"All every woman really wants, be it mother, senator, nun, is some serious deep-dicking" - Jason Lee, "Chasing Amy"
It would take a death wish to espouse that philosophy at your next dinner party, although it would certainly be an interesting - if heated - conversation. I think I'll ignore that impulse at work today, and instead, focus on killing time and eating the complimentary office breakfast tacos which arrive every Friday.
But before I grab one with bacon and another with potato, let's look at the serious stories this week such as:
A restraining order was filed by Britney Spears' parents against Sam Lutfi, her manager who the suit alleges aided the pop stars downward spiral by drugging her, taking over her finances and controlling the paparazzi "like a general."
The documents released by the court Tuesday ordered Lutfi to stay away from Spears. In a section of the order detailing previous harassment, Lynne Spears says Lutfi "drugged Britney, he has cut Britney's home phone lines and removed her cell phone chargers. He yells at her. He claims to control everything — Britney's business manager, her attorneys and the security guards at the gate."
Off the record, Lynne Spears stated that if anybody should be controlling Britney and her finances, it's her own mother who "really needs a new pair of shoes right now."
But the continuing Spears drama wasn't finished for the week as Britney was discharged from the hospital Wednesday over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist and against the wishes of her father, who has been named as her conservator.
Jamie and Lynne Spears, in a joint statement given to The Associated Press, said they were "extremely disappointed" to learn their daughter had been allowed out and feel her "life is at risk."
I'm actually with them on this point because if Britney isn't sick enough to belong in a hospital, then nobody is.
It was announced this week that Eva Mendes is in rehab. The actress is reportedly being treated at Utah's Cirque Lodge rehab clinic for an undisclosed addiction, after deciding herself she needed "professional support".
Her spokesman said: "Eva has been working hard for the past year and made a positive decision to take some much needed time off to attend to some personal issues that, while not critical, she felt deserved some outside professional support."
Although the ailment was not disclosed, I'm pulling strongly for sexual addiction and I could clear my calendar if Mendes needed to discuss the issue.
In other rehab news, Kirsten Dunst also checked into the Cirque Lodge in Utah this week, according to "Entertainment Tonight."
I'm fine with Dunst's reasons being the Young Hollywood standards of pills, booze or heroin.
Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that included painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication, the New York City medical examiner said Wednesday.
"Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," medical examiner's spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said in a statement.
This story is still just strange and sad, but now, certain rumors can at least be put to bed, which helps a small bit.
Jennifer Lopez is having twins, the singer/actresses father, David Lopez told Escándalo TV.
"Yes, twins,” he told the Spanish language TV show, People reported. “The thing is in my family, my sister also had twins, so it's a hereditary thing," he said. 
JLo's doctors stated that they initially attributed the baby's excess size and weight to an extremely well-developed posterior, which was only recently confirmed as being a separate child.
Per usual, let's end on a high note with this image: 
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought a little Red would jazz things up today. I know that Red usually means stop, however, this means Go to me, so make sure your signals are straight today, approach people with caution and . . . Happy Friday!
-BDS
{This is the Fourteenth in a semi-regular series of posts regarding great cinematic sex scenes as defined by me. This is completely arbitrary and open for interpretation, but so is life.}
"Desperado" was a wholly unrealistic, yet fairly enjoyable action film that featured Antonio Banderas running amok and piling up bodies and bullets in his search for revenge. 
I'm not a huge fan of Banderas, however, his partner-in-crime for the project, Salma Hayek, is another story entirely. Hayek plays a bookstore owner who aids Banderas during his quest, an association which leads to a steamy encounter with a fine soundtrack playing in the background. 
The scene itself is highly stylized with flash cuts and finesse and a plethora of candles which are used to light Hayek and Banderas as they grope their way around in other. The director, Robert Rodriguez, knows that it's hard to go wrong with sweat, complex positions and lots of nudity. 
He piles all of these elements into the scene. My only wish was that it was extended another few minutes as I could watch Hayek frolic around on camera sans clothes for quite awhile without worrying about details like pacing and plot.
But regardless of the scene's length, this tryst in "Desperado" still displayed enough heat to earn it a place among the all-time cinematic greats.
-BDS
I was tagged by Pobble with a writing quiz, so if you care about writing roughly as much as the Spice Girls aborted tour, then check back tomorrow. I, however, enjoy writing and I have a streak of tags answered to keep intact, so . . .
What is the last thing you wrote? Fiction ~ the first sentence of a novel; blog ~ Drunken Viking
Was it any good? Fiction ~ I subscribe to the Hemingway maxim of just trying to write one true sentence (or something like that). Blog ~ the Viking writes stuff writes itself.
What’s the first thing you ever wrote that you still have? A story about my great-grandfather traveling through time, and shooting armadillos on his riding lawnmower. This story was somewhere in elementary school and earned me state-wide honors for a contest. I'm still riding that gravy train.
Write poetry? Not serious poetry, although sometimes I'll do parodies.
Angsty poetry? This kind of crap belongs in junior high diaries as far as I'm concerned where it should never see the light of day or be forced onto other people.
Favorite genre of writing? Screenplays for now.
Most fun character you ever created? The Collector. A wild card with a handlebar mustache, and an affinity for random sayings as well as awkward public embraces.
Most annoying character you ever created? Alyssa. Uber-competitive, religiously-toned suburban wife with the upwardly mobile morals of a goat.
Best plot you ever created? A complex, ensemble-cast colliding on a train ride through Europe.
Coolest plot twist you ever created? Who gives away a plot twist up front?
How often do you get writers block? As the day progresses, I get less creative and attune to Writer's Block, which is roughly as fun as a kidney punch by Andre the Giant. I do my best writing in the morning with multiple cups of coffee. 
Write fan fiction? No.
Do you type or write by hand? I use the computer, although to edit my stuff, I always print it out and take a red pen to it. Then, I add the changes onto the computer.
Do you save everything you write? Yes. I wish I were better at organizing it, however, as I have pieces all over the place. That's one nice thing about the blog is that it's all right there in the archives.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you have abandoned it? Sure. I have lots of little notes/phrases/ideas jotted down just waiting to be used one day. If you're honest with yourself, however, some of them should never appear because they stink.
What’s your favorite thing that you’ve written? My first screenplay, "Last Train to Amsterdam," simply because it was the first thing I felt like showing to professional people.
What’s everyone else’s favorite story that you’ve written? Various letters to various people, and my second script, "Monkey Business."
Do you ever show people your work? Yes. It's better to show it to people who aren't that close to you or are pure professionals because otherwise it's hard to get an opinion that isn't hopelessly biased.
Did you ever write a novel? I'm starting my first one right now.
Ever written romance or teen angsty drama? No. I don't think I'd be good with either genre.
What’s your favorite setting for your characters? Real life - whatever that entails for the characters.
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Four. Two screenplays being revised, one novel being started and one blog to feed.
Do you want to write for a living? Ideally. I've done it before for a few years, and it's a hard dollar. If I could write fiction or screenplays for good money then I would quit my job tomorrow.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? Nope. The closest was being 1 point away from the semi-finals of the International Screenwriting contest last year. I was robbed.
Ever written something in script or play format? Yes. The fist one was in college, and based on a song "The Road Goes on Forever." It was fairly crappy. Now, I've written 2 comedies that I'm proud of, and am trying to do something with if I can line up enough luck.
What are your five favorite words? Brouhaha. Lonesome. Pussyfoot. Loathing. Atavistic.
Do you ever write based on yourself? Of course. The degrees vary greatly, but I rarely divorce myself completely from characters.
What character have you created that most resembles yourself? Hunter from my first script as he's a fed-up sitcom writer who is consistently bemused by life.
Where do you get your ideas for your other characters? People I come into contact with, friends, and reading the newspaper.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? Not really as most dreams should only be relayed to a psychiatrist who's being paid to listen to them.
Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff hangers? If I like the characters, then I favor happy endings that don't cheat to get there. More specifically, it doesn't have to tie everything up in a happy bow, however, I want an ending that feels true and not sloppy.
Have you ever written based on an artwork you’ve seen? No.
Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Yes. But my spelling is average, so spell check is a good friend of mine.
Ever write something entirely in chatspeak? Hell no. LOL.
Entirely in L337? No idea about this, so the answer is no.
Does music help you write? Yes. If it's not too loud, then I enjoy listening to Bob Dylan or James McMurtry. 
Quote something you’ve written: Beginning of my last email to a good friend in Ireland (I think email is underrated as a form of communication)
"We'll try this new email trick, and see if you are a man of your word. Personally, I have my doubts.
Then again, if you've got your workers fooled into beating themselves to death with little upfront money and arbitrary deadlines, you might just have the world on a string. I, on the other hand, do not and would require cash money upfront before any work was done.
But that's just me.
I would actually prefer to be paid in Euros, Canadian dollars or virtually anything other than U.S. currency as it is about as strong as complimentary hotel coffee. I would rather be paid in vats of Virgin's blood, which is in dwindling supply according to Some people, however, you can get anything in Hong Kong, Dirty. Consider the implications of that and get back to me."
-BDS
{This is the sixteenth in a recurring series that will only happen when I have consumed far too many spirits with my brother. Last night, more than a few bottles of Samuel Adams were consumed which triggered strange thoughts, candid insights and pure horseshit. Selah.}
* There's no such thing as an ex-stripper
* It's not a Super Bowl "party" unless there are at least 12 guests with 1/3 being female. Otherwise, it's simply 3 guys sitting around a bowl of congealing Queso dip.
* Always blame a married guy for fouling up the host's toilet at a viewing party.
* There should be no sushi consumed at a Super Bowl party.
* The game itself was fairly boring for three quarters, however, the fourth quarter made up for the early pace and proved once again that it's how you finish that matters.
* As for the commercials, two of my favorites were the Audi R8 ad with an homage to "The Godfather," and the Pepsi one with Justin Timberlake. The first was simply because the car gives me an erection, and the latter because I tend to enjoy watching Timberlake being pummelled and kicked in the crotch. 
* Per usual, there were also a slew of animal-themed commercials. The Doritos ad with the giant attacking rat and the Budweiser Clydesdale-in-training were the best ones with the Life Water dancing animated salamanders among the worst. Regarding the salamanders, I just didn't see why a sip of the beverage would cause them to dance to the Michael Jackson song "Thriller."
* I'm sure some people found the E*Trade commercials to be cute, however, I find talking babies with large vocabularies to be creepy.
* Life is too short to ever be caught drinking a Zima. 
* Be wary of a man whose hands are too soft.
* With the end of football season, generally abysmal weather and the manufactured nonsense of Valentine's Day, February is the most worthless month of the year.
* "There can't be good living where there is not good drinking." - Ben Franklin
-BDS
"Husband... negative. Children and a Labrador... negative. Tight little package... affirmative." - Matt Dillon, "There's Something About Mary" 
I take off one day of vacation for my birthday this week, and the rest of it just gets busier as work waits for nobody, especially as I recently got a promotion. This could seriously derail my blogging, however, time management is a skill that I pride myself on - much like long division and nude juggling.
But let's ignore work for the moment, and focus on the stories of the week like:
Britney Spears was taken from her home by ambulance early Thursday and escorted to a hospital by more than a dozen police officers.
A Los Angeles police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said the 26-year-old pop star was being taken to "get help" but did not give the ambulance's destination. The Los Angeles Times, citing unidentified authorities, said Spears was taken to UCLA Medical Center to be placed on a "mental evaluation hold." 
I've got nothing to add to this one except that it's about damn time, and Spears should stay there for a long enough for treatment to return her to the world that most of us inhabit on a daily basis.
Gwen Stefani's father-in-law announced this week that the singer is pregnant with her second child.
"They and the whole family are delighted," Douglas Rossdale told People.
The elder Rossdale is not going to be so "delighted" when Stefani sends a gang of Asians to trounce him for blowing the whistle about the baby, however, for now, he's in good spirits.
Tom Cruise is first on the list to get Ducati's newest motorcycle — a $72,500 superbike bristling with titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber technology that can scoot up to 200 mph.
Michael Lock, chief of Cupertino-based Ducati North America, said "We are delighted to be able to deliver the world's first production unit here in the USA to Tom Cruise, who is a well-known Ducati enthusiast." 
Lock also mentioned that Cruise requested the super-fast bike as a reminder to Katie Holmes that she can NEVER outrun him if she tries to flee (again).
From here on out, Miley Cyrus will be known by a new name -- and it's not Hannah Montana -- as the pop star/actress officially changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus this week. Cyrus was actually born with the moniker Destiny Hope Cyrus.
With so many names, I have no idea how Cyrus keeps them all straight, and I think the whole thing is probably her accountant's idea to hide all the money she's raking in these days.
Duane "Dog" Chapman cannot be extradited to Mexico to face criminal charges in his capture of serial rapist and fugitive Andrew Luster in 2003, a three-judge panel in Mexico ruled Tuesday.
The ruling will have no effect on Chapman's show. The A&E network put Chapman's "Dog the Bounty Hunter" show indefinitely on hold last November after a private phone conversation between the reality star and his son Tucker was posted online where Chapman used a slur repeatedly in reference to his son's black girlfriend.
Regardless, Chapman was thrilled by the ruling, and stated afterwards that he was terrified of going to Mexico because he "don't like Hispanic people anymore than black people."
Ethan Hawke and his girlfriend, Ryan Shawhuges, are expecting their first child together after they initially met when Ryan worked as a nanny for the actor during his marriage to Uma Thurman.
“They are over the moon!” a pal tells In Touch about the pregnancy. 
Somehow I doubt the couple will be hiring a female nanny once the baby arrives.
As always, let's end with a pleasing image: 
Since it's February, early in the morning and semi-cold in Austin, a beach looks pretty good to me right now.
There's something about the bumps in the sand, and the swell of the ocean at high tide with its raw, circular power that leaves me emotionally erect. So, think about somewhere tropical, shed a layer or two of clothing and . . . Happy Friday!
-BDS
I got an early birthday present this past weekend during my second meeting with the film producer (see old entry at bottom of this one for history).
We had a 30-minute conference call on Sunday to discuss his thoughts after reading the full script for "Monkey Business." I always imagined or rather hoped that such a conversation would take place at a hipper-than-thou Hollywood club, however, this one took place with me drinking coffee in my underwear inside my loft. Selah. 
The first thing I learned was that this guy just signed on to direct his first comedy, which begins shooting in Florida next week. This was good news in the long term as our script is meant to be funny.
The second item was that he actually read the full script, and he still liked the overall plot and concept. He was also still interested in exploring things further, and his three main points for my brother and I to work on were:
A) Make the main characters more likable/empathetic early in the script
B) Develop the love story more
C) Have 1 - 2 more "outrageous" moments of comedy that people would be talking about
He cited the hair gel scene in "There's Something About Mary" as an example of the last point. Of course. 
My gut reaction is to:
A) Have both main characters save a cat from a tree, thwart a mad-dog rapist and kidney punch a would-be church arsonist within the first 5 pages
B) Feature an envelope-pushing, sweaty sex scene or two
C) Ponder other bodily fluids to be used as hygiene products
But those are just my initial thoughts.
Anyway, while he's in Florida shooting the movie, my brother and I supposed to work up a detailed outline to address the points we discussed. Our contact will be back in Austin at the end of February, and at that time, we'll re-connect to discuss the changes. It will be time for a decision (at least in my mind) at that stage, so the next month will require a fair bit of work.
I only hope the final meeting will be held at a nightclub with loads of champagne and debauchery at hand. We'll see.
-BDS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I got semi-good news this weekend as I spoke to the film producer who now has a comedy script - "Monkey Business" - written by my brother and I resting in his hands. 
{Editor's Note: Unfortunately, there are no actual monkeys in the screenplay.}
As a quick recap, this started about a month ago with a random introduction to the producer followed by:
* The producer asking for a script treatment to read
* Me frantically writing a treatment which totaled about 12 pages
* A coffee shop meeting where we discussed his thoughts on the treatment.
* He liked the premise and the characters and asked for the full script
* We mailed the script and celebrated a very minor victory with a couple of pitchers
These past few weeks, we have wondered how our actual script has been holding up, and after calling the producer to find out, we discovered that so far the feedback is still positive.
On the phone, he said that he had already read the script once, then silence. This felt ominous so I said, "Well, I hoped you laughed a few times."
He said "Yes, I did." Then more silence.
"So, what are your impressions so far?" I asked.
This time he went into a bit of length, and stated that he still really liked the premise, the story structure and the comedy. The main changes he saw right now was adding more depth to the characters to juxtapose the comedic situations with something more firmly rooted in reality.
Fair enough. I can add depth any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I'll just splice in a few scenes with main characters pontificating slowly about life set against some background that's highly symbolic - like a rotted-out dumpster or more to the point, the broken-down dumpster of life. 
Well, maybe something else, but it is a reasonable fix and far easier than blowing up the structure or adding characters.
The call ended with the producer telling me that he wanted to read the script a second time before we met again to discuss his thoughts in more depth. So, we now have plans to sit down the week after Thanksgiving or the first week of December, depending upon the projects that he's working on.
But regardless, it was certainly good news that our finished screenplay held up under his initial examination. It sounds like round of celebratory pints are in order to me as every little step is a small victory when you're coming out of nowhere.
-BDS
Today is my birthday.
I feel like the king of my castle. A person without boundaries or limits. Finally, I'm above the law. 
{Editor's Note: I did not build this sandcastle.}
Actually, as I've said before, I think all birthdays following your 21st are hardly worth celebrating. Besides, what am I going to do on a Tuesday anyway?
It doesn't matter as I will find something to occupy my time. I have no choice. My company allows for a birthday vacation day - a nice perk which only falls slightly behind the nap room in my book - so I am out of the office and free to run amok.
The only firm item I have scheduled is a deep-tissue massage (not the seedier variety) where I will be kneaded like dough, and likely beaten within an inch of my life. This will actually feel fine as a little masochistic activity on your birthday is good for the soul. 
We'll see if that notion holds up, however, any day off work is cause for celebration.
-BDS
Worth A Matinee or Full-Price Ticket: Matinee. This is a short, secrecy-shrouded, shaky-camera monster movie. That's it.
Will I Own It On DVD: No. I don't feel the need to ever watch "Cloverfield" again. 
1) Anybody with a predisposition towards motion sickness should NOT see "Cloverfield." The film is shot from the viewpoint of a character in the film, which means that there is lots of shaking, sprinting and whirling throughout much of the running time. Two people in the audience left about 30 minutes into the film - I was not one of them as it didn't bother me from a sickness perspective.
2) That being said, the film only works if you believe that someone would continue to film himself and his friends as a giant monster is obliterating New York City. This is a difficult concept for me to swallow, however, we do live in the age of YouTube and the general recording of virtually everything, so it's somewhat possible (I suppose).
3) There are no "name" actors in the film, which benefits the story. The plot concerns a group of friends at a going-away celebration who must cope with a horrendous party interruption in the form of a seldom-seen, but terrifically brutal monster that suddenly descends on the city. The party itself serves only to introduce the main characters, and luckily the film doesn't linger for too long as the monster shows up just when things are turning melodramatic.
4) The film's money-shot is right after the party turns to chaos. Everyone is out in the street when buildings start shaking, and then the head from the Statue of Liberty comes crashing down. It's a fairly nifty trick. 
5) The best part about the ending (and ignoring some hackneyed logic that brought the characters to the conclusion) is that it doesn't tie things up in a neat, little bow. It's grim, yet realistic and I give the filmmaker's kudos for keeping things dark.
All in all, "Cloverfield" suceeds in being a different take on the monster-movie genre. Whether you enjoy that new take, however, depends on your opinion of the first-person narrative strategy, and I mainly wish that the characters presented would have give me more reason to root for them.
-BDS
"I'm sorry - I'm not sorry. Okay? I'm not gonna apologize, I'm a cocksman!" Vince Vaughn, "The Wedding Crashers" 
It's been raining, cold and overcast in Austin this week. Ugly weather where you feel like doing very little except stay indoors to drink red wine or simply hibernate like a bear. Unfortunately, I had a lot of work to keep me busy and I imagine Hollywood did as well because it was a fairly slow week.
That being said, let's take a quick look at the tough stories such as:
Kiefer Sutherland has been released from jail after serving 48 days on a drunken driving charge, according to a police official.
"People" magazine quoted police Officer John Balian as saying, "(Kiefer) looked like he was glad to be out," and that Sutherland spent his sentence cleaning sheets, pillowcases and blankets on laundry duty.
The officer also said that Sutherland entertained his fellow prisoners by doing Emilio Estevez impersonations from "Young Guns."
Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo has reportedly dumped Jessica Simpson, who was widely blamed for costing him a shot at the Super Bowl.
"Tony is now starting to blame her himself," a pal told OK! magazine. "Before dating Jessica, he was Texas' golden boy. Now he's become a joke." 
Romo went ahead with the break-up despite Simpson's argument that "becoming a joke does get easier with time."
Actor Heath Ledger, 28, died this week after he was found dead on Tuesday afternoon in bed in his SoHo apartment. A bottle of prescription sleeping pills was nearby, although the New York City medical examiner's office said that the cause of death could take two weeks to determine. 
There's nothing funny about this story as it's just strange and sad.
Dr. Phil McGraw said this week that he does not apologize for trying to help Britney Spears.
On his syndicated talk show, McGraw said he had planned to do a show on Spears' troubles before she was hospitalized January 3rd. Furthermore, he says Spears' mother, Lynne, had planned on participating.
McGraw also refused to apologize for populating the airwaves with generally worthless psychobabble.
Oliver Stone announced his intention to direct a film current US President George Bush, and has tapped Josh Brolin, currently receiving rave reviews in the Coen brothers' No Country For Old Men, as the lead. 
Stone intends the film to be extremely dramatic, however, it sounds like a comedy to me.
British singer Amy Winehouse entered a rehabilitation clinic Thursday as part of her ongoing battle against drug addiction, her record label said.
Her decision followed the leak earlier this week of a home video that showed her smoking something in a glass pipe minutes after she is heard saying she had just taken six tablets of the anti-anxiety drug Valium to "bring myself down". 
I suppose they tried to make her go to Rehab, she said "no, no, no" and then they strapped her to a chair and dropped her off, which is where she needs to stay for a long, long time.
Britney Spears failed on Wednesday in her latest bid to regain the right to see her two young sons after again ducking a court hearing on the issue, Los Angeles court officials said.
Spears, 26, who has either not turned up at numerous hearings or has turned back because of a media crush, was filmed by news media arriving at the Los Angeles court building on time. But she did not make it to the courtroom where her lawyers and her ex-husband, dancer Kevin Federline, went ahead with proceedings without her.
Spears later claimed that she confused the bathroom for the courtroom and gave her testimony to a woman in the adjoining stall.
Since the weather and general state of affairs seems dire, let's end with a pleasing image: 
I overcame my fear of heights to snap this picture, and I am still proud of myself. So, tackle your fears today, take things to the next level and . . . Happy Friday!
-BDS
{Editor's Note: This is a semi-regular series of high-water mark performances that spans movies, television, books, music and life its ownself.}
"The Karate Kid" was a fine product of the 80s as it featured an underdog overcoming long odds and using karate to settle scores with a bunch of teenage bullies at school. 
This film, however, would not have endured if it weren't for the fine work of Pat Morita as "Mr. Miyagi," a role that the actor dominated by playing it straight and never succumbing to kitsch. He projected the character as stern yet caring, and he never lost his sense of humor while staying away from cheap parlor tricks. 
In many ways, Mr. Miyagi was a Renaissance man. He was proficient in fixing things, a master of karate, an excellent Bonsai tree trimmer, a spiritual man and someone who could appreciate a good joke as he answered Ralph Macchio's questions about his karate belt color by extolling the virtues of his "$3.98 belt to hold his pants up."
Obviously he was a practical man as well.
But it didn't stop there as Morita also owned a great house surrounded by a fleet of antique cars, a domestic set-up that was consistently being improved by the steady stream of child labor in the form of Macchio. The man even had a koi pond out back! 
Morita's acting ability even made it plausible that Mr. Miyagi had a potent healing power that could be summoned by simply rubbing his hands together and then touching them to an injury. Quite simply, the man was an unstoppable force of nature.
It's a credit to Morita that this played out so well, and the film loses steam whenever he's not on camera. The filmmakers were very wise to have chosen Morita because Macchio could never have carried this project on his own back - he needed a firm hand and classy guy like Morita to guide him into the promised land.
Morita easily steered the movie to its winning conclusion, and in doing so, turned in the most enduring work of his career.
-BDS
"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it," Thomas Jefferson.
I'm in tune with Jefferson's view of luck, a sentiment echoed by many other successful people who bristle at the notion that their fame, fortune and careers can be chalked up to the concept.
But some things are beyond the control of us all - despite skill and perseverance. This is where luck comes into play, and some people are definitely luckier than others.
I've long counted myself in this former category, an occurrence I rarely take for granted and something that I remembered yesterday as I drove home from work in the pouring rain. I was listening to 107.1 in Austin, and generally spacing out when the DJ announced that caller number seven would win concert tickets for "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals." 
Despite having never heard of this band, I decided to try my luck. I called once. Busy. Then on the second dial, I passed right through and a voice told me I was the correct caller and I now had tickets for their concert this week at Stubbs. Lucky indeed.
A few months earlier, I was the correct caller and won a Van Morrison CD that I've yet to claim. These things happen.
Unfortunately, this is small-scale luck, and generally I'm no good at raffles. My one raffle win came back in high school, but it was stellar as my local movie memorabilia shop presented me with a "Pulp Fiction" movie poster autographed by John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. 
I still have that item framed and mounted as it has traveled with me for more than a decade.
My main fear in all of this is that I will exhaust or dilute my luck before I use this power for something grand. There is only so much luck in one lifetime, much as a man has only a certain number of erections in his genetic make-up, and I need to conserve my supply for the big score.
To help in this restoration program, I plan to call the radio station later today and release my concert tickets in hopes of returning this bit of luck into the pool. We'll see if that works.
-BDS
