Xchoboomer

The Los Angeles City Council passed a mandate 4 months ago to shut down over 400 dispensaries throughout the city that did not register with the city prior to 2007. Today that mandate goes into effect. The dispensaries ordered to shut down are concentrated in the Hollywood, San Fernando Valley, and Venice/Santa Monica areas but are sprawled throughout the city. This map of the dispensaries ordered to shut down is rather eye opening. Not on that map is still another 100+ dispensaries located throughout the city that will remain open.

Most dispensaries are expected to comply with the order and will be shutting there doors for good at midnight. There are some that are expected to fight the mandate based on the premise that it violates consumer rights. However, the City of Los Angeles says it is prepared to enforce the mandate so it will be interesting to watch how this enfolds over the next week.

This mandate is just another example of the failures of the Los Angeles City Council.  The council had the opportunity and the responsibility to construct a system that would benefit the many patients and citizens of Los Angeles and serve as a shining example for the rest of the state as well as the nation to legitimize what the voters asked for. Instead they chose to keep pushing the issue to the back burner and left loopholes in their policy that  allowed all these dispensaries to grow like weeds (pun intended). And who can blame these businessmen of these dispensaries. There was an opportunity due to the failures of the city council and they took advantage. Now they are the victims not to mention the citizens of Los Angeles who will have to deal with the crowd of the remaining dispensaries, although I’m sure the owners of the remaining dispensaries will reap the rewards. The city council has done  a disservice to its citizens and to the nation as we struggle to overturn madness. We’ve come so far since Prop 215 was passed in 1996 with a 55% majority. It was only a dream to many that we would legally be able to walk into a dispensary and purchase marijuana. So considering there are still over 100 dispensaries left in operation within city limits should still be considered a victory. I know it doesn’t feel that way. Let’s only hope that this new mandate which will keep dispensaries out of residential neighborhoods works only to legitimize the cause further.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.

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I just heard the news about Dennis Hopper ’bout a couple hours ago and we’ve lost a great artist.  I can’t say that I (we) didn’t see this one coming though. It was only a month or two ago that he was getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He looked so frail and it was evident that the time was near.

Nice to see George, err, I mean Jack out there seeing an old friend off.  To bad they didn’t light one up for old times sake. I’d like to think they did behind the cameras but that was the thing about Easy Rider, written and directed by Hopper. It was all in front of the cameras like a big middle finger to the “man” a.k.a, the  “establishment”!

Dennis Hopper was the embodiment of  “coolness”. Even in his early days of Rebel without a Cause he was banging Natalie Wood off-camera. Now that’s cool!  I wonder if she tasted like peaches too? (True Romance reference if you didn’t get that.) Cultivating his skills in the Actors’ Studio payed off in roles as a photojournalist in Apocalypse Now,  Easy Rider, Hoosiers, and even in the last few years with his hit series “Crash”, a Stars original series, he always came across with that aura of coolness. Heck, I even thought he was cool in Red Rock West and Speed! Plus did you know he directed “Colors” too? He probably came up with the name Pac-Man for Sean Penn!

Well, it just so happens, and probably not by accident either, that Dennis Hopper stars in one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history, in my mind at least, in one of my all-time favorites, True Romance. Starring opposite Christoper Walken playing a Siccilian mafioso, who was also phenomenal in this scene I might add, Dennis Hopper, with the help of  Tony Scott I’m sure,  just nails it with the language and tone as he insults the Sicilian as he realizes he is facing certain death whether or not  he gives up his son. In true Dennis Hopper fashion he verbably and intellectually  sticks a middle finger in the Sicilian’s face, choosing not to give up his blood and savoring his Chesterfield before the inevitable.

His method acting was is a beautiful thing to watch. He had a thing about that middle finger. He was the counter-culture before their was a counter-culture. He was cooler then cool. Let’s hope he finds his “Freedom” now. R.I.P.

		PHOTOJOURNALIST
"Do you know what the man is saying? Do you? This is dialectics.
It's very simple dialectics. One through nine, no maybes, no
supposes, no fractions -- you can't travel in space, you can't go out
into space, you know, without, like, you know, with fractions -- what
are you going to land on, one quarter, three-eighths -- what are you
going to do when you go from here to Venus or something -- that's
dialectic physics, OK? Dialectic logic is there's only love and hate, you
either love somebody or you hate them."

Kurtz throws a book angrily at him :

		PHOTOJOURNALIST
"This is the way the fucking world ends! Look at this fucking shit
we're in, man! Not with a bang, with a whimper. And with a whimper,
I'm fucking splitting, jack!"

Photojournalist leaves :

That line that always ended with this face never got old!  It still makes me laugh 30 some odd years later.  Regardless of his troubled personal life and chronic health issues, he gave us all the gift of laughter.  Such a shame he got fleeced for $18 million. But he took it on the chin and tried to earn a decent living. The younger generations don’t know what they missed!  R.I.P Gary Coleman!

As Lost finally concludes, it is evident how much of a cultural and generational impact this show has had. This is evident in the myriad of articles and postings found throughout the blogosphere all the way to main stream media such as the Wall Street Journal. Many of these posting attempt to give a final explanation to the series. This is not one of those. Many of these attempt to answer lingering questions left open by the writers for interpretation. I won’t attempt to answer any of these burning questions. I am however amazed at the sheer amount of angles that have been covered by some of these articles already but also by the many comments. There seems to be a love/hate relationship with the LOST series and especially with the finale. So many people are confused by what they just witnessed. Some are perplexed. People have vested so much and thus have been so polarized by not being fulfilled by the conclusion. Yet so many others have come to terms with the fates of their favorite characters and are at peace with the ending. I am in this camp. Although I am so lost and confused and have my own questions like so many others, I am fully satisfied with the well fitted ending. I have watched this series from the beginning and although at times fell off the wagon, was able to catch up and keep up with one of the most iconic television shows in television history. Some may laugh at that now but I believe LOST is truly an iconic work of art that will go down as such and will be tied to this generation forever. It speaks volumes to the many talents that brought it to life logistically, not to mention artistically as well. It is obvious looking back to the very first episode at the deliberate nature of what the writers were trying to convey.  And it is even more amazing that they actually pulled it off 6 years later. As with any art, it has its flaws and leaves plenty of room for interpretation.  That’s the beauty of art though. Some people will look at it and may see complete randomness while others will see many complicated layers, colors,  and deliberate brush strokes. People should take it at face value and for what its worth and apply what they can to their own lives. If nothing else it was entertaining and will allow for debate and interpretation for generations to come.

This is the end, beautiful friend, this is the end, my only friend, the end, of our elaborate plans, the end, of everything that stands the end, no safety or surprise, the end, I’ll never look into your eyes… again, can you picture what will be, so limitless and free, desperately in need… of some… strangers hand, in a desperate land… the end.

It’s been the better part of a month and BP has yet to make any sort of headway in plugging the spew of oil into the gulf… It seems to me if these assholes can figure out how to tap 50 million barrells of oil 5000 feet below the sea and 13000 feet beneath the seabed, they should sure as hell be able to plug up a  ~2ft diameter pipe. These guys shouldn’t be testifying in congress, not yet at least. They should be in deep diving scuba gear trying to plug that pipe and dealing with the pressure of being 5000 ft below sea level. That’ll teach ‘em to ignore the safety violations that caused the death of 11 of their riggers. Ok, I realize that is probably unfeasible considering the deepest dive any one has survived is a mere 1083 feet, but this is a disaster on so many levels and we’re all so frustrated and angry and ultimately helpless by all this.  If we can put men on the moon and walk in space surely we can figure this out.

Iconix, a brand management company, has partnered with the family of the original Peanuts characters’ creator, Charles Schultz to acquire, in an 80/20 split,  licensing and rights to the beloved Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang.I thought this was rather telling of something that has been so iconic that it has transcended at least 3 full generations. Born out the baby boomers generation The Peanuts Gang was relevant to my generation and  $175 million speaks volumes on how relevant it is to todays generations. Theres just something about the Peanuts that has always been so cool!

Part of me is disgusted by what I heard come out of the mouths of top executives from Goldman Sachs during today’s senate hearings, but there’s a part of me, something in the back of my mind that is saying ‘sons of  bitches… good for you’.  These guys just basically testified that they knowingly were selling “shitty” deals to their clients, thus shorting the market and profiting 3.7 Billion dollars while the housing market was collapsing and triggering the worst financial disaster since the great depression. As if to say “And what the fuck are you going to do about it, Grandpa?” to the senate, they all held their ground, admitting no wrongdoing, regretting nothing,and feeling no remorse about the havoc caused, all  based on the position that they were the opposite agent in the market and this is what their clients wanted. Yah, I’m disgusted that these guys are balling while the rest of us our fending off this depression, but if your gonna fleece the wool off a sheep that’s gotta be the way to do it!

I caught a short clip about the contraversy surrounding Window Seat on the evening news tonight. My first reaction from what little I did see was  did she really just do that. Hallowed ground, kids around or not it was beautiful. I just had to check it out for myself as I’ve always been a fan of hers and downloaded the album a few days ago but haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet. I actually came across Erykah’s interview with the Dallas News before I caught the full video at her official website. Her explanation is actually fascinating.

“Liberating yourself from layers and layers of skin or demons that are a hindrance to your growth or freedom, or evolution.”

I can relate to that. I have layers and demons that need to be shed. I’m not going to shed my clothes in front of the grassy knowl but I can respect the artistic freedom of expression in this and its inspiring to my own self expression.

The guerilla video is absolutely amazing.  In the article with the Dallas News she talks about being petrified and frightened as she began shedding her clothes and the insecurities and vulnerabilities about her body. You could actually see it in her eyes and face as she gets closer and closer to being completely naked.  I love how politically charging Erykah has always been and this is why the place is important and the panorama shot at the very end showing the 360 degree view of the grassy knoll, the Texas School Book Repository, and the American flags waving in the background.

I love this whether or not she just dropped an album and is doing it for the publicity. Of course shes doing it for the publicity. That’s the business. But she has always been true to the artist within her and conciouse of the politics and social environment . This is no exception. And I love what she says in response to whether she considered the children. She was honest. “I didn’t think about them until I saw them, and in my mind I tried to telepathically communicate my good intent to them.”

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Growing up in inner city LA in the mid 80′s was no picnic. I was intitiated into my first gang by the time I was in the third grade. It was a two step process as I was peer-pressured into first hitting my childhood friend on the school playground before I was jumped in by 6 or 7 older kids as they kicked the shit out of me on the corner just outside the gates of my elementary school on the grass between the sidewalk and one of the busiest streets in LA as traffic wizzed by and no one stopped. If it were not for the recognition and intervention of teachers and good choices by my folks who knows where I’d be today.

When Stand and Deliver came out in the 80′s it was something I could relate to. I remember watching this and seeing a movie that was about people I knew, not literally, but I knew these people. This movie was about us, our time, our culture, the way we spoke, the way we thought about ourselves, our environment, and our circumstance. It was about people I innocently idolized and looked up to. It was about people I let down (Sorry ‘cisco). It was about choices and making good ones. It was about believing in yourself and beating the odds. It was a positive influence for people who were surrounded by so much negativity.

I’ve never met Jaime Escalante but I knew people like him that changed my life. His movie  influenced me and people around me at a young age. It was a light for my people and we are all indebted to the man. Today we bid farewell to someone who guided us out of the dark and someone who taught us to believe in ourselves. May he rest in peace and his family be comforted by the fact that he touched the lives of so many.