Deborah La Torre

I learned about that when I went to an event with PBS SoCal. People need to know!

I love PBS Passport

Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.

Do you want to help public radio after their loss of funding? Just use this website to find and donate.

I’m a proud donor to @kcrw.com in Los Angeles.

adoptastation.org

The Words of the Week - Aug. 1 Dictionary lookups from weather, politics, and advertising

These are your words of the week

eugenics
derecho
persona non grata
endangerment
hypergamy
absquatulate
www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the...

Henry Louis Gates Jr and colleagues at a PBS SoCal donors event this year.

Ken Burns and his fellow filmmakers being interviewed at a PBS SoCal donors event for his upcoming documentary.

An event for Ken Burns upcoming documentary on The American Revolution

I tend to subscribe and cancel streaming channels regularly but I’ve been a consistent donor to PBS SoCal since I cut the cord eight years ago. PBS Passport has amazing content.

BTW, the photos are from @pbs.org donor events I attended this year with Ken Burns and Henry Louis Gates Jr.

I watch so many of the @pbs.org European Walter Presents shows too.

"WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations"

cpb.org/pressroom/Co...

To reintroduce myself. I’m a career researcher at UCLA where I primarily do evaluation and assessment work in the field of education.

While many of our federal grants in teacher ed were already cancelled this news is still devastating.

Please call your congress people and senators.

Tennyson would be happy

Encinitas is my hometown. It isn’t conservative anymore. Democrat Mike Levin is the congressman there. It voted Obama, Hillary, Biden, and Harris.

I prefer slow travel although I’m okay if a half day turns into a whole one.

For example, I ended up walking through Barcelona after going to the Picasso museum. I unexpectedly ended up at a Greek theatre, the Joan Miró Institute, and then the Olympic stadium on my way home.

History History This Bob's restaurant was built in 1949 by local residents Scott MacDonald and Ward Albert, and is the oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy in America. It was designed by renowned architect Wayne Mc...

People should just go to Burbank on the weekend to experience the car hop or car show at Bob’s Big Boy.

bobs.net/pages/history

Cats who read!

Lila cat lying on me and watching TikTok on the iPad

My cat Lila is a big fan of animal TikTok. Her favorites are the San Diego Zoo and right now she is watching videos of a cat colony at a Tuscan villa. #caturday

My calico cat Chloe rubbing her face against a hard copy of Adam Serwer’s book The Cruelty is the Point.

This came up in my memories this week. Chloe cat has always been a big fan of Adam Serwer because of his ginger cats. #caturday

I’ll never forget their singing while watching La Bamba with my parents when I was a kid.

That’s my hometown. Law enforcement in Encinitas is handled by the sheriff’s department. Their vests would say sheriff not police.

I live in the flight path to Burbank airport. This is &&&&& crazy!

Guinness should only be had on tap and in a pub owned by someone from (or in) Ireland

Blur or Oasis: answer is Manic Street Preachers

I’m happy to share that researchers and public service professional employees at the University of California will be voting to unionize!

There’s been talk about doing this for years, and there are many unions already in the UC, but with threats to funding this is so important.

With ten campuses I think we will put up a good fight.

My cat hates when I force her off the “cream colored” rug!

When my younger cat was still a baby she used to suck on my older cat’s tail. Boy was my older girl frustrated!

PBS News is not going anywhere.

We will continue our work without fear or favor, as we have for nearly five decades on the air.

We are profoundly grateful to Viewers Like You for your loyalty and unwavering support.

My real life friend, Jonathan, is looking for collaborators!

YouTube video by The Beach Boys - Topic God Only Knows (Remastered 1999)

99% of the time I just think peaceful thoughts about the loss of my dad to Parkinson’s two years ago. But hearing Brian Wilson singing God Only Knows during yoga this afternoon brought tears streaming down my cheeks. It’s interesting how the combination of stillness and music can be so powerful.

YouTube video by The Daily Show Nick Offerman Is Sounding the Alarm: America’s National Parks Are Under Attack | The Daily Show

I try not to do annoying advocacy posts on my socials, but I make an exception for the national parks. This is a humorous video and I hope it helps raise support for the parks system, a true wonder among God’s creations and our most exceptional cultural export

m.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Wv...

They probably didn’t know that the pour is a multiple step process for Guinness 😣

When I’m old I’ll barely remember White Lotus. I’ll always be a Star Wars kid, and Andor is the best.