Seat Filling for the Stars: Sitting Pretty or Slave Labor? (tags)
I went undercover at a televised show called “Teachers Rock,” which was broadcast from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. I applied to be a seat filler with hopes of learning how this highly unusual profession works. Could this be the key to unemployment? Could filling seats fill bank accounts? It turned out the answer was no because the salary is zero.
Hunter Moore, Isanyoneup.com and Cyber Rape (tags)
Cyber rape is a disturbing trend in which websites upload copyright-protected naked images in order to trash reputations and end careers; and of course, make money. I spent a heart-wrenching week consoling victims.
Miss Hooker Beauty Pageant: Naked Facts about Women and Equality (tags)
Politics is where the power is, so if women desire that power, why does testosterone consume the room when it is time to affect change?
Colin Quinn was performing his brilliant one man show "Long Story Short" (directed by Jerry Seinfeld) to a sold-out crowd. In addition to nonstop laughs on historical topics, the show offered profound insights. I was particularly intrigued by Colin’s observation that (the pursuit of) “happiness” is part of Declaration of Independence, yet “no other country has made it their policy to cheer people up.” How ironic, I thought.
Real Thoughts on Fake Lives (tags)
I wondered about those who intentionally live someone else’s life and headed to the 2012 Celebrity Impersonator Convention and Awards in Las Vegas. I wanted to know how “Sean Connery” and “Johnny Cash” felt about being Sean Connery and Johnny Cash. Could they retain a sense of self while playing 007 or a boy named Sue?
Natalie Portman?s $600 Carton of Eggs: The Black Swan and The Chicken (tags)
I am an animal rights advocate like Natalie Portman; and recently heard of the vegan actress? dilemma: she wanted to consume eggs during her pregnancy. Portman is a compassionate soul, so I wanted to help her with a compassionate alternative.
Oprah, Me and Reality TV (tags)
My escapades auditioning for on Oprah Winfrey’s new reality program, "Your Own Show." Ten contestants will compete to host their own television show on Oprah’s new network, OWN.
Clowns, Casinos and Men Full of Cash (tags)
Over the years, Vegas has shifted from big spenders to tourists in order to stay afloat. Casino owners over-borrowed and overbuilt, and the city now has the highest foreclosure rate of any major metro area in the country and the second highest unemployment rate at 13 percent.
Michael Jackson and Medical Paternalism (tags)
Michael Jackson’s doctors have been described as greedy, selfish enablers with “blood on their hands,” but isn’t it just as likely they are caring individuals who are willing to risk personal liability to help the suffering?
Clueless at City Hall: Foreclosures and Tenants (tags)
Ordinances designed to protect tenants when a house enters foreclosure can have ramifications for the property owner, neighbors and taxpayer.
Hold the MSG: It’s Not Risk-Free (tags)
MSG is a secret saboteur of health; the food industry tricks consumers into buying products with free glutamic acid (or MSG) by listing it under any one of 43 innocent-sounding names, such as natural flavoring, seasonings, yeast extract, spices, pectin or citric acid.
Banks Get a Bailing Grade (tags)
The average person is incensed over pyramid-king Bernie Madoff, CEO bonuses, lavish executive junkets and the diamond-studded safety nets gifted big business. But public outrage is deficient in the realm I call banking’s black hole of incompetence, a bureaucratic void which seems to suck intelligence, ability and reason from bank employees
Clean Money: Better Elections (tags)
Clean money means accountability to voters, not special interests. It gives the ordinary citizen access to candidates. It levels the playing field and increases voter participation.
Stephen Colbert Smokes Out Political Ickiness (tags)
What did America learn from comedian Stephen Colbert's presidential campaign? All about political ickiness.
Gnomes, Smiley Faces and the LA Gay Debate (tags)
I attended the televised Democratic debate in Los Angeles, which focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. The evening’s theme was about moving towards a necessary equality
Confessions of an Adopted Child (tags)
As an adopted child, I felt ideologically out of place. I wondered if a person could have a genetic predisposition towards particular moral values? Could DNA be a factor in a person's attraction to sports or sequined evening gowns?
Desperately Seeking DNA (tags)
This article explores the connection between genes, crime and adoption.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? The Controversial Peter Singer (tags)
I had the opportunity to eat, drink and make moral calculations with the Father of the Animal Rights Movement, philosopher Peter Singer.
Are You the Terrorist Next Door? The AETA and the Green Scare (tags)
Congress recently passed legislation called the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), which can be used to prosecute civil disobedience and speech as “domestic terrorism” when an animal-related business loses profits and property. The Act also protects corporations that pollute and destroy the environment.
The Diet of Distraction: Not Food for Thought (tags)
This article argues that the "experts" who ask dieters to calorie count, join programs and think constantly about what they eat are not always offering the best advice.
Measure H is Not a Magic Bullet (tags)
If I could wave my magic wand, Proposition H—the billion-dollar “affordable” housing bond measure--would disappear from the November 7th stage, and the Prop H supporters would be revealed as illusionists.
My Adventure Presenting Animal Rights Philosophy to the FBI (tags)
The FBI paid me to fly to the Washington D.C. area to lecture law enforcement executives and managers from around the world about animal rights philosophy.
Going Undercover to Become Donald Trump’s Apprentice (tags)
Casting for next season's "The Apprentice" is underway in New York, Tampa, Denver, Memphis, Sacramento, Chicago, Hartford, Honolulu, San Diego, Washington DC, Las Vegas and Phoenix. I went undercover at the Los Angeles auditions to bring you details about how the process works.
Directors of Animal Welfare: Helping Los Angeles Communities and the Animals (tags)
Appointed to be the eyes and ears of those who can not speak for themselves, The Directors of Animal Welfare (DAWs) work with their Neighborhood Councils to tackle problems, initiate proposals and hold events aimed at solving problems or creating awareness on issues that help humans and animals live together harmoniously.
Arm Wrestling with Darwin (tags)
I am convinced by the evidence of natural selection and treasure Darwin’s theory because it promotes an interconnectedness of all living things, but I hold that the intense battle to keep ID out of the classroom is misguided.
Mayor Villaraigosa and the Truth about Cats and Dogs (tags)
If Mayor Villaraigosa fails to honor his promise to fire Mr. Stuckey and to hire a compassionate and experienced General Manager who can implement a no-kill plan and reform the department, he may find that the animal community is politically-speaking, more bite than bark.
The Animal Liberation Front attack in LA! (tags)
“A communiqué received by the Press Office (for the ALF) reads in part: ‘The animal liberation front has taken advice from our Commander in Chief to “smoke terrorists out of their holes.” The target was Los Angeles number One terrorist Gordon Stuckey. Military Strength Smoke grenades were detonated on the floor of this animal killers abode. Sleep light … alf.”
The Animal Liberation Front attack! (tags)
“A communiqué received by the Press Office (for the ALF) reads in part: ‘The animal liberation front has taken advice from our Commander in Chief to “smoke terrorists out of their holes.” The target was Los Angeles number One terrorist Gordon Stuckey. Military Strength Smoke grenades were detonated on the floor of this animal killers abode. Sleep light … alf.”
Rent Control Rehab for the Well-Heeled (tags)
Property values have risen an average of 425% in California since 1980 and 115% in Los Angeles since 2000. If you have the means, escape the "perpetual tenant syndrome" and enter the rent control rehab program before it's too late.
Much Ado About Mansionization? (tags)
Mansionizers—who are frequently "spec" builders--buy small or dilapidated homes, raze them and erect massive structures, often resembling sterile apartment buildings.
Gentlemen Prefer Blogs: Jerry Brown's Blog (tags)
Mayor Jerry Brown—formerly the Governor of California—has just started his own blog.
From Democracy to Omniocracy (tags)
Shouldn't we consider a move away from Democracy – which is really just a rule by the elite (humans) – to an Omniocracy (a government of, by and for all living beings)?
Patriots and Parrots: Imprisoning Tongues in America (tags)
It can be dangerous to engage in free speech. This year alone, 242 journalists, in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, have been tossed into jail for their words, and one has been killed.
Anybody But Hahn? A Mayoral Convention for the Animals (tags)
A few months ago, the country heard the Democrats' mantra "Anybody but Bush." On January 9, 2005 at the Citizens for a Humane Los Angeles mayoral convention at Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, one group of animal rights and welfare advocates supported the "Anybody but Hahn" theory while another argued "Vote your Heart."
California's Sex Offender Database: Is Your Home at Threat Level Red? (tags)
The easily accessible Megan's Law Database could have a negative impact on California, raising fears, achieving little and impacting real estate values.
A "Few Bad Apples" or "The Bad Seed" of Circumstance? (tags)
Countless studies have shown that external factors are highly predictive of so-called "moral" behavior -- people are generally conformists, blind followers of authority and highly influenced by circumstance rather than character and values.
Polls and the Power of Self-Manipulation (tags)
Does the polling process itself encourage participants to not tell the truth?
Writing L.A.'s Wrongs with a "No Kill" Shelter Proposal (tags)
Los Angeles kills 30,000 – 50,000 of our dogs and cats at our city shelters each year for an annual cost of $14 million dollars. Not only does this turn our city's animal "shelters" into death houses, at great expense, it is entirely unnecessary.
Local residents assist seniors with flu shot vaccines before the supply is gone.