As I go to bed considering the beginning of another week, I am saying a small prayer and hoping that I will wake up to this instead of another Monday morning at my job.
"Jaan Pehechaan Ho" - Gumnaam (1965)
I have never been a huge Bollywood fan but I have been converted - thank you Phil Moscowitz!! At this point, this clip has pretty much all that I am asking for out of life. However, if I can't have this crazy, dance party in waking life, I will definitely settle for sweet and swingin' dreams!
I hate to admit it, but I am an idea man. Getting those ideas off of the ground and turning them into something lucrative and/or fulfilling would be great but really, I just like to get good and lost in them. I try ideas on like shoes and walk around just to see how they fit. I take time to thoroughly wallow in them for a while before I haphazardly abandon them in favor of my next "stellar" idea. Nothing impresses me more than a person of vision AND productivity - a person who takes her amazing idea and, through creativity, hard work and commitment, actually turns it into something legitimate. Such is the case with my friend Tabitha and her amazing, children's theater production, Seas of Science.
Tabitha is a real-life scientist! With Seas of Science, she has transformed her love of science into an interactive, theater experience that actually challenges kids' brains to get them interested in the sciences. As you can see from the poster, Seas of Science, is "music, adventure, puppets, science." It is like the illegitimate love child of Bill Nye the Science Guy and Pee Wee's Playhouse witha dash of Dora the Explorer. Basically, it is a no-fail, laugh riot that has kids fully engaged and leaves them learning when they least expect it. One of the best reviews we heard came from a little girl that said, "I didn't think I wanted to come to the show but I loved it. I loved it!"
Marisol and Sergio, dethroned king turned ship's cook.
The show concerns Marisol, and average kid like you and me, who can visit the SS Science, a traveling ship inhabited by scientists, Barry the Robot, singing sea creatures, the Captain, and Sergio, a one-time king. The ship is capable of taking Marisol and the crew anywhere in the world to solve her science-related quandaries.
The inside of the SS Science
The production begins with a disheartened Marisol, who has been accused of having a "black thumb," when her house plant fails to thrive. She boards the SS Science to find out how plants grow. Her encounters with everyone on the ship teach her about photosynthesis and how to nurture her own sickly house plant.
The SS Science sails to Brazil to visit the rainforest. There, Marisol meets a fern from the forest floor who teaches her the difference between flowering and non-flowering plants. He explains how plants grow and details the importance of sun, water and soil.
Audience participation at its cutest.
Audience participation was strongly encouraged. In fact, each audience member was given a card indicating sun, water, or soil that both inspired camaraderie amongst those holding similar cards and elicited the shouting and hollering the likes of which would put Manchester United fans on notice. Every time one of the players said the word "soil," I had to be physically restrained.
Barry the Robot
The cast
Me and Crewman Roger
By the end of the show, Marisol's plant is in full bloom and everyone aboard the SS Science is looking forward to the next adventure. Everyone in the cast was great, but our favorite was definitely Crewman Roger - a throwback to characters that could be found on any number of 60's and 70's children's shows like "Lidsville" and "H.R. Pufnstuf." For me, whether intentional or accidental, Roger was the comic relief and "he" had me laughing from his first entrance, stage right!
I laughed so hard, I soiled myself.
A good friend would have posted about the production prior to the performances but I think a little late is better then never - especially when it is a good review! While the run of the show has ended, a springtime production is in the works. To follow its progress, be sure to check out the Seas of Science blog and "like" SOS on Facebook.
Congratulations Tabitha on a job well-done! Bravo on turning your dream into a reality! Science has never been so wacky tacky!
Not so very long ago, I was awarded the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award by my friend Emily over at The Silver Screen Affair. As part of that award and subsequent blog post I was required to list seven, little-known facts about myself. Recently, I have hit one of life's charming, little "bumps in the road" and consequently, "ye olde blog" has definitely suffered. I haven't gotten out of the house very much and therefore have not had much about which to write. In a feeble effort to maintain the blog, I thought I would share an additional bit of personal trivia (something I would not ordinarily do) because I am a "blogger lemming" and after seeing a few other bloggers share their alphabetical information I thought it seemed interesting. Hopefully, I am not alone in that. To get you in the spirit, please enjoy the "ABC Boogie."
"ABC Boogie" - Bill Haley & The Comets
A-Age:
Majority. I always wondered why people hid their true age; now I know it is because it is embarrassing to explain to people that even though you act like you're 14, you're actually 30 - from what I hear.
B-Bed:
I go alone. Nosy, yeesh...
C-Chore that you hate:
Shaving!!! I suppose shaving would better be listed under the category of personal hygiene/grooming but dang, it is definitely a chore. What can I say, I have a big face!
D-Dogs:
They're barking...time for some orthotics.
E-Essential start to your day:
Waking up.
F-Favorite Color:
It is hard to think of a color that I don't like. I am definitely drawn to the primaries.
G-Gold or silver:
This is probably the only one that I can give a completely-honest and unequivocal answer - GOLD, GOLD, GOLD!!!! Silver just ain't tacky.
H-Height:
Am I standing up straight?
I-Instruments you play:
Okay, it's time to get a little serious. Just recently I have discovered that one is never too old to become a child prodigy. Without bragging, I have been told that I am a Fisher-Price Pull-A-Tune Xylophone virtuoso. I am self-taught and play entirely by ear.
J-Job title:
The title that I would give my job is far different than the imprint on my business card. Until the whole go-go dancer/reality show star thing works out, I think it better to simply refrain from saying anything negative.
K-Kids:
Love 'em. No matter how old I get my mentality remains that of a seven-year-old - a very hungry, very opinionated, very surly, seven-year-old that has missed his nap, but a seven-year-old nonetheless. It is their honesty and quickness to laugh that makes kids the best human beings. I could never be a teacher, Sunday School or otherwise, because I think everything kids do is hysterical.
L-Live: Absolutely, despite the ghostly pallor, I am 100% alive - okay, maybe 94% alive in sunny, Southern California.
M-Mother's name:
Sometimes I wish that it was Lily Munster or even Yvonne de Carlo but I got pretty lucky with the mom I have; her name is Deborah.
N-Nicknames:
Occasionally, people drop the "Mister" and just call me Tiny. I am very decorous, however, and do not encourage this kind of behavior.
O-Overnight hospital stays:
None, but there's always tomorrow. That's me, always looking on the bright side.
P-Pet peeves:
Bad drivers - with those who flip me off when they have done something wrong leading the category followed closely by those who refuse to use their turn signals, cutting in line, coughing and/or sneezing (yes, general symptoms of a potential allergy attack/cold drive me bonkers), fake British accents, uncorrected, speech-impediments in adults, people at work who obviously see the sign but continue to exit the restroom without washing their hands, weak hand shakes (especially with the people at work who have not washed their hands), my neighbor of over 20 years who knows my name but puts "anonymous" notes addressed to "driver of this car" on my windshield threatening to call the police when I park in front of his house on a public street with the added suggestion that I park a block away and walk so his "view" will remain undisturbed, servers in restaurants who sit down with me when they are taking my order, being "put on hold" when I am actually present in a store/at an office so the person can take a phone call, slow walkers, when the volume on the TV doubles during commercial breaks...I could go on but I am afraid I'll begin to lose friends and followers...
Q-Quote from a movie:
Where do I start??? I try not to be one of those people who constantly quote films but I am an avid movie watcher and sometimes the quote fits! Basically, any line from The Parent Trap (1961), The Quiet Man, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Also, "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon; we already have the stars."
Side note: please notice the disparity between
Sharon's dainty tootsies and Susan's gargantuan, bare feet!
Additional side note: I think Maureen O'Hara is one of the
most beautiful women to have ever graced our universe,
R-Right or left handed:
Correct.
S-Siblings:
Two many brothers and two many sisters...get it?
T-Time you wake up:
I think it actually is time that I woke up. Truthfully, I wake up as late as possible whilst still allowing me to get to work reasonably on time.
U-Underwear:
Buy me dinner.
V-Vegetable you hate:
I can't think of a veggie that I hate - except CELERY!!! You can cover it with all of the peanut butter in Peter Pan's arsenal and it still tastes gross! And it has strings! STRINGS!!! It's like getting a stray hair with every bite! Yech!
W-What makes you run late:
I never run if I can help it.
X-X rays you've had:
Is it normal for people to gag to the point of vomiting from routine, dental x-rays? No, I am not asking because it happens to me every time.
Y-Yummy food that you make:
Everything I make is yummy. I am loathe to toot my own horn, but I am a solid home-cook and love to make dinner for the fam. Clean plates and no complaints! I think I'll tole paint that on a little sign to hang above the stove....barf.
Z-Zoo animal:
I've already discussed my siblings, quit asking.
BONUS ABC TRIVIA: I can say/sing the alphabet backwards in under 3 seconds. I'm sure a lot of people are capable of the same thing but really, throw me a bone, it's all I've got.
My brother says my posts are too long. This may or may not be the first time I have been accused of being verbose. Indeed, I endured a long period of adjustment in a college journalism class; why say it in five words if I could say it one hundred? Why answer the five W's in a succinct manner when it is so easy to meander into a well-intentioned treatise on mariachi music?
Well, to prove to my brother, myself, and the world, that brevity is truly the soul of my wit, I just want to share some photo-booth photos taken at a friend's recent wedding. Firstly, they are the only pictures of me taken in the last 20 years that I actually like. Secondly, from here on out I'm not sure that couples will be allowed to refer to their nuptials as a "wedding" unless a mariachi band is involved. I LOVE mariachi music and the aforementioned wedding was underscored by one of the best mariachi bands I have ever heard. The trumpeter/vocalist had a voice worthy of La Scala. The echo of the string instruments across the traditional, stained glass-laden, heavily-mosaicked Catholic church gave me goosebumps. The combination of religious and secular music - including a cover of Perry Como's "It's Impossible" - truly knocked my socks off. Oh, right...brevity....
The funniest part of these photos came when we took them to our table and compared them with the photos of other guests; their photos appeared to be in full color while ours appeared slightly-aged and barely tinted. I was convinced that the photographer saw us and immediately switched the dial to the "old-timey" setting. As it turns out that was not the case. Apparently, our faces are so big, so white, and so close to the flash that the color got washed out! Nevertheless, I actually like the way they turned out. Note to self: get a tan.
Do you like things that are spooky? Well, do you? Not spooky like Jonathan Winters-on-Scooby-Doo spooky, but spooky like the guy-sitting-next-to-you-on-the-bus-that-keeps-trying-to-bite-his-own-face spooky. If the answer is yes, then you will love Thee Cormans. You might remember our previous blog post about Thee Cormans, the official, undisputed champions of the surf/garage/biker/trash/fuzz/morbidly-obese music scene. In said post we mentioned a forthcoming LP from In the Red Records. Well, for your listening displeasure, the record is finally here!
The record comes complete with chilling sound effects. Even more chilling are the faces beneath the masks! I guess that because The Cormans are now "legit" and have gone all "corpo," I am unable to post any tracks from the new album*, so you'll just have to take my word for it - this record is probably the closest thing most of you will have to an out-of-body experience. It is a wave of solid sound. It is a fuzz-filled nightmare. It is an euphonic paroxysm. In other words, it's loud and a little raunchy, but it's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
The cover with the standard and limited-edition, glow-in-the-dark vinyl
Sorry suckers, the glow-in-the-dark vinyl (in all its luminescent glory) is SOLD OUT!!!
The collectible, monster poster included in the record sleeve.
It might be a Halloween record, but I understand that it makes a great Hanukkah gift as well! Imagine getting it for all eight days!!!! The record even includes a code so one can download the music from the In the Red website for FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Order your copy today!
Stay tuned, Thee Cormans may be coming to your town!
If you need further persuasion that this is the best album you'll ever buy, I asked my grandma what she thought about the record and she said, "Yeah, it's pretty spook-tacular." Enough said.
Be sure to check out the following for more art and info:
* I have subsequently discovered that I must amend the above statement slightly. It appears that you may follow this link to hear a couple of Thee Cormans latest tracks!
In case you were wondering, I receive absolutely no remuneration for my endorsement of Thee Cormans or In the Red Records - trust me, those sons of guns just won't give. Just do yourself a favor and listen.
I may be running a little late; I can practically hear autumn outside my window. No, no...I still hear summer as it coughs and wheezes its dying breaths before the final gasp on Friday. It may seem like terrible timing but I live in Southern California and we are almost always bathed in sunshine!!! What better way to celebrate those golden rays emanating from the center of our solar system than with an indoor sewing project?!
While rummaging through patterns at a thrift store I found a 60's bikini pattern and for no other reason than to see if I could sew a bra top, I paid the good woman at the register my two bits and headed home to conquer a bikini!
Because I was sewing this for no one in particular, I simply cut the one-size pattern, made no alterations and began sewing. I chose an inexpensive, yellow, bandana-printed cotton from the stash. The pattern went together especially easily and there was enough material left over to make a very-superficial "cover-up." The cover-up is lined in black cotton; it has side vents and crocheted belt-loops (because I'm not sure what people who really know how to sew do for those "invisible-style" belt loops), and it is finished with a black, ribbon tie.
The bikini is self-lined.
The bra closes with buttons and the shorts have a back-zip closure
Truth be told, I sewed this quite a while ago but as I am still working on keeping my mysterious malady at bay, I have neither gone anywhere exciting nor attempted anything too creative as of late. While the swimsuit offers ample coverage to the wearer, this particular pattern was a rather teenie-weenie size; it ended up being so small that I had to pin it to the dress form. So, it may not be polka dotted, but it is yellow and I think the song still applies.
Usually, I am loathe to include anything too personal in this blog. I much prefer adhering to the cardinal commandment of wacky tacky - "Thou shalt not take thine own self too seriously." There is, however, no escaping the fact that I am currently laid up! Suffering from the symptoms of an indeterminate ailment, I should have had plenty of time to blog but my bleary-eyed, semi-conscious waking hours have been filled with prescriptions, appointments and streaming Netflix. As I lay in what will surely become my death bed, I feel fortunate to have both the strength to type and a small backlog of material about which I can post. The doctors say that over-dramatization is a probably the most prominent symptom of my illness - whatever that means.
This is the forest primeval! Walking through the front door of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, one is immediately transported into a Depression-era dreamer's vision of the great outdoors. It might not be what Longfellow was scribbling about, but it is pretty great by wacky tacky standards!
Clifton's Brookdale
The history of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria goes back to 1935 and is best described by the Clifton's website:
"In 1935 Clifford Clinton purchased the lease of the former Boos Brothers Cafeteria and began to transform the dowdy interior into an imaginary wonderland rivaled only by his other cafeteria, the legendary Clifton's Pacific Seas.
As a youth, Clifford spent his summers in the Santa Cruz mountains among the coastal redwoods, not far from the famous Brookdale Lodge. This mountain feeling was the theme Clifford wanted for his new location. Working with rock sculptor Francois Scotti, Clifford created a 20 ft. waterfall cascading into a quiet stream that meanders through a dining room. Redwood trees were used to conceal steel columns and a renowned L.A. muralist, Elinar Petersen, created a life size forest on canvas covering one wall. A Little Chapel perched high amongst the crags fulfilled Clifford's desire to feed the soul as well as the body of depression weary Angelinos."
The Clinton family's recent sale of Clifton's had foodies, history nerds, downtown enthusiasts and regular customers alike a little more than worried about the fate of the grand institution. After a recent visit I found that in fact there is very little about which to worry.
In something as simple as the trays, the noticeable changes might even be seen as improvements.
It may seem like niggling, but the one devastating change is the new computerized registers. In days of yore the women at the check out knew every price and product by heart and rang each guest on vintage, push-button cash registers with lightning speed and the accuracy of Swiss watchmakers. The new system may benefit Clifton's bookkeeping but it sure slows down the line and takes away some of the fun!
Normally - and to everyone's great surprise - I am not a buffet/cafeteria type of guy. Call me self-conscious, but as one of larger proportion, I just don't feel quite comfortable shuffling along, testing the tensile strength of my heavy-laden tray. I like to sit down, order and have a genial person set my food before me. If there is one giant exception to this rule, it is Clifton's. Cafeteria food has a rather-dicey reputation and in most cases this reputation is justified; Clifton's notices range from sublime to mediocre to scathing. However, I must say that every time I have eaten there, I have found the food quite good and I left feeling fat and sassy. Although, it must be said, I came in feeling pretty fat and sassy.
It's not what it looks like...okay, it's exactly what it looks like!
Mmmmmm, Clifton's meatloaf is good!
Because Clifton's is the type of landmark with which people feel such a personal connection, theories and rumors about the "changes" abound - especially about the Clifton's third floor which until recently looked like a mix between Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon and a small-town museum. The most persistent of these rumors is that the third floor is being remade into a Polynesian paradise reminiscent of the long-since-closed Clifton's Pacific Seas Cafeteria. On our most recent visit, the third floor was still shrouded in both drop cloths and mystery.
Happily, the remainder of the cafeteria appears to have weathered the change in ownership unscathed.
The amazing, cow hide, hearthside chair still
beckons guest to take a load off and set for a spell.
Bears are still fishing
A postcard view of the chapel and the main dining room
(Source)
The Chapel is still chapel-ing
We should have taken video of the spiritual message delivered
at the push of a button inside the chapel but perhaps that is
just the incentive one needs to get to Clifton's Brookdale!
An additional dining nook still carries the theme
"By a waterfall, I'm calling you..."
The water is still falling.
The country cabin still welcomes visitors.
And taxidermy, always taxidermy!
Again we must bastardize paraphrase the great poet Longfellow:
"...List to a Tale of Love in (Brookdale), home of the happy."
As luck would have it, there is a fitting Disney cartoon for every occasion.
"Morris the Midget Moose" (1950)
Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria
648 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA
(213)627-1673
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday - Sunday: 6:30am - 10:00pm
(Please verify hours before making your way downtown and paying to park. Due to the renovation, the hours may vary.)
