The Jackson Two

Monday, May 24 -- Jackson Browne fans got a rare treat Thursday night in Santa Monica. The singer/songwriter, dressed in a simple plaid shirt that stuck out in a crowd of suits, was in the audience for an anti-death penalty dinner at the Miramar Sheraton Hotel. He wasn't listed on the program, but about half way through the event, the emcee called Browne up on the stage.

Tucked conveniently behind the podium was Browne's guitar.

"I want to live in the world, not behind some wall," he sang. "To open my eyes and wake up alive in the world. To open my eyes and finally arrive in the world."

Browne was spotted again Sunday at a teach-in in West Los Angeles on the bombing in Kosovo. This time, however, he left his guitar at home.

Of course, it would have been tough to outshine Rev. Jesse Jackson, who rallied the audience at the teach-in in a charasmatic call for the United States to negotiate with minds, not missles.

Kelp Fest: Destination or Distraction
Blink and you might have missed the Kelp Festival on the boardwalk this weekend.

With banners hanging over Wilshire Boulevard, the city made the event out to be a big one.But the Kelp Festival turned out to hardly be the kind of thing a family
could make a day of. It wasn't so much a destination as a distraction for joggers, walkers and others already on the boardwalk.

There were a few booths - Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Baykeeper, the National Resources Defense Council, for example - and some kelp on hand to poke at.

Oh, and the native American dancers and storytellers added interest. For about 10 minutes.