Trapped in a Digital World

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 16, 2004

Earlier in this blog, I chatted a bit about Cable and my desire for ala carte programming. The lack of choice has kept me from upgrading to Digital Cable despite all the bells and whistles it has advertised (bells and whistles I will likely not need or desire).

On Friday, I came home to discover a letter from Cablevision saying my premium cable package is being phased out on September 28. The only way to get HBO and the others was to upgrade to Digital.

While prepping for the radio interview, I went to their web site, browsed their three package options, found them wanting and fired off the following e-mail to customer service:

I am furious at the notice I received in today’s mail. After winnowing my cable options since December, you now intend to remove all the movie channels from my service. To continue to enjoy these channels, you are now insisting I upgrade to Digital.

Without greater flexibility in your package options you’re dangerously close to losing a longtime customer (me and my family can date our Cablevision service to 1976). I look forward to hearing from you in the immediate future.

This morning I found the following awaiting me in my inbox:

Mr. Greenberger,

Janet
Cablevision Shared Services

To which I replied:

Janet,

And still furious.

Actually, maybe a little less furious since I may not have known that the Federal Government wants everyone upgraded to digital. The FCC is basically asking me to spend more money without providing me with regulations giving me the freedom of choice I have come to expect from this country. (Almost the reverse of those unfunded mandates like “No Child Left Behind.”)

Deb figures we should merely get the minimal digital package, skipping all the movie channels. Rather than tape movies to watch at a later date of our choosing, the alternative would be to frequent the local video store which takes a lot of the spontaneity out of the thing. I’m thinking Netflix might be a better alternative since they don’t have a short window to watch and return which helps should we be forced to rent DVDs in order to see The Sopranos, The L Word, Angels in America, Six Feet Under or even sample shows like Deadwood.

I’m feeling in a bit of a bind here. Satellite might be an option but I’m loath to lose the discount we get for subscribing to cable TV and a cable modem. I also don’t like the satellite feed being subject to weather whims.

Grump.

I Need a Vacation

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 15, 2004

Well, the last few days have been busy.

On Friday, DC felt like old home week. After completing work on reviewing proofs for my own books in addition to the Encyclopedia, I went to drop things off and up on 6, ran into Karen Chamberlain, a former co-worked. No sooner do we start chatting then I see Dan Mishkin. Dan and I have been friends since I met him in early 1984 but we see each other way too rarely. He accompanied me back to my office and there on the voice mail are calls from Christopher Priest and Danny Vozzo, people I

This and That

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 13, 2004

A quick reminder that I’ll be interviewed on the radio tonight at 11:30. Howard Margolin says it’s been nearly 15 years so surely I’ve come up with something new to say. You can find it on line at Destinies.

Meantime, I’ve spent the better part of the last two days going over the final page proofs for the DC Comics Encyclopedia. Phil Jimenez, Ivan Cohen and I have been working our way through the pages, fixing some stylistic problems, correcting some typos and revising many final sentances to bring things as up to date as possible. Looks like we’ll have some Identity Crisis and War Games facts in place so this should be in pretty reasonable shape in terms of reflecting the current line of titles.

Work has remained tremendously busy as a flurry of projects have arrived for various proofing from the designers, the color separators and the printer. Nice to see all these things come together, just wish they were spaced out a bit. I’m thrilled to see how nicely Batman in the Eighties is coming together considering we had to modify the format a bit to extensively cover all the stuff we couldn’t possibly reprint — things like Dark Knight and Batman: Year One. Lots of extra info from my pal John Wells as well as loads of covers.

I’ll work a bit this weekend to add some missing info to the Bibliography in addition to adding the titles I’ve edited since there’s been a request.

Bibliography

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 11, 2004

WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

The Memorial Recap

Posted by Bob Greenberger on

On most Wednesdays, I go downtown for lunch with friends. It

Play by Play on the Radio

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 10, 2004

I

Progress

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 9, 2004

OK, the weekend started out cool and gloomy as noted in previous posts. The plays certainly brightened things.

We also did another two rounds of shopping with Kate, getting her ready for college. We reviewed the mundane (toothpaste) to essential (a really good surge protector). By the time we got to the staplers, she was seriously glazed over. “You mean there are colored staples now?” she exclaimed as she tried to make a wise choice between size, shape and durability.

While she and Deb were out buying even more stuff, I chose to remain behind. Mainly because the laundry needed attention and also to get back to an original fantasy outline. With nothing under contract for the first time in at least two years, I need to get back into the proposal business. A short story continues to formulate in my head but needs a satisfactory ending so while that compiles, I’m back to a proposal that hasn’t been visited in about two years (coincidence? conspiracy?).

When Pocket Books was in the original science fiction and fantasy business, editor John Ordover solicited me for an idea. Within a few weeks, said idea developed and was presented. Interestingly, at much the same time, Keith DeCandido also presented them with a notion. Both were fantasies, both set in other places and times yet both used modern day elements. At one point we debated whether or not this would be a good thing for Pocket to market together or not.

Anyway, time passed. Keith, far swifter at this sort of thing, got his Dragon Precinct approved and contracted. It just came out last month and is well recommended.

John and his publisher said they liked my basic idea but wanted it inverted. A modern day, real world story with fantasy elements. I began reworking the idea, needing to entirely reinvent the story. By then, I was between jobs and was taking long walks with the puppy each day. While on these two-miles treks, the story slowly was reborn. And I began writing it up.

Then DC rehired me and the story remained undone. Until now. Yesterday I managed to finish the outline. I know it needs more work and some additional story elements but it’s coming together and feeling good. On the other hand, Pocket has since gone out of the original science fiction and fantasy business (again) so I need to peddle it elsewhere…something I am unused to.

Fortunately, WorldCon is coming this Labor Day weekend and I will be there. Also fortunately, one editor at another company has already expressed a willingness to see the proposal when its ready. This is all a bit new to me and I’m very cautiously optimistic it will be good enough to find a home.

Theatre notices

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 8, 2004

Been a weekend of sitting in theatres. On Friday night we were there for Opening Night of Fairfield Teen Theatre

It’s STILL the Economy, Stpuid

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 7, 2004

32,000 jobs were created last month. Sounds like good news, right? Not if you

A Gray Day

Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 5, 2004

Today was definitely one of those days that things got done, time passed and suddenly it