grin and bare it
A blog by Matthew Dicks
Foul mouthed parrots
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Park accepted five African grey parrots in early 2020 and intended to merge them with the existing flock, except one of the parrots swore extensively, and then the other newly adopted four…
Read MoreTattle tails cause even more problems
When you complain about a colleague’s behavior to a supervisor with the intention or even suspicion that the boss will then speak to your colleague about the complaint, you’ve done a very stupid thing. Exceptions…
Read MoreA back bend changed my life
I told the story of my first backbend at Speak Up last night. If you missed the show, you missed a good one. Here’s what I wrote on May 5, 2018, about the moment, including…
Read MoreAcademy Awards for other people
I think the Academy Awards are great. Acting is great. The movies are great. Even movie popcorn is great. I love it all. Truly. My life is better because of great filmmaking. Yet I also…
Read MoreCrocuses are back!
First crocuses of the spring. Every year they emerge from the same spot on our front lawn. I adore these tiny purple flowers. They are lovely. but it’s what they symbolize that I love most:…
Read MoreOpportunity taken. Outcome outstanding.
This is a parking sign in the lot behind TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT, where I performed my solo show this summer and last week in “Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared.” I love this sign. I…
Read MoreStar Trek stinks
Sometimes I encounter a person who claims Star Trek is better than Star Wars. While there are many, many ways to refute this utterly ridiculous claim, I like to point to this video clip. It…
Read MoreConfidence is key. Also elusive.
The more I work with people—students and adults—the more convinced I’ve become that confidence is the most important quality a person can possess. Confidence is often the difference between performing well and stumbling along. It’s…
Read MoreMuseum of Endangered Sounds
The Museum of Endangered Sounds is a website dedicated to preserving the sounds made famous by my favorite old technologies and electronic equipment. Dot matrix printers. Dial-up internet. The Windows 95 startup music. All the…
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