Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. Crispin contacted Bebe, the bobcat, and invited her to join us neighborhood pets for a tete-e-tete in the park. We agreed to meet with her on one side of the playground and us on the other for safety’s sake. The cats have been less than enthused about giving up a portion of their food to appease her. But I tell them that we must negotiate trust between our domestic selves and local predators that live in the wild.
“I think it is unfair to make us give this wildcat part of our food,” Edison the Manx said as we stood waiting for the creature to emerge from the woods.
“The coyotes have been most cooperative with us Canis lupus familiaris,” I said, “after we agreed to provide them with a portion of our dog food.”
“I agree with Edison,” Madeline the British Shorthair said. “I am sensitive about sharing my food with others.”
“It’s not that big of deal,” Ruffles the bulldog said.
“That’s easy for you to say,” Edison said. “Your owner gives you ample amounts of grub.”
“You’re just saying that because I’m bigger than you and need more to eat.”
“I detest the idea of giving this creature payola,” Artemus the Persian said. “Especially after dealing with black market criminals who kidnaped my sister.”
“Here, here,” Demeter her sister said.
“The rest of us Canis lupus familiaris have not complained about providing the coyotes sustenance,” Charlotte the chow said.
“Not even me,” Bruiser the Jack Russell said. “And I like my food. I like it a lot. I must jump now.”
We all turned and watched Bruiser jump up and down for a moment before returning to our conversation.
“When is she coming?” Titus and Tyler, the dachshund twins simultaneously asked as they chased each other around in a circle. “When is she coming?”
“She will be here soon,” I assured them. “It is almost twilight.”
Suddenly, from out of the foliage a creature emerged. She was sleek, swanky and intimidating. She moved in a way that was both luxurious and menacing. She was larger and more muscular than expected and I quickly regretted bringing myself and my cohorts to this meeting. The creature sat down on her haunches and licked her paw. Then she stared at us with looming amber eyes and said, “Well, I’m here. Talk.”
I cleared my throat and said, “Greetings, madam bobcat. My name is Gigi the parti poodle and I welcome you to our meeting.”
“Yeah, and?”
“And we would like to discuss the possibility of you accepting a portion of our neighborhood cats’ food in exchange for not attacking us or our bunnies and squirrels.”
“Hmm,” she said, swatting at moth that flitted near her. “How good is this cat food?”
“The best. Many of the Felis catus in this neighborhood get Smalls or Just for Cats, or The Honest Kitchen.”
“Interesting. I could go for making that deal with the felines and leaving the dogs alone as well. But I see no reason for you to negotiate for the bunnies and squirrels.”
“The bunnies and squirrels have asked me to speak for them on this matter.”
“I don’t know. I think I would get darned hungry living on left-over cat food alone.”
“With all respect, I believe you are being most obdurate in your assessment of our offer.”
The beast rolled her amber orbs. “A poodle using big words. Who would have seen that coming?”
“And quick to insult I see. To prove your misguided indignance, we are sticking to our offer of a fair and substantial amount of high-end cat food. And might I add, obstinate Lynx rufus, if you try to harm any single hair on any bunny or squirrel in our neighborhood, you will pay and pay dearly. Good day.”
Until next week, I bid you adieu.
MY BOOKS
You can check out my books Chicane and all five installments of the Musicology book series Musicology: Volume One, Baby!, Musicology: Volume Two, Kid!, Musicology: Volume Three, Twist!, Musicology: Volume Four, Sweetie! and Musicology: The Epiquad on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. You can also check out Musicology’s web site at www.musicologyrocks.com and vote for who you think will win Musicology!
STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (1976)-HBO MAX, & GLORIA (1980) ROKU
This week in continuing with literary cinema, I thought I would feature two films from legendary independent writer director John Casseveties. Both films are about people who find themselves in dire straits, one due to their choices and the other due to choices which have been put upon them. Each of them is forced to use their own special set of skills to deal with their deadly situations. The films have a raw gritty feel and remain riveting from beginning to end.
In The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, we meet shady burlesque club owner Cosmo Vittelli (Ben Gazzara) who’s place is called Crazy Horse West located on the sunset strip in LA. Underneath the seedy exterior, Cosmo is a bit of an artist who writes and directs all the performances on stage. Unfortunately, he is aware patrons watch the show not for his efforts but for the nude women.
He has just paid off a gambling debt he’s had for several years to a mobster named Marty (Al Ruban) and decides to take three of his female workers out for a night on the town with his three favorite dancers Sherry (Alice Friedland), Margo (Donna Marie Gordon) and his girlfriend Rachel (Azizi Johari). They head out to Marty and his partner’s gambling establishment where Cosmo racks up a debt of $23,000. He and the three ladies are held at the establishment overnight where Cosmo says he’s good for the money. But Marty and his partners are not convinced. They tell him he must sign over the Crazy Horse West as collateral. Reluctantly he does and he and the three women are finally allowed to go home.
But the next night one of the partners Mort Weil (Seymour Cassel) and his “associates” head to Cosmo’s club and take him out to a restaurant. There they discuss his debt and tell him he can lower it substantially if he does one thing: kill a Chinese bookie named Harold Ling.
In Gloria, we meet the Dawn family. Jack Dawn (Buck Henry), a mild-mannered family man who works as an accountant for the mob. Jack has been acting as an informant for the FBI. When his wife Jeri (Julie Carmen), a beautiful Puerto Rican woman comes home from shopping and notices sinister men in the building she finds out they have figured out what’s going on. The couple rushes to get her mother Margarita (Lupe Garnica), their daughter Joan (Jessica Castillo) and their young son Phil (John Adames) out of the apartment to safety.
As they are getting ready to flee their neighbor Gloria Swensen (Gena Rowlands in her iconic Oscar nominated performance) stops by to borrow some coffee. Gloria, who is good friends with Jeri, understands the situation but wants no part of it. But Jack and Jeri convince Gloria to take the kids and hide them. However, their daughter Joan refuses to go. So, Jack gives Phil his small book he’s been keeping information in about the mob, tells him he is now the man of the family and Gloria takes him back to her apartment just before the thugs get to the Dawn’s apartment and shoot up the place.
Gloria reluctantly realizes they need to get out of there. She’s a frugal woman who has saved money her whole life and now must use it and her wily survival skills to protect Phil’s and her own life and get away from the mob and the people in it she is connected to. This is no small matter as Gloria doesn’t like kids and Phil is a bit of a handful. But after escaping from the apartment building and rescuing Phil from a carload of gangsters preparing to take out Phil, the two start to form a bond that will either lead them to survival or doom.
