Apologia pro vita sua bloggia.

Many people (if many is defined as “some number greater than 1) have been wondering why my blogging has, of late, been light. Well, I have been busy – in the last month and a half I have designed lights for The Mad Dancers at Theatre J in Washington, DC, and assisted on the Helen Hayes Awards (the Washington, DC theatre awards) and Pacific Overtures at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia. So, I was busy. But laziness is most of the reason.

I have been teaching lighting design at the University of Maryland for the last year, and my contract terminated at the end of May. I promised my friends that my joining the proud six percent (which was the proud four percent when the Big Dog was still president) would mean more blogging.

However, unemployment has not meant more free time. Last week I made my major motion picture debut in Ladder 49 with Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta. I was an extra in a ceremony for heroic firefighters presided over by real-life Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley. The pompous Assistant director speaking to us described it as “just like the medals ceremony at the end of Star Wars, only everybody is sitting down.”

Alas, negotiations for my three-picture deal have yet to bear fruit.

This week I’ve ended up helping out at the Take Back America conference sponsored by the Campaign for America’s Future.

Last night Bill Moyers was honored at a gala dinner. Frankly, I’ve always thought Moyers a bit sanctimonious. But he gave an amazing speech. He talked about us (modern-day liberal types) as heirs of the Progressive movement of a hundred years ago. He spoke with great passion and I (and the rest of the crowd) were genuinely moved.

Today a number of Presidential candidates spoke. Here are my observations:

Kucinich: This was Kucinich’s crowd – attendees range in political persuasion from very liberal to Trotskyite. He is a very energetic speaker and he excoriated Bush on the war and his lies, called for a single-payer health care system, repeal of the tax cuts, cutting defense spending etc. He was pretty incredible.

He is also clearly insane. He wants to create a Department of Peace. He’s a vegan. Let me repeat that: He’s a VEGAN. His campaign theme song is Imagine. It’s a great song, but it’s embrace of atheism and world government doesn’t exactly spell “landslide”. He truly is the Gray Bauer of 2004.

Edwards: Needs a haircut and a better resume than “multi-millionaire trial lawyer.”

Braun: Came across as intelligent and thoughtful. First American Ambassador to new Zealand to be made an honorary Maori. No facial tattoos though.


Kerry: Haircut with a rich wife. Like every Senator, thinks he should be President, because, well, he should be President. Actually, I was pretty impressed by his speech and his willingness to discuss his support of the war – which was about as popular with this crowd as bacon at the Lieberman household. I would vote for him if I had to, but he just seems like central casting’s idea of a politician.


Dean: What I’m looking for is the candidate most like Bill Clinton. Not on policy, nor on self-control, but in political personality. Does he understand what it takes to win? Will he fight? Here’s my number one question: If he was the candidate in 2000, would he have disarmed himself in Florida? I have a good feeling about Dean. I don’t agree with him on everything, but I think I could fall in love.