Tackling Notes...

Image Probably the lamest blog title in the history of blog posts but really I’m not sure it can be engaging or exciting because the reality is, I’m not sure how exciting this post is going to turn out. This is a post about approaching notes you receive when writing a screenplay (insert explosions and something else cool to hold attention).

A handful of posts that I write are formed from procrastination but really are formed from me needing to mentally work things out. I talk my friends ears off so I take to this blog to really help myself. Right now I currently have maybe one of the greatest problems of all time – I have too many notes.

First, I should mention that I’m in two different writers groups. I’ve been in one for years with a group of friends and the other I’m fairly new to. Both consist of opinions I trust, and both consist of screenwriters. The groups meet at different times and function differently than each other. The jist is that you submit your writing and then everyone discusses/dissects it. Pretty standard protocol for a writers group.

It’s rare that I’d submit a feature to both groups at the same time, but in this case, it happened. For the first time ever I have an overload of notes. I’ve been staring at them for about a week to try and make sense of things. Trying to figure out which people overlap in their critiques, which notes are good, which aren’t, which notes I’m not incorporating because I’m stubborn, etc…

I’m curious as to how people deal with a ton of notes. I suppose the basic way to deal with them is to just break them down and throw out which notes ultimately work for you, that seems to make the most sense, right? Looking at notes is like looking at a massive puzzle that’s only sort of put together, but I suppose that’s what writing is. Fuck, I suppose that’s what any creative process is.

Notes on something you create are very interesting; they’re basically saying do this, instead of that. They have the ability to get in your head. They’re also a constant reminder that you don’t actually know everything in the world… Well, for me at least.

Note to self: I don’t know everything.

Off to tackle these notes (may be back on here writing about not incorporating notes).

The Walkstars: Happy Valentines Day

http://youtu.be/tYbBlZiB5ic

I give you: The annual posting of "Happy Valentines Day" from The Walkstars. We walked to San Diego. If you want to check out the series, you can check out the playlist here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL05DA4232568E0BF2

Also, if you haven't subscribed to Pdrop's youtube channel, now would be the time to do it!

Not sure how it happened but many years have passed since this video.

Dustin Diamond and the Greatest Party Ever?

I jumped on facebook this morning and my buddy Marko had mentioned this party. I almost can’t believe it’s real. I kind of love that Dustin Diamond lives in Wisconsin and I kind of love he’s driving this Screech thing into the ground. I wish he’d embrace it a bit more.

I did a little more digging then found this YouTube video that he released to promote his party a little more (below). If anyone goes to this party you need to let me know. I cannot stress this enough… You need to tell me everything!

Thanks again Marko.

ps: DJ James Freshluggage - Greatest name ever?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZe5_VSq00w&w=420&h=315]

Interconnectivity

From time to time I wake up with a very specific thought or idea that tends to keep me up for hours. It’s strange because this occurrence typically happens around 4:14am and it’s happening more frequently. Maybe it’s an age thing, I don’t know. This morning I woke up thinking about connection and why things happen the way they do. Specifically, I was thinking about people and why we’re connected to the people we’re connected too.

I think about people we meet in our lives that become great friends or people who change our typical day - a lot of times these people are met based off of random decisions. You meet your significant other because you took a random trip to Ikea, or you meet your new boss because you decide to have a beer at lunch. Are these events random? Are they supposed to be?

I was thinking about how I met two of my best friends. My one buddy I met when I was 9 years old. I stole his girlfriend (aka I took her out for ice cream) and he confronted me in what might be the greatest playground confrontation ever. But we didn’t become great friends until high school when we both happen to be in summer school together. Since summer school algebra, we’ve been like brothers.

This is where I note that I’m from a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin called Greendale where the population was roughly 150% white families. This guy I’m talking about is a black guy from Milwaukee. Fortunately for me he took the bus into Greendale. The point that I’m getting at is the odds weren’t in our favor but through random life happenings we were connected, not once, but twice. I should also note the other friend I mentioned is also a black dude. His girlfriend’s locker happened to be next to mine in high school.

The question is, were my friends and I connected and supposed to end up best friends? At this moment I don’t want to open up the can of worms of “is life pre determined” but I think when talking about connectivity you kind of have to walk that line. Do we have a connection to everyone around us? I think we do.

I like to think of moments of connection as explosions. When you interact with someone you’re either going to create a small explosion where your impact doesn’t affect those around you or a large explosion where your impact is so large that the radius starts to hit other people and change them.

So is it up to you to make the connection? Is the connection going to happen no matter what? I haven’t quite made up my mind on that part. But what I have made up my mind about is that connections and life moments go hand in hand. Whomever you connect with will set you in a path to change how your life is led, and on the flip side you have the power to change the life of another just by a moment.

There is a beauty in connection. It’s a bitch to wrap your head around once you start peeling the multiple layers, but those multiple layers are the best part about it.

Ultimately I think that you/me/we should never stop connecting or embracing the moments that connections create … I think it’s the best part about life. Whether it’s supposed to happen or not.

Well... That Was Fun

 

I guess the NFL has reached an agreement with the refs, eliminating the replacement refs. Just to be clear I’m a Packers fan and after last Monday’s debacle I wrote this and told myself I was done with football until they came back because I felt like I deserved better.

So… they’re back. I had a good run of resting my mind from football. For a few hours I was actually excited to detach and not watch football on Sunday. I thought of the end of The Cable Guy when everyone starts to read when the cable goes out – that was going to be me.

This Sunday I planned on reading books and saving the world, maybe knitting a blanket, feeding homeless animals, and feeling as though I really earned the day. I suppose I can still do that, but will I? Realistically I will be watching football and yelling at my TV like I know more than everyone.

I had a good two-day run of day dreaming what my life would be like without football during football season – it looked good. Instead of relating to the final scene in The Cable Guy I’m relating to this…

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPw-3e_pzqU&w=560&h=315]

 

I'll detach someday...

 

 

The NFL: I'm Done.

 

For the sake of attempting to keep this clean I am replacing the F bomb with the word “flipper.” Not only is he a friendly mammal but also, well… it’s Flipper.

Monday Night Football. Green Bay Packers VS Seattle Seahawks 9-24-12. The replacements refs just blew a call, and a game.

I’m flippering done with the NFL. I just wasted the last 3.5 hours of my life watching a game that ended in a blown flippering call that was clearly the wrong call. Let’s be clear about something, the Green Bay Packers won that game, but there is a bigger issue here. That issue being the idea of the NFL and what it is.

Multiple sports players have made it clear that the NFL is a business. When us fans get upset when their favorite player jumps ship to another team or an organization cuts a great player it’s chalked up to being a “business” see Brett Favre and Peyton Manning for this. But they’re right, it is a business, but flipper this business.

This business strives on its fans and its loyal following. It strives on its superstar players like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers. It strives on excitement and the idea of a national pastime. But you know what, it’s a flippering business, and the reality is, is that they don’t care about us as much as we care about them… which is fine… sort of.

I think the NFL has reached its tipping point tonight. An obvious blown call that cost a team (Packers) a game in a 16 game season is hard to swallow. From a fans point of view I want better. I put too much time and effort to watch a football game to watch what I just watched.

As a collective group of fans we should stop watching the garbage that’s being spewed every week, it’s unfair. I cannot even imagine from the players point of view or the coach’s point of view where each game could be the difference between a bonus and an extension – it’s their livelihood, as it should be… it’s there passion.

Coming full circle, I’m done. I’m done watching my favorite team. I’m done supporting a business that won’t put its best in a position to allow others to succeed. I’m not going to waste my time anymore to watch this flippering garbage. Something that can be determined by fluke or questionable calls is not what I want. I want better, we all should expect better. I will not exert any more energy to spend money or time to watch this, I can’t.

I don’t support businesses that suck. I just can’t do it anymore. I’ve been the fool too many times when dealing with the NFL. If the NFL wants to tout this business thing whenever something major happens as though us fans are so stupid to think otherwise then we should treat them the same way, fans deserve better, not what is happening right now.

Today I mark it. The day after the Packers and Seattle debacle on Monday Night Football I mark the day that I stop going out of my way to support the NFL. Truthfully, I wish I wasn’t fully committed (and kicking ass I might add) to my fantasy football team otherwise I could fully detach. But I will still be somewhat into football simply because I have to be.

Until the NFL starts giving me it’s best I’m not willingly giving it any more of me.

I hope that players have some kind of mutiny and decide not to play, I hope the NFL figures out how to get the normal officials back on the field, I hope that this travesty of blown football games doesn’t happen anymore. These replacement refs are total flippering shit and they represent the NFL. Until the NFL changes the replacement refs then the NFL should be considered flippering shit.

Flipper you NFL for being who you are. You suck. You should be ashamed of your product.

Flipper!

(The Packers won that game in my book)

Seattle 14 – Packers 12 ********** (Asterisk Game)

What Will Happen Tonight: Packers VS Seahawks

 

I’m looking into the very near future.

I’m pretty excited for Monday Night Football tonight and figured that some people out there may want to watch “Revolution” on NBC, if you do get caught watching Gus Fringe kicking ass and forget to DVR the game, don’t worry. This is what will happen…

Matt Flynn and Aaron Rodgers share a moment before the game and Flynn can’t believe he isn’t the starting quarterback for the Seahawks.

The Green Bay Packers offense wakes up and Aaron Rodgers tosses 3 touchdown passes with 0 int’s.

Speaking of the offense Cedric Benson is going to remember how to play football and score a touchdown.

Russell Wilson is going to look good at times but ultimately end up throwing 2 ints before the half… Matt Flynn is going to want to play in the game.

I’m going to be reminded by how much I love Gruden and Tirico as announcers and how much Cris Collinsworth annoys me… even when he’s not commentating a game.

Aaron Rodgers brings back the belt! (I wish).

I’m going to be reminded that I don’t know any players on Seattle except for Flynn, Wilson, and Marshawn Lynch.

Packers win 34-17

Looking Up ... A Quick Ramble

 

I was walking down Sunset Blvd the other day and as I passed all of the contained chaos of stores, people, cars, more cars, and more people I took a moment and stared at the sky. It was a calming moment, and even though it was insanely hot everything seemed so calm, controlled, and oddly refreshing.

It’s an interesting contrast to see what’s around you and then remember that there is this massive space just right above you. Back in the day (umm… the 90’s) when I was a kid and living in Wisconsin I came to conclude that the sky is just awesome, it has things in it and it’s out of reach, that’s cool right? Also, I feel like I took my time and reminded myself of the possibilities in the sky.

It only makes sense though. I did take my time. I took my time because I didn’t have much else to do. I was a kid; I played outside, did homework, and played sports. I feel honored to know what it was like to live in a time pre cell phones and the need for now, and also to know that my age group was basically the final group of kid’s pre Al Gore inventing the Internet.

The greatest thing about looking up is that it sparks creativity and emotion. Lets stop and forget about all of the clouds and general blueness we see when looking up and then think about what’s even further… Space. What is cooler that space? But I don’t want to get off course here.

I don’t know if everyone feels the same when it comes to looking up and averting your eyes and brain to the same things you see on a daily basis but for me it’s a peaceful area. More importantly, it’s a change, and change is good.

Yes. Yup. Yep.

 

I was in a conversation with my friend and he asked me:

“How do you feel about people who say “yep?”

After about a second I said, “I hate it, it’s so indecisive.”

Which then turned into a conversation about the many different variations of saying “yes.” I feel that “yes” is the OG (Original Gangster for everyone else that’s not my 5 friends who actually use “OG”) of affirming something. Since the meaning of “yes” we’ve gotten grunts, yuups, head nods, fist pounds, looks, and about thirty other things to show that we mean, “yes.”

When dealing with someone over email or text message I think that the most commonly used terms of “yes” are “yep” and “yup.” The thing about not saying “yes” is that it can mean so much. The words “yup” and “yep” can seem so incredibly passive that it means there is probably some weight behind using them. Here is a quick little break down that I may have spent way too much time thinking about-

Using “Yes” -

Is there really a better word? As I mentioned above it’s the OG of affirming a situation. It gives comfort. I feel that if someone uses “yes” it’s basically a binding contract or at least should be viewed as one. When you get a “yes” you know what the person means.

Using “Yup” -

“Yup” is tricky. Imagine sending this email:

Hey man, I’m thinking about getting engaged, do you like my girlfriend?

Then receiving:

Yup.

That doesn’t exactly seem to reassuring. I actually have no idea why you’d email that to someone but you get the point, right? But on the flip side “yup” is such a bro term.

Hey man I’m going to get some beers for the game, you want any?

Yup!

I can just hear the person responding with “yup” being a doofus who is already drunk. “Yup” is very dependent on context to be honest, but it’s no “yes” and “yes” doesn’t rely on context, its definitive.

Using “Yep” -

The most passive of the bunch. I hate using and also receiving a “yep” because I feel like I always envision the person who is writing it. The only time I ever consciously have used “yep” it’s when I’m basically agreeing with something but I’m not happy about it, so I’m being passive and I want that person to know I’m not happy.

Using “yep” is basically saying, “I’m so annoyed with you.” Also, the word “yep” drastically changes depending on context and the relationship you have with someone.

Imagine if you’re dating someone and you send this:

Want to get dinner tonight?

And you receive:

Yep.

That response is basically saying that the other person has nothing better to do so they’ll get dinner with you.

OR:

Did you finish the presentation?

Yep.

That’s a “fuck you stop asking me about my work and focus on yourself” response.

Yes. Yup. Yep. And I’m currently not really taking into consideration the voice to voice interaction when you can hear people say these different words, once you enter that world it’s a whole new monster. To avoid any and all confusion we just need to stick with the OG. When asked a question, don’t confuse people… just go yes.

Side not to all of this: If you’re the person who just response to people with a “Y” then that’s a whole new ball of wax. That means you’re either a) lazy b) have a old phone and don’t want to type out the word c) not a fan of technology and could give a shit d) receive so many messages in a day that you can’t stand two other letters or e) think you’re so incredibly important.

Some of those reasons stated in the side note are understandable, but just try to stick with yes for the sake of humanity.