David Giard

"Operation Mincemeat" is Silly History

David Giard — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:15:00 GMT

In 1943, the Allies hatched a plan to fool Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany into believing they planned an invasion of Italy through the island of Sardinia - the real plan called for invading Sicily. Britain's MI-6 agency executed this ruse by concealing false papers on a dead body and washing that body ashore off the coast of Spain, where the papers would eventually make their way to Hitler. The plan was dubbed "Operation Mincemeat."

"Operation Mincemeat: The Musical" tells this story but enhances it with singing dancing, and general silliness. This musical began in London, moved to the West End and Broadway, and is currently touring the United States. I caught the Thursday evening performance at Chicago's CIBC Theatre.

Five actors played a multitude of roles, with no regard for matching the actor's gender to the character they play. They switch roles and costumes early and often, sometimes moving scenes quickly between countries. This movement often gives the show a frantic pace, creating delightful chaos. In Friday's show, Noah Berry replaced Jake Bentley Young as the nerdish Charles Cholmondeley and multiple other characters.

The dialogue is fun and witty, but the music, collectively written by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, takes center stage. The show opens with a rousing self-congratulatory number, "Born to Lead." Later, a group of Nazis sings a similar message in the techno-inspired "Das Übermensch." Other musical highlights include the poignant "Dear Bill," in which an elderly woman mourns a lover lost to war, and "Sail On Boys," sung by a submarine crew.

"Operation Mincemeat" is part spy story; part history; part slapstick comedy; part musical; and all fun!

Bruce Hornsby Show Gets Better As It Goes On

David Giard — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 07:12:00 GMT

Sometimes, before I attend a concert, I like to check out a band's setlist from their last few shows to get an idea of what songs they will play.

This strategy does not work for a Bruce Hornsby concert. It sure didn't for his Saturday evening performance at Evanston's Cahn Auditorium.

Hornsby was once a member of The Grateful Dead - a band famous for rejecting set lists and playing different songs each night. Hornsby continues this tradition on his current tour with his band, The Noisemakers. On Saturday evening in Evanston, he played mostly audience requests.

Bruce is a talented musician and songwriter. His solo piano pieces this evening were impressive. I loved his piano interpretation of the Ornette Coleman composition, "Questions and Answers," and I loved the improvisational solo piano that led into his biggest hit, "The Way It Is." I enjoyed even more the times he stepped out from behind his grand piano to stand or sit at the front of the stage and face the audience, playing an accordion or an unidentified string instrument.

This band was at its best when the melodies took center stage. They were at their worst when they tried to outdo one another musically, creating a cacophony of sounds that didn't blend well. Although the show began with the latter – the musicians seemed more intent on impressing one another than on pleasing the audience. Fortunately, most of the evening leaned toward the former, as the focus shifted to the audience.

The quality improved steadily as the show went on. The encore concluded with an extended version of "Mandolin Run" - an excellent and satisfying way to finish.

Polish Rhapsody

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 01:37:00 GMT

The trip

I have often said that my favorite place to visit is the place I have never visited before.

Last month, I visited several such places when I visited Poland for the first time. In my two-and-a-half-week journey, I explored the regions in and around Zakopane, Krakow, Gdansk, and Warsaw.

I was struck by how different each area was. Mountains surround Zakopane- the Gubałówka Range to the north and the Tatra Range on the other three sides; Krakow is a city with great history, highlighted by its Old Town and Jewish districts; Rivers cut through Gdansk, which rests against the Baltic Sea in the country's far north; and Warsaw is a large industrial city and the nation's capital, which features a beautiful area around the palace. Most cities we saw were clean, but I also saw a plethora of graffiti on the urban buildings.

Poles love to hike, and we spent every day exploring on our feet. I estimate that we hiked well over a hundred miles on this trip. The most difficult walks were among the mountainous regions around Zakopane. A close second was a climb to the top of the tower at St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow.

We rented a car for the first week, which let us explore the area around Zakopane. Driving in Poland is an adventure for those not used to it. Roads are narrow - often too small to accommodate two cars passing in opposite directions without one moving to the sidewalk. No one jaywalks in Poland. Pedestrians have the right of way at designated crosswalks, and they know it, often crossing streets without looking - an impressive act of faith in the approaching drivers. One night, we almost parked in a spot reserved for licensed horse-drawn carriages before Bing Translate helped me understand the sign. The next day, we witnessed tickets and wheel locks on cars parked in these spots.

I found most things to be inexpensive in Poland. We ate most meals at restaurants, and it often cost about half what I would have paid in Chicago. One notable exception was gasoline, which cost $80 to fill a tank.

Although most of the trip was in Poland and I only slept in Poland, I did spend a day in Slovakia. Our plan was to visit an ice cave, but when we arrived, we learned the closing time posted on their website was inaccurate, so we arrived too late. Instead, we drove to the Bešeňová Water Park and Spa, which featured mineral baths - spring water containing sulfur and other compounds that some folks believe provide healing powers.

Highlights

Here are a few highlights from the trip.

Morskie Oko

A mountain lake outside Zakopane. Getting to the lake required a long hike up a steep incline. They offer a horse-drawn carriage ride, but this only took us a fraction of the distance, so we still had to hike miles to get to and from the lake. When we arrived at Morskie Oko, we decided to walk the path around the lake, which is covered in large broken stones and took several hours. It was a lot of effort, but it was well worth it. The vistas at Morskie Oko are breathtaking.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Our tour took us 130 meters underground, where we learned the mine's history and saw impressive art and sculptures.

Auschwitz and Birkenau Death Camps

When Adolf Hitler and SS chief Heinrich Himmler devised their "Final Solution" to eliminate Jews from Europe, his Nazis built death camps to accomplish this goal. Few camps were more successful than Auschwitz, which is located about 40 miles west of Krakow. A million Jews were murdered at Auschwitz, as well as a hundred thousand others deemed undesirable by the Nazis. An organized tour took us through Auschwitz as well as the nearby concentration camp at Birkenau. The stories of suffering were difficult to hear, but the experience was moving.

Piano Recitals in Gdansk and Warsaw

Composer Frédéric Chopin grew up in Poland and composed many beautiful piano pieces. I resolved to see a live performance of Chopin's work, and I saw two! In Gdansk, Piotr Kasiłowski performed on piano in St. Catherine's church, illuminated only by hundreds of candles. His set included works by Chopin, Beethoven, Brahms, and Liszt. The following evening in Warsaw, pianist Mamiko Ueyama performed Chopin compositions exclusively in a museum near the palace.

Westerplatte Peninsula

World War II began at Westerplatte Peninsula when Adolf Hitler invaded Gdansk, in violation of multiple treaties. A monument stands here to honor the soldiers who held off the Nazis for seven days before falling. Walking around the peninsula to and from the monument provided fresh air and exercise.

Museums

I visited numerous museums on my trip, including

Itinerary

Here is when and where we stayed and visited.

September 5-12: Zakopane and vicinity (with a side trip to Slovakia)
September 12-17: Krakow
September 17-20: Gdansk
September 20-22: Warsaw

Below are our daily activities

September 5

Landed in Krakow. Rented a car and drove to Zakopane
Walked around downtown Zakopane

September 6

Took the cable car to the top of Giewont Mountain
Sushi and Ice cream in Nowy Targ

September 7

A beer at the top of Gubałówka Mountain
A visit with Donna's aunt and uncle in Suche
A drink at the Café Tygodnik Podhalański. Rooftop restaurant with views of the city

September 8

Hike up and down Morskie Oko
Dinner at Cristina Ristorante. The best service we experienced in Poland

September 9

Drive around Slovakia
Ice cave was closed
Bešeňová Water Park and spa

September 10

Climbed up and down Wiktorówki

September 11

Rain all day. We spent a leisurely day sipping coffee and beer and walking around the city.

September 12

Arrived in Krakow
Tour of Wawel Royal Castle
"Golf Cart" tour of Kazimierz - Krakow's historic Jewish Quarter

September 13

Wieliczka Salt Mine
Several beautiful churches, including St. Mary's Basilica: Climbed to the top of the tower for views of the Old Town
A walk around Krakow's Old Town

September 14

Schindler's Ceramic Factory

September 15

Auschwitz and Birkenau Death Camps

September 16

Krakow Underground Museum
Walk around Krakow's Jewish Quarter

September 17

Train to Gdansk

September 18

Museum of the Second World War
European Solidarity Center

September 19

Westerplatte Peninsula
Candlelight piano concerto by Piotr Kasiłowski performing Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Liszt at St. Catherine's Church in Gdansk

September 20

Train to Warsaw
Piano recital: Pianist Mamiko Ueyama performs Chopin compositions

September 21

Royal Place Gardens
Warsaw Uprising Museum

September 22

Flew home

September 2026 Gratitudes

David Giard — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:10:00 GMT

10/4
Today I am grateful to see Bruce Hornsby in concert last night!

10/3
Today I am grateful for front-row seats last night to see Pablo Cruise and Pure Prairie League!

10/1
Today I am grateful to see a lot of former colleagues this week.

9/30
Today I am grateful to take care of 2 medical appointments yesterday.

9/29
Today I am grateful:
- for dinner last night with Glenn and Lana yesterday
- to see John Mulaney's stand-up show at the Den Theatre last night

9/28
Today I am grateful for lunch and a visit to the Art Institute yesterday with Megan and Amanda.

09/27
Today I am grateful to see KC and the Sunshine Band in concert last night!

09/26
Today I am grateful to see standup comic Melissa Villaseñor at the Den Theatre Theatre last night!

09/25
Today I am grateful to see "The Attic" at the Goodman Theatre last night!

09/24
Today I am grateful to play pickleball last night for the first time in almost a month.

09/23
Today I am grateful for an excellent adventure in Poland this month - my first visit to this beautiful country!

09/22
Today I am grateful for:
- a walk around the Gardens of the Royal Castle in Warsaw
- a visit to the Warsaw Uprising Museum

09/21
Today I am grateful to attend a Chopin recital last night in Warsaw by pianist Mamiko Ueyama

09/20
Today I am grateful:
- to visit Westerplatte Peninsula - the site of the first battle of World War II
- for a candlelight piano concert last night featuring the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Liszt

09/19
Today I am grateful for a visit to the European Solidarity Center in Gdansk yesterday!

09/18
Today I am grateful for a visit to the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk this morning.

09/17
Today I am grateful for
- a visit to the Krakow Underground Museum yesterday
- 4 days in Krakow - my first visit to this city

09/16
Today I am grateful for a moving tour of the Auschwitz and Birkenau Death Camps yesterday

09/15
Today I am grateful for a tour of Oskar Schindler's Ceramic Factory yesterday.

09/14
Today I am grateful for:
- a tour of Wieliczka Salt Mine
- a climb to the top tower of St. Mary's Basilica, affording a view of Krakow Old Town

09/13
Today I am grateful for:
- a visit to Wawel Royal Castle
- a tour of Kazimierz - Krakow’s historic Jewish Quarter

09/12
Today I am grateful for a week in Zakopane, Poland

09/11
Today I am grateful to climb up and down Wiktorówki yesterday!

09/10
Today I am grateful to drive around northern Slovakia yesterday - my first visit to this country!

09/09
Today I am grateful for a hike up to and around mountain lake, Morskie Oko yesterday.

09/08
Today I am grateful for:
- a beer at the top of Gubałówka Mountain
- a visit with Aunt Anna and Uncle Joe in Suche

09/07
Today I am grateful for:
- the view from the top of Giemont Mountain yesterday
- ice cream in Nowy Targ last night

Pablo Cruise and Pure Prairie League Bring Soft 70s Energy to St. Charles

David Giard — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:43:00 GMT

I had this concert completely backward. When I bought tickets, I thought that Pure Prairie League headlined the show and Pablo Cruise was the warm-up act. So I was surprised when the evening began with a giant animated cowboy appearing on the video screen behind the stage, announcing Pure Prairie League.

Both bands had their greatest success in the 1970s - PPL with their mix of country, blues, and soft rock; and PC with a style of music that has been retroactively labeled "Yacht Rock."

"Prairie" began their set Friday evening at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles with "Two Lane Highway" - a single from 1975. The song brought the crowd to its feet before the band reeled them in with softer love songs, including their most commercially successful song, "Let Me Love You Tonight." Of course, they closed with "Falling In and Out of Love" / "Amie". Like many fans, this is my favorite composition by the group, which made it an ideal choice to close the set.

None of the six original members of Pure Prairie League remain with the band, but the current lineup did justice to their catalog.

In contrast, Pablo Cruise still includes three of its four founding members. On Friday evening, one could still see Steve Price driving the rhythm behind his drum set, Cory Lerios serving as master of ceremonies behind his guitar, and David Jenkins stepping to the front to play lead and rhythm guitar and sing some of their hits. Only Bud Cockrell, who passed away in 2010, is absent from the lineup. Joining the old trio on stage were Larry Antonino (bass guitar) and Robbie Wyckoff (vocals).

Although each band member had a chance to perform a solo - most notably on the long instrumental jam, "Zero to Sixty in Five"- it was Jenkins's guitar playing that stole the show. He shifted seamlessly from blistering licks to smooth, mellow chords. He also performed one of his solo compositions, "Livin' Inside Your Love," with the band offstage.

But the band's heyday hits brought the most energy to the room. "Love Will Find a Way" and "Watcha Gonna Do?" were the perfect end to the performance. They did not return for an encore, but they did not need one - the two bands combined for well over three hours of entertainment, which was sufficient.

KC and the Sunshine Band Returns with 70s Funk

David Giard — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:09:00 GMT

I grew up during the height of the disco craze. I attended high school in the late 1970s when Saturday Night Fever broke records and bands like the Bee Gees and Donna Summer dominated the airwaves. But I did not embrace it at the time, preferring punk rock, new wave, and hard rock to what I saw as overproduced dance music.

I have reevaluated this music over the decades, and I have come to appreciate the melodies and rhythm of disco music.

I celebrated this reevaluation Saturday night at Waukegan's Genesee Theatre, where I saw KC and the Sunshine Band. They were one of the most successful disco bands of the 1970s, cranking out.

The band opened with two of their biggest hits: "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" and "Boogie Shoes" before KC talked to the audience, joking he'd talk for an hour before the next song. He warned us we wouldn't see the 23-year-old who first started making hits. "I am now 30... plus 30... plus 10... plus 5!" At 75, he looks very different from his youth, most notably because he gained a significant amount of weight during the pandemic. He acknowledged his weight struggles, quipping, "I thought about changing the name of the band to 'KFC and the Sunshine Band."

Although the band played a few cover songs from the 70s, the crowd was most appreciative when he played his upbeat hits, including "Get Down Tonight", "That's the Way (I Like It)", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", and "Give It Up". I have a soft spot for his most popular ballad, "Please Don't Go", the slow-dance song the DJ played each night when an underage David would sneak into Detroit's Graffiti Lounge.

KC also played his version of "Rock Your Baby" - a song he wrote for George McCrae, who recorded a hit with it.

The Sunshine Band has at least a dozen musicians, with a heavy emphasis on horns, keyboards, and percussion. They brought great energy to the music's funk and groove. Multiple dancers entertained as well. Both they and KC changed costumes multiple times during the show.

While most of the audience rediscovered music they loved in their youth, I found a new appreciation for this style.

"The Attic" Combines Theater and Circus

David Giard — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:19:23 GMT

Tyler Meredith walked alone onto the Goodman Theatre stage Thursday evening and announced: "I fell once."

She then proceeded to tell us the story of "Things I saw while lying on my back" - a phrase she repeated often throughout the performance of "The Attic." She told the story of her life - from early childhood to her deathbed. Many of the significant events happened while she was on her back: her birth, an encounter with a lover in a Las Vegas hotel, a ge in Thailand, the birth of her child, and a deadly diagnosis.

She told her saga only partly through words and not by herself. Music, dance, video, and acrobatics are the heart of this play. Nine others surrounded her, acting out her and her friends at various stages of a full life. So much was happening on stage at once; sometimes it was impossible to know where to look. Were the images on the TV screen in the corner relevant to the scene? Was it worth glancing over and missing an amazing feat on the trapeze swinging high above the stage?

Although this month at Goodman marks the world premiere of "The Attic," the play and many of its participants originated at the Montreal-based circus company, "7 Fingers." It was part musical, part biography, but one could not ignore the grace, strength, balance, and athleticism of the dancers, who brought their circus experience to the performance.

I did not know what to expect from Shana Carroll's creation, "The Attic." It was unlike any play I have seen - at the Goodman or elsewhere. I only know that I enjoyed it.

Sam Basu on Lowering AI Workflow Barriers for .NET Developers

David Giard — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:32:00 GMT

Episode 920

Sam Basu on Lowering AI Workflow Barriers for .NET Developers

Sam Basu describes how the Uno Platform helps .NET developers build cross-platform applications quickly.

Karen Lopez on Vector Search in SQL Databases

David Giard — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Episode 919

Karen Lopez on Vector Search in SQL Databases

Karen Lopez describes the advantages of Vector Search, and how SQL Server supports this feature. She describes configuration, searching, and good practices.

Links:
https://datamodel.com/

"The Collected Stories" by Jean Stafford

David Giard — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:17:00 GMT

Jean Stafford's writing drew praise from other authors. In the revised version of "The Elements of Style", E.B. White wrote:

"Jean Stafford, to cite a modern author, demonstrates in her story 'In the Zoo' how prose is made vivid by the use of words and images that evoke sensations."

In 1969, Farrar, Straus & Giroux published "In the Zoo" and dozens of other short stories by Ms. Stafford as "The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford". In gratitude for White's kind words, Stafford dedicated the collection to White's wife, editor Katherine S. White.

The book won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

This volume groups the stories into four categories, based on their location:

"The Innocents Abroad" includes stories of Americans traveling to other countries (mostly in Europe) and being disillusioned by the people they encounter
"The Bostonians, and Other Manifestations of the American Scene" tells of the social elite in New England
"Cowboys and Indians, and Magic Mountains" is a set of tales set in the American West, where Stafford grew up
"Manhattan Island" contains her stories of life in New York throughout the twentieth century

With few exceptions (e.g., "The Echo and the Nemesis"), her stories lack a climax or twist at the end. Instead, the author gives us character studies, exploring how people behave when confronted with uncomfortable situations.

"Bad Characters" tells the story of a delinquent girl who requires her schoolmate to become her criminal accomplice in exchange for her friendship.

In "Maggie Meriwether's Rich Experience", an American visits Europe with high expectations, but is disappointed by the pretentiousness of the bohemians she encounters.

The suicide of a friend triggers a woman to reflect on the choices in her own life in "I Love Someone".

"The End of a Career" takes us inside the thoughts of an aging beauty who falls into depression as she sees the irreversible effects of time on her hands.

In addition to her excellent character development, Stafford entertains the reader with excellent prose.

Here is how she describes love: "Falling in love is not an abrupt plunge; it is a gradual descent, seldom in a straight line, rather like the floating downward of a parachute. And the expression is imperfect because while one may fall, one also levitates."

In describing a boring cocktail party: "There were two objects of conversation; one was the food they were eating, and the other was the food they had eaten at other times."

On emotion: "Tears for her homeless self went down her cheeks with the snowflakes, and she let a little sound escape her, the murmur of an unhappy child."

She describes a boring cocktail party: "There were two objects of conversation; one was the food they were eating, and the other was the food they had eaten at other times."

And "The Mountain Day" provides a vivid description of the surrounding beauty of a scene: "Trout were so beautiful they looked like idealized paintings of trout"

"The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford" seems an odd choice for the 1970 Pulitzer Prize. These stories had been published over the course of the previous 25 years and were already included in two other collections. But this does not diminish the quality of those stories.