Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 12, 2011

10

ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, February 12, 2011 


CRAZY LOCO LOVE: A MEMOIR 

by Victor E. Villasenor 

 
This Pulitzer Price 
nominated author has 
written in Crazy Loco Love a 
humorous & poignant book 
which depicts the vulnerability and naiveté of a young man wrestling with the roles 
expected of him by society & the church, while undermining the macho stereotype 
often associated with Latinos. Growing up on a ranch in San Diego, he spent 
his teenage years struggling to understand his identity, faith and his burgeoning 
sexuality. Though the son of a successful self-made man, Victor must deal with 
discrimination. His journey of self discovery leads him to question the tenets of 
his catholic faith and its restrictions it places on him. Ultimately his quest takes 
him across the border to learn about his roots & to discover his own potential. His 
youthful misadventures will elicit both sympathy and laughter as he attempts to divine the mysteries 
of the opposite sex in this powerful memoir. He has written a number of other best selling books as 
well!

WILD BILL DONOVAN: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage 
by Douglas Waller

 
He was one of America’s most exciting and secretive generals - the man 
Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II. A mythic figure 
whose legacy is still intensely debated, “Wild Bill” Donovan was director 
of the Office of Strategic Services (the country’s first national intelligence 
agency) and the father of American Espionage. Donovan introduced the 
nation to the dark arts of covert warfare on a scale it had never seen before. 
Now, veteran journalist Douglas Waller has mined government and private 
archives throughout the United States and England, drawn on thousands 
of pages of recently declassified documents, and interviewed scores of 
Donovan’s relatives, friends, and associates to produce a riveting biography 
of one of the most powerful men in modern espionage. Wild Bill Donovan 
reads like an action-packed spy thriller, with stories of daring young men 
and women in his OSS sneaking behind enemy lines for sabotage, breaking 
into Washington embassies to steal secrets, plotting to topple Adolf Hitler, 
and suffering torture or death when they were captured by the Gestapo. It is also a tale of political 
intrigue, of infighting at the highest levels of government, of powerful men pitted against one another. 
Donovan fought enemies at home as often as the Axis abroad. Douglas Waller is a bestselling author 
and veteran reporter for Newsweek and Time and has reported on the CIA for 6 years.


SEAN’S SHAMELESS 

MUSIC REVIEWS


The Book Report

The Best Show On Television You’re Not Watching: 

SHAMELESS 

Showtime network knows a thing or two about dysfunctional 
families. After the success of original hits such as “Weeds” and 
“Californication”, it’s no surprise that they’ve assembled yet another 
soon to be classic of the subgenre. “Shameless”, a new breed of the 
abortive family, is one of the most promising new series’ of 2011. 
To put it gently, “Shameless” completely blows other primetime 
network shows about problematic families out of the water. 
Originally an award winning British television series, creator Paul 
Abbott and executive producer John Wells effortlessly transport the 
essential goods of the UK version of “Shameless” and adapt it nearly 
verbatim for US audiences. However, this isn’t your watered down edition. This new juggernaut of 
cable television is no cookie cutter, not one bit 
restrained, nor some kind reproduction of the 
same old triteness like the crap cluttering the 
basic networks. Expect the unexpected with 
“Shameless”

The ensemble show is about the Gallagher family, 
a twisted, untamed, unapologetic group of misfits 
that live with their drunken and often times 
uncompassionate father, Frank (portrayed flawlessly by William H. Macy). Frank, the perpetual 
screw-up of the group, isn’t a father to aspire to become. He’s boisterous, rambunctious, and selfish. On 
the other side of the worn down coin is the leader of the tight-knit clan, Fiona (superbly characterized 
by Emmy Rossum). She serves as not only the eldest child of Frank’s, but also the role of an unlikely 
mother surrogate to her siblings. Fiona is independent, selfless, but flawed. She’s the girl next door, if 
the girl next door liked to party, work odd jobs, and looked after five wild adolescents. Nonetheless, 
she keeps everyone’s spirits up through the likelihood of adversities. To round out the collection 
of smart, but directionless rebels, we have Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, baby Liam, and boyfriend Steve. 
Each original personality is distinctively diverse, but when trouble seizes to rise, the family (minus 
Frank regularly) bounds together like a wolf pack. They may be strapped for cash, act completely 
unorthodox, and follow the beat of their own individual drum, but the group never gives up on the 
importance making it through the day as a whole unit.

“Shameless” is a nitty-gritty depiction of family life with real hurdles to jump. It’s the perfect portrait 
of a lower class suburban family besieged with the daily hardships of surviving in this troublesome 
day and age. Low on funds, but affluent with love and support for one another, watching the Gallagher 
bunch roll with the punches is outrageously engrossing. Entertaining characters and plotlines covering 
delicate family terrain with daring nature makes the potential of the series immeasurable. Raw and 
tragic with frequently humorous anecdotes, “Shameless” is absolutely compelling and simply a riot to 
watch. If it continues to strive ahead from episode-to-episode like it has, it will be without a doubt a 
show that one should not miss out on each and every episode. 

Sean Kayden


Senator Huff Seeks Artist Submissions 

Artwork Winners Will be Displayed at State Capitol

SACRAMENTO: Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond 
Bar) is now seeking entries for the California 
State Senate art show, which features 
local artwork from every corner of California. 
Artists from the 29th Senate District can 
submit as many works as 
they would like, and Senator 
Huff will select the entry 
that best represents his district, 
which covers portions 
of Los Angeles, Orange and 
San Bernardino Counties.

“Artwork entries can include 
oil paintings, works 
on paper, weavings, wall 
hangings and sculpture,” 
said Senator Huff. “However, 
the works must be no 
larger than three feet by five 
feet, as space at the State 
Capitol is limited. The purpose 
of this event is to showcase California’s 
original artists.”

The California State Senate art show competition 
is open to all ages. All submissions will 
be treated with the utmost respect and care 
and will be safely returned to artists at the 
end of the exhibit.

Artists who wish to enter the contest should 
send a photograph of the artwork submission, 
either by mail or email, with a brief 
description of the entry. Artists should also 
send a brief description of themselves and 
why they feel their artwork 
best represents the 29th Senate 
District.

“The deadline for submitting 
entries is February 23rd,” said 
Senator Huff. “That will give 
my office time to review each 
entry, notify the winner and 
ship the art to the State Capitol 
in Sacramento by March 18th.”

Entries can be delivered to 
Senator Huff’s District Office 
in Walnut. The address is 
20888 Amar Road, Suite 205, 
Walnut, CA 91789. Photos of 
entries can also be emailed to Senator Huff 
through his District Director at tim.shaw@
sen.ca.gov. Please put California State Senate 
Art Show Submission in the subject line.

Senator Huff serves as the Senate Republican Caucus 
Chair and represents portions of Los Angeles, Orange 
and San Bernardino Counties. You can follow Senator 
Huff on Twitter at @bobhuff99.