Hello!

Did you miss me?

I took someone's advice and tried to enjoy my unemployment, instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for myself.

I will commence posting regularly soon, but I need to spend some time today to apply for jobs so that I can get my unemployment check.

I am into the 70's now my the way.

Rainbow families

I am proud to be in a state that allows same sex marriage. California lifted the ban this week. Although I am not attracted to the ladies, I don't oppose people who are. Why can't people just celebrate our differences.

I celebrate everyday that I am not Anne Coulter. As I prepare to celebrate my weekly "I am not Anne BBQ" bash, I want to leave you with this....

True love is hard enough to find, if you find it hold onto it.


If only Evite made those invitations.......

Paint my blog gold

In true Los Angeles fashion of tagging over history....

Exhibit A-1984 Summer Olympic Mural on the 10


Exhibit B- A tagged John Wehrle's "Galileo, Jupiter, Apollo" on the north retaining wall of the 101 at North Broadway



.... I invite you to tag my blog. Go to Atmosphere's new album website and click here and have at it.

As many of you know, Atmosphere is from mighty Minneapolis/st. paul (or "The Cities" as we call it). I was enjoying their shows long before the national notoriety (which I feel is well deserved) They are even better live.

My way back when moment:
When it wad the Atmosphere incarnation of Slug, Eyedea and Abilities, I once had a few minute freestyle about my bellybutton.

They just spent the last two days in LA. I didn't go to either show because I am broke as a joke.

So before you get to tagging my blog, give the album a listen and tag, tag away.

1, 2, 3, 14

Does anyone else think it is strange that Coldplay's new album called Viva la Vida, phrase in Spanish for "long live life", has a painting of Marianne , the national emblem of France, leading French soldiers to victory?

I know I just let my nerd flag fly.

I also think you know what I am getting at in the Coldplay U2 comparison. Being unemployed has given me the chance to pre-view some albums (see Scarlet Jo post) and I am not sure that I will be joining Coldplay on their new odyssey and not because they do not know their history.

Fun and free in LA-traveling the world in one day

I guess I have been on a Minneapolis better than Los Angeles kick lately. I think it is my unemployment talking, not that I am taking back the fact that Los Angeles needs to become better at recycling, I love Los Angeles just in case you were wondering. Here is another reason I love Los Angeles:

What: Botanical Gardens
Where: Huntington Gardens, San Marino, CA
When: Daily 10:30 -4:30 closed Tuesdays
Total cost to me: $15
($15-weekdays, $20 weekend, free day is every first Thursday with advance tickets)

It is amazing the legacy left behind in California left behind by the Daniel Plainview types (not that I am saying that these people are milkshake loving murderers)one of these being The Getty, which I have mentioned and another being Huntington Gardens

The Huntington was founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington when he signed away his San Marino estate for non-profit use. It is now home to gardens, a gallery and Library. My visit there was brief, but during that time I was able to travel to Japan, China and the middle of the desert. I unfortunately didn't have the chance to visit England for High Tea, but maybe next time.

Very much worth the trip and you do not need a passport.

Bus Blog entries

At a party last weekend, the topic of bus stories came up. It seems like everyone in Los Angeles has a bus story and many of them are funny, weird, sad and sometimes scary. Like the guy who removed all of his teeth because he thought the government was after him because he uncovered a government conspiracy while he was a limo driver in D.C.

I know that there are more stories out there, send them to me.

If you are a writer and do not feel like committing to an entire blog, this is a great chance to get your stories read by 3 people.

My email address is: fadeinmail@gmail.com

Earth Day Adendum

Sorry, this is a bit late, but I have had other stuff on my mind.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved here was how difficult it is to recycle here. I always thought of California as a green earth utopia (yes, I knew that it was smoggy, but other than cars I thought California had its shit together) I thought that one of the things that would translate when I left Minneapolis, a city that has its green shit together, was the ease of recycling. Yes, there are blue bins for recycling pick up every couple weeks with your garbage, but that is to think that people use all of the recycle-ables at home. What I miss is that if I got a bottled water when I was out and about in Minneapolis, I didn't have to worry, because in most stores, malls, etc, there are recycling bins inside. I chatted with some Minnesota folks a couple weeks ago and we commented on the same thing. They didn't know where to put their cans and bottles and felt bad about just throwing them away, because in Minnesota they make it so damn easy to recycle.

Americans are creatures of convenience, (how many of you hit a fast food joint of your choice today) how many of us do you think are going to carry around our water bottles, soda cans and empty iced coffee containers around in a bag while we are shopping, so we can take them home. I would say just about none. We should have an option to recycle at places of business.

I miss the option of putting my recycle-ables in a proper place. I miss the blue bins with holes that are aluminum can sized, sunday newspaper sized, etc.

I think that the only way all of the cans and bottles do not end up in garbage dumps is because of Los Angeles' 94,000 homeless citizens. Yes, all of those people with garbage bags full of cans and bottles strapped to shopping carts have gotten all of that because other people have thrown it away. And to imagine, there is a 1-800 to call to report them.

I think it should be easier for people to recycle in LA, especially because LA is all about fads and green is the new black, baby.

Song stuck in my head is Rock Lobster by the B-52's- I don't really like that song and I don't know how it got there.

Bus Blog -3

I haven't really been riding the bus all that often anymore, but I will share this story with you. It has been quite a few months and all of the details are a bit foggy.

Riding down Hollywood Boulevard is always an interesting experience, as any of you know who have ever visited this area as a tourist or native. This day in particular I was riding the 212 or the 217, I can't remember, from the heart of touristville on Hollywood and Highland. I was listening to my ipod but bookless this time. (I like to have both usually, because crazy people are attracted to me. I had someone come up to me once that was convinced that I was Dulcinea del Toboso ) When I am sans book, I like to watch the people who come and go, as I am sure most people do. Especially in this area because you never quite know which character (literally) will join the bus riders.

Somewhere on Sunset a young mother, with a baby bjorn strapped to her chest, got on the bus. What attracted me to this young mother out of all of the other hundreds of young mothers that ride the bus daily, was that she was dressed very much like Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez, even down to the pacifier on a string around her neck, now a functioning piece of jewelery for the wee one she was carrying. What kept me drawn to her was how loudly she was fussing over her baby, almost like she was showing off her new motherhood to everyone who was within listening distance. I noticed how the mother and daughter had the same hat, how cute. (perhaps myself in ticking mode) I was realizing that I was obviously staring and looked away, but thought about how throughout the entire coo-fest that the baby never made a sound, not a squeal, laugh or anything which is odd.

I turned back to look at the mother and child and saw that the baby had blond hair and as I looked closer she didn't even have the same skin color as her mother and as the mother rocked back and forth, I realized that the baby was in fact a doll.

This could be construed as a funny situation, but what I felt was a profound sadness. This woman obviously thinks that doll is her baby.

Speaking of Comedy in Los Angeles

If you will not be celebrating with your mom on Sunday, think about attending this event instead.

Rus Gutin may very well be the first gluten free comic in the world. Extremely funny and fast paced, he is a comedian that you really need to pay attention to. Laughs are fast paced and furious, but don't laugh too long, you might miss something that's even funnier. He is a very charismatic performer that makes you stand up and and think that you can take on the ills of the world.

If you are a prude, this really isn't your event. If you are easily offended and cannot make fun of how ridiculous people sometimes are, you should just stay home.

Also playing in the intermission will be a very dear friend of mines spoof of Transformers, which is already a big hit across the pond.

Not for moms.

Buy Tickets@ here

Unemployed girls of the U.S. unite!!

Month 3 of my unemployment and feeling lower than a snakes _________. That was until I spied this blog, Gopman's Gossip

There are many of us out there who are unemployed. Maybe we should all meet online and have a little group therapy. Topics can include:

• Self-esteem
• Television shows that I never would have watched before when I was employed, and now I do and I am embarrassing myself. (Why is Ant famous again?)
  
• Social awkwardness, now that you are alone a lot how do you talk to people in social situations.
• My teeth hurt and I don't have insurance.
• I have a blog and do people out there really care about what I have to say?/blogging as a way to reach people so that you are in social situations you know how to interact
• Compulsion: Can someone please take TMZ off the internet, I am not really interested, but I just can't stop myself?
• Beauty tips for people who just roll out of bed and submit resumes all day

Think on that, I know there are more of us out there. Check out Gopman's Gossip, if the posts are anything like the first you will laugh yourself into feeling better.