An "Extra" Special Announcement

Another reminder that this Saturday morning, Sketch22 is shooting a segment of video for our upcoming show.  We urge anyone and everyone who can possibly make it to meet outside the Guild in Charlottetown at 9:30 Saturday morning, June 17.  It’s supposed to be a nice day, weather-wise, so the god’s may be blessing us.
The more people we can get, the better the shot will work.  If you are hemming and hawing about coming to it, please tell your mind that it will be fun.  And you’ll really be helping us out.
While it’s not required, we’d love it if you showed up in some kind of get-up that would get you noticed.  Of course, we’ll be happy if you show up in your everyday, normal clothes, but we really want this to be a spectacle, and anything you can wear, or bring as a personal prop, would certainly help us achieve that.
Your “on-screen” requirement will be very simple and easy.  Nothing drastic or difficult or disrespectful will be asked of you.  All you’ll have to do is show up and be part of what could be the coolest assemblage of people Charlottetown has ever seen.

One thing that would be great:  if you have a mini-DV cam, bring it and document the event.  We’ll give you a blank cassette for you to use and give back to us.

Hope to see you there!  It’ll be fun and, hopefully, memorable.

Sketch22 Wants YOU!!!! (to be an extra)

Hey, everyone.
Next Saturday morning, June 17th, at 9:30, Sketch22 is shooting a segment of video for this summer’s show.  We are hoping to get as many people as possible to come and be part of the shot.  Young or old, big or small, cool or nerdy, abled or disabled, male or female, catholic or (your religion), x or y… anyone or everyone.  We want you all.
If you are able to come to the Guild on Saturday June 17th, at 9:30, we would be so very happy to have you be part of the shot.  It should take an hour or so.  If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should bother, why not jump to the side of the fence that says “yeah, let’s do it.  It’ll be fun!”
Bring yourself, your friends, your family, your dog, cat, bird, grandmother, absolutely anyone who’d be willing to help us out.  Or, just come by yourself.  You will not be required to do anything any more difficult than make your way up the street, part of a great throng of people.

In order for the shot to be as totally cool and awesome as we hope, we need lots and lots of people in it.  The more people in it, the cooler and more awesome the shot will be.  If you don’t come, the shot will be just that less awesome.  We’d really appreciate it if you took time out of your weekend and helped us make this shot rock. 

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To When In What Movie Would You Go?

Okay, bear with me as I attempt to explain this question:

I have the ability to transport you to any place and time, real or fictional.  The only stipulation is that you must choose a place and time in which a movie, any movie, takes place. 
For instance, Forrest Gump takes place over several years and involves many locations.  So, if you choose Forrest Gump, please tell me the specific location and time within that movie.  Also, when you get transported to this place and time, you will not necessarily be involved in the action of the movie, unless your very being there demands that you take part in it.  For instance, you could choose A Room With A View and select the first time they go to Florence.  You wouldn’t necessarily have to meet and or interact with the characters in the movie, but you could spend your time exploring the city on your own.  If, however, you choose the D-Day scene from Saving Private Ryan, you would, necessarily, be involved in that action.  So, in that way, your safety is not necessarily guaranteed.
You will only be in the time and location of your choosing for an amount of time equal to the length of the movie you choose.  Note:  not the length of the scene which you choose, but the length of the entire movie.  Once the time is up, you get transported back to present day.

So, what movie do you choose?  And, specifically, what part of that movie do you choose?

Get Your June Fill Of Sketch22 Right Here

We are four weeks (and two days – and those who do this know that every day, every moment begins to count) away from the opening of Sketch22’s Summer 2006 show.  All the material is brand spanking new.  Except for one sketch that I resurrected from the annals of my sketch comedy past.  Those who remember the OffStage Theatre production “Fun While It Lasted” (what was it, 1993?… it was our Going Away celebration of all the great and near great and not so great things we did in the two years we had an actual theatre closet space of our own. Now it’s City Cinema) may well recongnise one of the sketches we present this summer.  As I say, all the other sketches and videos this summer are all-new. 
For those of you who go to see the show, I am really looking forward to you being introducing to some wonderful characters. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are some pretty great things being prepared.
Right now, we’re in the early stages of rehearsals.  All the scripts are written now, and we’ve just begun to block the sketches.  A lot of the videos have been shot, but we still have a couple of bigger-scale shoots to go, and everything still needs to be edited.

Actually, we have a video shoot coming up in which we hope to have a whole bunch of extras involved.  It’s tentatively scheduled to take place in about 10 days, on a weekend day.  If you are interested in being part of it, just let us know by replying to this post, or drop a line to our excellent producer, Jason… email jason@sketch22.ca   Nothing special is required of you, except for you to show up in your everyday clothes (or if you want to dress up in something outlandish or funny or whatever, we won’t stop you) and be part of what could be the coolest group of people ever assembled and videographed on PEI.  (remember, if *you* don’t show up, then it won’t be the coolest assemblage ever.  How could it?) All you have to be able to do is be mobile.  And by that I mean able to move around.  Either by walking or wheelchair or segway or however you amble.
I’ll post more details about it as the details get finalized.
In the meantime, things are pretty busy and exciting and scary in Sketch22Land.

Darth Vader (nee) Skywalker

Here’s a question that I have had for awhile, and don’t have the desire to go to the source and find an answer for.  Maybe someone who reads this will know the answer.

In Star Wars, Episode 4 (you know, the first Star Wars), is there an on-screen moment when Darth Vader learns that the kid (in which the Force is strong) is named “Skywalker”?   And, if so, does Vader react in any way that would indicate that the name Skywalker has special meaning for him?
Anyone know?  Or speculate?

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The One In Which Rob Gets A New Job

The ink is still wet on the contract that I signed.  The one that says I am now employed (well, I start in 10 days).
It’s been a long time coming.  Back in May of last year, when I was employed by MBS Radio, the CHTN portion of Magic 93/CFCY/CHTN was forced by the CRTC to go out on its own, and with it, a large portion of the staff went too.  What happened was CFCY and Magic 93 were MBS stations, and CHTN was a Newcap station.  Because of the small size of the market, it was deemed, a number of years ago, that it would be in the best interest of all to pool resources and building and office, and all work together.  Then, last year, the CRTC reversed that decision and said that CHTN would have to move into its own digs and operate as a separate company.  So, a bunch of people from the amalgamated MBS/Newcap group left with Newcap.

I wasn’t one of the lucky ones to leave and become part of the Newcap family of radio station employees.  I stayed at MBS and continued working for MBS, a company, shall we say, not known for its affection for its employees.  One of the people who did leave was the Creative Director. He and I comprised the Creative Department, and so when he left, I was on my own for a period of time, until such time a second writer was hired.  I had assumed the duties and responsibilities of the Creative Director, with the promise of compensatory financial remuneration shortly in the future.  In good faith, I waited for that remuneration.  It never came, but the promises kept coming, however each time they seemed to be more and more vague.  So, in July, fed up with doing more work for the same amount of pay, and with no other job or prospect awaiting me, I gave my notice that I would be leaving the company.  I was asked to stay on until September and help train the people who would be replacing me.  Since it was in my interest to get paid that extra month and a half, I agreed.
So, in September, I left for good.  I had a bit of money in my pocket from Sketch stuff, and a couple of pretty good paying freelance jobs that came up right after I left, so I wasn’t immediately concerned about money.  Too, I was fortunate to be eligible for EI, since they agreed that leaving the position was an option that I was more or less justified in taking.  So, while the money wasn’t flowing in, we were able to get by more or less.  As the months wore on into the new year, the “get by more or less” kind of swung to the “less” side of things.  Not a lot of prospects in terms of jobs, and the ones I applied for didn’t happen.
A couple of months ago, I was made aware that CHTN (Newcap) would be, sometime soon, hiring a bunch of new staff, and one of them was a second Creative Writer.  I pinned my hopes on getting that job.  It’s a job that I quite enjoy and one that I seem to perform well.
So, the anticipatory waiting began.  It seemed to take forever for the job to get posted.  First they had to wait (forever) to get CRTC approval on their switch from AM to FM.  That came (in February, I believe), along with the approval of adding a second FM station for Newcap.  Then came the wait for when the switch to FM would take place.  Maybe in May.  No, maybe in June.  July?  Probably July.
Finally, the job I was hoping for was posted.  I applied.  It took a couple of weeks for a response on my application.  In those couple of weeks, I had pretty much talked myself out of any chance to get the job.  I was feeling kind of low.  Like I said, I had kind of pinned my hopes on this job and the more I told myself I was a great candidate for it, the more the back of my mind told me I wouldn’t get it.  Finally, I was asked to come in for an interview.  It went okay.  Another 10 days of waiting.  Then, last night at 5:30, I was offered the job.  I was asked if I needed any time to think it over.  I said I’d been thinking it over for a number of months, and agreed to accept the offer.
So, today I went in and signed the contract.  I’ll be making a nice chunk of change more than I was at MBS.  From all accounts from my former MBS colleagues who made the move last year to Newcap, they are a fantastic company to work for.  Best of all, many of the people who moved from MBS last year were the people I most enjoyed working with at MBS.  So, I’ll be reunited with them all, and I won’t have to go through that awful “new guy” period where I’m learning names and protocols, etc.
So, I’m pretty pleased.  It’ll be great to work again with these people, and exciting to work at a radio station that, at this stage, really seems committed to giving PEI a couple of radio stations that will be fun to listen to.
Yay for me!

Then They Was All Dopes!

Joe Theismann, former NFL quarterback, forever infamous as the guy in that video clip they show sometimes whose legs snaps in two during a game years ago, has been railing to the media about how it’s a “disgrace” that Ricky Williams is allowed to play football this year in the CFL.  Here’s his latest opinion, from the Miami Herald.  Maybe you need to sign-in to read that?  I don’t know.
I’m surprised that he’s still talking about it.  It’s been, like, a week since he’s been making headlines on – oh, I get it.  Now I understand why he’s still talking about it.  He’s making headlines.
Even beyond that, though, I find it interesting that Joe seems so worked up about this.  The NFL’s rules and penalties are not binding in the CFL, so I don’t really think there should be an issue with Ricky himself.  If you’re going to get mad, Joe, get mad at the CFL for not being tougher on drugs.  I guess he’s upset, also, because he used to play for Toronto?
Another thing I find disappointing about this whole thing is that there seems to be no difference, in Joe’s mind (or the NFL’s), between someone like Williams, who (used to?) smokes marijuana, and someone who traffics it, or someone who uses much harder substances.  To him, they are all equally guilty and all subject to the exact same (high) level of scorn.  Joe’s son was arrested in 2002 for use and distribution of crack cocaine, so I understand that he probably has valid reasons for speaking out about drug use.  He says his feelings have been consistent about drug use by players, but what I think he fails to acknowledge is that not all drug use should be considered on the same plain.  Personally, I think the NFL’s drug policy is far too tough on a lesser drug such as marijuana.  I don’t think players should be penalized for smoking, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their performance.
Finally, this quote from Joe:  “Clearly, Ricky doesn’t care about the rules that he has to live by to
play in the NFL. If that’s the case, let him go do what he wants.”  Joe, Ricky isn’t playing in the NFL.  And what does his playing in the CFL have to do with his caring or not caring about the NFL rules?  

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Forget “Gentle Island”…


Open For Summer Ass
Originally uploaded by The Annekenstein Monster.

Now this is a tourism slogan that I can get behind. “Prince Edward Island – Open For Summer Ass”

Forget "Gentle Island"…


Open For Summer Ass
Originally uploaded by The Annekenstein Monster.

Now this is a tourism slogan that I can get behind. “Prince Edward Island – Open For Summer Ass”

Butch, Sundance & Pamela Anderson

You may remember a couple of months ago, I was approached by a sort of grassroots marketing company and asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the newly released DVD of Pamela Anderson and posting it to my blog.  Of course you remember.  This blog is very important to you.  Anyway, I said I’d be delighted to do that (no qualms here about being a shill for the Hollywood machine).  So they sent me the DVD and I watched it, and posted what I thought was a fairly un-shill like review.  I’m not going to bother to find the post and provide a link to it, because somehow that implies these posts have worth.  And while I suspect a number of readers get disconsolate if I don’t post something fresh for them to read each day, and they would argue that these posts do have worth, at least to them, I prefer to think of these posts as empty vessels.
So, I reviewed it and that was that.  Until today, when the same company emails me and asks if I’d be interested in presenting another review.  Whereas last time I had to trek through the sludge of comedy that focused far too much on Miss Anderson’s gaping beaver (alleged)  (Alleged gaping, not alleged beaver, because I think we’re all pretty sure she’s not got dangling participles down there), this time I may have struck gold.  I’ll be sent a DVD of a new collector’s edition of one of my favourite movies:  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

And just now, having re-read those last couple of sentences, I realise how sad and pathetic it is to create a post about how one is excited about the anticipation of receiving a free DVD in return for being something of a corporate whore.
No.  I will not allow myself to fall for that kind of talk.  I am a valued member of the critical press.  My opinion is cherished.

It is also for sale.  If anyone else wants to send me stuff in return for my honest opinion of it, I’ll gladly listen to your offers.  Perhaps you have a photo you took, and you have no idea if it’s Art.  Send it to me, and I’ll tell you.  Maybe you’re in charge of soliciting low-ranking bloggers for their opinions on how well the latest video iPod works.  Send me one, and I’ll tell the world what I think.  Maybe you sell frozen beefsteak from the western provinces and are trying to get a foothold here in Eastern Canada.  Ship some steaks my way and I’ll cook ’em up and eat ’em.  Then I’ll tell the great multitudes of readers (conservatively estimated now at at least tens of ones) whether they’re worth purchasing.