2008
You are browsing the archive for 2008.
Sitcom Scenes I Hate to Write, Part One
There are certain set-ups that don’t lead to anything good. “Box canyons,” writer Don Reo used to call them. “We’re in a box canyon!” Best you can do is get out. I carry with me a mental checklist of such scenes. Sometimes the set-ups themselves are inherently flawed. Sometimes it is possible to fashion a […]
Used books
Courts across the land are presently working out the legal issues regarding downloading, duplicating and sharing of digital media. But when it comes to books, these issues were worked out long ago. When you buy a book, you are free to give it away, sell it to any buyer for any agreed-upon price, throw it […]
Rogaining update
I believe I have found a teammate. Vesa Keinanen of Finland (the person in the background) has responded to one of my many far-flung postings. He seems more talented, experienced, and serious than I am but I believe I can keep up. His name also has two dots over the a in his last name. […]
Letterman versus Leno
I’ve never met Letterman. Leno is a famously great guy. I worked with him briefly, on a show called “Television Parts,” hosted by Michael Nesmith, sometime around 1984. He was as nice as advertised. The show was an effort to do for comedy what MTV had done for music, sparked by legendary NBC president Brandon […]
Who To Vote For?
I haven’t been following the election that closely. I certainly have my impressions of the candidates, but I haven’t looked closely at their positions or really thought about who to support yet. Then today someone sent me this test: you answer a bunch of questions (not too many) about your political beliefs and it tells […]
Zeroville by Steve Erickson
Steve Erickson is a writer who lives in Topanga Canyon and has a huge cult following. His latest book has a main character who’s obsessed with film. The book itself has more interesting ideas about movies than I’ve read in years. Everyone has something to say about movies. Steve Erickson will happily sacrifice a character […]
Schlolastic News
While out stumping for her mother the other day, Chelsea Clinton refused to answer a nine-year old Scholastic News reporter’s question. I don’t really have an opinion either way on that, but I’m really glad Scholastic News has been brought up. Isa brings that drivel home weekly, and I’m shocked that teachers think it’s an […]
Jack Silbert, curator