Every year around this time hundreds of low and no margin individuals and families begin to rethink their lives and deaths in the City of Angels. They review the ending year through their heads and realize that they haven't joined the ranks of the homeless through luck, perseverance and daily struggle or maybe they have.  The children and parents alike cry out from hunger. Some of them get out the weights and inside their stucco covered cement block cubicles  they begin the daily routine of lifting them, reshaping their bodies like prisoners behind bars with no ability to control anything except their own desperation. The weights make that distinctive metal clang each time they are raised. Metal on metal. Clang. Clang. Santa's bells sound very different in this part of America.
Next year will be the same or worse and next year is upon them. They are the forgotten margin, the unwashed masses, not yet street people but never being able to obtain anything beyond what they already have. Each day is a struggle for survival. They are the people we are one paycheck away from joining. They can't go back to the nothingness they came from if they were part of the lucky ones who arrived from somewhere else or if they were born here, in this city, in this skid row adjacent neighborhood they have climbed their own social ladder as far as it rungs will take them. It is so much easier just to let go, stop struggling, and slip back down into the cesspool of poverty and hopelessness.  When it comes to education their children only learn the pangs of hunger and see the faces of death. The bloat of death is colorful. Children remember color.
These families aren't going away, at least not until dead or the authorities take the adults away. It all seems so hopeless until a hand is reached out of the darkness. A helping hand offering some form of stabilization or food or clothing or shelter or jobs or a chance at sobriety.
Every year services such as Los Angeles Food Bank, Action Against Hunger, LA+Acumen, 1in6.Org, 9 Dots, A Better LA, A Place Called Home, The Advancement Project, ARC, Baby2Baby, Bet Tzedek, The Child Abuse Program at Palomar Health, Children's Institute Inc., Chrysalis, Cast, Craft In America, Crossroads Inc., Downtown Women's Center, Fallen Fruit, Flintridge Center, Food Forward, The Foundation for Second Chancess, GiveLove, Gladeo, Grameen America, The Gumball Foundation, Heart of Los Angeles, Here to Serve, Homeboy, I.am.angel Foundation, Imagine Foundation, Inner City Arts, InsideOUTWriters, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Libros Schmibros, Los Angeles Alliance for New Economy, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, LA Regional Food Bank, Mothers2Mothers, The NOMAD Foundation, The Nonprofit Finance Fund, Operation USA, PATH, Project Ropa, Public Counsel, Reading Partners, REDF, School on Wheels, Shoes That Fit, Skid Row Housing Trust, The Art of Elysium, Dreambuilders, Manna Room, The People Concern, The Ron Finley Project, The Trevor Project, U.S. Vets, Uncommon Good, The Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, Vision to Learn, The Westside Food Bank, Working Wardrobes and hundreds of other local and national organizations lend that hand. But they can't do it without you.
You are the key that unlocks the door, makes people and places better and creates the greater country that the government is trying to stifle. Pick one of these or any other helping hand groups. Call them and find out what they need. Do you thing to help build the dream of America.
Happy Holidays. You own the power of change.

Maybe it's me. Maybe the heat is driving me crazy and making me feel the way I feel when I'm hangry. But something is bothering me and I'm not sure why.
I'm not big on the super-etiquette list. You know the old "Do this because it is the proper way to do things" just because that's the way you do something. Same reason I'm not a big traditionalist, you know, doing things a certain way just because that's the way they always been done. I don't buy into that crap. It reminds me of parents saying the reason they are telling you to do something is "Because I said so". Nope not good enough.
At the same time I'm not a slob or a party embarrassment. I can pretty much go anywhere and spend an evening with anybody and not offend. I'm at the place I believe most of us try to maintain. We can be stuffy or proper or just not rude for an evening with anybody but don't want it to go on for much more than one evening. After that I want to get home., put my feet up and relax. My needs are simple.
That's why I find that this "thing" that disturbs me is disturbing. I'll really need some feedback on this one as I'm in a quandary. I shouldn't be disturbed. I really don't give a shit what other people do as long as I don't have to be involved. Have you ever had something happen around you that just makes you grind your teeth? Some stupid little thing that really makes your jaws tight? You know what I mean - like a coworker who always whistles a non-tune, or somebody who makes a noise by sucking air through their teeth when they aren't speaking or maybe someone who always repeats a phrase about 50 times in the course of their conversation like "You know?".
So here it is. Twice in the last month I have been out to dinner with adults and one of them has gotten their food and then cut it up into little piece before they began eating it. Neither dinner was spaghetti, which I could semi-forgive as I've been with several folks who prefer to cut that up instead of twirl so it must just be me.  One of these was prime rib at a very nice establishment (plus they ordered the prime rib overcooked) but, shriek, the other was scrambled eggs! You don't even have to cut this shit. Just take the side of your fork and scoop up the amount you want to eat. But no. They actually cut, kind of a cross-hatching move, all the eggs up and then began eating. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
Am I the only one out of line here for it to bother me? I felt like mommy was about to feed the little baby. Do lots of grown people do this? Maybe I've led a sheltered life. So I started searching (the web of course, not like I'm gonna pick my ass up and go to a library or someplace) and came across a thing (website, webpage, web something) that was mainly speaking about proper manners for dining if you are going on a trip abroad. I believe the site was SixWise.com. They said -  "Proper etiquette says you should only cut a few pieces of meat/food at a time, or, better yet, cut only the piece you plan to eat. As for people who choose to cut their food up all at once, Adeodata Czink, president of Business of Manners, a company that specializes in mastering proper international protocol (I didn't even know there was such a company) says "When you cut your food up like that, you look like you are about to feed a baby." Hah! I was vindicated by SixWise.
But I wanted more ammunition.  So I kept searching. A 2012 article in the Daily Mail helpfully points out - "Research shows that people eat less when presented with several small pieces of food rather than one large one – even when the two contain the same number of calories."  So were both of these men at separate times watching their weight?  If that was the case it must be working since at least one of them didn't have enough body fat to make a candle. I wasn't buying it and kept searching.
Somebody had posted , "Cutting food into small pieces is and ED related behaviour that I have never really been able to understand". But went on to ask if those that did were forced to eat the food they'd cut up. I can honestly say neither of these people were forced and they cleaned their plates.
But we're getting away from the premise which was why did this bother me? I still don't know but do you have things that bother you for no known reason? Let me know. I love the feedback.

Warning! there are graphic photos at the end of this blog.
Back in April I wrote a blog entry concerning not only the difference between Service and Support animals but also some of the scaminess involved. I think I just invented a word. I mentioned that I thought I would get lambasted by people saying how dare I say people shouldn't (in many cases) not be allowed to take their animals everywhere with many of them using the guise of Support animal for their reasoning.
Much to my surprise the overwhelming response was in favor of tightening the restrictions on Support animals and making people who claim their animal fits the category to actually have to have paperwork of some sort to back it up. Since anybody who wants to fork out $50-$100 for a Support Animal vest can do so thus rendering them meaningless.
Since that time many airlines and other modes of public transportation have begun banning certain types of animals from riding with the passengers. We all have to admit it had gotten wildly out of control with peacocks, fish and even, in one case, kangaroos being strutted about as Support animals. 
In airline planes there were animals defecating and urinating in the aisles and seat areas and even attacking other passengers. According to the attorney of one mauled passenger "...the approximately 50-pound dog growled at Mr. Jackson soon after he took his seat...The dog continued to act in a strange manner as Mr. Jackson attempted to buckle his seat belt. The growling increased and the dog lunged for Mr. Jackson's face. The dog began biting Mr. Jackson, who could not escape due to his position against the plane's window."
Delta claims two employees were bitten by Support animals just this week causing Delta to ban Pit Bulls as Service or Support animals on flights after July 10th. This, in turn, has prompted challenges from some people who claim that the policy is discriminatory and illegal.
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation issued a statement on Friday saying that a limitation based exclusively on breed or type of dog is not allowed under the Department's Air Carrier Access Act regulation. The National Federation for the Blind, the American Council for the Blind, The Animal Farm foundation and the Humane Society of the United States have all weighed in against this latest move by Delta.
I understand the need for Service and Support animals. But when did this overreach against the general population take hold? What if I'm allergic to dogs or cats or whatever and there is no place for me to move? Should I have to give up my seat? I paid for my ticket just like the dog owner. What if I only want to get from point A to point B? Should I have to risk being mauled? 
I would love to hear from all of you.approximately 50-pound dog growled at Mr. Jackson soon after he to ed at Mr. Jackson soon after he took his seat,the approximately 50-pound dog growled at Mr. Jackson soon after he took his seat,the approximately 50-pound dog growled at Mr. Jackson soon after he took his seat,

Okay, I have to say this one got away from me. I was recording the latest episode of the blog "Del - From This Angle" with Mike J. Regan and Gary J. Tunnicliffe (look them up on IMDB they've worked on a million films) who were in Dark Delicacies signing the Blu-Ray of Hellraiser: Judgment when Peter Atkins (look him up kids) joined the conversation. I asked my first couple of questions and Gary took off and so did the conversation. You may notice a little glitch right in the middle where I had to stop the audio so we weren't all sued or something and then it comes back on for a bit. Sorry but I don't get to sign off. I just sort of cut it right after our conversation on filming sex scenes in movies. So I'll do that now - "Thank you for listening to Del - From This Angle. As usual we look forward to your questions and comments." Now for the next 11+ minutes please wear your seatbelt.

Victoria Price has a gentle soul. Maybe too gentle. All her life as the child of a celebrity (daughter of actor Vincent Price) she behaved the way she thought she was supposed to behave. somewhere, during those formative Wonder Bread years, she lost herself. Her father was in his fifties when she was born and just entering the next big phase in his career - Horror character actor. He loved it and it was what she grew up with.
She was never a lover of horror, the blood, the scares, the dark Gothic envelope it came in. But in the last decade, when she started to come out of her self-created cocoon, she discovered that she was a member of the fringe and was quite simpatico to Horror and Horror fans. In fact she learned to embrace them and find herself in the process. Listen below to an amazing 15 minute conversation of a gentle soul who able to embrace a Horror legacy and find peace with herself.

This particular blog is to create discussion and help us realize why we feel the way we do. That being said this is not to cut down or build up any films. This is not a review. However if you have not seen "The Shape of Water" or "A Quiet Place" this blog contains spoilers so please stop reading and enjoy the films.
Now that the age of professional film reviewers has waned and the internet has opened up criticism for all we can better see that everybody has an opinion on film. Usually it comes down to personal taste - I don't like that actor - I love that monster - I hate films with kids in them. Whatever it may be we have an opinion. But what about the facts in fantasy?
If we give ourselves over to a notion that there is a zombie apocalypse happening what difference would it make if they made airplanes fly upside down in the movie? "Planes don't fly upside down!!" we'd yell. But we don't scream about dead people coming back to life which is equally preposterous. In general we are willing to give into one major setup myth for the sake of the story. Two is pushing it and three we're lost.
The same idea works for the writer's rules. Most of us are happy suspend belief for a good story and go along with the rules the writer sets up for their imaginary world. But most of us get pissed off when they don't adhere to them or change them at the end of the movie for the sake of resolution.
Lito Velasco posted in a recent Facebook message - "Just because it's "just" a TV show or movie doesn't mean the writers and creators can or should abandon logic or intelligence.
I'm tired of people telling me "You take it way too seriously". My life has followed the path to this industry, profession, and town BECAUSE I respect it and take it seriously. So when someone says that or "it's JUST a movie" they're' basically saying "it's brainless and meaningless". 
Just because it's "just" a TV show or movie doesn't mean the writers and creators can or should abandon logic or intelligence.
I'm tired of people telling me "You take it way too seriously". My life has followed the path to this industry, profession, and town BECAUSE I respect it and take it seriously. So when someone says that or "it's JUST a movie" they're' basically saying "it's brainless and meaningless". 
I completely agree. Now here is my question to examine. Remaining in the same genre of Fantasy why are we willing to forgive one film and not another. If the fault in the writing means that sticking with facts or the rules of a created world wouldn't work why do we, as an audience, allow it? Let's take two recent big films and think about it. A Shape of Water won the Oscar and yet the script has real problems, not the least of which is that she keeps pouring salt in the bathtub where he is living and they end up in the ocean - yet he is a fresh water being having been captured in the Amazon. Is she supposed to be killing him? Because if she is that wasn't made clear. In A Quiet Place aliens that hunt by sound are devastating Earth and yet after showing his son that when they stand by the waterfall and scream the aliens can't hear you over the noise they don't choose the logical choice of living by the waterfall.
So people have actually told me about "Shape" that it was so pretty and romantic it didn't matter. No! this isn't magic realism like Pan's Labyrinth was. Because it was fantasy doesn't mean (as Lito says) it can be brainless and meaningless. People forgive A Quiet Place because it made them clinch their sphincter from tension. We have all condemned some films and enjoyed others despite their errors. What is your criteria? What do you let slide and what is too big to forgive? Can you think of other films you really liked despite their errors? As always, I look forward to your comments.

This is a first for "From This Angle" as we have an interview taped on April 29th with Lisa E. Wilcox while she was holding a very special event at Dark Delicacies. It was the opening of her t-shirt sales to benefit NAMI, a charity which is very near and dear to her heart. She goes into more detail in the audio interview.
She was in great spirits and had a nice turnout and, this is the most important thing, she brought multi-colored cupcakes. The day couldn't have been finer if we had tried. Most people remember Lisa from Nightmare on Elm Street 4 & 5 but as you'll hear from our interview there is a lot coming down the pike for her, so hang in there.
This is also very important for me as I need to know if you would like more of these private access interviews to pop up more often on From This Angle. So I need your feedback on this. We have so many great people come through the doors of Dark Delicacies that it's a shame to miss out on a little conversation time made exclusively for you folks.
So click on the link. Listen to Lisa E. Wilcox share about 7 minutes with you and let us know what you think.

I know I am going to get lambasted for this blog but let me try and defend myself anyway. My wife and I own dogs, rescue dogs. We love them and they love us and love that they have been rescued. At least I imagine they do. We will probably always own dogs so we understand people who LOVE their dogs.
But a couple of things came to my attention this week that causes me to comment. We own a store and we allow dogs to come in with their owners IF they are not wetters and they are calm and friendly. Otherwise I’ll toss them out.
The other day I was in a local bakery and a gentleman ahead of me had a dog with a “Support Animal” vest on. This means nothing except that he paid some support organization $50-$200 for a vest to pretend he had a certified reason to bring the dog into an eating establishment. He doesn’t. According to the ESA doctors website, a vest or a card saying your animal is an emotional support animal translates to a right to take your pet anywhere, think again. That card merely says that your pet has been registered in some database of pet owners who have the money to pay to an organization, or organizations as the case may be, which has no official government recognition. Emotional support animal certificates do not entitle their holders to bring in their pets to stores, hotels, trains, restaurants, taxi cabs, buses, and parks. Unlike service dogs, which are legally allowed to be with their owners anywhere the handler is present, ESA dogs and cats are classified by the federal government as untrained companions and are limited access to certain locations.
Now with the dog I was speaking about it had its tail between its legs and a wide-eyed look that indicated anything other than a desire to be in that bakery. What kind of emotional support was that? Right now if you get on a plane and are allergic to dogs or cats or whatever and the person next has a “support” animal you have to deal with it. Sniffle and cought for the rest of the flight because Fluffy comes first.
As reported in today’s Los Angeles Times by Hugo Martin starting May 1, Alaska Airlines will require passengers who want to travel with emotional support animals to provide proof that the animal is healthy, well-behaved and is needed to support the flier during the flight. The change comes only months after Delta and United Airlines both adopted similar requirements, which took effect March 1.
That proof comes in a couple of ways – It requires that passengers flying with emotional support animals provide a letter from a mental health professional or medical doctor, affirming that the flier needs the animal for support.
Starting May 1, passengers must also print and fill out two additional forms from alaskair.com. In one form, the passenger affirms that the animal is well-trained and that the passenger accepts liability for any injury or damage caused by the animal. Another form certifies that the animal is healthy. All three documents must be submitted 48 hours before flying.
Delta and Alaska both have cited a recent surge in incidents involving animals on planes. Delta said it adopted the new policy in response to an 84% increase in animal incidents since 2016, including animals urinating, defecating, biting, barking and lunging on planes. A Delta passenger was mauled by a 50-pound dog on a flight from Atlanta to San Diego last year.
Alaska carries about 150 emotional support and service animals daily and has been noting problems almost weekly.
I understand people need support…some people.
You may qualify for an emotional support dog if you have emotional or mental illnesses. If you suffer from one or more of the mental illnesses listed below, you may qualify for an emotional support dog.

• – Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• – Learning Disorders
• – Autism
• – General Anxiety Disorder
• – Gender Identity
• – Bipolar
• – Cognitive disorders
• – Depression
• – Severe anxiety
• – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

If you suffer from anxiety, depression, or any of the illnesses listed above, you may be interested in having an official Emotional Support Animal.
But the law needs to clarify and make people get some sort of certification if indeed they really need support as opposed to “I just don’t like to leave fluffy alone at home and I’m too cheap to board her or get a dog sitter.” The law needs to be for people on both sides of the equation.
 
As always I look forward to your comments