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January 13, 2010:

THE MUFFIN MAN

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, may we just discuss for a moment something called the English muffin? I was eating an English muffin (actually two) earlier this evening and I thought to myself, myself why is this thing called an English muffin and who came up with the idea of a muffin of craters? Well, I have both the skinny and the fat for you. Did you know, for example, that the English muffin came from England? As far back as the 18th century there was the muffin man and the muffin man sold muffins and since the muffin man was English, when the muffins found their way Stateside, they were dubbed English muffins. And there you have the pocket history of English muffins, although no explanation of the craters. I feel we should bring back the muffin man, don’t you, and perhaps the muffin man can explain the craters of the English muffin. These are the things that are roaming around in the windmills of my mind at the midnight hour. Well, don’t I have notes to write? Why am I going on about the derivation of a fershluganah English muffin? In any case, I got up quite late yesterday; quite, quite late, and therefore I was quite behind in my daily doings. I was happy to find that our new release had sold out – our fastest sellout in months. Thirty minutes after I got up, Mr. Cason Murphy arrived and we did some work and then had an early luncheon whilst going over many items. He took some work home with him, and I’ll be seeing him next Monday, when we’ll begin addressing packages. After that, I began my writing for the day. I did about five pages right away, after revising and smoothing out the writing from the day before. I picked up a couple of packages, then came home and did a little more writing, about three pages. I then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Last Action Hero, starring our current governor. I’d always meant to see it, and am glad I finally did. There’s a certain nostalgia value because the opening sequence of the film, a huge action scene, was filmed literally right outside the Bay Cities offices at the Culver Hotel. I remember we all were watching out of the window in the office Nick Redman had. It was a huge shoot and amazing to see how many people there were, and all the equipment and cars and helicopters. The real shame of the film is that there was probably a really good movie there somewhere. The film has a fun premise, but they spend so much time beating you over the head with how everything supposedly happens and trying to justify every last thing, and it’s just not necessary. It’s also incredibly stupid way too much of the time. With this kind of film you’re walking a very fine line, and they cross it over and over again. But every now and then they get the tone just right, or there’s a really funny gag and you instantly see what could have been had they had some actual good writers working on the script. Still, some of it is very enjoyable, and the cast has a great time. The governor is actually good and has no compunction about making fun of himself, and the supporting players are terrific, including an over-the-top Anthony Quinn, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Dance, and some very amusing cameos from Sharon Stone, Maria Shriver, and many others. Best of all, the New York of 1992, which really wasn’t that long ago, is a whole different place than the New York of today. It’s astonishing what’s happened there in the last eighteen years. In 1992, 42nd Street still had its sleaze and all its movie theaters (interestingly, there’s a joke placard in front of one of the movie houses that says “coming soon – a twenty-plex or something). There were still movie theaters on Broadway. It is simply astonishing to think that every single movie theater on Broadway in Times Square, and there were a LOT, are gone. The big Nathan’s was still there, too. The transfer is top-notch – very sharp, very detailed, great color, and robust sound.

After the movie, I wrote two more pages for a total of ten, and then I listened to some music and tried to relax, which didn’t work all that well. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we all sing a chorus of The Muffin Man. Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it in butter with some marmalade for you, the muffin man can ’cause he toasts it all with love and makes the world taste good.

Today, I’ll be giving just a few more notes for the long musical – that will happen first thing in the morning and then the rest of the day is mine, mostly for writing, but also for a few errands and whatnot, some food, and maybe picking up a package.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with Mr. Stu Phillips, a film composer. He lives very close to me, just five minutes away. I’m very much looking forward to meeting him. Friday, I have a work session with the composer and lyricist of the long musical, and Friday evening I’m having dinner with someone I haven’t seen in at least five years.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe do a jog, write, do a few errands and whatnot, maybe pick up a package, write, and then relax. 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 we all keep a lookout for the muffin man.

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