Cosmopolitan Life

Pop Up Stores

2009-10-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

If you live in L.A., you may have noticed new activity in the many "For Lease" stores dotting chichi shopping streets. For a week or two these stores are transformed with big discount signs (e.g., 75% Off Designer Clothing"), and industrial style racks of clothing. I've had some good luck shopping at these stores. Truly cool clothes at great prices. Now I can finally name the phenomena. This weekend, when I truly stunning Mad Men style skirt, I asked the saleswoman whether the store was permanent.

"Oh no" she said. "We're just a pop up store. It's a great way to move merchandise. No lease."

Another sign of the times.

Manohla Dargis

2009-10-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

Before she became a movie critic for The NYTimes, Manohla wrote for our own local LAWeekly. She had the distinction of being the wittiest movie critic I'd ever read (not an easy feat), but unfortunately also the least predictable. Meaning that I could never tell, by reading her review, whether I'd like the film or not.

When Pulp Fiction came out, Manohla promptly panned it. Her comment was that it "has too much dialogue", and (I'm paraphrasing) that moviegoers these days don't like that much dialogue. Well, so much for that insight. At the time the LAWeekly had a policy of running an excerpt of the original review for as long as the movie was in theatres, so it was stuck with running the same tin eared review for the 4+ months of Pulp Fiction's stunning theatrical run.

But this posting is actually intended as an ode to her wit. I just read her review of Amelia. I haven't seen the film, so I have no knowledge of its merits, but kudos to Manohla on the way she expresses her opinion that the movie is all smiles and no substance. A direct quote: "The movie is a more effective testament to the triumphs of American dentistry than to Earhart or aviation".

Which reminded me of what she said about Pierce Brosnan when his first James Bond movie came out: "The future of a franchise is resting on his slender shoulders, and the strain shows". Does it get any wittier, or more vicious, than that?

Dear Mr. Geithner

2009-01-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

So Geithner was confirmed today. And unfortunately I think it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, because I'm completely miffed about his tax thing. Whatever he may say, it's pretty clear to me that he intentionally decided not to pay that employer portion of his social security taxes, and the reason he did it was that he figured in all likelihood he would get away with it. And in the worst case he would pay it. And in fact it kinda worked out that way. He didn't pay it for 4 years, but by the time he was audited, the statute of limitations had run out on the first two years. So he paid the second two years, and congratulated himself on managing to evade half of his due. Note that at the time of the audit he was head of the New York Fed. And then he was nominated secretary of the treasury, and the transition committee figured this out and said "Hey!!!". So he paid. Poor dear.

So what does this say about Geithner? And what's bugging me about this? Is it the moral issue? Or is it that I feel that I'm too much of a wimp to do the same, and I envy him his daring? Or actually, maybe it's that I envy his knowledge of what he can get away with? I which I were as competent? I think that's what it is. Because frankly, if I knew I could get away with it, wouldn't I do it? Maybe I would. Or maybe I'd feel it's sleazy. Which it definitely is. Tough to say.

Hmmmm.

Pregnancy Does NOT Cloud the Brain!

2008-10-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

This just in: Pregnancy does not cloud the brain, says Australian study. No kidding. The idea that pregnancy adversely affects mental function is just like the story that menopause clouds the brain: An urban myth, partially propagated by women (I think we're sometimes our own worst enemies), and with no basis in reality IMHO.

On the other hand, lack of sleep due to an infant in the house does kinda cloud your brain...

The Elephant in the Room

2008-10-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

What I can't understand about the Biden-Palin debate - help me here - is why "Gwen" never asked Mr. Grey and Ms. Cheerful about their opinions on abortion. Isn't that a swing issue? It is for me. I want to hear...

Crystal Meth Capital of Alaska...

2008-09-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

You've probably already seen the Tina Fey imitation of Sarah Palin on SNL. Although just in case, I'd wanted to include the YouTube link here. Unfortunately when I click on it now all I get is an error message saying "this video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by NBC". Such a pity. But you can still get some tidbits if you go to YouTube and enter "Sarah Palin Tina Fey"

What you won't see in those abbreviated verions is the description of Palin as mayor of the crystal meth capital of Alaska. It reminded me so much of my Montana impressions. Which is what made the comment ring true.

Catch and Release

2008-09-20T10:13:00.001-07:00

All the talk of Sarah Palin's hunting has made me reflect yet again on my week in Montana, and particularly on the day I went fly-fishing with my host and friend.

We actually went twice. He took me once in the morning so I could get the hang of casting the fly, and then once again in the evening when the fish would be biting.

The results weren't spectacular, but I did catch one small fish. And we released it. Because actually, my friend's mother had a lot more meat in the fridge than she could possibly use, and clearly we weren't going to eat this little guy.

Which got me to thinking about what I had just done. See I'm omnivorous. I do eat meat, and I do eat fish. So I don't have true moral qualms about catching a fish and eating it. If I weren't eating that fish, I'd be eating another one, maybe farm raised, but still a fish.

But catch and release is a different thing. It means the whole fishing exercise was just a sport, and the poor victim was the fish. The fish who was strung up with a hook in his throat, and then thrown back into the water to perhaps be caught again. Just as sport. And that I can't justify. In fact I can't figure out what the pleasure can possibly be.

So. I caught one fish. I released it. And for the future - I'll either go fishing to catch my supper, or I won't go at all.

And that's the way I view hunting too. If you want to hunt an animal and then eat it, I guess that's ok. We're animals, we are (mostly) carnivorous, and that's one of the ways we feed ourselves. But catch and release; there's something fundamentally wrong about that.

Sarah Palin

2008-09-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty appalled at the way the Obama campaign is handling (or ignoring) the issue of Sarah Palin. And how the liberal parts of the media are handling it.

How can they knock her on experience when the counter is Obama? What's the big deal if she was once Miss Congeniality.

Let's give credit where credit is due. She came from nowhere, no family backing, no Ivy League school, no powerful husband, and by age 44 has five kids and is governor of Alaska, and an apparently very successful governor. What's not to admire here?

Problem is, for me, of course, her politics. For anyone who cares about "progressive" ideas - individual freedom (as in, yes, right to abortion), war in Iraq, and what another Republican presidency would do to the supreme court, the idea of another Republican victory is scary.

But if the Democrats don't get off their butts and figure out how to make these items the central ones of the campaign, it's not looking good...

Levi

2008-09-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, when I heard the father of Bristol Palin's child was named Levi I kept wondering - could he be Jewish???? It seemed unlikely, a football star can't be Jewish. And I think that last name, Johnston, kinda seals it. He's not. No, no no.

Bristol Palin and the Baby

2008-09-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

So what are my thoughts on the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's daughter? Well, multiple.

On the one hand, I think it cements Palin's credibility with the "social conservatives". After all, it's proof positive of her anti-abortion stance.

But was that cementing (cementation?, cementiment?) really necessary? I don't know. Seems to me that her Down's Syndrome baby was enough for that.

One the other hand, I believe there's a certain McCain swing vote that will be dissuaded by it. Why? Because it brings to light everything that's problematic in the "social conservative" stance. First of all - why did her daughter get pregnant in the first place? Did the governor neglect to tell her daughter about The Pill? Was she preaching abstinence and now finding out that it doesn't always work?

But more than that - what really happens to a girl who has a child at 17? Well, I recently met a 25 year old guy with two kids. He met the girl when they were both 19. After four months together they found out she was two months pregnant. Did he ever consider an abortion, I asked him. "Never" he said. So they ended up getting married, had two kids. Now, six years later, they're divorced. He's trying to achieve his dream of becoming a successful actor in L.A. She's still living in Ohio. He's got a girlfriend who's a "hip hop model" (in case you're not familiar, the look is pretty but slutty, basically shots from the back in a g-string). When's the last time he saw his kids? It's been a few months.

The guy is great looking, charismatic, smart. I'll bet his ex-wife is too. But the difference is that she, at 25, is saddled with two kids as a single mom. He's relaxing in between rehearsals. And I'd say this is the most likely outcome for Palin's daughter as well. By age 25 (actually I'd guess 22) she'll be a divorced single mom. Yes, she may get some child support, but not much. Will she be able to go to college? Well, in this special circumstance - big name Mommy - maybe yes. But normally, no. Just another kid stuck in a low paying job struggling to raise her kids.

So Governor Palin chose to keep her Down's Syndrome baby? Truth is, even though I wouldn't do it, I have a certain degree of respect for that decision. This thing with her 17 year old daughter - that I have absolutely no respect for.

Bottom line, even I, who am normally a bit blase about politics, suddenly feel a need to make absolutely sure Sarah Palin doesn't show up at the White House.

Yoga Styles

2008-08-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

My move to Santa Monica has both expanded and limited my yoga world. Expanded it, because now, in addition to going to the various Yogaworks locations, I'm also going regularly to Sacred Movement - a pretty spectacular studio. Limited it, because now that I can ride my bike to yoga classes I'm reluctant to ever drive to one. So I've pretty much given up on the Westwood, Montana, and Larchmont Yogaworks locations. I limit myself to Yogaworks on Main St, and Sacred Movement (... on Main St).

Which brings me to my main point, which is the comparison of the two. And here's the bottom line:

Yogaworks is for highly driven professionals - lawyers, executives, developers, doctors - those type A personalities that need to be sure they get a real workout when doing their yoga, always advancing, always pushing to the limits.

Sacred Movement is for the artsy types. Those that search for experiences, that want to explore their inner and outer selves, that value creativity above the push push push of gymnastics. Some of them may be great athletes, but they're looking for the zen of yoga, not that I'm-more-flexible-than you variety.

And what am I? I guess I'm more Yogaworks than I am Sacred Movement. Or maybe I'm 50/50. One day of Yogaworks and one of Sacred Movement is about right for me. But if I had to give one up, I'd have to admit that would be Sacred Movement. Gotta keeps those abs in shape...

Oh, and one point of advice. If you go to Sacred Movement, definitely try a class with Eric Schifmann. Unparalleled.

What Sells in Montana

2008-08-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

More of my impressions from Montana:

One of my host's many friends, a builder with a wife and four kids was telling us about his wife's souvenir shop. He considers it her hobby. She doesn't really make any money on it. The only thing that consistently makes money in that shop is the tanning bed that be bought second hand a few years ago. The postmaster in particular is a regular.

See, vanity is not confined to L.A.

Men, Men, Everywhere

2008-08-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Blogging and filmmaking have not (for me) turned into ways of making a living. At least not yet. So for income generation, to maintain the lifestyle that I love, and to feel useful and appreciated, I turn to consulting (otherwise known as part-time or interim, or project work, and which I'll refer to as gigs).

So one of my new gigs involves work with a venture capital firm, doing some due diligence for them, and in the process of working it out, while in a car, I called my daughter and asked her to look up the bio of one of the firm's partners. She discovered, to her shock, that all 16 partners, associates and managing partners (meaning everyone that was listed as part of the "team", was male.

She was shocked, but I wasn't. Not because I don't find it shocking, but just because I know that that's the way it is. Now why is that so? Well, a friend that was over for dinner last night posited his opinion. Women just are not entrepreneurial. And being a VC, while not entrepreneurial per se, requires an understanding of entrepreneurs, and that, women just don't have.

Hmmmm. I don't know about that. Yes, women seem to be much less inclined to start tech companies. And in the few exceptions I know of, there's often a male partner involved, often a husband or boyfriend. Or maybe not less inclined, but less successful at it. Now why would that be? Is it because they're less entrepreneurial, or is it that the entrepreneurs they need for collaboration in an engineering environment are mostly male. Tough one to answer. Are there less female VC's because it's such a male dominated world, and men (like women, and like most ethnic groups) feel more comfortable partnering with one of their own? Is it because male entrepreneurs starting new companies feel more comfortable having a male VC on their board than a female VC? Is it because pension funds, even through run by women, are more likely to give their money to male-run VC firms.

I have to think about this some more, and will post a follow-on. Your comments are welcome.

Favored in Montana

2008-08-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

I just spent a week at a friend's house in Montana, and had the opportunity to sample the local flavors. One of the dominant ones being, of course, beer. We went down to the local drinking hole one evening, my partner drank a few beers, I tried, unsuccessfully, to down one, and then moved on to the "hot apple pie" (a drink, for the ladies...).

And then in came a couple of super-cute 20ish guys with a few girls hanging on, got their drinks (not beers, some sort of menth something...) and thanks to my gregarious partner, the more rambunctious one started talking with us.

He's studying to be a pharmacist, because his father owns a pharmacy in town. He thinks there's so much to do around here. You can go off fishing, hunting, he has 6 guns in his truck, can't understand why most of the locals do nothing, just get hooked on crystal meth. He sees a lot of this. He's not a socialist, definitely not, but he's got to admit that he makes 70% of his income off Medicare and Medicaid. Those guys have it figured out he says. They get their prescriptions for Oxycontin. Buy them from him at $1 a pill, sell it for $40 a pill, make their $2400 a month, live well... Yeah, chrystal meth is big around here. It's what the local high-schoolers do. Whereas he, he's got his truck, got his guns, got his chicks. It was great to meet you. And off they go. In his HUGE big black Chevy truck, all decked out with guns and chicks.

It's the local flavor.

Facebook

2008-07-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here's the deal. I went on a camping trip this weekend, and as a result, received a slew of Facebook friend requests. Which got me to comparison Facebooking. i.e., how many friends do I have, versus how many friends to they have. And guess what - the grass is greener. They have more friends. Or at least more Facebook friends. So I decide I have to up my Facebook quotient. I poke around for friends. "Search" to be more specific. Not terribly productive. I maybe added five people. But here's the deal: Is it that I don't have that many friends, or that my friends are not on Facebook? And for that matter, why would I, an adult, want to be on Facebook in the first place? Well, I can tell you what initiated it. My Israeli journalist cousin told me (around January of this year) that whenever he needs someone's contact info, he looks the person up on Facebook. If you're not on Facebook, so he claims, you do not exist. But guess what. I know a lot of people that don't exist according to that definition. The question is just why so many people know other people who do exist per that definition, and I don't... (do you follow my thread???).

Not sure.

Seize the Day

2008-07-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

I loved this article. And most of all the title ("Seizing the Day in Tel Aviv") and the cover picture. I was in that same place - Neve Tsedek - in January, went to the beach, rode a Vespa, had a wonderful time. Yes, there's something more vibrant and fun in Israel perhaps because of that feeling that tomorrow is not a certainty. Sometimes that's worth remembering.

Prescient

2008-07-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about giving my cat Clomicalm, a drug prescribed for OCD in cats and separation anxiety in dogs. Well, turns out I was just ahead of the NYTimes Magazine article titled Pill Popping Pets about marketing of behavior modification and "lifestyle" drugs for pets.

The article claims, and I agree - that part of the problem is that pets have to adjust to our hectic, urban, work-centered lifestyles. And often, the only way to make that work in pets (and in humans) is to give them psychoactive drugs.

In the specific case of my cat, however, this was not the case. She was living in a beautiful house near the beach, could go in and out as she pleased, and had humans (and another cat) around most of the time. Still, something snapped in her, and unfortunately Clomicalm didn't do the trick. My cat didn't make it. Surprisingly, since I didn't feel particularly attached to her (I was much more attached to her spunky partner) the thought still brings tears to my eyes.

But there you go...

Something that Really Aggravates me

2008-07-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

In fact, it aggravates me so much that I've probably already written about it.

The house and senate have come to terms on a bill that mandates that mental health coverage will be given reimbursed in the same way that other medical care is reimbursed. Meaning, for example, that if you go to a psychologist, and your insurance has a co-pay, you will have the same co-pay for a psychologist.

So does this aggravate me? No! What has me seeing red is the fine print on this newly enlightened clause. The coverage will only be for employers with 50 employees or more. Meaning it doesn't apply to independent contractors or people will individual insurance policies?

It's one of the great ironies of the American healthcare system. You're less of a person if you don't work for a large corporation. The U.S. is the land of entrepreneurship and independent businesses, yet the benefits, the government sponsored benefits, the government mandated protections, go only to the corporate guys.

Google Daycare

2008-07-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my kids were in daycare, and I guess I didn't realize that the price of daycare has been going up at least as fast (and probably faster) than the price of a college education. At Google, company sponsored (and subsidized) daycare is soon going up to about $27,000 per year. See here. It's a good story all around.

The Wonders of Santa Monica

2008-07-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

Most of you may already know this, but for me it was new. The city of Santa Monica offers free valet parking for your bicycles at major events such as the Sunday Ocean Park farmer's market, and the Thursday evening free concerts at the pier. I'm loving Santa Monica.

Salmonella in Tomatoes!!!!????!!!!

2008-07-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

Finally today - an article in the WSJ titled Anger Rises Over Salmonella Probe". It's about time.

It's been at least weeks (maybe months) that I've been wondering how the FDA gets away with saying that tomatoes from 36 states are suspected with being contaminated with the Salmonella virus.

How can they cast such a broad suspicion? Tomatoes, unlike humans, do not travel from state to state, sneezing on airplanes to distribute their bacterial load. If there's salmonella poisoning of a batch of tomatoes in Utah, it does not travel off to Arizona. That's just not the way it works. They way it does work is that (maybe) someone in Utah (or somewhere else) watered their tomatoes with salmonella-infested liquid. So those tomatoes got dirty with salmonella bacteria, and whoever ate those tomatoes risked having a bad case of upset stomach.

Apparently about 850 people got ill, which is the equivalent of about one field of tomatoes. In one state. Not in 36.

But the FDA, in its great sagacity, and in its understandable inability to figure out what field those tomatoes came from, decided to write off the tomato harvests of 36 states in the union. Which the WSJ claims will translate to about $100M in lost revenues for tomato growers, and tomatoes left rotting on the vines.

So you'll ask, what do I suggest the FDA do?

Well, you know, some things just cannot be solved aposteriori. It happened. Some tomatoes were contaminated. FYI, if you travel to India, virtually all the tomatoes will be contaminated. Not great, but mostly people survive. So 850 people in the vast U.S. got the stomach flu from eating contaminated tomatoes. It shouldn't have happened, and the industry should police its hygiene practices. But mass hysteria over tomatoes doesn't help. My sympathies go to the tomato growers whose tomatoes are rotting on the vines, and to tomato lovers who were conned by the FDA into forgoing their daily tomato fix in favor of some obscure idea that great danger is lurking in those luscious red things. Things of danger. Pomme d'amour. Pomodoro.

Another Comment About My OCD Cat

2008-07-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI - she drinks water with her paw. Meaning that she doesn't stick her head down and lap up the water. No, no, no. She dips her paw in the water like a true lady, and licks the water off her paw.

OCD or not OCD?

Where the Money is in Exercise

2008-06-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

I guess any reader of this blog is aware of my fascination with yoga. True, it's regarded as an expensive sport - but I would say is that it's worth every penny and every minute.

Still, I thought a touch point on what "expensive" really means would be worthwhile:

At upscale but mainstream yoga studios - Sacred Movement, Yogaworks - a single class (usually an hour and a half, with between 10 and 60 people in the class - kinda depends on the teacher and the time of day) costs $20. But a monthly unlimited class membership (which for me means about 20 classes per month) is about $125 per month, or for me, about $6.50 per class. Couple that with beautiful wood floored yoga rooms, nice amenities, but most important of all, truly world class teachers (I'm talking here in L.A.), and it doesn't seem that bad.

Now a friend recently told me about the new fad up in Brentwood. Burn 60. 60 minutes of interval training - meaning 15 minutes on a treadmill, alternating with 15 minutes of core, strength, and stretching exercises.

Number of students in the class - 30, and you need to reserve in advance because they're so full.

Cost per class - $26 for a single one hour class, down to $19 if you buy a package of 30 classes ($570 for the package). Yikes. And however extensive the expertise of their teachers, I'm pretty sure it doesn't compare to the experience and expertise of good yoga instructors.

Well, I'm not surprised. Yoga is time consuming and the reality is that people with money often have less time. If you want to make money as a sports enterprise, shorter, more intense, boot camp type classes (Curves and Burn 60) are definitely the way to go. Of course you'll counter with the example of gym membership at $40 a month. True, but most people need a good class to get a truly thorough workout, and that human touch (preferably a quick, 45 to 60 minute human touch) may ultimately be what you're paying for.

Where to Get a Mac

2008-06-28T08:16:00.001-07:00

I finally succumbed and ordered a MacBook Air - but the important thing about this post is a suggestion on where to buy it.

You can buy it online at apple.com (save yourself leaving the house), or in person at the Apple store. In both cases you don't have to pay shipping costs.

But better yet - go onto Amazon: No shipping costs, no sales tax, and... a $70 dollar discount plus a $50 rebate. Total savings of about $250.

Just a tip.

It's still pricey. Hopefully I'll enjoy it.

My Dear Cat

2008-06-27T21:04:00.001-07:00

I have two cats. Which qualifies me, in the view of many, as the eternal spinster. Cats doom women to singlehood, just as dogs guarantee them an abundance of suitors. Or so I'm told.

But in my defense, the only reason I got the cats in the first place was as an (albeit poor) alternative for my kids to having a dog. A dog was more than I could handle. A creature that needed babysitting while I was away. A creature almost as needy as a human baby, but with one difference - that the dog would remain that baby forever, never grow up.

So, I "adopted" two cats. I put that with quotation marks, because the cost of the adoption was $75 per cat, supposedly to cover their immunization expenses, but one of the two cats - the pretty black one - actually cost $25 more, because of her Asian Short Hair look. Is that an adoption or a purchase?

But back to the point. These two cute, female cats have lived a nice life in the eight years since their adoption. They're indoor/outdoor cats, free to roam around to their heart's content, but always assured of a warm dry place, and plentiful (although not gourmet) food.

And then something happened. The black cat. The premium one. The one, by the way, who had always acted neurotic, started peeing in the house. I'm almost afraid to tell you this because those of you who visit my place may find yourself forever sniffing around to find a small gift. Don't worry, you don't need to do that, I do it for you.

Only then did I realize what a well established issue "feline inappropriate urination" is. It is probably the single most common reason for "feline euthanasia". Which is starting to sound like a real option here.

So I've done everything I found reasonable to do. Bought four, organic-catnip infused cat scratchers, and scattered them around the house, given the black madam a round of antibiotics (just in case this is a "feline urinary tract infection"), sprayed feliway (a feline pheromone) around the house - it's supposed to have a calming influence - , and now, just to make sure I've tried everything, I've gotten Cloricalm - used for the treatment of separation anxiety and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder, I kid you not) in cats.

My dear cat refuses to take her Clomicalm. I have a feeling this is not going to end well.