California Dreaming
Christmas greetings of good cheer from the wonderful state of California!
After barely escaping the wintery wrath of a Pennsylvania blizzard last Saturday, Lina and I have been on a mission to experience California in all of its facets. This translates practically to our consuming copious quantities of Asian food, sleeping, shopping, and chilling with her parents. In regards to food, like a bear before turning in for hibernation, we are eating our fill (and then some). Starvation draws nigh when we return to Pa. The diets begin as soon as we land back in Pa. (with New Years Eve and New Years waivers).
The other day we traveled through "Little Saigon" in L.A. which is more than just a little enclave of Vietnamese folk. Instead, it is like a country of mile after mile of Vietnamese stores and people. California's diversity is absolutely astonishing and a beautiful characteristic. Soon, we will return to the nearly Asianless lands of Lancaster. Waaah...
Speaking of food...interesting factoid: California produces half of the U.S. food supply. Another factoid: It is also the state that produces the most pornography in the Union, sporting 3 of the "Top Ten" U.S. porn producing cities: 1. Los Angeles, 5. San Francisco, 8. San Diego (the U.S. is the leading producer, consumer, and exporter of porn in the world). From food to filth (I could think of some other "F" words), California spans really all that is good and bad about the United States. It is a "macro" microcosm of both positives and negatives of our nation.
The other day, my buddy Todd Klick--who made about the quickest and most complete transformation from Pennsylvanian to Californian as I think humanly possible--and I traveled up-close to the legendary Hollywood sign. Like a visage hovering in the sky, the Hollywood sign sits on its mountain throne, reigning over the city of Los Angeles below in the valley of smog, and even over the nation as a whole. The entertainment industry reigns as a perhaps the most significant cultural influencer and standard-bearer in our land. It reflects, creates, and even defines who we are. I also got to visit the Griffith Observatory also where major parts of the flim "Rebel Without a Cause" were shot.
Like most things that are a potent and paradoxical combination of good and evil, it is tempting to try and demonize the whole "show biz" industry as Satan Inc. Yet, there is much that is admirable and beautiful about our works of film, television, and music. It is too simplistic to wield our crucifixes and attempt to beat the heads-in of the blood-sucking and life-sapping Draculas of media conglomerates as they open-wide and show us their fangs (what is up with the current fascination with vampires anyway?).
It can be argued that works of art also give oxygen to the the blood of our culture...yet is naive and dishonest to dismiss the dark-side pathogens that pass through entertainment mediums, as a bloodstream, into the minds and souls of our culture. And the heart is in L.A. The tension between art creating and reflecting reality is a tough one to delineate. For instance, rap music reflects the reality of inner city life. Yet, it does little, to transform reality to more beauty like good art should. It is possible to be raw, and real, and redemptive. In fact, the first two R's, like questions, create the willingness to listen for answers.
The other night, Lina, Todd, and I went down to a microbrewery in Languna Beach. After having to force-feed this bill-spewing quarter-change maker (like a laundromat) at the toll plaza (the first island's mechanism just would not take our ones and five bills like a two-year old with mashed peas, so Todd had to reverse gear it--which is against the rules and has a stiff fine--so we could find a more compliant change-maker). The route should be called 22 (as in "Catch 22."). Wondering it it is a diabolical scheme to raise revenue.
After we finally got through the toll (man, it was easier for me to get into Communist East Berlin back in the day), we sat down for beers and to listen to a above-average rock band play both the familiar and the obscure, while gazing at two big screen t.v.'s projecting forth (one had an omnipresent eye with script coming out of it...that was kind of freaky--even a Californian native said so, and, the other TV was showing a "Cirque du Soleil" DVD... an odd combination of the athletically impossible--for ordinary humans--and story-wise, nonsensical and even bizarre). Entertainment does not have to be immoral to be bad. It can be inane.
At the beginning of the third set the band performed this cool Mexican vibe of a song and then followed it up with the pathetic disco hit "Rollercoaster." That was our cue to leave, so we did, and headed down to the beach where we were greeted with a cold blast of Artic-like air coming off of the ocean. We beat a hasty retreat from the chill to the car.
Talk about a cold slap the face...I felt scammed...it runs counter to the P.R. of perpetual sunshine and warmth. My "California Dreamin" rudely awakened by reality. You mean, California gets cold? Ah....the search for the perfect wave...perfect place...even perfect California Girl...all elusive. California is unusual in that it is on the extremes of very beautiful and very broken (have you heard about their financial mess? How is that possible in the land of plenty?). Idealism breeds cynicism if not mediated by Christ. Yes, Virginia, California needs Christ.
I still like the wistful lyrics of the Mamas and Papas "California Dreamin' " song below as it helps put words and melody to my yearning for warm breezes and perpetual sunshine (if only in my dreams):
"All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey, I've been for a walk on a winter's day. I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A., California Dreamin' on such a winter's day. Stopped into a church I passed along the way. Well, I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray. You know the preacher likes the cold he knows I'm gonna stay. California Dreamin'on such a winter's day."
May 2010 have both enough sunshine to make you warm and enough cold winds to make you wise.
After barely escaping the wintery wrath of a Pennsylvania blizzard last Saturday, Lina and I have been on a mission to experience California in all of its facets. This translates practically to our consuming copious quantities of Asian food, sleeping, shopping, and chilling with her parents. In regards to food, like a bear before turning in for hibernation, we are eating our fill (and then some). Starvation draws nigh when we return to Pa. The diets begin as soon as we land back in Pa. (with New Years Eve and New Years waivers).
The other day we traveled through "Little Saigon" in L.A. which is more than just a little enclave of Vietnamese folk. Instead, it is like a country of mile after mile of Vietnamese stores and people. California's diversity is absolutely astonishing and a beautiful characteristic. Soon, we will return to the nearly Asianless lands of Lancaster. Waaah...
Speaking of food...interesting factoid: California produces half of the U.S. food supply. Another factoid: It is also the state that produces the most pornography in the Union, sporting 3 of the "Top Ten" U.S. porn producing cities: 1. Los Angeles, 5. San Francisco, 8. San Diego (the U.S. is the leading producer, consumer, and exporter of porn in the world). From food to filth (I could think of some other "F" words), California spans really all that is good and bad about the United States. It is a "macro" microcosm of both positives and negatives of our nation.
The other day, my buddy Todd Klick--who made about the quickest and most complete transformation from Pennsylvanian to Californian as I think humanly possible--and I traveled up-close to the legendary Hollywood sign. Like a visage hovering in the sky, the Hollywood sign sits on its mountain throne, reigning over the city of Los Angeles below in the valley of smog, and even over the nation as a whole. The entertainment industry reigns as a perhaps the most significant cultural influencer and standard-bearer in our land. It reflects, creates, and even defines who we are. I also got to visit the Griffith Observatory also where major parts of the flim "Rebel Without a Cause" were shot.
Like most things that are a potent and paradoxical combination of good and evil, it is tempting to try and demonize the whole "show biz" industry as Satan Inc. Yet, there is much that is admirable and beautiful about our works of film, television, and music. It is too simplistic to wield our crucifixes and attempt to beat the heads-in of the blood-sucking and life-sapping Draculas of media conglomerates as they open-wide and show us their fangs (what is up with the current fascination with vampires anyway?).
It can be argued that works of art also give oxygen to the the blood of our culture...yet is naive and dishonest to dismiss the dark-side pathogens that pass through entertainment mediums, as a bloodstream, into the minds and souls of our culture. And the heart is in L.A. The tension between art creating and reflecting reality is a tough one to delineate. For instance, rap music reflects the reality of inner city life. Yet, it does little, to transform reality to more beauty like good art should. It is possible to be raw, and real, and redemptive. In fact, the first two R's, like questions, create the willingness to listen for answers.
The other night, Lina, Todd, and I went down to a microbrewery in Languna Beach. After having to force-feed this bill-spewing quarter-change maker (like a laundromat) at the toll plaza (the first island's mechanism just would not take our ones and five bills like a two-year old with mashed peas, so Todd had to reverse gear it--which is against the rules and has a stiff fine--so we could find a more compliant change-maker). The route should be called 22 (as in "Catch 22."). Wondering it it is a diabolical scheme to raise revenue.
After we finally got through the toll (man, it was easier for me to get into Communist East Berlin back in the day), we sat down for beers and to listen to a above-average rock band play both the familiar and the obscure, while gazing at two big screen t.v.'s projecting forth (one had an omnipresent eye with script coming out of it...that was kind of freaky--even a Californian native said so, and, the other TV was showing a "Cirque du Soleil" DVD... an odd combination of the athletically impossible--for ordinary humans--and story-wise, nonsensical and even bizarre). Entertainment does not have to be immoral to be bad. It can be inane.
At the beginning of the third set the band performed this cool Mexican vibe of a song and then followed it up with the pathetic disco hit "Rollercoaster." That was our cue to leave, so we did, and headed down to the beach where we were greeted with a cold blast of Artic-like air coming off of the ocean. We beat a hasty retreat from the chill to the car.
Talk about a cold slap the face...I felt scammed...it runs counter to the P.R. of perpetual sunshine and warmth. My "California Dreamin" rudely awakened by reality. You mean, California gets cold? Ah....the search for the perfect wave...perfect place...even perfect California Girl...all elusive. California is unusual in that it is on the extremes of very beautiful and very broken (have you heard about their financial mess? How is that possible in the land of plenty?). Idealism breeds cynicism if not mediated by Christ. Yes, Virginia, California needs Christ.
I still like the wistful lyrics of the Mamas and Papas "California Dreamin' " song below as it helps put words and melody to my yearning for warm breezes and perpetual sunshine (if only in my dreams):
"All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey, I've been for a walk on a winter's day. I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A., California Dreamin' on such a winter's day. Stopped into a church I passed along the way. Well, I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray. You know the preacher likes the cold he knows I'm gonna stay. California Dreamin'on such a winter's day."
May 2010 have both enough sunshine to make you warm and enough cold winds to make you wise.
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