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October 15, 2012:

PEOPLE ARE FUNNY

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, people are funny. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, think people are funny. Not funny ha ha but peculiar funny, especially here in the City of Studio. Here are some examples: Du-Par’s. I went there today for some pancakes to tide me over until dinner. I arrived around twelve-thirty. Now, a year ago you would not have been able to get in – there would have been a twenty to forty minute wait with crowds of people inside and out. And that’s the way it was since the 1990s. Yesterday, I entered the restaurant and sat myself down at one of the many empty booths. Why? Why the change? Well, I’ll tell you why the change for why should I withhold such information from you dear readers. The change is simple – they expanded the dining room about six months ago. Now, all that should have meant is that the Sunday morning and early afternoon wait time should have been less since they could seat more people and alleviate the lines. But what did the fine people of the City of Studio do? They stopped coming. Why? Because it was only interesting to them when there WERE lines and waits because then it’s hip and it makes them seem like they’re part of the thing to do. The minute you take that away, they go somewhere else, like Umami Burger or wherever the crowds and wait times are. Hence, people are funny. And typical. Here’s another example: We have a cleaners called Flair Cleaners just north of Ventura Blvd. on Laurel Canyon. It is, without question, the most expensive cleaners anywhere. They do mediocre work (I went there for a short time until I wised up). There are at least ten other cleaners within a one-mile radius. But the City of Studio people? They go to Flair. Not only do they LIKE to pay double, they actually wait in line to do so. Not only do they wait in line to do so, but their cars are also lined up outside the jernt, like lemmings. They wait twenty minutes to even park, then another twenty to get helped. Two blocks north is the best cleaners in the City of Studio – no cars, no wait, ever, and half the cost. Hence, people are funny. And typical. The same with gas stations. The stations nearest my house are all $5.00 a gallon, the highest price in the USA. Go three blocks north and you pay $4.79. But they don’t. They’d rather pay the $5.00 AND wait in line to do so. Hence, people are funny. And typical. And on it goes. I do love the City of Studio but it does have its completely nauseating aspects. Once upon a time, even a decade ago, it was not like this in the City of Studio. It was quaint and the people were lovely. And then all the business of show people infiltrated the neighborhood because they wanted their children to go to Carpenter School. Never mind that none of the City of Studio houses met their needs – they simply bought up the houses, tore down what was once charming, and constructed monstrosities that have no business in a charming neighborhood. They don’t care because it’s all about them and their entitled children. Once the kids are out of Carpenter, these people will flee to the next place and we who have lived here and have respected the neighborhood will have to look at their sorry handiwork forever. Hence, people are funny. And typical. End of rant.

Yesterday was mostly a restful and relaxing day. I got up at ten-thirty after nine hours of sleep. I answered e-mails and then decided I had to eat something to tide me over until my dinner out at eight-thirty. So, I put on my walking shoes and rather than do a slow jog of two miles, I did a brisk walk of two miles. First, I walked over to the City of Studio farmer’s market and took in the sights and sounds and smells. Then I went across the street and had a short stack and a side of bacon. I can now officially decree that the glory days of Du-Par’s pancakes are over. They are now thoroughly mediocre and even the melted butter seems different and yucky. Of the three pancakes served I ate half. The bacon was very good, though. Then I walked up to the City of Studio art fair. They do these four times a year. The last time I visited was last year and it was, as always, jammed with people visiting and a huge number of art dealers, jewelry dealers and such. There were always artists there selling original paintings. Not any more, not a one. First of all, there were hardly any artists at all, less than a third of how many used to be there. And there were basically only a handful of visitors. I think this thing has had its day, I’m afraid. There was not one piece of original art there – just giclees and signed and numbered things. Then I walked briskly home.

Once home, I did have to do a tiny bit of work on the Christmas album packaging – doing corrections and fixes. After that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.

Yesterday, I watched another Bond film on Blu and Ray entitled On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I first saw it sometime in 1971 when it was playing a fifth run neighborhood theater called the Airport in Van Nuys. By that time the film had been out for over a year, but I’d missed it. My father had finally moved back to LA and I remember him visiting our apartment in Van Nuys and we went to see it, as he’d missed it, too. He fell asleep during it, as was his wont, and I enjoyed but didn’t love it, simply because I couldn’t get used to George Lazenby’s Bond. Watching it today is easier as several other actors have now played the part. Lazenby is okay – not the disaster that people thought back then, but decidedly lightweight. Diana Rigg is always fun to watch, and Telly Savalas is good. This film ranks high with Bond aficionados, but not as high with me. There are very good things in the film, but boy does it go on way too long at two hours and twenty minutes. After the third ski chase what is there left to say. Cutting twenty minutes would have done wonders. It does feature one of John Barry’s best Bond scores, though. The transfer is similar to You Only Live Twice – a handful of correct color shots, but mostly a brown mess. It’s as if the colorist was a schizo nut job. These really need to be redone someday by someone who understands color. It’s reasonably sharp and everything, but mostly it doesn’t look like it should.

After that, I went to dinner at Stanley’s. I had the salmon pasta in a light tomato cream sauce. I’d had that the last time I was there and it was every bit as yummilicious this time as it was then. It was a bit of a working dinner with a singer, but it was fun and relaxing, too. After that, I came home and her I am to prove it.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.

Today is a very busy day. I must attend to the last bit of busywork and after that I must assign final song choices, get the sheet music and send everyone their stuff. We’re about a half a week late so I must do it. Then I will hopefully pick up some packages, do errands and whatnot, and then I’m seeing a club act at The Federal.

Tomorrow and the rest of the week is meetings and meals and prepping a new release and more meetings and meals and wrapping up casting the next two episodes of Outside The Box. My editor is having some issues, so his assistant will be doing the first cut of the first two episodes. This makes me very nervous as he hasn’t done these before, so we’ve asked him to watch the first six. I’m going to have to go through all the footage and tell him certain bits that I want from certain takes. But once he’s done the first cuts, then the editor will come in and do what’s necessary to make them right. I don’t even know if I want to see them before he does his pass.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, attend to the last of the busywork, assign songs, get sheet music, hopefully pick up some packages, do errands and whatnot and then see a club act. Today’s topic of discussion: People are funny – what are the things that annoy you most about people today? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I’m quite certain that I shall dream people are funny dreams.

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