Ronnie Burkett - The Daisy Theatre
At his absolute best, irreverent improvisation, with 30 years of marionettes, song and bawdy innuendo to draw upon. I've seen almost every show he's done, there's few that compare, if you get a chance you should check him out...
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- Category: Theatre
End of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
It's the end of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Halloween, and I've talked a few of the co-workers into going, they've never seen it. But I've seen it, how many times, 3, 4 years in a row? And I'm getting bored...
This year, it's rather less attended then most years, perhaps only 3/4 full, and a more subdued host, not as much absurdity, antics. Still a lot of absurdity and antics. They all enjoy it, salad girl, her boyfriend, the new Italian waiter, G and his girlfriend, everyone is happy but me...
Next year it will be the daughter's introduction, I'm just going to dump her and a friend and let them figure it all out. I'm done, I love the movie, the characters, the songs, but 3, mebbe even 4 years in a row, there's gotta be a better party out there somewhere, it's Halloween, I know there is...
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Significant Birthdays
It's the owner's significant birthday, and there will be a party held at his estate in the country. On our day off, which is a bit cruel, but when else would it be held?
The owner's girlfriend, the latest, most legitimate heir to the remaining estate, she's invited us all. G*** declines, he's got a prior engagement with his girlfriends father. The soon to be father-in-law. So it's up to the new Italian waiter and I to shoulder the politic responsibility, it's a bit awkward, we're more the feudal serfs, the employees, but it would be political suicide to miss it, and so we grudgingly agree. An hour, two tops...
Sunday comes and we're both pretty hung over, the night before was Halloween. But I pick him up in the bone-jarring screeching wreck of an automobile, it's very last legs and this jaunt into the countryside isn't the least bit wise, not at all, but it's gotta be done...
We arrive late, as planned. Arrive late, leave early. There are perhaps 30, 40 other guests, all regular customers at the restaurant, adding them all up, net worth, anywhere from half a billion to a billion dollars...
There's J***, 100 million easy, G****, maybe 2 or 3 million, they don't get along, there's a variety of land barons and other characters, quickly do the math...
And there are a few, like the girlfriend and her children, who add up to debt, and there's the new Italian waiter and myself, he's worth a couple of grand easy, me, I'm another debit on the account...
I see J***, demand a glass of wine, it's nice, this hospitality role reversal, he gets it, laughs, obliges, gives me the name and grape. And for an hour or so we chat and socialize, some are cool, recognize me (but I don't them, we have a lot of customers, laugh, play along), some resent the bridging the gap, clearly we, the staff, are overstepping the boundaries by attending this party...the Owner, he's hospitable and charming, we admire his place, his palace, a castle of sorts in the wilds of Calgary, he's a trophy room filled with the kills he's made all over Alberta, the territories, a hundred different animals all stuffed and mounted, it's impressive, where's Alberta's wildlife? Why, it's all dead in *****'s kill room...
We pass the obligatory time, socialize according to our inclination, it's a bit like work, but less service and freer with the drinks and food. And when we're done we escape, politic goals achieved, it's a different world, and we're both glad to be returning...
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Legal V Justice
In capitalist economies one finds a Legal System, as opposed to a Justice system. A Justice system concerns itself with balancing the needs of the individual versus society, and creates laws that favor both. The Laws and Judgments are acknowledged by society to be fair, or are changed. At it's highest level it attempts to restore our faith in a fair and just universe.
A legal system, on the other hand, is unrelated to justice. A legal system is it's own economy, by which both laws and justice can be purchased for those bidders willing to spend enough time and money to rewrite the laws to their own end, or prevail their point of view over their opponents.
A Justice system does not favor wealth, rather it favors fairness. The Legal system, transparently favors those who are willing and possessed of the means to invest in it.
For a justice system to work it must be unbiased, and have laws that are readily understandable and available to the citizenry it represents. Lawyers are not a part of any real justice system, as they by their very presence represent both money and power and an adversarial approach to the issues being decided upon. Those points of view without the resources to bring a paid voice to court will simply not be heard, and laws will be made without consideration for their rights or interests.
Corporations represent some of the biggest threats to justice, wherein the fiction of personhood extends to them all the rights and privileges, yet profits are actively used to lobby and absolve them of any responsibilities. Examples of laws created by corporations, not people, include the copyright and piracy laws (many of which actively engages in suing real people for both real and imagined piracy and copyright violations), and the corporate taxation laws, many of which would be the envy of any individual.
For more ideas and reading on these themes, follow the links below:
Link: The more unequal your society, the more your laws will favor the rich
Link: Georgia claims it's laws are under copyright & Georgia sues citizen for publishing law
Link: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-powers-and-abuses-of-americas-mega-corporations/5371901
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