July 2022
What’s Up With Me?
Watch the latest episode of Pasadena Media's award-winning TV talk show, "NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman." This episode features an interview with Pasadena City Council member Jess Rivas. We talk about the priorities of the new city manager, what she'd like to see in a new police chief, what should be done with the 710 stub land, her thoughts on the upcoming rent control ballot measure, and much more. (Note: This episode was filmed before the untimely passing of Pasadena City Council member John Kennedy. "NewsRap Local" wishes to express their condolences to the Kennedy family.)
Thank you Pasadena Media Foundation for this shout-out about my LA Press Club awards! And thank you for your support and all you do for local journalists.
The third part of my 3-part series on Jack Parsons for Pasadena Now is out! Parsons was a rocketry pioneer whose work helped lead to the founding of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena in the 1940s. He was also a believer in the occult, black magick, and sex magick, and a disciple of Aleister Crowley. Parsons died at age 37 in a mansion on S. Orange Grove in Pasadena in 1952, 70 years ago last month. The first part of my series focused on Parsons’ explosive death and examines the mystery of whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder. The second part explored his breakthroughs in rocket science and how he and Frank Malina from Caltech played key roles in the founding of JPL and the American rocketry program but federal investigations ended up dismantling their careers and robbing them of the credit they deserve. The third part looks at the occult world of Parsons and his double life. Here are the three stories:
Part 1: A Look Back at Jack Parsons on the 70th Anniversary of His Explosive Death
Part 2: How Jack Parsons and the Suicide Squad Created a ‘New Paradigm in Rocketry’
Check out my new article in the Pasadena Star-News about author Jerry Stahl’s new book, Nein, Nein, Nein! One Man’s Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust. As the subtitle describes, it’s about a bus tour he took of World War II concentration camps in Europe while dealing with his own personal and professional problems. It is a harrowing and often hilarious account of mindboggling realities such as the cafeteria at Auschwitz and the gift shop at Dachau. Jerry will read, discuss, and sign Nein at Book Soup in West Hollywood on July 28. He has written 10 books and several TV shows and movies and is best known for his heroin memoir, Permanent Midnight, which was made into a movie starring Ben Stiller.
Stories to Keep an Eye On:
International: WHO has declared monkeypox a global health emergency. Great, just what we need, another public health threat. Starting to feel like the End Times.
National: Have you been watching the January 6 Committee hearings? Riveting, must-see TV. But will it change anything? Not unless Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department prosecute the people who caused this insurrection. Trump is all but certain to announce his candidacy for president in 2024, as soon as next month. He plans to remake the federal government in his MAGA image. It would be the end of the American experiment as we know it. Republicans are all but certain to win control of Congress this November, enablers who will ensure he wins (cheats) his way in. Buckle up.
California: Looks like the mask mandate is coming back soon to LA County. Of course, if people had been voluntarily masking up indoors this whole time we probably wouldn’t be in this mess. I hear a lot of people talk about “post-pandemic,” but news flash, it ain’t over yet. Why do people have to be forced to do the right thing?
Local: Pasadena City Council member John J. Kennedy passed away at the age of 61 after suffering from an illness. It is a huge loss for the community. It’s hard to imagine Pasadena without him. Among other things, he was instrumental in getting civilian oversight of the police established in Pasadena, which is quite a legacy to leave behind.
Great Reads
Here are some recommendations for great books I’ve read recently:
Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler's Germany—James Wyllie
How much do you know about the wives and families of the men around Hitler—Himmler, Goebbels, Goering, Bormann, Hess, Heydrich? Probably not much, likely because historians have avoided accidentally humanizing these absolute monsters. Nevertheless, their stories are simply mind-blowing. How complicit were they in their husbands’ crimes? How did they influence the jockeying for position with the Fuhrer that their husbands were engaged in? Highly recommended read for WWII buffs.
Assassin of Secrets and Forever and a Death—Q.R. Markham and Donald Westlake
A twofer, both related to the James Bond world. Assassin is full of plagiarism. The author literally lifted full paragraphs and even pages of existing Bond novels and other spy novels and pasted them into his own book, and it somehow made it past the vetting stage and got published before he was caught. So it’s an interesting read if only for that reason. The author of Forever was approached by the Bond movie producers in the mid-90s to write the Bond movie following “GoldenEye.” His plot, related to the handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China, was considered too politically sensitive at the time, so the producers went on to make “Tomorrow Never Dies” and Westlake turned his story into this novel, which is a really fun and brilliant crime/spy caper. I couldn’t put it down.
More About MEMAH Board Members:
Chioke Nayo: “It was the best of times, and the worst of times.” This is how I would describe growing up in South Central Los Angeles with a single parent and nine siblings during the late 60s, throughout the 70s, and early 80s. There were annual lawn competitions, playground activities, and the Watts Festival that would rival any of today’s county fairs. There were even movie stars in the neighborhood from the classic series, “Sanford and Son,” and movies like the James Bond series. More importantly, neighbors looked after neighbors. Unfortunately, the good times ended with the crack cocaine epidemic. The good times and bad times were impactful, but the most significant life-altering event happened in the early 70s when my oldest brother and favorite uncle returned from the Vietnam War. Both of them came back different people. My brother was able to put his life back on track with the support of family and friends, but my uncle was not able to do so. This event set me on a life course to try to ensure that people get the help they needed to be empowered to live a productive and constructive life.
I studied psychology and business at the University of California, Riverside, and then went on to graduate school at San Diego State University and obtained a Master’s Degree in Counseling. I worked with children with challenges and disabilities for a significant period of time and found this work to be in line with my idea about the value of assisting others to empower themselves to reach their life goals. Currently, for the past 27 years, I am a Child Abuse Investigator with Los Angeles County. With all of the challenges that come with such a position, the opportunity to empower children and families to overcome challenges and be positive and productive people continues to be at the forefront of my life’s passion and purpose.
I have had the ultimate privilege of helping to empower others not only in my current work but also in a school setting at Sankofa SBA Academy, a private school that I directed for several years. To help inspire young children to indulge themselves in learning was truly one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life. To see children become life-long learners has been a medal that I cherish. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute to the lives of many young people in such a positive manner. Young people have inspired me to write and self-publish over 10 children's books, and several other books with regard to the world in which we live, and overcoming some of life's challenges.
Although I cherish my role in helping others, I also enjoy applying the idea of self-empowerment in my own life. On March 20, 2011, I began my quest for better health and ran my first marathon in the worst storm that Los Angeles has had for the LA Marathon. I did survive that storm and crossed the finish line! I have always made an effort to maintain my health, and running became a vital part of my regimen to do so. Also, being a longtime advocate for veganism and for Dr. Sebi’s Bio-Mineral Herbal Healing Method, I have been able to enjoy the benefits of pretty good health. I have been fortunate to continue my own health quest through Men Educating Men About Health (MEMAH). I was proud to represent MEMAH while completing my 60th marathon.
Spotlight on My Past Stories
Berkeley author Michael Pollan’s new show “How to Change Your Mind”—about the latest science exploring how psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and mescaline can help people with neurological disorders, depression, addiction, anxiety, PTSD, and more—is now on Netflix. Everyone should check out the 4-part limited series, it’s incredible. Last year, I wrote about his latest book, This is Your Mind on Plants, which looks at the effects of opium, coffee, and mescaline on the brain and explores the looming end of the War on Drugs (what he calls “the War on Certain Plants”) and what the subsequent Drug Peace should look like.
And read all of my journalism here.