Hollywood fire

Here is a funny video from the not so funny Hollywood fire a few months ago.

Biker chick

I think I should walk past Amoeba Records more often. I always see freaky people hanging out down there. This couple amused me today - a biker chick in a mini skirt and her boyfriend on a hot rod. It's almost as though they are wearing costumes! I overheard them trading advice on how to get an agent. Then the biker guy started up his motorcylce and about blew out my ears. These pictures don't do justice to how perfectly dressed they both were, and perhaps they were working that day on some kind of photo shoot. It wouldn't surprise me.

Charo?

I saw this huge display in West Hollywood, at first I thought it was Charo! What do you think? I was dissapointed to see it was Angelynne.

McCartney Madness!

Today I was walking down Sunset Blvd and came across hundreds of people waiting inline to meet Paul McCartney. They were frying in the sun. Not my thing. Here are some photos I took, even the TV news crew came out.

Mexifornia

This guy keeps Hollywood Blvd clean. Thanks guy! :-)

50th Posting! A freak in Hollywood?? NEVER!

Wow! This is my 50th posting already. To celebrate, here is a picture of a freak I took walking down Hollywood Boulevard near the Pacific Theater. I'm sure his mom is proud.

Weird Al

Love Weird Al too!

You Gotta Love Dolly!

I think that Dolly Parton is one of those rare personalities that everyone can love, admire, or respect in some way or another. Here she is singing her song "I Will Always Love You" in 1979 - live in concert, one of my favorites. Eat your heart out, Whitney Houston. Dolly Rocks!

I also love "Coat of Many Colors"

Just when you think it couldn't get any bigger...

One of my first posts on my blog last month was of a woman with an enormous ass. The other day a woman with even bigger hind quarters was blocking almost everyone on the sidewalk. Ok, I totally realize she can't help it and I don't know her story. But the size of her arse is just amazing to me. There are so many overweight people in Hollywood, you would think that would be the opposite. So here's the image I took when she finally decided to cross the street and let me get around her. Part of me wonders if this is the same woman as in the other picture?

Mammoth Lamb of God

Well, this picture was not on Hollywood Blvd, it was actually in Costa Mesa. I drove into a church parking lot and was confronted by a mammoth rendering of a shepherd and his lamb as giant inflatable figures! I felt like I was at the Rose Bowl parade. It was too funny to not take a picture of. Right now I am working on a "Calvacade of Hollywood Blvd Homeless" but it's been difficult getting photos of the regular panhandlers. There are about 5 of them I see every single day. I think it would be interesting to see them all on the same page together. That's pretty much it for today.

I must have a guardian angel!

Today I was making my usual walk down Whitley to Hollywood Boulevard. Someone was leaf blowing a whole bunch of grass on the side I use every day and all I could see was a nasty cloud of dirt. I didn't want to walk through that so I crossed the street to the other side. Just after passing Yucca I heard someone yell "FREEZE!!" and I looked over to see two police with their guns drawn at someone in a driveway on the other side of the road. For a split second the man didn't comply and I sort of stood there. Then I decided I'd better crouch down in the bushes. The whole time I was talking on my cell phone to a friend and being casual about the whole thing (it happened so fast). Once it was clear the man surrendered I just kept walking down the sidewalk like nothing had happened. I was amazed at how it didn't affect me in the least! I just kept chatting away. That was the first time I had ever seen a gun in my neighborhood and it is not a common thing. I had to laugh because on any other day I would have been across the street in that exact spot at about the same time the police sprang on that guy. It was a little creepy. I must have a guardian angel watching over me who decided to blow that cloud of dust in my path so I would not walk down that direction. It's too much of a coincidence. The idea is rather comforting even if it can't be proven.

"You Are the Star" Mural

There are a lot of great murals in Hollywood. One that I pass by every day is the "You Are a Star" mural by Tom Suriya at Hollywood Blvd and Wilcox. It gives you the impression that Hollywood celebrities are all in the same movie theater looking up at you on the big screen. You can stand there and study the mural for a long time and spot many familiar faces. My favorite is "ET" who can barely be seen in the back lobby "phoning home" on a pay phone. If you ever visit Hollywood, you should be sure to find this mural.

Circumcision is IMMORAL

I just wanted to state my opinion that circumcision is a barbaric and immoral practice. To make the decision on behalf of your child to cut off a part of their penis without their consent is wrong. Read this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070618/ap_on_re_us/circumcision_decline

Daddy Long Legs

Ok, I don't get this. Why is this man wearing stilts at the bus stop on Hollywood Blvd and getting into the bus with them on? How did he ever walk down the aisle inside the bus? He was at least 8 feet tall or more with the stilts on. I was able to take two pictures of him - one walking to the bus and a second one of him getting into the bus. I've lived here a couple of years now and some things never cease to amaze me. He needs to get a life. Am I mean to wish he would fall down? That would be hilarious.

Shining Star

Among the many regulars you might see on any given day walking up and down Hollywood Blvd is a man with one leg who sits along the walk of fame polishing the brass plate on each star one at a time! He slowly makes his way up and down the walk each week. It's really rather inspiring to see his dedication to polishing the stars! I think he may be a war veteran, I usually see an American flag nearby him when I walk past. I wish I wasn't so shy because I'd like to maybe chat with him and hear his story. Maybe one day I will just strike up a conversation with him. I know it is certain to be interesting!

Peyton Place

Today I read this article about Camden, Maine where I lived for two summers. It brought back a lot of memories! Camden is such a magical little town in the middle of nowehere, a charming place where anyone would love to call home. I always had such a feeling of being content and at peace in a seaside village. I never wanted to leave. This summer they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of"Peyton Place" which was filmed there, my landlady had a copy of the movie (of course) and I watched it several times to pick out locations where I walked past every day. In a way it was one of my first experiences with Hollywood and helped generate my fascination with the entertainment industry. Someday I would love to go back there and visit again.

Calgon Take Me Away

(click to view full size image)

There is an old commercial where the mom screams, "The kids, the dog, the doorbell, CALGON TAKE ME AWAY" and then she is magically transported to a relaxing bubble bath. Today I was back in the classroom where the kids hand me notes all day long to tattle on each other. They truly drive me crazy, I was so exhausted by dismissal time. Check out the notes, however, they are really fun.

Jungle Fever!

Today was a REALLY odd day in Hollywood, even more odd than usual! On my way to the gym, a man carrying an iguana like baby walked past me. I asked him if I could take a picture. Then two hours later on my way home I walked past a man with a snake wrapped around his neck. He was petting it's head like it was his baby. He told me he "caught it yesterday in the mountains." I was wondering why it hadn't already tried to strangle him. These are great photos!

Star Art

I have always been kind of curious about the paintings I see on gates that store owners pull down over their shops on Hollywood Boulevard. Some of them feature interesting portraits seemingly done by the same artist in the same style. They are not wearing well but have held up apparently over a long period of time. Some of the stars I have seen represented are James Cagney (shown here), Roddy McDowell, Mary Martin, John Raitt, Edgar Bergin, Betty Grable, and Ann Margaret. I am sure I am missing a few. Ann Margaret is intersting because half of her portrait was destroyed and replaced with new siding so you only see her from the nose up. I wonder who the artist was? They are all painted in a pale shade of green. I wish we had more art like this in Hollywood, and most of the gates are up during the day so few people get to see the portraits. I see tourists walking around and Hollywood is so filthy and dirty, I wish there was more for them to appreciate. I can only imagine what they are thinking - this is Hollywood?? People here complain about Hollywood all the time and then renovation starts on something and then it takes literally years to get anything constructed. Often the construction is cheap and tacky looking. I sometimes wonder why anyone even bothers. The renovation they have been doing at Hollywood and Vine is basically a myth. The Broadway Hollywood building is just as filthy, dirty, and run down (if not more) than before they started working on it over two years ago. The Walk of Fame is crumbling and in shambles. Whoever tells you Hollywood is a beautiful place, they are in denial. I can see that it might be better in then years but for now it is just a quirky historical area that is only a shadow of what it use to be.

These boots are made for walkin

If you walk down Hollywood Boulevard you will see a lot of shoe stores. They are full of the most obnoxious shoes and boots I have ever seen! They come in ever color imaginable, with platforms, sequins, sparkles and other extras that are unusual. But these stores are always empty and I see the shoes in the window gathering dust. So how do they stay in business? Does anyone buy those shoes? Where would there wear them?? It's a mystery.

Street Vendors

In Hollywood, and throughout Los Angeles, we have guys who stand on street corners holding giant arrows pointing at a business trying to attract new customers. Many times it is for an apartment complex - "Now Leasing." Some of the guys are really creative and have turned it into an art form similar to the color guard of a drum corps field show. They spin the signs, toss them above their heads, do flips, etc. I wonder how they find these guys and if they are paid extra to learn all those acrobatic stunts?? My gym has a guy holding a big red arrow at a corner on Hollywood Boulevard but he just sits in a folding chair all day and bounces the arrow up and down. I took a picture of of the guy, I think he was bored. I would be too. What a crappy job to hold a sign on a street corner. At least the guys who do the stunts and routines are having fun. What's next in advertising? It seems to get more invasive and innovative every year.

No Mercy for Paris

She got what she deserved. It's all a pathetic act. Everyone can see through her tears.

EARTHQUAKE

Last week at school we had a disaster drill for a "7.5 magnitude arthquake" where I had to tell the students to "duck and cover." None of the kids took it very seriously and just kind of laughed their way through the whole thing. I ended up snapping this photo with my cell phone at one point of the drill. You'll notice one girl casually applying some lip baum. I was doing the best I could to force the students to cooperate. I suppose if we really did have a 7.5 magnitude earthquake the building we were in wouldn't be standing, and we wouldn't be able to duck and cover because the desks would be thrown everywhere right along with the rest of us. Let's hope that never happens. I suppose when and if the big one hits we will definitely feel it. Perhaps we'll be lucky and the earthquake would have the courtesy to hit in the middle of the night while we are all asleep.

Brady Bunch Variety Hour Tribute

420

It seems like I am constantly surrounded in Hollywood by marijuana or it's symbolic representation. Also known as "420" (the police code for weed), there are dozens of shops all around selling bongs and other paraphenalia designed to aid in marijuana consumption. On January 1st 1976, Danny Finegood (& friends) climbed to the top of Mt. Lee with four 6 x 12 foot sheets. Using only stones and rope Danny and friends were able to change the Hollywood sign to "Hollyweed" without even having to climb on it (see photo). This amazed me. On the eve of the prank Danny and friends notified certain members of the press to ensure coverage of the event. The changing of the sign made front pages around the world. See this website for more information.

I have walked into clouds of pot smoke throughout Hollywood and I always think how brave people are to just light up like that in public. I don't think the police are doing much about it as they have other things to worry about. There use to be a sign at the transition curve from Los Feliz Blvd to Western which read "20 ==>" and was then defaced to read "420 ==>" I had intended to take a picture of it for this blog but ironically it was all cleaned off after the big fire a few weeks ago. Last weekend I was walking up the stairs to my apartment when some lady called to me from the sidewalk below in broken English. She said she needed to ask me something but just stood there like an idiot. Finally she said, "You got any 420?" and after a few seconds to process, I laughed at her and said no.

My favorite "420" story is when I was walking past the LA Cantina on Hollywood Boulevard. A short balding man was walking in front of me, then suddenly turned around to read the menu board on the sidewalk. All of the sudden, right in my face, was Cheech Marin, of Cheech and Chong. He wasn't smoking any pot or anything, but his name and marijuana are synonymous. As for me, I hate pot. It does nothing for me. I don't crave it, it smells awful, and it makes my lungs burn. Personally, I don't understand what the attraction is.

A distracting recital

Check out these photos. Over the weekend I went to a harp recital where the harp was set up right next to a statue of a naked dude. For a while I didn't really notice, but after about 30 minutes I just thought the combination was really hilarious.

Update

Remember the crazy, homeless couple that uses ventriloquist dolls to get attention while they ask for money? I noticed this weekend that a film crew caught up with them and was doing some kind of feature, although it didn't look like a news story - which I found odd. Some guy was adjusting the sleeve of the male counterpart and he was just standing there staring, it was if they were being posed for a documentary of some kind. I am not sure. Well, I guess I am not the only one who has taken notice of Hollywood's odd couple. Freaks.

Harp ER

I hate playing my harp by the ocean. Last September I had a really awful experience. I was asked to play for a wedding right at the end of the water as it splashed up onto the beach. After I got home I noticed my harp smelled like dead fish and the strings sounded dull. Then I noticed my bass wires were not resonating at all and made a thud sound when pulled. I had to replace every single bass wire at a cost of $125 and it took about three months before my harp aired out and didn't stink. I think there was some kind of chemical reaction with the steel wires to the salt air. Well, I agreed to play harp for another wedding outside near the ocean but this time I made it clear I could not play on the beach. She said it was up on a cliff overlooking the ocean. So I decided to give it another try. Friday afternoon was the big day. I had to leave 4 hours early to Laguna Beach because of Friday rush hour traffic and ended up arriving 2 hours early, but it wasn't so bad hanging out at the beach. The wedding went ok, there was some confusion about when the special music was supposed to start. The limo pulled up to the curb and just stayed there for 10 minutes. Then some of the family got out and just stood there for a long time. One of the mothers was escorted in and I began to play Over the Rainbow and then nothing for another 10 minutes (it was supposed to be one family member after another in succession). Then the bridesmaid started to walk towards the wedding so I began to play Canon in D, then she started talking to some people, turned around and walked back. I guess she wasn't ready yet. Then the other mother was escorted in so I just continued with Canon in D instead of going back to Over the Rainbow. Finally the bridesmaid did process in, followed by the bride. I could already tell the ocean air was screwing with my harp because Here Comes the Bride was a little sour sounding. I quietly checked my harp during the ceremony and noticed some of the strings were going bonkers and the wood on my soundbaord was starting to feel sticky, like the salt was depositing itself. This wasn't going over very well with me. The recessional music sounded out of tune, there was nothing I could do about it. My harp strings were choking on salt air. I continued to play for another 10 minutes and then I packed up as quickly as I could. I debated the whole way home as to what to do, and how I could possibly prevent damage to my harp strings. I was very lucky and there was no traffic the whole way back to Hollywood. I decided I should rush the harp up to my apartment, clean it, and let it air out overnight. I knew I was maybe running out of time before the damage would be done. When I arrived I jumped out of the car and unloaded as fast as possible. It was almost divine the way I was able to rush back with no traffic and now the harp seemed to glide out of the car and was crying to get upstairs to be cleaned. I felt like it was going to the ER and I was the EMT. I pushed the harp quickly to the elevator and hurried to my apartment. I threw down my jacket, unpacked the harp and immediately wiped down the strings with a cotton t-shirt. Then I got out my wood polish and thoroughly wiped down all the other parts of the harp. I also turned my cover inside out so it could dry overnight. This morning the harp sounds fine, and doesn't smell. So, I think I dodged the bullet this time. I don't have any more oceanside harp jobs coming up. I will really have to screen locations in the future, or maybe charge an oceanside fee. It's not really worth the hassle.