Introducing our two new beautiful adoptees from the local shelter: Willow and Waylon, sibling terrier mix strays (they think schnauzer/yorkie mix). Wishing everyone a fun and healthy holiday season this year!
Introducing our two new beautiful adoptees from the local shelter: Willow and Waylon, sibling terrier mix strays (they think schnauzer/yorkie mix). Wishing everyone a fun and healthy holiday season this year!
Many of you already know that our incredible family member Muki passed away on the evening of September 29, 2015. We are so grateful to have been able to spend 17 years and 4 months with him on this planet. Every day and night with him was the most wonderful gift.
Muki chose to leave his physical form on his own, a rare situation for most dogs. He was aware we had inquired about an at-home euthanasia appointment for the following day but he didn’t want that. He let us know this and instead blessed us with a most intense and intimate last day that we will never forget. Muki has always known exactly what he wants to do and that didn’t change at all in his last hours. He was completely in sync with us and just blew us away with his communication and connection.
The utter gratitude we have for not having to put Muki down is still with us today. He'd had a relatively challenging year—plenty of medicines and vet appointments, etc.—but he always stunned his vets when they reviewed his bloodwork and charts. Just proves how much living is not only physical but mental as well. He wanted to stay here as long as possible and responded beautifully to the 24/7 care we administered at home (with guidance from his vets). Less than 2 years ago we also decided to ensure that Muki was never alone—not even once. The only babysitter to watch him was my sister, who he’s known all his life.
It was a very special period of time that I know many senior dog caretakers would truly understand. It’s only been a month, so things of course aren’t the same. Life moves on quickly but we still feel him in ours. I'm still making my way back to a “normal” routine, which includes updating this blog more often. This was a life changing experience so we’re adapting to being here without his physical presence—even our other dog Mazinga still sometimes wonders where he is.
Thank you to all for your kind words and support to us during this difficult time. We truly appreciate it.
Below is Grandmother Despina, who at 108 years old may be the oldest person to ever be filmed. Her grandsons Janaki and Milton Manaki purchased a Bioscope camera during a trip to London and filmed her weaving upon returning to their Macedonia (Balkans) home, now in present-day Greece.
This was all captured in 1905, which would make her birth year a staggering 1791! Fortunately for us in 2015, this is truly a mesmerizing look back in time thanks to a pair of forward-looking siblings. Hopefully more documentation like this will be uncovered in the near future!
Banksy’s “DIsmaland” is a sprawling physical commentary on the crass world of mainstream entertainment (and considering how Disney employees are strictly forbidden from visiting the installation certainly says a lot). But besides the sarcastic swipes at commercialized artistry and fantasy, the anonymous artist’s huge exhibit also comments on the urgent issue of captive animals in theme parks, a gross relic of old-fashioned taste and morals:
SeaWorld’s animal abuse denials aren’t fooling anybody anymore. Although their profits have plummeted nearly 85% in recent years (much due to the 2013 documentary Blackfish), they’ve recently doubled down with unprecedented aggressive federal and state lobbying. Apparently they’d rather cling to cruel, outdated notions of “entertainment” while claiming to love the animals they hold captive.
The area in red is SeaWorld’s parking lot. The green mark is where the orcas spend their entire lives.
On the heels of SeaWorld’s much deserved criticism, additional disturbing photographs of deteriorating orcas from Spain’s Loro Parque have also surfaced this week. Clearly their business model is the same as SeaWorld’s:
Rake marks and other “battle scars":
These are scratches resulting from another orca dragging its teeth across the skin of another. Such wounds are rather uncommon in the wild, and the ones below were likely due to fights with other imbalanced killer whales inside their tiny cells.
Damaged and missing teeth:
Due to the grotesque tiny spaces they exist in, orcas in captivity often gnaw on the walls of their tanks, eventually breaking and fracturing their teeth. They then have to endure painful drilling procedures, without any local anesthetic, for their cavities. Of course, amusement park officials never discuss how orcas actually do not lose their teeth in the wild.
Mucus pouring from eyes:
Morgan was captured from the wild in 2010 and is now a prisoner at Loro Parque. Her eyes, along with other captives, have been repeatedly documented showing a thick clear liquid oozing from them—likely a physical reaction to the chemicals in the tank's waters.
Overall depressed behavior:
Orcas floating listlessly on their sides is an all-too common sight in between performances at these amusement parks. This isn’t typical behavior in their natural habitat and is a sign of deterioration. It’s no wonder that captive orcas live only a fraction of their counterparts lucky enough to evade humans.
The increasing documentation and awareness of these abusive profit machines will eventually pave the way for progressive laws that actually protect animals—not just give them a cheap nod, such as the Animal Welfare Act we have in the US (signed way back in 1966), which egregiously still allows animals in labs to be burned, starved, shocked, isolated, poisoned, and brain-damaged.
These "amusement parks” are still considered “family fun” for many people. My one and only visit to SeaWorld as a child left me more sad than anything else, as did my first trip to New York City and seeing horse-drawn carriages, and I highly doubt these are rare reactions these days. Our laws must start reflecting how increasingly more people are able to discern between straightforward entertainment versus what are merely lingering mementos of leisure and barbarous profit-making from a more primitive era.
"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people and I don’t, frankly, have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time, either.”
If I hadn’t watched the Republican debate last night, this awkward statement that was reiterated by presidential hopeful Donald Trump (when asked about previous quips he’d made regarding overweight women) could have just as easily been said by several mainstream comedians (partial list here). Lately, these (let’s face it) vaguely funny-ish people, plus billionaire Trump, have been obsessively deploring how being PC is problematic for "freedom of speech" (a term which, if you know the definition of, does not at all make sense in this context).
The problem with all of these privileged mainstream media darlings—besides being privileged mainstream media darlings—is not the challenge of political correctness. After all, each and every one of these comedians, Trump included, have done plenty of damage in the non-PC department, to their own benefits. (Although Chris Rock’s comedy vastly differs from the rest of the grumblers since the root of his body of work actually is racial, unlike the rest who’ve rushed his bandwagon.)
But now that audiences find less amusement in crass 1950s style humor, and that the old-fashioned media platform they’ve thrived on has crumbled so much, these folks just can’t seem to handle any kind of opposing opinion or criticism. The way they demand that people agree with them on their comments or jokes about weight, cultural background, sexual preference, or gender, is almost tyrannical.
Even director-comedian Bobcat Goldthwait had some blunt words in a recent interview:These old-media figures are not complaining about political correctness—they’re defensively bellyaching about being archaic in 2015. And ultimately, it’s their total right to be outspoken in an outdated way. Just look at how it’s benefiting Trump right now—he’s smoking everyone running in the election, both left and right.
But until they all get it, the joke’s on them: we’re watching because we're laughing at you, not with you.
It’s always thrilling to see big name bands in smaller venues. Social Distortion’s sold out shows at the House of Blues Sunset Strip this past weekend will definitely be one that LA remembers.
The night opened with Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham performing songs from his solo album Salvation Town. I’ve always respected his work (Cadillac Tramps pretty much ruled where I grew up) and his new album has everything you’d expect from an accomplished musician who can go from straight up punk rock to twangy, country Americana. Salvation Town is definitely a new favorite.
Loved the various cool vintage gear adorning the stage...
With both nights completely sold out, the venue was obviously beyond crowded. Social D hit the stage and started off with “So Far Away.” Our view was perfect and the energy was frenzied.
Casual bantering throughout the evening in between songs. The set list was amazing, which included “Knockout,” “Sick Boys,” “Story of My Life,” “Let It Be Me,” and a wonderful cover of Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses."
The inevitable pit.
It got a little intense at some points, but nothing like how it used to be at a certain long-gone freezer in OC…(*wink)
Security coming in to break up some drama. Mike Ness joked, “Hey, we all want to get out of here in one piece..” (Luckily it wasn’t a big deal.)
With the House of Blues getting demolished shortly (for another mixed-use development), this intimate show was an insane treat for us. A very cool bartender took this shot of us at the end of the night. In a matter of weeks, this place will be air.
See you at the Greek Theatre in September!
Our time warp weekend started off with the Adolescents, the Weirdos, Ch3, and Bad Cop Bad Cop. This show was probably one of the most hot and crowded nights at the Roxy we’ve seen lately—every inch of space was packed and the audience was clearly super pumped for the lineup.
We arrived just in time for the Weirdos, who played such an awesome and fun set. Of course, Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks) on bass was an extra cool bonus.
Like Agent Orange (recap of their recent show at the Whisky), the Adolescents were yet another storied local band that I never got to see in person as a kid—it was amazing to watch them perform favorites such as “Kids of the Black Hole.”
Despite forming in 1980 (the flyer below is from 1981!), the Adolescents have continued their classic SoCal punk rock for younger generations to enjoy as well—doesn’t look like they’ll be losing steam any time soon.
The ladies of L7 performed two heavy nights for their hometown crowd at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood this weekend. Recently reunited, the original lineup with Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks, Jennifer Finch and Demetra Plakas was a rare treat.
Despite decades of influencing grunge rock and riot grrrl bands, the performance had the sharp energy one would expect from their albums of the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Sparks and Finch (who still had her trademark bright hair!) spent much of the night head banging along with the crowd. Apparently Finch even gave away her bass guitar after the Friday night show—you don’t see that too often.
L7 is yet another band that I listened to as a kid but never thought I’d get the chance to see live—unlike my husband Nikos, who saw them perform countless times in small venues such as the long-gone Raji’s (which was once located down the street from the Fonda). Some of the artists who played at Raji’s early on include Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, Kyuss, Red Kross, GG Allin, and Hole, to name a few.
“Andres,” “Fast and Frightening,” “Diet Pill,” their awesome “American Society” cover, and many other familiar tunes highlighted the evening that LA won’t soon forget.
Hope to hear more work from these women in the future.
“First they laughed at us, now they copy us.”
Agent Orange live at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood earlier this month—they were local legends where I grew up but I was too young to see them with the original members. It’s amazing how many influential bands are touring again. While the apex of this particular wave of music was decades ago, it’s still awesome to be able to catch shows like this in 2015 (and there are a lot of them lately, especially in Los Angeles!).
Sealed vinyl from 1987! This was a special 6 track edition of the 12” they released in 1987—still deciding when to break it open.
It shouldn’t take a boatload of common sense for governments to understand that trying to eliminate personal aesthetic and cultural preferences among their citizens is futile—particularly now when the world is more interconnected than ever—but Iranian hardliners still do not seem to realize this. Iran banned long hair and ponytails on men five years ago but apparently that wasn’t enough to crackdown on the clearly Western-influenced styles that so much of their youth (still) prefer today. The latest ban by Iran's authorities include a list that many people, Islam or not, probably wouldn’t even flinch over.
For men, spiky gelled hair (considered “homosexual” and “devil worshipping”), tattoos, plucked eyebrows, and suntanning beds are all out of the question, now deemed un-Islamic. Hair salons that give customers such cuts can expect harsh punishment as well as having their licenses revoked.
Of course the ban isn’t only to control the men in the country, as women are being included in the list of no-no’s as well—the latest request by religious militants is to have Iranian authorities prevent women from partaking in full body waxing. Such bans are the epitome of futility, and we’ve already seen the evidence of how archaic rules simply cannot prevent people from wearing what they want, hanging out with whomever they please, and consuming what they desire.
Interestingly, China has taken a similarly proactive approach to countering culture in the mainly Muslim province of Xinjiang. People living in this region have been expressing their extensive disapproval over their perceived hostility from Beijing in recent years (people banned from celebrating Ramadan as well as discouragement of sporting face-covering veils and long beards), so Chinese authorities have responded to these religious tensions by actually ordering local Muslim shops and restaurants to sell “un-Islamic” items such as cigarettes, alcohol, and pork with the help of “eye-catching” (or immodest) advertising. So far around 60 shops and restaurants have complied with the demand in order to avoid being suspended from operating.
Both of these examples show governmental approaches to cultural issues that they deem threatening—Iran with their fear of Western values and styles, and China with their critical stance on traditional Islam. These methods are probably not solutions for either context, and both plans will likely only aggravate the issues at hand. The world has passed the point where ideas and actions can be contained—lately China must know very well how it feels to be treated by other states who feel so threatened by their economic rise. At this point in the game, government policies can not dominate or replace desire and choice, especially when it comes to culture.