Go Do That Voodoo That You Do So Well

Mr. Harvey Korman passed yesterday at the age of 81. Here are the details; http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080530/ap_en_mo/obit_korman_27. Here is another excellent blog on Mr. Korman; http://www.aintitcool.com/node/36918.

“Blazing Saddles”, “History of the World Part I”, and of course, “The Carol Burnett Show”, simply would not have been the same without him. I always loved the pairing of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman as well but the real joy was watching them improvise and fly by the seat of their pants during those skits; they turned mistakes, gaffs and bloopers into pure comedy gold.

My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time. Mel Brooks said, “"A world without Harvey Korman — it's a more serious world…”

He was right.

Memorial Day

Bad Wolf and I were driving along yesterday and the topic of Memorial Day came up.

“Tell me about it – why is it a holiday?” she asked.

“Well, it is to honor people who have fought for our country.” I volunteered.

“Yeah, I know that but is it for other people too, you know non-military people?”

“Uh… yeah… well I suppose it could be – sure.”

“So how did it start?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

“How did it begin?”

“…” I said. “You know what – I think that we’re going to check the internet when we get home; we’ll both learn all about it.”

And that is almost exactly what we did. (We really got frustrated trying to get our cell phones to play MP3s through our headphones, grilled some steaks and had a bonfire with the family; BUT we still had it in the back of our minds… Really.) Enter this blog.

As with many things that I’m fuzzy on I consulted my favorite second brain, Wikipedia about all things Memorial Day. You can check it for yourself here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_day too. Here’s a snippet Gentle Reader, “Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (in 2008 on May 26). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, after World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to include casualties of any war or military action.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. US Eastern time. Another tradition is to fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers usually place an American flag upon each grave site located in a National Cemetary.
In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. Some Americans also view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. The national "Click It or Ticket" campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for auto accidents and other safety related incidents. The U.S. Air Force’s "101 Critical Days of Summer" begin on this day as well. Many Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen…”

So there you have it. Thank a Vet this weekend. These people put everything on the line to defend everything that we have a tendency to take for granted. End of sermon. Enjoy any and all BBQs that you visit and beware of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

Happy Memorial Day

My Sticky Buns

I love a good coffee shop. That’s no secret. From time to time (and when I find ‘em) I like to pass along the establishment’s name to you Gentle Reader, so that you can check them out for yourself. This past weekend I had the pleasure of being in the company of a fine group of friends as we geocached up and down the Camden River Line. In our travels we found just such a blogworthy establishment.

I’ve been slacking on the low-carb lifestyle recently. I’ll be back to being a low carb warrior soon enough but I’ve been enjoying my back slide – what it is doing to my backside is another matter all together.

That being said, you owe it to yourself to check out, “My Sticky Buns”. It’s a bakery and a coffee house and the free samples will have your mouth watering. Once you get a mouthful you won't be able to keep your hands off of, “My Sticky Buns”. They are open 7 days a week from 6:00 AM till whenever Monday – Friday and from 8:00 AM till whenever on weekends. They are located at the corner of 400 High St. and W. Broad St. in Burlington City, NJ.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and sink your teeth into “My Sticky Buns”. You won’t be disappointed.

Pssst. Indy IV is Coming Soon!

I am very much so looking forward to opening day for another chance to keep up with the Jones'.

Please allow me to say that “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is one of my all time favorite films. In 1981, Spielberg and Lucas captured lightning in a bottle when they crafted Raiders. It is one of the most influential films of all time and a lean, mean, storytelling machine. People have said about Raiders that there is nothing wasted, nothing lost in that film. They are right. It’s one of my stranded on a deserted island movies – no exaggeration.

I couldn’t wait for the sequel. I was rabid. My expectations were high in 1984, when “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” came out. I remember seeing it at the old, art deco, Landis Theater in Vineland with my Dad. While I liked it I came away from the theater somewhat disappointed – it just wasn’t Raiders. My expectations were too high and the fart machine that my father and I smuggled into the packed theater ultimately proved to be more memorable. Still, it was Indiana Jones and, unlike a lot of movies I see, I can watch it and still enjoy it today. Even so, Temple of Doom is my least favorite entry of the series.

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” opened in 1989 and, yours truly was there opening night. Sean Connery played Indiana Jones’ father – now what amazing casting is that? James Bond is Indy’s dad? Brilliant. I enjoyed the movie more than Temple of Doom largely due to the amazing chemistry between Ford and Connery. Great stuff. Sure there are amazing writer’s conveniences throughout the movie, some of the supporting actors were relegated to cartoon stooges and (MILD SPOILER – I’ll let you know when it’s safe to read again. BTW, why have you NOT seen it?) I think the ending would have had more impact if Indy’s dad chose to or had to stay there in the cavern and become the next knight protector of the Grail. (SPOILER OVER – come on in, the water’s fine) The Last Crusade is a better film than the Temple of Doom. It was great trying to keep up with the Jones’ and in the end when they rode off into the sunset a little part of my geek-boy heart went with them. I didn’t suspect that there would be another Indiana Jones adventure on the big screen.

As you know, Gentle Reader I was wrong. I thank God, that I was wrong. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” opens everywhere on May 22nd. This one takes place in the 1950’s so Indy will be fighting Commies instead of Nazis. Time has passed even for Indiana Jones. Ford, Spielberg and Lucas are playing to the age of the character, which is a strength. With Indiana Jones what makes the character so appealing is his humanity; he’s flesh, bone and blood. Karen Allen is reprising her role as Marion Ravenwood, which is brilliant and Shia LaBeouf as “Mutt”. No official word on if he’s Indy’s son or not. I guess I’ll just have to be at the 12:01 showing to find that answer out.

Spielberg and Lucas bottled lightning all those years ago – I want to see them do it again. It won’t be Raiders but it doesn’t have to be – it’s Indiana Jones once more on the big screen and that’s all right with me.

See you at the multiplex.

“I’ve Been Everywhere, Man, I’ve Been Everywhere…”

48 States, 5 Days, 3 Men = the GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP.

Gory Details: http://www.greatamericanroadtrip.us/.

I love these guys. 7,000 miles in less than 5 days! Check out their blog.

I stumbled across their story tonight while poking around Yahoo; here’re the goods: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080509/ap_on_fe_st/odd48_state_trip_1.

Please let my go on record, Gentle Reader, this is something that I have always wanted to do. These days it just couldn’t be the breakneck speed that these guys, Joey, Josh, and Adam, did it in but rest assured given time and money (I hear that gas prices are up) I’d pack up the family in a heartbeat and start to rack up the miles.

So are the roadways of the lower 48 are calling you to release your inner Kerouac? You know my answer; what about you?

Oh yeah, they spent about $1,000.00 on gas during their trip.

Ouch. - The experience, however, was worth every penny.

Yes, I Am a Pirate… 200 Years Too Late…

Gentle Reader, I don’t know if you are a Jimmy Buffett fan or not but please allow me to go on the record – from now until the end of time; yours truly, Evil Chicken, is a Parrot Head.

Yes – the truth can finally be told.

I don’t know if you have discovered the joys of MP3’s of WMA files but if you were to look at my hard drive you would soon see that I have about 836 Megabytes, 302 files in about 19 folders of Jimmy Buffett music. I have close to 24 hours of Buffett music kicking around on my hard drive. You could say I’m a bit of a Phan. In the hallowed halls of the Chicken’s Nest – where I sit and type these diatribes at the pleasing of the four winds; if you were to look at my bookshelf (on the second tier, mind you) you would find titles such as, “Where in the World is Joe Merchant”, “A Pirate Looks at Fifty”, and “A Salty Piece of Land”, all by Mr. Jimmy Buffett; of course these tales are next to Herman Wouk’s, “Don’t Stop the Carnival”. Of course those tomes are located next to my editions (one of them signed) of “Weird NJ Volume One” and “Weird NJ Volume Two” – but THAT is for another blog.

Please… let’s stick to the topic.

My attraction to Mr. Buffett is the fact that he tells stories; he paints pictures, he invents realities; places that you just want to go to and stay for a while – maybe even a lifetime. Do you know what I mean – that one particular harbor, so far and yet so near? Well, that’s what Jimmy Buffett music does for yours truly. It transports me to that place; you know the one – where the children play on the shores each day and the mainland disappears?

Yeah. That’s where I would like to be.

Another thing that draws me to this guy is his appreciation for great authors. “Barometer Soup”, which BTW, is one of my favorite albums, is based on several short stories from other writers. Including Mr. Samuel Clemons (Mark Twain). The song, “Remittance Man” is based on one of his books – it makes me misty every time I hear it.

Jimmy Buffett music usually elicits thoughts of living in ¾ time – island time and, quite frankly, that’s what it should do. It is an escape. It needs to take you out of that box that you are living in and put you somewhere else. I can’t tell you my all time favorite Buffett song but I can give you my top bakers dozen of cuts for your listening pleasure – hey, why not?

1. “A Pirate Looks at 40”
2. “Nautical Wheelers”
3. “Love in a Library” – (it reminds me of Mother Hen)
4. “Boats to Build”
5. “One Particular Harbor”
6. “Coast of Carolina” – (it reminds me of Mother Hen)
7. “Remittance Man”
8. “Tree Top Flyer”
9. “Window on the World”
10. “The Weather is Here, I Wish You Were Beautiful”
11. “Semi-True Story”
12. “Trying to Reason with the Hurricane Season”
13. “Mexico” – (What a great cover of a James Taylor song)

What can I tell you? Check the man out for yourself. I hope you enjoy him as much as yours truly does.

Phins Up!

Basking in the After Glow of Pure Geek Joy

Gentle Reader the summer movie season is upon us. This is my super bowl, my world series, my world cup. I love the eye candy that graces the multiplexes from sea to shining sea during May, June, July and August. And Ladies and Gentlemen, IRON MAN has set the bar for all other movies that will be released this summer.

I’ve been reading the spin on Iron Man for the last year or so. I follow this sort of thing – it’s what I do. This project marks the first time that Marvel has made a film on its own without having some studio executive throw in his two cents or product placement deal (see Macy Grey in Sony’s Spiderman or Prince doing the “Bat Dance” from Warner’s Batman). Marvel handled these duties and in the process has made probably the finest transfer from a comic book to a movie that has EVER been produced. Oh there have been some great comic book films (Superman – the Movie, Spiderman, X-Men, and Hellboy, but for each of these there are also the ugly side of the business. For every great Batman Begins you have to put up with a shoddy Hulk or a flimsy Fantastic Four. As a geek from WAY BACK let me just tell you those two films (three if you count Fantastic Four II) were complete and udder rubbish. Why? Because the people who made them had NO LOVE for and NO KNOWLEDGE of the characters, stories and heritage that was placed into their hands. Oh they may have had a decent opening weekend but if you are completely ignorant of the source material you have no business playing in that sandbox. They are forgetable films. All this leads me to why I absolutely love Iron Man. The people who made the film know, love, and respect the characters and their 45 plus years of heritage. They get it – and better still, they share the love with a world that just may not know who Tony Stark is.

The casting is inspired. Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark. Hindsight being what it is, I cannot think of another actor who is more perfect for this role. Seriously. Jeff Bridges pulls off a wonderfully evil bad guy. And the rest of the cast is spot on too; Terence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow deliver. There are geek moments aplenty but they are not overdone; those in the know will truly appreciate seeing what’s going on there on the silver screen those that don’t will be pleasantly surprised. Iron Man is not your typical brainless explosion fest; nope, Iron Man has been and always should be about Tony Stark – a changed man and watching his character develop and grow into something more than what he once was. The suit is secondary to what’s going on inside old Shell Head.

Go early, the final trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is attached and is very cool indeed. You can fully believe the Iron Man hype – it is so worth the price of admission. For my money it’s about the best comic book movie I have ever seen; not to toot my own horn, but that’s saying something.

Oh yes, and STAY for the end credits.

…That is all I can say on that matter… Let’s just say I’ve still got geek chills up and down my spine.

The Frenzy is Over

As I type this Script Frenzy 2008 is rapidly coming to a close. Bad Wolf and I crossed the finish line (100 pages in 30 days) in the nick of time.

It took us longer than expected due to unforeseen commitments that arose during the month of April but it is finished. The majority of the script I’m very proud of. The stuff that I’m not so fond of we'll fix next month.

Hold on a tick… It’s 11:59.

Wait for it… Wait for it…

BAM! It’s midnight. It’s May first.

Bad Wolf and I will make our fixes this month. It has been a joy and honor writing with my daughter. I’m looking forward to “Tales of the Astounding – Volume TWO”.

Rock on kid.

For further information please see: http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/. Thanks once more to the Office of Letters and Light the non-profit that sponsors this as well as NaNoWriMo. It’s been way too much fun!

Gandalf the Gray

Ian McKellen is the man - the man in gray that is! Bring on the Hobbit!

Check it out: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_en_mo/people_ian_mckellen_1

I’m tingling at this news.

I’d write more but Bad Wolf and I are under the gun when it comes to completing Script Frenzy 2008.

See ya soon!

San Diego Shark Attack

Here is the story from the Associated Press found on Yahoo by Allison Hoffman: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080426/ap_on_re_us/shark_attack_16.

Not to be too graphic but, and I quote, “(Dave) Martin, 66, died on the beach Friday morning after a shark, presumed to be a great white, lifted him out of the water with his legs in its jaws, leaving deep lacerations and shredding Martin's black wetsuit.”

Not a good way to go.

As a note Gentle Reader, when I go I want it to be peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather; not screaming in terror like the other passengers of the bus he was driving.

…Sorry.

I truly do not mean to sound glib at the death of Mr. Martin a tri-athlete who was training with other competitors and had his family and friends cheering him on from the shore when tragedy struck. Just clicking through the pictures truly makes you grieve for those left behind. Reading between the lines and clicking thorough the pictures Mr. Martin appears to have been a pretty dynamic man.

There is just something visceral about a shark attack. It cuts to the core of our fear of the unknown and our will to survive. No matter what the statistics are the fact still remains that you never really know what lies beneath. As was written on the first oceanic maps, “Here There Be Monsters.” Ms. Hoffman reports that, “Overall, shark attacks are extremely rare. There were 71 reported worldwide last year, up from 63 in 2006. Only one attack, in the South Pacific, was fatal, according to the University of Florida. The university's International Shark Attack File has counted an average of 4.1 people killed by sharks annually worldwide in the past seven years.”

4.1? That “Point One”, must be like being a “little pregnant”.

As with many areas in life we must accept the fact that there are sharks in the water. We can choose to stay on the shore for the rest of our days or we can accept the risk, and enjoy the discovery of the waves and the water. Some things you just can’t change and knowing “what lies beneath” is one of those things but I don’t think that should stop us from swimming.

Now where did I put my trunks?

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I was down in Wildwood, NJ recently and the theater that I first saw the original “Star Wars” is now a condo. That little bit of history made my geek heart break a little. I mean really – condos? The theater closed in the late eighties and became a “Laser Tag” arena where players would run around shooting each other while people played sniper shooting at the players from the sidelines. The summer tourist attraction was originally located close to the “Jack Rabbit” roller coaster and “Dracula’s Castle”, both of which are now gone – just like the theater. While I morn it’s passing, the fact remains, MY first “Star Wars” experience was right there – in Wildwood, New Jersey; right next to my home church and the Atlantic Ocean.

It changed my life.

Really; it did. It may seem shallow but I saw “Star Wars” and I started to view the world from a different perspective. I saw how the power of story worked. I saw imagination and how it could touch and change the world and I loved it. I still do; but enough about ancient history… Let us consider the future.

Opening night is a special time for a movie geek. Let me spare us both some time in saying that “Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace”, “Star Wars: Episode Two – The Attack of the Clones”, and “Star Wars: Episode Three – The Revenge of the Sith”; I was there opening night. I did not like the “prequel trilogy” as much as the “original trilogy” but I was (and am) still on the Lucasfilm bandwagon, so to speak.

I liked the third one the best and it was not without a degree of sadness that when I saw the credits roll that I believed that there would never again be a STAR WARS movie in the theaters. Gentle Reader, I am very pleased to say that “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” will be in theaters on August 15th. The movie will be followed up with a computer generated TV series.

As per Ain’t It Cool News; http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/36482?q=node/36482, you can check out this site: http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000623.html, which gives you all the gory details.

Star Wars – in the theaters once again? Sign me up.

Greenlight for a Hobbit

“The Hobbit” is coming to the big screen. Here’re the goods: http://www.variety.com/VR1117984595.html.

My geek heart is gushing.

Peter Jackson will be sharing executive producing credits with New Line Cinema. The two parties have settled all the nastiness of legalities between them and have hired GUILERMO DEL TORO, to direct! Del Toro is a visionary. Seriously; check out “Pan’s Labyrinth”, “The Devil’s Backbone” or, dare I say, “Hellboy” (BTW “Hellboy II” will be in theaters this summer).

“If not Jackson then who?” That was the question. Sam Rami’s name had been batted around and I was ok with that too but Del Toro is going to hit this one out of the park.

I can’t wait.

18 – To Life

Yesterday (4/19/08), Mother Hen and I celebrated our 18th Wedding Anniversary. We spent the day geocaching down in Cape May.

“Geocaching? What’s that?” Yet another fine question, Gentle Reader. Please allow me to refer you to an article by Mr. Cody Glenn from The Daily Journal on the topic. He explains what it is better than I could do. The article came out on our anniversary. Check it out here: http://thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/NEWS01/804190313.

Where was I? Oh yes, Cape May. We have a lot of memories in and around Cape May so any chance we get to kick around down there we usually take. We were married at the First Baptist Church in Wildwood, ate at The Lobster House in Cape May, missed the Ferry (Cape May – Lewes) and had to stay the night at the Heritage Inn before heading down to Chincoteague VA for our honeymoon weekend.

Of course that was all 18 years ago.

Things change. Time shifts. Mother Hen and I have now almost been married for half of our lives. This was a mathematical conundrum for me since I’m not the best mathematician and that idea just sounded so foreign. But it’s true – we have been married almost half of our lives. Love changes too.

“Huh?”

Stop interrupting me. Just kidding. What I mean is that Love changes too – in other words I love the woman I married more today than I did eighteen years ago. It’s a deeper, more mature love. I’m not saying that all the years have been easy ones but I am saying that they would have been so much harder without her – or rather, without “us”.

It’s a process – moving from “I” to “We”.

I met her at a bookstore, just after my father died. I bought a lot of books. We dated. We broke up. We saw other people. We got back together. We eloped. We got our own apartment. We started a family. We rented a house. We watched our family grow. We got a mortgage. We are still here.

You see the process? “We” is better than “I”. I, for one, wouldn’t want it any other way – even after 18 years.

I love you, Lady.


BTW… As an ongoing part of Ye old Blog of Yore I recommend coffee houses that I like or would like other people to experience for themselves. In our travels this weekend Mother Hen and I found another place that deserves mention. It’s called Coffee Etc., it’s located 3016 Rt. 9, Seaville, NJ – about an 1/8th of a mile south of Rt. 9 & Rt. 50. They open daily at 6:30 AM. The Sumatran Roast is awesome and goes great with chocolate covered strawberries. Please note – you MUST try the chocolate covered strawberries; they rock.

The Last of the Nine Has Fallen

Ollie Johnston was 95 years old when he passed from natural causes. He was the last of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men”. Read all about it here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080415/ap_en_mo/obit_johnston_3.

Ollie Johnson was at ground zero and had a hand in shaping some of the most influential films ever made. As the Yahoo article says his credits include such films as “Bambi”, "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland," "Peter Pan" "Lady and the Tramp," "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians," "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book," "The Aristocats," "Robin Hood" and "The Rescuers."

That’s an impressive body of work. I love what Leonard Maltin said in the Yahoo article, “(People) know his work. They know his characters. They’ve seen him act without realizing it. He was one of the pillars, one of the key contributors to the golden age of Disney animation.”

I’ll have to put “Frank & Ollie” in my Blockbuster que. It’s a documentary about two of the Nine Old Men who used to car pool 45 minutes to and from work at Disney Studios.

A chapter has now closed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.

Talking Stain

,

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed

Just to take a break from the usual superfluous stuff that you are used to here, Gentle Reader I humbly present yet another movie that I’m really looking forward to; EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed. This film is going to open a dialogue on a polarizing topic: “Just where did we come from?”

Check it out here: http://expelledthemovie.com/

If you have poked around this blog for a while then you may have surmised that I fall into the Intelligent Design category. I believe that there is a creator ergo an Intelligent Designer. I have always had a lot of respect for Ben Stein and the film will be worth the price of admission.

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed opens all over the place on 4/18/08.

Butter my popcorn.

The 20th Annual Appel Farm Art & Music Festival

Saturday, June 7 from 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM the 20th Annual Appel Farm Art & Music Festival will be underway. Michaela Majoun and Gene Shay of WXPN 88.5 will be on hand too. There are going to be a boatload of kid’s activities too. Children under 12 are free while Adults are $35 (until May 30th), $40 (until June 6th) and $45 (day of show).

I’ve made mention before as to how much I detest processed, mass market consumption “music” these days. I have to ask what ever happened to melody? What ever happened to musicians – you know people who play their own instruments? Whatever happened to the singer/songwriter? Well it’s events such as this: http://www.appelfarm.org/festival/index.html that gives me hope that all is not lost. This site gives you all the gloriously gory details.

Signed musicians include Marc Cohn, They Might Be Giants, Suzanne Vega, The Smithereens, Vienna Teng, Enter The Haggis, Lucy Kaplansky, Red Molly, Christina Courtin, Matt Duke, Alfred James Band and Nicole Reynolds. I’ve always wanted to see The Smithereens. Enter the Haggis sounds like fun too. Chick 1.0 is a Suzanne Vega fan and Chick 2.0 and 3.0 would love They Might Be Giants. The whole thing should be a hoot.

For more info on the festival check out this: http://www.appelfarm.org/festival/welcome/index.html.

Go synchronize your calendars! I’ll see you there. It will be nice to hear the music again.

Charlton Heston

He was 84 and he had Alzheimer’s disease. Read the details here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080406/ap_on_en_mo/obit_heston

Please see IMDb’s page: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000032/ and scroll down the list of work that Heston left behind.

One might call it epic.

His body of work speaks for itself so I’m not going to say much more, save that my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time. Instead I leave you with this prepared statement that Heston made back in August of 1992.

"My Dear Friends, Colleagues and Fans: My physicians have recently told me I may have a neurological disorder whose symptoms are consistent with Alzheimer's disease. So ... I wanted to prepare a few words for you now, because when the time comes, I may not be able to. I've lived my whole life on the stage and screen before you. I've found purpose and meaning in your response. For an actor there's no greater loss than the loss of his audience. I can part the Red Sea, but I can't part with you, which is why I won't exclude you from this stage in my life. For now, I'm not changing anything. I'll insist on work when I can; the doctors will insist on rest when I must. If you see a little less spring in my step, if your name fails to leap to my lips, you'll know why. And if I tell you a funny story for the second time, please laugh anyway. I'm neither giving up nor giving in. I believe I'm still the fighter that Dr. King and JFK and Ronald Reagan knew, but it's a fight I must someday call a draw. I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure. Please feel no sympathy for me. I don't. I just may be a little less accessible to you, despite my wishes. I also want you to know that I'm grateful beyond measure. My life has been blessed with good fortune. I'm grateful that I was born in America, that cradle of freedom and opportunity, where a kid from the Michigan Northwoods can work hard and make something of his life. I'm grateful for the gift of the greatest words ever written, that let me share with you the infinite scope of the human experience. As an actor, I'm thankful that I've lived not one life, but many. Above all, I'm proud of my family ... my wife Lydia, the queen of my heart, my children, Fraser and Holly, and my beloved grandchildren, Jack, Ridley and Charlie. They're my biggest fans, my toughest critics and my proudest achievement. Through them, I can touch immortality. Finally, I'm confident about the future of America. I believe in you. I know that the future of our country, our culture and our children is in good hands. I know you will continue to meet adversity with strength and resilience, as our ancestors did, and come through with flying colors - the ones on Old Glory. William Shakespeare, at the end of his career, wrote his farewell through the words of Prospero, in "The Tempest". It ends like this: 'Be cheerful, sir. Our revels now are ended. These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, yea all which it inherit, shall dissolve and, like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.' Thank you, and God bless you, everyone." (9 August 2002)

The Garden State Film Festival

This weekend – if you’re around the Asbury Park area of New Jersey and are a fan of film the place you want to be is The Garden State Film Festival. Check it: http://www.gsff.org/. Among other attractions the Trailer for “Sorrow Hill” is on the schedule to premier at the festival (Saturday night at 9:00) here’s a link to Ron’s site for the details: http://grindhouse-pictures.com/grindblog/?p=53. Ron will be blogging and talking about his experiences from the festival tonight at 12:00 when he calls into the radio show: http://www.grindhouse-radio.com/.

The Garden State Film Festival has a little something for everyone. There’s something called “The Legends Behind the Comic Books” which is a documentary followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and Joe Kubert & Deny O’Neil (famous comic book guys). I’d love to check this out. There’s a film called, “Goodwill: The Flight of Emilio Carranza” which chronicles the life of the Mexican pilot who lost his life in a crash in the Pine Barrens. There are also panel discussions such as “Writers on Writing” and “Getting In Front of the Camera”. It’ll be a hoot.

It’s supposed to rain so a film festival is not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

See you at the movies.

Script Frenzy 2008 – It’s ON Now!

Gentle Reader, Script Frenzy 2008 is underway and Bad Wolf (Chick 1.0) and yours truly are up and running. For all the gory details of what Script Frenzy is check this out: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/03/script-frenzy-2008.html or just click the link to the left under “Evil Chicken’s Favorite Places”.

So what are we doing? Our genre is Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Our script type is Screenplay. Our title is, “Tales of the Astounding – Volume One”. If we were pitching it we would say that it would be “Twilight Zone – the Movie” meets “Creepshow”. We are only three days into it but the process has been too much fun. We are having a blast and, I gotta be honest with ya, writing with my daughter has been an absolute joy.

For those of you out there who write you know the sensation of being in “The Zone”. That place where you are fleshing out characterization of the people in the worlds that you are seeing, listening to their voices, walking in their shoes; basically documenting all that your are told – all that you observe. Beware to any and all who knock on the writer’s door when they are in The Zone.

We are in The Zone and that is a wonderful place to be.