PeterDavid.net

So– whad’ja think?

We went to the Magic Kingdom yesterday and got in around 11:40 AM. By noon, they’d reached capacity and closed the park. Today they closed the Magic Kingdom at 9:30 AM. Fortunately we were at Epcot. We’re doing MGM tomorrow but, boy, we’re gonna make sure to get there early.

Took caroline today to the Seas, where they have a “Finding Nemo” exhibit. She watched the real life versions of the fish swimming around in tanks, and she was breathlessly saying, “Nemo! Dorrie!” She had a great time, spending close to two hours there before collapsing in sheer blissful exhaustion.

PAD

With house sitter firmly in place to keep the house lived in, the David family hit the road for an East Coast excursion.

Right now we’re down in Atlanta, so that Kath can visit with her parents and siblings. The monkey wrench in the works is that Caroline developed a cast of the croup last night, for which there’s not a ton that can be done short of helping her ride out the cough with everything from cool air to sitting in the bathroom with the shower going so she can breathe in the steam (fortunately, being a middle-aged Jew, a steam room is more or less my natural habitat.)

Fortunately the doctor says it’s a minor case and she should be in good shape within a few days. The 27th, we’ll be heading down to Disney where we’ll be spending New Years. Since we’re anticipating crowds there, we’ll be going lots of places we don’t ordinarily go (Disney miniature golf, anyone?)

PAD

I’m getting a lot of questions regarding the following comment made by a web reviewer in regards to “After the Fall”:

“Word has it that this is the beginning of the end of the NEW FRONTIER
series, and that Peter David is preparing to retire the series after the end of this three-part arc.”

Why the heck do people say “Word has it” without asking me?

First of all, it’s not my series to “retire.” It’s owned by Paramount and S&S. If I decided I didn’t want to write any more, Pocket would be entirely within its rights to hire–I dunno–my second coming, Keith DeCandido, and have HIM write it. For that matter, if Pocket decides they don’t want to continue it, I’ve nothing to say about it.

While it’s true that there’s no contract beyond the current three book arc, that means nothing. Pocket has never offered me a new contract when I’m still working under the previous one. Once I’ve turned in the last two books that are covered under the current six-book contract, THEN we’ll see what’s what. But if Pocket wants to continue the series and continue it with me, I’m perfectly game.

I mean, geez, think, people. Why would I create a major jumping on point in “After the Fall” if I were planning to jump off two books later?

PAD

Went to Ariel’s school concert last night. Unlike other school systems where specifics of the season are being meticulously expunged, here they actually sing Christmas songs (along with, of all things, a medley from “Fiddler.”) I find that preferable. I think inclusive is always preferable to exclusive. What kind of message are schools sending kids if they effectively stick their heads in the sand and try to ignore all signs of the holidays.

Also, as a Jew, I have to say I don’t understand how it’s possible for the “true meaning” of Christmas to be lost. Yesterday, as I went to the post office to buy a $5 money order and encountered fifteen people on line, each juggling half a dozen packages…or when a local strip mall where I buy groceries had no parking places because it was choked with holiday buyers…or when street after street, normally easy driving, was clogged with traffic…in short, when even the simplest errand took forever, I cannot tell you the number of times I shouted, “Jeeeeesus Chriiiiist.”

PAD

The Scientist :: OFAC reverses embargo ruling

OFAC reverses embargo ruling
Decision allows US publishers to edit manuscripts from Cuba, Iran, and Sudan | By John Dudley Miller

In a reversal of almost all of the controversial prohibitions enacted in September 2003 that led to a lawsuit against it by a coalition of US publishers 3 months ago, the Treasury Department reauthorized American authors and publishers to collaborate with and edit the scientific and other manuscripts of citizens in trade-embargoed countries yesterday (December 15).

Last April, OFAC reauthorized IEEE—but not American publishers in general—to edit manuscripts from embargoed nations and to provide some services to them. Cecelia Jankowski, IEEE’s managing director of regional activities, welcomed yesterday’s ruling, saying, “It further confirms our interpretation of the April ruling that enabled IEEE to resume all publishing activity.”

Just last week, I was at Penn Station, chatting with Tom DeFalco. All unknowing, I asked how his wife was. “Not good,” said Tom, then paused a moment and said, “Cancer.” Caught flatfooted and having to rush to make my train, I asked if they were treating it. Tom kind of half nodded in a noncommittal fashion, and I said I’d call for an update and find out what was going on.

Tom didn’t let on how bad it was, because Pat DeFalco passed away a few days later. My condolences go out to Tom and his family on the tragic loss of this sweet woman whom I met on several occasions. Tom has requested that if people are so inclined, they should make donations in Pat’s name to the American Cancer Society.

PAD

So people have been e-mailing me (yes, my e-mail is functioning properly once more) asking me if I’m “happy” about the news that Todd McFarlane has filed for bankruptcy.

The answer is, no, of course not, for two reasons. First, I take no pleasure in the misfortune of others, even if they’ve done me dirt. And second, I don’t think of this as anything other than a canny accounting dodge so that Todd can get out of the debts he owes to people that he’s done dirt to. Tony Twist, to whom he lost two court battles for naming a murderous thug after him; Neil Gaiman, to whom he made countless promises that he then broke; various artists including my past collaborator, Angel Medina, to whom he owes thousands. Depending upon how it plays out, all these people he’s screwed over may wind up getting pennies on the dollar, while Todd winds up “reorganizing” and eventually going back to business as usual without having to properly compensate these guys. Guys who (with the exception of Twist) made only one mistake: Trusting Todd McFarlane.

Granted, I’m not an accountant or a lawyer. So if someone with an accounting or law degree would care to explain that I’m wrong, I would love to hear it. I would very much like to be wrong on this and think that guys like Neil and Angel will be able to get what’s due them.

PAD

Glenn was out here until 3 AM last night trying to get my computer sorted out, and the decision after many hours of labor and crunching is the computer is probably on the verge of dying and I’ll need a new one.

Meanwhile, Verizon assured me that the line noise problem on my fax line would be resolved by late afternoon. In a sense, they were right. There’s no longer any line noise. There’s also no dial tone. The line is now completely dead. In the words of Henry Jones, Sr., “Our situation has not improved.”

PAD

We’re having some sort of major Verizon screw-up in the area. Although Kath’s computer, which functions along a DSL line, can still access the internet, my older computer (which doesn’t have the memory requirements to accommodate a DSL) is still locked into dial-up. Which isn’t usually a problem except we seem to terminal line-noise on the phone lines, making the internet inaccessible to me (and also puts the kibosh on my fax line). Which means that I’m completing work and have no means of getting it TO anybody since e-mail has become the conveyance of choice.

So I tried to call my editors to find out if they have any direct fax numbers (as opposed to, say, general switchboard faxes) so I can go to a shipping place and pay to fax the work out. And naturally all I get is voice mail. I keep thinking about how, when I was working at Marvel, phones were NEVER unmanned. Even during lunch hour, someone would always stay to man the phones. I don’t need to talk to an editor or get a callback just to get a fax number; an assistant could easily provide that information. I think voice mail, although convenient for the person being called, has become the first, best weapon in the spiralling quality of customer service and simple human interaction in this country.

PAD

I’ve finished the first draft of the treatment for “Gene Roddenberry’s Starpoint Academy.” Twenty pages long, providing a beat-by-beat guide through (what hopefully will be merely the first) adventure of the Starpoint students.

As always, there’s many a potential slip along the way. But I’ll keep you guys apprised as matters progress.

Now, off to work on the FF novelization. I’ve even got the first line, which is not in the script. I just like it: “I’m worried about’cha, Reed,” said Ben Grimm. “I think yer stretchin’ yourself too thin.”

PAD

Yes, it’s out! Finally, the threads all come together is revealed! The killer of Sue Dibny is–

Whoops. Wrong book.

So. Madrox #4. Whad’ja think?

Just so everyone is clear as to who is posting the entry. This is Kathleen aka the Wife.

Peter has not giving up on Cowboy Pete. He knows how much y’all (I can use it since I lived in the South for about 1/2 my life) enjoy talking about TV.

He has been rather busy the past few weeks and probably the next couple working on finishing up several projects before years end. Some of which he has talked about and a few we still have to keep under wraps until the contracts/agreements are dry. Welcome to the life of a freelance.

Kath

FCC Wary of Greeks Baring Gifts at Games (washingtonpost.com)

In response to one or more indecency complaints, the Federal Communications Commission has asked NBC to send it tapes of its coverage of the Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies in Athens, the network confirmed late yesterday.

Ironically, the night before, NBC’s Summer Games coverage was named the family-friendliest special of 2004 during WB’s broadcast of the sixth annual Family Television Awards. The awards are given by the Family Friendly Programming Forum, a group of 46 major national advertisers working to encourage networks to produce more family-friendly prime-time fare…

Yet another example of how open we Americans are to free expression and ideas from other lands nowadays…

I thought the most poorly named product in recent history was the brand of Peter Pan peanut butter that was called “Peter Pan Whipped.” It implied everything from sadomasochism in Neverland to the notion that Peter doesn’t get to leave the house unless Wendy gives him the okay.

But that pales in comparison to the ad I saw tonight for Jack-In-The-Box. Get this:

Buy a Value Meal, and you get a Reindeer ball.

Oh. My God.

Let us be generous enough to assume they’re not talking about sexual congress with a reindeer. Let us, instead, go with the obvious. For those of you who want to know what it is like to eat a Reindeer ball, I refer you to Darlene Randle of “Fear Factor” who had to eat that very thing. According to Ms. Randle:

“They had a casing that was so hard to digest and chew. They exploded in your mouth when you put them in there and it was all warm and just totally gross. Just chewing the outer part was the hardest for me to get down. I had to chew it up as much as possible and then swallow.”

I mean, it’s not as if the term “Jack in the Box” doesn’t have its own bit of sexual innuendo. So you think they’d be alert. You’d think perhaps they might have said you could get a free Reindeer Christmas Ornament. But no. Eat at JITB, get a Reindeer ball.

What next? Elf balls?

PAD

I’m always amazed by people who refuse to support the CBLDF because they perceive the organization as solely interested in protecting the publication of adult-only comics. Since such nay-sayers find such comics in poor taste, they don’t understand why the CBLDF would fight for the rights of any adult to purchase them. And when it’s pointed out that other material may well be targeted, they dismiss such claims out of hand.

I wonder what they would say to what’s currently going on in South Carolina, where the U.S. government seized a comic book because–get ready–it featured a parody of George W. Bush.

Not that that’s what they admit to, of course. From the intro to the case at www.cbldf.org:

“On October 27, U.S. Customs sent a letter to Top Shelf Productions notifying them that copies of the anthology Stripburger had been seized, charging that the stories “Richie Bush” by Peter Kuper and “Moj Stub” (translated, “My Pole”) by Bojan Red

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Foreign dissidents facing U.S. hurdles to publishing

In an apparent reversal of decades of U.S. practice, recent federal Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations bar American companies from publishing works by dissident writers in countries under sanction unless they first obtain U.S. government approval.

The restriction, condemned by critics as a violation of the First Amendment, means that books and other works banned by some totalitarian regimes cannot be published freely in the United States.

Way to export our values, guys– by not importing other values.

Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has joined the lawsuit, arguing that the rules preclude American publishers from helping craft her memoirs of surviving Iran’s Islamic revolution and her efforts to defend human rights in Iranian courts.

Does anyone know if a documentary about bowling, “A League of Ordinary Gentlemen,” is available on tape or DVD or on cable or any frelling place? I’d love to see it, particularly since it features some bowlers that I’ve actually bowled with in the Pro-Am.

By the way, is anyone planning to bowl in the February Pro-Am in Babylon, NY? If we can match up a time, maybe we can get a group together.

PAD

Chappy Chanukah.

PAD

So a writer who shall go nameless (because, y’know, why afford him or her the publicity) announced on a radio program that my run on HULK will absolutely end after the current six issues to make way for a “new creative team.”

I’ve spoken with Tom Brevoort because this was news to me. Tom had previously been contacted by other netfolks and had been judicious in his answers because it was news to him as well and he wanted to do just what I was doing: Check with his higher ups to see if it was true.

Long story short: Absolutely nothing has changed from what I told you months ago. I’m on the series for six issues. We’re going to see what the numbers are like. We’re going to see how all parties feel about my staying on board after that.

I can tell you this: Both Marvel and I are looking for a clear signal from the fans. If the numbers are there, that’s one signal. If they’re not, that’s another. So in large measure, it remains up to you.

PAD