Well, dear readers, you won’t believe it. I can barely believe it myself, and yet I must for it is true. What can I barely believe yet must for it is true? Well, I’ll tell you what because why should I keep such things from you? It is February, a brand spanking new month in the year known as 2005. I’m only going to type February once (well, now I’ve typed it twice) because it’s just to hard to type, with all those unwieldy letters jumbled up in there for no reason whatsoever. In any case, it’s the month with the bad spelling. It’s always exciting when a new month presents itself, bad spelling or not. I’m so excited, I am flitting about like a gazelle doing a half-gainer. I wonder if Janet Gaynor ever did a half-gainer. If she had, it would be known as the Gaynor gainer. I think I just got off-track, didn’t I? I must get back on-track for I have things to say, places to go, people to see. Yesterday, for example, I had a lovely day, writing away, playing through lots of sheet music, eating some fried chicken, eating some popcorn, and doing some errands whilst out in my motor car. I must say that the time just flies when one is doing, doing, doing (that is three doings). It was interesting yesterday – I had started a new chapter of the new book on Sunday. I just couldn’t seem to get the opening to flow like I wanted it too – I kept going over and over it, and no matter what I did it didn’t seem right to me. Normally, I never ever end a chapter and then stop for the day. I was taught the invaluable lesson (on the first Kritzer book) to never finish the chapter before you knock off – the trick is to stop at the end of a sentence or paragraph so that when you pick up writing the next day, you know exactly where you are and then you get right back in the flow of writing. In any case, I wrote a couple of pages on Sunday and gave up. When I got up yesterday morning, I knew instantly why I was having trouble – it’s because what I was opening the chapter with belonged at the end of the previous chapter. I simply moved one paragraph to the previous chapter, and then I knew exactly how to open the new one. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night, I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. First I watched Public Enemy, a gangster film starring Mr. James Cagney. It’s not my favorite film, but it does have some great scenes, and Cagney is great in his breakout role. My favorite line in the film comes after he is wounded – he falls to the ground, shot, and says, “I’m not so tough.” The transfer is excellent given that it’s a 1931 film. I refused to watch any of the stupid documentary stuff, because when they do these box sets, they have the same silly people do the talking heads for each film. I then watched a motion picture entitled White Heat, a film of Raoul Walsh. I’d never seen anything but a handful of scenes. It’s a terrific movie – really electrifying, with a great performance by Cagney, and an equally great performance by Edmund O’Brien, who I’m a big fan of. The recently departed Virginia Mayo is also excellent, as is Margaret Wycherly as Ma. It barrels along at breakneck speed, and, of course, features a classic line, “Top of the world, Ma!” The transfer is great. And no, Virginia, I would not look at any of the documentary material.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it is a new month that shall be chockfull of new things to do and to talk about.
Has anyone noticed that it is a brand spanking new month, specifically the month of Fegbuekry – Feberuary – Febraurary – Februaly – February. Whew. Don’t forget, Febaitry – Februtily – February is Valentine’s Day month, a month of romance, excitement, ha cha cha.
This afternoon, Mr. Kevin Spirtas will be coming over and we shall start the process of assembling a show for him. We’ll basically just be talking about material and placement for our first few meetings. Then, at some point to be determined, we’ll start putting the thing on its feet. I’m looking forward to working on it.
To Be Determined – the title of my new novel. It’s interesting, isn’t it, that to be determined can mean “at a time to be decided on” and also it can mean “to be determined” as in “I’m determined to eat some frijoles.” I am determined to eat some frijoles at a time to be determined.
Now, wait just a darned minute. We’d better put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, we’d better break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, we’d better dance the Hora and the Samba because we’ve got us two count them two birthdays to celebrate. Yes, Virginia, today is dear reader Kerry’s birthday and today is also our very own Mr. Donald Feltham’s birthday. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer, first to Kerry. On the count of three: One, two, three – HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEER TO KERRY!!! And then to Mr. Donald Feltham. On the count of three: One, two, three – HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEER TO MR. DONALD FELTHAM!!!
I’m now obsessing on “to be determined”. I’m determined to be determined at a date to be determined. I don’t like the way that word looks – “determined”. That word is making me want to vomit on the ground.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, I must pick up some packages which should be arriving, and I must work with Mr. Kevin Spirtas. Today’s topic of discussion: The last great decade for pop music, in my opinion (IMO, in Internet lingo) was the seventies (the seventies was the last great decade for film, the last great decade to be a child) – so, what are your all-time favorite seventies songs? I’ll start with one of my favorites, and the only song that I’ll tell you will absolutely be on the new Guy Haines album – Tim Moore’s Second Avenue. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, at a time not to be determined, for the time is now.