Foreword by Stan Lerner: hopefully downtownster readers have all read my blog “President Obama Fails To Deliver Abroad”, but the following letter from my intern on loan to London offers yet another viewpoint of this disaster of a trip. And yes, I’m of the view that she shouldn’t have touched the Queen—I have loyalist feelings toward the crown!
Dear Boss,
I know that London may share the same alphabet as the US, and perhaps even the language is pretty much the same (despite the fact that the letter “Z” is pronounced “zed” and to “light a fag” does not have the hate crime connotations that it would back at home) but in terms of the press, the UK is notorious for their one-sided presentation of news. Outrageously biased, one is forced to choose a paper that most closely aligns with their political ideologies. For instance, for the hipster Independents there is the Guardian, and the Conservatives love The Daily Telegraph. However, one thing all the papers used to have in common was a universally UK anti-Bush sentiment.
Now that the Bush administration has gotten the boot, to say London has jumped on the Obama bandwagon would be an understatement. Continue reading Dear Boss G-20→
I’ve been to Blue Velvet twice in the past two years, and each time I’ve had a solid dining experience. And to clarify, solid, in my book, is positive. I liked the market driven menu, fun cocktails, and an alleged rooftop veggie and herb garden. I went back to BV the other night with a friend and we both had this totally weird dining experience.
We entered the somewhat out of the way restaurant and stood for a minute or so by the host stand- there was no host. The sole waiter in the restaurant apparently served as the host as well and he sat us at a two top. The restaurant was empty save for 3 other tables. Next, we approached the menu, but before I could even read what was printed, I noticed the cheap blue paper (probably from Staples) on which it was printed. Continue reading Blue Velvet→
What better way to honor the opening week of baseball season than with, what I believe, is one of the finest baseball films to come around in a long while – SUGAR. For decades, some of the sports finest players have come from Latin America and particularly, the Dominican Republic – Manny Ramirez, Roberto Clemente, the Alou brothers, Jose Rijos, Manny Nanita, to name a few. They have brought distinction not only to themselves, their teams and the sport, but also to their families and nameless small towns in the regions. Director Ryan Fleck, a lifetime baseball enthusiast (and after speaking with him, dare I say devotee and rapid fan), together with his filmmaking partner Anna Boden, bring us an in depth look at a little known side of the game of baseball told through the eyes of a young player in the Dominican Republic looking for the American Dream, a dream that takes on special meaning for Miguel “Sugar” Santos. And while Miguel Santos may be fiction, the story behind SUGAR is not. Continue reading Sugar–Good→
I’ll say it up front so get all your eyeball rolling and laughter out now – – I like Hannah Montana. I watch the tv series. It’s fun. It’s enjoyable and it helps me to keep being a kid at heart. But, HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE, I simply adore. This is not a kid’s movie or a teen/tween movie. This is a family movie with something every generation, every member of a family can relate to in some capacity. It strikes a chord of home and hearth that just touches the heart…complete with an annoying brother, supportive friend, loving father and extended family and an irrepressible teen who just happens to have an alter ego as a rock superstar. I said it just the other week with super heroes and the same applies here – how many of you can honestly say you haven’t dreamt of having a secret identity and for all the girls out there, one that let’s you play dress up and let’s pretend and spend tons and tons of money on shoes and clothes? Where can I sign up!! Continue reading hannah montana–good→
Foreword by Stan Lerner: Reading Mark’s post I could not help but to think back to my first college trip to Las Vegas, which was so good I actually can’t remember it. Subsequently, Vegas became the place of some of my most illicit behavior and “Night Tribe” one of my best live shows. I hope Mark and friends keep going back because, like a fine bottle of wine, Vegas really does get better with age!
Nearly everyone in Los Angeles has had his or her Vegas experience. Every time we go back, each one of us tries desperately to live up to, or rather, relive that one experience that stands above the rest. Well, I just had mine last weekend, and part of me knows that reliving this one would be iniquitous.
I packed my bags Friday morning and left about three hours later than I wanted to. Twenty of my closest friends and I caravanned up the 15, stopped at the In-N-Out in Barstow, and checked in at The Venetian roughly four hours later. Continue reading The Rumble in Vegas→
As a new fashion writer for downtownster, I hope to bring our readers great fashion finds in the LA area and also from other cities I travel to. As someone who works in the fashion industry and as a longtime lover of fashion, I want to share all of the great products, brands and sales I find. I will post things as soon as I find out about them and as often as possible. Hope you enjoy!!! XX Continue reading Kasey’s Closet→
Erick Brownstein seemed to be wearing a bit tired, holding the mic in his right hand for the majority of the evening. An observant on-line viewer delivered as if on cue.
“Maybe Erick should change hands so his wrist can take a break.”
The comment draws a few chuckles from an already relaxed crowd.
Brownstein is the Los Angeles emcee for Bloblive, a program that facilitates a series of open mic nights for entrepreneurs. Perhaps the evening is a bit ironic as the event is hosted at the trendy Daily Grill off of 6th and Flower, situated amidst several large corporations.
It wasn’t easy spotting the place. The Hive is deceptively camouflaged, with its maroon canvas awnings and glass window storefront. It could be anything, I thought. A pizza place, a café closed for business, or an empty store. I hunted nervously for the address from where I stood across the street. 729. This was the right spot.
It was Tuesday afternoon and I was standing at 7th and Spring, in search of the owner of the excited voice that greeted me on the phone yesterday when I called to book my interview and tour: Nathan Cartwright, the self proclaimed Bee Keeper, and founder of the infamous Hive Gallery.
Nathan greeted me at the locked front of the gallery, and ushered me in. As he slid the gate open, I could almost hear a low buzz emanating from inside. Continue reading Nathan Cartwright and his Hive→
Several people over the last few weeks have asked me to deliver on the downtownster promise to not just write about the City State of Downtown Los Angeles—my world of preference. But to weigh in on larger matters from the downtownster, sophisticated, urban perspective. Downtownster has a political section without a single post; the words to come will rectify the vacuous plight of our political section and no doubt raise a few brows. And since the idea is to look at the larger world around our little island why bother with LA’s own half a billion dollar budget shortfall—the President is abroad.
The President boarded Air Force One for London to attend the G-20 summit last week. The media celebrated as if the fact that President Obama is not President Bush was in itself the solution to all that troubles mankind. President Obama made it clear that his goal was to convince the other members of the G-20 to spend more on their own economies, in effect adopting the Obama Economic Doctrine of spending one’s way out of financial crisis.
While working in the wine sales side of the grocery industry once in a while a special training opportunity comes my way. This trip was to the Bealeiu Vineyards The BV house was amazing it’s a 1920’s bungalow style mansion 10,000 square feet of living space. It was built for George and his wife owners of BV. We had a wonderful tasting of Chalone wines and of BV wines as well. We were shown how the glass the wine is served in could change the entire experience of the wine. George Reidel once said to me that “ perception is everything!” Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers→
