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About a year ago Imageworks moved a handful of artists out to a new building behind the main one. Dubbed “The Cornfield”, as the artists felt they were being sent to the cornfield [LINK]. On the bright side they have a patio and tree lined area where they can have a bar-b-cue and enjoy the outdoors. Ya know, kinda like a cornfield.
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13th Annual Inkslingers Ball [LINK] Funny thing. I don’t really like a tattoos. I do not like them on people, I do not like them on steeples, Sam I am. I do like the whole culture behind it though. I think it’s fascinating. They start to look ugly on skin after a few years, but I still like the art of it all. This is all a ruse really and I’m not getting one because I’m a pussy. At least a piercing is a one time thing. The thought of a tattoo needle going in and out for a couple hours makes me cringe. Again, because I’m a pussy.
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Every year there’s the family party down at Dana Point Harbor. Coinciding with me getting older and the end of summer. For years there was never any kids at these things. Now it’s come full circle and the next generation of kids are attending. I’m not sure I like kids all that much, they’re so dang noisy. Smoke + Trees + Sun = Cool photo.
The L.A. County Museum had an outdoor screening of Willy Wonka tonight and of course Wonka aficionado George was game for going. It quickly turned ugly when a Oompa Loompa started making the rounds. I actually kinda felt bad for them as this is either one of many Oompa Loompa gigs during the year or it’s the absolute last job you want to take as a dwarf or little person. Not midget, according to the P.C. guidebook. They even had games for the kids, one involving chasing down the Ooopa Loompa. So sad. Not sad enough to not get the requisite photo with the orange bugger. I’d be an angry dwarf if all the roles I were offered were leprecauns, munchkins, ewoks, Ooopa Loompas, a Santa’s elves, hobbits, etc. All the more reason to see “The Station Agent” [LINK].
El Coyote Cafe on Beverly Boulevard has been serving Mexican food since 1931. On August 8, 1969, Jay Sebring made an 8 o’clock dinner reservation for Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Sharon Tate, and himself. After waiting 15 minutes in the bar, the four were seated and unknowingly ate their last meals, leaving at around 9:45pm, heading back to Cielo Drive. The four returned back to the Roman Polanski estate, Wojciech fell asleep on the living room couch, Abigail retired to her bedroom to read a book, while Jay sat and talked with Sharon in her bedroom.
Shortly after midnight, Susan Atkins passed by Abigail’s bedroom, Abigail smiled and waved thinking Atkins was someone’s friend. A few minutes later Susan came into the room showing her buck knife and instructed Abigail to go into the living room. Wojciech was awoken by the voice of Charles “Tex” Watson. Frykowski, barely awake, asked him what time it was and Watson replied by kicking him in the head. Even more confused, Wojciech inquired, “Who are you?” Watson answered, “I’m the devil and I’m here to do the devil’s business.”
Susan Atkins entered Sharon Tate’s bedroom with a buck knife in hand, she instructed Sharon and Jay to come into the living room. There, Charles “Tex” Watson tied a rope around Jay’s neck, looped it over the ceiling beam, and then tied it around Sharon’s neck. Sebring argued with Watson over Sharon having to be in such an uncomfortable position considering she was 8 ?Ǭ? months pregnant. Watson immediately shot Sebring, kicking him several times while he lay bleeding to death on the floor. Chaos ensued and Wojciech freed himself while Patricia Krenwinkel and Abigail began wrestling. After being stabbed multiple times Abigail broke free and ran down the hallway in an effort to escape. Krenwinkel followed with an upraised knife, finally tackling her on the lawn just outside Sharon Tate’s bedroom. Krenwinkel continued to stab her until Tex Watson came over to help. According to her killers, Abigail lifelessly pled for them to stop stabbing saying, “I give up, you’ve got me”, and “I’m already dead”.
Still tied up, Sharon sobbed and pled with the killers to let her have her baby. After all the others were killed, Watson and Atkins stabbed Sharon to death, as she cried out for her mother.
Yuck.
At the beginning of the year I was reading the above timeline of the events of the Manson murders. I’d come across it on the web. There was that part about El Coyote restaurant. I never knew my neighborhood restaurant had such a notorious connection. I told neighbor Rachel this and we had the grand plan to visit the old El Coyote Cafe for some Margarita’s and food on August 8th. Ya know just to see if any “shady characters” would show up. I can now report that it was just a normal Sunday evening and we were the only shady characters there. The Margarita’s are still very good. When asked for a name by the host at the door I looked over at Rachel and almost blurted out “Sharon”. I would have bet money that there would have been a party of 4, for the El Coyote Cafe, 8:45 under the name Sharon. Anybody in for next year??
Out my window at work sits this little hummingbird. I noticed him a few months ago. They’re very territorial so he chases off other birds fairly frequently. He always sits on that one branch no matter how windy.
Spanning the last century, two films are currently causing a ruckus in Los Angeles. One made in 1915 and one to be released this month. The Silent Movie Theater is no stranger to controversy, yet when you drag out the old film school standard of “Birth of a Nation” [LINK] prepare for a fight. I went to check it out as I skipped out of class that day oh so many years ago. Also to check out the hoopla. Didn’t get very far as it was once again met with protesters and the screening was stopped. [LINK] [LINK]
A hundred years later another film is causing a problem because of sex. The Brown Bunny [LINK] with Chloe Sevigny and Vincent Gallo. You’re just asking for trouble when you put a billboard up showing a blow job and saying “In Color X Adults Only” [LINK]. The billboard’s a big white space now.
Polar Express is nearing the finish line with some departments wrapping up this week and others (mine) still in the fight. We had a beer swill Friday night with raffles, beer and cake. “Gee Wally, I really hope we get more than a lousy cake when our department finishes.” With the light at the end of the tunnel all I can think about is where I’m off to at the end of the show. Some place far away. I’m sifting through my “gotta see” list.
When you live in the land of “In-N-Out” burgers the thought of White Castle coming to town is laughable. To help promote the film “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle” the White Castle restaurant chain opened up a temporary store on Sunset Blvd. Just to remind myself how bad the burgers are I went for a visit. The burgers were free and so was the entertainment. Turns out they hired a bunch of hula hoop girls to gyrate out front. Not sure what that has to with anything, but I sat there and ate my burger and felt like a creepy old man watching them. A hardcore vegan stopped by and picked up a burger to give to his dog. He started going on to one the booth babes about veganism and how dogs are canines and all sorts of stuff. He even gave her his card and said to call him. Then he rode away on a beat up old bike with bags tied around the handle bars. People are weird. Take a peek at the gyrations…
Ouch. Time for a new plate buddy. Buying a car for the Y2K bug? Wouldn’t a bike have been better? I suppose it was funny for about a year.
According to Websters Dictionary, Polyphonic is “a style of musical compostion in which two or more independent melodies are juxtoposed in harmony”, and Spree is defined as “an unrestrained indulgence in or outburst of an activity”. Exactly. That said, when you mix a great idea with a little bit of Jon Anderson from Yes, David Bowie’s “Five Years”, the 70’s Coke commercial, the musical Hair, the bus from the Partridge Family, a cult from Texas, Genesis’ “Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”, and throw in a little bit of the theremin solo in Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and you end up with a thing called “The Polyphonic Spree” [LINK]. The Spree is like nothing you’ll see, a happy show of celebration, balloons and bubbles. Considering all the negativity around these days it’s no wonder these guys are thriving. Even Trent Reznor likes ’em. This would be a great outdoor show in the panhandle of Golden Gate Park. I’m happy. I’ve seen The Spree. Read about the show [LINK]. And I could walk to the show from my house. Catch some of the sunny vibe… [VIDEO LINK]. They’re not some cult band by the way, they just play one on stage.
Setlist: Harp Solo Intro – We Sound Amazed – It’s The Sun – Hold Me Now – Hanging Around The Day – Two Thousand Places – One Man Show – Diamonds/Mild Devotion to Majesty – When The Fool Becomes A King Encore: Love/Drone/Together We’re Heavy – Soldier Girl – Light and Day – Sun Machine
Hmmm… Massage my colon? Ron or Linda? Let’s see Ron or Linda? Ron or Linda… Um, yeah neither.
Oy, High School Reunion. What I thought was going to be an awkward few hours of staring at people that looked somewhat familiar, it turned into an allnight blabfest with just a few disappointing no-shows. I wasn’t really all that interested in going and even got to the hotel room and started watching Shawshank Redemption before finally entering the fray. First off, 80’s popular music absolutely sucked. All it’s good for now is dancing at weddings. What a horrible legacy it’s left behind. The music selection was just a fright. Oh and the dinner… a chicken leg, a dollop of potatoes, and a bed of vegetables. Blech. Terrible. It was in a tent set up outside the Marriott and called the Lanai Terrace. Now, I haven’t been to Lanai, but I guarantee this was nothing like Lanai. I got my little wristband and it was good to walk in and immediately get recognized by the old gang. All said, no one’s really changed that much. Only one person in the whole class I would say I wouldn’t recognize on the street. Most of the clique barriers were down and people were inter-mingling quite fluidly. Except one set of girls, which wasn’t surprising as they were the “popular” clique anyway. They seemed much less popular tonight because of that. I had one guy come up to me and look at my name tag and say, “Nope, didn’t hang out with you”, and then walked off. It was funny though, not rude.
She sure is one purdy gurl. Anyway, Sarah, gone for five years, back with a great new album, a Lord of the Rings Rivendell inspired stage, no hobbits, had a baby, grew her hair out (meow), played the piano, played the guitar, sang Blackbird, wore her shoes on stage for once, too much idle time between songs, Butterfly Boucher opened, no special guests dropped by, 2 to 1 female to male ratio, left work early, worked late the night before, got home at 10:45. Went to bed.
Setlist: Fallen – World on Fire – Adia – Hold On – Perfect Girl – Drifting – Push – I Will Remember You – Ice – Wait – Witness – Elsewhere – Answer – Angel – Fear – Train Wreck – Building a Mystery – Sweet Surrender – Possession Encore: Blackbird – Ice Cream – Stupid – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.
Next up, Lollapalooza orphaned band “The Polyphonic Spree” [LINK] at The El Rey. A happy hippy trippy magical mystery tour through the 60’s and 70’s courtesy of a 20 something piece band in robes.
I’m not the biggest fan of deserts, but those two or three hours at sunrise and sunset can be amazing. Also never having been to Joshua Tree National Park, it has always been in the back of my mind to make a pilgrimage. That was this weekend. There are even billboards in the area that say homes in the “Low 100’s”. There are homes for sale someplace that are less than $800,000 dollars??? Who knew. That’d only be a 6 hour commute per day without traffic.
Lion, a tiger, no bears. Oh my. My feet hurt. It’s probably been 30 years since I went to the Wild Animal Park on a yellow bus with my elementary school. I remember thinking the animals were so far away. I think it’s changed a lot because I also don’t remember walking that much. I’m pretty lazy but it’s obviously expanded beyond the tram ride. Anyway, the animals were very cooperative in getting their portraits taken today. The gorilla was a little shy but the pelican was hamming it up. The scariest thing there are the catfish that have grown to the size of humpback whales thanks to the amount of food they’re given. They steal the food from the ducks. I am once again reminded that most animals smell bad. On the way out we passed some women [LINK] that need a hairdressing intervention. That poor guy with them must just keep his mouth shut so that the lions don’t attack.
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