Tales of a Homicidal Barber

Saturday night G & I trucked out to A.C.T. to see Sweeney Todd. The production had gotten a standing up clapping man from the Chronicle, so I was excited. The gimmick of the show is that the actors (who were all on stage for the entire performance) also play the score. As I read in the show's program, the producer said he had an easier time casting the show in the U.S. than he'd had in Britain because of the marching band tradition in high schools here and the general proliferation of school music programs in America. So support your local school music program and buy that wrapping paper!!

Unfortunately, G didn't have such a good time. He said that he thought it was really well done and he did like a couple of the songs, but there were too many "lullabies" and at some point he almost fell asleep. I'd held out some hope he'd like it, but (like most of the Y-chromosome contingent) he just doesn't really like musicals. So from now on it's non-musical theatre for the 'Nilla!

Now, a sports update: While we were at the theatre, Stanfurd was apparently busy upsetting #2 U$C and, consequently, lifting idle Cal into the #2 spot. Which is all fun and games until (mark my words) Cal falls to unranked Oregon State this Saturday. Thank goodness I'll be in Yosemite and won't have to watch.

And, finally, the moment you've all (and by all, I mean Jessica) been waiting for: The made-up headline was, of course, Bush and Putin Agree: Rainbows are pretty. A no-brainer really, since in order for that headline to be real, Bush and Putin would have to agree on something. The quiz was inspired by headlines I see sometimes on Yahoo. Throughout the day, I peruse the headlines and every once in a while I'm struck by one. It's usually the conclusion of some absurd study and and what I really want to know is who is writing these grant proposals?! Reincarnated snake oil salesmen? And what idiot is in charge of funding a (real, I swear to g*d) study to determine why prisoners want to break out of jail?!

If you need me I'll be off writing a proposal to study the effect of chocolate cake and cabernet on the waistline of the average 34-year-old knitter.