From Dissertation idea to Full Length Musical!

What started as a vehicle to prise the Gypsy image away from the Romanies of reality will become a full length musical on the stage of our university on December 30th. I wrote the story as a one-act in 2006 but it was cut from the anthology show I was doing with my students. On January 3rd of this year the opening number sprang to mind and I asked what it was. "I'm the opening number from your new musical!" it replied. "What musical??" I queried. "The Crystal Heirloom," it explained. I've been converting the one-act into this musical ever since. It's been hectic this semester but a thrill. And perhaps later. . .it might be published! But one thing at a time.
Now I'm working on the overture and inserting some inspirations for the instrumentation of "Gypsies Are. . .".
Exciting times!
Chris

More Cowbell!

"New Class Clown" now has even more cowbell! Feast your ears...

	Make your own at MoreCowbell.dj

Speech Contest Preparation

Hi all, Coral and our English students are getting ready for a big speech contest that covers our whole county. We've been practicing intensively for weeks. Exhausting! However, tomorrow is the contest and we're pretty well ready. Thank goodness! Hope it goes OK. I will let you know.
Coral's speech is about her best friend at school:

Coral O'Brien 歐珊 89/2/2

My Friend

My best friend at school is my classmate, Tina. We’ve been good friends ever since I met her. On the first day of first grade, when I went into my classroom, I saw a shy girl sitting alone. She was pretty and sweet, but she looked a little scared, and she didn’t seem to have any friends. I wanted to be her friend, so I went over and told her who I was: Coral! I liked her sweet smile, so I gave her a sticker of mine to keep.

All last school year, we spent lots of time together and we always had a good time. We like to sing together, play together, and study together. She always makes me laugh!

This year, we’re still classmates, but next semester, she will transfer to a different school. I’ll miss her a lot, but we’ll keep in touch. I hope our hearts will stay close, and that we’ll always be great friends.

Government Class Weeks 12 and 13

Hi, there is no class for week 12, as it's a local holiday. So don't come to class! In fact, don't come to work at all!

I shall have my will!

Here's a marvelously helpful tidbit from "Daily Writing Tips," a devotee of which I am. I also encourage, by the bye, these other mailing lists, which are always interesting and enriching:

• Delancey Place--nonfiction exerpts
  
• A Word a Day--themed week by week, these words and their origins are always fascinating and contextualized.

And also by the way, I'm getting deeper into the digital lifestyle these days, as possibly an escape hatch from the real world of storm and stress. Here are some of the things I'm getting into:

• Open ID: I am using MyVidoop.com for my open ID which can be used for my ID at many other sites.
• Facebook
• My Twitter Page
• MySpace
• Diigo
• del.icio.us (used for about a year now)
  
• Animoto (as you can tell, I guess)
• YouTube
• Plus I am really lovin' Ubuntu, the newest incarnation of which, Hardy Heron, comes next month!
• Plus-plus, opensource in general.

Wishing you a merry little March!

Too Lovely for Words. . .

Truth in Broadcasting

Funny Pics at pYzam.com

Defense and the Dark Arts

Vanishingly interesting article today from the Washington Post. I hope you find it stimulating!
Almost time for the new semester. Check my updated homepage for more info.

Also may I direct your attention to recent class pages I did for Yuntech's winter camp? I may? Thank you. Here's one for the TV Commercials class (full of bunly and nostalgic goodness) and another for the Storytelling and Songs class.

Do you remember the time. . . ?

Working as hard as possible through a wall of mucus . . . I mean . . . I’ve got a cold and I still have to work on these technical edits for colleagues of . . . (layers of layers). Not easy work. Especially as since it’s hard to breathe it’s hard to concentrate too ‘cos it’s hard to sleep so that’s probably why I got the order wrong just now. Well, I think I’d better get back to it. . .

Word!

No, no, no! Wrong!!

oOo Writer!

Peace.

Chris

Slithy Toves versus Man Drakes

Now may not be the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country, because the slick brown fox jumped over some lazy mutton. Marvy poo, non? Take action and put it away.
Is nothing scared?
Even better than a Monthly Python game at wasting time is StumbleUpon. More fun, too!
Why, aorta. . .
If you understand this post, clap your hand.