So What’s Next at the Multiplex?

“Summer, summer, summertime; time to sit back and unwind.” – Will Smith

I’m a movie geek and prone to enjoy the stuffing out of the summer movie season. Hey, who doesn’t enjoy sampling the wares from the major studios in the summer? So far, for my money, “Star Trek” is on track to be the 900 lbs. Gorilla this season.

“Well, if that’s the case, Evil Chicken, what else is there to look forward to at the movies this year?”

Funny you ask, Gentle Reader. Please allow me to let you in on what I’m looking forward to checking out at the local multiplex this summer:

1. “Up” from Pixar. If I could write for any company Pixar would be the one. They care for character and they make certain that the story is served. I have yet to see a Pixar film that I did not like.
2. “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”. This is Heath Ledger’s last film and it comes from Terry Gilliam. Gilliam has a way of using the medium of film and twisting it into amazing and thoughtful entertainments; check out “Time Bandits”, “Brazil”, or “The Twelve Monkeys”. Amazing filmmaker. I can’t wait.
3. “Drag Me to Hell”. Sam Rami made a new horror movie. Please allow me to repeat that… SAM RAMI made a new horror movie. If you are a fan of the genre then you know the name. Rami is best known for the “Evil Dead” series and, of course, the “Spiderman” movies. “Hail to the king, Baby.”
4. “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”. Yes, I am a Potter-Head. This is a dark one. This sets up the finale to the entire series. It’s a great read and I bet it’s gonna be a great movie.
5. “Land of the Lost”. Make no mistake this will be stupid. It will be a goofy movie but it will also make me giggle and it will spark gushing waves of nostalgia. It will entertain and that’s one of the main reasons that I go the movies for anyway.

What are movies that I may see at the theater that I could wait for DVD:

1. “Transformers 2”. It will be a special effects movie that will sell a lot of popcorn. It will probably be best seen on the big screen but it’s not “must see” for me.
2. “Terminator Salvation”. I’d like to see this more than Transformers but I still have not made it to the theater.
3. “Night at the Musem II”. Eh.
4. “Inglorious Basterds” (with and “E”). Brad Pitt and Quinton Tarantino kicking Nazi butt? Sign me up. I would have put this one in the “Must See” section but after seeing all those movies.
5. “District 9”. Alien rights after their arrival? A plot for Alien slave labor? It sounds very cool. I’ll have to read some more spin on it before I take the plunge.
6. “Public Enemies”. This may easily slip into the “Must See” section. Johnny Depp as John Dillinger? Nice. We shall see.

Movies that I will wait for basic cable or the “Late, Late, Movie”... maybe.

1. “G.I. Joe”. As Randy says, “I’m not feelin’ it Dog.” This reminds me of a movie in the eighties called, “Megaforce”. That was an abomination of a movie designed to sell toys and exploit the masses much like this one. Don’t play into the MAN’S hands! Just say no.

So there you have it; the movies that I am interested in seeing – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What’s on YOUR list?

Expatriation and Blogging ‘Round the World

It is no great secret; I am a Jimmy Buffett fan. Listening to his music for any length of time and one gets the urge to move to warmer climates and expatriate to places that are full of characters and character. Gentle Reader, I must be honest with you, expatriation has been on my mind as of late. I have been bitten by the bug that transfers the longing for the Gypsy lifestyle. As Keith Richards sang on one of my absolute favorite Rolling Stones songs from the “Some Girls” album (yes, that’s right, I said ALBUM), “I Will Walk Before They Make Me Run.” Tom Waits exemplifies the concept of life on the road (I’m listening to him now on YouTube).

Let’s face it, there is just something romantic about the open road. Anything is possible there, anything goes. This is a great country to, “go on the bum”, so to speak but there are other wonderful possible options that have been slipping into my daydreams as of late including but not limited to; British Columbia, Key West, Southern Utah, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the South of France, Ireland, Italy – these are all spots that I could see transplanting my family and myself.

“But WHY, Evil Chicken?” you may ask. “Why would you wish to do such a thing?”

Well therein lies a very good question which I shall answer partially. Why not? It is no great revelation that life is entirely too short. I know that the good Lord is on the thrown but still it is important to make hay while the sun shines. So I dream. I dream of places far off away from the cares of life in the great Garden State. I have always dreamt of making some sort of a difference but just who is to say that that difference could not be made somewhere so very, very far away from here?

Hmm… Somehow I find this appealing.

Perhaps I should consider some of the nations that some of the readers of this blog call home? There are not many of us but we are mighty, Gentle Readers. Let’s look at where you are from to feed my dreams of expatriation… Number 1 (according to my widget) is the U.S. of A. Most of the readers here are from my homeland. That’s not too surprising since I am an American and, dare I say, proud of that distinction. Number 2 is Canada. Oh Canada, I could easily see myself settling down in your bosom. Number 3 is the United Kingdom. Yes. You and I would have a time, wouldn’t we? Number 4 is Unknown. Unknown? I suppose that the Unknown are the Gentle Readers who have, for whatever reason, have had to hide their location. I’m ok with that; truth be told, I’m a little envious. Know that I am pleased and glad to have you here. Number 5 is Spain; Number 6 is France – welcome my brethren know that I would expatriate to either of your boarders. Number 7 is Taiwan. Number 8 is Mexico, number 9 is Turkey and number 10 is Germany. 11 is New Zealand, 12 Finland, and 13 Hong Kong. You are all dispersed over this great blue marble, Gentle Readers. I’m just thankful to have you here for a brief moment in time; a moment when you decided to kick back, relax and listen to the non-sense that you will find here most of the time.

Wherever you call home, Gentle Reader, thank you for stopping by. Who is to say, perhaps one day we will be neighbors? Rest assured I will be dreaming of it and one never knows.

Do one?

College Camp Class… The Final Frontier

So I’m mowing the lawn – an abhorrent activity that sucks away about an hour and a half – two hours of my life on a laborious and weekly basis this time of year, and I notice out of the corner of my eye Mother Hen. She was wandering in my direction when the engine stalled. The stalling of the engine is nothing new in the weekly sentence of cutting the grass but having Mother Hen outside while I am mowing the lawn is.

“Would you be interested in teaching a class on Star Trek?” she asked.

“What?”

“Yeah, you heard me. The college is hosting summer camp classes. They are looking for a Pokemon instructor and someone to teach a class on Star Trek. Would you be interested?”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“Sure!” I said with a smile. “How cool is that?”

“Yeah, I thought you’d like that.” She said with a smile and she went back inside leaving me to tend to the rest of the greens. I primed the engine and started the mower once again – now my thoughts were on the class and all of the wonderful possibilities that it presents instead of the lawn; and I was all right with that.

And that’s how it happened, Gentle Reader; that is how yours truly became the instructor for the summer course on STAR TREK! Let me just say, I can’t wait. I am going to be sharing one of my passions with others, getting paid for it, and, my youngest daughter, Chicken Little (Chick 3.0), can take the course for free! I still don’t know how many kids will be in the class but I’m really excited about getting underway. When its over I want the kids to know what to do in case of a warp core breach, just how Zephraim Cochran ushered in the age of warp technology, and the dangers of mind melding with a Horta. More importantly, however, I want them to be aware of a great story that happens to unfold in the 23d century and that they can appreciate the historical, scientific, technological and social context of that story as well. I can’t wait.

“The Human Adventure is Just Beginning.” I will keep you posted on how it goes this August.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog

I came to this party late but I’m so glad I showed. Pop some popcorn and direct your cursor over to here: http://www.drhorrible.com/index.html.

“But Evil Chicken, why would I want to do that?”

Because, Gentle Reader, you are about to be entertained. It is a play in three acts and it runs about 43 minutes. It’s got it all, comedy, tragedy, drama – it’s brilliant. Writer / director Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Serenity) put this together back in 2008 during the writer’s strike. Wikipedia, my favorite second brain, says, “The idea was to create something small and inexpensive, yet professionally done, in a way that would circumvent the issues that were being protested during the strike.”

Well, he scored a direct hit. The cast is awesome and clearly having a blast playing their rolls. Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Houser) is Dr. Horrible, Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is Penny, Nathan Fillion (Firefly) is Captain Hammer and Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) is Moist.

Will Penny fall for the hero? Will Captain Hammer help to open the homeless shelter? Will Dr. Horrible ever join the Evil League of Evil? Click over and find out!

Better to come late to the party then never at all. Enjoy!

NUTS!

Despair Inc. has been and is one of my favorite little enterprises on the web. They create products that skewer the shady hypocrisy and self-aggrandizing pop psychology of all those bloody “Motivational Posters” that have crept into offices and places of work over the past bakers dozen years, or so. If you have not been there please check them out here: http://despair.com/index.html, you will not be disappointed. I have one of their calendars on my desk and it stands there between my phone and my computer as a beacon of sanity.

Well. Despair Inc. just had their first “Demotivator Caption Contest”. Mother Hen told me about this contest yesterday and I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring today. I wrote one up but I was 1 hour and 23 minutes too late. The contest was over. That’s what I get for checking email as poorly as I do. ...I was thinking…

Independence

Sometimes there is a reason why the Road is Less Traveled.

But it was not meant to be. The winner will be announced in about 15 minutes from now and will win $500.00. Not too shabby. Well, there’s always next time.

What would your caption read?

Star Trek

Let me cut to the chase. Go see this movie. It deserves to be the 900 lbs Gorilla of the 2009 summer movie season. Star Trek is BACK! Bring an uninitiated and unwashed non-Trek fan with you and you will BOTH have a great time at the movies. Be warned, Gentle Reader, whether you think you are or you aren’t a fan of Star Trek – you WILL be after you see J.J. Abrams take on the legend. You may want to tell a friend about the great time you had at the movies seeing the new “Star Trek” movie. This friend of yours may say something like, “Star Trek” and wrinkle their nose as if they have just stepped in something they wish they hadn’t. Take heart – the stereotype pendulum swings both ways. They probably do not deserve to enjoy the wonderful bounty and feast for the eyes that the new “Star Trek” film is. Come to think of it, chances are you need better friends anyway.

But enough about your friends, THIS is about STAR TREK.

A little note about me and not to beat a dead horse but one could say that I have more than a passing interest in Star Trek. More to the point, I am a fan; mostly of the Original Series and The Next Generation with a little Deep Space Nine thrown in for good measure. Treks after that – and with all due respect to Seven of Nine, no thanks, I’ll pass. Now you know where I stand. If you want to know further where I stand I recommend checking here: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2006/04/reenergized-part-i-of-ii.html, here: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2006/04/re-energized-part-ii-movies.html, and here: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2009/04/enterprise-project.html.

Now that’s out of the way let’s get down to business… Scratch that. I should also say that there will be mild SPOILERS ahead so if you with to remain pure stop reading now. See you next time and thanks for stopping by.

Ok, NOW let’s get down to business.

J.J. Abrams has delivered. He has re-launched the entire franchise by making a Star Trek movie that everyone can enjoy. Not since “Star Trek II – the Wrath of Kahn” has this feat been accomplished. In fact, STAR TREK is even more accessible to the general populous due to the fact that the story itself is like pressing a giant reset button. This is the cadet crew of the starship Enterprise – but they exist inside an altered timeline. In other words that which was old is new again – in a BIG way. Accepted truths from the original series are now no longer set in stone. The characters are, at their core, still the same it’s their future that is WIDE OPEN. This altered timeline sacrifices sacred cows and promises that it will continue to do so into the future. I love this turn of events in the Star Trek universe. Suddenly, I’m not the only one who can hope that “Voyager” and the last few Star Trek movies with the Next Generation cast just never happened.

Telling a story on film is a collaborative art. The director and the cast has to have a story that they can hang their hats onto. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are the ones who helped lift the “Star Trek Movie Curse” (only the even numbered ones are good). Although this STAR TREK has reset everything, technically it is the eleventh in the series. The curse has been lifted. They did not forget that anything with the title of Star Trek should foster hope.

“Hope?”

Yes HOPE! Hope for a great many things. Hope that in the future we don’t blow ourselves to kingdom come, hope that the future is one where people have learned to get along – as human beings and, in a greater a scope, in a universe that is teeming with life, and hope that humanity has a place in the cosmos. Star Trek is about a great many things but, rest assured, the greatest of these is hope. Orci and Kurtzman used this to their advantage. I hope that they continue to do so in the future.

The cast is superb. Going into the multiplex, as a fan, you hope for the best, well, the best was what this fan got. In an odd way this film is like welcoming back old friends. All of the principals nail the dismount here. Christopher Pine’s James Tiberius Kirk unites arrogance with ability. Zachary Quinto’s uncanny performance as Commander Spock underlines the emotions of the emotionless and the loneliness of being the character he is. Zoe Saldana’s Uhura is just a joy to behold. Karl Urban channels DeForest Kelly as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. John Cho is the folding Katana wielding Mr. Sulu. Anton Yelchin is the 17 year-old math whiz, Ensign Pavel Chekov. Simon Pegg is Engineer, Montgomery Scott. Pegg’s “Scotty” is a force to be reckoned with. Pegg chewed up every scene he was in and made his role, somewhat of a memorial to James Doohan. There is a scene where Scotty is sitting next to another man in the transporter room – that other man is Jimmy Doohan’s son. Brilliant. Then there is Leonard Nimoy as an older Ambassador Spock from the future. I’m smiling as I type this because I know that the director, writers, and actors must have had a great time with working with Mr. Nimoy and the Older Spock character.

I could go on but you should really see it for yourself. The curse has been lifted. STAR TREK is BACK! “The Future is Beginning” at a theater near you.

I’ve Got a Problem with that Bub

The Summer Movie Season has now started! “X-Men Origins – Wolverine” opened this weekend making it the first of the big summer box office movies to grace multiplexes from sea to shining sea and around the globe this year.

“So, Evil Chicken how was it?”

It was all right.

Now that I have answered this question let me tell you why I absolutely hate those four little words, it was all right. You see when I see a WOLVERINE movie I don’t want it to be “all right” or even “Good”; no, I want it to rock my world. I want Logan himself to slash his way out of the movie screen, make me spill my popcorn all over the place, grab me by my shirt, and ask me – “Do you gotta problem with that, Bub?” I want to smell the smoke from his cigar. I want to know that he is the best there is at what he does and that what he does isn’t pretty.

But, It was all right.

I don’t wish to discourage you from seeing it especially since the work print of this film has been pirated and released onto the net about a month ago. I would really like to support this film because by supporting it in the theaters will go a long way to a studio – even like FOX to throw their hat into the ring for another go round. And, next time, I want a Great Wolverine movie. One where ideas and characters are not throw away; one where the director and writers have a passion for the characters that are entrusted to them and they actually want to tell a decent story. The actors, including Mr. Hugh Jackman do their utmost to make this work but they lack the guiding leadership for everything to gel. They are trapped in a world that is not of their making.

Look, if your expectations are not too high and/or you have no idea who the characters or their back-story are you’ll have an ok time at the movies. If you’re a fan of these characters, you would like to see them develop into something more than one dimension on the big screen and you expect more from your Wolverine movie than an average to sub-average action flick you’re gonna walk away unsatisfied.

I really don’t mean to sound too harsh but… But… SPOILER… Deadpool? ...Really?

Oh man.

It was all right.

I want GREAT. It looks like I’m going to have to wait.

Script Frenzy 2009

I won. My script stands at 113 pages (WORD Template) and 102 pages (PDF file – verified).

Mischief Managed.

This was my third Script Frenzy but my first as a Municipal Liaison. I posted something similar to this on the Municipal Liaison’s forum yesterday. We did not have large numbers but you ARE out there and I thank you for participating. Know that I have stickers just waiting for you. You know who you are. I know who you are too – YOU are scribes, playwrights and writers. You ROCK. Although we didn’t have large numbers in the South Jersey area this time out I had the opportunity to network with some really great North Jersey people and I look forward to the chance to do it all again next year for Script Frenzy 2010.

My plan for next year includes putting out my feelers, finding and networking with a Municipal Liaison for the Philadelphia area while nurturing an interest here in Southern New Jersey via schools (any teachers out there interested in having their class participate in 2010? Just give me a call) and local media outlets.

30 Days, 100 Pages – Are you in? Think about it. It just may be time to stop watching and to start doing. This year was great but next year – the sequel – is gonna be jaw dropping.

Bea Arthur

Man, I hate cancer. Bea Arthur passed away today at the age of 86. Here are the details: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_en_mo/us_obit_arthur_14.

When I was a kid I never understood why my mother and father laughed so hard at “All in the Family”. Oh I tried to get what was going on but I was just too young to see the genius. Time passed and I rediscovered it in the world of re-run television. Norman Lear and Co. really had the tiger by the tale with this one.

Then there was “Maude”. And then there was “The Golden Girls” and, as a casual viewer, you knew right then that Ms. Arthur was truly a force to be reckoned with.

Amazing woman, amazing voice. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this time.

They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

An Ode to 9 Teen Years

(Today marks 19 years of US – Mother Hen and Evil Chicken. This was my gift to her and it was performed at Bogart’s Books this afternoon. Gentle Reader, I thought I’d pass it along for your reading pleasure. Happy Anniversary, Lady!)



An Ode to 9 Teen Years

I can’t afford too much these days
The economy’s ransacked my purse
I didn’t know what to get you
So I thought I’d write a verse

I began to wonder just what does one give
To honor such a day
Styrofoam, cork, or paperclips
Just what does Hallmark say?

Well…

Twenty years ago I met her
In a bookstore at the mall
9 teen years ago we married
Oh so young as I recall

She was a fiery red head
With a sparkle in her eye
With curves I found quite memorable
Don’t judge me, I’m a guy.

But I knew this one was special
I knew she was the one
To spend a lifetime’s afternoons
In the meadows ‘neath the sun

I could see the future in her eyes
Of hopes and one of dreams
This was obviously the product of
One of my more insightful schemes

A marriage is quite like a dance
Life’s tempo fast and slow
Deciding who leads and who follows
Well, such sacrifice makes you grow

We’ve done some growing in our time
Oh, the things we’ve seen
I can’t envision that time without you
Those years, the past 9 teen.

I see the past, the present, the future
When I look into your eyes
I can’t imagine a life without you
Our paths are that entwined

You’re the mother of my children
Three hopes of things to come
They are the sun, the moon, the stars
One for all and all for one

Once there was me and once there was you
Those children are gone now you see
In their place there is only US
And that’s the place I want to be

These first 9 teen are over
My lover, wife, and friend
I’m eager for the next 9 teen
I would do it all again

For you’re still that fiery red head
With that sparkle in her eye
I’m thankful the Lord gave you to me
My confidant, my wife.

Happy anniversary, Lady.

The Enterprise Project

Yep. I am a Star Trek fan. I bleed GEEK. So when I heard about “The Enterprise Project” I gushed a bit. It’s pop art through the eyes of pop art. As per the website…

Respected graffiti, FX and pop artists from all over the world have designed their interpretations of the USS Enterprise. These 34-inch-long replicas of the USS Enterprise from the upcoming film were cast from the 3D digital models created for the film by Industrial Light & Magic. These models will begin touring the world in March – see the location details on each ship to find its current location.

People such as Jim Lee and Robert Rodriguez each have submissions. It would be fun to see them all together in one place for now, however, you can check ‘em out here: http://www.startrekmovie.com/modelgallery/. There will be more Enterprise interpretations coming soon.

This might be able to hold me over until the first 12:01 showing on May 8. We shall see…

So How Are Things with YOU?

Gentle Reader, it’s been too long. My time has been drawn to Script Frenzy recently and I have not had a chance to write a decent blog entry. That’s ok though; please take heart in knowing that progress is being made (34 pages as of right now 8:32 PM) and that other amazing and cool things have been happening – such as Geocaching.

This past weekend we (the EC-5) had a blast. We went places and saw things and learned things that we just never knew about the South Jersey area. That is just plain cool. We saw the oldest house in Atlantic County, learned about the woman who repelled the English Navy at Beasley’s Point and discovered the Clara Glen Pet Cemetery in Lynwood. There are about 3,800 animals buried there and it 2 plus acres are hidden by suburban “progress”. Very cool though – if it hasn’t been in Weird NJ yet then it should be.

Well, I’ll talk soon; right now I have to get back to writing my script.

Talk care!

This Mystery Man’s Kung-Fu is Good

Gentle Reader, submitted for your approval: http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/. If you have an interest in film and in writing for them then you owe it to yourself to visit this blog, soak in what you read there and check out his Writer’s Resources section. There is a wealth of information to be found here.

I read about his blog while checking out Ain’t It Cool News a few weeks back. Harry had posted something about a long conversation between three filmmakers (Kasdan, Lucas & Spielberg) and how “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was birthed. It is a great read, which can be found here: http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/raiders-story-conference.html.

I post the Mystery Man’s blog because I think that you just might find something that you read there helpful for YOUR Script Frenzy (http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/). There are some nice little resources out on the net and this blog is a gold mine for anyone who wants to learn the craft of writing for the movies.

April is just 4 days away. 30 Days, 100 Pages, Are YOU in? I am and I wouldn’t mind some company.

Cast Off the Yoke of Oppression

In days of yore there was no such animal as the internet and its myriad of online applications; nor were there cell phones, digital recordings, or GPS units. It was the seventies and the eighties and it was just around the time that yours truly was growing up. Over the past 30 – 40 years some pretty amazing things have taken place in the realm of electronic wizardry. Technology has shrunk the world. Paul Simon once sang, “These are the days of miracle and wonder. This is the long distance call. The way the camera follows us in slow-mo. The way we look to the stars. The way we look to a distant constellation that is dying in the corner of the sky. These are the days of miracle and wonder and don’t cry, baby, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

Ah Graceland – great album. Please forgive the musical interlude, Gentle Reader. I got carried away. Still I think you get the idea. It’s not as easy as it once was to find people who want to return to the “good old days”. They all have their own websites and Twitter feeds now. A common theme that surrounds times of technological growth is will our technology outpace our humanity. I would argue that our humanity benefits from the inclusion of new technologies and, in fact, creates dynamic and new forms of socialization and communication between, well, humans. The popularity of Facebook, MySpace, Geocaching, Twitter, X-box Live, and the other worlds of the Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOGs) sites are shining examples of how technology and human interaction are no longer mutually exclusive. So much for dehumanization; right here, right now in the latter years of the first decade of the twenty first century – change is good. Change is our friend. If we make friends with change we won’t stagnate in a pit of nostalgia and depression at how good things were so long ago. The world has moved on. We must move with it.

“Why are you telling us all this stuff?”

I’m telling you this, Gentle Reader, because while I love the new and emerging technologies and all the wonders they can bestow, I detest being nickeled and dimed for functions on an electronic device that is theoretically owned by me.

“Huh?”

Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m talking about Verizon Wireless. I have a state of the art (5 years ago) free cell phone from Verizon; it’s a Motorola RAZR V3. Motorola, with the RAZR made one of the most popular cell phones ever. The product itself is capable of taking pictures & digital video, playing MP3s, internet browsing, and you can even make phone calls with it. Yeah, that sounds like a pretty neat gadget; unless, that is, your little 5 year-old electronic marvel of a cell phone happens to be using Verizon Wireless as its carrier. You see when you take a picture with your phone Verizon will charge you for you to send it to your own email address. It’s the same thing with videos. Do not think for a moment that you can remove the SD ram chip and insert it into a card reader to download your 300 plus pictures – oh no, Verizon has assigned a Electronic Serial Number (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Serial_Number) to block the use of free applications. Please allow me repeat that in all caps; “BLOCK THE USE OF FREE APPLICATION!”

Ladies and Gentlemen, exhibit A: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_RAZR_V3. Please direct your attention to the Verizon Wireless version of the phone; and I quote from Wikipedia my favorite second brain, “Verizon Wireless disabled certain features on the V3m including the ability to transfer data files to and from the phone via Bluetooth (a specific protocol called OBEX). Verizon has also blocked the transfer of most data over USB, such as ringtones. These phones also run Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW), which signs each application to the phones Electronic Serial Number, or ESN, thus preventing the use of free applications. The equivalent models offered by competitors (such as the V3t by T-Mobile) still retain these features.

Verizon also installs their own user interface instead of the default Motorola interface that they used to use in the past. This has led to many Verizon Wireless users to resort to using their own artificial means of reverting their phones back to an original Motorola condition, or to that of a Verizon phone that has some of the disabled features enabled. A newer Verizon version of the phone has been upgraded and features limitless video capture, easier laid out menu system and the ability to customize the external screen. The phone is still unable to sync to a computer via USB cable for anything other than charging, unless a software such as Bitpim is used to access files.”

All of those things that you thought your cell phone could do – it can but only with other providers; now on Verizon? Not so much. You have to pay them for the basic functions that come natural with the basic programming of your phone. What a deal. Do not even get me started about the Verizon web browser.

Perhaps in the distant future there will just be a monthly Data Fee that would be set / adjusted on the amount of bandwidth you use. You no longer would have a cable bill, cell phone bill or internet bill. The Data Fee would encompass them all. A world without double, triple, quadruple dipping – a world where the market decides what products and services the populous uses. This Data Fee would cover your phone and digital television too – hey it won’t be that long before you will have an HD projector on your wrist anyway and when that day comes how many bills do you really want to pay? Charge for bandwidth used; that will be the future.

What about the now? To be fair Verizon has a lot of towers in the South Jersey area. That translates to clear signal strength. These are the “days of miracle and wonder” and I am truly excited about what the near future just may hold for the micro personal computer and mobile electronic and information community. While the short-term financial gains that come from replacing a user interface may be appealing to companies such as Verizon Wireless the long-term prognosis is pretty weak. Case in point, I have four cell phones through Verizon Wireless, 700 minutes a month, and on two of those phones I pay extra so that two of those phones can Text without being charged per each Text message. We do not use the Verizon web browser since the interface is clunky, it is entirely too expensive to do so, and, quite frankly, we prefer the real thing to Verizon’s alternate universe version of the internet. As each one of our cell phones reaches the end of its contract I will take said number and I will leave. Four, Three, Two, One, Zero. I will cast off the yoke of oppression one cell phone at a time.

Can you hear me now?

A Poet and Didn’t Know It

GACK! That’s a horrible title for a blog. More importantly – yesterday was a blast!

“Why’s that?”

I’ll tell you all about it – you see, Gentle Reader I had the pleasure of meeting, listening to, and performing with a large community (I’d say of about 24 souls) of poets / musicians / artists right here (in the South Jersey area) at Bogart’s Books and Coffee (http://www.bogartsbookstore.com/). The talent there just blew my socks off. Which is exactly what I told them when it was my turn to perform “Script Frenzy – The Poem”. Now I have never participated in a “poetry slam” before so it was uncharted waters for yours truly. It went well, very well; in fact it was a blast. That community of artists that I mentioned at the beginning is also, apparently, quite forgiving. I am truly looking forward to next months gathering. Ms. Rita Lyman is the master of ceremonies and what a wonderful job she does. The group meets every third Sunday so if you are at Third Friday celebration know that Sunday afternoon is going to be cool too.

That’s not all. The poetry group formed a few years ago to support a 30-day poetry-writing event; POEWAR (I think); and they have been meeting ever since. Ms. Lyman as I was stepping down from the microphone mentioned that some of the group also participates in something called, “NANOWRIMO”. She pronounced it “Na No REE Mo” – I’ve always said, “Na No RYE Mo”. At the end of the day we’re both right; Potatoes – Potatoes. Still hearing it made me smile.

“No Way!” I said, “This (meaning Script Frenzy) is from the same people!” We were no longer poets or playwrights at that moment – we were writers. There are more of us here than I was aware of and that makes this particular purveyor of chicken scratch quite happy. I do believe some writers will be joining the Frenzy. So thank you to Bogart’s and thanks to Ms. Lyman.

I can’t wait for next time.

Battlestar Galactica – Provisos and Predictions

Battlestar Galactica ends its run tonight with a two-hour series finale. I will miss it horribly.

“Why?”

Because it is the best show on TV and I know that writing, producing and performances the likes found on Battlestar Galactica are few and far between. It is not every series that can actually be granted the time to tell a complete story arc before being cancelled. It is not every series with such a epic and sweeping story to tell. If you have not seen it or if your only expectations are gathered from the TV show of the seventies then I am a bit envious. If you are about to start putting the DVDs into your cue to watch from the beginning then you are about to discover something wonderful. A drama of life and death, or war and genocide, and of despair and hope; and, I might add, you will get to do so commercial free.

Now BSG is not for everyone. It is a high intensity drama and if that’s not your thing then that’s not your thing. But hey, that’s ok; that’s why there are so many different flavors of ice cream. Some will hear the words, “science fiction” and run for the hills in the opposite direction. That’s too bad really because if you can look beyond the genre of where the story takes place then you are in for a treat. If you can’t get beyond that then you should probably move onto another blog – everyone will be happier that way.

Still here? Good! I am pleased that you are Gentle Reader but I must warn you I am about to make some spoiler-laden predictions so if you wish to remain unsoiled until you have a chance to catch up and see the series for yourself then you should probably stop right here. See you next time!

STILL HERE? Wonderful. Now then… let’s get down to the business of predictions. Scroll down and you’ll have ‘em.










1. Dr. Gaius Baltar is going to sacrifice his life to save humanity.

2. Starbuck is Daniel; or rather Danielle after Cavil was through experimenting with him/her a few generations back. [NOTE: a friend of mine has a great theory that I have to mention. His idea is that Starbuck is the first human/Cylon hybrid – you know, like Hera? We will see how it plays out tonight.]

3. Anders is going to “JUMP!” the Battlestar Galactica into Cavil’s Cylon station just outside that singularity. Insert CATACLYSMIC BOOM here.

4. Cavil is going to be stranded for all eternity inside that black hole – completely isolated, completely aware. Trapped for all time. [NOTE: this is my friend’s idea. I liked it so much that I’m borrowing it.]

5. The resurrection machines will be able to start the terraforming process on the planet earth and Roslin will be regenerated in the process.

THERE. That’s it. I’m spent. Here’s a link to the Sci Fi Channel’s BSG series end special: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=1063661.

This re-imagining has been one for the ages. Thanks Mr. Moore.

SO SAY WE ALL!

Stage VS Screen

I saw a snotty tee shirt once that read, “Film is Art, Theater is Life and TV is Furniture”. In my humble opinion, wearing something like that puts you at the head of the class when it comes to snobbery. Do not pass go – collect your more cultured than thou existence and go straight to… jail.

“Why don’t you like that? It’s witty enough and I’ve read this blog before – you have your own set of snobbish ways too, Evil Chicken!”

Guilty as charged and why that very well may be the case, Gentle Reader, please allow me to say right off the bat I find that tee shirt exclusive, a little myopic and heavily weighted down by a boatload of pride. “Why?” It’s because story is the key. I don’t care what venue it takes. Serve the story. However it manifests itself.

That being said please allow me to share a dilemma with you; I don’t know what format I’m going to write yet for this April’s Script Frenzy – screenplay or play. Now, let me just say, I am comfortable with the screenplay format. Not that I’m a whiz by any stretch of the imagination; no. I just have a working familiarity with that process. I’ve written them before or had a hand in writing them. Now I’ve written puppet plays but I’ve always used the screenplay as my canvas (man, that sounds pompous – I’m sorry). To date I have never written a PLAY in standard format. April’s Script Frenzy may be my chance to change all that.

What to do… what to do?

This may not sound like a big deal but it could spell the difference between victory (100 pages by the end of April) and defeat. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I’ve got to do some research; dust off my old Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller books/plays. It’s always good to look before you leap. Hey, if worse comes to worse I’ve got my tried and true Screenplay formatting to fall back on… right?

Oh well. I’ll decide sooner or later. One thing that I could stand in April is some company. I hear that “Misery” loves it! No pressure or anything but April is Script Frenzy (http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/) and NOW may be YOUR time to shine.

Think about it.

The Progressive Coffee House

I was in Glassboro recently and stumbled across the Progressive Coffee House. They are located on 208 West High Street (856-243-2466) and they are worth your time. I just grabbed a large regular ($1.98 not bad for a coffee shop these days) and listened to the music, which, at the time, happened to be an old Robert Plant song.

“How about that, coffee AND Robert Plant too?” I said with a smile to the gentleman behind the counter. I was stirring in my traditional 3 Splendas and cream at the time.

“Did you see the picture?” he asked. He was excited and a genuine smile spread across his face.

“Picture?”

He pointed to a wall next to the counter. I peeked around the corner and, low and behold, there was a photograph of the gentleman behind the counter with Robert Plant. They were standing next to each other and grinning from ear to ear.

“No kiddin'.” I said.

“Nope.” He said and he proceeded to tell me the story of how Robert Plant was walking down South Street in Philly and, by an interesting set of circumstances, happened to end up in his coffee shop – that is when he had a coffee shop on South Street.

I will let you ask him about the details, it is his story and he tells it much better than I can. My job is to arrange the introduction. Therefore, let my just say that the Progressive Coffee House is most certainly worth your time and that I can’t wait to go back in the near future. He mentioned to me that he has some old Genesis concert footage that he is going to dig up for the next time I’m come in. I, for one, can’t wait. They can be found here: http://progressivecoffeehouse.com/. Ed and Jen Andricola’s shop is worth your time. Their motto is, “Brewing Happiness One Cup at a Time”.

I was happy. I think they’ll make you happy too.

An Unreal Estate Agent

Unreal Estate Agent and author, Phillip Jose Farmer passed away in his sleep today. He was 91. If you are a fan of “science fiction” (an ever-blurring and dated classification these days) then you probably know the name. The “Riverwold” series & the Wold Newton Family stuff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wold_Newton_family) is just plain fun reading.

For further information on Phil Farmer please see the following write ups here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-obit-farmer,0,5906330.story, here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2009/02/philip-jose-farmer-1918-2009.html, and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Jose_Farmer.

He was a writer and a fan (which is evident in his calling card) and he pushed the envelope. He’ll be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.

Tough Love Vs. Spanking

A friend recently passed this information onto me via e-mail:

Most people think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of “those moments.” One that I found is effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk. Some say it’s the vibration from the car, others say it’s the time away from any distractions such as TV, video games, computer, iPod, etc. Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our care ride together. Eye to eye contact helps a lot too. I’ve included a photo of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique.

We’ve been seeing some pretty dramatic responses from our children since we started using this technique.

Please click on the picture for a larger version of the non-spanking technique of correcting inappropriate behavior in children.