| "Back from Oblivion... Again", or "Hotter Than July" |
[Jul. 2nd, 2007|08:07 am] |
7/2/07 2:27 PM GMT
Chucklenuts,
Frederick,
Davey,
Buck,
and Lisa...
All I do...
Is think about you...
Well, not really, but it seemed kind of like
a good way to open my post...
Let's see if I have any fans left...
I've started watching the All-American
Presidential Forums on PBS on the
The Tavis Smiley Show
web site...finally.
The question about race as a national
issue just came up. Hillary Clinton is making
her statement.
I can't help but think about the Alito
filibuster wimpout early in 2006. The
questioner alluded to the Supreme Court
decision. Clinton made a strong statement,
but I recall her initial reluctance to vote
"yes" on the Kerry-Kennedy filibuster.
I need to look up the ones who refused]
to support it. None of them should be running
for president, as far as I'm concerned. It's
highly hypocritical to complain about the
effective reversal of Brown vs. Board
of Education if they didn't take any
real steps to prevent the very justice
who tipped the scale in the wrong direction
from getting on the bench.
Edwards sounded and looked good. Obama
strikes me as slightly uncomfortable, but
he's getting smoother. He thanked those who
came before him; Thurgood Marshall included
- I've already noted that he was against the
Civil Rights Movement.
DENNIS!!!
Agreed with Obama.
Very good - "They tell you to pull yourselves
up by your bootstraps, and then steal your boots."
Mentioning Jesse Jackson Jr.'s bill.
Wants universal pre-kindergarten. Good idea.
Eliminate "No Child Left Behind." - supports
eudcation in music and the arts. Guarantee
college and quality education for all Americans.
{Applause}
That was the most rousing statement anybody
presented yet.
Who's that talking about drug addiction as a
medical problem? That was quite good. I wasn't
expecting that.
The key to equal access to education in our
society..." -was that Biden? He talked about how
he would attempt to reverse the decision over-
turning Brown vs. Board of Education, but
seemed to have a little trouble
closing coherently.
AIDS...
Richardson wants education. Mentioned
helping Africa with the problem. Impressed
with Bush's efforts.
Personally, I think of it as a behavior problem
as much as it is a political problem.
Edwards..."We shouldn't be dependent on
private funding. We need to fully fund finding
a cure...fund Ryan White to make sure there's
a treatment for diagnosed patients... adjust
Medicare and Medicaid to pay for treatment.
Obama - "...Education. We need to overcome
the stigma, and talk about it...homophobia...
poverty...lack of educational opportunities...
these are interconnected...when people don't
have jobs, they're more likely to be afflicted
with AIDS...we need to look at the whole body...
we need to promote employment, education...those
things will work in the long term."
Kucinich - "It's time to get real about sex
education. People need to know the consequences
of their actions... We should be able to fund
health care - make health care not for profit...
Michael Moore is right..."
{Applause again}
Kucinich is cruising... :)
Education...yes...health care...yes. We're
subsidizing insurance companies...put pressure
on people to end this war on drugs that is
ravaging your communities...
Dodd - "We need school-based clinics where
students will be able to talk to people with
questions...citizens have responsibilities to
educate the chilren...the AA community suffers
from a wide variety of health problems...it's not
just coverage, but access to that coverage...
each one of us as citizens can make a difference.
Global warming for 600...
Clinton - "That was good, Tavis." It's hard to
disagree with anything that has been said...
but if AIDS was the leading killer of white
women aged 25-34, there would be an outraged
outcry in this country!"
{Standing Ovation}
"...If we don't go back to addressing the
problem like we did in the 90s..."
Biden - "There's a policy of neglect and
denial out there. I spent last summer going
through the black sections of my town telling
black men that it's not unmanly to wear condoms,
and that it's okay for women to say 'no.'"
Very good...
...There's no shame in being tested for AIDS
(right after his now famous remark about Barack
Obama being tested...).
...communities are engaged in denial...we
don't have enough people confronting the men
and the women, letting them know there are alt-
ernatives...
{Cut to Al Sharpton... he didn't seem to like that,
or what was said possibly didn't register.}
Obama - "I just want to clarify...I got tested
with Michelle."
{FADE OUT}
Economic Disparity...
I wanna go back to the intro... I was cleaning
the bathroom when I originally played it, so
I wasn't listening too closely.
H. Patrick Swaggart - "...we're all Americans,
we're all engaged...let's thank our students
and student volunteers, who worked tirelessly
...to make tonight memorable for each of you."
Tom Joyner - (who?)
A rousing intro..
I'll have to take a look.
TJ - "The Covenant of Black America...the issues
of black America are the same issues for all of
America... but not in the same order...
"We deserve more than last minute visits at
churches..."
Did you hear that one, Gubernator?
Now I gotta check this guy out!
When's he on?
I knew there was some reason I wanted to see
the intro again...
...our votes cannot be taken for granted...
and now...my friend...Tavis Smiley!!!
Walks in, to an ovation.
Multiple "Thank-yous."
"When we make Black America better, we make all
America better..."
Thanks PBS, addresses the pertinent issues...
"It's not so much a pop quiz, but an open book test...
Introduced four young men who washed cars to
attend, to an ovation.
Quotes Paul Robeson - "Children must ever be cherished..."
Introduces the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval
Patrick.
Patrick - "...the national republican party is adrift...
we have to offer a more hopeful vision for America...
people are less interested than the differences between
right and left, and more interested in the difference
between right and wrong..."
Good speech.
Welcomes Socks' owner, Biden, Richardson, Edwards,
Obama, KUCINICH, Sen. Mike Gravel, Dodd, to applause...
OK.
Now back to the show.
Economic Disparity...
Hey! Lionel's on AAR now.
I've been wanting to check him out. I miss the music.
In a while. I'm about halfway done with the Tavis
democratic debate...
Tavis...
Isn't there a book in the bible with that name?
Hmmm...
The Gospel According to Tavis...
Kind of catchy.
Lemeesee...
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus!
Oh, it's not Tavis, it's Titus.
I'll bet there's an interesting story behind his
naming.
Titus is only one page long.
No wonder ministers never preach from it.
Well, back to the debate...
Funny.
Whenever I hear the Tavis music, I want to buy
a Toyota.
Question: "Are the rich paying their fair share
of Taxes, and if not, what would you do about it?"
Edwards (such a silly name) - "...what we want is
for everybody to get the same chance to do well...
the people who do better need to pay back...we need
to get rid of George Bush's tax cuts for the rich...
we ought to honor work in this country, not just
wealth..."
Very strong closing.
Obama - "...are we willing to promote genuine opportunity...
they want people paying for their fair share of taxes...
one of the problems with Katrina was that even before
the hurricane struck...investments weren't made...
Kucinich - "We understand that people aren't paying their
fair share of taxes, and businesses are sending their
...I want to make sure that business "here" pay their
taxes here, and I want to see the end of war as an
instrument of policy."
Gravel - "...we need to wipe out the income tax...and
impose a progressive sales tax...everybody will know
what everyone else is paying.
He said he'd worked on committees relevant to the question,
and knew that the tax code wasn't going to change anytime
soon, or something to that effect.
That was a very interesting suggestion. I'd like to hear
more about that. I've never heard anybody propose a solution
of that nature.
Dodd - "...our tax and fiscal policies ought to reflect
our values...it's important to expand our economy...I'm
disappointed as many...we need to get back to fiscal
policies in effect in the Clinton days...companies are
paid to remove jobs from the country."
Clinton - "...middle-class and working class families
are paying more than their fair share...yes we have to
change the tax system...
Biden - "...for the first time in our history since we've
had the federal income tax, we're in a position in which
the wage earners are paying more than the wealthy...it's
all about their ideology...you have to tax investment,
and return money to wage earners."
Richardson - "...replace the Bush tax cuts with those
for the middle class...reward companies that go to
rural areas and the inner city...reward high-tech
startup companies...we need to be pro-growth democrats...
we need to change the tax code..."
Crime and Punishment
(I hadn't planned on blogging all of this, but it's too
engrossing.)
DeWayne Wickham asks - WHOA!!!
I gotta rewind...
Between 1996 and 2005...
Blacks were 29% (or was that 49%?) of persons arrested,
Whites were 70%.
Whites were 40% of inmates, and blacks were 38% in 2005.
What does this say to you?
Obama - "The justice system is not colorblind. Sometimes
you're accused of being soft on crime when you attempt
to deal with these issues."
Kucinich - "Ban minimum sentences, emphasize rehabilitation,
not incarceration, and end the federal death penalty (he's
introduced legislation).
YAAAAYYYY!!!!
Dennis, you're just too damned good!!!
It seems like every time he opens his mouth, he gets an
early ovation.
Gravel - "There's no thought about changing the system today,
it's just politics as usual.
Dodd - "I'm in support of Charlie Rengel's drive to eliminate
the disparities between powder and crack cocaine..."
Clinton - "We have to go after racial profiling, and we have
to go after mandatory minimums...non-violent offenders don't
need to be serving hard time...we need to equalize the treatment
of powder and crack cocaine..."
Biden - "We need to eliminate the crack/powder disparity,
we need to make sure the states apply the law equally,
300,000 inmates will be released addicted to drugs..."
Richardson - "1 out of 3 (black?) males spend time in jail. That's
wrong. We need a way to deal with poverty, increase the
minimum wage, child care, unions..."
Edwards - "Everything just said is correct...no question
that our justice system is not colorblind...help first
offenders with job training and education..."
{Applause}
Katrina: Right to Return
Michel Martin (NPR) - Long question...
"Congressman, would you support a federal law guaranteeing
the right to return to New Orleans and to other regions
of the Gulf Coast devastated by Hurricane Katrina
based on the UN Human Rights standards governing the
internal displacement of citizens?"
Kucinich - "Absolutely. The aftermath and how it was dealt
with underscores everything that's wrong with this country...
New Orleans represents a hope...people should be guaranteed
the right to return, as well as jobs...the people who live
there can't even get employment. They're bringing in people
from the outside for the reconstruction."
Gravel - "If we weren't squandering all that money on
this terrible war, we'd have money for millions of houses.
Biden - "...we need to see to it that they're able to get
their lives back together..."
Clinton - "...I have a 10-point plan...rebuild hospitals...
there is nothing to return to...people in NO didn't get
the same treatment that people did after 9/11...we had to
work to allow people to get FEMA funding without a 10% match...
this is outrageous!"
{Applause}
Biden - "...pay to rebuild firehouses...bring those cops
back...this is an American city, incapable of doing this
on its own..."
Richardson - "...this has been a most disgraceful episode...
we need to make sure that FEMA is directly under the president...
we need to eliminate the 10% match requirement...we have to require the
insurance companies to insure homes on the Gulf Coast..."
Edwards - "...we have a huge responsibility...I will require
daily reports...allow the people of NO to rebuild their own
city...instead of giving multi-national corporations the
contracts..."
Obama - "...giving Halliburton and Bechtel the contracts
compounds the outrage...the assumption was that everyone
could load up their SUVs with sparkling water, and check
into the nearest hotel..."
Good one, Barack.
I gotta applaud that one.
Very witty.
Very poignant.
Obama - "...gotta have one person in charge, who reports
directly to the president...people in New Orleans were
being neglected prior to Katrina..."
WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT GEODESIC DOMES
BACK IN SEPTEMBER???
Outsourcing Jobs...
Reuben Navarette -
"A lot of Americans are worried with outsourcing of
U.S. jobs. Corporations are claiming that with a global
economy, Americans have to compete with overseas
labor. Which side are you on, and if you agree that
outsourcing is a problem, what is the solution?"
Gravel - "Outsourcing is not the problem...our trade
agreements that benefit the management and the shareholders,
and neglects both sides of the issue...it's the way
people want to finance the health care problem on
the backs of businesses..."
Dodd - "...I disagree...we need tax incentives...we
need to limit outsourcing..."
Clinton "...outsourcing is a problem. I've tried to deal
with it as a senator...we need to change the tax code,
have trade agreements which enforce environmental and
labor standards...(rapid fire response - multiple good
ideas, hard to keep up with...might've drifted off topic).
Biden - "...assistance in training for high-tech jobs
so we're not importing 400,000 computer engineers..."
Richardson - "We need to upgrade science education...
I would start 250 math and science academies...what we
need is trade agreements...fair trade agreements to
discourage slave labor...invest in high-growth indust-
ries..."
Edwards - "trade agreements with environmental and labor
standards, eliminate tax breaks for companies that export
jobs overseas."
Obama - "...retraining, investment to encourage new
businesses...not only eliminate tax breaks for moving
jobs overseas...we need to work on our educational
system, but we also need a strategy on the part of
the federal government to re-invest in those comm-
unities that are being affected by globalization."
{Applause}
Kucinich - "Cancel NAFTA and the WTO to insure adherence
to human rights and environmental quality prinicples."
{Kucinich gets early applause yet again...
THROW DOWN, DENNIS!}
Who says Ohio's a boring place?
"A democratic administratation started NAFTA, and a
democratic administration will end it."
Left hook...
Crisis in Darfur
DeWayne - "Second opportunity to end a genocide in
Africa. We ignored Rwanda in 1994, and over half a
million died. Lack of decisive action now in Darfur.
What does this say about our moral leadership?"
(approximate quote - long question)
Dodd - "...the United States should be able to
take some unilateral action...we need to be able to
build coalitions, but in the mean time, we ought to act."
Clinton - "...move the UN into Darfur as soon as possible.
I prefer NATO. Need a no-fly zone over Sudan."
Biden - "...we don't need to get out of Iraq to assume
moral authority...we should have imposed a no-fly zone
two years ago..."
Richardson - "...no-fly zone, find a way to stop the massive
rapes...we should not forget to make policy stands on
Africa..."
Edwards - "No-fly zone. Sanctions against China. Troops
on the ground...sanitation...drinking water...
Obama - "No-fly zone is important. We need to look at
Africa before crises happen...that has been missing
in the White House...
Tavis - "...15 seconds for Kucinich and Gravel..."
Kucinich - "It's time for the U.S. to stop looking at
Africa as a place where our corporations can exploit
the people.
{Interrupted by applause - YET AGAIN!!!}
"Let's face it, if Darfur was full of oil, this
administration would be occupying it right now..."
{MORE APPLAUSE!!}
"We need to stop giving Sudan a pass for looking
the other way..."
Tavis - "Congressman, I have to cut you off..."
Gravel - "We have to have a president who has moral
judgement. Most of the people on this stage don't
have it and proved it by what they've done."
Arch - What?
Tavis closes...
Winner?
No doubt about it.
I found Hillary Clinton's detailed responses
promising, but she had to rattle them off so
quickly, it made them a task to follow.
With the availability of the video, this
isn't a problem for someone who wants details,
but that approach may not settle well with
someone who doesn't go back for specifics.
Barack Obama - solid, but not a standout.
Biden - I want to see more.
Dodd - Same.
Edwards - Initially appears very well-versed on
close-to-home issues.
Richardson - Held his own.
Gravel - Interesting comment on the taxes, but
his closer put me off at first. Considering the fact
he was under extreme pressure to say something
about a painful and complex topic, this is under-
standable.
I find myself wondering about the roles of
the debates in the Internet Epoch.
I don't think that the format really allows
one to get the best picture of the candidates.
I don't see anybody dropping off as a result, but
Kucinich certainly should have picked up some
support from the AA community, as well as the
most progressive types, after what one could
call a command performance.
I haven't been following polls or news coverage,
so I don't know where things stand. It's so early
in the process, I don't think any of the democratic
contenders should consider dropping out, unless
they just decide they're no longer interested.
If voters are really concerned about the issues,
they candidates ought to try to draw them to their
websites for more information on each individual.
Questioning potential presidents seems like it
ought to be an ongoing process. They should
(and probably do) answer questions every day,
both by blog and by video.
They can clarify and expand upon answers,
comment on their appearances, and engage in
additional follow-up after the staged presentations.
I actually learned a few things about Darfur while
I was watching. I hadn't expected that.
Personally, I think that a candidate would want
to convey to the electorate that:
1)I have thought about and acted on implementing
viable solutions to the problem posed by the presenter.
2)I can't convey their entire depth in the format
provided, but you can look further on my web page.
3)I'm very serious about my stands, and you should
take me seriously.
4)My stands make sense. Current leadership doesn't.
5)My approach will be effective if I'm in office,
but the public still has to participate in the
solving problems.
6)Everything can't be legislated. I found myself
thinking this during the AIDS and Teens
segment. Biden's comment about changing attitudes
and encouraging more responsible behavior was
appropriate and courageous. We're nearly 30 years
into the "AIDS Era." Why haven't people figured this
thing out yet? The treatment side of things raises
a lot of hot buttons too. There's no way a debate in
the current format could adequately outline approaches.
Our community has a lot of critical issues. Sometimes,
it's distressing to think about them. Like Tavis
says, when America has a cold, African-Americans
have pneumonia.
7)The quality of life within this nation will
be improved upon if my ideas are implemented, and
our standing in the global community will be too.
Sounds good for a start.
It'll be interesting to see how the republicans do.
With regards to Ron Paul, I consider his statement about
AA teens and crime I saw in his Wikipedia entry to
present an opportunity.
While it's certainly painful and angering to hear, it
provides a point of approach for politicians who
blunder into such territory.
I've mentioned before that it would be constructive
for the African-American community to provide some
course of action such individuals can take that will
serve to make amends with us.
Like Tom Joyner said, an appearance at an AA church
one week before the election isn't going to do it.
While it is extremely tempting to simply write off
politicians like Paul until Kingdom Come when making
such volatile and offensive comments, I speculate
that it may serve the best interests of the African-
American community to devise a contingency plan
that will:
1)Prevent hopefuls for elective office from ignoring
our concerns entirely. This is what results when we
decide that an official will never get our vote due
to a remembered offensive remark.
Resultingly, our vote is largely neutralized. The
other candidate, (the democrat) knows he or she is
going to get the AA vote, and ergo, need promise
nothing of substance to win it. We're so happy that
the apparent klan sympathizer didn't get into
office that we don't care about our vote being taken
for granted, or the consequence of voting for some-
one who feels no need to reward our support, since
the candidate knew they'd have it anyway.
This "puppy love" support often has the reverse effect.
The democrat we've become so endeared to for not say-
ing anything mean about us then has the task of convin-
cing white (and other) voters that our support won't be
returned with too much substantive change - that which
may threaten non AAs.
So, we end up being kicked away just long enough to
reassure the general population that we're not in
charge of the candidate we've been supporting with
our desperation all this time, then, just before
that stupid Tuesday, they make appearances with AA
leaders in the hopes of shoring things up for the
home stretch.
In the meanwhile, the friendly neighborhood red-stater
(read: red-neck) doesn't even waste time or resources
asking the AA community to even consider voting for him,
because there's no real dialogue.
Our turnout is low anyway, and it's easy enough to
remove what's left from the voting rolls.
So, we slowly flutter back and forth, making occasional
gains, but steadily moving backwards on too many
pertinent issues, not too unlike a cruise ship
sinking towards the bottom of the ocean.
Or perhaps more accurately, a leaf falling from
a tree.
A dead leaf.
Year after year, this keeps happening.
If we tell a politician that he's in a hole, and
needs to climb out, instead of, "You're never
going to get my vote," could it possibly serve
to strengthen our influence in the political
process?
How might things change if everyone didn't know
that we planned on turning out for the dems
in droves months (or years) before the actual
election?
The question is always, "How many?"
It is never, "For whom?"
Something is wrong with this.
If the dems are forever allowed to rest on their
laurels for voting "yes" on the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, and the republicans believe that
they can never expect our support, NO MATTER
WHAT THEY TRY, are we neutralizing ourselves
as a significant political force?
Maybe if our votes weren't quite so pre-determined,
the republicans wouldn't spend so much time devoting
themselves to stopping us from participating!
We know they're going to do it, and despite years
of advanced warning, can't seem to come up with
an effective counter-attack.
The dems we love so much don't do a damn thing
to curtail it. They leave this task to the activist
community - US!!
Why should they waste their time and money protect-
ing the integrity of the political process when
they know that we'll do it for them - FOR FREE!!!??
Ever wonder about that?
This is, of course, after proving to the rest of
the electorate that they're not THAT interested
in the problems of the disenfranchised...
I'm drifting.
My point is...
I think that the African-American community would
increase its influence and effectiveness in electoral
politics if we set up a protocol for dealing with
public figures who make serious racial gaffes.
Demand substantive action before we'll reconcile
with them, but at least provide some means of doing
so. Otherwise, we'll suffer marginalization.
More on that later...
Watching the republican presidential candidates
at Howard ought to be reeeeeal interesting...
***
Sports
Well.
Beckham's official arrival in LA to play for the
Los Angeles Galaxy is on July 13. The team's struggling,
but there's a lot of season left.
The Galaxy has played fewer games than
anyone in their division, so they have
a lot of room within which to gain ground.
This month, there's a tournament titled,
The World Series of Football including
talented teams from various parts of the world.
Representing the British Premier League is
FC Chelsea - they've won the league recently.
I've seen them play some very impressive games
over the years.
There was a cool promotional video on the site,
but I can't find it right now. They showed some
clips of FC Chelsea fans - it started making my
blood boil! I'm wondering if they're planning
an invasion.
One if by land...
Two if by sea...
The British are coming.
I just pulled the schedule and the roster from
the site a couple of days ago. The jersey's
awesome!
The schedule has video highlights of their previous
games. They tied the Houston Dynamo, last year's
champions, on opening day, and actually beat Chivas
USA, so they've achieved local bragging rights.
The site is pretty elaborate. In fact, I have trouble
finding things I want to return to. I downloaded
some wallpapers and a pic or two of the entire team.
I gotta see these guys in action - at the stadium.
It looks like the fans are having a lot of fun.
**
Now.
How are the A's doing?
I'm still adjusting to the dark green color.
I remember the kelly green and gold all-too-well.
The Sox have been doing them in lately.
At least, in the two games I've seen them play.
I recall one game at Network Associates Coliseum
when I saw a big sign over the right field wall
advertising John Muir Hospital.
It was really big, and caught my eye rather
abruptly.
Maybe I've been out of things for a few years,
but I had never seen a sign that large at Network
Associates Coliseum. Granted, I haven't watched
very many games there in recent years, but well...
on with the story.
As a child, I used to play in the shadow of
John Muir, many years ago. There's a park adjacent
to the campus, and my home was a very short walk
down the hill from there. It was an icon of my
neighborhood, and of my youth.
Mt. Diablo looks very pretty on their web site,
like it always did.
{Sigh}
I once lived near the foot of that mountain.
It's sizzling hot there this time of year.
I didn't go up there nearly as often as I should
have...
Maybe next time I visit the Bay Area.
Perhaps I'll look up an old friend or two.
Mighty big sign...
Nah!
I've chosen to ignore the Solaris effect.
That's one reason I stopped blogging so frequently.
The flow of culture's been getting to me.
I've been gaining weight, obsessing with too many
things I see on TV, or read.
I even run into strange coincidences when I watch
some DVDs.
My interests are too broad.
I know too much about too many things.
I'm just going to settle into the world,
and do my thing(s).
I just heard that Ray Kurzweil, William Shatner,
and good 'ol Huffy (no link for you, sister!)
will be meeting in Chicago, at some sort of
visionaries convention.
I started wondering if they picked Huffy just
to piss me off.
See why I don't want to do this anymore?
(I'm just kidding - now wipe those tears away,
Chucklenuts!)
Actually, I had some clutter that was keeping me
from optimal blogging. It had been sitting around
for months, and I've been feeling guilty about
letting it just fester there.
Finally, I stopped brooding, and cleaned it up.
I dealt with some personal business that's been
sitting in the pile, but still need to address
some pertinent matters...
At least the floor's clear, and I don't have to keep
walking around it, and shoveling junk around when
I want to walk through.
I'm just now pulling things together, setting up
the next book of my life.
I'm getting pretty excited.
The possibilities are endless!
I just tested out my background last night.
It works okay, but I might try something nicer
in the future.
I got a haircut too, so I'm going to be ready
for YouTube/MySpace time real soon. Maybe today!!!
More on that as events develop...
Lunch time!
(Just in case anybody's reading this.)
***
I really enjoyed Coma. I watched a lot of
Superman: The Movie too.
Funny.
It's the 30th anniversary of my actual viewing
of Star Wars - approximately. My family
and I saw it on the 4th of July weekend. My
father bought the paperback the weekend before.
Everyone was talking about it since it opened.
We watched commercials - and hardly knew what
we were looking at. I remember seeing it here.
Annoying. I posted a comment, but wasn't told
that I couldn't post until I registered. The
post was lost. It wasn't long, though. :)
Where was I?
Coma...
Pretty neat film. Perhaps more importantly,
I find myself wondering why Martin Sheen's
doing a series on old films on PBS.
It kind of seems out of character, but consid-
ering that films that were new when I was growing
up are now regarded as classics (and haven't been
seen by many people living today), it makes sense.
I said to a friend years ago that the classics
were beginning to ferment out of modern culture.
The music, the films...
Funny how years later, we can get an entirely
different perspective on the creations of
pop culture.
"That can't be a classic! I saw that when I was
a kid!"
Classics are only supposed to feature works by
people I've never heard of!
Classic films have to be in black and white!
I'm getting old, I suppose...
Well, Saturday Night at the Movies isn't
the first show on TV to feature oldies. That's
what seems so peculiar about it to me...
Why do something that other stations have done?
I remember a show on KTLA back in the '80s which
showed oldies...I can't remember the host's name.
He had a very calming voice, and the theme music
was, Reminiscing by the Little River Band.
I recall that I really liked KTLA back in the '80s,
when I first moved to SoCal. They had a lot of
good programming then.
I wonder what they're like now...
Was that show called, The Saturday Afternoon Movie?
LA seemed like a very magical place then.
New...(to me, anyway)
Big...
Vibrant...
I'm excited about getting to know Los Angeles
again. I'd like to check out Griffith Park soon,
and stop by Forest Ackerman's place.
Can you believe in 13 years of living in SoCal
that I NEVER MADE IT TO HIS HOUSE???
(I'm actually embarrassed to admit it.)
I should be flogged with a wet noodle.
I read about it numerous times in Starlog,
but by the time I went to college, I wasn't
as into science fiction, and it was just
another place to visit.
Then I ended up having to move, and so many
things I had put off for "one day" were
suddenly out of reach.
I was just really getting to know LA when
the winds of change blew through my life,
and it was time to leave.
I took a lot of "final looks" around town.
But no, it was way too big a place from which
to make a tidy exit.
I went to Ackerman Student Store and bought
some Bearwear. I still have it - in great
condition too!
Too soon...
Way too soon.
No, I didn't become a big star.
No, my dreams didn't all come true.
No, I never had that summer when I was going
to spend every day at the beach...
(I've been working on making up for that
one, as my readers all know!)
I was just too busy, with life in the
City of Angels.
1980s LA was quite an exciting place.
All that exotic music, coming from just about
everywhere.
Marley,
Kraftwerk,
Steel Pulse,
Kitaro,
Tosh,
Manu Dibango,
Fela,
Makeba,
Yellowman,
The Police...
"That was great! Who's this guy John Coltrane?"
"Wow! Culture seems like it's on the verge of going
global...you can get music from anywhere now."
Is Rhino Records still there on Westwood Blvd.?
(I remember how much fun it used to be just to
go to music stores and browse for hours...
often you had to buy by sight and hunch if you
wanted to try something that wasn't being played
on the radio.
It was an adventure, buying LPs and CDs in Los
Angeles twenty years ago. For those of us willing
to try something new and untested, every purchase
was an expedition...
New music was one of the main reasons to go out.
Check out a movie, play video games, stop for a
bite to eat, grab some new tunes, go home, turn
on the lava lamp, light the incense, break out
a pina colada, and kick it 'till dawn... or
until I fell asleep.
That reminds me of another "film history" show I
used to watch. It was on KTLA too, I think. It
was called, Movies 'till Dawn.
I don't think I ever watched it in its entirety.
As I recall, it started around 1AM on Sunday morning,
and ran until around 6AM...
I always turned to it in the middle, so I never
quite found out what its start and stop times
actually were.
I'm sure there must be plenty of oldie shows on
the local LA stations these days.
Maybe I'll check one out, just to see...)
I was quite broke when I left. The aerospace
crunch had left me on the dole for 10 months.
When I left for Harvard Med, I figured I'd
come home bigger and better than ever.
For a time, I thought I'd just keep going -
Detroit - Boston... what's next?
Go global and see the world?
After the ordeal they put me through, I'll
be happy to stay in SoCal for a while.
A good, long while.
I've had enough of Harvard Med's version of,
"the global community."
There's no place like home...
{tap, tap}
I came home more broke than I was when I
left, thanks to David Soybel, Lisa Breen,
(Miles) Frederick Shore, Gordon (Buck)
Strewler, and a cast of dozens...
(That won't last, though. Change is a constant.)
*
Are you all happy with yourselves?
I'll bet you're proud, aren't you?
I'm certain that everyone who is
connected to Harvard is thrilled
with your amazing accomplishments
with regards to your roles in disrupting
my candidacy.
What great medical educators!!!
World class doctors!
Wow!
They ought to put you in the Harvard
Medical School brochure.
I'm sure you all bragged to each other
about the ethical and legal violations
you committed.
Why don't you come out and tell the world?
How'd you get to be so shy all of a sudden,
awesome Harvard doctors?
Eh?
Do you think the other members of the
Academic Societies Promotions and Review
Board of Harvard Medical School will
summon the courage to actually
tell the world who they are?
Do you?
I do hope that this experience will underscore
the need for integrity in the mentoring, grading
and administrative review process at your
renowned institution.
When will I see you again?
*
Enough of that.
For now.
I'll get the wanderlust again.
Some day.
Some day...
LA looks different.
Not that different, but different.
The trees are more mature.
Some new buildings...the Getty Museum
(gotta check it out!), Staples Center,
downtown in general, Santa Monica - the
pier is considerably larger than it was
when I considered it one of my regular
haunts.
Driving around the west side brings back
a lot of memories.
I haven't been to Venice yet.
I want to get out there, and do some skating.
See what's going on there these days.
When I was in Michigan (early to mid-'90s),
some of my co-workers talked about Los Angeles
from time to time. They wondered if the city
was ever going to get it together again.
They still wanted to visit.
Detroit's a five-hour flight from Tinseltown.
Most of those folks go to Florida for the
warm weather.
Few of them ever make it out here.
If you don't know anybody in SoCal, it's
a long, long way from most of the other
nation's population centers.
When I heard them talking about how special
they thought LA and California were, I usually
let out a sentimental chuckle.
Some of them talked about having visited
places in LA I'd never heard of, amazed that
anyone could live here and not have enjoyed
them.
I was pretty jaded when I left. No, years before
I left, I had the feeling that I had seen all
the, "big" stuff, and that the City of Angels
was just that - another city.
LA.
Big deal.
Time to move on.
In the intervening years, I came back for visits that
at most, lasted three weeks. I could sense a very
different feel in the Rodney King era than I did in
relatively festive, (but spiraling downward)'80s LA.
Fear.
Anxiety.
Pain.
I feel as if I missed a major phase of the city's
history. I haven't been cityside much since my
return to SoCal almost a year ago, so I can't
make any definitive statements about the contem-
porary lay of the land.
I bummed around Westwood one Saturday night.
The weather was great.
It was desolate.
A sidewalk cafe was rather lively, but it looked
like a ghost town.
It happened.
What Arch?
It happened.
What?
Wild Palms happened...
There's a scene in Wild Palms in which
a group of protesters was trying to draw attention
to a pertinent situation.
Nobody was outside.
I interpreted that as a statement that everyone
would be on their computers, and that no one
would notice events, political or otherwise,
in biospace.
I need to rent it again to make sure.
*
I did a good amount of small theater in the
late '80s and early '90s. I went to some
big productions too - Phantom, Fences (with
James Earl Jones).
I still have the program from Fences.
I remember that my family paid extra for
special tickets to meet the cast after the
play.
Unfortunately, there was too much talking
during one spot, and James Earl Jones got
really mad. He had to repeat a ling.
He chose not to meet the people who paid
extra. One cast member came out, and was
very friendly. We were told why Jones wasn't
going to attend.
My mom was mad.
My sister understood.
I had mixed feelings about it.
It certainly didn't help increase the African-
American theater audience.
Make sure you don't talk when you go to the
theater. It really angers the thespians.
That reminds me.
While we're assessing the state of the arts
in our society, it's important to go see live
performances. The stage is a medium where the
patrons are getting the best of what an artist
can present, and the experience can't be
truly duplicated or pirated.
It's also a great way to support the artists.
I have a feeling that the emphasis on the
performing arts will shift to live theater
more and more as the years pass, due to rampant
pirating.
Just a feeling...
That reminds me.
There are a couple of theater events playing
in town you might be interested in.
The first one is a celebration of George Gershwin. It's somewhere in town.
I still don't own, Rhapsody in Blue.
I used to fly United Airlines a lot when I lived
in Detroit and Boston, but the seating was eventually
too cramped for me. I haven't flown United in years,
so they may have improved the leg space by now.
I think I flew United from Logan to Heathrow
when I went to Europe in 1999.
When my journeys ended with United, Rhapsody in Blue
used to play in my head as I left the airport.
Air travel was grand once, wasn't it?
After a lot of business trips and cross-country flights,
and especially in the current era, I don't care for
it anymore.
The United flight out of Logan that was used to hit the WTC
was one of my transcons. My first few years
in Boston, I took that flight at least once
(and maybe twice - I'm having trouble remembering)
coming home to SoCal.
You can see why I find Loose Change and
Improbable Collapse so very interesting.
I've lived a peculiar life, haven't I?
I can't explain it either.
I really can't...
Some people might refer to me as a, "black swan."
...
The second theater event is a play featuring
S. Epatha Merkerson titled, Come Back, Little Sheba,
at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. It runs through July 22.
I used to go to a movie house named, The Culver
in those parts, back in the day.
Her interview on Tavis was pretty interesting.
Oh, I didn't know she was from Detroit. Went to
Wayne State too. I took post-baccalaureate courses
there, in preparation for med school. I also took
my film course there.
I remember seeing Blade Runner in the class.
One student asked why there were so many Asians
in the film.
Being a California man, I promptly answered her.
There aren't many Asians in Detroit.
At least, there weren't in 1997.
There's not much seaweed there either.
I remember explaining to a salesperson what kelp
was.
I don't know why the topic came up. I was trying
to get her phone number.
Has anybody out there ever met their dreamboat
while talking about kelp?
Well, maybe.
...
So.
What's my point?
I've been trying to tell all us SoCalers
to not take living here for granted.
It's okay to get excited about the city of
lights even if you're not in "the business".
When I was getting a haircut in quiet little
Ypsilanti, MI one fine day, the barber asked me if
I had seen any big stars during my years as an
angeleno.
That question gets asked a lot of Southern Californians
who move to the Midwest, I'm sure.
The others in the shop listened intently, as if
I was going to share some buried treasure with them.
I mentioned a few encounters I had had, and included
those of some of my siblings for good measure.
To close, I told him, "One thing I realized from
my star encounters was this - They are living out
their dreams. You have to live out your own."
I remember when I was about to move out of Ypsilanti
in mid-1994. I wanted to get closer to work, and
my roommate was moving out. I didn't want to deal
with a roommate situation - preparations for
med school were impending.
I had just taken the MCAT. My score was strong.
I knew I would be admitted, and ultimately,
become a doctor.
The uphill climb had been long and intense.
I had not taken the biology or the organic
chemistry before trying the exam. I taught myself
these subjects to see what would happen. I
had succeeded. It was time to progress to
the next stage.
I knew that I was about to step into a larger world.
Hopefully, I would return home to California one day.
A week or so before I left Ypsilanti,
I drove downtown, parked my car, and took a
good look around.
I would probably never pass that way again.
It had been a fruitful year, living at Lake-in-the-
Woods, a sprawling apartment complex adjacent to
Ford Lake. I actually jogged around it once -
about 11 miles.
Nice fireworks display over the lake on the 4th.
All the residents came out to watch. The place
felt like a close-knit town. People you didn't
even know were all so friendly.
Getting outside in Michigan for any length of time
with clear skies, even in summer, was a cause for
celebration. The summer sunsets I had been treated
to driving west on I-94 rivaled those I had loved
for so long over the Pacific Ocean.
I had been attending a wonderful
church, Community Church of God nearby.
I would miss it.
I walked a few blocks, stopped briefly in a small
corner restaurant. I walked back out again, and
spent a few minutes just taking it all in.
"So, this is Ypsilanti, Michigan. I wonder what
growing up here would have been like. Well, while
it's not what I would call home, but it certainly
served as a great weigh station. So long, Ypsi."
I climbed back into my car, and drove away.
Many, many people dream of getting out to LA just
once in their lives, if only for a couple of
weeks. In spite of the realities of post- and
pseudo-modern USA, Los Angeles and Hollywood still
hold a special place in the hearts and minds of
many people in places most of us city slickers
have never heard of.
We get to enjoy these perfect days on the
American Riviera every day, year after year.
Don't worry if you don't get discovered.
Just pursue your vision, be the magic in your
life, and extraordinary things will happen.
Never stop dreaming.
Never stop chasing dreams.
Be the star in your life, and
Go wherever your dreams take you.
This is about YOU.
Oh yes, it is.
Slipping into REM,
ArchMind |
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