My story "After the Fall" in new anthology

What is Humpty Dumpty up to these days? I'll tell you, that egg is living a hard life, his former life shattered beyond repair. Where did it all go wrong?, he wonders as he pounds down the drinks in his favorite pub. Well, it all went wrong when he climbed atop that damned wall, of course! This is what my story "After the Fall" is about, and it is included in a new anthology titled Ten Modern Stories of 2010. Available on Amazon and the other usual places.

Josh Holloway as Rockford?

When it was announced that NBC was rebooting one of my all-time favorite shows, The Rockford Files, Dermot Mulroney was announced as the new Jim Rockford. Well, he has similar hair to James Garner, but otherwise I didn't know much about him. But the latest rumor has that Mulroney is out and they are considering Josh Holloway (Sawyer from Lost) instead. I have to say, I'm excited about this rumor. Rockford is about much more than hair—it's about attitude, it's about being a "smart mouth." Holloway as Sawyer was definitely that. I hope this comes true.

UPDATE: It all seems to be coming together. Just read this online: "Former Lost star Josh Holloway has admitted that he would love to star in NBC's forthcoming remake of The Rockford Files." Make it happen, guys!

Here's a clip of Garner as Rockford:

Sleeve Sprouts

Attention men—you may be a sufferer of this recently-named affliction. But fear not, there is now help and support, if not yet a cure. Click here for more information about Sleeve Sprouts. Women are not known to suffer from this disorder. The first woman sufferer is still being sought.

Lost in America

One of my all-time favorite film scenes:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

If you're not familiar with this band, you should be.

You can Mad Men yourself!

...On the Mad Men website. That's me there with the cast of Mad Men!

Mad Men Marathon

Mad Men Marathon. Mad Men Marathon. Mad Men Marathon. Say that three times fast. Season 4 of Mad Men starts on Sunday, July 25 on AMC. But I have a lot of catching up to do. Before this past Thursday, I had only seen the first season. Currently, I am in the middle of a Season 2 marathon. Season 3 next. Can I catch up by the 25th?

In case you've never seen it, here is one of the coolest openers to a TV series ever.

Congrats Homer!

I love The Simpsons, so I was happy when Entertainment Weekly, to mark their 20th anniversary, released their list of the Top 10 greatest TV and film characters of the past twenty years. Here is the list:

1. Homer Simpson
2. Harry Potter
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Tony Soprano
5. The Joker (played by Heath Ledger)
6. Rachel Green
7. Edward Scissorhands
8. Hannibal Lecter
9. Carrie Bradshaw
10. Spongebob Squarepants

I can't argue with the choice of Homer as #1. He may be the best character in TV history. Harry Potter at #2 is a good choice. Buffy seems a little too high on the list at #3. Tony Soprano deserves to be on the list. But what's up with Rachel Green (Friends) as #6? I don't even know if she was the most memorable character from that ensemble cast, that also included the more memorable and quirky Chandler and Phoebe. And where is George Costanza? GEORGE COSTANZA!!! Cosmo Kramer? Michael Scott? Jack Bauer? Dwight Schrute? Sawyer? Or even Bart Simpson for that matter?

Rachel Green? Really?

Pearl Jam MSG 5.21.10

I saw Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. This was the last show of this leg of the tour before they take a break, then head overseas, and they didn't hold back. They played two hours and forty-five minutes. Just look at this setlist. They were relentless, opening with five rockers before even taking a breath to say hello. Seriously, this was one of the LOUDEST shows I've ever heard, and I mean both the band AND the crowd. They did a good mix of old and new stuff, and even broke out "Hunger Strike" during the second encore, with Ben Bridwell, the singer of opening act Band of Horses, taking on Chris Cornell's half of the vocals (see video below).

Lady Luck review, and a fun interview with Susan DiPlacido

The funny and talented Susan DiPlacido has just released three new novels. That's right, three! They are LADY LUCK; SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL; and HOUSE MONEY. I have a lot of reading to do. LADY LUCK was the first one I sunk my teeth into.

Las Vegas showgirl Sherri DiPedi gets knocked in the head with a neon sign and wakes up as the current incarnation of Lady Luck. Or does she? Is she just crazy? And what about her step father, who may have killed her father to steal his business and marry his wife? Is that all in her head too? Or will she be the next one bumped off?

Inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, DiPlacido does a great job of weaving all the characters and their plot lines together. People better versed with Hamlet than I am with get all the little nuances that relate to the Shakespeare masterpiece. But you don't need to have just read Hamlet to enjoy this crazy ride.

LADY LUCK is classic, vintage DiPlacido: Las Vegas, humor, capers, romance, punchy dialogue, booze, and food. (Surprisingly, it's a bit light on her usual racy sex scenes.) DiPlacido does a good job of switching POVs to keep the action moving, and letting the reader see what is going on concurrently with the various characters. Her writing is very visual, and it's a wonder nobody has snapped up the film rights to any of her novels yet. Are you listening, Hollywood?

Summer's coming. I suggest you pour yourself a drink, go sit by the pool, and dive into Lady Luck.

*

I had the opportunity to ask Susan about Lady Luck. Here is the interview:

DC: You just released two new books—LADY LUCK, and SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL under the Neon Fiction imprint. Another novel, HOUSE MONEY, was also just released by Mundania Press. I labor over a book for five years, and you seem to sneeze them out at will. What's your secret? Are you on steroids?

SD: Not steroids, but ample vodka. And I'm also lazy. While most writers are diligent and work hard, I just sort of come up with an idea and then type it up as it amuses me and then I'm mostly done. Revisions are work, so I don't do much of them. Rewrites blow, and finding the perfect metaphor or turn of phrase can be laborious, so I don't do that stuff and it really cuts down on the time investment, let me tell you!

DC: LADY LUCK is a fun read, with great dialogue. The characters seem so real. Do you have imaginary friends, and walk around all day talking to yourself out loud? For that matter, are YOU real, or a fiction-writing bot that some bored IT person wrote a code for, and now can't control?

SD: Thanks for that, Don. I don't have imaginary friends, but I do often talk to myself -- aloud. (Again, with the vodka.) But as far as I'm aware, I am not ensconced in the Matrix and am a real person.

DC: LADY LUCK was inspired by William "the Bard" Shakespeare's Hamlet. Did you know another definition of bard is "a slice of bacon placed on meat or game before roasting"?

SD: As someone who prides myself on loving food and knowing all sorts of dumb minutiae about it, I'm saddened to admit that I did not know that. I only recently found out what a lardon was. But though I didn't know the technical term, I have eaten plenty of bacon-covered meat. Now I have a fancy name for it to annoy people with, so thank you.

DC: Tell us a little about writing LADY LUCK. But first—you're not under the delusion that you are, in fact, Lady Luck, are you?

SD: That's a terrible question because the answer makes me sound like a nutjob. I don't think I'm Lady Luck, but I do think I'm pretty lucky. I have streaks where my luck goes sour, but I also have had streaks that impressed (and pissed off) some pretty inveterate gamblers. So I do consider Lady Luck a friend. As for writing Lady Luck, it was fun. It was easier than most books because I had a blueprint (and a damn fine one) already laid out for me, so I just had to embellish. No wonder people plagiarize -- it's really an easy way to get stuff accomplished! But Hamlet has always been one of my favorite works, and there's a lot of black humor in it that appeals to me. I also always felt really bad for the prince, because he wasn't a bad guy, and the whole crazy or not thing is such an inspired nuance. So I wanted to make sure and touch upon that, and I thought the whole question of luck was a good way to do it.

DC: You like to use recurring characters in your novels. That wasn't a question, but a statement. Feel free to expand on it.

SD: I do like my recurring characters. (Again, with the lazy.) I think they're kind of fun, and hopefully they are for readers, too. And it does make writing easier, because by now I know how they should behave in certain situations and their verbal ticks are by rote. Maybe they are sort of like imaginary friends when I'm writing. Also, I just think it's funny to keep bringing these same characters up in all my books. There's got to be a vanity streak in me for doing that, or maybe I'm just sly with cross-promoting that way.

Free Smashing Pumpkins

If you're a Smashing Pumpkins fan, check out their website. They're doing a cool thing: giving away their new CD, Teargarden By Kaleidyscope Vol. 1, one song at a time. They have posted four songs you can download for free. The songs sound really good, which isn't a surprise: This is the follow-up to their last CD, Zeitgeist, which is one of my favorites by them.

Snakes Can't Run

I just found out about the new novel from Ed Lin. It was released March 30, and is titled SNAKES CAN'T RUN. This is the second book to feature NYPD detective Robert Chow, following 2007's fantastic This Is a Bust. Check out my review of THIS IS A BUST here. Okay, I'm off to order the book now.

Here is the trailer:

Opening Day 2010

Today is Opening Day for the Yankees at the new Yankee Stadium, their second season in the new ballpark. Of course, they brought home their 27th World Series Championship in their first season in the new home last year. Today they get to raise the championship banner and distribute their World Series rings. Meanwhile, the deconstruction of the old Stadium is nearly complete...



These photos are from wcbs880.com, taken by Tom Kaminski.

iPad Mania!

This clip is from the new sitcom Modern Family. iPad is released April 3rd!

Sunset Daze/Into the Sunset

Apparently, WeTV has a new reality show in the works called Sunset Daze that follows the crazy antics of the wacky residents of a retirement home. My comic novel Into the Sunset, published in 2007, also has crazy antics of residents of a retirement community.

Hmmmm...Sunset Daze...Into the Sunset. Sunset...Sunset. Sounds kinda familiar.

The official page for the show doesn't have much info about when it will air, etc. Does anyone know anything more about this show?

UPDATE: The website now says that the first two episodes will air on Wed., April 28, 10pm.

Into the Sunset

Last night was the end of the road for my novel Into the Sunset in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest (ABNA). The quarterfinalists were announced, which pared the entries down to 250 in each category, and Into the Sunset wasn't on it the list. Not all depressing news, however, because I also coincidentally received--on the same day the novel was eliminated from the contest--a glowing review from a happy reader on Amazon. You can purchase Into the Sunset on Amazon, Smashwords, BN.com, and many other outlets.

***

We all know how frustrating and demoralizing writing can be. Or, not the writing, but the submission/acceptance part. Do I think my novel is as good as at least some of the 250 that made it to the next round? Of course. Do I know that for sure? Of course not. I didn't read those other novels. But, still. It all seems so pointless and random sometimes. If two different reviewers had read my excerpt instead, I might have made it to the next round. Oh well.

Old Yankee Stadium Demolition

UPDATE 3/12/10. These photos are from wcbs880.com, taken by Tom Kaminski:

The future of publishing...

Brought to you by Penguin and Apple's iPad. This makes the Kindle look like an old-fashioned paper book:

I made it!

Or, I should really say my novel INTO THE SUNSET made it through to the next round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest.


Amazon narrowed the field of 5,000 entries down to 1,000 based on a (up to) 300-word pitch. So now I move on to the second round, where two reviews of my 5,000 word excerpt (the prologue and first two chapters) will determine if I made it to the quarterfinals. Only 250 move forward. The next date to worry about is March 23, when the quarterfinal list is released. Amazon readers will then get to read and review these excerpts.

So for now...I resume waiting.

Was That David Byrne or KD Lang at the Olympics?

I know it's been a while since the Olympics opening ceremony, but is it just me, or did KD Lang look like she borrowed David Byrne's Big Suit?

Waiting is the hardest part...

Two days to go until Amazon announces the 1,000 novels that make it to the next round in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest.

On Feb. 25, I will find out if my pitch was good enough to make the cut and send me to the second round. If so, then my 5,000 word excerpt will be judged as follows:

Between February 25, 2010 and March 14, 2010, our expert reviewers, including Amazon editors and at least one Amazon Top Reviewer, will review and judge the Excerpts of each second round Entry. The expert reviewers rate each Excerpt on a scale of 1 to 5 on each of the following criteria:

a) Overall Strength of Excerpt
b) Prose/Style
c) Plot/Hook
d) Originality of Idea

So for now, I wait. Meanwhile, here's some Tom Petty and Eddie Vedder.

New U2 music on the way

Bono has told Irish newspaper the Irish Independent that a new U2 album, titled Songs of Ascent, will be available in June. I remember reading that this was the plan when last year's No Line On the Horizon was released. The names of some of the tracks rumored to be on the new CD are: "Winter" (which is on the soundtrack to the film "Brothers"), “Every Breaking Wave," "If I Could Live My Life Again," "Love Is All We Have Left," "Mercy," "Lead Me In The Way I Should Go," "You Can’t Give Away Your Heart," and "Kingdom Of Your Love."

My Pitch

The first round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest is "the pitch." This is the short, quick description, or "hook," that you need to describe your book. Similar to the sell copy on the back cover of a book, it is also known as the "elevator pitch"—what you would tell an agent or editor if you had him or her alone in an elevator for a minute.

Here is my pitch for Into the Sunset, my comic novel that is entered in the ABNA:

Meet Wayne Benson. He's not a senior citizen. He doesn't require nursing care. He isn't even retired. But this healthy 30-year-old bachelor believes the comfortable life of The Sunset, an assisted-living retirement community, would be a soothing alternative to his young, hectic lifestyle.

Everything he desires—gourmet meals, laundry service, camaraderie, tranquility—is available for one all-inclusive monthly fee. The only problem? He isn't the required minimum age of sixty-two. So, he dons theatrical make-up and a grey wig to age himself forty years, and is immediately accepted into The Sunset. Now all he has to do is live a peaceful life.

Will everything go as smoothly as planned? Of course not! His elderly love interest becomes suspicious of his under-cover-of-darkness-only lovemaking, his neighbor wants to go to strip clubs and experiment with Viagra®, the head of security is more interested in extortion than security, and the woman who manages The Sunset may be onto his scheme. Can Wayne survive old age?

Amazon editors will read the pitches of the 5,000 entries. They will choose 1,000, and move them to the second round. These results will be announced Feb. 25.

Awesomeness

This is why I've been waiting for an Apple e-book reader:

Into the Sunset entered in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest

Amazon is holding their third annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and this year they are opening submissions to previously self-published books. Winner of the contest gets published by Penguin USA and a $15,000 contract. There are two categories this year, general fiction and young adult. The contest begins on Mon., Jan. 25 at midnight, EST.

And you, the Amazon reviewer, get to vote! There is the First Round, where the Amazon editors will read a 300 word pitch for each entry. The top 1,000 entries in each category will move to the second round.

The Second Round will be narrowed to 250 entries (in each category) by you, the Amazon reviewer, based on a 5,000 word novel excerpt.

The Quarterfinals are next, where Publishers Weekly reviewers will read the full manuscript. The top 50 move on from here.

The Semifinals follow, where Penguin USA editors will read the full manuscript and select three finalists in each category.

Then the ball is thrown back to you, dear Amazon reviewer, in the Finals, to vote on the three finalists to see who wins the grand prize!

I've decided to enter my comic novel, Into the Sunset, in this contest. I published it in the summer of 2007, and I am totally, 100% happy with the final product. But, you know, self-published books don't get any respect, and no one wants to review them. Though I did get a good review from Romantic Times Book Review, where they said, "Capone has a vivid imagination and a unique voice." My novel doesn't have to win this contest. What I'm looking for is more exposure for the book, a wider audience, and maybe the book will even catch the eye of an agent or editor.

I will update this blog throughout the contest. Hopefully my novel will move through some of the rounds, and you can then vote for me!

UPDATE 1:13 AM, Mon. Jan. 25
Boy, that was insane. The online equivalent of people getting trampled at Walmart on Black Friday. I was all logged in and ready to go with my Word files at 12 midnight. The entry page wouldn't even load for me until 12:27. Then the four steps took forever, just watching a spinning wheel after I hit Save. Finally my submission was complete at 12:52. Whew! I'm in! Wish me luck.

Jib Jab 2009

Tom Saunders interview

You can read a compelling interview with one of my favorite authors, Tom Saunders, at Eclectica Magazine. His novel, Inappropriate Happiness was one of my favorite books of 2009. (Read my review of it here.) Here is a little taste of the interview:

"It took me many years to begin writing. I wish I'd started sooner. I was just an ordinary kid brought up on a council estate, an 11-plus reject sent to a Secondary Modern school rather than a Grammar. No-one was expecting anything of us and we were educated accordingly. Writing wasn't something you'd remotely consider as a career. It was so out of the question it didn't even occur to me, to be honest, although I've always been a big reader."


You can order the book directly from the publisher, Reuben Books, or at Amazon UK.

Lost Art

If you are a Lost fan, you may be interested in The LOST Underground Art Show. Here you can buy original art work based on the hit TV show, which begins its final season on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Personally, I like the "Lockeness Monster" (below) by Alex Pardee, which has already sold for a cool $1,200.

My writing now available for Sony Reader, other e-readers

If you have an e-reader, you might want to check out my author page over at Smashwords. Currently, my novel Into the Sunset and my short story collection Stories From Sunset Hill are for sale, and the short stories nineleven and The Chambliss Tapes are available for free.

According to Smashwords, "The ebooks on Smashwords can be read online using our online readers, or they can be downloaded to other reading devices such as the the iPhone, iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader or IRex Iliad, or to other ereading devices. Smashwords offers generous sampling options so readers can try before they buy."

My Story in The Ampersand vol. 4

My story "In the Basement" is included in the spanking new issue of The Ampersand. It's a short little short 2-page flash fiction, and I'm thrilled to be back in print! Seems like I've had a bit of a drought between publications; I guess you actually have to submit a story before it can be accepted (or rejected, for that matter). I've been a little lazy lately when it comes to submitting.

Anyhoo, The Ampersand is a 6"x9" perfect-bound anthology, chock full of fiction and poetry, 35 writers by my count. All for only $10! Which is a great deal in these isn't-the-recession-over-yet? times.

For more info on The Ampersand, or to find out why it's known as "The greatest literary project of all times" in certain circles, or just to order multiple copies for all your friends and enemies, go to Amazon, or visit their website.

Raditude!

Here's an animated gif I made just for you.

I picked up Weezer's latest CD Raditude at Best Buy recently. Yes, an actual, physical CD, and it only cost $7.99 on sale. Thanks Best Buy!

Weezer is one of my favorite bands, so I was excited to get a new CD so soon after their last one. Raditude clocks in at a compact ten songs—under 40 minutes (as opposed to last year's Red Album, which contains 14 tracks). The first five songs are all killer, in the punchy, pop, guitar-based, quirky lyric sort of way (this album may contain the only rock song to ever have the lyric "We'll share a cheese fondue") that is Weezer's trademark, but this time maybe with a hint of Sugar Ray thrown in.

If the first five songs are the "A" tracks, the next five are just below that, "Bs" I guess, because there are no filler tracks here. They even experiment a bit on the song "Love Is The Answer," which is sitar-based and even includes a female Indian background vocal! And it works!

If you like Weezer, check out Raditude. It is one of their best efforts in a solid career that began with their 1994 debut, the classic "Blue Album" with includes the hit song "Buddy Holly."

Here they are on the David Letterman Show performing "I'm Your Daddy," sporting their blue Weezer Snuggies:


And if you need a last minute gift for Christmas, the Weezer Snuggie:

For the man who has everything...

The new Man Groomer is a folding razor for men who want to shave their own back.

Having trouble deciding what to get him this holiday season? How about the Man Groomer!

No more shaving your man's back, or worse—waxing it! Let him do his own dirty work! Buy it together with a Dust Buster for easy disposal of those annoying tufts of hair now on the floor instead of his back.

UPDATE: This by no means is a wishlist hint. I don't want or need a Man Groomer!

Inappropriate Happiness Reviewed by Gold Dust Magazine

One of my favorite authors, Tom Saunders, had his fantastic new novel, Inappropriate Happiness, reviewed by Gold Dust Magazine. And don't miss their interview with the author, too!

Read my review of the book here.

You can order the book directly from the publisher, Reuben Books, or at Amazon UK.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As someone who designs and works on Sesame Street books, I find this cartoon especially funny.

Columbine, reviewed

One of the reporters on scene during the tragedy, author Dave Cullen spent ten years researching and writing this book. He does a great job of detailing the crime—before, during, and after the event—and shatters many of the myths and misconceptions that arose. Like, the killers were loners who were bullied by jocks and finally "snapped" and got their ultimate revenge. That is the prevailing myth about Columbine. It is wrong. Cullen explains the psychology behind the methodical planning of psychopath Eric Harris and his partner in crime, Dylan Klebold, and the impact their crime had on the community. Columbine is a fascinating, scary, and insightful read.

Thuhuhuhuhuh Yankees WIN!

The New York Yankees won their 27th World Series championship last night against the Philadelphia Phillies, and the first one in their spanking new Stadium. They opened this decade with a WS win (against the Mets), and now have closed the decade with a championship.

27 championships. Think about that. The New York franchise came into existence in 1903 (then known as the Highlanders), so in 107 baseball seasons, they have won 27 times. That is over 25% of the time! Incredible.

This got me thinking. The American League East is a beast. Out of the six divisions in baseball, they are far and away the best. Consider this: In this decade, the A.L. East has produced four World Champions and have won seven pennants. Here is the count: Pennants—Yanks 4, Red Sox 2, Rays 1. World Championships—Yanks 2, Red Sox 2.

Congrats, Yanks!!

Empire State of Mind

Jay Z and Alicia Keys performing "Empire State of Mind" (Derek Jeter's walk-to-the-plate song) before Game 2 of the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Jeter's expression while Alicia is singing is priceless. Are they dating? Why aren't they dating? They should be!

Meanwhile...

The (extremely slow) dismantling of the old Yankee Stadium continues.


Photos © WCBS Radio New York, Tom Kaminski

Yanks win 40th A.L. Pennant!

Congratulations to the New York Yankees, 2009 American League Champions! Good luck in the World Series. Here are a bunch of uncredited photos:

Inappropriate Happiness

Inappropriate Happiness, Tom Saunders's excellent character study, revolves around the naturally private, reticent narrator, Edward. After the death of his father, Edward moves into the old water mill the old man had been renovating, determined to live his own life, finally out of the shadow of his disapproving father. On the opening page, Saunders writes, "We had separate lives he and I, such separate lives. No, I take that back, not separate, parallel, together but not together; now apart, finally."

As Edward settles back into the life of the small town in which he grew up—and in which everyone knows his history—he allows two stranded artists (Belle and Kitto) to stay at the old mill temporarily. This is against his better judgement, and his private nature too. It is also something his father would never allow or approve of; maybe that is exactly why Edward lets them stay.

Here the novel kicks into gear, and becomes very Hemingway-esque in the simple strength of its distinct characters, and the love triangle that inevitably develops. Saunders brings the characters to life, not only with their words, but their actions. Here the smitten Edward watches Belle sketch a young man working:

I am astonished by how quickly and confidently she draws, the bravura way she captures the turning of a leg and the lifting of an arm on paper. If she makes a mistake she remedies it with a rapid stroke of her pencil, each new line a refinement of the one before, the figure a series of shapes placed on top of one another, dynamic rather than static: the arc of the hammer, the angle of the back, the slant of the hips, the splaying of the feet. Somehow the boy and his everyday job are transformed by the sketch, the pose becoming heroic, timeless even.

Then:
"You're making him uncomfortable," I say.

Several seconds go by. Then, just as I am starting to think she is not going to reply, she stops drawing and says, "He'll get over it."

"I don't think I would."

"Who said you'll get the chance?"

Kitto, Belle's boyfriend, is the opposite of Edward: brash, arrogant, selfish. Why the world doesn't love his paintings as much as he does is a mystery to him. Why Belle stays with Kitto, who takes Belle for granted, is a mystery to Edward, a frustration that gnaws at him as his own relationship with Belle grows.

Inappropriate Happiness is a great literary work; one that should be read widely, one that should be honored with awards, and studied in writing courses. The size of the press limits these chances, but my dream is that Oprah will pluck this gem out of the small publishers haystack and give it the exposure it deserves. In the meantime, you can order it directly from the publisher, Reuben Books, or at Amazon UK.

5 Stars

The Road Movie

Here is the trailer for the film version of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The movie opens Nov. 25, and I suggest you read the book first. Read my review of the novel here.

4 8 15 16 23 42

If you are a Lost fan, these numbers are significant to you. Something recently occurred to me: All of Hurley's "cursed" numbers (that he used to win the lottery, and were later seen on the hatch) have been retired by the Yankees. 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Lost has also mentioned the Red Sox several times, including that they won the 2004 World Series.

Does the whole mystery of Lost revolve around the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry? Could Jacob and the unnamed man in black represent the two teams? Is it all some sort of bet between the two characters? Does The Curse of the Bambino factor into this somehow? Good vs. Evil? New York vs. Boston? Jeter vs. Pedroia? DiMaggio vs. Williams? Tiant vs. El Duque?

The upcoming Season 6, scheduled to start in Feb. 2010, is to be the final season of Lost, and everything will be answered then. Meanwhile, I will look for more clues.

FYI, here are the numbers, and the players who wore them:
4 Lou Gehrig
8 Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey
15 Thurman Munson
16 Whitey Ford
23 Don Mattingly
42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout MLB in honor of Robinson. Mariano Rivera currently wears the number for the Yankees, but it will be retired in his honor also when his playing days are over.)

I searched Lostpedia to see if anyone else made the connection to the Yankees, and they did.

UPDATE: Then there's this:

The Fixer!

The video for the first single ("The Fixer") off the new Pearl Jam CD, Backspacer.

Beatles Quiz #1

In honor of all the excitement surround the release of the Beatles Rock Band (as well as the remastered Cds in stereo and mono), I made a Beatles quiz for you.

1) Name the drummer who filled in for Ringo when he had tonsillitis on the 1964 tour?

2) Yoko has a daughter from her first marriage. What is her name? Hint: She says it in the beginning of "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)."

3) Name the "grandchildren on your knee" in the song "When I'm 64."

4) What are the only words in "Why Don't We Do It In the Road" besides Why don't we do it in the road?

5) Where and when did John and Paul meet?

6) From whom did John get the idea for the song "She Said She Said"? Hint: It was during an LSD trip, and this person kept saying "I know what it's like to be dead."

7) Who was the oldest Beatle?

8) What was the name of the mutual friend who introduced John and Paul?

9) In which airport did the Beatles land when they arrived for their historic first trip to America?

10) What five songs did the Beatles perform on their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (Feb. 9, 1964)?


Answers

Seinfeld Reunion on CYE

The long awaited Seinfeld reunion is finally going to happen...sort of. In true Larry David TV-groundbreaking fashion, it will be done in a unique, creative way—and (in case they don't pull it off) without doing any damage to the original series, since it won't be under the Seinfeld banner, but will occur on Larry David's Emmy-winning series Curb Your Enthusiasm, which returns for its seventh season on September. 20.

According to CYE's Wikipedia page, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, Wayne Knight, Len Lesser, Estelle Harris and Jerry Stiller will all return for the "reunion." They even dug out the old sets of Jerry's apartment and Monk's Cafe for the episodes, which will cover five of the ten shows slated for the new season.

This sounds like pure genius to me, similar to the show-within-a-show that Seinfeld did during the classic episodes when Jerry and George were writing, then filming the failed pilot for Jerry. I can just imagine the Curb Your Enthusiasm arc, with Larry trying to round up the old gang for a reunion, and the bickering he and Jerry will get into as they try to write the reunion show. Not to mention seeing the actors portraying both themselves, and their Seinfeld characters. And don't forget this is HBO. We may get to hear them curse! Fucking Newman!

Everything Matters!

How would you live your life if you knew since birth the exact date that the world will end? Would anything you did matter? Well, yes, Everything Matters! I'm talking about the problem posed to Junior Thibodeau, the lead character in Ron Currie, Jr.'s fantastic new novel, Everything Matters!

While still in utero, an unknown voice informs Junior that in thirty-six years a comet will obliterate life on Earth. Needless to say, this knowledge puts a damper on things, and affects how Junior views life, his relationships with his father and mother and brother, and any chance he has of keeping a girlfriend. And the voice keeps occasionally checking in to offer guidance. Or, if not guidance, more unwanted knowledge.

The novel—also told in chapters from the point of view of the other characters—hurtles brilliantly toward the inevitable, climactic end. But is it inevitable? Are there options? Can Junior save the world, or just save himself? The unique plot in and of itself will keep you on the edge of your seat. But what elevates this novel from good to great is the heart Currie puts into his writing. The scenes with Junior and his father toward the end of the book, and the end of the book itself will have you questioning your own life, your own relations, and if you are living the life you want to lead.

Junior knew when the (his) world would end, but in reality, none of us knows when our time will end. So, yes, everything you do does matter.

5 Stars

Batting Stance Guy

This guy is great. Really nails the different batting stances, and is really funny too! Visit his website: Batting Stance Guy.

I Have PSR

What is that, you ask? It's Photic Sneeze Reflex—the sun makes me sneeze. As soon as I step outside into the bright sunlight, I instantly sneeze. Whenever I tell someone this, they look at me like I'm crazy. I have to Google it to prove I'm not (crazy, that is). Roughly 25% of the population suffer from PSR, so it's a wonder no one believes me. And it's not just the sun—bright lights can make me sneeze too.

According to Wikipedia, "The probable cause is a congenital malfunction in nerve signals in the trigeminal nerve nuclei. The fifth cranial nerve, called the trigeminal nerve, is apparently responsible for sneezes. Research suggests that some people have an association between this nerve and the nerve that transmits visual impulses to the brain. Overstimulation of the optic nerve triggers the trigeminal nerve, and this causes the photic sneeze reflex." Got all that?

I like to believe that I'm part of the 25% of humanity that is more evolved than everyone else. If we try to look directly at the sun, we sneeze. Maybe this gene will one day save humanity. Or not. Maybe we'll just keep the sunglass industry afloat.

Bookman

The day that changed rock n' roll history

"The Introduction" by Eric Cash

Today is the 52nd anniversary of the day John Lennon met Paul McCartney: June 6, 1957. The 16 year-old Lennon's band The Quarry Men was playing a gig at the local village fete in Woolton, which is a part of Liverpool. After the show, Ivan Vaughn—a mutual friend of both John and Paul—introduced the 15 year-old McCartney to Lennon. Paul's energetic performance of "Twenty Flight Rock" convinced Lennon to invite him to join the band. John was impressed that Paul could tune a guitar and "looked like Elvis."

"I remember John singing a song called 'Come Go With Me.' He'd heard it on the radio. He didn't really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself.
I just thought, 'Well, he looks good, he's singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.' Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave. I remember John was good."
—Paul McCartney

Believe it or not, an audience member actually recorded the Quarry Men's performance that day. In 1994 the tape was rediscovered and auctioned off. EMI bought it for £78,500, but it was never released because the sound quality was so poor.



There is a book titled The Day John Met Paul in which author James O'Donnell reconstructs the movement of John and Paul that day in narrative form. Though slightly hokey, it reads like a novel and is a must for diehard Beatles fans .