Hatred and Fear as American Values?

I was in New York City when I first heard about the controversy surrounding the proposed community center at Park51. You know, the "ground zero mosque."

(Check out that link above, it's the official link for the community center. The more I read about it, the more I think it will be an amazing thing for the community. Unfortunately, it's getting off to a spectacularly bad start, thanks to its opponents)

I remember talking a bit about it with my friend, sort of shaking my head thinking how ridiculous it all was, and assuming it would disappear in a few days.

I'm truly dismayed that people are still talking about it. Bile rises every time I see someone posting on Facebook that they like "I do not support a mosque being built 600 feet from the World Trade Center." It amazes me that the same people who are always hearkening back to our founding fathers and the inerrancy of the constitution are willing to completely ignore the whole "freedom of religion" thing. Because, as Sarah Palin put it, it rubs people the wrong way. I watched an interview with her (never a good idea for my blood pressure) wherein she accused President Obama of being out of touch with what the American people were "feeling."

FEELING.

President Obama had just said that they have every legal right to build a center there, and she is talking about peoples FEELINGS. It's our government's job is to uphold the LAW (and in the next breath Palin accuses President Obama of swaying to polls... aka, public opinion, or "feeling." Please decide, which is it? Is he too swayed by peoples feelings, or not in touch with people's feelings?) It does not matter whether the President thinks (or FEELS) it's a good idea or not. His job is to uphold the law. And the law says that a religious group can build a place of worship on this piece of private property.

Do we, as a country, really want to get into the business of deciding where it is appropriate for a house of worship? To decide that one religion can be in this location, but another not? That is a very, very, very slippery slope. We are either for freedom of religion, or we aren't. If we start deciding that certain religions don't belong in certain areas we are beginning to sound a lot like Nazi Germany.

And here's the thing... people's feelings are hurt because a community center, to be run by Muslims (and that will include a place of worship), is being built near the site of the World Trade Center. The only reason people find this offensive is because they associate all Muslims with the terrorists responsible for the tragedy on 9/11. They can say all they want that they don't, but they prove themselves otherwise. And we cannot stand idly by while they make that horrible connection.

I hate to think that I, as a Christian, will be lumped together with extremists who bomb abortion clinics or carry "I hate fags" signs. (although I know that to some, I am lumped together with them).

The right wing talking heads continue to whip their listeners into a frenzy over a small piece of real estate that most of them will never come anywhere near in their lifetime. They speak only of a "Mosque at Ground Zero", and I've encountered people who think that this is somehow the nation's official memorial to to the victims of 9/11. Because that's the way it's being presented. That's the lie that's being perpetuated. That's the distraction that is keeping everyone thinking about something that should not have been anything but possibly a passing notice in the national news. That's the latest item in a long line of fear mongering

And it's appalling.

The Bachelor is crappy television

(I'm blogging about TV, people. TV. Has it come to this? Life is too complicated to blog about right now. This whole undercover operation... let's call it Operation Beige (because every good undercover operation needs a name)... is progressing slowly but surely, and I just. can't. share. And I'm not doing a show. So TV it is)

I apologize if you watch and enjoy The Bachelor.

No, actually, I don't. I think it's crap, and I think you should be ashamed.

There. I said it.

Now, I do have to confess that I've never watched a full episode of The Bachelor. I've seen the commercials. Caught a few moments at the end... you know, the stuff that records on the front of my DVR's recording of Castle (which I completely enjoy. Fun stuff).

But this is my basic understanding:

A handsome guy is charged with slowly narrowing down the field from a bunch of really hot women, who vie for his attentions. They go on dates and the like. The girls scheme and backstab and try to woo the man. The guy is dating all these girls at once trying to figure out which one he is going to marry.

To MARRY.

What sane woman would put herself into that situation? What sane man would want to dedicate the rest of his life to a woman willing to play that game? What kind of a sick man enjoys watching all the women around him play that game?

I cannot possibly believe that it is even remotely about finding true love. It is about being on television. It is about proving yourself desirable.

And I'm horrified that people watch it. Yes, perhaps it's like watching a car accident. You can't look away from the tragedy. But people seem to actually care about who the bachelor picks. Like they think these two very beautiful egomaniacs are going to find love and longevity together, and that somehow gives them hope for the world. I worry for the watchers of the Bachelor. As if romantic comedies weren't screwing with our idea of what love should look like enough already.

Crap, crap, crap.

And it's the downfall of scripted shows. Shows that hire writers and actors. Shows that maybe, just maybe, tell a story worth telling. A story that might have some redemption or some catharsis or some hope for the world. A story that in its fiction has more truth in it than any episode of The Bachelor ever will.

But... as Dennis Miller used to say... that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Sugar high

I saw a commercial today that I was SURE was one of those ironic, fake ones. The woman was SO overly sincere that I kept waiting for the punchline. Plus, it was so ridiculous. She was urgently complaining about how difficult it will be to feed her family if the government puts an extra tax on SODA and FRUIT JUICE. But the punchline was... that there WAS no punchline. Apparently the government wants to put a tax on "sugar sweetened" drinks.

You know... a tax on, as this Diet Cherry Coke junkie calls it, "a can full of chemicals" and "cup o' corn syrup."

How will we EVER feed our families? Golly, we might actually have to resort to drinking... *GASP* ... water!!!!

They want to use the money to help run new health care programs.

It's outrageous! Taxing sugar sweetened drinks that contribute to our national obesity problem is like taxing cigarettes because they cause cancer!

Oh wait...

_________________

* maybe diet sodas will escape the tax, since they aren't ACTUALLY sweetened with sugar. Hmm.....

Judging a book by its cover

I know you're not supposed to judge other people. I try hard not to. But sometimes, I can't resist. Here are some people I confess to judging before I know them:

Drivers of Hummers

Parents who take their toddlers to a bowling alley at 11pm

People who wear clothing with obscenities written on it in public places. Around children.

Obese people at fast food joints. Particularly if they have their obese children with them.

Parents who take their young children to R rated movies filled with sex and violence

Anyone with a SARAH! bumper sticker

Audience members who answer their phone in the theatre and then proceed to HAVE A CONVERSATION

I know I'm not alone. Who do you judge upon first sight?

Wherin I Do Not Rant Nor Rave

I am feeling pretty good about opening on Friday from an acting standpoint. However... Do I look nervous to you?
How about the other actor? What? It's too dark to see him? Hmmmm......

I will not Rant nor Rave. I will not Rant nor Rave.

Nor will I do this...

I may have to partake in some of the vintage from that bottle there. And not the prop stuff, either.

I need rest

Sung to the (edited) tuned of Be Our Gue.st, from Disney's Be@uty and the Be@st, the show Painted Maypole is currently rehearsing:

Painted Maypole:
I need rest! I need rest!
In my bed would be the best
Let me say that every day
my nerves are frayed, is this a test?
Do a show! Now rehearse!
Try to memorize this verse!
It's hard work for this tired Mama
(does that last line need a comma?)
I must sing! I must dance!
(Do I have any clean pants?)
How can I expect to clean and shop and rest?
The director shouts "Encore!"
so I go back for more
but I need rest
I need rest
I need rest!

Director:
You need rest! You need rest!
For your health, it is the best!
Take some time to go unwind
when you're not here, go get some rest!

Painted Maypole:
Are you nuts? I'm always here!
And my "to do" list's a thing to fear
Shopping, cooking, sending cards out
just the cleaning can make me pout

Choreographer:
He'll lift you up, way up high
You'll kick your legs up in the sky
Now just smile! We want the audience impressed!

Maypole:
I have so much to do
is that one kick or two?
I need some rest
I need rest!
I need rest!

(dance break wherein Painted Maypole is lifted above some gentleman's head, and then does a complicated mug banging combination, bruising the dilly daylights out of her knuckles...)

Painted Maypole:
I need rest! I need rest!
Someone please hear my request
In these 4 months it's been 4 shows and oh
Am I obsessed?
Comedy, tragedy,
I do it all, as you can see
While my mood just keeps yo-yoing
One show closes, I keep going...
Stage by stage, cast by cast
And I ask "is this the last?"
And if I'm honest with myself I must confess
When it's all said and done
It's been a lot of fun
still I need rest!
I need rest!
I need rest
Please, I need REST!

(After ending with a big kick line finish - with an enormous plate strapped to her back, no less - Painted Maypole collapses to the ground and begins snoring)

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This musical post has been sponsored by Monday Missions. This weeks Mission is to write a post in the style of a song (rewrite the lyrics to a familiar tune). Write you own little ditty and post a link in the widget below.



And be sure to join us next week, when our Mission will be to write a post in the style of a letter to Santa.

(as always, I'm tinkering with show names to try to be less google-able. thanks)

cheating

I'm listening to a book on CD as I drive to and from rehearsal. The book has been recommended to me, and I know it's been made into a made for cable movie, but I otherwise don't know a lot about it. I'm enjoying it, however... I'm afraid that the main character is about to have an extra marital affair.

I hate to sound all prudish and all, but I really hate it. It makes me want to chuck the CD out the window and into the lake as I drive across the bridge.

I'm hoping that's not where it's going.

I'm so sick and tired of novels and movies that all revolve around affairs. I've seen some movies and read some books I really enjoyed that have this as a central theme, but I find, particularly as I get older and become an"old married woman", that I have less and less tolerance for it. I'm tired of characters who don't value their marriage enough, I'm tired of being led to sympathize with the people who cheat, I'm tired of it being seen as romantic and daring and interesting. Show me the struggle in the relationship, show the temptation and the resistance, show the price that is paid for staying, and also the reward. Or show a woman who gets out of a bad relationship WITHOUT having an affair to do it.

Obviously there are some great works of fiction that I do, indeed, appreciate with this theme. But I'm tired of "bored wife (or battered wife, or ignored wife, or...), blah, blah, blah, has an AFFAIR! And it's hot! and interesting! and we've led you to sympathize with her, and now you can't decide if you can judge her actions or not!" (or you, know, the male version of the same story)

Anyone else feel this way?

Due

5 hours of babysitting
1.5 tanks of gas
7 missed hours of sleep
5 missed evenings of bedtime stories
$10 in bridge tolls
7 1/2 hours of travel
20 hours in a dark theatre

-The price I paid for the last 7 days worth of performances and rehearsals (and I missed some in there, because I was home sick)

Golly, is it any wonder I'm feeling burnt out?

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This post has been a Monday Mission. This week's mission, if you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the style of a Bill. If you participate please drop a link in the widget below.




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Your Missions for the Nostalgic Month of December are to write posts in the style of:
12/1 - a children's story - one of Joy's favorites
12/8 - a poem - a favorite of Mary G from back when I was just reading the Missions and not hosting them!
12/15 - a song (rewrite the lyrics to a familiar tune) - one of my favorites
12/22 - a Letter to Santa (this is not a nostalgic mission, but Joy suggested it and I couldn't resist.)
12/29 - no Mission - because no one else told me a favorite past mission AND I will be out of town. So there.

exit Little Mary Sunshine, stage left

I love the theatre. I do. Which is good, because I'm spending a lot time there these days. And will be until February, with all the shows I have lined up. And I'm grateful for it. Truly.

But I'm also tired. And feeling a bit frustrated. Because driving 45 minutes to rehearse the first act of a show that has me on stage for about 5 minutes... well, it's exhausting. And a bit wasteful. And unfulfilling.

I've frankly never bought into the old adage that there are no small parts, only small actors. There are both, and they do not always go hand in hand. I have seen enormous actors in small parts, and small actors in enormous parts.

Am I being a small actor for being frustrated with a string of small parts?

(the currently running show being an exception, of course, but then... well, don't even get me started on small audiences)

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Hopefully Little Mary Sunshine will return soon. Thanks for allowing me a wee bit of venting. And trust me, this IS a wee bit. This post was much longer and much more ranting and "woe is me" as I thought it through in my head on that 45 minute drive home.

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clarification: I am on stage quite a bit during the second act, playing 2 different parts in several scenes. But the nights that we only run the first act... And it's frustrating because I'm feeling like I've been doing this for so long, and have a degree in theatre, but with all the moving and the whatever I'm feeling like just when I start to get ahead... I'm sick and tired of "paying dues." Dude, I paid my dues in Philly... and then again in Los Angeles... and again... and again... and crud. there I go starting the longer rant...

Universe: Sit down and listen up

Listen up, Universe. It's clear that I need to lay down some ground rules here. I understand that things can't be fine and dandy all the time, and I took the news about the May Queen's Godmother having breast cancer fairly well. But now you're really pushing my limits here, and I'm done. So here are the rules. Pay attention.

1. NO MORE CANCER! Do you hear me? She took aggressive measures to make sure the cancer would be gone and would not spread. These new spots on her lung? Not Cancer. NOT CANCER. It is not allowed. Don't even think about it. Something must have gone wrong with the test. These spots will disappear, or be harmless. No more cancer. This is non-negotiable.

2. Family chaos must stop. Enough already. A mother with dementia? A mother in law who refuses to move out of her home after the recent death of her husband, even though she can't take care of herself? Godmother is too weak to be the caretaker she usually is. She can't take care of herself and all of these people, too. The last thing she needs while she is trying to heal is guilt that she's not doing enough. So knock it off.

3. Stop with the additional health problems. Scoliosis? REALLY?!? Come on. Talk about kicking someone while they're down. And unexplained blood in the urine? No. That unexplained blood is just going to disappear. Gone. NO MORE HEALTH PROBLEMS.

4. The May Queen's Godmother is going to live a long life. A LONG LIFE, do you hear me? She has two boys to finish raising. She does so much good in this world through her friends, her family, her church, her volunteering and her nursing job.

5. And while you're at it, Universe, enough with the cyclones and the earthquakes and the hurricanes and war and whatever else you've got out there brewing. Enough tragedy already. Sunshine and rainbows and love, OK?

I don't believe in spanking, Universe, but I'm about to whoop your behind and send you to the corner, because I have had it. You better start shaping up.


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These (sadly completely unenforceable) rules have been a Monday Mission. Write your own rules and let me know, and I'll post a link in the post.

Mary Beth is laying down the House Rules for her furry and feathered friends

I realize next week is Memorial Day, and lots of you may be away from your computers, but with blogger's new ability to write your posts ahead of time there's no excuse not to join in the mission and write a post in the form of a warning label.

Thanks for the wonderful gift!

To the makers of Polly Pockets clothing,

Thank you so much for your ingenious way of ensuring my daughter and I get to spend quality time together. She's at an age where she is actually interested and capable of playing by herself for moderate stretches of time, but your thoughtfulness has ensured that she will still need me by her side. No need for me to fill the empty space in my life with a good book or a hobby of my own. No, your brilliant design for impossible to put on rubber clothes for tiny plastic dolls keeps my daughter at my side, or at the very least, bellowing for me across the house. And certainly I treasure all the time I spend with my gorgeous daughter. Thank you for providing just one more way to stretch that time out.

And a special kudos in regards to the shoes. I would have thought that Barbie shoe designers had perfected the art of tiny shoes that never stay on a doll's feet, but you truly have taken the art to the next level. And they are so tiny! How do you make them? And the fashion trend you are surely starting... you know, the mismatched shoe trend (because the other one was lost/sucked up in the vacuum/eaten by the cat) is sure to hit the runways anytime now, and I certainly think you deserve all the credit.

You are so thoughtful, and clearly know not just what every little girl will crave, but what every mother is just dying to have in her home.

Many thanks for making every day like a holiday,

Painted Maypole

This post is a Monday Mission, today's mission was to write a post in the form of a thank you letter. You don't have to be sarcastic, a true and heartfelt thank you letter is welcome as well. Or any other kind of thank you that strikes your fancy. If you write your own Thank You post, put a link for it below, and then go visit all the other Monday Missions!



Future Monday Missions:
1/14- Movie Synopsis
1/21- Award Nominations (this is a change, in honor of the Oscar Nominations that will be announced the next day. Your nominations can be for any kind of award you wish!)
1/28- Children's book or poem

Remember: Monday Missions are a jumping off point. I suggest a style for writing a post, and I love to see where your creativity takes you. There are no real "rules," other than don't put your link in the widget if you haven't written a post in response to the Mission. However you want to interpret the mission, though, is up to you. It is basically to get you to play around with different styles of writing. Have fun!