“PASTA! A Pop Ups Puppet Musical” follows around two wannabe-chefs (Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowitz) who scour Brooklyn in search of the best pasta ingredients. 

The show comes to Los Angeles for several performances between Nov. 23 and Nov. 28.

In “PASTA!” Stein and Rabinowitz bring out the acoustic guitars and sing songs from their recently-released children’s-rock album, “Outside Voices,” drawing from a diverse range of genres, like alternative rock, dance and indie, and featuring lyrics about food, animals and more.

During a recent interview, Stein emphasized his and Rabinowitz’s intention to make a show that appeals to all ages. “If you can straddle the line between entertaining both the kids and the adults, it’s a real success,” Stein said.

The new set of shows marks the duo’s return to Los Angeles, after several dates in the Venice area last summer.

“We decided to come back to L.A. because the fans out here have great energy,” Stein wrote in a recent email. “Once the show ended in July, we received emails asking us when we were bringing the show back to LA.”

In real life, Stein and Rabinowitz met in Brooklyn while working together on another puppet show—one for Passover.

“We hit it off,” Rabinowitz said, adding that when they rejoined to record “Outside Voices,” which eventually inspired their “Pasta” musical, “we both wanted to make a record that was sort of our own personal unbridled fun project. And we did.”

Their love of other well-known shows with puppets, such as “Sesame Street” and “Avenue Q,” influenced their decision to turn their record into their very own puppet show.

“When someone asked us to put together a different show,” Stein said, we thought, “let’s go with something we both love doing…puppets.”

“We have the puppet gene,” Rabinowitz said.

The show sees Stein and Rabinowitz juggling multiple tasks, including, of course, manning the puppets, at one point attaching them to the tongues of their Converse, playing live music and providing a live drawing demonstration.

The show features eights songs along with puppet characters whose names, such as Mr. Clunkhead and Fruta Di Marme, a mermaid, Stein and Rabinowitz hope will appeal to kids.

“I think that everybody can have a lot of fun with puppets,” Stein said.

Tue. Through Nov. 28. All shows at 3:30 pm. (except Sat., Nov. 27 at noon). $15. MiMoDa Dance Studio/Theater, 5774 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. thepopups.com/pasta.

On Nov 14, the Prosecutor General for Sindh province, Shahadat Awan, confirmed that the special public prosecutor in the Daniel Pearl murder case, Raja Qureshi, had resigned.
Awan was speaking to The Express Tribune newspaper, where I run the metropolitan section. Awan was talking to our court reporter Zeeshan Mujahid about security concerns for lawyers fighting terrorist cases on behalf of the state.
The Pearl case was moved to the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad, which is two hours by road from Karachi. (Not to be confused with the Hyderabad in India). Sensitive cases are transferred between the two cities if the jail authorities believe that the man standing trial has too many buddies in jail. The terrorism cases are mostly tried in jail for security as well.
When asked about the resignation of Raja Qureshi, the SPP in the Daniel Pearl murder case, Awan told The Express Tribune that the trial was moved to Hyderabad for security reasons. He said that the government had paid Qureshi Rs2.5 million and each of his aides Rs0.5 million to fight the case. The Sindh Prosecution department received a number of letters from the trial court in Hyderabad, according to which the SPP was not appearing for the trial.
Upon inquiring, it was found that no one was appearing on behalf of the state, said Awan. After that I wrote a letter to the Home department, stating that a huge amount was paid to SPP Raja Qureshi and if he is not conducting the case, he may be asked to return the fee or the “facility” provided to him be withdrawn. This might have prompted the Home department to with draw the police escort and this is perhaps why he resigned, said the PG, adding that he would look into the matter of his resignation on Monday, Nov 22.
[This news sounded a little convoluted to me and I am waiting for the reporter to follow up on this case. I do not believe Qureshi resigned only over security complaints. But more on that once I’ve ascertained the facts. I need to also add here that the Daniel Pearl case is a complex one with many, many facets. This blog is not the proper place to discuss its intricacies and I cannot purport to know certain elements of the case. I have heard many, many things over the years, terrible things. But none of them can be confirmed without risk, especially to the reporters who can provide me information. The case is at the appellate stage now and I believe there are two sets of accused.]
But I did not start writing this post because of this case alone. There was something else I wanted to bring up.
Lawyers fighting terrorist cases have been in the spotlight in Karachi. In fact, there was a disturbing development last week, as you would have seen on television.
On Nov 12, Karachi was literally rocked by a bomb blast – the meteorological office said it hit a 1.3 on the Richter Scale. Terrorists attacked the office of the Criminal Investigations Department with enough explosives to blow a 15-foot deep crater in the ground and decimate the building. The CID police are the cops who go after the terrorists in Karachi and they had recently been making some high-profile arrests. Many people believe that the attack was an act of revenge, but there is still debate on exactly what the motive could have been.
The terrorist attack was the largest Karachi has seen in terms of damage, journalists argued. It took place in the red zone which encompasses three five-star hotels (The Sheraton, The Pearl Continental and the Marriot) and Chief Minister House and Governor House. Mercifully, only 17 people were killed but about 100 people were injured. When we saw the first footage trickle in, we gasped in the newsroom and I had been certain that the toll would have been in the high double digits.
A few days later our newspaper’s court reporter Zeeshan Mujahid filed this story:

Lawyers baulk at fighting terrorist cases
KARACHI: Apparently terrorised by Thursday’s attack on the Criminal Investigation Department, government lawyers fighting terrorist cases went to court, saying they feared for their safety.
Muhammad Khan Buriro, a prosecutor for anti-terrorism court III, headed by Judge Anand Ram Hotwani, moved an application in a case against alleged members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan for attacking AIGP Farooq Awan of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell. Buriro expressed concern for his own security. The court adjourned the proceedings till Dec 1.
Mubashir Mirza, the state-appointed special public prosecutor for ATC II, headed by Judge Syed Hasan Shah Bokhari, moved a similar application. He said that because of perceived threats in phone calls from unidentified members or supporters of terrorist outfits, he could not risk his life and fight cases unless he received appropriate security and an escort.
He was scheduled to make an appearance in a case against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activists involved in the abduction and murder of a trucker managing a fuel tanker service for Nato forces in Afghanistan. The court accepted his application, condoned his absence and adjourned the trial till Nov 20.
Buriro later told journalists that the level of threat had increased after the recent terrorist attacks in the city. Their fears were genuine, he said, giving the example of an incident at the city court in which accomplices of a terrorist organisation freed their men from police custody.
“We have raised the issue of security at all government levels, including the Home department and then with the Prosecutor General, but as no security was provided, we were left with no choice but to inform the court,” Buriro said.
For his part, Prosecutor General Sindh Shahadat Awan referred to the Mehram Ali case, considered a landmark judgment for anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).
The apex court had a detailed hearing after which a number of sections were struck down. After scrutiny of the ATC law, the court held that judges and prosecutors of ATCs shall be given security till a case is finalized up to the apex court, that is all stages and appeals exhausted, he said.
“Their demand for security is justified, they are working hard and with honesty and in view of the nature of the cases they are handling as SPPs, they should be given proper security cover,” said the PG. He has raised the problem with the Home department but the situation in the city is such that additional police force is not available.

The terrorist attack on the CID building sent across the ugly message that even the city’s top investigators, brave anti-terrorism cops such as Omer Shahid, Fayyaz Khan, Chaudhry Aslam, etc. are not safe. No wonder the lawyers are scared. But if we don’t prosecute and put the terrorists behind bars, we will be even less safe.

I fly some 200,000 miles a year on airlines throughout the world. My work takes me to many cities, large and small, and many different countries so I have a great personal interest in two conflicting needs at the airport: security and speed.

As one who often flies several times a week the difference between checking in one hour in advance or two hours in advance can add up. It can cost me an entire workday a week. I hate waiting in lines and like George Clooney in Up in the Air appreciate and take advantage of the many courtesies that airlines make available to their frequent fliers from special lines, to use of airport lounges, to upgrades and even to companion flights. On vacation I prefer those places I can drive to for flying in anything but fun,

I was subject to a body scan at Chicago’s O’Hare airport last week and found nothing objectionable to the process. Contrary to the reports of other people’s experience I was asked to empty my pockets and stand with my two arms raised while the machine took my picture, twenty seconds later I was told that I could go. There was nothing invasive about it, nothing inappropriate. And if wherever the observer was he/she had a clear look at my body, I had no knowledge of it, no awareness of it and it was as unobtrusive as possible. The reviewer did not know my name, did not know what flight I was taking and had no idea of how to contact me afterwards even if he or she to want to take advantage of the private bodily information they viewed. I was one of several hundred people going through the lines , so there is anonymity in numbers as well.

I suspect that almost all travelers will agree with me and all should agree that airplane security is an essential national and international interest. So let us give TSA a chance and not get hysterical. I thank TSA for protecting my personal security each time I go through the security lines. The job is pressured, the tasks are repetitive and frankly boring and the people in line are tense about whether they will make their flight or even about flying in general.

There are enough problems in the modern world about intrusions into our privacy, This is not one of them, Say thank you and smile and enjoy safe flying,