Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. This is my stress level: This is my stress level after taxes: Any questions? Read more →
Author: Ron Rapp
Scud Running
I’m starting to understand why all the serious aerobatics pilots live in Arizona or Florida. You’d think Southern California would be sunny and clear as often as either of those states. It ain’t necessarily so. But at least I’m getting some adventure out of waiting for El Nino, La Nina, Old Man Winter, Old Man River, or whatever they call… Read more →
Daughter of the Regiment
Time. It’s the fourth dimension, right? The other three I’ve got down pat–I can make an airplane loop, roll, spin, or drop any which way I want. But when it comes to time, I’m totally out of my element. Not in the sense of “being on time”, mind you–but rather in how strangely I judge it. For example, I did… Read more →
Greed
greed \Greed\, n. [Akin to Goth. gr?dus hunger, Icel. gr[=a][eth]r. [root]34. ] An eager desire or longing; greediness; as, a greed of gain; vehemently desirous; eager to obtain; avaricious. Before I begin, a disclaimer seems to be in order: I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of the Communist party. Please keep that in mind. In fact,… Read more →
Becoming a Shutterbug
A pleasant surprise awaited me at the Orange County Performing Arts Center when I arrived for yesterday’s performance of Pagliacci & Carmina Burana: one of the tenors in the chorus had put a couple of old photos on my dressing table as a gift. One of them was from Carmen (1996), and another was from Rigoletto (1997). It’s such a… Read more →
30 Grant Ave
Two days, seven auditions, fifteen monologues, one crowded floor of nervous actors. I’m in San Francisco to audition for MFA programs in theatre. The odds of my being accepted are quite low, as I’ve only applied to the top schools: Juilliard, Yale, American Conservatory Theatre, American Repertory, etc. I figure that if I’m going to foot the bill and put… Read more →
San Francisco
I left Orange County at about 1:00 p.m. today. After driving for eight hours, I’m still in California. It’s almost disappointing. When you’ve put 400 miles on the odometer, you feel like you should be in some far off, exotic place. Anyway, the trip up to San Francisco was uneventful (read: boring). There is so little of interest to look… Read more →
Soylent Green is People!
You’ll have to pardon my current mood. Perhaps it’s due to the gloomy weather we’re having. Whatever the cause, I’m really starting to hate people. No one in particular. No specific ethnicity, sex, or religion, but rather the ever-present, seething mass of humanity from which there seems to be no escape. Locales ranging from movie theaters to airports are beginning… Read more →
First Catalina Flight
You gotta love people who can just take the day off whenever they want to. It’s never quite that simple, of course. Those who have the authority to do so are usually self-employed, and as such put in more hours at their job than anyone who’s working for The Man. Sounds odd, but it’s totally true–after all, are you willing… Read more →
Elizabeth Dole
When it comes to political figures, it’s been quite a while since anything has come down the pike to make me say “Well isn’t that special?”. But my Church Lady attitude may be changing, because it appears Elizabeth Dole may make a run for the Republican nomination for President in 2000. I hope she takes the plunge. I think it’s… Read more →