I don’t think people can comprehend the force of a fire that can move 20 miles in an hour, in the face of winds gusting to 60 mph. It’s impossible to understand unless you are there living in it and experiencing it, and that experience is not something I wish upon anyone… For those in the front lines in Santa Clarita, Malibu, Topanga, north San Diego county, Irvine, Foothill Ranch, Arrowhead… and especially for the incredibly tireless and couragoues firefighters… I wish you the very best.

I watched one interview after another of people frantically packing their most prized possessions in their vehicles during mandatory evacuations. And what are among the things that matter most? The family portraits. The memories we carry with us are really all that matters sometimes, and the time we have together is what is cherished and valued above all else.

I actually met Lee Marvin while he was filming “Route 66″ in Pittsburgh.  As a matter of fact, I was on the set and there was a fight scene between him and George Maharis and George took a punch and broke Lee Marvin’s nose.

My sister, Jane, met Mr. Roger’s in NYC when she was working for WABC Radio.  She said that she never saw so many people interested in meeting someone as they did Mr. Rogers.  By the way, this will make sense when you read below.  But Mr. Rogers had a swimming cap in his hand when he came to the studios.  Jane asked his assistant why he was carrying a swimming cap and the assistant said that Mr. Rogers swims each day and he was going swimming later.  By the way, Mr. Rogers filmed his show each day in Pittsburgh where he lived and worked.

Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 at age 76, which is odd, because he always looked to be 76. (DOB: 6/27/27 ) His death reminded me of the following  story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave alongside 3- and 4-star generals at Arlington National Cemetery His marker give s his name, rank (PVT) and service  (USMC). Nothing else.  Here’s  a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn’t know the extent of his Corps experiences.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to  be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions,  Lee Marvin was a genuine hero.  He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima There is only one! higher Naval award…  the Medal Of  Honor!

If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialog from “The  ; ; Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”: His guest was Lee Marvin  Johnny said, “Lee, I’ll bet a lot of people are  unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima …and that during the course of that  action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded.”

“Yeah, yeah… I got shot squ are in the bottom and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up ! Suribac hi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting’ shot hauling you down. But,Johnny, at Iwo   I served under the bravest man I ever knew… We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach.  Bullets flying by, with mortar r oun ds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men’s safety  was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, “Where’d they get you Lee?”    “Well Bob… if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the  outhouse!”

Johnny, I’m not lying,  Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.
The Sergeant’s name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.”

On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS,  gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect  of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed  kills to his name.  He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps.  He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat

After the war Mr. Rogers  became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.

America’s real heroes don’t flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best.  They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all  enjoy.

Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst.
Often, they are the ones you’d least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.

Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom.  With encouragement they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr.Rogers…

2nd Woman: Hi! I’m Sylvia. How’d you die?

1st Woman: I froze to death.

2nd Woman: How horrible!

1st Woman: It wasn’t so bad. After I quit shaking from the cold, I
began to get warm and sleepy and finally died a peaceful death. What
about you?

2nd Woman: I died of a massive heart attack I suspected my husband was
cheating, so I came home early to catch him in the act. But instead I
found him all by himself in the den watching TV.

1st Woman: So what happened?

2nd Woman: I was so sure there was another woman somewhere that I
started running all over the house looking. I ran up into the attic and
searched and then down into the basement. I went through each closet
and checked under all the beds. I kept this up until I had looked
everywhere, and finally I became so exhausted that I just keeled over
with a heart attack and died.

1st Woman: Too bad you didn’t look in the freezer……..We’d both
still be alive.

He tells him, “If I’m not back in four years, unlock my wife and set her free to live a normal life.”

The husband leaves on horseback and about half an hour later, he sees a cloud of dust behind him. He waits for it to come closer and sees his best friend.

“What’s wrong?”, he asks.

“You gave me the wrong key.

Love them, cherish them, make them smile…

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

If anyone knows the original author of this, please let me know so that I may give proper credit.

John

We all respond to exhibits in various ways. As might be expected, I look at the lighting and speculate about different choices the artist and museum might have made and what emotional resonance that would have had on a given exhibit… One part of the exhibit was particularly under-lit, and initially I questioned the wisdom of that choice, but considered that perhaps the artist was asking us to respond to the collection of works as opposed to the merits of any singular piece. No doubt, you’ll see what I’m referring to when you visit.

Also there right now is the art of Richard Tuttle — “Six” is one of my favorite Tuttle pieces.

The cool thing about MOCA is that it’s not overpowering like a lot of museums; if you’re really pressed for time, you really could jam through in about 90 minutes. In my opinion, that would do the work injustice and you a disservice, and it’s fun to interact and dwell in the various exhibits. The interaction and reflection is what makes going to a museum so tremendously enriching. Highly recommended — check it out.

I don’t mean to embarrass her. She already has shown me in eight years that she’s going to grow into a confident, beautiful, sophisticated young woman. But right now she makes me laugh every time she does that, and yes, shake my head a little… She is definitely my kid. LOL