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Sunday, October 16, 2016

DISTURBING NEWS

October 16, 2016

The predicted 20% chance of rain did not occur in Glendale. Or, if it did, I missed it.  

Seeing a friend's short film at the East LA Film Festival yesterday took me back to Raleigh Studios, across the street from Paramount on Melrose. Two big memories emerge: Raleigh was where I shot my first on camera commercial and I used to have a photo of my dad in the back of a truck parked in front of the old Paramount Gate: the one we see Gloria Swanson drive through in Sunset Boulevard.  I've no idea what Dad was doing in the truck with a bunch of other guys and I have no idea where the photo is today.. lost to antiquity, but I can always see it in memory.  Nickodell's Restaurant was there directly on Melrose, too, an old Hollywood hangout.  Paramount has captured the entire street now, with mini arches at the west entrance.  Life goes on.

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My disturbing Post Line today is about a post I just saw on FB.  An African American woman I don't know, Ashley Noelle, was spit at and threatened on her own street in 'midtown Los Angeles.'  I have African American  friends who live near there and seeing the photo of this blond man giving the finger to this woman in her car was disturbing.  She got a photo of him (click on it and it may get bigger, I just didn't want a big photo here) and a shot of the back of his big truck with a republicant sticker on the bumper.  The license plate is impossible to read, but it is obviously a custom plate with only a few letters or numbers, not our customary seven digits and letters.  

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TRUCK IN LOS ANGELES?
                         
                 
If you know this area or see this truck, please send me a message. It would be very satisfying to have this man brought to bear for his attack. Scary. 
Even some of the FB reactions to Ashely Noelle's report are reactionary. 

I have, myself,  experienced angry behavior when driving my 1960 VW bus. It's really puzzling to me how this kind of hate just bubbles up in other people. I truly believe that we must not fight hate and anger with more hate.  Whatever made this man a racist continues to permeate our society and our world.  To me, the only way to stop it is to find a way to embrace the angry others and not let their fear and hatred poison our own love and understanding.  We have had enough of this crap. It is NOT okay to Make America Hate Again.

I feel very sorry for the fearful and reactionary folks, some of whom are friends.  It seems to be tied to money and prejudice. One friend always mentions the monetary or social worth of others whom she may toss into a conversation that boosts her own worth.  She is a nice woman.  She is oblivious to her behavior. When we mention how much wealth we have or our friends have or their 'things' as part of how important they are, that's a sign of something sad.  

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The movie I saw yesterday turns slightly on the theme of fear and anger.  Amy Adams stars as a brilliant linguist with interesting 'powers' in "Arrival" with Jeremy Renner.  Aliens have landed and of course, the military immediately takes a Dr. Strangelove stance. Combined with The Day the Earth Stood Still, we explore prejudice and fear as the rational college professor works to communicate with the visitors: "Abbott and Costello."  Time is the issue that will confuse many who see this well made movie.  The unmistakable stupidity of blowing up what we fear creates the traction for the film.  The point is that when we allow fear to cloud what may be good judgement, we lose.  We just lose. And, if we think that time is linear..according to the film, that may be a losing notion, too. I'm not so sure myself!

//  Finally, I want to boost "Buyer and Cellar" again.  It will run until November 6, 2016 at The Falcon Theater in Burbank.  Funny and poignant, it just works.   

Find the bigot in the photo and win a prize!

October 16, 2016
michaelsheehan 

On TV I just saw a Luke Skywalker costume contest with little Lukes brandishing light sabres.  It looked like the adults were egging the kids on to fight.  It's just playing, right?  That's still okay, right?   Sigh.


 


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