rm | sundries

Patty and I had lots of Internet time yesterday, until my connection crapped out too badly to say goodnight, which isn't fair at all.

Today is a public holiday here, which means even more things are closed than on Sundays. I have some work to do here today though because of time-sensitive deadlines for our US efforts.

As a New Yorker, one of the things that is natural to me is crossing against the light. If there's no car coming, you just go. Hell, even if there is. This works less well in other cities often, both due to custom and traffic patterns. Certainly it almost got me killed in Sydney a few times; it shocks people in Chicago; and I've even been ticketed for it in DC. Here, where often no cars will come for the entire time there's a five-minute don't walk sign, I've been told I can be arrested if I cross against the light.

Today, with the public holiday and no one being out, that feels particularly onerous, and it made me realize what the crux of my culture-shock here is. New York is a vast and brutal city. I may not be her master, but I am constantly invited to try, no matter how recalcitrant she may be. Here, I'm expected to roll-over, joyfully and seamlessly to rules I apparently refuse to even understand the point of. And this is no New York. And it makes me chaffe. My issue, not Switzerland's, but it's interesting, ne?

Logistical issues with Treble Entendre's website have been solved, and it, as well as, Inception: the Musical will be live this week. This is a huge weight off of everyone's shoulders. Yay Webinatrix!

Dogboy & Justine is $145 away from the 50% mark.

Yesterday I did an interview with with a journalist in New York about the show and about the fundraising path. This while being in a Starbucks here and having to holler into the mic on Skype.

That said, it was a lot of fun, even if I was long-winded, and felt like I had to be a bit defensive at times (see, it's so great that I was a journalist, as I find hard questions to be "you are awesome and doing your job!").

So yes, in case you wanted to know, with targeted marketing I don't think the fact that this show is about dominatrixes makes it a hard sell.

I also go to respond to, "so this happened awfully fast!" I'll stop spoiling you now.

You know what's great? Unless I really, really want to, I don't have to touch another screenplay until I'm back in NYC (wherein there's another round in the challenge I'm doing, and then the following weekend I'm taking a two day production-related course). I may just want to, but man, I need storyboarding paper first next time. Can't draw in a way that I would EVER show another human, but I have to do it visually or I struggle. I still feel so good about having done it though. I'm running away from shit less.

I received a completely eerie tarot card reading from

wyld_dandelyon last night. It told me little I didn't know, but it made it stick. It also reminded me of something really important: if people have qualities I find pleasant and relate to in my own nature; odds are they have qualities that I relate to that are pretty nasty, and I should be as cautious of them in others as I am of them in myself.

It seems terrorists were targeting an LGBT synagogue in Chicago.

Theodore Sorensen has died. My own note on this is that I read Kennedy for a school paper in seventh grade, and as the author referred to the President as Jack, so did I in my paper. I was scolded for it, most severely, by my teacher, and it is the origin of just how hard I work (but do not always succeed) to only refer to by first name those people I've actually met (or, I suppose, talked to at length on line), despite the general acceptability of affectionate verbal familiarity in fannish circles.

Explaining the Second Avenue subway to first graders.

Original Pronunciation: the original sound of Shakespeare's words. Man, I would love to do a production like this. Just to feel the words that way. Fantastic.

Hedonism in austerity times. Man, I totally want to stay at 40 Winks.

You know New York is having hard times and art times when it's all about the subway tunnels again: the Underbelly Project.

Prothonotary warbler arrives in New York, summons paparazzi.

The last ordinary day before the Civil War started.

So, finally getting around to Merlin 3.01. I love that it has a new darker tone. It's still an incoherent mess though. Everyone is an idiot.

Morgana's "character development" happened off-screen (and apparently more cool dresses = more evil). And again with the incoherent views on genocide! Also, it totally seems like Uther has the hots for Morgana; and like Morgana and her sister want to bang.

Meanwhile, gratuitous Arthur/Merlin is still gratuitous. And, as usual the chemistry between actors is getting in the way of this being an actual show with an actual coherent narrative. That said, the hints of an actual succession plot is, as most things on the show, tantalizing, and so I refrain from expecting too much of it.

Also, seriously, did we have to trade in actual acting for "and now I talk in the evil voice!" I hate that shit, and don't know whether to blame the actors or the director.

Finally, the level of "Merlin is a cowardly girl" humour is offensive, not just because it's boring and insulting to women, but because of the allegory of being closeted that surrounds Merlin's character. I am highly uncomfortable.