Doggone good!

The Inquisitive Canine is a great Web site and its Doggie Blog is chockablock full of dog training tips, techniques and knowledge. The Inquisitive Canine. Certified professional dog trainer and behavior consultant Joan Mayer really knows her stuff and loves seeing her students succeed.

Full disclosure: I get to help out with some of the writing and editing. I'm learning lots. My Golden Retriever, Libby, is the beneficiary of all my newfound insight to canine psyche. Our bond has grown stronger, thanks to my job. I've found Joan's approach to training – focus on the positive, reinforce the behavior you want – helpful in all aspects of my life.

The dogs in the picture are a friend's. They are, from left, Gavyn, Bryce, Cyrano, and Zephyr. Photo by Elizabeth Tuz. 

The Laughing Workout

The Plaza Playhouse Theater is where the action is come Friday night at 8 p.m. March 6 is First Friday in ol' Carp. That means there will be tons of dining and shopping specials in town. After wining and dining, come over to the theater for some laughs courtesy of the Plaza Improv Players. Laughing is good for the abs, and so much more fun than sit-ups. 

Rumored to be the best show in town. Laughing is believing.
Hope to see you there. 

Show, Don't Tell

Raise your hand if you have a physical reaction when you hear "Show, don't tell." If you raised your hand, I'm betting you took at least one writing class in college and/or worked at a print publication.

The editor, or whoever, may as well be saying "back to the drawing board." Grrrrr...

Talking up the Improv Workshop at the Plaza Playhouse Theater is an excellent example of me showing and not telling. To remedy that, allow me to share an improv exercise/game with you. This is from improvencyclopeida.org, a wonderful Web site for all things improv.

Dubbed Movie
Two or more actors play a scene, but they don't speak, although they can move their mouths is if they are speaking. Two or more players sit in front of the action and provide the speech. The effect is (or should be) like watching a dubbed movie. 

And while we're at it, here's a example of "showing, not telling." Check out the following press release. You'll get the info on the Improv Workshop and see the important elements of a press release.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amy Marie Orozco

(805) 284-2622

improv@plazatheatercarpinteria.com

Improv Workshop begins on Jan. 12

Plaza Playhouse Theater’s popular Improv Workshop marks its fourth year on Jan. 12 with a move to Monday nights. Best suited to the 17-and-over crowd, the class is open to all interested parties and will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for eight Mondays. Sessions are held on the theater’s stage and include theater games and scene work. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants and is on a first come, first served basis. The workshop fee is $125 for new participants and $96 for returnees. Registration may be completed online at www.plazatheatercarpinteria.com or by sending a check to Plaza Playhouse Theater, ATTN: Improv Class, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013. Sorry, no drop-ins allowed. For more information call Amy Orozco at (805) 284-2622.

SUGGESTED CAPTION FOR ATTACHED PICTURES:

Improv Workshop begins Jan. 12_1: Plaza Playhouse Players improv troupe members Judy Sirianni, left, and Sherri Mendenhall perform in the holiday show last November.

Improv Workshop begins Jan. 12_2: John Pagano, left, and Judy Sirianni of the Plaza Playhouse Players create a skit from audience suggestions at the troupe’s holiday show last November.

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It is the mission of the Plaza Playhouse Theater to be a venue that is the center of arts and entertainment for the entire Carpinteria Valley community. A place where young and old can express their artistic talent in music, dance and theatre and also to enjoy what the world of entertainment has to offer. We endeavor to be a place that Carpinterians can proudly call their own. The theater is located at 4916 Carpinteria Ave. in downtown Carpinteria. The phone number is (805) 684-6380, and the Web site is www.PlazaTheaterCarpinteria.com.

Happy New Year!

Hope your 2015 is everything you want it to be and more. 

Looking for some good reading material for the New Year? Check out Carpinteria Magazine. See our cover with the Champagne glasses? You know there's gotta be good stuff inside. 

That's a capital idea!

What's red, showy, and screams the holidays?

Yes, the Poinsettia. Good answer!

Did you know that the Poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett? That's why the plant's name is capitalized, unlike, say, a daisy. As you know, proper nouns begin with a capital letter.

dark chocolate -vs- Swiss chocolate

chardonnay -vs- Champagne

suit coat -vs- Nehru jacket

carnival ride -vs- Ferris wheel

The rules change as the language ages. According to AP Style, "Lowercase words that are derived from a proper noun but no longer depend on it for their meaning: french fries, herculean, manhattan cocktail, malapropism, pasteurize, quixotic, venetian blind.

World Wide Web is a proper noun. That's why Web site, i.e. not website, is the correct usage. As is Web page, but not webcam, webcast and webmaster. Go figure.

Back to the holidays. Want to know more about the Poinsettia? Read the article in Carpinteria Magazine, which I wrote. You'll find it on page 84. 

A check and a thank you

Nothing better than a check in the mail, right? Well, I got one better - a check with a thank-you note for my services! Now, that's a good mail day.

Sara Caputo, productivity expert and principal of Radiant Organizing, made my day recently with that postal present. I was touched and flattered. And, I decided I am going to follow her example and send a few more thank-you notes in my life.

It's not such a big undertaking. Try it yourself.

Here are some thank-you note tips.

1. Keep a set of blank, all-occasion thank-you notes handy along with stamps and a good pen.

2. Write the first line about the other person. See how Sara told me about my writing. Examples: "You bowled me over on my birthday ..." "Your taste in music always has been superb ..."

3. Make it easy on yourself. A sentence or two is enough. Remember, it's the thought that counts.  Really.

4. Be timely. Say, within two weeks. And, if you're not, send a note anyway. No matter how embarrassed you are or how awkward you feel. For uber-tardy thank-you notes I recommend a handwritten note over an email.

Carpinteria Magazine has arrived

The latest issue of Carpinteria Magazine is on the streets! 

Not only is the Winter 2015 issue chockablock with interesting stories and gorgeous photography, it arrived on the streets ahead of schedule.

The Past Portraits feature showcases the talents of photographer extraordinaire Madeline Vite and superb storyteller Lea Boyd. Also, writer Emily Parker gives a sneak peek at the Holiday Spirit Parade. Calla Gold, a favorite personal jeweler, leads off the Palettes feature on jewelers. 

Awww, there's too much for a blog post. Read it online or pick up a copy around town. 

Above, photographer Glenn Dubock captures a winter sky from the vantage point of the railroad crossing on Linden Avenue.