Today was a Good Day

It's late and I have work up to my.... (Hmmmm. Not eyes - it's not that high. But it's higher than waist-level. What's in between? Like neck-level? Is the neck in between the waist and eyes? Guess I'll go with that.)

It's late and I'm up to my neck in writing work. I'm juggling a couple work projects right now, so updates will be scarce. But before I get back to work, just wanted to tell you that I had a really great day. On one project, the producer told me how great my writing has been and piled a lot of new work on me. Yay work and affirmation of my abilities.

Also today, I had a meeting on a different project where I tried to convince some execs to overlook my obvious character flaws, talent flaws, and odor flaws. Somehow, it worked - they hired me. Can't talk about it til the contracts are signed, and even then, I'll probably be under a Non-Disclosure Agreement. But I'm excited. More than excited - I am GEEKED.

Okay - back to work. I want to get this work level down to nipple-high before I go to bed.

Cartoon Network's Lobby - The Great Social Equalizer

Through luck and serendipity, I've had the opportunity to visit all the other major animation buildings in town in the past year or so, except for Cartoon Network. That changed last week, when I had a meeting at their Burbank building.

The best part of Cartoon Network's building is the lobby. After you enter, directly on the left are a couple couches, tables, drink machines, and a huge television set - playing Cartoon Network. After you see the receptionist, you wait in the lobby next to the huge television set - playing Cartoon Network.

Sure, there are tables and chairs there. You could relax and think. You could read some of the trade magazines that are sitting out there for you. But who wants to do that? THERE'S A HUGE TELEVISION SET - PLAYING CARTOON NETWORK. And you cannot resist it.

The professional woman in the expensive business suit who's there for a job interview? She's staring blankly at an episode of Ed, Edd, and Eddy.

The tired and unkempt courier in the work-suit who's there to pick up a package? She's staring blankly at an episode of Ed, Edd, and Eddy.

The bright-eyed writer with a laptop computer bag who's there to meet with a development executive? He's staring blankly at an episode of Ed, Edd, and Eddy. And telling himself that he totally has to remember to blog this...

Quick Update and Plugs

Sorry for the lack of updates. Go ahead and assume that if I'm not updating this blog that I'm either up against a writing deadline, locked in some 12-step rehab program, or dead.

By the way, can I just say how much I LOVE being able to say that I'm busy writing? It means I'm getting paid - or have a possibility of getting paid. As a freelance writer, more often than not, you're lying if you say that you're busy writing.

My stuff is due next week. Assuming that I don't get any more work between now and then, we'll return to regular blog updates then. In the meantime, a few quick notes (sorry if I forgot anyone)-

Check out the new CBS drama Criminal Minds on CBS this Thursday night at 10pm and every week afterwards on Wednesday nights at 9pm. My friend Kirsten plays "Garcia" on the show - and she's a brilliant and talented individual.

New episodes of Teen Titans air on Saturday nights on Cartoon Network at 8 p.m. My friend Rob is a story editor on the show - and he is also a brilliant and talented individual.

Check out the new animated show Get Ed on Toon Disney weekdays, and on Saturday mornings on ABC Family at 9 a.m.. My friend Tom is executive producer on the show - and he is also a brilliant and talented individual.

New episodes of Duel Masters start this Saturday on Cartoon Network at 7 p.m.. There are about a dozen or so second season episodes that haven't aired yet - including one I wrote. Repeats of Duel Masters run every morning on Cartoon Network at 6 a.m.. My friend Charlotte is story editor on the show - and she is also a brilliant and talented individual.

Lastly, my blog passed a major milestone this week - its first SPAM in the comments section. Someone named "Johney Gonzo 5920" (if that IS his real name) said he liked my blog and posted links to a couple dating web sites. Suffice to say, Johney is neither a brilliant nor talented individual.

My 2005 NHL Preview

Now answer me this - would you rather be reading the hockey opinions of a sports writer in Canada? Or the hockey opinions of an animation writer from Los Angeles? I hope you chose the latter, because I'm about to subject you to (cue Rock n Roll Part 1) my 2005 Hockey Preview.

We'll see next year how close I am. Go Kings.

Western Conference
1. Detroit
- Every year is the one that I think Detroit is finally going to come back down to earth. This isn't the year.
2. Calgary
- I keep waiting for Mikko Kiprusoff to remember that he's Mikko Kiprusoff, but he's the real deal.
3. San Jose
- They didn't do squat about improving their team. Either they're shiftless and lazy... or they know they're already stacked.
4. Colorado
- See Detroit above. Losing Forsberg and Foote hurts, but the Avs are still loaded.
5. Vancouver
- Great team. But Dan Cloutier is no Steve Weekes.
6. Edmonton
- Pronger, Peca, and Todd McFarlane. Scary.
7. Dallas
- If Modano bounces back, this is a great team. If Modano is over, so are the Stars.
8. Los Angeles
- Is Garon the man? Because if he's the next Jamie Storr, this team misses the playoffs.
9. Anaheim
- [Insert flying v-wing joke here].
10. Phoenix
- No playoffs, unless Gretzky suits up for them.
11. Nashville
- I don't think the Preds have enough scoring firepower.
12. Columbus
- Nash and company are still one year away.
13. St. Louis
- After a zillion straight years in the playoffs, the Blues fall and fall hard.
14. Minnesota
- Like San Jose, they did nothing in the off-season. Unlike San Jose, this team is not stacked.
15. Chicago
- You sportswriters praising the Blackhawks DO realize that the team is still owned by Bill Wirtz, right?

Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia
- Best team in the East even before they added the best player in the league, Forsberg.
2. Ottawa
- Assuming Hasek doesn't go weird on them, this team has so much talent it's scary.
3. Tampa Bay
- Losing Khabibulin hurts, but in the weak Southeast division, they could probably pull the goalie and still win.
4. Pittsburgh
- How long til every sportswriter in the Western Hemisphere is going to the "March of the Penguins" headline? I bet after their first pre-season win.
5. Boston
- When will people learn that Brad Isbister will never be "the next Todd Bertuzzi"?
6. Toronto
- I wanna see Lindros and Allison skate on the same line. It'll be a beautiful thing.
7. New Jersey
- I've never been sold on Larry Robinson as a head coach over a full season. We'll see if I'm wrong.
8. Montreal
- [Insert still-bitter-about-1993 joke here].
9. Atlanta
- Almost the playoffs. Maybe next year.
10. NY Islanders
- Yashin and Satan together will be fun to watch.
11. Buffalo
- Like San Jose and Minnesota, they didn't do anything to improve the team. But they're not quite as good as San Jose, not quite as bad as Minnesota.
12. Florida
- Still a few years away. Hope Nieuwendyk and Roberts can stick around long enough for it to happen.
13. Carolina
- Remember when they went to the finals a few years ago? Neither do I.
14. NY Rangers
- Glen Sather will never ever EVER live down his complaints when he was with the Oilers that the NY Rangers could buy their way to a championship.
15. Washington
- Have you looked at this roster?

My prediction:
Western Conference champs: San Jose Sharks
Eastern Conference champs: Philadelphia Flyers

Stanley Cup champs: Philadelphia Flyers

From the NBA : How Not to Polish Your Resume

Last week, the Los Angeles Lakers hired former player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as an assistant coach. There was a bit of talk about this around Los Angeles. It's a nice story - the Lakers are bringing back one of their former great centers to help coach and train their long-term center project, Andrew Bynum. This story didn't make me laugh.

But this did. The September 3rd Los Angeles Times article (registration required) talked up Abdul-Jabbar's qualifications-

Abdul-Jabbar... has been a volunteer assistant with a high school team on an Arizona Indian reservation, has coached a minor league professional team in Oklahoma City and has worked with NBA players such as Shawn Bradley and Michael Olowokandi.

WOW. That is one AMAZING heck of a coaching pedigree. Shawn Bradley AND Michael Olowokandi? Two of the biggest disappointments at their position in the past twenty years of the NBA - and he can proudly take credit for having coached BOTH of them? What - was Yinka Dare too good to take coaching from Abdul-Jabbar?

Abdul-Jabbar might turn out to be a great assistant coach for the Lakers. But someone has got to get to him and help him rewrite his resume. Play up the NBA championships, the MVPs, the leading scorer record. Hell, play up the fact that he was the FRIGGIN CO-PILOT in the AIRPLANE movie. Play up the fact that he LITERALLY put his footprint across Bruce Lee's chest.

But man oh man. Admitting to coaching Shawn Bradley and Michael Olowokandi is like admitting to a 420 on the SAT or admitting to writing Ben Affleck movies. You can be proud of your work - but better keep it to yourself.

We clear, Clarence?

The Wacky Chinese and their Wacky Fortunes

Recently, I went to lunch with the staff and crew on [an animated show]. After lunch, I received one of the rarest fortune cookies of all time. The legendary DOUBLE FORTUNE fortune cookie.

I'll wait while the magnitude of that sinks in.... okay. The first fortune was forgettable - something about luck or positiveness or something. But the second one declared-.

You could prosper in the field of entertainment

Fortune cookies are so full of @#$#.

Fun and Games with Identity

I was reminded recently of pranks people used to pull on each other in high school. Basically submitting your friend's name and contact info, just for fun. I had a friend who used to always put his friends names and phone numbers on anything related to military recruiting. I had another whose twin brother put her on a bunch of nuns' lists, so she got tons of literature from different convents about joining their order.

More recently, if I have time and the desire to do something evil for the sake of good, I click on those eBay phishing scams I get - where they put up a fake eBay-looking page to try and get you to enter your username and password? Sometimes I'll go to their fake page and put in a fake username and password. I figure that it takes me less than a second to make up a fake username and password - and that wastes at least few seconds for the phishing scam artist.

Why am I talking about this? Because I recently got a really strange email to one of my private email addresses - one that I'm very guarded with. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or if someone is trying to play a joke on me.

But to whoever put my private email address on a mailing list for a Northern Californian Religious Summer Camp for At-Risk Jewish Teens... BRAVO. I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you.

Schoolyard Duty

Volunteer work. Because I'm all about helping my fellow man. Actually, no, I'm not. But I AM all about fulfilling my volunteer/service requirement at my daughter's private school. So I signed up for something easy and interesting - schoolyard duty, walking around and watching kids. Sounded like cake work.

As you no doubt know by now, I am an idiot when it comes to judging what is or isn't difficult, arduous work.

The day started off easy. Watching the kindergartners, helping them open their lunchboxes, etc. Then the first and second graders, who are small like kindergartners, but are twenty times louder and energetic. Then the third through eight graders, who are frightening. But it wasn't too bad - the kids were pleasant and just wanted to have fun.

Best conversation I overheard-

"Kill it!"
"No."
"Kill it!!"
"NO."
"KILL IT!"
"I don't want to!"
"KILL IT! IT DESERVES TO DIE!"

A couple eight year-olds arguing over an ant that had crawled onto the boy's arm. The girl was making a case for the ant's removal from this mortal coil.

I don't know why I just blogged this. Maybe it was because I turned in that script and felt like I better blog something before the week is out. Or more likely, I just love the idea of an eight year-old girl shouting, "IT DESERVES TO DIE!" The future of our world is in good hands.

August Music Diary / Gone Writin'

Sorry about the lack of updates. I'm up against a writing deadline this week. And as someone at a Comic Con party told me, "Deadlines were meant to be used."

In the interest of full disclosure, the first draft of the script I'm doing now is due on Friday. But the NFL season opener is this Thursday night between the Raiders and Patriots. An NFL season opener would be enough for me, but I'm also a huge Raider fan. I have to get this script done early if I want to wear my spiked shoulder pads and stab opposing fans with my Darth Vader light saber while I overturn cars and commit crimes.

Wish me luck.

In the meantime, according to my iTunes, here're the songs I listened to most this month, in no particular order (hold overs from previous month removed)-

August 2005
Half - G Tom Mac
Nothing Precious at All - Stereophonics
Maybe It's Love - Nields
Paint the Silence - South
The Science of Selling Yourself Short - Less Than Jake
Nightswimming - R.E.M.
So Alive - Ryan Adams
J'en ai marre! - Alizee
Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day
You're Beautiful - James Blunt