Tabishland

clearing out the 327 emails that arrived during Prague. Posting all interesting links here. For fans of Astroids......

I knew there was something worthwhile in these things.

"The Hauntening"

to start your morning off. Matching. Don't worry, it's easy. Kim, you'll get 100!

This is the Pirates' spoof of The Sopranos' finale. It's been shown on the Jumbotron at PNC Park and was filmed at Ritter's Diner in Bloomfield if any of yunz guys remember the place.

At long last, I have a report on the excursion to Ellicott City, Maryland, and an experience amongst the ruins with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. Cheryl and I arrived just before the gates opened at 6:30 pm. We enjoyed our box dinners at a picnic table under a canopy while awaiting other possible Sendracsian arrivals. Cheryl kept asking, “Do you know who that is coming up the hill?” To which I replied many times, “No. I don’t know who that is.” We turned our attention to the delectable morsels of food for a brief moment, then I heard a familiar voice. “Yes, I called this in yesterday. It was an order for a few dinners. It’s under the name of Gallanar.” It was Ian and his adorable daughter Dora (Isadora actually, but he seems to call her Dora a lot and it works well juxtaposed with adorable…hmmm…unless that is her real name.) Cheryl and I sprung from our seats with joy and there were hugs all around. Soon after, The Man, Dr. David Tabish, came up the hill and there was more joy, and hugs, and introductions. Ian guided us around to the performance area where a table had been reserved. As you see in the first photo, Ian is the maitre d’, while David is doing his best sommelier impersonation. Dora is the food handler.







Here’s another shot of Dora carefully placing each little orange spec onto the California Rolls. I have no idea what this job would be called in French.

















The ruins where the productions are held were quite impressive. The stage is in the lower part of this image and towards the right. It fills a corner of the walls.











The walls were stabilized years ago with the blue steel beams visible in the images. Here’s the stage left side.












Before long, Ian had to go up on stage and greet the audience. He actually followed the opening act, which was a lovely local jazz singer. Here’s Ian doing his schtick.

















In a stroke of amazing luck, I was zoomed in for another photo just before Ian left the stage and caught him giving someone a Full-Hansmann sarcastic smile. It’s not the best image, but there it is.















I didn’t take any photos during the show, but Cheryl and I quite enjoyed the production. We sat towards the back of the audience and had little problem hearing the actors. Here’s how it looked at the curtain call. It’s more impressive at night.








Ian led us around the ruins for a back stage tour and I got a few more mood shots. You could shoot some cool album covers here.

















Ian’s camera is much better than my point and shoot. The images he posted earlier were taken after the show in the same amount of light. I tried to take one without the flash. If you look carefully, you can see Dave Tabish on the left of this image. Cheryl is a blur heading toward the doorway under the steps.






So that was it. We had a really super time at the show. We hope to return and spend more time in Ellicott City, as it looks quite charming. Hope we see some others at the next gig.

Just happened to be listening to this song on the way home from fencing tonight - Rhys and I are Darkness fans, thanks to TW.

One of the best songs of all time, and a cute as hell video.

I'd personally have put the Seismic Charges higher on the list, but this is pretty great.

This is a video interview that is frankly the most entertaining thing I've seen in ages. Give it at least 10 minutes - that's when it starts getting really strange. This woman believes she was psychically assaulted by Neil Peart, the drummer for the band Rush for over a year. Peart and the band Rush are apparently government operatives using secret government technology to probe the minds of women. By 45 minutes in, she has linked this to the Kennedy Assassination, the death of John Lennon, government mind control, the CIA, 9/11, Al Quida, and Area 51. A simply stunning tour de force of whack(o). Must be seen to be believed. Grab a beer and some popcorn and prepare to enter a world that barely intersects with the one you and I live in.

It is interesting how some of these women look very similar.

In the spirit of the visit to Ellicott City and watching "As You Like It" with Ian and Dave, my wife Cheryl found a portion of a NY Times review of another outdoor performance of the same show. Here's a portion for your enjoyment.

AS ONE LIKES IT; Shakespeare's Great Pastoral in the Open Air. Mr. Ben Greet's Company at its Best -- Miss Wynne Matthison as Rosalind, Mr. Robert Lorraine as Orlando, and Mr. Greet as Jaques.

May 15, 1903, Friday
Yesterday afternoon, for the first time, it is said, in the history of the Island of Manhattan, a band of professional actors save an out-of-doors performance. The play was "As You Like It," the forest scenes of which were represented by Mr. Ben Greet's s company, in the South Field of Columhia University, and the production was made gratuitously, through the courtesy of Mr. Charles Frohman in aid of the University Settlement Kindergarten.


BTW, I think the photos speak for themselves of the high enjoyment level experienced at this great event.

Watch. My fingers will never leave my hands.

<('\ ................ /')>


Get it? I flipped you a bird.
So pay me the rent, bitch. I've got to get my drink on.

Most of the sculptures are pretty cool and some under the other headings are a little weird....but since they are predominantely in the DC area, I did wonder if any of the Tabishfesters happened upon them.

Callz me a whack mofo, but I contributed "metroamish" to the site in the link. They didn't take my suggestion for "babycham"--you'll have to Google that one. What a bunch of skullet heads. Double true.

It's my Dad's 79th birthday today- He and I will be sharing a cheap bottle of cab while hoping that none of my actors go into an unexpected epileptic fit during the show.

Our local reporter responds well to payola

The Baltimore Sun reporter wasn't really paying attention (or apparently taking notes)

The Three Best Things to Do in Baltimore This Weekend are to run a 5k race, look at a big boat or come see As You Like It- wow, really? All those balmer travel sites must have gotten it wrong!

Sandy Duncan is still perky!

It's official! Our little blog-that-could is officially one year old. We survived that difficult first year. Sure we had our moments, we left, we lurked, we came back.

There's a silly lyric from "Happiness" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown:

Happiness is singing together when day is through
And happiness is those who sing with you.

Okay it may be a trifle sappy too, but it seems to fit. Blogging with you all is a (mostly) happy time. It's a good connection to have. Heck, it's a great connection!

And we have our good friend Joe to thank for it all. Joe, you've put up with our idiotic questions, our complaints and our posting problems without (too much) of your own complaining. Thank you for prodding us all into this foray. A toast to you (non-alcoholic of course Kim) and to Tabishland! Would it be appropriate to say "Live Long and Prosper"?

Nell, tell me you are all over this one. This is so good it might even bring Liza out of hiding. Scroll down the page and be amazed and delighted.