A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben vs. The Talking Deer at the Griffith Observatory

Many of my readers are aware that I love my location in LA.  I live nice and close to just about everything, which is great most of the time.  True, whenever the Lakers play downtown at the Staples Center, traffic can be a bit more intense around us, since we live only 2 and a half miles from there.  But aside from putting up with traffic caused by Kobe and his team, we got it pretty good here in Echo Park.  We can see the Hollywood Sign from our rooftop, which is great, but something even cooler is right up there next to the sign.  The Griffith Observatory.  

The Griffith Observatory is arguably one of the most well recognized observatories in the world, and it's visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year.  Perched atop the mountain ride next to the Hollywood Sign, it's become an iconic part of Los Angeles and a spectacular place to go and get a great view of the city, as you'll see from my photos above.  It's pat of the massive Griffith Park area, a great place to go and hike, get away from the concrete jungle of the downtown area and actually get up above the smog that hovers over the city like a blanket.   Well we like our view from atop our apartment in Los Angeles just fine, but we figured we'd actually go atop the mountain some evening and check out what view the Griffith had to offer.  When JP and I noticed that the crescent moon of the evening had two bright dots lining up beneath it in more or less a straight line, we hopped online and discovered it was actually Venus and Jupiter, visible to the naked eye above the horizon and beneath the moon.  

There's never a better time to visit an observatory than when the stars and planets are aligning and making news, so we hopped in my car and went up to the observatory that very evening.  It's free to visit, and the only thing that costs money is the actual planetarium show itself, and even then, it's only $7, cheap for Los Angeles... probably one of the coolest places in the city to visit for the least amount of money, and since we're poor and live only 4.7 miles from the Observatory, we figured we better go check it out.  I hope to go more often after our experience, it was awesome, and totally worth it.  

They've filmed many a movie scene at the observatory, including most famously one of James Dean's movies, Rebel Without A Cause, and they have a bronze bust of Dean out front to commemorate his contribution to film and solidifying the observatory in Hollywood history in such a memorable way.  The grounds outside the observatory were full that evening, it was a Sunday night and many people were there to see the planets and stars.  Inside the observatory they have a pendulum swing, a bunch of scientific displays, and all sorts of interactive information about science and other cool stuff.  They even had a Tesla Coil which they fired up to show an impressive display of crackling blue electricity.  

As we walked around the outer edges of the building to observe the view of the city itself however, we noticed a funny thing.  We could hear what sounded like soft, stealthy footsteps beneath where we were standing... we looked over the edge of the railing down into the dark forests below and that's when we saw them.  Two deer, a mother doe and a baby, both walking around the base of the observatory.  It was one of those quiet moments when you stumble upon something so unexpected and yet so profoundly unique and beautiful in it's own way.  Alas, our moment of silence and amazement with the deer wasn't to last.  From a level above us, we suddenly heard the high pitched squeaky voice of a small girl call out "Hello deer!  Heeeelllllooooo Deeeer!!!!"  It was cute, sure, but it also made me laugh because JP opened his mouth and said back "Hello Human" in a funny little voice.  Since our diminutive companion above us couldn't see us, for all we know she may have thought the deer were talking to her, because all she could see were two deer and hear JP's voice responding to her own.  Whatever happened, whether she knew it was other people messing with her and we scarred the little girl or she was amazed at the magic of the talking deer at the Griffith Observatory, our little friend fell silent once JP responded to her salutations.  It was a fun little moment of entertainment and a fitting end to what had been a fun week out here.  

We continued our tour of the interior and took pictures with the statue of Einstein, watched the documentary about the history of the observatory hosted by Leonard Nimoy, and had a lot of fun before the kicked us out at the closing time of 10 pm.  Worth visiting if you're ever in the LA area, the Griffith Observatory is a great place to enjoy the view, both of the city and the stars above.   

A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben vs. AFI Fest, The Rooftop of the Roosevelt Hotel, and The Great Gay Riots of 2008

This story is an overdue one, but things have been busy lately and I've fallen behind on my blogging.  As some of you have already seen and heard from the pictures I posted about a month ago, in early november I got to attend a few screenings at AFI Fest, one of the more prestigious film festivals hosted by the American Film Institute and put on right here in Hollywood, California.  My roommate JP worked at the festival as a their volunteer coordinator, (which doesn't imply that he volunteered... he actually raked in pretty good money, he coordinated where all the volunteers went).  Anyway, as things would have it, JP was able to pull a string here and there and get some of his roommates and best buds into some fairly large Hollywood events at this festival.  For starters, he got us all into the world premiere of Last Chance Harvey, the new film starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.  It's a good film too, very simple story of two people who find love later in life... actually it's a very good film in that it's a sweet love story with no sex, which is extremely rare in this town.  

Anyway, we all got to see the screening in the Cinerama Done at the Arclight Theatre, which is kinda a big deal since it's one of the more historic theaters in the city.  The place was packed, and they started the screening by introducing Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, and director Joel Hopkins, all there in person to promote the film.  Kinda cool to be in the same room with Dustin Hoffman, considering his incredible body of work over the years.  The film was fun (we learned that we were the first audience to see it in it's completed form, which is also special) and then afterwards we were invited to go to the after party at the Roosevelt Hotel.  The Roosevelt is one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in Hollywood, has an iconic large neon red-lettered sign above it, and can seen from pretty much anywhere in town.  All in all there were 8 of us: JP, Bryan, Pete, myself (one of the rare and fun times all four of us have been able to do something together) plus Casey, Rachel, Katie, and L.A., four girls we know and are good friends with out here.  In order to get to the Roosevelt which is located on Hollywood Blvd, we had to hop in an AFI Fest 15 passenger shuttle/van and be taken there from the Cinerama dome, which is on Sunset Blvd.  

Between Hollywood and Sunset Blvd, which both run parallel to each other, the majority of what many people think of as "Hollywood" can be found.  If Grauman's Chinese theater makes up the top left corner of the area known as Hollywood, then the Arclight makes up the bottom right corner.  Not sure is this word picture is working or not, but suffice it to say it's like a giant rectangle with large theaters at either end.  It's a good 5 or 6 blocks down Sunset Blvd and then up one or two blocks to get to Grauman's Chinese and the Roosevelt Hotel, so we hoped in one of the vans and began our trip.  That's when we noticed the helicopters.  

Let me back up for a second... for those unaware, this night was the night of November the 8th.  It's the Saturday night following the week of the election, and just four days earlier on the 4th, the good people of the state of California elected to pass Proposition 8, which defines marriage as being a relationship between a man and a woman.  It was a close vote, only like 51 to 49 percent in favor of it, and the gay rights people were not pleased.  Within 24 hours of the vote, they all starting marching up and down major boulevards and avenues with signs saying "vote no on Prop 8" or "Proposition Hate" and other such slogans... I'll refrain from an all-out discussion of the proposition and the views concerning homosexual marriage at this time, I believe most of you can guess with some ease where I stand personally on the issue of gay marriage.  Anyway, in the immediate days following the election, the gay community and those sympathetic to their cause have begun marching and demonstrating in anger over the outcome of the vote, which essentially nullifies their marriages that have been legal over the past few months and bans all future gay marriages as well for the time being at least.  They've been targeting the Mormon and Catholic church primarily because they blame those churches with carrying out the bulk of the attack and opposition to their vote and cause.  

Back to where we were with our van on Sunset Blvd... well we look up and see news helicopters.  Lots of 'em, swarming the skies.  We notice crowds of people everywhere and a ton of police cars.  Our van driver informs us that she can take us as far as the In-N-Out at the corner of Sunset and Orange, we'll have to walk to the Roosevelt hotel.  We learn the reason for this is because Hollywood Blvd has been absolutely shut down by the LAPD... and I mean boy did they shut it down!  The entire street was completely blocked off and lined with over 50 patrol cars, at least 40 motorcycles, and policemen standing at alert attention.  I've seen less fanfare for visiting Presidents.  The reason for this blockade of Hollywood Blvd?  It turns out over 10,000 gay rights advocates, angry about the Prop 8 outcome, had decided to gather in Silver Lake (about a mile from where I live in Echo Park) and march all the way to Hollywood Blvd.  It was like the calm before the storm, the police were not going to let them come down Hollywood Blvd, so they blocked off the street entirely and put on an impressive display of force there, and while we could never see the gay marchers, we found out they were diverted down a side street and contained therein.  We could however see all the police presence and sense the eeriness of the entire situation, and could gage from where the helicopters were just how close the marchers were getting.  

Our view was made even more impressive by getting to go up on the roof of the Roosevelt hotel, something that will probably never happen again anytime soon at least.  Thanks to JP again, we all got armbands and admission into the upper floor wrap party, where we all hung out and were given free drinks - save me of course, many of you know my aversion to alcohol, and tonight was no exception.  In fact, it was almost humorous as I approached the bar ("Hi, how ya doing?  Listen man, what have you got that's NON alcoholic?")  His list of options was slim (water, Sierra Mist, etc) so I took him up on a free Sierra Mist and enjoyed my soda.  After a few minutes, JP scored us an even better position getting us into the real VIP lounge upstairs and eventually we were able to use our clout all the way to get to the rooftop itself.  There we were, outside high above the city, looking down at the massive army of LAPD officers preparing for an onslaught of homosexuals, all reflecting on how we'd only been in LA for a few months and already had climbed higher up the ladder and been given more opportunities than we anticipated at this point.    It was an odd night of adventure and intrigue, from the movies we saw at the festival to the real-life gay version of Cloverfield that felt like it was taking place on our street, to the penthouses of the Roosevelt itself.  Needless to say we snapped a bunch of pictures in front of the media wall (you know, those white backdrops covered in sponsor ads that every celebrity gets photographed in front of) and had a very memorable evening all around, getting a taste of the Hollywood life and the current cultural mood of the city as well.  In retrospect, it was a sobering experience to once again realize we were no longer in Kansas, so to speak, and instead are standing on the edge of a precipice on the cutting edge of media and culture, and amongst us swarm all the agendas and worldviews that come with it.  

  

And The Award for Streetside Awareness Marketing Goes To...

Living in LA is unique from living in other large cities.  For one, we have a traffic problem known the world over, and boy, it's a doozy.  It only complicates matters for me in that I live about 2 miles from the major intersection of the 101 and the 110 (which feeds into the I-10)... and yes, those numbers do resembler binary code more than they do freeway designations, and they blur together too often for many drivers who end up on the wrong freeway.  (Seriously?  I-10 and 110 look identical... couldn't we just call the freeways "the 1", "the 2", and "the 3",  or at least some other combination of numbers besides the 1 and o and capital "i"?)  Actually come to think of it, I do use an actual freeway called "the 2" more times than not, so scratch that... we'll have to call them "the 1", "the 2.5" and "the 3".  There.  Problem solved. 

Anyway, all of this is well and good, but you quickly learn when living here that you have to schedule more driving time to reach destinations.  If it takes me 20 minutes to drive to someplace anywhere else in America, it could take me twice that amount of time or longer here in LA to drive the same distance.  I've found myself leaving the house at 5:30am to get to Santa Monica by 7am, and it's only 15 miles away... and you'd be surprised how many times I need the hour and a half I've given myself to actually make sure I can still get to my job on time.  

Well another unique thing about living in LA is the marketing for Hollywood here.  I've been to other big cities where you see the occasional billboard or ad for an upcoming movie or TV series.  But here, in the heart of Tinseltown itself, advertising is big business.  They know you'll be stuck in your car most mornings for a good 45 minutes or longer, so they bombard the freeways with billboards, bus stop posters, and even mobile advertising on the bus sidings.  I'll give you $100 of you can drive 2 miles in any given direction in LA and not be assaulted with some sort of movie or television promotional advertising.  So, I decided to hold a little experiment on my own time to see which films got the most advertising.  The rules were simple: over the course of 48 hours I tried to tally and count every advertisement I saw for any and all upcoming movies.  I figured I'd get a good idea of which films had the bigger advertising budgets based on which films I saw marketed most in this fashion.  Now I know this isn't the only form of advertising... TV spots, internet ads, newspaper space, magazine pages, etc are all used just as well.  But I wanted to see which films were really "taking it to the streets" so to speak, and plus, it gave me something to do on my morning commute.  Think of it as a giant game of "I, Spy" to keep yourself occupied while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the wonderful highways of Los Angeles.   So based on my research, here were my findings over the course of the 48 hour time window in which the experiment was conducted, in which all billboards, bus stop ads, and bus siding ads were accounted for.  See how many of the titles you recognize to determine for yourself if these films are being promoted properly, they're all either already out in theaters or coming out soon in December.  

Four Christmases: 16 ads

Bolt: 12 ads

Australia: 9 ads

Seven Pounds: 8 ads

Twilight: 6 ads

Madagascar II: 6 ads

Punisher: War Zone: 6 ads

The Tale of Despereaux: 6 ads

Yes Man: 4 ads

Quantum of Solace: 3 ads

Bedtime Stories: 3 ads

Valkyrie: 3 ads

Role Models: 2 ads

The Spirit: 2 ads

Body of Lies: 2 ads

Kung Fu Panda on DVD: 1 ad (and this sucker was a giant hand-painted display on the side of a building... see above picture... incredible.)

I guess it's fitting that Four Christmases was the number one film of the weekend, it also topped my little pole with the most visible examples of outdoor advertising.  You'll also note that films which have already been released, such as Quantum of Solace and Body of Lies don't have as many ads up, that's because once a film comes out they start covering most of the old ads out there with new ads for as-yet-unreleased movies.  Interestingly enough, two films I have not seen any outdoor ads for but have seen at least 3 or 4 television spots for each are Transporter 3 and The Day The Earth Stood Still... perhaps these films have chosen to dump all of their ad money into TV spots as opposed to outdoor marketing posters? Regardless, it was a fun little experiment, and I've even included a few pictures to show you what I'm talking about... most of the TV ads have died down since the new seasons started, and TV shows weren't part of my experiment this time around, so the old pictures of House and Heroes billboards/promotional posters are just to continue to paint you picture of life out here... 

Learning to Love LA, Snow Patrol Style

The last few months have been truly interesting for lack of a better word, and many of you who I've talked to over the phone have learned that I've developed a very close knit love-hate relationship with the city of Los Angeles.  For better or for worse, I'm currently here and that's where I'm going to be until the Lord in his infinite wisdom and timing leads me elsewhere.  This stay in LA could last less than a year or for the rest of my life.  Heck, the rest of my life might only be less than a year long, none of us can predict our future with certainty.  All that said, I've been listening to the "new" Snow Patrol album recently, and I put the word new in parenthesis because if you're a fan as I am of the Snow Patrol, the album is no longer really new, and you probably have all the new tracks memorized like me.  The title of the CD is "A Hundred Million Suns" and the first single is a track called "Take Back The City".  In effect, this song really captures how I feel about LA most of the time, particularly the part where is says this city is "a mess, a start, and a flawed work of art." Yet, this is "Your city, your call".  I couldn't have said it better myself, feeling called to be here amidst some of the most flawed works and people imaginable (myself certainly included!)  I have no idea the story behind the song, I doubt it was written for and about LA necessarily, but it moved me enough to blog about it, so without further ado, here are the lyrics to "Take Back The City".  

Take back the city for yourself tonight

I'll take back the city for me

Take back the city for yourself tonight

Whoa

God knows you put your life into its hands

And it's both cradled you and crushed

But now it's time to make your own demands

Whoa

All these years later and it's killing me

Your broken records in words

Ten thousand craters where it all should be

Whoa

No need to put your words into my mouth

Don't need convincing at all

I love this place enough to have no doubts

Whoa

It's a mess, it's a start

It's a flawed work of art

Your city, your call

Every crack, every wall

Pick a side, pick a fight

Get your epitaph right

You can sing, 'til you drop

'Cause the fun just never stops

I love this city tonight

I love this city always

It bears its teeth like a light

And spits me out after days

But we're all gluttons for it

We know what's wrong and what's right

For every time it's been hit

Take back the city tonight

Tell me you never wanted more than this

And I will stop talking now

One perfect partner, one eternal kiss

Whoa 

Take back the city for yourself tonight

I'll take back the city for me

Take back the city for yourself tonight

Whoa

It's a mess, it's a start

It's a flawed work of art

Your city, your call

Every crack, every wall

Pick a side, pick a fight

Get your epitaph right

You can sing, 'til you drop

'Cause the fun just never stops

I love this city tonight

I love this city always

It bears its teeth like a light

And spits me out after days

But we're all gluttons for it

We know what's wrong and what's right

For every time it's been hit

Take back the city tonight

I love this city tonight

I love this city always

So there you have it... for those who keep asking how best to pray for me, pray that by God's grace and hand of providence I'll be able to help truly Take Back The City.... 

Election Day in L.A. 2008

I snapped a few pics of the polling places I passed on the way to work on the morning of November 4th.  It seems like it was so long ago, but it's only been a few weeks since Americans elected Barack Obama their 44th President of the United States.  I'm not going to get caught up in a blog about what is or what could have been, what's done is done folks.  Anyway, I thought these pictures were kinda unique... a nice little slice of democracy and what it looks like, all that jazz, etc.  Anyway, better to post them late than never at all, right?  Enjoy. 

In Case You Missed It...

For those who didn't see with your own eyes but perhaps heard the rumors... well... here's the proof.  I dressed up as Martin Luther for Reformation Day (Pagans call it "Halloween"). Cheers.    

New Pictures of Life in LA

They say a picture says a thousand words, so until I can sit down and adequately write a thousand words about my most recent experiences, check out this album here to see what I've been up to lately.  Special Features include pictures from all of the following: You'll learn of the Reformation Party where I dressed as Martin Luther, you'll see pics of election day in LA, you'll marvel at the fun I'm having working for my uncle at Backyard productions on a Nasonex commercial, you'll see pics from the great gay LA riots of 2008, and you'll also catch a pic or two of yours truly partying in style atop the Roosevelt Hotel at the AFI film festival where we all got to attend the world premiere of Last Chance Harvey and see Dustin Hoffman.  Boo-yah!  Things are going well (and don't worry Mom, the pics may look a little interesting at times, but I didn't have a drink... promise).  I'll write a lot more later, until then.... 

A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben vs. Eli Stone

As many of you are aware, one of the first things I did upon arriving in Los Angeles was to sign up for Central Casting.  They provide all the background extras that you see on over 80% of the major network TV shows, and I figured it would be fun to have that as a work option.  Well the past two months I've called the hotline again and again only to find I either don't fit the profile or desire the job, in many cases both: "seeking Hispanic men in their 50's with tattoos to play strip club patrons on next week's episode of Dirty Sexy Money".  As you can see, this is the kind of prime time family entertainment being made out here.  Finally, last week I got through the phone lines and qualified to be a background extra on the ABC legal drama/comedy show Eli Stone.  If you've watched the show, then you know what's it about, if not, here's my attempt to sum it up:  Eli Stone is a young lawyer at a prominent firm who suffers from a hereditary brain aneurysm that causes him to have visions.  These visions are usually in the form of some sort of colorful hallucination, most involve singing or dancing of some sort, and they almost always give him the clues and/or answers as to which cases he should take.  He regularly seeks the advice of a Chinese acupuncturist to help him decipher these visions, and the show's creators treat Eli as if he's a sort of prophet sent to help those in need and point the way towards truth and justice.  Never mind that the prophetic insight comes from a scientific irregularity in his brain and not a divine source of wisdom... like God.  Nevertheless, it's usually a very colorful, creative, engaging show that seems to have caught on well and is rocking along in it's second season on ABC.  Since it's a legal show, most episodes end in the courtroom with Eli taking a pro bono stand for someone who otherwise wouldn't get the justice they deserve.  Well when I got the job, I was cast as "courtroom atmosphere", which means I'll be sitting in the gallery of the courtroom, observing the proceedings.  The show takes place in San Francisco in the fall, so we had to wear appropriate clothing, which meant light sweaters, layers etc.  Sure enough, I pulled off a business casual autumn look with a collared shirt, tie, and green v-neck sweater, and the directors liked my choice of wardrobe so much that they actually placed me right behind Jonny Lee Miller (the actor who plays Eli Stone) in the scene, so when the episode airs later this season, you ought to be able to see me just over the right of Eli's shoulder in almost every scene they film of him from the angles they were using.  I was initially excited about this, and still am kinda looking forward to seeing myself on TV, it's always a fun experience to be on something that thousands watch, and yet this episode left me more bothered than I anticipated.  Here's what happened basically:

The plot of this episode, which is entitled "Two Ministers", is apparently about a court case involving a United Methodist Pastor who had a sex change operation to become a woman.  Now I haven't read the full script and was only able to decipher some of this from the scenes I was in, and the bits of the dialogue that I heard.  I do know I was in the courtroom for the closing argument, and so I can go ahead and tell you how the episode ends: in a brilliant display of "tolerance".  Eli of course is defending the pastor, who is seeking monetary damages for being unjustly kicked out of his church once the elders found out he was having this operation.  The elders are painted as intolerant, bigoted, judgmental, and narrow-minded.  The Pastor is the victim here, and this is an excerpt from his final statement, which is to be the passionate center-piece of the episode.  Once again, I'm trying to recall this off the top of my head, but since we shot the scene about 8 times, I heard the speech well enough to memorize most of it:  The Pastor turns to the jury and says, "In Matthew 16, the disciples ask Jesus who he is, and he responds 'Who do you say that I am? Who are you?'... my whole life I've not known the answer to this question.  Then 3 years ago I embarked on a journey to free myself from this body of mine, a body that is a prison holding my soul.  I know my soul is saved from hell, but my body is holding me back here on earth.  I used the blessings and advancements God has given us through science and medicine to help me find my freedom.  Now, the prodigal son has returned home, seeking love, acceptance, and forgiveness.  I know who I am now... and by the way you pass your verdict today, I'll know who you are too."  Keith, a young black lawyer working with Eli on the case then approaches the pastor, and asks him: "what kind of verdict did you expect from your congregation when they found out about your operation?"... the pastor sighs, and responds, "acceptance.... love... understanding... the tolerance that constitutes the teachings of Christ."  This is the part where everyone acts like they're emotionally moved and then votes in favor of the plaintiff and awards the pastor lots of money.  Hurray, happy ending, everyone hugs and rejoices, and the episode ends... 

Obviously you can see where this is going.  Where do I even begin here?  First off, I want to be sincerely concerned for all those struggling with finding their identities in the body God gave them.  I may not personally be able to relate, but I do know it is a serious issue for some, and my heart goes out to them.  But Scripture is also clear on this issue.  Genesis 1:27 institutes this when God makes man "in his [God's] image, male and female he created them." (emphasis mine).  If we believe in the sovereignty of God, then we believe in a God that doesn't make mistakes when it comes to someone's gender.  He fashioned and created us to be who we are.  People who struggle with transgender issues and homosexuality have essentially done what all people do when they sin, they've told God they think they know better, in this case as it relates to sexual orientation and identity.  The Bible isn't grey on this issue though folks, it makes it quite clear in both the old (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, Genesis 19) and new (Romans 1:18-32) testament.  What upset me as well about this episode's script was the misrepresentation of Matthew 16.  Christ is never asked by his disciples who he is first, as the screenwriter has mistakenly claimed.  He also doesn't ask them "Who are you?" after asking them "Who do you say that I am".  Specifically, he asks them who He is because the whole passage is about Christ's deity, and the fulfillment of the Messiah prophecies in his person and existence.  To infer that this passage is no longer focused on Christ then is to take the meaning and focus of the text off of where it rightly belongs and to place it on fallen man.  I know who man is without even looking in scripture.  Look around, the doctrine of Total Depravity is proved by every human heart, and if you want an excellent concrete example, observe children... they know what's wrong from day one, they have to be taught what's right.  I'm getting off topic here though... all I'm trying to say is that here we have a case where a screenwriter is either severely misunderstanding and confusing the word of God because he hasn't properly had it taught to him or correctly done his own study of it... or something much more grave: an intentional perversion of God's word to fit an agenda.  I haven't met the screenwriter, so I can't make that call, but let me remind everyone that next time you hear from anyone that Hollywood doesn't have an agenda, think again.  This place has it's views and like soldiers in the first world war, they are dug in deep.  To get them to give an inch will require a work of God through his people taking the gospel to Hollywood.  We need people who know their stuff artistically and technically, and seek to make excellent films to the glory of God, and people who are not afraid to move out here and pursue careers in the industry.  I have all sorts of respect for those called to make films like Fireproof and Facing the Giants, that entertainment is necessary considering most of what Hollywood puts out in theaters these days, but I humbly would argue that to make a sub-culture of Christian films based and produced out of churches isn't going to make nearly as much of a potential impact as when believers take the message to the front lines of Hollywood itself.  Move to Los Angeles, come to Sunset Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd.  The mission field is right here, and it's ripe for harvest.  But as of now, the workers are certainly few.  Films reach people all over the world.  What would it look like if we had more believers in the industry, making films that promote redemptive stories of grace, truth, beauty, and good morals back into society?  I'm not saying we should make blatantly preachy films, but I am saying we should make good films.  Films like A Man For All Seasons and Chariots of Fire, both of which won Best Picture in the respective years they were made.  It's time for a reformation in the media world, and I'm out here to be a part of it.  If you have a passion for telling stories with the visual medium of filmmaking, won't you join me? 

I can promise it will make a difference.  And I can already see how badly this town is in need of it.  Let's go back to the Eli Stone episode.  The extras all talked amongst ourselves when they weren't filming, and the views that came out where incredibly inaccurate in the way they viewed Christianity, the church, and the messages of Scripture.  One lady said she thought tolerance was the best policy.  She didn't want to vote Yes on Proposition 8, which would define marriage as between only a man and a woman.  In fact, this whole town wants to vote No from the majority of the stickers and posters I've seen.  They want to codify homosexual marriage, and their rationale for doing such shows how many have been handed over to a debased mind (Romans 1).  Another lady said she thought of voting yes, but then thought 'what if I have a child who turns out to be gay?'.  This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of homosexuality as well, thinking you're born with the gay or lesbian orientation.  The conversation over gay marriage, brought up specifically by this episode's content on the transgender pastor and his plea for tolerance, led way to a discussion over the sanctity of life.  At one point a gentleman in the room went so far as to say he thought abortion should be federally enforced on religious families to keep them from perpetuating what he saw as "harmful teachings which are holding out country back from it's progressive future."  Another person simply joked that any woman who's had a child and been through the experience of raising children should wish now that she had an abortion instead, which received a round of laughter.  Another proposition on the ballot this election in California is Proposition 4 which would make it against the law for a minor to seek an abortion without gaining parental consent.  Many commercials have aired in the LA trying to make a claim that this endangers the safety and possibly the life of the minor if she lives with abusive or violent parents.  They urge voters to vote "no" because they want these girls to have the right to a quiet abortion without having to tell anyone.  Essentially, you can abort a life from your womb without parental consent, but you still have to have a note from your parents before you can get an Advil from the school nurse.  This is the state of things out here and the majority view in Los Angeles so far based on what I've seen.  I was speechless in the midst of all of this, and keeping in mind that the discussion was anything but a civil discourse on the issues (I've actually edited many of the comments to remove foul language and crude remarks) where people chimed in simply to stir the pot of hatred and vitriol flung at believers, I determined the best plan of action in this case wasn't to try and take everyone else in the room on with my views based on God's word, but simply listen politely and silently pray for these people, for this town, and for this industry.  The views they hold are certainly not in accordance with God's word, and they are dug in deep in those views.  I'm out here to make a difference in that, by God's grace.  Is every episode of every show like this?  Of course not.  But on this episode of Eli Stone, an agenda came out, quite clear and simple.  And for a state like California and industry like Hollywood that prides itself on being so progressive and setting the pace for as well as mirroring the culture, that's something to be concerned about. 

Watch for yourself (and see me on TV!) when Eli Stone, Season 2 Episode 9 entitled "Two Ministers" airs later this year on ABC.  Probably sometime in late December/Early January is my guess... 

A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben's Reasons For Moving to Hollywood

So, many of you have been inquiring as to my health and wellness out here in sunny Los Angeles, (where I'm proud to report that the weather is finally getting cooler... yesterday our high of 90 became a nice chilly 82 by the end of the day.  See?  We have seasons), and I must admit I've been absent from the blog boards lately.  I've been keeping my amateur film review blog rolling along pretty well, and just added my latest review for Changeling the other day, I film that I highly recommend.  You can read it here. As far as how I'm actually doing though, this little story has been a long time coming, but here goes:

Like 3 weeks ago, my roommate JP (pictured above at the grave of Cecil B. DeMille) and I decided to go spend the afternoon in Hollywood and see the sights we've so far just drove past or avoided altogether, basically we finally did some of the more touristy stuff we swore we'd never do (haha, that's what we get for swearing, right?).  Ironically and somewhat morbidly, one of the more touristy things and first things we did was go to Hollywood Forever, a famous cemetery in town.  This is where some of the most famous directors, actors, and various other household names from the early days of Hollywood are buried, and as such it's become a sort of tourist destination.  We thought it would neat to see the final earthy resting places of such famed directors as John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The African Queen), and Cecil B. DeMille, (The Ten Commandments, also appeared in Sunset Boulevard as himself), and actors like Douglas Fairbanks (silent film star of The Thief of Bagdad), Rudolph Valentino (huge silent film star of virtually everything else), and Tyrone Power (The Mark of Zorro).  Being big film school nerds we were pretty excited and enjoyed (as much as one can) touring the cemetery.  I was struck by a few thoughts, some of them slightly profound:  

Obviously, all of these people are dead.  They've turned to ash and returned to the dust of the ground, it's been a long time since they were  "appointed to die once and after that, face judgement" as Hebrews 9:27 tells us.  I can't tell you for sure which ones are currently spending an eternity in heaven and which ones sadly are not, but I can guess that the majority would unfortunately be the latter category.  It struck me as well that while these people are gone, they remain with us in a very unique way.  Think about it: no other art form on earth that I'm aware of can capture a person as completely as film can.  The irony here is that they were actors, so who we see on screen in the films they've left behind is rarely the real person they were.  But still, we have their movements, speech patterns & voices (for those who weren't silent film stars at least), facial expressions, and personalities recorded for all time in a unique medium that people still watch today.  You can turn on many stations on Christmas as see James Stewart playing George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life.  People still recognize and know who he is, and always will.  Granted, he'll be frozen in that role he played and the body he had back in 1946, but still you have to admit, that's incredible.  The paintings of Monet, the writings of Dickens, and the symphonies of Mozart have been with us as well in unique ways, but the performances of film actors are recorded in such a way that I find extremely comprehensive and compelling in a way few other art forms can be.  

So what's my point?  Well first off, these works of art won't last forever either.  Only one work of art will, and it's the book of Holy Scriptures, the Bible.  People's souls will too, they are like rays in math class, they have a firm beginning, but no end.  Everything else on this earth is like a line segment with a clear beginning and end.  Some art, some names, are lost to history and never remembered by the masses in the way others are.  But for those who stand the test of time, there is a unique chance to continue to impact lives long after theirs has ended.  Think of what Martin Luther (a great current example as October 31st approaches) did all those years ago.  His writings and convictions still encourage, inspire, and yes, even infuriate many to this day.  He left a legacy that made an impact for the kingdom.  What have these men and women in Hollywood left behind?  An impact, yes, but for what?  The history of cinema?  The world of art?  These impacts are still just as temporal as the men and women who left them.  They will be forgotten and left behind at the end of time as we know it.  Only what is done for the kingdom will matter.  And that's why I'm out here... to combine the two loves and interests I have impacting the world of art and yet also leave a greater legacy in that sphere: an impact for the kingdom.   I've heard it said that you can influence someone from afar, but can only impact them from an up-close and personal experience.  That's why I believe in what I'm attempting to do here in Los Angeles.  I believe we're called to take the gospel to the culture and impact it where it is.  I know some have a calling to bring art into the church, and I admire the heart and effort behind such attempts in those cases where the attempt is spiritually sound and appropriate for acceptance in times of corporate worship.  But I also would say that the so-called emergence of some theologies that have sacrificed the principles, doctrines, and teachings of scripture as they attempt to court the culture have only left the church in a worse place than before to effectively communicate this gospel message to the world.  I'm out here to hopefully pursue a calling and career in Hollywood itself, and to help the efforts of other like minded believers seeking to transform the culture from within.  Paul exhorts us to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds... likewise, the church ought not conform to the culture, but seek to transform it by the renewing of those spheres in which the culture has dug it's claws deep, be it politics, media, science, medicine, business, athletics, education, etc.  I have huge respect for those in the full time service of the ministry of the church, but I would simply challenge more people to follow me out here to Hollywood, to help in this battle to influence hearts and minds for the good of the kingdom, to see people transformed for eternity.  So that's it basically, that's my reasoning and rationale for being where I am and doing what I do.  It's also because I love it, obviously I feel called to take the reins of a filmmaker and use the power of film to tell stories both visually and using dialogue to influence (and hopefully impact) audiences with my worldview.  And it's crucial for more of us to be here.  A survey done by George Barna has shown that while 80% of people can remember the plots of films they saw over two months ago, indeed, they can even recall entire passages of the scripts from those films, only 20% of the same people interviewed who said they regularly attend church can remember the theme of the sermon preached that week in a Sunday service.  I'm not advocating pastors change what they're doing at all or spice up their sermons with video presentations, the proclamation of God's word is still the highest earthly calling there is.  I'm just saying that in many ways (and I don't say this proudly or to brag either) tomorrows filmmakers will be impacting in a way that todays teaching pastors simply cannot, if current trends continue.  

Now I'm different from most kids that go to film school.  I was raised on classics, and believe many of the best films Hollywood has made were made before 1965.  I like to listen to sermons and consider myself somewhat of an intellectual.  I read things, and that includes books with chapters and no pictures too.  Many of those graduating from schools today that I've talked to don't give a flip about classic literature or classic film.  They aren't religious and if they are, many swing towards the more liberal end of the theological spectrum.  They hate history and reading.  They only want to make films that are edgy, or continue to prolong the current trends and stereotypes that reflect the postmodernism and relativism that our culture exalts.  Am I saying that everyone who makes art films or music videos is a fool or has no greater intellect or inspiration?  Absolutely not.  They are simply called to communicate on different levels and to different individuals than I feel I am.  That's one of the beauties of this medium: film can be used to teach, provoke thought, entertain, move, or challenge many different audiences on many different levels.  Unfortunately in the wrong hands films can also be used to defame, exploit, sexually arouse, attack and misrepresent certain viewpoints and subjects.  Once again, it's not the camera itself that is good or evil... that's amoral.  It's the attitude of the heart of the man or woman with the title "director", "screenwriter", "artist", "producer", or "actor/actress" that makes the difference.  That's why when people tell me "Ben, you know everything in Hollywood is evil, what are you doing out there?", I have to hold my tongue and remind myself that they've bought into this horrible picture of what this place is.  Now I'll readily admit that it's not the same Hollywood of the 1950s.  They don't make nearly as many To Kill A Mockingbirds and It's A Wonderful Lifes as they used to.  They certainly make more Brokeback Mountains and Saws than our culture needs.   There has been a shift in thought and worldview out here as the media has pursued a more liberal and homosexual agenda than before, that's all true.  But it's no reason to give up on this place.  The last few years have also seen the acceptance and success of such films as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Passion of the Christ.  It was only a little over 28 years ago that a film like Chariots of Fire actually won best picture, the highest award given out by the industry.  This place is completely capable of recapturing some of it's past splendor and once again telling stories with moral significance to a generation of Christ-followers.  But in order to do that we need more screenwriters and directors to come out of the church and move out here to help make it happen.  We need actors who will use their platform of celebrity for good and not for frivolous and trivial issues.  We need more believers, less skeptics and haters.  So yeah... all of this was going on in my head as we walked around this graveyard and I reflected on eternity and my calling as an artist and what that means.  Hope it wasn't too heavy for any of you.  Haha.  I blog because I care.  Thanks for reading. 

A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben vs. Ed Harris

So this story is about two weeks overdue.  Out here in Hollywood, they have a chain of movie theaters (2 locations actually, not sure if that really constitutes a chain, but anyways...) called Arclight theaters.  When you go see a movie at Arclight, you're going to see a movie in the best conditions possible.  For example, they have "black-box" presentations, which basically means that every single light source other than the screen in front of you is blacked out completely, which in turn totally sucks you into the movie.  The screen seems brighter because there are no exit signs, aisle lights, etc to give you any sense of being in a typical movie theater (some day I'm sure I'll blog about the dangerous side of this... like what if you suddenly really DO need to find an emergency exit???)  They also use Kinoton projectors (just trust me, it's as impressive as it sounds) and custom JBL sound systems with Academy Award winning technology engineered to exceed THX standards, especially for sound isolation.  Seats are wider, armrests are double wide, there is assigned seating, no in-theater advertising, no late seating (like 5 minutes after a film starts they don't allow anyone else in...), they have cozy cafes and bars in their main lobbies, gift shops with film memorabilia on sale, exhibits on display to correlate with current movies that displays costumes, artwork, photographs, and posters, etc, etc, etc.... it's like, there's going to the movies, and then there's GOING to the movies... Arclight is the latter.  Seriously probably the best theater going experience you're ever going to have.  They also constantly have special screenings of classic films (saw The Godfather there last week... and it was awesome) and also do a lot of special events where they host the director of a film for a unique Q&A after the movie is over.  This is one of those events I'm about to tell you about... 

As some of you know, I went to go see the new western film Appaloosa two weeks ago, which I liked very much, you can read my full review on my other blog where I actually review films by clicking here.  Anyway, so I'm excited to see the film, and my roommate and wingman J.P. is with me as well, and we're off to Sherman Oaks to see the directors screening at the Arclight there.  It's kinda a shame really, the Arclight in Hollywood is much closer to us (like 4 miles) while the other Arclight, the Sherman Oaks location, is like 16 miles away.  Well we left our place in Echo Park around 6:45 to see a 7:30 movie, thinking 45 minutes is plenty of time to drive to Sherman Oaks on a Thursday night.  Wrong.  We got to the parking garage at 7:30, and I'm freaking out because I know they don't let you in 5 minutes after the film starts screening.  It takes us like 10 minutes to find a parking spot, then another 5 just to walk the length of the mall (seriously, it's like the worst designed thing in the world: have to walk around the exterior of the main building, passing all these outdoor food court hangouts, then through a P.F. Changs and Cheesecake Factory, up three escalators, and then finally, you're at the front door of the Arclight).  We had bought tickets a week early, which was to our benefit, because the film was sold out when we got there.  It was also to our benefit, because then the ticket guy wasn't gonna let us in, the manager walked by, saw that we had bought tickets early, and after we groveled a little and made up a laundry list of excuses (we're new to the area, we're not familiar with L.A. traffic, here's a 20, etc) he graciously let us in.  We fumbled around in the dark to find out seats on the third row (which really wasn't as bad as it sounded) and tried to enjoy the movie.  I'm still not sure what the first ten minutes were about, we missed that part (whereas any other theater in America we would have walked in right when the advertising ended and the previews started for another 15 minutes before the actual film began).  

To make a long story a little shorter, there were two seats to my right separating me from the aisle, and while the seat immediately next to me was vacant the whole film, the aisle seat itself had an elderly gentleman sitting in it.  Well about 30 minutes before the movie ends, the gentleman gets up and leaves.  Then like 5 minutes later a theater employee comes over and tapes me on the shoulder, asking if the two seats next to me are open.  I say yes without considering that our elderly friend may return, and when I look back to my left J.P. reminds me of that, saying "hey, wasn't there a guy sitting right ---" and he stops mid-sentence.  His eyes get real big.  I look back to my right again to see what caused my friend to fall silent and am greeted with an eye-full of Ed Harris himself.  Wearing blue jeans, a sport jacket over a T-Shirt, glasses, and a baseball cap pulled down low over his face, Mr. Harris slides into the aisle seat.  I'm sitting less than 3 feet from the director and star of Appaloosa, which I'm also nervously trying to watch on the big screen in front of me.  I glance up at the screen, see Harris in character as Virgil Cole deliver a tough line about upholding the law in the old west, then glance back to my right and see the man himself sitting next to me.  It's kinda a surreal experience.  I didn't know if I was supposed to laugh out loud at some parts (the film does have quite a bit of humor) and suddenly became very conscious of the fact that Ed Harris may very well be monitoring my level of enjoyment towards his film, curious to see how an audience reacts to certain parts.  About 15 minutes later, right before the end of the film, another gentleman sits down in the open seat that separates me and Ed.  I later learned that this man was Robert Knott, who produced and co-wrote the film with Ed Harris.  Anyway, right before the end credits rolled, the final shot is of one of the characters riding off into the sunset (classic western motif, gotta love it...) and as the closing lines of voice over narration are given, suddenly Mr. Harris raises his hands to about shoulder level, palms upward, sort-of in one of those poses that communicates "what the heck just happened?" and "I'm waiting...." all at the same time.  Mr. Knott also raises his hands in a quizzical gesture, and they both freeze and hold this pose for about 2 minutes.... JP and I are still trying to figure out what just happened... haha.  It was like they were either a) waiting for the audience to applaud or something, b) confused by the ending and unsatisfied with the presentation, or c) randomly just decided to strike a pose.  It turned out that the gesture was produced on the spot because the film we saw wasn't the final version.  Ed was raising his hands because he was waiting for more voice over narration, they actually had one or two more paragraphs of narration they had recorded late in the post-production period to tack onto the ending, and the screener we saw didn't have this last tidbit of dialogue included.  Pity.  But it was funny sitting next to him and watching his body language and seeming puzzlement over the ending to his own movie.  

Well the director's Q&A rolls around, they turn on the lights in the theater and bring out some of those classic fold out wooden directors seats for Ed and Robert to sit in.  Then out comes this dorky little guy from Arclight to ask some questions.  And boy was he terrible.  One of the first things he asked was what Ed thought of a recent review that ran for the film in the New York times that morning which called it a "sex comedy" because of the love triangle created by the three main characters and the humorous dialogue exchanged between them.  Ed looked completely taken aback at this description, much like everyone else in the theater (I can assure you this film is anything but a "sex comedy" dear reader!) and slowly raises the microphone to growl into it "you see, that's why I don't read reviews... because of what you just told me.  Now I'm gonna have that idiot's description stuck in my f---ing head- I mean.... sex comedy?  SEX COMEDY?  What the hell man!???"  The audience approves his anger at this claim with laughter and the nervous interviewer moves on... "um, don't you think that you and Viggo had some unique comedic chemistry in this film, kinda like Laurel and Hardy?"... blank death stares from Harris... nervous interviewer: "Or maybe what about the sexual tension felt between the two characters here... I mean, these guys are acting like a married couple at times"  Harris rolls his head and eyes in an exaggerated gesture to show how stupid this question is, then growls into the mic once more: "hey look man, we're not on the mountain, and there are no sheep around." which (surprisingly, considering how "tolerant" this town is of homosexual lifestyles) the crowd gives his answer both a roar of approval and a round of applause.  (That's right... Brokeback Mountain may have had it's audience, but it's not the same audience as Appaloosa, and to even infer any homosexual undertones in this film is to step over the line from what the director intended folks).  Anyway, the interview goes on just fine, we learn some interesting tidbits about the filming process and how the film was adapted from a book, etc, and then suddenly Ed does what I hate seeing celebrities do: takes a platform he's been given to talk about subject "A" and uses it instead to talk about subject "B".  You can probably guess what I'm referring to: Harris brings up his political views.  

Now I'll listen to the man talk about movies.  He's directed two of them, and acted in many more.  I think he's a great actor, very powerful on screen (and in real life too - he's just as forward, blunt, and straight-edged as the roles he plays in films like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Truman Show, The Abyss, and Gone Baby Gone).  But when he opens his mouth and says "hey, I don't wanna get all political or anything, but come this November, let's all make sure we get out and vote... OK?"  I was kinda bothered, but happy that was apparently all he was gonna say.  Ok, you've got your plug in for voting, lets get back to talking about the movie we just saw.  Right?  wrong.  A few minutes later he comes out full force when he goes way off topic to talk about a little thing called proposition 4.  Here's the short version of his ridiculous rant: "Hey, real quick, I don't wanna get all political, but lemme tell you about this thing called Proposition 4 coming up on the ballot... my wife works as a volunteer with this Feminists of America thing, and I just got back from one of their meetings, so listen up... they're trying to pass a law that says you have to have parental consent to get an abortion if your a minor... think about this folks.  They're saying that if you're a 16 year old girl and you get pregnant, and your mom is dead, your dad is a mean alcoholic son-of-a-b---h who you know will beat the crap out of you if he finds out you're pregnant... they're saying in that situation you can't go to a close friend, a school worker, social worker, a priest or nun or something and say 'hey, I got this problem, will you help me out and drive me to the clinic to get this thing taken care of'... they're trying to do that to us folks.  Take away that poor girl's right to choose safely and on her own.  So just think about that when you go vote... and also think about how we can get rid of this G-d d--ned current administration and help bring in the new world order"  Well so much for not getting political Mr. Harris.  I lost a lot of respect for the man.  Seriously, first off, the scenario he cooks up is so ridiculous it would take an actor to imagine it. In his scenario he thinks the girl could get a priest or nun to help her?  Hello, have you talked to any Catholics about abortion lately?  They're the most staunchly pro-life people on planet earth.  Apparently Ed missed that memo.  And of course this all boils down to an issue that could have been easily solved if the 16 year old girl kept her pants on to begin with.  They don't want to restrict the sexual promiscuity of the culture at all, oh no, they would rather just abort the baby and keep living it up.  I think Prop 4 is a good rule, think about it: you have to have parental consent to go to the school nurse and get an Advil these days at most schools.  You're telling me this girl has to have family approval to get over-the-counter medication for a simple headache, but she doesn't have to check with the folks first before she terminates a life growing inside of her?  Wow... now I don't wanna get all political, but Ed Harris is a toolbag when it comes to politics.  As I said, I'll listen to any actor talk about acting, just like I'd listen to a mechanic talk about cars: it's what they know.  But the attitude amongst celebrities that they're more politically savvy than the masses has to go.  The vast majority get their information from the same magazines, websites, and cable news shows I do, they don't have any experience in the realm of politics that I don't, so why do they carry themselves like God's chosen prophets of politics when it comes to these issues?  It's not that I don't agree with their politics that bothers me (although that does have a little something to do with it, I'm sure) but its the simple fact that I paid to come see a western and hear how it was made, not to hear Ed Harris rant his political leanings for the whole theater to hear that have nothing to do with the movie.  I HATE it when celebrities talk about things they're not qualified or even expected to talk about during interviews or special appearances.  I know he has freedom of speech, but it's not what I paid for and I'm not appreciative of celebrities who use their platforms in such a way.  

Anyway, the evening winded down and I waited in a line to go up and shake his hand.  Regardless of his political rant, he's still a good director and actor and I wanted to tell him how much I appreciated his handling of the western genre.  Most folks in line just wanted him to autograph some old copy of The Abyss, which you could tell he was kinda sick of doing.  When I got to the front of the line I simply shook his hand and said, "Mr Harris, I'm a huge fan of a good western, and you didn't disappoint me with Appaloosa.  Thanks for the great movie sir"  Hearing this, he kinda perked up in personality and we even had a little "moment" where we kinda had a genuine exchange, he smiled and said, "Oh really, you're a fan of the genre?  what films do you like that are westerns?" and I enthusiastically responded "Oh you know, I loved The Searchers and Unforgiven and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance among others".  He grinned at and repeated my last selection, "Oh yeah, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is great isn't it?"  I smiled and asked him politely at that point if he wouldn't mind autographing my ticket stub for Appaloosa, he kinda chuckled and said "I guess I could..." in sort-of a joking manner, and there you have it: I have a ticket stub that now reads "To Benjamin, Happy Trails! Ed Harris."  Hahaha.  What a night it was.   I didn't appreciate the man's political speech, but the rest of the event was rather memorable.  Sat next to the the guy whose film I was watching.  How many times can you say that while you're watching a movie?  ;-)

A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben vs. The Los Angeles Public Library

So anyone who knows me well knows that I have this crazy love for libraries.  I promise I'm not a nerd... well not a big one anyways, but what's wrong with loving libraries?  They're free resources to go get books, music, films, etc, practically any piece of information you could ever want.  Los Angeles county has like over 70 branches to their library system, and with one little library card, I get access to all of them (can't you just hear the glee in my voice?... of course you can't, you're not hearing my voice as I read this out loud.... but if you DID, oh man... there's an unhealthy amount of glee in my voice... and an unhealthy amount of ellipses in my typing... but I digress).  Long story short, I live real close to the Echo Park branch (because I live, after all, in Echo Park) and it's not uncommon for me to scamper over to the library (wow... did I just use the word "scamper"?... and MORE ellipses?... uncanny) and spend the better portion of the day sitting, waiting, wishing (and other activities shared by Jack Johnson for those of you who picked up on that pop culture reference there) and of course, reading.  I discovered that while the Echo Park branch is nice, I live like less than 3 miles from the Central Library, which is the big one downtown.  I decided to try it out, and I'm not lying when I say it's the largest and most impressive library I've ever been in.  I just wish I could have found it sooner and parked in the right parking lot. 

You see, downtown LA is a labyrinth of streets and avenues that are difficult to drive at night, and I had already gone on line and gotten directions to the library before heading down there.  According to the LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) website, you can park in the garage on S. Flower St. and get validated parking, which means you only have to pay like $1 for 4 hours or something great like that.  So I follow my GPS (I still want to name her, I'm open to suggestions too.  She's got this sweet female voice that doesn't mind telling me when I've made wrong turns and am acting like a irrational male behind the steering wheel).  My GPS takes me all the way to S. Flower St. and I'm thinking, great, I'll just park in the deck here and then walk to the library.  So my roommate JP (who is my wingman on this adventure) and I park and go searching for the library.  I'm excited to see what they have on foreign films, and JP is looking for some Joseph Campbell books.  We exit the parking garage at 7:10pm and head for the library which closes at 8:00pm.  We quickly discover that we have no earthly clue where the library is and then a thought hits me which makes me laugh.  You remember in Spanish class when they taught you phrases and sentences you thought you'd never use in day to day life?  Well it just so happens that LA is 52% Spanish speaking (seriously, it's out of control.  West Palm was a joke compared to this) and so you have to realize that any stranger you approach my speak Spanish and not English (which last time I checked is still the official language in the good 'ole US of A).  I laughed because I remember learning the Spanish phrase for "Where is the Library?" which is "Donde esta la biblioteca?" and thinking to myself, good grief, when am I ever going to say that to anyone "en espanol"?  Well, thank you Mrs. Mullis for your teaching, because thanks to you I finally found the appropriate setting for this display of impressive linguistics.  I was able to ask a few kindly old men for help in locating to Library, both in English and in Spanish, and I finally found it, about 20 minutes later.  So now it's 7:30 and we only have a half hour to look around.  A bit of nerdy film trivia: On the way to the library, we actually passed the shooting location for the season 1 finale of "Heroes", I recognized that red circular stairwell thingy, one of those pieces of modern art they put in the middle of big cities.  Anyway, for those of you who watch the show, it's where Hiro, Peter, Sylar, practically everyone fight at the end of season 1.  For those of you who don't watch the show... I have nothing to say to you to defend my nerdiness.  

Anyway, the Central Library is like 6 stories tall, and have some crazy floors with cool displays, more books than you could... well, than you could fill a library with frankly, and an entire room of music and film that I of course took to like a moth to a bug zapper.  The library elevator is kinda cool too, I dunno why but I have to mention this: it's a glass elevator, but the walls are "wallpapered" with old index cards from the old card catalog (for those readers who are younger and never had the joy and privilege of searching for books in old card catalogs, you really missed out on some crazy fun times, let me assure you.)  Anyway, we spend the better part of an hour (the last half hour the library is open to be precise) enjoying the library and pretending to be scholarly and more smart than we really are.  We end up checking out som books and films, and it's off to the parking garage to leave.  But first I must validate my parking.  I hand the guy my ticket, he looks at it and says, "sorry, you parked in the wrong lot".  You've got to be kidding me.  A few more exchanges of dialogue with this man and I learn that I parked in the lot on S. Flower St., just the WRONG lot.  Dang.  Oh well.  Live and learn, right?  I guess I'll still pay like $1 because we've only been there for a little over half and hour, right?  WRONG.  I walk back to the garage on S. Flower St., the one they apparently don't tell you is the wrong one, and attempt to leave.  As I drive up to the little automated toll booth, I insert my parking ticket and the machine tells me I owe more than a dollar.  In fact I owe like $15.  (I must refrain from using bad language at this point, but suffice it to say I am greatly perturbed by the lack of clearly marked signs and/or the lack of absolutely free parking in and around the LA county area).  It turns out that the deck charges $3 for every 10 minutes (that's where this city must make the big money... that, and the overpriced movie theaters) and so since I entered around 7:10 and am leaving around 8:00, I owe $15 for 50 minutes of parking.  Insane.  If there had been a person there I would have told them that.  But alas, it was only a machine, and the gate wouldn't go up until I paid the $15 by swiping my debit card in the little slot, the one marked "Haha, you're not from the area are you? Sucker!"  Well I certainly hope the LAPL is happy.  Because I could have gone to Borders and BOUGHT the book I checked out for free with the money I spent on parking.  Shame on you S. Flower St. parking garage.  A curse upon you and your automated parking fees.  Ah well... live and learn, right?  This ain't Birmingham.