Be Sweet

One of the major draws of living in Los Angeles is being in a city that impacts the rest of the planet. Like it or not, the entertainment industry, centered in Los Angeles, influences seven billion people around the globe every single day.

My friend Alex Mebane has been working in Hollywood for years, and is currently assembling funding for Be Sweet - a G rated comedy. 

How many comedies are there that are funny and appropriate for 9 year olds, and 90 year olds? Be Sweet is trying to fill an huge void that our friends at the Big Six studios all too often ignore.

As Alex says on his site: 

"Be Sweet is the story of a hot tempered soccer coach who gets kicked out of his daughter's U-10 league. So in order to still be a part of her life, he dresses up like his mother to attend her games and ends up being the coach again, but with a slightly different perspective.

"I've been playing the "Sister" character since 1985 (based on an older lady I met at her garage sale) and often thought it would be a fun character for a film. Also, for the past 14 years, I've been a youth soccer referee and I've heard parents yell some crazy things. I often write them down. So last summer, I wrote a film that combines the two!

I have two daughters that played from kindergarten through high school and my wife and I loved every minute of it. We've all seen the nutty parents at kid's soccer games. Heck, we've all been the nutty parents at soccer games. I want to make a film that captures that misdirected passion and show what happens when you have to, well...be nice...be kind...Be Sweet.

"If you're like me, you probably miss the live action fun, family, G-rated movies of the past. I think we can make a film that's funny and entertaining for all ages, without having to make it vulgar or crass."

So how do films get funded? Funny you should ask. Be Sweet is using Kickstarter to raise the funds. 

So take a risk, click on the link and donate a dollar (or five). How cool would it be to not only see this film, but say "hey, I helped fund this project." 

It's easy enough to bemone the lack of quality family friendly films. Here's an opportunity to support one. 

Another way of experiencing L.A. - where ever on the planet you might live. 

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com


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On Campus and on the Farm at Cal Poly Pomona

Earlier this week I was 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles - in Pomona. Above, the large agricultural area that's part of the Cal Poly Pomona university campus. The pumpkin patch opens October 19th. Information can be found here. More on that in a bit. 

I was staying with friends near Santa Monica. This is driving past downtown Los Angeles along the Santa Monica - "the 10" - Freeway. Fortunately, once I got past downtown, I was driving against traffic. Not so good for those driving in east from the San Gabriel Valley - and beyond. On my left, the office towers of downtown Los Angeles. 

On my right, "Glory Church of Jesus Christ" - located at the former Olympic Auditorium, built for the 1932 Olympics. While there are literally hundreds of Korean and Korean-American churches throughout Los Angeles, this location along the Santa Monica Freeway (or simply "the 10") is certainly the most visible. 

Cal Poly Pomona, located the intersection of the 10 (San Bernardino) and 57 (Orange) Freeways. 

Cal Poly Pomona is just one of the twenty-three campuses that makeup the massive California State University system.  With over 430,000 thousand students, and an annual budget of $7.2 billion dollars, it is the largest university system in the United States. 

People in other parts of the country (or world) have a hard time understanding this, but thanks to a Mediterranean climate, rain in Los Angeles in October is extremely rare. Nice little needed downpour for about a hour. It actually snowed in the mountains just above the campus. 

The administration building was featured in the 1997 science fiction film "Gattaca." Never saw it, but I refer to this as the "Gattaca Building."

Sycamore Trees on campus. A little know fact is Sycamores, along with California Live Oaks, are the only trees native to Southern California. Palm trees, along with everything else, are from elsewhere. 

Speaking of "from elsewhere," according to a wikipedia article, "Cal Poly Pomona has over 1,000 visa-bearing international students. The majority of them come from Asia, but many others also come from Mexico, Russia, Morocco, Germany, and Zimbabwe,"

While the campus has only 3% African American, otherwise it's very diverse ethnically, in many ways reflecting the rest of Los Angeles - with no single group constituting a "majority" - that is, over 50% of the student body. The largest minority group is Latino 35%, followed by Asian-American 30%, followed by White 23%. 

I had a few minutes in-between appointments. Above, the campus library. Not sure about the escalator. What? The university doesn't want students getting worn out walking up a flight of stairs?

Birds of Paradise, the official flower of the City of Flower, on campus. Betcha didn't know that L.A. had an official flower. Here's a link to some thoughts from a previous post. 

Palm trees and the Gattaca Building - and heading toward my car. 

Driving out, I spotted some eye catching sun flowers. I had a few minutes and decided to stop and see what it was all about. The flowers, the row of palm trees, and rolling hills together capture the beauty that is Southern California. 

While Cal Poly Pomona is very much part of the Los Angeles metro area, the campus covers a massive 1,438 acres - over two square miles. 

No, this is not rural Pennsylvania. I had no idea that Cal Poly Pomona had this kind of land - or beauty! Pomona's 15 minutes (or was is 3 minutes?) of fame occurred on a old I Love Lucy episode when Fred announced that he wanted to buy an orange grow in Pomona.  

At one time, not only Pomona, but most of Los Angeles County looked like this. 

Up until the early 1950's agriculture was not Los Angeles County's largest industry, but in terms of overall production Los Angeles County was the top agricultural county in the U.S. Incredible, really. It wasn't some county in Iowa or any of those Midwestern states - L.A. county was #1. 

The agricultural unit was setting up for it's annual pumpkin patch event. This year it'll be opening on Saturday October 19th.

Persimmons, in abundance, next to the pumpkin patch. 

Looking at these amazing fruit trees, I'm reminded of what theologians refer to as "Divine Providence" - that is, the provision of God. As my family and I buy most - really, all - of our fruits and vegetables at our local supermarket, it's so easy to forget what an orchard actually looks like. 

To anyone living in rural areas, this is no big deal. But to those of us living in urban (or suburban) areas, this is a nice reminder of where our food actually comes from. That alone is worth a trip here.

Looks like there is also a corn maze. LOVE the rolling hills in the background. 

The Farm Store isn't really a farm store, more of a place for locals and visitors to purchase local (and not so local) items. 

Inside the Farm Store. They had some locally made (not sure if it was locally grown) preserves. Picked up a couple of jars. Good stuff. 

Back into the reality that is Southern California. Yes, Los Angeles continues to have some of the worst the worst traffic in the country. 

But maybe that what makes the Farm at Cal Poly so unique - and such a jewel in the massive sprawl that is metro Los Angeles. 

Here's a link to the Cal Poly Pomona Farm site. 

Worth a visit, whether you have young kids, want to a taste of Los Angeles County's agricultural past, or just a reminder of what generations past referred to as Divine Providence. 

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com

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Midnight Drag Race

You can tell what someone cares about by looking at what they do when they could be sleeping. For many in Los Angeles, including myself, at times that is cycling. There are two types of sleep deprived cyclists, those who get up early to ride, and those who stay up late. The early birds are typically in better shape, have expensive bikes, and are riding for fitness as well as fun.

But the late night cyclists have their own culture. The Los Angeles bike culture is definitely an underground culture. This is because their is a more dominant worldview that is at odds with the bike scene. The city was very much designed for driving cars. Unfortunately it has long ago reached a point where it can not sustain the number of cars that are being used on a daily basis. Because of the bad traffic and high cost of gas in Los Angeles, more and more people have turned to cycling.

One of the most prominent groups that have risen up in recent years is known as Wolfpack Hustle. This cycling group is a distilled and concentrated version of the late night cycling culture whose primary goals are to promote cycling and have fun doing it.

The Wolfpack Hustle hosts three main events each year and they have grown exponentially. Originally they began as a completely underground, unofficial get together for fans of biking in Los Angeles but have since gotten so big that they are officially sanctioned by the LA police (usually through the volunteer efforts of officers who also enjoy cycling).

The most recent event was the Midnight Drag Race. This is probably of all the events the most entertaining to watch. Taking place at midnight and lasting late late into the night, the contestants race along 6th street until the fastest man and the fastest woman emerge victorious to claim the coveted dog tags. Basically it is a big party all on two wheels. In addition to the high end or customized racing bikes, there are also variations of every crazy bicycle design that has ever been dreamed up.

These events also seem to attract creatively talented people and always has a lot of great media surrounding them both in video and photographs. Many of the cyclists in Los Angeles feel a little like the underground church in Rome. They are often persecuted and hated in the streets just for being a part of something that they love and that they believe can actually benefit Los Angeles. There are often cases of road rage involving hit and runs with the drivers of the cars never being pursued or prosecuted in any way. It is true that the cyclists in LA are not above reproach themselves and many behave just as badly as the drivers, but not all are the same and most cyclists, including myself strive to go out of our ways to be safe and courteous riders. Because Los Angeles needs cyclists more than cyclists need Los Angeles.

Rancho Park Archery Range

What are you doing next Saturday morning? Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm. I see. Well let me tell you what you should be doing next Saturday morning. Shooting things with a bow and arrow. One of my absolute favorite “insider tips” for a great way to experience L.A. is the Rancho Park Archery Range in Cheviot Hills. What makes it so great? Because it combines enjoying the outdoors, being a part of Los Angeles history, the low low price of free, and its a lot of fun.

The Rancho Park Archery was initially founded to accommodate the 1984 Olympic Games held in L.A. Los Angeles won the opportunity to host the 1984 Olympics basically by default, which interestingly is also how I plan to someday win an Olympic event. At the time the only other city interested in hosting was Tehran but they had a lot going on at the time and backed out. Despite the fact that much of Eastern Europe was boycotting that year, the Olympics set a record at the time for most nations participating, and the archery course itself was the site of the first ever paraplegic olympian to compete when New Zealander Neroli Fairhall was the first paraplegic Olympian at any Olympic Games, coming 35th in the Women's individual event.

Now you too can become the greatest archer that you or your friends knows. Every Saturday morning at 11AM there are free introductory archery classes which include free use of the equipment. The class is basically a safety class with some actual shooting instruction. Once you have completed the class you are able to come back to the range and shoot during any of their open shooting times. According to the website they happen on Saturdays from 9:30am to noon, Sundays from noon to 3:30pm, and for the more experienced, Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

There is no rental fee, which is great. However they do take donations which go towards the upkeep of the course. I recommend bringing a couple of bucks to alleviate any guilt or peer pressure you may feel when faced with 12 year olds who are not only better shots than you but who also put $5 in the donation box.

The archery course is located in the back of the park next to the bocce court (yet another reason for visiting). The mandatory introduction class starts at 11am on Saturday mornings, however, it fills up rapidly. The first time that I went, it was already full. I actually recommend getting there about an hour before the class starts and putting your name on the sheet. Once you’re on the list you can go play bocce, have a picnic brunch, or hang out at the park until the class starts.

You can find all of the information including, times, directions, and more at the LA archery blog.

Summer In The City

We are now in the midst of a hot LA summer and that means late nights, no rain, and free events. When I say “no rain” what I mean is that it hasn’t rained at my apartment in the last 2 and ½ months and probably won’t for another 2. As someone from the midwest, I thought that the only place that had weather like that was maybe Mars. Unfortunately for summer fun seekers it means that if you’re going camping in Southern California you should think about leaving the campfire matches at home and just bring your microwave.

The good news about living in a desert is that you can safely plan outdoor events such as weddings, concerts, etc without fear of rain or tornadoes. Which is great because Los Angeles has an excellent summertime free* music scene. I’m not even saying this because free things are always excellent. Every year, hundreds and maybe thousands of young aspiring filmmakers and music makers flood into the city hoping to be the next Steven Spielberg or U2 or both. Eventually this flood of musicians congeals into several bands who are happy to perform at any opportunity. Many of them are even pretty good.

Most of the events tend to happen on Thursdays and Fridays with the exception of a few festivals. Many of LA's most famous landmarks such as the Santa Monica Pier, Getty Museum, and the Hammer Museum all have a summer concert series. And LA has more than just music to offer, summertime is also when summer camp happens. There is still time to sign up for some of LA’s surf, lifeguard, acting, or church camps. Additionally many of the local churches offer great Vacation Bible Schools that have plenty for your out-of-school kids to do while you enjoy the last few days of hammock season. You have to rest up before those Thursday night concerts. Check out our calendar of upcoming summer events HERE.

Experiencing Make Music Pasadena

One of the things that surprises many newcomers to Los Angeles is the fact that people tend to stay in their own small section of the sprawling metropolis. It is common to hear natives claim that they next to never visit the Westside (or East, depending on their starting location). There are actually two reasons for this. Traffic and traffic. If China had built the 405 freeway, the Mongolians would still be wondering what Chinese cooking tastes like.

Fortunately for my wife and I traffic was unusually and inexplicably light saturday, June 1st and we made it to Make Music Pasadena in plenty of time to catch many of the performances. Make Music Pasadena is an annual free music festival located in Old Town Pasadena. This year’s festival featured over 150 bands, many of whom are local bands, though some are definitely very recognizable. Last year there were over 15,000 people attending and all for the low, low price of free.

One of the differences between the beach cities and the more inland locations, is the temperature. While it was a comfortable 78 at my apartment when we left it was 91 in a crowded and sunny Pasadena but no one seemed to mind. Pasadena is unique in that area of Los Angeles for being distinctly “normal.” This beautiful city is more well known for the New Year’s Day Rose Parade and Tournament of Roses. If the Rose Parade symbolizes the pomp and ritual that comes with the New Year then the Make Music Pasadena Festival represents all of the excitement and possibility of summer fun.

Many of the bands were independent or unsigned acts and as previously mentioned, many are local bands. These bands spanned the spectrum from jazz orchestras to current MTV up and comers, but one band that stuck out was the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers. This act performed in one of the harder to find side stages and had a much bigger sound than I thought could come from such a small venue. When I first read about the band on the Make Music program, I thought it might be an ironic name (Eagle Rock is the native habitat of many of Southern California’s thriving hipster population). But it turns out that they sound a little more like if the Black Keys had snuck onto the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. They genuinely are a local Gospel band that ranges from 9 to 15 members.

The bands playing were extremely diverse, ranging not only in sound, style, and genre, but in political and religious worldviews as well as languages (French, Spanish, and Portuguese). This one Saturday full of music reflects the cultural diversity and the cultural divides that make up Los Angeles. It can be difficult driving from one side of LA to the other, but it can be even more challenging to reach across the cultural divide at the end of the block. That’s what makes this festival so great, the opportunities to connect and share. Or just to take in some great music you may have never heard before.

And just in case you’re interested in checking out some of the bands, you can listen to a small sampling on this Spotify playlist.

Introductions All Around

Aaaannndd we’re back! While David from LA is on hiatus, I will be your guest blogger, James Browning. While David is an honorary member of the rare native Angeleno (he moved here at the age of 7), I, on the other hand come from as far away from Los Angeles as is humanely possible... the midwest. Los Angeles is a diverse and exciting melting pot. Little Tokyo, Little India, Little Osaka, Little Ethiopa, and lots of other little countries and foreign cities residing in Los Angeles, but MidWesterners are a different breed altogether.

I came to Los Angeles to pursue a degree in Spanish Language and Literature since Spanish is much more prevalent in Los Angeles than it is in Ohio. Since coming out to Biola University (La Mirada, CA) in 2005 I have moved a bit around Los Angeles and Orange Counties and I am now residing in West Los Angeles near Santa Monica. If there is one thing that I have learned in moving to an urban area is that traffic is terrible. If you are visiting Los Angeles you will find this truth to hold up no matter the location or time of day. The second truth is that parking is also pretty bad. As a result, I have discovered the joys and terrors of cycling.

Many studies have concluded that commute of 5 - 7 miles takes the same amount of time or less than by car in urban areas. Additionally studies have found that people who commute by bike are generally happier. And according to my wife, husbands who commute by bicycle are also very good looking and intelligent.

I’ll be looking forward to sharing my perspective on the experience of Los Angeles and some of my own personal favorite tips and tricks. Thanks for reading!