BAUMBLOG: REFLECTED GLORY

Loulou My two roommates, Loulou and Nikki, are over the moon about a (very very) distant relative of theirs, Siba, winning BEST IN SHOW at Westminster Dog Show -- the biggest one in the country! Loulou insisted on a tiara and Nikki, being a dignified man, got a crown. Siba Below with her honors -- but no tiara!!

Nikki

BAUMBLOG: ACTIVISM IS AN ANTIDOTE TO DESPAIR

Dear BlogFriends: My friend Mary invited me to go along with her and her partner Cathy to a protest against the terrible impeachment coverup last night. You'll see some people smiling in the photos. It felt so good to be with like-minded souls. No, we didn't change the country, but we lifted each other up for a little while. So much work to do.

AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM ALL OF US HOLDING UP SIGNS AND CHANTING, AN OLD WOMAN SAT IN A LAWN CHAIR, BANGING TWO POT LIDS TOGETHER. POTS AND PANS. THAT'S WHAT WOMEN HAVE USED FOR A LONG TIME WHEN THEY HAD NOTHING ELSE TO PROTEST WITH.

A Toast, despite all, To Democracy and... Download My Best Photo!

Dear BlogFriends:  What a sad day this is.  I'm glad I have my Impeachment coffee mug to give me strong caffeine and a dose of humor to make it through. 

The mug is courtesy of Roy Zimmerman, an incredibly hilarious and brilliant singer, along the lines of Tom Lehrer, but always oh so political.  He tours the country, playing in community centers, churches, theaters.  I've seen him many times, but not lately.  Wasn't able to go to his recent local shows.  I urge you to click on his name to join his mailing list and attend a concert.  I can't understand why he isn't way famous.  But there's a lot of things I don't understand lately....

You can also buy your very own Covfefe mug, if you feel so inclined.

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Many of you liked -- even LOVED The Best Photo I've Ever Taken. That made me feel very happy, and I would like you to have the photo, if you wish.

Just click here, to go to a hi-rez version. Then click on "download," which is on the middle right of the page.

I feel there's something mysterious about it, like it's a portal to another world -- although I'm just looking through a hole in the driftwood. But what a magnificent piece of driftwood! And the sky.... Sometimes you just get lucky.

Terry

BAUMBLOG: I've had it with this "Partisan" Crap!

Why does the supposedly objective or even supposedly biased-toward-liberals mainstream press -- the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press for starters -- insist on labeling the whole impeachment process "partisan"? "Partisan" implies that BOTH Democrats and Republicans are solely motivated by their party identities, that they are only struggling for power for their team. But the Democrats, who are, let's face it, not extreme in any way, shape or form, did not go through what they went through just to make the Republicans look bad. They did it because the Republican President is doing everything he can to destroy our democracy! They did it because Trump had committed impeachable offenses and it was their Constitutional duty to bring charges against him. They did it because it was the right thing to do! Yes, they wanted their party to become more powerful. But they would NEVER have done it simply for PARTISAN reasons. The Democrats don't do those kind of things. Their thing is being wimpy. But they finally had the courage to stand up and risk so much and they're labeled "Partisan" for doing it. It makes me sick. Sadly, in this case, the two sides are not equal. One side is fighting for our democracy  and the other side is is trying to destroy it.  With our mainstream press, every conflict is a horse race, a horse race, a horse race. How can people understand the truth of what's going on when they are constantly being told that both the Democrats and Republicans are only out to win the horse race? Yes, the Republican-driven impeachment of Clinton WAS partisan because his adultery was neither an impeachable offense or a crime, and had absolutely nothing to do with him executing the duties of his office. it was a complete partisan farce. BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. Well, now that I've vented, I feel a little better. I don't know if I've ever just VENTED in a blog. I haven't blogged in a long time. I have such a hard time getting myself to do it, even though I always love writing it and selecting the photos. Often, when I assert myself in the world, I feel I'm pushing against chains that are dragging me backwards. There is a deep disconnect between who I was supposed to be -- wife, mother, straight, nice, conventional, maybe a nice teacher or secretary -- and who I am. I have to leap over that Terry who would have given my mother naches (Yiddish for things to brag about), in order to be the Terry I happen to be. So I've made the leap once again. We have a lot of work ahead of us. First, we have to defeat Trump. Then we have to figure out what we need to do to build an actual solid democracy. I'd like to end with something beautiful. I took this on a beach in southern Oregon. I think it's the best photo I've ever taken. I won't wait so long to write again. Terry

My San Francisco Stroll

ONE OF MY STROLLING COMPANIONS, RELAXING AT HOME

HICK APPROACHING LIFT-OFF!

Can you believe the sign behind me?  Tara didn't notice it when she took the photo of me goofing around as we were moving into Exit Theatre for our tech.  This is truly a gift from the universe.  I can hear Hick laughing somewhere.  I love to make her laugh. 

I'm so excited about this radically re-envisioned HICK, with Loretta Janca reading Eleanor's letters and Tara Ayres as narrator.  Carolyn Myers, my director and crony, has done her customary magic pulling everything together. 

When one does a Fringe, one has very little time for technical issues.  Our entire tech was scheduled for 2 1/2 hours (we went a bit over).  Carolyn LOVES making the actors and stage look beautiful with light.   But she had to confine herself to 10 cues.  Admirably disciplined.  We had a wonderful Exit techie doing lights, Beth --- skilled, creative and good-natured.  Our HICK group was completed by Michele Bank, stage manager doing sound, and Louise Mary's Friend  as ... shit, I can't remember the word.  Anyhow she's general assistant. 

We felt like a real team yesterday. 

I think my acting has improved light years.  For one thing, I am freed by having the two actresses onstage.  Tara shares the storytelling with me.  And, although Paula Barish is fantastic on tape,  having a live actress read Eleanor's letters is damn exciting.  And Loretta is a damn exciting actress.
Here we are waiting to start our tech.

I also read a biography of Eleanor Duse, a famous actress of the early 20th century.  She always inspires me to higher levels.  Also, I'm just really getting into this woman, Lorena Hickok.  No wonder historians (except for Blanche Wiesen Cook) refuse to believe that  Eleanor Roosevelt was in love with her.  It's completely improbable!  Okay, Eleanor could have had an affair with a handsome young man.  Perhaps she did, with her bodyguard.  People had their suspicions.  But there's no evidence.  His letters to ER have disappeared.  Okay, Eleanor could have had an affair with one of the beautiful, aristocratic dykes who surrounded her.  But no, she chose rumpled, fat and masculine (Time Magazine's description) Lorena Hickok.  And she stayed close to Hick for the rest of her life.

So Hick must have been this totally amazing charming charismatic woman deep who I have to somehow channel onstage. 

I think I'm improving.  Come and see.  Info below.

THUR SEPT 5 8:30 PM 

SAT SEPT 7 2:00 PM 

SUN SEPT 8 6:30 PM 

THUR SEPT 12 7:00 PM 

Exit Theater, 156 Eddy St., San Francisco

Near Powell St. BART 

TIX:  $13.00 @ Door

$15.99 online

MORE INFO ON LILITH & HICK...

HICK: A LOVE STORY is based on Mrs. Roosevelt's 2336 letters to Lorena Hickok, 

used with the permission of the Roosevelt estate.

CORY BOOKER LIED

1 August 2019

Cory Booker lied during the debate on Wednesday night.  When Biden confronted Booker on his terrible record in controlling police violence against the Black community in Newark, Booker turned it around, saying that he had signed, along with the ACLU, court mandated reform for the Newark police.  What Booker left out was that the ACLU had to take the Mayor to court to get that agreement!  I don't think you get to take credit for an agreement that you were forced to sign by a court order.  Cory Booker took credit.  He lied.



Picture of the Day

I'm on the Sonoma coast. It's foggy.