The Real Lance Brown

• @LanceUlanoff Was it the regular one or the director's cut? Director's cut spells it out too much, the regular one maybe not enough. in reply to LanceUlanoff #
• @nycgrl88 Are you watching new episodes, or the earlier stuff? Earlier seasons are even better. in reply to nycgrl88 #
• @kaitlin_olson Just heard your appearance on Adam Carolla's podcast. Very fun and funny. Never would have guessed you were a deformed teen! #
• @joelmchale Congratulations on the pickup; "Community" has been a lot of fun so far. in reply to joelmchale #
• @joelmchale P.S. – Tell Chevy I said "Din-n-n-n-n-n-n-na. Bun-n-n-n-n-n-n-na." and "This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy…" Thanks! #
• I feel out of my league seeing all these clever #oneletteroffmovies. The best I came up with is Down and Out in Beverly Sills. :-\ #
• @PeterPek Happy Birthday Peter! in reply to PeterPek #
• Good Sunday morning Twitterville! I'm excited to start a new big work enterprise today. The Freelance Lance empire is expanding. #
• Hey @alisonbrie @kenjeong @DonGlover and @yvettenbrown, congrats on Community being picked up for a full season! #
• Sweet! RT @kevinpollak: Lord Weird Al of Yankovic is my quest today, LIVE, 5pm, PDT: http://Kevinpollakschatshow.com. #
• I guess @kevinpollak called Lord Weird Al his "quest" by mistake, but as far as typos go, it worked pretty well. #
• @algonacchick Yeah, I thought it was intentional cleverness, but then he fixed it, so maybe not. Or maybe he just had second thoughts… in reply to algonacchick #
• Remember, Weird Al's on http://kevinpollakchatshow.com in a half hour. I'll be a little late; take notes for me, k? #
• @Ludovicaa Well he'll have a tough time on @kevinpollak's show then, because he's all about the digging. :-) in reply to Ludovicaa #
• @JDTalley You gonna be near Nevada County anytime soon? in reply to JDTalley #
• @jpressly730 My weekend was great, thanks for asking. Got a new job and chopped lots of wood for the winter. How's post-"Earl" married life? in reply to jpressly730 #
• @JDTalley Well let me know if you want to swing over to the foothills for a spell. Do you have a current itinerary online? in reply to JDTalley #
• .@Tweetdeck thinks "online" is a misspelling, and suggests Joline, Moline, Aline, Cline, and Kline as alternatives. #
• @TonyBesson It's a great tune…and there aren't many verses to sing, really. :-) in reply to TonyBesson #
• @donttreadoncat FYI, you have a plugin malfunctioning in the sidebar of your site. Might need to upgrade or reinstall it. :-\ #
• Great episode of The Amazing Race tonight. #
• I guess Yahoo is shutting down Geocities today. That's OK though, I moved to Tripod months ago. #
• @AmberRainDesign That's awesome, glad to hear business is doing well. Let me know when you hold a fashion show. :-) in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• @AmberRainDesign Well if I could find the models myself I wouldn't really need the fashion show anymore. ;-) in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• oops got the hashtag wrong: Sanford and Associates #blacksitcomsgonewhite @morocca #
• @morocca of course there's also: Sanford, Sanford, Schwartz, and Greene #blacksitcomsgonewhite #
• #blacksitcomsgonewhite Gold Times @morocca #oneletterofftvtitles #
• @cijimcb Thanks for the vote of confidence. :-) in reply to cijimcb #
• Qwerty Tarantino #afewlettersoffdirectors @jonhurwitz @jonfavreau #
• Dear Sociological Seismologists: Please find out what it means when mad #hashtag game streaks occur. It's a harbinger, sure…but of what? #
• #p2012 #hashtagsgonewild #
• @chrispirillo No, but it's kind of you to ask. in reply to chrispirillo #
• @joncassar Not even the one Xander flew out into the desert to die? I could swear I remember a counter there. in reply to joncassar #
• RT @DanaJGould: There's a great haunted house on our street. It's boarded up and filthy. Did I say "haunted"? I meant "crack". #
• @moonfrye Just pretend like they are all friends who love you and won't care if you happen to stumble or slip up. in reply to moonfrye #
• @shunt6 Hey sorry I dropped the ball a while back. I was having a crazy week I think. Hope school and fall are treating you well. :-) in reply to shunt6 #
• Was Jon Stewart being willfully ignorant in his "analysis" of Net Neutrality last night, or is he just that lazy now? #
• @LanceUlanoff Didn't realize there was a vote. I like the new pic, but the background seems lacking somehow. in reply to LanceUlanoff #
• There's a program about the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) on WBAI radio streaming live right now: http://stream.wbai.org/ #
• I mentioned this a while back; they had inquired with me (as curator of PNAC.info), but I sent them to Ivan Eland from @IndependentInst. #
• BTW, the @IndependentInst's email newsletter The Lighthouse is the best policy-analysis email update I get, consistently. #
• See for yourself and subscribe here: http://bit.ly/2bXmwm #
• No Twitter, I did not want that URL shortened, thank you. #
• Now they're talking about the "new PNAC", Keep America Safe: http://stream.wbai.org/ #
• I'm proud to have been a part of the movement that helped to discredit the Project for the New American Century and neoconservatism. #
• I love the hell out of Cornel West. #
• Right back atcha, buddy! RT @serafinowicz: Just wanted to say: You're thinking of me. #
• Right back atcha, buddy! RT @serafinowicz: Just wanted to say: I'm thinking about myself. #
• @coffeemaverick Adam Carolla had the filmmakers on his podcast, and they were saying the ambiguity was definitely intentional. in reply to coffeemaverick #
• This was cool. RT @shericand:RT @ctechblog: Peter Broderick talking about distribution for filmmakers @FilmmakerMag http://bit.ly/3ZZOET #
• RT @nataliehb & @JulesHanna:Please RT. For every comment posted to this blog, $5 goes 2 people in Philippines via @Kiva! http://bit.ly/8t4f8 #
• Happy Prince Spaghetti Day everyone! #
• Is it not P.C. to celebrate that anymore? #
• RT @ingridmusic: I'm about to go on for the very first Borders Live webcast. Watch here 12:30pm – http://bordersmedia.com/ingrid #
• Plants Recognize/Fight Rivals, Play Nice with Siblings http://bit.ly/3NLIkg #
• …watching Thunderbolt & Lightfoot on Hulu. (It expires in 2 days.) Young Clint Eastwood & even younger Jeff Bridges. Never seen it before. #
• You know how they keep saying such-and-such % of Americans support a public option (they used to say it was 83%, but now say it's 55%)?… #
• …I wonder what % of Americans think any 2,000-page piece of legislation is likely to improve our country. #
• Got the complete "Rambo" DVD set from the library. Not sure what else to say about it. YAAAAAAWWWWGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! (Insert machine gun fire) #
• Huh…Rambo III ends with "This film is dedicated to the gallant people of Afghanistan". Whatever happened to those freedom fighters anyway? #
• Upgraded to the latest @tweetdeck; lost all my settings (& still haven't recovered the color scheme), but they have keyboard scrolling now. #
• I had a great meeting today with @shawntuttle and @JPCCreative about Shawn's "Natural Professional" program and book. Good times. #
• This has been a busy week…I'm really ramping up my overall enterprise. I took on a whole new major job this week. Feeling very freelance. #

In case you’re still wondering…

Online Marketing Blog » Blog Archive » 6 reasons why you need to get on Twitter

Filmmaker Magazine has a cool interview with industry pro Peter Broderick, where he outlines the many options available for independent filmmakers who want to get their stuff out there. It’s 14 minutes long, so he has time to really explain his take on the currnt playing field. Good stuff. Look for his excellent analogy comparing the changes in the industry to the New World pioneers breaking away from England/Europe.

Broderick and interviewer Scott Kirsner are offering a workshop on all this in LA in November; see the article with the video for details.

Angel Group Likes Lights, Camera And Action Of Indie Films – Venture Capital Dispatch

As an experienced tech entrepreneur and angel investor, Rizwan Virk was happy to see a solid return on one of his recent investments after just one year.

But the exit didn’t come from a software start-up or social media company finding a corporate acquirer. Instead, Virk’s quick payoff came from an independent film.

Virk is a member of FilmAngels, a Silicon Valley group whose members back film productions – mostly small, independent projects. Founded in 2005, Film Angels is made up mostly of tech executives and investors who apply their business and venture capital experience to the filmmaking world.

Read the full story at the WSJ blog

• Watching 'Out of Sight'; lots of unexpected familiar faces. It's a lot more light and lively than I expected too. #
• @Candan76 You can't spell microblogging without "blogging". :-) in reply to Candan76 #
• It was lots of fun! RT @shawntuttle: @Freelancelance Thanks for the social media strategy and pep talk! I'm a new woman, online that is =) #
• Great episode of "Dexter" this week. Best extremely-dark comedy on TV. #
• @AmberRainDesign Wow, that's crazy…tough coyote! in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• Lots of animals crackling around in the woods on tonight's walk. No sightings, but plenty of hearings. #
• I also figured out a good Halloween costume, in case anyone decides to invite me to a Halloween party. #
• @markshaw In Die Hard 4, McClane's daughter gets stuck in one, and "rescued" by terrorists. That probably won't happen to you though. ;-) in reply to markshaw #
• All my mentions disappeared from their Tweetdeck column. As did others' DMs from that column. Hoping it's temporary. #
• @cyndeZu Well, I see your mention, so at least it's working for new ones. I guess maybe I'll have to go on-site to sift through my backlog. #
• @serafinowicz Biffiffelfapp in reply to serafinowicz #
• Folks, my great friend, awesome colleague, and simplification inspiration @shawntuttle is making a serious effort to be more twitterly… #
• …so if you are trying to simplify your life, or like supporting awesome people, please follow her burgeoning Twitter self @shawntuttle #
• Shawn puts out a great free newsletter (which I write for & co-edit), writes great blog posts, and is working on a great new book. Great! #
• I am usually a writer. Today I'm feeling more like just a word thinging person. #
• I'm always an editor though. That should have been "word-thinging person". ;-) #
• In honor of #poetrytuesday, I'm posting a poem that I've always kind of liked, but never really wanted to show anyone. It's less than happy. #
• It's short, it has a swear, and it involves duct tape and misery. If any of that interests you, hold tight… #
• It's weird–or it's just how writing goes–that one of my favorite, truest poems would be one that I wouldn't want to show anyone. #
• 8 lines from Summer 2006 … #PoetryTuesday – "Breakthrough" by Lance Brown: http://bit.ly/1Hh7Gv #
• This is funny…you know how people say "They say…"? This video by Sean Tweedley has the shocking truth about "They": http://bit.ly/1ZtPEx #
• @MarleeMatlin If you can hear low male voices and like James Taylor and Billy Joel, check out Doug Hoekstra, a little-known folk-rock great. in reply to MarleeMatlin #
• @caligater Congratulations! (right?) in reply to caligater #
• RT @AmberRainDesign: they should sell at home polygraph tests so people can see just how much they are lying to themselves… #justsaying #
• If you're up for 2.5 hours and still aren't sure how you feel, & breakfast has been sitting in front of you for a half hour, #youmightbesick #
• @MarleeMatlin Have you tried to enlist Roger Ebert in your Netflix campaign? His newfound voicelessness might make him a sympathetic voice. in reply to MarleeMatlin #
• @MarleeMatlin His blog is very widely read and influential: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/ #
• That link to Ebert's blog was a slip, but he does deserve linking, if only for his extremely cool Blogs of My Blog post: http://bit.ly/CNu6H #
• Roger Ebert's blog is going on my list of example blogs to show newly-blogging clients. He is doing it extremely right. #
• Jesus, yesterday it was "great", today it's "extremely". Word-brain not doing good for me. #
• FYI, the other example blogs I use with clients are @whatsnext's http://whatsnextblog.com, and the beautiful http://deliciousdays.com. #
• Though FWIW, both Ebert and BL Ochman are wrong on health care. Still great bloggers. :-) #
• @LanceKrall Good question – poop's more of a big picture thing. Whoever suggested you get into the details was misguided at best. in reply to LanceKrall #
• @AmberRainDesign Yikes…hope it turns out alright. in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• Listening to this interesting "Comedy and Everything Else" podcast episode with guest @eddiepepitone: http://bit.ly/32xg6x #
• @susanorlean I have literally 5-10K mobbing the bushes along my driveway. Makes me reconsider my assumption that ants will win in the end. in reply to susanorlean #
• Watching "Lars and the Real Girl". It's LOLier than I expected. #
• 'Lars and the Real Girl' – A remarkable & original movie, equally heart-moving & hilarious. Brilliant contributions from everyone involved. #
• Actually, the one who played Lars's girlfriend was a little stiff. (ba dum bum tsssh) #
• I don't get how Congress has all this free time to take over health care,but filmmakers are still allowed to release DVDs w/out commentaries #
• @lynchland You're lucky – all my cat does is close my video programs in mid-play, every time. in reply to lynchland #
• What's happening tweeple? Happy Thursday! #
• This crazy tool will "sing" whatever you ask it to. http://www.sr.se/P1/src/sing/ (h/t @BJMendelson) #
• I wrote a little ditty on that song machine, check it out: http://bit.ly/1tBViA #
• In line with the theme of my ditty comes this bizarrro NSFW music video/cartoon http://www.getonmyhorse.com/ (via @KimEvey from @feliciaday) #
• If you start wondering when that video ends…I'm not sure it does. #
• Benefit #74521 of working at home: NSFW does not apply to you. #
• @joncassar Yes – rubbing alcohol hurts far worse than any beating or bullet. ;-) in reply to joncassar #
• @dmataconis I think he's just the new Bill Clinton pretty much. With more toys. in reply to dmataconis #
• Net Neutrality = People to government: "Want more power?" Government: "Well, now that you mention it…" #giveitaname #
• That just about wraps up the government's 15-year endeavor to get their paws on every part of the commercial Internet. #
• OK, I'm not going to say how I know, but "Get on My Horse" either doesn't end, or it's over 45 minutes long. #
• @serafinowicz Skipabibble in reply to serafinowicz #
• @PunkJohnnyCash Why not? The founding fathers did it once. #P2 #tlot #tcot #anarchy in reply to PunkJohnnyCash #
• 10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets: http://bit.ly/KPt6U (from @rww's website) #
• Top 10 Blogs for Writers 2009: http://bit.ly/11Z1bI (from @copyblogger's site) #
• Bronson Pinchot: not gay, no accent, and telling wicked frank insider stories from throughout his career: http://bit.ly/4lnoxw #
• @markjoyner Good question. I've seldom found that getting paid less makes me want to do a better job. in reply to markjoyner #
• @AndyMilonakis Arrested Development in reply to AndyMilonakis #
• The 90th issue of The Simplifier is warming up the presses as we speak. (Or would it be "as we tweek"? Somehow that doesn't sound right.) #
• @levarburton I doubt my childhood self could have ever imagined you would eventually suggest I read "@shitmydadsays". Now that's a rainbow! in reply to levarburton #
• I'm imagining a very funny parody video right now, of @levarburton doing "@shitmydadsays" on Reading Rainbow. #ff #
• That should get me a "story by" credit if someone actually does it, right? #
• @deanhunt Really great show. It wavers a little in in the middle of its run, but then it comes around and brings it all home pretty solidly. in reply to deanhunt #
• @deanhunt Oops! Nope, I was talking about The Shield, but that's clever marketing on your part…I'll check out your podcast later today.:-) in reply to deanhunt #
• Some weekend reading for you… The Simplifier #90 – The Natural Professional Goes to Realsville: http://bit.ly/49SF9V #

• Watching 'Out of Sight'; lots of unexpected familiar faces. It's a lot more light and lively than I expected too. #
• @Candan76 You can't spell microblogging without "blogging". :-) in reply to Candan76 #
• It was lots of fun! RT @shawntuttle: @Freelancelance Thanks for the social media strategy and pep talk! I'm a new woman, online that is =) #
• Great episode of "Dexter" this week. Best extremely-dark comedy on TV. #
• @AmberRainDesign Wow, that's crazy…tough coyote! in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• Lots of animals crackling around in the woods on tonight's walk. No sightings, but plenty of hearings. #
• I also figured out a good Halloween costume, in case anyone decides to invite me to a Halloween party. #
• @markshaw In Die Hard 4, McClane's daughter gets stuck in one, and "rescued" by terrorists. That probably won't happen to you though. ;-) in reply to markshaw #
• All my mentions disappeared from their Tweetdeck column. As did others' DMs from that column. Hoping it's temporary. #
• @cyndeZu Well, I see your mention, so at least it's working for new ones. I guess maybe I'll have to go on-site to sift through my backlog. #
• @serafinowicz Biffiffelfapp in reply to serafinowicz #
• Folks, my great friend, awesome colleague, and simplification inspiration @shawntuttle is making a serious effort to be more twitterly… #
• …so if you are trying to simplify your life, or like supporting awesome people, please follow her burgeoning Twitter self @shawntuttle #
• Shawn puts out a great free newsletter (which I write for & co-edit), writes great blog posts, and is working on a great new book. Great! #
• I am usually a writer. Today I'm feeling more like just a word thinging person. #
• I'm always an editor though. That should have been "word-thinging person". ;-) #
• In honor of #poetrytuesday, I'm posting a poem that I've always kind of liked, but never really wanted to show anyone. It's less than happy. #
• It's short, it has a swear, and it involves duct tape and misery. If any of that interests you, hold tight… #
• It's weird–or it's just how writing goes–that one of my favorite, truest poems would be one that I wouldn't want to show anyone. #
• 8 lines from Summer 2006 … #PoetryTuesday – "Breakthrough" by Lance Brown: http://bit.ly/1Hh7Gv #
• This is funny…you know how people say "They say…"? This video by Sean Tweedley has the shocking truth about "They": http://bit.ly/1ZtPEx #
• @MarleeMatlin If you can hear low male voices and like James Taylor and Billy Joel, check out Doug Hoekstra, a little-known folk-rock great. in reply to MarleeMatlin #
• @caligater Congratulations! (right?) in reply to caligater #
• RT @AmberRainDesign: they should sell at home polygraph tests so people can see just how much they are lying to themselves… #justsaying #
• If you're up for 2.5 hours and still aren't sure how you feel, & breakfast has been sitting in front of you for a half hour, #youmightbesick #
• @MarleeMatlin Have you tried to enlist Roger Ebert in your Netflix campaign? His newfound voicelessness might make him a sympathetic voice. in reply to MarleeMatlin #
• @MarleeMatlin His blog is very widely read and influential: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/ #
• That link to Ebert's blog was a slip, but he does deserve linking, if only for his extremely cool Blogs of My Blog post: http://bit.ly/CNu6H #
• Roger Ebert's blog is going on my list of example blogs to show newly-blogging clients. He is doing it extremely right. #
• Jesus, yesterday it was "great", today it's "extremely". Word-brain not doing good for me. #
• FYI, the other example blogs I use with clients are @whatsnext's http://whatsnextblog.com, and the beautiful http://deliciousdays.com. #
• Though FWIW, both Ebert and BL Ochman are wrong on health care. Still great bloggers. :-) #
• @LanceKrall Good question – poop's more of a big picture thing. Whoever suggested you get into the details was misguided at best. in reply to LanceKrall #
• @AmberRainDesign Yikes…hope it turns out alright. in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• Listening to this interesting "Comedy and Everything Else" podcast episode with guest @eddiepepitone: http://bit.ly/32xg6x #
• @susanorlean I have literally 5-10K mobbing the bushes along my driveway. Makes me reconsider my assumption that ants will win in the end. in reply to susanorlean #
• Watching "Lars and the Real Girl". It's LOLier than I expected. #
• 'Lars and the Real Girl' – A remarkable & original movie, equally heart-moving & hilarious. Brilliant contributions from everyone involved. #
• Actually, the one who played Lars's girlfriend was a little stiff. (ba dum bum tsssh) #
• I don't get how Congress has all this free time to take over health care,but filmmakers are still allowed to release DVDs w/out commentaries #
• @lynchland You're lucky – all my cat does is close my video programs in mid-play, every time. in reply to lynchland #
• What's happening tweeple? Happy Thursday! #
• This crazy tool will "sing" whatever you ask it to. http://www.sr.se/P1/src/sing/ (h/t @BJMendelson) #
• I wrote a little ditty on that song machine, check it out: http://bit.ly/1tBViA #
• In line with the theme of my ditty comes this bizarrro NSFW music video/cartoon http://www.getonmyhorse.com/ (via @KimEvey from @feliciaday) #
• If you start wondering when that video ends…I'm not sure it does. #
• Benefit #74521 of working at home: NSFW does not apply to you. #
• @joncassar Yes – rubbing alcohol hurts far worse than any beating or bullet. ;-) in reply to joncassar #
• @dmataconis I think he's just the new Bill Clinton pretty much. With more toys. in reply to dmataconis #
• Net Neutrality = People to government: "Want more power?" Government: "Well, now that you mention it…" #giveitaname #
• That just about wraps up the government's 15-year endeavor to get their paws on every part of the commercial Internet. #
• OK, I'm not going to say how I know, but "Get on My Horse" either doesn't end, or it's over 45 minutes long. #
• @serafinowicz Skipabibble in reply to serafinowicz #
• @PunkJohnnyCash Why not? The founding fathers did it once. #P2 #tlot #tcot #anarchy in reply to PunkJohnnyCash #
• 10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets: http://bit.ly/KPt6U (from @rww's website) #
• Top 10 Blogs for Writers 2009: http://bit.ly/11Z1bI (from @copyblogger's site) #
• Bronson Pinchot: not gay, no accent, and telling wicked frank insider stories from throughout his career: http://bit.ly/4lnoxw #
• @markjoyner Good question. I've seldom found that getting paid less makes me want to do a better job. in reply to markjoyner #
• @AndyMilonakis Arrested Development in reply to AndyMilonakis #
• The 90th issue of The Simplifier is warming up the presses as we speak. (Or would it be "as we tweek"? Somehow that doesn't sound right.) #
• @levarburton I doubt my childhood self could have ever imagined you would eventually suggest I read "@shitmydadsays". Now that's a rainbow! in reply to levarburton #
• I'm imagining a very funny parody video right now, of @levarburton doing "@shitmydadsays" on Reading Rainbow. #ff #
• That should get me a "story by" credit if someone actually does it, right? #
• @deanhunt Really great show. It wavers a little in in the middle of its run, but then it comes around and brings it all home pretty solidly. in reply to deanhunt #
• @deanhunt Oops! Nope, I was talking about The Shield, but that's clever marketing on your part…I'll check out your podcast later today.:-) in reply to deanhunt #
• Some weekend reading for you… The Simplifier #90 – The Natural Professional Goes to Realsville: http://bit.ly/49SF9V #

• Watching 'Out of Sight'; lots of unexpected familiar faces. It's a lot more light and lively than I expected too. #
• @Candan76 You can't spell microblogging without "blogging". :-) in reply to Candan76 #
• It was lots of fun! RT @shawntuttle: @Freelancelance Thanks for the social media strategy and pep talk! I'm a new woman, online that is =) #
• Great episode of "Dexter" this week. Best extremely-dark comedy on TV. #
• @AmberRainDesign Wow, that's crazy…tough coyote! in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• Lots of animals crackling around in the woods on tonight's walk. No sightings, but plenty of hearings. #
• I also figured out a good Halloween costume, in case anyone decides to invite me to a Halloween party. #
• @markshaw In Die Hard 4, McClane's daughter gets stuck in one, and "rescued" by terrorists. That probably won't happen to you though. ;-) in reply to markshaw #
• All my mentions disappeared from their Tweetdeck column. As did others' DMs from that column. Hoping it's temporary. #
• @cyndeZu Well, I see your mention, so at least it's working for new ones. I guess maybe I'll have to go on-site to sift through my backlog. #
• @serafinowicz Biffiffelfapp in reply to serafinowicz #
• Folks, my great friend, awesome colleague, and simplification inspiration @shawntuttle is making a serious effort to be more twitterly… #
• …so if you are trying to simplify your life, or like supporting awesome people, please follow her burgeoning Twitter self @shawntuttle #
• Shawn puts out a great free newsletter (which I write for & co-edit), writes great blog posts, and is working on a great new book. Great! #
• I am usually a writer. Today I'm feeling more like just a word thinging person. #
• I'm always an editor though. That should have been "word-thinging person". ;-) #
• In honor of #poetrytuesday, I'm posting a poem that I've always kind of liked, but never really wanted to show anyone. It's less than happy. #
• It's short, it has a swear, and it involves duct tape and misery. If any of that interests you, hold tight… #
• It's weird–or it's just how writing goes–that one of my favorite, truest poems would be one that I wouldn't want to show anyone. #
• 8 lines from Summer 2006 … #PoetryTuesday – "Breakthrough" by Lance Brown: http://bit.ly/1Hh7Gv #
• This is funny…you know how people say "They say…"? This video by Sean Tweedley has the shocking truth about "They": http://bit.ly/1ZtPEx #
• @MarleeMatlin If you can hear low male voices and like James Taylor and Billy Joel, check out Doug Hoekstra, a little-known folk-rock great. in reply to MarleeMatlin #
• @caligater Congratulations! (right?) in reply to caligater #
• RT @AmberRainDesign: they should sell at home polygraph tests so people can see just how much they are lying to themselves… #justsaying #
• If you're up for 2.5 hours and still aren't sure how you feel, & breakfast has been sitting in front of you for a half hour, #youmightbesick #
• @MarleeMatlin Have you tried to enlist Roger Ebert in your Netflix campaign? His newfound voicelessness might make him a sympathetic voice. in reply to MarleeMatlin #
• @MarleeMatlin His blog is very widely read and influential: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/ #
• That link to Ebert's blog was a slip, but he does deserve linking, if only for his extremely cool Blogs of My Blog post: http://bit.ly/CNu6H #
• Roger Ebert's blog is going on my list of example blogs to show newly-blogging clients. He is doing it extremely right. #
• Jesus, yesterday it was "great", today it's "extremely". Word-brain not doing good for me. #
• FYI, the other example blogs I use with clients are @whatsnext's http://whatsnextblog.com, and the beautiful http://deliciousdays.com. #
• Though FWIW, both Ebert and BL Ochman are wrong on health care. Still great bloggers. :-) #
• @LanceKrall Good question – poop's more of a big picture thing. Whoever suggested you get into the details was misguided at best. in reply to LanceKrall #
• @AmberRainDesign Yikes…hope it turns out alright. in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• Listening to this interesting "Comedy and Everything Else" podcast episode with guest @eddiepepitone: http://bit.ly/32xg6x #
• @susanorlean I have literally 5-10K mobbing the bushes along my driveway. Makes me reconsider my assumption that ants will win in the end. in reply to susanorlean #
• Watching "Lars and the Real Girl". It's LOLier than I expected. #
• 'Lars and the Real Girl' – A remarkable & original movie, equally heart-moving & hilarious. Brilliant contributions from everyone involved. #
• Actually, the one who played Lars's girlfriend was a little stiff. (ba dum bum tsssh) #
• I don't get how Congress has all this free time to take over health care,but filmmakers are still allowed to release DVDs w/out commentaries #
• @lynchland You're lucky – all my cat does is close my video programs in mid-play, every time. in reply to lynchland #
• What's happening tweeple? Happy Thursday! #
• This crazy tool will "sing" whatever you ask it to. http://www.sr.se/P1/src/sing/ (h/t @BJMendelson) #
• I wrote a little ditty on that song machine, check it out: http://bit.ly/1tBViA #
• In line with the theme of my ditty comes this bizarrro NSFW music video/cartoon http://www.getonmyhorse.com/ (via @KimEvey from @feliciaday) #
• If you start wondering when that video ends…I'm not sure it does. #
• Benefit #74521 of working at home: NSFW does not apply to you. #
• @joncassar Yes – rubbing alcohol hurts far worse than any beating or bullet. ;-) in reply to joncassar #
• @dmataconis I think he's just the new Bill Clinton pretty much. With more toys. in reply to dmataconis #
• Net Neutrality = People to government: "Want more power?" Government: "Well, now that you mention it…" #giveitaname #
• That just about wraps up the government's 15-year endeavor to get their paws on every part of the commercial Internet. #
• OK, I'm not going to say how I know, but "Get on My Horse" either doesn't end, or it's over 45 minutes long. #
• @serafinowicz Skipabibble in reply to serafinowicz #
• @PunkJohnnyCash Why not? The founding fathers did it once. #P2 #tlot #tcot #anarchy in reply to PunkJohnnyCash #
• 10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets: http://bit.ly/KPt6U (from @rww's website) #
• Top 10 Blogs for Writers 2009: http://bit.ly/11Z1bI (from @copyblogger's site) #
• Bronson Pinchot: not gay, no accent, and telling wicked frank insider stories from throughout his career: http://bit.ly/4lnoxw #
• @markjoyner Good question. I've seldom found that getting paid less makes me want to do a better job. in reply to markjoyner #
• @AndyMilonakis Arrested Development in reply to AndyMilonakis #
• The 90th issue of The Simplifier is warming up the presses as we speak. (Or would it be "as we tweek"? Somehow that doesn't sound right.) #
• @levarburton I doubt my childhood self could have ever imagined you would eventually suggest I read "@shitmydadsays". Now that's a rainbow! in reply to levarburton #
• I'm imagining a very funny parody video right now, of @levarburton doing "@shitmydadsays" on Reading Rainbow. #ff #
• That should get me a "story by" credit if someone actually does it, right? #
• @deanhunt Really great show. It wavers a little in in the middle of its run, but then it comes around and brings it all home pretty solidly. in reply to deanhunt #
• @deanhunt Oops! Nope, I was talking about The Shield, but that's clever marketing on your part…I'll check out your podcast later today.:-) in reply to deanhunt #
• Some weekend reading for you… The Simplifier #90 – The Natural Professional Goes to Realsville: http://bit.ly/49SF9V #

I don’t think there’s an official objective to this visually intense flash graphic, but I was able to make the swirling seem to stop twice, briefly. Then my eyes started watering and I worried about giving myself a headache. It was fun*!

Swirling Cat Vortex Thingy

*pending me not actually getting a headache

Duct-taped doorknob
Trash is my home
I’m broke and alone
I hate the fucking phone

Leave a message at the tone
And I won’t get back to you
Because my self-contempt
Is breaking through

-Summer 2006

• I hope they all survived! RT @joerogandotnet: Troops walking through pot fields in Afghanistan (NSFW VIDEO) http://bit.ly/19Gfsq #
• @JamesUrbaniak Not just that, but "Seven ways to win" would have been a much more fun second line. in reply to JamesUrbaniak #
• @JamesUrbaniak Not to detract from the importance of your cause, though. Maybe the Se7en comes from the movie's opening titles? in reply to JamesUrbaniak #
• Point of Information: Obama could have ended Don't Ask Don't Tell on his first day in office. He could end it tomorrow. #DADT #
• Obama pledges to sign an anti-hate crime law, while his military continues to forcefully discharge gay people. #hypocrite #
• 13,000+ gay servicemembers have been removed from service by force of military authority under Don't Ask Don't Tell. #
• If they had refused to leave for being gay, they would have been escorted out (or into prison) at gunpoint. #hatecrimes #
• For the record, I oppose so-called hate crime laws. But if we're going to talk anti-gay hate acts, #DADT is a giant hate net. #
• And again, Obama could end it right now. By the time we wake up tomorrow. #
• Obama blowing smoke to the gay rights crowd: http://bit.ly/B0fEL Source on the 13,000 ejected servicemembers: http://bit.ly/iIEQE #
• The odd thing about being a libertarian: I end up calling Bush out for not being conservative enough, & Obama for not being liberal enough. #
• They both back war, though. That part's pretty straightforward. Spying too. They both dig the ultra-surveillance. #
• Neither of those are particularly conservative or liberal, actually. Just imperialist and tyrannical, respectively. But politically neutral! #
• I meant war-mongering and mega-spying are imperialist and tyrannical respectively, not Bush and Obama are. #
• By which I don't mean to imply that they aren't those things, just that it's not one for each. They are both imperialist, both tyrannical. #
• If push came to shove, either Bush or Obama would be willing to exert maximum control over the people (tyranny) or the world (empire). #
• I'll assume we all understand that about Bush. Obama is continuing the significant threads of empire and tyranny. #
• Obama's DOJ argues in favor of Bush's DOJ's spying partnership with the telephone companies: http://bit.ly/1fa7D0 #
• Obama drops "War on Terror" moniker but continues Bush's War-On-Terror-based indefinite detention justification: http://bit.ly/ou8eE #
• Under Obama, as under Bush, we have a military presence in over 130 countries: http://bit.ly/ImUHn #
• And doesn't it go without saying that Obama's bottom line position toward Iran's enrichment efforts is the same as Bush's toward Iraq? #
• That being, if they don't act as we insist they act, we will use force to make them do so. (But first we will strongly suggest they do so.) #
• Sorry for the rant, but Obama's translucent gay-pandering tonight really irked me. He is being a coward on gay rights. Period. #
• And not just a coward. A bully. He's not just looking the other way, he's presiding over an enterprise that does active harm to gay people. #
• @markshaw It's a cold but clear moonlit night here. About to go out for a late night walk with the dogs. :-) in reply to markshaw #
• @cyantist Let me know when that happens; I'll stop putting Cokes in my freezer on the same Someday. ;-) in reply to cyantist #
• Sarah Silverman's modest proposal to end world hunger (and get the Pope laid to boot): http://bit.ly/1SShOk #
• @rajskub Yeah, now when Jack says "Chloe, what are you doing?", I'm going to be thinking, "I'm giving Frank a handy under the counter." :-\ in reply to rajskub #
• RT @thekmgirl: RT @rixshep Ayn Rand on racism & individualism – Awesome! http://bit.ly/1hVhYK #
• Two women are more responsible for my individualistic nature than anyone else (besides me): my Mom, and Ayn Rand. #
• @linzeeanne How can I help? #
• @nickjfrost SUNDAY NIGHT still. in reply to nickjfrost #
• @thescottbaio That may be true, but you've totally been slacking on updating the Bob Loblaw Law Blog. ;-) in reply to thescottbaio #
• Nice – Congress is going to protect us from having to think about what's being done in our name: http://bit.ly/jZpWd #
• What could ever prepare our minds for seeing shocking images of abuse committed by U.S. soldiers? Oh, right. #
• Great episode of The Simpsons tonight. I assume all the writers and Al Jean are following me, so thanks, guys! #
• And thus ends another day of President Obama violating the rights of gay people. #
• Skunks are cute. I can see why dogs want to get so close to them. #
• @MartinStarr My uniqueness. in reply to MartinStarr #
• @MartinStarr How about you? in reply to MartinStarr #
• @AaronKlein Actually, I don't think we're "at war" with anyone. Congress has not declared war on Al Qaeda. in reply to AaronKlein #
• .@AaronKlein If you shoot me, I have a choice. I can seek justice, or I can declare war on you. You shooting me does not = me choosing war. #
• Question for anyone who wants to answer: In what year do you think there will be no U.S. military presence in Afghanistan? #
• I'm not sure what my own answer would be; curious if anyone else has a notion about it. #
• @AaronKlein We invaded Afghanistan, not Al Qaeda, in 2001. They are not the same thing. Your language seems to be confusing them. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AaronKlein Also, Lara Logan's logic seems to be that because Al Qaeda is at war with us, we are automatically "at war" with them. Not true. in reply to AaronKlein #
• No guesses yet on what year the U.S. military will be out of Afghanistan. Apathy? Or is it just the ultimate brain-teaser? #
• @AaronKlein So we're at war with Pakistan, and the Philippines then? in reply to AaronKlein #
• So no one ventured a guess as to when the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan might end. That can't be a good omen. #
• @AaronKlein So is the Afghanistan government, since ~2002. And Pakistan is not a safe haven? Seems like you are choosing "wars" arbitrarily. in reply to AaronKlein #
• I guess I don't see the benefit of allowing cave-dwelling mad bomber-types rewrite the geopolitical dictionary. #
• …except for the fact that it gives us carte blanche to do whatever we want to whoever we want, wherever we want. #
• Oops, those were actually supposed to be @ someone. #
• @AaronKlein I guess I don't see the benefit of allowing cave-dwelling mad bomber-types rewrite the geopolitical dictionary. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AaronKlein …except for the fact that it gives us carte blanche to do whatever we want to whoever we want, wherever we want. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AmberRainDesign That's pretty funny…a cause we can all get behind. ;-) in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• @joelmchale It would certainly add drama to the pre-game coin flip. in reply to joelmchale #
• Wow, I got a radio interview request about the PNAC and my (dormant) site http://pnac.info. I referred them to Ivan Eland @IndependentInst. #
• RT @PunkJohnnyCash: RT @thenation: Gay Activists Split on Obama http://bit.ly/4MG6s #
• Obama is not a supporter of gay rights. He's a supporter of gay half-steps. There is a huge difference. #
• @pierre Seems obvious: you should legally change your name to P-Air. It's funky! in reply to pierre #
• Obama's lucky it's a new century.Last century, mixed-race marriages were illegal. The glare of that re: gay rights would have been blinding. #
• RT @iThinkMedia: New Blog Post @ Creating/Editing Videos Online: http://bit.ly/9O1CR #
• Crap…we tried to warn him about the rubber bands in his cheeks. Now it's finally come back to bite him. RIP Captain Lou Albano. #
• @joelmchale That sounds vaguely familiar. Are you suggesting that we watch it, or no? in reply to joelmchale #
• @smilinstanlee Yeah…I sometimes close my eyes or look away when I hit "Enter". :-) It feels like pulling a trigger sorta. in reply to smilinstanlee #
• Windows Media Player question: I know I can burn a playlist to a CD, but is there a way to make a breakaway version on my hard drive? #
• Currently my playlists tie in to files in my My Music folder, but I'd like to (for ex.) zip up a playlist + its files to pass on as a unit. #
• RT @JDTalley: Hey filmmakers: Help #MHD make a full-length documentary! http://bit.ly/imUQp MHD = Motorhome Diaries = roving freedom seekers #
• I have to be more careful choosing to read all my backed up tweets. An hour+ and 10+ new open browser tabs later… #
• RT @pattyfantasia: Posted article about being a first time producer on my blog. Check it out at http://www.filmmakersnotebook.com. #
• Wow, there are thousands of ladybugs engaged in what I think is a giant orgy alongside my driveway. Hot! #
• Video is forthcoming, you bug pervs. #
• RT @dmataconis: Robert Reich Speaks The Truth On Government Run Health Care: We're Going To Have To Ration Care http://ping.fm/nuHOw #
• @blueyEntertain One thing that's been bugging me is how to write silent looks and body language, when it carries a specific meaning. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @blueyEntertain IOW, so many scenes end with a shared look or glance that carries meaning. How do you script that meaning into the look? in reply to blueyEntertain #
• BREAKING NEWS: A balloon. #
• @azizansari The length could be a problem too. I've heard that too-long hashtags don't trend. in reply to azizansari #
• Can we all agree to start calling the kid #hoaxboy instead of #balloonboy now? #
• The whole #balloonboy scare is another great example of why we should not be teaching "Twelve Monkeys" in pre-school. #
• (And no, I did not just break my own rule. I was referring to the scare, not #hoaxboy himself.) #
• Bug-eating, BTW, is the first great example. #
• @blueyEntertain Thanks for the quick answer. That's the #1 puzzle for me. Quiet moments are so huge; how to explain what's behind the quiet. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @Whollygirl Thanks! Funny…I barely feel like I'm awake yet. It's hard not to say something about that crazy story though. :-) in reply to Whollygirl #
• @blueyEntertain …without over-directing. But if a knowing glance has to say something that moves the story, or the character…it's tough. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• Blog post: (Lance comments on) Roger Ebert on Universal Health Care: http://bit.ly/37xiWN #
• I know I promised you ladybug sex, but it may have to wait until after dinner at this point. #
• Sadly, that was not an errant DM. ;-) #
• @blueyEntertain What would breaking the rules be? "He looks at her as if to say, 'I love you, but I can't stay.'" Is that rule-breaking? in reply to blueyEntertain #
• #hoaxboy seems to indicate that his parents planned all this crap to get a show…incomprehensibly lame if true. http://bit.ly/36ufhe #
• new reality show: Find Falcon Better Parents #
• Huge thanks to @blueyEntertain for answering my screenwriting question about how to write unspoken dialogue! #
• I wonder how much trouble Falcon got in for not lying properly on TV. #
• @billprady One good step would be to get @feliciaday involved. She has proven Internet powers, and also worked with @wilw. #
• @psychwrites WTF? Is that a spoiler from the episode? #shawngetsshot I call bullshit if so. #
• @psychwrites Please do answer, because if you're dropping episode spoilers in tweets I will sadly have to unfollow you. #
• @blueyEntertain I don't remember the season 2 opener of Fringe, but I think overall S2 is proving to be pretty well done so far. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @blueyEntertain & I think revelations re: characters come slowly, because of the kind of people they are. Full of secrets & buried things. #
• @blueyEntertain Put another way, we know as much about these people as they would want anyone who knows them to know. Which is not much. #
• The global warming debate does in fact swirl on: BBC News – What happened to global warming? http://bit.ly/2i5XJ0 #
• Once again, the War on Drugs keeps medicine from the ill: Newsweek – Treating Cluster Headaches with Psychedelic Drugs: http://bit.ly/38aIMQ #
• @susanorlean Ignore her. If she's decent, she'll realize her error and try to make it right. If she isn't, then who cares what she says? in reply to susanorlean #
• Technology, why hast thou forsaken me? #
• Interview with the director of 'Paranormal Activity': http://bit.ly/4bWiDw His breakout success at two years my elder is reassuring. #

• I hope they all survived! RT @joerogandotnet: Troops walking through pot fields in Afghanistan (NSFW VIDEO) http://bit.ly/19Gfsq #
• @JamesUrbaniak Not just that, but "Seven ways to win" would have been a much more fun second line. in reply to JamesUrbaniak #
• @JamesUrbaniak Not to detract from the importance of your cause, though. Maybe the Se7en comes from the movie's opening titles? in reply to JamesUrbaniak #
• Point of Information: Obama could have ended Don't Ask Don't Tell on his first day in office. He could end it tomorrow. #DADT #
• Obama pledges to sign an anti-hate crime law, while his military continues to forcefully discharge gay people. #hypocrite #
• 13,000+ gay servicemembers have been removed from service by force of military authority under Don't Ask Don't Tell. #
• If they had refused to leave for being gay, they would have been escorted out (or into prison) at gunpoint. #hatecrimes #
• For the record, I oppose so-called hate crime laws. But if we're going to talk anti-gay hate acts, #DADT is a giant hate net. #
• And again, Obama could end it right now. By the time we wake up tomorrow. #
• Obama blowing smoke to the gay rights crowd: http://bit.ly/B0fEL Source on the 13,000 ejected servicemembers: http://bit.ly/iIEQE #
• The odd thing about being a libertarian: I end up calling Bush out for not being conservative enough, & Obama for not being liberal enough. #
• They both back war, though. That part's pretty straightforward. Spying too. They both dig the ultra-surveillance. #
• Neither of those are particularly conservative or liberal, actually. Just imperialist and tyrannical, respectively. But politically neutral! #
• I meant war-mongering and mega-spying are imperialist and tyrannical respectively, not Bush and Obama are. #
• By which I don't mean to imply that they aren't those things, just that it's not one for each. They are both imperialist, both tyrannical. #
• If push came to shove, either Bush or Obama would be willing to exert maximum control over the people (tyranny) or the world (empire). #
• I'll assume we all understand that about Bush. Obama is continuing the significant threads of empire and tyranny. #
• Obama's DOJ argues in favor of Bush's DOJ's spying partnership with the telephone companies: http://bit.ly/1fa7D0 #
• Obama drops "War on Terror" moniker but continues Bush's War-On-Terror-based indefinite detention justification: http://bit.ly/ou8eE #
• Under Obama, as under Bush, we have a military presence in over 130 countries: http://bit.ly/ImUHn #
• And doesn't it go without saying that Obama's bottom line position toward Iran's enrichment efforts is the same as Bush's toward Iraq? #
• That being, if they don't act as we insist they act, we will use force to make them do so. (But first we will strongly suggest they do so.) #
• Sorry for the rant, but Obama's translucent gay-pandering tonight really irked me. He is being a coward on gay rights. Period. #
• And not just a coward. A bully. He's not just looking the other way, he's presiding over an enterprise that does active harm to gay people. #
• @markshaw It's a cold but clear moonlit night here. About to go out for a late night walk with the dogs. :-) in reply to markshaw #
• @cyantist Let me know when that happens; I'll stop putting Cokes in my freezer on the same Someday. ;-) in reply to cyantist #
• Sarah Silverman's modest proposal to end world hunger (and get the Pope laid to boot): http://bit.ly/1SShOk #
• @rajskub Yeah, now when Jack says "Chloe, what are you doing?", I'm going to be thinking, "I'm giving Frank a handy under the counter." :-\ in reply to rajskub #
• RT @thekmgirl: RT @rixshep Ayn Rand on racism & individualism – Awesome! http://bit.ly/1hVhYK #
• Two women are more responsible for my individualistic nature than anyone else (besides me): my Mom, and Ayn Rand. #
• @linzeeanne How can I help? #
• @nickjfrost SUNDAY NIGHT still. in reply to nickjfrost #
• @thescottbaio That may be true, but you've totally been slacking on updating the Bob Loblaw Law Blog. ;-) in reply to thescottbaio #
• Nice – Congress is going to protect us from having to think about what's being done in our name: http://bit.ly/jZpWd #
• What could ever prepare our minds for seeing shocking images of abuse committed by U.S. soldiers? Oh, right. #
• Great episode of The Simpsons tonight. I assume all the writers and Al Jean are following me, so thanks, guys! #
• And thus ends another day of President Obama violating the rights of gay people. #
• Skunks are cute. I can see why dogs want to get so close to them. #
• @MartinStarr My uniqueness. in reply to MartinStarr #
• @MartinStarr How about you? in reply to MartinStarr #
• @AaronKlein Actually, I don't think we're "at war" with anyone. Congress has not declared war on Al Qaeda. in reply to AaronKlein #
• .@AaronKlein If you shoot me, I have a choice. I can seek justice, or I can declare war on you. You shooting me does not = me choosing war. #
• Question for anyone who wants to answer: In what year do you think there will be no U.S. military presence in Afghanistan? #
• I'm not sure what my own answer would be; curious if anyone else has a notion about it. #
• @AaronKlein We invaded Afghanistan, not Al Qaeda, in 2001. They are not the same thing. Your language seems to be confusing them. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AaronKlein Also, Lara Logan's logic seems to be that because Al Qaeda is at war with us, we are automatically "at war" with them. Not true. in reply to AaronKlein #
• No guesses yet on what year the U.S. military will be out of Afghanistan. Apathy? Or is it just the ultimate brain-teaser? #
• @AaronKlein So we're at war with Pakistan, and the Philippines then? in reply to AaronKlein #
• So no one ventured a guess as to when the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan might end. That can't be a good omen. #
• @AaronKlein So is the Afghanistan government, since ~2002. And Pakistan is not a safe haven? Seems like you are choosing "wars" arbitrarily. in reply to AaronKlein #
• I guess I don't see the benefit of allowing cave-dwelling mad bomber-types rewrite the geopolitical dictionary. #
• …except for the fact that it gives us carte blanche to do whatever we want to whoever we want, wherever we want. #
• Oops, those were actually supposed to be @ someone. #
• @AaronKlein I guess I don't see the benefit of allowing cave-dwelling mad bomber-types rewrite the geopolitical dictionary. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AaronKlein …except for the fact that it gives us carte blanche to do whatever we want to whoever we want, wherever we want. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AmberRainDesign That's pretty funny…a cause we can all get behind. ;-) in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• @joelmchale It would certainly add drama to the pre-game coin flip. in reply to joelmchale #
• Wow, I got a radio interview request about the PNAC and my (dormant) site http://pnac.info. I referred them to Ivan Eland @IndependentInst. #
• RT @PunkJohnnyCash: RT @thenation: Gay Activists Split on Obama http://bit.ly/4MG6s #
• Obama is not a supporter of gay rights. He's a supporter of gay half-steps. There is a huge difference. #
• @pierre Seems obvious: you should legally change your name to P-Air. It's funky! in reply to pierre #
• Obama's lucky it's a new century.Last century, mixed-race marriages were illegal. The glare of that re: gay rights would have been blinding. #
• RT @iThinkMedia: New Blog Post @ Creating/Editing Videos Online: http://bit.ly/9O1CR #
• Crap…we tried to warn him about the rubber bands in his cheeks. Now it's finally come back to bite him. RIP Captain Lou Albano. #
• @joelmchale That sounds vaguely familiar. Are you suggesting that we watch it, or no? in reply to joelmchale #
• @smilinstanlee Yeah…I sometimes close my eyes or look away when I hit "Enter". :-) It feels like pulling a trigger sorta. in reply to smilinstanlee #
• Windows Media Player question: I know I can burn a playlist to a CD, but is there a way to make a breakaway version on my hard drive? #
• Currently my playlists tie in to files in my My Music folder, but I'd like to (for ex.) zip up a playlist + its files to pass on as a unit. #
• RT @JDTalley: Hey filmmakers: Help #MHD make a full-length documentary! http://bit.ly/imUQp MHD = Motorhome Diaries = roving freedom seekers #
• I have to be more careful choosing to read all my backed up tweets. An hour+ and 10+ new open browser tabs later… #
• RT @pattyfantasia: Posted article about being a first time producer on my blog. Check it out at http://www.filmmakersnotebook.com. #
• Wow, there are thousands of ladybugs engaged in what I think is a giant orgy alongside my driveway. Hot! #
• Video is forthcoming, you bug pervs. #
• RT @dmataconis: Robert Reich Speaks The Truth On Government Run Health Care: We're Going To Have To Ration Care http://ping.fm/nuHOw #
• @blueyEntertain One thing that's been bugging me is how to write silent looks and body language, when it carries a specific meaning. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @blueyEntertain IOW, so many scenes end with a shared look or glance that carries meaning. How do you script that meaning into the look? in reply to blueyEntertain #
• BREAKING NEWS: A balloon. #
• @azizansari The length could be a problem too. I've heard that too-long hashtags don't trend. in reply to azizansari #
• Can we all agree to start calling the kid #hoaxboy instead of #balloonboy now? #
• The whole #balloonboy scare is another great example of why we should not be teaching "Twelve Monkeys" in pre-school. #
• (And no, I did not just break my own rule. I was referring to the scare, not #hoaxboy himself.) #
• Bug-eating, BTW, is the first great example. #
• @blueyEntertain Thanks for the quick answer. That's the #1 puzzle for me. Quiet moments are so huge; how to explain what's behind the quiet. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @Whollygirl Thanks! Funny…I barely feel like I'm awake yet. It's hard not to say something about that crazy story though. :-) in reply to Whollygirl #
• @blueyEntertain …without over-directing. But if a knowing glance has to say something that moves the story, or the character…it's tough. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• Blog post: (Lance comments on) Roger Ebert on Universal Health Care: http://bit.ly/37xiWN #
• I know I promised you ladybug sex, but it may have to wait until after dinner at this point. #
• Sadly, that was not an errant DM. ;-) #
• @blueyEntertain What would breaking the rules be? "He looks at her as if to say, 'I love you, but I can't stay.'" Is that rule-breaking? in reply to blueyEntertain #
• #hoaxboy seems to indicate that his parents planned all this crap to get a show…incomprehensibly lame if true. http://bit.ly/36ufhe #
• new reality show: Find Falcon Better Parents #
• Huge thanks to @blueyEntertain for answering my screenwriting question about how to write unspoken dialogue! #
• I wonder how much trouble Falcon got in for not lying properly on TV. #
• @billprady One good step would be to get @feliciaday involved. She has proven Internet powers, and also worked with @wilw. #
• @psychwrites WTF? Is that a spoiler from the episode? #shawngetsshot I call bullshit if so. #
• @psychwrites Please do answer, because if you're dropping episode spoilers in tweets I will sadly have to unfollow you. #
• @blueyEntertain I don't remember the season 2 opener of Fringe, but I think overall S2 is proving to be pretty well done so far. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @blueyEntertain & I think revelations re: characters come slowly, because of the kind of people they are. Full of secrets & buried things. #
• @blueyEntertain Put another way, we know as much about these people as they would want anyone who knows them to know. Which is not much. #
• The global warming debate does in fact swirl on: BBC News – What happened to global warming? http://bit.ly/2i5XJ0 #
• Once again, the War on Drugs keeps medicine from the ill: Newsweek – Treating Cluster Headaches with Psychedelic Drugs: http://bit.ly/38aIMQ #
• @susanorlean Ignore her. If she's decent, she'll realize her error and try to make it right. If she isn't, then who cares what she says? in reply to susanorlean #
• Technology, why hast thou forsaken me? #
• Interview with the director of 'Paranormal Activity': http://bit.ly/4bWiDw His breakout success at two years my elder is reassuring. #

• I hope they all survived! RT @joerogandotnet: Troops walking through pot fields in Afghanistan (NSFW VIDEO) http://bit.ly/19Gfsq #
• @JamesUrbaniak Not just that, but "Seven ways to win" would have been a much more fun second line. in reply to JamesUrbaniak #
• @JamesUrbaniak Not to detract from the importance of your cause, though. Maybe the Se7en comes from the movie's opening titles? in reply to JamesUrbaniak #
• Point of Information: Obama could have ended Don't Ask Don't Tell on his first day in office. He could end it tomorrow. #DADT #
• Obama pledges to sign an anti-hate crime law, while his military continues to forcefully discharge gay people. #hypocrite #
• 13,000+ gay servicemembers have been removed from service by force of military authority under Don't Ask Don't Tell. #
• If they had refused to leave for being gay, they would have been escorted out (or into prison) at gunpoint. #hatecrimes #
• For the record, I oppose so-called hate crime laws. But if we're going to talk anti-gay hate acts, #DADT is a giant hate net. #
• And again, Obama could end it right now. By the time we wake up tomorrow. #
• Obama blowing smoke to the gay rights crowd: http://bit.ly/B0fEL Source on the 13,000 ejected servicemembers: http://bit.ly/iIEQE #
• The odd thing about being a libertarian: I end up calling Bush out for not being conservative enough, & Obama for not being liberal enough. #
• They both back war, though. That part's pretty straightforward. Spying too. They both dig the ultra-surveillance. #
• Neither of those are particularly conservative or liberal, actually. Just imperialist and tyrannical, respectively. But politically neutral! #
• I meant war-mongering and mega-spying are imperialist and tyrannical respectively, not Bush and Obama are. #
• By which I don't mean to imply that they aren't those things, just that it's not one for each. They are both imperialist, both tyrannical. #
• If push came to shove, either Bush or Obama would be willing to exert maximum control over the people (tyranny) or the world (empire). #
• I'll assume we all understand that about Bush. Obama is continuing the significant threads of empire and tyranny. #
• Obama's DOJ argues in favor of Bush's DOJ's spying partnership with the telephone companies: http://bit.ly/1fa7D0 #
• Obama drops "War on Terror" moniker but continues Bush's War-On-Terror-based indefinite detention justification: http://bit.ly/ou8eE #
• Under Obama, as under Bush, we have a military presence in over 130 countries: http://bit.ly/ImUHn #
• And doesn't it go without saying that Obama's bottom line position toward Iran's enrichment efforts is the same as Bush's toward Iraq? #
• That being, if they don't act as we insist they act, we will use force to make them do so. (But first we will strongly suggest they do so.) #
• Sorry for the rant, but Obama's translucent gay-pandering tonight really irked me. He is being a coward on gay rights. Period. #
• And not just a coward. A bully. He's not just looking the other way, he's presiding over an enterprise that does active harm to gay people. #
• @markshaw It's a cold but clear moonlit night here. About to go out for a late night walk with the dogs. :-) in reply to markshaw #
• @cyantist Let me know when that happens; I'll stop putting Cokes in my freezer on the same Someday. ;-) in reply to cyantist #
• Sarah Silverman's modest proposal to end world hunger (and get the Pope laid to boot): http://bit.ly/1SShOk #
• @rajskub Yeah, now when Jack says "Chloe, what are you doing?", I'm going to be thinking, "I'm giving Frank a handy under the counter." :-\ in reply to rajskub #
• RT @thekmgirl: RT @rixshep Ayn Rand on racism & individualism – Awesome! http://bit.ly/1hVhYK #
• Two women are more responsible for my individualistic nature than anyone else (besides me): my Mom, and Ayn Rand. #
• @linzeeanne How can I help? #
• @nickjfrost SUNDAY NIGHT still. in reply to nickjfrost #
• @thescottbaio That may be true, but you've totally been slacking on updating the Bob Loblaw Law Blog. ;-) in reply to thescottbaio #
• Nice – Congress is going to protect us from having to think about what's being done in our name: http://bit.ly/jZpWd #
• What could ever prepare our minds for seeing shocking images of abuse committed by U.S. soldiers? Oh, right. #
• Great episode of The Simpsons tonight. I assume all the writers and Al Jean are following me, so thanks, guys! #
• And thus ends another day of President Obama violating the rights of gay people. #
• Skunks are cute. I can see why dogs want to get so close to them. #
• @MartinStarr My uniqueness. in reply to MartinStarr #
• @MartinStarr How about you? in reply to MartinStarr #
• @AaronKlein Actually, I don't think we're "at war" with anyone. Congress has not declared war on Al Qaeda. in reply to AaronKlein #
• .@AaronKlein If you shoot me, I have a choice. I can seek justice, or I can declare war on you. You shooting me does not = me choosing war. #
• Question for anyone who wants to answer: In what year do you think there will be no U.S. military presence in Afghanistan? #
• I'm not sure what my own answer would be; curious if anyone else has a notion about it. #
• @AaronKlein We invaded Afghanistan, not Al Qaeda, in 2001. They are not the same thing. Your language seems to be confusing them. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AaronKlein Also, Lara Logan's logic seems to be that because Al Qaeda is at war with us, we are automatically "at war" with them. Not true. in reply to AaronKlein #
• No guesses yet on what year the U.S. military will be out of Afghanistan. Apathy? Or is it just the ultimate brain-teaser? #
• @AaronKlein So we're at war with Pakistan, and the Philippines then? in reply to AaronKlein #
• So no one ventured a guess as to when the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan might end. That can't be a good omen. #
• @AaronKlein So is the Afghanistan government, since ~2002. And Pakistan is not a safe haven? Seems like you are choosing "wars" arbitrarily. in reply to AaronKlein #
• I guess I don't see the benefit of allowing cave-dwelling mad bomber-types rewrite the geopolitical dictionary. #
• …except for the fact that it gives us carte blanche to do whatever we want to whoever we want, wherever we want. #
• Oops, those were actually supposed to be @ someone. #
• @AaronKlein I guess I don't see the benefit of allowing cave-dwelling mad bomber-types rewrite the geopolitical dictionary. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AaronKlein …except for the fact that it gives us carte blanche to do whatever we want to whoever we want, wherever we want. in reply to AaronKlein #
• @AmberRainDesign That's pretty funny…a cause we can all get behind. ;-) in reply to AmberRainDesign #
• @joelmchale It would certainly add drama to the pre-game coin flip. in reply to joelmchale #
• Wow, I got a radio interview request about the PNAC and my (dormant) site http://pnac.info. I referred them to Ivan Eland @IndependentInst. #
• RT @PunkJohnnyCash: RT @thenation: Gay Activists Split on Obama http://bit.ly/4MG6s #
• Obama is not a supporter of gay rights. He's a supporter of gay half-steps. There is a huge difference. #
• @pierre Seems obvious: you should legally change your name to P-Air. It's funky! in reply to pierre #
• Obama's lucky it's a new century.Last century, mixed-race marriages were illegal. The glare of that re: gay rights would have been blinding. #
• RT @iThinkMedia: New Blog Post @ Creating/Editing Videos Online: http://bit.ly/9O1CR #
• Crap…we tried to warn him about the rubber bands in his cheeks. Now it's finally come back to bite him. RIP Captain Lou Albano. #
• @joelmchale That sounds vaguely familiar. Are you suggesting that we watch it, or no? in reply to joelmchale #
• @smilinstanlee Yeah…I sometimes close my eyes or look away when I hit "Enter". :-) It feels like pulling a trigger sorta. in reply to smilinstanlee #
• Windows Media Player question: I know I can burn a playlist to a CD, but is there a way to make a breakaway version on my hard drive? #
• Currently my playlists tie in to files in my My Music folder, but I'd like to (for ex.) zip up a playlist + its files to pass on as a unit. #
• RT @JDTalley: Hey filmmakers: Help #MHD make a full-length documentary! http://bit.ly/imUQp MHD = Motorhome Diaries = roving freedom seekers #
• I have to be more careful choosing to read all my backed up tweets. An hour+ and 10+ new open browser tabs later… #
• RT @pattyfantasia: Posted article about being a first time producer on my blog. Check it out at http://www.filmmakersnotebook.com. #
• Wow, there are thousands of ladybugs engaged in what I think is a giant orgy alongside my driveway. Hot! #
• Video is forthcoming, you bug pervs. #
• RT @dmataconis: Robert Reich Speaks The Truth On Government Run Health Care: We're Going To Have To Ration Care http://ping.fm/nuHOw #
• @blueyEntertain One thing that's been bugging me is how to write silent looks and body language, when it carries a specific meaning. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @blueyEntertain IOW, so many scenes end with a shared look or glance that carries meaning. How do you script that meaning into the look? in reply to blueyEntertain #
• BREAKING NEWS: A balloon. #
• @azizansari The length could be a problem too. I've heard that too-long hashtags don't trend. in reply to azizansari #
• Can we all agree to start calling the kid #hoaxboy instead of #balloonboy now? #
• The whole #balloonboy scare is another great example of why we should not be teaching "Twelve Monkeys" in pre-school. #
• (And no, I did not just break my own rule. I was referring to the scare, not #hoaxboy himself.) #
• Bug-eating, BTW, is the first great example. #
• @blueyEntertain Thanks for the quick answer. That's the #1 puzzle for me. Quiet moments are so huge; how to explain what's behind the quiet. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @Whollygirl Thanks! Funny…I barely feel like I'm awake yet. It's hard not to say something about that crazy story though. :-) in reply to Whollygirl #
• @blueyEntertain …without over-directing. But if a knowing glance has to say something that moves the story, or the character…it's tough. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• Blog post: (Lance comments on) Roger Ebert on Universal Health Care: http://bit.ly/37xiWN #
• I know I promised you ladybug sex, but it may have to wait until after dinner at this point. #
• Sadly, that was not an errant DM. ;-) #
• @blueyEntertain What would breaking the rules be? "He looks at her as if to say, 'I love you, but I can't stay.'" Is that rule-breaking? in reply to blueyEntertain #
• #hoaxboy seems to indicate that his parents planned all this crap to get a show…incomprehensibly lame if true. http://bit.ly/36ufhe #
• new reality show: Find Falcon Better Parents #
• Huge thanks to @blueyEntertain for answering my screenwriting question about how to write unspoken dialogue! #
• I wonder how much trouble Falcon got in for not lying properly on TV. #
• @billprady One good step would be to get @feliciaday involved. She has proven Internet powers, and also worked with @wilw. #
• @psychwrites WTF? Is that a spoiler from the episode? #shawngetsshot I call bullshit if so. #
• @psychwrites Please do answer, because if you're dropping episode spoilers in tweets I will sadly have to unfollow you. #
• @blueyEntertain I don't remember the season 2 opener of Fringe, but I think overall S2 is proving to be pretty well done so far. in reply to blueyEntertain #
• @blueyEntertain & I think revelations re: characters come slowly, because of the kind of people they are. Full of secrets & buried things. #
• @blueyEntertain Put another way, we know as much about these people as they would want anyone who knows them to know. Which is not much. #
• The global warming debate does in fact swirl on: BBC News – What happened to global warming? http://bit.ly/2i5XJ0 #
• Once again, the War on Drugs keeps medicine from the ill: Newsweek – Treating Cluster Headaches with Psychedelic Drugs: http://bit.ly/38aIMQ #
• @susanorlean Ignore her. If she's decent, she'll realize her error and try to make it right. If she isn't, then who cares what she says? in reply to susanorlean #
• Technology, why hast thou forsaken me? #
• Interview with the director of 'Paranormal Activity': http://bit.ly/4bWiDw His breakout success at two years my elder is reassuring. #

Director Jeffrey Goodman shares more than 8 suggestions in this Q & A about self-releasing an indie film. He self-released his film The Last Lullaby (which, notably, was financed by 48 local investors in his home town of Shreveport, Louisiana.)

Adventures in Self-Releasing: Success in Eight Steps | MovieMaker Magazine

I’m safe on board. Pull up the life rope – Roger Ebert’s Journal

Film critic Roger Ebert’s second blog post on health care reform has received almost 1000 comments; my comment is probably near the 600 zone. Here’s a direct link to my comment, but it’s copied below anyway. The more important place to start is Ebert’s post itself. He makes good points about having compassion for our fellow man, but like most folks who want to expand government, he appears to consider respecting individual liberty to be outside of the requirements of compassion and generosity. He seems to see the two forces as mutually exclusive, and is perfectly content to allow his version of compassion to override the freedom of everyone in the U.S..

As I point out in my comments, individual liberty and a compassionate society do not need to be mutually exclusive or competing things. There is another path, which would be pretty apparent if those desiring universal health care would give up their fixation on it having to be provided/guaranteed by government.

Roger,

I must have missed the part where you explain why government has to be the vehicle through which we pursue the obviously-noble goal of ensuring that all have sufficient health care. Advocates of Obamacare are quick to speak of the moral imperative of compassion, but are willing to dispose of the moral imperative of individual liberty in pursuit of their goal.

If we’re talking about fulfilling our moral obligation to our fellow man–we owe him both compassion AND individual liberty. The dream of universal health care can be achieved without government mandates and without government takings. We don’t need to push each other around in order to do the right thing.

Instead of looking to follow in the rest of the world’s footsteps–which historically does not at all fit America’s profile–we should look to lead the world to a new and better way. Which is not just America’s profile, it’s our original purpose.

It’s odd how liberals have been allowed to take the moral high ground in this debate, when it would be clearly more moral to solve this problem without resorting to the use of force. Some nice side effects of doing so would be that it wouldn’t divide our country against itself, and it wouldn’t be dependent on the whims of voters or Congress or presidential administrations. But I wonder…it seems like a lot of folks in the current debate wouldn’t be satisfied somehow if we solved the problem without using government to push each other around.

There is a way for the health care solution to peacefully become a permanent part of our society’s fabric–but it requires stepping away from the insistence that “universal health care” = “universal health care provided by the government”.

A universal health care system which exists outside of government, in the voluntary sphere of society, is the true ideal, and we should not let the lazy half-step that is socialized medicine substitute for the genuinely ethical solution that we could achieve instead.

• Font Capture seems like a great service, but as someone with poor penmanship, filling out the template without error is daunting. #
• http://www.fontcapture.com creates a font from your handwriting (if you can successfully fill out the template) #
• Here goes attempt #2. #
• That font capture exercise ended up being an hour-long, virtual-memory-overloading process because I scanned it at like 3000 DPI. #
• I also of course didn't get the template quite right. Hard not to screw up. That said, http://fontcapture.com works – I have a Lance font! #
• They recommended using a Sharpie to fill it out, but next time I'm going regular pen. (I'm going to make a few different Lance fonts.) #
• Wow, typing a letter in my handwriting is a trip. Thank you, Technology! #
• @robinmallery Did you tweet to him? in reply to robinmallery #
• It was a pretty weird gamble for the Obamas to go and present to the Olympic Committee. They looked like they thought it was a slam dunk. #
• Whoever wrote their presentations to the OIC should be fired. Their speeches had some serious weaknesses. #
• Here are the Obama OIC speeches: Pt1: http://bit.ly/ITryQ Pt2: http://bit.ly/4g3OMw BO's speech intact: http://bit.ly/lPK2c #
• The speeches were written for hopeful dreamers and USA believers, but presentation judges are skeptics by design. #
• Also, the Obamas seemed pretty hopped up on "We are the ones we've been waiting for" juice. #
• "I mean come on, people, America elected *us*. Me and that fine lady over there. What more do you need to know?" (I'm paraphrasing.) #
• "And we're *from* Chicago, so, check and mate, no? I mean, I know you have to pretend to listen to the other presentations…." #
• RT @pierre: Brilliant: same-sex divorce is illegal in TX so AG intervenes to prevent married gay couple from divorcing: http://bit.ly/6Z4GL #
• @angelobell In the right context, sure, I'd think so. FCC-wise you certainly can. It'd depend on the network's Standards dept.'s attitude. in reply to angelobell #
• @stephenfalk Well, writing for Weeds is pretty pimp, so I think you're good to go. in reply to stephenfalk #
• Q: Who Rules the Social Web? (A: Chicks) | Information is Beautiful http://bit.ly/fHIAV #
• …writing a humorous song. #
• Done writing the song. It's pretty hilarious. Now to develop musical ability…that might have to wait until tomorrow. #
• I am so behind in my social obligations on Twitter. My Acknowledgment and Thanks deficit threatens to burden future generations. #
• So, for the children (and their children's children)…way-belated thanks to @Corenbby for RTing @actionchick's kind words re:helpful humans #
• Too-belated thanks to @PunkJohnnyCash for his #FF kudos. He's a good libertarian watchdog; #follow him to keep both sides in check. #
• Thanks to @RebelWithNuts and @elocio @Sonioushka1 for including me in their #FF lists a while back. :-) #
• Special thanks to @whatsnext for retweeting my blog post about her blog post (which I commented on).That's the circle of e-life right there. #
• BL Ochman is behind @whatsnext; I use her blog with every client as an example of letting your personality out in a business blog. #follow #
• .@Julia_Kline gets props for retweeting my fun fact about my presidential campaign – but she still owes me a fun fact of her own! ;-) #
• Thanks to @joerogandotnet for retweeting my message about the sick Tuskegee syphilis experiment, in his quest to educate his followers. #
• @angelobell It's a silly comedic song, so the expectations bar is thankfully low. I may be able to pull it off. I think I can, I think I can in reply to angelobell #
• @serenity22 On the Add New Post page, right above the Publish button, it says "Publish immediately" then "Edit". That's the spot. :-) in reply to serenity22 #
• Drew's debut: A Q&A with the actress and director of 'Whip It' http://bit.ly/sVsPU @drewbbarrymore (not sure where all her tweets went) #
• The Conscience of a Capitalist: http://bit.ly/pYv91 Great over/interview with green libertarian John Mackey of Whole Foods #
• I'm not an orthodox "Truther", but I do feel there are still open ?s. Charlie Sheen's Video Message to President Obama: http://bit.ly/9mAi7 #
• Rose Wilder Lane, Isabel Paterson, & Ayn Rand: 3 Women Who Inspired the Modern Libertarian Movement – http://bit.ly/IDkmH #
• Listening to "Mr. Me" by They Might Be Giants. Man…that dude ended up sad. He ended up really, really, really sad! #
• Don't flounder in the misty sea, people. #
• @JonathanAmes Just curious…if I don't have HBO (or cable at all), would you prefer I download it so I can evangelize it, or wait for DVD? in reply to JonathanAmes #
• I'm a bit disappointed that none of the Twitter humorists seem to have found a third beat to the Adventureland/Zombieland joke premise. #
• @shockozulu We shuffled everything back into place at the last second, Risky Business style. If you had woken up just ten minutes earlier… in reply to shockozulu #
• …going through December 2004 voice recordings, I find a story idea that's about 40% of the premise behind the movie "Wall-E". #
• A stranded robot guy has knick knacks, takes pictures, collects and sorts stuff, etc. Until a human also gets stranded there & befriends it. #
• @alicam I don't know why the URL shorteners haven't started doing interstitial ads…I think that's the likely business model. in reply to alicam #
• @splinterfilm http://twitpic.com/kbtiu – If you mean thousands of those little guys, swarming towns across the country, then I'm in. #
• I finished sorting through my 2004 voice recordings from the C ("creative") folder. On to 2005, which has 1,400+ unsorted recordings. #
• I still have 810 unsorted recordings from 2003 and 4, mostly political rants. But I'm focusing on the C folders until they're done. #
• Looks like only about 500 from 2005 are unsorted in the "creative" category. Could be worse. #
• @RachaelLCook Happy birthday Rachael! in reply to RachaelLCook #
• Breathtaking "Sand Animation" from Ukraine's Got Talent: http://bit.ly/XdhvB What? Tearing up? Me? No…that's just my sinuses. #
• That's a video; I should have noted that. (dab, dab.) #
• In honor of Monty Python's 40th anniversary, #follow @JohnCleese (don't follow him for any other reason though) #
• Anybody else been having trouble getting behind the song "Monday, Monday" the past couple weeks? #
• RT @PunkJohnnyCash: Cato Institute launched Downsize Government site http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/ #tlot #tcot #P2 #
• Expect arbitrary and spotty enforcement. RT @mashable FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments – http://bit.ly/1PzH1m #
• Two years in prison for not having the proper orchid paperwork. #
• There's a link coming, but I wanted to let that settle in: Two years in prison for not having the proper orchid paperwork. #
• Criminalizing Everyone: http://bit.ly/K90f4 Two years in prison for not having the proper orchid paperwork!(h/t @georgedonnelly) #
• Dear Michael-Moore-hating friends: Please focus on his wrongness, not how fat he is. Thanks. #
• @rajskub If people do, then yes. They have consciousness; a soul would come with that, no? in reply to rajskub #
• I am not intentionally underlining my tweets. I don't know if anyone else is seeing that. Apologies. #
• Obama is making some bad political choices lately…dissing the Dalai Lama? Come on! http://bit.ly/4k8MVO #
• Aside from his election itself, has there really been any true "change we can believe in" at this point? #
• I guess it's all pending…gay rights, closing Gitmo, ending the wars, restoring civil liberties. Next year! #
• And no, the health care bill is not going to be change we can believe in either. Surely we can all see that by now. #
• Shifting our military focus more toward Afghanistan (and then Iran) *will* be change, but I for one won't believe in it. #
• Though to be fair, it could be defended as "change we can believe in". You just have to define "we" kind of specifically. Without me in it. #
• That's right; it's "complaining you can believe in". ;-) RT @robinmallery: I like the way you express your feelings. It's real. #
• Here's a random line for some character to say that I recorded in March 2005: "I wouldn't bet the tuna on it!" #
• Good night tweeterers! See you in 4 hours! Yikes! Exclamation! Sleep! Dreams! Rest! (Yeah, this should go well.) #
• Tentative title for this issue's The Simplifier article: "You've Got to Clear Your Throat if You Want to Sing Your Song" #
• The issue itself will be called titled "Clear Your Throat!" #
• If you've ever wondered what it is that I do, co-editing The Simplifier (http://bit.ly/2WrC3o) with @shawntuttle is one thing I do regularly #
• We are getting far too comfortable w/war. RT @dmataconis: Majority Of Americans Would Support Use Of Force Against Iran http://ping.fm/oEO8U #
• …watching "Super-Size Me", and scrambling to finish dinner now that he's started eating. #
• @angelobell It was a photo finish; I was literally eating my last fry when he hurled. ;-) in reply to angelobell #
• It's always nice when a movie I avoided watching during its big popularity wave exceeds my expectations. Thanks @FindMorgan! #
• Editorial tip (for myself): "Maybe" does not equal "may be". Just as "setup" does not equal "set up". #
• @johnburnett A lot of people use it to tap into parts of the bigger conversation and create real connections, unrelated to marketing. in reply to johnburnett #
• Watching "South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut" at South Park Studios: http://bit.ly/SPBLU One of a kind. #
• …digging The Mountain Goats on The Colbert Report. (Their album is streaming for free for another ~7 hrs at http://colbertnation.com.) #
• Certainly better than Stephen's interview with the Secretary of Education, which was one his worst interviews ever. #
• I call it an "interview" because I don't know the noun form of "carrying water". #
• …putting the final touches on The Simplifier, which is going out today. #
• Can someone visit this post and tell me if the embedded audio player plays for you? http://bit.ly/33y3Hd Thanks! #
• Thanks for the checking, folks. I have to fix something apparently. #
• It's fixed now. I'm listening to it for the first time. This newsletter turned out really well, IMO. *Great* article by @shawntuttle in it. #
• Woo hoo! Another NL out the door. #
• The Simplifier #4.7 – Clear Your Throat! || Web version: http://bit.ly/25UwDQ Audio version: http://bit.ly/33y3Hd #
• @TonyBesson Good luck! in reply to TonyBesson #
• I have to confess, I really like the "____ out!" exit line, as made famous by Ryan Seacrest. But it just doesn't work with "Brown" somehow. #
• I guess I could use it if we have a really bad energy crunch. #
• Happy Birthday, War in Afghanistan! #
• @lewiswallace Did you know that Family Guy "Bag of Weed" clip is at double speed or something? Makes it sound pretty odd. #
• @ikepigott Those social media tabs on the left cover the page text for me. I think sites with those side tabs should have wide left margins. in reply to ikepigott #
• Pretty cool podcast w/Matt Stone (co-creator, "South Park") – Part 1: http://bit.ly/pHWLy Part 2: http://bit.ly/K1iKD #
• He's the guest on an ESPN podcast, but it's about 90% Matt Stone/South Park stuff, 10% sports. #
• Hat tip for that goes to my friend Sean who, believe it or not, has no public web profile. #
• .@shrimptank Turns out at least one other person is still thinking about your "study". http://bit.ly/1b0fpL Guess I'm not the only one. #
• As I expected/hoped/feared, I've become addicted to sorting through my voice recordings. I'm about halfway through '05's "creative" files. #
• More than halfway, maybe. Currently on deck: "crazy Jenny love song" (the song, not Jenny, is crazy) #
• I was daunted to see over 100 files in my 8-12-05 folder, but so far 26 of them are all related to a song called "Electric Shadow". #
• Aside from discovering things I totally forgot, it's really neat to hear myself first come up with ideas that have since become big projects #
• "Electric Shadow" is one of the forgotten. But now I'm hearing me come up with "I Want", which I actually ended up trying to record. #
• If anyone had predicted that I would be regaining respect for Michael Moore this year, I would have bet against it. I would have been wrong. #
• First he goes and shows that he really does know what capitalism is after all… http://bit.ly/10Xjcf #
• …and then he calls out Obama on Afghanistan, *and* stands up against intervention in other nations' internal affairs: http://bit.ly/3iVqZ3 #
• I love liberal gadflies when they are pointing out problems.Moore, Huffington, Nader…I love them for that. It's their solutions that suck. #
• Not that the other side has good solutions either. They are just as bad. Right about what's wrong, but wrong about what's right. #
• If the gov stopped doing everything libs think it should stop doing *and* everything cons. think it should stop doing, it'd be a good start. #
• We are all grown up now as a people. We can handle a lot of the things we used to need The Powers That Be to take care of before. #
• To the extent that we're not yet grown up, I'd argue (like with sex, drugs, parenting) that gov has stunted our growth. #
• In energy, education, industry and economy, race relations, international relations…the government has worked to force our national will. #
• Now we're at the point where a relatively simple issue (like getting everyone to a doctor that needs one) becomes a 15-year pointless fiasco #
• Liberals are so hung up on a top-down "European" solution that they refuse to solve it from the bottom up. Or they just ignore the option. #
• And the right won't give any ground on social safety net stuff (unless their prez is in), because it's all locked in with gov't growth. #
• Those two sides will fight over the important issues of our day until we are all dead without coming up with genuinely new solutions. #
• That is the bargain of the Democrats and the Republicans, and if there is one thing I've figured out politically, that is it. #
• For either side to give any ground would be to admit not just failure, but obsolescence. #
• But here is the secret: we don't have to wait for them to admit obsolescence. We can just make it so. #
• To the two sides' faithful, I say: political obsolescence will be the greatest gift you could hope for, if you really want a better world. #
• In Twitterese, that was a huge monologue, but really it's one of the most concise summaries of my political take on things I've written. #
• I call that sweet-ass future that the bipartisans are conspiring to keep us from "Green Liberty". #
• I don't mean like a sci-fi movie, where I have literally renamed the future. It's philosophical term. Derived from Green Libertarian. #
• Speaking of green libertarians, I'm hitting the trails. As usual, STFAFMH, twurglers! And if you just can't resist – don't let the cats out! #
• In honor of Obama's Peace Prize and John Lennon's birthday: The 135 nations that have a U.S. military presence: http://bit.ly/ImUHn #
• Thanks to @thekmgirl for passing that on from @AustrianEcon. #
• Three different people I'm following seem to be cruising around Twin Peaks right now. Weird. #

Pretty self-explanatory; if you feel like you aren’t doing enough with LinkedIn, Meryl at Web Worker Daily offers a ton of good options for cultivating your presence there.

33 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Business

Madhouse Entertainment is a TV & movie management/production company which accepts script queries by email. From their site:

“We’re always one the lookout to work with new writers. If you are looking for representation and/or for producing partners we’d love to hear from you.

Please send a paragraph description of the script you’d like to send us to: query@madhouseent.net.

Please note that we receive thousands of query emails and cannot possibly answer them all. You will hear from us if we want to read your material.”

Check out their site to get a sense of what kind of projects they work on. They appear to be connected with a number of known and notable Hollywood talent/projects.

P.S. – If you open their site in a tab and forget about it, and end up wondering what that clicking sound is that you keep hearing, it’s their slideshow.

Once again, state licensing laws interfere with people trying to be a community. Thank God the state is there to step in and make sure we aren’t helping to watch each others’ kids, or run soup kitchens, or style people’s hair, without complying with myriad regulations and state and federal standards, and paying licensing and other fees.

Notable is the fact that to resolve the problem in this particular case, lawmakers are simply looking to fine-tune their arbitrary rules–not considering for a second the option of letting parents have the responsibility of determining where their children spend their time, and under whose care.

I’m given to wonder just how the human raced managed to survive all those many centuries without having the government in control of the babysitting industry.

—

(Full story has been duplicated here for non-profit archival purposes; the original copy is here.)

State to mom: Stop baby-sitting neighbors’ kids

By JAMES PRICHARD
Associated Press Writer

IRVING TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Each day before the school bus comes to pick up the neighborhood’s children, Lisa Snyder did a favor for three of her fellow moms, welcoming their children into her home for about an hour before they left for school.

Regulators who oversee child care, however, don’t see it as charity. Days after the start of the new school year, Snyder received a letter from the Michigan Department of Human Services warning her that if she continued, she’d be violating a law aimed at the operators of unlicensed day care centers.

“I was freaked out. I was blown away,” she said. “I got on the phone immediately, called my husband, then I called all the girls” – that is, the mothers whose kids she watches – “every one of them.”

Snyder’s predicament has led to a debate in Michigan about whether a law that says no one may care for unrelated children in their home for more than four weeks each calendar year unless they are licensed day-care providers needs to be changed. It also has irked parents who say they depend on such friendly offers to help them balance work and family.

Snyder’s predicament has led to a debate in Michigan about whether a law that says no one may care for unrelated children in their home for more than four weeks each calendar year unless they are licensed day-care providers needs to be changed. It also has irked parents who say they depend on such friendly offers to help them balance work and family.

On Tuesday, agency Director Ismael Ahmed said good neighbors should be allowed to help each other ensure their children are safe. Gov. Jennifer Granholm instructed Ahmed to work with the state Legislature to change the law, he said.

“Being a good neighbor means helping your neighbors who are in need,” Ahmed said in a written statement. “This could be as simple as providing a cup of sugar, monitoring their house while they’re on vacation or making sure their children are safe while they wait for the school bus.”

Snyder learned that the agency was responding to a neighbor’s complaint.

Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said the agency was following standard procedure in its response. “But we feel this (law) really gets in the way of common sense,” Boyd said.

“We want to protect kids, but the law needs to be reasonable,” she said. “When the governor learned of this, she acted quickly and called the director personally to ask him to intervene.”

State Rep. Brian Calley, R-Portland, said he was working to draft legislation that would exempt situations like Snyder’s from coverage under Michigan’s current day care regulations.

The bill will make it clear that people who aren’t in business as day care providers don’t need to be licensed, Calley said.

“These are just kids that wait for the bus every morning,” he said. “This is not a day care.”

Snyder, 35, lives in a rural subdivision in Barry County’s Irving Township about 25 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. Her tidy, comfortable three-bedroom home is a designated school bus stop. The three neighbor children she watched – plus Snyder’s first-grader, Grace – attend school about six miles away in Middleville.

Snyder said she started watching the other children this school year to help her friends; they often baby-sit for each other during evenings and weekends.

After receiving the state agency’s letter, she said she called the agency and tried to explain that she wasn’t running a day care center or accepting money from her friends.

Under state law, no one may care for unrelated children in their home for more than four weeks each calendar year unless they are licensed day-care providers. Snyder said she stopped watching the other children immediately after receiving the letter, which was well within the four-week period.

“I’ve lived in this community for 35 years and everyone I know has done some form of this,” said Francie Brummel, 42, who would drop off her second-grade son, Colson, before heading to her job as deputy treasurer of the nearby city of Hastings.

Other moms say they regularly deal with similar situations.

Amy Cowan, 34, of Grosse Pointe Farms, a Detroit suburb, said she often takes turns with her sister, neighbor and friend watching each other’s children.

“The worst part of this whole thing, with the state of the economy … two parents have to work,” said Cowan, a corporate sales representative with a 5-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter. “When you throw in the fact that the state is getting involved, it gives women a hard time for going back to work.

“I applaud the lady who takes in her neighbors’ kids while they’re waiting for the bus. She’s enabling her peers to go to work and get a paycheck. The state should be thankful for that.”

Amy Maciaszek, 42, of McHenry, Ill., who works in direct sales, said she believes the state agency was “trying to be overprotective.”

“I think it does take a village and that’s the best way,” said Maciaszek, who has a 6-year-old boy and twin 3-year-old daughters. “Unfortunately you do have to be careful about that. These mothers are trying to do the right thing.”

—

Associated Press writers Randi Goldberg Berris and David Runk in Detroit and Kathy Barks Hoffman in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Tallahassee Democrat.

• LIstening to "Fire Line Road" by @JamesMcMurtry on myspace: http://bit.ly/tWboR (as long-time followers know, James McMurtry = great) #
• @AdrianneCurry Thanks for speaking out Adrianne! in reply to AdrianneCurry #
• Crazy! RT @johnperrybarlow: Each year in Africa, 40 billion man/years are devoted to the transportation of water by human beings. #
• Oops… still, 40 billion women-carrying-water hours…ugh. RT @johnperrybarlow: Sorry! That's man/HOURS! (Or, more likely, woman/hours). #
• @THE_REAL_SHAQ I thought I heard you recently changed your name to Radio Shaq…I may have that mixed up. ;-) in reply to THE_REAL_SHAQ #
• @shunt6 Hope you feel better soon! in reply to shunt6 #
• RT @zap2itdotcom 'The Twilight Zone' turns 50 – Zap2it http://retwt.me/pnrp #
• @ScottAukerman Been working my way through CDR podcasts. Funny band recommendation: @folkuke See: Knock Me Up & Shit Makes the Flowers Grow #
• @ScottAukerman The band is comprised of Arlo Guthrie's daughter and Willie Nelson's daughter. (They don't need that, but it can't hurt.) #
• @ScottAukerman CDR is lots of fun, BTW. I heard about it (and you) through @dougbenson's I Love Movies #
• I love my liberal friends, but my next (re)tweet poses a pretty good question… #
• RT @grivno: Why do Liberal-Progressives Vehemently Oppose "Imperialism" But Work Frenetically 2 Make Us All Subjects of the Gov't? #tlot #p2 #
• .@grivno Of course, it can be flipped:Why do conservatives profess support for liberty but work to make us all subjects of gov't?#tcot #tlot #
• If you can handle salty language and want a chuckle, check out Folk Uke: http://bit.ly/98EBs "Knock Me Up" is an hilarious song. @folkuke #
• I went to school with one of the members; she's the daughter of Arlo Guthrie, whose giant hair was at my middle school graduation. #
• Arlo's hair was probably at my high school graduation too, but by then my own hair was pretty giant, and I was probably focused on that. #
• @grivno More liberals than you probably think are libertarian-ish too. It's the 2party war that keeps them aligned with their flawed sides. in reply to grivno #
• @grivno Most self-professed conservatives lined up pretty good behind GWB, one of the most anti-liberty presidents in our history #tcot#tlot in reply to grivno #
• @grivno I think both sides love liberty, but neither party offers it in any genuine fashion.So we mostly hear the arch-rivals on both sides. in reply to grivno #