you tell me your peeve I'll tell you mine

"It's not that big of a deal."

Have you noticed that one?  Why isn't it "it's not that big a deal"?  Where did the OF come from?

"It's a question for the both of you" Why isn't it just "a question for both of you"?  Where did THE come from? 

Extra words. Extra letters: you hear people speak of restauranteurs, sticking an N in where it doesn't belong.

Oh, and then, you hear people say "nucular" instead of nuclear. 

And "careen" instead of "career".  

oops - low battery....

Happy November Second

It never stops, the learning experience.  I went to "Helen Lawrence" this afternoon, a multi-media play cum film noir at the St.Lawrence Centre.  Wow. I was tired but I'm not now.  It was fine.  

I remember years ago for a play I was writing, wondering how to effect a close-up of one character on the stage the way lighting or an actual camera close-up can achieve the effect in a film.  Well, this production does it. It's a live-acted play and a live-action film at the same time.  You get to see the faces in the close-ups on film and the actions of the performers on the stage. Very effective.  The one flaw is that one can get distracted watching both actions. I would think that the technique could be made more selective so as not to cause a distraction when the focus should be specific.  But it was marvellous. 

I noticed that the audience was not graying.  Lots of younger patrons were in attendance, a very good sign for the future of the Bluma Appel theatre. As for me, I felt young and so stimulated and excited to encounter this effective new (to me) technique.  I've had inklings of some of it in my own work. I feel I could go ahead now and do more.  I feel so full of ideas and new projects. I'm going to have to be very choosy because I'm not going to live long enough to accomplish them all. Next time.

Not bloody likely.