TGIF?

I was thinking that I needed some witty comment about my week, being Friday and all. I mean, there's got to be something to report that someone might find interesting to read.

Beyond taking Monday off, I've got to say another week of my life has passed like so much dead leaves in a river. I'm lazy, I now realize. I want so much, but find I really don't have the will or the energy to go get it.

So, here's how bad I've gotten. On Friday nights, I pull out some my DVD's and watch two episodes of Arrested Development, an episode of Veronica Mars and then Wonderfalls.

See, I've created my own primetime schedule. Of course, its pathetic, but then that's the way the cookies crumble.

This and nothing

For some reasons, even though I lived alone for over a decade, when Bill is gone for a few days, this place is kind of creepy. I cannot put my finger on how or why, but I just feel weird being here all by myself. And its not like I feel the place has anything wrong with it, no ghosts or what not. And as long as there's no earthquake, this house does not shift or may odd noises.

When the avacado tree was up inbetween the two houses, you would occasionally here the thump , and then the quick role of them as they fell off their branch. But while at times that could be a bit disconcerting, it was never scary.

My cold, by the way, seems to be on the way out. At least I hope. I started feeling hinky on 12/31, and now its the 9th. So, about average length for me. On the scale of colds, this was rather mild. So, I got nothing to complain about. Still, I should be cautious, as we keeping passing this bug around like Halloween candy at work.

Quiet day, week, month so far. Filming continues on The Helena Chronicles 1.02 this Saturday -which may turn out to be a long day. But the good part: it should be warm and sunny. Temps in the 70's in January. Got to love California just for this.

Went and looked at a new bike today. I think I found what I want, now I got to figure out how to pay for it. Well, out of the $500 for it, $250 is covered by Bill's Christmas giftcard to me and the 50 bucks Mom and Dad sent to me.

I'm going to buy it, I guess. Just got to figure out how to pay off the balance.

Oh well, that's the way the world goes.

Self Pic's 9

Exclusive clip #3 from the film Shelter

Exclusive clip #2 from the film Shelter

Exclusive clip #1 from the film Shelter

More doom and gloom for Borders?

Mike Shatzkin of Publishers Weekly has published what he calls 15 Trends of 2008 that he sees for the book industry. Eight and nine seem very interesting for people like me who work for Borders.

No big surprise, I might add, but alas...


8. B&N will continue to leverage the book trade’s most sophisticated supply chain to lengthen its lead over Borders and all other bricks-and-mortar retailers. (I should disclose that I have consulted with B&N on supply-chain matters; I’ve never worked for Borders. I have no inside sales or financial information about either company).

9. The lack of a competitive supply-chain infrastructure will continue to handicap Borders, hurting both sales and profits. This will lead to a change of ownership control and yet another new plan to revitalize the nation’s number-two bookseller.

American Idol winners find hard luck after winning, as record label drops recent winners

While I would not say Fox TV’s American Idol is in any danger of going away, I am fascinated by the fact that recent winners of the show have had major issues with their label -hello, Kelly Clarkson, or have been dropped by their labels. Both Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks got bad news for Christmas, as J Records has kicked them out the door.

Out of the six cycles the game show has gone through, not one of the winners has been able to sustain any sort of momentum. Of course, one would suspect that while these contestants can sing, they have no talent when it actually comes to writing songs. With exception of a few, most of the winners of the game show have songs written for them, and they’re groomed like dog for a wide, demographic audience. And its not the singer who propels the a song, it’s the words of that song people really care about.

While any singer would like to reach a huge audience, most find niches and in those niches, some moderate success - such as runner-up Chris Daughtry (who is taken, it seems, more seriously as a musician than a contestant on a game show) and Carrie Underwood, who’s had some success in the always light country/pop sound.

Sometimes, trying to find that broad-based audience can kill you; narrow it, and find success.

Plus, music is a very fickle business and American’s have short attention spans. They quickly forget who won before. So American Idol becomes not about choosing a great singer, but a pop cultural phenomena to be discussed in internet chat rooms and at work the next day. So with the seventh cycle to begin next week, to me then the game show is not about a talented singer winning a contact with a major music label, but just something to talk about over lunch -cause heaven forbid we have any actual conversation that broadens the mind.

Huckabee on Meet the Press

Good old Mikey Huckabee said today on Meet the Press. Tim Russert asked him about his book and his comment on homosexuality.

Transcript:

RUSSERT: Peggy Noonan, a woman of faith who writes for The Wall Street Journal, said that sometimes it appears your philosophy is "This is what God wants," and that doesn't encourage discussion, it squelches it. And, and this is what you wrote in your book, "Kids Who Kill," in 1998: "It is now difficult to keep track of the vast array of publicly endorsed and institutionally supported aberrations--from homosexuality and pedophilia to sadomasochism and necrophilia." Why would you link homosexuality with sadomasochism, pedophilia and necrophilia?

HUCKABEE: Well, what I was pointing out is all of these are deviations from what has been the traditional concept of sexual behavior and men and women having children, raising those children in the context of a, of a traditional marriage and family. And, again, taken out of the larger context of that book, speaking about how so many of our social institutions have been broken down.

RUSSERT: But do you think homosexuality is equivalent to pedophilia...

HUCKABEE: Oh, of course not.

RUSSERT: ...or sadomasochism?

HUCKABEE: No, of course not. I didn't say...

RUSSERT: But this is what concerns people. This, this is what you did say about homosexuality: "I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural and sinful lifestyle." That's millions of Americans.

HUCKABEE: Tim, understand, when a Christian speaks of sin, a Christian says all of us are sinners. I'm a sinner, everybody's a sinner. What one's sin is, means it's missing the mark. It's missing the bull's eye, the perfect point. I miss it every day; we all do. The perfection of God is seen in a marriage in which one man, one woman live together as a couple committed to each other as life partners. Now, even married couples don't do that perfectly, so sin is not some act of equating people with being murderers or rapists...

RUSSERT: But when you say aberrant or unnatural, do you believe you're born gay or you choose to be gay?

HUCKABEE: I don't know whether people are born that way. People who are gay say that they're born that way. But one thing I know, that the behavior one practices is a choice. We may have certain tendencies, but how we behave and how we carry out our behavior--but the important issue that I want to address, because I think when you bring up the faith question, Tim, I've been asked more about my faith than any person running for president. I'm OK with that. I hope I've answered these questions very candidly and very honestly. I think it's important for us to talk about it. But the most important thing is to find out, does our faith influence our public policy and how? I've never tried to rewrite science textbooks. I've never tried to come out with some way of imposing a doctrinaire Christian perspective in a way that is really against the Constitution. I've never done that.

So, this is their way of not actually being called homophobes, cause like the the phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin" the conservatives motto also becomes: "Your actions are sin and thus we can judge you on them."

Nice.

Jerk.

Protecting and Maintaining Your Heterosexual House of Cards

Very funny

Rain continues...

What a gloomy fraken day here.

After a Friday night where it rained, and the wind blew Saturday turned out to be somewhat of a nice day. Cloudy, cool and damp, but rain free. By the time I left Rob and Beo's after filming on episode two of The Helena Chronicles, it was raining again. But, as I've learned with living in Southern California, rain can be widely spread.

As I drove away from the studio and got about a mile away onto south bound Lake Street, the rain stopped. And it was dry when I got hom at 9.

Today, it started gloomy, cloud and cool. But I saw some sun poking through the ironed gray clouds. Which lasted for about 10 minutes. I went over to Starbucks to sit and enjoy a mocha and start reading Michael Crichton's Next.

Came home and just sat on my ass the rest of the day. It started raining again at about 2, and looking at the radar, we still have a few more hours of this stuff.

I feel depressed, much like it always happens in the winter and the weather becomes this dull. Of course, back in Illinois, these grey days can go on and on. Here in SoCal, those gloomy days are not long, but I've got used to those sunny days.

This would've been a perfect day to get really caught up on some reading, but I could not be motivated. Movie? Still want to see Juno, but again, I'm not motivated.

We need the rain, I guess. But on a weekend, when I'm off, its a pain in the ass.

I wonder where I can get some motivation ?

Best music of 2007 -Part 1

I have a small cirlce of friends, though since moving to the LA area over two years ago, it's gotten bigger. Still, there are few of my friends that I could say those true-in-the-dye friends, the ones who accept you for all your faults (and will tell you what they are, BTW, but never in any cruel sort of way) and love you no matter what.

One friend in Chicago, has truly been that. And yet, I guess, I never realized that until I left Illinois. His name is Marc, and he hold a very special place in my heart for many reasons others do not. He is tall, gregarious guy with a smile and dimples that light up any room he's in. He is smart beyond anything, and loves music like I like chocolate; he needs it everyday.

At the end of the year, one thing I look forward to his thoughts on what was the best music of the year. Now his taste goes all over the place, as he is a true connoisseur. And because he knows what I like, he generally keeps me in the loop for new and upcoming bands, guys and girls who are producing music that means something.

While I appreciate and support singer/songwriters more than anything else, I do like a bands that try to step out of the box of top 40 pop music.

Anyways, here is his list for the best of (which I think is more real than anything any magazine puts out):

Best Albums:

The Editors – An End Has a Start. I feel like I found a new band that I will now follow until the end. Such a great, emotional, alt rock epic. Fans of Kitchens of Distinction (almost identical but in the best way!), Snow Patrol, U2, and Coldplay will have a new favorite.

Nicole Atkins/Neptune City – Like Mama Cass produced by Goldfrapp and Amy Winehouse. Gorgeous!!! If you don’t have this, get it now.

Roscoe/The Trials of Van Occupanther – An odd mix of indie rock and 70’s era Fleetwood Mac. Can’t explain but it totally works. Great chillout CD.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss/Raisin’ Sand – Who knew their colaboration would work? Sounds closer to Zep’s mellower output than anything Plant has done in his sketchy solo career. Completely works.

Reminder/Feist – Can she top her brilliant debut. Yes. Can’t imagine what Leslie has left in her after 2 near flawless CDs.

Ryan Adams/Easy Tiger – His best CD since Heartbreaker. It’s what we want from Ryan: sadness put to an alt country sound. High, high lonesome.

Lori McKenna/Unglamorous – I feel the way about this Nashville singer/songwriter that many feel about Patty Griffin. She pours so much emotion into her complicated yet indentifiable songs. Best song: I Know What Your Next Love Will Be Like…about imagining your recent breakup falling in love with someone new. Been there!

Once Soundtrack/Glen Hansard – Like Sweeney Todd, you have to see the film to fully get the impact of this tender collection. Near flawless. Even better than the music from his day job, The Frames. And I love The Frames.

Tracey Thorn/Out of the Woods – I knew her solo outing would be wonderful. She could sing the McDonalds menu and I’d swoon. But this was beyond expectation. More Tracey, we need more.

Matt Nathanson/Some Mad Hope – I wish Matt wasn’t lumped in with all the frat boy pop (Howie Day, etc) which keeps him from some more serious fans, but hopefully this will broaden his already strong base. Every song could be a single on this pop rock masterpiece. The best: Wedding Dress. Now if someone will just tack this song onto the end of a Grey’s episode, he’d be set!

Paul Oakenfold/Greatest Hits and Remixes – This is unexpected since I was never a massive fan, but this collection featuring some really great old school mixes from Underworld, Mansun, Dirty Vegas, Radiohead, Olive and the quintessial version of EBTG’s Missing (2007) is just staggeringly fun. Look for the unmixed version available for download online. It has extra tracks done under his Perfecto moniker.

To be continued...

It's raining....a lot

It's been raining since about 2 this afternoon, but it didn't start really coming down until after the day light faded into a winter's night.

As I sit writing this, I can hear it coming down like some one's left the faucet running. This is suppose to be 1 of 3 major low fronts to pass through the area this weekend, were it could dump 3 to 5 inches of rain and over 10 feet of snow in the moutains.

This could be the most significant storm to hit the southern California since January of 2005. It certainly going to make up for last years lack of rain fall. Sort of.

Still, the warnings are out about possible landslides, especially over in Orange County, where in October and November, wild fires destroyed a lot of land (and homes).

So, while the rain is needed, this punch of wet weather could also be more of problem.

Arrggg.

Venture Bros. Season 4

Cast photo for the upcoming (June) fourth season of The Venture Bros.

Gosh, I love this show.

Scary Huckabee wins Iowa polls; America doomed?

So, Mike Huckabee has won Iowa.

I cannot see how this will not but help the democrats. Not since Ronald Regan has this president (or maybe, in reality, Karl Rove), turned the Republican party into fanitical, religious zealots. As they continue to use fear mongering and blantent disreguard for our constitution, the 2008 election is coming down to a holy war. But it'll not be fundamentalist Islam. No, my children, al Queda will take American lives, but what Bush started, Huckabee intends to continue: they are out to steal the nation, eliminate the middle class, destroy the constitution and, in the end, our democracy.

Still, I think the more moderate Republicans (like my housemate) and, especially, the independents, will be turned off by Huckabee and will further drive them away. So, in a way, this can only help the democrats, like Obama, who pulled out a win also in Iowa.

What a tangled web Huckabee will weave when he tries to decieve a nation.

Sometimes, I'm just slow

On New Years Eve, while I was sorting through the final shippment of 2007 at work, I kinda felt sluggish, tired. I even told my GM, who was trying to find some Grammy Paperchase stuff, that I just did not want to do this, that I could be home, sleeping.

Then, or course, I was asleep before the New Year.

Yesterday, as I'm about to get off of work, I swallowed -as one is to do - but I realized that it hurt. Then I knew, as my colds usually follow a pattern. One day of feeling awfully tired, followed by a nice day and then the sore throat. I'll have that for about 3 days or so, then the cold will start.

I've got stuff here, including NyQuil -which, by the way, gives me weird dreams. I also have my Airborne, so while the cold will come, maybe I can lessen it.

And, I should not be surprised. Everyone at work has been sick, so my time was due. And getting a cold once, maybe twice a year is not bad. And since I rarely get the flu, or even really sick -gosh, I cannot remember when I've been struck by the stomach flu (knock wood) -I'm not that bothered by it.

Still, it will make Saturday's shoot problematic. But we'll see what happens in two days.

Rain is due here. They had said as early as tonight, but now its due sometime tomorrow afternoon. It's suppose to be doosey, a lot of rain and snow up in the moutains and the higher elevations of the San Bernardino hills.

But, as always, I won't hold my breath.

I'm also taking Monday off, after discovering I have some 82 hours of personal time and 72 hours of vacation. If I had something to do -and money to go with it - I would take a month off of work!

Still, I need to save some for June and, perhaps (depending on costs), a trip back to Chicago.

But, I'm tired and maybe I can use these days to get somewhere in my job search.

What do tou think?

Enchanted Thursday

Brothers and Sisters creator forced out at ABC

The demographic police at ABC have struck, forcing the creator of the alphabet networks hit series Brothers and Sisters to leave. Jon Robin Baitz was forced out after fighting an apparent losing battle with the execs at ABC over the direction of the series. The writer cites, via two posts on The Huffington, that ABC demanded Baitz to steer the show away from the older-skewing characters and more dramatic stories in favor of the younger cast, and more soapier stories.

Baitz says "I can... only watch as the demographic demands that have turned America into an ageist and youth-obsessed nation (that) drives the storylines younger and younger, whiter and whiter, and with less and less reflection of the real America. I will never again have to do a notes call wherein the fear and seasickness of the creative execs always prevail over taking a risk, resulting more often than not in muddy and flattening or treacly sweet compromises."

While I have only watched the show from time-to-time, Baitz comments, however, strike true where network TV is concerned. It believes that American’s want multiple CSI’s, wants to watch brain damaging programs as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars and thinks the deepest show they can truly appreciate is According to Jim.

With his departure, Brother and Sisters is almost sure to lose a chunk of its audience, which ABC seems not care about anyways. It will become a sad caricature where the older characters will become less and less important, and probably become more stupid and prosaic.

And while some may consider Baitz a disgruntled former employee (he’ll retain his Executive Producer credit) for his rants about his departure from ABC and Brothers and Sisters, we all need to understand that TV is facing a dark time. People claim that they watch shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars because they’ve had a hectic day, and watching any show that challenges the mind, the soul even, is just too hard.

In some ways, the WGA has blessed me. I will not watch any of the reality programs the networks will role out between now and September (because, essentially, the TV season is over with) because I understand what is at stake here.

Baitz adds "I cannot help but dream about what my version of Brothers and Sisters would have looked like. A show that could simply hold on the aging and real face of Sally Field, and reflect the sorrow and rage there... reflect the cold and funny sexuality of Patty Wettig's Holly, the perfect reconstruction of the L.A. mistress... hold on the eyes of Ron Rifkin, and reflect the wisdom, joyous childishness and the melancholy. A show [that] could have followed the youngest, prodigal son to Iraq [and] shown his fellow soldiers, dying... allowed Calista Flockhart's character to be actually truly political... go even further in dealing with Kevin Walker's internalized homophobia and his fear of contact with others."

Reading by the light of Stephen King

With the WGA strike making TV even more prosaic, I've decided that reading will also fill my 2008.

In one of his last articles for EW for 2007, Stephen King gave his top 10 books of the year. I think, beyond the ones I already have stacked near me, I'll try to read most of them. I respect King, and have been reading his works since 1980 (though to this day, I cannot even begin The Tommyknockers).

So far, I've read one of those titles, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There are a few others I was already interested in before this issue came out, and they include Dan Simmons historical superntaural novel The Terror (now out in QP), Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon, who wrote two of favorites: Wonder Boys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

He also recomends The Ghost by Robert Harris, Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski, Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo (I still have Empire Falls yet to read by him), Hollywood Station by Joseph Wambaugh, The Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson and Twilight by William Gray.

I'm unsure if I can get to them, plus the ones I already have here, but I want to try this year.

Here's what else I want to read:

The nonfiction (which always takes me more time than fiction):

Manhunt by James Swanson
The Glorious Cause by Robert Middlekauff
Orson Wells, Volume 2: Hello Americans by Simon Callow
Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
Collapse by Jared Diamond

Fiction:

Darkmans by Nicola Barker
Next by Michael Crichton

Of course, this list does not include other titles that will be published in 2008. Stephen King has a new one out January 22 alone.

So with the fall TV season probably more than over, and with only a few new shows I want to watch (The Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles) and the returning (and only 8 episodes) of Lost, if I can turn off the computer, I may actually get to some of them.

And, of course, I got to do all the other things I want to do in 2008.

Jebus, it's going to be fun.

It's my Life

Hopefully, I will be doing something next New Years.

I've decided to make 2008 MY YEAR. It's time to put away my disappointments with the way life has gone for me. It's time to stop playing the victim. It's time for me to let go.

I'm not sure how I'll do this, but I will DO what needs to be done to get my life back on the right path of happiness.

Out there, not too far away, is my life. I want it back and it can only be better. I've hit the low point in my life and now the highs, the ones that have eluded me for so long -because I was blind to them -will be with in my grasp.

Amen.