From fog to rain back to sun again...

As I arrive home this morning, I have a leak in my roof that is raining over my stereo and my books (not good).

The rain has passed, thank goodness, and the now sun is shining as I walk by the ripped awnings from one of the big post-awards show parties flapping in the wind. It takes 'em weeks to set up for all the parties around LA, and usually mere hours to tear it all down.

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the owners of my building to patch the roof ...for the third time. At least this time the manager saw the water streaming down the plastic I put over my furniture and out into the hallway, so he can't deny he doesn't know there's a problem. This should be my biggest problem, no? Well, bigger than my bags not making it to my destination with me.

Another performance I missed...

Noel Alumit's new book, Talking to the Moon, had its official publication party last Saturday night at Skylight Books in Los Feliz. Hopefully, I'll get to catch him in March at Vroman's in Pasadena.

Be sure to ask for it at your local independent bookseller, or maybe you can still get a signed copy from Skylight Books.

Noel's book tour is posted on his blog, The Last Noel, to the left.

The best performance you DIDN'T see at the Kodak Theatre...

Andy Towle has a YouTube link on his Towleroad site (look for a link at the left) to Jennifer Holliday belting out her signature number from the roof of the Roosevelt Hotel, where she is appearing at the Cinegrill.

It sure beats Robert Opel's streaking the show ...come to think of it, it was a better performance than most of this year's singers on stage at the Kodak.

I guess this means that the Academy better think twice about not extending an invitation for a diva to perform; the next time, someone might find a way to hack into their broadcast feed.

Not exactly a New Year's Eve performance at Lotta's Fountain, but no mistake about it: she sure did sing.

Monday morning creekside mist and hilltop fog

The sky is mottled greys from dirty white to pewter... the streets glisten; the moss seems to be slowly creeping over every surface it can reach. It's thickest on the tree limbs hanging over San Ramon Creek, but even the asphalt parking lots are slowly submitting to a thin blanket of green, as unwilling to start the week as the schoolchildren being ushered off by their mothers.

The raindrops can't be felt, yet they dance invisible to the eye upon the surface of the swimming pool; only the fog will enjoy the pool today.

If there's any sun to be had, it won't be around these parts. The top of the hill is cloaked with a covering of impenetrable fog. Commuters scurry with a resigned air that it will turn to rain soon enough... and quite likely before they arrive to work.

The creek is fasting moving and silent. The decorative fountains splash more loudly in front of brooding buildings up and down the street.

The crackle of bacon from the kitchen foretells that soon enough, it will be time for us to return home.

If you're in need of an entertainment fix, click here

Not that I don't think Ellen wasn't funny, but these guys are wicked.

All 's Quiet After Hollywood's! Big! Night!

Now that the awards season is over (or is it?), perhaps I can get back to my regular vapid television schedule. Unfortunately, even the BBC won't let the dead rest in peace or allow the short-circuiting celebrities to get out of the limelight for a hot minute; so I have a stack of reading to attend to, including Barbara Parker's newest mystery novel, and a bio of Robert Moses.

Downtown Walnut Creek was so quiet tonight, with Main Street covered with a wet sheen, you'd've thought they were filming a car commercial.

In case you haven't heard, the insurance companies have quietly declared that policies on planet Earth carries too much of a risk, so they're closing up shop and heading to more profitable pastures.

Oh, and we're apparently going to Hell in a handbasket.

If I didn't know better, I might think that the right wing is planning on jump-starting the last last days of humankind before the 2008 election -- or the terrorists in the Middle East beat 'em to it.

Just as long as I have enough acai to get me to the promised land...

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine...

Barbara Gittings 1932 - 2007

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THIS IS AN ANNA NICOLE SMITH-FREE ZONE

Please be patient...

Blogger keeps acting up on me (although it could be my server that's the problem...)

They wouldn't dare...

As 50 million viewers around the world tuned in last night, we saw Adam Rodriguez get shot at the end of the first half of a two parter.

Now, I'll admit, CSI: Miami isn't exactly Shakespeare. In fact, the only reason I turn it on is to see Miami, and see how they fool around with Miami-Dade geography. Apart from the establishing shots, most of the show is filmed in various sites around LA. It's always fun (for me) to see what stands in for Miami in Los Angeles.

Adam Rodriguez I'm sure is more of an actor than just a pretty face... but, he is one heck of a pretty face. While speculation runs around various message boards about his fate (I won't reveal any spoilers here), I'd just as soon see Caruso's character get offed before anything happens to Rodriguez.

It seems every time I get to liking something too much on television, it seems to get taken off...

Some people just don't get it....

Venues where Charles Knipp, performing as "Shirley Q. Liquor," is to perform have been meeting with protests. He claims that he turns the stereotype imagery around in his act; I only know that he turns my stomach.

What a lovely way to get Black History Month off to a roaring start...

I know it's a full moon, but what the heck is up with Virginia?

The state legislature wants to make it illegal to feed, cloth or administer medical aid to suspected illegal aliens? And make the children of aliens ineligible for citizenship (which thankfully falls under Federal, not state, jurisdiction)?

l think someone ought to remind Virginia that in the 17th century, the Roanoake Indians had a capitol punishment policy for illegal aliens, too. All those pesky Europeans kept landing boat after boat of undocumented workers up and down the Eastern seaboard.

It's time that people stop looking at Islam as a "warlike" religion and start examining how barbaric some "Christians" are behaving.

There's an IRS investigation into the tax-exempt status of All Saints Church in Pasadena, one of the foremost faith-based charitable institutions in Southern California, due to their their opposition of the war in Iraq based on their faith. They're almost single-handedly restoring the reputation of organized religion through their good works.

The First Congregational Church in Long Beach, also, is being threatened by the law, because the pastor considers it part of their Christian duty to allow the homeless to sleep undisturbed outside the church. Not inside the church, mind you, but outside. Doesn't that technically make all Americans equally guilty, if anyone, anywhere, must sleep outside? Of course, if any one is homeless or hungry, anywhere, aren't we all guilty anyway?

Instead of thumping bibles, maybe some of those in power should try cracking them open and reading 'em. There's a lot a good stuff to be found there (other than the slavery and misogyny and other icky parts).

This is why I should not have a second cup of Starbucks ...especially during a full moon.

Reuiescat in Pace, Molly Ivins

We won't see another one like her. And as been said many times over, we need her now more than ever. I guess we'll just have to imagine how she would observe the final days in office of George Bush --assuming he doesn't pull a Hugo Chavez, of course.

2007 International Day of Poetry: March 21

Best public apology of the week: Gavin Newsom; Worst public apology of the week: Adult Swim (with Joe Biden close behind)