Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle using a toilet plunger. Does anyone till use a toilet plunger? Now, before I go on about toilet plungers and whether anyone uses them, have you seen the little video of the father giving his young teen son two whacks with a belt? Apparently a neighbor thought this was high drama and filmed it. I wonder why? So he could immediately post it online and give it to the media? I watched the video. The father gives his boy two little whacks with his belt. He is not killing his child, he is not maiming his child, and yet the media is treating him like he has committed a felony, which he most assuredly has not. My father hit me with his belt. My father hit my brother with his belt. So what? My mother and the hanger was a different story, one which I’ve told, but even that I finally dealt with myself – I didn’t need the media to try my mother. What a world we live in. You can’t punish your children if the behave really poorly? And by punish, I don’t mean “Go to your room for five minutes.” Kids are out of control today for precisely this reason. I smacked my daughter on the rear end – so what? She loves me, I love her. They’re talking about putting this fellow in jail for God’s sake. Stop the madness, please. He wasn’t beating the boy repeatedly – it’s two small whacks. He didn’t draw blood and I doubt it even left a bruise. The media, of course, laps it up like the vile, diseased hookers that they are. Talk about toilet plungers. And the neighbor – I’d frankly go give him a couple of whacks with a belt. I’m sure his life has been lived beyond reproach. One can only hope that one day he’s doing something maybe he shouldn’t and someone films it and shows it – wait for it – OUT OF CONTEXT. I cannot wait for these parents who do nothing to have to actually deal with their children in their teen years. And I cannot wait until these entitled, do-anything-you-want-you’re-always-great kids get out into the real world. Good luck, baby. That said, I have never hit anyone with a belt, but then again, I don’t wear a belt. I once hit someone with a patterned sock. And I once hit someone with a corn dog, but they pushed me REALLY far. End of rant.
Where the HELL was I? Oh, yes, toilet plungers. I think they’re still quite popular with the populace. I have one hidden away somewhere. I occasionally take it out and look at and admire it. It’s quite a marvel of functionality and design, isn’t it? Every household should have one and probably does. I wonder if whoever invented the toilet plunger gets a royalty, or if he got screwed? The toilet plunger was, of course, invented by Herbert J. Plunger – he was a gynecologist and rug beater, and little did he know his invention would soon plunge the world into a world of little Plungers. In fact, Herbert J. Plunger had six little Plungers of his own – Alfred, Xavier, Melvin, Lucinda, Louella, and Lorraine. The latter three, as some may remember, became a hit singing group, The Plunger Sisters. Lucinda, Louella, and Lorraine did many classic songs, such as When It’s Closing Time I’ll be in Pennsylvania, The Sylvania Polka, and their most deliriously wonderful song, The Lunch Special was Tuna. I have their greatest hits on 78rpm records. As far as I know, none of their songs has ever been issued on CD, which is a lot more criminal than that father giving his misbehaving son two whacks with a belt. At this juncture if someone would like to tell me what the HELL I’m talking about, that would probably be a good idea.
Yesterday had a few little annoying things to deal with – nothing major – but really, who needs ANY annoying things to deal with? I dealt with them after waking up – I think I actually got nine hours of blessed sleep. Then the helper came over and got some invoices. Then I went and had a bacon cheeseburger and no fries, then picked up no mail and no packages. Then I had to do some busywork, then I finally cast one of the two men for the Kritzerland show – we’re bringing back the marvelous Dennis Kyle who was with us on the last show. One more guy to go and then I can finish assigning songs. I’ll be able to get the gals their songs before I leave, so that’s good. After all that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I decided to take a short break from the Beck films – yes, I took a Beck break – and I watched the first episode of a Danish TV series called Those Who Kill. This show is very much in the Danish mode, but, for whatever reasons, didn’t do well in the Danish ratings and isn’t getting a series two, although it is doing well in the UK. Unlike The Killing, each two-part episode (shown in two parts originally, but edited together for the DVD) is a self-contained story. I was quite worried it was going to be as bad as the French tripe, Spiral, but after a few nervous minutes of “trendy” direction, it settled down into a compelling tale of a serial killer. The chief of police is played by one of The Killing leads, and the killer is played by one of the leads from The Killing II. The lead character is another female cop, played by Laura Bach, who is very good. It was very tense, had excellent performances and the music (by the composer of The Killing) was also very good. So, I’m looking forward to the rest of the two-part episodes.
Then I moseyed on over to the NoHo Arts Center to see a staged reading of excerpts from two musicals – one older musical, Inside Out, by our very own Miss Adryan Russ and Mr. Doug Haverty (the cast album is, of course, available on Kritzerland), and then thirty-five minutes of a new musical based on the TV show Hazel. I saw Inside Out in its off-Broadway iteration, where I enjoyed it. The cast was mostly fine, but it was not presented to its strongest advantage and fixing that would be easy if anyone had the time or inclination. There was too much of an attempt to fill in the story points, instead of really just setting it up beforehand that it’s excerpts (everyone knew that anyway), and just go from scene to scene and song to song – we understand what’s going on, especially if someone just sets the scene before it begins and explains we’ll be jumping around. Then it moves quicker and we don’t get taken out of the show by having to listen to a lot of plot description, which I just tuned out of. It would be a fun show to direct, and its creators and I have talked about me doing it if we can find a space and the money to do so. It’s got really good roles for an all-woman cast and doesn’t need fancy sets.
The second half of the evening was the little bit from Hazel. Since I have friends who are the creators of this show and because they are at such an early phase of it, it’s really not fair to comment at this point in the process. I can only say that it’s not a natural TV show for musicalization and I’m sure they’ll be working very hard as they continue finishing the show. Cast was good, including our very own Miss Jane Noseworthy, who is always delightfully delightful.
After that, I came home. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get another good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall get as many people as much music as possible, but I can only do that via e-mail. Then I’ll eat something light but amusing, hopefully pick up some packages, do some banking, pack, and then relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll be up at four-thirty and to the Bank of Bur airport by five-thirty for my seven o’clock flight to the city that never sleeps. Then I’m having dinner at Angus McIndoe with an interesting gentleman. Friday is the book signing and then a meal, Saturday and Sunday we rehearse the East Coast Singer’s show, and then Sunday evening it’s show time at the Metropolitan Room. Again, if any of you dear readers would like to see the show, you will be the guest of the East Coast Singer. Just let me know. And do drag some people to the book signing – it would be ever so much fun to fill the room. Then on Monday I’ll be on my way home.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get singers their music and mp3s, I must eat, I must hopefully pick up some packages, I must do some banking, I must pack, I must relax, and I must get to sleep early. 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 hit the road to dreamland, where I shall be humming the songs of The Plunger Sisters.