Fear

What changed two months ago that now has the Earth on high alert?
A few months ago, most of us single guys were just wondering where we can get our next slice. Or preparing for our lives. For me, it was dodging idiots on the road who drive like nutjob. I was already at high alert due to my car accident. Boy, did that suck.
So now we're being told that EVERYONE needs to be on high alert.
Agreed.
I'm not saying the concern isn't warranted, but I have noticed the more we focused on it, the more real it got. There is probably going to be stories soon that will draw light to the fact that if we see what we want to see, it is all we will see. In other words, fear laser beams our focus onto that fear.
I've stopped reading Yahoo news. The people who write for them aren't very good anyway. And the powers that run it are unscrupulous fuckers. This fear has generated looks to their site that give them revenue. Fear is linked to this. They know the psychology of it. They should be publicly flogged for the panic they've induced.
Again, it isn't to say that it ISN'T warranted, HOWEVER, attention grabbing headlines with a virus death count on it creates this. And they know.
Had they done this with previous viruses, I'm sure we'd be at panic level as well. "Chicken Pox Watch" and the like. For whatever reason, this has not hit the mark of the seasonal flu BUT news also finds anecdotal cases where the ill were older or younger or whatever creates the most fear when being challenged. It's almost like the press reads the public opinion and adjusts it's fear level. Again, remember what it was like months ago (supposedly when this started).
Were you afraid of the virus? Are you now? What stories have you been reading that created MORE fear or anxiety. If you had any previous illnesses, does this come into play? Will tragedy strike your family? All this is used to control your thoughts.
I wonder if the stories generated were about all the lengths the medical profession are going through to save people. The stories I read now are how unprepared we are (fear). And it's obviously making me buy into it. But is it real?
What exactly were those feelings months ago? Before the media told us we'll have to live our lives differently from this point on. For most people, they became selfish hoarders.
Humanity failed in the media's test to see what happens in a toxic fishbowl. We became the wasteland, foraging for resources.

If I were you, I'd read less and less sensationalized Yahoo news. They are painfully (and unfortunately monopolized) ill equipped for the concept of hope. When they could've reported what things are being done right, they chose to report the disaster this could be.
Be well everyone.

My Great Grandmother

My Great Grandmother lived to be well over 100 years old. I think 109 or 112. I forget which one. I met her in 1988 when I was dumb middle schooler and didn't have the brains to ask her her secret of living long. I'm sure if I pressed my Mom (her grandmother) she'd tell me. But I think it has something to be boosting our immunity to the natural world.
My Mom's family were farmers. I mean...serious farmers. They toiled and shat in the fields. The entire family lived in (literally a shack). The clay tiles on the roof were cracking, and floors were dirt. I recall meeting Great Grams there. At that point, I'm not entirely sure she knew who I was. An American just dropping by? It was as rural as rural can get. They shat in holes dug in the ground. No joke.

So, with this type of living, how did they live this long? Immunity. I think simply put, we rely way too much on comfortability (I'm, guilty). The weather needs to be "conditioned" to the proper temperature. Or food has to be infinitely non-gluten or whatever fad is out there. While, it may be true bat soup or whatever caused this outbreak. And we consider the Chinese savages (which I do). They still have lived 1000 of years of civilization pre-America. At our arrogant close to 400 years we have had medical discoveries that have made people survive. Though, the quality of life is what we focus on and not necessarily on just surviving. Why bother if I were to tell you that to live to 100 it would require you not drink booze for ten of those years. You wouldn't want to live to 100, right? That's the journey of life is to balance the joys that takes years off to how many years you'd want to live. Many think children take the most years off your life.
To my Mom's family, they toiled hard in the fields. Quality of life?
I think with Covid virus out now, and as people are suffering, I think we'll get to a saturation period where we're sick of hearing statistics and just want to live again. Regain our toughness.
To paraphrase Ivan Drago said in "Rocky IV" If we die, we die.
I think most of us are scared because we haven't done all the fun stuff we're suppose to be doing. Life is great, death is boring.

Lock Down

Here in Los Angeles, mayor Eric Garcetti, piece of shit that he is, shutdown bars and restaurants.
That means Mom and Pop shops are fucked.
There's a pizza joint around the corner from where I live that is family owned. And it's brand new. I go in occasionally and talk about his business, as my own Dad owned a restaurant. He tells me business is difficult and that the city's lax policy on street vendors hurts him deeply. He is an immigrant Armenian guy who just wants to support his family. He did all the right things, and shithead Garcetti panders to the illegal immigrants. You ever want to see people turn on one another, you allow crimes to happen for one group and not for another.

So this closing of social places keeps us from the socializing space that has been (supposedly) transmitting the virus. I'm not sure any of this helps, but distancing from one another obviously doesn't hurt. Though you practically need an island to get away from any Angeleno.

Here's the thing...I believe the stress of the virus is making us ill. Not to say you shouldn't have concern but a panic is just that. A panic. And it hurts the heart and weakens immune system. Some of the people here are fighting to be at color Red constantly. Old women are like that. But that prevention comes at a cost of living a good life.
Be worried, don't be insane.
And be considerate to others.

CoronaVirus Sucks

I'm sure you're tired of reading everything about it from both sides.
To me, the panic is unwarranted and, in time, will prove to be a set back to American economy which reaches more people than we realize. Unless you work for hand sanitizer company.

Every industry is effected by it, including entertainment (going to a movie theater).

This distrust and lack of faith is disturbing. Somewhat disgusting. Since it's mostly the Leftist who are telling everyone the sky is falling. I have two similar friends from the same area of the country that likes to ring the bell of panic. It's comically dumb, because they have very little reason to freak, other than self-interest.

They forget we kicked AIDS ass, H1N1's ass. MERS's ass...look, dummies, we figure it out. It may take us with it, but STOP panicking (which I find funny that I have to panic tell you to stop panicking).
Stress probably will get you before this will.
And also, reading every single article on it doesn't help. Because the media sucks fat hairy balls. They are diabolical. Willing to tank the American economy over constant bad news because their industry is failing. Think of the press as a person drowing in the ocean as you swim next to it. What do you think that person will do? You'll both drown.
So remember that we are resilient. And we are tough. And that being a germ-a-phobe is fine, but to destroy our economy over it is ridiculous.

Maintain the proper etiquette of life and move on.

Birthday

Today is my 45th. I don't think I look or act like a 45 year old. But it's weird to think that this is really what middle aged is (unless you live to 100).

I feel after 40, getting presents are weird. And celebrating birthdays aren't a bad thing, but it feels like weddings. Unless you are there to drink, your friends suffer through meeting people they will never meet again. I like meeting people. But for the most part, social media has given us a glimpse of how interaction goes forward.

I am guilty of this.

You spread an opinion online and the rest of the world debates you over it. Whether they agree or not. Usually the new engagement in life (as we use to call "interpersonal relationships") are often ignored and sometimes (rudely) interrupted so they can provide their own view.
This creates MORE people who will not and can not listen. This will be our ultimate downfall. That we use passive attempts to undermine others thoughts instead of...say...absorbing ideas. Or building on ideas.
I work with older people who don't have the capacity to do this. I tell them it is their "blindspot." Unable to unpack others thoughts to come to a conclusion as to how they reached that thought.
For instance, I recently told a co-worker that his blindspot was how he treated brown people over white people (he being white). I noticed he would have a dialogue with the white person whereas he would dictate to the brown person. I brought this up to him to which he vehemently denied to. That's when I simply added "that is why it is a blindspot."
It's not to get a race thing going, but in our business there are a TON of Leftist who believe they are progressive Liberals. They are not. They are a pity parade with a sense of White guilt and a dash of well meaning. The point is, a white person won't ever understand the little slights that brown/black people feel. They chalk it up to "I think you're reading too much into it." Okay, next time I call you a "dickface dumbfuck" I'll simply say the same thing. You can't dismiss other cultural slights. IF you claim to be a Liberal. We expect it from a Conservative white, but a Liberal white is an insidious creature. They publicly champion the oppressed but truly have a worldview that we need saving to begin with. (hence my superiority complex towards the white folk at work).
Yes, I, and probably a lot of other brown folk do see these things when white people don't. We can joke all we want, but if one listens, dissects and concludes, they understand that we are capable and should be held to our idea that anyone can thrive. To the new Liberal, they don't think most of us thrive unless they pity us. And that is why a person of any color hates the new Liberal (or should).

But I digress, love to have cake, but at 45, may go into diabetic shock. Still full of piss though. Like Henry Fonda in "On Golden Pond." My new hero.

Co-Workers

I work at a film post facility where the people who end up there are technicians.
I do have one issue with people who get into the film industry. People who don't care how they're made, only THEIR job. And people who never had aspirations to work in movies and stumbled on it.
The latter is more common.
I think (and keep in mind most people in post are in their 50's) got into movies to make movies in some way. But these guys seem to come from one post house to the next. None have worked on production. And, quite frankly, happy to be button pushers.
They rankle me a lot because they don't research their craft. Wait, step back, don't even see it as craft. It's a job. To support their family.
So I typically have blow ups with them. Because it's frustrating being a person who cares how these things are made, only to be met with a dismissive nod.

A lot of what I am telling you is far more important than what they are talking about. I am often ignored, for a lot of reasons, MOSTLY due to age. They don't take me seriously because I don't "act" seriously. Lesson to be learned there. It's due to my own way of talking to allows people to think they are chums with me. In my, I am their superior. Not because of any arrogance. But because they are determined to be ignorant.

A couple of people, I can tell, sneak in a conversation with me. Because they know what I do. Some use it against me ("how's that little movie you're working on?"). These types are massive losers. Because they're really frustrated at the work they churn out, because they know it isn't going anywhere. This is why I like teaching. Young people are naive but ambitious. As I've always said, I'd hire a person with less experience and a joy of cinema then some very experienced person who hates every minute of being on set (me).

Film Students Workshop

I conduct a workshop in Hollywood on how to load film. I was surprised at the turnout AND the participation. Long since forgot what it meant to be young and idealistic with goals. They are driven. Anyone who showed up meant they were serious about their craft. A few were in film schools and it got me thinking about the ones that aren't serious about it. I rarely hear from those people, because they are just trying to get a grade to satisfy the parents. Most are foreign people who probably were too rambunctious to be doctors (ahem...Chinese).

Sometimes it does trouble me though. They have so much drive and ambition, it's hard to tell them that most of them won't get their dreams realized. It's a numbers game and most of us are pushed to the sidelines. It's not a bad place to be actually, but most people wanted the brass ring.

It's not really my thing to tell people that their dreams won't come true. That's what time tells you. And who says it won't. But the odds are not in their favor. And quite frankly, what I'm trying to convey is that it isn't bad just being off the bleachers and on the bench. For me, I saw where the future was and I didn't want any part (more like they didn't want any part of me). To me, I liked the way things were made in a certain era. To the business side, they had to follow fads and trends. Don't and will never blame them for trying to keep themselves afloat. You do what you have to. But in the case of the kids going to film school and desperately wanting to make it in Hollywood, I tell them the same thing...stay where you are. And it's from blogs I've posted in the past about how you get less to nothing done in this town over your own town. Because in your hometown, you have 18 years of knowledge (I'm presuming) and they all want to help you. In Hollywood, NO ONE wants to help you (I'm trying hard to change that). I've been tongue lashed a ton of times for trying to get a deal on equipment and studio space (I've done my own belittling when people come to me for things...ugh). It's that this town is FULL of professionals and no one suffers fools. At least no one going to the top. So what I see are many women dressing sexily and flirting to get what they want. This is desperation, and if you were a real man (not Harvey Weinstein), you wouldn't take advantage of it. Yes, I know that the previous axiom was that you don't turn down free pussy, unless you're a homo. To me, real men focused on craft. Peckinpah, Fuller, Kurosawa, Friedkin never talked about their sexual conquest...they made fucking movies. And then passed their knowledge to who wanted to know.
My best boy electric on a short film I was gaffer on years ago is now David Fincher's cinematographer. You can just tell the young people who cared. And I sensed he was going on to bigger things. Professional to the max.

So, if you're ever in a place in Hollywood to be a mentor, don't take advantage of it. Use their positive driven energy to fuel your own mental state.

The Environment, Climate and Mother Nature

Many Hollywood celebrities have taken the environment as a cause. A few that aren't that have become celebs are people like Greta Thunberg:

She is a 16 year (or was) that blasted the United Nations for apparently stealing away her childhood. Lady, I think your parents did that.
Anyway, we are polluters and I'm ashamed of the fucking garbage we've turned our beautiful country into. HOWEVER, we are THE single most aware country out there now. I've not met any one who lives and loves America that would litter, except dumb rednecks, ghetto blacks and illegal immigrants. They litter the most. And it turns my stomach. Not because they're not educated, but they don't fucking care. Middle class are the ones who typically get the shit end of all this. The elite rich fuckers take private planes and lecture us about the environment (except Ed Begley Jr. who has put bike to mouth). Fuck you assholes. You don't and have never practiced what you preach. If there was any logic to their stance, they'd have killed themselves and saved the carbon footprint they create. There is no doubt they create the most, yet are the least amount of people. So shut the fuck up, celebs.
The other polluters are the 3rd world. They don't have a choice because it is now part of their economic infrastructure. You take this away, they die. Apparently this is never mentioned in any Thunberg speech. So, the Right have gotten their own Greta Thunberg...her name is Naomi Seibt.

Okay, the Right know two things...1) climate always changes. It's not a panic change but a change 2) they picked a prettier, of-age (19) girl that people will listen to...because...here's the real issue:
We are shallow.

Yes folks, we listen to prettier people regardless of their issues. Because we like to be embraced by pretty people. Chosen from the elite beauty class. I guarantee people take Naomi more serious than Greta. That is the real painful reality.

"Well, idiot, what about the scientist who are uglier than fuck?"
Most scientist are men, and we don't get that same treatment. Sorry. That's nature, guys. I would say it actually works conversely. A handsome man is listened to, but not taken as seriously.

I would say, just DO YOUR PART. I don't litter, and I recycle. I'll look to get something smaller than an SUV when it starts to go (I needed it for a quick sale because it was cheap). Just do your part (probably already are) and don't let these two lecture you, regardless of their looks.