Rousseau's Rant (Relaunched and Revisited)

I'm leaving Tblog for Myspace. Actually I left some time ago but now it's official. It's easier to blog there whilst staying in touch with friends, old and new alike.

This blog started on Tblog and I appreciate it's hospitality. In many ways it's helped me grow as a writer as I embark on the next and hopefully much more successful phase of my career.

Don't forget me. Please visit me often at www.myspace.com/hoosierbr and stay in touch.

Much luck to all of you. Peace.

Indiana fell to Gonzaga 90-80 on Saturday night ending the remarkable rollercoaster ride that was the 2005-2006 season. They fought to the end, never gave up, in true Hoosier fashion, and did themselves and Indiana University proud.

Gonzaga is the perennial Cinderella team: a small school from a small conference that has a lot of talent. Adam Morrison, a possible player of the year, is one of the players that is beloved by officials, a la J.J. Redick from Duke. He can do no wrong. The guy trash talks, starts fights, throws his elbows around, flips the opposing school's crowd the bird and gets away with it all with a pat on the back. Yet if anyone so much as breathes on him they're called for a foul. Why? Do we feel sorry for him because he's a diabetic and getting called for too many fouls might send him into a seizure? Or is his moustache so cute we're put under his spell everytime he smiles that backwoods, lumberjack, devilish grin? I don't like the guy. Plain and simple.

As for IU, a new basketball coach is set to be hired and a new era begun. Odds are it'll be Steve Alford but I wouldn't bet the farm. He has a nice job at Iowa and with the Hawkeyes flaming out in the first round, a third seed no less, the ardor may have worn off. Indiana folk are obsessed with basketball: rabid, blood-thirsty, glory-seeking, anything less and the hoods go on, we find the nearest tree and send Jethro into town for some twine and pork rines.

Whoever is picked to succeed Mike Davis I hope they'll get the respect and support that Davis was never given. Not just for their sake but for IU's.

Indiana came from behind to top San Diego State 87-83 tonight in the most dramatic NCAA tournament game I've seen since IU took out Duke in the Sweet 16 four years ago!

Trailing most of the game, Indiana clawed back a number of times only to fall back into a hole with poor shot selection and lax defense. In the final minute Indiana reaped the benefit of two huge SDSU turnovers and closed out the victory. (How unlucky is Aztec coach Steve Fisher? His teams always seem to make some gigantic mistake at the end of a big game.)

Gonzaga is up next. They should have lost to Xavier today so they're vulnerable. However, the Hoosiers will have to double their efforts to march into the Sweet 16.

I believe. I believe.

For those of you who don't know, I'm an Indiana University alumnus. An IU man, like so many over the past two years, who's been waiting for Indiana to make it back to the NCAA tournament. Though it looked dodgey for awhile, the Hoosiers pulled it together and are back in The Big Dance. My senior year, 2002, we played for the National Championship against Maryland. Though we lost, it was an incredible end to an improbable run where we took out the country's top team, Duke, in the Sweet 16. Those three weeks were some of the best and most memorable of my life. Mike Davis took over for Bob Knight in 2000 after The General was fired. It was an ugly saga that won't really end until Indiana plays their final game of this season, which will also be the last game of Davis' career at Indiana. He made mistakes and did a lot of stupid things over the past six years but as an IU guy who was there for both the end of the Knight Era and the pinnacle of the Davis Era it's going to be a bittersweet end. Mike Davis, like him or not, was in an impossible situation and was never given a fair shake nor embraced by all of the IU community. That's unfortunate and in many ways shameful. His blood is on our hands. I would love to see Indiana make another improbable run just so Mike can leave on the high note he deserves and to stick it in the faces of the assassins who killed him off. I have my bracket penciled in and I've got Indiana making a run to the Elite 8. Ok, it's part bias but I like their draw. Two tough but very winnable games await in Salt Lake City: the opener against a talented though inconsistent San Diego State, the school from which every other member of my immediate family is an alumnus and a second rounder against Gonzaga. Gonzaga is seeded third, high as usual, but as they don't play in a conference anywhere near the quality of the Big Ten from top to bottom, I think Indiana can handle them. The big upset will come in the Sweet 16 against a red-hot UCLA. The Bruins are also very inconsistent and are just getting it togther now that all their players are back and healthy. From what I've seen of them, I'm not impressed. The journey will come to an end, I fear, in the Elite 8 against the Memphis Tigers. Too good, too solid, too explosive. But it'll be a helluva fight! My Final Four: Duke, Memphis, UConn, Ohio State. National Championship: UConn def. Memphis Stay tuned!

I just finished my script and sent it off. Now it's a week or so before I hear whether it's going to go anywhere. This was a new experience for me as I've only written comedies before. Comedy was the genre that I felt most comfortable in and had the most success with. But as my last two screenplays died a slow, agonizing death I decided to try something different to keep myself fresh. To my surprise the transition went very smoothly. If I had to classify this screenplay I'd say it was a thriller/mystery but with a love story, two actually, and some action thrown in. Mixing genres is a high-wire act but it can bring a new depth and dimension to the story and help get it sold quicker. Studios and producers love scripts that are a nice blend of different things, be it a sports comedy, a thiller with a love story, a sci-fi fantasy, etc. I suppose I got stuck in writing just strict comedy that I shut myself off from this approach. Hopefully, I've rectified any mistakes I might have made in that regard. What's more, the script practically wrote itself and very quickly too. The writing of a script normally takes me about 10 days but that's usually after weeks and months of coming up with an idea, breaking it down and building it back up again. This one was based on a story that I had originally outlined in college. It changed quite a bit, of course, but the basic tenets remained the same: a celebrated though controversial figure, a murder and the intrigue that surrounds the investigation. A new perspective with more than a few twists on an old idea, if you will. All in all the process took about three weeks. I like it and think it has potential. We'll see if anyone else thinks so too.

"Brokeback Mountain" is going to win the Oscar for Best Picture, as well it should. It's a new twist on a host of old subjects but what's great about this film is that it would resonate even if it wasn't about two men. It is, essentially, a love story and the consequences of burying those feelings for years on end. Yet, if this movie wasn't about two gay cowboys it probably wouldn't have been paid much attention. But it makes me feel good that America not only accepted this film but embraced it as well. Now the question becomes: "is America ready for one of mine?" Or rather "is Hollywood finally ready for one of mine?" My other Oscar picks: Philip Seymour Hoffman - an old hand who's never been blessed with Oscar; Felicity Huffman - another old hand who's never been blessed with fame; Catherine Keener - an even older hand who's been nominated once before and Paul Giamatti - the oldest of the hands who finally breaks out of obscurity. In Dubai, Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in the final. Not exactly old but certainly not new. This should be a great rivalry in years to come. Props to Rainer Schuettler who made his first semifinal in nearly two years. No props to Justine Henin-Hardenne who now says she regrets even playing the Australian Open Women's Final. Is this chick ever going to get it? My back's been sore and now my knee is really starting to hurt. Definitely not old news but the knee is starting to concern me, especially with my plans for the upcoming tennis season. On the bright side, my new tennis racquet should be here soon. A discontinued Volkl frame that many consider the brand's Holy Grail. And, if I'm lucky, there may be more where that one came from. I can't wait to take her for a ride! Here's a mix of the old and new as far as my career is concerned: an exec got back to me about a script that I had submitted to his company a few weeks ago and said that while he liked much of it he wasn't "passionate" enough about it to pursue it further. Not passionate? That's the first time I've heard that one. Who the hell makes movies out of pure passion any more, unless it's a no-budget indie like "Blair Witch" or "In the Bedroom?" That's all right, though. I'm getting my new script into the hands of a player behind the scenes. If I get it right I should be in a much better position in a few weeks time. Life gets old especially when you feel old. But I feel a change coming. Maybe it's the Advil. Still, I think the wind is going to finally blow my way. Just what I need - a good blow.

First off, props to Roger Federer on his seventh Grand Slam title. Coming back from a set and a break down to finish Marcos Baghdatis off the way he did is a testament to his greatness. Should he win that elusive Roland Garros crown this year he'll have a legitimate right to the "best ever" throne. No props to Justine Henin-Hardenne who withdrew from the women's final with a stomach ache after 10 games. The troll was getting her head handed to her and she quit. Plain and simple. Too bad the liquered up Aussies didn't mistake her for a Lebanese tourist and toss her in the Yarra. I've come to the conclusion that Americans, all Americans, couldn't care less about their government. Why should they? After all, if the State of the Union Address is on at the same time as "American Idol" that's bad scheduling and tough titty, Mr. President. The overnight ratings showed more than 30 million Americans were tuned in to our national guilty pleasure while the president's annual address was being given second-hand notice. Granted, watching pathetic, celebrity-hungry, talentless mongrels croon "My Heart Will Go On" is entertaining, much more so than a boring political speech where the only fun is timing how long it takes Ted Kennedy to get out of his seat on applause lines. But I think it says something disturbing about us as a nation that bad reality t.v. is more important than a presidential address. Ok, so people are fed up with corruption. So am I. People believe that it doesn't matter who you elect, Democrats or Republicans, as soon as politicans settle into incumbency all their morals and high principles go out the window. So do I. When members of Congress are too busy getting bribed by lobbyists or living rent-free on yachts and buying mansions in Del Mar it's time to switch off. I agree. But does that mean we completely give up? Maybe I'm old school but I think these are the times when a society has to care the most about their future. When the richest nation in the world still has millions of homeless or living below the poverty line; doesn't provide health insurance to those who can't afford it; can't educate its children and elects bad European actors Governor of California then something is seriously out of balance. Does anyone realize that we have two new justices on the Supreme Court who, this term alone, could have a major impact on such minor issues such as civil liberties and abortion? Maybe it's the power of Oprah. Perhaps it's the president's mangled syntax. (Five years in office and the man still can't get through a speech without screwing up tongue twisters like "barriers" and "symbols.") All I know is this is an election year and I wonder how many people care. Will they send the same bought-off, bottomless scandal pits back to Congress? I think so. And that's, at the very least, worth a conversation. But hey, why should I bother anyone with this? "24" is back on the air and "American Idol" is getting ready to narrow down the pool to 32 contestants. Now you see why I was thrown in the Republican Party's doghouse?

We've come to the end of the 2006 Australian Open and only the men's and women's champions are left to be crowned. Tonight, it's the women. Justine Henin-Hardenne has won four Grand Slams already, including this one, while her opponent Amelie Mauresmo has played in only one final, this one. I think this is Amelie's time and if she can keep her wits about her, use her loopy topspin to disrupt the rhythm of the scrappy Belgian and gets to the net enough, she'll win her first slam. Mauresmo in three. On the men's side, The Federer Express has rolled into his seventh Grand Slam final. Fed struggled in the 4th round and the QF and had a tight first couple of sets last night against Nicolas Kiefer. Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis is riding the wave of his first slam final and, with the extra day of rest, should be raring to go. I believe in the nearly impossible so I'm going with the pride of Cyprus in four.

Undoubtedly by now many of you are familiar with the controversy over the book A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. A memoir or novel? Autobiography or fiction? After watching this saga unfold over the past few weeks things came to a head today when Oprah Winfrey, self-appointed Queen of All Things, reversed her support of the book and its author in a bushwhacking, flip-flop that would make her heroes, Bill and Hillary Clinton, most proud. For those of you in the dark about this, let me bring you up to speed. Two and a half years ago James Frey released a book about his struggle to overcome alcohol and drug addiction at the Hazelden Clinic in Minnesota. In the book he details how his addiction got out of control: the things he did, the crimes he committed, the people he hurt, etc. and how he struggled to regain control of his life in rehab. The book is over 400 pages long and roughly 20 pages came into dispute recently. The Smoking Gun, an investigative reporting website, discovered that Mr. Frey had embellished, fabricated and even created details of his life in crime, i.e. the time he supposedly spent in jail and being the subject of a drug investiagtion by the FBI. Frey admitted to The Smoking Gun, to Larry King and Oprah that some of those details were, as the report stipulated, untrue. He made them up for dramatic effect and as part of a vision he had of himself at the time. He made himself seem stronger than he actually was as a way of coping with the memory. After the story broke he went on "Larry King Live" to discuss these reports and the very last call came from Oprah who said that while some facts were disputed she stood by the other 400 pages of the book and its message: that drug and alcohol addiction can be overcome. This was, without a doubt, an unpopular position to take as many people, including Oprah's fans, felt justifiably duped by the book. After all, if James Frey lied about his time in jail what else did he lie about? So, today Oprah had a special follow-up show where she invited Frey on to grill him on the book's authenticity. She also invited his publisher, whom she also grilled, and a slew of journalists who trashed Frey and praised Oprah for her "courage" in standing up for the truth. Let me repeat that: she invited people on to trash Frey and praise her for doing so. This is what I cannot swallow. Oprah said emphatically that she believed in the book and its author, regardless of whether some of its details were made up, because the essence of the book resonated with her and, literally, millions of readers. When a group of them challenged her, she backed down and changed her mind because, after all, she's Oprah and Oprah is always the popular one. Now, let me be clear: I'm not excusing Frey for what he did or didn't do. I'm a writer too and as a professional obligation he owed his readers a disclaimer saying this was "based on a true story." But I read the book when it first came out, two years before this whole mess, and it resonated with me then. It does today. When I read it I doubted some parts of it because it seemed too fantastical but, then again, the man was a drug addict and an alcoholic and some of these events, if not many, happened while under the influence which would cloud anyone's memory. Oprah had to, once again, make a spectacle of herself and how important she thinks she is and, perhaps fearing her influence and reputation would be affected by taking an unpopular stand, backed down and did a 360. Shame on you, Oprah. I've lost my respect for you. You not only betrayed James Frey, your guest, but many of us who felt you were a person of conviction.

What could have been the dullest Grand Slam in recent memory has in many ways become one of the most intriguing. Time to tally up the scores. 100 pts to Roger Federer, Fabrice Santoro and Martina Hingis. Santoro, at the ripe old age of 33, has played in 54 Grand Slams and has never advanced beyond the Round of 16 in singles, though he has won the Aussie Open in doubles. Why should "The Magician's" journey end here? He has a matchup with David Nalbandian that he could really win. Should he get pass the Argentine, I like Santoro getting to the final. The Swiss Miss Hingis has been away for four years and has played like she's never been gone. Without dropping a set she's drilled the competiton thus far. She'll have her first real test tonight against the last Aussie standing in the tournament, Samantha Stosur. I like Hingis showing up for a QF throwdown with Kim Clijsters. Federer gets the points for simply being Fed. 90 pts to Tommy Haas for playing the tennis that took him to number two in the world. I smell an upset against Roger Federer tonight, though. This could be the match of the tournament. 80 pts to Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova. Clijsters, so she likes to remind everyone, is playing in pain though it doesn't seem to show. Sharapova has been less than stellar but has gutted her way through the draw. Look for Clijsters to be upset by Hingis and Sharapova to be stopped in the SF by Lindsey Davenport. 70 pts to Dominick Hrbaty for playing four straight five-set matches, for a total of over 14 hours on court. He blew a two-sets-to-love lead against Nikolay Davydenko today but I think fatigue finally got the best of him. 50 pts to Thomas Johansson and Marcos Baghdatis. ToJo played solid throughout the first week and when his draw opened up he got hammered by Ivan Ljubicic. I still see ToJo as a Grand Slam contender but if he keeps missing these opportunities he'll forever be a one-slam wonder. Marcos Baghdatis played the match of his career in seeing Andy Roddick off with great poise. Will he take the next step or fall away? We shall see. 40 pts to Daniela Hantuchova for proving she can still play top-notch tennis. Though her choke against Sharapova and her gamesmanship against Serena Williams leaves a sour feeling. 25 pts to Taylor Dent, Robby Ginepri and James Blake for recommitting themselves last year and in the off-season but for pulling the "el choko" in a slam. They need to mature some more before they can challenge Roddick for the top spot. 0 pts to Andy Roddick and the Williams sisters. When is Roddick going to get that a big serve and forehand won't cut it any more? Guys are returning better and can get his forehand back with more consistency. He needs to get that US Open champ chip off his shoulder and work on getting smarter out there on the court. Nobody can hit through the field match after match, not even Federer. It takes a mind - point construction and patience. As for Serena and Venus they get credit for being gracious in defeat but no props for being out of shape and on the fence dedication-wise. Are they tennis players or designers? Champions or models? Players or pin-ups? Only they can answer that question. It's been a good week one. Here's to an even better week two!