Definitely Home

Elvis Turkey

It would seem that my six year old nephew could not resist making his turkey for school resemble the king. He was evidently quite specific in his instructions to the adult helpers he had assembled to make his dream a reality.

I AM HERE

For those of you who haven't been paying attention. I am in town.

Sunset

Not a good look for drinking

It's all gone south here, or North.

Gloomy LA

12.07.08

I am on my way

[NOTE: Title of post "I AM COMING" changed due to internet being filled with dirty minded people]

Alert the minions. Light the candles. Speak the words.

Wizard XXXI

IS UP

Sunst once again

Thanksgiving Weekend

No doubt that I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked writing wise, but there are some things that got accomplished, idea wise, that aren't on the list. Hope everyone had a good one. I'll regret the not writing enough this week I'm sure.

Projects worked on: 2
Pages Written: 6
Pages Edited: 38
Words Written: 1616

Watched:
Max Payne (only to 28:26) Poo!
Pushing Daisies 02x07
Crusoe 01x01-02
Legend of the Seeker 01x05
Fringe 01x09
Sons of Anarchy 01x13
X-Files: I Want to Believe
24: Redemption
Ghost Rider
Doomsday
Burn After Reading
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 02x10
Dexter 03x09
Merlin 01x11
In Treatment 01x38
Crash 01x01
Legend of the Seeker 01x06
The Sarah Jane Adventures 02x03-04

Read:
Iron Man Extremis 1-6
Freak Angels 36
The Boys 3-14
The Graveyard book 65 pages

Loads of Laundry: 5

Wizard XXX

IS UP

Wizard XXIX

IS UP

Pushing Up Daisies

I weep this evening to news that PUSHING DAISIES has been given the old heave ho. It will make a nice more full boxed set like WONDERFALLS. I shall be watching the 2.06 episode tonight, knowing that I only have seven more to go. I shake my fist at the powers that be at ABC and wonder why they can't allow one show with low ratings to be kept. This used to be how networks defined themselves, keeping a low rated but brilliant show on the air for prestige purposes. I guess they don't need that any more. They're all old men now, tottering about, pissing themselves, in the asylum and complaining about how cable stole their swisher sweet. The good news I guess is that Bryan Fuller will be returning to LOST. I've lost so much tonight, and gained so little. On a positive TV to comics note, although it stilll doesn't feel right.

"Bryan Fuller tells me, "[ABC president] Steve McPherson called me, and said 'We gave it the best shot we could.' "

According to Fuller, the facts are these: "It's very likely that Pushing Daisies will end after episode 13, which as you know, is a cliffhanger. But we are talking to DC Comics about doing comic books that will wrap up our storylines, and I already have a pitch for a movie ready to go.

"To be honest, I'm really not feeling very boo hoo about it. I am so proud of the show. We put together 22 really good episodes, and there is a lot to be proud of. I'm sure I'll be working with a lot of these people again, and I would love to do so."

K-Town

12/18-30

Retreats

Idea note:

Take old half shipping containers and convert them into portable habitats with satellite TV, big screen sofa and fridge, or get the one with the Bose sound system and the self contained jacuzzi, the possibilities of mixing and matching interior modules is limited only by interior space. People will order them to be placed in their yard or driveway for a period of time as a personal RETREAT. Wife won't let you watch the game? Order a RETREAT. Kids screaming so loud you don't have the patience to count to ten anymore? Order a retreat. Your in laws are here for the weekend? Order a RETREAT.

Like PODS, but useful.

Wizard XXVIII

IS UP

Full Moon

WIZARD XXVII

IS UP

Virtual Social Network Conversations

The following is a true exchange that began with me setting my status on one of those “Networking” sites I belong to as, “Greg says, "People who don't vote are like people with an opinion I have no interest in." It started in the comments thread of that status and then moved to the internal message system and went as follows.


A: ?Do you have to vote when you don't like either candidate? I think people should have the full right to NOT vote AND complain about their options...

B: You probably think the presidential race is the only thing on the ballot too, don't you? There's always something on the ballot worth going to the polls for.

A: Uh, yeah, well, when you're apolitical, why fake it? Would you rather someone like that just vote blindly?

B: I should also add that my ballot had 8 people on it running for President.

B: No one makes you vote for everything on the ballot. There are local issues as well as Congressional and Senate seats up for grabs.

A: a•po•lit•i•cal /ˌeɪpəˈlɪtɪkəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ey-puh-lit-i-kuhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1. not political; of no political significance: an apolitical organization.
2. not involved or interested in politics.

B: You seem interested in the politics of being apolitical. I think you doth protest too much.

A: I'm going to cut off your hand w/my lightsaber...

B: Bring it, Jar Jar.

[Switches to internal message system]

Message header: I just went out there & voted...

A: ..happy now?

A: And I cancelled out yours.

B: Yes, and that is fine.

A: Well, being in different states, I didn't exactly do anything per your votes...

A: ...but yes, I voted. I will state for the record that I still would have had the full right to complain if I hadn't.

B: Well, we'll never know now. ;)

A: Well, I guess that's a decent point, but my original point is perfectly valid...

A: NObama will win though - congrats on your support of Socialism...

B: вы камрад

A: At least some redneck will [REDACTED]...

END OF TRANSMISSION

Essence hacking

Wizard XXVI

IS UP

You can't Carp here

Left on my car. No driveway in sight. Plus I never CARP my car.

414.25

Just did a little figuring and it looks like I'm $414.25 more in debt than I was this time last year. Man, getting tired of swimming up stream.

Why not.

Something Rotten for Free

My friend Alan Gratz's YA novel Something Rotten, can be read online for free through the end of November. You should check it out. It's not like you have anything better to do with the economy cratering. You can also follow his wife Wendi and her sewing and general maker(y) progress on their family blog, Gratz Industries. If you're a fan of PROJECT RUNWAY, then it's a good place to check. They have a mutual obcession with the show. Alan stats PR, the same way he does Fantasy Baseball, by staying up too late. I'd pimp Wendi's upcoming book, but I don't have any sepcifics. By the time you read this, they'll probably have signed a few more book deals.

Valentine

Hey, look, there's a show called VALENTINE. Name sounds familiar. Don't think I'll be watching it though, It seems like it's CUPID meets his extended family and they all go off trying to bring couples together. Not to confuse anyone, but CUPID, was of course Rob Thomas' amazing romantic comedy show that really let Jeremy Piven's abilities shine. He's getting the rare chance to try and bring it back, but without Jeremy Piven, who's occupied with ENTOURAGE, I doubt I'll do more than give it a passing glance to see what the mechanics of this almost unprecedented act of reanimation produces. He also created VERONICA MARS, which makes him one of my favorite TV creators.

107,763 Words thus far

I was wondering just how much I'd written while I've been here in LA and so I added up all the things that I knew for sure had been done while here. It didn't include polishes, since it's rather impossible to tell which words were added when, but did include the retype of the script I did for a friend since I was not just retyping the entire thing, but sort of giving it my own style, and didn't include blog entries, since I don't know of a plug in that will total that for me. To tell you the truth, the total kind of felt pathetic. It sure has felt like I've written more than this, but I guess not. A goal to be overcome I think.

What have I done today, you ask?

Well, I’ve watched THE FALL, which I enjoyed tremendously. I watched the first two episodes of CLONE WARS, which I thought were OK, if you were, say, 11. I’ve written about 5 pages of comic in beat sheet/ bits of dialogue/ treatment form and started a tomato plant by stuffing two grape tomatoes under a bit of soil that I filled a large can, that used to have diced tomatoes in it, with. I probably should have just extracted the seeds, but then it wouldn’t be an experiment, but a bona fide effort. Hopefully in 6-8 weeks I’ll have some small plants trying to noodle their way through the soil. It’s in the dark closet for now. I bought a basil plant yesterday and am going to try to keep it alive as I pick bits off of it for sauces and sandwiches. It’s gotten rather chilly suddenly here near the coast, and the greenhouse is still full of junk, so my apartment may be too cool to get things going, but we shall see.

My hope is to finish off the second chapter of the comic today and do something else tomorrow, but knowing me I’ll end up having to finish it tomorrow.

Oh well, move along. Nothing else to see here.

TRU

Abandoned Banana

Waffle House Waffle House

Thanks Uncle Bill

What I'm watching

Past...Present...Future

WHAT I'M WATCHING

30 Rock
Battlestar Galactica
Big Love
Breaking Bad
Burn Notice
Californication
Charlie Jade (old but worth watching)
Dexter
Dr. Who
Entourage
Eureka
Fringe
Heroes
In Treatment
Journeyman (never Finished)
Leverage
Life
Lost
Middle Man
My Name is Earl
Nip/Tuck
Pushing Daisies
Sons of Anarchy
Stargate Atlantis
Supernatural
Terminator: SCC
Torchwood
True Blood
Weeds

NEED TO CATCH UP ON

Mad Men
Robin Hood (I Know, not that good)
The Wire
This American Life
The Shield

Supernatural

Not only did SUPERNATURAL, in my humble estimation, finally hit its stride last season, but this season should knock it out of the park from what I've seen so far. This is one of the few underdog shows that has survived, and for good reason. Check it out.

A cascade of Limericks + Haiku

Someone I went to high school with told me on facebook that I should write poems today to quell my anger over the deposit fiasco. So, this is what came out. Just remember, I never promised you a rose garden. These are in the order they were written, over the course of maybe half an hour, and the last one, of course, is my favorite.

You, Landlord, yeah you.
Give me back my money, now,
Or it all changes.

I once had a landlord, a shock, it,
Who after I left found my pocket.
So I went to his home, while he was alone,
And put his fingers deep in a wall socket.

McCain says the country is tanking,
Causing Letterman to give him a shanking,
He then goes on TV, where Letterman can see,
That Couric beats him in the ranking.

Obama and McCain will debate,
Exactly what in this country’s at stake,
Then they’ll go back to DC, and never ask me,
Why my debt load is prone to inflate.

While the fiscal crisis keeps growing,
In DC, much hot air is blowing,
But the change in the wind, won’t help in the end,
Because there’s nothing left to keep the thing flowing.

A poet once told me a story,
About how to achieve fame and glory,
“It’s simple,” he said, as he nodded his head,
Before stepping in front of a Lorry.

Wasted

Just wasted a perfectly good writing day putting together what turned out to be only a 3 page letter with 7 exhibits to be sent to my previous landlord to point out their violations of CCC Section 1950.5, in an effort to get some of my security deposit back. I hate being a lawyer. It'd be worse if I actually was.

Welcome to Screwtown

I just got screwed out of $1185.00 of my deposit from my previous apartment here in LA. When I took the place, I had to pay 1.5 times the deposit to get it, due to my credit rating which had been adversely affected the week before thanks to my student loan company dropping the entire debt load of my loan on it, not just the $2000.00 I was in arrears for.

One and half times the rent of $1145.000 was $1717.50. They deducted the following from what they call $1700.00; to clean the carpet, which I will actually give them, even though it was used when I got it, was $195.00. To paint the place, which was only 450 sq. ft., and I never touched the walls, let alone drove a nail into them, was $795.00, and then they charged $195.00 to clean the place after I spent over 6 hours doing the same and leaving it in better condition than I had rented it in.

Here’s the thing. Halco Management, Inc., who ran my place are greedy and will do anything to bilk you, even though they didn’t fix my toilet for 8 months and the fact that the elevator broke down a lot and until recently hadn’t been inspected since 2005. I took pictures when I moved in and should have when I left, but you hate to think the worst of people, but in this case, that is the truth. Will do what I can to get it back, but the likelihood is nill to none. Also tried to get a walk through after I was done cleaning it, but waited for 2.5 hours and the property manager didn’t show. I’m pretty sure they have to tell you what you’re liable for in order to take, but we shall see.

Angry now in a way I haven’t been for a long time. I actually needed the money to pay my bills, and will as usual take my lumps with hard swallowed indignation, and move on, assured again that humanity has too many weak points to survive.

UPDATE: Just found the California Landlord/ Tenant laws. California Civil Code 1950.5 found here http://tinyurl.com/3me43r. I may not win, but by God I will fight until I have nothing more to lose. Oh wait, I have nothing to lose, because I have nothing. Worst case scenario, everyone in the building will get the overview of my trials and a copy of the CA Civil Code.

When I moved out of my apartment in Knoxville to move here, I asked the property manager when they wanted to schedule a walk through, and she looked at me like a mother looking at a child who has just said the silliest thing and said, "Oh, don't worry about it. It won't be a problem," and it wasn't.

The Border

Hey look, there's a Canadian show called THE BORDER. Title sounds familiar, but seems more like 24 set within the Canadian Immigration Customs Security (ICS) Squad. Of course it gets hung-up on terrorist plots and what not. Too bad. Going to go and find episodes to watch.

Ex NSA

WIzard XXIV is UP

WIZARD XXIV

Ex CIA

I say it all the time

I'm being watched.

Scrippets Test

Testing out John August's free and lovely piece of css code for posting screenplay bits with correct formatting.

INT. LAW OFFICE-DAY

The FILE CLERK sits in front of his computer typing in ways to kill people. Almost too quiet to hear, he sings lightly while he types.

FILE CLERK

Whistle while you work.

Then whistles a familiar tune. The SOUND of the KEYS echoing down the hall.

CODE can be found HERE

Scrippets Maker can be found HERE

It breathes better

Wizard XXIII is up

WIZARD XXIII

Collected Tweets 9.13.09

I now have a 3 legged computer table. It HAS NOTHING to do with my earlier comment about 3 legged dogs. Today is just one of those days

Just found out that if you run the back burner on the inset stove top at my new place, and wash dishes, you get electrocuted.

Running into illegal credit and debit card min again on Main. May have to rebel, destroying my ability to return.

Two cars just made thwacking bumper love outside the bar. Nothing amuses me more than 10 mph accidents.

I've seen more 3 legged dogs on Main St in the last 2 weeks than I've seen in total my entire life.

Inspected

Heaven

Crabman

You kind of have to know MY NAME IS EARL to get this one.

Rising Sun

I see Jesus

Or maybe it's a Pokemon.

Vote for the Earth

Emergency Exit Primed

Wrong comtinent

White man sings the blues

Ear drum buster

The Cursor

The cursor won't stop blinking at me. Its incessantly petulant need of attention is causing much mental anguish. It goads me into shutting it up by making it work for a living, by placing letters one in front of another. But, when I stop typing it starts screaming again. This wouldn't be a problem if I wrote with a pen and paper. All I'd have then would be a blank page, like the gaping mouth of a baby bird waiting for me to regurgitate into it.

As will all Promises

I'm going to be reworking things here over the coming weeks. Certain things will disappear and others will magically come to life. Probably whole new look and feel, or maybe just a new look at an old feel. Don't be frightened of change. I'm also hoping to get back on track with things. The last month has been disrupting to say the least, but I'm settled again now for a time. Keep visiting, even if things don't get going with a BANG. They'll pick-up, they have to. More Wizard on the way as well as a few other things. The announcement I was hoping for has been pushed off for a bit, but it's still on. It's how these things work and as I am able to say things about it, I will. But right now I am tired from a 10 hour day and so to the slumber of the brew and the imagination of others I will go tonight. Sleep well, as well as you can.

- from the little red house

Weekend Twits

A Sampling of my Twitters for the weekend.

forgot the ahole quotient is larger at Rick's.

The sound of guns cocking and cymbals crashing still haunts me.

In Venice it's perfectly acceptable if your life is at stake to throw a Jehovah’s witness into a group of gangbangers to escape.

Woman next to me just ate shrimp bisque. Want to tell her I can smell her shrimp but think it might be taken the wrong way

Why is it that no one realizes credit card minimums are illegal? By 5ederal law as well as against card processing agreements.

Can't seem to escape the UT vs. UCLA game. on TV in bar with sound on.

Starting to feel like some sort of Zoo Attraction.

Dogs barking for no reason other than they are dogs. Sound of my new environ.

Small child crying loudly for no good reason, other than she is a small child. These are the new sounds of my environs.

The future has no questions

Except about its future.

Maint St.

Livingroom

Bedroom

Office

Must unpack and arrange

New home is red...more later

In case you've been away

Just to catch everyone up, I'm moving this weekend. Between now and Friday when I lay my head in a new location, and an actual bed, thanks to my new land lords, I have a few things to do. Move everything left out of old apartment to new apartment, do five loads of laundry, clean old apartment, have walk through with current land lord. Saturday through Monday involves moving into new place, putting bits where they belong, trying to type and micro polish 60 pages of scanned script, write a few pages of original stuff including breaking out secret thing two, or at least starting it. I'll also need to polish up on my dog pooh avoidance training, and take a walk down to the beach. I also need to brush up on my "How to talk to 3 and 5 year old girls." That mostly involves tempering my salty language and saying things like, "Yes, those are lovely sunglasses and they go perfectly well with that wonderful new princess outfit you have on."

Wish me luck.

My shadow

Transitioning

See, I told you

Been out of touch for a bit. Internet at apartment is hanky as usual. I move at the end of the month and will have full time, full throttle internets then. Nothing much new, possible something on the horizon, but as usual it seems to be moving slower as it gets closer. I've fallen behind on little things as I've been working rather hard on a few things outside of my life as a file clerk. Hopefully I'll be able to announce something after Labor day, and I guarantee it won't be what you think.

Welcome to the world

Andin Reese Page - 08-08-08

Congratulations. Your breeding pair were compatible.

Time to find slimy lawyer

Wizard Part XXII

IS UP

Collected Tweets 08.03.08

	Fabricationist How long before we become a short term memory only slave race? 1 minute ago from web
	Fabricationist How long before we forget? How long before we give birth to humans no longer able to store long term memory? 1 minute ago from web
	Fabricationist What if we were programmed to forget our own history once we reached a certain level of evolution? What if this is the beginning of that? 3 minutes ago from web
	Fabricationist Alzheimer from diagnosis to death 8-20 years. 100 thsnd new cases a year. What or who is trying to make us not remember? 4 minutes ago from web
	Fabricationist Fascinated watching a history of Alzheimer’s on PBS. Never saw the King Lear analogy. 10 minutes ago from web

PBR The last cheap beer

Thinking

Self Portrait w Register

Dreams of a tectonic future

Well, after this all I need is a tsunami and a tornado to complete my set.

Nerd Prom 2008

CLICK HERE

Outside the laundramat

See

Traffic jam at Jaba