Peruvian Whistling Vessels

"What are they?" you ask?
Peruvian Whistling Vessels are a form of sound making device that archaeologists have, for decades, been calling "stirrup and spout jars."
They are made of potting clay, and look like an effigy vessel with a little animal or shamanic figure gracing the front. There is a spout at the rear that you blow into, and a high-pitched tone comes out of a small hole just behind the effigy's head. When blown together in a group of 3 to 7 vessels, the tones intermix, creating a "difference tone" that only exists subjectively. In other words, the difference tone is only audible in the head of the listener, and cannot be recorded in and of itself. It can, however, be re-created via recording provided each vessel has it's own discrete channel. This tone is used by shamans, and others, to place the listener into an altered state of consciousness. This can have profound effects on the quality of meditation and thought processes, and is, obviously, safer than using drugs to achieve the same goal. The first time I experienced this effect, it felt as though a portal into the cosmos had opened within our midst. I actually felt the way Dave Bowman must've felt as he passed into The Monolith in 2001:A Space Odessey. "My God! It's full of stars!" was my first reaction.
I have since come to call the sound, "The Song of The Spirits."
In fact, I even wrote a screenplay I hope to someday produce as an IMAX film of the same name. Yes, I'm still living in the Age of Aquarius. Old hippies never die, we just grow long beards.
If you want to know more about these remarkable devices, check out www.entheosound.com

A wonderful fella named Don Wright (at left; see his posting to my blog about Christmas trees) is the modern maker of, and general leading expert on, whistling vessels. He's also a really cool dude.

Check it out!

A Christmas Tragedy

Well, it's New Year's Eve today. I called Eva last night, after not being able to reach her for most of the week. Turns out, her sister Gloria went to bed around 9 PM Christmas night, and died in her sleep. They say it was natural causes, probably a pre-existing heart condition. Poor Eva. All the shit she's having to shovel through in her own life, and now she had to bury her sister during the Holidays. I felt so lame on the phone, saying how sorry I was and was there anything I could do to help. She sounds like she's dealing with it, but still I feel as if I should be there. Unfortunately, I just can't make it down to San Bernardino this week again, as my car is getting worse, and my bank account is down to almost zilch again. At least I was able to let her know, via Ma Bell, that I love her and that I'm keeping her in my thoughts.

Last night was a windy one, with the Winnebago shaking and rocking. It was kinda fun. It's gonna be a wet New Years Day. It's already drizzling here. I'm off to get some carbon paper for our World Globe project, and then I'm gonna go to the Dollar Movies and see North Country. Maybe.
On the next block over from where I'm staying, are a couple of vacant houses. One of them is owned by the brother of the woman next door to where I'm staying. We're gonna try to see if this man will rent to me on a Section 8. It seems like a nice little house, and hopefully something might happen.
Tune in Next Year... same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!

Latest Christmas Adventure!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Well, I hope you had a fine Holiday, as I sure did. But, there were some adventurous moments, too.
Christmas Eve Day I went up to Rosamond and picked-up my motor home! Well, the tweakers I bought it from hadn't cleaned it out as I had asked, so A.T. and I had to do that. Then we discover a nail in the front right tire, which won't hold air, and there's NO GAS in the tanks. So, we go over to the gas station/convenience store, pick up some Fix-A-Flat, 4 gallons of regular, some starter fluid, and a 12-pack of Pepsi for the tweakers (they asked). Luckily we'd brought a new battery. Well, we finally get the thing going, and as I'm heading down the road with A.T. following in my car, I feel a constant, strong tremble and shimmy (kinda like Apollo 13's wicked bangs and shimmys) and pull over. A.T. informs me that the left rear outer wheel (dualies) is wobbling fully 6 inches from side to side! Well, the star wrench we have won't fit the 1-inch lug nut, so I run BACK to the tweaker's house and borrow the proper tools from him. He asks if I can give his family a ride into town, but after already getting him his 12-pack, as well as fattening his pockets by $400, I tell him "no."
A.T. and I fix the wheel by removing and re-seating the lugs, and the problem is pretty-much solved. Then the brakes fail. I have to stand on the pedal, literally, to get it to stop, but stop it does. We had to move the thing about 18-20 miles down to A.T.'s mom's house (where I'm staying) and it ran out of gas in the last 4 miles! That's about 3 MPG! Oh, and did I mention that the registration tags expired in 1990 !!! As I brought the thing to a stop in front of someone's house, I forgot about the height, and drove under the small trees planted along the parkway, and RIP-SNAAAP-GRRRIND, as I tore off a few limbs and branches! Uh... Merry Christmas? I hope the residents in that house didn't see me! I jumped into my car while A.T. stood guard over the motor home, and ran back to the house for a gas can. As I'm about to fill up the can, I see liquid in there, and it looks and smells like gas. Excellent! Free gas! But, something makes me doubt my good luck, and so I pour some out on the concrete. It doesn't evaporate. So, I pour some into my hand and taste it.
It's water!!!
Damn good thing I listen to my instincts. Anyway, after emptying and refilling the can with gas, I get back and fill 'er up, and we get the thing home with no further problems. It sleeps okay, too. Need a mattress, though.
So, an hour after we get it home, I head out to Eva's place in Rialto. It's a gorgeous night as I drive along the north face of the San Gabriel Mountains where they meet the desert floor, and Cajon Pass is, as always, awesome.
I get to Eva's, and we have a nice evening, drinking two different wines and a Champaign, and eating Sizzler's steak and Malibu chicken. I bring Clancy in, and the FIRST thing he does is pee on the presents. So, OUT he goes to spend the night in the car. That's okay, 'cause so did I when it came time to sleep. Eva's apartment is FILLED with roaches and silverfish, and she snores nowadays, and I can't sleep with that. Also, I wanted to keep Clancy company.
Christmas morning was beautiful, with a sky steaked with red and purple clouds. Clancy and I went into Eva's unit, and we all had a nice Christmas. At one point, we walked over to her nephew Kenny's place in the same complex, and took them some presents. They had about 4 kids there, ranging from a newborn to about 10 years old. The 10 year old is beautiful little girl. Unfortunately, she's sexy as hell and knows it, and was giving me blatantly sexual attention with her eyes, expressions, attempts to touch me, etc. I hafta admit, if she'd-a-been 18, I'd have jumped on her right there! But as it was, it just made me uncomfortable. Eva noticed it too, and we agreed that she'll be pregnant by the time she's 12. What was sad were her folks. Kenny's a good guy, I've known him since he was a toddler. But he and his old lady aren't doing much to raise those kids right. Example: the kids never once uttered even a small 'thank-you' for the presents. Instead, the 10-year old girl kept asking "When's Kaelon gonna get here? I want more presents!" (Kaelon, my boy, was supposed to bring them some). Example: her mother, a woman who's got to weigh at least 280 pounds and kept glaring at me and my cornrows like I had no business there, bragged in front of the kids about how she got a pair of jeans for the 10-year old girl for Christmas at Wal-Mart by switching the tags from the real price of $14 to a price of $1.75!
The presents had been provided by my daughter Thaedra, who was able to come over for the day. When she heard about the lousy reception we were given, she declared that she would no longer act as Santa for those people.
Also that morning was jarred awake by somebody next door who decided, at 9:00 AM, to turn his rap music up to FULL VOLUME for Christmas, with all his windows and doors open! With lyrics liberally spiced with "mutha fucka" and "niggaz" and "shit" and lots of other family-oriented words. Thankfully, he turned it down after only a few minutes.
Thaeddy gave me a beautiful bottle filled with spices, seed, fruit slices, in water. I love it!
Finally, it came time for me to head home. Cajon Pass was filled with fog that Christmas night, so it was very slow going most of the way.
The next day, I went and saw KING KONG.
To say this film is great is to understate. I was blown away! It was far better than I expected. I now officially have a MAJOR crush on Evan Parke, the hunkaliscous Black man who portrays the First Mate on the tramp steamer VENTURE. God, what I would give to have that man on top of me! It was all I could do to keep from naying and baa-ing every time I saw him onscreen. I would gladly be his horse AND his bitch. And he's single! (Like I REALLY have a chance!) And, amazingly, he was not the first to die in the film! Usually, the brutha is always the first to die, but he got some heroic moments.
RUN, don't walk, to see KING KONG!

Christmas Adventures... or other experiences

Well, now that I've vented about PC Christmas in the previous post, I wanted to have some fun with this one.
How many of you have ever had a Christmas adventure? Or at least something really neat happening?

One of the coolest (literally) adventures I ever had for Christmas was hiking down one of the unmaintained trails into Grand Canyon, Arizona. On Christmas Eve, 1987, I and a friend named Raymond hiked down this little-known trail. This is not the kind of trail where they take the mule trains, and average hikers are discouraged from trying it. In fact, this particular trail, the John Hance Trail, is so narrow you can't get a horse or mule down it. It's only wide enough for one person at a time, and it is NOT marked. You have to apply for a permit from the Park Office just to try it, and you must leave an itinerary. You have to pack everything in and out. Stove, water, bedroll, food, utensils, clothing, medical and navigational supplies, and your tent. Not to mention cameras and (in those days) film. My pack weighed over 45 lbs when all was ready to go.
We got to about 2,500 feet below the rim, about 3-4 trail miles, when it got dark. We pitched camp, got our stove ready, and hunkered down for a Christmas Eve sleep. But, while taking a dump outside, Ray accidentally sat on a cactus! He comes back in to the tent and, sheepishly explains his predicament. He pulls down his pants, his ass comes out, and sure enough there are several cactus spines stickin' outta his rump. I figured this might be a ploy to get me interested in a sexual encounter involving his butt, but all I did was use my pliers to remove the long needles from his ass.
As we were sound asleep, at around 2:30 in the Christmas A.M. we were awakened not by sleigh bells, but rather by Santa's jetblast as the sleigh passed overhead. Our tent was pressing down on our faces with some powerful outside force. Turned out to be a Christmas blizzard! Blowing snow backed by 95 MPH winds! We spent the rest of the night sleeping with one arm (each) straight up in the air, holding the roof of our dome tent away from our faces.
When morning came, we decided to break camp and head back up the trail to the rim rather than continue our hike down to the Colorado River as per our original plan. Took us about 4 hours to reach the rim, and as we were gaining the last 800 feet of elevation, I was so overheated that I stripped down to my T-shirt and would shove my whole head into the deep snow about every ten steps or so, just to cool-off.
But, we reached the rim, fed some mule deer, and went back to our hotel room and enjoyed a nice, hot bath. Not at the same time, of course.

Another adventure happened once for me and my dear friend Mike Sparks, now living in Florida. Mike and I had numerous adventures during our friendship. This one took us to the Great Basin ghost towns of the Comstock era. We visited, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Randsburg/Johannesburg, CA, Rhyolite, NV, Gold Point, NV, Goldfield, NV, Manhattan, NV, and stayed Christmas Eve at the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada. We had a room with red velvet wall paper and brass beds. It looked just like we had stepped back into 1905. They had a little casino area in the lobby, and Mike and I were the only ones there. I won $20 at the machines; Mike lost all his gambling money. We had chicken fried steak for dinner, and it was good! Some of the ghost towns still had operating saloons, and we would stop for a drink and some friendly conversation with locals. Gold Point was, for me, the coolest of the towns. A true ghost town, 'way off the beaten track. Looks just like it came out of a Western.
We did a lot of great photography on that trip, and had a wonderful time.

I guess ghost towns figure a lot in my holidays, because during Chrismas of 1998, I joined Randall and Esta and their kids at Jerome, Arizona. Jerome is now a "living ghost" as it has a regular population. It's not a tourist ghost like Calico, CA, but it's not empty anymore, either. Jerome is one of my favorite towns, and no more than around the Holidays. Just the smell of the air with woodsmoke from Alligator Juniper being burned in people's fireplaces is simply intoxicating. There are always lovely decorations, the Catholic church always looks wonderful, and the view of the Verde Valley is magical. Earlier that day, my dog Odus and I had been up at Grand Canyon, and again there was snow on the ground. Odus's first snow!!! OH MY GAWD!!! He ran in it, he played with it, he slid on it, and he pooped in it. What a great Christmas!

Another Chrismas with Randall and Esta, 1993, we were in Northern Virginia, and we spent Chrismas Eve at Randall's brother Rob's house. That's where Randall and family are this year. Rob's not feeling well, so I wanna give a shout out to him and his family, who were always nice to me, the "odd uncle out." That Christmas was only the second time in my life that I had seen it snow on Christmas Eve. It was so awesome. We were on a cul-de-sac, and all of the other homes also had lights up, so with the snow covering them all, everything seemd to glow! There's this pervasive, muffled quiet that happens during a snow, and it was certainly quiet that night. It was positively magical. We worked our way slowly home that night, from one end of Reston to the other, following a Fairfax County Sheriff's car up the icy streets. He would stop every few yards and spin his tires until he'd broken through the ice on the road and hit pavement, which he would "plow" for a few dozen yards before repeating the process all over again. That was also the Christmas that I got a flying Christmas tree. I love Christmas trees, but they don't always like me. I've been attacked by at least one tree one Christmas, some of the others have discharged sap onto me, others have collapsed the minute I've gotten them in the house, but this one took off and flew! Okay, I was driving home with this 6-1/2 foot tall Noble Fir tied atop my Volvo wagon. I'm heading home on Reston Parkway in evening rush-hour traffic, about 5:45 PM and doing about 55 MPH. Suddenly I feel, and hear, this kind of a reversed WHUMP!-kind of sound, and the car seems to lurch straight up. Instinctively I look in the rearview mirror, and I see the headlights of the traffic following me (at 55 MPH) suddenly peel-off to the left and right frantically trying to avoid... my Christmas tree, which is now hurtling down onto the highway from an altitude of about 30 feet! As I watch in the mirror, this flying fir lands with a CRASH into the middle of what had been a brisk rush-hour flow on Reston Parkway, but now looks like a mass Busby Berkley dance move as cars, in unison, leave the road and fly nosefirst into the shoulder or the middle divider. So, on Christmas Eve, I got to be the guy who pisses-off the commuters and gets announced from the traffic telecopters as the motorist who "drops a Yuletide gift onto the evening drive home."

Hope your Christmases are as funny and adventurous as mine have been.

P.S. The Flying Christmas Tree survived it's aerial adventure. It was just a little... flat... on one side.

Aloha!

It's a CHRISTMAS TREE, dammit!

Okay, I'm all for political correctness, as long as it doesn't run amok, hamstringing us from being honest, or worse, accurate.
Apparently, this years' hot button issue is whether to call it a Christmas Tree or a Holiday Tree.

Gimme a fuckin' break!

I am not a Christian. For those keeping score, I lean toward Shamanism, with a strong Lakota/animist influence. I consider myself an Indian first, even though that only makes up about 25% of my bloodline, if that. But that's what I am. I am also a Liberal, and I most strongly identify with the Libertarian Party's ethos.
That being said, I am simply disgusted at how so many people or groups are creating a cultural war over celebration of the Holidays. Schools where Christmas Carols can't be sung, Holiday Pageants where the occasional Christmas hymn is verboten.

C'mon, people! Wake the FUCK up!!!!

As I said, I am not a Christian. I don't believe most of the "scriptures" about Jesus' life, and I do believe that he was born in Summer, not Dec. 25th. In fact, the ancient Christians (the same ones who were fed to lions or use as human streetlights as a result of proselytizing to the point of bullying) co-opted the pagan Winter Solstice holidays and rituals for their own, as a way to "shift the glory" (or the stink) onto a celebration of the birth of Christ.
Having said that, I still have to say that I personally have no problem with parks, schools, city halls, or other public areas displaying nativity scenes, crosses, or other Christian symbols, just like I also have no trouble with minorahs, Hanukkah bushes, Kwanzaa candles, and Santa Claus. And the fact is, that we as a nation celebrated Christmas and all the other Winter Holidays with no problems about coexistence (at least in my neighborhoods) for all the decades I've been around. Suddenly, you get some wannabe liberal "intellectual" who chooses the path of atheism, and just because he or she feels left out in the cold due to their lack of belief systems, now none of us can have fun if the atheist can't have fun.
At that point, it doesn't seem to be an issue of Separation of Church and State. Does anyone REALLY believe that putting a nativity scene on the lawn at city hall or a fire station is the same as passing legislation using The Bible as the foundation of your legal structure?
If atheists want to have their own way of observing (or NOT observing) the Holidays, fine with me. Personally, I think it's a hollow, empty way to live, myself. I feel that the Holidays are not only a wonderful tradition, blended from many cultures over the centuries, but also an important social and emotional release valve. Just as we sometimes need to vent a bit, and use something like sports (boxing, WWF, football, etc.) as a vicarious way of letting-off some steam, so too do we use The Holidays as the excuse many of us need to be and act happy for no apparent reason other than we feel good doing it, and we get to spread it around a bit. Celebrating in this way is important. It's good for the soul. In whatever way you do it. Personally, I'm a Major League Christmas fanatic. But I also find great joy in celebrating Kwanzaa, so I add some of that in there.
To those of you who think Christmas is just for kids, think again. It's more important for adults to be able to celebrate at years' end than you think. Ever wonder why so many people are grouchy this time of year? It's not the rush of shoppers, or the "false" cheer, or any of that. It's that they are afraid to go inside and let that inner child or animal dance for a while. They're afraid of seeming undignified, or just plain childish. It can often be very painful to confront childhood traumas or fears or disappointments. It's amazing to me how many people, when you ask why they hate Christmas, always start with the "disguise" answer; 'It's too commercial' is the most popular stock response. When grilled further, after you peel away all the bullshit they've built-up over the years, you often hear that their dislike of Christmas is because 'Santa never brought me that ____ I asked for,' or worse, 'Christmas was just another day for my dad to get drunk and my mom to ruin the dinner,' or some other sour note.
So, because a few people had a negative experience with Christmas, they now want to make sure NOBODY gets to have a good experience for Christmas. That's how Grinches are born.
And that's just wrong.

To me, Christmas is about more than just presents under the tree. It's a time of year that energizes me, bringing back very warm memories of good times with friends and family, and the promise of more to come. I keep Christmas in my heart, so that even now, alone and homeless, I still can feel good celebrating it. This year, if I don't have anyone to spend it with (hopefully Eva) then I might actually go volunteer at a shelter, handing out meals. After all, someone needs to help at those kitchens, and there are lots of other homeless folks out there who are 'way worse off than me.
And, hey, I might meet some interesting people!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Freedom of Speech?

Well, as I write this, a new film is sweeping the country. It's title is Brokeback Mountain. It's a film about two young cowboys who are basically straight, but fall in love with each other. The trailer is very compelling, as well as visually stunning. I am very much looking forward to seeing it, and King Kong. The reason I mention this film is that, if the right wing had their way, we'd never have a film like this. They make a huge cry about freedom of speech and states' rights, but only when it's in line with their narrow-minded agenda. Which brings me to "Freedom of Speech."
In the film "The American President," (one of my favorites, by the way) President Shepherd says, during a speech,

"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've got to want it bad, because it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who is standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the 'land of the free'? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the 'land of the free.'"

Well, maybe I'm a fascist, then, because I'm not so sure I agree anymore.
Allow me to explain. First, it is my belief that "Freedom of Speech" as espoused by our founders was meant so we could freely criticize our goverment's actions and policies, and those elected officials who make those policies, both vocally and in print. It was meant to allow healthy dissention and debate regarding our official policies and laws.
It was NOT intended to mean that anybody with a microphone, soapbox, and opinion could spout their views publicly, or in an effort to sway the government to their way of thinking, or to allow oppression of other people or governments.
I don't believe, for one second, that "Freedom of Speech" should be used as a shield for vitriolic, bigoted, or hateful views. The alledged "Doctor" Laura Schlesinger is a prime example. She spews hate and venom at anyone who disagrees with her narrow-mindedness, especially when it comes to Gay Rights. First, she's NOT a doctor of any kind. Second, all she's doing is fomenting further hate in the small minds of those who believe her opinions, and helping to cause the continued violence Gay people are subject to as surely as if she'd beaten them up herself. Pat Robertson has publicly advocated killing Gays, and assasinating foreign leaders, all under the guise of "Freedom of Speech."
We see the same thing on The Web. People use the anonimity of fake screen names to spew hatefulness onto innocent people, when they'd never have the guts to do it if their real name and address had to be published with each post. That's why responsible literary and journalistic publications have EDITORS! To screen out the writings of the ill-informed, or those who would use such publications to air views that are better heard by a therapist.
We are allowing "Freedom of Speech" to give equal time to fascist, racist viewpoints that no one should be exposed to. We are making the same mistake as those who listened to Hitler and Speer in the late 1930's.
And, if you're thinking that I'm holding Gay Rights speech higher than, say, the KKK's "right" to march in the streets, you're goddamn right I am. What's the difference, you ask?
Simple.
Gay rights groups advocate tolerance, peace, and love of all people. (Shades of the '60's?)
The KKK, by their very definition, advocate the hating of, and elimination of, anyone who is not the same race or skin color as they.
You tell me which is the more American ideal.
I have never seen any Gay group picket a church, or try to curtail the rights of christians to worship their god in their own way.
And yet, at every Gay march or rally I've attended, these so-called christians feel they have the right to flank us, jeer us, tell us we're hated by God and going to Hell, that we deserve none of the rights they feel other Americans enjoy. And they use "Freedom of Speech" as their primary defense for their hateful, fascist actions.
Y'see, unfortunately, the tyranny of the masses has become the basis of a national level of stupidity and shameful ignorance, and our voting record for the last four decades shows it. Everyone with an opinion thinks he has the right to air it, or sometimes force it down people's throats. This attitude is the basis upon which morons get up on-camera on The Jerry Springer Show, or any of the other idiotic talk shows that are basically just an excuse to verbally abuse the person on the stage. And ratings-whores like Springer and his ilk use "Freedom of Speech" to justify the "dumbing-down" of a population that already reveres sports more than education, entertainment more than learning.
I don't know what makes me more frustrated; the dropouts and uneducated idiots who feel their opinion is as valid as that of a well-educated college grad or the experience of a world-traveller, or that well-educated grad or traveller who makes no effort to speak out and correct the idiots.
History shows us that bad things happen when good men do nothing. And right now, those good men in this country aren't doing a damn thing.

Some Housing opportunity...HAH

Well, I finished the first draft of the script for my client. Client liked it, but his ad agency didn't. So we'll see what happens over the next day or so. Hoping to actually shoot the thing next week.

Went to check out the "housing opportunity" in Lake L.A., and this place was the dark side of Green Acres. It was a single-wide trailer in poor condition, filled with junk and vermin, and on a downhill slope. It was in what appeared to be a hobo jungle of other similar homes, and as we pulled-up to it, we were surrounded by over a dozen mongrel dogs and at least as many chickens. So I thanked the guy for offering, but declined, and beat a hasty retreat out of there. Much safer staying in my car until I can get the motor home I'm looking at.

Unless Eva has me join her, it looks like I'll be alone this Christmas. We'll see. My sister and brother-in-law will be at their daughter Shawna's house in Valencia. Shawna's a "born-again christian" (notice I DO NOT capitalize the word) and is rather fascist about her beliefs, especially her disapproval about my being Gay, like it's something she has the sacred right to feel. My other nieces and nephews, and the rest of my family are pretty OK with my lifeway, so what the fuck, over?
But, I don't mind. My sis and I might try to see each other a few days before. She and Dave, her husband, are really great. They've treated me with kindness, empathy, and generosity. Too bad Mom died before they got to meet. Mom would've been pleased with how her firstborn turned out.
Anyway, I'm hoping for a gig or two before Christmas. I need the money... badly! It got down to 19 degrees here last night.
I just realized, it's December 16th... my late grandma Katherine's birthday. Katherine Maxfield. She would've been 105 today. Also Beethoven's birthday. See what you can learn from Schroeder in the Peanuts comic strip?

Latest Numbers are not good...

Well, I saw my doctor today. I actually got a laugh out of him, apparently something many have tried but few have accomplished. He was looking through his clipboard at my paperwork and results, trying to find my viral load numbers. Finally he said to me, "Have you seen your viral load results?"
I couldn't resist...
"Well," I replied, "yeah, I think I saw 'em on the shoulder of the 14 Freeway yesterday..."
That got him. It was like watching a slow avalanche getting bigger and bigger. He tried not to, but started chuckling in spite of himself, and after a few more seconds just started to laugh. I love it when a joke comes together.
But, then the laughing stopped when he found the numbers. My viral load is 110,000. Last year it was 12,000. They want to start me on AIDS drugs right now. Of course, I had him write down what he wanted me to take, and I'll use that for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opinions.
So, we'll see.
But for now, I have a video to write. Later!

WOW-WEE!

Today, as I was looking through some of the other blog pages out there, I discovered RuPaul has a blog site. Just for fun, I wrote RuPaul a nice email, and within a few hours s/he RESPONDED!
I don't know if it was a stock response or not, but I was still happy to hear back. Here's what s/he said...

kiddo,
thank you for your sweetness and kindness,
it means everything to me.
rupaul

That's class. So, I wrote a reply just a few minutes ago. We'll see what happens.

Went out to the AV Fairgrounds with Ed a little while ago, and shot some guys doing motocross jumps at their dirtbike track. Not the most fun thing for me, but the guys were really doing some amazing jumps, some of them over 80 feet long!

Maybe we can interest some of these guys in some video work...

That's me, cornrows and all! 

Christmas is a comin'

Well, as they say, "IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!!"
Just so you know now, this will be an unabashedly pro-Christmas piece, so any of you Grinches and Scrooges may wish to leave the room now.
My Ultimate Christmas will last a week or more. Christmas is tooooo much holiday for just one day. Preferably I'll have a vacation home near Grand Canyon, AZ. There's usually snow there by Christmas, and I love a snowy holiday.
In every room of the house, there'll be a Christmas tree. Some will have a theme, others will just be a mish-mash of fun decoration. In the great room will be a tree 15-20 feet tall. This tree, as I usually do, will have a Star Trek theme. The house will have lights, garlands, candles, sprays, and decorations everywhere. And food in every direction. The smells coming out of the kitchen will make people float away. Friends and family would be staying over Christmas Eve night, in a kind of "floating party" that lasts well into Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve Day would see us at Grand Canyon, enjoying the scenery, maybe taking a short hike below the rim. Then we'll dine at the El Tovar overlooking the canyon for a wonderful early dinner.
Back at the ranch, there'll be movies running all night in the theater (probably STAR WARS, STAR TREK IV - THE VOYAGE HOME, etc.) There will probably be sex in the steamroom and Jaccuzzi. Certain dishes will be cooking during the night, others will be in the fridge ready for The Day.
Christmas morning will not have breakfast, but rather a champaign brunch, including mimosas. There will be tons of other food, snacks, a buffet lunch, etc. Presents will be opened, guests will party, the model railroad will be running trains (2 freight, 1 passenger, and a switching local), the theater will still be running movies, some of us will be rock climbing, some of us will be popping whips. There may be a hike in the afternoon if the weather allows. There will be singing of carols (my sister will make sure of that) and probably games, like Win, Lose, or Draw; Monopoly; Trivial Pursuit (M*A*S*H or STAR TREK Editions, thank you) or Rail Baron.
All the animals would be in the house getting food and presents, too.
By the time dinner is ready, everyone will probably be asleep from all the snacking and activity! I still don't know whether it should be formal sit-down, or more casual buffet style. There will be turkey with all the traditional trimmings including stuffing, potatoes, veggies, rolls, cornbread; ham; steak; salads; pasta-pepper dish; Spanish rice; enchiladas; quesedillas; garlic bread and garlic knots; wine and champaign, sodas, milk, waters of various kinds; and on and on... Dessert will simply kill everyone. Pumpkin pie; chocolate cream pie, devil's food cake, pudding, home made whipped cream, cookies, Amoretto brownies, Alice B. Toklas brownies, etc., etc.

By that night, the house will sleep like a log.
That's my ultimate Christmas!

Actually, I already got what I wanted for Christmas: my Kitten back, safe and sound.

KITTEN FOUND!!!

Prayers do get answered.

The kitten that was lost in the last blog, was found yesterday in the yard across the street from where I'm parked at night. The people said he was hiding under a sheet of plywood in the yard and was terrified. When I got him back, he was real subdued for a while, but eventually started purrin' again. He's fine now, and his Momma's relieved, too.
Got a line on a possible residence out near Saddleback Butte, way out in the desert to the East, near Lake L.A.
Went to see the owner yesterday at his work, but he was off. Maybe today or tomorrow I can get out there. Mark Mejia says he wants me to shoot a spot for his capital investment proposal this weekend, but he still hasn't coughed-up any cash. Hopefully I'll hear from him today. Mark Mejia owns Baron Hats, the movie industry's main hatmaker. He owes me an Indiana Jones fedora just like the one he made for Temple of Doom.

KITTEN LOST!!!

Momma-batz's kitten somehow got out of the car yesterday, and is now lost! I was all over town yesterday, retracing my steps, trying to find him. I didn't sleep well last night, crying, worrying, blaming myself. My, and Kitten's, only hope is that he got out at A.T.'s mom's yard, and is still in the area. Otherwise, it looks pretty hopeless.

That's my baby, a few weeks ago. This kitten was the runt of the litter, and the only one I kept. I loved that kitten more than any I've known in a long time. This kitten was only half the size of the others, and needed so much love and attention. Turned out to be a sweet, affectionate, loving little kitty. I miss him so much...

My Dream Home

As a homeless person, I have been fantasizing alot lately about my dream home. So, at the risk of being, oh, I don't know.... uh... I really don't know...! Delusional, maybe? Here I am, 47 years old, no future in stone to speak of although I do own my own company. Living, for now, in my car with the hope that my video work or, God help us, my invention will get going and deliver me from the cold. And MAN was it cold last night. Thank the Maker for that electric blanket. And I'm dreaming of the dream home, or as I call it... (big music cue here...)
SUPER HOUSE!!!
Okay, Super House will be on a large rural lot, anywhere from 10 acres to 50 acres or more. It will hopefully have power, but likely will require a well and propane. Ideally it will be on a dirt road. Hopefully it'll get mail delivery. It'll be a kind of compound of geodesic dome houses connected together, possibly separated by a small A-frame structure acting as an entry area. Once you live in a dome, a regular house just doesn't cut it. One dome would probably sit on a basement. This would be the main dome, mine, and would be 45 or 50 feet in diameter. The secondary dome would be Eva's, probably 40 to 45 feet in diameter. The A-frame entry would be 2 stories high, maybe with a balcony walkway between upper floors of the domes. It would be paneled in wood, both ends would be mostly glass, and it would feel like a chalet or mountain cabin. It would have a large firepit off-center opposite the front entry doors. My house would have two or three bedrooms. Almost every room will have a fireplace, including the bedrooms. It will mostly be paneled in drywall, eggshell white. My bedroom would be a suite upstairs; the outer portion or 'living room' of the suite would be part of the loft or balcony over the dome's great room or formal living room or front room, whatever you wanna call it. The kitchen would be a large cook's kitchen that spills out into the den. I love kitchens that are also family gathering areas, especially when it's part of a big, warm, inviting den. So my kitchen would have, in addition to two wall-mounted ovens, a brick fireplace at chest height for both warmth and cooking. It'll have a spit for roasting large birds or cuts of meat. I don't think I'd have a dishwasher, as I prefer to wash them by hand. Probably have a trash masher. The sink will be against the outside wall, which will have a huge greenhouse-type picture window looking out onto the glass greenhouse/eating area. There will also be a cooking island with it's own sinks. The refrigerator might be one of those new ones that has a removable laptop built into the door. It tells you what's in the fridge, what you need, messages, recipes, etc. You can pull it off the door and take it to the store, mount it on your cart, and it tells you what to get. It can even order stuff from the store ahead of time, which you then pick up. Either that one, or I'd have a fridge with a clear glass door and fluorescent lights inside like in a restaurant. The decor would probably be a lot of blue, yellow, green and orange Mexican tile. The floor will either be wood or Mexican pavers. Jury's still out on the counters. There would be a breakfast bar between the kitchen and the den, and a small pantry also (the main pantry'll be downstairs) . When I have company, this kitchen/den would be where we all end up. The great room would extend to the top of the roof, about 25 feet. It'll have a firepit surrounded be couch seating, and a large picture window. There will also be a firepole for sliding down from the loft above the great room. One wall may have a rock face for climbing. The decor will consist of antiques, artifacts, fossils (maybe even a T-Rex skull and a dimetrodon skeleton), and my paintings and photos. There will be no TV in this room. Downstairs in the basement will be the main pantry with wine cellar, the bar, the model railroad room/museum, the movie theater, the laundromat, and the garage. The bar will be at the "lobby" of the movie theater, where the snack bar would be. This will look like a real theater; there'll be framed one-sheets from great movies such as STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, SUPERMAN, BILLY JACK, SILVER STREAK, BACK TO THE FUTURE, LASH LARUE'S KING OF THE BULLWHIP, ZORRO, etc. The theater would seat about 15-20 people. The screen will be about 12 X 6 feet, and there will be 6-channel Surround Sound, possibly THX. There will even be a projection room, soundproof and with double glass viewports. There will be runner lights down the aisles, curtains on the screen. It'll look just like a classic movie theater. It will also double as an editing suite. The bar will double as the snack bar, but with stools. Wines will be served, and there will be an actual soda fountain dispenser for soft drinks. There will be a long mirror behind the bar, and wine glasses will hang above it. Popcorn, even though I don't care for it, will be made in one of those theater-type kettles in a glass box, and candies and also real foods will be served. There will be a fireplace shared by the theater bar and the model railroad and museum. The pantry, nearby, will be very large for a panty. Basically a long walk-in closet with one wall mostly windows looking out onto the rec area which includes the bar and railroad museum. This pantry will have shelves, possibly a pass-thru bar, and a refrigerator and freezer. It'll have separated shelves for dry goods like pastas and dry vegetables and flour; canned soups; canned veggies; sauces; canned fruits; etc, etc. This pantry will hold enough food to last a year or more. It'll also be pleasantly decorated and inviting, not just a room to store food.
The model railroad will be mostly a large shelf layout featuring Cajon Pass in a long time warp from 1935 to 2000, minus the anti-gang fences. It will be HO scale, and will have, of course, a full backdrop and effects lighting. It'll have walkaround control, and maybe also some form of old-fashioned dispatch board, like from Union Switch & Signal. The bar area will also have a TV or two, maybe even one over the bar.
The laundromat/mudroom will consisit of two washers; one for conventional loads, and the other a Wascomat for large loads. There may also be either two driers or a large commercial drier. There will also be a large sink, counters for folding, a wire cart with a rack for transport and hanging. This room will have a door opening into the 2-car garage, which will be enclosed.
Off the garage will be a special reinforced room to hold the electrical systems associated with the power generators. The house will have both solar and wind power generation, as well as solar water heating. The battery banks will be in here. There will also be a gas or diesel generator here or nearby. The room will be specially ventilated so no buildup of explosive or poisonous gasses can occur. The room may also be shielded against EMP, if possible.
Somewhere, this house will have Super Bathroom. This bathroom will be a Gay man's dream. It'll be huge. It'll be pretty, but a little locker room-ish, too. The shower will hold 3 people, with multiple heads and douche nozzles. The shower walls will be clear glass, and will look out onto an outdoor atrium under it's own Plexiglass dome 25 feet in diameter. There will be a big Jaccuzzi, a firepit, and a jungle of plants. You'll be able to step from the bathroom OR shower right into it. Sunlight will pour in all day, yet even on cold days it'll be nice because it's enclosed. The bathroom will have a water closet for the toilet, complete with it's own vanity sink. There will also be... TA DA!!... a urinal! It's about time they put urinals in the home! And finally, there'll be a steamroom big enough for 10 people. Nude, of course. There'll even be a sling in there. This will definately be a sex bathroom!
Outside, there will be a fenced-over area for the animals to enjoy being outdoors without the risks of getting out of the yard, or predators on both the ground and in the air. The cats can go out there to shit, instead of having cat boxes everywhere in the house. It'll have trees for them, and a doghouse or two, and a table and some benches.
Eva's dome will also be 2 stories, but most of what she needs would be on the main floor, because of her Degenerative Joint Disease. It would have a full kitchen and baths, and 2-3 bedrooms. Maybe a library, if she wants.
There will be lots of trees and plants around, and the outdoors will be used as rooms also.

I actually used to have a house similar to the one described above. Here's a photo of it...
It was a geodesic dome, 45' in diameter, 3 bedrooms. It sat on 10 beautiful acres in the heart of Soledad Canyon, California. See those rocks on the left? They're about 1 mile from the house itself, which you can see among the trees at the center of the image. Those rocks, called The Three Sisters, are huge, several hundred feet high, and are part of the Sespe (or Vasquez) Formation.
The property covered all of the foreground in this image, and included it's own canyon! See the little trail curving on the left? That was our main road! I don't know about you, especially if city life is your thing, but I was in Heaven. I could, and often did, walk totally nude all over the ranch, and nobody could see me unless I wanted them to. The nearest neighbor was 300 yards away. I was leasing the ranch, which I called Starbase 6, for almost 4 years before the company that owned it sold it out from under me. I still hope to go back someday with a suitcase full of cash and get it back.
Oh, well. I can dream, can't I?

There are always... possibilities

Well, day before yesterday I had a full schedule. I was to see my big client, Bruce (owner of DirecSource, for whom I've already done one industrial film) who was to take me to his ad agency, and then I was supposed to go to Hollywood to attend an HD film festival to give them my demo reel for crew consideration.
Got to Moorpark and had a wonderful meeting with Bruce. He was so happy with his video that he took me to meet the owner of his ad agency. The meeting went well, with the owner saying he really liked my work and style (I have a style?) and would like to have me direct some projects for him soon. We'll see. Then he showed me some of their agency's work, and I had to gulp. This stuff was, in my humble opinion, FAR OUT of my league. I felt about 2 inches tall watching the quality of their work. This stuff was Super Bowl class. They must see something in me that I'm still trying to find. But, I love a challenge, and I'm not afraid to jump in with both hoofs. (I AM a Pony, after all). Bruce told me that he felt I showed great integrity in following through with his show even after my (now former) business partner Joseph and I broke up. He believed I would probably just bail with the money he'd already given us, and have to start from scratch with a more established company. Well, I was not gonna tarnish my rep, OR let the chance to make a cool film slip away, so I stuck to my promise and gave him what he paid for. I am glad I did not only as a matter of honor, but because it got some work for me and my friends and gave us all a great time as well.
So, Bruce and I are trying to come up with a concept for a short generic piece to be run on a loop at trade shows. Hopefully we'll do it before Christmas.
I also decided to take a chance, and told Bruce about my shower product idea. He felt it was a good idea, usable and practical, but he told me that marketing that or any other product is the hard part. Well, not for me, as I've already designed the ad campaign and given MUCH consideration to where, when, and how to present it. So, maybe I'll be able, with Bruce's help, to add "inventor" to my list of accomplishments.
Anyway, after our meeting, I headed for the show in Hollywood. I was running late, and traffic on the 101 wasn't helping. As I get to about the Laurel Cyn offramp, the car sufferes a TOTAL brake failure. Terrified, (well, okay, not terrified but just really concerned) I limped the car down the ramp and found a place to park on a safe section of the street. After getting help from a local friend, Ed Webster (and my old boss Joan) I bled the brakes, they responded just fine, and I hit the road again. Unfortunately, it had taken so much time that now I was hopelessly late. I decided not to go into Hollywood, and headed back north to the AV instead. Of course, I stopped at the Spa on the way, to unwind, clean-up, sit in the steam room for a while, and play with a couple of the guys, including this really hot African guy who let me worship his beautiful black ass for a while. Hey, I know I'm a nawddy little zeebra. So BAAAA!

Test results and other numbers tomorrow

Well, tomorrow I got to the doctor to see what the latest numbers are. I'm concerned about my throat. Lately, it feels swollen or as though there's something just below the larynx blocking my swallowing. Not painful, just annoying.

I have a motto in life: "Pizza... when it's hot, it's good! And when it's cold... it's still pretty good!" Well, I think I've tasted the exception to that motto. Went over to Costco and got a pizza tonight with everything on it. It tasted... boring. My God, a boring pizza?! Well, guess if you live long enough you're bound to see some weird shit, like boring pizza. Man, that's almost un-American! In fact I've had British food that was more interesting than that pizza. Oh, well.

Got the new TITANIC DVD the other day. Among the deleted scenes is one of Ida and Isadore Strauss on the Boat Deck trying to board a lifeboat, deciding to stay together when 1) the officer loading the boat allows women only, and 2) Ida refuses to leave her husband of 40 years. "Isadore, we've been together 40 years. Where you go, I go." I've always been moved when reading that account, but seeing it acted out in such a compelling scene I started to cry. I had to stay in my cubicle because I didn't want anyone to intrude, and just cried and cried over that scene, and what it means. Love that produces that kind of loyalty is something very hard to find. Will I ever be that lucky? If that had been me and my ex-boyfriend, he wouldv'e left me there in a hot second and saved himself. Does such selfless love and loyalty even exist anymore? One reason the Titanic has always captivated me (I've been an expert on the subject for over 30 years, now) is that I honestly believe I was on that ship, and died in the water with the others. Ever since I was a little kid, I've had very clear flashbacks to that moment. If reincarnation is real (and I say why not?) then I was there. I really remember the COLD, treading water, being pulled and buffeted by the suction of water pouring into (probably) the Number 2 funnel casing. Not being able to resist the pull. Uh, time to change the subject...

The DVD is well-produced, and my friend Ken Marschall is on there doing a historical commentary along with Don Lynch. Ken hasn't spoken to me in years now; I guess he must be mad at me. I hope not, as we were friends for years. I may never know, as he won't return my calls. Ken Marschall, in case you don't know, is the world's foremost Titanic artist. His work has been published for over 30 years in books, magazines, films, etc. James Cameron, on his 2001 expedition to Titanic, once said during a filming dive on the wreck: "I feel like I'm making a movie for one guy: Ken Marschall."

I'm about to put up a new webpage, one which has some of my videos streaming on it. Hopefully, this will direct more work my way.

Aloha!

Turkey Day was Yesterday!

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a fairly nice day for me. I went over to my business partner Ed's house, dropped off the animals (Clancy, Batzinfluff, and Kitten) picked-up the food from the fridge, and headed for Eva's.
It was a clear, bright Autumn day in Cajon Pass as I headed down Hwy. 138 and Old Route 66. There were a couple of trains in the pass that day. I went down to Cajon Creek in Blue Cut, and the water was flowing well. It was falling and rushing over the rocks, it was slightly muddy, and COLD. It was a picture-perfect midday along the creek under the cottonwoods. As I was continuing on my way, I saw a longshot of Mt. Baldy, and the east end of the San Gabriel Mountains. They were rearing-up out of the desert floor just above San Bernardino and Rialto. But the western end of the view was obscured by a sudden wall of haze and smog so thick that it literally looked like a light version of a sandstorm or dustbowl coming at you across the prairie. It's leading edge was clearly evident, though slightly diffuse. The close-enough-to-touch mountain on the clear side became a flat, thin silhouette on the smog side. It was amazing, and as I'm looking at it, I suddenly think, "I grew up breathing in that shit!" It made me realize once again how glad I am to be living up here in the AV rather than down in that smog-bowl. As much as I love my home town of L.A., it has gotten too crowded and chaotic. Too bad, it's a great city.

Upon arriving at Eva's, I could see that about 70% -or so of the units in her complex were boarded-up. We had a nice Thanksgiving. All her stuff was packed, so we ate off styrofoam plates and watched DVD's and drank Sauvignon Blanc and smoked some weed, and just hung out. Eva really has lost some weight. For a change, her hair was undone from it's usual million cornrows, and was in two French braids on either side. Looked good. We all gettin' gray. Old hippies. The food was excellent, although my garlic bread was a bit chewy after nuking, but still with good flavor. I used margarine, granulated garlic, real fresh garlic minced, pepper, and an Italian-mix feta cheese. Slide that baby in the toaster oven for a few minutes, and OH MY GOD it's addictive!
At one point Kaelon came over. Abicuss! Damn, my nigga's getting ta be a man! He fuckin' 6' 3" and 235 pounds. He played his latest album tracks from the disk he's creating now. Some phat and wicked shit innat bitch! Oh, sorry. He a hip-hop rapper, so I kinda got funky wi' it fo' a sec, y'know? He's such a sweet young man, too. He has a girlfriend whom I only just met last night, but they been togetha for a while, now. She's very sweet and polite, and complements him well. She teaches 8th Grade English.
He just got a new pre-owned car two days ago. His other car is finally dying. He got it from a dealership, and it's nice. I think it's a 2004 Hyundai. It's small, with a black leather interior, and classy.
It sure was nice being around Eva for a while. I sure hope we can get some kind of home big enough for all of us.
We watched some other stuff on TV last night. Eva loves the mystery and true crime and cold cases shows, but we surfed around looking at different stuff. We watched a really bad Alec Baldwin thriller about an ex-co alcoholic in the bayous and it was so bad I don't even want to say any more. Then we watched South Park The Movie Bigger Longer Uncut, and I thought it was pretty funny. Then we watched some other stuff, all the while talking. But we both love to watch movies together, so that's what we did. In fact when some people say "This is 'our' song," we say that about a movie, and wouldn't ya know, they ran it last night. 'Our' movie is Close Encounters of The Third Kind. It was what she used to lure me into her clutches... er, uh, ...house, with a copy on VHS. We became lovers that day, back in 1980. So when we were watching it, Kaelon perked-up and commented on he remembers as a toddler me and Eva always watching that movie all those years ago. This time I told Eva about a girlfriend named Terri I had known during the early '80's who looked just like Melinda Dillon in Close Encounters. Eva and I never had any trouble discussing past or current lovers or sex buddies, or having them for that matter. Anyhow, it was good to see my boy again. Unfortunately, Thaeddy was at work and couldn't make it last night, but she may be with her mom today, though.
Had a lovely drive through a miles-clear desert night with a quarter moon casting a faint light. The lights of Palmdale and Lancaster were spread out along the horizon, and from 30 miles away were quite pretty. So was the area around Llano. In fact, what was a big open stretch of desert 25 years ago is a rural neighborhood today. Soon the Antelope Valley will look like the San Fernando Valley does today. But for now, here in the AV it still seems like it did to me in the early '60's in the San Fernando Valley. Farm-y and ranch-y but growing.
Ah, well. Happy Holiday Season!

Turkey Day's a Day Away!

Well, the fall leaves are bright gold in Lancaster this year, the days are crisp, the sky deep China blue, and Thanksgiving is day after tomorrow.
I plan to go to Eva's house for the day, and either A): Bring something over, or B:) take her out to eat. She's in the process of packing to move, and her place is pretty barren. Also, most of the units in her place have been boarded-up, due to the gang activity. Most of the old tenants are gone, and Eva's one of the few remaining, until she can move to a place in San Bernardino. I'm debating whether to make something or just take her out because of money and resources. It might be cheaper to make something, and I make the best Thanksgiving spread you've ever tasted. But it'll be a hassle and take up time in Ed's kitchen. Eating out would be more expensive, but would be easier, and maybe nicer too. If I had the facilities, I'd make something, but as it is, we'll see. Eva, for those who don't know, is my "girlfriend/female twin/soul mate" whom I've loved for 25 years, now.

Makes me think of what I have to give thanks for. Let's see... well, although I'm sleeping in the car, I do get to sleep behind a closed gate with an electric blanket getting AC from the house. Lots of homeless folks don't even have a car, or if they do they have to camp wherever they can. I still seem healthy, and Clancy, Batsinfluff, and Kitten are still with me. My client Bruce has recommended me to his ad agency as a director/producer, and I got some money the other day from the Limo spot. And I'll get to see Eva Thursday. So, things ain't that bad.

However, I hope that by this time next year money won't be the problem it's been. Maybe I'll have that dome house by Calico, who knows. If I do, that house will be Holiday Central!
So, Happy Thanksgiving to everybody out there!

Pony

Another day, another blood test...

Well, it's been a couple of days since I wrote in, so thought I'd catch up.

Yesterday I went over to the hospital for a doctor's appointment. When they did the intake, they of course took my weight and blood pressure. I came in at 166#, a bit heavy for my norm, but not a problem at 6 feet tall. When they wrapped the BP cuff around my arm, I mentioned that it would be around 115/75.
It was 116/74 !
The nurse goes, "You've got young people's blood pressure. That's the best reading we've had all day!" She couldn't believe it when I said I'm 47, and my father was dead of a heart attack when he was my age, well actually younger. I have to admit, I AM proud of my low BP. It's one of the few things in my anatomy that seems to be working better than expected, taking my HIV into account.

I'll probably be able to get the motor home I'm looking at in another few days. It's an old Dodge from the late '70's, runs, but the inside needs a bit of work. Still, it's liveable, and WAY better than sleeping in the car. And only $400, so hey! Thank God gas prices are dropping. Calico may have me come up on the 27th for a whip show. Hope it happens.

Think I'll go to Popeye's tonight. Red beans and rice!

Pony

Shot a commercial today... a dog & a limo

Well, despite my gloomy attitude over Calico's rejection of me, I went out with Ed (my business partner) and shot a commercial for a limo company up in Rosamond. This may sound crazy, but I had no idea that Rosamond was so pretty. For a desert town, it's got some great light and vistas.
Anyhow, we shot this impromptu commercial and used the owner's greyhound dog in the shots, like with the limo driving down the road and the dog standing up out of the sunroof! The dog, Cody, a rescued dog who used to be a racing greyhound, did NOT like standing up out of that sunroof. My late companion dog, Odus, would have loved this job. He stood up out of my sunroof every mile we went. It was hilarious. For an image of Odus, click on this link...

http://www.geocities.com/zeebya/design2.html

And you'll see him. My late puppy-boi. Died at about age 10, have his cremated remains in a nice tin.
Anyhow, this commercial looks like it'll be fun. When I get my domain name set up, I'll have videos streaming from my site, so you'll be able to see my work.

It sure was a pretty day.

Pony

My first blog

Hi, there.
Well, this is my first blog posting.
Today I'm pretty depressed, because a major business opportunity fell through... maybe.
I'm trying, for the last year, now, to get a shop going up at Calico Ghost Town selling souvenir DVD's on the history of Calico, and other ghost town documentaries.

Well, after making me jump through months' worth of hoops, the San Bernardino County Board say's "NO" based on the idea that my business would create unfair competition in town with another shop which has a really bad, old VHS tape for sale on ghost towns that doesn't sell well, is over 20 years old, and was bad when it was released, let alone now it's OLD and bad.

Currently still sleeping in my car with the dog and two cats. Hoping to raise enough money to get the motor home I'm looking at. Winter's coming.

But I'm trying not to be bitter...

Good news is, I now have a business bank account and a DBA under the name of Gravity Arch Media. So, I'm trying for some actual legitimacy, here.

Pony