GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S HOME SPARED FROM L.A. FIRESTORM

This one's gonna be personal, folks, and I'm hoping that writing about it will help purge my angst -- at least that's what's commonly said to do. The fact that I haven't posted one of these regular Sunday features makes it all the more grim.

I have been watching for the past few days some of the best memories of my life go up in flames. As regular readers may remember, I spent half of my life in the Los Angeles area before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Until then, L.A. and its environs was not only the place where I grew up, it was my playground.

There was never any shortage of things to do as a kid: movie theaters were plentiful and places like Disneyland (when they still used ticket books) and Knott's Berry Farm (when it was free) were highlights. As I grew older, I spent a LOT of the time at the beach, mainly Malibu and Zuma, and Pacific Coast Highway could take you anywhere you wanted on the coast. I caught my last fish while in California -- a halibut off the Malibu Pier and hit on my first girls at Zuma. When I got my own car, there were frequent trips to Hollywood where there were more theaters than you could count, a multitude of eateries (Love's Pit BBQ was a favorite), and numerous cinema bookshops with the occasional backroom comic shop before there were any storefronts dedicated to them.

But when I looked at the live feeds of the apocalyptic devastation in those same beach areas that I grew up in, not only my heart, but my soul sank. Sure, the beaches are still there and the ocean still brings the tide in and out, but the houses where I knew people and partied with were now nothing but charred ruins.

What's left of a familiar strip of Pacific Coast Highway.

Then I heard of the Kenneth Fire in the west end of the San Fernando Valley and couldn't believe when I heard that the street that I used to live on as a teenager was closed and the fire was torching a park where my pals and I played ball and I would walk my dog (I'd turn her loose and she'd run away yapping and disappear for an hour chasing rabbits . . . right in the same spot where the fire now burned). My old high school is barely a mile from there and I learned they were using it for a relief center for victims of the Calabassas Fire a little further down the road.

Then, I found asking myself: "Why am I getting so rattled about this?" I don't live there anymore and haven't for years and it's been near a decade since I've been back. After thinking a few moments, I realized that all those places are a visual representation of my early life, and, although I had no tangible or material investment in them anymore except in my memory, they remain indelible symbols of that halcyon time, and when you see those images being wiped away by hellfire it's a damned shocking and humbling experience.

Fortunately, everyone I still know there is safe and mainly unaffected, so there's a lot to be thankful for despite knowing that many more have been left homeless with virtually no material possessions to call their own. Again, fortunately there have been a few miracles against this tragic background of what is sure to impact the residents who called these areas home for years to come.

On a less gloomy note, horror fans will be happy to hear that, as of this writing, Guillermo Del Toro's "man cave" has been spared thus far from the destruction that has caused the loss of so many others' homes. Del Toro moved his monster memorabilia into what he named "Bleak House" after his wife complained of too many gruesome images adorning the walls and furniture.

Guillermo del Toro Says Bleak House Spared by L.A. Fires

The Oscar-winning filmmaker said he toured his Los Angeles creative man cave Friday and rescued hundreds of objects from his private collection of curiosities and ghoulish props.

By Etan VLessing | January 10, 2025 | TheHollywoodReporter.com

Guillermo del Toro says his Los Angeles-area Bleak House — filled with creatures, curiosities and ghoulish props, paintings and costumes that he collected during his life — is safe so far amid the wildfires sweeping across southern California.

“Brief check in — Bleak House was so far, spared,” the Oscar-winning Shape of Water helmer said on Bluesky. “We hand carried over 100 pieces out of the collection. Many friends lost their homes. Helping them now. Will be absent here for a while. Stay safe.”

The director added he visited Bleak House to check on the property and thank first responders working to battle the blazes. “Stopping by to thank everyone helping, supporting or encouraging friends, neighbors or brave safety and firefighters out here and there… Back to it,” he added in a second Bluesky post.

Del Toro’s update comes as the death toll in the fires that are ravaging Los Angeles County this week has risen to 10 as firefighters struggling against high winds are hoping for a reprieve on the fourth day of seemingly unstoppable blazes that have destroyed entire neighborhoods and over 10,000 homes and buildings as residents flee for their lives. 

A number of objects from Bleak House were included in a 2016 LACMA exhibition, Guillermo del Toro: At Home With Monsters. 

The curiosities featured included a replica of the ghost of Santi from The Devil’s Backbone, complete with blood (red smoke) streaming from a head wound, an immense head of Frankenstein’s monster looming over a walkway and the comic books that inspired del Toro’s Hellboy films.

“This is a religious place for me. See, to me, everything that surrounds us is not a collection, it’s relics. It’s relics or it’s talismans. Whatever you want to call them, they have a spiritual hold of who I am essentially,” del Toro said in a 2016 LAist story about Bleak House and his personal collection.

Bleak House is separate from another Los Angeles family home del Toro has, as his private collection had grown to the point his wife intervened when he hung a decidedly creepy Richard Corben painting too close to the kitchen. He recalled in the LAist story: “My wife says, ‘That’s too close to the kitchen, the kids are gonna be freaked out.’ And inside of me something cracked and I said, ‘I’m gonna get my own place.'” 

THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS OF AI

There's been a lot of talk about AI these days. For better or worse, it's here to stay, at least until the next big thing comes around. I do believe it has its uses, but I am strongly against it winnowing its way into writing and the arts no matter how cool it reads or looks.

Getting short shrift is its kid brother, robotics, which has been around for decades. I'm sure AI was in development a lot earlier than we can imagine, too, as the two are actually mutually compatible.

This article from MAN'S MAGAZINE (November 1959) reads more like a cautionary tale than something that would be chatted up more positively in say, POPULAR SCIENCE or POPULAR MECHANICS.

Once again I am reminded of Jeff Goldblum's character in JURASSIC PARK when he remarked: “Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

File this under the Bruce Springsteen song or "Eight is Enough" (but not the TV show in this case). After last week's eclipse, at least eight people in Manhattan have subsequently visited a medical center with eye-related injuries. The reason is not hard to guess: they wore no eye protection while looking at the sun. This is despite sustained and widespread warnings by health officials prior to the event.

While the report focuses on just one area of the country, it's safe to assume that there were many similar incidents. Unfortunately, no data is being collected for these injuries so we'll never know the extent of this earthbound "phenomenon".

My disappointment in people lately with their increasing disregard for their own personal well-being has -- um -- eclipsed the head-shaking stage into near-bewilderment. But really, after nearly two decades as a public servant in the field of occupational safety I am not the least bit surprised. When someone asked me about my profession, I would often answer, "I help to save people from themselves". It never ceased to amaze me what people would do to circumvent safety measures but I never quite cracked the code that would unlock the answer to the conundrum. I am happy to say, though, that while I saw more than one case of blood, broken bones and bashed digits, I never lost anyone on my watch.

Another interesting factoid about the eclipse fiasco is that it brought the predators out. Reports revealed that more than one seller of so-called protective glasses were dumping product that was actually useless. I'll give you three guesses as to where these were made and the first two don't count.

What rankles me even more is the endless string of news stories last year about what may be the same type of people running rampant over our national parks. Aptly named "tourons", this self-centered, disrespectful lot took it upon themselves to ignore park rules -- and yes -- put themselves in mortal danger just for the sake of a selfie. The stupidity is boundless!

I've got much more to say about this, but I'll let it go for now and let my blood pressure settle down.

Eye injuries after solar eclipse surge following phenomenon

Doctors and eye specialists had been warning the public for days not to look directly at the sun

By Michael Dorgan | April 11, 2024 | Fox News

Immediately after Monday’s solar eclipse, the number of people searching Google for eye-related injuries jumped while one doctor in New York City says she treated a surge of patients with eye pain.

"I had several patients come in panicking saying ‘I don't want to go blind,’" Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York City-based double board-certified doctor tells Fox News Digital. "I couldn't believe it, people actually looked at the eclipse without protection."

Doctors and eye specialists had been warning the public for days not to look directly at the sun, but apparently, some did not heed the advice. 

Looking at the sun without protective equipment such as solar eclipse glasses can harm vision and can lead to serious and permanent damage. Nesheiwat says the sun’s rays can burn the retina and damage the macula, the part of the retina at the back of the eye that is responsible for central vision.

Google searches for "hurt eyes" and "why do my eyes hurt after the eclipse" rose after the moon and sun aligned on Monday.

In terms of national figures, a CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the National Center for Health Statistics does not have any data on eye damage following the eclipse. 

However, Nesheiwat says she treated up to eight patients who came into the City MD she works out of near Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan, with one patient looking at the sun either directly or through his phone for about 10 minutes, she says.

"The damage can be irreversible if the retina is severely damaged by looking directly at the without proper eye protection. Some people may have mild symptoms if the exposure to the sun was brief."

"Symptoms my patients suffered included headaches, blurry vision, and nausea while one of my patients said he was seeing spots. Other symptoms can include a change in color vision," Nesheiwat added, saying she sent that patient to an eye care specialist, known as an ophthalmologist, for further treatment. "Then it was crazy, we were trying to make appointments for them with the eye specialists and all the eye specialists were booked up within an hour."

She treated some patients with nausea medicine and eyedrops and recommended they have follow-up appointments with an eye doctor. 

Symptoms may appear after a few days, Nesheiwat said, and she urged people to visit a medical doctor to have a full eye examination if this is the case. 

In the meantime, she said those people should stop looking at the sun, avoid rubbing their eyes, avoid strenuous activities on the eyes like excessive reading or use of electronic devices. She added they need to make sure they are wearing sunglasses that have UV protection when outdoors also. 

While the vast majority took precautions while gazing at the eclipse, there is a chance some may have done so with solar eclipse glasses that have been recalled. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health sent out a last-minute recall notice on Monday for eclipse glasses that may have potentially failed to meet safety standards. 

The agency asked customers to double-check if they had bought the glasses labeled "EN ISO 12312-1:2022" and warned them not to use the glasses to view the eclipse. 

The glasses in question were reportedly sold through Amazon as "Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 - CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs)." The glasses were also reportedly available at several Southern Illinois retail establishments, including Farm Fresh Market in Breese, Highland Tru Buy in Highland, Perry County Marketplace in Pinckneyville, Sinclair Foods in Jerseyville, Steelville Marketplace in Steelville and Big John Grocery in Metropolis.

PSEUDOSCIENCE: A CAUTIONARY TALE

Can I pull you away from the Sunday comics for just a few minutes? Thank you.

Let me begin by saying I don't think I have to tell you that news feeds and social media are literally teeming these days with clickbait concerning UFO's, cryptids, skinwalkers and any other number of paranormal topics. Such as it is, the news landscape is also rife with so-called "new" archaeological discoveries that defy time and logic, as well as stories about astronomy, chemistry, health and other popular subjects that just lack common sense. "The sky's the limit" it's been said, and as a result, if we take these tales at face value, we'll believe just about anything that's spoon fed to us. Today, we call it "misinformation", but personally I believe it's a simple case of crappy -- and very irresponsible -- journalism.

A prescient science-journalist by the name of Watson Davis published an article in a 1950 issue of SCIENCE NEWS LETTER entitled, "Stories That Should Be Handled With Care". In it he listed a number of subjects prone to pseudoscientific claims and cautioned other journalists to thoroughly research these topics before writing about them, as well as adding, if it seems dubious it probably is. Wise words to not only write to, but to live by.

That of course, is not to say that some things that sound outrageous or at least implausible at first can't end up being fact, which has happened countless times throughout history. In his book “Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible” (1962), respected science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke wrote what were to become known as his "Three Laws" regarding science and technology:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Just try disagreeing with someone who "knows" that they've seen a UFO and you'll know what I mean. I was convinced I saw one once, too, but it turned out to be a trick of light, and only after taking time to find out what had actually caused the phenomenon. I also sometimes wonder if pseudoscience is the same area of the brain where political thought resides!

But, I digress; back to the article. Written by Kendrick Frasier, esteemed editor of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER for 44-plus years until his passing in 2022, he comments on Davis' important message by writing:

"The list really does include many, if not most, of the subjects that have typically resulted in sensationalized claims that seldom stand up to scientific scrutiny. This list isn't arbitrary. It was created by top science editors' long experience with such stories and seeing how tabloids [no internet back then, folks!] and other popular publications that care little for scientific accuracy or scientific responsibility handle them."

To find out which topics are on this list, and more reason to take what's served up to you using a big BS filter, take a look at the article below from the current SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (March/April 2024).

So, the next time you read or see something that sounds too outrageous to be true, don't simply count on a single source like FactCheck -- take the time to verify with multiple recognized and reliable sources. And no, as much fun as I have listening to it, COAST2COAST radio and THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER should not be considered "recognized", as the first usually presents the stories to be left entirely up to the listener's discretion (a major reason why paranormal claims go viral), and the second -- well, do I really have to explain that one? But then, according to Clarke, if it walks and talks like a duck it just might end up eventually being one.

Recommended further reading:

• Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
• How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World by Francis Ween
• The Rough Guide to Unexplained Phenomena, Bob Rickard & John Mitchell, eds.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL MEDIA

All indications are that the DVD is headed the way of the Dodo in the next few years. Retailers have already begun to remove them from their shelves. I smell a rat.

While I am skeptical about conspiracies, this one has all the earmarks that the industry (aka "The Powers That Be") is making a sub rosa move to exert more control over consumers. In the end, I'm afraid that, after the smoke clears, physical media will have all but disappeared all we'll be left with is streaming. All your ability to view films and TV shows will then be in the hands of your "provider" and will only be as good as your router. I'm already seeing bandwith issues while watching Prime, Freevee and Tubi, with Netflix remaining more stable than the other three. This was not the case when, just a few years ago, everything loaded up quickly and streamed without the audio mismatched with the video, etc.

The reason for this is the same as it has been forever: money. I predict we'll all be caught by the short hairs and held hostage by huge corporations that are nothing short of predatory. It's all a stark reminder that, like driver's licenses, entertainment is a privilege and not a right. Corporations are doing their best to keep it that way.

If you like a movie well enough to buy it, opt for physical media instead of "owning" it from your streaming service.

In the meantime, here's Guillermo Del Toro offering a compelling argument for the advantage of physical media.

Guillermo Del Toro Raves About Physical Media & Says A Blu-Ray Buyer Is “The Custodian” Of Films For New Generations

By Charles Barfield | November 21, 2023 | theplaylist.net

Recently, it was announced that Best Buy was cutting out DVDs and Blu-rays from its physical stores. Gone are the days of wandering the aisles and searching for a cool movie to buy. The decline of physical film releases first began with the closing of video stores and the rise of streaming. But soon, it really does seem as if the idea of buying a Blu-ray will be looked at as if you’re buying some sort of novelty or collectible. But for folks like Guillermo del Toro, the people buying physical discs of films are doing an admirable thing, and they’re preserving films for generations who might miss out.

This whole discussion recently started because Christopher Nolan (the filmmaker obsessed with using physical film and practical effects in a digital age) brought up the idea that streaming films aren’t actually your property. No, we’re not just talking about films available on streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. But the truth is (and many people don’t actually know this), when you buy a film on a digital service—you know, when you pay the $19.99 or whatever to “own” your copy of “The Flash” on Apple, Amazon, or wherever—you actually aren’t paying for the film. You’re buying the right to watch the movie on the digital service. And if, for some reason, Amazon, Apple, or wherever loses that license to show the movie, then even though you paid money, you will effectively lose that movie, as well. 

Basically, if DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery realizes “The Flash” is a dumpster fire and the film should be gone forever, it can make sure that it won’t be sold anymore and the people who “own” the film on a digital format could lose access to their film. Remember, you don’t “own” anything digital. So, if you’re worried about your precious “The Flash” disappearing and joining (way too many) other films which don’t have digital options and are out of print, you better buy the physical copy. At least, that’s what Guillermo del Toro wants you to do. 

“Physical media is almost a Fahrenheit 451 (where people memorized entire books and thus became the book they loved) level of responsibility,” del Toro posted on X/Twitter. “If you own a great 4K HD, Blu-ray, DVD etc etc of a film or films you love…  you are the custodian of those films for generations to come.”

To put all of my cards on the table, this is actually something I believe in as well. I am fortunate enough to get some discs mailed to me from the studios, but I still buy my favorite films when they are released on the current format. Not only is it great to know that I have the copy for posterity, but also, there is a real difference in watching a 4K UHD disc than watching a version that is streaming. The picture quality, the sound, everything is just better. So, I get it.

That said, is the world going to collapse and Apple will no longer give you access to your library of digital films? Not anytime soon, probably. But just remember, what you “own” digitally isn’t actually yours. And if you want to make GDT happy, you’ll buy physical from now on. 

WHEN THE WORLD GOES DARK

If I had to take a guess, it would be that Earth's destruction will come about by a natural disaster, be it from outer space or right here on terra firma before something man-made. But one of the man-made methods of apocalypse I always thought would be something that could take out satellite systems and electricity, the two things we probably rely on the most to maintain our civilization. Can you imagine what things would be like without power, lights, machinery, cars, banking or god help us, cell phones?

In this article from NEW ZEALAND LISTENER (April 4-10, 2020), the author describes how a global (or targeted) digital network virus has the capability of crippling life as we know it wherever it is unleashed. Can it ever happen? And will it?

OMAC: JACK KIRBY'S PRESCIENT VISION OF THE FUTURE

In case you haven't guessed it by my posts, Jack "King" Kirby is my favorite comic book artist. Actually, limiting the names to solely comic books, I have a whole string of artists that I consider favorites: Wally Wood, Steve Ditko, Joe Kubert, Bernie Wrightson, the entire EC stable. But, with his dynamic panels, realistic foreshortening, mind-bending perspectives, and breathtaking double-page spreads, Kirby is damn hard to beat. He also had a talent that many comic book artists didn't (and still don't) -- writing.

Yes, when Kirby was cut loose to do his own thing by DC, it's amazing what he came up with. Character after character, scenario after scenario, the man must have literally called down the gods to create his incredible stories.

Many of them took place in the future, where Jack's imagination was free to roam. One such, was the improbably-titled OMAC. Acronym for One Man Army Corps, OMAC is a bizarrely costumed hero, who is determined to clean up mankind's act. The first issue opens with the mohawk-haired hero raiding the warehouse full of "Build-A-Friend" life-size talking dolls, noticeably all female. So is this what "love dolls" have evolved into? Following is the story on how he came to be and his connection to Brother Eye (pie in the sky becomes eye in the sky).

OMAC was introduced after the NEW GODS series was cancelled. The title lasted for a year and 8 issues. But in the meantime, we got a look into our freaky future.

GAHAN WILSON SAW THE FUTURE

Gahan Wilson - Playboy, June 1971.