Ana weighs in on CAT BLOGGER screenplay idea

Not enough conflict/action, unclear whether aiming to be a Hollywood v. quirky script, "rich world of blogosphere" hard to translate into action -- was what Ana (my daughter, who works for L.A. talent agency I.C.M.) said about proposed script (see explanation at http://aboutamherst.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-about-this-for-screenplay.html) Must introduce conflict by Page 10, heroine bottoms out end of Act 2.

In response and after thinking some more, I come up with these modifications.

1) Drop the cat and wild turkey wondering around town in opening exterior shot. Make that JUST a turkey.



2) Locale: Pittsfield, MA., once a thriving General Electric town, now sad, post-industrial. Open with turkey wandering down train tracks, amid empty GE buildings, PCB-filled Silver Lake, Housatonic River undergoing dredging for more PCBs.

3) Opening interior shot: hospital room. Cat blogger talking to brother, small-time scribe and once small-time scribe, about downward spiral of newspapers.

4) Multiple cat owner either DIES or faces EVICTION by city.

More later.

Hello from the author

OK, MAYbe OnGeicoCaveman is not really turning into a cat blog. That was a bit of rebelliousness inspired by Media Bloggers Association saying that "cat bloggers" weren't welcome to join their organization. Maybe OnGeicoCaveman is the author's rebel, not-for-prime time side musings, inspired by the caveman, a smart, cultivated -- amusing, even -- guy who not everyone GETS. Whose problem IS that, is the question. The answer? Not clear. Photo is the author in NYC. Early influences: Ace teenage detective Nancy Drew, redheaded comic strip reporter Brenda Starr, "That Girl," Marlo Thomas.

Our cat Hester, like her or lump her

Mavericks: Dad, lone turkey of Amity Street

Dad explained why he declined to join an HMO in a front-page Berkshire Eagle story on Jan. 3, 1996. "It bugs me," he said, "when I get a call from Boston or somewhere and they say, 'How long are you going to keep so-and-so in the hospital?'"

Saw the lone turkey of Amity Street, pictured in a Gazette photo here in the Stop & Shop parking lot last year, walking south along the railroad tracks crossing Strong Street yesterday.

Listening to the peepers

Maybe this will just be AboutAmherst's shadow blog -- until the Geico caveman TV series starts.

Oh. I decided to turn this into a CAT BLOG

Unless anyone objects.

Caveman to get his own show?

News alert (please forgive I posted this at AboutAmherst first)!
Could be seeing a lot more of the Geico caveman. One of my blogging mentors Stephanie O'Keeffe just sent me this:
TV is So Easy, Even a Caveman Can Do ItPosted Mar 2nd 2007 12:02PM by TMZ StaffFiled under: TVABC is looking to an unlikely place to find the next big television show: Geico TV commercials. Yes, the net is developing a half-hour comedy based on the cavemen characters from the popular insurance ads. The show would revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they live their day-to-day lives in modern Atlanta. Who smells Emmy?The Geico spots feature cavemen pissed off over Geico's slogan for its website: "So easy, a caveman can do it." At least they didn't try and make a show out of that stupid gecko, although that's probably next.