From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: Jimsan777-AT-aol.com
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 00:55:54 GMT
Cc: puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: [Puptcrit] Thai puppets cancellation


Hi Jim--- The World Festival of Sacred Music (which has its own web page) invited the Joe Louis Puppet Theater to participate in this year's Festival scattered around greater Los Angeles. They were scheduled for the first day event at UCLA, and then in North Hollywood at the WAT THAI Buddhist Temple (which has its own web page) and we were to get the Sept 19 before they returned to Thailand. The World Festival was doing the invitation stuff, and they apparently had no similar problems with any other participating group.

One person decided that since the group was being housed at the Thai Temple and being fed there, that that was a soret of payment and so they needed a work permit, which takes longer. I think the time allowed for Visa Processing is now shorter than it used to be, making it more difficult when problems come up.

I personally think that a lot of so-called "security" is crap, merely a window display to LOOK like security exists. Sometimes travellers need protection FROM security personnel, some who have turned out to be FELONS.

In January 2005 at JFK my exposed 35mm film from a CT puppet exhibit was taken from me, not returned, and when I gt home and telephoned ther airline, the airort, etc., I was referred to a series of phone numbers which just went in a continuous loop and was certainly NOT designed to solve problems, erely to create them. Does that make me feel more secure??? NO!!!!!

On a trip from the Burbank Airport to speak to the San Francisco Guild, first there was NO BUDGET PARKING AVAILABLE, no hotel parking  in the area Only "valet" parking at the inflated rate.
($51 ).

When I got back to Burbank 2 days and a couple or 3 hours later, my car battery was DEAD, the windows open, the security system partially disabled and a cel phone recharger cord missing.

While I was awaiting my car, unaware of what happened, the airport police arrested one of the valet parkers right in front of me, putting handcuffs on him and escorting him to a police car. That was the ONLY thing that made me a little bit protected.

On a trip thru Burbank security I was separated from my purse, and discovered later that a $100 bill was removed while I was out of sightlines 20 minutes going thru the shoe removal and wand routine. Does that make me feel more secure??? NO, NO NO!!!

You will recall an earlier attack on the Trade Towers in the underneath/parking area. The structures should have been at the top of any govt watch list but were not. Does that make any of us feel safer? NO WAY!

People drowned in New Orleans where I once worked for 9 months with Les Poupees de Paris on Bourbon St. Our Fearless President once again showed lousy leadership in New Orleans. That doesn't bode for a sense of well-being. It is not just an inconvenience, it is a disgrace.

Do I think there were terrorist puppeteers coming to L.A.? NO. but the constant publicity and encouragement of fear from our administration makes a good smoke screen for incompetent officials. What else is new???

Having said all that, I'm sorry the World Festival staff had not talked to you before hand; it might have helped!

ALAN COOK

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