Audio Chimera

Auditions for Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost in Legion-Keener Park in June. Contact me if you need more info.

Episode #7, "The Exchange Student," is now available on Audio Chimera (episode 74):

‎Audio Chimera: Kid Again Episode 7 Exchange Student on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Audio Chimera, Ep Kid Again Episode 7 Exchange Student - Dec 28, 2023

I’m developing a murder mystery dinner script. It feels like I’ve been preparing for this forever.

The script. Not the murder.

𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖯𝖠𝖯𝖤𝖱 𝖧𝖤𝖠𝖱𝖳 StoryZ John Paul Ritchey

The latest Episode of Kid Again 6 is now available through AC Episode 72!

‎Audio Chimera: Kid Again Epidoe 6 on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Audio Chimera, Ep Kid Again Epidoe 6 - Oct 12, 2023

Episode #5 is now available!

‎Audio Chimera: Kid Again Episode 5 on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Audio Chimera, Ep Kid Again Episode 5 - Oct 11, 2023

If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be? I find this to be an amusing little prompt. 1) Who would want to? 2) I kinda used to! When I was teaching I had a “sort of” uniform: I was known for wearing black jeans. On the rare occasions that I wore blue, a colleague would shield her eyes and say, “Too bright!” I topped the jeans off with a button-down Oxford cloth shirt....

The Uniform If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be? I find this to be an amusing little prompt. 1) Who would want to? 2) I kinda used to! When I was teaching I had a “sort …

How important is spirituality in your life? I grew up in the Catholic Church. And though I said, in my oft-cited (by me) memoir, Immaculate Misconceptions: Tales of Catholic School, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic,” I don’t really believe that. Oh, sure, I still twitch when I see a priest collar or a nun, but all of the other trappings have fallen away as much as I have....

…What? How important is spirituality in your life? I grew up in the Catholic Church. And though I said, in my oft-cited (by me) memoir, Immaculate Misconceptions: Tales of Catholic School, “Once a Catholi…

How do you waste the most time every day? My rule for time-wasting is: It’s ok if I waste my time, but I don’t want other people doing it. In a long line at the Post Office a couple of years ago, I came up with the idea for a great app. When I am forced to stand and wait, I should be making money off those who are asking stupid questions, asking the same question multiple times, or who seem like they have never used the Post Office before (or UPS, or a supermarket self-checkout, or…the list goes on)....

Wasting Time How do you waste the most time every day? My rule for time-wasting is: It’s ok if I waste my time, but I don’t want other people doing it. In a long line at the Post Office a couple of years ago, I…

Another birthday passed. Last year I used a reference to “I Can’t Drive 65!” by Sammy Hagar. This year I am saying that I’m starting out getting my kicks on Route 66. I believe this will exhaust the birthday highway messages (unless I usher in next year’s day with “Life is a Highway”). On a slightly different topic, I wanted to write a commentary on something I’m experiencing around my retirement....

Pick ONE! Another birthday passed. Last year I used a reference to “I Can’t Drive 65!” by Sammy Hagar. This year I am saying that I’m starting out getting my kicks on Route 66. I believe this will exhaust th…

My former student and now friend Jason has suggested as a prompt, “What books do you find to be the most re-readable, and why?” This seems closer to other prompts I have responded to (so you don’t want me talking about Gravity’s Rainbow again, I’m sure, but I wanted to put this post here to find out his. And…...

Re-readable Book My former student and now friend Jason has suggested as a prompt, “What books do you find to be the most re-readable, and why?” This seems closer to other prompts I have responded to (so you don’t …

I’m going through my phone and deleting some photos, and came upon some signs with intriguing messages. So I thought I’d share them here. Can you guess which one is from the US?

Signage I’m going through my phone and deleting some photos, and came upon some signs with intriguing messages. So I thought I’d share them here. Can you guess which one is from the US? I am not sure what …

Who is your favorite historical figure? Frequent readers of my blog will know exactly who my favorite historical figure is. And others will probably know, too, since I gave it away in my title. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is best known for writing Faust (Parts One and Two), but there was so much more to this 18th Century Renaissance Man. His talent, forged in the fire of the German…...

Go, Go, Goethe! Who is your favorite historical figure? Frequent readers of my blog will know exactly who my favorite historical figure is. And others will probably know, too, since I gave it away in my title. Joh…

Write about your first crush. Often, before stepping into the shower, I’ll read the daily prompt and let my mind cogitate on ideas before I sit down to write over my morning coffee, However, when I saw this prompt, I immediately flashed back (cue flipping calender sheets) to Veronica. I don’t remember if she started with us in first grade, but she was certainly with us in Fourth Grade....

First (and Secret) Crush Write about your first crush. Often, before stepping into the shower, I’ll read the daily prompt and let my mind cogitate on ideas before I sit down to write over my morning coffee, However, when I…

What countries do you want to visit? I was going to begin with a list of places I did not want to visit, but thought that sounded negative, so I’ll begin with the positive “where I do want to go” places. Since we already have a trip to the UK planned for this fall (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, this list completed with the Oxford comma), I won’t include them here, although I am looking forward to it....

Countries to Visit? What countries do you want to visit? I was going to begin with a list of places I did not want to visit, but thought that sounded negative, so I’ll begin with the positive “where I do want to go” p…

What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I always thought that the popular song, referenced in my title, would be a good anthem for an egotist. Hopefully you know what song I mean, but I’ll link to it anyway, and you can join my earworm club for the day. As for my favorite thing about me, I’d have to say my creativity....

When I Think About Me, I…um… What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I always thought that the popular song, referenced in my title, would be a good anthem for an egotist. Hopefully you know what song I mean, but I’ll link …

What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily? I’m a bit baffled by this prompt. I don’t think anything I have fits this category. As I look back on my life I think of it as several lifetimes. Before College, The College Years, Post-Graduate, Career, and now Retirement. And having moved physically a number of times during those eras, many things have not survived....

Oldest Item? What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily? I’m a bit baffled by this prompt. I don’t think anything I have fits this category. As I look back on my life I think of it as several life…

Describe one of your favorite moments. This is one of the seminal moments in my teaching career. I was taking Music Appreciation with Lou Silverblank at Temple University; the class was required for my Theatre major. One of our assignments was to attend two live music performances. I hated this idea. I was in the class, so why did I have to go to something…...

Firebird? Sweet! Describe one of your favorite moments. This is one of the seminal moments in my teaching career. I was taking Music Appreciation with Lou Silverblank at Temple University; the class was required fo…

What is your favorite season of year? Why? Or, how answering a prompt gets a Rod Stewart song stuck in your head. Of course, what I am most passionate about is theatre, directing theatre, and storytelling. Those are of course three aspects of the same thing. They’ve comprised my life’s work, and they are something I’ve not stopped doing. This blog is a form of storytelling as well....

Passion! What is your favorite season of year? Why? Or, how answering a prompt gets a Rod Stewart song stuck in your head. Of course, what I am most passionate about is theatre, directing theatre, and story…

This is another in my series of improvs with scammers. They send me a message, then claim it’s a wrong number and try to elicit conversation. I thwarted this one immediately by being an attractive Asian woman fashion designer and cryptocurrency dabbler. Because that’s what so many of them claim to be. I guess “she” saw that going nowhere and just stopped talking there. Maybe they’re catching on…? By the way, I think I’m the cuter of the two conversants. Do you agree? Please comment,like and/or follow!

An Uninspiring Scammer This is another in my series of improvs with scammers. They send me a message, then claim it’s a wrong number and try to elicit conversation. I thwarted this one immediately by being an attractive …

Or we might subtitle it “The ChatBot Calling the ChatBot an AI”? This scammer didn’t do too well with my improvised responses and may in fact have been a ChatBot for all I could tell. It began as they often do. So glad she is beautiful and kind. it’s good to have self-worth, I guess. It seems my alter egos have wild s*x lives....

Another Poor Improviser Or we might subtitle it “The ChatBot Calling the ChatBot an AI”? This scammer didn’t do too well with my improvised responses and may in fact have been a ChatBot for all I could tell. It began as t…

What is your favorite season of year? Why? Of the seasons, I prefer summer for a variety of reasons. We’ll get to those reasons in a moment, but let’s look at the cons of the others. Winter has cold and often snow. Although I did some sledding as a child, this was not as fulfilling as riding on cardboard down long grassy slopes....

Summer Better Than Others What is your favorite season of year? Why? Of the seasons, I prefer summer for a variety of reasons. We’ll get to those reasons in a moment, but let’s look at the cons of the others. Winter has col…

What’s the one luxury you can’t live without? An odd prompt. Once again, I am pressed to define something before I can comment on it. To me, a luxury is something that one doesn’t need but possesses to enjoy. Luxuries are those things that one can win on a game show. I don’t need a brand new car, or…whatever. (I don’t really watch game shows.)...

Luxury!? What’s the one luxury you can’t live without? An odd prompt. Once again, I am pressed to define something before I can comment on it. To me, a luxury is something that one doesn’t need but possesse…

If humans had taglines, what would yours be? With one breath, with one flowYou will know synchronicityA sleep trance, a dream danceA shared romance, synchronicity These lyrics come from song by The Police, “Synchronicity I.” Synchronicity is, of course, the phenomenon that makes us think things happen for a reason; the shape and give meaning to coincidences....

Synchronicity If humans had taglines, what would yours be? With one breath, with one flowYou will know synchronicityA sleep trance, a dream danceA shared romance, synchronicity These lyrics come from song by The…

Just as I was telling a friend about my texting improv with a scammer, my phone pinged with a third. While the last one was not a good improviser (see previous blog posts for #1 and #2), this one had a little more going for him/her. I decided to get a little more baroque in my replies. If Jordan didn’t have a girlfriend, that picture of her “father” would have turned out to be her sugar daddy! As my friend said, the best part of this is wasting their time so they have less to prey on the unsuspecting.

And Now, A Third! Just as I was telling a friend about my texting improv with a scammer, my phone pinged with a third. While the last one was not a good improviser (see previous blog posts for #1 and #2), this one h…

What are the most important things needed to live a good life? I’m confused by today’s prompt. What exactly does it mean, “to live a good life”? Is that a morally good existence? Is it a happy, and therefore good, life? Does it mean a satisfied life, free of want and care? There are some people who think they are living a good life but who also seem intent on depriving others of their good lives, whether by harassing them, stripping away their rights,or genocide....

A Good Life? What are the most important things needed to live a good life? I’m confused by today’s prompt. What exactly does it mean, “to live a good life”? Is that a morally good existence? Is it a happy, and…

If you had to change your name, what would your new name be? This is an amusing little prompt, since I had already thought about this when I created my avatar in Second Life in 2006. Luckily I took it seriously, since I think he is synonymous with me, and I gladly identify with the name. Why Phorkyad Acropolis? In Goethe’s…...

Phorkyad Acropolis If you had to change your name, what would your new name be? This is an amusing little prompt, since I had already thought about this when I created my avatar in Second Life in 2006. Luckily I took…

The evening of the same day as my spam improv post, I got another one. They usually do come in clusters, like when you see three “enlarge it!” emails in a row from the same source. Anyway, this one wasn’t into playing along.

Spam II The evening of the same day as my spam improv post, I got another one. They usually do come in clusters, like when you see three “enlarge it!” emails in a row from the same source. Anyway, this one…

This week I’m on vacation at a resort in Virginia. I’m not a big resort person so the giant water park does not appeal to me Yesterday I decided to go for a walk and work off some of the larger meals I’ve been indulging in (though, to be fair, I have been having only 2 meals a day). I went out on the road, took a wrong turn, and really wound up on the road, with not a lot of space for safe walking....

Resort to What? This week I’m on vacation at a resort in Virginia. I’m not a big resort person so the giant water park does not appeal to me Yesterday I decided to go for a walk and work off some of the larger mea…

So the scammers started a new thing: they send a text to you asking you a question, but it’s not your name. Oh, no, wrong number! Can we still be friends on WhatsApp? I’m not sure of the endgame, and instead of playing with them, I started sending this message: “How many times I have gotten this kind of message. How does this scam work?...

Damn Your Spam! So the scammers started a new thing: they send a text to you asking you a question, but it’s not your name. Oh, no, wrong number! Can we still be friends on WhatsApp? I’m not sure of the endgame, a…