Lisa Burks Online

Some days are more unusual than others

Today started with an earthquake and ended with a murder-suicide.

In between, I got my hair cut.

Last night, unable to settle in to sleep, I was up and working on my fourth of ten Toastmaster Competent Communicator certification speeches.   I'm currently our club's VP of Education which entails guiding everyone toward attain their certification goals.  Yet, I haven't been focusing on attaining my own in recent months, oops.

Anyway, at 12:58 a.m. I heard the walls of my 1947 bungalow-type apartment begin to creak and moan.  Turning on the radio, I learned that a 4.5 magnitude quake had just rumbled through the Chatsworth area. 

I didn't feel anything, and there were no tell tale signs like blinds moving or lamp cords swaying.  Just my little pad, groaning like someone was trying to shake it awake.

Memories of Northridge over a decade ago urged me to sleep in my street clothes, just in case.  The rest of the evening was uneventful.

After work I decided to stop and get my hair cut, unruly curls trimmed into submission or at least some sort of short style for the hot summer months. 

Argit, my current glamour technician, slapped some kind of "product" (marketing speak for goop) called Bed Head on the 'do when it was done.  Did I want to buy some?  No, thanks.  I can apparently accomplish the exact same look, effortlessly and for free, after eight hours of sleep. 

On my way home I discovered that my neighborhood was blocked off by police cars, officers and barricades.  Apparently an hour before someone had gone on a shooting spree in an apartment complex one street over from my place, just across the alley to be exact.

It took me a while to get home, and along the way I collected some sights and sounds to write about for valleynews.com, and tonight before hitting the hay, filed a first-person story there on the Burbank hub.

Additional news coverage of the shooting: Burbank Leader, LA Daily News, LA Daily News blogs It's A Crime and East of the 5, LA Times/Associated Press, KCAL9/CBS2, KTTV Fox 11, KNBC4, KABC7.

Some days are more unusual than others.

I'd like to say this 30 minutes ahead of schedule tonight: TGIF!

Ann & Nancy & Dog & Butterfly

Some days I can't seem to get enough of the music I grew up listening to.  Today is one of those days.  You Tube to the rescue!

One of the timeless tunes of my youth? Heart's "Dog & Butterfly," written and performed by mega-talented sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson.  I <3 Heart!  This song in particular made me wish I knew how to play a guitar. 

Flash forward to last summer when I bought a student-sized guitar, perfect for my baby-hands, at a garage sale for ten bucks.  One step closer to maybe one day being able to play this song. 

It's on my To-Do-Before-I-Die List.

In the meantime, here are the Wilson sisters performing this favorite in 2003, on The Late Show with Craig Kilborne.  Enjoy!

"The Story of Hollywood" to be presented at the Burbank Library

Tinseltown history buffs, mark your calendars for Gregory Paul Williams' upcoming talk and slide show presentation of his splendid, award-winning 416-page book, The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History (BL Press, 2006) at the Burbank Public Library.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 29 at 7PM

WHERE: Burbank Central Library auditorium, 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank CA 91502 (Map)

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Story of Hollywood follows Hollywood from its dusty origins to its glorious rise to stardom. Lavishly illustrated with over 800 vintage images from the author’s private collection, the book tells the complete story of Hollywood including its eventual decline and urban renewal. Both the playground of stars and the boulevard of broken dreams, Hollywood transformed American society with its motion pictures that revolutionized the entertainment world. The Story of Hollywood brings new insights to readers. with a passion for Hollywood and its place in the history of film, radio, and television.

Greg's book was honored with an Independent Publisher Book Award (Silver, West-Pacific Best Regional Non-Fiction or Non-Fiction) earlier this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised near the Hollywood sign, Greg’s interest in Hollywood’s history began when he wrote The Story of Hollywood, a book about the neighborhood where he grew up. His connection to Hollywood goes beyond an interest in its history, though. A puppeteer and a puppet designer in the entertainment industry for 25 years, Greg's credits include "Men in Black" and "Men in Black II," "Beakman’s World," "Child’s Play 3," "Mighty Joe Young," "Pee Wee’s Playhouse," and "The Showbiz Show with David Spade." He also wrote a series of children’s books with Jim Henson based on the Muppet characters. Greg has devoted many hours to the preservation of Hollywood’s Historic District and continues to be active in the community.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

"Hurray for Hollywood" at the Burbank Library Blog.

The Story of Hollywood's official website which includes sample text and images, as well as media coverage of the author and book.

A notable review from Variety.com.

Greg's Amazon.com blog gives more insights into how he created the book and why.