NOT (entirely) A CAT COLUMN

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My friend Jai sent me a link to the cat concerto on YouTube with this explanation:

It's one of those things that make one joyous to be part of art. A cat living in the home of an American piano teacher ends up in collaboration with a Lithuanian conductor for all the world to enjoy. In spite of any tongue-in-cheek aspect to this example, the ability for music & art to jump the authoritarian boundaries of state, nation, continent, culture & politics is purely glorious! There seems to be mounting evidence that perhaps it can cross the boundaries of species, as well. :) Elephants & primate painters, dancing birds, piano playing felines....

Great running into you at Jean's!

L,P&A,

Jai

L,P&A took me a few seconds—love, peace and art.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “Cartels' pot cultivation explodes in state parks as the gov't cuts jobs, services,” This sounds like fun until you read further and realize that the pot-growers are not your friendly neighborhood organic tie-dyed hippie vegans; these guys are agribusiness, and they are using pesticides and causing erosion in huge areas of our state parks. The one thing sure besides death and taxes is unintended consequences.

Meanwhile, our governator wants to spend $356 million to reconstruct San Quentin’s Death Row.

I just joined Facebook and found this group when I mentioned in my profile that I am writing a biography about Malvina. I wasn’t surprised to find that a bunch of people are Malvina fans, but I was surprised at the variety of countries represented: France, Spain, Australia, Colombia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, China, Malaysia, Wales, Chile. Who knew?

I’m writing about the fifties now, and my mother at that time was West Coast Representative for the National Guardian. Part of her job was putting on fundraising affairs with progressive speakers and entertainment. This experience probably came in handy later when she was the performer, rather than the organizer. She could see both points of view and knew how to roll with the punches. Here’s a letter she wrote to the Chronicle’s classic gossip columnist, Herb Caen:

June 29, 1959

Herb Caen,

S.F. Chronicle

Dear Herb:

Through
 an error, the grand tea of the Woman’s Missionary Union of San 
Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, and the banquet of the friends of a 
liberal New York newsweekly, were scheduled for almost the same time in 
the same banquet hall of the Church (Sunday June 28).

Disaster?
 Not at all. The Missionary ladies curtailed their tea by a hour; the 
Gate Five Trio entertained the hopeful banqueters in the Youth Chapel 
for an hour; the church group whisked their tea things out and the 
banquet committee whisked their banquet in, and the decorations of the 
one helped cheer the guests of the other.