WPA

I am really looking to forward to reading this book from the WPA (a government institution for which I have much fondness). I do, however, wish the publishers of this reissue allowed it to remain looking like a WPA publication. Compare:




Which one do you like better?

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DSC06216a a photo by neonspecs on Flickr.

I don't remember who this is.

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DSC03709a a photo by neonspecs on Flickr.

COOL MAN 1a

COOL MAN 1a a photo by neonspecs on Flickr.

Department of Power and Light

DWP a photo by neonspecs on Flickr.

Flashing lights.

Most of you know that I am more than passingly interested in Los Angeles history. As such, I read lots o'blogs about this stuff with some irregularity. I RSSfeed Dear Old Hollywood (what are the grammar rules involving blogs? I am going to assume they are italicized and individual posts are put in quotation marks and not look this up) and "Hollywood's Earl Carroll Theatre" turned out to be really swell, although not as much because of the post as because of one of the comments.

The Earl Carroll Theatre also had a clever way of displaying their neon sign at night - the THEATRE part would flash EAT, then AT, then THE, then THEATRE.

Get it? I love that. Thanks, "Matt." By the way, the theater is now Nickelodeon's studio in Hollywood.

I love this picture.

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Originally uploaded by neonspecs

LA RIVER

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DSC02505a
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

This picture encapsulates so much I love about Los Angeles: LA RIVER!, OLD BRIDGES!, PALM TREES!

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Originally uploaded by neonspecs

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DSC02211a
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

Ducks are cute.
Ducklings are so so cute.

Cornhenge

Cornhenge
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

Spring St Bridge

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Originally uploaded by neonspecs

Love this gas station,

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Originally uploaded by neonspecs

but it doesn't give them the right to have their obscenely expensive prices.

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DSC08952a
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

Baggage Claim

Baggage Claim
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

LAX

Obviously, I've been spending a lot of time looking at the UCLA Library Digital Collections.

Here's an interesting set to ponder:

Today: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=main+st+and+alameda+st&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=N+Alameda+St+%26+N+Main+St,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90012&gl=us&ei=uYEGTd3iGo-msQOs8enzBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ8gEwAA

1877, "Lands of the Los Angeles City Water Company": http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0015zzqq

woahhh Sugihara
For real, lateness is annoying.
"...the streets downtown point to other destinations, that these streets still resist the city's American occupation in 1847."
I believe in handwriting!

and, finally: I want to live in this house: http://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Angeles/3763-Fredonia-Dr-90068/home/5310659 which was supposedly Mary Blair's house (!) and is sorta awesomely on Fredonia just as I am watching Duck Soup

A surprising move for Walmart.
Earthquake Quartet? Bizarre.
Is there a future for Mariachi Plaza?
There are three Subway shops in the Pentagon? Hmm.
Human skin lampshade. Scary.
Don't miss the boat. NO on Proposition 23. duh.
Censoring in the US?

In other news, I went to the new Which Wich today, a new development I have been most decided about. It was, however, only open for a private party. Immense disappointment! I did spot Josh from Sabrina the Teenage Witch (don't know his real name but yeah Sabrina the Teenage Witch! best show of middle school times).

WHAT!?#%*

Crazy: "Some 40 years ago," MGM dumped many thousands of musical scores to be used as landfill in the building of the 405 freeway.

Every day I watch some PBS, and every day I learn something outrageous.

Reasons why I love Clifton's Cafeteria, even though the food is terrible.

I just found this post I wrote October 19, 2009. I don't know why I never published it. Perhaps, I knew subconsciously Clifton's would one day change and I would have to not so much defend it's honor but remind you of what it once was.

1. "Clifton's" is a portmanteau of Clifford Clinton. I love portmanteaus.
2. All the really good fonts.
3. The fancy floor outside the entry. Macadamed maybe? I don't remember the correct descriptor. (But today, September 26, 2010, I do: it's terrazzo).
4. It's Huell Howser approved.
5. The fake bears make me nostalgic for The Country Bear Jamboree, which Disneyland should never have removed--or made a movie about.
6. The variety of antlers available for viewing in quite some random places.
7. The gang of Bible Crusaders in orange shirts using the second floor as it's pamphlet-folding headquarters.
8. The creepy mini-chapel that talks to you when you push a button.
9. It's pretty cheap to eat there (but not this good).
10. OMG FLOCKED WALLPAPER.