A Night For Trayvon Martin: Activists Stand Their Ground In Hollywood

I had no idea there was going to be a March for Trayvon Martin or that I was going to join it. Twitter can be thanked for that. I had already had a full day of work but after seeing some tweets about Justice For Trayvon Martin, I decided to go. It is easy to be cynical and to wonder if peaceful marches make a difference. I've been to numerous ones in the past and started to question if it was worth being brutalized by the police or marginalized by the so called news media. A pain in my heart made me join one more protest. Activism is like working out when you don't want to and you have a million excuses not to but you must do it anyway. I don't have a son or daughter and I don't know if I will ever have children. I do know that if Trayvon was my child I would be heartbroken, bitter and maybe inconsolable. What could possibly help ease the pain? Knowing that others stood their ground for my son. That people around the world who didn't know me or my son, chanted his name and made sure he wasn't forgotten. My heart would heal a little bit more knowing fellow compassionate beings took over the streets for my child. We must agitate against complacency. We must work our activism muscles and not get atrophied in sadness and inaction.

David Beckham Becomes Immortal

The Face of England, DAVID BECKHAM beloved by many football/soccer fans the world over, is now immortal. A statue of well endowed Beckham is out for your viewing pleasure outside the Dolby Theatre. The bulge is at head level for most adults when they stand next to the statue. Another clever marketing campaign. Here is a clip when I asked the Silver Surfer aka David Beckham about his upcoming underwear line a while back...
 

Dolby Theatre Takes Over The Kodak

The Kodak is now the Dolby Theatre. The official unveiling happen earlier this week. So so long Kodak who filed for bankruptcy. Hello Dolby.

Confessions of A Superhero Star Christopher Dennis Gets Falsely Accused of A Crime

Hollywood Superman aka Christopher Dennis gets accused of stepping over the line by a security guard for H&H.

Sundy Bloody Sunday on The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Sunday was a sad day on Hollywood Blvd. Started it off with my butt getting slapped by a stranger. I would have happily punched him but he was in a wheel chair and with my luck someone would have seen me respond without seeing the initial attack and I would have looked like a bad person that beat up a disabled man. That was my first dealing with crazy. A short time after the BID patrol (I like to call them the Haliburton of Hollywood) were called because another mentally ill man who has had numerous run ins with law enforcement, was going to the bathroom in public at Hollywood & Highland (the mall). So about 8 bid patrol officers came as well as the fire department because at one time during the initial altercation the person was unresponsive. The BID patrol released the man and then he came back several times and they tried to escort him off the property. Finally after the 3rd or 4th time they handcuffed him and took him away. I watched the story unfold. Earlier in the day he asked my friend for money and my friend gave it to him. I got into a deep conversation with another photographer about Hollywood Blvd because he was photographing the mentally ill man with the Bozo type haircut being surrounded like hunted game by the BID. I reminded him that homeless and mentally ill people have little resources and little empathy in a world that believes everyone should pull themselves up from their own boot straps. It is the same world where during the Reagan administration cut mental health facilities and closed the doors on people getting help. I don't understand this world with the endless deep pockets for the military industrial complex fraudulent reasons to go into wars that deplete healthcare, education, libraries and so many of our civil liberties and rights. We can't cut military spending but we can cut human services to the bone? What kind of nation are we becoming? Are we becoming the STOICS? Only concerned with the false power of the Empire and disregarding and eliminating all those that need help? After a lengthy conversation while I pointed out the beautifully designed Freemason Building that houses the Jimmy Kimmel Show as well as the detailed faces of what appears to be busts of the Night Templar's or Famous Freemasons next door above the El Capitan owned by Disney, the photographer and I shook hands and he was on his way. A short time later I was talking to someone else when I heard a horrible crash. I turned to see a man bleeding stumbling in the street and another man with a bicycle bleeding as well. I ran in the street to help. Both men at first refused my, as well as two other's help. They both kept saying that were running late and they had to get where they were going. One was an actor in a play. His head was squirting blood. I grabbed his arm and begged him to sit on the ground. An off duty nurse talked to him to see if he was lucid while another man and I tried to stop the bleeding. I sat on the pavement trying to talk to both injured parties into stopping and taking care of themselves. It was crazy. The guy with the bike who had a huge gash on his head above an eye was saying repeatedly that he had to go to work. He couldn't be late. He couldn't loose his job. I joked men never listen to me while I held on to the other guy's head to put pressure on the bleeding. By that time someone had gotten napkins. I had blood all over my hands. I didn't have gloves. Oops. I didn't have time to freak out. Someone called 911. And the Fire Department came and took over while we tried to tell them what happened. I rushed to wash my hands and came back to the scene by that time the police arrived and were taking down the accident report. The guy on the bicycle needed stitches but refused to go to the hospital. The Firemen did what they could to close his wound and bandage his head. I saw him get back on his bike and ride furiously to work. The other guy was bandaged up and his friends arrived to take him to the hospital. He didn't want to be taken away in the ambulance to the hospital because he would have to pay for it so he waited and waited and waited for the friend with the car to pick him up at the curb but his friend couldn't because the street was cut off due to the Muppet Movie getting ready for some additional filming. So I told him to sit back down and a little while later a man comes over and starts laughing at the injured, bloodied guy with a huge bandage on his head. His wife comes over too and starts laughing while (the tourist I assume) is snapping pictures. Their little kids come over too to see the damage. I'm watching these so called adults laugh at a guy who just got into a serious accident and his wound is bleeding through the bandage and I ask them, "what are you laughing at?" They say "at the guy". I say incredulously what the hell are you laughing for? He just got hit!" They laugh some more and say "Oh I thought it was a movie!" I said I hope someone laughs at you when you get injured and takes pictures. What the hell is happening? Are people so dumb down with gutter entertainment and violent films that they can't distinguish between real blood and fake? Were they laughing the second time out of embarrassment? Or are they just that stupid, ignorant and careless. They snickered as they walked away. I turned around and the injured guy with his friends decided to walk down Hollywood to the corner of Highland so their other friend could pick them up. Before he left he thanked me and I warned him that he was going to feel pretty bad in a day or two and to take it slow. I watched them make that long walk as his head started to bleed more and his friends tried to help him walk. I thought to myself, what the hell is going on when so many hard working people are afraid to go to the hospital for lack of funds and afraid to loose their jobs after a health scare. Then I remembered that the same thing had happened to me a year before. So many of us are in the same boat. Healthcare is not affordable for us and we would rather do without than have bills we can't pay for. So for all those fools who think cutting our infrastructure is the right thing to do while so many US corporations and uber rich don't pay their fare share of taxes while the middle class dissolves into a pool of serfs, I say FUCK YOU! There are good hard working US Citizens that deserve healthcare and union jobs. It isn't Socialist. It is the right thing to do. All the trillions of our dollars that we Americans accept our government using in our name to fight endless and imaginary wars is a shame and a sham. Sunday Bloody Sunday. Why don't we cut at least 1/4th of Military Spending? And why don't we make sure U.S. Corporations are paying their taxes? Those are two simple suggestions that could help fund healthcare.

TEACHERS Take TINSELTOWN

In a show of collective strength Teachers and their supporters picketed Hollywood during evening rush hour traffic.
With slogans, banners and bull horns, they made their presence loud & clear. Walking in a circle around Highland to Orange on both sides of Hollywood Blvd.
The group received support by on lookers and people driving home. I think they would have been shut down if they attempted the same in Beverly Hills where the Governator hangs out.Facing massive budget cuts, the Teachers made a preemptive strike on the hearts of minds of Hollywood.

Weiland Wasted?

Scott Weiland booking manager should have his/her head examined. While I was listening to the KILLERS, I was told that Weiland formerly of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER was scheduled to play a free concert at Hollywood & Highland. Why oh Why when Scott is scheduled to play Kimmel on Wednesday night. And why would he make fans make a choice between seeing the KILLERS or seeing SCOTT WEILAND. Weiland lost big time. I kept debating on whom to photograph. But I went with the KILLERS. My thought process, Weiland was going to be on the show on Wednesday so I would take the risk. Also knowing Weiland's history, I didn't think he would be on time to the 9pm start. I left after the KILLERS and ran across the street to see if I could get Scott Weiland. The crowd was miminmal and Scott looked wasted. He was talking a lot and his eyes looked full of sadness. He kept turning his back to the audience. I was disappointed with my shots. I'm adding only a few here. I wasn't impressed with his show. He reminded me of a luke warm David Bowie. I prefer the Original. Get it together Scott. Better luck to you on Wednesday. Maybe Monday night was just a rehearsal.