Category Archives: Gay Mid-Life: Musings

Missing Hearts in San Francisco

“Heaven is a city much like San Francisco.”  — Tony Kushner, Angels in America

Just there for a few days, and I remembered, in the rain, all the things I did love about living in The City. If it’s been taken over by the techies, totally, this wasn’t apparent to me; I largely saw what’s always been there for me: characters (that you don’t see anywhere else), water, cool breezes, astonishing buildings, non-pretentiousness. See, even a Cat in the City misses me:

Spitty

Spitty
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I also took a walk over to the de Young Museum, not far from where Spitty’s owner (my cousin Mary) lives. The Keith Haring exhibit (The Political Line) is on view till February.

It’s very powerful, even though I think I agree with my cousin that a little Haring does go a long way. What was particularly interesting/disorienting was overhearing the docent put Haring and AIDS and the political climate of the 1980s surrounding it in an historical perspective, like it was an event in time like the French Revolution or the days of King Tut. That was a great reminder to me that those of us who were there and survived that time have to continue to bear witness to it, even if we’d rather sometimes just move on. It’s like opening up a recently scabbed wound. Here are some pictures — some of his art had to do with anti-consumerism, which I didn’t really know about beforehand but was delighted to see. Here’s a great resource on Keith Haring over at Artsy. 

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Deadly Rides: Bicycle Hit & Runs, Rider Deaths Rise in L.A.

How the blogger lights up his ride

How the blogger lights up his ride

Sobering read in the L.A. Times. As more and more bicyclists take to the roads in Southern California, accidents will only increase. Hit and run drivers are cowards, for sure, and also criminals. Though the story points out, they are often hard to track because not much evidence exists of their crime.

While I loathe these drivers and the death and destruction they cause, I do have to say that there are things cyclists can do to minimize the possibility of an accident, whether hit and run or not.

These include:

  • Obeying road rules – including stop signs and lights. While inconvenient, the worst thing you can do to a motorist (IMHO) is surprise him or her. Your behavior must be predictable, like that of the other car drivers. That’s the only thing that makes our roads not a total free-for-all.
  • Not obeying the law when to do so would put your life in danger – let’s be honest, there’s too many cars in L.A. and not all roads are safe for cyclists. There are streets I will not ride down as they are basically unsafe at any speed for a cyclist – for instance, Sunset Boulevard during rush hours where the parking lane is used for traffic and other streets like this. In those cases, if I must go down that street, I ride on the sidewalk, slowly, being very wary of pedestrians and driveways.
  • Lights and reflectors – you see in the photo how I operate at night. That might be a little extreme, but I know I’m seen by drivers. I always get a wide berth at night, and I’m sure that’s because of the lights. Otherwise, drivers really don’t see you.
  • Don’t be in such a hurry, and never take chances, ’cause between a bike and car, the winner is always going to be the car. No, I’m no longer a daredevil — at all, and maybe that’s something that comes with age. If so, I’m grateful. I’m not going to get into a confrontation with a car, because I know the outcome won’t be good for me, even if I’m in the right. This may go against instinct, but it’s useful as a survival tactic.

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I hope that as more cyclists take to the roads and people drive less, we’ll really find ways to safely coexist — like separated lanes for bikes and cars, what a concept! That I’d love to see. In the meantime, let’s be safer cyclists and prosecute those criminal drivers on our streets.

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Obamacare – Update on my health “CARE” for 2015

Greed

Greed

Please read:  Michael Moore’s opinion piece in the NYT.

In this piece he argues that, Ok, Obamacare is really awful, but probably not for the reasons you would think. It’s awful because it kept the horrid American Health Insurance system intact instead of destroying it. Obamacare is a godsend to many, but it’s also a giant government payola giveaway to Big Health and Big Pharma. He’s right, it is.

So it’s a start in the reform we so desperately need in this country, and what we need is a Single Payer System, Medicare for all. And this will eventually come, I do believe that. I’m not sure how long it will take, I might likely be dead by then. But I urge you to read his piece if you haven’t yet.

Obamacare has helped me, personally, as a part-time freelance worker. I get a subsidy, though when I actually go to receive health care, I have huge deductibles. So, honestly, I try to do everything in my power to stay healthy, and for me that really means eating right and exercising plenty and getting good sleep every night and trusting in my genes.

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One of the most infuriating things about the plan I do have (a Bronze HSA plan) is that I pay percentages of co-insurance rather than specific dollar amounts of co-pay. So it’s all smoke and mirrors, since there are no price lists, there is no comparing one health care “store” with another since I’m at an HMO where everything is basically under one roof.

So — it’s not ideal, but it’s better than it was, and with Obamacare, I have to have prescription coverage, which I didn’t have before – because that’s required as part of the law.

But what I really wanted to point out in this “update” is, that contrary to everything you read in our right-wing media that hates Obama and anything having to do with him or the ACA — my premiums actually DECLINED for 2015. That’s right – the same plan is about 7% cheaper in 2015 than it was in 2014. So I guess market forces have lowered costs somewhat – there’s 30 plans I could choose from on the Covered California exchange, so maybe that made it to the Kaiser boardroom where they set their rates.

Whatever the process, I do benefit – and if I don’t get sick and don’t go to the doctor, I really, really benefit. But I ask you, truly, is this the way we want to run health CARE in this country? Hoping you don’t get sick and avoiding care to the very last moment? Because that’s still the way it is, even with the insurance – the enormous co-pays and deductibles almost guarantee it.

Single Payer Now. I count the days, or I would, except it’s too far off in the future — for the day I turn 65 and Medicare kicks in. (OK, it’s 5 years away, 2020)

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Uber, revisited. . .

imgres Well, I saw this story in The New York Times and I could not stop myself from commenting once I stopped vomiting!

Am I the only who finds it really tedious that reporters such as this one think that Angelenos’ dream is to ape New York City in all respects?

Now I understand the the Times is a New York paper and would have that bias, i.e., reporting on things New Yorkers would be interested in. But. Seriously.

Until Uber turned out to be a douchebag company that exploits its workers and scoffs and sensible safety regulations for its drivers and their cars —  I thought it was a game changer myself. And the idea still is, whether it’s Uber or Lyft or some other company that finally makes this sharing a winner for both the buyer and seller. Even the guy profiled in the linked story says Uber has become a “soulless psycho monster.”

Maybe it would have made more sense to title the piece “How Car Sharing is Changing Los Angeles Nightlife,” but that would’ve been less sexy.

But New Yorkers, please, look at a fucking map. Look at distances. And learn some history. Los Angeles has a huge public transportation infrastructure: a subway, light rail and enormous bus system. The current construction of multiple light rail lines at once is the largest public works project currently underway in the United States. At least one place in the country is thinking about infrastructure. Though from this article, you wouldn’t know that the guy who takes Uber from Hollywood to DTLA could also easily have taken the subway for a fraction of the cost. He could have taken a bus. Or a cab. So it’s not like these options did not exist before.

I do applaud those who get out of their cars and actually commit to a car free life in Los Angeles; it takes some doing.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Los Angeles take the Metro every day in all its permutations for every possible need; they don’t own cars. What is truly astounding is that this article seems to have discovered something when it hasn’t. It truly must be a “white girl (or guy) problem” to figure out how to drink in both Koreatown and West Hollywood on the same night without getting a DUI or calling a pesky taxi company.

Newsflash to the Times: I’ve been going out to multiple locations at night for over 30 years in Los Angeles. Often with car, often without. Whatever it is, it’s certainly not a new thing. It wasn’t new when I was in my 20s, and it’s certainly not new now.

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Also – this story fails for its conflating the opening of the Ace hotel as a reason DTLA is becoming a “destination.” Just swallow the obvious Ace PR hype without question here, dear writer! DTLA has had a cultural renaissance for at least over 10 years, going on 15. The opening of the subway lines in the 90s had a lot to do with it. DTLA does continue to get more hip with each passing year; it does get more interesting as well. However, the Ace has nothing to do with it.

“Untethered from their vehicles, Angelenos are suddenly free to drink, party and walk places.” — umm, like that wasn’t done before?

Before “Uber was a thing” — there was a “thing” called taxicabs. I know, it’s hard to believe.

And for the Uber driver who says LA is almost like NY – seriously? LA, thank the goddess, is not full of Duane Reades and Citibanks on every block. There’s no snow. There are palm trees. A gazillion other differences, the key point being L.A. does not aspire to be New York.

It’s like what we used to say about the New Yorkers when they complained they couldn’t get a decent bagel or slice of pizza at 3 a.m. — if it’s that important to ya, move right on back. We don’t really care.

Those are the easy cliches – but what I would say to the newcomer who’s trying to get the best of his New York life and seamlessly transfer it to L.A. – hopefully, you’ll find that a Southern California lifestyle isn’t really about getting to and from restaurants and bars/clubs. It’s about the outdoors – from the beaches to the mountains and everything in between. That’s a big part of what being an Angeleno is. I hope he figures that part out.

OK, rant over.

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Where do Artists Go in 2014 to Create?

Cary Grant's artist garret in "An Affair to Remember" Right. . .

Cary Grant’s artist garret in “An Affair to Remember” Right. . .

I’m reading a great biography, that of the late artist David Wojnarowicz (“Fire in the Belly,” by Cynthia Carr) which is largely set in the milieu where he lived and worked, New York’s East Village.

David was part of that late 70s-80s punk/art/film/lit explosion that was centered there, when you could actually be a visual artist in Manhattan and support yourself working for the wages of a part-time busboy in a nightclub.

Those days are certainly gone — the old story is that the artists come in and make a run-down neighborhood more attractive to middle class people, gentrification ensues and then the artists get priced out of the neighborhood. That certainly happened in the East Village and other Bohemian enclaves in other cities.

In fact, none of the U.S. cities we normally think of on the “creative” spectrum — New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, etc — rank as affordable for such creative types anymore. Central cities have run out of colonization space. So – I pose the question, if one is a striving artistic type and can’t afford one of these cities, where do they go to create?

Here is a recent letter from Salon (regarding an article on on Manhattan density, but it’s about art space):

I lived in New York 20 years, as an artist; even saw what most people would consider huge success as an artist for most of it.  But finally, it became so expensive that I couldn’t even afford a small room.  While payments and opportunities were getting less and less.  My stomach was literally eating itself in worry, so I left.

Then I moved to Paris, way too expensive (and less fun).  So, I moved to Berlin…that was definitely cheaper, at first.  And then more and more, and too difficult to get a real visa to stay.  So then Amsterdam, all over UK, Scotland, Ireland…all became way too expensive for me to survive.

So finally, I moved to Bangkok; easy to stay legally, and very affordable.  But now, it’s going up up up in price all the time, and a huge crackdown on visas; I’m paying more here now, than when I first moved to Manhattan.  And the politics and corruption and political coups have taken their tole on me. (sic)

I just don’t know where artists are going to go soon, other than the grave.

So if even Bangkok is too pricey, where to? Well, never fear, I’ve scanned the Internet for you and this is what I’ve come up with:

You’ve probably figured it out, it’s going to be a smaller city. Just makes sense, after all, they are cheaper to live in. But what about the community that supports the artist — and by that, I don’t mean just money — what about inspiration, idea exchange, opportunities for exhibition/readings/performance? I suppose they’re all here, just not in the quantity or (perhaps) quality you find in a bigger place.

I’ll pick 10 in no particular order:

  1. Portland, OR — or maybe Portland, ME — creative types and as of yet, not as heavy on the rent expense as the bigger cities. I wouldn’t want to live in a cliche — Portlandia, anyone? Though hey dude, I guess I do already. (Los Angeles)
  2. New Orleans — I have relatives there, and have spent some decent amounts of time there, so I know it’s both cheap and creative. However, if you move, I’d put the emphasis on temporary – there will be another Katrina, for sure, and the entire city will probably be underwater in 100 years. Of course, we’ll all be dead then. But still.
  3. Nashville — cheap rents still to be had according to craigslist. Music ain’t bad, either.
  4. Detroit — yeah we have all seen the videos of the abandoned neighborhoods — and guess what, when a place has a lot of vacancy, it’s not expensive to live there. I could think of a lot of plusses – great “bones,” a lot of cultural inspiration, Canada is across the river. You might be a pioneer or a gentrifier, depending on how you think of it. I’m sure the long time residents would have their own ideas! But of all these places, I can imagine it might be the best in terms of space for visual art makers.
  5. Las Vegas — ok you weren’t expecting this one. But, let’s look at some things – housing crash, anyone? Hit really hard here. Hasn’t recovered, which is good for you, dear renter. I know someone who just got a decent one bedroom there for $600. That’s less than half of what they’re going for in L.A. right now. Also, it’s got mostly great weather, proximity to Southern California, and there’s a shitload of money there. Long term, may have the opposite problem that New Orleans has (no water at all) but for the next few years, this might be a place to consider.
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  7. Santa Fe — ok this was on a list, though I’ve often read that it’s too expensive to live in, it’s still cheaper than the reference cities of L.A., New York, San Francisco, Boston, etc. Galleries galore, amazing history, culture and there’s that light – Georgia O’Keeffe had a point.
  8. Milwaukee — OK, this wasn’t on any list except my own! It’s a secret — always in the shadow of huge Chicago or hipper Madison, Milwaukee is often an architectural gem with very affordable, well constructed old buildings. It’a friendly place, has its problems (segregation, six months of winter) but it’s always had a vibrant arts community and a lot going on. I grew up there, and can tell you it’s a lot more cosmopolitan now than it was when I left in 1981. It’s a 90 minute ride on the train to Chicago’s Loop. Shares the same western shore of beautiful Lake Michigan with Chicago, too. (But don’t tell anybody. It’s my secret.)
  9. Los Angeles — Ok, surprise, I put this on the list. Even though it’s always on the list of most unaffordable cities. I live here, and I know it can still be lived in on a budget, as I do that every day. One of the articles I referenced for this post lists small studio apartments at $1,500 a month – I’m sure you could find that, in West Hollywood or Santa Monica, but I rent a one bedroom for $550 less, in the close-in valley neighborhood of Valley Village. So it really is possible to live here cheaply, I’ve made a science of it, sort of. Of course, by actually living in L.A., you have access to people with money and creative clout and amazing things happening every day and every night — a huge boon to any kind of creative endeavor.
  10. Tucson, Arizona — This made my list because it’s a place I’ve seriously considered moving — during an intensive around the country road trip I made back in 1996, I flagged three cities (Tucson, Austin and Fort Lauderdale) as smaller cities I thought I might be able to live in. Ft. Lauderdale is off the list, Austin is no longer small but Tucson remains — most “city comparison” sites I’ve gone to say it’s about 25-30% cheaper than Los Angeles. It’s a college town with a vibrant literary and large enough gay community. So I suspect, that because rents are so low, it would also have that loft or studio space visual artists need. And, if I get homesick, it’s less than a day’s drive (ok it’s a long day) from L.A., or an overnight train ride, or a 1.5 hour flight.

Other choices? I limited this list to U.S. locations, but I’m sure there’s many great (probably superior) options elsewhere.

 

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COPS: Everything that’s wrong about America in one short “reality” show

OK so you probably read about a cameraman getting shot and killed on the production of this show, recently. Which is a really very sad and unfortunate thing, both for this man, his family and for the show and its fans.

yeah you wish

yeah you wish

Though it’s pretty surprising this is the first time it happened. Probably, if you found this story somehow through the Internet, then you’re like me, because, yes – I admit that I sometimes watch COPS. Sometimes, even, I binge watch COPS (episodes are only 22 minutes long; also, they’re often set in Palm Springs, where I used to live, which gives me a kick).

But it’s like that empty high, that kind you get from the pink and white iced cupcake you know you shouldn’t be eating but do anyway and you’re gagging about 20 minutes later. Because COPS brings out the worst in us.

It’s about making us laugh at the misfortunes of poor people, mostly. Yuck yuck yuck, here’s another poor white trash slob getting pulled out from under his trailer. Surprise – he’s not wearing a shirt, he’s drunk, and he has no teeth. Well – I may have it bad, but not that bad! Not yet anyway.

Also I think the show really points out the absurd futility of the war on drugs, and the asinine laws we have on the books which routinely revel in absolutely destroying young men’s lives. More often than not, they’re young men of color. Although I’m sure the producers of COPS go to great pains to at least give the illusion that they’re unbiased in reporting on crime and race.

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But it’s so often set in some small town in a backward state where these minor drug crimes are felonies and it’s the way to keep these people off the streets, right – we don’t have that slavery anymore so that sure as hell won’t work – so send them all to prison. That’s the plan, right?

I get mad. Not only am I watching these COPS, who are probably decent guys and gals just hoping to make a living so they can buy a house and have kids and get a decent pension if they don’t get shot first, participate in this ruin but I also see it’s my tax dollars going to waste.

And sometimes their moralizing makes absolutely no sense. I remember one episode set in Vegas (another one of their favorite locations) and they were busting a young lady for streetwalking on the Strip. In the interview with the female task force officer, the girl talked about the money she’d make turning tricks (hundreds of dollars per night, or more) and the Person in Charge went on to detail how bad a life this would be, etc etc. But this young lady knows, like you and I both do, that a pretty 19 year old girl with perhaps a H.S. diploma, if that, in today’s world, might be able to get a fast food minimum wage job in a hellhole place like that, paying $8.25 per hour and requiring her to wear a silly costume and be a latter day wage slave – with no real hope of ever getting anywhere economically.

Not that prostitution is a sure road to a fantastic middle class life (though it could be a start) at least it pays a decent wage and there’s some semblance of control (at least this particular girl seemed quite smart to me). So what’s the real crime here? A no-victim offense like prostitution, or the systematic elimination of any real route to middle class?

All this is to say I resent the moralizing this show wants to convey and their definition of “crime.”

I’m really not sure who the real criminals are anymore.

 

 

 

 

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Living in Palm Springs: The Cons

3207753043_c5ea4dfb41_oTold you it was coming, where there’s Pros, there are also Cons. So here’s the list, again unique to my own circumstances. I made these lists when planning to move to or stay in Palm Springs – both of which I’ve done now more than once!

So, the cons:

    • Not good for entertainment industry contacts, and no networking possibilities, or fewer of them.
    • Can be somewhat isolating – or is that just me? I found it very claustrophobic, especially in the summer, when I felt like I was living in a cave I dare not leave – or be fried.
    • Does not have an urban “edge” – there’s an absence of any kind of urbane cultured group. You have to make road trips to L.A. for that.

  • PS can be surprisingly redneck — depending on what neighborhood you’re in.
  • Public transport is limited, especially for commuting to L.A. and back. There is a bus system, but it mainly runs during the day and not often. There are cabs (now, I think, there’s even Uber there). Also, there’s a link to Metrolink in Riverside for train trips to the city, but that’s so time consuming and complicated it makes more sense to rent a car for the trip.
  • Suburban, or small town layout and plan. Car dependent culture. Has very few walkable neighborhoods. You could live car-lite there, but it would be a real challenge to be car-free. Yet guys at the bike shop would tell me about people who were.
  • Palm Springs can be boring – there’s limited options. That also brings up fewer distractions.
  • My perception (that for gay men) it is all about being retired, being in a couple or a retired couple – leaving fewer possibilities for someone not in that demographic. However, I see that changing — there’s a lot of gay men in their 50s and older who are single and involved with work or with the community.
  • Finally, there’s the summer – Palm Springs is in the desert, and it really does have several months (at least four – June, July, August, September) where it’s uncomfortable EVERY DAY to be outside because it’s too hot. But you can get used to it.
  • Added 10/30/15: Bugs. I was just reminded of this over the weekend, when I was out in PS. The desert is full of large cockroaches, which they call “Date Palm Beetles” but there’s no such things. They are disgusting American cockroaches, and they’re more prevalent during the really hot weather. Sorry, I’m not a roach fan.
  • Added 2/1/2016: It’s an “end up” kind of place. You know, where people finally, finally “end up.” Are you ready to end up somewhere? You may be, many people are ready to make that final move. But maybe you’re not quite ready for that. Something to consider.
  • Added 4/30/2019: The San Andreas Fault runs through the Coachella Valley, basically parallel to the 10 Freeway. Look it up! Most “Big One” scenarios have the giant earthquake actually happening in the Salton Sea area and spreading throughout Southern California. So the potential for giant earthquakes there is pretty high. It seemed to me that the vast majority of construction in the desert was single story homes, which tend to fare pretty well, especially when constructed fairly recently to take advantage of earthquake-cognizant building codes. But I would check before renting or buying anything out there.

Do you have cons? What do you dislike about Palm Springs?

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Living in Palm Springs: The Pros

124115163_fc436ccd4d_mThe last few days have seen the monsoon return to Southern California desert areas, and I’ve seen a lot of pictures and video of rain (and flash flooding, too) on social media.

Reminded me that many in my cohort (Middle-aged Gay Men) as well as many other folks of all stripes think of moving to the Palm Springs area all the time. I put together pros and cons lists – as I do for so many things, and did this several years ago for that particular place. I hope someone finds it useful! Today the pros — the cons are coming in a day or so.

Pros of living in Palm Springs (from my very particular perspective as someone comparing it to Los Angeles):

    • Uncrowded gyms for elaborate workouts – and it’s less crowded and much friendlier (the gym, that is)
    • Great bike trails that are perfect for a workout all by themselves (such as the PS city loop)

  • Biking is safer. Much much safer. That’s because there’s less traffic and there are many off-road bike paths. (That is, when it’s not too hot to bike)
  • There are fantastic hiking trails in local mountains, accessibly from the valley floor or by taking the tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto.
  • There is a unique hush in the warmer, hotter weather. I love the silence!
  • So easy to sleep there (see hush, above).
  • No car traffic, comparatively, to Los Angeles – especially in the off-season, the summer.
  • No lines in stores. Shopping, chores are easy! This goes for movies, too.
  • It’s easier to meet friendly people – are they just more relaxed? It does seem friendlier than the big bad city.
  • It’s easier to meet guys of my age (over 50).
  • Palm Springs is so small, you can walk to downtown.
  • It’s easy to get around.
  • The desert has arthouse cinema: the Camelot and the Palm D’Or.
  • Prices of some things (restaurants, movies, etc) are cheaper. (Also, there’s all the senior specials, lower car insurance, lower rent)
  • The spring weather and fall weather are absolutely heavenly.
  • Slow pace and uncomplicated lifestyle make it easy
  • Most days begin with sunshine
  • Infrastructure is adapted to the extreme heat
  • You see people on the street or in shops or restaurants, and you know them: that nice small town feel.
  • Good amount of cultural offerings for a small town on the periphery of a huge city, including a great museum and concert series
  • Outstanding 12-Step Recovery Community
  • Parking is never a problem
  • Breathtaking views of mountains from practically anywhere
  • Lots of entrepreneurs
  • If you live in Palm Springs or Cathedral City, the airport is only a few minutes away. E-Z.
  • And last but not least: Casinos, baby.

What are your favorite pros about living in Palm Springs?

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L.A.’s Subway System: A Look at What’s to Come – and in the Gay Press, no less!

FrontiersLA.com | L.A.’s Subway System: A Look at What’s to Come.

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I was really happy to to see the linked article, from L.A.’s gay paper, Frontiers, about public transportation in Los Angeles and advocating for it (as well as informing its audience of the possibilities).

Writer Patrick Rosenquist begins by focusing on the recent Spike Jonze movie “Her.” (Which, BTW, won the Oscar (Jonze) for best original screenplay this year.)

In the movie, L.A. has a subway that goes everywhere, like in a dream. This will never happen, of course, but it’s about to get a whole lot better. Next year (or early 2016 – there are always delays with light rail here, it seems) the Expo Line extension to Santa Monica will open, and I (and you, of course) will be able to take light rail to that beach for the first time since the 1950s.

The actual subway that’s being built, the Purple Line extension going to the VA in Westwood, under Wilshire Boulevard, is set to open in 2035. I will be 80 that year. If I’m still around, I’ll be waiting on the platform.

Kudos to Frontiers for running this piece, and I loved that the writer is a car-free guy. Articles such as this one will only help get rid of the stigma that still exists in some quarters to taking public transport — though admittedly the trains have a higher profile than the buses.

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Speaking of which, I took the bus out to the beach last Wednesday for a day on the sand and in the surf. Or, more accurately, 3 different buses — from the Valley where I live, it’s an enormous distance and there’s no one bus/train/lightrail that will ever take you there. Mostly, it was painless, though time consuming — and I did have to wait at one stop for about 20 minutes in the blazing sun – no shelter, no trees — and this was in tony Brentwood. Shame! It will be so much easier once the Expo Line is done.

Kudos also to Angelenos for passing Measure R – the sales tax which local funding, meaning we don’t have to rely on the deep bench of backward senators in deep red rural flyover states to fund our public transportation from D.C.

Yet there still is that problem with bus stigma.  “People in L.A. see public transportation as something meant for someone else— ‘it’s not for me.’ Getting people to use buses is more of a marketing question,” says Duran. – (John Duran, WeHo City Councilperson) What he really means is that “white” people don’t see it as an option. But I see the evidence of that changing, every time I get on a bus. And like the writer of the Frontiers piece, I have to hand it to the Millennials – it sure as hell ain’t the Boomers on those buses (for the most part, present company excluded).

As to the “Her” filmmakers wishing Malibu would get a subway stop: well, you can always dream. I’d settle for Palm Springs on Metrolink or a daily Amtrak – and this is not that hard, people. Really. Tracks and station already there!

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A Single Man’s. . . Packing List!

photo by Victor L Antunez

photo by Victor L Antunez

After years of traveling here and there, and always hating the pre-process, I’ve finally come up with this minimalist packing list which I’ve found is generally adaptable to an easy weekend away to a more complicated month’s journey somewhere. Hope it’s helpful, copy and paste as you like.

 

 

Toiletries:

  • Shaving cream and razor
  • Toothpaste and brush
  • Contacts and solution
  • Condoms and lube
  • Earplugs
  •  Medications/prescripts

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Gym clothes:

  •  Shorts/jockstrap
  •  T-shirt or tank
  •  Gym Shoes
  •  Sox
  •  (depending om weather, sweatshirt, etc.)

Other clothes:

  • Pants/walking shorts
  • Undershorts
  • T-shirts
  • Nice long sleeved shirts
  • socks
  • Something to sleep in

Colder weather items:

  • Leather Jacket
  • Gloves
  • Scarf
  • Hat
  • Sweater (s)
  • Sweatshirt

Other items:

  • Books – (or ebook downloads – much lighter!)
  • Laptop Computer
  • Business Cards/Personal cards
  • Any Documents, as needed for business/travel
  •  Mobile Phone and THE FUCKING CHARGER
  • Tickets/Boarding pass
  • Passport (for international)
  • Driver’s License
  • Cash
  • Credit cards
  • Subway/BART card – for NY/SF etc.
  • Travel pillow and eye shade
  • Sunglasses
  • Jewelry
  • Cap
  •  Swimsuit(summer trips)
  •  Digital Camera/movie camera

Nicer outfit for going out:

  • Sport Jacket
  • Shirt
  • Slacks
  • Shoes

Umbrella (some places have rain!)

That’s it.

 

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