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Wednesday, December 6, 2017

REFLECTIONS ..

Thanks to a new pal, I was reminded of the trend toward modal music that was spurred by Richard and Mimi Farina in the sixties.  I tease 'modern' mountain dulcimer players about their damned 'extra' frets because Richard never had them and certainly the inspiration for all of us, Jean Ritchie, never had them either.. The diatonic tuning of the traditional mountain dulcimer .. modified with extra strings.. of which I, of course, approve.. is an open chord that makes music making available to practically anyone.  

Being reminded of Richard and Mimi's Reflections in a Crystal Wind, combined with the deaths recently of Bud Ford II, sweet Ursula Voigt and Rod Gully.. all friends from important phases of my life.. I wanted to comfort Bud's wife, Donna and his daughter, Erin.. I sent them a note but did not include the lyrics of the song.  

Change is constant whether I like it or not.  Death is part of that.. and these terrible fires here in the LA area are a reminder of impermanence ..  We move on.. Hopefully..  We move. ...  on.

If you know the tune, this is a wonderful example of Richard's songwriting.. and his mountain dulcimer accompaniment .. 

REFLECTIONS IN A CRYSTAL WIND

If there's a way to say I'm sorry
Perhaps I'll stay another evening beside your door
And watch the moon rise inside your window
Where jewels are falling, and flowers weeping, and strangers laughing
Because you're grieving that I have gone.

And if I don't know why I am going
Perhaps I'll wait beside the pathway where no-one's coming
And count the questions I turned away from, or closed my eyes to
Or had no time for, or passed right over
Because the answers would shame my pride.

I've heard them say the word forever
But I don't know if words have meaning when they are promised
In fear of losing what can't be borrowed
Or lent in blindness, or blessed by pageantry, or sold by preachers
While you're still walking your separate way.

Sometimes we bind ourselves together
And seldom know the harm in binding 
the only feeling that cries for freedom
And needs unfolding and understanding
And time for holding a simple mirror
The one reflection to call your own.

If there's an end to all our dreaming
Perhaps I'll go while you're still standing beside your door
And I'll remember your hands encircling 
a bowl of moonstones
A lamp of childhood, a robe of roses
Because your sorrows were still unborn.

//////// 

and on the note of sad current affairs..

Thankfully, the news media is using the terms "inappropriate" and "unacceptable" behavior instead of 'harassemet' or 'abuse' in our ongoing #me too issues.  

michael sheehan
december 6, 2017

Sunday, December 3, 2017

DECEMBER 3, 2017

12/3/17

I wish that these sad dark days would just vanish. 

I wish that the whole truth was available to us all.

I wish that I felt as though reasonable people were making reasonable statements about the state of our society.  

I've used the term 'circling the drain' in the past and I hope that I am wrong. It's so discouraging to read about all  of the stuff that may simply annihilate us: 
The human race.. 
The United States? 
Me and people whom I care about.. that's personal. 

The following is a letter to our Glendale, California Assembly Member, Laura Friedman.  It is a response to something I saw on Channel Four News with Conan Nolan earlier today.   It's a follow up.. of sorts.. to what I posted yesterday.  There may be some repetition. 

Bottom line?  Adults need to be responsible. 
//

Dear Laura..

I watched the last part of your interview with Conan Nolan on NBC News just now.  It is very troubling that we are painting with a broad brush when it comes to the terms describing sexual 'misconduct' to 'harassment' to 'assault'...
I support your efforts to get this issue into the open and to clear up the definitions of what may be an attack and what may not be.
A catcall is not a rape.

I watched the news segment following your articulate interview with Conan Nolan. It was appalling to hear the story from Pamela Lopez, a lobbyist you may know.   What Mr. Nolan did not hear was more about the story of her being "forced into a bathroom and a legislator masturbating in front of her." Her words.

What failed to be mentioned was that Ms Lopez was not 'attacked or assaulted' in the capitol offices, but in a bar. She didn't mention if she and the legislator had been drinking, nor if they had been together socially at the time.  The whole truth of this alleged behavior is now tainted by information that seems to have been deliberately withheld. 

Credibility, to me, has to do with adults taking responsibility for our actions.  If we are in a bar.. when? At lunch? 1:00 AM? Waiting for dinner? Having a drink? Or two?  All of these circumstances inform the situation.  In the interview with Mr. Nolan, Ms Lopez said she was "forced into a bathroom." Her words.  The NY Times reported that the man followed her into the ladies' room.  She told Mr. Nolan that he began to masturbate!  The NYTimes reports that she said that he asked her to touch him.  She does not mention if she was at the 'elegant' Ella (which you may know) or the after hours dive bar, Simon's Bar and Cafe on 15th Street (which I am sure you have never heard of! ).. 

You are quoted in this article.



  "No! Means NO!!" Of course, but the circumstances color every situation.  Ms Lopez doesn't name the legislator whom she accuses of doing this. The demeanor of this woman was such that one google search to see for whom she is a lobbyist turned up published information that changes the story enough to make me question her credibility.  It's not black and white. Blaming the 'victim' is not the goal.  Getting more of the entire picture makes a difference, however. 

We must find a reasonable 'tone' of attitude and even of our voices, when moving forward to find out what is really happening.   I hope that your committee will consider my suggestion of using a graph to chart the nature of any 'inappropriate behavior'.. and that we use the term 'alleged' victim and 'alleged' perpetrator when discussing these matters.  The 'tone' of women ... and men?  coming forward with stories and Gloria Allred's tearfully coaxing an 'alleged victim' through a prepared speech being haltingly read are all part of a situation that must be addressed. However, adult responsibility must be taken into consideration ... and.. especially the circumstances that are factual to whole story.

I was impressed with this short segment on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday. 

It's short and may help to inform your business in calculating these damages and how to mitigate them.

I remain your strong supporter and will be happy to discuss this on or off the record with you.  Thank you for your kind words on my behalf in the past and being a responsive representative.
This letter will be published on my onehundred days site.

michael sheehan
December 3, 2017

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Buck Up!

December 2, 2017

I had to title this with some hope.  Not only has our country been slip sliding into the toidy, now there's this big fat tax bill that may deep six zillions of Americans.  But.. somehow.. like that line by Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love, it all works out.  We hope!  I don't have the answer, but cannot allow myself to think that these guys really want to ruin the USA. 

Tonight on NPR, coming back to Glendale from a gorgeous day with gorgeous women and great foodies in San Pedro.. I heard a discussion regarding the ongoing sexual misconduct issue.  At last, intelligent folks.. during the "Barbershop" segment of All Things Considered, discuss this ongoing hew and cry of 'sexual harassment.'  What is brought to light turns on something that I've been trying to get people to get a handle on.. what ..exactly.. is 'misconduct' "harassment' .. ? Abuse, etc.. This discussion gets to the point with both a man and a woman finding a way to some better understanding. I found it refreshing.

"Legal analyst Paul Butler, New York Times correspondent Susan Chira and ethicist Jack Marshall join NPR's Michel Martin to discuss harassment in Congress and how to know if you've crossed a line."

https://www.scpr.org/programs/all-things-considered/2017/12/02/52153/

Copy and paste that into your browser and spend a few minutes listening to a reasonable discussion. The essence has to do with past 'misconduct' bubbling to the surfce under the current coming out of stories by women who have kept silent ..sometimes for decades.  

The discussion says it better than I can.. so.. for some reasonable ideas and insights into our current situation, give it a listen. Of course, if you are a republican, it will all probably sound like pinko, commie, nazi, lefty jargon.. but.. it sounded reasonable to me.. a pinko.. etc.. 

It all comes back to feeling powerless, of course. And, it's time for women to not feel compelled to keep silent about being taken advantage of.. The part of this program that discusses George Clooney and Steve Buscemi is really interesting to me.  And.. it's pointed out that all someone has to do is to make an accusation.  No need for verification or such.  What? The accusation is enough?  No.  It is not. And, it is the 'victim' who calls the shots about whether something that might have been.. shall we say.. maybe okay.. years ago? Might be remembered in the current light of what's going on as not okay? 

This is why I've been asking for a graph that will delineate the type of the offense and the severity of it.  A leer is not a rape.. as examples of type.. and 'sneering leering' not as severe and a rape and a murder.  "Every bad act does not deserve a 'nuclear option!'"  Due Process!?

This is NOT to demean any victim. It's just a step back to examine what's going on. I think that a majority of Americans are compromised by the severity of the political climate that has most folks I know in a major tizzy! Angst!   We are tizzified by the incredible happenstance of what is going on in our country that seems antithetical to good health: physical and financial and even aesthetic.  Scary.. but.. buck up and do something good for someone else.. That, at least, we can control. 
michaelsheehan

 

Thursday, November 16, 2017

LET'S CREATE A TEST!

November 16, 2017
November 26, 2017 edit: 
Today is the birthday of Michael Butler, the producer best known for his involvement with the musical HAIR. With Michael Arabian at the helm of the revival of the show in April, 2018, it looks to be a very special updated, yet true to the values of Ragny and Rado's 1968 production. The play has been running constantly around the world for fifty years. (almost)  Happy Birthday to Mr. Butler!  Check out The Palace Theatre (built in 1911) on Broadway in Downtown LA. See you in April!... 

//

 
To continue the comment on the current scandals that are 'rocking' Hollywood and the rest of our country.   The following is something that bubbled up in me that may be a bit repetitive ..  More accusations about 'sexual misconduct' are coming and as the layers of this uncomfortable onion peel away, I wonder if all of the accusations against the current president will ever come to anything? That his behavior is disgusting to me is irrelevant. When you can rationalize your behavior, that's that?  Maybe the USA has to crash and even burn to recover? I hope not.  But, it's feeling pretty crumbly right now... to me. 

///

Fact is that any male worth his salt has lusted and probably said or done something that will now be deemed to be "inappropriate." The trouble is that the scale from one to ten to examine the perceived type of sexual annoyance encountered by anyone and the degree: (annoying, harassing, abusing physically, attacking to do harm), the severity of the activity has not yet been established. 

"You have a great butt!" to a woman who has a great butt is intended as a compliment unless she decides that it is offensive, even if she really does have a great butt and knows it. She probably works at it. Women decide what's okay and what's not okay. This 'scale' I want to see should go along with an electronic test to conclude the veracity of the complaint. Ditto for gay people. It's time to create checks and balances that define the nature of the 'offense' and the subsequent damages. This is NOT to dismiss anyone's complaint. It's just that  Hysteria is now in becoming out of control and anyone, including me.. could come out of the woodwork and make a claim. Every single person who has had an encounter and desires to be heard, should be heard. And,  as the USA circles the drain with a maniac at the helm of the ship of state, we may just be getting what we deserve! 

The news media is in a feeding frenzy that distracts us from the issues that may sink our country.  It's the juicy stuff like the LA radio 'host,' Leeann Tweeden, who, today, graphically boosts her Q with a press conference, the logo for her radio station on display, to graphically declare that Al Franken did unwelcome things to her.  Franken immediately steps up and apologizes.  Fact is that Leeann is a babe! She probably works at it. Is that sexual harassment? Leeann? Was I inappropriate?  You sure look like a 'babe' to me! Though, you are not my type. Sorry.

Let's publish a scale from Sexual Annoyance to Rape and Murder.  Let's see in graphic terms what this whole business is about and define it. Let's have accusers take a lie detector test that will establish .. though not legally.. to what degree the accuser is being honest.  This is not to doubt! This is to establish the reliability of both the accused and the accuser.  Make the accused take a test, too.

The insanity will persist until another massacre of innocents steals the spotlight and then, here we'll go again until the issues fade.  I'll bet Bill Cosby is really happy for Weinstein and the current batch of miscreants stealing the spotlight.  And, on the Cosby page, I am just sad to have lost the enjoyment of his comic genius.  
Being ever tainted is really awful. 

Michael Sheehan

 

Thursday, November 9, 2017

THE HEW AND THE CRY AND RESPONSIBILITY

November 9, 2017

I almost made the mistake of posting this on Facebook.  The trolling and short responses there: supportive or not, tend to be antithetical to any real discussion.  Tempers are flying.  This current explosion of accusations by 'victims' of sexual harassment, abuse, assault and battery must be taken on a case by case basis. This is NOT to defend any of the accused nor to vet any of the accusers.  It just seems to me that the wave of 'victims' coming forward, some after tens of years past, has the air of panic and hysteria that colors the whole issue.

Intelligent people follow the law and it troubles me that the finger pointing and tears we now see daily on TV and in the news, should be mitigated by perspective and wondering if any of the accusers take any responsibility for putting themselves in harm's way?  

Children are not responsible. Ever. But, who is a child? Under eighteen? Legally, probably, but there are gray areas. There must be.

What is the age of sexual consent? A woman or a man under the age of 21 consenting if he/she says 'yes' or doesn't say 'no?' Is the age of consent Eighteen? State to state? Twelve years old in the deep South? Are consenting sexually active sixteen year olds engaging in mutual sexual assault? Are the consenting fifteen year old unwed mother and consenting eighteen year old father guilty of anything?

Is the seduction by say, a nineteen or twenty year old woman of a fortysix or fortyseven year old man something? These are not frivolous questions. Every case is unique. Who are actual victims of a predator and who are people who just made a bad decision? We are quick to judge. What is that often quoted Bible passage? "Let he who is without sin.. etc?"

When alcohol and drugs are on the scene that makes a huge difference. Being star struck as I was by a famous TV actress who invited me to her home and wanted me but I didn't want her.. is that something? After one glass of wine, I excused myself politely. Could I make an accusation? Would I?   Never.. but.. each case is unique. 
 
Sexual Harassment, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Sexual Battery.. Responsibility.  These are all factors in this current issue and until charges are filed and a court trial.. as in the horrible case of Bill Cosby..  until that happens and there's a verdict.. it's all accusations.  
 
This is NOT to doubt any of the accusers.  
 
Each of us has a perception of 'what happened.' (Roshomon?)   In court, one has the burden of proving that something really did happen. In my case, the actress in question would never have thought that she was sexually harassing me.  In fact, it was the 'pre' harassing vibe that got me politely out the door.  
 
A lesson learned in Hollywood. No hard feelings. 
 
michaelsheehan 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Post November 8th.. on taking a knee

Noon today in the parking lot at the Credit Union I took a knee for about a minute. 
Not a very glamorous vista. Wearing a black arm band, not one person I encountered seemed curious.  What is success with an idea like this?  I guess just doing what I intended to do and wondering what, if anything, others did is enough. Subtle demonstrations may be naive.  It's important that we stay vigilant and get local elections lined up for locals to support leaders who will side against this administration.  

Onward to art and the movies and theatre.  If you took a knee today. Thank you.  How did it feel? How do you feel? What else can we actually do? 

November 8, 2017

Thursday, October 19, 2017

REMEMBER NOVEMBER 8, 2016

October 19, 2017

November 8, 2017 will mark a dark day in United States history.  If you have to think for a minute about that date, that is part and parcel of the problem.  We are apt to forget our tragedies as new ones emerge. 

On November 8, 2016, a tragedy befell the United States of America.  Many of us have forgotten the empty and hopeless feeling that night and disbelief and sadness on the following day.  We have been inundated with tragedies, almost too numerous to count including natural weather disasters as well as threat of nuclear war and murders that are not natural.  

I am not a good organizer.  Committees are difficult to deal with.  Individuals may, however, make a difference.  An example shown by a well known person, Colin Kaepernick, has grown in scope and now a national discussion about demonstrations to show support or rejection of his idea, his singular demonstration is growing.  A terrible practice demeaning to women has driven a powerful man from power thanks to one person speaking out.

This idea may take hold.  If you agree, please tell at least two sympathetic friends and ask them to tell their friends, and so on.  Exponential agreement with this simple plan may add to exposing the reality that the current administration of the United States is not representative of American Ideals. 

I propose that at noon on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 that every conscientious person, not only in the United States, but around the world, stop for one or two minutes and kneel in memory of democracy as we knew it. Mourn the loss of reason. 
Be still.. 
Wear black. An armband or a shroud.  
Wear black and stop to mourn.  

Mourn the deaths and destruction in Las Vegas and Houston and Puerto Rico and the sadness around the world and demonstrate that as powerless as each of us as individuals may feel, as a community we may simply show our sadness and kneel together in Unity.  

 Noon.
 November 8, 2017.  
Stop and be still.   
Wear Black.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN

October 17, 2017

An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal or civil liability. 

Harassment is governed by state laws, which vary by state, but is generally defined as a course of conduct which annoys, threatens, intimidates, alarms, or puts a person in fear of their safety.

Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.

/// 
Of course, if you see it on the internet, it must be true.  And, of course, defining anything in these days of weirdness is tricky.

I'm concerned with the flagrant use of these words in the current issue of The Casting Couch, Harvey Weinstein and anyone who may have done anything to seem to threaten or  piss another person off.   We are under the influence of Victorian and Puritanical guidelines that make the use of the words 'sex' or 'sexual' still highly charged words.  We have shame and embarrassment as the foundation of all things 'sexual.'  We giggle at the use of some words. It used to be that someone would put an ad in the paper and in big letters headline announce:  
SEX!  and now that I have your attention, I can do your yard work or fix your roof.

I've imagined that this whole business of 'sexual assault and sexual harassment' must be viewed on a graph that runs horizontally from zero to ten and also vertically from zero to ten with a five in the middle.  Thus a forced rape would be a horizontal ten (the worst) and a vertical ten (also the worst).  Then, we go to statutory rape where, there may be mutual consent, but the law is involved with the age of the participants.  Mutual consent for say, a seventeen year old boy and an eighteen year old girl (the boy's birthday a few days away?) would be a statutory crime for the girl.  On this imaginary scale, since the boy and the girl are virtually the same age, would be a zero on the horizontal scale and zero on the vertical scale.   These are guidelines for the physical act of sexual intercourse.  In some states, the age of consent would be lower.  But, you get the idea. 

Sexual Harassment is a little trickier.  On the same scales vertical and horizontal, if someone stood in another person's face and shouted obscenities, that would be harassment (and an assault!) a ten on the horizontal scale and probably a ten on the vertical scale for the close proximity of being face to face. Shouting obscenities on the phone would reduce the threat to less on both scales.    Flipping the bird to a motorist who cut you off in traffic might initially be a one and a one, but if it goes into 'road rage' then, the scales escalate. 

This is where communication needs to go.  To get these definitions into an arena where there's an agreement among all parties as to what is going on. We can agree that a physical assault is wrong. Period.  And, to stand and curse in someone's face is the pinnacle of what harassment would be on this imaginary horizontal and vertical scale. In the traffic example, if it's a quick exchange and flipping the bird, then, we catch our breath and it's over. 

In a lesser situation perception of harassment might be felt by one person and never the intention of the other.  Thus, our definitions become almost like our perceptions of what art is: unique to the individual.   Being considerate and listening is a quality that many people now lack.  Each of us, now with the introduction of #Metoo, must find out first what harassment in general might be.  Unwelcome touching is a little easier to define with the 'touchee' declaring, "Don't touch me!" Or.. "Please, do not touch?"  The 'toucher' then is on notice.  

But, as we mature from childhood to some semblance of being adults, the signals and behavior change.  Playing tag and teasing and physical relating to each other change.  Signals change.  Maturity is fluid. Even for those who may have reached the physical age of maturity may be stuck in some adolescent groove where the 'rules' are unclear and what's appropriate or not appropriate may be fluid, too. 

Some folks are just 'touchers.'  They express themselves with strokes or pats or other exhibitions of familiarity.  Hugs are a given for some folks who can't contain themselves.  Are they sexual advances or just physical expressions of friendliness? In France, friends kiss cheeks on most everyone in a polite social situation. 

I have stated that we are edging toward if not already in the midst of a 'mob mentality' with every single person who has posted in social media #Metoo, defining their own version of being SEXUALLY HARASSED OR ASSAULTED. It may range from the low end of my imaginary scale to the worst, but this growing mob of people declaring their situation mostly makes no distinction.  

Of course, No means NO!  However, in many social situations, there may be alcohol or drugs involved.. or just misread signals that lead to trouble.   I am reminded of a little poem that a roommate of mine taught me:

I'll drink to the girls who do
And, I'll drink to the girls that don't,
But, I won't drink to a girl who says she will
And, later says she won't.  

As social media hijacks our lives and the bandwagon of #Metoo escalates, I just hope that a frenzy that might be parallel to the Salem Witch Trials does not sweep up so many miscreants that we have no idea who is really guilty and who is a hapless dummy who just thought that telling someone they were attractive was okay. 

This then turns on individual responsibility.  If someone is provoked or even enticed, where on the scale does a response wind up?  I've seen a woman in a social situation, make eye contact with a man and when he approached, she just turned her shoulder and blew him off.   I've heard stories of wanna be actresses sneaking into A list parties and flirting with A list participants for what ever reason.. a role in a film or just to have an adventure.  Are they 'asking for it?' Probably, not, but with flirting and alcohol and such, the opportunity for disaster may be brewing.

The whole business of power and the dozens of stories and accusations that are bubbling to the surface right this minute and the lawsuits and maybe even criminal actions to follow turn, to me, on the responsibility of each participant.. willing and unwilling.  We all must take responsibility for our adult decisions. 

Then there's the story of the car parked up in Lover's Lane late at night and the cop knocking on the window. The boy is in the front seat reading and the girl is in the back seat knitting.   The boy rolls down the window and the cop asks, "Is she eighteen? (assuming that the boy is over eighteen!).  The boy looks at his watch and says, "She will be in about ten minutes!"

There is nothing funny about sexual abuse. And, sexual harassment is a very loose term, it seems to me.  As legislation in France is being advanced to make it a criminal offense for a man to cat call or tease a woman on the street, it seems to me that we are headed into a very murky and slippery slope where our social communication may suffer. 

No question that powerful men who threaten women and force themselves on them either physically or psychically should be brought to bear.  It's about male domination, mostly, but if vice versa were true, then we need to examine that, too.  The stories now emerging are, if not horrific, really uncomfortably distasteful.  I still wonder about the responsibility of an adult woman who agrees to meet with a powerful man in an 'intimate' situation like a hotel room.. or in an office where the staff disappears.  As adults, we must be responsible for ourselves, but the allure of fame or money or work need to be examined and bringing the powerful to bear and  even brought to justice is long over due. 

michaelsheehan
October 17, 2017

Sunday, October 15, 2017

HOT HOT HOT BUTTON ISSUES

I  won't apologize for thinking that in this hew and cry about Harvey Weinstein's abysmal behavior, our society may be creating a mob mentality. This situation must be carefully examined.   

According to a woman I don't think I've met, Gillian Bagwell, I'm a moron for asking a simple question.  My question is whether or not women are at all responsible for  their involvement in what is being exposed today that includes the expulsion of Weinstein from the AMPAS (The Academy) Other men, also accused like Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski, both excoriated ..  have not been expelled. Cosby is in court and Polanski is in exile.  The President of the United States has been equally accused and may have bought off accusers (as Weinstein reportedly has done) and POTUS is still in office.  Are women complicit in some way? Where does responsibility lie?

In a totally unrelated incident,  I was recently  brought to bear by a friend for saying that I thought that a parent who decided not to answer her phone from an unknown number was responsible in part for a terrible accident: the death of her thirteen year old son.  I was attacked because the man who was upset has had the terrible and unthinkable loss of a child which colors his point of view.  Touching the nerves of now possibly hundreds of woman in Hollywood with the Weinstein issue is like making a formerly docile pet attack by stepping on its foot.  A bad analogy..but when we are hurting, to have the injury rewounded, it's just too much. 

On Facebook I told of a mentally disturbed woman who attacked me for just asking if we all should be responsible for our own actions.  I have to consider the source and not be offended because she is obviously in diminished capacity.  

In fact, all of our entire society is in diminished capacity right now.  People of good conscience are under threat of war and the president of the United States makes silly comments and behaves like an errant eighth grader: name calling and such to the embarrassment of anyone with an IQ over 99.  It is overwhelming.. and very sad.

All I really want to know is how a man like Weinstein, in a town with a gossip mill that runs 24/7 is now brought to bear for behavior that has gone on for years?  His reputation as a hard nosed producer is widely known.   Are we so naive as to think that the women who are now coming forward were so afraid of ruining careers and such that they did not, at least, speak to friends or relatives?  How sick is our Hollywood society? Lizzie Maxwell has quoted another actress in her book about Hollywood, Little Fish in a Big Pond: A Support Guide for Actors, (not naming names) saying that she scooped the Weinstein story years ago!

I have anecdotal evidence from a friend that Weinstein is not the only person in power who has taken advantage of his position of power.  The Casting Couch has been around for years and years. Not a nice thing, but still. It is true.

An actor I know insisted that any actress that was going to work with him was invited to be intimate.  Is this right or wrong? Wrong, of course. But, was the job so important that acceding to an intimate encounter was forced? 

It is NOT my intention to be flippant about this issue. I just want to point out that from time in memorial, men have been called  upon to pursue women.. the old joke is that 'he chased her until she caught him.'   In fact, in my experience, women have the power to attract and to reject advances.  If Mr. Weinstein drugged someone as has been the contention of the Cosby victims, then, how did those women get into such a bad predicament in the first place?  Choices.

I asked about the parents of the seventeen year old girl who met with Weinstein in a hotel room.  Whose responsibility was that?  

Tippi Hedren's story of being approached by Hitchcock was a bit amusing. She just walked out the door and slammed it, she says.  A dear friend of mine had dinner with the director of a film she was in.  How far it went, I don't know, but she was the type of person who could speak her mind and would never have been taken advantage of. Period. 

Responsibility is the key here.  If someone physically took advantage and forced him/her self on an unwilling person, that's rape.  File charges.  Have a trial!  We have a judicial system: criminal and civil.

But, now we get into a gray area.. The business of an 'adult' woman teacher having an affair with a seventeen year old boy may be an issue in the eyes of the law, but I'm guessing that to the boy, it was not so much being taken advantage of, as it was an adventure.  Mutual consent now rears its hoary head, along with a few glasses of champagne and a party atmosphere regardless of age. 

The deranged woman who shouted at me that she could walk around in a bikini and it would be wrong to touch her is certainly correct.  But, in this particular woman's case, she was unattractive on the inside to start with and the idea of her in a bikini is, to me repulsive.. But, what is the responsibility for women who stroll the red carpet in revealing fashions or a flirt who at first says she will and then says she won't?  Of course, No means NO! However, under the influence of drugs or alcohol or passion, when things get out of control, there must be mutual responsibility.. It seems to me.  

In jest, I suggested that women now take up the burka.  That gives men nothing to make a comment about and women can wear whatever they like out of sight.  The reason that men such as the president behave so badly is because they think they can.  "Grab a pussy" language is the essence of that guy's deep philosophy.  With an honest discussion about responsibility after the heat of this current issue dies down a bit, we may then find ways for both men and women to communicate with out name calling.   

And, I wonder if it is sexual abuse or harassment for a man to be attracted to a woman and say so? Hello..  I find you attractive.  Is that sexual harassment?  I recently met a woman whose behavior seemed to be welcoming. It was nice until we actually met one on one. That was that, but the signals that I perceived at first were positive.  The end was that I knew it was a bad idea and so did she.

If we educate our selves and engage in civil discourse, then the Gillian Bagwells of our society might not be calling folks like me a moron and the discussion may lead to a better understanding of this issue.  

Fact is, I PROBABLY AM a moron for thinking that this diatribe will make a bit of difference, but in the end, I consider myself, if not a feminist, at least a champion of women and human rights . ... all humans' rights.   Let's get communication straight before the emotional fury gets more out of hand.

michael sheehan
October 15, 2017


Sunday, October 8, 2017

LIFE GOES ON. SO LONG BUD FORD JR

UPDATE. There will be a memorial gathering for Bud on October 21 2017 2pm at Soda Springs Park.  I imagine that there will be a lot of folks attending. As it should be.  If you attend, please extend my love to Donna, Erin and Bud III.


I sometimes use the term, 'the inevitable' .. especially when speaking over the years with my good friend, Ken Rugg.  I would not have ever met Bud Ford, Jr. if it was not for my friendship with Rugg.  The serendipity of life winds its way all over the place in this story. To eulogize Bud, I have to mention Rugg and CapriTaurus and dulcimers and the Renaissance Faire and Greeley, Colorado and how we don't have to like it when friends die.  But.  It is inevitable.

Rugg pretty much saved my bacon almost fifty years ago.  Had we not gotten together to make theatre in Long Beach, I'd not have really known him, lived in Long Beach and had that influence, but I'd never have met his brothers and taken up the mountain dulcimer, wound up at the Renaissance Faire and so much good stuff that it won't fit here.  Meeting the Ford family would never have happened.  

There's so much story and this is not about that. This is about later.  Twelve years ago I dropped into The Dulcimer Shop in Manitou to see The Fords and magic was brewing.  It was the first time that we had met in person. The Mountain Music Festival was in bloom. Robert and Janette Force were in attendance, along with my old friend, Michael Johnson.  That's a story all on its own. 
Bud III, Donna, Bud II and Erin. Christmas Window by David  Gonzales
                                                           Photo by Robert Force

This writing is to eulogize a guy who was steeped in his community. Steeped in love and steeped in music.  The story of how Bud and his wife, the beautiful Donna, and their kids: Bud III and elfin Erin.. made a little storefront in Manitou Springs, Colorado a landmark is part of it. How their Mountain Music Festival was an annual tradition.  How the world of mountain dulcimers and acoustic music was enhanced by their efforts.    

They did a lot.  

Bud helped me make a special art project to commemorate Totem Teddy, the mascot Alaskan Bear Totem on the Greeley campus of what is now the University of Northern Colorado.  
Bear photo by Lloyd Norton
The guy was a whirlwind of helping.  His generosity is something that our little world will always appreciate. 

So.  Bud's gone.  The connection that I feel to Manitou,  including my childhood, and Donna and those pesky kids: Bud III and Erin, is one that I treasure. The Fords are deeply rooted in Manitou Springs, so I am sure that there will be a celebration of life to remember and tell stories. It's the stories that sustain us through the tears and our loss.  

The photo above is at the suggestion of Janette Force: a little altar.   She's Robert Force's sweet love. Robert is an icon in the world of mountain dulcimer.  I met them long ago, going back to that Rugg connection that I mentioned.  Janette is wonderful. Really.  

Lighting a candle is a ritual that we should all consider.  It's a personal statement that affects us individually.  It wasn't until I did Janette's ritual that the gravity of Bud's passing sank in. Thank you, Janette.

Life goes on.  We must find a way to love one another.  

It is really important.

Love to the Fords.. and to you, my reader, too. 
michaelsheehan 
October 8, 2017