June 9, 2025

Howdy, folks. Sorry to do this, but I've gotta start with a brief tirade. Newsom and Mayor Bass have got to go. First, there was their non-response during and after the firestorms in January of this year. And now, they are basically supporting these rioters, who are waving Mexican flags while they burn vehicles and throw rocks at passing cars. I'm grateful to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth for Federalizing the National Guard and sending in the Marines. Screw these criminals who riot every time they think thay have an "excuse" (even after basketball championships). And don't get me started on blocking the freeway. Folks, you can take whatever stance you want about the ICE deportations here in Los Angeles, and I'll honor your opinion even if I disagree with it (and you can guess where I stand on illegal immigration). However...and this is one of those Howevers we've seen in the past that are huge and must be drawn out..Howw-wwevv-err: If anyone thinks that blocking freeway traffic is acceptable, you should deport yourself from the Earth. Why do I say that? Because I was a caregiver. What if an ambulance was on the freeway with a patient in critical condition? What if you or I were on the freeway, going to visit a dying relative in the hospital? What if your wife was in labor and your child was about to be born, or your loved one had been shot and was dying...and these a-holes, these entitled POS, blocked the freeway and you couldn't get through? And your loved one died before you could get there, or the person in the ambulance died...

You know what? "Hey Newsom", eff you. You are the worst governor this state has ever had. Ditto Bass as Mayor, and that ain't easy to do when you consider Villaraigosa. Thank you, Trump, for standing up for law abiding citizens of all stripes and ethnicities. Shut these bad guys down, and keep them off the freeway and roads by any means neccessary.

More cops, more military, support pop up robots. America will NOT acquiesce to the criminals.

Okay, deep breath. Thanks for restoring order.

On a lighter note, have you guys heard of Helgi and Erlend? They're two Norwegians who do Scandanavian stereotypes on Facebook. They do a few other countries, too. I think they're hilarious and you've gotta check 'em out. Just put them in the FB search window, and watch their reels and shorts for best results.

We've got a coyote roaming my neighborhood. I've run into him two nights in a row and it's almost uncanny. The first time was on Saturday evening, during my Ralph's walk up to Chatsworth & Lindley. When I got to the old Denvonshire Downs lot, I was talking to my sister Vickie on the phone and suddenly there he was, Mr. Coyote, standing 15 feet away from me. I wasn't skeered, because I'm something of a coyote veteran at Aliso Canyon. If they're alone, they aren't gonna bother you (only when you see more than one should you be careful). Anyhow, while on the phone I watched him run around the Dev Downs parking lot. I said to Vickie that "I hope he heads back up into the mountains where he belongs". It worried me that he was close to traffic, which is relentless around here. Well, then last night, I took a detour on my CSUN walk. I never return via Superior Street. That's above my block and out of my way, but tonight there were a whole bunch of people on the sidewalk on Halsted. I didn't wanna weave through them so I kept going, one block out of my way up to Superior. And no sooner did I turn the corner onto Superior from Etiwanda...than there was Mr. Coyote, running through someone's front yard! I kid you not. It's like he's doggin' me (pun intended). He stopped for a second to check me out. I stopped too. I said (quietly) "you go on home, Mr. Coyote. You could get hurt down here". And he could hurt or kill someone's dog or cat, too. Hopefully, he'll find his way back, or animal control will pick him up. I hope it's the first option because Animal Control might put him down. Anyway, that's something, eh? Having a coyote just "pop up" two nights in a row, at random places...  

I went to the Academy Museum last week, with Vickie for her birthday. Have you been there? It's pretty awesome, and highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in the history of movies. For film buffs, it's a must-see. They have tons of Hollywood memorabilia & historic and technical presentations. It's located in the old May Company building next to LACMA and La Brea Tar Pits, and across the schtreet from the Petersen Auto Museum. You could even go and make a big-time "Museum Day" out of it. Hot tip: don't pay the 21 dollar parking fee (ouch!) in the LACMA garage; instead, turn right on Fairfax (off Wilshire), go up two blocks to Maryland, turn left and find free schtreet parking in a Lynchian residential neighborhood, very nice indeed. Tickets for the Academy are 25 bucks, or 19 for seniors like me. 

A couple of Tubi movies: "Man on the Prowl"(1957), an ultra-low budget psycho/thriller notable for its excellent performances. The great James Best plays a nut who romances then kills women when they reject him. He's just been let out of Camarillo and is living with his Mom. He knows cars, and has a job at a high-end dealership called Yeakel Cadillac (now Casa de Cadillac on Ventura near Moby Disc). He murdalizes one date at the beginning of the movie, then almost runs down pretty suburban Mom Mala Powers the next day while returning an Eldorado to a rich blonde bimbo. The movie has an inventive script that may have influenced "realist" filmmakers like Scorsese and Tarantino, and Best's portrayal of an extremely twisted character gives you the creeps. He was never a star, but you know him from a million things: for most it would be "Dukes of Hazzard", for me it was the cold-blooded leader of a redneck cowboy gang who put William Devane's hand in the garbage disposal in the all-time revenge film "Rolling Thunder"(1977). It was Best who uttered the movie's immortal line. After Devane's hand gets turned into ground round, his wife says: "My God, Charlie! Why didn't you just tell him where the money was?!" Best interjects, and says: "I'll tell you why lady...because your husband is one macho mo****rf**ker." I don't have to tell you that, at 17, that line hit my friends and I like a ton of bricks and we used it for a long time as a meme. James Best was the kind of actor who you never forgot in a role. He had a distinctive voice, for one thing, a high Texas twang. He did have one starring performance in "The Killer Shrews" (a 1959 b-movie classic with dogs dressed up as giant shrews), and that too was indelible. I say the more James Best, the better. According to IMDB, only one print exists of "Man on the Prowl". It was found in 2015; Alpha Video bought the rights. A high recommendation for this rarity.

We also have "Black Robe"(1991), which you may have seen or at least heard of. I saw it at the Peppertree when it was first released. Last night was my second view. Simply put, it's one of the greatest historical movies ever made, in my opinion. Briefly (if you are unfamiliar with the story): In 1634, from Quebec in what is called New France (before Canada was a country, and no one knows - even today - if it's a real country), a Jesuit priest (Lothaire Bluteau) sets out into the untamed wilderness, heading for Huron territory. He is sent by "Champlain," the French governor of the colony, to Christianize the Indians, and thus make them more peaceful and compatable. A handsome young colonist (Aden Young) accompanies the Father, wanting, like him, to "serve God". But he falls in love (and in lust) with a beautiful Algonquin girl (Sandrine Holt), causing an already tenuous relationship with their Chief to get worse. The Algonquins don't trust "the Black Robe" as they call Father Paul LaForge (Bluteau). The superstitious braves think he's a demon because he can "write words" and play the flute. To them, he's bad magic. But the Algonquins are downright moderate compared to the Iroquois, who are bloodthirsty and practice a form of voodoo. The situation worsens at every stop along the way. Winter comes, and with it sickness. The small group is continuously reduced. When they finally reach the Huron mission, only Father LaForge is left. That's all I'll reveal, and again, you've probably seen it. If you haven't, watch it asap. The stunning color photography alone is worth the effort, but it's also a gripping story of different forms of faith. Looked at from a Christian perspective, you could almost say that the Indians (some tribes) were stuck in the type of "eye for an eye" violence found in The Old Testament, whereas Father LaForge "turns the other cheek" at every injury they inflict upon him. 10/10 for "Black Robe", which was directed by Bruce Beresford (of "Driving Miss Daisy" fame). It came out around the same time as "Dances With Wolves" and "Last of the Mohicans" and I think it's the best of the bunch.

I had so much fun writing and thinking about "One From the Heart" that it reminded me of another great Movie Memory. Do you remember "Legend" starring Tom Cruise? Lillian and I saw it at the GNC Theater in April 1986, close to my birthday if I remember correctly. The GNC was in the Northridge Mall, and something about the way it was "tucked into a corner" (near Bullocks) and its '80s decor made it a favorite theater of mine for many years. So it was already a great movie date. But the film itself, like "One From the Heart", also had a "personal" connection for me and Lilly. Cruise plays "Jack", a forest dweller who fights The Lord of Darkness (basically, the devil) to save the last unicorn in existence. And in doing so, he saves Mia Sara, who plays "Princess Lily"! I loved "Legend" and I think Lillian did too, and on the way out, she said that someone told her she "looked like Mia Sara". I may have said, "No, she looks like you."

It's another of my favorite movies. 

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and Tons of Love as always.