Global Warming Skit

Okay, here's another one on global warming...

© 2007 Pete Bauer

***********

              INT. OFFICE - DAY

             THOMAS and ALISON, both young office workers,
             sit in their cubes working quietly.

             After a moment, Alison pulls at her collar.

                                 ALISON
                       Is it hot in here?

                                 THOMAS
                       I didn't notice.

                                 ALISON
                       You don't feel that?  It's
                       stifling!

                                 THOMAS
                       No... oh, the air conditioner just
                       went off.

                                 ALISON
                       I'm burning up!  This is a
                       catastrophe.

                                 THOMAS
                       The air will come back on.  It's
                       cyclical.  It gets a little cooler
                       then it gets a little warmer...
                       it's been happening since we've
                       been in this building.

                                 ALISON
                           (accusingly)
                       What did you do!

                                 THOMAS
                       What?

                                 ALISON
                       What did you do to cause this?

                                 THOMAS
                       Ah... nothing?

                                 ALISON
                       That's so like you, to act like you
                       don't have any effect on the rest
                       of us.

                                 THOMAS
                       I didn't say that.  The air went
                       off.  That's all.  It will come
                       back on.

                                 ALISON
                       How do you know that!?!  You don't
                       know that!  How could you possibly
                       know that!

                                 THOMAS
                       Well, I've worked here longer than
                       you have and-

                                 ALISON
                       I'm not asking for your opinion,
                       facts or conjectures.  This
                       discussion is closed!

                                 THOMAS
                       It is?

                                 ALISON
                       Yes!

                                 THOMAS
                       How can you say that when you don't
                       have all of the information?

                                 ALISON
                       Like what?

                                 THOMAS
                       Well, there's a lot of people in
                       this building.  And plants and even
                       some fish, I think.  Plus, the air
                       conditioner is a very complex
                       instrument.  There are a lot of
                       variables in play.  Just because
                       it's one degree hotter in here
                       doesn't mean it's not normal.

                                 ALISON
                       Then you agree, it is hotter in
                       here!  We're all doomed!  We have
                       to mobilize.  Get people to change
                       what they do to reduce the
                       temperature!

                                 THOMAS
                           (keeps working)
                       We're not really doing much of
                       anything, comparatively speaking.

                                 ALISON
                       Stop your typing!

                                 THOMAS
                       What?

                                 ALISON
                       Stop your typing!!!!

                                 THOMAS
                       I can't.  If I stop typing then my
                       project will fail.

                                 ALISON
                       Then slow it down.

                                 THOMAS
                       You want me to be less efficient?

                                 ALISON
                       For the sake of mankind!

                                 THOMAS
                       Look, last week there was a temp in
                       here that said we were all going to
                       die due to cubical cooling.  Some
                       other guy complained that his cube
                       wasn't big enough and we were over
                       crowded.  Now you're telling me the
                       office is going to self-destruct
                       because the air conditioner went
                       off?

                                 ALISON
                       What's your point?

                                 THOMAS
                       Well, I've worked here the entire
                       time and nothing's happened.

                                 ALISON
                       That's because you weren't paying
                       attention.

                                 THOMAS
                       Do you really think that the speed
                       of my typing is the critical
                       component as to why the temperature
                       rose by one degree?

                                 ALISON
                       Absolutely!  Everyone knows this.

             She pulls a JANITOR into the cube.

                                 ALISON (CONT'D)
                           (referring to Janitor)
                       The smartest people in this
                       building agree with me.

             She shoves the Janitor out.

                                 ALISON (CONT'D)
                           (to Thomas)
                       You're so callous.  So uncaring.
                       How could you just sit there and do
                       your job and ignore the impending
                       catastrophe?

                                 THOMAS
                           (stops, turns to her)
                       Prove to me the air conditioner
                       won't come back on and I'll believe
                       you.

             Alison sits there stumped.  Thomas returns to
             typing.  Alison looks to her cup of ice water.

                                 ALISON
                           (points to cup)
                       The ice in my cup is melting!

                                 THOMAS
                       So?

                                 ALISON
                           (frantic)
                       It's going to overflow and spill
                       onto my desk!  My work area will be
                       reduced by fifty percent!  My
                       efficiency in the office will be
                       reduced, I'll lose my job, I won't
                       be able to buy food and I'LL DIE!
                           (flailing)
                       WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

             She collapses onto the floor.  Thomas' fingers
             continue to POUND the keyboard.
                               
             Alison peeks one eye open and looks up to the
             ceiling.

                                 ALISON
                       Do you see that?  The ceiling is
                       falling!

             Thomas looks up to the ceiling air vent.

                                 THOMAS
                       It's the air.  It turned back on.

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Bettie Page has evolved into an iconic figure of 50's pin-ups and is probably the best known model from the beginnings of the specialized bondage niche photography. A lot of people have seen Bettie Page's face but few actually know who she was and to where this mysterious women has gone.

The film The Nortorious Bettie Page follows the development and eventual moral salvation of Bettie Page, played wonderfully by the under-appreciated Gretchen Mol. Coming from a rural and abusive home, her life is greatly influenced by her faith. As she matures and leaves the strict confines of her family, she explores new horizons in New York as an actress.

In the 1950's what was then called pornography (which is very tame by today's standards) was an underground and illegal endeavor. In order for connoisseurs of such material to acquire any, they formed photography clubs and hired models to pose. Through happenstance and a series of events, Bettie Page ended up being one of the most used and successful models of this underground movement. According to the film, Page's participation was constantly conflicted. Part of her personality was a very free spirit, but it battled with her strong faithful upbringing. She was able to continue working toward an acting career as a model for hire, but it never sat well with her.

At one point, in acting class, she gives a riveting performance of torment and suffering. The teacher, surprised, asked what she was drawing from. She said "I'm thinking about all of my sins that have offended Jesus."

The Notorious Bettie Page is film that not only explores the growth of underground bondage photography of the 1950's through the iconic Bettie Page, but it is more about Page's moral journey of sacrifice, mistakes and a longing for moral happiness. At the end we find Bettie having shunned her previous life and, instead, working as a street preacher, trying to save souls.

A special nod should go to Gretchen Mol for her performance as Page. Even though the film's pacing is uneven at times, Mol's performance is fearless. There are times when an actor feels naked in their performance because they are opening themselves up to uncomfortable levels. Mol's performance does this both figuratively and literally and her bravery at capturing such a free spirit is what truly carries the film.

The film, in many ways, is very Old Testament. It's full of sin and illicit behavior, but in the end, it's about a person's journey toward salvation and forgiveness.

Separation of Church & State Myth Skit

So, during lunch I created a quick little Theater of the Obvious logo...

And here's another skit I wrote during lunch, this one on the Separation of Church and State myth. These are fun to write.

© 2007 Pete Bauer

********

        INT. RESTAURANT - DAY

        CHEF DAVID hands out his guidelines to his wait
        staff, including DANTE and JANE.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Okay, so here are our new
                  guidelines.  Look it over and let
                  me know if you have any questions.

                            DANTE
                      (scanning the guidelines)
                  So our two main condiments are
                  catsup and mustard?

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Yes.  They're the cornerstone of
                  our menu.  It's what makes our
                  restaurant so popular and so
                  strong.

                            DANTE
                  You say right here that people can
                  freely use mustard, but that we,
                  the wait staff, should not
                  establish the use of mustard as the
                  only condiment.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Correct.

                            DANTE
                  Sounds simple.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  It is.

                            DANTE
                  But, sir, I had a customer in our
                  restaurant yesterday request we put
                  mustard on their hamburger.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Okay.

                            DANTE
                  Well, you've stated here that there
                  is a clear separation between
                  catsup and mustard.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  No I didn't.

                            DANTE
                  Yes you did.  By putting mustard on
                  our customer's hamburger, we are,
                  by default, establishing the use of
                  mustard, which you have expressly
                  stated we should not do.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  No we're not.  Catsup and mustard
                  can coexist.  If a customer wants
                  mustard on their hamburger in this
                  restaurant, it doesn't mean we are
                  establishing mustard as the only
                  condiment, we are merely allowing
                  our customers to freely exercise
                  their use of mustard on restaurant
                  property.  There's a difference.

                            DANTE
                  No there isn't.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Yes, there is.  I wrote the
                  guidelines.  I know what I
                  intended.

                            DANTE
                  No you don't.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Yes, I do.

        Another waiter, JANE, chimes in.

                            JANE
                  Excuse me, sir, as the
                  representative of American
                  Condiment Liberties Union I have to
                  agree with Dante.  You clearly
                  intended that catsup and mustard
                  should never be combined.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  No I did not.

                            JANE
                  Yes you did.  Your guidelines are
                  open to interpretation and the way
                  we interpret it is that there is a
                  clear separation between catsup and
                  mustard.  Just ask the media.
                  They'll agree with us.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  No where in my guidelines are the
                  words "separation of catsup and
                  mustard" ever stated.

                            DANTE
                  But that's what you meant.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  No I didn't.

                            JANE
                  Yes you did.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Look, I came from a restaurant
                  where the chef mandated mustard and
                  mustard only.  So, what I'm saying
                  here is that if people want to use
                  mustard, they can.  But, we won't
                  establish it as the only condiment.

                            JANE
                  Exactly.  No mustard and catsup
                  together.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  That's not what I said.

                            DANTE
                  Yes it is.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  No it isn't.

                            JANE
                  We are okay with people requesting
                  relish, onions and even pickles.
                  But mustard is out.  We will never
                  recognize the use of mustard.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  What?

                            DANTE
                  Agreed.  If we allow customers to
                  use mustard on our food we are
                  establishing the use of mustard as
                  the only condiment and that would
                  offend the relish, onion and pickle
                  lovers.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  How would it do that?

                            JANE
                  And we must therefore never allow
                  mustard to be used or even
                  recognized by this restaurant.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  What?

                            JANE
                  If people want to use mustard in
                  the privacy of their own home,
                  that's okay, but any use of mustard
                  on restaurant property clearly
                  defies the mandated separation of
                  catsup and mustard and is therefore
                  prohibited.  As a matter of fact,
                  if anyone even suggests using
                  mustard on restaurant property, we
                  should take them to court!

                            DANTE
                  Here here!

                            CHEF DAVID
                  Wait a minute!  You've completely
                  misunderstood what I wrote.
                  Mustard is a good condiment.  I was
                  raised in a family of mustard
                  lovers.  This restaurant was
                  founded on the use of mustard.  How
                  can you say that it should be
                  excluded from the restaurant?

                            JANE
                  Because that's what our lawyers say
                  you meant.

                            CHEF DAVID
                  But I only want to allow other
                  condiments to be recognized in our
                  restaurant, not to exclude mustard
                  from the restaurant as a whole.

        Dante returns with a box of mustard packets.

                            DANTE
                  I'm getting these off restaurant
                  grounds.  And any public
                  recognition of mustard must be
                  removed immediately.

                            JANE
                  Agreed.

        Chef David hands Jane his hat.

                            JANE (CONT'D)
                  Where are you going?

                            CHEF DAVID
                  I don't know.  But this isn't the
                  restaurant I founded.  I don't even
                  recognize it anymore.

                                                       FADE OUT.

Dark Passage (1947)

Falling into the film noir genre, Dark Passage, starring the then newly married Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, revolves around a wrongly accused escaped convict who finds comfort and assistance in the beautiful Bacall while trying to clear his name. What is most interesting about this particular film is that the first half of it takes place almost entirely from the viewpoint of the convict (Bogart). You don't see his face until after he's had illegal facial surgery to alter his looks.

Once Bogart actually appears on film the story falls into a great number of clichés, convenient coincidences and the most consecutive series of accidental deaths all pointing to the same innocent convict... well, it's a little much to take.

For example, Bogart's character says he didn't kill his wife (the reason for his incarceration). He visits his friend, who ends up dead, Bogart's fingerprints on the murder weapon (a trumpet), but he didn't do it. He then confronts the real murderer behind all of the deaths (Agnes Moorehead) only to have her accidentally fall out of the window and to her death on the street below, again with all real evidence pointing to Bogart.

What a bad week!

Tack on a quite simplistic, happy ending and what started out as one of the most inventive film noir films in cinematic history ends up being a complete mess. Too bad.

Capote (2005)

Truman Capote was a famous author in the 1950s who's career ultimately culminated in the publication of the non-fiction book In Cold Blood, about two men accused of killing a family of four in rural Kansas. The film Capote is about the lengths and convenient mis-truths Capote engaged in to reach his goal of getting inside the head of one of the killers. It is both a subtle and effective film.

Shot beautifully by director Bennett Miller and cinematographer Adam Kimmel, the story follows Capote, played so effortlessly and convincingly by Philip Seymour Hoffman, from the time he reads about the murders in the New York Times through the next four years until the men are put to death. In a move that exemplifies Capote's commitement and ruthlessness to get the information he needs, he hires a lawyer to put the appeals motion in place, not because he believes the men are innocent, but to buy him more time to build trust with one of the murderers as to get his version of the events that night.

Other wonderful actors include Catherine Keeler, who plays a friend and Capote assistant Nelle Harper Lee, who also happened to write To Kill A Mockingbird, Chris Cooper as lead detective Alvin Dewey and Bruce Greenwood as fellow writer and Capote companion Jack Dunphy. The film does a wonderful job of weaving in the social life of writers in the 1950s, the vibrancy of New Yorks literary scene and the self-centered and often contradictory drives that propel Capote to write his most successful book.

This is a wonderful, exceptional film without a false note. Nor does it use any Hollywood cliches. In a media that been around over 100 years, it is rare to find a truly unique film. Capote is one such film.

The Worst Fortune Ever

Carolyn, the receptionist in our building, got what I consider to be the worst fortune cookie fortune ever. It said...

"Your problem just got bigger.
Think. What have you done!"

So uplifting, isn't it? I have never seen a negative fortune before. Too funny.

If Drug Ed Were Taught Like Sex Ed Skit

Continuing what I have called The Theater of the Obvious, yesterday at lunch I wrote a skit about if drug education were taught like sex education in our schools. This would be a little harder to shoot, but could still be done in a day.

© 2007 Pete Bauer

*****

          INT. SCHOOL - DAY

          MR. MICHAELS stands in front of the classroom,
          a box of items on his desk.  STUDENTS, including
          CATHERINE, sit in the class.

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Drug Education.  That's our topic
                    this week.  It's important to
                    remember not to do drugs.  After
                    all, most of you aren't even old
                    enough to drive, so how can we
                    expect that you'd know whether or
                    not to engage in drug use?

          Mr. Michaels pulls the box next to him.

                              MR. MICHAELS (CONT'D)
                    So, today, I'm going to show you
                    how to shoot up on heroin.
                        (pulling items out
                         individually)
                    First, you'll need some heroin.  A
                    spoon.  A lighter.  Oh, and of
                    course, your needle and tourniquet.
                    Now, the first-

                              CATHERINE
                        (raises her hand)
                    Excuse me, Mr. Michaels?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Yes, Catherine?

                              CATHERINE
                    Well, if you really don't want us
                    to do drugs then why are you
                    showing us how to shoot up on
                    heroin?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Well, Catherine, you are correct,
                    we do NOT want you to do drugs!
                    Engaging in drug use can lead to
                    addiction, acquiring life
                    threatening diseases as well as
                    other numerous unwanted outcomes.
                    So, yes, we definitely do NOT want
                    you to take drugs of any kind.
                        (beat)
                    Now, where was I?  Oh, yes,
                    preparing the heroin.

                              CATHERINE
                    Excuse me?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                        (sighs)
                    Yes, Catherine?

                              CATHERINE
                    So, if the only way avoid becoming
                    addicted or catch a disease or have
                    unwanted outcomes is NOT to take
                    drugs, then why are you showing us
                    how to use heroin?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Well, it's quite complex, really.
                    You see, our society has lowered
                    our expectations of our youth so
                    low that, instead of teaching you
                    simple self control, we've decided
                    to teach everyone how to use drugs
                    safely.

                              CATHERINE
                    But doesn't that just encourage us
                    to do drugs?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Now, Catherine, you don't want to
                    remain ignorant, do you?  I mean,
                    you're not afraid of knowledge, are
                    you?

                              CATHERINE
                    No!  But, I just thought that if
                    the best choice for teens is not to
                    take drugs that maybe we should
                    gear our education toward that,
                    instead of the other way around.

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    You lost me.

                              CATHERINE
                    I mean, I want to know what happens
                    if I take heroin...

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Good.

                              CATHERINE
                    But does it make sense to show us
                    one behavior and expect us to act
                    the opposite?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Catherine?

                              CATHERINE
                    Yes?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    What am I?

                              CATHERINE
                    A teacher.

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    And what are you?

                              CATHERINE
                    A student.

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    And what does that mean?

                              CATHERINE
                    I don't know.

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    It means I'm smarter than you.  The
                    educators in our schools have
                    determined kids today simply can't
                    control themselves, so we're going
                    to show you how to take drugs
                    properly and safely... even though
                    you shouldn't take any drugs... but
                    in case you do... even though we
                    don't want you to... but we're
                    teaching it to you anyway... so you
                    won't do it.
                        (smiles)
                    I don't understand why this is so
                    hard for you to understand.  It's
                    really quite simple.

          He holds up the needle.

                              MR. MICHAELS (CONT'D)
                    Now, remember, never share needles.
                    Well, let me rephrase that... I
                    don't want to offend anyone.  Some
                    of you may want to share needles
                    and if you do that's okay, but it
                    can lead to very serious diseases
                    such as HIV, but that's okay, just
                    make sure you get checked out every
                    year, just in case.

                              CATHERINE
                        (raises hand)
                    Excuse me?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                        (frustrated)
                    Yes, Catherine!

                              CATHERINE
                    Well, isn't the best way to make
                    sure you don't get a disease is not
                    to use the needle in the first
                    place?

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    Then how would you shoot up on
                    heroin?

                              CATHERINE
                    That's my point... you wouldn't.

                              MR. MICHAELS
                    I thought we've been through this!
                        (class bells sound)
                    Okay, we're out of time today.
                    Tomorrow we'll go over shooting up
                    on heroin, snorting cocaine and the
                    drug of choice you've seen on the
                    music television channel, taking
                    meth!

          The kids stand and gather their books.

                              MR. MICHAELS (CONT'D)
                    And remember, don't do drugs!

U.S. Immigration Skit

I once heard someone compare the border security issue in the U.S. to someone breaking into your house. At lunch yesterday I took that idea and wrote out this simple sketch. I'm thinking of video taping it and throwing it up on You Tube... what do you think?

© 2007 Pete Bauer

*****

                                             FADE IN.

            INT. HOUSE - EVENING

            A woman, KATE, enters her home to find MIKEY
            sitting at the bar in her kitchen, eating a
            sandwich.

                                KATE
                      Who are you?

                                MIKEY
                      I'm Mikey.  I lived in the house
                      behind your's.

                                KATE
                      What are you doing here?

                                MIKEY
                      Well, you have a really nice house.

                                KATE
                      Thank you.

                                MIKEY
                      Probably the best house in the
                      entire neighborhood.

                                KATE
                      Okay.

                                MIKEY
                      So, I thought I'd come over and
                      live here instead.

                                KATE
                      But I live here.

                                MIKE
                      I mean, your house is much better
                      than mine!  So, I thought I'd come
                      over and share it with you.

                                KATE
                      But this is my house.  I was born
                      in this house.

                                MIKEY
                      I know, but you've got plenty of
                      room.  All of those empty bedrooms.

                                KATE
                      I know, but, maybe I'm not making
                      myself clear...

                                MIKEY
                          (interrupts)
                      Look, I noticed, no offense, that
                      your house was kinda messy, so I
                      cleaned up a bit.  I'm a very hard
                      worker.

                                KATE
                          (notices his work)
                      Yes, it is very clean.  You did a
                      good job.

                                MIKEY
                      I work very hard.  I'm a very nice
                      guy, really.  You can trust me.

                                KATE
                      But you broke into my house.

                                MIKEY
                      That's because your house was
                      better than mine.

                                KATE
                      But, how can I trust you if the
                      first thing you did is break into
                      my house?

                                MIKEY
                      Oh, you're one of those.

                                KATE
                      One of what?

                                MIKEY
                      One of those who automatically
                      assume because I come from the
                      other neighborhood that I'm not
                      trustworthy.

                                KATE
                      No, that's not it at all.

                                MIKEY
                      You're a bigot.

                                KATE
                      I am not!  This has nothing to do
                      with whether I like you or not,
                      it's about what you've done to get
                      here.

                                MIKEY
                      But you have more than I do, so I
                      want some of it.  Besides, I'm
                      willing to work for it.

                                KATE
                      I already have people who clean my
                      house.

                                MIKEY
                      I'll do it cheaper.

                                KATE
                      That's not the point.  When I hire
                      someone I check the references, do
                      background checks, make sure
                      they're not dangerous.  I don't
                      know anything about you.

                                MIKEY
                      I'm very nice.  You'll see.

                                KATE
                      Look, Mikey, I don't think you're
                      understanding me...

                                MIKEY
                          (winces)
                      Oh, listen, I think I pulled my
                      back cleaning up your garage, so
                      I'm going to need you to take me to
                      the doctor.

                                KATE
                      Oh, do you have insurance?

                                MIKEY
                      No, I can't afford that!  I figured
                      you'd pay for it.  I mean, if you
                      can afford this house you certainly
                      can afford to pay when I hurt
                      myself.

                                KATE
                      But-

                                MIKEY
                      Oh, and my brother-in-law, well,
                      he's one of those people you
                      mentioned before... you know, got
                      into a lot of trouble in the old
                      neighborhood.  Well, he followed me
                      over here and broke your lawn elf,
                      so I locked him in the shed in the
                      backyard.  He's not a nice guy.

                                KATE
                      Well, why doesn't he just go home.

                                MIKEY
                      Well, he's locked up in the shed
                      now.  We'll have to wait until he
                      deserves to come out.  Oh, he'll
                      need cable television and for you
                      to pay for the electricity and food
                      while he's in there.  And health
                      costs, of course.

                                KATE
                      Of course.

            The window opens in the room and another person
            sneaks in and disappears into the back of her
            house.

                                KATE (CONT'D)
                      Who's that?

                                MIKEY
                      I don't know.  He lives in my
                      neighborhood, but I've never met
                      him personally.  But, I'm sure he's
                      okay.

                                KATE
                      How do you know that?

                                MIKEY
                      I don't.  But, I'm sure he's okay.
                      You can trust him too.

                                KATE
                      Look, I have people in my house all
                      the time.  People from all of the
                      different neighborhoods, including
                      your's, have come here and are
                      welcome to stay.  But, there's a
                      process.  You have to apply, I make
                      sure you're okay, and THEN I let
                      you stay here.

                                MIKEY
                      You don't mean that!  You don't
                      have any locks on your doors or
                      windows!  If you really didn't
                      want people to walk into your
                      house whenever they wanted, surely
                      you'd lock your doors and windows,
                      wouldn't you?

                                KATE
                      Well, I got approval to put the
                      locks on my doors and some of my
                      windows, but I haven't gotten the
                      money yet.

                                MIKEY
                      You see?

            Another person sneaks into the house and hides
            behind the couch.

                                KATE
                      And who's that?

                                MIKEY
                      I have no idea.  He isn't from my
                      neighborhood, but he must have come
                      through my house to get to yours.

                                KATE
                      Why is he hiding?

                                MIKEY
                      I have no idea.

                                KATE
                      Because a few years ago some people
                      hiding behind my couch were
                      responsible for destroying part of
                      my house and some people died.

                                MIKEY
                      Well, I don't know who he is.  Now,
                      let's get back to the important
                      stuff.  Listen, as you can see,
                      there's quite a few of us in here.
                      Why don't you just toss out that
                      whole "making sure we're okay"
                      thingy and just make us permanent
                      house guests?

                                KATE
                      Because the rules are in place for
                      a reason.  They protect this house.

                                MIKEY
                      But, I'm not a bad guy!

                                KATE
                      You may not be, but what about
                      everyone else that's snuck in here?

                                MIKEY
                      I have no idea.  Oh, and I think,
                      speaking for those of us who've
                      recently moved in, we'd like to
                      talk to you about the rules of the
                      house overall.  You know, have a
                      say in how the house is run.  Stuff
                      like that.

                                KATE
                      But you don't live here!

                                MIKEY
                      Sure I do.

                                KATE
                      But you broke into my house!

                                MIKEY
                      I didn't break in, I moved in.
                      Now, you should know that my first
                      language is not your first
                      language, so I think you need to
                      start speaking in my language too.

                                KATE
                      But-

                                MIKEY
                      We already covered that you'll pick
                      up the cost of our medical bills
                      and for those locked up in the
                      shed.

                                KATE
                      But-

                                MIKEY
                      Now, here's something a lot of us
                      would like to change... your house
                      colors... red, white and blue.
                      C'mon!  We have some other ideas.

                                KATE
                      Why won't anyone listen to me!

                                                FADE OUT.

Blood Diamond (2006)

Edward Zwick loves the redemption of the seemingly unredemptive. The director of Glory and The Last Samurai continues stories of courageous acts of redemption by seriously flawed men during war time with the powerful and disturbing Blood Diamond. The story takes place in 1999 Sierra Leone during a brutal civil war and focuses around three main characters, a diamond smuggler, Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a simple fisherman who's family gets torn apart in the civil war and Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) who's a reporter looking for an inside source into diamond smuggling and its ties to the increasing arm sales in the region and the violence associated with the civil war.

When Solomon is forced into slave work looking for diamonds he finds a very rare large pink diamond. He sees it as leverage to getting his family back, Archer sees it as his way out of Africa and his failed life and Maddy sees it as the key to her story. They all see it as an opportunity for their own success and are willing to use each other as much as is required to get what they want. Through this journey the layers of the society and the effect of the civil war on the population is shown in unflinching frankness. Blood Diamond is often violent, but it uses that violence with great power. It shows children being taught to kill. It shows those children later slaughtering entire villages, then celebrating with drugs and alcohol, lead in this evil orgy by their captive leaders who effectively brainwash them into a life of extreme violence.

There are currently over 200,000 child soldiers in Africa and such tribal and internal genocide continues today. Blood Diamond, which focuses on the abuse of conflict diamonds, western greed and societal power struggles, shows to tremendous effect the complete disregard for human life in some areas of the world and how hopeless it all seems. Yet, like in Glory and The Last Samurai, Zwick offers light and hope in the form of individual heroism and sacrifice. If one person in a world of hate can understand selfessness, then maybe we can all be saved from our own greed.

Blood Diamond, like The Last Samurai, was hailed by critics yet under viewed by the mass audience. They are two very powerful, very important films about the power of redemption in our lives. Zwick has found his niche and with every subsequent film is becoming a master at presenting the eternal effect of salvation.

The Godfather (1972)

As a movie maniac there are certain films every one of my friends believes I've seen that I have not actually watched. The Godfather trilogy are three such films. It took me until late in college to "discover" Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock, until five years ago to see Casablanca and until 2007 to see The Godfather.

Part of the problem is that great films such as The Godfather have been commented on, parodied and quoted so often that there is not much of a surprise when watching it. I grew up watching Second City Television (SCTV) and their comedic version of it, I've seen the scene where Marlon Brando sticks an orange wedge in his mouth and scares a little kid before passing away on numerous documentaries about his life or the scene where James Caan gets gunned down or the guy finds the horse head in his bed and hec, I've even quoted "Perhaps one day you can do me a service" in my own Brando-esque way many times.

I guess that's the price I pay for waiting so long.

So, I sat down and watched the film for the first time and enjoyed myself, but was not overly moved because of the aforementioned exposure to the film. The most surprising aspect of the film, to me, is the lack of foul language. If the film was made today, I'm certain every third word would be of the four letter variety.

The film was satisfying and obviously accomplished on every level. The cinematography was tremendous and the performances excellent. I look forward to seeing The Godfather, Part II... maybe I'll find it a little less exposed and a little more refreshing than its landmark original.

Guaranteed Failure

You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

--Wayne Gretzky

Safety Harbor Little League All-Stars Runner-Up Picture

UPDATE: I've added some pics from that website to this entry. Thanks to Bob Krayer for the pics.

If you visit the Safety Harbor Little League website, you can see the picture of the team holding the runner up plaque.

The teams line up for the National Anthem.

Gabe in the dugout before the game.

Gabe up to bat.

What's funny is if you look at Gabe
in the picture, he's completely dissatisfied.

Safety Harbor Falls 6-5 to Countryside in the District 12 Championship

Well, it wasn't meant to be, I guess. After building a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Safety Harbor allowed Countryside to climb back into a 4-4 tie with errors and giving up a two run home run. In the fourth inning, Safety Harbor climbed back into the lead 5-4, in the top of the fifth allowed 2 runs to score on a costly error and that's the way it ended, 6-5.

The team was very disappointed, as you could imagine. And, not to sound like a homer, but our team was far more talented, but we did not make the hits when we needed it most. Playing that Countryside team nine times out of ten and we probably would win all of them. For the first time in the tournament we failed at hitting the ball effectively and allowed timely errors to decide the game against us.

Gabe had an okay game, going 1-3 with a single and two ground outs. He made multiple near-catch dives in the infield, but the balls continued past his glove into the outfield.

His effort was there, the talent was there, but the score was not. A wasted opportunity, to be sure.

So ends spring baseball. I was very proud of Gabe this playoffs. He started spring ball in the regular season at second base and made four errors in his first game and got called looking on third strikes numerous times.

Boy, how he's grown. He ended the tournament season with no errors and no strike outs, getting on base one way or another 14 out of 17 at bats.

Thanks to all of the coaches, especially Bob Bates for all of his work. And a special thank you to Robbie and Kristi for coming down from Georgia, for Betty, Chaz and Elizabeth coming to the game, and for Tim O. for supporting Gabe at the game today.

I'll be thinking about the "What ifs..." for the next few weeks, I'm certain.

Safety Harbor Survives Scare, Beats West Pasco 10-8 to play for District Title!

Safety Harbor All-Stars went into the sixth inning with a 10-3 lead. Our starting pitcher, John Paul, ran out of gas after an impressive game and was replaced by Gabe. Unfortunately for us, West Pasco's bats came alive, hitting Gabe's accurate pitches through the infield and dropping some in front of the outfielders, scoring a few runs.

Gabe pitching.

Coach Bob Bates brought in Tommy Daily to try and close out the game. Tommy struck out one and Gabe, now playing right field, caught a high fly ball to get the team to two outs. With bases loaded and Tommy reaching his limit of 20 pitches (any more and he couldn't pitch tomorrow and he's our starter), Coach Bates turned to Steve Javaruski to close out the game. With bases loaded, two outs and Safety Harbor leading 10-8, Javaruski threw a strike which was lined high and deep into right center field, where it was caught by Andrew Llewellyn to bring the exciting game to a dramatic climax.

Gabe hitting leftie.

All of the parents and coaches were spent. This is the farthest any Safety Harbor team has gone in tournament play for almost 10 years and they have never won a District Title.

Tomorrow we get our chance at making history. We face our arch rivals, the Countryside All Stars, at 3:00 p.m.

Gabe had a good game, going 2 for 2 and walking twice. At second base he made two ground outs, a tag out and a pop fly out. And, as stated before, he made that important catch in right field.

The game was a real nail biter and major cudos go to West Pasco for making such an impressive comeback.

So, tomorrow we will do our best to continue this wonderful streak. As Steven J likes to say, "we have two options... winning or winning big." That's become our motto. Let's see if we can make our dreams a reality.

Stay tuned...

Click on pic below to see one of Gabe's hits, this time from the right side.

Click for video.

Safety Harbor All Stars Win Again 9-2

Last night the Safety Harbor All Stars beat Largo All Stars 9-2. Gabe went 2-3, both were hustle singles where he beat out the throws. He also came in at the end of the game with the bases loaded.

The first batter got a hit up the middle but a great throw from center fielder John Paul to catcher Tommy Daily to get a runner at home put the end of the game just one out away. Gabe then struck out the last batter looking to end the game. Other great plays came from pitchers Robert, Andrew and Trevor, as well as the hot bats of Steven and Logan.

Gabe playing 2nd Base, JP playing Center

So, they finish the pool play the only team 3-0 and face either Countryside or West Pasco Saturday (today) at 1:00 p.m. in the semi-finals. There are no weak teams moving forward, so we have to play our best every pitch, every hit, every out.

DC and I cheer Gabe on from the
only shaded location available.

We were honored to have Robbie, Kristi, Tyler and Lauren at the game from Georgia. And Charles, Betty, Andrew, Elizabeth, Lisette, Theres, John Paul, Stephen and Chaz, still recovering from his appendectomy all came out as well! Thanks Bauers.

You just gotta love family!
Lauren hangs out with some of the Bauer kids.

Chaz even made this great sign (see below). How awesome!

A recovering Chaz takes the time
to show Gabe his support!
What a trooper!

The support from the family was great

We are very grateful for the effort and success of this young team. Now on to the next round! Go Safety Harbor!

All Stars Continue Tonight

The All Star games continue tonight. We are honored to have Kristi and Robbie from GA along with Tyler and Lauren on hand to watch tonight's game.

I'll have an update later tonight.

Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar has set the bar so incredibly high that average films seem like a huge disappointment. Ratatouille is one such disappointment. The technically marvelous, yet overly dull story revolves around a rat who can cook joining forces with a chef who can't in order to save a family restaurant.

It all sounds good on paper, but the first half of this film moved very slowly to the point that I wanted to go get some nachos just so I could have something to do. Sure, I could have been effected by recently going cold turkey on caffeine, but all of the kids around me were even more restless than I was.

Granted, there were funny moments and the last half of the film is very good, but I left the film putting it as the least effective Pixar film yet, just below A Bug's Life.

In the end, the film is about rats... animated or not, they're still rats. When you see them swarm, you instinctively squirm.

A good rental, but that's about it.

Safety Harbor All Stars Win Again, 11-0

The Safety Harbor 10-11 All Stars won again, beating Palm Harbor 11-0 in four innings. Tommy Daily pitched three innings and Gabe closed out the fourth for a combined no-hitter. There were some great hits by the team and wonderful defense plays by Logan Bates, Robert Robicheau and Andrew Llewellyn.

You can see one of Gabe's hits (DC wasn't there and Dea and I were involved in the game) and Gabe closing out the game pitching by clicking picture below. The file is a little bigger, so may take a little longer to load into your computer.

We play again next Friday. If we make the playoffs, we'll play Saturday and if we win that game we'd play for the District 12 title on Sunday.

But, lets just focus on one game at a time.

By the way, Gabe's 2 for 2 game yesterday got him mentioned in the paper this morning (see below) even though they didn't get that he hit two doubles, instead of one.


Its nice to see the team's efforts finally paying off on the field.

Safety Harbor All Stars Win 11-7

The Safety Harbor All Stars came back from an early 4-0 deficit to win their first game this tournament 11-7 over Tarpon Springs. We could not have asked for a better game to start out the tournament. Gabe batted second and also played second base. He went 2-2 with two doubles and was walked twice. On defense he caught two pop flies and had three throws to first for outs. No errors.

You can see his two hits by clicking HERE or on Pic below...

It's best viewed on Internet Explorer and, depending on your internet speed, it may take a short time to download completely. The file is a flash file, so you'll need a Flash plug-in installed. Most browsers already have this plug-in, but if not you can download one free www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer.

Thanks to DC for taking the video!

Tomorrow we play a strong Palm Harbor team, a make-up for last night's rain out.

Great game Gabe!

Charade (1963)

Charade, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, is an odd, quirky, funny and strange film about a woman (Hepburn) who's husband is murdered over a missing $250,000. She comes home to find her apartment emptied and a man (Grant) offering to assist her. She has no idea where the money is located and is hounded and threatened by a CIA official (Walter Matthau) and ex-US military buddies (James Coburn, George Kennedy) who served with Hepburn's husband.

The film has an odd sense of pacing and very light-hearted and often uncommon sense of humor. The film's logic is light and weak at best, but the weight of Grant and Hepburn's charm carry the film.

The film was not critically acclaimed, but was widely popular when it was released over 40 years ago and I can see why. The plot holes are big enough to drive through and the reactions to people being threatened with murder are far from realistic, but it's all in good fun.

It certainly will never be one of the greatest films of all time, but it is a treat to see Hepburn and Grant working together.

All-Stars Rained Out

As expected, our game was rained out last night. It will be made up on Sunday. However, we hope to play our scheduled game today at 2:00 p.m.

All-Stars Begin Tonight

Weather permitting Gabe's 10-11 All Star team begins play tonight. They have three games and the top teams move onto a playoff.

We've had two intensive weeks of practice. When Paul and Jonathan were down, we went down to the field so Jonathan (a catcher) could catch Gabe (a pitcher). During the practice, Jonathan notices a very small chink in Gabe's mechanics. When fixed, it added another five mph to Gabe's pitches. I was so relieved. I had been trying to figure out what the issue was that was causing the reduction in speed, but could never figure it out. Thanks Jonathan!

The chance of rain down here is very high, so there's a good chance the game will be postponed, but you never know.

We'll see what happens...

Killing the Family

I was watching one of my favorite shows on EWTN called Faith & Culture hosted by the charming Colleen Carroll Campbell. The show covers Catholicism in today's culture.

Last night she interviewed Helen Alvare, a Catholic expert on family law. During the interview Alvare said something very interesting. She said that, prior to the 1960s, family law in the country primarily focused on the welfare of the family. That's why divorce was much harder to get because it was often times not in the best interest of the family.

Now, however, family law has moved from the best interest of the family to the best interest of the individual. So, now, if one person in a marriage wants a divorce, they can get it easily, no matter the overall effect on the family.

But the most disturbing outcome of this migration in family law from focusing on the family to focusing on the individual is abortion and euthanasia. As Alvare explains, the concept of family has been distorted so strongly that the only people you can legally kill are members of your own family. You can kill your own child through abortion and people are pushing for us to allow the killing of our own family members through euthanasia.

Think about that for a minute. If you kill someone else's child or someone else's family member, you are a murderer. But if you murder someone in your own family through abortion and euthanasia, you are not.

Stunning.

To me, it just goes to show how resilient, clever and powerful Satan has become in destroying the primary location where faith and morals are defined and taught... the family.

Psycho (1960)

My daughter and I sat down last night to watch Psycho... the first time for her. Afterwards we re-watched certain scenes and discussed Hitchcock's use of audience expectations to build suspense and misdirect the audience. Hitchcock's genius lied in his ability to effortlessly read and anticipate what the average audience viewer wanted to see and then use that to his advantage. He does this to great effect on Psycho.

Hitchcock had seen the advent of low-budget horror movies and they were all making money, so he thought, "What would happen if I made a horror film?" So, he limited his budget to $1 million and shot the film, loosely based on the book Psycho by Robert Bloch. Hitchcock used books as inspiration, but he never felt compelled to stay true to the source material. After all, as he once said, film and literature are two different mediums. When making a film, staying true to the book is as invalid as staying true to a painting that may inspire you. Would you setup a camera and shoot a painting for two hours? No.

He and screenwriter Joseph Stefano concocted the opening of the film to revolve around Janet Leigh's character, Marion Crane, and her embezzlement of $40,000 instead of about the Bates Motel and the psychos that live there. Hitchcock was a great believer in what he dubbed the MacGuffin, which is basically a plot device that the audience felt was important, but in reality was only a tool to propel the story forward. In Psycho, its following the money.

So, when Janet Leigh shockingly meets her demise in the shower and Norman Bates, played brilliantly as Anthony Perkins, cleans up the crime scene, Hitchcock keeps the folded newspaper holding the stolen money on the end table continuously in the foreground. Why? Because the audience thinks that's what the movies about. At first, the audience thinks the story is about Marion Crane, but she dies, so then the movie MUST be about the money. The audience expects that Norman will stumble across the money and use it to escape his domineering mother. So, Hitchcock lets the audience think that, until Norman picks up the paper and throws it into the back of the trunk with the dead body, unaware the money is even there.

So now we're thrown into a tailspin.

For some reason, I've begun to feel sorry for poor, awkward Norman. I'm actually empathizing with his predicament and appreciate, on some level, his dedication to protecting his ailing mother from the murder.

And, if the main character played by an A list star just got killed off and the story isn't about the money, then now we have NO idea what is going to happen next. And, that's when Hitchcock has got you right where he wanted you all along.

That's why he's a genius and the rest of us are not.

Shot in black and white and with other strong performances by John Garland and Vera Miles, Psycho is a great film not because of the violence or necessarily the editing, but it, along with The Birds, Rear Window and North by Northwest, show how Hitchcock was so adept and using our own emotions and expectations against us.

We go into the movie theater, sit down and let Hitch steer the roller coaster knowing it's going to be an exciting ride. And he rarely disappointed.

Luck

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."

--Thomas Jefferson

Oceans 13 (2007)

The only of the third-in-a-trilogies I've seen this summer, Oceans 13, is a light comedy caper that's fun to watch and quickly forgettable. Honestly, I can't remember a single line from the film, but I left the theater feeling happy. So, I guess that's something.

The film revolves Danny Ocean (Clooney) who gathers his con artist cohorts together to help their financier Ruben overcome health issues caused by a scheming, fellow casino owner (Pacino). Previous women love interests, Roberts and Zeta-Jones, do not appear in the film as this is "not their fight" or something like that. Ocean and his charming team of misfits face the daunting, conceive the improbable and achieve the impossible with a consistent Robin Hood rich-giving-to-the-poor mentality.

Oceans 13 is a lot like ice-milk. It's satisfying while you're eating it, but once you're done you can't even remember the taste.

More "Unwanted" Babies Since Roe v. Wade

From the Wall Street Journal, it appears that since the ruling on Roe v. Wade, illegitimacy has risen dramatically.

Here's a section from the article titled "It's Not Enough to be 'Wanted'" by John R. Lott, Jr.:

...One often misunderstood fact: Legal abortions just didn't start with Roe, or even with the five states that liberalized abortion laws in 1969 and 1970. Prior to Roe, women could have abortions when their lives or health were endangered. Doctors in some states, such as Kansas, had very liberal interpretations of what constituted danger to health. Nevertheless, Roe did substantially increase abortions, more than doubling the rate per live birth in the five years from 1972 to 1977. But many other changes occurred at the same time:

• A sharp increase in pre-marital sex.

• A sharp rise in out-of-wedlock births.

• A drop in the number of children placed for adoption.

• A decline in marriages that occur after the woman is pregnant.

You can read the rest of the article HERE...

Award-Winning Ass

My brother Paul reminded me last night of a funny college story I had long forgotten.

In theater, there are serious performance competitions called the Irene Ryan Competition. At the end of the school year, our theater department would hold a spoof award ceremony called the Eileen Lyons, where the entire department would attend and share in the fun festivities.

My senior year in college I was in a performance of The Tempest. One of the set pieces was this very large chess set, so for the statues at the Eileen Lyon awards, they used the chess pieces from the show.

Well, one of the categories was "The most common phrase heard in the Theater Department." The nominees were various phrases our acting teachers would often state, such as "Act better, be loud" etc. The winning phrase was not one of the nominees. The winning phrase most heard in the Theater Department in 1988 was:

"Pete, you're an ass!"

I went onto the stage to find the entire theater department offering me a standing ovation for being an ass. I believe it was the only standing ovation given that night. It was so funny that I immediately went backstage and called my mother.

"Mom!" I said on the phone, "I just won an award in the theater department!"

"Really?" Mom said excitedly.

"Yeah," I responded, "I'm the 1988 Fine Arts Assh_le of the year!"

The phone went silent for about 10 seconds.

"No," I continued, "it's a good thing!"

"Oh... okay," my Mom finally muttered.

What a funny night. So, whenever people would call me an ass, I would tell them "Not only am I an ass, but I'm an award-winning ass! That doesn't come without serious dedication and practice!"

And I still have that over-sized chess piece in my box of collectibles. After all, an award is an award!

House Rejects Security Fence at the Border

Why?

Just who are the politicians representing?

I have not met a single U.S. citizen who does not want our border secured. Polls show over 85% want it. But, somehow, the politicians can't figure out a way to fund it?

According to the The Business Journal of Phoenix, the House rejected a plan for an 854 mile double-bordered fence between Mexico and the U.S. The fence plan failed by 272 to 149 votes. Most Democrats (including Arizona congressional members Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords , Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva) voted against the border fence plan. Most Republicans (including Franks and fellow Arizona Reps. Rick Renzi and John Shadegg) voted for the comprehensive fence plan.

What the hell is going on?

The East Germans perfected a way to build a wall that is almost impossible to scale or cross. It is within our ability to build such a wall.

The citizens of the U.S. want it.

But the politicians, who are supposed to be our voice, do not.

Why?

When you answer that question, you'll come to realize just how little of a voice we actually have.

Sad. Very sad.

And extremely dangerous.

Netflix Movies On-Demand

The future of television is on our doorstep. The merging of the internet and downloadable content to your television is fast approaching. You'll hear often about ITunes and ITV from Apple, but I think one of the major players in all of this will be Netflix. They changed the movie rental paradigm by offering no late fees and access to blockbusters to independents and just about everything in between.

Now, as a FREE part of my subscription I can watch over 2000 movies online in full screen for free.

I just go to the website where I normally determine which DVD will be mailed to me next and now all I have to do is hit the Watch Now button, select a movie and hit play and wallah, the movie starts showing on my computer. Amazing.

Eventually, such a service will be viewed on my television as opposed to my computer screen, but the fact that I can watch movies in great quality whenever I want is pretty amazing stuff.

If I want to see Casablanca RIGHT NOW, I can. Or North by Northwest. Or Chinatown. Or A Streetcar Named Desire. All available immediately.

Sometimes, technology rocks.

The Prestige (2006)

There are three steps to a magic trick... the setup, the turn (in which an ordinary object does something extraordinary, such as disappear) and the prestige (when the ordinary object is restored through extraordinary means).

The prestige is the payoff, the secret that makes the illusion work.

The film, The Prestige, helmed by Memento and Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan, is an interesting, dark and ultimately disturbing film about magic, competition, obsession and its impact on life. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale play competing magicians who end up going to some extraordinary means to remain at the top of the game.

The film also stars Michael Caine, Piper Perabo and Scarlett Johansson as co-horts and love interests who feel the full weight of Jackman and Bale's destructive competition.

And, like the magic trick, the film is an illusion of sorts in and of itself, with Act One as the setup, Act Two as the turn and Act Three as the prestige.

You'll be thinking about this film for some time afterwards.

Sex Machine (2006)

The microcinema effort Sex Machine, written by John Oak Dalton and Christopher Sharpe and directed by Sharpe, is an interesting cross between film noir, horror and pulp comics. The story opens with the protagonist, a heavily bandaged man, awakening to find himself standing over three corpses while holding a smoking gun at another man kneeling on the ground, pleading for his life. The protagonist finds that his right arm is from a black man, his left from a white man, the arm heavily tatooed with the phrase Sex Machine. His head covered in gauze much like the invisible man and an electrode located under his skin in his neck shorting out, sending painful electrical charges through this body.

That's the opening of the film. Pretty cool.

The protagonist Frank (ala Frankenstein) escapes and hides in a hotel room while he deals with the pain of recovering from the surgery that pieced him together while, at the same time, struggling to understand the flashes of random memories that penetrate his mind. Once he's able to put his past into some coherent mess, he heads back home to his best friend and old girlfriend, struggling how to pursue a normal life while being hunted by the people that created him.

The film itself is very impressive conceptually, cinematically and directorially. I've rarely seen a microcinema effort look this good or directed with such inventive and interesting visual ways. Major kudos to Sharpe and cinematographer Shogo Nakagawa from such a great look.

The acting is hit and miss, which often occurs in films at this level and the pacing is uneven, but lead actor John Howell is wonderful as Frank and manages the complex role very well.

Because microcinema is filmmaking with minimal budgets, it allows the filmmaker to take chances and Sex Machine does just that.

Funny Slogan

On my way to work today I was behind a plumbing company truck with a funny and memorable slogan for their company...

"We're #1 in the #2 Business."

I don't remember the plumbing company, so even thought it was memorable, I guess it wasn't totally effective. Still, made me chuckle while being stuck in traffic.

Sex Over Violence

I've always wondered why people are more concerned about shielding their children from Sex than from Violence. I find it funny that people will refrain from talking about the scientific and social aspects of sexuality with their teens and pre-teens, but don't have a problem with those same children seeing a movie with a high body count, watching a movie with witchcraft, or hacking apart aliens, gargoyles or zombies in some video game.

Is not God offended by violence? Is not one of the Commandments Thou Shalt Not Kill? If I had to guess, I'd think God would be more offended by violence than sex. Either perverted can pull you away from God and His graces, but sex is a natural act and morality is about controlling those impulses as to keep them pure to God's intent. I understand that. However, murder is not a natural act, but we expose our kids to violent images everyday in film, television and video games without a concern for their psychology nor their moral health. But, show cleavage and suddenly the world is ending.

Again, I'm not saying protecting your children from immoral behavior of any kind is bad, but I do think we're often hypocritical in our approach of deciding which one of God's offenses are more valid than the next. And in our world now, Sex wins over Violence every time.

Adrenaline Resurfaces

About ten years ago or so a friend of mine, Jenni Gold, asked me to write the first draft of a thriller she had in mind called Adrenaline. The story is about an international banker/embezzler who ends up on the wrong end of a con game that leads him avoiding the police, the mafia and the feds and a killer, all while being wanted for murder.

Well, Jenni and her husband Jeff have been pounding the pavement for 10 years out in L.A. and have moved up the show biz food chain slowly but surely. Over the past decade the film has been in various stages of pre-production/development... it felt like being in a long queue at Disney World. Every once and a while you get near the entrance to the ride of your life, but then the queue winds around and you find yourself a mile away again. However, recently Jenni saw an opportunity to pull Adrenaline out of the closet, dust it off and see if she could attach some real actors to the film.

So far she's doing great. I can't name any names now because the deals like this are all basically "tentative" until the film actually starts shooting, but its exciting to me, as a writer, to think that a rock and roll singer, some high quality actors and a Hollywood legend are all reading my script and liking it a lot.

That's very weird.

As my friend Kyme said, it's a validation that maybe I have some talent after all. Maybe.

This may just be another turn in the queue line, but it sure has been a very interesting journey so far. Hopefully, this time the film will finally get made and we'll get to hop on and enjoy the ride of our life.