Category Archives: LA
Digital Darkroom
Fun exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography exploring the intersection of art and technology.
Running December 17 – May 28.
Artists include Josef Astor, Pierre Beteille, Joel Grimes, Ted Grudowski, Claudia Kunin, Chris Levine, Bonny Pierce Lhotka, Khuong Nguyen, Mike Pucher, Jean-François Rauzier, Martine Roch, Christopher Schneberger, Brooke Shaden, Stanley Smith, Maggie Taylor, Jerry Uelsmann and Jean-Marie Vives.
August 3rd Rawesome Raid
Truly devastating news for Rawesome, a private, organic, raw market in Venice, California. On August 3, 2011 they were raided AGAIN. This time the owner was arrested for “conspiracy to commit a crime” and is being held on bail of $123,000. How do they come up with these crimes and the arbitrary bail amount? Lame. Owner James Stewart is, from my experience, a nice, caring and health-conscious man. I had stumbled upon Rawesome a few months ago and asked why it is private. I couldn’t even go in to check the place out without signing consent forms and becoming a member because the government does not sanction the sale of some raw products and I would have to acknowledge all the potential (supposedly likely) bacterial I would consume. James, the owner, took the time to explain everything and shared his disbelief in how the government and law enforcement have treated their unassuming, family-run business. They also arrested Sharon Ann Palmer and Eugenie Victoria Bloc of Healthy Family Farms, LLC in Pasadena. Essentially, law enforcement was on a “yearlong sting operation” trying to find SOMETHING these evil-geniuses of the raw world violated. Last time I spoke to James it was building codes and permit issues. Now it seems they are pulling out every bogus charge possible. Sickening. Farmers and vegans–big threat. Maybe we focus on getting crack of the Venice streets instead. This become yet another area in which I no longer trust our system.
I knew Rawesome was constantly dealing with threats, but was absolutely shocked and disgusted to hear of the arrest, spoiling of food and shutting down of the business this week. So much for freedom of choice in America. It is sad to live in a place that declares freedoms, rights, and safety for all its citizens, when we are, in reality, entrapped in whatever situation a government by the wealthy few chose to lay out. Those who can’t afford health care are the ones that pay the most for it. People who want to eat a raw, natural diet are not given the number of options possible. Really, people are rarely even educated on the benefits of eating a diet outside the realm of high fructose corn syrup, super pasteurized dairy, preservatives, fast or processed foods… Once you are able to try something outside of this typical American diet, you realize how good you can actually feel. It is beyond me why the FDA and law enforcement–the very people assigned to protect and care for the public–are spending tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to raid a farm and small business.
The world, particularly our country, is becoming a sad place dictated by greed. I believe it’s become a unique breed of greed because so many people are feeling stresses they’ve never experienced. It’s as if everyone is trying to claw their way to the top and use any means to stay there. In this case, we could say it’s the government being manipulated by the dairy industry. Who really knows the complete truth? What I do know, in this situation, is that eating veg, vegan or raw is entirely natural. What do you think people ate before we had all of this “modern” farming and food processing? It is a pathetic waste of resources to target healthy, legal, local businesses that do nothing more than improve people’s quality of life. Why don’t we think about channeling some of those poorly spent tax dollars away from lame bank bailouts or shutting down locals co-ops and put it towards education or health care? Pr maybe we should focus on the growing disparity in wealth to support a middle class than has been slipping away? Enough for this rant…
Please take at look at footage on Rawesome from this week and the past year.
This video is from the first raid in 2010:
Footage from the August 3, 2011 Raid.
A typical day shopping at Rawesome.
Into the Woods…or Mountains…and some Beach too
This Sunday I had the urge to venture into nature on my own. Solo-wandering is a must and I especially needed it yesterday. I jumped on the scooter and drove down a cloudy morning Pacific Coast Highway. By nature, I am on autopilot to Malibu. Whenever I want to get outside, find peace or just think, I find myself driving north on the One. These days I am usually unsure of where I am actually going…but if I head towards Malibu I turn up somewhere I want to be. This time around I found myself parking at Tapia Park off Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon.
The goal of the day: trail running. Inspired by the book “Born to Run” and ready to put my new vibram five finger treksport’s to the test, I figured this was the perfect spot. When cloudy by the ocean, this side of the mountains is sunny, so it felt great to get away from the chilly marine layer and into my old stomping grounds. Two nice ladies suggested I run to Malibu Creek State park from Tapia, so I did. This was the theme of the day. Going where ever and talking to people along the way. Once I got into Malibu Creek State park I kept running until I found a lake/river and some fun things to climb. One thing I always forget when climbing around: what goes up, must come down. There was no pretty way down this one, but I couldn’t help but keep pushing farther… By the time my climbing escapade was over I was covered in sweat, dirt, scratches and spider webs. Mission accomplished.
I ran on. Yeah, ran. It was one of those day I couldn’t stop moving. It didn’t even feel like I was putting in effort I was just moving over the ground–pretty remarkable feeling. I met a seasoned-looking hiker and asked where I should go. He said I could get back to Tapia by going around and over the ridge trail, but would be 15 miles round trip in direct sun with an elevation gain of 2500ft. I had already run 4.5 miles and felt great. What’s another 10, and I could walk when it got too hot. I was off! The next “check point” I was looking for was the site where M*A*S*H was filmed. Pretty cool, definitely before my time. I forged on. Really, I bounced along run-skipping and chatting with people along the way. I heard my first rattle snake. I had thought I knew what they sounded like..but no. Now I do.
The next direction marker I hit was Bullfrog Trail. And so the ascent began. The seasoned-hiker was right… it was completely exposed and I should have lots of water. I wore sunscreen, but only had half a bottle of water and a cliff bar. I hadn’t intended on a 15+ mile day, but hey people have survived worse. The views were stunning. By this point, I seemed to be the only one up there. The smart ones probably avoid completely sun-drenched trails at noon. At a curve in the road ahead there is shade… and two people! I sit to enjoy the shade with them… They get tense. I make small talk. They ask if I smoke. I say no. They ask if I mind if they do. I say not one bit. The tension now makes sense. Marijuana paranoia. They said they were searching for a castle…do I know anything about it? Seriously. These two gangly high hippies were roaming around looking for a castle in this heat? Hmmm… I tell them there are lots of castles in Malibu…sadly I don’t know of one up here. But good luck! I am off and silently giggling at their paranoia. I would be a nut case if I were smoking pot. Especially there on the hike up!
Next, I hit a split in the trail and was unsure of where to go… I was around 2000 ft, trying to conserve my water and getting very hot. I have to admit, I got a little spooked. Doing things alone always feels a bit more risky. If something went wrong…who would know? I suppose that’s also part of the lore. As I hit the ridge trail. As it leveled off I was skipping and yelling. The effects of dehydration mixed with excitement are marvelous! Really, I had psyched myself up thinking I had taken the wrong trail and was thrilled to see Corral Canyon in the distance. I was also crazy thirsty.
As my trail met the top of Corral Canyon, I saw a lone soldier sitting in the shade of a lone tree. He would be my new friend. I sit down next to the man who would soon be known to me as Stewart. We look at his map and he is impressed with my expedition, particularly because of my vibrams. I don’t skirt the real issue at hand… “Stewart, you dear little Jewish man, do you have any extra water? I’ll only take it if you have it to spare..” He pulled out a bottle and I downed it. That morning when packing (properly) for his hike, he said he had a feeling he would need a third bottle of water even though he usually only brings two. Thank you fate for putting us in the same place.
We rested, ate and drank talking about life, then that was that! I had 5.5 mils to go and felt energized enough to run again. I took off excited, bouncing along. It seems I was so excited that I had misread the map and ended up running 2 miles down Corral before I realized I was supposed to be on the opposite ridge… Darn. Well. I was supposed to end up in Malibu anyways, so ran the Canyon down to PCH… knowing there was a gas station there that would be well-stocked with sports beverages. After fifteen miles of walking, running, climbing, and skipping in mid-day sun I’m pretty sure I set a world record in Gatorade chugging. I also realized…being back near people… I look homeless or crazy. Gosh I love the looks… mothers guarded their children from the dirty smelly lady in the weird shoes… Anyhow, see route map below…
Now, had I taken the ridge trail it would have been 5.5-6 miles to Tapia Park and my scooter. Instead those 5.5 miles went south and put me on PCH… and another 15 miles away from my bike by road. Fortunately, as I walked along the highway my dear friend Steph was nearby and picked my dirty self up. It felt great to get to my bike and speed through the canyon then down along the coast. For personal reasons, I’ve craved this solitude. Not just solitude, but pushing myself to a place where I am uncomfortable and being physically challenged without an easy way out.
Somewhat ceremoniously, because it holds a place in my memories…I went to Point Dume, got a sandwich, and devoured it while sitting on the warm sand at Westward beach. Peace. No talking. No expectations. Nothing. Just warmth, sore muscles, the ocean. The feeling of nourishing not just my body, but my soul. Allowing myself to be alone and feel everything. Just when I thought I couldn’t have more of a spiritual, moving experience… an angel appeared and my heart was at ease, if only for a few hours…
Grateful.
Tahquitz
I mentioned climbing a while ago… It’s something I’ve thought about for quite some time, especially having enjoyed rappelling (the dry kind!). Turns out I have a friend who has done lots of climbing AND was looking for someone to climb with in LA. Enter moi! We planned to head to Point Dume in Malibu but, being adventurous spirits, ended up taking off at 7am for Idyllwild to climb Tahquitz. It’s on the opposite side of the San Jacinto mountains from Palm Springs. To throw out some wikipedia: it was “discovered” in 1935 when the Sierra Club was looking for climbing locations in southern California. The Trough (which is the route we took) was first climbed in 1936, so one of my first climbs was also a little piece of history. Pretty nifty. Before climbing, there is a half-mile hike ascending 800 feet. From there, it’s all granite, ropes and climbing up up and away! Let me emphasize again how fortunate I am to know an experienced and trustworthy climber. Having never really climbed with proper shoes and equipment, I needed to learn the basics and start to trust my feet. I am crazy grateful for my patient and knowledgable teacher. Now, I want to climb everyday. Seriously. I have an urge to go lots and get good at this. It’s incredibly peaceful, extremely physical and a bit risky… what amazing synergy that creates! I can’t think of anything else to compare it with… Check it….
Hiking.
More Hiking.
The beginning of the climb.
Not so bad.
Photo op.
Made it. Kind of.
The View.
Nature.
"Scrambling" as they call it.
Aidan on the summit.
Made it!
Peace.
The descent.
Oh… I forgot to mention.. climbing results in hunger. Fortunately, authentic Chinese cuisine awaits on the drive on in San Gabriel Valley. 干杯!
…and then I realized that life is short and we are blessed (at least in our own way). Here’s to living to the potential of those blessings despite any pain or obstacles along the way. We are here to grow, learn and live each moment. What is life with intense feelings and experiences? Grateful and full of emotion.
Food Inc. and other nutritional corruptions
This month I pledged to not eat meat. Having done it before, I figured it wouldn’t be a problem. Well, the next day I read my blood type diet: eat right for your type! It stated I was the carnivorous type and should, in fact, consume meat. I persevered despite my blood telling to do the opposite, but ended up at dinners where meat was just a part of it… (a particularly good part I might add). No matter how tasty, however, keeping meat to a minimum typically makes me feel good. Plus, I have high cholesterol so animal products are a no no. Really, I stay away from meat for completely selfish reasons. I like feeling good and am hoping to live a long life. However, it has become an integral part of the human diet and I am constantly flip-flopping between whether or not it should be.
This recent hyper-awareness of what I consume prompted me to download and watch Food Inc. The film provoked ill will more toward the government that meat itself. I, now, understand political vegetarian- and vegan-ism. I tend to veer away from domestic politics (despite being a PoliSci major), but this past month so many issues have come to my attention that not only cause me to question our government, but the goodness of human nature as a whole. Meat-processing, agriculture and farming are now in that realm more than ever before.
I thought I would watch Food Inc. and be disgusted by animal treatment. I was, but even more so, I was disgusted by the lack of empathy and compassion people in positions of power have for the people they are meant to lead. It doesn’t make any sense. Well, I guess if the only goal is unlimited control, power and money their actions are dead on. Where are the people that actually care? The ones who want equality, fairness and health. They seem to be getting bulldozed by large corporations and bullshit legislation. Those who are not the cream of the crop financially don’t have a system that fights or even works for them. It’s in food, agriculture, medical care, social security, education…
…we as Americans are trapped under a culture of all work, little play and a system that makes it impossible to escape. Loans, mortgages, bills, feeling like we have to build some huge careers…which then confines us to a life of the masses. America, you’ve done an incredible job at brainwashing worlds into thinking we are lucky and this is normal. THIS IS NOT HEALTHY. Yes, we are fortunate in so many ways, but really…the bureaucracy that life has devolved into is depressing and does much more harm than good. There are so many stellar, smart and driven people here. I look around at my friends and am regularly in awe of the people they are. I can’t seem to wrap my head around why these types are not leaders. Then I realize…I wouldn’t want to be a leader. I believe in affecting change from person to person. Leaders deal with corruption, threats and power hungary monsters with no ethics. Am I being too harsh? Rambling? This poor little post that was supposed to be about food has clearly led me on a tangent. I am saddened by the corruption that runs governments and corporations and wonder if it is reparable.
Back to food. Check out the Food Inc trailer:
You are what you eat right? This explains the toxicity that persists in our institutions. Kidding kidding…
So, rather than a pledge to go vegetarian, I am resolving to do good and TRY to eat more organically. My roommate pointed out that when we stayed in other countries for an extended amount of time, our bodies react differently to what we consume. She, for example, is able to eat nearly anything in France (of course continuing to work out) and feels much better there than if she ate identically in these states. I have similar feelings on how my body reacted to travels and food. Not only is the food we eat harmful, but its producers have become money-hungary giants. At this rate will we be able to get organic, fresh food in a decade? America’s amber waves of grain are becoming a gray shadow on the face of our food industry.
While Food Inc. is a documentary to watch, clearly exposing the wide-spread effects of a corrupt and unethical system. I’d like to share something on a local level that is being negatively affected by this same system. In Venice, California there is a store called RAWesome (read reviews here). Great name, right?! Well, they encourage people to eat raw and eat healthy. They sell raw and organic fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, etc. I happened to wandered by and notice they have a “bouncer” and a long list of rules at the door. Clearly, I wanted in…so I asked what this RAWesome space was all about. I was fortunate to be talking to one of the owners of this all-raw grocery store who explained they have been forced to make their store members only. Members have to sign a contract stating they acknowledge everything is raw and has more/different bacteria and it is not FDA approved. This healthy movement is not only completely unbacked by the FDA, it is under attack at both the local and federal levels. It all seems like a big conspiracy. After talking to people there and seeing the operation, I wish I were ready to eat completely raw. It is a wholly legitimate and rAWESOME business.
I provide this example because it is another in which our not-so-rawesome government has their priorities all mixed up. The owner of RAWesome described to me how officials raided their small operation with weapons drawn. They insisted on taking more than what is necessary to test and left all the refrigerators open to spoil the food. The government is regularly trying to silence stores and raw/organic farms like this one. Check out the video on it below to see the raid and learn more about the raw movement and a hearty U.S. reaction to it.
We take food for granted. If you know me, you know I’ll eat pretty much anything. But how is does that play out in the long run? I appreciate living in Los Angeles because people are generally health conscious. I was perusing Trader Joe’s this morning and actually heard people talking about Food Inc. We need more Trader Joe’s out there to promote these conversations AND make organic affordable. Stay healthy everyone!
Finally… Click here for RAWesome on the Colbert Report for a chuckle.
Dungeons and Dragons
If only the world abided by the principles of Dungeons and Dragons.
My Saturday afternoon was dedicated to sitting outside at a cafe to review my most recent read and spend time in my head learning how to put it on paper. Not soon after I got the ball rolling a man asked if the seat on the long bench next to me was taken. It was not. I believe this was because I removed my hat to let the glistening of antibacterial ointment mixed with blood get some air, so people were not keep to sip their coffee near me. (Note: my face is healing miraculously fast, but I still scare children). The type of people who are on Montana cafes on a weekend in Santa Monica are not generally those who seem to like to look at anything unsightly or remember that the world is not all rainbows and BMWs. I’m being judgmental, but I did get some fun looks when I removed my hat.
Anyhow, the guy that sat down next to me seemed homeless, had a distinct stench and would, from time to time, put his head in his hands and rock. Not necessarily signs of homeless or crazy, but typically good indications. I was interested, but not up for initiating because I was on a roll with my project. Yet, I always end up talking to whoever is around and so this situation was no different then others. He engaged first asking about my computer…
Tangent: I feel like a siren, calling out to every personality that I want them to sit down with me, chat and learn about their story and life philosophy. Not only do I listen to people’s crazy I actively engage and entertain their crazy to somehow enhance or occupy mine. Really, aren’t we all our own brand of crazy stirring the space we call consciousness. Churning over all that we know, experience and believe to form some gray area we define as our “reality”. What a relative term. Reality.
My friend Michael, who intently indicated his namesake to be the archangel himself, was and had been living in a reality completely self-constructed. He obviously rejected aspects of his life that troubled him in earlier years and from what I gathered took far too many mind-altering substances. He’s chosen to be homeless for 11 years, while he has family sitting pretty in Brentwood. I acknowledge this could be a lie, but do not think it to be based on our sharing of childhood memories. One stellar fact: we both share an affinity, no passion, for the movie The NeverEnding Story. Classic.
I wish I had recorded the conversation. I started typing it but was afraid he would see and feel uncomfortable or potentially lash out (actually I don’t feel like he would do that. I said that for dramatic effect). Why this conversation was initially so enthralling was because I was painting a word picture of the world around me before he sat down. I was finding a pattern in the quotes of passer-bys I took down. They were materialistically- or monetarily- based. As a Ferrari deafeningly sped by people spoke of luxury travel, BMWs and the deal they got that day. No joke. It was bizarre. When Michael told me he played Dungeons and Dragons, I asked what the attraction was. He said it let him exist in a world that was better than this one because people were not working to get money. Instead, they work and struggle with a purpose. Oh Michael, I was just writing about that, do continue.
He believes one of the biggest problems is that people will work doing something they do not have any feelings for just to make money and achieve survival. In Dungeons and Dragons you work and fight for something and protect family. He went on to talk about fighting with balls of energy and the presence of weapons in our society and how he believes in magic…but there were some valid points made along the way. First, I wish I could throw balls of energy at people. Second, the reality we’ve created in modern, western society can be super stressful. Finally. Magic is legit. Harry Potter, for example, provides some stellar examples of wizarding.
Beyond magic, he lectured on great religious figures who have been persecuted, spent time alone in the wilderness and were misunderstood (clearly equating himself to one as he told tales of his long walks around Santa Monica). Typically, when I have conversations with people who would be labelled as “homeless”, “crazy”, or “mentally unstable”, some element of religion comes into play. Why? Many seem so sure of what they believe or feel to be true. I wonder why some tend towards religions in a historical context (like Michael) while others veer toward spiritually. I’m sure there have been volumes written on this by psychiatrists. In Michael’s case, it feels like his beliefs in magic, intelligence in religious history, addiction to mythical video games and rejection of social norms could be a culmination of a seed that was planted as a child–because we always blame parenting. Poor mom and dad… or poor us… or maybe everything is just as it should be.
We also spoke on fear–whether it can be defined or if it different for every person? We each shared a specific story of feeling our lives were in jeopardy. His was being neglected by family and nearly drowned. From there, life spiraled away from him (in a conventional sense at least). This brought us to evil. Michael so candidly explained his views: “Satan does not want to kill you he would rather rape you every single day for eternity.” I agree, Michael, this may be the very definition of hell. (Note: Talking with fellow crazies leads to raw, stream-of-consciousness conversation…most end in rants.)
Speaking of stream of consciousness and rants…what the heck am I rambling on about? I just noticed this really good smelling oil on my desk for scrapes, reminding me of beaches in southeast Asia, which makes me miss breaks from teaching because they are long and paid and adventureful, which makes me miss train travel, which makes me think of China and crowds, bringing me back Dalian and that feeling of home after traveling, which makes me miss my students there, which makes me think I should be traveling, writing and teaching all over the world, which makes me question my purpose right now, but I am reminded I have a goal here and will meet it and, therefore, I should get back to work. Point of the post: being open to communication is a magical thing because you gain perspective and new insight, building blocks for an open mind.
Also, wear a helmet.
So I haven’t been posting daily… I’m sure many wonder why? Where is Jess? Right. Well on Sunday after biking to Huntington Beach, hanging around, swimming, etc. I jumped on my bike to head home. My two friends were ahead of me, so no one saw except this poor solo bicyclist. I don’t feel like going into detail, but essentially I face-planted into the pavement. Not essentially. Literally. I ate it. Fortunately, I didn’t black out but instead jumped up to feel blood gushing down my face. I had my face covered with my hands and asked the nice bicyclist to tell me, honestly, how bad it was and also not to freak out. I moved my hands. He freaked out, saying stuff about hospitals and ambulances. One of my friends came back while the other got lost in the shuffle (poor thing…I’m so sorry Angelica!). I wrapped my scarf around my head like I was back in India and decided to ride on.
At a bike rental stand I acquired some peroxide and band-aids to clean it out and prove that it just looked messy but was, in fact, no biggy. After more ER talk, I stood my ground and completed the 15-ish mile ride back to Marina del Rey. By “stood my ground” I mean I was stubborn and would not let anyone help me or take me to the hospital because I always feel confident in helping myself. In this case, I stand by my decision. I needed to feel it out first. Back at a friends place in Playa Vista I attempted a thorough cleaning. With less blood, I could finally clearly see my eyelid flop open…the wrong way. I may be stubborn, but I am not stupid. This little lady needed stitches.
After 3+ hours, x-rays, having pavement razored out of my face and 13 stitches I went home–face throbbing, swollen, bloody. I happen to have the best roommate in the world who woke me up every two hours to ask me lame questions to ensure I was concussion-less. By the third wake up the questions became a joke and every answer I gave had an undertone of sarcasm or perhaps self-resentment… I was clearly myself.
It is painful and I ended up back in the ER on night 2 for headaches that came a bit too late in the healing process. The CT scan, however, confirmed no broken bones or bleeding. So it’s been a really fun week. Lots of pain. Black eye. Scraped up face–I was told no sun for 6 months. Hi, I live in southern California. However, today is day 4 and my headaches are nearly gone, my eye can open, swelling has gone down and I have a good skincare regimen working in my favor so I think it’ll heal fast. A close friend had fallen off a scooter in India and had the same injuries. Her face looks great and she just has a small bump of scar tissue on her forehead that I didn’t even notice before her pointing it out. So I am feeling ok, though I look like a monster and children get uncomfortable (some have even cowered behind mom) when they see me. Also, I spend at least 1 hour everyday outside in the sun, love hiking and want to live in a tent… The outdoors thing is going to be the toughest part, but I think this will work out fine. I’m starting a very large hat collection. Not just large like “I have a lot of hats” but large like the hats are going to be huge, easter-Sunday-like hats that let no sun on my face. It’ll be the latest trend.
Lesson: Wear a helmet. I always wear one on my scooter, but didn’t on my bike. Why? No idea. I do in other places, why not LA? Had I worn a helmet I would not have HUGE hospital bills (love being young and uninsured), a messed up face, lots of discomfort and a sad heart that has been deprived of light all week. Simple things go a long way…I’m bummed I overlooked this one. Kids (and adults!) always protect yourself..because it’s so easy to do and the consequences can really hurt. Goooo helmets! If my words are not enough…here are some photos:
At the bike stand, cleaning my wounds (About 7 miles after the fall)
