Quote of the Week

"The paperback is very interesting but I find it will never replace the hardcover book - it makes a very poor doorstop."

--- Alfred Hitchcock

WGA Strike

Okay, there have already been lots of posts and articles on the current writers' strike, so I'm not going into the details of it. (Here is one article that can give you a general idea about what the strike is about). You can also check out the United Hollywood blog.

As a writer, I am in full support of what the WGA is asking for for it's members. It only seems right that writers should collect on their work.

However, some of my sympathy does lie with a third party, and they're not really directly involved with the strike. The production people: The make-up artists. The hairstylists. The Wardrobe people. The sound and light techs. The set designers and builders. The....Well, you get the idea. True, the great stories and characters created by the writers are the reason there are television shows and movies. However, the people behind the scenes work just as hard putting the production together. They too depend on the residuals from the productions.

So, I hope the negotiations take a positive turn, mostly for the writers, but also for the production people who rely on the ongoing production to support themselves and their families.

Quote of the Week

"Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull."

--- Rod Serling

I'm Freeeeee!!!

While reading the Cape Cod Times this past Friday I ran across this article talking about one of my favorite shows of all-time: Are You Being Served?

I'm going to completely agree with Debbie Forman and her love for the show. The first time I saw the show was my sophomore year of high school. We were supposed to be watching a movie adaptation for a book that we had just finished in English class. The teacher brought the wrong tape. So instead, we wound up watching an episode Are You Being Served? and I was hooked ever since.

What should be understood about this show is that it was made during different times, so to some, yes, it is outdated. And being British Humor, there is a bit more sophistication to it. It's not like "SLAP! Hello I'm funny!" Some of the jokes are subtle and you need to be quick to pick it up. Now I'm not saying I got all of it right away either. But once you do, you'll keep laughing, no matter how many times you see it.

So with the writers strike in full swing, I say check your local PBS listings, settle in and get ready to laugh.

Do you remeber where you were?

The above question often refers to the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy.

How about this now: Do you remember where you were when John Lennon was assassinated?

It was twenty-seven years ago yesterday when former Beatle John Lennon was gunned down outside The Dakota in New York City by Mark David Chapman.

Following his death there have been all sorts of theories about it. One of them was that Mark David Chapman was a brainwashed assassin for the government because they saw Lennon as a threat to "the establishment." (You can read a more detailed article on that theory here)

As for myself, I don't dwell too much on the theories of political assassination. It can be a real headache sometimes. I instead just think about how Lennon was able to touch so many people with his music and non-violent activism.

I am reminded of a story that my girlfriend told me once: She and her father were in The Hard Rock Cafe in Boston when "Imagine" came on. Everyone there, stopped what they were doing to sing along. After the song was over, it went back to business as usual. That one moment shows just how influential the power of Lennon's words still is.

A Writer and his Agent hard at work

I thought this was really funny.