Digital Ink Los Angeles

Why does Charlie Brown pick the ugliest, scrawniest tree in the lot?

What does he imagine this sad tree will give him?

Well, he’s asking for something simple — the true meaning of Christmas.

According to the original two-buck Chuck, Charles Schultz‘s, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965):

[first lines of story]
Charlie Brown: [Charlie Brown and Linus stop at a wall on their trip to the pond for ice skating] I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.
[begins to walk with Linus again]
I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Linus Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy’s right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest.

What is the true meaning of Christmas?

Well, Linus defines the literal Christmas with his recounting of the Three Kings and Baby in a Manger story of Jesus Christ‘s birth.

But, more to the figurative meaning of Christmas, Linus offers this idea regarding Charlie Brown’s little tree:

Linus Van Pelt: I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.

Can’t buy that at a Christmas sale.

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Lewis Carroll‘s Alice In Wonderland was published in 1865, and his Through the Looking Glass was the follow-up in 1871.

Tim Burton‘s cinematic version of both comes out in 2010, with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

Doesn’t the 60s rock-band Jefferson Airplane have their own rendition of this story? Go ask Alice, when she’s ten-feet tall…

Watch the sneak-peek trailer here.

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Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream, and it wasn’t that we would all have equality under the laws and resources of health-care. But, he might have had some ideas for the frivolous rhetoric surrounding the attempted implementation of health-care reform.

It’s been 46 years — to the day — since MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which challenged similar opposition to the Civil Rights Movement of his time.

Citizens think that an endowment of freedom is similar to the value of their insurance — even though the health-insurance industry and health-care system are antiquated, fruitless institutions. Don’t take what these citizens have, because fear dictates a hoarding effect and vehement defense of their nearly useless insurance. Even health-care co-ops would be a better, cheaper alternative to current health-care malfeasance and impotence.

Reality is that the great U.S. of A. CAN’T AFFORD to maintain the status quo.

With banks continuing to sputter and stall, a debt-laden Chinese relationship, and the rocketing price of health-care, a managed, regulated, and reformed health-care system is necessary. Just like Civil Rights was necessary, though many opposed it at the time. Ironically, many of these same folks don’t speak of this opposition to Civil Rights, but find new glory in the raucous Town Hall Meetings politicians have been hosting during Congress’s August recess.

Dreams of Civil Rights. Hope for Health-Care Reform. Progress with an emerging New America. And the Reality of a bi-partisan battle that has less to do with health-care and a healthy economy than the liberal vs. conservative bickering that muddies the water and pisses on the party. Tea Party Patriots? Digital Ink declines any invite to myopic ignorance.

The following quote from the 2008 Nobel Prize-winning economist, Princeton professor, and New York Times‘ columnist Paul Krugman sums it all up:

“At this point, all that stands in the way of universal health care in America are the greed of the medical-industrial complex, the lies of the right-wing propaganda machine, and the gullibility of voters who believe those lies.”

What would MLK say? Speak to the truth of the matter, and remove strong-principled beliefs in partisan politics for rational perception of a much-needed change. In order to emerge as a stronger, leaner, healthier nation, Health-Care Reform is necessary, just like Civil Rights are necessary. Anyone want to argue that? Ask MLK, he’ll tell you about his dream.

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Brian Epstein was manager of The Beatles from his discovery of the Fab Four in the now-famous Cavern Club in 1961 until his untimely death in 1967.

Many believe The Beatles owe everything to Mister Brian Epstein as the architect of their band’s personality and captain of their traveling show.

Indeed, the result of his death was an ongoing dispute between Paul McCartney and John Lennon as to who should be their new leader, eventually leading to their breakup over this fateful decision.

The tragic overdose on prescription pills was so unexpected, the Beatles decided to take a vacation to India with their spiritual guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, to discover transcendental meditation and potentially communicate with their now-deceased leader.

On this day (August 27, 1967) 32 years ago, Brian Epstein left this world for his next journey, but the legend of his influence and guiding hand upon The Beatles hasn’t disappeared.

Who knows what would have become of the four mop-heads from England if Mister B.E. could have stuck around a little longer?

Check out the tribute video to Mister B. E. here.

They came in droves, by the carload, on foot, on bikes, toting babies and blankets, some without anything but the shorts and shorts they were wearing — some with less.

In the end, nearly 400,000 people showed up to enjoy acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix.

August 15, 16, and 17, 1969 — forty years ago last week.

The New York Times has an interesting article on the recent 40th Anniversary celebration in Bethel Woods, NY.

Music channel VH1 recently showed a “rock-doc” for the 40th Anniversary.

The BBC has an interesting audio slide-show documenting some of the sights and sounds.

The Digital Ink Los Angeles pick for Woodstock nostalgia would be this YouTube copy of Joe Cocker‘s now-famous version of “With a Little Help from My Friends”. Par Excellence.

In 1969, Sharon Tate was one of the sexiest women in the world. Mattel developed the “Malibu Barbie” to mimic the look of Sharon Tate in all her bikini-clad glory. Sharon Tate is reported to have described the potential for the eventual, flattering reproduction as “sexy little me.”

Charlie ain’t pretty. Charlie don’t surf. And, Charlie don’t kill people anymore, either.

In the second week of 1969, Charles Manson led his drug-fueled “Family” on a killing spree that produced nine mutilated bodies and a fear frenzy that gripped the city of Los Angeles in a month-long state of paranoia.

The eventual announcement of suspects — and revelation of Charles Manson as the sociopath turned apocalyptic murderer behind the “Manson Family” — allowed Los Angeles to breathe a sigh of collective relief. Charles Manson’s desire for the end-of-the-world Helter Skelter would not be realized.

Rumors of a race war and Black Panther vs. KKK battle remained just that – rumors. But Roman Polanski‘s pregnant spouse became the focus of Manson’s hate-filled energy, essentially becoming a wrong-place-wrong-time victim who happened to occupy the residence where one of Manson’s potential music-industry connections had recently lived.

The events that shook Los Angeles 40 years ago this week have become much in the way of infamy. But one question remains — where did Charlie get his bone-chilling thirst for such hatred and evil?

Born to a sixteen-year old, truant teenager, named Kathleen Maddox, she would prove to be a troubled prostitute, alcoholic mother. Charles Manson vividly remembers one occasion in his childhood when he felt joy — the day his mom emerged from prison for armed robbery and gave young, seven-year old Charlie a heart-felt hug.

Soon after, Charles Manson’s mom abandoned him forever, and the rest is morbid history.