By John Farrell
It’s not the weather. That helps. But neither is it the heat in the confines of Little Fish Theatre that makes it hell for an hour and a half.
Preview: Little Fish Theatre’s “No Exit”
Tenelle Living Like She’s Bulletproof: A Journey to Pop Stardom
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By Melina Paris, Contributing Writer
Most folks don’t realize that the City of Carson is a hotbed of talent, giving rise to the likes of Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Ras Kass, Brandy and Ray J, and even The Game and Dr. Dre for a hot minute when they were kids.
The city may have yet another star in its midst with the rise of singer and songwriter Tenelle Luafalemana, who has been getting a lot of online buzz lately with her single, “Bulletproof,” off of her still untitled album scheduled for release in January 2013.
Community Celebrates the Opening of the John M. & Muriel Olguin Campus
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Photos By Betty Guevara
On Aug. 9, elected officials, parents, students, and alumni celebrated the expansion of San Pedro High School into two integrated campuses with the opening of the John M. and Muriel Olguin campus. The Olguin campus includes a world-class swimming pool, a new synthetic turf soccer field and a gymnasium that will house the Pirate basketball and volleyball teams. The Olguin campus will also house the marine science and police academy student learning community
How the Republican Brain Plays Defense
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
“Suppose a major party candidate for president believed we were in a “post-truth” era and actually campaigned that way. Would political reporters in the mainstream press figure it out and tell us?
“I say no. They would not tell us. Not in any clear way.” – Media critic Jay Rosen
A post on Mitt Romney’s Facebook page on Aug. 4 read:
“President (Barack) Obama’s lawsuit claiming it is unconstitutional for Ohio to allow servicemen and women extended early voting privileges during the state’s early voting period is an outrage”
Outrage, yes. But entirely untrue, ThinkProgress quickly pointed out:
“Since 2005, Ohio has had in person early-voting in the three days prior to the election. This year, however, the Republican legislature in Ohio eliminated early voting during this period, except for members of the military. The Obama lawsuit is attempting to restore voting rights for all Ohioans, not restrict them for the military or any other group.”
There’s nothing unusual in this. It was an example chosen almost at random. The Romney campaign disseminates so many lies that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. And, there’s bound to be all sorts of such lies flying through the air at the upcoming Republican National Convention. Indeed, media critic Jay Rosen has described it as a “post-truth campaign,” intentionally designed to be particularly difficult, if not impossible, for “even-handed” mainstream journalism to deal with—what Rosen calls, “a story that’s too big to tell.”
Congressional Foot Dragging Leaves Violence Against Women Act in Limbo
By Sherry Lear
Editor’s note: Sherry Lear is an attorney and resident of San Pedro. She serves on Janice Hahn’s Advisory Council on Women’s Issues and is Los Angeles co-chairwoman of Miss R*EVOLutionaries, a California-based women’s rights group. This grassroots organization was launched with the April 28, 2012 nationwide rallies for “Unite Against the War on Women.”
As I write this piece, the United States Congress has yet to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. The VAWA was first passed in 1994 through bipartisan efforts to provide a comprehensive scheme of federal legislation designed to address the pervasiveness of sex-based violence in our country. Since its original passage, the VAWA has been reauthorized twice through bipartisan efforts of Congress, on each occasion, with new provisions expanding the protections and effectiveness of the act.
Chick-fil-A has Become a Target
By Mathew Highland, Adjunct Staff Writer
Chick-fil-A is against marriage equality. But you already know that by now. The backlash and tide of support have created a national conversation.
Right now that conversation centers around whether this is or isn’t a First Amendment issue. It is, sort of, at least for now. It may end up being a 28th Amendment issue by the time the conversation ends. A 28th Amendment to overturn Citizens United is not yet ratified, but is gaining momentum.
Remembering Our Future, Imagining our Past
By James Preston Allen, Publisher
I have been thinking lately about the number of people I run into who don’t remember what happened even a decade ago, like the battle to change the Los Angeles City Charter to create Neighborhood Councils. It literally took the threat of secession to move this great city to the premise of expanding democracy to a new level. The promise of this new charter has still not been fully realized, even by those who now have the power in their hands to change the city. Something significant has been forgotten.
Endangered Blue Whales Spotted off Long Beach
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Photos by Diana Lejins
On Aug. 1 , Aquarium of the Pacific and Harbor Breeze Cruises invited the media on a boat excursion to see blue whales and explore recent conservation issues with experts–an event intended to announce the Aquarium’s award winning Whales: Voices in the Sea multimedia exhibit as well as inform readers of the cruises for blue whale watching. Experts from the Aquarium’s blue whale research project will provide updates about the endangered population found off the coast of Southern California.
Update on Stoneface at Sacred Fools
By John Farrell
We gave Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton a rave review a month ago, and for those who haven’t seen the play at Sacred Fools in Hollywood, and for those who want to see it again, the run has been extended through August 26.
Stoneface is a mixture of all the things Sacred Fools do so well: moving sets and live music, quick scene changes and two people playing Buster at the same time. The star is the redoubtable French Stewart, who does the same things Buster did (he even has a house fall on him) without breaking his serious expression. It is a tour-de-force performance, sure to win awards, and well worth the journey to Hollywood.
Tickets are $34, $27 for students and seniors. Performances are Thursday, August 9 at 8 p.m., Friday, August 10 at 8 p.m., Saturday, August 11 at 8 p.m., Sunday, August 12 at 2 p.m., Wednesday, August 14 at 8 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through August 26.
Details: (310) 281-8337, www.sacredfools.org
Venue: Sacred Fools Theatre
Location: 680 Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles