31 May 2007
30 May 2007
Authors take aim at one publishers new contract stipulation
So, picture this:
You have your first book published. It’s a great time to celebrate, because despite the many books that are published each and every year, its still a hard business to break into. Of course, as I’ve always said, if Chuck Norris (yes, the most woodenheaded “actor” to come out of Hollywood since, well, ever) can get a book published, then anyone can.
Usually, when an author signs a contract, the terms usually go two ways: the publishers holds a copyright for a certain number of years. Once those years are passed, the rights revert back to the author so he or she can shop it to another publisher. The other way, was when sales reached an agreed upon low level, or the book was declared out of print. Once again, then the rights went back to the author to sell it to another publisher.
Now, one publisher is trying to change these terms, and it seems to pissing off the Authors Guild. Simon & Schuster, which one line happens to include the Star Trek line of novels under its imprint, Pocket Books (and all owned under the umbrella of Viacom) wants to change those rules in what now is being considered a standard S&S contract.
Essentially, S&S new deal states that a book is in print, and thus under its control, as long as it’s available in any form, even if there is no copies to be ordered by standard bookstores. According to the Guild, S&S “would be able to stop printing a book and prevent the author from publishing it with any other house.”
Simon & Schuster responded by saying that the Guild was “overreacting,” that the company was embracing new technology, basically the ever increasingly popular print-on-demand technology. This new format means that a book can be published in trade paperback one at a time, because the book exists in the publishers database -something that cost the publisher virtually nothing to keep. They go onto say that they are embracing POD will keep authors books alive and available to both online and brick and mortar stores.
The National Writers Union has joined The Writers Guild in calling on Simon & Schuster to rescind the changes in the contracts. The Association of Authors Representatives has yet to take action, but the president of the company, Gail Hochman, told Publishers Weekly, that “the change is a mistake.”
And even though print-on-demand is the wave of the future, and if the publisher feels the only feasible way to keep some older titles available is in this format, then its believed, by the Guild and NWU, that those right should be controlled by the author, and not the publisher.
PW
You have your first book published. It’s a great time to celebrate, because despite the many books that are published each and every year, its still a hard business to break into. Of course, as I’ve always said, if Chuck Norris (yes, the most woodenheaded “actor” to come out of Hollywood since, well, ever) can get a book published, then anyone can.
Usually, when an author signs a contract, the terms usually go two ways: the publishers holds a copyright for a certain number of years. Once those years are passed, the rights revert back to the author so he or she can shop it to another publisher. The other way, was when sales reached an agreed upon low level, or the book was declared out of print. Once again, then the rights went back to the author to sell it to another publisher.
Now, one publisher is trying to change these terms, and it seems to pissing off the Authors Guild. Simon & Schuster, which one line happens to include the Star Trek line of novels under its imprint, Pocket Books (and all owned under the umbrella of Viacom) wants to change those rules in what now is being considered a standard S&S contract.
Essentially, S&S new deal states that a book is in print, and thus under its control, as long as it’s available in any form, even if there is no copies to be ordered by standard bookstores. According to the Guild, S&S “would be able to stop printing a book and prevent the author from publishing it with any other house.”
Simon & Schuster responded by saying that the Guild was “overreacting,” that the company was embracing new technology, basically the ever increasingly popular print-on-demand technology. This new format means that a book can be published in trade paperback one at a time, because the book exists in the publishers database -something that cost the publisher virtually nothing to keep. They go onto say that they are embracing POD will keep authors books alive and available to both online and brick and mortar stores.
The National Writers Union has joined The Writers Guild in calling on Simon & Schuster to rescind the changes in the contracts. The Association of Authors Representatives has yet to take action, but the president of the company, Gail Hochman, told Publishers Weekly, that “the change is a mistake.”
And even though print-on-demand is the wave of the future, and if the publisher feels the only feasible way to keep some older titles available is in this format, then its believed, by the Guild and NWU, that those right should be controlled by the author, and not the publisher.
PW
29 May 2007
Buring books in Missouri: A protest
Sometimes, you got to do something drastic to get people’s attention. And book burning usually gets just that. On Sunday, Tom Wayne, owner of Prospero’s Bookstore in Missouri held a book burning. But unlike plot line from Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451, this burning had nothing to do with an oppressive government, but with a man fed up with American’s who no longer read for pleasure.
"Tom Wayne, the owner for the past 10 years of Prospero’s Bookstore, a used bookstore in the Missouri city, lit fire to the books, after his attempts to thin out his inventory of 20,000 used and antiquarian titles failed. According to Wayne, local libraries and thrift stores he contacted with offers to donate books refused them, telling him they had no room."
Publishers Weekly
On a personal note, I understand Wayne’s frustration. Having worked in a bookstore for nearly 20 years, the decline in sales cannot always be blamed on lack of product. Hell, there are thousands of books published each month. But today, most people think that reading tabloids and People magazine constitute reading.
And what books they do buy are tawdry novels of James Patterson, he of the 16pt font letters and page and half chapters. Literature is facing it’s a dark time as people claim they have no time to read, but will rearrange their schedule to watch American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.
While James Patterson, Nora Roberts and Dan Brown fill a hole of light fiction, has anyone picked up a book by Joyce Carol Oates? A prolific author yes, but each book is filled with many wonderful scenes.
Even Stephen King, in an article back in April in EW, claimed that the publishers where basically kowtowing to critics:
"As of March 26, Fieldwork was No. 24,571 on the Amazon best-seller list, and not apt to go much higher. The reason why is illustrative of how the book biz became the invalid of the entertainment industry, and why fiction sales are down across the board (with the possible exception of chick lit). Critics, with their stubborn insistence that there's a difference between ''literature'' and ''popular fiction,'' are part of the problem, but the publishers themselves, who have bought into this elitist twaddle, are also to blame."
Entertainment Weekly
American’s are missing out on the great work that is out there, once again claiming their busy lifestyle prevents them from reading anything heavier than James Patterson. But like most things, it’s all empty rhetoric. Turn the TV off, stop wasting your money on needless sequels to Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: God This is Not the Last Film. Turn the damn computer off, pick up a newspaper, a novel (but not James Patterson), or, God forbid., a nonfiction book of the historical genre (or any other nonfiction genre).
"Tom Wayne, the owner for the past 10 years of Prospero’s Bookstore, a used bookstore in the Missouri city, lit fire to the books, after his attempts to thin out his inventory of 20,000 used and antiquarian titles failed. According to Wayne, local libraries and thrift stores he contacted with offers to donate books refused them, telling him they had no room."
Publishers Weekly
On a personal note, I understand Wayne’s frustration. Having worked in a bookstore for nearly 20 years, the decline in sales cannot always be blamed on lack of product. Hell, there are thousands of books published each month. But today, most people think that reading tabloids and People magazine constitute reading.
And what books they do buy are tawdry novels of James Patterson, he of the 16pt font letters and page and half chapters. Literature is facing it’s a dark time as people claim they have no time to read, but will rearrange their schedule to watch American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.
While James Patterson, Nora Roberts and Dan Brown fill a hole of light fiction, has anyone picked up a book by Joyce Carol Oates? A prolific author yes, but each book is filled with many wonderful scenes.
Even Stephen King, in an article back in April in EW, claimed that the publishers where basically kowtowing to critics:
"As of March 26, Fieldwork was No. 24,571 on the Amazon best-seller list, and not apt to go much higher. The reason why is illustrative of how the book biz became the invalid of the entertainment industry, and why fiction sales are down across the board (with the possible exception of chick lit). Critics, with their stubborn insistence that there's a difference between ''literature'' and ''popular fiction,'' are part of the problem, but the publishers themselves, who have bought into this elitist twaddle, are also to blame."
Entertainment Weekly
American’s are missing out on the great work that is out there, once again claiming their busy lifestyle prevents them from reading anything heavier than James Patterson. But like most things, it’s all empty rhetoric. Turn the TV off, stop wasting your money on needless sequels to Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: God This is Not the Last Film. Turn the damn computer off, pick up a newspaper, a novel (but not James Patterson), or, God forbid., a nonfiction book of the historical genre (or any other nonfiction genre).
28 May 2007
The atheists at the corner bookstore
The book business, like most media outlets, love trends, sequels and franchises.
The latest of these trends, was The Secret, which has and will continue to spawn, more books with similar themes and even a few books that will take aim at decrying it. About a month or so ago, I talked about those books, mostly religious based book houses, that would be de-bunking the ideas promoted with in that bestselling book.
Religion sections within book stores has grown, somewhat over the years. They’ve always carried Bibles, in what ever format you wanted. And the popularity of the TV preachers like Joel Osteen. T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyers have kept the sections pretty filled up.
Of course, many other religions are in this section, including Judaism, Buddhism, and a getting bigger, Atheism.
And that’s where the latest trend is, as publishers look at the success of recent bestselling tomes on the subject. In a recent Los Angeles Times article on this subject, writer Rachel Zoll talked to Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena -a prominent evangelical school - and he reflected on the success of such books like Sam Harris’ The End of Faith and its hugely popular follow-up, Letter to a Christian Nation. Or past titles over the last year or so, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett and the current hit, released a month ago, God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens.
“I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but it’s almost like they all had a meeting and said ‘let’s counterattack’” he told Zoll.
But Mouw seems to also believe that while these authors -in their view - say that Muslim extremist, Jewish settlers and Christian right activist are from the same mold, as in using “fairy tales posing as devine scripture to justify their lust for power;” that they also believe that actions done in the name of religion are behind the current global conflicts, he also says that conservative Christians are partly to blame. That they have invited this current crop of titles because their rhetoric has been so “strident.”
“We have done a terrible job of presenting our perspectives as a plausible world view that has implications for public life and for education, presenting that in a way that is sensitive to the concerns of people who may disagree. Whatever may be wrong with Christopher Hitchens attacks on religious leaders, we have certainly already matched it in our attacks.”
Of course, these views by Mouw may not be shared by other leaders in the religious community. And while Hitchens claims “religion kills,” others are saying that the recent spat of these titles only reflects that “contrary to what they were taught in school, faith is not dead, “ so says Rev. Douglas Wilson, who is a senior fellow in theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. And that these books are merely “secular panic.”
“It sort of dawned on the secular establishment that they might lose here,” Wilson told Zoll. “All of this is happening precisely because there’s a significant force that they have to deal with.”
Oh, good, more rhetoric.
Still the success of these books has taken the leaders of religion to try counter the sales. And while believers far out number nonbelievers (a 2005 AP-Ipsos poll said only 2% of U.S. respondents claimed they did not believe in God, while other surveys claim 14% of Americans consider themselves secular -which could include believes who say they have no religion), they understand the implications.
Thus the many books that will be published to counter attack them, much the same that is happening with The Secret. And while over the last 15 years, as noted by Lynn Garret of Publishers Weekly, that religious titles (both nonfiction and the huge growth of Christian Fiction) have become the fastest growing category in publishing, the flip-side of all of it are these books.
“It was just the time,” she said, “for the atheists to take the gloves off.”
The latest of these trends, was The Secret, which has and will continue to spawn, more books with similar themes and even a few books that will take aim at decrying it. About a month or so ago, I talked about those books, mostly religious based book houses, that would be de-bunking the ideas promoted with in that bestselling book.
Religion sections within book stores has grown, somewhat over the years. They’ve always carried Bibles, in what ever format you wanted. And the popularity of the TV preachers like Joel Osteen. T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyers have kept the sections pretty filled up.
Of course, many other religions are in this section, including Judaism, Buddhism, and a getting bigger, Atheism.
And that’s where the latest trend is, as publishers look at the success of recent bestselling tomes on the subject. In a recent Los Angeles Times article on this subject, writer Rachel Zoll talked to Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena -a prominent evangelical school - and he reflected on the success of such books like Sam Harris’ The End of Faith and its hugely popular follow-up, Letter to a Christian Nation. Or past titles over the last year or so, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett and the current hit, released a month ago, God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens.
“I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but it’s almost like they all had a meeting and said ‘let’s counterattack’” he told Zoll.
But Mouw seems to also believe that while these authors -in their view - say that Muslim extremist, Jewish settlers and Christian right activist are from the same mold, as in using “fairy tales posing as devine scripture to justify their lust for power;” that they also believe that actions done in the name of religion are behind the current global conflicts, he also says that conservative Christians are partly to blame. That they have invited this current crop of titles because their rhetoric has been so “strident.”
“We have done a terrible job of presenting our perspectives as a plausible world view that has implications for public life and for education, presenting that in a way that is sensitive to the concerns of people who may disagree. Whatever may be wrong with Christopher Hitchens attacks on religious leaders, we have certainly already matched it in our attacks.”
Of course, these views by Mouw may not be shared by other leaders in the religious community. And while Hitchens claims “religion kills,” others are saying that the recent spat of these titles only reflects that “contrary to what they were taught in school, faith is not dead, “ so says Rev. Douglas Wilson, who is a senior fellow in theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. And that these books are merely “secular panic.”
“It sort of dawned on the secular establishment that they might lose here,” Wilson told Zoll. “All of this is happening precisely because there’s a significant force that they have to deal with.”
Oh, good, more rhetoric.
Still the success of these books has taken the leaders of religion to try counter the sales. And while believers far out number nonbelievers (a 2005 AP-Ipsos poll said only 2% of U.S. respondents claimed they did not believe in God, while other surveys claim 14% of Americans consider themselves secular -which could include believes who say they have no religion), they understand the implications.
Thus the many books that will be published to counter attack them, much the same that is happening with The Secret. And while over the last 15 years, as noted by Lynn Garret of Publishers Weekly, that religious titles (both nonfiction and the huge growth of Christian Fiction) have become the fastest growing category in publishing, the flip-side of all of it are these books.
“It was just the time,” she said, “for the atheists to take the gloves off.”
26 May 2007
Wonder what she's saying
I have no idea why this kid is naked with a towel covering up the junk, but I find it very sexy. Plus, I wouldn't mind being her, even if its all innocent joking.
25 May 2007
24 May 2007
Minor quake last night
So, last night, just after Lost, I finally crawled into bed. I rolled on my side and suddenly the bed started to shake, like someone was at the foot of my bed, pushing it back and forth.
It was odd. At first I thought I was mistaken, that the movement came from something else. Then, this morning as I was getting ready for work, KTLA reported two minor earthquakes located in Devore, about 20 mile north east of where I live. Apparently, the first 3.9 hit at 11:11, while the second one, also 3.9, hit at 11:15. That second one I felt.
So, I survived my first “felt” quake since moving here 20 months ago.
I don’t know if I should panic, or just pray they don’t get any bigger than 3.9.
It was odd. At first I thought I was mistaken, that the movement came from something else. Then, this morning as I was getting ready for work, KTLA reported two minor earthquakes located in Devore, about 20 mile north east of where I live. Apparently, the first 3.9 hit at 11:11, while the second one, also 3.9, hit at 11:15. That second one I felt.
So, I survived my first “felt” quake since moving here 20 months ago.
I don’t know if I should panic, or just pray they don’t get any bigger than 3.9.
What We Leave Behind
Today would’ve been my father’s 73rd birthday. Strange, really, to think about that number. Seventy-three seems so old, even as my mom turns 72 next month. But my mom does not look like she’s in her 70's. You see, while 73 is old, the more mind-numbing thing is he’ll be dead 39 years this July 19. How do you wrap your mind around this? How do you understand the concept of losing your own father to cancer at the age of 34?
To this day, I miss him. Which, I guess, I should. I also am very angry that the fates, God, or whatever you believe in, took him away from me, my siblings and my mother. Why, I would cry like Sally Field in Steel Magnolia, what did my mother or us kids do that forced the universe to take such bold move and remove my father from this earth?
But, then, there is no reason. It just is.
I have very little memory of him, which pains me more than even him not being here for that 73rd birthday. He died two months short of my sixth birthday. And from what I heard from my mother, I seemed to have fallen to pieces.
I have no memory of much of that time. I do see flashes of life after my dad’s death. I remember the funeral -I think it was a cloudy day. I remember some Christmases and bits of special occasions, like my communion, but most of that time, say from the time he died to the time my mom remarried in 1972 are gone.
I know from what my mother has told me, that I sort of came unglued. Hiding in closets when teachers left the classroom. I apparently did many other things that eventually forced my mom to put me in some special school for -what, if I remember correctly - developmentally handicapped people. I even took the yellow short bus to school.
Funny, while I don’t recall what I did there, I do know I hated it with a passion. And it put me behind a year in school, which lead to many self-esteem issues I still have today.
Anyways, in Back to the Future II after a brief trip from 1985 to 2015, Doc and Marty return to 1985, only to discover that the timeline has somehow changed. They eventually figure out that 2015 version of Biff had somehow returned to 1955 and given his younger self a sports book that had all the winning scores in them. Young Biff would eventually use that almanac to become very wealthy and that would alter the future.
As the Doc tries to explain to Marty what happens, he draws a line on a chalkboard, representing time as a straight line. Somewhere in 1955, Old Biff hands Young Biff the sports almanac. This event eventually skewers the timeline, creating an alternate version of 1985. Later, Marty discovers that the Old Biff visited Young Biff during the events of the first film. As Doc and Marty head back to 1955 (again), the Doc ponders that it was “Unbelievable, that old Biff could have chosen that particular date. It could mean that, that point in time inherently contains some sort of cosmic significance. Almost as if it were the junction point for the entire space-time continuum.”
1968 appeared to be another one of those “junction points”, if you ask me. So many things happened that year, so many historical things: Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy assassinated, the war in Vietnam further eroding and dividing a nation.
And while my dads death -in the grand historical notion - is nothing, there are plenty of what if’s that came out of that year. Could we be living in an altered timeline? Is there another version of 1968 that never lost its King or its Kennedy or, even, my father?
Quantum Mechanics teaches you the idea that there are infinite worlds, and in that theory, my Dad is alive.
There are not that many images of my dad that exist today. He had a fondness for taking photos and super 8 films, but somehow never ended up in the pictures of the film. A few years ago, I discovered a five minute or so role of film in my mom’s hall closet. I took that film to a place where I used to live in Forest Park. There they converted the 8 millimeter strip to a video tape.
When I got it back, I watched what was on it. What played across the screen, was a brief history of us kids. Summer time in the backyard, with my brother and sister playing in the plastic pool. My little sister, just learning to walk, the pond beyond our property. The scenes shift to me playing cars with my siblings, shifts back to a snow covered yard and then back to a gathering in my moms house. And it is here, in a flash of maybe a second or two, is my father. He looks at the camera, and smiles a bit (though, I wonder if its just the bright light that forces the smile). It’s the only “moving” picture that I think exists of him.
My mom has pictures of him before they got married and a few of him in uniform during the Korean War -though I’m not sure he ever served there. But that is all that remains of him.
I’ve tried to remember him, what his voice sounded like, but I have no physical memory of him. And to this day, I wonder what is real or what has been placed in my mind by my mother and my Uncle Harold, who seemed to have great admiration of him.
Its bizarre to think that 39 years has gone without him here. And I wonder, a lot now, what life we all would’ve lead had he not died on the July day in 1968. I know its silly, and ultimately pointless, but I still would like to see that version of my world.
Would my parents still been married (it would be 49 years this year)? Would we all been more successful in life, would I be living in California as I do now?
Would I still have been gay?
So many things, so much potential lost in the fog of history. And while I’m happy for my life now, and while I’m happy my mom has finally found a man who worships the ground she walks on and I love him dearly, I wish 1968 never happened.
I wish that I could travel back to July of that year (or even earlier, at the time he took up smoking) and prevented his death. Though, I now realize that the cancer that eventually killed him was not caused fully by the smoking.
I realize the foolishness of that first sentence, but it does not change my feelings. I know that had he not died, my life and life of my siblings would’ve been better. I cannot explain why I know this, but I do.
God has a lot to answer for, believe you me. He needs to explain to me why this happened, what great purpose it served for four kids to grow up without a father.
Happy Birthday, Dad.
I miss you!
To this day, I miss him. Which, I guess, I should. I also am very angry that the fates, God, or whatever you believe in, took him away from me, my siblings and my mother. Why, I would cry like Sally Field in Steel Magnolia, what did my mother or us kids do that forced the universe to take such bold move and remove my father from this earth?
But, then, there is no reason. It just is.
I have very little memory of him, which pains me more than even him not being here for that 73rd birthday. He died two months short of my sixth birthday. And from what I heard from my mother, I seemed to have fallen to pieces.
I have no memory of much of that time. I do see flashes of life after my dad’s death. I remember the funeral -I think it was a cloudy day. I remember some Christmases and bits of special occasions, like my communion, but most of that time, say from the time he died to the time my mom remarried in 1972 are gone.
I know from what my mother has told me, that I sort of came unglued. Hiding in closets when teachers left the classroom. I apparently did many other things that eventually forced my mom to put me in some special school for -what, if I remember correctly - developmentally handicapped people. I even took the yellow short bus to school.
Funny, while I don’t recall what I did there, I do know I hated it with a passion. And it put me behind a year in school, which lead to many self-esteem issues I still have today.
Anyways, in Back to the Future II after a brief trip from 1985 to 2015, Doc and Marty return to 1985, only to discover that the timeline has somehow changed. They eventually figure out that 2015 version of Biff had somehow returned to 1955 and given his younger self a sports book that had all the winning scores in them. Young Biff would eventually use that almanac to become very wealthy and that would alter the future.
As the Doc tries to explain to Marty what happens, he draws a line on a chalkboard, representing time as a straight line. Somewhere in 1955, Old Biff hands Young Biff the sports almanac. This event eventually skewers the timeline, creating an alternate version of 1985. Later, Marty discovers that the Old Biff visited Young Biff during the events of the first film. As Doc and Marty head back to 1955 (again), the Doc ponders that it was “Unbelievable, that old Biff could have chosen that particular date. It could mean that, that point in time inherently contains some sort of cosmic significance. Almost as if it were the junction point for the entire space-time continuum.”
1968 appeared to be another one of those “junction points”, if you ask me. So many things happened that year, so many historical things: Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy assassinated, the war in Vietnam further eroding and dividing a nation.
And while my dads death -in the grand historical notion - is nothing, there are plenty of what if’s that came out of that year. Could we be living in an altered timeline? Is there another version of 1968 that never lost its King or its Kennedy or, even, my father?
Quantum Mechanics teaches you the idea that there are infinite worlds, and in that theory, my Dad is alive.
There are not that many images of my dad that exist today. He had a fondness for taking photos and super 8 films, but somehow never ended up in the pictures of the film. A few years ago, I discovered a five minute or so role of film in my mom’s hall closet. I took that film to a place where I used to live in Forest Park. There they converted the 8 millimeter strip to a video tape.
When I got it back, I watched what was on it. What played across the screen, was a brief history of us kids. Summer time in the backyard, with my brother and sister playing in the plastic pool. My little sister, just learning to walk, the pond beyond our property. The scenes shift to me playing cars with my siblings, shifts back to a snow covered yard and then back to a gathering in my moms house. And it is here, in a flash of maybe a second or two, is my father. He looks at the camera, and smiles a bit (though, I wonder if its just the bright light that forces the smile). It’s the only “moving” picture that I think exists of him.
My mom has pictures of him before they got married and a few of him in uniform during the Korean War -though I’m not sure he ever served there. But that is all that remains of him.
I’ve tried to remember him, what his voice sounded like, but I have no physical memory of him. And to this day, I wonder what is real or what has been placed in my mind by my mother and my Uncle Harold, who seemed to have great admiration of him.
Its bizarre to think that 39 years has gone without him here. And I wonder, a lot now, what life we all would’ve lead had he not died on the July day in 1968. I know its silly, and ultimately pointless, but I still would like to see that version of my world.
Would my parents still been married (it would be 49 years this year)? Would we all been more successful in life, would I be living in California as I do now?
Would I still have been gay?
So many things, so much potential lost in the fog of history. And while I’m happy for my life now, and while I’m happy my mom has finally found a man who worships the ground she walks on and I love him dearly, I wish 1968 never happened.
I wish that I could travel back to July of that year (or even earlier, at the time he took up smoking) and prevented his death. Though, I now realize that the cancer that eventually killed him was not caused fully by the smoking.
I realize the foolishness of that first sentence, but it does not change my feelings. I know that had he not died, my life and life of my siblings would’ve been better. I cannot explain why I know this, but I do.
God has a lot to answer for, believe you me. He needs to explain to me why this happened, what great purpose it served for four kids to grow up without a father.
Happy Birthday, Dad.
I miss you!
22 May 2007
21 May 2007
Venture Bros. quotes I like
Brock Samson: Don't you have nothing else to do but harp on Dr. Venture? Why haven't you tried the World Domination thing, you afraid of the big leagues?
The Monarch: Please. How stupid do I look to you? World Domination. I'll leave that to the religious nuts or the Republicans, thank you.
The Monarch: [in Dr. Venture's laboratory] Here I am in the heart of the lion's den and I don't even care!
[indicating a machine]
The Monarch: I don't even feel like taking a whizz on this! I used to DREAM about taking a whizz on this!
Molotov Cocktease: Brock Samson, you dog.
Brock Samson: Molotov, you bitch.
Dr. Venture: Oh, you don't know when to stop with all this, do you? You just keep pushing my buttons!
The Monarch: You're my arch-enemy! That's what I do! That's my thing!
The Monarch: Please. How stupid do I look to you? World Domination. I'll leave that to the religious nuts or the Republicans, thank you.
The Monarch: [in Dr. Venture's laboratory] Here I am in the heart of the lion's den and I don't even care!
[indicating a machine]
The Monarch: I don't even feel like taking a whizz on this! I used to DREAM about taking a whizz on this!
Molotov Cocktease: Brock Samson, you dog.
Brock Samson: Molotov, you bitch.
Dr. Venture: Oh, you don't know when to stop with all this, do you? You just keep pushing my buttons!
The Monarch: You're my arch-enemy! That's what I do! That's my thing!
20 May 2007
Three of the best jokes from SNL's Weekend Update on 5/19
A new bird called the goregeted puffleg, which is blue and green throated hummingbird species, was discovered in the cloud forest in Columbia. Though still nothing on Bin Laden.
NBC announced on Monday they will once again renew its long-running drama series Law & Order, which as near I can tell, is about a kindly old grandfather who teaches cynicisms to a series of supermodels.
During the concert of the Virginia symphony at the 400 anniversary celebration of Jamestown, President Bush briefly took over conducting the orchestra, which explains why the orchestra is 4 trillion dollars in debt.
NBC announced on Monday they will once again renew its long-running drama series Law & Order, which as near I can tell, is about a kindly old grandfather who teaches cynicisms to a series of supermodels.
During the concert of the Virginia symphony at the 400 anniversary celebration of Jamestown, President Bush briefly took over conducting the orchestra, which explains why the orchestra is 4 trillion dollars in debt.
ABC's Pushing Daises the best new show of the 2007-08 season?
At this early date, it’s hard to get too excited about the fall TV schedule. I’m not what they call "appointment bound" TV viewer anymore, though I sometimes have it on just for the background noise. With Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars gone, The CW has lost me (though I adore Everybody Hates Chris). Even their two genre shows, Smallville and Supernatural have become predictable (along with Smallville just becoming dull).
As of right now, though, I can say the only new show I’m looking forward to is Pushing Daises. And what I’ve read so far from the critics who’ve seen the pilot, this seems to be the best show that anyone of the five networks revealed last week. Created by Bryan Fuller, the series will star Lee Pace as man who discovers he can resurrect the dead with one touch. This is helpful to the police in solving murders, cause if he touches them again, they die for good. But when the brings his dead girlfriend back to life, he realizes that he can never touch her agian.
For the most part, I consider Bryan Fuller to be a genius. As a writer who benefitted from the late Michael Piller’s open door policy for Star Trek spec-scripts (that Berman and Braga quickly abandoned when Piller left the day-to-day workload of Voyager after season two), Fuller penned the fifth season Deep Space Nine creepfest Empok Nor. This lead to him to hired over at Voyager, where he became a producer and story editor. He would also write some of the better episodes, such as Work Force. He went on to write the TV remake of Carrie and then created the Showtime series Dead Like Me. The show followed an 18-year-old girl who dies when a piece of the MIR space station falls from the sky and hits her on the head. Darkly comic and quirky, the show follows George as she helps in catching the souls of people moments before they're destined to die. Fuller departed the series early on, however, working on only the first quarter of the season. "We had creative differences", he told Starlog Magazine in 2005, “about how the series should go. The studio and the network wanted it to be more like Touched by an Angel, and I didn't, so I was replaced. It was bummer, but I would rather have them kill my baby than have me kill my baby.”
His fascination with death and the mystery of the universe would be carried over into his next series attempt, Wonderfalls. Co-created with Emmy winning director Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle), Wonderfalls revolves around a Niagara Falls souvenir shop worker, played by Caroline Dhavernas (and co-starred Lee Pace as her brother), whose life is forever changed when she finds that inanimate animal figures--plush toys, ceramic figurines, cartoon characters, etc.--are communicating with her. The cryptic messages she receives from her not-so-furry friends lead her to endeavor to help those in need. Fuller told Starlog that...”They tell her to set little events into motion, which appear to result in catastrophe, but out of that catastrophe, good things happen.” Was she crazy, deranged or is God talking to her? “The basic premise is about this young person who finds out she's a pawn in the universe's plan.”
Originally set to air in the fall of 2004, FOX held the show until March. Its premiere episode aired on a Friday, which as many know, is a death slot. Plus, there was very little promotional material for it. My guess is FOX had no idea what to do with the show, mostly because of its satirical vibe which FOX is not known to support. Predictably, the show failed to score ratings. FOX decided to re-air the pilot the next Thursday, where it actually scored a higher ratings than its Friday slot. Strangely, FOX kept the show on Friday, where they pulled the show after its fourth episode.
But the show had become a cult, and eventually all 13 episodes produced were released on DVD. 20th Century Fox was surprised at its success.
Fuller went o to write the pilot for The Amazing Screw-on Head, which aired on Sci Fi in July 2006.
As he prepared his Pushing Daises pilot in 2006, he was hired by Tim Kring to be the showrunner of NBC’s new fall show Heroes. As executive producer, he help shape the hit series first season, also penning the two most talked about episodes, Collision and Company Man.
He’ll leave Heroes now, to begin work on the first 13 episodes of Pushing Daises. As I’ve said, what I’ve heard about the pilot from reviewers is that its lush and hilarious. And it seems to be in a good part of the schedule on ABC. It’s chances of success are good, but it faces some competition from NBC’s disturbingly popular Deal Or No Deal and The CW’s highest rated show,America’s Next Top Model. FOX will offer the potentially good pairing of Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton in Back to You and the second season of ‘Til Death. Still, FOX’s track record with sitcoms are well known, as they have little patience with anything that seems near to being actually funny.
There are other potential shows this fall, like the mid season show, The Sarah Conner Chronicles. But again, the network that The Simpsons built, has demonstrated it has little forbearance with scifi of late. NBC’s The Bionic Woman has potential, but up against ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Private Practice, has little chance of finding a wider audiencebeyond the cult fanboys and girls. And Reaper seems interesting, if only for the appealing star of the show, Bret Harrison, who played the goofy boyfriend in Grounded For Life and starred in FOX’s underrated sitcom The Loop (which had a 7 episode run last spring and FOX plans to burn off the 10 episode second season starting in June).
As of right now, though, I can say the only new show I’m looking forward to is Pushing Daises. And what I’ve read so far from the critics who’ve seen the pilot, this seems to be the best show that anyone of the five networks revealed last week. Created by Bryan Fuller, the series will star Lee Pace as man who discovers he can resurrect the dead with one touch. This is helpful to the police in solving murders, cause if he touches them again, they die for good. But when the brings his dead girlfriend back to life, he realizes that he can never touch her agian.
For the most part, I consider Bryan Fuller to be a genius. As a writer who benefitted from the late Michael Piller’s open door policy for Star Trek spec-scripts (that Berman and Braga quickly abandoned when Piller left the day-to-day workload of Voyager after season two), Fuller penned the fifth season Deep Space Nine creepfest Empok Nor. This lead to him to hired over at Voyager, where he became a producer and story editor. He would also write some of the better episodes, such as Work Force. He went on to write the TV remake of Carrie and then created the Showtime series Dead Like Me. The show followed an 18-year-old girl who dies when a piece of the MIR space station falls from the sky and hits her on the head. Darkly comic and quirky, the show follows George as she helps in catching the souls of people moments before they're destined to die. Fuller departed the series early on, however, working on only the first quarter of the season. "We had creative differences", he told Starlog Magazine in 2005, “about how the series should go. The studio and the network wanted it to be more like Touched by an Angel, and I didn't, so I was replaced. It was bummer, but I would rather have them kill my baby than have me kill my baby.”
His fascination with death and the mystery of the universe would be carried over into his next series attempt, Wonderfalls. Co-created with Emmy winning director Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle), Wonderfalls revolves around a Niagara Falls souvenir shop worker, played by Caroline Dhavernas (and co-starred Lee Pace as her brother), whose life is forever changed when she finds that inanimate animal figures--plush toys, ceramic figurines, cartoon characters, etc.--are communicating with her. The cryptic messages she receives from her not-so-furry friends lead her to endeavor to help those in need. Fuller told Starlog that...”They tell her to set little events into motion, which appear to result in catastrophe, but out of that catastrophe, good things happen.” Was she crazy, deranged or is God talking to her? “The basic premise is about this young person who finds out she's a pawn in the universe's plan.”
Originally set to air in the fall of 2004, FOX held the show until March. Its premiere episode aired on a Friday, which as many know, is a death slot. Plus, there was very little promotional material for it. My guess is FOX had no idea what to do with the show, mostly because of its satirical vibe which FOX is not known to support. Predictably, the show failed to score ratings. FOX decided to re-air the pilot the next Thursday, where it actually scored a higher ratings than its Friday slot. Strangely, FOX kept the show on Friday, where they pulled the show after its fourth episode.
But the show had become a cult, and eventually all 13 episodes produced were released on DVD. 20th Century Fox was surprised at its success.
Fuller went o to write the pilot for The Amazing Screw-on Head, which aired on Sci Fi in July 2006.
As he prepared his Pushing Daises pilot in 2006, he was hired by Tim Kring to be the showrunner of NBC’s new fall show Heroes. As executive producer, he help shape the hit series first season, also penning the two most talked about episodes, Collision and Company Man.
He’ll leave Heroes now, to begin work on the first 13 episodes of Pushing Daises. As I’ve said, what I’ve heard about the pilot from reviewers is that its lush and hilarious. And it seems to be in a good part of the schedule on ABC. It’s chances of success are good, but it faces some competition from NBC’s disturbingly popular Deal Or No Deal and The CW’s highest rated show,America’s Next Top Model. FOX will offer the potentially good pairing of Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton in Back to You and the second season of ‘Til Death. Still, FOX’s track record with sitcoms are well known, as they have little patience with anything that seems near to being actually funny.
There are other potential shows this fall, like the mid season show, The Sarah Conner Chronicles. But again, the network that The Simpsons built, has demonstrated it has little forbearance with scifi of late. NBC’s The Bionic Woman has potential, but up against ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Private Practice, has little chance of finding a wider audiencebeyond the cult fanboys and girls. And Reaper seems interesting, if only for the appealing star of the show, Bret Harrison, who played the goofy boyfriend in Grounded For Life and starred in FOX’s underrated sitcom The Loop (which had a 7 episode run last spring and FOX plans to burn off the 10 episode second season starting in June).
19 May 2007
Team of Rivals: The Polictal Genius of Abraham Lincoln
In the 142 years since his assassination, there have been many books, many millions of pages written about Abraham Lincoln. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals is just the latest, and while it appears she covers the same ground as the ones that came before -and, perhaps, that is good - she decided to make it a multi biographical look at the three men he selected for his cabinet. William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates where all his opponents for the Republican nomination of 1860, and Goodwin takes a look at all these men -well known ones at that - and how they disdained Lincoln.
Of course, Lincoln was the nowhere kid, a lawyer from Illinois who had a backwood upbringing and no experience. But, Lincoln had a great ability to work with the best people, and the sixteenth president had the wisdom and the confidence to choose these men to aide the country in its most darkest days.
Today, Lincoln’s life is one of magic and time, and while the South’s POV will remain that history is written by the winners, Goodwin offers a chance to reflect on why the Civil War happened. It was never about emancipation of the blacks, but it was. It was never about succession, yet it was. Here she pieces this all together, along with Lincoln’s political genius at soothing egos, his leadership style, his understanding of human behavior and how they were all sewed together to save a nation at the crossroads of history.
Of course, Lincoln was the nowhere kid, a lawyer from Illinois who had a backwood upbringing and no experience. But, Lincoln had a great ability to work with the best people, and the sixteenth president had the wisdom and the confidence to choose these men to aide the country in its most darkest days.
Today, Lincoln’s life is one of magic and time, and while the South’s POV will remain that history is written by the winners, Goodwin offers a chance to reflect on why the Civil War happened. It was never about emancipation of the blacks, but it was. It was never about succession, yet it was. Here she pieces this all together, along with Lincoln’s political genius at soothing egos, his leadership style, his understanding of human behavior and how they were all sewed together to save a nation at the crossroads of history.
Flip flop fall
I love wearing flipflops, and unless I'm working, I wear them as much as possible (and year 'round now that I live in California).
However, they can be a problem when walking. I usually get the cheap rubber ones, but I do have a few leather style ones.
So, I was walking home this evening from Staters Bros.
I had a few bags, but nothing heavy. As I crossed the street and came to the sloping curb that would take me up to the side walk, I stepped with my right foot. Some how, I miss judged the step, and only partially made slope.
Gravity shifted, my foot slipped off the flipflop and the next thing I know I'm heading for the sidewalk. My bags, in my left hand, fly upwards, as I fall downwards.
Some how, I was able to curl myself in and basically sommersaulted hitting my right elbow and landed on my right thigh -which contained my wallet and checkbook. I have a small "rug burn" scratch on my elbow, but my thigh is killing me.
Landing on the wallet was like landing on a rock, it was hard and didn't move.
I could be negative here and say that my falling was the universe telling me I should've not bought that steak I had for dinner. It was a bit expensive, but I had a taste for red meat. And it was good, all cooked on the grill.
Right now, it hurts, and I'm sure it will bruise -though I don't bruise easily. It may just do nothing but feel like a deep tissue bruise. If it does change colors, it won't happen for a few days.
And since I rode my bike, and my right knee is still acting up, I might be a gimp for a day or so. I'll take Aleve. That should help with the pain.
So, what else did I do with my Saturday night? Washed the floors in the kitchen and my bathroom.
Wow, I have no fucking life.
However, they can be a problem when walking. I usually get the cheap rubber ones, but I do have a few leather style ones.
So, I was walking home this evening from Staters Bros.
I had a few bags, but nothing heavy. As I crossed the street and came to the sloping curb that would take me up to the side walk, I stepped with my right foot. Some how, I miss judged the step, and only partially made slope.
Gravity shifted, my foot slipped off the flipflop and the next thing I know I'm heading for the sidewalk. My bags, in my left hand, fly upwards, as I fall downwards.
Some how, I was able to curl myself in and basically sommersaulted hitting my right elbow and landed on my right thigh -which contained my wallet and checkbook. I have a small "rug burn" scratch on my elbow, but my thigh is killing me.
Landing on the wallet was like landing on a rock, it was hard and didn't move.
I could be negative here and say that my falling was the universe telling me I should've not bought that steak I had for dinner. It was a bit expensive, but I had a taste for red meat. And it was good, all cooked on the grill.
Right now, it hurts, and I'm sure it will bruise -though I don't bruise easily. It may just do nothing but feel like a deep tissue bruise. If it does change colors, it won't happen for a few days.
And since I rode my bike, and my right knee is still acting up, I might be a gimp for a day or so. I'll take Aleve. That should help with the pain.
So, what else did I do with my Saturday night? Washed the floors in the kitchen and my bathroom.
Wow, I have no fucking life.
It's Hour Come Round At Last
Star Trek: Hidden FrontierHere it is, the final HF episode.
For 14 months, I worked behind the scenes of this online series, helping out when and where I could; eventually becoming an assistant director and then was able to helm the penultimate story, The Center Cannot Hold.
In this time, I've meet some of the nicest people you could ever see, and I have made some dear friends. As a crew, everyone works as a team and as an extended family. I cherish them as I would gold or diamonds. And they are honorable and odd, and that is a great combination.
To all of the cast and crew, I salute you, and love you and will hold you all in the palm of my hand and show the world that there are people who understand that some dreams can come true.
For 14 months, I worked behind the scenes of this online series, helping out when and where I could; eventually becoming an assistant director and then was able to helm the penultimate story, The Center Cannot Hold.
In this time, I've meet some of the nicest people you could ever see, and I have made some dear friends. As a crew, everyone works as a team and as an extended family. I cherish them as I would gold or diamonds. And they are honorable and odd, and that is a great combination.
To all of the cast and crew, I salute you, and love you and will hold you all in the palm of my hand and show the world that there are people who understand that some dreams can come true.
18 May 2007
Rufus Wainwright's Release the Stars
I will be the first to admit, Rufus Wainwright is not for everyone. His throaty voice can be difficult. But, I hasten to say, if you give him time, you can become of lover of his music as I’ve done since his self-titled debut in 1998.He’s back after three years with his newest work of pop-operettas, Release the Stars. Like his 4 previous works, he continues to master his talent with songs that are layered and textured, with full orchestral backing.
But unlike his Want One and Want Two, which seemed to represent his most destructive period, one that was raw with emotion and fear, Release the Stars could be the closest he can get to mainstream. It ain’t going to happen, but that -for me anyways - is a good thing.
It seems, as I’ve read, he’s become happy; in love and off drugs, and apparently, having a better relationship with his father, legendary folk artist Loudon. So, while he mourns still, its for the state of the world, such as in Going to Town with its take on George Bush’s idea of the world. And, apparently, in the song Tulsa, questioning the sexuality of Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers. But, on the whole, this is a strong album with great songs such as Not Ready to Love, which harks back to his first album.
But like his four previous releases, there is still a bit of camp value with his work. And while he’s never one to shy away from his sexuality, he still continues to try and find a balance between his gay identity and the gay icon he has both embraced and ignored.
This fall, Wainwright will release his a CD and DVD of his tribute to the classic 1961 performance of Judy Garland concert.
Big time gay.
Big time gay.
17 May 2007
Some Things I've learned...
01. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
02. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
03. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
04. It’s not the jeans that make your bum look fat.
05. There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness”.
06. People who want to share there religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
07. You should not confuse your career with your life.
08. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
09. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
10. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
11. Your friends love you anyway.
12. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
02. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
03. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
04. It’s not the jeans that make your bum look fat.
05. There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness”.
06. People who want to share there religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
07. You should not confuse your career with your life.
08. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
09. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
10. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
11. Your friends love you anyway.
12. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
Upfronts: Day 4: Part 2
As the mini-networks second year begins, and while it faces changes on all but two of its night, it does have a familiar ring to it, which gives then a stability in hopes of bringing back viewers.
Sunday starts off with CW Now, an entertainment magazine show that sounds like a bad show on The TV Guide network. Online Nation is the networks attempt to seem hip, by airing viral videos that have been making the rounds on the ‘net. Next up is Life Is Wild (think 7th Heaven) about a veterinarian who moves his entire family to live in a game preserve in South Africa. As the family struggles to adjust to life away from the Big Apple, they learn to appreciate the friendly locals, the breathtaking vistas and the wild animals that surround them. An encore edition of America's Next Top Model fills out the night.
Monday remains comedy night and starts with the return of Everybody Hates Chris, followed by the new show Aliens in America, about a sixteen-year-old named Justin, who is just another awkward teen trying to keep a low profile, when his mother decides to take in a foreign exchange student. When Raja Musharaff, a Pakistani Muslim, arrives, he and Justin find common ground in trying to survive high school in America. Returning Girlfriends and The Game finish out the night.
Tuesday starts with the return of Beauty and the Geek, followed by hybrid comedy/genre Reaper about a slacker young man named Sam It turns out his parents aloud this, knowing he didn't have any future, because they had already sold his soul to the devil, who wants Sam as his new bounty hunter.
Wednesday begins with one of the networks biggest hits, America's Next Top Model. The new comedy Gossip Girl, which is based on the young adult books of the same name and revolve around the lives of privileged Manhattan prep school teens whose scandalous lives are revealed online by the mysterious blogger known only as Gossip Girl.
Thursday remains the same with the last season (probably) of Smallville, followed by the return of Supernatural.
Friday has the returning Friday Night Smackdown.
Cancellations include 7th Heaven, All of Us, Gilmore Girls, Reba, and Runaway.
Fans of One Tree Hill, take note; The series will return in January, but the teen soap will be retooled and set 4 years after this past seasons finale. Also off the schedule is Veronica Mars, but its fate is rather murky. The CW has yet to cancel it, and has until the middle of June to decide. Rumor is the network is giving creator Rob Thomas a chance to retool the show, bringing the smart detective series a few years in the future where Veronica is now a FBI agent just out of the academy.
Sunday starts off with CW Now, an entertainment magazine show that sounds like a bad show on The TV Guide network. Online Nation is the networks attempt to seem hip, by airing viral videos that have been making the rounds on the ‘net. Next up is Life Is Wild (think 7th Heaven) about a veterinarian who moves his entire family to live in a game preserve in South Africa. As the family struggles to adjust to life away from the Big Apple, they learn to appreciate the friendly locals, the breathtaking vistas and the wild animals that surround them. An encore edition of America's Next Top Model fills out the night.
Monday remains comedy night and starts with the return of Everybody Hates Chris, followed by the new show Aliens in America, about a sixteen-year-old named Justin, who is just another awkward teen trying to keep a low profile, when his mother decides to take in a foreign exchange student. When Raja Musharaff, a Pakistani Muslim, arrives, he and Justin find common ground in trying to survive high school in America. Returning Girlfriends and The Game finish out the night.
Tuesday starts with the return of Beauty and the Geek, followed by hybrid comedy/genre Reaper about a slacker young man named Sam It turns out his parents aloud this, knowing he didn't have any future, because they had already sold his soul to the devil, who wants Sam as his new bounty hunter.
Wednesday begins with one of the networks biggest hits, America's Next Top Model. The new comedy Gossip Girl, which is based on the young adult books of the same name and revolve around the lives of privileged Manhattan prep school teens whose scandalous lives are revealed online by the mysterious blogger known only as Gossip Girl.
Thursday remains the same with the last season (probably) of Smallville, followed by the return of Supernatural.
Friday has the returning Friday Night Smackdown.
Cancellations include 7th Heaven, All of Us, Gilmore Girls, Reba, and Runaway.
Fans of One Tree Hill, take note; The series will return in January, but the teen soap will be retooled and set 4 years after this past seasons finale. Also off the schedule is Veronica Mars, but its fate is rather murky. The CW has yet to cancel it, and has until the middle of June to decide. Rumor is the network is giving creator Rob Thomas a chance to retool the show, bringing the smart detective series a few years in the future where Veronica is now a FBI agent just out of the academy.
Upfronts: Day 4: Part 1
FOX’s ADD style of scheduling can sometimes be frustrating, as they either quick to move or cancel a show sooner than most. And, as you will see, you’ll need to keep a score card to find out where all your shows will be, as the mini-network offers a fall and winter schedule. Pay close attention:
Sunday remains their most stable day and starts with the overflow of football and will start the 7pm hour with season 18 of The Simpsons, followed by King of the Hill, Family Guy and American Dad. (When Football is done, expect King of the Hill to lead off the night followed by a relocated American Dad, then The Simpsons and Family Guy. At the 9pm hour, FOX will debut its first new 1-hour drama since the demise of The X Files. As expected, The Sarah Jane Chronicles will begin, with the intention of this series to fill in the gaps between the second and third Terminator films; Sarah Connor and her son John, humanity's future savior, must fight to stay alive in a dangerous world full of threats both from the present and the future.
Monday brings back one trick pony Prison Break, which the network hopes can come back from its slide this past season. K-Ville will be next and is set two years after Hurricane Katrina, where New Orleans is far from rebuilt, and is a city full of criminals with an under-manned and unprepared police force. Two partners patrol the streets of the Big Easy, doing their part to save the city. (In January, K-Ville will move to Prison Breaks timeslot {which will go on hiatus until the spring} and the next season of 24 resides in its old timeslot)
Tuesday leads off with New Amsterdam about a man named John Amsterdam, who in the 17th century served as a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam. That makes it really strange that in 2007, he's still working as a New York City homicide detective. Funny what a little immortality will do. House returns for what could be its biggest season yet. (In January, New Amsterdam moves to Friday, and American Idol will take over its slot)
Wednesday begins with the return of Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton in the new comedy Back to You, a series about what happens when a big city news anchor makes an embarrassing incident, forcing him to retreat back to his old market, where he has to reteam with his former co-anchor, who also happens to be his ex. ‘Til Death returns for season two, followed by the third year of the offbeat Bones. (In January, Bones moves to Friday, and the American Idol results show will air at 9. Now, in the spring, the results show hour will be cut in half and ‘Til Death will take over the later slot. Meanwhile Gilmore Girls creators new comedy The Return of Jezebel James will take over the post Back to You slot. Jezebel James is about a busy book editor who turns to her estranged younger sister to help carry her baby). Wow.
Thursday has Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? now as a regular series, followed by Kitchen Nightmares, where former Hell’s Kitchen chef Gordon Ramsey travels the country visiting restaurants in crisis and helping them get their kitchens back in order. (When Kitchen Nightmares ends its run in January, Canterbury's Law debuts and is about a rebellious female defense attorney, stuck in a strained marriage to a law professor, but is willing to do whatever it takes to protect the wrongfully accused
Friday launches the new gameshow/reality program The Search For the Next Great American Band from the creators of American Idol.]Laguna Beach creators have Nashville,that finishes out the night, and is a (wink, wink, nudge nudge) unscripted soap opera set amongst the Nashville music scene and its highly dysfunctional high society.
Saturday remains the same: Two episodes of COPS followed by America's Most Wanted
Into the cancellations bin go these fine programs: Drive, Happy Hour, Justice, The Loop (which never made it to the fall schedule, but is slated to start its second season in June), The O.C., The Rich List, Stand-off, Vanished, The Wedding Bells, The War at Home,The Winner.
Later on, The CW
Sunday remains their most stable day and starts with the overflow of football and will start the 7pm hour with season 18 of The Simpsons, followed by King of the Hill, Family Guy and American Dad. (When Football is done, expect King of the Hill to lead off the night followed by a relocated American Dad, then The Simpsons and Family Guy. At the 9pm hour, FOX will debut its first new 1-hour drama since the demise of The X Files. As expected, The Sarah Jane Chronicles will begin, with the intention of this series to fill in the gaps between the second and third Terminator films; Sarah Connor and her son John, humanity's future savior, must fight to stay alive in a dangerous world full of threats both from the present and the future.
Monday brings back one trick pony Prison Break, which the network hopes can come back from its slide this past season. K-Ville will be next and is set two years after Hurricane Katrina, where New Orleans is far from rebuilt, and is a city full of criminals with an under-manned and unprepared police force. Two partners patrol the streets of the Big Easy, doing their part to save the city. (In January, K-Ville will move to Prison Breaks timeslot {which will go on hiatus until the spring} and the next season of 24 resides in its old timeslot)
Tuesday leads off with New Amsterdam about a man named John Amsterdam, who in the 17th century served as a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam. That makes it really strange that in 2007, he's still working as a New York City homicide detective. Funny what a little immortality will do. House returns for what could be its biggest season yet. (In January, New Amsterdam moves to Friday, and American Idol will take over its slot)
Wednesday begins with the return of Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton in the new comedy Back to You, a series about what happens when a big city news anchor makes an embarrassing incident, forcing him to retreat back to his old market, where he has to reteam with his former co-anchor, who also happens to be his ex. ‘Til Death returns for season two, followed by the third year of the offbeat Bones. (In January, Bones moves to Friday, and the American Idol results show will air at 9. Now, in the spring, the results show hour will be cut in half and ‘Til Death will take over the later slot. Meanwhile Gilmore Girls creators new comedy The Return of Jezebel James will take over the post Back to You slot. Jezebel James is about a busy book editor who turns to her estranged younger sister to help carry her baby). Wow.
Thursday has Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? now as a regular series, followed by Kitchen Nightmares, where former Hell’s Kitchen chef Gordon Ramsey travels the country visiting restaurants in crisis and helping them get their kitchens back in order. (When Kitchen Nightmares ends its run in January, Canterbury's Law debuts and is about a rebellious female defense attorney, stuck in a strained marriage to a law professor, but is willing to do whatever it takes to protect the wrongfully accused
Friday launches the new gameshow/reality program The Search For the Next Great American Band from the creators of American Idol.]Laguna Beach creators have Nashville,that finishes out the night, and is a (wink, wink, nudge nudge) unscripted soap opera set amongst the Nashville music scene and its highly dysfunctional high society.
Saturday remains the same: Two episodes of COPS followed by America's Most Wanted
Into the cancellations bin go these fine programs: Drive, Happy Hour, Justice, The Loop (which never made it to the fall schedule, but is slated to start its second season in June), The O.C., The Rich List, Stand-off, Vanished, The Wedding Bells, The War at Home,The Winner.
Later on, The CW
16 May 2007
Upfronts: Day 3
CBS has found itself over the last couple of years, one of the most stablest of the five networks. It has well established shows and thus when it has to add new ones, it finds it can add them next to their hit programs.
Sunday launches with that old chestnut, 60 Minutes followed by the oddest new show, Viva Laughlin, which is based on the BBC format Viva Blackpool, and is about a man's dream of opening a casino in Laughlin, Nevada only to find its compromised by his family, his rivals and his involvement in a murder investigation. Musical numbers unexpectedly ensue. Returning Cold Case and new timeslot for Shark fill out the night.
Monday returns with How I Met Your Mother, followed by the new comedy The Big Bang Theory, about two geniuses who get lucky when a beautiful young woman moves in next door and decides to teach them a few things about the world outside of physics. Two and a Half Men returns next, followed by the returning Rules of Engagement. CSI: Miami finishes out the night.
Tuesday starts with the returning NCIS , followed by The Unit. The lone new show that night is Cane, a series about a South Florida family that runs their successful rum and sugar business while dealing with both professional and personal turmoil.
Wednesday starts with a reality show called Kid Nation -forty kids between the ages of 8 and 15 are given 40 days to build a new community -- complete with their own cooking, businesses and government -- in the ghost town of Bonanza City, New Mexico. Criminal Minds returns at 9 followed by the next season of CSI: NY.
Thursday brings back another edition of Survivor, this time set in China. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation haunts the 9pm hour followed by the relocated Without a Trace at 10.
Friday has another season of Ghost Whisperer, followed by Moonlight, about a man who’s been vampire for 60 years, and works as a private investigator, dealing with the difficulties of immortality, a slew of undead adversaries and his love for a mortal woman. Another words, Angel without the biting satire. Numb3rs returns to end the night.
Waiting in the wings: Swingtown about the residents of a Chicago suburb in the '70s who are into couple swapping, open marriages and key parties, but they soon come to realize that their alternative lifestyle comes with its own complications. Nope, this may be odder than Viva Laughlin -and especially for the often time conservative tiffany network.
Off to the cancellations bin include: The Class, Close to Home, Jericho, The King of Queens, Smith, Three Lbs., and Waterfront.
Tomorrow: The CW and FOX
Sunday launches with that old chestnut, 60 Minutes followed by the oddest new show, Viva Laughlin, which is based on the BBC format Viva Blackpool, and is about a man's dream of opening a casino in Laughlin, Nevada only to find its compromised by his family, his rivals and his involvement in a murder investigation. Musical numbers unexpectedly ensue. Returning Cold Case and new timeslot for Shark fill out the night.
Monday returns with How I Met Your Mother, followed by the new comedy The Big Bang Theory, about two geniuses who get lucky when a beautiful young woman moves in next door and decides to teach them a few things about the world outside of physics. Two and a Half Men returns next, followed by the returning Rules of Engagement. CSI: Miami finishes out the night.
Tuesday starts with the returning NCIS , followed by The Unit. The lone new show that night is Cane, a series about a South Florida family that runs their successful rum and sugar business while dealing with both professional and personal turmoil.
Wednesday starts with a reality show called Kid Nation -forty kids between the ages of 8 and 15 are given 40 days to build a new community -- complete with their own cooking, businesses and government -- in the ghost town of Bonanza City, New Mexico. Criminal Minds returns at 9 followed by the next season of CSI: NY.
Thursday brings back another edition of Survivor, this time set in China. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation haunts the 9pm hour followed by the relocated Without a Trace at 10.
Friday has another season of Ghost Whisperer, followed by Moonlight, about a man who’s been vampire for 60 years, and works as a private investigator, dealing with the difficulties of immortality, a slew of undead adversaries and his love for a mortal woman. Another words, Angel without the biting satire. Numb3rs returns to end the night.
Waiting in the wings: Swingtown about the residents of a Chicago suburb in the '70s who are into couple swapping, open marriages and key parties, but they soon come to realize that their alternative lifestyle comes with its own complications. Nope, this may be odder than Viva Laughlin -and especially for the often time conservative tiffany network.
Off to the cancellations bin include: The Class, Close to Home, Jericho, The King of Queens, Smith, Three Lbs., and Waterfront.
Tomorrow: The CW and FOX
15 May 2007
Jerry Fallwell dies
I want to feel conflicted here, I really do. Can you be happy and sad at the same time?But no matter what some of the Conservative Right will say, there are many people who are happy at the death of this man.
I will not say he was evil, only highly misguided. Yes, he might've softened his rhetoric over the years, but I cannot forget the things he did in the name of his God:
(Thanks to Famous Like Me)
1) Created the Moral Majority - because who better to dictate what is right or wrong than a bigot?
2) Helped Ronald Reagan win the presidency (y'know, the President that refused to acknowledge the AIDS crisis even as it was killing thousands of Americans?)
3) Blamed September 11 on pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians & the ACLU
4) Said "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals"
5) Supported racial segregation, oftentimes criticizing Martin Luther King, Jr's work
Upfronts: Day 2
ABC pulls out nine new shows for the fall:
Sunday remains their stable night with the return of America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
Monday brings back the 90 minute version of Dancing with the Stars (which will be replaced by Wife Swap when its cycle ends) followed by the new comedy Sam I Am, about a woman who awakens from an 8-day coma with complete amnesia about who she was before an accident. Starting over, she learns that she while she's much nicer now, she may have enjoyed herself more then (the alphabet network will return Notes from the Underbelly in the winter and team it up with this show). Returning The Bachelor completes the night (to be replaced by the returning October Road when its cycle is finished).
Tuesday’s starts off with Caveman which seems to be inspired by the Geico commercials, about three modern cavemen try to make it in the modern world. This is a surprise pick-up, as it was reported in the press that the pilot was awful. I’ll lay a bet that this is the falls first cancellation. The new comedy Carpoolers airs next, and based on its concept -four very different men use their daily commute to bond and vent about their lives - seems just as thin an idea as Caveman. Dancing with the Stars the result show fills out the 9pm hour (to be replaced by the new show Cashmere Mafia -about four female best friends since business school who band together to conquer New York -after its cycle is complete), while Boston Legal returns to complete the night.
ABC takes a big risk with Wednesday, debuting three new 1 hour shows. First off, from the quirky mind of Bryan Fuller (Star Trek: Voyager, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Heroes) comes Pushing Daisies - about man that discovers his touch can bring the dead back to life -- but they die again if he touches them a second time. Private Practice, the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, airs next and has Dr. Addison Montgomery setting up a new life with some old friends in Southern California. The darkly humorous drama Dirty Sexy Money fills out the night and is about an idealistic lawyer who inherits his late father's practice -- representing a wealthy, ne'er-do-well family with a closet full of skeletons.
Thursday brings back one of the biggest hots of 2006-07, Ugly Betty, followed by a new season of Grey's Anatomy. The new drama show Big Shots fills out the night and is about four top executives who lean on one another for help in their personal and professional lives.
Friday has the returning Men in Trees, followed by the new drama Women's Murder Club, which is based on the horrendous James Patterson novels and follows four friends in San Francisco who combine their talents to solve murder cases. 20/20 finishes out the night.
Waiting in the wings: Eli Stone about a lawyer becomes convinced he's a modern-day prophet; Miss/Guided a comedy about a woman who was unpopular in high school, but returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor.
Cancellations include According to Jim, Big Day, Daybreak, Extreme Makover, The George Lopez Show, The Great American Vote, Help Me Help You, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity, The Nine, Show Me the Money, Six Degrees, and What About Brian.
Tomorrow: CBS
Sunday remains their stable night with the return of America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
Monday brings back the 90 minute version of Dancing with the Stars (which will be replaced by Wife Swap when its cycle ends) followed by the new comedy Sam I Am, about a woman who awakens from an 8-day coma with complete amnesia about who she was before an accident. Starting over, she learns that she while she's much nicer now, she may have enjoyed herself more then (the alphabet network will return Notes from the Underbelly in the winter and team it up with this show). Returning The Bachelor completes the night (to be replaced by the returning October Road when its cycle is finished).
Tuesday’s starts off with Caveman which seems to be inspired by the Geico commercials, about three modern cavemen try to make it in the modern world. This is a surprise pick-up, as it was reported in the press that the pilot was awful. I’ll lay a bet that this is the falls first cancellation. The new comedy Carpoolers airs next, and based on its concept -four very different men use their daily commute to bond and vent about their lives - seems just as thin an idea as Caveman. Dancing with the Stars the result show fills out the 9pm hour (to be replaced by the new show Cashmere Mafia -about four female best friends since business school who band together to conquer New York -after its cycle is complete), while Boston Legal returns to complete the night.
ABC takes a big risk with Wednesday, debuting three new 1 hour shows. First off, from the quirky mind of Bryan Fuller (Star Trek: Voyager, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Heroes) comes Pushing Daisies - about man that discovers his touch can bring the dead back to life -- but they die again if he touches them a second time. Private Practice, the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, airs next and has Dr. Addison Montgomery setting up a new life with some old friends in Southern California. The darkly humorous drama Dirty Sexy Money fills out the night and is about an idealistic lawyer who inherits his late father's practice -- representing a wealthy, ne'er-do-well family with a closet full of skeletons.
Thursday brings back one of the biggest hots of 2006-07, Ugly Betty, followed by a new season of Grey's Anatomy. The new drama show Big Shots fills out the night and is about four top executives who lean on one another for help in their personal and professional lives.
Friday has the returning Men in Trees, followed by the new drama Women's Murder Club, which is based on the horrendous James Patterson novels and follows four friends in San Francisco who combine their talents to solve murder cases. 20/20 finishes out the night.
Waiting in the wings: Eli Stone about a lawyer becomes convinced he's a modern-day prophet; Miss/Guided a comedy about a woman who was unpopular in high school, but returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor.
Cancellations include According to Jim, Big Day, Daybreak, Extreme Makover, The George Lopez Show, The Great American Vote, Help Me Help You, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity, The Nine, Show Me the Money, Six Degrees, and What About Brian.
Tomorrow: CBS
14 May 2007
Upfronts: Day 1
The Upfronts began this week, with NBC announcing it’s fall selections. This will also be the last year the Peacock network will schedule scripted programming during the 8 o’clock hour.
Sunday will launch with Football through January, followed by the 347th season of Law & Order, Medium and the new drama Lipstick Jungle, which about trio of high-powered New York executives who support one another in their professional and personal lives and is based on the Candace Bushnells novel.
Monday brings back Deal or No Deal followed by Heroes and new sci fi themed (and Quantum Leap inspired) Journeyman; it’s about newspaper reporter who inexplicably begins traveling back and forth in time, changing people's lives as he does. Sam Beckett and Al, where are you?
Tuesday starts with the next cycle of Biggest Loser followed by the new series from The O.C. creator, Chuck. This comedy/drama/sci-fi series is about a IT tech-support worker who becomes the government's newest asset when a massive spy database is embedded in his brain. Law & Order: SVU finishes out the night.
Wednesday starts with another edition of Deal or No Deal followed by the remake of the classic 1970's series The Bionic Woman. Life ends the night and is a drama about a detective who was wrongly imprisoned for a crime and how he must deal with real world again when he returns to the force after his release.
Thursday’s line up is mainly unchanged, as My Name Is Earl leads off the night, and 30 Rock now taking over the bottom slot from The Office, which moves to 9pm followed by what should be the last season of Scrubs. ER returns for what could be its last season also, and cleans up the night.
Friday begins with 1 Vs. 1000, then to be replaced by another game show, The Singing Bee (you don’t want to know). Las Vegas comes back with new star Tom Selleck replacing James Caan (who’ll be in the opener) at 9, followed by the critical darling, but low-rated Friday Night Lights.
Saturday starts with Dateline NBC followed by encores of other shows.
NBC will shuttle Law & Order: Criminal Intent (the lowest rated of the three series) over to sister USA Network. There the show can be repurposed on NBC if they need a slot to fill.
The network has also The IT Crowd waiting for midseason, and is a comedy based on the BBC series of the same name and deals with a group of IT workers and their daily humiliations of their jobs and a new, tech-averse boss.
Sent to the cancellation bin include 20 Good Years, Andy Barker PI, The Black Donnellys, Crossing Jordan, Kidnapped, Raines, The Singles Table and the overhyped Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip.
Tomorrow: ABC
Sunday will launch with Football through January, followed by the 347th season of Law & Order, Medium and the new drama Lipstick Jungle, which about trio of high-powered New York executives who support one another in their professional and personal lives and is based on the Candace Bushnells novel.
Monday brings back Deal or No Deal followed by Heroes and new sci fi themed (and Quantum Leap inspired) Journeyman; it’s about newspaper reporter who inexplicably begins traveling back and forth in time, changing people's lives as he does. Sam Beckett and Al, where are you?
Tuesday starts with the next cycle of Biggest Loser followed by the new series from The O.C. creator, Chuck. This comedy/drama/sci-fi series is about a IT tech-support worker who becomes the government's newest asset when a massive spy database is embedded in his brain. Law & Order: SVU finishes out the night.
Wednesday starts with another edition of Deal or No Deal followed by the remake of the classic 1970's series The Bionic Woman. Life ends the night and is a drama about a detective who was wrongly imprisoned for a crime and how he must deal with real world again when he returns to the force after his release.
Thursday’s line up is mainly unchanged, as My Name Is Earl leads off the night, and 30 Rock now taking over the bottom slot from The Office, which moves to 9pm followed by what should be the last season of Scrubs. ER returns for what could be its last season also, and cleans up the night.
Friday begins with 1 Vs. 1000, then to be replaced by another game show, The Singing Bee (you don’t want to know). Las Vegas comes back with new star Tom Selleck replacing James Caan (who’ll be in the opener) at 9, followed by the critical darling, but low-rated Friday Night Lights.
Saturday starts with Dateline NBC followed by encores of other shows.
NBC will shuttle Law & Order: Criminal Intent (the lowest rated of the three series) over to sister USA Network. There the show can be repurposed on NBC if they need a slot to fill.
The network has also The IT Crowd waiting for midseason, and is a comedy based on the BBC series of the same name and deals with a group of IT workers and their daily humiliations of their jobs and a new, tech-averse boss.
Sent to the cancellation bin include 20 Good Years, Andy Barker PI, The Black Donnellys, Crossing Jordan, Kidnapped, Raines, The Singles Table and the overhyped Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip.
Tomorrow: ABC
13 May 2007
Saturday's Odyssey shoot and tired Sunday
Another shoot, another long day.
I can't complain, though. I love what I'm doing. And I look forward to each and every shoot.
Anyway, we began filming the love scene between Bobby and JT, and got to say it was hot. Bobby just commits to his character, which can speak volumes to other guy actors afraid to kiss another guy.
Meanwhile, as the cast continued to arrive (every one on time), we went on to film other scenes for the opener that had Ro and Astor in them.
We had to shoot most, if not all of Bobby's stuff, as he's off to New York at the beginning of June for two-weeks to film his episode of New Voyages (in which I learned that Bobby is losing two-weeks of work with no pay. That's going to hurt). They intend to trim his hair and to keep continuity when we resume filming in late June, we can't have Ro with long hair in one scene and short in another.
There is one scene at the end of the opener -Ro's log - where he can have his hair shorter, so there's no worry there.
Anyways, it was a long day, but like I said before, I'm having a blast.
So, spent the day recovering from Saturday. I wanted to finish Team of Rivals -God, how long have I been reading this book? -so spent about 3 hours at Starbucks, but only got about 100 pages read, leaving me about 50 pages left to go. So, maybe this week?
Called mom to wish her a Happy Mothers Day, and also talked to my Sister-in-law and my niece. Found my Younger Sister son did something stupid again -hitting a parked car and then driving away, the only thing he didn't count on was that someone saw it, got his description of my nephews car and the police got him at the gas station.
I don't know if to cry or laugh at his stupidity.
So, Sunday is nearly finished. Another predictable week begins at Borders.
Dullsville.
I can't complain, though. I love what I'm doing. And I look forward to each and every shoot.
Anyway, we began filming the love scene between Bobby and JT, and got to say it was hot. Bobby just commits to his character, which can speak volumes to other guy actors afraid to kiss another guy.
Meanwhile, as the cast continued to arrive (every one on time), we went on to film other scenes for the opener that had Ro and Astor in them.
We had to shoot most, if not all of Bobby's stuff, as he's off to New York at the beginning of June for two-weeks to film his episode of New Voyages (in which I learned that Bobby is losing two-weeks of work with no pay. That's going to hurt). They intend to trim his hair and to keep continuity when we resume filming in late June, we can't have Ro with long hair in one scene and short in another.
There is one scene at the end of the opener -Ro's log - where he can have his hair shorter, so there's no worry there.
Anyways, it was a long day, but like I said before, I'm having a blast.
So, spent the day recovering from Saturday. I wanted to finish Team of Rivals -God, how long have I been reading this book? -so spent about 3 hours at Starbucks, but only got about 100 pages read, leaving me about 50 pages left to go. So, maybe this week?
Called mom to wish her a Happy Mothers Day, and also talked to my Sister-in-law and my niece. Found my Younger Sister son did something stupid again -hitting a parked car and then driving away, the only thing he didn't count on was that someone saw it, got his description of my nephews car and the police got him at the gas station.
I don't know if to cry or laugh at his stupidity.
So, Sunday is nearly finished. Another predictable week begins at Borders.
Dullsville.
11 May 2007
10 May 2007
09 May 2007
Jury Duty
So, after getting skipped on Monday and Tuesday for Jury Duty, I had to go today.
Pomona court house was nice, if not so 1970's looking. Of course, I realize that when these buildings are designed, they are not for looks. Still, it looked any other court house I've been in -as a perspective juror (snatch) let me add.
I got there within 15 minutes, so I had time to find something to eat. Apparently, at least down Mission Blvd, there are no fast food joints. No Hack in the Sack, or even a damn Micky D's. What's with that?
There was a Starbucks - no surprise - but after a brief screw up on parking, my time was getting short. So I walked over to the coffee house, but discovered that there was about 8 or more people in line waiting to get jacked up on overpriced caffine.
So, I abandoned the 'bucks and headed back to the court house, getting there just in time.
The room we had to sit in was nice. About 40 or so other people were there, and we got told what was expected of us and thanked over and over again for doing what amounts to our civic duty.
After that, we were given a 1/2 break and I ventured down to the snack bar on the first floor, where I grabbed some water, a Snicker bar, and a really oily muffin. I fealt a headache coming on -note the reason I needed to eat before I got to the court was to prevent that.
Got back up to floor 7, and gobbled the snack down, along with some Aleve (which, while working great for aches and pains, sucks at getting rid of headaches). A short time later, we were all hustled down to floor 3. There we were ushered into the court room, where 21 of us we selected for the jury.
I was not drawn.
Then we listened to the nice judge aske questions of the 21 chosen, and to see how they could widdle them down to 14 (well, 12 and two alternatives). Broke for lunch at 12.
Trying to figure things out still is one of the biggest issues about living here in California. I know not where most things are, so I ended up walking the street's finding a place to eat. By pure accident, I stumbled on the antique row area of Pomona (and a Subway that seemed to be the only fast-food joint not busy).
I decided as I walked back to the court house, that I'll need to come back here when I had more time. Plus, in theory, I could even bike to the place, as it's only like five miles from here. I saw a sweet looking used bookstore, so I really want to check that out.
After lunch, the 21 was cut down like so many weeds in a psycho lawnman's backyard. But no others were called to replace and then the rest of us were FREE.
Got out at 2pm, which would've been the normal time I left work today, had I gone.
So, I'm done with Jury Duty for a year.
By the way, hot as Hell again today. And summer does not start for another 5 weeks.
Pomona court house was nice, if not so 1970's looking. Of course, I realize that when these buildings are designed, they are not for looks. Still, it looked any other court house I've been in -as a perspective juror (snatch) let me add.
I got there within 15 minutes, so I had time to find something to eat. Apparently, at least down Mission Blvd, there are no fast food joints. No Hack in the Sack, or even a damn Micky D's. What's with that?
There was a Starbucks - no surprise - but after a brief screw up on parking, my time was getting short. So I walked over to the coffee house, but discovered that there was about 8 or more people in line waiting to get jacked up on overpriced caffine.
So, I abandoned the 'bucks and headed back to the court house, getting there just in time.
The room we had to sit in was nice. About 40 or so other people were there, and we got told what was expected of us and thanked over and over again for doing what amounts to our civic duty.
After that, we were given a 1/2 break and I ventured down to the snack bar on the first floor, where I grabbed some water, a Snicker bar, and a really oily muffin. I fealt a headache coming on -note the reason I needed to eat before I got to the court was to prevent that.
Got back up to floor 7, and gobbled the snack down, along with some Aleve (which, while working great for aches and pains, sucks at getting rid of headaches). A short time later, we were all hustled down to floor 3. There we were ushered into the court room, where 21 of us we selected for the jury.
I was not drawn.
Then we listened to the nice judge aske questions of the 21 chosen, and to see how they could widdle them down to 14 (well, 12 and two alternatives). Broke for lunch at 12.
Trying to figure things out still is one of the biggest issues about living here in California. I know not where most things are, so I ended up walking the street's finding a place to eat. By pure accident, I stumbled on the antique row area of Pomona (and a Subway that seemed to be the only fast-food joint not busy).
I decided as I walked back to the court house, that I'll need to come back here when I had more time. Plus, in theory, I could even bike to the place, as it's only like five miles from here. I saw a sweet looking used bookstore, so I really want to check that out.
After lunch, the 21 was cut down like so many weeds in a psycho lawnman's backyard. But no others were called to replace and then the rest of us were FREE.
Got out at 2pm, which would've been the normal time I left work today, had I gone.
So, I'm done with Jury Duty for a year.
By the way, hot as Hell again today. And summer does not start for another 5 weeks.
08 May 2007
Thomas Dekker and the de-gaying of Zach
A few months ago, word leaked that the character of Zach on the hit series Heroes, and portrayed by Thomas Dekker, was to be de-gayed. Back then, series show runner Bryan Fuller and even series creator Tim Kring told the press from day one, Zach was to be gay - with the idea of Zach’s coming out was supposed to be symbolic of a need for Claire to "come out" about her special abilities, Fuller told Pop Gurls last month.
Dekker now has spoken about this for the first time, just as FOX will announce next week that he’ll be the star of The Sarah Connor Chronicles - a TV series set between Terminator 2 and 3. He wrote on his myspace site that he has no problem being gay...er...wait...playing a gay character -as he did at age 12, 15 and 17. And that he never demanded -nor did his manager -that Zach become the poster boy for straight guys who love-their-best-friends-but-they-only-see-them-as-best-friends-forever.
"I, nor my management have ever had any kind of problem with creating a gay character," Dekker wrote. "To me, acting is about being prepared to play all kinds of roles and it is an honor and a challenge to portray anything that comes my way."
And it seems, Dekker never saw the character of Zach as gay, just an "outcast who was in love with Claire." (Hello, if this is not so gay, what is?)
But, Fuller -who is openly gay- disputes these claims and further told Pop Gurls that “his manager threatened to pull him from the show because he was up for the John [Connor] role in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and she didn't want him playing a gay character because it might affect FOX's interest in hiring him. It got really ugly. I was very upset by it -- I was not happy about it at all."
"So we were definitely going down a route of making [Zach] the gay character", Fuller went on, “and having him have a big role in (Claire’s) life and sort of teaching her to come out about her ability and embrace herself and actually sing the coming out metaphor and the gay metaphor in that instance as a fun piece of storytelling.”
The Zach character has since vanished form the show, with no plans to bring him back.
Dekker also insists that him leaving the show has nothing to do with the controversy that erupted, although both coincidentally happened around the same time. But once again, Fuller disputes this claim, saying that the show runners didn't "want to get hung up on the fact that one actor's management felt that it was a career killer for him to play a homosexual. We had episodes planned for him to be in, and she pulled him from the show altogether. So that's why he sort of disappeared."
Personally, I believe Fuller. As gay man -who during his time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager - who could not touch on the whole subject of homosexuality, why would he say these things? When he created the Showtime series Dead Like Me, he always intended the father to be gay, but he left the show after the first six episodes due to issues with the cable network and the character never came out. His short lived Wonderfalls, which aired on FOX for 4 episodes, also featured a lesbian character (and one that made FOX very nervous).
Of course, this is all smoke and mirrors in the true Hollywood style.
But, I’m still betting on Fuller.
popgurls.com
Dekker now has spoken about this for the first time, just as FOX will announce next week that he’ll be the star of The Sarah Connor Chronicles - a TV series set between Terminator 2 and 3. He wrote on his myspace site that he has no problem being gay...er...wait...playing a gay character -as he did at age 12, 15 and 17. And that he never demanded -nor did his manager -that Zach become the poster boy for straight guys who love-their-best-friends-but-they-only-see-them-as-best-friends-forever.
"I, nor my management have ever had any kind of problem with creating a gay character," Dekker wrote. "To me, acting is about being prepared to play all kinds of roles and it is an honor and a challenge to portray anything that comes my way."
And it seems, Dekker never saw the character of Zach as gay, just an "outcast who was in love with Claire." (Hello, if this is not so gay, what is?)
But, Fuller -who is openly gay- disputes these claims and further told Pop Gurls that “his manager threatened to pull him from the show because he was up for the John [Connor] role in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and she didn't want him playing a gay character because it might affect FOX's interest in hiring him. It got really ugly. I was very upset by it -- I was not happy about it at all."
"So we were definitely going down a route of making [Zach] the gay character", Fuller went on, “and having him have a big role in (Claire’s) life and sort of teaching her to come out about her ability and embrace herself and actually sing the coming out metaphor and the gay metaphor in that instance as a fun piece of storytelling.”
The Zach character has since vanished form the show, with no plans to bring him back.
Dekker also insists that him leaving the show has nothing to do with the controversy that erupted, although both coincidentally happened around the same time. But once again, Fuller disputes this claim, saying that the show runners didn't "want to get hung up on the fact that one actor's management felt that it was a career killer for him to play a homosexual. We had episodes planned for him to be in, and she pulled him from the show altogether. So that's why he sort of disappeared."
Personally, I believe Fuller. As gay man -who during his time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager - who could not touch on the whole subject of homosexuality, why would he say these things? When he created the Showtime series Dead Like Me, he always intended the father to be gay, but he left the show after the first six episodes due to issues with the cable network and the character never came out. His short lived Wonderfalls, which aired on FOX for 4 episodes, also featured a lesbian character (and one that made FOX very nervous).
Of course, this is all smoke and mirrors in the true Hollywood style.
But, I’m still betting on Fuller.
popgurls.com
07 May 2007
Tidbits of a Life
* Well, no jury duty today or tomorrow.
* One the real first hot days today. Something that's bound to kick in shortly; hot summer days followed by cool nights -well somewhat.
* C returned to work today after being gone a week. Asked me why I did not take the Supervisor position. I was vague, saying there was numerous reasons. He asked if it was political, which it wasn't. Would I have issues working with N? Nope, we've settled our problems. But he did hit on something. I just can't stand him. And, I'm not the only one. He's angered many of the managers and supervisors with his stand-offish ways. There are even a few employees who dislike his style. But the truth of the matter is, I don't want to stay at Borders anymore. I'm already comfortable as is, and becoming a supervisor would just make it even more comfortable for me. On a side note, I find the choice of the new supervisor very interesting. It's an unusal pick; I hope it works.
*Andrew called last night from Chicago. It was nice hearing from him. Talked to him about HF and he said he had been watching a few of the episodes. Of course, I told him to not watch the first few seasons. As with most, we suggest people start around season 5, watch through them and season 6, and then go back to get some of the backstory on some of the characters and their arcs. Of course, I told him to watch 7.07, the one I directed.
* Mothers Day card must go out tomorrow.
* One the real first hot days today. Something that's bound to kick in shortly; hot summer days followed by cool nights -well somewhat.
* C returned to work today after being gone a week. Asked me why I did not take the Supervisor position. I was vague, saying there was numerous reasons. He asked if it was political, which it wasn't. Would I have issues working with N? Nope, we've settled our problems. But he did hit on something. I just can't stand him. And, I'm not the only one. He's angered many of the managers and supervisors with his stand-offish ways. There are even a few employees who dislike his style. But the truth of the matter is, I don't want to stay at Borders anymore. I'm already comfortable as is, and becoming a supervisor would just make it even more comfortable for me. On a side note, I find the choice of the new supervisor very interesting. It's an unusal pick; I hope it works.
*Andrew called last night from Chicago. It was nice hearing from him. Talked to him about HF and he said he had been watching a few of the episodes. Of course, I told him to not watch the first few seasons. As with most, we suggest people start around season 5, watch through them and season 6, and then go back to get some of the backstory on some of the characters and their arcs. Of course, I told him to watch 7.07, the one I directed.
* Mothers Day card must go out tomorrow.
06 May 2007
No Spider-Man 3 for me
I guess I really am getting old.
I tried to go and see Spider-Man 3 this past weekend. On Saturday, after spending 2 hours at Starbucks and coming back to the house to putter around (well, I did laundry), I finally decided to see the film. I went to theater at 3 to see the 3:45 show, figuring they usually let you in a half hour before the film starts. So I could wait outside for 15 minutes, brought my book. But the 3.15 and the 3.45 show were sold out, leaving the 4.15 to be the next show.
Well a 1 hour and 15 minute wait was for me just too long. It's not worth it, as far as I'm concerned. The funny thing is, I remember waiting in line to see films. Back in 1983, I think I spent two to three hours waiting for Return of the Jedi. Now, I can't be bothered.
Of course times have changed. Even though Spider-Man 3 will be on DVD by Thanksgiving, when I saw Jedi, there was no video release for it. So, in some ways, it was worth waiting line. Now, with the DVD window release getting smaller, it's become pointless.
Anyways, so today, I did the same thing. Wanted to see the 3.45 show, arrived at the theater at 3 to find the 3.15 and 3.45 were both sold out, the next show was 4.15. So, I walked away. I was, I guess, somewhat disappointed.
But then I reflect on how I no longer enjoy going to movies anymore. People talk in the movies like they are sitting in their living rooms, use their mobile phones still, even though they are asked kindly to turn them off -I mean, heaven forbid some teenage girl miss a call from her BFF.
There are other things about going to movie theaters that bother me, but the bottom line is this: I've out grown the demographics that movies are made for; and living in the 'burbs, the art house films that do appeal to me do not play here. And with gas at an all time high, I don't feel like driving 20 miles to see a small, independent film.
Plus that whole DVD window thingy.
Yes, I've become my mother.
*sigh*
I tried to go and see Spider-Man 3 this past weekend. On Saturday, after spending 2 hours at Starbucks and coming back to the house to putter around (well, I did laundry), I finally decided to see the film. I went to theater at 3 to see the 3:45 show, figuring they usually let you in a half hour before the film starts. So I could wait outside for 15 minutes, brought my book. But the 3.15 and the 3.45 show were sold out, leaving the 4.15 to be the next show.
Well a 1 hour and 15 minute wait was for me just too long. It's not worth it, as far as I'm concerned. The funny thing is, I remember waiting in line to see films. Back in 1983, I think I spent two to three hours waiting for Return of the Jedi. Now, I can't be bothered.
Of course times have changed. Even though Spider-Man 3 will be on DVD by Thanksgiving, when I saw Jedi, there was no video release for it. So, in some ways, it was worth waiting line. Now, with the DVD window release getting smaller, it's become pointless.
Anyways, so today, I did the same thing. Wanted to see the 3.45 show, arrived at the theater at 3 to find the 3.15 and 3.45 were both sold out, the next show was 4.15. So, I walked away. I was, I guess, somewhat disappointed.
But then I reflect on how I no longer enjoy going to movies anymore. People talk in the movies like they are sitting in their living rooms, use their mobile phones still, even though they are asked kindly to turn them off -I mean, heaven forbid some teenage girl miss a call from her BFF.
There are other things about going to movie theaters that bother me, but the bottom line is this: I've out grown the demographics that movies are made for; and living in the 'burbs, the art house films that do appeal to me do not play here. And with gas at an all time high, I don't feel like driving 20 miles to see a small, independent film.
Plus that whole DVD window thingy.
Yes, I've become my mother.
*sigh*
05 May 2007
04 May 2007
03 May 2007
Toxic parents
Over the last few months, on the boards at Hidden Frontier, I’ve seen a young man of 19 talk about how difficult it is for him living in a small town in Georgia and being gay. It seemed that every other day, he was falling in love with some boy (usually one not living in the same state as him) and then being dropped by that said boy.
Plus, after finally outing himself to his parents, he discovered that they were not the most open to their son being gay.
So, this past weekend, he came to SoCal for the Excelsior Ball. This was the first time in his entire life he had ever been out of his home state. The first time he was ever on a plane, as a matter of fact.
It was here that I learned he lacked certain social skills, mostly because he was home schooled. Plus, the whole culture shock probably made him act the way he did. He hung onto his boyfriend Daniel (who, while speaking over the phone and IM each other, this was the first time they met) like he was going to be swept away in a cold flood. JT had taken him to West Hollywood the day before, which seemed to shock him even more. Sex shops might not be the best place for a 19 year-old (one who is chronologically nineteen, but seems to have the intellectual level of a 15 year-old at best).
Anyway, he’s also stuck in that classic catch 22 at home; he cannot afford to live on his own if only because he works two jobs, one of which he never see’s the money (he works in his parents factory carpet business, and his paycheck is never given to him; it apparently goes to some “nebulas” support the household fund). His fast-food job is his what he really lives on. And goodness knows, even in Georgia, you cannot live on your own working fast-food only -as his parents have told him that if he chooses to leave home, he’ll no longer be working at the family business.
Since he returned, his parents have threatened to take away his computer and phone, so he cannot communicate with the outside world. And because he is so brow beat by them, he does not have the courage to do anything about it.
The few people that know his situation have offered help, but the child either does not understand what is being offered, or is so afraid to leave what has to be a very toxic state of affairs.
Plus, after finally outing himself to his parents, he discovered that they were not the most open to their son being gay.
So, this past weekend, he came to SoCal for the Excelsior Ball. This was the first time in his entire life he had ever been out of his home state. The first time he was ever on a plane, as a matter of fact.
It was here that I learned he lacked certain social skills, mostly because he was home schooled. Plus, the whole culture shock probably made him act the way he did. He hung onto his boyfriend Daniel (who, while speaking over the phone and IM each other, this was the first time they met) like he was going to be swept away in a cold flood. JT had taken him to West Hollywood the day before, which seemed to shock him even more. Sex shops might not be the best place for a 19 year-old (one who is chronologically nineteen, but seems to have the intellectual level of a 15 year-old at best).
Anyway, he’s also stuck in that classic catch 22 at home; he cannot afford to live on his own if only because he works two jobs, one of which he never see’s the money (he works in his parents factory carpet business, and his paycheck is never given to him; it apparently goes to some “nebulas” support the household fund). His fast-food job is his what he really lives on. And goodness knows, even in Georgia, you cannot live on your own working fast-food only -as his parents have told him that if he chooses to leave home, he’ll no longer be working at the family business.
Since he returned, his parents have threatened to take away his computer and phone, so he cannot communicate with the outside world. And because he is so brow beat by them, he does not have the courage to do anything about it.
The few people that know his situation have offered help, but the child either does not understand what is being offered, or is so afraid to leave what has to be a very toxic state of affairs.
02 May 2007
Excelsior Ball II: Day 3
Finally I fell asleep at about 6 am, and got 3 ½ hours of it.
After getting John out of bed, cause he wanted to see the rough cut of Star Trek: Intrepid, I showered, packed and got to the room by just as the Scottish production was getting underway. It was just as impressive as what we’ve done on HF, with impressive FX and beautiful location work.
Visited Will, purchased JayTee’s Begging for Shorts, his compilation of all his short films, including the award winners Masturbation: Putting the Fun into Self-Loving, Drag Queen Heist and Begging for Change. Two other shorts, Sunflower and the one I worked on, And The Award Goes To...are also included on the DVD. Commentary on all the shorts is a nice bonus, plus a sweet Easter egg that brought a tear to my eye.
After another forum on technical stuff about HF, I was on the final forum with the cast talking about the final episode, It’s Hour Come Around At Last.
Then Andrew presented the fan “Favorite” section of the convention, with Favorite Villainous scene coming from my first episode I directed, The Center Cannot Hold. I had issues with that scene, and Becky, Bobby and the rest of the cast tried to make it work as scary, and less scene chewing. It wasn’t until Becky herself came up with the idea to lick Ro, did the scene finely pop.
Thanks for that, guys and girls.
As the end drew near, I sensed some did not want to leave. Rob gave a heartfelt speech and said his goodbye until next year (in which we need to find a new title for this shindig). As clean-up began, as goodbyes were said, I finally had to admit I was tired, and took off with Dale in tow.
To Barb, Karl, Alex, Katie, Jonathan, Jason, Wendy, Mike H, Mike U, Mike J and, of course Will, I hope to see you next year. To the rest, Rob, Beo, Bobby, Risha, Dave D., Wayne, Julia, Carlos, Matt, Barb, JT, Adam, John, Dan, Sharon, Heather, Sam, Dave M, I’ll be seeing you all soon (well, some of you).
And Rob, a special thanks for the letting me become part of the magic that was Hidden Frontier and the future that is Odyssey and beyond. You are an inspiration to me and a true friend.
And to the fans, thanks for supporting the cast and crew of Hidden Frontier.
To be continued...in 2008.
After getting John out of bed, cause he wanted to see the rough cut of Star Trek: Intrepid, I showered, packed and got to the room by just as the Scottish production was getting underway. It was just as impressive as what we’ve done on HF, with impressive FX and beautiful location work.
Visited Will, purchased JayTee’s Begging for Shorts, his compilation of all his short films, including the award winners Masturbation: Putting the Fun into Self-Loving, Drag Queen Heist and Begging for Change. Two other shorts, Sunflower and the one I worked on, And The Award Goes To...are also included on the DVD. Commentary on all the shorts is a nice bonus, plus a sweet Easter egg that brought a tear to my eye.
After another forum on technical stuff about HF, I was on the final forum with the cast talking about the final episode, It’s Hour Come Around At Last.
Then Andrew presented the fan “Favorite” section of the convention, with Favorite Villainous scene coming from my first episode I directed, The Center Cannot Hold. I had issues with that scene, and Becky, Bobby and the rest of the cast tried to make it work as scary, and less scene chewing. It wasn’t until Becky herself came up with the idea to lick Ro, did the scene finely pop.
Thanks for that, guys and girls.
As the end drew near, I sensed some did not want to leave. Rob gave a heartfelt speech and said his goodbye until next year (in which we need to find a new title for this shindig). As clean-up began, as goodbyes were said, I finally had to admit I was tired, and took off with Dale in tow.
To Barb, Karl, Alex, Katie, Jonathan, Jason, Wendy, Mike H, Mike U, Mike J and, of course Will, I hope to see you next year. To the rest, Rob, Beo, Bobby, Risha, Dave D., Wayne, Julia, Carlos, Matt, Barb, JT, Adam, John, Dan, Sharon, Heather, Sam, Dave M, I’ll be seeing you all soon (well, some of you).
And Rob, a special thanks for the letting me become part of the magic that was Hidden Frontier and the future that is Odyssey and beyond. You are an inspiration to me and a true friend.
And to the fans, thanks for supporting the cast and crew of Hidden Frontier.
To be continued...in 2008.
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