The Fake Angeleno

Talepop Loop Hike in Malibu Creek State Park

For best results, I recommend you try the Talepop Loop very early in the morning.  On the hike we took last November, the dawn marine layer lent the park a mysterious, almost otherworldly air that's simply not possible after 9 AM.  Arriving early also ensure a reasonable street parking spot at the trail head. The scenery and vistas are not overwhelming, but there's no shortage of pretty scenery. This video embed gives a decent idea of the terrain and difficulty level (which is not too hard...)   

Here are a few snapshots from our Talepop hike:

Up above some of the marine layer...

Going down the loop's most significant descent...

For parking and direction info, visit the Local Hikes Talepop page.

Reading Material 1/10: Elvis; Fake Freeway Sign Art; Netflix Preferences

Color me sorry that I missed the L.A.'s 25th annual Elvis birthday bash at the Echoplex this weekend. I'll definitely attend next year. [LAT Music]

In case you haven't heard this story, here's a nice recap of "The Fake Freeway Sign That Became a Real Public Service." [Good.is]

"Movies White People Like..." Metblogs has a recap of a fun NYT article about Netflix preferences by zip code. [Metblogs]

Some New Year's Inspiration

New year ... newly recommitted blogging from the Fake Angeleno?  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, allow me to commend to you 100 Hikes and Passion Party. Both of these bloggers made a resolution around Memorial Day 2009 to set some ambitious goals for the rest of the year.  By their own accounts, they've stepped up and delivered. 

I stumbled across 100 Hikes today when I noticed that the guy who set up the site completed his 100th hike of 2009 yesterday - right on schedule to meet his goal of hitting a century mark's worth of long outdoor rambles during the year.  I also enjoyed his criteria for defining a hike:

1. A “hike” is defined as a trek of two miles or longer over mostly unpaved paths.  There will not be any “hikes” to the store.

2. Each hike must have a definitive end before the next one starts.  In other words, I can’t say that I’ve gone on two hikes because I stopped for water at the half way point of a four-mile hike.  However, I might go on more than one hike in a day, such as on a camping trip or before and after work.

3. Proof of a hike must be posted on this site to count.  “Proof” is defined as a photo, video, or GPS tracking.  This will keep myself from cheating (not that I would) and saying I hiked on said date when I really just sat on my ass and watched reruns of Futurama on TV or something.

Next year, I'm thinking of establishing a similar goal/benchmark, as I've recently become addicted to hiking the way men of my early-middle-age bracket often get addicted to golf.

Speaking of goals/benchmarks, my friend George Kahn at the Passion Party has been awakening at 5 AM every weekday since late May. As part of his morning routine, he posts a daily thought/reflection that I've come to look forward to receiving every morning my inbox.  Why is doing this? In George's own words:

This daily journal came from a promise. Right before Memorial Day 2009, I met with my business coach Joe Stumpf. I shared with him my total burn out in my business of 20 years. Frustrated by what my life had become, I promised to get up at 5:00 AM every day, meditate and journal and focus on bringing passion back into every aspect of my life, my work, my family and my personal growth. Instead of going to work every day and having a PITY PARTY, I have decided to have a PASSION PARTY.  

I highly recommend signing up for the daily email update from the Passion Party -- it's welcome jolt of positive thinking amidst the junk that's accumulated in your inbox while you were sleeping and George was already up writing.

 

Red Rock Canyon/ Calabasas Peak - Weekend Hiking Report:

After six month layoff to avoid the worst of the summer and fall heat, we're back on a regular weekend hiking schedule here at Fake Angeleno central.  We continue to explore the Santa Monica Mountains extensively, and last week was no exception.  Red Rock Canyon and Calabasas Peak proved a satisfying 6-7 mile hike, with solid elevation gains and an uncrowded feel. 

We made a loop of it, going the wrong way.  We parked on Stunt Road at the trail head for Calabasas Peak. Along the way, we headed up a spur trail and found ourselves in the Fred & Alma Meier nature preserve.  From there, we cut down onto old Topanga Rd. and regained the trail by walking up the entirety of Red Rock Road - a semi-private neighborhood street with some beautiful houses and a dry stream bed that's sure to be beautiful come the rainy season.    

For a much more extensive recap, check out the Geek Hiker's Red Rock Canyon Park & Calabasa Peak report.

Some pictures from our hike below...

 

A giant-sized breakfast nook on the trail.

 

A John Kerry-like slab of rock in the background...

Could these folks also be the namesake of Meier St.?

 

Thanks for a great hike, Red Rock Canyon Park!

Pumpkin Pictures 2009

It was another eventful Halloween in Mar Vista, as the local youth came by the house in droves to extract their share of the processed milk chocolate we'd bought at Rite Aid the day before.  The kids were adorable as usual and our pumpkin this year was a basic bucktoothed, smiling creature -- as opposed to last year's Obama propaganda tool.

We had the usual blast driving over to the pumpkin patch to select our round, orange gord.  The highlight of the trip was seeing a smartly dressed Laura Dern and her young daughter picking out their pumpkin as well. 

Finally, if you haven't done so already this year, you'll want to head over to Chris and Alysia's Pumpkin Pictures Chronicles.  Every year since 1992, they've taken Chris's picture at a pumpkin patch -- while he holds a copy of the previous year's picture.  It's really one of the greatest things you can look at on the internet.  [LINK: Legend of the Pumpkin Pictures]

Last year, I started a tradition of our own, snapping a picture pumpkinside.  This year, I forgot to bring last year's photo, but we still snapped a 2009 pic anyways.  With apologies to Chris and Alysia, here's this year's Fake Angeleno pumpkin picture offering:

And here's a much more appealing photo of Jessica at the patch in Santa Monica:

Shya Scanlon's FORECAST: Chapter 26

Forecast is a novel by Shya Scanlon being serialized semiweekly across 42 different web sites. The Fake Angeleno is proud to host chapter 26 this month.

For a full list of participants and links to live chapters, please visit www.shyascanlon.com/forecast. Thanks to Joe Sullivan for connecting us with this great project.

--> Chapter 25 can be found at Coyote Breath. 

--> Chapter 27 is available at Bound Off.

“How is she?” asked the Professor, startling me. He’d snuck into my Surveillance Port without making a peep, and I vaguely felt as though I’d been caught “red handed,” though with what I can’t imagine.

“Helen’s holding up just fine,” I said. I looked up over my shoulder. “She’s actually developed an unlikely friendship with Busy, and between him and his partner Blain, it looks like she’s found something of an escort for the next leg of her, of her…”

The Professor chuckled. “That’s our Zara alright,” he said, nodding. The Professor refused to honor the name Helen, maintaining that it was a phase she’d outgrow. Myself, I felt it wasn’t my place to speculate, so I stuck to the facts.

I took a deep breath. “I’ve run into an issue, unfortunately,” I said, avoiding the Professor’s eyes. I was sure he’d notice but I couldn’t help it.

“An issue, eh?” he seemed amused.

“It appears there’s a warrant out for Helen’s arrest.”

“A warrant? But that’s absurd.”

The Professor leaned in over my shoulder, looking more closely at Helen while she made final preparations for leaving the accounting firm’s grand entryway. Rocket sat beside the revolving door, tail wagging. Blain stood, stolid. “Who wants to bring her in?”

“Well that’s the thing.”

“The thing.”

“I can’t determine who is behind it.”

“You mean—” “It’s just there.”

“I see.”

I finally brought myself to meet his eyes, and was strangely relieved to find them betraying a deep level of concern. I looked at the lines in his old skin, they too deepened by a thoughtful expression. “Well,” he pulled a chair close and sat down beside me – a rare thing. “I have some interesting news about AS-Masks, though I don’t know the full story quite yet.”

Gratuitous Los Angeles Flickr Image of the Week

From the flickr stream of mike_s_etc comes this nighttime capture of what the author calls "The L.A. Money Shot."

From Mike's photo notes: "As seen from Mulholland Drive looking southeast. I call this the LA money shot. You see this, or variations of it, on countless postcards. What's also cool about this capture is you can see the relative heights of the major buildings in Los Angeles."

If you like this image, I highly suggest checking out the Los Angeles set on mike_s_etc's photo stream.

Fake Yelping #1: Centinela Chevron

I've been building out my Yelp account this week; posting reviews and *interacting* with the community.  I thought Fake Angeleno readers might be amused by my most recent mini-diatribe against the assault-on-your-senses indignities of the TV screens at Chevron gas stations around the city.

   

If you're so inclined, you can read more Fake Angeleno Yelp reviews at the link below.  If you'd care to *friend* or *fan* my profile while you're reading, I'd be very appreciative...

LINK: [Fake Angeleno Yelp Reviews]

 

Reading Material 7/28: Pynchon's Wired L.A.; Sewage in Long Beach; Underpaid Babies; Veggie L.A.

1. This one's been making its way around the local blogs this week: Wired's Unofficial Thomas Pynchon Guide to L.A. [Wired]


2. 1,000 gallons of sewage spill into the waters of Long Beach. [LAist]


3. William Morris assistants being paid babysitter wages.  Aww. [Defamer]


4. Anyone ever heard of the Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine?  I hadn't until this morning... [Vegetarians in Paradise]

Bukowski Bobblehead at Williams Bookstore in San Pedro

For the most part, San Pedro still fits its ancient reputation as a hardscrabble, blue-collar port city.  We took a spin through San Pedro early last month and really enjoyed the place.  A particular highlight was the window display at Williams Book Store.  Any establishment that gives the patron saint of late-blooming problem drinkers with literary talent a place of honor is alright by the Fake Angeleno. 

 

This likeness bears an unfortunate overtone of Dennis Miller after an all-night bout of red lobster endless shrimp...

Arts & Letters - San Pedro style at Williams Book Store.