|
|
Monday, December 28th, 2009
| |
11:49 pm - Street Predators (4/23/09; WC 1311)
|
http://pandemo.livejournal.com/678382.html
FADE IN:
EXT. BUSY STREET - SIDEWALK - AFTER SCHOOL
Pedestrians of all sizes and shapes walk at various speeds down a busy street of upscale store fronts.
A girl on a skateboard (SKATEBOARD GIRL #1) jumps the curb and weaves her way through the crowd until directly in front of her is a young yuppie man with low rider jeans, showing lots of butt crack. SKATEBOARD GIRL #1 leans forward, grabs the belt loops on both sides of his hips and jerks down.
Yuppie man is not wearing undies. His buns are very nice. The camera lingers on them briefly as SKATEBOARD GIRL #1 weaves her way onward.
At the corner, CENSUS GIRL #1, equipped with a pencil and note pad, raises her eyebrows at SKATEBOARD GIRL #1 in inquiry.
One. Peeled. Rating: 7, I guess.
With that, SKATEBOARD GIRL #1 is gone. The street resumes its interrupted flow. Nobody can now identify yuppie man.
INT. TEEN HANGOUT - CORNER BOOTH
A group of seventh grade girls are crammed around the table, drinking bottled water and snacking on carrot sticks.
The look on his face was priceless. We
need to make it a city-wide campaign.
If we are truly going to take back our
streets, we need to get these “Got it/
Flaunt it” guys into hiding. Why
should we be exposed to every crack
some guy thinks is worthy just because
it exists?
Let’s de-pants every butt crack guy in
a certain area from, say, 3:30 final
school bell until 4:30 gotta get home
to study, then publish the results.
(ad lib assenting comments)
EXT. BUSY STREET CORNER - SIDEWALK - 3:40
Skateboarders weave and dodge through the crowds, circling their assigned blocks in waves.
One. Old fart who should have known
better. His wife was really embar-
rassed. I bet his crack-exhibiting
days are done!
Skateboard Girl #1 pumps her arm in the air, then jumps her skateboard over the curb and heads off along another street.
Skateboard Girl #2 skates up from the opposite direction.
Three. None worth looking at.
Census Girl #1 records the crack census data on her note pad.
That’s a record, I think.
EXT. ANOTHER BUSY STREET - SIDEWALK - NEARING 4:15
Another young girl, CENSUS GIRL #2, flags her third skater on, cheering.
Way to go, Glenna! That last guy actu-
ally fell over his own pants!
SKATEBOARD GIRL #4 approaches, holding her eye.
A young punk slugged me as I de-pantsed
him... We gotta rethink our strategy
before they really get a strike-back
routine organized.
As the girls talk, a POLICEMAN approaches on foot.
Girls, I’ve been inundated with com-
plaints of skateboarding girls acting
uncivilized toward pedestrians. I
think I just witnessed one such action
myself. Are you trying to get your-
selves arrested for indecent exposure?
We weren’t the ones exposing our butts!
Why don’t you ARREST THE PERPS, who
seem to believe that they’ve not only
GOT IT, but also have the right to
FLAUNT IT in public, where everyone be-
hind them on the same street can’t help
but see their ASSETS? Gross to the
max. It may damage my psyche, even put
me off men for life! What are YOU do-
ing to prevent public indecency?
We’re not the fashion police. However,
assaults do fall within our purview. I
trust I won’t have to take further ac-
tion, right?
Guilty looks pass between the girls. The policeman takes their faces as their guarantee and walks on, satisfied.
INT. TEEN HANGOUT - CENTER TABLE - NEXT DAY
The seventh grade girls have again gathered in the local hang-out, but their corner booth is occupied, so they push two tables together in the middle of the room. Four others join them.
I still maintain that he’s bluffing.
He’s not going to arrest ten seventh
graders, especially not several of us
top honors students.
I wouldn’t be so sure. I know my mom,
for one, would NOT be amused, even
though she would agree with our cause.
Just last week, Dad chided a “low
rider” boy IN CHURCH, who told him to
mind his own business! Nothing and no-
where is sacred to these jerks!
So, what are we going to do now? I
KNOW we’re having an effect. I had two
guys who were still in low riders, but
had added suspenders to their ensemble.
Unnoticed by the girls, young yuppie man and a real “babe” come in, sitting nearby, his backside to them, crack showing.
We’ll just have to get more adept and
unhook, then un-pants.
(Ad lib remarks of assent or negation.)
I’ll go you one better than that! You
remember the yuppie hunk I de-pantsed
the first day out? HE was wearing a
belt at his waist with leather straps
connecting to the belt loops on his low
riders, no undies in evidence. On fur-
ther investigation, maybe a 7 rating
on those buns was a bit low. He's gor-
geous!
Recognizing his description, Yuppie man’s ear tips turn bright red. He talks a bit louder to drown out the conversation he really would rather his girl of the week did not hear.
Now's not the time to get all boy crazy
on us! We’ll need to change our tech-
nique AND rethink our desire to pub-
lish, if the police plan to prosecute!
We honor students don’t want to smear
our reputations at this early age.
We’ll just need to see it is published
anonymously. For a story as juicy as
this one, it wouldn’t hurt to have some
video to go with it.
Don’t be silly! You have to pay actors
to do the stunts, or get people’s per-
mission if you’re going to USE it!
Don’t you remember all that copyright
stuff we were told about?
YUPPIE MAN again begins to talk to his date overly loudly.
I’m an actor, but the national gross
income of Nepal wouldn’t be enough to
entice me into staring in THAT produc-
tion!
Surely NEWS happens to people who are
NOT asked for permission!
YUPPIE MAN again tunes in.
I’ll volunteer to unsnap the suspenders
and de-pants Yuppie man again, then ask
for permission to video...
(lost in his own inter-
nal dialog)
Not in this lifetime, honey!
Anyone that anxious to show off ought
to be willing enough, if we can just
quit blushing long enough to make the
invite appealingly...
Nobody ever listens to me. You all
just decided in first grade that I was
a worry wart, and space me off.
(pouting prettily, but
unpretentiously)
We need a new modus operandum. What
ELSE will discourage premature, pre-
marital “full disclosure” of the as-
sets?
Arial blushes self-consciously as all eyes focus on her.
I’ve got it! We should all make a de-
posit?
You think BANKING on our BALANCES will
drive the perps from the street? Get
real!
No, silly! Deposit something in every
visible crack!
[Authorial aside: I really prefer gaily (in its old “Don we now our gay apparel” traditional sense...) Comments? Have we LOST a meaning of what used to be a perfectly respectable word permanently here? If we insist on using it in its traditional sense, can we rehabilitate/reclaim it? Even if not, does it add a double entendre that is funny, not offputting?]
Glenna gets out, goes to the counter and orders a triple decker cone for both her and Akiko. As she passes Yuppie Man’s table on the return trip, he unintentionally slides his chair back into her path and starts to rise. The cone nearest him is tilted as Glenna tries to avoid a collision. The top ball lands with precision, precisely in Yuppy Man’s butt crack. Fade to Act II on a reaction shot. (Director needs to make sure the damning dialog -- which Yuppie man and other girls heard, but not Glenna or his date -- precedes a clearly unintentional act.)
Last updated 8/14/08 Added to his girlfriend; changed the to us; changed ice cream dropper to Glenna; made directions to the director more specific. ( 8/4/08 - Changed Evian to bottled; reversed (thinks) and (lost in his own internal dialog); continued story to end of Act I. (7/9/08, Changed “thirteen- or fourteen year old” to “seventh grade”; removed “Nahida is again recording the crack census data.”; added “Census Girl #1 records the crack census data on her notepad.“; added “Four others join them.”; continued story to Act II start. 7/8/08 Reworked name policy. When talking in a group of friends, use names. When on the street, use job labels. Added boy crazy material. 7/7/08 - Script format work; 7/2/08 continued from “no undies in evidence. ”6/30/08 continued at dr.'s office; - 6/29/08, continued story - 6/28/08 Policeman's speech ended in purview).
Word Count: 1311
Readability:
current mood: sizzling
current music: Davy Steele, Kismal's Galley
|
|
(10 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
2:13 pm - Street Predators Disasterous Meal (4/23/09; WC168
|
Int. Glenna’s House - Supper Table
Tuck, Glenna’s eight year old brother, Glenna, SOAS, and ___, Glenna’s older sister he’s dating, mother, and live=in Boyfriend are eating skinless, boneless chicken breasts and Uncle Ben’s Roasted Chicken Ready Rice, among other things. Tuck, who hates veggies, reluctantly accepts some, even more reluctantly accepts a heaping half cup or the rice. SOAS mimics his behavior by accident.
OLDER SISTER
SOAS, don;t you like rice?
SOAS
(wryly)
No, I’m fine. I just love it. Isn’t it usually WHITE?
SOAS moves the yellow pile on his plate a bit. Tuck moves a bit of his rice around, finally eating it after catching his mother’s warning eye.
TUCK
Yuck! I can’t believe I just chased a pile of albino mouse turds around my plate and actually ATE them!
Glenna keeps her head ducked, praying SOAS doesn’t recognize her as the ice cream depositor. SOAS bravely squares his shoulders and takes his first bite of the rice.
SOAS
There’s no sugar on it!
current mood:  energetic
current music: The Good Old Days - Carly Simon
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
8:40 am - Cast of Characters - Street Predators (4/23/09 WC 228)
|
http://pandemo.livejournal.com/678952.html
Read script to date
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Seventh Graders
SKATEBOARD GIRL #1/MIRIAM - methodical, analytical, practical, good explainer, sense of humor, appreciates the absurd, respectful toward parents, churchgoer, outraged, wants to do things lawfully, boy crazy
SKATEBOARD GIRL #2/AKIKO (Japanese - Autumn Girl/Bright Child) - good foot soldier
SKATEBOARD GIRL #3/GLENNA - MC, compassionate, concerned, at least about those in her peer group, resents authority, strong sense of justice, sees the world in black and white terms, strong sense of outrage, a bit of a drama queen, manipulative to get what she wants, forceful personality; poor home environment she rises above. Her personal story and YUPPIE MAN's intertwine. Honors student.
SKATEBOARD GIRL #4/ARIAL - sensitive, timid, notes details, focused, honor student, worried about reputation
CENSUS GIRL #1/NAHIDA (Arabic - Brave) - organized, goal oriented, wants results, thinks well on her feet, positive thinker, enjoys making waves
CENSUS GIRL #2/PIXIE - cheerleader type, charge ahead regardless of consequences
MALLORY - shy, but determined
Faiza (Arabic - Victorious)
Pedestrians
YUPPIE MAN/SOAS/Cooper Danielero - MC, actor, fond of hiphuggers, passionate; starts out as a pretty self-centered, self-satisfied jerk, but evolves into a more mature person with a social conscious, good buns mandatory
Dowdy wife of Old Man wearing low-riders
Old Man wearing low-riders
Pedestrians of all stripe (extras)
Family Members
Tuck - Glenna's 8 year old brother
- Glenna's older sister, a high school senior
- Glenna's divorced mother
- Glenna's mother's live in boyfriend
current music: Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
1:27 am - Street Predators Locations
|
The area of the bus barn in downtown Minneapolis, cerca June, 1963, is the setting, but the actual businesses found there have been morphed into something decidedly other... The streets anchoring the Grayhound Bus Terminal (which now boasts the sign "Bus Your Buns") are not the type you can just blithely cross.
current mood:  anxious
current music: Tron
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
| |
9:23 am - Truck Ad
|
Recently, someone asked if I wanted to sell my pick up truck. I had not thought of doing so, as it still has good miles in it. But, the body is all wrecked to the point where I considered entering it in the county fair's "Most Ugly Truck" contest. All the dings on mine are natural. Although it has never been in a wreck, every panel has some type of farm damage. It is a sight to behold.
My brother needed wheels to get his tools back to Raleigh. When it turned out to be $600+ to rent a vehicle big enough to do the job, I serviced the truck for the long haul to the tune of $483, and off he went.
The mechanic disrespected the truck, judging by its looks alone. I informed him that it was the last year Dodge made that model before switching to the Cummings diesel engine, that the 112,000 or so miles was very low for a vehicle of that vintage, and that cosmetic damage did not gut a truck. The owner of the shop, who had been through a myriad of minor repairs on a 15 year old Beemer with double the mileage on it with me, backed me up when he came in. The other patrons were enjoying a WOMAN explain vehicle care and feeding to a MAN. The Allerton Ugly Truck contest reference brought smiles all around.
"Demolition derby would be more like it," he muttered as he left with the replacement serpentine belt. It and the front tires were showing cracks. The lenses in the rear lights were also cracked. Normally not an item stocked in this service station, the ONLY PAIR they had were for the same model as mine.
He said he'd place an ad for me, and how much did I want for it if it sold?
Not really wanting to sell, but realizing he might not want to come back in it indefinitely, I came up with this ad:
Classic one owner '93 Dodge 250 3/4 ton pu, 302 engine, five on the floor, geared low, towing package, ----- original miles, "you decorate" model. Old maid schoolteacher's farm truck. $5,000.00.
My brother reports it drove smoothly and was getting 12-13 mpg highway driving. It was more comfortable than the Toyota they drove out in, and he did the trip in an hour less time due to fewer pit stops than with a crew of four on board.
What a hoot!
current mood:  rejuvenated
current music: They Stole My Car -- lyrics lost at the moment
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
| |
10:59 am - NANO and Recovery
|
Saturday, I had my second appointment with the eye doctor. He was more encouraging than ever. I will end up 20/20 in the right eye, and 20/25 in the left where I had macular hole surgery last March. No new glasses until the Dec. 7 appointment.
I'm still not back to writing more than a few lines. I get a headache from the "old" glasses, which are way too strong now, and the "cheaters" (2.25 magnification) he suggested have a glint around the edges I just don't seem to filter out well.
I got down to 60/40 with glasses before I got to the sticking point.
I actually read a number, without glasses, from the phone book the other day.
current mood:  depressed
current music: Treetop Flyer - Stephen Stills
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Saturday, November 21st, 2009
| |
4:58 pm - Bad Bite
|
Spelunker hero-worships R. He must recognize male to male and has bonded. The other day, as we ate, Spelunker sat at the table sedately not looking at the food, in one of the cloth barstools.
R mashed his baked potato and scraped buttered and gravied bits into a pile, then would eat them with relish. One he examined and set aside. "There's a white hair in there, Spelunker."
He yawned, not meeting R's eye.
Soon his plate was cleared except for a pile of skin and that offending bite. Although he'd assured me he was full, he proceeded to collect it once again on the end of his fork, then popped it quickly into his mouth.
I thought, "I didn't see him pick the hair out..."
"Isn't that the bite with the hair?" I inquired with trepidation.
A horrified look passed over R's face. "Blech, blech," he spit it back onto his plate.
current mood:  amused
current music: Non Nobis Domine -- Henry V, Patrick Doyle, City of Birmingham Symphony
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
4:48 pm - Faux Pas de Jur
|
Mom's sister C was talking on the cell phone to her this morning while her husband C was talking to her, but evidently not in sight. Aunt C is walking around on the cell phone, and at one point, says to her husband, which also allowed mom to eavesdrop, "I can't find them anywhere."
Mom: What are you looking for?
Aunt C: My cell phone.
Out of sight; out of mind...
current mood: amused
current music: Bally Mena -- Harry Belafonte
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
| |
11:46 pm - Nano 2009 Rewrite
|
It resembled a surreal cherry on a sundae of bad memories.
current mood: amused
current music: Angel from City of Angels -- Sarah McLachlan
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
8:12 pm - Ray on Rain
|
"It's just miserable out here. Clay's like gumbo -- sticks to the jobbers, I have to pound them 4-5 times after each jab before it releases. Digging a two foot hole takes five times as long as it should, and more effort with every drop that falls.
"You don't have eve spouts. I reach up to the roof to measure and the icy cold November rain water runs down my arm."
Pandemo quips that this is September/October cold rain, not November ice and snow... Raleigh weight long johns are not up to the real deal...
current mood:  sympathetic
current music: Fire and Rain -- James Taylor
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
| |
11:44 pm - SchuylerCorson's Best Line
|
The percussion broke into salsa tempo, the brass took up a polka beat, the woodwinds found the most stirring lines of a Sousa march, the string section erupted into a bluegrass breakdown, and the lone vocalist, lacking any other option, began singing "Snoopy And The Red Baron".
current mood: amused
current music: Master and Commander Theme
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Friday, November 13th, 2009
| |
11:29 am - On Leaves -- Henry David Thoreau
|
"It is pleasant to walk over the beds of these fresh, crisp, and rustling leaves.
How beautifully they go to their graves! -- how gently they lay themselves down and turn to mould! -- painted of a thousand hues, and fit to make the beds of us living.
So they troop to their last resting-place, light and frisky."
current mood: pleased
current music: First Flight
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Thursday, November 12th, 2009
| |
11:25 am - New Word
|
Nanonomaly: a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form for writing a novel.
~ coined from anomaly by my brother to describe the process used by authors during NANO month...
current mood: amused
current music: Sing, Sing - Robert Shaw Chorale
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
| |
7:40 am - I Did?
|
Last night, we binged on airplane movies, first the two hour Pearl Harbor, then Forever Young. In between, I got the hungries.
"Would you like something?"
"You could make me a grilled cheese sandwich?"
"Yes. May I eat first? I'm getting shaky."
"Sure."
(I eat, then fix it. Plopping it on a plate, I gave it to him.)
"You made this for me?"
"You asked me to."
"I did?"
current mood: amused
current music: none
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
| |
6:16 pm - Bad Math
|
As the wise Jessica Simpson said of her own 25th birthday, "I feel so old, 'cuz 25 is half way to 30."
current mood: amused
current music: Pearl Harbor soundtrack
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, November 9th, 2009
| |
11:00 pm - He Did?
|
Side by side on a jiggling bed
The two communicants lay
Discussing myriad ___ boredom to assuage.
"I don't remember that!"
"The doctor told you you'd experience short term memory loss."
"He did? I don't remember that!"
"He did."
current music: African Trilogy -- Neil Diamond's Tap Root Manuscript album
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Thursday, November 5th, 2009
| |
10:25 am - Lost It All
|
While I was in town waiting fot the brakes on my car to be repaired the day before I was due to go in for cataract surgery, I made 1365 of the 1667 needed per day for NANO success. I knew I probably would not make it, but, I was determined to try. Nov. 1, I decided to join the "Midnight Writers" for an hour or two... But I didn't awaken until after 3. I got 916 words. Sunday, at a more civilized hour, I got to 1985, a decent day's total, AND edited my first sentence to a thing of beauty.
While in the library, I re-read Sunday's, changed ONE WORD to that just perfect fit word that I had not thought of before, right connotation, right denotation, quixotic twist implied...
Came home, booted up the computer, and discovered it would not. I ended up having to do a clean install, losing all data until
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Monday, November 2nd, 2009
| |
11:18 am - Gleanings From the NANO Forums
|
You can have a sound mind in a healthy body.... Or you can be a Nanonovelist!
Nanowrimo--Eavesdrop on the Voices In Your Head
RE: Poke the Bear (Taunt the Demon)' by blondbomb
I'm too old to type while running with my laptop... Neat image, though.
Quote from SueJeff from Derby, England, at The Smoking Pen Bar and Grill 2009:
"Tea please, and make it strong in a dirty cup."
Is that a typical custom over there?
We once had a TV show, lo, these manny moons ago, whose theme song went "Sugar Foot, Sugar Foot, /Easy lopin', cattle ropin' Sugar Foot...
The in joke then became, "I don't care if your name is Sugar Foot, get your big toe out of my coffee!"
Ought to make you feel right at home, what?
----------
Blondbomb ~ Participles dangled while you wait.
2002 Mountain Lover
2003 In the Desert
2004 Mountain Fastness
2005 Leanna's Story
2006
2007
2008 Whine, Whinny, and Song
current mood: amused
current music: The Prayer - Josh Groban and Charlotte Chruch
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Sunday, November 1st, 2009
| |
10:02 am - Living Unlevelly
|
I knew not to bake a cake.
I understood why doors won't shut, latch, lock.
But ARM CHAIR? I swing it around to sync with the sun. It swings back. I swing it further. It rolls lazily back. I now have the privilege of being able to get sea sick in my very own living room as I NANO away.
current mood: bouncy
current music: Away Down The River - Alison Krauss
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| Saturday, October 31st, 2009
| |
6:28 pm - Contractor Called
|
I had a doctor's appointment before the Amish finished leveling the trailer, so I have several doors not working right -- some won't latch, others bind. The latest one I found was my bathroom door! I hate to think what the oven's levelness is like.
The contractor just called, before I even had time to get upset about four men in the house with a bathroom door that will not latch, much less lock, and the crew will be back Monday to finish backfilling the hole and will make sure the trailer is level and all the doors work before they leave. I am quite relieved. He even inquired about my eye surgery scheduled for Tuesday.
current mood:  relieved
current music: Sing, Sing - Robert Shaw Chorale
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
|
|
|