Well, dear readers, yesterday was like an early Christmas when six count them six packages arrived, a few of which were the long overdue ones. I’m still missing a few packages, and hopefully they’ll arrive any day now. I love getting packages, I must say. These were mostly CDs from amazon that I’d used a gift card to purchase. I’ve been finding that ordering from private sellers on amazon is sometimes the way to go – a couple of these CDs were selling for full price on amazon itself, but I got them for around three bucks each. I also received some Brodart book protectors, which I was completely out of. And elmore sent me a region 2 DVD of a ballet, which I’m looking forward to watching, having only seen a handful of ballets in my life. It’s been rainy here in the City of Studio (although it just doesn’t seem to come out and actually RAIN – we get drops and drizzle, but not fun rain, like movie rain), and I like looking out the window and watching the wet streets and people walking their dogs, umbrellas up. In fact, yesterday was just a warm and cozy kind of day, save for one annoyance having to do with the actor’s union called EQUITY. Without going into too much detail, I will only say that EQUITY is about the last union who simply is not with the times. They don’t care about their actors or their actors’ wishes, they just tow the hard line and try to bully people into things, and I really don’t care for them at all. This has to do with The Brain at The Chance Theater, which is located fifteen miles over the LA County line, which is where EQUITY draws the line for the waiver theater contract. To me, it’s just ridiculous, and apparently it’s equally ridiculous to a lot of actors who’d love to work at this theater and are being precluded from doing so. Waiver theater exists in Pasadena, Glendale, all parts of the Valley, so why they can’t loosen up and open up Anaheim is odd and silly, if you ask me. Maybe if enough actors petition and get on them, they’ll change, but it’s been my experience that no one at EQUITY wants to be helpful or rock the boat or adjust old rules that no longer make any sense. So, it looks like we’ll have a mostly new cast in the show, and I’m sure there are wonderfully talented folks in LA, Anaheim and elsewhere who’ll audition for us. I already have been told that there are some terrific dancers available, which is good news since our New York choreographer is coming in to recreate his wonderful work. Other than that, I had a lovelier than lovely telephonic conversation with Miss Julie Reiber, and I had many e-mails to answer. But, I spent most of the day working on a song for the musical I’m mentoring. I finally found a way in to making the lyric actually do what its author wanted it to do – it required lots of fixing and restructuring, but I’m almost finished with it now, just the second half of two verses to go. I had a Subway Club for lunch, and about six ounces of pasta with butter and cheese for dinner. I did get a large Kritzerland order from William E. Lurie, and I’m going to try and get that shipped out today, and then no more shipping until after Christmas. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture that I TIVOd entitled Lawman. I could swear that I owned this on DVD, but I looked everywhere and couldn’t find it – which means, it might be in the garage (I have one stack of DVDs out there), or I might have gotten rid of it without actually having watched it (seems odd, but I guess it could happen). In any case, I’d never actually seen the film before – I don’t usually care for the director, Michael Winner, but it’s pretty good, mostly because of the cast, which is stellar in just about every way, the kind of cast you’ll simply never get again. Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb (both of whom, I believe, died within a few years of this movie being made – and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Lee J. Cobb without his toupee), Robert Duvall, Sherry North, and a whole slew of great character actors like John McGiver, Robert Emhardt, and their ilk. The script is quite good, and the film has a great score by Jerry Fielding. The TCM transfer is horrid, and I’m sure the DVD looks much better.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I have to get up quite early to be a judge.
Yes, Virginia, today I get to be a judge. We’ve got Judge Judy and now we’ve got Judge BK. I’ll be going to Hollywood High School (the titular school of my latest novel) where I’ll be judging some drama students in their finals – they do a pair of monologues. I gather I’ll be there for a couple of hours, and I’m not sure exactly what’s required, but I’ll do my best, and I always enjoy seeing young people who are beginning actors.
After that, I have several errands to do, and then I believe I’m done doing things until at least after Christmas, and probably right through to the New Year. I have very little scheduled between now and then, save for my Christmas Eve Do, and some various and sundried things I have to accomplish, most of which have to do with the new book I’ll be beginning in the New Year.
These notes have no sparkle, no vim, no verve, no fizz. What can I do to perk them up? I can do the Limbo. I can do the Lambada (The Forbidden Dance). I can run outside in my underpants and then report on the reaction. I can type out the Gettysburg Address (1719 N. South St.). Do you know how hard it is to do the Limbo by yourself?
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be Judge BK, I must do errands and whatnot, I must do something interesting for a meal, and I must watch a DVD or three, not to mention that there are seven swans a-swimming in my pool, courtesy of, you guessed it, my true love. They’re very personable, these swimming swans, but between them and the laying geese, well, it’s quite a sight around here. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I get my beauty sleep, but on my judicial robes, and become Judge BK. Mickey Spillane wrote I, The Jury, but my new novel will be I, The Judge.