Yes, but can you type?

 

Reading the Wall Street Jounral can be ever so insightful. One article that made me laugh was about a survey they took and in it, wealthy married men who claimed that they also had mistresses, stated that due to the financial hard times caused by this poor economy they will be spending less on their mistresses and no longer be showering them with so much bling-bling as they use to! Times are hard indeed!

Sex always sells but in hard times it's also a hard sale.

I read in the L.A. Times that even the hookers and strip clubs in Las Vegas, a.k.a. Sin City are not getting as much business as they use to.

So ladies, maybe it's time to learn another job skill. During these hard times your face may not be your fortune.

Surfs up?

 

It's Christmas day. Raining off and on. When the sun does shine it's intensely bright and clear. It's Christmas day and yet there are still surfers in the water. Well, surfers are a sub-culture of their own. A lovely morning of unwrapping gifts and hot coffee with mom. Now off to cook prime rib with Yorkshire pudding. Merry Christmas to all!

I got a secret

 

I'm house sitting for a very weathy friend of mine. While he , his daughter and his latest S.O. are spending the winter season in Aspen, my mom and I are watching his beach front home in Malibu and okay you won't see any A-list actors walking down the beach you have the plus of having the beach all to yourself. It is sheer heaven! Despite the fact that it's going to rain this aftrenoon and it's freezing out here there are surfers in the ocean. They love the surf before and after it rains for the ocean swells are higher after a storm.

After Christmas shopping I stopped by Dukes, a beachside bar and restaurant in Malibu. I started to talk to the bartender , who is also, surprise , surprise an actor as well as has written a screenplay, what are the odds. In this town it would be strange if the bartendar wasn't an actor! We started talking about our dreams and about what he called late bloomers. For example, the great writer Count Leo Tolstoy was well into his forties when he started his career as a writer and what a writer he was! A friend gave me the book "The Secret" and what I got from it is that the main secret of getting what we want is knowing what we want! Most of us seem to spend our engery out of focus, not truly looking into our talents and passions therefore not knowing our true potential and power. Knowing what you truly want is the real secret of success for how can you be happy if you are wasting your energy on everything but following your dream? Besides it seems to me it not reaching success that brings joy but the journey to success. Just a thought!

Merry Christmas!

Curb your enthusiasm

 

It's pleasing to read that there are many members of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) that are speaking up and being the voice of reason and speaking against the proposed actors strike. The writer's strike did major damage to their career's cash flow. And even though the writer's won the battle they didn't win the war.

Now with the Madoff's scandal effecting some great studio heads as Speilberg and Katzenberg of Dreamworks there will be little compassion for actors asking for more.

And while we're on this subject allow me to hand down some sound financial advice. It's simple, handle your own money! Don't hand your money to an investment manager or a financial banker, they're in business to make money on YOUR money!
So do your homework and do it yourself. Now, I say, save, save, save, shop for a bank that give you the highest interest rate (make certain they're insured) don't keep over two hundred thousand in each bank and don't roll over monthly interest but get a check. (If the government goes down we're all screwed so shop around for a bank that is insured and gives the highest rates!) Also, start writing your Senator, Congressperson, President and demand higher interest rates, this is a win, win for you and the banks. Don't use yur debit card! Use cash only! If you can't paid for your Starbucks with cash , it's time to brew your own coffee! If you use your credit card pay the whole balance each month, why should they make money off you! Also, write your Senator, Congressperson, President to increase the interest on Treasury Bills, this is also a win win for you and the country. They use your money to pay to run the country and they pay you for using your money!

Hard times are here but we the people have more power than you think, make demands of your country! Stop these greedy bastards and take control of your cash! Lower interset rates don't help the economy, saving money does. This era of spending cash on designer junk must stop! We can overcome!

As for the Writer's Guild and Actor's Guild get a life, when you get work you're well paid , okay the studios make more money but whatever job you have the Boss always make more!

It's Christmas time in the city...

 

How do we Southern Californian's know that tis the season to be jolly?

Well, one way is the fact that the parking meters are covered to look like candy canes.

But wait; you may ask. Why are the meters covered with a yellow bag? Well, my friends, good will to men (or women) has nothing to do with it.

Some genius has thought up a great idea of making us pay at a paid station. Each parking space has a number and you have to program your space and then deposit your coins. Plus, the good old days of free parking on Sundays is gone!

So much for the Christmas spirit! Bah-humbug indeed!

Booksigning for foodies

 

Vorman's Bookstore and the California School of Culinary Arts hosted a book signing of Chef Eric Ripert's new book "On the Line". What could be a more perfect afternoon, books, fine wine and gourmet food!

Menu: Starter -Venison Loin Carpaccio with berries & dark chocolate
Entree - Pan Roasted Monkfish Homage Gaudi with confit of peppers, patatas bravas & chorizo-albarino emulsion
Dessert - Chaocolate Bar - with marcona almonds, pimenton, port sorbet, dried blackberries & blackberry jus

Chef Eric was friendly, charming and very handsome, plus got to share a table with local chefs in the area and also they gave me some more local ghost stories I will share later. It was a lovely afternoon, a great break from holiday shopping!

Get your motor going, head out to the highway....

 

Been down with the flue for a couple of days but able to take a drive to Zuma Beach, while stopping at a Starbucks in Malibu I saw this bike and envied the owner's road trip. How wonderful it must be to be young and free and have the freetime to take a road trip up the coast. There was a map of the 101 Coast Highway taped to his handle bars and I love the antlers on the handle bars as well. Maybe this bike belonged to Santa Claus.