Impressionistic Shakespeare

This is very impressive...

Golfing

Pray for the people on the adjacent fairways from me today. I'm golfing in a charity golf tournament. Haven't golfed in five years.

Fore!

John Lisbon Wood

My latest piece is in the new issue of Shore Magazine. It's an interview with playwright John Lisbon Wood.

You can read it here.

In Defense of Rock and Roll

I just posted my weekly Suburban Dad contribution to Kim Strickland's City Mom blog at ChicagoNow.

This week's is called "In Defense of Rock and Roll."

You can read it here.

Marilyn Monroe

From this morning's Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac, this little tidbit from 65 years ago today...

July 19, 1946…Marilyn Monroe acted in her first Hollywood screen test (on the set of the movie Mother Wore Tights) and signed her first contract with 20th Century Fox.

I couldn't find that screen test, but here's one from just a few years later. I'm not sure how good of an actress she was, but there's very little doubt she was absolutely stunning.

The JOBC Contest

Time for this week's JOBC Contest.

The first person that e-mails me the correct answer at rick@justonebadcentury.com will win a commemorative Greg Maddux 3000th strikeout scorecard and a t-shirt from the Just One Bad Century catalog.

Here's the question. Yesterday the Cubs went 20 games under .500 for the first time this season. Of course, they've done this many times before. Fifty years ago (1961), the Cubs also sunk to 20 games under .500. They did it in dramatic fashion; losing in the bottom of the ninth to Milwaukee on a three run homer by a player the Cubs had traded to the Braves earlier that same season. Name the player. (Hint: He has the same first and last name as one of the greatest players in White Sox history)

UPDATE: We have a winner! Kim Otner was the first one to e-mail the name of Frank Thomas, the answer to today's JOBC contest. She gets the program and t-shirt. Another contest next Monday!

Notes from the Edge of Life

E-mailed to me by "DS". You may have seen this too. I think some of them are pretty funny...


Dear Noah,
We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.
Sincerely,
Unicorns

Dear Twilight fans,
Please realize that because vampires are dead and have no blood pumping through them, they can never get an erection. Enjoy fantasizing about that.
Sincerely,
Logic

Dear Icebergs,
Sorry to hear about the global warming. Karma's a bitch.
Sincerely,
The Titanic

Dear Yahoo,
I've never heard anyone say, "I don't know, let's Yahoo! it..." just saying...
Sincerely,
Google

Dear World of Warcraft,
Thank you for ensuring my son's virginity.
Sincerely,
Parents Everywhere

Dear Batman,
What was your power again?
Sincerely,
Superman

Dear Ugly People,
You're welcome.
Sincerely,
Alcohol

Dear White People,
Don't you just hate immigrants?
Sincerely,
Native Americans

Dear iPhone,
Please stop spell checking all of my rude words into nice words. You piece of
shut. Sincerely,
Every iPhone User

Dear Man,
It's cute, but can you pick up peanuts with it?
Sincerely,
Elephant

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This one relates the highlights from our recently completed family vacation.

You can read it here.

Also, if you missed last week's (which I didn't post on this blog), it was about our roadtrip on the way down there.

You can read that here.

We wuz robbed

I was listening to the Cubs game on the radio last night during my twenty hour drive home, and the announcers were saying that the Cubs got robbed on a pickoff play at second base. It cost them the game.

I wanted to see the replay, and when I saw it last night, sure enough--it's true. The Cubs may be twenty games under .500 now, but that one game should come with an asterisk. It sounds like the usual Cubs whining, but in this case you know who agrees with that assessment? The Florida Marlins.