Thursday, October 30, 2008

Saw Equus yesterday and I think I have decided why I like...



So I think I have decided why I like plays so much.
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Here is the thing with plays.  First, they are not bloody.  I can't imagine seeing the SAW movies.  I know it is all fake, hell when I lived with Greg I helped to set up fake severed heads for Stripped to Kill, but I still don't like it.
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Plays don't have much in the way of blood.  And they refuse to come out and tell you how to feel (I'm looking at you Speilberg).  Plays let emotions hang out and you react as you react.  Or not.  Plays, more than movies, speak in riddles.  You accept it because of the limitations of the medium.  We demand movies be more real, more "honest".  Only I think they aren't, they are only more manipulative.  Personal preference I guess.
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Back to Equus.
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What I knew about Equus going in was what almost anyone knows.  Harry Potter nudes up and gouges out the eyes of some horses.
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That is true and yet so very very little of the play.  I was amazed not only at Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliff, but by the playwright, Peter Schaffer.  The questions he raises about human frailty and self-questioning, even in throwaway moments were beautiful.  And to watch Richard Griffiths tackle them is an honor.
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Richard Griffiths is horribly fat.  Horribly.  The minute he walks on stage that is all you can see.  By the second minute you never see it again.  His voice, his eyes (even under those furry eyebrows) and his emotions blind you to his girth.  It's not that it is no longer important, it is almost like you can't even see it.
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As for Daniel Radcliff - his angry voice is his angry voice.  At first it conjured up Harry Potter screaming a spell.  But the longer the play went on the less you remembered anything outside of the play, Harry Potter included.
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It's not far to say, did you like the play?  Because I don't know if I did.  But I was transformed by it.  I was inspired by it.  I was made happy to have emotions and give voice to the afterwards.  I was challenged and changed by the play.
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Yes, I guess I liked it.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Because if we can't laugh at ourselves... Updated..

... if we can't laugh at ourselves then why did God give us funny bones, digital cameras and the internet?
..


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Train...Wreck

I don't know if anyone saw Dancing with the Stars last night.  First they did their own dances.
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That was generally okay (bar Cloris Leechman who really should be retired from this competition).
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Then there was a group "hip hop" routine.  Train.  Wreck.  At least they just had Cloris walk to the back of the stage and cross her arms, but the rest of the people were scary.  Susan Lucci (Erika Kane) was amoung the worst.

This apartment is a nudge...

When we lived in the desert, the house would rather unforgiveingly yammer at us. "You left the bedroom sliding glass door open a crack!" BEEP BEEP BEEP "A child could escape and drown!" BEEP BEEP BEEP
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or the ever popular
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"Smoke Alarm Battery [BEEP] is going dead. You need [BEEP] to replace it soon. Because [BEEP] even though [BEEP] it is [BEEP] attached to [BEEP] the circuit[BEEP], what if [BEEP] the power [BEEP] is cut [ BEEP].[BEEP].[BEEP]
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The condo here isn't as insistent, but it yammers on anyway.
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Coffee is done (beep beep beep)
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Oven is preheated (beep beep)
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Freezer door was left open (beep) i'll wait while you search (beep) you're getting warmer (beep)
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Microwave is done (beep) really i'm done, did you forget me, never mind I'll wait. I can't wait (beep beep beep).
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Setting the timer on the oven is a crescendo of beeps until it starts and they is quiet until the beep ends.
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The alarm clock buzzes, the Tivo boops, the dog barks when the door is knocked. And we live 37 stories up where it should be quiet.
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Odd....

Monday, October 27, 2008

It's funny...

At the beginning of this campaign I wanted to warn people not to get too excited about Barak Obama.  I didn't feel he could get elected, and I was afraid people would get invested and this would disillusion them for the future.
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That could still happen, but it looks doubtful - but that isn't the funny part.
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I got wrapped in the No on Proposition 8 side.  In my mind, this was a simple Proposition that would be turned down.  I mean in previous anti-gay votes (like the prohibition of gay teachers) California had always been the state to vote to end discrimination.  Hell, Ronald Regean came out against the proposition banning gay teachers.
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I didn't believe people would find Ellen and Portia d Rossi's marriage threatening.  I didn't think a 70 old ex-Start Trek character would rock the foundation of straight marriage.  I didn't think 2 80 year old lesbians tying the knot after 50 years would hurt anyone's marriage.
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When I was young the sins of homosexuality were multiple partners and rudeness/disgustingness of semi-pubic gay sex were the sins.  People hide in bathrooms because they were ashamed of who they were.  I decided to be open and honest about who I was, with no big chip on my shoulder.  And it worked for years in LA - at school and word and home.  People deal with honest.
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What I didn't expect was a that a commitment before community and god to love an protect each other would be the end of American civilization.  Ed and I have 14 years of love and support in a monogamous relationship, but a piece of paper that says we are married rocks the foundation of the entire Mormon Church.
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So get this, because gang this is the funny part, after warning people not to get too excited because disillusionment is a lasting cancer on your commitment to community and country - here I am.  Over-invested in what a bunch of Californians say about my ability to get and stay married.  I am Angeleno and native Californian at heart and soul.  What they say is going to matter to me - right or wrong.
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PS: Thank you everyone who donated to our Wedding Fund at Ed's request.  We raised over $5,000 and very honestly any donation from our friends touched our hearts.
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PPS; I think I am going to try to disengage from this whole Prop 8 thing for 10 days.  It can't be good for me.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Useful Spouse Benefit #3,421


Yeah, one of our first spousal benefits!!!

Curse: TV Stars!

So, Carson and Ursula were baby shopping (and by that I mean shopping ofr baby things, not shopping for a baby persay) and were on camera. Watch this story about the Palin Baby clothes and you can see pretty blond mama to be Ursula and dad to be Carson (Ed's brother).
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Yeah!!
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Joey and Norman


So, Joey took most of the pictures at our wedding.
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Well, their wedding was about two weeks ago. They had a big old thing since they live in Los Angeles and all their friends and family were there.
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It was a beautiful wedding, with bougainvillea in the back!
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Congrats boys. You both look handsome in your tuxes.

Friday, October 24, 2008

About This Here Cookin' Book

(To be read completely in character with an annoying Bronx accent)...
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So, I know (phft) I am a fabyoulush cook. (What can I say, I got looks, brains and I can cook - that's hows you keep a man.)  Let's have no false, what d'ya call it, modesty.  When ya know, ya know.  Be honest with yourselves people.
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And, news flash Mr.-Border's-I'll-pay-$27.95-for-a-paperback-! I don't go in for those fancy schamcy cook books as a rule.  Let's be honest, they ain't trying to help you cook, they are trying to make you look stupid.  Come on!  A milly liter of a dry, yet precocious red wine?  Are you kiddin' me?  I got myself a nice big glass of Mondavi while I cook, whatever I spill in the sauce.. ehh probably a milly liter.
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But, let me tell youse.  I got these simple William Sonoma cookbooks (one-pot, week-night, you know the basics) and they are, I shit you not, to die for.  It helps I got a fresh wholesale meat and fruit places across the street.  It's all fresh and cheap.  If it ain't fresh, they don't got.  (Mind you, I only go for the "fresh", the cheap is just good sense.)
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So I don't haul my ass down to "Whole Foods" where Mrs. Donald Trump gets totally fleeced.  No, I go next door.  If  "escarole" is in season and was grown in Jersey, it's thare.  If it ain't thare, I use another recipe.  Simply as that.  I don't gotta to drag it uptown to Columbus Circle to pay $6.50 a pound for fancy Collard Greens from Chile (FYI- imported - my Aunt Fanny).
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So there you go.  You want a nice cheap easy cook book, pick up these William Sonoma things (but either use a gift card, or go to a second hand store, their like $17.95 a book! - which, despite the fact there are great- well that is freaking highway robbery.)

Come with me into the Scooter Brain

As I walked the dog this morning, I felt a little disembodied.  Commenting internally, as it were, on the actions both around me and internalized.
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"What a beautiful cold crisp morning.  It is nearly the week-end and the wind has blown most of the crap out of the air.  You know Scott, the metaphorical wind seems to even blown the political crap out of the air this fine fine morning.  No Obama posters to be seen.  No McCain pins on backpacks.  It's like the city has taken a moment off, just for me.   Less than 2 weeks and this whole shitstorm of news will be over.  It gives one a reason to arise and rejoice.  What a beautiful morning."
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I am going to try to hold on to that feeling for a while.
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If I am lucky I'll make it through lunch.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

A Boys Life at the Second Stage

As a rule I love things at the Second Stage.  However, this was an exception.
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I saw "A Boy's Life" last night.  It was the first revival of the play in 25 years - not nearly long enough in Scooter's book.
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I will link the the review when it is posted, but suffice it to say, not so good.
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And, although I can't say it in the review, wow has Jason Biggs packed on the pounds.
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I mean in American Pie he wasn't dreamy or anything, but he was a nice normal looking guy.
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He has been eating well.
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Rhys Cioro from Entourage, on the other hand, makes a handsome slimy devil.
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It's funny, the actors were all very fine to very good.  It was just not a great play.

You know, let me say this about those assholes that continue to call me and those like me Un-American

This UnAmerican thing is lousy, divisive and I call Bullshit.
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Not to blow my own horn, but I will more that stack up my Pro-American and pro-good guy credentials against anyone any time.
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This year I have donated time and / or money as follows:
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1) $250 to Kettering Cancer Hospital (supporting an INC marathon runner (Wayne Malone)
2) $250 to local AIDs support in Chicago (supporting Ron Peake's run walk)
3) $1000 + to help send school kids to Washington DC from Indio
4) $200+ to Mozambique support via WorldVision International - a big Christian Charity that wouldn't hire me as a homo
5) $200+ to a Mongolian Orphan Family via Christine Nobel foundation
6) Over $2000 in small loans via Kiva to families in Cambodia, Peru, Ecuador and Afghanistan
7) Time and money to deliver notes, care packages and local goods to Marines Staff Sgt. Jamie Parker, Lt. Chris Parks and PFC Greg Otis in Iraq.
8) I donating money to UCLA for scholarships
9) I donated over $500 to programs in New York that sponsor theater for underprivileged school children (I used to do this in LA at the Ahmanson because I benefited from just such a program).
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That doesn't count the local "buy my kids candy, wrapping paper, March of Dimes poster" stuff that I do because it is a good community thing to do.
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That's off the top of my head from this year and doesn't include disaster relief like we had done in Katrina, 9-11 or the Tsunami. I am not saying this as a "great for Scooter" or a "good for homos" or anything. I would just like those two assholes John McCain and Sarah Palin to stop calling me an elitist who doesn't do anything for the country. And stop calling only people in small towns and Red States Pro-American.
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I know no one who isn't pulling for this country to get better and for them to insinuate that those of us not committed to Gramps and his hot mama are less American than he is, well that is wrong. What if his fans, believers or voters watch that and decide we are less than American. That we are somehow terrorists or palling around with terrorists. WHAT ARE THEY DOING!!!
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Just because we are voting differently than they demand does not make us UnAmerican. And, as I stated, I call total Bullshit on them.

See this is what people mean when they say "Double Standard"

.It doesn't fit into the whole "liberal media elite" bullshit meme, but this is what we mean.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Well, Quite the Play Time Here in the Grand Apple

So I have seen a lot of plays lately.
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Tonight I will see "Boy's Live".
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It is a revivial and Jason Biggs (from American Pie) is in the show.  It should be cool.  It hasn't been revivied in a big way on Broadway, since it was done in 1982.
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I have read a couple of things about it and everyone is excited about seeing it.  I got tickets via the site where I write reviews.  So it should be up soon.
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Last night I went and saw a farce called "Love Child" which was a late night (10PM) show on a borrowed stage that was actually quite funny for most of the show.  It kind of dribble at the end a little like Saturday Night sketches that don't know how to wrap it up.
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The show I saw before that was A Body of Water with Christine Lahti (from Chicago Hope).  I reviewed it online here.  It wasn't really something I would ever go and see - it sounds too weird, but I really really liked it.
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It is all "What is the meaning of live?"
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"Why are we here?"
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"Where are my shoes?"
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But, go figure, I liked it a lot.
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And then there was All My Sons with Katie Holmes, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson.
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I didn't review it for the web site, but I LOVED IT!!!!
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I confess I haven't seen much in the way of Arthur Miller (blah blah blah Attention MUST  be paid... blah blah).  But I was struck but the timelyness and emotion of this.
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The reviews for this have been all over the map alternatly loving and hating on John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and katie Holmes (Patrick Wilson seems to come out unscathed in all the reviews).  It was, like, totally cool.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

It's funny, but not

You can watch this and it is funny.  But it really isn't. 
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We are all Americans and love this country despite what these Republicans say.
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And, if / when people listen to them - they really believe that we aren't Americans.  That we don't love this country.  That we are less than Americans.  And that is bullshit.
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You know, I and my friends never say that the Sarah Palin's of the world aren't Americans just because they are bigoted, small minded, geographically challenged idiots.
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Is it me, or are Kaley Cuocu's new boobs distracting?


Now everyone knows I love a nice fake set of knockers.
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I mean, nothing wrong about them, I am from LA and everyone has them.  And personally, I have grown fond of a well redone set of boobs over the years.
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I don't find them weird or disconcerting or anything like that.
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However, I feel it is incumbent upon me to note, just for the record, that Kaley Cuocu (from The Big Bang Theory) and her new boobs are a little distracting.
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Not in a bad way, and I am sure that as the season progresses I will forget about them.  But man oh man-o-shevits, those are some nice big ta-ta's she is hauling around the set now.  And she trots them out at a moment's notice and it can take you out of the show for a minute.  Like, laugh, laugh, laugh, oh-my-god-what-is-she-not-wearing, laugh.
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Take a look at the difference from season 1 (above) and season 2 (below).
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And if you watch the show, you know that she has been taken them out for a stroll quite a bit lately.  Given the ladies some fresh air, so to speak.
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If you haven't been watching the show boys, you might want to take a look a peek.  Because if you are fan of the bosomy variety, they are pretty dang good.

My Morals and Sarah Palin's Morals: Removed

Yeah..
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I decided to pull it.  She isn't worth the anger of me and sadness for the country.
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There is plenty of bile running around out there.  Maybe it's best to ignore it for a while.
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.... 

Monday, October 20, 2008

ARGHHHH!!!!


Come on! You are f'*ing kidding me. Sarah Palin is now all up into my Kool-aid about freaking gay marriage. She supports changing the US Constitution to ban gay marriage: regardless of what states decide.
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She believes marriage is the key to strong families.
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Okay...
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Of course her pregnant daughter isn't marring Levi until after the baby is born (and if she gets to tell me my marriage is awful, wrong and should be OUTLAWed - I get to say her knocked up kid should be married so as not to give birth to a bastard).
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And since marriage is the key to strong families, I am not allowed to have a family. Bitch.
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And John McCain dumped his wife for his new wife; with whom he had an affair while still married. Apparently a law didn't save that.
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Fur... e...ious.

My Friends are Crazy


Really

And then, she topped herself

Remember Kelly Werstler and her fabulous outfits from Top Design.
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Well last week she topped herself in our book.
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The picture doesn't really do this outfit justice.  It looked like two bluish purple bath mats, sewn into a tunic.  With one of the teal and white rag rugs fashioned into a turban.
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Get this... someone took credit for this outfit.  From the web site:"Dress: Marni Hat: Vintage Necklaces: Muldoon Stockings: Marni Shoes: Christian Louboutin".
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I love it. 
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And you know, not everyone could pull this bad boy off.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

UCLA wins in the last 12 seconds! (updated better picture)



So, Kevin Craft lead us (us being the Bruins) to a 3 point win in the last 12 seconds. Yeah Bruins.
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It was a fun way to watch the end ofthe game where it looked like we were going to "almost" win the whoel game.
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Luckily, one of Ed's old work friends (Dawn) was in town for a show and we went to dinner with her and her son (and her son's friend) and so we didnt' have to watch most of it.
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Luck for Ed, I mean. :-)

Friday, October 17, 2008

Maverick


Okay here is the other thing I kind of enjoy about Sarah Palin. Until now the word "Maverick" always brought back thoughts of the butt ugly Ford Maverick.



And with the butt ugly Ford Maverick, a boy named Raymond whom I dated for a while, once oh so many decades ago. He was a goof.


It wasn't a bad thing, persay, but annoying how words trigger memories. Now the word "Maverick" will always play in Tina Fey's voice doing a Sarah Palin impersonation and making me laugh.
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And, of course, this web site.

Flag Stands.... $25.00

Flag Stands.. $25,00
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Change We Need Sign.. $10.00
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Right-wing Radio host nutjob's explaining that Obama has his "OWN" Flag where the O for Obama replaces the American Blue Field.... priceless
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"Scott, you have to be kidding right?  I mean come on, he is in Ohio.  That is the Ohio state flag!"
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Not kidding.  Here is the quoteGrant later said: "[D]id you notice Obama is not content with just having several American flags, plain old American flags with the 50 states represented by 50 stars? He has the 'O' flag. And that's what that 'O' is. That's what that 'O' is. Just like he did with the plane he was using. He had the flag painted over, and the 'O' for Obama. Now, these are symptom -- these things are symptomatic of a person who would like to be a potentate -- a dictator."
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Or it could be an "O" for Ohio.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Queen Elizabeth 2: Carring the Fortiers


This is the Queen Elizabeth 2 on her last voyage out of New York and on her way to Dubai. Suzanne's parents just disembarked as they had been on the ship. Kind of cool.
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Of course they didn't stop by to say hello - total dis.. but whatever!


This is a picture of the QE2 (right) and the big huge new Queen Mary 2 (upper left) meeting one last time by the Statue of Liberty.
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Both the shots are from out house.

Ah.. The Joys of a non-swing state

So moving from California to New York was nice because it was from a "solid" voting state to another "solid" voting state.
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I don't care if it is Democratic State to Democratic State, or Democratic to Republican.  It is just nice not to have 24 x 7 political commercials.   Having them on the national news and the occasional cable show is bad enough.  If I was living in Minnesota (which was thought to be a swing state for a while) like poor John and Sue or Don and Jo, I might have my head explode.  And I can't even imagine Ursula, with extra pounds and hormones enjoying the constant backbiting of it all (hang in there Carson).

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Come to think of it, Wisconsin was thought to be in play for a while too and Phil and Julie probably got a lot of ads.
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But probably the worst off is our little Lynnie.  She moved from California, the blue-ist of the blue to Ohio, the swingy-ist of the the swing states.  Arg!!!
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I heard Montana might be moving to swing state too, so I can imagine my mother is enjoying interruptions in her viewing habits.
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All I can say is it will be all over in less than 3 weeks.  Yeah!  Either way we are probably in for hard times, but at least we won't have to see them on our TV screens all the time.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Thing I Love about Sarah Palin (Really)

So, yes there is something I really admire about Sarah Palin. She has a true commitment to Down's Syndrome children. Right now they are called "Special Needs", when I was young they were called retarded. In any case, because her young son is Down's Syndrome, she drives a connection with many families.
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I love that.


As you may or may not know, my aunt Martha was Down's Syndrome. I can't really say "suffered from", since she was a loving happy person. And she brought more joy to the family than you can imagine. She forced you everyday to understand how lucky you were to be born healthy and what a waste is was to ignore it.
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She was an integral part of my life until I was 33, when she passed away. However, saying this let me say it was exceptionally hard on her family, her parents were Zela and HAM - my grandparents.
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Zela talked about how it changed the entire family dynamic after she was born. Not in a bad way, but in an appreciable way. For me it was cool, since they took up camping (which Martha could do from a camper) - but it was hard on the family.
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Most of Martha's pictures with me are in the desert, but here are some.



Me (at 23) Martha and Zela on our trip across the US by car visiting relatives (this is Joplin Mo).


Martha winning a medal at the Special Olympics (with me in the back around 11 and my step-brothers for a while, Mark and Jeff).


Martha with HAM at the Salton Sea (I got a story about me trying to fish that same week-end it isn't pretty).


Martha in her usual happy face at breakfast in Hawaii.
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You don't hear so much about Down's Syndrome kids anymore because when a parent finds out an embryo carries Down's, the featus is often aborted. I don't judge that. I spoke with Zela about abortion once and she questioned herself about this. The difficulty of raising a Down's baby changed her marriage and her son (my dad) in ways that she wasn't happy with. She would never have put Martha in a home - but if she knew before Martha was born what the consequences were going to be, well she would have to think seriously about her options. I think only a woman who has lived through this can make such an honest statement.
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So I give Sarah Palin credit here and expect no crap from anyone about it. She isn't ready to be President or VP -but she is a brave woman for facing this.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What do the Republican's stand for now?

For me, there has always been a problem with Democrats, we did not stand for much.  We used to stand against Republican's and what they would do if there are elected, but we didn't stand for all that much.  At least not in a convincing way.  Democrats were a mish mash of policy positions, good intentions and belief in non-secular goodness of people.  Not usually the way to win converts.
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The Republicans stood for things.  You could disagree or agree, but they stood for things.  But all the things they stood for - and that helped get them elected - have been lost since they have been in power.  
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I am not trashing them here, I think some of these programs might be good, I just don't understand how the Republican Party got to this point.
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They once stood for Small Government.  Our government has grown HUGE.  Not only have they not cut programs they have increased them dramatically.  The Federal government put it's hands down into primary and secondary schools - traditionally a local issue - with it's "no child left behind" legislation.
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Fiscal Responsibility.  Remember balanced budgets?  Remember "tax and spend" liberals?  I don't see the improvement of "no tax but more spend" conservatives.  Our budget is in the toilet and our kids will have to clean it up.  And while that might sound good right now, our kids might just vote to cut social security out altogether once they get enough votes.
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Privacy from government.  The Bush administration has expanded it's power to spy on you, listen to your phone calls, look at your computer files and check your medical records to the point where you actually have almost no privacy.  And if you bring it up, the response is that if you are a good citizen you shouldn't have anything to hide.
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Freedom from government intervention in your private life.  At least in the Republican West (west of the Rockies all the way to the Pacific) one of the Republican tenants was that the government should stay out of people's business if it wasn't hurting anyone.  The wide-spread voter approval of medical marijuana use in Republican states is a natural outgrowth of this type of "leave them alone" ethic.  But the Bush Administration and Republicans in general have done a 180 on this.  It's not just gay marriage, the Bush Administration has the FBI focussing on raids of pornography users and medical marijuana legitimate buyers groups run by cities.  I think their time might be better spent on terrorism prevention.
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Nation Building.  Hell during the 200 election George W went out of his way to say that the US shouldn't be in the business of Nation Building - because we aren't good at it.  Afghanistan and Iraq would point out that he was right - but now Republicans say we have to stay in there until (well until they want I have never heard a description of "victory" in either place).
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So I really do wonder what the Republicans stand for now.  I guess keeping gun laws safe - but that was made pretty moot by the supreme court - that right isn't going away.  And against gays and abortion.  Otherwise, not so much.   The party of Bush and McCain and Palin isn't the party of Reagan anymore.  They have become the anti-Democrat party now.
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I think that is why we are seeing such a shrill and content-free discussion now.  All they have is that Obama isn't really like the rest of us.  Either because he is black, or because he is educated or because of a whisper campaign that he is a terrorist or a Muslim.
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And I could give you a list of what I think the Democrats stand for now.  The fact that in the debates most of the Democrats agreed on substance shows where they stand.  You may not agree or like it, but you know what they stand for.
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Maybe all parties are ultimately ruined by success and need some time in the penalty box to pull it back together.

New Viral Videos for No on Prop 8

They echo the Mac Ads and they are pretty good...
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They are done by HOMOTracker, a group of Hollywood behind the scenes professionals.

The Valley is on fire..


The Valley (the San Fernado Valley for those of you outside LA) is totally on fire! It was scary to see the flames.
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I watched the ABC News last night and they talked about how the Santa Ana winds carried the fire over the Foothill Freeway.
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For those you you who don't know (and I assume that is most of you) the Foothill Freeway (the 210) is 8 lanes 
and a median wide.
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That is a hell of a fire break to be jumped by the fire.
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It is being pushed by the Santa Ana winds (like every year about this time).  The Santa Ana's are fairly dry winds to begin with as they originate form high pressure in the desert.  Then they blow towards LA, but there is a ring of Mountains around LA - so they are blocked.  But the high pressure from the desert forces them up and over the mountains.  In the process of being pushed over the mountains, 2 things happen.
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1. Every last drop of moisture is squeezed out of the air.
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2. The high pressure forces the air to collapse into a smaller space, which increases the temperature of the air.
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As this condensed hot air spills over the mountains (which rise to about 7,0o0 feet on average), the pressure on the Los Angeles / sea side of the mountains is much less.  So the hot dry air races into the San Fernado Valley and other routes to the sea.
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That is why you get 80 mile an hour winds, at 80 degrees at night with NO moisture.  And those are the kind of winds that jump fire lines...  Even 8 lane highway fire lines.
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It is freaky.  (pictures from BBC)
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On the other hand
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(And I do feel guilty even saying this...)
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When UCLA plays at the Rose Bowl during / after a crazy ass fire - we kick ass and take names.  Watch out Stanford.
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I remember when I was a yell leader we played Purdue once and they walked onto the field at 3Pm and the sky was dark brown, sooty and you could see a red glow in the distance.  Purdue players looked like they had just wanted into the suburbs of hell.  We won the upset in a rout!

Monday, October 13, 2008

I pass this on without comment, but with a smile...

Show some love for the gays. Help us defeat Prop 8 in California. We're being outspent by $10 million in that campaign to save same sex marriage in California -- mostly from Mormons, who really, really don't love the gays. Every dollar matters.
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A Visit from Ed's Cousin


So on Saturday night Ed's cousin Tony and his wife Teresa stayed at our house, before they left for a cruise up the East Coast.
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The kid on the far right is Alexander, a step-cousin of Tony's. For those of you who remember Diane and Lefty who stayed in the desert once (she of the amazing cleaning of the Desert Hot Spring's house), Alexander is Diane's Grandson. Tony is Lefty's grandson, but Lefty and Diane were married after they had kids - so Tony and Alexander are kind of step-cousins.
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Anyway... Alexander lives in Brooklyn, so we all met for a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and breakfast in DUMBO on Sunday morning before Tony and Teresa left for the boat.

Skateboards Invade Broadway: Updated


It is hard to get a great idea of this, because it was very quick and very odd. Eddie and I were walking up Broadway on Saturday morning after lunch. It was really early for New York (about 12:30) and a skateboarder on a longboard whooshes by us.
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I commented on how fast he was going. And a few seconds later a couple more did. Then a bunch more came swing by with full car traffic. Everyone going really fast.
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I had my camera and shot this picture, but it doesn't show the true weirdness of it all. I mean there were probably close to 100 skateboarders or more intermixed with regular traffic, tour buses and taxis.
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I don't know what it was. Many of the participants were older (like 40+) and many were probably fairly recent boarders - you could tel from the scrapes. I think it might have been one of those guerrilla art installations (like the freeze in Grand Central last year or the twins on the subway).
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Eddie found the web site for this stunt...

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fix It!

 I don't know you happened to see the TV show "Saturday Night Live Election Special on Thursday Night", but it was High-lar-ious!
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This was Mr. Fix It!
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If you haven't seen it yet you should watch it.
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I think it is embedded below.
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Iceland Province, Canada?

So this is a picture from Iceland where Ed and went a few years ago (and I LOVED).
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But Iceland is having a small financial meltdown right now and some one is thinking about stepping in and saving them.
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The Ruskies have been first to cough up millions.
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That might give us pause since Iceland is a) in NATO and b) home of one of the biggest US airbases in the world and c) closer to the East Coast of the United States than the West Coast is.
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Well someone else (even closer to Iceland) is also a little worried about the ex-commie hotbed right there.  So there is a small (and funny) movement to just annex Iceland by Canada.  Don't laugh, that is how those Crafty Ca-nooks got Newfoundland in 1949.  It was going bankrupt too...
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Always ready for a bargain.
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Plus I LOVE the end of the article.. read here....
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With a population almost as large as Newfoundland's and larger than P. E. I.'s and the territories combined, and with a strong history of self sufficiency, Iceland would likely neither be a long-term drain, nor swallowed up in a melting pot.

Most importantly, it's the polite thing to do.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

I Love This Show and Ed Won't Watch it...


It's not that he won't watch it, in general, it's that he is never really in the mood to watch it.
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I on the other hand, lurve it.
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Tonight's (or last night's, but I watched it 2night, thank you Tivo) was faboo.
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If you did not see it I give very little away to note that at one point while investigating a series of disappearances and a murder at a circus, they pull a car out of a lake which a clown was driving.
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They pulled the clown out of the small car.
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And then proceeded to pull clown after clown out of the little tiny clown car and I laughed and laughed.
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Which may be inappropriate, but it was funny.
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And I love all the actors, Lee Pace, Kristin Chenowith, Chi McBride, Ellen Greene, Swoozie Curtz and Anna Ferimumble.
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F. U. N. Stuff

That time of year...


This is the time of year my Eddie hates.  Not "winter', but Rockefeller Skating Rink Set up and Opening.  They do it every year at this time, when it is still nice out.  And he knows what it means..
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cold, wet, rainy, then snowy...
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It isn't a great day for Ed when this bad boy goes up.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Well, I found out what the dome is...

For a long time from our house in LA, we would see this large white dome in the distance. After checking around we finally figured out it was a church. Officially (as you can see in the picture below) it is the Crenshaw Christian Center Faith Dome.

But I still wondered how it got there and how I missed it. I had grown up just blocks away (it is at the high 80's, I grew up for a long time at Century Blvd, which is the 100 block).
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Turns out when I was growing up, this was the site of Pepperdine College. There was a mansion there (pictured above) and 35 acres of grounds. Pepperdine built a school there and used the Mansion (called "The President's House") as the admin building.
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After they moved to Malibu in the 80's, they tried to sold the land around the campus, and tried to sell the building. The building was never sold.
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The ultimate owner even offered it free in 1986 if someone would move it.
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But, apparently the move and the land needed at the far end came to about $600,000 which the Mansion wasn't worth in 1986 (although it would have been a bargain a few years later). As a matter of fact it sounds really similar to the Ambassador Hotel which couldn't find a buyer, even at free.

Middle of the Night!!!


Thank goodness! It has been bothering me for a while.
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Who does Sarah Palin remind me of...
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Then, last night, I figured it out.
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I now show you the poster that she reminds me of...
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I remember because I actually went to see this movie and the "world premiere" of (wait for it)...
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Beneath the Valley of the UltraVixens
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It was at the NuArt when I was in college ... and the stars were there - and Sarah P would fit right in.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Open House New York Last Week-End


Last week-end we went heard about this thing, "Open House New York". For a week-end all kinds of public, semi-private and private spaces open up. Some for the afternoon, some (like the bank / condo complex above) for a reserved tour with the architect.
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We heard about it late, so we weren't able to go on anything that required reservations, but we visited a lot of cool things.

For example, this picture is of the ceiling of the Chrysler Building. They had an architect (who had a microphone and a love of the sound of his own voice) talk about building the skyscraper. It was really fun.
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We also got into the Mason Grand Lodge and heard (from them) all about the secret words and hibbie jeebie of the Mason's as well as seeing their rooms.
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Totally fun.

The Pan Pacific

So on the Big Orange Blog this week's Landmark is the Pan Pacific Auditorium. It is history now (more later), but it was a great big deal a long time ago.
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It was built during the depression and hosted a bunch of items in it's years, including Elvis' first West Coast Concert, and Bruin basketball from 1949 -1959.
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It was most famous for it's iconic flagpole facade.


This is a picture of the facade sometime between 1972 (when the place closed) and 1990 when it burned down.
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It was the "home" of Xanadu, the musical and the fictional Roller Disco in the movie. So yes, Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton John and Steve Gutenberg really did roller disco inside.
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The facade is famous and revered long after the building itself burnt down. Some examples.


The facade of the new Pan Pacific Park admin building (on the site of the old Pan Pacific).

The entrance booths to MGM Studios in Florida.
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I wasn't old enough to ever have visited it, but I did visit the facade and watch it from Beverly Boulevard every time we drove by. It was Streamline Modern at it's most classic.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

If you are an AmEx Member then...


If you are an American Express Member, then you should select the logo and vote for Kiva to win the Members Porject.
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It will give Kiva 1.5 Millions dollars.
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If you want to know more about Kiva, go to Kiva.org. It is a great place to make micro loans to the needy. I have already helped a farmer and his wife in Cambodia get a motorcycle to take his produce to market and been completely paid back.
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Ed was paid from a lot of his so far.
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For example, one of my Kiva Loans is...
..to Atsou Maboudou...
Born on March 1, 1977 in Lomé, Mr. Atsou Maboudou married Miss Hétchéli Lawson who is a dressmaker. His primary business is raising laying hens in Agoè. He began this business in 2002, but with many difficulties related to building an enclosure for his poultry. With a first loan of US$ 1200, which he faithfully repaid, he was able to complete the construction of the enclosure and purchase 50 chicks. Once the chicks mature they each produce an egg a day. Mr. Atsou Maboudou went on to sell these eggs in trays of thirty eggs each.
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This loan in the amount of US$1200 which he is presently requesting will allow him to buy 350 chicks which will eventually replace his former layers. In this fashion, he will be able to maintain a constant supply of eggs for his customers.