LOVE ANGELES

Cirque Du Saddle: Why Cavalia Might Be Alright

Source: Dogtime.com: 

[A horse is a horse, of course, of course... unless it is part of Cavalia, a breathtaking spectacle of equestrian arts performed under a 100-foot-high big top. Often called the "Cirque du Soliel of horses," this lavish multimedia spectacle was founded by one of Cirque's founders, Normand Latourelle, yet the unique combination of horse and human feats makes this show unlike any other. Fifty horses comprise the animal team, who perform with graceful human counterparts in dressage, trick riding, flying sequences, ball balancing , bungee jumping and intricate, ballet-like choreography. What really takes your breath away --- aside from musical score, lighting and sounds effects, costumes and setting --- is the human-equestrian connection. If you never cared for horses before, this will certainly change your mind.] excerpt via LAWeekly

"If you've been fortunate enough to attend this display of freeform horsemanship, you'll second this glowing review: The horses thunder around and across the stage, they line dance their brand of dressage as well as the Lipizzaners do, and they display their near-immaculate moves with hands-free commands. All this with an impressive 1:1 ratio of stallions to geldings. (no mares to fight over.)

Best of all, the 60-plus horses travel in luxury, are attended to with the same precision that obviously attends their training, and generally get treated like family.

But that hasn't kept some of the more off-center animal rightists from offering their opinion on the subject. Some apparently hold that it's disrespectful to force animals to perform. How do I know?

Below is a Q I received via email last week. Following it, I've printed the answer I included in last weekend's Miami Herald article on the subject. Enjoy and feel free to offer your opinions in the comments section...

Q: Could you spend some time explaining that people should not spend their money on circuses? I’m sick of seeing the animals treated so poorly at these venues. I used to think Cirque de Soleil had it right until this Cavalia thing. Please tell people not to support the inhumane treatment of animals at shows like this.

A: Agreed. From a veterinarian’s point of view, I would hasten to support your contention that a wild animal’s welfare is not best served in a circus setting. Even if these outfits treated animals in the most humane manner possible, the less-than-serene atmosphere of a circus environment, along with its typical transience, is not suited to animals whose natures are not conducive to excitement and whose basic health is undermined each time they travel. Moreover, I believe it humiliates wild animals to force them into this kind of human servitude. It’s disrespectful. And let’s not forget that circuses offer the wrong impression when it comes to teaching children that wild animals should be respected and protected. Though it may entertain them, it can’t possibly do kids any good to see wild animals treated as nothing more than objects of amusement. Was that what you wanted me to write? It wasn’t hard. I buy all these arguments and more. Though I consider myself a moderate animal welfarist, you might actually count me on PETA’s side of things on the subject of wild animal shows as part of circuses. 

But here’s the catch: You won’t catch me dissing Cavalia in the process. Though I haven’t yet attended the horse-themed, circus-like spectacle my intrepid veterinary sources inform me that the treatment of these horses is beyond compare. It’s also my take that the recruitment of horses for shows such as Cavalia’s cannot compare to the use of wild animals (such as elephants and tigers) in circuses. Horses have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years and, as such, their longstanding relationship to humans as both workers and companions means they train well, travel well, bond with humans and––in most cases––clearly enjoy their work.Though the most militant animal rights groups may disagree with me (and so might you), I’ve got no beef with Cavalia. The horses are pampered and out of harm’s way. What’s more, the show is all about the bond we share with our fellow animals. Can’t argue with that, either.

Cavalia Live in Burbank every week Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from Wed., January 19 until Sun., February 6

Jamie Oliver’s "Food Revolution" in Los Angeles

Source: LAist - Jamie is trying to get into the LAUSD as part of his food advocacy efforts, but he’s been told he and his Emmy-award winning show are not welcome in our schools. Spend five minutes talking with the impassioned chef, and you’ll know that a “no” won’t stop him from trying. Yesterday, there was a sign that his very vocal perseverance may eventually pay off.

The Huffington Post ran an op-ed piece from Megan Chernin, Chair of the Board of MLA Partner Schools. This organization independently operates two South LA schools in a unique partnership with the LAUSD. Chernin pointed out that a high percentage of the children served by the LAUSD are obese or nearly so, with 50 percent of the 6,300 students at MLA Partner Schools hitting that mark.

“We cannot put this issue on the back burner,” says Chernin, “And, that's why I want to listen to what Jamie Oliver has to say.” She says that at the core, what needs to change is unhealthy diets and poor eating habits. Chernin thinks that if a celebrity chef who happens to have a hit reality show wants to help her to help her students, the least she can do is invite him to lunch.

LAist recently met with Jamie, who has just begun filming the second season of “Food Revolution,” at his set in Westwood near UCLA. The reality crews were rolling as Jamie told us about how he keeps them well-fed on set. He talked about what challenges Americans face and changes they can make to improve their health. And, as it’s the cause close to his heart, Jamie brings it all back to school kids.

President Obama's Full Speech at Tucson Memorial (Video)

"It's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we're talking with each other in a way that heals not in a way that wounds." - President Obama

See the clip below:

David Beckham, Posh Spice Expecting a Girl This Time?

Source: Miami Herald -  Victoria and David Beckham are expecting their fourth child. Will they get a girl this time? The soccer star and Spice Girl are parents to three boys: Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, 8, and Cruz, 5. Experts say - not surprisingly - that it's a 50-50 shot.

Congrats go out to the couple; they've weathered nasty infidelity rumors of late. In September, a Manhattan call girl said Becks had hired her services for $10,000 a night, a claim he vehemently denied.

LA's Hippest Meditation Studio Set for 2011

Just Sit is a unique meditation meet-up with a mission of recapturing the essence of meditation... this time without the rules, formulas and dogmas normally associated with the practice (hence its name, Just Sit.)  

Created late 2009, LA residents Jerry Lee Davis and Forrest Kolb envisioned an inclusive and non-dogmatic place for people to get together and go within. Throughout 2010 the meetup increasingly attracted a growing and diverse community of people paving the way for a new location in Culver City for 2011.

"For many of us who are searching for ways to find our center, to meditate, we simply want to just sit and connect. With no specific dogma or singular affiliations, we come together as a group to hold space for our collective consciousness to rise and to support each other in becoming more familiar with our higher self," says co-founder Jerry Lee Davis.

What You Can Expect:
Three 15 minute meditations with free-flowing dialogue mixed in throughout the class. 

The first 15 minute settling meditation will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. The second meditation is 20 minutes and is a silent opening meditation. The final 15 minute meditation is a “closing meditation” and will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. 

New Location: TBD for 2012

Time:
Sunday 6:00pm - 7:30pm

What is a Suggested Donation and How Does It Work? 
There is a suggested donation of $10 a class. Suggested donation means that if you can put $10 in the box, please do. If you are not in a position to do so, contribute what you can. Nobody will be keeping track of individual donations. The $10 dollar donation is not meant as a bottom or a top limit… if you are in a position to donate more, it will be greatly appreciated.

For more information, connect with Just Sit on Facebook and/or Contact Jerry Lee Davis or Forrest Kolb at info@justsit.org for more information.

Angelina Jolie Defends Bosnian Directorial Debut

Source: Reuters - Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has hit back at criticism of her directorial debut, saying most people back her portrayal of a love story between a Serbian man and Bosnian woman on the eve of the 1992-95 Balkans conflict.

Speaking in Paris ahead of next week's premiere of a very different film -- romantic action comedy "The Tourist" in which she stars with Johnny Depp -- Jolie said her intention had never been to stoke controversy with her movie set in wartime Bosnia.
Bosnian victims of sexual violence during the 1990s have written to the United Nations, for which the Oscar-winning actress is a goodwill ambassador, saying she didn't deserve the position and did not know enough about the ethnic conflict.

"There's one person who has a gripe," Jolie said.

"The absolute majority of the people, population, the cast, prime minister, president have been extremely supportive," she said, adding that 95 percent of the film's cast had lived through the war.

Jolie has described her movie, which is still untitled, as a love story between a Serbian man and a Bosnian Muslim woman on the eve of the 1992-95 war in which 100,000 people died.

The production team has cut back on filming plans in Bosnia, however, moving some scenes from Sarajevo to be shot in Budapest, after a Bosnian minister canceled the filming permit in October, citing incomplete paperwork.

The move came after the minister met with female victims of the Bosnian war who said they objected to details of the plot.

Jolie, who also wrote the screenplay, said she had initially set out to just write to express her frustrations over how long the international community took to intervene in conflicts.

"It kept leaning toward Yugoslavia at the time, I wanted to learn more about it and the people, the more I read and learnt I was drawn to that part of the world," she said.
"I met artists from that part of the world and found they were extraordinary for what they'd gone through, so I wanted to give them a platform."

The "Tomb Raider" star has asked women war victims in a letter to hold judgment until they have seen the film in which she said "there are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters."

Andy Grammer - Rachael Ray Performance "Keep Your Head Up" (Video)

Our friend Andy Grammer (who started out performing on the streets of Santa Monica) continues to raise the vibration through his musical talents. Enjoy this live clip from the Rachel Ray show today! Big Up Andy!!!