What the HELL is going on in the USA????

I have come to a conclusion -neither the conservative right nor the liberal left is responsible for much of anything-also the illuminati, the space aliens, the Satanists and all the other nutters from the fringes of the world-all innocent, just crazed...its the 7% Rapture Christians-Endtimers who are causing all our problems.

Think about it.

We can't easily identify exactly who they are-they are every bit as dangerous as ISIS and other extremists or fringe zealots.

They can be anywhere in any position and unless they leak a bit of their insanity we have no clue.

These are people who WANT the world to end in fire so they can force the non-existent "RATURE" (where they are convinced they will be taken and spared the tribulations of the earth) and Armageddon so they again force the 2nd coming of the Messiah.

Watch when anything happens who are the first people to speak-who are the front line of conspiracy crazies who yell the loudest-ALT.RIGHT, extreme, religious zealots whose agenda is based on the end time, end time prophecy and Armageddon.

Don't just believe me-look it up-check You Tube and Facebook and other social media.

They love to blame whomever is currently in a position of power or whom they perceive is a threat to their agenda-Obama, The Clintons, occasional George W. Bush and many others.

Mike Pence is a good example of how these extremists get into high places-he has espoused a very fundamentalist, theocracy based belief system, he was selected to be vice-president of the USA and his best pal is Paul Ryan another extreme "believer".

Both are very charismatic and play to a wide range of the faithful but also to a wide range of the fringe like gun rights advocates, white nationalists and separationists who pick and chose what they like in the "Holy" book and espouse slanted, twisted Christian beliefs.

When they talk names like Hannity and Alex Jones often come up-there is a string of these "right" wing conservatives that blame everything on the liberals and love to alter historical fact to support their stance.

Currently it's the recent shooting massacre in Las Vegas but it goes way back to Kennedy's assassination conspiracies, the series of assassination which includes the Kennedy Brothers, Martin Luther King and even Marilyn Monroe's death and then virtually everything after that they could bring to question including 911, Sandy Hook and every lone gunman shooting (now including Las Vegas).

Usually its a matter of a 1) cover up, 2) collusion between government agencies and the illuminati, 3) intimidation and even murder of uncooperative witnesses that support their positions and $) complicated trails of plots and sub-plots that are a chines menu of selecting bits from here and there, mixing religion, paranormal and mythical players, secret societies and far fetched reasons why ingle minded actors like the recent Vegas shooter are just dupes in a much bigger, global conspiracy.

There is so much scrutiny now on any event that is really is virtually impossible to have police and other protectors of the population do a proper and thorough investigation without dozens if not hundreds of cel phone videos and eye witnesses with conflicting view points who are iused to stoke the conspiracy fires and launch suspicions of cover ups and lies.

I have no doubt that the governments of most countries lie to their populations to keep the people fairly calm in the face of panic-if an asteroid were aimed at Earth and we had 24 hours I think the people in power would attempt to suppress that info.

There is a basis for this kind of action-humans tend to over react in the face of unknown threats.

Also humans are really good at exaggerating and even augmenting the truth when it comes to scary situations-simply put-people lie.

I've lived through the days of poisoned over the counter drugs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Civil Riots and most of the events I mentioned above (assassinations etc). I have heard people pass absolutely manufactured garbage as facts from rock solid sources that don't exist.

What does disturb me in these times of uncertainty and social media: From where do all these people arise who were supposedly eye witnesses, have some expertise in subjects pertinent to the event, are online supporting the conspiracy versions of the event and often point viewers to websites and channels owned and operated by END TIMERS?

Usually Alex Jones is somewhere in the mix and the blame is on one of the current hot buzz, hot key words or issues: False Flag, One World Order, Illuminati, Aliens, Demonic, CIA, FBI, NASA, etc.

So the CIA and FBI are involved in covert operations with Homeland Security to either construct and execute events like the Vegas shootings in order to change the 2nd amendment, make illuminati richer and make a one world government seem more attractive-the proof is supposed eye witnesses that just happen to be munitions experts.

It boggles the mind.

If you listen long enough they will hit those hot buttons in so many ways that you start to actually believe that there may be truth in what they are saying-even if only a tiny bit.

A very good example is 911 when the story came out that one of the main perpetrators drivers license was found outside the collapsed buildings in perfect condition.

So this magical object made it through the fiery collision that vaporized a plane, parts of a sky scraper and miscellaneous people and office furnishings, managed to get out of the perps wallet and pocket and somehow flutter to the ground landing in a place where it was found in dusty but pristine condition?

Really?

The driver's License became a passport, then was confused with a passport and wedding ring of a passenger which was further confuse with a wedding ring in a folded note-it went on and on.

Of course according to the conspiracy people 911 never happened, did not involve planes, had nothing to do with terrorists, had visions of angels AND UFOs involved and was a cover up for the demolition of building 7 in order to hide papers that the government wanted  GONE-also the illuminati or others removed the gold before the destruction, the guy who owned the building became rich from insurance-it goes on and on and in my opinion is a major insult to the families of people who died regardless of how it happened.

Same with Sandy Hook-according to the conspiracy nuts no children were killed, no one was injured it was all crisis actors and a drill that was used for nefarious purposes to get guns regulated and removed from the hands of patriotic citizens---some of their proof is showing videos of people who look like the witnesses at Sandy Hook taken later at the Boston Marathon this proving they were crisis actors.

Just FYI one of the main conspiracies is this Vegas affair was a Crisis simulation that somehow went bad or got out of hand and is being run by the FBI or CIA-evidence is being hidden, peoples cel phones were erased there were shooters all over Las Vegas and even You Tube videos are being removed for NO REASON...

And who do they refer you to?

Alex Jones, Sean Hannity, End Timer channels and lots of witness videos that are based on their personal empirical research and opinions.

One woman who is a "witness" is the wife of a Marine, daughter of a Police Officer and lived in Detroit she walked away from her Jack pot and food in an uninvolved Casino some distance from the shooting site but she has lots to say about the types of guns used and events that happened where she was that have since been covered up.

If I had been there I would have been a mess-I would not want to be online telling the story calmly over and over---I would want to be left alone, anonymous and as far away from all that as I could get.

What started as a love gunman act of insanity has become a small part of an immense Illuminati action to seize guns, change the 2nd amendment, make other illuminati rich, further the Homeland Security agenda of corralling and controlling the citizens of the USA and OBAMA was probably involved AND the Clintons.

The sad thing is we have that first amendment right to give our opinion so these people just go on and on without any consequences or retaliation.

You would think in the horrible, oppressive climate they would be afraid to rant and rave about the oppressors and their friends the Satanist Space Aliens.

Bottom line: where their is controversy and calamity there is usually room for a conspiracy theory and people love something to talk about and as long as You Tube is monetized and there is money to be made it will go on and on.

And THAT is what the hell is going on in America....and Paris and anywhere else they can make a tragedy a conspiracy.

When I went to Saudi Arabia, Libya and the USSR

There was a period in the 70s when I was well connected and able to accompany friends on some pretty amazing excursions.

One friend worked for an air cargo company and every plane had at least 4 passenger seats-if no one was in them they could be purchased for a few dollars-no frills, no meals-just transportation but Los Angeles to Stuttgart for about 9.00usd was a real bargain even in the 70s-mostly we took weekend trips to Europe since one could get there in about 8 hours or so.

Another friend was a government liaison for a private corporation and could occasionally take someone with him-those trips were amazing because the governments of the various countries paid for everything, the accommodations were all first class and frequently there were expensive dinners and tours included in the trip.

The government of Austria sent us on a Rhine River cruise that is quiet a story-it was on a wooden boat/ship much like the one in DEATH ON THE NILE but very posh and well outfitted-on this cruise there were 4 employees for every one passenger.

I have some very vivid memories of that trip-the food was extraordinary - for the first time I had Beef Stroganoff made absolutely correctly with Filet Mignon, top vintage champagne and served on handmade fresh noodles-unforgettable....I must have raved a lot about it because frequently when there were things I did not like on the menu (I am very allergic to any seafood and I don't eat offal) I was offered beef stroganoff or a delicious variation made with poached chicken breast.

In the morning (I still laugh about this) the cabin steward would "tinkle" at the door;
He had a little silver bell that would be gently rung to wake you up-and he would stand there "tinkling" until one acknowledged him and gave him leave to enter...he brought the "light" snack for you to get up on and have the strength to make it to breakfast in the dining room.

It was always wonderful coffee with cream, some delicious pastry-not too rich-it was on this trip I learned to love PALMIERS and Chocolate croissants and always a silver pot of chocolate which I swear was a top quality milk chocolate bar melted in heavy cream with just a hint of cinnamon.

When you were finished you would clean up and dress for breakfast and drag your self the 40 or so feet to your table.

We had the choice of dining alone or being paired with "people of interest" and while I cannot and will not mention names at least one was one of the top classic stars of Hollywood (traveling with a very handsome young male "secretary" and a fabulous couple who were both in the arts-we became quite chummy and often exchanged anecdotes during cocktails on the deck (theirs were wonderful of course-racy and full of gossip) she especially was given to wearing vintage diamonds and she loved to tell the stories of whom they had belonged to or made for.

This was the first time I saw a canary diamond and I was instantly in  love-the lady told me a good canary diamond must be the colour of healthy urine and have few or no inclusions.

Hers was 7 carats with a scattering of citron and aquamarines in Platinum to help bring out the yellow of the center stone...I do remember telling Liz Taylor about that ring and she mentioned the ladies name and I nodded to which she replied "I think I own that now."

After breakfast you found you deck chair and watch the magnificent scenery go by-the stewards served beverages and offered little amuse bouche so you wouldn't starve before luncheon-Luncheon was always like brunch in America-poached meats, beautiful vegetable terrines, salads, clever little sandwiches all brought around on carts for you to select.

Afternoons might be excursions or shopping in a village along the route or an impromptu recital, reading or lecture.

Cocktails and hors d'ouvre on the deck (weather permitting) and then dinner at either 8 or 9:30-one was formal the other more casual and finally a midnight buffet of deserts and delicacies where one could see liaisons and business deals arranged in a most civilized and elegant manner.

We went for 9 days and ended up in Vienna others went on to Eastern Europe.

The other amazing memory was the boat pulled into a small "harbor" where in the square along the river Puccini;s "La Rondine" was presented and we had our seats on the boat (with champagne and munchies of course).

I never knew exactly how much this adventure cost but I heard it was over one thousand U S Dollars per person per day...the cabin/stateroom we had was quite large-comparable to a small suite in a good hotel and others had larger rooms and had also brought servants.

Something I will never get to do again and also a kind of travel that has seen it's time-people move so much more quickly these days, have shorter attention spans and I just can't imagine that trip with Kale juice, health food, quinoa and that sort of thing.

I put this narrative first to offer a comparison to my trek to Libya.

It was a 19 hour flight from L A via Heathrow and Athens then a Libyan airline-we ended up in the same Hilton where the American press was held hostage by Khadafy-we had already been told that the room and pretty much everything else was bugged so be careful what we said.

Only Arabic TV and not much else to do and horrible "American" style food so we decided to take a walk-the only movie theatre in town was showing a 4 hour program of propaganda films about the Russian wheat harvest and other such fascinating topics-thankfully we were only there two nights.

Once while walking down the street a car "backfired" we looked around and found we were the only people standing the rest were face down in the gutters protecting their heads.

Saudi Arabia was even more repressed-we were greeted with a 45 minute in depth briefing about how to act and what NOT to do-the only time the food was edible was at functions with the Saudi royalty.

On that trip I was introduced to the Saudi Prince who killed his own brother in order to attain power-a few years later I would have him on a tour at Universal and took great delight in reminding him we had dined together-He and about 200 of his closest sycophants and me.

Rememebring how the middle east was then and what has happened since I have no desire to ever go there in this life again.

The Soviet Union was amazing-if that country ever becomes truly free and democratic it will be a number one tourist destination.

The art, architecture and history is overwhelming.

Everything SOVIET is oppressively impressive.

Giant statues and buildings designed to show the power and strength of the country.

The people were gloomy-it was as if they wanted to smile but feared what would happen if they did.

Like Saudi Arabia we were assigned an "escort" probably KGB.

A beautiful woman but cold and militaristic.

I have seen You Tube videos of North Korea when westerners are tourists it's very much the same-they have no filters about how terrible the USA is, how war like, how aggressive and how lacking in culture.

We were reminded at least hourly that the USA was barely 200 years old and Russia and the surrounding countries went back to the bronze age and before-in their minds they were practicing government far before the Greeks and Romans.

In Saint Petersburg we saw the beautiful palaces and the jaw dropping art and found (to our amazement) that virtually every fine artist os any ranking had studied at some point in Russia.

They also have many private collections (owned and curated by the supreme Soviet supposedly for the benefit of the workers).

Gold, Silver, Diamonds and other precious stones, fine furniture, sculpture, musical instruments and other art-lots of Faberge (real or recreations).

Most of this is not available to the masses since it was considered degenerate.

The schools are very good but responsible for many suicides-you are selected to succeed and given a finite time in which to do so at A plus quality level.

You could be a ballet or Opera star one day and be directing traffic or taking tickets on their underground the next-complain and you basically disappear-again much like North Korea.

Another place that I have been and while I would love to go back and see what I missed I wouldn't consider it even in the new deconstructed union.

One thing I learned in all my travels-Prague has the highest amount of male prostitutes and Munich the best of the female prostitutes...while I will never need this information if it ever came up at cocktails with a woman wearing a huge diamond ring I would have a somewhat educated-if dated-answer.

In Excelsis

I don't really believe in God-at least not the God that most born againers seem to adore=the mean old guy with the white beard envisioned by Michelangelo -sitting on a cloud making everyone guilty and miserable.

Clearly there are at least 2 GODs in the Bible-the god of the Jews and the New Testament God of Jesus.

Remembering that Jesus is the son of himself-all very confusing-and the holy spirit 3 in one-I don't think it's the same omnipotent super being.

Also the God of the new testament is way less of a sadist compared to the other one.

The Judeo Christian God certainly has the best PR and staying power amongst much of the world's population-I believe there are more than 2 billion Christians in the world about 1/3 of the worlds population-However,

Islam is growing more rapidly than any other religion in the world, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center that says the religion will nearly equal Christianity by 2050 before eclipsing it around 2070, if current trends continue.

This is surprising since Muslim is a stricter religion, rules wise.

I would think that NO religion that requires praying at designated times 5 sessions a day would be so popular.

People get very angry and loud over religion and perfectly nice folks turn into bullies...why?

I think mainly it's fear-disagreement with their beliefs which are tested daily makes them feel uneasy and shaky so they combat that with anger.

My Aunt Mildred was a very Christian woman in almost every way-she was decidedly liberal when it came to some areas like sexuality and co-habitating outside of marriage-but for herself she did unto others and followed the commandments on a pretty strict line.

I vividly remember the day my Dad dies she said very clearly-"I doubt God, I pray and I pray and he never answers".

I won't get deeply into my personal feelings about prayer except to say collective consciousness and focused thinking seems to bring positive results...and there are the events that are unexplainable.

So many people use prayer as a weapon begging GOD to smite someone or punish them for their wrong doings or wrong thinking.

I actually had a person who was virtually a total stranger and a witnessing Christian  tell me ."I pray every day that God will rid the world of Homosexuals and Liberals".

Interesting because I pray everyday for an end to Bigots and born again Christians (usually synonymous).

Is anyone as fascinated as I am that the Republican, Christian power mongers are the ones who get caught in all sorts of sleazy peccadillos ?

Yes, I know-Bill Clinton-so many people were fantasizing about him that they got angry when he was actually exposed as a human.

It has been proved that MANY people never consider that the President has anything under his suit-like a very complex audio animatronic KEN doll.

It's also important to understand that todays politicians aren't any more debauched than the founders of our country with their morphine and liquor addictions, mistresses of all varieties, slaves-the list is long and dark-the people tday just suffer from media overexposure-you may remember we got to see Jimmy Carters colonoscopy, George H. W. Bush vomit on a high ranking Japanese dignitary and most of the government LIE to the media every day-right on camera.

They aren't worse than their predecessors they're just more apt to get caught.

You can rant on at me forever about the country being founded upon religion and religious freedom-it's more complicated than that but people like things cut and dried-and I agree to an extent that this new world was founded upon a basis of escaping religious persecution-even in 1776 the auto de fe, mass executions of heretics by burning and other unattractive ways to perish in the name of religion were not that far behind-I believe we had a few such murders in Massachusetts and perhaps elsewhere and I frankly don't think religious persecution is over.

When a woman has to worry about imprisonment for having an abortion because of a religious reason that's just wrong-I have said before it's between that woman and her conscience -not an easy choice but certainly NOT a choice that should be legislated by Old men in Washington D C or any other state capitol.

They have white washed the issue with fetal rights and pseudo-science-so I put forward that instead of abortion we deliver the unborn child by Caesarian and then have people pray over it-that seems fair or in the case of Father's Rights we find a way to have the man carry the fetus.

With so many children is terrible conditions just in our country alone bringing more children into this world seems like child abuse.

People think they want children and then find the reality horrible to del with-12 and 13 year old girls have babies because they want one-again the reality doesn't match the fantasy and often that child's mother or grandmother ends up raising the kid-but some of these girls do it yearly and walk away from the children as easily as changing outfits.

Where is GOD in all this? You would think an omnipotent super being would know when to flip the switch on unwanted pregnancies...

We have a separation of church and state for a reason-the religious right doesn't want to accept or talk about that they want a theocracy-one Nation under God (and preferably the Old Testament White Bearded White guy on a cloud with a very twisted sense of good and evil).

Despite laws to protect people's individual human rights they will persecute and bully based on their beliefs-they will condemn Muslims for their theocracies, laugh at the laws and traditions of Jews, make fun of the Mormon's "magic underwear"...so superior and entitled the 7% born againers, or born from above or born of the blood of Christ-whomever the hell they are-the quicker we are free of their tyranny the better and the same goes for all twisted beliefs based on MAGIC THINKING-done in the name of an invisible deity because someone said it was true.

WHY is the Bible, Old and New Testament, any more valid a document or any more divinely inspired than say Darwin's Origin of the species?

GOD hasn't been making any visits lately via burning bushes or pillars of fire-if someone says God is speaking to them and is sufficiently zealous about it we generally send them off for psychiatric care so how do we know they are not the NEW prophets?

What about the other 100's or Thousands of deities that have come and gone over the centuries? How do we know that they weren't as valid as Jesus or Jehovah or Moses?

We laugh at people who have religions based on shaky concepts like the Mormon's with the magica plates and the glasses that allowed one ro read them but only one person had that divine experience and the rest had to take him at his word-Mormon is a huge religion and has replaced the Baptists in missionary work and converts.

And frankly the church that was invented by a KING to get out from under a marriage, escape the clutches of a more powerful religious machine...how valid can that be in the scheme of things?

I suggest you read "The Handmaid's Tales" by Margaret Atwood if you want to see how easily religion can be twisted to make the powerful even more powerful-and Neil Gaiman's delightful epic "American Gods" that pretty much sums up mankind and how we makeup things to worship and how that all plays out with the God's we have made and forgotten.

I think it's important to believe in something-at one point we could believe in America as a concept and a goal worth fighting for-at one point...now we have fear, loathing, bigotry worse than almost anytime in history.

America is being run by mega-maniacal mad men, religious zealots who invite the rapture and Armageddon, militaristic white supremacists who don't want the 2nd amendment tampered with because currently they are better armed than the U S Armed Forces, Street Gangs that make yearly profits like giant corporations (the replacement for the Mafia) and PACs that have only their interests in mind and focus on their agendas with supernatural energy.

The population is kept agitated by fear, rumor and innuendo augmented by the realities of living in America today as jobs disappear,  services are outsourced, food is contaminated, and more.

In the market I can get Pear's from Chili-why can't I get pears from the USA? Because they are shipped elsewhere so they bring higher profits...why are so many vitamins and supplements made in China? Because that makes the profit's enormous meanwhile our factories crumble and decay.

Once again I ask you-WHERE is GOD in all this?

Don't try the punishment for all our sinful ways crap with me-if that were true Washington D C would be SODOM---and why is it that the Bible belt is hit every year by killer storms while the sin cities run wide open?

It's a rhetorical question...

PS: I was discussing this God and his thunderbolts dogma of punishment and anger with someone who simply said, "That is the angry OLD God the gentle NEW God sends treatments and cures".

Disneyland Part 2

1959 Was the year they called E TICKET summer-the monorail, Matterhorn and submarines were added along with E tickets-they also had magic key ticket books which were all E tickets-you bought them separately at the old ticket kiosks from the days when you paid to get in and every ride too a ticket purchased inside.

In the early sixties you could get the best ticket book for 2 books of green stamps-so I would beg my Mother who was a blue chip saver-my friend Joe and I would take the bus out to the park-took a long time-so we left early and were home late

For many years the park was closed Monday and Tuesday-we would try to manage to go during the week when the crowds were smaller-nothing like today...

Eventually I could drive myself-we loved to go to "date Night"-the park used to have big name talent in concerts-lots of live bands and dancing-this was before Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder...

In 1966 I think-Tomorrowland was completely ripped out and redone-I think it lost some of the charm it had before-also they were finding places for the attractions like It's a Small World and Mr Lincoln that came back for the 1964 World's Fair in New York...

In Adventureland they had a sit down restaurant sponsored by Lawry's call THE TAHITIIAN TERRACE -it was semi outdoor and featured a large waterfall and "Polynesian " food-they had Chicken Salad in a Pineapple that was the best...

At dinner time and in the evening the waterfall became a stage and the water would part like a curtain-they would have dancers, knife twirlers and fire (torch) dancers-the show lasted about 39 minutes or so-it was one of their best all time attractions and restaurants.

The thing about Disney-it was always clean, well kept and one felt "safe"...

I was waiting in line for the monorail at the hotel once with a friend-the monorail vehicle had some sort of massive malfunction-something between an explosion and a sci-fi movie short circuit-It was the only time I ever felt endangered at Disneyland (and actually it was at the hotel).

In those days it was only crowded in summer and on weekends-you could go out there and buy a shopping pass at Christmas time-I seem to remember if you showed receipts for purchases within a certain amount of time as you exited they would refund the cost of the entry pass.

They had wonderful things for sale in those days-there was a fabulous cookware shoppe in New Orleans Square and the One of a kind shoppe-sort of a curio/antique shoppe=jeweler and perfumes-men's and women's clothing.

I loved to go there later in the day, walk around, have an early dinner-maybe watch the last parade and browse the shoppes on the way out.

I doubt many remember it was under 10.00usd for a ticket book and entry and food while more expensive than outside the park was affordable (although most of it not wonderful).

The addition of parks in Florida and later Europe and Asia would change how Disney was operated and especially the merchandising...I have a lot more to say in the next installment.

EARTHquake

As a Californian I have grown up with earthquakes and if one lives through one-it's pretty much over and you move on to deal with the aftershocks.

Tornados scare the bejebbers out of me.

I remember very well the first time I visited Colorado-Longmont to be exact-outside Denver on the way to Laramie I think-its the plains-flat, windy, temperamental weather.

Richard and I were there to do a Country Folk Art show-its was windy and rainy-mid-june.

We decided after checking in to a hotel to walk to a local restaurant a few blocks away-I was unaware the Tornados could hit Colorado at this point.

I was very aware of the leaden, grey sky occasionally ripped with huge golden forks of lightening and loud, Zeusian rumbles of thunder (Angels were bowling a tournament that afternoon).

I do not like to be outside, unprotected in a lightening storm.

We made it to the café and got seated and everyone seemed very tight lipped and somber for a place that smelled that good at dinner time.

I noticed the TVs around the room were scrolling and when I focused in it was a Tornado warning.

I am still unclear about which is worse watch or warning-either way I was ready to go back to Los Angeles and wait for an earth quake.

 Obviously no devil wind struck during dinner, nor on the walk (more like a jog) back to the hotel-as we passed through the lobby the manaher offered that she should probably show us the Tornado shelter and explain the bell alarm...this did NOTHING to make me feel a bit better.

That was 30 years ago and I still don't want to go to Tornado states.

BTW, interesting aside we dove through Colorado Springs just a couple hours before a devastating Tornado hit that town on the same trip.

Earthquakes...the first one I have a dim remembrance of was 1952-the Tehachapi quake which I believe was the last huge quake on the San Andreas Fault-I don't remember the shaking I do remember my parents coming to get me and standing with me in a doorway-we has lasting mementos-we had just moved into the house in Pico Rivera and the folks had poured concrete all of which was cracked by the quake.

1971 I was living in Apartment 101 of the Lynne Manor Apartments in Hollywood on Franklin Ave-a 5 store, unreinforced brownstone-I was awaked by ---something_ I ran to the window from which I could see Hollywood down the hill-all was black-the sky was lighted by a huge green flash and I decided in a split second that either they had dropped "THE bomb" or Aliens were invading-I dove under the Murphy bed and then heard the footsteps ponding down the stairs and shouts of Earthquake...since I was not crushed-that was that...

I do remember that in the evening I had a rehearsel of a musical review I was doing in Whittier and there was a LUNAR exlipse so the full moon turned RED and everyone was just sure there would be another quake-didn't happen.

That was the famous Sylmar quake-lots of damage-I don't think there was a plate glass windo in one piece anywhere on Hollywood Blvd. The freeway collapsed in several places and buildings in Downtown L A did collapse (partially or totally).

There were smaller quakes between-I was on the Pomona Freeway early one morning headed for an art show in San Diego when the radio in the car went dead and the Whittier Narrows quake hit-even though I was on the epicenter I didn't feel it because the car was so loaded down with displays and merchandise.

That quake pretty much ruined Whittier and lots of places around it in the San Gabriel Valley.

The quake that left the biggest impression on me (and Los Angeles) was the Northridge Quake-it was a new kind of quake since we are used to slip faults and that quake was a thrust fault-the government lied about it: I was told it was pronbably close to a magnitude 8 quake-I didn't remember any quake being that violent before-it really devastated the San Fernando Valley, SantaMonica and several outlying areas-it caused underground water to disappear, took down freeways, shopping malls and parking structures...had it been a few hours later in would have been a cause of many deaths but it happened in the dark, early morning.

My most vivid memory was how beautiful the sky was with all the electrics off-there were a million stars and the milky way clouds were visible, probably for the first time in decades from L A.

I was crossing my back yard and saw a bright blue meteorite followed by a green one-spectacular.

When the sun came up the aftershocks made dust clouds rise from the foothills-another thing I had never seen before.

It moved the chimney on the front house in Burbank about 2 inches away from the house itself and emptied the contents out of all the south facing cabinets in the house-I had dozens of bottles of paint on the floor but my delicate mermaid collection stayed in place.

My sisters home and garage were devastated in Northridge-she lived directly between the mall that collapsed and the apartment building that killed a number of people when it also collapsed-there were no brick walls standing anywhere in that area.

The quake broke a regulator clock in half on the wall where it hung-put a grand piano through a wall-blew the sashes off the windows-the garage went up and the land went down and when they remet the building had turned about 45 degrees on its foundation...it was surreal.

A friend who worked for the U S Geological survey told me that if one could follow the shockwave from the upward thrust of the quake into space it would be traveling outward through the solar system for several days and would pass Jupiter before it dwindled.

But we all lived-and the after shocks went on for months.

We lived almost 400 miles from San Francisco but we felt the jolt from the Loma Prieta quake that hit there on the first day of the world's series one year...they often feel quakes in California in Las Vegas, Nevada-300 miles across the desert ...

Part of California is on the Pacific Plate which is revolving counter clockwise and the rest in on the North American Plate-the San Andreas fault comes up through the imperial valley and bisects the valley where Palm Springs is located it continues north past San Bernardino and the goes along the back of the San Gabriel Mountains into the central Valley and finally into the ocean just north of San Francisco-the fault system continues all the way north past Oregon and Washington where there are a string of Volcanos anchored by Mount Saint Helens on the south followed by the Olympia range to the north-both Portland and Seattle have active volcanos just to the east of the cities.

Even In California we have places like Calistoga where carbonated water comes out of the ground in a spring and Mount Lassen which is referred to by some ads the "Mini-Yellowstone".

Mammoth in California is also a volcanic field punctuated by hot springs, cinder cones and craters-all of these are active-dormant in the recent past except for Mt St Helens which erupted in my lifetime...

The big quake in California was Fort Tejon, nearly a magnitude 8 in the early 1800s-the quakes are often named for a city/town or geographical feature that is nearby-that quake was a part of the area where the Faultline goes into the central Valley.

We will have more quakes-we wait every year for the next BIG ONE-people expect the fault to break near San Bernardino an area that has been quiet and "locked" for too many decades.

Others believe that some of the other quakes caused mirror cracks at the "dog leg" the area where the fault makes a sharp turn near San Bernardino...that quake could be devastating for the Inland Empire area of California and Los Angeles as well as orange County where I live which is just over the hills.

There is also the Inglewood fault that runs through the ocean off Long Beach-its pretty much flattened that town in 1933 and is now overdue to break again...

But which would you rather? a quake every 20 years or so or a Tornado season every year? We don't have many blizzards in this end of the state...but California does have the most Tornados of any state west of the Rockies-mostly around Sacramento.

(We had a water spout that started during a thunderstorm off the coast and came on land just 5 miles south of me through Sunset Beach where it became a Tornado-so there ya go)

No matter where you live you face something-I am used to Earthquakes I guess-I have never been injured by one nor had severe damage from one directly (other than my sis)...

We used to have floods in California-we thought they were over since we have all this flood control but the weather is changing....and now they say that Yellowstone may go off sooner rather than later (I'm sure all the conspiracy nuts are having orgasms over that piece of news.)

I really don't want to live through an extinction level event so I hope it waits 50 years or so-I have been lucky so far.

But then-I believe in reincarnation so...............