A Time Warp with a Syncopated Back Beat

One recent Sunday on the corner of Selma and Cahuenga there played a five man band, The Petrojvic Blasting Company by name. A trombone player, a trumpet player, a tuba player and a man playing the washboard were lead by an accordion player who sang and kept the beat by playing the drums with foot peddles. These gentlemen were dressed in brown with well shined shoes and fedoras slanted at cocky angles. Like a time warp with a syncopated back beat these musicians wouldn’t look out of place in an HG Wells saga or at a steampunk retro party.

It is somehow appropriate when times are hard to take a look back reevaluating foundations, embracing classics and seeking that which evokes feelings of safety and security. Looking back for a time when adversity was overcome generates strength to survive the present.

When society and institutions betray expectations it is natural to turn to the outlaw and the brilliant outsider to find heroes and inspiration. When people who are supposed to be trustworthy and dependable are caught in betrayal, freefalling individuals  prove their worth by starting over, overcoming adversity, saving themselves and succeeding beyond any expectations held before. Rather than being obsessed with money and corporate success priorities change stressing acting locally and focusing globally.

Looking to road trips, impossible quests and futuristic fantasy for temporary escape is natural. Examining the past and contemplating the future rather than dwelling on the ephemeral present provide distractions that allow forward momentum to build where otherwise seemingly overwhelming adversity tends to paralyze. A perception of positive progress is vital.  Even baby steps count.

Hollywood has Invaded

Early morning noises in the hallway outside the apartment. Masses of people coming and going, talking and carrying things into the building. The floor covered in rubber mats, the corners of the walls covered with cardboard protectors, thick black cables snaking along the passage and up the stairs, spot lights, reflectors, cameras, tripods, monitors and lots and lots of blue tape. Hollywood had invaded. Controlled chaos at it’s finest. Only in Los Angeles can an average person wake up with a camera crew outside their door on any given morning.

The filming in my building was for an educational commercial. They arrived with the dawning sun and left after it set. Every member of the crew knew their job and did it well. Even the Fire Marshal was experienced and knew what to expect and what was expected of him. When the wall wasn’t the right color they built a false one to set in front that was. When they needed laundry for a prop they brought in a basket full from a truck outside. Vases, flowers, knick knacks, end tables, mood music, tents, tables, chairs, snacks and more all supplied with precision by the mobile army in tractor trailers parked along the street.

When driving through Los Angeles corrugated yellow notices with black lettering can be seen attached to telephone poles, light poles and sign posts. The messages on them are sometimes precise “Crew Parking”, sometimes mysterious “NSY” and sometimes obvious “NCIS” or “CSI” or “U Betty” with directional arrows. On the buildings in the vicinity can be found taped “Notice of Filming” signs that describe what, where, and when something is being filmed. These white notices also list who is doing the filming, how to get in touch with them, permits, production parking, if equipment will be on the sidewalks or in the street and street closures. Whether it’s a commercial, a TV show or a movie being shot LA has it down to a science.

The earliest form of theatre was epic stories and myths passed down from parent to child around camp fires, religious festivities and celebrations. Theatrical forms evolved worldwide.  The need to creatively use the imagination is as basic to our nature as the need for food, shelter and continuation of the species. Instinctively, children create and share fantasy worlds as they play. Adults create fantasy worlds as well, something as seemingly mundane as Sunday dinner has it’s own rituals and decorations that make it “special.” Holidays, birthdays, school dances, graduations, are all made memorable and dramatic through the creation of transitory and fleetingly beautiful improvements to our environment, our behavior and our expectations and these are the events that remain in our memory when all else fades away. Shakespeare wrote “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” and we are. 

The evolution of drama from everyday life to Hollywood is fascinating, exhilarating and stimulating. Seeking something other than, something greater then the norm, obtainable even if only for a transitory moment, is a deep seated drive in humanity through all cultures on all continents at every social level. Access to today’s elaborate productions, instead of being under the exclusive control of the elite has reached the masses and what’s more, through advancements in technology, creation of what before could only be dreamed of is now also accessible. While the majority of what is created on an amateur basis is not extraordinary there are always the exceptions and those exceptions have an exponential and unique impact on society. The concept alone that everyone has a voice that can and will be heard if expressed is phenomenal and empowering on an individual basis and on society as a whole.  The belief that an individual can make a difference is profound and changes the way we live in a positive way.

Historically, even those societies who have embraced freedom of speech and expression as a right for their citizens, in a practical sense could not guarantee that the voices were accessible to society at large. Only those with access to outlets whether through educational, social or monetary status were actually heard. Today everyone has a voice and they can be heard.  If enough voices say the same thing they are perceived but the danger becomes that individuality and the unique voice can be overlooked and lost in the crowd. New problems now arising are the individual voice is drowned out in the flood, mass acceptance of inaccurate, unverified information can cause issues and dangerous microcosms of fringe society are encouraged in their psychosis by finding others with similar beliefs. The direction the next evolution of unique creative expression takes with Hollywood at the apex of the cresting wave can only be guessed at but too many people talking is better than too few and individual empowerment is awesome to behold.

Crossroads of the World

If you take a trip to 6671 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood you will come across a little mall called “The Crossroads of the World.” Sited next to the Eckankar Center where you can explore past lives, dreams and soul travel and a Catholic church. This mall was built in 1936.  In the middle of the mall is a building in the shape of a ship that sports a fifty foot tower toped by a revolving globe. Bungalows whose architectural styles are multicultural (Italian, Turkish, French, English, Asian, Cape Cod) run around the perimeter of the mall which also includes a wishing well and a light house. Throughout it’s long and sometimes scandalous history the Crossroads of the World has maintained a place in Hollywood  film history.

Many different places, at many different times, have claimed to be the Cross Roads of the World. This is the way Times Square markets itself and in ancient times people said “Omnes viae Romam ducunt” or “All roads lead to Rome” but it appears that Hollywood has become the new epicenter, the new crossroads of the world. No matter where they hail from, if a career in media is the goal, Hollywood is, at the very least a plateau that must be reached and crossed to achieve that goal and media born in Hollywood effects people world wide.

Just as the known world expanded when Rome conquered, Hollywood expands the world of perception every time new cultures, new perspectives and new technology are used to create innovative product for distribution. Our world view seems to expand in waves, an outgoing wave of physical exploration accompanied by a return of new knowledge. This knowledge becomes like a pebble dropped in water spreading outward in its turn, repeating and expanding exponentially.

There are crucial points in everyone’s lives, crossroads where we make decisions that alter our reality forever. Sometimes we recognize them as important decisions and at other times decisions are made and consequences reached without conscious choice. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says to themselves “I want to be a monster today” yet somehow monsters are created daily as are saints.  This is of course an exageration, as most of us are a little of both, but then, that's Hollywood.

There are legends about crossroads, some say that if you stand at a certain crossroad in the south at midnight you can sell your soul to the devil or if you are brave enough challenge him to a duel to win your heart’s desire.

History is rife with points where decisions were and are made that affect everyone.  Some potentially  catastrophic and some euphoric. The bottom line remaining that if no one had taken those chances, if no one had made those decisions to follow up on their ideas and dreams history would be static, advancement would cease and we would all be the worse for it. There is a quote by Anthony Robbins that, for me reflects the very essence of personal crossroads:

“You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget the past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don’t think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.”

Personal crossroads, when many individuals converge in one place or at one point in time, with a common idea or dream or attitude have a way of accumulating and becoming greater than we could ever imagine.

Car Lovers Paradise

When first arriving in Los Angeles you realize that this really is a city of car lovers. Not just your average car but classic cars, antique cars, original one of a kind cars, high end cars, customized cars, they all can be seen cruising down LA’s major arteries on any given day.

The Peterson Museum  is devoted entirely to cars. The Concours D’Elegance is held annually on Rodeo Drive on Father’s Day, closing off the street to automotive traffic so pedestrians can better admire the beauty and fine lines of unique automotive machinery. Car shows and events abound in LA, some celebrating a specific model others hosting every kind imaginable. We love Low Riders,  T-Birds, Dodge, Chevy, Mercury, Mercedes, Lincolns and Cadillacs. Whether we are jamming out at the Cadillac Ranch, building it one piece at a time, whether it’s pink or black we do love our Cadillacs.

We love car chases, car races, and car thieves. We couldn’t do without our rebels and our bandits,  our heroes and our villains. From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to James Bond, from the Bat Mobile to Christopher Lloyd’s DeLorean, from the Blues Brothers to the Men in Black  cars are part of our culture and ingrained in our spirit.

Cars bring back memories and inspire dreams.  Whether you’re looking for paradise or on a highway to hell  they can be the ultimate status symbol or the ultimate gauge of shallowness. They can evoke a season, an era or even a section of the country.

We are a wandering people, it’s in our blood or we wouldn’t be here. Road trips are teenage initiations and adult rebellions. Whether the ride is fast and dangerous, slow and short, or miles and miles of twists and turns we love to drive. Some times the journey is one way and sometimes we come full circle back to where we started. From Route 66 to Ventura highway from the Beat Generation to the Green Generation our romance and passon for cars has evolved with us and carried us not just down the road but into the future.

Halloween in West Hollywood

I was blown away as were several costumers hanging onto cement street dividers with inside out umbrellas, ties blowing in the wind (even though it wasn’t windy), and fallen leaves plastered to their pant legs. A mad swirl of color and sound threatened sensory overload as heads swiveled right, left, backward and forward, up and down, not knowing where to look first.

The Wicked Which of the West flew in for the evening and Sleeping Beauty’s Fairy Godmothers showed up in full costume, blue, green and pink with pointed hats and magic wands looking exactly as Disney pictured them except, unfortunately, they must not have had very much time to prepare for the ball, as they forgot to shave off their full beards. They were also much taller than I had imagined. Beards seemed to be the "in" thing this year as one bride showed off her gown and full beard and another young lady flipped things around by donning facial hair that wasn’t quite as authentic.

Snap, Crackle & Pop were there relaxing in a bowl of milk not showing their age at all. Michael Jackson showed up as did several other celebrities including Jack, Hugh Heffner, Ugly Betty, Amy Winehouse and Mr. T. Former President Clinton posed with a bruised and bloody Affordable Healthcare and Abe Lincoln enjoyed a stroll through the crowd. Tom Cruse showed up… several times… but he seemed to have forgotten his pants. Even Facebook, Myspace and Twitter showed up.

A Mario convention seemed to have descended on Hollywood as he popped up everywhere however Luigi was conspicuously absent. The Star Trek conventioneers were out numbered and lost in the crowd. Extras from horror movies mingled with Vegas showgirls who competed with Mardi Gras partiers.

Batman was there as was Robin (out of the closet and with a date). Dorothy came wearing her ruby slippers but stayed for the party instead of clicking heels homeward. Captain Hook and Peter Pan made an appearance as did Captain Jack Sparrow although Tick Tock the crocodile was no where to be seen or heard. Alice came through the looking glass with the Mad Hatter at her side and a couple of Tim Burton’s nightmares strode boldly down the street as Santa showed up with a pumpkin bag bringing up twisted thoughts of the Great Pumpkin meeting Jack Skellington poor Linus would freak.

Winged creatures flew in, in abundance from fairies to butterflies. There were Fuzzy’s, centaurs, a giraffe, a skunk, a cow and many other representatives of the animal kingdom not to mention the dogs who came in costume taking their owners for a stroll. A giant Man ‘o War jelly fish floated over the crowd with a diver swimming beneath while a blue alien wearing an orange and yellow half dress freaked out the crowd. There were a lot of bananas and a bunch of purple grapes celebrating after a hard day’s shoot.

Every era appeared to be represented from a beautiful ancient Egyptian goddess to four sequin covered disco maniacs from the 70s not to mention one wearing a polyester suit. A flapper who looked as if she’d popped in on a time machine looked right at home as the “Godmother” walked by (Al Pachino eat your heart out). Fred Flintstone and his neighbors joined us from Bedrock and Vikings sailed in to conquer.

There were many very tall women, some authentic and some not so authentic. (I would love to know who did their makeup as they looked quite beautiful and in some cases very classy.) Women wearing full body paint and not much else definitely left no question as to their authenticity and the artistry of their body work. Medusa joined the crowd with writhing, hissing hair as a snake charmer lured a cobra from its basket.

There was a definite police presence, however which officers were real and which were revelers could prove quite puzzling at times as the handcuffs seemed authentic in both cases. McGruff the Crime Dog and Ms. Sherlock Holmes were there just in case a mystery needed solving. Although some plastic masked participants in the crowd would have freaked out bank tellers if they walked in off the street, the one arrest witnessed was a handcuffed man looking down in sheepish embarrassment as he sat on a curb surrounded by police. Those very few who seemed a bit worse for wear had concerned friends helping them home and watching out for them.

The crowd of onlookers were as varied as the revelers. There were family groups with small children and grown men in diapers with pacifiers. Elderly couples with faces reflecting either the glazed look of trapped animals or grinning from ear to ear in awed amazement watched the crowd. A group of white men in designer jeans and white polos held up picket signs ranging from “What would Jesus say” to “We still haven’t seen the birth certificate”. The crowd flowed on with polite disinterest like an ever changing, evolving flood dividing around unmoving, inflexible rocks, isolated in the middle, as the stream surged past leaving them behind. A man in full dress uniform walked beside his buddy in a wheel chair and a heavily accented voice shouted at full volume “I LOVE AMERICA!”

There were stationary DJs spinning music as the crowd danced and a roving party with dry ice fog and laser lights making its way down the street. Magic acts  were on hand to thrill and amaze as comedians made the crowd laugh. Hot dog venders made a killing and the line at Starbucks was the most entertaining I’ve ever been in. The City of West Hollywood  pulled out all the stops for the thousands of adventurous costumed revelers who attended. The best view was enjoyed by those looking down from office terraces overlooking all the action. Stretching from West Hollywood all the way to Beverly Hills the experience was visually intoxicating. An overwhelming feeling of playful happiness pervaded the crowd as adults paraded like children up and down the boulevard.

If the West Hollywood Halloween Parade  wasn’t your style you could always go to the Whisky a Go Go where they had a séance to try and raise Jimmy Hendriks spirit from the dead but I, for one, was extremely glad I went. The experience was unforgettable.

Fun and Fans at the "Barbara" Streisand Charity Auction

The Barbra Streisand Auction held October 17th and 18th at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills raised funds for The Streisand Foundation  in New York which contributes to such causes as the Natural Resources Defense Council, American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Institute for America’s Future, People for the American Way, Center for Public Integrity, Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Watch and Youth Arts USA.

Gowns Barbara Streisand wore for concerts were auctioned off.  There were costumes from “The Way We Were”, “Funny Lady”, “Nuts”, “The Mirror Has Two Faces”, and “Meet the Fockers” with a surprise anoucement that for continuity reasons, who ever purchased the jewelry from “Meet the Fockers” might be getting a call from Barbra asking to borrow them back for the sequel, "Little Fockers". There were portraits, some good and some not so good, almost life size cardboard figures of Barbra and a wooden letter “a” that she kept as a momento signifying the “a” she dropped from her name changing it from Barbara to Barbra. There were everyday items and antiques, tables, bookcases, fire place poker sets, antique commodes and ceiling fans (that sold, due to a bidding war for $7,500). Mementoes from all over the world included some exquisite Japanese netsuke carvings including a baby bird in an egg shell, a frog riding a whale, a man holding a cat and a hand holding a monkey. There was also a miniature replica of one of the chariots in the tomb of the Chinese Emperor Shi Huang from the Museum of Shanghai.

Many in the audience were avid fans with some even wearing concert T-shirts and hair styles from the seventies, shoulder length wings in front, cut shorter in back. Their knowledge of their idol was extensive and not to be challenged. It was a fun audience with bids also coming in from places as varied as Miami, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium and Canada.

Barbara Streisand is a singer, writer, actress, and producer. She is the number one selling female recording artist in the United States and is tied with the Beatles for “Most Albums Reaching Top 10 Status”, with only The Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra out pacing them both. Her career began in 1962 and has lasted over four decades. She has released 63 albums, 50 of which, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, went Gold, 30 of those going Platinum and 15 of those Multiplatinum, winning ten Grammys, two Oscars and numerous other awards including Kennedy Center Honors. With nine Number One albums, her latest album “Love Is the Answer” is listed at Number One on Billboard as of October 17, 2009, Barbra Streisand’s career shows no sign of slowing down.

Whatever your favorite song may be, People ; Evergreen ; The Way We Were ; You Don’t Bring Me Flowers ; I’m the Greatest Star ; Don’t Rain on My Parade ;Cry Me a River ; Happy Days ; Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair ; On a Clear Day ; and A Sleepin’ Bee just to name a few, their popularity is undeniable.   Perhaps part of the magic is that her beauty is not flawless nor is it dependent on surface perceptions but is based on talent, self confidence and an inner radiance that shines through when she performs.  She doesn’t let anyone dictate her actions, she doesn’t accept defeat or settle for less than the stars she aims for, but she herself is relatable and down to earth. She represents hope and dreams despite the odds stacked against us. She is both strong and feminine and her songs and vocals touch a universal chord that is basic and eternal. 

My one regret is that I was only able to attend the last day of the auction as once again Darren Julien presented a charity event that was both entertaining, fun and thought provoking for a cause well worth supporting.

Where the Wild Things Are

“Where the Wild Things Are” is a celebration of imagination. While it may be too scary for children under the age of 10 anyone older will be missing out if they don’t go see it. Any parents who don’t take their children are missing an unusual opportunity to promote maturity and perspective in an entertaining and unexpected way.

Using a deceptively simple story line that everyone can relate to there are dimensions beyond the obvious touched upon and developed in this movie. Parallels cause role reversal. How strange does it feel when our parents words pop out of our mouths unbidden, unasked for? How often is this change in perspective experienced as a child?

Childhood is not all warm and fuzzy. In reality big, warm, fuzzy piles are fleeting, rare and somewhat smothering. Life is not all warm and fuzzy. People who love each other sometimes hurt each other especially when caught up by intense emotions. Going too far is easy to slip into, you can’t take it back, and is hard to extricate ones self from.

Seeking out new experiences like Bob and Terry changes perspective, it doesn’t change who one is but it can change how one sees the world. Change can be perceived as a threat by others.  Change can lead to lack of control. Frustration and hurt stemming from lack of control in a situation can be exhibited through anger, destruction and the desire to lash out and hurt in return. The balance between losing control, being controlled and learning control is a process that takes a lifetime to master, the scale balanced with maturity, empathy and knowledge. Realizing that control does not extend beyond one’s own fingertips is a difficult lesson to learn.

Simple situations, competitions, and challenges can spiral exponentially to a plateau where play crosses a line into hurt in a self sustaining escalation that is no longer fun anymore. Intent determines the line where hurt can be forgiven and where it can’t. It is easier to hug hurt close and ride the emotions generated than it is to let hurt go and move on. Someone allowing you to step on their head in retaliation does not give the same satisfaction and spontaneous absolution acting in the heat of the moment would. Being granted control is not the same as actually being in control.

A perfect world, a perfectly controlled world is a static world, an artistically beautiful diorama, awesome to perceive but unchanging, unchallenging, and unforgiving of imperfections.  The differences corresponding to individuality also create discord.  Imperfections can be perceived as negative character traits but perception and reality don’t always sync, whether one is filled with blood or sawdust, whether one is a king or a normal person, isn’t determined by perceived character traits however, the way others treat us is. Outer shells shown to the world are deceptive.

Is there any way back after going too far? Yes. Always. If love exists there is. Is there a place where only the things we want to happen, happen? In our dreams, in our imaginations, on television, in books and movies but not in real life. Should the pursuit of happiness be abandoned or is it enough in and of itself? Goals don’t have to be attainable to be worth striving for. By turning expectations upside down artistic dreams can be realized.

This is not a feel good movie. It is melancholy, giddy, scary and sad. It is controlled and wild, beautifully harmonious and darkly morbid and destructive. There are times when everyone needs to howl.  The impression is left that those who’s artistry and creativity went into the making of this movie “get it” and “it” is very hard to define. Let the wild rumpus begin.

Ruby Slippers & Kinky Boots

There is a store on Hollywood Blvd., Lady Studio Exotic Shoes, in which can be found some of the kinkiest boots on the planet. Towering stiletto heals, day glow neon colored boots, platforms, vynel, leather and plastic, if you can imagine it, it’s probably there.

If it’s true that shoes make the man or woman, in Hollywood at least, footwear has created timeless images shared by all. From Judy Garland’s ruby slippers to Julia Roberts thigh high boots signature footwear has made it’s mark on the big screen. During the height of the cold war ballet shoes faced off against tap building a bridge of mutual respect and showing we’re not as different as me might think. Dying with your boots on is a Western tradition that took on new meaning when Tommy took on Elton John at pinball.  Footwear completes and compliments a character.  White shoes, biker boots and stilettos tell vastly different stories about the person wearing them and the story being told.

The Bata Shoe Museum gives a historical perspective to the study of footwear. A used pair of combat boots at the Vietnam War Memorial strikes an unexpected chord of pathos and humanity.  Shoes have inspired superstitions from lucky horseshoes to caling out "baby needs a new pair of shoes" for luck when playing dice. They’ve inspired proverbs and fairy tales in many countries.  Sayings like "walk a mile in my shoes" or "I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes" are commonly used. 

You can have a pair of shoes but if you have two left shoes you tend to fall over.

Whether you get a good pair of walking boots, gladiator sandals or blue suede shoes there is a certain magic in finding the right ones. The shoe maker’s elves were there when times were tough and during the Great Depression shoe soup was always an option, however today’s footwear would probably hold less nutritional value being made mostly from synthetics instead of leather.  Gum shoes look for shoe prints and hope they don’t end up in cement shoes when investigating organized crime.  Puss in Boots had a wonderfully uncomplicated outfit and Crocodile Dundee had boots that perfectly fit his character.

Jumping in mud puddles wearing a yellow pair of rubber boots may seem like defeating the purpose of wearing them to begin with but it is glorious fun. Not too many year ago Converse and Keds were the only athletic shoes available now the market is flooded with options.  Children play at being adults by wearing a pair of their parents shoes. Evolving into parents they find out how big those shoes really are to fill.

Shoes protect us from the elements, they help shape the way we want the world to perceive us. The right pair of shoes inspire confidence. But sometimes, the best feeling of all, comes when we take off our shoes and walk barefoot in the grass.

From Shakespeare to Star Trek

Every year West Hollywood pulls out all the stops and holds their annual book fair. Something new and exciting that keeps one enthralled, intrigued or laughing can be found there every year.

Past Book Fairs have featured autograph sessions with political writers such as Gore Vidal who was as out spoken in his younger days as he is today and continue to be controversial with such authors this year as Jordan Elgrably, Mir Tamim  and Reza Aslan.

Last year Ray Bradbury spoke of his early years when another young man by the name of Hugh Hefner published his short stories in an up and coming men’s magazine and Lucile Ball was his landlord. This year Carol Channing and Bruce Vilanch spoke at the Entertainment Pavilion keeping the audience in stitches for an hour. Their frank discussion of back stage antics and promotion of the arts in public schools earned them a standing ovation and left the audience wanting more. Carol sang gospel and a song promoting the arts in schools. She talked of working with Ethel Merman and Ann Miller, Andy Rooney’s Sugar Babies and Love Boat. Carol may have outlived the competition but she certainly never let the parade pass her by.

Nicholas Meyer talked about directing and how, as a child he sat next to Albert Einstein at dinner, found a hair on his food, said so out loud, and was told by Einstein “Shhhhhh… not so loud or everyone will want one.” His works are a combination of different approaches to a common theme, the contrast providing richness and depth that would otherwise be missing. “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” with Sherlock Holmes visiting Sigmund Freud starring Alan Arkin and Nicol Williamson (a Shakespearian actor who’s version of Hamlet is widely acclaimed to have rivaled that of Richard Burton), has its roots in Meyer’s father being a psychologist and likening his craft to detective work. The subtitle of The Wrath of Khan, “The Undiscovered Country” is Shakespeare’s way of describing death in Hamlet but also references Eden and becomes politically topical for it’s time with the concept of virgin territory corrupted by two massive forces fighting for dominance regardless of the harm done in their wake. All art forms are influenced not only by the past but also by our perception of it. The “what if” aspect of successful fantasy has a basis in actual, literary or artistic history, it has to have a jumping off point to make a connection the audience can relate to. It is influenced by our current body of knowledge combined with present forces and past history then takes a step beyond.

There is a little bit of everything at the West Hollywood Book Fair, from comic books to politics, from poetry to television, from Edgar Allen Poe to the Brady Bunch, mystery, drama, fiction and fact, the influence of women and alternative lifestyles are all represented. Writers are the foundation, the inspiration and the imagination of Hollywood. The Book Fair brings writers, actors, comedians and politicians of all kinds together in one venue that celebrates the arts and imagination originating with the written word.

Pianos and Piñatas on Wheels

This past Saturday downtown Los Angeles went from ghost town to race town as the Red Bull Soap Box Derby hit the streets. Trying to get an unobstructed view, more than 110,000 people climbed speakers and light poles and lined the barriers twenty deep from the starting line on Grand Avenue to the finish line on 5th Street.

I don’t think this was what he had in mind when Myron Scott started the first official All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio in 1934. Throughout it’s early years the derby was marketed as patriotic and idealistic stressing team work, sportsmanship, courage, individuality and the pursuit of dreams. People were so scandalized in 1973 when a participant at Derby Downs was caught cheating that his guardian was indicted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

This modern day derby held in Los Angeles retains the individuality, creativity and team work but in an entertaining world of twisted and amusing grown up visions and dreams. With names like America’s Economy; Banana Hammock; Big Pianists; Crash & Burn; Ludicrous Speed!!!; Pole Position; Shaken, Not Stirred; Team Wild Things; Buccaneer Biddys; The Human Factor and Rehab Projects these weren’t your average soap box racers. From pianos to piñatas, heavy metal to country and rock, pole dancers to firemen, 40 teams came over the rainbow and from galaxy’s far, far away to compete. The winning team Ironheade hit 46 miles per hour to take the lead.

Since the Model T first came off the assembly line in 1908 people have been fascinated with how fast they could get gravity driven vehicles to go. So embedded in American culture is the soap box derby that even the Smithsonian has a racer in its collection and there is a Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame. Events nationwide go through a sanctioning process to qualify, conforming to uniform rules and racing conditions. From it’s beginning during the great depression it was billed as an all American pastime for fathers and sons to participate in. Although not quite a He-Man Women Haters Club the first girl did not compete at Derby Downs until 1975.

What ever country or state you build your racer and compete in, from Japan to Germany, from New Zealand to the United States be sure and bring the family along to watch the race. Soap Box Derby cars are as fun to watch as they are to build, bringing out that often forgotten inner child in all of us.

Departures, Arrivals and Journeys

Union Station in downtown Los Angeles is one of the most beautiful railroad stations in the United States. Although there have been trains in Los Angeles since 1906, Union Station was not built until 1939. It just celebrated it’s 70th birthday this past May. The windows are arched, the floors are marble, the seats are leather, and the ceilings are 50 feet high with chandeliers. Its architectural style is a mixture of old and new, Spanish Colonial Revival, Streamline Modern, Art Deco and Moorish styles are all part of the eclectic mix. 26,000 passengers a day go through and weddings, banquets, concerts and films take place here. One whole section of the station is portioned off and devoted solely to filming scenes that occur in train stations.

Trains have been used in films since The Great Train Robbery featuring the rag time music of Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller was filmed in 1903. There have been crazy trains, peace trains, soul trains, ghost trains and trains that keep rollin’ all night long. Trains have been the site of famous parties, mysteries, political campaigns and secret service spy head quarters.

Train stations invoke pictures of arrivals, departures, connections and memories of childhood.

There is something about train stations and trains that bring on day dreams and fantasies. With names like Sunset Limited, Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner, Texas Eagle, California Zephyr and Silver Meteor it’s hard not to imagine wonderful vacations to fairy tale castles.  Famous trains like the Orient Express can carry us off on mysterious adventures have inspired movies since 1927. The Orient Express is featured in books and magic shows while the Hogwarts Express is a ride into a magical realm unlike any other and the Cannonball Express represented adventure of a different sort.

While everyday chores keep us back, ground us in reality and day to day needs, the sound of a train whistling in the distance can invoke feelings of breaking free or be a reminder of the freedom we lack.

Here's hoping  the President's plan for a high speed rail line comes to fruition and railroads once again come into their own bringing a little bit of elegance, style and romance back into our lives.

79 AD

What is it about ancient Rome that still fascinates and entertains over 2,000 years later? Spending an afternoon at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibit: Pompeii and the Roman Villa is an experience not to be missed. Fascination with “the last days of Pompeii” is legendary, from poems to books, from rock bands to operas, films, documentaries, television shows, stage shows and even fire works displays have been based on the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD. Even John Hollerbach of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who is working on treadport (a walking  simulation effect for virtual reality) chose pre-eruption Pompeii as a subject for his test applications.  There is a tragic romance about the 2,000 who died that day, 1,930 years ago. Ten percent of the population of Pompeii perished in three meters of ash and from 1748 when their remains were first discovered to this day the fascination with them has continued.

Even the discriptions of the homes found there are stories in themselves. The houses uncovered were named by the archiologists for their occupants: the house of the scientist, house of the gem engraver, house of the artisan, house of the tragic poet and house of the golden bracelets (where the body of a woman wearing heavy gold bracelets was found), for their decoration: house of the black wall, house of the little fountain, house of the citharist, house of the gilded cupids, house of the fawn, house of the colored capitals, house of Orpheus, house of marine venus, house of the wounded Adonis and house of the citharist and many more.  These homes were decorated in the height of fashion for their day. One house had a bathroom floor of silver, another a swimming pool 195 feet in length. Interior gardens were taken for granted. In the Villa dei Papiri alone, 1,800 papyrus scrolls and 100 statues were found. Love, myth and theatre were common themes for decoration and art, sexuality and culinary talent flourished and were catered to.

The populace of Pompeii were a varied lot: slaves, aristocrats, wealthy merchants, soldiers, politicians, gladiators, pirates, prostitutes and artisans. It is estimated that about 20,000 people lived there and although there have been over three dozen eruptions of Vesuvius since 79 AD, including one in 1631 that killed over 4,000 residents, it is the catastrophy of 79AD that captures the imagination. Pliny the Younger, an eye witness to the tragedy was the first to write about it in a letter.   His Uncle, Pliny the Elder was one of the victims. It is estimated that the column of ash was 20 miles high and the eruption lasted over 19 hours.

Tales of orgies, corruption and greed have been used for centuries to rationalize the destruction of the city dedicated to Aphrodite. The story of Pompeii invokes thought of life and afterlife, public life and private life, virtue and corruption, the elite and the slave. The extremes of the city and its abrupt end fascinate. There is even a syndrome named after it, Pompeii syndrome where "people on the verge of extinction ignore all signs of coming doom".

If you can't get to the exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art take a virtual vacation to Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii (40”45’04 N x 14”29’25 E) or if you are feeling really adventurous travel to the tallest known volcano in the solar system. Wonder, drama, tragedy, riches, sex, beauty, danger, Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii have captured the imagination for almost 2,000 years.

Fresh Food and Fresh Faces

The search for fresh, affordable produce has lured many away from mega-chain stores and out into the fresh air markets. Even Beverly Hills has a farmer’s market but my favorite is the Hollywood Farmer’s Market that stretches from Hollywood Blvd. to Sunset down Ivar St. If you don’t want to go out and catch your dinner yourself, the Hollywood farmer’s market is the ideal place to go. Like a microcosm of the city itself you can find an abundant variety of foods available there. 

The overwhelmingly delicious smell of fresh peaches mingles with that of freshly cut herbs and fresh baked bread. There are figs and dates still attached to the branches they grew on, grapes of every variety, Japanese melons, Dragon fruit, Ambrosia cantaloupe, rhubarb, passion fruit, honey, apples, oranges, lemons and nuts.

There is a regular cornucopia of vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, garlic, beans of every variety, squash flowers, varicolored potatoes and an overwhelming choice of tomatoes.  There are Peruvian hot peppers, dandelion greens, watercress and cups of raw cane juice. Clover sprouts and mung bean sprouts, rye, pinto and black bean sprouts, fluffy mix, pea greens, and wheat grass sprouts are ripe for the picking.

Potted herbs are available to plant or freshly cut and ready to cook with. There is oregano and basil to season Italian food. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme bringing back memories of yesterday and are revamped and updated to fit today. Tarragon, lemon verbena, sweet lime, mint, dill and cilantro are just a few of the varieties displayed. There is lavender tea, licorice tea, sage tea, sage incense, bath salts, scented soap and potpourri.

Flowers make a colorful splash with marigolds, daises, gladiolas, and roses intermingled with giant clover thistles and bamboo plants.

If you’re not a vegetarian there is bison meat. Quail eggs, brown eggs and white eggs are fresh from the farm. There are oysters, clams and fish of every variety on ice. There is organic apple wood to flavor BBQ and fresh made pasta to cook with tomatoes. There is Jersey cheese and goat cheese straight from the farm.

Bands play at each end of the market and interspersed between the booths. With a country string band at one end, a Greek band at the other, African drums, Indian music and the occasional acoustic guitar player, music permeates the air.

Prepared foods are many, with the Kim Chi seller next to the bagel joint. Mango crepes and gourmet tacos standing side by side with the potato nacho vender. West African food is across from Greek. Rotisserie chicken and a mobile gourmet coffee bar share the corner.

Hand made jewelry stalls, some traditional and some not are abundant, with serapes and rugs across from flowered crosses, stars of David and ankhs sharing the same table. Hand thrown pottery and gorgeous wooden bowls are available along with every wooden utensil you could ever possibly want.

The individuals strolling the aisles are as varied as the produce exhibited. An old man using ski poles for canes makes his way past a young man in a black skull T-shirt with a mowhawk pushing a baby stroller. A young lady in spiked heels and sundress strolls past a much pierced and tattooed young man in pirate punk atire reading out loud from Ms. Piggy’s cookbook at the library cookbook fund raiser stall.

From the Iron Chef to Hell’s Kitchen people are fascinated and entertained by food. Food is everywhere, from the ancient world of Rome to the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien, from earth to outer space the appreciation of food is a universally understood, universally appreciated, universally shared experience. One of the seven deadly sins being eating too much food, a much greater sin is not sharing when others don’t have enough. Food doesn’t have to be fancy or huge in portion to comfort, it doesn’t have to be healthy to be appreciated. If we are what we eat than Americans are quite multifaceted with enough variety and depth to keep boredom at bay for quiet a while.

Although Jonathan Swift would have gone hungry at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, John Belushi probably would have found it a bit boring and Kermit’s nephew was safe for the moment, it’s wonderfully refreshing, exhilarating and inspirational to see so many different and unique varieties of food, music, hand made goods and people in one place at one time. The only offering missing was a good bottle of wine to enhance our dinner giving it that perfect touch, fine food, fine wine and fine companionship always bring. We may not always be at the top of the food chain but we certainly know how to eat and how to make even finding ingredients for a meal an experience to remember.

The Last Knight of Camelot

It is the end of an era, there is an immense sense of sorrow, an emptiness, a void where once there were men and woman who were made bigger than life through their dreams and ambitions not just for themselves but for the world. The icons of our times, the princes and princesses we created, have fallen one by one.

The style and grace of Jackie, Princess Grace and Princess Diana will always be remembered. Jackie’s knight was vanquished but his dream was not. Princess Grace lived the fairy tale until the end and Princess Diana found her prince had turned into a frog.

The Princes of Camelot, although bigger than life in our memories, have once again been vanquished by human frailty. The eulogy for Bobby Kennedy as given by Teddy personifies perhaps more than anything else why these men, these American sons, these Princes of Camelot, inspired love and respect and why they were worth loving, worth respecting. Those who publicly aspire to change hearts and minds, those who forge ahead against the odds and who not only demand a better world but who personally strive to create one in which dreams become reality alter not only themselves but the course of history.

The world is a poorer place without the dreamers. It is important to have ideals, to make moral choices, to strive for a better world for our children. It is important to have leaders with the courage, strength and resolve to make dreams into reality. Leaders, who, despite setbacks, roadblocks and personal stumbling keep on. Who, despite detractors, threats and those whose only interest is in tearing things down, seek to build things up.

The worth of a human being is not measured solely in their accomplishments but even more so in if and how they pick them self up after their failures. It is in where they chose to go from there. Every one of us caries scars, some on the outside and some within. Scars can harden and turn to bitterness or bring strength and resolve to do better.

Unlike John, Bobby and Martin Luther King Jr., Teddy Kennedy lived to see the dream come to pass. Camelot may have receded into the mists of history but the torch has been passed and it’s up to us to see that it continues to shine brightly, lighting the way for those who come after. If history does nothing more than inspire youth to do better it serves a purpose and it serves it well. Like the Camelot of old filed with daring deeds and dragons, marred by human failings, glorified by imposable quests, the Camelot of the Kennedy era has become more than it was and less depending on the aspect stressed but both Camelots remain, at least in our hearts and minds something to strive for, to emulate and to inspire.

Like a video game in which the players have jumped steps to advance as far and as fast as possible to achieve their goal, once reached it is time to go back and consolidate the win, to solidify the base on which it was constructed into a concrete foundation so strong, so imperviable that the win is real, the goal is actualized not just for us but for those who come after. The original dreamers may have died but their dream has not and will not. The dream lives on, multiplied exponentially, inadvertently or intentionally by us through our children and their children and their children’s children. Fairytales and myths serve a purpose, changing those who grew up with them and their world forever.

The last Knight of Camelot has left the building. Rest in peace Teddy.

Inglourious Basterds

QT revved up and on a roll, strutted to the front of the house, his comments geared to his demographic who ate it up and gave a standing ovation. Inglorious Basterds however is a must see, feel good, film of the year for everyone. The movie is intense, romantic, funny, fabulous and above all entertaining. It may not be what’s real but it’s what we all wish were real. Opening like a Spaghetti Western, a French twist is soon established and we’re gonna kill us some Nazi’s! Taking the typical film noir of machine guns and moles, murderers and madmen Inglorious Basterds takes a humorous look at serious subject matter.

When it comes to the human condition nothing is ever as simple as stereotypes make it out to be however, by simplifying and dividing a whole person simultaneously into their component parts, each one dimensional character exemplifying specific character traits of the whole, a comparison can be made. Not every person makes the same life decisions to survive yet every choice has its own unique set of consequences. The true horror of the Nazi regime was its ability to break otherwise honorable human beings in the name of survival by giving them impossible choices. Not every ally was a hero and not every Nazi was a villain. Tarantino takes great pleasure in turning stereotypes on their heads.

Everyone starts out idealistic and young, with nationalistic pride unquestioned. Growth however, is often twisted by survival, rationalization and reality. We can all see ourselves in these situations. We can relate. We want to be the tough guy who fights back, who immediately sees right from wrong, but more often then not we aren’t. Blind to reality, compromises are made. We rationalize. Above all we make choices. We can deny our decisions or we can own the consequences, be honest with ourselves or fabricate a reality we can live with.

Refreshingly honest about the brutalities of war, every time we flinch and cringe with horror, a disarming alternative is humorously provided allowing us to laugh at the insanity. Helter skelter violence that is graphic rather than gratuitous tells a story of human choices between country and honor, survival and innocence. Humanity burnt away, empty husks filled with immense intense anger and myopic goals that no longer fit into rational, peaceful society remain. People who have participated in horror are permanently scarred, not just the villains but also the heroes. Life would be so much easier if the scars we carry on the inside were reflected on the outside. If like the picture of Dorian Grey, we wore our choices, our decisions like marks of Cain or scarlet letters on our foreheads and faces just think how much of a deterrent it would be.

Not since Cat People has a Bowie song been used to such classic effect, with such intensity or romanticism. The lady in red, the tragic heroine, sweeps us up in a rollercoaster ride of thrills, chills and glorious retribution. There is a God after all.

Brad Pitt’s southerner doesn’t have the polish and sophistication of a Selznick hero but then it wouldn’t work half as well if he did. Attention to detail: champagne glasses, scars, pipes, fountain pens, color schemes, poodles and cats add depth and perspective. Little actions promote disgust or compassion. Close ups of eyes speak volumes. Subtle references through similarity of actions, facial features and situations abound.

The French are not the only ones who respect great directors. Quentin Tarantino said, “I think… I hope I deliver.” And he does.

Nostalgia at 45 RPM

Amoeba Music claims to be the world’s largest independently owned music store and I believe them. On Sunset Blvd. between North Cahuenga Blvd. and Ivar Avenue it takes up an entire city block. With vinyl record albums taking up about a third of the store, walking through the doors is like doing the time warp.

Sifting through the albums brought back sounds, pictures, smells, parties of two and parties of two hundred, revelations, revolutions, fantasy and history. Shared experiences dovetail between music and movies, between cultural clashes and cultural celebrations, between reality and dreams. It was a shared odyssey of the senses, a journey of new experiences, new sounds, new images, new ideas, challenges and growth. The kind of growth through experience that Mother never taught us. Some of us made it and some of us didn’t. We were in free fall and didn’t realize it until we hit the ground.

There were some albums and experiences everybody had. Who could forget Carole King’s Tapestry, Chicago’s big chocolate bar, and Jefferson Starship’s Red Octopus, a many tentacled heart. Everyone spent a night at the Hotel California with the Eagles. Frampton came alive, Elvis died and the Beatles officially broke up.

Queen rocked us, Led Zeppelin showed us the way to heaven and Lynard Skynard taught us how to fly free. Billy Joel was a stranger and Neil Young said not to let things get you down. AC/DC was back in black and Johnny Cash was the man in black. Rod Stewart told us that with love the first cut is the deepest and the Stones fought off wild horses in the name of love. We learned that if you don’t eat your meat you can’t have any pudding. The building of a wall was documented and another wall came tumbling down.

Bruce Springsteen was born to run and Tommy ran away from it all, retreating into his own world. George Carlin said the seven words you can’t say on radio and Richard Prior set ears on fire with his language and himself on fire with a lighter. We fought killer bunnies and searched for the Holy Grail while some days a hard rain just fell.

Barbara Streisand was born a star, Stevie Nicks vamped it up like a gypsy princess, and Cyndi Lauper just wanted to have fun.

Electric Light Orchestra evolved from a neon hood ornament into a space dock. Jefferson Airplane became a starship. We had aliens from France, Mork from Ork, Wookies and Trekies. Aliens ate meatloaf and Meatloaf flew like a bat out of hell.

Today you can buy an LP to digital music converter, change your old LPs to MP3s and listen to your personal collection on your iPod. You can even share your playlist by docking your MP3 player, but the experience of vinyl still can’t be beat. It’s not just audible, it’s also tactile, visual and above all memorable. It’s a group experience, a cultural sharing rather than an individual, solitary journey. John Belushi went on a road trip and never found his way home, Peter Fonda & Dennis Hooper went looking for America and didn’t survive the trip, but we went looking for America and we found it… in our music.

Wasabi Ice Cream, Spider Rolls and Potato Pizza

It’s impossible to talk about Los Angeles without mentioning sushi. From Tiki bars to sushi bars Los Angeles has always experimented with alternative cuisines. There are 210 sushi restaurants listed within 14 miles of the center of Los Angeles which works out to be a sushi restaurant approximately every 100 yards. There is even a Sushi Academy that offers a California Rice Scholarship to those who wish to attend the courses which range in intensity from one day to twelve weeks.

At one time there was talk of the Japanese government sending inspectors to rate the authenticity of sushi restaurants here in the United States. The Japanese fear that with Americanized fusion cuisine such as California roll, caterpillar roll, dynamite roll, rainbow roll, spider roll, Philadelphia roll and Seattle roll becoming synonymous with sushi in the United States the authenticity of the experience would be lost. However, wherever there are cross cultural connections the sharing of edible delicacies becomes inevitable.

The key to globally accepted cuisine seems to be simplicity. While the basics of a dish are retained, regional ingredients and tastes are added in an explosive evolution of gastronomic delight. To those who wish to be Kill Roy’s and complain about the bastardizing of culture specific cuisines all one has to do is take a look at food throughout the centuries. The origin of any type of cuisine is questionable if one goes back far enough.

Some foods such as ice cream, pasta, pizza, and sushi have gone around the world and back again. While Americans have adopted Japanese sushi and made it their own, the Japanese in an unintentional cultural exchange have adopted American pizza and done the same. Examples of this can also be found in Los Angeles. While the Japanese may frown on our interpretation of sushi we would find their idea of pizza quiet odd. Here in Los Angeles some alternative items listed in an Asian pizza place as toppings are: Alfredo Sauce, asparagus, bamboo shoots, BBQ chicken, blue cheese dressing, boiled eggs, calamari, clams, crab, cream cheese mousse, cubed beef and steak sauce, lettuce, mayonnaise, nacho chips, octopus, orange marmalade, potatoes, seaweed, sour cream, strawberry dipping sauce, sweet potato mousse, tuna, shrimp, squid ink and sweet corn. Although not all these items are offered on one pizza even one or two of them mixed together on a pizza crust probably would not appeal to the average American.

Cinematic efforts have portrayed this mixing of culinary culture in a humorous vein. It has become popular in cartoons such as Samurai Pizza Cats who fight crime in Little Tokyo while running a pizza place, animated wasabi as both the bad guy in Chop Socky Chooks and the good guy in Sushi Pack and real wasabi used to humorous effect in the movie of the same name.

From preservative method to fast food to culinary art, where presentation is as important as taste and combinations of ingredients are chosen for their color and texture and taste enhancing combinations, such foods as sushi, pizza, pasta and ice cream have captured the palate and imagination of the world. Globalization of culture is reflected in the evolution of culturally specific cuisines worldwide being adopted, reinvented and perhaps even rejuvenated by cross culture adaptations.

Charismatic Megafauna in Hollywood

It’s fitting somehow that two of Los Angeles major tourist attractions are adorned by huge statues of elephants. In the Hindu religion Ganesha, the Hindu Elephant Deity, is the god of success, destroyer of evil and obstacles, god of knowledge, wisdom and wealth. Hollywood, Mecca to all those who dream of fame and fortune on stage and screen, seems an appropriate site to situate such massive statues paying tribute to the mighty pachyderm.

The La Brea Tar Pits sport four wooly mammoths around the pond, one of whom is trapped and sinking while his family watches helplessly from the shore. Even today, at the Page Museum history is being rewritten with Project 23. Twenty-three crates of huge asphaltic deposits were unearthed when the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, next to the La Brea Tar Pits extended their campus to include the Broad Contemporary Art Museum. Those 23 crates are being opened and cleaned in public view in the Fish Bowl laboratory. Zed, a rare male Columbian mammoth fossil with 10 foot tusks was also uncovered during construction at the museums.

The Babylon Court at Hollywood and Highland , site of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theatre, sports two massive elephant statues copied from the set of D. W. Griffith’s movie Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages made in 1916.

The history of modern film making began in 1895 with the first film made for projection. From elephant graveyards, to elephant guns, from circuses to epic spectacles, elephants have found there way onto the silver screen since the beginning. Elephants made their début with “A Visit to Baby Roger” made in 1900 and starring a baby elephant in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1903 Topsy the elephant was filmed being electrocuted by Thomas Edison to demonstrate the dangers of electricity after Topsy killed three of her handlers who had been torturing her. In 1916 elephants were part of the epic splendor of “Intolerance”. In 1930 Harpo Marx shot an elephant in his pajamas. Elephants danced in pink ballet shoes in “Fantasia” (1940), flew and went on a Technicolor parade in “Dumbo”(1941). Henry Mancini composed the baby elephant walk in 1962 for “Hatari!” with John Wayne and the Simpsons introduced it to a new generation. Horton Heard a Who then Horton Heard The Who. Sigfred & Roy and Chris Angel have made elephants disappear. Mythbusters have proven that elephants are afraid of mice. From cartoons to movies, television shows to magic shows, and comedy to drama elephants have managed to capture the imagination of Hollywood for over 100 years and between the La Brea tar pits and Hollywood, elephants have been making history in Los Angeles for over 40,000 years.

Legends Rest in Peace

Tucked away behind an office building, a movie theatre and a library on the west side of Los Angeles, half a block from Wilshire Blvd. is a peaceful, tree shaded, postage stamp sized graveyard. The graveyard may be small but it’s inhabitants were and still are huge in our memories. Interred in marble crypts and under grassy lawn, here lie:


Fanny Brice (1891-1951)

Truman Capote (1924-1984)

James Coburn (1928-2002) & Paula Coburn (1955-2004)
Go Bravely On Love is the Answer

Bob Crane (1928-1978) & Sigrid Valdis (1935-2007)
Col. Hogan & Hilda together forever.

Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004)
There goes the neighborhood.

Merv Griffin (1925-2007)
I will not be right back after this message.

Don Knotts (1924-2006)

Jack Lemmon (1925-2001)

In

Dean Martin (1917-1995)
Everybody loves somebody sometime.

Walter Matthau (1920-2000)

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

Carol O’Connor (1924-2001)

Roy Orbison (1936-1988)

Bette Mae Page (1923-2008)

Queen of Pin-Ups

Mel Torme (1925-1999)
Music, the greatest good that mortals know and all of heaven we have below.

Billy Wilder (1906-2002)
I’m a writer but then nobody’s perfect.

Frank Zappa (1940-1993)

And many more. Marilyn’s marble crypt is never without a bouquet of flowers. Dean Martin rests in the Sanctuary of Love. Frank Zappa and Roy Orbison chose to rest in unmarked graves rather than suffer the fate of Morrison. Their only monument: anonymous donors occasionally leaving a guitar pick to mark their resting place. There are many cemeteries in Los Angeles, but none more classic, peacefully dignified, evocatively memorable. Whether intentional or not these legends changed their world.

Diamonds, Lace, Couture & Grand Masters

There is something irresistible about Galerie Michael on Rodeo.

Tiffany’s is unforgettable. Providing indestructible power statements for swan like throats. Enabling elegantly polished fingers to make graceful gestures with sparkling emphasis and cold fire. Embellishing elaborately coiffed heads with rainbow flashes dramatically peaking out between wild strands of hair with well planed spontaneity.

La Perla is a fun fantasy romp through sexy scraps in finest lace and satin, fringes, feathers, and crystals whose future is easy to predict. Their collections celebrate the power and art of seduction with glamour and taste showing unsurpassed attention to detail using the elegance of the roaring twenties, the colorful freedom of the sixties and the sweet pretty security of the fifties to put Fredrick’s to shame and leave Victoria in the dust.

Dior’s glamour and elegance is reflected in retro cruse wear Katherine Hepburn would be comfortable in. The models, all long hair and painted lips, southern bells with Reo attitude. Dior’s summer sheers mock modesty in a way Madonna would appreciate. Clothed and unclothed all in the same breath, fifties flirty and feminine styles with sixties colors and hemlines not to mention the ultimate cell phone that can be discretely tucked away into one of their fuchsia or orange purses. The purses so bright and cheery you could just take a bite out of them.

But Galerie Michael is timeless. The one shop on Rodeo that’s hard to resist revisiting. Like a mini museum in the middle of the block, their walls are covered with classics from Rembrandt to Picasso. The list of offerings reads like a roll call of the great masters Cassatt, Cezanne, Chagall, Degas, Dali, Toulouse Lautrec, Manet, Matisse, Picasso, Rembrandt, Renoir, Whistler… Unlike a museum though, these offerings are obtainable if one has deep enough pockets. The latest offerings are bright, colorful pieces by Alexandre Renoir, the great-grandson of Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Along with various oils of landscapes and flowers, he has rendered his own interpretation of some of his Great-Grandfather’s most famous pieces most notably “Luncheon of the Boating Party” demonstrating the versatility and variety of the human continence and how even the slightest alteration of expression or feature can change our entire perception of a situation or a person. His work does homage to the genius of his Great-Grandfather, dissecting the symphony of the crowd and distilling each moment, each conversation, each individual grouping into its own private universe. He demonstrates how independently they hold their own as compositions, adding to the whole but not dependent on it to tell their own story.

Unlike Picasso who leaves the impression he had a very strange and fragmented perception of women or Dali who had a very desolate and fluid interpretation of the world with strange juxtapositions and combinations of seemingly incompatible objects, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and his Grandson Alexandre celebrate life in a brightly colorful and positive manner that is refreshingly happy and a pleasure to perceive. A pleasant gift to the senses that leaves one walking away with a smile. No small accomplishment in today’s world. All of them make it well worth a visit, at the very least, to Galerie Michael.

From the Big Picture to the Men Behind It

As one can well imagine photography is big in Los Angeles but what never ceases to amaze me are the hidden galleries, little gems, to be found all around town. From the candid shots in the Rainbow Room to the camera museum and gallery in Samy’s Cameras to the back corridors in the Beverly Hilton, simply amazing photographs lending their authenticity to the mystique and allure of Hollywood and Los Angeles are everywhere.

Wandering into the smallest restaurant one can find autographed photos of celebrities as diverse as Lucile Ball, Sammy Davis, Jr. (they appear to have liked Chinese food) and Guns and Roses (Canter's Deli). The optical store in the middle of the block may have rows of framed and autographed shots of satisfied customers from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Sophia Loren. From restaurants to boutiques, from hotels to nightclubs half the fun is seeking out the hidden and, many times, not so hidden, galleries paying homage to past patronage by celebrity and fame in a town where the photographers become as famous as those they capture on film.

Most times we forget that there are great artists behind the camera as well as in front of it until we see their work showcased in retrospective. Here are a few of my favorite photographers from the walls of Samy’s Cameras:

Jim Marshall - Marshall Photo

Frank Jackson – Fotographz

Paul Ryan

Along with the still photographers on the walls of Sammy’s Cameras are featured several shots by cinimogrphers better know for their work behind a movie camera like Isodore Mankofsky, Conrad Hall, Vilmos Zsigmond, Haskell Westler, Francis Kenny, Phedon Papamichael, Marc Reshovsky, and Rodney Charters.

From a Viper GTS Coupe to the Black Panthers Chicago “66, from the Tuskegee Airman to the Blue Angels, from Johnny Cash to Thelonius Monk to Janice Joplin, take a walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator at Sammy’s Cameras. It’s well worth it and where ever you visit in town, take a look around. You never know who's footsteps you may be walking in and what hidden surprises you may find.

Where were you July 20, 1969?

600,000,000 TV viewers
Two men walked on the Moon.

From Space Odyssey to Space Oddity, from Star Trek to Star Wars and science fiction going mainstream, the spark that set it off was on TV July 20, 1969 when 600,000,000 TV viewers set mesmerized as man first set foot on the moon.

Saturday Buzz Aldrin had a book signing at the Grove. “Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon” is now an autographed treasure. Transfixed, mesmerized by this small huge man we listened raptly as he spoke of further exploration and journeys to Mars. Of all the people in the world to meet, to see in person, to hear speak, only Neil Armstrong is on a par with Buzz Aldrin, nobody else can even come close. Immortalized at Hollywood and Vine, no star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has ever reached higher and succeeded.

Sidebar: Neil Armstrong. Not Lance! Neil! One would think when making an introduction the right names would be used. What were you thinking?!!!

Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong and Blind Willie Johnson may Voyage further but their final destination is still unknown and unknowable. Will we be there to catch them 40,000 years from now when they come to a stop? Or will this be the last great step for man? Robotic exploration over the last thirty years is all well and good however the need for man to reach the stars is greater still. Whether the excuse is to search for new energy sources, economic expansion through exploitation of lunar and asteroid resources, population relief through migration, tourism or rooms with a view we need those who will take their passion for the stars to the extreme and develop ways to continue on into the vastness of space at Mach 8 or faster.

The spirit of Apollo 11 has never dimed but rather has expanded from Astroland at Coney Island to the Air & Space Museum, from the music to literature, from Hollywood to cyberspace encouraging and fanning the flames of our expectations when red tape and cold war distractions threatened to bury the dream forever. If nothing else, the internet has provided the funds to promote interest. Men like Paul Allen , Sergey Brin , Richard Garriott, Fred Bourgeois, III, John Carmack, Jeff Bezos , and Elon Musk are providing incentive and funding for private exploration of space. Lets hope we have more success in our quest than Thomas Jerome Newton did in his.

Will we make the grade or anesthetize ourselves to pretend we don’t care? The Sea of Tranquility was only the first step, regardless of motivation and agendas ranging as they do from altruism to greed, from international cooperation to promoting a singular cause, exploration of space and the technology and knowhow to do so are of paramount importance to all. George Carlin may have worshiped the sun but I grew up looking to the stars. If you are one of those 600,000,000 who first witnessed the Apollo 11 landing July 20, 1969 chances are you are too.

PS: If you’d like to be an astronaut Starchaser Industries is taking applications.

PPS: Or, for only 25 to 35 million you can travel to the space station.