Melting away

We recently had a heatwave here in Los Angeles. It made me feel a bit like this statue I saw in Budapest, Hungary.

Bald Dragon, AKA James Lew. On location in Hawaii

I just got an email from James Lew who is on location in Hawaii working on a top secret movie. What is not top secret is the fact that he had to shave his head for this role. Personally, I like the look. And that's not just 'cause I have no hair.
Anyway, I wanted to share a few pictures he sent me.
I have met James on several occasions and he has always been great. One of the most energetic and upbeat people I have met.
I always enjoy hearing from him.
**For those of you who do not know James, he is an actor, stunt man, fight choreographer and more. He has worked on many films including the great cult classic Big Trouble in Little China. More info on James Lew here.**
Dan.

On location: Kauai.

"It is absolutely stunningly beautiful here in Kauai. We are shooting
in the mountain jungles of Kauai just miles away from "the wettest place
on earth" (this area has more rainfall than anywhere else in the world).

The movie takes place in the deep jungles of Vietnam and we are running a
heroin farming operation. We get dirty and stinky looking everyday and film in
a whole lot of mud, humidity, sun and rain...yes, the glamorous life of the movie
business. "

Looking through my past.

I was going through some old disks from when I was in college and found some things I wrote back then.
I am going to share some of them and include the dates when possible.
I hope you enjoy.


A Crack In The Pavement

Yesterday I tripped on a crack in the pavement .
It was a small crack and I didn't think much of it.
Today I fell in a hole in the ground that sprang from that crack.
Why didn't someone fix the crack before it became a hole?
Now, from this deep hole, I look up at a spruce whose branches wave sporadically in the wind, with no direction, they're waving at me. In some vain attempt to help, the tree sends down a rain of dried out thistles and barren seeds. They only annoy me as they bounce off my forehead as I plead for help!
There is nothing with me in this hole except some decayed branches and some bills I got in the mail yesterday.
I suppose, if someone would have shown me how, I could build a ladder from these materials, but I've not the education.
There are people walking above, but they do not understand my cries for help.
They just take pictures, then leave.
The only thing I can do is kick the walls with all my might and scream in violent rage!
And I am forced to think if death would be kinder than life in this hole?
Will God welcome me, when my own people will not?
Why did no one fix that crack in the pavement?
Why did I not fix that crack in the pavement?
Before it was a hole.
America
goodbye!

Written by Daniel Hoffman
6/02/92
(in 1992 I left for my 2nd trip to Taiwan)
Daniel Hoffman ©2007