A Friend of Mine Told Me I Had to Go See Michael Jackson's This Is It

/

This friend, who I trust very much, told me that I HAD to see Michael Jackson's This Is It, that it will be one of the top selling movies of all time, that it will win numerous academy awards and will be celebrated as one of the best movies of all time.

Whew! I told him I'd see it!

My friend Chuck rewarded himself to a movie after finishing a major project. He chose This Is It on the day of the movie's release, October 28, 2009. He saw the movie at the Roxy Stadium on Verdugo in Camarillo. There were maybe 15 people in the theater.

Chuck and I, both in our mid-forties, enjoyed Michael Jackson's music over the years and had an appreciation for his musical and performance talent.  We bought his music from time to time, albums like Thriller and Off the Wall. Who could possibly not enjoy any of MJ's music!?  He is an icon.

Yet we were not MJ fanatics, never went to his concerts and didn't rave about him. We both thought his cosmetic surgery escapades were pretty strange and that he completely disfigured himself. So what though, he had some quirks. We didn't pay much attention to his legal issues through all the years, giving MJ the benefit of the doubt (though still acknowledging MJ did some weird stuff).  But we respected and admired MJ for his incredible talent.

Chuck was mesmerized by the movie. He saw the side of MJ that we never saw before. This was MJ in pure work mode, preparing for his upcoming sold out series of 50 concerts at the O2 Arena in London (we're talking over a million seats sold out within like a week). This was MJ's first concert tour for a dozen years, considered the biggest concert comeback of all time.

What impressed Chuck was the pure perfectionist MJ was in the film footage, tirelessly working on details with his talented entourage. We saw MJ interact with musicians and dancers.  We saw how soft

Read More

Local Nonprofit Fuzzy Dog and Cat Rescue Saves Animals' Lives

/

Santa Monica based nonprofit Fuzzy Dog and Cat Rescue, Inc. has rescued, rehabilitated and placed nearly 200 animals since 2005.

Scooby-Roo's Story

Credit: Bark Pet PhotographyScooby-Roo was found covered in scrapes and wounds on his chest.  He was cowering in fear and fighting to live.  Poor little Scooby-Roo was found missing limbs and he was thumping around to get by.  He was most likely born without his front two legs and that’s why his people no longer wanted Scooby-Roo.  He is only 7 months of age and a bundle of joy.  Last week he was custom-fitted for his wheels with the donations that came in from Michael Jackson Fans, and celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Shannon Elizabeth. ABC News recently covered the story:

Angel's Story

"Angel" (Credit Fuzzy Rescue)A volunteer was at a local vet’s office getting monthly antigen shots for her personal dog with allergies. There was a woman sobbing in the lobby and we asked her why she was crying.  She regularly feeds her dogs chicken and steak bones, and one of her dog had gotten a steak bone lodged in her esophagus near the larynx (see the x-ray below).  She didn’t want to pay money for the dog’s surgery, and/or refused to take the dog to the emergency for this matter.  She propped the dog on the treatment table, and opted to put her down.  This dog, whose name is Angel, was wagging her tail and licking the owner’s hands waiting to be killed.  Her teeth were covered in tartar and she was unspayed.

Angel's X-Ray (Fuzzy Rescue)They could not see this dog die, so they asked for Angel.  She is sweet and extremely mellow, 7 years young.  The owner signed a relinquishment form and Angel was rushed to Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine in Tustin.  The entire treatment cost Fuzzy Dog and Cat $6,500 because it involved oxygen, nearly a week of hospitalization, peg tube, tracheotomy, IV fluids, 8 medication and endoscopy to have the steak-bone removed.

Would you like to help? The organization is seeking donations to help pay for Angel's treatment.  And they are seeking a new home for Angel!

Fuzzy Rescue is a no-kill 501(c)3 nonprofit animal welfare organization.  All donations are tax deductible.  For more information, visit www.fuzzyrescue.org.

The Coolest Foam Coffee Cups You've Ever Seen!

/

Boey is a Foam Cup Artist based in Orange County. Yes, he draws pictures on disposable coffee cups! Boey does he!  I'd never seen anything like this as my boys and I enjoyed checking out his online gallery of cups today.  With Boey's permission, I've posted some of our favorites below.

It takes Boey anywhere from hours to weeks to months to create these unique pieces of art. And he sells many of these cups, nicely mounted on cork in a nice case for anywhere between $120 to $220.  Boey does not sketch the cups out, thus leaving little room for error.  If you are looking for a truly unique gift for someone...maybe the coffee drinker in your life...look no further!

The beauty of a work of foam cup art is that you can drop the cup and it won't break! Though actually drinking coffee in them would probably not be a smart move!  Learn more about Boey and his cool work at www.iamboey.com.

"Harder Faster" Added 8/31/09

Read More

United Parents: Local Nonprofit Helping Families with Children Having Mental, Emotional, Behavior Problems

/

United Parents is a parent run, non-profit, professional organization providing services to families with children who have mental, emotional and behavioral problems. United Parents was founded over two decades ago on the principle that parents helping parents makes a difference in shaping a better future for our children and our community.

Do you know a child (or parent) that:

  • Is Suicidal
  • Always angry
  • Makes you always angry
  • Has trouble in school
  • Needs help with drugs
  • Is a teen parent
  • Is always sad
  • Gets violent for NO reason
  • Is always disruptive
  • Makes you feel out of control
  • Causes chaos in your home
  • Has no hope

What we do

  • Support—so parents don’t feel isolated
  • Respite—parents can take a break, regroup
  • Education to help manage special challenges
  • Activities for children, encouraging competent, pro-social behaviors and random acts of kindness
  • Knowledge about effectively navigating the many “systems” touching our children.
  • Advocacy so children receive services to help them succeed in schools and the community.
  • Peer to peer advice & guidance during difficult times.

“A parent’s hope for tomorrow”

If you know a family struggling to raise a child with emotional, behavioral and/or mental disorders, maybe we can help.

Monthly parent support groups in Simi Valley, Fillmore, Camarillo, Westlake Village (recently formed), Oxnard and Northridge. Foster parent association meetings in Ventura. There is also a new support group forming in Agoura.  United Parents offers free childcare during these sessions.

Visit www.unitedparents.org or call 805.384.1555 for more info or CLICK HERE for a flier.

Lifelong Conejo Valley Resident Helps Animals Through Her Art

/

It was through Twitter that I recently came into contact with Stella Violano, a lifelong resident of Newbury Park.  Stella is a professional artist who has a distinct passion for painting animals.  In fact, she has dedicated thousands of hour of time to an organization she founded called Art Helping Animals (www.arthelpinganimals.com). AHA raises funds for non-profits that help animals in need.

Take a look at this amazing montage of some of the over 200 paintings of homeless animals that Violano painted between 2000 and 2006. All of the animals shown found loving homes.

And I love this touching video of Brigette, a homeless senior dachshund who found a home through Old Dog Haven, a charity supported by AHA. Violano's work transforming the aging pooch into Queen Elizabeth is magical. 

Given the Conejo Valley is named after a rabbit, I asked her if she had any bunny art to share with us.  Oh she certainly does!  I selected 3 of the 6 pieces she sent my way. If you like these, let me know and maybe I'll post more at a later date!

For more of Violano's work, visit http://smvstudio.com and http://paintingaday.blogspot.com.

Start Your Day Our Right with a "Morning Buzz" by Chuck Trunks

/

My friend Chuck Trunks, precision abstract artist based in Camarillo, presents his latest piece, "Morning Buzz." This piece juxtoposes (God I love that word and wish I could use it more often) coffee with something much more colorful...like the spinning tea cup ride at Disneyland. I could be wrong but I see an "E" in this piece that must have some connection to the good ole' "E Ticket" that up until 1982 (my senior year in high school) signified a particularly exciting ride. I sure miss those days! For more of Chuck's work, visit www.chucktrunks.com.