louise on the left (coast)

To be honest, I've blogged about this before , but it's worthy of blogging about again . The book Where The Wild Things Are is a must have for any one's personal book collection, period. If you know someone who just had a baby, then be the first person to add this treasured book to that child's library. It's a classic's classic. It put the book's author, Maurice Sendak, right up front and center regarding children's literature and raised the bar so much higher for every other illustrator and author for the rest of all time. Embedded here in this blog post are two different video versions of this groundbreaking illustrated classic. The first one is a video of "Where The Wild Things Are" which you probably had to watch on rainy days at school in the "Media Center." (If you are my age, they called that place a "library" and it's where they kept all those clunky things we call books, today.) The first video wa

So sad, but a love story, nonetheless.

Bret and Jemaine The duo rocked out at the 'Flight of the Conchords' Concert at The Greek ( Not Roman) Theater up in Los Angeles last night. The deadpan, dorky duo, The Flight of the Conchords , proved themselves to be as funny, if not funnier in person, and much, much better musicians than I ever expected. They're really great. I thought the show really came alive when they literally moved for their sets. Like, got up and moved about the stage, or reacted to unexpected antics from the audience. The energy level was a bit more sedate than I anticipated. If I have any one complaint it is that they seemed a bit too nailed to the spots where they played. Since the joke was often extremely deadpan, and often lost in a New Zealand accent, I fear that by not providing visual explanations in order to underscore their "irony," that a bit of the humor became lost in translation. Very good musicians and vocalists, though. Really. They mocked all of us Americans, for

Tonight Pete's got (writing a review for the Orange County Register) tix to see our top all-time favorite comedy singing duo " Flight Of The Conchords " for tonight's show at Los Angeles's Greek Theatre! -- Oh, yeah! In fact, all day has been a "red letter day." Woke up, the kids were happy, so I took a long bath! I never do that. We're planning to spend lazy afternoon at my favorite childhood friend's house up in LA and then go to what I can only predict will be one of the funniest music concerts, ever. Yes, we're going to hear Bret and Jemaine rockin' us under the stars at the Greek Amphitheater. Sweet! Yes!

Newsflash to man in show (Schaeffer) professing to want to get married and have children. Sunday will SO not be about you anymore. No day will be about you anymore. Get your brain around that. If you cannot handle this fact then just give up this fruitless search. In this week's episode of "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single" Mr. Eric Schaeffer and his motley crew (Clearly Em and Stas are exempt) travel from Kalamazoo to Chicago. This episode's date was with a woman who from Miami who agreed to fly to Chicago for her on-air date with Eric. Review: One half star: For not making me want to vomit as many times as he has previously. Here's what happened in this episode of "I Can't Believe I'm still Single." Blonde from Florida meets Eric Schaeffer on MySpace . She agrees to fly out to Chicago for a date with Eric Schaeffer. During her introduction at his hotel room she rolls about his bed like a drunk Pomeranian and spanks him with a ridin

"You Can't Sing That!" Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009 Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Newport Harbor Lutheran Church Street: 798 Dover Drive City/Town: Newport Beach, CA Date: Sunday, May 31, 2009 Time: 3:00pm Location: St. Mary's Episcopal Church Street: 428 Park Avenue City/Town: Laguna Beach, CA A playful and thought-provoking celebration of authors and poets whose works have been banned, censored, or challenged throughout the centuries. The texts and authors featured in our final concert have all been the targets of censors over the years – but they’re some of the most intelligent and beautiful words we’ve ever sung! Hear the works of Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Lewis Carroll, Madeleine L’Engle, Anne Frank, and others, set to music by Norman Dello Joio, Irving Fine, Eric Whitacre, and many more. Presented in partnership with Latitude 33 Booksellers. -- We are singing two concerts and I'd love to see you there! Louise (on the left, of cou

Louise on the Left's Cliff Notes for the lazy California Liberal Progressive. For those of us with busy lives and not enough time to research things fully, here are a few more links re: endorsements and recommendations regarding the California Special Elections May 19 th , 2009. Also, the election? It's today Like, Tuesday, May 19 th , today -- Later that day -- So, my husband I have been clicking around and STILL have been talking about what the right way to vote really is. It's confusing. He said "none of them will pass." I said "so, why don't we save them?" (I suddenly felt sorry for them. Like they'd been left at the animal shelter.) He said, "Well, because that first link you put up suggested not to." I asked him to recap for me why that was. He reminded me one of my first links was to a progressive group that urged people to vote "no" on all of them . "Why?" I asked, clearly still confused by it all. He f

If you are, please contact me. All I ask is that you live away from the Pacific Coast and it's shifty plate movements. In return for your interest I'll send you an amazing resume of someone (aka, my husband) very talented whose wife is dying to relocate to the east coast. To be honest, for the past 14 years I've endured the longest act of holding my breath ever achieved. Why? Well, because we are a family of four and having one of us employed with benefits is necessity and (as far as I'm concerned.) mostly the only thing that's keeping us (Okay, me.) out here in Southern California. But, for the record, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I absolutely hate earthquakes. Seriously, hate them. I hate them. Last night, after a long day of having great Fairy-Garden-Birthday-Party fun, we collapsed down to eat dinner and relax only to hear "tick, tick, tick (the sound always starts in the same place. As a rattle way high up in the same corn

Okay, I'm not proud of this fact, but I love my television shows. And, I can't believe I haven't blogged this before, but I wanted to share what my particular favorite shows are, in case anyone else shares the same addictions and wants to chat about how wonderfully awful they are. First of all there's the reality TV: Celebrity Apprentice, Wife Swap, Trading Spouses, plain old Apprentice, Survivor, Top Chef, Project Runway, I Can't Believe I'm Still Single (Yes, that really is what it's called.) America's Next Top Model, My Life On The D-List, and, as always, for my Friday night date with Pete, we have to watch Bill Maher. As for non -reality TV I adore, love and can't enough of Breaking Bad , Mad Men , Californication, Sex and The City, Extras (love Ricky Gervais) and...gosh, there has to more than that, isn't there? There used to be on HBO, but those dang series shows keep running out of episodes. I'm still really upset about Six Feet U

Hell, for us , that is. How is this is a show at all? What? Watching me do the dishes has got to be more interesting than watching this guy's road trip. Who paid him to do this???! Are they being held at gunpoint to air this crap? I mean, really. I promised I'd review every episode, so here's my review du jour. It stank. I thought he was actually even more annoying than I have previously thought possible. Note to Hertz Auto Rentals: Sue this guy, please. I do NOT want to rent a van for my family once someone as reckless and filthy as this guy has had his way with your vehicles. I will never use Hertz to rent a car ever again. I might get Schaeffer's skankmobile. I would have strangled him before they left the parking lot in Canada even before they drove and drove and drove for no reason other than Eric Schaeffer is a total infantile egomaniac who cannot follow directions. Attractive, I know. Could Schaeffer really get much more disgusting than he was up in tha

Oh, my God! I can't believe she did it the first time, but twice in a row?! Tyra is much scarier than Simon in this sort-of thing. Wow. Skip to time in clip - 6:06 And then, Holy Moses, poor Aminat -- after taking such a patronizing beat down from Tyra ends up losing anyway -- because of "her face." Brutal. I don't think my girls get to watch this show anymore. As entertaining as it is for me, the way these women allow themselves to be judged seems deeply demeaning to all women. I mean, if these gorgeous young things "can't make it," what chance do real girls have?

Okay, so I never started out as an America's Next Top Model fan, yet somehow we started watching it and now, well, I enjoy it because it's so campy and bizarre. I dislike the message it sends women, however I've become mesmerized by the spectacle of it all. I do love the way Tyra runs her hen house. I'm amazed that a former super-model so effortless has become such a powerhouse. She's so dramatic and over-the-top. Very entertaining delivery. However, my favorite moment last week was when Tyra narrowed the final two to two models, Aminat and Celia . Then, Tyra shares this career observation with the runner up. "...Pretty girl! But, there's something about the mathematics of your face when it comes to how the light hits it in a photo that sometimes is genius and sometimes is wha-wha ." "Wha-wha??! Can you imagine having Tyra tell you this to your face? OMG! This so makes me laugh everytime. Here it is: America's Next Top Model

First of all, I admit I'm mad because Allison should have stayed in the game and Danny should have gone home last week. No Doubt (who impressed me by NOT lip synching last week) Allison and Adam should have been chosen for the final duel on American Idol. But, for the record, here are LOUISE'S AMERICAN IDOL NEW RULES #1: Sorry, but Adam is not allowed to win American Idol if every high note he hits makes him look like a regurgitating iguana. Everyone knows he can sing his ass off. Especially, Adam. But he needs to drop the Liza Minelli drag act for at least one song, as well as hit high notes without sticking his tongue out like that. It's gross. Why the hell doesn't he just do a Heart song? That is who he sounds like. And #2. And Danny can not sing a bet-you-think-I'm-singin'-bout my-dead-wife song to win. Also, he appears smug and it bugs me. Kris can stay in the game if he continues to seem humble and continues picking interesting songs to cover

Okay. So, now that I'm on a roll, here, fessin' up my current television obsessions, I can't leave out this season's Survivor Toncantins with the entirely wacked-out, uber-creepy, drama queen, "Coach." Who, thanks to great editing, quips such profound lines as, "...And, I just wanted to share a piece of my life with them. I just wanted to show them that no matter how bad it gets in your life there's always something that's gonna make it much worse." Uhm. Thanks? Here's Coach sharing another inspiring story with the gang around the campfire, the one about the time he got in the Amazon. Memo from Central Casting: Seeking aging dragon slayer to star in Charles Manson bio-pic. Soccer coaching and mental masturbation a plus. By the way, what was so bad about poor Sierra? Welcome to Island Lord-of-the-Flies .

Dang! -- How about that last bitch fight on " The Celebrity Apprentice ?" That was great TV. Bamboo Nation (who blogs about this and so many other topics with far more skill than I.) loved the line "Whore pit vipers!" which, let's face it, is an easy sound bite to swoon over, but I actually have a few other "favorite moments" from that show to weigh in on, too. First of all -- whew! Happy Mothers Day? And how about that mother and daughter team? I love how loyal they are. It doesn't matter what they're pissed about, or why, but I just love that they'd go to the mat for each other like that. No. Matter. What. Do not mess with the mothers and their daughters. Never. You will be shredded. My favorite lines: Joan Rivers : (to Brande Roderick and Annie Duke): "And you ?! You give money with blood on it. I met your people in Vegas for forty years and none of them have last names! None of them! You're a poker player.

Okay, I'm on the hook. I said I'd try to give an "un-review" of every episode of this guy's show. So, this week on Season Two of "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single," we saw Eric and his road crew finally make it across the border to Canada. Literally. We saw them drive over the border. Hmmm. No, really. What happened in the last episode? I can't remember... Nothing? I kind of think, sort-of nothing much really happened. This week there were no "date scenes" just really uninspiring road trip chatter. They all agreed that they still liked Allison, the Burlington, VT date, a lot and even phoned her to tell her the food she enabled Eric with was good "after all." Okay, there was a visit with his Dad and his stepmom in Canada. Which was what he described as a good visit and yet, inexplicably, made Eric cry because it brought up stuff that made him feel things. (Real life does that sometimes.) Eric shared with us more

California Online Voter Guide: Links to Ballot measures info Click on the tab(s) above to enter the California Online Voter Guide , a nonpartisan clearinghouse of election information and web site links . This edition covers statewide ballot measures. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One more site to use while catching up on your voter homework regarding the California special elections. Check out the LAist Voter Minute Guide to May 19th's Elections! The LAist voter guide: California May 19 Special Election: (Includes short instructional videos on each ballot measure. Short, clear and specific short videos on the pros and cons of each new ballot measure coming up for election for our special California election on May 19, 2009. )

Today is Mother's Day Today is also my youngest daughter's birthday ! Happy Birthday, Anna Lily! To my brand new 8 year old, and my still very 12 year old! I love you both, SO much. I'm so lucky. I'm the luckiest mother, ever. (This was the moment Juliet first met Anna Lily. Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, May 10, 2001) Happy Mother's Day to both my daughters!

Here's how (my new favorite artist) Lucy Pepper introduces her film short: "a story you'll know quite well if you've lived on this planet for more than a week. If you are new to this planet, then you'll need to understand that there's nothing we like better than a POSSIBLE crisis"

Here's how yesterday's Palin-style Abstinence Tour sounded to Gawker (link here.) And how it appeared to Keith Olbermann -- But, it got me thinking -- Is Bristol Palin a really a good role model? For what? Abstinence or more sex education? Wow. More mixed messages Palin style, this time they use Bristol to promote more useless conservative propaganda. I watched several of her interviews this week and here's how I heard her: "Sex is a blessing and a curse. No, I mean, the baby part. It's a curse not just a blessing." "No...Uh, the other way. " "Look, my Mom and Dad made me do this interview, I don't really even care what other teens do, I just know I have to say all this to you, so puh-leez, do not make me think on top of it all, okay? Because I'm a real mom now, and it's hard! And this baby isn't just an accessory on my hip. Okay?" Yeah, so yesterday Gawker posted a pretty great round-up of yesterday's really peculiar p

Here are a few more links to some other party endorsements -- so you can do more homework on what matters to you for the special election vote later this month. Link to other alternative party endorsements to round out more info and regarding the May Special Elections.

Lucy Pepper is delicious. I love her work! Advice to mothers from lucy pepper on Vimeo .

I love this animation by Chris Ware from Showtime's This American Life . It so clearly tells the story of how media changes society. Or rather, how the power to create media changes social dynamics. Why does trouble always start in the "art room?" Just so you know, the real story was about some schoolkids who goofed around and made one or two silly, fake video cameras out of card board boxes and toilet paper tubes and then they acted out "filming" each other around the schoolyard. The story goes that this game caught on fast at the school, and had an unfortunate outcome. The school later responded by banning the cameras. It's a short animation version of the cable TV show This American Life, and it's very good.

-- Whoa! Just found this clip. But, now after seeing her sheer joy playing a sultry Ring-mistress, keeping "the rowdy crowds at bay with her lightening quick riding crop. " Or whatever that was at (Cirque du So Gay) a Vt. pride/ gay rights celebration sheds an entirely new light on this week's episode of Eric Schaeffer's Vermont date with Allison on "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single." Yep, I take back what I said before, Allison could very well be perfect for Mr. Eric Schaeffer. (If he can keep up with her , that is. She really is up his alley, so to speak.) Check it out. All potential ego or chemistry clashes aside: This chick does, perhaps, seem quite right for Eric Schaeffer, I do wonder why it didn't seem that apparent to me on his show, though. I may be a straight, married woman with kids and living in beige-oh Orange County, Ca, but I just have to say this clip demonstrates one more reason why I love so Vermont. People have always do

Okay, so I guess I might as well resign myself to the fact that I'm planning to write my own " un -review" for each segment in Season Two of "I Can't Believe I'm Still Single...Portland to Portland." Why? Because nobody else is, and I'm getting hits on this subject, that's why. Question: Why is Season Two still being called "I Can't Believe... Portland to Portland " when I have yet to hear of either city in any segment this season? So, here's my spin on Episode 4, when Eric meets Allison from Vermont . At the opening of the episode, Allison's friend voiced concern that she does not want people to refer to Allison's date as "the big girl date." Point noted. Not a problem. She was full figured, but also totally gorgeous, and cool. But, I'm going to bet that for Mr. Seeking Ms. Perfect, that deep down he may still have an issue with what he may view as non-perfection due to his known food-control issues

Just found a great clip of Paul Lynde doing some city's local weather report. Why did I never see this before? He was so innately funny. "It's 69 in Seattle?" I'm still trying to figure out why any television producer would agree to let someone like Paul Lynde do their local weather, but who cares? This is hilarious. Love all the 80's hair and his jangly little gold necklace-tie thing he sports, too. Very nice.