Friday, December 26, 2008

checklist

gas and electric scheduled for transfer, check.
phone and DSL scheduled for transfer, check.
mail service scheduled for transfer, check.

I close escrow on Tuesday. I finish the move on January 3rd. I'll have DSL up and running on Monday the 5th.

People are being amazingly supportive and giving. A friend of Lorelei's is offloading a table-desk on me, which will live in the recording studio/laundry room. Kristi has a friends who is offloading a queen sized bed with sleigh-frame for a pittance. There are rumors of other items in the pipeline as well that people would rather sell super cheap or give away than have to trash (like sheds or even hot tubs). It's all quite amazing.

I've still got some major purchases to make (washer, dryer, fridge, stove, dishwasher), but thanks to another friend I should be able to get these at contractor prices. We've already gotten a completely new cabinet set for $500.

In all of this I continue to be flabbergasted.

The first month will be chaotic, as Chris rips out the kitchen and downstairs bathroom and reassembles it, I'll be using the upstairs bathroom exclusively, as will my houseguest, and I'll probably have the fridge hooked up in the living room. Dishes may be done in the upstairs bathroom sink for a bit. Still, it's all more than good, and it will be for a very brief period.

On Tuesday, Kristi will help me move the boxes that are already packed (mostly books, DVDs, knick knacks, summer clothes, and art) into the house, unpack it all and put it in the corner. Then I'll take the boxes back and pack up the remainder of office and kitchen stuff for the move on the 3rd.

Now, I need to contact a locksmith, and then I'll need to find out how to turn off the alarm system on Tuesday so it quits beeping futilely.

Happy new year.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

looking at the big picture

Like many, I got my feathers ruffled when I started getting emails about how Rick Warren was doing the opening prayer at Barack Obama's inauguration. A slap in the face of the gay and transgender community! Salt on the wound of Prop 8! Petition! Clamour!

And then I read the article in the New York Times. Yes, Rick Warren is doing the opening speech, and yes Rick Warren was a major voice for Prop 8 and against the gay community.

However

"Ms. Douglass noted that the benediction, or closing prayers, would be offered by the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, a civil rights icon who has expressed support for gay marriage, and that the Lesbian and Gay Band Association would march in the inaugural parade, the first time such a group would do so."

This puts a new light on things, and is entirely within Obama's way of handling matters. What is he saying with these choices? I believe he's saying, as he did on his election night "I am the President of ALL America." This isn't anything new. Part of the reason I elected him is because he's interested in getting people together in the same room and talking to each other.

Still, note the order.

We are transitioning from a right wing, fundamentalist regime to something quite different. We open this transition with a voice from the Right. A strident voice, loud and harsh. We close the transition with a very different prayer, a different voice, one of civil rights and equality.

I don't think anything Obama does is accidental. I won't be signing any petitions against Rick Warren opening the ceremony. I'm fine with that. His voice is one of the many voices of the American people, and we should not deny him or his followers the right to pray for our president. But at the end of things, it is not his voice that will linger in the air, but another's.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Music and comedy

I wish Milk had come out two months earlier, but regardless I highly recommend everyone go check it out.

On a lighter note, let's look at our current battle through the eyes of community musical theatre.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die


Also, for gamers, you'll want to check out this musical game.

Monday, December 01, 2008

On Race

I just finished two books: No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent, You Blew It Cauze Bill Bailey Ain't Never Coming Back Again, by Edgardo Vega Yunqué and Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama.

Both books deal largely with issues of race, and with issues of identity around being multi-racial in particular. One is fictional, and one is biographical. Both, in their own ways, are at times heartbreaking.

Back in college, I took a fairly awful class that was being taught by a guest professor. It was part of my performing arts minor, but I honestly couldn't tell you anything I learned in the class. There was one interaction that I've never forgotten, however. I don't remember why, or the larger context of the discussion, but the instructor told me that I was a racist. I protested, and she dismissed me casually, saying that by virtue of being a white male I was a racist and that was that.

I had never been so insulted in my life, and I mean that without hyperbole.

Now, almost twenty years later, I think I understand a little bit of what she so cavalierly claimed. In my time with the California School Leadership Academy I was exposed to a lot of research about racial attitudes and especially about the ignorance that white people tend to have about their own racial experience. Most white people wouldn't even claim to HAVE a racial experience because we equate whiteness with normality. We don't have a white experience, we're just normal. Be normal like us.

This was about ten years ago, and opened my eyes to a whole host of assumptions I had made about my life and experience. I was not actively engaged in any oppression, wasn't in the habit of uttering racially derogatory statements or epithets, and thought myself relatively free of racial attitudes. But I had no sense that my white suburban history provided me with a life experience that was ... well ... white, privileged, special. My life experience was NOT normal, and in fact had little to do with the life experience of most people on the planet.

Since then, I've evolved a more sophisticated understanding of how race plays a factor in my life, but these books held another surprise for me. Obama's reflections in particular gave me a jolt.

He talks about the full blown resentment towards whites by those who are under oppression. It is not based on individual actions, but is based on history and despair and suspicion. I could spend my days doing everything I can to alleviate suffering in a poor, predominantly black area and it might do little to nothing to heal race barriers because my actions could be resented because my presence was an example of the white man's ability to choose to do whatever he wanted, and the fact that I could walk away at any moment from the suffering I had embraced would make me an object of distaste and suspicion. My very presence in such a community would act as a reminder of white privilege. This is phrased awkwardly, but what Obama describes is a catch-22, a social paralysis. No matter what I might do to heighten my awareness, no matter what acts I might take to help fix the injustice and social inequity around me, my very freedom to act marks me as the oppressor... as one who is simply patronizing.

In short, by being a white male, I am viewed as a racist.

Of course, this in and of itself is racist thinking and white people are not the only racists in the country, let alone the world. But the problem stands even more starkly before me as a result of this realization. No matter how much I try to live in a way that does no harm, shows equity, and tries to withhold judgement on those I encounter until I see them in fullness, I stand as recipient of a history of harmfulness, blindness, and oppression.

The visiting professor was right, in her way, although she did absolutely nothing to help me understand her statement at the time.

So, where do I stand currently? In the same spot I have been, really. I stand in a position of awareness not only of my own experience and cultural inheritance, but also where I stand in the cultural inheritance of others. To those who know me, I can move outside that placeholder, but for those who see me on the street, on BART, in the local shops, I carry my own kind of stigma. The best I can do is to acknowledge these histories and refuse to play into expectations.

It's a start.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Pics of the house

I took a bunch of pics when I went to meet the house inspectors.

I've got them on my Flickr page, which is here.

It's not much to look at yet, but transformations will occur!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Inspections

So, I met with the building inspectors today. The roof guy had apparently already come and gone, so I didn't get the "on the spot" report from him, but I did talk with the house inspector and the termite guy.

There are some issues. The downstairs bathroom essentially has to be completely ripped out and repaired, as it's got leaks around the toilet and bathtub, and the walls and floor have gone spongy. I thought the tub and toilet were a bit grotty anyway, so this isn't horrifying, and the upstairs shower and toilet are in great shape. So, the first project will be the downstairs bathroom, which will be otherwise off limits to any guests I have.

The other major issue was with the stove that the selling bank just put in. There is no external vents for the gas stove, which makes it a health and safety issue. We need a downward vent stove, otherwise I've got to install a big ugly duct going out the side wall. A downward venting stove would be more elegant and cheaper. So I need the selling bank to take back the stove they put in (which isn't even hooked up) and put an appropriate one in.

Other than that, there was a single pipe issue that seems pretty easy to fix and the myriad little details around the house that I plan to fix over the next several years. For a 100 year old house, it's in really good condition.

So, we'll get the full report, get some hard numbers, and see if the bank will at least fix the stove and push for a price drop due to the bathroom.

Status Updates

It seems a good idea to get a list of status updates going, so I can get it straight in my own head if nothing else.

Sweetie Tanya soundtrack: In Process.
Due to litigation concerns, Steve Kahn has rewritten the opening and closing number, and I've given the new tunes the thumbs up. Steve is working on arrangements and we'll go back into the studio soon to record them. Neil Howard is locating a singer to do his tune "Vengeance is best served hot", so we'll add that to the recording list as well. In the meanwhile, I am going to get our final contracts worked up for all the artists and see if I can start releasing the finalized songs on iTunes or CD-Baby as individual tracks while we wait for the last few numbers to get finished.

iScan: Feb 2009.
Peggy Powell's one-act will be remounted with the original cast for the 2009 Bay Area One Act Festival at the Eureka Theatre in February. We'll go back into rehearsal on Feb 2nd and open on the 19th.

The One-Eyed Man is King: May 2009.
I'll be performing as the blind thief Bendalli at the Phoenix Theatre.

Radiostar--Improv: Ongoing Production. We're still meeting pretty much weekly, and I've committed to getting a new audio show out every OTHER week. Ostensibly this should allow me time to work concurrently on the animated series.

Radiostar--Animated Series: Limping in production.
Episode 4 is about 2/3rds through the first of its seven scenes.

411: In writing stage.
Progress is slow on this, but I'm 36 pages into the first draft. The goal is to go into production the fall of 2009, but we'll see.

Tales of the Planes--Unification : Limbo.
I'm seven chapters into this novel and haven't touched it in a year and a half. It's not dead, but sleeping.

Sick Fucker: Gestating.
I have the story in my head, but haven't gotten the first word on paper.

Mammals in Collision: Limbo.
The first two acts are written, but have been for a couple of years.

Wings to Fly: Limbo.
I need a composer to turn my draft into a musical, and will start a second draft when I find him or her.

Called to the sea: Gestating.
This short story still wants to be told, but has to wait.

Submergency: Uncertain.
There has been talk of doing a show in March, but I'm not sure I have the bandwidth and recent events combined with other nascent projects may have soured enthusiasm on this one.

Tom Sup: Limbo, probably dead.
The third chapter in The Adventures of Tom Sup may be a graphic novel someday, but it's unlikely.

Pinch: Limbo.
I'd love to do a film version of my malformed nightmare-play, but it's little more than a flicker on the back burner.

Pond: Uncertain.
Conceived as a warmup to making 411, I have the notes and outline all ready, but until get the 411 script done, it sits neglected.

Pharmarsupial: Dead of improv overdose.

The Knifies: Gestating.
Diana Brown is working on an outline for this improv-film for me to review once I get 411 off the ground.

Vagina Dentata: Resting.
I need to see if I can find anyone interested in producing the show, which was well received.

Sweetie Tanya: Resting.
I need to see if I can find anyone interested in producing the show, which was well received. This, of course, needs to wait until we get the new songs done.

In a Distant Country: Resting.
I've given this play to a church that I know has an interest in readings, and possibly production, but who knows. It'd be nice to see my first play remounted, though.

Monday, November 10, 2008

On the Radio

So, it looks like I was on Peter Finch's "Beat of the Bay" on KFOG. Peter came and saw "Pulp Scripture" and covers the event, including about 95% of the Isaac and Abraham story (me, Dennis McIntyre, and Linda Ayers-Frederick). The rest of it is an interview with playwright William Bivins and the very beginning of the Adam and Eve sequence with me and Emily Jordan making very naughty noises in a church.

It's on the KFOG site, Nov 8th, 2008 episode, at 17:30.

A frequently asked question

I did a staged reading of some short plays based on the saucier moments in the Old Testament. It was a delight to do, and I felt spurred to forward the church coordinator a copy of my first play, "In a Distant Country". This led, as many conversations inevitably do, to the question of why I left the church after completing a four year degree in Biblical Studies and three years of Seminary.

I get asked this often enough, that I figured I might as well post the answer here. It doesn't deal with the specific circumstances around my departure, but it explains, in my mind, why I continue to maintain my distance from the church I had dedicated so much of my young life to.

---------------------------

Ah, yes. It's, as I'm sure you can guess, a popular inquiry and one that could fill an evening in discussion.

While there were personal aspects to the decision to change my vocation and move towards a broader theological perspective, there were also spiritual and intellectual ones as well, which are probably more vital.

Through my study of church history, I began to become more and more uncomfortable with the exclusivity of the messianic message, and less and less convinced that it was what Jesus had in mind. The rise of codified doctrine as the church moved out of a place of persecution and into one of power, and the radically different ways that the "one way" looked when viewed from different points in history/economy/race/class structure... all this presented me with a real problem. The vast majority of what we call Christianity has seemed to do mostly with maintaining power structure, contemporary moral codes, and social mores.

Much of this goes back to what, in my mind, has been the supplanting of the teachings of Jesus for the exhortations and governmental mindset of Paul. Paul's very authority was questioned repeatedly by those who actually walked with Jesus, and has been established by a particular form of circular logic: Paul's churches, which were attractive to wealthy "god-fearing" Gentiles who admired Judaism but didn't want to deal with being circumcised as adults or obey the dietary laws, grew and succeeded. Because these churches were successful, while others were not, the letters of the founder get exalted to the writ of the Holy Spirit.

Paul's conversion became the model of Christian faith (and the basis for the idea of being Born Again) starting with Augustine, continuing to make Paul and his perspective the normative one in the church. As time moves farther and farther from the source, Paul's ad hoc attempts to bring his fledgling churches under control become used over and over again to apply universal rules of behavior to the believing community. The vast majority of ills the world has suffered at the hands of the church have, in my mind, come from Paul's often misunderstood comments about women, his attempts to calm down unruly behavior, and his vitriolic defense of his authority from the skepticism and denouncements of the Apostles.

I have no issue with Jesus, but I do believe that he viewed himself and his mission as essentially Jewish in nature. He only dealt with gentiles when they forced themselves upon him and became an object lesson of the kind of faith and passion he was trying to inspire in his own people. My issue is with Paul, and the hellenization of a jewish spirituality that came to owe as much to Plato as it does to Moses and the prophets.

Again, there was much going on in my personal life as well when I made the actual split, but the concerns from a theological level had been developing for years.

I don't know if that qualifies as a story, but the more narrative part of this deals more with the circumstances that forced me to take a good hard look at myself, what I was doing, where I was going, and why. It tells why I stood back at that time, but this explains why I have remained on the outside, sympathetic to a compassionate theology and believing community, but separate from it.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Joy and Sorrow

It feels like I should write something about the last 24 hours.

I'm deeply, profoundly glad and relieved that Barack Obama will be taking over as President in January. In many ways, it feels like I'm getting my country back.

At the same time, I'm incredibly sad that Proposition 8 passed here in California. I'm also sad because I feel that it passed because people believed the lies put forth by the proponents of the proposition. "Our schools will be forced to teach gay marriage," "churches will be punished if they don't perform gay marriage ceremonies", etc. This is what is known as "bearing false witness". Schools don't teach marriage now, so why would they have to teach gay marriage? Churches don't have to perform a wedding for anyone who asks for it, so why would they be punished in the future for it? My church, growing up, was very clear that if the pastor didn't feel good about the proposed union, he wouldn't do the service.

So we had a conservative religious push to change our state constitution that felt the need to lie to get its agenda passed.

I believe that a large number of people voted for Prop 8 because they believed the lies. They believed that it was going to force a worldview they weren't totally comfortable with into the public schools. They believed that their religious freedom was going to be curtailed. They were lied to, and they were lied to by people who are supposed to believe that "the truth shall set you free."

Hypocrisy and hate disguised as moral uprightness are nothing new for the church (regardless of whether it's the Catholic church, the Baptist church, or the Mormon church). Still, it makes me sad that the voters of California took away the liberties of others in the belief that they were protecting their own. It makes me sad that people who claim to be "Pro-America" do everything they can to subvert the very democratic process they are supposed to protect.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

God's gonna be pissed

Thanks to Dave over at Terminal Velocity for this.

Christians praying over a golden (technically bronze) calf (technically bull).

I find this seriously baffling. Then again, in my experience many Christians have an appalling ignorance of their own sacred texts. Let's just say that that last time the people of YHWH dealt with graven images of bulls it didn't go over so well.

In other news. I've put an offer in for a house. I should hear something at some point in the next week.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

adventures in home shopping

So, I took a long lunch yesterday and visited (and re-visited) some properties with my realtor. We started out at a place I've been looking at in West Oakland. It's a cute little place in what is turning into a nice little oasis neighborhood. For those of you who aren't local, West Oakland doesn't have the best reputation and large parts of it deserve that reputation. This place was nice, though, and had the benefit of a large basement level that had been converted into an extra room and bathroom. It would make an ideal sound studio. I was wary, however, due to the extensive work that needed to be done on the roof, the kitchen, and the floors throughout. Still, all that would come out on the Seller's end if I made getting it all fixed a precondition of sale. We left, and I considered the little Queen Anne's cottage an ongoing option.

The next place was a home I'd been interested in before, but had gone off the market for a few weeks. It only a couple of blocks from MacArthur BART, which was very appealing to me. There were many things about the place that I liked: interesting floor plan, lots of built in wall cabinets, good wood floors, a fully updated kitchen, lemon and pear trees in the back, and a somewhat odd DIY covered and elevated back porch that extended a good twenty feet into the back yard. It was enclosed with plastic windows, and a small window opening to allow someone to feed laundry out to a long pulley operated clothesline. My realtor guessed that whoever had lived here was afraid to go outside, but after seeing the bathroom, I suspected that she simply couldn't get up and down the stairs. The bathroom was incredibly tiny, with no shower, bright pink bathtub and toilet, and lots of guardrails around the bathtub. The attic entrance was directly over the bathtub. It looked like at some point the bathroom had been moved from a normal sized room at some point and that a little hallway had been turned into the bathroom instead. It would have to be completely redone and an existing "Bedroom" turned into a bathroom. The home was across from a High School campus, which made it a bit noisy, but not too bad. What was a killer was the family of three pitbulls on one side of the house, and another very loud barking dog on the other side. As soon as they saw activity, the dogs began barking furiously, spurring each other to new heights of volume. The family of pitbulls settled down after about 10 minutes, but the other dog kept on furiously. That became a dealbreaker. Between having to completely redo the bathroom and the potential of non-stop barking, this home fell down on the list.

We scratched another house off the list due to complications with current tenants and possible other offers that had been made and headed down south to Fruitvale. Fruitvale had a similar reputation to West Oakland, but has been seeing significant changes over the last decade. That said, certain parts are still referred to as "Murder Row". Fortunately, the parts I was interested in were a good ten blocks from there. Crime stats for the area were reasonable, or at least reasonable for Oakland.

Thus, the third house we actually looked at was one I'd had my eye on for the last two weeks. A cute little home on 36th ave that needed an appointment in order to view. We hadn't been able to look at it the last time we checked properties, but now had the chance to check it out. It was occupied by a family of six: husband, wife, grandmother, and three kids. We quickly moved through the house, but I knew after about three seconds that there was no way in hell I could evict this family. I let my realtor know that I'd seen enough and we left, with the kids peering at us through the back fence. He let me know that they were renting, not owners. I hope that whoever buys the house buys it as a rental property. The thought that I was looking over the home with the intent to dispossess them was the most horrible feeling I've had in some time. I might as well have been wearing my top hat and greatcoat, twirling my mustache.

All this took us back to the first property I looked at a week and a half earlier. Less than half a mile from Fruitvale BART, a nice tree lined street, low crime (and extremely sturdy and pointy fence as well), no yard to have to deal with, two stories, and in pretty good shape across the board. I had been uncertain about it when I first saw it, but after seeing over a dozen properties in my price range, it's clearly the best deal available (not counting the dream victorian that was never to be mine, despite my weeping a million tears). What I didn't know then, but know now, was how easy it would be to replace the carpet upstairs with a hardwood floor and how trivial it would be to reroute the washer and dryer outlets so that they lead INTO the building instead of the back yard. Most everything else visibly wrong with the property is long term cosmetic fixes and improvements. Clean up the floor, soap and paint the walls, re-paint or stain the cabinets... nothing that I couldn't move in and to over the next several months or years.

So, I'm placing an offer with the bank.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

truth being stranger than fiction

Neil Gaiman posted this little slice of life over on his journal, and it so tickled me that I thought I'd post it. It's the kind of thing that Douglas Adams might have invented.

"I opened the Google window and found myself looking at an advert for a G1 phone. A couple of clicks later I was on the T-mobile website, checking prices and thinking, "Well, I do need a new phone..."

But randomly buying a phone I haven't even held seemed like, well, something that I couldn't imagine myself doing. I wanted to hold it. I wanted to know the specs and such, so I put dog in the back of the car and drove to the local T-Mobile shop.

I knew I was in the right place because there were huge posters everywhere, some bigger than I was, all advertising the new t-Mobile G1.

"Hello," I said, like a man entering a cheeseshop. "I'd like to play with a G1, please."

There was a man and a woman behind the counter. They said they were sorry but they didn't have a G1 for me to play with.

"When will you get them in?"

"We won't get them in."

"No?"

"No."

"Look, are we talking about the same thing? G1 phone. The one on that poster. And that poster. And that one..." The posters were staring at me from the counter. They were all around me.

"No. We won't sell it. We're out of the range and the Google and things that the phone comes with, they won't work on it."

I pulled out my phone, a Nokia N 73, with a T-Mobile SIM card, that happily spends much too much time on the internet doing, er, Google and things. "But this works here..."

"The G1 won't work. It won't do the Google here. So we aren't allowed to sell it."

"But...." I tried to think with this. then I said, "But you have posters." I gestured at them. All pictures of the phone in question, extolling its virtues and explaining that you could only get it here.

"We're a T-Mobile franchise. They send them to us. That's what we have to put up. The posters they send."

"Well, can we talk about the G1 specs?"

"We don't know them." The man and the woman behind the counter seemed very sad about this. The man added, wistfully,"We don't even know the price."

I knew the price, from the website earlier, and I felt guilty about this.

"They have them in the Twin Cities," said the woman. "You could buy one there."

"But if I buy it there, it still won't work here?"

"No," she said, with sadness and with, I suspect envy in her voice. "but they sell it."

There was a bit of a pause. I think I may have said, "Sorry about the posters," as I went out, or I may have just thought it very loudly. They all had pretty pictures of the G1 on them, a phone I don't think I'm going to bother getting."

Monday, October 20, 2008

Some funny

This is one of the funniest parodies I've seen in some time.
Yeah, it's old news, but still....
See more funny videos at Funny or Die

rise and fall

Sunday was an unusual day, and worthy of note for me.

I spent the afternoon driving around and viewing properties in Oakland with a realtor. Given the dual circumstances of rapidly dropping home prices and actually having some money for a down payment, I've decided that I'd be a fool to not start looking.

The first place we went to was on a very cute street, and has some potential, although I ripped my pants jumping the fence since the folks handling the property weren't answering their phone to give us the front gate key-code. We had the code to get in the front door though. Quite a bit of potential, but oddly enough the hook-ups for the washer and dryer were on the outside of the house, leading into the non-existent backyard. I don't mind the lack of yard, but I'm not particularly interested in having my washer and dryer out in the rain.

Some homes we couldn't get into without an appointment, which we didn't have, and one or two I vetoed as soon as we pulled up to them. One had clear dry rot in the eaves, which suggested that the entire roof might be in need of replacement. One new home in a nice new development had a particularly vile carpet that looked like ghouls had been using the place as a larder. (Not soaked in blood, just disgustingly filthy.)

Then we came to a property that I had shown up in my inbox a couple of days ago, and I was curious to see. A Victorian home, built in 1891, not far from the West Oakland BART station. 1,600 sq ft, two stories, six rooms. At $232,000 I was sure it had to be a disaster area, but I still wanted to see it, just because of it's age.

Lush foliage peeked over the fence that surrounded the property, and as we opened the gate I was struck at how the front yard space was crammed with a blue spruce, a lemon tree, large ferns and many other plants I couldn't name properly. While my realtor got the front door open, I walked along the side of the building, moving through the plants and checking out the back "yard", which was a study in contrasts, acting as a fully paved two or three car parking area. I moved back to the front and climbed the stairs, walking inside and finding a marbled floor, curving stairs in classic red patterned carpet to the right, and a front room to the left that had clearly been used as a recording studio, with dozens of outlets along the walls, and new cabling everywhere. The kitchen was enormous, with a large fridge and a very nice gas stove that couldn't have been more than a couple of years old. Lovely dining area, and up the stairs were four bedrooms. Everything was in good condition. Some of the carpet would need to be replaced, of course, and while I loved the vibrant red of the stairwell and entryway, and the blue of the kitchen, some of the walls would need to be repainted. Overall, however, it was a dream. A vision.

As we left, the neighbor inquired how long it had been on the market, and what it was going for. His friends had lost the home, and they had been using it as a base of operations for their music business. The large portable storage in his lot was all the equipment, and they had been hoping to get the house back, but didn't realize it had been on the market for a week. I felt bad for them, but still desperately wanted the house.

I had fallen a bit in love with it. It was more than I could ever have dreamed of.

We viewed a couple of other properties, including one that would need to be completely refloored, but that I could otherwise have for a song. But compared to the ancient victorian, nothing could catch my eye.

I got home and looked up the property online. I wanted to double check transportation routes and crime stats. I wanted to be sure that there wasn't something I was missing before I moved to make a bid on the house.

It wasn't there. Many properties weren't there. My saved search had been five pages of results, and now it was two. I went to my "Saved Properties" and saw my precious, and next to status it said "Pending." In the four or five days since the listing had appeared in my inbox, someone had made a bid on the property and it had been accepted by the bank. I had been looking at a home that wasn't even available.

The Race

A big thanks to Pema for posting this. It's the best reflection on race and the election that I've seen, being succinct, focused, and clear.

------------

You may have seen this in your inbox. If not, cue up your considerations.

WHAT IF...?

Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin. What if things were switched around? Would the country's collective point of view be different?....think about it.

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had walked five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama had left his first wife after a severe car accident disfigured her?

What if Obama met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the candidate's wife who became addicted to painkillers and acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain were a charismatic, eloquent speaker and Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama were the candidate whose military experience included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama were the candidate known to display publicly a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

If these questions reflected reality, do you believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

Could racism be the culprit?

Racism covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Consider educational backgrounds, and the opinions they might effect, were the switch to continue.

Barack Obama -
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude (that means "top of class")

Joseph Biden -
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)


John McCain - United States Naval Academy
Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin -
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters -journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

No politics, really

Things are quiet at Casa Wilson.

I'm still working from home, which I still love and wouldn't change for the world. The screenplay is coming along slowly but surely, and I've started working on the fourth Radiostar cartoon. Mostly, though, I'm being social. Seeing shows, having movie nights, and spending time with people whenever possible.

Ultimately though, I've been feeling a bit lethargic. I need an exercise buddy. Someone to do regular lake walks with or something. I don't tend to do such things on my own because, well, they're kind of boring on my own. I'd rather hibernate, or watch something, or read, or create, or do anything than just exercise for exercise's sake. It's always been that way.

Nothing much is currently happening on the relationship front, other than me periodically meeting someone, getting interested, and then getting a kind and flattered but ultimately uninterested response. At least, that's how I perceive it. I've never been good at telling when someone isn't interested versus wants to be pursued. Generally, if I make a move and don't get a response, I move on.

This makes it sound like no one has expressed interest, which isn't true, but the challenge is getting interest on both sides. If I could rationally decide who to be attracted to, life would be so much easier.

I had a conversation about this very recently with a friend, who expressed the sentiment that if such and such a person she had been dating wanted kids (and wanted them now), she'd overlook her general lack of attraction to him because he was such a win in every other way.

This kind of horrified me. I understand the impulse, sort of, but it seems like a good way to sabotage things from the get go. I don't believe in "the one", but I do believe that you need something at the core of love other than "works on paper".

Granted, this is also a conversation between someone in their mid twenties and someone in their late thirties. Heaven help me, but I think I've got the "Perspective."

See, age has been a frequent area of reflection lately. As I'm doing less theatre producing right now, my savings is increasing and I'm watching the declining price of homes with interest. I'm 38 and have always rented, and done so happily. I've made little moves every three years or so and really like where I am currently at. I explored buying about six or seven years ago, but just didn't have the resources. Since then I've been doing Cassandra's Call and making periodic jaunts around the globe, so my savings aren't what they might have been had I hunkered down to work up a solid down payment.

Now I'm looking at a 30 year mortgage and wondering how that works when you're almost 40. This also ties into the relationship thing, as the kind of house that I would prefer over my apartment isn't something I can afford on my salary. A dual income, absolutely, but otherwise... not so much. I could get nice places, to be sure, but it would force me deep into the suburbs or even out of state, and I've built too much here to seriously consider that.... or have I?

Deep questions about lifestyle, age, and love are my preoccupations currently. And of course, there is the big question of what happens next with the election next month. But I did say there wouldn't be any politics in this posting.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

pushing it

Big surprise, this emergency bailout is flooded with earmarks.

I got this from SoulCamp

"Included in the new rescue plan are such doozies as "INCREASE IN LIMIT ON COVER OVER OF RUM EXCISE TAX TO PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS" and "SEVEN-YEAR COST RECOVERY PERIOD FOR MOTORSPORTS RACING TRACK FACILITY", as well as a "PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION RELATING TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES"?!?

These clowns simply have no limits."

You know it



Thanks to DeJong for this.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

what wasn't said

First off some significant links.

Over on CNN.com there is a very interesting analyses of missed opportunities in the Obama-McCain debate. What I found most edifying was a list of factors that contributed to the decrease of violence in Iraq, *other* than the surge.

While the entire article is worth reading, there's the list of factors:

Lost in this discussion was the fact that while the surge of some 30,000 American soldiers certainly put more American boots on the ground in neighborhoods from Anbar province to Baghdad to "clear, hold and build" them and was clearly an important element in the sharp decline in violence in the country, there are several other key underlying factors that tamped down the mayhem in Iraq that neither of the candidates addressed:

• First, the appearance in 2006 of the various "Awakening" movements, in which Sunni tribes once allied with al Qaeda turned against it.

• Second, the implementation of the Sons of Iraq program consisting of some 100,000 Sunni militants, many of whom used to be shooting at American soldiers, who are now on the U.S. payroll. Now that's a surge!

• Third, the previous ethnic cleansings in Iraq and the millions of Iraqi refugees who have fled their homes, meaning there are fewer potential targets of sectarian violence.

• Fourth, the large size and increasing efficacy of the Iraqi army and police, some 550,000 strong, who are now beginning to operate with some level of professionalism.

• Fifth, the increasingly nonsectarian approach of Nuri al-Maliki, the Shia prime minister, who has taken on Shiite militias in Basra and Sadr City, an important signal that the government will act in something like the national interest.

• Sixth, the cease-fires ordered in the past year or so by the leader of those Shia militants, the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose position in Iraq has weakened significantly since 2007.

These underlying factors made the surge a force multiplier for the fragile peace we are seeing today in Iraq. And now that the surge is over, it is those factors that might ensure that the fragile peace holds, yet neither Obama nor McCain discussed how these factors might change their own Iraq policies going forward.


---

As for me, I'm a pretty firm Obama supporter. I don't think he's the second coming, but I support him more than I've supported a candidate... well... ever. They way I see it lately, if he can deliver on a third of his promises, I'll be delighted. If McCain delivers on even a third of his promises, I'll be horrified.

---

Things are pretty mellow on this end. Work is slow, and with the third Radiostar cartoon up, and new Audio shows posted, I'm trying to turn my attention to the 411 screenplay. The Sweetie Tanya soundtrack remains in limbo for legal reasons and I need to get some work done on that front as well.

Occupying most of my attention, however, has been a pinched nerve in my shoulder that has severely limited my neck movement. After recommendations of Flexirol and acupuncture, I was assigned to be bartender at Djoke's murder mystery bar-be-que and proceeded to make super strong drinks and send everyone flying... including myself. I woke up today still in pain, but with increased range of movement. Rum beats pharmaceuticals and needles, hands down. Still, I am looking forward to being pain free in the next couple of days.

-----------

The Evil League of Evil is accepting submissions. They want applicants to sing, although it's not required. I have a few ideas, so perhaps I'll make my submission tomorrow night. If so, I'll post a link here.

Friday, September 19, 2008

videos

So, I was going to a film festival last night, but my movie buddy came down sick. I decided to spend the night working on the third Radiostar cartoon instead, and am very pleased to say that it may be finished as early as tomorrow!

In the meanwhile, David Austin-Gröen posted this video, which brought a part of McCain's history to light that I had completely forgotten about.



and Eden Gallanter brought my attention to this SNL clip about sexism in the media that cracked me up.



Hopefully tomorrow I'll be posting my own video.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Radiostar spreads

An animation student used some audio from Radiostar for an animation test.

The original show, "Rebound" can be listened to here.

Ramping up for election theft

It really makes me ill. McCain's camp says that our economic woes are largely psychological. This isn't news, of course, but that kind of attitude makes the following even more reprehensible.

Republicans in economically devastated swing counties are gearing up to deny people who have recently been foreclosed on the right to vote.

The argument boils down to, "if you lost your home, then you aren't a legal resident, so you don't have a polling place."

That's right, if you're hit hard by our failing economy and want change, you don't get to vote for it. Thank goodness that the Republican party is all about a smaller government that won't meddle in the affairs of its citizens. Thank goodness that they're willing to fight for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and the belief that "all men are created equal."

That, and kicking people when they're down in order to maintain their power base.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Earthquake

Thanks to Neil Gaiman who brought attention to these "comics" about the May earthquake in China.

"comic" couldn't be a stronger misnomer, as they literally brought me to tears.

Monday, September 08, 2008

8 and a half

I just finished watching Fellini's 8 1/2.

I've seen it before, but I couldn't tell you when. I watched it then for the same reason I watched it tonight: because it's an acknowledged masterpiece and because I should.

The last time I watched it, I was simply bewildered. I didn't understand it. I was overwhelmed by it's non-linearity, it's exaggeration, and generally didn't understand the plot or anything about it.

This time... this time I understood it. I understood how memory flows into the present, how the past is always with me, the inability to choose and how that inability limits one's capacity to love, the role of fantasy and daydream and self-delusion.... all of it made sense to me.

I'm not sure if that's a complimentary thing to admit about oneself. It's true, nevertheless.

Make the Right Choice

Thursday, September 04, 2008

RNC

I didn't watch the Republican National Convention, but I've been reading about it. Some of the quotes coming out of it I find just baffling.

All this talk about Republicans and smaller government, and how the people want a smaller, less invasive government so they should vote Republican... from the party that gave us the Patriot Act and has worked to remove so many of our rights.

All this talk about voting Republican so that Government can cut spending, when most of our money has gone to fund wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will possibly go to fighting a war in Iran.

Democrats do want to spend money, on things like social programs and health care. The Republican pattern has been to spend money on war, and giving breaks to corporations.

Palin is portraying herself as someone who stands up to special interests and big oil after suing the Bush administration for declaring polar bears an endangered species, because it might block her goals to open up Alaska's wilderness for oil drilling.

Continual references to "liberal Washington", after 8 years of Bush and his policies. Look at what has been done in this country over the last 8 years... how liberal has Washington been? Hell, most of our Democrats have been acting like Republicans for the last 8 years. How is that liberal?

Romney referred to America as "what it has always been, the hope of the world." This, after Bush's arrogant approach to foreign policy has reduced the world's opinion of us to pathetic levels.

People talk about Steve Jobs having a reality-distortion field... well, apparently he's given it to the GOP for the season.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Pentecostal Vice President

Considering how much the media flipped out over Barack Obama's old pastor, I have to wonder what they'll do with Palin's.

It's an interesting article about the church she grew up in and the pastor she followed and who gave the speech in her inauguration. Palin is a full bore fundamentalist Pentecostal. Now her views may differ from her old pastor, but based on her public statements, and the hard core authoritarianism of the church, I doubt it.

Monday, September 01, 2008

Big Green Bus

I got an email from Cynthia Gregory, who some of you know as half of Savage Eye Productions and the Angel who built the set for Sweetie Tanya.
It was about an event that happened in the Twin Cities. The low-down is that the "Permibus," a large green bus that tours the country making demonstrations about solar panels, composting, and hydroponic farming was pulled over by no fewer than NINE police cars. No reason was given for pulling them over and taking their vehicle (which is also their home) away from them other than "routine traffic stop" and "we need to see if this is vehicle is being used for commercial purposes".

Here's a short article by the Twin Cities Daily Planet. This is a much longer article from Twin Cities Indymedia, which is what Cynthia forwarded me in the first place.

Now call me crazy, but my understanding was that you couldn't pull over a bus and impound it for "potential later search and seizure" without a search warrant. The family was left with all their animals on the side of the road while the cops left with their vehicle and home. No arrests, and no explanations, just nine cars full of cops and vague responses.

I honestly don't know what to make of this, but it seems like something that can't be allowed to slip under the radar, so I'm posting about it. I'd post the police's side of the story, but so far they authorities haven't made a statement.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Another reason for change

Many thanks to Jennifer Jajeh for bringing this to my attention.

Fulbright scholarship winner denied access to U.S., and his education.

Let's stop with the spook show, people. If you're going to screw someone over, let's at least let them know why. This kind of seemingly random douchebaggery doesn't do any good for anybody.

Palin

I have to admit, I'm a bit baffled by McCain's decision to name Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

The obvious answer is that he's hoping to lure Clinton supporters. For some people who were only going to support Hillary because she was female... that might work.

But McCain's campaign has relied heavily on pointing out Obama's lack of experience in Washington, and Palin is a first term governor with only two years experience in that office. If experience is a key point of McCain's campaign, then why bring on someone with no national experience to be your running mate?

Obama is heavily stressing the environment in his campaign, and Palin is married to an oil production operator and vocally supports drilling in the Alaskan wilderness.

McCain keeps trying to distance himself from the image of continuing business as usual in Washington, and he chooses a running mate with direct family ties to the oil industry.

Palin won the Governorship based on ethics reform, and yet a staff member of hers tried to get her ex-brother-in-law fired off the police force during a bitter custody trial. She claims that she had nothing to do with it, but the whole thing rings of "will no one rid me of this troublesome priest" to me.

Of course, this doesn't even begin to raise the point that Alaska, saddled with deeply corrupt politicians, finally elects someone who promises to turn the state around... and essentially jumps ship on the state during her first term to run for Vice-President.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Other Fringe goodness

For those of you in town, Sweetie Tanya songwriter Thessaly Lerner will be up here doing a show for the Fringe Festival.

Here's the info:

Dear Friendsies!
Thessaly Lerner, The Ukulady and her Russian Nanny, played by Jayne Entwistle, are coming to the San Francisco Fringe Festival in The Ukulady's Ponyshow!!!!
WHAT:
The Ukulady's Ponyshow, a variety extravaganza which ran for 9 months in Hollywood! Every show has a different Special Guest and theme, such as Fake Moustaches & Corndogs! Nanny carves a different award-winning potato every show & The Ukulady sings songsies!!
WHEN:
September 5th, Friday at 7pm SHARP! Featuring Susan McCollom & Don Seaver
September 6th, Saturday at 1pm SHARP! Featuring The NeoSurrealists!
September 7th, Sunday at 7pm SHARP! Featuring Gerri Lawlor & Sam Shaw!
September 12th, Friday at 7pm SHARP! Featuring The Whistleaires & Don Seaver!
September 13th, Saturday at 2:30pm SHARP! Featuring OPM & Don Seaver!
September 14th, Sundat at 4pm SHARP! Featuring Gerri Lawlor, Don Seaver & Sam Shaw!
WHERE:
EXIT Theater, San Francisco Fringe Festival! 156 Eddy Street in SF, between Mason & Taylor!
NO LATE SEATING!!! ZERO Late-seating-policy! BE EARLY!!!!
Tickets available at:
www.SFFringe.org
$9 at the door, $11 online

www.ThessalyLerner.com
www.myspace.com/TheUkulady
www.youtube.com/ThessalyLerner

Sunday, August 24, 2008

iScan rush

I haven't actually written much here lately. It's been mostly the link thing.

This is mostly because this week has been more of the same. Work has been busy, rehearsals for iScan have been going well, and everything has become a bit of a blur.

It's actually a good confirmation that I need to take a break from theatre for a while. It's not that I don't still really enjoy it. I do. But the wake-work-rehearse-sleep pattern becomes something like a trance state. This week just ... vanished.

The show, however, is turning out VERY nicely. I'm extremely pleased with the cast and am growing to like the depths of the script more and more as we explore it.

Come on opening night, if at all possible. We have a show opening weekend, and then we have three shows at the end of the festival. So, word of mouth has to happen on that first show. If people see a big crowd moving into Exit on Taylor on opening night, we've got a better chance to get good houses for our last three shows.

Here's the data:
EXIT on Taylor (277 Taylor Street, San Francisco (between Eddy & Ellis))
FRIDAY 5 8:30 PM
THURSDAY 11 8:30 PM
FRIDAY 12 10:00 PM
SUNDAY 14 1:00 PM
TICKETS: $9

----------

No other news per se. I spent much of this weekend helping Radiostarlet Brianne Kostielney move into her new digs in the city, and got to visit Elizabeth and Jay Creeley's place last night. (What, Jay, you thought you got to keep your last name?)

Next week will be a blur, and then we do tech and opening. Keep me in your thoughts and come see the show!

Biden Ballyhoo

Thanks to David Austin-Groen for this link.

I don't know much about Biden, but I like what I see. He's not the most careful speaker in the world, but I like where he's coming from for the most part.

at least so far.

Friday, August 22, 2008

late the party

This has probably been passed around so much that it's passé, but I still found it pretty funny.

I'm not a huge Will Ferrell fan, but I really like the fact that he's producing his own internet content.

See more Will Ferrell videos at Funny or Die

Hands off

Mike Sugarbaker drew my attention to this article about sexual harassment at Comic-Con. I'm linking to it here because, as small as my readership is, the more people who are aware of this kind of thing the more likely the folks that run the Con will institute a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment of attendees and guests and provide a means for people to report this kind of behavior and have it acted on.

Personally, I don't know if I'll go back to the Con. I enjoy it, but it's expensive as hell to stay in San Diego and the Con is geared towards a much more plugged-in kind of geek. I don't watch TV and most of my comics reading is purely online. I find myself on the fringes of fandom.

If I was more of a toy-buyer, anime-collector, or erotic fantasy art curator, there might be more of a draw for me. As it is, my experience if cons is directly related to who I am hanging out with while sight-seeing.

Basically, Comic Conventions are a lot like Vegas for me in that sense....

Friday, August 15, 2008

The Teen Wolf you never knew

Greg Ayers drew my attention to this.
It actually took me a few minutes to catch what they were doing, it's been so long since I saw the movie.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Monday, August 11, 2008

Bonnie Erbe is my hero

Got this off of David Austin-Groen's Blog (which looks a lot like Chris DeJong's Noticer, which makes them, like, twins or something).

I've been without television for several years now, and this is part of the reason why. Entertainment will come out on DVD eventually if it's any good, and the news coverage isn't news at all. We're literally watching two different conversations, and while she acknowledges him, the Fox news anchor doesn't give any indication that he's listening to a word she's saying.

Utterly pathetic.

and Bonnie Erbe is currently my hero.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Basement Brothel

I just found out that the hippie sex business in the basement got evicted.

Maybe I should explain a bit. When I first moved in here, I needed to track down the apartment manager but couldn't find her phone number. I did Google search on my address, hoping to come across the original listing for the building. I found it, but I also found other listings for my address. One of which was for a very Berkeley-esque massage service that offered tantric services and nude couples massage in "the womb". The Womb was what how they referred to their apartment, which was located in my basement.

I, of course, found this to be hilarious. I really don't care that there's sex workers working in my building. Catching the odd client looking nervous and befuddled in front of the building was a great source of amusement. It was they way they were marketing themselves as a hippie massage-spiritual healing center that really gave me the giggle-fits. I'm all for spiritual sexuality, but I've found people who use their spirituality as a pick-up line to be skeezier than jocks at Marina bars. Spiritual sex, for me, is something that takes place in the midst of a deep and meaningful relationship. It's not something you drop $300 on a stranger for.

I've been using the plural, because that was my understanding of the situation. It seems that it was just a guy working as a male escort, but he had a long string of "girlfriends" who were apparently there purely an a professional basis.

I never mentioned it to anyone else in the building. Really, how he makes his money is his business and I have friends who have made their living in similar ways. I didn't want to be the asshole who got him evicted. I did have a hard time keeping the smirk off my face whenever we ran into each other doing laundry (which he, of course, did all the time).

I noticed signs up for apartment showings, and as I headed out for an emergency grocery-get quarters for laundry run I saw the manager. This is when I found out which apartment was being shown. She gave me a tour. It's a nice place. The ceilings are low, as befits a basement apartment, but it has hardwood floors, and an enormous long room in the back that would be an ideal dance studio or rehearsal room. If it wasn't for my lease on the Off-Market rehearsal room, I'd rent the place simply as a rehearsal studio. My pockets aren't that deep, however.

It seems that the combination of increased business for the basement brothel, combined with a routine fire code inspection, blew the lid off the operation and our friendly neighborhood sexworker got evicted. Apparently there was just a little too much velour to be perfectly safe... regardless of the context.

I'm a bit concerned that whoever we get to replace the last tenant won't be as colorful, but I'm heartened to hear that a couple of scientists are looking at the apartment. If I'm in luck, there will be explosions and abominations of nature lurking by the washer and dryer in no time.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Journals

More links than blog posts lately. Sorry about that.

Still, this is delightful. Animator versus Animation.

In other news, I saw 1000 Journals last night at the Roxie with my friend Maria. It's a very nice documentary about a remarkable project.

Basically a man sent 1000 journals out into the world. People were supposed to fill as much or little of them as they wanted, then leave them someplace for the next person to find and do the same. When the journals were filled, they were to be returned to the man who started the project. People could send unfinished journals back to be scanned and then sent back out into the world. As word rapidly spread, a tracking website was developed, and enormous waiting lists for the journals queued up.

Only a few of the journals have been sent back, and 95% of them are out in the world... unknown.

At the encouragement of people who have become tied to the project, 1001 Journals as been born. People can start their own journals and send them out into the world. Start a journal and it's your responsibility. You become the contact person for people who want to work in it, or want to send it in for scanning and you're the one that will get it back when it's done... if it's ever returned.

I was sitting in the theatre, thinking that I should make a journal, when Maria turned to me and said "I'm going to make one. I'll send it to you first."

I'm very excited about it, and I hope that she makes the journal soon. I suggested that the instructions in the journal indicate that the last person to fill the journal should return it to the person they got it from, and that person will to the same, so that everyone who as touched it will be able to see what happened, and hold it again. This also has the side benefit of encouraging people to give the journal to someone they feel will actually return it eventually. Many of the stories in the film talk about people agonizing over giving the journal to someone they didn't really know, and it vanishing from the system at that point.

Seriously, 1,000 journals, and only about 30 can be accounted for as of the making of the film.

It's super cool, and I'll post the link to Maria's Journal when she makes it, in case you want to be on a waiting list. (i.e. if there's a list, you'll be expected to send it on to the next person on the list, or the person you give it to has to promise to do so.)

Apart from that, things are moving along as they always do. I'm trying to find the lead for the show I'm directing for the Fringe Festival, but refusing to panic about it. I made a breakthrough on the 411 screenplay and got an hour's worth of writing in yesterday. I'm making the puppets in Flash for the next Radiostar cartoon (which will be 33% longer than the last ones have been, so it'll probably take an extra week to get it done). Work is going well, and I generally couldn't be happier.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Addictions

Ok, I got hooked on The Guild and Retarded Policeman this morning.

The Guild starts off a little weak, but is one of those shows that gets funnier and funnier the more time you spend with it.

Retarded Policeman seems like a one note joke, but almost every show brings something new to the formula.
I'm embedding what is, in my mind, the pinnacle of the show. Retarded Policeman versus Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan's Laybrynth)

Friday, July 25, 2008

New Cartoon

I'm down in San Diego at the universe's biggest Comic Convention (175,000 people today).

But I've got the new cartoon done!


Find more videos like this on Channel Frederator RAW

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The Government Controls your Dreams

I woke up this morning from a dream in which I had a dragon. I was an independent "pilot" who was waiting for a client at a landing area. There were a lot of people who needed a flight, but there was a strike at the airport and I wouldn't cross the picket line... except for my client, because I had seen the future through some device that showed me taking the client to her destination.

Crazy stuff, but after I hit the snooze on my alarm, I went back into the dream.

I still had the dragon, but was trying to figure out a way to get FCC approval for flights, since I didn't have (or need) a pilot's license to ride my dragon. I needed portable radio for talking to air towers, and a way to get the license without turning the dragon over to the government. Dragons don't exist, after all, and they'd probably want to either dissect him or appropriate him for military use.

So yeah, I spent the rest of my dream trying to get around government paperwork.

Once I woke up fully, I decided this wasn't as odd as it seems. Most of my "fantastic" fiction take a concept like, say, owning a dragon, and taking it to it's logical conclusion in the real world. All good things become bad things over time, just as many bad things can become good things over time. Also, even as a kid, my dragon fantasies where always grounded in practicality. Ever since reading the Pern books, I had daydreams of dragons... but they mostly revolved around how I would feed the thing.

It seemed very expensive.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Irony? You're soaking in it!

While I worked today, I listened to the latest mixes of the Sweetie Tanya soundtrack. Some of the songs are about as near to perfect as I can imagine them being. Others are very good, but still on their way. It's a thrill and a half to listen to these. They're so damn good, and I think it'll be a real treat for fans of the show, and will hopefully result in our being able to sell the show to other companies and make even more fans.

I did take a break to head down to the DMV and not only renewed my driver's license (55 minute wait, 5 minutes of interacting with the personnel) and got a parking ticket at the same time. I drive once a month, and boom.

Well, there you go.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Man in a suit

I saw Hellboy 2 last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was quite stunned today to find out that the character of wink wasn't done with CGI. I've gotten so used to amazing creatures on films being done that way, that it never occurred to me what I was really seeing.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Headlines and statements

Like a lot of people I was appalled when I heard that Obama was supporting the bill that grants telecoms retroactive amnesty for wiretapping.

So I went looking for more information. Here's the full statement.

In particular, this phrase struck me. "It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. "

So, yeah, Obama is supporting what he considers a flawed, sub-optimal bill but acknowledges a major problem with it that he will continue to try to get fixed. Unfortunately, that's about all he can do right now. I am glad to hear that he still acknowledges that allowing retroactive immunity is wrong and will continue to strive towards something that meets our ideals and get something on the table that ends Bush's violations NOW.

This situation reinforces, more than anything, my distrust of our own media. The headlines I saw suggested very strongly that Obama was supporting amnesty for telecoms, but that's not the case at all.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

From Cranky to Mushy

Feeling less curmudgeony today.

In fact, I'm even going to post this link that Sam Blanchard sent me.

Awwwwww

Monday, June 30, 2008

grouch

I think I need to change some gears somewhere. I went to bed grouchy last night and woke up cantankerous.

Objectively, I can understand it. I've had a lot of frustrations lately, most of which of an organizational nature, but also some of an artistic origin. Last minute reschedules that throw a carefully balanced day out of whack and even threaten to scuttle the work of a half dozen people, too many things on the same day so that I barely see the sun, hours spent reviewing material that ultimately isn't fruitful... it's not wonder I'm a bit cumudgeony. Still, I look at my behavior, and my mood, and know that I could be handling things more gracefully.

I'm too invested, if such a thing make sense. I take my own challenges and frustrations too much to heart. I feel responsible for everything, so when I encounter an obstacle to things working properly I feel that it's my fault or my job to make it right immediately. When people behave in a way that upsets my sense of order, or courtesy, I seethe but attempt to maintain a politic front because I feel that venting my spleen will damage the work.

My world is becoming very narcissistic. I have the power to make it work, or I have the power to destroy it all. This is making for a very grouchy Dan. Also a hypocritical one, at least artistically, as I had pointed out to me last night after Radiostar.

June and July are supposed to be my vacation months, but I'm not feeling particularly refreshed right now. Ironically, I have a lot of things to be happy about. The Sweetie Tanya CD is coming along nicely, and in truth Steve Kahn is the mastermind behind making it all work right now. As producer, most of what I've been doing is trying to assist with scheduling and people wrangling to make sure that the work can get done smoothly. The new animated version of Radiostar is eagerly embraced, and I really enjoy doing them. The short piece I've agreed to direct for the Fringe Festival in September is half cast (as opposed to half-caste, which would be a whole different kettle of fish) with my first choices, and the script is shaping up nicely.

But despite it all, I'm feeling surly.

I need to re-embrace the idea of vacation in July, and find the fun again.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Confession of ignorance

So, I just read this article that talks about the different ways that the concept of free speech is handled in the U.S. and in Canada, with Canada being much more like the rest of the planet in advocating for limited free speech.

In particular, hate language is illegal.

If I felt we could actually trust the courts and the government to prosecute hate speech in a responsible manner, I'd probably fall a bit closer on the European/Canadian spectrum. I don't trust them, however, and so I end up in the "absolute free speech" camp.

And yet, what I don't understand is how first amendment rights merge with slander and libel laws. It seems to be that some of the statements made in the magazine in question (what, you haven't read the article yet? Go read it and then come back here) would be considered libelous. Does libel only count if you specify a particular person, as opposed to an entire religion or race?

I honestly don't know, but it does seem odd to me that you can't say true things about an individual that damage their reputation but you can say untrue things about a community that damages their credibility, standing, and even safety.

Or is my understanding of the libel and slander laws woefully shoddy?

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My god, I'm political

I just made Obama's home page my "start" page in Safari.

This decision came after watching an edited version of a 2006 speech about religious diversity that David Austin-Groen had on his feed, and edited highlights of Obama's speech on the economy on CNN.

I realized that I want to watch the totality of these speeches, not just media determined highlights. I don't trust the news to fairly represent the issues, especially after seeing that a companion piece to the Obama speech was a snippit of McCain saying he'd "veto every beer..bill" in a speech. The man tripped over a word, for crying out loud. That's not news, and it doesn't deserve to be linked to Obama's speech about the economy.

I can already tell that McCain is not the man for me in the white house, militarily or economically. But I want to hear what they have to say, and not be distracted by the news media's three ring circus.

Is that too much to ask?

Monday, June 09, 2008

Sex in the City

I'm afraid I need to see your driver's license before we bang.

oh. You're from New York City?

I'll call you a cab.

Not for You

I got some mail today from the Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.

At first I was a bit surprised, but then I thought that it might be something about policy, or about Obama, or any number of things going on in my community. After all, there's no reason why the LBCF shouldn't contact me, just because I'm whiter than 80's Hair Metal.

So I open it up and find that it's a flier for a "Health Summit on Diabetes and Obesity: a growing epidemic among California's minority communities."

Hrm. Not really for me, as I am neither in danger of diabetes or obesity. I am a minority in my community, which is largely Chinese and african american, but I don't think that's what they are referring to. I wonder if every person in Oakland got the flyer, or if I should be expecting more erroneously targeted flyers to appear in my mailbox?

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It's a slow work week. I've been doing lots of photoshop batch jobs, and lots and lots of uploading to servers, but at the moment, I'm mostly waiting for the deluge to begin. It'll be crazy for a few months straight, starting next week, but for now.... all is quiet on the Oakland Front.

So, considering how much I've been hearing about the housing market going to hell, I thought I'd see what I could afford. I love where I live, and have no burning desire to move, but if rates are super low right now, it would be irresponsible to see if there was a way out of the rent market.

I tried a few online rates calculators and established that with what I have in the bank for a down payment, and what I am comfortable paying monthly on loans/mortgage...I can afford property that costs around $200,000. In short, I can live out in the middle of the central valley, or in the absolute poorest neighborhoods of Oakland and Richmond. I'd be a home owner, though! Or at least a condo owner!

Of course, I'd have to give up my hardwood floors, tall ceilings, claw foot tub, two blocks from BART, top floor with no one walking on your head apartment.

I'll stay put for now. I'll check again in six months and see if things have gotten significantly worse/better by then.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Windy

It's a curious week for me. WestEd work is slow, so I'm getting caught up on a lot of small issues and maintenance.

This also means cleaning up the home office a bit. My computer is processing gigs and gigs of raw photoshop documents, which means I can email, do some web stuff, and other tasks, but not audio editing, video work, or other photoshop work. My job has therefore been to dink around and occasionally swap the DVDs out.

One of the things I've turned up was my old journal from my trip to Dublin, Ireland. It's always interesting to look back at things like this, and I gave it a quick scan. My mood fluctuated a lot during that week, and I wrote some truly awful sonnets.

Awful.

I would be tempted to just transcribe and toss the paper journal, except for the scrawls made in it by the drunk in the pub where I met Sandra and Catia, the Norwegian and Swiss who wrote in it as well, and of course, the little phrases and pictures that Sandra and Catia themselves wrote.

It's kind of a cliche, but it's still true. Travel changes you. I walked out of Ireland with a slew of experiences and a dear friend. Also a bunch of really bad poetry. Did I mention the bad poetry?

I went out to Chicago last weekend. The genesis of the trip was in talking with my friend Debbie, and deciding that the week after we closed Sweetie Tanya would be an excellent time for me to get away from things for a bit. Also, it was her birthday, so that made it an even better deal. I've now been to Chicago twice since my old Seminary days and I still have a deep affection for the city, even if my original time there was filled with struggle.

There's a feel to the city that I just really, really like. I love the midwest comfort food, the brickwork everywhere, the no bullshit attitude of the people I meet, and the fact that we couldn't walk five blocks without coming across a storefront theatre. This is a town that embraces its arts in a way that we just don't see in the Bay Area. Some people coo at babies. I coo at young theatre companies.

While in the Windy City, I drank too much, ate too much, slept too much and had a splendid time. I saw an innovative but mediocre show and an utterly brilliant one, and the two were in the same theatre complex in Evanston. Yep, the two shows I saw weren't even in Chicago proper. The brilliant one, however, featured one of the improv comics that had couch surfed with me back during the SF Improv Festival. I hadn't originally planned to meet up with any of the Storybox improv folks, but a last minute inspiration paid off with an excellent show.

I returned to Oakland with a slew of things on my to-do list, meetings to attend, and projects to pursue. I haven't made as much project as I should for mostly social reasons, and the schedule packing will continue through next week. Still, I continue to hope to get the 411 screenplay (first draft) done by the end of June.

This makes it sound like the trip didn't change me. That was a theme I was developing and didn't follow through on. Truth be told, it's not always immediately clear how that change will manifest. The most obvious thing is that I desperately craved alone time when I got back. I had a fantastic time, but I had virtually no alone time during the whole trip. I didn't realize how much I needed it until I got home. I have a strong introvert side, and it's easy to forget that when I'm in my regular rhythms.

Also, I was constantly tired while I was away. That was partly jetlag, partly the excess of beer and food, but also the exhaustion of the previous months settling in on me. I have a lot going on, but I don't have the pervasive deadlines right now. Things get done when they get done. Earlier is better, but we aren't racing to meet an opening night or any other such thing. So, the coils of tension in my shoulders are unwinding... and I am so very tired as a result.

I'm waking up more and more, each day, but it took a bit.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Interim

I have several things I could post about, and I will eventually. But I was searching for an image of "failure" for a project, and I found this video.



The Stupiest Woman In The World - video powered by Metacafe


Clearly, our hope must be in future generations, cause it sure as hell ain't in the current one.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

child found

The child I put out a missing persons post for yesterday has been found at a women's shelter and is on her way home.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Keep a lookout


I got this email from my friend Cynthia (Producer of Chinese Angle and set genius for Sweetie Tanya) last night.

"My family is suffering a crisis and I need your help!

My niece Lisa Gregory( you may have heard my stories about her) has gone missing from the Antioch CA area on May 14, 2008 with her 2 year old little girl Katie.

My sister has legal custody of Katie as well as Lisa's older daughter. Lisa is drinking heavily and endangering Katie. The police have the missing persons' case. There are existing warrants for Lisa's arrest for other drinking related issues.

The report is also in the state-wide data base.

We need your help. Please forward the attached to people in Northern California where Lisa was last seen and claims to be going into a live-in rehab with her daughter.(We think that is unlikely as most rehab won't take children.) She may have traveled into Nevada or even Oregon, we really have in way to know. Her funds are limited and she may be staying in a cheap motel.

If you see her call the police immediately. Please don't confront her as she will likely flee in a risky manner that could cause greater harm to Katie.

THANK YOU for your support. If any of you have ideas on other ways to find her please let me know."


I don't know a lot of people in the area mentioned, but I'm putting this out there in case someone knows something or sees something.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Tabs

Things are looking up.
I loved this article about Senator Joe Biden calling Bush on his bullshit.
article here
Bush used the anniversary of the foundation of Israel to slam anyone who wants to try to negotiate with Iran.
Bush's comments

Biden's response?

"This is bullshit."

and it really, really is.

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A girl who was raped went on YouTube to out her attacker and find some support.

article here

I read this and just hurt. It hurt because so many of "Tanya"'s lines in the show mirror the comments of victims about there not being any justice in the system for rape victims. We state in the show that one in three women are assaulted in the course of their lives, and the article lists one in four women under 25. A small difference, and when you got 25 and up I have no doubt that the 33% figure still holds true. It makes me want to vomit...

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Invisible Forest updates

It appears that The Invisible Forest was reviewed by a Swiss Jungian Analyst. Given that the movie is essentially a tour through a dreamscape, that seems extremely appropriate.
An excerpt:
In filmmaking, Antero Alli, playwright, poet, actor and director, is a Pied Piper of the imagistic, imaginal world, enchanting, enticing, with the mercurial, quicksilver flute of his instinctive, intuitive style. Perhaps this is especially true in The Invisible Forest.
The review is here.

Antero was also interviewed up in Oregon, where he's been showing the film.

Here's the June schedule for showings:

Thursday June 5, 9pm: DIVA Center, Eugene OR. $5.
Friday June 6, 9:30pm: Hollywood Theatre, Portland OR. $6.
Sunday June 15, 2pm: NW Film Forum, Seattle WA. $8
Wed. June 18, 8:30pm: Pickford Cinema, Bellingham WA $7.50
Friday June 27, 7pm: Shiny Object, West Sacramento. $5.
Filmmaker in person at all screenings.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Four for Four!

The SF Bay Guardian came out today and had this to say:
The return of "Sweetie" Tanya (after its debut run at the Darkroom in January) feels like an off-Broadway-bound show that's generously consented to remain off–Union Square for now. Dan Wilson's inspired take on Sweeney Todd — re-imagined as a tale of sexual and class exploitation at the economic fringes of the white yuppie-hipster makeover of the Mission, narrated by a schizophrenic homeless man (sharply played by Bryce Byerley) — is more than mere spoof. Just as the original Sweeney had a real beef that made his monstrous deeds explicable if not necessarily forgivable, "Sweetie" Tanya (a terrific Kate Austin-Gröen) derives her campaign of vengeance from a situation as much personal as political, aggravated by the harassment she receives behind and over the counter at a Mission coffee house. Beneath its delightful foam of frothy comedy, "Sweetie" Tanya hides a depth charge of caffeinated cruelty and outrage. Among the show's many qualities are some very good songs (from various contributors), sung especially well by Austin-Gröen and costar Alexis Wong, and backed by composer and musical director Steve Kahn's fine five-piece band. There could be more in way of plot development, the staging is occasionally too static, and the supporting performances are uneven. But none of these weaknesses much impinge on Sweetie's remarkable success. (Avila)


That's four reviews, all of them positive. All acknowledge that the show is flawed, but so much fun that the flaws are easily (and happily) overlooked. I'm giddy as a schoolgirl.

Are schoolgirls really giddy? I honestly don't know, but if they are, I'm as giddy as one.

Press

Opening night for Tanya was tough. Six people, two of which were critics. One of them, the critic for the San Jose Mercury News, left like a shot after the show (which hadn't forced a single audible laugh out of the crowd). I was convinced that we were going to get reamed.

I was wrong.

Let's hope it gets some butts in seats this Thursday.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

images

Since my job focus has switched to developing multimedia pieces, I've become disconcertingly aware of people's appearances. I don't mean in person, but as I shuffle through the hundreds of photos I have, trying to find one that fits the content I need to express.

I find myself asking myself questions like, "why aren't there more kids of color in this classroom? I can't show the same kid three times. Oh, this teacher is kind of wall-eyed, can I use this shot? What the hell is that device on that kid's head?" (I still don't know the answer to the last one)

It kind of makes me uncomfortable, because I like to see the beauty in every face, but some people are photogenic and some aren't. I don't like feeling like I need to exclude representing someone because they have funny eyes, or bad teeth, or any other feature that marks them as being "different". At the same time, if I want people to look at the project that is being described, I don't want them wondering what that thing is on that kid's head.

Like with film and theatre, it's about drawing the eye to what you want to communicate. I deal with this all the time, but for some reason, it's bothering me more in this context.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Hope gained

Today went... surprisingly well.

I needed to be in the city for a video conference at noon, and also to meet with the new project manager at work. I got a call at 9am from Kinkos, saying that the Sweetie Tanya glossy posters were ready two hours early.

Nice.

I leave early for SF, pick up the posters and do my supervisor meeting early. The video conference also ends an hour early and was actually quite productive. I am supposed to be at the Exit by 3:30 to move our flats, because another group needs the dressing room our flat are stored in. I get a call at the end of my meeting saying that the rehearsal was cancelled and I don't need to make an early trip.

Nice.

I pick up the truck at 5th and Mission. I love City Car Share, I really do. I get to Hal and Cynthia's about 4:15pm and we load everything into the truck and their car. We tie it all down and drive very slowly back to the Exit, arriving at 5:02pm. We're exactly on schedule.

Nice.

We unload, then Hal and I go to the rehearsal room to get props, table, chair and bar. We get everything loaded, unloaded at the Exit and get the car back to City Car share a full hour and a half before it was due.

Nice.

Steve shows up and starts to figure out the band setup after the Exit manager gives Peggy and Rhiannon the lowdown on the space, the lights and the sound board. We've all worked here before, so this is mostly review. I've been terribly worried about how to plug the band into the sound board, but Steve has a perfect low-tech solution: we'll use the band's monitor amps and point them towards the back wall. The sound will then bounce to the audience and not overwhelm the singers. Brilliant, and eliminates the host of tech problems I was expecting to deal with.

Nice.

The group before us, Medea Knows Best, had a light plot that fulfilled 85% of our needs, so they just left it up for us. We only have to refocus three or four lights and re-gel four or five others. The lighting plot isn't much more complex that what we did at the Darkroom, but the difference between the light on our lovely cream colored set walls versus the black curtains of the darkroom is night and day. It looks infinitely better.

Nice.

Cynthia and Hal put up all the flats, adjust the bar size to something that looks better and gives the performers more space. The Odwalla cabinet looks awesome. We still need to tape and paint scenes, add the door and do more general dressing, but it already looks like a coffee shop. Tomorrow we'll do most of that work before 7pm. Wednesday will bring minor additions. We'll easily be done before the preview on Thursday.

Nice.

We finish load in at 10pm and go home. We didn't have to stay late at all. I made a list of props we need, and things I seem to have left back at the rehearsal space. I'll get most of those resolved between 5-6 tomorrow. Our tech will involve starting and stopping for light cue building, but since all but one song is being done live, sound shouldn't be much of an issue.

It's all been a little too smooth. A lot of work, to be sure, but no fiascos, no huge setbacks, no problems we weren't expecting. Quite the opposite. Problems I expected to happen never materialized.

Niiiiiceee