Well, dear readers, I must tell you that June did indeed bust out all over as far as this here site is concerned. Not only did we debut our new and improved site and discussion board, but we returned to our popular with the populace ways after what was the worst month in our discussion board history. In fact, that month made me wonder why I was bothering with all the upgrades, but whatever that was about passed and June was a helluva months for us, with just under 8,000 postings and a whopping 769,000 page views. Both postings and page views topped any month this year. Last year was a great year for us and I’d love this year to ultimately top it – last year we had over 69,000 posts and just under 8,000,000 page views – yes, you read that right – eight MILLION page views. I do feel that soon we will be the most popular site on all the Internet. The traffic on the main site continues to be incredible and more than amazing to me. Here are some more interesting stats for the stats lovers among us: Our most postings in one day – “The Annual Oscar Bash” of 2007, with 2,062. Most page views in one day – “A Dish Best Served Cold” on February 2, 2007 with 37,366 page views in a single day. Another interesting factoid: Our top five posters include two people who no longer post – however one of them will be overtaken soon as will the other and then they’ll both fall out of the top five. Since we began this board we have had very close to 900,000 posts. I’d say we’re doing okay, wouldn’t you? And that concludes the stats portion of today’s notes.
Because of the scratchy throat I didn’t fall asleep until probably three in the morning and then I slept sporadically. I was up at eight-fifteen, back in bed and then up again at ten-fifteen. It was a tug-of-war with the throat – sometimes I felt better, then I’d feel worse – this went on all day but I do think I feel a bit better so your strong excellent vibes and xylophones are working so please keep them coming strongly and excellently.
I printed out more orders (we’ll be sold out by noon today, I think), did some work on the computer, then moseyed on over to the Eclectic Café for a lunch meeting. That was fun – I had a Caesar salad with chicken – not that good, actually – and a roll. After lunch I picked up no packages.
Then I did a three-mile jog, listened to some music for an upcoming project, had a couple of telephonic conversations, and sucked on some ColdEEZ and chewed some Airborne. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled This Happy Breed, a nice David Lean film based on a Noel Coward play, and part of the Lean Films Coward box set from Criterion. I’d never seen it before. It’s no Brief Encounter, but it’s a pleasant little film, beautifully directed by Lean and gorgeously shot in Technicolor by future director Ronald Neame. The cast is great and it all moves along nicely. It’s never quite great, but I enjoyed it and the transfer is superb.
After that, I went and had a bowl of chicken soup because I thought I should. It’s way too much liquid, despite being very calorie-friendly. It makes me feel bloated and gross, but if it helps with the scratch throat it’s worth it, and the bloated feeling is usually gone by morning. Then I booked a photographer for the East Coast Singer’s recording session, which is amazingly coming up in eighteen days. I’m also trying to book a videographer for the session, too, because, as you know, we now can post audio and video on this here site. Then I just relaxed.
We haven’t had any fun audio on here for a while and perhaps we need some damn fun audio right about now so here’s some damn fun audio for your damn fun listening pleasure. This is a song very few people have heard – it was written for what was to be the follow up movie to The First Nudie Musical – Sailors – kind of a 1970s version of On the Town. The three young men from a small town join the Navy circa 1976 thinking it’s going to be like the MGM sailor musicals only to find things are very different in the Now Navy. They come to LA singing and dancing, meet three girls and have adventures. This song was written for and is sung by Diana Canova, playing a girl who works at the Farmer’s Market in a fish stand (yes, a fish stand). I have always liked this song and its tune and lyrics. I hope you like it and I hope this demo sounds decent.
That concludes the damn fun audio portion of the notes. Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s sleep and hopefully the scratchy throat will be a thing of the past. I have some errands and whatnot to do, I’ll do a jog, I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and then we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal. We had to let our sick performer go and thankfully our very own Robert Yacko has come to the rescue – he’ll do two of the songs and Shelly Markham will do the third so we don’t have to cut or change anything, and that’s a good thing. After that, I’ll relax.
Tomorrow is July 4 and I’m just staying in, I guess, which is fine. Perhaps I’ll do some of the busy work and get that out of the way. Friday it will be more busy work and relaxation, Saturday is our stumble-through, then Sunday is sound check and show, and then we dive right into the August show, which is all cast and I’ve already gathered most of the music we’ll need.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, have a rehearsal and 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 I hit the road to dreamland where I shall hopefully sleep peacefully and well and then wake up feeling much better.