HOLLYWOOD TOWN – The Harriet Schock Story

Jim Keaton and Helen Reddy

When we created the list of Indiegogo fundraising Perks for the movie, “HOLLYWOOD TOWN – The Harriet Schock Story,” we knew we were offering many things of value. What we didn’t imagine was what would emerge from the Perk, “Harriet Writes a Song for You,” which two marvelous individuals selected in the earlier PHASE 2 campaign.

What resulted were TWO BEAUTIFUL SONGS, and I strongly suggest that you take the time, right now, to click the below YouTube link and watch a video featuring Harriet Schock performing ONE of them, “BECAUSE YOU LIVED.”
https://youtu.be/K4KOBW_NXHI

This is the story of Jim Keaton and Helen Reddy, and it is, in my estimation, one of the most emotionally touching songs ever written. We’d love to know your reaction to it.

A NEW OPPORTUNITY
We are offering this perk again in PHASE 3 of our Indiegogo campaign. Harriet Schock will write a song inspired by you personally. It can be about you or someone you care about. She will record a performance of it and deliver it to you in a digital format. This creation will establish, for you, a place in music history.

Later, I’ll tell you about and feature a performance of the OTHER beautiful song Harriet has written for someone who selected this Perk.

The below link is where you visit the campaign and scroll through the Perks until you see the one titled, “Harriet Writes a Song for You.”

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hollywood-town-the-harriet-schock-story-phase-3#/

Thank you to all of our backers. Your help in any amount is greatly appreciated. This is going to be a wonderful movie.

#HelenReddy #HarrietSchock

The Christmas Coat

A Dollar And A Quarter

An old boy was fumblin’ around one day
In a women’s clothing store
He’d found his wife a Christmas coat
And was headed for the door
When he bumped into a little boy
That looked like he was lost
And he said “Mister can you help me
Find out how much something costs?
Here it is almost Christmas
And the nights are gettin’ cold
Winter time is on us
And my mom don’t have a coat
I’ve been workin’ for the neighbors
And saving for a time”
And in his tiny outstretched hand
Was a dollar and a dime
His gaze went from that big eyed boy
To that pretty Christmas coat
And he finally cleared away the lump
That had gathered in his throat
He said “Son
that’s just what this coat costs
We’re lucky that we found ‘er”
And he turned around and gave a wink
To the lady at the counter
She put it in a pretty box
And wrapped it up just so
And went off in the back
And found a big red Christmas bow
He said “ I thank you for your help sir
And I kindly thank you ma’am
I hope y’all are gonna have a big Christmas
Cause now I know I am”
Well the old boy walked home busted
Except for the dollar and the dime
Thinkin’ he’d just have to buy
The coat another time
He told his wife that Christmas this year
Wouldn’t be much fun
And he gently took her in his arms
And told her what he’d done
She said “ why you old softie
I wouldn’t trade you for a farm
I’ve got two or three old coats
And your love to keep me warm “
She put that money in a matchbox
And placed it beneath their tree
And said “that is the grandest gift
You’ve ever given me”
The years went by like years will do
When people are in love
Their marriage was a golden bond
That was forged by God above
Then one day came some bitter news
That filled his heart with fright
The doctor told the old man’s wife
That she was going to lose her sight
He said “there’s an operation we can do
But it puts me on the spot
Cause it’s a quite complex procedure
And it’s going to cost a lot”
The old man said “doctor I’m a failure
I’ve made no preparation
We don’t have the money
For that kind of an operation “
The doctor got the strangest look
And he sat there for a while
And then he slowly nodded
And he broke out in a smile
He said “ why sir you can’t fool me
You’re a very wealthy man
You long ago invested
In the world’s best savings plan
I’ll see she gets the best of care
She’s going to be just fine
And the total cost to you old friend
Is a dollar and a dime”
The old man stared in disbelief
Then he recognized that smile
The one he’d seen those years ago
On a loving thoughtful child
He said “what you gave to me that day
Was more than just a coat
You gave me the gift of giving
And you gave my mother hope
My mother’d been mistreated
Neglected and abused
But she gave life just one more chance
And it was all because of you
Now every year she takes that coat
And lays it beneath our tree
It represents to us the things
That Christmas ought to be
She says that when we leave this world
For a better home someday
The only things that we’ll take with us
Are the things we gave away.”

War on Truth

Beware the enemy within

Storm Clouds

An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.

Mahatma Gandhi

By guest writer: David Marks Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

For those with open eyes and minds, the ethos and repression of the recent pandemic are proving increasingly absurd. Unquestionable tirades are now revealed as hypocritical lies. Data confirming that vaccines are useless and toxic also expose the damage done by lockdowns and mandates.

Yet powerful forces continue to suppress and torment those who have concerns about the professed noble intentions of pharmaceutical giants and their government pawns. The ruling class perseveres in crushing dissent while having no qualms about the ongoing delivery of dangerous vaccines to a naive and fearful population.

Propaganda permeates our lives — with the intent of manipulating our emotions — disregarding any semblance of truth. Leaders appear to have no moral compass and are quite capable of any malfeasance. A gargantuan criminal enterprise remains in control — no matter who is elected to political office.

A devious, authoritarian clique is gaining ever stronger footing. Despite the overt duplicity, the general public is increasingly persuaded to accept sacrosanct judgments and arbitrary solutions for the multiple crises of our day. Because there is no accountability, unceasing scorn and vilification are ensured for anyone who raises questions about dominant fabricated realities and catastrophic policies.

It may be well justified to assume that corrupt political figureheads are carrying out the agenda of sinister omnipotent forces. We might conclude that all threats presented to humanity by the powerful are part of a clever smokescreen to hide an array of nefarious, greedy intentions.

Sources of reliable knowledge have been repressed or undermined, and it is difficult to discern the difference between speculative explanations and viable information. The pressures of our contemporary world give rise to quick acceptance of opinions and conclusions that are emotionally derived.

Everyone is urged to take sides in facing the controversial events and questions of our day. The current plight of humanity is becoming ever more polarized and perilous. Enemies take the shape of viruses, tyrants, election thieves, conspiracy theorists, capitalists, or socialists. The relentless, divisive atmosphere seems intractable.

This fragile condition is becoming more perilous as falsehoods from every direction emerge and thrive. Without intervention and a change of course away from conflict and toward resolution, only extremism and anarchy will prevail.

A prerequisite for any effective change to take hold is recognition of the motives and means of those who disseminate untruth. From there, vigilance is required in finding a path to establish a realistic framework for disseminating the truths of our time.

Precarious deductions

Those who fell under the spell of pandemic ravings were encouraged to view the world in black-and-white terms. This breach of reasonable behavior further divided a fragile world, silencing dissenters and destroying relationships. Responding with animosity to this intentionally generated mass delusion is equally destructive and engenders further discord.

Human existence is multi-faceted and exhibits infinite shades of moral and immoral behavior. People can do the right thing for the wrong reason. A perceived enemy can act with compassion. The opposite of a fabrication is not necessarily the truth.

The contrived rivalry is no accident. Maintaining dominance through polarization is a high priority of the promoters of the prevailing scientific, social and political narratives. Defining everything, including people, in extreme terms, is the simplest method to keep opponents in a cage of resentment and hate. The general climate of labeling something good or bad, right or wrong, and politically left or right; continues to incite intolerance. It has become perilous to find and speak the truth.

It is important to recognize to what degree everyone is repressed and manipulated — and how much of our plight is due to enforced divisiveness. Those who aren’t aware of these details and subtleties are easy targets for autocrats, who stigmatize, isolate and divide those who threaten their power.

It is no simple task to keep ourselves from participating in this ploy. While the generalities we observe have some clear truth, ungrounded deductions are precarious and can lead to destructive behavior.

The enemy within

External threats often initiate organized opposition that relies on an accepted slate of realities and objectives. Those who don’t agree with an entire manifesto are vilified for infractions or labeled as controlled opposition.

At the heart of this strife among the ostracized, is the illusion that the world can be divided simply into forces of the righteous and the wicked. It is vital to recognize and curtail this fallacy if we are to transition away from pernicious trends.

Recognizing common priorities defies the attempt to keep everyone polarized. The true battle is against the normalization of antagonism  — which benefits those who have initiated the discord.

However, defining these forces as the heart of darkness and responding solely with angry defiance — only reinforces the divisiveness. This degrading and dangerous social climate serves those desperate to retain their power by dominating policy and practice.

Although this predicament feels unsurmountable and unparalleled, it is worth recognizing that history is replete with the fall of intolerant, repressive regimes. There are recent precedents where the power of truth triumphed over division and deception.

Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence and civil disobedience were the final blow to the abuses of British imperialism, which had dominated India for nearly one hundred years. The colonial narrative was undone by those whose authenticity could not be compromised by rhetoric or violence.

Gandhi’s words still apply today; he also provides a relevant warning:

Hypocrisy and untruth will go on in the world. Our doing the right thing will result in their decrease… 

The danger is that when we are surrounded by falsehood on all sides, we might be caught in it — and begin to deceive ourselves. 

In a time of heightened hostility, reacting impulsively to information risks deviation from finding a just resolution. Although more difficult, patient consideration while maintaining a broader perspective is much more likely to yield a reasonable outcome. When surrounded by “falsehood on all sides,” it is imperative to continue on a calm, honest course of action.

Elusive common ground

Our contemporary crisis provides confirmation that polarized perceptions founded on hostility only serve to increase conflict. When opponents claim all ideas coming from adversaries are complete fabrications, unworthy of consideration, the outcome will only be more repression or anarchy. Neither of which are improvements on the inflammatory climate.

The seemingly unbreakable trance of the mainstream narrative is maintained within an atmosphere of contrived paranoia. A public that has been coaxed and cornered into fearing deviant enemies are unlikely to be awakened by dramatic exposure of their delusion. It is futile to counter irrational behavior or aggression with an emotional response.

Attacking the deceivers, their minions, or their lies is much less compelling than distinctly providing the truth. A growing, justified group of free thinkers making reasonable assertions will eventually break the trance.

The foundation of constructive change is being open-hearted to remain open-minded; truth can only be evaluated with calmness and clarity, rather than as a reaction to the deceitful words of those who have no grounding in honesty.

Offering actionable solutions to change the destructive patterns of contemporary civilization is a reasonable course. Verifiable details — without financial or political motivation — will dispel the perspective, politics, motives, and methodologies of those individuals and forces who engender or support the fallacies.

Most issues have complexities and subtleties that deserve considered analysis. Democratic government, where power is truly vested in the people, is only possible when adversaries listen to each other with open minds.

David Marks is a fellow for Children’s Health Defense. He is an investigative reporter and documentary producer. His recent book, “The Way,” is an interpretation of the Chinese classic, the Tao Te Ching, available at LaoTzu-TheWay.org

https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/war-on-truth