Friday, February 22, 2008

Planet Glee is punk--if you want!

Tonight found me in the Flash studio at accessf for another production of Planet Glee. I brought a Ganesh with me, because I couldn't find my bag with the crystals I usually use. Of course, Ganesh brought many blessings to the show.

Although my guest admitted he was nervous at the beginning of the show, all was told and not told on the show tonight. My guest was a friend of mine, Dave Taub, who has studied comedy at a comedy school here in San Francisco. He is a funny guy, and we had alot of larfs this evening.

I didn't know that his schtick was going to be the US presidential election. He flatly told me on air that he was voting for himself for president and he wasn't taking any donations to his campaign. It went on for a while. The political system in this country is abominably inhumane. But do I want to talk about that on Planet Glee?

You were correct if you wrote "NOTA." That's what one of my family said when they referred to the February California elections.

And, meanwhile, we got three callers! It was memorable. The people who called in were not rude or drunk or something. They were sincere and honest and were thinking about justice and peace and desirable states of being. I felt so honored that they were watching my show. It is kind of a punk meets new age alternitiva.

For the musical portion of the show, Dave sang a medley of songs about peace while I tried to play four/four on my tabla. It was really hilarious.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Another Planet Glee evening.

It seems that all I feel like writing about is the show. I still haven't returned the broken DVD player, so I haven't watched any of the films I want to review like Faute a Fidel, for example.

Meanwhile, the show was really fun. I was worried that it was becoming more like a job than something really inspiring. But I met two musicians this past Friday whom I liked a lot.

Back in December I put out an ad in craigslist for musicians for a cable tv show. I got about 10 responses only. Some of the music was not what I would want to feature on my show. SO, I did respond to someone whose music is atmospheric and ambient. He is from the band Five-Eyed Hand. (They have a really cool logo, by the way.) He brought with him a spoken-word/singer who wrote about the Buddha with sincerity and movement.

These two thoughtful performers were on this past Friday night. And, as I couldn't have guessed, a caller on PCP (seemingly) called to "sing" with the guitar through the phone. I decided to let it happen. Actually, I thought the caller was a friend of one of the musicians. The caller started going on about defecation and sexual acts, and I thought, this is Planet Glee... But the guy was not a friend of the musicians. Even so, he kept calling.

We had fun anyway...

Friday, February 08, 2008

What a weird and wonderful night.

Another edition of Planet Glee took place this evening. I dropped off my car at the garage on Valencia to leave it until tomorrow. I hope major things are not wrong with it. Taking the bus can be difficult!!! Tonight I walked six blocks on Valencia from 16th to 23rd--no bus in sight.

Meanwhile the show went ok. I need to get a refresher on the Flash studio course. I don't know how to turn on the cameras nor the monitor. Tonight the person who helps me get set up was sick. I had to type in the character generator. My guest was sitting there while I was typing her name in. She could see in the monitor what her name looked like. After I got home (along the way a local Bernal guy asked me for Bro Jud's phone number--I didn't give it to him because he was drunk), my guest called to say that her last name was this and not that.

It's all good, is what I have to say about it. At first, after I had listened to the message, I thought, "But you were sitting right there--couldn't you have corrected me then?" But it's nobody's fault. As Bro Jud would say: it was cosmic humor.

All the while I've been missing some good films, and I still don't have a dvd player. That is why I have not reviewed any films in a while. Because most people are celebrating Chinese New Year, and because I can make masks, a teacher at the school where I work asked me to make a mask of Father Heaven and one of Father Earth.

She could have at least have given me materials. I should have asked for them. I really have my own art projects to do. But I feel that I can use the masks in my portfolio of art I didn't get paid to do. I am hoping that my payment will be in receiving a new assistant in addition to the ones I have working with me on the job!

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Planet Glee was a huge larf.

Friday night saw another version of the SF Live call-in show Planet Glee. Friday night must bring it out in those of us who consider Saturday and Sunday the "weekend." Anyway, Bro Jud Presmont was my guest along with his friend and filmmaker Larry Sweetman. I have known Bro Jud for years. I have been on The Bro Jud on Love Energy show for years. It was the first time that I was interviewing Jud on my own show--as it were!

Bro Jud's adage, "if it ain't fun, it won't get done" was in full force that evening. Every guest I've had has worried about what we're going to talk about. I worry that no one will call in to ask a question or liven up the show. After all, everything is political, and that's Planet Glee's message.

Larry Sweetman had returned recently from Ecuador with a film production ensemble from Oakland. Together they documented the ravaging of the rainforest and its effects on the people who live there by American oil companies. Now this Planet Glee guest is to document Bro Jud's efforts to get his "Plan" and ideas heard. Mr. Sweetman is from Ireland.

I don't think that Jud knows my last name. Often, a person's last name points to a particular culture or ethnicity. Like Larry, I grew up in a culture dominated by Irish music, conversation, customs, etc. When Jud called said that the Irish represent the most Neanderthal of people, Larry and I couldn't stop laughing.