45 degrees Celsius

May 23, 2009 | Filed Under Main | 3 Comments

That’s 113 to you Farenheit folks. Quite a jump from the cool, pleasant weather at the beginning of the month. It only gets worse now…

And I need a haircut, but I ain’t gettin’ one. So there. My rationale is that I will be home in four weeks, so Kelly can work her magic. Then the next time I need a haircut, I’ll be in Abu Dhabi.

Plus – a truly effective comb-over requires long hair…

Elections

May 18, 2009 | Filed Under Politics | No Comments

We in Kuwait have just had elections for our National Assembly – the second in a year because… well, politics suck. Especially in a wealthy, third world country that has taken all the bad/none of the good parts of an American Democracy (that goes for American TV and American food as well).

But lo and behold – Hell froze over and women were elected to the Assembly for the first time! Not one, not two – but FOUR!! And for the first time in many elections, the fundamentalists lost seats. Whether this will unstick the government from lethargy, corruption and self-serving grandstanding remains to be seen. But it IS hopeful.

The Right blames Obama.

Leave ‘em laughing

May 18, 2009 | Filed Under Main | No Comments

So I got my copy of the movie What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?, which was good though time has dulled some of the jokes a ten year old found so funny. But I was thinking about one of the actors in the movie – comedian Dick Shawn, who has been in some of my favorite movies – and had a “whatever happened to” moment. This is what I found online:

“Once in a while, it seems that fate takes pity on a comedian, and the phrase “he died laughing” springs to mind.
DICK SHAWN died on April 17, 1987 A charismatic entertainer, Shawn was (along with Jonathan Winters) picked to be one of the big stars in comedy when he hit his stride in the 50’s. It was all a matter of finding a way to harness his talent for zany characters and weirdly hip free-form. For average viewers, he only succeed twice in the next thirty years: as the horrifyingly zany Hitler in “The Producers” and a distraught hippie in “Mad Mad Mad Mad World.”

Although he didn’t make many film or TV appearances over the years, Shawn did tour often over the years and periodically performed a one-man show that mixed songs, sketches and even pantomime. He was performing at the University of California at San Diego one night. He was telling a gag about nuclear war. He was his manic self as he began to imagine the holocaust. Nobody would survive, he explained, except the audience in the little sheltered theater! Then he shouted, ‘And I would be your leader!’ He fell forward, flat on his face. He lay there while the audience laughed.” Turned out he had a massive heart attack.

With this article was a piece about another comedian who passed away onstage:

“PARKYAKARKUS died on November 24, 1958. An ethnic comedian on radio (”The Eddie Cantor Show”) he is now best known as the father of Albert Brooks (nee Albert Einstein) and “Super Dave” Osborne (nee David Einstein).

In 1958 “Parky” appeared on the dais at a Friars roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. He was rolling along, joking about the Friars club: “…But in spite of all this kidding we have managed to put together a pretty good club made up of the very cream of show business people…outstanding doctors, many famous lawyers, several fine judges, and quite a few defendants…If one should be interested in nature, we have a splendid bird-watching group. No matter what time you come into our club, you’ll always see two or three of our members standing around looking for pigeons…. So Desi, we sincerely hope that you’ll be using the facilities of our club very often. And Lucy, while ladies nights at the Friars are traditionally Thursdays and Saturdays, we love you so you can come any time. Thank you very much.”

“Parky” received lavish applause.They were still applauding when Parkyakarkus slumped against Milton Berle and then leaned forward. Berle shouted, “Is there a doctor in the house?” The audience laughed — until a few doctors rushed to the dais. But for Parkyakarkus, the end of life was pure laughteer, and he went out hearing the pure joy of an audience’s response.”

See? Sometimes things work out.

Frankfurt

May 16, 2009 | Filed Under Main | 2 Comments

It’s a little before noon in Frankfurt. I only have a four hour layover this time and I should be back in Kuwait around eleven tonight. I hope my deodorant holds out…

This is an odd airport. Very cold – everything (and I mean everything) is made of brushed aluminum. Stores are sparse and security checkpoints are numerous. Nothing very aesthetic or relaxing. But I’m glad to be here. Last night was a bit… rocky. Just I was trying to get some sleep, we hit turbulence. A bunch of it. I think we bounced around for at least an hour. Maybe more. I’ve never been worried in a plane before but I got nervous. Talking to God nervous. Maybe it wasn’t that bad – when I mentioned it this morning, the guy next to me had not even noticed. And, historically, planes don’t fall out of the sky except at takeoff and landing. Maybe I’m just feeling a bit adrift. Scattered and untethered.

Maybe there is such a thing as too much travel.

Goodies

May 14, 2009 | Filed Under Main, Music | 2 Comments

My lovely wife was able to send me a box of goodies to the hotel! It contained three boxes of Girl Scout Cookies (can’t get them in Kuwait), two cool books of short stories, some papers to sign and my CD from the Czech Republic.

Yes – I said from the Czech Republic. It is a CD of the revolutionary band The Plastic People of the Universe. I read Tom Stoppard’s play Rock ‘N Roll, which was about the summer of love, communism and the Prague Spring. The Plastic People feature prominently in the play as the symbol of revolution against the Russian invasion. They were fans of Zappa and the Mothers, the Velvet Underground and the Fugs. A bunch of fairly communal hippy activists who the regime could not shut up no matter how hard they tried. I found this CD on Ebay and it is a recording of some live performances from 1976-77. This is right around the time many of the underground and member of the band were sent to jail for disturbing the peace.

I can’t wait to hear it!

Back In The ….

May 11, 2009 | Filed Under Main | 3 Comments

Well it ain’t home, but we’re back in the States! Twenty-six hours after take-off, with eight hours hanging in Frankfurt. And just like every other time I come to one of these conferences – the rain came. One minute we’re about to descend and the weather is fine. Two minutes later, it’s raining so hard on Orlando they closed the airport and we had to circle. Almost went to Jacksonville (wherever that is).

I bring the rain.

Though I did sleep on the plane a bit, I have been up since 6:30am Sunday and it is now – in Kuwait – 4am Tuesday. Need some food and a beer…

Moving?

May 6, 2009 | Filed Under Main | 3 Comments

Another hot, grey, windy day here in the Big Dusty. Swine flu is for wimps. Lord only knows what I’m breathing out here – and He can keep that info to Himself. As I sit in traffic, I notice that the new sport in this country is ‘keying’ brand new cars. Every one with a shiny new paint job has an abstract work of art on its side. May be a little act of rebellion by the servant class out here? You never can tell…

So the wheels have officially been put in motion to send me to our office in Abu Dhabi. They have been building up the office for the past year and now want it to be the center of the universe. Abu Dhabi is south of Kuwait, down in the UAE. It is about an hour and a half car ride from Dubai. [I have made that trip once, but wouldn’t like to drive it on my own. For one: Traffic once you get to Dubai is killer. Second – you are driving through desert. The road is paved, but there is nothing to see for an hour. Nothing. I’d be asleep at the wheel in twenty minutes.] You’ve read of a couple of my visits to Abu Dhabi. I haven’t seen much of it, but I have enjoyed myself. They try for culture there with concerts and art exhibits and theater. The beaches are very nice. The people also seen a little less dour than here in Kuwait. Abu Dhabi is also MUCH cleaner than Kuwait. There isn’t debris from a recent Happy Meal flying at you at all times of the day and night. Of course – there is alcohol. But more importantly – there is conversation. You can actually have interaction with fellow humans – of BOTH sexes! There are many nationalities and no major American military base nearby.

If it all works out, this move may just help maintain my sanity out here.

Montenegro

May 2, 2009 | Filed Under Main | 5 Comments

montenegro

I have to watch this movie every couple of years. It doesn’t get quirkier than Montenegro. A Swedish film from 1981 that’s entirely in English. It takes place in Stockholm, has a Yugoslavian gypsy niteclub, a swedish man with an American wife who is going somewhat crazy and a zookeeper named Montenegro. The film also has a title theme sung by Marianne Faithful and music by Abba. Hilarious, erotic and more than a bit dark. Well worth your time if you’re looking for something you have never seen before.

Newstalgia

May 1, 2009 | Filed Under Main | 2 Comments

I have added a new link on the side there – Newstalgia. My friend – the esteemed Assemblyman Stevens of Vermont – hipped me to this site today. It can be found on the “blue state” website Crooks & Liars. A man named Gordon Skene has done us the great service of reminding us of important moments of history through amazing “here and now” sound clips. Today is FDR’s speech at the 1939 World’s Fair. Further down, you can find a 1964 Q&AQ with Che Guevara or Earth Day 1970 or another flu crisis (this time from 1957 when, you know, we were all gonna die!).

I’m going to look for Nixon’s resignation.