Brooke S. Foster

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:12:00 -0400

Here’s one for humanity’s “win” column.

My friend Evan Benn writes about an amazing 13-year-old boy and his granted wish in today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I remember this sweet kid from Anthony Bourdain’s appearance at the Fox Theatre. Who wouldn’t? So many people waited in line that evening to ask questions that ranged from funny to pretentious, but Evan Piña-White stood out — not because of his tragic diagnosis (that’s one for the Universe’s “lose” column) but because of his pure happiness, his joy to be speaking with one of his heroes.

This kid’s trip to Spain will be phenomenal — dining on seafood at the suggestion of his personal hero Tony Bourdain, courtesy of the amazing, anonymous heroes at the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Beauty. One of my favorite shows meets one of my favorite...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:43:00 -0400

Beauty. One of my favorite shows meets one of my favorite books.

slaughterhouse90210:

“When she packed up to leave, she knew that she was saying goodbye to something important, which was not that bad, in a way, because it meant that at least you had said hello to it to begin with…”
— Lorrie Moore, Birds of America

Go Lynx!

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:13:00 -0400

Super-glad (although not at all surprised) to see that my adored alma mater, Rhodes College, made U.S. News & World Report’s short-list as a liberal arts college with the Best Undergraduate Teaching.

This place challenged my expectations and changed my life.

(Who wouldn’t want to study in this library?)

mattstopera: Adopt Me, Maybe? I thought I was sick of “Call Me...

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:32:00 -0400

mattstopera:

Adopt Me, Maybe?

I thought I was sick of “Call Me Maybe” cards until I saw this.

Of Sewage Runoff and Higher Bills: Why to Vote "YES" on Proposition Y

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:04:00 -0400

There are myriad reasons to vote YES on Proposition Y, placed on the June 5 ballot by the Clean Water StL committee. Our infrastructure is old, crumbling (150-year-old pipes, anyone?), and in clear violation of the Clean Water Act. This creates a potential (read: very likely) scenario that is both disgusting and hazardous — sewage runoff, wastewater overflows, and the destruction of historic basements and the irreplaceable items contained therein.

But the most compelling reason to vote YES on Y is to protect ourselves and our neighbors from a jaw-droppingly massive rate hike that most families simply cannot afford. A YES vote means a gradual increase, and gives the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) the ability to make the repairs. A NO vote means a right-now, kick-in-the-pants, more-than-double-your-monthly-bill increase that will hurt working families — owners and renters alike.

Both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis American weighed in with their support (emphasis mine):

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 29: “…in a tight economy, asking homeowners and businesses, which are just beginning to recover from the recession, to double their wastewater bills overnight is a recipe for economic disaster.” [full editorial]

St. Louis American, May 24: “…The proposed MSD wastewater sewer system improvements will significantly reduce the number of sewage backups in residential basements. And as homeowners and renters we can avoid having our neighbors experience … the insurmountable personal loss of valuables we’ve always stored in the basement of our dwelling where we have historically depended on as a dry and safe environment.” [full column by Urban League President James Buford]

Let’s vote YES on Y this Tuesday, June 5. You can find your polling place here.

!!!!!!! I love, love, love, love, love Mike...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:44:39 -0400

!!!!!!! I love, love, love, love, love Mike Birbiglia.

pelopidasmedia:

thepageantstl:

ON SALE FRIDAY 6/1 AT 5PM!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

STL Area Foodbank Benefit…

MIKE BIRBIGLIA

with Greg Warren

Reserved Main Floor & Balcony $30.00
Doors 7:00 pm / Show 8:00 pm
All Ages

RSVP on facebook
web:birbigs.com
facebook:facebook.com/birbigfans
twitter:@birbigs

HUNGER IS NO LAUGHING MATTER
Mike Birbiglia headlines a night of comedy that also features Greg Warren at The Pageant on Saturday, August 11th, benefiting the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

In 10 years, MIKE BIRBIGLIA has grown from struggling comic to a popular talk show guest to a groundbreaking, original storyteller. The results? Two critically-acclaimed CDs, three Comedy Central specials and a Nathan Lane-produced Off-Broadway show called “Sleepwalk with Me” that was recently nominated for both a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Circle Critics Award for “Best Solo Performance.” Birbiglia’s comedy built him a cult following in colleges, then clubs, then concert halls nationwide and has made him one of the most popular touring acts to audiences of all ages. In 2008, Birbiglia teamed up with award-winning director Seth Barrish and Broadway legend Nathan Lane on “Sleepwalk with Me,” a painfully-funny one-man show about first love, denial and how the sleepwalking disorder that nearly killed Birbiglia might have saved his life. Due to popular demand the show was extended twice. The New York Times called the show, “simply perfect.” Birbliglia lives in New York City with his wife. SLEEPWALK WITH ME, grown out of the hit one-man show, marks his literary debut.