8.29.2008

Research - Calculus and craps

Piece on calculus and craps and gaming.

Craps

From Ricky Jay.


When A Die Dies



In the attempt to acquire empirical knowledge, I have accumulated thousands of dice over a period of decades. They are of myriad size, shape, and color and daunting variety: birdseye, bullseye, doughnut, barbudi, poker, baseball, golf, crown and anchor, bell and hammer, drugstore, razor, brushed, feathered, weight, hits, missouts, tops, shapes, polyhedrons, teetotums, and rough-cut unnumbered cubes. They come from diverse sources: generous friends, dealers in collectibles, distraught gamblers ready to embrace a new calling. They are fabricated from different materials, but the vast majority are made of celluloid.

In 1868 John Wesley Hyatt formed a substance from a homogeneous colloidal dispersion of nitric acid, sulphuric acid, cotton fibers, and camphor. It was a substance of great tensile strength capable of resisting the effects of water, oils, and even diluted acids. Hyatt's brother called it celluloid, and it became the first commercially successful synthetic plastic. It was cost-effective to manufacture and could be produced in a variety of attractive colors. Heated until soft and molded into shapes, it became a substitute for products fashioned out of ivory, tortoiseshell, and horn. Perhaps it is best known for its use in motion-picture film, where its volatility has resulted in the destruction of a vast percentage of early footage. But it was also used to fashion removable collars, collar stays, knife handles, guitar picks, piano keys, billiard balls, and, of course, dice.

These cellulose nitrate dice, the industry standard until the middle of the twentieth century (when they were replaced with less flammable cellulose acetate), typically remain stable for decades. Then, in a flash, they can dramatically decompose. The crystallization begins on the corners and then spreads to the edges. Nitric acid is released in a process called outgassing. The dice cleave, crumble, and then implode. Unpaired electrons or free radicals can abet the deterioration. The light and smog of Los Angeles, where my dice have resided for many years, are likely accomplices.

To record the death of my dice I called Rosamond Purcell, doyenne of decaying objects, photographer of taxidermological specimens, memorist of Wunderkammern. Her studio in Cambridge is bedizened with objects troves in various stages of decomposition: Rescued sheets of discarded metal and weather-beaten books that are transformed---by design, by vision, by respect---into objects of great beauty. She has come to know my dice, she has scrutinized them. She has analyzed every nuance of shape and color. She has at once halted their disintegration and catalyzed their resurrection. The dice have never looked better.
-Ricky Jay




Sahara Casino on how to play craps

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8.27.2008

Saints Film in 2009

From today's Variety:

Voodoo Pictures has acquired rights to Alan Donnes’ football tome "Patron Saints: How the Saints Gave New Orleans a Reason to Believe."

Michael Arata and Jerry Daigle are producing. Production’s aimed for next year in New Orleans.

The book, published last year, details the NFL team’s 2006 season after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The Saints, which had posted a 3-13 record during the previous season, went 10-6 and managed to advance into the conference championship game.

Voodoo Pictures is prepping in New Orleans for its upcoming co-production of "Night of the Demons" for Seven Arts Pictures as well as "Bat Out of Hell" with Parallel Zide.
From a piece by Angus Lind:

This would not be the first movie about the Saints:

His passing rekindled memories not only of his major films, but also of a minor one that was filmed in New Orleans in 1969.

Here, Heston was not wearing a toga. He was decked out in black and gold and wearing No. 17, the jersey of Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer, and standing on the turf at old Tulane Stadium.

It was the filming of "Number One," originally named "Pro," a movie that didn't live up to either of those titles.

"I remember meeting him when he stepped off the plane at Moisant (Airport) when he arrived," said former WTIX "Oldie King" Bob Walker. "My first impression was how skinny he was. Tall, elegant, but skinny."

Walker, like me, was an extra in "Number One," playing part of a "crowd" in the stands, which was actually a bunch of extras herded together in one section to give the appearance of a full stadium.

Looking about as much like a pro quarterback as country singer Lyle Lovett, the mis-cast Heston played Ron "Cat" Catlan, an aging quarterback who had -- get this -- led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl victory a couple of years before.

This was all very amusing as the Saints had only been in the NFL a couple of years and the only thing super about John Mecom's Saints were the halftime shows, the Newcomb coeds sunning themselves on top of neighboring campus dormitories and the beer vendors.

"I marveled at how skinny he was in a Saints uniform," Walker said. "It hung on him like a cheap suit three sizes too big."

As a quarterback, even a quarterback-actor, Heston would have been benched, had he not had the leading role.

"When the cameras weren't rolling we watched him try to throw some passes," Walker said. "His receiver was 10-20 yards away and his alleged passes didn't come close.

"Every pass he threw was a fluttering dead duck that went high, low or very wide. He did not complete a single throw."

Joe Wendryhoski, the Saints center at the time who was also in the movie, was a little blunter.

"Heston was a great guy, very sociable, but he didn't have an athletic bone in his body," he said. "As a quarterback, he left a lot to be desired."

Heston was schooled by Kilmer himself, the master of the wounded-duck passes. But Kilmer's fluttering balls were accurate, and he threw the passes for Heston in the movie.

According to the script, Catlan was an over-the-hill QB who didn't know when it was time to leave the game behind. He yearned for one more opportunity to get to the big game, but his legs and body said otherwise. Booed unmercifully, he still soldiered on, somehow getting it done.

Neither the plot nor the ending is important -- which says a lot about the movie -- but in the final scene, Heston is supposed to be lying on the field, dazed, after being crushed by the defense, which in this case was the "Dallas Cowboys." In reality it was Mike Tilleman, Dave Rowe and Fred Whittingham of the Saints, wearing Cowboy blue and silver.

Neither the producer nor Heston thought the "hit" on Heston looked realistic; they thought the linemen had eased off when they hit him, according to Wendryhoski. Heston then directed oversized defensive tackles Rowe and Tilleman and linebacker Whittingham (a former Golden Gloves boxing champion) to cut loose on him and make it authentic.

Authentic it was. Saints guards Jake Kupp and Del Williams just let the Dallas defense roll on in and smother Heston, slamming him to the ground. There was no need for another take. They had broken three of Heston's ribs, and it was a wrap.

"Number One" was so substandard it was never even released on video or DVD. But its star -- as an actor and a person -- certainly lived up to the title.


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8.25.2008

Scam School

Great series, and great for research:

About Scam School


If Harvard offered a PhD in deceit, this would be it. Brian Brushwood takes viewers on an inside tour of bar tricks, street cons, and scams. If you watch carefully, you'll never have to pay for a drink again!

"Scam School" is a short-format series, with each episode teaching a usable bar trick, street con, or scam to pull on friends. The show is based largely on Brian Brushwood's book Cheats, Cons, Swindles and Tricks: 57 Ways to Scam a Free Drink, Brian’s lecture Scams, Sasquatch, and the Supernatural, and the dozens of bar-tricks, puzzles, and scams Brian has picked up over his 8 years of touring nationwide.




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8.24.2008

Once Upon A Time In The West





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Research Con Games and Heists

8.23.2008

Brothers Bloom Trailer



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8.21.2008

Movies - The Set Up

Con Games - The face

8.20.2008

Soccer Books

Twenties - Last night

Yes I wrote. Just didn't feel like sharing that piece just yet. More later. More writing later. Things are pretty well. I am actually kind of happy with the way the rewrite is going. Actually ahead on the page count from the draft I am re-wriing from, and there is still lots to add in.

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8.19.2008

TWENTIES - ART INSTITUTE

Copyright 2008. Mine. There will be a scene added int he middle of this which is a daydream. Basically would be these two walking around discussing all of this:

CUT TO:

INT – ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO - DAY

The Connection and The Brains walk around. It is obvious they have been here many times before and know the works and their way around.

THE BRAINS

Want to go to the hall of manly shit?

THE CONNECTION

You know I gotta go see my Monet room.

THE BRAINS

Fucking gay.

THE CONNECTION

You know, some day we need to steal something from here. Or at least steal something significant

THE BRAINS

What the fuck is wrong with you? Did you not get enough hugs as child? Is that all you think about: crime? Why would we steal something from here?

THE CONNECTION

Besides the huge payoff.

BEAT

Just to do it.

BEAT

It doesn’t even have to be from here. I mean this is nice and in one room you can take enough to end it all. But I know this place in Connecticut with a couple of Monet’s and a Degas and it would be easy picking.

THE BRAINS

Fuckin killin me.

THE CONNECTION

Look, when you enter a building you see the architecture and the engineering of it. When I enter a building I don’t see that. I see how to control the room. I figure out how many men it takes and what they need and when they need to do it. I look at the security of the place: where are the guards? How many entrances? Where are the alarms and cameras? It’s just natural to me. It’s in my blood. It’s my DAN. Like engineering is in your people’s blood. And really weird 3 hour musical action films where all they do is kiss.

THE BRAINS

Really, fuck you. Why? Why take the risk? We get caught we go to jail. Is the payoff worth that?

THE CONNECTION

The payoff is always worth it. We pull something like this off, and we are set for a while. Hell we move to Mexico and we are set for a good portion of our life! Do you want the rest of your life to be the fucking daily grind?

THE BRAINS

No! I want the rest of my life to be hot Asian chicks on a beach at our bar in Mexico. But I also don’t want it ot be spent hustling those two pretty boys behind bars so I can stay a tight end.

THE CONNECTION

Look we are not going to jail. We make this a simple job; real small. We hustle some electronics stores either out of town or somewhere far away from us in town. Places we don’t ever return to again. Hell if we go into some of those small towns near you in Wisconsin its not like some backwoods clerk is gonna have a clue about what the new 20’s look like let alone what a counterfeit twenty is like. We get what we want and we’re out. Easy.

THE BRAINS

Yeah, well it’s a long way from there to where we want to get. And it becomes more and more escalation with bigger and bigger risks. Why do I see this ending badly?

THE CONNECTION

We can do it. You work out what we need and how to do it. The making of the art. I will work on the performance. It is a cake walk. We get some experience, and maybe learn something we need for later on. Plus, you know who you can get to help you?

THE BRAINS

Who?

THE CONNECTION

Jade. She’s a fucking wiz at this shit. She does all their graphic design shit there. Hell, I will even make a trip and talk to my dad and find out what else we might need. Supplies wise. Then we go for it.

THE BRAINS

Jesus this is gonna fucking hurt.

BEAT

Alright. I am in. Now how do we get the other two fuckers to go along with this bullshit.

____________________________________________________________________________________

















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8.18.2008

Twenties - Get Yer Ticket

What I wrote last night. Copyright me 2008. Enjoy. ome vids below for atmosphere for the movie:

THE CONNECTION

No. No jail time.

BEAT.

We can do it.

BEAT

Look, its not like we got in here by the most legal means available. I mean hell, none of us actually paid for a ticket.

CUT TO:

EXT – SIDEWALK BY WRIGLEY FIELD – DAY

A guy is on his cell phone talking very loudly and holding two tickets.

RANDOM ASSHOLE ON A CELL PHONE

MAN I GOT US TWO TICKETS! GET YOUR ASS DOWNHERE! COME ON! SKIP ON WORK!

The Connection walks up and bumps into the guy whose tickets fall to the ground. THE Connection leans down and picks them up, and hands them to the guy.

THE CONNECTION

Oh damn man! I am so sorry. Shit here are your tickets. Sorry bout that.

RANDOM ASSHOLE ON A CELL PHONE

Hey man. No problem. See you in the bleachers. You can buy me a beer.

THE CONNECTION

Yeah. Sure man. Later.

CUT TO:

EXT – THE GATES INTO WRIGLY – DAY

SECURITY GUARD

I am sorry sir, but these tickets aren’t valid for today.

RANDOM ASSHOLE ON A CELL PHONE

WHAT! I JUST BOUGHT THEM!

The Connection and the Brains walk in through another gate in the background.

CUT TO:

INT – BAR – DAY

A hot blonde is chatting up some guy at a bar.

HOTTIE BLONDE

Hey there sexy? Can I see those tickets.

STUPID GUY # 2

Sure. Say what’s your name?

Hands her the tickets

Amber silly. We meet out the other night and you said you were gonna be here for the game. Guess you don’t remember. That makes me sad. Why don’t you buy me a drink?

Guy turns to order her a drink. As he does The Player walks by and the girl slips him one of the ticket.

HOTTIE BLOND CHICK

Well looks like I will be seeing you in the bleachers.

As she says this she slips the ticket into his pocket.

Thanks for the drink.

CUT TO:

EXT – THE GATES- DAY

Stupid Guy # 2 is at the gate and can’t get in.

STUPID GUY # 2

Baby, I had it right here. I don’t know what happened to it.
The Player and the hot blonde walk in.

CUT TO:

The Jock walks up to the ticket counter looking heavier than normal and flashes his security credentials. He has on the same garb as we have seen on the other security people. They just nod and let him in.

CUT TO:

INT – BATHROOM – DAY

The Jock is throwing away what he came in wearing and is walking out looking fitter and in different clothes.

CUT TO:

INT – ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO - DAY

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clip from Ferris Bueller's Day Off








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8.16.2008

Scott Pilgrim Music

Setting the Woods On Fire - Who Invented Country Rock?

Some great posts here about country rock:

Part 1

Part 2

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Tonight's Writing - THE VC

Copyright is mine, 2008. This is the scene I wrote tonight:

CUT TO:

THE KID is walking up past a line leading into a club. The Kid is dressed in a wrinkly suit. The flock waiting to get in is dressed in their club finest. Some look at The Kid so casually walking up to the front of the club. The Kid walks up to the doorman with the guest list. Says something, the doorman looks down, looks at The Kid, shakes his head, and lets him in. The sheep are visibly upset.

CUT TO:

The kid makes his way through the throng. He goes to a bar/

THE KID

Vodka rocks.

The Kid takes in the scene scanning and gauging the crowd. His drink arrives, he takes it and heads upstairs to the DJ booth.

CUT TO:

DJ

Well, looks what floated up. Shit does rise.

THE KID

Go fuck yourself. There’s a reason your handling the other room.

DJ

Good to see you boy.

THE KID

You to.

VC

Wow. Could you look less like you belong?

THE KID

Be glad I wore a suit. I thought about coming up here in the polo and cargos I had on. But hey, I figured its business I should look like I am doing it.

VC

Yes, it is my business.

THE KID

Look at this shit. Anyone use records anymore? CD’s at least?

VC

Fuck that. Laptop. I made the playlist earlier today. All ineed to do is control the volume and make sure everything runs ok.

THE KID

Hard fucking life you lead.

VC

Soon enough I am off.

THE KID

No shit? What you got going?

VC

Dallas. Going to be heading over there to help a software company start up.

THE KID

Fuck Dallas. Small city with 12 million suburbs. Plus three tons of evangelicals. Why do you think the strip clubs are so good? Try Austin. Cooler place.

VC

Maybe so. We are trying to figure out where and when is all. Get it out of our basements and into one centralized spot.

THE KID

Nice crowd you got down there. Little obvious who has the heat though.

VC

Yeah, I have to tell white boys like yourself not to hit on the pretty Vietnamese girls or the gangsters will get mad.

THE KID

Fucking gangsters. Their bravado is their downfall. They could point a gun at you from three feet away and hit everything but the mark.

VC

I will tell them you said that. Some of my best customers.

THE KID

Lucky for you. Need to talk by the way.

VC taps the DJ’s shoulder and sends him out.

VC

Talk. We are cool here.

THE KID

I need someone. Old job, but I need new dogs. Its not a game you have played before, but you will learn it pretty damn quickly. You always were better at chess than me.

VC

This the group you ran with back in school?

THE KID

The people that group worked for. The old group is gone. Jail, doctor, disappeared. Besides, I need people who aren’t loyal to the minders and instead are going to see the big picture.

VC

Why me?

THE KID

Like I said. You’re smarter than me. Plus you always could reign me in when I started going a little overboard. Look, these guys don’t know you. You are never going to have any real contact with them. I need you for this. I have to take everything and turn it around. I have to make one bad guy lose so the main villains get their’s.

VC

You have to be so damn cryptic? What the hell did these guys have you doing? What do they have you doing now? I mean look, I have it good right now, and I am about to have it a lot better.

THE KID

Then consider this as one last thing you can do for and to this place before you have the wakeup and catch the plane out of here. I need you brother.

VC

So, again, what is it?

THE KID

Politics. Pure politics for here. The best and favorite sport of all here. And you get to be one those ones who this time will know everything. All those whispers and the trying to read between the lines in the Picayune will be gone. Up front, close, and dirty politics.

VC

I never played that game. You know that. That was for others in the family, and even they got tired of it after awhile. Why do I want to go into this? Sure they get some nice perks now and then, but most of those old dogs are dying off.

THE KID

Exactly, but this is their chance for one last glory shot. They want to leave their mark before they go. But you get to be a part of the gag to stop it all and end it. But then again, you are going to have to let the current fuckwad and his people take some power. But brother, I have got one part of this you are gonna love. It is going to lay the groundwork for it all to come apart later.

VC

I do this, yougoing to listen to me?

THE KID

Maybe.

VC

You know you are going to have to give me some damn good explanations.

THE KID

All of them that I can make up.

VC

Who else is going to be in this?

THE KID

Our boy from down south.

VC

Down south? … Aw fuck. He’s insane. You know this right?

THE KID

Yep. But he comes prepared and prepackaged. And we know he can trust him to want to fuck with the system some.

VC

Some? You remember the shit he used to pull? God knows what he up to now.

THE KID

Making the world safer for the little man

VC

I don’t need to know.

THE KID

Cool. I am gonna go hit on some of your chicas now. Watch my back.

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8.10.2008

Tonight's Thread

So let's start:

Hamlet
- Times review
- The Observer Review
- The Guardian Review
- Michael Billington's Top Ten Hamlets
- BBC Piece on the Play
- Wikipedia entry
- one Project Gutenberg text
- MIT Full version of the play
to
Doctor Who to
Planetary to
Theory of Descriptions (not what I was supposed to find, but interesting nonetheless) to
Quantum Computing to
the Monster Group.

I am sure this will expand as the night goes on.

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If I Ever Leave This World Alive - Flogging Molly

"If I Ever Leave This World Alive"

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank ya for all the things you did in my life
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll come back down and sit beside your
feet tonight
Wherever I am you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll take on all the sadness
That I left behind
If I ever leave this world alive
The madness that you feel will soon subside
So in a word don't shed a tear
I'll be here when it all gets weird
If I ever leave this world alive

So when in doubt just call my name
Just before you go insane
If I ever leave this world
Hey I may never leave this world
But if I ever leave this world alive

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right
Yeah should be alright

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8.09.2008

AT THE END

One of those scenes which popped into my head. Dialogue only for now. More later as I work on it. Derivative as hell. But just came in my head and I wanted to get it out:

At The End

“No! You can’t do this!”
“You go! You go now! I am doing this one! You understand!?”
“No! I won’t let you!”
“Too late. Already on my way. You don’t get the say so. Not this time.”
“You get back here. It is not too late. We can still solve this together. All of us.”
“Only way and you know it. Hemming and hawing over what and why and who and how isn’t going to get it done.”
“Come back. Please….please.”
“No return on this one. Besides already in the pull. Oh what a heavenly ride.”
“Not your job.”
“Only reason I came was to make sure it got done. You go back and tell them what happened out here. You understand? YOU TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WE FOUND! No more lies. No more cover ups. One more thing.”
“What? Anything.”
“You tell me son… You tell my son I did this for him and only for him. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Yes I do.”
“I didn’t do it for the rest of them. The rest of them can go to hell. I did this all for him and only for him. He is all that matters. He is the one who saved them all. He is the most important person. Oh Christ.”
“What? What is going on?”
“Getting rough now. Hurts even.”
“Can it be done?”
“Fuck you. Fuck all of you. Anything can be done. All of it. Oh..fuck..”
“Are you there? Talk to me dammit! Talk me into it!”
“YOU TELL HIM. YOU TELL HIM THIS WAS FOR HIM! Oh..stresss..pulling me in. Comeonhangonjustalittlelonger.”
“What?”
“Going..to..lose..you..here. Hold..your…promises. Here we go. Into the deep.”





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8.08.2008

Books in 2008

In the Blink of an Eye
In Harm's Way
Callaghen
One Fearful Yellow Eye
Pale Grey for the Guilt
Little Brother
Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper

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Scott Pilgrim Volume 5: Scott vs the Universe

Coming to you February 4, 2009:



A fan made ad for the series which is pretty cool.


Michael Cera will be playing Scott in the feature film. Here is the trailer from his next movie which has a Scott Pilgrim vibe:



Edgar Wright is directing. You might have heard of his other two movies:





Check out the series Spaced as well from Edgar Wright and the gang. It will also get you in the mood for some Scott Pilgrim.

So go check it out. Then force your local comics shop or bookstore to have a release party. Or just have one yourself.



I was watching High Fidelity the other day, and all I could think of was Scott Pilgrim. Sort of the same genre or vein:

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