Best New Fall Show: The Writer's Strike

The Writer's Strike is perhaps the most entertaining show to come along in years. Ironically, as they refuse to write new material for the entertainment industry, each day the strike produces some of the best writing now available. They have cut out the middle-man-producer-media-conglomerate and are delivering some topnotch entertainment directly to the public via the press and the Internet.

Let me say up front I'm on their side. The enormous media conglomerates would love to continue to make billions of dollars on the backs of writers and do away with residuals all together when the Internet becomes the major platform for delivering movies and entertainment. So, the WGA had better dig in their heels now and do what they can to protect the future. I see their struggle utlimately paying off for writers yet to be born. I may some day become a member of the WGA myself, so I'm going to benefit from their hard work.

Having said that, the strike is very entertaining. After all, they are writers.



One writer really makes a good case for their strike in an online Newsweek article. The main issue remains to be the Internet becoming a major delivery system of media. Writers want and deserve their fair share of the money. Who can blame them?

Wanted: Working Title for New Novel

Now that I've decided on a novel project, I need a working title. I suppose I could call it Southwest Novel Number 1. That seems appropriate and descriptive. For computer files and such I need to call it something.

I've yet to construct a suitable outline, though I do know the setting, time, and an idea of the main characters. The novel will concern the lives of three brothers living in New Mexico and Arizona during the 1860s, with the Civil War, Indian uprisings, the Overland Trail, and Catholic missions in the mix. I'm currently involved in the research phase, so the novel is a fuzzy image with few details.

I'll be tracking my progress here, so keep in touch. I'll post updates and be seeking suggestions along the way.

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I can't think of a better time of year to start a writing project. The winter months lend themselves to indoor activities, although here in Tucson that's not the case. The winter months in Tucson are for the outdoors, with milder temperatures and little or no rain.

I'll be staying in the Tucson area for quite a while. I've much to do, researching the history of this area during the Civil War era. I've got the University of Arizona's library at my disposal.

One Brutal Session

I've never liked bad-beat stories and I promised myself to never talk about them. So, I'm not. However, I must remind myself that there will be days like this...days where all hell breaks loose at the poker table and things happen that can not be explained rationally.

I'm not going into any details about the seven hour session I just sat through, that would violate my promise to not talk about bad beats. Really no one cares. You don't care about my day, do you? Of course, not. But I am learning how to handle days like today.

The cards today were doing things totally unexplainable. The mind tries to make sense of things, make rational and logical conclusions based on evidence that is presented it, but sometimes at the poker table logic and reason are no where in sight.

What I learned from today's session is that life goes on, there will be other sessions down the road, and not all of them will be like this one. I'm trying my best to see my poker game over the long term of a playing career, rather than focus on any one session or even one month of sessions. Today was a mystery, the cards were doing things that made no sense, and I don't want to beat myself up over it. I need to just move on.

Therefore, if you ever have a round of bad beats, a session that just seems to rip your guts out (and that's literally how you feel, isn't it?), then let me suggest the following:

1. Don't get upset at the other players and berate them.
2. Leave the table and get as far from the casino as you can.
3. Take the next day off, or maybe the next week.
4. Look at the long term...this particular bad session is one session among thousands...they won't all be this bad.
5. Take a deep breath, ask yourself, "Did I play well?" If you can say "yes", if you indeed played your best, then there's nothing else you can do. It was just a day when the cards were acting weird. There is no making any sense of it.
6. Forget about the day and just move on. Try to learn something from the day.

Well. I do feel better, now.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Teddy Roosevelt

Yesterday I spent the day with the Afflecks, Ben and Jen. Or I should say, I spent the day watching their movies. I visited the cinema at the Foothills Mall to view Gone Baby Gone, directed by Mr. Affleck. I'll admit it...it was a good movie. Later in the evening I drove north to the discount cinema on Kolb Ave. that shows movies after they've had their initial run. The Kingdom, starring Jennifer Garner (Ms. Affleck) and Jamie Fox was my choice, since I'd seen all the other movies on the menu. Jamie Fox was able to sneak in another reference to Terrell, Texas, his hometown. I believe he's mentioned Terrell in every movie he's made.

Watching movies in public theaters is really pathetic these days: babies crying, fat women eating food they've sneaked into the place making all kinds of chomping noises, teenagers text-messaging their pals, couples having a running commentary on every scene, and little kids running up the aisles or sitting behind you kicking your seat. Some movies may be worth watching in a public theater (Lord of the Rings, 300), but no one in their right mind would watch a movie in a cinema these days when you can stay home and watch any movie you wish on your surround sound system.

After the movie last night I spent two hours at Starbucks writing. I'm getting into the habit of closing down the Starbucks at night. The particular one I visit each evening is usually full of people, mostly University of Arizona students, and I'm lucky to get a table. Last night one of the students asked me about my internet access.

"I just bought a new laptop today and was wondering how I can get online," she asks me.

"I pay T-Mobile each month for unlimited access." I could tell she didn't like that option.

"Oh, I need to pay for it." She looked disappointed.

I don't mind meeting people at Starbucks. It's a normal thing to do, a social gathering place that promotes strangers getting together, interacting. Just don't bother me when I'm watching Jennifer Garner at the cinema.

Thanks to Wil Wheaton for turning me toward Ficlets, a really fun place to play. Ficlets is a website that indugles in "collaborative short fiction." The brains behind the mayhem is John Scalzi.

The idea is this: you write a short fiction and post it to the site. Then others can read your work, comment on it, or if they choose, they can write a "prequal" or a "sequal" to your story. All kinds of various story lines can then develop as people add to your work.

Did I mention your story had to be short? You only get 1,024 characters.

On the site you can write prequels and sequels to stories from other writers, or just comment on their work. It's a lot of fun, actually.

I submitted my first "ficlet" tonight. Here's a glimpse of my first story:

"I trailed him to a bookstore in Tucson. He was wearing a sweater vest made of wool for some reason. He sat there looking like a statue, a cane resting between his legs like a third appendage hanging below his waist. He was reading a Time Magazine, the issue about the new iPod that Apple just released.

I did not care because I was sent to track him down and kill him."

To read the whole story, go here.

Tucson Casino Poker Rooms: There's Only Two

I've been in Tucson for a couple of weeks now and I'm beginning to settle in. My "headquarters" is the Casino del Sol, owned and operated by the Pascua Yaqui tribe. The poker room at the del Sol is well run, has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and many of the regulars consider it a second home. With about 14 tables, it's large enough to host tournaments and the usual run of cash games.

On day one I noticed there were no "no-limit" games. Why? Apparently, the Arizona Department of Gaming has placed a $150 cap on any bet, thus no-limit games are impossible. However, the del Sol does run a popular 2-20 split game that is essentially a "no-limit" type of game with a $20 cap. The blinds are $1 and $2, and you can bet up to $20 at any time on any betting round. They also have a $2/$4 limit game that is popular, plus $3/$6 limit. One group of "high rollers" usually meets on Tuesday nights for a $75/$150 limit game that attracts a few onlookers. It's as close as the del Sol gets to a high-stakes game.

In 1964, with the aid of Congressman Morris K. Udall, the Pascua Yaquis received 202 acres of desert land where Indian identity and sovereignty can be asserted and maintained. On September 18, 1978, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona became federally recognized: the Pascua Pueblo Pueblo of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation officially came "into being".

The Pascua Yaquis have a status similar to other Indian tribes of the United States. This status makes the Yaqui eligible for specific services that the United States offers Native American peoples who have suffered land loss.

The other casino poker room in Tucson is at the Desert Diamond Casino. The Desert Diamond is run by the Tohono O'odham Nation. I've not visited their facilities yet, but hope to get by there this week.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona casinos are having a record year in earnings. The revenue that tribes contribute to the state went up almost 5% in the third quarter. In fiscal 2007 that ended in June, gross revenue from all tribal casinos in the state totaled $1.9 billion, with $92 million going to the state of Arizona. Wow! That's a lot of old ladies and retirees playing nickel slots.

Although no official revenues are released from individual casinos, information from local agencies and governments have estimated that the Tohono O'odham casinos raked in an estimated $196 million in fiscal 2007. The estimated gross revenue of the Pascua Yaqui last year is $104 million.

"A Mountain" and the Tucson Visitors Center

The locals call it "A Mountain" and when you see it you know the reason. It has huge letter "A", the logo of the University of Arizona, embedded on it so large that you can see it from throughout the city.

Actually, the small mountain (large hill?) is a volcanic mound thousands of years old that is in the heart of the city's west side. It's referred to by historians as the place the city of Tucson was founded.

I drove to the top of Sentinel Peak, it's real name, and looked at the gorgeous panoramic views from on high. I had a 360-degree view of the Tucson area from high above the city. The drive up was a little scary, with only a narrow two-lane road leading the way.

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I took these photos from the top of Sentinel Peak.

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The Tucson Visitors Center

In downtown, the Visitors Center is a funky looking place located off a shady park area in the heart of the city. I was happy to see "Visitors Center" signs posted from the highway showing me the way.

This is Mickie (right) and friend, volunteers at the Visitors Center. Mickie was helpful in pointing out local attractions and gave me some Halloween candy (candy corn). She took a map of the city, and armed with a highlighter, marked it up with all kinds of suggestions for me as a newcomer. I took her picture and told her I was going to post it on my blog. "We're going to be famous," she said.

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Much is being written locally about the revitalization plans for downtown Tucson. The downtown area is nothing to brag about, yet. They hope to bring life back to it through residential development, an entertainment and retail district, plus improving their art and museum sites. So far, according to local papers, the business community has failed to get on board with the city to make things happen. Like many cities around the country, the major growth of the city is occurring in the surrounding suburbs and developers have abandoned the downtown area.