Tidbit Tuesday: Fluffies and Heavies

Those who know me well know I have to work on multiple projects at the same time--or I will go nuts or poke my eyes out with a spoon, whichever is handiest at that time.

The interesting thing about working on several projects at a time is that I tend to work on both a "fluffy" project and a "heavy" project simultaneously, so that I don't spend all my time one way or another.  For some reason, my brain also has an unspoken rule that both the fluffy and the heavy project have to compliment each other. How, I really have no idea. But they do, or I can't get them written.

So this time around my "fluffy" is my Soap Satire SIMPATICO--which goes up every Saturday, and my "heavy" is--well I've got several, so here's a quick update on the others.

Dark Lightning, OR My Attempt at Steampunk
Three entries on this so far, and no script. I know, I know.  It's called an attempt for a reason. And it certainly got my brothers excited when I said I was going to try it. Try, what a lovely word.

Progress report: Drafts composed over Christmas Break 2014; now stewing until my brain clears up--or I find a "fluffy project" that goes well with this one. no complementary fluffy as yet. Will keep my eyes open.

Changeling OR My ShakespeareMash
So this is something that's been bouncing around in my head for almost a year now. I've posted exactly one tidbit about it here due to the fact that I can't decide if it's a screenplay or not. Which may or may not drive me crazy, as screenwriting format drives me up the wall(and Blogger hates that more than the stageplay format).

 Progress thus far: Treatment written, now gathering dust and about every excuse not to be written. But maybe it will be. Eventually. See progress report for DARK LIGHTNING above.

Banned, OR The Working Title of My Attempt at Dark Fantasy
You know, if I had to pick, this one is probably the best heavy to compliment my current fluffy. This is one I've been off and on for--I don't even know how long. There are no tidbits about this on the blog, which probably means that this will probably be the next thing to go up(right, creative brain, right?). So I'd keep my eyes peeled for this one.

Progress Report: Script written, done stewing, revised and ready to be put up on blog--as soon as time permits. Yea!!!!

In closing:

My creative process is like this cake--light and fluffy complimenting dark and heavy. There's your metaphor. You're welcome!

Quirky Monday: K Pop & La Musique Française

DBSK, TVXQ, MBlaq, Merwan Rim, Christophe Mae, Florent Mothe, Claire Perot, Melissa Mars.

Say any of these names to anyone inside the US(at least in my experience) and you get a number of confused looks. This is because none of these artists are US Artists. The belong to the wonderful world of Korean and French music. Which I am a huge fan of.

About two years ago, I lived with a girl who was obbessed with all things Korean. She watched Korean soaps, Korean gameshows, Korean films. She also listened to K Pop. A lot. And I ended up listening with her. You guys, K Pop is kind of cool, and not just because it's sung in a different language. Some of their music videos are works of art.

TVXQ! One of my current fav K Pop artists

 And yeah, I can't understand about 95% of the lyrics, but the music is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

And then there are the French. I love everything about this culture anyway(I'd spend the rest of my life there if I could)--the food, the language, the geography and architecture. But France also has a wonderful artist that I wish could spend a year or so in the US--he is that amazing. His name is Dove Attia.


What this delightful theatre artist can do with the stage is mind blowing. Somehow, he can turn things like Romeo and Juliet and bioplays of Mozart and the Bastille into visual masterpieces. Not only do they look good(see above), they sound SIPIC!!!!

The casts of  three of Dove Attia's productions--think classic story meets pop music. OMG SO GOOD!!!!

So yes, I love French pop. And K Pop. Probably too much for my own good.

That is all.

The Name of the Game: OR Qikiqtarjuaq

My favorite word.

The first time I heard it was about three months ago, and it had me sniggering. It's such a satisfying word to say, to spell, to--anything.

Qikitarjuaq.

Yes.

 It is a real word.

Yes.

It is a real place.

In Canada. I looked it up. Voila:

Thank you Google!!!!

I say this to people and they give me the weirdest looks. Or quotes. Like "I don't think that's legal here." (Thank you Brian!!!!) I completely get that no one believes it's a real word. But it is. It absolutely is!

This word comes from Cabin Pressure, which I talked about last week. Each episode of this series has a title that begins with a letter of the alphabet(A-Z), and in the episode Qikitarjuaq the crew goes  to this place.

 To go after polar bears.

With an egg whisk and a pogo stick.

I'm not kidding.

"Attention mes amis regardez vous le bear polar!"

One of the funniest sitcom episodes I've ever heard, and probably one of the reasons I love this word so much. Also, it makes a fantabulous tongue twister. Try saying it five times fast. I dare you.

Quirky Monday: Emotional Investment

I get too emotionally invested in things.

Maybe it's because I am a Thespian. And female. And a Drama Queen(yes, Thespian and Drama Queen are two separate things). Or--no there is no other reason.

When something sad happens, I cry.

When something makes me mad, or nervous(or someone dies), I dig my nails into my palms and start to hyperventilate. Or curl up in the fetal position, depending on what the situation happens to be. Yes, it is possible to curl up in the fetal position even when sitting or standing. I done it ^_^ Several times.

When I think someone on the screen(or stage) is attractive, my eye dilate. Ok, so every human being has this reaction. But even if I've seen this a hundred times, I still get goo goo eyes.

I mean, seriously, who wouldn't over this face?!

Seriously, guys. It's bad.

Supernatural is what gets me the most. I have seen the Season 2 and Season 9 finales ad nauseum (because I buy them as soon as they are released. Cinephile, remember?). And I still jump a mile in the air during the stabby-stabbage. And bawl. A lot. No one should sit next to me when I am watching these episodes. Like, ever.

Every time, guys. Every, every time!!!!

It's for reasons like this that my family hates seeing movies with me. Or plays. Or TV shows. All right, only part of that is true. Sometimes, they think it's funny.

Once my brother had me make a list of the films and TV shows that make me cry.

There were 79 of them.

  79.

And counting.

When the third Hobbit movie came out, by brothers wanted to go with me for two reasons: one, it's the Hobbit. I don't care what people say, it's a great bubblegum movie that had to get made. For bubblegum reasons. They also wanted to go to watch my reaction. And boy did they ever see it. All they would talk about on the drive home; I'm not kidding.

Still, emotional investment can be a good thing. It's a quirk of my personality I'm rather fond of--and it certainly amuses those around me, so who am I to complain?

The Name of the Game:OR How Benedict Cumberbatch Saved My Sanity

Sitting in a car for nine hours is absolutely miserable.

Granted I wasn't the one driving, but I was still in that car for nine hours. That was the worst part of my Arizona Road Trip. Because I had to do it twice.

The upshot was that I got to spend nine hours listening to the coolest voice I know of at the moment. Benedict Cumberbatch. Back in 2008, he did a BBC Radio show called Cabin Pressure, about an airline(or an "air dot", depending on who you talked to) that is barely holding it together and travels around the world while trying to keep it's sanity. and I've been an avid fan of it since October. Thank you Audible.

Cast of Cabin Pressure from left to right: John Finnemore as Arthur, Roger Allum as Douglas, Stephanie Cole as Caroline and Benedict Cumberbatch as Martin

As I said, the best part of this delightful series are the two main characters, played by Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allum. These two play the "sweaty man" pilot and the person everyone love who sits in a corner and makes sarcastic comments(ha ha). These two spend most of their time in an airplane with not much else to do, so they play games. 

Really clever games. Hats off to this brilliant writer, because I'd never have thought of these games. In fact, some I've shamelessly stolen. Like a live game of Simon Says(in the show, they do it for "six trips") or my personal favorite: The Evil Name Game. 

This is something I may or may not have been playing even before my road trip. Basically you have to find names(of celebrities, usually) that aren't evil but sound so. Cabin Pressure  stole some of them from me(or rather, I stole some from them) like "Russell Crowe", "Davina MccCord", "Calista Flockhart", "Patek Phillipe(the watch maker)"and "Agatha Christie".  Usually, it's played under some kind of time restraint (ie, how many can you get in half an hour) or it will go on for ages. Ad nauseum. 

But I will say that it's a great way to keep your mind occupied. Espcially at 3 am in a 9 hour car trip. 

Your turn. Names of People that Sound Evil but Actually Aren't. Any ideas?

Not gonna lie I would have killed to see this live!!!!