George W. Bush should pay attention to this quotation from Julius Caesar (whose birthday was today): "Beware the leader who bangs the drum of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor. For patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind."

For those of you who like to plan ahead:

I'm one of the organizers (and will be one of the writers/performers) of an event that's tentatively titled

"BUSH AND THE BEAVERS: AN EVENING OF BITING SATIRE"

The group behind it has done a number of satire evenings over the years as fundraisers for 25th Street Theatre. I've been involved in all but one. A comic monologue that I wrote for one of them was published in "2000% Cracked Wheat" (Coteau Books). This year's event will focus on topics such as George W. Bush and his effect on Canada and the world. The beavers in the tentative title are Canadians who are gnawing away at the giant bush/Bush that is trying to spread across the world.

The dates will be Fri., Nov. 14 and Sat., Nov. 15. The venue is The Refinery (609 Dufferin Ave., beside St. James Church), which is also my Fringe show venue. Watch my website (http://donaldbcampbell.tripod.com) for more details about the satire evening when they're available.

"People read to know they're not alone. People write for the same reason. It's like putting a message in a bottle." - Anna Quindlen

I'm back after a trip to Minot, Regina and Regina Beach to visit friends and relatives. It was fun, although David had a nasty cold for most of the trip. I'm looking forward to getting back to Fringe rehearsals tomorrow.