Shakespeare???

So I went to Raleigh last night to get Cuban food with the SO, and then to take in a local theatre group performing The Taming of the Shrew by locals named Burning Coal ( http://www.burningcoal.org/ ). They're a local Raleigh group, and to tell the truth, at first, I was sort of skeptical that it was going to be any good at all. My fears, allayed after I saw their performance last evening. It was just damn good is all I can really say about it. They did a great interpretation of a classic tale. I had never seen Taming of the Shrew, but of course, some sadistic high school English teacher always made you read Shakespeare when you were there, and there is no comparing it to seeing it performed really. This is something that English teachers should do if they're going to try and actually get high school kids interested in Shakespeare, pick a good performance, and take them to it, make them watch it, because seeing it, so much better than just sitting at your desk in a smelly high school classroom with an ugly old wrinkled English teacher telling you to read it to one another. It just doesn't translate as well, or at all for that matter. I think we need to get more culture in the country in general, but we aren't a society that will take that in much, or at all. We are too, gimme gimme gimme, and don't want to take the time to sit down, watch a performance of something great, and then maybe talk about it. We like small sound bites, and reality TV. That sucks. There are so much better things to do out there. Looking at the performance schedules for the BTI Performing Arts Center in Raleigh, there are a lot more things I want to take in this year, and probably will. I'm willing to bet that when I go to a symphony performance, myself, and the SO will be the youngest people there, and that's just sad. Because even if you're a punk rock kid, or a metal head, or even someone who digs on just regular old pop music, there is something in classical music that you can get into. Classical music is complex, and there are just layers upon layers of tones, flow, and stuff that one who appreciates music can just take in. Who doesn't like music of some sort? There is something in there for everyone I'm telling you. Check it out if you get a chance, most cities have a local orchestra that plays, and I'm also willing to bet that it's cheap to get into, and that there won't be too many people there in the first place. Culture people, culture...

Reading another friend's blog earlier today, he was talking about NOT being that Patriotic. I think he's got his terms confused personally. You can love your country, and not agree with a lot of things that they are doing. That's Patriotic. I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said, "Being Patriotic is being in opposition to tyranny." So whether we're talking about another country, or possibly your own government, I think you can be Patriotic in different ways and means. You don't need to be rah rah go USA to be Patriotic. Just trying to influence someone, or believing in something, and following your beliefs, that could be Patriotic. Graham, you're wrong, you are Patriotic, just in a way that's different from what's generally believed or perceived.

Why is Sunday morning TV so bad? The only thing that I can find to actually watch right now is Drop Zone, with Wesley Snipes. God, it's a bad bad movie. You don't even know how bad until you've actually seen it. Just take my advice on this one, don't watch if you can avoid it. Although, it's either this or Sunday morning church services, I'll take this. Since I'm a heathen and all. Well, agnostic, not heathenistic. I can't stand the Sunday morning preachers on TV though, talking about sin, talking about retribution, talking about how righteous they are, and at the same time, asking for money, asking for this, asking for that. As Bono once said, "The God I know ain't short of cash mister." Televangelism is horrible, and should be outlawed. Go to your local church, they're probably doing good works out there somehow. Whether it's feeding some local homeless, or taking people in, caring for old folks, and so on. Most churches are doing good things. Now, I don't or won't go to church these days, but I believe that there are good folks in church, and for the most part, they care about their fellow parishioners, and their local community a lot. No doubt about it.