Category: Essays

Since I’m asked about this entry alot I’m moving it to the Essay section. Thanks for all the interest.

Here’s how it’ll go down.

It’ll start with the Have-Nots. Least that’s what the History books will say.

But here’s the thing, the Haves started it. Because the Haves…have everything. They control everything. Food, entertainment, health, government, overall happiness. All this while making the Have-Nots THINK they are in control of their lives, happiness and destiny. It’s actually a brilliant bit of PR and Marketing. But eventually the Haves always go too far, get a little too greedy. It’s already started. They tighten the noose over a couple bucks and in doing so the Have-Nots wake up to find themselves plugged into a machine. Have-Nots are waking up and soon they will fight back.

Oh, it won’t be pretty. Because at first it will only be a small number of Have-Nots fighting.

Most will still be brainwashed.

Because you see, the Haves created these amazing ways of dividing the Have-Nots.

It’s easy because the Haves own all media, all print and all entertainment. The Haves have been telling you what to think, who to hate and who to love for years. They’ve also given you thousands of teams to choose from. Thousands of “causes” to keep you distracted.

Religion. While the Have-Nots bicker over whose God is THE God, while they bicker over whose method of worship is THE method of worship…the Haves get richer. Stronger.

Race. While the Have-Nots worry over skin color and stereotypes, the Haves giggle. Because the Haves know that 99 percent of all mankind, regardless of skin color…are Have-Nots.

Politics. The Haves created a donkey and an elephant. Half of the Have-Nots adore the donkey. The other half adore the elephant. So while the Have-Nots bicker whose right and whose wrong, the Haves laugh fully aware that 99.99 percent of both donkeys and elephants…are Have Nots.

So, it’ll be years before the rules of divide and conquer the Haves put in place will weaken and fall.

But even when that day comes, the Have-Nots will still have an uphill battle.

Because even though the Have-Nots far outnumber the Haves, the Haves…have money. And money buys Have-Nots with guns.

The Haves will also have the Not-Really-Haves. Those are the middle class who’ve had a little financial success. House, cars paid for, debt free, some money in the bank. They’ll function out of ego more than anything else and eventually the Haves will sacrifice them. Because while you may own your house, a true Have owns banks which own thousands of houses. You may have control of your debt, but a true Have has control of States, economies and governments. It’s the mouse who’d rather hang with the cats than the ants. Eventually though, the mouse will get eaten.

Then…even more head scratching will be those actual Have-Nots who are so deeply brainwashed within their ideology that they will fight to the death to protect the very Haves who are killing them. Like the girl who lives off her mother’s purse but fights against the Welfare System. Like the guy who has no insurance shouting to all who will listen that he does not want the government deciding what surgeries he can and can’t have. Even though at present he can have no surgeries. Ever. But the Haves will laugh. Because, let you in on a little secret, regardless where your healthcare lives, insurance or government, the Haves control both.

BUT…here’s the good news.

Eventually the Haves will lose. Because this isn’t a new story. it’s a very old story. And it’s a story that has repeated itself over and over. It’s almost a law of physics. Pick up a History book. Preferably an old one as the Haves have a tendency to have them rewritten. Lots of empires and governments and Haves have come before us. They all met the same fate. They got greedy. They were outnumbered. And eventually they were devoured.

And from the ashes…a handful of Have-Nots rose victorious…to become the new Haves.

(I actually gathered this artwork ten or so years ago from assorted sites on the net. This was back when the interent was a bit less structured and credit was rarely given where credit was due. It was also a time when the Haves weren’t interested or in some cases even aware of the internet’s existence. Oh how times have changed. I know there’s at least one Lois Royo above but no idea who all of the artists are.)

The Messengers was another first for lil ol’ Toddly.
With “Jason X” I got the job because I was the writer on staff at Cunningham Productions. It sounds easy but I paid my dues writing whatever I was told to write for three years. The movie was shot, my contract with Cunningham ended and the movie went into a can for over a year.
Unemployed, I wrote a spec. Got an agent. Sold the spec. Another first. After the spec sell I made the rounds meeting dozens of producers and executives. One of those was Derek Dauchy, an exec at Revolution Studios. Nice guy, bald like me.

Written by Dean Riesner
Forward by Todd Farmer
Following are the words of “Dinky” Dean Reisner. He was born in 1918 (as he’ll mention in a moment) and he passed away in his sleep at his house in Encino on August 18 of 2002. Dean was a hero. He wrote real movies. “Dirty Harry”, “High Plains Drifter” and as a writer he took me under his wing. He sent me the following which he’d banged out on his old Royal typewriter — where he’d written all of his old flicks — and wanted my opinion because he was thinking about either writing a novel or script of his life. I thought his story was fascinating and maybe you will too.

Think back to High School. Remember that big kid who hung out in the smoking area? The one who loved shop class a little too much? He lurked around with that blindingly white coin slot always visible from the rear? Did you know he also liked to blow things up? Growing up on his block was not unlike growing up near Sid, that nasty little kid from Toy Story. Well, that was high school. Sid’s all grown up now and he’s working in Hollywood in the area of pyrotechnic effects-basically he makes stuff blow up real good.
The writer has a lot in common with Sid. We both make stuff blow up. Sid is very good at his job. It’s a dangerous job. If Sid screws up, people get hurt. If the writer screws up, people just get bored.

I can’t remember when I first decided that I wanted to be a writer, but I was a storyteller and proficient liar as far back as I can remember. Whether it was making up a spur of the moment ghost story around the campfire or telling a tall tale to keep out of trouble or becoming High School Newspaper Editor or embellishing a true story in order to give it a little punch — I loved to spin a yarn. I suppose the desire grew out of some form of raw creative talent. And for that I must credit my grandma because every trip to her house resulted in some kind of creative challenge. Her house was always filled with construction paper, glue, glitter, yarn, etc. I remember her writing the alphabet for me then telling me to hide each letter by drawing pictures around it.