banksy

Watched "Exit throught the gift shop" the other day. Wonderful, kept me laughing throughout, lovely. Then, lying in bed, thinking- wait........

Next day, up and finally reading the material about it, and stuill swilling in the 'wait...' category.

Such greatness to wallow in Banksy, whatever way he chooses to deliever it

chix

apres ww2

The Atlantic's continuing spanshots of ww2

The Fall of Japan

Fall of Japan

Jesus and Occupy Wall Street

Enjoying that the Priests are doing their bit to spread Occupy Wall Street. In the last two weeks of masses, The Holy Roman Catholic Church sermons have been about Jesus and the people in the streets.

Shure, trouble has been spread across the church through many things, but the last two weeks Jesus would have been proud of the community - and the communities - He has left behind.

Der fall of zee nazi germany

There is no Happiness on this day whatever it is...

They tried- they really did-

but somtimes the other team:

not warmed up and WE with the Immaculate Chance in the First Minute

(a Header off of The Bar

Yes

That would have made

a Stunning Statement):

possiblymaybecoulda been better

but months on end of

being to-gether

Believing -dont stop-

and

this day we face the End

And then

the professional kids

(Me with drink in me - nice drink, bar jenx-)

no individual test this time, rather a test horizonstyle barring me, for who knows how long and that is why I've said HELLO recently, d'accord)

have an un-opportune goal

goneagainstthem

sometime 70minutes in

seemingly too late to recover

a roaring barfull of dissapointment

But remember:

JV CityPlayoffs completed for us - but still there is sliteseason of friendlies left to practice and get better for as wella s next season for those who we coaches see varsity potential in

and

MLSCup Playoffs to qualify for and succeed

There is still Life ahead...

and it's a Double Loss of a Day

On the rank non-possibility of ever going home again...

Sunday nite in rogers Park for Indian food and a catholic mass. So, on and on about Indian - maybe twice a week @ this point - Mutter Kuster and I went to a new place (have a 50% coupon for it, Jakovv said it was good until after we ate there - then he said he'd 'heard' it was good). New Place = um, forgot the name, but it's a Devon place - and brilliant. We shared plates of Masala and some beef dish - added 2 parathas (wait - paratha $2 each? ouch!!). Loved it. Will go back and try different dishes.

Then, back to my undergrad days for mass - but, wait, where were we? On the campus of Loyola University? But ..... it's so different!! It's no longer the campus I knew. I know, i know, 'my city was gone...' and 'this is were we swam/hunted/...buy a souvineir' and all the other 'old fogey' things back in my day - but the change in the place is stratospheric. The oldest of the old buildings remain - Dumbach, Cudahey, and the science buuilding. Mertz dorm remains. But the rest isbasically ..... 75% changed? Really - subtract those three buildings - even Cudahy has a giant addition tripling it's size - and little of the old campus remains. That little sand beach outside Madonna della Strada .....

And that's good - time and progress marches on. The campus looks good. Looks great. Who would want it to look the same? Glad for the next generations.....

But I knew that ONE area would remain unchanged - the Mass. Passed down thu' generations and generations around the world - passes down thru' generations and generations of my life - surely i would get the same satisfaction here - except ......

There have been three generations of me 'going to mass' By rote, growing up, I went to mass. Loved St. Rita, loved being a part of that. In college and living on the north side, I fell inlove with the student mass @ Loyola - the girls, the ease of a 10.15 pm mass, the girls, frenz, the girls....and, most inportantly, the singing. I learned to really enjoy the spectacle - and loved the singing. Looked forward to it because - always - you'd wonder what songs they'd kick into that nite. open up rocking w. "gather us in"? That stunning spiraling sung "Grant us peace". Sung "The Lords Parayer?" Spirituals like "Where you there when they crucified the Lord?" or "I once was blind....". Like a concert, I knew I'd arrived when somehtiing - be it the instruments, the singers, the time of the nite, the tenor of the sermon, the godpel readings - would lead me to weep - silently, secretly - so only The Father knew - but moved I was.

And a giant part of that was the music, and it really changed going to Mass 'by rote' to really enjoying the experience. Then came reading John Spongs Jesus for the non religious and the ongoing biblical scholarship that follwed, the attempt to 'save Jakovv's soul" and a third era of Mass going has been entered - the chuckling over which readings are used - tisk tisking when a Paul letetr was used that wasn't one of the 7 'For shure written by Paul', the giant smiles inside whent he priest sermoned what I liked or when biblical scholarship was deployed ...

But, on this sunday jnite, when I was expecting the music to move me - it didn't. The band? Horrible. No longer on the ground floor, it's now in the balcony (where we used to sneak up during mass and watch the rest down below) and muffled. Song choice? Stilted. Singers ...... eh.

Yes, the changes to campus are great. Part of my childhood was spent there in university, and I love the school and hope for its future. However, the mass experience was crushingly dissapointing.

I made the staement "I will never go back".

But maybe I should.

Cults

cranx again

Been on a crank calling jag reecently. Have listened to WCPT, the local liberal radio station that has Thom Hartman, Ed Shultz, Bill Press, Norman goldman, etc etc etc.... for several years now, but never thought to call any of them.

Until recently.

From 9-midnite Alan combs takes callers, is usually insulted by rightest types, and discusses the issues of the day. Pretty good show - Thom Hartman is The God of radio and is easily the best - but all the shows have good dtuff. However, the last 2-3m of Alan Combs show he allows callers to call in and say whatever they want - as long as it's one sentance. So, finally, i called... and discovered that it isn't that hard to get on in this period - it's one call after another, one sentance - so the line sopne up soon.

I decided to do several characters. My fave is "the German Guy", who originally called in to extoll everything German like he was the head of Deusth Tourism. "Zere ist nothing better den to enjoy zee German summer on zee baltic coast", "Ze Germann mountains are zee most beautifuler in zee vorld"... etc until the character was established - and then it became "zee best house paionters in zee vorld are from... Germany..." and etc etc etc... The vunderbar part of this character is that i Can come up w. somethiig to say instantly - open my eyes and whatever is n front of me can be commented on. It's fun and silly.

And more characters - the MArquette Park references abound. "Anyone with a time machine and wants to play me in fast pitch should set the time to 1979 and the local to 62d and Mozart". Superhero characters we made in grammer school have come back to life: "This is Captain 5 warning Chemical Man that YOU WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!"

And others join: Chemical Man himself has started to call - once I was on hold and he came on, and Iw as next - I changed what i was gonna say to match what he just said. Mothers does her part. And gloriously Jakoff started that he wanted to ask "What will God make of allthese capitalist types..." Funny.

If it's 11.55pm M-Friday, and you are near a radio, turn in to 820AM.

Jagger

Seems mick is in a new film to begin shooting - this lynx dos'na werke just yet, but it's in todays Guardian

Sorry for the delay

Jagger Up/

Jagger Up/

Hey-ohhhhh/

Jagger Go

Loved the comments....

LOVE THE COMMENTS
from dcs a few years back

On Retreat

Many famous retreats in history. Rommel from El- Alamein, 2000k miles in 1942. Napoleon from Moscow in 1813, w. Ney leading the rearguard. Americans in that initial rush in Korea, the summer and fall of 1950. Washington and the Americans running from the british from boston all the way to Valley Forge.

It's waht i feel rite now. In many ways, im undergoing a giagantic retrerat from life. It's happening - I really feel that in many ways i'm just wasting time until away 'till there is no time left (aging stylr). Killing time. Wasting away.

I'll amidt it - there are SOME places where there is somethins positive. Coaching, fex: last spring coaching the girl JV we had a pretty good positive attitude, and I really began to fel more confident in hat I was doing there. Need lots of help, still, from the othjer coaches - but on a good road. Now, w. boys JV in the Fall, those positive steps continue. @ least i have some worth.

Romance, as well. There is a girl, and we've been hanging out. Fully i know she diggs me, and this is greast. I still have holes in me from Gf, but fully realise that that was then and now is now. So, these nacesent steps are good.

Oh, and the whole music thing. "Cafeteria Christ" being the obvious cover star of the Gary lp. Self taught recoreded lessons proceeding slowly - but fun to add a horn to my tiny capabilities. Verse part of "Gary's broad collection" almost making me happy. Lynx betwixrt "Miss Him" and the overture. Extremely nice demo of that one untitled 'happysongaboutmeetinggaryfromanackolytespov' that popped up a few weeks ago jamming w. a 8yrold @ Snowdens. Good stuff.

But, everywhere else - runation. I have two things I have to do - but I feel Im failing @ these asa well. One is MOm. Since I'm home all the time, it's my job to take care of her mainly (sisters do a little, sister.4 more that the others, but...). And there is Bolo. W/out me, they would put this life to sleep. So, therev are compelling reasonns to live.

But, in all honesty, I really feel that if Mom and Bolo were gone, there there really is no point to whatever. Wait - i dont want to be too omnious and scarey and threatening: you dont have to worry - it's just im not motivated by much anymore - and if they go, all motivation goes. They go, and I stare @ the wall fro the rest of my life.

Unemployment. Killing me. Terrified that I will never be hired again, and that would be a deep shame. At this point, I really feeling that I'll never teach again.

Unemployment - it's killing me spirit. Again.

So, what I need to do is channel Ney. Manage the rearguard hheroically. Stop the bleeding. Fight that the main body can make it's retreat and insure a future where my forces cab again be applied to offensive battle.

But, again, rite now it's full and terrible retreat.

take good care of it

Thx Kansas

my new favourites......

Who would have believed?

Obsessed with jazz in the last six weeks ...... Chick Webb, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, ........ I really do like Swing music (DANSE DANSE DANSE!!!!!), and the bebop that followed ......

Obsessed with Indian food in the last two months .... Fierce place on north side of Devon but way east of the area where its massive amounts of Indians, Pakistani , Hasidim Jews, middle Easterners, etc etc etc - it's close to Damen. I'd crashed @ jakoffs, and it was a Friday morning and I was dead hungry. I wanted to walk from Jakovvs to the main Hasidim area on Devon just to soak up the eclectic neighbourhood - and soptted the "99 cent veggie sandwich" sign on Ghareeb Nawaz. Now, because of frendship of 25years w. Jackson, I have eaten and really enjoyed Indian food - but the deliciousness of this food just massacred me. So fucking tasty, so cheap - and nice that i dont HAVE to eat meat. 24h open, and the people who eat there are mainly Indians, so as bad at food critism as I am, i know the place is good beyond just my taste and bankaccount.

I love the place.

from yakoff and gallo

Yakoff sent:
Moderator: ...(Anarchism) It does'nt mean a society in which there is literally no government so much as a society in which the primary authority and sociable authority comes, as it were, from the bottom and not from the top down... where representative democracy, as we have here in the United States and Great Britian, would be regarded as a form of top down authority even though ultimately the voters decide.

Chomsky: Well, representative democracy, as, say, in the United States and Great Britian, would be criticized by an anarchist of this school (Anarcho-Syndicalism) on two grounds. First of all, because there is a monopoly of power centralized in the state and secondly, and critically, because representative democracy is limited to the political sphere and in no way, in any serious way, encroaches on the economic sphere. And anarchist of this tradition (Anarcho-Syndicalism) who always held that democratic control of one's productive life is at the core of any serious human liberation or, for that matter, any SIGNIFICANT DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE. That is, as long as individuals are compelled to rent on the market to those who are willing to hire them, as long as their role in production is simply that of ancillary tools, then, there are striking elements of coercion and opression that make talk of democracy very limited, if even meaningful.

Gallo sent :That's right baby

ladydrawers

mindness

knees

Endlessly now they hurt - my knees. ONly one is injured - the rite - but wobbling about on one makes the other natty, so now two hurtpins. Suxx. Worst is the getting up in the nite - everynite, several times a nite - to get up to walk around the room - because THAT"S THE ONLY WAY THY STOP HURTING.

So, finally, i ddi go get an MRI- and the do said that basically, if Iever want to play w/out pain again - Ive gotta get surgery ont he rite.

Not bad surgery - arthro, 20m, maybe even no pain meds after - but do i really want surgery of any kind?

But, tehn - do i ever want a full nites sleep?

Why I don't want surgery:
I'd wanted to wait it out - the other coaches have their various hurts, some knee related, but have not had surgery - is my knee worse off than their various hurts?

That book - Pain Free - has had a tremendous effect on my mind. It's thesis is a rather attractive one: "don't get surgery - just follow our steps to heal. Yopu will eventually get better w/out surgery". But everyday, dull pain ......

So, I dunno. Can't play any sports rite now - no cutting and all. I could run - straight ahead motion - but I'm too unhealthy to put a ball @ my feet.

This suxx.

Some Girls

Reading, amongst others, Unchosen: The Hidden lives of Hasidic Rebels by Hella Winston. Yes, and sorry, still rockin' the Hasids. Obv. from the title it's about those who felt that they couldn't fit in to the lifestyle. Loved this quote about Yossi, one such rebel:

"And there also was the fact that most of the girls he tried to talk to seemed to relate to him as if he were either an alien form another galaxy or some rare exotic species (Homo hasidis), too holy for mundane thought or conversation"

Me, of course, in parts. Often times, it ain't just the birds that tend to me that way - many times when i go into bars by myself around here, i am some sorta alien from another galaxy the rare thing by whoever is there.

But this here is about birds. There have been no women @ all in my life since Gf - a longtime now - but there actually has been a girl or two. Meeting engagements, nothing settled, nothing done, but nice anyway. Nice to have ANY sorta glancing interest from people you are attracted to - but w/out the messiness of actually having to be accountable to them. So ..... the equivalent, yes i think, of being @ the bar by myself reading political pamphlet and having a drink, only speaking to the bartender.



So, there I was, in my comfortable clothes a few months ago (Fuck do i miss the shit out of that time - i really do - it's nice being a Beatle) @ Lanigans - a Friday nite when it's always chaotic - and yes there was the life of the bar dansing and singing and drinking - and there was me, writing scripts or reminders or notes or annotations or what - and she dansed over to me and said - of course - hey, are you Amish. I told her the reason for the season - Morrissey, 1985, Hasidism, Tony wilson, all that - and she stayed for a bit. She was a busy girl - the whole bar and the whole world was there for her enjoyment that nite - but Iw as flushed. And she came back - several times - and we chatted. Now, why a young girl would want to chat up a middle aged Hasidiclike loner - but, truly, some girls like aliens from another galaxy or exotic species - y'know, i was fab back then.

But i didna last. Im bad @ commitments, but I had one I was determined to follow - I had to wake up the next day for an early A.M. soccer game. I knew if I was to stay there chatting her up who knew what night happen that nite - but what kind of coaching would I be able to do the enxt day (I and to wake so early - 6.15am - and im not 22 anymore...). All signals seemed "Well steamed" : She kissed me- well, I guess she actually kissed my beard onn the side of my face several times. When I told her I just hadda get up the next day to coach she wrote her email down in my 'daybook'.

And she is where? Dunno. Followed up, of course, but nothing returned to me. After a bit, on telling BCD about it, he told me he'd pursue - so again, an email was sent out. Nothing. So, for now, I give. No big deal, I guess. But, nice, a exciting dansing piece of life allowed some of yr force upon me. Good enough ... or... well, you know, whatever... I did what I could.



OK, but that's not all. There is another one, and the contact continues. Fully, I'm not sure where this will lead, but for now it's more of a friendship deal thatn anything else ... I think... She's actually someone who I went out w., once, about a decade ago. I'd tried out for a play - a real one - on my cousins suggestion (a sorta 'get out of yr comfort zone type deal) around the year 2000. This girl was a volunteer facilitating the tryouts - wait, auditions - and was easy to talk to. Got a ride to Humbolt Park that nite form her - me sleep @ Yakovv & Sandras that nite - and i suggested a drink @ Rainbo. We got along. I must have been in up cycle that nite/day/hour, because what I remember -besides it being easy to talk - was her @ one point saying along the lines of "So, you are into (list of things which included 'joy' as on of them)". I'll amidt that that is a wonder thing for the opposite sex to say about self. A good hour @ Rainbo. Several drinx later, she dropped me off. Of course I didn't ask for her # - what, me? - but I knew I could get my cousin to drop a suggestion to her.

And MAC the cousin did. This girl called me eventually and we went out a few weeks later to some Irish thing, and then later for a drink to Chief O'neils. We hung out nicely that nite - just alittle bit -and we got along again. I mite be a bit, stupid, y'know, but it seemed kool. I worried a bit if I was, uncharacteristically way too forward. Maybe I was - she never got back to me. Saw her maybe once or twice again over a decade, but probably didn't even say hello. Fine and dandy.

Until, a bit a go, via ... guess where: Facebook. Nice. She gotta holda me. I was receptive, and since I'd kinda sloffed off FB for the while, she kinda had to ... prusue me abit just to keep in contact. My computer was out, and it was too much to try and go to library to blather about on FB. Now ... in truth, because of her presence, I started to watch up FB a bit more, and a bit more. Presently, I'm more or less active in in again - mainly because of both her but also the chance to spread political articles that I find important/nice to read that I run across. But mainly because therew as acess to her again.

So, FB messaging turned to emailing which turned to phone calls. Bit by bit, over a few weeks time. Easier and easier, until it seemed odd not to talk to her this or that nite. Got ...attached to saying hello to her. She lives away from Chicago - far, but not too far. However, phone's nice, nice to talk to a girl, nice to flirt w. a girl while talking to her, nice. Very nice. We get along fine, phonewise. This went on. Over many hours of conversation, the obvious flirting tone and the fact that we are not wee bairns lead me to ... well, suggest that - y'know - maybe I should come out for a visit. I have the Strasser, and its in servicable enough of a condition to make the battle trip, and we are not kids - what about it?? I mean, rite? Every other girl in which there has been off and on serious flirtation, in context of time, has lead to hanging out.

So, plans were made. Maps consulted, areas scouted, provisions moved to the front. Even artillery rounds were doled out to the various batteries for the preinvasion bombardment. All was ready - and then the plan abandoned. Dissapointed ach wee bittine, of couse, but it was ok. There were very valid reasons - not the least of which was the pressure and scardness of the pressure - a distance between us means that there is a distance betwwen us. What me, Wary? We continue to talk, maybe flirt. Is fun. As Galloo said, it's good to have contact. Will it lead anywhere? Zero clue. Zero. But now the emphesis is off of, y'know, the boygirl thing. Quite pointedly, when we discussed the "let's think about not doing the boy visiting girl thing", quite pointedly I made sure that I said maybe we could the visiting thing someother time, if "...I am not seeing someone or you are not seeing someone at that time".

Which means, in military terms, I retain my 'freedom of action'. Then again, what does that mean?

Newborns!!

All four robin eggs hatched innthe enst nestled under a drainpipe on my house. Feel guilty checjing because the parents immediatelt start to agitate and swak and fly about - hate to freak them out, but I wanted to check. Part of the deal is that last year one of the eggs didn't hatch and it went bad - so the nest was invaded by tonnes of tiny minibeasts who flushed the prefledgling birds intot he jaws of a killer cat.

I'm particularily attracted to Robins this year because I witnessed the death of two - two males fighting for territory flew into the front of a speeding car in front of me. Horrified, i parked - both dead, but still warm. So sad. Therew as a cematary rite across from where they died, so to give'm a little dignity, I brought them in and placed them on a grave. Workers would know what to do with them.

And who made his appearance on the poarch?? Same kat, named Bamboo (from le film "The Regular Lovers". I'm not sure if it is the same parnets, but boy the appearance of Bamboo lent rightous swaqing commence. Dispite his murdous tendencies, i love Bamboo - tiny little young black - and regularily feed it dog treats. It has the run of ther neighbourhood.

Bamboo also met Rex - they were chill. Rex regularily (i know, 3d time) barks/whines his giant head off @ the cat, so Bamboo was a wee bit nervous - but they were fine.

Not on Jutland

More and more away I get from everybody, it seems. Everyone, 'cepting a few. My Mom. The 2 other coaches I work with. Bolo. And - ready for this - Gallo, BCD, and Chemical Man. Six humans and a dog. Otherwise, I just feel enstrangement, distance, and dissassociation. Nothing bad with anyone - all the bad is with me. But everywhere these days is unsafe and alien and unknown.

I have my moods, and im sure it's just that. But, still. On Saturday, watched the Champions League Final @ Gallos. What did we eat - frozen pizza! Gotta understand the foodieness of the dude, so it giggles me much that it was frozen opizza (good shit - and by me saying it was frozwn pizza @ Gallos, it was of course "super gourmet organic special wonder pizza", bott he 3 for $10 shit i get. Tasted great. The game was exciting and well played, but it sucked 'cause Man U was dominated aftere those first 10m. Somewhat reminisent of the final between ManU and Barca 2 years ago. This loss was easier to take - maybe because the odds were long going into it. But, as always, it's great to see Giggs play. He's such a link to my way past - he predates the Premership - that i'm scared he will retire soon. They play here in the summer - wonderful to see him as there is no tlak of retirement.

But, retire he will someday sooner than later.

Gallos is an easy place to go and Im always easily welcomed. It's a very safe place for me these days where I usually just want to go places where there is noone and I dont have to talk to anyone. Reason I go to bars by myself and bring along something to read - let me watch but no I don't want to talk. Going to soccer or baseball agmes - by myself. The theatre (a lot lately) - by myself.

Self, self, self.

Sunday was a cookout @ the Jokers. Hadn't been in contact w. these people -The New Guard - since LAST YEARS PITCHFORK. Now, understand, these were the people who I spent so much time with for so many years. So much time. I'm closest to the Joker and Big John here, but they all are important - except, again, enstrangement, distance, and dissassociation. Why? In many ways the group was fractureded from what it was say 10 years ago - but growing up and having families and jobs and houses and all that will, of course, do that.

And in many ways that is it. I've not worked for almost a year now, and Ive never been able to keep any job for long. At this point it seems that I will never work again - especially doing waht I want to do in CPS. I have almost no hopes in these regards now. Very pessimistic. A female would be nice - but now, @ my age and w. my propects... And children? I can't even take care of myself, let alone another life.

So, here I was, in the midst of my good frenz... who were talking about their jobs and children and doing ok. It was a struggle @ times to deal w. a simple cookout.

But I did. I talked, and mingled, and had fun. It was too long between times from having seen these guys - it wasn't Pitchfork, but sometime in October or whenever William Randolph Heurst no - it was Big John? had his bday party last. What I noticed was how much Kat, Big john's wife, is a safe person for me. Right after I got in, i immediately sat near her and joined her conversations before I could go on and talk to others. I'd realised that before, but now I know for sure - she will make me comfortable w. the whole group around.

So, trouble, trouble. I'm mired now. Lent has suddenly become hard - For me, it now ends Pentacost (12 June). Funny - that was never the problem. Dealing w. my mire is the real problem. My greatest gift is my socialness - remember when I was the monarch of all butterflies? No longer. But maybe again.

Dual Dreams

My knee is still mutherfucling me - up severaltime slast nite to ice and idprofin it. Last nite was really terrible - I've recentely reading the book Pain Free, which the gym teacher here reccommended for me. Yesterday I started doing the exercises for ther knee - and maybe that exertion led to my nitemarish nite.

But - waking again and again led me to be able to rememebr some dreams:

Finally bought an electric guitar. Went to shop w. Blackie and Rocky. Wouldn't you know it, my new guitar was an exact ripoff of the Rockers - red and w. this nylon strings. Thanks, however, to both of you for helping me buy it in my dreams.

Starsser broke down. Keyed it up inan out of the way dark plavce - and it died. No hope of reviving it. Wasn't in a dangerous area, desopite it biing late and dark out - but meant more and ore $$$ spent on it.

Bird Annotations

The American Redstart

Lazy lookingout the window, when something tiny teeterer about nearby. Never seen this ird before, so i study the hell out of it as it flits about. Tried to camera it and film it, but never my love. Fairly easy re-co'ing it in the bird books - looks and acts just like they said.


Murder Amongst the Bushes

Always wondered what I'd do if I saw a Hawk or Owl cornering a little bird ot animal.. Always figured I'd let nature take it's course. Then when it actually happened, i felt terrible guilt after the outcome. On the block,a nd a muchefucking badass Hawk was just sitting on a railing of a house. In the bushes below, the little brown birlds nervouse trying to survive. Across the street, i stopped and watched. After a bit, the Hawk just dived straight into the bush and came out w. feathers. Instantly I felt like shit when I realsied that that little brown thing probsably was @ my feederd earlier in the day. I felt I let down a friend.

Won't happen again.

The Return of the American Robins

Last eyar a American Robin pair had a nest in the crook of the drainpipe inmy house. So exciting!! However, before they fledges, the two wee birdeenes were flushed from their nestbecause it got infested by bugs - one of the eggs didnt hatch and went bad. I think what happend was that the birds got so scratchy that they jumped out of the enst 0 and were caught by one of the free cats that live in the area. One nite I heard the Robin parents screeching and screeching and I ran outside. I tried to get the cat - a sweet little thing I've nicknamed "Bamboo" - to give it up - but it raced away w. the bird in it's mouth. Later I found the remains in the alley opposite.

Now, Robins have laid FOUR eggs in the nest. They both flush the nest when I am on the porch or go to take a closer look - again screeching and screching @ me while they are perched in the tree nearby. No, do not want to make their life difficult. But - will look for dead eggs after baby bird appear - do not want a reprise of the murders of last year.

The Hummingbird Yard

Bro in lawas siste rlive sout in way subarbs - not wild area, but distinctly country compared to Mt. Greenwood neighbourhood of Chicago. Their backyard - smallish by some suburban standards - is green and wooden and kool. There used to be a small creek that ran through the back of it, and trees are everywhere. So, saw a little hmmingbird in a large tree's branches. NICE! Looking thro' across their property, I could see that their neighbour's yard was really set up to atract hummingbirds - lots of plants thta those birds like, and feeders abunded. Very nice. One of my aims is to garner hummingbird's attentions for my yard. Got the Goldfinches easy w. the sunflowers and feeders - but so badly want hummingbirds. Ongoing project.

Father Mike returns!

So I had the opportunity to actually go to a mass @ St. Sabina's where Father Mike gave the sermon. I was worried lastw eek it would never happen - but Cardinal George allowed him back after several meetings.

Kool as hell. Went to the 11:15 mass - it got out @ 2:45 (!)- and I loved it. Again - longtime, not used to such long masses - but well worth it. I think I am going to try to go once a month. Again - there was the long concert type "Praise Jesus" start- with slow songs and rocking, hand clapping ass kickers. Yes, I sanfg and clapped, although a....little uncomfortable sometimes... but no one cared, of course. Lots of hugs from complete strangers - a very huggy congregation - like 10 different people. Very kool.

And Father mikes sermon. Usually, the priest will deliver a sermon from that days gospel reading. Father Mike went around that and instead did it from a Psalm (83?), and it was great. Again and again, it kept coming around to whatever you are going through, Gods got yr back. The Psalm had in it the people going through a dry valley (Baca) and getting out to the other side. Funny - Always I think, am i doing things rite? Why is my life so danm stupid? Ive made so many terrible decisions, and life - mine - can be in such a terrible condition. But that thought - that God 's got my back - does occur. AM I doing Jesus's work? Would He be happy with what I am doing? And, fuck status or money or time or who I spend time with or all of that - does any of that really matter, if 'Gods got my back?'

And yes - this is the way I think these days. Don't worry, just do the right thing. Try. Keep on keeping on. So, in my times of trouble, this does comfort me. Although, yes, I'm a terrible sinner as well.

So, again and again, i get such positive vibes from going ot church, especially St. Sabina's. Not next week, but I'll go soon again. It's too good of an experience. Lots of interesting people. Beautiful. Some dressed up, some not. The singing. Enjoying beiing immersed in another culture - this is purely African American, tho' it's maybe 5% white in the church during mass. People are so happy and welcoming to see you. One feels part of something greater than yrself.

And that's what it's supposed to be. Amen.

Sorrow felt for neice

Neice.1 got back from a semester in Mexico City this weekend. She was there to help in her Spanish. Of course - as she is a young person in university - she loved it. SHe was there for 5m and had metric tonnes of adventures. Always strange to be back wherever wheh you have been out of town/country for an extended time - even my 2week trips to Cali led to a certain dislocation uopn returning - let alone living in he D.F. for such a long time.

However, where my sorrow comes in was in talking to her parents @ Nephew.3's baseball game (lost, but he got a R.B.I to tie the game early). She is leaving alot of frenz behind - it hit me when her mom said that she'd probably never see alot of these kids again. Her frenz were from all over - Mexico, Central America, South America, England, Germany, etc etc etc... That losing of a place and time - a scene - hurts, especially because it can never be recreated. I guess "No Expectations" can be applied to many situations.

But, of course, the time was there. Enjoyed while it lasted.

I think I know where I want to go to Mass ths Sunday!

EMail from the St. Sabina's mailing list just recieved:

Effective immediately, our Pastor, Fr. Pfleger has been reinstated to full sacramental and pastoral ministry here at the Faith Community of St. Sabina and in the Archdiocese of Chicago. We thank everyone for their letters, prayers and support. On Sunday, May 22, 2011 Fr. Pfleger will not only celebrate his birthday but will celebrate the 11:15am Worship Service.

songofthemoment.1

songofthemoment.2

Abba Pfleger

Always a fan of father Pfleger of St. Sabina's. Do believe he does Gods work. Lots of people don't like him, but maybe they just have a little more to go. He's the top priest @ St. Sabina's catholic parish near 79th and Racine. St. Sabina's is a little different from yr normal Catholic parish in Chicago - for one thing, it's mainly an African American community. It's also a very very activist parish - over the years they've taken on guns, gangs, violence, stores selling stuff that enables drugs, etc etc etc. One of my favourite stories was several months ago Father Mike lead all the men in mass that morning on a walk over to the headquarters of the Gangster disciples to protest the shootings that had take no part in that 'hood earlier in the week. Some say he's a publicity hound - but I see it as away to garner publicity to a greater cause (meaning: guns, gangs, violence, etc...)

Always been a bit curious about the black mass - meaning these services where it's all activity and singing and sweating and shouting and all that, lasting hours - but felt a bit out of place to ever go to one. Years ago, I decided to try it @ St. Sabinas - during Black History Month the church had Cornell West to deliver the sermon one Sunday (every Sunday during Black H. M. they have a similar high level person to do the sermon). It was perfect - Catholic, Cornell, and fun to see Father Mikes famous parish.

Of course, it was brilliant. Long as hell - 3 and a half hours! Full of songs - the band and the choir made it one of the best 'concerts' i'd ever been to. Cornell West brilliant. Special feeling inside the church - what's that word? Spiritual? Apt. It was a curious mix of Catholic mass and what I saw on the telly - the black mass. It started off w. 45m of 'Praising Jesus' music rock out. (when I was telling some black folk about 'they started off w. a 45m concert, they told me of the 'praising Jesus' thing that happens generally in black services). The music shifted, sometimes pounding, sometimes soft. All great. There were the readings - the normal Catholic three. The sermon - delivered by Cornell, was brilliant.

But then something very different happened. In my church, when it comes time to give the cash, dudes go around w. a basket. Here, however, envelopes were passed out and everybody walked to the front of the church to drop their offering in a box. They then went back to their seat. When everyone was seated, and a bit more of a pause, there came to -by the rote' Catholic stuff - the Creed, Holy Communion, etc. The getting people to walk up out of their seats for the offering was a smart was of allowing people who were not Catholic to leave before the obligatory Catholic stuff was celebrated: walk up, drop in the offering, easily walk out of the church. It nicely allowed non catholics to celebrate w. the 'faith community' of St. Sabina's w/out forcing them to do the Catholic stuff that we all love. And, noticeably, there were less people after the offering than before. Very interesting and accommodating.

Last time I went to St. Sabina's was on Good Friday. The best of all Catholic days for me - even though, yes, I can kinda see that Easter does take precedent over it. (Quick memory from 20y.a. == we'd been broke'd up for many months, my First Love and I - Q, d'accord - when she called me (i'd just called her and hung up) and said d'accord we should talk - it's Easter and the time for forgiveness, yes? I always use that - including a few weeks ago - around Easter. Do love asserting religion, sometimes. Or @ least bringing lite to the gentiles) . Picked up Jakov from the 79th street El and tried to get into St. Sabinas - but the place was packed. The church itself was overflowing, so we had to go intot he basement - giant space, also over flowing. We was lucky - people coming after had to sit in the street and listen to the loudspeakers they set up outsside - that packed!! The reason it was so packed was they were doing a rendition of The Last Seven words of Christ - from the little I know, it is a big deal to go over these things Jesus said from the Cross and many similar services and books and ruminations go on about them - it was my first exposure. What St. Sabina did was assemble a huge list of famous Protestent preachers - two women, five men, all black - to preach on this theme. Now, to me, except for Jerimiah Wright, I'd never heard of any of them (see the list= Last Seven Words service from St. Sabina's on Good Friday) - but everyone in the church knew who they were. So, it was fun to be in the presence of famous people- maybe I didn't know who they were, but the place was packed w. people knowing). Not a mass, it was a series of sermons - each about 30m long - w. one of the sayings as a base.

The Sayings:

Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).
Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).
Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27).
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me, (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).
I thirst (John 19:28).
It is finished (John 19:30).
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).


And it was just magic. Packed, hot, uncomfortable - but seven different masters one after another just lighting the place up. Each one was fantastic in their way. Some attacked the way our society treats the downcast. One of the women preachers took "Woman, behold your son: behold your mother" and preached on 'you may not get what you want, but you will get what you need'. It was all very kool, and beyond moving. Some started out quiet, and moved into the loud as hell preaching style. Then last preacher was like James Brown*, kept on comin back a la "Please Please,Please" when all though all though he was finished, but back back he'd come to the podium. Fricking rock show. Biggest star? Reverend Wright. I was more moved by others (he was fantastic!!), but the movement, the murmourings, when it came his time to preach. Presence of royalty. Another kool aspect - and i'm sure this was a part of the black preaching style - was when one of the preachers was preaching and they were making a huge point, one or several of the other preachers would get up out of their seat behind him and approach - but never reach - the present preacher, lending great emphesis to what the one preaching was saying. Veddy veddy kool. Jakov, the next day, joked that he'd like to go to Sabinas again when he needed "...what ... nine swaety black men screaming - wait - eleven - no, thirteen? - fifteen black men screaming @ me?" Incredible quote.

It was a special time. Lent for me is a big deal, and I enjoy trying to do it. This Lent has been good - so good that I decided to double my Lent. I'm still observing it, of course continuing my Lenten sacrifice. To mark how special that Good Friday service was, I used that day as the "Ash Wednesday" beginning of my second Lent. I'm going on still.

So, Sabinas for me is a wonderful place. I go to a lot of different masses -used to be addicted to Loyola University's back in the day, and now enjoy St. Xaviers sunday nite mass. Mom shames my by insisting that I should go to St. Christina, since it is my parish - so, I make sure I go there often - but... However, I am disheartened by the fact that Father Mike is presently suspended from St. Sabinas. The Catholic church IN CHICAGO allows pastors only 12 years @ a church before they must go - and Father Mike has been there for what - 30 years? I believe that he has done such a great job and Sabinas would really suffer w.out him, that he should be allowed to stay. I mean, what do you expect me to write? He's earned it, and St. Sabina's a special and Holy place.

And, as a selfish reason for me wantig him to stay is that I've gone to St. Sabina's generally during special times - I have yet to go when he has done the sermon. So - is this another thing I really want to experience, but have waited too long?

****************************************************************************
*= from wikipedia
Cape routine
A trademark feature of Brown's stage shows, usually during the song "Please, Please, Please", involved Brown dropping to his knees while clutching the microphone stand in his hands, prompting the show's MC to come out, drape a cape over Brown's shoulders and escort him off the stage after he had worked himself to exhaustion during his performance. As Brown was escorted off the stage by the MC, Brown's vocal group, The Famous Flames, continued singing the background vocals "Please, please don't go-oh-oh".[47] Brown would then shake off the cape and stagger back to the microphone to perform an encore. Brown's routine was inspired by a similar one used by the professional wrestler Gorgeous George.[45][48]

Brown performs a version of the cape routine over the closing credits of the film Blues Brothers 2000.

sports injury

Attempting - attempting - to show the girls how to slice a ball over an obstruction lent disaster to befall me knee. Hurts - hurts like fuck. This happened in practice, and a kick I have done a trillion and ten times got me this time. It happened on a Monday, and I felt terrible all day. Now, I have had similar pains in the past, and it meant I had to stop laying., But this time .... just went on. Next day we had a game, so it didn't hurt. Wednesday went and all was fine. But on Holy Thursday, in practice, i ws totally into it, encouraging and pushing the girls - and 30m in - all hurt broke loose. Stop did I my participation, and plans were made to go see the doctor the next day. Just horrible.

Luckily I kept Cobra - not glad/glad I wasn't paying $330 /month in vain. But it got me to see my excellent primary care dude, who i like a lot. There a terrible revelation occur ed. Sitting in ac hair, he asked me to straighten my leg out and up. No matter how I tried - didn't move. This almost dissolved me to tears, instantly thinking that there would be hours of surgery and a dissolution of my plans to join a soccer team this summer. After a life of playing sports - now this. Scripts were written to see a specialist - but it took two weeks to get in to see him. Then - because my team had a playoff game that day - another delay of a few days.

In the meantime, each nite featured horrid pains. I'd wake up every 4am almost on a schedule with withering pain in my knee. Just the worst - the first few days it was some of the worst pain i'd ever felt, bar none. It just wouldn't stop. Eventually, I knew to drown it in ibuprofen and ice it many times a day - just to ward off the pain.

Finally got to see the specialist. Another good doctor. He looked @ the xrays, felt the knee all over asked q after q. He told me that it didn't seem torn or any other horrible thing that my mind raced w/ these past three weeks. He said it prob. would get better in about 4 weeks, and nothing permanent was probably done. id I want an MRI? yes, write me the script.

This happened last week, and still the pain won't stop. It's not as bad sometimes, but still bad. Now when I wake up in the middle of the nite, usually I just have to walk for a minute for the pain to stop. Still stupid, I will kick the ball in practice once inawhile - I really shouldn't. I am worried that I won't be able to play in a soccer league this summer - but we have to wait.

Mothers's Lucky Night

WRITTEN BY LAZERS
names edited by Hilts

Trivia night at Salerno’s kicked off with some Hot Stove discussion (though I would prefer some Hot Boots instead), as a member of Auntie Joanne (perhaps Auntie J herself) joined the J&B table for some trade talk disguised as dinner talk (I was pretty certain that “Panko bread crumbs” was code for “Bill”).

J&B represented by: Chemical Man, MG, Mothers's, Hilts and Lazers

The competition: Auntie J, Awesome, The Circle, Logan Squares, Peeps, and ChiSharks

First half: Famous Quotes/Music 85 & 05/Celebrity Look-a-Likes

Benkowski promises there will be a sports category in the 2nd half.

’85- Broken Wings?
’05- Since You Been Gone?
’85- Easy Lover?
’05- Better Days?

“Karl Malone is not lunch meat.”
“Where’s the beef?” (this question coming with the humorous addition of finding out that the person quoted once shared an agent with Benkowski)

Katy Perry looks like this “500 Days of Summer” actress?
Julianne Hough looks like this “Genie in a Bottle”?
Drea de Matteo looks like Ellen’s girlfriend?
Skeet Ulrich looks like this pirate?
Jordin Sparks looks like Ugly Betty?
Sarah Palin looks like this former Saturday Night Live player?
Elijah Wood looks like the Harry Potter guy?
A young Russell Crowe looks like a dude from the O.C.?
Leelee Sobieski looks like a young version of this “Mad About You” actress?
Natalie Portman looks like KK?



Scores at the half: ChiSharks 780 J&B 760 Auntie J 650 Circle 540 Logan 510 Awesome 430 Peeps 320

Second half: NBA Playoffs/Royal Wedding/70s & 90s Music
mid-70s- I’m Your Boogie Man?
How many people were invited to the royal wedding?

Benkowski, coaxing the new team to bring a friend with piercings to help win Ladies Only contests: “They don’t have to know anything. The just have to eat or drink…and reveal.”

Benkowski, to Logan Squares: “Are you related to the Quaker Oats Squares?”

Scores after two halves: Logan 1500, Auntie J 1420 J&B 1340 ChiSharks 1300 Circle 1170 Awesome 790 Peeps 460

Final categories are: 80s TV, two different Celebrity Year of Birth, Reality Shows, Musical Lists from Rolling Stone, Food Network, NBA Steals, MLB Retired Sluggers

Now, today had been quite lucky for Mothers thus far- she won a court decision, she had a primo lemon ice, she made her best Long Distance roll ever. J&B recognizes Mothers's roll and has her pick the number for our lottery slot in the drafting of categories. Mothers selects 11…which matched Benkowski’s number exactly. The roll continues, and J&B selects 80s TV with the first pick (wagering the 3rd place classic).



Food Network (Peeps):Food Network show “Dweezil and Lisa”- what are their last names?
What year did the Food Network debut?
Host of “Behind the Bash”?


Reality TV (Awesome):From “A Model Life”- who is the supermodel?
“Biggest Loser” variations C & F- what do C & F stand for?
“Celebrity Rehab Presents (S.H.)”- what does S.H. stand for?


MLB Retired Sluggers (Circle):In a nutshell, name the 9 MLB players with over 1900 career RBI (and in true Benkowski fashion, there actually are 10)- though note question was chopped into 3 different ones?


NBA Steals (ChiSharks):In a nutshell, name the top 6 all-time in NBA steals- though note question was chopped into 3 different ones?


80s TV (J&B):On “Growing Pains”, who played Ben Seaver?
On “China Beach”, who played Colleen McMurphy?
On “Miami Vice”, who were the 2 stars?


Celebrity Year of Birth-B (Auntie J):Heather Locklear?
Mandy Moore?
Steven Tyler?

Celebrity Year of Birth-A (Logan Squares):Candice Bergen?
Carmen Electra?
Jackie Chan?

Before the home players are sent off with their #2 pencils, one more element to Mothers's ’s roll was her Kentucky Derby pick from Thursday night. As this is being written after the Derby itself, the winner is known to be Animal Kingdom. Is that the horse Mothers's had picked to win????

On my last days as a Beatle

In youngster days, it often felt that as I walked, here also walked as a Beatle. Thought expressed to Dragon, and of course I had to defend meself, and I defended meself thus: As I walked, it often felt 'here walks a Beatle'. There was just that feeling of ..... well, the opening scene in "A Hard Days Nite"? The chase of people? I was there - maybe not in March and April 1964 - but certainly in 1980, 1984, heavily 1987 and 1988, certain periods of the 90's, and 2006 and 2007.

There was nothing like the late Eighties period, especially and however. It wasn't the women, or the art, or the scene, or .... maybe it was all of that and more. But just that feeling of mastering life, and everythng that was went through me, and it was in my fingertips, and..... Just gotta feeling, and looking back ... well, something can't be put into words.

But the 1987 and 1988 period wasn't just the early Beatle days either - there was the whole gamut of the Beatles experience embedded in those 8 months. Predating "Day's Night", for example, was "She Loves you" - no, not a girl thing, but the joyous expression of newfound ... newfound something whose exuberance can only be called "Beatlemania" in myself. Certainly there there was "Help" (solidified @ the top of the game and putting out whatever), and, of course, "I Feel Fine" (yes, a girl thing, and yes I felt fine). Then came, crazily of course, "Tomorrow never knows" and the retreat to the studio of Sgt Peppers. But there was the decline of that period as well. I can totally see the "White Album" being played out, and fissures and splits and bad feelings... Eventually it all fell asunder - but so did the Beatles. A period ended, never to be resurrected in the same way...

...except, from bittle little times to the next, sometimes it returns - like, recently. Again, that feeling of runing down the street, chased by the throngs ..... I had it again.... and now it's gone (but you know it's gonna be/alright). The expression of my Beatlehood bizarrely came in the expression of my wearing my comfortable clothes. Started slow @ first, but when I went out dandy, black wide brimmed wearing, there as the constant interruption of other people, grasping, asking, chasing, wanting, and, finally, interfering... Now, I LOVE being a spectacle.. Why hide it? And walking heavy as I did, there was no way to hide it. And anywhere I went, I knew. Now - put me in West Rogers park, and I am nobody. But in every other -every other neighbourhood in ther city, and ... well, that opening of "Hard Day's" comes to mind...

My favourite was just hanging @ the local having a drink, researching for a movie or trying to write lyrics, or drunkingly writing down ideas for a script. Just lovely. Now, the regulars knew who I was and love me. But, eventually, someone else would come up and inquire "Hey- whats the deal with you? What are you doing? Why do you look like that? Talk to me, please." Kool@ first. Especially kool if it was a lady. Especially kool if it was an agressive lady from out of state who wanted to kiss me again and again (nice- did follow up, up...).

But often times it was just a dude. Kool - I have learned, especially from three of my sometimes elders (Jakov - nee Jamie, The Joker and Big John - and I guess Christ) that to talk to strangers - fellow humans - is one of the hightest callings - but it GOT TO A POINT ..... where it was just one after another - and I had shit to do. There came that time where I couldn't go 20m w/o having to retell what was going on - and it got tiring.

Never did I think that my experience as Baetle would so totally encompass Georges experience - but it did.

And then, there came time to let it go. That Sunday where the filming was finished and I decided to go out comfortably one last time and celebrate as myself - kinda sad. But, the time had come. That nite was my last nite - swell, for now- as a Beatle.

But, you never - I never - know when that feeling will return. We'll see.

My Last Days as a Jew

Funny. Hated Der fuhrer, for a decade or so - but by the time he died, on the ite of the snowhurricane in Feb. - my opinion of him had changed. True - he wickedly used people, almost to the point of killing them. Too long he had enslaved Jakov (nee Jamie, re-nee Jacob), created an unhealthy living conditions for many people, drained feeble minded people of their $$ - but since Jakov had his Exodus from his particular Pharaoh and I no longer needed to 'save' him from Der Fuhrer, I slowly changed my feelings on him. In the last year of his life, I began to put down my anger and realise that he was just a very sick man. Who am I to try to help jakov, and ignore this other very delusional being?

Now, stories of Der Feruher - wait, let me just refer to him as I now call and think of him - Rabbi Hecht - tickle me: Rabbi Hecht, in Palestine, in the Old City of Jerusalem, wearing womens panties and a shirt and a tie, mixing among the Muslims and jews and the soldiers. Rabbi Hecht, talking to any person who came along. And, of course, Rabbi hecht, nominally a Christian ('tho one of the 'St. Paul' kind), being buried in Jewish cemetery w. the Kaddish being read. Instead of anger @ his almost complete shysterness, now it just brings a smile to my face. True, the money he got to fly to Palestine in the first place was from jakov (tho' he did treat him to a trip there another time), and maybe it wasn't kool for him to be buries in aJewish Cenetary - but ....... he was sick.

The day after the storm, when jakov called me breathlessly and unbleievingly, w. the news that rabbi hect had been found dead in the clutter of the apartment - there was true sorrow on my part. Now, finally, when my hartred of the dude has lasped, when I was ready to take himout to a Denny's and debate the Gospels w. him - he was gone. And i felt sorrow for Jakov @ his loss.

But I had lost too. In total opposition to him, to , again, 'save' jakov - I had began my study of the Bible. There wasn't a 'I have to do this ' moment - rather, it was something that was partially sparked by the constant talk of the Gospel and all that. The day that did it was when I saw Bishop Spong's book on the 'new releases' section of GF's library, and the deep historicity of the New Testement stuff - as a Roman Catholic and as a trained histories, it was wonderful to dive in. Hasn't stopped yet.

So, too, I know I owe him some.

Whne he died, there were a few things going on w. me. One - unemployment - and the growth of a fat beard just underway. Second, the discovery of Crumbs graphic novel Genesis. And, finally, the loss that Blizzard Hurricane nite. When the funeral was announced, and it was to blessedly be @ a Jewish Cemetary, my 'conversion' to Judism had begun.

No, stop. Before we go any further: Me not a Roman Catholic? Mite as well call me a Cub fan who hates the Sox. But my imersion into studying Jewish culture and religion, the almost immediate writing of songs about Rabbi Hecht, and that funeral .... I decided to keep the beard, and just let it go. Soon, i started to wear all black, and wear a wide brimmed hat that i'd gotten a few years back @ a Marshals. The look was completely irresitable. Soon, except @ soccer practice, this was what I was most comfortable in. Again - Irristable. I've always loved to be the Dandy, and once again, I rocked My Look.

"My Look"? One glorious nite, drunkenen and all that after a Mildred Pierce nite @ Gallos and now @ Rockies, I said something about going 'in costume'. Rocky made me promise never to refer to "My Look" as a 'costume' - and he was rite. For now, it's The Clothes I feel Comfortable in, or, My Comfortable Clothes. Tisn't a costume at all.

But then it had to go. Unworking in many months now, I really am feeling gravities pull towards needing work. Too old to just take off life-I enjoy wearing a tie and jacket and being able to tell someone "I work @..." Full realization that I would like to buy my mothers house one day - and althoug I can make to downpayment and several months mortage, my job status would sink me. And the woman thing as well. So- when n interview opportunity came up - I needed to rebecome a Gentile to present myself cutclean to - in my mind - have achance of employment. Gomelong are the days of picking and chooseing my jobs - there is desperation now.

But - as a work opportunity beckons - the artistic side of me also does. I really wanted to continue bearded. Really. Called Rocky - surely he would tell me to remain unshaven - but he told me "What do you think:.. Of course - desperation. Plus, od'accord, i could just grow it back. So - it had to go.

And - quicklike - I had to use my time to get down the minutes of filming I needed to get done before I shaved. Part of the beard was headed towards getting a part dowen in one of the planned Rainer Virgil Hiltsbinder shorts that are in the air in these days. My intervies was on a Wednesday - and the decsion to go for it - and shave - meant I only had a scant few days to fully write, plan, and film the scenes for this particular short.

Lent is wonderful - but it also means I feel the pressure all the time - no avenue for me to kick back and chill,, y'knowin'. This is good - I kick back way too much - but it also means PRESSURE on me all times.

So- listening to the Hawks losing the last game of the year - a game which they really really had to win (but, as it turned out, not really really really) - I jetted up to Evanston to gallos to get it done. Needed both Gallo and Shipley, and guess what - they got that need done. Gallo - not to giv eit all away - was the inteviewer, and after a few tries, he was beyond magnificant. First few takes, there was haltings and stoppages - but twhen the red light went on, it was suprising how well he did. A stunner,aand indeed the highlite of the short - my part was the lessor. And Shipley -who knew she, uh, actually went to college for simllar stuff for what I asked of her.

The fil was 95% done when the Strasser - creaky and cranky - puklled out of Evanston.

I weas relieved. Happy. I spend most of my timethinking of things and never getting them done - and, finally, w/ the two Evanston experts, it actually got done.

And thn - I had to say goodbye to being a Jew - and a Beatle.

Butler

it falls tonite

in todays dcs

stephen patrick

Soccer coach

First Conference game, varsity wins big and my team as well - which means, as for now, we are @ least tied for first place. Had to show up early to "line the field" -which means help one of the other coaches put all of the lines you see on the field (like sidelines, 18 yard box, etc etc). Worries all day about the game, worries all the game, worries....but Exhausted, happy, and happy. And really exhausted.

Sunday Nite

To hang w. Gallo and Shipley and Rocky on a sunday nite. To learn badtidings. To eat some of the best poulet (ever) and greens. To be hungover and swear neve to drink aghain - but to have lots of drink before it was over. Breasts we've seen before in "Titanic" on the Telly The White Album. To R's, where I played the electric bass until 5am. To sneak out of R.'s onto the dangerous streets of Rogers Park by myself hauling the bass and an amp - plus a big empty beer bottle in my pocket to defend myself if I was attacked. Deeply worried as I drove the hour home - the deepness associated w. the malfunctioning of the lites on the Strasser and NOT FIXED YET- although as we type, it is in shop.

Benkowski’s New Sponsor

Written By Lazers Names edited by hilts Never has Benkowski been so giddy, at least not at trivia night. He unrolled a poster that had content that confused me. However, it soon was explained. It was a poster for Benkowski’s new sponsor: Shelton Fireworks in Porter, Indiana. Apparently, Benkowski is a huge fan of fireworks, and the excitement level wasn’t far from a little kid on Christmas Eve. I can already see “Ladies Only- Hold Lit Firecrackers the Longest” in the future.


J&B represented by: Chemical Man, MG, Hilts, Stix, Mothers and Lazersr The competition: Auntie J, Awesome, Peeps, Angry Birds, and Beauties and the Beast (that last team a new one talked into playing by Benkowski…it later was obvious they didn’t know what they were getting into.)


First half: NCAA 2011/Movies/PBS Music Special Mike Krzyzewski won his 900th career game as head coach this past season-at that point, how many had he lost? On the PBS special, David Foster said he felt he “made it” with this 5-word song he wrote for Earth Wind and Fire? Gene Pitney sang the title song to this 60s Kirk Douglas movie? Throughout the night, our waitress (name unknown) and active player for the Peeps did her best TC Pub-style smack talking to J&B (if not other teams), including a falsely sympathetic “good try” after Hilts missed on a throw. Quite the contrast to the usual Lady Byng-style of most Salerno’s players. Scores at the half: Birds 840 J&B 770 Awesome 720 Auntie J 710 B&B 460 Peeps 390 How’s that smack talk working, waitress?


Second half: Baseball Who’s Who 2011/Animation/Janet Jackson-Rolling Stones In “101 Dalmatians”- the names of Cruella de Vil’s henchmen? Bill Hall’s career home run total? From 95-97, Alfonso Soriano played baseball in what country? Johan Santana career win total? After some “Ladies Only” challenge pits Awesome against B&B, Benkowski comments that one of the ladies looks like Jennifer Beals while the other looks like Marisa Tomei. Maybe Benkowski should look into Lens Crafters as a new sponsor too. B&B was dying to leave during what was a particularly lengthy game, and they finally do so at the end of the third quarter. Chemical Man: “They said to give their points to J&B.” Benkowski: “They told me I should deduct their points from J&B’s score…I’ll just split the difference and keep things as they are.”


Scores after two halves: Birds 1690 J&B 1530 Auntie J 1420 Awesome 1390 Peeps 1310 B&B (quitters) Dang, this thing is closer than the NHL’s Western Conference.


Final category options: 70s Music- Three Dog Night; 80s Music- Madonna; 90s Music- Pearl Jam; 00s Music- Audioslave; Sports Celebrity Year of Birth; Bulls 2011; NCAA Tourney 2011-A; NCAA Tourney 2011-B. Selecting second, J&B picks 70s Music and wagers the second place classic.

80s Music (Peeps): From 1983-1989, Madonna had 7 songs with 3-word titles reach #1- name three of them.

2011 NCAA-B (Awesome): Only Sweet 16 team to have won a play-in game? Lowest seeded team in the Sweet 16? In SW bracket, the #2 seed was who and was knocked out by whom? 90s Music (Auntie J):

1999- Pearl Jam hits #2 on the charts with this song (2 words)? 1995- Pearl Jam hits #7 on the charts with this song (3 words)? 1994- Pearl Jam hit with 2-word title?

70s Music (J&B): Won’t be able to list the questions for this “Sing Along with Benkowski” category.

Sports Celebrity Year of Birth (Angry Birds): Shaquille O’Neal? Don Mattingly? Stan Mikita? Gentlemen?

Torrassey

Looking very bearded these days. Not as impressive as that one in sophmore year @ university - but its thick and Hasedic loking- the point.

Was walking down 111th St. Patricks Day and walked by a bar -- the whispers from the dude to the girl: "Yea, there are jews who live in the neighbourhood" Walked into Lanigans and St. Nick, the manager, immediately said - "Hey we're, celebrating a day for the Irish!!

Funny, funny.

But the deal is this - I have to write down lines, film them, and i have them all - for weeks now - but shit, stariing @ the wall and staing @ myself tends to take up so much of my time. There is music, not done by me except for the singing, there are lines, there are multiple parts .....

And the key is this - I have a few options for work coming up - and interviews w. ahorridthick beard will just not do. SO, ass in gear.

Yes, I am on the Hasedic kick lately - but Lent, for me, finally began yea=sterday - 2weeks late. Last nite was very hard, but ............ per ususal , today seems bearable. To-morrow will be great, and then it passes from me for sevseral weeks - until I get get mad and want to thro a tantrum, and ............... But for now, @ 2 in the afternoon, ......is ok.

The Lead Guitarist.

Not wanting to wait, I actually wrote my first lead guitar bit. Just a riff - not chords, y'all, but an actual riff.

Junior simplistic childs play by those who are heavy in the fu=ield -but i saw what I had to do, based on my playing so far - realised that i had to just push myself to get one lead under y beal - and then the quest to better it wouyld take over and push me to do more and more. That's how it's been the past 14m, and i know now what it takes me to go on in guitar. So ....

Of copurse, my new lead is - has to be - alrerady written by someone esle. It's gotta be. Rite?

techinco directo

Decades' of preaching to boys and girls that soccer is all about being aggressive and int he other girls face - and , finally, soem,where the energy is returning so that I too, can ve an aggressive coach and in their faces.

My especiality is the girls who are just starting to play - and, especiaslly, theyr eally need coaching. Agressive and in your face - but also kind, funny, and instructive. To some people it's a natural thing, and to others it needs several years to get rite. Slowly - im not talking about that 2001 team I did so well with, both summer teamsd in 2005, or of course my favourite team of all - the playoff run in the City Playoffs in 2008 (seriously, to this day, I Remember....), my proudest moment of coaching

- but slowly, slowly, slowly. This year it seems that my head is somehwerra round wher it shold be, and the knowledge that although i am not in a school actually working this year - there is a grand arena where 35-40 kids really need the help and appreciate you where you try. SO, kool. I understand that much of my energies, as of rite now, sjhopuld ritely be spent here.

I am witht hat. Lent is here as well, and I'm abstaining, so in truth, the energy I will be able to bring should - in all truth, again - dwarf my present wattage or horsepower or ....whatever .... It's ok.

Da Bulls

SUPERBULLS

in todays dcs

Klas

Finally got the
GREAT
idea
for this summers
Klas.
FUCKIN ALL-RITE!!!!!

Now, hopefully it's on.

And im as good a writer as I .....well, not think, but ... hope ....

it'll be fun

soccer season again

Just love it. Shure, lotsa times too flaked to have to direct 30-40 children - but the 3h a day of sayiong "No - this way!!" shure has it's millions rewards. Good soul food for the s..... well, you get the idea.

Need to get into better shape. So, today i fulled myself into many of the exercises. So damn out of shap. Embarrassing. Then again, my contempories are all 15-18 year old kids, so I shouldn't feel THAT BAD that I can no longer keep up withtnhem.

But / needs me / shape to be /in

Life on Mars

Did watch the American version:

loved it.

Now, onto the Englander version - after I drive to frankfurt in my faiil'n apart car, The Strasser

St Bede’s- 2011 Championship

Written by Lazers

edited by Hilts

J&B settled in at Table 28 for the 2011 St Bede’s Trivia Championship Event. Early hopes for the question, “name a player whose number was the same as your table number, and list their longest consecutive games streak” never came to fruition. Upon learning that Steve Larmer wore number 28, the Hammer was ready to pounce on the 884.


Kearney Meats and Lawyer from the legendary team “The Bar” (TC Pub) are on one of the other teams. Is St Bede’s prepared to house J&B and The Bar under the Lord’s roof?

Against perhaps 30-35 other teams, J&B was looking to defend its 2010 victory at this same event:

2010- 1st place with 103 points
2009- 4th place with 89 points
2008- 1st place with 95 points

Indeed, some old guy stopped by during one of the intermissions and asked, “Aren’t you the guys that usually win this?” Apparently so.


J&B represented by: Moho, Chemical man, Stix, Nite Nurse, MG, ChemicalNeice, Peppys, Mothers, Hilts and Lazers

J&B decides to predict 96 points to act as its tiebreaker.


Round One: Chicago
What was the last Chicago pro team to win a championship?
Which Daley served as Mayor of Chicago longer: Richard J or Richard M?
What do the letters in “WGN” stand for?
What is the only Chicago street that can be North, South, East, or West?
On 11/29/1963, the City Council voted unanimously to change the name of the Northwest Expressway to what?
What is the name of Chicago’s longest street?
Trump Tower was built on the former home of what?
What was the first year of the Taste of Chicago?
Which famous downtown German restaurant was issued Chicago’s 1st liquor license?
What U of I and Chicago Bears running back was nicknamed “Galloping Ghost”?


J&B opens with 9 points, missing only what was a highly debated Taste of Chicago question. Good start.


Round Two: By The Numbers
How many US Presidents are still alive?
How many feet are in a mile?
Which amendment to the Constitution started Prohibition?
How many sides are there in a nonagon?
How many Superbowls have been played?
What did George Constanza want to name his child?
How many Wards make up the city of Chicago?
How many US Presidents were assassinated while in office?
How many red stripes are on the American flag?
Which mission was the first to land on the moon- Apollo __?

Another 8 points for J&B, missing the nonagon and Prohibition amendment questions.


Round Three: Fast Food SlogansEat Fresh
Think Outside the Bun
Where’s the Beef?
Have it Your Way
Finger Lickin’ Good
What You Crave
You Deserve a Break Today
All American Food
We Don’t Make It Until You Order It
Where the Food is the Star

J&B misses the final three Fast Food Slogans to total 7 points for that category. Questions seemed pretty easy overall in the first three rounds. J&B’s point total of 24 is not good enough to Place after the first quarter of play. Missing those last three questions hurt.



Round Four: Kings
Who is baseball’s hit king?
2008- Who sang “Use Somebody”?
Who is the “King of Queens”?
Who is the king of NASCAR?
Steve Martin sang that this guy had a “condo made of stone-a”?
Who is the king of the blues?
Who is the king of the jungle?
Who is the king of rock and roll?
This king wrote about an ill-tempered St Bernard?
Who was the only king to sit atop the Empire State Building?


Another 9 points for J&B, who didn’t think the jungle question through and, as a result, blow it.


Round Five: Music
KC and the ____________?
erwyn native Jim Peterik drove his “Vehicle” to form this musical group?
Broadway show “Jersey Boys” is based on the lives of this group?
2011 Grammy Award for Best Song went to this group?
In “Folsom Prison Blues”, Johnny Cash’s momma told him not to play with what?
Buddy Holly and the _________?
The theme to the Lone Ranger also is known as what?
Dion and the ___________?
Which of the following was a member of the Rat Pack: a) Tony Bennett b) Peter Lawford c) Al Martino
What is this called? (ok- I can't figure out how to paste it into an email- see attached)
J&B puts up its first perfect score of the game- all 10 correct.

Round Six: Television NeighborsMarcy D’Arcy
Winnie Cooper
Cosmo Kramer
Ned Flanders
Wilson
Kimmy Gibler
Fred and Ethel Mertz
Gladys Kravitz
Steve Urkel
Ed and Trixie Norton

A second perfect round in a row. J&B is at 53 points out of 60 at the half, but that score is still two points out of placing in the top three. Concerns that the questions are overall way too easy continue.



Round Seven: Sidekicks
Batman and ?
Regis and ?
Lone Ranger and ?
Simon and ?
Johnny Carson and ?
Gumby and ?
Buzz and ?
Shrek and ?
Bonnie and ?
Brooks and ?

That’s three perfect rounds in a row for J&B!

Round Eight: Movies
Who played Julia Roberts husband in “Oceans 11”?
“You’re killin’ me, Smalls.”
In which movie did Marlon Brando play Stanley Kowalski?
Who played Ryan O’Neal’s love interest in “Love Story”?
Who is the voice of King Mufasa?
“You clowns have been put on double secret probation.”
Which movie featured the song “You Got a Friend in Me”?
“I’ll have what she’s having.”

Yes or No: did “Avatar” win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
Which is the only movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and also have its sequel win the Academy Award for Best Picture?

Four perfect rounds in a row. I don’t know if J&B is gaining any ground, but at least it isn’t losing any.



Round Nine: Potluck
How many books are in the Old Testament?
What does the “E” stand for in Mr. Guerin’s middle name?
Name the organization that was located on the SE corner across from St Bede’s?
Who won last year’s “American Idol”?
In “Cake Boss”- the bakery is located in what state?
How many Harry Potter books have been written?
What is pop singer Alecia Moore’s colorful stage name?
What is the date of Easter this year?
Name the sport in which neither the spectators nor participants know the score or leader until the contest ends?
Frank and Ethel Mars introduced this candy bar in 1929, named after the family horse?

J&B had only 6 correct in this round (stupid St Bede’s related questions were two of the incorrect ones)…initially. For the second time in our years playing in this trivia event, St Bede’s, a church, provided an incorrect answer to a religious question. That’s right- they had the Old Testament question wrong, showing an answer of 5 books. I guess they were too lazy or uninformed to come up with the correct answer, so each team was given a free point. J&B up to 7 for that round. Team score up to 80, but still 4 points behind the leader and not in the top three scores. J&B is stalking the pack, but it is highly concerned about the potential effect of the next category…



Round Ten: Soaps
What soap featured a gothic vampire story?
What is the longest running soap on NBC?
Which soap features the Martins, the Tylers, the Brents and of course, the Kanes?
Which box office star got her start as Jackie Templeton on “General Hospital”?
What actress played Karen Wolek on “One Life to Live” from 1977-1983?
What talk show hostess appeared on “All My Children” as Hayley Vaughan?
What CSI star began portraying Joshua Hall on “One Life to Live” at age 12?
What “General Hospital” spinoff spent two years telling a story about vampires?

He was the eldest son of one of the richest and most powerful oil families in Texas, and he was not afraid to cut a corner or two. Who did not even let an assassin’s bullet stop him?

Before he was on the USS Enterprise, what “Star Trek” officer played a shady dude known as Bernie the Pill Pusher on “General Hospital”?


All things considered, J&B is damn happy to pull 8 points out of its ass for that one.

Round Eleven: Geography
What is the largest continent?
Which is further north: Portland, Oregon or Toronto, Ontario?
True or False: Rome, Italy has the same latitude as Chicago, Illinois?
Do more people live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere?
What is the largest lake in the US?
Russia is the largest country in the World (by area)- which is second?
Stockholm is the capital of which country?
What is the capital of Pennsylvania?
What is the tallest mountain in the US?
Vancouver is in which Canadian province?



Good time to be rolling- J&B puts up its fifth perfect round of the game.



Round Twelve: Dead or Alive
Elizabeth Taylor
Jack LaLanne
Leslie Nielsen
Tom Bosley
Barbara Billingsley
Betty Garrett
Len Lesser (Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”)
Anne Francis
James Caan
Mel Brooks


A sixth and final perfect round for J&B…but will it be enough?

Gentlemen?

PART TWO

Part II

The guy in the Charlestown Chiefs jersey takes the microphone to announce the winners. In 3rd place with 108 points and taking that slot via tiebreaker: J&B! The teams that took the top two slots each had 111 points. Close, but not close enough to figure out which of our incorrect answers screwed us the most. On the other hand, each and every correct answer was needed- good job, J&B.


Finishing 3rd was a break-even slot, but it still puts another cash finish on the J&B resume.

108 out of 120 possible points (really, 107 out of 119). The questions may have been just a little too easy this year. Of course, we didn’t see the rest of the scores, either.

J&B expected back in action at Salerno’s on Thursday, March 10th.


Answers:
Round One: Chicago

What was the last Chicago pro team to win a championship? Chicago Blackhawks
Which Daley served as Mayor of Chicago longer: Richard J or Richard M? Richard M
What do the letters in “WGN” stand for? World’s Greatest Newspaper
What is the only Chicago street that can be North, South, East, or West? Wacker Drive
On 11/29/1963, the City Council voted unanimously to change the name of the Northwest Expressway to what? Kennedy Expressway
What is the name of Chicago’s longest street? Western Avenue
Trump Tower was built on the former home of what? Chicago Sun-Times
What was the first year of the Taste of Chicago? 1980 (J&B guess: 1981)
Which famous downtown German restaurant was issued Chicago’s 1st liquor license? Berghoff
What U of I and Chicago Bears running back was nicknamed “Galloping Ghost”? Red Grange

Round Two: By The Numbers

How many US Presidents are still alive? 5
How many feet are in a mile? 5,280
Which amendment to the Constitution started Prohibition? 18th (J&B guess: 19th)
How many sides are there in a nonagon? 9 (J&B guess: 0)
How many Superbowls have been played? 45
What did George Constanza want to name his child? 7
How many Wards make up the city of Chicago? 50
How many US Presidents were assassinated while in office? 4
How many red stripes are on the American flag? 7
Which mission was the first to land on the moon- Apollo __? 11

Round Three: Fast Food Slogans

Eat Fresh Subway
Think Outside the Bun Taco Bell
Where’s the Beef? Wendy’s
Have it Your Way Burger King
Finger Lickin’ Good Kentucky Fried Chicken
What You Crave White Castle
You Deserve a Break Today McDonald’s
All American Food A&W (J&B guess: Hardee’s)
We Don’t Make It Until You Order It Jack in the Box (J&B guess: Quizno’s)
Where the Food is the Star Hardee’s (J&B guess: Carl’s Jr)

Round Four: Kings

Who is baseball’s hit king? Pete Rose
2008- Who sang “Use Somebody”? Kings of Leon
Who is the “King of Queens”? Kevin James
Who is the king of NASCAR? Richard Petty
Steve Martin sang that this guy had a “condo made of stone-a”? King Tut
Who is the king of the blues? BB King
Who is the king of the jungle? The lion (J&B guess: Tarzan…if we lost by 1, I think this is the one we would have viewed as the killer)
Who is the king of rock and roll? Elvis Presley
This king wrote about an ill-tempered St Bernard? Stephen King
Who was the only king to sit atop the Empire State Building? King Kong



Round Five: Music

KC and the ____________? Sunshine Band
Berwyn native Jim Peterik drove his “Vehicle” to form this musical group? Ides of March
Broadway show “Jersey Boys” is based on the lives of this group? Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
2011 Grammy Award for Best Song went to this group? Lady Antebellum
In “Folsom Prison Blues”, Johnny Cash’s momma told him not to play with what? Guns
Buddy Holly and the _________? Crickets
The theme to the Lone Ranger also is known as what? William Tell Overture
Dion and the ___________? Belmonts
Which of the following was a member of the Rat Pack: a) Tony Bennett b) Peter Lawford c) Al Martino b) Lawford
What is this called: Treble Clef (good job to whomever fought to keep “treble” as part of the J&B answer)



Round Six: Television Neighbors

Marcy D’Arcy Married with Children
Winnie Cooper The Wonder Years
Cosmo Kramer Seinfeld
Ned Flanders The Simpsons
Wilson Home Improvement
Kimmy Gibler Full House
Fred and Ethel Mertz I Love Lucy
Gladys Kravitz Bewitched
Steve Urkel Family Matters
Ed and Trixie Norton The Honeymooners



Round Seven: Sidekicks

Batman and ? Robin
Regis and ? Kelly
Lone Ranger and ? Tonto
Simon and ? Garfunkel
Johnny Carson and ? Ed McMahon
Gumby and ? Pokey
Buzz and ? Woody
Shrek and ? Donkey
Bonnie and ? Clyde
Brooks and ? Dunn



Round Eight: Movies

Who played Julia Roberts husband in “Oceans 11”? George Clooney
“You’re killin’ me, Smalls.” The Sandlot
In which movie did Marlon Brando play Stanley Kowalski? A Streetcar Named Desire
Who played Ryan O’Neal’s love interest in “Love Story”? Ali McGraw
Who is the voice of King Mufasa? James Earl Jones
“You clowns have been put on double secret probation.” Animal House
Which movie featured the song “You Got a Friend in Me”? Toy Story
“I’ll have what she’s having.” When Harry Met Sally
Yes or No: did “Avatar” win the Academy Award for Best Picture? No

Which is the only movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and also have its sequel win the Academy Award for Best Picture? The Godfather



Round Nine: Potluck

How many books are in the Old Testament? Correct answer never given (J&B guess: 23)
What does the “E” stand for in Mr. Guerin’s middle name? Emmitt (J&B guess: Edward)
Name the organization that was located on the SE corner across from St Bede’s? Sertoma (J&B guess: Knights of Columbus)
Who won last year’s “American Idol”? Lee De Wyze
In “Cake Boss”- the bakery is located in what state? New Jersey (J&B guess: Maryland)
How many Harry Potter books have been written? 7
What is pop singer Alecia Moore’s colorful stage name? Pink
What is the date of Easter this year? April 24, 2011
Name the sport in which neither the spectators nor participants know the score or leader until the contest ends? Boxing
Frank and Ethel Mars introduced this candy bar in 1929, named after the family horse? Snickers


Round Ten: Soaps

What soap featured a gothic vampire story? Dark Shadows
What is the longest running soap on NBC? Days of Our Lives
Which soap features the Martins, the Tylers, the Brents and of course, the Kanes? All My Children
Which box office star got her start as Jackie Templeton on “General Hospital”? Demi Moore
What actress played Karen Wolek on “One Life to Live” from 1977-1983? Judith Light
What talk show hostess appeared on “All My Children” as Hayley Vaughan? Kelly Ripa
What CSI star began portraying Joshua Hall on “One Life to Live” at age 12? Lawrence Fishburne (J&B guess: George Eads)
What “General Hospital” spinoff spent two years telling a story about vampires? Port Charles
He was the eldest son of one of the richest and most powerful oil families in Texas, and he was not afraid to cut a corner or two. Who did not even let an assassin’s bullet stop him? JR Ewing
Before he was on the USS Enterprise, what “Star Trek” officer played a shady dude known as Bernie the Pill Pusher on “General Hospital”? Leonard Nimoy (J&B guess: Jonathan Frankes)

Round Eleven: Geography

What is the largest continent? Asia
Which is further north: Portland, Oregon or Toronto, Ontario? Portland
True or False: Rome, Italy has the same latitude as Chicago, Illinois? True
Do more people live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? Northern
What is the largest lake in the US? Superior
Russia is the largest country in the World (by area)- which is second? Canada
Stockholm is the capital of which country? Sweden
What is the capital of Pennsylvania? Harrisburg
What is the tallest mountain in the US? Mt McKinley
Vancouver is in which Canadian province? British Columbia

Round Twelve: Dead or Alive
Elizabeth Taylor Alive
Jack LaLanne Dead
Leslie Nielsen Dead
Tom Bosley Dead
Barbara Billingsley Dead
Betty Garrett Dead
Len Lesser (Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”) Dead
Anne Francis Dead
James Caan Alive
Mel Brooks Alive