I was working on a commercial on the grounds of CAA’s World Headquarters, marveling at how many stories of glass and concrete a small group of people could afford who make their living off the work of others, when the first A.D. yelled, “That’s lunch! One hour!” I queued up to the catering truck, eagerly…
Holy smokes did we have a dilemma at the Brakeman household. It started a few days ago when the kids found out that I would be working on a PetSmart commercial. I had tried to keep this secret from them, for reasons that will become obvious, but their little snoopy eyes are everywhere. When they…
As the Unofficial Chronicler of all things Southern California, I recently had the pleasure of spending a day at the Redondo Beach Pier, or the Land That Time Forgot. Let’s get some business out of the way. The Redondo Beach Pier is conveniently located in Redondo Beach, and by the ocean. Coincidence? I think not.…
As the unofficial long-winded, self-proclaimed expert on all things lengthy in Southern California, I feel it is long past the time to address the elephant in the Basin: Long Beach. Ahh, Long Beach. The forgotten cradle of Western civilization. Long has the city with Beach in its name hungered for recognition as a cultural icon…
Here in Los Angeles, everyone wants a massage all the time. To hear people talk, you’d think that it ranks right after air on the list of basic human needs. The problem is, where to go? It seems like there are only two types of massages available in the Great Southern California Basin. The first…
Here is something that happens every October in Southern California that I’ll bet most of the country never has to experience: a heat wave. Temps are forecasted to be in the 100’s by this weekend. Oh goodie. Everyone else has already broken out the winter wardrobe, and rotated the liquor cabinet to bring those…
As the Unofficial Historian and Expert of All Things Southern California, I want to make it clear that while Disneyland may be the “Happiest Place On Earth,” the place everyone wants to see is The Playboy Mansion. That, truly, is the “place where dreams are made of [sic].” Some time ago, I had the honor…
When people think of Los Angeles, they probably envision endless miles of concrete, infinite strip malls that test the definitions of beige, and a Kardashian snapping a selfie on every corner. But if you ever get lost on the 210 Freeway, and take an off-ramp with the hopes of finding not only your way, but…
One current jewel of the great Southern California Basin is trendy, trendy Culver City, located near the Eastern border checkpoints blocking the way into the desirable West Side. If you bypass Checkpoint Charlie, and sneak in through the still active oil fields of Baldwin Hills, you can find this hip and in-demand town firmly nestled…
The “Other” Valley – the San Gabriel Valley “Where in the hell is the valley?” As the unofficial historian and self-proclaimed expert on all things Southern California, I completely understand the confusion. The problem for those without tans and agents is there are so many valleys. Too many. There is The Valley (which we covered last week),…
Forrest Brakeman 