I'm going to be out campaigning tomorrow for the Democratic Party - if anyone wants to join in on this Day of Action (actually, I think it's a whole weekend of events - but I guess "Weekend of Action" just didn't have the same ring to it), let me know.
Check out the flyer for more information.
Rivers, Rail Lines and Hot Dogs, Oh My!
LA POSTCARD TO THE PREZ
Cary BrazemanDea
r President Obama:
You’re a busy guy, juggling two wars, the oil spill, the Mother of All Recessions, and your mother-in-law living in the White House, so I won’t keep you long. But there are two reasons I’m dropping you this line from Los Angeles. First, thanks very much for sending Lisa Jackson, your EPA Administrator, to South LA last week to announce the Feds’ declaration of the LA River as “navigable waters.” After a generation of dealing mainly with Feds who like to bulldoze things, now we know the U.S. government supports regional action to create accessible green space around the river for recreation and parks, some ecosystem restoration, and improved watershed management. We appreciate your help. [LINK]
Second, thanks for your openness to support our regional effort to accelerate construction of 30 years’ worth of transportation projects in 10 years … what Mayor Villaraigosa calls “30/10.” These multi-modal transportation projects, collectively, will go far in establishing a twenty-first century transportation system for our city. With 30/10, we would get badly needed infrastructure and at the same time create about 160,000 jobs over 10 years.
30/10 isn’t perfect (there are some planning issues to resolve in West LA, for example), but I won’t bother you with the details.
Suffice it to say, your administration’s continuing help is appreciated. As I’m sure Mayor V has explained, we’re not asking for a handout, but an advance guaranteed by tax revenue being collected in our region.
Speaking of infrastructure and jobs … Just between us, if your stimulus plan last year had been 60% or 70% directed toward infrastructure instead of about 20%, we’d be seeing more employment across the country and you’d be taking less heat about federal spending. We don’t need ginned up, make-work jobs (uneconomic activity for the sake of activity), but targeted jobs that produce lasting benefits and permanent private-sector jobs.
Thanks for listening, Mr. President. By the way, the next time Michelle and the girls are in LA, let me know. If they liked Pink’s hotdogs, they’ll love my favorite place in Reseda. The dogs are on me!
Sincerely,
Cary
(Cary Brazeman is a regular contributor to CityWatch. He can be reached at cary@laneighbors.org.) Photo credit: Flickr-dougm2. -cw
CityWatch
Vol 8 Issue 55
Pub: July 13, 2010
I really thought this was clever - interesting, informative, and fun.
“I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.”
-Shirley Temple (photo by G. Herrick for Paramount)
| Old Hollywood | July 9, 2010 2:02 PM |
Nick and I got a chance to meet her several years ago, and she was fantastic. Still quite a tour de force well into her golden years. These pictures are truly terrific - if you ever had any doubts that Miss Jane was and is one of the most photogenic women on the planet, these shots should settle that debate. What I love is that in almost every photo of her, you get the sense that she's not only beautiful, but also intelligent, street smart, wisecracking, and underneath that tough exterior, has a heart which can still be broken - all of the things that make Jane Russell, Jane Russell. Happy Birthday, Miss Russell! Hope you celebrated in style.
Studio C Artists is looking for four male actors for a commercial spot for Conoco Phillips - Union 76. It's a unique spot - and we're looking for four men of varying ages, that have the same body type, shape, skin tone, and height. They will portray the same character at different stages of his life. It's be really cool to get an actual father-son duo (or even better a grandfather-father-son or a father and two sons), so if you know anyone who might be interested, let us know. No real acting involved, it's more about the look - so if you've ever wanted to be in a commercial, now might be your chance.
Check out the attached breakdown for details - we've posted information on Actors Access, L.A. Casting, and Now Casting as well.
Michael Sonntag was a guest again this past week on Rex Sikes' Movie Beat (www.rexsikes.com) - the online/radio talk show devoted to filmmakers, actors, and everyone interested in the movie industry. Their conversation on Thursday's interview covered topics ranging from the state of the entertainment industry (and what actors can do for themselves to work within this new reality) to what an actor should put on their reel, and how important the "slate" in in commercial auditioning. At the end of the show, Rex invited Michael back soon to continue their conversation, since they ran out of time during the one-hour show. The date of the next interview is still TBD - but Part 4 should happen sometime later this Summer.
As always, you can listen in live from anywhere via the internet (and we try to send out notice via Twitter when we can), but if you missed the show - or want to check out any of the others, they're available through the Movie Beat website, or as a podcast from iTunes. You can listen to this weeks or any other past interviews anytime. Below, you'll find this past week's episode.
