Oh, Sandy

Could we have ever imagined the amount of grief the name "Sandy" would bring us in 2012?

My mouth gapes open, my heart is in a vise, my throat catches, tears flow.

Widespread devastation along the east coast in late October wiped away entire communities leaving people homeless and businesses decimated. In an already terrible economic time, this blow by Mother Nature was especially cruel. Over 250 lives were lost. Sand and salt water took down steel and concrete. Memories of summer days "down the shore" washed away in an instant.

Hurricane Sandy damage can be fixed. It can be swept up, hauled away, rebuilt. Time and money can repair most of the material damage. It will never be the same for sure, but we can heal. In some cases things will even be better. A new "normal" will resume. I don't mean to trivialize the lives lost here. They are a significant loss. NYC Mayor Bloomberg and NJ Governor Christie should be commended for their swift action and warnings that surely saved a significant number of lives.

When I heard the news about Sandy Hook Elementary last Friday it literally took my breath away. What started as a mind-numbing breaking news story while watching "The Today Show" hit me like a sucker punch minutes later. I barely gave the news a second thought when it was first reported: a school shooting, the killer is reportedly dead, three injured. Fifteen minutes later a flash news update on my phone, 18 children dead. Before I could turn the TV back on, the count went to 27 dead including 20 children. Six heroic teachers who put themselves between the gunman and the kids.

NO! How can we wrap our minds around this tragedy and even begin to get back to "normal"? How can we remember all those names and keep them in our hearts? We may not know anyone personally affected by these deaths, yet we are rocked to our core because they were leading the lives WE lead. OUR kids in school, Our teachers, OUR community. Innocence lost.

What can we do to sweep up this tragedy and rebuild? Gun control and mental health care are starting points for discussion. These are polarizing issues and I don't like to argue.

Instead, I like the idea of practicing acts of kindness. We can't clean up this mess, but maybe we can make our new angels proud of us. Let's try.

Quentin: Have your people call my people

Just like you, I invent celebrity encounters. You know, like what would you say to Channing Tatum if you saw him in an elevator, how you would counsel Lindsay Lohan, etc. One celebrity encounter I have prepared for is to meet Quentin Tarantino in a restaurant. Since I live in Los Angeles and eat at restaurants, I have reason to think this is a possibility.

I was reminded recently of why I wanted to meet Quentin after seeing the very cool Tarantino timeline on www.miramax.com created by fusioncreativela.com. Can you believe it has been 20 years since Reservoir Dogs was released? Believe it, and check out the Tarantino XX 20th Anniversary Box Set.

This pop art graphic trip down Tarantino memory lane brings back disturbing highlights from his movies in a good way. The only thing missing is a soundtrack and that is what fuels my fantasy meeting.

I don't think I can ever forgive Quentin for what he did to the part of my brain that retains the melody for "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel and the images from Reservoir Dogs together. Deep down, I know Quentin and I have similar taste in pop music, although he definitely "sees" things differently than I do. I was grateful to hear "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" from the Delfonics in Jackie Brown and "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield in Pulp Fiction.

So I decided to play into Quentin's dark side with my song suggestion. I first heard it on a British 60s compilation CD. "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" was a #5 hit in the UK for Gene Pitney, better known in the US for his hits "Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Town Without Pity." I was hooked on the song from the minute I heard it. There have been several covers and even other recordings by Pitney, but it was the version on this compilation album that caught my attention. There is a haunting quality to the song with an incredible crescendo that would go perfectly well with a Tarantino inspired slaying. Envision Tom Jones' "Delilah," only not so obvious. Check out Pitney's best version on iTunes in "The Brill Building Sound."

My entry on the Tarantino timeline would simply say "2013: Chance meeting with crazy fan inspires  script for "Heart."

I'm too late for Tarantino XX, stay tuned for Tarantino XXV.