faboo mama

Well, you know it’s time to see half-naked people in the City of Angeles just based on the events happening. This weekend is the unofficial kickoff to Spring in LA. So many things to do, I’m wondering how I’ll sleep this weekend. The best part: Most of them are free.

Obviously, we’ll be at LACMA celebrating opening night of Jazz on Friday night. I heard that Les Claypool is also playing tomorrow night. Who knew he was still around?

Oh and the Getty’s Friday off the 405 series also starts on Friday night.  Since my idea of fun doesn’t include being anywhere near the 405 on a Friday night, I won’t be here, but I’ll try to make it one day.  It’ll be like me cheating on LACMA.

The Brewery kicks off their spring ArtWalk on Saturday, April 5th. If you haven’t been, you’re missing out on some kind of wonderful. The restaurant onsite is overprice, but the last times we went they also had someone grilling burgers.  We’ll be doing this on April 6th and grilling afterwards.  We live nearby, so if you’re willing, come on by.

The Brewery ArtWalk is a twice annual open studio weekend at the worlds largest art colony. Each artwalk, over 100 resident artists participate. During this event, you will have the opportunity to see new works, discover new favorites, speak with the artists and purchase artworks directly from the artists at studio prices.

The Brewery Art Walk takes place:
April 5th and 6th, from
11:00 am - 6:00 pm

Admission is free and so is parking. Come support LA’s finest artists, take home some great works and and dine at the onsite restaurant. If you have questions or require more information, please contact us via email (click here)

The Brewery is home to over 100 artist-residents and the art you see is usually for sale.  So if you see something you like, feel free to ask a price.

Over in Little Tokyo is the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.  It’s going on all weekend too.  Parking stinks so plan ahead.  The event is free to enter.  We caught the tailend of this a few years ago and have sworn we’d go back to see the event.

Descanso Gardens is having A World of Good Weekend.  It’s $7 for adults, $5 for kids 5+.  You get to enjoy all the festival happenings and the gardens.  The happenings:

APRIL 5 & 6: A WORLD OF GOOD WEEKEND
This is your personal invitation to enjoy acres and acres of spectacular
Gardens, health-conscious salad-making demos, kid’s crafts, world music and fun
for everyone.

Salad Days: Salad Making Demonstrations
Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 - 11 a.m. to noon
Magnolia Lawn
Chef de Cuisine Tiana Driggins tosses in her knowledge and celebrates Descanso’s 2008 Center Circle Edible Estates Demonstration Garden with a delicious and interesting salad demonstration.

Kids’ Veggie People Craft Table
Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 - noon to 3 - Main Lawn

Music: Robby Longley
Saturday, April 5 only - 1 to 3 p.m. - Under the Oaks Theater
A beautifully orchestrated fusion of neo-classical/flamenco world music will be here for your enjoyment.

Music: Banshee in the Kitchen
Sunday, April 6 only - 1 to 3 p.m. - Under the Oaks Theater
Don’t miss the combination of traditional Celtic music, spiced jazz and rock.

That’s just a few of the big and interesting-to-me things going on.  If you’re in LA, I hope you can make it even just one of these events.  Otherwise, stay tuned because you know I’ll have pictures galore!

Back on March 9th, I blogged that some LA Bloggers should get together and blog on Opening Night at LACMAs Jazz series. Unfortunatetly, I dropped the ball on actually promoting it, so I can’t say many people know about it. However, we will still be there, since we were going to go anyway. If you know of any LA bloggers, let them know and maybe we’ll see you there too.

Some details from my previous post:

The event starts at 6pm and ends at 8pm. We usually wind up at Farmers Market or Koreatown afterwards in the cooler months. During the summer, we usually frolic around Hancock Park. Early arrival is necessary to secure chairs and tables. I plan to get there to secure tables around 5pm. If you choose to visit the museum while there, you will have to pay to enter.

So, besides meeting other bloggers what can you expect? Here’s the opening act for the season:

Ernie Andrews
April 4th, 2008

The 2008 Friday Night Jazz season opens with one of jazz’s living legends and L.A. treasures, vocalist Ernie Andrews. For over sixty years, Andrews has been thrilling audiences around the globe with hits recorded with such giants as Harry James, Cannonball Adderly, Gene Harris and Ray Brown. In a recent review, Los Angeles Times critic Don Heckman said, “[H]e blends a hard-swinging, outgoing vocal style with a quick-witted sense of humor . . . he does so with a rich timbre, a gift for drama and a singular capacity to stimulate an audience.”

Not that you care, but I’m not having trouble with my blogging editor. All of a sudden, it’s not letting me do a WYSIWYG and it’s annoying the crap out of me.

Booman has a post up entitled Gangsta Rap Has Nothing to Do With It. You should read it, but more importantly, you get linked to the racist bile that has become Larry Johnson’s M.O. I gotta lot of stuff to say about that post.

The Militant Angleno has a map describing Los Angeles. By all rights, that should stop the holier-than-thou faction of Silver Lakers from claiming Eastside status. (h/t to Jason Burns over at Metblogs LA)

My daughter’s ballet recital is tomorrow and I’m nervous because of the costume. This time around they’re doing The Wizard of Oz songs and they were supposed to dress like Dorothy. I wonder what the boys were supposed to wear. Anyway, I looked into buying her a costume, but I couldn’t really afford it, nor could I justify spending $20 - $40 on something cheaply made. So, I bought her a blue and white seersucker sundress. I figured it’s close enough and she can wear it all summer.

Darrel Bell’s Candorville comic for today is hilarious and spot on as usual.

OMG…music heaven!  I received my Hollywood Bowl schedule today and I think I’m going to have to scrounge up some money to get a season pass.  Why?  Only because this is the first season in the past 5 years where there are interesting acts at least once a week.  There are tons of Must Sees.  Oh, I’m about to burst with happiness.  Before opening night, on June 14th - 15th we get the Playboy Jazz Festival.  Sunday looks like a must.  Here’s a few other outstanding nights:

July 9th - Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Natalie Cole

July 20 - Feist, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and Pacifika

July 27 - Gnarls Barkley, Youssou N’Dour and Deerhoof

Aug 3 - Reggae Night featuring UB40 (bleech!), Beres Hammond and Barrington Levy

Aug 13 - Etta James and the Roots Band, Solomon Burke and Paulo Nutini

Aug 15 - 16 - A Night in Old Havana (Friday and Saturday)

Aug 22 - 23 - Donna Summer

Sept 21 - Ozomatli, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lila Downs and Nortec Collective

Hyperventillating.

I am going to have to see how we can get enough money so that we can attend these shows.  I don’t know how we can not go.

One more email I got, this one is really short notice:

Los Angeles Marriott Downtown
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:30AM - 10:30AM

Under the umbrella of our Safe and Healthy Communities initiative, the Pat Brown Institute once again examines livable communities, bringing together a panel of experts to discuss a concept that is intrinsically related to democracy, prosperity and quality of life. From gridlock, absence of jobs, and environmental problems to inadequate access to cultural venues for exhibitions and performing arts, livability of a community can be diminished by its inadequate access to resources and services. This panel will assess the notion of ‘livable communities’ and offer roadmaps for achieving them.

This facility is accessible to people with disabilities. Please contact Tarren Alicia Lopez (tlopez@cslanet.calstatela.edu 323.343.3770) no later than Friday, March 14, 2008 to request a sign language interpreter.

For public transportation CLICK HERE

For driving directions CLICK HERE

Register Online Now!

I got another email:

Poverty Matters

Presents

An Evening with Jim Hightower

Best Selling Author, Fiery and Funny Public Speaker and

National Radio Commentator

Speaking and

Signing his new book

“Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow”

RSVP by clicking here

Monday March 24, 2008

7:30 pm

$10 Admission to benefit Poverty Matters

Location:

Immanuel Presbyterian Church

3300 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90010 (at Berendo - 2 blocks west of Vermont)

Metro Red Line Subway Stop: Wilshire/Vermont

$5 Parking available across the street at UTLA - 3303 Wilshire Blvd.

Media Sponsor 90.7 KPFK Radio

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim Hightower is the author of seven books including:

“Theives in High Places: They’ve Stolen Our Country and It’s time to Take It Back”;

“If the Gods Had Wanted Us to Vote: They Would Have Given Us Candidates”

There is Nothing in the Middle of the Road Except Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos

For More information or to volunteer, please e-mail us at povertymatters@yahoo.com

If you cannot attend the event, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Poverty Matters by clicking here

I got an email:

Women’s History Month Celebration

A program celebrating the California State Legislative
Month of Recognition
Thursday, March 20, 2008
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Honoring:
Sandra Evers-Manley, Hon. Judy Chu, Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker and Carolyn Webb de Macias

To RSVP Contact Bobbie Anderson
(213) 744-2111

For more information please click here!

We met Kat today at the Huntington Library with her kid and goddaughter. We got our photo together that we managed not to do last week:

And we got some great photos of all the kids together.

You’ll note that my son seems to be the only one interested in taking the photo. Kat kept saying, “He’s a supermodel.” and while the cameras were up, Alton was posting. I actually got two photos of KidKat facing us. The other photos he’s crawling away.

Here’s the second try:

Much better. You may now move around the cabin.

And moved they did. Or didn’t. Alton alternated between running way too far ahead or lagging way too far behind. Especially when he got his pan dulce. Talk about lagging. People we had passed yards ago, were lapping us as Alton dawdled. KidKat either wanted or didn’t want to be in the stroller. Meaning if he said he wanted to be in the stroller, that really meant he didn’t. Kids just love playing those headgames.

Kidwise, or should I say, Iliawise, it’s been a rough week for us. We are thisclose to putting her ass on craigslist or eBay. Done. She’s been the perfect little brat and today was no exception. Katdaughter had walked away and Ilia wanted to tag along. I asked her to sit down so I could get a photo and she said she didn’t want a photo:

She wasn’t lying. I took 4 freaking pictures and this is the least morose one. She’s acted like I asked her to eat beets. At least I got a cute photo of Alton and KidKat checking out the lake:

You can see more photos of our trip to the Huntington Library’s Botanical Gardens in my flickr pool. Since everyone was hungry and the kids needed a nap, we headed out without seeing most of the property. That’s okay, since I got my free tickets for next month and most of the succulents I want to shoot will most likely be in fuller bloom or just starting to bloom then.

I just got an email for an event that happened yesterday. Way to go Susan:

DATE: MARCH 3^RD, 2008 5PM-7PM

WHAT: INTERNATIONAL SEX WORKER RIGHTS DAY

WHERE: LAFAYETTE PARK , LOS ANGELES (Koreatown/Mid-Wilshire area)

625 S.LAFAYETTE PARK PLACE, LA 90057

OFF OF WILSHIRE BLVD, EAST OF VERMONT ,

NEAR/IN KOREA TOWN

CONTACT: Sex Workers Outreach Project-LA (SWOP-LA)

310-562-8201

SWOP-LA and WOMEN ALIVE WANT YOU to join us in the park for INTERNATIONAL SEX WORKERS RIGHTS DAY, MARCH 3RD 2008

MEET AT THE TENNIS COURTS OF LAFAYETTE PARK !

BRING A RED UMBRELLA! (Red Umbrellas are the Int’l Symbol of sex workers rights!)

LOAD UP ON FREE CONDOMS, LUBE, SAFE SEX SUPPLIES!

MEET OTHER WHORES, DOMMES, SLUTS, ALLIES, ADVOCATES, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND TALK WITH MEMBERS OF THE SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT (SWOP-LA)! LEARN ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS! ASK QUESTIONS!

t-shirts and hot drinks will be exchanged for donations to the growth of the newest non profit in the HIV/AIDS game: Sex Workers Outreach Project-LA.

March 3rd’s mission: SWOP and Women Alive originally intended for a day of celebration for Sex Workers Rights around the globe, a movement that started in India when 25,000 sex workers mobilized together to raise awareness on the violence and lack of rights for sex workers. This movement is now celebrated internationally.

http://www.swopusa.org/march3

The Park and Recreation board has denied our permit to screen PG rated documentaries based on the sex workers movements in various countries, including Germany , Mexico City , and India .

Their reason: Only G rated movies are allowed to be screened in public parks. However, their website clearly lists screened movies that are rated PG-13. Their “concern” was the local youth. They are obviously hiding behind the fear of it’s content, rather than the rating.

WE ARE STILL MEETING AT 5PM AND WE WILL STILL CELEBRATE SEX WORKERS RIGHTS!!!

BRING YOUR DRUMS, CONGAS, BONGOS, BUCKETS, AND VOICES, WORK OUTFITS AND COSTUMES!

DANCE AND CELEBRATE OUR RIGHTS!! MEET AND TALK WITH MEMBERS OF SWOP!

Wow.

No…WOW!

The Audubon Society’s center at Ernest Debs Park is cool. 100% built green and completely off the grid, it’s the sort of place we need more of, not only in LA but all over the place.

Talk about a flashback, driving up to the parking lot reminded me of the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona.

There isn’t much to say that isn’t already posted on their website. The kids loved the place. We took the butterfly path and it was easy to walk, even muddy. Since none of us were dressed for the walk though we did have to turn around. I couldn’t tell if the plants overgrowing the walkway were poison oak or not and we were all wearing shorts.

This huge rock in the courtyard of the place. It’s a very nice courtyard, one I wish my front yard looked like. To the kid’s left is a nice pond and to their right is another pond.

I was taking a picture of that fencing. What do you think? I’m thinking about doing something like in my front yard. I like how some rails don’t have angles on them. The walk path is also close to what’s in my front yard. Mine’s a little more gravel-y though.

This is kids were learning about butterflies. See those benches? They’re made with 100% recycled materials.

They make a little cave and there’s two stumps inside to sit on. Ilia said, “No Mr. Don’t go in there. There could be spiders.”"Spiders?”, Alton asked?

Ilia nodded, “Yeah and it’s dark,”

I jumped in, “Ilia just because you’re scared of spiders and the dark doesn’t mean that he can’t go in there.

“I’m just thinking about him, mama!”, she cried.

“I scared.”, said the little boy, shivering and holding onto my leg.

There was a lot of hands on things up there. There was a little shed with toys for the kids to play with, a water pump, seating all over on the campus and lots of places to climb. One of the most spectacular things is just being able to see 20 miles north to south.

Needless to say, I took a lot of photos of plants and stuff, but I’m not interested in posting them. I also found out that I can reach the lake we visited last week from the different trails that originate at the Audubon Center. The Center’s parking lot was full (it only holds like 20 cars) so we had to park on Griffin Ave. There’s a foot path from the street on up to the top. Walking up there, you can see Downtown Los Angeles and Dodgers Stadium. You also got a great view of the Arroyo from up there and that angle also made that section of the 110 freeway look even more psychotic and hair-raising than it is in real life.

Speaking of getting on the freeway, driving down Griffin, just before I got on the freeway, I saw this:

LOL…in someone’s front yard, they have this huge metal dragonfly! WTF? The eyes, behind the metal caging are two discoballs. I’ve got drive back over there.