Monday Morning Musings

The adage, "Damned if you do and damned if you don't" is most appropriate when thinking about the controversy over the recent prisoner swap in Afghanistan for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. In an article in The Atlantic, David Rhode gave his perspective, having been a prisoner in Afghanistan at one point, too. The bottom line is that the choices are hard to make. Do you pay a ransom? Or, as in the case of Bergdahl, make an unbalanced trade that gives too much to the enemy.

I liked what President Obama had to say in response to the criticism he's received on this issue. "American people understand that this is somebody's child and that we don't condition whether or not we make the effort to try to get them back."

Did you watch the Tony Awards Show last night? I thought Hugh Jackman did a great job as host, and I loved the ending where he invited everyone onstage to sing the theatre classics "The Lullaby of Broadway" and "New York, New York". It was also a thrill to see Audra McDonald win her 6th Tony for her role as Billie Holiday in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill".

A little while ago I took a break from writing the blog to eat breakfast, and I always read while I am eating. This morning, I found an interesting line in Laura Lippman's novel Life Sentences. Cassandra, the central character is thinking about all the hurtful things that people say to and about each other and this thought crosses her mind, "Say the worst things about yourself first, and no one can ever hurt you."

That brought to mind people that I have known who seem compelled to say self-deprecating things about themselves. That works well in comedy, but I think it is a little sad in real life. What do you think?

I have a busy week ahead with rehearsals for our Nite of Comedy two nights, and two nights of speaking engagements. One is tonight, so I need to finish preparing the handouts. What is on your agenda for the week?

Finally, I'll close with a joke from The Laugh Factory
Little Billy came home from school to see the family's pet rooster dead in the front yard. Rigor mortis had set in, and it was flat on its back with its legs in the air. When his Dad came home, Billy told him, "Dad, our rooster is dead and his legs are sticking in the air. Why are his legs like that?"

His father, thinking quickly, said, "Son, that's so God can reach down from the clouds and lift the rooster straight up to heaven."

"Gee Dad, that's great," said little Billy. A few days later, when Dad came home from work, Billy rushed out to meet him yelling, "Dad! Dad, we almost lost Mom today!"

"What do you mean?" asked his father.

"Well Dad, I got home from school early today and went up to your bedroom and there was Mom, flat on her back with her legs in the air, screaming, 'Jesus, I'm coming! I'm coming!' If it hadn't of been for Uncle George holding her down, we'd have lost her for sure!"