A Brief History of the Rise and Fall of Ten Minutes Ago

MOVING

2009-11-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

This blog has moved!

Update your RSS readers and come with us.

We are now at:

http://allnewbriefhistory.blogspot.com/

Photo Tag

2009-09-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Girl in the Room to do a picture tag! Here it goes: open your first photo folder (She took this to mean oldest digital pictures folder). Scroll down to the 10th photo. Post that photo and story on your blog. Tag five others (or more) friends to do the same.

Monica's brother took this one while he was in Santa Barbara for our wedding. What's remarkable about it is that it's just the kind of thing that guy from Minnesota would take a picture of when he's in California. I only understand now that he was in California in February. Let me say again, he was in Minnesota in February, and then he flew to California. I don't think I could have understood at the time what a shock that must have been. Especially to come to Santa Barbara. It must have seemed freakish or like coming to heaven. He left a land that was slushy and frozen and beaten hard for three months by winter with at least a month or more of snow and subzero temperatures and he came to the Southern California coast. What must our verdant desert have seemed like? Among some of the other pictures he took was this one:

And this one:

This one was also on the roll:

Here he is with his sister, soon to be married she is, running into the Pacific Ocean - in February - I can't stress that enough - February. Just as they ran into Lake Michigan as children.

I'll tag you back and add Blueprint Blue.

http://girlintheroom.blogspot.com/

http://blueprintblue.blogspot.com/

Too Late For Crime?

2009-03-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Is it too late for me to fulfill my life ambition of being a professional criminal and cat burgler?

This reminds me of my current favorite pitch - Go Team Ninja! - it's City Slickers meets Beverly Hills Ninja. A motley crew of middle aged misfits are thrown together during a work team building exercise. They bicker and complain until their beloved ninja master is kidnapped and they must band together and use the ninja techniques that they've gleaned along with their office skills to find him and bring him home.

Who Am I Here? Addressed More Fully.

2009-03-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

I spent many years doing one kind of thing - working toward creating a screenwriting career in New Spain. Now I feel like that has come to an end. Not a bad end, but still an end. I still write. But now writing scripts seems pointless - not pointless, but purposeless. Why write scripts? Am I really going to sell one? Certainly I enjoy it, but there are other more reader-ready forms of writing than scripts. And, to tell the truth I was never a natural at it. Now of course I have a family and I am the guy who is going to work and making the money. I do that well. I'm good at it. Maybe I've spent the last ten years as Michael Jordan trying to play baseball. I like work. But my picture of my identity isn't of someone who works in an office, my picture of my identity is of someone who is an artist - a creator rather than a manager or a helper. Who can I blame for this? Ha! I can't say I regret my choices. I would much rather be in the position I am now having done what I wanted without too much regard for practicality than looking back with regret at not having goofed off more.

Who Am I Here?

2009-03-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

This is the question that I've bumped into frequently since we've moved to New France - who am I here? God, there's so much to say about this I can't write it all now. Later.

Why Today?

2009-02-27T07:37:00.001-08:00

Why have I picked today to start posting again? Who knows? It could be the sheets of ice over the streets and sidewalks. It could be because I'm wearing corduroy pants with a corduroy sport coat. (Some out there would be surprised, and I hope proud, to see how well I've cleaned up since my stay-at-home dad days.)

The real reason is because I miss typing and writing. I had a day off yesterday and did no writing at all. None. A completely free bonus day - with no writing done. What does that mean? Have I given up on my script? No. No. I refuse. I'm incubating it. But man, I need some outlet. Some venue for my thoughts.

If you're looking for a good read, try Norman Rush's Mating. Top shelf fiction. I must have read something else since then, but I can't remember what...

Airport

2008-11-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the only thing I haven't been able to get my head around is the airport. The only thing that I can't think is quaint or homey is the airport. All I want to do is drive to the airport, board the plane, and get off at my destination. I'm not to be convinced that it's somehow a minor inconvenience to have to change planes every time I fly. Every single time. And many times through O'Hare. O'Hare! Many good men and women have been lost there. I can deal with the cold. I can handle the food. The falling leaves, Packer fans, snow, Badger fans, North Face wearing students, the "traffic" on the highway, the constant search for winter clothes, rural jurors, farmers, hunters, fishermen, and all of it, but man. Why can't there be a direct flight anywhere that I want to fly?

Here's the list of cities that are served by flights from MSN. So I have family in two of those cities, but I'm disregarding that since I have yet to fly from here to either of them. My point is that it's like flying out of AOL Online airport. It's severely restricted. I suppose this is the sign that I need to start loving New York.

# Atlanta - Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)

# Chicago - O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

# Cincinnati - Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)

# Cleveland - Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)

# Dallas-Fort Worth - Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

# Denver - Denver International Airport (DEN)

# Detroit - Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)

# Memphis - Memphis International Airport (MEM)

# Milwaukee - General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

# Minneapolis - Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

# New York - LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

# Newark - Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

# St. Louis - Lambert/St. Louis International Airport (STL)

# Washington DC - Reagan National Airport (DCA)

Goodness

2008-11-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

We Made It!

2008-05-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

We've successfully made the move. Monica's mother, Suzanne, came and watched the baby while we packed up the house. Her brother, Jeremy, came and took charge of packing the truck. The ladies flew to Madison, and Jeremy and I - and my dad - drove out here. If I had a laptop I could have live blogged the whole thing, but it was probably more efficient and less annoying to everyone around that I just did my part to help the move.

Here's the recap of the drive in the car and the moving van. (This is a lift from an email to South Pas Ian.)

"We left South Pasadena and drove up to my dad's place in St. George, UT. He took us out to dinner at the Elks Club. My brother in law thought that was a real hoot. We left Utah on Thursday intending to drive all the way to Cheyenne, Wyoming, but after a few hours we decided to take it easy and stop early since our next planned stop after Wyoming was Omaha, NE (an easy drive from anywhere in Wyoming). We stayed over night in Rawlins, WY, about a hundred miles short of Cheyenne.

We woke up on Friday to snow and wind. We were able to drive about 60 miles to Laramie, Wyoming before the highway patrol closed interstate 80 due to high wind and ice on the road. Jeremy said that the short drive from Rawlins to Laramie instantly made his "top 5 of his most harrowing drives ever." It certainly was tough. We were driving at 40 mph at some points because visibility was so low. We stopped in Laramie and had breakfast. It was only about 10 when we stopped. It really made my father upset. He couldn't quite accept it. Regardless we sat around the restaurant and played cards for a couple hours. We kept one ear on the highway advisory radio channel, but nothing changed. Finally my dad drove up to the highway and he saw some trucks moving (semi-trucks had lined themselves up on the shoulder of the interstate, waiting for the road to open). He thought that the road had opened. We drove ourselves up there, but the road wasn't open yet. We parked at Wal-Mart and killed some more time there. Then we parked the moving truck and the car in the line of semi-trucks lined up on the road. And waited. I read. We listened to the advisory channel in the car repeating the same messages over and over.

About three o'clock Jeremy and I started trying to talk my dad into giving up for the day, getting a hotel room and maybe seeing a movie, but he refused. He was convinced that the road would open soon. His misunderstanding was that he thought it was the snow that was causing the problems. He thought that they would have the interstate cleared of snow soon and that we could pass. However the problem wasn't the snow. It was the wind. Up to 70 mph according to the advisory channel message. And it wasn't letting up. The trick is that there is kind of high pass on our route on the interstate between Laramie and Cheyenne. The wind in this area gets up very strong.

We drove to the last exit before the road closure and could clearly see the highway patrol car sitting in the middle of the road with its lights on. Then we circled around and got back in line behind the semitrucks. Eventually, sometime after six oclock, we convinced my dad that we had to get a room. It would be dark between eight or nine, and even if the road was opened it still wouldn't be actually safe. And neither of us wanted to drive in those conditions in the dark. He finally agreed. We got a hotel room. According to the radio the road coming west (opposite the way we were traveling) opened about 8, and the road going east opened about nine, well after dark. Thank god, we didn't try it. It would have been scary as hell. Jeremy and I ended up going out for a beer and watching Atlanta beat Boston in game 6. Downtown Laramie is pretty happening. It's a college town so there were lots of people out on a Friday night.

The next morning, Saturday, my dad woke us up at 4:30 am. We were on the road at, I remember, 5:22 am. Light, but not the disc of the sun, was just appearing over the mountain pass that we were going to travel over. We got going with the intention to try to get all the way to Madison in one day. Dad had a plane to catch Sunday, and Jeremy's wife, Tracey, was having a birthday and we needed to get back to have lunch with her. We'd have to leave Wyoming, cross the length of Nebraska, cross Iowa, and then surge into Wisconsin. We took it as it came, switched drivers around, ate quickly, and ultimately we made it. We pulled into Monica's parents place about 10:30 Saturday night. It was exhausting, but also exciting and challenging.

We unloaded the truck pretty quickly the next morning. Then celebrated Tracey's birthday. Took my dad to the airport."

Whew!

The Next Step

2008-03-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Now that we're back from our trip two things will happen. I will start looking for work, and we're also going to B'shire in two weeks for a long weekend to look for a place to live (and love) when we move out there.

We've already got a line on a house (for rent) that sounds wonderful. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa K! We'll also look at a couple apartments for the sake of due diligence.

The job is another thing. I am intimidated to look for work without actually being there, but I am sure that I'll find something great. The kind of thing I'm looking for right now is nonprofit oriented, especially in development. Development is a euphamism for fund raising. I'm looking on Idealist.org, the city of Madison website, craigslist, and a couple arts jobs sites. I see a new development job opening up every few weeks, so I think I should be able to find something.

Back from the Continent

2008-03-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

Me and the family got back from our trip abroad the other day. You can check out the slide show here.

Our Trip to Italia

What was I talking about...?

2008-02-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Kubota is back from her week in Italy. I am so pleased and happy. Both Kiki and I are elated to have her home again. Next: we all go to Italy as a family in two weeks. It'll be a lot of fun. Wish us luck!

The Badgershire list. It's the same as below. Although now we've added "have a garage sale" to it. April will be very busy.

Oh, Today

2008-02-12T19:51:00.000-08:00

Nothing like being the sole caretaker of an under-2-year-old to get one focused on the moment.

Today we watched Sesame Street at from 7am till 8. Tidy-ed up and played till 10. Went over to the neighbors (Amelia was not into playing in the sprinklers with the other kids). At 11 we went to the park till noon. I drove a few extra minutes and she fell asleep. I wrote a little during my lunch hour (pizza crusts, faux-chicken sandwich, and a piece of cake). Talked to my brother; we're going to visit him tomorrow. Amelia ate lunch (pizza pieces-no crusts). Played with Ian and Quinny (Quinny started walking last night!). Dropped tickets off at D and A's house. Watched a little 'Babe' and 'Elmocize' from the library; ate dinner. Amelia took a bath then read for like an hour and I just dropped her into sleepy land where she is now.

She, of course, peed on the couch after this photo was taken.

Monumental

2008-02-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

I rode the train from our little suburb into Union Station yesterday. I have been through some of the great train stations of the world and while Union Station doesn't do the traffic of Tokyo or Victoria Stations it is a wonderful, ambitious place. It is monumental as the main train station of a monumental city should be.

It is that "monumental-ness" that is among the things I will miss in Badgershire.

On the other hand, the country is right there in Badgershire. You could drive two hours and still not be in the country here.

"The Move to Badgershire" - Intro

2008-02-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

We've got a map of Badgershire on the wall. With a to-do list. And job opportunities for Rabbi in a clip board. The plan is for Mrs. Kubota to stay home with Baby Kubota and I, Rabbi, to go to work.

On the to-do list:

Sell car - posted an ad on Wednesday. Actually having trouble unloading thirteen year old Toyota. I blame George Bush and the weak economy.

Buy tickets for April - This is a trip to look for apartments in Badgershire. This is done. We're going for a long weekend (thursday to monday) the first weekend in April.

Set up job interviews for April trip - Hmm... Better get cracking on this...

Find apartments to look at - Mrs. Kubota's aunt has offered us a free apartment, but we will still look for a place that we really like since our pet cats pay more rent than most residents of Badgershire.

Find POD, or moving van - I'm voting for getting the moving van, sending Mrs. Rabbi and Baby Rabbi ahead on a plane and driving out myself with whoever I can get.

Next time... What job opportunities are posted in the clip board? Who will drive with Rabbi? And how will Rabbi and Baby Kubota fare while mom is in Italy?

Milton!

2008-02-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's right. I'm reading Paradise Lost. Just finished Part I. It's not so hard if you don't worry about understanding it.

Reading

2007-11-12T10:14:00.001-08:00

So, true to my word, I've read the last Harry Potter and I'll be reading Ford's Independence Day next.

I've also just finished Dodson's biography of Ben Hogan. I recommend it.

Leaving Los Angeles

2007-09-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Rabbi and me are going to leave Los Angeles in May of 2008. We'll be moving to Madison, WI. It's a sad thing. And a happy thing. It is hard to imagine live somewhere else. No Thai food. No friends. No sunshine. But we'll have grandparents and aunts and uncles. "Real" weather. Lush green golf courses eight months out of the year. Maybe we'll get to buy a house!

Not sure what else to say about that except that I'll miss LA terribly. I already do.

Notice of Change to Service

2007-09-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

So, this post represents the renewal of A Brief History of the Rise and Fall of Ten Minutes Ago, the RabbiKubota blog.

WhatShouldIDoJason.com is no longer in service.

You can still look at videos of my baby here.

And you can see what I've been reading over on the right. Next on my literary plate is the Dodson biography of Ben Hogan, Ford's Independence Day, and the final Harry Potter book.

New Posts

2007-05-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

If you've found your way here you should know that the only portion of this blog that is being updated is the lists of books I've read in 2007.

My current project is this advice column blog:
http://www.whatshouldidojason.com.

or you can look at videos of my baby here.

J.

Books I Read in 2006

2007-01-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

Clean slate now. So I'm going to publish this here for my own reference. It's heavy on the golf books, but otherwise I think I did okay this year. My recommendations from this list are Eyeing the Flash, Peter Fenton's memoir of his teenaged life as a carnival con-man, and, if you like golf, Curt Sampson's biography of Ben Hogan. Also, you'll see that I won't be listing videos or movies this year. They're boring lists, and hard to maintain.

State of the Art by Iain M. Banks
The Scheiber Theory by David Kipen
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (book on tape)
The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England edited by Antonia Fraser (book on tape)
The Swamp Thing Saga graphic novel
Uncle Sam (!) graphic novel
Eyeing the Flash (!) by Peter Fenton
Consider the Lobster(!!) by David Foster Wallace
Q School Confidential by David Gould
Los Angeles Diaries (!) by James Brown
Rebuilt by Michael Chorost
Who's Your Caddie by Rick Reilly
The Big Show by Steve Pond
My Dark Places by James Ellroy
Hogan(!) by Curt Sampson
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
The Tent by Margaret Atwood
How to Learn Golf by Harry Hurt
England, England by Julian Barnes
In Persuasion Nation by George Saunders
The Truth About Babies by Iain Sansome
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
The Giver by Lois Lowry

Here's what I've been working on lately...

2006-12-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Eating

2006-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, the bride and groom have bought us two Italian dinners so far. The wedding is tonight. Three free meals! This trip is paying for itself already.

Vices #3

2006-10-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

I borrowed the in-law's car and drove over to the Monona Golf Course yesterday and hit balls on the driving range. Absolutely beautiful. The earth is so lush here. The grass seems to grow with a banzai mentality as if it wants to somehow out-run the coming winter. The clubhouse starter directed me to the driving range, "Just head out past the ninth green. It's out there," he said. I walked out that way, but had trouble finding it, because, amazingly, there was no path through the grass. The grass grows so fully and quickly that no path is formed. I used a bag of old clubs that my in-laws found after someone moved out of a condo in their complex. They were standard length and so an inch shorter than my long "plus ones." I had a hell of a time hitting the ball. I blame the clubs. I want to go play a round on Monday or Tuesday, but I may not have the right tools. No glove. No tees. No balls even. No balls? Maybe that's the key. I'll do everything the same. Just not use a ball.

"Did you see that one? A hundred and fifty yard eight iron. Damn. I don't hit like that at home," I'll say after watching the imaginary ball soar down the fairway.

Anyway. They have beautiful municpal golf courses in Wisconsin seven or eight months out of the year.

Today

2006-10-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

So we are in the land of leaves of a thousand colors. Even with autumn just having come the weight of deep winter already bears down on me here, I think because I am so sensitive from having lived in the land that winter forgot.

Anyway. Madison is nice. We ate at Olive Garden last night.

Vices - Part 2

2006-09-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

My exploration of reasons I'm transfering my vices to golf continues...

#2 It's beautiful. A golf course is a wonderfully beautiful place. Many times I have been overwhelmed with a feeling of peacefulness while standing in the middle of a fairway. The warm sun shines down on a greensward that is maintained for the very reason I am there. I am with my friends and we have no obligations for that time other than to do the thing that we came there to do. The feeling is something like the feeling from childhood of arriving at the park and having no goals or needs except to play. You want to run to that tree and back as fast as you can? Do it. It's similar. The many thoughts I've had throughout the week of wanting to hit a great shot will now finally be set free. It's also like when George C. Scott stands on the ancient battle ground in the film Patton. This is where it happened and this is where we will be tested. Of course men compare anything they do to war. But compared to war and vices, golf is beautiful.

So this isn't the most beautiful course in America.

However this is.

Vices

2006-09-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

As the Coming of the Baby nears I find that I am moving my impulse for recreational vice into, yes, golf. Who would have guessed? There is a reason stereotypes exist and the Dolfing Gad must exist for a reason. Let's think about why.

Dangerous! Highly addictive!

#1 Addiction. Golf is hard. But rewarding. In that small space is the mating bed of compulsion. Golf rewards compulsive, repetitive, mindless practice and execution. Like a slot machine or blackjack table, one can sit down time after time with little success until hitting a jackpot or a good hand, or, may we all be so lucky, a streak. In golf terms this becomes playing a round and hitting that one perfect shot or putting together a string of pars (or bogeys or birdies, you know, better than your usual). It just feels so good. If this happens once, maybe you'll try to play again and not repeat your success, you never get another "hit," but maybe you do. Maybe you love getting that hit. Watching the ball fly through the air and land far, far away. Launching it from the fairway until it lands softly on the green. Then, miracle, just attempting to putt the ball close to the hole and watching and hearing, unbelievably, as the ball drops into the hole for a birdie. Once something like this happens you are hooked. It may not be fun for you as you may not reproduce it for a long, long time and like any junkie you walk around with a "jones." You jones on the practice tee trying to put a ball through the window of the poor demolition derby truck stranded, crucified by driving range balls. You jones while reading books and magazines packed with the "latest" tips. And, of course, you jones on the course as your tee shots fly off to the right ("for a right handed golfer"), your approach shots land pin high - twenty feet off the green ( add an extra shot or three for skulled chips and chili-dips), and you jones as that three foot putt that you just want to sink to get the hole over with becomes a six inch putt. Was that three putts? Or four?

work

2006-09-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

here I am doing what I swore I'd never do - blogging from work.

all alone again. the others will soon return.

who am I? the puppet or the puppet master?

Dream

2006-09-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

I dreampt [East of the River spelling of that word] last night of preparing for LitFest at work. However, instead of getting ready at the hotel where the event takes place I was with Gore Vidal and a woman in a aquatic reptile holding tank. We walked on wooden beams just above the level of the water. The tank was filled to beyond capacity with alligators, crocs, small poisonous snakes, and large constricting snakes. Every step was tenuous and spider webs hung in my path. The keeper of the reptiles waded through the water. He, Gore Vidal, and the woman didn't seem to mind. I told them I had to leave and they told me that this was just the rehearsal. It took all my concentration to walk on the beams to leave the reptile area.

I came into an old shed. Still filled with cobwebs. Then, I walked out of the shed into a suburban neighborhood.

2006-09-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Someday

2006-09-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

In the future, I wish for a reality in which I never step on another cat's tail. Man, that really makes one unnerved, especially at 6:30 in the morning. The shriek, the cry, the jump, the potential for violence. Why do they just leave their tails laying around everywhere? Maybe I need a Manx cat or just have the tails of the cats I've got chopped off. Is that something you can do at home?

What would the Croc Hunter do?

My new goal is to allow myself to have more than one dream.

I played solid bogey golf yesterday at Studio City. Monica and I went over there. She didn't play, but just walked around and kept my scorecard. I had 7 bogeys, one double bogey, and a par. The three putts were killing me. I blame the greens. The greens were crap. Monica seemed to have a good time. I really liked having her there. We got to the course and there were four or five groups in front of us, but since I was the only one playing we got paired with a nice couple, Bill and Lori. They run their own catering business. We had a great time. Our new agreement is that after the baby comes and we're able to get out and about and Monica is a hundred percent again that I'll run with here while she does marathon training and she'll take up golf.

You'll see that I've just watched Taps on video. (Look to the right.) That was a crazy movie. I never saw it before. Timothy Hutton takes over his military school as they're about to close it down. It was Shakspearean in its ridiculousness. The plot relys on at least two accidental gun discharges that result in deaths. The film goes from believeable to bonkers in a scene and a half. I had to watch just to see how it would end. I mean you kind of know how it would end, but to see exactly. I wonder how they would end it now?

A Scanner Darkly is also very good.

Also, I didn't go to the Golden Oaks community meeting. I'm a lame-o. Sorry old folks.

South Pasadena Seniors Evicted from Golden Oaks

2006-09-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Read the Pasadena Star-News story here:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_4231263

I called the Golden Oaks yesterday and spoke with a woman who identified herself as a manager. She said that the Star-News story was not true, and that "most people [will] stay" at the Golden Oaks after the remodel and rent increase. I'm skeptical. She also told me that the Star-News was wrong and that there is not a new owner, just that the new owner has hired new management. Star-News gets gigged for that one, but even so, isn't that worse in some ways?

What I haven't got information on is the eviction of folks who are on Section 8 housing assistance, and whether those people have been evicted or not, and whether it's legal or not. Certainly it's immoral.

I'm going to call City Hall today and see what's going on over there with regard to this.

The manager at Golden Oaks told me that there will be a community meeting at the Golden Oaks on Saturday, September 2 at 4:30 pm to 5 pm. If you are concerned about the plight of older Americans then you should attend this meeting, learn what you can and share your view.

Late Summer Blahs

2006-08-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

What's missing from ch ch?

UR!

Ha ha. That was a funny one. I saw it on a sign at the Presbyterian Church on the corner of York and Eagle Rock. I like it cause you can't tell it verbally.

I missed the end of the Bridgestone this weekend. The match went to four playoff holes. This is my fate. To miss the best golf. I need to do something about that. Make a commitment.

Tiger's looking for what?

And I can only say, is this this what I think it is? Where is it? How is it?

Mujahadeen on the tee

2006-08-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

The world would be a better place if we could get golf courses in there. Introduced to the consumer benefit of American style capitalism, no country can help but devote itself to economy. It's the consumer benefit - McDonald's - that will bring the world to us. But it has to be given not forced at gunpoint. McDonald's and golf, that's what will bring world peace. Yes, I'm kidding. What it will really take to bring about world peace is an extra planetary goal, like moving an asteroid out of the way or defending the earth from evil space aliens.

It's a crackup.

Here's my swing

2006-08-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Below you'll find video of my swing. This was at the driving range at Wilson/Harding in LA on August 19. Aaron Bowen operating the camera. Read previous post (below) to understand my humiliation and anger.

Ugh. My gang sign at the end is me indicating that I was hitting an eight iron.

My Golf Swing...

2006-08-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

I have been told in the past that my golf swing looked unconfortable. I just chalked it up to every one not being me. "Hey how can you judge my golf swing if you're not me," I thought.

What I did not know is that my golf swing is horrible. Was horrible. I will change it. I looked like I was trying to play with those little clubs you can buy at Target. My god. I looked like I was trying to play on that extra-short floor in Being John Malkovitch. Why didn't you tell me I looked foolish? I blame everyone but me. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't see myself. I heartily recommend that everyone video themselves swinging. It's a great help.

Cipher

2006-08-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a blank. I feel dammed up. Not writing. Blah. I have been reading quite a bit however. Take a look to the left there.

Of the books I've read recently, I really recommend this one:

Eyeing the Flash. One of you Hollywood types should make a movie out of it. It's about this kid who becomes a carnival con man in the early sixties. Not great literature, but well written and true.

2006-08-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

According to this website, I am...

Yao Ming
Take Which NBA player are you? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

I have never played basketball however, so I don't know... I probably should be Mad Dog.

Da Skills

2006-08-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

So much change flowing in and out. I said that before.

The baby is coming in a couple months. We've changed the office into what is now the proto-nursery. There's a small bookshelf with kid's books, a cedar chest, a console table, and a fish tank. The fish tank, like the seas of the just born earth, has water, but no fish. How long would I have to wait for the fish to evolve in it? I suppose we'll go out and buy some fish to put in there before the baby comes. As it seems now she'll be a kind of female Buckaroo Bansai, except instead of being a brain surgeon- scientist-rock star, she will be a world-saving biologist-golfer-rock star.

I've got to go now, but the thought for the day, and I'll come back to this later is: is it enough to, as Jack Kornfield says, "love well" or do we need some success, money, trappings of capital in order to feel fulfilled? Remember Buddha was a wealthy prince before he gave it up to look for enlightenment. Would he have become enlightened had he been born poor?

Work

2006-08-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture from the awards ceremony last November.

Every picture tells a story don't it?

If Cute Overload Won't Do It...

2006-08-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the best photo of an animal from the Orange County Fair

And here are the best photos of a person eating a deep-fried treat at the Orange County Fair

OMG

2006-07-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's cloudy. Nice.

So Long, Hello

2006-06-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

So many people changing.

Chris Kamen is...

2006-05-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Vanilla Gorilla

Chris Kamen is the Vanilla Gorilla.

2006-04-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

2006-04-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

2006-04-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

2006-04-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

2006-04-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

2006-04-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sarcasm

2006-03-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

I have only sarcasm left in my quiver when talking about the screwed up political situation in the United States right now.

"Thank God major combat operations are over with."

"I'm glad we have Republicans in office. They may be greedy, but at least they know how to balance the nation's checkbook."

"How can you not trust the administration? These aren't the kind of men (and women) who act against the interest of the American people."

"I just thank my lucky stars every day that we have a government that respects the Constitution as much as this one does."

In other news, I am starting a new script. It's kind of like building a jet or an aircraft carrier. It takes a long time. Except that after I build it I have to take it apart and put it together again. So it's like building a jet or an aircraft carrier out of Lego Brand building blocks.

Pax Republicana

2006-03-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

Just imagine everything you watch on the news blazoned with the motto: Pax Republicana.

Jack v. Chuck

2006-03-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

- When Jack Bauer was a child, he made his mother finish his vegetables.

- If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.

- Jack Bauer did better than Zack Morris on his SATs... he got a 1503.

- Jack Bauer won the Tour de France on a unicycle to prove to Lance Armstrong it wasn't a big deal. He thinks yellow wristbands are gay.

- If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life.

- Upon hearing that he was played by Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer killed Sutherland. Jack Bauer gets played by no man.

- Jack Bauer's calendar goes from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Jack Bauer.

- Every mathematical inequality officially ends with "< Jack Bauer".

- Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.

- Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.

- If it tastes like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, but Jack Bauer says its beef. Then it's freakin beef.

- Jack Bauer once double teamed a girl.. by himself.

- 1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.

- Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.

- Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.

- Jack Bauer played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

- Jack Bauer is the leading cause of death in Middle Eastern men.

- When life gave Jack Bauer lemons, he used them to kill terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.

- Osama bin Laden's recent proposal for truce is a direct result of him finding out that Jack Bauer is, in fact, still alive.

- If you spell Jack Bauer in a Scrabble game, you win. Forever.

- Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.

- Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.

- Jack Bauer killed 93 people in just 4 days time. Wait, that is a real fact.

- Jack Bauer once killed so many terrorists that at one point, the #5 CIA Most Wanted fugitive was an 18-year-old teenager in Malaysia who downloaded the movie Dodgeball.

- What color is Jack Bauer's blood? Trick question. Jack Bauer does not bleed.

- You can lead a horse to water. Jack Bauer can make him drink.

- Jack Bauer's favorite color is severe terror alert red. His second favorite color is violet, but just because it sounds like violent.

- When you open a can of whoop-a**, Jack Bauer jumps out.

- Simon Says should be renamed to Jack Bauer Says because if Jack Bauer says
something then you better do it.

- Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.

- If Rosa Parks was in Jack Bauer's seat, she'd move to the back of the bus.

- When Google can't find something, it asks Jack Bauer for help.

- Jack Bauer does the Sunday New York Times Crossword Puzzle in ink.

- Sun Tzu once wrote, "If your enemy is weaker, conquer him. If he is stronger, join him. If he is Jack Bauer, you're dead."

- Most children slept with a teddy bear and blanket when they were young, Jack Bauer did the same thing but with a real bear.

- Jack Bauer can get McDonald's breakfast after 10:30.

- Jesus died and rose from the dead in 3 days. It took Jack Bauer less than an hour. And he's done it twice.

- In kindergarten, Jack Bauer killed a terrorist for Show and Tell.

- When the boogie man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Jack Bauer.

- In 96 hours, Jack Bauer has killed 93 people and saved the world 4 times. What have you done with your life?

- Jack Bauer got Hellen Keller to talk.

- Jack Bauer once killed a group of Samurai Warriors with only a ball point pen. This lead to the phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword."

- Your attraction to Jack Bauer in no way affects your sexual orientation.

- It would only take 1 bullet for Jack Bauer to kill 50 Cent.

- People with amnesia still remember Jack Bauer.

- Jack Bauer has been to Mars. Thats why there's no life on Mars.

- When Jack Bauer watches a pot, it boils immediately.

- Jack Bauer once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink.

- Guns dont kill people, Jack Bauer kills people.

- If Jack and MacGyver were locked in a room together, Jack would make a bomb out of MacGyver and get out.

- If Jack Bauer was gay, his name would be Chuck Norris.

- Jack Bauer literally died for his country, and lived to tell about it.

- Jack Bauer once bowled a 301.

- Jack Bauer can hit two birds with no stones.

- Jack Bauer's family threw him a surprise birthday party when he was a child. Once.

- Jack Bauer doesn't play the game SORRY. Jack Bauer apologizes to no one.

- Jack Bauer makes onions cry.

-Vic Mackey suck Jacks balls.

- Jack Bauer played eighteen holes of golf. He scored a seventeen.

conclusion - Jack Bauer is the master

(Thanks Ben and all the folks at http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/ who got this out of China!)

Hey, Dick - part II

2006-02-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

So rumors behind the Attempted Murder Scandal are:

1. Dick Cheney was drunk/stoned when he shot his hunting partner.

2. Dick Cheney was with his lover, the ambassador to Switzerland, when he shot his hunting partner.

3. Dick Cheney was drunk/stoned and with his lover, the ambassador to Switzerland, when he shot his hunting partner.

2006-02-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

I dreamt last night that I visited my childhood bookself – I mean bookshelf. Wow. That’s was a weird typo.

I haven’t done any writing since the middle of December. That’s a really long time for me. It’s not atypical, I guess. Every year I seem to have a period where I stop for a while. Usually after a particularly fertile period. I remember being so motivated and full of energy in December, but now, all my thoughts are gone. I can’t remember what changes I wanted to make to the script I want to work on. Inertia has come and pressed its sticky thumb down on my brain. What to work on…? Funny, how at one time it was obvious to me what to work on and if anything I had too many ideas, but now they have all gone. But I am at least beginning again to follow the time honored formula for success:
butt + chair = writing .

I want to follow the dream thread from a moment ago. It had been my desire for a year or two now (since I left Barnes & Noble) to open my own bookstore. And in the best tradition of catering to the market, I’d call it Required Reading and stock mostly children’s and young adult books from middle and high school students required reading lists. We’d have stacks of Salinger and Aristotle and Shakespeare and Cisneros and Hesiod. Maybe not Hesiod. Anyway, with low overhead, it could be do-able and profitable. Especially around here with all the many private schools and obsessions the local parents have with education. We’d carry some other books as well, mostly young adult and those books popular with the kids. Maybe a little place to hang out. A small newsstand… Ah… Fun.

Hey Dick, Shoot Anybody in the Face Lately?

2006-02-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cheney_hunting_accident

He's just living the dream. He's gathered so much power to himself that now he's blowing guys away just for the fun of it. Awsome.

Here's my Sundance post. A bit late.

2006-02-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

Above you can see a photo from Sundance. This photo will serve as a representation of the three days/nights DS and me spent there. It's blurry because we didn't get any sleep. There are no ladies in the picture because we are both married. There was a big head in the shot because it was really very croweded. There is Sam Shepard in the picture because I drank every night (Although not too much and not really every night. In fact only one night, now that I think about it.). The other fellows in the photo are Wim Wenders, Harry Dean Stanton, and the guy (now grown) who played the kid in Paris, Texas.

To the right you can see my updated list of films. I think you can figure out what I saw there. Probably you will have heard of This Film.... It's good in that sloppy Michael Moore sort of way. Oh, you'll be shocked! Shocked! Really. You will be shocked. ...Seasame Street will make you quit your self-serving day job and force you into the non-profit child saving sector. I really liked it. DS and I went to a party hosted by the people who made Flannel Pajamas. Buy me a drink and I'll tell you about the party. Ask about the bloody girl playing the guitar.

Overall, I got 10 hours sleep over three nights. Yeah.

New Post

2006-02-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Ganesha. He's the remover of obstacles. He removes obstacles to success and fortune.

Go Ganesha, go!

Picture him sweeping away doubt and hesitance in the minds of all those development executives. Sweep Ganesha, sweep! Picture him guiding the hands of the lawyers drawing up the contracts. Guide Ganesha, guide! Ganesha delivers six figure deals to those who are kind. Thank you, Ganesha.

The Monkey, the Turkey, and the Wagon

2006-01-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't written anything since before Christmas. There are many people and animals to blame for that. I blame Internets. Bastard. I blame this blog. I blame work. And the YMCA. I also blame the internet and email. I blame malaise. I blame Sundance and Sandow. I blame the winds at night and the roiling sea. I blame the doubt and the worry that come in the dark. I blame France and the President and the Vice President and the Democratic Party. I blame the English language. I blame a watch in my car and milk and Ganesh and Durga. Oh god and so much more. There is so much blame to go around.

Now what/who do I thank for support and encouragement?

I thank Sweetie. I thank golf. I thank Otto, Dottie, and Spooky P. I thank Elton Brand. (But I do blame Mark Madsen!) I thank Steve and Suzanne. I thank the Culver City Dynamic Duo. And I thank all my folks on the east side of the LA river. And my Santa Monica and Mid-Wilshire peeps. I thank all living beings and I thank all non-living beings. And I also must thank all non-beings (living or non-living). Thank you. Your support has not gone unnoticed. The work will continue soon. Not today. But soon.

Peace to all beings and non-beings.

Chuck

2006-01-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

1. Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.
2. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
3. Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are
trademarked names for his left and right legs.
4. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
5. If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can’t see Chuck
Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.
6. Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
7. Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the
probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.
8. Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a fucking Indian.
9. In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
10. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.
11. There is no theory of evolution, just a list of creatures Chuck Norris allows to live.
12. When Chuck Norris goes to donate blood, he declines the syringe, and instead requests a hand gun and a bucket.
13. Crop circles are Chuck Norris’ way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie the fuck down.
14. Chuck Norris doesn’t churn butter. He roundhouse kicks the cows and the butter comes straight out.
15. If you say Chuck Norris’ name in Mongolia, the people there will roundhouse kick you in his honor.

Thanks to Chander and the many Bothans who died to bring us this...

P.S. Don't forget to Ask Internets .

Winter, Sun

2006-01-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

Looking out the window next to the desk where I write, I see a young oak tree across the street. Formerly proud, now after a day of rain he is barren - leafless. But he'll be back.

Now for some real news. I'm going to the Sundance film festival. I wanted to go, but I didn't want to go alone. A month ago I asked a friend of mine if he was going and he was all like, "No. Probably not." So it looked like I wasn't going. Then last week he called me up and said,"Did you still want to go to Sundance?" I was all like,"You bet." So we booked the flights and hooked up some floor space with a fellow that we know who will also be going. It's a "bring sleeping bags" sort of scenario. I am looking forward to it. Mostly I'm going to a) hustle Sandow, b) meet people, and c) see movies. I'm looking forward to it.

The sun is coming back after a gloomy day. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some golf in tomorrow.

Peace.

P.S. Check out the New Feature on the sidebar. I'm keeping track of all the Books, Films and Videos that I watch this year. I'm working right now on reading the Culture sci-fi novels of Iain M. Banks.

New Year

2006-01-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody. Please give Internets a hand. He did a wonderful job and we may see him again sometime. Thank you, Internets.

I am sensing huge changes coming this year. Some of those changes had their seeds planted in 2005, and some even earlier. Already two of my co-workers have left our little non-profit, one voluntarily, one not. What these changes mean for me is hard to tell.

I would like to share with you some of the phrases that I'm using this year to keep the energy in and around me flowing in a positive direction:

We always have plenty of money.

I always get paid lots of money for my scripts.

I always acknowledge and follow signs and take advantage of opportunites.

I always get everything I want.

There are a couple of others, but they are more personal and not to be shared with the public. As you can tell I spend time thinking about my writing career and making money. If I spend so much time thinking about these things, I figured, why shouldn't I think about them in a positive way, rather than a negative way? Negativity wasn't doing me much good.

And my primary goal for the year, among (but slightly above) my many others goals, is to write professionally so that I can leave my job.

ASK INTERNETS

2006-01-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Internets. You can ask me any question and I'll give you an answer.

Stuff on my Frickin' Cat!

2006-01-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

I thought all you bloggers might like to see what I'm up against everyday.

Superheroes et al. (Holiday Report – part 2)

2005-12-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sweetie and I spent a week with my father and step-mother. Activities involved were: golf (only once), hiking (twice), watching TV (every day), eating pie (four times [twice for breakfast!]), [redacted] (twice), hot soak in the rec room hot tub (twice), and eating out (twice). It was a good time and my folks were very generous, but we overstayed by a day or so.

We went out to the links the day after we arrived and I popped my shoulder out on the first tee. It’s an injury that occurs when I’m tired and nervous, haven’t played for a while, feel rushed and haven’t warmed up properly. Some of you may remember that I did the same thing during a golf excursion as part of a certain Las Vegas bachelor party. It hurts and is a bummer. Regardless, I hit some good shots, and ended up having fun. Dad, my stepmom and I tried to go back out the day before we left, but a crazy storm blew in and we decided against it. I have, as you might guess, a desire to compete with my father at golf. The dream of every son is to thrash his old man, and the golf course is our squared circle.

-- Post script to our first day of golfing: there was a pack of teen-agers on a mesa above the course who were shouting mockeries through a PA system at the golfers. For example: "Good show, old bean!" And, " I like your pink shirt." It was very distracting and also totally surreal. --

Sweetie and I drove up to Zion one day. We spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet and had to stop for an adult deer crossing the road to meet it’s brothers. We hiked up a trail (the Hidden Canyon trail, if I remember correctly), and found ourselves alone hundreds of feet over the canyon. I hung my feet over the drop-off and laid down on the trail. Looking up the vertical walls of the canyon in to the sky I had ten seconds or so of transcendence. Amazing. That’s why people take drugs, man.

We watched Spider-man 2 with the parents and also The Day After Tomorrow, which my dad called “really good science-fiction.” I guess he just wanted us to know that he didn’t endorse the film’s lefty politics.

We ate cherry pie with strawberry ice cream, and pecan pie with whip cream.

[redacted]

The rec room pool was very nice. The “weight room” was a treadmill, a stepper, a stationary bicycle, a small rack of chrome dumbbells and a tower of weight machines assembled, apparently, by Spanish Inquisition. The rec room hot tub was great.

Now, if you get to southern Utah, you must check out the Blue Bunny. Blue Bunny is a sit-down ice cream parlor and so much more. We went there during the “Santa Claus Pajama Party” and, as a former professional Santa, the Blue Bunny Santa is as close as you get to the real thing. This guy was good.

Anyway… There’s so much more to say about the trip. We were visited by the superbeing D-Nyal, whose power to pretend ignorance, regift presents, parrot his evil masters, and self-medicate is far greater than that of moral men. He can only be defeated by the parakeet Paraclete - David Allen Sibley. Thank you, David.

Holiday Report

2005-12-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

Writing to you from Utah today. Please enjoy a classic Free Media Report article from a few years ago.

Starbuck Finalizes Uni Deal

2005-12-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES – Coffee giant Starbucks Coffee Corporation announced today that it has finalized its purchase from Vivendi Universal of subsidiary Hollywood movie studio Universal Pictures.

Howard Shultz, Chairman and Chief of Global Strategies for Starbucks, announced the acquisition today at a board of directors meeting in Seattle. Starbucks bought Universal Studios and its lucrative film library outright for 5.2 billion dollars, nearly half a billion dollars less than the French company spent to purchase Uni from Matsushita in 1995. The move gives Vivendi a much need cash infusion that will help the beliegured company avoid bankrupcy.

Running of the studio will be supervised for Starbucks by current Executive VP of Merchandizing, Marketing and Brand Development, Melvin Hartwang, who will be promoted to Overseer of Studio Operations and will report directly to Shultz. Shultz said that Starbucks has been contemplating a move into the entertaiment industry for some time.

“We have the ability to make more films, cheaper,” Shultz said.
Changes in studio operations, which were outlined in an investor’s packet, include closing down Universal’s offices in Los Angeles, firing all household, clerical and writing staffs and moving essential employees to “film production plantations” in South America, East Africa and Indonesia.

“We can merge our current network of coffee producing real estate with our new film production business quite seamlessly. The cost for us to shoot in Costa Rica versus Los Angeles or even Canada will be pennies on the dollar. Using digital technology, we will be able to pump the footage Stateside for ‘roasting’, and then serve it up fresh at theaters or new micro-theaters in the stores,” Overseer Hartwang said.

When questioned about the ethics of runaway production, Hartwang said only, “Starbucks is very proud of its role as a good corporate citizen and we will continue to act in strict accordance with our own Corporate Social Responsibility Statement.”

Vivendi Chief Jean-Rene Fourtou, who replaced former head Jean-Marie Messier this summer, said after signing the the papers on his yacht anchored off the Grand Cayman Island, “good riddence.”

Starbucks trades on Nasdaq as SUBX and closed up 2 1/2 at 23.25 Friday.

Um, dude, it's take your pick day...

2005-12-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

Door Number 1 – Fascism

Door Number 2 – Big Brother

Door Number 3 – Imperialism

I have a coworker who thinks that Bush is going to be impeached after the 2006 midterms. I think that’s wishful thinking, but, god, I’m wishing real hard. What’s scary about the neo-conservative philosophy is that it’s largely based on fear. Fear of poor people, fear of brown skin, fear of The Other. It’s especially hard to take that the White House authorized warrant-less domestic spying on behalf of protecting the people of the United States. His actions make us less American. It’s good that he’s still relatively young. There’ll be plenty of time for him to face the firing squad.

***

I want to throw some crazy props out to J.C. Coates. You are a baller among bloggers. Your stats are amazing. Double doubles on the comment boards. And a behind the back slam dunk with two dead dogs. All net!

RE: my use of “ludacris.”
I just didn’t know how to spell “ludicrous.” And I was too lazy to look it up, but I did know how to spell the rapper's name.

RAVE

2005-12-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

As I see from my console, it has been nearly two weeks since my last post. I am sorry to all of you who were looking for some follow up. I sent ME a thank you card. NK is in London for two months. I have a few phone calls to make. One to a pair of writers, the S's (a strictly a get-to-know-you call). Another to an agent, PC, she's reading Sandow. Also to the fellow I ate Thanksgiving dinner with. My friend JTK and I are working on a pilot spec - a ludicris endeavor except for the fact that I know somebody who knows somebody who wants to look at it. I need to write a regular spec to make it fly. I don't have one. I'm thinking Scrubs. DS wants to send out Chronic Psycho after Sundance. That's the summary from the writing front.

Sweetie wants me to tell everyone that I beat her with a foam bat. I have never beat her with a foam bat.

My rave:

I am a huge fan of the redesign of the US currency. I love the new twenties and the overall look of the new bills. Classic with some modernist talking points. But it is in the realm of coinage that the new currency design is really taking flight. The state quarters have been, till now, mostly novelties (with the exception of the gorgeous Connecticut). However, the scheme has come of age with the introduction of the Kansas quarter. The new Kansas state quarter, if you haven't seen it, is beautiful. The usual image of Geo. Washington on the obverse, but on the reverse a humane and amazingly transcendent image of a buffalo among wild flowers of the plains. Absolutely sublime. Simplicity as art. After the confusing, inelegant jumbles of such quarters as (backstabber that I am) California and Minnesota, the Kansas shows the power of coinage as a venue for public art.

In addition, the new 2005 nickels are wonders of cutting edge design. The enlarged and slightly off-set image of Thom. Jefferson on the obverse brings a "cents" of motion to this piece. I particularly enjoy the way the scripted word "Liberty" seems to be flowing out from his mouth. Together with the buffalo reverse (which is a tribute to the original buffalo nickel and which the Kansas quarter evokes) these new nickels show that US currency can be both beautiful and meaningful.

Kudos to the U.S. Mint and the Department of the Treasury!

Out.

No title this week

2005-11-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

The “holiday season” has come. Sweetie and I spent a nice day at home. She made pies and I went to the driving range. Then, we took one of Sweetie’s friends up on her invitation to Thanksgiving dinner. Very good food. I missed the traditional formal accoutrement of the holiday celebration, however. Would a table to sit at have been too much to ask for? Also, Sweetie’s friend’s boyfriend was a great and friendly guy, but a screenwriter. He’s made about as much money at it as I have, which is to say not a lot (maybe he’s made a little, I don’t know). Regardless, I almost always feel an awkward jealously thing when meeting other screenwriters. A big plus is that he has the potential to be a golf buddy.

(You thought I was going to get all introspective about my jealousy, but no.)

Typically, this time of year I feel a malaise. An ennui. I get grumpy. Why? Could it be that I don’t like to spend money on others? Maybe. Is it that the sun doesn’t provide the nourishment that it usually does? Could be. Is it lingering memories of my youth? Definitely. It sucks to have to pick which of your parents to spend Christmas with and that stuff sticks with you. (If you’re reading this and you are one of my parents, don’t beat yourself up about it. You did the best you could. I’ve got my issues, and I’m sure you have your issues.) This holiday grumpiness thing will come up in future posts. So be warned. But that's all for today.

Briefly:

- Walter, the guy who lived in his van on the street behind our house, has moved on. His truck and van are both gone. Where did he go? Did he migrate? Did the cops force him to go? I can’t say and I can't say I’ll miss him, but I’ll never forget him. Go with God, Walter.

- I had my meeting with ME at his house. It was cool. He made me coffee and we hung out. Just two writers shooting the bull. He didn’t want to read Chronic Psycho, but I didn’t care.

(Special to Sweetie’s mom, you could also send your support over the ethereal wires for me and DS to sell Chronic Psycho for low against mid to high sixes. [that’s Hollywood talk for “enough money to pay off all of our student loans and have enough left over for half of a house”.])

Chronic Psycho Qu'est Que C'est

2005-11-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

The Chronic Psycho reading was last night. Had a good turn out. Sweetie and me were the only ones not to read. The script has come a long way since I batted it around with the other CP, our friend in Singapore. The script is, in descending order, a stoner-comedy-horror-sex film, although it’s clearer to say stoner-horror comedy with a couple short episodes of explicit sex, nudity and phantasmal genitalia.

All the readers were exceptional. People were laughing throughout the reading. Sweetie and I worked hard to set the right tone for the evening. If I had had my druthers it would have been in the afternoon, but it was difficult to find an afternoon that was good for everyone. The trick is that it seemed like it would be a party because it was at night, but really it needed to be more like work, because it is my work. I debated getting some weed for the reading, but ultimately didn’t. I didn’t want to put out alcohol either at first, but we put out some beers and a bottle of wine and it all worked out fine. My big worry was that people would get drunk or high and not have good feedback or not read their parts well. That turned out not to be an issue.

The most gratifying thing was, and this is corny, I know, was that people seemed to be genuinely entertained by the script and to enjoy it.

The next step is to start getting some attention to it. I’ll show it to ME (a big time comedy writer), perhaps he’ll read it. My friend DS is very interested in it, and in fact, he has been a driving force behind its development. He read the first draft and encouraged me to continue to work on it when most of the other comments were ambiguous or reflected confusion with the script. The script had an uneasy birth. Anyway, I believe that DS wants to send it around with the intention of getting it produced. My goal is to get paying work. That’s my mantra: Chronic Psycho brings paying screenwriting jobs.

A Post on "Getting Out There"

2005-11-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

So the in the wake of the BigEvent the good work of our little nonprofit continues on. We have liquid assets for the moment so I’m going to buy some nice bookcases for the office. The preparations for next year’s awards begin as box after box of books come in to be judged. That’s why the need for bookcases. I’m also making a lot of phone calls thanking people. Which leads to...

I emailed big deal screenwriter ME (he’s the guy who polished my draft of the BigEvent script) yesterday. We’re going to get together next week for a chat about the “the business.” If I’m lucky he’ll agree to read Chronic Psycho. I’ll also tell him about Not for Profit, a sit-com I worked up last year for a contest. And since he created a sit-com that ran for five seasons he may be helpful. That’s the comedy angle.

I have also emailed RS, a big time working writer who I met at the awards. I asked him if it might be possible to chat. And if he agrees then I’ll ask him to read Sandow. He (and his wife) is completely in line with the “manifesting” and “positive vibration” action that is happening in my life right now. So I feel good about him.

There are two other writers who are also prime targets. I have not quite figured out the correct approach for them. Why I think of Hollywood people as skittish deer, I don’t know. Anyway. I have some comedy writing and some dramatic-period writing. Those are my two prongs.

My Free Will Astrology horoscope said this week, “People with less skill than you have won out because they had more raw drive than you. Now I'm alerting you to the possibility that the same damn thing could happen again soon unless you take vigorous action.”

Whether or not astrology is based in reality or not is something that I don’t want to debate. But let me tell you the truth of the above statement has moved me to vigorous action, and that’s the important thing.

I want to be able to support me and Sweetie (and little Rabbi Jr. when he or she comes along) with my writing.

Also, we are reading Chronic Psycho this weekend at my house. Having a few people over. It's kind of scary to open the thing up like that, but I think it's a great and important step.

BigEvent = Rebirth! (this is part 2, read part 1 first!)

2005-11-11T02:56:00.000-08:00

5:30 p.m. The biggest fundraiser of the year approches in an hour and it looks like the eighty page program book will not arrive in time. For all the time and money we spent on it this is a disaster. It also means that the guests won't know what's going on, and the funders won't see their ads. This is a BFD.

I am nearly shivering with nerves. Thankfully our room captain has ordered his minions to move the twenty pound gift bags – did I mention that there were 400 of them? - from the staging area into the ball room. They are also placing them under the seats, a separate job. Didn’t have nearly enough people for this thing. There was no way we could have done it ourselves. It’s hard to get volunteers for the middle of the day on a weekday. Thankfully, Kid and her team of eye-rolling undergrads have done a bang-up job on the silent auction and it is now finished. Unfortunately that also means that they are going up to the room to change. No more help. I see the bag stuffers going up to change into their party clothes as well. I can only hope that my team has stuffed enough bags.

I too must go up the room to change. The thing will start soon. I’m wandering around. Not quite blindly. I made photocopies in the hotel business center. At $2.49 a minute it came to $18. That’ll go on the expense sheet. I need to change. The show must go on. I don’t know when it happened that I became the primary contact with the printer. I think no one else wants to know that the iceberg is coming. So. With Sweetie trailing me, she’s my booster tonight, I decide to go up to the room to change. No tribute/progam book. Failure is pushing her arm down my throat and stirring my insides in preparation of ripping my viscera out through my mouth.

But before I do, I decide to make one last call to the printer. Standing outside the valet parking, surrounded by cocktail dresses and sport coats, I call the printer.

“Can I talk to Jim?” I say.
“He wants to talk to you,” the guy who answers the phone says.
A pause.
“Hey, Rabbi, how’s it going? Did you get the poster and the postcards? I sent them over separately?”
“Yeah, Jim, I got them, thank you. What’s up with the tribute book?”
“I sent it over with two guys. I sent two guys in a white van.”
I look up and rounding the corner is a white van.
“It’s a white van?”
“Yeah, I sent two guys…
The van pulls up next to me, blocking half of the valet parking lane. The driver leans out the window.
“You from the printer?” I ask the driver.
“Yeah,” he says.
“They’re here, Jim. Thank you.”

I hang up the phone and me and one of the guys take half the books inside while the driver directs traffic around his lane blocking double – no triple! – parking job. I hold up the sample book for the event planner. Anuses unclench.

The helper and I go back out. We get the last half of the books.

The rest of the event went off well. I showered and changed. Sweetie ironed my shirt. My god I love her. I went downstairs and helped the PR folks round up photo ops.

The last-minute-script-rewriting board member arrive with an insert page for the MC. She gave it to him. Of course when the program actually started he ignored it.

Also, I ran into NK. (Read my summary of my relationship with NK here.) The first thing he said to me was, “I owe you a phone call.” I was so gratified. He had gotten Sandow but hadn’t yet read it. But he said that he would. I told him how I had been fretting about not contacting him directly when I sent Sandow. “Don’t worry. Just keep sending out your stuff,” he said. It was incredibly heartening.

The program went on. Sweetie and I split a meal. Some of the program was awkward, some of the speeches were blah, but it did tend to get better as it went on. And Gore Vidal has more stagecraft than Madonna. Wonderful.

Wonderful.

BigEvent = Holy Crap! (part 1)

2005-11-10T04:32:00.000-08:00

I am writing this at 3:30 a.m. the night after the annual Big Literary Event. I tried to go to sleep at 12:30 and then woke at 3 a.m. with the adrenaline still working on me like Bolivian marching powder. I just had a shot of some Canadian whiskey that my father gave me last Christmas – the only alcohol in the house – to take the edge off. I hate that crap. Still I needed to do something.

My anxiety nearly overwhelmed me. I was very close to curling into a corner screaming and crying. I was eating my own head and digesting my own heart.

How can I explain in this short forum how much pressure I felt and how much nearly went wrong?

To begin, I got to the office yesterday morning, the morning of the BigEvent, knowing that there were changes to the program script to the Big Literary Event. What I didn’t know is that the night before I had sent the wrong version of the script to the president of our board, who had commented on it and sent it back. In addition she had sent it around to two other board members. So on a day when I shouldn’t have even been in the office I was spending two hours making changes to the script and hoping that I didn’t bruise any egos when they found out that we wouldn’t be using the draft they commented on. I did what damage control I could beforehand, but this feeling of waiting to be pounced on by board members loomed all day. Eventually it happened, but I’ll tell that tale when I get to it.

After driving in the rain to the Historic hotel in downtown Los Angeles, me and my small team got going putting together the gift bag. Now this bag weighs about twenty pounds. It is canvas and included a book by Gore Vidal as well as books by four of our literary winners, three magazines (Including a magazine weighing three pounds! We weighed it!), a very new biography of a blacklist collaborator/film director, and five postcards. This was the manual labor that consumed my day. Luckily we were able to get the wonderful, magnificent folks at the hotel to actually move the bags from the staging area to the room and they also put the bags under the seats. Those guys rock and they are great. Always do your events there. (I will comment now on my co-worker who wanted more help putting the bags together, help that would have come from the silent auction team. Understandably she wanted help. But I had to keep telling her that the silent auction is fundraising. The gift bags are not, and silent auction comes first. Ultimately, of course it all got done.)

Now we come to the soul churner, the seemingly never-ending bamboo under fingernail treatment. There’s this thing called the tribute book. It’s eighty pages long. It’s the program for the event, listing everything that happens. It’s also has essays on all the important awards, excerpts of the literary winners, and, most important, advertisements bought by our donors. Our printer told us that the book would be there on Tuesday, the day before the event. The book didn’t come on Tuesday. And by the time I got to the hotel at noon on Wednesday, the book still wasn’t there. Our event was in six and a half hours. I called the printer. He was still putting it together. He told me two-thirty. I was worried. It wasn’t my project like it was my responsibility, but I did much of the work writing the book and I had some control about how it was handled. It got to the printer late. I could have gotten it there sooner, and really I should have worked much harder to get it there sooner. Anyway. It needed to be there. If there’s no book, then the sponsors who bought ads would get very, very mad. So mad we might not get money from them. Two-thirty and three o’clock roll around. Still no books. I call the printer. It’s three o’clock, three and half hours before the start of the event. The printer tells me something like, “We’re still gluing them. They will be there at four-thirty.” Oh, god. This is the point when I started feeling the doomed gut feeling that I’ve only had in the past during life-changing personal failure. I was flipping out inside.

About this time I spent a half-hour on the phone with a board member who insisted on making script changes. It was too late, I told her, the script is done. We have no computer here. She pitched me on it. I told her I didn’t have the equipment. She insisted. Ultimately she and my boss agreed that she could bring in a replacement page. Half an hour. Like I’ve got nothing better to do. I returned to the assembly of the gift bags. I was close to tears although I don’t think it showed.

Four rolls around. No tribute books. I call the printer. He’s sending some other smaller things. But not the tribute book.

Five comes. Sweetie calls me. She’s leaving work. She’s going to help with the audio-visual components of the show. We’re an hour and a half out. Still no tribute books. Sweetie helped my heart quite a bit. I got a little of my mojo back.

Stay tuned for part 2...

Other Stuff

2005-11-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

So, with Libby’s “Not Guilty” plea, it appears that the administration, and the right in general, has sunk its entire nest egg in rope manufacture. Rope that they are using to hang themselves. This gives me some breathing room for other stuff.

Here’s the NK update. I guess he’s retiring. I heard about NK from a co-worker. He’s a big time manager of two of “the greatest actors of their generation” (my quote) as well as some other folks. I asked my co-worker to hook me up and she very graciously did. He spends a lot of time in London so I gave him Constance (I hadn’t finished Sandow or I would have given that to him). He read it, which was very cool, and then he met me and gave me some general feedback. He also gave the contact info for a couple of producers in Britain. I made phone calls and sent emails but nothing came of it. Then I made my mistake. I sent him Sandow without telling him personally. We had discussed the script before I finished it, but I hadn’t gotten his explicit assent to send it over. I told his assistant that I was sending it, but I should have known better. Anyway, that was a couple months ago. I've seen him since then, but he hasn’t mentioned Sandow.

Oh! And I saw him at the theatre one night, and I think he saw me, but I was too chicken to go say “hi.” So, now I hear he’s retiring from management. Should I call and follow up now or what?

The BigEvent at work is looming. Three days. I’m excited. I finally got the script for the program to the Big Time writer who is doing our rewrite. Now if he can get it back in time we’ll be sailing smooth.

My fortune from Empress Pavilion was, “A new work opportunity will avail itself.” What could it be?

And finally some prognostication that will get me thrown one of those secret black site jails... With all the press that the Supreme Court has gotten lately with the death of Chief Rehnquist, Roberts' two nominations, Meirs, and now Alito, the profile of the Court has been raised to a dangerous degree. The Secret Service (or whatever agency performs this function) needs to step up security around the Justices of the Supreme Court. Especially if Alito gets confirmed, the temptation will be too great for potential assassins. The attack could come from either the left or the right, both have plenty of reasons to knock off a Justice. A left-wing nutjob might target Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas (we can only hope – just kidding, ha, ha. You can put that down now…) or even a confirmed Alito to “re-balance” the court. Probably a more likely scenario would be a right-wing nutbar going after Souter (poor David, no respect) or Ginsberg. The reasons are obvious. Can you imagine heading into 2008 with three Bush Supreme Court appointees? (If I disappear in a few days call my congressman!)

One thing to look for with Alito, what are his corporate rulings like? Does he tend to favor corporations over voters or does he side with the people? This will be the silent, but deadly issue of the Roberts Court (Stinky poo!) I’ve heard that Roberts rulings in this area are dismal, tending to favor corporate rights rather than individuals.

Black Sites

2005-11-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Listen, you can hear it...

What's that you say?

It's the sound of an administration trying to unring the g-d d-mned bell.

This stuff is just going to keep on coming.

NBC and the Washington Post report that the CIA is detaining, interrogating (and certainly torturing) al-Qaida captives at so-called "Black Sites" in the former Soviet Union. Known to only a few in the administration and to the operatives working there. No oversite.

Doesn't it make you want to vomit? Or cry?

I'm not evil. I don't want my country to be evil either.

Hell of a Week: Libby, Meirs, BigEvent

2005-10-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I just hit 70,000 playing this game on the Xbox.

So much to write about...

LIBBY ET AL.

We know now that the Bush Administration (in the wake of the Libby indictments and the non-dismissal of Rove) has no compunction with lying to America, and that they feel no obligation to do anything that doesn't profit them.

"A Poem for George W. Bush"
Profit. Profit. Profit. Profit.
Profit.

Bush should fire Rove. Rove should step down. Can you imagine saying to your own boss, "Well I wasn't indicted!?" Sweetie thinks that Bush would fire Cheney before he'd fire Rove. Why? Because Bush is a mouthpiece for Rove, not his boss.

These were the people who were supposed to be so concerned with national security? They are leaking names of CIA agents. How does that jive?

MEIRS ETC

Harriet Meirs. I kind of like her now. She reminds me of my old aunt Ollie. Still she was about as unqualified as a nominee could get and be nominated. Who knows what kind of Justice she would have been? I applaud her withdrawal however as a defeat of cronyism.

Unlike a lot of folks on the left I am not afraid of all conservtive Justices. I am afraid, as I said, of liberal Federalism. But I am also afraid of the conservative shunning of civil rights. Particularly in the burgeoning realm of "torture jurisprudence." Come on, Roberts, you're gonna get these cases and when you do, please, step up to plate and lead the court in the humane direction. Torture's not cool, man. "Stress interrogation," my ass!

THE BIGEVENT

The BigEvent is coming up. Things I dropped the ball on - not getting an important writer's magazine for the gift bag (it was an easy phone call that I didn't make), and I didn't actually send the script for the program to Important Writer for a punch up. I think number 2 may been subconsciously on purpose. I have to do some tweaks on the script over the weekend. We'll find Another Important Writer for the punch up next week.

I think Neurotic Co-worker A hates me now. She actually asked me after I spent the day on the other side of the wall working on the program book, "Do you like sitting in the captain's chair? Do you like being where the action is?" I could only say, "Yes, I do."

I busted ass on the tribute book. It looks good. I learned a little Quark.

WRITING

I busted ass on CP as well. I don't know if one script can handle so may shifts in tone. All I can say is, "Enter the fire!"

A Final Surprise Link

Arianna declares, "Bigger than Watergate!"

2005-10-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Arianna Huffington threw the glove on the ground today by declaring the coming Bush White House scandal could be "bigger than Watergate." I listened to Left, Right, and Center then moved over to the Newshour and watched David Brooks and Timothy Olyphant "gossip."

While that prediction may not come true, I think it will. There hasn't been this much unhappiness, in an administration or the country, since the Carter administration. Someone forgot to lock the zoo; all the animals are running loose. With the budget hanging around his neck the president is not a threat anymore. Congress doesn't have to play ball because the party is hemorrhaging - gasp! - conservatives. The party is loosing its intellectual and moral spine. These are not people who will join the president in a well sung chorus of God Bless America and think that their interests are his interests.

Anyway, the breakdown of the right is coming. Thank G-d.

And damn, maddog's pick and roll is geologic in timescale. Tayshaun be up at the hoop and maddog's all still like, "I post you, heathen!" and Tayshaun be hittin' the ground, "one-two-three-your ball, b**ch!"

Moved back into CP this morning. I worry about wrecking it. I like the script very much. I think it's almost there.

Man I'd love to go see the Clippers play. I want to get that big game package. Watch Steve Nash do cartwheels over people's heads! Watch and Holy Sh*t! I just looked on yahoo (collaborator pigs!) and Sam Cassell's playing for LA. Right on! That's so cool. I think he's great.

He's never going to leave Rochester is he?

"Sam we'd love you to play. What? What's that? You've getting treatment for your back at the mayo clinic? Oh. Well, do try to pop in and see us in LA when you get a chance. Before Christmas maybe?"

More likely is he'll be fine until Christmas, and then, "Oh, I have a pain!"

WRK SUX!

2005-10-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Actually work doesn't suck. It just takes time away from other things that I should be doing - like my rewrite of CP. I've been going in earlier than ususal, staying later than usual, and otherwise busting my ass at work in preparation for the BigEvent. I like work, but things I would change about my work are: I get an intern, I get a raise, I work from home two or three days a week and (there must be something else...) I get to do more interesting things.

What to say about work... The history of the organization is rich and in need of mining. My nonprofit was run in the past very well and then was taken over by a chain of executive directors who virtually bankrupted it. There would be a good LA Weekly story in it for the right reporter. Maybe that reporter is me. Maybe not. I'm not really a reporter. I would love to write a history of the organization however. Moreover, I'd love to read one.

And mas propinas to Ali. Thanks for coming over to see the pizza pan and pizza wheel. Sweetie made a wonderful pizza and we all had a very nice time dining al fresco on the garage.

Sweetie's going out of town over the weekend again. It makes me sad and reminds me of being left alone when I was a child, but I have to remember that I am an adult now. I am a big boy. I have my own things to do.

My Advice

2005-10-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiv%27ah

Yesterday my co-worker Y Que was qvetching about a request his fiancee made. She wanted him to go a comedy show after work. He wanted to stay home and drink beers, watch the game and work on his poetry. Then the fiancee switched the request, she called and said that she wanted him to go with her to sit shiv'ah with her for a co-worker. Now Y que isn't a bossy man. He likes sports and wanted some time to himself.

me: You absolutely cannot go. If you go now, you'll be doing things that you want to do for the rest of your life. You've made plans. They're with yourself, but you made plans.

I heard him say these words to her as I left for the day.

When he came in this morning, I learned that he had gone.

I also told El Jefe and the other co-workers on the other side of the wall that separates our office what I had told Y que and El Jefe told me that I gave him, "the worst advice in the world."

So that's it.

In other news me and sweetie finally bought a real pizza pan and what they call a pizza wheel to cut it with. And there's a guy who works at Vintage Books publicity who's a real jerk.

I have started the (second) rewrite of Chronic Psycho. It's coming along well.

I think we all know the truth

2005-10-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/09/miers/index.html

Harriet Miers a(n):

a) Robot
b) Alien
c) crony
d) post-op transexual
e) all of the above.

The correct anwser is, of course, e. She is an alien-cyborg programmed to be devoted to the Bush family. She was also "delta-gender" on her old home planet of Tex'jas, but she had to get reassigned after Dubya got drunk one night and punctured her pollination ganglia. So sad. Now she'll never metathasize. Her parents weep, all three of them.

I would prefer a robot to this woman. At least a robot could be programmed to memorize the Constitution. Is there a Turing-type test for Constitutional interpretation? How would it be? Surely a computer could do a better job than that flake Souter - formerly my favorite Supreme Court Justice until he started getting those calls in the middle of the night from 41. What happened David? Now I don't know who to root for. I hate Thomas but at least he voted the right way on eminent domain. I really fear the new federalism.

Must sleep now. I have to get up early and see a screenplay about some revisions. I have to get these revisions done. I can feel the window closing. DS is enthusiastic about it. And I dig that. I like his honesty. I will keep you up to date on the progress.

Oh, I played nine holes of par-3 golf. Scored a 37. That's a good score for me, but most satisfying was having the lowest score in my group. I hit at least four greens, and shot 17 for the first 5 holes, but I also took two 6's. Still the winner of the day. Someone should have bought me a beer. Someday soon I am going to really spend some time to get this game into my body.

Sweetie

2005-10-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Sweetie got home today from way out of town. She looked hot. Tired and jetlagged. But hot. I parked at the wrong airport terminal and I had to circumnavigate the Encounter restaurant three times to find my car. What should have been a pit stop turned into a major excursion. Anyway we got away safe and she's sleeping in the next room. Probably close to unconscious. Is sleeping unconscious?

It seems like the rest of the office has figured out that the BigEvent is happening soon. It's kind of fun. I like it when we're all working on one big thing instead of each person having their own projects. There's plenty of work, but most of it will get done. And Jefe actually had the interns take shit to the storage unit instead of me. Damn. I must be moving up in the world.

The cats sleep at my feet. I chatted with a coworker today about Democrats not sticking the knife in or as he said, "kicking them while they're down." I don't think that's a good idea yet. Even the mid-term elections are a ways off. The democrats need to give the right as much rope as they need to hang themselves.

It's working out tomorrow and who knows what else.

I watched Human Nature last night. What a strange film! I liked it but I can't say that it was easy to watch. There were some boring stretches. The film is distancing and presentational. And I never would have thought that the ending would be... I'll tell you later. Anyway it seems that Gondry and Kaufman took all the flaws from Human Nature and corrected them for Eternal Sunshine. Crazy hyperreal presentational fx in Human Nature, gone in Eternal Sunshine. Distancing multiple points of view in Human Nature, gone in Eternal Sunshine. Ditto the bummer ending. The very, most redeeming part of Human Nature was Miranda Otto's performance and French accent. The film is very, very tightly constructed, like a swiss watch or a jungle ecosystem or an office ecosystem. And the cruelty. It's a very cruel film. "Remember, when in doubt, you should never do what you truly want to do." Especially the message. The message is so hopeless.

Percival Everett's book WOUNDED was recommended to me today by Jefe.

God to Publish Again

2005-10-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - God, best-selling author and supreme deity, announced at a press conference today His plans to come out with a “major new book,” RK Media Report learned today. Held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the press conference attracted attention from both the publishing world and the global public.

God stated that after, “a period of dormancy” during which He published only periodically under pseudonyms He was ready to, “clarify some things and add to my body of work and publish under my real name, The One True God.” When asked about His previous bestsellers, the Torah and the Quran, God said that He was “still very pleased with them. They’re obviously close to my heart, they sell well and I‘m happy for all those who’ve taken comfort in those words and who pray to Me everyday because of those books.” When asked if the new book would be a sequel to those, He said, “I can’t ignore them, certainly, but there are a number of issues to be dealt with which neither of those books adequately address.” He said that, “senseless violence” would be a primary topic for His new book but He did not elaborate. Asked when the new book would be finished, God said only, “soon.”

Questions about the Christian New Testament were deflected, “I didn’t write it,” God said. “It was a collaborative effort by a very talented group of men, but I didn’t write it.” When asked by a reporter from Daily Variety if He had even read the Christian Bible, God added, “no comment.”

The conference lasted only seven minutes, but has created violent tremors in the publishing world. Bertelsmann is reportedly offering a ledger-clearing eleven-figure advance for any new work by The One True God. Even small imprints such as Green Integer have put offers on the table. “This will be a real career-maker for a few lucky people,” one unnamed industry source said.

A spokesman for Oprah Winfrey said, “this is the kind of book she [Ms. Winfrey]’s always wanted,” giving rise to rumors of re-birth for Oprah’s influential Book Club. The obligatory appearance by God on the Oprah Winfrey Show would be a coup even for show biz power-monger Oprah.

The One True God is not currently repped.

-- Correspondent Augustine R.

Radio Io 70's

2005-10-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.radioio.com/radioio70s.php

Not everyone will get into it, I guess. But I love it. Thank you Radioio.

Work. Work. Things are getting hot with the BigEvent. With the BigEvent coming up things are getting hot. Getting hot with the BigEvent things are. Wow. Work. All these people working. Work, work. We're missing one of our number from the office. It's hard to go into how I feel about it. The politics in the office are bizarre. There's one who wants to quit but she refuses, and the one who doesn't want to quit, but she doesn't want to work, either. I came home last night and started to work on instinct. Weird.

There having auditions for celebrity look-alikes at universal studios this weekend? Should I go as the celebrity that I'm supposed to look like? I'd have to go to Japan. Japan, safe like a clam shell.

bird flu

2005-10-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051004/ap_on_he_me/bush_avian_flu

You're going to give me a "heads up" when martial law is declared, right?

What do you know about Ken Saro-Wiwa? He was executed 10 years ago in Nigeria. Very interesting case. I never heard about it before a couple weeks ago. I think he must have had a deathwish. There is so little justice in Africa.

P.S I think I'll post this on my blog. I don't have one yet. It's getting there. I'll give you a link. http://rabbikubota.blogspot.com/

Sent that email to NK

Working from home

2005-10-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Working from home rocks! Actually no. I like going to work, it's just too far away. Man, talk about a commute. Mine is on the border between hell and a hard place. But, I like going to work. That's one reason I suppose I've stuck around. I wouldn't stick around if I didn't like it. I'm glad that no one really yells or freaks out when a minor mistake is made.

I work for a local not for profit. I never would have thought I might end up there. Its an interesting world.

On the Run for Fun

2005-10-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

I spent the day at the West Hollywood Bookfair. It was quite fun. I always enjoy those events. I picked up a used Joe Sacco book for five dollars and I stood around in the sun to watch Neil Gaiman talk. He's going to be working on the Eternals for Marvel. That's something I'll have to check out. He talked a little about his blog and since I'm such a fan of Ali's blog it was the crystlizing event. I give in.

Sweetie is out of town right now. She's in Berlin with the Opera. I have to admit that I'm jealous but who wouldn't be.

I saw NK at the book fair. I got to talk with him and tell him that I saw him at Deadend. It was weighing on my chest, actually it was more like a shackle around my ankle. Anyway, I felt weird calling him and asking him to read the script. But now I can do it. I'm going to send him an email when I get off here.