Posted 10:29 AM by Blah blah

After comparing Sally's, Jennifer's, and Babelfish's translations, I've revised Christina's marriage entry below.

Christina wrote me: "I plan to note you after our wedding which is in Oct. Do you think you can come to China to join our wedding? Yes, I know him for about 6 years, but the story is ordinary, heheheh~~~~ nothing special! Anyway hope you are happy every day, keep in touch...."

Had lunch with Pjammer yesterday at Mayuri, an Indian restaurant in Santa Clara. It's always cool to talk to him, since we both have a strong interest in film. He's writing and planning to shoot his next short film, Ezekiel's Chariot. Stay tuned!
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Lisa Slade, Comedy, and SIDS (Friends, Health)

Last night I spent several hours at Lisa Slade's house. Met her husband Paul and her two sons, who are adorable and budding comedians! I have too much to say about this wonderful lady.

Lisa is SUCH a sweetie---a very caring and compassionate person.

The Toe Report: Her toe (the second toe on her right foot) is back to its normal pink color, but she's still lying on the sofa most of the day, recovering from her injury at the Silent Party, after she stepped on a broken beer bottle. Her tendon was injured but thankfully not severed. She winced in pain sometimes last night and needs to keep her foot elevated. She needs crutches to walk.

Comedy

She and I both have very wacky senses of humor that click well! After attending extension classes at Oxford, she became a lawyer in London. She ALSO became a standup comedian and a TV "presenter" (the British term for "host")! She worked with some of the actors from one of my favorite British TV shows, that incredibly funny cult sci-fi hit, Red Dwarf, speaking out at fan conventions. She's friends with the actor Robbie Llewellyn from the show, who plays the android Kryten.

Lisa is an improvisational comedian, like those folks on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, another of my favorite, dangerously funny shows. She has no idea what she's gonna say when she goes out on stage. In fact, ComedySportz, my favorite comedy group here, asked her to work for them! She asked if I'd be interested in being her guinea pig on stage the next time she does her "hypnosis routine," a sketch in which she pretends to hypnotize you while you pretend you're at her command.

She teaches yoga. Plus she sings, dances, writes, and directs a murder mystery dinner theater. Yes, it's really all one woman!

I just love that we share all these interests! You've gotta go try ComedySportz if you've never seen live improv team comedy. Visit one of their chapters in your area! I like it better than individual standup. (I wrote about my fun time seeing it before.)

From our San Jose branch: "The National Comedy Theatre is proud to be the home of ComedySportz, competitive, team improvisational comedy, played just like a sport. Throughout the show, the two teams play a variety of improvisational games all based on suggestions from the audience. The audience also might have a chance to pick games, call fouls, volunteer for a variety of tasks and ultimately decides which team is the evening's winner. And, best of all, it's clean! The NCT provides one of the few comedy shows that is suitable for the whole family."

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

While she cannot yet work in the U.S. (waiting for a green card), Lisa has spent her spare time organizing events to raise money and awareness to fight Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a baby killer. It's also known as "crib death."

Please see her site, SIDSevent.org, for more about all her fundraising events! I helped her redo it last night.

In fact, tonight she's running a Speed Dating event in Campbell, which I'm attending (not as a participant). She's also holding a Luau and Bachelorette Auction this Saturday, selling off dates with pretty single women to the highest bidder. PLUS, she writes, directs, sings, and acts in a murder mystery dinner theater. She went into character yesterday before me, playing a "hussy" while lying crippled on the couch.

Go to SIDSevent.org to buy tickets as well as read her story!



Lisa is VERY passionate about and committed to working to prevent SIDS. She writes: "On the morning of February 6th 2002, my best friend tried to wake up her seven-month-old baby. Brynn Marie Davis, a most beautiful, healthy and happy child, had died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, otherwise known as crib death. Her parents, Melanie and Steve, could not have been more loving and doting but, through no fault of their own, they have lost their beloved angel.

The last time I saw the little girl on the day of her funeral I made her a promise. I vowed to her that, whilst there is still breath in my body, I will not rest until we know more about why these perfectly healthy babies are dying. I refuse to walk away from a small, white coffin without a clue as to why a piece of my heart was being buried with a child I loved as my own. I vowed to make a difference and, with your help, I will!

In November last year my team and I held a BACHELOR AUCTION at The Kings Head Pub in Campbell. Yes,­ we sold men for charity! Everyone had a fantastic evening and we raised $3,400. Our ears are still ringing from the screaming and yelling and it was certainly a night anyone there shall never forget. Our professional auctioneer, ­ Mike Vendetti, ­ really got the ball rolling with bids ranging from $35 to $275 for a complimentary meal with one of our lovely young men. Our guys ranged in age from 22 to 62 with all different careers and lifestyles, so we certainly had something for everyone.

Every penny raised at the auction was donated to the national SIDS Alliance to fund its four core services: research, advocacy, risk-reduction education, and bereavement services. Due to the generosity of donors, the SIDS Alliance is able to provide the majority of its services free of charge and to further its mission of helping babies to survive and thrive....

The tragic fact is that, in this country alone, we are still losing over 2,500 a year from crib death. There are many theories as to why babies die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and, with increased awareness and financing, the wonderful work researches are doing today can continue forward until one day, I pray, we will be able to prevent the loss of any of these children."

As you see, Lisa is too complex and passionate about life for a short blog entry to do her justice! The best thing is to get to know her yourself. Feel free to email her. One of these days you'll probably see her speaking on TV about SIDS, rallying politicians to change the health insurance industry, and generally acting like the goofy girl she is at heart.