Poo Poo on Photos

I am beginning to develop a real disdain for photographers. I have 2 cameras - one really old mechanical camera that I have scarcely used in 20 years and one fairly new point and shoot digital, which I also hardly ever remember to use. As you know I leave for Africa in 2 weeks. Most of the travelers with me are proficient (and prolific for that matter) photographers and have been inundating my headspace with grand ideas of the type of equipment I should have: 32 gig memory cards, card readers, external storage devices, extra batteries and film, power packs..... and on and on on. Then I go in to Adventure 16 for a few last minute items and the salesman says "BTW, what are you shooting with?" And then proceeded to make me feel like it was impossible to properly document my experience unless I purchased $1000.00 Nikon and inferred that I would regret spending so much money to get to the continent and not splurge for a decent camera. This caused me a great deal of anxiety for a few minutes until I realized that my creative expression comes through my prose and my pen (keyboard). I think Africa may be better experienced through her smells and sounds rather than viewing it through a 3 inch lens.

"It never rains in California...."

Ha! Who says we don't experience autumn in the southwest? This picture - not very well composed (I was driving) - was taken in a random neighborhood on my way home from work the other day. The colors are brilliant and rival any I've seen in the east. Check out the black storm clouds in the background. The other was taken from by kitchen window a few hours later. The billowy storm clouds in the distance are illuminated by the setting sun just behind us.

Happy Thanksgiving

What are you giving thanks for?

Heaven and earth

It's sunset season here on the pacific coast. I don't know what it is about winter but it brings with it sweeping skies that play with the sun as it sinks in to the sea. Stunning.

Credit Card Crush

I use credit cards like the rest of the world but expressly for convenience. I'm not all that loyal either meaning if a bank makes me mad for one reason or another I defect. But as a rule I only use one card at a time, though I have plenty of open credit; too much in fact to be offered any more. I always pay any balance in full each month since I refuse to pay one red cent in finance charges. And, like everyone, I receive innumerable credit card offerings in the mail - each and every month for years upon years. I've always thought that this predatory practice was too tempting for people who really don't understand how credit works or who don't consider the consequences of excessive debt - aside from how expensive it is to market this way. So fully anticipating some kind of backlash in the credit markets this year I decided to conduct a little experiment. For the last 12 months I've saved all the credit card offers that came to me in the mail. There was a grand total of 123 credit card offers alone, not including HELOC offers. Is it any wonder we're in in the mess we're in? I suspect credit card default is the next shoe to drop. At least a few of these banks are in trouble or have been acquired by others, but this is breakout:
AMEX: 19
Chase: 26
Citibank: 20
US Bank:5
WAMU: 11
B of A: 17
Capital One: 21
One Card: 2
Discover: 2

Partying like it's 1999

So it's been pointed out that I'm a little too old for this but who cares I had fun. Our weekend started on Thursday night. It was a friend's birthday so we headed out to Lucky Baldwin's Pub in Pasadena. They were hosting a Chimay event and since my friend is a connoisseur of beer it was perfect. Chimay, if you're wondering is brewed by monks in Belgium and tastes exquisite. Evidently production and distribution is limited which makes it something to savor - and save for! It was a gorgeous warm fall evening and we had Baldwin's luck with us as we scored a patio table. BTW, the curry is amazing - "England's new national dish", you know. Props to Nick for organizing a really fun night out on a school night.

After dragging through Friday, I had that yummy beer on my mind. Score! and I wanted to share this discovery with someone who appreciates fine art.The stuff is $6 for a 12 oz bottle and worth every swirl on your tongue. Just as I was pulling in our driveway, so was our next door neighbor. So I invited him over for a tasting. That lead to cocktails and a spontaneous decision to continue the party in Hollywood. His friend who owns the Green Door on Ivar had us on the "list" and comped our entrance cover. Nice, but jumping the line where the whole of Asia was waiting to don the doors of this uber-Hollywood lounge was boss. Frank Stallone's band cranked out some bluesy covers for a while - yawn - but luckily we had a hook up at the bar. Dancing and frolicking followed by a late night nosh at Canter's famous deli (potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce, oh yeah!) rang in a new morn. Or afternoon as the case may be.

Our dear friend is a HUGE 007 fan and he arranged for a dozen of us to go see the opening of Quantum of Solace. That's not the genre of movie I gravitate to but I'm always up for a party. And I was pleasantly satisfied with the film. Love the new Bond. Afterward we all made food at his place and played games into the wee hours. What a hoot, laughing so hard my abdominals hurt. The most hilarious part of the night though was Jerry's hair-brained idea to conduct an experiment. He said he'd seen it on youtube and wanted to test it. You put four cell phones together with a kernel of popcorn in the middle. Call the phones at the same time using four other phones. The theory is that there is so much radio activity that the kernel will pop like popcorn. Of course it didn't work but the antics that ensued were priceless, including a big drunken discussion about what makes the kernels pop in a microwave bag. Suffice it to say it went down hill from there. We had a big slumber party and woke up to more fun. The host made brunch and mimosas and we sat around solving the world's problems while wildfires tore through the Southland. When we emerged it was snowing ash and smelled like a gigantic camp fire. Such a fun weekend was dampened by the sadness of people's lives going up in smoke. Too bad we didn't have a little booze to dampen the fires.

How presidential

Last weekend before attending a lame civil war battle re-enactment in Simi Valley (about an hour from our house) we decided to maximize the drive and stopped in to visit the Reagan Presidential Library. This museum is not unlike others in that many artifacts and remembrances of Reagan's whole life and careers are on display. But what's interesting here is that it houses Air Force One, used in service as recently as Bush 43's early presidency and his 5 predecessors. This picture shows us giving the presidential wave as we entered the surprisingly diminutive aircraft. The infamous plane was retired to make way for a more modern and technologically advanced world. We were quite rushed making this last minute pit-stop and didn't get to see every exhibit missing the oval office display and the president's burial site in particular. I guess we'll have to make another trip to take it all in. The highlight and most moving moment for me, however, is the 4 ton chunk of the Berlin wall. Its stature and symbolism take me right back to that momentous day of freedom and redemption when Reagan demanded that Gorbi tear down the wall. This place, for the scenic vistas alone, gets a couple of thumbs up from me.

Girly man has some balls

This is old news by now (since it's taken me so long to post this).

The governator wants to "temporarily" raise state sales tax 1.5% to close the budget deficit. Who's he kidding? If they get their grubby hands on our money we'll never get it back. Listen to what this naive soul had to say about it, quoted in the Silicon Valley's Mercury News, "What's attractive to me is that it's temporary. To me, that's fairly logical. That solves problems now and you know it's going to go away. You have a built-in tax break going in." Ha!
The economy is strained, people are losing their homes, their jobs, simply trying to hold on and our government wants to raise taxes; taxes on consumer spending, which is sadly the driver of our economy. If rising taxes in addition to rising prices make unnecessary purchases prohibitive people will refrain from spending causing further contraction - less spending, more job loss and the cycle repeats. Don't get me wrong, we NEED to stop the wild spending that has contributed to our current messy situation. I just wonder if taxing everything is the best approach.

Ciao...

....Bush and Cli't', oh and especially Dick. Sorry for the lame innuendo....I'm feeling inspired by Helen Philpot. :]

The election is over! Hallelujah. It's the end of an era - the god-awful Bush era and with any luck the Clintons too. Time for some fresh yummy meat and fresh ideas to restore our standing in the world and history. As you might guess I did not vote for the office of president. (Calm down people it doesn't matter in California anyway.) My non-vote was a vote more against government than a vote against the beloved Obama. I am extraordinarily hopeful that he has the leadership qualities to get us on the right track and not unhappy in the least that he was elected. I probably wouldn't have been unhappy with McCain either. Honestly, who could do worse than what we've endured during the incompetent Bush years? Except maybe the wackadoo Nancy Pelosi so I'll have to trust that Obama will keep her on a short leash.
Speaking of crackpots, we have a bunch here in California. Let me break it down for you. But first a little history. The state is nearly bankrupt. We have a $15.2 BILLION budget deficit. This on the heels of historic home prices, hence historic property tax revenues of which the state gets a portion. So we had 12 statewide propositions on the ballot, 4 of which authorized the sale of bonds totaling almost $17B in new spending - plus interest. Three of the four passed which means our debt burden is further deepened. This from the same liberal crowd who scathingly condemn the erosion of a national surplus. Some of the props were a good idea but there are consequences to bad governance. I guess that's not how Californians think. Keep digging a hole, maybe the congress will bail you out!
What gets me the craziest is that a proposition to prohibit the confinement of pregnant farm animals passed while one that would ensure parental notification for under-age abortions was defeated. Huh? I adore animals and I don't give a crap if someone wants to get an abortion but let's examine the logic. Animals being raised to get hauled off to slaughter for our consumption shouldn't live in a cage and young girls, who can't get a mole removed without their parents consent, can have major surgery unbeknownst to their caregivers. The same bizarre crowd chose to deny gays the constitutional right to marriage. I guess animals are more important than homos and children.
Maybe you think I'm the crackpot. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Live, Love, Laugh - Peace out

• 1 gorgeous fall day in LA - $0
  
• 2 cold beers - $12
• 3 slices of bagel crust pizza -$13
• a dozen rhythmic bongo drummers inciting gatherers to gyrate on the cool sand at sunset on Venice beach - priceless

When I'm not hating the icky people and unbearable traffic in LA, I love it. I know it's a big condradiction but such is LA. I love the spirited and soulful nature of people. I love that it is acceptable to be your free and true self, no matter how offensive it is and nobody cares. And if they do they can fuck off. I love that no matter what ails us or the tribulations we face we can come together as a people - harmoniously, peacefully - and celebrate life, art, music, love. Do I sound like a hippy or what? And no, the bong didn't come around to me! Who cares, man. Live and let live.

In other worlds

Inhabitants in urban centers are insulated from the world view of those outside such nuclei. Or is it the other way around? I visited a truly magnificent place in North San Diego county called Rainbow. It is a little rural hillside community near the Cleveland National forest situated approximately 30 minutes inland from Oceanside. I know there are oodles of conservatives beyond the boundaries of a metropolis but I never expected to see so many McCain/Palin, Yes on Prop 8 signs as I saw all along the route to Rainbow. After all Rainbow is still in liberal and progressive California. Within the first few minutes of being there we saw people riding horseback on the main road. Others traveled on foot, bicycle, tractor, motorcycle, and yes, tanks (it's military country). What a total time warp! And totally charming - (except for the McCain signs).

For years I've stared at a picture of Damon's Grandparents' home in Rainbow with the promise that we would visit someday. Since they had long since sold the property and are now both deceased there was no urgency. Damon's fondest childhood memories are of Rainbow where he would help his Grandfather build things in the workshop, fish and hunt for quail in the surrounding area, climb boulders, and tend garden vegetables with Grandma. I was overwhelmed with a sense of down home hospitality and incredible natural beauty. Damon immediately recognized some familiar landmarks though we arrived with no directions, no address and sporadic memories from 30 years ago. The foliage was overgrown and many new dwellings spotted the hills. At one point I thought he'd steer the car over a cliff if we didn't find the house. Traversing the same few miles over and over we finally spotted some hikers who appeared well into their 70's. We stopped and asked how long they had been living in the area and it turns out that Damon's grandpa remodeled their bathroom over 25 years ago! After a long chat they described exactly how to find the house. We pulled into the lane and decided to knock on the door. A gentleman answered and listened attentively to Damon's memoirs. Turns out he is a professor of Anthropology. He probably saw it as a case study in human evolution and behavior. He was very gratious even inviting us in to take a look around the house noting some of the changes. He allowed us to take our time meandering the nearly 2 acres of untended gardens - much of it original.

We hit the local grower's farm stand and picked up some yummy treats - Avocado capitol of the world that Rainbow, ya know. And though the rumor is that Fallbrook is home to some good restaurants we ended up at the one that served our meal with American cheese slices. Are you kidding? I didn't think I needed clarification on the cheese selection before ordering. Who knew they even made those disgusting processed grease squares anymore. Yick! That experience aside I highly recommend a trip to Rainbow. If you can spend the weekend stay at the Rainbow Inn B & B and if you feel the need to do something other than relax and smell the oranges while overseeing stunning vistas you can go wine tasting in Temecula, hike in Cleveland, pick avocados or go antiquing in Fallbrook. You'll be better than when you arrived if you avoid talking politics.

Yes, we can...

...spend and spend and spend (somebody elese's money) to infinity. While both men, McCain and Obama, have interesting if not "colorful" backgrounds, each of them overcoming insurmountable obstacles to rise to commendable (now, that's debatable!) positions, both of them are completely out of touch. My guess is they probably have their hearts in the right place but neither of them intend to cut out any of their proposed spending on the heels of a financial collapse that has just added $700 B to our deficit. Just who, pray tell, are they planning to borrow the money from, 'cause I'm pretty sure we're tapped? I would even assert that they're both complicit on some level to the mess we're in.

Obama, eloquent and masterful has everyone in a trance and doesn't have to do much at this juncture to win friends. Sadly, President Bush has destroyed our country paving the way for such a knight in shining armour to emerge with the promise of government to the rescue. I am ardently more libertarian in this matter believing that more and bigger government creates more subjugation and dependency. McCain is a sheep in wolf's clothing (and a bad debater, too) with all his talk of getting government out of the way yet he wants to buy mortgages, provide amnesty for illegals, remain in Iraq, defend the Patriot Act, and countless other policies that conflict with my values. Both men are insulting to intelligent and informed persons.

It looks like Obama has clearly got this thing in the bag but I bid you, can we in good conscience turn our future over to either of these goons who will further expand the over-inflated size of government and strip us of any shred of freedom we still have? No, we shouldn't.

How much is a life worth?

Long overdue, I'm getting all of my affairs in order like grown ups are supposed to. Reviewing my financials for retirement and other things I'd like to accomplish in life; creating a living trust; blah, blah, blah; life insurance. Screeeeeech! Life insurance? I am philosophically opposed to life insurance unless you have small children to protect. I think it is a preposterous waste of money. But I let Damon talk me into buying a small policy in preparation for my big African adventure just in case, God forbid, I fall into the Zambezi whilst paddling the rapids or splashing around in devil's pool - (no, it's not just a legend as evidenced by the photo shown here - BTW I don't know that crazy dude). So I told him I would buy just enough to pay off our house and I thought it was settled until we went into the agent's office. For three hours we hashed and negotiated until he finally saw my point that one should not become enriched from another's death! All this planning for the future makes me feel old so I think I'll plunge into devil's pool and hope to rejuvenate myself.

The line is fine

I thought the debate was a draw. The debate on who won or lost depends on the way you view the world, the role of government and your unique situation in life. Both men, extraordinary in their own way, got off some good points. However, the most striking thing to me was that they basically said the same thing in different ways. For me it's getting harder and harder to differentiate between them - except for the obvious that McCain resembles a corpse and Obama radiates youth and beauty. I don't know that either of them are the prescription we need to advance this great nation. If either of them were as smart as they purport to be they'd run for the hills and tell us to take the job and shove it!

The Road to Ruin

I'm not at all surprised that the stock market is so volatile since "the bill" passed. Ten days beforehand the Bush administration, bolstered by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, told us that the sky would fall without congressional intervention so how can one expect that kind fear to just evaporate and confidence restored with the stroke of a pen? If congress (government) is behind something it should give us cause for pause. Call me a cynic. Government is not our friend. It is by design a machination created to subordinate its citizens and control the social order. But I digress. Back to the issue at hand. The self-proclaimed experts have modeled it and modeled it but what you can't model is emotion - a critical component to investing and the way money is viewed in general. This cartoon tells it to you straight in words you can understand (stay tuned through the commercial). It's the same understanding congress has.

Fatty Fatty Four Eyes

I am uncomfortably plump. I carry about 15 pounds extra weight above my ideal. It's mostly all over so in clothes it's hard to tell how portly I am. But even my eyes have born the brunt of my chocolate and cheese binges. For months now I have been experiencing a feeling in my eyes that they are twice their normal size and multiple visits to the eye doctor have given me no relief or answers. They've decided that the super-sized sensation I have is actually chronic dry eye (CDE - a real medical condition if you can believe it - why not, there's a medical diagnosis for everything else) and think I would benefit from "plugging" my tear ducts so as to keep the tears in my eyes, thus moistened. Thankfully, my tear ducts, the ONLY thing on my body, are too small for plugs. So before boring out my ducts to insert plugs I will be on a regimen of tear production. I know, I know you're all lining up to give me something to cry about. Odd what afflicts us as we age.

Are you cords or denim?

In this time of tension and uncertainty we all need an outlet to just let go and find some joy and laughter if you can muster it. Thankfully I have amazing and humorous friends. I also have books. I've just completed David Sedaris' Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Such a crack up on almost every page. His observations and talented ability to turn them into comedic prose is stellar.

Hysteria

I think I like Def Leopard's version better than the one the whores in Congress and other blathering idiots are spewing about our economy.

Here is the unedited text of an email that I wrote to my friend Thurs, Oct 2. This the short (or long) of my opinion on the matter.

My feeling is that both sides of the aisle are culpable in some way - from the Clinton deregulation of investment banks in 1999 (Financial Services Modernization Act), to Bush and his cronies trying to get lenders not to descriminate against section 8 recipients or "undocumented", i.e. illegal persons (it has been reported that up to 30% of bad mortgage loans were written to illegals) in 2002 to increase home ownership, to Barney Frank et al railing against regulators in 2003 who tried to get Freddie and Fannie reigned in, to Chris Dodd, supposed chariman and oversee-er of all things financial, taking oodles of money and looking the other way, to crooked and greedy lenders and stupid and greedy borrowers and speculators, to the rampant and unruley consumerism in this debtor nation. I think if we revamped our tax structure it may not be so critical to own your own home. Besides restoring conservative lending practices. I've heard Jason Hartman say for a long time that Wall St is nothing but a gigantic casino, which we know intellectually to be true. I read through the original House proposal but have yet to look at the revised version of the rescue bill. I'm happy the original was defeated. Not because I'm angry, although I am, but because it gave even more power to the executive branch with very little direction on execution. It was effectively saying just give us the money and we'll figure out what to do with. Ha! We've already been doing that and look what it got us.They don't know anything about it so how can they possibly write a cohesive bill? As usual it's all very secret and hasty. $700B? Who's ass did that figure get pulled from? I think Paulson and others have been the biggest beneficiaries of the first the explosion and know they are crafting it to benefit from the implosion. They think they can just come to the trough any time they want. Who gives a ****, right? I get that credit is contracted and that things may be tight for a while but I'm inclined to take the risk. I think it's a lot LESS risky than what's on the table, i.e. giving more money and power to the same crooks that squandered it to begin with. Why not use some of the other tools at their disposal first? Liars, theives and fear mongers.

In flames

...as in FIRE!
...or is it "liar, liar pants on fire"
...or maybe Fire Sale

The Bush Administration, a debacle by most standards, has proposed a $700,000,000,000. Emergency Economic Stabilization plan to relieve banks of bad debt so they can loosen their belts and get tightly contracted credit flowing. Credit, of course, being how this economy functions and since much of of it is coming from overseas we don't have the leverage to agitate our sugar daddies given we're in hawk for at least the next generation. Since Bushie is fresh out of any political capital he may have thought he had, I am reticent to believe a single thing he and his operatives say. Will the economy really melt down if we don't prop up the banks? How much risk to that end are we willing to bear? My inclination is to let the chips fall where they may. But it's not just greedy "Wall Street" big shots who suffer. This situation could become so protracted that it effects us all. We, the taxpayers, are damned either way unless the government gets such a smokin' deal on the mortgage loans that they can either recoup a lot of it by reworking the deals or eventually sell them for profit. Imagine that your landlord is the US government! That should work about as well as any other federal agency.

Honestly, I'm not surprised the bill was defeated because it's rife with uncertainty. I read the text of the proposal and while its objectives are clear, the details are rather unsettling. Nobody really knows how deep and ugly this thing is or what it's going to take to right it. The key components are the purchase of "troubled assets", relief for homeowners, caps on executive compensation and some gratuitous elements thrown in for good measure to make it look like they care about our money like an oversight committee, transparency, and tax implications. If the current oversight committee of incompetent a-holes - Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, navigated by George Bush et al. - had been doing it's job, we wouldn't have need for another. There is so much blame to go around that everybody has proverbial blood on their hands. Why are people just now finally accusing Washington of being irresponsible in not passing this bill? Both sides of the isle have been culpable for a decade. We have a systemic economic problem, spurred by policy problems, exacerbated by greed and worsened by lack of oversight.

We all know that if we make bad decisions in our personal lives there are consequences. I'm not seeing too many consequences for reckless bankers or irresponsible borrowers. I do not wish to be punitive but I hope for fairness. I work 3 jobs to make sure I can make good on that which I've committed to and resent having to play fireman as well to rescue out the smarmy.

Sea Legs are for the Gulls

Well, I'm no longer a virgin but I henceforth take a vow of abstinence. It seems I am a landlubber. I spent the weekend on my first cruise. We boarded a big ship out of the Port of Long Beach and set sail for Ensenada, Mexico which, literally a three hour tour from LA, took overnight ruddering along at a snail's pace. With all the shaking and rolling I had the vague feeling of being in a perpetual earthquake. I had overcome being peeved about getting bumped from the boat we were originally booked on and was looking forward to a new experience relaxing with some really great friends and meeting new ones. Carnival is supposed to be the fun ship. Get it? Carnival. Being that it is a relatively inexpensive excursion, imagine the people this type of cruise attracts - whether it was the band of gypsies parading around in dreadlocks, tattoos and clanging castanets or unwieldy children body checking into our cabin door at all hours. There was lots that sucked about this type of vacation - it was like Las Vegas on a dingy, uber cheese and all. Suffice it to say there was enough that I won't be scrambling to get on another ship in this lifetime. But let me tell you what didn't suck.

• The scrumptious bed linens which I learned can be purchased in Carnival's online store. Christmas is just around the corner, folks - hint, hint!
• The cocktail waiter in the dining room had buns of steel and the sexiest smile keeping all of us girls swooning and plotting how to score a night cap.
• Piano man Barry provided hours of odd and unusual entertainment from the Brady Bunch theme to Name That Tune games. He was off-color in an unassuming and deviant way and gave everyone who dared enter his abode a fun nickname. He brought out the best and worst in all of us - like Jerry stripping off his knickers and flinging them at the piano only to make their way around the bar and onto my head!
• The esthetician who scrubbed me down with a ginger and lime salt glow, rubbed out all my knots and gave me a most relaxing aromatherapy facial was a definite highlight.
• And the absolute best thing about the cruise was spending valuable time with great friends in a contained environment sipping fruity, tropical cocktails.
  

I still have sea legs after 36 hours. I hope this isn't a permanent souvenir.

Rational Thought vs. Rationalizing Behavior

I attended a talk at the Ronald Reagan Library presented by the Pepperdine School of Public Policy. It was delivered by James Q. Wilson, professor and author, titled The Genetic Basis for Political Viewpoints. The title intrigued me so I wanted to hear what he had to say about the matter. As the nature versus nurture debate continues to swirl I was curious to know if there is a Republican or a Democrat, left or right, liberal or conservative gene. There is not. What does exist is the heredity toward personality, intelligence, faith in God, hence, ideology. It is the genetics of personality, as observed by UCSD, that drives voting and political persuasion. The former are fairly well defined by the age of 26 and modified only slightly over time - mostly by pier influences. That we often share our parents' political outlook is because we share their genes not because they nurtured us that way. In fact, scholars and scientists have concluded that parents have very little influence over their children, rather our friends during adolescense are the preeminent influencers, or "norm centers", giving truth to the "biology is not destiny" adage.

The take away? We are all complex individuals, created with free will and shaped both naturally and environmentally and, at least for the time being, have the freedom to choose - a right that should be respected no matter which wing you fly with.

Full of, um, Wax

It's no secret that I think LA's mayor is incompetent and self-important. He has held the post for 3 years and the city is infinitely worse than when he took office. The LA Weekly, basically an event calender, happens to be the most honest paper in town doing the best job at reporting real news about our city. Check out this week's expose on Tony V. Read and weep. The wax figure is such an apropos metaphor it couldn't be more brilliant.

Help End Hunger Now

Help save lives and cast your vote for International Medical Corps (or any other project that touches your heart). American Express will award the winner $1.5 M, a sum that goes a long way to feeding malnourished children. In the words of John F. Kennedy, "One person can make a difference and every person should try."

Running amuk

The intent, and logic, of the persons in charge of our city services is specious. The city purchased 30 "articulated" buses - you know, the bendy ones with the accordian in the middle - to the tune of nearly a half million dollars each. Turns out the load of these buses is too heavy for some of our roads therefore creating pot holes and other road damage in their wake. The pot holes are so destructive that they crack the frames on the heavy buses causing them to be taken out of service to repair the damage they caused! This makes for untold expenses in vehicular repair, lost transit revenue, productivity as a result of gridlock & road repair, which btw there is only one pot-hole-fixer truck for 275 miles of road. If the road wear is so severe that it is destroying the chassis on these big, heavy buses imagine what it's doing to your car. As usual, planners knee-jerk for short term solutions without considering the larger problems they create in the long term. What a laugh.

Baracuda Sarah

I have no allegiance to any particular political party. I pride myself in being an independent thinker and making choices based on my life experience and convictions in conjunction with what I learn of the world and others. For those of you who don't know (and most do as I make no qualms about sharing) I would categorize myself as generally a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. As important as this election is in our history and as desperate as I am to help move the country forward with my lowly little voice, I had ceded that I wouldn't be voting for the office of U.S. President because I couldn't throw my support behind either candidate. I've shared before that Obama is too much of a socialist for my conscience and in the same vein McCain espouses certain principles that run counter to my own.

Let's recap the baboon, I mean baracuda, fete of the RNC: Laura Bush is ever-gracious and a picture of elegance and demureness. Bushie can't be THAT bad of a man to land a lady like her. That said, good riddance to G.W. If only Fred Thompson had had so much verve earlier this year he may have gone a little further in his own run to the top but he obviously is a constant friend and advocate for McCain and his unwavering character and honor. Oh, Joe, Joe, Joe Leiberman. Bizarre!!!!! I can see how he didn't do any favors for Al Gore in 2000. And did Rudy Guiliani steal Palin's lipstick, 'cause he's the pit bull? (Or maybe they've been hanging out together so long they're on the same cycle). The strategists couldn't have been more obvious during the Cindy McCain bio. Hers is the quintessential American Dream; a "rags to riches" story. They tried very hard to highlight her family's humble beginnings and prove how hard work can lead to prosperity and how anybody can participate in this notion.

Sarah Palin is a powerhouse and killed out there! It irks me when people criticize Palin's inexperience. For starters, she's not running for president. But in the event that should happen, she seems to have more applicable and appropriate executive experience than any of them. Honestly, unless you've ever been a sitting US president, how can your resume measure up to the task? I was initially disappointed that McCain asked her to join him thinking that it was simply because of her gender/youth hoping to combat one history making moment with another. In actuality, the McCain campaign has challenged a platform of "change" with "reform" and spat in the face of stale entrenchment with their brand of maverick, kick-ass trailblazing. Besides, I don't think one should underestimate the challenges Moms face and believe this singular fact provides authority, diplomacy and leadership by default (unless you're a crack whore). I think the McCain camp believes they can win but they're worried he might not live another 8 years. It looks like he's preparing her to run against Hillary in 4. John McCain might actually pull this off. He may not be as charismatic as Obama but he is certainly as compelling in his own way. He is the epitome of an American and embodies what it means to have those values running through your veins. He is a true servant and his plea for all to serve our fellow citizens in whatever capacity possible underscores his compassion.

I have never been very warm to the Democratic spiel because I find it inherently condescending that the government knows better how to govern our individual lives. Likewise, I am extremely leery of Republican flippancy. For these reasons I may still sit this one out but we have another looonnnnggg 2 months ahead so anything can happen.

The lopsided science & technology debate: a monologue

Remember Science Debate 2008? The science community rallied the masses to urge presidential candidates to discuss their positions on various important issues facing our country's inhabitants and the future of humankind frankly. Here are the answers to 14 pressing questions as complied by sifting and narrowing what YOU want to know. No matter how you feel about the answers at least Obama put his thoughts down with regard to where he hopes to take the country and how he thinks about these very important issues. Will McCain weigh in, or will he dismiss yet another
thing important to the American people? Thanks, Nick, for pointing this out to me :]

Jumped the Shark

If it wasn't our future on the line you'd think this presidential election was a reality show that's begging to be canceled. It seems as though we are in an endless loop of election coverage and niggling analysis. It's difficult to distinguish if this is a contest or a circus. The political theater and the apes playing their respective roles is so entertaining that it reminds me of the Orangutan exhibit at the zoo. I guess it doesn't matter anymore what's in the country's best interest so long as you one up your opponent with political strategizing.

Let me start at the beginning of the DNC and Michelle Obama's glimpse of my-husband-the-man shill. While a very eloquent reiteration of Obama's message of hope, all I learned is that they are trying to distance themselves from any perception of privilege by trotting out familial tribulations and looking for ways to relate to the masses. Moving on to Hillary. Wow! Certainly the most heartfelt, articulate and self-serving as I've ever seen her. The underlying tone of her delivery being "I don't think Obama can win this thing so I'll set myself up to take another stab in 4 years and take my 18 million supporters with me." The only time during the speech that I felt she was even remotely in support of Obama was when she said if you voted for me AND my ideals then you should cast your vote for him in November. And then there's Bill. Arousing is his specialty. He seemed more genuine than his wife did though there was barely enough room for his ego in the hall. What a total bore Biden is. Yawn. How does 35 years of Washington entrenchment spell change? Obama himself is wonderfully inspirational and mesmerizing. I found when I read his book that he is very thoughtful and intellectual, easily able to understand and respect opposing viewpoints - all respectable traits of leadership. And I like that he thinks the people's government should work for the people not against them. But in working for some it has to work against others under his model. His fresh, idyllic energy and willingness to combat injustice is intoxicating but expensive and didn't he say we were in debt up to our eyeballs? His optimism is all-American through and through I'm just suspect about how realistic he is with respect to the litany of pressing work to be done.

Awakening this morning to the overshadowing news of another under-qualified, yet female, VP pick elicits a response of sheer exasperation. Is the goal to make history or secure the country's future? I know I'm supposed to feel less cynical but my naive hopes and dreamy idealism have rapidly and sadly evaporated. Tune in for the baboons exhibit next week at the RNC.

Pass the Fun

Started off last night to Sunset Junction, a street fair in Hollywood where for two days various bands close down the streets and attract enormous crowds. Activities also include eating, drinking and carnival rides. We arrived much later than expected and decided we were too cheap to pay the admittance for a couple of hours to endure obnoxious, drunk crowds who'd been at it since noon. While pondering our planned outing and questioning whether to bag it or not, there was plenty of good people watching. There was the guy who tried to scalp $15 event tickets saying he'd failed to get through the gates several times. Gee, phony tickets perhaps? Did we look like we'd just gotten off the Kansas bus with the modelesque Kansas 10, LA 8 girl peddling water Melinda described as having "made it" in Hollywood?

For me, the best part of the festival was outside the barricades behind the bandstand. There was this scrawny guy - squinting for the smoke billowing into his eyes from the cigarette burning between his pursed lips & Louis Armstrong crackling on the phonograph in the background - dexterously manipulating a haggard marionette held by flimsy strings. Imagine a self-destructive bohemian French actress, punished by years of sacrificing nourishment for absinthe and cigarettes, her spirit and dignity broken by sleezy men in dowdy underground clubs promising to deliver her from sub-stardom. An artistically tortured act worn out, unfortunately, by a scant repertoire but it was worth a buck.

And so the cavalcade begins, powered by Red Bull. With so many cool and hipsty spots in Los Feliz/Silverlake to choose from you just follow the wind and winding road (and enter the ones without a queue - we're in our forties, ya know). So passing on Akbar which is a certain good time given the mass outside, we stumbled onto Tiki Ti (tea-key-tea), a teeny tiny little cabana no bigger than my living room that looks like it belongs on an island in the South Pacific. Serving up 86 tropical concoctions it's been a place to whet your whistle in LA for nearly 50 years.

Moving on to Good Luck where Damon had the good fortune to eye a Kevin Spacey look-alike looking like he's just come from the Tiki Ti donning a hideous Hawaiian shirt. Pull back the heavy velvet drape and enter what I imagine a Chinese Tea House to look like - a dark, swank, den illuminated only by red lanterns as if to conceal illicit activity (pass the opium, please). House drinks pictured and described on glossy menus giving no inkling what's in them, are named things like Hong Kong Bong, Enter the Dragon, and Fist of Fury. Comfy lounges, if you can score one, make for a good place to kick back and enjoy the eclectic music mix.

Now that it's midnight we should think about having dinner! So we take the German guy and the rest of us Heinz 57s to The Red Lion. Here you can have authentic German fare - schnitzel, bratwurst - and wash it down in the beer garden. For those who refer a more traditional experience check out the piano man on the main floor; sorry no room to polka.

Today commences with a savory English breakfast, exceptionally good after a night like last and ends in a whimsical finale. Years ago we made the acquaintance of a shop owner in El Segundo who invited us to a party. It happened to be the best party I have ever attended. After a lively evening started to wind down a few of us die hards remained. The host collects antiques and had an overflow of percussion instruments - maracas, tambourines, triangles, cow bells, etc. - and passed them out. We all sat around 'til the wee hours "jamming" having a gay ol' time. This afternoon we quite serendipitously attended a backyard BBQ there where a live, professional band entertained. Definitely more fun making your own music.

Run! Don't walk ...

... to the Hammer Museum in Westwood and tour the John Lautner (architect) Between Earth and Heaven exhibit now on view through October. There are so many fascinating elements to his work it's tough to know where to begin. Take, for example, the famous Elrod house in Palm Springs, Calif. Situated above the skyline, it is literally built into the desert crust where boulders form walls and structural strength all the while adding detail to this surprisingly warm concrete haven. During construction Lautner experienced a typical desert windstorm causing him to adapt his original plan to the inevitability of the elements. This anecdote causes me to wonder about geological forces as I gazed upon the model and accompanying video clip of this house and others. A "feeling of freedom" and lack of spacial separation make Lautner's work so special and beautiful. His designs aim to incorporate the dwelling into it's natural surroundings drawing inspiration from the topography; ultimately creating a building that takes full advantage of nature's beauty while quite literally becoming a part of it.

All of them obviously Lautner, each of his designs are unique in their own way given landscape and other constraints. Some might think he takes himself too seriously or that the houses are self aggrandizing in some way but I think what is so appealing about him is that he is a problem solver - 40% grade on your 2000 square foot hillside lot? no problem, we'll just build it on concrete stilts high above the tree line as he did with the chemosphere. They are all open and free-flowing with limited obstructions and seek to enhance the environment- inside and out. A couple of houses have exteriors walls that open to the atmosphere at the touch of a button. My favorites are right here in the LA area: The Carling residence and the Walstrom residence. Marbrisa in Acapulco is a masterpiece too. Which one is your favorite?

Thanks for the turn on, Lil.

sidebar:
Joining company with other greats like I.M. Pei, Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright - incidentally Lautner was Wright's understudy - many of Lautner's gems light up Los Angeles architecture. LA is a mecca of converging styles and artistic vision. On display in its vastness are bygone eras of various influences - including social and political with art and design being the nucleus. Architecture Tours LA, guided by an architecture expert, orchestrates neighborhood tours to laud some of these masterpieces.

The dark ages in the city of enlightenment

This bankrupt city o' mine never ceases... to amaze. I'm a voracious reader and I do A LOT of it. I get most of my books from the LA Public Library a) because I don't have enough space in my house to store them all and b) it can be awfully expensive adding everything I read to my collection. It used to be that you could borrow a book for 3 weeks renewing up to 3 times unless that title was on hold in the queue. Three weeks was short enough when you have other things going on in your life but now they've abbreviated check out to 2 weeks. When I inquired on this new policy I was informed that, " LA is in a budget crisis and we are not allowed to purchase new books, so as a result we have to increase circulation by reducing the check-out period." This city government is so atrociously inept robbing us blind taking with its booty our quality of life at every opportunity. LA's citizens are merely ATM machines to these pilferers. They've already managed to butcher 'ritin' and 'rithmitic' in our schools, why not parlay readin' out of our libraries? I guess I should be grateful they didn't ask me to pay for the book :]

Isn't it obvious?

This is too funny not to share. I listen to the greatest radio talk show host in LA, Doug McIntyre. He is so funny, smart and ALWAYS enlightened on the issues. He is obviously Irish and his ethnicity is fodor for many jokes and epithets during the show. Somebody, purporting to be Irish, wrote to the show with the following observation. I can't recall it verbatim but the gist is that the Irish in the homeland are confused about our confusion for President in the upcoming election. Firstly, a female lawyer wearing the pants is married to a lawyer who can't keep his pants on. Another lawyer not really from this country is married to another lawyer who seemingly doesn't like the country he's hoping to govern. And lastly, a war hero, N.B. a fellow Irishman with a good Mc in his name, is married to a weathly woman who owns a brewery. Where's the confusion?

Day Trippin'

Sometimes it's fun to be a tourist in the town you live in and it doesn't have to be tacky. You inevitably see things you take for granted - like the striking way the sun makes its urgent decent behind russet hills promising a new day in its silhouette. Or seeing the same performers on Venice Beach beach do their "final show" all day every weekend for decades. The joy is seeing it from a new perspective and making the journey as eventful as the destination. I had visitors over the weekend so we ran the circuit of must see LA landmarks. Rather than gazing upon the hillside to view the H O L L Y W O O D sign from the madness that is Hollywood Bl., make the extra effort to meander Griffith Park and end up at the newly remodeled observatory where expansive city views are nothing short of spectacular. On a clear day (usually in winter) you can see Catalina Island to the west and snow-capped Big Bear to the east. The program and planetarium show at Griffith observatory is informative and nicely executed. Some exhibits are even interactive; for example, you can jump up and down in front of the seismograph and try to create an earthquake. And look out for the ring of Uranus!

Whilst in Venice, better than the famed boardwalk is Abbott Kinney. It's fun to leisurely promenade the boulevard deking into artisan work spaces or comb musty old buildings for vintage finds. Aside from the best and cheapest burger in town grilled Sunday afternoons at the Rooster Fish, my favorite thing about Abbott Kinney is the Meditrina cafe. Delicious meals is the least of its allure. Make sure to get a table on the patio where afterward you can take the garden path around the sculpture gardens. Everything is for sale and tenderly cared for. And whatever you do don't miss the gelato! My favorite is pistachio but coconut and mango are also refreshing and scrumptious.

Happy trails!

Fed up at the pump?

It's not pretty - just plain facts.
Better to be outraged than an ostrich.
Get hosed here.

Going to hell in a plastic bag

It's clear that laws are made for the stupid. Get this, California is about to impose a "bag tax". The EPA and other environmental groups are up in arms because idiotic ignoramuses don't know any better than to discard plastic grocery bags anywhere but the trash can. The bags drift into the gutter, then float into storm drains and out to the ocean where they strangle birds & fish, and turtles mistake them for dinner, i.e. jellyfish, which is a staple in their diet.

Assembly Bill 2058, authored by Lloyd Levine - the same incompetent who wants to banish the incandescent light bulb in favor of the mercury laden compact fluorescent energy saver bulb, reads as follows:

The bill would require a store that is not complying with the diversion rate
requirements (defined as a 70% reduction in the volume of single-use bags distributed by 2010)
to sell plastic carryout bags to customers for not less
than $0.15 per bag. A store charging customers for plastic carryout
bags would be required to demonstrate that any revenue
collected, excluding the cost of the bags and a reasonable financial
return, is used to fund specified programs. 

I agree that plastic bags are hazardous to the health of the planet. I also agree that the waste generated by grocers is egregious - we've all seen them unnecessarily double bagging or putting just one item in a bag. But paper is no better. Although biodegradable, it takes 70% more energy to produce and transport paper than plastic. And most of all we've got to get people to think about the amount of waste we create and how it gets disposed. Maybe hitting them in the pocket book is the most heavy-handed way to get results but Life Rules 101 describes how there are trade-offs to just about EVERYTHING. As usual let's get all the facts before we knee-jerk.

Who it helps: birds, fish, turtles, environmentalists, Lloyd Levine's campaign.
Who it hurts: all the poor shlubs just trying to make a living and keep some of their paltry earnings, and drug addicts because the drugs are legal in California but the bag it comes in will soon be illegal (I can't take credit for this ironic observation). Ha!

P.S. Stores are now - audaciously, disgracefully - charging for reusable bags depicting their logos. Wouldn't it behoove them to hand these out for free or a nominal fee? (The last one I bought was $5.00!) Not only is it free advertising but it sets them apart as environmentally conscious.

Shoot this, yo!

Mid-westerners are sooo uptight. If your lawn mower doesn't start, why CAN'T you shoot it? This is the best story I've heard in a long time. I laughed out loud with my mouth wide open. A Milwaukee resident (pictured), Mr. Welandowski, has been arrested and faces 6 years in the clink because the policeman has a bug up his butt and didn't buy the argument, "it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want." Maybe if he were more welandowski with a few more toofies and a hairbrush they wouldn't have mistaken him for a nutbird hillbilly and overlooked the felony lawn rage.

Words from the wise

We can change the world, one person at a time. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective. No voice is too small.

"The Enemy is Ignorance"

As a voracious reader I have read the masterworks of many literary greats and been engulfed, if not transported, by the prowess of equally great, though not necessarily noteworthy, authors and storytellers. Three Cups of Tea is unequivocally the best story I've ever read (could be that this is where my head is these days). Beautifully written, it's one man's tale of a failed attempt to summit the most razorous of Himalayan peaks and how that failure lead to his benevolent efforts and selfless success as humanitarian. Greg Mortensen, Director of the Central Asia Institute established stateside, is a real American hero. His mission is to combat poverty and subjugation with education - "books not bombs". CAI has built over 50 schools, particularly for girls, in the most rugged and sequestered terrain of Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last 15 years. The alliances he's forged and relationships he's built with the most unlikely cast of characters is a real testament to Greg's passion for his work and a genuine belief in the fundamental and universal human need for self-reliance.

Family Affair

When I heard the Cameron family reunion was taking place in Gananoque, the epicenter of the world famous "Thousand Islands", my cortex was flooded with fond memories of youth and jubilation. Since the town I grew up in was a big yawn I spent weekends in my early 20's with "Davey" in T.I. We traveled 5 hours away from home most summer weekends to Alex. Bay, New York where we found plenty of mischief harboring untold stories of debauchery. While the physical landscape is unchanged, I am, so my visit was vastly different from the good ol' days. The Thousand Islands are located in the St. Lawrence Seaway dividing the US and Canada east of Lake Ontario. There are 1086 islands within about a 50 mile stretch. Most are privately owned - some large enough to house a small city including a fire department and some too small for nary a tree. I've visited a fair number of places in the world and this stretch of heaven is one of the most spectacular I've seen, especially in autumn when the leaves are changing. Gan is a quaint little tourist town easily explored by mountain bike (lots of off-road trails) but don't miss the boat trip 'round the isles. There are plenty of charming B&Bs to make a holiday on the river unforgettable. I've said for a long time that T.I. is a definite contender for my retirement.

(One of my favorite things in life is bagpipes. I can hear the faintest note in the distance and will bear through almost anything to find and listen to them - poison ivy in every nook and cranny when I was 6).

Gan is not too far outside of Canada's beautiful capitol city, Ottawa. I had never been even though I grew up in the vicinity. These images do not depict how looming the Parliament building truly is. And it's setting against the Rideau backdrop is breathtaking. In winter the canal freezes over and skaters replace boats. This photo shows working mechanical locks that join the canal with the river.


A train trip west connects me to the rest of my family where I got to spend time with the whole brood including my grandparents. While not at all restful it was a relaxing week of much needed family time.

Thanksgiving

Well, more thanks than giving. It's not quite a cornucopia but my garden bounty has been satisfying nonetheless. So far we've enjoyed an arugula salad, spinach, greens beans, tomatoes, turnip and beets. I reside amongst a small percentage of the population who love beets. I found a simple and delicious recipe for beet salad. (see below) I eat it alone but I'm sure you could put it with some greens or use your imagination to create your own delicious concoctions. Still waiting on the carrots, eggplant, squash and corn. We have one ear of corn so far. If I remember correctly it should be ready for harvest in August.





Roast 4 washed beets (stems & roots removed) wrapped in tin foil in 400 oven for 1 hour
Cool a bit; peel & cut into bite sized wedges
Mix in 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Add 1/3 c chopped walnuts
Toss with 1 tbsp sunflower oil (or whatever you prefer)
Serve chilled crumbled with goat cheese

You can use the greens too. They are a little bitter to use in a salad but I sauteed them with garlic and shallots for a yummy and flavorful side with beef tenderloin and sweet potato/turnip mash. Substitute the beet for turnip greens, add sardines to the skillet and you've made a classic Siicilian dish. Bellissimo!

Another favorite is turnip gratin. We love root vegetables and there are lots of extraordinary ways to use them.





Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in an ovenproof heavy skillet, cool.
Slice well-washed turnip paper thin (skins on), layer 1/3 into skillet overlapping tightly.
Keep remaining slices covered with dampened paper towel.
Sprinkle with a little thyme, savory, kosher salt, and cayenne.
Make 2 more layers just the same.
Cook, covered, over medium heat until underside is browned, about 10 min.
Add 1 c heavy cream and cook, covered, until center is tender, 20 to 25 min.
Sprinkle evenly with 1 c grated Parmigiano cheese.
Bake, uncovered, until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I am so thankful for and to my grandparents who as city folks had the gumption to become farmers in mid-life. Their adventure rendered us kids the beneficiaries of many years of unforgettable memories. Those were truly the best days of my life and I often think that after we've sown our proverbial seeds we are impelled to return to our roots. I love the vibrancy, diversity, activity and most of all the anonimity of city life but more and more I feel the pull of peace and open space. Who doesn't want their veggies and eat them too?

Over the Moon

I'm going to Africa!!!.....And beyond.

I HIGHLY recommend Jim Harlan at Uncommon Adventures to unleash the adventurer in you. I cannot say enough about his passion and willingness to make dreams come true. Everyone I've talked to who's traveled under Jim's direction has said it was the best trip of their life. He customizes trips based on who you are, what you like to do, how you like to travel and (importantly) what your budget is. I was agonizing when I thought there was a chance I wouldn't be making this trip but Jim knew how important is was to us and made it happen. I hope to be able to afford to make a really snazzy trip every other year since there's so much world to cover and traveling is my passion. Jim is so knowledgeable and has personally been everywhere he suggests so he knows just how to make your experience ultimate.

Under the Big Top

The last couple of days have been like walking the high wire. As you know, I am planning a trip to Africa in December with a group of avid adventurers. The itinerary is robust tackling 3 countries in just under 2 weeks including visits to Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. We will be on safari in the Okavango Delta and game driving in Kruger National Park. Highlights also include white water rafting on the Zambezi River, elephant back safari, & a helicopter tour of Victoria Falls. As you can guess this adventure is not cheap. But relish my surprise when I opened my inbox the other day to find that I needed to pony up an additional $2000. on top of the twice previously revised pricing scheme. YYEOWZA! Between the weak dollar and rising fuel costs this trip is rapidly constricting my blood flow. I don't recall the last time I felt so depressed. I talked it over with my "camp-mates" and we all agreed that we just couldn't stretch our budget. As one last consoling measure I offered to see how flexible this trip was and if we couldn't customize it a bit to rein the price in some. The most accommodating tour director at Uncommon Adventures thinks he can make it work for us so at least for the time being the dream is still alive.

I love LA (sort of)

If it weren't for the people, LA would be paradise. It really is amazing some of the special things that exist in this sprawled out metropolis; things you wouldn't necessarily find in the midst of a city. But this isn't just any city. One of the great things about the area is its terrain and natural beauty - from coastal and lush to arid desert with stunning forests and peaks dotting the environs. I hope there weren't too many visitors to the city on Saturday because it truly was one of those perfect days that makes people never want to leave LA. It was a pleasant 75, gentle salty breezes, ocean waves glistening in the warm sunlight...
so, we decided to meet some friends for an afternoon of wine tasting in semi-local Malibu. Located deep in the canyons of the Santa Monica mountains resides the Malibu Winery.

Family owned and operated, they grow 8 varietals including cabernet, merlot and syrah grapes on 65 acres of rolling surrounds. The open-air tasting room - effectively a hutch - is the centerpiece of a small parkland where old wine barrels form tables for picnicking. I's byo munchies and beware the corkage of $200. for byob. We were rude enough, or smart enough, to bring our own tried and true. While the setting is magnificent the Malibu Vineyard wine was not and we were prepared. Once you toss back a few pours though it gets increasingly difficult to discern the good from the bad! Most of the flight we had wasn't so great but the 2002 Semler Syrah wasn't too bad. Jack bought a bottle plus he'd made a nice nosh of bread, fruit, and cheese from Beechers in Seattle. (The flagship is to die for.)

It so happened that since it was such a glorious day a number of other people had the same idea. The place was a little crowded, hence, good people watching. What could be better than observing winos in their natural habitat? There was one stand out in particular. A woman in probably her mid 30's with quite a bit o' junk in da trunk was wearing a navy blue jersey knit dress and thong underwear. We know this because we could see the silhouette as her clingy dress clung. Our first encounter was when she approached our table with a child of oh, say 10 years old collecting corks for a project. In their way, Damon and Jack had a go at poking fun at surrogate mom at which time she whisked the little girl away as if they were weird or something. Strangely, in an attempt to come down to the child's height the woman was walking around all hunched over like she hailed from Notre Dame, or so we thought, all the while her dress getting caught in the crack. Turns out the woman was blitzed as evidenced by the fact that she went bounding across the grass oblivious that her dress was no longer stuck but floating up and over her bare cheeks. And then she zigzagged back across the lawn to join her party. Not long afterward she grabbed a garden hose and started dousing her friends - the blue dress now sopping and clingy. I wonder if she knows Bill Clinton.

After a brief stop along the shore to dunk our toes in the warm suds of the pacific surf the evening winds down with tacos and margaritas. Gotta love it.

Notice of Public Hearing

Some jerk-off in my neighborhood wants to tear down a charming little house and build a 6-unit condominium with 14 parking spaces all on 6000 square feet of property. Our house is within 500 feet of the proposed project so we were invited to participate in a hearing on the matter. The day before the hearing I got online to check the agenda just to ensure it was going forward as planned. I didn't find the case on the list so I rang the number provided in the notice. True to government fashion the contact person provided on the notice was on vacation until July 8th and, of course, there's nobody else to confirm the schedule. Dare I ask why such a person is charged with correspondence if they aren't available? The meetings are held in the middle of the day, in downtown LA. I vacillated about whether or not to make the trek and in the optimistic end I did. The 3 parking lots surrounding City Hall cost $16.00 to park and I might have paid it except they were each full. So all my effort was futile. After driving around for 30 minutes looking for a spot I gave up. I suspect that making things so prohibitive is the goal so the council can push their pet projects through without fear of reprisal.

I am opposed the condo for a handful of reasons. I know I have to live with progress but "monstrification" creates an aesthetic problem for the neighborhood - a small, historic little enclave. Gigantic structures are out of place not to mention how it encroaches on neighboring plots jeopardizing privacy and quality of life. The tiny street is already congested with 4 other giant apartment buildings which causes double parking issues and overflow onto adjacent streets. We reside on the cul-de-sac at the end of the street where these monsters sit so people use it as a turnabout; their cars come screaching around the bend only to speed off to their destination. More people means more trash - also a problem on our block. Since many of the tenants are not homeowners there seems to be a lack of pride in the neighborhood. There's plenty of litter in general but also the trash cans do not get pulled off the curb in an appropriate timeframe, rather they are left out sometimes all week long.

Presumably, the goal of this developer is to sell the units off. But what if he can't? Will they be leased? Who will rent them? Section 8 recipients? A transient element with no personal investment can and often does change the landscape for the worse. I'm getting ever closer to moving to the moon.

Fornication

This has been a sex-filled weekend. I finally caught Sex and the City at the movies which I thought was cute and unexpectedly disappointing. It was very, um, real. Real is not at all what I'd anticipated. What I was hoping for was the smut and deviant behavior that gripped me during the HBO series. And there was some of that, however the screenwriter was strident to point out that the women had evolved from awkward and experimental sexual maniacs messing about into mature and thoughtful love-bound 40 something ladies. Corny. Boring. Deep. Meaningful.

And then I saw my 1st episode of Showtime's Californication. I first fell in love with David Duchovny (in the 80's I think) on Showtime's Red Shoe Diaries where his character was a reckless fiend drenched in a fantasy world. Ironically, his character on Californication is a reckless fiend drenched in love with his ex-wife. Seems to be a theme emerging here... promiscuous 20's, permissive 30's, pathetic 40's.

Then there was some other show about a high-priced call girl. She seems to be the only one of the lot with a clear head. Seriously, what's love got to do with it?

I, myself now 40, think love is for the birds and that it's a pathetic trade-off for sex.

Good and Bad Coexist

I surf the internet using Goodsearch. It's powered by Yahoo! and every time you use the search engine they donate one cent to the charity of your choosing. It doesn't sound like a lot of money but since you're searching anyway it can really add up. They give kudos to a different spokesman/organization every day and I usually ignore it but today my curiosity was piqued. The feature was WITNESS. This is a program partnered by Reebok and Peter Gabriel (the musician) whereby they aim to place cameras in the hands of citizens throughout the world and encourage them to record any human rights injustices they witness. Such an act probably makes people feel empowered and emboldens their spirit, giving voice and recognition to their plight. If careless, however, it could mean a death sentence for the cameraman under some regimes. This strikes me as an important instrument in potentially heading off say, genocide (an extreme example) or other atrocities. There are truly good people out there making good of bad circumstances.

Why Women Should Rule the World

Women have the reputation of being "catty" and certainly some are. But some - I dare to guess even most - aren't. In her book, Dee Dee Myers succinctly points out the differences between male/female approaches in the workplace and in life using candor and interesting anecdotes. No matter your gender, political affiliation, or value system this book lends some insight that maybe even women couldn't have put their finger on as we meld into a "man's" world. Face it, there's hundreds of years worth of just-the-way-it's-done mentality to overcome (from both sides). Her main thesis is that since woman place value in different compartments than men and since we occupy roughly 50% of the space on the planet couldn't it be possible that women would do an equal if not better job at "ruling the world"; rule as defined however you choose - rule the land, rule the company, rule the family, rule the beach BBQ. You get the point. To be frank, the world, having been run by men, doesn't seem all that harmonious (incidentally a female desire or goal). There's no man-bashing here. Just some real straight-shootin' talk about how women (generally speaking) look at the world. If you are a woman, work with women, hire women, know any women I encourage you to read this book. I promise you'll learn something.

Oh Boy!-cott

I feel another boycott coming on. Those who know me well understand that I will cut my nose off for principles' sake. Dumb, but I can't help it. There is a Western Bagel one block from where I work so a few times/week I pop in usually just to buy a single bagel. Then I go to the deli counter at the grocery store and buy the meat I want to put on the bagel, et voila! a sandwich. Like everything else recently, the price of a bagel has increased 20% (.75-.90) in the last couple of months. Annoying but understandable. Today I go in and ask for a sesame bagel sliced and toasted (I had previously purchased cream cheese and strawberries at the market to decorate my bagel.) They asked me for $1.20. When I questioned the price difference they said they had to charge an additional .30 to slice and toast. Well, as you might imagine I flipped a lid. Of course it's not the 30 cents (however, I find it hard to swallow that it took .30 worth of labor and energy in the 5 seconds he spent slicing and toasting). The supervisor concurred and said it is a corporate directive so I should level my grievance with them. Granted they don't make a bunch of money off me but what ever happened to giving a customer the pickle*?!!!

*the "pickle" is a customer service training hook referring to the post-retirement career a famous CEO launched after he received a letter from a loyal customer who said he wouldn't be returning to his restaurant after many years because the waitress charged him for an extra pickle. The gist of it is GIVE 'EM THE PICKLE!

The truth is the cost of poor customer service is incalcuable. I will be writing to corporate headquarters with my complaint. In it I will suggest not only that they locate the "pickle" training materials but also post the additional slicing & toasting charges on their menu & ensure that if this is truly a policy that everyone conforms. I have NEVER before been charged extra for slicing and toasting, even as recently as Monday. In this highly competitive, service-oriented climate with everyone touting service as their competitive advantage where's the ____ pickle?

Greed

Damon and I along with a bunch of friends have booked one of those little 3-day Baja California cruises on Carnival. It leaves Long Beach on Friday, sails to Ensenada Mexico and returns on Monday morning. Fun right? I've never done it before and while cruising doesn't seem like it would really interest me I love hanging out with all the people going. We've already paid our deposit and were getting ready to finalize payment when we learned that a private party has chartered the ENTIRE ship for that weekend and our getaway would be canceled. Canceled! Are ya kidding me? It just goes to show that money trumps decency. Our fare was roughly $400 per person and let's assume that the ship holds 2000 passengers. At minimum the cruise line would have been offered $800,000 to squeeze us out. My friend is trying to rebook us for the following weekend and they had better plan on kissing up real good, i.e. upgrades, room credit, unlimited drinks - something.
Rotten.

One Pooped Pooch (& sore dogs, too)

I think my dog is crippled - as if my poor monkey hasn't been through enough lately. It's a draw which brutalized him more; nearly drowning or the 7.6 mile hike I put him through today. He's gone on long walks before but usually at his own pace. Although I spent a long time massaging him, he can barely get up his muscles are so tired and stiff. Even I had to give my dogs a good soak in warm water with epsom salts to ease the blisters. We joined friends for an awesome walk through Griffith Park. It was a perfect day, albeit not without incident. We passed a coyote on the way up to the observatory, which completely freaked me out - I'm a city girl, after all. My friend was tolerating insufferable shoulder/neck/arm pain but he didn't let a little thing like that compromise his machismo - HE CHASED OFF THE COYOTE. And then Sir Dudley (the other dog) stepped on a bee (bugger couldn't resist a stab) and limped down the hill. But all was salved with refreshments at Trail's End. This place is nicely tucked amongst the pines easily lending to the cool and relaxing atmosphere. Gourmet vegan snacks served from a little shack that resembles a makeshift summer porch kitchen are homemade. I enjoyed the tomato, goat, rosemary tart with lemonade and tried my friend's asparagus, leek quiche. We all shared an outrageous strawberry-rhubarb galette which gave us enough energy to power home and cool off with Moscow Mules served in icy copper mugs. Aaahhh! What a perfect day.

Detoxify your innards

IonChi (tm) is a system that uses reverse osmosis to draw toxins out of your body through the thousands of pores in your feet. It's done using positive and negative polarity. This is my water after 30 minutes of soaking in a saltwater foot bath. Grody, huh? The goal is to cleanse internal organs of unwanted toxins so that you can feel re-energized. Since everyone is different, everyone's outcome is different, specifically the color and consistency of your water after the treatment. My water was mainly brown, orange, yellow & green. This supposedly means that my gall bladder, joints, kidneys and urinary tract are spic n' span - well, after another few treatments that is. Prepare for summer and soak your feet for just $35. at the Skin-Medix Medical Spa in Hermosa Beach.

Migun (Mee-gun)

Migun is Korean for "beautiful health". My brother asked my opinion about this company so I went to check it out because he was thinking of making a purchase. They produce thermal massage beds constructed by blending eastern wellness methodologies with western technology and can be demonstrated at showrooms sporatically located throughout the world. The only facilities in the LA area are not very conveniently located in Woodland Hills and Cerritos. The studios are franchised and offer the product for sale. However, the philosophy is that good health should be available to everyone so they allow you free 40 minute sessions to realize the benefits with the hope that you will be so transformed that you'll buy a bed. The basic principle is that sun energy is captured and delivered through jade heads built into the bed that move along the meridians in your body. You receive the benefit of both far infrared heat source and acupressure massage. Studies done at UCI medical school have shown that regular use of this bed also mitigates negative effects of hypertension and diabetes. I have only tried it twice and am in general good health so I haven't noticed much of a difference but I'm going to give it an earnest go. Try it out. A votre sante!

Mary, Mary quite contrary...

... my garden does grow very well, thank you. It is going bananas, actually! We had a problem with the initial plating of some seeds - either I drowned them, the birds ate them or the ground was still too cold. But we replanted corn, beans and summer squash and they are popping out beautifully. Should be a good summer if I can keep the bugs from chowing.

Victor Victoria

Lusty or Lesbo?

There was a time I would have stayed in and cried my eyes out refusing to let anyone see me like this but the beauty of being 40 allows for perspective. It's a little androgynous given my harsh features but it'll grow. I have bigger things to care about. For instance, I heard a story today that one of our nitwit councilmembers wants to hold local supermarkets responsible for the theft of their grocery carts. Ha! It turns out police policy is to book anyone caught with a shopping cart - many of whom do not have i.d. much less an address and, therefore, impossible to ticket. Arresting these petty thieves is obviously an arduous and expensive process keeping our police from catching bad guys but I'm not understanding the logic behind fining the stores. If the city officers were more conscientious about guarding the purse and able to manage the exorbitant budget given them they wouldn't have to waste energy on such ridiculousness.

Culture Club

Who says LA doesn't have any culture? It's laden with culture: harlot-starlet culture, motion- picture culture, gang-banger culture. Kidding aside, there is plenty to keep one satiated in this town and even enlightened.

Last night I spent the evening in Hollywood at the King King Theater. Friends of friends were producing a one night only gig called "The Medicine Show". It was billed as modern day vaudeville. The theater is hip and ambient - warehouse ceilings, exposed exterior walls, wet-bar, kickass DJ spinning sassy records, all comfortably occupied with a diverse crowd of thrill-seekers. The show opens with a so-so band while pliant burlesque aerialists twirl on swings and rings above head. The line-up included a fantastic magician who often works The Magic Castle here in LA. He chose me to be his assistant. I didn't want to be a spoil sport so I went along and jumped up on stage wearing a form-fitting dress. (This is a germane detail.) The skit was great and we had a lot of fun.

It was a multi-cultural affair - the talent and audience were of every hue and ethnicity. Much of the comic agenda was based in stereotypes and begged audience participation. After a moderately funny hispanic comedian and a very funny hispanic m.c., enter the final comedian, a black man. He launches his segment by applauding me and my "bubble butt" and carries on for 5 minutes about my backside. I was half-mortified but let him take the piss out of me anyway. It was a great night.

Tonight, I finally made it down to Exposition Park to the California Science Center to view the Body Worlds exhibit. I am so fascinated by this process of preservation by plastination. It is really a feat to have figured a way to inject liquid plastic into the tiniest capillaries and then strip away the fibers to reveal a tangible specimen. This year the exhibit features the heart including veins, arteries and capillaries. I loved how organs, healthy and diseased, were displayed side by side with their corresponding vascular web. I think I'm going to donate my body to plastination science in death. Not only is it a way to live forever but then everyone will get to enjoy my bubble butt.

Nothing's impossible

I have just finished reading "A Life Decoded" - the memoir of the senior scientist who sequenced the human genome. While the bulk of the bio-technical terminology and concepts are well beyond the scope of my scientific comprehension, it is a good read and interesting to learn how science and politics are so closely entwined. What lead me to pick this title up to begin with is the possibility of knowing what lies within our DNA in terms of disease prevention. I struggled through the pages for weeks (one has to be in the right head-space to absorb such heady material) to find my reward in the last chapter. Many trials and tribulations lead Dr. Venter to and fro but his mind operates as a true scientist - curious to the core and determined to find answers to the hard questions. He was hell-bent on using his genome successes to benefit the world, if not humanity, so he turned to the sea. The oceans are brimming with millions of species of microorganisms. It is known that many organisms "eat" carbon dioxide which plays a key role in global warming.
Dr. Ventor and his team are trying to figure out a way to synthetically, genetically recreate more of these microbes. More carbon-reducing microbes = less carbon. Less carbon emission = less climate change. Boundless other outcomes and science could follow in this same vein. For instance, using scientific discovery to engineer artificial life form that could unearth, if you will, new alternative energy resources. Brilliant! At least someone is putting their genes to good use.