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November 29, 2006
Lamenting the Gilmore Girls
Much has been written about the change in management on Gilmore Girls, a series that has been a Greenberger Family favorite since its debut. The critics have pretty much savaged the writing, noting the hip and current asides are missing, the speech pacing has slowed down and therefore the leads – Lorelei and Rory – no longer resemble themselves.
After watching last night’s episode, I realized the show’s problems run deeper. The entire point of view has altered and not for the better.
In the beginning we were introduced to Lorelei who rejected everything her parents stood for and set out on her own, sixteen and pregnant, to find her own way. Her fierce independence has been demonstrated time and again, from living in the barn behind the Inn to seeking out her dream to own and run her own Inn. It was always Lorelei and Rory first and foremost.
With time, though, Lorelei has been slowly learning to not only trust others and let them in to her life, but that to achieve her dreams she needs to accept help from others. First, Luke was there with a loan when the money to refurbish the Dragonfly Inn ran out and later when there was a fire and her father had to step in and help her with the insurance. The latter actually helped heal long-standing wounds between father and daughter and both characters benefited.
Today, though, the series has been less about independence and more about class warfare. Now that Lorelei’s first love, Christopher, has come in to money, we have the Gilmores at the top of the pyramid followed by Lorelei and Christopher and Rory and the very rich Logan. Storyline after storyline has played with this battle and it’s rather wearisome. The show even tried to show us that Lorelei was wistful for the things that weren’t during the cotillion episode – perhaps the least in character moment of the season. The loveably idiosyncratic residents of Starrs Hollow now appear less unique and more like country bumpkins. That was made clear in Tuesday’s episode with how they reacted to Christopher marrying Lorelei and later after Christopher made up the shortfall in the fund raising drive. Worse, in the teaser for next week, he calls Luke the “diner guy”.
Luke is anything but that. Luke is as fiercely independent as Lorelei has been, keeping the diner his way and again, very slowly have we seen him accept other people in his life. The parallels between him and April and Lorelei and Rory are clear and as annoying as April was as a plot device, the relationship has grown nicely.
Christopher was a screw up, one reason he and Lorelei never really stayed together. He was failure in his personal life and his professional life. Despite Richard Gilmore’s support, he continued to screw up his career. Now that he’s come into significant money, he has proven that inheriting money equals character makeover. His character arc is unrecognizable and somewhat of a series low point.
Deb observed recently that Lorelei hasn’t looked happy all season despite rejecting Luke’s re-proposal of marriage, jetting the Paris and ultimately marrying Christopher. There’s little joy in her life as she’s allowed events to carry her along as opposed to the Lorelei of the past, the one who charted her course and bulled ahead to make the absurd a reality. If anything, the show has missed a key character point in never showing us her repaying Luke the thousands of dollars because if nothing else, she wanted to be beholden to nobody.
The show’s ratings have taken a beating as people have not warmed to the new production team’s approach to the show. We’re nearing the season’s halfway point and there’s little sign they’ve taken any of the criticism to heart. It’s a real shame since this was one of the freshest shows and most original voices on prime time television for six straight years.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:51 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
November 28, 2006
Partisan Politics
We were reminded last night that serving on the RTM is an honor. The people in town elected us to represent their best interests and all 50 of us making up the body truly have their best interests in mind.
On the other hand, we’re also 50 individuals who uniquely see the world and our place in it. As a result, when we try and do right by the town, we don’t always agree on how to accomplish that. Sadly, a lot of it can be ascribed to ideologies under the Democratic and Republican banners. There are times, though; people at our meeting seem to put allegiance to those banners ahead of their allegiance to the town’s interests.
The partisan spirit was well in evidence last night. We began with the election of Moderator and Deputy Moderator and candidates from both parties were nominated. In a futile waste of time, the vote went as expected, 26 Democrats voted for Joel Green, 23 Republicans voted for Brian LeClerc and so on.
It also reared up when the body took up the Eminent Domain Ordinance. By this point, we had tidily whipped through items 5-11 by at least agreeing on the basic business and putting it all on the consent calendar, allowing us to vote for all seven items in one fell swoop.
Jamie Millington wrote the Ordinance in response to last year’s Supreme Court decision, stemming from a case in New London. As with many towns, the idea here was put a rule on the books to prevent the town from seizing private property in favor of commercial development. In our town, such seizure would come before the RTM so one of the arguments made during the deliberations these last two months is that even if we approve the Ordinance, we could merely repeal it whenever it suited the body.
Ordinances in our town have two months of Committee and RTM meetings for review and comment. Last month, when it became clear the lawyers in our congregation thought the language could be tightened and others had some doubts that it was merely a “feel good” measure, our caucus decided to suggest it be referred to a special committee or directed to the Legislation & Administration committee. I volunteered to make the motion, thinking my own team would close ranks behind me. Didn’t happen and it got shot down.
This month, at caucus, there was even more concern over the language. One of our lawyers saw that the Ordinance was in response to Connecticut State Statutes for Blighted Properties not Personal Properties. As written, Jamie’s Ordinance was addressed the wrong concern entirely. While a technical error, it spoke to the need for more careful scrutiny.
Doug Jones, our Majority Leader, managed to get everyone rallied behind the suggestion for a special committee to review this from top to bottom. No one wanted it dead, but everyone wanted it right. This time, someone else could try the motion.
Sure enough, we got to the topic and, to be certain everyone remained of one mind, we called a caucus. Sounded like everyone still believed in the ordinance, in principal, and would support the motion.
We filed back in and Julie DeMarco got up and made her motion. In the course of proposing the sub-committee, with a 60 day mandate, she got a promise from our First Selectman that no property was in danger for the next two months (and much longer). She also had Dick Saxl, the Town Attorney, to read from a letter from a lawyer well versed in Eminent Domain, who found “holes” in the Ordinance as written. The debate grew hot pretty quickly. Jamie spoke first and insisted we’ve had five months since he first distributed the Ordinance for consideration so now was not the time to go nitpicking. He said there was urgency to getting this passed and there should be no delay. In fact, the Republicans who spoke had the theme of “pass it now, we’ll fix it later”.
Last month I said, we needed to get this done right and to take the time necessary. I’ve come to live with these words coming back to me in my own sub-committee and still think that’s the best way to govern. Jamie's intent is fine, but to insist we pass something that was clearly flawed, is wrong-headed.
The motion passed and as you might expect, it went exactly along party lines 26-23. So, a sub-committee is being assembled today and in January the town will hear back on the topic.
We finally adjourned, no one feeling happy about the way the night went. Sure, some things got accomplished, but the tension in the room was uncomfortable and few Republicans were visible during our “socialable soda” afterwards.
Before going for a soda, though, my own sub-committee met, in the hopes of passing our three Ordinances. We got through two of them without a problem. The third, though, proved a sticking point. Paul Fattibene, who has been terrific in fine tuning our language and intent, got high marks for a last minute draft of one ordinance. He also tried to clean up the final one and got stuck in a procedural morass that we created. As a result, we wrestled with our intent and realized we needed more information before acting. So, 2 out of 3, as Meatloaf sings, ain’t bad. The third should be settled next month and our work will be done.
Five of us, 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans, managed to come together, hash through the issues and come up with things we think will benefit the town. It gave me some hope that the larger body might manage to do the same if it could only remember to put the town and its citizens first, and then party ideologies.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 26, 2006
Rebooting James Bond
Reboots are all the rage these days. DC rebooted their universe recently and in any given year, DC or Marvel will reboot at least half a dozen characters. The current Battlestar Galactica is a successful reboot on television. Batman Begins is seen as a very successful reboot of a moribund franchise while Superman Returns is seen as a less successful attempt.
Then there’s James Bond. Since his debut in theaters, there have been numerous actors portraying 007 but the reality in which they work has remained a constant. Age and death have forced the film series to replace M and Moneypenny as well as introduce a successor to Q. But, until now, there really hasn’t been a total reboot.
Casino Royale is just that, despite the appearance of Judi Dench, once more, as M. The producers, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, decided that once they obtained the rights to the first Ian Fleming Bond novel, it was time to tell his origin for movie fans. The timing couldn’t have been better since they were iffy about Pierce Brosnan coming back for a fifth film.
So, it was time to turn back the clock and imagine a world of spies, espionage, arms trading and the like, without over-the-top gizmos. It was to be a grimmer Bond film and showing how he became the successful spy we have all come to know and love. Director Martin Campbell has handled Bond before and one could argue a different director was required for the reboot, but given the strength of the script he inherited and the desires of the producers, he knew what was expected. He delivered. Mostly.
Casino Royale has been hailed as the best Bond since (fill in the blank). While very good, it is certainly not the best Bond film of all time.
We have to look at the film two ways. First, as a Bond film, it’s terrific. Exotic locales around the world, spectacular chases and stunts, an involved plot – all hallmarks of a good Bond movie. Unlike too many previous offerings, the story actually is linear and makes sense. The characters are well introduced and we watch Bond evolve, the most character development he’s had since, arguably, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. His growing relationship with M is nicely done as is the slow development of the repertoire of Bondisms. Much has been made of the martini origin but I liked how the film ended with the familiar introduction of “Bond. James Bond.” Only then do we get the traditional theme music as the end credits roll. By this time, he’s earned it and it’s a nice touch.
I’ve said all along Daniel Craig at 38 is too old to be Bond as he earns his 00 status. Now that I’ve seen the film, it works just fine largely due to Craig’s marvelous performance. He’s surrounded with many good actors including Mads Mikkelson as La Chiffre and Eva Green as Vesper Lynde, the least annoying Bond girl in memory.
It’s a very good, probably terrific Bond film.
It’s not a very good movie.
The problem stems largely from the movie changing pace and tone without warning about two-thirds of the way through. But first, having Felix Leiter on hand is from the novel as well as a nod to their friendship but Jeffrey Wright is wasted as Leiter. He has nothing to do and just sits there. Also, Ivana Millcevic (Valenka) shows up well into the poker game, is never introduced, and then has a key plot twist handed to her and we don’t know what’s going on.
As soon as the La Chiffre story ends and Bond is on the road to recovery (from one of the most effectively brutal torture scenes on film), the movie morphs into something else. The pace slows to something excruciatingly slow, too much is told expositorily between characters rather than letting the audience in on the fun. By the time it finally ends, we’re still not entirely sure who this man is that Bond has tracked or who the man with the eye patch was. It’s poorly paced and leaves much left unexplained.
Still, this reboot sets us up for the Daniel Craig era with the second installment already promised for May 2008. In fact, I stayed through the end credits for the traditional promise that “James Bond will be Back” because despite its flaws, I was sold on the reimagining of the franchise.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 12:46 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
November 25, 2006
Done!
The following was written on Friday but internet connectivity issues delayed posting this:
Traditions and schedules will be maintained if one is to retain one’s sanity.
Yesterday I enjoyed my first non-writing day in a month. I started catching up on Veronica Mars, a show I enjoy which Deb is fine with skipping. Then, as we got ready to leave, we watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade, something never missed in our household.
With the rain and Long Island traffic awaiting us, though, we did make some sacrifices and hit the road before Santa arrived in Herald Square.
The traffic was horrendous, incredible volume all through Connecticut and much of Westchester right to the Throg’s Neck Bridge. It could be that many got the same early start or the thick rain or more likely both, but the trip was slow and tedious. We of course listened to Arlo sing “Alice’s Restaurant” as tradition insists. We then heard about half of it again as WFUV was just minutes behind us. No matter, we had plenty of time to kill.
We did arrive at Chez Rozakis after two and a half hours, making us about an hour late. Still, we visited with our adoptive family and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Robbie gobbled the olives Laurie stocks mainly just for him. They saved us pigs and blankets from the appetizer spread which was thoughtful. The dinner itself, served just the 14 of us (down from the usual 20+) but there was enough for twice that number. And it was all quite tasty.
Dessert was even better.
We stayed and chatted until about 10 and then we tried the return trip, hoping against hope that the traffic crunch would have ended by then. Ha. Neither the rain nor the volume let up and we got home just after midnight.
Today, as is our wont, we largely stayed home to avoid Black Friday. Our only journey away from home was to tend to some banking. Deb had homework, Robbie had friends to see and me, I had a book to finish.
And around 3:15 this afternoon, the first draft of Predator: Flesh & Blood was completed. Weighing in around 66,500 words, it’s fine for a first draft length. On Sunday I shall begin a light review before turning the whole thing over to Mike Friedman and moving on to the next project.
Yes, even more to be thankful for.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 22, 2006
Being Thankful
All sorts of progress has been made since Sunday morning, for which I have to give thanks. After all, this is the time of year where we all should be stopping and taking a moment to look back and make certain we acknowledge the good things that have happened over the last 12 months.
Predator: Flesh & Blood is nearing the first draft finish line. I cracked 61,000 words yesterday so if nothing else, it proves I can complete a Na-No-Re-Mo project (much to Kate’s consternation). Actually, I was very pleased by yesterday’s session and it may be among the best parts of the book written to date.
One of the things I’ve fit in over the last few days were two brief interviews with friends who deserve a little exposure. I was IMing with my pal, Jen Contino, keeper of The Pulse, and was lamenting how DC and Marvel had several cool novels out that no one knew about. One of my pet peeves is that the companies sell novel rights but then neither the company nor the book publishers do much promotion to the core fan base that would most enjoy them. As a result, David Mack’s Wolverine novel or Denny O’Neil’s DC Universe novel featuring The Question (with appearances by Richard Dragon, Lady Shiva and Batman) sit on the shelves undiscovered. To remedy that, I chatted with Dave about his book and that just got posted on the site. An interview with Greg Cox on adapting Infinite Crisis into prose will be available by Monday.
I did, also, manage to turn around my Corps of Engineers galleys over the weekend and got deadlines on some of the other tasks I complained about that fall after my self-imposed Thanksgiving weekend deadline on the novel. It allows me to breathe a bit.
This also meant I could attend the annual SFWA Holiday Reception, nicknamed the Mill & Swill. I had a pre-Swill dinner with Peter & Kathleen David and Greg Cox and then we hit the Society of Illustrators for the reception. As usual, I saw many old colleagues, and met several new ones. The reception is for members, agents, editors and the like so it’s a huge party that also doubles as a great networking opportunity. I met my editor on the unnamed project and in turn introduced David Mack to people at DelRey who had only read his proposed work for them. I did meet some new editors and renewed acquaintances with others. Best, I had a nice chat with Mike Mignola, who I have not seen in years so it was great to catch up.
The short work week had the potential to cause havoc in closing a weekly newspaper early but we managed to pull everything together and are closing by our noon deadline today. Next week’s issue of Weekly World News is also running in good shape so we’re passing the first hurdle of the holiday season without a problem.
I can safely say there is much to be thankful for. Hope the same is true for one and all.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 19, 2006
And How was Your Weekend?
It never just rains on a freelancer. It is either dry or it’s pouring.
The last few days, many existing projects suddenly reared up and demanded attention. The timing could be better but rarely is.
As you know, I’m working hard to complete the first draft of Predator: Flesh & Blood. Beginning this morning, I am at 52,000+ words and remain on a pace to complete the first draft by next weekend.
On Thursday, I came home to find galleys to Troubleshooting, my Star Trek: Corps of Engineers novella awaiting me. Keith DeCandido tells me they’re due back by next Friday.
On Friday, Leah Wilson, my benevolent editor at BenBella, gets back to me about my essay for their forthcoming Grey’s Anatomy book. She says many complimentary things about it but concludes that it needs another draft, a light polish. No deadline provided but no doubt it’ll be soon.
Also on Friday, my editor on an as-yet unannounced project, finally got back to me about my outline. She asked some good questions, made some fine suggestions and then asked if I could rework the outline this weekend. I asked for a delay until after Flesh & Blood was done. No answer so I took it as a yes otherwise my brain would explode.
On Saturday, I received the galleys to “Things That Aren’t”, my story for Analog that I co-wrote with Michael A. Burstein. They want the notes back on the 28th, which is at least after the Thanksgiving weekend.
Deb happily notes that much of the above all started when I was out of work and desperate to fill my plate and it’s nice to see all the activity. I concur, but I do wish things had been evenly space a bit better.
After all, not only do I have all of this writing, but I will lose a day (happily) to Thanksgiving, I have my government commitments still dragging on and Robbie will be home for five days so I’d like some time with him, too. Trust me; the above is much better than the alternative.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:39 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 16, 2006
Flesh & Blood: Day 22
Today marks the beginning of week four in my quest to write a quality Predator novel without losing my mind or neglecting any other obligations.
I will sit at the computer some time later today and will continue work on chapter fifteen. As I start the session, I will have already completed 46,000 words (give or take a few hundred).
It has been a long, long time since I’ve had this kind of deadline and I can’t recall the last sustained period of intense writing. Since beginning the actual prose part 21 days ago, I have written every single day without fail. Some days it has been a mere 1000 words or so while other days have been 5000 blockbusters. But I am writing steadily and can anticipate completing my draft over Thanksgiving weekend. I’ll then take a day or two to rest, then review the manuscript and tweak it before turning it over to my collaborator, Mike Friedman with the words, “Now it’s your headache.”
I write best when I have a good solid roadmap. As I have said before, my problem tends to be the middle of the book and sure enough, chapter 11 is the middle and I suspect it’s the most muddled chapter that will need some reworking. There are stretches where I am very happy with how I depict a scene or make the characters work. Other times I know I am struggling and get past it knowing there will not only be time for me to rework it but have Mike to lean on for help.
What has surprised me the most so far, is that I am doing some things structurally with the book that I have not done before nor was suggested by the outline but feel makes for better storytelling.
Are there enough blood and guts and imaginative dismemberment to satisfy the long-time Predator fans? Is this a strong enough follow-up entry to DH Books’ line? Damned if I know.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 15, 2006
Aftermath
One of the pleasures of writing for Star Trek is the wide variety of franchises, all stemming from the original core concept. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses and I’ve dabbled in all of them save Enterprise. One of the most enjoyable have been my visits to the crew of the da Vinci in the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers eBook series.
One of the reasons I enjoy them so is that they grow and change over time. Each monthly installment allowed the various writers to explore interesting problems while spotlighting the evolving status quo among the crew. It is the series most closely resembling a modern day television series with its ensemble cast and continuing character storylines.
My second story, “Buying Time”, has just been published in book form under the title Star Trek: Corps of Engineers – Aftermath. The trade edition collects SCE episodes 29-36 so I get to share space with pals like Aaron Rosenberg and the team of Andy Mangels & Michael Martin. The book is massive, 640 pages, but at the affordable price of $15.
My third visit, “Troubleshooting” is scheduled for online debut next month. Pocket Books decided to revamp how the eFiction line was going to work -- they stopped Star Trek: SCE after episode 66. The line is now split between six Corps of Engineers releases a year along with six of some other project. The Corps of Engineers stories remain focused on the da Vinci and its crew but they won’t be numbered. (The other slots are currently being filled with the entertaining Mere Anarchy serial, celebrating Star Trek’s 40th anniversary.)
If you have ever wanted to try an eBook, now is a terrific time. Pocket Books just launched a sale through the end of the year with deep discounts to all the eBooks. And if you remain disinterested in the format, then Aftermath is for you. Trust me, it’ll look really spiffy covered in wrapping paper and placed under a tree.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:16 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 14, 2006
Citi Field? Feh.
The Mets have played in cookie-cutter Shea Stadium since 1964 and they feel they need something new. Interestingly, they’re growing smaller, ensuring more sellouts, and the basic design for the new stadium evokes old Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. What I find interesting about this is that the team is based in Queens, an entirely different borough. Still, the Mets were born in the void left when the Dodgers and the New York Giants abandoned New York City for the west coast.
Even though they broke ground four months ago on the new Mets stadium, the Wilpons had a ground breaking ceremony in the Shea Stadium parking lot yesterday. The event was to call attention to the $20 million a year naming rights that had been secured by Citibank and to also give Jackie Robinson his due by naming the forthcoming rotunda after him.
Among the dignitaries in attendance was outgoing Governor George Pataki who admitted to his Yankee bias. He even showed how incredibly ill-prepared he was by referring to the west coast move as an event from the 1960s. Sheesh.
The new ballpark, scheduled to open in time for the 2009 season, will be named Citi Field. Given the choices Citibank surveyed, this one is fairly inoffensive. (OK, I take a lot of online surveys and one happened to be all about how I felt about Citibank being the sponsor and picking names. I thought selling naming rights was silly since they did little to lower my ticket prices. Since Citibank had no previous relationship with the Mets and that MLB is affiliated with Bank of America, I thought it sounded bad. The names were also fairly bad to merely pedestrian.) The entire naming rights thing has drained the personality out of ballparks. You had names like Solider Field or Jack Murphy Stadium, names that meant something. In the past decade, a lot of the corporations that overspent for naming rights changed hands or went out of business so something cool like the BOB (Bank One Ballpark) suddenly became Chase Field (yawn).
There’s no question Shea was aging and impersonal. Still, it had one of the best organized scoreboards I’d seen across the country and it’s where I’ve been going to games since I was a wee lad. It’ll take quite some time before saying “We’re going to Opening Day at Citi Field” sounds the least bit comfortable.
My team came really close this season and is already laying the ground work for 2007. Re-signing Jose Valentin was a somewhat surprising move but he certainly deserved consideration and pairing him with someone a little younger and with a little more pop in his bat wouldn’t be such a terrible move.
In one of those poetic justice moments, they open the new season on Sunday, April 1, a night game in St. Louis, facing the very team that prematurely ended the quest for the World Series. I can’t wait.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:22 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
November 13, 2006
A Vapid Marie
While I appreciate what Sofia Coppola was attempting with Marie Antoinette, it doesn’t work. She took the approach that Louis and Marie were so cloistered in Versailles that they were woefully ignorant of what was happening to the very people they were to govern. Additionally, she was pressured on a regular basis to produce an heir out of her mother’s fear that the politics will shunt her daughter aside.
We’re treated to lovely images of Marie and friends eating, lounging, sampling the latest styles, and enjoying life at its most relaxed. The ‘80s pop soundtrack reinforces that vapid feel.
Those without a working understanding of the reality will take away the impression that Marie (and Louis) got what they deserved.
What’s interesting is that the director based her film on Antonia Fraser’s well received biography; she picks and chooses the bits that fit her limited vision. Between the Fraser book and Caroline Weber’s more recent Queen of Fashion; a very different Marie is portrayed. While I have read neither book, the reviews tell us more than enough to know Coppola skimped. There’s a concise and fascinating short history in the current issue of Smithsonian which I happened to read the same day as seeing the film.
Marie was thrust, largely ill-prepared, for life in France after being raised in her native Austria. She did develop a social conscience and the people genuinely liked her until the high price of bread drove them to rebel. The film even gets her long-term affair wrong and a richer film would have been the story of Marie, her lover the Count Axel von Fersen and Louis. Much has been speculated as to the exact nature of Fersen’s relationship with Marie but he was a constant factor in her life from when they met when she was just 16 until her death at 38. Fersen went so far as to try and protect them as they fled Paris but Louis rejected his help which proved a fatal error.
A pretty but largely empty movie wastes nice performances by Kirsten Dunst and Jonathan Schwartzman.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 10, 2006
In Which He Vents
I’ve often said I didn’t want to be in a public office because I’d have little patience of fools and tell the blowhards to shut up. Still, I serve on both the RTM and Area 2 Cable Advisory Council.
At last night’s CAC meeting, I unloaded with both barrels and I have to admit, it felt good.
Essentially, Sound View is the third party provider of Public, Education and Government channel programming under license from the state’s DPUC (Public Utilities). We’re nearing the end of the process for both Sound View and Cablevision to be refranchised. Despite CAC, Cablevision, the Attorney General and others complaining about Sound View, the DPUC’s draft ruling last month not only was refranchsing Sound View but giving them more than they asked for while at the same time more or less emasculating CAC.
The final ruling will come out on November 22 and earlier this week, oral arguments were heard from those parties objecting. And object they did starting with the towns of Orange and Milford as well as the AG.
As a result, I was fairly fired up as we drove out to Orange last night. Gerry Speno was all lathered up and angered at the DPUC’s clear favoritism and Fairfield’s inability to get Sound View to provide us with equipment so we could begin town specific Government programming. (By the way, the DPUC ruling more or less tosses out the notion of Town Specific programming.)
The meeting got underway and we began asking Tom Castelot, the unassuming head of Sound View, what plans were being readied for Sound View to begin handing out grant money to towns and organizations interested in producing programs for the three channels. He claimed he was waiting for the final ruling, that they hadn’t given it much thought yet and won’t until the new franchise period begins January 1.
I unloaded the first barrel by pointing out the DPUC was clearly going to rubber stamp the refranchising – he knew it, we knew it. Knowing it was coming; any well run operation would have begun planning so on January 1 they were in a position to begin handing out forms and cash. That he hasn’t begun the process showed poor management.
A little later, after we asked for input on how the grant process would work, he finally admitted some of his staff had begun thinking about it. Also, under the rules, he had twelve months to put things in order. He also intended to not only consult us but to consult the town leaders.
I unloaded barrel two. First, Fairfield’s been waiting on his cash for weeks now and there was no way we’d wait until the end of 2007 to get up and running. Second, we were appointed by the town leaders as their representatives so he talks to us and not them. Third, two of us admitted we could figure out the entire grant application process in about three hours so why on earth should it take a committee months? I pointed out how mismanaged and poorly run the operation had to be and that such incompetence should not be tolerated.
Later, as we shifted into executive session, one fellow rep came and shook my hand, pleased to have a fellow rabble rouser. Me, I just call them as I see them.
Sound View is sitting on a pile of cash, some of which it is using to try and do the same for Area 9 and it has for Area 2. That’s Area 2’s money being misspent which is probably a crime. Additionally, the DPUC told him he had too much excess cash and needed to use a large chunk of it. Rather than be proactive and come before us with a plan to provide towns with equipment, training, etc., he came empty handed with no plans, no cash. He’s probably hoping for the same lack of oversight from the DPUC that has allowed this kind of malfeasance to go on.
The rhetorical question we asked out loud more than once last night was why the CAC should exist if the DPUC has stripped us of just about all authority. Heck, in the new agreement, Tom won’t even be required to attend out meetings. Tough to advise him if he isn’t there to hear it.
There’s much about how Tom runs Sound View and how the DPUC has acted that begs for investigation. Of course, the entire issue has been ignored by the local media and not every town leader in Area 2 is properly versed on the issue to lend more than token support (Bridgeport, for example, can’t be bothered to name people to CAC). It may well come to the AG opening an investigation or a lawsuit from some quarter before the citizens in Area 2 receive the public access programming they deserve.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 01:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 06, 2006
Please Do Your Duty
There are so many different ways to look at the election tomorrow. On the macro level, the results could shift the way the country conducts its business for the next two years. Should the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives, key committees will change leaders and Nancy Pelosi would become the Speaker. In the less likely event they seize control of the Senate, which means they will control the legislative agenda.
Many view the election as a referendum on how the Bush Administration has conducted one issue: the war in Iraq. I say it’s much more than that.
It comes down to asking yourself if you are happy with your lifestyle, you level of economic and job security, your ability to buy groceries or pay for college. Do you feel your elected officials are acting on your behalf, are they voting on the issues as you would?
Stepping into the voting booth tomorrow, those are the matters that should be on your mind. After all, the theory is we’re electing people to represent us and act on our behalf. If you’re pro-War and your official is against it, then maybe he’s not the right guy regardless of party affiliation. No one should be stepping up to the poll voting the straight party ticket without considering what those votes will mean to you in the future.
Where I live, a 19-year congressman, Chris Shays, is up for re-election. He’s a great guy, I gather. He shows up at one local event after another and is plain-speaking. You like him. Yet, he’s been trumpeting his “maverick” stance as a Republican and touts his 14 visits to Iraq and shows off reams of letters he’s written to the President. Sounds good, right? But, then you ask, what got accomplished during those 14 visits and did the White House actually write back or did his letters sway any policy? He can’t say. After 19 years, he should be a Party elder, someone with key responsibilities and a member of the leadership. Turns out, he really isn’t. Chris Shays may sponsor and co-sponsor a lot of legislation but in the end, he’s a party spear-carrier. Not a leader.
After 19 years, I expect more and according to the polls, my fellow District 4 voters are expecting more, too.
We’re given this precious right and I despair at how few of us actually exercise it. Ask me, it should be a national holiday and compulsory so people are more a part of the process. I’m also dismayed on the micro level how few people pay attention to the local issues when they step into the booth.
Tomorrow, Fairfield will vote on changes to the town charter. Most seem blissfully unaware of what those changes are and what they might mean. It’s been in the papers and there have been numerous public forums discussing the changes but so few have turned out and it’ll be those few who decide how our town of 57,000 will be governed.
This all boils down to my asking that each and every one of you reading this make a point of getting to the polls tomorrow. By now we’ve all learned that yes, every vote does matter. Companies are pretty flexible these days if you have to come in late or leave early to do your duty. The polls are open 14 hours in most places so there’s really little excuse not to take a short trip and use one of the most valuable tools you have as an American citizen.
Thank you for voting.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:43 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
November 05, 2006
Is it February Yet?
Just a quick note to share some updated con news. My pals at Farpoint have added to their guest list. In addition to headliner Summer Glau (she of Firefly and The 4400, they have just added actress Alice Krige (she of such genre fare as Star Trek: First Contact, Silent Hill and The 4400). Lolita Fatjo, former Trek script supervisor will also be there.
I’ll be present along with the usual gang including Keith DeCandido, Peter David, Terri Osborne and Mike Friedman.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 05:39 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 03, 2006
Another Week Passes
It’s been busy but relatively quiet times around here. A recap of the week looks something like this:
Deb left for a week in Florida with her parents. The trip began inauspiciously as we took her to the wrong airport. Fortunately, we got her to the right one in time for the flight.
Being the only human rambling around the house has proven a larger adjustment than the two of us adjusting to no kids in the house. Fortunately, I’ve been kept busy so really don’t notice it except at day’s end. One of those activities was the beginning of my third year of visiting the gym. My level of interest in working out is usually matched by how alert or tired I am and Wednesday's workout was a good one. Last night I had my semi-annual visit with the doctor and got an excellent bill of health so I must be doing something right.
Tomorrow will be jam-packed with errands and writing and Sunday is all writing so again, hope not to notice it too much.
Speaking of the writing, it’s moving along at a reasonable clip and hope to first draft a huge portion over the weekend. On the other hand, an editor just rejected pitches to a media tie-in anthology so there goes another fun opportunity.
One of my many errands is to hand off a suitcase full of stuff (mostly yarn it seems) for the parents of one of Kate’s friends to bring to Cairo later this month. It’s 90% done with the last bits bought and stuffed tomorrow. Her requests have gone from the practical (linens) to the sentimental (leaves to remind her of fall).
She’s doing great over in Cairo. For those not following her adventures at CairoKate, she’s having an amazing set of experiences. The capper so far has been being cast as Adelaide in the school’s production of Guys & Dolls, the first musical at American University in Cairo in six years. A shame she had to leave the country to finally land a lead, and worse, she’ll perform in May and we’ll miss it.
As for son, he’s having a terrific first semester at college. He’s found a nice circle of friends, joined a karate club to stay active and landed himself a girl friend. He seems to be finding a balance between work and play and has recognized when he needs help and has sought it out. I’m not sure we can ask for a better experience for him.
At Weekly World News there have been some administrative adjustments that brings a little more work my way, which is just fine. I’ve just completed conducting a reader survey among college students and continue to streamline the working relationship between the print and on line versions. All in all, things are working out well here and the sales remain steady.
As weeks go, it has not been a bad one, not at all.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:38 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack