This London Telegraph article reports the following soothing news for former listerners of Houston’s KLOL-FM:

Eric Clapton has astounded the music world by finally agreeing to reform Cream, rock’s first supergroup, 36 years after they split up at the height of their worldwide fame.

John Mayall, the veteran leader of the Bluesbreakers, the British band from which Clapton defected to create Cream in 1966, said yesterday: “I’m amazed. But Eric is always doing something unexpected. He moves in so many directions, always out front with his music.”
Sources close to the musicians said that reunion plans were under way, with Clapton, 59, Jack Bruce, 61, and Ginger Baker, 65, talking of “probably two gigs, or maybe more” at the Royal Albert Hall in May, although that venue, where Clapton staged his traditional blues stint this spring, has yet to be booked.

“A reunion of Cream would be a classic show,” Mayall went on to say. “The band was so influential. They helped pave the way for me in America. The Beatles were first. The Rolling Stones were next. Then there was Cream. I had my first US tour in 1968, and moved there a year later.”
Cream members are staying silent at the moment about their plans. A spokesman for Clapton said that he had no comment. Bruce was on holiday, and there was no reply from Baker’s farm in South Africa, where he raises polo ponies.

If you are looking for a fun evening in the next week or so, I highly recommend checking out the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray, the latest event in Houston’s Broadway Series at the Hobby Center. Even the Chronicle’s notoriously tough theatre critic Everett Evans gave the performance a hearty thumbs up.
My wife, daughters and I attended Friday night’s show, and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Although the entire cast and production is magnificent, Keala Settle‘s peformance in the lead role is absolutely incredible — she sings and dances with a dynamic combination of clarity, agility, and spunk that is truly infectious. Don’t miss it.

One of Houston’s most fascinating places is the Rothko Chapel (map here) on the campus of St. Thomas University in the Montrose area, which is one of the most peaceful places in Houston. The chapel houses fourteen paintings of the late American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, who committed suicide in 1970. Rothko and architect Philip Johnson collaborated on the design of the chapel, which opened in 1971 and is a part of the art empire of the late John and Dominique de Menil, who were Houston’s primary art patrons over much of the past half century.
This NY Times article reviews a new book on Rothko based on some recently discovered writings of Rothko — “The Artist’s Reality: Philosophies of Art” (Yale University Press). The book was writted by Rothko’s son, who was six years old at the time of Rothko’s suicide, and addresses the philosophical underpinnings of the Color Field paintings, which are generally considered to be Rothko’s greatest breakthrough. The review provides a decent overview of Rothko’s fascinating life, and also of the infamous decade-long battle over the Rothko estate that erupted after Rothko’s death.
The Rothko Chapel is a special place, and it never fails to generate interesting reactions when I introduce friends and visitors to it. If you have never visited the chapel, I highly recommend that you do so and learn more about this interesting part of Houston art culture.

The Texas Renaissance Festival outside of Magnolia northwest of Houston begins its annual month and a half long run this weekend for the 30th straight year (has it really been that long?). Even if interacting with Renaissance characters is not your thing, a trip to the festival is worth it just to admire the festival location, which is a huge city from several centuries ago that has been built gradually over the past 30 years in the middle of a huge Texas pasture. Moreover, the food at the festival is exquisite and also well worth the trip — where else can you enjoy a lunch of a turkey leg polished off with a dessert of fried ice cream?

I have been remiss to mention that the latest play in Houston’s Broadway Series — Oklahoma! is currently playing through July 18 at the fabulous Hobby Center.
My wife, one of my daughters and I went to Friday night’s show, and it was outstanding. The tour that opened this past Tuesday at the Hobby Center is a generally faithful re-creation of the Royal National Theatre‘s acclaimed 1998 London revival, seen on Broadway in 2002. This excellent revival is a great afternoon or evening of entertainment, and if you want to combine a fine meal with the play, make a reservation at the Hobby Center’s Artista, which is one Houston’s finest new restaurants.
Oklahoma! is at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays through July 18. Tickets range from $23-$64 and can be obtained either online or through the Hobby Center ticket office at 713-629-3700.

I have lived in Texas for 32 years, but I was born and raised through high school in the wonderful midwestern university community of Iowa City, Iowa. This NY Times Travel section article reports on Iowa City, and even includes a mention of the Kirkendall Family’s old house, 430 Brown Street (now a bed & breakfast). For a student’s tour of Iowa City, be sure to check out my nephew Richard’s picture tour here.

David Berkowitz is one of the most notorious serial killers in New York City history. The postal clerk terrorized the city for thirteen months in 1976-77 as he stalked young women in lovers’ lanes with a .44-caliber handgun and mocked the police probe in notes sent to then-Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin. Berkowitz’s rampage ultimately became the subject of a popular Spike Lee movie.
After his arrest and trial in 1977, Berkowitz was sentenced to serve 25 years to life in prison for the ambush killings of six people. In connection with the trial, Berkowitz exhibited many symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, including his statements that he was acting on orders of a dog owned by a neighbor named Sam.
Last week, Berkowitz was rejected for parole. Under New York law, it is mandatory that Berkowitz be considered for parole again in 2006.
Interestingly, Berkowitz has been a model prisoner and became a born-again Christian in 1987. He maintains a website that has some blog characteristics (a daily journal). He accepts full responsibility for his actions, makes no excuses, and appears to have true remorse for the surviving victims and survivors of the victims of his crimes.
Regardless of (or perhaps because of) the depravity of his crimes, Berkowitz’s case raises fascinating criminal justice, medical, and societal questions. Hat tip to Charles Kuffner over at Off the Kuff for the link to the Berkowitz story.

My old friend Chris Tomlin of Austin, Texas and his running buddy, Louie Giglio of Atlanta, Ga. are two of the subjects of this NY Times article today regarding their participation in the fabulously successful Passion Experience Tour, which is a series of Christian worship gatherings for college students that combines the groundswell of evangelical Christian spirit among young adults with talented leaders from the contemporary Christian music field. These are remarkable folks pursuing a wonderful and productive ministry, so the entire article is a refreshing and interesting read.
Although Chris continues to excel on the contemporary Christian music scene, he still has not been able to overcome my consistent throttling of him on the golf course.

This NY Times book review examines a new collection of essays called “The Sopranos and Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am” (Open Court Publishing, $17.95). The book is the seventh in Open Court Publishing’s “Popular Culture and Philosophy” series that is described as “philosophy with training wheels”. Previous books explored pop culture franchises including “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” “The Matrix,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Lord of the Rings.”
Interestingly (and thankfully), not all pop culture is fit for philosophical examination, said the editor of the series, William Irwin, an associate professor of philosophy at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Mr. Irwin said he rejected book proposals on the long-running television shows “Friends” and “E.R.” because “they lacked the basic depth and literacy for a thorough philosophical discourse.”

I am a big Judith Martin (a/k/a Ms. Manners) fan. My wife passed along to me Ms. Manners’ typically insightful piece of advice to one family’s problem:

Dear Miss Manners:
What should we “loving family members” do after our “beloved family member”:

1. Marries, has three children, divorces a man;
2. Asks us, “Why didn’t you tell me you thought he was a creep?”
3. Has a long-distance lover for four years (not during marriage) — whom we all really like — but who never seems quite able to move to her city even after three job and city changes — due to career opportunities — and has canceled vacations with her (and us) at the last minute;
4. Flies to see her lover every other weekend because it’s “easier” for her than for him;
5. Cries to family members about her finances, how hard it all is for her, and about her ex-husband not letting her move with the children to her lover’s city;
6. Becomes very resentful when we family members finally tell her that maybe her lover isn’t playing fair with her?

Were we wrong in addressing our fears to her? I now fear for our future relationship with HER.
Ms. Manners: You must realize that you were wrong to think it would help. Much as Miss Manners sympathizes with the desire to shout warnings when observing someone pursuing disaster, she recognizes that there is a time to give up.
The answer to your relative’s accusation that you failed to warn her should be the formula you use when tempted to issue futile advice: “We were (or are) relying on your judgment.”
The hope is that this will eventually make her realize that she doesn’t have any, but Miss Manners is afraid that it might be a long wait.