If you're checking here for obits and anecdotes about Peter O'Toole, Joan Fontaine, Tom Laughlin or any of the show biz celebs who died in the last few days, sorry. Didn't know any of them. Have little to say about any of them…though it's tempting to write about some of Mr. Laughlin's tirades against film critics and also the studio that released his best-known film, Billy Jack. The film was a modest success but Laughlin managed to wrest control of it away from Warner Brothers and he got it re-released with ads that touted it as "One of the most popular motion pictures of all time." It wasn't when he started saying it but his blitzkrieg pretty much made it true. He took some of the money he made from it and bought full-page ads in newspapers to lambaste film reviewers from not recognizing its and his greatness. It seemed in keeping with the movie's schizophrenia. It's been a long time since I saw it but I recall Billy Jack preaching pacifism while karate-chopping people.
My knees seem to be getting better, thank you. Every once in a while, one or the other decides to ache like crazy for twenty minutes, then it reverts to just feeling a bit odd. I can't find any reason why the pains start or stop. I just hope the overall improvement of the left one continues and doesn't stop when the cortisone shot wear off in a week or so.
Last night, I was sitting here at my computer about 3 AM finishing a had-to-be-in-before-I-slept assignment and I suddenly heard an awful car crash outside. In fact, it sounded like several crashes. I couldn't see anything out the window but I grabbed up my iPhone, my house keys and a big flashlight and ran outside…in time to see two cars way, way down the block that had obviously been involved. They both revved up and drove off. A motorist pulled over and said in an amazed voice, "Did you see that?" I told him, "No, but I heard it. What happened?" He said, "Those two guys were driving around, crashing into each other. It was like a game of some sort!"
The driver said he'd phoned 911 and reported it, then asked me if I'd seen which way they went. I said, "Yeah, north!" He said, "Well then, I'm going south!" And he drove off that way and I went in and went back to my script. I'd love to know what that was all about but doubt I ever will.