Ken Bruen's THE GUARDS

My comments as posted to DetecToday:

I've just finished this, my first Bruen, and can't say enough about it. It's the novel with a bit of everything--mystery, noir, hardboiled, humor, poetry--delivered at the right times, in just the right amounts.

Bruen's chosen narrative style brings us right into Jack Taylor's head. I pitied him as I do most noir protags. But while some of these protags depress me to the point of detachment, Jack kept me rooting for him. He seemed to know his own low points so well as to not let any of them *keep* him down. He finds self-worth not by happy accident, but by plain persistence. His journey felt entirely genuine.

AP: Michael Jordan's Brother Deploying to Iraq

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Army Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jordan has asked to stay in the Army for a year beyond his mandatory retirement date so he can complete a full yearlong deployment to Iraq with about 500 other members of the 35th Signal Brigade.

Good luck, Sergeant Major.

Final Plots with Guns

After five years, Neil Smith and Victor Gischler's Plots with Guns is going out in a blaze of glory. I always appreciated the way PWG was put together. Unfortunately, I didn't feel my work was dark enough to try submitting. I would have liked to get feedback from Neil, Gischler, or Maviano. Best of luck to them on future projects.

Saturday Doings

I watched VAN HELSING this morning, which had previously been out of stock at our local Hollywood Video. The acting was all right, the effects more or less believable, but the movie's particular spin on the mythos seemed far-fetched: Count Dracula financed Dr. Frankenstein's experiments into creating artificial life only to exploit Frankenstein's monster to give life to thousands of vampire larva? Dracula can't be killed by a stake, but a werewolf can kill him?

Most annoying, though, the suspense felt artificial, created only by fadeouts better suited to episodic TV than a big-budget movie. Glad I didn't pay full price for this.

Having finished THE ULTIMATE HAVANA, I'm now reading THE GUARDS by Ken Bruen. It's a quick, dialogue-driven read that delivers character at the same time. Hey, I'm getting this. How is Bruen pulling this off?

Black Friday

In the past, I would wake up late the day after Thanksgiving, feeling lethargic. Not this year. It seemed like I ate a lot and I did nap, but only briefly, and woke up early this morning and sent out more poems.

It rained most of the day yesterday, but this morning is sunny and cold--perfect for a brisk walk.

Before I do that, I want to note birthdays for Tina Turner (65), Rich Little (66), and Robert Goulet (71). When I was 16, I took voice lessons at LSU. I learned several show tunes from THE MAN OF LA MANCHA and CAMELOT, including Lancelot's "C'est Moi":

I've never lost in battle or game;
I'm simply the best by far.
When swords are crossed
'Tis always the same:
One blow and au revoir!

C'est moi! C'est moi!
So adm'rably fit!
A French Prometheus unbound.
And here I stand, with valour untold,
Exception'ly brave, amazingly bold,
To serve at the Table Round!

Thanksgiving

I don't play favorites with holidays, but Thanksgiving is high on my list. Our gratitude for all that has come our way throughout the year shows in a splendid feast. (Fried turkey is a favorite of late.) And between feasting, I watch football and nap. What could be better?

"Spins a Web, Any Size..."

JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli university has succeeded in genetically-engineering a form of spider's web almost identical to natural webs which could be developed for commercial use.

For Ioan's Eyes Only?

From IMDb:

Gruffudd Leads Bond Race

Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd is leading the way to play the next James Bond - ahead of Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman. The King Arthur star is said to possess "all the credentials" to take over from Pierce Brosnan as the next 007 in the secret spy films. A source says, "Ioan is the only actor being considered as the next Bond at the moment. He has all the credentials to play Bond and, unlike most of the other candidates mentioned, he's relatively unknown. The producers know Ioan is going to be a big star with or without Bond. It's just a matter of whether he wants to take on such a huge role and the early indications are that he does."

Note: Ioan Gruffudd is pronounced YO-an GRIFF-ith.

Besides those mentioned above, names in the Bond pool include Andrian Paul and Colin Firth.

Mostly Sci-Fi Birthdays

ROSWELL's Katherine Heigl (26). Does anyone else remember her from UNDER SIEGE 2? "This I'm trained for."

Lisa Howard (41), who played Dr. Anne Lindsay on HIGHLANDER: THE SERIES and went on to EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT.

Amanda Wyss (44), who played reporter Randi McFarland on HIGHLANDER, and before that played Freddy Kreuger's first-ever murder victim in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

ST:TNG's Denise Crosby (47) and Dwight Schultz (57) Of course, Shultz made his mark years before Star Trek as THE A-TEAM's "Howlin' Mad" Murdock.

Finally--breaking from the sci-fi theme--Randy Velarde (42), the Yankee shortstop immediately before Derek Jeter.

New Thrilling Detective

Editor Kevin Burton Smith and I proudly present the new issue of Thrilling Detective, featuring stories by Robert W. Tinsley and David Cox. Jim Winter reviews the P.I. novel TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE by newcomer Michael Koryta. Also featuring the annual year-end P.I. Poll, known as The Thrillies.

"It is Useless to Resist."

In a commercial for Target, Darth Vader is sitting at a signing table, doing his trademark ominous breathing. The nameplate next to him reads, "Heidi Klum." When Heidi arrives, she hip-checks Vader as she sits, and his breathing quickens.

When Video Games Go Too Far

Sometime between the ages of 18 and 21, I sold my Nintendo Entertainment System and around seventy games to FunCoLand for $183. I gave my Super Nintendo to a cousin, and currently have no games on my hard drive. I don't begrudge people around my age and older their video game fun; I just could no longer spend huge blocks of time defeating bosses, unlocking secrets, and gaining experience points. It was time for the real thing.

For the most part, I believe more cautionary opinions on video game violence, sexuality, etc. are too cautious. Children have to learn what is fantasy and what isn't. Changing the content of video games does not teach this lesson. Parents and teachers do. If the lesson is learned, children know whatever games they play, which behavior is acceptable in reality and which isn't.

On the 41st anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination, I am shocked to see a video game released wherein players can simulate the shooting--earning points for historically-accurate bullet-placement. The creators say they have the deepest respect for history, but it's precisely in their faithfulness to people and events that they go wrong. Players are not aiming at ducks or clay pigeons or cardboard targets. This is a painstaking representation of an actual person. This game truly blurs the line between fantasy and reality. So wrong.

Knew This Was Gonna Happen

Reuters: Artest Banned for Season After Ugly Brawl

The sad thing is I doubt a suspension and further legal repercussions will teach bonehead Artest a lesson.

New Monitor

Henry and I just set up my new 19-inch flat panel LCD monitor. It promises to be more energy-efficient and easier on my eyes. So far it's lookin' good. Thanks to Henry for finding me a great deal.

Fascinating

Ever wonder how Michael Jackson might have turned out had he not gone to plastic surgery? Here's a forensic age progression by Stephen Mancusi.

Today's Birthday Lineup

Terry Farrell (41), Jodie Foster (42), Meg Ryan (43), Allison Janney (44)

And the Buggy Goes to...

From IMDb:

Connery Secretly Buys Bond Moon Buggy

Sir Sean Connery has secretly bought the ultimate souvenir from his days playing superspy James Bond - the moon buggy he rode in 1971 movie Diamonds Are Forever. The space vehicle Bond used to make a hasty getaway in the film was due to be sold on December 14 at London auction house Christie's for an estimated $56,000. But the veteran actor charmed the buggy's owner, 007 Magazine editor Graham Rye, into selling it privately for $54,000. An insider says, "He even shocked us. We never thought a Bond star would buy it."

Where Have You Gone, Clay Bellinger?

Today is a birthday for SNL's Subliminal Man Kevin Nealon (51), who is incidentally the same age as Alan "Extraordinary Gentlemen" Moore. Elizabeth Perkins turns 44 today, Owen Wilson, 36. Relief pitcher Tom Gordon turns 37, Gary Sheffield, 36.

I really want to pay tribute to utility player Clay Bellinger (36). Before the Yankees acquired high-priced declining stars Sheffield, Gordon, and Giambi, their roster had hidden gems like Bellinger. A native New Yorker called up to the majors at 30, Bellinger was a scrapper (career .193 hitter) who could fill in at first, second, third, shorstop, leftfield, center, and rightfield. He was last listed as a first baseman with the Orioles.

Parse Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Drones

For over a thousand years, Grammarians were the guardians of speech and language in the galaxy...before the dark times...before the Empire...

At an early age--before I knew I wanted to be a writer or an English teacher--I was fascinated by language. I felt there was a magic to it going beyond the literal meanings of words. Why did this person use this word and not another in this case?

Avid readers know the right words in the right place work wonders, yet so much of our culture has come to treat language casually--as if precise words, phrases, and punctuation were irrelevant. While precise language aids communication, imprecise language breaks it down.

British author John Humphrys points out the trend has reached the highest levels of government.

Are You Ready for Some Prufrock?

In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;

With apologies to T.S. Eliot and Hank Williams Jr., these lines are my way of introducing Lee Goldberg's survey of how writers measure daily success.

Lee blogged:

...I don't think that five pages of shit or eight hours spent staring at the screen until your eyes are bloodshot really measures anything. For me, it's quality, not quantity, whether you're measuring pages or hours. What about you?

I commented:

With most of my experience in short stories, I write as much as I can imagine clearly. I stop when the picture starts to blur. When I feel the need to be more careful, I hold myself to one scene each sitting; even if I feel I can write more, I tell myself to stop and study each scene.

I don't measure length so much as completeness. Some ideas need more words to be complete; others need fewer.

Call the Paramedics

Rocker David Lee Roth, 50, has been riding for several weeks with a New York ambulance crew in training to become a paramedic, THE NEW YORK POST reported Tuesday.

The Doctor is In

A few years ago, I would have reserved this entry title for the day I earned a Ph.D. A doctorate in creative writing--so I can command more pay as a teacher--is still a dream of mine, though an ever-more wistful one.

For now, I'm talking about FOX's new show HOUSE, premiering tonight. The description from Yahoo! TV:

A thoughtful medical drama about the surly, but brilliant Dr. Gregory House, who leads a team of young medical experts as they investigate medical mysteries.

I've seen comments that British actor Hugh Laurie's American accent is a little off as Dr. House; however, my reason to watch is Lisa Edelstein, also known as the voice of Mercy Graves in the WB's 1996 Superman cartoon and the voice of Crystal Steele in Westwood Studios' Blade Runner CD-ROM game.

Yevgeny Knows When to Walk Away

AP reports Former French and Australian Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov (above) is retiring from tennis at age 30 to become a professional poker player.

What's Up With Wesley Snipes?

From IMDb:

Wesley Pulls Out of Press Duty

Wesley Snipes has pulled out of all press duties for his third Blade movie Blade: Trinity. The moody actor was so insistent on not talking to the media about the movie, he signed up for another film in Bulgaria as soon as shooting finished and he has been incommunicado ever since. Trinity producer Peter Frankfurt says, "Wesley is in Bulgaria shooting a movie. He's done three movies in Bulgaria. Actually I haven't talked to Wesley. Wesley won't return my calls? He hasn't called me to talk about it. If he was genuinely unhappy with the film we would have heard something. There's a lot going on in his life and he's got a lot of issues at hand so who knows. The guy is an awesome Blade. We've made three movies. Sometimes the paths of communication between us are fantastic and sometimes they're non- existent. If Wes doesn't want to do press that's a career choice he's made." Snipes also insisted on having total control on the set, green-lighting all scenes in which he appeared, and he stayed in character as the brooding vampire anti-hero throughout the movie. Frankfurt adds, "Wesley has script and director approval of all the Blade movies. He had to sign off on absolutely everything we were doing."

Once upon a time, I was a Snipes fan: DROP ZONE, PASSENGER 57, RISING SUN, DEMOLITION MAN. Lately, though, he appears to have grown more distant, eccentric. Or was he always like this?

Leave it to Beavers

AP: GREENSBURG, La. - Beavers found a bag of bills stolen from a casino, tore it open and wove the money into the sticks and brush of their dam on a creek near Baton Rouge.

Harry Lampert, Co-Creator of The Flash, Dies

Mark Evanier's news from me reports original illustrator of The Flash Harry Lampert died Saturday. He was 88.

Cosby Speaks Out Again

From IMDb:

Cosby Blasts African-Americans Again

Funnyman Bill Cosby has attacked his fellow African-Americans again, blasting community leaders on live TV for not getting tough with rising problems. Cosby appeared on CNN presenter Paula Zahn's Paula Zahn Now show last week and launched into a lengthy rant about the poor state of black America. He targeted juvenile delinquency, poor parenting and bad language for the problems, and urged his black fans to take more responsibility. He fumed, "This is about little children... and people not giving them better choices... You got to straighten up your house. Straighten up your apartment. Straighten up your child." Critics have attacked Cosby for his stark views in the past, accusing him of picking on the black community, but the comic admits he expected the ignorant to turn on him. He added, "Let them stay mad as long as they don't have good sense. I don't care what right-wing white people are thinking... How long are you gonna whisper about a smallpox epidemic in your apartment building when bodies are coming out under the sheets? What kept me out of trouble is going right to the edge and then thinking that my mother would be embarrassed, and that I didn't want to embarrass her, and that my father would be embarrassed, and I just didn't want to do that to my family."

Rene Auberjonois Makes BOSTON LEGAL Cast

One of my favorite actors, Rene Auberjonois, has been elevated from guest star to regular on BOSTON LEGAL. The show has a great dynamic, with William Shatner as the eccentric patriarch of the firm and James Spader as his super-cool protege.

Not to mention the Trekkie in me is thrilled to think of Odo sitting at the conference table with Jim Kirk, with Spader as a sort-of Spock. (Please, no fanfic.)

Despite critics' praise and a monster lead-in from DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, LEGAL routinely comes in second in the ratings to NBC'S CROSSING JORDAN.

Failing Artest (Updated)

Comments by Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest have raised questions about his respect for the game: "They probably expected a little more; expected me to play every game. Everybody's different. It's early in the season, so I feel like I could take some time off early and be ready for the long stretch."

For the vast majority of people, going to work every day is a source of pride. To work only when one feels best is a privilege reserved for no one.

I briefly rooted for Artest when he was at St. John's. The consensus was he left college too early, and his immaturity has proven that true.

Indiana should invalidate his contract.

Here's what Yahoo! Sports's Larry Beil had to say:

Beil's spiel: I need a break
by Larry Beil, Yahoo! Sports
November 13, 2004

You'll have to forgive me if this column isn't as good as some of my earlier ones, but I'm flat out exhausted. In fact, I was thinking of asking my Yahoo! Sports bosses for a couple of months off because promoting my new rap album is wearing me out.

Unlike Ron Artest, I don't have a guaranteed six-year, $42 million dollar contract in my back pocket, so unless "The New Vanilla Ice" goes platinum, I'll have to keep dragging my tired fingers across the keyboard indefinitely.

Seriously, we've known for a while that Artest was, shall we say, "a little different." Just look at his technical fouls, on-court rage, or the episode of him busting up a TV camera. Clearly lots of anger management issues there. But with every new quote, I think more and more that this guy is lost in space.

"I've been doing a little bit too much music, just needed the rest. I've still got my album coming out Nov. 23. After the album comes out, I'm going to make sure all of my time is focused on winning a championship," said Artest on Wednesday.

These words surely must have comforted Pacers president Larry Bird. Hey, we all know the first month of the season is meaningless anyway, right?

When Artest was asked if his actions jeopardized the integrity of the team, he said he didn't know what the word "integrity" meant. So much for that St. John's education. I guess Artest was enrolled mostly in music classes.

On Thursday, Artest tried to explain his unexplainable self again in a stream-of-consciousness rant that included his love of basketball, his desire to retire, his drive to win a championship and last but not least, his desire for the album to go platinum.

The notion that a team would pay $6 million this year in the hope that you might be able to squeeze some hoops into your rugged recording schedule is bizarre enough. The fact that Artest thinks his priorities are just fine tells you he's flying up there where the oxygen is thin.

What makes this situation even more absurd is that the Pacers need Rap-master Ron on the court so badly, they can't come down on him too hard. "This isn't the Cuban missile crisis," said Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. "It's not life or death."

Spoken like a man whose Pacers lost at home 102-68 to the Clippers with Artest on the bench Wednesday night.

Maybe the Pacers can trade Artest to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojakovic or to the Boston Pops for a cellist to be named later.

Who knows where Artest ends up, but when Nov. 23 rolls around, that had better be a damn good album.

"I Feel the Need, the Need for Feed."

If you'd like to keep more up-to-date with this blog--if you really want to know about my life--I've set up a site feed URL you can plug into a feed reader (e.g. FeedDemon, NetNewsWire) or online feed tracker (NewsGator, Bloglines, MyFeedster). My Yahoo! pages can also display site feeds.

I have a growing number of blogs bookmarked, and surfing to each one, checking for updates, can get hectic. So I welcome any service that lets me check these blogs more efficiently.

If you're in my Starting Lineup on the right or would like to be, please let me know if you set up a feed.

Birthdays: I Know I'm Getting Older When...

Jimmy Kimmel turns 37 today. WIN BEN STEIN'S MONEY is now on Game Show Network, making me nostalgic for the late 90s.

And I know I'm getting older when some of my favorite actors are hovering around the big 5-0. Original LAW & ORDER lead Chris Noth turns 50 today. Tracy Scoggins--who along with Michael Landes was unfortunately dropped from LOIS & CLARK--turns 51. TV and movie veteran Rex Linn--Maj. Mark Sokol on JAG, Det. Frank Tripp on CSI: MIAMI--turns 48. And Robert B. Parker's handpicked Spenser, Joe Mantegna, turns 57.

The Bright Side of Rejection

A freelancing rule of thumb: the heavier your SASE feels, the more likely your work's been rejected. I received such a SASE today from Greg Edwards of Naked Knuckle. Included was a typewritten letter on purple stationery. I expected this to be a form letter, but it was actually Greg's personal response--not only encouraging me to submit in the future, but also telling me which of my two poems he preferred. Yes, authentic, organically-grown feedback. Thanks again, Greg.

Greg Edwards, Editor
Naked Knuckle
211 Rowland Avenue
Modesto, CA 95354

Belushi v. Catwoman, Round 2

From IMDb:

Newmar Insists Belushi's Also To Blame in Neighbor War

Veteran actress Julie Newmar has spoken out about James Belushi's accusations she launched a "campaign of harassment" on him - and she insists they're both to blame. Newmar, who played Catwoman in the 1960s television series Batman, was recently slapped with a $4 million lawsuit from next-door neighbor Belushi, who claims the actress destroyed a fence and landscaping at the home in their upscale Brentwood, California, neighborhood. Red Heat actor Belushi also claims Newmar repeatedly made defamatory statements about him to neighbors and friends. The lawsuit also claims Newmar spied on Belushi's family from her residence and caused a nuisance by playing loud music directed at his backyard. And while Belushi says the actions of the alleged actress caused emotional distress and harmed his reputation and career, Newmar believes both of them acted inappropriately. She says, "I think it's like children misbehaving and just doing things that we oughtn't to do." Newmar has no plans to counter-sue and hopes the case will be settled soon.

"Gypped"

Just submitted my C.J. Stone piece to Hardluck. And boy, are my arms tired. Above is a facsimile of Stone's Grumman Goose created with Adobe Photoshop.

Victory!

Deus ex machina-lly, I've overcome the enemies of creativity to produce a C.J. Stone short short called, "Gypped." And what is a blog for if not to catalog moments of tired euphoria as they happen? And once I've had some sleep, I'll edit the story and submit it, only hours past my self-imposed deadline.

I owe the inspiration for this story to Bill Pronzini's Nameless collection SPADEWORK, to John Lantigua's picture of Cuba in the 1940s and 50s, and to Honus Wagner.

Where Do I Get My Ideas?

I'm reminded this week that ideas never come fully formed. As I've tried to settle on one idea for Hardluck, half a dozen have presented themselves. At this stage the question is, "Which is most identifiable? Which can I flesh out in the shortest time and submit?"

When I find out, and write it out, I'll blog about it.

"Clubhouse" Strikes Out

Who didn't see this coming? Lee Goldberg relays news from Variety that baseball drama "Clubhouse" has been cancelled.

Upcoming DetecToday Chats

DetecToday, discussing today's P.I. and crime fiction, is honored to chat live in the coming weeks with three of the genre's rising stars:

Sunday, November 14, 1:30-3:00pm ET: Duane Swierczynski, author of SECRET DEAD MEN, recently signed with St. Martin's Press.

Sunday, November 21, 1:30-3:00pm ET: Charles Ardai, author of LITTLE GIRL LOST and editor for Hard Case Crime.

Coming in December: Barry Eisler, author of the John Rain series; RAIN FALL, HARD RAIN, RAIN STORM.

Chats are open to DetecToday members via Yahoo! Messenger. E-mail me for further details.

Currently Reading: THE ULTIMATE HAVANA

This 2001 P.I. novel by John Lantigua stars Cuban Miami sleuth Willie Cuesta tracking a troubled son who may be involved in the counterfeit cigar trade. My aforementioned crime story was to feature a Cubano prizefighter, but the knowledge from this book may develop to a C.J. Stone story set in Cuba.

Poetry Mode

I'd planned to have a crime story submitted by Wednesday--a month ahead of deadline--but have been preocuppied polishing poems. Since writing something is better than being stymied, I'll stay with poetry until a story comes along.

To wit, on Saturday I submitted three poems to mini-mag for minimalist poems:

Brevities
Joyce Odam, Editor
2432 48th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95822-3809

Belushi v. Catwoman

From IMDb:

Actor James Belushi is suing his next-door neighbor Julie Newmar for $4 million in damages, accusing her of a "campaign of harassment" designed to drive him from his home. Belushi, 50, claims in the lawsuit filed on November 2 that the actress destroyed a fence and landscaping at the home in the upscale Brentwood, California, neighborhood and repeatedly made defamatory statements about him to neighbors and friends. The lawsuit also claims that Newmar spied on Belushi's family from her residence and caused a nuisance by playing loud music directed at his backyard. The lawsuit claims, "Newmar has engaged in a malicious and premeditated campaign to prevent and destroy Belushi's quiet peace." Belushi says the actions of the actress, who played Catwoman in the 1960s television series Batman, caused emotional distress and harmed his reputation and career.

The Incredibles

Henry and I watched THE INCREDIBLES today. I found it a fresh spin on the superhero-as-everyman theme. Super-strong Bob Parr a.k.a. Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) vows to settle into a normal life when he marries Helen a.k.a. Elastigirl (Holly Hunter).

Fifteen years later, a father of three super-kids, working as an insurance adjuster in Metroville, Bob can't resist listening in on the police band with his friend Lucius Best a.k.a. Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and intercepting trouble.

Having observed Bob's do-gooder streak, a mysterious woman called Mirage recruits him for heroic assignments. Bob is compelled to lie to Helen about where he is when he's actually on these missions, straining their marriage.

Little does Bob know, he's been duped by a fanboy-turned-mad genius bent on hunting down and destroying the remaining heroes...

See this movie now.

If you caught the STAR WARS reference above, let me say the Episode III trailer was one of the previews today, and I was less than impressed. Can't tell much from a preview, though.

"Is This Thing On?": Reading Aloud

Sarah Weinman invited touring writers to comment on whether they enjoyed reading aloud. I haven't toured yet, but I like hearing writers read their work. They usually put a spin on it different from my own, and I'm open to multiple interpretations.

I've always believed that the act of writing, fiction or nonfiction, demands honesty. In other words, it's easy to tell when writers aren't performing up to their own standards, whether it be lazy writing, hesitation to believe their own tales, or any number of flaws. Unless the author is a great actor, the same flaws become even more obvious when read aloud. So reading aloud can be a measure of how much an author believes in the finished product.

Reading aloud is also a performance. It can provide authors with the instant gratification writing alone lacks. Part of me has always wanted an audience. It's part of why I submit my work, why I teach, why I blog.

Mets Hire Willie Randolph

AP Photo / Mets GM Omar Minaya (L) and new manager Willie Randolph

AP reports the New York Mets have named Yankee great Willie Randolph manager. The Mets' prospects aren't too bright right now, but rebuilding has to start somewhere. It might as well start with a solid guy like Willie.

In other news, Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre has resigned. IMO, forcing the Yankees to rebuild is a good thing.

Three-Headed Idea Monster

I aim to submit a story for Winter 2005 issue of Hardluck Stories Zine, edited by Michael A. Black. The question is, "Just what will that story be?" I have some half-written ideas with my existing characters, but none of these feels right at the moment. Part of me wants to continue branching out in the manner of "Home." I have an idea in that case, too, so we'll see.

Brosnan Backing Farrell for Bond?

From IMDb:

Brosnan Tips Farrell for Bond
Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan wants fellow Irishman Colin Farrell to succeed him as 007 - just months after dismissing him for the role. Brosnan was dramatically dropped as the superspy last month by studio bosses, despite wanting to appear as Bond for a fifth and final outing. In May, reacting to speculation about Farrell succeeding him as 007, Brosnan said, "Colin. No! I think he's a great actor but I don't think he's right for Bond." But at the Irish Film And Television Awards ceremony on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland, he'd evidently changed his mind: "I'll give it to Colin Farrell. He'll eat the head off them all." Brosnan also said he was in talks with director Quentin Tarantino, who is considering a remake of original Bond novel Casino Royale. He explained, "We have discussed things, Quentin and I, but I don't know if its going to be that particular project."

Farrell strikes me as too young and sleazy at the moment to play Bond. Don't get me wrong. Sleazy can be good, but the sleaziest Bond ever got was Timothy Dalton going rogue in LICENCE TO KILL (1989).

Besides, Farrell's already been tapped to play Jim Street and Sonny Crockett. Casting him shows a lack of original thinking. Then again, so has the Bond franchise of late.

Here We Are Again

I remember watching election maps in 2000, pumping my fist as each state's results were called in my favor, hanging my head at each state that went against me, losing sleep over the words "Broward County," "recount," and "chad."

This year I turned to the opening NBA game on TNT, and, as is my custom, fell asleep from 7 p.m. to midnight. As the race tightened up, I knew it would be longer before we heard from each individual state, so I turned off the set to finish reading LITTLE GIRL LOST by Richard Aleas.

I went into the election--as I did this year's Yankees-Red Sox series--knowing it would be tight, and would probably hang on one state. So, the fact this has indeed happened doesn't surprise me.

Now comes word the official count may not be known for eleven days. Bagels, anyone?

"Quaid...Start the Reactor...Free Mars!"

Today is a birthday for Rachel Ticotin (46), who played Arnold Schwarzenegger's dream woman, Melina, in the Paul Verhoeven-directed TOTAL RECALL (1990). Inspired by the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," the movie featured some of the most memorable one-liners:

"See you at the party, Richter!"

"Give these people air!"

"Two weeks."

"Consider that a divorce."


It's also a birthday for Jenny McCarthy (32), the onetime Playboy Playmate and MTV personality whose approachability stands out as well as her looks. Now married to director John Mallory Asher (a.k.a. Gary from the TV version of WEIRD SCIENCE), McCarthy recently published a pregnancy book called BELLY LAUGHS.

Knight Rider Needs Driver's Course

From IMDb:

Hasselhoff Avoids Jail

Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff narrowly avoided a jail sentence on drunk driving charges Thursday. The 52-year-old actor was ordered to attend 50 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, fined $200, placed on probation for 36 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service after pleading "no contest" to driving with excess alcohol. Hasselhoff was also ordered to complete a driver's course before he is allowed to drive - other than to work or taking his children to school. The star - who recently completed a stint in musical Chicago in London's West End - was stopped by police driving erratically near his home in Los Angeles. A court in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, ruled Hasselhoff must complete his community service working for the charity Wheels For Humanity, which provides wheelchairs for disabled children in poor families.

Colo. Teacher Kicks Student for GOP Shirt

DURANGO, Colo. - A part-time college instructor has apologized for kicking a student because he was wearing a Republican shirt.

The petty showing of colors is what I dislike most about elections and any rivalry. You can better convince me that your candidate/team is better by reasoned argument or results, not violence or cheerleading.

Whenever Election Day rolls around, I'm so tired of the pandering and posturing, I just want to vote and be left alone.

Is The Bambino a Football Fan?

Did the Red Sox Series win curse the Patriots? The Pittsburgh Steelers capped the Pats' streak at 21 wins. Meanwhile, the New York Giants rebounded from last week's loss, beating the Minnesota Vikings by 21 points: 34-13. Coincidence?

"It's the Justice League Trouble Alert!"

My refurbished KDS monitor is about to give up the ghost. It had been flickering for weeks until last night, when the picture "melted" off the screen"--leaving me in the dark for an hour. Same thing happened this morning, so tonight I'm borrowing my brother's spare monitor until I can shop for a replacement. Henry says I should go LCD.