Haines His Way

This is kind of interesting - reported in the NY Times:

New Law to Protect Critics From Being Misquoted

The European Commission has passed legislation that would keep bad reviews from looking good, the London newspaper The Independent reported. The measure, to take effect in December, will make it illegal for advertisers to misquote reviewers by taking a positive word or phrase from a theater review if it gives a misleading sense of the whole review. The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive bars advertising that includes “false information” or any claim that “deceives or is likely to deceive the consumer” and thus “causes or is likely to cause him to take a transactional decision that he would not have taken otherwise.” Helen Kearns, the commission’s spokeswoman on consumer affairs, said the measure would be “policed on a case-by-case basis” by the Office of Fair Trading. “It should apply to misleading advertising right across the board,” she added, “from airline tickets to theater tickets.”

May 7th, 1995, I received the first-ever Distinguished Alumni Award from my alma mater's (University of Kentucky) College of Arts & Science.  Wore the cap and gown and made the commencement speech, the whole thing.

Julieanne & I for a whole slew of years when out in California threw our annual Kentucky Derby party the first Saturday in May which became an expected tradition and grew to about 60 or so guests.  The party delighted and baffled our California friends, especially when the core Kentucky contingent would get all weepy singing My Old Kentucky Home.

Since coming back here, however, where Derby Parties are overflowing and many people actually go to the Derby, we quickly realized the Derby does not have the same mystique as it did in California, so we will have to find a new warm weather party tradition.

Good morning, HHW!

Belated vibes to

DR DANISE

DR ELMORE

and anyone else who needs them.

Another May memory.  Julieanne and I arrived in London one year on May 1st.  While she took a jet-lag nap, I went out to pick up some tickets at the National for some theatre that night.   As I crossed Waterloo Bridge, I noticed a peculiarly strong police presence.  "Hmmm," I pondered.  "Perhaps, some member of the Royal family is touring something near by."  I got my tickets and walked down the South Embankment to cross at Westminster Bridge.  

As I crossed the bridge and walked toward the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the first thing  I noticed awry was the traffic cone on the statue of Bodicea's head.  As I continue down toward White Hall, more police, debris, and the statue of Winston Churchill was sporting a turf mohawk and decorated with grafitti.  

I continue through a gauntlet of riot-geared police up Whitehall toward Trafalgar Square where some sort of activity had occurred.  The windows of the MacDonald's had been smashed out.  Querying a shop owner, I realized I had just missed by minutes a May Day Riot which was still brewing up near Trafalgar.  

Before I got there (not that I was going to go there now), the street was cordoned off and I had to cut through Charing Cross Station and continue up the Strand practically back to Waterloo Bridge and then zip through Covent Garden to get back home without having the riot converge on me.  The riot was quickly quelled and we walked to the theatre that night with no problem at all.

Will we never get to page two?

It will happen.

Vibes and encouragement to DR DANISE.

Lovely pictures from DR LAURA, as usual.  

DR CILLA LIZ will be practicing law in the Frances Farmer Building, and somehow it seems more than appropriate!  FF's father Ernest was an attorney and in fact she entered college thinking she might study law, switched to journalism, and then switched to theatre.

Good morning!

It's going to get very warm this afternoon, but right now it's pleasant. I have the window open in my open and the fan circulating the cool air, and it's nice. It won't be for long.

I was very sad to read this morning that veteran character actor Dabbs Grier died. He was in so many films and TV shows, and I always loved him. A sad loss.

My mother died about a month before I began my role in FOREVER PLAID. She wouldn't have been able to come to the show, but I had every intention of taking a tape of the show to her so she could see it. Instead, I dedicated my performance in the show to her in the program.

I've been reading conflicting reviews about the return of VERONICA MARS tonight. The USA TODAY critic doesn't like the stand alone episodes at all. The TV GUIDE critic likes them very much. I can't wait to see for myself. I'll probably watch it "live" tonight and record LAW & ORDER: CI and HOUSE which are on opposite it.

Haven't decided on a DVD for today either. I have only THE SOPRANOS and CSI: MIAMI on the DVR to watch, so I'll be searching for something from the to-watch shelf since the stuff I've ordered for this week won't be arriving until tomorrow at the earliest.

TOD:
Other than my mother's birthday on the 3rd (a woman of certain years) and my parents 50th Wedding anniversary on the 20th. Nothing much. They aren't celebrating. I think it has a lot to do with that they have outlived so many of their friends/spouses and especially my father's brother and 1st cousin were also married that same year and they didn't make it.

Heading down now to clean the living room (early) before beginning lunch preparation.

WBBL.