text:
Online billions of people are wasting their words, time, thoughts and exposing their partial knowledge or complete ignorance every second of every day. Meanwhile the planet is going for big shifts that will affect human life catastrophically. Going nowhere FAST.
Founded on #4opens and moderated by an ethical code of conduct. Its a safe space for Campaigning and NGO groups to access their members via #openweb projects.
"We can't engage as communities, unless we have money. I can't even express how angry this makes me."
- an activist group using Facebook. People and organisations who feel this way are our initial targets.
We are launching two new Mastodon instances for activists and campaigners to aid communication of grassroot groups; putting social media back in our hands by providing a free, unfettered home for campaigners, NGO's and activists to communicate among their peers and beyond.
This project is a way out of the restricted, algorithmic, for-profit mediation and commercialisation of communication we increasingly experience. If you do not pay to "boost" each post, a Facebook page will only reach 3-6% of members. This soon becomes an expensive drain on limited NGO and activist budgets.
Activists and campaigners alike are ready to shift their outreach away from the corporate social networks paid-per-view "walled gardens".
Mastodon is the worlds largest free open source decentralised microblogging network; it's thousands of unique, interconnected communities, filled with different people, interests, languages, and needs.
You're free to join any community you like, or better yet, host your own, on your own terms. It remains possible for members of each to instance to interact with others.
There is no monopoly by a single commercial company, no ads, and no tracking.
We aim to help activism/campaigning groups to make this step now.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks rose on Friday and posted strong weekly gains, with the S&P 500 index closing at a five-year high, after Congress passed crucial budget legislation and data showed the economy is continuing to add jobs at a moderate pace.
The S&P 500 SPX, +0.26% climbed 7.10 points, or 0.5%, to 1,466.47, its highest closing level since Dec. 31, 2007.
The benchmark rose 4.6% for the week, its largest one-week percentage gain since the week ending Dec. 2, 2011.
"We had a huge rally on news of the fiscal-cliff resolution," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott.
"Today's jobs report was a focus point that came in almost right on expectations," he said.
Before the market opened, the Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls rose by 155,000 in December and the jobless rate stood at 7.8%. See: U.S. economy creates 155,000 jobs in December.
Economists polled by MarketWatch expected an increase of 160,000 jobs. See charts breaking down 2012's jobs data.
November's unemployment rate, originally reported as 7.7%, was changed to 7.8% after the annual revisions conducted each December.
A separate report showed that service-sector growth accelerated in December, with the Institute for Supply Management's services-sector index rising to 56.1% from 54.7% in November.
Back to 1987
for stocks?
Our Trading Deck has been home to a spirited debate over whether we're in for a crash.
• L.A. Little: Don't worry | Michael Gayed: Worry
• The warning signs of a 1987-style crash
• Hulbert: Stocks as overvalued as at 2007 high
Around 651 million shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Composite volume topped 3.4 billion.
Financials and materials were the biggest gainers and information technology the biggest weight among the S&P 500's 10 major sectors.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite index COMP, +0.40% gained 1.09 points, or 0.04%, to 3,101.66, with shares of iPhone maker Apple Inc. AAPL, +0.36% down 2.8%. See: Apple, Microsoft pressure tech.
For the week, the Nasdaq Composite gained 4.8%.
The Consumer Electronics Show will take place in Las Vegas next week, with developments in TV sets and smaller tablet and PC-hybrid devices expected to be in the spotlight. Read MarketWatch's preview of CES.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.13% rose 43.85 points, or 0.3%, to 13,435.21, with only six of its 30 components in negative territory.
Alcoa Inc. AA, -2.35% rallied 2.1%, making it the top gainer in the Dow, with the aluminum producer due to report fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, marking the unofficial start of corporate earnings-reporting season. See: Tech, bank forecasts slashed in run-up to earnings.
"The focus is going to be on corporate earnings," Luschini said. "If companies are reporting numbers that match or exceed expectations, then that will invite investors that have been sidelined because of the paralysis over the fiscal cliff" back into the market.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jamie Ward is ready to step up to the plate in the absence of Kyle Lafferty on Thursday night.
Talisman Lafferty – who has scored seven goals in eight Euro 2016 qualifiers – is suspended for the visit of Greece, with Northern Ireland needing victory to book their place in next summer's finals.
The next top goal scorer in Michael O'Neill's squad is defender Gareth McAuley who has netted three times, including two in last month's 3-1 win over the Faroe Islands.
O'Neill will look for a new hero to step up and earn Northern Ireland's spot in France next year, and Nottingham Forest striker Ward is hoping he can hit the mark at Windsor Park.
"I think we're all in the same boat, we have to work just as hard as before, with or without Kyle," Ward said.
"We've tried scoring goals when Kyle has played we'll be trying exactly the same now he's not.
"He's a big miss because no-one knows what he's going to do – not even himself.
"Maybe it is time for a few of us to step up who have been playing regularly."
Ward missed last month's 1-1 draw against Hungary with a hamstring injury, and he admits watching the game in his kitchen was a frustrating experience.
"I was sat at home watching the TV in the kitchen because I got bullied out of the living room," he joked.
"Watching was exciting and nervous but it's always hard to watch when there's a lot riding on it."


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The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) believes that the most important issue facing the BDSM/Leather/Fetish communities today is the consistent practice of courts and law enforcement officials to prosecute BDSM as criminal assault, with no defense of consent permitted. We know that BDSM is not assault, but rather is pleasurable, loving adult erotic activity, as long as it is mutually consensual.NCSF is leading a major national campaign – Consent Counts – to change the laws and police practices that our communities now endure, and to establish that consent is available as a defense in criminal BDSM prosecutions.
Best Practices in the BDSM/Leather/Fetish Communities
The practice of BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, SM) consists of intimate mutually pleasurable erotic activity within the scope of informed consent. The following "best practices" have been developed by our communities to ensure that the standard of "safe, sane and consensual" is met by all BDSM participants:
Guiding Principles
All participants are knowledgeable about the techniques and safety concerns involved in what they are doing, and all act in accordance with that knowledge.
Knowing the difference between fantasy and reality, and acting in accordance with that knowledge.
All participants understand the nature of the activity in which they will be engaged, and the limits imposed by each participant, and respect such limits at all times.
Best Practices
Each participant should fully understand both the desires and the limits of each other participant. Such understanding may be based on long familiarity with the other participant(s) or, where participants are new to each other, on a full discussion in advance of the BDSM activity.
- Consent must be clearly given to all aspects of planned BDSM activity and such consent must be freely given.
- Each participant in a BDSM activity is free to withdraw previously given consent at any time.
- Each participant should fully understand any limitations on another participant's ability to understand and consent fully to the planned BDSM activity, such as age, diminished mental capacity or use of drugs or alcohol.
- A means should be provided - normally a "safe word" - for the "bottom" to signal clearly her/his desire to terminate the activity.
- Relationships among BDSM practitioners should be fully respected by others. It is the responsibility of each person to make clear to others any relationship that imposes limits on that person's participation in BDSM activities.
- At parties or other events, the use of monitors may be advisable and rules should be clearly displayed.
- The more intense and physical the BDSM activity is, the more important it is to ensure clear understanding of and consent to the planned activity.
- Participants must recognize that BDSM activity resulting in serious bodily harm or that goes beyond the expectations of one of the participants may be deemed criminal, even where consent was initially given.
Established in 1997, theNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is committed to creating a political, legal and social environment in the US that advances equal rights for consenting adults who engage in alternative sexual and relationship expressions. NCSF aims to advance the rights of, and advocate for consenting adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, Swing, and Polyamory Communities. We pursue our vision through direct services, education, advocacy, and outreach, in conjunction with our partners, to directly benefit these communities.
Winter Wickedness
Planning a larger kink event like Winter Wickedness is stressful enough, without adding in efforts to shut it down by the Radical Right. Although we recognized an effort such as this is largely based on misinformation and people's fear of the unknown, we had invested significant amounts of time, effort and capitol, and were unwilling to be swayed by biased attempts to cancel the event.
With two weeks left before opening day, we heard that a local Christian radio station had done an inflammatory story on our event. Subsequently, the host hotel began receiving a smattering of calls from the listeners demanding the event's cancellation. We initially contacted the NCSF to consult with their specialists as a preparatory step, in case this was picked up by the mainstream media.
A week later, the Radical Right had discovered their efforts were not producing the desired effect. They stepped it up and began contacting the mainstream media, the local authorities, including the health dept, the fire marshal, the local police dept, etc – in an effort to bring more pressure. We again reached out to the NCSF, which had Susan on the case, and Robin coming in for the event. Between the coordination of the Action Alert e-mails, Robin on the ground as the local media spokesperson, Susan keeping the heat on, and calling in to offer the media another voice – we had the NCSF as an invaluable ally in maintaining our sexual freedoms.
Although what it is that we do (WIITWD) is legal, safe, sane and consensual and had been given the go ahead by the local and state authorities; the radical right's sensationalism, grassroots efforts and pointed innuendos implying inappropriate behavior, can create enough fear to jeopardize a venue. The NCSF has proven to us, beyond any doubt, that they are willing and able to fight back the bias and discriminatory efforts against us. The NCSF is a valuable asset to the Kink, Leather, GLBT and Alt Sex lifestyles. Adventures In Sexuality (AIS) is proud to be an NCSF Coalition Partner and will continue to bring the NCSF to all our events.
Barak & Sheba
Owners – Adventures In Sexuality
Adventures In Sexuality
Consent Counts—Or Does It?
If you practice BDSM in fully consensual ways, you may still be criminally prosecuted for assault under many laws throughout the U.S. The BDSM-Leather-Fetish communities have focused heavily for years on defining "safe, sane and consensual BDSM practices" for practitioners as well as to help the broader public better understand what it is that we do. It was, after all, only in 1994 that the DSM criteria of the American Psychiatric Association changed their categorization of sadomasochism, paving the path for us to do more effective social, legal and political change. Until 1994, BDSM was defined automatically as a mental illness. Prior to 1994, it was difficult to organize effectively to protect and advance our rights as BDSM practitioners. This categorization and long-term societal view of BDSM as a mental illness resulted in severe consequences for many practitioners over the years—loss of child custody and jobs as well as criminal prosecutions. Fortunately for all of us, NCSF was formed in 1997 to work on these issues and to protect and advance our rights.
Although things have certainly improved for us over the years, we still have significant legal, political and societal issues facing us. The majority of us are not "out of the closet", still fearing the very real threat of being prosecuted or losing our jobs or families. BDSM is still prosecuted criminally as assault, and the legal precedents related to consensual BDSM assault prosecutions are not in our favor. Many of the laws intended to protect victims of domestic violence and rape need to be modified in their application to consensual BDSM activities. The DSM criterion still needs further reform—it is still used against us, and we can still be defined as mentally ill for what it is that we do. And, members of our communities still routinely face ongoing issues of divorce, child custody, job discrimination and even criminal charges.
NCSF has two major national projects aimed at protecting and advancing the rights of the BDSM-Leather-Fetish communities. First, NCSF has taken charge of the "Consent Counts" initiative that was launched in 2006 at a Leather Leadership Roundtable as the single most important national priority of the BDSM-Leather-Fetish communities. Our goal: to decriminalize consensual BDSM throughout the United States by ensuring that consent will be recognized as a defense to criminal charges brought under assault laws and other statutes. The Consent Counts project is a nationwide education and activism program that includes a comprehensive analysis of current laws and court decisions, the development of legal arguments for changing the laws, participating in court cases, and ultimately, through lobbying, education and grass-roots activism, changing state laws and the way the public and the courts view BDSM.
The other important advocacy project is NCSF's work to change the DSM criterion so that consensual BDSM will be categorized, not as a mental pathology, but rather as a normal variant. In this effort, we are coordinating research and advocacy and working with recognized experts in the field.
We need your help and support to be successful. You can make a difference. Get involved. Visit www.ncsfreedom.org.
NCSF Press Release - Missouri Indictment
In an indictment rendered by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Missouri on September 9, 2010, five Missouri men allegedly participated in torturing a mentally disabled woman online or in person over a multi-year period when the victim was between the ages of 16 and 24. Among the charges are: Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud or Coercion, Forced Labor Trafficking, Transportation for Sexual Activity, and Conspiracy. The allegations involve sex with a minor, drug and firearms possession, forced prostitution, sexual abuse, and torture to the point that the victim suffered a heart attack.
These activities should not be confused with consensual BDSM. People who engage in BDSM and other similar activities do so as consenting adults and in a safe, sane, and consensual manner. BDSM activities are not violent specifically because all participants can stop any time they wish. Millions of people engage in BDSM: according to the Kinsey Institute's New Report on Sex, between 5-10% of the adult population engages in BDSM on at least an occasional basis.
NCSF strongly condemns criminals who commit violence and engage in non-consensual activities. We encourage the media to remember that the large community of consenting adults who engage in BDSM activities should not be conflated with these alleged crimes. Ordinary people do BDSM – parents, co-workers, friends, and neighbors. But because of the stigma against BDSM, most people are closeted and don't speak out about their interests because they fear condemnation and discrimination.
To read the Federal Indictment:
The NCSF is committed to creating a political, legal and social environment in the US that advances equal rights for consenting adults who engage in alternative sexual and relationship expressions. The NCSF aims to advance the rights of, and advocate for consenting adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, Swing, and Polyamory Communities. We pursue our vision through direct services, education, advocacy, and outreach, in conjunction with our partners, to directly benefit these communities.
You Can Make a Difference
There are many ways you can make a difference - both on your own and in conjunction with NCSF:
- Work to change antiquated laws
- Work to change the social climate about sexual issues
- Promote acceptance of safe, sane, and consensual alternative sexual practices among consenting adults
- Oppose censorship of consensual sexual expression
- Fight for freedom of academic expression about sexual issues
- Help communities and individuals facing the threat of prosecution or legal action
- Support the right of adults to express their sexuality, gender identity and orientation freely and openly without fear
BDSM vs Abuse
The following Principles and Guidelines are intended to help law enforcement and social services professionals understand the difference between abusive relationships vs. consensual sadomasochism (BDSM). BDSM includes a broad and complex group of behaviors between consenting adults involving the consensual exchange of power, and the giving and receiving of intense erotic sensation and/or mental discipline.
BDSM includes: "intimate activities within the scope of informed consent that is freely given."
Abuse is: "Physical, sexual or emotional acts inflicted on a person without their informed and freely given consent."
The BDSM-Leather-Fetish communities recognize the phrase "Safe, Sane, Consensual" as the best brief summary of principles guiding BDSM practices:
Safe is being knowledgeable about the techniques and safety concerns involved in what you are doing, and acting in accordance with that knowledge.
Sane is knowing the difference between fantasy and reality, and acting in accordance with that knowledge.
Consensual is respecting the limits imposed by each participant at all times. One of the recognized ways to maintain limits is through a "safeword" which ensures that each participant can end his/her participation with a word or gesture.
Informed consent must be judged by balancing the following criteria for each encounter at the time the acts occurred:
- Was informed consent expressly denied or withdrawn?
- Were there factors that negated the informed consent?
- What is the relationship of the participants?
- What was the nature of the activity?
- What was the intent of the accused abuser?
Whether an individual's role is top/dominant or bottom/submissive, they could be suffering abuse if they answer no to any of the following questions:
- Are your needs and limits respected?
- Is your relationship built on honesty, trust, and respect?
- Are you able to express feelings of guilt or jealousy or unhappiness?
- Can you function in everyday life?
- Can you refuse to do illegal activities?
- Can you insist on safe sex practices?
- Can you choose to interact freely with others outside of your relationship?
- Can you leave the situation without fearing that you will be harmed, or fearing the other participant(s) will harm themselves?
- Can you choose to exercise self-determination with money, employment, and life decisions?
- Do you feel free to discuss your practices and feelings with anyone you choose?
These guidelines were created by activists and leaders at the Leather Leadership Conference in 1998.
SM is Safe, Sane, and Consensual
SM-Leather-Fetish educational and social organizations consider the cornerstone of SM activity to be the guidelines: "safe, sane, and consensual." While it is possible to do any activity in a reckless and dangerous manner, SM is no more dangerous than skiing or other thrilling activities.
Safe is being knowledgeable about the techniques and safety concerns involved in what you are doing, and acting in accordance with that knowledge. Safety includes the responsibility of protecting yourself and your partner from STD (sexually tranSMitted disease) infection including the HIV virus.
While the media often portrays the more extreme SM behaviors, the reality is that a lot of SM play never goes beyond a playful spanking. Just as there are ways to reduce the risk in activities such as scuba diving or driving a car, there are ways to reduce the risk and engage in SM behavior safely.
The organized SM community is active in promoting safety seminars and teaching the practitioners how to engage in these behaviors safely. The fact that SM practitioners are not clogging the emergency rooms every weekend, is an indication that these programs are working. If SM injuries were occurring, it seems obvious that the press would be highlighting this for the entertainment of its readers/viewers.
Sane is knowing the difference between fantasy and reality. Fictional accounts of SM are often distorted for fantasy sake, and are not representative of real situations and relationships.
Sane also distinguishes between mental illness and health. A real distinction between mental illness and health is when a behavior pattern causes problems in a person[base ']s life. Washing your hands until the skin is peeling off, or so frequently that you can not otherwise function is a sign mental illness. SM, like any other behavior, can be a sign of psychiatric problems. However the vast majority of its practitioners find that SM enriches and promotes functionality in the other areas of their life.
Consensual is respecting the limits imposed by each participant at all times.
Consent is the prime ingredient of SM. One difference between rape and heterosexual intercourse is consent. One difference between violence and SM is consent. The same behaviors that might be crimes without consent are life-enhancing with consent.
The type and parameters of control are agreed upon by the people involved, and the ongoing consent of all participants is required. Some practitioners use a safeword, which is a designated word that signals the scene must slow down or stop.
Rick Houlberg writes in "The Magazine of a Sadomasochism Club: The Tie That Binds":
"The only 'cardinal' rules which the Club's membership insists each member must uphold are that all SM activities must be consensual, nonexploitative, and safe. As children are not considered to be able to consent, all activities must be between adults. The consensual and safety rules of the Club are constantly being reinforced. Safety and etiquette issues, including restrictions on overt and heavy drug use, are strongly stressed at new-member orientations and in all written materials produced by the Club."
Rick Houlberg (1993). "The Magazine of a Sadomasochism Club: The Tie That Binds." Journal of Homosexuality 21 (1/2), Haworth Press: pg. 167-83.
Press Release - Stop the Arrests Coalition NYC
Stop the Arrests in New York City
March 10, 2009 - The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a proud member of the Stop the Arrests Coalition. Spokesperson Susan Wright has participated in organizing meetings and spoke out at the Sheridan Square Rally on February 21st, 2009, against the false arrests of gay men and professional Dominatrices for prostitution.
There is good news from a meeting on March 6th with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly pledging to curb the stings against gay men (see articles below). NCSF is continuing to press for a cessation of arrests of professional Dominatrices, and has written to Commissioner Kelly to ask for a meeting about the NYPD's change in policy after 14 years of legal operation, which has resulted in a number of arrests of Dominatrices and owners of BDSM houses since Fall 2007.
NCSF opposes the prosecution of pro-dominants under prostitution laws. Consenting adults engaging in safe, sane, consensual SM, fetishes, and cross-dressing services do not pose legitimate health or safety issues for local communities. What these adults agree to do in private is no one else's business.
Members of the Stop the Arrests Coalition include: Queer Justice League, Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, Sex Workers Outreach Project, Urban Justice League's Sex Worker Project, and FIERCE New York.
by Larry Celona
New York Post
March 9, 2009
Following accusations that vice cops were making dubious arrests of gay menat pornography shops, the NYPD has decided that similar investigations will now have to be approved by the department's higher-ups, sources told The Post.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the head of the department's OrganizedCrime Control Bureau, which oversees the vice squad, and others to Police Headquarters after protests outside Mayor Bloomberg's home over the arrests.
Protesters said undercover vice-squad cops were flirting with customers in Manhattan shops and offering to have sex for money - which the activists said amounted to entrapment.
The department had said it was not targeting gay men but was ratherconducting a nuisance-abatement operation in response to neighbor complaints.
As a result of the talks, it was decided that all such operations would haveto be cleared by OCCB head Chief Anthony Izzo, the sources said.
Click here for more information on this story.
Manhattan DA Pledges to Investigate Gay Men's Prostitution Arrests
by Duncan Osborne
Gay City News
March 8, 2009
Activists who met with Robert Morgenthau report that the district attorney said he would investigate the 2008 prostitution arrests of at least 30 gay and bisexual men in at least six Manhattan porn shops, and may dismiss the cases against five of the men who are contesting the charges.
"The first thing Morgenthau said was, 'We are going to investigate all these cases,'" said Joey Nelson, coordinator for the Queer Justice League and a member of the Coalition to Stop the Arrests. "That was the first thing out of his mouth."
The March 6 meeting lasted roughly an hour, and included coalition members, elected officials or their representatives, community groups, and Leroy Frazer, the executive assistant district attorney for governmental affairs and community relations.
"They were going to go back and start looking at all the individual cases," said Robert Pinter, also a coalition member and one of the men who was arrested last year. "They really seemed genuinely concerned that something wrong was happening here."
The arrests, which were later cited in lawsuits seeking to close the shops brought by the city against five of the six businesses, are widely seen as false arrests in the gay community.
"They weren't trying to cover things up or hide," Pinter said. "Morgenthau himself brought up that he has prosecuted police over 300 times in his career."
Morgenthau's office could quickly dismiss the charges against the five men who pleaded not guilty, but Pinter and Nelson said no promises were made.
"He said that those would be easier to act on, but there was no promise of automatic dismissal," Nelson said. "He said they would investigate those cases and that those would be the first that they would investigate."
Morgenthau's office may already be doing that. At court dates, the district attorney's office has
repeatedly adjourned the cases saying they are not ready, leading defense attorneys to speculate that the prosecution is letting the time limit it has to bring the cases to trial run out so the cases will
have to be dismissed.
Activists asked that Morgenthau reopen the other cases in which some of the men are known to have pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and received minor sentences. Those dispositions should be vacated, the charges dismissed, and the cases sealed, activists said.
Morgenthau cannot do that on his own, though he might not oppose such motions. Those men convicted would have to ask that their pleas be vacated.
"Those cases would have to be brought forward by the individuals," Nelson said. "At this point, we
should be doing an all-points bulletin that people who have been arrested should be contacting the district attorney's office to ask if their cases can be vacated."
The meeting was convened by State Senator Thomas K. Duane who, activists said, was an effective advocate.
"I thought Tom Duane was very, very strong in putting out the lay of the land," Nelson said. "He called it homophobic... He said it was a set-up."
Duane, who is openly gay, represents Chelsea where some of the arrests happened. State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, an out lesbian who represents the West Village, was also praised by activists.
"[Duane] was really forceful and Deborah Glick chimed in a really forceful way," Pinter said. "They were just very outspoken."
Other attendees included Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, who represents Chelsea, Brendan Fay, a coalition member, and staff from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP).
Activists had a February 11 meeting, organized by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, an out lesbian who represents Chelsea, with senior police officials who said they had paused in their efforts.
"The message, at least in the DA's office, was heard really loud and clear," Pinter said.
To comment on this story please click here.
NCSF's 2014 Roundup
NCSF's 2014 Roundup 2014 has been a year of progress for NCSF and for people who are kinky and nonmonogamous. The national conversation about gay marriage, consent, and even Fifty Shades of Grey are transforming mainstream attitudes. The change in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 stating that BDSM is a healthy form of sexual expression has also had a significant impact on both the courts and public opinion about kink. Education Outreach Project The NCSF Board Members and presenters gave Education Outreach Project workshops and tabled at 36 events in 2014 (compared to 22 in 2013), with a…
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom: Are you ready for the Fifty Shades of Gray Movie?
Does your media agency have resources for these special interest pieces? Contact the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom for interviews and information on kink and open relationships. NCSF is the national advocate for consensual adult sexual expression. Why kink? There has been a significant interest in BDSM sparked by the wildly successful Fifty Shades of Grey. Similar topics appeared in recent TV Shows from CSI to House to Desperate Housewives, and even animated shows such as American Dad. Furthermore many people, married and otherwise, are discovering and practicing non-monogamy. From polyamory to swinging to open relationships, a notable percentage of the public are shifting their relationship parameters in an honest…
Media Kit
50 Shades of NCSF Palm Cards
GayLawNet Joins Forces with NCSF
NCSF's Kink Aware Professionals joins forces with GayLawNet NCSF has expanded the reach of its Kink Aware Professionals by collaborating with GayLawNet, which now offers a way for lawyers in their database to self-identify as Kink Aware Professionals: gaylawnet.com/attorneys/ussolc.html "Whenever someone can't find a lawyer in NCSF's KAP list, I always refer them to GayLawNet," says Susan Wright, spokesperson for NCSF. "Many of their gay-friendly lawyers are eager to work with kinky people, and the GayLawNet database is huge." NCSF recently started an outreach campaign to the lawyers who have listed themselves on GayLawNet to let them…
Tides Awards NCSF $1,500 Grant
NCSF Receives Grant Award NCSF is proud to announce the receipt of a $1,500 grant awarded by Tides Foundation. About Tides #TidesProject "Since 1976, Tides Foundation has worked with over 15,000 individuals and organizations in the mutual endeavor to make the world a better place. These include foundations, donors, corporations, social investors, nonprofit organizations, government institutions, community organizations, activists, social entrepreneurs, and more. We break down the walls between entrepreneurs and their efforts to bring positive change to their communities. We are all about new ideas, innovation, and providing the tools to make these great ideas a reality." NCSF is…
NCSF Mental Health Survey
NCSF Mental Health Survey Please take the NCSF Mental Health Survey! We would like to know more about your BDSM practices, mental health and relational violence experiences: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FZ2XDMP NCSF is working with researchers at Sam Houston University's Department of Psychology and Philosophy who will compare our responses to two other sample populations – one college-aged and the other LGBT. NCSF will use these results to help with our advocacy, benefiting both existing and developing programs. Specifically, the study's results will assist in educating law enforcement, legal and psychological professionals about the practices and mental health of BDSM practitioners. The survey…
Military Court Accepts NCSF's Amicus Brief
Military Court Accepts NCSF's Amicus Brief in Support of Consensual Nonmonogamy April 24, 2014 – Washington, DC – The Navy and Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals has accepted NCSF's amicus ("friend of the court") brief advising the court that prosecutors are avoiding the Supreme Court decision, made in Lawrence v. Texas, that moral judgment is not a basis for criminalizing consensual sexual conduct, and that consensual sex should only be criminalized if that conduct is injurious or goes against a valid societal interest. In the appellate case, it was argued that the activities were "public" even though the sexual…
Ombudsman Committee Established
NCSF Appoints Members of the Ombuds Committee June 3, 2014 - NCSF is proud to announce these appointments to the Ombuds Committee: Desmond Ravenstone, James Huesmann and Bjorn Paulee. The Ombuds Committee handles complaints and concerns regarding the conduct of NCSF officers and staff, and the operations of NCSF institutions. The NCSF Ombuds Committee shall be established as an Advisory Committee, as per NCSF bylaws, to review Coalition administration and activities, assuring ethical and effective fulfillment of NCSF's mission and goals. Board Member Fil Vocasek is the Board Liaison to the Ombuds Committee. NCSF thanks the three members…
NCSF Files Amicus Brief in Military Court
NCSF Files Amicus Brief in Support of Consensual Nonmonogamy March 26, 2014 – Washington D.C. – NCSF has filed an amicus brief in a military case involving a marine who engaged in a consensual threesome and because of that was convicted of adultery, attempted consensual sodomy and indecent conduct, a "crime" based solely on undefined sexual conduct inconsistent with "common propriety." In its brief, NCSF points out that military law is out of sync with U.S. Constitutional law and societal mores, especially when it comes to consensual sexual behaviors. Dick Cunningham, NCSF's Legal Counsel who prepared and filed…
- Dealing with Assault - understand your rights and options when it comes to consent violations.
- Is this Assault - Guide for determining wheither a consent violation can legaly be considered assault
- Drawing the Line – Some things your group or club can consider when trying to determine if a member should be disciplined or banned
- Dealing with Consent Incidents – Guide for groups in dealing with consent incidents
- Liability Issues for Groups or Events - Some of the ways a criminal or civil court case can impact your group when a consent violation happens at your play party or event
- Sample Consent Policy - Sample Consent Policy for groups involved in BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swinging, and polyamory lifestyles
- Trauma Pamphlet - Trauma is an injury caused by an outside, usually violent event or experience.
- Power Exchange Statement
- Consent Statement Summary
- Consent Counts Statement
- Consent and its Discontents: AASECT 2016
- Consent Legal Cases
- State by State Assault Laws


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CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, February 20, 2014) – The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has signed 17-year-old forward Bradford Jamieson IV as a Homegrown Player. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are thrilled to add Bradford Jamieson IV to our roster and continue our tradition of signing local players to the Galaxy," said LA Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena. "Bradford is a talented forward who will continue to develop and grow as a player within our system."
The former U.S. U-17 international is the sixth Homegrown Player to be signed from the LA Galaxy Academy joining Gyasi Zardes (December 2012), Oscar Sorto (December 2012), Jose Villarreal (December 2011), Jack McBean (January 2011), and Tristan Bowen (November 2008).
Jamieson IV, a native of Los Angeles, California senior at Santa Monica High school, has tallied three goals in 11 appearances for the LA Galaxy Academy U-18 side in the 2013-2014 U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy season. The forward also made three appearances for the LA Galaxy during the 2013 MLS Reserve League season as LA retained their West Division crown for a second straight year.
Prior to joining the Galaxy Academy, Jamieson IV completed four semesters with the U.S. U-17 Residency program, making 25 appearances for the youth national team and earned a NSCAA All-American nod. Jamieson IV was accepted into the Residency program in 2011, following a successful stint with the U.S. U-15 Boys National Team and an illustrious youth career with Santa Monica United FC and LAFC.
In 2012, along with playing for head coach Richie Williams' U.S. U-17 side, Jamieson IV suited up for the Chivas USA U-16's during the 2012-2013 USSDA season. In nine appearances for the Chivas U-16 side, Jamieson IV tallied six goals. Jamieson IV committed to the University of California before electing to sign with the LA Galaxy.
Season tickets for the 2014 MLS season are on sale now, starting at just $250. Becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member gives fans the opportunity to see every Galaxy home game as well as number of additional benefits such as access to Town Hall meetings with Galaxy leaders, discounts on additional single game tickets, entrance into the club's new Season Ticket Member loyalty program and much more as well as discounts at all TEAM LA locations and on select camps at the Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance. For more information about becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member, please call 877-3GALAXY (342-5299) or visit www.lagalaxy.com/tickets.


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Buy and own? That's so yesterday's model (March 2015)
Today's forecast: Hurricanes, ice storms, extreme heat, tornadoes(March 2015)
Using digital tech to spin the circular economy (January 2015)
A failure to communicate? (January 2015)
Portrait of a disruptive new business model (January 2015)
Interview: Jeremy Rifkin, president, TIR Consulting Group | The new economic paradigm (February 2014)
Why green is the new gold (December 2013)
Interview: Felipe Calderón, former president, Mexico | Green Growth: How to manage a false dilemma (June 2013)
Sustainable organizations? Start with sustainable procurement (February 2013)
Holistic, inclusive, robust: How end-to-end sustainable systems drive business value (February 2013)
How chief strategy officers can advance business value through sustainability (November 2012)
Why a sustainable supply chain is good business (October 2012)
Rise of the Intelligent City (June 2011)
Bright ideas (June 2011)


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Print Publications
The Quaker Campus
First published in 1914, the Quaker Campus (or "QC") is a weekly student newspaper that tackles issues and concerns pertaining to the Whittier College community, provides weekly sports updates and entertainment reviews, and gives insight to student thought through favorite departments such as "Cheers & Jeers," editorials, and letters. Advertising space is available for purchase on a single or multiple placement basis. Students interested in joining the QC production or editorial staff can either volunteer or earn experiential credit by registering for INTD 011. There are a few paid-staff positions available.
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com;
Office: Student Center, Bldg A-1st Floor, #140
Literary Review
Every spring semester students from the English honorary society, Sigma Tau Delta, publish the Literary Review. All students are invited to submit poetry, short stories, plays, or essays on any topic to be considered for publication.m Submission deadlines will be given at the beginning of each spring semester.
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
KPOET's format presents everything from rap to classical, as well as select talk shows. Students interested in a position as on-air talent, production or tech, or on its special events management team should contact station management. Two classes for credit are associated with the radio station, "Introduction to Radio Broadcasting" and "Radio Hosting," which are taught by the KPOET advisor.
Contact: email@example.com
Office: Student Center, Bldg A-1st Floor, #131
Studio: Student Center, Bldg A-1st Floor, #132
QCTV produces weekly news shows that can be found on its YouTube channel.
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Office: Student Center, Bldg A-1st Floor, #140
Video Production Studios (VPS)
A relatively new club, VPS takes advantage of the campus' media center and equipment to experiment with filming and editing techniques and to produce films on a variety of topics.
Contact: email@example.com
Office: Wardman Hall
Whittier College Sports Network (WCSN)
The Whittier College Sports Network (WCSN) broadcasts a variety of Poet athletic events with live, play-by-play commentary. WCSN commentators are committed to creating a professional on-air broadcast complete with half-time coaching interviews, pre-game reports, and in-depth analysis.
Connect with WCSN: Facebook/YouTube: The Whittier College Sports Network, Twitter/Instagram: @thewcsn
Office: Graham Athletic Center Hall of Fame Conference Room
Use Engage to browse by club or category or search by keywords and description


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SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Glow, a data science company that focuses on women's reproductive health and education, today announced the launch of Glow for Enterprise - a program looking to redefine the industry standard for employee health benefits.
In competitive hiring markets, companies are continually in search of the newest and most compelling benefits. Glow for Enterprise is a new benefit for employees to gain both access to personalized knowledge around their reproductive health as well as a 100% covered membership into Glow First, Glow's not-for-profit crowdfunding program that helps alleviate the cost of fertility treatments. Companies that participate in Glow for Enterprise will enable fully covered access to Glow First ($50 each month for 10 months), with $0 out-of-pocket cost for the employee. It is completely confidential to participate and is available for both female and male employees.
Eventbrite and Evernote - two of the industry's most progressive and relevant companies - are the first to partner with Glow for Enterprise to empower employees and build the future of healthcare. The detailed rollout of Glow for Enterprise will be coming soon for these first partners.
"Evernote benefits are designed to offer employees peace of mind. Health and well-being play a significant role in this," said Alice Harmon, VP of human resources for Evernote. "With Glow, we're excited to be able to offer a unique and differentiating benefit that has the potential to very positively impact the lives of our employees and their families."
"At Eventbrite, we're always looking for innovative new ways to offer health and wellness benefits to our Britelings (employees)," said Emily Couey, head of people and experiences at Eventbrite. "Glow for Enterprise allows us to offer a progressive health benefit typically not offered by traditional insurance."
Many U.S. companies are being forced to pass down the rising healthcare costs to employees, while the healthcare system remains broken. Infertility continues to be acutely underserved and fertility treatments are still considered elective. In the U.S., the cost of a single assisted reproductive technology cycle can consume up to 50 percent of an individual's annual disposable income, and that cost can be crippling. Glow aims to change that by partnering with companies to extend Glow First coverage to their employees, advancing the standard for health benefits as we know them.
"We think there is so much more to learn about our health and our bodies. Both women and men spend much of their lives trying to avoid pregnancy, but then when they're ready to start a family, information and resources are scarce. This is why Glow is thrilled to be partnering with companies to extend fertility benefits to women and couples looking to conceive," said Mike Huang, CEO and co-founder of Glow.
Glow for Enterprise looks to redefine the industry standard for employee health benefits and shape the future of healthcare by creating a progressive model that empowers and educates employees about reproductive health. The Glow app is available free of charge in the App Store and on Google Play, worldwide. Glow First is available in the U.S. More information can be accessed within the app and at www.glowing.com.
About Glow:
Glow was founded by Max Levchin, formerly of PayPal, as well as Mike Huang, co-founder, CEO; Chris Martinez, co-founder, business & strategy; Kevin Ho, co-founder, product; Ryan Ye, co-founder, technology, and is a data science company redesigning healthcare. It was founded in January 2013 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. More information about Glow is available at: https://glowing.com/.
About Glow First:
Glow First - a not-for-profit program - is a better way to fund elective fertility treatments. Glow First participants will contribute $50/month, for up to 10 months - the average duration of time it takes a woman to conceive. The size of the average Glow First group is dependent on monthly adoption. To offset the high cost of fertility treatments, the contribution pool is equally divided amongst any participants who were unsuccessful with a natural pregnancy after the 10 months. Glow does not take any money from the fund - it is strictly not-for-profit. Payment is made directly to the fertility clinic of the user's choice to help pay for fertility screening or treatments.


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more from Maximum Fun
Four more years! We love beers! Jury of our peers! Bryan and Erin dive thumb deep into Obama's gay friendly speech, Notre Dame's image problem, althetes who rape, GoProud, and Matthew McConaughey's ex-bestie, Lance "Live Strong Bracelet" Armstrong. Ring around the rosey!
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Forstner-pattern bits are used wherever edge-holding ability is needed, such as in the overlapping holes of a mortise.
The razor rim allows the bit to hold perfectly, even if the brad point is over a void. Since the rim is several thousandths of an inch higher than the chippers, the bit enters cleanly and the double chip channels clear well.
The bit gives a cleanly cut, flat-bottomed hole ideal for plugging. A primary use for this bit in the woodworking industry is to drill out knots for later plugging.
Saw tooth bits (usually over 1" in diameter) are primarily for use in a drill press. They are most useful for boring smooth, clean holes in all wood varieties at any angle. The double chip channels are less subject to rim heat than forstners and are easier to sharpen. Although their edge-holding ability in overlapped holes is slightly less than forstners, the difference is negligible in drill-press use.


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What Does A Typical Joslin Affiliated Center Include?
A typical Joslin Affiliated Program includes:
- Medical Director and physicians who are board certified in internal medicine, or internal medicine and endocrinology.
- Nursing staff who are certified diabetes educators.
- Dietitians who are certified diabetes educators.
- Access to staff in the following areas (either as part of the Joslin program or through referral to the hospital):
- Exercise specialist
- Mental health specialist
- Podiatrist
- Eye Specialist
- Other specialists, such as nephrology, cardiology, vascular medicine, etc.
- Exercise specialist
- A wide range of programs and educational materials for use with patients.
- A comprehensive training and education program for staff.
- An effective marketing and public relations program.
Page last updated: September 19, 2019


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Traffic Citations
Parking and Photo Radar Violations
Parking Citations
Who is responsible for paying for a parking citation?
The driver of the vehicle.
How does the driver pay for the parking citation?
There are three ways:
The citation may be paid in person at the Multnomah Circuit Court, 1021 SW 4th Ave. Rm 106. They will accept credit or debit cards, cash, or checks.
Payment can also be mailed to Circuit Court Parking Office, PO Box 78, Portland, OR 97207-0178. They accept checks only through the mail. Make the check payable to the Circuit Court and write your ticket number and the vehicle license number on the check. Do not mail cash.
A Visa or Mastercard can be used to pay the fine over the phone. Call 503-988-3235 and follow the prompts. You will need your ticket number for reference. These numbers start with the letters "HA."
When does the fine double?
The fine will double 30 days from the date of the citation, and every 30 days thereafter.
May I contest the citation? How?
The driver may contest the citation by appearing at the Circuit Court prior to its expiration, paying the fine, and then filing a protest. The Court will not accept a protest until the fine is paid. If you win the protest, the fine you paid will be returned to you.
What happens if the citation is not paid by the driver before the expiration date?
Because the fine doubles every 30 days, CityFleet will pay the citation and bill the driver's bureau. The bureau is then responsible for collecting the money that was paid for the driver's citation.
Photo Radar
Photo Radar citations occur because of failure to obey a traffic control device or failure to obey the speed limit. If an offense occurs in a vehicle registered to the City of Portland, CityFleet will receive the initial notice, and the assignment of the vehicle is determined. Notification will then be sent to the Vehicle Coordinator. It is the bureau's responsibility to identify the driver and submit the requested information about the driver to CityFleet. The driver's license information is then forwarded to Multnomah County Circuit Court, which will dismiss the ticket against the City and reissue it to the driver. This will be sent directly to the driver's home address.
If the bureau fails to respond in a timely manner or the driver of the vehicle is not identified, CityFleet will pay the citation and then bill the cost to the responsible bureau. The bureau then becomes responsible for collecting the amount of the ticket to reimburse the City.


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Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
The Oregon shooter was 'filled with hate'
Opening Sequence
Pompeo: U.S. wants 'diplomatic resolution' on Iran
Iran has a plan for Gulf security - Rouhani
Trump defends Ukraine call, pushes back on Biden
Celebrating Alienstock at Area 51
Joe Kennedy launches primary campaign for Senate
Huge repatriation effort after Thomas Cook bankruptcy
Shocking violence on the streets of Hong Kong
Chinese Apple fans wish for 5G
Losing a leg has not stopped this man dancing
Closing Sequence


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CARROLL COUNTY, Ky.—Minnie A. Proctor, 76 of Carroll County, died Friday, Feb. 19, 2015 at the Carroll County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton. She was born in Carrollton on Sept. 8, 1938 the daughter of Robert Wesley and Ruby Sharp Law.
BEDFORD-, Ky.—Charles O. May, 82 of Bedford, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, at the Carroll County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton. He was born in Trimble County on June 20, 1932, the son of Charles and Hallie Harmon May.
He is survived by his wife, Rawena Aldridge May, three sons: Jeff May, Paul Scott May and Charles May, all of Milton; two brothers: Paul Sidney May of Carrollton and Warren May of Berea; two sisters: Barbara Reed of North Carolina and Eva Loring of New Castle; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
PENDLETON, Ky.—Carolyn P. Simons, 82 of Pendleton, died on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015 at Signature Healthcare in Bedford. She was born on May 31, 1932 in Pendleton, to the late Wyatt and Dixie Kidwell Powell.
Carolyn is survived by her children: Diane Horine (Bobby) of Pendleton, Brian Simons (Michelle) of Frankfort and Eric Simons of Pendleton; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Edward C. Simons.
BEDFORD, Ky.—Paul Anthony Kunkel, 67 of Bedford, died at his home on Jan. 30, 2015. Paul was born in Covington on Feb. 1, 1947, to the late Robert Kunkel and Catherine Broghammer Kunkel. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard.
Paul is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Kunkel of Bedford; his son Brian Kunkel (Carolee) of Bedford, his daughter, Anne Kunkel (Jason Pintler), of Boise, Idaho; three grandchildren; his siblings, Robert Kunkel (Karin), Kathleen Mains (Milton), Richard Kunkel (Sue), Jane Bush and Gloria Simpson (Jeff).
LEXINGTON, Ind.—Richard S. Duncan, 83 of Lexington, Ind., died Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. He was born on July 22, 1942 in Milton to Wilbur and Opal Horine Duncan. He was a United States Army veteran of the Korean War.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Doris M. Gray Duncan of Lexington, Ind.; two daughters, Vicki Scroggin of Lexington, Ind., and Denise Bryant (Mark) of Madison, Ind.; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren,; his brother, James Duncan of Carrollton; his sister, Dorothy Jones of Madison, Ind.; and other relatives.
MADISON, Ind.—Edna Cox, 89 of Madison, Ind., died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 in Madison. She was born March 25, 1925 in Madison to Charles and Ida Giltner.
She is survived by two daughters, Susan Goode-Moore (Chuck) of Arlington, Texas, and Beth Johnson (Monty) of Madison, Ind.; her son, Joe C. Cox (Nancy) of Columbus, Ohio; six grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 59 years, Joe E. Cox, her brothers, Cecil, Luther and Charles Giltner.
BEDFORD, Ky.—Grace Hannah Wiley Callis, 91 of Bedford, died at Green Valley Nursing Center in Carrollton, on Feb. 2, 2015. She was born on Oct. 17, 1922 to the late George and Mammie Williamson Wiley in Bedford.
She is survived by three sons: Gary Callis (Jackie) and Ronald Callis (Tanyia), both of Bedford, and Terry Callis (Tammy) of Madison, Ind., her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many family and friends.
Grace was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Buell Callis, one son Charles Edward Callis and her brothers and sisters.
sa May Smith Scott Powell Walcott, 77 of Shelbyville, Ind., passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 at Miller's Merry Manor in Hope, Ind., surrounded by her family to be with the Lord.
Born Feb. 11, 1937 in Trimble County, Rosa was the daughter of James Henry and Ollie Blanche Griffith Smith.
BEDFORD, Ky.—Dorothy Jean "Dotsie" Perry died Jan. 20, 2015 at her residence in Bedford. She was born on July 7, 1930 to the late Cecil Yeager and Ella Mae Gammons Yeager.
She is survived by her son: Gary Graham (Lisa) of Bedford; six grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
"Dotsie" was preceded in death by her husband Ewing Perry, daughter Suzanne Graham, and one great-grandson, Christopher Goodin.
MILTON, Ky.—Priscilla J. Adams Morgan, 71 of Milton, died Monday, Jan. 26, 2015 at Hanover Health & Rehab Center, Hanover, Ind.
She was born June 8, 1943 in Madison, Ind., to Raymond Adams and Mary Hall Adams Straub.
She is survived by her daughter, Kathy Gossom (Eddy) of Milton; her son, Jeff Morgan (Lisa) of Bedford; five grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, two great granddaughters, her sister, Janet Greenwood of Milton, her sister-in-law who was like a sister to her, Edna Adams Smith of Kent, Ind.; several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Copyright © 2019
The Trimble Banner is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Trimble County, KY and the surrounding area.


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Cirby Ranch Real Estate
Cirby Ranch is an intimate yet sprawling neighborhood nestled at the corner of Cirby Way and Sunrise Avenue and bordered by Twin Oaks and Crestmont Avenues. The streets are clean and wide with numerous cul-de-sacs and ample sidewalks. Established trees provide plentiful shade.
Homes are spacious with larger yards; many containing swimming pools to enjoy on hot summer days. Oakmont High School sits on the edge of the neighborhood, with Crestmont Elementary just blocks away.
There are several parks nearby, including Maidu Regional Park, a 152-acre oasis of recreational, historical, and natural attractions and opportunities. Convenient amenities are abundant, with several grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants within easy driving (and even walking) distance. Interstate 80 is easily accessible for commuters and travelers.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008
"Why I Can't Write A Movie"
Aside from a sword fight involving a guy straddling two cars (which, I believe, I saw some version of in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie) and a few trees full of enchanting monkeys (who had nothing to do with the movie – the monkeys' faces reflected visible surprise at being involved), the movie felt ponderous and dull, choosing nostalgia over invention, and displaying little visible effort at having the story make sense.
To date, the latest Indiana Jones movie has made over two hundred million dollars, so what the heck do I know? Except this:
I know movies used to be better.
I'm talking major studio motion pictures. They were demonstrably better. What does "better" mean? Satisfying. Enduring. You come out of the theater without wanting to ask for you money back. I know old people like old stuff, and that we live in a culture where "Nothing's better or worse, it's just different", but I'm telling you:
Today's movies are worse.
Come on, film buffs. 1939. The Oscar winner was Gone With the Wind, the nominees – among others – The Wizard of Oz (Dr. M's favorite), Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Ninotchka, leaving no room fo Beau Geste, Gunga Din, Young Mr. Lincoln and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Not the mention The Thin Man. May I have your comparable list of any other year? Or any era, beyond the Thirties and Forties, where, by the way, the movie business was just as passionately committed to making a profit?
Yes, most movies were always terrible. But they made more movies back then. If only ten per cent of movies made per year are any good and you make five hundred movies, the result is fifty good movies a year. If you only make a hundred movies a year, the same proportion leaves you with ten good movies. And I don't believe we regularly reach that level.
Reasons, reasons, reasons.
What makes current movies so terrible? The movie studios were bought up by larger entities demanding reliable profits. This is something I've never understood. If corporations wanted reliable profits, why did they go into the movie business in the first place?
Go into missiles. They're always making missiles. I don't know why, they never use them. But I'm certain there's way more money in missiles than there is in movies. If you don't like missiles, try Wall Street. Or real estate. Real estate guys buy basketball teams.
The best movie people can get are good seats.
And yet, big companies continue to invest in the movie business. Maybe they just like being invited to the premieres. Bragging rights, you know?
"We made another missile."
"I met Angelina Jolie."
"You win."
Here's me being incredibly ungracious. I have no future in the movie business, so I can say whatever I want. I don't know how the presidents of movies studios go to work in the morning. What exactly do they believe they're doing for a living?
"In the name of profit, I eviscerate a formerly flourishing art form."
That probably wouldn't be their answer. They're probably more positive about what they do. But isn't that kind of accurate? They transformed the movie business into a money machine?
How did it happen?
Well, the first move was "The Lust for the Blockbuster", with, hopefully, encouraging sequel potential, though even if the sequel potential isn't encouraging, they'll crank them out anyway. Indiana Jones has powerful name recognition.
"Let's go!"
"But we have nothing new to say."
"Let's go!"
Then studios discovered "The Youth Market." Movies for teenaged boys. To see with teenaged girls. Crank up the sound. Pour on the special effects. Forget believable characters and storylines you can follow. Video games don't have storylines. Give me carefully-timed jolts of visceral excitement. Sex and gore. Not Al Gore. The gore that flies out of screaming honeys when they explode.
Okay, those are business decisions. We can't fault those. We live in a business culture, and business requires that you to go for the money. If you don't give the company the profits it expects, they fire you and get somebody who will. Eager to retain your perks and prestige, you hold your nose and drag moviemaking down another notch.
(I know I'm being very negative, but I have to get this out first. After that, I'll take responsibility for why I can't write a movie. It's in my character, maybe in other people's too. Before acknowledging failure, I need to diminish the thing I'm failing at. Not that what I'm saying is totally without merit. How much merit, is for you to decide.)
Moving on. To our glorious culture, a culture that requires writers to tell only one story. Over and over.
This is the storyline of all American movies:
Somebody wants something. And they get it.
That's it. That's the American story. Everyone gets what they want. Whether it's a sports movie or a romance movie, the outcome is obligatory: the team wins; the couple ends up together. It's not the studio's fault. The audience demands these endings. Otherwise, they feel cheated. They've wasted their time.
"I watched an entire debate movie where a team from a small, black college takes on Harvard and they lose? What am I doing here?"
Somebody wants something and they get it. In movie, after movie, after movie. Like a kid who demands that you tell them the same bedtime story every night. The only exceptions are the movies that are made for Oscar consideration. Then, there's a twist. For the Oscar-aspiring movies, it's
"Somebody wants something, and they go crazy."
Or die. Or go blind. Or lose a leg. Or get assassinated. It's an odd thing. "Winner" movies rarely win the Oscar. Maybe the Oscar voters think:
"They already won in the movie. Let's give it to the schizophrenic."
(I know there are exceptions. The exceptions are my favorites. In sports movies, I love Rocky and The Bad New Bears. Both of them lost the title. In romantic movies, I'm crazy about Lost in Translation, and I really liked Once. Those couples didn't end up together. What makes those movies memorable, for me, is their rejection of the "and they get it" resolution and their resonating humanity.)
I can't get excited about writing a movie where, not only I, but the entire audience – and maybe the universe – already knows the ending. What's the point? To be in the movie business? It's not enough.
The only challenge in writing movies where everybody knows the ending appears to be in the skillful disguising of the inevitable. That seems like a lot of work for zero surprise.
"Can you believe it? The underdogs won the cheerleading competition."
"Yeah, and against such enormous odds. I'm completely blown away."
Let's hear it for "The Sarcastics!"
And yet. Anthony Lane, a gifted and reliable movie critic for The New Yorker injected this in a review of Baby Momma:
"Not that predictability weighs against a film. What counts is not the well-tried grid of the narrative, but the kind of energy you send through it."
When I read that, the first thing that came to my mind was,
"This movie critic has just given up."
Predictability is okay as long as you send energy through the well-tried grid of the narrative?
No, it isn't.
Unless you've seen too many movies and have decided to throw your hands in the air and "mark on the curve."
I believe a writer owes the audience something they haven't seen before. But that could be a personal quirk. When I wrote the pilot of Major Dad, there was a place in the script where a "Knock-Knock" joke was required. I admit it. I bought the definitive "Knock-Knock Joke" book. I read every single "Knock-Knock" joke. Some of them were pretty funny for "Knock-Knock" jokes. Then, you know what I did?
I made up a new one.
It's probably just my "Good Boy" nature. I am not wired to steal someone else's "Knock-Knock" joke. Unfortunately, I totally lack the "new 'Knock-Knock' joke" counterpart of a movie idea. I simply haven't got one.
I wrote for television for thirty years. Not every story I wrote was original, not every joke formulation surprising, but that was always my goal. That's probably what made the work harder. Trying to be startlingly original in every regard. Larry David pulled it off, but I wasn't at his level.
Over the years, I've written three original screenplays. None of them sold. Being the negative person I am, I then stopped writing screenplays. Unlike other writers, who keep banging away, three "No's" and I'm out. That's all the rejection I can handle.
So there's that.
But there's also something generally about television writers and the movies. Not a lot of TV writers have successfully made the move. At least, not in comedy. Some of them didn't want to. Besides the fact that television writers retain far more control over their scripts than all but the biggest movie writers, there is also the question of longevity. Ed. Weinberger, a hugely successful television writer/producer used to say.
"I'll go into the movie business, when I can have a career in the movie business."
Go to IMDB. Compare the resumes of television writers and movie writers. Television writers have consistently longer careers.
More importantly, however, there's the meat and potatoes, the "doing the actual job" consideration. I've given the matter considerable thought, and the best I can come up with is that TV and movie scriptwriting are fundamentally different.
The difference is not just that one form is longer. It is that it has something to do with a compositional rhythm. It's like the difference between a writing a hit tune and writing a symphony. The hit tune has to hit you early, hard and often. The symphony, without lagging, can be more deliberate, luxuriate in its detail, and build methodically to its crescendo. Hit tunes don't have the time. Neither did sitcoms. Especially the non-cinematic ones I worked on, that were filmed in front of a live studio audience.
It is my belief that the muscles you develop writing in television can be liabilities when you try to transition to movies. Though I wouldn't deny that what I just said may simply be an excuse.
Nah. It's true.
One of my favorite comedians from the past was Victor Borge. Borge was a Danish immigrant who once described his transition to life in America this way:
"There was a point, after I'd been in America for a while, where I'd forgotten all my Danish, but hadn't learned any English."
That's pretty much describes my condition moving from television writing to movie writing. It also describes my unwillingness to write anything I've seen before and my inability to come up with anything new. Both situations render me
39 comments:
what an interesting blog this is! i chanced upon it while googling the word 'jejune'. i think that says it all!
- June 3, 2008 at 8:01 AM
- biloxi said...
You sure do have alot of blocks to overcome, but I'll be glad to have said, "I knew Earl before..."
My take on this movie nonsense is that every story has been written, and someone out there is afraid of simplicity and "the basics". I mean, take an apple...you can drop it from a building, let it sit on a counter and rot, dice it into fruit salad, inject that whole religious agenda. Or you can just show Carey Grant EATING an apple, and audiences start to drool.
Which brings to mind...maybe there aren't any good enough actors? Perhaps actors who've suffered enough (other than rehab), actors like...
- June 3, 2008 at 8:36 AM
Why do they call special effects special? They look like computerized effects. In the old days, you were more mystified as to how they pulled off the seemingly impossible.
- June 3, 2008 at 4:16 PM
- Max Clarke said...
When I was a kid and our family went to the movies, it was like entering another universe. Even the bad films showed you a new world. These days, you can get that experience from video games, any number of cable channels, and DVDs. That has an effect upon moviegoers, and it also has an effect upon the people who make movies.
- June 3, 2008 at 4:21 PM
- Jeff Tompkins said...
Earl, this is a great blog. I came here via Ken Levine's recommendation and link and I'm glad I did. Definitely will be reading and following your blog.
- June 3, 2008 at 7:32 PM
- john brown said...
Business school mentality has had a negative effect on almost everything. A national book store chain closed their store in our town because it was under performing. It was making a profit, just not enough of one.
The Thin Man or Philadelphia Story would never be released today by current movie executives. Too much talking, no exploding hobbits.
- June 3, 2008 at 7:42 PM
Obviously you haven't played video games in a while if you think they do not have a story line.
Also, if you have written three screenplays, and they have not been sold, could you post them so we can see if it was the industry or just yourself that lacked imagination?
- June 3, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Obviously you haven't played video games in a while if you think they do not have a story line.
Also, if you have written three screenplays, and they have not been sold, could you post them so we can see if it was the industry or just yourself that lacked imagination?
Aaaaaaand the angry gamer nerd delegation has arrived. Good lord, you dudes are predictable. Go on, tell us again how GTA made more money than Jesus blah blah blah?
- June 3, 2008 at 8:26 PM
- domino87 said...
Wow, chill Kiki. All he's sayin is that a lot of video games these days have storylines, some almost movie like in there presentation and quality.
Likin' the blog so far. Also came via Ken Levine's link. Your take on the movie business being all about profit reminds me of a David Simon rant on "raw unencumbered capitalism".
- June 3, 2008 at 10:01 PM
- Randall Bobbitt said...
Great Writing. Unfortunately, audiences don't go SEE good movies anymore. Or for that matter, watch good TV.
- June 3, 2008 at 10:05 PM
- TCinLA said...
Well, as a long-tiome movie writer who even managed to wake up one morning and discover I had written a "cult classic" (according to the sciffy channel when they showed it again last week and didn't send the residuals check in - again), I have to say that you are entirely right.
Nowadays what they want are widgets. I used to go to the movies religiously every Friday night to see what was new. The last time I subjected myself to the torture of going to a movie theater (the experience of the theater being even worse than what's on-screen) was November 2003 when I went to see "Master and Commander." The only "trilogy" of the past ten years worth looking at is the "Bourne" series, and a worthless waste of innocent film stock like "The Departed" gets the director of "Taxi" and "Raging Bull" his Oscar for phoning it in, while an incredible movie that not only takes you some place you've never been before but turns your consciousness inside-out forever, "Blood Diamond" doesn't even get a nomination past the acting.
I can tell you that there is a whole gaggle of movie writers who have crap produced credits like mine (when you look up the IMDb) who have no trouble getting their latest spec to places high up on the A-list, where the script gets you a nice meeting with people who tell you how much it moved them, what wonderful writing it is, and then tell you that unfortunately they just don't have the energy left to make the fight it would take to turn the script into a movie. My Vietnam script that made my reputation was once called "the best unproduced Vietnam script in Hollywood" by no less than American Film after seven major studio presidents went down the tubes yelling "I want to make this movie!"
The problem is not that good movie scripts are not being written. They are. They just don't get anywhere, because they're not "widget movies." Jennifer Davisson Killoran had to spend 5 years making "Blood Diamond" happen and it wasn't until she became DeCaprio's producing partner that she could push it over the goal line.
But don't crow about TV either. Between September and May of any given TV season in the past 10 years, 99.9 percent of what the networks put out doesn't even make it to the level of the crap that gets put in movie theaters.
But then there's June-September nowadays: "Mad Men," "Damages," "The Closer," "The Shield," "Rescue Me," "Burn Notice" - the list goes on.
But not on network TV, which is now even more a "vast wasteland" than it was 45 years ago when Newton Minow had the courage to describe the swamp for what it was.
- June 3, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Oh God, what have I started. These angry guys must be from my neck of the woods. Couldn't get a laugh outta 'em if a walleye bit 'em in the ass. So sorry, I left the scented trail.
- June 3, 2008 at 10:57 PM
- Doug Walsh said...
I was with you right up until you said videogames don't have storylines, then I spit coffee all over my monitor. Thanks for making a mess of my office.
Sure, not all of them do. You don't need a story for a racing game and many of the kill-em-all shooters are actually better off without a story, but there are a few games (and more each year) where the story is every bit as important as the gameplay. I suggest you take a look at the "Shenmue" wiki page for one example and also take a gander at "Bioshock" as well.
The only quality entertainment one can rely on consistently is the Discovery channel.
- June 3, 2008 at 10:59 PM
- TCinLA said...
Actually, it's not a surprise that the latest Indiana Jones movie is crap. I've watched "Raiders" 20 times and will likely watch it another 20 before I die and will love it each and every time. I cringed through "Temple of Doom" because I had a screening pass and didn't want to embarass myself walking out, and then went to the last one to see it because a good friend was "the man in the hat" in the prologue, and then walked out 20 minutes later.
Same with Star Wars. I've watched the original 39 times and as a professional s-f writer still love it in either the original or enhanced bersion and could watch it another 39 times without problem. Saw "Empire" three times (the 2nd and 3rd times to convince myself the first time was as bad as it seemed), cringed once through "Jedi," walked out of "Episode 1" over the cheesy story and effects and incompetent direction (all Lucas' fault), and didn't waste time or money on the last two.
Spielberg and Lucas are both vastly over-rated, and are only good on the first one, then they just copy themselves and like a bad xerox copy being copied into the 10th generation, the movies jsut get more and more awful. Spielberg's at the point where he sleepwalks through even his "good" stuff ("A.I." "Minority Report," "Munich"). The truth is that if "Private Ryan" didn't have the first 30 minutes it has, it would be a third rate made-in-WW2 WW2 propaganda movie.
I havea good friend who is a very good computer animator, who thought he had "made it" to be hired at LucasFilm for the "first trilogy" of Star Wars." He discovered Lucas wanted it to be cheesy and quit before subjecting himself to the next two. He went to work for a good filmmaker, Peter Jackson.
30 years from now Spielberg and Lucas will be seen for being the pernicious influences they are and have been for the past 30 years.
- June 3, 2008 at 11:08 PM
- Ger Apeldoorn said...
Television isn't better, just ten to fifteen years behind, as always. The changes you describe in the movies are happening in television as well. There is less and less room for ambiguity and negativism in television. See the succes of Ugly Betty, Men in Trees, etc. Compare Men in Trees to Northern Exposure and you'll see what we have lost. There's a whoole generation out there that is not prepared to laugh at itself or exept the image of themselfs as people capable of failure. Taxi was the last sitcom that was structurally about learning to live with failure. After that, everyone is a hero.
- June 3, 2008 at 11:24 PM
- on a star said...
A little off topic here (looks like Tuesdays are hoppin')...but if anyone wants to get in on the giftlist exchange, I'd be simply honored. Especially if you showed us yours, Earl darlin' (and maybe your wife's).
- June 3, 2008 at 11:58 PM
- Will said...
Great post. I have a running joke with my wife about. How different things will be if the Movie industry doesn't get it's act together. Today people who work in film tend to be slightly condescending towards their TV counter parts. But in ten yours you are going to hear TV people saying "oh you work in movies, how quaint"
- June 4, 2008 at 12:08 AM
- Bitter Animator said...
Thing about Indiana Jones is that I can't see why it can't be a shameless cash-in, rake in a fortune and yet still be a well-crafted movie. I had no problem with so many of the elements, but the story just didn't come together.
It seemed to suffer from too-many-draft-itis. Like it was just a patchwork of drafts that didn't connect. A collection of scenes rather than a story.
But there are great writers out there. I've read some great scripts in the last few years. And yet a film like this, with such history, potential and expectations, ends up with a patchwork non-script. I don't get it.
On a side note, TCinLA, I'd recommend you give Temple of Doom another go after all these years. You might still hate it but that, to me, is a film that somehow massively improved with age.
- June 4, 2008 at 12:18 AM
- James said...
Couldn't agree more.
And I'm only 28. I find myself wondering what happened to all the good movies.
I think that perhaps we are simply in a transitional phase in the history of film. Much like the advent of sound paved the way for gimmicky talkies cashing in on the new technology, the advent of CGI has dulled the imaginations of not just those that tend to the money machine, but film makers as well --
"Oh, we can fix that in post," is the new mantra.
Unfortunately, it is incredibly difficult to fix flawed story in post. And to be honest -- I get the feeling people have forgotten what story is in the first place.
Once upon a time, story needs drove the need for technological advances in film. See sound. See Star Wars. See Terminator 2.
Now, with the ability to make the most ill-conceived fantasy have a tangible form on the screen, it is now technology that drives story.
I only hope that this phase is on its dying legs.
- June 4, 2008 at 3:14 AM
- Richard Marcej said...
"May I have your comparable list of any other year? "
Off the top of my head I'd say, how about 1976?
All The Presidents Men
Bound For Glory
Taxi Driver
(and they lost Best Picture to the mediocre Rocky)
- June 4, 2008 at 6:25 AM
- vandrop said...
Someone above said: Taxi was the last sitcom that was structurally about learning to live with failure. After that, everyone is a hero.
Fascinating observation! This has been a delight - the post and the comments both. I would posit that those great movies from 39 that we all love are also about someone wanting something and he gets it. It's kind of what a movie is. Still, dreck is dreck and there's a hell of a lot of it spewing from screens today.
- June 4, 2008 at 8:37 AM
Brilliant post, and fantastic comments…especially because I'm an "up and coming" screenwriter who's trying to make a career out of it (I know – GULP), and I have the EXACT same sentiments and feelings across the board…from the current state of film (and TV), to the craft of screenwriting, and on to the fact that the same visceral emotions films used to evoke from me are now being evoked by video games.
Instead of passionately reaffirming everything that's already been said (and I could at great length), I'll throw out something that hasn't necessarily been said yet.
What I've found on the film side of Hollywood is that a lion's share of screenwriters do not value their creative contribution (The Story) to the film project as a whole. This lack of value for The Story has been breed out of the screenwriters and into everyone else. There are a lot of (unreasonable) reasons why, and I won't bother to list those. But do know that it wasn't always like that, and it doesn't have to continue.
The greater point is that it means that The Story is CONSTANTLY being hijacked by those people in the production who are not storytellers. This may seem trivial, but it is (along with the monetization of the industry), in my opinion, at the very heart of the problem, at least from my "in the trenches" perspective.
Take your standard film project with your standard professional filmmakers filling their roles in making a movie. Just as screenwriters are not directors or actors, the reverse holds just as true. But, as of right now, you have directors and actors all believing they can craft stories, which is as asinine as a pitcher thinking he can play center field and hit cleanup. Both players are on the same team and have the same goal, but are encouraged (and expected) to focus on their own expertise to achieve that goal.
The other absurd trend is to bring in multiple screenwriters to work on a screenplay. Again, GENERALLY speaking, they don't do that with directors, or actors, or composers. If the talent the production hired decides that they're going to phone their performance in, there's nothing they can do. The movie's gonna bomb and everyone knows it. But, for some ridiculous reason, everyone things it's a fantastic idea to have a revolving door with the screenplay, even if the original writer is available. This makes as much sense as having four chefs all come in and work on the same dinner…train wreck much? And for an industry being run by "business" professionals, Econ 101 should've taught them the "Law of Diminishing Returns".
Either way, whether it's through the directors thinking they can write, or productions sabotaging their own scripts with multiple writers, the end result is the same: The Story gets hijacked somewhere along the way. And when that happens, when screenwriters allow The Story to be hijacked, when they don't defend what they know is right, then everything else after that point (the direction, the acting, the score, the post-production) is DOOMED. No amount of CGI or mass marketing is going to save it.
As a screenwriter, I have worked EXUBERANTLY hard in my limited experience to establish creative trust as quickly as possible with the producers I work with. Making sure that before any director or actors walk in the door, the producers know that I am more than committed to not only protecting The Story, but am actually capable of (lightbulb!) making it better. And a key component of earning that creative trust, besides striving to always have the best idea in the room, is valuing my contribution to the project.
And I do it not out of ego, though I do take great pride in my work…I do it most of all because I, too, LOVE warm popcorn, cold soft-drinks, sour candy, and being swept away as much as anyone else…and I know that it all begins with a great story.
- June 4, 2008 at 10:21 AM
- Anonymous Production Assistant said...
Somebody wants something. And they get it.
The only other option is, "And they don't get it."
So... there's only two stories?
- June 4, 2008 at 5:10 PM
I agree. TV writers have longer careers.
So what was the knock knock?
- June 4, 2008 at 6:55 PM
- Mark Mayerson said...
Somebody wants something. And they get it.
Somebody wants something. And they don't get it.
Somebody wants something. They don't get it but get something that's still satisfying.
Somebody wants something. They get it and discover they don't want it.
Somebody wants something. They discover that they want something else.
Somebody wants something. They get it and discover the real cost of it.
Somebody doesn't want something. They get it and have to get rid of it.
Somebody doesn't want something. They can't get rid of it and have to reconcile to it.
Somebody doesn't want something. They learn they're wrong for not wanting it.
Somebody doesn't want something. They learn they're right for not wanting it.
I'm sure you could work out more variations.
- June 4, 2008 at 7:15 PM
- TCinLA said...
Actually, "Screenwriter," they've been throwing multiple screenwriters at movies since there were talkies. In fact, that and the fact that the studios were reserving to themselves the right to decide who had actually "written" what got made had everything to do with the founding of the Screen Writers Guild (which eventually became the WGA)
As a matter of fact, I've been in this since (probably) before your parents even knew each other, let alone started propagating, and every one of those points you make are points I used to discuss with my old mentor Wendell Mayes and his great good friend Billy Wilder and they talked about that stuff from back when they were at your stage of the game.
Nice to see that with your post here that my theory of "hope springs infernal" is true. Indeed, "there's a sucker born every minute." :-)
- June 4, 2008 at 10:41 PM
- Laura Deerfield said...
All the President's Men
Bound for Glory
Marathon Man
The Omen
Taxi Driver
That's a pretty good list - and there are comparable ones from every year from 1969 to 1979 (with some stellar films in '67 and '68 as well.)
And of course, 1939 also included Hitler - Beast of Berlin, Barricade, Bachelor Mother, Boys' Reformatory, Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever, and Daughter of the Tong.
Every year has good and bad films.
Though, I do admit, the balance has been off for a while - I think it's cyclical. Film improves every time it's threatened by new technology. In the '30s - there were over 40 million radios in use in homes in the US. To compete with radio shows, the movies had to be better. In the 60's TVs had proliferated - and in the 70's, with the advent of the VCR, movies had to shine a little more to compete with videos.
I think we're about due for another golden age, as "new media" becomes more prominent and studios realize that to compete with DVRs and the Internet, they don't need to make more expensive movies - just better ones.
- June 5, 2008 at 1:11 AM
- Anonymous Production Assistant said...
All of those variations exist in American movies. Earl said all movies boil down to "Somebody wants something. And they get it."
He's already discounted your variations. My question still stands.
- June 5, 2008 at 9:27 AM
- Vigs said...
Earl, your description of every American movie - somebody wants something, and they get it - could well describe Homer's Odyssey. He created the template 3,500 or however many years ago, and everybody's been ripping him off since.
Commerce and craft can go together, as Shakespeare proved. The reason a movie stinks is simply a lack of dedication to the craft and total focus on the commerce.
But don't worry, once film makers figure out how to use the Internet as their main distribution route, and that day is surely coming, the whole calcified edifice will crumble, and a new era will dawn. Keep the faith, brother.
- June 5, 2008 at 8:29 PM
- Earl Pomerantz said...
Look at movies from other countries. They're not about outcomes. They're about something else, usually having to do with the journey. I know that Zennier than Thou, but there's a difference. This country has a value system in which the final score is all that matters. That's fine for baseball, but it narrows the range of acceptable storytelling.
- June 5, 2008 at 9:36 PM
I believe to cavil over seven words in this post -- "Somebody wants something. And they get it." -- is to miss the larger points. What I get from those sentences in context is an argument that Hollywood movies are overwhelmingly optimistic, comforting and wish-fulfilling -- an argument, exagerated as it may be, that's a lot more interesting than snippy comments about semantics and categories.
- June 6, 2008 at 9:15 AM
- Earl Newton said...
Earl -
First off, AS an 'Earl', it's odd to be addressing another Earl. It's not like we're Davids or Joes.
Second - one of the things that occurred to me during this post is about the inherent difference of TV versus movies.
But that said: movies are about ideas. Only a few of them are really about characters. Indiana Jones is one of them, but he comes out of the serials of the 40s - which certainly resembles the format of television (episodic, following a single character or set of characters over a long period).
No one goes to Alien Vs. Predator to see if the humans make it out alive. They go to see what Alien will do to Predator, and vice-versa, and to the humans, ad infinitum.
(As a post-script: I think there IS an implied foreknowledge of the end of a TV episode, as much as there is in movies. Audiences know you aren't going to kill off a main character or dramatically change the relationship dynamics. Just like movies, it's about what you do in the middle.)
- June 6, 2008 at 12:18 PM
- Earl Newton said...
And I say all that to say: this means you CAN write movies.
But apparently I cannot post on a blog without prematurely "sending".
Let the wisecracks begin.
- June 6, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Agree with your take on Indy Jones. Seemed like the guys (Spielberg, Lucas and Ford) got together and said, "Let's slap one last Indy movie together. And, just for laughs, let's open it with a tribute to American Graffiti and throw in a salute to E.T." Where were the compelling characters from previous Indy flicks? I still don't get the UFO/space alien stuff. Were they nice aliens or aliens who wanted to destroy us? But the least believable part of the movie was actress Karen Allen's return as Indy's old/new girlfriend. Not to sound sexist, but couldn't she have visited a gym a few times before shooting? The movie dragged on and on. I kept hoping Cate Blanchett's character would turn into a young Bob Dylan, just to liven things up.
- June 9, 2008 at 9:49 AM
- Screenwriter Shep said...
TV is better than Film.
TV writers have far more control than screenwriters.
It's not a coincidence.
There's a reason why, IN GENERAL, that writer-directors make more original movies than directors who don't write.
Compare Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Coen Brothers et all to Spielberg, Bay, Ratner, and whoever else you want to throw in -- the latter three make more money, the former make more original movies (though you could argue about Tarantino).
Someone else mentioned it, but in film the people who are the best at telling stories (the writers) have the least control. You have studio execs who've never written a screenplay before in their life doing whatever they want to the script, and if the screenwriter doesn't like it, they're replaceable.
In TV, the creator of the show stays around to make sure the show stays on course. In film, the creator can be replaced.
And I could point to hundreds of examples where your theory of "the character wants something, and they get it" doesn't apply.
No Country for Old Men, Blair Witch Project, Rocky, Se7en, for instance.
The problem is that those movies generally don't make as much money.
And if you're investing $60 million dollars, you're going to aim for the sure thing over anything that has artistic value.
I'd also like to point out that most TV shows follow the same formula -- a character wants something, and they get it. Friday Night Lights -- they win state. Dexter finds the Ice Truck Killer. Buffy saves the world. An American Idol gets a contract.
For the most part I agree, but it's not that there's not good scripts being written, it's that no one is willing to take risks.
- June 9, 2008 at 2:04 PM
- James said...
"Somebody wants something. And they get it."
"Somebody wants something, and they go crazy."
Isn't that all comedy and tragedy? And wasn't this discussed in Aristotle's poetics 2000 years ago?
- June 20, 2008 at 10:07 AM
- The Wrong Box said...
I agree about the wonder of 1939, but one tiny nitpick: The Thin Man came out in 1934.
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- August 31, 2008 at 10:16 PM
Cleaver a screenwriter? LMAO. Go look at the reviews of his "movies" on IMDB and see how well his masterpieces have done. Hell, he hasn't had anything made into a movie in over 10 years. What a tool
- January 1, 2009 at 4:36 PM


text:
Independence Police Department
223 N. Memorial Drive
Independence, MO 64050-3013
Public Information Office
Officer Tom Gentry
(816) 325-7258
News Release
For immediate release: January 23, 2014
Two Important Events of Interest
Anthony Standifer, the man who was convicted for the murder of retired Independence Police Department (IPD) employee, Beverly Crowl, has filed a motion for Post Conviction Relief and is attempting to have his sentence set aside. He has a hearing set for Friday, January 24, 2014, at 1:30 pm in Division 17 at the Jackson County Annex before Judge Grate. Beverly's family (including a daughter who still works at IPD) will be there. The family would be very pleased to have anyone who could, attend the hearing in support of the family as well as belief the sentence should be upheld.
Additionally, another case is being heard in Division 17 the same day regarding defendant David Murdick. Murdick is expected to plead guilty of killing MODOT employee Clifton Scott on September 21, 2012, by driving drunk on I-70 and striking Mr. Scott while he was working a previous accident. This case is set for 3:30 p.m.
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