Chris Ullrich @ micro dot blog

It’s been two days since my last entry here. Time goes by fast. I actually had to do some work on Friday and was pretty tired when I got home so I went to bed. See, when you get older you can’t stay up as late as you used to (unless you have help). Something to look forward to.

What kind of work you may ask? When I am not working on various film and tv projects I have another company that does Technology consulting. I may have mentioned it before. Its' called The MAC Authority. We help people get the most out of their computing experience and do consulting for companies who want to network or do anything that involves both the Macintosh and the Windows PC. It’s fun. And, its a great excuse to buy new gadgets all the time.

I pretty much know how to do two things well. I know how to make movies and keep them on budget and on schedule and I know how to work with computers and other technology. Which do I prefer? Right now, I am having a great time working with technology and am taking a break from the other business. I did it for some time and when you work that intensely on something there is a tendency to get burned out. At least there was for me. Hence, the break.

I still keep my hand in and most recently have been producing some commericals for a friend of mine. He is a very talented Director named Anthony Dalesandro. If you want to see some of the commercials, go check them out at his website. Other than that, we have some movie projects that we are working on and may or may not go somewhere. The trick that took me several years to learn is to make sure that you have another business to work in between gigs on film and tv shows.

That’s the life of a freelancer. You work quite a bit but then there are times when you don’t work at all. Sometimes those no work times last a long time. So, you need something to do and earn some money during the lean times. That’s the trick I mentioned above. Have another job. It’s that simple. Things are quite a bit happier when you have some money.

Even though I say bad things about money sometimes I’m not advocating that you get rid of it completely. You still need it to live. Unless you live in a monestary or something then you probably don’t need money. The rest of us do. Just don’t get too caught up in the pursuit of riches. It will usually end in disappointment. Not all of us can be Trump. The world needs ditch diggers too.

And last, but certainly not least, a very interesting article from Wired News:

A Pentagon effort to persuade Congress to allow military intelligence agents to work undercover in the United States met with resistance in the House Wednesday when the provision was left out of the highly secretive intelligence funding bill. However, the Senate’s version of the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2005 still includes the provision, which exempts Department of Defense intelligence agents from a portion of the Privacy Act, a 30-year-old law that outlaws secret databases on American citizens and green-card holders.

The bill would allow Pentagon intelligence agents to work undercover and question American citizens and legal residents without having to reveal that they are government agents. That exemption currently applies only to law enforcement officials working on criminal cases and to the CIA, which is prohibited from operating in the United States.

Pentagon officials say the exemption would not affect civil liberties and is needed so that its agents can obtain information from sources who may be afraid of government agents, such as a green-card-holding professor of nanotechnology who formerly lived under a repressive government. The military has increased its focus on antiterrorism programs within the United States, most notably by reorganizing its command structure in 2002 by creating the Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command is tasked with preventing and defeating threats and aggression aimed at the United States and helping civil authorities in the event of an emergency.

Such investigations should be conducted by the FBI, and the Department of Defense should not be engaged in widespread intelligence gathering in the United States, say civil liberties advocates, such as the American Civil Liberties Union’s legislative counsel Timothy Edgar. “This would allow military intelligence officers to undertake what amounts to undercover spying on Americans,” Edgar said. “This clearly should be in the purview of the FBI and state and local law enforcement."

David Sobel, the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s general counsel, said that while the Defense Intelligence Agency does have responsibility for providing intelligence about attacks on domestic military bases, the agency should not be engaged in covert domestic spying. “Why can the DIA work undercover (in the United States) if the CIA can’t?” Sobel asked. “This is about the DIA playing an undercover intelligence role in the U.S."

The DIA disputes it wants to collect information on Americans, saying the information exemption is intended simply to help its agents cultivate sources. Edgar, however, pointed to a recent controversy at the University of Texas as an example of how the current rules keep intelligence-gathering operations aboveboard.

In February, Army intelligence agents improperly sought information about attendees at a University of Texas law school conference about Muslim women. Conference organizers refused to provide a videotape of the event to the officers and publicized the request, leading to an apology by the Army. The Pentagon’s push for an exemption from the Privacy Act comes even as questions remain about the Army’s compliance with the Privacy Act in its homeland security efforts.

In September 2003, Wired News reported that Torch Concepts, an Army contractor ostensibly working on a base security project, was secretly given JetBlue’s entire passenger database in 2002 for a study of passenger profiling. There is no record that the Army published a Privacy Act notice about the data-mining effort, which sorted individuals' social security numbers, family size and income to find potential terrorists.

The Department of Homeland Security’s chief privacy officer, Nuala O’Connor Kelly, admonished Transportation Security Administration employees in February for facilitating the transfers of personal information and breaking the spirit of the Privacy Act. The Army has yet to release the inspector general’s finished report, nine months after the revelation of the data transfer.

The Senate bill is now before the Armed Services Committee, which must finish its deliberations by early July before sending the bill to the full Senate floor for a vote. The bill is one of 13 remaining appropriations bills that must be passed by Congress by the end of the current session. If the provision remains in the Senate version and is not added to the House version before a vote, its fate will be decided in a closed-door House-Senate conference.

Interesting, right? This is something that probably isn’t a very good idea. Also, check out the good folks at the Electronic Frontier Foundation who fight the good fight. See what else you can do to get involved and stop crap like this from happening.

That is all.

Later.

Another article from the “no shit” department:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. fighter jets had virtually no chance to shoot down or intercept four hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001, because of confusion and poor communication among “unprepared” officials responsible for America’s air defenses, a special commission said on Thursday.

The confusion was shared by Vice President Dick Cheney, who wrongly believed at one point that the military had downed “a couple” of aircraft under orders he conveyed, the panel said. In a report that included chilling quotes from hijackers commandeering the doomed aircraft, the commission’s staff found a White House order to shoot down hijacked planes did not reach Air Force jets until after the last airliner had crashed.

Although fighter jets were airborne seven minutes after the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center, military officials received insufficient notice of the other hijackings to stop the planes, the staff statement said. The civilian Federal Aviation Administration came under particular attack. “I think (FAA) headquarters blew it,” said panel member Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator.

Gen. Ralph Eberhart, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said that if the FAA had immediately reported all it knew to the military command, jets could have shot down the planes. The earliest notice the military had of any of the hijackings was nine minutes before a plane crashed.

The report was presented at the final hearing of the 10-member government-established panel investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. In the audience sat grieving relatives of some of victims, several clutching photographs of their loved ones.

The report said NORAD and FAA officials were “unprepared for the type of attacks launched against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001,” and “struggled under difficult circumstances to improvise a homeland defense against an unprecedented challenge."

It said many front-line military and aviation personnel responded well, despite confusion, inaction and sometimes wildly inaccurate information at higher levels.

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn’t it? Just though I would share. Have a nice day.

Later.

This is an interesting bit of info in this Reuters article:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of former U.S. officials is urging voters to defeat President Bush in the November election, saying his policies have isolated the United States, a spokesman for the group said on Sunday. The group of 26 former diplomats and military officials, including appointees of former Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, plan to issue an open statement on Wednesday criticizing Bush’s foreign policies.

“We just came to agreement that this administration was really endangering the United States,” said William Harrop, a former ambassador to Israel under the previous Bush administration. The signers are a mix of Democrats and Republicans, Harrop said. They include Jack Matlock and Arthur Hartman, two former ambassadors to the former Soviet Union during the 1980s.

Also in the group are several other former ambassadors and retired military officials, the group said. Signers of the statement are concerned that the administration has undermined U.S. leadership in the world and alienated U.S. allies, Harrop said. As an example, Harrop cited the decision to launch the war in Iraq without sufficient international support.

“Our view is that the President Bush administration has chosen American domination of the world as in our best interest,” Harrop said. “We don’t think that’s going to work."

Harrop said the group was not aligned with Bush’s Democratic challenger in the November election, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. “But we want an alternative and that’s the alternative,” Harrop said. “We just came to agreement that this administration was really endangering the United States,” said William Harrop, a former ambassador to Israel under the previous Bush administration.

This is great. I can’t wait for the full statement to be released. Should be a page turner. I can’t remember a time when this kind of thing ever happened before. Although, I haven’t really been alive for that long. Ok, I’ve been alive for awhile but had my head up my ass for several of those years and didn’t give a shit about much of anything until the last few years.

What can I tell you. I was a teenager and then in College so my priorities we pretty much getting laid, drinking lots of beer and basically having a good time. I’m sure I went to a class or two now and again as well. What I didn’t do was concern myself with things like politics, war, death or the larger world in general. Did I mention I was in College and trying to get laid? So give me a break.

I’m trying to be a better person and a better citizen. Now I care a little more. Because I am older and smarter and much less tolerant of bullshit. Plus, I’m married now so that pretty much takes care of the getting laid part. As in, I don’t (well, sometimes, if I’m good). At least I can still have a cold beer now and again. Only a lite beer though. Gotta watch those carbs.

I find that the affairs of the world interest me more. Which is one reason for this blog. Not only do I find things more interesting and I enjoy forming opinions about things in the world, I want to share those pearls of wisdom with the masss. Because what I have to say is important, dammit! So listen up. Not now, though, I need to go.

Later.

Ok, I don’t claim to be an expert at sports, or anything else for that matter, but it looks to me like the Lakers got their asses handed to them. What a bunch of clowns. Who the hell do they think they are?

This is what happens when ego and money ruin sports. I am going to go out a limb here and say that athletes get paid to much money. You are just putting a round object into another round object. It’s not like one of them is square or something. Your round object fits easily. Why do I need to pay you so much? Also, while I’m on the subject, how come tickets to a Laker game cost so much money? Well, that’s for another time.

I also think that actors get paid too much money too. Don’t get me wrong, I like money as much as the next person. Unless that person is Donald Trump or something and then he beats me for sure. It’s just that it seems like money and the quest for it have basically ruined some pretty good things that I used to like. Movies, Sports, TV, that stuff.

The Lakers have all the talent in the world and should have won easily. What they don’t have is heart. The Pistons? They have heart coming out of every pore of their bodies. As much as I dislike the Pistons, they deserved to win and they played like champions. The Lakers played like a bunch of guys who felt like the world owes them something and they were only willing to work so hard to get it.

But surprise, if you don’t work for it you don’t get it. The Pistons worked for it, wanted it and are winners. The Lakers are losers and they acted like losers. For the record, I am not a fair-weather fan. When my team loses, I take it in stride because I know they tried their best. This time, they just didn’t give a shit and that sucks. There’s always next year. Maybe some of the lazy, egotistical jackasses will become free agents and the kids who really want to play will get a chance. Let’s hope so.

Ok, enough about the Lakers. They don’t deserve any more of my time or your time. In other news, the panel that was investigating the link between Iraq and Al Queda released a report today that says they can find no link between Iraq and Al Queda. Well, big surprise there. I pretty much assumed that they were not working together. Despite what our honchos in Washington would have us believe.

More details can be found here. It also goes on to say that many of the things that people in our government have been saying about 911 were basically fabrication and “will have to be corrected”. Meaning that our favorite leaders are basically full of it and that one of their main justifications for going to war with Iraq has so may holes in it you can drive a lifted H2 Hummer through it and still have room for a MiniCooper. Man I love our President and his gang. What a great bunch of guys.

Let’s hope that the people of this country wise up and send that guy and his buddies packing back to Texas or wherever come this November. John Kerry is looking better and better. Anyone, really, is looking better and better. Maybe will we get a Kerry / Edwards ticket? I think I could get behind that. Oh well, more news and whatnot later as I must go to the airport and pick up the wife. She comes back tonight.

I guess I’ll have to clean the place up and put the toilet seat down again. With all that, I’m still happy she is coming home. The place just isn’t the same when I’m here alone. Alone is nice, like many things, in moderation. But sometimes, its nice to have people around too. Well, sometimes.

Later.

This is just to piss off my friend ADD and get this published before he can do anything about it. I was at a party the other night and was talking to a bartender/actress named Jen who told me she lived on Studio City, which is near where I live and where ADD lives. So I asked her “What Starbucks do you go to?” and she told me. That’s the kind of small talk you make in bars or at parties these days. It may be because we have a Starbucks every ninety feet here in LA, I don’t know.

It seemed like a legitimate question and it was. She knew what I was talking about, got a kick out of the question, answered it and we moved on to a discussion of Swedish Vodka and low-rise jeans (see, I got that in again. some people said it was dead. not me, dammit!).

Anyway, we are going to have her and her fellow bartender, Jill, in when we cast the next commercial. We are looking for some LA party girls for this Bud spot we are going to do.

I wonder if we will be able to find any? I wonder if they will also all be bartenders whose names start with a “J”. I wonder what Starbucks they go to?

Later.

Two entries today. My, I am prolific. If only the quality of the content was related to the amount. Sometimes it is on sites more eloquent than this one. Sometimes it isn’t. However, as I am biased in favor of, well, me, I will say that what I offer is first-rate and should be considered such.

Now, on with the news. First off, Time Magazine no less has an interesting article on the power of the blog. If time can embrace this, why can’t you? Why are you not blogging up a storm? Afraid you don’t have anything interesting to say? That certainly doesn’t stop people from blogging their little hearts out.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if it makes them look like an ass. So, in that spirit, blog away America. Anyway, you can find the Time article here.

I find it interesting that Time has picked up on this. Doesn’t that serve to legitimize blogging? Or, doesn’t that really mean that blogging will now be over as we know it? Soon, kids on “The Real World” will be doing it. Then, there will be a new reality series on Fox where teams of bloggers compete for valuable cash and prizes while having to eat disgusting things like squid or eel or jump through a ring of fire. Perhaps Donald Trump will be involved? We can only be so lucky.

Oh well, I guess we should just enjoy it while it lasts. I wonder what the next cool thing will be? Maybe we will all go back to getting together at the local and talking shit. You know, fact to face communication. It might help. It’s much easier to say bad things about someone via e-mail or a blog than to say those things to someone’s face.

See, like this. I can say “George Bush is a ass” or “the Lakers play like crap” and its easy because I am somewhat anonymous on my blog. Sure, you have a picture of me and an e-mail but really, what does that get you? You can send a nasty e-mail to me and I can just delete it. Or, I can subscribe you to various child-porn sites so that you get spammed to death and then the cops burst in and haul you pedophile ass to jail.

Now, if we were in the same room I might think twice about trashing our President or the Lakers. Well, at least the Lakers. That’s the great thing about this country and really, one of the main reasons other countries hate us so much. And make no mistake, other countries hate us.

We are hated because we have freedom. The United States is almost unique in the world in that I can pretty much say or do anything I want and nobody has the right to stop me. In other countries, like China for example, I could be jailed or worse for expressing my views on this blog. In fact, in China, may people can’t even get to the internet at all. Or, if they can, many websites that the government deems “unacceptable' are blocked. And don’t even think about having a site that criticizes the government.

We are all very, very lucky that we live where we do and have the things that we have. Even if you are unemployed with two kids and are on welfare, you still have it better than most people living in Iraq or India or some other country like that.

What am I trying to say? Why, only my opinion of course. Expressed freely right here. In the USA.

Is this a great country or what?

Later.

The Laker game last night seemed familiar somehow. Oh yeah, they sucked last night too. Although, it wasn’t as bad as the last game (at least they didn’t loose by 20 points) They still lost. Don’t misunderstand, if a team tries their hardest and gets beat by a better team, I don’t feel cheated. I feel like my team got beat, not necessarily by a better team. By themselves.

In this case, I just don’t get what team was playing against the Pistons. It didn’t look like the Lakers that I’ve seen before. I guess what it comes down to, as I have said before, is great coaching by Larry Brown. Maybe we can get him for next year if Phil Jackson retires?

Ok, enough about the Lakers, that’s just getting old. Here’s an update on “Operation: Timewarp”. I actually heard back from a few people from the past that I sent a shout out to. Hard to believe. And here’s the really amazing part: they were actually glad to hear from me. Can you believe it?

Maybe I wasn’t as much of a jerk when I was younger as I thought? Mmmm. Or, maybe they have some kind of memory loss? I don’t know. Right now, we are at the stage where they have replied to my inquiries but I have not replied to their reply (confused?). I didn’t actually expect to get any response at all, let alone this soon so I am somewhat at a loss as to what to write back. I need to take a minute and try to say something good. (that will be a good trick).

Of late, I have found myself more interested in the past. Maybe its because every day I get older? It is only very recently that I have started to feel like an adult. I always considered myself a big kid at heart and prided myself (mostly privately) on my ability to stay that way this long. However, it seems like time is finally catching up to me, the sneaky bastard.

Over the years I have been able to avoid all the problems and ailments that I have always associated with “getting older”. Now, I have back pain. And, I am starting to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Lucky me. At least I don’t have to get up three times in the middle of the night to take a piss. Although I know I have that to look forward to in the future. Again, lucky me.

I guess it could be worse. At least I am mostly still healthy and can still walk around and still have most of my mental functions intact (such as they are). So, all in all, I am lucky. Plus, people from my past want to speak to me. Maybe I’m not such a bad guy after all.

Later.

I cannot believe how much the Lakers sucked. It is unreal to me. To watch a team that has won so many championships and has so much talent just piss it away is amazing to me. Actually, I think it wasn’t al the Lakers doing. I have to hand it to Larry Brown, coach of the Pistons. He took a look at the Lakers and then told his guys how to shut them down. And shut them down they did. Kobe Bryant with only one point in the entire first half of any game is difficult to believe. That it happened in game three of the finals is unreal.

I have to admit that when I was growing up I didn’t think too much about basketball. I was a football and tennis guy (sometimes golf). It was the Lakers that got me interested in basketball. Their love of the game and excellence at it made me love the game too. Guys like Kareem, Magic, A.C. and Worthy made me a fan. Now, I don’t know what to think. I guess I will think that it was just a fluke and move on. I hope the Lakers do too.

This will be a short one as I have just returned from a long drive to Redondo Beach to see my friend Kris. She and her fiance got a house there. It’s quite a drive from beautiful, downtown Sherman Oaks where your humble writer resides. However, I had work in Santa Monica today so I decided to make the trek. I also felt bad that I had missed their housewarming party as I was in New Orleans at the time. So, I went. It’s far, even from Santa Monica.

But, once you get there it is really quite nice. And an added bonus, they have only lived there for three months but they already know all the bartenders and the best bars. Obviously, they have their priorities straight. Good for them. Kris deserves to be happy and I think she finally will be so that’s good.

Ok, getting sleepy. Too many cocktails. Although, I was good and waited quite some time so I would not be under the influence when driving home. I made it home safely (obviously, or I wouldn’t be writing this) so I feel that is a shout out to my newfound responsible side. So, kudos to me.

Man, I really hate this keyboard. I gotta get a better one. Apple, what were you thinking with this piece of crap? The keys suck and it is very uncomfortable. Three grand for a computer and they stick you with a crap keyboard and a piece of shit one-button mouse. Come on Apple, get your shit together. Come into the new world. Two-button mice are ok and people actually like to type on their keyboards not just look at them and say “ohhh, white, pretty”.

I don’t usually say many negative things about Apple but sometimes their shit really pisses me off. I’m sure if Steve wanted two-button mice there would be two-button mice but not until then. That’s one of the big problems with companies that are driven by the vision of one person. It’s great when that vision is good but hell when that vision is missing the mark. Another case in point is George Lucas. Now, before I say anything about Mr. Lucas, understand that it was Star Wars that made me realize what movies could be. I and many others were captivated by the magic and still are, to a lesser extent, today.

The problem is that George has all the money and controls every bit of the process. There isn’t anyone around to say " Come on George, Jar Jar Binks for fucks sake? Are you kidding me with this shit". And God, we all wish their had been. Maybe there were people who had problems with “The Phantom Menace” or “Attack of the Clones” but they sure were not at the creative table. They were mostly in the audience.

When one person is in charge and won’t listen to other opinions, you tend to get into a little trouble. We all wished that the two latest Star Wars movies had been as magical as the original. Maybe it isn’t George’s fault at all. Maybe we just don’t believe in magic anymore?

No, I blame George. Although I will be seeing the next one on opening day, just in case. Maybe it will be the surprise we all hope for.

Later.

I’m watching a great movie right now and only want to mention a few bits of news. The movie is Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece “North by Northwest”. Great fun with Cary Grant at his best. And now, here’s the news:

Apple again announces new products in the form of upgraded G5 Towers. For all the specs and dirt, go here.

This is cool. Dual 2.5 Ghz is pretty darn fast. However, they also announced that they will not be able to get to 3Ghz “any time soon” even though Steve promised they would at the last developer’s gathering. Apparently, the good folks at IBM cannot get their act together and make the chips work the way they are supposed to. Isn’t this the reason that Apple started buying chips from IBM instead of Motorola in the first place? We’ll see how this shakes out.

And, according to The New York Times (registration required) TiVo will offer a service in the near future that will allow you to stream video content from the internet right to your TV. This is in response to their deal with Direct TV going away. The feeling is that Direct TV is going to start offering their own TiVo-like boxes and also going to start doing the video streaming thing. So, the good folks at TiVo are trying to get a leg up now.

TiVo is a great gadget. We love it. If you don’t have one you don’t know what you’re missing. Go to the TiVo site to check it out and get one as soon as possible. It will change your life, believe me.

One other thing. If you are ever trying to find out who is trying to kill you and you go someplace to talk to a guy who can help answer some questions for you and he suddenly gets a knife in the back, for fuck’s sake don’t grab the knife and stand there for a picture.

If you don’t understand what I am talking about, go out immediately and rent “North by Northwest” and watch it. You’ll love it. I often wonder what Hitch could have done in today’s Hollywood with all the tools at his disposal. That would have been something to see.

Later.

I never looked before but a few minutes ago I clicked on the stats page at TypePad, curious to know if anyone was reading this site besides some of my bored relatives. Much to my surprise, I have recieved several hundred hits. So, in light of this development, I have decided to try to make this site more interesting and more insightful (as if that was possible). I, of course, have no real idea how to accomplish this. Like many things in my life I guess I will just wing it and hope for the best.

Which bring me to my next thought. Are the Lakers the luckiest mother effers around or what? If it wasn’t for the stellar play, practically at the buzzer, of Mr. Kobe Bryant, the Lakers would be down two games and heading for Motown. The fact that Kobe can be going through what he is going through and still pull that 3-Point shot out of his ass amazes me. That’s focus people. Pretty impressive.

I don’t pretend to know what happened between Kobe and his accuser in Colorado but I do know that even if his is found not guilty there will still be a stigma attached to him. Maybe for the rest of his life. You don’t just bounce back from that and resume your normal life. Forget being the spokesman for McDonalds or Coke or any other of the “family-friendly” companies. That’s all over. There will always be people who will think he’s guilty. Too bad, really, if he’s not guilty. If he is guilty, I have no sympathy for him. Of course, either way, he’s not a saint. He still cheated on his wife.

Keep in mind that there are still people out there who think OJ is innocent. These are the same people who will be thrilled with this next bit of info. OJ is going to be coming out with a new TV show. I can’t go into much detail right now to protect my source, but suffice to say that if what I have heard about it is true, it will definately spark heated debate. One tidbit for now: The concept is very similar to a show on MTV right now which was created by a certain male actor who like older women. The title, of course, is different but the concept is almost identical. More on this story as it developes. Also, you can probably find info about it if you look for it as OJ talked about it on TV last weekend during an interview.

What a crazy world we live in. And we are just getting started. But don’t dispair because here’s a bit of inspiration if you ever feel like life is getting too difficult and you can’t go on.

Go to this site and read the story of a 38-year-old woman who is rowing from Cape Cod, USA to Brittany, France. Amazing.

Later.

I had a long day today (actually, it wasn’t any longer than other days really, just felt that way) and am going to make a short entry tonight. First, some quick news:

An interesting article on why the FCC should be abolished can be found here.

Before reading the article I felt that the FCC, despite its somewhat evil reputation, probably performs some valuable services for the country. After reading the article, which makes some pretty interesting points, I am less sure. Perhaps the market can regulate itself after all. Anyway, its worth checking out.

Also, Apple introduced some pretty cool new things today. Airport Express and AirTunes. Airport Express is a tiny wireless access point that will, among other things, allow you to stream your iTunes music to a stereo and play it through your speakers in any room. Pretty great. I think they will sell a bunch of these (probably one or two to yours truly even). Check them out for the full run down on features, specs and whatnot.

Lastly, the wife is leaving tomorrow to go see her parents. As she is, as we say in showbiz “between gigs” she felt that this was a good time to go. And I agree. Even though it will most likely rain every day she is home, she will have a nice time. And really, with the kind of hours she has been putting in for the last year and a half, she really needs some time off. Series television at the network level (NBC, CBS, ABC, etc.) is a pain in the ass for the people who actually work on the shows.

Try to imagine going to work for 12 to 14 hours a day and pounding your head against a wall while being told to hurry the fuck up and that you are doing it wrong and you will have some idea of what fun it is to work on series television. Some people will say that its fun and they have a great time and blah, blah, blah. They’re lying. The only people who have any fun are the actors, the writers and sometimes the producers, believe me.

Anyone who actually has to work on the show: the grips, drivers, caterer, production coordinator, pa’s, etc. will tell you that its just a grind that you have no hope of any kind of life while its happening. You just have to get through it until it ends. And it does end. Sometimes rather abruptly like my wife’s last show “The Handler”. Everyone broke for Christmas vacation thinking they were going to come back and finish the season but surprise, the show got axed. Oh well. I still like Joey Pants.

One more thing for the record. The most under appreciated and under compensated job on any film or television production is that of the Production Coordinator. This is one of the hardest jobs you never heard of. If the Production Coordinator does his or her job well, nothing happens. If you do your job right, nobody notices. How’s that for messed up?

Plus, you do much of the work that the Production Manager (your immediate boss) is supposed to do (in some cases all of it) and you get paid a fourth of what he or she makes. I know this sounds like I am just venting, and I sort of am. I just want to call attention to this job so maybe when you have finished watching your favorite TV show or movie and the credits are flashing by in a corner of the screen at a hundred miles an hour you will see the credit of Production Coordinator and give props where they are due.

Just keep in mind that maybe hundreds of people whose names you will never know contributed to your entertainment. All those names and credits like Production Coordinator that come at the end of the show that you never stay to watch or change the channel during. A handful of them do it just for the money but most of them do it for the love. For you.

Ok, end of sermon.

Later.

Made it back to good old Los Angeles. The place I now call home (for the last nine years). Even though I went down to where I grew up I didn’t feel like that was really “home” anymore. It isn’t. I like it there, don’t get me wrong. There are many things to like. There are also many things to like about LA.

I know what you are thinking, how can there be anything to like about LA? Its crowded, smoggy, people are rude, no culture, crime, riots, OJ and all of that stuff. Some of that is true. We have definitely had our share of weirdos and weird happenings here.

However, there are also many things to like than dislike. First off, I have met so many great people here. Yes, many of them are in the Entertainment Industry and some are odd in their own way but all of them are genuinely caring, creative and passionate people. Plus, they are all pretty smart to boot.

As I get older I find that I enjoy some intelligent discussion about the news of the day or technology or politics or the merit of low-rise jeans. I also enjoy a good beer and good wine and good food. All of which LA has in abundance. Not to mention the girls with the low-rise jeans.

They have even vastly improved Hollywood Blvd and vicinity. It used to be a dump, now its quite nice with the Hollywood and Highland mall complex and the Kodak theater, home of the Academy Awards. The transformation is much like Times Square in New York. If you were there for the before, it is amazing what they have done to it. It’s clean and family friendly just like Hollywood Blvd. is now. So, stop by and bring the kids.

Let me end this (gotta watch the Soprano’s finale) by recommending a great Steak Restaurant. It’s actually not in LA proper but in Panadena, which is close. It is called the Arroyo Chophouse and it is probably the best place to get meat I have ever been. If you are in the area and have the means you should definitely go there. One thing, it isn’t cheap so bring some cash and be ready to eat. It’s worth it. I go there for my birthday every year.

I will talk more about LA spots as these entries progress. Not that this is meant to be a travelogue or anything. I just feel I would like LA to get a better rap out there in the world. I think sometimes it gets a raw deal and I want to help dispel that. Besides, its a pretty cool place to live. And did I mention the jeans?

Later.

Still in Encinitas and vicinity. Took a little more time looking around after lunch (went to Roberto’s in Solana Beach this time. Still great Carne Asada). I find it odd or ironic or both that the Solana Beach City Hall used to be a bar. Actually, not really a bar, exactly, but a nightclub. Many years ago it opened up as a wannabe trendy spot where the elite of North County could meet, eat, greet and get their drink on. For those who don’t know, “North County” is a colorful name given to those communities in “North” San Diego County. Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia, etc. Kind of like when newscasters in LA refer to that area as “The Southland”

Sadly, like many great ideas, the nightclub failed miserably. I can’t remember exactly how long the place was open, or even its name for that matter, but it wasn’t long. A few months maybe. Then, oblivion. It was an abandoned building for some time until Solana Beach decided to make it respectable as the seat of city government. Good for them, I say. It makes perfect sense that it would have been a nightclub considering how many times me and mine drank within the city limits. Maybe they found that twenty bucks I lost in the bathroom. If so, put it to good use I say.

I was thinking about the past some more. Maybe I am getting nostalgic or something but I feel like getting in touch with people I haven’t seen or spoken to in many years. Not for anything in particular, just to see what’s what. Some of these lucky SOB’s include Rob, Sean, Becca, Chris, Marie, Robin, Kelly and maybe a few others. Some may not want to hear from me. Probably a great percentage of them, truthfully. That’s ok though. It will be interesting to find out what happened to some of these people. I hope nothing too bad. Well, maybe for one or two (just kidding).

People that you grow up with seem pretty important at the time. Sometimes they stay important and sometimes they don’t. I have not been very good at keeping in touch with people. I wish I was. But life seems to intrude on the things you really want to do. Or, maybe I am just lazy. Will I get any responses from this new attempt? Will people be happy to hear from me? Will they be rude and tell me to go away? Will I eat pie for dessert today? We shall see.

Later.

Still in Encinitas and vicinity. Took a little more time looking around after lunch (went to Roberto’s in Solana Beach this time. Still great Carne Asada). I find it odd or ironic or both that the Solana Beach City Hall used to be a bar. Actually, not really a bar, exactly, but a nightclub. Many years ago it opened up as a wannabe trendy spot where the elite of North County could meet, eat, greet and get their drink on. For those who don’t know, “North County” is a colorful name given to those communities in “North” San Diego County. Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia, etc. Kind of like when newscasters in LA refer to that area as “The Southland”

Sadly, like many great ideas, the nightclub failed miserably. I can’t remember exactly how long the place was open, or even its name for that matter, but it wasn’t long. A few months maybe. Then, oblivion. It was an abandoned building for some time until Solana Beach decided to make it respectable as the seat of city government. Good for them, I say. It makes perfect sense that it would have been a nightclub considering how many times me and mine drank within the city limits. Maybe they found that twenty bucks I lost in the bathroom. If so, put it to good use I say.

I was thinking about the past some more. Maybe I am getting nostalgic or something but I feel like getting in touch with people I haven’t seen or spoken to in many years. Not for anything in particular, just to see what’s what. Some of these lucky SOB’s include Rob, Sean, Becca, Chris, Marie, Robin, Kelly and maybe a few others. Some may not want to hear from me. Probably a great percentage of them, truthfully. That’s ok though. It will be interesting to find out what happened to some of these people. I hope nothing too bad. Well, maybe for one or two (just kidding).

People that you grow up with seem pretty important at the time. Sometimes they stay important and sometimes they don’t. I have not been very good at keeping in touch with people. I wish I was. But life seems to intrude on the things you really want to do. Or, maybe I am just lazy. Will I get any responses from this new attempt? Will people be happy to hear from me? Will they be rude and tell me to go away? Will I eat pie for dessert today? We shall see.

Later.

Well, I wouldn’t call Encinitas a “hood” exactly. It’s a combo beach town suburb where some people have lots of money and others don’t. However, it is neighbor to more exclusive areas like Solana Beach and Del Mar which have many more rich people and fancy cars. In High School, we used to hang with girls that lived in Solana Beach and Del Mar. Their houses were bigger and their parents were gone most of the time (out earning the dough for the houses and cars) so we pretty much had the run of the place. Although sometimes, the maid or cook would make us a sandwich or something so that was nice.

Anyway, the trip has been interesting so far. Many things are the same and many things are different. Bars have different names and some dive restaurants have a new coat of paint and still have good food (or bad). Raul’s shack is still there, looking better, and still has the best rolled tacos and quesadilla around. And their guacamole is first rate also. A must go to if you are ever in the area. Also great is Filibirto’s (which used to be called Alberto’s but changed as Filibirto got bigger in the family. Brothers you see). They have great guacamole also and carne asada as well. All good.

Also saw an old friend and we got along very well. I have to admit I was a little pissed off at him for a few past issues but I decided that life is too short to hold a grudge so we went out, had dinner and a few beers and all is well. Plus, he has great kids so he must have some good qualities I guess. Maybe they all come from his wife?

I also heard that Ronald Reagan died today. Even if you don’t agree with his politics (which I don’t) you gotta give “The Great Communicator” props. He made politics interesting to me as a child of the 80’s. Hey, at one point I was a registered Republican so there you go. CNN.com has all the scoop. Rest in piece Gipper.

More to follow but now I gotta go find something to eat. It’s already almost 3PM and no lunch yet. Although, I could probably afford to go without lunch once in awhile. Yeah, I’ll start that diet tomorrow.

Later.

My parents are going to visit the place where they want to be buried. I have to admit I find that a little strange. I don’t think about death that much. More than I used too but still, not that much. For them to be so able to deal with it and to go and work out the details about where they are going to go when they die amazes me.

For me, they are two of the bravest and most thoughtful people I know. Not only do they have the courage to deal with the details but they are especially concerned about ever being a “burden” to me and mine after they are gone. Are these people great or what?

To have put up with all my shit as I was growing up and still want to make things easier for me now is something I probably won’t understand until I have kids of my own. Until then, I will just consider myself one of the luckiest people around. Thanks for being cool Mom and Dad.

Now, on to the other part of this. As my parents have left town I will be going down to their place for the weekend to water the plants, check on the place, etc. It has been some time since I have been back to Encinitas (a.k.a the flower and surf capitol of the world. trust me, it says that on the sign) and I don’t know quite what to expect.

Every time I go back the place seems to have gotten bigger and, much to my dismay, more like LA. Too many people, too many giant SUV’s and Mercedes drivers with their heads up their ass. Too many people on cell phones. All the things that make LA a less than pleasant experience sometimes. However, the house is very close to the beach which is a plus. I used to go to the beach all the time but now it takes too much time on the 405 so I almost never go.

I may end up seeing a few old friends and having a cocktail or two (i know, big surprise) so that could be cool. Whatever happens I will take some pix and be posting the gory details right here. Maybe I will drink to much beer and get in a bar fight! Or get stopped by the cops and have to walk home. See, in those days the cops were pretty cool. We got pulled over one night and the cop knew we had had a few. Does he give us a ticket or arrest us? Impound the car? Beat us with his baton? Nope.

He makes us park the car at a nearby 7-11 and walk home. That’s it. They don’t call them the good old days for nothing I guess. Oh well, maybe you can’t go home again but you can visit for a few days.

Later.

Here are a few interesting items from the news today.

For those of you who have less than nice things to say about Microsoft:

Jeff Reifman, a columnist for Seattle Weekly, has written a great editorial analysis here.

He talks about Microsoft’s past and current missed opportunities, contrasted with its financial success, while covering in fair depth some of the most serious threats to their business model. Great insight from someone who has been on the inside.

And, from CNN.com today:

CIA Director George Tenet has resigned, citing personal reasons, President Bush said today. Tenet’s resignation takes effect in mid-July, after which Deputy Director John McLaughlin will become the agency’s acting chief, Bush told reporters at the White House. Bush said Tenet had done “a superb job for the American people.”

Mmmm, yeah. Except for that whole anti-terrorism thing. Well, the President has a soft spot for former CIA directors so I can understand. After all, he does call one daddy. Maybe George Tenet will run for President some day. Let’s keep our fingers crossed on that one.

Lastly, for the pro-Apple computer crowd (of which I am a card-carrying member):

Toshiba announced that it will offer a 60GB version of its 1.8-inch hard drive in the coming months and that Apple has already placed its order. Cindy Lee, deputy manager of Toshiba’s hard disk drive division, said the drive will enter mass production during July or August. All three iPod models (15GB, 20GB, and 40GB) use Toshiba drives, while the iPod mini uses a 4GB 1-inch drive from Hitachi. Lee noted that Toshiba is currently shipping 350,000 of the 1.8-inch drives per month to Apple.

60 Gig iPods? What’s the world coming to? My first computer didn’t even have a hard drive in it. One of my first Apple Computers only had a 128 MB Hard Drive and I thought I would never fill that up. Now, my G5 has 500 GB of storage in it and I am running out of space. Odd.

Later.

I just finished watching Scarface (the Tony Montana version) and I just have to say that it is really one of the most fun experiences you can have. It especially helps to have had a few beers before watching. I think it adds to the experience.

Who can forget classic lines like “Let me introduce yo to my little friend” as he blows the door off with his grenade launcher. Great fun! Rumors were that the pile of cocaine on the desk was real and that the cast and crew had a good old time making the movie. I don’t know if that part is true but it sure seems like they were having fun.

With the state of Hollywood movies today, maybe they should go back to taking drugs. They sure seemed to make quite a few good movies in the Seventies and Eighties. Lots of bad ones too, for sure, but quite a few good ones. Although, some people believe that Hollywood hasn’t made a good movie since 1950 but what do they know?

It would be nice to see the fun come back to movies a little. Sadly, I think it is far too driven by profit and loss now to be any fun for anyone. Sometimes a fun movie manages to get through. And sometimes a good movie manages to get through. Mostly it just seems like things are driven by marketing flacks who are just frustrated directors or something. I don’t know. Many of my friends are frustrated directors so perhaps my opinion is a little off.

At least I can still enjoy Scarface now and again. Or some others like Fantastic Voyage, Star Wars, The Godfather, Touch of Evil, The Third Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark and so many more that were not only good but really fun to watch.

So I got that going for me, which is nice.

Later.

Some tidbits from recent tech and other news:

Brighthand reports that Sony will no longer develop and sell Clie handheld models to the United States market. Most certainly that means no more Clies for Europe, too.

That’s ok, I never really liked PDA’s anyway. Even though I have at least three of them in various stages of life. What I really want is a combo cell phone, pda, wireless, bluetooth device that will allow me to make a ffing phone call from my own house. Are you listening ATT Wireless? Get your shit together. I will also be holding my breath for Apple Computer to make the hardware. The iPhone, as it has been called. That would be cool.

From CNN comes an article that makes painstakingly obvious to the public what we already knew: 802.11 security is horrible. The article points out that nearly 40% of wireless network APs haven’t even been changed from defaults and as many as 80% of home APs have encryption disabled. The article goes on to say that ‘[t]o make matters worse, users who don’t secure their networks are often the very people who don’t keep their computers up to date with the latest security patches and antivirus software.’ It also accuses WiFi manufacturers of disabling security measures by default to make wireless easy to the lowest common denominator. My favorite quote? ‘Experts say that while Wi-Fi hardware makers have made initial setup easy, the enabling of security is anything but. Meanwhile, average users are no longer tech savvy.’ Which is to say that they at one point were?

Every day I open the laptop and find an open wireless network. And I don’t even live in San Francisco. I really do appreciate the cup of free broadband though. Thanks.

And becuase I take exception to the way Mr. Bush works:

From CNN.com – A federal judge Tuesday declared the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional, saying the measure infringes on a woman’s right to choose.

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton’s ruling came in one of three lawsuits challenging the legislation President Bush signed last year.

“The act poses an undue burden on a woman’s right to choose an abortion,” she wrote.

I like Phyllis. Maybe she should run for President.

And last, but not least, the Chris Rock quote of the day:

“You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America’s Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn’t want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named ‘Bush’, ‘Dick’, and ‘Colon’. Need I say more?”

Mmmmm makes you think.

Later