From Reason.tv:
The Environmental Protection Agency’s “Rulemaking Matters!” contest invites filmmakers to submit short videos that explain how federal regulations touch our lives. The best video wins $2,500! Presenting a reason.tv submission: “Rulemaking Matters!”
The EPA webpage for the contest is here. Check out Reason.tv’s other two entries for the “Rulemaking Matters!” contest.
Also check out this entry from the Competitive Enterprise Insitute, A Day in the Life of the Regulatory State:
The Daily Camera asks:
Boulder’s Sacred Heart of Jesus school has decided that two schoolchildren cannot return to their private, Catholic school after this year because their parents are a lesbian couple. … What do you think?
My response, published in the Camera on March 14:
The Sacred Heart school teaches that “gay marriage is against the will of God,” writes the school’s pastor Bill Breslin. “Why would good parents want their children to learn something they don’t believe in?” he asks. Good question. Parents consider many factors when choosing a school. Maybe other factors outweighed this one — especially since the two children are in preschool and kindergarten. What would Sacred Heart teachers do, present a puppet show about human sexuality?
Puppets or not, parish schools like Sacred Heart seek to, in Breslin’s words, “to assist children in becoming disciples of Christ and to stand as a light shining in the darkness that has rejected Christianity and the truth of being human, including the meaning of human sexuality.”
To distinguish light from darkness, students must learn about, discuss, and debate both “dark” and “light” ideas. Imagine a “Defense Against the Dark Arts” class from the Harry Potter novels – without the physical danger, of course. Not that school officials would approve the title. The syllabus could include the Wikipedia entry on “biology and sexual orientation.” Students could debate the documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So,” which shows how gays suffer from religious moralizing and presents tolerant interpretations of relevant Biblical passages. Advanced students could view the South Park episode that mocks “conversion therapy” aimed at “correcting” a homosexual’s sexual orientation.
In such a class students might become critical and independent thinkers, and not substitute their own judgments with those of scripture or authority figures.
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Scene from the South Park episode:
http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:southparkstudios.com:155505
One of my favorite records from childhood was Ernie’s Hits. One of my favorite tracks was “Tiger Hunt,” which, I recall correctly, I listened to and enjoyed with my brother, Andy. In honor of Andy’s birthday today, I have transferred an audio cassette recording of Tiger Hunt and posted the mp3 file. Just click on the arrow below.
Last week was the final “graduate show” for my improvisational comedy class that I had been with for more than a year, given by the The Bovine Metropolis Theater in Denver. It has been great to perform with Anders, Jane, Jim, Lori Beth, and Marylee, and I hope to perform with them again.
Check out the blurb about the show in Westword. The dates weren’t right, but we did change them around a bit.
The final class of the Bovine Metropolis Theater‘s Level 3 series started off with an excellent exercise: we stand in a circle. The rules are to do what everyone else is doing, and exaggerate or subdue it. Eventually everyone is doing the same thing, which is evolving. No one is leading or following. It’s clearly a metaphor for how a good scene works: everyone is present, looking out for themselves and others, and there are no “wrong” moves, as others will respond appropriately.
Then we played some games where our character had a mantra, and everything was interpreted through it. I suspect these were inspired by Viola Spolin. That works because, of course, that’s how people are in a stylized sense. Eventually that clicked for me. By the end I’d entered each scene with a song in my head, and responded appropriately according to whatever song it was. This works well because songs embody emotions, motivations, attitudes, etc., the basis of a character.
When the scenes clicked, it was because each player brought something to it (e.g., a character trait), and neither they or the audience knew what was going on. With each line of dialog the players filled in a picture consistent both with what had been said before and with their character choice. Just as in the first exercise, no one was leading, there were no preconceived paths, and the scene grew.
Today my improv comedy class from Madcap Theater performed a couple of shows to demonstrate what we had learned in the six week “Level 1″ class. As with the first performance, it went great. What is even more satisfying that what I’ve learned through the classes is the story of Madcap Theater as a successful family-owned entrepreneurial venture.
I’ve been taking the classes since September, and gradually realized the extent to which this is a family-owned and run business – from the actors, bar tenders, servers, to the behind-the-scenes marketing and other business aspects. Check out this televised feature on Metrobeat TV. I don’t know how long this like will be valid – I appear briefly in the part about classes – at 3:11 into the segment. Also, the Boulder Daily Camera has a nice article on it.
Last night I saw a this South Park episode (Season 7, Episode 8) that ridicules the metrosexual fashion.
Ridicule sure is persuasive – I’m going to start wearing my socks three or four times before washing them. 
Andrew called my attention to a great story about improv comedy by Doug Kassel
I’m reminded of the story of Elaine May auditioning with actors for “The Compass Players” in Chicago in the 1950’s. The actors were told that they were to improvise a scene where they were to go into the bar and pickup the girl. The actors would sit down and try to make witty small talk and Elaine would say, “Let’s go back to your place.” If they continued the audition, trying to be funny instead of getting up and leaving with Elaine, they weren’t considered.
In tonight’s improv class we did exercises that brought our attention to status, a which provides fascinating perspective on theater and real life.
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