Anyone in LA/Pasdena?
And have a long lunch hour on Tuesday? I’ll be giving a talk at Claremont-McKenna’s Athenaeum during the lunch hour.
(Un)Covering the Narrative Industry
MARCY WHEELER
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008
LUNCH 11:30 a.m., LECTURE 12:00 p.m.
If you’re in the area, leave a comment below. I’m heading to the ocean Tuesday night. I don’t yet know what my schedule will be, but I might have time to meet some folks later that evening. So long as it’s in a place with a view of the ocean. Must see ocean.
Any connection between your upcoming speech and the anti-profanity resolution passed by Pasadena? I’ve heard of perjury traps, but this seems clearly targeted by Orange County Republicans as a diabolical plan to imprison foul-mouthed DFH bloggers!!!
Damn. I better watch it.
You have picked a beautiful week to be here. I am sadly out shooting a movie all day every day for the next couple of months, or I’d be there in a heartbeat.
There are a few nice places right on the water for dinner. I kind of like Gladstones, near the corner of Sunset and the Pacific Coast Highway.
Thad
I couldn’t begin to make it out to Claremont on Tues, dammit. However, Drinking Liberally always has a do @ Madeleine’s WIne Bistro on Green St. In Pasadena on Tuesdays- if they knew you were in the area… Of course digby could clue you into getting out to the ocean, also DL Westside in Santa Monica.
Have a great time- nice & warm here right now (upper 60s into 70s) & nice sunsets out over the SM pier. Killer night sky when it’s clear also.
Yes, I’ve been watching the weather. Seeing as how my corner of MI just set a new record for total snow this year, I’m quite looking forward to it.
I’m letting Asa Hopkins know.
ain’t there a song about “Please Come To San Francisco” ???
LA is a five hour drive from here(3 if we take the benz, but don’t tell the CHP that)
but if you pick a spot, give me more than 12 hours warning, and provide rudimentary directions, I just might make it
Santa Monica Pier sound Okay ???
I would say “meet me in Malibu”, but I got arrested for parking in a place that wasn’t posted as a “No Parking” area last time I was in Malibu (the sign said “No Campfire” and “No Drowning”, but it didn’t say a damn thing about parking, and the cops drove right by 30 parked cars and arrested me)
I’d love to come to SF. Just not this time. The beach is nowhere near as sunny.
Sounds like your plates are registered on a Rethuglican/Ahnold “No Park” list…
/snark
Nice photo on the webpage. Expecting any College Rethugicans to show?
Marcy, any word on much Cheney raised in Battle Creek for his clone?
lotion,motion,notion,ocean,potion
heh
Claremont is at the base of Mt Baldy. It’s a 10 mile or so drive to the top. On a clear day you can get a beautiful view of the ocean. Of course, you’ll also be 30 miles from the ocean at the same time.
marcy, do we have to rsvp for lunch? i clicked through and didn’t see any info on how to sign up. i’d love to come.
far as ocean, digby could give you the best tips. sm pier is kind of tourist-y, thouhg it’ll definitely get you your ocean view. and gladstones is reallyreally expensive. nice view, but it’ll cost ya.
on your way from claremont to the ocean, may consider a stop by griffith park observatory. you can park at the top now, and no longer need advance reservations. amazing views. nicely remodeled observatory.
p.s. before you leave pasadena for the ocean, check sigalert dot com for real time traffic speeds and road conditions to figure out the best route to take.
Will do. I haven’t driven in LA for years (jeebus, probably at least 15). Not looking forward to it.
But hell–freeways are like bicycles, right? Once you learn, you never forget.
As to lunch, I’m not really sure–maybe call the Athenaeum?
if there are any major slow downs, you can always take the scenic route. make your way to sunset blvd. and cruise west. great people watching.
(just watch out for drug addled starlets at the wheel of giant suvs followed by the papparazzi pack).
(i wish i was kidding)
weather should be perfect… alas, working down in Long Beach on Tuesday!
welcome to sunny So Cal…
never mind – found it.
No reservations required to attend just the Noon talk.
Geeze, and here I’m off work Tuesday – to get my taxes done. Nowhere close to Claremont-McKenna, unfortunately: I’m in the west SFV, and it can take a hour just to get to Pasadena, nevermind east of there.
Guess you can’t think of an excuse to come to the colonies any time soon? *scuffs shoes*
Where are you in Canada? Probably a lot closer than CA. Well, almost certainly a lot closer than CA, since technically I drive south to get into Canada.
I’m in Toronto. So are a few other old friends of FDL and your place, here or nearby, as I’m sure you know. I’m sure we could round up some wonks for a good afternoon; I’m just trying to think of someone more public who might want you to speak.
We have, alas, no votes up here. We could send you some good votes, too.
Last I checked I had not vote either, at least not till the general!! Toronto’s an easy 5 hours, as close as Chicago. I need to renew my passport this year, but I might get one of those fancy driver’s licenses, so Michael CHertoff knows where I am at any time.
Bon voyage et bonne chance, vide (libre?) roue.
Thad Beier’s suggestion of Gladstones is an excellent suggestion for dinner. The actual name as I used to know it is “Gladstones 4 Fish”. Is absolutely superb. However, if it is to be more of a meetup as opposed to dinner, I think i might suggest one of my favorite places in the world, and where I used to eat lunch most every day during the summers I spent in Santa Monica. That would be Ye Olde King’s Head Pub. As fine a British pub as you will find anywhere outside of Britain. And it is two walking blocks off of the ocean (and only about an additional block from that to the Santa Monica Pier too I might add).
bmaz, I have to tell you that Pasadena has Lucky Baldwin’s, many more pumps than the King’s Head, and excellently conditioned beers. Come and have a pint some day.
Heh, I was planning on going to Pasadena a couple of months ago, but ASU had to go and get the crap kicked out of them by USC on Thanksgiving. Still had a fair shot at it until Hawaii went undefeated and used up the BCS bowl spot ASU would have gotten; no rosey trip for bmaz. Will keep Lucky’s in mind though. I am a long time fan of the King’s Head because it was halfway in between where I lived and worked during several summers; a five minute or less walk in either direction to one or the other. The atmosphere, and especially the food, there is excellent too. Not to mention that EW mandated ocean. In Santa Monica, either Gladsone’s or Kings Head would be outstanding. Probably are a lot of other places too; but I am old school and haven’t been around there that much in a while.
I guess at this point we should all wave at the NSA and the RCMP for our having made international contact.
There are people here who might get interested — eg, a TVOntario (like your PBS) program that works with a foreign affairs program at U of T. I’m not sure they believe in bloggers yet, but it’s a thought.
+1 on the Gladstone’s 4 Fish recommendation. (You’d think they’d need more than 4, huh?) It’s true it’s a little pricey, and for food that though perfectly fine is not exactly haute cuisine. But I had a long post-funeral group lunch there just yesterday (flew in/flew out), and it was a lovely lovely warm sunny happy seabreezy thing indeed. And you can wander out onto the beach and dip your toes in the ocean afterwards, should the spirit that way move you. Simple to find, too — if all else fails, just follow Sunset Blvd. (”I’m ready for my sesame-crusted ahi, Mr. De Mille.”) westwards until it becomes Gladstone’s driveway. If your feet get wet, you’ve gone too far.
Enjoy the trip, EW.
I have heard someone else say their recent meal there was good, but not great. That is a shame; when i used to go there (probably have not been in 10-11 years) it was superb. And one of the last places around that you could consistently get real and top notch abalone.
On the other hand, you will be in the land of In-n-Out Burgers. Probably gives you a week’s worth of fat and sodium in one meal, but with grilled onions and fries it’s a wonderful indulgence. I recommend their pink lemonade, too.
+2 on Gladstones, not so much for the food as for the view and ambiance. Oysters and ocean, fabulous.
Wish I didn’t have to work on Tuesday. Claremont’s only 10+ miles from where I live and I’d love to see you again. If you are looking for a great cuppa and the best croissant bread pudding evah after your speech, on your way to the ocean, come to the Peach Cafe in Monrovia, where I’ll be until about 4pm.
PS The cafe is also where we hold our monthly Dem club meetings. I think the inimitable Howie Klein is due for a return engagement this month. Not, however, until the 28th.
The first question you’ll ask upon yourself upon arrival is “has it always been this nice here, and did I take it for granted?”
The answer is Yes, and Yes.
Gladstones sounds great for a sunset and drinks, but for food, I’d stop at a taco stand – almost any one will work – and get something there. Surely you remember Robertos, yes? Who knows, you might stumble into one that is Marisco Style and has good ceviche and lobster burritos. They are much more common now.
You know, to be honest, that’s kind of what I was thinking. My food choices probably have to be sushi, burritos, tacos, something else I can’t get in the snow.
And no, I didn’t take it for granted. And yes, it is always that nice. But I can’t handle that much niceness all the time. Makes me cranky.
When I used to live in Santa Monica, we always bitched about the foggy haze not burning off on the beach early enough during the summer months. See, that way you have something to be cranky about and still get to live on the coast with the most instead of the snow and cold of AA.
Hey Randiego, you going up north if there is a meetup Tuesday afternoon/evening?
Hey bmaz… I thought about it. Man, I can’t imagine what it’s like to fight your way up the 5 to Santa Monica at that time of day… there’s a reason they wanted to build that toll road thru a State Park… heh heh
EW, are you flying out tuesday morning? Doable, but kind of tough… a 6am direct flight out of Detroit would get you in by 9am I assume…
Heh heh, I was going to make a joke about the failure of the toll road hindering the gig, but thought it would be cruel. The same thoughts are dragging on me. I am trying to see if I can clean up my schedule enough to come over. Thing is, with all the hassles of airports these days, especially LAX (rental cars are like in another city almost), I usually just drive to LA and SD. But that might mean I-10 in the afternoon, and that is harshing on my mellow if you know what I mean. But I am still working through how and if I can pull it off. If I make it, I expect you there…..
uhm, we have weather too. back to back storms with gale force wind and inches of rain most recently.
but right now is sunny and warm.
and if an earthquake hits run as far out of the hotel/house you can get. forget standing in doorways. myth. (how many piles of rubble do you see with doorways still standing, hmm?)
OT – This is just weird. Dkos sez that (of all possible people) c(R)azy (R)abid su(R)fer dood Dana (R)ohrbache(R) accuses Bush admin of crimes of obstruction — perhaps coverup — in re. possible linkage between Oklahoma City and ‘93 WTC bombings, right there on the House floor, in front of Gawd and everybody.
Finally! I hope I can make it to the speech. The meet-up definitely looks good for me, if it happens. My two cents is also to make eating on the way to the beach separate from a walk on the beach. Gladstones, Charthouse, all those places are sort of the same. And if it’s convenient at all, I can offer up my house in Topanga Canyon for a party any time that afternoon. It’s on the way to the beach, near Red Rock park on Old Topanga Canyon Road. I have a fenced acre, people could bring their dogs. Let me know if you’re at all interested, and I’ll ask my wife as if I haven’t already mentioned it to four million people.
ok… keep me posted.
speaking of the I-10, we went to Joshua Tree NP last weekend – I never realized how close it was. An incredible, amazing, beautiful place.
Deserts good. We drive from Oakland to Death Valley tomorrow. Supposed to be a good wildflowers year.
Ah, now the desert would have been almost as nice as the ocean.
If you’re going to Claremont, fly into Ontario. It’s only a few miles, and you won’t have to fight nearly as much traffic. LAX is seriously inconvenient for anyplace north of Mulholland and east of I605.
Claremont has some election law specialists with a blog; though that link is overly dedicated to balancing the extremes of the political spectrum. I found a site with a live webcam which rotates so in one minute the websurfer beholds four realtime views of the ocean in Malibu. Usually I think of Pasadena as a place near Altadena, but once had a splendid experience at a one-person concert in the art museum there; I suppose there is every likelihood, however, one easily might be heard if uttering indecorous speech sotto voce when contemplating miniature figurines in the current art show there, though politics in Pasadena being what they are it might be more appropriate to skip the esthetic experience and instead drive onto the freeway where all manner of irrascible utterances are sometimes helpful for negotiating frozen traffic or for creating the illusion of motion. When progressing past the San Gabriel mountains and nearing Topanga exit one might have a fleeting vision of a quiet moment somewhere, anywhere, even if it is two hundred miles up the coast on a stretch of beach fairly unknown to people except as an attractive scene for its apparent accessibility and solitude by the ocean rocks on the way to Monterey, excuse the extra photos in the link, somebody’s family album, evidently. There is also something maritime about the ending of the blank verse which is FernHill link to audio of the original author reading; save for replay on laptop when apparently all five lanes are at standstill. I agree it is important to avoid quiet indoor places like museums if one aspires to extensive first amendment protected speech; and ocean has the best of both environments, the loudest voice being only surf or the occasional pier concert.
Hey, happy to welcome you. I’m currently working nights, but could certainly steal away if there is some gathering out in Santa Monica. Let us know! (I may be able to make it out to the chat as well)
Emptywheel: I’m a big fan. I plan to attend the CMC talk tomorrow. I’m a fellow Amherst-trained (class of 80) blogger (Huffpo) who pores over your posts with avidity and appreciation. I teach at nearby Pomona College, and my one class ends tomorrow at 11:30am and another starts at 1:15pm, but I hope to be able to squeeze in your talk and maybe say hello.