louise on the left (coast)

Step right up, folks! The Westminster Mall has done it again. They've invited the circus to come to town! This year it' s Circo Aguilar . Aguilar Circus, is also the same circus that recently let three beautiful Bengal tigers escape in Mexico . Oops! I'm sure if that happened here those poor animals would know to stay off the busy 405, even though that's right where their circus tent went up today. It was only a few months ago that Sea World had a tragic death from a killer whale that snapped. These are wild creatures that often can't endure life in a cage. Now, don't get me wrong, if this were a people-only circus, I'd be thrilled about it. But, this is the "old" kind of circus. The lousy kind with loads of animals kept in cages and forced to perform for their meals. And the truth is, I think that stinks. Especially when it's capitalizing on endangered animals. Those animals belong in the wild, not in a cramped cage in a mall parki

There's a new HBO drama series called "Treme" about a post-Katrina New Orleans that looks like it's going to be amazing. It's created by some of the same people who wrote and produced The Wire and it features some really moving, original music that I am so happy is finally being captured on film and given some of the attention it so deserves. The HBO show debuts on April 11. So, set your DVR's and Tivos. And, I'm also really excited because it stars one of my personal favorite actresses : Melissa Leo. Read more via Huffington Post about what I predict will be a massive hit.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

...then you haven't met the Giant Isopod: One of the creepiest things On. The. Planet. Another great reason not to go too far away from shore.

Another fine excuse to get to know Prince Gomolvilas. ( Bamboo Nation ) Check out his What My Sister's Breast Implants Have To Do With Golf "

I'm such a dork. Of course it was a prank. *sigh. Anonymous said... Marc Klasfeld Says: March 30th, 2010 at 2:01 pm No this isn’t a real school play. Its a video directed by Marc Klasfeld, who also directed Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” among many other videos. It features kids that were found through a casting agent

Another good reason to love Prince Gomolvilas of Bamboo Nation : Check him out doing this piece called " What My Sister's Breast Implants Have To Do With Golf ."

Did I even question this? Right now with Sarah Palin declaring "open season" on Democrats? (Yeah. She did this. And put a gun sights on the addresses of all Democrats she wants gone.) No.....no, no, no. I may not like all the name calling and deal-making that goes on inside both parties in Washington, but after the past week's angry, tantrum throwing, hate-fest by the Republican Party -- well, it just proved to me that there is NO way that am I not anywhere but firmly on the left . My own "imaginary friend," Bill Maher, says it best with his latest "New Rules" from Real Time:

Hey, media marketing people: Want to see what folks are doing for entertainment, right now? You know, instead of spending money outside the home? (Not necessarily for work, but definitely hilarious.) Check out the latest internet hit -- When "Chatroulette" meets Lady Gaga [Video]

All that raw creativity being squeezed through the hit mill. All that beauty amid the talent and exhaustion.

So, my third grader decided to make this year the year she fell in love with dance. I was happy she found something, some form of expression that spoke to her, but I figured all kid's dance classes would be similar to what I'd already found in Orange County, CA. Well, I'm happy to report that not all dance classes (or dance studios) are alike. Take, for instance, Elevation Studios, in Long Beach, CA . She's signed up for their kids' dance recital (contemporary dance) which I assumed would be your typical "jazz" stuff complete with sort-of bouncy, kitchy music and glittery outfits. Mind you, I kept my feeling about this to myself, so that I wouldn't ruin her fun. I wanted to be positive about it all, but I have to admit, my oldest daughter's forays into kiddie dance perfoming always seemed to be in recital-mills requiring a nearly " Jon Benet Ramsey"-like appearance from all their kiddie performers. One reason we never real

Click here: Link to b eautiful photo gallery featuring Miyoko Ihara's award-winning photos of a grandmother and her cat, Fukumaru. (Note: To scroll through the gallery -- click on photo in the middle of the image -- on far side of photo. I'm a dork so it took me a while to figure this out.)

Just the other day I was wondering how to make a cute little monkey head. And now, thanks to "Judy" at Reborn Nursery , I have a tutorial on how to do just that. As well as a slide show for all her creations. Human, chimps, whatever it is that these really are. (Creepy) "Sculpting a Mini Monkey Head Tutorial I have created the following tutorial in order that others can see how I create my monkeys. I am starting with a mini monkey - a chimpanzee I start with a ball of tinfoil, which I roll up on the end of a screw, my aim is to make a shape that resembles the skull of the monkey." I'm not sure which is creepier, her "baby" recreations , or her cute little monkey heads. HOW TO SCULPT A MONKEY HEAD TUTORIAL

I guess this post has been making the rounds on the internet for a while already, but it's the first time I ever saw it. Had to repost. So my question is, where were all my gay friends during all my Shakespearian tradgedies? * Note of apology to my feminist friends re: last line of video clip. Ophelia is not a stupid bitch.

There is some music which never ceases to grab me by the heart. Take this classic Aimee Mann video woven in and around clips from the 1999 film " Magnolia ." If you've never seen this Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece (an entire film built upon Aimee Mann songs) then I advise you to find youself a copy and savor every moment of it. You could say Magnolia is the operatic version of Altmans's similarly themed (1993) film Short Cuts . Truthfully, any of the work of Aimee Mann is worth spending time with. And if you're a Julianne Moore fan, then you'll be pleased to know that she's in both these films. Actually, if you're really, really a Moore fan, and you haven't seen Short Cuts, then you'll be really grateful you did. * I digress. In any case, here's the video of "Save Me."

I'm not sure if I'm on the left or the right anymore. This is an unlikely time to question my political leanings...after all "we" just had a huge, historic win with the passage of the Health Care Reform bill which promises sweeping changes for time to come. But, the truth is, I just don't like the "we's" or the "them's" anymore and I sure don't feel inclined to associate with either team. Not after this week. On the one hand, too much was left out of the bill that should have been in there, and on the other hand, too many people stood in it's way for ALL the wrong reasons. The process of how we got here to "our victory" was so downright ugly that I seriously worry that all those little things that got brushed under the carpet to get the bill passed will end up being quite dangerous. Unless the bill, I mean, law, can really be fixed. Look, I love Obama, I do. And I wanted this to pass, but done the way it was mean