ON SUPERSTITION:

After last night's improv rehearsal, my confidence was low. Seeking inspiration, I turned my AOL radio to "All Pearl Jam." Normally, this would be a boost for me - I get psyched up whenever I hear PJ, so it stand to reason that all of it would he helpful.

Until the song "I've Got a Feeling" came on. Apparently, the song was originally recorded by the Beatles, and Pearl Jam has covered it. Fine. But when I was ridiculously into Pearl Jam a few years ago, I would listen to them on the way to improv rehearsal. And I noticed that whenever I heard that song in particular, I tended to have an off rehearsal/class/performance. That song became my "bad luck" improv song. (Note: Turns out that Paul McCartney's part of the song is very optimistic, and that John Lennon's part was not so much. Apparently I'm more of a Lennon than a McCartney. Who knew?)

On Sundays I watch football. I wake up, turn on pregame, put on a Bears jersey (alternating week-to-week-to-week, as I own three), eat some cereal. During the second quarter of the first game, I eat a pouch of beef jerky nuggets. This is so the Bears will win. Yet, despite following these traditions for seven of the Bears' nine games, the Bears are 4-3 in those games. So it doesn't seem like what I do has any effect whatsoever on how the Bears play.

Now, if I can convince myself the same for that song, things would be great.