"Vampire Weekend"

There is something fresh and very now about the youthful and optimistic virility of Vampire Weekend. Taking the stage after an aged and somewhat (although deservedly) pompous Echo & the Bunnymen, the boys of Vampire Weekend looked very much like well-groomed hooligans on spring break in the Hamptons.

For Meteorite Hunters

The Astronomy Calendar 2010 by Astrovisuals features 12 great images and provides a nightly guide to what’s visible in the sky, including moon phase, planetary positions, eclipses, lunar occultations, conjunctions and meteor showers. Includes summary of the year indicating best time to view the planets. Maps best for 25° to 45° south latitude.

Finding "a little bit of Heaven" at the James Armstrong Theatre

Betty Buckley "With One Look" and Seth Rudetsky too provided that little bit of heaven tonight at the James Armstrong Theatre in Torrance, California.

Thank you, Betty Buckley, your songs and stories made for a perfect evening that was exciting and riveting. You are a Giant Talent.

"Bitter Sweet" Touch

In 1929, British Pathe shot footage of Noel Coward's London sensation, the operetta "Bitter Sweet." Nothing ever happened to the silent celluloid; it gathered dust at the British Pathe film library.

But a few years ago, a Coward scholar contacted Brad Rosenstein, who was curating an exhibition on Coward at the Museum of Performance and Design in San Francisco. The scholar asked if he would be interested in the "Bitter Sweet" footage that totaled about 35 minutes. "It was completely out of order," says Rosenstein. He put the footage in order so it corresponded to the original recording.

Rosenstein will be introducing the restored "Bitter Sweet" Sunday evening at the Linwood Dunn Theater as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Noel Coward Weekend at the Academy."

(Above: Noel Coward by Edward Sorel)

"How to succeed . . . Will he play it the 'company way' ??"

Daniel Radcliffe is returning to Broadway, this time to sing and dance.

The star of all those Harry Potter movies will appear in a revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," opening in spring 2011.

Radcliffe will portray the show's unlikely hero, an opportunistic young man who rises from the mailroom to the top of the corporate heap in this satiric, Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. It features a score by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert.

Radcliffe made his Broadway debut in 2008 in a revival of "Equus."

"The Perfect Game"

With "The Perfect Game," first-time screenwriter W. William Winokur tells the story of Mexico's Monterrey Industrials, the first foreign baseball team to win the Little League World Series in 1957. A bunch of players a good couple sizes smaller than their opponents, the team literally walked across the border to their first game, expecting to lose and go home, but instead kept winning all the way to the championships. The pitcher would go on to throw a perfect game in the final and to this day remains the only pitcher to do so in a Little League World Series championship game. Shown above is Jake Austin who stars in the film.

“Dancing Across Borders”

In a mere 88 minutes, “Dancing Across Borders” tells several overlapping stories engagingly. It focuses on Sokvannara (Sy) Sar, a teenager in 2000 when he was spotted by arts philanthropist and filmmaker Anne Bass doing Cambodian folk dances near the great Khmer ruins of Angkor Wat.

The documentary is in one sense a validation of Bass’ belief that Sy had the makings of a major ballet dancer — though he had never seen ballet at the time.

Drawing on home-video footage, news clips, recently shot interviews and other sources, most of the film is devoted to charting Sy’s development in Western classicism, and as we listen to Olga Kostritzky — his esteemed teacher and coach — we see deeply into the challenges that every fledgling ballet dancer must face on the road to prowess. Other major voices include Jock Soto of New York City Ballet and Peter Boal, now artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle.

Abundant dance excerpts provide both entertainment and evidence of Sy’s progress. But soon, as he becomes a returning hero in Cambodia and then a corps member at Pacific Northwest Ballet, the film illustrates a larger issue: the difficulties immigrants must face everywhere in holding onto their heritage while succeeding in an entirely new set of circumstances.


As we are told early on, all Cambodian art comes from a sense of the sacred — but Western art doesn’t. And in millennial America, ballet as an art form is no longer connected to the culture as a whole. In a 2008 interview at the end of the film, Sy has earned a place in the professional dance world but sounds very much like a displaced person, talking uneasily about “fun” but admitting that he doesn’t feel at home in either Cambodia or America.

He may not be as rudderless as some of the great ballet defectors from communism who succumbed to obsessive promiscuity (Rudolf Nureyev) or alcoholism (Alexander Godunov), but he’s in the same predicament that Eliza Doolittle faced after her unlikely transformation in Shaw’s “Pygmalion” (and, of course, “My Fair Lady”). “Where am I to go, what am I to do?” Eliza asked. “What’s to become of me?”

In a telephone update, Bass revealed that Sy quit Pacific Northwest Ballet last November and announced that he wanted to give up dancing altogether. But after he stopped, she said, he rediscovered his love of the art and is now training and rehearsing for a new chapter in his remarkable career.

From a cute kid, he has grown into an extraordinarily handsome young man, with fine classical proportions, a secure mastery of ballet technique and a liquid quality of movement all his own. There is nothing in this film about his personal life, but we can hope that it gives him a stability hard to find in our frenetic, increasingly hyphenated society and the isolated, high-pressure realities of the ballet world.

-- Lewis Segal

"Dancing Across Borders” screens Friday through Thursday at the Landmark Nuart, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. (310) 281-8223. Daily at 5:10, 7:30 and 9:50 p.m. Plus Friday and Saturday matinees at 12:30 and 2:50 p.m. Filmmaker Anne Bass appears in person at the 7:30 and 9:50 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows. (Q&A after the 7:30 p.m. shows; intro only for the 9:50 p.m. shows.)

"American Le Mans"

Two miles of winding seaside streets will transform into a raceway for the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Sunday's Indy car grand prix boasts pole position, while supporting races include a pro/celebrity competition, a drifting challenge and an American Le Mans Series race. Drivers expected include Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti. Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. $25-$78 for single-day admission, $68-$125 for three-day pass. 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Fri., 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat., 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sun. (562) 981-2600. http://www.gplb.com.

"On the Road Again"

This shot was taken on a long weekend road trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks in March 2008 while traveling on the Parks highway by "Alaskan Dude" (not that dude). Click on the heading above to see his complete Photostream on Flickr.

"Alaskan Sky"

Click on the heading above for the story that goes along with this terrific shot of the "Alaskan Sky"

An "imaginary friend" can be a comfort

According psychologist, Dr. Evan Kidd at Melbourne's La Trobe University, children with imaginary friends are better at learning to communicate than other children because they have a lot of practice at inventing interactions with their friends, which helps them improve their conversational skills.

Dr. Kidd and his colleague Anna Roby explored the hidden world of imaginary companions in a study which involved 44 children, 22 of which had imaginary friends in an attempt to understand the benefits.

The study found that the 22 children who had imaginary friends were better able to get their point across than were children of the same age who did not have an imaginary friend - Dr. Kidd says these children are in charge of both sides of the conversation so have a lot of practice at inventing interactions between their imaginary friends and themselves and this is what facilitates the development of their conversational skills.

Millspaugh Hall: gone but not forgotten

The predecessor of the UCLA campus was the Vermont Avenue campus, established in 1914 as the Normal School. In 1919 it became the Southern Branch of the university. Millspaugh Hall was the center of student and administrative activity, and occasionally an outdoor assembly.

When the "Chevy" was "King"

"The Many Victor Appleton's"

Tom Swift (in some versions Tom Swift, Jr.) is the name of the central character in five series, totaling over 100 volumes, of juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention, and technology. The character was created by Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging firm. His adventures have been written by a number of different ghostwriters over the years. Most of the books are published under the collective pseudonym Victor Appleton. The 33 volumes of the second series use the pseudonym Victor Appleton II.

The character first appeared in 1910. New titles have been published as recently as 2007. Most of the various series focus on Tom’s inventions, a number of which have anticipated actual inventions. The character has been presented in different ways over the years. In general, the books portray science and technology as wholly beneficial in their effects, and the role of the inventor in society has been treated as admirable and heroic.

More Magic in Dubai

Work has recently commenced on the construction of the Iris Bay, a 170m high, 32- story commercial tower situated on the Sheikh Zayed Road at the south west corner of Dubai’s prestigious Business Bay. The innovative Atkins design commissioned by developer Sheth Estate International Ltd is in the form of an ovoid and adds yet a further dimension to the distinctive urban development taking place in this burgeoning CBD. The design comprises two identical double curved pixelated shells which are rotated and cantilevered over the podium. The rear elevation is a continuous vertical curve punctuated by balconies while the front elevation is made up of seven zones of rotated glass. The tower, which will incorporate both passive and active environmental features, sits on a four-story perforated podium that floats over a double height arcade and houses retail and commercial space totaling 36,000 m2.

The OLD making way for the NEW

(AP) IRVING, Texas -- More than 20,000 people gathered at tailgate parties and other spots Sunday to watch fireworks go off one last time over Texas Stadium before a ton of dynamite lit up the Dallas Cowboys' longtime home and brought it to the ground. The building known for the giant hole in its roof - "so God can watch his team," according to local lore - was demolished in a planned implosion set off by the 11-year-old winner of an essay contest.

The Cowboys played 38 seasons in Texas Stadium (below), winning five Super Bowls during that time. The local landmark also was home for the world famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The team now plays at a stadium in Arlington (above).

"It was much more emotional than I expected," said Pam Seal, a cheerleader in 1975. She decided only Saturday to drive from the suburb of North Mesquite to watch. "I'm so glad that I had my family out there to hold my hand through it. I didn't think I would be that much of a basket case about it. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend."

"a non-stop adventure"

Claire and Phil Foster are a suburban couple slogging through their daily lives and marriage. Even their "date nights" of dinner and a movie have become routine. To reignite the marital spark, they visit a trendy Manhattan bistro, where a case of mistaken identity hurtles them through the city at breakneck speeds, into non-stop adventure. Remembering what made them so special together, Phil and Claire take on a couple of corrupt cops, a top-level mobster and a crazed cabbie as their date becomes a night they'll never forget.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Ahmanson Theatre

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has long embraced adventuresome self-transformation, which has a lot to do with its progressive artistic flowering. In its 33-year existence, Hubbard Street has evolved from a concert jazz-dance troupe into a sleek, contemporary ballet company, one with a special touch for European choreography.

New Bookstore in Manhattan Beach

A new independent bookstore! At a time when bookstores are dropping like flies, this is wonderful.
They've been open just 2 weeks.

Friendly proprietors, cozy children's section with kid-friendly seating, overall very attractive space near MB Pier.

PAGES
904 Manhattan Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

(310) 318-0900
www.pagesabookstore.com/

George Nissen 1914-2010

George Nissen rented a kangaroo to help demonstrate his trampoline in New York's Central Park in 1960. He introduced trampolines in 40 countries.

(Nissen Family)

"the fields of large orange poppies"

It may not be until mid-April that fields of large orange poppies (such as these in a photo taken a few years ago) blanket the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., but it's difficult to predict how abundant the blooms will be this year.

Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times /

"ambitious renovation plans"

Despite a wrenching economy, the Music Center hasn't abandoned an ambitious renovation plan centering on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and also involving the large outdoor plaza between the Chandler Pavilion and the Mark Taper Forum, according to a financial analysis issued Wednesday by Moody's Investors Service.

The reported cost, "upwards of $250 million," more than doubles the previous, 3-year-old estimate of more than $100 million, which included only the Chandler Pavilion.

The Moody's report says the new estimate covers "various large-scale construction and renovation of buildings, performance spaces, the outdoor plaza and office space," to be incurred "over the next several years." To finance those improvements, the report says, "management notes that the Music Center may take on up to $100 million to $150 million of additional debt," with donations and county funds to cover the rest of the upfront costs.

Unaffordable Beauty ???

In 2009 the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority turned off the lights on the Zakim Bridge to save $5,000 a month. Miguel Rosales is the architect who designed the bridge with a skirt of regal blue lights to evoke the shimmering Charles River. It opened in 2002.

New Technology Always Impresses Me

Gene Robinson, Founder of RP Flight Systems, shown with one of their Spectra drones used during the search for Leisa Hurst. The Spectra drone can be flown manually via remote control or on full auto-pilot. It is capable of imaging in hi-resolution color or infrared; and, can also provide real-time video downlink.

Spectra drones have been used to successfully recover several persons throughout the United States

A $230 Million Mortgage with a $70 Million Chaser

St. Regis Monarch Beach, the posh Orange County resort tarred in a public backlash to corporate travel spending, has a new owner after a transaction that values the property at about $235 million.

Seattle real estate investment company Washington Holdings said Tuesday that it had taken control of the five-star resort and golf course in Dana Point. The venue gained notoriety in 2008 when American International Group Inc. sponsored a luxury retreat there just days after accepting a federal bailout.

Like other hotels, the 400-room resort was hammered by the downturn in the economy. It was further battered as corporate executives canceled meetings and retreats at upscale resorts in part because they didn't want to appear to be living large while a recession squeezed the middle and lower classes.

With the St. Regis at ground zero of the so-called AIG effect, which helped stifle corporate events across the country, group bookings at the hotel plummeted.

Previous owners had refinanced the hotel at the top of the market in 2007, loading it with debt that became burdensome when the economy turned sour. The senior mortgage of $230 million was held by Prudential and Washington Holdings. A secondary loan of $70 million was held by Citigroup Inc.

Just like wine -- she only gets better

Time has seemingly stood still for Raquel Welch, who looks more like she's in her 40s rather than nearing her 70th birthday. She's whippet-slim with barely a line on her face (she swears by Oil of Olay). Wearing black pants, a crisp long-sleeve white blouse and a vest, Welch is a stunning near-septuagenarian (see photo below). The photo above was taken in 1966.

Neutra at Gettysburg

Reporting from Philadelphia - For more than a decade, Los Angeles architect Dion Neutra has waged a personal battle to save his family's controversial legacy on the Gettysburg battlefield.

Half a century ago, he worked alongside his world-famous father, architect Richard Neutra, on the Cyclorama Center, designed to house a massive circular painting depicting Pickett's charge.

In 1999, the National Park Service announced its intention to move the painting and tear down the building -- which sits in the middle of the battle line where Union troops defended Cemetery Ridge -- to restore the landscape to its 1863 appearance.

The decision touched off a long battle between Civil War purists and modern-architecture preservationists that may have finally reached its conclusion.

U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan in Washington sided with the modernists. In a ruling last week, he wrote that the park service had failed to comply with federal law requiring it to analyze the effect of the Cyclorama Center demolition and come up with alternatives to destroying it.

They said it would have revolving floors . . .

Italian experimental architecture company Dynamic Architecture had proposed a revolving sustainable skyscraper for Dubai powered by wind turbines placed between each floor. Anybody know what happened to that plan ???

In a class by herself . . .

More than 300 books have been written about Maria Callas, the legendary soprano whose life was as tragic as it was transcendent. Callas, who died in 1977, had what opera lovers call "presence," that rare quality enabling special performers to command, and sometimes captivate, an audience.

Westwood's Istituto Italiano di Cultura is celebrating her life and style in an exhibition, "Maria Callas: A Woman, a Voice, a Myth," which pays homage to the diva's profound impact on her art form. It offers an opportunity for those who are too young to appreciate or who may have forgotten about her style, tenacity and talent.

The exhibition, which includes an array of memorabilia, stage costumes and jewels as well as rare letters and photographs, is the work of Bruno Tosi, a passionate Callas collector and archivist of these precious pieces. His dream: to gather as many of her belongings as possible, safeguard them and share them with the world. This is the last year the treasures will be on tour. In the future, they will find a permanent home in Venice, Italy, where a museum waits to honor her memory.

For most of us it's only a dream . . .

This 5200-square-foot, concrete, steel and glass Ray Kappe designed house on Manhattan Beach’s world-famous Strand, is inches away from the sand and sea.
Inside, a three-story atrium, paneled in teak, is filled with exotic plants.
A floating staircase, with glass steps leads to the media rood, three bedrooms, six baths and a pool deck. For the less athletic, there is an elevator.

A published work by the acclaimed architect, Ray Kappe, the founder of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), and one of the pillars of modern California architecture, the house was commissioned by its current owner and completed in the late 1980s. An expression of the award-winning architect’s obsession with views and vistas and the dissolution of boundaries, the house has been scrupulously maintained with reverence for its architectural history and heritage. Upkeep and current restoration was coordinated by Tim Petersen of the highly regarded Petersen-Wozniak, Inc., construction company. The house stands as a prime example of the architect’s work and vision. Kappe is dedicated to creating spaces that enrich the experience of those who use them, and this house is the distillation of the Southern California lifestyle at its most enviable.
“It’s been maintained in the spirit of what the owner and the architect intended,” says realtor Gerard Bisignano of South Bay Brokers, who is handling the listing with Crosby Doe of Crosby Doe Associates in Beverly Hills.

Crosby Doe, who specializes in architecturally significant properties, is a great admirer of the architect who, in his eighties, continues to work. “Raymond Kappe has continued and expanded the great tradition of California Modernism,” says Doe. “While never forgetting the past, he creatively continues to move forward in terms of envisioning and redefining unified systems for living.”

Located on a northern corner and cradled in the curve of the coastline, the house commands a Queen’s Necklace view that extends from the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Catalina to the south, and north all the way to Malibu. The architect studied the site and designed the house in perfect harmony with its surroundings. “Kappe is always conscious of the site as first principal,” Doe explains.

Like many South Bay homes, its design was influenced by both nautical and aeronautical design. With homage to the curvilinear lines of 1940’s Streamline Moderne and Richard Neutra’s use of curved forms, Kappe’s design playfully evokes a glamorous passenger ship, with a “cockpit” canopy covering the private staircase leading from the master suite to the roof top deck.
Kappe’s design makes abundant use of floor to ceiling windows throughout to take full advantage of the vistas. Space flows both horizontally and vertically throughout, drawing your eye both upwards, to the glass canopy above, and outwards, towards the sea. Due to building restrictions enacted later, it is no longer possible to build a house of this size on a similar lot in Manhattan Beach, and this is one of the few houses in the city with a rooftop swimming pool. Now, nothing can be built that will overshadow this house or obstruct its views in any way.

“It’s a very sexy, romantic house,” says Bisignano. “It’s a fantastic weekend retreat for someone who wants a second home, or for somebody who wants to get out of the city and live at the beach full time. It would be perfect for an athlete or a celebrity who is looking for a private place to relax and entertain friends.”
The living room combines living and entertaining spaces with a galley-inspired kitchen and a 300-bottle wine cellar at its rear. The open, concrete and steel fireplace, one of three, is typical of Kappe’s designs, and a radiant heating system beneath the granite floors chases away the chill on cool nights.

The master suite is open and light-filled, a loft-like space that projects outward, over the living room, sharing its monumental windows and spectacular views of the beach. The bed is completely surrounded by curtains that can enclose for privacy and darkness. A translucent Japanese-inspired screen can be retracted, opening the high-ceilinged room to the domed skylight.

The adjoining master bath is an indulgent private spa, featuring his-and-her water closets, a freestanding, black tile Jacuzzi tub and an immense granite and tile steam shower with its own view into the swimming pool from below the water’s surface.

The master bedroom has its own private staircase, leading to the roof top deck and lap pool. White steel railings carry on the steamship theme to the summit of the house. It is an ideal space for poolside parties or just sunbathing.

The house embraces its location, and Bisignano adds, “The location embraces it.” At every turn, Kappe’s design takes full advantage of the breathtaking location. He designed the patio and three balconies to offer opportunities to experience the sun and sea in private or share it with guests. The house is at one with its magical environment: the sound of the waves, the sea breezes and clear coastal light are as much a part of its design as the metal, stone, wood and glass of the structure.

“It’s a great neighborhood to live in,” says Bisignano. “It’s close to downtown Manhattan Beach; you can walk to great shopping and restaurants from here. It has all the sophistication of Westside living, but it’s more relaxed. It’s very friendly and family-oriented here; the public schools are great and parents get really involved. It’s a wonderful community to live in.”

The South Bay location offers a welcome respite from the more harried pace of urban living. “A lot of people move here to be close to the city, but not in the city,” Bisignano continues. “It’s not a long commute into Los Angeles, but it feels as if it’s a world away.”

The house affords a sense of privacy, without isolation. “The fact that this house displays an almost castle-like sense of security and shelter while remaining open and embracing the very public beach is amazing,” says Doe.

Ray Kappe realized the owner’s dream of the perfect beach retreat, and now it is available for sale, an unparalleled opportunity to own an architectural masterpiece in a peerless location.

"feathers in her hair"

Feathers have been flying around the world as thousands of people took part in mass pillow fights.

Flash mobs of fighters gathered in around 150 cities including Brussels, Paris, Buenos Aires and Madrid to take out their frustrations during International Pillow Fight Day.

In the French capital, they converged under the Eiffel Tower for a fifteen-minute frenzy in front of puzzled tourists.

"It's really funny, quite frankly, it's a great atmosphere, it's not violent, it's just to release your energy, it's great fun," said one fighter, with feathers in her hair.

Bollywood Star: a real life hero ??

In 2009 the buzz was that Shahrukh Khan saved the lives of two kids, Muddassar and Amina who were injured in a grenade attack in Srinagar, India by providing them free treatment at Nanavati hospital.

It is said that Shahrukh Khan knew about Amina (3) and Muddassar (5) from Dr. Ali Irani who is the head of the department of physiotherapy. Shahrukh Khan immediately gave Rs 50 laks for the kids’ ward which was setup by him in the memory of his mother.

"hell on earth"

One of the British Prisoners of War in the E715 camp near the Auschwitz III camp, also known as Monowitz, was Denis Avey, who was sent there after the POW camp opened in September 1943. The photo above shows Avey with his sister in 1940.

In 2009, Avey revealed that, while he was a prisoner housed in barracks near the construction site of the I.G. Farben Buna plant at Monowitz, he twice sneaked into the Auschwitz concentration camp, after trading places with a Jewish prisoner.

The following quote is from a news article on the BBC web site:

Denis Avey is a remarkable man by any measure. A courageous and determined soldier in World War II, he was captured by the Germans and imprisoned in a camp connected to the Germans' largest concentration camp, Auschwitz.

But his actions while in the camp - which he has never spoken about until now - are truly extraordinary. When millions would have done anything to get out, Mr Avey repeatedly smuggled himself into the camp.

Now 91 and living in Derbyshire, he says he wanted to witness what was going on inside and find out the truth about the gas chambers, so he could tell others. He knows he took "a hell of a chance".

According to his story, as told to the BBC, Denis Avey arranged to change places, for one night at a time, with a Jewish prisoner who was living in the barracks in the Auschwitz camp, but working at Monowitz. The two prisoners traded uniforms: Avey put on the Jewish prisoner's filthy, blue and gray striped uniform and the Jewish man sneaked into the British POW camp wearing Avey's uniform. Although Avey had red hair and spoke only English, the Auschwitz guards never caught on, and the Wehrmacht soldiers who guarded the POWs never noticed that there was a Jewish prisoner amongst the British soldiers. The Jewish prisoners typically had their heads shaved to control the lice that spreads typhus.

Avey described Auschwitz as "hell on earth" with a "terrible stench," and said that he would lie awake at night listening to the screams of the prisoners.

"powerful history makes for gripping television"

Its basic outlines are familiar to even the most casual student of American history: the marches, the mass arrests, the church bombings.

But seeing the actual footage that makes up "Eyes on the Prize" -- the heralded documentary about the civil rights movement, coming to DVD for the first time -- can still startle for its rawness and drama. The photo above shows ROSA PARKS being fingerprinted.

Seeing a suspender-clad man describe how his 14-year-old nephew, Emmett Till, was kidnapped and killed by Mississippi racists for allegedly whistling at a white woman, or watching teenage girls in cardigans walk past angry mobs to attend their Alabama school makes not only for powerful history, but gripping television.

Salmagundi !!

After years of submitting entries to the Pastel Society of America's Annual Exhibition, in 2009 Rita Kirkman's painting "Renaissance Youth" (8x6") was accepted for inclusion in this prestigious show, and won the Salmagundi Club Award!

One BIG Talent . . . One GREAT Show !!

Though she’s lived in Southern California for 14 years, there’s still a seductive twang in the speech of Clarinda Ross. It breeds trust and honesty and a down-home humor that is rarely exhibited in Hollywood theater-types. It’s doubtful her closet faire is emblazoned with designer labels and one-of-a-kind gowns. Jeans seem more appropriate. Given her upbringing, catfish is probably more likely to be on her shopping list than halibut. It’s doubtful there’s a Mercedes in her garage.

The Santa Monica resident brings her storytelling flair in a one-woman show to the Hermosa Beach Playhouse now through April 4, produced by Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities (CLOSBC). “Spit Like a Big Girl” is Ross’s monologue tribute to her dad and a gut-checking commentary on personal survival when a parent is faced with raising a special needs child. You can leave the Kleenex at home, however. We’re not talking dark here, just real and totally applicable stuff to anyone who has survived at least a breath or two on the planet.

Reviewed in the Easy Reader by Tom Fitt

Ken Griffey Jr. needs 30 homers to tie Willie Mays for fourth all-time

With 30 home runs, The Kid will tie The Say Hey Kid for fourth all-time on the career home runs list. Fitting, since Junior chose to wear 24 for most of his career to honor his idol, Willie Mays.

Dizzy Dean said . . .

"The good Lord was good to me. He gave me a strong body, a good right arm and a weak mind."

"the Southland's longest-running radio host"

Tom Dixon, who was a familiar voice to classical-music lovers for more than 50 years as a Los Angeles radio host, has died. He was 94.

Dixon already was a seven-year broadcast veteran in 1946 when he became a host on the classical station KFAC. It remained his home for the next 40 years. When he retired in 1998 at 82, Dixon was known as the Southland's longest-running radio host.

Q & A with Burnett & Conway

Carol Burnett and Tim Conway will appear together for the first time on a public stage in Los Angeles later this month. They will be discussing Burnett's newest book, "This Time Together -- Laughter and Reflection," as part of a Q&A workshop sponsored by Writers Bloc on April 27 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

The former costars worked together for 11 years on "The Carol Burnett Show."

"the U.K.'s largest public artwork"

Sculptor Anish Kapoor will put up a $29-million tower in the 2012 Lon- don Olympics park, with ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, contributing as much as $24 million of the cost.

London Mayor Boris Johnson defined the red structure as the U.K.'s largest public artwork. Taller than Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty, and twice as high as Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, the ArcelorMittal Orbit will resemble an oil rig twisting around itself, a 377-feet spiraling lattice of tubular steel.

"There will be people who will say we are nuts, in the depths of a recession, to be building Britain's biggest ever piece of public art," said Johnson.

"This is the right thing for Stratford in the Olympics and beyond," he said, referring to the Olympics' east London site.