louise on the left (coast)

Yesterday, our family took a spin down to Escondido to the San Diego Wild Animal Park , for what I can only say was an amazing day. But, the high spot of the journey was watching this little guy -- nuzzle with his mom. (Note: I don't understand why, but Blogspot has changed it's format recently and I can't upload photos up here like I used to.  So, here's a link to my facebook page's photo albums to see my photos.) The video is from a few months ago,  but he's really not much bigger these days. And there's another very hungry mommy elephant currently on "baby alert" who I can vouch was certainly "eating for two," yesterday -- This place is so beautifully, and ethically constructed. Why can't all zoos be as loving and respectful of the animals and the environment as the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Zoo ? The entire message there was one of caring for the world and conservation.  The really make sure all the visitors ...

Once upon a time, there were two very funny men,  Ed Copp and Jim Brown , who did great voices, wrote wonderful stories and sang hilariously absurd songs.  And together they created Playhouse Records. Around this time, there was also this odd, quirky young girl, growing up in Vermont without brothers or sisters, or any sense at all, really, who spent a great deal of time listening to these peculiar stories over, and over and over.   For her, their theatrical characters and wonderfully dark tales all made her life seem normal and entirely understandable..So, what I'm trying to say is, that it's all Playhouse Record's fault that I am the way I am now. Without their humor and creativity my life would have been infinitely more diminished.   CLICK HERE FOR THE NPR INTRODUCTION TO "WHO JIM COPP AND ED BROWN" The duo produced several funny, wacky, story records in the "mid century" years (for me, late sixties, early seventies) and then they "re...

Don't get me started about this new PSA. After watching it, I feel like she should just say: "Gosh, I had no idea sex would lead to a BABY! Whaaaa?! Get OUT of here! "Thank God, my mother, Saint Palin, was there to pick up the pieces. But, you probably would never be this lucky. Because I'm lucky. My family is famous. "Most normal kids would ALL make the exact same poor choices all us "party" kids in Alaska did when your moms are busy tattooing their makeup on, and campaigning out of state, too. It's obvious the only difference between you and me, is that my wonderful and famous family will pick up the pieces of my mess and none of you have the great good fortune to have Sarah Palin for Mother of the Year to fix my. Big. Huge. Failure."

I am not sure what happened, but Circus Aguilar never opened at Westminster Mall at all. It's sitting there, but it's been closed the entire time. When I inquired what happened the mall spokesperson said that the circus never passed the safety violation code. They would not elaborate what kind of code violations were cited. The really sad part of this story is knowing that all the animals are still being kept there inside a dark, small tent while the circus sits empty for days in the parking lot. They've briefly been taken out to be bathed, but other than they haven't been seen much at all. There's no grass for them to walk on, no field. Just a small tent erected on asphalt next to the freeway with little hoofs peeking out from the dark of the doorway every now and then. Very depressing. I wish I had happier news to report about any of this, but I don't. It's just sorry and sad this is precisely why I don't support using animals for entertainment, ...

“ The Language Archive ,” is currently having its world premiere at South Coast Repertory’s Segerstrom Stage running from March 26 - April 25, 2010. Julia Cho's award-winning play is a romantic comedy about the nature of communication. The production is exquisitely directed by Mark Brokaw and superbly acted by an expert ensemble featuring Leo Marks, Betsy Brandt (from one of my personal favorite shows - AMC’s “Breaking Bad”), Laura Heisler, Tony Amendola and Linda Gehringer, all of whom deliver a feast of delicious writing with a host of engaging and entertaining characters. The theme of the play is intrinsically woven around our deepest need for both love and communication. The plot illustrates the unexpectedly poetic ways our choice of communication can either nurture or kill the unique organism which is created from a love shared only between two people. Cho spotlights how important it is to cherish our "own languages," and what I found so extraordinary was how el...