Opera Dictator's Paradise

Is it just me, or is "Paul Potts" too eerily similar to "Pol Pot" in name? Perhaps this is just what happens when I see "Paul Potts reflects on his journey from mobile salesman to opera star." as the main headline on yahoo when I go to check my email after spending the weekend reading Golden Gulag, a terrificly depressing book about California as THE INCARCERAL STATE . yeech. (But, I am proud of myself for finishing a book before the final, for once. Fin=added to the list to the right!).

This afternoon at work I scanned Mr. Ron Howard's ticket to a screening of the classic silent film Safety Last with live organ accompaniment. While our entire interaction consisted of some electronic bar code reading and some "Hello"s and "Enjoy the Show," I must say he is a genuinely adorable man in his baseball cap and reddish hair. I then realized that I can't think of one movie he's helmed that I've seen. I do enjoy me some Happy Days, though.

Roy thinks of hearts and livers and brains when he thinks organs.

HOWEVER, what was more interesting about this show is that COOLIO was supposed to come, as a guest of weirdo organist Christoph Bull, nonetheless. gangsta Coolio, yo. See, we get the will call tickets once the box office closes up and there was an envelope with tickets for him. While I was super excited about the prospect of Coolio attending a silent film, I then realized I don't think I would be able to confidently identify him. This did, however, give me the opportunity to regale my fellow ushers with tales of the hilarious Cooking With Coolio. Oh, wow.

The ghetto witchdoctor superstar chef is here to make you forget about every cooking show you've ever heard. Get your tomatoes, your mozzarella, a little balsamic, and get your ass into that kitchen, baby.