​Nothing says Thanksgiving better than a cornucopia of worthless self-effacing diatribe better than another edition of potpourri. The special time of the year when I throw a hodgepodge of worthless opinions your way, in lieu of a present.
 
So, with that being said, let’s get started.  Christmas is just around the corner and if you have not started your holiday shopping yet, what better way to celebrate than to send your loved ones a copy of SON OF RAVAGE. In anticipation of Black Friday, Amazon has dropped the price of both the print and Kindle editions. So, why not save a buck or two and give the gift that keeps on giving.
 
Okay, so there are a few new releases out there that we can talk about.
 
First and foremost, Dune. Visually stunning as well as an accurate interpretation of the literary material, this is something worth seeing on the big screen. The acting is first rate, the pace never seems to waiver and as stated previously, the SFX are both creative and awe-inspiring. The end of part one does not entirely work for me and seems to be a is a bit haphazard. Seems to me to be a bit random, reminding me of the cutoff of Bakshi’s animated Lord of the Rings.
 
Red Notice is an amusing waste of two hours, the performances of Gadot, Rock and Reynolds all elevating mediocre material to a higher level. Ho-hum. 
 
The real surprise for me is Army of Thieves, the Matthias Schweighöfer heist movie set in the word of Zack Snyders Army of the Dead zombie franchise. The well-executed international heist movie is written, directed and performed by an enthusiastic crew of artists and actors and despite a lukewarm predecessor, builds anticipation for the next film in the trilogy. 
Okay, I am exhausted. Have a great turkey day and we will be back next week.
 
And now a special treat in anticipation of your holiday feast/

​Less than 2 weeks to Thanksgiving. What the hell happened? That went by all too quickly. I was once told that everything in business shuts down between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, so keep that in mind if you are querying. In the meantime, what else is new.
 
Well, for me, we have the J.P. Linde Memorial Christmas Guitar Concert. Yes, one special day and one special song. I am preparing as we speak. This year’s set list promises to be a real doozy. Silent Night, followed by Deck the Halls. Here is a brief sneak peek at the former selection. Ready?
 
G-G-G-G  G-G-G-G  D-D-D  G-G-G
 
Okay, that is all you are going to get but it promises to be really something.
 
Have another video meeting coming up with a very nice group of people. Hopefully, I will be given the opportunity to pitch something I am sort of excited about. I am working on it as we speak.
 
So, with all that in mind. I will leave you with a Happy 12 Days before Thanksgiving. 

And now, some real guitar

​Wow. November. To be honest, not sure how I feel about it. I hope everyone is attempting to keep busy. I have several projects on the burner and spend a good portion of my day working on those and generating new opportunities, which brings up this week’s topic: Generating Leads.
 
I think Mother Superior, Sound of Music MS and not Trouble of Angels MS, summed it up best: “When God slams a door in your face, he sneaks around to the side of the house to break a couple of windows.” Or something like that. I may have paraphrased. The point is, opportunities are all around. You just have to look for them. It may be in the form of some sort of writing completion, a chance to work on a fellowship, or hell, even a side gig of stealing cars for Nicholas Cage. But, trust me, they’re out there. Even Linkedin can spotlight a job or two that very well maybe in your wheelhouse. 
 
And a word of caution. Try not to pay for them. I know that there are a few sites out there that will basically tease you with one or two free leads, hoping that you will pay for a whole page. I’ve done it. But here’s my take. The odds are about the same. Paid or otherwise, for every hundred leads, you get one or two interested responses.
 
There are a few things you can do to be ready. Have some writing samples polished and ready to send.  Have a readable resume that is both concise and accurate.  Occasionally go deep and look for something that you may not be all that comfortable with just to mix things up. And keep trying, for god’s sake. Be persistent. 
 
Dedicate specific time for searching. If you do not have a blog, start one. It is a good reference for any interested parties.
 
Kenny Rogers said it best.  “The more cards you have in your hand, the more chances you have for a hand worth betting on.”  Or  something like that. I may have paraphrased a bit.

​These words were spoken by my dentist during a laser procedure on, yes, you guessed, an ongoing assault on my mouth.  Amidst all the torturous deep cleaning, scraping, burning, and choking, I could not help but be reminded of the words of Auric Goldfinger when he had 007 splayed out on the table.
     “Do you expect me to talk?”
     “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.”
     Well, I didn’t die, so that’s one positive out of the whole ordeal. It did, however, cause me to ruminate over my blog of several weeks back regarding the untimely death of fictional characters in general and one beloved fictional character in particular. I also happen to be listening to ninety-second movie reviews on the podcast Scrappy-Doo Radio, and, quite frankly, I can’t believe how many fans are upset over the death of Scrappy-Doo.  For every ten positive reviews of Scrappy’s latest film, there is a listener who is so livid; they can barely control the timber or pitch of their voice.
     As stated in my earlier blog post, many fictional characters suffered deaths at the hands of their creators. I mentioned Sherlock Holmes, Spock, and of course, the latest tragedy of beloved icon Scrappy-Doo. The words of Ted Turner come immediately to mind. “Last time I checked, I owned them.”
     While I understand the disappointment and even sadness, I don’t quite get all the vitriol. Everybody dies, including you. Interpretations of fictional characters change over the ages. Compare Laurence Olivier's performance Shakespeare’s Shylock to the more modern and enlightened view of the character. Or, let me present it to you this way. Or, in his own words uttered on screen, Scrappy-Doo is a character that has a very short life expectancy, so any second-guessing on any of your parts will be short-lived.
     So, let’s give it a rest. Let’s watch the film and enjoy it for what it is. And remember the optimistic promise that was made at the very end of the credits.
                                                          “Scrappy Doo will return”

​It’s raining here. At least it has been. And we are expecting a few more inches through Monday. We may as well enjoy it as it will most likely be the last of the rain this year.  Ah, the pleasures of world-wide climate catastrophe.
 
As I write this, an investigation of the accidental shooting of a Director and Cinematographer on the set of a movie continues. Apparently, there was a live round in the chamber. How does this even happen? As far as I understand it, three people were to check the weapon before it ever gets into the actor’s hand.  Just read that there were some nonunion issues. This is important stuff, people. Hire Union and hopefully, this will lead to more stringent safeguards on the set of lower budget motion pictures.
 
As you can now very well see, this will be another of those annoying collections of random words, miraculously transformed into some sort of readable blog post. Or maybe not, that is up to you to decide. As I type it, I am listening to Han Zimmer’s soundtrack to No Time to Die. I like it and the musical nods to one of my favorite Bond films, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Anyway, good stuff. Check it out. 
 
A couple of notable viewings worth sharing. Apple TVs The Foundation is as visually stunning as it is confusing. However, the documentary The Velvet Underground is highly recommended as well as the current season of Ted Lasso which never disappoints. I have also just started Dopesick and so far, so great!  And before we close, one last shout out to Only Murders in the Building. The teaming of Martin and Short is, as always brilliant but it is the addition of Selena Gomez that elevates this original story to new heights. 
 
Okay, I need to find some random video to post here so I will see you all next week.

Back in 1977, I was performing in Summer Stock with a group of talented individuals recruited from around the country. One of these I happened date briefly. She was a talented actress of from LA who had just graduated from ACT. Subsequently, we went our separate ways; me to a life of performing in nightclubs with an occasional writing gig and her becoming a serious and celebrated New York Stage and Screen Actor. Several decades later, I came across an article announcing that Vice Presidential candidate and intellectual heavyweight, Sarah Palin, was being groomed in the acts of poise in diction in preparation for the first debate by this very same actress I knew from 1977.
 
I thought that was as close as I would ever get to the new Amerikkka.
 
Cut to this week and the second, Wednesday, October 13 at roughly noon I receive a text from a LA friend regarding a producer who had optioned a screenplay of mine back in the day. Unmentioned in their IMDB page, the Producer is not only supporter of Donald Trump, Q-Anon, Conspiracy theories but is also an extreme anti-vaxxer who thought nothing will speak to the masses more than advertising a future event with a swastika made up of hypodermic needles. 
 
This is the incident I wish to address.
 
This producer is now residing in Texas and has just scored two points for both fascism and anti science. Of course, her response to the controversy was to be expected.
 
“I regret that the symbol caused hurt, which was clearly not my intent,' said Vivano-Langlais in the statement.
'However, I stand on my principles, regardless of the cancel culture authoritarians.”

 Just what are Viviano’s principles? Well, we know she is a Trump supporter., so obviously she is in support of rape, misogyny, third world authoritarianism, racism, and the spreading disinformation. Trump awakened a hidden sickness in this country, one that we will be dealing with for quite sometime. 
Well, better her than an uncle at Thanksgiving dinner. However, it is a painful reminder that our careers are going to cross paths with all sorts of people. Even ones that wish to overthrow our Republic. 

A lot has been said about setting your schedule to write and sticking to it. Experts are keen to remind us that it is best to have a set time of the day, a place, and to write for whatever amount of time you can afford. I believe there is something to all this. Hemingway was a morning guy (first light) and got it done so that he could get to drinking by lunch. Vonnegut also got up early, wrote till eight am, and then had his breakfast, returning shortly after so that he could get to the swimming pool by 10. Whatever you decide is best for you, do it and stick to it!  Occasionally things happen, so forgive yourself and move on.
 
If you set a goal for yourself with a word count, go easy on yourself. I always say 1000, but 500 to 750 words are more realistic. If nothing comes, don’t panic. I am a great believer in Morning Pages (courtesy of Julia Cameron). It is a string of consciousness type of writing which is purging your guts out on the page. I recently returned to the practice, and I’m glad I did. These pages are not to be reread but only to act as a literary cleanse of your creative colon.  Try it, and you’ll be surprised at how many ideas can come from this little exercise. And, if you are mucked up, try reading The Artist’s Way by Cameron. I’ve been through it several times, and it never ceases to help.
 
And finally, if you are still stuck, try walking. And while you are taking your stroll, live in the moment. Enjoy it, and try not think about your project. That will come naturally. Just get outside and do it. 
 
And read, not be confused with watching television. It would help if you had a book open on your bed stand right now. Please read it. Every time you feel the desire to kill your emotions with the television, open your book. This holds doubly true for smartphones. Give it a rest. Schedule some time away from it. Practice a musical instrument, read some poetry or Shakespeare. Leave the Bejeweled Blitz for a long car trip.
 
Okay, there you have it. Now stop reading this and go write.   

Everyone is talking about it. They simply can’t help themselves. A beloved fictional and film icon has up and left us; killed off by unscrupulous producers in his prime. 

Sherlock Holmes – died at Reichenbach Falls
Spock died of radiation poisoning.
Batman’s back was broken, and Superman's dead…kind of.
Kirk was murdered in cold blood and Hercule Poirot died from heart complications
 
Yeah, just recently and you are most likely upset. Well, beloved characters in fiction and media die.

SHIT HAPPENS.

And believe me, I understand the universal disdain for spoilers. Movie taddlers need to be punished in much the same way that gangsters punish stoolies. But as for all this noise about the killing off of a beloved fictional character, get over it!
 
Hey, we have to die, why not them? I am sixty-seven and death is relatively around the corner for me. And all of us don’t have the option that our fictional counterparts have. Our cells can’t be regenerated by a Genesis Planet. We can not exist in an alternate timeline nor can we reappear when the angry public rises up and demands that more stories are published. The wonderful thing about death in fiction, is the creator can always change his/him/they/them/their mind. So, everyone take a deep breath, relax. 
 
In some instances it can even be a combination of things. Spock died to rejuvenate a franchise and because the actor wanted to put the character eternally to rest. Only Christ and money are the only ones that can really bring back the dead.
 
So, please, relax. Enjoy. In a couple of years, it will be as if this never happened. It may turn out to be all a dream.  Perhaps an alternate timeline. 

​Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr were players.

John Lennon sniffed heroin.

Sportscaster Marv Albert is into BDSM

Donald Trump sold his soul to the devil, was a Russian asset and sold out an entire country for 30 pieces of silver.


My wife says that if you do not want to learn anything bad about a person, stay away from the Internet. Sometimes you don’t have to. Sometimes it’s in the news and all you have to do is open a paper, unlock your phone or check your computer. Sometimes, someone you admire passes away and, because you think they are a genius and really miss them, you start digging around. In 99.9999 percent of the cases, my wife is right. You find something you would rather not know.

I am a great admirer of Norm McDonald; a brilliant everyman who, in most cases, called it exactly as he saw it. And, in most cases, he happened to be one hundred percent correct. O.J. Simpson is just one example. The relentless pounding he gave the murderer was hilarious. It was worth turning in to Saturday Night Live just to see what he would have to say. My favorite comment, Norm holding a copy of the New York Post that reads: Another Juror Axed. “O.J. Strikes again,” McDonald commented wryly. And so it went, week after week. Lorne Michaels called him the one of the best performers on the segment. And he was right.

I could go on and on and on. Most recently, YouTube posted his corona virus routine. The epidemic was in full swing, and he was performing at one of the Imrovs. He was nothing short of brilliant. His last performance on Letterman is legendary and his I predict his stand-up specials will be a true reflection of what humor is and was. God, I miss him.

So, I will choose to ignore that he was a misogynistic dinosaur who took pride in refusing to bend with the changing times. Still, I think it is possible to love the art and hate the artist. Sometimes it is just a matter of when to draw the line. Go back deep enough in any of our lives and you will find something we said that does not meet today’s standards.

Part of growing as a person is admitting your mistakes. Again, it is just a question of what, if anything, is too heinous to be forgiven. Right now, the jury is still out. In the meantime, I will continue to listen to my wife.

RIP

​Confession Time: I love musical theatre. I’ve performed in a few, Godspell, Anything Goes, Hair, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and 1776, twice. I have written two, I Lost Me at the Movies (workshopped only) and Wild Space A Go-Go, both co-written with Kurt Misar and the latter featuring lyrics by Brad Beaver. And, I have seen countless, both on film, television and the most preferred, live. So, while not an expert, I know the difference between good and evil, excellent, and phenomenal. Like the rest of you, I delight in being surprised, loving the discovery of something that has the potential of blowing me away. Come from Away, the new musical by married team Irene Sankoff and David Hein, is all that and much, much more.
 
 Currently streaming on Apple TV Plus, and featuring the talents of an incredible ensemble cast, this Canadian musical tells the tale of a Newfoundland community that opened their doors and their hearts to the 7000 plus anxiety plagued and weary travelers whose airplanes were grounded on their rocky shores soon after the vicious attacks of 9/11.
 
This is musical theatre at its best, able to uplift, entertain, and gently remind us that there is still an abundance of good in the world. In this case, it just happens to be Canadian. 
 
I mentioned the ensemble before, but it bears repeating, they are collectively and diversely exceptional. Playing multiple parts with deftly, dancing and singing exceptionally and most rewarding of all, proving once and for all that you do not need to be a specific “type” to make it on Broadway.
 
There are just too many highlights for me to mention, but if you held a gun to my head, I would have to say the song and dance number, In the Bar/Heave Away, was the most fun while Prayer, 38 Planes and the Dover Fault moved me.  I cannot stress this enough, this musical is worth watching for so many reasons. Chief among them, celebrating the best of us and reminding us gently to what we are capable of.
 
It just opened up back on Broadway, the national tour will be restarting shortly, and you can always see it as I did on Apple TV Plus. Just see it.