Well, dear readers, I wonder when I’ll start to actually feel in the holiday spirit. Oh, I feel twitchy and bitchy and manic all right, but I’m waiting for the actual holiday spirit to kick in. What in did to deserve getting kicked by the holiday spirit is anyone’s guess, but that’s another story for another day. Perhaps if I put on a Santa hat I’d feel the holiday spirit. Perhaps if I said “Ho, ho, ho” I’d feel the holiday spirit. Perhaps if I had some damn mistletoe or at least take the Christmas decorations out of the garage and put them on the front of the house, then I’d feel the holiday spirit. But nooooooo, here I sit like so much fish not feeling the damn holiday spirit. I enjoy feeling the holiday spirit so it’s high time I just feel the damn holiday spirit. After all, it’s only eight days till Christmas if you can even believe that. Well, starting tomorrow I’m feeling the damn holiday spirit and that’s all there is to that.
Yesterday I did not feel the holiday spirit. I got about six and a half hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, had a visit from a local CD dealer, then I had a patty melt and about six small rings of onion and then I came home. The helper got what she needed and went on her merry way and then I buckled down, Winsocki and did some writing and some work at the piano and even a little song choosing. A DGA screener arrived – Mad Max Fury Road or whatever the HELL it’s called. Then I got the chart for my long LA song and spent a long time going through it, marking fixes, note corrections and stuff. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched a motion picture entitled Truth, starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford. It’s about the CBS news scandal involving the reporting of the George Bush stuff about him being in the National Guard and being AWOL for part of his service. The story was aired on 60 Minutes and the scandal was that the documents that were evidence were not thoroughly checked out and were shown that they could have been false. Some think they were, some don’t. The producer of the story was fired from the show and Dan Rather ultimately stepped down as their long-time anchor. It’s amazing to watch this story in today’s world – there is no news anymore – it’s all TV entertainment now, all about ratings, and it’s shameful. No one checks stories or facts today – they just blabber on about anything, accuse everyone, have attitude rather than being unbiased, and never apologize for their many, many errors. What happened on 60 Minutes is child’s play compared to now. The movie got some good reviews and some bad, and it was a flop at the box-office, even though it only cost ten million dollars. The director, James Vanderbilt, makes his directorial debut with this film – he’s been a screenwriter heretofore. I found the direction assured, and only towards the end did it give in to bad temptation like slow motion for no reason. Ms. Blanchett is terrific and I always enjoy Robert Redford, who plays Dan Rather. The entire cast is excellent (really well cast film), and I have to tell you I really liked it a lot. I don’t really care about how much is factual – we know going in it’s based on a one-sided account of the incident, the producer’s. For me the only thing is does it work as a movie and for me it certainly did. It’s interesting that two films about journalism came out so close to each other – this and Spotlight.
Then I spent almost ninety minutes with my music guy on the phone, entering all the fixes, note changes, voicings in the accompaniment, and mis-written lyrics. Once we’d finished, then we went over the melody line to make sure all the rhythms were as I wanted them – we made many adjustments and were finally finished. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish again.
Last night, I watched the first hour of the Mad Max movie, the third starring role for Tom Hardy this year. This movie got absolute raves from just about everyone. I’ll hold my comments until I finish it, but certainly in the first half I have no clew as to what’s going on, but it sure moves like a house afire. The hour flew by, like a gazelle eating a walnut whilst singing The Star Spangled Banner in F#.
Today, I shall choose more songs, work at the piano, get the music guy another song to make a chart for, and then I’ll sup and see a farce at the El Portal Theater. I will, of course, have a full farce report. And don’t forget to watch the Richard Sherman PBS special this evening – I’ve set my TIVO.
Tomorrow I’m not sure what the HELL is happening but something is happening and hopefully someone will remind me what it is. The weekend has stuff, too, but I just don’t remember what it is.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, choose songs, work at the piano, write, then sup and see a farce. Today’s topic of discussion: What were your favorite news programs when you were going up – and who were the anchors you thought did a good job? And who is the best and worst of today’s sorry lot? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall hopefully arise feeling the holiday spirit.