And The Oscar for Best Picture Goes To...

GREEN BOOK!

Today, entertainment journalists and couch critics have flooded the internet with all the reasons in the world why the film should NOT have won its Oscar for Best Picture.

I can't stand when people do that! I mean, damn, whether or not a film is good or bad is purely SUBJECTIVE! People complain as if their "learned" opinions represent FACT.

They DON'T!

They represent an OPINION.

Period!

I don't have a dog in this fight, but for me, the most interesting thing about Green Book is that the director, producers and Mahershala Ali (who walked away with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) decided to portray Dr. Donald Shirley more like Roscoe Lee Browne than the person he was much more like...

LITTLE RICHARD!

Well, I reckon they had their reasons.

I'll have to catch the film soon.

THIS is the REAL Dr. Donald Shirley:

By George, I Think I've Got It

I just stumbled across a Facebook posting that truly moved me. It was one man's first-person account.

His name is Ryan O'Connor.

He doesn't give the names of the two gentleman about whom he spoke.

But I know who they are.

Correction: I know who the one was. And who the other is.

Ryan's words:

"I was once employed as a personal assistant to a well known actor. He was black and he was gay. He wasn’t “out”, which was sort of bizarre because he was best known for playing an extremely flamboyant queer character on television. 

This man also suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction. 

He was in a lot of pain. 

Physically. 
Spiritually. 

My job was essentially to keep him alive between film shoots and rehab stints. This was before I got sober myself and it was probably one of the darkest periods of my life, especially in hindsight. 

I couldn’t fathom how someone who had so much, and represented so much to both black and queer culture, could be so ashamed of himself and actively abuse himself and his loved ones. 

His talent was immense and his heart, when not diluted with Grey Goose, was so warm. He would ramble a lot. I often felt it was his favorite part about drinking. The blacked out rambling. I would pick him up off the floor and take him to the bedroom, or drag him from the couch to the car service waiting outside. Whenever he was “conscious” he would ramble. Almost always his ramblings would have two themes. His family telling him he was too much and show business, black show business specifically, telling him he was not enough. 

He carried a deep responsibility to his family and his community. But, every day I saw him crumble beneath that responsibility and hate himself for being a failure. He would sometimes beam with pride when he talked to me because I enjoyed his stories about theatre school and actors he got to work with that we both admired. He was so funny and so smart. His shame was so deep. He couldn’t get out from underneath it. As the day turned in to night, day after day, the shame just caved in on him until he suffocated. 

When I was told he was dead, I wasn’t surprised. He had called me a week before and I didn’t answer. I was newly sober and listening to him drunkenly ramble no longer moved me. He died in a hospital from liver and heart failure. 

Physical. 
Spiritual. 

The past few days I’ve been thinking about him as this other queer, black actor, with the same peers, is in the spotlight. Too much. Not enough. Too much. Not enough. 

I loathe his actions. 
I will never fathom his motivations. 
I am sorry for his loneliness."

Physical and spiritual balance are key to a life well-lived.

By George, I think I've got it.

The Only Person You Can Truly Trust Is...

After actor/singer Jussie Smollett turned himself into authorities this morning, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson conducted a press conference, detailing Jussie's involvement in what clearly looks like a hoax. Back in January, he claimed he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him!

Since that "attack," police have discovered that he was lying through his straight, white teeth!

He hired two, musclebound brothers to "rough him up." But the police say the guys were gentle with him. He likely self-inflicted the scratches on his face.

Police even have a copy of the $3,500.00 check he paid the brothers.

A check???? What person under 60 still writes checks?

Apparently, Jussie! Geez, Louise!

Oh! Jussie was probably also responsible for sending the threatening letter on his life that arrived at the Empire studios. I tell ya, the dude was on a mission!

Read about all the great detective work HERE.

And the press conference appears below!

Even with all the irrefutable evidence, that damn Jussie Smollett is STILL crying that he's innocent!!!!!!

What a piece of WORK!

I'm Going All The Way

ANN NESBY

The summer of 1994 was all right by me. I was a young and tender 30 years blessed. I was living alone in a sorta ritzy, high-rise condo building in Jersey City.

Doorman. Check!

Pool. Check!

And a White Castle directly across the street! Check!

I was working as a women's clothing Sales Specialist at MACY*S Herald Square.

Just livin' my happy life!

My gig at MACY*S had me workin' every other weekend. So, on my weekends off, I made sure to hit up my favorite dance spot, SOUND FACTORY! The joint was HOT! It didn't open until 1AM, but I liked arriving at 2AM or so. Yes, I took a disco nap before leaving my house, 'cause I knew I'd probably be at the club until 9AM!

Yep! It was like a full-time job!!!!!

There was no alcohol sold, so customers drank water and juice, and ate whatever snacks management provided. From what I've heard over the years, folks were doing all kinds of drugs in the place, but I never saw anybody taking them. Not one person.

The two DJs everybody loved most were Junior Vasquez and Frankie Knuckles (RIP). I liked 'em both, but Frankie Knuckles was my fave! His remix of The Pressure by Sounds Of Blackness was the BOMB! We'd dance like crazy people when that song came on.

My first introduction to Sounds Of Blackness was their song Optimistic. The song was played nonstop on urban radio. Although a few women had featured vocals on the track, it was Ann Nesby who provided the gospel flavor. And her voice is the one I fell in love with when I bought the group's album, Africa to America; the journey of the Drum.

Although I liked all the album's tracks, my favorite was I'm Going All The Way.

The song lifted me when I felt down.

It made me feel GOOOOOOD about being ALIVE!

It fortified my HOPE!

I listened to that song every, dang day!

And today...

VALENTINE'S DAY...

I'm STILL listening to the song.

And LOVIN' it!

"Whatever it takes to make it, 

I’m going all the way. (Yeah) 

I may be down sometimes, (Sometimes) 

But I won’t be down always. 

(Not every day, Some days, oh, but not always) 

Whatever it takes to make it, (Whatever it takes...) 

I’m going all the way. 

(All the way, Wherever all the way is, that’s where I’m going) 

I may be down sometimes (down down sometimes…) 

I won’t be down always (I won’t be down always, no way, no way)."

I'm Your Guardian Angel

I truly believe I'm a Guardian Angel.

I truly do.

More times than I can count, I have approached or been approached by someone I've never met and wound up talking to them candidly about life.

Their lives.

And every time I do it, that person leaves me feeling better about his/her life than he/she did before we met.

Tonight was one of those times.

While waiting for the train, I struck up a conversation with a young man sitting next to me on the platform.

Our conversation started off about careless people who litter. From there, it segued to his job as a server at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

He told me that all the servers were called into a meeting recently, and told that the restaurant would be closed for six months to undergo renovation.

He was told that management would try to find work inside the hotel for him during the six months, but couldn't promise anything.

The moment he told me about the six-month renovation, I told him that The Universe is trying to tell him something.

To move on with his life.

I told him that That Universe knows he has been dragging his feet about pursuing what truly interests him, so it decided to end the obstacle that's keeping him from being all he can be.

The young man jumped to his feet and said, "Man, one of my friends just told me something similar."

I said: "See, The Universe has no mouth of its own, so it sends people like me and your friend to do its talking instead."

I rose to my feet and gave him the biggest bear hug.

Then the train arrived.

We boarded it and sat next to each other.

He opened up more.

It turns out he's 38 years blessed, but looks younger.

And he's a recovering drug addict.

He fled Vegas almost two years ago to lift himself out of the drug-induced haze he was living under.

He had just a little more than a hundred dollars when he fled.

Now, he's here.

And he's strong.

And he's clean.

But he's not living the life he deeply desires. Hell, I know that feeling.

Beginning July, he'll be unable to go back to that hotel to toil away at what doesn't interest him.

He now knows The Universe has given him plenty of time to make his move before July.

And it sent ME tonight to remind him.

He longs to be an actor.

Surprise, surprise.

If he puts his nose to the grindstone and steps out of his comfort zone, the sky's the limit.

Hell, The Universe has a plan for him, just like it has for all of us.

So, again, I say, he longs to be an actor.

Well, his name just happens to be BRANDO.

The Universe sure gives us signs to where it wants us to go, doesn't it?

And I, CAM Jr, the Guardian Angel, will do what I can to help folks get there.

I reckon, though, it would serve me best to begin with ME! :)

Home Street Home

Sepulveda Dam Basin

I've lived in the North Hollywood area since 2001.

When I first arrived, I thought the place was a glorious departure from overpopulated Koreatown, where I oftentimes had to park three or four blocks away from my apartment because of too many cars and too few spaces. Moving to NoHo made me feel like I was back in Indiana, where there is space to park at grocery stores, department stores, etc.

I live really close to North Hollywood Park. I recall people parking their old RVs, vans and cars next to the park at night. Those vehicles were their homes. Other vehicle dwellers parked along an entire stretch of Vineland Ave. It really was quite interesting to walk past these vehicles at night and see people sleeping, reading, eating, talking, etc.

Well, a few years ago, the city passed a law that prohibits vehicle dwellers from parking overnight near parks, schools and on residential streets. They're now relegated to industrial areas.

And I see they've also set up residence on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Much to Malibu residents' dismay.

In 2017 and 2018, I began to notice tents popping up under freeway overpasses and inside wooded areas in public parks. And on sidewalks next to businesses. Honestly, it seemed like homeless people just popped outta nowhere. In NoHo Park, they used to live in tents just outside a fence that was erected between the park and the freeway. The city has recently shooed them away from there.

Los Angeles Bus Stop

I notice them sleeping on bus stops all over Los Angeles County.

Hollywood Subway Platform

And in subway cars and on platforms.

Truth be told, in 2018, I saw more homeless people in North Hollywood than ever before. I've chatted with a couple of the younger folks. One young fella  I spoke to wasn't living on the street per se. He was squatting in a vacant apartment bldg that has since been demolished. He was cohabitating with his girlfriend. I haven't seen either since the place was demolished, but I wish 'em well. He and she did drugs. He confessed that much. I suspect that was/is a major reason they're homeless.

I don't know what we citizens should do about the homelessness in L.A. County. But we've gotta do something. Homeowners don't want them in their neighborhoods. Businesses don't want them inside, nor standing/sleeping/living directly outside their businesses.

Something has to give.

I give gratitude to God, The Universe, my Landlords and myself for the roof over my head.

It ain't a mansion.

It ain't a ritzy condo.

But it's warm in the winter, cool in the summer, dry during pouring rain and hella comfortable!

I pray for everyone and everything.

Amen.

Mammy Gucci

My mother used to always say, "I can show you better than I can tell you." Yep, people express what they think of you through their ACTIONS; not ncecessarily their WORDS.

Gucci is SHOWING people who look like me PRECISELY what they think of us.

They don't have to say a WORD.

Because of social media backlash, the designer has pulled the sweater from shelves and "apologized" for offending anyone.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

Well, for my two cents, they can take this $890.00 Al Jolson-inspired travesty and ram it up their Italian culo!!!!!!!

#ISaidWhatISaid

#Canceled

Goodness Gracious

Tax season is upon us, and this time around, I have a MILLION W-2 forms!

Okay, I have TEN! I'm awaiting one more from my work with Disney.

Luckily for me, I keep all the paper forms together. And am hella thankful for the two companies that allow me to access my information online. Save a tree!

Truth be told, since multiple streams of income are the way to go, I wouldn't mind if I had 30 W-2 forms to submit to the IRS. As long as my total income was AT LEAST in the HIGH six-figures. Haaaa! Maybe next year! :)

I'll grab a bottle of wine (mixed with orange juice) and complete my dang taxes.

I no longer deal with mailing tax forms back to the IRS. I do everything online. The service I use is FreeTaxUSA. The service completes my federal and state forms. I input the info, and it does the rest. My refunds are direct deposited into my savings account.

Simple as that!

This year, I know I have to pay the IRS, so I'll see how that works with the service.

I'll tell ya this much, I'm always relieved when I've received a refund, or paid an IRS bill and all is well again in the world.

Whew! That's always such a relief! :)

People Are Hurting

Today, a young fella I know reached out to me and told me that he's now going to AA meetings. He's an actor and comedian, so, like so many other aspiring performers, he's happy when he's working and unhappy when he isn't. Unfortunately, 99% of entertainers in this town are not working more often than they are; so, unhappy performers are everywhere!

In the past, I have accompanied three, different guys to AA meetings and an NA meeting. Two of them had/have issues with alcohol, and one of them---only 30 years old---fights with an addiction to pain meds.

I've asked each of these guys how they define success for themselves. By their work? Their lovers? Material possessions? None of them has ever directly answered the question. Or, they've given me what I deem are half-truths. I told the fella today that he can't overcome his alcohol dependence until he identifies WHY he's drinking. He's gotta get to the root of the problem.

People are hurting in this world.

In this country.

In this state.

Everywhere.

As I type, I can hear an incredibly heated argument coming from an apartment in this apartment complex. Since I've known the guy in that apartment, he's probably had four or five women he declared as his girlfriend. I've heard him have heated arguments with all of 'em. Interestingly, one of the comments I've heard him say to each and every one of those women is: "You treat me like sh*t!" If I were he, I'd have to ask myself, "Why do women always treat me like sh*t?" Even more importantly, why does he continuously allow them to treat him that way?

What I know for sure is that life is difficult.

And people are difficult.

I hope and pray that people find peace with themselves first, then with those they allow into their inner circle.

I intend to always lend a helping hand and/or ear to those I care about, but...

Securing MY peace comes FIRST.

I cannot be a blessing to others UNLESS (not until, but UNLESS) I'm a blessing to myself first.

I pray for everyone and everything.

Amen.