Odds and Ends and Odds

First off, driving across country is something I'd like to do again. Did you enjoy it all in all, Seth? I did it right after graduation with Jonas for really no truly good reason. I wanted some event to mark my passing out of academic institutions and hoped that some town or city or open road would would be the positive omen I needed. I swam in the Colorado river, saw a movie in St. Louis, played basketball in Cleveland and ate some serious burritos in San Francisco. I took a train from LA back east, stopping in Arizona for chapped lips and a confused equilibrium and water misters that keep restaurant patrons cool outside in the dry heat. I did all that and wound up confirming what I suspected all along - New York City was the place for me. This wasn't because I thought the rest of the country had little to offer. Instead, it became apparent that while I was exploring the countryside and its white sands and twisty mountain highways and Arbys, that the city I'd left presented the most immediate and important new lands for me to discover. Though I'd grown up in NYC, I really hadn't ever discovered it - specifically: The outer boroughs. So my cross-country trip - while a blast as originally stated - had the melancholy hue of inevitable conclusion.

I'm getting ready for the 24 hour film competition we're participating in this weekend - part of the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness competition that happens annually. We won the first round - at least in our heat - where we had to make a movie in 2 weeks. It came out pretty durn good if you ask me. Officially, it's a romantic comedy about internet dating. Between you and me, it's a little... indelicate.

You should check it out here: http://redheadedleague.com/films/false/false.html

With regards to the 24 hour competition, Will and I have been trying to give ourselves writing exercises every week leading up to it. Last week, I wrote a script about a man and a woman meeting at a wedding and going back to his apartment to hook up. I thought that was a pretty good idea at first but then I made it dirty. This week, I wrote a script about a hot dog eating contest that goes awry and I thought I had a pretty good idea at first but then I made it gross. I think we have one more opportunity before the contest to hone our skillz but I'm not sure how much practice helps. It has become clear that it is not our writing which we are sharpening. It is our temptation to be shocking that we are feeding in hopes of sating it before the real thing, Friday night.

I think there should be debates weekly. It was truly the most spinless view of the candidates thus far - under pressure and no commercials. When I sat down to watch, I was palpably nervous. When Kerry took a few moments to thank Jim Lehrer and Florida and GWB, I was screaming, "There's no time, dude! Get to the fucking point!" Little did I know, JFK had it all under control.

"You forgot Poland!"

I mean I'm glad GWB shouted out my crew but that was laugh-out-loud funny.