Weekly Wilson - Blog of Author Connie C. Wilson - Welcome to WeeklyWilson.com, where author/film critic Connie (Corcoran) Wilson avoids totally losing her marbles in semi-retirement by writing about film (see the Chicago Film Festival reviews and SXSW), politics and books----her own books and those of other people. You'll also find her diverging frequently to share humorous (or not-so-humorous) anecdotes and concerns. Try it! You'll like it!

Watermark Corners employees, l to r, Beth (Sallak), June (Kalemkarian), Amy (Trimble), and Debi (Danielson accept their “Locals Love Us” award on Monday, November 4th, 2013.

Watermark Corners employees, l to r, Beth (Sallak), June (Kalemkarian), Amy (Trimble), and Debi (Danielson accept their “Locals Love Us” award on Monday, November 4th, 2013.[/caption]Watermark Corners was voted Best Gift Shop by the blog Locals Love Us. The employees were presented the award by Ryan “Ryno” Bell on Monday, November 4, 2013. This franchised website only allows one vote, per customer. Coming in second was Isabelle Bloom, with Aunt Hattie’s Fanciful Emporium 3rd, Anne’s Hallmark 4th and Kile’s Hallmark 5th.

Watermark Corners employees, l to r, Beth (Sallak), June (Kalemkarian), Amy (Trimble), and Debi (Danielson accept their “Locals Love Us” award on Monday, November 4th, 2013.

new website LocalsLoveUs.com, started 2 months ago by Ryan “Ryno” Bell, charts favorite businesses in a host of categories. Various cities have this service, but the Quad Cities’ favorite Gift Shop winner, awarded on Monday, November 4th, 2013, was the Watermark Corners and Stationers Gift Shop at 1500 River Drive in Moline, Illinois.

Watermark Corners is having a Holiday Open House on Friday, November 8th, from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m., with wine and cheese, live music by local musicians, a FREE gift of personalized stationery, store-wide specials, door prize drawings and WaterMark cash ($10 for every $50 purchased). Local author Connie (Corcoran) Wilson will also be present, autographing copies of her new Christmas Cats book “The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats,” which Barb Trimble is holding in the picture.

Swing by Watermark Corners in Moline on Friday, between 4:00 and 7:30 p.m. and pick up a new illustrated children’s book in the Christmas Cats series and, while supplies last, receive a FREE copy of Book #1, “The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats.” There is an unconfirmed rumor that the Cat in the Hat may make an unscheduled appearance some time between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., as a supportive fan of the Christmas Cats. The Cat in the Hat has appeared before, but the tea pot on its head makes driving hazardous for him, as he has to recline in the car and cannot see over the dashboard. Therefore, the popular Cat in the Hat has limited personal appearances only to those he holds most dear. It is true that small children were seen (and heard) running screaming from a reading of a Dr. Seuss book at the East Moline Public Library, as the 2-year-old told to “pose with the Cat in the Hat” did not get the memo in time to fully comprehend the significance of a large cat wearing a teapot on its head.

Stop by the Number One Gift Shop in the Quad Cities at 1500 River Drive in Moline on Friday, November 8th, when “The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats,” if purchased at regular price, will be matched by a FREE copy of the first Christmas Cats book, “The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats” while supplies last.

The WaterMark Corners will also be hosting a Saturday, November 9th, celebration from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with storewide specials, door prize drawings and $10 for every $50 purchased in WaterMark Cash.

Owner Barb Trimble holds copies of “The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats,” by local writer Connie (Corcoran) Wilson, who will be signing copies on Friday, November 8th, from 4 to 7:30 p.m., with a FREE copy of Book #1 in the Christmas Cats series (with illustrations by local artist Andrew Weinert) while supplies last.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County Plays Davenport, Iowa, on Nov. 3, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On November 4, 2013

In Local, Music, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T. Bone Burnett have collaborated on a musical entitled “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” and it has been touring 20 small towns, including the performance on November 3, 2013 at the Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa.

Only two stops remain on the tour, one in South Bend, Indiana, and one in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I can’t help but wonder if the troupe will then take the show to Chicago and/or New York and this is their way of working the bugs out.

The 15 singers and 4 musicians who comprise the cast spin the tale of ghosts who cannot be freed until the truth is told. That device is one King has used before, most recently with passengers at a railroad station who are stranded there, seemingly forever, as ghosts.

Bruce Greenwood as Joe McCandless and Emily Skinner as his wife, Monique, head up the cast of “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.”

One of the most pleasant surprises of the evening was how good Bruce Greenwood’s singing voice is. This talented character actor has played many, many television and movie role, including a major role in the Denzel Washington film Flight and as Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek Into Darkness. However, Greenwood apparently played in a cover band 25 years ago, so this was familiar territory. Greenwood’s solo on the song “How Many Days” in Act I is one of the highlights of the entire play.

Two brothers went the Cain and Able route in this story now set in Mississippi (although supposedly Mellencamp had property in Indiana with a cabin with a similar story that he related to King). The boys fought over a girl, as brothers often do, and things did not go well.

The original brothers are Greenwood’s older siblings, Andy and Jack, but the lead character’s grown sons, Frank and Drake McCandless, are Joe McCandless’ concern now, as they seem to be on the same path to destruction. The women in the lives of the two pairs of brothers, Jenna and Anna, are well-played (and sung) by Kate Ferber and Kylie Brown. As Anna says, “I’m a whole lotta’ big girl and I know what men like. I want to make damn sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into now.”

Unless Joe McCandless (Greenwood) tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about a fateful night in 1967, his own sons in 2007 may suffer a similar fate and wind up in the limbo or Purgatory represented by the Dreamland Cafe…”the place where lost people go.”
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The sets in this touring production were spare, mostly consisting of chairs and a large drop cloth representing the cabin where all the mayhem begins. If this does go on to Broadway (or Chicago), I hope they drop the Prairie Home Companion spare style and put up a cabin like the house in “Fences,” a Denzel Washington vehicle. It would add a lot to the production.

The ghosts are also pretty cut-rate, depicted as such by the wearing of raggedy choir robes in off white. “Here we are and here we’ll stay until the truth sets us free” is the familiar unifying message from King.

“The Shape,” (aka, the Devil) tempts Jenna (Kate Ferber) or Anna (Kylie Brown).

There is a figure representative of Satan who acts much like Joel Gray in “Cabaret” and is analogous to the small devil that is the conscience of the main character in “Animal House.” (good angel on one shoulder; bad devil on the other.)

The liner notes for Jake La Botz, who plays “the Shape,” were interesting, describing him as dropping out of high school at 15 and hitting the road for hobo camps. Then Jake was a roofer, boilermaker, graphic factory worker, and obituary writer before he turned to the guitar and became a back-up artist to such greats as Ray Charles, Etta James, Dr. John, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and Taj Mahal. His unique outfit, consisting of a vest, no shirt, multiple tattoos and a walking stick, was also unusual.

Greenwood told David Burke of the Quad City Times that the play was about “the corrosive nature of secrets and how elusive redemption can be.” He added, “But with Stephen King, it’s so dark…It’s like Prairie Home Companion on acid.

Supposedly, the production took 13 years to stage. I can only assume that’s because King was churning out more novels (“Dr. Sleep,” the continuation of “The Shining” most recently) because his part in the play seems the easiest. There are a lot of clichés utilized in what is billed as “Libretto by Stephen King.” They start early, when young Joe (Zac Ballard) hears talk of having his “britches tanned” and they continue through such well-worn expressions as “rode hard and put away damp” and lines like, “Does the phrase ‘up shit creek’ ring a bell?'”

Those colloquialisms didn’t scream “original,” to me. King’s words do ring truer on lines like “Too late always comes too early.” There is also a familiar echo to the line, “You can never do the right thing after you just closed up the local honky-tonk.” That struck me as about as original as the old “a motorcycle is an accident waiting to happen” cliché and “Slap my tail and call me Stinky” didn’t strike me as Deathless Prose or Great Writing, either.

But I digress.

The original songs (Mellencamp and T. Bone Burnett) are the real saving grace of this production. Many sound as though they could become classics. (Any time you put “home” in the lyric, it seems to signal a home run.) There were those in the cast who stood out like a diamond amongst zircons, Greenwood most of all, and the caretaker, sung by Eric Moore, who has previously appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and Man of LaMancha was outstanding.

All in all, it will be interesting to see if the play now goes to a larger venue and, if so, what they charge for tickets. Tickets at the Adler ranged from $39.50 to $59.50 to $69.50. The theater was not full, but the audience gave the cast a standing ovation at the end of the three hours.

On this tour of smaller houses, the 20 cities included Bloomington, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Knoxville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Evansville, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Akron, Ohio Columbus, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Madison, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sioux City, Iowa; Ames, Iowa; Davenport, Iowa; South Bend, Indiana; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the tour ends on November 6th.

“The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats” Will Be At Book World on November 2, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On October 28, 2013

In Books, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Uncategorized

In 2011, the first book in “The Christmas Cats” series of stories for young readers (ages 3 to 10) was released. It contained artwork by Andrew Weinert and Emily Marquez and conveyed the message, through the antics of “The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats” that children should learn to get along in life.

The journey of the first book was rocky. It was begun when young Andy Weinert was in high school. I promised him that, if he drew me some cats in silly hats, this book WOULD see the light of day. And then AuthorHouse lost his original drawings. I was so upset that I tracked the President of AuthorHouse down and received the promise of a “free” make good book. But, really, who wants more of a bad deal? I put the book in a drawer and there it moldered for 7 or 8 years.

While working on my movie book (“It Came from the 70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now”) I mentioned the cat book project to layout man Donnie Light. Donnie thought he might be able to make the pixels in the scans of the cats suitable, as computers had progressed quite a bit since Andy drew the originals. However, I also wanted to turn the book into a Christmas present, so I needed an artist to make that happen, and Andy was not available.

The girls’ nanny, Emily Marquez of Venezuela stepped in and helped out. Emily is not a professional artist, but she loves to draw and she did a credible job of both finishing the drawings and helping promote the book.

I did not publish a book in 2012, as Andy was unavailable to help with illustrations, but, as the twins for whom I wrote the first book are now 4, I looked long and hard for just the right artist to assist me with this project and found Gary McCluskey of Rhode Island.

Four-year-old twin granddaughters Elise (left) and Ava (right) Wilson, to whom the book is dedicated. (They’ll be helping me write them, from now on.)

Gary’s drawings were (and are) so good and clever and colorful that Donnie said, “This guy ought to be working for Disney!” I suggested drawings for the short rhyming tale of the Christmas Cats in Silly Hats, who are called in by scientists and asked to help round up escaped white lab rats. The drawings were (and are) darling, and the books are on their way to me now (expedited shipping) so that I can have them by November 2nd at the book signing at SouthPark Mall’s Book World. (At least, they are supposed to be here.)

The basic message of this book is that we should not be prejudiced, but should learn to judge individuals on their own merits. The Christmas Cats are still in evidence (and wearing their characteristic silly hats) but, this time, there are little white rats involved and the short book (32 pages) is a fun, colorful, creative read for anybody’s child or grandchild.

I will be signing copies of Book #2, “The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats” at SouthPark Mall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 2nd. While supplies last, if you purchase Book #2 in paperback, you can receive a free copy of Book #1. Don’t miss this opportunity to receive 2 books for the price of one!

The book is also available in Kindle format and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords outlets, but, if you want a signed copy, come visit me at Book World in South Park this coming Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Opening Night of the 49th Chicago Film Festival at the Chicago Theater

By Connie Wilson

On October 13, 2013

In Movies, Pop Culture

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel with a Festival judge at the 49th Chicago Film Festival.

Chicago Film Festival Opens with “The Immigrant” on October 10th, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On October 11, 2013

In Movies, Reviews

The 49th Chicago Film Festival opened in Chicago on October 10th, 2013, with a showing of James Gray’s film “The Immigrant.” The festival is the longest-running festival in North America. Director James Gray appeared with his film, which stars Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner.

The story of a Polish immigrant in 1921 New York City, Marion Cotillard speaks Polish throughout the film. She arrives at Ellis Island with her sister, Magda, and the duo expects to be met by their aunt and uncle. They are fleeing Poland after their parents were murdered in front of them by armed horsemen.

Chaz Ebert, widow of film critic Roger Ebert, is interviewed on the Red Carpet at the opening of the Chicago Film Festival.

Unfortunately, Magda is ill with tuberculosis and the officials decree that she must spend 6 months quarantined in the infirmary on Ellis Island. Ewa makes it her mission to wait for her sister. She is initially helped by Joaquin Phoenix’s character of Bruno Weiss, who forces her into prostitution, despite her reluctance. Bruno is attracted to the luminous beauty, but, even though he wants her for himself, he has arranged for her to be put in the position of facing deportation (until he intervenes) and he puts her in this position, despite wanting her for hinself.

The plot thickens when Bruno’s cousin, Emil (Jeremy Renner), a magician who performs as Orlando the Magician, returns to the Bandits’ Roost. Emil has a bad habit of stealing Bruno’s girlfriends. This time, Emil’s intent seems to be no different, causing friction between Bruno and Emil.

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel enters the Chicago Theater for Opening Night of the Chicago Film Festival.

The performances are routinely fine, although Jeremy Renner is under-used, and his guy liner is off-putting. The recreation of 1921 New York City are outstanding. As the granddaughter of a Dutch woman who immigrated through Ellis Island at the age of 13 (and who has visited Ellis Island), you can literally see what it must have been like.

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel with a Festival judge at the 49th Chicago Film Festival.

The film feels “old timey.” It is a melodrama with the “eternal triangle” motivating much of it, and the blackmail of Bruno (“Don’t you want to help your sister”) keeping Ewa in the traces at the Bandits’ Roost. As the film ends, Bruno admits that he is responsible for Ewa’s entire situation and says, “You hate me and I don’t blame you for hating me.” The entire film focuses on “The things we do to survive” and emphasizes the message, “You’re desperate. We’ve all been desperate.”

The festival this year is dedicated to recently-deceased film critic Roger Ebert, and his wife, Chaz, spoke and attended with her children. Also attending was Director James Gray.

The Weinstein Brothers are distributing the film, and James Gray (“Two Lovers,” “We Own the Night”) is scheduled to direct a space epic (“To the Stars”) in mid-2014.

Flugtag Flying Competition in Chicago on Saturday, September 21, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On September 21, 2013

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Pop Culture, travel

Flugtag (“Flight Day”) competition in Chicago, Illinois on September 21, sponsored by Red Bull.

Flugtag, Chicago, went down (literally) on Saturday, September 21 at Burnham Park on South Lakeshore Drive. Flugtag means “flight day.” The winner of the Chicago competition, Chicago Duck Hunt, flew only 39 feet, while, in Long Beach, California (one of 5 cities hosting simultaneous competitions) during their Flugtag competition today, the winning entry, the Chicken Whisperers, flew 258 feet, setting a new record.

Chris Yamamoto of Purdue’s Engineering College, at Flugtag on September 21, 2013.

I spoke with the captain of the Purdue team, Chris Yamamoto, who is not only a graduate student in aeronautical engineering at Purdue, but has taken part in the competition since 2010. Chris said it took the Purdue group about four months to build their plane, billed as the World’s Largest Flying Drum. He said this year he had invested $750 in the plane, but last year invested $1800.

Purdue “Flugtag” members Chris Yamamoto (left) and Ben Kuttesch at Flugtag on September 21, 2013.

Chris said that the Red Bull Flugtag teams are to be of five members. [His Purdue team has 8 members, but Red Bull, the sponsor of the competition, only recognizes 5.] Another Big Ten team was in the competition from Nebraska and teams from Omaha and Iowa were also on the list. On Yamamoto’s team were 2 female engineers (one with a job at Starbucks after she completes her senior year) and Purdue engineering graduate Ben Kuttesch. Yamamoto, in addition to being an aeronautical engineer, also holds a pilot’s license. He was to be the only team member actually going into the water with the craft. Among other groups, besides engineers, competing, there were planes built by firefighters and dentists.

“Flugtag,” Burnham Park, Chicago, IL, September 21, 2013.
The competition in Burnham Park on South Lakeshore Drive drew over 65,000 spectators, all attending for free and enjoying the sight of colorful planes dropping into the drink (i.e., Lake Michigan.) In Miami, over 85,000 were said to have attended the competition, but the record for attendance is 220,000 in Cape Town, South Africa in 2012. Yamamoto said the World Record for Flugtag, which traditionally has been held in various European cities, was a World Record flight distance of 290 feet and 209 feet in the U.S., flying off a thirty foot high launching platform.
The competition was held simultaneously in 5 U.S. cities this year: Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; and Long Beach, California.

Purdue’s entry in “Flugtag.”

Winners of the Chicago competition, besides the Chicago Duck Hunt were (second place) The Bamzonies. The People’s Choice award, voted on online, went to a Chicago team, HellonWheels.

Chicago skyline at “Flugtag” in Chicago on September 21, 2013.

Selsey a seaside town in the south of England, created the competition, under the name “Birdman Ralley” in 1971. The first Red Bull Flugtag competition was held in 1992 in Vienna, Austria. It was such a success that it has been held in over 35 cities worldwide every year since.

Entrance to Burnham Park and Flugtag in Chicago.

To participate, each team must submit an application and their flying craft must meet the criteria set forth by the sponsor Red Bull, which varies by location. In the USA each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of 30 feet (9.14 m) and a maximum weight (including pilot) of 450 lbs. (204 kg). Australian Flugtags are limited to a wingspan of 26.25 feet (8.0 m) and a weight (NOT including pilot) of 396.8 lb (180.0 kg).[3] The craft must be powered by muscle, gravity, and imagination.
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Another entry in Chicago’s “Flugtag” competition.
It may not have any loose parts and advertising space is limited to 1-square-foot (0.093 m2).

Additional Photos from Alleman High School 50th High School Reunion

By Connie Wilson

On September 19, 2013

In Local, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest

Hors d’oeuvres table.

Dan Santry near the elevator.

Dawn Staes, Steve Marlier, et al.

Pictures from Alleman High School’s Reunion: Class of 1963 on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On September 15, 2013

In Local, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest

(L to R) Bob Haner, Craig Wilson, Steve Marlier, Susie Marlier, Bob DeJonghe

Alleman’s 50th class reunion was held at the Holiday Inn in Rock Island on Saturday, September 14, 2013. Here are some pictures from the event, with identification if (and only if) I can identify the participants. Since it wasn’t my class, you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t put names under some of the pictures I took that night.

Steve Marlier (Charlotte, NC) and Bob DeJonghe.

If you are a class member, sign up to receive notifications for WeeklyWilson.com, which can be done on the front page. I write about a lot of things of both local, state and national interest.

Craig (far left, obscured), Bob Hafner and a bit of Steve Marlier, in the back of the group photo, which needed risers (or, at least, for the tall guys to go stand in the back.)

The class, en masse, by the elevators. The drinks in the air are Bob Hafner, Craig Wilson and Steve Marlier.

Judy (Fecht) DeJonghe is having way too good a time in this partial photo.

This group (Bob DeJonghe, Craig Wilson and Bob Hafner) is being sent to the office for misbehaving.

Former Silvis Superintendent of Schools Rene Noppe (and my former teaching colleague), who now teaches course for WIU chatting with classmate.

Why does it not surprise me that it is Bob Hafner of Hafner’s Wagon Wheel hodling the drink aloft.

Someone may have just fallen down the elevator shaft, but this group would not have noticed.

No idea who you all are, but I hope you had a good time.

Again, carry on.

One (of
[caption id="attachment_3869" align="alignleft" width="150"] Me, flanked by Marvis Hafner and Susie Marlier (none of us Alleman grads, but oh, well).
3) of the priests in the class appears (just barely) on the far lefthand side of photo.[/caption]
The Mistress of Ceremonies (“St. Anne’s! St. Anne’s! Where are you!”). I think it is Diane Coene Kennedy, but don’t hold me to that. Bravo! Job well done.

One member of the class (far right) appeared to be heading downstairs on the elevator, but, meanwhile, I think there might be a mugging taking place off to the left, given the reaction(s) of the group in that area.

Group nearest the Audio Visual screen.

Craig Wilson (my handsome husband) and the beautiful Susie Marlier. Aren’t you a good-looking class!

Real, Actual, ComCast Service Call: Hilarious!

By Connie Wilson

On September 13, 2013

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Uncategorized

I just got off an internet chat session from Comcast support… this is the actual exchange (I just cut and pasted here)… I found it kind of humorous:

Maria: Hello Scott, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Maria. Please give me one moment to review your information.
analyst Maria has entered room
Scott: My Issue: Regarding Ticket #017527451, I keep getting contacted from a collection agency even though Comcast has confirmed the charges are incorrect. Can you please contact the collection agency and inform them?
Maria: I appreciate you taking the time to chat with us. I hope your day went well.
Scott: sure
Maria: Thank you.
Scott: There is an incorrect charge owed of $89.74 on my account.
Maria: I understand that you are having a hard time connecting to Collections Department and would want me to contact them on your behalf, Scott.
Scott: These charges against me occurred AFTER I disconnected service
Scott: Not the collections department
Scott: n outside third party who does the collections for Comcast
Scott: (an)
Maria: Oh, I can perfectly understand your concern on this matter, Scott. No worries, I can definitely check the status of your ticket # you have provided.
Scott: thanks
Maria: You are most welcome.
Maria: Would you mind giving me one moment to pull up your account?
Scott: sure
Maria: Thank you.
Maria: I am now pulling up your old account.
Scott: taking a long time
Maria: Thank you so much for patiently waiting. I have now pulled up your account.
Maria: To protect your account I will need to verify some additional information. Would you please provide me with the last 4 digits of your social security number?
Scott: 1234
Maria: Excellent!
Maria: Thank you so much for verifying your account.
Maria: Great news!
Scott: sure
Maria: I am seeing here that your current balance is $0.00.
Maria: The $89.74 has already been adjusted on your account.
Maria: Isn’t it great?
Scott: great. Can you officially inform the collection agency then so they stop calling me?
Scott: And confirm to me that they were contacted?
Scott: I can even provide you with their phone number
Scott: Isn’t that great!
Maria: Oh, I can definitely note this on your account so the collections department would be able to see the updates on your balance.
Maria: Oh, Sure thing, that would be great!
Scott: great!
Scott: Would you mind giving me one moment to pull up the number?
Maria: Oh, please take your time, Scott.
Scott: great!
Scott: (elevator music)
Maria: That’s a good one!
Scott: great! glad you liked it
Scott: please continue to hold while I pull that up
Maria: Oh, sure thing, I am just right here waiting for you.
Maria: Scott, just to let you know, at the end of this chat there will be a short survey.
Scott: great!
Maria: I would greatly appreciate if you grant my simple request to spare few seconds of your time to complete a short survey on how well I have assisted you.
Scott: great! a survey
Scott: I love surveys
Maria: Yes, a survey, Scott.
Maria: Oh, I love to know that you love taking surveys! thank you so much for your cooperation. Your comments and suggestions means a lot to me.
Scott: The collections agency phone is 877-236-5791
Maria: Perfect!
Scott: Yes!
Scott: Amazing!
Maria: One moment please as I note the number down for you.
Scott: Oh, sure thing, I am just right here waiting for you.
Maria: Wow! thank you so much for your patience.
Scott: Snap! No worries!
Maria: Great news! I have already taken cared everything for you.
Maria: Thank you.
Scott: Great! What is it that you have taken care of? Contacted the agency and informed them?
Maria: Oh, I have noted everything that we have discussed here today and that includes the number you have provided to be called (Collections – third party #).
Scott: Oh, great!
Scott: Is there anything else I can do for you?
Maria: Sure thing it is!
Scott: Have a great day! Oh… and a great evening!
Maria: Oh, I should be the one asking you that, Scott. Sure thing you have a sense of humor!
Maria: Oh you too! Have a blessed evening!
Maria: Would there be anything else before we end?
Scott: Right back at ya!
Scott: (boomerang style)
Maria: Oh! I am so happy I was able to resolved and help you with your issue today by giving you the assurance that the $89.74 has already been adjusted on your account.
Maria: Oh! that’s a good one!
Maria: I have also noted everything on your account for Collection’s reference before contacting you back again.
Scott: Not as happy as I! After all, it is my $89.74 we are both excited about!
Scott: Goodbye Maria!
Maria: I am so happy that you don’t need to pay $89.74 anymore!
Maria: Good bye to you too, Scott.
Maria: That pretty much covers everything, Scott. Once again, thank you for contacting Comcast chat support. It has been a pleasure assisting you today. We thank you for choosing Comcast as your provider, remember it is our guarantee to be available to answer questions at your convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Scott: (or is that your “XFINITY Chat” name?)
Scott: Wow, you typed that fast!
Maria: Yes, Maria is my real name and chat name at the same time.
Scott: nimble!
Scott: Great!
Maria: Thank you! I am glad to hear that.
Scott: Me too!
Scott: Now go out there and give XFINITY your best today!
Maria: Sure thing I will, Scott!
Scott: Oh, one other thing while you are here “Maria”…
Maria: Sure thing, go ahead please.
Scott: Any chance you can reduce my cable bill costs… by as much as 50%… without any loss of service?
Maria: Oh, I can definitely understand that you would want to save and keep your current services at the same time, Scott.
Maria: No worries we still have a solution for this.
Scott: Great!
Scott: Does it involve others paying my bill?
Maria: For more promo options and offers, you may contact our Customer’s Solutions. They will have access to more promotions available specifically to retain loyal customers like you. They can be reached at #1-800-934-6489 and is available from Mondays to Saturdays at 8am-6pm.
Scott: Again… you are a fast typist!
Maria: May I ask if what do you mean by that?
Maria: Oh, thank you!
Scott: Sure! means I think you are a fast typist!
Maria: Oh! thank you for the compliment, Scott!
Scott: You typed that paragraph in like 2.7 seconds!
Maria: Wow!
Scott: Zoinks!
Maria: Oh, before I forgot, that is eastern standard time.
Scott: Well “Maria”… it’s been great… I’m exhausted… I don’t know if I ‘ll have enough energy for that “survey” your gonna throw at me
Scott: Sounds a lot like an ACT or something
Maria: Oh, that is alright.
Scott: Will I be graded?
Maria: That’s a good one, Scott!
Maria: It’s alright. No worries.
Scott: Can you take the survey for me?
Scott: Just enter the name “Scott” instead of Maria
Maria: Oh, I am saddened that I can’t.
Scott: I am more saddened that you can’t
Maria: Oh!
Scott: Ok then… get those nimble fingers back to work… at this rate you only end up assisting 3.4 customers per day
Maria: Surveys are optional. It’s perfectly fine if you are unable to participate.
Scott: I’ll think about it during the next music interlude
Scott: Ok.. bye “Maria”!
Maria: Perfect!
Maria: Good bye now, Scott!
Maria: I enjoyed assisting you today!
Maria: Have a blessed evening!
Scott: what do you mean by that?
Scott: Oh! I enjoyed you assisting me as well!
Scott: Good by now, “Maria”!
Maria: Oh, I mean, I enjoyed the chat conversation.
Scott: Oh! Great!
Scott: Bye!
Maria: Good bye now scott!
Maria: Please click on “Exit Chat“ or `Close Chat` button to properly close this chat and to take the survey. Thank you for contacting Comcast and have a great day.
Scott: Oh!
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“Light” Display at Cheekwood Estates (Nashville, TN) by UK Artist Bruce Munro

By Connie Wilson

On September 9, 2013

In Pop Culture, travel

http://youtu.be/-j2CCYf3eaI

Cheekwood Mansion, Labor Day, 2013.

British visual artist Bruce Munro, best-known for using light as an artistic medium, has produced the second-ever North American exhibition of Light on the 55-acre grounds of Cheekwood Estate in Nashville, Tennessee. The U.S. debut at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, featured an enchanting, dream-like effect, composed of 20,000 lighted glass spheres, each rising from the ground on a slender stalk. It ran from June until October, 2003, commissioned by the DuPont and Pierce families.
Cheekwood Mansion, Nashville, Tennessee.

Munro, who was born at Salcombe in Devon (UK) in 1959 attended Bristol Polytechnic and emigrated from Australia, where he had done light work for Qantas and Honda, to Great Britain in 2002. Since then, he has created installations at Wiltshire near his studio, the Eden Project in Cornwall, the CDSeaRegatta (made of discarded CD disks), Light Shower at Salisbury Cathedral and 2004’s Field of Light at the Victoria & Albert Museum. From February through April of 2010, his work was part of the exhibit in New York City entitled Contemplating the Void.
Stacey near Water Tower display at “Light” exhibit at Cheekwood Estate on Labor Day, 2013.
Cheekwood’s 55 acres of gently rolling lands and the Cheekwood Mansion grounds are the largest Field of Light expanse Munro has ever created. The existing pathways and installations on the grounds are utilized to allow visitors to wander amidst the 20,000 lighted glass spheres on the mansion’s lawns, the Japanese Bamboo Garden Fireflies exhibit (reminiscent of scenes from the film “Life of Pi”), the 5-foot “Blue Moon” orb in the Japanese Garden Dry Lake, and the 40 structures known as Water Towers, which are built from one-liter recyclable plastic bottles filled with water and which features music created by fiber optics linked to an LED projector and sound system.
Cheekwood Estate, Nashville, Tennessee, Labor Day, 2013.
Near Cheekwood’s lawn, by the ponds, is the Mustard Meadows Light Reservation, an assemblage of 60 watt spent fluorescent tubes. Also featured at the installation at 1200 Forrest Park Drive in Nashville are a reflection pool entitled “Fagin’s Urchins,”made of polycarbonate, acrylic polymer fiber optics and stainless steel, and several stunning creations within the Cheekwood Mansion itself, including “Light Shower,” an installation of 1,650 teardrop-shaped diffusers suspended from the ceiling by fiber-optic strands, and a stunning transformation of the Cheekwood Mansion Rotunda Staircase by the Bell Drop Chandelier.

“Blue Moon” installation at Cheekwood (Bruce Munro, artist), “Light” display.

“Blue Moon,” unlit.

The exhibit began May 24 and runs until November 8, 2013. It is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday beginning at 4:30 and continuing until 11 p.m., with three October Tuesdays (Oct.1, 15 and 20). Cost for adults is $15, with seniors (over 65) admitted for $12 and college students with ID $8. Admission for children 3 through 17 is also $8; children two and under attend free. (See www.Cheekwood.org/Art/Light for music and dining options, which vary.)