Cat gets fierce on Bear

I don't know what I like best about this video -- The David and Goliath battle between the bear and the cat, or the wonderfully infectious laughter of the kitty's boy watching this.

But, if you want to see a cat stand up GET FIERCE on a bear's ass -- Check this video out:

Kid shows the "cracks" in hardcore cereal pedaling

See? Those D.A.R.E. programs are effective in how to spot junkies and drug lords in Saturday morning television, too.
Smart kid.

I always hated Lucky the Leprechaun, too.

Full frontal nudity in japanese jazz opera

Thanks to jacked UP jazz -- I now know what an rock opera based on japanese fairy tales put to the music of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk sounds like.

I especially like the full frontal nudity at minute 1:56.

He got rhythm. He got cow bell. He got samba time, Baby.

Meet the one and only Bernard "Pretty" Purdie: Drummer extraordinaire.
(I dare you to sit still for this video.)



Not only is this guy is one of the most recorded drummers in history, but from what I can tell from his great instructional videos, is also the coolest music teacher on the planet.

I'm telling you this guy makes me want to call men "cats."

Check out more about this amazing cat, Bernie Purdie:

Seattle Grunge on Ice

I found this old clip on College Humor. ( I'm not proud.)

I know people thinks it's supposed to absurdly retro, but, hello? I might actually watch the Winter Olympics if they had cool guys rolling around on ice to kick ass music like this.

Check out bad ass figure skater, Scott Williams, rocking out to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Whaaa?

No lycra?! No rhinestones?! No Disney theme music? -- Sweet!
Just good old sweat, mullet hair and those bitchin' blades.

Check out this awesome testosterone on ice.

Great "girl" scene

I'll admit it.

I haven't even seen this film and actually discovered it by accident, but now I can't stop watching it.

What I love is how comfortable the characters are with each other here. And how truthfully it captures moments when two girls are just swept away by some glamorous tale one of them is telling.

Watch how the girl with straight hair soaks up every morsel of Emily Blunt's character in the scene. You can't take your eyes off the silent girl.

Acting is reacting. Acting is listening and this scene captures flawlessly how you can steal a scene without uttering one line, just by listening well.

It's also a wonderful example of a great "girl moment" on film.

Yeah, I really love this. Guess I'll have to see the whole thing, now.

Watch:

I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE

One day when I pregnant with my second child, a man in a store walked up to me, stared at my round belly, blurted out, "I hope to God you have a boy!" and kept walking.

I was shocked. Scared, actually. You feel vulnerable with a big, protruding belly. You can't move quickly. But, on this day I remember having my wits about me enough to snap back, "Oh, really? Well, I don't. I think women are great!" But, the man just kept furtively moving on. He wasn't interested in a dialogue.

However, I've never forgotten that moment.

A complete stranger wanted me to have a boy so badly that they felt they had permission to say so to my face. Well, to my belly.

Look, it's not that I dislike men, I love men, but I don't want to be one. And, I do not need to have one to feel complete. How could anyone feel one gender is superior to another.

To rue a child's gender seems to me the deepest of crimes. We are born who we are. We deserve love no matter who we are.

To suffer parental disrespect due to one's gender is tragic.

Part of my own celebrating having survived gender bias in my life (and I have) is by really taking the time to really relish that which is entirely female about myself. Maybe I don't do this enough, but it's very healing when I take the time to appreciate that side of my self.

I love being a woman and getting a chance to be a mother to two wonderful, girls.

I am so rich with good fortune to have this opportunity in my life.

I guess that's why I am so excited to discover this work by Eve Ensler, today.

Check it out:


I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE

I love being a girl.
I can feel what you're feeling
as you're feeling it inside
the feeling
before.
I am an emotional creature.
Things do not come to me
as intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.
They pulse through my organs and legs
and burn up my ears.
I know when your girlfriend's really pissed off
even though she appears to give you what
you want.
I know when a storm is coming.
I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.
I can tell you he won't call back.
It's a vibe I share.

I am an emotional creature.
I love that I do not take things lightly.
Everything is intense to me.
The way I walk in the street.
The way my mother wakes me up.
The way I hear bad news.
The way it's unbearable when I lose.

I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don't you dare say all negative that it's a
teenage thing
or it's only only because I'm a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong.

I am an emotional creature.
There is a particular way of knowing.
It's like the older women somehow forgot.
I rejoice that it's still in my body.

I know when the coconut's about to fall.
I know that we've pushed the earth too far.
I know my father isn't coming back.
That no one's prepared for the fire.
I know that lipstick means
more than show.
I know that boys feel super-insecure
and so-called terrorists are made, not born.
I know that one kiss can take
away all my decision-making ability
and sometimes, you know, it should.

This is not extreme.
It's a girl thing.
What we would all be
if the big door inside us flew open.
Don't tell me not to cry.
To calm it down
Not to be so extreme
To be reasonable.
I am an emotional creature.
It's how the earth got made.
How the wind continues to pollinate.
You don't tell the Atlantic ocean
to behave.

I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing's been diluted.
Nothing's leaked out.
I can take you back.

I love that I can feel the inside
of the feelings in you,
even if it stops my life
even if it hurts too much
or takes me off track
even if it breaks my heart.
It makes me responsible.
I am an emotional
I am an emotional, devotional,
incandotional, creature.
And I love, hear me,
love love love
being a girl.

_____________________________

I love all this "Girl Power." I'm going to read this to my girls so often that they'll know it by heart.

There's so much to love about this poem. So much, but right now I'm particularly struck by the lines:

"I am an emotional creature.
It's how the earth got made.
How the wind continues to pollinate.
You don't tell the Atlantic ocean
to behave."

It's not the first time recently I've thought "Fuck you, world. We suffer so much for your evolution and yet you degrade us? Try living without us or the complicated mechanisms we endure for your survival. Just try."

Saturday morning satire for all my "Kid Lit" homies

This has been a big year for Hollywood turning classic children's literature into hit film. First there was Where The Wild Things Are, and now, Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.

To be entirely honest, from the trailers for Burton's Alice, I'm fairly sure "Alice" would easily qualify as a disturbing vision of what was intended to be quality children's entertainment.

*Note to Tim Burton. Sorry, Mr. Burton, I know you're brilliant, but weren't Edward Gorey, Steven Sondheim and Lewis Carroll perfect the way they were? Why change perfection?

In any event, today I thought I'd present a few hilarious examples of how not to turn children's literature into film courtesy via a hilarious post called Children's Book Cinema, from Something Awful.

... "If there's one thing Hollywood loves more than copying a successful idea, it's copying the successful idea of someone who was already appropriating someone else's material. So after the hit adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are, studio execs are ready to rush other "edgy" interpretations of children's classics to the multiplexes. "

(personal fav.)

Ah, well. It's Saturday.

Mother and Daughter bonding over Hitchcock at The Alex Theater

This weekend I took my daughter to see another "mother," the mother of all slasher movies, that is, which in our case happened to be a screening of Hitchock's classic film, Psycho.

Now, normally, this is not something I suggest every mother and daughter do. However, in our case it worked. And it made for the perfect day together.

How could I pass up a chance to share Psycho at The Alex Theater in Glendale, which is an experience in itself? Now, I can honestly state what I suspected all along, that Psycho makes for some great mother-teen-girl bonding.


Trailer for Psycho




Maybe what worked was just exploring all those archetypes, symbols and images together. Spending time talking about what we observed. Sharing details about what we noticed and thought was funny or truly creepy.

I loved having another chance to talk about the roles women played in our society over the years. Or how men view(ed?) women.

My God, there were so many references that women are evil, or corrupt and bad. It's a very screwed up way to see women, let alone the damage "mothers" can do. But, I couldn't tell if Hitchcock really thought that, or was mocking those that do.

However, this weekend I was up for the challenge of taking my own kid to see maybe one of the worst depictions of evil mommies on film. I mean, clearly, I came off looking pretty good compared to the mean corpse of Norman's mother.

Maybe it was just sharing a gem of film history together? I cannot recommend taking the time to celebrate sharing what you really love with your kids, no matter what.

In my case, it's sharing black-and-white film together, and Hitchcock, too. Mental note #42. Find more great old films to share with my kids when they are ready to really appreciate them.

I have to admit, though, I had some guilty misgivings for choosing this film to bond over. Perhaps I could have picked something more wholesome.

But, J. and I share a love of drama, theatricality, camp, excitement, gothic weirdness, and, good old-fashioned story telling and entertainment.

Where do you go to share all this with your kid? To an Alfred Hitchcock, film, of course.

And, then, how could I pass up a chance not to show her beautiful and lovely the architecture of The Alex Theater in Glendale? Yep. We had a great time.

And the company afterwards on the oh-so-happening Brand Boulevard was equally wonderful, but for other reasons. (How about that Portos Bakery? I didn't want to eat those pastries, I wanted to wear them!)

In any case, on the way back home, I asked her what her favorite parts of the movie were, and she kept talking about the last scene in the film.

J. (age 13) "Mom, I loved the last scene when he said "She wouldn't hurt a fly!" (Copious giggles at this.) He was SO creepy -- AND funny!



More mental notes: Find a DVD about the making of the film.

And I also can't wait to get share with her my other Hitchcock "love connection" the work of the writer, Daphne du Maurier who Hitchcock also loved -- Both of his films, Birds and Rebecca were from du Maurier novels. (She also wrote the short story Don't Look Now which was an equally creepy, Nicolas Roeg, 70's film.)





Even before I became a Hitchcock fan, I always adoredthe late author Daphne Du Maurier.



Literary digression:
Growing up I voraciously read everything she wrote. When we traveled to the United Kingdom I insisted going to Cornwall, just to take in the terrain where Du Maurier set so many of her wonderful, gothic, romantic, elegantly twisted stories. I guess, for better or worse, I've always had a love of beauty that contains the counter part, which is so unbeautiful. The yin and the yang. The thing that makes you do a double-take. Romance, that really isn't at all about romance, but something far more sinister. Well, that's 100 percent me...and I guess, to some degree, just by virtue of living with me, this is also my daughter, as well.

I know it doesn't make much sense. but, come on, there are worse things than sharing a love for old books and movies with a kid, isn't there?

Well, off to carpool world!

Opera Master Class with "Mari-Lyn"

It can get to be a long 9 minutes, but how many times do you get to watch James Lipton play the violin for a coloratura of this stature?

I'm a kitty cat and pants on the ground

My kids insist I post this.

________________________________________________


They also think the other greatest song to hit the airways this year is none other than General Larry Platt's "Pants on the ground." from this year's American Idol.

You be the judge.

PANTS ON THE GROUND, AMERICAN IDOL

In Spite of Ourselves

A John Prine gem, but t'ain't fer work or 'round the kids, neither.

John Prine and Iris Dement. Live from Sessions at West 54th

One of my favorite 70's Films: Eyes of Laura Mars

Why isn't there more of an interest in reviving the 1970s film, Eyes of Laura Mars? It seems like an extension of America's Next Top Model, and Project Runway.

Everyone knows the seventies cranked out great films, but this one happens to stand up to the pop culture test of time:

It's sexy as hell, campy, spooky and quite contemporary.

I mean, come on! You have New York City, Modeling, the 70's, Pop Culture, Disco, Fashion, Art, and a really creepy serial murderer...This is still a really watchable film, even if it does take itself way too seriously, it's still very enjoyable viewing.

And it featured Tommy Lee Jones back when he was actually hot and not scary Uncle Iguana Face.

First famous scene of model shoot in NYC.

Eyes of Laura Mars Film Trailer:

Oh, and you CAN'T not listen to the famous soundtrack if you've come this far...

Come on...Listen to Barbara Streisand sell this thing...Just freaking listen to this woman sing that song and I defy you not to want to see this movie again, even if she isn't in the film. *See below for list of other fabulous songs on the original soundtrack. This movie still really rocks it.

That settles it. I'm going to have a seventies double feature party:

Eyes Of Laura Mars and, I don't know, how about Dog Day Afternoon?

*Other songs in soundtrack to Eyes of Laura Mars:

"Prisoner"
Love Theme from Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
Sung by Barbra Streisand
Words and Music by Karen Lawrence & John Desautels
Produced by Gary Klein

"Burn"
Written and Performed by Georg Michalski (as Michalski) & Nicky Oosterveen (as Oosterveen)
Produced by Ken Scott
Courtesy of CBS Records

"Native New Yorker"
Performed by Odyssey
Produced by Sandy Linzer & Charlie Calello
Written by Sandy Linzer (uncredited) & Denny Randell (uncredited)
Courtesy of RCA Records

"(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty"
Performed by KC & The Sunshine Band (as K.C. and the Sunshine Band)
Written by Harry Wayne Casey (uncredited) & Richard Finch (uncredited)
Produced by Harry Wayne Casey (as K.C.) - Richard Finch (as Finch) for Sunshine Sound Enterprises Inc.
Courtesy of T.K. Records

"Let's All Chant"
Performed by Michael Zager Band (as The Michael Zager Band)
Produced, Arranged and Conducted by Michael Zager
Courtesy of Private Stock Records Ltd.

"Boogie Nights"
Performed by Heatwave
Written by Rod Temperton (uncredited)
Produced by Bobby Blue
Courtesy of Epic Records

Meditation on racism via "The Session"

So, once again, the blog, jacked UP jazz has given this white lady something to really ponder by posting this clip from the little known short film called "The Session."*

Check it out:

Best line in the film clip:

"Three negroes, two Saabs and a Volvo and a gallon of motherfuckin spring water ain't no tools for no revolution."

Thanks, again, to jacked UP Jazz for finding more cool insights about our culture that, frankly, I may never have discovered prior to stumbling across this very cool blog.

Could any of my posts make it more clear how much my favorite TV show was always The Mod Squad? (and never, never, never The Brady Bunch. Sorry, but it gives me the creeps to even think about that damn show.)

Whatever. I still just want to be "Julie" when I grow up, and save the world.

*More about this film:
"This short film inspired the feature film "D.R.O.P. Squad" and was produced in 1988. Based on a short story called "The Deprogrammer" by David Taylor. "The Session" was another collaboration between myself and Butch Robinson with creative and production input from Dave as well as a fantastic cast featuring Eric Payne, Vondie Curtis Hall, Dwania Kyles and Leonard Thomas. I can't describe what an incredible experience this production was, and the reception the film got was equally impressive. At it's peak, "The Session" was screening on Friday nights at Theatre Four in Manhattan as well as touring the south at the request of the South Carolina Arts Commission. The film came to the attention of Spike Lee and eventually went on the become the first project he'd executive produce under his deal with Gramercy Pictures. Fitting in a way since, in many ways, the phenomenon created by "She's Gotta Have It" is what inspired the production of "The Session"."

Football finally comes out the closet?

I've always had this theory about football, a theory my husband argues is highly flawed, but, my theory is that America's love affair with football seems so gay to me.

Note disclaimer: This is not a put-down of football fans or my gay-friendly friends. It's just an observation, of sorts.

But, come on, football is nothing but macho guys prancing and strutting in tight pants, copious intimate body contact, slapping butts and touching affectionately, big strong shoulder pads under bright and shiny, uber macho uniforms...I don't know. It just all seems pretty gay to me, but what do I know?

My husband would say that would be, uh, pretty much, next to nothing about football...But, oh, looky, looky here, my doubting friends:

I think I found a photo from last night's Super Bowl game illustrating my theory about football, quite nicely!

See? I rest my case.

Check this out:

Dr. Oz's shameless ratings grab with Carnie Wilson

Okay, so last Friday my daughter and I both were home sick during another rainy weekday, so while I just let her nap next to me I quietly flipped on the daytime television, which is something I almost never do.

Thus, it was under these circumstances that I saw my first and only "Dr. Oz" show.

(Notice how I feel compelled to apologize for watching daytime T.V.?)

Anyhow, Friday's Dr. Oz show was featuring celebrity, Carnie Wilson, who apparently Dr. Oz was gracing with a surprise weight loss intervention program. -- Oh, Carnie, you're so lucky!

What I found incredulous was his keeping a straight face while explaining that his program is based on "the Biology of Blubber." (Oooo. Sign me up!)

But, Dr. Oz went on to explain that it's really just a "back to basics" program. Okay, sounds easy. Cool

But, in his case, that means literally throwing out everything in your house, except maybe water, tofu and tampons. (In her case, it happened to be two gigantic folding tables loaded with food, carbs, juice, medications, and, I think, the kitchen sink.)

So, we all watch Dr. Oz and Carnie throw tons of perfectly good food (so practical during a recession) into a huge trash can marked "TRASH."

Then comes my favorite part, then he states:

"Now, doesn't that feel like you had a big bowel movement?"

All I can say is that unlike Carnie, I'd probably scream, "Oh, look! A chicken! And it's SO FAT!" And then rush off the stage.

However, it's ratings sweep week so instead Carnie Wilson stood there obediently attempting to gain composure after this incredibly weird T.V. moment.

But, don't take my word for it, it's found at this link in the second video from the top. About a minute and a half.

By the way, Dr. Oz's show dedicated to health and obesity was sponsored by commercials for Baskin Robbins, El Pollo Loco, and several other fast food joints. Nice!

Don't eat. Eat!
Repeat.

VIDEO CLIP OF CARNIE WILSON ON THE DR. OZ SHOW FOR HER WEIGHT LOSS INTERVENTION

Somebody tell me about Suzanne Whang's stand up show!

The beauty about having a full life is that while you wouldn't trade it in for any other life, you also wouldn't mind having just a wee bit more freedom to do things officially considered "child-free entertainment," if you catch my drift. But, that's another blog post.

However, in the case of what to see this weekend, there was only so much time.

And so even though we caught The Pee-wee Herman Show before it closed, it meant skipping the one stand up act that I wanted to catch ever since reading about her on Prince Gomolvilas's blog, Bamboo Nation. Whang looks like one of the most amazing performer/comics/activists to come down the pike in a long, long time.

So, somebody tell me: Anyone get to Silver Lake to see her? What was the performance like?

Below is a quick clip of part of her stand up act, as her fictional character "Sung-Hee Park."

NOTE: Her show is surprisingly rude and NOT "family entertainment."

It's not something you want to have playing while you are at work, either. (Imagine Andy Kaufman's bizarreness channelled by a cute Asian woman and you get what I'm saying: Could get rude really fast.) Be warned.

Pee-Wee Herman, revisited. (About time!)

Well, it took us long enough, but we finally made it up to Club Nokia to catch the second-to-last day of The Pee-wee Herman Show.

And, even though it was standing room only, we loved every minute of our 80's flashback. From the great pre-show retro hits, to the entire trip back in time to Pee-wee's Playhouse. The whole gang was there (Well, almost).

Time has hardly changed a thing for Pee-wee Herman (aka actor Paul Reubens).

He still rocks the Playhouse even if Cowboy Curtis looks a bit younger and prettier, and even if Pee-wee's just a tiny bit older, it's still just timeless "middle school" fun, fun, fun:

(Word of the day: "Fun!" -- Ahhhh!)

...Okay, some moments were decidedly not "middle school," but for a much older audience, but that's what we love about Mr. Reubens, right?

(Word of the day: "Subversive!" Ahhhhh!)

Hits and Misses:

Hits: Abstinence rings. Pen Pals. Miss Yvonne's make up class. Balloon fun. The Bear.

Misses: Some famous lines now a bit over-exposed. No "Hi! I'm Penny." And, most of all, no Phil Hartman.

Pete Varvel at Plastic Bubble World was 100% correct: Pee-wee's still's got his mojo on and I only hope we get more of Mr. Reuben's talent in the near future.

So, rock on, Pee-wee and welcome back, Paul Reubens.

We missed you while you were laying low. But, clearly you're back, now -- and you're smokin'.

Coats for Cubs: Donate Your Old Furs to Wildlife | The Humane Society of the United States

GOT FUR?

DONATE IT TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY

Coats for Cubs: Donate Your Old Furs to Wildlife | The Humane Society of the United States

Read this:

Coats for Cubs: Donate Your Old Furs to Wildlife

Do you have an old fur coat in your closet? Is your grandmother's mink stole stored in the attic? Many of us have fur apparel that we no longer want or that was left to us by a family member. Some aren't comfortable selling it or giving it to charity, because they feel people should not wear animal fur. And storing, cleaning, and remodeling old fur coats are highly profitable services for furriers and helps keep them in the fur business. So what should people do with it?

Give it back to the animals. If you would like to see that old fur put to a good use, donate it to The Humane Society of the United States' Coats for Cubs program. The fur will aid and comfort wildlife.

Where Do the Furs Go?

All of the furs received by The HSUS are sent to wildlife rehabilitators, who use the furs to warm and comfort orphaned and injured wildlife. More than 200 rehabilitators from across the United States and Canada now participate in the program.

How Do the Furs Help Wildlife?

The furs are cut into an appropriate size for the animal, whether it be a bobcat, fox, raccoon, squirrel, or rabbit, and placed inside the animal's enclosure. The furry blanket becomes a surrogate mother to orphaned animals, reducing stress and giving comfort.

Need More Info?

If you have a question not answered on this page, just call 301–258-1490.

One rehabilitator related a story about a restless orphaned river otter who chirped constantly. Once she was given a fur blanket, she settled right down. Turning the sleeve of a fur coat inside out, a rehabilitator can also create a warm nest for a burrowing animal such as an opossum. Some animals adopt a piece of fur as a playmate, jumping on it and wrestling with it.

How Do I Donate?

Donating is easy: Place your fur in a sturdy box (a large padded envelope is fine for small items) and mail it to The HSUS at the following address:

The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Attn: Coats for Cubs

Another way to donate furs is to drop them off at Buffalo Exchange. The HSUS is partnering with Buffalo Exchange, a resale clothing chain with 36 stores across the country, to collect fur items. From Nov. 15, 2008 through Earth Day, April 22, 2009, you can bring your fur to any Buffalo Exchange store and let the staff know it is a donation for The HSUS. Click here for a list of store locations. However, if you want to claim a tax deduction for your donation, please mail your fur(s) directly to HSUS.

The HSUS accepts all fur apparel, fur trims, and fur accessories (such as hats, gloves, and muffs).

How Will I Know That The HSUS Has Received My Donation?

If you want to receive a letter of thanks, please include a note inside the box stating your email address or your mailing address requesting an acknowledgment. If you've requested an acknowledgment, you will be sent a letter of thanks 2-3 weeks after the fur has arrived. Please save this letter if you want to claim a tax deduction.

What Do I Need to Do If I Want to Claim a Tax Deduction?

If you itemize deductions, you can claim the fair market value of your donation. The fair market value is the amount for which you could sell the fur today—not how much it cost to purchase the fur. This is a judgment call that you will have to make, based on the condition and type of the fur. If you value the fur at $5,000 or more, the Internal Revenue Service will require a "Qualified Appraisal." You must have this appraisal performed before you donate the fur. You may need to include the letter of receipt from The HSUS in your tax returns. If you have any questions, you may want to consult your tax attorney.

I Am a Wildlife Rehabilitator—How Can I Participate?

As more people hear about this wonderful way to aid wildlife, fur donations to The HSUS increase. We are always looking for wildlife rehabilitators who will give the fur back to the animals. If you would like to help, just send an e-mail to furfree@hsus.org, call 301–258-1490, or write to

The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Attn: Coats for Cubs

Orange County's Crystal Cathedral Billboard reads "F#CK OBAMA"

THIS IS WHAT I SAW ON THE 22 FREEWAY THIS MORNING JUST BEFORE THE HARBOR BLVD. EXIT.

No, I do not have a very good photograph of the sign and had to use a cell phone. I was driving my kid to school in Santa Ana and didn't expect to see a giant explictive about our president painted on a billboard about The Glory of God. My bad.

Truthfully, I don't care who painted that graffiti or why. I just care is that it was visible.

Let me tell you a bit about the massive industry of God that is "The Crystal Cathedral" and you can figure out if they have enough funds to get somebody up there and remove the huge, carefully painted in black and white words "FUCK OBAMA" painted with skill, I might add, right across the bottom of their huge billboard.

All quite visible by almost everyone travelling through the OC south off the Garden Grove freeway. Not cool.

Don't like the anti-Obama sign, either? Contact them and tell them so.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Who is the Crystal Cathedral?

Here's how they describe themselves off their own website:

Located in Garden Grove, California, the Crystal Cathedral is the home base for the international Crystal Cathedral Ministries, including a congregation of over 10,000 members and the internationally televised "Hour of Power."

To find out more about this ministry of "people caring for people," we invite you to select an area of interest on the right.

At the Crystal Cathedral There is Something for Everyone-Especially You!

We invite you to join us for Sunday morning worship services. Services are held at 9:30 & 11:00am and at 6:00 pm in the Crystal Cathedral. For additional information or dates and times of the Easter and Christmas services, please call the Crystal Cathedral at the following number: (714) 971-4000.

The Crystal Cathedral, located in the city of Garden Grove, is at the crossroads of the Interstate Freeway 5 and the Garden Grove Freeway 22, just west of the Orange Freeway 57.

The physical address is: 12141 Lewis St. Garden Grove, CA 92840

Click here for a map and directions.

The Crystal Cathedral is located at:

12141 Lewis St.
Garden Grove, CA. 92840

For reservations and more information call
714-54-GLORY or
1-877-544-5679

The aliens in District 9 look nothing like the real ones

According to District 9's filmmaker, Neill Blomkamp, the "prawn-like" aliens from his compelling sci-fi film, District 9, look nothing like what he really imagines the real ones look like.

(By the way, if you haven't seen District 9, I found it to be an extremely imaginative, engrossing action film which also happens to be up for a whole bunch of Oscars, as well.)

However, according to Blomkamp in this TED video, real extraterrestrials would not only look nothing like his District 9's bug-like creatures, but they would also be (if I have this correct) the inevitable extensions of our evolution in going from a Type "0" species, into a more evolved, Type "1" species. According to Blomkamp, he theorizes that the reason we don't find others like us in the universe is not because they don't exist, it's just that they never make the transition from singular civilizations into one unified global civilization (which he quotes being estimated in about 100-200 years. I think.) His theory is that it's nearly impossible to transition from a "Type 0" civilization into a "Type 1" civilization without killing ourselves, first. Gosh, I sure hope he's just being a downer.

You really should see this clip. It's only about 13 minutes of your time, and it does get to be fairly eye-opening starting around the 3rd minute and really heats up at about min. 8:16.

Also, by complete random coincidence, today received a link to an astrological site (Yes, I am an aquarian rat and I do keep my mind open) that spoke about current and future bizarre planetary shifts (See AstrologyAbout.com's A Time of Radical Shift) unprecidented in our evolutionary cycle, (Where have I heard that before?) which sounded a whole lot like Blomkamp in the TED video. Coincidence, or no?

Granted, while I find all this planetary and evolutionary theory most intriguing, the truth is, I'm just not ready for my apolocalypse, Mr. DeMille, so I sure hope we as a species get our act together to love and cherish our life as we know it and take the strict steps required to save and treasure life as it is, today. I don't want to want to have to travel to a "nature preserve" to see plants, animals, and my great-grandchildren.

I want to go back to school, and see my kids grow up and, well, there's just too much that's still new and wonderful about this planet to just sit around and let it "evolve" (or perhaps "de-volve") starting somewhere in the year 2045.

How can anyone calmly even consider any of this happening, at all? I don't know about you, but if this is all true, why aren't we shouting from the roof-tops to stop, look and listen?

However, it does all make for one very interesting interview with this very talented filmmaker.

Watch:

Images of the day

i heart robert pattinson

All courtesy of something awful...