May Days, Pin-up Boys and Tricorders

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.


May Days

The Month of Fun has begun. It’s been low key fun, but enjoyable nonetheless. I had a surprise from my French friends who sent me lovely e-cards for the month-long celebration. Then, there was a surprise from Bruce. He’s the best cook I know amongst my male friends. He sent me a lovely set of spices and a raspberry glaze. I used one of the spices, ground Ancho chili peppers in the black bean chili I happened to be making yesterday. Thanks Bruce! I had all sorts of fun deliveries last week. The T-shirts Jon and I had made for Gabriel Koerner for Speed Racer turned out even more twisted than I thought it would. A big thanks to Bruce again for the image scan. Saturday was the Kentucky Derby. My mother and I used to have big parties on that occasion as a way of celebrating Mother’s Day and my birthday. I think it was because we could sip bourbon with impunity. In her honor and the days, I had a couple of mint juleps. Then, I had to take a nap. For such a genteel sounding drink, they’re basically straight Bourbon and pack quite a wallop. No movies this week. We have to wait on Iron Man until after Speed Racer. I really wanted to see a film this week, but Jon and I are working on projects (he’s finishing the trailer and I’m finishing the corrections on A Soldier’s Fate). The mint juleps were as frivolous as I could get this weekend. Next weekend, will be another matter entirely. Much is afoot that is strange and wonderful.

Pin up Boys

It is a great burden and hardship, I assure you, that part of the promotion for Hidden Passion Films is a full-color calendar of most of the male actors. Now, when I say hardship, I don’t mean looking at the calendar. That would be silly. No, I mean the conversations involved in getting my sometimes surprisingly shy actors on board with the notion of being a romantic pin up to attract viewers to the films. Some conversations are easier than others. After declaring that he wouldn’t pose in chaps without pants, Garett suggested appearing in just a gunbelt with his pistols strategically crossed over his six shooter. Fortunately, I had already had a mint julep before he called to tell me when his CSI: Miami was airing. He has good reason for being leery of what sort of calendar I have in mind. He’s seen the French Rugby Pin-up Calendar I hang near my desk. I think he’s torturing me in advance of finding only a thong on the costume rack in his dressing room. You do that just once, and they never forget. The HPF Calendar won’t be as risqué unless the actors go wild in front of the camera. Then, who am I to stop them? Some actors have gone through great lengths to show me that they aren’t right for a calendar. I hear ‘see, look’ and this lovely young man has dropped trousers to convince me his legs aren’t just right. It took all of my professionalism to get through that discussion without being accused of harassment. I usually don’t have that kind of good fortune. More on that later. Travis has been working out since the trailer with spectacular results. I mused aloud that perhaps Shadow Smith didn’t need to wear a shirt in the film at all. Just a neckerchief and occasionally the duster was enough costume. He didn’t think that was how cowboys of the period actually went about their jobs. However, I think he’ll go for it with the calendar. Now, the problem will be getting the elderly male actors to keep their clothes on. I speak from experience. Demon Under Glass had nearly a dozen really hot guys on set from the leads to the commandos. The one I see in an advanced state of undress was our 70 plus year old mad scientist. That’s the kind of luck I usually have. But worry not, the HPF Calendar will be smokin’!

Rik, Vincent and the Tricorder

I was asked I had what seemed to be a Tricoder used by Doc Auerbach in A Soldier’s Choice. Since the book is set in the near future, I suppose it looked too futuristic to one reader. It was a reasonable comment. Balancing the futuristic elements in the books was a concern of mine. However, I’d had heard that scientists were close to a breakthrough in developing complex, hand-held medical scanner. Behold, I found this story about a Real Tricorder in an article on Yahoo. Click here and be amazed. I didn’t think they were that close to a working model. It looked really cool. Maybe I’ll put that jet pack rattling around in my head in A Soldier’s Fate.

I must make this a short one. Jon needs to get back to work, and so do I. No CSI: Miami rant this week. Next week tells of the loss of a cast member who’s a liar and a traitor. That should give me something to rant about.