Gower Avenue
Archive | June, 2009
Filming
17 Jun
Last Friday I was invited to a gig in the Hollywood Hills. My Dad is an actor, so I’m privy to some fun stuff if I can get some time off my amazingly boring job. Since I never get sick, and barely take vacation, I’ve racked up quite a few hours of PTO; so here I was Friday afternoon, with nothing but some spare time and an invitation to Molly Sims house. 
Model/Actress Molly Sims. Noted for her Sports Illustrated appearances and star of ‘Las Vegas’ as Delinda Deline.
I can tell you only that what was being filmed was a short, meant to make fun of its actors, and while the actors proceeded to do their bit, I watched behind the scenes. I played with Sims dogs, Chloe and Bubette, watched the action from just behind the director, stood in for Molly, chatted with the crew, and generally admired her beautiful home. Molly seems to be both well-read and an avid art collector. She certainly had fun playing up her part while filming. She is as stunning as you can imagine in person. All tan and blond and 5′ 9″.
Four hours later (which is remarkable for one scene) – start, stop, start, stop, this angle, that angle – all the actors were done with their scene and we said our goodbyes. The day was in the throes of California’s June Gloom, and with the cool weather, it was perfect for a beer on a patio. So it was.
Daily Photo: Shoefiti
16 JunEvery city has these. Whether thrown over street lamps in a back alley or over the wires hanging above an intersection. So here’s ours:
I once understood this sort of artifact to be a remnant of a bullying act, but it would appear that across the United States, a pair of shoes hanging on high denotes several possible scenarios. Since L.A. is well-versed in gang activity, it wouldn’t be surprising that shoes hanging from a wire might indicate a series of related activity. Chief among them are these: sites at which drugs are sold, gang territory, the death of a member, advertisement of a local crack house or a place to buy heroin. In the case of a crack house, the shoes are known as “Crack Tennies” or if heroin, the shoes are a metaphor for the addictive nature of the drug, emphasizing that you can’t “walk away.” I would be surprised if the shoes above actually stood for any of the reasons I’ve mentioned, but in L.A., be prepared. A few weeks ago, Rapper Dolla was shot outside the the Beverly Center; a wealthy, high-trafficked, tourist-friendly mall that sits right outside the boundaries of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.
White Sharks
16 JunThey continue to rise.
Fairfax Avenue & Sunset Boulevard
Jessica Alba was recently campaigning for them.
Urth Cafe: Sunday Morning
14 JunUrth Caffe is a wonderful West Hollywood spot. They are coffee foam artists, and were on a roll this morning.
This is my twin sister Natalie. On most days, we can be found together.
Urth Caffe
8565 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-0628
NO SAINTS IN L.A. 