28 Eylül 2012 Cuma

MY MOTHER'S ITALIAN... at The Smith Center

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The Smith Center - Troesh Studio Theater
Sept. 28 at 7pmSept. 29 at 3pm and 7pmSept. 30 at 3pm
Ticket prices: $29 - $39
Steve Solomon’s three-time award winning show has met with rave reviews and great audience acclaim throughout the United States, overseas and becoming one of the longest-running one-man shows in Broadway history. Once again, we meet the people that we’re all too familiar with; the family members that make you remember why you left home in the first place. It’s a laugh-filled fest of everybody you know, have known, and some you’d want to forget but can’t, all brought to life on stage by the comic magic of Steve Solomon.

A visit to Mark Twain's Hannibal, Mo.

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Reporting from Hannibal, Mo. — It was long after dark when Henry Sweets brought me to Hannibal's Old Baptist Cemetery, "a graveyard of the old-fashioned Western kind." No moon. Ragged weeds, crumbling gravestones. We tried to tread lightly, but it had been raining, and mud grabbed at our shoes. Down at the bottom of the hill, the Mississippi churned. I had to smile, because here I was, three decades removed from 11th grade, still slogging through American literature.

This, as Sweets explained, was the cemetery Mark Twain remembered when he imagined the midnight murder of Doc Robinson in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"— grave markers leaning every which way, Tom and Huck hiding behind a tree, and the treacherous Injun Joe burying a knife in his victim's chest.
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Pirate's Dinner Adventure

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The Buena Park attraction that has it all. Would-be pirates of all ages will become a part of this epic and interactive pirate show at Pirate's Dinner Adventure!

Set aboard an authentically replicated 18th-century Spanish galleon measuring 46 feet long, 18 feet wide with 40-foot masts, the ship is anchored in a 250,000-gallon indoor lagoon with night sky lighting. Surrounding the lagoon is a six-sided showroom of six additional ships where the audience is seated.

Voyagers on each of the six ships have their own fearless pirate mascot whom they cheer on as the adventure unfolds with a cast a dozen actors, singers and stunt performers engaging in a bounty of action-packed exploits, accompanied by cannon blasts, pyrotechnics and plenty of laughs.

In addition, more than 150 guests have the chance to play an actual role in each show as the evil Captain Sebastian the Black leads his crews of renegades on a swashbuckling adventure before your very eyes!
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Pinnacles National Monument: California's new National Park?

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Pinnacles National Monument, a 26,000-acre swath of spectacular volcanic rock formations outside Soledad, Calif., would be elevated to a National Park under legislation introduced Thursday by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

Pinnacles is a nesting place for the endangered California condor, North America's largest soaring bird, with wingspans up to 10 feet. And it is a global destination for naturalists and outdoor adventurers attracted by the park's scenic views and unique rock-climbing landscapes. Making Pinnacles a National Park, Boxer said, would "draw even more visitors to this spectacular piece of California's natural and cultural heritage."

In a recent travel piece on Pinnacle's condors for the Los Angeles Times, Tom Bentley described the monument as "an otherworldly place of jutting rock spires and twisted towers that looks as though it was wrenched from dinosaur times. 'Wrenched' is fitting: The park's craggy upthrusts are the partial remains of an ancient volcano. It's a landscape in which a pterodactyl might choose to make its home, and thus a bird almost as rare (and with an impressive 10-foot wingspan) would feel cozy here too."
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Las Vegas: 'Lion King' tickets + two nights at Mandalay Bay start at $222

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"The Lion King" opened at the Mandalay Bay Theater in Las Vegas on May 2, 2009. To mark the Disney show's second anniversary, Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino is offering a package that includes a room for two nights plus tickets to the show starting at $222.

The deal: The "Lion King" Package includes a two-night stay and two tickets to the show. To reserve this deal, mention "Disney Package" by phone or use the code "PDISN11" to book online. The show runs every day except Fridays and will close at the end of December.

When: The offer is good for stays Tuesday to June 30. You must book by June 28.

Tested: I went online and found availability for a room May 23 to 25 with show tickets for $227 plus tax and a $20 a night resort fee. Tickets in the package were good for a 7:30 p.m. performance on May 23 (Monday), the first night of the stay. As a comparison, tickets usually start at $64 each (plus tax), so in effect this deal gives you two nights at Mandalay Bay for $99.
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27 Eylül 2012 Perşembe

The Purple Lexicon

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This work of language awesomeness is a work in progress. I apologize in advance for it being so heavily influenced by Twitter, but then again, I don't because Twitter has inspired many, if not all, of the entries. It shall be added upon from time to time, so feel free to use it as a reference guide often. Also, if you would like to add some terms yourself, please leave a comment along with how you'd like to receive credit for your contribution and I will formally edit the lexicon with your entry(s).

huggy or kissy: adj. the opposite of stabby. when people give love that looks like something from out of the movies. syn. NCMO

best friend
: n. a term applied to one who has shown great patience to another over a very long period of time and it has been reciprocated; a pure angel of mercy on the earth syn. BFF, Bestie ...

bestie: n. a slang term used in place of best friend that I use only when trying to be funny

stationery addict: n. someone who adores fabulous papers and notecards in order to write love letters and thank you notes; me.

trolling: n. stupidity that only makes twitter a bore; v. an act of pure immaturity; and therefore, a bore.

tweeps: n. a terribly ugly blended word attempting to describe people you interact with regularly on twitter.

tweetochism: n. when you hate a tweet you're about to tweet, but tweet it anyway.
 
twistie: n. patient, dear friends on Twitter

twit:  n. descriptive label for when you've irritated someone (me); typically not a good thing

twitt:  n. term of endearment for my twitter peeps; opposite of twit; a replacement term for tweeps

twitter: n. creativity at breakneck speed; worldwide penpal service on steroids

a letter of encouragement

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Someone asked me how can we get past feelings of anger, defeat, and weariness with the world we must face, and I want to give them an undivided attention sort of reply--

Dear Friend,

I am no expert on making it through difficulties beautifully, but I do attest to the fact that I have made it through many sore trials, unexpected challenges, and a great deal of unfortunate circumstances. I get negative at times, yes, but somehow I am able to keep smiling either during or at least after all is said and done.

One coping mechanism is laughter. When I can, I remember to laugh at myself. We can take ourselves so seriously that it is to our own detriment. (At least, I do.) Most especially though, I remember to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. I have found that even really messed up stuff usually has a small element of the ridiculous. Maybe what you can pick out is far-fetched, but laugh at it nonetheless, and you will feel a change in your perspective come about. Anger and hopelessness cannot fester if you've been able to find something to laugh about. It won't change the hard parts, but it creates a piece of much needed positivity amidst sometimes unbearable negativity.

Reading good books is a great way to take a vacation from things. Sometimes all we need is a moment to ourselves and it can get us through the rest of a challenging day. If you would like some recommendations, I have a pretty decent list on Goodreads or you can ask me for some titles through Twitter or Facebook.

Another tool in my shed of positivity is reaching out to friends. I seem to attract a great deal of friends, which means I usually have someone I can shovel the stuff with when I feel overloaded. However, you only need one really. One person who will listen and even commiserate--and laugh at what you can--with you will prove invaluable. If you do not have that sort of person in your life, I offer myself to be that friend. I love making friends. I love helping them even more. It truly brings me joy. So the invitation to direct message (DM) me on twitter whenever you need someone to unload on is there for the taking.

Something that might seem silly-ish but works to calm and push away the weariness is singing aloud. I enjoy hymns and spiritual music most for singing out loud, but so long as they are happy songs with no tinge of negativity in them--go for it. If you don't normally sing much (or at all), do the singing in the shower thing or while alone and driving in the car. Sometimes I can even get to the first step of laughing at myself during this positivity activity. It's highly effective. Trust me. Singing and positive music in general invite rejuvenation and light into the darkest of places.

And while it might not be very politically correct to bring spirituality into things, it is very personally correct for me to do so. In my life, the most vital element of pushing out anger, rising above defeat, and retaining hope when weary has been my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I strive to learn more about his life through scripture study and apply those things that I learn. I am not perfect at it, but I believe that making an honest effort is what makes all the difference. Prayer is another imperative aspect of living a faith-based life. I recommend trying it if you don't do so already. I testify to you that prayer changes night into day, shedding light upon some situations you never could have navigated without it.

Lastly, I write. I am sure you couldn't tell or anything, so it seems redundant to even state such a blatant fact, but there it is. I write here and write letters to people (the old-fashioned snail mail sort), and I write in a journal. I used to have one that I filled with everything under the sun, but now I focus on only writing about the blessings and happy things that go on daily. It is encouraging to read through it on those hard days.

My hope is that what I have shared with you will bring you to a knowledge that you can and will make it through, and you can even make it through with more hope, happiness, and energy for life.

Most sincerely,

me ♥