Well, dear readers, how does it happen? Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, how does it happen, a question in multiple parts. Part One: How is it the final day of August, riddle me that? This month has flown by, like a gazelle spouting the works of Kerouac in Polish. And let me just say that August was, for the most part, a very difficult and sucky month thanks to Mercury or Uranus in retrograde and I think we’ve all has just about enough of that malarkey. And tomorrow is September, and let me just say that it is my fervent hope and prayer that September is a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
How does it happen, Part Two: How did it come to be that Facebook, which began life as a young person’s private thing – you literally could not join Facebook if you were older – how did it happen that all the young people have basically left Facebook and Facebook is mostly older people now – some really old, some middle-aged – and a haven for people to post photographs of what they ate for dinner, rant and rave with the political postings (whatever side they may be on), share fake memes as real and relentlessly so, and with so many that show up on my feed, losing any semblance of intelligence. They can’t take thirty seconds to Google something to find out if it’s fake or real – well, thanks to Facebook we continue to be royally played by agenda-laden nefarious types. And of course the most astonishing thing about that jernt is that people really think it’s theirs, that it’s about them. You see all the time the comment, “This is MY wall and I say what goes on it and doesn’t” and you just want to kick those people really hard in the shins and say, “What about Facebook do you not understand? Nothing is ‘yours,’ and unless you set your page to private people can post any damn thing they want and respond to any damn thing they want.” And of course no one wants to set their page to private because then they wouldn’t have their posts read by the fourteen friends who just happen to be there to see it.
So, all the kids pretty much deserted Facebook and became all about Instagram and Snapchat (we’ll leave Twitter out of this). And now Instagram has been overrun with the same folks who made the kids run from Facebook. I cannot tell you how many people I see in restaurants and theaters, people well over the age of seventy, doing Instagram. I don’t think the adults have invaded Snapchat yet, simply because nothing lasts there – everything disappears pretty quickly, and heaven knows no one of an age wants anything to disappear quickly. How does it happen?
How does it happen, Part Three: How does it happen that everything today has to be accompanied by outrage on social media. Today folks found out that In ‘n’ Out made a small contribution to some Republican thing. I don’t think that’s a new thing, since the owners are conservative and print Bible quotes on the bottom of their cups. But today – complete outrage, boycotts – even though the owners have also made a small contribution to some Democrat thing. It just never ends, this outrage and it’s out of control and completely boring. The latest theatre outrage – some theatre company is doing The Elephant Man, and some people are up in arms because, I guess, they didn’t cast a person with a real physical handicap. I mean, it’s ACTING. What’s next? Can’t play a Jew unless you’re a Jew? Can’t play an lawyer if you’re not a lawyer? Guess that means no Brits can win awards for playing Americans and vice versa. The stupidity of it is breathtaking, and yet you hear things like, “This is a conversation we need to have.” Not me, I don’t need to have that conversation EVER.
How does it happen, Part Four: How does it happen that everyone in the damn world is not guilty until proven innocent. Because that’s the way it is these days. It’s both shocking and nauseating, the rush to judgment on everything. I could go on but I think I have some notes to write. End of How Does It Happen section.
Yesterday had its ups and downs, but no major hiccups and some nice things along the way. I got seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, had telephonic conversations, and then had to mosey on over to a deli called Uncle Bernie’s for a lunch meeting with Alet Taylor, someone she works with, I think the name was Allison, and Barry Pearl. It was fun and we all laughed a lot. I had a sky-high pastrami with cole slaw and Russian dressing. The pastrami was lean and good but the sandwich fails because the Russian dressing is really not good there.
After that, I picked up a package, did some banking, and came home. I did some work on the computer, then we had our second Kritzerland rehearsal, which was lots of fun. We didn’t have Johnny Whitaker, Eric Petersen, or Peyton Kirkner, as they’re only doing one or two songs they already know. The rest of the cast was there and it’s going to be a really fun show, at least that’s the hope.
After that, it was already seven-thirty, so I did a few more things on the computer, then I watched the extras on the High and Low Blu-ray but fell asleep – just as well as I’d already seen them as it turned out. Then I listened to some music and then had a long telephonic conversation with Doug Haverty and then it was time to write these here notes.
Today, I have a meeting with my sound designer at noon-thirty, then a meeting with my set designer at one, then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, then come home. I’m having a surprise visit with my very own Darling Daughter, who just informed me she’s in town. I think we’ll go to Barone’s for an late lunch/early dinner. During the married years the family used to really enjoy Barone’s and I don’t think she’s been there since. Then I’ll come home and relax and rest my voice.
Tomorrow, I can pretty much rest and relax and conserve my voice until we have our stumble-through, after which I’m sure some of us will eat, and then I’m home relaxing for the rest of the evening. Sunday I relax and rest my voice until it’s time to mosey on over to our new venue, Kritzerland Upstairs at Vitello’s for sound check and then we do our show. Next week has become very, very busy.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have meetings with my sound and set designer, hopefully pick up some packages, then have a fun meal with the Darling Daughter, after which I’ll 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, an upcoming Kritzerland release I just found out was happening. Blu-ray, who knows? Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall ponder the age old question, How Does It Happen.