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« September 2006 | Main | November 2006 »
Monday, October 23, 2006 - 16:46:41
Overheard in Little Rock
"My dog is super sweet and nice, until he bites you." - girl in sunglasses - Interstate Park - 10/23/06. Mr. Ricky.
It's just kickball - and weekend junk
So my kickball team was lost in the playoffs this weekend marking the end to a great season of playing a schoolyard game. I love the Little Rock Kickball Association and almost everyone in it. Each Sunday, hundreds of adults bring their families, friends and pets out and we all play kickball, six innings a game, tons of fun. There are three divisions spanning competitive to "laid back". And once your game is over, usually people hang out, watch other games, scout teams and basically have a great time all thanks to a little red ball, a baseball diamond and no lightning.
Now I love playing kickball, and I have gotten trounced, I done the trouncing on others, I've been in nail biters and I've been the hero that saved the game and the zero who lost it. I've played in all three levels and I've had the time of my life doing so, but this weekend I had my first truly bad taste of the dark side of the big red ball. We were playing a good team, it was a hard fought battle and at the end, our own mistakes (and a few from the umps) killed us and we lost. Now if that's all it was, I could quietly sit back and take it on the chin, but I have to say the way in which the other team acted, through out the entire game and they game they played before that wasn't just embarrassing as a kickballer, but reprehensible as members of a civilized community.
First of all, it's just kickball, and if you're in the competitive league it just means you want to play serious ball, like it was a sport. But the game isn't any different from the Laid-Back-League who's playoffs depend less on the score of the game and more on the costume contest and audience participation sketch, it's all just kicking a big rubber ball around in the dirt and having fun. I mean, I go out there because A) It's ridiculous for anyone over the age of 14 to be playing kickball for any reason. B) Ummm, it's kickball, it's really fun C) You're kickball team is like a whole other set of friends you see once a week on the field of glory and you have that team dynamic that a lot of us don't get in the "real world" D) Did I mention grown men and women sliding, diving for catches, debating the bunt or kick away strategies, the guy with the tiger tail, the team that played in prom dresses, hello? No where in there did I list sloshed meat head spouting off the entire game and trying to intimidate the high school umps and calling the women on the opposing team things that frankly I wouldn't say to my ex-wife who cheated on me with the Pacific Fleet. It was bad; ya'll, real bad. I mean I've seen worse in a bar fight, sure, but this is kickball, this is Sunday afternoons and going to El Porton after, this isn't my freshmen year of college all over again. LRKA has a zero tolerance policy about this kind of behavior, but it was not enforced during either of those games and that's a shame. I would have enjoyed my day in the cold a lot more had I not been subjected to poor attitude, disregard for fellow kickball enthusiasts (and the many children out to watch their parents or siblings) and complete lack of anything resembling dignity, honor or sportsmanship.
So if anyone sees this team of Mr. Chebags, I apologize on behalf of kickball everywhere, they exemplify only what a kickball team should never be. I hope the commissioner and the board will witness first hand what a poor addition the make to the overall association and let them know they need to either play like kids and act like adults, or not come out on Sunday.
The pursuits of the Ultimate Kickball Championships of the Known Universe continue next Sunday at Hindman Park off 65th street in Little Rock. The public is welcome to come watch, though you may want to carpool, not a lot of parking down there.
For more information on joining the LRKA for the Spring 2007 season and all things kickball in Little Rock:
Also if you missed the production of the I Am My Own Wife, starring Alan Douglas, at the Weekend Theater, I feel sorry for you. Mr. Douglas was superb as Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, as well as over 40 other characters, in this one-man show about a transvestite living in East Germany that survived the Nazis, the Russians, the Stasi and the fall of the Berlin wall. The story is so interesting, so amazing, I press everyone to research it, read the show, go see the show if you can (The Weekend Theater's presentation was one weekend only and is part of a series of one man shows throughout the year), because no matter how you feel about homosexuality, Nazi Germany, the Cold War, or hundreds of other things this show deals with, the mere fact that she was able to not only survive, but thrive under these conditions is remarkable, truly remarkable. The performance was inspiring as an actor seeing such fine craftsmanship on stage and as a human being hearing that story of survival.
For more information on the show and the true story of I Am My Own Wife, see there website by clicking above.
http://www.iammyownwife.com
Other than that, THE HOGS WON! WOOOO PIG SOOOIEEEE! and the Cardinals are tied 1-1, though I'm not fanatic about MLB and I won't be watching much of the series, nonetheless, go Cards.
Oh, and finally, if fell to 3-4 in Fantasy Football as I managed to schedule bye weeks for 5 my starters including both starting running backs, since one of the is still hurt.... thus I picked up some guy from the waiver wire, I think one of them is legally dead.... not good, not good....
Confidentially, tired ya'll, I remain, Mr. Ricky.
Again: caconfidential@gmail.com should you need Mr. Ricky to shed life on your meager problems or great philosophical debates.
Friday, October 20, 2006 - 13:47:53
Ramblings for the Weekend!
If you haven't yet, go here, The Rude Pundit: http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/, mad props to Dogtownius Maximus for this link.
Okay, okay, okay, Mr. Ricky has got some stuff to say. That rhymed, what of it!
1. What is the deal with the hunter orange/ real tree camo campaign materials I'm seeing now? Okay, I get it, you're going after the "huntin vote" and that's fine, but does the sign have to be 33% orange? Democrats, Republicans, Communists and even three members of the Green Party hunt. Hunting is not a political issue. Really guns aren't a political issue either, the use of those guns to intimidate, commit crimes, kill people, etc. is an issue. But back to my point, I don't hate hunting or fishing, I have done and do both, but when you leave the woods, you don't need the all the camoflage anymore. When is this infatuation with mossy oak camo going to die down? Really, you need pimp your duelly out with it, seriously? Cause nothing looks sweeter than your plastic wrap camo details peeling off the side of you F150, while your four wheeler slides around in the back, nothing.
Oh, and while I'm on the "Arkansas Traveler" truck package, when I was, oh I don't know, 16, I went "muddin" and covered my Jeep in a 1/2" of the stuff, let dry, only cleared enough off the windshield to marginally see where I was going so when I showed up at school on Monday, my badge of honor was shining like a dirt clod. I admit it and I embrace it. Now that I'm older, wiser, not debating who's gonna get their older brother to buy beer for the Homecoming after party, let me say this: If you are out of high school and still going muddin and leaving the mud on there for, I don't, weeks, until the good Lord finally washes it away with a bit of rain - stop. Put your keys on the floor, and slide them to me.... to me Pele(Why the Pele joke is funny, see below)
2. For those of you still reeling from the departure of the Second City improv troupe, local funny is all over the place with the Red Octopus Theater continuing their Halloween show "Woo Pig, Zombie!" at EZ Street Piano Bar tonight and tomorrow night at 8PM and Improv Little Rock, with an impromptu Halloween show at the Public Theater on Sunday, @ 7PM. Admission for ROT is $10 ($8 if you wear a costume) and runs today and tomorrow. Check the Arkansas Times Comedy Section and Theater Section for more information on live entertainment around the Rock this weekend.
3. 
Finally, I found this website the other day where you can type anything you want on a LED screen in this guy's basement, oh, and sometimes his dad will sit in the foreground and play guitar.... it's great... especially if "Dad" is rocking out. I've already done a Freebird joke....
I'm done working for the weekend, confidentially ready to throw some back, Mr. Ricky
FYI: GO HOGS GO, BEAT OLE MISS!
*This joke comes from The Chase, starring Charlie Sheen, and is funny because it makes reference to the person "sliding" the object being like Pele for kicking the object anywhere but to the intended target. See Pele is considered the greatest futbol player of all time for all ya'll who don't know much about that funny game all those "latiners" play out at Murray Park.... okay, I'll back up, about 2.5 billion people in the world call Soccer, "Futbol" which is pronounced like football, but is completely different. Google it, and I'm not explaining Google, if you are reading this, then you should know about Google, I hope.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - 09:21:40
300,000,000 People
According to US census demographers, the United States population hit the 300,000,000 mark at around 7:46 A.M. today. Wow, that's a bunch of folks. To see how things have changed since we hit 200 million in 1967 or way back when it was a measly 100 million, clickity, clickity.
Meanwhile, we still have some catching up to do if we wanna catch China, which has around 1,313,973,713, according to the CIA World Factbook, (if you didn't find it in college, is a great place to get all the basics on any country on the globe. Plus, you can pretend you’re in the CIA, researching a "job" for the "company".)
What's this mean for America? Not much, other than we are having a birth every four seconds faster than a death and the population growth is added to by a new immigrant, either legally or illegally, arriving here every 31 seconds. Is it a good thing or a bad thing, I guess that depends on your point of view, but its a fact, so we should get used to it.
Just a confidential quickie - Ricky, Mr. Ricky.
Monday, October 16, 2006 - 11:07:50
You might be a bandwagoner if:
Seriously, Mr. Ricky is getting tired of the Hog Bandwagon. Everyday on Drive Time Sports, what do I hear? How good the Hogs are, how good Mitch Mustain is gonna be, how no one can touch are tailbacks, how we don't have room for Peyton Hillis (that’s like saying we don’t have room for another Ferrari) in the offense because of all the new talent, yada yada yada. Freakin bandwagoners, back in September they were going to string Dale up and now "we could technically play for the National Championship." Ahhhhhh! Yes, if fifteen of the top teams in America manage to lose three games apiece and the hand of God comes down and touches the BCS computer, we will play for the National Championship. I give you this rant of a list:
You may be a bandwagoner if:
- You have calculated the exact scenario in which Arkansas can play for the national championship, which involves several plane crashes, a nuclear attack on Bangladesh, the overthrow of the Iranian government and Peyton Hillis rushing for back-to-back 150 yd games.
- You called "Dale" the worst coach in Arkansas history in September and then said "How 'bout them Hogs!" when you walked in the office today.
- You posted anything on Hogwired about how we can go 11-1 this season with some "lucky breaks".
- You call into any sports radio show and ask if the Hogs could beat USC now? (Yes, they could, they could also lose 67-3, and Frank Broyles could retire - the point, they already got beat, quit dreaming.)
- You still wear your "Trojans Break" t-shirt.
- You think we have to put up at least 50 points on out of conference schools in order to improve our BCS standings, because according to your calculations, we could make it.
Oh, there are many more, but the fact remains, bandwagoners need to simmer down. You just can't come out of the woodwork and be a fierce supporter of the Hogs when they're winning and then as soon as the lose a couple go back to watching Miami v. Boston College on ESPN Classic. Furthermore, quit trying to speculate we are going to win the whole season and the SEC championship game. In the SEC, any given Sunday, any team can lose to any other team, I don't care how good you are, just ask Auburn, Florida and Georgia. The fact is, we are going to lose at least one more game, I don't want us to, but being realistic, I would say 9-3 is our best bet, 10-2 is a dream and I'll have a heart attack if we somehow get to 11-1.
So if all you bandwagoners could quit calling in to talk radio to say Go Hogs Go and that you have forgiven Dale and alls right in the world, Mr. Ricky would really appreciate it.
Confidentially, GO HOGS GO! - Mr. Ricky
Weekends should be four days...
Mr. Ricky never seems to have enough time. This weekend being no different as it was run, run, run. I did have a chance to see The Weekend Theater's production of The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds and it was pretty good. The cast was great, but Amanda Taylor as the science fair competitor that boils the flesh off a cat and rebuilds the skeleton for her entry stole the show with a mere 2 minutes. While the acting all around was superb, the show is set in a time when the nuclear age was just beginning and some of the parallels it tries to draw between the wonder of the atom and the lives of the characters is lost on a twenty-first century audience.
The show was sold out for its' final performance and the rest of this upcoming season should see full houses. Remember, make your reservations early, this weekend I Am My Own Wife will have a one-night performance on Saturday. 501-374-7601 for reservations, www.weekendtheater.org for details on everything happening at The Weekend Theater.
I was invited, but didn't go, to hangout at "Deep" in the Rivermarket, apparently some kind of basement club underneath Willie D's. What is the problem with Little Rock? Are we trying to be some small, non-celebrity ridden, blue jeans and an untucked dress shirt version of some big metropolis? What happened to bars named, "Rosco's", "Johnson's", "Little Rock Brew Pub"? I mean we have "Deep" now and "Nu", I'm waiting for "?" or "@" (which there is a place in NYC called just "@", they have text messaging or something between tables, because why get up and talk to someone?). Little Rock is becoming too pretentious for its own good. I keep seeing ads for $300 pairs of blue jeans and $95 T-shirts "just like Angelina wore" and I'm thinking to myself, really? You do realize all of you were the people with bowl cuts and polo shirts on six years ago, right? This is why I can't go down to those place, I look around and think, if I'm going to pay $8 for a drink, I don't think I should have to put up with the constant, "These are Mongolian denim, feel them, they're ultra soft." Dude, I'm not touching your jeans, while you're in them, at a bar, seriously.
I did make it by Cajuns and does anyone remember when that place was packed every night with people under 35? The last few times I've been there its parents and divorcees with college aged kids doing what I can only assume is dancing. While it looks more like a tribal solstice celebration or the "hippie spin", they look like they're having fun, so I guess, you go, old dude, with two cellphone holsters, and a chain wallet... you go.
Also this weekend, I came to the conclusion that I'm going to have to give up some shows. I just don't have the time to watch them and still not being a part of the "DVR" revolution, I have filled up all my programming on the ye ole VCR. I wish the following shows all the best; I'll to catch you on DVD:
Sons & Daughters
Jericho
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Nip/Tuck (I'll catch it in reruns though)
6o or ER (on the fence still)
And finally, this weekend, my fantasy football team went down in flames as every player on my team decided to be craptastic and drop below their averages, meanwhile my new defense, which was rated in the top 10, decided to get 30 points hung on them. Having Sean Alexander out with an injury didn't help much, so now I fall to 3-3, with little hope of climbing back to the upper echelons.... curses!
Well, that's all my ranting for now, though I did hear on the "Heather and DC" show this morning during their "Redneck" portion of the show that the most redneck think one listener had heard of was "One guy, two sisters, two babies - Sister-cousins". Wow.
Confidentially trying to get back in a blog groove, Mr. Ricky.
Questions, Comments, Advice needed or to give? Email me at caconfidential@gmail.com, or leave a comment, or both.
Monday, October 09, 2006 - 15:34:32
My Theaterical Threats Become Real!
As I stated sometime in the past, I would be throwing in some musings and maulings of the local live entertainment scene, specifically theater, etc. I'll leave the bands to those who are more informed than I... though the Oxford Amercian's 8th Music Issue is out this week and comes with a cd of rocking, off the beaten path musicians, check it if you want to hear some underground Southern Sounds.
On to theater!
- The Second City improv troupe closed out another tour stop at the REP this weekend. Mr. Ricky went a few nights back and had a blast. The success of the Second City tour stops are always the individual casts, some years they're great and some years they're not so great. This year's cast was good and the almost sold out house had a raucus time. For those of you who missed the Second City tour this year, shame on you, we expect another great show in fall 2007.....
- The Weekend Theater continues an ambitious and exciting season with their upcoming schedule:
Marigolds' Final Performances are this weekend, Friday and Saturday @ 7:30PM. Did everyone have to read this in school? Watch out, there is some "actual indoor smoking" on stage, don't go throwin a fit, its part of the show, not Cigarette Speakeasy.
I Am My Own Wife, which won a Pulitzer Prize and several Tonys in 2004, will have a one night stand featuring Little Rock veteran actor, Allan Douglas. There are 84 seats, they will be gone soon, start dialing. Mr. Ricky made reservations last week, I suggest you do the same.
And Coming Up in November, Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out, followed by Wendy Wasserstein's American Daughter and West Side Story. Geesh, call 374-7601 and get down to The Weekend Theater at 7th and Chester this fall, its gonna be a good one.
- Community Theater of Little Rock is getting ready to put Sweet Charity (October 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 ) up on the stage over at Woolly Theatre located at the Arkansas School for the Blind. Mr. Ricky isn't familiar with this show, but I've been told its gonna be a good time. The revival is currently playing on Broadway, so if you're in the mood for a musical, For more information call 663-9494 or email communitytheatreoflittlerock@hotmail.com.
- The Red Octopus Theater Co. is at it again with their new Halloween sketch comedy show, Wooo..Pig! Zombie!. Details are sketchy(I had to, I just had to), but the show opens next Monday at the EZ Street Piano bar on 7th and Center streets, with a Starving Artists night and runs each night, October 16 - 21st. Admission is $10, $8 for anyone in costume. Doors open at 7PM and the show starts at 8PM. For more information contact EZ Street Piano Bar at 501-372-3530.
People, there is tons of live entertainment to see in this town, get out there and take advantage! There is nothing quite like sharing a performance with the actors and the rest of the audience, they've invented Tivo, use it. For all the live theater information you could want, see the Arkanasas Times Theater Section.
Confidentially, I'll get back to you on how these were, - Mr. Ricky
*PS: This is the musings of Mr. Ricky and Central Arkansas Confidential, the views expressed here do not represent those of the Arkansas Times or its theater reviewers, so there, take that for what it's worth. All flyer art was supplied from the theaters or from show's marketing materials on their website, please contact with any concerns or inquiries, confidentially of course.
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