JETTSPEN

2004-12-31T20:47:00.000-08:00

Can someone give me a push?

FINAL POST OF THE YEAR

2004-12-31T05:30:00.000-08:00

"A man's not drunk if he can lay on the floor without holding on." - Joe E. Lewis

Have a Happy New Year!

THE AVIATOR

2004-12-29T00:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a movie worthy of a couple Oscar nods. The script's well-written and compelling. It reminds us of all those great feats Hughes accomplished and the inner workings of his tragic madness. The directing was great and there is no doubt in my mind you'll walk out of the cinema with portrait of Hughes etched in your mind that you never had before. One acting job stood out above the rest. That was Cate Blanchett's performance as Kate Hepburn. I swear, at one point I realized that I'd forgotten I wasn't watching Hepburn. Don't wait for the DVD on this one. Buy the ticket. It's worth the price of admission.

MARIA FULL OF GRACE

2004-12-28T01:46:00.000-08:00

I know it is asking a lot...that you watch a movie with English subtitles... but this one is really worth the effort. Maria Full of Grace was wonderfully done and had so many nuances. It's about a girl who decides to act as a drug mule with tragic results. Those nuances I mentioned are especially plentiful when she arrives in America. Lots of little things that have to be hard for an immigrant that normally we wouldn't think about were put into the script. The blend of cultures was nicely done and the acting matched it. This movie got a lot of critical praise at Sundance and Cannes so if you're looking for a high quality movie off the blockbuster beaten path, this would be it.

I ROBOT

2004-12-27T01:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday night I got a chance to view 'I Robot'. It reminded me of 'Blade Runner' in it's dark feel although it inserted a more 'Hollywood' ending. The special effects lived up to their end and Will Smith did a decent enough acting job. But it's the story that makes this movie. At what point do robots evolve? At what point do humans evolve to merge with higher intelligence? And who can say one will decide the fate of the other? Food for thought.

One theme which repeatedly presented itself was robots dreaming. This is actually a Phillip Dick obsession although 'I Robot' is an Asimov story. If I recall right, Dick's 'Blade Runner' was subtitled 'Do robots dream of electric sheep?'. I've seen more films based on the work of Dick and Asimov than read their books. I'm curious though if there was a belief of dreams connecting with the evolution process? Also, I'm equally curious as to why in the past few years this theme seems to have taken hold.

2004-12-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas in the maternity ward.

EASY TO PLEASE

2004-12-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm so easy to please as Santa brought me just what I wanted: A Barnes & Noble gift certificate that will place another book on the shelf, the DVD 'Bourne Supremacy' which will be watched a dozen times in the next month, a pullover which I could use in this freakin weather, and 20 bucks for whatever. Hope your holiday was as good as mine! Now it's back to the rewrites. That 20 might have to go for aspirin....

THE SHEPHERD'S FIELD

2004-12-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

On the edge of the village of Beit Sahour, just outside Bethlehem, is a small, slightly run down, Greek Orthodox Church. It marks the place where tradition holds the shepherds were grazing their flocks when the angels appeared to announce the birth of Jesus. These days, the tourists have stayed away and the church (which last I heard was still open) caters to a dwindling flock of it's own as Palestinian Christians emigrate in record numbers.

Inside the Church are remains dating back to the Byzantium Empire. I was fortunate enough to receive a personal tour from the Priest many years ago. There was really nothing special about the building. As archaeological sites go, it doesn't rank as that amazing. I've walked among more thrilling ruins in more desolate places. Still, the empty field - you don't see the sheep these days- and Priest's dedication to upholding the legacy of the location in an odd way reminds me of Linus from Charlie Brown's Christmas when he gets up on the stage and cites the Christmas Story and ends by saying, "That's the real meaning of Christmas Charlie Brown". Peace on Earth... that's the real meaning of Christmas Charlie Brown. Who among us wouldn't camp out in an empty field next to a rundown Church for that?

2004-12-23T01:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you heading to Christmas Dinners where you'll hear "When you going to get married?", "When we going to see grandkids?" I thought I'd give you a little statistical ammo and let you know you're not alone.

DON QUIXOTE CELEBRATION

2004-12-22T02:10:00.000-08:00

Spain's Cultural Ministry (unlike the U.S. they do have one) announced a series of events in 2005 to mark 400 years since the great novel Don Quixote showed up in print on Jan. 16, 1605. The story by Miguel de Cervantes, which he claimed to have translated from a Moorish writer Benengeli, is a classic and still widely read today.

The events will occur on five continents and include a traveling exhibit featuring drawings and engravings for the novel. The first event is scheduled in Bologna, Italy in April. Dallas will also host a collection of carpets designed to show the landscapes mentioned in the book. Paris, Oran, Brussels and Mexico City will also sponsor events during 2005.

The Cultural Ministry has set up a special website http://www.mcu.es for Don Quixote. I think it would be worth checking out one of the events if you get the chance. After all, who can't relate to Don Quixote? At one time or another we've all claimed chivalry to justify chasing a fantasy.

CHOICES

2004-12-21T01:14:00.000-08:00

Writers at some point or another whore themselves out. We've all done a job just for the paycheck so we could keep food on the table or finally buy that six pack of beer to sit on the top shelf of the fridge so when you open it up it's not completely empty. After all, it is the beer that adds flavor to the canned soup right? It has struck me lately though how important our job choices are.

I mean, if we have the freedom to choose, the topic or job we opt to expend our talents on should be carefully picked. I've watched writers waste weeks hammering out a draft on some story that only interests a select few and has absolutely no chance to be published by corporate bottom-line conscious houses. Some people would say, well, if that's what interest you then it is fine. No it's not fine. We write to be read. Everything doesn't have to be 'pop' literature but if you spend a year of your life writing a book about how you meditated in Death Valley, you should ask yourself why you chose that subject and what you might've written instead that would have a bigger impact.

I'm not sure why this has struck me lately. I think in part it was seeing all these writers blogging away about some writing contest on who could come up with the best story of 50,000 words in a month. Hey, if you can write 50,000 words in a month then you don't need to be wasting it on a stupid contest! Sit your ass down and do it for real. Then again, I don't believe in writer's block or waiting for inspiration. I believe in being tired and needing a day off or a good night of pub crawling to refresh yourself but what you need to write is already inside you. Dig it out yourself and don't wait for someone to come along and point it out to you. If all else fails, there's still part of that six pack in the fridge.

WRITERS TO LIVE AT ANNE FRANK'S APT

2004-12-20T00:58:00.000-08:00

It was announced that the apartment where Anne Frank lived before going into hiding in Amsterdam will be used as a writer's residence starting next fall. This is the residence where Anne Frank began her infamous diary and to me it seems appropriate that it'll serve as a refuge for writers being persecuted in their own countries. Such an act is very much in the spirit of Anne Frank.

I've toured the Anne Frank attic in Amsterdam where her family went into hiding. For a writer, I think it is a must. True she didn't know the impact her writing would have when she wrote it but then again what writer does? I think touring the attic not only reminds you of the tragedy that is her story but also stands monument to the power of the written word and the value we should put on the craft.

Amsterdam has in it's history always been a place of refuge and I'm glad the city and the Anne Frank Foundation are opening their doors to writers in need. (The way things are going here we might all have to apply for a bed someday.) I also appreciate their constant effort to keep up the attic where Anne Frank wrote the bulk of her diary and shared, with a world she never got the chance to meet, the true meaning of hope and faith treasured so deep in her heart.

HUMORLESS CLERKS

2004-12-19T00:04:00.000-08:00

There are those store clerks who don't laugh because they see the world without a punchline and there are clerks who don't laugh because they don't get the punchline.

I impulsively pointed out as I looked down at the older lady behind the counter in the Big & Tall store while my dad bought a gift certificate, "Have you ever noticed that big & tall people never work at Big & Tall?" My short father chuckled but the lady grimaced and apparently immediately pegged me as a troublemaker for an older gentleman left a couple he was assisting and walked over to stand by the cash register where we were as though to keep an eye out on the situation. This made me- average height guy- laugh because if I had been there to start trouble, I'm not sure the two of them together short of pulling a gun could've done much about it. I never realized that personnel at the Big & Tall were so serious minded.

The about 20 blonde working the register at the discount jewelry store didn't fare much better when she asked me what my ballcap that says "Tokyo" in English next to Japanese letters meant. In a milli-second I said, "It means 'Tokyo'" in a duh tone of voice. Had I bought a cap at the Tokyo airport with part of the Da Vinci code stenciled on it? Apparently, she realized the idiocy of her question because she got flustered and couldn't count back the change, pull the receipt tape off, or even say 'Thank You' as we left.

I'd say the Christmas rush had gotten to these people but the truth is neither store was busy. (The same for the mall and the empty Starbucks at the Barnes & Noble where checkout clerks leaned on their elbows. Is the shopping season not going well?). Like I said, some people just don't see humor in the world.

THE ALAMO

2004-12-18T00:55:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when I catch up on movie watching so expect more than the normal amount of movie reviews over the next couple weeks. I rented 'The Alamo' mainly because I had two cousins from the collateral family tree who fought and died there. So for me it was a bit of a 'must see'.

I can't say I was disappointed. It didn't have all the good-ol-boy fun the John Wayne version did but that was a good thing. This seemed to be historically more accurate although there were still some minor flaws in that category but that's to be expected. They did have David Crockett being captured although in the movie he was by himself and historically one Mexican officer's account has him caught with others, trying to hide among them, and when he's exposed the whole lot is executed. But executed solo or with half a dozen others is in this case I think trivial.

The aspect I liked about this movie is that the main characters were very much flawed. You see what scoundrels they were in real life and that they stumbled into being heroes more than planning it that way. The action sequences were good and the story moved along at a nice pace. I'd say overall, this movie is worth the rental fee even if it falls just short of 'great' status.

LIBRARIES CLOSE

2004-12-17T01:39:00.000-08:00

I was really distressed last night when I read that Salinas, CA is closing it's three libraries to save money in the city's budget. It expects to save about 3 million out of an 8 million dollar deficit by closing the facilities. The city was the home of John Steinbeck - not that anyone will get to read him now - and one has to wonder what kind of society we're living in when cities choose to close libraries but build sports stadiums, states vote on banning books instead of hiring more teachers, and money is spent building schools overseas while those here crumble? How can you remain an advanced civilized society without reading? I don't think you can.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

2004-12-16T00:19:00.000-08:00

While I'd rather be where the above photo was taken than in Bedford Falls, the movie It's A Wonderful Life is a Christmas Classic. While I think it is only shown once or twice every holiday season these days thanks to an idiotic decision by a network (NBC) that owns the rights to it, the movie became a staple a couple generations ago when it seemed like every TV station on the planet showed it at least 3x. I came across these trivia facts from a writer at the Baltimore Sun about the making of the movie and thought I would share.

1. Stewart's stay-at-home George Bailey welcomes back his Navy-flier brother Harry, who's just been awarded the Medal of Honor. In reality, it was the first movie Stewart made after his four-year, two-month stint as a genuine World War II hero. He left the Army Air Forces as a colonel.Biographer Fishgall states, "Among the first to answer the call to arms, he sustained a record of achievement that few of his peers had equaled and none could better." Although Stewart never made a public display of his valor, he flew 20 bombing missions over Europe and was so affected by the experience that he felt "he had lost all sense of judgment."

2. Capra called on veteran character actor Lionel Barrymore -- who ironically played George Bailey's nemesis -- to calm Stewart after nearly a half-decade away from acting. "Forget about being away for five years," Barrymore said. "Don't you realize you're moving millions of people, shaping their lives? What other profession has that kind of power? Acting, young fella, is a noble profession. Now just do what you're doing."

3. Capra belittled the film's source story, "The Greatest Gift," as "a Christmas card." But according to McBride, the author of "The Greatest Gift," biographer and historical novelist Philip Van Doren Stern put together the three crucial plot elements, including a suicidal small-town American, his guardian angel and a Christmas setting. It was printed not in a Christmas card but in 200 24-page pamphlets.

4. If not for Cary Grant, the film might not have been made. The actor exhorted the RKO studio to purchase film rights.

5. A handful of mostly left-wing writers toiled over the script. Dalton Trumbo, the most prolific member of the Hollywood Ten (and later renowned for Spartacus), did the initial draft; Marc Connelly (The Green Pastures) and Clifford Odets (Golden Boy) rewrote it.After Capra bought the property from RKO, he hired the solid husband-and-wife team of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett to take a new approach. But before Capra was through, Michael Wilson polished it. (The screenwriter, who was blacklisted shortly after, is best known for A Place in the Sun and The Bridge on the River Kwai.)That famous wit Dorothy Parker spruced up the dialogue, and Jo Swerling tinkered with some scenes. Although Capra's reluctance to credit some of them has been pegged to his growing fear of liberal-radical politics, the film's most essential statement is the same one George Orwell got from Charles Dickens: "If men would behave decently, the world would be decent."

6. Jean Arthur was Capra's first choice for Mrs. George Bailey, but she turned the director down. "I wouldn't have liked to have been that girl. I didn't think she had anything to do. It was colorless." Donna Reed ended up playing her with sexiness and strength; there's more genuine emotion in this movie's high-school graduation dance and the Baileys' coyly avid courtship than there is in Mr. Deeds' blowing a tuba or Mr. Smith's mooning over the Lincoln Memorial.

7.The film began shooting on the same day as William Wyler's masterpiece, "The Best Years of Our Lives." Wyler and Capra were partners (along with George Stevens) in the short-lived independent company Liberty Pictures, though Wyler was making "The Best Years of Our Lives" for Samuel Goldwyn. Wyler wired Capra, "Last one in is a rotten egg."

8. The movie was never meant to be a Christmas release. RKO, the film's distributor, slated it for Jan. 30, 1947. It was rushed out for a Dec. 21, 1946, New York opening because, writes McBride, "Technicolor couldn't make enough prints of "Sinbad the Sailor," which the studio had planned as its holiday film."

9. The film won no Academy Awards, though it was nominated for five. Wyler's "The Best Years of Our Lives" won seven, including best picture, director and actor (Fredric March).

10. The movie was a box-office failure. It took in $3.3 million; it needed to make $480,000 more just to match the production and distribution costs.

BAD WRITING

2004-12-15T02:16:00.000-08:00

I can't help myself but to blog about this case of extremely bad writing. I saw an ad for a law firm yesterday on TV trying to dig up business over the Vioxx drug. At one point the ad said, "if you've suffered a stroke, heart attack, or death call us." Can you call collect from heaven and hell? Think they'd settle for an email?

WAY TO GO GOOGLE

2004-12-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

Google has announced that it has struck deals with major libraries and research archives around the globe to scan every book and manuscript and put it online. This will enable anyone, anywhere, to access material. Needless to say, it will take them a few years to accomplish this mission but if this is what our future holds it bolds well for the availability of education not to mention the ease of research. Although, I can see myself nostalgic for digging through dusty old stacks now and again.

NY PANEL

2004-12-14T02:03:00.000-08:00

New York's Governor has created a panel to document and examine how to preserve the history of the French-Indian War which raged on the continent just a few years before the Revolution. As someone descended directly from the guys who commanded the troops that won that war, I am encouraged by this. This is a period of little discussion in schools here and even among historians. Yet, when reading the letters, the families were already talking of revolution, self-governance, and viewed this fight not so much as a France vs. England contest which was the take on it back on the Continent but rather as a fight of survival along the frontier.

Reading of this period, you will discover men and women alike taking turns at guard duty, people being scalped at their dinner tables, and in one troubling letter I came across, two women who escaped a war party trying to decide who would eat the other to survive.

This is a fascinating period of history for you non-fiction writers out there. Even for fiction writers, if you've ever considered historical fiction, this is fertile territory. Kudos to NY for starting a process to keep the history of the Continent intact and not forgotten.

THE CONTROL ROOM

2004-12-13T00:34:00.000-08:00

Somewhere in the early morning hours I watched the documentary 'The Control Room'. This film was in theatres earlier this year and is now out on DVD. It is a very candid look at the press in Central Command Headquarters at the beginning of the Iraq War.

The main focus of the movie is Al-Jazeera. You may not always like their perspective but they've earned a reputation as a tough news organization and in this film they didn't hold anything back. You also see some revealing takes on CNN and MSNBC.

If you're interested in knowing how the press works, manipulates, is manipulated, and manages the news in a major war, then this is definitely a must see. The Marine press attache (who was forced out of the service over his candid remarks in both the film and after it's release) also makes openly thought provoking points and really comes off as one of the main figures in the film. This is a 'this is how it was take it or leave it' film. It is well made and highly informative. More than worth the rental fee. I also strongly recommend looking at the special features section of the DVD where interviews cut from the final version of the film are located.

GRACEFUL DANGER

2004-12-12T00:47:00.000-08:00

Graceful danger. You know what I'm talking about. Those characters that we write that pulls the reader into a story or sparks our imagination when we see it in real life. The girl who twirls the beer glass at the bar in such a way to warn you she's trouble but still you can't resist. The guy who slouches back in his seat, confident, just before he lets the hammer down. The player who lets the chips run up and down his fingers pretending to be comprehending when he already knows. It's all in the movement. Their looks, what they're thinking, the words they speak, don't capture us the way their movements do.

This struck me this morning under the oddest of circumstances when I was playing a Bizet CD. Now, I don't know tons about classical music -rather be at a rave any day - but Bizet has the whole movement mystic down. The CD I have is like his 'greatest hits'. And how many movies has his music shown up in? I can tell the scores he's influenced.... The Godfather, The Magnificent 7 among others.... and I know it is because when you listen to him you see it. The movement. There isn't a beat in his music that doesn't speak of movement whether the light dance, the lovers embracing, or death only a second away. How rich is that?

I got hooked on Bizet in Moscow. I saw a ballet (it got me hooked on ballets) based on his music. It was so graceful. Beautiful. Tragic. The movement told the story and with his score the ballerinas were able to perform naturally. How many times we forget that what we remember about a character we write is not always the dialogue but how they moved across the room. Think about it. Was it what the girl said to you at the party or was it how she approached you from across the room that grabbed your attention?

SKATING RINK

2004-12-11T03:42:00.000-08:00

Alright, I digress from my original mission because this has absolutely nothing to do with writing, books, the movies, or anything else arts related. I just thought it was a totally kewl piece of news and a little bit of holiday fare.

The French are putting a skating rink in the Eiffel Tower. Not on the ground floor mind you but UP in the Tower. I just found that a brilliant concept. Almost as good of one as the guy who put the casino in the Amsterdam Airport but that's a different story for a different post.

Can you imagine what the view must be from up there? On the skates, circling the crowds below as they do their tourist sightseeing and shopping who from the skaters viewpoint must look like ants? Of course with my luck, I wouldn't be able to brake properly and that figure 8 I was trying would turn into a swan dive. I guess that might ruin the holiday spirit huh? Still, I thought skating in the Eiffel Tower would be a hard thing to beat. Just a totally kewl thing to do. If any of my French friends are reading this, video tape it for me would you?

LEFT HAND - RIGHT HAND

2004-12-10T00:33:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get curious about the creative process? Why an artist see things in a normal event, or thinks up situations other people can't? Do you ever consider how to improve your capacity as an artist or do you just figure the talent you have (even though you constantly refine it) is a limited source you're born with?

The rare times I do have deep thoughts they're often pondering these questions but I'm not sure our talents are anywhere near their limits. I think there's so much about the brain we don't know, and such a small percentage of it is used, that if we expand our knowledge of it we'll also be pushing forward the limits of our creativity.

This is why the other day I was interested in a scientist on television. In layman's terms (which is the only way I can understand this stuff... there's a reason I was in liberal arts and not science) he was explaining that simple, out of the routine, functions can in fact increase the brain's capacity and thus creativity. He said performing tasks, simple things like writing with your left hand instead of your right every now and then, employs dormant nerves and message pathways that the brain wouldn't otherwise use. When it starts doing this, then it goes back again and again to these new pathways.

That sounded interesting to me so I started writing with my left hand a couple times a day. I don't know if his theory is correct (you'll have to ask me in a year) but I'm surprised by how easily I write with my left hand and how much it improves with each day's practice. I still won't win any penmanship contests, and a couple letters make me look like first grade, but it is weird how the body compensates so quickly and adapts. And for me, that may be the whole goal. By pushing the brain we don't settle for the normal we force it to compensate and adapt to a bigger world. One which we still have so much to learn about.

WHAT INFLUENCED BRITISH WOMEN

2004-12-09T01:41:00.000-08:00

I found this list interesting. The BBC did a public poll in which British female readers chose the top books that influenced them. They narrowed the list from 100, to 30, to the top 10. I'm listing only the top ten here but there are links to see the rest of the choices. It'd be interesting I think to see this list compared to what American women feel influenced them to check out the differences in the two cultures. Makes you curious doesn't it?

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Women's Room by Marilyn French
Read about the Top 30 books and find out about the 100 plus titles that didn't make it ...

Poetic Remorse

2004-12-08T01:56:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I like to stick a poem on here just to lend the impression of class to this site. Today, I bring you a poem by the poet Karen Snow. I recently rediscovered it while re-organizing some files. Enjoy.

FIFTY-TWO

Mirror, turned traitor;
Husband, you've fled my whine.
College sons, stay away this summer
It would curdle you to see your mother gone
so jagged.
- a hand, please, Someone.
I've drifted down into myself
and cannot climb these slippery walls.

Psychiatrist, sit here beside my insomnia
couch. Acknowledge after these dozen years,
your method was addictive.

Bygone lovers, wherever you are:
Does a stricken gray state lately trouble your dreams?
Does a numb blonde lie on your electric loins?

Ben who lifted me to his ceiling laughing,
"You're light as a terrier I had as a boy-"
then married big bone Barbara.

Sean, who kissed me and crushed me to soaked
craving... then married the Church.

Trin, who was betrothed to ambivalent Nancy,
and came, swollen, to me for comfort.

Sam, Jew who fled Hitler; Sam my silly nibbler,
my backseat clown... who married stately Claudia.

Who of you is most needy now, return my visit.
- a hand, please, Someone.
I've sagged into a cell where solitude
is blurred and buzzed.

Editor, unscramble the scribblings I sent you;
maneuver them into meaning.
Art teacher, draw me a mandala.
My design has gone wambly.

Daddy, tell me the bedtime story about Betty,
lost in the blizzard and rescued by Rover.
Sister, make me a circle of hollyhock dolls.
Mamma, stay away. Your best intentions are toxic.
- a hand please, someone.
I've sunk through my spine into a stratum
where toys no longer buoy me.

Snake, inject me with sleep.
Mallows masquaerade me as Ophelia.
Frog belch me an elegy.
River rock me to my ransom.
- I've laid trapped beneath myself
too long... far too long.

Oms of the mediators, wheel
and descend as breath for this wraith.
Prayers of the still-religious, rise
and descend as fungus for this starveling.
Chants of the -
this warmbroad hand I knew
and this sharp-stubbled cheek
but this? stiff collar?
Sean

TOM WOLFE

2004-12-07T01:12:00.000-08:00

I confess. I've never read a Tom Wolfe novel. I know his rep and have no reason to doubt it. He's a great writer and a couple of his books like the new 'I am Charlotte Simmons' and the one everyone loves 'Bonfire Of The Vanities' is on my to read list. But up until now, it hasn't happened.

That didn't stop me yesterday from watching the 3 hour interview with the guy in the white suit on Book-TV's 'In-Depth' series. The show broadcast the first Sunday of each month and features a different author. Yesterday, Brian Lamb was the host (are we going to miss him or what?).

What I found most compelling about Wolfe was his technique. His career started as a journalist. He still employs the craft of that trade to write his novels. For instance in the new one, he actually went to several college campuses and hung out in the classes, interviewed students and teachers, and even went to frat parties and the like all so he could realistically portray life in an university atmosphere.

A lot of writers stick to what they know. They start off with an image or profile and they hang with that throughout the project. Wolfe's attitude, (I think he would say), is that you can't know too much. Everything, including those things that you think you know, need to be investigated. It made me want to buy one of his novels even more. Think I know what to get myself for Christmas this year.

THE DEADLY JESUS PARADE

2004-12-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

The hearse participating in the Hopkins Co, KY Christmas parade this weekend should've been an omen and Jesus should be thankful he didn't have to be there as the honored guest because the parade organizers seemed to have it in for him.

Yes, there was a hearse in the Christmas parade with a Santa Claus on top, ribbons on the door, and through the tinted window I could swear an elf behind the wheel. It's presence was fortunate timing for the funeral home (or part of a demented conspiracy) because symbolically there was a big demand for it.

It started with the baby Jesus planted in a Nativity scene. Luckily someone was smart enough to use a toy doll instead of a child because it flipped out of the manger and straight onto the road in front of the vehicle pulling the float. The vehicle of course ran right over it traumatizing little kids for many Christmas' to come.

Apparently, one Jesus death was not enough. Either that or the churches in this bible belt county got Easter mixed up with Christmas because a half-dozen floats - all sponsored by Churches - had Jesus being crucified on the cross.

I don't know what Hopkins County has against Jesus but I'm grateful my friends don't hold a parade on my birthday to treat me in this fashion. Whatever happened to Rudolph and a good "ho-ho-ho"?

LEGALEZE

2004-12-05T01:49:00.000-08:00

God, lawyers. You'd have to go to school for years to learn to use the phrases they do. This morning I was reading through a contract I have to sign on Monday when I came across this phrase:

"forever and throughout the Universe"

I started cracking up even before I re-read it. Were they expecting someone from Pluto to file an opposing claim? Forever...did they expect me to rise from the grave one Halloween and make a new demand? Is the standard of law that different solar system to solar system?

Maybe there should be some comfort that the terms of the contract will still be enforced 200 years from now when my cymbiotic self is kicking back among the moons of Jupiter. But in the meantime, I know why law school cost so much. It takes specialists to teach phrases like that.

CHARACTER ARC

2004-12-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

Arrrrggggh.... I'm going to be spending part of my Saturday hacking out a character arc for a script I have to start next week. In case you haven't guessed already, I'm not crazy about character arcs. I don't know why I'm not because I mean they're only a couple pages long and not high on the difficulty scale. How bad can anything be that you can do in less than a day? Kind of like taking out the trash. It has to be done. It's important but nobody volunteers to do it and everyone puts it off until the trash collector is driving up to the driveway.

I think my hangup stems from wanting the characters to be a surprise. Ok, sure I've already done a treatment and so I know what lays ahead in the plot but it always seems to me that a character arc is laying down strict guidelines on whom my characters are and I always love finding that out as the story progresses. I won't deny the arc isn't important. I know it makes the producers sleep better at night. Still, it is a little disappointing for me and I dread diving into it.

A WISH AND A REVIEW

2004-12-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm wishing me mum a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I'll be nice and not reveal her age but say I hope she has a good day. She's also starting a new job this morning so I hope that goes well for her. Since she likes to read, (although she has more romance novels than I could stand), I thought I would post this book review for her that I found on one of my favorite sites http://moorishgirl.com

"Lalita Noronha's Where Monsoons Cry is an enlightening read," Susan Muaddi Darraj says. "It's a vibrant collection of short stories spanning two continents, from India to North America. The heroines of Noronha's stories are young Indian and Indian-American women, grappling with the cultural clash they face upon immigration, as well as the economic, social, and patriarchal issues that challenge them at home. These stories form a complex, colorful lens that offers a view into the lives of women who struggle to find a home in between the cultural divide. Noronha's writing is layered, colorful, and poetic. A recommended read."

(Reviewed by) Susan Muaddi Darraj is the editor of Scheherazade’s Legacy: Arab and Arab American Women on Writing, and the managing editor of The Baltimore Review. Her essays and fiction have appeared in anthologies such as Colonize This!, Catching a Wave and Dinarzad’s Children

WHERE'S MY DESK???

2004-12-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

I saw a writer once who said she only wrote while sitting on top of her desk. I could never do that because I can't see the top of my desk. The monitor, the hardrive (I like being able to reach the cables), the keyboard, the mouse, the ever present dictionary -writers make the worse spellers - and piles of notes from the three scripts I'm working on guarantee that I don't dust my desk too often. I have trouble finding space to put down that cup of coffee. And that's just my desk... there's a bookshelf across the room for research notes on upcoming projects and it's pretty well out of space as well.

This lack of space is for the most part tolerable until I get a bigger working space. The only time it really irritates me is when I'm on a conference call with say the producers and then I have pages of script laid out before me and I'm trying to scribble notes, shuffle pages, and talk on the phone all at the same time. Usually, the phone cord gets wrapped around the keyboard at some point in the conversation and I end up flipping pages down onto the floor to save space. Some day no more desk. Just one big long conference table to stack stuff on and a leather couch to sit on while typing on the laptop. Someday.

By the way, I mentioned the lady who wrote sitting on top of the desk, and that reminds me that I saw that on Booknotes (this Sunday is the last show). A guy wrote a book about different writers and their work spaces and habits. I've always meant to buy that book to see how I stack up. Someday.

ALABAMA'S PROPOSED BOOK BAN

2004-12-02T04:43:00.000-08:00

I found this surfing Blog Explosion at the 'Pesky Apostrophe' blog. I'm not in favor of banning or burning any books including Ann Coulter (who probably needs to be committed). And such a law would put a damper on studying history since there are so may gay and bi historical people including Americans like J. Edgar Hoover, Roy Cohn, and Vice-President King who was reputed to be a flaming queen. I wonder if we started digging down in Alabama's history how many closet cases we'd find. I wonder if we started digging in this guy's family....Then again, Alabama has never been known to be striving for high intellect. Anyway, just shows you how ridiculous - albeit dangerous - things have gotten.

An Alabama lawmaker who sought to ban gay marriages now wants to ban novels with gay characters from public libraries including university libraries. A bill by Rep. Gerald Allen (Phone number 205-556-5310 in case you want to have a word or two) R-Cottondale would prohibit the use of public funds for "the purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." Allen said he filed the bill to protect children from the "homosexual agenda".

Allen said that if his bill passes novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is normal would have to be pulled and burned. "I guess we dig a big hole dump them in and bury them." Allen said at his press conference.

Well, I guess we know which lawmaker has their KKK membership paid up. I also guess that means Lynne Cheney's lesbian novel (see http://jettstream.blogspot.com) would have to be destroyed.

The Obvious

2004-12-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

Once again in the middle of the night last night, in the floating sub-conscious that lays between dreams and reality, I was reminded of a rule I try to keep in the forefront of my mind. This rule deals with setting up plots, characters, and those story twists we all have to write even when some days frustration makes you wish you could just write in a truck driver to run over your whole cast of characters.

The rule is: Don't overlook the obvious or the simple. The plot turn doesn't have to be elaborate just believable.

It saved me as it has so many times before. I kicked myself and wondered how many rewrites I could've avoided. Oh, well. In the end the script proceeds and another deadline is met.

DYLAN THOMAS

2004-11-30T01:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't studied Dylan Thomas enough to be able to quote his poetry by heart. I like what I've read of his writings so I hope in the future to have the time to learn more about him and be better acquainted with his material. I bring this up because in the last couple weeks, I've come across two different, and seemingly contradictory, pieces about him both of which I post below:

On the day he died, Dylan Thomas drank 18 Martinis. Just before lapsing into a coma he reportedly asked the nurse if that was a record. (That was from the 'Sinner's Date Book')

Now this which I found on http://www.moorishgirl.com

Giving New Meaning to 'Rage, rage against the dying of the light'
Dylan Thomas, long believed to have died from chronic alcoholism, may in fact have succumbed to a mistreated pneumonia, a new biography of the poet alleges. The Scotsman's Fiona McGregor reports that
Thomas had complained he could not breathe and was "suffocating", but he was not diagnosed with pneumonia until nearly 24 hours later. His personal physician, Dr Milton Feltenstein, initially decided he had delirium tremens and ignored the possibility of a chest infection. Feltenstein injected the poet with three doses of morphine, which the biographers say restricted his breathing. After the third dose, Thomass face turned blue and he sank into a coma. Feltenstein and all others who treated Thomas at New York's St. Vincent's hospital are now dead. The biography quoted in the article is Dylan Remembered 1935-1953 and came out in the States last summer.

Now I emailed moorishgirl (who seems like a nice person) the above since I was using one of her post and she wrote me back the following:

"Thanks for the note. If you read the article I linked to, you'll see that the theory about the 18 martinis was also discredited in the same book. The authors are saying that Dylan Thomas was just bragging, but his doctor took him seriously and ignored other symptoms..."

Now, what's telling about that is that the doctor totally believed Thomas would down 18 Martini's in a sitting.

FRENCH COURTS vs. HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

2004-11-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

I envy French scriptwriters. They get to ignore a lot of the Hollywood formula and make their story rich and dramatic. I'm equally envious of the fact they're not bound by stupid happy endings. They can reflect life the way it is including tragic conclusions.

This past week what I suspect will be a landmark moment in the industry occurred in a French court. A couple years back, the country, feeling that bad Hollywood blockbusters were being jammed down their throat (don't we all share that feeling during a holiday weekend), passed a law saying that movies shot in France had to be in French and in order to be called a French film be controlled by a French outfit. This protected the quality of the movies, the use of the language, and also local labor. Let's face it, not to many actresses born in Nebraska are going to be speaking French.

This past week, a French court took this all-French stance a step further. A popular French film, (my French friends tell me it was the one everyone was waiting to see), directed by a famous French director and starring the French actress from Amelie - great film by the way - was ruled not to be French. The dialogue was in French, the cast was French, and most of the money was French.

I said "most". See, a major Hollywood studio put up a large hunk of the financing and on that basis the court ruled that the movie was American robbing the producers of possible French grants and tax breaks always an important feature when talking millions. Why should anyone care besides the studio and producers?

More and more movie productions are being shifted overseas. Partly due to cost and part to freedom to do the project the way you want too. It is also notable that on many projects over half the box office originates from foreign markets. Americans don't realize that the film industry is one of their biggest exports.

Maybe the French court ruled the way they did to protect the French culture or maybe it was more of the American-French tit for tat started by Jr. (Bush). But if countries start limiting American studio involvement, trust the studios to go where the money is and that means pulling up stakes and moving overseas. Oh, no one is going to leave their Beverly Hills mansion any time soon but you can look for active branches to start expanding in Europe and Asia and more importantly for independents to claim Paris, Rome, and Tokyo home as easily as NY or LA. Actually, this trend has been going on for a decade or better now but look for it to start accelerating. Both the political and economic climate is right for it to happen.

DEADLINES

2004-11-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

Deadlines. The dread of many writers but for me the best weapon to get me off my ass to write. One of the first things I ask when making a writing deal is "when do you want it?". I know no matter how much I slack, I'll do my best to make sure I don't have to make a phone call to explain why the first 100 pages won't hit their desk on time. I have at least one deadline each week between now and the end of the year. That's ok. It'll keep me from watching to many bad holiday television specials (did that Seinfeld one suck Thursday night or what?) and hopefully let the brain burn off some of those extra calories I consumed this week.

A SYRIAN POEM

2004-11-27T01:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a Syrian poem which I found on an Israeli blog: http://www.ontheface.blogspot.com
I just really liked it.

A Clarification to My Readers
by Nizar Qabbani

And the fools say of me:
I entered the lodges of women
And never left.
And they call for my hanging,
Because I write poems
about my beloved.
I never traded
like others
in Hashish,
never stole
never murdered,
I have loved in broad daylight.
Have I sinned?
And the fools say of me:
with my poems
I have violated the commands of heaven.
Who can say
love ravages the honor of heaven?
Heaven is my intimate.
It cries if I cry,
laughs if I laugh
and its stars
grow in brilliance
if one day I fall in love.
So what if I sing in the name of my beloved
And plant her like a chestnut tree
in every letter.
Fondness will remain my calling,
like all prophets.
And infancy, innocence
and purity.
I will write of my beloved
Till I melt her golden hair
In the heaven’s gold.
I am a child,
And hope I never change,
scribbling on the walls of the stars
as that child pleases,
till the value of love
in my homeland
matches that of the air,
and to dreamers of love I become
a dictionary,
and on their lips I become
an A
and a B.

WRITING ABOUT TEENAGERS

2004-11-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever written about teenagers? I'm having to write about a couple. Teenagers are interesting by their very nature. They make for good material. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is My So Called Life. (It's a good thing it isn't on after Buffy in the afternoons or I'd have to scratch the whole afternoon off my work schedule.) Teenagers always inject a bit of life into a story and are a good way to show how screwed up the adult world really is.

The challenge I've found is this. While teenagers are interesting, all teenagers are interesting so making the one you write about stick out from the crowd is the hurdle. Being interesting is not enough. There has to be something else in the teenagers make up, background, looks, or spirit to grab the reader/viewer. Now in my case, I've jumped that hurdle - until my bosses tell me different - but I just had never looked at it that way until the other day. Now that I have, I'll pause before I write them into existence and ask myself "what is there beyond interesting"?

ARTHUR HALLEY DIES

2004-11-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

The man who gave us 'Airport' and inspired the spoof 'Airplane' from a different story has died.

From the AP Report:

NASSAU, Bahamas - Arthur Hailey, the best-selling author who plucked characters from ordinary life and threw them into extraordinary ordeals, died in his home in the Bahamas, his wife said Thursday. He was 84.

Hailey died in his sleep Wednesday a few hours after having dinner with two of his six children at his home in Lyford Cay on New Providence island, his wife, Sheila, said. She said doctors believe he had a stroke. The British-born writer's knack for turning the mundane into thrilling tales brought 11 books published in 40 countries and 38 languages, with 170 million copies in print.

TESS

2004-11-25T00:19:00.000-08:00

I was thinking of Tess. Not the book 'Tess' or the really great movie version of it that Polanski directed which you should see if you haven't. Instead this is a friend of mine. She's an avid reader (thus my justification for putting this post on the books/arts site) and is hooked on Nora Roberts. That I can't justify but hey, we all have our own guilty pleasures. (My own afternoon fixation with reruns of 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' come to mind.) She is actually open to reading other things too and we've had some pretty good discussions on books and movies.

Due to circumstances beyond my control - mainly the steel bars on her cell, barbwire fences, and a few hundred armed guards - I can't invite her over for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It's too bad. I'd much rather laugh and talk with her than the couple cousins that will be there who I can't stand and who need a Thanksgiving Feast the way Fat Albert needs a double whopper with cheese. Now that I think of it, they probably make Fat Albert look like he's been on the Atkins diet. Tess probably would make the day worth while because she's got a wicked wit about her and that usually gets me in trouble every time. I could use a holiday with some spice. Then again, I always did prefer naughty to nice.

I'll keep my promise to her that I would think of her while I fought for a piece of the dark meat, dug up some dressing, pretend to like the cranberries (the food not the group), and unable to decide between pumpkin pie and something chocolate, take a piece of both. Then I'll probably root for Chicago because I know a thousand miles away she'll be rooting for the Cowboys. (Being a Steelers fan, the outcome of the game doesn't matter.) As the day wears on and I start digging through the closet for those shotgun shells because the relatives have worn on my nerves, and my eyes burn from the glare of too much mindless TV, I'll excuse myself to the office where I suspect like other writers around the country I'll work some on my script, jot down some observations about the day in case I ever get signed to do a dark comedy, and then write Tess a letter letting her know that she was remembered and how the holiday went on my end. Yeah, she was remembered alright...and missed.

PASSWORDS ARE DEAD (Now if I just don't lose my smart card)

2004-11-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

I found this on the net and found it interesting in regards to what we all can expect to have to deal with in the future when logging on to check our emails.

Speaking at Microsoft's annual IT Forum in Copenhagen on the 18/11/2004 Bill Gates announced that Smart cards and 64-bit computing are the future of IT.Among other news and interpetations of this news the most significant is the movment towards a password free world which will be replaced with other various means of identification such as smart cards, finger recognition and biometric means.IBM has recently released the first fully integrated biometric ThinkPad (notebook pc) offering high grade security by utilizing hardware and software based integration for a higher security level.The new system has already won many praises from key market and security figures.The fingerprint reader is built into select models of the ThinkPad T42. With the new reader, located on the wrist rest below the arrow keys, users swipe their finger across a small horizontally oriented sensor to log-on to their systems, software applications, web sites, or databases. The scanning process takes only seconds, combining convenience with the strongest notebook security available as a standard feature. This type of fingerprint reader captures more data than a traditional "picture" capture window because it scans more of the fingertip's surface area, helping to prevent misidentification.Prices for ThinkPad T42 models with a fingerprint reader start at $1,699.

RESEARCH TOOLS

2004-11-23T01:45:00.000-08:00

The Yad Vashem has launched a web portal allowing anyone via the internet to search for victims of the Holocaust. The site also includes testimonials and detailed information. This of course is invaluable to relatives searching for information but it is also useful to researchers looking for specific individuals caught up in the horror of those years.

http://www.yadvashem.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cl/.l/en

Google has launched the Google Scholar. This feature allows a researcher to type in a keyword and have it matched against thesis, academic papers, technical papers, and university websites. In other words, material that only shows up on page 150 on a regular search engine. Thank goodness the research is getting easier.

The Night Country

2004-11-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a review of a book called The Night Country which I found on http://moorishgirl.com .
It made me want to buy the book so I thought I would share.

Hannah Tinti Recommends
"I just finished The Night Country by Stewart O’Nan," Tinti says. "It’s amazing—the best book I’ve read in a while. I heard O’Nan give a reading from it at the Brattleboro Literary Festival in October. Since The Night Country was one of the few books of O’Nan’s that I hadn’t picked up yet, I bought a copy to read when I got home. It turned out to be the perfect Halloween novel: A group of five teenagers are in a terrible car accident in a New England town. Three of them are killed. Two survive. Now here’s the cool part—the book is narrated from the point of view of the dead teenagers. It sounds impossible to pull off, but Stewart O’Nan handles it brilliantly. His writing is just plain beautiful, heartbreaking and threaded with sharp black humor. The story picks up year later—the first anniversary of the crash—Halloween, of course, and the ghosts are zipping in and out of people’s heads. Then it gets really exciting—one of the living teenagers, Tim, is planning on re-creating the crash, killing himself and the other survivor, a boy named Kyle who is now brain-damaged. Throw into the mix Officer Brooks, the policeman trying to stop it from happening again, and Kyle’s mom, whose life has been turned upside down by her son’s disability, and you have an emotionally gripping, white-knuckle countdown literary thriller."
Hannah Tinti grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. Her short story collection, Animal Crackers, was published by the Dial Press in March 2004. She is currently the editor of One Story magazine.

The Author & The Dead Pastor

2004-11-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

As reported on http://moorishgirl.com & http://jettstream.blogspot.com, a pastor-relative of Edwidge Danticat died in Homeland Security Custody. He was arrested by Homeland Security when he applied for asylum even though he had the legal paperwork to be in the country. He was dead within a week and his family denied permission to give him his medication or visit him. Here is an updated report from moorishgirl.

Danticat Profile
Maya Jaggi's profile of Edwidge Danticat in this Saturday's Guardian is quite au point, considering the news that came to light on Friday, on this blog and elsewhere.
The official cause of [Danticat's uncle's] death was acute pancreatitis. Yet for his niece, who says she begged to be allowed to see him when he was taken from the detention centre to hospital on November 2, but was refused "for security reasons", he is a "casualty of both the conflict in Haiti and an inhumane and discriminatory US immigration system". There are, she says, "so many people caught in the crossfire; my uncle was driven out with the clothes on his back and a briefcase. But he fled the frying pan for the fire. Maybe if they'd considered his age instead of applying a blanket policy he might be alive today." Aristide was forced into exile by the combined effects of internal rebellion and US pressure. In Danticat's view, "at the same time as this administration is creating situations elsewhere in the world that cause people to flee, it's closing the doors even tighter against them". But the profile covers a lot of other territory--Danticat's fiction of course, but also her film work, her activism, her upbringing, politics in Haiti, writing in a third language, and much, much else. A must read

LAST OF THE MOHICANS

2004-11-22T01:36:00.000-08:00

Somewhere in the early morning hours over the weekend I watched Daniel Day Lewis in 'Last of the Mohicans'. I'd never seen it before and sorta knew what the book was about but had never had the chance to read it. Not that I didn't think it would be a good read but rather because there are literally about 500 books ahead of it on my reading list. So this is a case where watching the movie substitutes for the book.

I found it interesting with some good camera work although my favorite movie of Daniel Day Lewis is still 'The Unbelievable Lightness of Being'. He's a great actor but I don't think he'll ever top that in my eyes. The film made me think though how the relationships between Indians and Whites- as they're portrayed - has changed over the decades and centuries. We tend to think of Indians and Settlers as pretty much dead set enemies from the start but that wasn't really the case. And it is often overlooked how just like warring Europeans, the Indians were often more consumed with fighting one another than anything else. In many ways we were much alike and our spirits akin to one another.

How we got here, how this continent was settled, isn't as simple as we often like to make it sound. Each day we learn new things. Now we know that the Indians weren't the first to settle the continent. Humans that we still no little about were here tens of thousands of years before them. The unearthing of early American history on the continent is really in it's early stages.
Still, as the dialogue said at the end of the movie - and I presume something close to the book - like the Mohicans time will also push us aside and a new breed of man will replace us. But we still have today and time will know we've been here.

Istanbul

2004-11-21T00:17:00.000-08:00

A boyfriend of a friend of mine is on a business trip to Turkey for a couple weeks. That got me thinking a bit about locations. After all, I think locations can enhance a story...like a character's name...and that a writer or producer should carefully choose the location for the story.

What I was thinking though is how use of certain locations have changed. For instance, Istanbul which use to appear a lot in books and movies especially plots involving mystery and espionage. There was a Sydney Greenstreet movie in Istanbul that I remember and I think Peter Ustinov did a movie there also. Istanbul had that lure to it. Clash of cultures, open markets, ancient and new, narrow alleys where Kings once walked but now drug dealers stroll(how can you forget Midnight Express?) and other sordid characters. That's not saying only sordid characters live in Istanbul. I'm sure they are a minority. But average guys sipping little cups of Arabic coffee in the morning is not what most writers latch on too.

I haven't seen Istanbul in a book or movie in a long time. Maybe I missed it. I don't know. The book 'Snow' takes place in Turkey. See http://moorishgirl.com for a review. My question, observation, is why not? What has changed about Istanbul in the last 40 years to make it no longer appealing as a location? The same can be said of Lisbon which was notorious for spies during WWII and the Cold War. When was the last time you saw a story take place in Lisbon? The only one I can recall off the top of my head is 'Russia House'.

I'm not sure that the cities have changed as much as the writers. We like to write about what we know and over the years I would have to guess that fewer and fewer of us have reason to travel to Istanbul or Lisbon as compared to LA or London. We've allowed ourselves to be trapped by the limit of our knowledge and the mainstream of our business.

It wouldn't hurt for us to do more traveling to places off the normal flight path. Explore a culture or people we only see on CNN from time to time. Inject a little freshness into our settings. After all, most people reading the books or buying the movie ticket will never have the opportunity to travel. So as writers, it wouldn't hurt us to wove more of what they're missing into our stories. After all, it is what they paid for.

The Storyteller's Daughter

2004-11-20T01:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I wrote a couple posts back about my friend Delphine and trying to chose a book for her sister...she picked one off my list: "The Storyteller's Daughter" by Sarah Shah. I'm a HUGE Sarah (Sarai) Shah fan. Her film documentaries are fantastic and this book just sucked me right in and I didn't want to put it down. When I finally did close the book, I felt like I had taken a crash course on Afghan culture and life inside Afghanistan before 2002. This is a good choice. I think Delphine's sister will like it. If you haven't read this book - I think it is in paperback now - I encourage you to do so. You won't be disappointed!

A MURDER- AN ARREST- A FALL GUY?

2004-11-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

I have an autographed copy of Paul Klebnikov's book, 'Godfather of The Kremlin' thanks to my friend Kaile who attended a lecture by him. It was a good book exposing the inner-workings of the Oligarchs after the fall of the Soviets. It helped explain the corruption, greed, and why the people in Russia have gotten so screwed over by democratic reforms.

Klebnikov later became editor at Forbes in Moscow where he was gunned down presumably for his insistence on shedding light on a corrupt system. One thing his book and articles did was detail the co-operation between Russians and Chechens when it came to doing each other's dirty work. The price has to be right of course but you'd be surprised how many dealings go on between the two groups.

Today the Russians announced they arrested a Chechen in Klebnikov's murder. They also said they're letting two previously arrested Chechens go. You have to wonder if they really got the culprits or just the hitman doing some Russian's dirty work?

Here is part of the Reuters report:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police have arrested a third Chechen in their investigation into the murder of a U.S. reporter who wrote about the volatile region and charted the fortunes of the rich, local media reported Friday.
Paul Klebnikov, editor of the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, was shot dead outside his Moscow office in July. Two Chechens were detained in September after experts said they had matched the pair's pistol with the one used to kill Klebnikov.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a court spokesman as saying that a 40-year-old Chechen man had been arrested, and cited a police source as saying he had been detained as part of the investigation into Klebnikov's murder.
It was not clear what charge the man was facing.
"At this stage of the investigation the most dominant version of events in this murder in the so-called "Chechen trail," Interfax quoted the police source as saying.
While Klebnikov had written a book that heavily criticized Chechen separatists, commentators have said his murder was more likely a contract killing possibly linked to Forbes' publication of a list of Russia's 100 richest businessmen.
Chechens are often linked to major crimes in Russia, which has been fighting separatists in the Caucasus region for the past 10 years.

BOOKNOTES

2004-11-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Dec. 5th....that's the date C-Span's Booknotes broadcasts it's last show. For a couple decades now it has been the show to watch for indepth author interviews on non-fiction books. I've found myself over the years regularly tuning in because many of the books, often award winners, are books that don't get buzz until they air on the show. This show has introduced me to more writers than probably any other medium. I've always felt that if Shakespeare was around, he'd be a regular viewer just to keep up with the competition.

It's going to be weird with no Booknotes. No show to tune in to so I can mumble to myself, "That's an interesting topic, why didn't I think of that?" or marvel at the years of research the writers put into their work. When I hear a writer on the show explain how they spent 5 years researching a project, it is a little hard for me to complain - which I often do - to myself that I've spent 3 months on a rough draft or snipe at my bosses because they haven't yet read the copy I sent them last week. It is also inspirational in the sense that it reminds writers that yeah, the little guy does make it sometimes. We don't need to just hear it, we need to see it for ourselves from time to time.

I can't blame the host Brian Lamb for leaving. The whole C-Span thing was his conception anyway. He's earned the right to explore a new path. He use to teach at my High School and I remember passing him once in the hallway. He has that Dick Clark aura about him where the looks don't change from century to century. Mr. Lamb, thanks for making us smarter, brighter, and more determined.

Plug The Cuz

2004-11-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

Back in September, in the remote hills of West Virginia, I made an interesting discover: A Cousin. In the last couple years I've been digging out the family tree which has been hard since when I started no one knew anything past my grandparents (and even that was sketchy) and then it was complicated by the fact my ancestors are from a previously unknown marriage. So it has been like unraveling a big mystery.

A part of this mystery that unexpectedly fell into place was this cousin Lynn. We're removed a couple times of course but she still lives on the property my ancestors settled back in the late 1700's. The old mansion they built in the 1800's sits empty on her farm...the inside burned out in the 1930's after a lightening strike.

The cousin and I chatted for an hour during my initial visit and she let me view the property. Since then we've emailed each other and have grown to know one another better thanks to the internet. Anyway, she's started a blog herself at mylynnside.blogspot.com ....Lynnside being the name of the farm. She's just getting it up but I hope you'll visit her site once in awhile. I know I plan too.

British Library Wireless

2004-11-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

The British library and it's 150 million plus catalog has gone wireless!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4020241.stm

That Iranian-Girl Writer

2004-11-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

It pays for a writer to peek up from the computer monitor once in a while and take in the world around him. I did that this past hour and found this really good blog. It is at http://iranian-girl.blogspot.com. The thing is, the girl is actually just a very good writer. You see really talented instincts all over her site. It is the kind of website that inspires you to sit down and start hammering out that next 50 pages. Just reading it gave me at least 2 new characters that I will be using soon. It is too bad that she is in Iran in the sense that I'd like to see her have the chance to put her skills to work. She's apparently a teacher. I'd say she'd make a good one. I emailed her...don't do that often...but she's in a tough place and maybe a small note of encouragement will help. You never know. Check out her site though.

Novels

2004-11-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

My friend Delphine asked me yesterday to recommend some English novels for her sister. Novels are a dying art in the English language and I had a hard time thinking of anything off the top of my head. Of course Hemingway came to mind. So did the new Tom Wolfe book although I don't know if it is any good or not. Michael Chabon I highly recommend. Then I recalled 'To Kill A Mockingbird' which I had overlooked because it seems like it has been around forever. That's the one I recommended. You don't realize how difficult it is to come up with something like that until you start thinking about it. For a moment, I felt totally illiterate. :)

Crimes Against Nature

2004-11-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

Crimes Against Nature is an environmental book written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who happens to be one of the top activists/lawyers in the country. I'd started reading it last month but have been too busy with the writing to finish it. Going to try today. What I have read is good and an eye-opener. I just have trouble reading when I'm writing. Sometimes it can be a distraction. On the other hand, if I read something unrelated to what I'm writing, it can be a way to give my brain a rest. So, since I've been dealing with character issues the past 24 hours I think I'll let the rainy afternoon give me an excuse to read.