Due to some Pastor of Muppets-related confusion and a lucky coincidence of Shaun's travel schedule, you have the rare chance to see Bare, our two-man improv group, tonight at 8 pm at the Playground (3209 N Halsted, Chicago).
Shaun has not performed any improv in a full calendar year (our last Bare show was in July of last year) while I've been performing more than ever. What kind of hideous train wreck might this evening be? What terrible things will said? Can our friendship stand the strain of this upcoming show? Or will we, as we have all-too-often in the past, pull brillance out of our desperate asses? Only one way to find out -- come see the show!
Homey Loves Chachi and Mort perform on the same bill and tickets are a measly (measly!) $10.
You got your salami sticks in my peanut butter and chocolate! You got your peanut butter and chocolate in my salami sticks!
Next Thursday I'll be appearing as the Narrator in a staged reading of Ninja III: The Domination as part of the Neo-Futurists' It Came From the Neo-Futurarium. Get your tickets now!
But tonight I'll be at the Neo-Futurarium doing a trailer for our show next week in front of The Cross and the Switchblade, directed by Greg Allen. I've never seen the movie, but I had the comic book when I was young and it's sure to be a treat.
This week's QuickTime Guide -- available both as a webpage at Apple and inside the QuickTime Player itself (if you open the application without choosing a movie) -- features Barenaked Ladies' Snacktime. If you click on the album picture, it takes you to a high-quality Quicktime version of the Pollywog in a Bog video, where you can really see all the detail we shot in HD.
As always with news shows, and double-especially with morning news shows, we won't actually know it's really happening until it airs, but the word is that Good Morning America will be doing a "Water Cooler" segment on Young Me, Now Me tomorrow morning (Thursday, 7/17) and that the Gerdes father/son duo may be included. Set your Tivos!
Update: Well, as I warned myself, it seems the segment didn't air this morning.
In 1994 Liz and I adopted two kittens from the Tippecanoe County Humane Society. They were from two different litters and I really don't remember why we picked them out -- just that they were bouncing around being kittens. We named the brown female one Latte because of her color and our fascination with coffee. The black-and-white male one had a dab of black on his chin that I thought looked like a goatee and so I named him Mustapha after the faux-Balkan band 3 Mustaphas 3.
I had never had pets before (aside from a fish that lasted for a few weeks when I was 10), and indeed was somewhat reluctant to get two cats, but they quickly became beloved companions. Mustapha was an incredibly affectionate cat and loved to sleep on laps or curled up in my arms at night. He was always quick to greet visitors and was rarely shy during parties or around strangers.
Mustapha had two breaks from living with me. In 2002 Kate O'Leary took him in for nine months. Kate has painted several portraits of Mustapha. In 2004, during the great freeze-out disaster, my friend Beth fostered both cats for several months -- initially so they wouldn't freeze to death in my heat-less apartment and then as I was in transition to a new place.
In 2005 Mustapha gained another adopted sister, Parker, when Erica and I moved in together. Parker was always somewhat wary of her new siblings, but she and Mustapha enjoyed sitting in the sunroom and napping in close proximity.
Mustapha didn't like to eat cat food directly out of a bowl -- he'd try and lift pieces out with his foot. This was only moderately successful, and so the kitchen was usually littered with dropped cat food. He also loved to bat at water bowls with his paws, leading to puddles everywhere, which he would then complain about. He also enjoyed cheese, peppers, and fruit. His favorite food was the milk left over from sugared cereal, so much so that I had to eat cereal standing up because he would try to claw his way into the bowl.
He was a good leaper and climber and would happily sit on top of doors and shower doors, given the chance. He never seemed to be very interested in cat toys, especially when people were watching.
When I carried Mustapha, I'd usually hold him upside down, like a baby. He seemed to like this just fine.
Mustapha had been gradually losing weight over the last year and began a rapid decline during the last three weeks. I made an appointment with a vet for this morning, but last night it was obvious that he was in very bad shape. He was not eating or drinking and could barely move. This morning the vet found a large tumor in his abdomen and, given his condition, recommended euthanasia. After careful (and tearful) discussion, Erica and I agreed.
He was my buddy, my Buddy-stapha. If he was a cow, he would have been Moo-stapha; if a chicken, BokBok-stapha. I will miss him very much.
Update: Kate has posted some lovely memories of Mustapha.
Inappropriate
Congrats to Heidi and Marc*
Pan's Labyrinth
One Hundred Pushups
Jackass: The Game
Sex and the City
Benshi
In One Word
Night Watch
Persepolis
Recent Comments
Inappropriate (2)
Mustapha, 1994-2008 (16)
Icemakers of the Revolution (6)
Step Up (6)
Ninja III: The Domination (1)







