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April 15, 2022:

ORPHEUS DESCENDING

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the last of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra CDs – numbers 54 and 55, or, as I like to call them, Orpheus Descending. Disc 54 is modern music – some of it fine, some annoying, and disc 55 is truly a weird way to go out – folk songs. That’s about to come up shortly. Prior to Orpheus Descending, I did manage to watch two count them two motion pictures on the Flix of Net. The first motion picture was entitled The Foreigner, from a book entitled The Chinaman. The book was written in 1992 when that title didn’t cause even a ruffle of a single feather. But now – The Foreigner. Of course, as with most Netflix things, I’d never heard of it, but since it starred Jackie Chan, who I like, and Pierce Brosnan, who I don’t care for, and since it was directed by Martin Campbell who did the Daniel Craig Casino Royale film, I figured I might as well give it a look-see. I enjoyed it because of Mr. Chan, who was sixty-four, I think, when this was filmed. And yes, he still does his own stunts and he’s rather amazing for his age. Brosnan is his usual self but playing an Irishman. The plot’s convoluted and a bit too labyrinthine for its own good, but as these things go, I didn’t hate it. Pace is pretty good but there’s not an iota of humor anywhere to be found and that would have helped. The second motion picture was entitled A Walk Among the Tombstones, adapted from a Lawrence Block novel by writer/director Scott Frank. I’d never heard of the film but do have the novel out in the garage somewhere. I liked it well enough – Liam Neeson can’t quite get the New York accent he’s trying for, but otherwise he’s – Liam Neeson. The supporting cast is good, and you could certainly describe it as a nasty little neo-noir. I did find the score interesting – never heard of the composer, Carlos Rafael Rivera, but I see he was the composer of The Queen’s Gambit. Anyway, it was a pretty good time-passer. And now, the folk song album is playing – the accompaniment is very pretty, but the vocals by a countertenor do tend to all sound the same after a while.

Yesterday was another day. I ended up getting nine and a half hours of sleep but was up for an hour at five-thirty in the morning. I got up at two, answered a large number of e-mails and felt like doing nothing, which is exactly what I did. I think I really needed this week to get my brain clear so that when I go back to the project with David Wechter I’ll be fresh. I ordered Fatburger for food, but neither burger or onion rings were as good as the first time, which is pretty much a thing that happens. Then I watched the movies, had some ice cream, which I probably shouldn’t have, and just sat around like so much fish. Otherwise, I promised you dear readers more photographs, so here they come – with assorted fans, co-speakers, and the infamous me placard.

Weren’t those fun? I thought they were fun. They seemed like they were fun. Certainly more fun than listening to a countertenor for forty-five minutes.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll probably mosey on over to the mail place to see what’s what – haven’t been there since last Saturday, I’ll eat something, I’ll think about opening the document for the project with David Wechter, then we resume performances of our show, although I shan’t be there, at least I don’t think I’ll be there. One never knows which way the wind will blow but if it’s blowing easterly then we shall see what we shall say. But mostly I think I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow will be more of the same and so will Sunday, then next week I’ll really get back to work, and we’ll take pre-orders for the new book, which will be on its way to the publisher. And then I have to plan our next two Kritzerland releases and do a bunch of other stuff.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, hopefully pick up packages, eat, maybe write, and then watch, listen, and relax. 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, moving on to the small Carmen Dragon box set. I’ve already uploaded and heard three of the albums. Blu-ray, The Day the World Ended. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finally finished the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra set, even though the last CD with folk songs sung relentlessly by a tenor behind a counter truly is Orpheus Descending.

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