When we think of “invasive species,” perhaps zebra mussels or kudzu vine spring to mind. Both have flourished in their non-native environments and continue to threaten other native organisms. Invasive species aren’t inherently bad—they’re just trying to survive—but by definition, they’re likely to disrupt local ecosystems and even cause billions of dollars worth of damage each year. So, what does one California city have to say about its burgeoning population of… peacocks?
Introduced by a businessman and land baron named Elias Lucky Baldwin more than a century ago, the avian population has long called the area home. Over the years, though, as the originally open area filled with homes and commercial strips, efforts by local residents end up at odds, as some would like to protect the birds and others would prefer to see them sent away altogether. In a short film titled “Our Neighbors, the Peacocks,” filmmaker Callie Barlow traces the unusual history of peafowl in Los Angeles County through the eyes of some of its current residents.
Arcadia, California, sits in the San Gabriel Valley about 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. Dozens of peacocks, which are carefully watched over by some and detested by others, meander through residents’ yards, traipse around on rooftops, peck at cars, call from trees, and of course, display their beautiful feathers—especially during mating season.
In her short documentary, Barlow invites locals to share their love—or loathing—for the vibrant birds as she highlights how Arcadia’s history of protecting the birds has perhaps led to something of an overpopulation problem. Nearby neighborhoods participate in relocation programs, while Arcadia’s birds are protected, and opinions about how to deal with growing numbers land all along the spectrum.
“‘Our Neighbors, the Peacocks’ resists the urge to resolve the tension it so clearly lays out,” says Jason Sondhi, who selected the film for Short of the Week. “Instead, it leans into a modest but resonant idea articulated by its director that living alongside these animals might require ‘putting aside your own discomforts to find a deeper meaning in nature.'”
See the film on YouTube.
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LOS ANGELES, June 6 — Prosecutors filed murder charges yesterday against the man arrested in the fatal stabbing of veteran Hollywood actor James Handy, a familiar face in dozens of films and television shows for half a century and the boyfriend of the suspect’s mother.
If convicted, Michael Gledhill, 44, who was jailed as a suspect on Wednesday, faces up to 26 years in prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
In a separate statement on Thursday, police said Gledhill was arrested after he flagged down police near the murder scene in the city’s Tarzana neighbourhood on Wednesday and told officers he was the one they were looking for.
Police said officers were dispatched in answer to a cryptic emergency-911 call from a man who told operators: “I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin.”
Responding officers found an 81-year-old man unconscious on the front lawn of his girlfriend’s home with a stab wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a nearby hospital, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Gledhill lived at his mother’s home, police said.
The victim was later identified as Handy, a prolific character actor whose movie credits included supporting roles in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Arachnophobia, Jumanji, Unbreakable and Logan.
His last big-screen appearance was playing an older bartender named Jimmy in a bar frequented by military fighter pilots in the 2022 Tom Cruise hit Top Gun: Maverick.
Handy also appeared in scores of television shows dating back to the 1970s, often portraying law enforcement characters or authority figures.
Police described the killing as an isolated incident but offered no possible motive for the slaying. Gledhill was slated to make his first court appearance yesterday, but it was not immediately known whether he had obtained legal representation.
The Handy killing marked the second high-profile celebrity stabbing death in Los Angeles in six months. In December, actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer-producer Michele Reiner, were killed at their Brentwood mansion. Their younger son, Nick Reiner, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for their slayings. — Reuters
A few miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and Skid Row, St. Vincent Medical Center is considered one of the city’s most historical hospitals, having supported Angelenos since the 19th century. Vacant since 2020, the center is slated to become a full-service campus aimed at supporting people with addiction, mental health concerns, housing insecurity, and more. This transformation will begin in the next few months with a final target opening date in 2028 and a wholesale takeover in the meantime.
Through July 31, visitors experience an alternative vision for communal healing, all through the lens of 70 artists. Dubbed the Hospital of Emotions, the pop-up exhibition converts 80 rooms into temporary installations based on eight themes: joy, love, fear, anger, hope, sadness, compassion, and resilience. Among the participating artists are Lisa Waud, whose lush florals spill across an operating room, and Greg Corbino, who built a barren forest from cardboard.
Whatever you might feel in a medical setting is cast in immersive, mixed-media artworks, creatively tapping into the strange, exhilarating, and terrifying experience of being human. “Hospital of Emotions begins with the space itself. A hospital is where we confront fear, but also recognize what matters. Here, the building becomes a journey through human emotion—shifting the focus from treating the body to experiencing and processing emotion,” say exhibition curators from the studio House of Art and Dreams.
More than 10,000 visitors explored the hospital opening weekend, and several weekends are already sold out. Get your tickets and learn more about the project on its website.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article In Los Angeles, 70 Artists Transform a Vacant Hospital into a Sprawling Art Experience appeared first on Colossal.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — No Malaysians were affected after a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 aircraft suffered a nose landing gear failure while preparing for departure at Frankfurt Airport on June 4, the Embassy of Malaysia in Germany confirmed.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the embassy said that, according to information provided by the relevant German authorities and Lufthansa, the aircraft experienced a nose landing gear failure while parked at a gate in preparation for its scheduled departure to Los Angeles.
“The incident occurred prior to passenger boarding.
“At the time of the incident, only Lufthansa crew members and ground personnel were on board the aircraft,” the statement read.
Several airline staff members were injured and are receiving medical treatment, it added. The embassy conveyed its sincere hope for their swift and full recovery.
German Press Agency (dpa) reported that several employees were injured when a Lufthansa aircraft collapsed while parked at the gate at Frankfurt Airport, for reasons yet unknown. — Bernama
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