Well, dear readers, what a difference a day makes. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, what a difference a day makes and yesterday was a day with a difference because at noon o’clock EST we had light and sanity. And that continued throughout the day into the evening. Interestingly, on Facebook, people were filled with joy and happiness, and yet many posted as much about the person leaving office as the person who brought the light and sanity. I got very proactive telling people to knock it off. And, as you’d expect, the usual trolls were out in force, but if people now ignore them, they will shrivel up and slink back into their little troll caves. All the promised armed Qanon and crazy people protests did not materialize. I believe in a couple of cities one or two people showed up. I honestly think these crazy types thought there was going to be a last-minute ploy, martial law, and that their idol would somehow remain. Alas, the idol flew off and the changing of the guard occurred. People keep saying that they hope these folks will now see they were duped and played, but the trolls will troll for the next four years unless they are ignored. We used to say back in the Usenet days, don’t feed the trolls, and that is my advice. If you see one, block immediately – don’t give them the air they need to breathe, which is the response. Anyway, there was joy in Mudville and it was nice to see and it was also nice to see the undoing of some harmful programs from the last administration. Otherwise, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Benjamin Britten’s weird and wonderful opera of The Turn of the Screw, which I got a couple of years ago but wanted to revisit. This is Britten’s own recording and it’s great, but it’s from 1955 and in mono – so, I found a cheap copy of Stuart Bedford’s stereo recording, which I hear is very good (originally on Collins Classics, now reissued on Naxos) – Mr. Bedford was a favorite of Mr. Britten and because Britten was too ill to conduct his final opera, Death in Venice, he chose Mr. Bedford to conduct the premiere. There are actually a surprising number of stereo recordings – they don’t look very good, although there’s one with Colin Davis conducting that has an interesting cast. Prior to that, I finished Aida, which I enjoyed very much, and then I listened to Verdi’s Falstaff and that one was also very enjoyable and fun. From there it was Puccini and La Fanciulla del West, the recording with Carol Neblett and Placido Domingo. It’s a wonderfully tuneful opera, and the recording sounds amazing. The cast, especially Miss Neblett, is great. I worked with Miss Neblett and found her delightful – and if you have the Classical Broadway CD, she does the vocal honors on the John Kander pieces. Anyway, I haven’t heard this opera in probably thirty years and I just enjoyed the HELL out of it. The only thing is has anyone confronted Puccini about him ripping off another composer, namely Andrew Lloyd Webber? The big tune in this has a section that is identical to The Music of the Night. Oh, wait – it’s the other way around and I believe the Puccini estate made some legal noise and it was settled out of court.
Yesterday, as mentioned, had nice amounts of light and sanity. I only got five hours of sleep, because I got caught up in doing a few things on various things and the time got away from me. Once up, I answered e-mails, read about the inauguration, and then I printed out the remaining pages of the new book. But I’d had a little idea for a small half a sentence addition towards the end, so I wrote that and put it in then reprinted the last eight pages.
Then I went and picked up some packages, after which I got the pages Xeroxed and I’ll be delivering those today at some point, just not sure if it will be morning or afternoon. Then I came home and ordered another pulled pork sandwich from Barbie Q and that arrived thirty minutes later and was great. Instead of mac-and-cheese as my side I had a small Caesar salad, also good. Then I listened to some music, after which I sat on the couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a DGA screener entitled The Trial of the Chicago Seven, which was about the trial of the Chicago Seven back in 1968. It’s written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and if you’ve seen anything by him then you know what you’re in for. I enjoyed it, unlike most of the junk I’ve seen on the screeners – very good acting and a lot of it comes from the trial transcripts. The cast is excellent and includes Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon Leavitt, and others. I do find it interesting that no one objects to English actors playing Americans. I mean, they object to every other little thing, why not that? Oh, and there’s an excellent performance by Frank Langella as the horrible judge. Sorkin can’t help but lay it on too thick at times, with “heroic” music prodding you in the butt cheeks, but thankfully that’s kept to a minimum. I’m not as much a Sorkin fan as others, but this is very well done and worth seeing.
After that, I went to Gelson’s and got hot dogs and buns for today’s food. The last few visits I’ve noticed that the bread shelves are really quite empty. Are people hoarding bread now? Not really a good idea, but what else would it be? Then I came home, had a tiny bit of ice cream, and then later the last of the bagels with some cream cheese. The rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, I’ll deliver pages to Muse Margaret at some point, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat hot dogs, I’ll do whatever needs doing, including work on the March Kritzerland and project two, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same. Friday, I may see the first cut of project one if it’s ready, but that wouldn’t be until evening – otherwise I’ll definitely see it on Saturday. I’m sure we’ll watch it straight through and then again stopping and starting. So, fun stuff ahead.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, deliver pages to Muse Margaret at some point, hopefully pick up packages, eat, work on the March Kritzerland and project two, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite docudrama type movies and TV movies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, and remembering what a difference a day makes.