I was walking down Lincoln Blvd around 3pm, today, when I saw a drunk guy on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant stumbling around drunk and threatening people and putting his fists in the air and shaking them at people and was banging on the glass at the restaurant and putting his fists up to the restaurant employees and he threatened a young guy in a baseball cap walking down the street; so as all of this is happening, the police end up showing up, and after interviewing the drunk guy causing problems they put him in handcuffs and they assured me that they had him on what they needed and he wasn't going to be set free. (Zuma Dogg is ALWAYS compassionate toward the person being investigated by LAPD -- and am there to witness any wrongdoing -- BUT, in this case, CLEARLY this guy was a danger and I was hoping they would be able to keep him off the streets, for now.
Meanwhile, a neigborhood couple in their 50's, maybe early 60's were walking down the street to get coffee and they stopped next to me to look in, as well, from the safe distance and they start to comment and mention, "homeless" and so I (feeling guilty as a homeless person) say, "Well, I'm homeless, but I'm kinda a different kind of homeless." And she intejects, "Oh, yeah...well I'm not talking about someone like you..." (realizing I'm not just some guy drunk starting fights).
So she goes back into the "homeless" talk and starts to complain about "rent control," because she's an apartment manager (or landlord) and was commenting on how kids in their 20's inherit rent controlled units from their parents or grandparents, and rent control is not supposed to be something passed down from generation to generation...and it causes a lot of problems...," and it was relating to the homeless issue.
So I say, "Yeah, I've fought city hall on a lot of stuff like that..."
And the guy says, "You and that guy..."What's his name???...Dogg." And she says, "Yeah, that "Dogg" guy.
So I say, "Oh, that IS me. You mean you didn't recognize me?" (I have a ZD beard now, but didn't have my glasses or hat on, so I guess they didn't recognize me.) I put my glasses (even though no ski cap) to show them more and they both said at the same time (as a long time married couple would), "You are OUR hero!" And they said it a couple times just to make sure I really heard them, I guess.
And they explained to me how on top of the issues I am and they wondered how I did that. And again, a lot of talk on how much I knew about all the issues.
I told them it took a lot out of me and this ain't exaclty a good week for me and went into a little bit more about how I am homeless now (even though it's my fault) and I'm kinda in big trouble.
They kept telling me I was their hero and told them it meant a lot to me that they knew about me (forget about "hero" but just that they were so fully aware of ZD at City Hall), NOT out of ego, but because that is my Neilsen or Arbitron ratings to know that I'm not a falling tree in a forest that no one hears. AT LEAST PEOPLE ARE WELL AWARE OF MY EFFORTS.
And I we all know that I already know that and no one reminds others more than myself. But again...still continues to amaze in a situation like this, where ZD stops to talk to two random strangers on the sidewalk in this giant city of 4 million plus and the first two people I strike up a conversation with, end up knowing me and calling me their, "hero."
Sorry people to nauseate you with this story that I know is ME telling it, not someone else. But I hope you know I wouldn't be so pathetic to make this up if it weren't completely 100% true in the way I am describing it and there is no more or no less to the story and was COMPLETELY random as I walked down the sidewalk.
So I am looking at this as a market researcher (my profession in the radio and record industry and I consider myself ALWAYS to be doing market research at ALL times when I am out and about), so to me this is pretty big statement to ME that ZD really must have used some 800 lb gorilla of a media steamroller in this town over the past nine on public access with emphasis on the past three years as a City Hall gadfly activist.
It DOES motivate and inspire me to continue, but many of you know that I simply cannot at this point. At least until some things change in my life, first.
And it make me think, "Damn...if I'm recoginzed at that level, in that highly favotrable way...it must be bigger than I realize out there." (Cause I'm walking around more focused on my physical and emotional crisis and day to day surivial -- not the impact I've made while running with the bridge burning behind me. But I see there's been quite a trail left behind the blaze (maybe that's why they call it "trailblazing." And back to the point that it makes me think, "How can I be wandering the streets, now in physical pain and too burnt out to function even in the dysfunctional way I used to...and HOW AND WHAT CAN I DO TO GET ON TOP OF THIS MOMENTUM AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT BESIDES JUST BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL LIKE THIS, UN-PROFESSIONALLY.
I was always hoping for "ZD at Viper Room," but maybe it should be "ZD at Nokia Theater" or something. WHAT CAN I DO??? I CAN'T JUST FADE AWAY AND EVENTUALLY DROP WITH A THUD ON THE STREETS ONE DAY (TOO SOON, I FEAR).
I CAN DO SO MUCH AND SO MUCH MORE THAN ANYONE HAS EVEN SEEN, BECAUSE IT'S ALL BEEN DONE AS A BURNT OUT HOMELESS GUY AND NOT FROM A MEDIA PLATFORM LIKE A NEWSPAPER, RADIO OR TV STATION. I'm not on KNBC, KABC, LA Weekly, LA Times...NO WHERE...but these people just said I was, "their hero" and I don't care if you hate that I keep saying it.
I've EARNED the right to throw it around and I have to remind myself that I can't just throw this all away and I know my blog readers and others have been telling me, but I feel more like the homeless guy who simply cannot afford the economic pressures of another day and am getting too burnt out emotionally and physically to even be able to try. And that's when you just drop with a thud on the street and end up being picked up in an ambulance and carried away to the hosptial if you don't just die of a heart attack or other problem on the street. I know you think this is a Woody Allen-like over-reaction, but go ask Bill Rosendahl and others who know me what happens when ZD gets a little too sleep deprived, even that he can endure. IT GETS VERY, VERY BI-POLAR...not in the "prozac" way...but in the natural sleep deprived way. And I KNOW it's due to that, because it happens even when I have eaten and food is not the issue. AND, when I get off the street and sleep enough...there is CLEARLY a difference...and you will see that, this next week, since I am in a hotel room...and even though it's a tough, uphill battle to try and put the pieces of my life back together...at least I'm off the street and that's MOST IMPORTANT, because it takes too much out of you and you take on too much energy being outside on an urban street 24/7.
Because, I am FINALLY in a QUIET, QUIET, QUIET...do I dare to say, "peaceful" hotel room -- where the wi-fi does not reach to my room...but at least I am REALLY off the streets -- in a room that is as quiet as will be possible in an urban area and I can catch up on sleep, if I can turn off my blogging mind and relax for a while.
But if FINALLY feels, at least, like the summer retreat/spring break I haven't had in a while. So it should be a good week of productive blogging and radio shows.
The next one is coming up today, when I check in with my Wetherly Captial/PensionGATE insider who I met in Del Mar, CA over this past spring. Now that I have "BlogTalkRadio" he is someone I wanted to share with people and let them hear some very insightful stuff in the way Zuma Dogg has been privilidged to.
So BlogTalkRadio will be a nice way to allow EVERYONE to hear the stuff I am hearing on the phone from people all the time. From now on, if we are going to have a long, in-depth conversation about stuff that you and I want me to blog...may as well say it on "ZumaSHOW" so people can hear it directly as ZD is...and I don't have to type it and blog it!
AND FINALLY...HILARIOUSNESS ENSUES AS CITY OF L.A. RESPONDS TO MATT DOWD OVER VENICE BEACH LAWSUIT, AND CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OPENS IT UP FOR ZUMA DOGG TO THROW THE BOOK AT "RICHARD ALARCON" AS I AM NOT FORCED TO BACK UP MY PUBLIC COMMENT THAT I FEEL HE IS, "THE SHADIEST, MOST DANGEROUS, WORST COUNCILMEMBER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY."
Although I will now be busy typing up all the reasons I feel this way, which you are allowed to express during public comment and the worst thing I called him was, "shady," I don't see how that is disruptive, but now Zuma Dogg will be able to type it all up and present it in FEDERAL COURT to a FEDERAL JUDGE and it will be in this PUBLIC RECORD for all time.
Richard, they really did you SOME FAVOR and I know there's now probably at least ONE councilmember that is hoping for an out of court settlement.
Subscribe To Zuma Dogg
Posts
Comments