Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
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The whole world knows about "Hollywood" right? It is impossible not to have some awareness what with annual award shows like the Emmys, the Grammys and of course the Oscars. And the whole world is inundated with television shows, feature films and these days streaming video from Netflix, Hulu and so much more. And then there are the movie and TV stars, mega names such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Emma Watson and so forth and so on. But there are a whole lot more...
After a full and very fun day on Catalina Island it was time to get back aboard the beautiful Carnival Cruise ship "Inspiration" and begin our journey south crossing the U.S. Mexican border but well off shore before working our way ever so serenely to the port of Ensenada. For those who have never cruised before there are several really good reasons why cruise ships take plenty of time and stay well off shore between ports. Once 22.2 kilometers off shore you are in international waters and that...
It has long been said that in matters of real estate the three most important elements to consider are location, location and location. Proof of the validity of that is abundantly evident when you visit magnificent Morro Bay, California located on the beautiful Pacific Ocean roughly half way between Hollywood and San Francisco. Today Morro Bay is home to just a little over 10,000 very fortunate residents and many times that number of annual visitors literally from all over the world. One of the...
Back in 1996 Autry Stephens decided that he wanted to claim his share of oil riches so he struck out on his own and soon named his one rig oil company the "Big Dog Drilling Company." Over the next twenty years Autry Stephens continued to build his company until he eventually ended up with the largest closely held oil producer in Texas based on production volume. He also changed the name to Endeavor Energy Resources L.P. based in Midland, Texas. Once only named "Big Dog," today the truly big...
Not all of them are at the level of super star con artist Bernie Madoff but unfortunately our world is still filled with an abundance of con artists who just love to rip you off and the sad part of it is that their very nature makes them exactly the kind of person you will, at first, love and admire. Oh they are a clever bunch, that’s for sure, but place trust in them and your money will soon evaporate. They use many different ruses but their all-time favorite and the one used by Bernie M...
'Real Women Have Curves' a real world story Virtually everyone who lives in Southern California is aware that there are lots of typically small clothing factories sometimes called "Sweat Shops" in various locations in Los Angeles. We know that they are occupied by people and we know that those people are most often of Hispanic background but very few ever have an inside look into the lives and experiences of these workers and human beings. Now thanks to playwright Josefina Lopez we get a look...
There it is right on one of the most driven on streets in Burbank, California and yet up until recently it seemed to have almost vanished. But then the original owner George Rizzo returned to George's Pizzalolo located conveniently at 2202 N. Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank, California so I dropped in and was extremely pleased. It is unpretentious yet warm and charming. The walls, as is appropriate to its Burbank location are covered with a wide variety of move posters, some very old movie posters...
It all begins in the boardroom of a large advertising agency in New York City. One by one women show up expecting to put the final touches on a major presentation to be presented the following Monday. A successful pitch will be a big boost for the ad agency. First on scene is Tara [Sionne Elise] who begins readying the conference room by putting out note pads and pens. Then arrives Sam [[Lizzy Kimball] a wise cracking contrarian who immediately undoes the work of Tara as they begin exchanging...
Sarah is an international news photographer recently nearly killed while on assignment in a hot war zone. Beaten and bruised she is still alive and very happy to be back home with James her longtime boyfriend and international journalist who often travels with Sarah. James is not hurt – not this time – and he is dedicated to helping Sarah fully recover. Their publisher is Richard a man on the door step of senior status, but he has a new girlfriend. Her name is Mandy and she is a perfect blo...
The show opens in Joe's Diner located somewhere in Dixie. The owner, Joe is a gruff but honest man and his three waitresses are portrayed in a fairly typical perhaps even stereotypical way but then the story begins to develop. Jenna [Desi Oakley] is a master pie maker and a big part of the success of Joe's Diner but she is stressed because poor Jenna is in a very abusive marriage and she comes to learn that she is pregnant. Her coworkers Becky [Charity Angel Dawson] and Dawn [Lenne Klingaman] ha...
'Mother F**ker With the Hat' a review Let's just begin with the title to this show. It is perhaps one of the weirdest and possibly most provocative I have ever seen. Yet as the story unfolds it makes sense and it was after all written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. It is also directed by multiple award winning Gloria Gifford and staged at her new Gloria Gifford Conservatory in Hollywood. Oh and what a tale is told. Though billed as a dark comedy I saw much more. It...
The Christmas decorations are abundant and beautiful. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care; well actually on the railing with care but it is the same message. Dad goes over to the piano and begins playing a festive song. Soon family members show up and begin singing with great joy and passion. Tis the season to be jolly and surely this family is fully in the spirit so what could possibly go wrong? Clearly what is on display is a deep and rich manifestation of true family love. But...
My love of travel has been with me my entire life. As a youngster I traveled by car and train with one or both parents to America's west, Canada and New York City. In my teens I discovered America's south, Pittsburgh, Maine and more. But I wanted more, much more so at 17 when I learned that U.S. Marines served in Asia I jumped at the opportunity and got to visit, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore. Later I discovered travel writing and added Tahiti, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand,...
"The Hothouse" was written by Nobel Prize for Literature winning playwright Harold Pinter and is now onstage with the Antaeus Theatre Company in Glendale, California. Dual casts are directed by Nike Doukas and what is delivered is dark and powerful and utterly captivating; an exploration into the world of torture and mind control under the guise of mental health care. Roote is the head of the institution, the man in charge, the guy at the top. All responsibility resides ultimately with him only...
I can't even tell you why this happened but it surely did. One day I just blurted out to my beautiful bride: "Hey! Let's take a cruise." To my utter shock she instantly replied "YES!" Well now that is all fine but we had both limited time and resources but we were in the gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas and we have the great fortune of residing in Southern California where great weather is the norm even in late November so I began my search. It wasn't long before I found the perfect...
The pure magic begins with the song "Arabian Nights" and with the Genie played by Michael James Scott who is unbelievably powerful, energetic and pure fun along with the full Company establishing the where and when of the story. It is a spectacular start and it only gets better. Aladdin portrayed by Adam Jacobs is a street urchin filled with energy and charm but lacking in truth and honesty. He eventually acquires a very magic lamp from which the Genie appears and grants Aladdin three wishes....
"A Christmas Carol with Charles Dickens" does indeed have all of the important elements of the more typical version of "A Christmas Carol" but it does so with but one man, the exceptionally talented David Melville supported by the talented and beautiful Kalean Ung. So while it is not exactly a one man show by any means it does lack the more common full cast including the Crachit family, Jacob Marley, Tiny Tim and the three ghosts but they are all well represented through the magic of David...
In the afternoon of December 27th 2007 former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto gave a speech at a Pakistan Peoples Party rally held in Rawalpindi's Liaquat National Bagh. After delivering her speech she, Benazir, entered a bullet proof car and departed the area. Along her route there was a man on a mission. As the car with Benazir approached the location of that man Benazir opened the top hatch of the vehicle so she could stand up and wave to the assembled crowd. It was then that the man...
Over the past few years there has been a lot of chatter about how drinking red wine can be a great boost to your overall health. There is indeed evidence to suggest that red wine, in moderation can deliver levels of resveratrol which does have antioxidant and even anticancer qualities to it. So who wouldn't want that glass of red wine with its resveratrol? Actually there are two very good reasons for skipping the red wine. One is obviously that red wine also contains alcohol which can bring more...
Always in our modern history the human world has continued to pursue anything and everything that helps us live longer and better. Way back in 1870 Louis Pasteur established the germ theory of disease widening the door to both treatment and prevention. Twenty years later Emil von Behring discovers antitoxins used to develop tetanus and diphtheria vaccines. By 1952 Jonas Salk revolutionized the world by developing an effective polio vaccine. Then in 1998 James Thompson developed stem cell...
Legal Age is Bizarre It is generally accepted throughout the United States that to lawfully drive a vehicle on public streets and roads you must be at least 16 years of age. But upon reaching 16 years and passing both a written and practical test you may legally take out on public streets and roads a one ton vehicle often capable of speeds in excess of one hundred miles per hour and often in close proximity to scores of other people at any given time. So clearly those who declared that sixteen...
Let's Take a Cruise! Not long ago my wife and I wanted to do something different that would be fun, take us somewhere we hadn't been before, didn't cost too much and with which we could include our granddaughter. We considered many options, many involving driving lots of miles and some involved commercial air travel. But as we talked a little voice in my head started singing: Love, exciting and new Come Aboard. We're expecting you. And Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back...
It has been just little over a year now since the passing of Garry Marshall. Garry was born in New York City on November 13th 1934 and passed away in Los Angeles, California on July 19th 2016. During those many years Garry Marshall accomplished more than the vast majority of people even dream of doing. Garry Marshall was a brilliant creative person who throughout his life brought joy and happiness to many by directing films such as Flamingo Kid, Beaches and Pretty Woman to name but a few. He...
The year is 1958 and the location is Springfield High School or pretty much any high school in Anytown USA and it is senior prom night. The entertainment is being provided by four lovely young ladies calling themselves "The Marvelous Wonderettes." Not just "The Wonderettes" mind you but "The Marvelous Wonderettes." A pleasing plethora of mid 1950's era pop music flows with sweet harmony from the stage as "The Marvelous Wonderettes" Cindy Lou [Kelsey Boze], Suzy [Kelly Klopocinski] Betty Jean [Ka...
As the show begins there are two players on stage. Their relationship is a best vague yet in some ways strong. There is some dancing and dialogue evolves as the woman takes up residence in a small apartment managed by the man. Even the set is somewhat vague yet conveys the idea that the man is somehow either controlling or at the very least keeping a very close watch on the woman. At one point a tarot card is found and apparently that card states that one of you shall die. The plot thickens....
