tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687974284689233892011-08-03T19:31:14.117-07:00T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-4952309208390902142009-08-04T09:49:00.000-07:002009-08-04T10:01:33.689-07:00

To the handful of readers who continue to keep up with my work and writing here at NSILA, a big Thank You!! I continue this blog through wordpress, and recommend you keep reading there - more photos and narrative await you - www.nosaintsinla.wordpress.com.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-31135268143205707672009-05-14T20:56:00.000-07:002009-05-14T20:57:44.649-07:00

I decided to switch to Wordpress, but I'm having trouble deciding. So, readers (all three of you), let me know if you like the new format, found here:NO SAINTS IN L.A.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-35415810222362876902009-05-13T08:33:00.000-07:002009-05-13T09:21:01.279-07:00

A late night run for two-buck Chuck finally got me to Trader Joe's new location off Sunset. Three parking garage floors down is the entry way to the store. I expected cheap grocery store goods, not a rehash of Rock n' Roll motifs. However, this store's novel location may have called for a new spin on things. First, the elevator from the parking garage...The walls of Trader Joe'sThis is unusual

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-11153583326590835952009-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:002009-05-13T17:55:26.669-07:00

Today is a sad day for the antipathetic group Anonymous, who in 2008, chose to attack Scientology and its followers through an onslaught focused on their communications, exacting the shut down of their website and a flood of black faxes to their headquarters. Dmitriy Guzner, age 19, was charged with unauthorized impairment of a protected computer and faces 12 to 18 months. There's no word on how

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-14993064158568658662009-05-12T08:46:00.000-07:002009-05-12T08:46:40.049-07:00

The Little Things My Days were spent under a less sunny canopy Almost... Denver Museum of Nature & Science: An important part of a Coloradoan's childhood Indigenous CrystalDenver! Music plays at their feet See the rain?! Like California, this can be a rare treatFinal Twilight Drive Last Stop! 8pm

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-18396900145593848412009-05-01T11:28:00.001-07:002009-05-10T14:17:32.743-07:00

I went home. Home is Boulder, Colorado. About four years ago I left this place for Miami, then Miami for Los Angeles, and homesickness has plagued me the entire time. The bond I've felt with home did not materialize this time around. I didn't feel completely satisfied touching the ground and I don't want to stay. I might not love Los Angeles, but I don't hate it either - something I've heard

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-43605693986776632612009-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:002009-04-27T21:37:27.908-07:00

Smash Labs is located at 1714 Albion street, a very isolated strip of industrial downtown Los Angeles. Tonight I'm here to check out several garage bands and a make-shift artist's gallery. Think your loser boyfriend's fledging rock band - corner table stocked with vodka, beer and wine with amateur bartender shuffling $2 dollar drinks and a crowd touting conspiracy theories, chief among them

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-89560884465361722352009-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:002009-04-27T21:41:43.849-07:00

You know what else you can find at Home Depot?Day laborers. A phenomenon I hadn't encountered until I moved here.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-62359556066158482482009-04-15T14:00:00.000-07:002009-04-15T14:00:09.106-07:00

There must be a skating dog in every city across America. Well, here's ours.....3rd St., Santa Monica.p.s. That is not my giggle in the background.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-16331039822504940072009-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:002009-04-27T21:40:35.272-07:00

Back in Santa Monica...we visit the Equator Bookstore off of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. If there was a street you'd describe as 'tucked away' this would be it. A small strip of boutiques, with nary a Starbucks in sight, a childrens international school nearby and enough beach town vibe to want to make you hop on a bike in a bikini. Here's where I meet for a book swap. What's important about

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-75139606156905774592009-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:002009-04-13T07:00:09.655-07:00

L.A. is great at making sitcoms. So L.A. fashion week is really just another turn on The Hills.Thank you Mr. Rick Owens Though he used to be based in LA, he finds designers there "arrogant and demanding."LA is great at making sitcoms. Paris isn't as good as LA is at making sitcoms; every place has their specialty. And then they do LA Fashion Week, which is incredibly arrogant and demanding. I

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-1540725255729834972009-03-31T22:20:00.000-07:002009-04-11T21:42:41.185-07:00

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-6746608167522259162009-03-25T07:00:00.000-07:002009-03-25T07:00:42.607-07:00

No one ever comes to L.A. and thinks that the Subway is a choice for public transportation. However, with plans for expansion in the years to come, it's becoming a more viable option. Alas, the L.A. Metro does not stop at all cities, such as Santa Monica, but it can get you downtown and to the airport. For my purposes, it's an easy $1.50 novelty ride from Hollywood to Little Tokyo. Just

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-63471260530023840442009-03-24T07:00:00.000-07:002009-03-24T07:00:33.797-07:00

If you see this sort of sign around L.A., follow it to a catered lunch. Because this particular sign points you in the direction of a film set in town. The actors, the trailers, the movable toilets, the trays of munchies. It'll be there.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-40925842259342876232009-03-23T18:55:00.001-07:002009-03-23T21:59:46.535-07:00

Fool: A Novel by Christopher Moore My review rating: 3 of 5 starsChristopher Moore admits that he has been accused of awkward prose, and I am one in a long line of finger pointers. There is no mistaking his singular diction, a style I liken to tripping over pebbles. The errors are not huge, but the verbage a little ungainly. In Moore's new book Fool, his bubbly delivery is entertaining. This

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-87298857390518290912009-03-17T21:20:00.001-07:002009-03-17T21:37:27.806-07:00

Back at the Arclight for an evening movie...I am always amazed at how small actors really are. They look statuesque on the screen, their costumes so perfectly matched to their form. For a movie like Watchmen, they appear godlike - each wrinkle ironed out, freely moving in latex and hard plastic. But these forms were human, Silk Spectre quite petite.These costumes felt as they looked. Hardly

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-91645664446972374502009-03-16T18:45:00.000-07:002009-03-16T19:33:25.961-07:00

Arts Day LA...a day of free seminars facilitated by successful professionals in several different fields, many of whom currently teach classes at UCLA. There are four seminars for each subject - Creative Writing, Design Communication Arts (Graphic Design), Film, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture - spanning instruction on inspiration, tools and finally your life and career. Although at

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-14622453142539356032009-03-06T07:29:00.000-08:002009-03-06T07:29:00.879-08:00

Supergraphic Me!

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-90094509491672833772009-03-03T21:56:00.001-08:002009-03-04T18:21:33.285-08:00

For a Californian, seasons are a trivial and uneventful occurrence. Fall doesn't come with falling yellow leaves, and winter doesn't arrive in snowstorms - there's simply a subtle change in temperature. Only cooler nights indicate that winter is ascending, but the days remain sunny and snowy peaks appear in the North (snowboarding is only a few hours away!). Since California's weather is

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-73549906255136284772009-03-01T15:14:00.001-08:002009-03-01T19:45:13.895-08:00

How some serious advertising and a love of pink can make you a Hollywood icon...This...Is...Angelyne.As the election for a seat on the 5th District Council heat up, candidates are promising a crack down on supergraphics and billboards that now populate an area that encompasses West Hollywood to Beverly Hills - premium advertising space. However, there's one billboard that hasn't disappeared from

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-1624133573187929562009-02-24T19:33:00.000-08:002009-02-26T18:17:55.833-08:00

A breezy day of cool sun comes to an end in pink puffs.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-28914640260638566212009-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:002009-02-25T21:47:18.819-08:00

It goes without saying that the Griffith Observatory was inspired by the stars. It's purveyors believed that a close look at the world around us was enlightening and profoundly affected the viewer. The Observatory grounds were envisioned to be a place where the public could access the engimatic mysteries of the universe in a relaxed, fine atmosphere. When Griffith J. Griffith came along, it was

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-77485888180605060202009-02-19T08:14:00.000-08:002009-02-19T14:21:24.349-08:00

Oscar is quietly pitching his tents and constructing bleachers during this cold L.A. week. The red carpet has gone up, tourists are gawking and Hollywood Boulevard has been shut down. This weekend, we'll get to watch the actors and actresses we both love and hate walk down the red aisle to our chagrin or ecstasy. This is what it looks like:On the way home...(Memento Mori)

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-15663534738221017052009-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:002009-02-16T21:42:37.020-08:00

Hello everyone, I am a Francophile.What started as an introduction to language class in Middle School burgeoned into a lifelong obsession with the French, their language and a thirst for a European dream. L.A. is just a stop-over. En route, I'm submerging myself in authentic French flavor. This is why I've ended up at Monsieur Marcel. This tiny grocery store sits within the historic Farmer's

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-58897230819311215042009-02-10T18:01:00.000-08:002009-02-15T15:56:04.529-08:00

Pay attention to your neighbors.I once took a six-week fencing class at the Los Angeles Community College. On the last day of class, I discovered that I had been dueling with very talented and successful writers, one producer and several amateur artists. One woman had come to L.A., after a stint writing for a succesful Canadian sitcom. This the great thing about L.A., the company you unknowingly

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-56316431255898784272009-02-09T19:55:00.000-08:002009-02-09T19:56:52.558-08:00

Recommendinnnnnnnggggggggggg......If only Lynda Obst had been my mentor......I am the bright foreign exchange student. A truly relevant piece of non-fiction and a great introduction into the minds of Angelenos in the business of film & fashion.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-86991541673015729872009-02-06T20:22:00.000-08:002009-02-09T19:51:05.507-08:00

I've always loved skate and surf culture. Imagining that if I had only grown up in Southern California, the lanky blond girl on a skateboard riding off into the sunset could have been me - but I grew up in the rocky mountains. It's about hiking and the outdoors. White water rafting, rock-climbing, running, snowboarding. I never became the hippie this environment often spawns (healthy eating

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-41474603605274556442009-02-06T08:31:00.000-08:002009-02-06T10:37:42.112-08:00

It rains, it pours. We are lucky to feel so cozy inside on a Friday.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-54986598672773396442009-02-02T11:13:00.000-08:002009-02-06T10:37:13.122-08:00

For two years, I ran everyday. Relocating across the U.S. both started and ended my serious running career.Photo by Sandeep NandyBorn and raised in Colorado, my roots go far into the ground there. I spent my whole life in Colorado, grew up with friends, fell in love with downtown Denver, had favorite cafes and bookstores. Then I met someone. I graduated college, married, and because my new

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-21978007733913666162009-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:002009-01-19T20:28:29.069-08:00

Does anyone ever watch L.A. local morning news and think that maybe the female anchors just turned up to the set after clubbing all night? I realize I live in the land of great tans and cosmetic surgery, but why FoxLA needs to broadcast serious morning news with women clad in outfits more appropriate in a line outside Hyde is really beyond my understanding.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-2372659062278285932009-01-18T14:22:00.000-08:002009-02-06T19:25:20.392-08:00

To stand outside the doors of a luxury designer boutique in Beverly Hills is to be engulfed in waves of frigid air conditioning and tempted by immense spaces draped in cashmere and diamonds. Such is the life of the wealthy. Such was my walk on Saturday.With my sister in the hands of my favorite stylist at Umberto Salon off of Canon Street, located parallel to Rodeo Drive, I decided to take a walk

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-24351514339515312902008-12-29T08:52:00.000-08:002009-02-06T19:25:43.085-08:00

The Beverly Center, a mall so pretentious, it's got a British voiceover to check you out of parking. It's strange, this voiceover; undeniably there is a tranquility in hearing that accent - this voice directs me to two payment stations located to my left and right upon entry of the garage from the mall escalators (despite the sign at left of the 4, above), and calmly Thanks me for payment. I feel

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-75687300624354244032008-12-29T08:45:00.000-08:002008-12-29T08:51:57.908-08:00

West Hollywood, Target: I suppose it's the holidays - no time for pickup:

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-66946793686292116312008-12-17T09:37:00.000-08:002009-01-08T19:35:33.182-08:00

L.A. ranks up there as one of the dirtiest cities in the nation. Therefore, I assume that car exhaust and industrial fumes are responsible for the following - because doesn't toxic pollution paint the sky?Pretty, don't you think?

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-87823562191726556742008-12-03T20:09:00.000-08:002009-01-08T19:36:55.794-08:00

After two years, I've yet to make up my mind about sunny Southern California. Do I like the fact that driving five miles takes me forty-five minutes and that parking means a 20 minute ride around the block? Does anyone else miss the seasons? Meh. It has been a cloudy week, creating the cool winter I remember should exist about this time of year, and certainly it's welcome. A walk on the beach

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-45932106318454589892008-11-04T21:25:00.000-08:002009-01-08T19:38:06.623-08:00

For most of my life, the Holiday's have been a tempestuous season I'd rather not dive into, but rather tiptoe around in hopes I get out with family ties intact. Two families since fifth grade meant schedules, two dinners, four parents, twice as many presents (to buy, not necessarily receive) and no rest; amounting to what was more of an anxiety ridden nightmare than a relish of Christmas spirit

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-39013187315144106652008-10-27T08:32:00.001-07:002008-11-10T20:54:22.326-08:00

What would you do, if, let's say, you met your favorite actor? Would you scream, cry, have no words, faint, politely shake his hand and extend your gratitude? Such is the philosophical question (if only a superficial one) one might ask while in Hollywood, where this sort of fantasy can be served up in reality, at your local grocery store, or getting coffee off Sunset. Such was the case on

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-25113705477228455942008-10-23T16:01:00.001-07:002008-10-23T16:53:18.142-07:00

While walking around the office today, I realized that my underwear were not working for me. It was riding and rubbing in all the wrong places, in addition to creating panty lines I hadn't seen after getting dressed this morning; and those are never good (I don't need four butt-cheeks, just the two). Lucky for me, there is a conveniently located Victoria's Secret nearby. So, at 11am this morning,

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-68018991027941288612008-10-22T13:44:00.000-07:002008-10-22T15:53:03.181-07:00

Daily Intel, I salute you! You've not only provided an inordinate stream of somewhat exhaustive news minutiae rolled out into thoughtful and provoking entertainment, but today, you've provided the best sentence of the day: "who has to ask where the hummus is? It's Whole Foods! It's everywhere." Bravo.I'm not even being sarcastic here. I really do think this is funny, which you either agree with

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-4652372024177250442008-10-20T09:04:00.001-07:002008-10-20T10:42:09.721-07:00

The man in front of me is wearing striped pajama pants. Although this is a fairly nondescript thing to do on a Sunday morning at 10:30 at Starbucks, these particular pants have a Liz Claiborne tag attached to the outside, and at this moment, for all I know, Liz Claiborne only makes women's clothing.Viewpoint - Photo by Kesinee TongtuntraiTo find this sort of eccentricity whenever I drive my

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-78189136304333691192008-10-14T22:34:00.000-07:002008-10-20T09:03:50.258-07:00

Chuck Klosterman has perspective to burn. I would bet a large sum of money on his being correct (or at least pursuasive) ninety-five percent of the time, whether or not I personally disagree with his thoughts, particularly as they relate to the age old question "What does it all mean?" Ostensibly, he makes a good point on the subject, on many subjects, and one in particularly is, what's with

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-58421538394226494992008-10-01T09:41:00.000-07:002008-10-01T10:19:49.669-07:00

Daily Intel, the New York Magazine blog, dissected the Wall Street Crisis today from the perspective of its dependent reporters. Amidst vociferate end-of-the-world declarations for Wall Street and countless speculations on our formidable future across all markets, including jobs, journalists now enlist themselves as newfangled martyrs.Photo by Corey Tester

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-1178507494094811202008-09-18T13:34:00.000-07:002008-09-18T15:01:27.162-07:00

At this point, I'm not even trying to find this information. Two and a Half sitcom writers left in L.A. is a nondescript story about the state of affairs in the business of Hollywood concerning it's now mostly out of work writers. In reality, maybe it's bigger than that, as my Producer neighbor is now in the bread line. It's the economy, it's Wall Street, it's the mortgage crisis, or it's

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-43188679952757760442008-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:002008-09-17T11:28:04.632-07:00

Funeral Bell: Photo by Steven StokanAs mentioned yesterday, journalism is now one big communal discussion; and there's no standard bar to measure the quality of information suffusing itself through amateur or journalistic outlets nationwide and abroad (even my own writings here). It's led to a lackdaisical attitude and general indifference towards the quality of writing and stories, and now we're

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-46420481701924311002008-09-16T08:43:00.000-07:002008-09-16T11:06:13.362-07:00

Yesterday ended with the glorious culmination of a prolonged search for a rarefied treasure. In my formative years, I was a carnivorous reader (and can still largely claim that title), spending magnanimous amounts of time in my elementary school's tiny library. In this library, I discovered a passion for fairy tale's and corresponding literature, such as a poem devoted to the woe's of a greedy

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-48629227632505266182008-09-11T21:02:00.001-07:002008-09-11T21:09:15.358-07:00

I worry about my brain.Yesterday I wanted to pour coffee on my salad even before I sat down to eat it (maybe lumping that in with brain malfunction is a little presumptuous since I was eating tofu and spinach, and really who wouldn't want it to taste like something, anything else than what it actually is?). Nevertheless, I was having visions of doing this act while reading/eating in Barnes &

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-38329833084882066242008-09-11T11:25:00.000-07:002008-09-11T12:01:55.712-07:00

How economic and green is it to transport 100 goats into the midst of Los Angeles denizens? Minus the transportation costs and exhaust, it's resulted in a savings of $4,500 (human hires cost $7,500, goats go for $3,000 all in) for The Community Redevelopment Agency, inaguarated in 1948 to clean up the town so to speak - at least when it concerns housing.In their owns words, "The Community

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-2875050538545379702008-09-04T21:52:00.000-07:002008-09-04T22:25:08.090-07:00

Photo by Chloe ScheffeChuck Klosterman uses words like abject, schism and ungulate. I sulkily admit I had to look up their meanings. Reading a half hour of Chuck Klosterman's disquisitional essays in A Decade Of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas is mind-blowing on this level. I assume a well-thumbed thesaurus is always with him; but I have no proof beyond his particular, intellectual and varied

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-37597093451347467522008-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-21T07:00:04.277-07:00

On Saturday night I was irritated by a fly. I have no idea how it got into my apartment, and I'm wondering if I have a hole in a window screen somewhere. I unsuccessfully tried to kill it with a roll of paper towels - for half an hour. The fly made dinner making more complicated, as it kept hovering over my chicken bits and veggies, coming within millimeters of my about-to-be-devoured meal.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-56042007136273468222008-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:002008-07-12T22:54:28.068-07:00

Ingenuity is often the result of dire straights.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-68963467066542509992008-06-14T21:23:00.000-07:002008-09-04T20:16:04.896-07:00

Boom! Pfizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Whiz! are the sounds of streamers exploding around me in the dark. I sit with 10 others in a diminutive theater as a man playing an organ, as if in an old western, slowly descends into the floor of the stage in front of us. The music, the soundtrack to a full length feature drama, swells and lights flicker in the displays on either side of the stage, highlighting the

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-21262609774329858972008-06-08T22:18:00.000-07:002008-06-23T09:49:34.602-07:00

One breezy Sunday afternoon, my hubby and I made the time sucking drive to Malibu in hopes that we might secure a nice spot for a sunset walk on a relatively secluded beach. With little fanfare, we find El Matador State Beach and drift into the hidden dirt parking lot, pay the $4 dollar fee for our time there, and practically slide down some scarily steep wooden steps down to the sand. The wind

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-27445745543193767442008-06-02T18:55:00.000-07:002008-06-04T09:50:37.067-07:00

Once every two weeks or so, my sister and I turn to each other and automatically know that what we need at the moment is a gigantic burger surrounded by mannequins dressed as cowboys and cowgirls alongside a 'smoking' campfire and a bull ride to match. Thus is the state of our local watering hole and tourist trap, Saddle Ranch. The best spot at this place is outside, as the inside is dark,

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-63536456367867856642008-05-23T19:02:00.000-07:002008-05-25T21:53:45.127-07:00

With all the bills I racked up during college, I sometimes wonder if it was worth it (of course it was). Maybe I could have been more fiscally responsible (that's a big maybe), after all, my parents never were the ones who espoused the benefits of saving. That's beside the point however, except to say that I've learned a lot since then and in just a short time, I'll be debt free, and doing this:

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-5686418691788983942008-05-15T11:32:00.001-07:002008-05-22T22:50:01.501-07:00

What would Americans do without their imitation European cafes? Sitting among grossly expensive imported items and white linens, served by snobby waitstaff, and ordering off a pricey menu whose items manifest in servings the size of tuna cans (no, smaller). Americans, and Angelenos can maintain some level of denial that what they are experiencing is a small slice of foreign European bliss, at

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-4174569802966169922008-05-14T22:00:00.000-07:002008-05-23T10:02:54.932-07:00

The Emigrants destiny: The foreign country has not become home, but home has become foreign.~Alfred PolgerI almost choked on tears when I came across this thought by Mr. Polger. Nothing truer could be said to those who've traveled far and now reside in stranger places than those where they were born. I believe that it is far greater to leave your home and add experience to your character, than to

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-81617639807697256132008-05-13T10:28:00.000-07:002008-05-13T21:06:28.139-07:00

It just so happened that L.A. is now officially Japan-infused. With Japanophiles popping up across the city's landscape, and since L.A. is a bonified hub of the cutting-edge, welcome Royal/T cafe; a capitalization on the maid cafe trend of Tokyo's Akihabara district. Although the little cafe off of Washington Boulevard is a bit more art gallery oriented, its novelty is enough to bring an influx

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-31935671468619179762008-05-13T09:23:00.000-07:002008-05-13T21:02:06.747-07:00

It is well past midnight and I'm walking down Beverly Boulevard to grab a cup of Joe. This is fairly rare. I should be sleeping. I treasure my down time. So imagine this...a long room (more long than wide anyway) drenched in sepia tones, dimly lit by two dusty 1940's vintage crystal chandeliers, furnished with small wooden tables, soiled velvet couches, a smattering of laptop power plugs

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-90988291320722666432008-05-08T11:23:00.000-07:002008-05-08T11:49:37.082-07:00

Bar Flower, a novel written by Lea Jacobson, now takes a place among my stash of favored literature. Her writing is eloquent and intelligent, thoughtful and easy-to-read, otherwise described as straight forward - with no guessing at metaphors and vocabulary. All in all, a very skilled artist. In the wake of my increasing thirst for all things Japanese and the country's darker underpinnings -

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-52780401502346592812008-04-29T19:15:00.000-07:002008-05-01T11:10:03.465-07:00

The dream: to know a foreign language yet not to understand it: to perceive the difference in it without that difference ever being recuperated by the superficial sociality of discourse, communication or vulgarity...to undo our own "reality" under the effect of other forumulations, other syntaxes...in a word, to descend into the untranslatable.-Roland Barthes, Empire of SignsLea Jacobson, Bar

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-25632082990125184472008-04-29T08:39:00.000-07:002008-04-29T19:09:45.597-07:00

Los Angeles is no doubt the mother of many a creative inspiration, so it's no wonder that L.A. has become a Disneyland for home decoration. It's unenviable traffic packed roads are lined with countless facets of innovative home design. So how do you navigate 30 miles of lusty home furnishings? Enter Grace Bonney. A gift to home design enthusiasts everywhere, she gives back to the world with her

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-39494811218861060032008-04-15T19:50:00.000-07:002008-04-15T20:34:53.143-07:00

The class act that is Dov Charney, the child porn photographer and all-around sleaze, continues to be his offensive self. As you can see, in the front yard of his porn emporium, aka Charney's L.A. home, sits a bronze statue giving the bird to downtown L.A. To a city that's given him so much - naive girls, factory workers to sexually harass and a tolerant advertisment policy - you'd think that

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-37219317247019944502008-04-04T21:12:00.000-07:002008-04-05T16:29:17.930-07:00

A friend of mine once woke from a dream in which she opened up a Starbucks in the jungles of Paraguay. Granted, she worked at Starbucks at the time, the dream certainly wasn't uninspired. Although she never advocated it's existence, she certainly didn't oppose it (after all, she worked at one of the newest Starbucks music stores off Lincoln Road in Miami Beach; and they wanted to promote her -

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-72616078356253345742008-04-03T21:35:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:24:47.589-07:00

Tonight it's cool, the city enveloped in fog. I've snaked my way through Pasadena and now head home, back to Hollywood on Highway 101.As I drive past downtown L.A., I can see the skyscrapers tower above me, advertisements and signs atop the buildings effectively blurred by vapor. The traffic bellows but it's quiet as I travel, as if the brume submerges the sound.No one is out, save for a woman

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-47982112754606435852008-04-01T16:38:00.000-07:002008-04-01T22:44:26.452-07:00

A unique L.A. phenomenon: Unlike the rest of the country, much of L.A.'s movie audiences sit through the closing credits; I'm not in the biz, so this stand-still simply gives me time to get out of the parking lot before the masses head out and create a painful parking lot traffic jam.An LA Observer shows us what's up: "In L.A., a movie isn't over at the fadeout; we want to see who was the best

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-59707942825840180992008-03-26T18:28:00.000-07:002008-04-04T22:11:55.561-07:00

It is no secret that Scientology is an extensively rooted practice in L.A. Increasingly, and under the radar, Scientology continues to build its' presence and influence in one of the most powerful cities in the U.S. Their freak flag keeps waving (aka Tom Cruise) in an effort to boost good PR, but as John Cook at Radar points out "after an embarrassing string of high-profile defections and leaked

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-72280599997722617242008-03-23T18:36:00.001-07:002008-03-25T11:09:03.698-07:00

L.A. hardly has a sparkling reputation for clean water. Just recently, we all learned that if you are one of the few that dare to drink the tap water in the city (or pretty much across the U.S., but bets are you'll find more barbituates in L.A. water), you're probably ingesting a pills' worth of steroids, antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones. So, in order to combat

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-47875139614513206542008-03-23T14:32:00.000-07:002008-03-23T14:52:17.438-07:00

L.A. is a congregation of artists and collaborators; when a holiday comes along involving chocolate and coloring, well, let the celebration begin. Foodies turned restaurant entreprenuers turn their L.A. eateries into celebrity gatherings with the most delicate and excessive temptations for the palate.Caroline On Crack divulges some Easter indulgence for your enjoyment; she reveals:Boule’s Gourmet

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-48072940284041392682008-03-23T13:59:00.000-07:002008-03-23T14:32:04.519-07:00

There's a surprising few of us getting coffee, hanging out, and catching up on the fine cuisine offered around L.A. - and then blogging about it. My curiosity about the people in the Los Angeles blogosphere led to me to these L.A. expatriates and colleagues. Enjoy! LA FILTEREDCAROLINE ON CRACKCITY FEEDS LAFRANKLIN AVENUELOS ANGELES METBLOG

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-11244871683017637092008-03-19T21:05:00.000-07:002008-03-20T16:23:45.468-07:00

It is undoubtedly obvious that L.A. has its own vibe – reinforced by the general makeup of the population, L.A. no doubt is more subversive than most; with styles that span from Emo to Blond Ambition, more often than not counterculture and not involving catwalks and skinny models (only sometimes). I tend to think L.A. is being snubbed by the big players in NY(and L.A. doesn't make it any better

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-65572160846430575682008-03-19T19:54:00.001-07:002008-03-19T20:18:25.684-07:00

Oh pick up lines. Let me count the ways. When you go out with the girls (and I mean friends, not the nicknamed duo that reside on a chest), it is inevitably seen as an open invitation to men; especially after downing liquid courage. Unfortunately for the unwitting male counterpart, nothing makes me go frigid faster than a drunk hit. Inevitable it is, so what better way to brave the waters than at

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-89470092042444651812008-03-13T22:19:00.000-07:002009-04-11T21:24:31.407-07:00

L.A. mornings are breathtaking. Usually cool, and beautifully done by nature in pink, yellow and blue. This glory is coupled with hazy fog (I mean, MARINE LAYER (is it just because in NY you call it fog???)). You're waking up in a dreamy landscape full of fresh morning dew (and sometimes the neighborhood cat at your door). Nothing beats this unless you're watching the early morning rise from a

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-55598469954838968872008-03-11T10:14:00.000-07:002008-03-11T22:15:33.581-07:00

Writers are to me, some special creation, with knowledge of how to slice life and put it into words. In advocating my love, I quote Adrian Leeds: Francophile, real estate investor and New Yorker in Paris, "writers are really fascinating people. They are both intellectual and creative at the same time. Their words paint images on blank paper not very differently than drawing lines or painting

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-36551367479763991912008-03-11T09:23:00.000-07:002008-03-19T19:19:09.147-07:00

That Los Angeles lothario of legal soft porn advertisements has charmed yet another. Per Copyranter, read this article by the latest AA model, and "think back fondly to a time in your life when you were such a naive little tabula rasa."

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-14238366878849127302008-03-08T19:15:00.000-08:002008-03-08T21:27:57.359-08:00

Dawn licks the serrated edges of the city, threatening to douse the night in lurid illumination. The darkness quivers, and I stir from sleep.It is the City Of Angels, but only devils brood here. They draw new blood everyday. This is what dark hearted cities like Los Angeles offer. I was an angel once, but the devils breathe smoky strife. Their obnoxious breath infects the plumbing and pollutes

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-76598346678257956252008-03-08T11:28:00.000-08:002008-03-19T20:32:28.192-07:00

Self-interest rules in Hollywood in a predominant and present way, namely, in your relationships. The person you meet at work, in cafes, on the street (given the odds) thinks, "how can you make my life bigger, better and wealthier?"You can't take lying out here personally. When I realized for the first time (several times over really) that I was lied to, I was hurt that a person I trusted would

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-38942812334222687852008-03-07T18:34:00.000-08:002008-03-11T19:51:02.391-07:00

Driving in LA is like getting acupunture - all you want to do is scream but you're stuck for the next 30 minutes. Call it character building, as your patience is will be tested. A drive only a mile away can take over an hour, bumper to bumper, with some douchebag stopping to park, take a left turn, or simply try to squeeze himself in ahead of you. People take their time, question which way to

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-52843590017942049112008-03-07T08:44:00.000-08:002008-03-11T20:35:54.311-07:00

Free wireless internet, average coffee, healthy eats (yogurt, fruit, boba, bran muffin), and local artist work are offered at this corner coffee house - topped off with your token tattooed waitstaff. I am at Sabor Y Culture off Hollywood Boulevard and doing my duty as a friend and wife (read: I'm not doing this for my benefit). Tonight is Friday night, and though the place is often host to

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-90203247812833859132008-03-05T22:34:00.000-08:002008-03-06T11:07:11.110-08:00

Many a night have I pried open my eyelids to finish books and articles written by writers whose voice provoke a sense of accomplishment, and my faith in humanity. Meaning, I finally found someone who's intelligent - at least on paper. Witty, dextrous, thought-provoking, hit your knee hilarious or let's face it - cutting-edge bitchy - writing is always welcome to my time. It makes my day. In Derek

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-33610477286514774972008-03-05T20:36:00.000-08:002008-03-05T21:10:25.944-08:00

My sister is looking for an apartment. Not hard to do in and of itself, but when your fighting for a decent priced apartment in a good area, and are most likely up against the other 2,000 people who just relocated to L.A., it's gonna be dog eat dog. Relentless, agressive behavior counts. So, take a look at the newspapers, craigslist, get the password from a friend for www.westsiderentals.com,

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-8339188111265178902008-03-05T19:57:00.000-08:002008-03-19T19:53:16.870-07:00

Oh pick up lines. Let me count the ways. When you go out with the girls (and I mean friends, not the nicknamed duo that reside on a chest), it is inevitably seen as an open invitation to men; especially after downing liquid courage. Unfortunately for the unwitting male counterpart, nothing makes me go frigid faster than a drunk hit. Inevitable it is, so what better way to brave the waters than at

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-69657158644431413612008-03-05T00:25:00.001-08:002008-03-05T16:37:39.795-08:00

In the wake of deciding whether or not to start this blog, I came across Everywhere magazine, and in it, an article detailing How We Learned to Love Los Angeles. This was the perfect cue. People need to know that L.A. is more than a defunct concrete jungle.

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868797428468923389.post-34455510373932185922008-03-04T22:45:00.000-08:002008-03-05T13:18:51.979-08:00

I will get to getting down in L.A. soon, but first I want to share some generalizations offered from Noah Hawley - "Los Angeles has two sides: East and West. The West side runs from the Pacific Ocean to La Brea Boulevard. It includes neighborhoods such as Santa Monica, Bel Air, and Beverly Hills. The East Side stretches from La Brea to Downtown. It's made up of Hollywood, Los Feliz, and

T IN LAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15622255543542673665noreply@blogger.com0