robertpaulsen
robertpaulsen's JournalOldest Winery in Los Angeles Celebrates 100th Anniversary!
This is definitely the oldest operating winery in Los Angeles – the only one existing in L.A. to survive Prohibition - and now it is celebrating its 100th anniversary! Neek and I went to visit their beautiful location in downtown L.A. – they also have locations in Ontario and Paso Robles – to check out the tour that they offer at the San Antonio Winery.
One of the Worlds Largest Artists Colony - The Brewery Complex in Downtown L.A.
Bi-annually in April and October, over 100 artists open their studios and living spaces and invite the public to see their world. The Brewery Arts Complex near downtown Los Angeles covers 16 acres (64749.70 m²) and is an industrially zoned space where only artists are allowed to live and work.
Preserved Ruins Where the Treaty of Cahuenga was Signed in 1847
Right down the hill from Universal Studios, Hollywood is a preserved historic site that is probably one of the most important sites for California and the United States. Campo de Cahuenga was an adobe ranch house where the Treaty of Cahuenga (also known as “The Capitulation of Cahuenga”) was signed between Lieutenant Colonel John C. Fremont and General Andrés Pico on January 13, 1847, ending the fighting in the Mexican American War.
This Changes Everything Should Mean Everything
Thursday, June 8, 2017
This Changes Everything Should Mean Everything
Several years ago, (six to be precise) I posted a column by Naomi Klein titled Capitalism vs. the Climate. It is a brilliant piece that was published in The Nation, and it was refreshing to read thoughtful research that explained to a mainstream, albeit left-leaning, audience the environmental and economic correlation between peak oil and global warming, i.e. the Carbon Crisis. I've been a fan of Klein ever since I read The Shock Doctrine so I was glad to see that in her research she had come to a lot of the same conclusions I had. She spelled out quite clearly that we cannot have an economy based on infinite growth when we're stuck on one planet with finite resources, that the Carbon Crisis has brought civilization to the point that in order to survive, "it demands a new civilizational paradigm." Klein even referenced the positive efforts of the Transition Town movement and warned of how Jevon's Paradox could undo the savings from energy efficiency if that savings is "simply plowed back into further exponential expansion of the economy, reduction in total emissions will be thwarted."
Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything Source: Wikimedia Commons
When I found out Klein was writing a book on climate change and capitalism, I was eager to read her further research. Not too eager; the hardcover edition of This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate was published in 2014 and I waited until last year to read it when the paperback was on sale. My take on it? It is extremely well researched and well written. I would grade it as being a very good book, but for certain reasons I'll elaborate on later, it falls shy of being a great book. Klein does succeed in elaborating on the immediacy of our predicament and the necessity of the "new civilizational paradigm" mentioned in the initial column. As she writes on page 347, "We know that we are trapped within an economic system that has it backward; it behaves as if there is no end to what is actually finite (clean water, fossil fuels, and the atmospheric space to absorb their emissions) while insisting that there are strict and immovable limits to what is actually quite flexible: the financial resources that human institutions manufacture, and that, if imagined differently, could build the kind of caring society we need."
This Changes Everything is really good when it takes on the shortcomings of politicians and activists on both sides of the issue. It's pretty easy to tear apart the mindset of deniers, which Naomi Klein does with aplomb. But she is even more incisive in her critiques of so-called environmentalists that have grown cozy with Big Business, green billionaires like Richard Branson that talk a good game to the press, but don't always put their money where their mouth is, and anyone who thinks that carbon offsets constitutes a sound policy to stop global warming. To quote her on page 223: "The problem is that by adopting this model of financing, even the very best green projects are being made ineffective as climate responses because for every ton of carbon dioxide the developers keep out of the atmosphere, a corporation in the industrialized world is able to pump a ton into the air, using offsets to claim the pollution has been neutralized. One step forward, one step back. At best, we are running in place."
more at link...
http://americanjudas.blogspot.com/2017/06/this-changes-everything-should-mean.html
One of the Longest Murals in the World The Great Wall of Los Angeles
One of the Longest Murals in the World – The Great Wall of Los AngelesWalking along the Tujunga Wash concrete basin in the San Fernando Valley community of Valley Glen, Neek and I were impressed with the enormity of the mural painted on the 13 feet high concrete sides. This is The Great Wall of Los Angeles, one of the longest murals in the world at 2,754 feet (839.42 meters) in length, stretching over six city blocks! Officially titled The History of California, this amazing work of art reminded me thematically of the book A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn.
For those of you who have not read it, A People’s History of the United States is not just a history book; it is a rich tapestry of stories spotlighting groups of people often neglected in ‘official’ history books. Zinn covers the 200+ year history of the nation through the perspective of ethnic minorities, women, and the working poor. Some of these stories can be seen in The Great Wall of Los Angeles, which takes that same perspective, but focuses on California.
The visionary artist behind this is Judith Francisca Baca. A UCLA professor, activist and co-founder of The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), Baca was hired by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1974 to improve the Tujunga Wash, which was considered an eyesore.
She had an idea to paint a history of Los Angeles from the days of the dinosaurs to 1910. A team of 80 youths from the juvenile justice program, ten artists and five historians collaborated under Baca’s direction to complete the first 1,000 feet, nine panels of murals in 1976.
read more at...
https://lexandneek.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/one-of-the-longest-murals-in-the-world-the-great-wall-of-los-angeles/
Or watch our video journey through The Great Wall of Los Angeles:
If Howard Zinn's A Peoples History of the United States was a mural about L.A., this is it!
Walking along the Tujunga Wash concrete basin in the San Fernando Valley community of Valley Glen, Neek and I were impressed with the enormity of the mural painted on the 13 feet high concrete sides. This is The Great Wall of Los Angeles, one of the longest murals in the world at 2,754 feet (839.42 meters) in length, stretching over six city blocks! Officially titled The History of California, this amazing work of art reminded me thematically of the book A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn.
Is there a song you thought was by a Beatle or The Beatles when you first heard it, but it wasn't?
A few weeks ago when FrankfurtCat started a thread on Great Songs with "Alone" in the title, LeftinTX replied with "Alone Again, Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. In reply, FrankfurtCat thought that song was by The Beatles.
It reminded me of the first time I heard "Go All the Way" by The Raspberries on the radio. The DJ didn't announce who did it and I could have sworn it was Paul McCartney.
Anyone else hear a song you thought was by a Beatle or The Beatles, but it turned out to be someone else?
Inglewood, CA - Home of Randy's Donuts!
If the Randy’s Donuts looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it in various TV, movies, talk shows and music videos. My favorite is the big donut in Randy Newman’s 80’s hit “I Love LA”.
Universal Studios Hollywood Part 2: Special Effects, The Mummy and CityWalk!
Neek, Sar and I decided to enjoy some of the sit-down shows they have at Universal Studios after finishing our fantastic lunch. The Special Effects show was both visually astounding and humorously done. There were a number of times they did a great job of incorporating volunteers from the audience into their demonstrations, like having someone dress in an astronaut outfit to show how they simulate space walking in movies. But they did not use a volunteer to demonstrate the fire walking; that was a highly trained professional and boy, is it scary to watch live!
Universal Studios Hollywood Part 1
Universal Studios has offered tours since its beginnings. On March 14, 1915 Carl Laemmle who was a German immigrant and a former bookkeeper invited the public to tour his studios, cheer their favorite actors and have a boxed lunch; all of this for a mere 25 cents. Today, it costs a whole lot more and no boxed lunch. Sigh!Neek, Sar and I had a blast visiting all of the amazing attractions and going on the tram tour.
Profile Information
Member since: Tue Oct 14, 2003, 04:09 AMNumber of posts: 8,632