serai

The protests from Hollywood have reached my area. I can hear the crowds and the honks from the cars over on Sunset about four blocks away. Now it's a bit fainter, I think they're headed downtown on Sunset.

Damn, I wish I could join them. I wish I could at least walk up there and give 'em a supporting holler. If I were ten years younger...

Such times we're living through.

Whoa, a huge noise. Many voices in a big shout. Something happened. Man, I hope no one got hurt.

But the country's on the move, and who knows where we're headed? At least it feels like a logjam has broken - people are out and angry and reacting, and how pissed they are you can gauge by their willingness to do this while the health stakes are still so high.

What I'm wondering is, how angry will people still be in November? What will happen between now and then? Five months is a long time when things are this crazy.

Hope everyone's staying safe.

Current Location: The Twilight Zone

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Actually, I'm not sure that "institution" is the right word. But anyway...

Marc Jacobs, the Walking Man

For nearly 30 years Dr. Marc Jacobs, known locally as The Walking Man, could be seen at any time of day or night, rapidly walking along the streets of Silver Lake. Always wearing the same denim shorts and sneakers, shirtless and deeply tanned, he strode purposefully at an energetic clip, gaze always focused on the folded newspaper he was reading as he walked. Few people knew anything about him, but he was one of the fixtures of my neighborhood, an unchanging symbol of the idiosyncratic, freewheeling feeling of our little corner of L.A.

He passed away last night, quite a shock to those of us who'd grown so accustomed to seeing him trucking along. I used to see him whenever I walked from my house to the nearby Trader Joe's; it seemed no matter what time I made that trip, he'd be there somewhere along the way. I always wanted to say hi, but he was inevitably so engrossed in his reading that it seemed like an imposition, and indeed he gave off waves of "don't bother me" vibes, so I never did. But it was somehow comforting to know he was always around, pacing the streets like some engine of energy.

A memorial walk is planned for this Sunday, traversing the 10-mile route he routinely walked. I'm not able to do walks like that these days, but I'm certainly going to join up with them for the part that's near my house.

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Feeling all nostalgic tonight, yo. Three versions of a beloved classic:

California Dreaming - The Mamas & the Papas

The original, with its soaring vocals and sweet flute break...

California Dreaming - Michael Chapdelaine

A lovely acoustic guitar version...

And last but not least:

Califonia Dreaming - The Beach Boys

The Boys bring their signature style to a perfect vehicle.

This song is so evocative, not of California itself but of the idea of CA that seems to live in the minds of so many people out there. As today was the first day of our settled-in summer, I'm feeling very much like I live inside that idea, that warm-hot-sunlit faraway legend-land. 'Course pretty soon the heat will become oppressively familiar and the sheen will have worn off, but for now it's nice to bask in the illusion of this being the ideal place to live.

Enjoy the lovely tune, the beautiful voices, and I send a wave of sea-salt sunshine your way. ;)

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It is most windy here in LaLaLand today. The air will be bright and beautiful for the weekend.

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Los Angeles, give me some of you! Los Angeles come to me the way I came to you, my feet over your streets, you pretty town I loved you so much, you sad flower in the sand, you pretty town.

-- Ask the Dust

Tomorrow at 11 a.m., John Fante will be honored by his adopted hometown with the naming of the corner of 5th and Grand downtown as "John Fante Square". I'll be going down to see the ceremony.

It was in 1985 that I first heard Fante's immortal words of love for my city, when I tuned in to Mike Hodel's Hour 25 and heard Harlan Ellison read an excerpt from Ask the Dust. I fell in love instantly and went out the next day to find the book. It was everything the reading of those few pages promised - dreamy, down-to-earth, dry, observant, impassioned, hopeful, resigned. Best of all, it was a voice that knew L.A. I was too young to experience it the way Fante did in the 30's, but a little of that "sad flower in the sand" still remained. Many of those buildings were still there downtown when I was a child - Grand Central Market still bustled, the little Italian grocery store and the Million Dollar Theater and Clifton's and best of all, the Angel's Flight Trolley. He put into words what I felt about Los Angeles, and still do, better than anyone else I've ever read. After years of hearing my city be put down and eyerolled at, I'd found someone who articulated the reasons I've always loved the place where I grew up.

So I'll be there to see Fante honored, you better believe it. It'll be a pleasure to see him finally get his due from the town he loved so much.

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Just got a peal of thunder so hard it set off a car alarm.

Rain! *dances*

After a lifetime of living here, I've just been initiated into an L.A. tradition: I JUST WITNESSED A DRIVEBY SHOOTING!!

Talk about unexpected! I was just leaving a Jack-in-the-Box on a really wide street, and heard gunshots. I looked across the street, and way over on the other side was a big honking SUV with a guy leaning over from the driver's side to shoot out the passenger window. He had a rifle, and I could see the little spark-lights from the shots. After a couple of seconds, there were shots coming AT him from whoever he was shooting at! (I couldn't see them cause the building at the intersection blocked my view of the cross-street he was shooting down.) Then he took off down that street.

Don't know if he just left, or if he was taking off to chase whoever it was down. Called the cops when I got home and gave a report, but I was so far off that I couldn't really give any details - no license plate, and I never saw the guy's face. I was just hoping that my testimony might back up any they might get that's more closeup and detailed.

Whew! What a damn rush!! Woo-hoo!

I'm gonna go eat my egg rolls and drink my root beer float now. And a nice attitude adjuster wouldn't hurt, either.

Current Mood: FREAKED OUT!!
Current Music: Dragula - Rob Zombie

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Entries tagged with los angeles

Wild night!

Farewell to a neighborhood institution

Midnight Media Cafe - California Dreaming

The trees swirl their skirts and laugh

Tomorrow I will go out and find my Mexican Princess

Woo-hoo!

Adrenaline Rush!!

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