Last night I attended the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council meeting. The evening featured Gregory Randall, the City of LA’s lone wildlife specialist . . . in a city of 465 square miles crammed with four million people. Because of the recent events in Griffith Park, where eight coyotes were shot in the aftermath of two [...]
This weekend, after feeling under the weather for a few days, I decided to start my fall planting. I had been thinking about it for a while, and then I decided to just get off the sofa and do it. It was sad in a way–I yanked out a bunch of tomato plants . . [...]
Recently I attended a “green” event in a certain neighborhood in Los Angeles. The gathering started on a dubious note. I had skipped the raw vegan dinner, which I suppose could have been appetizing. But when I showed up, I was informed the crew was running late, and the start of the discussion ended up [...]
Los Angeles and bicycling sound odd when mentioned in the same sentence. Despite the region’s warm and arid climate, reputation having a healthy lifestyle, and sunshine year round, bicycling is a trend that really hasn’t caught on here. You’ll find more yoga fiends than bike fanatics. The love of yoga and health gyms reflects the [...]
Modular homes.
That thought leaves most of us shuddering, then snickering about that dream double-wide trailer—hey, live large and maybe you could have a triple wide! Years ago, a dear friend of mine was struggling to buy a home in her beloved, but unaffordable, Santa Cruz County. She dealt with a real estate agent who [...]
I’m a huge fan of Ingmar Bergman. How could you not be smitten by his searing examinations of the human psyche? His films’ direction, often featuring one of his favorite actresses, Liv Ullmann, are a must for any film fanatic. One of my favorite Bergman projects was his epic Scenes of a Marriage, where Bergman [...]
You’ve probably heard of the term “greenwashing”: slapping labels such as organic, natural, sustainable, free range, etc., which leads us to think this product is good for us. It’s easy to fall into the trap, and well, as consumer trends change, businesses try to adapt. But now it appears your favorite companies are going to [...]
I just found out that Los Angeles has a pilot program giving the homeowners the opportunity to gain free rainwater barrel installation on their properties. Although priority is given to homes in West LA (the Ballona Creek watershed area is where most rain run off ends up in the Pacific Ocean), anyone within the City [...]
One of my favorite TV shows was Arrested Development. Savagely witty and delightfully satirical, this show depicting a riches-to-rags Orange County family will be remembered for its insight in early 21st century living. One of my favorite exchanges is when Portia de Rossi’s character, Lindsey, bemoans her family’s crash into poverty, only to recover 5 [...]
With Edward Kennedy’s passing, Massachusetts will soon name an interim senator once the State Legislature (again) changes the law allowing someone to hold the seat until a new election occurs in January. The rumors strongly suggest that Michael Dukakis, former governor and Democratic presidential candidate in 1988, will be appointed to the seat, temporarily occupying [...]
My elementary school in Cupertino was a great place to spend the K-6 years, come to think of it. It was walking distance (unless you’re an Angelino), and it was small enough to know everyone. Best of all, there was a huge playground and field, big enough to serve as a city park. Many school [...]
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