Well, dear readers, we have survived a rather major blackout and we are here to tell the tale. Yes, Virginia, yesterday the city of Los Angeles lost power to two million people. I was coming home from the city of Glendale, where I’d purchased four count them four paperback books, all published in 1959. As I approached Laurel Canyon, which is my off-ramp, the traffic was backed up almost a half-mile. Curious, I thought, especially at 12:30. It took almost ten minutes to get to the bottom of the off-ramp, where I discovered the problem – the signal was out. I turned right and immediately saw the traffic was backed up on Laurel Canyon in both directions. When I got a little closer to the intersection, I saw that that signal was out as well. Curious, I thought. The other curious thing I noticed was someone standing in front of Gelson’s, shooting video footage of the traffic. I thought about calling 911 to ask them why they didn’t have cops working these two signals that were out. I finally managed to get through the intersection and I pulled into the parking lot where my mail place is located. As I walked towards the building, I saw two people sitting in their truck, door open, listening to the radio. Even from the tiny snippet I heard, I knew something had gone wrong with the power. The mail place was dark, and the guy there told me that all he knew was that the outage wasn’t confined to North Hollywood. I got into my car and turned on the radio. The newsperson was saying that the DWP wasn’t saying what the cause of the outage was, other than that it was definitely not related to an act of terror. That didn’t stop the newsperson from saying, “Well, that’s what they’re saying, but it might be.” According to the newscaster, the outage was affecting Glendale, Burbank, Studio City, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, downtown LA, West Los Angeles, and they also said that two terminals at LAX had been affected. The latter, of course, made no sense whatsoever, and an hour later they said that the airport had not, in fact, been affected. But why should that stop the newscaster from reporting some rumor he’d heard somewhere? I cut over to a less crowded street and managed to get home about ten minutes later. The power in the home environment was indeed out. I got my portable radio/flashlight and turned it on. Some parts of the mid-Wilshire district were getting power back, but they still weren’t saying what had caused it, other than that a power line may have been erroneously cut. I sat outside for about forty-five minutes, listening to the news reports trying to make it sound as if this were a disaster on a par with Katrina. Soon thereafter, I noticed the pump working in the pool, so I went in and the power was all working again. I reset a couple of clocks, powered the computer back up and all was well. An hour later they finally revealed the problem, which they’d known since the minute it happened – some worker (read boob) had inadvertently cut the wrong power line. I would like someone to explain to me exactly what he was doing cutting power lines, and how such a mistake could happen. I would like someone to explain to me how the DWP has no backup system for such an emergency. I would like someone to explain to me why a cut line in Burbank would shut down power to two million people. Of course, no one will be explaining anything, which is life per usual for the DWP and the country at large.
As soon as I got the computer up and running, I finished the short story I’ve been working on for the past two weeks. But, because the streets were still jammed, I couldn’t go to the post office to ship out the packages that needed shipping, so I’ll be doing that today. I did manage to get to the bank to do some banking. After that, I headed over to my friend John Scott’s home environment, where he served us a lovely repast. The conversation was lively and sparkling – he asking me about my books, and also my composing, and me asking him all about his film scores and his life as a sax player (we’ve discussed these things before, but never alone and never in detail). John has played sax on some pretty amazing albums and film scores – he played sax solos on all the early Bond films, including Goldfinger. He played solo sax on the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album, and he did most of the arrangements and orchestrations for The Hollies. He also played sax for some amazing Henry Mancini film scores, including Two For The Road, Arabesque, and Charade. Most interesting of all was that he played sax for Dave Brubeck when Dave played England (he filled in for Paul Desmond) and, in fact, he appears with Brubeck in the film All Night Long (he has a great photo of he and Brubeck on the set). It was a lovelier than lovely evening and I didn’t get home until quite late.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, and let’s be careful to click on the correct Unseemly Button lest we have a power outage that affects two million haineshisway.com dear readers.
In case I haven’t mentioned it, people behave like idiots when the power goes out. Although, on my way home yesterday, one rather amazing fellow had gotten out of his car and was directing traffic at an intersection. He did a great job and it was really helpful, so it just goes to show you that not everyone is a nincompoop.
Well, I believe we’ve had some Unseemly Trivia Contest winners. Here was the question:
In this interesting theatrical season, there were many unsuccessful shows, both musicals and plays. One such flop play was by a playwright with a somewhat odd name, said play being the playwright’s only Broadway credit. This play was directed by someone who would, just a few years later, direct a classic motion picture which was a multiple Academy Award-winning film, although, despite a nomination, the director did not win the Oscar. The play was produced by someone who would also go on to make a couple of classic films, first as producer, and then as a director. In the cast was an actor who’d made a name for himself a few years earlier for his performance in a classic film in which he uttered an immortal closing line. Also in the cast was someone who would go on to star in a long-running beloved TV series. Also in the cast was an actor who would go on to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. Also in the cast was a beloved character actor who co-starred in many wonderful motion pictures. Also in the cast was an actress who had been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar some years before for playing a very memorable character in a very famous motion picture. Also in the cast was a very quirky actor who would go on to co-star in some very interesting motion pictures. This quirky actor would also go on to appear in a classic Broadway musical just a short time later – he would marry one of the musicals chorus girls – she later went on to co-star in a legendary Broadway musical and then a hit TV series. Finally, one of the production team would go on to have a major impact on New York theatre. With me so far? So:
Name the flop play and its oddly named one-time-only-on-Broadway writer.
Name the play’s director who would make a classic motion picture.
Name the play’s producer who would both produce and then direct a few classic motion pictures.
Name the actor who’d made a name for himself several years earlier in a classic film in which he uttered the film’s immortal closing lines.
Name the actor who would go on to star in a long-running beloved TV series and name the series.
Name the actor who would go on to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Name the beloved character actor who appeared in many wonderful films.
Name the actress who’d been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in a classic film playing a very memorable character.
Name the quirky actor, name the Broadway musical he’d appear in shortly after this play, name the chorus girl he married from that cast, and name the legendary musical and TV series she co-starred in.
Name the member of the production team who would go on to have a major impact on New York theatre.
And the answers are:
Comes a Day by Speed Lamkin
Robert Mulligan (director of the classic To Kill A Mockingbird, as well as Inside Daisy Clover and Up The Down Staircase)
Alan Pakula (producer of To Kill A Mockingbird, and director of All The President’s Men and The Parallax View)
Brandon de Wilde (“Come back, Shane”)
Larry Hagman, Dallas (also accepted – Irene Ryan, The Beverly Hillbillies)
George C. Scott
Arthur O’Connell
Judith Anderson (Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca)
Michael J. Pollard, Bye Bye Birdie, Beth Howland, Company and Alice
Joseph Papp (stage manager)
And our winners were: Dan-the-Man, FJL, Macchus999, and JMK. And our Electronic Hat has chosen our High Winner completely at random – Macchus999 (aka Mark Rothman), so if he will send us his handy-dandy address, we will send him a sparkling prize.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must for example, read my short story and make fixes and additions, I must ship packages, I must pick up packages, I must do a little thisa and a little thata, with an emphasis on the latter, and I must eat various and sundried foodstuffs. Today’s topic of discussion: We love contests and prizes and such, so – what are the best prizes you’ve ever won and what did you win them for, and what are the most interesting contests you’ve won? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let’s hope we have no more wire blackouts ever.