Dharma Sharks in Lala Land

It's been a while since I've written, but now, after much anticipation, I bring you the return of Nate-dog's Blogs.

(I'm not really that full of myself. I know you could care less. But thanks for reading anyway.)

So I'm blogging about similarities between L.A. and the island in Lost. It seems to me in both cases, people have certain demons that brought them where they are. Everyone who has moved to L.A. has certain issues they are trying to run from, just like the people in Lost. And I've talked to a great many people that moved to L.A. not wanting to stay here really -- not wanting to rent an apartment and live in a crazy, dysfunctional, non-family oriented town for the rest of their lives. Many people planned on returning to the suburban paradises from which they originated. And of course the people on the island didn't expect to stay there as long as they have. They thought it was just a little detour. But people seem to get stuck in both places. A lot of people think they'll just come to L.A., make it big, and then move somewhere else -- returning to L.A. just for work once in a while.

But people in both cases are forced to work out their demons in ways they didn't expect. They may have had certain dreams -- and they aren't playing out the way they were supposed to.

But, sometimes a loser in a small-minded small town can be crippled in some way. Suddenly, he finds himself in L.A. or on the island, and he is a leader -- and a hunter -- his disability is gone, miraculously. Hunting wild boar...or hot L.A. women -- or just helping his fellow man through the jungles.

People see crazy things they weren't expecting to see along the way. Polar bears on a tropical island, wild horses, dead relatives...or men dressed up like devils or giant rabbits, transvestites, super-heroes.

But, you know, I've felt like the show has been stuck lately -- stuck in a rut. The main characters have been captured by the Others up to this point in the third season, and it looks to me like the writers haven't quite figured out what they're gonna do. Well, my "Others" have me hemmed up in a rut, too. Where is the story going?

Sadly, I have come to the realization that I am the writer of my story. Even Almighty God doesn't have as much control over my story as I do -- because He has given me free will. I just need to think "What do I want out of life?" No matter what it is, if I give it to God, dedicate it to Him, He'll bless it ... whatever it is, as long as it's aligned with His Word.

So I guess it's time to write myself out of a corner. I must free myself from my "Others."

But the question is...how do I get back to the main island?

It's a two-mile swim through shark-infested waters...

Further Down the Rabbit Hole

new position at work. new apartment. new people. new adventures. 10 minute walk from the hollywood attractions...

i walked up to the boulevard yesterday.

there's a creepy rabbit-man there. not exactly like frank from donnie darko -- he feels much more evil than frank. his costume is filthy. he waves at passerby. i don't know what he's waiting for. he doesn't seem to be collecting money or anything.

but i think if i had children, i'd take them to get like easter pictures taken with the filthy rabbit-man . . . you know, to creep out the relatives.

i bet if that guy keeps sitting there, in a few years, word will spread about him, and he'll be as much an attraction as the chinese theater itself. people will be like "oh yeah, we did the whole hollywood and highland thing, saw the chinese theater, put our hands in all the celebrity handprints, took some pictures at the kodak, pretended we were walking down the red carpet, got a picture with the creepy bunny guy . . . "

people will throw money at him and he'll be rich.

he sits in front of the gap. they might call him "the gap bunny." or "the filthy, evil gap rabbit man"

or they might arrest him next april for handing out poisoned candy at easter time.

but then he might be an undercover cop -- keeping tabs on all the shady hollywood riffraff. busting transvestite hookers and drug dealers. he'd produce a shiny badge from beneath his grungy fur with one paw, and with the other he'd snag his gun. filthy gap rabbit-style justice.

whatever the case, he's the perfect hollywood icon.

it's such a fresh idea: unabashedly and unashamedly displaying your insanity for tourist and local alike -- and not in the clicheed methods of years past; men dressing like female sluts, good-for-nothing actors dressing like comic book characters and superheros and shaking down the poor visitors for change, talking to yourself in public (the shock value there is completely gone what with everyone talking on their bluetooth all the time), and of course dancing wildly in the street.

i hope he makes it onto jimmy kimmel or ryan seacrest or at least the tv guide channel. i don't even know if they still shoot any of that crap up there.

that rabbit should host some show.

The Evil Gap Rabbit Man's Hollywood Glamour Report
or
Disgusting Rabbit's Film and Television News Hour
i don't know.

crusty boulevard bunny-suit man, i salute you. you are a visionary.



in my next blog, i'll discuss why i think life on the island in "Lost" is just like life here in L.A.
i'll call it "Dharma Sharks in Lala Land."

Serendipitousness

so, just by chance, i ran into an old college friend in the middle of Manhattan on sunday. it was good to catch up with him.

then i ran into another old college friend at the Philly international airport on monday afternoon -- just by chance. we had been talking about her at the wedding i was just at. we got to chat for a bit.

then i ran into a friend from Oasis at the Denver airport that evening. we were on the same flight. we hung out at the baggage claim together.

then today, i ran into a woman i used to work with at this production company in Wilmington, NC. she lives in the same building i used to in Sherman Oaks now.

it's a small world. the U.S. is a little village. i usually have one or two of these random encounters each month -- but 4 in 3 days -- wow -- it's getting smaller.

--NMR