I’d love to say that I have a [i]reallyreallyreallyreallyreally[/i] great reason for a light blog load lately, but the truth is, I don’t. The reason is simple: I’ve been tired.

Work, book, dog, life.

I know, I know. Boo-hoo-hoo poor me yada yada.

The thing is … I’ve missed you guys. So I’m back now clacking away, and what’s really on my mind is … you. While blogging is my chance to communicate with you, the blogs are [i]for[/i] you. It’s my way of trying to entertain and updatI’d love to say that I have a [i]reallyreallyreallyreallyreally[/i] great reason for a light blog load lately, but the truth is, I don’t. The reason is simple: I’ve been tired.

Work, book, dog, life.

I know, I know. Boo-hoo-hoo poor me yada yada.

The thing is … I’ve missed you guys. So I’m back now clacking away, and what’s really on my mind is … you. While blogging is my chance to communicate with you, the blogs are [i]for[/i] you. It’s my way of trying to entertain and update, and when I don’t do it as much, I feel like something important is missing from my routine.

You may not realize this, but your interest, support and enthusiasm in what I do is a [i]huge[/i] boost to me. It energizes me, it encourages me. My creative brainpower is set mostly on writing the novels–[b]Finders Keepers[/b], and now [b]Crossline[/b]–but that type of writing is a period of isolation. It’s just me, at the desk.

Don’t get me wrong, I love … I mean LOVE writing. I’m different without it. It’s my thang. But writing isn’t a group effort.

And yet, when I’m blogging, I’m talking directly to you, about what’s going on in my kooky little brain at the moment, about today.

Does that mean going forward I’ll be blogging as much as ever? I can’t say. I don’t like to make those kinds of promises. But I will say that I’m more energized when I blog, and less energized when I don’t.

So if nothing else, this blog about blogging, is really a blog letter to all of you, who energize me to keep on plugging along when sometimes my energy drops a bit low.

This blog’s for you!

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/09/16 14:54

I have to admit, I’m still not quite into the Twitter groove. Part of me thinks I should be, if for no other reason than the world is moving in that direction, and I don’t want to get left behind.

And yet, all this Facebooking and Tweeting and MySpacing all seems a bit too much for me. Maybe I’m just getting old far too quick!

So I’ve been poking around on Twitter lately, trying to get with it. There is some fun stuff out there, if you know where to look, but you really gotta put the eI have to admit, I’m still not quite into the Twitter groove. Part of me thinks I should be, if for no other reason than the world is moving in that direction, and I don’t want to get left behind.

And yet, all this Facebooking and Tweeting and MySpacing all seems a bit too much for me. Maybe I’m just getting old far too quick!

So I’ve been poking around on Twitter lately, trying to get with it. There is some fun stuff out there, if you know where to look, but you really gotta put the effort in … and I’m tired!

Good gravy …

When it comes to District 9, all I can say is "Wow." What a movie.

I had read quotes from Peter Jackson (who produced the movie), saying that we’ve never seen anything like District 9. I sorta rolled my eyes at that thinking, what else is he going to say?

But you know what? He’s right.

District 9 is like Aliens meets Slumdog Millionaire. It’s such a trippy, tense, gross, exciting, exhilarating, bizarre sci-fi aliens movie. There really isn’t anything that compares head tWhen it comes to District 9, all I can say is "Wow." What a movie.

I had read quotes from Peter Jackson (who produced the movie), saying that we’ve never seen anything like District 9. I sorta rolled my eyes at that thinking, what else is he going to say?

But you know what? He’s right.

District 9 is like Aliens meets Slumdog Millionaire. It’s such a trippy, tense, gross, exciting, exhilarating, bizarre sci-fi aliens movie. There really isn’t anything that compares head to head.

This remarkable effort comes from first-time feature film director, South African Neill Blomkamp (who adapted District 9 from a short film he directed in 2005), and even more amazing is the lead, Sharlto Copley, a first-time actor from South Africa. He had depth, and humanity, intensity and humor — plus he kicked ass, coming from the most unlikely character to carry a movie.

If you’re looking something that will just knock you back a few feet, District 9 is for you.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/08/23 14:36

I went into Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds with mixed expectations. One the one hand, Tarantino hasn’t really hit the mark for me in years, and on other hand, I keep hoping he’s got another really good movie in him. The reviews were overall very good, so I was shooting for an entertaining experience, and would leave it at that.

Inglourious Basterds had some really great scenes that were tense and funny, and the movie was a visual feast. And Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who playI went into Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds with mixed expectations. One the one hand, Tarantino hasn’t really hit the mark for me in years, and on other hand, I keep hoping he’s got another really good movie in him. The reviews were overall very good, so I was shooting for an entertaining experience, and would leave it at that.

Inglourious Basterds had some really great scenes that were tense and funny, and the movie was a visual feast. And Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who played "The Nazi Hunter," delivered an Oscar-worthy performance. If he doesn’t get a nomination, then the awards are officially useless. He will go down as one of the truly great villains in movie history. He was that good. Brad Pitt was perfectly okay, but Waltz stole the show.

As a movie, however, Basterds didn’t quite deliver. There just wasn’t enough there, there for me. It’s an idea of movie, and yet not a fully realized story. I had read early script reviews that for a two-and-a-half movie about killing Nazis, there wasn’t a whole of Nazi killing going on. Those reviews were on the mark. Too much talking, not enough doing. The talking was good, but I wanted more meat on the bones.

There’s a lot of individual pieces that really stand out in Basterds, but it didn’t quite hold together. For such a quick-witted and clever writer, Tarantino had me checking my watch a few times. It was a bit slow.

Inglourious Basterds is worth seeing, but I wouldn’t go in with only modest expectations.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/08/23 14:36

Last night Liz and I checked out FUNNY PEOPLE, the third movie written and directed by Judd Apatow (following 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP).

For sure, FUNNY PEOPLE is his most "mature" movie, in that he tackles more mature themes. The gist is that Adam Sandler (in a great performance) is basically a jerk version of his real self, who is diagnosed with a very rare blood disease.

So he starts doing stand up again, and finds a very raw (and not so funny) Seth Rogen strugglLast night Liz and I checked out FUNNY PEOPLE, the third movie written and directed by Judd Apatow (following 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP).

For sure, FUNNY PEOPLE is his most "mature" movie, in that he tackles more mature themes. The gist is that Adam Sandler (in a great performance) is basically a jerk version of his real self, who is diagnosed with a very rare blood disease.

So he starts doing stand up again, and finds a very raw (and not so funny) Seth Rogen struggling at a comedy club, and hires him to write some jokes and be his personal assistant.

And off we go.

The first hour is excellent. I was really invested and wanted to see how it played out. Apatow wrote and directed a truly compelling movie.

And then … the second hour sort of devolved into a "relationship" movie, and went a little flat (although Eric Bana was hilarious in his native Australian accent), and then things picked up again at the end.

Overall, FUNNY PEOPLE is a good movie, with both series and laugh-out-loud funny moments, but it’s a bit uneven. Apatow was aiming very high. Sometimes he hit, sometimes not. I wouldn’t classify this as a ‘must see,’ but it was a quality movie with a career-defining performance by Adam Sandler, who, despite what most of his earlier work would indicate, has turned into a very, very good actor.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/08/15 10:04

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/08/23 14:35

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/08/23 14:35

I’m on way home from work the other day, and there were no seats on the F train. It wasn’t so bad, because it was about 90 degrees outside, and the A/C was on full blast, so I didn’t mind too much.

Of course, I’m always on the lookout for a seat (creaky back, you know), and all it takes is for one person to get up at the next stop. Of course, there’s usually competition for those lone seats, so you’ve gotta be on your toes, both figuratively and literally.

Well, just so happens that thI’m on way home from work the other day, and there were no seats on the F train. It wasn’t so bad, because it was about 90 degrees outside, and the A/C was on full blast, so I didn’t mind too much.

Of course, I’m always on the lookout for a seat (creaky back, you know), and all it takes is for one person to get up at the next stop. Of course, there’s usually competition for those lone seats, so you’ve gotta be on your toes, both figuratively and literally.

Well, just so happens that there was a woman–a long-legged woman, in fact (with a short skirt, by the by)–was sitting forward just enough to make me think she might be getting off at the next stop. So I’m sorta eyeballing the terrain, seeing if I’ll be in direct competition with anyone. Sure enough, there was another woman nearby, and it’s my policy never to fight a woman over a seat (unless she’s a total biatch, in which case, too bad). But she seemed perfectly nice, so, even if the long-legged one got up, I wasn’t going to seat jump this other woman.

And yet … the long-legged one didn’t get up at the next stop. But what she did do was straighten her back and sit closer to the end of the seat. So I know I’m really thinking the next stop could be the one. No go. But again, she sat [i]even closer[/i] again to the edge, so that her long legs were extended into the aisle.

So I’m thinking [i]is this it? Is she getting up? Is she just close enough to give up that seat will the other woman take it or maybe not go for it or get off the train or …[/i]

On and on this went. I was like a dog thinking that a single potato chip might drop from someone’s hand, and it when it does … it’s mine!

With each stop the long-legged one inched closer and closer and closer to the edge of the seat, just teasing me, even though I knew that even if she did get up, I wasn’t going to get it!

It drove me mad!

Finally … finally … she did get up, and yes, the other woman standing up took the seat. And you know what? I was relieved! I couldn’t take her just tempting me with that seat, teasing me that she might get up.

… sigh …

The story does have a happy ending (hey, easy … not that kind …). One stop later somebody else got up, and I got a seat all to myself after all.

Whew.

Sorry it took me all week to get to it, but on-the-floor action from the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con is now posted in the PHOTOS section of this web site.

Check ’em out!Sorry it took me all week to get to it, but on-the-floor action from the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con is now posted in the PHOTOS section of this web site.

Check ’em out!

Dating back to the 1990s when I used to have a booth with Rich Henn as the Small Press Expo every year in Bethesda, MD, the Friday session at Comic-Con was my single worst convention day. Ever.

Just awful.

I woke up feeling sort of okay, until I checked my email. I went down to the business center to log in, and got a note from my agent saying that my most promising publisher opportunity was no more. They passed on FINDERS KEEPERS. May day pretty much went downhill from there.

Dating back to the 1990s when I used to have a booth with Rich Henn as the Small Press Expo every year in Bethesda, MD, the Friday session at Comic-Con was my single worst convention day. Ever.

Just awful.

I woke up feeling sort of okay, until I checked my email. I went down to the business center to log in, and got a note from my agent saying that my most promising publisher opportunity was no more. They passed on FINDERS KEEPERS. May day pretty much went downhill from there.

Throughout my 10 hours at the booth I got no Hollywood love. Zero. No agents, no producers. Nothing. I didn’t get even a single attendee name on my newsletter sign up sheet. Henn was off running around the convention hall doing this and that, so that left me to tend to our side of the booth–solo–for most of the day. By the end of the session, it really got to me.

My back hurt. I was cranky. No celeb sightings. My mojo was nowhere. Dinner aside (I blogged about that separately), it was just a lousy, lousy day across the board.

And then a funny thing happened …

The next morning I got up early and went down to the gym, and decided then and there that yesterday was over, and that today was going to be my best day of the convention. I had my hero Zig Ziglar going on my iPod, talking about staying positive, and having a plan, and that if you stick with it, and adjust accordingly, good things will happen. I got my mojo on, I got my sweat on. I was feeling goooooood.

Then, during the show, I found a publisher that once passed on FINDERS KEEPERS, but I talked to a new editor there, who loved the idea of my book, and requested that I send him a copy. Score. I also networked with a couple of other writers, which could lead to some very nice opportunities in the not-so-distant future. My newsletter sign up sheet started filling up, and I banged around some ideas with Rich Koslowski for a new cover for FINDERS KEEPERS.

But Saturday night was the topper. Before we headed out to dinner, Ray and I stopped off at the Hyatt to check on the status of our bill, because Ray and Rich were staying until Monday morning, while I was leaving Sunday morning, and Ron left earlier that day. So it was a bit of puzzle figuring out who owed what.

What we discovered was that the Hyatt–unbeknowst to Rich–charged him approximately $180 … yep $180 … to receive about a half dozen packages he had sent to the hotel prior to the event. We didn’t tell Rich until dinner was over, but when he heard the news, as expected, his head exploded.

So instead of heading out for drinks or desert, Rich high-tailed it back to the Hyatt to straighten this out. For trip where every dollar counts, $180 was shocking. With a full head of steam, Rich was stewing the whole way back to the Hyatt. Ultimately, he managed to talk the hotel manager down to $60 … a heckuva lot better than $180 … but still.

And yet … I love this part … on the way back to the Hyatt, as Rich was zooming ahead, what did I find on the sidewalk, just sitting there? You guessed it. $60! Somebody — sorry dude — must have dropped the cash reaching into their pocket. So we donated the cash to Henn’s package fund. It didn’t cost him a dime!

All in all, I had one of my BEST convention days ever.

Just goes to show that having the right attitude can go such a long way, especially at a convention like Comic-Con, which can wear you down if you’re not careful. From the bottom to the top.

The Comeback Kids strike again!

One of the highlights every year at the San Diego Comi-Con is the food. After a long day on the convention floor eating as well as you can without succumbing to skanky convention dogs and $3 bottles of water isn’t easy.

So when the day is done, food is key on our minds.

The past few years I would say I had at least three great meals. This year? Well, here goes:

Wed. night a bunch of wound up at one of the local hotel bars that also serves food. Wed. night was also the travel daOne of the highlights every year at the San Diego Comi-Con is the food. After a long day on the convention floor eating as well as you can without succumbing to skanky convention dogs and $3 bottles of water isn’t easy.

So when the day is done, food is key on our minds.

The past few years I would say I had at least three great meals. This year? Well, here goes:

Wed. night a bunch of wound up at one of the local hotel bars that also serves food. Wed. night was also the travel day, so it’s the one night as group we’re typically the crankiest, and least capable of thinking straight. I should have played it safe and gone for the burger (which Ray said was just okay), but instead I made the mistake of getting an order of wings. They were lousy.

The second night was better. As we do every year, a bunch of headed out to Brian’s which has a mixed bag menu: part comfort food, part entrees. For the second year in a row, I went with the Peanut Butter Burger. Not a misprint. Peanut. Butter. Burger. Just like it sounds. Juicy burger, with cheese, bacon, and … yep, peanut butter. Sounds gross, tastes awesome. The service, on the other hand, was awful. One waiter for about 15 tables. I had to get up and pluck around for extra napkins, ketchup and pay the bill. My food was gooooood, but the experience was sub par.

Friday night, ironically, was the best meal of the week, by far. And I say ironically, because, as you’ll read in my next blog, Friday was otherwise my worst day of the convention. But dinner was awesome. A bunch of ate at Roy’s the hotel restaurant at the Marriott, which is physically in between the Convention Center and the Hyatt.

For an appetizer I had crispy lobster rolls in a sweet dipping sauce … yum … and for dinner, Ray and I both had the fillet mignon (Ray’s medium rare, mine medium well). So good. So, so good. And for desert, I had a pecan tart with vanilla ice cream. Again. Another home run. Paying the bill, however, turned out to be a bit of cluster bunk, as somebody (who’s name I won’t mention), came up $20 short, which I had to front, and when it came time to pay the bill, half the guys went outside to watch … something … and also to break balls for the rest of us with the bill. And, oh yeah, I made sure they paid.

Saturday night–the final night–was another disappointment. It was me, Ray, Henn, Marty and James and Jeremy Owen. We went to this Caribbean joint, which sounded promising, but boy it so was not. The service was ridiculous. The computer broke down. The waitress was frazzled. They didn’t bring out my second drink or take my appetizer order. As for my meal, I went with the sweet glazed ribs, which sounded quite good, but in reality, were just very …. eh. When I order ribs, I want awesome, otherwise, the ribs just aren’t worth it. Mediocre ribs are worse than mediocre most anything else. Some food needs to kick ass to be worth the effort. Ribs are one of them.

Although … Ray and I did end up having a pretty decent slice of peanut better pie for desert at the Hyatt bar, so that somewhat salvaged the night’s delights.

All in all, not a great food trip, but it certainly had it’s moments.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/07/30 09:00

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2009/07/30 09:01

This year’s Comic-Con was a tale of two cities when it came assistance. I’ll explain:

On the first day of the show, Ray and I had to run off to ACE Hardware to pick up a three-pronged adaptor for the portable TV/DVD player Rich had at our booth in order to play our various trailers and movies.

When we got to ACE, I have to admit, I had a rather … strange experience. The girl who tried to help us was so … nice, and friendly, and polite … that it actually threw me off! As a New YThis year’s Comic-Con was a tale of two cities when it came assistance. I’ll explain:

On the first day of the show, Ray and I had to run off to ACE Hardware to pick up a three-pronged adaptor for the portable TV/DVD player Rich had at our booth in order to play our various trailers and movies.

When we got to ACE, I have to admit, I had a rather … strange experience. The girl who tried to help us was so … nice, and friendly, and polite … that it actually threw me off! As a New Yorker, fresh off a 3,000 mile flight, I was suspicious. When somebody is that nice to me in New York, I figure they’re up to something, that they’re trying to scam me in some way. (Ever more the reason to make more vacations …).

So I have to admit that I was a little aloof with her, but only because her kindness freaked me out! My bad, I know (Ray scolded me for it), but I did make a big comeback the rest of the week, nice as can be to all the waiters and bartenders we saw throughout the show.

As for the convention itself, well … that’s where we had a bit of a problem. The security team they hired to man the show was so darn aggressive! Whoa! Here’s a few examples:

On the first day Rich, Ray and I are outside, walking from the Hyatt to the Convention Center, when we come to a crosswalk–stepping across the Marriott driveway. The light was green, so I walked across, lugging a hand truck with three huge boxes. About two-thirds of the way across, the cop starts yelling at me. "Don’t you see the red hand telling you to stop?"

I didn’t. There was a red hand, but the light was also green. So, uh …

Then, as another woman walked across, he angrily stopped her in her tracks, and made her go back until the light changed. He was one of those guys who was probably a wannabe detective stuck on traffic duty, and was pretty p.o’d about it.

The next day, Ray and I were walking the floor, taking pictures, checking out the show, when we came to a logjam. About 100 or so people, maybe more, were clustered in one of the aisles, mesmerized but we all saw on screen. There was this absolutely amazing Star Wars … video game! It looked better than all of the Clone Wars cartoons and even some of the movies! We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.

Security comes along, and, in fairness, was just doing their job, trying to keep the aisle clear. However …. there’s a way to do things and a way not to do things. This one security chick was really aggressive. "Move out people! Move it! I said move it!" And her tone was not only loud, but snarky. And finally she said to someone, "Are you deaf? I said move."

That’s when I had enough. Still, I was calm about it. I simply said, "There’s no reason to be rude about it." She of course claimed just how rude she wasn’t being … and then proceeded to literally stalk me for the next hundred feet or so, literally step behind, talking trash to try to get me to respond. I just calmly ignored her and went about my business. Grrrrrrrr.

All in all we had a good time at the show, but there was definitely some weird mojo going on …

More updates to come …