GhostMachine

Went ahead and watched the Christmas Special instead of waiting for the re-run later. Damn glad I did, because it was awesome. I'm watching Graham Norton right now on BBC America, and I have no idea whatsoever who the guests are besides Matt Smith.

We get the Christmas episode here in the U.S. on BBC America tonight. Its airing at 9PM EST, which is just over an hour and a half away. Then they're running it again at midnight, I believe. I'll probably end up watching the re-run.

My advice is you can only do 20 pages or so then run into trouble would be to try and write a few short stories around that long at first as practice. Then try writing something longer. Or try finding a collaborator. Not necessarily someone who co-writes the story, but someone who makes suggestions and that you can bounce ideas off of. Or try writing what you have again, in a different format. Hell, 20 pages of movie/tv script, you could probably rewrite as an issue or two of a comic. Or maybe as a radio show script. Do that, then go back and work on the original format some more. The trick is to not let the project control you or get stale in your mind.

Best advice I can offer is to write an outline, as if you were doing it as a book. Or at least make a list of bullet points that you want to get across (key scenes, the basic point of the whole film, how someone dies (if anyone does), key character relationships, etc). Then when you get stuck or start judging what you've done so far, take a break for an hour or even day or two and when you go back to work on it again take a look at your outline/bullet points. And I don't know if it will help, but Lester Dent, who wrote the Doc Savage pulps, had a technique he'd use to keep from losing his train of thought; when he stopped writing (for the day, taking a break, etc), he would stop in mid-sentence. One thing I do is write out profiles on my main characters, including any quirks or useless trivia (hobbies, etc), to make them seem more like real people to me. What I DO NOT do is write down what happens to them in the end (ie, if they get killed off during the story, end up in prison or married at the end), because sometimes I end up changing my mind before I'm halfway through. Only write that out if you are dead set against changing it and their fate is set in stone. I'd do it something like this: Jack Stone - 23, close cropped blond hair, brown eyes. Has a scar above his left eyebrow from a bike accident when he was a kid. Bike messenger who gets dragged into the main events of the story by his girlfriend Allison. Is allergic to apricots. Older brother David died of cancer two weeks prior to the beginning of the story. Allison Campbell - 24, brunette with shoulder length hair, blue eyes. Cashier at a fast food restaurant. Has been dating Jack about three months. Accidentally witnesses a mob hit while walking home from work. Has a prosthetic right leg from just below the knee from being hit by a drunk driver when she was 16. Speaks Italian, though not fluently.

Just wondering if anyone has used Celtx? I downloaded it a while back but haven't worked on anything yet, but I've got about three different ideas. One I may write as a comic book script, but the other two would work better as movies.

Kind of glad and upset at the same time that the record was broken. Mainly upset because I think Aurriema is an asshole.

I gave up on the Event after the first two episodes, but I watched the third because there was nothing better on at the time. My mother gave up after three or four, and I don't know anyone else who has admitted to watching it except for the first episode. *edit* Forgot to mention that my favorite new show is the new version of Hawaii 5-0. If you're not watching it, you should be.

I finally have my first double champion (not counting someone holding a tag belt and another belt at the same time; that's happened a few times). I simulated the MITB match at Wrestlemania and Kofi Kingston won. At The Bash, he won the Intercontinental title, beating MVP and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match. So I said what the heck and had him face the winner of Undertaker vs. Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight championship at the same show (not that it matters, but the Undertaker/Swagger match was an Iron Man match). Swagger won the title from `Taker, but didn't hold onto it for long.... (Beat Ziggler for the Intercontinental title with a pinning S.O.S. after a Boom Drop on MVP that kept him down, but on Swagger I used Trouble In Paradise to finish him off)

Exactly what I think, sure he screwed that up but it's not like the Giants D had done their job in that 2nd half. He was just the awful mistake in a series of awful mistakes. As for the Titans, I hope this is Fisher's last season. I love the guy and think he's a hell of a coach but I think he's done anything he can for the Titans and it's time to part ways. I'd like Cowher or Gruden as the Titans coach. Cowher or Gruden would be good choices (both were on my list for next Dallas head coach if Garrett bombed). But honestly, at this rate, I'd even settle for Brian Billick. Though, with my luck, the next head coach will probably be either Brad Childress, Wade Phillips or Josh McDaniels..... NO FUCKING WAY! By the way, you're a Titans fan? Never saw you mention it or anything. Yes, I like the Titans, but my favorite team is the Cowboys. Been a fan of the Titans since they were the Houston Oilers with Warren Moon as their QB (I still say he's the best QB to never make it to a Super Bowl), but I've been a Dallas Cowboys fan even longer. (No Texas connection, btw; I'm Tennessee born and bred and have never even set foot in Texas) It basically: Cowboys Titans Bears Could say the Colts, too, but I actually only give a damn about them due to Peyton Manning being their QB.

Jenner.

Exactly what I think, sure he screwed that up but it's not like the Giants D had done their job in that 2nd half. He was just the awful mistake in a series of awful mistakes. As for the Titans, I hope this is Fisher's last season. I love the guy and think he's a hell of a coach but I think he's done anything he can for the Titans and it's time to part ways. I'd like Cowher or Gruden as the Titans coach. Cowher or Gruden would be good choices (both were on my list for next Dallas head coach if Garrett bombed). But honestly, at this rate, I'd even settle for Brian Billick. Though, with my luck, the next head coach will probably be either Brad Childress, Wade Phillips or Josh McDaniels.....

Not according to Bud Adams. I make jokes about Al Davis being stuck in the '70s, but after two years living in Nashville, I've decided Adams makes Davis look totally lucid. Bud still lives in Houston, and I honestly think he's still convinced that his team's based somewhere in Texas. Otherwise, he'd have cut ties with Vince Young already, instead of listening to the other 22 or so Longhorns on the team, who'd still support VY if he started lighting small children on fire. Its painful as heck watching Titans games. However, its not just Vince Young who needs to go. They need to get rid of Jeff Fisher, too. Which pains me to say, because I like Fisher. Bud Adams is older than dirt, though. Hopefully when he kicks the bucket, someone who knows what they're doing and is living in this century will take over the team.

Yes, I talked to Hornswoggle. As I edited into my post, apparently they made it so you have to talk to Vince before you tell Maryse where Hornswoggle is for it to work. That spot sounds great. I wish I had a next gen system for the new table physics; the PS2 version, tables are the same as they were last year. What I'm wondering is if you could put someone through a table with a finisher off the top of the ladder in the PS2 version. I'd love to hit a Rock Bottom or RKO on someone and put them through one. One complaint is when you put an opponent on the table using the grapple (ie, reach toward them while holding a table), they get up way too fast. Especially if you don't have springboard dives so you can on a turnbuckle fast. I like to do a diving move that puts them through the table, but in 2011 I've been doing it using flashing specials/finishers or ultimate control grapples. And I have yet to put someone through a table leaning against a turnbuckle; I prefer to do it to standing tables or announce tables.(My vampire Bloodrush likes to UC chokeslam people through announce tables)

Okay, I've found a bug with the PS2 version that's pissing me off: During Jericho's RTWM week 8, I talked to Maryse about Hornswoggle, then went in the training room and found him. But when I talked to Maryse after I got the `go away' crap you get when someone won't talk to you. I reset several times and tried going inside the trainer before talking to her, talking to Hornswoggle after talking to her the first time, talking to her the first time, going in to Hornswoggle, then saving before talking to her and reloading, and even talking to her, going away until she goes back to the stretching animation and talking to her again. Same damn thing where she tells you to go away every time, so I can't get the challenge. Which means I won't be able to unlock Ricky Steamboat. And Steamboat being in 2011 is one of the reasons I bought the game in the first place. *edit* Haven't tried it yet, but apparently you have to talk to Maryse before going to see Vince (which is what I did), then go find and talk to Hornswoggle, then go see Vince, then Maryse for it to unlock. So talking to Maryse then Hornswoggle then Maryse again, which would make the most sense, doesn't work. Figures.....

I'm thinking of reuniting JeriShow (having Big Show switch brands), and one thing I'm trying to remember: Did they have a team Titantron or just alternate between Show's and Jericho's? I looked through the team Create An Entrance and their theme is in there I believe, but not a movie. (And why the hell does it have movies for Theodore Long and a couple others, I think, but no themes for them?) October, your only recourse now is to have Santino form a stable called Mongooses On A Train.

Oh, its a decent enough read, but the retcon of Cap having a lame helmet with the A stenciled on it and wings painted on during WWII is stupid and don't expect anything earthshattering or ground breaking. The way Cap is brought back is a bit stupid and . Its a good enough story, but not even anywhere near my top 10 favorite Captain America stories. If you want to read some really good Captain America stories, go pick up the War And Rememberance trade paperback, which reprints the way too short Roger Stern and John Byrne run from the 80's. Cap #s 253-255 are definite must reads - #s 253-254 is still to this day my favorite Captain America two-parter, period - and are the last 3 of their run. And Stoker, I actually like Bucky as Cap (And Steve is my favorite Marvel hero, so I do miss him being Cap), but I can see your point. Honestly, my biggest gripe is the costume. I have no problem with the costume being different from Steve's (in fact, I'd have more of a problem if he wore an exact copy), but I m not too fond of the design. I don't like it being shiny, and the chest design makes him look more like `Captain Puerto Rico'. Also wish he had red boots and red white and blue striping down the side of each leg (like on pro football uniforms), because the lower half being completely black is lame.

My CAW Christopher Justice has formed a tag team with GOLDUST. In an instance of brilliant tag team naming on my part, the team is called JustDUST. Gave them Tag O1, GOLDUST's music and the logo movie as their entrance, with the Clothesline & Spear as their tag finisher. (Almost went with the Chin Lock and Kenka Kick, though)

Ramsey is the drizzling shits. And I don't think McNabb has turned to total crap. He's just having a really bad year, which happens. Plus the Redskins offense isn't exactly going to light up the boards. I don't think they'd be contenders even if Tom Brady was their QB. Their running game sucks, for one thing, and they need better wide receivers. Plus you have to remember their offensive coordinator is Kyle Shanahan, who probably couldn't get a job without his father. For example, their best weapon is probably Chris Cooley, and he rarely gets any balls thrown his way when they are in red zone. He calls fades without WRs that are good enough to pull it off and runs draw plays too much. Their problems are due to Kyle Shanahan as much as they are to McNabb. I'm seriously beginning to think that Mike Shanahan was carried by John Elway and Terrell Davis.

Considering that Wolverine was never a member of the original team, I doubt it unless they do some serious retconning. Closest thing to a triangle with the original team would be Angel being attracted to Jean, but that never went anywhere. My gripe with First Class? That it even exists. X-Men: The Hidden Years by John Byrne was better, and that series was cancelled because Joe Q is an ass. It was selling better than other comics that weren't cancelled, despite Marvel not really advertising it enough. Oh, and Kirkland, I was fairly disappointed with Captain America Reborn. Just saying.

Mike Shanahan has to be out of his everlovin' mind!

My game has made John Cena and John Morrison, William Regal and Edge, Shad Gaspard and Drew McIntyre, Kane and Christian and Evan Bourne and Yoshi Tatsu into teams. That is, those are the teams its made that are still around, anyway. My `Nightmare' Jason Xavier CAW has also formed a tag team with Undertaker. Of the teams the game started with, only Miz and Chris Jericho are still together.

I haven't watched all of Warehouse 13's second season, but it has some good episodes. They did a crossover with Eureka where Fargo had to go visit the warehouse to help fix their computers and security system which also had Rene Auberjonois in it. And they brought in Jaime Murray (damn, I miss Hustle!) for several episodes....as H.G. Welles (yes, *the* H.G. Welles as a woman). (There was also a Eureka episode with Claudia in it, but the Eureka-Warehouse 13 episodes aren't a 2 parter or anything like that, just stand alone episodes. So you don't necessarily need to see both, but if you do check out the Eureka episode first) Oh, and there's an episode where Pete and Myka have to use a device that puts their minds in the bodies of two WH13 agents in the 1950s to stop a serial killer who was using an object that turns the victims into glass. Its probably my favorite episode of the series so far. Another DS9 cast member in it: Armin Shimmerman (he's their boss in the 50's).

Okay, so its now looking like what Alosi did was intentional, and the Jets have changed his suspension from until the end of the season instead of indefinite. And to me that smells fishy. I thought a suspension without pay was a decent punishment since it was possible it was a spur of the moment thing. But if he fully intended to do it, you have to wonder if the Jets knew about it beforehand and are just covering their asses since he hasn't actually been fired. Now I believe its time the commissioner and rules committee should do something to make sure things like this don't happen again. Make a rule that if someone interferes with a player, they get tossed off the field immediately AND suspended for the first offense, kicked out of the league for a second. And to make sure they have extra incentive not to do it, make it so that if the player in question gets hurt, they get a free replacement from the other team. (By free, I mean the team they came from will be still be paying their salary until the end of the season or whenever the injured player is recovered enough to play again.)

If you haven't already tried it, I highly recommend Mass Effect 2.

All I've got to say is, if you get the PC version, don't wait for the GOTY edition (if there is one), because they'll probably fuck over everyone who buys that like they with Oblivion. (When they released the Knights of the Nine expansion for Oblivion by itself, it included all the paid DLC that had been put out. But when the GOTY edition came out for PC, that DLC wasn't included in the boxed edition. You had to buy it off Steam to get it, or go buy it online separately....which was a crock of shit. Plus the website was down `for maintenance' for at least 3 or 4 months, so I couldn't even go buy it back then.)