The 39 Steps

Play poster

Tonight my parents took us to see a play put on by a local theater company.    We watched a presentation of The 39 Steps with Lamplighter's Theater Co.

The 39 Steps is a melodrama adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. Patrick Barlow wrote the adaptation, based on the original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon of a two-actor version of the play. 

The play's concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film The 39 Steps to be performed with a cast of only four. One actor plays the hero, Richard Hannay, an actress (or sometimes actor) plays the three women with whom he has romantic entanglements, and two other actors play every other character in the show: heroes, villains, men, women, children and even the occasional inanimate object. This often requires lightning fast quick-changes and occasionally for them to play multiple characters at once. Thus the film's serious spy story is played mainly for laughs, and the script is full of allusions to (and puns on the titles of) other Alfred Hitchcock films, including Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest.
--from Wikipedia article, The 39 Steps (play)

1935 movie poster

The play was hilarious.  As mentioned above there were only four people in the cast--three men and one woman.  The two actors that switched out into other characters were excellent as they pretended to be a variety of people, sometimes two different people in the same scene.

I haven't seen the Hitchcock movie, but now I would like to.  I realize that it is quite different than the play, which was intended to be a spoof of the movie.  However, knowing the plot of the play I think I would enjoy the movie and seeing the similarities.  I did enjoy seeing the many times that Hitchcock's film titles were referenced in the movie--often quite obviously, to the accompaniment of laughter from the audience.


My parents apparently have season tickets to this theater company.  Most of their productions have a larger cast, but this one was excellent with only four people (the two changing actors also served as on-screen stage hands).  I haven't seen many plays, but I can appreciate how the medium is different from film.  The switching of props and humor that permeated the entirety of the play wouldn't have transitioned well to the big screen.  However, on a small stage it worked perfectly and made for an amazing evening.  If you have the opportunity to see a stage production of The 39 Steps then take it.  You won't regret it!

~Matt

Booger Branch

My sister just sent me this picture. She was passing the street and couldn't resist taking a picture of it.

But do you know what is better? I searched Google Maps and found three other roads named "Booger Branch" in the US. The one she saw was in Georgia, while the others are in South Carolina and Kentucky.


~Matt

PS See the Google Maps results at this link.

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2011 iWolff Ltd.

Lost Dinosaur

My mother-in-law sent me this picture with the title "y'all lost one?"

It would be cool if the Petting Zoo had some dinosaurs, but sadly no live ones have yet been discovered or cloned, ;-).

~Matt

Post Office Failure (again)

A few days ago I was checking the mail in my apartment building (since there are only four apartments it all comes into one spot) when I found this letter:

I live in Kentucky.  This letter was mailed from an address in Colorado to an address in Colorado.  I obscured the address details but I live on Highland Avenue at the same number this letter was mailed to--but of course it was sent to Highland Drive, in Colorado.

I have no idea how this letter made it all the way to Kentucky, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of it before putting it back out in the mail.

Oh, and the title of this post includes the word (again) because this is at least the second time this has happened.  Read about the first adventure here.

~Matt

Cleaning Discoveries

I've been cleaning things out recently and have found some interesting things that I'd long ago forgotten about.

Have you ever heard the line ignorance is bliss?  A while ago I wrote a twist on that: "Yea verily I walk through the valley of the shadow of ignorance, but I know no bliss."

I also found a bookmark from a place called "The Bookstore" with an amusing tagline that they have been "serving the community since last Tuesday."

And lastly (well it isn't the last thing I found, but the last I'll post about) I found a letter from Mark Baker.  Mark works for the accounting department at The Master's College.  One day he had to send me a letter saying that the college records showed a check to me hadn't been cashed and he slightly tweaked the form letter:
"Please respond on the bottom of this letter and return to me at Box #35 or stop by my office in Vider Hall.  Or talk to me at dinner.  Or at my apartment.  Or on the way to my apartment.  Or on the way back to the dorm from my apartment.  Or in your dorm room."

Ah, memories... :-)

~Matt

Post Office Failure

I checked the mail two days ago and found a letter that should have been delivered to another address.  That isn't incredibly unusual--sometimes you find something for a previous tenant or for someone down the street.  This wasn't the case this time.  I live on Highland Avenue...the address was for Highland Street (same building number) in a city in Connecticut!

I mapped the distance from the correct address (after checking to make sure that the address did indeed exist).!

But do you want to know the best part?  The letter wasn't mailed from nearby Kentucky, from Ohio, or even someplace out west like California.  It was mailed from Connecticut!  So the Post Office sent this letter (with the correct zip code and a valid address) 750 miles out of its way.

~Matt

Chipotle Wisdom

I don't like guacamole, but I can enjoy the line.


~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Sanctuary Pl Dr,Hebron,United States

Ridiculous

I saw this purse last night. It strikes me as quite ridiculous. I understand why some organs or plants need maximum surface area. But why on earth does this purse?


~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Goofy Chris

He'll claim that he was framed…


What can I say about Chris? He is fun to be around…


~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Ezzard Charles Dr,Cincinnati,United States

Funny Dinosaur

This is another old picture from 2007.  I have no idea who put the safety glasses on this dinosaur, but it made for  a great shot.  I really should collect all of the fun shots like this that I have collected around the Creation Museum.  I have one early photo from the Creation Walk that shows one of the bears wearing a mask.

The old pictures that I've had up the past few days all came from a photo album I put together in December.  I went to a white elephant party and didn't know what to bring.  What I came up wasn't exactly a white elephant gift, but it was popular nonetheless.  I sifted through old pictures (the party was with people from work) and printed a couple dozen and put them in a small photo album.  I tried to pick photos with a variety of staff members and of various situations.

~Matt

PS Here is another great dino pic.  This guy used to be near the dinosaur pictured above.

Can I Explain?

Well it seems that at least one person was confused by my blog entry last night. I'm not sure why. I was just trying to communicate information about my latest job offerings. I can provide you with more information at this time, courtesy of the diabolical Julie. Here if the full recruitment pitch. Oh, I did edit the transcript slightly to include some informative and interesting links. Check some of them out, especially the multiple Colorado links!

Julie: Message: Mr. Graubner we are pleased to announce that you have been accepted into despot training STOP we will expect to hear from you as soon as is feasible STOP we hope that you will accept our scholarship offer STOP

me: Oh, I like telegrams like this!

When do I start?

Julie: right away!

but you have to travel back in time to a country who needs a despot first.

me: What about Colorado?

I could be a good Colorado despot!

Julie: i don't think Colorado is currently on our list.

California is, though

me: Why not Colorado? I like California, but Colorado has some great scenery. I could build a nice mansion somewhere on the Mesa. Oh, what about turning Land's End into a waterfall? Is that a good despotic project?

Julie: That would be an excellent project. I like your initiative. I'll talk with the current despot of Colorado (otherwise known as the congress) and see if i can get you an internship.

They may deny your request, however. They truly enjoy inflicting their own tyranny.

me: Yeah, well they've had more practice. It isn't really fair the head start they have.

Julie: I agree. But since it's a despotism, i have no grounds to protest.

It's part of the rules.

me: But I think a successful coup d'etat might get me a passing grade.

I've made preparations.

Julie: Very good! You even have a media for propaganda! This is even better than we'd hoped.

me: I even have a group of people brainwashed into following me. They get their instructions from an on-line message board--little do they understand the subliminal messages I programmed into its code!

Julie: Mr. Graubner, you may be able to test out of these classes at this rate. I will try to push a recommendation through to the upper level training commander that you be moved through the ranks as soon as possible!

me: That sounds acceptable to me.

Send me more information in the morning, right now I must go to my beauty sleep so that I make plot more dastardly deeds on the morrow (and continue in my efforts to memorize the Evil Overlord List!).

Julie: As you wish.

~Matt

Wow that's desperate

Can you imagine being so short of troops that you needed to draft four-week-old boys? Welcome to Germany.

The German Army sent a draft notice to a four-week-old baby named Lucio, ordering him to report for duty within the next 10 days, before realising it had blundered.

Of course it was a mistake, but still quite humorous. Imagine trying to get combat boots that small.


~Matt

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Balderdash

Tonight I played Balderdash with two of my nephews. Yes, I did end up winning through some lucky guesses--but a couple too many times I ended up guessing one of my nephew's definitions.

Here are the definitions for one of the rounds. Without resorting to a dictionary, can you guess the correct definition? I'll wait for a few guesses before I post an answer. If you read this blog, please post your guess below. Thanks!

Feep (feep)
-A small rodent in Southern Africa.
-Flemish slang for homosexual.
-Sound of a bell on a computer display terminal which "feeps" or beeps.
-The heir to a feudal lord.

~Matt

Overdrawn Humour

Earlier this evening I watched an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (my first actually) with my sister and nerfs. It was a hilarious ride through a bad movie. The movie in question was Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. The film features a character who ends up stuck in what is essentially virtual reality.

When the character ends up gaining control of his environment he begins to make changes. One of these changes is to apparently generate heavy snowfall inside the atrium of a building. One of the MST viewers remarks that this (snowfall) must be how much pure cocaine it takes to enjoy the movie.

At this point we were cracking up so much that my sister had to pause the tape for a couple minutes. Then we even replayed the segment a couple times for my nephew that didn't watch the entire show.

I can hardly wait to see more episodes. I bought my sister a DVD pack (unfortunately with only one DVD, :() today at the book sale. That book sale was a great haul, including an 1890 volume by Henry Stanley (the man famous for discovering Dr. Livingston in Africa). I'll try to nail down exactly what I got later. It was especially fun finding several things for my nerfs, I love giving them books.

~Matt

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Oops

I apparently acted a bit too fast. I cleared out the spam in my Gmail account earlier today and only noticed one sender as it was being deleted. If I can believe my eyes Jesus sent me an e-mail, and I deleted it!



No, I wouldn't make something like this up--it wouldn't be funny if I had. It could be that this was just from a name generator, perhaps especially a Hispanic name? Jesus - Hey-sous?



Anyway, I doubt that if I had an actual e-mail from God that it could possibly end up being caught by my Spam filter. I think the omniscient Lord of the Universe is smarter than a spammer.



~Matt

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay, I'll grant that it isn't the most original title, but there wasn't much competition. Here it is just a normal hectic day with last minute chores. Later today my brother Larry and his family will be arriving from Tennessee. It should be a good time with them here--but it will be a very full house! Fortunately (I can use the money) and unfortunately (I'll miss some of the time with everybody) I'll be working Friday through Sunday--but they should only be partial days and I'll be home before dinner time. My brother and his family are actually going down to the museum on Saturday--hopefully I'll see them while I'm working up in the Rotunda.

I'll also be working at UPS, but that will just be on weekdays. For the duration of December (unless I secure a full-time position elsewhere) I'll be working as a Driver Helper at UPS every weekday and I'll be at the museum every weekend and some nights. It will be crazy, but I can use the work right now so it all works out! Oh, and if you're in the area I should let you know that from tomorrow (the museum is closed today) until New Years parking at the museum center is free.

I have to go do, um, some stuff that I don't know yet but I'm sure that my wonderful eldest sister has volunteered me for! ;-) Please have a wonderful day and remember everything that you have to be thankful for!

Finally a thought from the Federalist, they do choose good quotes:

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits,
and humbly to implore his protection and favors."

-- George Washington (Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789)

~Matt