Well, dear readers, let me just say right out of the gate that yesterday was a very nice day. It has to be said and I’ve said it, even though I don’t have a gate. I do, however, have a gait, but that’s another story. Now that that is out of the way, out of the gate-wise, can we talk about algorithms? Can we just talk about THAT? The trouble with algorithms and why they are ruinous to just about everything? Yes, let’s talk about THAT, shall we? We shall. I don’t know when algorithms became a thing, but I find them to be horrid. Why? Because they LIMIT. They analyze what you watch and then show you ONLY things like that that they “think” you’ll enjoy, rather than offering things you may not know about. They analyze what you look at on Amazon and that’s what you’re inundated with, where I want to see things, I don’t know about that might interest me. Algorithms determine what books they feature, what people actually see. They analyze your posts on social media and then your feed is filled with like-minded posts and, more importantly, endless ads – just because you ONCE happened to look at something just to see what it was. I would think the world would be a better place without them – well, the world WAS a better place without them. YouTube is especially egregious with the algorithms. To HELL with algorithms. I would far prefer a fascinating rhythm, wouldn’t you? I’d prefer the rhythm of life, wouldn’t you? I don’t want no damn algorithms dictating what I see and hear. I want the sense of discovery. And that is the trouble with algorithms. And as soon as I post this, watch me become inundated with e-mails and ads for algorithms. Maybe I’ll purchase a few algorithms and send them to people I don’t care for. Otherwise, I got rhythm and that’s enough for me. In any case, as already mentioned, yesterday was a very nice day. I got about seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, and then got ready for my set designer meeting at the theater. He’s a very young man but has good ideas and seems to “get” the play. The set has to be very clever and very fluid and not “heavy.” He showed me some “looks” in terms of style and they seemed fine and he’ll now do up some ideas and layouts for me to see and then I’m sure we’ll finesse those until we have exactly what’s right and functional for the play. Anyway, we were there for about forty minutes.
I came right home afterwards to two bits of good news, so that was very lovely. I ordered a nice lunch from Maria’s Kitchen – my usual penne in pink sauce with sausage. I sometimes have it without any protein and sometimes I have it with a meatball – but it’s always good – very consistent – no matter which option I opt for. It arrived about twenty minutes later because the DoorDash driver, for reasons I will never ever understand, who was about eight blocks away decided to go about three miles past me to make a delivery, before turning around and heading back to me. I texted her and asked her why, but they never ever respond, and they run from the door quickly before you can get there to hear the reason. Happily, the food was still reasonably hot, but not like it would have been if she’d come here first, which she should have since the other delivery was way west of me and why would you go there first instead of the place that’s right in front of you? It is an enigma. After eating, I went and did some quick banking, and by quick, I mean there was not a single person in the bank, and I was in and out in under a minute. That’s what I’M talkin’ about. Then I came right back home.
I knew I’d need a little something to eat later to take pill three, so I ordered a muffin top and some macaroons from Panera – that arrived very quickly. I always forget they have sweet options that aren’t huge in size. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish, began to scroll to see what there was that I might like to watch, but instantly fell asleep for the next two hours. When finally up, I had a macaroon and the muffin top and an English muffin and took pill three. Then I went to Apple+ and began watching this miniseries based on Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, which already had a really good and faithful movie version starring Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, and Bonnie Bedelia. I watched about ten minutes before having to turn it off. It’s typical David E. Kelly stuff, from the endless shakycam crap, to overwriting, to yet another strange and weird performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, who, of course, just won an Emmy for it. Then I read a bit about this eight-part thing, and it says they basically added all kinds of “twists and turns” to it – well, why? First of all, why make it at all when it already has a movie version that will be better than anything these people come up with? And then all the changes. I wonder if the killer is the same? I won’t be watching to find out, I’m afraid. If anyone has anything else on Apple+ to recommend, please do so. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, otherwise I’ll just continue catching up on stuff and I have to get a box down in the garage to rifle through it and see what’s what. I hope to get the latest orchestrated track and move on to the final two of act one, both of which are VERY short, probably under two minutes for both. I’ll eat something fun – perhaps the Cheesecake Factory – I still have $190 left on the gift card so why not. Maybe have their excellent chicken Caesar again, or something I haven’t tried before, like their meatloaf or one of their burgers. The world is my erster, as the wags used to say. Then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The weekend is mine all mine and I’ll do whatever I damn well please whenever I damn well please.
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, catch up on more stuff, lug a box down and see what’s what, eat, 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/streaming player? I’ll start – CD, I’m moving from Franz Schreker to the Franz before him, Franz Reizenstein, a very good composer I discovered a few years ago, thanks to no algorithms. German born, but considered an English composer, his music has charm, wonderful melody, wit, and beauty. I would love to hear his two operas but am a fan of his handful of movie scores – Hammer’s The Mummy, Circus of Horrors, and The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb. Thankfully, there are some nice orchestral recordings of his piano and cello recordings and a few albums of his solo piano music. For the Hoffnung Music Festival, he wrote a laugh out loud funny Concerto Popolare . Of course, I know you all have the Kritzerland Franz Reizenstein CD that includes his violin concerto, piano concerto and Concerto Popolare, I just know you do. Blu-ray – several things to finally get around to – Garbo Talks, The Hairdresser’s Husband and a few other odds and ends, including revisiting all the Von Sternberg/Dietrich movies. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall hope that algorithms don’t dictate what dreams may come.