IdeaJones

Author: Mark@IdeaJones

  • Fresh Intel

    So I’m waiting for the train, and hear, “This is intel you acquired from Frank?”

    Way to pique my interest there, Slick! I’m not a conspiracy theorist, nor do I think they’re out to get me, but I’m not used to hearing that phrase anywhere except thriller/spy movies. Sure, they’re probably talking about some sales contract or a number that got left off a spreadsheet – but, goodness! Doesn’t “intel you acquired” sound juicy?

    Maybe this person didn’t intend for me to overhear that particular bit of intel – maybe it never crossed his mind that anyone could hear. But fella, on a train platform, you never know who you’re standing next to (unless you’ve got some REALLY good intel!), so beware the consequences of your conversation. Maybe I’m not a journalist, but I know a whole passel of ’em who might be interested in following up on some hot “intel.”

  • Jewelry Now Available

    Looking for something unique for someone on your gift list? We just added some necklaces to our Etsy shop.

    Everything’s one-of-a-kind (although some, especially the monogram necklaces, are similar).

  • Exposing Fraud is Unprofessional? – Corporate Hall of Shame Award

    “Blissful Ignorance” Award for encouraging fraud: Southern California Edison.

    According to a story in the Sunday newspaper, Xavier Alvarez was strutting around claiming to be (among other things) a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Alvarez, a member of the Three Valleys Water District Board in Southern California (that part’s true), ran into Southern California Edison employee Melissa Anne Campbell in the course of their duties. Campbell, a Marine veteran, told the FBI she had doubts about Alvarez’s claim. So Cal Edison’s response? Campbell says she was told “that exposing Alvarez as a fraud was unprofessional.” The FBI disagreed, and Alvarez was charged under the Stolen Valor Act of 2006, which makes it a “federal crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a Medal of Honor or other congressionally authorized military decorations.”

    So Cal Edison did something about it, too — they fired Campbell.

    So Cal Edison’s priorities are clear. Fortunately for the rest of us, so are Campbell’s, who, after being dumped by So Cal Edison found work as a preschool teacher. (Alvarez pleaded guilty, while reserving his right to appeal, and was sentenced to probation, a fine, and 400 hours service in a veterans hospital.)

    Presumably, So Cal Edison didn’t use the outing of Alvarez as their official reason for canning Campbell. But if their stance is that revealing fraud is unprofessional, maybe somebody needs to take a closer look at their books.

    The Sacramento Bee, Oct. 23, 2011 – Pg A1, A14: When heroism is built upon lies, by Sam Stanton

  • The Last Stop…

    “The Last Stop.” I’d never seen that message on the train’s destination board before. Maybe because I never ride to the end of the line.

    This morning, I’m not sure I’ll be riding the train at all. Leaving the house four minutes late, I’ll have to jog at least a third of the way to the station to make up time. On the overpass that crosses the rail line, I can see quite a way down the tracks, and don’t see headlights, so I probably have sufficient time to slow to a walk. (Sometimes they trick me and run without lights, but they usually have them on.)

    At the station, we wait. And wait. The next train going the other direction comes through. Not a good sign. Still no headlights down the tracks.

    How long can I wait before trekking back to the house to get the car? Of course, I’ll have to find a place to park away from the office, since first-of-semester college traffic will tie up the roads near the campus and make for a very long drive.

    The train finally comes, making alternate scenario calculations moot. Of course, since there was a missing train in the interim, this one’s twice as full as usual. I rarely sit down on the train anyway, preferring to stand, but usually have space to lean against something. Not this trip. I figure we are half as packed as a Tokyo subway train. Don’t know how they do it. (Yes, I do – they employ “pushers” to shove people onto the train.)

    The doors close. I glance at the destination board. It briefly flickers “Meadowview” (uh-oh – the wrong direction) then says “The Last Stop” before shutting down altogether.

    “Not a good sign,” I say, getting a nervous smile from the woman next to me. The audio system (“the next stop is…”) also shuts down. At least the air conditioning is working. So far.

    Without stop announcements, the train is unnaturally quiet, even though there are many more people than usual aboard. We cruise along in silence, doors opening and passengers readjusting at each station. It occurs to me that wherever a person gets off the train, that stop, for them, is the last stop.

  • Worth The Price of Admission?

    I’ve been trying to figure out what makes a story work (or not). Joey and I regularly dissect movies we watch together (usually after the film – we’re both sticklers about not talking during). Buy a ticket for a roller coaster, and you want a ride worth the price of a ticket. This goes for any entertainment, right? My standards for movies, for example, go: on TV or streaming with commercials, premium TV or streaming, matinee, and full-price. By the time you get to “full price,” I expect to be very entertained. We usually (but not always) agree on what was a very good, or so-so experience. There seem to be some basic areas where an idea has a chance to go right (or wrong):

    AUDIENCE – Who did they think was watching the romance tacked on to the thriller or action-adventure movie, where it’s clear somebody said, “We need a romantic interest!” but nobody asked “Why?” and nobody gave any more thought to that part of the story, so there it is, begging to be fast-forwarded through. Or the goofball comedy that all of a sudden grinds to a halt for The Message, leaving you rolling your eyes. Did the people putting the movie together have a clear picture of who they’re trying to entertain?

    GENRE – Maybe I just wasn’t the right audience for Helen Hunt’s “then she found me” (based on the novel by Elinor Lipman). We saw it because we both like Helen Hunt, and still do, but was it a comedy? It said it was (well, they used the term “dramedy,” but doesn’t that mean you get comedy with your drama?). It wasn’t. I don’t mean “I didn’t get it.” I got it – there were no gags, no jokes, no funny situations. It was a drama. The DVD included interviews with the cast trying to sell me on the idea that what I’d just seen was a comedy. Some really fine actors couldn’t convince me this movie was funny.

    HOOK – In all genres, there’s something akin to the blood-soaked corpse as a way to hook your audience. I still remember seeing the 1970 film “Mark of the Devil” when it first came out. (I know, I’m dating myself – I’ll date myself further by telling you Mom dropped me off at the theater and had no idea what I was going to see. I remember my friend wondering how I could continue to eat my Good & Plentys as the fake blood was squirting all over. Hey, it was fake blood.) I’ve been hooked on horror ever since. (Remember, it was fake blood. Don’t try to make me sit through the nature show where the lion kills the zebra. Yuck.)

    THE “WOW” FACTOR – Bathing beauties or train wreck, a visual appeal is a big plus. I’ll go with the train wreck every time. Joey likes animals, especially dogs. Oh! Maybe nude dog-trainers on the circus train. Or not. (“The Greatest Show on Earth” with Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton and Jimmy Stewart includes a great train wreck. It works even though you can see the crashing trains are little models.)

    RESOLUTION – Tie me a bow on this package. I want to feel that I’ve fully experienced the trip. Which isn’t to say I really wanted to see what Harry Potter looked like 19 years later (although the second time they shot the scene, it worked fairly well).

    TAKEAWAY – In a (good) comedy or drama, there’s usually a scene or character you’re still talking about on the way to the car. In musical comedy, there’s usually a song you’re still humming on the way out the door. I definitely hum the tunes from Andrew Lloyd Webber shows when leaving the theater – he’s hit the same theme time and time again, all evening long. (Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. He does write some good stuff.) At least there’s a new theme with each show.

    ADDED VALUE – One word. Easter egg. OK, that’s two words, but you know what I’m talking about. Who hasn’t spent a few minutes (or more) playing the Perry Platypult game Disney developed for the Phineas and Ferb movie. I know I have. Go ahead, you know you want to. Here it is: Perry Platypult Game

    (Warning: This link will take you to a Disney site where you will have to watch a brief commercial before you can play the game.)

    Also, I’m a sucker for those stingers at the end of the movie, that added bonus for sitting through the credits. Tuck in that little bit of “extra,” like the roller coaster that seems to reach the end of its journey, only to take off again (Sea World’s “Journey to Atlantis” ride does this right. A great ride, you think you’re reaching the end, then… yes!).

    So now we try to put all this to work, and try to make the ride worth the price of the ticket.