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FOR FANS OF National Public Radio

A short film by comic Mike Birbiglia ...

YouTube

Jimmy Kimmel Hosts The White House Correspondents' Dinner

Each year a comic hosts and roasts the President and gathered press, politicians and celebs. Tonight it was Jimmy Kimmel, a late night chat host. VERY FUNNY ...

Ape Home Movie

This is a home movie of Roddy McDowall's from the filming of the original Planet of the Apes.
We get to see the make-up and prosthesis applied and filming of the beach scenes.

In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdan — who, since being emancipated, had moved to Ohio, found paid work, and was now supporting his family — responded spectacularly by way of the letter seen below (a letter which, according to newspapers at the time, he dictated).

Rather than quote the numerous highlights in this letter, I'll simply leave you to enjoy it. Do make sure you read to the end.

(Source: The Freedmen's Book; Image: A group of escaped slaves in Virginia in 1862, courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

Dayton, Ohio,

August 7, 1865

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson.

X- GAMES

I actually went on a date of sorts this past Sunday.
Drove to Aspen, Colorado where the Winter X-Games are being held.
It was a beautiful day and a good time was had by all.
I used my phone to take photos and short videos.
I'm amazed at how crappy they turned out.
Luckily there is one good one posted below:
YouTube

LEAP SECOND - What Will You Do?

An international body is debating whether to discontinue adding "Leap Seconds" to the clock in order to reflect the gradual slowing of the Earth's rotation.

Now to the important stuff: What do you plan to do/accomplish during the next leap second?

Founder Of The Best Bookstore Ever Passes

Shakespeare & Company is an iconic English language bookstore in Paris across from Notre Dame. It is perhaps my favorite place in the city. In was a hangout for the likes of Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Fitzgerald, William Burroughs, Picasso and other bright lights of the literary and art worlds.

It was founded by George Whitman, who passed away Wed. at age 98. The store is run by his daughter, Sylvia. I got to speak to Mr. Whitman on three occasions. He lead quite the adventurer's life. Trekking across S. America, "shacking-up" with an Eskimo gal in Greenland, sailing to Hawaii and hitchhiking across the USA.

I've pulled out my journal from 2009 and repost here my entry following my last meeting with him:
"Got to see George today. Tea in his flat. Pancakes of course.
He gave me another book of quotes. It's one I already have, but it'll be much more special to keep the one from George.
He was very interested to hear of my time in Chad and Hawaii. He told me again the quote from H Keller: Life is either a great adventure or nothing."

His passing saddens me deeply.

Comedy Writer Arrested

This is a blog written by one of the writers of Family Guy (Animated Sit-Com) about his arrest in Los Angeles during Occupy LA. I think it's worth your time to read it.:

http://myoccupylaarrest.blogspot.com/

The Big Apple

December finds me in New York City. I love visiting here. I also am so happy when I finally leave. NYC is a paradox for the super-shy and slightly agoraphobic. It is crowded and hectic and constantly in your face. And yet there is nowhere else where one can so easily be invisible. People ignore you in New York better than anywhere else.

Traveled by taxicab last night. A sign in the cab said "No Smoking." This must apply just to cigarettes, because (judging from the smell) smoking strange spiced meats seemed perfectly acceptable.

The main reason I'm here is to see doctors. I'm on another medical leave from school. Complications from the kidney transplant. Actually doing fairly well. Stamina is the big issue. They have me on high steroid doses. (Main side effects: swelling, weight gain, new penis)

The docs here are doing the same tests the docs in Colorado did. So far there have been no unexpected results (E.g., On my mammogram - I tested negative for having boobs).

The real reason I am here is to see some theater. This trip was too short of a notice to get into Hugh Jackman or to see Book of Mormon again. We saw Other Desert Cities @ Lincoln Center. A great play with Rachel Griffiths, Stacy Keech and Stockard Channing. I am hoping we get to see War Horse again before I leave.

Drove past Rockefeller Center and saw the big Christmas Tree through the window. I'm more of a traditionalist. I think we should all celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way - by lying about how we got pregnant.

I got to spend an afternoon with Daniel, the only boy I have ever done anything even pseudo-sexual with. He seems more mature - which is saying something, because he seemed very mature last year. I think University is boring him. I understand completely.

He's being recruited by "a government agency" for possible work. It's probably the Agriculture Department, but I prefer to think that he is considering going off to spy boot-camp. In my day dreams I sometimes pretend I am undercover and on the verge of kicking ass. A learner's permit to kill.

I spent a good portion of our time together thinking about showering with him again. I'm not sure how this affected the quality of our conversation. Oddly, to my mind it didn't at all. It's interesting how the mind can play host to both carnal and intellectual pursuits simultaneously.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has moved temporarily to Broadway (I've taken some photos on this trip but all are very poor quality - I might add a few anyway). I wish the protesters were more focused. With some list of end goals. General pissed-off-ed-ness is understandable, but unlikely to affect change.

The latest studies show that it's easier to kick an addiction to heroin than it is to get Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" out of your head.