Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, pondering the imponderables, as I am sometimes wont to do. I do occasionally like to do things I am sometimes wont to do, just for the wont factor. The wont factor is one of my favorite factors, right up there, in fact, with Max Factor and Factor’s Deli. And when you factor in all those factors you truly understand the ephemeral quality of borscht. The Ephemeral Quality of Borscht – that’s the title of my next novel, a story of five generations of an ephemeral Jewish family who eat pork and observe lent and who, more often than not, mix meat with dairy and vice versa. You know, if anyone has a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about, do let me know. In the meantime, I had a perfectly pleasant first day of June. I got up around six-thirty for reasons unknown, played on the computer a little, printed out some orders, and then went back to bed for a couple more hours. I got up, answered e-mails, and prepared all the tape boxes I needed to bring to the tape transfer place, and there were quite a few. Once at the tape transfer place, we ascertained what had to be done with what tape, and we checked the one tape we needed to to make certain I could do what I hoped I could do and it certainly looks as if I can – so, coming soon will be what will surely be an extraordinary Kritzerland release – finally something for our cast album fans. I’m very excited to get to work on this project, which will be later this week. And depending on how fast we can do it, it could even end up our next release – if not, the release after that for sure. In fact, I may make it a double release – a soundtrack and this cast album reissue. We shall see. After we finished, I came back to the San Fernando Valley, picked up a couple of packages but not the errant and truant mail that is now days overdue – hopefully it will be here today. I got a Spicy Eyetalian Subway sandwich for my meal o’ the day – hadn’t had one in quite some time, and it was quite yummilicious. I came home, answered more e-mails, did some work on the computer, had many telephonic conversations, and then the day was over and I began to think about the ephemeral quality of borscht whilst sitting on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture in high definitions on the DVR, entitled House of Games, a film written and directed by David Mamet. I’ve talked about it before, but I really like the film a lot. It’s not quite as much fun once you’ve seen it and know its inner workings, but it’s just so weird and Mamet-like – I simply don’t know how actors speak some of his weird dialogue cadences, but somehow it all works. The transfer wasn’t really much better than the DVD that’s out. I then cracked open the final volume of The Three Stooges shorts. This is the one I’ve kind of been waiting for because Shemp passed away after the first short in this collection – they did five more “with” Shemp, by using doubles and re-using footage from other Shemp Stooges shorts. And then they replaced Shemp with Joe Besser, a roly-poly comic who’d been in vaudeville, done his own shorts, and also rose to fame playing Stinky of the Abbott and Costello TV show (“I’m gonna harm you” was his famous line). I’ve always thought this guy was hilarious, and even though most people don’t like his time with the Stooges, by the time he began with them their shtick was so tired and old and Besser brought some new energy and life to the series, which was on its last legs and would end not that long after he took over. I have to say, I laughed out loud several times when he really went into his bits, so I’m enjoying these immensely. I’ve watched about five of them thus far. The transfers are terrific.
After that, I had another longish telephonic call and then it was somehow time to write these here notes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we all think of the ephemeral quality of borscht.
Today, I have a meeting at eleven, and then some errands and whatnot and then some writing to do and then some picking up of the packages and mail to do. Otherwise, not a real heavy day, man. And tonight shall be mine all mine.
Tomorrow, helper will be here bright and early and we’ll be packaging up a few orders, doing some organizing, and then shipping the packages – about three hours of work in all. Then I have a really quick meeting in the City of Studio. Friday night, I’m seeing the enormously talented and wonderful Nancy Dussault at the Gardenia – I’ve never seen her act and I’m really looking forward to it.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a meeting, do some errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up mail and packages, do some banking, and then do some writing. 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, all the while pondering the ephemeral quality of borscht.