Remember Me?

hello, friends!

i know that i have been out of contact for a wee bit, but i've been trying desperately to get myself together for the start of classes. i am now only a half a step behind, instead of 3 weeks, which is where i was...at the start of classes.

it's a tough job being me, but someone has to do it, right?

so, i don't want simply report and repost, but i've been saving a couple of things that deserve sharing. in no particular order, here we go.

former intern mark apparently has a lot of free time on thursday afternoons and so has been sending along some silliness. here is one that i liked a great deal:

A frantic Sarah Getty runs into Abe’s Able Dry Cleaners. She says to Abe “Listen, I have a terrible problem. I’ve spilled ketchup on this blue dress, and I need it right away. Can you clean it and deliver it to me by 7:00?” Abe says “Sure, but why the terrible rush?” Sarah explains that she’s been named Dade County’s 2006 Burger Queen and needs the dress for the coronation at 8:30. Knowing all about Sarah’s beauty pageant aspirations, Abe immediately sets to doing his best work and is finished around 6:30. But just as he’s leaving the shop to meet Sarah, Abe is stopped by his apprentice with a question of how to treat a certain fabric. “I can’t talk now,” says Abe, “I have to deliver the Getty’s burger dress.”

okay, that's funny, right?

when brother rob arrived in philly, i brought him a balloon of one of our favorite images. imagine our combined sorrow when the little fellow floated away. here he is in his new home:

we like to think that he's making new friends at philadelphia international airport.

this in from a retired history teacher:

In the serious time of this season, it is important for all of us of all faiths to recognize these Four Religious Truths.

1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.

2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world.

4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.

there is nothing like a good religion joke to keep us all on our toes...

cousin abaigh has been sending along quite a few fun things (perhaps a few too many...), but this one caught my eye:

then there are the alert dramaturgs who, desperate to find hilarity in their daily lives, thought this was outright crazy. i would tend to agree. so go here: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/44683 for a great chuckle. we can always count on the onion to be, um, not at all precious.

finally, in the reposting department, wendy-lou sent along a picture of her new little guy.

my goodness, he is cute...

on a more somber note, i've been watching the news both from canadia and palestine and it certainly seems as though there is something in the air (though, according to george w. bush, it has NOTHING to do with global warming...for more information, look up the name dr. james hansen in the new york times, the washington post or on CNN and then be very very scared). i think we all need to some out some positive vibes to our friends to the north and then light a peace candle for the middle east.

if you are in the chestertownvilleburggardensuponavon neighborhood on monday, PLEASE come hear birch bayh (daddy to evan bayh, one of my favorite governors...). i cannot promise that i will not attempt to grab his ass (see the rove entry) as this smart fellow is the only person since the founders to author TWO amendments to the constitution. and look how nice he looks:

the full story can be found here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/2006/01/17_birchbayh.html

finally, i am giving a very special shout-out to a boy named cob. he's very nice and i like him. so there.

keep in touch, be warm and let us all scorn dr. sociology for spending the weekend at a "conference" in puerto rico. as if...

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

The Rant, or Why I love Dave Letterman Again...

hello, friends,

okay, so i have loved david letterman for almost as long as i have loved bruce springsteen. i was one of the 18 or so people who watched his morning show back in 1980 (i have a vivid image of him taking a mini-kermit the frog on a bike and riding it across a pizza...).

over the years, my love has waxed and waned -- i've flirted with conan, i've converted to jon stewart, but yet there, in my heart, was dave.

this past week, dave played host to bill o'reilly. if you go here: http://thepoliticalteen.net/2006/01/04/oreillyletterman, you can see the entire thing.

the love has returned.

some of you know about my obsession with late-night talk radio (the conspiracy theorists, the art bells and geore noory's, the glen beck's, the matt drudge's). in the last couple of days, people have been talking about ariel sharon. here's my two cents:

i know we all have some questions about israel -- we believe in the idea, but do we believe in the reality? and lord knows, as a girl of irish extraction, i can certainly understand these feuds that last centuries.

but is it appropriate to focus ALL of our late-night radio energy on "he was fat and sort of had it coming"? isn't that on par with the recent comments from pat robertson? don't we want people to be safe and healthy?

i may be in line for the "can't we all get along" pollyanna award, but honestly...

one more thing. i have a deep suspicion that the secret service flies in brush for george bush to clear from his land. is it me, or shouldn't all the brush be cleared from the ranch in crawford, texas by now? i mean, he has spent A LOT of time there.

i look forward to hearing your comments...

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Sick Puppy

hello, friends,

i'm sorry for the hangtime in posting, but things have been a bit overwhelming.

the biggest scare came last week when the girl got very very sick. for those of you who don't know the girl, here are some photos:

so, in an attempt to make her feel happy and christmasy and loved, we gave her the bone from the prime rib had for dinner on christmas night. apparently, she's been living the life of a vegetarian dog for a tad too long and her entire upper-GI system got completely wacked (as did the rugs in both my parent's house and in my bedroom).

she is slowly on the mend, but it gave us all quite a scare. keep her in your thoughts -- and when you next see her, please don't feed her, no matter what she says.

2210 also had a great week of love with mo and michel, direct from kansas (via vargons, france and st. cloud, minnesota). we've missed them so very much and it was a great holiday gift to spend some quality time with them. they are definitely in the running for "best house guests ever."

i've been working on a new bruce graham play, which is beginning to really kick some ass. if any of you theater types out there are interested, do let me know or contact mary harden directly.

whew. now i have some work to do...but stay tuned for a political rant.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

What Happens Next?

hello, friends,

well, welcome to 2006!

when i think about the events that unfolded in 2005, i can place high on the "yay" list my trip to japan, a successful year as a professor and meeting a host of amazing new people. clearly, the "boo" list includes all of the natural disasters, several relationships in the international arena and an ever-increasing national despondancy and despair about the state of union (do we have the exact date of this year's event yet?)

but there is so much to celebrate and here in volanskyland, we had a right good time.

the house in philly was visited by an excellent group of asshole college professors (some of whom are newly engaged -- congratulations to the 23-year olds!), a fair number of wacky theater types, old and new friends, boys and girls, and a special guest appearance by brother rob. also making their presence felt was the jane austen poster child, the hottest wood turner in the country and those nutty newlyweds who live in minnesota and FRANCE (it's a hard knock life...) i don't think that a better party was had anywhere.

there is a LOT of beer still in the house, so if you are feeling parched, do stop by. sambuca shots were generously proffered, while the tequila was initially reviled and then embraced. my great friend jeannie met some people she'd not met before, so that was excellent. and the laughter and giddiness (and an occasional punch in the face) went straight through until 5AM.

i would be most remiss if did not say a special "happy new year" to my smart, sexy friend steve, who put up a little link on his blog about this blog. he's at the washington note and my avid readers know that i rely on him for all my wonking needs. pay attention, people, 'cause he is the real deal. i may talk a great game and have some insights, but this guy makes shit happen.

he certainly did last night.

brother rob is needing a little love these days, so keep him and all those who may have consumed just a wee bit too much last night in your thoughts. and maybe, if you can, help them hydrate. go seltzer water!

off to go pickup the girl. she spent her new year's at the grandparents -- i think there may have been a rawhide bone involved...

be good to one another. ask questions. and have a peaceful and loving 2006.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky