10 Rants
I have all the time and no time in the world. Maybe you feel this way, too. So let's get to it, ok?
MY TEN RANTS ( in no particular order)
Why do we have to deal with SO much plastic? I do not need that plastic screw-top on my milk carton. I cringe at how much plastic packaging I throw away, every time I use my Trader Joe's products. I do not want to use single-use plastics. I don't need a lid for my Starbucks coffee that I will throw away ten minutes after the purchase. God! Save me from my consumer self.
Would people please stop dumping their shite on our street? NO, I am not blaming the homeless population. Apartment dwellers dump everything from styrofoam packaging to old strollers to messed up futons. Please call 311? Who needs to walk past rubbish, garbage, crap, especially as flowers bloom and trees breathe and the natural world is saying "There is hope in this world."
On the subject of the recent Supreme Court hearings, regardless your politics: do we have to entertain people who yell and interrupt and behave rudely? Didn't our parents caution us all against this kind of behavior?
I am still ranting about the Academy's decision to remove 8 categories from the Academy Awards Ceremony we call "THE OSCARS." Editors and Composers deserve a moment to bask in. And so do the little guys: I mean, The Shorts. You are not saving any time, shaving off these opportunities to show the world that it takes a village to make a motion picture. The MISMANAGEMNT of THE ACADEMY should not compromise those who deserve a glossy big gushy gorgeous moment. Raise the amount you charge for advertising. Let the studios buy the ads and use them to show new movie trailers , premier trailers. Be like THE SUPER BOWL. Tell those who accept awards to make speeches that are not laundry lists of people to thank that none of us know. You can put those names on a streaming caption, right?
Regarding music: If you are going to keep hitting us with these competition reality singing shows, and now songwriting shows: open it up. ALL AGES please. Music is not a youth industry. It is for everyone. Being young might make you hotter and sexier and wetter, but it does not mean you are a more exciting musician.
LA: while you look for a new MAYOR. Think about your history. Why does no one address the fact that we are ripping down the past only to build monoliths that are boring, bland, and owned by people who have no spiritual investment in our CITY. Do we really want to live like ANYWHERE PLASTIC FRANCHISE MALL DESTINATION? Why don't the mayoral candidates address the developers and their lack of history and understanding regarding the identity of this city? Caruso baits us with fear. Bass tries to hug it out. De Leon harps on about Caruso's wealth. None of you have sold me.
The HOMELESS problem. It's about people. PEOPLE. LA, you are not using the resources you have. You could be giving us, through our neighborhood council,s so much more information. We know nothing. We have tents on our street. I do not hate or despise these people. I feel for them. I was homeless for two weeks, then a couch sitter for a year. I get it. But we need to connect: people to people. This is NOT being done. No government person has ever written to me to ask how I feel, what my ideas are. Where is the education? Where are the forums? Why don't we tackle this problem together? Why do we shove people into horrible room-key housing? Why don't we use a Habitat for Humanity model and bring people together to work on housing solutions? Why do we depend on developers who are making everything in our city unaffordable?
Music is becoming about branding a few individuals and then letting these individuals take all the gold. I am all for BEYONCE. I do like BILLIE EILISH. I like them both a lot. But can't we share the cake? We have always had these big stars, icons. from Madonna to Cher. But in this digital age, can't we be more generous as we have many musicians deserving of our attention? I dread The Grammies for this very reason. We center on the few, in the ceremony, when we have so many greats who are invisible.
I read recently that we lost another mountain lion. I am heartbroken over this. When are we going to start really loving our wildlife and our green life and protecting it? Protecting green spaces and doing more to educate people about the wild? Why do we as human beings have to invade the wild? If it were up to me, I would say NO MORE CRUISES. NO MORE SAFARIS. Back off, humanity. Give the animals space and stop turning every endangered species into a lovable cartoon.
And finally. YES, finally. I rant about my own stupid ego. I hate my shyness. I hate my inability to just go out and interact with people. I hope I get over my Covid self, and get some courage to listen, to know, to get out, and to grow.
DONE. FOR NOW.