Da Count - through the eyes of others

2 old friends commented to me this week that they admired my constant re-invention of what I do. One jokingly said that they were almost afraid to blink when they are around me because of it. Both also commented that despite all the evolutions they have witnessed the core of me remains constant. Needless to say I am most humbled by this heaping compliment.

What I do is not dependent or motivated by the admiration of or validation from others. Yet when it does come I do have to admit that it does feel good. I used to feel quite uncomfortable of it in the past but have since learned to accept it with grace. I have come to accept that we define ourselves through our actions... and when the acknowledgment and reflection of that through the eyes of others does come it can indeed be very gratifying. This also extends to recognizing "that look" of being seen through the eyes of friends, children, parents, peers and lovers... the one that says it all without a spoken word.

That is my count this week... our value reflected in the eyes of others who see us for who we are and what we do.

To find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign above.

Da Count - blogger/blogspot

Blogger is what I started blogging on. In March 2005 SSM and I chatted about how our friend Generik had a blog. We checked it out and I admit was both befuddled and intrigued by it. SSM started a blog and I soon followed suit. Then a pod of local RL friends began blogging as well including APJ, and Jaded Ed Gypsy . Then friends from across the pond joined in Such as Kien, Vert and my long lost cousin Lelly. So, our little pod of bloggers began growing.

By blog surfing ran across the likes of Carlyjayjay, who at the time was a struggling actress who was singing in a band... Ms. Bees who took a disturbing yet entertaining delight in the art of murder... and Aughra, a very attractive (and well written) wife and mother who worked in an adult store and introduced us to HNT and the mighty OS. Carly has since gotten married (a wedding I attended through a webcast) and is now in a hit show Evildead the Musical, Ms. Bees is on a little haitus from her murderous spree, and Aughra has a new baby.

Through HNT and the Emperor OS, I have met wonderful people like the delightful Lime, the prolific horror author Mark, the lovely Tish, the always fascinating Cosima, and the stalwart salt of the earth Kfarmer who remains one of my oldest bloggy friends... just to name a few. Please do not feel left out if you are not mentioned on this post... if you are on my blogroll know that you are special to me.

All of this through blogger which is why I am counting it today.... and in so doing I am counting all of you! I liked it for it's ease of use in the attempts of me expressing myself but I think the time has come to move on to a platform that is a little more stable. I will continue blogging and I hope you (at least the few who are regulars) will continue to visit on the new platform. So, once again, thank you blogger for providing me with the opportunity for expression (like HNT and Da Count) and for the honor of meeting all of you. I will continue here until the new digs are set up so don't be strangers. Cheers!

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

* BTW KaMotion has joined the ranks posted a count early. Oh, and I have begun VLOGGING... so come by this weekend for that.

Da Count - sign posts to the possible.

Sometimes on this journey we shed what we have carried for so long and wonder what may lie ahead. We walk with a mere inkling. We take a few steps toward what we think may be a new journey never really knowing if this inkling will pan out or if it was just a flight of fancy. But we move ahead... and a sign post comes into view. We draw nearer... it confirms that we may indeed be on the right path.

I came upon such a sign post this week. I got a paying gig in the the area of video production. My stride is a little more confident and sure than it was before. This is my count.

If you want to fing out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: Friday 9:30 AM
Haven't been blog surfing to visit some of my favorite blogs in the last few days for a couple of reasons.

Reason # 1: Because of the heat there have been power outs around here... simply because folks have been cranking up their air conditioners... and can you blame them? It hasn't been too bad but the outages can be a trifle inconvenient when trying to traverse around the blog universe or attempting some work on the computer.

Reason # 2: There has been a sudden surge of social and professional (at least I hope) activity in my life at the moment. It's all good.

So, I'll remedy the no-visit situation soon.

BTW... I was doing an email interview for a newspaper back in Malaysia for Frogway and the said power went off resulting in me losing all of my brilliant quipy responses to the interview. Now I have to work myself up to another quipy froth before attempting it again.

Oh and a new vloumentary will be up this weekend where I will unveil the new name and logo of Lecram Enterprises. Come back for that... there will be some sweet moments in it.

Have a great weekend!

Da Count - sharing the blame

Well, the interview is now on Fresno Famous. Go ahead... read it... I'll wait.

::whistle::

::whistle::

Done? OK. After reading it today, it brought to mind my count for this week. It is "the many" who over the years have bought into my insane schemes and made them happen. From mounting the odd wacky plays... to backyard theatre... to a theatre company... to an arts festival... to some other projects, activities and events that I'll remain silent on for the moment. But without them none of it would have been accomplished. I could name all of them but it would take easily a year if I started now. It just goes to prove that no one is an island and that things can happen when people pull together. That whole "village" thing that was bandied about some years ago happens to be true. Whether it be in the personal, professional or practical parts of our lives.

So, to those of you who have... and those who may not know you have... please know that you count. Not just on my crazed schemes... but to everyone around you in your everyday lives. I am not foolish (or vain) enough to think that these accomplishments are mine alone... they are ours. And this is hardly the end. Cheers!

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

Oh, BTW... the HNT shot below was done straight... no photoshop magic in that one except for cropping out the barbecue. The setup took all of 5 minutes.

If you are in and around the Big NO this weekend come see THIS & THIS. Here is the promo video again just to goose you along.



More later... perhaps,

EDIT: 11:30 AM, Friday
So, I just got done having lunch with Mum. While I was doing so I flip open the newspaper (which I rarely do) and lo and behold... the interview is right there (picture and all) in the entertainment section. I left there for her to read if she so desires to.
.

Da Count - hangin

The ability to just hang with friends without an agenda. That is becoming more and more of a luxury these days... so when the opportunity arises I jump at it. Like tonight, I got to hang with Solitaire and Kowboi and it was really nice to just shoot the shit and down the beers. No big production number planned... just sitting around enjoying each other's company... talking about this and that... just hanging. So, that is my count today... hangin... and I've really been needing it of late.

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign.

EDIT: Found THIS STORY on Frogway linked to my latest Picture Daze post.

EDIT 2: Just a thought on the story in reference to me being/working from NY. (Sure, a couple of my plays have been done in Brooklyn... but still!) This is not the first time it has happened. On another occasion yet another writer had me living/working in SF. For some reason they seem to think that placing me (as a playwright) in these cities somehow adds a certain "gravitas" to my persona (or perceived quality of work) to the reading public. For the record... I have never ever in my 27 years here said that I lived/worked anywhere other than Fresno. I am proud to call this place my home... or I wouldn't still be living or working here.

EDIT 3: The widgets were fun but they were hanging up the page load of my blog. So, they are gone.
.

Da Count - a break from the triple digits

It was a balmy 95 today... and it's slated to be 98 tomorrow. A welcome relief from the crazed triple digits that had a lot of folk cantankerous and/or crazed. Now it is a given living in this area that there are going to be triple digit days... but what recently passed was exceptionally oppressive. So, when the temps dropped... boy, was it welcomed with open arms. So, that is my simple count today... pleasant weather.

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

* On YouTube Subscriptions - only 9 more to go! (see post below) UPDATED: 1:00 PM!
* Is that it? - If I'm so inclined... there is a good chance I just may extend this post later. So, look for the edit. Right now I have to go dumpster diving... don't ask.

EDIT: OK... if you live in and around the Big NO... a few of us are meeting at the Starline Grill, 7 PMish for "Tempt The Fates Friday the 13th". Yeah, its just a bad excuse to get together and have a few drinks... so, feel free to join us!

Da Count - in the moment

There was something the lovely (and talented) Joy mentioned in her post about Sunday night that got my noggin cranking. She wrote about knowing that it was good but feeling emotionally numb. Strange, but I have often felt the same way... after it (whatever "it" might be) has happened. - only a few years ago I think I finally understood why... at least for me.

Very simply put... what was is over... it is not happening anymore. Like we actually expect some kind of instant-replay-best-of reel will hit us in vivid Technicolor accompanied by the swell of lump-in-the-throat soundtrack by the likes of John Willams! Godot ain't arriving. You see, the conventional collective psyche has pushed several ideas over and over again that frankly society has now been brainwashed by certain notions. NOTION 1: It's all about the goal. NOTION 2: Live your life to make memories. NOTION 3: If you do not have a rocking "afterglow" at the end... it (there's that "it" again) couldn't have been good.

How many have of us have ignored life as it was happening because of this? I confess that I bought into this whole package as well... until I realized one day that I was actually enjoying something WHILE I was doing it or WHILE it was happening. That "being in the moment" is not (for the most part) ground moving or earth shattering. Not unlike enjoying the company of a friend while it is happening... or savoring that meal as the taste explosions erupt in your mouth... or how heady the forest or the ocean can be just because you are there... or heck... even completing a post for your blog! It's easy... it's happening... it's now. There won't be an epiphany right after or an awards ceremony down the line. Have we been so programed to believe that if a "big movie moment" doesn't occur that the section of our lives we just experienced is of no consequence? Seriously, try to chronicle 5 minutes of your life tomorrow... heck, why wait... go for it today - every action, sensation, thought, observation, emotion, intent, etc... it may just astound you how much is actually happening.

So, my count is appreciating the moment as it is happening... even the not so pleasant moments because through each one we are made aware that we are indeed alive and living. It is true that some will be more memorable than others... but all of them are ours.

To find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign above.

EDIT:
BTW... if you live or are near the Toronto area... check out Barry's (Jesus In Montana) & Baba's (Rap Cantubury Tales) shows. They are fringe performer friends and their shows totally ROCK!

Da Count - memory trigger

So... on Monday, I finally burned the songs from Frogway. I popped it into the cd player in the house. Mum listened to it and it triggered memories from 27 years ago when it was first produced. Happy memories. Memories of pride. I finally told her that it was being produced again. She beamed. I know that in her mind... that is the only show I have written... but thats OK with me... very OK. If that doesn't count... I don't know what does. For the past few days... that is all she has been buzzing about. Thank you, Mike.

If you want to find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing button above.

EDIT: 9 AM Friday

These fine talented folk are appearing on stage July 1.
So, we'll see you there... right?

Da Count - when it quietly goes right.

No fanfare. No earth shattering epiphany. No big production number. Just when things fall into place what a rush that can be... albeit a private moment... and anything intruding is on yout list to be beheaded. And on the surface it all seems so... almost mundane. But for that moment it makes all the difference in the world. You know it is not going to be forever... but for the moment it is prime. It is those moments that makes your heart well up and you know you are in the "groove". It can be as ordinary as achieving just the right crease whilst you are ironing.... or something more momentous. I'll let you fill in that blank via the comment function.

To find out what Da Count is about... click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: Time Wasters.

• Sorted Books - funny and interesting groupings of titles.
• Hmmm
• Perhaps I should pick up chess.
• The Museum of Hoaxes
  

Da Count - watermelon

Yes, I said watermelon. Especially, on triple digit temp days like we've had for the last 2. Fresh cut watermelon from the fridge... ya just have to count that sometimes. Heck, I had it for breakfast this morning... slurp!

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above

Da Count - gonna let the music say it

So, I've been posting about Frogway all this time that you are probably sick of it. Well, ::drumroll:: here is one of the new songs created by the M & M Song Factory for the show - music by Mike and lyrics by Moi. This version is actually a demo that was cut about a month ago to sell the show to the producers. There have been minor tweaks that have occoured since... but for the most part this version is pretty close to what is now. My count is that it came out pretty well. Yeah, I do think they'll be snapping their fingers to this as they file out of the theater.... at least, I hope so.

Enjoy! And when you are listening... just do what you're feelin!



If you want to find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: Posting this early as I'm going out tonight for ArtHop. Whoknows this post may extend after that.

Da Count - notions realized.

It's a haze at first and over time percolates enough for you to commit it to paper. Strings of words with questionable rhyme endings. You work on it some more. A tune arrives and you continue reworking so that it scans just right. Then it arrives in a realized form you listen to it and are actually amazed that the whole thing works. It happened to me this week.... songs from Frogway professionally recorded were sent to me. A private pride welled within and brought tears to my eyes. It may not mean much to anyone else but me at the moment but it's my count for the week. Can't share any at the moment as things are still under exclusive production wraps... but as soon as they are off you'll be able to hear them here. Until then... just do what you're feeling.

To find out more about Da Count... click the flashing sign above

Da Count - dementia & memory loss

Granted these are strange things to count. They relate to my Mum who is going through it now. Let me explain. For a few years I worried that she was going to shuffle off this mortal coil as a sad and bitter person. Until about a year ago... this would have been the case. But something gradually happened in this process... her feelings and memories of "not being given a fair shot" began to slowly erase. For the most part it has been replaced by a sweetness and gratitude.

I use to stock the fridge with 5 gallon tubs of ice-cream... that she would devour in 3 days or less. I had to stop this as it was causing water retention and swelling up her feet. When I told her this last week she claimed that a "little girl" would come into the house 5 or 6 times a day to eat the ice cream. I couldn't help but smile at this. I guessed that the combination of dementia and memory loss had conjured up the little tomboy she used to be. The one who used to climb trees in her grandfather's house and get into all sort of scraps. The same one who loved home-made hand churned ice cream that was a specialty of my great grandfather who whipped up a batch every Saturday afternoon.

She is pretty lucid (or at least appears to be) for the most part. Now I am mindful that the combination of memory loss and dementia mixes in past, present and yearning into one clump. Yes, there are other aspects of her condition that continue to be challenging. Though for now what her brain is pulling and mixing in with the present are some of the happier memories of her childhood... and that is definitely worth counting. So now, once a week she gets a treat of ice-cream... not a 5 gallon tub... but maybe a quart on a Saturday afternoon.

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above.

Da Count - the little things

It's been quite the week. Never a dull moment around here. I don't see the ride stopping anytime soon... just brief sojourns of quiet and solitude before the next episode revs forward. Just have to go with it.

Times like these I can't help but think about the little things that make all the difference. I am very appreciative of the big ones though I don't value the small ones any less.

You know what I'm talking about. The smile and nod of recognition. The call or note to inquire. The door held open for one to enter or leave. The forgotten favor done. The touch of reassurance on the shoulder. The offer of a simple glass of water on a sweltering day. A compliment, an apology or a verbal hello when it's least expected. Sharing food. Just the right "look" at a crucial time. A quiet presence. There are so many more... (feel free to add your own to the list)... none earth shattering but making every difference to enriching the quality of this brief time we share in this life.

To find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: TIME WASTER OF THE DAY
Time To Trip Out
.

Da Count - limitations

Hushed conversations imagined upon reading the title of this post.

"Limitations for da count???!!" "I think he's finally lost it. Totally gonzo!" "Perhaps he's just come up to his limit of counts." "What's so good about limitations?" "He's a damn pinko commie... that's just unAmerican, I tell ya!"

Yes, it is "limitations". You read it right. Those that force you to get creative. In fact, limitations count as the primary impetus, motivation and inspiration for most of the creative ideas mankind has ever had. Without limitation there would not have been a need to create something to meet that need. The need to sit created the chair that you are sitting on that in turn resulted from the limitation of a place to park our butts.

From the practical to the aesthetic... it has always been limitations that have spurred on inventive solutions. In the world of the arts it has often been the imposition of limitations that have often created the exquisite. So, my count today is limitations. May they always exist to continually fuel our creative energies and juices.

To find out more about Da Count... click the flashing banner.

EDIT:
WIDGET CRAZY... which is what I did last night. Created one for Jungle Webs and one for this blog. If you are insane enough to add these to your blogs... go ahead. Just click "get widget"... and if you do you can customize the look for your own blog. Think of these Blidgets as a direct feed.

Da Count - the outreached hand

I am not known for being helpless but I am (and have been) facing a period in my life when I do feel that way. So, my count is for those who have (and continue to) reach out to me to offer and to help without having to be asked. I just wanted you to know that you are pure gems.

Da Count - 22nd Horizon Awards

Thanks to those who came from far and near... those who couldn't... and even those who wouldn't. The real honor was the opportunity to have worked with you building it. Not much else to say... I'll let the pics speak for last night.

Da Count - a "re-do"

At 9:50 PM tonight I completed a good working draft of a play that I first wrote 27 years ago. As some of my friends would claim (and they would be accurate) "Frogway began all this trouble with you." Revisiting this show was an interesting experience to say the least. It provided me with the opportunity to not only rework an earlier piece but also provide a backward peek into that personal telescope from whence I came.

When it was first created, I have and always acknowledged that at the time, I was riding on Mike's coat-tails. Really, the original play was barely a script. The production of the show was sold primarily on the music and a devil-may-care tenacity. Very soon after it was produced in Malaysia, I arrived on these shores. With suggestions from my mentors in college I reworked the script and it was staged here. Though it grew into a more credible script it was still Mike's marvelous score that really made the show.

While I was reworking it this time there was a temptation to throw everything out and start from scratch. Perhaps I would now finally be able to craft a slick and sophisticated piece that was deserving of the music. Instead, I took the tougher route. As I rewrote I paid special attention to preserving the original charm of the show yet tighten the plot and it's devices... more of a nip and tuck. I can walk away this time knowing that it is a tighter script. Will it still play to an audience today... I really don't know. What I do know is that having the opportunity to rework it has quelled my own long feelings of inadequacy I held all these years about it's original creation. That shadow has dissipated. The music is still wonderful and will still be the sparkle of the show... though now I think the script at least facilitates it better than before.

So my count today is the opportunity to re-do this show. And by doing so, coming to a resolution that it's not about wiping out what was... but knowing that improvement is always possible and attainable.

To find out what Da Count is about click the flashing sign above.

Da Count - sense of humor

Despite the challenges that life throws my way it has been my sense of humor that somehow has pulled me through. Sometimes light... sometimes dark. I think it is so essential to be able to laugh or smile and not take ourselves too seriously. It is also an acknowledgement that things could always be worse... and if it does somehow reach the state of worse... that it could only get better from there. So, my count is a sense of humor (which can be sick and wrong)... that often makes an appearance at (what often is considered) the most inappropriate times (often privately) that reminds me that the state of change is a constant.

To find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign above.

Da Count - to breathe

It's that time of the year when I become acutely aware how we so often take this simple (yet essential) bodily function for granted. It is used as a metaphor in other areas of our lives as well... but the simple act of breathing is my count for today.

If you want to find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above.

BONUS: Click for a live version of Pink Floyd's "Breathe"

and...

Yeah, we've heard it for years... Dark Side Of The Moon and Wizard Of Oz... here is the first 7 and a half minutes (featuring "Breathe"). (Can't believe some one actually cut this together.)



OH HECK... here is the whole damn thing! Talk about a time waster! LOL!

Da Count - a fantastic trip on a dreaded week

The trip took place on the second weekend of 2001. Despite the horrible events that had occurred earlier in the week a small group of us ventured to the San Francisco Fringe Festival. It wasn't just for the fun of catching new shows. It was a "study trip" to see how a festival like this would work from whence we came.

It was a fantastic trip to say the least. One that we often smile about. That small group along with a few other "believers" created something that this year became one of the biggest of it's kind on the West Coast,

Two weeks ago I received a call informing me that I would be honored for the creation of this event at a prestigious award ceremony. 2 days later I received an email attachment to approve the official press release. I sent back edits making sure to name those on that trip as well as a few early believers... and they are who I'm counting this week - the founders. (Even though many don't think they are.) Without that small group of believers who weathered that first insane attempt with what was considered by most as a "must fail" proposition... the Rogue Festival would not exist.

On April 26th, I shall receive the Horizon Award on behalf of all of us. I am hoping that most of us will be there. BTW the picture is the very first "muse" for the Rogue of 2002. It is a block print by Fresno artist Vincente Aiello... I own the original.

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: BTW... the meeting went well today. It may influence the foundation to rethink and adjust their Arts grant funding to suit a more realistic criteria. Oh, and I paid for my own coffee.

Da Count - the time we have

This week I was once again reminded of the fleeting nature of time. The Goodbye Hello post touched on it so have other recent personal observations and experiences. But it is just how fast the days pass from one to the next that really brings these thoughts to the forefront.

I have observed (and been party to) time spent between parents and children, strangers, friends and lovers and I see varying levels of values that exist within and without. I used to consider it linear continuum (in the earlier more "invincible" days of my youth) with notches or beads that indicated personal highlights or devastation's. The spaces in between were of little consequence. (Sometimes known as the "I'm going to live forever" syndrome.) Later that was replaced with "the cluster" of using every spare second... simply because any "space" meant waste. (This is "the end ain't that far away" syndrome.)

Over the last few years I have gradually grown into the "quality" stage. Not just with making the effort to spend "quality" time... but coming to the realization that it is ALL quality time. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the busy, the lazy, the exciting the mundane... it all matters. Weather socializing with friends or breakfast with Mum or working obsessively on a project or lazing alone watching the birds outside pecking in the grass... it is all vital and precious to the complete experience of life. Suddenly the perception of "wasted time" becomes moot because it is all quality... it is all essential... it all matters... it is all vital... it all counts.

So, this week I'm counting time (no pun intended). Time (our friend) has taught me that it is never too short... only life is. We can choose to spend it chasing for an extension or simply live what we have to the fullest. What we choose to do (or not do) with the ration of time we've been bestowed is where (in my humble opinion) the true quality of living resides... only we can determine the grade of that.

And my time the last couple of days has been spent sprucing THIS up. How do you like it? (Not that you asked but... I like it a lot more and think it's a vast improvement over what was.

Go ahead... click here to play it! ... featuring Ilsa, Sam & Rick.

If you want to find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: 3:33 PM, Friday
Help feed the starving playwright. Steal a banner for your blog or site HERE. Or do/send business by clicking the banner below!

Da Count - My Uncle Desi

Desmond Churme passed away last Saturday peacefully after a long illness. I received the news on Sunday via email. Uncle Desi worked for the Malayan Railways for most of his life. He was married to Ruth, my mother's youngest sister. A stalwart character with a hearty laugh, Uncle Desi was a good husband and father to 4 children. He was a fan of country music from the generation of Skeeter Davis and Jim Reeves... while the rest of my uncles were more into jazz. I will always remember his gentle rough-housing with us kids who would always squeal with delight when he did. He had a quiet generosity and an unfailing support of all things family... including the various extended ones. A man who did the right thing... simply because it was the right thing to do. My scanner is on the fritz at the moment or you would have also gotten a picture of him. Uncle Desi made it count for everyone around him without any fuss... and his memory (which is followed with a smile) is my count today.

To find out more about Da Count... click the flashing sign above.

EDIT: Check THIS out (if you haven't see it already.) Run the trailer to Mel Gibson's "Apocolypto" ... about 70% into it... pause it at the screeching monkey. Then hit the reverse arrow (about 6 frames and you'll see what I'm talking about.) OK... the question is... who finds these things and why? LOL!

Da Count - Rogues, one and all... cont.

It goes without saying that many pour their love into this... it couldn't happen without them! Here are some faces and voices from a video put together by The Fresno Bee. If you come back later in the AM... there'll be more links to peruse. In the meantime, enjoy the video.

To find out more about Da Count click the flashing sign.

Da Count - Rogues, one and all!

It begins today. Where over 6 years ago no-one wanted anything to do with us... it is now the biggest of it's kind on the West coast! Counts go all around for this one.

• To the small ragtag group of founders... you jumped into this insanity and showed this town the wonders of the possible. Yeah, I catch a lot of press and credit for it... but know that I never fail to mention YOU... because without YOUR dedication, love and efforts in those early days... it would have only remained an idea. This creation was ours... and will always remain that.
  
• To the waves of folk who joined after... you embraced and added to the idea. You have brought it further than anyone of us could have. It is you who will continue to nurture it and make it live. Some of you have come and gone but your efforts are still glowing bright.
• To our early nay sayers... you really provided us with the extra energy and inspiration not to prove you wrong... but to prove that life is about possibilities and realizations.
• To the city that is home to the Rogue... yes, you are still a little befuddled but you also have begun to celebrate us celebrating the multitude of talent that calls this place home. Cheers to that!
  
• To the performers and artists who have taken a chance... you are the reason the Rogue exists. Your talent moves and inspires. You make real the wonders of the possible.
• To the snobs who still want to have nothing to do with us... read the part about nay sayers.
  

I am posting early because I will be out and about at the big kick-off! Cheers & Rogue On!

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign.

EDIT: 3 PM
3 Articles in the paper today! HERE, HERE, & HERE! Plus they will be blogging their reviews of shows HERE. And they even posted a video HERE. And THE ROGUE REPORT is HERE!

With all this plus a TV station with a news story on last night's broadcast... ya think folks would actually know that this is happening.

Da Count - my muse

What I do and how I do it depends on the muse that tickles me fancy at the time of creating. I have been fortunate to have muses over the years when I have been creating... but not like this one. (BTW... I have created without a muse as well.... but that is for a different discussion.) This one has kept me in a happy state of utter insanity that I could not pay for - really, for all the money in the world. This is a stellar muse that anyone in the creative field could only dream about.

Sometimes a muse can be an idea, a notion, an inkling, an object, a presence ... but this muse is real. Real as in flesh and blood real! It is strange how this happens (I've quit trying to figure it out.)... I really can't explain it... but it does. Something or someone clicks within and it's all about getting the shit out. (And boy, do I have a lot of shit. lol.)

So, my count is my muse. The wonderful presence who has brought me the inspiration to go on even after I had exhausted all avenues. This muse opens up a spectrum of possibilities. I originally felt the project was going nowhere... but it didn't in this case.

Raise a glass (with me) to my muse... I really couldn't have done it without my muse. This muse is something else... (trust me on this one.I would venture to suggest a "Guess the muse meme")... but I'm not in this case. (Really.... this one is a keeper.) TO MY MUSE!

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above.

BTW... some of you want to know about Suicide Lounge... the video is below. Yeah... if you are in the area.... come see the show.

Suicide Lounge
Uploaded by dathang

Da Count - warts and all

Rogue Performance Festival 2007 is 2 weeks away. Sure, there'll be hiccups... but still it is happening. It counts simply because once a year it celebrates the wonders of the possible. Yes, I'm proud of it. I'll let the video I finished cutting just tonight for a TV spot do the rest of the talking.

Roguefest07tv
Uploaded by dathang

If you want to fing out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above.

Da Count - the details

Yes, I'll cop to it... I can be a detail demon. In certain areas of my life I will sweat the details like a crazed scientist. O.K.... yeah, I can be anal retentive. Let's thank the heavens some people are (not that what I'm anal retentive about really shakes up the world.)

I'm talking about those whose obsession and compulsion has made all the difference. The inventors, the people who have discovered cures, - the creators! Everything from the wheel to astounding medical cures had to have come into realization through working out the details.

Even on the mundane level there are things all around us that we take for granted which wouldn't be there if someone did not obsess over it's realization of. Flush toilets to name just one. Sure, it was something that was developed over centuries before what we got today... but thank your lucky stars someone thought about and put in the effort to work on it.

Really, take a good look around. Have you ever wondered - "What were they thinking when they came up with that?"... in a good way, I mean. Our lives are so much richer and surrounded by the thoughts of so many made real.

So, this week I'm counting the geeks and freaks who obsess over the minutia just so I have some place to hang my coat up. Without the attention to detail that they put in what a sorry world this would be.

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign above.

Da Count - fellow counters

Last night I was looking back to when Da Count began... checking out those who did and those who continue... reading my own counts... smiling that I can still count. It started off as a personal challenge... to count something every week... and it continues to be a challenge. The question still is... "Will I run out of things to count?" So far, not yet.

Funny how it is accepted human nature to moan, groan, bitch, gripe, complain and fall so easily into the "woe is me" mindset. Yet appreciating what we have never seems to get quite the same amount of "air-play" or energy. I was thinking today if there was some sort of invention that could count our daily gripes and compare it to our appreciation... it would be fascinating to compare the percentages. Da Count is neither competitive nor particularly sexy. I enjoy the idea that it is simple... almost mundane. Yet at times a daunting task to find something to count each week. (Really, it's so much easier to complain.)

Over the months I have truly enjoyed reading your counts. I thank you for sharing... and I hope to continue reading more. So this count is for those of YOU who count... past, present, sometimers, regulars... even those who count privately. Your counts make the end of my week a much more pleasant and rich experience... and yes, interesting too! Thank You!

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign.

EDIT: 11:15 AM
Yikes! Sewer is backed up!

Da Count - my cast and crew

Oodles to count... but this week it's my cast and crew. They have been riding this beast with me (and continue to) and I couldn't ask for a better group of folk who have given in time, effort and talent like they have given to this trifle. You have eased my re-entry back into the theatre world to being a joyous experience... something that I didn't think I would find again.

All I can say is... Terima Kasih... you have made it all count for me once more.

If you want to find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign.

Da Count - ain't giving up counting

O.K... truth be told... I'm still a little hurt and angry about the events (see previous post) that transpired this morning. I'm licking my wounds and can't think about a specific count (though there are still oodles)... except that I'm alive.

Instead of faking it... I'll be honest and say that this too shall pass... but in the meantime I'm also going to allow myself to journey that process. So, I'll just allow the Python boys to sing me a reminder that it could always be bloody worse. CLICK HERE!



If you want to find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign.

EDIT: Friday, 8:25 AM
Feeling much better today. Thanks to all of you who left messages of support and just plain kindness... it really helped... and totally counted for me.

Here are a few great time wasters for you.

• Framable photographs of liquid.
• Kien has been posting videos of his trip to China. Check them out HERE.
• Check out the hidden worlds on this SITE.

Cheers!

Da Count - perspective

We lost a fellow blogger this week. And yes it is sad.... for so many reasons. Sad because we will miss her. Sad because she was at her prime. Sad because she was a joy. Sad because this was so sudden. We are sad for ourselves because the presence of that person is no longer with us.

Grieving is a natural part of our lives. We grieve for who isn't anymore in our lives... for what isn't anymore in our lives. We grieve because that, who and what isn't going to be the same. And that is the way it should be. If we do not grieve... then we are not human.

And that is my count... that we can grieve. That we can feel. That compassion is part and parcel of our human make-up. That we are indeed feeling human creatures. That like it or not... life is going to throw us curves. That those moments will make us take pause to reflect that this precious gift is fleeting and that we affect the universe as much as the reason we grieve. That we do make a difference which causes a ripple in this pond of life we inhabit. That we all touch in one way or another... other lives. And knowing that... we become acutely aware that all our lives and actions DO count.

If her passing serves as that reminder... then may it be a celebration in her honor.
As Fred Astaire once sang... "Let's face the music and dance."

If you want to know what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign.

UPDATE: 9:16, Friday.
Hunter has chimed in on the Theatre J'Nerique blog... PLUS... details on the upcoming skypecast of a rehearsal next week can be found there too!

Da Count - what was my day like?

For a non-event it was fabulous! Really, I mean it. Let me clarify. Those of us who are born during or this close to the major holidays are used to folks forgetting our birthdays... or giving half hearted wishes. Really, can you blame them? Afterall, they are usually totally spent from the gush of the holiday season. So, I for many years have just stopped celebrating... or even attempting to. Really, it's like pushing a truck up a hill with a wet noodle.

So, I opted for the non-event. And it works out great. There are no expectations and as a result anything that comes my way is a total bonus. That being said... I want to thank everyone who dropped by to wish me and actually put aside the time to make me feel special today. It's nice being remembered... really.

The day was dank and rainy... weather-wise. So, my day consisted of:

• Waking up at 4 AM (the dogs barking) and receiving the loveliest of emails to start my day off. This set off my day in a wonderful way.
  
• I went back to bed at 5:30 AM. Slept through some great lucid dreams. Really, it was fun to be able to be in the "driver's seat for those.
  
• Got up at 11 ish AM and noodled around including some great surfing.
• At 1 PM.... I cooked.
• 2 PM... surfed a little more and discovered that Os had posted a birthday wish.
  
• At 2:30... hit the sack from the inertia that set in from stuffing my face... from the results of cooking. (Pure bliss.)
  
• 4:30 PM... took a shower and got ready to go out. My ride came by at 5 ish.
• Hit the Tower District. Did ArtHop and really enjoyed walking the wet streets alone hopping from gallery to gallery. Free food, wine and coffee.
  
• Went to the regular wateringhole... drinks were bought for me. A few friends turned up. No big deal was made but the company and conversation was much appreciated.
  
• Got home at 10 PM... a little buzzed but satisfied with all the bonuses that the day granted me.
  
• While I was home received several calls asking where I was... let's have a drink, etc. Thanks... but my day out is done... appreciate the thought and the effort of the calls though.
  

Now, I sit here whacking on the keyboard. There is a quiet solace warming my being and I will head to bed with a smile. So, not making a big deal is actually a wonderful thing as the surprises and delights it brings make the day full. Expectations would only have brought diappointment. My real gift was having this day... and tomorrow presents me with yet another. May all of us have days like this for as many days that the weeks hold... that is my birthday wish for you and me.

I think that counts, don't you?

To find out what Da Count is all about... click the flashing sign.



To lazy now... but some pics my be posted later in the morning.