Conversation overhead

El Rey bathroom @ Foster the People

Line starts to extend out the door

"sucks to be women" man says on the way to the men's

"but we are prettier." replies girl 1

"and we have better clothes" says girl 2

LA=Bliss

Solstice #2

There is a place with buzzing so deafening that there isn't room for the sound of your thoughts in your head.

A bird that sounds like radar coming closer, beep, beep, beep

The prospector's house isn' t actually all that haunted and the prospector wasn't a prospector after all, just a man with a dream.

Then there is that house with the

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

fireplaces next to a waterfall

that ultimately burnt to the ground.

5 regulars agree

I made a friend laugh the other day by saying "I am so lonely that I have beer goggles on all the time"... "I see a man from far away and think, wow, he is attractive and he gets closer and he has a whispy mustache and a drooping eye. That or I realize he is 15 years old. Then I give myself the heebs."

While discussing life and love in LA, Miss Lala Land and I found ourselves being 2 of 3 females (one was the lovely and multi-talented bartender) on a mid-day drink cocktail quest at the Drawing Room in Los Feliz. Which is a fantastic dive bar with cheap and strong strong drinks) Need I remind you that Miss Lala land when we were last together we got our dim sum taken care of by a secret admirer.

We chatted with them for a while, drank 3/4ths vodka to juice, I was trying to get a regular to admit that he was on a television show that I really like. We got familiar with the locals. Then came the question that I hate getting because I think of it a little too much myself.

"What are two beautiful, intelligent women like yourselves doing alone?"

I replied "I ask myself the same question. And I wish I knew why"

"Do you want some advice?"

"Yes, because obviously what I am doing is not working."

"You are kind of intimidating."

I have heard this so many times and I just don't get it. It is starting to make me just a little bit angry.

"I have heard that a lot." I reply.

"It's the eyes."

"You do not know how many times I have heard that too, but am I suppose to pluck them out of my head?"

"And the other thing is that anyone can tell when you open your mouth that you are intelligent. That scares men away."

"That is silly." I reply. "Am I suppose to act dumb and that everything they say is a groundbreaking statement."

"Just don't talk."

I was flabbergasted. (or insert word here that means the same thing, but slightly less 50 cent wordy) It is sad to me that there are people out there who still want their women just a little bit stupid.

(on another note, I am going to let thisislalaland de-batman me. I have never posted a picture of me on my blog. You tell me, is it the eyes?)

street art in the streets

I was going to say something very clever about the street art show, but I think I will just let the art speak for itself. As much as these photos can from my phone camera. This is a sneak peek to whet your appetite because you have to go and see it for yourself. Remember Mondays are free courtesy of Banksy and the exhibition closes on 08.08.11 at the MOCA that is in Little Tokyo. It is only $10 all other times.

Art by I should have paid more attention, Banksy, Swoon, Henry Chalfant. If you have the time, around the museum has become a gallery itself. Take the walk to the 3rd and Traction area as well. I am hoping those pieces have not been erased by the landlords. Like that great Banksy piece on the Urban Outfitters in Westwood. (F&*%-face landlord)

It too can be yours

If you have lived here even for a minute you have seen the House of David's. You know exactly what I am talking about, the house on 3rd, Youngwood Court, etc. Well I hear it is up for sale and it too can be yours for 2.4 million dollars. You could own a piece of LA kitsch history.

Here is a music video rebuttal they made as a response to their neighborhood nay-sayers. Enjoy!

Falsas Promesas/broken promises

I am just slightly too late to talk about a film you should see called Blank City. If I wouldn't have been so lost in thought I would have told you to run to the NuArt and see it, but I saw it on its last day in LA and could have only told the passers by on the street to see the 7 o'clock and unfortunately I have a habit of not being crazy in public.

It is 1970's New York, when it looked more like a war torn country and not something here. When we let New York die. And the art that came from it, the Blank Generation and the NO wave. Super 8 cameras, bombing trains, stealing electricity and Nick Zedd, Blondie, Fab 5 Freddy, Lee, Richard Kern, Samo and Lydia Lunch.

Blank City is a movie about an art movement that came from a decaying landscape, people being creative with what they had, coming up with some sort of response to the people who let a great city die. Or just making films and art because there wasn't really anyone to stop them. (permits! permits! permits!)

Lydia Lunch, I remember hearing her for the first time when I was 16 living in the big city having left my sheltered small town life where I had no idea that anyone did anything bad to anyone, other than light teen bullying. In a writing class a girl brought in a record that Miss Lunch did. A particular story about incest that ends something like:

"That is what having children feels like"

I had never heard anything that had ever made me feel beaten up after, so emotionally wrecked. I can honestly say hearing this changed the way I thought about life... for better... for worse. If only my parents knew what kind of school they sent me to.

If you are interested in any of the films that came out of the blank generation or music from the no wave the will be showing some films at the Anthology Film Archives in New York in Septemberish. (I don't know why the schedule isn't updated. Maybe I will have to make an amendment once I locate the mailing) Or if you want to see the hip-hop side read Yes Yes Y'all.

(no photos due to copyright and the closed down businesses along Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills would never hold the same weight)