Hey so I don’t read anymore because of my paranoia I didn’t tell you about, but I wanted to expose you to two books – one I have actual light involvement with, and the other I am el friends with the author.
First on tap is Rob Gokee’s In the Belly of the Fail Whale: How Twitter Changed My Life in One Year. (Here’s a link to buy at it on Amazon.)
While the title might be a bit long, it also saves me from having to tell you what the book is actually about.
Rob was also cool enough to ask me to write the foreword – you may remember he was the one who actually pushed/shoved me to get on Twitter.
An excerpt from what what I put inside:
“Sigh,” I said to myself out loud, admiring my new haircut.
Anyway, if you’re into Twitter or into Rob or into books or into whatever, maybe go pick this up. I’ve read it – it’s worth taking a look, and also has my name on the cover, as noted above.
The other book is by Dr. Natasha Valdez, who was an Associate Producer on WSM? with her life-pal (nay, husband) Charles Solomon, Jr.
I’ve known both for years and have spent time enough to know that her new book A Little Bit Kinky: A Couples’ Guide to Rediscovering the Thrill of Sex (Amazon link) will likely do exactly what it says it’s supposed to.
Now, I don’t do that sex stuff anymore because of my paranoia about catching bronchitis, but when I read this I was like, “Wow, maybe bronchitis will be worth it, cause like this rediscovery does sound pretty thrilling.”
For example, there’s one chapter that I can’t talk about here on my PG/PG-13 blog website, and that’s a chapter that will help me for sure if I ever want to get bronchitis.
In conclusion and furthermore, while I can’t say either of the titles of these books are quite as descriptive and exact as my own Prelude to a Super Airplane – which tells you exactly what it’s about – I can tell you that these are both worth reading, should you have the urge to do reading at something.
You’re aware that I can go pretty much anywhere and find things to amuse myself with.
At times, this includes actual amusing things, and that’s like an exciting thing to have happen.
It’s usually at Borders, where I pretend to write and instead mess around on various hot and exclusive instant messaging platforms of some note.
Brian: This dude in Borders is laughing at something on his laptop and this woman reading “Civil War Times” is looking at him dismissively lolol
Girl: Omg lol
Brian: It’s not like there’s hot new civil war news lolol
Brian: The South – Fighting Mad! (And what it means for you!) pg 25
Girl: Unsure which side you are on? Take our quiz on page 46!
Brian: General Lee – He’s Just Like Us!
Girl: Is she wearing arm warmers
Girl: Like leg warmers but for your arms
Brian: Nah it’s a pink sweater with some kind of sweater vest
Brian: I want to start a magazine about people who read that magazine
Brian: Like we could profile her
Girl: Dude you should just start a magazine about people in borders
Girl: And sell is exclusively at borders and like people who read it and find that they are featured in it can bring it up to the counter and prove it’s them and they get like a prize or something
Brian: Lol
Brian: You know I am putting this on my blog thx
Girl: I hate when you do this trick ttyl
Once the lady left I went and picked up the magazine – there was only one copy on the shelves.
Perhaps the most interesting thing was a sizable “Note From the Editor” right at the front that warned readers there was a scam going around wherein people would call them and warn that their subscriptions were up, and that they needed their credit card numbers right away.
Says something about their target demo, which is primarily premature and naive historical enthusiasts. Not sure how you measure that.
In the back of the mag was a political cartoon that I’d guess 14 people on Earth would understand – luckily I was one, and I laughed so hard, and then I had something to bond with the laptop guy about.
FULL CIRCLE MONDAY IS WHERE I’M COMING FROM.
While you wait for Lost to start tonight, here’s the conclusion to WSM? – my Rocky Balboa moment to be sure.
(I blatantly re-purposed this Photoshop job from my old website, sorry.)
I know it’s like the “blog thing to do” to bash ESPN’s Bill Simmons, and I don’t come here to do that today expressly.
Say what you will about him, but I’ve come to quite like his podcast – he has interesting guests and there’s an enthusiasm and casualness to it I like.
He’s also fairly aware he maybe needs to step back from the NBA trade machine a bit – he freely admits his craziest trade suggestions are indeed crazy at times.
However, on his show with JA Adande the other day, he was totally serious (it seemed) in his opinion that the best basketball situations for LeBron to go to are Chicago and the LA Clippers.
Not only that, but he completely discounted the Cavs as anything more than a remote possibility.
Now, while I’m a Cleveland fan to the end, I’m freely willing to admit LeBron may leave, and that he’ll certainly visit every single team in the NBA on his free agent tour this summer.
Looking purely at it from a basketball standpoint though…let’s look at the Cavs.
- Best record in the NBA
- Built-in chemistry/continuity
- Defensive-minded coach
- Brand-new practice facility
- Big expiring contracts
- One of the few teams that are profitable
- Owner willing to spend whatever it takes
You could go down the list with both Chicago and LAC, and they’re the opposite of what the Cavs have in many cases.
LeBron’s gonna go play for Mike Dunleavey on the most cursed, cheap, and poorly run organization in sports? I can’t even see how that’s a rational argument at all, basing it purely on basketball.
And Chicago? Does LeBron really want his legacy to be having every single thing ever written about him forever be even more of a comparison to Michael Jordan?
Even adding in marketing, he’s fine in Cleveland.
With the new McDonald’s deal, he’s got all the big sponsor segments except a car company.
Look, he’s conquered America, and this doesn’t even take into account that Cleveland is close to home, the Cavs can pay him the most money, and also have a minority owner from China, which is actually a bigger market than LA and NYC. (!!!)
In conclusion, I’m sure this has been written 50 times elsewhere already, but I didn’t even know Stephon Marbury was playing in China, so there you go.
(WSM? ends tonight – if you missed the first half of the big Sherman-Stadiums showdown…here. Aw, lookit Petey Skippen getting his chance to shine!)
I’ve been working on this script for something that’s being put together, and I’m a little back and forth on the writing style – I do think my time in novel-land messed with me just a bit.
Anyway, here’s a small piece.
Chelsea follows Jazz to the back – she’s all giddy as she passes Colleen, who notices Timothy being all fidgety and nervous. She sits next to him and gives him a napkin.
COLLEEN
Here.
TIMOTHY
We’ll get out of this, right? He can do this?
He takes the napkin all thankfully, but he’s terrified – NOT EVEN THE NAPKIN IS HELPING.
COLLEEN
(hesitant)
I’ve seen Jazz do some...
(beat)
I was at the Jefferson Incident. The Memorial.
TIMOTHY
I know that, Miss Burns.
He unfolds the napkin and starts tearing it up.
TIMOTHY (CONT’D)
I know a lot of things I shouldn’t.
Anyway, the part I’m questioning is the action line that ends with the big “NOT EVEN THE NAPKIN IS HELPING”. Especially the end, but the whole line is in question.
Debating with myself:
1) It does nothing to help from a production angle – it’s really a bunch superfluous words, and there are more compact ways of getting the point across that the napkin isn’t making him more at ease.
Example: He takes the napkin – it brings no comfort.
2) On the other hand, this isn’t a shooting script, and the way it’s written all over-dramatic to the point of stupid helps put across the ridiculous-played-straight tone of the material.
It needs to be played like this napkin should be a Xanax or something, and this is a way to do that without having to be all “even though it’s a napkin, he takes it from her like it should be relaxing him”.
At the same time, I do know that some readers will need their hand held like that, though. (And that’s fine – they’re not predisposed to like this, if I had to guess.)
3) A lot of the script is written in this style, and it reads FUNNY. So tell a coherent a-b-c story along with that, and you’re in good shape – a good story that made you laugh is a successful comedy screenplay.
I dunno – my thoughts – would love yours.
NOTE: For you Prelude to a Super Airplane fans, Timothy is someone you will know, at least indirectly. (It’s not Colonel T, and this story takes place in 2001.)
I haven’t written anything for 11 days on here – this is where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing:
- Went to NYC
- Working on script
- Explaining to Mom that I haven’t actually taken the moon supplement
That’s really about it – and I’ll start recapping a little of my NYC trip soon – some funny stuff happened.
Anyway, here’s the penultimate segment of Who Shot Mamba? – this (and the next one) is probably my favorite segment of all – I love all the Sportscentury type stuff and the characters that came really to life for it.
This Chapter is actually cut in half – it runs differently in the feature-length version. Strangely, I like this version better – it works as a super dramatic cliffhanger, which you really don’t get watching it as a full movie.
Official WSM? DVDs are available for $9.99 – this is the stripped down one. Just the movie and the trailers, including the trailer that was out for one day like a year a half ago.
It’ll be on Amazon and available for download also at some point, but there are a few things we need to wait and hear about first – I’m making this available now simply because people have been asking for it and I want those who want it to have it.
Looking forward to getting back to like some regular irreverent blogging – LOL! What.
I guess I was confused, because @The_Real_LLC read it as the guy just couldn’t see the sky or something.
The one thing I know for sure is that this guy’s log of his experience is amazing.
Some more:
Vision side effect, I went to bed I couldn’t see a thing, the window blinds were open and there was light outside, but whatever spot I looked at it went dark but I could see from the side of my eye, for example if I looked at the widow directly there was nothing, but as soon as I rotated my eyeballs away from the window I could see it clearly.
my biceps are sore more than ever and I am loving it.
That last sentence is an LOL for sure, but I still don’t understand how this works.
i just got back driving over one hour at night, a little uncomfortable because all the incoming headlights looked yellow tinted and was confusing especially looking in the rear view mirror
Seriously – I thought in the other entry he couldn’t see when he was looking at something?
PS. I didn’t get enough sleep last night due to the energy drink, so I felt really tired today and somewhat lightheaded, but tomorrow is chest day and I’m ready to rip it up
Oh.
i went outside while the lights were off and tripped over a chair, it hurt like son of a b—h, even my son who was walking with me looked at me like (how in the hell you didn’t see that chair!)
Kids are so silly – don’t they know daddy is getting big and strong.
just wanted to report about my vision, the moon was so bright last night according to my wife, she said the whole room was lit, well i couldn’t see a thing, i couldn’t even see where the window was
This next one is also interesting, although not vision-related.
The new [redacted] tastes different, kind of like fiberglass glue, not that I tasted fiberglass glue, but it tastes like the smell of fiberglass
: /
Whatever – regardless of whether this stuff works, I need to understand how this vision side effect works. It seems there’s not just a problem with the moon, but also with seeing windows.
Should I try this stuff or not? I’m still waiting for Mommy to get in touch telling me not to – she may have stopped reading the blog again.
If you haven’t yet watched Chapter 7 of Who Shot Mamba? you might want to do so – what follows will be filled with spoilers, because this segment is LOADED with revelations.
So Calvin Stadiums is the instigator of the shooting of Mamba, and continues to threaten people with guns.
If you haven’t quite put the pieces together, Calvin Stadiums is 90% based on Wizards star and gun enthusiast Gilbert Arenas…and this was written well over two years ago – long before he was suspended by the NBA for his firearm incident.
Calvin is so much a Gilbert avatar that a couple years back we were in discussions with Arenas’s people about him playing the character. We were told “yes” at one point and put the entire production on hold to wait…and wait…and wait.
Dylan Mooney came in and owned the role in a way that made for a better movie anyway, but we hold that Gil has The Curse of the Mamba hovering over him.
You laugh, but guess who was very close to playing Sherpa (from Chapter 1) and then decided against it?
Yep…Greg Oden.
In any case, while writing WSM?, just how much Gilbert was there inserted into Calvin? Here’s the breakdown of the basketball-based aspects of the character:
GILBERT ARENAS
- Obvious play on the name
- Uniform number
- Agent Zero/Henchmen Zero
- Aloof and Quirky
- Obsessed with Orange Roundie
- Unique father-son relationship
- Big Tiger as symbol of sorts
- Washington, DC
- Gunplay (unintentional)
MICHAEL JORDAN
- Greatest ever
- Gambling problem
- Competitive arrogance
- Petey Skippen sidekick
KOBE BRYANT
- the complete lack of self-awareness the younger Kobe had
The biggest Calvin-Gilbert-gun similarity of all is something I can’t talk about until the movie is over, but it was what struck me most heavily when the Arenas/gun stuff started, because it was something I had decided on years ago.
Keep watching – and there’s much more about the transition from Arenas-to-Stadiums right here.
As you may or may not know, long ago I was a personal trainer, a brief gig that sprung mainly from my love for health and fitness.
During that time, I tried probably every nutritional supplement possible, and even now continue to keep an eye on the newer stuff coming, some of which might be deemed “borderline legal”.
It’s rooted in a longing I have to be offered a role where they’re like, “This pays a lot of money and it’s yours, but we need you to put on 20 pounds in two months.”
When that happens, I’ll call and apologize to my mom, then speed-race to the nearest steroid dealer I can track down with more excitement than anyone has ever done anything with.
Anyway, there’s an interesting product swirling around that surely will be banned sooner rather than later.
Perusing a message board where some people are trying it out, apparently there’s a small vision-based side effect that accompanies the ingestion of said product.
Here are some posts made by users.
Occasional blurred vision side [effects] are still something that will have to be taken in account till there is a sure fire way to either stop it or lower the chance of getting it.
Slight and occasional blurring. Annoying, but somewhat mild really.
I did have a blurred vision. It wasn’t much but I remember having to concentrate more to focus on things. I also had a vision sides during the day – yellow tint, color cycling and a definite blurring.
What.
i don’t think any of us experienced blurred vision, we only lost the ability to see farther at night; we could only see where the light was aiming at. also it took longer to adjust from light to dark places, and at night we couldn’t see the sky even with a full moon.
That’s like an actoring tip. Sorry if this is hard to read.
@InflatableBen is in jail, too. The fact that these two are clearly not really Ben Wallace and Jerry Rice – and never, ever claimed to be – has eluded el Twitter.
Crippling to Team Mamba where Ben is concerned. Very disappointing – hope they clear this up.
The details on the free Who Shot Mamba? iPhone app are below – thanks again to Renegade Apps for putting this together, and also to @_dannyb_ for really being the impetus – he is justly credited inside the app itself. Click anywhere on ther to get it – it’ll open your iTunes thing.
Do me a favor – download, rate, review if you get it OR if you don’t get it. If you half-way get it, I guess don’t worry about it.
I’ll get back to writing like regular stuff one day soon – I have updated thoughts on Twitter, which is actually somewhat of a 180 from how I’ve been…!
I also miss writing completely irreverent stuff unrelated to this WSM? movie thing. I get back from NYC on the 2-something and hopefully I have some more time to make this blog have more blog on it.
Hey so I don’t read anymore because of my paranoia I didn’t tell you about, but I wanted to expose you to two books – one I have actual light involvement with, and the other I am el friends with the author.
The other book is by Dr. Natasha Valdez, who was an Associate Producer on WSM? with her life-pal (nay, husband) Charles Solomon, Jr. 
As you may or may not know, long ago I was a personal trainer, a brief gig that sprung mainly from my love for health and fitness.
