Well, dear readers, we are getting ready for a rather big anniversary around these here parts, and in preparation for it I’ve been reading some of the old notes on this here site. It’s quite amazing to go back to November of 2001 and see the remarkable consistency of these here notes. They were silly then and they’re silly now, but interspersed in the silliness are some interesting tidbits. But I’ll save the palaver for our anniversary notes in a week’s time. Yesterday alone felt like a week’s time. I will remind you that yesterday was supposed to be completely free of any work. And yet, I got up and was greeted by several e-mails having to do with the long musical and I spent the next two and a half hours writing e-mails and having telephonic calls. Most of this was because one person wasn’t receiving e-mails from me or Cason Murphy, e-mails that were being sent to the correct address. I believe they were begin deposited directly into a spam folder, is what I believe. In any case, I got that all straightened out, and then I turned the phone off. I did a two-mile jog, then decided I wanted some spaghetti and red sauce. I was going to have some green sauce or maybe some yellow sauce but in the end I opted for the red sauce. So, I made the pasta and sauce and ate it all up whilst watching a motion picture on the DVR. I also had a visit from a soundtrack dealer, and then I had to approve the master for the new Kritzerland release, and then I had to proof the packaging for the upcoming Holy Grail release, which I then sent on its merry way for approval, which I hope will not take too too long. I dozed off a few times, and by the time everything was done, it was already seven o’clock and time to watch Mad Men.
Yesterday, I watched a motion picture on the DVR in high definitions entitled Sabotage, an early film of Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. I’ve always rather liked the film and while some of the print used for the transfer was not optimal, it was as sharp as I’ve ever seen this film look. It’s not one of Hitchock’s greats, but it’s got very interesting things in it, including a lesson in suspense that Hitchcock learned from this film – a character we like is unknowingly carrying a bomb, which he’s supposed to deliver by one-thirty. The bomb is set to go off at one-forty-five, when the character will be long gone. But due to traffic and various and sundried interruptions he doesn’t make it by one-thirty. As the clock ticks, he’s on a bus and the suspense really tightens. And then the bomb goes off, killing the character and everyone on the bus. Hitchcock told Francois Truffaut that that was a valuable lesson learned – audiences won’t be with the film if you create that kind of suspense and then kill a likable character like that. Which, of course, he would stand on its ear in Psycho.
Last night’s episode of Mad Men was excellent from start to finish. Peggy had more to do, Pete was back, and the stuff with Don and Betty was very good, and being that the episode takes place on November 22, 1963, we also get the cataclysmic event of that day. And next week is the last episode of the season, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing how they’re going to leave things until next season.
After that, I made some more notes for the book I’ll be starting on the first of next year – I’ve got pages and pages of notes now and am really looking forward to starting come January.
I don’t know how it’s possible, but I’m still full from eating pasta at 12:30, almost eleven hours ago. Go know. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am quite tired and I really need a good night’s sleep.
Today, I shall arise and do the long jog. This is definite. I shall not be waylaid by externals. Have you ever been waylaid by externals or, even worse, by internals? It’s not pretty. In any case, I shall ignore everything until I do the long jog. Once the jog is done, then I can be waylaid by externals. I shall prepare our new release announcement, I have several errands and whatnot that need doing, I will hopefully have packages to pick up (as well as a few to ship), and then I shall eat something amusing, after which I shall toddle off to a little rehearsal for the singers learning their songs for the table reading of the long musical and speaking of long how about this fershluganah sentence?
Tomorrow, of course, we’ll be shipping out the Brent Barrett Christmas CDs and also Billion Dollar Brain/The Final Option. And tomorrow night is another rehearsal. Then we announce our new title, and there are three more rehearsals, several meetings, a couple of meals, and stuff like that.
Waylaid By Externals – that’s the title of my next novel, a story of unbridled lust on the Chisholm trail. I have wanted to write a story of unbridled lust for some time, but all I could think of were stories of bridled lust, and those just didn’t interest me. In any case, this is a story of unbridled lust between men who drink hard and fight hard and the women and horses who lust after them. What the HELL am I talking about?
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, do errands and whatnot, both pick up and ship packages, eat, and then attend a short rehearsal of three hours duration. Today’s topic of discussion: We always enjoy doing this one, so – how did you find this here site and how long have you been coming here? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we ponder what happened to so many of our dear readers who were with us that first year – I’d love to know how some of those folks are doing.