Robbie Conal's Cabinet Of Horrors

The country is in bad shape, with the worst administration ever, and Robbie Conal isn't having it. And neither should we. There are new political posters up near the French Market from Mr. Conal, featuring the distorted, sad faces of the people in the Cabinet who are currently ruining our country.

Robbie Conal's Cabinet of Horrors is his new show launching on October 13, 2018 at Track 16 in downtown L.A., where it will be on view until December 8, 2018, with a special artist talk between Conal and my friend, Shana Nys Dambrot on October 25th.

Someone wrote over one of the posters on Abbot Kinney, saying something like "Why make art ugly? It's demoralizing to us." I ask, how can you NOT make these people ugly? Their rotten souls come through and can only be depicted as one views them. Thank goodness for artists who use their work and voices to mark these times in history ... lest we forget.

The timing for these Conal works is great ... please remember these faces when you go to vote next month in the midterm elections. And VOTE THEM ALL OUT.

Thanks.

Fahrenheit 11/9 - A Must See For ALL Americans

Holy smokes. I just saw Fahrenheit 11/9 last night, and I can't get it out of my head. And neither will you. Because you simply MUST see it. There's so much in it that hasn't been in the news, that you don't know about ... I honestly am still having a hard time shutting my jaw.

You might have a bias against Michael Moore, because you think he's slanted or bombastic or whatever, and he certainly can be (like when Trump's voice comes out of Hitler's mouth- but the point is made). But this one is equally critical about both sides of our government - and it SHOULD be. One talking head makes the point that we're still TRYING to be a Democracy, as how can you say we've been a Democracy when not everyone has even had the right to vote for very long. We're still working TOWARD a Democracy. And Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans sometimes.

I left this film with a whole different feeling toward Obama too. Did you know that he went to Flint, Michigan (Moore's hometown - it's personal), and they all thought he was coming to save the day and call their poisoned water a national disaster (with the funding that goes along with that), and he came to town and asked for a glass of water to drink to show that it was o.k (when it is literally killing people and making their babies' hair fall out from lead poisoning!)?! While sitting next to the absolute EVIL villain Michigan Governor Snyder?! Did you further know that after all they've suffered through, Flint citizens awoke one night to being BOMBED by our own U.S. Army - using their abandoned buildings as target practice - without telling anyone it was going to happen?!?! It looked like an Iraq style bombing. OUTRGEOUS. And the people of Flint are imprisoned there, because who's going to buy their homes so they can move? No one. It's enough to make you defect. But to WHERE? The whole world feels corrupt.

There are images and statements from the current Despot/President that make your skin actually crawl, and look for barf bags. Then, just as you're fully nauseous from that pig's face, you have to admit that it was the Democrats that put him in the White House. Some of us already knew that, because we tried with all we had to elect Bernie Sanders - who a thousand percent would have won. To watch the delegates (while people who previously thought their votes counted watched and sobbed) LIE and give Hillary Clinton the nomination from states that Sanders 100% won, was to watch corruption at the highest level - and the death of Democracy (that we barely even had yet). No wonder so many people didn't bother to vote - they were made to feel like their votes didn't matter anyway. I personally lost good friends over being for Sanders over Hillary (absurd), but now I feel like maybe I should have been the one to dump them over it. The Democrats blatantly CHEATED - and now we're all paying for it. On that note - we simply MUST abolish the Electoral College. It's outdated, and was created for slave states. The popular vote being allowed its victory would never have placed us in this situation ... going back at least to Gore.

People (including myself) were yelling at the screen. Laughing out loud. Crying out loud. Hissing. Booing. Clapping. Mortified. Inspired. Inspired because the PEOPLE really DO have the power, as demonstrated by the West Virginia Teachers' strike earlier this year, that had tears running down my face at how dedicated and in solidarity they all were. THAT is what it takes. And the marches. And the activists. And the young people getting involved. And the individuals that take a stand against all of this ... what a wonderful montage that one is. I wish Moore would have ended on that (it ends on a sad, but powerful note), so that we could keep the momentum of the PEOPLE in our hearts as we left the theater ... but you still can. I can't beg you hard enough to PLEASE SEE THIS MOVIE. And then PLEASE take whatever action you can personally, because that is what it is going to take. VOTE - that's the very least you can do. DEMAND the end to the Electoral College. SUPPORT new candidates that REALLY want to improve this country - and it's obvious who they are. Only then will we be able to rightfully claim that this big experimental country really IS a Democracy. Because it sure ain't right now. It's in our hands, and history will not be a kind judge if everyone just keeps looking at their phones and thinking they can't make a difference anyway. YOU. CAN.

PLEASE go see this outrageous (in the truest sense) film as soon as you can. Even if just so I can talk to you about it.

Fahrenheit 11/9 opens everywhere tomorrow.

Ban The B.I.D. In Venice!

Seriously. Please stop what you're doing now and sign this petition. They're trying to put a "Business Improvement District" into Venice, which means more restrictions, more big money, and perhaps the final nail in the coffin for any vestige of our Bohemian style in Venice to remain. And we're not having it.

It just takes a second to sign, and then you can feel like you helped to do SOMETHING to fight this madness that is taking over our beloved Community. I hear an awful lot of complaining about it, so now here's your chance to take a little bit of power back. Please. Thank you. 

WE LOVE YOU, VENICE! 

Peace Robot

The world seems to be in so much turmoil right now, you almost can't bear it. But good must prevail. And always does. I was thinking about it all this morning when I walked by this sculpture on Abbot Kinney that made me smile, and concentrate on PEACE. I dubbed him the Peace Robot.

I posted the following on my Facebook page this morning after this walk, and it's exactly how I feel.

OK ... so if you read my Blogtown story yesterday you know I started the day super stoked and extra grateful. I wound up the day angry and in tears, and being kind of mean to people. Because of guns.

The main argument for guns I hear is "I need to protect my family from intruders". I don't think any of the people making that claim has ever had an intruder. I have. I had a stalker for years. YEARS. I woke up one morning with a man standing at the end of my bed...He would stake out and smoke cigarettes outside my window and we'd find piles of butts outside in the morning. We never found out for sure who it was, and I moved away. Yet, wiht all that, I have NEVER given in to fear, even though I'd have a great excuse. I have more of a leg to stand on than most when it comes to being concerned about intruders, and I'd NEVER own a gun. In fact, a guy I was seeing during all of that told me I needed a gun, and I instantly thought less of him. Guns are not - and never will be - the answer. I don't think someone deserves to die because they have mental problems and a thing for me. They just need help. As do all these nutjobs (almost always freaky white men). They need HELP, not guns, because then everyone loses.

Everyone knows how I feel about it, so I've had way more than enough of all the nasty comments, fighting, ignorance, and negativity. I'm going to do my very best during these holiday times (that are supposed to be about love and peace and joy and community) to only talk about those things. You can come here for a Pollyanna page, because that's who I want to be. I don't want to end another day feeling like I did last night about our whole world. I want to believe in good. I want to BE good. I'd like to think everyone does, even if deep down. Because then everyone wins.

One Love.

Good WILL prevail.