Well, dear readers, we’re finally cast for the May Kritzerland – what an ordeal it’s been and I’m really going to figure out how to not have this happen again – we’re going to make a list of male, female, guest stars, and young performers that we’ve used and like – all in one place so we don’t forget anyone. Then I’m going to add names to that of folks who’ve said they’d like to do the show, ones we’d like to do the show – that way I won’t have to wrack my brain month in and month out – we’ll look at the list, decide who our first choices are for that show, and then add second and third choices. In any case, it’s quite a wonderful cast, with one newcomer who we’ve been after for years, so that will be fun. So, now all that’s left is to choose two songs for our new performer and we’ll finally have the program set.
Yesterday was a perfectly okay day. I did get nine hours of sleep, which was nice. Once up, I answered e-mails, and then the helper came by and we did a Costco run. I was completely out of Diet-Coke and waters, so that’s mostly what we got, but I also got Airborne, some shrimp cocktail shrimp, some big thing of chips (barbecue and other flavors) that are only 150 calories per pack, some fruity snacks, and some frozen mini-taco things – they only have these every now and then, but I love them and they’re very low in calories. Before coming home, I stopped at the mail place and picked up a package.
Once home, we put everything away – funnily, whilst putting stuff in the trunk at Costco we found two boxes of thirty CDs for Two for the Road – I’d completely forgotten I’d gotten them ahead of the main shipment – so the helper shipped out the remainder of the CDs, all Indiegogo copies.
I then made a smaller than usual batch of Wacky Noodles. They were quite yummilicious and for once I didn’t feel like I was going to explode after eating them all up. Then I did some more work on the script, trying to get the opening the way I see it – it’s daunting because it involves many, many pages and consists of three songs – one I’m removing from the opening as it has no reason for being there, and the others I’m trying to parse out through the long sequence. As written, it’s a lot of dialogue, one song, more dialogue and then the second half of the number which is done in counterpoint to the first – but it never really ends and it has to and has to with a big punch, so that the opening becomes one long musical sequence. So far what I’ve done works really well, I think, but it’s a lot of trial and error as to what goes where and how the flow goes. Not helping matters is the endless formatting weirdnesses, but at least I’m used to them now.
As I was working on it, I got a call from Richard Sherman – much better spirits and getting stronger. We were going to try and meet this week, but he’s seeing doctors and so we’ll do it next week and then I can present him the whole new opening sequence. And we’re really hoping that in three weeks he feels strong enough to come to the Kritzerland show – it’s completely up to him and how he feels, but to make it easy, I told him we’d send someone to pick him and Elizabeth up so they don’t have to drive. Happily, The Federal has an elevator so he doesn’t have to use the stairs. That all took up most of the afternoon. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished the final three episodes of O.J. Made in America. Yes, it’s seven-and-a-half hours long, but boy is it compelling, especially once they get into the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman murder. Even though most of us have seen all that trial footage both live at the time and many times subsequent to that, it’s still amazing to watch. No matter what side of the fence you sit on, the defense played the jury like crazy with a lot of stuff that had nothing to do with the trial at hand – and boy did it work. And the prosecution really bungled so many things, most especially Christopher Darden’s stupid decision about the gloves. But it’s the interviews that are interspersed with the trial footage that make this so harrowing. The two jurors that are interviewed are especially fascinating and show how flawed the jury system really is. One of them flat out admits she voted for acquittal because of race. And then, from the verdict through the civil trial through his startling downfall in Las Vegas, it’s really unbelievable, really. They warn you at the beginning of each episode that there will be graphic footage and boy let me tell you, the crime scene photos, which are shown in vivid close-ups and detail, are as graphic as you’ll ever want to see. All in all, it’s a really good documentary and is highly recommended by the likes of me. The transfer is very nice on Blu-ray, especially considering all the historical footage. One completely irritating thing is the packaging – the box is lovely, and inside is a book-like thing that houses five discs – two Blu-rays and three DVDs. Now wouldn’t you think they’d put the Blu-rays first? Or that you’d even be able to tell WHAT the HELL you were actually viewing. Well, they don’t. The DVDs are first and the only way you can tell is that there’s a teeny-tiny DVD logo so pale that I virtually had to get a magnifying glass to see it. In fact, I watched half of episode one before I realized it was a damn DVD and the only reason I realized it is because it didn’t seem sharp enough in the new footage and because I happened to look at the fourth disc to see what was on it (I didn’t even know there were DVDs in the set) and happened to see the teeny-tiny Blu-ray logo, which at least could be seen.
That took up the entire evening, and then I had some shrimp cocktail shrimp and fruity snacks (one bag – 100 calories), whilst listening to some Shostakovich, mainly Symphony 11 because they used that music in the Simpson documentary.
Today, it’s more work on the script, some errands and whatnot, I’ll eat (probably tuna sandwiches or hot dogs – I have both), hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, and then I have two new motion pictures to watch – something called Split and something called The Founder – I’m more interested in the latter, the story of Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, but everyone seems to like Split so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
Tomorrow morning I have a breakfast meeting, Friday I’m attending the opening night of a play, and I’m not sure what all is happening on the weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, work on the script, do errands and whatnot, eat, hopefully pick up packages (my new electric shaver should be here), and then 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, happy to have done the Costco run so that I have a few things in the home environment.