Boyle Heights mural

Seems there's some sort of controversial mural in Boyle Heights. Thought I'd give a shout-out to my peeps there:


CAPTION: The group Los Invencibles Cadetes de Nuevo Leon relaxes on Cesar Chavez Boulevard. The Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council met recently to discuss a proposed mural that was set to go up next month at the new Hollenbeck police station in Boyle Heights. Some locals are angry over depictions in the mural.

CAPTION: The Los Angeles Police Department isn't thrilled with the mural either. Deep in this scene, a police officer stands behind a man next to a catering truck. The man's hands are raised above his head. "I think it really kind of paints a dark picture of Hollenbeck, and Boyle Heights in particular," said LAPD Capt. Blake Chow, commanding officer of the Hollenbeck station.

CAPTION: Artist Sandow Birk's 100-foot mural has touched a raw nerve under the surface of a seemingly homogenous community, widely considered L.A.'s mothership of Mexican culture.

CAPTION: Part of the $195,000 mural for the new LAPD Hollenbeck station. The tile mural, by artist Sandow Birk was meant to depict a quaint Sunday in Boyle Heights. But residents complain about the unleashed dogs, the "illegal" street vendors and about a man holding a can they guessed was beer. They also complain about what isn't shown: historical figures, children reading books and military veterans.

Sean Connery

3rd place? I'd think not Mr. Bond.

Samantha Mumba spotted

Seems Irish pop singer Samantha Mumba lives in LA now. She was spotted over the weekend out shopping w/ her mum at some discount store. I'm pretty sure it's a 99 cent store. What's up with those pants? Don't they sell thread there?

Bend over a litttttle farther...!

Hurghada, Egypt

My cousin from Germany goes here every June with her family. Now, I see why! [BTW that's not them in the picture]

CAPTION: Late Afternoon at The Red Sea in Hurghada, Egypt, Oct. 21, 2007

Nakations

Well of course the nudity caught my attention. But with further reading in the "New York Times", I had no idea that such high end vacations are so popular. You can really get pampered at places like this. And websites like SpaFinder.com are having booming business [beating out pet friendly spas]!

I did have to giggle at "beach butlers walk around in discreet uniforms of buttoned-down shirts and khaki pants". Where's the fun in that? Go all nude, I say!

Go here to see more pictures!

Jimi Hendrix sex tape

Not sure I really care, but it seems that Vivid Video is about to put on the market a supposed Jimi Hendrix 11-minute porn tape. I say "supposed" because it's a film that "shows a naked man who resembles Jimi, wearing a bandanna in his Afro, having sex with two brunettes in a dimly lighted bedroom. His full face appears on screen for only a few seconds, with his eyes closed. In other portions there are flashes of his profile. But his hands, bedecked with rings, roam large on the screen at times. The film has no audio."

Sounds like a total fake and a total bore. But it's interesting to see how low we can sink as a society to put crap like this out. Paris Hilton got famous for doing just this, but Jimi? The man is dead, let him be!

To read the full "New York Times" article, go here.

Euro vs. Dollar

As the Dollar really tanks next to the Euro, I was getting a bit nervous about our upcoming European holiday.

1.00 EUR =1.56370 USD
1 USD = 0.639510 EUR

But my sage and inspirational guide Rick Steves, said the following about saving money in Europe. It puts everything back into focus for me. And I can’t wait to get over there. It’s gonna be a blast!

Rick Steves – “As you seek out money-saving opportunities, remember that your vacation time is a precious resource (yes, time is money). Plan as much as you can before you leave home. And don’t go to a country just because it has a reputation for being less expensive. The best value is found by traveling smartly in the country where your travel dreams are taking you. Don’t whine about the weak dollar – enjoy spending it smartly. Those who travel wisely will save more money, make more friends, and create a more memorable – a truly richer – experience.”