Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the third symphony of Charles Tournemire, a very appealing work of a composer new to me. I found it on the Tube of You and it’s lovely music to write notes to. I am just back from the meeting/meal that was supposed to happen on Tuesday, the purpose of which was to clear some air that needed clearing, and I guess it was cleared, which is always a good thing. I had my second BLTA of the day and it was much better than the first for reasons I’ll get to. Earlier, I’d watched one of those Starz channel documentaries, this one about The Brady Bunch. I never really watched the show – I’m not sure I ever saw an episode of it. But there were some interesting factoids here and there, and lots of talking heads interviews, especially with Sherwood Schwartz’s son, Lloyd, who’s a casual acquaintance of mine. Certainly, the documentary did nothing to actually make me want to watch the show, but I enjoyed it for what it was.
Yesterday was another day I got to bed by one but was up by six. I never did get more sleep – well, maybe an hour at some point. I really need two nights of good sleep and hopefully I’ll get them. In the early hours, I watched more of the Darrell Brooks circus/trial, where he astonishingly was allowed to rant to the judge for over fifty minutes – crazy stuff, sovereign citizen nonsense, acting like he’s the victim in all this. The judge finally stopped him and allowed the state to respond, which I must say they did in rather excellent fashion, using case law to take down everything he said. They were forceful and strong and right – Mr. Brooks’ response to it was something close to, “Your Honor, with all due respect, that was a load of crap.” The judge then forcefully reiterated her points, said the trial is going on, and finally testimony resumed. Some are frustrated with the judge for allowing him as much leeway, but it’s really all in service to have a clean, clear record of the trial so that an appeal for a mistrial won’t work. I don’t think there’s any way an appeals court would look at his behavior and grant him a mistrial. What is the old saw? He who represents himself has a fool for a client. And boy, is that true every day in every way. He asks the exact same questions of every witness, which result in the same objections, to which he shouts “GROUNDS” before the state can even state the grounds. And when the objection is sustained, he says, “Reason for the substain, Your Honor?” I did not spell sustain incorrectly, it’s just one of a hundred examples of his mangling of the English language, including using the old, “I’m trying to aks a question” and no, I did not misspell ask. And after being admonished? He goes back to the same ridiculous behavior. The judge was really having none of it for the rest of the afternoon, although he kept talking right over her. He’s appallingly appalling, in my very own opinion.
I didn’t end up watching any of the January 6 committee hearing but saw the excerpts – very strong stuff. And was happy to hear that the Supreme Court rejected Donald J. Trump’s ridiculous attempt to get them to interfere with the appeals’ court ruling about the classified documents.
In other news, we finally have the club booked, although we had to move that shoot to Thursday morning – but we got Vitello’s, so that’s a good thing. Our cameraman is flying back to New York at three-twenty that day, but we should be wrapped by noon and that will leave him a bit of time to transfer the footage from that day to our hard drive. So, that was very good news. We cast the remaining roles for episode nine – four actors who submitted self-tapes. For food, I had a BLTA from Mel’s Diner, where the sandwich is 60% lettuce, very little bacon, a tomato, and a small amount of avocado. Whereas the later BLTA at the Coral Café was mostly avocado and bacon, which is what we like. Since I’d had fries with the earlier sandwich, I just had some coleslaw with the later sandwich. And happily, my voice held out, even though it was still hoarse. Now I can keep my trap shut for the next two days. So, hopefully by Sunday it will be fine.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll probably watch more of the trial, I’ll eat, I’ll do a quick Zoom with David Wechter, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is a complete ME day and ME will keep ME’s trap shut, whilst resting my voice and relaxing. Then on Sunday, we’re at the recording studio to shoot two songs. That will probably take about two-and-a-half hours, I should think. After, I may have Sami and the gent who plays her best friend come here so I can stage their duet. If not, I’ll do that Monday after the shoot. Then Monday through Thursday is the rest of the shoot, which I’m really looking forward to. All the charts are done, and all the piano tracks are done. After the Thursday shoot, I hope we’ll all convene for a nice dinner, but that may have to happen when we wrap the Wednesday shoot. We shall see.
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, maybe watch more trial, eat, do a quick Zoom 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, still transferring all the Harper’s Bizarre CDs that elmore gave me. Blu-ray, who knows. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, mesmerized by a trial that’s become a true three-ring circus.