On the mend

Hope to be back soon!


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Creeperfection!

"Creeperfection"

It's the only word I can create to describe it.

J.J. Abrams has achieved creeperfection with his latest television series sensation, "Fringe", seen on FOX. The show represents a huge leap ahead of the muddled and befuddled "LOST", which was his first foray into the realm of TV creepiness after his more mainstream efforts with "Felicity" and "Alias." (Btw, Abrams was also the creative force behind one of my favorite TV guilty pleasures, "What About Brian", as well as the fantastic big-screen reboot of "Star Trek"...and the best monster-on-the-loose flick of the new millennium, "Cloverfield.")


"Fringe" bears a mindbending blend of plotline elements reminiscent of "The X-Files," but the spin is updated to include our ever-present paranoia about terrorism in the post-9/11 world populated with Homeland Security concerns. In fact, one of the main characters, Olivia Dunham, is an FBI agent who investigates the bizarre phenonema related to a series of seemingly unrelated events which is known on the show as "The Pattern". Dunham's work often causes her to enlist in the assistance of an eccentric father-son team, Walter and Peter Bishop. Walter is a brilliant "mad scientist" type, previously employed by the government, who was institutionalized after a lab accident in 1991 killed one of his assistants. Walter's son Peter became estranged during Walter's incarceration, but he now watches over his troubled father, as all three work to solve the mysteries of the events involved with The Pattern.


Over the course of the first season, viewers have learned that Olivia was a childhood victim of Walter's biomedical experiments with his partner, William Bell. She (along with many other children in Jacksonville, FL) was apparently injected with an experimental drug called "Cortexiphan," in an attempt to enhance and prolong the postulated ability of children to see into parallel universes; the intent was to create a group of people who could be "reactivated" as adults, if necessary, to intervene in conflicts between our universe and an alternate one.

The major thrust of the season finale this week centered around the efforts of a certain creepy character to open a doorway between our world and a parallel universe. Why? Well, he wanted to cross over and find William Bell. Yep. Seems Walter's old buddy, who's always said to be "out of the country" is waaaaay out...like outta this world.


The Hollywood buzz let the cat out early: as anticipated, Leonard Nimoy appeared in the closing moments of the show as Dr. William Bell. However, the mindblowing details of his whereabouts provided the real "gotcha" moment of the night....





Yes, you saw that correctly. Looks like Olivia has been transported to a parallel universe by Dr. Bell. And in that version of time and space (I'll call it Alterno-USA), the destruction of the World Trade Center apparently did not happen. However, according to that New York Post headline, Obama was still elected President, but what happened to The White House? Was The White House the target of a terrorist attack in Alterno-USA? And JFK was never assassinated in Alterno-USA? Len Bias is still alive in Alterno-USA? Wow! I wonder what Page 2 of The Post would reveal??

Let me repeat: WOW!

Thank God (and FOX!) that "Fringe" has been renewed for a second season. I love where this show is headed. My imagination runs wild with the possible plot devices and storylines that Alterno-USA could provide. The concept of giving us a peek at a world where some of the most tragic events in our history never happened...it's ingenious. And while certainly audacious, the use of the iconic visage of the WTC Towers in that closing shot was hauntingly beautiful.

Of course, there's bound to be some backlash about the 9/11 redux from New Yorkers, but it's just make-believe! And on a certain level, I wonder if it may even be a comfort to some to imagine that there's a place where that horror was never suffered.

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Melodies of May

1. Heartless - Kris Allen

2. Be There - Howie Day

3. Dreamworld - Robin Thicke

4. The Last Song I Will Write - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

5. The Guilty Ones - Kyle Riabko

6. Everything Love Is - Olivia Newton-John & Jimmy Barnes

7. Love Sex Magic - Ciara with Justin Timberlake

8. Sidestep - Robin Thicke

9. It Breaks My Heart - Josh Kelley

10. I'm Just Here For The Music - Paula Abdul

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2 The Sky

It's amazing the way the darkness falls
And the truth out there is cold
And nothing to keep you warm
Jealousy and lies within me
I got a feeling the sun won't shine today
And I gotta to know right now
Will I be rich, have everything I want
I stop myself and look to the sky

Oh...I got to give myself up to the sky
The only truth is in the sky

Nobody else can tell cause I'm stuck in a spell
Of greed and anger and hate
Oh I tried...I tried...I tried to rise above it
But it comes right back
Creeps up on me and it hits me
Double time

This can't be my fate
It's never too late
I wake up holding on to this pain
And there's nothing else I can do
But 2 give myself up to the sky

When u ask yourself
Hey why me and why not me?
When you're down on your knees
Look 2 the sky
Just look 2 the sky

You don't need no faster car
Or no bigger house
All u really need is friends and love

Hey come on home
Just throw up your hands
Throw up your heart
All u really need is love
I'm comin' home
So come on home...

**Lyrics by Robin Thicke**
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Don't you wait until it's too late...

Until something inside has died.

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It breaks my heart

Borderline insanity is poisoning my soul
Suffocating everything I am
Changing the course of nature
Falls to pieces - it's a mess
While I'm face down in the bed I've made

And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart to pieces
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart to pieces

To put it in perspective
There's a clarity of mind
When trust in simple pleasures starts to break
Like bubbles in a pond of truth
It surfaces at times
Staring into a selfish lie

And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart to pieces
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart to pieces

The more I feel it's everything
It's everyone comin' down on me
There's more to life
Than everything that everyone thinks I should believe...



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No Coke! Pepsi!....Pepsi! Pepsi! Pepsi!

Here's the back story for this week's Patient Quote of the Week:

Patient X comes to the clinic, after recently receiving chemotherapy, feeling weak and obviously dehydrated...unable to stand...with fever and low blood pressure. Clinically, Patient X is nearing septic shock and needs to be admitted to the hospital for treatment ASAP!

However, Patient X is kinda stubborn and doesn't want to be admitted to the hospital. When I explain that the blood pressure is very low, and that we need to start intravenous fluids and antibiotics for a possible blood infection, Patient X is still unconvinced that hospital admission is necessary.

Instead, Patient X suggested a trial of an alternative therapy to get the blood pressure stabilized:

"Maybe I just need some Pepsi?"




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Songs for April Showers

1. The Last Song I Will Write - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

2. Love Sex Magic - Ciara with Justin Timberlake

3. The Guilty Ones - Kyle Riabko

4. Reason to Believe - Ari Hest

5. It Breaks My Heart - Josh Kelley

6. Sidestep - Robin Thicke

7. Lover Be Strong - Gavin DeGraw

8. Insomnia - Craig David

9. Everything Love Is - Olivia Newton-John & Jimmy Barnes

10. Edge of Seventeen (Live from Soundstage) - Stevie Nicks

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When apples fall

"Gravity
Is working against me
And gravity
Wants to bring me down..."

I'll never forget the night...when I was 11 or 12 years old...when my Mom told us that she was taking my Dad to the emergency room. She said that he hurt his hand, and she told us to stay out of the bathroom. As they left the house, my Dad said nothing. His right hand was wrapped in a towel.

Of course, as soon as they were gone, I went into the bathroom to see what was in there...and find out why we weren't supposed to see it. What I saw was...a hole...in the pink tiled wall, halfway up from the top of the bathtub. It was an old house, and those pink tiles were made of glass. My Dad had just gotten home late from working overtime, and he was taking a shower. And in a fit of explosive rage, he had punched the wall, shattering the glass tile, and cut up his hand pretty badly. Mom would later tell me that he lost it...after hearing me and my sister arguing in the next room. He never ever spoke of the incident. But our family had little money, so the hole in the pink wall remained there...covered by neatly placed strips of white plastic electrical tape...as a reminder of that night...for several years thereafter.


One of the most disconcerting things about life is the recognition of certain patterns. The startling realization that DNA truly influences all. As I grow older, I continue to see the emergence of certain traits...some subtle, others more overt...that I share with my Dad. The anecdote above is an extreme example of the way he manifested his temper. In general, he was a very quiet man. But when he was angry...everybody knew. He was prone to explosive bursts of anger, which usually were expressed as shouting. The cork would pop...and it would be over. Until the next time.

In retrospect, the unpredictability of his temper made it difficult to understand him at times. And even though I loved him dearly, he scared me sometimes. I don't know if I ever felt completely at ease around him when I was growing up, because I could never tell when he would explode.

Well, I can't say that I do much better with respect to controlling my temper sometimes. I know the pattern well...of letting things build up inside until the pressure overwhelms...and the frustrations erupt like a volcano. It's a short burst that vents the pressure, but it's unhealthy. And more importantly, it's very stressful to those around you.

When my cork pops, I yell and I slam doors, but I've never punched anyone, or anything...yet. And I don't intend to let it ever happen.

Yup, the first step is recognizing the problem.

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Da right side of the pie?

I think this is the first time that I've ever blogged from my desk at work, but it's after 5pm, and I'm sorta doing an extension of a work-related exercise with this post. For those of you who have been following along for awhile, you may have gleaned that things in the workplace have been less than ideal. Well, apparently I'm not the only one who's dissatisfied. As a result of multiple intra-office conflicts between persons at various levels of responsibility, a "retreat" was recently held to foster better relations. It was actually a very helpful experience to me, as I was able to see a side of certain co-workers that they don't typically express as we're plodding through the work week...and vice versa - no doubt!

The most interesting components of the day were the ones that required some individual expression of thought and/or imagination...beginning with "introductions." Now, many of the people in the room had been working together for several years, so the concept of introducing ourselves to each other was a bit odd. However, from the very first intro through the very last, it was obvious...in many instances...just how little we knew about each other. Quite a few people opted for the standard autobiographical thumbnail sketch; we were each afforded one minute to encapsulate ourselves. Others made the choice to be a little more unconventional. Me? As you might imagine, I wanted to do something different. So, I recited a list of 25 Random Things about Me...a la the various memes that circulate through social networking sites. Just in case you're wondering...this was my list:

1) I don't have cable (or satellite) TV, and if not for an act of Congress, I would have been watching electronic snow on my TV screen since Feb 17th.

2) I love yogurt, but have only consumed Dannon's COFFEE flavored product since 1997.

3) I have a photographic memory for all things trivial.

4) I am completely addicted to PEPSI MAX.

5) I dropped out of college at the age of 19 and spent four years shucking checks and stubs at the Commonwealth Edison Bill Payment Center in downtown Chicago.

6) I can recite the Prologue to Chaucer's" The Canterbury Tales", in Middle English.

7) I was interviewed by Frank Mathie on the ABC7 Chicago 5 o'clock news at the age of 11, for my role as a founding member of APOOP (Anti-Pollution Organization of Oak Park).

8) I love chocolate chip pancakes.

9) I have fractured my right clavicle three times.

10) I own a pair of Heely's.

11) I have lived in Chicago my whole life, but I've never been to the top of The Sears Tower or the John Hancock Building.

12) I can wiggle my ears.

13) I wear something blue everyday.

14) I answered a casting call in 1986 for a film called "Just Around the Corner to the Light of Day", starring Michael J. Fox.

15) I love British sitcoms.

16) I am one of the sloppiest people on Earth.

17) I am the first-born, and the only son...that's pressure!

18) I rode the bus in junior high with Marjorie Judith Vincent, Miss America 1991.

19) I was the first person on Earth to clone a gene from the ciliated protozoan, Vorticella...for which I earned a Ph.D.

20) I haven’t had many opportunities to travel abroad, but got the ball rolling in Italy and loved every minute of it. I've also hiked the historic Iditarod Trail in Alaska. My most recent adventure took me hiking and biking through the mountains of New Mexico to commune with nature and explore ancient Indian ruins.

21) I am really good at karaoke.

22) I am a sci-fi and horror movie geek.

23) I can polish off a 6-pack of Jewel brownie buttercreme pinwheel sandwich cookies in one day.

24) I am an avid SCUBA diver, but I have a phobia about swimming on the surface of any body of very deep water.

25) I am a closet extrovert....

Indeed. Even more interesting was the "Show & Tell" portion of the day. For that segment, we had been asked to prepare a presentation...a poem, a song, a favorite reading...that demonstrated a facet of our personality as it related to our job and our workplace. It was during those performances that the most telling details of our colleagues' personalities were further revealed.

I chose to recite two passages from one of my favorite books, "Warrior of the Light", by Paulo Coelho. The first excerpt was...

"A Warrior of the Light knows that certain moments repeat themselves.
He often finds himself faced by the same problems and situations, and seeing these difficult situations return, he grows depressed, thinking that he is incapable of making any progress in life.
“I’ve been through all this before”, he says to his heart.
“Yes, you have been through all this before”, replies the heart. “But you have never been beyond it.”
Then the Warrior realizes that these repeated experiences have but one aim: to teach him what he does not want to learn."

And the second passage...

"A Warrior of light is never predictable.

He might dance down the street on his way to work, gaze into the eyes of a complete stranger and speak of love at first sight, or defend an apparently absurd idea. Warriors of light allow themselves days like these.

He is not afraid to weep over ancient sorrows or to feel joy at new discoveries. When he feels that the moment has arrived, he drops everything and goes off on some long-dreamed-of adventure. When he realizes that he can do no more, he abandons the fight, but never blames himself for having committed a few unexpected acts of folly.

A Warrior does not spend his days trying to play the role that others have chosen for him."


Finally, the most lasting impression of the day was provided by an exercise using a tool to assess the psychology and physiology of the brain, based on Ned Herrmann's four-sided model of thinking styles that correlate to four regions of the brain. The four quadrants are defined as: A-logical, B-organized, C-interpersonal, and D-imaginative. By recognizing the interactions of all the components, one may be able to optimize creative potential, both at home and at work. That, in itself, is interesting, but none of us was told anything about the significance of the exercise. We were just asked to pick out a card with an adjective on it....for each person in the room...that we felt best described the person. Then, we deposited the cards at each person's seat, so that they could take inventory of how everyone else in the room would best describe them in one word.

The following is the list of the cards (and adjectives) that was hand-picked for me by my co-workers, as well as the corresponding coded color to correlate with the above figures:

Adventurous (yellow card); three people in the room assigned this card to me
Passionate (red card); two people in the room assigned this card to me
Emotional (red card); two people in the room assigned this card to me
Imaginative (yellow card)
Musical (red card)
Empathic (red card)
Rational (blue card)
Definitive (blue card)
Rigorous (blue card)

So, according to the microcosm of co-workers, my actions apparently project an image of mostly red and yellow traits...and a few blue...but NO green traits! Based on those results, it looks like I'm interpreted by others as having more right-brained traits than left-brained ones.

I think that's a fairly accurate assessment, but I'm still processing the Big Picture of the exercise!


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It's Xana-done!

Like Clio...mounting Pegasus for her final ride to Mount Olympus...the Chi-Town incarnation of "Xanadu"...left the stage of the Drury Lane Water Tower Place Theatre tonight...four months earlier than originally planned. The intended six-month run was cut to just two months, as the curtain went down for the final time on the most exuberantly self-aware musical extravaganza of the Chicago 2009 theatre season thus far.


It was my third viewing of the show since December 26, when I first caught a glimpse of this national touring cast of the surprise Broadway hit in La Jolla, California. After closing up shop in the SD area on New Year's Eve, the cast hit the road...making its first stop in Chicago, where the show started previews on January 16th, and officially opened on January 28th.


And so it goes...and hopefully it will return again someday. Best of luck to the entire cast and crew, as they take the show All Over the World with the next stop slated to be: Japan!


"Xanadu, your neon lights will shine....for yoooooou, Xanaduuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

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4 years of wandering down The Path

Today is the fourth Anniversary of my very first post on J.J.'s Path: A Field Guide. It's getting harder and harder to find the time to make contributions, but I'm not ready to hang 'em up just yet!

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I'm Very

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At da Ocean in Illinois

At da Ocean in Illinois 2/8/09 from J.J. on Vimeo.

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We're boats against the current...to the end

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I Xanadid it again!

Yes! It's true! I went again...to the place where nobody dared to go!! Well, actually...it came to me this time...LOL...

Last month, I saw the stage version of Xanadu for the first time, at the La Jolla Playhouse while I was vacationing in San Diego. And now the national tour has settled in Chicago at the Drury Lane Water Tower Place Theatre...hopefully for a very long stay!



The entire cast that Gooster and I loved so much in La Jolla is back, and the second viewing was even more enjoyable than the first! I think I can attribute that to the fact that I went with the biggest fan of the movie version that I know: My Mom! She thought it was hysterical. We laughed so hard...because every nuance of the performance reminded us of how utterly over-Xana-done things were in our household that summer in 1980 when I became totally obsessed with the flick and everything about it. She even asked me if I still have that Xanadu shirt (you know the one: the soccer jersey with "XANADU" in glittery gold iron-on letters!) she had custom-made for me to wear to the opening day.... (Erm....if I did.....I probably would have been wearing it, Mom!)



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....the sun will never shine the same

Goodbye, sweet angel.

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Hail to the Chief

Barack Obama is our 44th President.
Enough said.

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