Lantern's Light

Magic Lantern - "Monster In A Box"

2007-04-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

It was like watching a human trainwreck...

I just stumbled on Monster In A Box, the second of two films staring actor/screenwriter/playwright Spalding Gray, while flipping around channels this evening. Spalding's first movie, Swimming to Cambodia, was sprung on me by my friend Karl some years ago. At the time I was at the peak of my martial arts and action phase, but here I was riveted by a man seated at a desk on stage and talking for nearly and hour-and-a-half. Again tonigh, I sat relaxed and happy that we've finally gotten things organized a little after our move, and couldn't switch the channel or look away. I knew how it turned out, knew how Spalding tamed his boxed "monster", but had to finish watching all the same.

Oh, the fact that both movies used creative and dramatic stage lighting, were shot and edited well by directors smart enough to let the camera be an eye rather than an interprerative device, and were scored impeccably by Laurie Anderson all certainly helped...but thanks to Spalding's quick wit, keen ear and pseudo-jewish frantic paranoia, I felt like I was with Spalding on every leg of his trip. It was amazing.

Watching Monster In A Box tonight reminds me of why I felt Spalding was so amazing. Why, when I heard about his death some time ago (has it really been three years?) was I profoundly sad - Spalding had an insight in to patterns.

I can't help but find themes or patterns in things - it help keeps me sane at night, maybe. Or maybe I'm just overly romantic and hopeful that the world just isn't random bits of things that happen. Listening to Spalding talk about his novel, the struggle to finish it, and his adventures along the way (taking Hollywood meetings, traveling Russia, starring in a Broadway revival of "Our Town"), makes me think that for all his hypocondriac tendancies and depression that he was very zen at heart. I like to think we'd have gotten along, and frankly I'm sorry that I never got a chance to meet the man.

And like Douglas Adams, the world is poorer for his not being in it. Like Cambodia before it, Monster emulates the same reporter-at-his-desk livingroom conversation theatrics that made Spalding internationally famous. It's just as personal, raw, funny, and thought provoking as the original, and it made me glad to know that somewhere in the midst of politcians who play for the TV cameras, or actors with delusions of political punditry, there was an honest-to-God human being that partied, drank, loved, feared, and had simple adventures that most of us will never share.

Thank you for having the courage to let us in to your life, Spalding. We miss you.

Magic Lantern - The Aquabats in "Fashion Zombies"

2007-03-28T20:02:00.000-04:00

* note - The magic lantern or Lanterna Magica was the ancestor of the modern slide projector, which in turn begat the motion picture projector, and so forth. I've therefore chosen this subtitle for all reviews and comments of movies, video and television.

It seems we're still on the subject of The Aquabats. I invited members of the official Aquabats forum to critique my recent entries and the blog as a whole. I've gotten nice responses, but one member commented I should've made mention of "the new stuff".

The Aquabats Charge was released in 2005 and was the group's first full studio album release since 1999's The Aquabats vs. The Floating Eye of Death. Skimming the track listing on Charge, I can honestly say every song on it is excellent.

Really. It's a solid album in the same way Devo's New Traditionalists was solid. But if I had to pick a favorite it'd probably be "Tiger Rider Vs. The Time Sprinkler".

So, in deference to "Robert's" comment from my previous post here is The Aquabats' latest video adventure - "Fashion Zombies!":

The Return of The Aquabats

2007-03-26T20:29:00.000-04:00

(continued from the previous post...)

Frankly I'm surprised that I'd never heard of these guys before a couple of years ago. By that time, The Aquabats had already gained and lost former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker (aka Baron Von Tito) and had already begun ambitious video projects. But I mean really...if there was ever a band I was genetically disposed to be a fan of (aside from The Beatles of course) it'd be these guys.

Once I got used to their humor and style it was clear...not only were these tight, talented musicians, but these were the guys who grew up watching Batman, Speed Racer and The Monkees. Who played "secret agent" with their friends, collected Adventure Team- era G.I. Joe toys, knew the thrill of those first Kenner "Star Wars" toys, and stayed glued to Saturday morning during the golden era of live-action kids shows and superheroic cartoons.

It's easy to dismiss The Aquabats as a gimmicky stage act, but over the course of their four albums they've created a blend of ska, punk and new wave that's uniquely their own. Sharp lyrics combined with geek pathos and a constant ability to laugh at themselves ensures that they'll likely never achieve a mainstream success...but that's not what it's about really.

For wherever there is the threat of lackluster music, corporate-produced pop, and hipster wannabees, they will be there. Wherever good times are lacking, and there is no rocking, they will be there. Who are they?

THE AQUABATS!

The Aquabats Official Website: http://www.theaquabats.com

The Aquabats MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/theaquabats

Finally a little up close and personal Aquabats action with..."Super Rad!"

Three-Ring Circus: Triple-Threat Contact!

2007-03-24T13:41:00.000-04:00

Quick - look to your right! See those three links there? They're NEW!

I should've done this when I first started the blog, but I've finally added all three of my major online contact points. Now in addition to enjoying my emeralds of wisdom, Lantern's Light is a single contact page for all of my interests. You can now reach me live via Keen.com for professional advice through my one-man shop Action Marketing, browse Action Marketing's latest eBay sales, and check out my latest contacts via MySpace.com.

Hey GL! I thought you were going to talk about The Aquabats, not your own self-promotion!

You're right. I was. Well I've got to keep this quick but there's lot to tell. Let's get started:

Though my friend Karl is responsible for a lot of my recent musical interests, I can thank my friend Steve for cluing me in to The Aquabats. I used to put in a few hours a week at his store More Fun Comics for him from time to time so I was used to having the run of the place. I noticed the jewel box for "The Aquabats! vs. the Floating Eye of Death!". I was intrigued by the kitchy graphics which reminded me more of the 1960's Batman TV series than anything else. Almost as an afterthought I found the disk and swapped it out for whatever was in the player.

The first song didn't grab me much, but I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing in the second song. It sounded for all the world like I was hearing a Devo-influenced pop song about defeating the Floating Eye of Death with a war machine dubbed "Giant Robot Birdhead".

Say wha?

Instantly I was transported back to...oh maybe it was 6th grade. My parents bought me a three-foot Raydeen action figure from the Shogun Warriors collection as a conformation present. The Devo-esque influcences took me back to 8th grade and my first concert - Devo in support of their "Oh No! It's Devo!" album.

Once I learned more about them and their superhero leanings, I instantly had a new favorite band. A group of superheroic action wannabes that play rock n' roll and fight monsters?

Aquabats...where have you BEEN all my life?

(more later...)

Three-Ring Circus - MySpace, Loki and Dinner Time

2007-03-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

It's actually happening...

MySpace.com - You gotta be kidding! Not only am I building and maintaining a MySpace.com page, but I've begun creating a Friends network. In doing so, I'm amazed that I actually knew more people than I thought...and I've only scratched the surface! Hey, as of today I can count The Aquabats as my MySpace friends! Beat THAT, evildoers!
I just got some email from my friend Loki. It seems there was some question about him moving out of the New Orleans area. I forget how many generations of New Orleanians Loki comes from - I think it's 15. I realize the events of Hurricanes Katrina/Rita were tough on everyone involved. Hell the wife and I still have issues and I count us lucky! Yet for our remaining friends that know Loki and his new bride as well as I to think that he'd leave the area...wow. Maybe there's even more recovery yet needed. Anyway, Loki's been running his own blog since the whole Katrina shebang started. Visit him at The Humid City and tell 'im GL sent you!
A lousy day at work ended with a few minutes in the company of my family and spaghetti dinner. After dinner, I was treated to a guided tour of our newly cleaned home. Princess ToughStuff sure deserves a lot of credit! Nice job, Toughie. Thank you.

Next Time - Lantern's Spotlight on "The Aquabats"!

Lantern's Spotlight - MySpace.com

2007-03-19T21:02:00.000-04:00

It had to happen sooner or later...

I was drug kicking and screaming to MySpace.com and I was trying to think about why. I'm a first-generation netgeek, fer cryin' out loud! I should've had one of the first MySpace pages out there, right? RIGHT?!

FEH! Actually I HAD a MySpace.com account some years ago back when it was an MP3-only storage site. 10MB of free space, I think it was. I remember I had a handful of tracks including William Shatner's version of "Rocket Man"...then one day I couldn't play it.

I probably never got the whole "MySpace" thing 'cause it was trendy. Sorta like Seinfield. I liked Jerry Seinfield as a comedian, but I never watched Seinfield the show...though I did recognize the passing of a cultural icon and DID watch the final episode. I think it's cause EVERYONE watched Seinfield just like everyone watched Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond.

Everyone does NOT love Raymond.

Just as I recognized the cultural impact of Seinfield, and can admit to watching a few episodes of both Friends and Raymond, that same spirit finally allows me to open up my own MySpace.com page. No, I won't be tweaking it constantly or blogging there constantly, but I realize that it's a big networking channel. Lantern's Light is still my home...albeit dusty from disuse. Well that's changing too...

Visit my NEW MySpace.com page at http://www.myspace.com/greenlantern68

Back From The Darkness...Again

2007-03-18T15:34:00.000-04:00

A Three-Ring Circus Performance

Hey GL! Good to see you back! Where have you been?

Well after the missus and I got settled, I started spending most of my online time in Paragon City.

So what brings you back?

Let's just say that while being a virtual superhero is great, it's not really payin' the bills.

Is that all?

Heck no. Frankly I got the idea after my younger stepdaughter got her sister and the missus into making MySpace.com pages as a "family project-bonding" thing. I figure if I'm going to do something like that I'd better breathe some life back into everything else I'm doing online. Besides, the wife's been on me to start selling some of our eBay merchandise so our upcoming move will be easier. More on that later...

I thought this was only a Three-Ring Circus, GL?

Yeah, it is. Go listen to some music. I'll be back later.

Bright Ideas - Three (Power) Ring Circus

2005-12-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings, cyberspace! Lots to cover this evening.

Ring 1 - Me and You and a Dog Named...Aristotle.

Wife, canine and I made it home just fine from visiting my inlaws. Aristotle is having no trouble making himself at home, despite leaving us in completely different surroundings. I'd say the dog's doing just fine after being bounced from Metairie, Needsville, Rochester, and now Clarkston. Heck, as a human being just thinking about all that gives me a headache.

I always wanted a dog growing up, but never did due to health concerns. Aristotle belonged to the wife for years before we wed, and I'd often hear him yipping in the background while the future missus and I were trying to advise each other on a long-distance call. When we first met, face to fur, Aristotle's reaction was to lick me. Rumor has it he bit or growled at most men he was introduced to.

Can you get a better reaction than pet approval? That's got to be nearly as good as a smiling father-in-law.

Ring 2 - Power To The Peepholes, Right Arm

John Lennon was killed 25 years ago today. Those of you who know me or have looked at some previous postings may know I'm pretty keen on his old band.

It's only been in recent years that I've come to appriciate Lennon the artist. Frankly I always liked McCarntey better, but that was probably because I saw Lennon more as an ex-junkie who flipped out on the mother of his child and went on a freak bender with a Japanese woman who used art as an excuse to call attention to herself.

Maybe. And maybe Paul's an egocentric pothead who's married a one-legged model 'cause he can't hang with not being "fab" anymore.

All I know is that over time, John became comfortable himself and set a good standard on how to be a human being. He was honest, wrong sometimes, but never apologized for who he was. Hell, it a world of posh British accents he was proud of his Liverpudlian scouse.

I came across this article about former Lennon gal-pal May Pang. As the forgotten woman in John's life, she certainly had a lot of good things to say about the party guy Lennon. It's a good read, and can be found here.

Finally, there's this discussion from my favorite of sites, Plastic.com. Twenty-five years after Lennon's shooting, is he still relevant? I suppose it's a fair question. How many Scritti Politti fans are still out there? Or O-Town, for that matter? Even John himself thought he and the Beatles were being "big headed" when they considered lasting ten years.

The answer of course is yes. Plastic contributor nmiguy is correct - everything John cared about, save skiffle music, is still revlevant. Even skiffle has Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime" to point to.

Peace is still relevant. Love is still relevant. Paying attention to how we treat each other, how we feel, and the right to say these things is still relevant. Even if they weren't, a lost Lennon track called "Grow Old With Me" was the tune to my wedding dance. Just thinking about it makes me smile, and being happy with my wife is the most relevant thing I can imagine.

We all shine on.

Ring 3 - True Katrina Tales: The Truth About Hurricane Parlors

It's been months since Katrina hit, and we're still grappling with the new realities of our life - a new home, new friends, new rules. All while our old friends and old home seem to be languishing in some way.

It wasn't always this way, and this is the single thing that most outsiders fail to understand about New Orleans; a hurricane warning is usually just another excuse for a party. Yes, I'd had older friends tell me about Hurricane Betsy, and I'd gone through things like Hurricanes Andrew, Ivan, and the flood of May 8th, 1993. Heavy rains and flooding waters usually meant you were stuck where you were, so over time it became tradition to plan ahead and hunker down with friends. You see, flooding waters also meant schools and most businesses would be closed, so there was no excuse not to stay up all night watching geeky sci-fi, playing games, or noodling with computers until the power went out. Booze was optional.

Welcome to the Hurricane Parlor, friend. There's always room for one more, we can sleep a couple in the back, and don't mind the noise from the people playing Chez Geek up front.

Until the wee hours of Sunday, August 28th, I had no reason to think anything would be different when Katrina came. We'd grab the dog and his cage, load them into the car with a change of clothes, my nebulizer, some Magic: The Gathering cards, and the wife and I would hunker down at Dudley and Esther's sturdy home on Claiborne avenue. Sherry would be there, Gary and Rachel, maybe George and Alexis, possibly even Aaron on an every-other-month trip back from job hunting in Austin.

When we left at 8:00 that morning, it never occurred to me that this would be the storm that pulled us apart instead of giving us a reason to stay together.

NEXT ENTRY - True Katrina Stories Chapter 2: "Amateur Meteorology at Home"

Sheading Light on Dark Things - News from New Orleans

2005-12-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

Greetings, cyberspace!

Here are a couple of news links involving bad news from the Crecent City.

For years, tourisim has been the number one industry in a declining metro New Orleans. That makes this story about the loss of 1/3rd of New Orleans area hotel rooms even greater. I too would like to think that Mardi Gras 2006 will be memorable, but where are tourists going to stay when even locals have no more homes?

Even worse is this article about the 17th Street Levee. I've no time to expound on it now, but I feel the title "17th Street Levee Was Doomed" pretty much speaks for itself.

MORE TO COME...

Bright Ideas - The Road To Wellville

2005-12-03T18:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings, cyberspace!

The lantern's light of my life and I are on the way back from a much maligned Thanksgiving holiday. It's amazing how a second hospital stay within a three month period can make even a Green Lantern have second thoughts about how he's fighting for truth and justice. More on that later.

Frankly friends, I've been noodling around too much and ignoring my online responsibilities. I'm far overdue from telling some true stories about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Let's get this clear right away; I am in no way glad this tragedy happened. I do, however, acknowledge the life lessons involving family, faith and friendship as some of the most valuable in my 37 years on this planet.

I close this writing ready to pack the car, load our canine son, and leave Beaver Falls, PA for our new home of Clarkston, GA. New Orleans may now be in my past, but will never be forgotten.

Sincere hopes that you all had food coma-filled Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.

NEXT ENTRY - True Katrina Stories Chapter 1: "Hurricane Parlors and Amateur Meteorology at Home"

Lantern's Spotlight - Canadians, Aging, and Ron Burgundy: Chapter 3

2005-11-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings, cyberspace!

It seems like an eternity since I started the three-part opus on getting older. Birthdays offer an opportunity for self-reflection, usually focused on change. Since the last time I made the effort to put fingers to keyboard for Lantern's Light, more than my age has changed.

While my wife and I were spared much of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, circumstances forced us to move from the New Orleans area and relocate to Atlanta. It us unlikely we will be returning to New Orleans anytime soon.

There are many stories to tell, and I feel fortunate that much of what I'm sharing will reflect the good in people. These stories will have to wait while I close my magnum opus on turning 37:

The Passing of Peter Jennings and the Death of the Anchorman

The main reason the death of Peter Jennings on August 8th caught my attention was because we share the same birthday.

Really. That's it. I was never a big fan. I always thought it was odd that a Canadian national was reading American national news, for one thing. In fact after Walter Cronkite retired in 1981, I rarely became interested in a national-level anchor or news program again.

I think that's why I enjoy the movie Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy so much. It's not just for the performances or the satire - it's the memory of a by-gone time in broadcasting.

When I was a kid, I worshiped the news team from KTUL. "The News Guys" were the epitome of the 70's TV newsmen lampooned in Anchorman. In fact, this link has some old promos showing my favorite news trio of Bob Howard (anchor), Don Woods (weather) and Chris Lincoln (sports). These clips hearken back to a romantic time when local TV news was the bedrock of communities, and on-air personalities were seen as civic leaders and opinion makers. Even if you AREN'T from 1970's-era Tulsa, they're worth a look. You'll even note where like Ron Burgundy and his posse, they too eventually accepted YY chromisome owner Susan Silver into their on-air boy's club.

Despite KTUL being favorite local channel and news program, my single favorite newsman wasn't anchor Bob Howard but Jerry Webber - who originally began as sports commentator for NBC affiliate KTEW, and eventually became evening anchor after the station changed call letters to KJRH.

The thing about Webber was mostly his image. He just looked so NEAT and COOL. Like Ron Burgundy, his hair was perfect, his skin was flawless, and his outfits were sharp enough to cut glass. Even at three years old, my mother tells me I would shout out "Jer-we-weh-BAH" whenever Jerry's face hit the screen. On air he was smooth, polished, friendly and engaging. You almost believed he attended every high school game he reported on, or that he could have attended any of the colleges when he provided voice overs of footage.

By the time Webber became anchor, I began to notice a decline in the overall quality of the people under him. Oh, it wasn't anything I could put my finger on, but these other folks sharing Jerry's desk at KJRH, or the News Guys replacements at KTUL, just didn't seem to have the same "oomph" as their predecessors. My kneejerk thought is that the rise of national news contributed to the demise of local news teams, just as cable news outlets are making national news programs irrelevant.

In the race for ratings, raises and exposure, people in the media seemed willing to give up a lot to be "the next Ted Koppel" or "the new Dan Rather". When the venerable Cronkite retired, the field seemed wide open for a replacement who could provide that same level of trust - and anyone with experience in front of the camera thought he or she would be that person. These choices were made at the expense of stability in the local TV news organizations, which in turn creates the downward spiral of lost viewership, decreased ad revenue, cutbacks, consolidations, etc. Now every time I turn on the news in New Orleans, Atlanta, Tulsa, Las Vegas, or any market where I've spent more than a few days, the local news seems to be this homogeneous collection of racially balanced talking heads. Each one vapid and replaceable, each one looking for the next break to propel them into a larger market to make more money and get more famous.

And I put Mr. Peter Jennings in the category as well. At least I did before his death.

While I was familiar with Koppel and Rather, Jennings seemed to come from out of nowhere to take over "ABC World News Tonight" - when in fact he had anchored some years before and bowed out of his own volition citing inexperience. That's a classy, professional move that you're not likely to see today, and certainly more impressive than knowing his father helped 19 year old high school-dropout Peter with a job based only on daddy's connections with the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

Still, Peter was wise enough to hone his talent further as a field correspondent before coming back to the ABC anchor desk in 1983. There he established enough professional credibility to interview presidents, statesmen and gather 16 Emmy awards and other awards for journalism.

Jennings remained a background figure for me, mostly because I didn't learn that under his bland exterior was a dedicated, thorough professional. Not until the terrorist attacks of September 11th did I see his true "inner Anchorman" reveal itself. I remember watching him, deep into his 16-plus hour stint on air. He looked a little frayed around the edges - the perfect anchorman veneer cracked by his tired look. On the other hand Jennings' voice, demeanor, mannerisms, all revealed a professional news hound who realized an entire country was depending on him to be a mouthpiece for the select few that had the ability to learn was REALLY happening. It was his job to sort out the facts from the innuendo, rumor and terror that often accompany such world-changing events, all with no lead time or detailed fact-checking.

The loss of Jennings to lung cancer drives home the end of the news anchor in broadcast media. While the position will remain, its importance will be made irrelevant due to the rise of online news media. Combining the detail of print media with the broadcast speed of television, blogs such as this one have already changed the news medium. The ability to watch news clips online and DVR services like TiVo have further fractured the television landscape that used to make shows like "Happy Days" and "M.A.S.H." ratings hits of yesterday and classic programming of today. While I'm all for people learning at their own pace and pursuing their own interests, I still feel a loss knowing that we're giving up common ground in the process.

You stay classy, Peter Jennings. Your kind is already missed.

NEXT ENTRY - Hurricane Katrina stories begin with tales of amateur meteorology at home!

Lantern's Spotlight - Canadians, Aging, and Ron Burgundy: Chapter 2

2005-08-13T13:37:00.000-04:00

Greetings, cyberspace! Chapter two of this Lantern's Spotlight article focuses on something everyone has, and keeps getting more of. Even me...

You say it's your birthday? Well it's my birthday too, yeah!

My birthday passed two weeks ago Friday. It was pretty much a non-event this year. Oh my boss took me to work, and the wife let me watch the director's cut version of Brazil via our digital cable's on-demand service...but that was pretty much it. Outside of my parents (who sent money) and my in-laws (who sent new clothes), and the guys I work with, noone else seemed to know.

Don't think that I'm complaining. At 37, I might not be "old", but I'm hardly young anymore. Birthdays used to be such an event when I was a boy - Spider-Man cakes, Star Wars presents, swimming parties, all sorts of things. I suppose time and distance have a way of catching up with a person, rendering such events extraneous. Oh don't get me wrong, I'd still eat a Spider-Man cake at 37. Most of my friends know they could get me a Star Wars-anything and I'd likely enjoy it. But has modern life made for such a frantic schedule, that we can't time out as a group and make someone feel a little extra special? Even just for one day??

Of course it's possible that this is a case of getting out what you put in to things. I can barely remember my parent's and wife's birthday. One or two friends, maybe, but that's it. Maybe if I made a bigger deal over other people's birthdays, I could once again reclaim the "cake-and-ice-cream" natal celebrations of my youth.

Wow...I think I've just given myself a mouthful of food for thought. Didn't taste too bad.

Four days later, my wife left for her sister's wedding in Pennsylvania. She made a fine bride, and with the wife's permission I'll display a few choice pictures in recognition. Then that Monday as I was watching Headline News and getting ready for work, the talking head onscreen blurted out something about "July 29th" while she reported the rest of the story. It seemed that a fellow Leo passed away - and another Canadian made famous by American television (like James Doohan before him) - was being acknowledged.

NEXT CHAPTER - The story ends with Peter Jennings, Ron Burgundy, and the end of TV journalists.

Lantern's Spotlight - Canadians, Aging, and Ron Burgundy: Chapter 1

2005-08-11T01:05:00.000-04:00

Greetings, cyberspace. Originally I was going to write about a thread connecting some recent news events as filtered through the Lantern's Light, but part one ran a little long and it's getting late. Instead, enjoy the first of three focuses for the Lantern's Spotlight. Starting in chronological order, a worldwide personality passes...

James "Montgomery Scott" Doohan
March 3, 1920 - July 20, 2005

Probably the best article I read the day of "Scotty's" passing was from the movie critique site Ain't It Cool. Take it away, Harry's Dad:

Our beloved Scotty, James Doohan, the engineer of the Starship Enterprise on the original "Star Trek" TV series and movies who never failed to answer the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died today, Wednesday, at the age of 85 about 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Washington home with his wife Wende, at his side. The cause of death was pneumonia complicated by advanced Alzheimer's disease.

James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia. At 19, James joined the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed
on Juno Beach on D-Day. The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

After the war Doohan on a lark enrolled in a drama class in Toronto. He showed promise and won a two-year scholarship to New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where his fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone, among others. Doohan already had a career as a character actor when he answered the cattle call for a role as an engineer in a new space-opera-adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years as a radio voice actor, he used seven different accents in the sesson before he settled on the Scotsman.

The series attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but a shortsighted NBC canceled it after only short three seasons. When the series' first life ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the red shirted engineer with a burr in his voice. "Star Trek" continued in syndication in the United States and abroad, and its following grew larger and more dedicated, fanatical even. In the years after its original NBC run, Doohan attended dozens upon dozens of "Trekkie" cons around the world and even gave talks on several college campuses.

As one of Star Trek's "second hand" fans from it's early syndication/pre-franchise days, the character of Mr. Scott held a special place for me. Mostly because like my grandfather, Scotty came from Scotland - though if I remember my trivia correctly, Scotty was from Aberdeen while Grandpa came from Edinburgh.

Scotty worked the transporter and knew how to fix the ship. While these are not particularly enduring character traits, they are certainly something a six-year old boy will find "neat" about a TV character. Why, he was kinda like that "Q" guy in those James Bond movies my dad likes too!

Finally, Scotty was different. It wasn't just the Scots burr, the quick grin, or the way he pulled off last-minute saves - he was the only regular member of the bridge crew in a red shirt. I'm not certain when I noticed this, but in a ship run by gold and blue-shirted senior staff, Scotty's red shirt 'authoritah' was keenly felt.

With the advent of the animated series, I began to pick up on a few things. Not only did I notice the turnover rate for all the other Enterprise crew that wore red, making Scotty an early standout, but the nuances of the character began to reveal themselves. Doohan's Montgomery Scott was a working class ship's officer that expected his stern orders to be followed, but never talked down to his fellow red-shirt staff, or even the technicians in the blue jumpsuits. Scotty even treated the most replacable guys on the ship with professional respect, just just because it's the correct thing to do, but because Mr. Scott remembers when HE was that technician, or HE was that Engineering Aid. A real working man's officer.

Like many early Trek fans, I was taken in by Scotty's thick accent, and in imitating it I picked up on many similar sounding male voices like Carter Winston in The Survivor, or the male Thasian voice from Charlie X. It wasn't until after Doohan's death that I learned about his career
in Canadian radio productions. Hell, I didn't even know the man was a D-Day war hero until I heard it on NPR...though I don't remember them mentioning anything about a lucky cigarette case. In any event, I'm certain between trying to master Scotty's brougue and the Liverpudlian scouse of The Beatles, I developed my love of speech and sound. In later years, Doohan narrated many of the Star Trek audio books, and produced accurate renditions of Kirk, Spock and McCoy based mostly on tone, timing and inflection. Even in ill health, the man still worked doing what he could with what he knew.

Some have written that Doohan's death is a "terrible tragedy" and a "crushing blow". Look fanboys, the man was 85 years old and suffering from compliations due to Alzheimer's! He died surrounded by friends and family, and he's remembered by millions of people worldwide. How is having a full life, a rewarding career, and millions of fans a "terrible tragedy"? An old man that entertained and inspired generations of fans is no longer ravaged by a debilitating disease.

Bless you, Mr. Doohan.

NEXT CHAPTER - Another year? Already?? Nahhh...

Lantern's Spotlight - Kristina Miller and the Sharm el-Sheik Bombings

2005-08-07T14:19:00.000-04:00

Greetings, cyberspace. Long time no see.

Instead of excuses, I'm going to get write to the point. I am probably the world's worst friend. Like my ignored blog, plenty of email and phone calls from friends and family get stacked up, unanswered. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I figure I'm SO busy I can't take the time. Having the wife out of town has given me a little extra free time to slack off, so I've been trying to balance productive use of time with couch-potato sloth. Sloth has been winning, but things have been getting done at a steady pace - including catching up with old friends.

It Can Happen To You Part 1 - Terrorism

Janet and I used to work for the same company years ago. Then she became a partner and moved to Las Vegas to run a sales office, and finally to open one in Orange County, CA right before the company fell apart. Funny, when the "fit hit the shan" on my career there, it was Janet who had to fire me.

Don't worry, Janet. It's all water under the bridge. Killing the messenger is stupid, anyway.

Not long after she took over the Vegas office, Janet hired a girl named Kristina as her secretary. Now at this company, secretaries were known to travel through revolving doors at most locations, but Kristina seemed to still be there month after month. That was probably the first thing I noticed.

Next was her personality. In my roles with our firm, I had to deal with Janet's counterparts in the satellite offices quite a bit, which meant getting to know the different personalities who answered the phones. Kristina liked to laugh, had a clever sense of humor, and shared many of my tastes in music and movies. These I noticed over time during our two and three minute conversations.

The pinnacle of my time at this firm was our company-wide trip to Las Vegas right before the corporate explosion. It should be noted I was saving myself at the time for a cheating Canadian woman, so I was more than disheartened when that year's Northern snowstorm grounded her flight. Hell, if it wasn't for the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton I probably would've wormed my way out of the whole hoo-hah! I didn't really give much of a damn for the famous Vegas strip, and I feel gambling is a waste of money, so there wasn't much else for me to do besides drink with a Ferengi.

It was at the Vegas company conference that Kristina and I met for the first time. I remember musing about how attractive she was - a model like quality, with big eyes and an expressive smile that lit up.

Kristina and I turned out to be kindred spirits. We didn't really fit in with the sycophants or corporate cheerleaders, so we spent what time we could hanging in back and making fun of everyone during the conferences.

Our friendly relationship remained strong up through the time I was targeted for a "Reduction In Force", and even afterwards she would call me to and from college classes. Smart, dedicated, focused, and attractive. Selecting my company just proved that she had wonderful taste in men, so I'm certain I'd have approved of the boyfriend she talked about.

Over time, I let Kristina's calls and emails get stacked up, unanswered, along with Janet's. It's not that I didn't care, I just figured I was SO busy I didn't take the time. That's why I stopped now to write this when I got Janet's most recent email.

It was dated July 26th - yes I let it sit for a while - and in a quick few lines explained how Kristina was the only American killed during the terrorist bombings in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt. Since my life is mostly a cycle of work-home-sleep, this factoid failed to make it through my skull. Janet's letter was kind enough to assume I had already seen the news, but even if I had I wouldn't have immediately thought of MY friend Kristina Miller.

I watch Headline News every morning as I get ready for work, NPR's Morning Edition on the drive in, and the networks' All Things Considered. I like to think of myself as a fairly educated person, and I pay attention every time one of the commentators talks about how many of our armed forces died in overnight fighting, or from some sniper attack. I remember thinking back to my high school trip to London, and knowning that I traveled some of the area that was bombed on July 7th. Still, I never once imagined that an act of terrorism would take the life of someone I actually knew.

This entry was written not to inflame paranoia, nor to lash out over how our civil rights are being curtailed in the name of freedom. Clearly, something needs to be done to combat terror threats worldwide, and I think some concerns that the ACLU and other groups have brought up are valid. Decisions like those are left for people with louder voices than mine.

No, this is to thank Janet for not giving up on me as a friend.

This is to resolve to be a better friend in turn. Those who reach out deserve something to grab hold of, or the nothing you give them will be yours instead.

And this is for Kristina Miller.

Godspeed, Tina-Meena. Your untimely passing as an innocent victim of conflict is not in vain; as the only American casualty, you have brought addition attention to a regrettable event. Attention to any situation is always the first step to changing it.

New Batteries

2005-05-28T22:24:00.000-04:00

It's a miracle Blogger hasn't erased Lantern's Light by now. Good to be back.

My roshi, a Jesuit priest teaching Zen Buddhism as a combined history and religion course, used to tell us "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". I never used to understand what that meant, until I realized now much I wanted to get done, planned to get done, told people I'd get done...and never did.

Some recent events have caused me to examine how I spend my time, what I make priorities, how important the goals that I say I wish to reach really are. For starters, I'm gearing up my eBay business again, and taking every opportunity to keep focused during my day job.

I'll be sharing some more business insights and suggestions soon. Stay focused on the light!

New Year, New Challenges

2005-01-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

A very happy 2005 to everyone
in cyberspace!

As usual, my plans and my excecution aren't matching up. This update should have been written a week or two ago, but 2005 is alreading proving to be chock full of new personal and professional opportunities and juggling acts are never easy.

The most important has been a career change. The short version: I left here to work here.

Most business professionals who are approached for a second time to with an offer to do the same job in a more relaxed environment with an improved client base and better comission structure would leap at the chance before it dissapeared. I, on the other hand, was damn near drug away kicking and screaming.

Maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but it was hard for me to leave behind all the personal relationships I'd fostered with my last firm. They really, really liked me over there - from the Vice-President of Sales all the way down to the new hire that just asked me for some advice on how best to persue his next account. I had seen the current management staff rise up through the ranks, and that respect and familiarity with management afforded me a fair amount of credibility with most everyone I worked with. These people were my friends. They looked out for me. In turn, I did my best to remain focused on my job and flexible in my tasks.

On the other hand, my old firm promoted a corporate culture of exclusion - you're either with us or you're against us. Though a certain level of that mentality can be allowed given the rampant competition in my industry, the thought of never being around an environment which had become so disfunctionally comfortable certainly gave me pause. Knowing that once I'd made it official that I was leaving for "the competition", and how that would be responded to with an immediate escort from the office without an opportunity to say any proper goodbyes almost made me reject the new offer again.

I pride myself on my loyalty. It's so important to my personal and professional relationships that my wife has identified it as a borderline character fault. I was leaving for the competition I thought to myself. How could I turn my back on everyone like that?

Once I realized that it was less of "turning my back" and more of "accepting a better opportunity to provide for my family", the choice became less difficult. I was still escorted out almost immediately, and ended up being short a week's worth of pay as a result. Though I'm going to attempt to recover my missing funds, there is a part of me that wants to chalk it up to a fundamental business error; I failed to put it in writing.

This brings me to the promised topic from last post - business lessons from The Beatles.

The Fab Four Flounder Financially

Quick history lesson; in 1976, my stepbrother loaned me his collection of original Beatles albums for me to record and return. Somehow, more than 30 years later, I still have everything from Vee-Jay Records' release of "Introducing The Beatles" to "Let It Be" in my posession.

Johnny, really. If you want them back just call me. At least I'd get a chance to hear from you guy!

That Liverpudlian quartet ended up affecting my life more deeply than any one influence aside from Mom and Dad. I know more about their history and details than someone born the same
day on the first day of recording "Hey, Jude" probably should, but without their style as one of my guiding lights I'd hardly be the witty, charming screwball everyone knows and loves today.

Now back to the point; while rearranging our living room, my wife and I were having a free flowing discussion about growing her startup professional services business. We were discussing comission structures between my "old" and "new" firms as I moved my antique Remco Beatle dolls, and I found my thoughts turning to a story I'd read about Beatle manager Brian Epstein's incredible failure in managing the Fab Four's merchandising opportunities as Beatlemania stood at the cusp of becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

Though Brian had a keen sense of style and theatrics, he had only passing talents in business. To his credit, few entertainment managers in 1963 really knew how to negotiate licences for products like dolls, t-shirts and acne cream, but even a gay theatre major should have known to "get it in writing" and to be precise in his language.

It's a startling tale when you think of how many doors the flood of Beatle-labled products have opened in the years since. In fact, anyone with a background in finance or management will find it positively cringe-worthy. But rather than recap, it's easier to excerpt the well scribed words of Peter Brown from his book The Love You Make.

In the beginning Brian's office handled the merchandising requests, deciding which would be honored and which denied, but Brian soon became bored with persuing dolls and rubber boots and began to look around for someone to take care of the matter for him.

He made some inquiries around Londo for a solicitor. Brian wanted an attorney who would be a confidant as well as a legal advisor, and he was always referred to the firm of one David Jacobs. Of course, Brian had already heard of David Jacobs, the flamboyand celebrity attorney whose exploits were carefully covered by the Fleet Street press.

Jacobs finally advised Brian to set up a completely separet company for the merchandising end, from which Brian and The Beatles would simply take a percentage of the profits, while they did the work. Jacobs said he knew of someone who would "take the merchandising business off their hands," which is exactly what he did.

His name was Nicky Byrne, and Jacobs knew hims personally through social circles. Byrne had once been a partner in a club called the Candor Club, so he knew all about show business, Jacobs contented. Byrne agreed to take on the job of merchandising and formed a partnership with five friends, none of whom Brian or Jacobs knew. His other partners were all in their twenties, and one of them was allowed to buy a 20% share in the business for only 1000 pounds sterling.

David Jacobs had Brian's power of attorney in the matter and was prepared to sign the contracts in his absence. The one point still unnegotiated in the contracts was simple: the percentages to each of the parties. Now Brian and Jacobs knew there was a lot of money to be made in merchandising, but no on knenw exactly how much. A little bit of research would have turned up the fact that Elvis Presley-licensed soft goods had grossed over $20 million in 1957 alone.

Jacobs casually asked Byrne what percentage he wanted. Byrne glibly suggested 90% for himself, epxecting Jacobs to start barganing. Jacobs nodded. "Well," he said, "10 percent is better than nothing," and he signed the contracts.

Brian had never studies the finalized agreements, nor thought about the terms until he had a meeting with Nicky Byrne in New York. Then Nicky presented him with a check, collected funds from merchandising, for $9,700.00. Brian was delighted. It was an unexpected $9,700.00 and after all, he had agreed to three appearances on the Ed Sullivan show for what had averaged out to be $2,400.00 and appearance. This would help offeset some of the losses.

"How much of this do I owe you?" asked Brian.

"Nothing, Brian. That's your 10%," Byrne said.

All Brian understood was that he was to keep the entire amount of the check. "That's marvelous, Nicky. How do you do it?"

Nicky explained that he had already collected over $100,000.00 and that after expenses there was $97,000.00, of which Nicky was keeping $88,000.00. And that was only the beginning, Nicky added. He had already been offered $500,000.00 for his share of the partnership by Columbia Pictures, with Ferrari automobiles thrown in
for all the partners in Nicky's firm.

When it dawned on Brian what had happened he became physically ill. Thinking of it make him want to vomit. One of the first deals that Byrne had made was with the Reliant Shirt Corporation to make Beatles t-shirts for which they'd pay $100,000.00.

Brian at first thought that figure to be inflated, until he learned Reliant had sold more than one million shirts in three days. REMCO, one of the best-known toy manufacturers in America, bought the licesning to manufacture dolls. They had produced 100,000 dolls with orders for a half-million more.

It took a long, long time for the magnitude of it to sink in. Nicky Byrne's personal income alone, Brian estimated, could add up to five million dollars. Brian was sick. They had given it away! An incomprehensible sum signed away for nothing! He wondered what The Beatles would say when they found out. He decided it was best they know nothing about it for the time being and plotted to keep it from them. The task of getting it back began to gnaw at him. It was his first major failure, and for all the good success, he felt a fool.

A cautionary tale, to be sure. Though it pains me a little to know my heroes were only paid pennies for their rubber and nylon likenesses on my shelf, the knowledge that it was recovered
in the merchandising flood for the film release of Yellow Submarine makes the hurt bearable.

Of course it's not like thousands of dollars of my own money hasn't found its way to the coffers of Yoko and "The Threetles" over the years. So no, I don't really feel bad for them at all. Not a bit. I'm just glad that I got to know them even as a "secondhand fan".

With that I'll dim the Lantern's Light for this session.

NEXT - Back to business?

Lantern's Light Updates

2004-12-27T00:45:00.000-05:00

It's been a productive post-holiday weekend for me to carve out my niche in cyberspace! Along with the template change from this afternoon, I've just added a guestbook and hit counter courtesy of my new friends at Bravenet!

So quickly...go type out a note for the guestbook and let the world know you were here! I'll still be here when you're done.

NEXT - Business lessons from the Fab Four?

Introducing "The Hero Inside"

2004-12-25T23:58:00.000-05:00

In order to keep my thoughts and writings focused, I have created a new blog to analyze both mythic and historical heroes. I hope that as content and participation develops that the site helps you develop and nurture the hero within yourself.

Visit http://hero-inside.blogspot.com

NEXT - "Do as I say, not as I do!" Some insights on how to make the eBay sales process most effective!

Prior Planning For Peak Performance

2004-12-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

Light dawns...

"And so this is Christmas. And what have you done? Another year over. A new one just begun..."

John Lennon "War Is Over (If You Want It)"

A most Merry Christmas and sincere New Year
to one and all!

The John Lennon song quoted above ranks as one of my favorite Christmas songs. While this would hardly surprise anyone that knows me well, I've always appreciated how the song stands out from the usual glad tidings and jingle bells by forcing the listener to stop just
long enough to take stock of his or her own life - even for the briefest of moments.

"Hey, you've just closed a whole year of your life," it says. "This next year can either be the same thing over again, or you can make a change for the better...if you want it. What's your choice?". Sure does feel a little more poignant than Jessica Simpson performing an umpteenth
rendering of "Oh Holy Night", doesn't it?

So was our lantern's light strong enough to past problems and future issues? Since the future likely involves an upcoming career change, it's safe to say the days to come are an open book for now. Past achievements have their own levels of success and failure. In fact, a seasonal success has pointed out some errors in my own business practices. Let's call this story:

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Wrapping up 2004 in household business, we had a successful if brief eBay sales campaign for the holiday season. Personal and professional circumstances kept us from duplicating last year's campaign that began in mid-November and followed through the first two weeks of December when online sales tend to slow down.

Naw...duplicating success would've been too easy for this household! So here we are, over a week into December, and nothing's listed for auction yet. While Susan and I began our own gift shopping for the season, I found myself combing the shelves of the chain bookstore where Suze is employed for the season. Part of my attention is focused on gift ideas for friends and family, the other is mentally reviewing our eBay inventory for items that would sell quickly at a good price. Many of the items in my thoughts are superhero related - rare Batman and Robin figures, a die cast Captain Marvel car from England, even vintage Star Wars items. Usually I prefer my eBay sales campaigns run around a general theme - toys, books, electronics, etc. - and the idea of haphazardly tossing out a grab bag of items for a last minute sales campaign made me uneasy. I AM trying to keep a certain image for the business after all.

Then something about the "grab bag" description pulls at me, and quickly leaps out from my childhood. Since Marvel Comics no longer offered them, it was time for me to recreate the "Giant Holiday Superhero Grab Bag"!

Quickly I find Susan and spill out my idea to her like an excited four-year old. She smiles and nods, but is too focused on our current gift shopping to the the picture the way I do. The only way to show her was to do it, I decided.

Later that night, I grabbed about a dozen items that I felt were good, high-dollar starting items, then began rewriting our eBay :"About Me" page to reflect our current campaign. Unlike previous sales campaigns, I really wanted to talk up the concept of the "Superhero Grab Bag"...if for no other reason than to deflect my use of an idea "borrowed" from an old Marvel Comics treasury sized reprint series.

I'm rather proud of the final result. You can see it here. Sales were particularly good for some vintage Star Wars action figures, and a set of Batman and Robin action figures with magnetic hands and feet.

I know what you're thinking. I would have thought sticking and climbing would be more appropriate for a Spider-Man figure rather than Batman. But they were neat then, cool now, and kept in good enough condition to make them my highest selling item. Here is that final auction result for the curious.

Rips In The Grab Bag

Not everything went flawlessly though. With holiday traffic, work, and juggling one car between two jobs, I wasn't able to get my packages shipped as quickly as normal. Though I anticipated this by offering Priority Mail pricing rather than cheaper methods with longer delivery times, I'm currently fielding a problem from a customer who failed to receive their shipment prior to Christmas.

This is why I never, ever guarantee any shipment. Once it leaves my hands, it's no longer my responsibility. Though I can, and perhaps should, use other methods like USPS Delivery Conformation and Insurance, these services inflate the shipping costs, which in turn inflates the cost of your item, making someone else's bid look like a better deal.

While I'm sure I can correct this error in customer service, I feel it's better to learn from a mistake rather than simply solve the problem over and over again. Repeating the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity.

NEXT - The start of a new blog for Lantern's Light? Stay tuned...

Twilight fades...

Stand by for Updates!

2004-10-19T20:06:00.000-04:00

I returned to work today after taking a long weekend. Burning the candle at both ends had begun to take its toll - work hadn't been fun in days, and even my home life was feeling rushed and unproductive. After a conversation with my manager I opted for a long weekend, and my wife and I made a few plans that would easily fit within our four day stretch.

This morning a few of my co-workers asked about my time off, and I realized that Susan and I actually accomplished LESS in four days that we usually do in two. Now we both had planned this to be a mini-vacation, but I was amazed at how much of our productive time I let slip away this weekend. I thought that abdicating my responsibilities would make me feel better about things, but the opposite was true.

Hmmm. Could it be the Peter Pan in me was finally growing up after all?

Nah ... have at thee, Captain Hook!

To be fair, I did make some progress on a few projects this weekend. Updates shortly...stay tuned!

The Lamp Is Lit

2004-10-03T05:45:00.000-04:00

My wife and I are making more business plans and finally putting attention towards developing our overdue websites. I'd always envisioned building a section of within mine to write about "a few of my favorite things," but with my different interests and random subjects I'm likely to write about, setting up a blog seemed like the easiest to maintain and develop.

I do this accepting the knee-jerk criticisims for anyone starting a blog. I don't particularly care that noone but my immediate friends might see this. I'm not setting up the blog as a money maker. I'm doing this as a forum for my writing and thoughts. Nothing more.

One of the earliest stories my father told me was of Diogenes, the Greek cynic philosopher known for searching in the daylight with a lantern for an honest man. While Diogenes likely did not find that man, his methods helped reveal many of man's selfish and vain tendancies.

I always wanted to be that elusive honest man, but alas I'm flawed and human just like everyone else. The idea of the lantern that searched for truth stayed with me, but with my boyhood focus on comic book superheroes I imagined that Diogenes' challenge was being fought with a power ring and alien energy instead of a cynic with an oil lamp - but that made the challege no less meaningful. The selfish and the vain were still exposed by the light of the lantern.

My goal with "Lantern's Light" is to shed my light over things that I think need a little more focus. Maybe it's something I'm interested in. Maybe I'm just curious. Maybe I just need to shout from my soapbox.

Enough warmup. I've said my oath and charged my ring. Let's go shed some light.