Pregled posta

Marketing

I was strolling around my
beloved little hamlet under the big sign
known as Hollywood yesterday, stopping in
at my pal Henry Diltz's glorious gallery of photos,
Morrison Hotel, in the "rock and roll strip" of
Sunset near Gardner. I decided to
walk over the Mashti Malone's
ice cream parlor around the corner from
Sunset at La Brea, quite close to
Chaplin's old studio. I love Mashti's, not for
the rosewater ice cream - their specialty -
but for the beautiful Turkish-Irish fusion of
their name. Mashti. Malone. Their sign has
Turkish letters - I think those are Turkish-
and a shamrock. Happy Muslim St. Patty's Day.
But I digress. But I always digress. My
life is one long digression.
But that's another.
So there I am, taking photos of
the Mashti Malone sign from up
a red metal staircase- and there is
Michael, sitting on the ground, watching me,
headphones slung around his neck,
smoking a cigarette.
As always, I felt he was more
interesting than the thing on which
I first focused. We started talking.
He asked me about my camera,
how much it cost, and
was flabbergasted when i told him.
I asked if I could take his photo
looking down at him, and he
agreed, but suggested his
lot in life would be lightened
if I could donate to his beer fund.
Only a handful of change more
was required for a Tecate.
I gave my donation, we talked
more, he went off for his libation
and I in search of my next photo.
There was James on Gardner,
off of Sunset, sitting in shadows,
looking not unlike Jesus,
except that James was smoking
and Jesus, as far as I know,
was not a smoker. Of course,
I've been wrong before. About
everything.
I asked James how he was
and he said, "I've been better."
He was on a ragged rose blanket
with belongings in sacks around him
and wildflowers growing in bushels behind him.
Of course I got around to the inevitable
invitation to be photographed, and he
said, sure, but could I possibly come up
with a dollar forty?
"A dollar forty," I repeated. "Interesting
figure. Why a dollar forty?"
"Because that's how much I need
for what I want."
"What do you want?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't give it to me."
"No," I said. "That's not true. Do you want
a beer?" It was very hot though only March.
I was parched too. The sun can be brutal
in Hollywood. A beer sounded pretty
damn reasonable to me, especially
if your life is being lived in the streets.
"Yeah," he said somewhat sheepishly.
"Hey, I got no problem with beer," I said.
"Beer is a mitzvah."
"Mitzvah?"
"A blessing. From God. To keep us happy."
"Yeah. God. Right on, dude."
Just then, appearing as if from smoke,
was Michael. He greeted me as if
we were old pals, which in the life of the
streets, we were. "Dude!" he said.
"Mr. Photo dude!" Then he
told James how I requested he pose
for me, and how I snapped away.
"I'm just here giving out my
money," I said, giving James
a dollar and two quarters. He smiled.
A beer in his future proximity. A little
relief. A mitzvah.
"I work hard for this money, you know,"
but we all laughed, and no one believed
I did, even me. Though I do. Sometimes.
I asked if I could take their photo
together, and Michael said, "You already
got mine," but I told them a shot of
two friends together would be best,
and James told him to hurry up
and sit down. I took some shots.
They both asked why I wanted them.
"You just walk around taking
photos of everyone?" Michael asked.
Yes. I do. Told them it was my job.
I gave them each a card - my cards
have some of my portraits on them,
including photos of Veronica & Eliza
Bane, both very beautiful women.
Michael lit up like a lightning bolt
when he saw their faces. "Who's this?"
he asked. When I told him he said,
"Can I lick this?"
"The card?"
"No, the babe!"
I told him I'd see what i can do.
And I bid them farewell,
and they were both warm and genial -
and we were off
on our separate paths
through this Hollywood,
this Los Angeles,
this March of 2007.

Xcorps #10.) HAWAII – This episode of Xcorps takes the viewer to the supreme destination of Hawaii for a multi island tour c/o Outrigger hotels and resorts with XC host Bob Woodard fishing monster marlin, riding ATV’s and surfing the waves of Waikiki in this exotic looking show.
California girl and XC teammate Roslyn Bradle opens the show from her pacific home on the beach in Santa Monica with some jive on Bob about his Hawaiian assignment. Go girl! Tough job Bob gets up with the Kona dawn and boards the sports fisher Intrepid in search of the elusive one ton blue marlin. Always bringing you the best in alternative sports action see the big Hemingway/Grey style hookup and the brute battle between man and fish. See both sides win in this match. Great CW fish tunes here from the band The Dorados.
After that Bob opens a segment on speed wind surfing on the ocean off Maui with pro boarder Chip Pennel who we fitted with a full blown helmet cam package for some super clean POV shots Xcorps style. See the action and hear the music by the Maverick records band Prodigy pumping this fast moving piece.
Then it’s back to Bob this time on the island of Kauai riding ATVs – thats all terrain vehicles- at his own speed – FAST! Check out the action and great scenery here with Bob cruising areas where the feature films Jurassic Park 1&2 were filmed. Lots of mud flying with new tunes from San Diego band UNDERshade. Rolling in after that Roz opens to Eric The X Guru and a special segment on the action sport of mountain boarding or off road skate boarding. Eric is an authority covering the sport since it surfaced almost 10 years ago. Check out Erics own moves and shots from past events including that of XC host Jason Lazo with the first mtn. board the SuperCruizer.
Appropriately the band Unloco rocks this segment hard to the end.
Topping off this eXotic island visit is a look at some true Hawaiian action from Iffy who is a champion fire dancer. See his fiery moves and watch the sexy island girls perform to the authentic island band Paradyse playing at the Wailea Marriott luau.
Tough job Bob wraps the show from Waikiki beach boarding Outriggers world class race catamaran for a sunset wave run.
Nice local surf action here. Soooo nice. Mahalo and Aloha.
TRT-29:30 J.S.Edmondson 9/03 Closed Captioned
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©2007 The Xcorps