May 16, 2003
In today's edition of Active Blather, I have three items I want to share with you, the Active Blather reader!

ITEM #1
Theresa Keihn, former Touchy Feely Fotos employee and all-around friend, dropped by yesterday at a work. She brought some Frosties from Wendy's for all of us still stuck in the belly of the beast. We (Christy Hiday, Valarie Barbosa, and myself) ate them on break. Theresa had a soft drink of some sort as we sat outside at the ol' picnic table which was slightly covered with bird poop. There was a chill in the air as we talked, but it felt like old times.

I just want to take a moment now to thank Theresa once again for the Frosty: Thanks, Theresa! Drop by anytime and bring more free food!  

ITEM #2
Something cool and exciting happened to our very own Tim Richardson recently. Tim was cast in a commercial for Insight Communications a couple weeks ago. He played the part of a guy who was pelted with french fries as a friend explained the wonders of Insight Communications to him. According to Tim, it was a decent gig and he learned a lot from the filming process. He also got money out of the deal which is always a great fringe benefit.

The commercial will be airing in a few states in this fine land of ours. Unfortunately, it'll be airing only in areas that Insight services so nobody in the greater Muncie area will get a chance to catch Tim's professional debut. However, if you do encounter a commercial where a guy has fries bounced off him, that's Tim!

ITEM #3

In a surprising development, A Mighty Wind  blew into town recently and I went to see it last Sunday. As a big fan of Waiting for Guffman and Best of Show, I have been looking forward to seeing the recent Christopher Guest-Eugene Levy collaboration since I saw trailers for it in January. It certainly didn't disappoint this fanboy. Practically everyone from Guffman and Show are in the cast (along with the great Harry Shearer) and they make a grand ensemble (But you probably already know that!). I'll spare you any gush and just say it was a whole lot of fun. If you enjoy Guest and his company of players, I suggest you go see it before it gets thrown out of town by the summer blockbusters (Which can happen any minute so run! RUN!!!)

And, after you have seen the movie, you may want to pick up the soundtrack album (See the photo up above). It is chockfull of catchy tunes that fondly tweaks the folk music genre.  To be honest with you, I love this album. I have been playing it over and over and over the past few weeks (Have I mentioned the songs are really catchy?). I love the Folksmen and Mitch and Mickey, but I think I enjoy the sunny, saccharine-sweet New Main Street Singers the most. They are so damn perky! 

Do yourself a favor and buy this album. You'll thank me later. Really, you will.

May 14, 2003
Happy Fake Beard Washing Day!
 
I can't believe another year has gone by, but the proof is in the pudding! Or, in this case, in the calendar with a big red circle around it! For those not familiar with this local holiday, Fake Beard Washing Day is a special day set aside to honor our fake beards by washing them! I don't remember who started this annual event (Okay, maybe it was me), but I look forward to this day every year. It gives me a chance to pull my fake beard out of the cupboard and to appreciate its beauty and, yes, its fakeness. After bonding a bit, I take my fake beard out to the driveway and hose it down with the love and respect it deserves. In a way, it is a symbolic gesture that represents the cleansing of one's soul. I have to admit I often find myself tearing up after the washing is over.

So if you have a neglected fake beard that longs to be clean, today is your opportunity to shower it with water and with love! Remember: if we don't wash our fake beards, who will? And, please, when you do wash, wash responsibly!

May 1, 2003
Happy May Day to everyone! It's that special time of year when workers of the world unite and dance around the maypole. So lace up your dancing shoes and be sure to save a place for me!

Ever since I started the Idiots' adventures under the sea, I have been meaning to give a shout out to Jim Toomey's Sherman's Lagoon, a very funny comic strip (Yes, a few actually exist!) chronicling the adventures of a shark couple and their friends. I have been reading the strip on-line for a couple years and I have grown to admire Mr.Toomey's work a great deal. I also have been using his drawings as inspiration for my underwater trek these past few weeks.

So here's my advice for the day: If Garfield  isn't floating your boat and you want to read a comic strip where the main characters actually eat humans, Sherman's Lagoon is the one for you.  Check it out!

April 22, 2003
It started so innocently.