CROOKED COPS EPISODE 4

A new blog series, from the Abby Normal mind of Stan Lerner.

The giant Samoan’s fist landed on Richard’s nose like a sledgehammer. FADE TO BLACK Flat on his back Richard stared up at the peaceful blue sky listening to what he thought might be birds chirping. The moment was rudely interrupted by the Samoan beast, who had decided to punctuate Richard’s butt kicking by hoisting him into the air WWF style.

“You got him now Dad!” yelled Richard’s son Josh, just before the Samoan launched Richard head first through the windshield of his car.

Satisfied that Richard had had enough, the Samoan walked past the front of Richard’s car and laughed at the sight of the lower half of Richard’s torso, which comically protruded from the windshield out over the hood.

“You kicked his butt! Good Dad,” chuckled the Samoan’s oversized son, as the Samoan wedged himself back into the cab of the truck.

“A cop without a gun, boy…” mumbled the Samoan, as they exchanged radical-surf signs.

Josh finally summoned the courage to move his hands from in front of his eyes and look at the carnage. “Are you okay, Dad?”

“I’m fine son, I don’t think he’ll be bothering us anymore. Listen, reach in the glove box and take out my cell phone.”

Josh complied with purpose. “Ok what now?”

“Just dial 911,” gasped Richard, the first wave of pain from his injuries washing over him.

Back at the Skinner home, Mona worked to clean up the kitchen, post worse than usual breakfast disaster. Continue reading CROOKED COPS EPISODE 4

CROOKED COPS EPISODE 3

A new blog series from the Abby Normal mind of Stan Lerner

Richard Skinner’s partner, Larry Jacobs, an athletic black man in his late thirties, sat in, what could only be described as, a lavishly appointed kitchen surrounded by bills. One after the other he opened the horrible white envelope’s and shook his head in disgust.

“Damn that woman can spend money. Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, Tiffany, Gucci, five hundred channels?” Larry was in the middle of saying out loud to himself, only to have his thought interrupted by the entrance of his wife, Chenoa, dressed head to toe in Gucci—revealing a body so hot that it made fire jealous!

“Ta Da! Do you like it?” asked Chenoa doing a spin. “It’s right off the runway in Paris.”

“Baby you look fine, but I think you look great in jeans and a T-shirt.”

“You want to put this body in jeans and a T-shirt?” asked Chenoa gesticulating with her hand along the length of her fine curves. “You know what baby? Maybe you just need it a little less so you appreciate it a little more.”

Larry felt his resolve melt like ice in a microwave. “Baby I appreciate it,” he pleaded pulling her to a seat on his lap. “It’s just these bills, I mean do we really need five hundred cable stations?”

“Would you rather have little Bryant home watching cable or out running the streets?” asked Chenoa with just the right mixture of sass and sex in her tone. “Besides, I’ll be able to help out soon.”

This news raised Larry’s brow. “Oh really now?”

“I will. I’m working on something.” Chenoa ran her finger down the side of her man’s face. It wasn’t so much different than the guitar she learned to play as a teenager—just pluck the right strings and it would play any tune she wanted.

“Honey, buying five hundred lottery tickets a week isn’t a plan,” quipped Larry, lowering his voice to the end of its baritone range.

“I’ve got something even better than that. I’m going into business with Mona, but I can’t say what. It’s a surprise and don’t you tell Richard.” She punctuated this warning with a sharp jab to his chest, and then quickly closed in with a deep open mouth kiss and some ear bighting for good measure.

Larry had completely forgotten about the family’s financial problems at this point and was in the process of one sweeping arm gesture needed to clear the table of its paper clutter when their eight-year-old son Bryant walked in dressed in head to toe Tommy Hilfeiger.

“Knock it off you guys, the stores open in twenty minutes.”

Chenoa jumped off of Larry’s lap and pulled him straight to his feet, still in an “almost had sex” daze. “All right baby, I got five new credit cards this week, let’s put them to work. Chenoa leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Than we’ll come home and you can put me to work.”

Through the haze of his raging testosterone he was able to understand the important implications of his next words, which he needed to choose, oh so carefully.

“Let’s go,” he managed to say loudly and with considerable enthusiasm.

Thankfully, Josh had spotted a couple of prime parking spaces still vacant in the parking lot closest to the movie theater.

Richard checking to see that the coast was clear flipped an illegal u-turn, hardly noticing the truck he had just cut off as he pulled to the gate at precisely the wrong angle to easily pull the ticket. Continue reading CROOKED COPS EPISODE 3

CROOKED COPS EPISODE 2

A new blog series, from the Abby Normal mind of Stan Lerner

Subsequent to the early morning mishaps in the otherwise happy Skinner household the family sat, as it always did, for a hearty morning breakfast—kind of. Mona drank her coffee, in a caffeine-induced state of rapture while her husband Richard and son Josh tried to determine what was on their plates—as it resembled nothing close to being digestible. Richard, now fully dressed with gun and shoulder holster over his shirt, sported a large gauze badge across his cheek, as he poked his fork curiously into the hash before him.

Mona rested her coffee cup on the table and looked lovingly at her boys. “You look very handsome with that big bandage on your face.”

Josh’s face tightened into an expression of absurdity. “He does not, its dorky.”

Sadness fell on Richard, the sadness of having a disapproving child.

“Don’t listen to Josh honey. Its sexy, it makes you look dangerous,” said Mona raising her eyebrow just noticeably enough for Richard to understand that there might be some guilt sex coming his way.

Richard shrugged. “I’m the only one in this house that’s not dangerous.”

Mona smiled and said, “I think Josh inherited his accident proneness from me,” then took another sip of her coffee.

“Dad you’re off today. Don’t wear your gun to the movie, it scares people.”

“Son I’m a cop. Even on my day off I have to be prepared to stop crime.”

Josh turned to Mona with the pleading look of a desperate child. “Mom, tell him not to take his gun.”

“Honey just this once. Josh needs to feel like a regular kid. Besides what can happen at a Sunday matinee?”

“Are you two happy now?” Grumbled Richard as he removed his gun from its holster and laid it down on the table like a poker chip.

“Honey buns you’re the best!” said Mona tossing her napkin over the gun and throwing her arms around Richard with a bear hug like grip.

“Thanks Dad,” added a truly appreciative Josh.

So caught up in the moment was Mona, that she came to totally disregard the bandage on Richard’s cheek, seeing it more as a landing pad for a big affectionate kiss, rather than the only protection for a cut that went clean to the bone.

Richard’s eyes went wide with pain as he leapt to his feet not realizing that he had accidentally tucked the red and white-checked tablecloth into his pants. For a moment they all stared at the contents of the table, which had just crashed together in a familiar cacophony, which had signaled the end of several meals at the Skinner table.

Mona considered the good fortune of her coffee mug still being in her hand and perked right up. “Don’t worry I’ll clean up. You and Josh can go off to the movie.”

On the driveway of the Skinner household Mona clutched Josh as if he was going away for a week. Continue reading CROOKED COPS EPISODE 2

CROOKED COPS EPISODE 1

A new blog series, from the Abby Normal mind of Stan Lerner!

It was a bright, sunny morning in the suburbs of Los Angeles. And from the Skinner home, a single story ranch-style, emanated rays of happiness, perhaps even more illuminating than those from the big happy face in the sky.

Eight-year-old Joshua ran down the hallway of his family’s modest two-bedroom home. “C’mon Dad were going to be late! Hurry up,” he shouted as he rounded the corner to the living room just before his foot landed on the misplaced Tonka toy.

A skid forward into a tacky twenty-dollar Torchiere lamp, Torchiere lamp tipping over into a 1970’s shag carpet cat tree, filled with a variety of cats, cat tree tipping over sending cats flying, cats attached to living room drapes like magnets to a fridge, one cat landing in fish tank.

The cat known as Pester, a feline with above average human intelligence, looked up from his unexpected good fortune to see that the curtain and its cache of cats were falling down upon him.

“Meow!” said Pester, but in human he was really saying, “Oh F**k!”

While this early morning commotion, was well into motion, Joshua’s dad Richard, a clean-cut, Wonder Bread type of man, in his early thirties, was showering in a bathroom that was quite literally a converted closet. Thinking that something may be amiss, he turned his head to the partly opened door and listened to what sounded like loud crashes and cat cries from the living room.

“Josh what’s going on out there?” yelled Richard, in the most loving and fatherly tone.

“Nothing Dad!” rang back Joshua’s voice, the voice of a precocious youth, not so cleverly disguised as an innocent angel.

In the not yet updated kitchen worked Mona, the beautiful, almost Victoria Secret model, wife and mother. Breakfast was always a challenge, so it was not so unusual that fire had erupted from all four slots of the toaster, in fact Mona hadn’t even noticed due to her several unsuccessful attempts to flip the eggs in the black greasy frying pan. Finally, she did get enough height with her egg toss, but was distracted by the toaster flames, which caused her to miss the catch.

“Oh no toaster fire!” uttered the brunette beauty, as she moved swiftly toward the pantry cupboard, desperately emptying all of its contents onto the floor. Continue reading CROOKED COPS EPISODE 1

Two Great Downtown Wine Tastings on Tap Tonight and Friday


The legendary “rolling wine bar” at Ralph’s market downtown has been reactivated from time to time in 2010 by its superlative host Mike Berger, like a rock star dropping in unexpectedly to play a stunning set of live music unbilled.  This week Mr. Berger is announcing two winery-themed tastings: tonight, Wednesday the 14th, and Friday the 16th.  Both tastings will run from 5pm until 8pm.

Celebrated in the past numerous times in downtownster as the best happy hour wine value in Los Angeles, the ephemeral return of these events is cause to rejoice anew.  While still often stunningly great experiences for the money, Mr. Berger has lost a large share of his creative control of the tastings.  For over two years he had complete autonomy in presenting his selections of wines for themes of his choosing.  To the true wine aficionado many of these tastings could have been subtitled “Operation Shock and Awe”, such were the sensational attributes of the wines, their savory accompaniments and the seamless grace of the host — all for a price that was close to ten dollars.  The same price range is still in effect and all-inclusive: wines, food and no tip allowed.

Tonight he will be joined by his compatriot in the world of wine, Joe Montoya.  Mr. Montoya will be pouring, along with our local hero, wines from two of the most prestigious wineries he represents – Château St. Jean (of Sonoma) and Beringer (of Napa).  In the world of Northern California wine, and therefore, the world of fine wine at large, these wineries have great reputations.  St. Jean produces one of the most honored meritages in the short history of that term, Cinq Cepages.  It is a blend of five red grape varieties that has received wine-of-the-year honors from The Wine Spectator as well as copious other important awards.  Beringer’s top-rated red wine has even more impressive accolades.  For decades their Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been considered one of the elite Cabernets from Napa Valley, the United States’ greatest region for its most vaunted red varietal.  Along with a handful of other producers, this wine has been dubbed a premier cru – a nod to the five French Châteaux who produced unrivaled Cabernet Sauvignon-driven wines for nearly two centuries before the emergence of California and Italy as rivals.  I would not expect either of these wines to be offered tonight.  I do expect a marvelous tasting of at least five wines that will range in retail price from $16 to $60.  Both wineries are known for exceptional Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as many other superb varietal wines including Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.  The list of fine wines from current vintages to draw from numbers in the twenties and Mr. Berger will pair the selected wines with four super-premium artisanal cheeses and La Brea Bakery bread.  It should be noted that Mr. Montoya, while co-hosting these tastings in the past, was known for his generosity and, “the wine flowed like water”. Continue reading Two Great Downtown Wine Tastings on Tap Tonight and Friday

162,000 New Jobs! Not!!!

Last week I wrote a blog that identified the fundamental flaw at the core of Health Care Legislation—FREEDOM! This week I’m compelled to write a blog that identifies not only the fundamental flaw at the core of all economic stimulus efforts to date, but the one game changing idea (for the better) that is now being discussed at the White House and beyond. This initiative and public support for it are so important that I urge all readers of this blog to share it with others and to voice support.

The title of this blog “162,000 New Jobs! Not!!!” exemplifies the fault of all economic stimulus efforts to which I speak, in its absolute entirety—INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY!!! An administration and a media that suggests that the U.S. economy has turned a corner as demonstrated by a jobs report that encompasses temporary jobs, created by the government, funded by deficit spending, is engaged in cognitive dissidence, at best, and outright intentional deception at worst. And for those who are not as familiar with the specifics of this report as I, let me just point out the most obvious—48,000 Americans have been employed temporarily to take the U.S. Census.

Problem solving is a function of truth. Politics, self-interest, and ego are abhorrent to the problem solving process and must not be present if absolute answers are to be found. To date the problem solving process that has been utilized, with respect to the most recent collapse of the U.S. economy, has been completely polluted with the three previously mentioned toxins. Imagine the damage a small business could do to itself if it were to spend money on capital improvements believing that the economy had indeed turned the corner as reported—it could be a deathblow. The current administration would do itself and the country a service if it were to simply tell the truth—the stimulus, to date, has not worked. The baseless prediction that unemployment would top out at 8% was wrong. There’s no shame in being wrong and moving on. Problem solving, by definition, is a matter of trial and error. If President Obama would just say the truth, not bother with endless rationalizations, and tell the American public what he plans on trying next, the public would support him—I suggest this highly!

So what’s the good idea? The administration is considering legislation that would reduce capital gains on investments into small businesses to ZERO. Continue reading 162,000 New Jobs! Not!!!

PASSOVER HEALTHCARE & THE AMERICAN WAY

Foreword by Stan Lerner: a lot of people have asked me to write about healthcare legislation and while there is much to be said, I thought it best to focus on the core issue, which has little to do with healthcare.

Passover (which is observed this week) is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Muslims, Christians, and of course Jews are all well versed in the account of the Great Prophet Moses confronting the Pharaoh Ramesses and demanding that God’s people be released from their bondage. It took ten plagues and ultimately the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh’s army to achieve this freedom for the Jewish people. Subsequently, the story of Passover has been recounted by Jews for thousands of years over a dinner called a Passover Seder—a commandment from God.

So how is this relevant to an American in the year 2010? A question certainly worth asking. And why am I writing about it? A question I am asking myself. The answer is FREEDOM. Let me explain:

Over the course of the last week it was not possible to turn on one’s television set and watch the national news without hearing story after story focused on the new healthcare laws. If you supported the legislation that was passed you are for a still larger presence of the government in your life. If you did not support the legislation that was passed you are opposed to a still greater presence of the government in your life. I was astounded by the endless array of discussions that focused on every other possible aspect of this legislation, intentional or not, this did our country an incredible disservice. Of course every American would like every American to receive the best possible healthcare, the question is at what cost—and I do not inquire this in any way with respect to money. America and Americans do not, and should not value money more than FREEDOM!

The word Seder means (in Hebrew) order. So Jews celebrate their freedom from slavery by having a dinner called order. Puzzling? Continue reading PASSOVER HEALTHCARE & THE AMERICAN WAY

THE DAILY BREW BREWS UP A NEW PARTNERSHIP

Foreword by Stan Lerner: the following article will appear in the next edition of the Montebello Spotlight. For those of you not familiar, Montebello, which means beautiful hills in Italian, is a suburb of Los Angeles about eight miles east of Downtown or just east of East LA. And Montebello is also my hometown, the place where I dreamed many of the dreams I’ve been so blessed to pursue—I’ve always had dreams about returning to the place of my youth and doing business there. The following article is about that. My business savvy friends may want to pay particular attention to this little piece, as the last two places I took an interest in, Palm Springs and Downtown LA, fifteen years ago, went on to do pretty well.

THE ARTICLE

The Daily Brew, located at the corner of Montebello Blvd. and Cleveland Ave, has brewed up a dynamic new partnership. Having recently celebrated its one-year-anniversary as the neighborhood’s local coffee house The Daily Brew, founded by Veronica Diaz, is now officially The Daily Brew LLC, which is owned and operated by Miss Diaz and new partner Stan Lerner.

Mr. Lerner, is best known as an award winning author of books, movies, Las Vegas shows and blogs (He owns downtownster.com), but among the world of business elite he has also earned a reputation as a master business plan writer and turn-around specialist. And yes, he is born and raised in Montebello. “I’ve been blessed in my life to be able to pursue many of my dreams, but the one that’s been on my list longer than I would have liked it to be is the opportunity to come back to my hometown and build a company—a Montebello based company,” Lerner said. “It’s funny because I was a Daily Brew customer, I’d come have a coffee and do some work on my computer whenever I was visiting my home in Montebello, so when the opportunity presented itself I didn’t have to think about it at all—I just said, ‘Let’s do this.’”

Since the formation of the new partnership The Daily Brew has been aggressively implementing a new Best In Class Mission Statement. Lerner, who has owned successful restaurants in the past, has a passion for food and has always enjoyed creating new dishes for both his and his friend’s restaurants. Continue reading THE DAILY BREW BREWS UP A NEW PARTNERSHIP

“Explorers”

So I got this little heads up from Marie Bobin who runs the Jules Verne space over at 7th and Fig. I plan on writing a whole blog about this lovely girl, great space and fantastic program for the community. But in the meantime go check out what they’re doing on Thursdays for lunchtime.

“Bring your Lunch and come to our free lunchtime screening of “EXPLORERS: From the Titanic to the Moon”
visit: www.julesverne.org for more details”

More to come…

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY LA LIVE 2010

I’m tough, but I’m fair!!! Last year the first of several blogs that I posted, which were critical of AEG LA Live, dealt with AEG LA Live’s not doing anything for Saint Patrick’s Day—meaning they should have done a free event for the community to partake in. This year, AEG LA Live did do an event for the community to enjoy. And while downtownster will call out bad corporate citizens when necessary, no matter how rich and powerful they may be, downtownster / Stan Lerner is much happier giving props to companies and the people that run them when they do the right thing. AEG LA Live did the right thing this year by hosting an event for the community in their plaza.

For the sake of a little journalism, and I’m no journalist, let me tell you a little about the event. This is necessary because the chances are, like most of downtown, you weren’t there. Which is a clever way of saying that the event was not particularly well attended. In fact, I would venture to say that there were more real journalists and news crews at this event than attendees. Neither the community, which didn’t turn out, or AEG LA LIVE should be ashamed of this—it was the first year and its going to take some doing to get things right between the community and AEG, I strongly encourage both to make the effort.

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Because I am an activist on behalf of the community I will begin by putting the onus on AEG LA Live—do more events for the community and do them better. The 2010 Saint Patrick’s Day event had some of the essentials.

Continue reading SAINT PATRICK’S DAY LA LIVE 2010

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