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First the news of the death of an escaped tiger at the San Francisco zoo, and the possibility that there was human involvement in the escape. Then, this morning, the news of the assassination of Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and really, I think I've had enough news for a while.
Yesterday was a loss, in so far as writing is concerned. It just didn't happen, and there's not much point in going into the whys and wherefores. I have five days to finish Sirenia Digest #25, and I have to make it happen, regardless.
Late yesterday, about 5:30 p.m., I asked Spooky to drive me over to Piedmont Park, hoping a walk Outside might help. The sun was already setting, so most of the park was in shadow and very cold. My ears and fingers began to ache almost at once. Spooky spotted a chipmunk and a red-headed woodpecker. I didn't have my glasses, so I could only look where she was pointing and pretend to see wildlife. Even that late, there were people walking their dogs, throwing Frisbees for their dogs, and there were joggers and such. But it did help, being out in the comparatively fresh air, having trees and sky about me, despite the bleakness of a late December day in Atlanta. I took some photos (though I hate how much resolution gets lost online):
( Piedmont Park, December 26th )
I suppose the only genuinely bright spot to yesterday was receiving a somewhat late, utterly superb, and entirely unexpected Solstice/Cephalopodmas gift from Anita (still in Spain) — the 5-disc boxed set of Blade Runner: The Final Cut. I called to thank her, which was, I think, my first international call since...oh, yeah. All that business with BBC Scotland back in November. Anyway, we watched the whole of Dangerous Days, the "making of" documentary last night, all three-and-a-half hours of it, and it was superb. I was surprised by many things. For example, I ended up much more sympathetic with David Peoples than Hampton Fancher, when I'd always felt the other way round. Harrison Ford's comments regarding the voice-over and the last-minute post-test-audience tacked-on happy ending were enlightening and hilarious. "A lie," he said, in no way following from everything else the film had told you, echoing my recent comments regarding the ending of I Am Legend. Learning that the snake Zhora dances with was actually Joanna Cassidy's pet Burmese python. Seeing test and interview footage of Stacey Nelkin, who would have played "Mary," the sixth replicant (and who almost played Pris), but whose part was cut because of a strike. Realizing how many scenes were filmed, but were cut from the original theatrical release (a lot of them are included on one of the five discs, I think). Finding out that it was Rutger Hauer who came up with the line, "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain." And about a hundred other things. Anyway, if you have a chance, and you love Blade Runner (in any of its incarnations), see this documentary.
Once again, thank you, Anita. Once again, you really, really shouldn't have.
Please have a look at the current eBay auctions, one of which is a red leatherbound lettered copy of Tales from the Woeful Platypus, complete with beanie paisley platypus hand-sewn by me. Actually, Spooky says the copy of Platypus isn't up yet, but will be later today. This time, the winner may choose which letter hesheit gets, as long as it's a letter from L to Z, and not including X, which we just auctioned. Also, Spooky says if you were a winning bidder in the most recent round of finished auctions, she'll be mailing your books out tomorrow.
Okay, now the words must flow.
Yesterday was a loss, in so far as writing is concerned. It just didn't happen, and there's not much point in going into the whys and wherefores. I have five days to finish Sirenia Digest #25, and I have to make it happen, regardless.
Late yesterday, about 5:30 p.m., I asked Spooky to drive me over to Piedmont Park, hoping a walk Outside might help. The sun was already setting, so most of the park was in shadow and very cold. My ears and fingers began to ache almost at once. Spooky spotted a chipmunk and a red-headed woodpecker. I didn't have my glasses, so I could only look where she was pointing and pretend to see wildlife. Even that late, there were people walking their dogs, throwing Frisbees for their dogs, and there were joggers and such. But it did help, being out in the comparatively fresh air, having trees and sky about me, despite the bleakness of a late December day in Atlanta. I took some photos (though I hate how much resolution gets lost online):
I suppose the only genuinely bright spot to yesterday was receiving a somewhat late, utterly superb, and entirely unexpected Solstice/Cephalopodmas gift from Anita (still in Spain) — the 5-disc boxed set of Blade Runner: The Final Cut. I called to thank her, which was, I think, my first international call since...oh, yeah. All that business with BBC Scotland back in November. Anyway, we watched the whole of Dangerous Days, the "making of" documentary last night, all three-and-a-half hours of it, and it was superb. I was surprised by many things. For example, I ended up much more sympathetic with David Peoples than Hampton Fancher, when I'd always felt the other way round. Harrison Ford's comments regarding the voice-over and the last-minute post-test-audience tacked-on happy ending were enlightening and hilarious. "A lie," he said, in no way following from everything else the film had told you, echoing my recent comments regarding the ending of I Am Legend. Learning that the snake Zhora dances with was actually Joanna Cassidy's pet Burmese python. Seeing test and interview footage of Stacey Nelkin, who would have played "Mary," the sixth replicant (and who almost played Pris), but whose part was cut because of a strike. Realizing how many scenes were filmed, but were cut from the original theatrical release (a lot of them are included on one of the five discs, I think). Finding out that it was Rutger Hauer who came up with the line, "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain." And about a hundred other things. Anyway, if you have a chance, and you love Blade Runner (in any of its incarnations), see this documentary.
Once again, thank you, Anita. Once again, you really, really shouldn't have.
Please have a look at the current eBay auctions, one of which is a red leatherbound lettered copy of Tales from the Woeful Platypus, complete with beanie paisley platypus hand-sewn by me. Actually, Spooky says the copy of Platypus isn't up yet, but will be later today. This time, the winner may choose which letter hesheit gets, as long as it's a letter from L to Z, and not including X, which we just auctioned. Also, Spooky says if you were a winning bidder in the most recent round of finished auctions, she'll be mailing your books out tomorrow.
Okay, now the words must flow.
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