Friday, June 26, 2015

A MOST SPECIAL FRIENDS WITH CAUSES


ALL FRIENDS WITH CAUSES DINNERS AT ALEXANDRA DWEK'S HOUSE ARE SPECIAL, BUT THE ONE FOR CEDARS-SINAI TEEN LINE HAD SOMETHING EXTRA


                   Caroline Kunitz, Dana Pachulski, Julie Jaffe, Alexandra, Leslie Birnbaum


Teen Line is a hot line for troubled teens all over the U.S. that is manned by teens! That way, the teens calling feel more comfortable talking about their problems with peers. These teens at Cedars go through extensive training programs plus supervised training sessions. They aren't even allowed to answer the phones once their training is completed. First they are on "text duty," answering texts, rather than telephones.

Teens who need help with a problem or serious decision can pick up the phone and speak with someone his or her own age who is trained to deal with the unexpected. Teen Line provides crisis intervention and prevention, peer counseling and referral specifically for children and adolescents ages 12 to 19.



Cairo (Dwek) and Sienna
Jaye Rogovin and Beth Freidman

                                                Alexandra, Susan Abram, Lindsay Elliot


The teen-to-teen program also helps young people cope in times of trauma and stress and offers advice and referrals when needed. Teen Line's extensive outreach service provides presentations to schools, youth groups and adolescent-serving agencies. Specialized workshops are given on such issues as teen suicide, teens and tolerance and growing up gay.

In addition, Teen Line is also an important part of the Juvenile Procedures School at the Los Angeles Police Academy. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District police also use Teen Line's teen suicide prevention and intervention training.
The hotline is open from 6 to 10 p.m. daily Pacific Standard Time and receives calls from teens across the nation.

                                              Marlo Gottfurcht Longstreet,  Kira Cooper

At this event, a young lady named Alexa, daughter of one of Alexandra's friends, is a Teen Line volunteer. She is on "text duty," and she told a moving story about how she literally saved a young boy's life by stopping his suicide. Wow!  
Alexa



US

Donna Antebi and Cheryl Woodcock

Christine Chui

A QUESTION.



SINCE WHEN DID DIED BECOME "PASSED?" DOES IT SOUND MORE PLEASANT? IS THIS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OUR CHANGING LANGUAGE TO MAKE THINGS SOUND BETTER?

I'm sick of "blanding down" to be politically correct.





DEAD          DEAD            DEAD             DEAD         DEAD           DEAD        DEAD



AND IF YOU STILL DON'T GET IT, TRY WATCHING THE OPENING CREDITS OF "THE LOVE BOAT" RERUNS. YOU'LL GET IT FAST.

LANE-SPLITTING NOW LEGAL. HELP ME, GOD!


DOES THIS RING A BELL?????

You're driving along happily, listening to music or whatever, and then a roar comes up along side of you, scaring you to death? You think you're about to be sideswiped! Its terrifying! And, guess what? IT'S NOW LEGAL. The California Highway Patrol says it's safe, so the California State Legislature voted the bill into law.



Lane splitting refers to a two-wheeled vehicle moving between roadway lanes of vehicles that are proceeding in the same direction. More narrowly, it refers to overtaking slow or stopped vehicles by traveling between lanes.

Lane Splitting Guidelines




Monday, June 22, 2015

SWEET, BRILLIANT CASS ELLIOT---CONGRATULATIONS!!!!







I'VE MISSED HER EVERY DAY SINCE JULY 20, 1974, but today we celebrate Cass' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!!!! And congratulations to her daughter, Owen, who really made this happen!

And, yes, I was the press person who announced she died from choking on a ham sandwich. Her manager, Allan Carr, asked me to do it. Happy to help my friend.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

JUST........LOTS OF THINGS.........GEFFEN THEATRE, GMA VS. TODAY

BAD JEWS AT THE GEFFEN IS 
ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE




I have had season tickets to the Geffen for the past two years, and only two of their productions in TWO YEARS were worth seeing---COUNTRY HOUSE starring Blythe Danner, and Bette Midler in the Sue Mengers play.

You know how sometimes in rock concerts you see people holding their ears because it's so loud that it hurts? WELL, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I SAW AUDIENCE MEMBERS HOLDING THEIR EARS IN A PLAY. The actress, Molly Ephraim, has the most grating voice I have ever heard. It was so painful to listen to her shrieking, that I had to hold my ears, too. The director, Matt Shakman, comes from the "louder and faster sit-com school." Very, very hard to take. Please save yourselves. Do not go. I have also not renewed my Geffen subscription.

And, by the way, The Audrey, the smaller theatre at the Geffen usually has far more interesting programming. I will go back there. I loved "Switzerland."



GOOD MORNING AMERICA VS. TODAY---LOOK OUT GMA, YOU ARE BLOWING IT.




Once Meredith Viera left TODAY it headed downhill. Putting the stiff, bland Ann Curry in there was a mistake. Matt Lauer, who has turned off viewers for years with his personal life, totally destroyed whatever was left of the show when he had Ann fired and then humiliated her on air and made her cry.

What people overlooked in all that controversy was that TODAY had grown stale---boring sets, sleepy music, hosts talking as if they were at a funeral.  DEAD SHOW WALKING.

Along came GMA, a re-tooled show with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulous. Robin's spirit, humor and heart exploded on camera. People loved it. They loved Newbie George's "dear in the headlights look" in a new venue. GMA was funny, peppy; the cast genuinely got along and it was a pleasure to invite them into your home in the morning. They were a family. Filled out with anchor Josh Elliott (immediately likeable) and weather man Sam Champion (handsome and fun)--the show was great.





The original family


When Robin got sick, we were still part of the most important family on television. I think if the viewers could have visited in the hospital en masse, we would have. Then, in 2014, Josh Elliott left. That was a HUGE loss. He had the goods. But, that loss was almost totally ameliorated by the addition of Amy Robach, a smart newscaster who is very likeable. Ok, so far. Then Sam Champion left. Very bad news.. They replaced him with the non-descript Ginger Zee. Yawn. Robin and George couldn't carry the whole thing on their backs. ABC panicked and added Michael Strahan from KELLY AND MICHAEL. From his first day, it didn't work. He looked like he didn't want to be there; he was extremely uncomfortable. It wasn't a goo d fit. ABC needed a friendly guy and they went to Michael. I'm sure it made sense on paper. He's great on KELLY AND MICHAEL. There's nothing to say about Lara Spencer. She's cotton candy and is irrelevant to the show's successes or problems.

But ABC made a big mistake. They were so confident in their GMA "family," they didn't realize the "family" was gone. They continued to book guests who weren't that relevant or interesting. Look at GMA on any given day and you'll see a guest line-up of second or third leads in a TV show, a chef, an occasional big star or political interview. Turn on TODAY now and a typical line-up for one show would be Robert DeNiro, Nicole Kidman, Martha Stewart and Nancy Pelosi. GMA got lazy and has rested on its laurels too long. They are losing viewers.

TODAY has copied everything that was good about GMA. All their folks are in new sets, they are joking with each other; the music cues are hip. They are simply doing it better these days. I still loathe Matt Lauer, however.

Interestingly enough (at least to me), is that I am hardly watching either one of them anymore. I like CBS Morning News with Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell. They like each other; they smile; their news is intelligent and focused, and they rarely have on a stupid celebrity guest. It's a pleasure.

I don't want to see GMA sink to second. I love Robin, George, and Amy. ABC---please start doing your job correctly.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

CONGRATULATIONS, JOAN! THANK YOU BLAINE TRUMP!

GOD'S LOVE, WE DELIVER WAS JOAN'S FAVORITE CHARITY. THEY HONORED HER THE OTHER DAY WITH THIS.......





Monday, June 8, 2015

CLINT EASTWOOD....YOUR IGNORANCE IS SHOWING!










FROM: ET

Clint Eastwood might just want to stay off stage for… well, ever.
After staying out of the spotlight since that time he talked to an empty chair like a crazy person at the 2012 Republican National Convention, the four-time Oscar-winning actor/director stirred controversy yet again on Saturday.
This time, the 85-year-old American Sniper director ruffled feathers when he made a joke at the expense of Caitlyn Jenner while appearing onstage at Spike TV's 2015 Guys' Choice awards.

According to USA Today, the joke -- which Spike TV has said they will cut when the awards show airs -- was made when Eastwood was introducing San Andreas star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

According to reports, Eastwood introduced Johnson by comparing him to other famous athletes, such as ""Jim Brown and Caitlyn Somebody..."

HAPPY 82ND BIRTHDAY, DEAR JOAN



I'LL NEVER STOP CELEBRATING 
                    YOUR LIFE