We Have Arrived


La-La Land. It's not just a destination, it's a definition. 


The Oxford-English dictionary has included a much-needed descriptor to the slang phrase used in reference to our fair city. 


la-la land n. can refer either to Los Angeles (in which case its etymology is influenced by the common initialism for that city), or to a state of being out of touch with reality—and sometimes to both simultaneously.


Funny and pretty right on.  While there are a few of us who live in L.A. who "get it" - we're educated,  we work hard, we have morals, we support public radio - there are many who, well, who aren't and who don't.


I get as fed up as the next guy when it comes to the "disconnect from reality" exhibited by those who inhabit this town - mostly transplants from other cities. It's one of the few places where stupidity is not only excused, it's practically expected. Add to that, the unabashed sense of entitlement and the most exalted importance on physical beauty anywhere I've ever been. It really is maddening. Don't get me started on the traffic, lack of public transportation... and the taxes...


All that aside, I confess, I LOVE it here. There's a reason so many people flock to SoCal. The quality of life is amazing. Where else can you ski in the morning, surf in the afternoon? We have easy access to some of the most natural beauty and breathtaking scenery in the world. Believe it or not, once you weed out the bad eggs, some of the people are pretty cool (and inspiring!) too. Whatever kind of food, music, movie or cultural experience you desire - you can find it here.  Did I mention the weather....? The. Weather.


It really does make it all worth it. 


"We should build a wall around California to keep the close minded out." - Timothy Leary, American psychologist and writer

Dog Days of Travel 


In my frequent jaunts up and down California's coast, I meet a variety of characters. Today's pick of the litter: Pablo, a 12 lb. chihuahua-pug (pughuahua?) pound puppy rescued from a South Central shelter.

Fly safe, Pablo!

Check out these GREAT organizations, to rescue a little mutt of your own!

Shelter Stroll Smooch Pooch Dog Rescue L.A. Animal Services Petfinder

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Next Big One? 


The earthquake that hit Japan last week was upgraded yesterday from a 8.9 to a 9.0, a difference in amplitude of about 1.4 percent.


When plotting three of the world's most recent  major earthquakes, a patten emerges. In very basic terms, the Pacific Plate is shifting. Three of the four faults on the plate have experienced major temblors in the last year. Chile in the Southeast (Feb. 2010), New Zealand in the Southwest (Feb. 2011), Japan in the Northwest (March 2011). Is North America's Pacific Northwest next? 


It is here that the most dangerous fault in the U.S. lies:  Cascadia. The fault  stretches from the northern part of California, north along the coast of Oregon and Washington, and into Canadian waters. In fact, 300 years ago, a 9.0 earthquake that originated here set off a tsunami that wreaked havoc all the way across the Pacific Ocean, smashing the shores of Japan. 


According to experts, the Pacific Northwest is "long overdue" for a major quake. "With the region experiencing 41 quakes 8.0 magnitude or above over the past 10,000 years, geologists say it's a question of when - not if - the next one hits..."

Don't Sweat It. Or do. 
  
Equinox is offering a free three-day trial for a limited time. To sign up, go here. 


Rest assured, word on the street is the clubs in L.A. are nothing like those in New York. (It was years ago. They "needed the money"...)

Snowpacalypse!

While Southern California has been blasted with sub-40 degree temperatures and unexpected deluges, the area mountains have been reaping the benefits of frequent precipitation. 

It's been an incredible season at Mammoth and June Mountains in California's Eastern Sierra. With a 19 ft. base and 18 new inches in the past 24 hours, it appears there's no end in sight to the near-perfect conditions and a season that will most certainly last well into the summer, once again.

Powder days are the norm, not the exception in 2010/2011. Here's a montage, collected from the past couple of months. Enjoy the "greatest snow on earth."

For those of you unlucky enough NOT to have a season pass, go here to complete a survey by TOMORROW evening and you'll receive a voucher for a $39 lift ticket.