Political Activism

Attending the No Kings Rally in Thousand Oaks

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

After having been too busy with work over the past year or so, I finally got to attend my first ever No Kings rally on March 28, 2026. And while the focus was on major cities like Los Angeles, New York and Minneapolis among others, I decided to head over to Thousand Oaks as I was worried that getting in and out of Downtown Los Angeles would be too chaotic. But there was another reason; I lived in Thousand Oaks when I was young from 1982 to 1987, and it always holds a special place in my heart. I always try to visit there whenever I can as I have fond memories of this city, and moving away from there was very difficult.

Well, Thousand Oaks certainly did not let me down on this day. There was a sizable turnout just outside of The Oaks Mall with signs and costumes aplenty, and the honking of car horns was never ending as everyone made their voices heard loud and clear. While the turnout in major cities may have been enormous, and this is apparently the biggest No Kings day yet, this gathering proved to be more intimate as we protested Trump’s abysmal Presidency, bemoaned the ridiculously high gas prices (it is around $6 dollars a gallon in Southern California), expressed our anger at the abuses of ICE, and we all made sure to mention the name Epstein at least nine times.

While I typically film events like this with my digital camcorder, I decided to capture footage using my Google Pixel phone. The downside of this was that the image is a bit smaller than what my camcorder could have given us. As much as I tried to blow up the image so that it could fill up the entire screen, I was unable to do so. If anybody knows of a way to do that through Wondershare Filmora, please let me know. Nevertheless, I present you this video of what I observed as walked along the streets of Thousand Oaks. I hope you like what you see, and don’t give up the fight.

I also uploaded the video to my Instagram page if you want to check it out there instead of on You Tube.

Click here to visit the No Kings website.

Oh, and by the way, this is the shirt I wore for this rally:

UPDATE: I did another version of my video, and I managed to fix it to where the images are enlarged and fill the whole screen. Please feel free to let me know which version you prefer.

Exclusive Interview with Barbara Lee and Abby Ginzberg on ‘Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

With “Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power,” filmmaker Abby Ginzberg has given us one of the most memorable feature length documentaries of 2021. It introduces us to American politician and social worker Barbara Lee who currently serves as a United States Representative for California’s 13th congressional district, and this is someone we should now about. She has served in Congress for many years now and remains a strong voice for human rights, peace, and economic and racial justice in America and around the world. As Barbara’s story unfolds, we learn of her many experiences which shaped her life and beliefs such as volunteering for the Black Panther Party and escaping an abusive relationship. We also get testimonials from various politicians, journalists and other well-known individuals such as Cory Booker, the late John Lewis, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Van Jones, Danny Glover and Alice Walker, all of whom cite her as a tremendous inspiration to them and others.

More importantly, Ginzberg shows how Lee has remained steadfast and true to her beliefs to where she is not worried about popularity. While politicians mostly vote along party lines and are more concerned with their corporate donors instead of their constituents, Lee is not one to merely obey those in power. This is made especially clear when we see her oppose George W. Bush’s resolution granting the President unlimited war-making authority as it did not include much in the way of specifics and was, as she put it, “too broad.” In addition, she was the only representative in Congress to vote against this resolution. While everyone else was beating the war drum, Lee did not succumb to the cries for vengeance as she issued this stern warning to her colleagues: “Let us not become the evil we deplore.”

I got to speak with Ginzberg and Lee recently about the making of this documentary. Ginzberg herself has been a filmmaker for over 30 years, and her movies are about tackling discrimination and the legal profession. Her works include “Soul of Justice” which is about federal district judge Thelton Henderson, “And Then They Came for Us” about the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and “Soft Vengeance” which documents the life of anti-apartheid freedom fighter Albie Sachs. With “Speaking Truth to Power,” she is keen in making Barbara Lee’s existence known to the world at large.

During this interview, the two discussed why this is not meant to be a chronological or linear documentary, Lee expressed her thoughts on President Joe Biden’s recent extension on the moratorium for renters, and they talked about what needs to be done about homelessness and the war on drugs in America.

“Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” will arrive in theaters on August 20, 2021. In Los Angeles, it will be playing at Laemmle’s Royal Theater in West Los Angeles, and there will be a Q&A with Lee and her son following the 4:30 pm showing on August 21st. In Northern California, it will be showing at Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, and at the Roxie in San Francisco. Barbara will appear at the Roxie after the Thursday showing on August 26th. It will play in theaters for one week, after which it will be available to stream on Amazon and iTunes.

Please feel free to check out the interview below as well as the trailer for the documentary. And remember, stay woke!

Exclusive Interview with Barry Crimmins and Bobcat Goldthwait about ‘Call Me Lucky’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

It was very sad to learn Barry Crimmins passed away on February 28, 2018 at the age of 64. Crimmins was diagnosed with cancer only a month earlier, but the disease spread through his body very rapidly. He was an American stand-up comedian, a political activist and satirist, a writer and a comedy club owner, and his comedy predated that of the late Bill Hicks. He brought the comedy scene in Boston to a new level of prominence after forming the city’s two clubs, The Ding Ho and Stitches. He has long since earned the respect of fellow comics like Bobcat Goldthwait, Steven Wright, Paula Poundstone, Kevin Meaney and many, many others who continue to sing his praises, But the thing is, I was only just getting to know him just a few years ago.

Call Me Lucky poster

Despite Crimmins having done so much work, many people today, myself included, had never heard of him before. This changed in 2015 with Goldthwait’s acclaimed documentary “Call Me Lucky” which chronicled Crimmins’ beginnings as a comic in New York to his work in the present as a political activist. The documentary also reveals how Crimmins was a victim of sexual abuse as a child, and we even see him revisit the scene of his abuse in an effort to come to terms with what he went through. For years, he was an anti-pedophilia activist, and he went out of his way to expose pedophiles on the internet in the 1990’s before turning his evidence over to the FBI. In 1995, he testified before Congress about the need to enforce child pornography laws more than ever before.

In 2017, Crimmins married Helen Lysen, a photographer and font designer, and she was with him when he passed away peacefully. She shared the news of his death and wrote, “He would want everyone to know that he cared deeply about mankind and wants you to carry on the good fight. Peace.” Indeed, his death is a real loss as we need voices like his as the political climate we are currently dealing with in America continues to grow more volatile as days go by.

I was fortunate to talk with Crimmins and Goldthwait while they were doing press for “Call Me Lucky” a few years ago. To this interview, I wore one of my “They Live” t-shirts as I figured Crimmins was a fan of John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic which remains one of the most politically subversive movies ever made. It turns out he had not seen it, but Goldthwait certainly did, and I hope he got Crimmins to check it out before he passed away. I am certain he would have enjoyed it immensely.

They Live Obey t-shirt

Please check out my exclusive interview with Crimmins and Goldthwait above. “Call Me Lucky” is now available to own and rent on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital.

Rest in Peace Barry.