Morgan's Organ

Blogging? A thing of the past?

2011-05-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

I noticed that I haven't updated any blog posts for a long time. Neither has Jared.

Is blogging falling by the wayside? Are Twitter and FB updates the new way to speak your mind, albeit in short bursts?

Hmmmm...

Midwest Airlines New Motto: We Suck!

2009-01-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

I have presented a challenge to myself for this post. I am trying to get it finished before the coffee is done.
Anissa and I went to Clearwater Florida this weekend for an anniversary getaway (celebrating seven years, thank you) we left Friday morning on Midwest at 5:45, bound for Tampa by eleven and a stop in Milwaukee on the way. We departed a half hour late, missed our connecting flight in Milwaukee and didn't get to Florida until 9 PM. We wasted a whole day traveling. I called Midwest and they moved our return trip to Monday instead of Sunday, giving us the day back that we missed. Good enough. Then Monday we were on the plane and leaving Florida, when the pilot had us deboard because they could not get a door closed on the plane. An hour later we were back on the lane and thirty minutes later we were in the air. We missed our connecting flight in Milwaukee. There were no flights to Kansas City until 6:30PM so another whole day wasted. Then, our 6:30 plane came in late, at about 7 PM and had some maintenance problems. We jumped to a 7:50 flight just before it took off, and arrived five minutes before the 6:30 flight arrived. To make matters worse, they lost our luggage. It is located and safe now.
Midwest was not the best care in the air, no matter how good their damn cookies are.
Coffee is finished burbling...

Improv Thunderdome - Season 3 Round 1

2009-01-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

This past weekend marks the one year debut of Loaded Dice. Of course we worked hard rehearsing before that, but we hit the stage on the very first Improv Thunderdome performance ever. We rocked the sold out house.
A year later, we have done four additional full shows, plus a few sets 30 minutes or less. This coming year we look to do about six full shows.
Thunderdome this time around featured Kill the DJ, Scriptease and Holy Cow! (from Rockhurst University). Kill the DJ wins with two members of Loaded Dice leading the charge and two improv students of mine shining on stage. Okay, so I taught Jeremy only a little bit, but I am still proud of their set. Good job guys! They did a longform with a gimmick: the only way to switch to a new character was to die. So the story was fun and rambling as the characters died and new ones took the audience to new locations. Yeah, some stuff was hack. The audience loved it, and was appropriately silent if something didn't hit or if it felt forced.

Scriptease was off. They lacked energy and their set was just a little too random for the audience I think. Thank goodness they went first! The guys are great improvisers and I enjoy their previous sets a lot. Too bad they didn't hit that night.

Holy Cow! Performed some short form games. The energy was okay, I think they were nervous. Cindy Paasch (gosh, I hope I spelled that right) led the pack of eight, which just seemed like too many people. They started with Gibberish Murder, and it was rough. Then they reqrouped and put on a nice show. Yeah, it was nice. It could be I am jaded because I performed short form so long that I watched from the booth and went, "oh thats wrong... I would have done this...they should do this...why aren't they doing that..." Also, they read their games off a piece of paper. I know, I know, I shouldn't be so critical... but we just got lambasted on Cindy's blog for not being critical enough.

So that brings me to...
We are too nice as a group of improvisers in Kansas City. I liked the idea that good improvisers are a breed above the rest. I used to look up to people like Corey Rittmaster and Rob Lawrence for guidance as to what I was doing wrong, what I needed to do right. Now, people look to me to ask that and it is a nice feeling. And I am nice back. Sometimes, though, I just want to tell someone that they suck and that they need to work on it or stop doing improv. It got told to me, and it made me work on it. It got told to my old roommate, and he stopped.

Stupid Women: Don't Leave Your Baby with Him.

2009-01-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Really. It happened again. Some stupid woman left her infant daughter with the guy she shacks up with. When she returned the baby was beaten to death. Hmmmmm...
How many times does this shit have to happen? Nothing makes me more angry than someone hurting a kid. Read the story:

ST. JOSEPH | A St. Joseph man accused of killing a 36-day-old baby was not only the boyfriend of the child’s mother, but was also her uncle.

That was part of what came to light in the first day of Steven Zorn’s first-degree murder trial, which continued Wednesday in Buchanan County District Court. Zorn is charged in the beating death of Cora Jean Lockhart on Jan. 7, 2008.

Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins told jurors that Zorn started dating the baby’s mother, Suzan Lockhart, when she was pregnant by Zorn’s half-brother, David Petty. Cora Jean was born Dec. 2, and by then Zorn lived with Lockhart and her two other children.

Just over a month later, Scroggins said, the baby was beaten to death.

Defense attorneys don’t dispute the baby’s cause of death, but believe evidence will show that Zorn did not knowingly kill the child with deliberation.

So I know the death happened a year ago. I just don't understand something in the story. The attorneys don't dispute the cause of death, Zorn (asshole) did not knowingly kill the child. What the hell was he thinking? "I didn't mean to kill the little baby, but my fists were just too heavy for her body. So I didn't mean to kill her, so be lenient." What a dick. Man I just wish that someone would pummel his ass to death. On second thought...

Here is my solution (?) to this problem -
When someone commits such a horrible atrocity, I think a statement needs to be made: He should serve two years in prison. Then tatoo on his forehead "BABYKILLER" then he has to look at it every time he looks in the mirror, when people ask about it, he will relive the horrible deed. Eventually someone will beat his ass for it. Maybe that will happen more than once. Maybe someone will beat him until his life is gone. That would be closer to justice for the little girl.

Another Busy Weekend! and TR2N!

2008-12-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

So this weekend, I have been asked to be the DJ for Jeremy Alexander's wedding reception. He is marrying Katie Brest, Ben Brest's sister. The rehearsal dinner is tonight, and the wedding is tomorrow night. Then I am at Independence Center at 7:30 AM to help host the Breakfast with Santa for the kids club at the mall. At 3;00 PM I am headed down to the Westport Coffeehouse to setup and do our final tech rehearsal Sketchy Thoughts. Then the show starts at 8 PM! It should be a great show. Funny and offensive all at the same time. Then on Sunday I can sleep in!

Today I hung out and went over my lines for the sketch show. I was watching Tron on the G4 network when I heard them make a reference for a sequel. I did some searching and here is what I found:

Tue Dec 2, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
'Tron' Sequel Getting a New Name?
Sequel Awaiting Confirmed Cast, Release Date
Slash Film is reporting that Disney continues to toy with the name for their sequel to Tron. For months now, the project has been known not as Tron 2 or Tron 2.0 but as Tr2n. Now, defying all reason, it may be altered to TRZ.

The news comes from Production Weekly although the studio has yet to officially name the project or provide a release date despite teaser images being made available since the summer.

The industry newsletter has the following synopsis “After being transported into the surreal landscape of a mainframe computer to destroy an intruder, a programmer finds himself allied with the leader of a rebellion against a corrupt cyber-entity.”

Jeff Bridges reprises his role as a programmer named Flynn with Karl Urban and John Hurt also said to be part of the cast. The new film has been written by Adam Horowitz (Lost) and Edward Kitsis (Lost) with Joseph Kosinski making his directorial debut. A 2011 release date is anticipated given the effects-heavy work required.

Wow. After watching the movie today, the idea of a sequel is very intriguing.

I Am Not Afraid to Admit I am a Fan of Billy Idol

2008-11-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

Billy Idol is Global Ambassador

http://www.hear-the-world.com

Hear The World
is a global initiative developed to raise awareness for the topic of hearing loss. As of November 10th 2008, Billy was announced as
Global Ambassador for the initiative.

On Behalf of Hear the World

Diane Kruger is the New Face of Hear the World
Mischa Barton, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Billy Idol join the German star to draw attention to the issue of hearing loss.

Stäfa, Switzerland (PRWEB) November 10, 2008 -- Actress Diane Kruger has become the most recent Hollywood star to offer herself as an ambassador for the Hear the World initiative. The international star is the cover model for the current issue of the Hear the World magazine.

In addition to Kruger, Mischa Barton, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Billy Idol have joined the team of famous ambassadors. All have been photographed for the cause by Bryan Adams, the initiative's official photographer, in the Hear the World pose - with a hand behind one ear, symbolising conscious hearing. The goal of their participation is to raise awareness about the issue of hearing loss.

Kruger celebrated her international breakthrough with the role of Helen in Wolfgang Peterson's "Troy." She is currently filming Quentin Tarantino's new film "Inglorious Bastards" with Brad Pitt, which is scheduled to appear in cinemas in 2009. With her star power, Kruger plays an important role in drawing attention to the message of the initiative.

The Hear the World magazine utilizes a culture and lifestyle platform to address the topic of hearing. Always linking content to the subject of hearing and sound, the magazine's features focus on a broad range of topics, from music, to art, nature, and everything else that makes life more beautiful. The magazine is supported by the global Hear the World initiative, which is dedicated to raising awareness about hearing.

A team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore estimated that 55 million Americans have hearing loss in one or both ears. One out of six, or 29 million adults, have some trouble discerning speech, more than previous estimates, they reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Current ambassadors for Hear the World include Plácido Domingo, Joss Stone, Mick Jagger, Amy Winehouse, Harry Belafonte and Annie Lennox, among others.

Hear the World magazine is published quarterly and is available at select newsstands and at airports internationally for $8 an issue. A free copy of the magazine can be ordered at www.hear-the-world.com. Net proceeds of the magazine benefit the Hear the World Foundation.

About Hear the World
Hear the World is a global initiative by hearing device manufacturer Phonak created to raise awareness about the importance of hearing. The initiative calls attention to the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and addresses prevention of and solutions to a problem that affects more than 10% of the world's population. In the context of the Hear the World initiative, Phonak has established the non-profit Hear the World Foundation to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss through financial and technical assistance. The foundation is committed to the prevention of hearing loss as well as the support of people with hearing loss and their families.

About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak has developed, produced and globally distributed state-of-the-art hearing systems and wireless devices for over 50 years. The combination of expertise in hearing technology, mastery in acoustics and strong cooperation with hearing care professionals allows Phonak to significantly improve people's hearing ability and speech understanding and therefore their quality of life. Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments, along with complementary wireless communication systems. With 2'500 employees worldwide, Phonak drives innovation and sets new industry benchmarks regarding miniaturization and performance.

For more information please visit www.hear-the-world.com or contact:

11/15/08

Disco Inferno

2008-10-31T08:12:00.001-07:00

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Charlie and Rob in HSM3!

2008-10-31T07:59:00.001-07:00

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Throatitis

2008-10-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah, seems that since I did so much talking this weekend that my throat and voice are shot.
Here is how it happened:

The luscious ladies of Burlesque Downtown Underground like it when I host their shows. It takes the pressure off of them speaking in front of a large crowd and also covers their costume changes. This past weekend was their "Peek-A- BOO!" Halloween themed show. The concepet was cool, lots of "scary" costumes that end up getting taken off and thrown all over. Good times, right? I showed up Friday night at Madrigal to find that the bar seats 60, not too shabby. Then about 100 people show up. I had no microphone, so I strained my voice on Friday night.

Saturday afternoon, I did two more live events that included lots of people and more shouting. Then Saturday, back at Madrigal, for another screaming BDU performance.

Good news... I have zero events this coming weekend!

KNOW YOUR CLOTHES

2008-10-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Anissa and I were out shopping and I bought this great fine gauge wool sweater with a zip neck. It looked very nice in the store and we bought it. I should preface this story with the fact that I am looking to change my style a little. Being 38 and looking ahead to 40, I am thinking that I should dress less like a rock star and a little more put together. I guess I just want to be taken a little more seriously in all that I do, and it is hard to earn someone's respect and trust wearing t-shirts and jeans. Anyway... back to the story.

I am on the lookout for things that can alter my current bunch of clothes and make me look a little more mature. So we found this nice sweater. It was like $30 at TJ Maxx or somewhere and it was working out great. Like I said, it was a fine gauge wool sweater. The other day, Kenna gave me a goodbye kiss and had peanut butter on her hands. So I washed the sweater in our new front load washer and then accidentally put the load of darks into the DRYER and it was set to HIGH.

Needless to say my new favorite sweater, that was the first purchase in my new wardrobe line, is now small enough to fit my five year old. Sigh...

Goodbye, Summer.

2008-10-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today I really think that Summer is over. Really. The cool weather makes it really feel like fall. Hooray!

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp days and relish the moment when I have to put on a jacket.

Who knows why, but maybe it is just that the coolest clothes in my book are cool weather clothes.

Not that I won't miss moments in the warm sun. This has been a great summer. Kaia started Kindergarten summer school and Kenna really learned to communicate this summer.

Its a little sad to think that the revelations my kids had this summer will never be discovered again in the same new wonderment. Sure its the basis of their continued learning. But the first time is always the sweetest.

Now I am going to find a sweater...

Okay, Okay... I could blog more...

2008-05-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I could blog more, but my life is very random. So sometimes things prevent me from sitting down to write for weeks at time.

Take this week, for example. Monday, I had to catch up on the laundry. Three girls in a house, and none of them had clean underwear. I definitely needed to do some laundry. Then I mowed the lawn and laid down some fertilizer. I took the girls to the store and it was a good time. Then, I taught workshops at ComedyCity (my last one). It was bittersweet, but I need to be finished with the place. Now, if I can just get a check out of the place...
Tuesday I took the girls to preschool and cleaned my car, really cleaned it and then picked the girls up. I had to then write a scene breakdown of Cinderealla for an acting class I am teaching. I taught the class and we rehearsed Cinderella for the One Act showcase at Blue Springs High School.
Wednesday morning I took Anissa to work while her car was in the shop (nothing major, just an oil change). When I arrived home, my mom had left a message on our phone that Dad was in the hospital and had to have emergency surgery. I bathed the kids and took them to Kidz Kabana (a great kids daycare) and went to be with Mom. Turns out, it was an emergency, but it was minor surgery. He needed three stints put in his heart. They just run a filament up to his heart from a small incision in his thight. He was finished in a few hours and was released from the hospital today. After I knew he was okay, I left to get the girls and then I went to Doozen's coffee shop in Lee's Summit to drop off some information for another acting class I am teaching for two students at Lee's Summit West. Then it was time to get Anissa from work, she wanted to eat at 54th Street Bar and Grill. So we did. Then we went home, put the kids to bed and went to bed ourselves.
Today was Family Fun Day at preschool. So my morning was shot. Then I had to spray weedkiller on the lawn. Neighbors up the street don't care about their lawn. Dandelions and ragweed are like decorative landscaping for them. So it all blows into our yard and now I have a dandelion problem. Now... I am writing my blog while Kaia plays Wii and Kenna watches.

NOW... April's Improv Topic: What Makes a Good Troupe?

A good troupe contains several personalities. There is a leader or "A" type personality. The driving force of the troupe so to speak. The leader should be responsible for setting up the troupe and making a schedule of rehearsals etc.
There should be someone with experience. Preferably, all of the troupe should know the basics of improv, but experience counts for something. Youthful energy and enthusiasm is a good addition to the mix as well, and a hot chick never hurts. Seriously, having one or two attractive people never hurts, as long as they can improvise.
Those are the personalities that need to be involved.
I believe that a good troupe has a hook, some kind of thing that sets them apart. ComedyCity does the short form sporting format. The Trip Fives are known for taking a risk and providing good characterizations. Makeshift Militia has their cheer. Tantrum performs a great Harold.
Finally, a good troupe needs to rehearse and bond together. Not just formats, but just get together and improvise a lot. Put on characters and see what happens. The chemistry that forms between the troupe will translate directly onto the stage, and the performance will appear to be effortless.

Initial postage: What is a blog?

2008-04-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here is my first blog. For real, my first blog. I am committed to updating this once a month, if not more.
What is a blog anyway?
According to the dictionary, it is an online log of activity. Boring! Really for me it is a way to express my thoughts and maybe by sharing an opinion it will help bring about changes in our world. By world, I mean our sphere of influence. Not the Earth. That would be a ridiculous hope that my comments about entertainment and my lifestyle as a stay at home dad would change the entire Earth. I mean really, would my comments affect the laid off GM worker? Nope. Would they affect a politician? Unless I post a death threat, probably not. Would my comments affect some improv hopeful? Well, I am hopeful that they would.