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November 29, 2005
And the New Term Begins
This could be a very long term.
Last night the newly elected RTM meet for the first time, which involved a fair amount of house keeping plus the normal agenda. At our Democratic caucus, we confirmed the people we wanted to see chair, vice chair and act as secretary for the five committees. Given the 26-24 split, only one of the four committees would have a majority, the others would be 5-5 ties. It was presumed, based on a similar incident in 1997 that the Committee on Committees would break any ties and with the Democrats in control there, things would be fine.
Our presumed Moderator, Joel Green, did a fine job explaining the nuances of the process to one and all, especially the newcomers.
We then filed into the meeting room and got things started. The room was packed more than usual since parents for one of the middle schools were in attendance to lend support to a forthcoming finance issue. After Ken Flatto, our First Selectman, got things started he took nominations for moderator. Sure enough, we put Joel Green, the Republicans put up Brian LeClerc, a longtime member and one-time moderator. Imagine our surprise when Joel won 26-24. And so our time got wasted with the obvious.
Joel did a well-practiced job of reviewing state and local statutes regarding our rules of conduct, sprinkled with his personal hopes that the body would remain a thoughtful group, whose opinions would be aired in an atmosphere where we recognized that all sit here to do what we feel is best for the town.
We then took nominations for members to the Committee on Committees. We put up three names, they put up two names. We voted. Then took a recess while they met to confirm the members who would serve on each committee. No sooner did they walk in and announce the member assignments than a political caucus was called. So, the bewildered audience watched as we all filed back out of the room.
Inside our classroom, our Majority Leader broke the bad news that Mr. LeClerc had decided to throw a monkey wrench into our plans. He decided the 1997 way of breaking committee ties was wrong, the rules governing the RTM did not specifically address how ties should be broken and was determined to use Robert’s Rules of Order to strangle the process.
Unless the Republicans got something. And so was the tone set for the term.
In the end, the Republicans were told they could put forth names for Vice Chair of the four committees in question. Democrats would control Chair and Secretary. As you can imagine, this did not sit well with the body. Personally, I was disappointed to lose a shot at Vice Chair for Finance, especially since I missed out on a seat on Education & Recreation in favor of this. On the other hand, I sided with my colleagues who feel we’ll get poked in the eye by the olive branch that was offered.
After the political caucus ended, we filed back in, and were immediately recessed to break into our new committee assignments so the choreographed election of officers could be played out. Finance has many returning members, and I have nothing but respect for Peter Ambrose, a veteran, who got the Vice Chair slot. I’m hoping that at least in our one committee, things can remain collegial.
Once more we trooped in, sat down, and each Chair announced the officers of the committee. Joel the, did a wise thing, given that 38% of the RTM were new faces. He had each of us get up, announce our district and ourselves. Once the 50 members completed that, the ex-officio members, such as our Selectmen and Board of Finance members, also introduced themselves.
With that done, we got back to the agenda. This included a report on the current construction at Tomlinson Middle School, which was running over budget. The goal was to give us an idea of the scope of the project and to prepare us for next month’s vote on the funding request. We also got a report on the current cell tower situation in town since next month we’ll also need to vote on a new contract with Cingular/ATT. Wisely, our First Selectman noted the forthcoming consolidation in carriers and secured a deal that financially benefited the town, although he got excoriated for it at the time.
And by 10:20 or so, we were adjourned.
By 10:30, the Democrats were drinking at the Angus while the Republicans drank down the road at the Bear & Grill. It’s become a tradition to go out and unwind after these events and it certainly gave me a chance to get to know my colleagues a wee bit better. One was fit to be tied since her committee meeting didn’t quite go as scripted while another lamented that we should all be drinking in the same place to help break down the ever-hardening line between town Democrats and Republicans.
He has a point and one worth exploring, especially next month during these times of good tidings. There was a real sense last night that the younger, new faces on the Republican side of the aisle, coupled with the veterans who smell blood, are going to put everything in a political light rather than determine what’s best for the community. That would be a real shame since we’ve had so much go right for the town the least few years, slowing that down for ideological reasons would be wasteful.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:53 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
November 26, 2005
Draft One
OK, so the first draft for BattleTech is now done.
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8,468 / 7,000 (121.0%) |
I'm still not thrilled and don't feel fully engaged. My problem now is to whittle this down to size and then bring the characters to life and make them more interesting than they are now.
Good thing I have most of tomorrow to fuss with it.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 05:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 25, 2005
Getting Started
Finally sat down today to begin my BattleTech short story. It's a good solid story, I think, but the world of BattleTech is so new to me, I find that I'm constantly looking things up.
I'm not entirely thrilled with what I've come up with but it's a start that will need whittling once the first draft is complete. I'm concerned that I'll be way over my word limit since I'm better than halfway there and have more than half the story to tell.
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4,400 / 7,000 (62.9%) |
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cancellations and a Passing
ABC has decided to pull the plug on Alias after five seasons, despite having Jennifer Garner signed through the 2007-2008 season. In one of the toughest timeslots of the week, it was getting clobbered by just about everything other than Joey. Rather than switch it somewhere else, they’ve chosen to cancel it now so J.J. Abrams and company can wrap everything up.
I’ll admit the family is somewhat behind on the series this season, more due to our schedules than a marked drop in quality. As a result, I can’t comment on whether or not the new cast members and Garner’s own pregnancy forced such story contortions that audiences drifted away. I will say that its breathless pacing and appealing characters will be missed after the final ep runs in May.
For those keep tabs, the show goes on hiatus over the winter, giving Garner time to spend with her newborn. It’ll be back in, I believe, March taking its timeslot back from Dancing with the Stars and then running straight through to the final mission. Please, may it be something other than a Rambaldi device.
I also note the cancellation this week of Brannon Braga’s first non-Trek effort, Threshold. My general dislike for Brannon’s work coupled with uniformly negative reviews has kept me from watching this despite an appealing cast headed by Carla Gugino and Brent Spiner. The ratings on Fridays were suffering so CBS sampled it on Tuesday night and it did even worse. They tried to build support these last few weeks by streaming previous episodes on the website since its serialized nature made it tough to sample mid-run.
Finally, I want to note the passing of Pat Morita at age 73. Best known to one and all for his work in the four Karate Kid movies, I’ve enjoyed his work over the last three decades or so and will miss his gentle, reassuring presence.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:40 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
November 24, 2005
Hot Stove Rant
First of all, a happy Thanksgiving to one and all. I hope everyone is spending the day and the weekend with friends and family. As usual, we will be part of the extended Rozakis family later today.
Now, on to other hot stove topics:
I don’t like it,
That was the first thing I thought when I heard about the Mets obtaining Carlos Delgado from the Florida Marlins in exchange for Mike Jacobs and Yusmeiro Petit. Sure, it’s flashy and brings a potentially big bat to first base. Sure, it’s another marquee name to use when promoting the Mets’ own cable channel NYSN as it gears up for a spring debut.
But they’re trading away the future, the one thing that continually undermines teams who get mesmerized with the potential today.
Jacobs came up during the last season, proved he could not only catch but played a pretty good first base. He batted .310 with 11 homers and 23 RBI in 100 at-bats, tantalizing us with what could be accomplished over a full season. Petit, meantime, was a very promising pitcher who struggled when he moved from AA to AAA but clearly could be a factor in another year or so.
Instead, we get Delgado who appears to be a me-first player who will need careful handling. When the Mets nearly signed him last season, the deal floundered when Delgado felt the Mets overplayed the Latin American angle by using Tony Bernazard, special assistant to Mets general manager Omar Minaya to lead the discussions. Delgado felt he wasn’t being treated with enough respect and Bernazard had to step aside to let the boss handle things. Delgado apparently still has hard feelings for this and Bernazard is still there.
Plus, he still doesn’t want to stand for the singing of “God Bless America”. Heck, I don’t either, having grown tired of the song and don’t appreciate its sentiments (I’m with Woody Guthrie who wrote “This Land is My Land” in response). Still, the NY media will make this a point. In fact, the NY media are likely to shine a harsh spotlight on the man which may turn him brittle.
Meantime, he didn’t exactly carry the Marlins far last season. 33 homers, 119 RBIs and a .301 average are okay, but for the money he’s commanding, he needs to turn things up a notch and history shows, players coming to Shea rarely turn things up a notch. In fact, I’d love to figure out exactly why veteran players coming to New York struggle or fail.
Anyway, it’s a huge salary and potential albatross that they don’t need. Instead, they should be building around David Wright, Jose Reyes and guys like Jacobs and Petit.
I worry about the coming season and only hope they finish their winter shopping with a clear mind.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:00 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
November 22, 2005
I Swear
For a 30-second event, Fairfield sure knows how to stretch it to 90 minutes. With all the small town pageantry and schmaltz, the town’s elected officials took the oath of office last night.
The Mill River Band, a surprisingly entertaining folk/country group, performed during the first thirty minutes as people filled the middle school auditorium. As we took our seats, I introduced Deb to some people and we sat back to enjoy the music. Sue Barrett, from District 8, handed every District 8 official a red rose buttoneer, which pleased Deb no end, since she insisted I actually wear a sports jacket to the event. Good thing I did. Others, including several I’ve never seen in anything more formal than jeans, turned up in jackets and ties.
By 7:30, the real work began. A local Reverend and Rabbi hosted as Masters of Ceremony. They introduced the color guard and representatives from the Fire and Police departments marched down the aisles, carrying their flags, axes and rifles. One of the Girl Scout troops then took the stage to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. They were followed by a high school female acappella group who sang the “Star Spangled-Banner.
Our elected Selectmen were due next but here’s where politics came into play. When Jack Stone lost the race for First Selectman, he was elected to Selectman. He declined the post, preferring to keep his State seat as a Representative. This left the job of filling the spot to our First Selectman, Ken Flatto. Everyone’s been pushing for Ken to pick Stone’s running mate, Steve Elworthy, to fill the spot. Steve had been Selectman last term so the notion of continuity was very appealing. Ken had not decided by yesterday so only his running mate, Denise Dougiello, took the oath as administered by State Comptroller Nancy Wyman.
Our Town Clerk, Betsy Browne, was sworn in next by local judge Dan Caruso and then she took over, swearing in each department or committee, from Board of Ed to Constable. Then, finally, each RTM district was called up to take the oath. All five of us stood there, looking pretty sharp with our roses if I do say so, and said, “I do.” Later, Betsy admitted to me she was sorely tempted to raise her right hand and then splay her fingers in the Vulcan salute in my honor but chickened out. I told her she should have so we agreed, next term, if there is one, we’d do that.
A soloist gave us the seventh inning stretch by singing the complete version of “God Bless America” a song I have truly grown tired of for numerous reasons.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal then swore in Ken, who gave a very nice little speech and we stood and applauded. I do like that Blumenthal took time to acknowledge the Fire and Police staff as well as any veterans in the audience, who all served us in different ways. Additionally, a recurring theme was tough it was on the local level, being in the trenches and dealing with the people in ways those at the State and Federal level can’t hope to match. Also, our spouses and families were acknowledged for supporting our efforts even though it meant we’d be out late at night throughout the year.
There was then a cookies and cider reception in the cafeteria and so the mingling began. Our DTC chairman grumbled that some of the newly elected young Republicans refused to applaud when Ken took the oath. Several others noted these new RTM members are younger and could make things very partisan when, at the local level, it doesn’t need to be.
Next week we have our first meeting. It’ll be largely organizational as the Committee on Committees establishes which members will serve on which of the five committees. Our Majority Leader requested our preferences a few weeks back and I indicated a desire to move from Finance to Education & Recreation. Then I got a call from the Finance Chair asking if I would serve as her Vice Chair. I was pleased at being asked and accepted. Deb warned Pat, though, that I am horrible with numbers. The town may be doomed.
I am now an official card carrying member of the RTM, a duly elected official and with any luck, will actually do some good for the town.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:23 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 20, 2005
Clicking til I Drop
I admire my friend Laurie. Usually, we wind up visiting her and Bob at their Long island during the summer. Tucked away in a corner of the Dining Room is a neatly wrapped stack of Christmas presents. Laurie is actually done for the holidays by August which I find amazing.
I start talking about shopping for friends and family in October and Deb invariably puts me off until November and then we plan a few weekends to blitz the malls trying to be mainly done before December 1.
This year, we did it a bit differently. Yesterday, we went to the mall and bought a handful of the gifts we needed. Later in the day, I spent about an hour on line ordering a variety of gifts for the immediate family and more relatives. Just about every site was offering free shipping plus nice deals on the items. Click, click, click, I was rapidly filling in the list (on behalf of Santa of course).
This morning I ordered a few more things and can safely say that we’re just about done. The transition to cyber shopping makes me save time and effort and probably some money. It’s a growing trend, one covered in the papers the other day. Monday the 28th will be Cyber Monday, the twelfth busiest shopping day on line, but growing. In theory, starting the Christmas Season on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, brings throngs of people out to spend, spend, spend. I have always avoided going anywhere other than the supermarket that entire weekend. Anyway, the theory goes that many are now window shopping on Black Friday and on Cyber Monday, they arrive at work armed and ready to use the company high-speed internet connection to order everything they saw on line.
This probably means the websites slow down given the crush of users. So, we have neatly avoided all that although I do note Amazon, among other sites, was a wee bit slow yesterday. Could be, people are catching on to this early on line shopping notion.
And for those who still like to visit the brick and mortar stores, there are websites that will reveal the Black Friday circulars, letting you figure out when and where to shop to maximize your bargains.
Me, I’ll now have all of that weekend to write (and sadly, to rake). Ho ho ho.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 05:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 17, 2005
Is it Really Only Thursday?
There are just some weeks when the calendar fills up until you have to scream, “No mas!”
Monday was the SFWA reception. Lots of socializing but a late night to start the week.
Tuesday was lots of hard work at DC followed by the gym and then a collapse at home, watching TV. (Speaking of which, here we are, well into the second season of House and the lead remains an engaging and enraging bastard. This week’s episode proved that time and again.)
Wednesday started with completing proofreading the designed page proofs for the Organizing book on the train, followed by more hard work at DC followed by an alumni event. The big donors and major volunteers got invited to a screening of The Squid and the Whale which features Billy Baldwin, ’85. My pal Ray got invited and I got invited to be his date. First, I misplace his building by a block so I’m late to meet him for our trip downtown. It’s raining hard and we’re sloshing through the streets to the 1 subway. When we finally get to the 42nd street platform, we then cool our wet heels for something like 15 minutes before a train arrives. By now it’s 6:29 for a 6:30 event in Tribeca.
We finally make it to Franklin Street and start looking for Greenwich Street. A woman is also looking for the same place so the three of us trudge ahead. We enter the Tribeca Screening Room, thrilled that things hadn’t started yet. We take our seats, exhale and then look around. I lean over to Ray and say, “This crowd doesn’t quite look like an alumni crowd.” He leans to his left and asks the person next to him what movie we’re seeing. It’s something called Double O Zero. We head back downstairs and ask the guard if he knows where we need to be. Turns out, he just sent the film over to 54 Varick Street just a little while ago.
Let’s just say it took us a while to find 54. Varick Street was easy. We arrive, even wetter now, and it turns out Ray was late in RSVPing and missed that the location had changed. The film had begun only scant minutes before so we hustle towards the front, grab seats and start drip-drying. Ray, until we sat on the subway, thought we were seeing a nature film on the order of March of the Penguins so I quickly corrected him.
The movie itself is engaging, despite being a mere 80 minutes. It’s the story of a divorcing couple in 1986 Brooklyn and their struggles to make join custody work. Both parents are self-absorbed to the point they have little idea what’s going on with their own children. Baldwin plays the youngest son’s tennis coach and is pretty much a dimwitted but pleasant fellow. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, it’s largely autobiographical and stars Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels. Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates’ son Owen plays the youngest son who, at 12, has to say and do some pretty rough things (hence its R-rating). The movie is very gritty, feels real and as a result, you get uncomfortable (especially if you’re a parent) at what gets said and done. Still, it was strong and it deserves its positive reviews.
Afterwards, Baldwin addressed the packed screening room, taking questions for 20-30 minutes and answering quite good-naturedly. He also extolled the virtues of his time at Binghamton University and was pretty rah-rah about supporting the school in whatever tangible way people could.
There was a reception that followed and there, I ran into fellow alum and fellow fantasy baseball owner Chuck Rosenbluth, which was a pleasant treat. The appetizers were tiny but plentiful still, when I left at 9:50 to catch a train, I was still hungry.
Got home at midnight and suddenly it was Thursday.
This morning, I spoke at Robbie’s high school. This week it’s Teen Read Week and the high school wanted Brian Augustyn (whose daughter also attends) and me to come talk about comics and graphic novels. Brian and I have been good buddies and neighbors for years. Despite not seeing much of each other in recent times, we picked up our good-natured patter and went back and forth, hopefully educating and entertaining three periods’ worth of students. I think it went well and the Librarians and teachers seemed pretty pleased by the conversation.
I took the train in, arriving at DC around noon and played catch up and have been working steadily. Tonight I get to leave and attend a Parking Authority meeting.
Friday, which seems so long away, looks very light with just a gym workout on the schedule. And then there’s the coming weekend with holiday shopping, raking, and some writing to try and fit in.
I need a break.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:28 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 16, 2005
Lot Auctions server crashed due to high volume
The Lot Auctions server has crashed due to high volume. We're working on the problem and will be extending the comic book auction 24 hours from when we get the server live again.
Posted by Glenn Hauman at 03:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 15, 2005
A comic book commercial break
Hi, I'm Glenn Hauman. As you may know, I'm the site administrator around here, and the assistant editor on Jon Sable and GrimJack. I also run a website called Lot Auctions, and there's an auction going on now of 30,000+ comics that a lot of you might want to bid on. Every so often, you hear about a collection like this-- now you have a chance to get in on it.
This is the personal collection of a long-time employee of the big-two comics companies (we can't tell you who because of their corporate policy) who has to pay for a college education for his kids-- so he's selling off his entire collection, from Action Comics to Zot!, including complete runs of Avengers, Justice League, Green Lantern, Iron Man, and many others. And just to keep it on topic, there are a lot of books Bob worked on, editing and even writing an issue or two.
Most books prior to 1975 are VG or better, most books after 1975 are VF or better. Many are in mint condition (read once) and many rare issues are to be found, like the Elseworlds 80 Page Giant that includes Kyle Baker's "Letetia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter" and which was pulped in the United States-- less than 700 copies are suspected to exist.
Covers shown are NOT the actual covers, but used only for display purposes. The collection is available for viewing by appointment, and individual issues are also available for more precise grading information on request. Shipping costs will be paid by the buyer for any and all issues purchased.
Any questions, feel free to ask in comments here or on the Lot Auctions site. Bid heavy-- the more money this auction brings in, the less intrusive ads I have to put on the site to pay for all this bandwidth.
And bid soon-- the auction ends in just over 24 hours.
Posted by Glenn Hauman at 02:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Milling and Swilling
The Science Fiction Writers of America host an annual holiday reception for members, authors, editors and agents. You know it’s the holiday season when everyone dresses up and convenes for the first time of the fall. Traditionally nicknamed the “mill and swill,” the reception is a much-anticipated event. After all, it’s the one time we get to see some of our friends and colleagues away from the office or the convention floor, where we can gossip, joke and mingle for hours.
For the last few years, it has been held at the Society of Illustrators and it’s a wonderful locale for an event given the sumptuous artwork on the walls and several floors with which to wander. There’s even an outdoor terrace area on the second floor and on a balmy night such as yesterday, it was well used. For some, such as my pals Keith and David, the scotch tasting station (manned by a knowledgeable bloke in a kilt) was a magnet. Many others congregated near the cheese and crackers.
I got there a wee bit early and was among the first in so got to see many people in a short period of time. I could name drop but won’t, suffice to say I saw many people all of whom seemed just as happy to see me. We caught up in the usual shorthand of a reception, hitting the highlights of the recent past.
By 9, I was debating between lingering or leaving to make a sensible train. I had said at least hi to all those I wanted to see, chatted with many of them but recognized the place had filled to the point where mobility in search of some of those people was going to be problematic. Being a Monday, I also recognized I was setting the pace for the rest of the week. Logic prevailed and I left soon after, getting home just after 11.
It was nice seeing everyone and I wished I could have stayed longer without the commute. And so, the holiday festivities begin.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 13, 2005
Enjoying Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society had me as their monthly guest speaker on Friday night. The club has been around since 1935 and they put on the fine PhilCon, with the next one coming up in December (while I won’t be there in person, I will be jealous of those who are).
Longtime member and fellow author Darrel Schweitzer gave me some background on the club, which used to number nearly 100 people per meeting. The quality of guest speaker, he told me, was WorldCon caliber. Today, about 25-40 people attend the meetings and the quality of speak has been reduced to me. Still, it’s a vital group and they are making efforts to reach out and grow the ranks.
The meetings are held at The Citadel, a converted church right on the edge of the University of Pennsylvania so attracting college kids should be relatively easy.
For a number of reasons, Deb decided to send Robbie in her stead. We took Amtrak down late in the day and were greeted by Suzanne Rosin, the lovely lady who invited me. She played guide and host for the next 24 hours and was a delight. She brought us near the Citadel and we supped on fine Indian buffet. Afterwards, we wandered into a nearby used bookstore, the first of many to be seen. Robbie made it a point to look for my books in each location and then tried to determine if my books just didn’t sell or people liked them so much they couldn’t bare to part with them since he found nary a single one all weekend.
The business meeting was dragging on when I arrived followed by a break and then, just before 9 I was introduced. For something like the next 50 minutes I chatted entirely extemporaneously. I began comparing their business meeting to the RTM, debated the merits of the Phillies or the Mets acquiring free agent Billy Wagner and then reviewed the Secret Origin of Bob from age 6 through today. Later, Robbie mentioned he was genuinely interested since I talked about aspects of my career he knew little about. The other members of the audience seemed awake and alert so I was pleased.
I then took questions for nearly 30 minutes until Suzanne brought things to a close. Then, following tradition, we walked down the block to a diner. And despite said diner hosting this group every month and despite Suzanne stopping in after dinner to remind them we were coming and needed seating for 40 set aside…we were scattered about the place.
(Digression: the quality of service in Philadelphia left something to be desired. Our waiter at dinner couldn’t make himself understood or understand Suzanne’s questions. At the diner, despite having a discussion about chocolate cake with the waiter, he brought me a lady finger cake without a speck of chocolate to be seen, before dropping an entire tray of entrees. Our hotel reservation got screwed up by not having a non-smoking room set aside or accepting the billing arrangements made in advance. At breakfast, the hotel waiter brought me one-third of the menu item as described and seemed surprised when I asked for the rest of the items.)
Robbie sat at “the cool” table he related later. I sat with the slightly older generation and had a fine time until about 12:30 when Suzanne brought things to a happy close.
On Saturday, she collected us around 10 and we debated what to do. All Robbie wanted was an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. He wasn’t into museums but did want to see today’s Philadelphia (having toured the historic sites 4 years ago). When Suzanne mentioned ESP, he got interested.
Eastern State Penitentiary is America’s first prison, built around the notion of isolation to allow prisoners to repent their sins. Closed in 1971, it avoided being torn down in favor of historic preservation. For something like two hours, we toured the place, using an audio guide, largely narrated by Steve Buscemi. It was terrific and I highly recommend anyone vacationing in the area to check it out.
Afterwards, we hit a used bookstore, got Robbie his cheesesteak and then hit two more bookstores before returning to Amtrak. Our train arrived an hour late but the ride itself was comfortable and uneventful (although, with less than 200 pages to go, I was beginning to wonder if Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell was ever going to reach a conclusion). He headed straight to the Community Theatre upon our return to Fairfield while Deb and I had dinner and played catch up.
And today, today it's laundry and leaves. Swell.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:35 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 10, 2005
Tuckered Out
“Tuckerism” is named after Bob Tucker, who I suppose, made putting friends and family into his prose an artform.
Most every writer I know does this to some degree or another. To the general reader, it washes over them and they are none the wiser. But if you know an author personally, you can see whom he or she is giving a shout out to.
When I need lots of names, I grab them from various sources. For A Time to Love and A Time to Hate, I needed lots of crewmen so cherry-picked liberally from the 2004 New York Mets 25-man roster, the E Street Band and the 12 finalists from the second season of American Idol.
My kids have been tuckerized over the years. Just after Kate was born, she got promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the Enterprise in Howard Weinstein’s Deep Domain. More recently, Robbie found himself a high school principal in a Michael A. Burstein short story in the I, Alien anthology. (This is actually prophetic since he’ll be attending college next year to become a teacher.)
All of this is prelude to the small thrill I received last night while sitting on the train reading Keith DeCandido’s latest novel, a Spider-Man adventure entitled Down These Mean Streets. Reference is made to the law firm Dilmore Ward & Greenberger. I stopped and laughed, pointed it out to Deb and kept reading.
I’ve been tuckerized before, but this is my second stint as a lawyer. Back in the day, there used to be a neat feature in the back of Grimjack, “Munden’s Bar.” The Bar was once of these places where people from all dimensions and time periods can come and have a brew without trouble. John Ostrander wrote most of the stories with a wide variety of artists taking a turn. In this adventure, illustrated by Colleen Doran, I wound up a lawyer and must have been a success since here I am, all these years later in partnership with the shylocks from Kansas.
(Which certainly beats the time I found my name on a tombstone in an issue of Valentino’s Normalman.)
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:25 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
November 09, 2005
That's Mr. Representative!
First off, I’m officially elected Representative.
Election Day was interesting. Deb and I headed to vote prior to taking the train and there was a trickle of people ahead of us. The kick off “greeters” including Dee Dee Brandt, someone from the other side of the aisle whom I have come to respect. Clearly, the top of the ticket candidates were not going to rest this day.
Throughout the day candidates for First Selectman, Selectman, Board of Finance, Board of Ed, Town Planning and Zoning plus district Representatives took turns greeting voters, handing out colored cards with the Row A or Row B names. Apparently, District 8 is one with a high concentration of unaffiliated voters so was highly contested (although they still couldn’t muster a single Republican for Rep). During High Noon, both First Selectman candidates were there which I’m told proved interesting.
I left work early and got to take my turn at about 5:45, just as the dark settled in and the temperature began to drop. There were 3-4 Republicans on one side of the median, a similar number of Democrats on the other. There was one Republican who exhorted all who came near to consider his party since the current Administration had raised our taxes 45% over the last few years. After spewing forth once or twice, I finally called over to him, “Even your guy only claimed it was 40% after first claiming it was 34%. Where do you get 45%?” No response. He continued his screed, I continued to challenge him, and it got interesting.
As people approached, I read body language. I either thanked them for coming out to vote or handed them a card. Some didn’t want to be bothered, and walked around us. Some barreled right through and ignored both sides while others were polite and took cards from both sides. I started being humorous about the whole thing, telling them to take one from all sides and complete their sets, treating them like trading cards.
Finally, around 7, we more or less decided to stop the hard sell. It was clear people were arriving with their minds made up. Instead, we were polite, thanking them for coming out to vote.
At 8, the polls officially closed. Sue Barrett, a staunch member of the Democratic Town Committee’s District 8, claimed her long-time right to be the one to count the ballots and call in the results to HQ. I went along, curious to see the process (running unopposed, there was little suspense for me personally).
Once the doors were locked, each machine’s fronts were locked, and then the backs were opened for the tallies. Seated at one table were the counters for both parties with the Republicans represented by their grand old man Carl Dickman and two college aides. Each machine would be read off, starting with the A column then the B. Carefully, the machine’s serial number was announced to the official moderator and then the numbers were called out. We scribbled furiously, someone behind the machines was repeating the numbers into a phone connected to the Town Clerk’s office.
Dickman, former RTM member, former State Rep, and a much respected figure, was alarmed at the numbers for his guys and admittedly sickened no one ran for RTM.
Once all four machines were read out, all the tallying began. Sue did the top of the ticket numbers, grabbed her phone and called Democratic HQ. I continued tallying. Once she got past Board of Ed, she decided she was done and left for the party. I fumed and continued to add each and every column, even Constables.
The Democrats had a very good showing across the board, not perfect mind you, but good. Out of the five RTM candidates, I came in fifth, which is no surprise being the newbie. I was disappointed in the spread, my 740 versus Pat Jacobson’s 800, but she’s beloved and I don’t begrudge her.
After a time, the poll workers, many of whom had been there since 5:45 a.m., announced they were locking the backs of the machines in case we wanted to look. We thanked them for their service and packed up our things. I did, though, ask for the giant mockup of the ballot to keep as a souvenir.
I drove over to the party, stopping to collect Robbie. Deb met us at Europa, a nice little restaurant a wee bit too small for the throng of people. Kate used to waitress there so we said hi to Spiro, the owner who seemed to remember us. Things were in full swing and sure enough, a tote board with all the positions was up and each district’s observer came over to record the numbers, so it’s a good thing I completed the chart.
There were finger foods, a cash bar and lots of people. We made chit chat here and there and I was very touched by how happy Deb was for my first formal election.
In the end, Ken Flatto defeated Jack Stone by something like 10% but we did not get both Board of Finance candidates on, just one, so the Republicans retain the majority making life difficult in the coming two years. Some very good RTM members also did not get voted back into office while we gained some new faces. Our sizeable majority of 38-12 shrunk dramatically to 27-23, which could make for more contentious meetings. One observed to me that it certain would make for longer meetings. Sigh. Three out of our ten districts are mixed; the other seven are either all Republican or all Democrat, which I find fascinating although I am too new at this to fully understand how that is.
Our first meeting will be on the 30th at which time we’ll be confirmed in our new committees. I suspect I’ll remain on Finance, which I think I’m okay with for the moment. After a few months effectively acting as a September call up, I’m about to begin my first season in the Majors and I’m looking forward to it.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 05:28 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
November 08, 2005
Writing Update
BattleTech
Classic BattleTech is a successful long time Role Playing Game that has a spawned a rich, deep and very complex universe spanning thousands of years. It’s been an enduring game system that has, like most other successful creations, spawned its own line of fiction.
Editor Loren Coleman has recently approved my writing a short story for a forthcoming collection, Ages of War: A Classic BattleTech Anthology , coming our in either late 2006 or early 2007. Loren deemed my story as “ambitious” and thanks to his crew; I think I have navigated the continuity minefields. I’ve been sifting through the tons of guidebooks and am about ready to actually start the writing. Since other pals I know are writing for this world, it seemed like a welcoming place to be.
I love the idea of writing in a new universe and look forward to this.
Star Trek: Corps of Engineers
The greatest problem publishers of series fiction have is that a successful series can sometimes grow so large as to be daunting to newcomers. For example, people have been telling me to read Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct books for years but I wasn’t sure where to start since I didn’t necessarily want to go back to the very first one.
It’s a happy problem in that the series has been around to accumulate so many chapters, books, entries, what-have-you.
That apparently has become the case with Pocket Books’ Star Trek: S.C.E. series of eBooks. Initially created in partnership with Microsoft, it was intended to help introduce people to the joys of eBooks and the Microsoft Reader software. The books have been more or less monthly and this year cracked the #50 mark.
After many months of decision making across a variety of departments, it was decided to continue the eBook program but with some modifications. The series would come to an end with #66 only to be relaunched with a new #1 and a slightly modified title, Star Trek: Corps of Engineers. We do this all the time in comics so it must work. The other change is a reduction in frequency from monthly to six times a year. To keep things fresh, the other six slots will be used with other Trek eBooks such as 40th Anniversary Star Trek: The Original Series stories.
Yesterday, eBook editor Keith DeCandido announced the first three ST: Corps of Engineers stories and “Troubleshooting,” number two, will be by yours truly. (Number one will be from my Midwest cronies Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore and they better do a good job.) It’s a story that occurred to me in a bolt of inspiration in the spring of 2004. It was first submitted in June that year but given the aforementioned delays at the corporate level, it only got approved on Friday.
I like the cast of characters in this series a lot and look forward to my third visit with them. I also set myself a denser story than the last two and want to challenge myself and see if I can raise the level of writing a bit.
Other Stuff
The media tie-in pitch that met with lukewarm response last week festered with me. On the drive down to Maryland this weekend, a new notion hit me that the editor likes. I need to quickly whip this into a full outline and then cross my fingers.
The other new media tie-in novel proposal, I thought, was revised to my editor’s liking. But I showed it to a pal who is also writing in the line and he carefully articulated the plot’s second half problem that my editor couldn’t state as clearly. I have some work ahead of me but its not insurmountable.
I like the idea that all four of these projects are moving after a long period of inactivity but I am also suddenly feeling the press of time. Oh well, better this than the alternative.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:29 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 07, 2005
Gotta Dance!
Deb and I drove down south for the weekend, not to go late season leaf peeping but to gawk at something entirely different. This weekend was DCDI, DC Dancesport Inferno, a regional competitive ballroom dance event held at the University of Maryland in College Park. Some 20 schools and organizations were represented from the northeast (Columbia, Stony Brook) to the south (North Carolina), which is said to be the largest representation yet, a sing of growth in the sport. There was something like 300+ couples in categories ranging from Newcomer to Bronze to Silver to Gold to Prechamp to Champion. The newbies alone had something like 100 couples registered to compete. Some schools only had one couple representing them while GWU came with something like an army of 70 dancers.
We got down Friday night and took Kate to dinner, thinking it was our best shot at having her to ourselves for the weekend. After that, as Team Captain, she had a lot of organizing and corralling to do. Sure enough, at 5:45 a.m. Saturday, she was up and activating the phone tree to make sure all the competitors were up and moving.
When we got to the competition around 9, things were just starting. They began with the Bronze competitors that comprise the second largest number of competitors, I think. Kate danced three different times during the morning and then focused on her team. She’s been saddled with the bad luck, both last year and this, not to have a steady partner that has impeded her ability to compete. Her newbies, I’m told, we scared witless at the prospect of their first dances, but most visibly relaxed after that crucial first outing on the dance floor. Also, each veteran was given a pair of newbies to mentor so there was a great deal of “mothering” going on which helped tremendously.
Basically, after a first round of one dance, say Waltz, completed, they moved on to the first round of the next dance, such as Foxtrot. In each experience category, most dancers did multiple dances so they kept returning to queue up for their next turn. Meantime, the professional judges were marking which couples they felt should move on to the next round and their numbers were flashed onto a big screen so they knew when they were to dance next, if at all. This winnowing process continued until the final round of, say, eight couples, each of who would then be awarded a ribbon during the awards portion of the day.
As a result, we were constantly watching and rooting, screaming out numbers in support. Kate was thrilled we got to meet so many of her teammates and friends but we also got to know them by their numbers. I don’t know the names of the newbies that impressed me in Latin, but I yelled myself hoarse for “214”. Since GWU was the largest school population, the cheering section proved loudest and most boisterous (we were the only seated section to perform the wave, for example). As Saturday wore on, the Emcee played to the GWU section a bit showing remarkable good humor.
The schedule was packed and as a result, things began to slip. The only breaks were for lunch and dinner and each got cut down to about 20 minutes. The Saturday event, scheduled to end around 9:15 p.m., closed down an hour after that. It helped that in two different categories there was only one couple competing so it made things pick up.
GWU had one silver couple and one gold. The gold included Loren, the former Team President, and the most accomplished dancer in the bunch. She and her partner Matt somehow found 309 hours a week to practice for months. Loren has, in many ways, acted as Kate’s mentor in both academics (thanks to similar fields of study) and dance. She was terrific to watch on the dance floor as well as work with her teammates. Her mom and two aunts came up from Durham to watch. They came loaded with tons of food for the team so during for lunch, the team could line up and receive turkey and cheese wraps. Liz, Loren’s mom, and I had identical stations set up making wraps as fast as possible to keep everyone fed and the line moving. She also brought snack bars, gum, bottled water, candy bars, bagels, muffins and so on. An amazing, supportive and cheerful family.
Sunday’s competition was much the same, although this time the morning featured Smooth and the afternoon Latin. Kate was dancing three Latin numbers which were her most favorite so we agreed we’d stay as long as possible to see how she did. The day was a fair repeat of Saturday with maybe a little less cheering and kids being a bit droopier between dances. We found ourselves seated this time around parents with kids competing from other schools so as long as no GWU kids were in the heat, Liz had us cheering for these others in our section.
Kate danced with two guys, both good friends, and she was happy with how things went, even though she didn’t make finals in her three dances. However, the national competition is coming up in two weeks, in Ohio. If things turn out well, she’ll actually attend with a partner, a guy she danced with last year from UPenn. They renewed their acquaintance during the weekend and when he said his partner wasn’t able to attend, suggested they dance together. We’re crossing our fingers this works out well.
Interestingly, even though the schools came en masse, it really came down to individual couples and their performance. No one was keeping tallies which school received the most ribbons. In the practice room, I watched as people from different schools gave pointers to one another. I also watched as the GWU bonded, cheering each other on, getting ecstatic when several of the newbie couples received their very first ribbons and seeing to it, they were looked after.
We had to leave before things wound down but had a terrific time watching our daughter in her new element. She was happy, confidant, and largely in control. There’s a lot of logistics to being the captain before and during a competition and we’re proud of her in so many new ways.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 03, 2005
Some Updates
Election Update
You can tell it’s fall. We changed the clocks the other day and I just spent two hours on the train platform, trying not to shiver in the cold, handing out campaign literature as the election fight winds down.
Tuesday saw the platform filled with loads of Republicans, all the top-of-the-ticket candidates and others. Yesterday, there were still some Republicans pressing the flesh as people hurried to the train.
This morning was our turn. I thought commuters might object to a third morning of politicking, but no one said anything. We had our top-of-the-ticket people on hand plus some others, such as yours truly. Denise Dougiello, running as our First Selectman’s mate, commented that in her experience the later the train departure, the surlier the commuter mood. Since I habitually take the 6:40 train, it’s not something I have witnessed. Well, she’s right and I have no idea why. After all, they’re taking later trains, which likely means they got more sleep. Who knows?
After standing there from 6 a.m. until 8, I grabbed a cup of coffee and boarded the 8:02, glad to have done my part.
I’ve also been asked to be the poll counter for the Democrats at District 8 on Election Night. Essentially, once the polls close at 8 p.m., I’ll be there to watch the election officials tally the results from each machine, checking their math and then calling in the results to HQ before heading to the (hopefully) joyous party at a local restaurant. Should make for a fascinating experience.
Distant Shores
The first on line review went up yesterday over at Trek Nation. Jackie Bundy enjoyed the anthology a lot, more than she might have enjoyed the TV series. Of my story, “Command Code,” she wrote: “Even without the notation of when this story is set you would know immediately as Greenberger perfectly captures the ambiance of tension early in the series when the two crews were still distrustful of each other.”
Hot Stove Talk Heats Up
Players are still declaring free agency but already speculation is running rampant as to who the Mets will go after. It seems they’re setting their sights on Billy Wagner, closer for the Phillies. He’d be good, but at 34, I wouldn’t want to lock him into anything long term. A more appealing choice is B.J. Ryan from the Orioles, but everyone will want him. My biggest fear is they’ll go for aging “Flash” Gordon or Trevor Hoffman, which is not what they need.
The other intriguing gossip is that Rafael Furcal, the slick-fielding shortstop from Atlanta might be interesting in the Mets. But they already have Jose Reyes at short, you say. True, but Furcal has indicated he’d be willing to move to second. Of course, that trick didn’t work last year when Kaz Matsui made the move and he’s still under contract. I’d be wary of this one, especially since he’s light hitting and his stolen base count is down.
On the Freelance Front
The proposals that have sat on an editor's desk since December finally got read this week. I got a call last night which amounted to, "What else do you have?" So, I fumed about it on the walk to the train and then, while reading Time, a thought occured to me. I want one or two more log line pitches and then I'll try again.
In happier news, the new meda tie-in market I approached has given me a green light for a short story for an anthology. Once I name the story and get underway, I'll provide some details.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:45 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 01, 2005
Working Out
Yesterday I renewed our membership at the Recreation Center, beginning year two of physical conditioning.
Deb admits that the reason she forced me to join her at the gym last October was that I am a creature of habit and routine. As a result, once I started going to the gym and added it to the weekly schedule, I’d force her to go along.
Smart woman, my wife.
For the last year, with few exceptions, we have been going at least twice a week; sometimes three visits over 7-8 days. In that time, I have toned up a bit, dropped some weight and have watched the weights lifted or added to the machinery edge up in number. Am I going to challenge Charles Atlas in competition? No, that’s not the goal.
In theory, doing all of this keeps me generally healthier and more flexible, an issue as age advances. I begin with thirty minutes on a cardio machine, usually reading the latest issue of The Week or some other periodical and then work my way through seven other devices. In 60-75 minutes I’m sweaty, tired and a little sore but certainly feeling virtuous as I trudge back to the car.
I have friends and relatives who have added exercise later in life and they have enjoyed it even more than me, actually competing in Iron Man Marathons or running 5K races. I don’t have those aspirations but I also see much older people in the gym and see that this will be a permanent addition to my life, in order to enjoy those forthcoming golden years.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack