Monday, May 31, 2010

Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear

INTRODUCTION:
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea is a Trilogy of real-time novel-screenplays by author David Omega:


Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode III: The Search For Sweet Pea

Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode I (the prequel): The Rise of Baby Pea

Sugar Bear is a man who seeks meaning in life through singing. He faces his fears, insecurities and shortcomings on and off the karaoke stage.
New episodes will be added to the screenplay each day. Episodes are being written in real time.  Influence how the movies will turn out by posting your comments here. Author email contact information is at http://www.davidomega.com


AND NOW OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION:

Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear
Chapter 1: Singin' Seems To Help A Troubled Soul


SETTING: MAY 2010, DENVER, CO

Sugar Bear was born in the USA.  Now in his late forties, he is fortunate to have the eternal youth gene and appears to be in his late thirties. Forties is the new thirties. Sugar Bear had done more partying as a teen than most people do in their whole life. But clean livin' over the last 10 years and his previous chemical experiences had pickled him better than formaldehyde.   He walks into the little pink house one afternoon after a long day at the factory.  He had worked hard that day, often with sweat pouring down his face. The mantra "Your still freakin' peasants as far as I can see" is on heavy rotation in his mind. He sinks down into the Lazy Boy, dead tired and starts to drift in and out of conciousness. The radio is playing country music softly in the background.  He's not really into country but he likes the classics and "Daddy Sang Bass" echos off the cheap dark brown wall paneling.  Such is life in a northern town.

MUSIC "DADDY SANG BASS" PLAYING:
"Daddy sang bass."
"Momma sang tenor."
"Me and little brother would join right in there."
"Cuz singin' seems to help a troubled soul."
"One of these days and it won't be long."
"I'll rejoin them in a song."
"I'm gonna join that family circle at the throne."

Daddy Sang Bass Video:

It's not really clear whether he was concious or not when he was first blinded by the light.  He was in that golden earring twilight zone between wake and slumber. And then there it was.  A shining brilliant and blinding right before him.  He could see a dark figure in the midst of the light approaching him. 

"This is it!" he thought to himself "Don't fear the Reaper".  The figure was that of a man all dressed in black with black jeans and a black long sleeve shirt. Sugar Bear was confused at the sight of the man in black.  "Romeo in black jeans?" he thought.  As he drew nearer, lights dazzling behind him Sugar Bear could see that his hair was drawn back in a glistening pompadour and he had a guitar slung across his back.


The ominous figure spoke.  "My name is Johnny Cash" he moaned in deep baritone voice.  Sugar Bear was frightened and thought it best to schmooze Johnny a little bit.  "I love all your music!" he blurted.  "Folsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire, Daddy Sang Bass".   "Love 'em all!". 

Johnny bent over and spoke gently to Sugar Bear putting him at ease.  "Son" he said speaking with the southern comfort of a Nashville Cat "let me just tell you one thing".  Comforted, Sugar Bear listened intently.  "No matter what happens", Johnny said "always remember.... singin' seems to help a troubled soul."

And with that Johnny turned about and started to walk back into the light.  "Singin' seems to help a troubled soul", he echoed. 

Sugar Bear wasn't a singer.  His girlfriend Joy played the piano and encouraged him to sing duets occasionally with her in church but he had never sung seriously.  He wondered why the ghost of Johnny Cash had come to give him a message about singing. It seemed so real, but maybe it was just a dream...


What happens next?   Join this blog and post your comments to influence the script. 

And now a brief message from our sponsor:
IRS Problems? Need tax relief? Get it at http://www.bluetax.com/
Other Chapter 1 Videos:







No Myth by Michael Penn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34gANu-o0J0


Nashville Cats by Lovin' Spoonful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4p7prURvIk

Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPudiBR15mk

Life In A Northern Town by The Dream Academy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YablrXxFCc

 

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear

INTRODUCTION:
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea is a Trilogy of real-time screenplays by author David Omega:


Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode III: The Search For Sweet Pea
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode I (the prequel): The Rise of Baby Pea


Sugar Bear is a man who seeks meaning in life through singing. He faces his fears, insecurities and shortcomings on and off the karaoke stage.


New episodes will be added to the screenplay each day. Episodes are being written in real time. Influence how the movies will turn out by posting your comments here. Author website: http://www.davidomega.com

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Bear-and-Sweet-Pea/182159198473106


AND NOW OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION:
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear
Chapter 2: Some Joy in Your Life

SETTING: MAY, 2010 DENVER, CO

Sugar Bear sat up in the Lazy Boy still pondering his encounter with the ghost of Johnny Cash.  Johnny's message to Sugar was "singin' seems to help a troubled soul".  Sugar Bear wasn't sure if he had really been visited by the spirit or if it was all a dream. And he had no clue what it meant.   He had sung a few duets with Joy on the piano, but he was not a musician and never had any training. Was the man in black trying to tell him that "singin'" was some sort of chicken soup for the soul?

He wasn't sure if it would be wise to tell Joy about his "paranormal experience".  She might think that he was losing it.

Now if you ever met Joy you might think that you had been blessed by an angel. In her mid-forties, she had a medium build, long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was kind of average looking, but guys liked her  looks.  Sugar Bear certainly was attracted to her.  She filled out the back of her jeans with the exquisite curves of a Michelangelo original.  Upon first encounter she came across as charming, gracious and thoughtful. 

There was just a hint of mid-western twang which gave her voice slight depth and some character. 


Joy really only had just 2 issues:
  1. Anti-social personality disorder, and
  2. Paranoid personality disorder.
Now if you're morbidly fascinated with these disorders the way I am, I have posted the complete DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition) symptoms for these 2 disorders at the bottom of this page.  For now, let me say that these are NOT schizophrenic conditions. 

In Joy's case they show up in peculiar ways:  persistent pervasive negativity, unfounded jealousy and suspicion of her romantic interest, inabilitity to get along with people at any real depth of relationship, lack of empathy for others, compulsive lying and secret keeping, insomnia, a controlling, manipulative nature, frequent temper tantrums and occasional violence, just to name a few.

Think Shakespeare's Queen Mab, Joyzebel and Fatal Attraction all rolled into one with just a pinch of Ellie May Clampett thrown in for seasoning.   She had been emotionally arrested by the emotion jackboots at a tender age and was literally a little girl in a 45 year old woman's body. 

Her dad tried to have her committed.  But none of her 5 ex-husbands were willing to actually press charges at a time when they still had visible marks on their bodies.  So there was no way to prove that she was a danger to herself or others. 

The rest of the time she was just fine though; quite charming actually, a real Joy to be around. There could be moments of great tenderness in between the rages. 

You see there were really 2 Joys: angelic Joy and demonic Joy.

[Theme from The Exorcist begins to play in the background:
Click play twice to get past the warning. 


There were Dr. Joykyll and Ms. Hyde. Yes, 360 head-spinning Megan, Damien trike riding, Redrum Joy.  If you don't know what I mean by "redrum" write that word on a piece of paper, then hold it up and read it in a mirror. You'll see what I mean.

The nice Joy was really a mask that she wore for special occasions.  It was a facade designed to give lovers what she thought they wanted. It was an extravagant masquerade ball ingeniously designed to discover her next victim's particular weaknesses. 

But the real, hidden Joy was dark, disturbed and dangerous.  The only people who got to know this Joy were those who were closest to her.  If she perceived that you could do any emotional or financial damage to her, then she perceived you as a threat and she absolutely had to control you. This went for her sons, father, co-workers and most of all, her lover because whoever he was at the time, he was the one who had the potential to do the most emotional damage to her.

[Background music switches to Witchy Woman by Kristin Chenoweth].



It was a dangerous game she played, being emotionally needy herself, yet never willing to take the risk of giving genuine love. Infatuation, the opiate of the masses. She could let herself get infatuated, because she knew that drug would quickly wear off and the hangover would go away. But she could never give true love.  She could never take that risk. No man can be trusted. She must control every detail of her lover for as long as he could be dominated.

Joy was like a master strategist in a relationship war.  She was the General Patton, The Rommel, The Desert Fox of relationships because in her mind a relationship is a war.  There is a winner and a loser, a giver and a getter, a champ and a chump.

[Weird 1950's science fiction space music in the background - It Came From Outer Space Trailer]:


It took a lot of pyschic energy for Joy to put on and maintain the nicey Joy. She could only do it for so long at a time.  It's kinda like those science fiction movies like Species where some hideous alien can shape-shift into the form of a beautiful woman, well, average looking in this case, but as soon as there is trouble or they get under pressure they can't maintain the form anymore and spontaneously slip back into their grotesque alien form.

Sugar Bear loved Joy. Yeah, he's a little naive.  He's been in several significant relationships before and was even married to one woman for many years. But although he's fairly sharp, he's a little slow on the relationship download.  His ability to process emotions is working on dial-up.

He and Joy had been dating only a few months and up to this point all he had known was angelic Joy.  That was the fanstasy that he had constructed of her in his mind. Oh she had some minor flaws he thought.  She could be easily offended even when he didn't mean anything by it and he had to walk on eggshells around her.  No big deal.  He would watch his P's and Q's and X, Y, Z's. Just try not to make her mad.

And so the spell had been cast. She poured copious amounts of love potion #9 from her silver chalice of deceit and he drank profusely.
[Love Potion #9 plays in the background].

 The golden image had been carved and was being worsipped by the little pagans in Sugar Bear's heart. It would take a lot to shatter that image. And now he was entering into dangerous territory: the wasteland.  Joy was growing closer to him too.  She had become emotionally attached to him.  That could only mean one thing!  He MUST be controlled at all costs.  Battle lines were being drawn. Resistance is futile!

[Fade to black.  Evil Woman by ELO plays in the background].


What happens next?  This screenplay is being written in real time.  You can influence how the movie turns about by signing up as a follower and posting your comments here.


And now a brief word from our sponsor: 
Want to get your website to the top page of Google?  Drive traffic to your site by using our search engine optimization services (SEO):  http://www.hollywood-seo.com
The 'premier' seo and web design company in Los Angeles.

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Bear-and-Sweet-Pea/182159198473106


According to the DSM-IV-TR (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition):


Characteristics of people with antisocial personality disorder may include:


Persistent lying or stealing
Apparent lack of remorse or empathy for others
Poor behavioral controls — expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper
A history of childhood conduct disorder
Recurring difficulties with the law
Tendency to violate the boundaries and rights of others
Substance abuse
Aggressive, often violent behavior; prone to getting involved in fights
Inability to tolerate boredom
Disregard for the safety of self or others

There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and the rights of others occurring since the age of 15, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:


1.failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
2.deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;

3.impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;

4.irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;

5.reckless disregard for safety of self or others;

6.consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;

7.lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.

B) The individual is at least 18 years of age.
C) There is evidence of Conduct disorder with onset before age 15.

D) The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode


Well, so much for Anti-social Personality Disorder.  Now let's move on the the ever fascinating topic of Paranoid Personality Disorder


According to the DSM-IV those with the condition are hypersensitive, are easily slighted, and habitually relate to the world by vigilant scanning of the environment for clues or suggestions to validate their prejudicial ideas or biases. They tend to be guarded and suspicious and have quite constricted emotional lives. Their incapacity for meaningful emotional involvement and the general pattern of isolated withdrawal often lend a quality of schizoid isolation to their life experience. PPD is characterized by at least 3 of the following:



1.excessive sensitivity to setbacks and rebuffs;
2.tendency to bear grudges persistently, i.e. refusal to forgive insults and injuries or slights; and always bringing them up.
3.suspiciousness and a pervasive tendency to distort experience by misconstruing the neutral or friendly actions of others as hostile or contemptuous;
4.a combative and tenacious sense of personal rights out of keeping with the actual situation;
5.recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding sexual fidelity of spouse or sexual partner;
6.tendency to experience excessive self-importance, manifest in a persistent self-referential attitude;
7.preoccupation with unsubstantiated "conspiratorial" explanations of events both immediate to the patient and in the world at large.


3 or more of the characteristics can lay the diagnosis on somebody. 
Joy had all the characteristics of both disorders!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea: The Trilogy

INTRODUCTION:

Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea is a Trilogy of real-time screenplays written by author David Omega:


Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode II: The Legend of Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode III: The Search For Sweet Pea
Sugar Bear and Sweet Pea Episode I (the prequel): The Rise of Baby Pea

Sugar Bear is a man who seeks meaning in life through singing.  He faces his fears, insecurities and shortcomings on and off the karaoke stage.

New episodes will be added to the screenplay each day.  Episodes are being written in real time. Influence how the movies will turn out by posting your comments here.  Author email contact information is at http://www.davidomega.com/










keywords: book, ebook, e-book, blog, online book, novel, romance novel, karaoke, singer, American idol, singing lessons, paperback, screenplay, movie, dvd, blueray, movie script, screen writer, novela, tele novela, author, science fiction, sci-fi, sci fi, scifi, horror, suspense, comedy, musical, drama, Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, dead in the family, the girl with the dragon tattoo, breaking free from emotional eating, the girl who played with fire, the red pyramid, avatar, true blood, the blind side, glee, new moon, the dark knight