On the brink

hello, friends,

i've been watching both CNN and THE DAILY SHOW on a regular basis and frankly, it is impossible to tell what is real and what is satire. the situation in the middle east is so staggeringly awful that i find it hard to believe that life in the US continues in such an oblivious way. we're idiots in so so so many ways.

here is my point of view on the matter. i believe that the holocaust was one of the worst atrocities man has committed against itself in the history of time. i believe that slavery, the armenian genocide, the various slaughters made by the british over the centuries in the name of "civilization," the bosnian crisis and the nightmare in the congo were all equally horrifying. like many of you, i have been aghast at the terror in darfur.

i cannot get on board with israel on this one. i just can't. i am prepared for the onslaught, but let's be honest -- it is awful on BOTH sides. BOTH sides are wrong, so horribly wrong. the whole region is one that carries centuries of mistrust and misdeeds. each and every country, from israel to palestine to lebanon to syria, has the right to exist on the same parcels of land. there is no answer. and my heart breaks for everyone and i feel completely helpless.

good chum lindsay forwarded this link from a blogger in beirut: http://mazenkerblog.blogspot.com/. check it out. and if you have a blog that you'd like me to share with others, send it along.

be good to each other.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Make it Better

hello, friends,

in the middle of fast and furious rewrites with both playwrights -- i'm amazed at their ability to turn around great, solid work in such a short time. there's a symposium tomorrow night at 8PM on the topic of "let them eat cake? audiences and performance in the 21st century" that should be great: eduardo machado, sociologist michal mccall and poet/hyperlinker michael joyce and me. fun abounds! then, the readings begin on friday at 8PM and continue saturday at 3 and 8 and then sunday at 3PM. drinks on sunday night. we're at the adrienne on sansom between 20th and 21st. come along -- for specifics, go to www.playpenn.org. and this year, we're doing nothing but thinking about the much-loved and missed veronica. here's to you, my friend.

today's message was inspired by a passing comment i heard on the street two days ago. one teenage girl smacked her friend on the arm and barked, "make it better." the hitt-ee said, "okay, okay, okay." it seemed so simple, so obvious that it really stuck with me. wanna make poverty a thing of the past? go here: www.one.org. interested in the work of doctors without borders (whose membership includes my former pediatrician, dr. jerry erhlich!) and their efforts towards providing emergency medical services? go here: www.doctorswithoutborders.org. howsabout the protection of our first amendment -- and of those who report it? learn more about the international federation of journalists: www.ifj.org. maybe it has to do with pets: www.hsus.org or health coverage and other issues related to and for children: www.childrennow.org or possibly even a grand experiment involving books and park benches at www.bookcrossing.com.

i guess my point here is again "do something." don't be a slacktivist. make it better. if a teenager can play along, surely you can too.

on another front, it is my great pleasure to welcome to the world kendall madison simms, born at johns hopkins yesterday, july 12th. she weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces and is 19 inches in length. her surgery date, likely to be friday or saturday, will be decided soon, so keep her, her parents karen and steve and her unsuspecting brothers jake and greyson -- they have no idea what a baby sister is going to do to their boy-ish lives. -- in your thoughts. congratulations and much love.

and if you get a chance to watch a repeat of the "american masters" show on woody guthrie, do so.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

National Cemeteries -- At What Cost?

hello, friends,

another good day in rehearsal yesterday. i'm working on two plays this year: lucy thurber's SCARCITY directed by brian mertes and BAD FOR THE JEWS by peter morris and directed by danny goldstein. we're having a bang-up time killing trees (ironic, huh, given the post from yesterday) with all of the rewrites.

today's message is as a result of the trip to minneapolis. as betty was dropping me and morgan off at the airport, we passed fort snelling national cemetery. this is what we saw from along the road and through the gates:

i don't know how many of you have been to arlington or one of the other 123 national cemeteries in 39 states, but it is really a sobering sight. there are over 2.5 million war dead buried in these cemeteries from every conflict in our nation's history. it makes one stop and wonder what the purpose of it all is.

so, today's message is: "at what cost?"

if you take a look at a cemetery like arlington, or fort snelling, or cave hill or any of the others (see http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/cems/listcem.asp for a complete list) that i've been to, you will see row after row after row after row after row of these simple white headstones. how many of us actually absorb it? it is impossible for one human to take in all of it, but don't we owe it to them?

on a related note, don't we owe it to them to read their names when we see the box listed in the "new york times"? don't we owe it to them to be silent for a minute while the "newshour" shows the photos of the recent dead in iraq or afghanistan.

answer the question.

i am happy to report that sylvia poggioli (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101034, our favorite NPR gal) is partying like a rock star with the players of the italian world cup team. after surviving bosnia and the recent papal elections, sister, you deserve this:

am i right?

have a good day, folks.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

Dawn of a New Day

hello, friends,

here at volanskyism, we've been getting up fairly early to go to rehearsals for playpenn, which are held from 10-7. as most of you know, i don't generally see 10AM, so it has not been "fun" and my gym attendance has fallen a little short (however, i can still kick a lot of ass -- and the ass is smaller!).

sorry, shiny objects.

at any rate, as i was in a barfy feverish state the last two days (don't you hate being sick in the summer?), i realized that i was living a metaphor. it IS a new dawn. isn't that exciting?

to that end, i am going to get political.

the folks on the other side of the aisle are SO GOOD at putting everyone on message every day with cutesy little phrases ("cut and run," anyone?) and not-so-subtle backdrops that i thought i would take a cue from them.

since it seems clear to me that this side of the aisle can't quite pull that off as effectively as, say, i can, i thought i would pitch in and do my part.

today's message: "it's HOT, you little snot!"

i recently checked out the EPA's global warming site and, as suspected, there is a disclaimer at the top that suggests, like evolution, that global warming is only one theory among many. this is the environmental protection agency people.

here's just a little bit of info about the role of carbon dioxide (that's us) in global warming. just so we have the facts right:

Warmings take about 5000 years to be complete. The lag is only 800 years.
All that the lag shows is that CO2 did not cause the first 800 years of warming,
out of the 5000 year trend. The other 4200 years of warming could in fact have
been caused by CO2, as far as we can tell from this ice core data.

The 4200 years of warming make up about 5/6 of the total warming. So
CO2 could have caused the last 5/6 of the warming, but could not have caused the
first 1/6 of the warming.

It comes as no surprise that other factors besides CO2 affect climate.
Changes in the amount of summer sunshine, due to changes in the Earth's orbit
around the sun that happen every 21,000 years, have long been known to affect
the comings and goings of ice ages. Atlantic ocean circulation slowdowns are
thought to warm Antarctica, also.

From studying all the available data (not just ice cores), the probable
sequence of events at a termination goes something like this. Some (currently
unknown) process causes Antarctica and the surrounding ocean to warm. This
process also causes CO2 to start rising, about 800 years later. Then CO2 further
warms the whole planet, because of its heat-trapping properties. This leads to
even further CO2 release. So CO2 during ice ages should be thought of as a
"feedback", much like the feedback that results from putting a microphone too
near to a loudspeaker.

In other words, CO2 does not initiate the warmings, but acts as an
amplifier once they are underway. From model estimates, CO2 (along with other
greenhouse gases CH4 and N2O) causes about half of the full
glacial-to-interglacial warming.

how's that for some stuff? the source is www.realclimate.org.

that's the message for today. now get out there and spread the word.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

Drop Kick

hello, friends,

thank you all so much for the phoners and emails you left regarding the last post. and i am most sorry for bumming out uncle larry -- his extended summer vacation should not included thoughts of suicide on my behalf. and i do apologize for going down the rabbit hole a bit -- between the wedding in minneapolis, the start of playpenn (www.playpenn.org) and a recent tummy upset, i've been remiss in checking back in .

but i think it is important to remind ourselves of the power of communication, whether it is spoken or physical. we are not one another's mind reader and nothing any one of us can do will make a complete and utter understanding of what the other is thinking possible. however, by listening and clarifying and, well, let's be honest, dramaturging, we can perhaps come close.

i've found, in recent days, that i've been doing a lot of questioning and talking and it all seems good. i am learning so much about myself and others that it continues to shock me that i've been around for so long knowing NOTHING. yikes. but i feel grateful to have such great pals to keep me propped up.

so, on to several topics.

first, the wedding was beautiful. there was weeping, sunshine, lake harriet, joy, commissioned plays and a lot of great friends and reunions. so happy to see kling, ackermann, kokernot, halvorson, marnich/blessing -- way too many to mention. betty was a FANTASTIC co-pilot, along with the mysterious widow grant (you know who you are...) -- and if you ever get to minny, make sure you take a look-see at the carrie/andy lovenest. so lovely.

while in minneapolis, i visited the mall of america, which, for the record, won. i walked for about 4 1/2 hours and frankly didn't get to see all of it. however, i did buy a BRA. here's the deal:

i've been watching stacey and clinton and they have repeatedly mentioned that no matter how small you are, the girls will fall. coupled with chirps of "oh, shelley, please get a bra" from both mama and sister sue, i felt the time was right. i walked into the victoria's secret in the mall of america and said, aimlessly, "i've not owned a bra since 1984 -- can someone help me?" craziness then ensued and a hush fell over the store. ashley and two of her closest cohorts whisked me into the design area, tossed 13 different kinds of bras my way and poof! i am now a proud owner of a 38B (stop laughing, i am too a 38B) one of these:

the only difference between this picture and the actual bra is that mine is in ivory -- this color happens to be "naked."

okay, stop laughing.

in related news, i am also the proud owner of a new leather sofa in the color of "cognac." if you are in the philly area, i invite you to come over and check it out: a dog-ass free comfy sofa. it is GREAT. the living room is in the middle of a transformation, so do check in for updates.

finally, i have to comment on the fact that the idiots in new jersey that have been fighting over the budget are ALL DEMOCRATS. if i were howard dean, i would come up, smack all of their heads together and say, "pull yourselves together, idiots. we're supposed to be fighting with the republicans." oy. november looks very bleak.

must return to dramaturgy now, but a special little shout-out to jelliott, who has become an addict of volanskyism...sooner or later, they all fall.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

My Best Friends' Weddings

hello, friends,

i'm feeling more than a little down today. i made an awful decision last friday night and i am now confronted with the repercussions.

[sidebar: this is going to be personal, not political, so if you have no interest in that, slide over to another blog.]

i've always prided myself on my generosity of spirit, my compassion for friends, my give-it-all attitude towards everyone; i've often believed that i give too much of myself to others and not enough to myself. well, i was incredibly selfish and stupid to someone about whom i care a great deal and, as a result, he's asked for a bit of time off. he's hurt and he should be. i totally wronged him.

i suppose the questions i am asking myself and you, my friends, swirl around the idea of the tension between taking care of one's self and taking care of others. as some of you know, i am a relative novice to this "adult relationship" thing and i've been doing it, as far as i can see, badly. what are the ways of showing someone you care? how does one really, honestly and truly listen to another person? is that even possible?

if you think i am an idiot and a selfish brat, please tell me. but i am at a loss at how to help me and my friend move forward, other than to continue to open my heart and head and trust that the world will throw me a bone.

as far as the heading goes, i've been reflecting a bit on weddings and next week, i get to go to the lovefest between liz and michael. i am reminded however, of my states of mind at the weddings of emily and aimee and can only hope that the third time will help me to fully revel in the love in front of me.

so that's all the news that is fit to print. light a candle, will you? and if anyone has an extra ticket to any of the springsteen shows (and maybe a chartered plane to get me there), it sure would help my mood.

and to that special someone, if you are checking in at all: i hope we can continue to learn and grown together.

be good to each other.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Connie Chung is Terrifying...

hello, friends,

my good pal steve clemons, over at thewashingtonnote.com has posted a CRAZY link to connie chung's farewell song-fest. you can go there by clicking on this link:

http://www.wwtdd.com/index.php?type=one&i=1057.

it is worth watching the whole thing, if only to see how she manages to get off of the piano (aren't you totally intrigued by now???). i trust you will concur with the fact that the so-called "liberal media" has an even bigger uphill climb than we had originally thought.

i'd like to say a few words about the on-going war in iraq. in case you have forgotten, there was no proven link between saddam hussein and 9/11. those people who blew up the trade center, part of the pentagon and a field in pennsylvania were from a little group called "al-qaeda." and, for the record, if there is a "front line" in the war on terror, shouldn't we be going after the folks from saudi arabia (since most of the hijackers were from there?)

sorry. i just had to get that off my chest. it makes me insane every time i hear the president speak about the "war on terror." oh, and then there's the smirk...

be good to each other, please.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

she's back!

hello, friends,

well, i have certainly missed you. things have been busy and slow and silly and hot and new yorky and all kinds of stuff.

here's the update:

the book (entitled NO HEAVY LIFTING REQUIRED: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PLAYWRITING AND COLLABORATION), co-written with bruce graham, is off at heinemann. we've done one round of revisions and then, sadly and to our great shock and dismay, our beloved editor lisa barnett died. so, we've been adopted by another great editor and we're awaiting our next move. they still anticipate a fall/winter release.

the 2005-2006 school year is over and i think i made it through, with no real damage. i did have a lovely moment with chris matthews at graduation (apparently, my laugh is a tad too loud), who gave a terrific commencement address.

i spent some great time in new york with WC's jason rubin. we saw HISTORY BOYS (solid and thoughtful good but had some audibility problems), LT OF INISHMORE (squealingly good) and AWAKE AND SING (beautifully good). i stayed in the love palace of chez bennett, did some quality time at the algonquin (heads-up to lisa and norah, joshie, pam, sheri, bella and di) and ate at un deux trois across from ralph fiennes. not too shabby, eh?

i start my phd program at the university of hull (england) in the fall -- from a distance. for those of you who care, i am writing about ken tynan and frank rich and their evolution from reviled theater critics to cultural observers and public intellectuals.

the boys are doing well, though, if you can, please light a candle for cat patche. he's been sick lately and could use our prayers. michael also served as a midwife/dula for 3 adorable little kittens. if you are interested in adoption, let me know.

and then there's this boy who, for the last couple of months, has made me happy. which is nice.

more later, but i wanted you all to hear the latest. drop me a line, okay?

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Hiatus

hello, friends,

because i have a manuscript deadline of march 15th and because i am drowning in a pile of work, i'm going to take a wee break from the blog.

i hope you'll check back later in the spring.

in the meantime, fight the good fight.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

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

The War on Christmas

hello, friends,

sorry for the long delay, but, with the end of the semester, things have been very busy in volanskyland.

let's catch up on some news, shall we?

starting local:

the smartest shakespearean scholar i know had a successful surgery, hopefully allowing her to have safe and snot-free travels over the winter break. we are both anxiously awaiting the start of "skating with the stars" on january 18th, so look for full reports once that begins. you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be no tonya harding's running around THAT show.

wendy-lou who got herself the second cutest dog in chestertownvilleburg. he's a 2-year old schnauzer named either luke or murphy (he's so adorable, he'll respond to any name as long as you say it with a chipper sound...). the girl had a relatively blase meeting with him -- she sniffed him out and then promptly ate one of his chewbones while he sat in my lap. what a cutie.

much success was had in second-year reviews. i think all of us came out on top, despite some "concerns." it would be inappropriate for me to say more. but, the gang will continue to play on for another year.

in related chestertownvilleburg news, we're all anxiously awaiting new year's eve and the arrival of mo and michel from the wilds of france and minnesota, respectively. we've missed their company this fall and it will be GRAND to catch up. we'll also get to see professor andy, who has been slumming all around the globe on sabbatical. he's been missed, too. finally, we must all shun drs. banks-brown as they will not be around to make us all breakfast on january 1. if you are up for the challenge, please chime in and proffer a menu suggestion.

widening the lens a wee bit:

your humble blogger and her faithful co-writer managed to get themselves a book contract for the tome entitled "no heavy lifting required: a practical guide to playwriting and collaboration." heinemann press is the lucky publisher, our manuscript is due march 15th and you can order copies soon. we need to sell about 10,000 copies before the serious royalties kick in, so sign up now! in all seriousness, it is really exciting and daunting all at the same time.

sister sue managed both great grades this semester AND her sanity. we are most proud. she also was able to bring professor clockwatcher to smile, which makes us in the profession much happier.

brother rob has a car in japan. ask him about it.

what else?

i could go on about the ruling in dover, the surveillance of this white house, the ramped-up marketing campaign for the war and other such matters, but people smarter than i are covering it. all i will say, however, is that it is our civic responsibility to be informed, so pay attention, get involved and make your opinion known.

i will suggest, however, that you visit the NY Times website to read nicholas kristof's challenge to bill o'reilly to go visit darfur. it is inspiring.

i'm missing a lot of people this holiday season: thebus, dillmansky, perlow, shapiro, eason, engelman/dixon, the marvins, pat from louisville. i hope you'll all check in over the holidays.

i'll report in after brother bert arrives (tonight will be spent with the brothers donaghy!), but in the meantime, be careful (especially if you are in new york), be peaceful and,

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Holiday Spirit

hello, friends,

snow here on the ground in chestertownvilleburg and it sure is beautiful. the girl seems to think it was all done for her and she's been having some great fun bouncing around in the snowy backyard.

the countdown to brother rob's visit has begun -- he'll be here, live and in person as of the 24th of december. he sent the following picture from my favorite mountain this week. check it out:

isn't it beautiful? i think the pain of the climb seems to be subsiding.

i'm sitting here in the apartment watching a whole lot of charlie brown. it amazes me that, despite the fact that the christmas specials are older than i am, their poignancy and relevance reverberates. keep the message of the holidays in mind as you are clubbing sweating lady next to you in a desperate attempt to get the last pint of egg nog.

i'm not 100% of this, but i think that kipper is a stunt double for this one:

right down to the pink socks.

i have a great great family and for them i am most grateful.

in the meantime, i still can't figure out how to get rid of big chunk of white space at the top. faithful servant kate says that it seems to have something to do with my "browser settings," but she may as well be speaking greek. can anyone help???

on a more humorous front, this came in over the wire. it's silly and filthy, but must be shared.

Top Ten Sexually Transmitted Diseases Which I Just Made Up:

10. Wet Penis
9. Shuttlecock
8. Rooty Tooty Too Much Booty
7. Teddy Pendergrosis
6. George Bush
5. The Artist Formerly Known As Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
4. Careless Whisper
3. Randy Johnson (think about that one for a second)
2. Dirty, Dirty Pussy
1. I Think I Slept With One Of The Sound And Lighting Guys For Public Enemy

isn't life grand?

be good to one another.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

Technical Difficulties

hello, friends,

so, it has been a nutty couple of weeks here in chestertownvilleburg, and the turkeys that were presented had a somewhat difficult time. however, thanksgiving is the time for us all to stop and think about all that we have -- and, even in volanskyland, we have a great deal. we have family, and siblings, and great friends, and all helped to remind us over the weekend that we are, indeed, really truly blessed. i am in great gratitude to all that i have, even if it is difficult sometimes.

in the good news department, new friend dan came out of surgery with flying colors and is making steady improvement. you can visit his website at www.danstumors.blogspot.com. he's a remarkable person that deserves our best wishes.

a gentle reminder: new year's is almost here and the annual party of volanskyland grownups (sans the breakfast makers banks-brown) will be assembled. it is a grown-ups-only party, so, despite my love for you all who are students, it will be for those who are over 23 only...if you have questions about the hotel arrangements or for party times, please email me. the more the merrier -- and we'll be joined by brother rob direct from his year-long engagement at the hotel sapporo. i hope you can come along for the ride.

the kids in middle hall, knowing of my love for john malkovich, sent along the following link. it made little cordelia wake straight up from a nap and take notice. it is the essential john and it made me laugh a lot. check it out: http://batmalkovich.ytmnd.com/

in other news, baby bjorn is growing big and strong, despite the fact that he seems to be the only kid in my world who is not soothed by "the gambler." odd.

finally, adam davidson made a GREAT impression on the folks at washington college. see the press release here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/2005/11/21_davidson.html
despite the problems at amtrak, adam and a slew of great friends of the WC drama department had an amazing dinner (as always) at the kettledrum and, after the talk, a load of booze at andy's. if you don't know adam (who, i still contend, crashed my wedding with gifts of nature...), you should. iraq, paris, new orleans and banda acheh have only fine-tuned a great mind. it's a great pleasure to know him and have him come to my school.

i'm still seaching, and wishing, and hoping that you all continue to tune in and share the love with friends. it's a lonely life out here by myself -- i'm so glad you are along to make it a bit smoother.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Tidbits of goodness (and a cry for help...)

hello, friends,

i hope you are all well and enjoying what i hope is a beautiful late fall. winter-like activity arrived in chestertown on wednesday around 9:15 and it has been crisp and clear since then. i also managed to light my propane heater (something one HAS to see in order to believe it) down here in chestertownvilleburg without blowing up the block.

some of you wondered if i was doing okay after the last posting. i am, in fact, great. i'm centered and focused and prepared to take on whatever the world may throw at me. here's what one smart person observed, under the title "raising questions is not enough," based on that last post:

Of course you`re not doing enough to change the world you`re living in. Not even close.

The good news is that none of us are. Or is that really the good news?

There have been times reading that post of yours when I`ve wanted to write a blisteringly scathing comment to all of the intelligent, talented, well-educated, well-spoken, able-bodied people who get out of their cars and sit down at their computers every night to wax philosophic on the state of the world. How terrible this is or how terrible that is. I give them credit for at least thinking about it, but then I think, if they`re thinking about changing the world, why aren`t they doing it?

There are a lot of people out there who are just making their way and don`t really think about other people, people in other parts of the world, what the powers that be are doing, etc. I let them go. They`re the majority. For the most part, while they might not always be helping make things better, by simply making a living for themselves and their family, maybe they`re not making things worse.

But your blog readers. They SEE. They KNOW. They UNDERSTAND. So why don`t they DO? "Yeah, I see what`s wrong, I understand what`s going on, but, rather than do anything about it, I`ll sit here at my computer and show everybody how smart I am with incisive comments on the situation. That should be good enough. Somebody else can take out the garbage." FUCK that.

There are a few reasons why I don`t write a big fat FUCK YOU to every single one of them. The first, sadly, is that I`m not doing nearly as much as I want to be or as I could be to make the world a better place. I have absolutely no room to talk. But that will be changing soon.

The second is that there are enough people out there yelling FUCK YOU. For example, EVERYBODY. Me joining the chorus would be either counterproductive or, worse, another voice lost in the crowd. Cynicism and negativity feed on themselves, and a small part of the reason I don`t prefer to live in America is because those two things run high and strong there. Why is it that the voices of loving, caring, compassionate, positive people are ascribed to be crazy, hippies on the periphery of reality?

Positivity is where it`s at, yo. There is no problem on this planet that can`t be solved with love and compassion. I see it in my own life, I see it on a grand scale when the volunteer organizations come together to help out hurricane victims. Why should the conflict of nations be any different? Why can`t we view what happened to the World Trade Center, for example, as just another natural disaster? Those were people flying those planes, human beings borne of the same energy that causes the wind and rain of the hurricanes. We don`t try to kill the wind and rain when they go out of control on us, and, in my opinion, we shouldn`t try to kill other living creatures when they do the same.

The bell just rang, I gotta go. That`s ten minutes I just spent typing this message that I could have spent doing something else.

so smart, right? there's a lot of great stuff contained within that email, all of which i hope you will take to heart. we ARE intelligent, resourceful, etc. let's get the hell out of our cars.

smack dab in the middle of my application process for the university of hull's higher degree through research program. this is a british-model PhD program that sends one right into research for a dissertation. i'm VERY excited to begin exploring how dramaturgical inquiry might be applied to the larger culture. i hope that this is just a first step on the path that the above refers to.

a dear new friend of mine is having a major surgery tomorrow (check out www.danstumors.blogspot.com) for full details -- if you have any pull with any type of "intelligent designer," would you put in a call? and for the rest of us, light a candle or something. he's a good one and could use a healthy dose of our collective positive psychic energy.

a few things have come in that warrant posting.

that is courtesy of sister sue. i know that i goes against all that has been posted in terms of generousity and good will and everything...but...it makes me giggle. giggling is good, right?

this one is a link that comes from canadian superagent michael petrasek. more giggling. also, what's with the dude in the back: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6739710473912337648

cousin abaigh sent along a HILARIOUS windows movie entitled "arrested: texas style" that, because of blogging ineptitude on my part, i cannot figure out how to post.

(here is the cry for help: if anyone has any suggestions on how to post abaigh's video, how to change a link to say something, and how to get rid of all that white space at the top, there is a cocktail for you...!)

at the end of the day, we only have one life to make the most of, one chance to leave a thumbprint -- don't waste it.

in this season of thankfulness, i hope everyone travels safely and relishes all that we have.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

Slacktivist

hello, friends,

i'm tossing and turning in my bed tonight and i just can't sleep. there are a number of reasons. here are several of them:

1. last night i dreamt that i was (again) rearranging my locker at haddon township high school. my locker was next to jess vitigliano and kim vining and, in the dream, i was the one with the messiest locker. i kept trying to figure out what books i needed to take to class in order to be "most prepared" for the day and just could not find what i needed. things just kept falling out of this locker -- i remember seeing notebooks and textbooks and scripts and all sorts of nonsense. kim and jesse just kept looking at me like i was completely insane. nothing would stay in and nothing i needed would come out.

2. tonight i went to hear a talk by the pulitzer-nominated photojournalist lois raimondo. she's a graduate of wittenberg college and she spent a good amount of time in afghanistan and in iraq, both pre-invasion, and her images from these places are unbelievable. real people, just like you and me trying to live their days despite the mayhem that is going on around them.

i sometimes feel like i am a complete slacker. i talk a great game about policy and politics, urging students to get out and live their lives and, alas, what am i doing? maybe there is something in asking the questions, but, at the end of the day, who is listening? it is a tough road to hoe when one snuggles up into bed at night with a beautiful and loving dog, but...sometimes one just needs someone else to bang up against to get one's head straightened out.

i spent an amazing weekend on chincoteague island with some family -- all of whom are smart, intelligent and rife with opinions. they've been with me every stupid step along my path, and i value each and every one of them. but, again, there i am.

i would like to say that i am posting this after a million glasses of white wine or some substantial gin and tonics, but i gotta say that this is the actual me, with no enhancement. sometimes i so value the solitude, and then there are those few waking hours where the waking hours are just so damn hard.

there's a part of every person that is the life of the party, the wise counselor, the happy-go-lucky individual to whom others turn when their lives are messy. i often wonder what those folks do when the lights go out.

people, now is the time to take a serious inventory about what your beliefs, values and opinions are. you will need to articulate them with your friends and those who are not your friends. i feel rough roads coming along, and we have to stick together. right?

in the meantime, i'll try to get some sleep. i trust you'll do the same.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

BBrrruuuccee

hello, friend,

tonight, i saw my 31st springsteen concert and it was, in fact, a doozy. i heard songs i've NEVER heard live before and it just made my heart smile.

bruce also got me thinking about missing the boat on having babies, on catholicism, and why i like my own dad so very much.

best friend aimee was absolutely aces -- she scored the seats and gets high marks for not being pregnant at this show. last time we sat in the spectrum parking lot, we were there for a dead show and you can only imagine what went on then.

here's the report from backstreets:

November 9 / Philadelphia, PA / Wachovia SpectrumNotes: If you thought the 24-year gap between performances of "Drive All Night" was something, dig what Bruce broke out for the old-timers at Philly Night 2: "Santa Ana," last played live more than 32 years ago in the spring of '73. While much of the crowd was surely still scratching their heads over that one, Bruce really rattled their brains by stayed at the piano and going right into "Thundercrack," complete with a sing-along at the end. Both of these early gems were released on Tracks disc one, and both were tour premieres tonight. Also making its official tour debut was "Used Cars," last played at the Asbury warm-up back in April. Plus the tour's second "Independence Day"; rare visits from "Adam," "Janey," and "Cynthia"; and a "Dream Baby Dream" that clocked in at ten minutes. A whopping 17 songs not played at the first show makes a total of 41 different songs played at this two-night Philly stand.Setlist: Reason to Believe/Devils & Dust/Adam Raised a Cain/Long Time Comin'/Used Cars/Janey, Don't You Lose Heart***/Independence Day*/State Trooper/Nebraska/All the Way Home/Cynthia/One Step Up/Reno/Santa Ana*/Thundercrack*/The Rising/Spare Parts/Jesus Was an Only Son*/Two Hearts/The New Timer#/Matamoros BanksEncore: Growin' Up*****/Waitin' on a Suny Day/The Promised Land/Dream Baby Dream***=piano**=pump organ***=electric piano*****=ukulele#=autoharp

i love bruce springsteen.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Why One Might Hate Freedom

hello, friends,

an observant dr. bob submitted this for posting. i think you all might like it:

have a great day. i will be spending the night with bruce springsteen in philadelphia.

full report after the jump...

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky