Monthly Archives: March 2008
Script Frenzy: Writing a screenplay in April
Like many people, I’ve had an idea for a screenplay knocking around in my brain for quite a while. Despite the best of intentions, I’ve never committed it to paper. Cue Script Frenzy. Like its sister event, NaNoWriMo, its reason for being is to inspire novice writers to produce an entire draft by setting an arbitrary deadline and time constraint. Script Frenzy participants are challenged and encouraged to produce a 100 page draft of their screenplay, teleplay or stage play between April 1 and April 30. The website also provides helpful tips and basic instruction, such as this introduction to screenwriting or this guide to the basics of screenplay formating.
For mostly superstitious reasons, I’m reluctant to share the basis for my screenplay, but I will represent that it’s based on a true (though relatively unknown) story, has memorable characters, and might make a great movie. If someone can ever get it written, that is.
Wish me luck. Anyone else want to join me?
Best Opening Lines: Literature Edition
Susan last year did a great post on opening lines. It was all music though. So let’s switch it. What are your thoughts on the best opening lines in literature? There are some I love even when I’ve never read the book. (i.e. the classic, “it was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a shot rang out.”)
So, in no particular order. Here are a few of mine.
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Recipe of the Month: March 2008
Best-Ever Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies Read the rest of this entry
The 10 Worst Things About LOST
I’ve frequently been accused of being an apologist for the TV show LOST. To some, it seems that I’m just someone who drinks the Kool-Aid. This last accusation is particularly inaccurate. In fact, it was Flavor Aid laced with cyanide, and not Kool-Aid at all, that Jim Jones passed out to members of the People’s Temple in Guyana on November 18, 1979. Look it up. These kinds of details matter, people. The part about me being an apologist for Lost, however, is correct. I think it’s the best series that has ever been broadcast on network television. But it would be an exaggeration to say that I watch with an uncritical eye.
So to prove my point, clear the air, and score some credibility, I offer the following list of the ten worst things about LOST.
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Idol: Rank ‘Em 1-to-10
1) David Cook
2) Michael Johns
3) Syesha Mercado
4) Brooke White
5) Kristy Lee Cook
6) Jason Castro
7) David Archuleta
8 ) Carly Smithson
9) Ramiele Malubay
10) Chikezie
While last week we saw mostly poor-to-mediocre performances, this week was saw some fantastic ones. David Cook was brilliant, and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t really loved him in the past. Incredible. Also, Michael Johns and Syesha Mercado were fantastic. Syesha can really carve out a front position if she continues with performances like that. Even Kristy Lee Cook’s performance was pretty dang good. It was nice to see her break out, though I don’t think it will last very long. Brooke is always good and this week was no exception. The rest were pretty boring. David Archuleta’s age is starting to show, he’s just kind of a goofy teen that doesn’t really know what’s going on. I mean, seriously, compare him to David Cook or Brooke White, they’re on a completely different level of awareness and professionalism. And it’s Chikezie’s time to go.
This is what I’m talking about.
Meat Puppets, live, Pomona, CA, March 20, 2008.
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Top 5 Stand-Up Comedians, All-Time
1) Bill Cosby
2) Jerry Seinfeld
3) Mitch Hedberg
4) Dave Chappelle
5) Steve Martin
Runners up: Chris Rock, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks, Demetri Martin
Kurt Cobain: About A Son (DVD)
I got this purely on a whim the other day. I was browsing the documentary aisle at Best Buy and the pickings were slim. I ended up buying this for two reasons. One, I grew up as a teen in Seattle and used to see Nirvana play at small all ages shows. Two, there was a list of bands on the back whose music are featured in it, including Bad Brains, the Melvins, Butthole Surfers…my kind of stuff. When my husband saw it, he said, “I wonder if there’s any footage of us in it?” I figured chances were slim, but maybe there might be some footage from a show we were at.
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Kindles, iPhones, and AppleTVs
Devices that I’d never have thought would be hits are. To me the Kindle looks ungainly, it’s LCD too slow refreshing, and why would I read on that rather than a book? Yet, according to Amazon, it’s a hit. They are selling more than they can make.
Ditto the Apple TV. (Or, if you’re reading on Safari, TV) Underpowered (although at least it now has 5.1 sound). With HD content that is better than cable or dish, but not in the same ball park as HD-DVD or BluRay. At best an excuse to use Netflix to rip DVDs.
And the iPhone, as cool as it looks, has little RAM, no cut and paste, no spreadsheet, and won’t have 3rd party applications until June.
So have any of you consumed?
Here’s why I’m waiting.
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Unexpected Utterance from the Nerdling
My 4 year old son received a light saber for Christmas. It is probably his favorite toy at the moment. Ever since he got it he has wanted to get me one as well. His plan was to get me one for my birthday but RSV intervened and there was no birthday. Today at the store he spotted a light saber, and it was about six bucks so we bought it.
At home my daughter claimed it and they had impressively mild sword fight in the driveway. Once inside the house my son placed the butt of his light saber on the floor and asked his sister to put her’s next to it. Once she did he exclaimed, “See! My light saber is longer!”
One day we’ll rent Space Balls and mention this incident to him, but I hope it is at least a decade before his statement would strike him as funny.
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