Well, dear readers, a funny thing happened on the way to posting yesterday’s notes – I didn’t write the final sentence. Say what? Unfinished notes? That is simply not done and yet I did it, or, as Red Skelton would say, I dood it. The damn notes were without a finish, a windup, a wrap up, a button. They just stopped and sat there like so much unfinished fish. Of course, when I realized it (just now) I could have gone in and done a quick finish but that would have been revising history like in George Orwell’s marvelously marvelous book Nineteen Eighty-Four. I do not revise history, unless, of course, it suits me. That and the Oxford Comma will get you a piece of whitefish. Okay, I am now babbling. Did you notice? Suddenly I began to babble – I babbled and now these here notes are in danger of becoming haineshisway.com Babylon because I am continuing to babble on. What the HELL am I talking about? However shall I finish these here notes when I am the babbling Babylon? Look at all those potential titles for today’s notes. When I write the notes’ opening paragraph I usually take the title from something therein. But look at this wealth of choices, this plethora of possibilities. Unfinished Notes. That’s a classy title. Notes Without a Finish – that’s a nice title. Unfinished Fish – that’s a catchy one. I Dood It – that has a Red Skelton vibe. Revising History – that has a classic feel to it and it’s timely, too. The Oxford Comma Will Get You a Piece of Whitefish. That’s my favorite so far. However, I’m thinking the winner will be Babylon Babble On. I suppose we shall see how I feel at the end of writing these here notes, presuming I remember to write a final sentence.
Yesterday was, I don’t know what the HELL yesterday was. What the HELL WAS yesterday, anyway? I mean, what WAS yesterday all about, other than being yesterday? I have no clew, frankly or even bobly. I did sleep eight hours. I did stay in bed for no reason whatsoever until there came a knock knock knocking at my door – it was the helper and she picked up invoices and also the books for the signing, which she’s bringing to the bookshop today. Once she was gone, I normally have gone to get my food for the day, but instead I made my own damn food – some penne with butter and cheese. It was quite good and it was nice for a change not to go sit in some restaurant. After that, I picked up one package and then came right back home. I did some work on the computer and made an overture to the person we hope will be our final cast member for the June show. Only then can I actually finish choosing and assigning the songs. Then I decided on our next release, which we’ll announce in a few days. I wrote the liner notes and did the track list and got all that to the designer, who whipped up a classic cover in no time. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on the Flix of Net – I didn’t have time to watch anything of any length, so this thing was only about seventy-five minutes long, so was perfect. Well, the length was perfect – the film was something less than perfect. I had no idea that a decade or so ago they’d made a Modesty Blaise film. Back in the 60s, Joseph Losey made a completely surreal, wacky film of the Modesty Blaise novels and comics by Peter O’Donnell. Back then, I was rather obsessed with the film and, as was my wont, followed it all over town, seeing it at least thirty times. I found it so weird and found Dirk Bogarde so outré that I thought the whole thing was divine. Time, however, has not been kind to it, and I watch it now and scratch my head how I could have ever been quite so in love with it. But times and taste changes and one sees things differently forty some odd years later. This new Modesty Blaise film was apparently initiated by someone named Quentin Tarantino. I don’t really care for Mr. Tarantino – but the history here is interesting. He got Miramax to fork up the dough for the rights, but then no one could produce a script that was to his liking (not for him to direct). In danger of losing the rights, Miramax made a movie as quickly as they could, very low-budget, from a script Tarantino was okay with (he gets a presents credit). It’s a backstory movie – how Modesty began. Apparently it’s quite a bit more faithful to the vibe of Mr. O’Donnell than the Losey film, but that wouldn’t be hard. Here we find out Modesty’s origins and we see her in a bit of action towards the end of it. It’s short, weirdly constructed, not very well directed, but I kind of liked it anyway. The gal who plays Modesty is okay – very pretty, but boy is she skinny – painfully thin. The movie went straight to DVD, and no new ones have been made since, which is a shame as there could be some really fun films made from Mr. O’Donnell’s novels.
After that, I had a telephonic conversation and that was my day and that was my evening and there was not an Oxford Comma in sight.
Today, I don’t know what the HELL is going on. Surely something is going on. Something is always going on. Send some excellent vibes and xylophones for both miracles and no annoyances. I’m sure I’ll eat something, I’m sure I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’m sure I’ll proof the packaging of the new release, I’m sure I’ll finish choosing and assigning songs, I’m sure I’ll gather all the music together, and I’m sure I’ll relax at some point and use the Oxford Comma whilst babbling on.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, seeing shows, and doing my book signing. We’re hoping for a nice turnout. I did hear something fun yesterday – one of our young Kritzerland performers is reading the new book and she was amazed to read the part where Adriana is interviewing the hippie-like guy in the apartment building and smelling that odd smell – apparently, she’d just had the same almost verbatim conversation that Adriana has with Billy with her best friend when she smelled that disgusting smell in her school.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do SOMETHING, I must eat, I must proof packaging, I must hopefully pick up packages, I must finish choosing and assigning songs, I must gather up music and I must relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite comic book or superhero books turned to movies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I write this final sentence so I’m don’t have unfinished notes again. Other than that, I’m through with this installment of the Babylon Babble On.