I was too busy celebrating my birthday to get my act together in time to post so you could get to tonight’s showing of “LEGACY OF BLOOD,” but look at it this way: Now you’re even more motivated to go see the other four movies.

What the heck am I even talking about, say ye? Well gather round and I’ll tell ye about the latest Joel (Mystery Science Theater) Hodgson and his gang, doing their now famous schtick-along to some classic film offerings.

MONDAY OCT. 26th,  7:30pm –  “DANGER ON TIKI ISLAND”
Living on an island near a nuclear testing zone has its downsides – i.e. being terrorized by one of the worst movie monsters ever!

TUESDAY OCT. 27th ,  7:30pm – “SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS”
See the fully re-riffed version of an MST3K classic…

WEDNESDAY  OCT. 28th,  7:30pm – “THE ALIEN FACTOR”
Aliens invade Baltimore, and they have no budget!

THURSDAY OCT. 29th,  7:30pm – “EAST MEETS WATTS”
Stud Brown and Larry Chin take on a drug cartel in this “Kung-sploitation” classi…uh, movie.

Tickets available NOW!
$35.00 – available by calling 310-855-0350 (visa/mastercard only)
or drop by the Largo box office mon,wed,fri 2-7pm
366 N. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90048
Largo at the Coronet – www.largo-la.com
Doors 6.30 show 7.30

Each night will be an event as they have different special guests lined up too!  Not to mention the warm-up artistry of Dave (Gruber) Allen (on his home turf)!

Should you wish to witness a spirited and entertaining discourse on this very subject, however, why not head out to The Warehouse in Marina Del Rey on Saturday, and catch The Lowdown?

Here’s what your host Jeff Norman has to say about it:

The Lowdown is a bold cultural revival fueled by unique collaborations between world-class artists, authors, activists and other public-spirited leaders. Presenters and performers connect the dots between media, government, national security, sustainability, psychology and the arts. By confronting disinformation, promoting civic engagement and having fun in the process, we help people cope with life in America.

The Warehouse Restaurant
4499 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Hosted by JEFF NORMAN and featuring performances and a discussion with

music by I SEE HAWKS IN L.A. (Full set at 5 PM)
Author PETER RICHARDSON
Journalist ROBERT SCHEER
LA Weekly founder JAY LEVIN
Comedian ED CRASNICK
Musician-satirist GARY GORDON
Drinks and appetizers available – no minimum required.
Happy hour discounts from 5 to 6!
FREE admission
Seating is first come, first served.
The evening will conclude with a book sale and signing by Peter Richardson, author of A Bomb in Every Issue: How the Short, Unruly Life of Ramparts Magazine Changed America, hosted by Book Soup.

(Ow, my linking hand!)

Crafters and craft enthusiasts, this is your moment!

This weekend is the Los Angeles premiere of Handmade Nation, presented to you by the good folks at Cinefamily.

In addition to screening the film, they’re having a mini-craft fair at the premiere and a Q+A with the director, plus  live silkscreening demos.

Saturday, August 15th
12:00 premiere $25 (includes swag bag)
7:00 $12

Sunday, August 16th, all screenings $12
3:00, 5:00, 7:00 & 9:00

Wanna read more? Here’s a chunk of their press release:

Faythe Levine traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. For HANDMADE NATION (along with the documentary film of the same name, coming in 2009) she and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community. Participants in this community share ideas and encouragement through websites, blogs, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking.

Twenty-four artists from Olympia, Washington to Providence, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between show their work and discuss their lives. Texts by Andrew Wagner of American Craft magazine, Garth Johnson of ExtremeCraft.com, Callie Janoff of the Church of Craft, Betsy Greer of Craftivism.com, and Susan Beal, author of Super Crafty, supply a critical view of the tight-knit community where ethics can overlap with creativity and art with community. Handmade Nation features photographs of the makers, their work environment, their process, their work, and discussions of how they got their start and what motivates them. Handmade Nation is a fascinating book for those who are a part of the emerging movement or just interested in sampling its wares.

For more information see http://indiecraftdocumentary.blogspot.com/

So I got this email a while back from the Aetherius Society inviting me to join in on their World Peace Pilgrimage up Mt Baldy.

[check out my Flickr set]

I’m not one for religions but I thought this might be a good opportunity to hike up a mountain – something I would certainly never do without benefit of escort.

So I said yes, and on Sunday morning I showed up at their HQ, backpack and all, ready for an adventure.

Invited a couple of friends but only Misty took me up on the offer. By the end of the journey she’d cultivated some serious buyer’s remorse, but we both made it to the very top: 9300 feet – and I’m pretty proud of that.

Oh yeah, and now there’s world peace.

You’re welcome.

Thanks to all of you that called! We were very successful in getting ourselves heard.

Through our calls we were able to get a postponement on the resolution vote. This is a very good sign that it may either be thrown out entirely or rewritten to exclude patients and their providers from legal ramifications resulting from the production or use of medicinal cannabis edibles.

Would you take a moment and call your LA City Council member today, Thursday August 6th? You can use this quick helpful script for this fifteen-second phone call, beyond the jump.

On Friday, August 7, the Los Angeles City Council will vote on a resolution supporting S-258, a US Senate bill that will enhance penalties under federal law for some patients who make or use edible preparations of cannabis. Medical cannabis edibles are used by very ill patients that cannot smoke or vaporize cannabis. They are the safest and most crucial form of medicinal cannabis for the very ill. We need to tell our representatives on the Los Angeles City Council to vote no on Councilmember Janice Hahn’s resolution supporting S-258 before Friday’s meeting!

A short, simple, and polite message like this…
“Hello. I am a medical cannabis patient/advocate in your district calling to ask the Councilmember to vote no on item 12 , a resolution supporting US Senator Diane Feinstein’s S-258. This bill will increase penalties under federal law for legal patients who make or use edible preparations of cannabis. The reality is that medicinal cannabis edibles are used by the most seriously ill cannabis patients to relieve severe nausea, increase appetite and help these patients sleep. This resolution must be amended to protect the needs of legitimate medical cannabis patients.”

Can you take a minute to call you representative right now? We only have a very short period of time in which to make our voices heard.

Locate your City Councilmember online by typing your address into the box labeled “My Neighborhood” at http://www.lacity.org/lacity/YourGovernment/CityCouncil/index.htm (scroll down to see it) or by calling the city’s information line at 311.

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) introduced S-258 under the name “Save Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2009.” The enhanced sentences apply to anyone who sells a Schedule I or II drug to a person under 21 when it is combined with candy or packaged to look like candy. Senator Feinstein, a long-time opponent of her own state’s medical cannabis law, is not promoting S-258 as a medical cannabis bill – but the text specifically mentions a popular medical cannabis edible that was part of a 2007 DEA raid and federal prosecution (Tainted’s “Pot Tart”). LA Councilmember Hahn supports medical cannabis, but may not intend to jeopardize Angelinos who legally use edible preparations of cannabis. We need to stop this resolution and send it back further consideration.

In January 2009, Sen. Diane Feinstein introduced legislation, S-258, also called the “Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2009″. This legislation is designed to ban medicinal cannabis edibles, under the pretext that these edible preparations look like candy and are intended to be marketed to children. The legislation’s implied assertion that these forms of cannabis are intended for children is just plain wrong. Sen. Feinstein’s bill is an example of ill-informed political grandstanding at its very worst. Sen. Feinstein is attempting to use the hot button issue of protecting kids, when she is only acting to deny the most vulnerable patients access to a legitimate medicinal preparation of cannabis. Currently, S-258 is in the Senate Judiciary Committee, awaiting a vote that will likely take place this month. This bill must be stopped.

LA City Councilmember Janice Hahn has introduced a resolution in the LA City Council to support Feinstein’s bill. The City Council will vote on her resolution this Friday, August 7th at 10 am in Van Nuys. We’re asking for help to defeat Hahn’s resolution.

PLEASE MAKE THE CALL.

The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a well-respected nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress.

1/15/2009–Introduced.
Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2009 – Amends the Controlled Substances Act to make it unlawful for any adult (at least 18 years of age) to knowingly and intentionally manufacture, create, distribute, or dispense, or to possess with such intent, a Schedule I or II controlled substance that is: (1) combined with a candy product; (2) marketed or packaged to appear similar to a candy product; or (3) modified by flavoring or coloring with the intent to distribute, dispense, or sell it to a person under 21 years of age. Imposes enhanced criminal penalties for violations. Exempts any controlled substance that has been approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the drug approval process or that has been altered at the direction of a medical practitioner for a legitimate medical purpose.

Last night’s preview party was fantastic, but let’s face it, it was just a warmup for tonight’s huge bash.

No invite required, so just show up to the

Corey Helford Gallery

7-10pm

No secret my affiliation with COOP – so here’s news of the opening of Coop’s first show of paintings in three years.

It’s at the stupendously awesome Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, and PLEASE come!

Party is Friday the 29th from 7-10pm and Coop and I will both be on hand so please step up and say hey!

COREY HELFORD GALLERY

8522 WASHINGTON BLVD

CULVER CITY

Party – open to the public -

FRIDAY MAY 29TH

7 – 10 pm

Actually you can get it right here at the Lillian Theater, if you’re seeing the new play RANTOUL AND DIE. Brought to you by the writer and producer of tv’s Two and a Half Men, this play really raises the bar on 99-seat theater in LA.

(Being from Chicago, I’m more than acquainted with Rantoul: It’s where you pee when you’re traveling from Chicago down to the lower parts of the state for the universities. But this play has nothing to do with that; it’s set there and boy do you ever get the feel for it. Job security means the local DQ fer chrissakes.)

Without divulging too much, they’re calling this “a romantic comedy wrapped in razor wire” and it can be brutal at times. But it’s also tightly written and beautifully (and intensely) acted. Cynthia Ettinger is utterly amazing.

It’s a short run and tickets are cheap, so there’s no excuse to miss this.

LA Times infoblurb is here. Kenneth Jones Playbill online is here.