Well, dear readers, this week has flown by, like a gazelle eating a donut hole. More importantly, this month is almost over. Can you believe it? I can’t and yet I must because in a little over a week it will be March because February is a short month. I, in fact, would like to get my hands on the ingrate who decreed February should be a short month. Bills are due sooner than usual, and the whole thing smells like a racket to me. And now I shall sing A Wand’ring Minstrel I in G. Sometimes I feel like a wand’ring minstrel in G and sometimes I feel like a motherless child and sometimes I feel like a mu-shu pork. I have just this minute realized that I have no clew as to what the HELL I’m talking about, so perhaps I should recount for you the tale of yesterday. I actually had another pleasant and mostly relaxing day yesterday. I got a pretty good night’s sleep, got up, answered various and sundried e-mails, and then began writing the liner notes for our upcoming release. I took a break, had some bacon and eggs, and then returned and finished the liner notes. I then got the news that CDs were being delivered this morning. I have asked them to please give me at least two days notice – otherwise, I don’t have time to let Cason know and he books up his schedule, which is exactly what happened, so CDs cannot go out tomorrow since the packages are not addressed. I’ll get labels on the boxes but Cason cannot come until Saturday morning – we’ll attempt to get them all addressed and stamped and shipped by noon, which is when he has to leave. In fact, I may start addressing today so that we’re a little further along. I then got the news that after almost eight months of negotiations, the contract had been completed for what will hopefully be the first of many new Kritzerland releases with a new company. I’ve asked them to now go to contract on four more releases, which, with our other titles, will get me to June without a problem. I also got e-mails from two people I haven’t heard from in years, both of whom figure in the book, so that was great fun. One of them was the photographer I spoke of in yesterday’s notes – I’m thrilled to be back in touch with her. I also took the negatives from her photo shoot of 1979 to a camera place (the photo lab on Burbank Blvd. is no more) and I’ve ordered five different shots, which I’ll have tomorrow morning. After all that, I toddled off for a dinner with our very own Miss Alet Taylor. We had a lovelier than lovely time catching up. She just got a show at the Geffen – a small part, but still it’s a good-paying gig. The show sounds mighty weird – a musical version of Nightmare Alley. I mean, wasn’t one Side Show enough? After that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Ran, a film by Akira Kurosawa. It’s quite a good film, with some really wonderful scenes. The pace is a bit to leisurely to justify the two hour and forty minute running time. The performances are absolutely superb, though, as is the score by Toru Takemitsu. Ran has had one bad DVD release after another, and that includes the Criterion version, which was as bad as all the others. So, it’s nice to report that the Blu-Ray is a big step up – first of all, the color is perfect. None of the DVD’s colors were right. Second of all, much of the transfer is very sharp. It’s a little too grainy for its own good, but since it’s the best it’s ever looked on home video, I was pleased with it.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we all sing A Wand’ring Minstrel I in G.
Today, I shall do a few errands and whatnot in the morning, and then I have to hang out here until the security people come to check out the system. I hope that will be sooner than later, but they can be there anytime from noon to five. After they’re done, I have no other plans for the day, other than approving the new master after our little tweaks. Oh, yes, I’ll also begin addressing packages after I put labels on boxes – I forgot that part.
Tomorrow, Cason will be here first thing in the morning and we’ll get everything packaged up and sent out pronto. After that, I think I have something else to do but I can’t really remember what it might be.
By Sunday I hope to have any of muse Margaret’s notes (should she have any) and then I’m taking the manuscript to Office Depot to have two copies of the corrected version made, one of which goes to one of the two merry proofers.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, put labels on boxes, address a few packages, and wait around the house. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, various and sundried Kritzerland upcoming titles. DVD, a new DVD transfer of The Shanghai Gesture, one of my guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t forget A Wand’ring Minstrel I.