Roget Before The Thesaurus

Went to 2 events tonight after work, the first was a member happy hour at the Loft in Minneapolis. During this hour, there was food and drink, then after it ended there was a reading from three writers in the auditorium. I really paid attention to what it looks like in there, though I've been in that room many times before. Some of the walls were brick, and I could see the line in the pattern. The floors were knotty pine. Maybe I noticed more since I was in the middle of the back row, nice straight on view of the speakers. After the event, I did speak with one of them, a college instructor at St. Thomas. She spoke of one poem being inspired by Roget, a Frenchman. I did not know he was a scientist who quit because of Darwin, and then decided to do the thesaurus. Also learned it's pronounced 'row-jay', and I like learning new things. Though I tend to seek out events where I will, as I like the intellectual stimulation. The one thing that caught my attention was the writer saying she had conflicting attitudes about Colette, a Frenchwoman who wrote 'Ripening Seed' about an affair with a stepson. Made me think of how it's a lot like the smut that became popular stories- but not really newsworthy- like Mary Kay Letourneau and Debra Lafave. But I like how she said she was trying to separate the art from the artist. I try to do the same thing, especially when doing comedy.
    The other event was a friend's comedy show, who was MC tonight. Liked his joke about Plenty of Fish, the online dating site. I had tried that one, but it didn't pan out, probably why I liked the joke. I saw to ti that he got a picture that was taken in January of us. I had meant to give it to him earlier but he was unable to make it to the February show at the 400 bar. Actually I knew both of the opening acts, even said so to the headliner, a woman who sometimes referred to women as 'broads' in her act. I said I liked her joke about a hard-luck friend, and was reminded how it was a true story. But I know sometimes the best jokes are true stories, to the point of having to say so. I recall Bob Newhart having to say it when I saw him do comedy in person, when living in suburban Chicago.