louise on the left (coast)

I've had some issues with my layout recently in this blogger website, which means, I'm having to heavily rely on videos for posts. So, I did a quick search today on New Years Eve to see if I could find a few film clips that capture how I feel about life. Ironically, I kept coming back to Woody Allen movies, and I just decided to go with it and be true to how I felt at that time.

(This post started out with a ruder title, but I didn't feel it did justice to the subject of this posting.) So, my (slightly delusional, but only in a "good way") impossibly generous, always loving and always undeniably entertaining parents just got on a plane home, from Orange County, CA to Vermont, this morning. And, this means I AM VERY SAD. Having them with us for the past Christmas week was always wonderful, occasionally stressful, a bit heartbreaking, but often hilarious...And, putting them on a plane this morning felt awful. After dropping my folks off at the Long Beach Airport, I couldn't bear to just head home just right then, so I stalled and took my kids to a nearby favorite thrift store first. There, I picked up a used Eva Cassidy CD I'd once heard was good. On the way home, we listened to Cassidy for the first time. Suddenly, upon hearing her version of "Imagine" I found myself unintentionally and inexplicably weeping into my steering

I've a confession to make: I've decided it's time to win something. What to win is another question, however, I've come this far having decided I want to try to win something, and now I'll need your help. So, just what does someone with a "personal blog" actually, if ever, really win ? Any ideas? I'm not picky, mind you. I'll take anything. So far, the only things I ever won were one or two ribbons at the Guilford Country Fair for embroidering a pillow or baking something dense. Which, let's face it, at a county fair means "It got entered: It gets a ribbon." Then, once, in Los Angeles, I entered the first and only game show I will ever be in. I had this really bad idea that we could possibly pay for our wedding by going on a game show, called "Free 4 All" and win tickets somewhere for our honeymoon. Free 4 All was a very short-lived game show hosted by Marc Wahlberg. However, as could be predicted we shamefully and

Thanks to jacked UP jazz I stumbled across a recording artist, I'd never heard of before, Beverly Kenney. Something about her voice captures that jovial, yet slightly wistful period of time just after Christmas, yet right before New Year's Eve. A period of time I, inexplicably, associate with New York City. An association that makes even less sense considering I no longer live there. However, despite my lapse of logic, something about mid-century recordings of female jazz vocalists will forever remind me of late winter nights in Manhattan. Nights when normally manic people linger late over irish coffee just to watch snow fall into once busy city streets. Magical nights when the only thing coming down 8th Avenue is a brave yellow cab driver silently sailing to destinations unknown. Again, Thanks to "jacked UP jazz" for posting this.

Actually, this was titled: "Tom Waits - Chritmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis" Well, I ain't no hooker. And this sure ain't Minneapolis. But, I'll take it, anyway.

Louise on the Left would just like to wish Eric Schaeffer the warmest Merry Christmas ever for being the sole reason my humble blog still kicks ass. Truly, you alone are the number one subject driving the most traffic to my humble blog. I'm not sure why that is, or why my blog ranks higher on Google for your name than your own (very underwritten, frankly) blog. But, no matter: Namaste, Eric. Yes, Namaste. Thank you for making 2009 a year in which at least one subject has been so effortless to blog about. I look forward 2010 to channel more of my inner "Margaret Dumont." If you don't get what this means, just stay up late one night pigging out on Ne-mo bars, watching TCM and maybe you'll catch something by the Marx Bros. Perhaps then you'll see the connection, Or not. But, basically, nobody will ever be quite as good at being horrified by you as I am. And in the 2010, I look forward to viewing "Gravity" -- the new Starz comedy about suicid

What I find most interesting about this animated short is how the filmmakers made a successful Christmas film which worked with an audience during the Great Depression. How do you tell children a story about Santa Claus during a time when most families would not be visited by Santa that year? Watch: A Hugh Harman-Rudolf Ising Production, Vitaphone Pictures. Merrie Melodies cartoon short produced by Leon Schlesinger for Warner Bros. Animated By Rollin Hamilton, Norm Blackburn. Originally Released on January 07, 1933. Thanks to XmasFlix.com for their in depth background material regarding on this unique Christmas film: The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1933) Christmas Cartoon Classic. A Christmas fable with a twist: on a cold Christmas Eve, a poor little boy wanders through a snowy village to his "shanty" on the other side of the tracks knowing that Santa Claus will never come to his house. Then in the distance, the sounds of hooves are heard, and old St. Nicholas himself bur

Louise on the Left would just like to wish Eric Schaeffer the warmest Merry Christmas ever for being the sole reason my humble blog still kicks ass. Truly, you alone are the number one subject that drives the most traffic to my humble blog. I'm not sure why that is, or why my blog ranks higher on Google for your name than your own (very underwritten, frankly) blog. But, no matter: Namaste, Eric. Yes, Namaste. Thank you for making 2009 a year in which at least one subject has been so effortless to blog about. I look forward 2010 to channel more of my inner "Margaret Dumont" (If you don't get what this means, just stay up late one night pigging out on Ne-mo bars, watching TCM and maybe you'll catch something by the Marx Bros. Perhaps then you'll see the connection, Or not. (Basically, nobody will ever be quite as good at being horrified by you as I am.) And in the 2010, I look forward to viewing "Gravity" -- the new Starz comedy about

Tech gurus unveil cutting edge bargain and luxury items for the computer geeks on your holiday gift list. Make sure you catch the electonic toy guru's picks!

Call me old fashioned, but these were the kinds of cartoons I loved and watched.

Now, why didn't I think of this? Recycle, Reuse, Regift all those pesky religious-y pamphlets into creative christmas cards! Maybe you could use something other than hedge clippers to trim them, though. Watch:

I am confused. Why would something as visual as a slapstick cartoon require incessant sign language? Are the viewers hearing impaired as well as in an Alzheimer's home? --Talk about Cartoonus Interuptus.

There are some sounds that just say "Christmas!" to me, like this vintage commercial.

While the real life Joe Lieberman has been busy with his filibuster threats, he's nothing compared to his sock puppet counterpart. In this ad from Moveon.org, the sock puppet Senator (whose appearance is strikingly accurate) makes it simple. If the Democrats want his vote, they're gonna have to pony up. Literally. Check out this funny sock puppet video of Senator Joe Lieberman holding health care hostage for his list of personal demands. (and thumbs up to Al Franken for shutting sock puppet up on the floor of the senate, today!) -- Thanks to Huffington Post. WATCH:

This is an incredibly corny look at Christmas seen through the manipulatively nostalgic eyes of Hollywood. I know it's stupid. I know it's absurd. But, around this time of year, I'm prey to all sappy seasonal old movies, even if it's just because they remind me of "Mad Men." A Christmas celebration with scenes from classic films, including: Meet John Doe (1941) It's a Wonderful Life (1946) The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Christmas in Connecticut (1945) The Bishops Wife (1947) Desk Set (1957) Little Women (1933) Mr and Mrs Smith (1941) The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) and pictures from Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas Songs: Misteltoe and Holly by Frank Sinatra Let It Snow by Dean Martin Jingle Bells by Dean Martin The Christmas Waltz (extract) by Frank Sinatra Staring clips of classic Hollywood stars such as: James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Donna Reed, Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Bette Davis, Richard Travis, Katharine

THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF DRUG USE OVER TIME BEFORE: AFTER:

A few days ago my husband sent me a clip of this amazingly talented, what? toddler? playing a ukulele like a reincarnated fusion of Hendrix and John Lennon strumming from the great Palladium club in the sky. And then today I saw that my blogger guru, Prince Gomolvilas, at Bamboo Nation had also glommed on to the Uke boy band wagon, as well. But, I have to tell you, the clip that really caught my eye (and, trust me, there are many clips to choose from out there) was Boy Wonder's amazing version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps . Say what?! Yeah, the melody is a bit rough, but watch him stretch for those sophisticated chords. And, hello? Talk about passion , if you look up the definition of "Rock Out," this kid's face is there. And he's probably not even out of kindergarten. Watch:

Tis the season to decorate and show up for holiday parties dressed up like Santa. Well, thanks to Miss "glowpinkstah" we finally have our "Santa Make Up Tutorial!" And she's so right, nothing here looks like it cost $1.99.

This will be the first year in a very long time I won't be back in Vermont to spend the holidays with my parents. No doubt Hollywood rarely gets any more sentimental than it does in this clip, however, I have to say -- it really does speak to what I'm feeling right about now.

Never knew that two of my favorite female vocalists each did a music video with Sesame Street, before! Translated into Louise-speak this means that Peter Varvel 's and Prince Gomolvilas 's affection for The Muppets is actually beginning to grow on me, too. I'm a late bloomer. I grew up pretty much post-Sesame Street, and my kids wouldn't move past Nick Jr. on the remote, so I really am still a novice Muppets fan. However, when I see clips like these two, and of course the famed REM video, I am reminded how cool the Sesame Street folks are. Fiest and the Muppets Norah Jones and Elmo How did I raise two kids and not know about these clips till now? Now, if the Muppets could line up Nellie McKay and Aimee Mann to work with, that'd really tickle my Elmo.

Here it is, the holidays again. For me, there isn't a story that isn't more about Christmas or winter redemption than the tale of "J.T." and the abandoned cat he rescues. However, once again the best the TV networks can come up with is a Hallmark presentation of "A Dog Named Christmas?" Really? Is this because right now most of America can relate to a story about a white family with a purebred Labrador when the truth is we have kids on breadlines right now? Wow. And now Hollywood decides to crank ONE MORE BORING VERSION of THE CHRISTMAS CAROL? Is this because we just haven't seen it enough, yet? We've probably all sat through watching Scrooge be played by likes of Mr. Magoo, George C. Scott, Albert Finney, Bill Murray and now, Jim Carrey. Tired. From what I can tell, and I have not watched anything other than the trailers, but it looks like this one isn't even a GOOD version of the true Dickens tale. My third grader is terrified of the t

While stuck in bed earlier this month recovering from the flu, my husband surprised me by coming in and handing me a copy of The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. "This is a perfect time to read this" he said. Now, don't ask me why anyone would hand someone they love a story about the end of the world. Especially someone coughing up a lung from H1N1, but, what can I say? That's just one of the bizarre little quirks which passes for true love around here. Quite reluctantly I began reading this, quite sure that given the bleak nature of the story combined with our entire family getting Swine Flu, was simply going to ensure this book ended up in the literary graveyard that is my side of my bed until a sunnier day. However, much to my surprise, I immediately fell under the spell of The Road. It was quite simply, impossible to put down, whether or not I was feverish and coughing. My husband knows me so well. So, now that I'm almost done with the novel, I find I'm p

Naturally, last night at Thanksgiving dinner I stated that I was grateful for my all family, both near and far. But, later I qualified that toast, to be that I was thankful for the internet, for not only making the distance between loved ones smaller, but also for allowing me to add new friends and "family" to my life, those who I'd have never known were it not for the internet super freeway. So, thank you to family, friends, turkey, pie and the internet super highway! I will upload photos of our post Thanksgiving family trip to Disneyland, too.

Vintage Lady Gaga. I am grateful for people with talent! The only thing annoying about this clip are the show hosts...

This weekend I kissed my husband and kids goodbye to go on a long awaited date with the one and only Prince Gomolvilas (of the always fabulous blog, Bamboo Nation ) for a one-of-a-kind bus tour: " Out And About Tours ," a unique trek through Los Angeles’ LGBT history, all viewed from the upper tier of a double- decker bus. How cool is that? *Note: To read more about our date, be sure to read about it on The Bilerico Report, here . The tour was everything it promised to be plus an ice cold drink and a bag of chips! This first ever GLBT history tour of Los Angeles is a non-stop giddy whirlwind of laughs, jeers and cheers all spirited along by an attractive team of actors and tour guides who brought to life the many tales and facts woven together by the talented creator of the tour, founder Jim Anzide . The trip was a whirlwind flight through the City of Angels, a journey that happened to be chock full of laughs, and stories that will stay with me fore

Yes, this weekend I kissed my husband and kids goodbye to go on a long awaited date with the one and only, fabulous Prince Gomolvilas on a one of a kind bus tour from Out & About Tours. It was a unique tour of Los Angeles’ LGBT history from the upper tier of a double-decker bus. Cruising East down Santa Monica Boulevard you are introduced to Barney’s Beanery (where my husband and I had our first date, unfortunately. I guess there was some pretty ugly ju-ju there.) where there used to hang a sign that said “Fagots- Stay Out.” This outed them as not only small and hateful, but also grammatically challenged. Later as we approached a certain corner in Hollywood, Prince and I were elected to act out a scene based on when Eddie Murphy infamously picked up his late-night transsexual companion Atisone Seuli. I'll let you ponder who played who in the scene but I will say, it was an Oscar worthy moment, to say the least. As it turns out, Out & About Tours is the first and only g