Will never edit my own film again.
Remind me of that two months from now. Anyone. Please.

THE DAY WE WENT INSIDE THE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

<eek>

Wish I had the photographs already.
There are some things that words cannot describe. (I doubt the pictures
would be any better though since I'll be capturing stills from the
video I was shooting. But nevertheless)

It's hard to shoot with two cameras at one time.

So John (Director), Erika (Sound) and
I (Camera) sit waiting for Arnie to speak. We've been shooting on and
off all day and are up to our throats with B-Roll (can never have enough of that).

Two coyboys walk past with flashing
blue, red and white lights on their hats. Too good to miss. A pushy
blonde decides that she wants to be in the picture and sits right
behind the delegate. I switch off the camera.

The Republicans start singing.

My bad. They're chanting.

"Watch Fox News. Watch Fox News. WATCH FOX NEWS."

John, Erika and I look at each other,
debating whether it's a good time to make a run for it. No, that would
be too conspicuous. Need to sit very still and show no emotion.

...............

.... "It's not working."

"Sit still! " .....

...............

...............  <peek around surreptitiously>

"Do you think they're settling down?"

"Shhhh! "

...............

...............

"The Pods are COMINGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!" <high pitched screeching ensues>

We managed to get out of there alive.
Barely.

After the moment of mass-hysteria
inspired by the Republican need to defend a News Channel, the pod
people were still remarkably loud about everything. And I mean
everything.

Dr. Kaufman: A strange neurosis, evidently contagious, an epidemic mass hysteria. In two weeks, it spread all over town.

Miles: What causes it?

Dr. Kaufman: Worry about what's going on in the world probably.

- Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Dil dhoondta hai

phir wahi

fursat ke raat din

New York trip was awesome.

Didn't get arrested.

Saw some crazy shit.

Protested. (oh yeah!)

Bought lotsa buttons.



I love my friends.

The summer's just passed me by. Nothing new with that. Time has a funny
way of galloping when you want it to sit still. Or sitting thunderously
still when you wish that you could wake up two years from now.



I just wish
it was the beginning of Summer. Or Christmas, if that's easier for the
powers-that-be to accomplish. Because in December I'll be headed home.



<Stand up, do a little jig, couple of cartwheels, jump a few times amidst shouts of whoooopeeeeeeeee>



Yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayay!!!

<the jumping around didn't quite do it>



If you haven't figured out by
now, I'm happy.  I'll hopefully be shooting a documentary
when I'm there and am really looking forward to working with my friends
again.



As for what's been
happening <- that for the benefit of my friend's who think I've
kicked the bucket and not bothered to inform them.

5:00 am  Wake up struggling from bad dream in which I miss the
8:55 Blue Line. This basically means that I'll reach school at 9.45
instead of 9.25 which is when I should.



5:05 - Go back to sleep


5:35 - Wake up frantic because cat chose to jump on me that moment and knocked the wind out of my lungs



5:37 - Throw things at cat


5:40 - Throw cat out of room


5:45 - Try to go back to sleep


6:00 - Wake up and let piteously wailing cat back in room.


6:05 - Snuggle up with cat and sleep blissfully


7:30 - Wake up frantic because NPR started shouting at the top of its
lungs. In the process of suddenly sitting up in bed, manage to send cat
flying across room. he's not happy. Radio is still yelling. OK dammit.
I'm up.



7:30 to 9:30 (if i'm lucky)  - Make tea, brush teeth, fill cat's
bowl, have tea, talk to cat, check email, rub cat's ears, finish tea,
shower etc, tell cat you love him and you won't vanish from the
bathroom, get dressed, make sure cats not under the bed, get on EL,
reach school. oops, i forgot breakfast. darn.



9.30 to 5.30 - I don't even want to talk about work at school. (And NO that does not mean I don't do anything!)



6:15 - Reach home. Replay of 7.30 to 9.30 except not going anywhere.

(And this time remember to eat something!)



7:00 - Eat while checking email. chat with whoever's unlucky enough to be online then.


7:30 - Pretend to work on script. do this for the next five hours.

(alternatively, pretend to edit film, do this for next 5 hours.)



12:30 - Hungry again. no energy to cook or find food. go to sleep. hopefully stomach will forget it's empty.



1:30 - Wake up frantic cause cat jumps on stomach (they have a pact there methinks) stomach doesn't quite like it.


1:35 - Walk to kitchen. eat cereal.


1:40 - Too dead to wake up even if cat decides to swing dance on tummy.



Ah. To sleep.






I'm
off to the Republican Convention today. Just pray that I don't get
arrested. Or teargassed. I have very sensitive eyes. And I lost my
sunglasses!


Baad mein milenge!

hee hee!

So here's the REAL Schedule for Republican Convention in NYC!

Republican National Convention Schedule

New York, NY


6:00 PM
    Opening Prayer led by the Reverend Jerry Falwell
6:30 PM     Pledge of
Allegiance
6:35 PM     Ceremonial Burning of Bill of Rights (excluding 2nd
Amendment)
6:45 PM     Salute to the Coalition of the Willing
6:46 PM
    Seminar #1: Katherine Harris on "Are Elections Really Necessary?"

7:30 PM     Announcement: Lincoln Memorial Renamed for Ronald Reagan

7:35 PM     Trent Lott - "Re-segregation in the 21st Century"
7:40 PM
    EPA Address #1: Mercury: It's What's for Dinner
8:00 PM     Vote on which
country to invade next
8:10 PM     Call EMTs to revive Rush Limbaugh
8:15 PM
    John Ashcroft Lecture: The Homos Are After Your Children
8:30 PM     Round
table discussion on reproductive rights (men only)
8:50 PM     Seminar #2:
Corporations: The Government of the Future
9:00 PM     Condi Rice sings
"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
9:05 PM     Phyllis Schlafly speaks on "Why Women
Shouldn't Be Leaders"
9:10 PM     EPA Address #2: Trees: The Real Cause of
Forest Fires
9:30 PM     break for secret meetings
10:00 PM     Second
Prayer led by Cal Thomas
10:15 PM     Carl Rove Lecture: Doublespeak Made Simple

10:30 PM     Rumsfeld Lecture/Demonstration: How to Squint and Talk Macho
Even    
                    When You Feel Squishy Inside
10:35 PM     Bush demonstration of
trademark "deer in headlights" stare
10:40 PM     John Ashcroft
Demonstration: New Mandatory Kevlar Chastity Belt
10:45 PM     GOP's
Tribute to Tokenism, featuring Colin Powell & Condi Rice
10:46
PM     Ann Coulter's Tribute to "Joe McCarthy, Great American Patriot"

10:50 PM     Seminar #3: Education: A Drain on Our Nation's Economy

11:10 PM     Hilary Clinton Pinata
11:20 PM     John Ashcroft Lecture:
Evolutionists: A Dangerous New Cult
11:30 PM     Call EMTs to revive Rush
Limbaugh again
11:35 PM     Blame Clinton
11:40 PM     Newt Gingrich speaks on
"The Sanctity of Marriage"
11:41 PM     Announcement: Ronald Reagan to be
added to Mt. Rushmore
11:50 PM     Closing Prayer led by Jesus Himself

12:00 PM     Nomination of George W. Bush as Holy Supreme Planetary
Overlord