Well, dear readers, as you know I have a hate/hate relationship with Facebook. Certain dear readers who used to call this their home now don’t even visit here anymore because they somehow think Facebook is all about them. Whatever makes folks happy is fine by me, but you all know my feelings about this stuff. I have found Facebook useful as a promotional tool for work I do, for the Kritzerland shows and our CD releases and that’s about it. Do I visit? Of course, even though I’d really rather not. But while I am there it never ceases to amaze me how people who are reasonably intelligent revert to complete moron status and behave so stupidly that it defies credulity. It’s mind boggling actually. The worst of it is the “sharing” of specious articles about all manner of controversial things, none of it from reputable news sites and 99% of it completely bogus – but they post it as if it were real and then share their moral outrage with all their friends, who, of course, immediately assume it’s all real. I’ll give you the latest example I saw: Someone posted a story from some idiot “news” site that said McDonald’s had implemented a new policy that forbid their workers from offering food to the homeless. The posted this as fact, with the photo of a homeless man, as if that photo was somehow part of the story. The headline not only screamed it to the four winds but also prominently displayed the “NEW POLICY” line. Well, people were outraged at McDonald’s, they derided McDonald’s, most of them without even bothering to do a modicum of checking up to see if it was even true, or what the story really was. I go into those threads when I see them and I lambast every last stupid person in sight. My position is if you’re posting a story from some online “news” site you don’t know at all, the rule of thumb should always be – if you Google and don’t find one reputable news site carrying the story, only the stupid sites, just assume you’re being hoodwinked by a headline designed to get you to click through to the site, which then, of course, gathers ALL your information. And what do you find when you click through to the site (I didn’t because I went directly to a site that debunks this kind of crap) – you find a story that has NOTHING to do with that incendiary headline. You find a story about ONE McDonald’s – ONE – located in – wait for it – MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, where there was ONE incident that actually had little to do with refusing to serve a homeless person. What you don’t find is ONE SINGLE MENTION of this “new policy” of McDonald’s. Why don’t you find it? Hold on to your hats, dear readers. You don’t find it because McDonald’s HAS no new policy. Say what?
So you can just make the assumption that if you’re seeing it on Facebook, it isn’t true. It’s as bad as those bogus photos showing purportedly dying adults and children holding a sign that says, “I need one million ‘likes’ and maybe I can beat this.” It’s totally fake and as soon as you “like” it more information about you is gathered. And yet, people click through, they share it, and on it goes. People post incendiary stories and with a simple Google search you find out it’s some story from five years ago. Snopes debunks all this stuff regularly. Many of the stories that are shared are from “satire” sites, only the satire isn’t funny and you have to look really hard for the fine print about the satire. Then I love the people who post something for all the world to see, and they get some responses they don’t like (what a concept) and then they go all berserk and say, “This is MY wall and I will UNFRIEND you if you continue to post these responses.” Note to idiots: It’s FACEBOOK. You don’t want responses, don’t post your nonsense. If you only want responses that kiss your ASS and agree with you, state that immediately. And I love that these people think that the threat of being unfriended is something that will make someone feel bad or bother them. Really? Unfriend me, baby, be my guest. I won’t even notice. There’s one fellow who posts bogus articles almost daily as if they were fact, without even taking the four seconds to find they’re not. I relentlessly go after him and he really gets irritated, and that makes me very happy because he’s such a dope for continuing to do it after it’s been pointed out to him by many that what he’s posting is fake. His usual response is, “Well, this may be fake, but it could happen – or it might be happening somewhere.” Brilliant! The only thing Facebook does that is truly fun are birthdays. Of course, we have done ALL this stuff long before Facebook was even a gleam in the eye of its creator – we were here first, yes, on a small scale, but we were here first and they can’t take that away from us.
I’m also amused that people think thousands of people are seeing their posts. Not the way Facebook works NOW – if you don’t see it when it happens it goes so far down one’s newsfeed it’s usually completely missed. And then there are all the ads, something this site has NEVER done. But that’s all side dishes. The main course, people getting on their high horses about everything from politics to posting photos of violence and maltreatment of animals – I mean the most graphic photos you’ve ever seen – somehow they think that’s acceptable on a site where children could easily see it. I could go on and on, but I do have some notes to write and write them I shall and there will be nothing bogus here and any satire will be identified as such. End of Facebook rant.
Yesterday was a day I like to call Thursday, even though because of the holiday it felt like a Friday, which, of course, is today. Once again, I only got about six hours of sleep – too much in Ye Olde Cranium. Once up, a local dealer came by and picked up some CDs. Then I did some banking, then went and had a patty melt with no fries or onion rings. I came home, had some telephonic conversations, and then had to be on my way to the theater to let our set designer in so he could make the stage look nice for our presentation. First I stopped and picked up a couple of packages. Then I watched our set guy do nice things to the stage, then Sami arrived and we began our rehearsal. I wanted to spend only an hour doing walking and talking but it took most of the rehearsal session because very little of what we blocked has taken hold yet. So we went much more slowly than I would have liked, but I cleaned some stuff up, found a couple of funny bits of business, and then the intention was to start a run-through and do as much as possible. But we got hung up right at the top and I kept having to have her go back and start over again, which was making her frustrated and I can’t blame her. After we finished the twenty minutes we were able to run, I sat her down and had a heartfelt talk with her, telling her my one and only job is to get her to be as good as she can be, but that trying to do what we’re doing in only five days is crazy and that I would not be doing nearly as well as she is. I said I didn’t care if she didn’t like me for having to be strong, but that it was what needed to be. I think she understood. When we have a real rehearsal period in August, then I can be gentle and we can collaborate the way I enjoy. But this girl, who is barely fifteen, has had to learn a LOT of material – both monologues and songs – that would be daunting for someone twice her age – but then to block the show in two days and have to assimilate that – well, my head would explode, except I had to do it, just as she has to do it. I explained that this is all on her tiny shoulders – she has to come on that stage and own it AND the show AND the audience and never let it get out of her hands. Most of my frustration comes when we find something and she’s getting stuff to work – and I always praise that to the skies – and then the next rehearsal it’s gone and we’re back to the way it was. So, I have to stop a lot and get her back in the right rhythm. Anyway, she’s a trouper and a champ and fearless and while Sunday may not be perfect (how could it be in five days), I know she’ll do a great job. She just has to show up with a positive attitude, be present always, and it will all be fine. IF she goes up on Sunday, we’ve devised a fun way for her to deal with it and our musical director Alby is always on book and can throw her whatever she needs.
I then had to go directly to Westlake Audio in Hollywood to record the David Wechter song. We had three vocalists and John Boswell on the piano. We spent the first forty minutes getting the piano track done and it sounded great. Then we brought the singers in and began putting it together, slowly, for the next two hours – lots of intricate harmonies and some overdubbing, but it all came out very well and we wrapped within our allotted time. And yes, I did manage to have an Astro Burger cheeseburger and zucchini fries. The burger was fantastic – the zucchini fries weren’t up to their usual standards, I’m afraid. Then I came right home.
Today, I have to be at the theater at noon to let in the lighting guy, who has about four hours of work to do for Sunday. I’ll probably go have a bite to eat at the Coral Café, then come back and wait for the rehearsal to begin. We’ll work for our three hours and if I feel an extra hour is necessary, we’ll use it and then maybe we’ll go get a bite to eat – if not, we definitely will on Saturday. I do really like the show and my biggest hope is that it does for Sami what it should – if we make this work, this kind of role and show is a life changer and for the run we’ll try to get some really important casting folks in to see her, and then we’re still hoping to do three weeks in New York before the end of the year. I hope it’s fun to read about this stuff, as you’ve all been following our so far three-year journey of working together. She’s grown so much and I’m so proud of her.
Tomorrow is our long rehearsal day, then I’ll relax, and Sunday is show day and we’ll get to the theater around four to clean up and drill before the audience arrives.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, go to the theater, eat, have a rehearsal and maybe have a snack after. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, the marvelous soundtrack to L’Appartement. Blu-ray, the rest of The Honeymooners. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, marveling as I always do at Facebook and the Art of Stupid.