2008 - The Year (of mine) in Review

Oh, MAN...2008's over ALREADY? It was just getting started!

Yes, we're back here again at the end of another of the infant years of the 21st century. And I find myself here, on my patio, smoking an H. Hupmann Robusto and drinking a bottle of Guinness, saying goodbye to the year that was, Irish-style.

I'm just not in a "go out" place tonight. Wow, I may have finally hit that age. There was a time (up until, like, a year or so ago) where I couldn't imagine NOT going out on New Year's Eve. It's always been my favorite night of the year, and my favorite way to spend it has always been right in the middle of as many people as humanly possible. This year...not so much. It's foggy in Sac tonight, drunks will be all over the streets, and it's going to be cold - not cold as some of you elsewhere in the nation reckon it, but cold for me. And right now, reflective guy that I am, the idea of spending my New Year's relaxing, reflecting on where I've been, and looking forward to where I might be going sounds like just the ticket. I may have company before the night is through. Joy and I started a tradition a couple years back of spending New Year's Eve together here at my place. But she's at her cousin's place, and you never know how long those things will go and how much juice she'll have left at the end of the evening, so we'll see. If not, I've got a few cigars, a twelve-pack of silky Irish goodness, and will be quite content to sit here and make some plans for the year to come. And I have this feeling a lot's going to change in my life in 2009. Some big decisions coming, some changes, some new roads to take. So there's a lot to think about.

But to start off with, I think looking back is the right way to get that going.

2008. Let's see. I started it off with a blackout, as some of you long-time readers may recall. During a monster storm in Sac last January, I lost power for....what, about four days? But oddly, one half of one outlet was SLIGHTLY working in my apartment, giving just enough sporadic juice to slowly charge my laptop and cell phone. So without much else to do, I blogged through the whole thing. Which, in retrospect, is really funny. You'd think from reading it that I was surving Katrina or something. Not all of Sac was out - just parts of it. The mini mall next to my place still had juice, as did many other neighborhoods. I could have just been out hanging out with other people or shopping at the mall or something, but I was sitting home by candlelight writing like I was Chuck Heston in the Omega Man and human society had fallen. It was a nice reminder how easy we have it here in Cali, and how whiny we get when we're faced with just a taste of what much of the rest of the nation deals with every year.

I discovered one of the greatest TV shows ever made. I rejoined Netflix specifically to try out "The Wire", as I'd heard so many people talking about it. I made my way through all five seasons (had to download season 5 since it wasn't on DVD yet), and had my belief in the power of television restored. It was an amazing journey. And now I'll have a chance to relive it whenver I want, since there was just a RIDICULOUS sale on Amazon for all five seasons, and the set just shipped to me today. If you've missed it, give it a go.

I became a better poker player. Somewhere between playing occasional games with friends and using some software I got, I mangaged to actually get competent at Hold 'Em. Not great, but at least I can sit down at a table now without completely embarrassing myself. The gang keeps talking about getting some more regular games together, and I really think we should this year. I need the practice. And the money!

Had a fantastic weekend with my old San Diego gang when Man-Sac Weekend happened here. The year before, we had Boyz-E Weekend, and I (from Sac), Tony (from San Diego) and Aaron (from Seattle) got together at Russ's new place in Boise for a long weekend of hanging out, smoking cigars, drinking and playing X-Box. In 2008, the journey came here, and Russ, Aaron and Tony flew in to join me, Tim, A.T. and Rich for a manly weekend of hanging out and catching up on old times. We hope to keep it going this year, but we'll see what happens with everyone.

I fulfilled a long-time goal of catologuing all my DVDs thanks to some nifty new software I got, and find out I had a LOT! Just this month I passed the 400 mark! And thanks to the software, I have my collection up online so everyone can view it (and buy me gifts more easily without fearing I might already have it).

I got to live through one of the greatest summer movie seasons EVER! Woo hoo! I so rarely go to the theater anymore, so I made it a goal to get the gang together and see as many of the big films as possible as a group, which made for an awesome fun summer. After like thirty years of me waiting for Iron Man to make it to the big screen, I found that it exceeded all my expectations. And The Dark Knight managed to not only keep the promise that Batman Begins made, but raise the bar quite substantially (and make like a billion dollars in the process). True, there were some disappointments (Indiana Jones suuuuuuuuuucked!!!), but overall, it was a great sumer of Saturday nights for the Sac-Town gang.

Had another fantastic trip to San Diego for Comic-Con over the summer. Craziest year ever. 125,000 people taking over the city. Celebs everywhere. I got to hear some of my personal creative heroes speak. I got to meet a few favorite celebs...including meeting and falling in love with Zoe Bell, Uma Thurman's stunt double. I met freaking Ponch, baby! And, oddly enough, got to hear Depak Chopra speak for about an hour... The biggest thrill for me was getting to be there for Joss Whedon and company showing us the first official live screening of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, the web musical starring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion that had just before Con premiered and become a geniune site-crashing internet sensation (and it's now available on DVD, if you've missed out). And, most importantly (more important than Ponch?!), I got to hang out in my favorite city and spend plenty of time with old friends that I don't get to see near enough of, so it was an amazing week.

I got a new laptop. This is a very big thing for a writer. I've been using the same beat-up IBM Thinkpad for years, and loved the crappy thing. But its condition kept getting worse and worse, and it was finally starting to go. So right as I made my final payment on last year's PC, I hooked up with Dell and got a fancy new widescreen XPS. I took me a little while to get used to the new size (much bigger) and such, but once I warmed up to it, I knew I'd made the right choice. Getting it working on my network? Not so fun. But finally made it happen, and like the old one, it's learned to brave the chill on the patio with me.

And speaking of writing...I finally finished something this fall! Well, mostly. I hit a point where I realized I wasn't getting any writing done, and I knew it was time to just pick one of my endless project ideas and just FINISH it. What I chose was a graphic novel that's been in my head for about a decade. Working many late post-work evenings (during a time when I was actually back to working 40 hours a week for a while. THERE's a distant memory...), the thing in my head became a thing on my hard drive, and before I knew it, all 107 scripted pages of "Intro to Art - Book One" was done. Mind you, this is Book One, PART One. I realized during the process that this was part one of two, and that the first (of what I hope to be a series) graphic novel was going to contain both. I was hoping to get part two scripted before the end of the year, but work was not kind for that long. So, this year. It felt amazing. This is a very personal work to me, something with a lot of my life in it, with nine major characters and a whole lot of talking. It'll need another draft, sure, but that first draft's the hard part. So actually completing something got me fired up to complete more, so I hope to carry that into '09 and get some more stuff cranked out. But as for "Art" - after part two is done, I being the daunting task of finding the right artist for it. This will NOT be an easy job, since I'm going to be so picky about it. First thing's first, though...an artist kind of needs a script before they start drawing, so we'll see how part two wraps up.

I joined the iPhone world! I managed to cling to the same crappy outdated cell phone for just over five years. I dealt with the broken ringer (realize I prefer the silent vibrate anyway) and the lack of cool features. But when the battery stopped holding a charge and errors started happening, I knew it was time. I stepped up, thanks to my Apple buddy Tony starting me down the path by letting me check his out when it first hit the market, headed down to the Apple store and threw down for one. Couldn't...be...happier. I don't know how I lived without this thing. It does everything, most importantly giving me internet access wherever I go (you never know when you're going to need to look up an obscure actor on IMDb, after all). As I'm blocked out of email sites at work, I can now, finally, check email during the day at the office. And the on-screen keyboard is awesome, and I've finally become a regular texter. I'm amazed at how quick I got used to it, and can now crank out sentences in record time using just my one thumb.

I turned 40! Been waiting for this for a long time. It's the one you dread. So, I figured, instead of dreading it, why not kiss sub-middle-age goodbye in style and do it up right in Vegas? I proposed some time back to my old roommates (Los Chicos), us guys who all have birthdays within the same month, that since four out of five of us were hitting 40 around the same time, we ought to celebrate together, Sin City style. We planned quite a ways in advance, and in the end, got a group of 13 of us to hop planes to Vegas. And we did the three-day weekend right. I spent WAY too much cash, but it was worth it - posh accommodations, fancy dinners, big Vegas shows, machine guns (?!), the whole deal. And we got to do it all together, which was the best part. A lot of the people that I've sent the past 20-30 years (yes, 30, in a couple of cases) were there with me as I officially, that Saturday night, stepped into my forties, and I couldn't think of a better group of people to be with for the occasion. I just realized, I never posted up photos of that on here, did I? Go here to check out the official site of the trip, and use the photo link to check out pics of the fun.

And speaking of old friends - I discovered Facebook, and with it, rediscovered a crazy amount of people I haven't seen in years - in some cases, since high school. Seems like half my school started hitting FB about the same time, and it's been a total blast reconnecting with these old friends and finding out the people they've become and where their lives have gone. I can't wait to hook up with many of them this spring at our alumni weekend at the old academy. I'm a Facebook junkie now, particularly since I can check it and update my status throughout the day right from my iPhone...

Oh, yeah, and we got a new President, too. You might have caught that on the news. Thank God the never-ending election is finally OVER!! I was so deeply sick of all that back when I wrote the LAST year in review, and it just kept...on...going! Should be a veeeeery interesting next couple of years for America. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.

It's been a year of great times and big challenges. I hate to mention the economy (since the press won't shut up about it, which I suspect is helping keep the econony in turmoil by freaking people out), but it's been a reality we've all had to deal with, and it's touched a lot of people I know. Seems like half my family's been laid off since summer. Scary times. But I think it's the tough times that really force us to reevaluate and grow, and to turn to each other, and I've been really proud of how everyone I know is coping. I'm hoping we'll pull out of this (probably self-inflicted) national nosedive and see some good times again. It'll happen. It's all about riding out the downs and appreciating the ups. Advice I plan to take to heart in the year to come myself.

And with that, I just verified that Joy is on the way here, so I have to get on with my evening. I hope everyone has good memories from 2008, and that everyone's ready to start writing 2009 on their checks tomorrow. I sense a great year coming! I can't wait to see what's ahead! May your New Year's Eve be filled with good cheer, and your 2009 begin with hope in your heart and a smile on your face.

Hey, I actually completed half of my New Year's resolutions from last year! That's actually an impressive ratio based on my past performances at it. I'll be starting the '09 list tomorrow. Bring it on, Dick Clark!

The Great Typo Contest still going strong!

In case you missed the blog where I launched this last spring, I set up a contest here called The Great Typo Contest. The rules were simple - if you spot a typo in any of my online stuff (online stuff that's fixable, so message boards and emails don't count. Blogs and web pages are fair game!), you bring it to my attention, and you get one point. At the end of one year's time, whoever has the most points will be getting a prize from me for your efforts to help me sound like less of an idiot in my writings.

Thanks to everyone who's been taking part in this, and a reminder - it's still going! You have until April 4th, 2009, to spot those typos. Currently there are two folks tied for first place, and still plenty of time for someone else to jump in and take the lead. And "jumping" is important, because whoever points it out first gets the point for it, so email fast if you see a flub!

Thanks again, current typo-spotters, and keep up the good work! There's goodies in it for one lucky, diligent soul. So read on, and edit from afar!

Gayest Christmas Ever - Los Chicos Style

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Yes, it's that time of year again. And what better way to get you in the festive mood than a solid gold dance performance from those birthday boys of La Casa de los Chicos Blancos? For being so old, those boys can still MOVE!

Don't worry, my fellow Chicos. Come January 15th, it will self-destruct and disappear forever. Hmmm. Unless, of course, I opted for that digital download option so I could preserve it forever...

This Just In: President Attacked by Austin Powers Villain

"Who throws his SHOE? Really?"

I'm sorry, I don't care WHAT your politics are - that's the funniest piece of news footage EVER. Nice to know the Secret Service is on the job, huh? What, were they backstage splitting a falafel and a Saddam-A-Cola? When you allow the President to not only get a shoe thrown at him in a hostile foreign country, but give the guy plenty of time to scream his discontent (which oddly involved a kiss metaphor...) and throw the OTHER shoe? There's going to be reprimands at tomorrow morning's Secret Service Waffle Breakfast, you can betcha.

They say that the shoe throwing thing is the most serious insult in Arab culture. Really? With the hacking of limbs, the beheadings, the hangings...THAT's the big insult? All right, I'll take your word for it.

Merry Christmas, Democrats. You know you wish you'd thought of it first. Those Birkenstocks are pretty aerodynamic...

Geez, dude, you thought OUR journalists were tough on you...

In case you missed it:

The "Earlier Tonight" Show

So in case you missed the news, Jay Leno will NOT be leaving NBC when he turns the reins of The Tonight Show over to Conan O'Brien this June. NBC has just signed a deal with him to do a prime-time talk show - in the 10pm slot - five nights a week.

Here's a couple of reasons why I have a problem with this.

This is nothing against Leno. I think Leno's a great guy. He earned the right to take over the show after Johnny, and he did amazing things with it. He's made it his own. He's one of the most memorable, and likable, personalities in the history of TV, and this deal is a great one for him. He deserves it. And I'm sure he's going to do amazing things with the new timeslot and (not so different) format.

Problem one for me is this: how much does it suck to be Conan? Anyone remember the big Leno/Letterman war when Johnny was retiring? Letterman was crushed when he didn't get the 11:30 show. He'd waited for YEARS...it was a given that it was his. And when they didn't give him his due, he showed his feelings toward NBC, jumped ship, and took his ball over to CBS, where's he's been a huge success ever since. While Leno got the golden job, a total unknown named Conan (named WHAT?) O'Brien got the Letterman spot on Late Night, beating out all the much-discussed front runners. I happened to be watching Leno on the Tonight Show when he brought Conan out and announced that he'd be the new Late Show host. It was a totally surprise move, and I remember thinking it was a very ballsy one. So I decided to give this unknown guy a chance. And I found him to be one of my favorite show hosts ever, someone who came across as "one of us", with the kind of off-the-wall sense of humor I love, and someone who spoke to my generation. I became a big fan.

Conan, too, has been waiting for years for this, and when Leno first announced he would be leaving - almost five years ago - it was also announced the Conan would not get the Letterman treatment. The job was his. Like Leno with Carson's show, Conan earned the spot. He's had five years to plan and ready himself for his long-awaited reward.

Yep. Leno's show is his. Oh, but guess what? Leno's decided not to leave. He's now going to essentially take the Tonight Show and transplant it to 10:00pm. Same monologue, same man-on-the-street fun, same big-name celebrity guests, probably the same band, too. In short, he is NOT leaving the Tonight Show. Conan has it, in name. But it's really not the Tonight Show. It's now The Late Show, on one hour earlier. And for the foreseeable future, instead of becoming the king of the NBC show hosts, Conan is going to be following Leno every night. Again.

Conan's response has been nothing but gracious and thankful so far. He said all the right things, reminding us that he and Leno are good friends, and that he's thrilled to still have the Leno lead-in for his show. But seriously...how can he NOT feel like the wind has just been taken out of his late-night sails? He's still #2. He's become the king, but the king suddenly said, "you know what? I'm going to stick around and become emperor." You can't really bitch about getting the show, and Conan is not. But I still think it's kind of an insult. And that he deserved better.

But really, that's not what bothered me when I watched the press conference. The thing that's rubbing me wrong is that NBC had just committed the 10:00pm timeslot of the network to Leno's show, for all five nights of the week. Know what this means? That means five hours LESS of scripted television drama on network television every week. That's the ER timeslot. The Hill Street Blues timeslot. The Law and Order, L.A. Law timeslot. 10:00 is the home of TV drama on the networks, the shows written for grownups, the place where the best TV writers and actors create the shows that touch our lives and make us think and make us part of a bigger world. In a weeknight schedule already overrun with reality and game shows, we're now going to see even less episodic television. That sucks for writers. That sucks for viewers. And it makes me sad.

Cable television has been stepping up to the plate, however, and making the old networks raise their game for some time. Cable has given us our Sopranos, our Shield, our Wire, our Brotherhood. More dramatic, edgier, rule-breaking shows have been coming more and more to our cable boxes and satellite dishes, so maybe that trend is about to become the norm. Maybe cable will pick up the slack, leaving the Bachelor and the Victoria's Secret Underpants Extravaganza to the VHF crowd. This might be the paradigm shift I've been waiting for, and it might usher in a new age of stories that challenge us and break our hearts and amaze us.

I hope so. I hope it isn't just another step toward the dumbifaction of the mass mind of America, and the end of TV drama as we know it. Time will tell.

Regardless, good luck, Jay, and hope the whole new audience of people who could never stay up late enough to watch you and couldn't figure out how to work their TiVO's brings you continued success. Good luck, Conan, bringing your unique brand of comedy to the slightly earlier crowd (word of advice? I don't the Masturbating Bear is going to fly in the new timeslot). And good luck, Jimmy Fallon, who's taking over the Late Show. You're stepping into a very exclusive fraternity of very funny people who've made their home in our living rooms and at our watercoolers for a very long time. Good luck living up to the task, and good luck developing your own voice and making that show, as Letterman and Conan did before you, YOUR show.

Ooh, and I'm sorry. I'd talk about Matt Damon...but I'm afraid we've run out of time...

This Christmas, give the gift of not bombing nobody

Sure, you could go out and fight the mall traffic, spend what's left of your dwindling 401k on overpriced consumer goods to try to tell those you love how you feel. But here's an alternative, and a great way to tell folks you care - don't bomb nobody.

This is a song off The Dan Band's Christmas album called "Please Don't Bomb Nobody This Holiday". If you don't know the Dan Band, think back to the film "Old School" and remember the band that played the wedding at the start. That was them. Dan Finnerty and his band do some pretty darn funny stuff. This video, made for this holiday tune, guest stars a whole bunch of celebs, so it's fun to watch and try to count them all. Browncoats, be sure to watch close for Nathan Fillion.

Check it out at:

"Please Don't Bomb Nobody This Holiday"

Happy holidays, everyone.

And no bombing. Seriously. That's not cool. Thank you.