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October 31, 2004
Vote! - Where to vote
"But, Fuzzy, where do I vote?"
In Chicago, Chicago Elections will let you lookup your polling place (yeah, that "66.107.4.19" isn't very reasuring as to its officalness, but that's Chicago for you. And it's annoying that you have to figure out what your street suffix is in their database -- evidently I live on "Winthrop Av", not "Winthrop Ave").
In Suburban Cook County you can go to the Cook County Clerk's Office's VoterInfonet.
Nationally, the DNC will help you find out where to vote. (I tried to be fair and find the same info on the RNC site -- but evidently they want you to Register to Vote but don't care if you actually go and vote.)
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)
Vote! - Judges
In Illinois we get to vote for the election and retention of judges (at the end of a six-year term, judges have to get 60% "yes" votes to stay in office). The front page article in this week's Reader is about how hard it is for judges to be voted out. Even when bar associations and citizens' groups agree that a judge is terrible or incompetent, voters, most likely daunted by the list of over 80 judges to be voted on, rarely vote "No" on judges.
Do I need to go on and on about how terrible an incompetent judge is? Judges make decisions that affect individuals and their families enormously. And c'mon you rebel, you -- what's more "sticking it the man" than getting rid of a judge?
So don't be daunted! Vote for Judges consolidates the judicial evaluations from a variety of Chicago and Illinois Bar Associations and they have a sample ballot (70K PDF).
And let me point out that one judge up for retention was dinged by all nine bar groups -- Susan McDunn -- largely for her fierce and unrelenting (even after being removed from the cases from the presiding judge of her division) opposition to two no-contest adoptions that happened to be by lesbian couples. "McDunn is done" is your handy mnemonic.
So please download that sample ballot, but then read the evaulations and see if you agree with their reasons. Make your own decisions, you American, you. (And then vote "No" on McDunn. Seriously.)
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:47 AM | Comments (2)
October 29, 2004
Victory Collage
I forgot to get a victory photo right after our game yesterday, so I got a picture of each member of James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party at the Four Treys hoisting a victory toast. Last night was the last game of the regular fall season, which we finished 7-1. Evidently, there has been some controversy over the league standings. The Chicago Kickball website has been calculating standings usually some complicated formula that takes into account runs earned and against, etc. By those standings, James Brown CHTP is #1. But the WAKA standings are just based on wins-losses, with the tie-breaker being who won in head-to-head meetings, so by that account Navy Menace is #1, since our one loss was to them. In any case, we're #1 or #2! We're #1.5! Next week the playoffs begin and conclude next Saturday.
To balance out all the happy faces above, I present a collage of (from left to right) "I am sad that James Brown CHTP has defeated my team again", "I am proud to be number 3", and "Look at my owie".
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:10 PM | Comments (0)
Weekend
Once again I present my weekend plans as a proposed model for your weekend plans.
Tonight (Friday, 10/29) we're having our work Halloween/10th anniversary of playboy.com party (umm... you're not invited, sorry). But candy and beer will surely get me in the mood to see Dan in Shades of Red: Four Tales of Horror and Intrigue at 8 pm. It's four spooooky one-act plays presented by the Box Theatre Group at Frankie J's Methadome Theatre (4437 N Broadway). Will I have time for ribs at Frankie J's before the show? I hope so. Yummy. Anyway, it's the last night for Shades of Red. So... Boo!
Then from Boo! to Ha! and from last to first, it's the opening night of Don't Spit the Water, a crazy new live game show presented by
Steev at The Playground (3209 N Halsted) at 10:30 pm. Erica is Cutie Bumblesnatch in the show, so I have to go. But you will want to! The show runs Fridays until November 17.
Saturday (10/30) I'm performing with Chicago Comedy Company at The Playground (still 3209 N Halsted) at 8 pm. I've been performing with this group for a relatively short time, but I really feel like I'm in a good groove with the group and that we're having a lot of fun on stage. Three other groups - Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Orange Whip, and Atticus Finch - will perform also.
And then it's Halloween-Party-Hopping-Time until I collapse on the couch Sunday afternoon to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with some friends. Hmmm... I'm bloated with candy and hung-over already, just thinking about it.
Posted by Fuzzy at 1:20 PM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2004
The easiest fund raiser in the world
Long-time readers know that I do a lot of my shows at The Playground: I'm part of a member ensemble there (next show this Saturday), Bare is often a guest ensemble at their shows (Wednesday, November 3 -- The Deuce!), I've directed and been cast in their Directors Series shows, my first Chicago ensemble was part of the Incubator program, and then years later I directed an Incubator group. The Playground is a non-profit co-op, operated by the member groups that perform there. It's an incredible resource for the improv community of Chicago.
So?
So, The Playground is doing the easiest fund raiser in the world. You like to shop, don't you? You need groceries, don't you? So print out this coupon and go do your grocery shopping at a Jewel-Osco from Monday, October 25 to Wednesday, October 27. The Playground gets a percentage of your purchase and you get that warm feeling inside from a) helping out a good thing and b) eating the food you bought.
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2004
Sidekick --> Treo
I was going to write up a geeky little post about why I had finally moved from a Danger Hiptop/T-Mobile Sidekick I to a PalmOne Treo 600, but then I summarized it in a comment answering Sean's questions about phone/PDA combos.
Posted by Fuzzy at 7:09 PM | Comments (0)
I o Chicago
The Virgin Megastore is carrying these shirts now, so I got Erica and myself ones. I had been looking for one ever since I read this article in the NewCity (it's out of date, by the way, the shirts are no longer available at the MCA).
When I read the article I was amazed that anyone could have that strong of a reaction to such an abstract design, but since I've been wearing it around, it's gotten the most comments of any t-shirt I've ever worn (and I like to think I wear interesting t-shirts).
No one has expressed distain or hatred of the shirt -- mostly they're trying to parse it into a sentence:
- I dot Chicago?
- I circle Chicago?
- Is that a Blue Man Group thing?
- Is that an IO thing?
- I go around Chicago?
- I blew Chicago?
Posted by Fuzzy at 6:19 PM | Comments (1)
Well, that's more like it
The paying audience was still light last night (by my count - 3 non-performers) but Bare (that is, we) had a fun time last night at the Bird's Nest Bar. We were pretty vulgar and a little too standy-around-talky, but we had plenty of energy (which I was worried about because I seem to be coming down with a cold or something). Oh, and you wanna know too much information? In the middle of our first scene a big chunk of earwax dislodged in my right ear and was rattling around and I was afraid that it was going to be bouncing around in there for the whole show and would really throw me off. But I barely had time to work up a good worry about it and it flew right out of my ear. Hooray.
And here's a bit I threw in for Erica (who was one of the three audience members) that no one else seemed to catch -- Shaun asked in a scene if he was hallucinating or if I had a bird on my shoulder. "You're not hallucinating," I said, "that's Flip." Get it? Flip. The Bird. Flip the bird? That was Erica's parakeet who recently passed away. RIP Flip.
And Dan and I went to the Bird's Nest straight after work so I had plenty of time to eat an order of their excellent wings. On the recommendation of the only-guy-at-the-bar-when-we-got-there I tried mixing the hot and teriyaki sauces. It was, as promised, tasty.
Posted by Fuzzy at 1:20 PM
October 25, 2004
Bare show tonight - cheap tacos
Bare will be performing at "The Harmony" at Bird's Nest (2500 N Southport) again this week. Last week was a little rough because there was hardly anyone there (perhaps because it's Monday, perhaps because game 6 of the Sox-Yankees was on at the same time, perhaps, perhaps). So let me entice you out on a Monday night with... $1 tacos (haven't tried them, but they're just a buck!), really good wings (did try them -- they're great), and some comedy. And Mort, who I substitute-coached for Dan, will performing also, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that lively group does.
Here's the complete lineup from the Bird's Nest mailing list.
Subject: 10/25 - This Monday's "The Harmony" Line-up (Bird's Nest @ 8pm)
A scary-good show just in time for Halloween. Come out tonight to see..
Jeff Grace - Back hosting and doing stand-up
Mort - Harmony regulars bringing more high energy improv
Nick Vatterott - Stand-up with an improvisors flair
Bare - Returns for another week of improv
Dave Odd - Not for the politically correct
"The Harmony" Comedy Night
Every Monday @ 8pm
The Bird's Nest
2500 N. Southport Ave. (2 blks north of Fullerton Ave)
$3 at the door
$1 Tacos, $2 PBR and $3 Coronas
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:39 AM | Comments (1)
October 23, 2004
FFFF: done!
I just finished editing our FFFF entry and I'm waiting for the DVD to burn on the other machine so I can race (it's always a last minute race) to Atomix to turn it in. It's a fun little movie -- it starts slow and intimate and ends up going 90 miles an hour and expands out to (literally) the whole world.
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:22 PM | Comments (0)
FFFF: Finished filming
Here's Jin and Shaun with the stunt dummy that we built tonight to stand in for Shaun (getting thrown from the balcony) and Ryan (getting hit by a motorcycle). Usually we write our FFFF script (well, outline) on Friday night, film Saturday morning, and then I spend Saturday afternoon editing. Shaun wanted me to have more editing time, so we shot this one tonight. The theme of the whole FFFF this time is "The End of The World" and our team was given the topic "close before striking, strike before closing".
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:20 AM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2004
James Brown is #1
This picture is last week's victory photo -- New Orleans' lack of easy internet foiled its posting. That ball is a regular red kickball -- it was drizzling through the whole game last week and so the ball (and us) was covered with a layer of mud and then a layer of dust. Hmm... dusty mud. But that win propelled us to #1 in the league.
And, without me, the team won again last night, so I think the team is still in first place. I'm waiting for the standings to be updated on chicagokickball.com.
Posted by Fuzzy at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2004
My weekend
Will telling you what I'm going to do this weekend influence what you might do this weekend? I can only hope.
Tonight (10/21) I'm headed to the opening night of the Camenae Ensemble Theatre Company's Can You Hear Their Voices? at Steep Theatre (3902 N Sheridan). Erica's in the show, so I am assured it will be amazing. The show runs Thursday to Sunday through November 21, so you'll have plenty of chances to see it.
Friday night (10/22), I'll be picking up my topic for the Fast Forward Film Festival and then heading over to see FuzzyCo's musical director Ben Taylor play with Marydee Reynolds at Martyrs' (3855 N. Lincoln Ave), opening for the Twinemen (featuring ex-members of Morphine). Ben sez "It'll be some stripped down rocking, sort of swampy, all good. Come on down, or up as the case may be."
Saturday night (10/23) is a full one. At 8 pm I'll be on stage with Chicago Comedy Co at The Playground (3209 N Halsted) (Diva, Ohio, and Malice also perform). Meanwhile, the short film that I will have made Friday night and Saturday for the Fast Forward Film Festival will be playing at Wesley Kimler's Gallery (2046 West Carroll). And at midnight it's back to The Playground for the Belmont Burlesque Revue (I'm not performing, just supporting).
Sunday night (10/24) I have a date. Go find something to do on your own.
Monday night (10/25) (OK, I realize we're not techinically in the "weekend' anymore, but work with me here) Bare will be performing at Bird's Nest Bar (2500 N Southport) with 3 standup comedians and another improv group. We did this same show last week and I have to say that it was a little rough, mainly because there was hardly anyone there (it was game 6 of the Red Sox-Yankees series). But you can help change that. And let me entice you with a cheap $3 cover, $1 tacos, and $2 PBRs. And great wings. And I'll probably be so happy to see you at the show that I'll buy you one of those $2 PBRs.
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:58 PM
Or if you prefer...
Or if you prefer your charity a little more get-out-the-ol'-checkbook (and a little more tug-the-heartstrings) Penny Arcade has launched the second year of their holiday charity Child's Play. Penny Arcade is a hilarious (and violent and foul-mouthed) web comic for gamers. Last year they decided to combat the media image of gamers as mass murderers-in-training by organizing gamers to donate toys and money to the Seattle Children's Hospital. Last year they raised over $250,000 in cash and toy donations.
This year they've expanded Child's Play to include Children's Hospitals in Houston, Oakland, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. Many of the items on the wish lists are, as Kitty Loaf reminds me, about the cost of a latte. You don't need that much caffiene anyway.
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:31 PM | Comments (0)
Helmet laws = boo
Look at FuzzyCo getting all political. If you're not in Chicago you can just skip this one. If you do live in Chicago, I wanted to make sure y'all knew that the vote on Alderman Edward Burke's (14th) proposed helmet ordinance for the city of Chicago is coming up on November 3.
Regardless of what you think about the importance of helmets to motorcycle safety (and yes, I usually wear one) all you have to do is look at those little "helmets" they wear on American Choppers (New York State has a helmet law) to realize that all a helmet law does is make people who don't really want to wear a helmet go out and buy a $40 piece of plastic.
I've already emailed my alderman (find yours) and asked her to vote no on the helmet ordinance.
Sun-Times: Alderman proposes city helmet law
Posted by Fuzzy at 3:05 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2004
MT Upgrade
I have successfully upgraded the back-end software that runs the blogging here at FuzzyCo and the New Improv Page to Moveable Type version 3.12. Do you care? Probably not. You shouldn't notice much difference in my site, except that maybe now I'll be able to put the time I had spent on fighting comment spam towards actually writing a post or two.
Posted by Fuzzy at 8:39 PM | Comments (0)
Why Vote VanVactor?
In a comment on my previous suggestion to St. Louis County's First District voters that they vote for Charlotte VanVactor for County Commissioner, 'duluthian' asks "why?"
Well, because she's my friend, of course.
I know that Charlotte is both committed to the welfare and well-being of others, and intensely practical -- a combination that I think makes her a great asset to any sort of public office.
Oh, and because I'm godfather to her children. So if she gets elected I can say "Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me." Over and over, until she's sick of it.
Posted by Fuzzy at 6:35 PM | Comments (1)
October 18, 2004
EXTRA Bird's Nest show TONIGHT
Fresh off our appearance at the Southern Improv Fest (howdy y'all!) Bare will performing at the Bird's Nest tonight. Here's the info from the Bird's Nest:
Oct 18th - Tonight at the Bird's Nest -- 8 pm -- Gender Balanced Comedy
3 male acts, 3 female acts. This is the Title 9 of comedy showcases!
Come out this Monday night to see...
Ken Barnard - Hosting this week and doing stand-up through the night
Bare - 2 Man Improv show debuts at the Harmony
Kara Buller - Returns after a hilarious set last week
Robert Buscemi - Harmony regular unleashes his unique world view
Tracy Tedesco - Opened for Puppetry of the Penis in August
LEGATO - All female improv troupe returns to the Bird's Nest
"The Harmony" Comedy Night
Every Monday @ 8pm
The Bird's Nest
2500 N. Southport Ave. (2 blks north of Fullerton Ave)
$3 at the door
$1 Tacos, $2 PBR and $3 Coronas
Posted by Fuzzy at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2004
Special New Orleans Appearance
I'll be appearing in the closing show of the festival -- an Armando featuring some special guest as the monologist -- Sunday night (10/17) at 11 pm.
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:01 PM | Comments (0)
New Orleans
In all honesty and modesty, Bare rocked the house last night. I can't find wifi in New Orleans (drinking - yes, internet - no) so pictures and a complete description of how much we rocked will need to wait until I'm not typing on my phone's tiny keyboard.
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:12 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2004
Cowpersons
photo by Amanda Wolff
Here's Cowboy Fuzzy and Cowgirl Erica doing Cowboy Comedy at the last Greta Mae Variatae (0ctober 6, 2004).
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2004
Help, I'm trapped on a bulletin board
Back in, oh, 1996 or so, the Crazy Monkeys made the cover of the Lafayette Journal and Courier's weekend section. My friend Josette let me know that a photo of me, cut out from that cover, has been on a bulletin board in a chemistry classroom for several years.
Posted by Fuzzy at 6:08 PM | Comments (0)
Bare at home
Bare also has a couple of shows coming up here at home in Chicago.
Next Monday, October 25, we'll be at the Bird's Nest Bar (2500 N Southport). The show features three standup comedians and two improv groups.
And the Wednesday after that, November 3, we'll help you unwind from the election with three other two-person improv groups at The Deuce at The Playground (3209 N Halsted). And it's cheap! $2!
And then that Saturday, November 5, both Bare and Chicago Comedy Co are performing at The Playground, so you get two doses of Fuzzy Gerdes-ness for your $10 (I can hook you up with 2-for-1s if you ask nice). Jovial Hayes and Atticus Finch also perform.
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
Bare on the road
This weekend Bare will be down in New Orleans for the first Southern Improv Festival. The Festival runs from Thursday to Sunday and features groups from all over the country. All the shows start at 7 pm and are at the Jewel Theater and Gallery located at 2134 Magazine St., third floor, at the corner of Jackson Avenue.
Bare goes up Friday night at 7 pm.
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2004
Oops
I did a simple update last night that ended up taking down the whole FuzzyCo server. Which makes me a little nervous about my planned upgrade to Movable Type 3.11. (But I have to upgrade soon, because comment spam is driving me crazy...)
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:54 PM | Comments (1)
MKSM
The November issue of Game Informer magazine features Bare's Shaun Himmerick with his day-job-hat on in an article about the new game he's producing, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:34 PM | Comments (0)
October 8, 2004
It is fun to win
No victory picture, because I was rushing out of the house and forgot to grab my camera. But we won, 2-1. Go James Brown!
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)
October 6, 2004
Finishing the Picture
photo by Malgosia Tomassi
The (somewhat creepy) question "where do celebrities hang out in Chicago?" was asked on the Chicago Metblog last week. The answer until November 7 is "on stage at the Goodman Theatre."
I was Erica's date last night to the opening of Finishing The Picture, a new Arthur Miller play. The play is a fictionalized account of the troubled production of The Misfits, screenwritten by Miller and starring his wife at the time, Marilyn Monroe. Evidently, she was pretty.
And you want celebs? Look at this cast list: Frances Fisher (Kate Winslet's mom in Titanic), Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff), Stacy Keach (Titus' dad and Mike Hammer), Linda Lavin (Alice), Harris Yulin (Training Day) and Matthew Modine (Vision Quest). And Stacy Keach's sister-in-law, Jane Seymour, was at the opening, too.
The biggest celebs of the evening? Skrebneski supermodels Erica Reid and Vivienne Dipeolu:
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:08 PM | Comments (0)
October 5, 2004
Needle Massage
So both Erica and I have been thinking about getting new tattoos for a while. She's carrying around a Renee Locks birds design in her wallet, waiting for the right combination of paychecks and time to get it on her shoulders. And I've been working on (in a much more of a thinking-about way than a working-the-trackball way) my Great Wave Off Kanagawa design for my right arm. But for me, at least, there's a dangerously ADHD-sort of desire to just being doing something to my body. And I had been thinking of another design that would simple enough to carry around in my wallet.
(When I get complicated designs I do what I advise other people to do - I carefully design the tattoo and I research the artist and make an appointment. But I have also walked into tattoo shops and said "put this on me." (I can say, however, that I've never really gotten flash inked onto me -- all my impulse tattoos are simple stars.))
Anyway, back to this tattoo idea: Erica has a tattoo on her back that's a five-pointed nautical star, with each of the two-colored points representing her or one of her friends in some complicated system that I don't even pretend to remember ("this point is Christopher - he's green=earth and yellow=banana"). Her point is grey and purple (wind... and grapes?) so I decided to get a nautical star that was all grey and purple.
I think it's pretty common knowledge that getting someone's name tattooed on you is a pretty easy way to guarantee that something terrible will happen to the relationship fairly quickly ("Wino Forever", anyone?). But even pessimistic old me feels safe with a star.
And Erica's dad has just had a permanent colostomy for his colo-rectal cancer, so Erica had decided to get a pink star tattoo (approximately) where her dad's stoma is as a tribute to him. A stoma-star.
Friday night at the Metblog meetup we both realized that we had that rare thing for theatre people - a weekend night free. So we solicited tattoo shop suggestions from the table. Susan's tattoo was from Tatu Tattoo, she'd had a good experience, and it was close.
Mini-review! Tatu Tattoo (1754 W North Ave, Chicago - 773-772-TATU). Tatu Tattoo is a bright, clean shop with, the night we were there, about 5 tattoo artists and a piercer working. There's a large selection of flash mounted on the wall but, unusually, no portfolios laid out for any of the tattooers. Everyone was really polite (they kept calling me 'sir') (it seems odd to mention that, but I've been in a number of tattoo shops that seem to take a pride in being rude to their customers). Every artist there is an independent contractor, but they do take credit cards.
Anyway, there were two guys free - Nex and Rodney - so Erica and I got our tattoos at the same time (that's why there are more pictures of me-Erica's didn't take very long so she came over and took photos).
Oh yeah, before you go look at the pictures... like I said, we didn't plan on going and getting tattoos until dinner. I don't think I would have worn yellow-with-red-stars underwear if I thought anyone was going to see them. But at least I provided plenty of amusement for Tatu Tattoo's patrons that night.
Posted by Fuzzy at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 4, 2004
Good Advice
Five things it’s probably better not to do when you’re kind of drunk
#1 is why I own brainboner.com and #3 is why I still owe Aaron Gang favors.
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)
October 2, 2004
Metblogs Meetup
We had a little Chicago Metroblog meetup last night -- Sean from Corporate and his wife Caryn were in town for a wedding, so they suggested a find-out-what-the-people-behind-all-those-words-on-the-screen-look-like meeting at Tecalitlan.
I realized as I was posting these pictures that I'm the only one of the Chicago metbloggers who has a picture in their mini-bio, so I'm gonna leave these unlabeled. But I will tell you that Susan, Lauren, Jason, Morgen, Catherine(?), Tom, Erica, and I were there.
Sean photoblogs me taking these pictures.
Hmmm... bloggers.
Erica and I are trying to look "candid" so that this picture would match the others, but I took the picture. Convincing, no? And hey, check out that skirt!
All the waitresses at Tecalitlan wear these Mexican flag skirts.
Erica shows off the delish salsa. Note that the Margarita special is good for Lime Only. Stop asking for Mango, jerks.
And then Erica and I went and got tattoos.
Update: Tom took some pictures, too.
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:58 PM | Comments (1)
October 1, 2004
BlogACatMas
It's BlogACatMas! AKA "Post a picture of a cat to your blog" day! Here's Joey's submissions.
As for me, I'm killing two birds with two cats by showing you Latte (top) and Mustapha (bottom) with The Ms -- the two-headed monkey that Erica got as her first animal from the Unfortunate Animal of the Month Club (formerly known as the Bunny of the Month Club).
Update: Kittyloaf notes that she's so efficient that she did her BlogACatMas entry last week (the picture is here if reading is hard for you.).
Posted by Fuzzy at 10:43 AM | Comments (1)
Faces of Victory
Gaze upon the Faces of Victory (surrounded by, evidently, the Bubbles of Victory). James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party defeated Bike Rack Bullies 7-6 last night. As usual, you can check out more stats and standings than you ever thought possible for kickball at the Chicago Kickball site.
Posted by Fuzzy at 10:27 AM