See the Dusk

Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee sing "Winter Weather" from 1941 in a recording from Sony and the Library of Congress.

On Sunday, January 24, 2010, a trip to Santa Monica to shop Hennessey & Ingalls turns into dinner at Houston's and witnessing another incredible SUNSET and DUSK.

Dine & Dusk

On Sunday, January 24, 2010, a trip to Santa Monica to shop Hennessey & Ingalls turns into dinner at Houston's and witnessing another incredible SUNSET and DUSK.

The Reckoning - a Dada experiment

"The Reckoning" - a Dada experiment - part of the Minimal Meal Collection

The End of Soup - a Dada experiment

"The End of Soup" - a Dada experiment - part of the Minimal Meal Collection

Pepper and Salt - a Dada experiment

"Pepper and Salt" - a Dada experiment - part of the Minimal Meal Collection

Where's My Honey? - a Dada experiment

"Where's My Honey?" - a Dada experiment - part of the Minimal Meal Collection

Tea Cup to Wonderland - a Dada experiment

"Tea Cup to Wonderland" - a Dada experiment - part of the Minimal Meal Collection

Sinclair Lewis' Dystopian Novel IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE (1935)

During my intensive study of the French Revolution, which occurred around the time of the Repub Revolution of 1994, I was drawn to this dystopian novel by Sinclair Lewis. It was timely then and it is even more timely now. Yes, Fascism can happen, has happened, and continues to happen - here.

For those of you whom enjoy dystopian novels and/or detest the contemporary american political system, Sinclair Lewis' novel IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE (1935), about a fascist takeover of the USA, will spark the synapses in your brains. You will be amazed at how prescient and relevant this novel is today.

For those for whom thinking makes you dizzy, just read the Palin book if you read at all. At least, you'll be exercising your brain by reading something. Otherwise, enjoy your "Big Macs" and "Wheel of Fortune."

I don't know which is worse, the tyranny of the powerful or the tyranny of the stupid.

I'm very cranky today.

We Humans Can't Handle the Truth

"What you represent to them...is freedom. But talking about it and being it...that's two different things. lt's real hard to be free...when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Don't tell anybody that they're not free, because they'll get busy...killing and maiming to prove to you that they are. They're going to talk to you and talk to you...about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's going to scare them. Well, it don't make them running scared. lt makes them dangerous."

-- Easy Rider (1969)

We human beings can't tolerate anyone messing with our illusions. Apparently, we need fairy tales, rationalizations, and the Boogey-Man to keep us from killing one another. However, whenever one human challenges the myths of another human, the challenged human, however pious on their holy days, becomes an enraged beast ready to destroy the human who spoke outside the parameters of their illusions. At this point, the furious human will use heaven and hell to stamp you out, ignore your insights, and even kill you if necessary.

In my early religious period, I spent time with a group who I thought was concerned with humanitarian ideals, but they turned out to be more interested in having "meetings," spying and gossiping on one another, and group control than helping the poor and lonely.

When I began to share my doubts about the group, they couldn't hear it. They wouldn't even listen to me and silenced me. They had always pleased themselves by saying their group wasn't a democracy and they showed how totalitarian groups like this can be. Someone even claimed I was literally the devil incarnate come to destroy them. They increased their spying and gossiping about me. They looked for ways to negate my opinions and disregard any doubts. They were really angry that someone dared not to happily conform to their myths and even their bourgeois practices. If they could have gotten away with it, these religious people would have stoned me to death.

I didn't stay where I wasn't wanted and free thought couldn't exist. So, I left and I've never looked back. I washed their dirt off my feet.

I continue to evolve as a human being, searching for truth, eliminating meta-narratives, and constantly questioning myself.

 

Of course, the macho among us would consider this a weakness, preferring blind conformity rather than chance a change of mind. Gosh, some fascist might even call you a "waffler" for allowing your mind to evolve.

 

Watch the Birdies!

Marina del Rey dusk on January 13, 2010.

Watch the Birdies...and the Humans.

New Year's Eve BLUE MOON

New Year's Eve 12/31/09 was a BLUE MOON. How was it for you? Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! - Earl Carroll Theatre

The Earl Carroll Theatre was the name of two major theatres, one on Broadway in New York City and the other on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, owned by Broadway impresario and showman Earl Carroll.

Earl Carroll built his second famous theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California that opened on December 26, 1938. As he had done at the New York theatre, over the doors of the entrance Carroll had emblazoned the words "Through these portals pass the most beautiful girls in the world." An "entertainment palace," the glamorous supper club-theatre offered shows on a massive stage with a 60-foot (18 m) wide double revolving turntable and staircase plus swings that could be lowered from the ceiling. The building's facade was adorned by what at the time was one of Hollywood's most famous landmarks: a 20-foot (6.1 m)-high neon head portrait of entertainer Beryl Wallace, one of Earl Carroll's "most beautiful girls in the world," who became his devoted companion. The sign had long vanished by the 1960s, but a re-creation made from photos is today on display at Universal CityWalk, at Universal City, as part of the collection of historic neon signs from the Museum of Neon Art. Another major feature at the theatre was its "Wall of Fame" where many of Hollywood's most glamorous stars inscribed a personal message.

Extremely successful, Jean Spangler, Mara Corday, Phyllis Coates, Maila Nurmi, Gloria Pall, and Lucille Ball were some of the showgirls who performed here. The facility was a popular spot for many of Hollywood's most glamourous stars and powerful film industry moguls such as Darryl F. Zanuck and Walter Wanger sat on the Earl Carroll Theatre's board of governors.

The theater was sold following the 1948 deaths of Earl Carroll and Beryl Wallace in the crash of United Airlines Flight 624 at Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. The theater continued to operate, but in the 1950s fell on hard times. Beginning in 1953, for a while it operated as a nightclub under the name, the "Moulin Rouge." During part of its run (1956-1964), the popular TV game show Queen for a Day was broadcast from this venue. After changing hands it eventually became the "Hullabaloo" Rock and Roll club, capitalizing on the popularity of the television variety show Hullabaloo. It then became the "Aquarius Theatre" in the late 1960s and was used as a venue for the long running musical Hair and made famous as the place where The Doors performed on July 21, 1969.

In 1983, the Pick-Vanoff Company purchased the property and converted it into a state-of-the art television theater that for nine years was the taping site of Star Search. For many years, it was used for the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. It later became the Nickelodeon Theater and was owned by Columbia Pictures. In 2004, it was sold to a private equity firm as part of a larger parcel of property.

As of September 2007, the City of Los Angeles Historic Preservation Board has worked to assure that the theater is protected.

In the late 1990s the theatre was purchased by Nickelodeon. Since then, it was rebranded as "Nickelodeon on Sunset," and has been the headquarters for Nickelodeon's west coast live action television production. Some of the shows filmed here include All That, The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and is currently home to iCarly.

-- wiki