It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
The last time nervous Republicans delayed the presidential debates was in 1992 – remember the Chicken George mini-scandal? Worked out really well for them, didn’t it?
I love how she ain’t budging one syllable from the script McCain’s people gave her. She doesn’t trust herself enough to do little more than repeat the same answer when Couric asks her the question about Davis’ ties to Fannie Mac.
Couric also blows her own follow up by not calling her on the “as I understand it” dodge because even admitting to last year (which is also lie from reports within Davis’ own firm – that was his account alone) means he was lying about it being ended back in 2005.
Pity Couric couldn’t have blindsided her with the adultery thing now that it’s about a hair away from being confirmed by a legitimate news source and not just the Enquirer (which was right about Edwards).
I thought people were being naive when they said Obama would win in a landslide, but McCain’s campaign is imploding at such a furious pace I guess I will happily have to eat my words. Four years ago at this point, Bush led Kerry in the electoral projection, 311 to 217. As of today Obama leads McCain 282 to 256.
You’re reading waaaaay too much into it, Dave. It’s much more plausible to see it straightforwardly for what it is: an inexplicable stunt, a desperation move. This undermines him much more than choosing Palin undermined him re: the experience angle vs. Obama. The Palin pick turned out to be a brilliant political stroke. This is, really, I don’t know. Last week the economy was fundamentally sound, this week the campaign has to be suspended to save it. Which is it? This makes Obama’s reserve and detachment look much more appealing. There are good reasons for taking time to craft a solution to the mortgage meltdown. There are legit reasons for invloving the campaigns (one of these two men will be the one who will really be cleaning up the mess), but I don’t see how doing that and the debate is mutually exclusive. I dunno, but I figure the American people would like to see their leaders behaving as though the end is not nigh.
I can see how McCain hopes to present this: Obama is putting himself and the campaign first, while I’m putting helping the American people first. And that’s been one of his narratives, i.e., Obama is Obama first, McCain is country first. If it works, God bless him, but I just don’t see it this time. But as we all know, if the American people are anything, it’s unpredictable.
“I don’t want to rush to judgment.”
GAME OVER.
But seriously, that’s the correct approach. The first thing I did (well, not the first) was to picture OBAMA suspending his campaign and calling for a delay of the debates so he and McCain could go to Washington and participate in the process of finding a solution. Political strategery? Most likely. Boxers or briefs are a political consideration at this level.
What it does do is put Obama in a position to make a decision. He has seemingly taken the position that will be easier to criticize. We’ll have to see how it shakes out.
McCain is doing this to try and make it seem as if he’s doing something about the economy after the latest polls showed Obama boxing his ears. But McCain has nothing to do with what’s going on in the committee negotiations. It’s just posturing.
Obama should go to the debate. If McCain doesn’t show, then Obama can answer questions for an hour and repeatedly refer to his missing opponent.
Is it too soon to proclaim McCain as an American tragedy? The guy gave it all for his country, got into politics and did things his way…like a maverick. Then, allowed his own party to smear him and throw him under the bus with ugly whisper campaigns…but stayed true to them. He then became so desperate to become president he threw away his personal beliefs to drink the Rovian brewed kool-aid that smashed his superior presidential qualifications 8 years earlier.
It really is sad.
I just watched David Lettermen with replacement guest Keith Olbermann “dealing” with John McCain’s canceling his appearance to “fly back to Washington”.
Dave is great when he’s mad
🙂
Obama calls McCain at 8:30 am – suggesting they makwe a bipartisan statement to help things along – and by 9:30 McCain is calling press conferences to suspend his campaign – geez – is McCain just a little reactive – a little fast on jumping to decisions?? His whole campaign is so erratic – paranoid – hot tempered –
They must be desperate to get Palin out of that debate with Biden –
Then turns out – Obama has been in touch with congressional dems throughout this week as well as having had conversations with Paulson – but McCain has not – not even with his fellow repubs –
I don’t think McCain has ever been much of a leader among senate repubs – so what is he exactly gonna do in Washington??
McCain ended his chance for the White House today.
He cares so much about the economy he pulled a cheap political stunt to make Obama follow his “lead.” But America ain’t buying it. Only Hugh Hewitt.
Meanwhile, Sarah Palin can’t speak. To anybody.
Where’s Martin S to chime in with his take?
Ding ding ding. Down goes the liar. Down goes the liar.
Oh all the half-truths and outright lies that have been flying around the last couple of weeks, why do I get the feeling the one that’s going to stick the most is the lie Letterman called Mccain on tonight?
I am not voting but this chick is PEG FUCKING BUNDY. As an example of Repub SHOCK AND AWE BRILLIANCE, I give this selection an A-plus, because they have found their own personal (unworthy) messiah to match their perception of liberal Obama worship.
I implore you, go to a conservative site or watch Fox, the REVERENCE for this Podunk soccer Mom is on par with the Second Coming.
I’d have more respect for conservative republicans who could admit, yeah, she’s clueless and it was a totally manufactured choice, but in its own way, that’s kind of awesome because that’s how we roll.
And it’s the cynic in me, but MAHER IS SPOT FUCKING ON when he says Dems need to be as ruthless as Repubs, but they always take the high road and that’s why they get perceived as douchey and why they lose.
I have little doubt that in the oncoming six weeks, the Republicans can unleash even more 11th hour, hostile, Rovian, Swift Boat esque BULLSHIT that will GALVANIZE their base AND make the Dems look like ineffectual softies.
I realize this isn’t what people on left-skewing boards want to hear, and I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but the right still has SIX WEEKS to pull EVERY CARD POSSIBLE out of their ass, and they will be RELENTLESS. All the while, Barry will take the high road, and as almost ALWAYS — Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry — they will come off looking effete and overly thought and “INTELLECTUAL AND SHIT,” as if that’s a BAD thing.
All the right has to do is pull the yee-haw, football first, megapatriot country music God Bless America anti-“Socialist” trump card, and AS ALWAYS they will have this in the bag.
Not saying that’s the way I want it to go or not, just saying that’s what’s likely to happen. The Right IS TENACIOUS AND WILL NOT STOP, WILL TRY AAAAAAANYTHING — ANYTHING — to win this, while the left stands back and takes the nonexistent “high road.”
And, really, they’re stuck, because if they DO play rough and mock Palin, they’re characterized as “elitists,” which is apparently the worst thing you can be. Because God knows the PRESIDENT, RULER OF THE FREE WORLD oughta represent the Podunk Lowest Country Music Common Denominator.
Christ, I’m almost fired up enough to actually register to vote just thinking about it.
President Clinton, of all people, has given a reasoned apolitical response to McCain’s decision.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/bill-clinton-do.html
Palin won’t (or can’t) talk to the press. McCain went weeks without a press conference. Now McCain wants to delay his debate and the VP debate. I see a pattern emerging here.
LexG says, “Dems need to be as ruthless as Repubs”
Dems are always more ruthless than republicans.
“but they always take the high road”
No, they don’t. But, maybe they think they do.
“All the right has to do is pull the . . . anti-“Socialist” trump card.” Well, with the most liberal, socialist candidate in memory, it’s time to play that card.
Pick up your copy of ‘Liberal Fascism’ today.
Is that the book by that fringe lunatic Jonah Goldberg? That guy is a total nut.
How are Dems more ruthless in the age of Karl Rove?
Campbell Brown calls out the McCain campaign: “Free Sarah Palin!”
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/campbell.brown.palin/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
“Is that the book by that fringe lunatic Jonah Goldberg? That guy is a total nut.”
Well, that settles it then!
Mgmax I’m glad you’re having such a good time constructing pithy little replies to my comments. Or maybe you’re just a huge Jonah Goldberg fan.
“How are Dems more ruthless?”
They are better at vilifying people.
Such as claiming Senator McCarthy was on a witch hunt, and turning McCarthyism into pejorative. Then years later, as documents are declassified, most of the people he claimed were communists, and went to communist meetings, actually turned out to be communists.
So, we should redefine McCarthyism: accurately accusing a communist of being a communist or sympathizer.
Similarly with ‘Swiftboating,’ which needs to be redefined as exposing the lies of a democratic candidate.
Senator Kerry claimed, “I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have the president of the United States telling the American people that I was not there;”
The problem is, he wasn’t there.
“At least two of the shipmates who are supporting Kerry’s campaign (and one who is not) deny their boat ever crossed the border, and their testimony on this score is corroborated by Kerry’s own journal, kept while on duty.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27211-2004Aug23.html
Maybe if I love his book so much, I should marry it!
It is a hell of an interesting book, as most halfway-ggod books about the mid-20th century are almost by default. A lot of eyeopening material on such interesting figures as Col. Hugh Johnson, Margaret Sanger, Woodrow Wilson, etc. Those who lump it in with the book-like products of an Ann Coulter, say, do not know what they do not know.
I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree about Jonah Goldberg Mgmax. I confess to not having read Liberal Fascism, but I am familiar with Goldberg and believe he is a hardcore right-wing wacko.
R Scott R, defending Joseph McCarthy and Swift Boating. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
Did anyone else catch the video footage of Palin and her witch-hunting pastor laying hands on her in some kind of bizarro voodoo ceremony last nite on MSNBC?
Now we all know that if this had been a tape of Obama and Reverend Wright in a similarly “provocative” situation Palin would have had First Dude Todd and “I’m a fucking redneck” Levi don KKK get-ups to tar and feather them. Or at least burn a cross or two in their front yards.
And forget about the election: that ship would have sailed long before the two-millionth hit on YouTube.
Too bad the “liberal media” isn’t giving the Palin/pastor video the sort of play it deserves.
It isn’t normal to consult a voodoo high priest when needing financial help?
movieman-
I saw that last week. She’s a part of that divine church of laughter bullshit. Fucking nutjob.
http://vimeo.com/1679097?pg=embed&sec=1679097
Lex is in the supermarket. He spies a HOT CHICK flipping through a news magazine.
LEX
So how ’bout that Proposition Eight? I mean, can you believe these people?
HOT CHICK
I completely agree! Wanna buy me a drink?
Funky music plays. Lex winks at the camera as he escorts her to the nearest bar.
Who says politics don’t affect you in the practical sense?
Now, on the flip side: imagine the effect on your sex life of seeing Applehead Man and/or Peg Bunderson every day, looking out of your computer screen, on your TV, on magazines as you stand in the checkout line. The national libido will be depressed, especially in places like L.A. Hot chicks will be walking around slumped-over and without makeup as they buy quarts of Haagen-Dazs with which to drown their sorrows. It will be a world of pimples and thunder thighs, and that’s the best case scenario.
The worst is war with Russia, or Cormac McCarthy’s The Road in 3-D smell-o-vision. Forget getting laid — you’ll be too buy foraging for cans of Spam.
See? It does affect you, Lex. It’s a trickle-down kinda thing.
” years later, as documents are declassified, most of the people he claimed were communists, and went to communist meetings, actually turned out to be communists.”
Therefore, in a land of freedom of thought and expression, those people with different economic beliefs deserved to be hounded, fired and commit suicide.
Thanks for the clarification, R.Scott.
And yes, Goldberg is a loon. A subtle loon, but remember that he’s been defending George Bush for 8 years. That has to take the spirit out of a man.
And yes, Palin is batshit crazy. No wonder the GOP base loves her. The rest…not so much now.
She answered four questions!
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/25/palin-takes-questions-from-press-corps-for-first-time/
Anyone who supports McCarthyism is a piece of shit. A piece of shit who really needs a slap upside the head with some common sense. Again; this shows that repubconservs are bitter fucknuts. Who are the vilest scum in this or any country. Fortunately for those of us who are down with being PROGRESSIVE! The rest of the world laughs and mocks anyone who thinks like you or says/responds in the manner that you do.
Do you really think you can beat the fucking rest of the western world with your antiquated view of thinking? Do you really? If so… ha ha ha.
“most of the people he claimed were communists, and went to communist meetings, actually turned out to be communists.”
This is inadequate. You don’t destroy a number of peoples’ lives because some of them, but not all, were communist, and McCarthy is widely known for changing the number of names on his list when he couldn’t remember how many he had previously said. The revisionism surrounding McCarthy is surprising and almost as ugly as his own actions, and R Scott R isn’t just a troll, he’s an ugly troll.
Frankbooth: I laughed out loud at ‘Applehead Man’.
Wow. Somebody actually supporting McCarthyism. Thought we got over that crap 300 years ago in Salem.
Nightline talked to the Vietnamese involved in the battle:
http://abcnews.go.com/nightline/vote2004/story?id=166434
CBS News has Part II of this interview up now. Wow. WTF!?!? This chick makes Katie Couric look like Mike Wallace.
That vampire Bill Kristol thinks Palin should be sent in to debate Obama. Oh, I only wish.