Saturday Dec 08, 2007

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I finished "Bordertown," the screenplay I was working on for a long time. It's about a private detective from a US-Mexican border hamlet investigating a Mexican politician's assassination.

Now, I'm trying to come up with an idea for my next one. Any suggestions?
tunnel_vision:
Congradulations. I wish I had the creativity to accomplish something like that.

Sunday Nov 04, 2007

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Thank God there was a new episode of AMC's Shootout today. It's preempted more often than it's shown. Anyway, I love this show. If you haven't seen it, it features Variety editor Peter Bart and former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Peter Guber, talking to actors, directors, movie company executives, etc. It really gives you an insider's look at the movie business.

Still, I have...
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tunnel_vision:
Hi , we used to be friends , but I left the site . How did things go with your screenplay ?
thefly:
I convinced myself one time I liked Hudson Hawk. I think I was just waiting for another Die Hard, though there's something about Andie MacDowell chittering like a dolphin that was entertaining.

Chuck Barris wrote "The Gameshow King" about his life producing television. It and "A Pound Of Flesh" by Art Linson I thought were good books about being on the inside. I have to give props to Guber... he only exec produced the first two Batman movies.

Sunday Sep 30, 2007

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With today's loss, it's official. The New York Mets suffered the worst collapse in major league baseball, ever. The Mets beat out the '64 Phillies to become the greatest chokers in baseball history.

All I can say is, if I owned the Mets, heads would roll!
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pmonkeyesquire:
Read Playback over 10 years ago and remember really enjoying it. it is light and playful, indeed. Although for me his masterpiece will always be Long Goodbye. Did he write Playback after his wife died?? I read a bio of him years ago and remeber how this time, although sad, was one of brighter moments for ray, moving to England, drinking and enjoying a bit of his fame. THe hardcase crime titles by those guys plus the David Goodis are great! But I avoid the ones by contmporary writers. Hated King's Colorado Kid which has nothing to do with ppos and is weak all around. Have you read any HCC you could recommend??
rosehips:
At least your team finished with a winning record. Both teams I follow finished under.500. Sucks to come so close to making the playoffs and blow it though.

Sunday Aug 12, 2007

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In September's Atlantic Monthly, Matthew Scully begins a series deflating Michael Gerson, George W. Bush's putative speech writing genius. It seems many speeches Gerson supposedly wrote, and for which he took credit, were written by others.

Of course, in politics, taking credit for others' words is nothing new. Joe Biden's plagiarism of British Labor leader Neil Kinnock's speech comes to mind. But I bet you...
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thefly:
Preach it, sir! There's very little intelligence in places of power in the country anymore. I've been saying for years we need a new Renaissance. Those who supported Reagan and Bush should have already read Wolfe (well, most should have but being a conservative writer himself...).

Sad. We educated people try to appeal to the masses to make a change when current leaders and educational systems have already destroyed reason. We would have to stoop to their levels and inasmuch undermine our whole reason for revolution.

Ah, well, being a bum is becoming more and more enticing. Back to the age of beatniks and hippies!


And thanks for the well-wishes (and SG 2.0 I think was the best incarnation we've had... but this site still beats others I've checked out)
rosehips:
It wasn't long at all. I think it was only about a day.

I suppose I should probably update that journal, huh?

Monday Jul 16, 2007

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I went to see "Transformers" last night, thinking --because of the generally favorable reviews--that even though it's directed by Michael Bay, it would somehow be better than Michael Bay's other uniformly crappy films. It wasn't.

The kids in the theater seemed to like it, but I found it an incomprehensible mess.
cptpyjama:
Mm, I think one of the boys in my life (probably my brother actually) will end up dragging me to it, but I don't have high hopes.

Tuesday Jul 03, 2007

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My screenplay's end is finally in sight. I've worked out most of the remaining story in a detailed treatment. I no longer bother with index cards.

I'll probably finish the script within the next two weeks, but definitely by the end of the month.

In any case, completing it will be a big relief.

thefly:
Completing a manuscript was always a relief to me. I always wanted to rush the end. I also never kept notes. I liked flying dangerously I guess.

Good luck with the ending.

Sunday Jun 03, 2007

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Good news: I bought a new car--the first new car of my life, if you can believe that. It's a Kia Optima and, so far,I'm loving it. It's a very good car for the money.

My next car, which I'll purchase after I'm a Hollywood mogul and money will be no object--will be either a Bentley or a Maserati, I haven't decided yet.
thefly:
Wow, I feel much better at your expense now. I hate the idea that an interview is a battle of wits and less a, well, interview. I've just wanted to be relevant... that's why being an author or winning the lottery hasn't worked out for me.


And my two cents... I have something against Bentleys. I think I blame Bond; his Bentley sucked (he continuously crashed it). Speaking of Bond and money being no object... I want an Aston Martin (Vanquish or DBS).



Here's to being rich moguls

Friday May 11, 2007

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The CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge ended today. I did better than I expected, finishing in the top18%, with my portfolio up $116,697.82, an increase of 11.67%.

I just wish I had a million dolllars of real money to invest.
brightredscream:
Thank you SO much for the birthday wishes hon!!

x x x

Friday May 04, 2007

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My biggest problem with global warming catastrophists is that the last time global warming occurred (less than a thousand years ago) nothing catastrophic happened. That's not to say, however, that climate change can't have a detrimental effect on a civilization. As a Viking buff, I know that climate change played an important role in Viking history--in their case: global cooling! The cooling climate, in large...
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cptpyjama:
Hey, that's really interesting.

No, really, I love anything that says "Take that and stop your whinging, global warming obsessives!"

Monday Apr 30, 2007

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Happy Walpurgis Night!

Walpurgis Night (April 30 into May 1) is the Spring equivalent to Fall's Halloween, complete with its own trick or treat tradition. The holiday is celebrated mostly in Europe, but I'm trying to get people to celebrate it here in North America. Interested? You can read all about it here: Walpurgis Night.

As for Guy Fawkes Day.....
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