powers and Tom Powers are outstanding in this exceptional material.
The team is led by director Rick James. When Edwards sang I Will Be Loved Tonight, she gives voice to the real point of the play -- whether for a night or the rest of our lives, we all want to be loved.
Klym and William singing 'Cause I'm a Guy is truly unforgettable. Parsons' cathartic dating video is brilliant and elicited the most audience reaction.
This may have been the largest audience I've seen at a Players' production and I hope they took notice of the full theater and genuine laughter. Everything about the play works.
The play gets a slight disclaimer in that it's not for kids and may make some people uncomfortable. Regardless, it sure beats staying home.
* Karen Bertsch is an advocate of theater arts. She is the office manager for Ashley-Bertsch Group in Kennewick.
Our opening night falls on the first Friday of May - Passeggiata! We'll be doing a few numbers before the show around 5:30 and 6:30 during the Passeggiata (art stroll) in the Richland Parkway. Then... curtain's up at 8!
Tickets are $12 for adults & $10 for students and seniors.
Show dates are May 4,5,11,12,18 & 19 at 8pm.
Matinee on MOTHER'S DAY, May 13th, at 2pm.
The show has been running around 2 hours, including intermission so it won't keep you out too late!
I'm in a picture with Sergio on the front page of the A&E section today (May 4th) and everyone here at work is congratulating me on it and I swear that my cheeks are gonna fall off from being so red! It's made me EXTRA nervous...! But here it is:
Edgewater High is NOT being relocated! But there are issues that need to be addressed when it comes to funding the renovations... Of course Florida has issues with budgeting EVERYTHING... Thank Bush (Jeb & W) for that. Damn Florida's school systems...
This is the article from Apr. 25, 2007 in the Orlando Sentinel:
Orange County school officials are considering moving Edgewater High School out of Orlando's College Park neighborhood in a bid to save tens of millions of dollars in construction costs.
The move would abandon an ambitious and expensive renovation at the current campus on Edgewater Drive, a community cornerstone. The $97 million plan to expand the 1950s-era campus called for displacing several businesses and hundreds of elderly mobile-home owners.
What to do about Edgewater is one of several high-stakes issues facing the School Board on Thursday at a meeting that promises to reshape the district's $2.2 billion renovations program. Running short on money to renovate schools and build new ones, district officials are looking for ways to economize.
Edgewater advocates warn that uprooting the well-established school puts its success at risk.
"With a school as deeply entrenched as Edgewater, the question is how do we do it without breaking the bank," not whether the school should be moved, said School Board member Anne Geiger, whose district includes Edgewater.
"I am warning the community: There will have to be trade-offs."
Kathleen Skambis, chairwoman of a group that has monitored Edgewater's progress, said that safety, school grades and community support could suffer if the campus is moved.
"You can't put a price on a good school," she said.
Until now, the School Board had been considering a $97 million plan to double the size of the 29-acre site by purchasing a shopping plaza and College Park Leisure Homes, which serves mostly retirees and the elderly. The purchases could cost an additional $28 million, but the board could sell some surplus land later or swap some with the property owners, Demetree Builders Inc., to drive down the total.
In recent months, district officials have fought public perception that the district is a bully pushing old people out of their homes. If the School Board votes to keep Edgewater in College Park, it could include a small amount in the deal intended to be passed on to mobile-home-park owners.
The new plan comes after School Board Chairwoman Karen Ardaman asked last month to review possible cost cuts at Edgewater.
Officials began looking at a tract at the northwest corner of John Young Parkway and W.D. Judge Drive, where KB Homes earlier donated a site to build an elementary school for a development it once planned to build. The land is listed for $24 million, but district officials say they still are negotiating the price.
It is not clear whether the elementary school would still be built there.
A new high school costs about $84 million in Orange County. District officials say they don't yet know whether a school can be built at that cost on the new site, which contains wetlands surrounded by business and highways. Transportation costs also have not been figured in. Even so, officials are willing to look at moving Edgewater.
"At this point, it looks like there might be financial advantage in building there," said Rick Collins, the district's chief financial officer.
Ron Schwartz, Demetree's chief executive officer, said the company would love to replace the aging campus with a mega-retail and condo complex.
"It would be a wonderful asset for the people of College Park," he said.
Mobile-home resident Glenn Pone said he was confident College Park residents would not let that happen, however.
"The only good thing is that they're all elected officials, and we can vote them out," he said.
Thursday's meeting on the construction program comes as the seven-member board begins to face the consequences of its planning decisions in recent years. The board is expected to hear again that there may not be enough money to fulfill all the promises made to taxpayers.
"We are going to have to make decisions we would rather not have to make," Geiger said.
In addition to discussing Edgewater, the board also will deliberate what to do with 16 campuses that have been waiting to convert their deteriorating temporary classrooms into permanent buildings.
Voters approved a sales-tax increase in 2002 to renovate 136 schools and build 25 new ones. Last year, the School Board scaled back its renovation plans because, it said, materials and labor had grown far too expensive. The same $2.2 billion now covers 128 renovations, supplemented with borrowed money.
The decision to scale back means the district will not build bigger schools, and some projects will be limited to necessary upgrades. But board members promised to finish every school on the list.
This school year, financial and building planners applied that decision to the modular campuses, on grounds that the temporary structures closely resemble portables. They diverted more than $144 million from budgets at those schools to other, bigger renovations on the sales-tax list.
That leaves dozens of moldy, dilapidated modular buildings sitting on campuses across the district.
It is not clear how the district will solve the problem.
Finding quick savings on the Edgewater project would enable the district to spread millions of dollars among the first modular schools to be repaired, including Palm Lake and MetroWest elementaries in Ardaman's district.
"When funds are limited, sometimes people rob Peter to pay Paul," Superintendent Ron Blocker said. "We want to fulfill the promises we made but do it with reasonable balance."
I am writing to express my sincere plea to keep Edgewater High School in the community it has symbiotically thrived with for over 50 years. As an EHS graduate from the class of 2002, I feel the very personal need to speak up in effort to keep this school in a socially stable and thriving area that has grown and given so much to the students and residents of the area. This campus is a place of pride, a symbol of community growth, and a cherished memory to the thousands who have walked its halls.
Throughout my childhood, my parents fought tooth and nail to keep me in strong schools. This was not always easy as we were not the wealthiest family. I spent most of my life being driven to schools in better districts through magnet programs or private schools when we could afford it. It was through the magnet program that I found myself at Edgewater and learning not only the skills I would need to succeed financially, but also, lessons of character from teachers like Mrs. Peck, Mr. Michael Roberts, and Mr. John Hauser.
I recall with great pride the amount of community service I participated in. From car washes to concerts, the people of College Park knew who we were, and together, we flourished. Restaurants particularly bloomed with the business that sprung from the appetite of growing kids and the loyalty of customers who remain in the College Park area as working adults.
I no longer live in Florida, but some of the places I still hold dear to my heart are the EHS stage, where I held the lead role for a drama in my senior year, and the courtyard, where I ate lunch everyday with friends. These places are more than just concrete and steel; they are essential arteries that pump life towards a better future.
Moving EdgewaterHigh School would be more detrimental to the community than any hurricane. Please find the funding to properly renovate the campus so that it can continue to be the source of such pride, growth, and fond memories.
disappointed
enraged
impressed
accomplished
creative
These projects have at least put my face and name out there. I've been contacted for a commercial project, but was then politely told I wasn't needed after all.. a bit of a let down, but I'm busy with other projects anyway and at least I know that people know of me and have me on file for the future. 
ecstatic
energetic
satisfied
annoyed