1 down 1 to go

Spent all day on an assignment for Uni, and have another one to finish off tomorrow.  I castigated myself for doing this in the past, but at least this time, most of my background prep was done and it was just a case of sticking to my plan and writing up my ideas.  It's been a mad couple of months, and I am pleased that I am even in a position to be sending any assignments off to be honest.  I just hope that I can finish off the next one a bit quicker so that I can reference and check them properly.  I also hope that they are any bloody good.

Not enjoyed today for a number of reasons, and am increasingly feeling like I am swimming not only against my tide, but others too.

I hope tomorrow is better....I need it to be.

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Right....Everyone switch off

I am trying something new today.  I am banning the internet.  Yes from everyone.  Between the hours of Nine and five, none of you are to use it please.  I have lots to do, and I do not want to be distracted by your tweets/Status updates or emails thank you very much.  I will be finishing some Uni work today, and hoping that I can do so without too many distractions (Other than my driving lesson).  I was relieved that the snow held off over night to any great extent, and that as a result I have a quiet house to help me focus.  I will be keeping a close eye on the weather though to ensure I do not get surprised by any blizzards etc.

I think I moaned about the snow obsession last year, in fact I know I did.  This year, the world of Facebook is alight with kids expecting a "Snow Day" as if it is some sort of right.  I hope that the head teachers who close at the drop of a hat are happy about this.  I know of at least two in the local vicinity.  Our roads seem to have been gritted quite well, which is good, but I suspect that as the winter goes on, that the cuts might have an effect on the grit supplies....you heard it here first remember.

There is another Student protest planned for today, and I hope it has the same effect as the previous ones.  They have kept the subject at the top of the agenda and it needs to be kept there if at all possible.  I do not advocate violence, but the fact remains, that of the protests had been carried out without incident, they would not be in the news to any great extent.  It is very rare that a "peaceful" either makes the headlines, or achieves very much.  The Poll Tax protests are a case in point in my opinion.  Whilst the Daily Mail readers amongst us will moan about the naughty protesters, they are of course quite happy that the tax was finally abolished, in no small part due to the wave of protests.

I have been invited to the Equity Directors committee meeting at the Globe Theatre next week, which is rather exciting.  I shall definitely go, as I am fascinated to see what plans are afoot to protest against the outrageous cuts to the arts.

Anyway.

I shall be off to the kettle (No, not that kind) to top up the caffeine supplies, and then away to finish my work.  I will be back later.

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A little late

I've tried several times to write about the student protests of the last couple of weeks, but really, this sums it up very nicely I think

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2010/11/children-police-kettle-protest

I hope they keep the momentum going and continue to have right on their side

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Updates

I have been an avid reader of the comedian Richard Herring's blog for some time now.  He started it 8 years ago, and endeavoured to write something every day in order to have a record of his "doings", but also to assist him in developing a writing style.  He was not even doing stand up comedy at the time he started his blog, but his career has taken off somewhat since then, and I am really pleased for him.  He does, to be honest, have a decent smattering of knob jokes and suchlike, but the basis of all of his humour is, I believe, intelligence.  It was his blog that inspired me to attempt to write every day this year, and of course I failed completely to do it, but I still feel quite happy that my output has been as much as it has.  I too started out with the intention of helping my writing style, and I genuinely think it has helped.  I have after all, been successfully published twice this year and for that I am justly proud.  Now we are fast approaching December, thoughts turn to what this year has brought, and what next year might promise, and I think i will once again try to write every day, and see what it brings me.  I have always harboured some writing ambitions, really, I have.  Since as early as I can remember, I liked the idea of the solitary writer, at home, with only his imagination and a pen and paper as being quite the most distinguished and attractive of lifestyles.  Of course, back then, I didn't once consider that I might have children, and a business, and responsibilities beyond being anything other than really cool.  I also didn't countenance the possibility of something called the internet, that would provide such a dramatic source of entertainment, wonder and time wasting either.  But it has helped me as much as hindered me I feel.  I shall endeavour, once again, to write a list of resolutions for the year, and again, I shall bravely attempt to be successful in them all.  One of them, will undoubtedly involve keeping on top of my degree with a little more efficiency.  I have been a LOT better than in previous years, but I still have two assignments to be in for Wednesday, and still I sit here doing other things.  Perhaps I am a person who needs a deadline to thrive?  Or perhaps that is complete nonsense, and I actually just need to knuckle down and stop trying to glamorise my prevarication?  Either way, I am pretty much certain that I would like to continue studying once the degree is complete, and perhaps do a masters or become a trained LAMDA teacher?  Who knows?  I shall have to see how the next couple of years progress.

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Harry Potter and the Franchise of inevitable doom

As you may be able to tell from the subtle title, I didn't really enjoy the film.  In fact, the whole experience of cinema really does leave me cold in many ways.  Before I mention the actual film, I want to moan about the audience, who seem to think that it is perfectly reasonable to pass comment all the way through.  Why they insist on buying bucket sized cups of drink, only to them have to disturb everyone throughout the film to visit the toilet.  Why cant they wait?  It's not as if we are talking about a film of Mahabatara style proportions here...it's a couple of hours, have some manners and consideration for others!  I detest the ridiculous overpricing for sweets and drinks in the cinema. If you are taking a child, then of course, they will want some kind of treat, but be prepared to spend more on this than the actual ticket.  It is a disgrace, and I shall endeavour to ensure that I take my own refreshments from now on in spite of their ridiculous and non legal insistence that I cannot.  Anyway...on to the main feature....Well....I say the main feature, but of course there are about half an hours worth of trailers to go through first.

The fil itself, was I suppose, fairly harmless.  A rudimentary plot, which, as I have not read this book, I assume keeps fairly close to the book as the others have.  The performances of the main characters are adequate at best, and downright awful at worst.  They could have easily removed 20 minutes from the running time of the film had they removed all scenes of the actors gazing into the middle distance in an effort to instil some sense of deep and heavy drama.  The effects were ok, and the overall atmosphere of the film was very well created I felt, with excellent cinematography and superb music that for once, did not detract from the film.  It ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, but we knew that would happen didn't we?  Oh, and I didn't care that Dobby died.

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Christmas

Yes, yes...I know...I always moan about it every year, but it IS getting earlier.  I even bought advent calendars yesterday!  I shall endeavour not to moan about it again till next year, but really!  I saw a facebook group that pronounced that it was officially Christmas because the Coca Cola advert with the lorries was on TV already...I shall refrain from any comment other than Grrrrrr.

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Winter is nigh

Well dear reader, it has been a while...too long in fact...how the devil are you?  I have, of course, been far too busy.  Having just got over a strange, flu-type bug, I was struck down with only my second ever migraine yesterday morning, which completely wiped me out for the day.  The session I ran in the evening was quite surreal in that it felt like an out of body experience.  I think I have been overdoing it to an extent, so have decided on some early nights and a return to a more healthy regime.  I spent Sunday morning with two cast members from a West End show running a workshop.  What a pleasure it was to work with two professional people who were so pleasant and talented.  I came home feeling rather inspired by it all, only to find that some amateur goings on were going to spoil the day.  I have maintained a silence on the issue over the years, and will continue to do so as it is a bit vulgar to write about such things online, but needless to say, we have made a decision that has caused a little upset, which is always a shame.  I have tried very hard not to let the issue cloud my mood which is variable to say the least.  I move on to a driving lesson later on today, followed by a trip to see the latest Harry Potter film with youngest.  I struggle a bit with the Harry Potter films.  I'm sure they are all good, and aimed at an audience that cannot count me in it's number, but I just think they are so dull.  The books weren't dull, well, not overly anyway.  I think the films just became a bit lazy.  I have no problem as such with big effects and drama in a film, that is after all what gets the bums on seats, but they just seem so calculated.  Anyway, it will also be a slightly interesting experience for me, in that I haven't read the last book yet, so I will be seeing parts of the plot revealed on the screen for the first time.  I promised myself when I started my degree, that I was going to avoid frivolities such as reading for fun, and Harry Potter was the first casualty.  Not that I have been particularly bereft over this.  I found the last one I read to be a little turgid, and I found myself screaming for something unusual and unpredictable to happen...Maybe it does in the last book?  Maybe Harry and Ron admit their undying love for each other and elope to Croydon?  I doubt it.  So I shall report back with a fervour and passion you could only dream of.

I couldn't of course, let this blog update pass without mention of Spurs, and their fantastic win over Arsenal at the weekend.  How fantastically exciting it was.  45 minutes of gloom ending in thrills spills and passion...I hope Harry Potter can boast the same.

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X-Factor

As recently posted, I decided I would try to watch the X-Factor.  I could write for hours as to why I object to this programme, and what it has meant to the music industry.  I will refrain though, and concentrate on the actual programme.

A haven of auto-tune, and drowning in reverb, it is very hard to write an objective opinion of the voices in the show.  They are so heavily over produced and devoid of any individuality, I found the whole experience frustrating.  The format is an infuriating faux personality contest between four people devoid of any real performing ability themselves, and fronted by a man who is surely the dullest performer on UK television.  I realise that we are never going to see the kind of performer that I prefer, and we will never perhaps get a truly individual artist from the programme, but it would seem to me that the music would seem to be the least important part of the programme.  We are expected to be entertained by the so called tension between Cowell and Cole or Minogue or Walsh, and frankly, there is no tension.  It is a truly awful piece of television.  I will persever, and watch over the next couplf of weeks if I can bear it, but I truly feel like I need a wash after watching it.

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Welcome Back

How lovely to see Mr Pops blogging again.  I am very much looking forward to more :-)

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Thank you for the....

I've been experimenting with music and mood changes in my professional capacity quite a lot lately.  The choice of music within a production can be quite significant in terms of the overall mood of the scene, which is pretty obvious.  However, the mood can change dramatically with the choice of music within a genre for example...I have been looking for some fairly depressing, maudlin music for something, and eventually found Ghosts1 by Nine Inch Nails, and slow and frankly depressing piece.  However, I have used a different piece of depressing music, and the whole dynamic of the scene has now changed.  This fascinates me, and even more so in children.  Youngest had to write some paragraphs on five pieces of instrumental music at the weekend....I chose 5 quite diverse pieces, and her descriptions were delicious :-)   I am now writing under the influence as well...If I want to get in the mood for something I find music is very powerful...I am going to try and write under some different influences in the next few weeks and see what happens.

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Culture and how not to do it

I work with children and young adults, and it is a source of huge satisfaction and enjoyment.  I am however, wary of the march of time, and the need to keep my relationship with the people I work with both relevant and appropriate.  I have noticed that as I passed 40 that things started to change.  I no longer knew, or cared, who was at number one.  Any brief flirtation with a soap opera was replaced with a real opera.  Books became beautiful again, and music....well music was always there, but the breadth of what I listened to became huge.  Whilst all this was happening I was also working with kids for the first time, and if I do say so myself, I thought I was pretty good at it.  Something is nagging away at me though.  Simon Cowell.  What? I hear you say....Simon bloody Cowell!  Well it's not so much him as such.  It's just that I have noticed that conversations are going on around me, and I cannot have an opinion.  I have simply never watched an episode of the X Factor.  I cannot help it, but I find shows of this kind to be dreadfully tedious.  The formulaic panel with their faux arguments, and even more faux (If that is a phrase, and if it is not it still works for me) facial features.  The apparent lack of anything approaching originality, and the desperate panic should anyone dare to look at all human.  The patronising way that the contestants are dealt with and pushed into seeming mental illness.  The constant reminder that there is no substance, and only surface.  I hate it! I loathe it and I detest its very existence....but here is the nub of the problem; I feel I ought to watch it.  I feel that if I am at least aware of some of the acts, that I might continue to appear slightly relevant to the people on whom I rely for a living.  It is a dreadful quandary, and I know not what to do...perhaps just one episode will be enough to put me off for life?

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Mac

For anyone that reads this old junk at all, you may remember that I took a small leap into the world of the Apple Mac a while back.  To be honest,it has not been an entirely successful foray to date, mainly due to time constraints.  However, I recently inherited yet another Mac, so I now have three!  This one is going to be my "Writing Mac".  It will have only the basics, and I will try to ban myself from using anything other than Google for research, and Scrivener to write with.  Scrivener is a rather splendid software package that makes writing easier and some might even say pleasurable.  It is Mac only at the moment, but will be available in January on the PC I believe, and for anyone who writes, I would heartily recommend it to them.  The newest Mac is only an old Power Mac G4, but it is such a nice machine, and I am really looking forward to using it in anger as it were.  I am forcing myself over the next week to use it for ALL writing.  When I say writing, I mean my blogs and websites, my plays etc and my assignments.  I am very much looking forward to getting a little prolific.  There is also a chance that I may be acquiring a Macbook, which would be rather exciting too :-)

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November

So a mad busy October comes to an end, and I leap exhaustedly into November, with many deadlines approaching and much to do.  As usual, I have slipped on many of my intentions during this year, and I suppose that was inevitable really.  However, I have achieved much, and feel quite pleased with myself.  Two plays have been written and published, the business continues to grow, and we have moved house.  I still have much to finish though...I am a third of the way though the latest play, and have a few more ideas, and I am also toying with the idea of a novel, though the idea of the NANOWRIMO project might be a little too much for me.  I have two assignments to finish before the end of the month, and some workshops to write.  My Drama Games book is still bubbling under as well.  In terms of drama, I am currently musing on a new project for next year which would take us into uncharted territory, but learning my lessons from the past I will not make an announcement just yet, in case it looks like a failure :-)

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