Making It Happen

A great man once told me, "You can make things happen. You can watch things happen. Or, you can wonder what the hell happened?" Let's take those in reverse order.... 

Wondering what the hell happened means that you're effectively witnessing the event after the fact, and relying on second, third, and even fourth hand reporting of what took place, subject to the "reporter's interpretation." Never a good thing, as you may have an opposite opinion of the person telling you the story about what's going on around you with or without your consent. 

Watching something happen means that you get to interpret the events, and if you're so inclined, you get to write your own story subject to your interpretation. Sporting events and protest marches fall under this category, as do strikes and picket lines. I bring this up because we're currently in the middle of two strikes within the entertainment industry, and there was another going on with hotel workers, however, I believe that one to be settled. Aside: Strikes have a cascading effect, as one guild or union goes on strike, and others think, "Hey, that's a great idea!!!" If you're not a member of said unions or guilds, you get to watch what happens, as you don't get to actively participate. Sure, you can goto the various places that have picket lines and either cross them or walk with them. Does the free food balance out the time it took you to get there, and do you believe in the various causes? That's for you to decide. All I know is that right now, I should be on strike against myself based on who I am and what I do. 

Finally, and this part is the most difficult, making something happen, as that usually cost time or money. Mostly both. This same great man stated that it's easier to become a star than it is to get your start, and that's somewhat true. Other people are always either looking for a paycheck or a handout to be involved with YOUR project, and to solve this, you may have to capitulate. This is never a good idea. While you never want to be in the first group that we talked about, you may not have too much of a choice if you're the guy creating something for others. I make movies that practically no one sees, however, for those of you that have, I've effectively made that movie four times: The one I write, the one I shoot, the one I edit, and finally, the one that you see. 

I have no control over that fourth one. When you react, I can either wonder what the hell happened, or I can watch what happened. It's a mixture really. I've done all three things in the proper order, however, the point is simply thus: Did I make something happen that was good? 

Subjectivity is key. Do I know my audience? I'd like to think that I do, even though for the most part, we've never met. You wouldn't be reading these words if you didn't get here from elsewhere. This is either the downside or upside to social media. I attempt to be apolitical for the most part, as I can take either side of an argument, however, statistically, you will probably take the other side just for sake of argument. You may have beliefs that are contrary to mine. That's okay. I still want you to pay to see my film. 

Tell me how bad it is after. At that point, all I can do is strive to make a better movie, and start the whole process over. Hopefully, I've made enough money in order to do that. 

There's so many factors out there relative to the specific industry that I'm in, that I have absolutely no control over. Either I have to be the best, or hire the best, and then hope for the best. 

Doesn't seem fair, does it? 

Why, you may ask? I don't know if you did or not, as you're reading this after I write it, and I'm not there. I've discussed this aspect before, so no need to go into it here. It's truly simple. Everyone else in my industry is attempting to do the same thing at the same time. It may or may not be a somewhat closed system, however, wanting it bad enough may not be enough sometimes. 

Other times you end up being chosen for something that you didn't expect, and you have a chance to excel. You've made something happen. Thank you.

This Day is Always Hard

Effectively two thirds of my life without him. I don't know if I'll be able to get through all of this to the point where last year I never posted what I wrote on that day, 40 years later. It still affects me. I see myself in him sometimes, and it doesn't scare me, however it reminds me of effectively how I was raised. A few years ago, I orated a variation on the story that I wrote at the 35 anniversary of his death. If you haven't guessed already, I'm talking about my father. The man that taught me chess, blackjack, and magic among other things is simply gone but not forgotten. History is a tricky thing. We live in an age where most of the information that's freely available out there was created within this generation or the last. People are living longer, and it was last May when I had officially lived longer than my dad did, and with either luck or divine intervention depending on who or what you believe, I'll live at least twice as long as he did. He lived in an age where a glass or two of hard liquor every day or night wasn't considered a bad thing. I honor his memory every once in awhile by ordering either a Manhattan or an Old Fashion (ed?) instead of my usual wine cooler. I may do that the next time I goto the Castle, although, they took down his caricature several years ago. I have it here at home. A rereading of his obituary published in Genii Magazine tells of times he was the only performer there keeping the place open. That's a simple lookup if you're interested; Frederick M. Shields. You'll also find the picture of him on the cover dated Feb. 1959. I've published that before here, so no need to insert it again. I did grow a full on beard and kept it trim this year for no other reason than I wasn't getting free shaves at Barber College anymore due to COVID. It's scary how close I looked to how I remember him. Maybe I won't do that anymore. I don't know. My fear right now is if I stop writing, I won't remember him as well, and his affect on me. Ultimately, this whole thing is about me, as he's no longer here. My children never got to know him, or my mother either for that matter, however that's a story for another time if I can ever get through it. I've tried a few times but can never complete it without completely breaking down. I was 22 and fifteen days when he passed, and my children are somewhat older than that today, although my daughter has a little more to go before she turns 30. I don't truly know that I have the ability to have an adult relationship with my children as a result. It is however, a good goal. Did he do a good job with me? As an only child, 100% of his parenting was aimed at me. He had help as we discussed, as I am fortunate enough to be the product of two loving parents that managed to stay together for 38 years before he died. He never had steady work after someone at CBS Television City decided to go after his job to the point of making him look bad to get him removed. So, he would be there when I got home from school every day, and some days he would pick me up and I'd get a ride home. We'd talk about whatever, which was mostly what happened to me at school, and I didn't truly like talking about that. Maybe that's why I never did this with my kids. Would their lives be significantly different had I done so? We don't live in that universe. He wanted to write a book based on columns he wrote for Genii Magazine, however, that never happened. Every once in awhile, I fantasize about picking that up where he left off, however, that hasn't happened yet. I've got my own book to write. Someone once said we all have one book within us, and mine is necessarily different than his. However, the things he taught me about certain things he may have already written about, so he can live on through these annual remembrances. That is a word, dammit!!! RIP Dad. I miss you more and more every day.

Hell On Earth

is redundant. Life is hell, not to be confused with the comic I read during the late 70's; Life In Hell. Simply drawn characters once a week in the LA Weekly, which is where I got my entertainment while matriculating at the University of Stupendous Choices. 40 years ago, I was supposedly a senior or at least I was acting like it, and exactly a year left with my father on this planet.

I wasn't going to talk or write about this today, however, I looked at the date, and today is the annual remembrance. Forty is a good number, and it's Biblical too. What a deal! Would I have made difference choices had I known? Spent more time with him, and less at school with my transitory friends of which I'm only in touch with one or two x many years later?

Clearly my parents wanted me educated, as ultimately, it cost me my house. Bad choices made. I could've been a guy that got an AA at the local community college, I believe LA Valley right next to Grant High, however, that was way far away at that point.... Less money however, and maybe we save the house. Do I get the same education? I did meet this one blonde girl during orientation that came into the school as a junior, as she did what I described above. It was cool. Never saw her again either. She was two years ahead of me after all.

Would I be sitting at a desk in North Hollywood or as it's called today Valley Village, and typing these same words instead? Was there any possibility that my father would've lived longer? Did I do well enough by him? These questions come up today, as he wasn't there at graduation, as that took place in the May following his death. Damn.

What I'm saying here is that I'm rapidly approaching the age at which he died. There's better medical technology out there, and as a result of free drugs from my health plan, I'll most definitely live longer than he did, however, have I lived any better? I have two kids, however, he and my mother were lucky to have one. Back then, they didn't think they could get pregnant, as I was born 17 years after they got married. That's a lifetime for some of you that may read this eventually.

I know I'm going to live longer, however, that's not the point. Is it about leaving a mark, or moving forward and making better choices so that my life ultimately means something, as opposed to the hill of beans talked about in the scene from one of my favorite movies....

I didn't truly realize that my parents weren't going to live to see me get married, have kids, and enjoy the fruits of my labor. That reminds me; I need to eat a banana today. The need to survive, and do something resembling anything that may last well beyond my lifetime if I don't live forever exists. Did my father give me the proper tools the time he was on this earth?

I'd like to believe that he did. It was time to learn magic and pursue it somewhat professionally after he moved on. Intellectually, I knew how to do things, however, the performance is key, and bringing people into your type of shall we say circle takes practice and time. If he had lived longer, I probably would've had to come up with my own money to join The Castle. I would have a different membership number too.

Having a single digit membership number to the most exclusive club on this or any other planet is cool. There's truly only nine people on earth that can say that. Sure, I should be on one of the boards, however, that's an elected position, and during these tough times, running a campaign to win a seat without knowing anyone would be a chore, and we know how I hate chores. It's why this place is such a mess after all.

Yes, I had two parents that loved me, however, I never truly had an adult relationship with either of them, therefore the need to achieve this with my children exists. However, I don't have any experience with that, as I was always treated as a child whenever I was at home. Maybe it truly is the University of Spoiled Children. There's more acronyms, like The University of Second Choice.

The Safety School option. However, if your parents tell you you're going to USC, then you're going to USC. They made it happen for me, and for this, I thank not only my father, but my mother as well. 

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach, even though it's painfully windy right now. 

Adjust your expectations accordingly.™

 

This Raises The Question

Oh, yeah? 

I think it's time for yet another remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much. The most famous version is the one with James Stewart, however, Hitchcock made that movie at least one other time before that. 

Now, I'm no Alfred Hitchcock, unless I am for all the wrong reasons, however I do make movies on a more than an occasional basis. Well, at least that's what THEY call them. Who are they?

For the most part, it's those that make decisions that directly affect you, no matter what you do, or where you are. You have absolutely no control over THEM, therefore, paying attention is a good thing to a point where you decide that THEY are wrong! 

The sermon at church today boiled downto exactly this, and before you bail because I made downto one word, I say, "It's a programming thing." Everyone has their own opinion, and you know what those are like. Maybe you don't, but I like to get a PG rating on this blog every once in awhile. 

Why do I think a classic should be made again, when I eschew remakes? The easy answer is that I'm a hypocrite.  The longer answer to fill my arbitrary word count to make some semblance of sense appears following. 

We live in the Too Much Information Age. I was talking about this today with the doctor that tested me for COVID.  Fully half the information available to you today conflicts with the other half. Who do you trust? Not to be confused or confuzzed(sic) with the game show hosted by Johnny Carson before he became The Tonight Show host. 

If I had the time, I could search for the article I read sometime last year, but it basically states that with the invention of modern conveniences up to and including the computer, tablet, phone, or whatever you're using to read this, has created an explosion of information, and over the last century we've created as much recorded information as existed before these inventions. 

I could probably perform a search and maybe find the graph from the article itself. What does this have to do with the title of this missive? Better yet, why did I start this way, and more importantly, why the Johnny Carson reference?

In no particular order of importance; Carson had a character: Floyd R Turnbow, American. He'd come out and monologue about everything that's wrong with the country in general, and how it affected him in particular. Around the middle, he'd say something like, "This raises the question, kiss my grits!!!"

I know, it doesn't make too much sense, so, it's right up there with this bloviation about something I heard over 30 years ago. One time, he forgot, and said, "Oh, yeah?" 

When you're on the playground in elementary school, you'd have arguments like this. "Oh, yeah?" to which some other random punk kid would shoot back, "Yeah! What are you gonna do about it?" If there weren't any authority types around, a fight may break out. 

So, conflict breeds drama as previously discussed by me either here or elsewhere, and characters take action as a test of their well, character.  No matter what happens in a couple of weeks and beyond, I'm going to need to make a movie.   I know what it should be about, however, as previously stated, I may BE the man who knows too much.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust Your Expectations Accordingly™

I Should Write A Book

Oh, wait. I have. It just hasn't been published yet. I read somewhere that Alan Moore, a writer I've respected since the 80's when I met him at Comic Con, wrote a million words that he wants to publish unedited.

I'm up to a million words or so myself, however, I'm not as pretentious as that, although, I am shooting my next movie in Black & White, therefore the jury is still out on that one....

The real point here is that I have written for various publications including my own here and elsewhere, and taking the time to make it all coalesce into some semblance of something you could put on your bookshelf, or even in a local library, may take more time than I have.

As you know, there's only 168 hours in a week, and there's that song from Rent that tells us how many minutes in a year.  Use your time wisely, or, do what everyone else is apparently doing: Invent Time Travel.

The last season of Marvel Agents of SHIELD decided to do some very science fictiony things, up to and including using time travel every episode, in order to figure out the Chronocoms long game.

I think it's simply being patient and waiting for us to blow ourselves up as we are on the verge of doing, but I think the show is only upto the 70's as of the last time I watched.

I've written on this phenomenon before, so no need to go into it again, however, time travel seems to exist as a plot device in order to merit its very existence.   Oh, the company that did NOT invent the multiverse is claiming that it's the latest and greatest thing, and theirs is better than the Dynamic Competition.

We're in a strange place these days, what with COVID-19 or whatever you want to call it wreaking havoc across the planet.  My life has improved as a result, however, getting hit by a truck tomorrow could happen, and then where would I be?

My Immortal Soul would survive, and depending on the various belief systems would end up somewhere.  I don't truly want to start all over again, however, that's how this stuff may work. There's several theories out there and most of them conflict with the others, and they believe that theirs is the only right way.

I don't truly have a conclusion to this missive, and I'm not attempting to be funny for a change, however, I'm worried. How did I get to a point where caring too much about myself and others in my immediate circle became a bad thing?

A better question might be, when will the madness end?

I don't know the answers to either of the above, however I'm putting them out there for discussion and debate. Not that anyone will notice, as I've said it once, and I'll say it again; Not too many people know that I'm famous.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust your expectations accordingly™

Breaking Barbi - The Series NEW TRAILER

Have you seen Breaking Barbi? Sure you have. Did you know there's a TV series in the works?



If you didn't before, you do now.  In this land of the sharing/gig economy wherein the market itself is saturated, this one stands out.  Having seen the movie and the promotional material that goes with, this one gets my highest recommendation.

Sure, the plot is similar to several things you may or may not have seen before, however, this is a new take.  Coming soon to a virtual theatre or drive-in near you.

Wait a minute!!!

It's a web series.  Well, it will be at some point.

That's where you the home viewer come in. Tell all your friends, and have them tell their friends, and at some time in the near future, one of those friends of friends of friends will be an interested investor. That's the magick(sic).

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust your expectations accordingly™

Inevitability

It's the 19th. Twelve of those every year according to the math, and one in January.  Was given a happy reminder today, while at the same time mourning my father's death on this date 38 years ago. It never gets easier. I also realize that I've become so much like him on many levels except for a few.

I'm not going into those here, as I probably have elsewhere. I hope he's looking down on me and smiling, as the alternative is well, not great. I don't know what model of heaven you believe in, however, if you believe that death is a bad thing, then everyone has to go somewhere after, right?

I've been thinking about my own mortality lately, and I've decided that it's not for me. That's right. I've decided to live forever. The literature and entertainment would have you believe that living longer is a bad thing, and again, I have to ask, why?

I'm so amped right now. Arguments being made that are just flat out wrong, as everyone believes something that is flatly not true.  Did I inherit stubbornness from my father? Or is it simply a trait that I'm born with based on some randomness that occurred on my date of birth?

They don't tell you this, but after a close relative dies, you begin to believe you see that person everywhere. That phenomenon lasted for a few months back in '82, as I was attempting to navigate my senior year at USC.  As a somewhat quiet or shy kid back in the day, I didn't even tell my close friends from Campus Crusade for Christ that I spend a ski trip with a few weeks before until they asked how he was doing.

Maybe I was still in shock. "He died on Tuesday," was my response to someone that had prayed with me in Lake Tahoe right around my birthday. My first ski trip, and we were snowed in. I only got to ski one day. When everything was right with the world.

They even made me a birthday cake, and I didn't know until after the fact, as they kept me busy playing cards in the other room. It was all the guys, and the girls were baking a high altitude cake from one of those mix boxes. I didn't even know that they knew, but I guess that information is freely available even back then.

It's the old, "You've been keeping records on me?" thing. I keep my father alive by remembering him every day. Same with my mother. I still need to finish the first story about her, but that will be another time, and not for publication until I premiere the story in what I call stand-up tragedy.

I have a friend that says everyone leaves, and she's probably right.  Shakespeare wrote about this in As You Like It. Both of my parents mastered Shakespeare, but maybe my father more than my mother. He was the performer between the two, as my mother became a teacher. They both taught me to a point.

As you may already know, my father was one of the founders of The Magic Castle in Hollywood, Ca.  They have a junior magician's academy, and I didn't need to join, as I had my dad. Almost every day was a lesson in either performance, or  diction. I don't truly know if you can inherit your voice, however, I did find a cassette tape lying around here (remember cassette tapes?) with his voice recording of a lecture he gave there, and I sound exactly like him.  Maybe that's where my @Mister_Voice persona comes from. I don't know....

He could be heard from across a football field without a microphone. I'm pretty sure I can too, however, I've never had a test. Well, I have, but sometimes, those that micro tell pretend to not to hear me. I'm okay with this. Of course, there's a commercial that says, "Just okay is not okay."

Has everything I've been taught wrong? I don't think so. Loudness is an indication of anger, however, it's not a leading indicator. Maybe you just want to be heard. Part of the cosmic unconsciousness. Yet another belief system. I always say everyone should believe in something, and I believe that both of my parents are in heaven having fun.

Is that how all this truly works? They live for us, and then they die for us, and they get their reward.

It's an even numbered year, so I'll be giving back most of what I get this year, and hopefully, I won't be giving all of it to the government.

Some would say that the only two inevitabilities are death and taxes. I've already decided to avoid one, therefore, I have to work on how to avoid the other.

Dave Brubeck - Take Five

That's right....



Sometimes, the need for smooth jazz exists....

JOHNNY RIVERS - Secret Agent Man 1966

How I feel every time I goto work lately....



Yes, that's right. I work for a vastly huge corporation where numbers are more important than individuality and uniqueness. I can't say anymore, else I get fired.

I could tell you how old I was when I first heard this song, but then those that are out to get me might age me out of the system.

Yes, as a systems analyst, I have done all the math, and even created some of the hardware....

Does any of this make sense?

If so, leave a comment. Thanks, and Merry Christmas!!!

It's All Social Media?

Someone told me this the other day. If this is in fact true, then we can drop the word social, and it's just media.  Maybe it's transmedia.  You have to broadcast on ALL channels. Wait a minute!

The fine folks in The Silicon Valley (the real one, not the TV show) are dictating our future, and even though we live in Merica, the land of the free and the home of the brave, we don't get a vote.  That's the illusion. With new networks popping up practically every damn day, yes, that's right, I swore, how is someone that's been online for next to forever in 'net years suppose to keep up?

Anyone these days with half a mind can setup a server, and attract 5000 of their closest friends, and start a social network. Not to be confused with the movie, which as we know was about the startup of the book of the face. I'd use its real name, but I don't feel they want the added publicity. Despite popular belief, there is such a thing as bad publicity.

Which is probably why we have so many social media outlets. There's one out there that was attempting to take down #1 by effectively creating a Bitcoin Ponzi scheme. I only say this as I read that Bitcoin futures are about to expire for the first time. 

Now the evil among you would be thinking that one bad EMP can and will ruin your whole day, however this is simply a matter of the first shall be last. Blockchain technology is everywhere. You can't read really anything without hearing mention of it. I'm not decrying its mere existence, it's just that winners can't continue to pay for losers, which is probably why Bitcoin is collapsing at a rapid rate. 

Yes, I may have to do some fact checking, and links to appropriate articles and videos, however, I'm going to continue to bloviate until I make my point which may simply be this: I once heard that there's old pilots, and bold pilots, however there's no old/bold pilots.

Bullshit.

Speaking as one of the first if not thee first old and bold pilot, I'm here to tell you that communication relative to Moore's Law will continue to come at you faster, but not necessarily cheaper. You can have it now, or five minutes from now, and it still reads like yesterday's news.

Ironically, giving up the social aspect of the media will allow me more time to create, and then get my message out via social media.

Stay tuned.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach, as always.

Adjust your expectations accordingly™

Today's Interruption Brought To You By...

Actual work.

There, I said it. After awhile, you figure out that time spent online mindlessly clicking away at the latest social media gadget doesn't make you any money.  Maybe the PPC's aren't adding up to anything, and you think you're earning BitCoin.  You may ask yourself, "Self, how volatile is it?"

Sure, Blockchain is a great tech, but there are those out there that are actively hacking it.  At some point, the reserves at the federal reserve are going to run out, and then it will be like we're back in the 60's with Auric Goldfinger attempting to irradiate the gold in Fort Knox.

The reality of this situation is that while it would be radioactive, it would probably still be there, and could be used at a backing for our tax dollars at work, whether or not anyone could actually touch it. Get near it even. (Did I just sound like SnagglePuss?)

Speaking of SnagglePuss, I looked up Exit Stage Left and came up with a four second video wherein he actually exits stage right....

So, in a land where Bond doesn't stop the bomb from going off, mostly because he's a fictional character and he doesn't exist, what happens if Fort Knox gets irradiated?  I don't know!!! I'm not an economist!!!

I know this rant started logically complete with a theme, and the necessary notification of, "I have work to do!!!" However, that work has been put in an almost perpetual wait state by the fact that there's more work to do than hours in the day, and currently, I'm waiting for phone calls on a Friday after close of business.

I'm not talking to anyone until Monday apparently.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust your expectations accordingly™

One Thousand Words

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a mental snapshot worth? I've seen

too much, and according to the average person on the street, I may know too much too.
So, what's the big deal?

There's a hashtag out there trending currently: #ShutdownDC and my first thought on
that was, "What did the comic book company ever do to you?" I've been a DC guy all of
my life, and apparently even before it was DC. History states that we're having 80 years
of Batman, AND 80 Years of Marvel comics. Well, one statement is factual, and the other
isn't. At the end of this, I'll let you decide.

Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 back in May of 1939. It seems weird that I
still have to give four digits, but there you are.... "Back in May of '39, I was just a young
whippersnapper....." In my best old man voice....

Marvel wasn't really a company until the early '60's. Stan Lee started an imprint, and
brought 3 characters with him from his previous company. Sure he created new ones,
and most of those are Marvel icons today. If you pulp an entire run of a comic, does it
still exist? Paper deteriorates at a rapid rate. Thats' why artists use Bristol boards, which
I'm guessing were invented in the UK....

Art must be preserved, and good art must last forever. We must continue to publish or
perish. Who said that first? A simple lookup that will get a link at some point.

Timely comics preceded Marvel, and National Periodical Publications preceded DC. One
company owns all of its characters, and one doesn't. I'll leave the reader to decide who
owns the current iteration of Spider-Man. What if Stan Lee didn't hyphenate? Spiderman
is in the dictionary too.

Batman has fought with the Black Widow as well. There's a serial out there (or was it the tv series?), and I believe all of the videos are currently on the tube that is you if you'd like to watch. Saturday
mornings you could give your kid a nickel and send him to the theatre to watch the big
screen all day. That's not true today. Well, it's still true, but child protective services
might get on your case. We don't want that.

How many laws have changed, or been broken and readjusted in the name of
"Protection?" I don't truly know. Some would believe we live in a police state because

there's drones flying overhead. Big Brother IS watching you about what, 25 years after
the fact? Hint: 1984 wasn't written in 1984. Orwell was a genius. He got most of it right.
If things are done for you, you may be okay. If they're being done to you without your
permission, it's definitely not. Who decides? The media? NO!!! We may have influence,
and I add myself in this category, simply because I've grown up in the business we call
show, and most of you are younger than me. Well, most of the planet, not necessarily
most of my readers. As you may remember, I have only about 2 or 3 these days....

So, media sets the message, and then we can choose to ignore or accept it. If you don't
like the message, don't hate the player, hate the game. The opposite of Love is NOT
hate. It's indifference. Most don't get that.

As a technologist, Bruce Wayne and by extension Batman has figured this out. That's
why we have Waynetech today. I'm pretty sure Bruce has put a backdoor into all of it so
that Batman can watch his city from the Batcave, and get alerted whenever the need
arises. One of the versions of the animated series had exactly that. I believe he called it,
"The Bat Wave."

Really cool opening theme and scenes.

So, on the Marvel side, we're dealing with a Spider-Man story today, and I believe that
Doc Ock is currently inside Spider-Man's body. Well, he transferred his mind there. What
he doesn't know is that he didn't eradicate Peter Parker's. He just pushed it down, or more likely swapped with. Maybe both!!!

There's a lot of Science Fiction out there dealing with mind control, and mind
transference. My thinking is the brain is truly the final frontier, Star Trek's opening
monologue notwithstanding.

Interesting to note that Star Trek as a comic book has been published by both of "The Big
Two" and a third company as well. I believe that 3rd company got there first, and then
Marvel, and finally DC. It's not clear to me whose currently publishing Star Trek, as I
haven't been to a comic book shop since Batman Day, 2019.

I didn't scan the shelves, as I was on a schedule that day.

So, what did you decide?

100 Years Ago Today

My father was born.

Was Going To Write Something

Something.

Okay, there. It's done. Now I can get on with the rest of my day. This raises the question, "Why do they call it Labor Day when nobody works?"  I'm here because I'm avoiding the paid assignment.

Messed up, right?

I've signed several NDA's as well, therefore I can't even truly talk about it. However, there's no clause in any of them that says I can't talk about the NDA's themselves. You may have even signed one yourself without knowing it. Aside: A verbal contract is worth the paper it is written on.

How would you not know if you've signed an NDA? Well, it may be buried in a contract that you've signed with a company for which  you may or may not be currently working. Also, for the two or three of you out there that don't know the acronym: Non Disclosure Agreement.

The boilerplate is basically, "You can't talk about it, while we can!!!" It should truly be a mutual NDA, however, one side always gets the best of the other in these things, no matter who's who.  Like I said above, I've signed my share of them on both sides.

So, when someone asks you a question about where you work, before you check your contract say, "I can't talk about it." This gives you an air of mystery, and keeps 'em guessing.

Maybe that only works for me. I'm not sure. This isn't work, as defined above, therefore, I must be playing. The game of life. Not to be confused with the Milton Bradley version. Why, you may ask?

Maybe you didn't. I don't know truly. All I know is there's no square that states, "Achieve your career goal after x years on this planet, and have fun now...."

There's a pool just outside my apartment, and we've talked about that before, however, there's no party going on now. This makes no sense. It's probably why I can't concentrate to do the paid assignment. No outside distraction to tune out. Today's conundrum brought to you by, "Complacency!!!"

Well, it truly is 72 and sunny in Redondo Beach™

e You next time.

I'm Real. I'm A Man.

How fast can I write? I've never truly done more than 40 words a minute, and thinking
may slow me down more.... We're not transcribing anything, but we do have a writing
prompt. "Where are all the real men these days?" she asks..... 

I'm right here. Writing about well, myself. We get smacked down whenever we try to be
real with the objects of our desire. I know there's something out there called "The Rules
Girl" and that's from a book that was written what, last century? What are your rules for
a date? A better question is, what the fuck is a date? I don't even know anymore. 

Guys like myself believe we only get one or two chances to make a move on a woman,
and we want to meet real women as well. Back in the 80's there was the four F's mantra;
Find 'em, Feel 'em, Fuck 'em and Forget 'em. I'm not a 4th F kinda guy either. Maybe
that's why I take things slow. 

In front of God and everybody who cares to ask, I'll admit to having a healthy sex life,
however, I had two parents who loved each other and waited for each other before they
even had sex for the first time the night of their wedding. N years later, I was born, and
that's for you millennial types out there that aren't into nebulous and archaic math, a
foreign concept. I've written about my life elsewhere, and there may even be some links
on the right that will lead you to those stories, but this isn't about me really. 

I'm real. I waited a long time to have sex for the first time with something other than an
image I may have seen on either the big or small screen, or even in a magazine. Why?
Because that's what my parents did, and ultimately taught me. While all of my friends
were having fun with the various girl du jour, I was either at home learning, or playing
sports. I wasn't great at anything as I'm a lifetime asthmatic. Well, I was. I've been cured
despite what other doctors may tell you. 

I'm older and hopefully wiser, but I may be making the same mistakes I made in my
youth. Just because a girl likes me, doesn't mean she wants to have sex with me.
However, it will be fun to find out. 

A woman once told me I'd have to date her four or five times before we had sex, and
she'd pay for half of everything. Well, that's not how I was raised. The guy pays for

everything, and maybe gets lucky. Now between you and me and the gatepost, I've

never liked that term. However, Luck be a Lady tonight is a great song from a great

movie. 

So, the real men that are out here, there, or everywhere exist. The women out there may
have to look harder to find them. A better question might be, where are all the real
women that want a real guy? 

I don't have the answer to that one either, however, I do know that they exist as well.
I've even "dated" a few. But again, I don't know what happens on a date. I just know that
today's date is July 23, year of our Lord 2019.... 

So, this missive is taking longer than I have to create it, therefore I miss my public
transportation, and I get somewhere later than I should. Okay, no worries. I have that
ability. If I didn't live in a 30 unit apartment complex, I'd strip down naked and jump in
the pool. Maybe on the day I want to get evicted I'll do that. 

Actually, with the sentiments around here lately, that probably wouldn't happen.
However, the heater is broken. That's been another backwards thing in my life. We
should heat the pool in the months that it's not Summer, and turn it off during that time.
The sun heats the pool adequately for me most of the time anyways. 

The wool sweats are not a viable alternative to the swimsuit that I can't find buried deep
beneath the pile of clean clothes I have in the middle of my living room either. I'll
probably just end up taking a shower to make this happen. I'm already running late, and
it's not even a very important date. Yes, that's right, going to work has taken a backseat
to my career, which is eeking out a meager existence and allows me to type these words
that you may be reading today or tomorrow. 

So, in conclusion, a small town just outside Redondo Beach, what have we learned? A lot
about me, and the fact that I may have not even answered the question posed at the
beginning of this tome. Or is it a missive? Out of all the languages available, English is
my favorite, however, it's not what we speak anymore. I'll have to create a new word for
it; probably Merican. Some would use a u instead of the e.

So, to review; women are the object of my desire, and they're just out of reach, simply
because of the things that I have put forth or fifth out there. 

So, what happens on a date? You spend time together, and you get to know each other,
and hopefully nothing stupid happens and you get to see the woman again. She may
have already made a snap decision about what's going to happen on the date, and
there's outside factors that you can't possibly know about until such time as it may
already be too late. 

This has been my morning therapy brought to you by the fine folks that allow for morning
pages, or journaling.

The Fear of MacBeth

Stay with me, as this one may go all over the place, however, the point to this post and everyone after it is simply thus: Why is it bad luck to say MacBeth?

A superstition that arose from before I was born, whenever that was, as lately, I'm telling people that I'm infinitely older than I actually am to prove a point, but to stay on topic, if you're on stage, you're not supposed to say, "MacBeth."

Now, as The Bard once wrote, "All the world's a stage, etc." in Act II Scene VII of As You Like it, maybe we're always performing, and therefore because of the above rule, we're never supposed to utter the forbidden name. Like Hitler. No one has that last name today because well, you know; Hitler.

There may not be anyone named MacBeth today either, but it shouldn't be considered bad luck simply to utter it. I don't know that I'm on stage, as right now as I write this, I'm an audience of one, as well as the original author. I may perform this at some point in my life, and that day may come soon, but for today, I say, "MacBeth!!!"

There's more research to be done, and links to link, and the need for other words said that will not be MacBeth. Forgot to put that one in quotes. #SorryNotSorry

Yes, we live in hashtag world now, however, I prefer the term octothorpe.  Tags are tags, and symbols are something else. I may have to tweet this link out later, and be assured that I will use the octothorpe #MacBeth!!!

Some may write it, "McBeth," but that would be wrong, as it definitely contains an "A."  Aside; A is the project that I should be working on, however, I'm writing this instead. I'll apologize for this one later but for now, I find I'm writing about well, you know by now....

Leave an appropriate comment below, and let me know why you think I should never say "MacBeth" again!!!!

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

Annual Remembrance

37 years ago today, well, you know what happened, and I've taken it upon myself to
write about it every time on this day. Loss such as this is permanent, however how I let it
affect me can change over time. Or can it? I'll never get to play another game of chess
with my father. I've already talked about how that has helped growing up, and here we
are 37 years later, and these are still good memories. 

The bad ones I don't want to write down, and I feel that's a disservice to my memories of
him, however they happened, and affected me deeply as well. I don't want to talk about
them, and I don't want to write them down either. It's probably possible to use those bad
memories and turn them into good ones, as the first time I went through the traumatic
brain injury cycle, their mantra was, "Laugh him out of it." 

Some would say this is a bad thing, and some might say otherwise. I don't know who
these people are either. My mother lived almost eight years after my father died, and
never remarried to honor her memory of him. I only have her stories that she told me
afterwards, and I truly only have memories of being at parties where I again was the only
child there, and hearing stories about how my parent's friends reacted to their stories as
well. 

Maybe Shakespeare had it right from the Scot's play; Let us sit upon the ground and tell
sad stories of the deaths of kings. Are we part of the Marlowe society? The theory being
that a sergeant in the king's army couldn't possibly be intelligent enough to write all of
those tomes during his lifetime. 

However, we've all seen Shakespeare in Love, or if we haven't, we should. It's a great

movie. It goes to the writing process without making it intrusive. He was writing to
entertain the unwashed masses, and maybe we as writers continue to do that to this day.
Ultimately any story is told from the point of view of the narrator, and his reactions to
the various events that he or she witnesses. The hero's journey is written as if the hero is in fact a heroine, as all the literature that I've taken in calls her, well, she. 

This isn't about me. 

However, it is about how I react all these years later, and about my upbringing. My parents basically told me no most of the time I wanted something, as they knew we couldn't afford it, and yet I have so many things now.

Someone once asked me if my father was a good man. I still answer yes to this question,

even though I haven't heard from this person in over a year. Maybe two at this point, as
I'm not truly counting, however as an earth sign, these things that happen to me are taken in slowly. 

My "ruling" planet is also Saturn, from where we get Saturday, which is today.  

Life, Death, Marriage, and Funerals. 

Celebrations of other's lives. How these events affect those that either witness them directly or hear about them indirectly may not ever be recorded and passed on by whomever shall read this.
The joke here is that 37 years later, there's a guy on The Rams with last name Shields,
with #37. I bought that jersey to use as costuming for special someones. I won't mention
their names here, however they should know who they are. If they don't, then they
might comment if I ever publish this. 

It has been published by the fact that you're reading this now, and even though this is
supposed to be private and unfiltered every day while at the same time being
spontaneous only states my need to get most of this out there.... 

Today I have a wedding to attend, and I will celebrate my need to honor my father by
performing magic if asked. We're asked to wear a costume, and I'm effectively going as
myself, however there's a character in the DC Universe that I look like. I just need to
swap out the white jacket for the midnight blue one, and I'll be good to go. 

I do have to remember that the right hand inside jacket pocket has a hole in it however. If
I put anything in there, I'll never get it back. So much for things being instantly reset!!!
I did, and do love my father. 

Frederick M. Shields died on this day in 1982. 

Here's to you, Dad!!!

CITY BENEATH THE SEA (1967) NBC UNSOLD PILOT

Later, made into a two hour movie with Robert Wagner as one of the bad guys....

Why Things At _____ Cost So Much

As always, fill in the blank with your favorite place of doing business, in this case it's Half Foods. While on a leisurely walk past the establishment in question, I noticed a sign. Now, I know how to read, and the sign stated something on the order of "Free Stuff from October 29th through November 4th!"

Cool. I'm into free stuff, so I stop, and continue to read the rest of the sign. Products at deep discounts, other products free if you buy x, etc. depending on the day.  For the calendar inclined among you, that's Monday through Sunday, however as previously discussed elsewhere, the week starts on Sunday. Don't quibble or comment, just go with me on this one. Or, read this....

So, I'm liking the promos, and figuring out which day I want to pay for overpriced things on whatever days in order to balance the fact that I'm getting something else for practically nothing, and suddenly I notice an anomaly.

Free Soap on October 27th!!!

As always, I'll wait for you to catch up.

Now, as you may already know, I have a degree in computer science, and I know my days of the week. I even know how to count simply. I'm not an AI, however I may be artificially intelligent.  The jury is still deliberating on that one.

In any case, the brain short circuits, and reads the entire sign again. I go inside, and grab someone with a name tag in the hopes that they work there. I mean, why would you wear a name tag at a place you don't work? I'll take comments on that one below, but to continue, I find someone wandering around looking like they're doing nothing, and I ask her to follow me.

We go outside to the sign, and we read. I ask the famous question: What's wrong with this picture?

She says you're right, and proceeds to take the sign out of the signpost, and takes me inside. She even gives me a free bar of soap for noticing the error. I probably could've asked for a free tube of the toothpaste I like, but I'm not a greedy man.

I chose the cucumber soap. I like alkaloids. Sue me. You can Bob or Frank me if you'd like as well. You can Mike me for that matter, but I've already been Miked.  Can everybody hear me?

Now my question which may never get answered is simply this: Did they misprint this sign everywhere, or just in this one location?

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust your expectations accordingly.™

Why I Don't Post Everyday

I keep making the same mistake. I should just write these journal entries as soon as I get up in the morning, however timing is everything, and it takes about 20 minutes to get to this point even when I do that effectively. Today's mistake was reading my email first.

I'm a member of several "Lists", and one in particular mentioned something about being moderated on that particular thread. We all know our industry is incestuous, and at the same time, entertainment should NOT be political. However, most have gotten into this industry for the wrong reasons.

As a matter of public record, I rebelled against this industry for exactly that reason. I could've taken a different path growing up, and then maybe more of you would have heard of me, but as you already know, "Not too many people know that I'm famous."

I use that phrase every once in awhile to humble myself. It's almost hubris at this point, as I have a ranking on IMDb, unlike some of you. It's in the six digits, and it's not going to go up anytime soon, unless those that credit me do it properly. The call sheet should read, "Mike Shields II."

Anyone can find out how I think on a particular day by virtue of social media posts that I make either manually or automagically. That's right. One post in the wrong place, and suddenly all my followers, connections, and the like (not to be confused with "Like") will suddenly vanish. Do I become infamous at that point?

Maybe I am already. I don't know. I just know that I have work to do within the industry that was effectively chosen for me before God and everybody knew that I existed. I also vote a certain way depending on whose running. That should be who's.

The current broohaha or broowaha or however you spell it is simply about television ratings of the latest Emmy broadcast. Why have they dipped from last year a whopping 10%?

I gave my opinion, and started a thread that is currently being moderated. I was lucky enough to give my opinion first on this particular topic simply because no one else thought to reply to all. That's a bozo no no sometimes on these types of lists, as you get scolded by the list manager about a reply that should've gone to an individual via private message when you've done so.

A decision has to be made, and you have a choice. Delaying the decision, or deciding not to decide is still a choice, however after that, it's cause and effect. The Matrix Reloaded explored this very phenomenon. Remember the scene in the restaurant where the owner sent a tiramisu to a woman he fancied?

Ultimately, who decides what's right? Moral relativism is all the rage, and we all want to make money in this business we call show. The needs of the many will always outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one. There's probably a better way to write that with correct grammar, however nobody said this was a grammar lesson. Unless you did, then you're in the wrong class. That one's three blogs down on the left.

So, I'm walking a fine line. I believe in free will, and in this country, I have 1st and 2nd amendment rights. Without those two, the rest of the rest don't truly mean anything to me. My personal preference should not shade what you think about me.

Somehow, I've been put in a position of authority by virtue of my length of time pursuing fame and fortune. Did I ask for this? No. The media does this to me, and by extension, us. Everyone wants fame and fortune, but these days it seems like nobody wants to do the work to get it. Awards shows are great for acknowledgement within your particular industry, and there's a lot of cross pollenization by virtue of the fact that I was literally born into it, but again, I rebelled.

The reality is my education is well rounded as a result, and I have certain opinions that I share on more than an occasional basis, and some of you may read about them here or elsewhere. Getting paid to bloviate is great work if you can get it.

The phone rings. BRB

I could've written, "Be right back", to pad my word count, but I didn't.

So, to review, I have opinions that I write both here and elsewhere on more than an occasional basis, and you may choose to ignore them at your leisure or peril.  I may have covered the original reason why I wrote this in the first place, but that's for you to decide. Let me know in the comments.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Adjust your expectations accordingly™