Gridlock will greet homebound Angelenos as Barack “Same sex couples should be able to get married…but I support the concept of states deciding the issue on their own” Obama makes his way to one of George Clooney’s palatial homes for a celebrity and high-donor filled event. The Los Angeless Police Department to residents of Fryman Canyon to stay home all day or make other plans, and whole business areas have “no parking” signs. The traffic situation is so bad it’s been dubbed Starmageddon, but hey, it’s expected to raise $15 million for Obama.

Obummer’s  calculated personal decision to support marriage equality (the day after North Carolina voted against it) is also expected to raise money. Oscar winning writer Dustin Lance Black, who previously was so angered by the President’s lack of action on LGBT issues that he spoke about sitting out this election (bad idea, everyone should go to the polls and vote for their local ticket!), is thinking about holding an all-star LGBT fundraiser for Obama and  said

I am moving from a position of little enthusiasm to a position of strong support, and that means you will see me contributing financially and repeating my efforts of 2008 by knocking on doors in states where he wants me to knock on doors. When you ask for something big and you get it, you have to show your gratitude.

Obama is the first Democratic president since Harry Truman to assert state’s rights. Dustin, please research what that phrase actually means. Because it kinda sucks. Massively.

photo 1 and 2: screen shots “Falling Down”

photo 3: screen shot: “Hollyscoop”

photo 4: Zazzle.com

Saturday marked the one week anniversary of Occupy LA, to celebrate festive live music and cake. People made screened tee shirts, painted, talked, danced and wandered about the Occupy LA encampment, dropped off donated goods, shared fruit from their trees. Bands played all day and special guest Tom Morello delivered a spirited set and stayed to chat with Occupiers.

There were over 2,000 people strolling through the park as well as close to 400 campers. The 9-11 Truthers, LaRouchettes, Revolutionary Communist Party,  Ron Paul-bots, and End the Feds joined in, passing out their information, while the bacon wrapped hot dogs sizzled on the sidewalks outside the park.

Also present, the Oath Keepers, a group of men and women–retired and current law enforcement, military and other peace officers who feel their duty is to the people and the constitution, and that the rights of the citizens come before orders from their commanding officer. As one told me

If your given the order to crack heads on a peaceful assembly, you don’t. We are sworn to uphold the Constitution, not to blindly follow orders.

Photos 1, 2 and video: Tyler Wysocki

Well, things are going pretty smoothly at Occupy LA. A mini-tent city which now holds about 300 people most in their 20s and 30s, though there some in their 40s and upwards, and an array of Anonymous. Drum circles, a massage table, dogs and a crystal healing area make it a mini-fest, while the bacon wrapped hotdogs lend a truly Angeleno flavor (they are a revolution in food!).

There were groups doing signing making and others holding meetings about media training, outreach and other matters.Names are placed in a “stack” (the list/queue), you state your point and people wave “spirit fingers” (peace symbol) for yes, wave hands for applause/enough, cross arms if they disagree. During a hot button issue,  it can look like a St Vitus dance in time to the  “Hokey-Pokey.” But it works.

A table  for volunteers is up. American Sign Language interpreters are needed, and they would also like fluent Spanish speakers, as well as those fluent in Armenian, Mandarin, Vietnamese, etc.

It’s pretty funny to see signs saying

The revolution will not be televised

since Occupy LA has been covered since it started, due in part to the major media noticing what was going on in NY. It doesn’t hurt that this a mega-media savvy city (the porta-potties were rented from Sir Reel, which supplies film shoots; I passed a slew of them parked for a shoot on Sunset Blvd as I was driving to downtown). The media tent is up and running, there are cameras and citizen journalists everywhere and Occupy LA has been in the Los Angeles Times, and on local news channels, though the KTLA story was a little histrionic. The trial of Dr. Conrad Murry in the death of Michael Jackson, just two blocks away with worldwide coverage and lots of satellite TV cameras, resumes Monday.

It has been almost 90 degrees this weekend, and rain is expected Wednesday, with cooler temperatures all week.

They have lots of food donations. One guy on his cellphone excited exclaimed

I have a tent now!

A man and woman dropped off half a dozen brand new blankets (no smallpox!) which were taken to the first aid tent. The couple happily said:

These are made in America!

A group of occupiers staged an action today where they went to the Metro and rode LA’s subways wearing bandanas decoracted with

99%

gagging their mouths. Difficulty arose when a portion of the group expressed their dislike of the policeto the police’s face and attempted to instigate a conflict. I was the the campground while there was a meeting and listened while people expressed upset over

police brutality

though the LAPD have been pretty much ignoring the City Hall campers, even when a few overstayed on the lawn pass the deadline of 10:30pm. LAPD headquarters is across the street (as is the LA Times).

There have been no arrests, so police brutality is not an issue for Occupy LA  yet, as more than one speaker pointed out. And it be an issue won’t be unless agitators try to provoke things. Granted there are people at Occupy LA who have experienced police brutality in other communities and in other circumstance, but trying to provoke the police to get that specific point across is simply short-sighted and selfish. It puts the entire Occupy LA at risk, and creates fissures in the group’s cohesive ideals and integrity. Seriously, please find an “affinity group” elsewhere.

“Hey, the cops are being cool!”                                  This man discussed the French Revolution

Monday night at  5pm, Occupy LA, or at least those so inclined, will march in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street to protest the mass arrests this weekend and last weekend’s macings and arrests. Hopefully the those dislike the LAPD will find it in their consciences to look at the bigger picture, stay on the sidewalks and cross on the green lights.

Looks like the City Council is behind the occupation, at least in the short term. Blogger/filmmaker Clay Claiborne shared this letter with me from LA City Councilman Richard Alarcon which kinda spells out how it’s gonna be, unless people start making trouble.:

A lone, and empty police car is parked at LAPD’s headquarters, Parker Center, across from City Hall.

The dudes abide. In peace!

We have to think more about drugs as a public health problem

his comments on the new federal drug new budget show things in a different light.

But Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has a different view towards Ecstasy. They printed up a flier for distribution at raves which gave

tips such as “aim low” in both dose and frequency of the hallucinogen and to take regular breaks to let the body rest…

And ignored the legality. The fliers state that effects of Ecstasy

may include elevated mood and energy, enhanced sensations and a sense of emotional connectedness,” but also warn that it can lead to depression, anxiety and irritability.

It also says repeated Ecstasy use should be avoided. It’s a pretty wimpy attempt to tell people

Hey this stuff is BAD for you and you could go to jail!

The fliers were developed by county health officials and paid for by rave promoters after over 100 people were hospitalized at a series of huge raves at publicly owned facilities such as the Coliseum and L.A. Sports Arena which are rented by the gianormous party promoters.

L.A. city and county officials did not ban the raves, even after a 15 year-old girl died of an Ecstasy overdose in July, and the flier is the result of a task force convened to study the matter.

County Supervisor Mike Antonovich raised a ruckus and Public Health officials said they would immediately  revise the card

to further and more emphatically state that illegal drug use is dangerous.

I hope they didn’t print up a forest worth of these useless fliers.

Pot isn’t Ecstasy, and yet LA County at least recognizes the health issues of drug use. Drug use is health issue–pot and be very helpful for people who are ill, while drug addiction is a public health issue which should be addressed with treatment and harm reduction, rather than imprisonment.

Los Angeles County Courthouse (photo: LAC Arts Commission)

Today in Los Angeles Superior Court, Division 22, Judge David Cunningham III–who has a really nice mustache and is super nice and warm and wants to make sure that First Amendment rights are protected–ruled that references to (Gordon) Peter Getty’s extra-marital affair(s) and his reading of sexually explicit e-mails from women he knows as related to his extra-marital affair(s) are inadmissible evidence. They really have no bearing on the domestic violence case before him and events leading up to Jacqui Getty’s broken arm or on the financial settlements in the pending divorce. (California is a no-fault divorce state.) Jacqui Getty seeks a divorce and a restraining order.

However the judge may allow, if foundations are laid, for the hole in Peter Getty’s septum to be discussed by his health care practitioner. The judge will allow personal observation in layperson terms about what was seen–for example, Peter’s bloody nose, white powder and tissues. And he may allow, if an appropriate foundation is laid, the introduction of Peter’s viewing of sexually explicit material online. Jacqui’s attorney makes the point that viewing such material and masturbating while locked in a room–as Jacqui claims Peter did–is one aspect of cocaine use, and indicates out-of-control behavior.

Jacqui Getty’s attorney has offered into evidence the photo of Peter with blood caked around his nose that we described. A ruling on that may come later.

Peter’s attorney is upset that the media have managed to report on Jacqui’s declarations and depositions, but the judge is firm that this will be an open hearing with full First Amendment rights. (TMZ is there–Hi Elizabeth! Cute shirt, btw.)

Before the judge came into the courtroom, Peter Getty appeared to be in a deep meditative state, his eyes closed and his head resting on his rather ugly pea-green striped necktie. He had way too much product in his hair, but he was well shaven. He had no one there supporting him, but his estranged wife had several girlfriends there–including Pamela Levy, co-founder/designer of Juicy Couture, and Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola, and the grandmother of Jacqui’s daughter. They were excluded from the court, along with Jacqui’s daughter Gia Coppola, because they may be called as witnesses.

Today will be a full trial day with opening statements and testimony from a Mr. Blumenthal. The trial will resume May 27 and 28.

We’ve got parts of the deposition up online in the sidebar, and I’ll be tweeting as is viable. The only Internet access is in the 9th floor cafeteria–and the food here is not very good.