Monday, March 30, 2015

CANINE PLAYDATE 3.29.15

Complete cast of canines: Diego the Borzoi, Lily the Labrador Retriever, Pooh + Piglet the Irish Wolfhound sibling puppies, Gia the Scottish Deerhound puppy and Sarahbelle the Golden Retriever. Humans: Sherry and Ian, Paul, Mr. Twister and your humble photojournalist (depicted at bottom in prior playdate.)
The racing muzzles prevent over-enthusiastic coursing (chase-hunting) of their pals. Below, Mr. Twister survives charge of the sighthound brigade. All sighthounds (dogs of the greyhound-type persuasion) love to run all out, and we fortunately have the space for them to do so.



Rest time in the Retriever Lounge...
 

Above left, guest photographer © Kurt Ingham, right, guest photographer Sally Stasytis.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

SAVE THE OKAPIS

drawing above © 2015 Heather Harris / video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLL6oG5jNUI
Who would kill these ultra rare, harmless, beautiful animals? A known elephant poacher and 50 confederates did just that at this at the Okapi Reserve in Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo in June, 2012. Oh, and they killed 6 people as well as all 14 Okapis there, raped women and took hostages (who escaped a year later.) These two Okapi and all their kin were slaughtered, but at least this YouTube video of these Okapis' amusement with visitors serves their legacy as animal ambassadors well.

In direct contrast to the brutality of the psychotic poachers' self interests, the Okapi Wildlife center had also used much of its funds to improve the lives of all the people living in the area, which assisted in their appreciation of their rare animal treasure... 

Okapis look amazing when you see them in person at zoo breeding preserves. These giraffe relatives really are velvet-y, purplish brown with zebra legs and derriere. Their "panne velvet" look comes from an oily coat to repel their rain forest weather.

Anyone interested in helping this species, contact Okapi Conservation in Dem. Rep. of Congo LINK  and in the U.S.A, an umbrella organization for worldwide efforts at this Florida Preserve, LINK  

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DR. BOOGIE's UPWARD TRAJECTORY at THE VIPER ROOM


I invited experienced news services writer and California Rocker (LINK) editor/writer Donna Balancia to the 3.20.15. Dr. Boogie show at The Viper Room and she agreed, "This band is going to have a long career" while my friend Rico Cardinale was particularly impressed with drummer Luis Herrera's chops. They are Dr. Boogie, together for 6 months but already with major market radio airplay, an EP for sale and increasingly prestigious gigs. To the uninitiated, they sound like some unholy mashup of The Faces and The Stones. For more info and visuals, see LINK, LINK and LINK...
and for aural sample:  
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpvpqb7HC9g

DOG PLAYDATE 3.22.15


 

Dog playdate March 22, 2015: Gia the Scottish Deerhound kisses Sherry, owner of Diego the Borzoi; Diego poses for his close up; (guest photographer Kurt Ingham:) Gia bites tail of Diego while Sarahbelle the Golden Retriever supervises...

Monday, March 23, 2015

TALES TOLD OUT OF SCHOOL 9.0: FAUNA



 (Ninth in a series of tales told out of school, both literally and figuratively, how my Swiss Cheese brain remembers such events which may or may not be accurate at all. Preface: I attended a girls' private prep school in the 1960s with a student body who often mimicked the creativity of that era with its own high spirits, a pendulum reaction to the heavy course load and voluminous homework from which many of us still haven't caught up on lost sleep some forty-plus years on and from which many of us still retain permanently stooped posture via carrying heavy textbooks. Well, it's not like there existed alternatives to those heavy textbooks. We didn't have personal home computers because no one on this particular planet in this galaxy had them yet. So let's roll back the roiling mists of time to The Pleistocene of my youth.)

Tales told out of school: above, Orville the Westlake School for Girls goat mascot. Orville had been trailered from the ranch of Cindy C.'s family, and when mature enjoyed running through the halls and upstairs, plus butting his head against hapless students. He thrived until joined by other goats, which inevitably attracted the predator coyotes ensconced around the wilds of Holmby Hills and Bel Air, California.
Above, the new section I instituted in the school yearbook, "Kennel" for all the dogs on campus owned by the staff and on site headmaster's family. I was art director for the yearbook: imagine the surprise of the staff photographer (because she had the most sophisticated gear) when commanded to take portraits of all the resident dogs...

Sunday, March 22, 2015

LITTLE CAESAR READY TO ROCK EUROPE 2015- tour dates announced

 LITTLE CAESAR prepping for their European tour, June and July 2015. L-R: Guitarist Cary Beare, singer Ron Young, bassist Pharoah Barrett, guitarist Loren Molinare and drummer Tom Morris. This was taken outside of their rehearsal studio, and they sound as powerful as ever...

 Announced tour dates:
19/06/2015 Puerto de Sta Maria - Spain @ Puerto Sherry - Harley Davidson HOG Weekend
20/06/2015 Weert - Holland @ Bosuil w/Jared James Nichols
21/06/2015 Selestat - France @ Fête de la Musique (open air) w/Jared James Nichols
22/06/2015 Krefeld - Germany @ Kulturrampe
23/06/2015 Verviers - Belgium @ Spirit of 66
24/06/2015 Frankfurt - Germany @ Nachtleben
26/06/2015 Zaragoza - Spain @ Sala Lopez
27/06/2015 Aviles - Spain @ Centro Niemeyer
28/06/2015 Cangas - Spain @ Salason
30/06/2015 Madrid - Spain @ La Boîte Live
01/07/2015 Estepona - Spain @ Louie Louie
02/07/2015 Cartagena - Spain @ Sala Budokan
03/07/2015 Spain tba
04/07/2015 Barcelona - Spain @ Razz3

Friday, March 20, 2015

R.I.P. MICHAEL BROWN of THE LEFT BANKE


Rest in peace Michael Brown, songwriter/keyboardist/singer for The Left Banke. For me it was "Pretty Ballerina," a perfect encapsulation of adolescent yearning: "...somewhere a mountain is moving, 'afraid it's moving without me...go ahead and find her, just close my eyes and she'll be there..."  Listen at LINK
someone's Instamatic snapshot of Brown in 1965 (photographer unknown.)

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

R.I.P. ANDY FRASER

His daughter Jasmine writes today that Andy Fraser has passed away. No photos or pithy stories from me,* just sadness that one of the world's most renowned bass players no longer is with us. Like John Entwistle, he made sure that his bass lines were as important as any other element, frequently providing the songs' most memorable hooks in Free and his other bands. At least he attained the acclaim he deserved in his lifetime: rest in peace....☆
*one with his Free bandmate Paul Kossoff here LINK

Monday, March 9, 2015

OVER A HALF CENTURY AGO, WITH ANIMALS





Above are newly excavated photos courtesy of my cousin Virginia Parks Williamson. My grandfather (see LINK) provided great entertainment for us visiting Californians as well as for my resident cousins-- horses to ride, baby farm animals for me to play with, and go-karts to tool around my uncle's and his estates. My grandfather's dog Fritz the dachshund is seen motoring jauntily with young Virginia and your humble future photojournalist, and note that the goat kid is on a leash with me. 

(Editor's note: most folks say I am unrecognizable in my childhood pix but for the presence of animals. For comparison's sake, equestrian shots below with my horse Indy 40 and 50 years later: at a dressage clinic, and bareback casual by guest photographer Kurt Ingham.)



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