Jetta's Holiday Get-Together

"Annie" - Rocklin Community Theatre

Went with the DMTC group to see Rocklin Community Theatre's "Annie" at Finnish Temperance Hall. At DMTC, we did the original version: Rocklin did the revival. I was curious to see how different the versions were - not that much, really, mostly the addition of a strangely illogical song by Warbucks.

Lots of good performances by actors, particularly Erika Placencia as Miss Hannigan and Travis Nagler as Oliver Warbucks, but also Nitalia Wilson as Lily St. Regis. The girl playing Annie, Hadley Granger, had a great singing voice. I liked the scene interlude videos - very clever. Nevertheless, I did not like some of the directorial choices. The Cabinet scene was presented as a comic scene - Roosevelt stands up! - which I really hated, because it strips away the dignity of those who lived through the Depression. Same way with the odd presentation of Justice Brandeis. These were real people, not caricatures, and shouldn't be presented as such. Sigh.

Travis Nagler as Oliver Warbucks.

Collapse

I like this chart. It shows that, with an expanding Latino/non-white population, there is a tipping point where the GOP share of the vote will abruptly collapse. As California went, so will the nation.

Sudden Smoke Inhalation

Over the last year, one thing I noticed when I turned on the heater in my truck was a small whiff of smoke. Not much; just a little. Something was hot, and burning. But like many wonky things in life, I just got used to it.

Tonight, driving home, and a short distance from my house, whatever it was in the heating system started smoldering. I quickly stopped, turned off the heater, and turned off the truck's engine.

In a few minutes, the smoke dissipated. So, now I guess I can't use the heater. Which I suppose I can get used to as well.

Trump Goes After The Vietnamese

So now, what has often been a Republican constituency - think SoCal Vietnamese - will get the boot:

The Trump administration is resuming its efforts to deport certain protected Vietnamese immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades—many of them having fled the country during the Vietnam War.

This is the latest move in the president’s long record of prioritizing harsh immigration and asylum restrictions, and one that’s sure to raise eyebrows—the White House had hesitantly backed off the plan in August before reversing course. In essence, the administration has now decided that Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the country before the establishment of diplomatic ties between the United States and Vietnam are subject to standard immigration law—meaning they are all eligible for deportation.

Captain Doofus

Scientists Discover Gold Literally Growing on Trees in the Outback

Shake some trees Down Under:

Money might not grow on trees, but scientists have confirmed that gold is found in the leaves of some plants.

Scientists from Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), have proved that the leaves of certain eucalyptus trees contain minute amounts of the precious metal that have been naturally absorbed.

Eucalypts in the Kalgoorlie region of Western Australia and the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia are drawing up water containing gold particles from the earth via their roots and depositing it in their leaves and branches.

Davis High School All-Choirs Winter Concert