Ok, Chloe

So let's talk finances. If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly (and that's a pretty big if 👋), you're ok with the idea of supporting me, but you'd still rather I made money.

That's fair, and I wasn't kidding when I said there were far more opportunities in Auckland for writer/editor roles.

Newshub, I'll probably apply to, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. 👍

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As for Shipwrecked -- I reckon if the Greens have a strong showing that the vox pop will be more interested in that musical.

Otherwise, I'll just keep experimenting until I find a cheap way of making it. The album being the other thing that'll help sell it to the Film Commission. -

My interpretation of the Tina thing was that my demos were too good. It's not really about whether I 'sound' like Don, but simply the powers-that-be saw them and believed I could act.

Total mistake: musos are typically better actors than randoms, but compared to a pro, I'm not really much of an actor.

Plus I genuinely prefer A.M. to Tina. I like the black screen and AI images and all that, and was able to cope with that stress, while planning to film a conventional series mostly annoyed me (and put me in the hospital). I've become quite taken with animation, so that's what I really want to explore.

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Definitely shaving the beard after Tuesday (well, maybe Thursday.. if I go to all 3 days).

It's itching, and yeah I think it sends the wrong message about my gender identity, but it's worth it to freak out the squares. I refuse to act, but real stunts I'm still very much doing, as that's being a political activist. I don't really think of myself as a trans activist, but I guess I am due to my outfits.

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I had a dream last night about moving to Auckland.

It was fairly positive, though I barely remember it.

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So yeah, I realise that you weren't in ChCh during the quakes, so I can't really relate to how you felt during the floods.

I thought the Spinoff article was quite good. It definitely put me in your shoes.

- Digression:

Look, Salina, I'm sure you have stuff about being an Asian composer that you want to get off your chest, but I don't particularly want to do one of those classical interview shows. I quite enjoyed Living the Classical Life, but I preferred Proof and the Mihingarangi Forbes shows about the NZ Wars.

I'd rather do a 40-50 minute piece that's sort of like the On series that Paddy made. Which'd be going around the country and chatting with the various admin people and some pro performers.

The minutiae of art music bores me stiff. That's why I left in the first place.

Plus I'm kind of sick of being taken for a ride by people -- Fresh Culture was fine, but was a bit too PR rather than news. -

That's what I'm trying to make different about my subsequent documentaries. The Dak film is definitely a lot more newsy than Fresh Culture.

I think I could make a solid doco on classical world that explains the outrageous privilege to a lay audience. - As for A.M.

I don't see a need to explain myself. That's ultimately irrelevant, and if people want to know, well, they can buy my book.

That's how I see it. And I get the idea that people might want to 'be free', but you guys chose your path, and I chose mine.

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Is it really that hard to source weed in Wellington?

Well, to me, that suggests my little Lysistrata riff has been quite the success.

Though, to be fair, I also showed people where to buy medical weed. -

I'm just plain sick of the Tina program. I regret writing that script, and I especially regret writing the sequel scripts.

I think it was slightly too on-the-nose, and if I wasn't being stalked by the fuzz, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

But I'm not finishing it. I think the book is the extent of what I want to do with that story. I like reading it, but I've hated trying to make it.

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So yeah, give up. This winter isn't about Tina, and nor will the summer be about her.

She's a figment of my imagination, and I've ran out of interest in making her real.

I'd rather be me. That's what I realised. If you lot were so inspired, write your own scripts and go to the Commission to get those funded.

I don't find it fun to act. I hate it because all my friends used to take the piss.

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And no, I don't want to be Joss Whedon. In fact, that's a big part of why I said no.

I'm just plain not interested in the whole 'virtual family' shit re: TV.

The people who want to cast themselves are people I would cross the street to avoid. While re: the Shipwrecked band, it seems like they're all into the idea.

I don't like actors. That's one of my things: I'm not fond of actors, and I'm not fond of theatre.

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I think I've gotten more curmudgeonly the older I've gotten.

Young me was much more enthusiastic about people, though most of my gripes are things 20yo me thought too, but wasn't as articulate at describing.

I can see why Sondheim had a crusty reputation; I think the methodish process that he used to write songs tends to have a certain bitchy effect. -

Living in my canvas was a fun way for me to cope with all this police attention, though to be honest, I'm surprised that nobody has ever bothered to arrest me.

I don't think that's entirely Chloe's doing, though I'm sure she/you've probably helped. But, as I say, they arrested Gary driving home, and my bro has been arrested on several occasions.

I think some of it is probably my activism, which for the most part has been something that the politicians could understand and (tacitly) approve of.

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People may have thought me a bit gauche with my skirts and slutty dresses, but I think the message came across really strongly.

I'm very proud of my street theatre activism, but it was very much a one-off sort of thing. Since 2020, it's been more FB activism and less IRL, but Parliament is my one bit of IRL activism that I feel strongly about.

J Day would be sweet too, but I dunno if Jeff has done much re: that.