by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 4, 2010 | Blog
So a good friend of mine presented me with Stephen King’s book, On Writingat my going away party. On my flight to Ithaca, I received some back story about Mr. King and how one of America’s most prolific writers came to be. The blueprint of the blueprint so to speak. The back story was entertaining, insightful, and above all, inspirational.
I realized that writing a novel is not easy, but it does come natural. You have this idea or concept in your mind that could be a great story in the making, but we keep it trapped in our mind, and before long, it fades to black.
King encourages you to write down your thoughts, feelings, ideas, pretty much anything that comes to mind because like the human mind, it quickly forgets.
The first 100 pages or so discuss his early life, growing up in Maine and where the passion for writing began. He would read old science fiction comics, and often reenact the stories on paper, expanding his imagination.
He started as a sports reporter, knowing nothing about sports, and was editor of the high school newspaper. He made his own version, The Daily Vomit, which mocked teachers and administration. However, the administration caught on, and action was taken.
This humorous story made me think about the ridiculousness of high school. We are just kids, so youthful and innocent and tied down to the conformities of our friends, and confines of compulsory education.
Like Mr. King, I hated high school. But it was a necessary learning experience, and has only made us the people we have become. Plain and simple.
Towards the middle of the book, the writing basics again. The toolbox analogy is one for the ages! He mentions that every new writer can always develop his craft, and like a toolbox, should have certain acquired skills stowed away, and when it becomes necessary to incorporate them into your writing, its simply another tool in the toolbox.
He also mentions the importance of becoming committed to the writing ordeal, if you want to be serious about it. 1,000 words a day was his rule. Doors closed.
The doors closed allows you to focus strictly on writing, with no distractions, no interactions that might hinder your flow of ideas, a sort of escape from the outside world and into your own realm; your desk, your laptop, your fingers passionately typing away on the keyboard, and your mind.
It makes sense that Stephen King was fascinated with the extraterrestrial, the unknown, from a very young age. Simply look at his unconventional, often queer stories about non-human forms taking over the human landscape.
However, he is a great writer because he reads a lot. 80 books a year! Like he said, your writing only becomes better when you read fiction book after fiction book.
His writing ability has found a medium, with stories such as Hearts in Atlantis, which deviates from the disturbing, often trifling images of evil that predominate most of his work.
An inspiration to all of us, King epitmizes the ideal writer. He is prolific in nature, dedicated, and above all, excellent at the craft. But Rome wasn’t built in a day.
For all young aspiring writers out there, I strongly recommend this book that journeys through life, grammar, personal advice, how to get yourself published, you name it. Stephen King knows it all, and forty years into the business, we are not the least bit surprised.
In case you want to know, my favorites are It, Hearts in Atlantis andDesperation. Also loved his screenplay Storm of the 21st Century, and short story “1408.”
The man was an english teacher and has a degree from the University of Maine. I am inspired by his words of wisdom, and sped through the book contently (another thing he hates, too many adverbs…but its so fun to sound sophisticated isn’t it?).
If you enjoy writing, pick up this blueprint for success. If you were unmotivated before, you are inspired now. Take it from a guy who has written…50 books or so.
Let’s just say he’s been living up to his name for awhile. They call him Mr. King for a reason.
by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 4, 2010 | Blog
Well Terry Bradshaw. Looks like you are going to be disappointed that Steelers quraterback Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension has been reduced from six to four games after he violated the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy in April when a woman accused him of sexual assault at a bar in Georgia after a night of drinking.
Bradshaw made sure he expressed his hopes that Goodell would stand firm on the six-game suspension.
“Going to bars…treating women like that. Oh my God,” the Hall of Famer said on Wednesday at the AdvoCare Independence Bowl Kickoff Luncheon at Shreveport Country Club.
“I pray they don’t cut (his NFL suspension) to four games. I hope they leave it at six. There is no excuse for that. The egos get out of hand.”
And here’s my time to express my displeasure with Goodell’s decision, and his whole philosophy in dealing with NFL player misconduct over the past few years. Although Roethlisberger was not charged, this is the second case of a woman accusing him of sexual assault, the first stemming from an incident in Nevada in 2008.
He obviously is not getting the big picture here, or has learned his lesson if two years later, a similar slip-up has occurred. According to Goodell, who met with Roethlisberger in New York Sept. 3 to discuss the matter, he has been in compliance with his demands, and has been practicing good behavior.
Yeah. The only reason he is doing that is so he CAN get his suspension reduced, thus allowing him to play for three-fourths of the regular season.
But no surprise here. This is the same NFL commissioner who reinstated Michael Vick, despite his felony conviction for an illegal dog fighting operation at his Virginia Beach home and his subsequent incarceration.
The same NFL Commissioner who reinstated receiver Donte Stallworth. In case you did not remember, Stallworth struck and killed a Miami pedestrian while under the influence of alcohol. That’s vehicular manslaughter. Yet gambling will get Pete Rose banned for life?
Vehicular manslaughter and felonies are not to be taken likely. These are grown men. Not little kids who get a little slap on the wrist or timeout because they were teasing poor little Susan.
Goodell is making it acceptable for negligence to occur on a regular basis. What message are you trying to send by reducing a suspension just because he hasn’t been bar hopping and participating in another sex capade since the suspension.
These guys make way too much money and mean too much to their teams to be making such irresponsible decisions. Roethlisberger has a history with this kind of stuff. This was supposed to be the time to lay down the law and stand firm, setting a precedent for other players.
Instead, Roethlisberger gets what he wants, and you make the NFL front office look weak and powerless. The collective baragaining agreement expires after this season.
You give them an inch they want a mile, so do not be surprised to see a lock out next season because the player’s union is unwilling to cooperate with the NFL.
Goodell. You have disappointed NFL fans in so many ways. From Vick to Stallworth to Roethlisberger. You have made it acceptable for star players to act like children in an adult game.
Just like Bradshaw, I was hoping to god the suspension would remain in tact, but due to his history of letting players off easy, I certainly thought better.
Attention all NFL players. If you get a suspension, just play kiss-ass with Goodell and he will reduce your suspension. A weak and powerless leader for such a storied league. What a disgrace.
by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 3, 2010 | Blog
Anticipation…making me wait, making me wait. Well the time for waiting is officially over as the 2010 college football season kicks off Thursday night with a battle between Pittsburgh and Utah, a rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Utah looks to rep the mid-majors once again, just as it did in the 35-7 thumping of the Panthers in 2005, on their way to a historic 12-0.
Although the Utes are not a top-25 team, they are certainly forerunners for cracking the top 25 this season, and are in contention with TCU for the Mountain West title. Coached by none other than current Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer.
College football has received a lot of criticism for these high-ranking match ups early in the season. I personally love it, and think its a great way to gain some television time and some strong revenue.
The last thing people want to see is Florida take on Coastal Carolina and win 69-0. Fans enjoy the close, hard-fought games against another great powerhouse.
And the most important part: it cost money. Florida payed Coastal Carolina 465,000 dollars to travel down to Gainesville and take a beating. These teams know they will get absolutely destroyed, but the school gets the big bucks out of it, and in college football these days, it really is all about the benjamins.
These early games where a powerhouse takes on another powerhouse reminds me to my days of playing virtual NCAA football, creating my Dynasty mode and picking out teams to play against in my non-conference schedule. Who did I pick to play? Ohio State, Florida, Oklahoma, Miami (FL), among others. I didn’t give myself an easy schedule. I wanted a challenge!
Along with Pittsburgh playing Utah, Oregon State will take on TCU at the new Cowboys stadium on Saturday, and LSU will play against North Carolina in another top-25 match-up.
And then college football fans get a special labor day gift, when Boise State battles Virginia Tech, a match-up between two top-10 teams.
These early matches allow teams to put all their cards out on the table. A mid-major like Boise State has nothing to lose. They go undefeated, and still are left out of the BCS championship game. If they want to prove themselves among the six powerhouse conferences, they have to play with them.
Broncos coach Chris Peterson is making a bold move playing high-calibur teams early in the season. It’s all about recognition, and the Broncos are in it to win it. They dominated Oregon last year, and even got LaGarette Blount to throw a nice sucker-punch at a Broncos player, but that’s a different issue.
It’s a catch 22 for non-BCS schools. If they try and take on the big boys in non-conference play, they are criticized for scheduling such marquee games early in the season. If they schedule games against say Eastern Washington, Sacamento State, or North Texas, they are criticized for having a weak schedule when they are in the running for an undefeated season, and year after year, will find themselves on the outside looking in.
How do you get into a place where only the elite belong? IS there a way to get this special membership, and crack the code of the BCS system, which naturally only locks in college football’s “elite.”
Fresno State coach Pat Hill started a tradition of scheduling brutal non-conference schedules a few years back. Like Teddy Roosevelt once said you have to “speak softly, but carry a big stick.” Inconspicuously, the Bulldogs would be traveling to Cincinnati or Wisconsin, taking on Ohio State or some big NCAA powerhouse. His philosophy: anytime, any place, anywhere.
Although this pattern did not favor him (the Bulldogs would win a few of those games and gain respect, then falter in conference play), he earned a lot of respect for making such a bold move in the scheduling process.
In 2010, other coaches, even ones in BCS conferences, are following suit. Chris Peterson has done it for Boise State the past few years, and at this rate, we might just see Boise State play in the national title game.
The rigged BCS point system which favors the six power conferences is like the Tower of Piza right now; every year, it is gradually leaning over, until one day it will all come crumbling down. When that day comes, scheduling marquee games early for recognition will be the biggest payoff for these non-BCS coaches.
It will spark an innovation, a change, something that nobody thought could be done but did. I made it happen on a video game, and now its entering the portal of reality. Big time games in September. Who would have thought.
by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 3, 2010 | Blog
The Los Angeles Dodgers are slowly spiraling downward and taking a nosedive into the land of turmoil.
As if being amid third place and out of playoff contention and the relinquishing of Manny Ramirez to the Chicago White Sox wasn’t enough.
Owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie have taken their divorce to the Roman arena as gladiators. The prized possession: communal ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While this battle might not result in death, it has been tumultuous to say the least and more bitter than the departure of Mannywood from the city of angels.
Frank took the stand today to testify at a downtown court. He claims that a marital agreement was signed in 2004, granting him sole ownership of his biggest property, the Dodgers and Chavez Ravine.
Jamie will not back down, however, and is fighting for ownership sparking a heated battle and another bitter divorce battle in the land of the rich and famous.
And it appears that Jamie is winning the battle. California divorce law is in her favor, providing a matriarchal campaign that has left many men baffled and forking over the dough.
According to California law, if a marriage lasts more than ten years, the wife is entitled to financial support until she gets remarried. The cost for McCourt: millions of dollars to yours truly, the ex-wifey.
According to court proceedings, McCourt failed to specify signing off his prized Chavez Ravine real estate, which his defense is calling a ‘clinical error.”
With the gladiator fight in favor of the woman, communal ownership of the Dodgers would almost certainly result in the selling of the team. Any takers? Initial interest came from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, among others.
The team is projected to be worth anywhere from 750 million to one billion dollars, and will suffer a major blow to McCourt’s major assets that dominate the big plot of land above the downtown skyline.
The last thing any Dodger fans want is the team to be owned by corporate fat cats. I would rather not see Dodger gear sporting Donald Duck or Elmer Fudd anytime soon, as much as people love “the happiest place on earth.”
And Mark Cuban. The mastermind behind the “Beat L.A.” saga? That would be a bit hypocritical of him. The same guy that compared officiating to as easy of a job as running a Dairy Queen, which he ironically owns.
Better go out and scoop some ice cream Cuban, because it will take more than your HD network and some soft served ice cream to buy out this piece of history.
In the meantime, lets just hope that this whole divorce debacle is settled when the McCourt’s reconvene trial after a two-week hiatus for prosecutors to present more evidence of non-notarized documents, and other clinical errors.
Sorry Frankie. Might have to share the love with the person you no longer love.
by Timothy Weisberg | Aug 30, 2010 | Blog
Mannywood will now remain a distant memory. That fateful July 31, 2008 will be another date passed in history. The Dodgers plan to ship outfielder Manny Ramirez to the Chicago White Sox, after Chicago claimed him on waivers.
Ramirez is expected to join the White Sox on Monday, and in an ironic twist, will join former Dodger Juan Pierre on the Southside. The irony being of course that Pierre’s move to Chicago was a result of the aquisition of Manny Ramirez.
The craze has long been over, but has now become officially extinct among the Dodger nation, as Ramirez completes yet another tumultuous tenure with a major league team. Last season, the slugger was suspended for 50 games after violating the MLB’s substance abuse policy.
And three disabled trips later into the 2010 season, another team is forced to rid themselves of such a liability. The 38-year-old was in the last year of a 2-year, 45 million dollar contract with the Dodgers. The Dodgers will get no players in return, as applied to the waivers deal, but will most likely be unburdened of the remaining 4 million dollars of Ramirez’ 2010 salary.
Boston relieved him after the bridges were burned, and now the Dodgers have found the major liability that illuminates under the image of a “star” player.
Although Torre and Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti refused to comment on the issue, the event was foreshadowed when Torre benched Ramirez for 3 straight games after coming off his third stint on the disabled list.
And the way it ended as a Dodger: an ejection from today’s game after one pitch. A symbol of an iconic image that was a ticking time clock for destruction.
He brought a culture to Dodgertown, and in a blink of an eye, became a dying breed.
The Dodgers had three options here: keep Ramirez, trade Ramirez, or claim him on waivers. They chose to claim him on waivers, and the White Sox were more than happy to pick him up. Trading him would have resulted in something in return, but would mean they would have to pick up the rest of his salary.
The black dreads wearing the big 99, hobbling to the plate with a big wad of tobacco, a smirk on his face, and his LA helmet smeared with pine tar, Ramirez is back in the American League on Chicago’s Southside.
Six and half games back in the wild card race heading into September, a bitter divorce from your team owner; looks like the Dodgers have problems. 99 of them. But Manny isn’t one.
by Timothy Weisberg | Aug 27, 2010 | Blog
A concert to remember is one that gets you up on your feet, dancing along to the rhythm and melody, creating an atmosphere that is unlike any other.
Cornell’s first-annual Black Violins concert was that concert. Featuring a violinist and viola player, the violin duet incorporated hip-hop with the violin.
A rather unconventional combination turned into rejuvenation, a start to a new culture and movement that can dominate the scene.
Featuring beats from hip-hop artists Akon, Jay-z, and even some old school with the Fuji’s, the Black Violins were able to capture the heart and soul of the incoming Cornell class.
Cornelians were able to use the concert as a microcosm for the journey ahead of them, a catalyst where the turbine is turning, the pistons are pumping, and the foot is to the throttle towards a new chapter in the book of life.
The incredible violin play, along with the incorporation of synthetic beats, the Black Violins captured raw lyricism and musical dynamics that have been dormant for the majority of our generation. This was real music, on a real stage, for real people.
The duet featuring Will-B and Kev Marcus, made the overwhelmed group of freshman and transfers feel welcome, incorporating hilarious dialogue, lyrics, and simultaneous hand-clapping that got the group of shy, nervous, discontent, innocent eyes onto their feet and leaving their hands red and numb.
The unorthodoxy of the music is what was the most intriguing for everyone. A real instrument incorporated into the hip-hop scene that brought out a pure, dynamic music that many people previously thought was lacking in hip-hop. One violin-off and the crowd yelling “one more song, one more song!” later, the lights dimmed and Cornelians became enlightened.
This time, Bailey Hall was alive with the sound of music. No Julie Andrews, but 2,000 newbie’s getting together to hear some wicked violin. You know you are in for something special when the violin is soon played like a guitar, fingers strumming the thick strings of the violin, hand rolling up and down the strings, putting just the right chords into place like horses at the track all ready to accelerate to the max.
Exhilarating, electrifying, and simply amazing are a few modest words to describe the miraculous display of musical talent that is the Black Violin. Bring in the viola, the little sister to the object that signifies the essence of the concert, and music is in they air.
What a show. Each and every audience member was touched by the grace of music that night.
