Discard Los Angeles and Other Things

Couch...

2011-12-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

What is the story here? What is going on? This was somewhere in my neighborhood on one of my many walks.

Marina Elephant

2011-07-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

Poor little elephant in the Marina, he's all hung up.... Took this a while ago.

New stuff!

2010-05-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

You can now buy things with Discardla images! Check it out! Buy something...

http://www.cafepress.com/IronBird

Newly discarded stuff

2010-02-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

Newly discarded stuff seen around town. The furniture on the curb is what happens when someone moves out of an aprtment, and leaves items in the unit. The manger/landlord then tosses the stuff to the curb and calls the trashman to take it away. The Beemer with the toilet kind of sums up a few things in this town. Make your own conclusions about this pairing.

Old LA

2010-02-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well, not really old LA, but Los Angeles from 1990, looking west down Centinella Ave from Sepulveda Blvd, from up high, like 8 stories up in the old hotel on Centinella just west of Sepulveda.

More items...

2009-12-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some fine items found around town recently, snapped with my cell phone camera. I really liked the trophy in the middle of the sidewalk.

The Chicken

2009-07-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the chicken that was running away from home on our street, right in front of our house, on July 4th. It turned out the people down the street owned her, and they sent one of their workers to take her home that same day! Oh well.

Sleeping it off

2009-07-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Saw this guy sleeping on a couch in the neighbor hood two years ago. He was in a very deep sleep, this is on Centinella Avenue, and the traffic never lets up.

Again, we bring you, the bus ride... from HELL

2008-08-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

I continue to do my part for the environment, (B___S___, I am trying to save money) by taking the bus a few days a week. Tonight the trip on the 212 was an adventure. There was a guy on his cell phone talking very loudly, over the noise of the engine, and he kept asking the person what stop he should look for. First it was Venice, then Washington, then Adams. After that, a guy got on who hangs around Centinella and La Brea. He pushed past everyone to the back of the bus. Followed by a smell that punched everyone in the jaw. It smelled at first like 4 cat litter boxes, then it morphed into a foul stench that was a cross between body odor from a prison to the sewage smell from the Hyperion Treatment Plant in El Segundo. It was murder on the noses most foul. I think a woman opened a bottle of perfume to try to combat the smells. The perfume ran away, beaten to a pulp. Then some guys opened every window on the bus hoping the stench would leave. No good. People almost passed out. I recalled an old Spartan trick used against the Persians. The trick is to breathe through your mouth, not your nose, then you smell the odors. It worked and I made to my stop without blacking out. Another ride on the bus from HELL, the 212 in Los Angeles.

the bus

2008-07-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

I have taken the bus to work a few times now in the last two weeks. The 212 runs up and down La Brea Blvd in Los Angeles. It is, to say the least, the bus ride from HELL. If you want to commit suicide, take the 212 first, and you will have a good reason at least to slit your wrists. The bus is always crowded. Why the MTA does not run this line every fifteen minutes for 24 hours is beyond me. The only way to MAKE people buy cars is to show them how fruitless it is to take the buses. And this bus is the poster child for frustration in Los Angeles. I used to take the bus back in the early 80s, and now I see why I moved to the Valley to be close to my job, so I would not have to ride the 212. It is always crowded, oh, did I already say that? I sit in the back of the bus, because last week I sat in the seat right behind the rear exit door. And a guy stood in the rear exit well, all the way from Sunset down to Slauson Blvd. So I could not see anything except this guy's back. So I sit in the back seat, the last seat on top of the engine. And the trade off is that the smells are like being in a toilet in the bowery AND the rest room of a stadium that is holding an event with only one rest room open and no toilet paper. On top of that, the old Bob Newhart routine of how to train a bus driver is real, and the proof is the 212 line. Always stop short so riders who are standing will fall down. And those who are sitting will hit their heads on the seats in front of them. And make sure they miss all the lights, sit through all the lights at least 4 cycles. And the patrons always stand in the middle of the buses, never move to the rear like the driver tells them to. This is the first of a few posts that will deal with Los Angeles MTA..... More to come.... Later....

Santa Monica Pier

2008-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of the Santa Monica Pier, taken back in..... well, long time ago.

Back in the day...

2008-04-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Not really Los Angeles, but it'll do. The top picture is from underneath William Penn's statue atop Philadelphia' City Hall. I took this from the observation deck back in the day. The next picture is from Valley Green, taken in the winter time, as some of the water drips down the hillside.

City Hall

2007-12-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

Here's City Hall in Philadelphia, a shot I took back in the day....

More junk

2007-09-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

A lonely mattress, waiting for someone to take it home.

A lonely couch, just waiting for a nice warm place to call home.

A chair, with a drunken trashcan for a friend. Always happens, doesn't it? You tell your friends not to drink too much, and look what happens.

And another good use of an old couch...

2007-09-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a guy sleeping it off in the middle of the day, so the couch does not go to waste. He must feel safe.
The chair and mattresses just appeared on this corner one day, I don't think the people who live here put this stuff out. I think somebody just did a drive by and left it. Pigs I tell you!

Furniture on Olympic Blvd

2007-09-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

Saw this stuff on Olympic Blvd west of La Brea. Guess somebody got a new set and decided to toss this one, to the curb, and wait for "someone" to come and get it. Too bad the guys that delivered the new set couldn't take it away. Oh well.

Trash can tree

2007-07-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Oh come on guys, look what at what a tree is really good for!! I think that I shall never see, a trash can as lovely as a tree.
And the two couches are obviously examples of drinking and driving in the big city. If the couch is loaded, don't take it out on the road. Imagine how these two accidents happened, the people on the couches lost control and careened off the sidewalk flipping over and probably threw the occupants clear. Might not have been wearing seat belts. The accidents are still being investigated by the CHP, Couch Highway Patrol, and Levitz Furniture Stores. Look both ways when walking down the sidewalks in Los Angeles, you don't want to get run over by a runawy couch.

More stuff....

2007-07-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here is more stuff, you should look into buying some of this great junk. Where is Sanford and Son when you need them? Although the couch does look cumfy....

More street side items

2007-07-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, here are some more items thrown away and left to die on the streets. Pretty interesting array of stuff, don't you think? I like the pile of wood, just waiting for a wood carver to come along and turn them into toys.

Old pictures of my cat...

2007-06-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Here are few pics of my cat, Ming the Merciless, so named because he would scratch you if you put your fingers in his face for him to sniff. He was fast, as you can see from the pics.

The covered bridge

2007-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

THis is the covered bridge in Valley Green, I think this is going towards the Northwestern Ave end of the park, which is the city line up that way. Picture taken in 1986.

Above the trees

2007-04-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is a shot in Valley Green, back in 1986, looking at the sky past the yellow/orange trees.

A reflection in the Wissahikon Creek

2007-04-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the reflection in the Wissahikon Creek of the sky and trees. This is Valley Green in Fairmount Park. Most of the next few pictures were taken in October 1986.

The East Falls Bridge

2007-04-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

This is the bridge over the Schukyll River from the East Falls side of the river. A nice day back in 1986.

A church on High Street

2007-04-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

THis is a church on High Street back in Philadelphia, across the street from my high school. When I travel to Philly, I take lots of pictures of buildings in my area. This church was quite a sight when I was in school. I saw it everyday before and after school.

Another skyline

2007-04-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here is another picture of the skyline of Philadelphia, 1989.

Making cheese steaks

2007-04-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Now this how you make a cheese steak....this is from the Explorers Den in Germantown back in 1989.
It was on the campus of LaSalle College on Chew Ave. They made the best cheese steaks in the world. But they closed down in the late 90s. Out here in Los Angeles, its hard to find good cheese steaks.
The lady behind the counter let me take her picture back in December 88/January 89. Look at all that beef.....see the cheese....MMMMMM.......

New photographs

2007-04-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to my Flickr page of a bunch of my photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38926267@N00/
So check the pictures out.
I put the link to Flickr in the side bar as well.

More old pictures

2007-04-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Philadelphia, 1987. The top picture is the Philadelphia skyline, while the bottom picture is a firehouse at Haverford Ave and Parrish St in West Philadelphia. I used to live around the corner on 53rd Street.

Old photographs from Phladelphia

2007-04-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some old pictures from 1987 that I scanned. This is my old cat Ming the Merciless, so called because he was a cat who scratched anyone who tried to pet him. Guess he was kind of ornery cause he lived to be fourteen, died of kidney failure in 1988.

the injured chair...

2007-03-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Will someone help the little chair? Not I said the couch. Not I said the coffee table. So the little chair lay on the ground awaiting the arrival of the furniture ambulance, which would take it to the great furniture rehab factory to the east of the great city of Los Angeles. I know I posted this picture before, I just thought you might want to read..... The Rest Of The Story....

Something old and something thrown out...

2007-03-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

Here is an old house on Adams Blvd in Los Angeles in the beginning stages of re-hab, I think. Might have been the first house in the area back in the old days, before most of the city was really built up. Looks like a nice old place, bit drafty though.
The chair got thrown out on its ear some where else in the vast urban cityscape. Too bad...

old chair

2007-02-18T17:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a chair and mattress thrown out in the neighborhood last week. The chair is from Pee Wee's Playhouse back in the 80s.

Philly junk

2007-01-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

I am back from my hiatus, and have some new pics odf junk. These are from Philadelphia, Mount Airy to be exact. The mattress is cool with the stop sign in the background, and the other picture of the junk at the curb is really a nice touch for a nice neighborhood like this. I did not drive around as much in Philly to take pictures as I do in Los Angeles, but I got a couple of pictures that I think are okay. I will be posting most of thoses on the Mount Airy Days blog. There should be a link here..... In the meantime, enjoy these.

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

Well, its that time of year again, time to put up the old Christmas tree and the train set. And this year, TREES! Yes, that's right folks! TREES!!!

Do you need a cot?

2006-12-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

I saw this around the corner a couple of weeks ago. Do you need one? I should have opened an antique shop with all the items I have seen and photographed over the past year. Coulda made a fortune!!!

New stuff...!

2006-11-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

Okay!! Here it is!! My artworks and photographs on items at Cafe Press!! Take a look at my shop and buy something you like! You'll like it! As Zappa said in his comic book ads, "Thrills You! Cleans You! Cleans and Thrills you!" I will have more to sell in the next few days! Here is the link to Cafe Press to see my items.
http://www.cafepress.com/ironbird
Enjoy! And buy something!!

A great looking couch at one time....

2006-11-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

Yup, this couch was a beauty at one time, but its days are numbered. Its going to the big living room in the sky, hopefully to be joined by a fine end table and a lamp with a three way bulb.

What can you say about this...?

2006-11-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Not much to add here. Just leave that stuff by the curb and the city will pick it up. No problem....

A good looking set here...

2006-11-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

What can you say about something like this? This aet-up only comes along once in a lifetime, and I was lucky enough to see it before it went away. Spotted on a Saturday morning in downtown Los Angeles.

Need a set of shelves, or a couch...?

2006-10-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

So here we have a place to drop off or buy furniture stuff, everything you need for your tiny house. Why do people leave their stuff out like this instead of taking it to the dump? City living?

A Great Chair...

2006-10-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

Wonder what the story is with this set up. Its kinda funny, some foam in search of a piece of furniture finds a chair which is too small, so he curls up beside it and waits.

Shopping and sitting

2006-09-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

You shop, you sit, you shop, you sit. Repeat. That's what we do, we spend money we don't have, we sit down and watch TV. What a country! A nation of shoppers and sitters.

Shopping and sitting

2006-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

You shop, you sit, you shop, you sit. Repeat. That's what we do, we spend money we don't have, we sit down and watch TV. What a country! A nation of shoppers and sitters.

What a great pair...!!! Television!!! Child seat!!!

2006-09-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

There is something about this pair of items that says alot about our lifestyle. You're born, you watch TV. And from then on, you are a captive audience. You can't do anything else but watch TV. It tells you what to do, what to wear, when to wake up, when to go to the store and and spend your money on what they tell you to buy, and when to go to bed at night. I came across this setup one Saturday morning, and I could not resist.

New couches

2006-09-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am back with some new stuff! I went out to take these pictures on a Saturday morning, and I realized I have enough pictures now to publish a couch book. A small sized book through Lulu.com. I'll keep you posted.

New blog

2006-09-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Here, take a look at my new blog. Its a memory blog of the times of my life. I grew up in Mt Airy, so thats what its called, Mt Airy Days. Tell me what you think.

http://mtairydays.blogspot.com/

Well, its not discarded...

2006-07-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is not a discarded item, but it is a great looking church. And I do want to photograph houses of worship in Los Angeles. Very interesting architechture in these places. Some make you say "WOW!"

Stuff at the curb...

2006-07-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Just set it down there at the curb, the city will pick it up, that's what they're supposed to do. Isn't it? That's why we live in the city. So someone else will do all of this carting away for us.

Where ever you want...

2006-07-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Remember folks, anywhere you want to leave your stuff, the world is your dump site.
Anyplace you drop it, that's where it belongs...
These two items seemed oddly placed when I drove by. I had to get out of the car and snap these, both found on Adams Blvd. If only the TV was across from the toilet, with a newspaper on the ground....What a picture that would have been...

Been gone.....a long time...

2006-07-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

I know I have not posted in a long time, and I really should have been putting something up in all this time. If a blog is like a newspaper or magazine, I should be
delivering everyday or week to the blog something new. We have someone in our family who is very ill, and it is kind of hard to concentrate on this stuff when someone you love is this sick. I have seen more items on the curbs, and just today I took a picture to post. But I did not feel like uploading it. I have done a couple of drawings, and posted them on Scottydrawings. Anyway, I will try to post some photos this week.

Been gone...

2006-06-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

I do have some more photos to post, but I took them off the hard drive, and have to find the disk I saved them on last week. Been backing up a lot to the external hard drive and to CDs as well. My internal hard drive is making funny noises at startup, so before it blows up and takes me with it, I have saved everything to outside drives.

New photos...

2006-05-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a new subject: the stamps contractors put in the sidewalks so we know who did the work. These are all over town, but we never really notice them till we drop a dime and have to look down. I found a bunch of these on my walks through the neighborhood
and will post them in the days to come. Interesting to find out some of the sidewalks go back to the 20s.

A long time ago....

2006-05-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting piece of history. Somewhere on Centinella Ave near La Cienaga, on the sidewalk, there is is this short little message from the occupants of the house that used to be there. It is a small "Welcome", written in little stones. The house that used to be there probably had its front entrance walkway right there, leading up to the house. Its now a block of small businesses. I took a walk through the neighborhood, and found a lot of letters on the sidewalks, which I will put up over the next few days. I thought this one was the most interesting. As I took the picture, the guy who runs the barbershop came out and asked me if I knew the people who used to live there and wrote the message. He said many people have come by and photographed it, some who lived in L.A. many years ago. I know somewhere in this town there is picture of the original house and the neighborhood as it was back in 1954. Anyone know who runs the photo archives of Los Angeles?

Old car...

2006-05-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Look at this, an old Pinto station wagon. I thought they got rid of all of these cars.
Smashed in the cruncher. Hope they get this one soon. Dangerous cars.

Escaped shopping carts...

2006-05-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

See, they get away from you if you're not carefull. Making plans, conspiring, who knows what they're capable of doing next?! Shopping carts must be watched or they'll be out of control!!

Hey, when you're done with that hot tub...!

2006-05-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

Just lean it up against the fence. Looks nice, doesn't it? Bet the neighbors love looking at that tub out their front window.

waiting room...

2006-05-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

I like this one, two couches to sit on while waiting to see the house. Nice placement.
At least they're not on the sidewalk....

On the streets this week...

2006-05-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

Now what can you say about the Cookie Monster that has not already been said? Someone has taken Cookie away now, appearently they felt they could not live another day without a Cookie Monster in their house. As for the glove on the light signal button, you got me. Why anyone would put a surgical glove on this pole is beyond me. Unless they did not want to get any germs when pressing the button. On the other hand, in this city, why not. Look at the junk people throw out in front of their houses and elsewhere. Maybe they don't have the cleanest habits. So maybe we all need protection when pressing the buttons.

Change of pace here...

2006-05-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here is some fried chicken, for your home cooking enjoyment. It was GOOOD!!!

Back in town...

2006-05-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm back in town this week, and have a few new pictures. I am still planning on publishing a calender for sale by the fall of some of the neat items seen on this here blog. Keep watching this space for updates.

on the sidewalk...

2006-04-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

This would be a strange sight to see, except its right after Easter, so I guess it fits. But I don't recall anybody in Philly ever putting up a display like this for a holiday. I guess they do things differently in Los Angeles. Good thing I'm around to take pictures of this kind of display for you guys. When I first glanced at this, I thought it was an actual guy in a cage. I had to back up and get a better look and then take the picture. Quite a sight to see, although not really a bad thing. Like I said, you would not see this in Philadelphia.

Out on the curb...

2006-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Need anything for the house? Its probably somewhere in this pile.

Have a seat, get comfy...

2006-04-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a great place for a couch. Just think, you're walking down the street, you get tired, there's a couch! If you wait awhile, someone will be along to take your drink order. An appetizer will follow...Hey wait a minute. You're not supposed to leave your old furniture on the sidewalk! Sidewalks are for walking! Not your personal trash dump!

Just throw it out here....

2006-04-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

Drive down any alley in the city, and find a pile of junk. Anything you need to give your house that finishing touch can be found in a pile of discarded items somewhere in Los Angeles. Wow!!!
Don't drive to the dump and get rid of it, just DUMP IT!!! Find an alley where you don't live, and leave your trash!

The Villa's new furniture

2006-04-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

The apartment building here has a new idea, show what kind of furniture you can get when you move in. Even the bottom is in good condition. Go ahead, kick the tires.

More couches and chairs....

2006-04-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Now, here's a case where the furniture and the vehicle seem to fit in a nice little composition. Get out of the car, and sit on the couch. Rest and relax.

a few pics on a Sunday afternoon...

2006-04-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ya gotta love it, some people just drive along with crap in the truck, and instead of going to the dump, they MAKE a dump, where ever they stop and toss their trash. Nice going fellas. Makes the neighborhood look very inviting. Cozy.
I'd wanna live here....

Interesting wires in the alley

2006-04-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Kind of speaks for itself, don't you think? Some of these wires have been here since the twenties, and the insulation is falling off. The squirels get a hot foot when they cross.

Snail stampede...!!

2006-03-31T07:11:00.000-08:00

Well, here's a bunch of them, thundering by and kicking up a cloud of dust like you've never seen! I was safely behind some big rocks when this herd ran by. The ground shook as they raced by. It was quite a sight!

Another fast one...

2006-03-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

I got out of the way of this guy just in time. He was bearing down on me with the fury and speed and power of a t-rex. Just as he lunged for my throat, I dodged to the left, and tumbled down the hillside to safety. I'll show you pictures of what transpired next, tomorrow.

In the PArk

2006-03-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

In Los Angeles, in the big bad city, there is a really great park. Well, it actually used to be a resevoir back in the old days. Then the dam broke and tons of water cascaded down La Brea Avenue, and took out some houses and maybe even killed a couple of people. Its been turned into a county park, and it is a good place to take a walk or have a family outing. I took this picture in the grass after the rain last weekend. The place was humming with snails on the move, a veritable stampede of slugs and their houses. Here you can see a few scampering away at high speed. Look at the skid marks on the ground. I don't know where they were going, but I'm glad I didn't get in their way.

Sidewalk stuff...

2006-03-25T13:21:00.000-08:00

This is a stretch of street that invites people to use it as a dumping ground. Its light industry on one side and houses on the other side. What else is a street like this for? This pile of junk was in two parts, and of course, the people that left it had no choice but to leave it here. There are roadblocks all over town so nobody can take anything to the dump. "Leave your junk on the side of the road"
Isn't that a song by the Beatles?

Today is Saturday...

2006-03-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to the bookstore. I parked in a spot that had NO OTHER CARS AROUND. I mean there were 5 rows of empty spaces, it was nine a damn clock. The store had just opened. There were tumbleweeds blowing through. I parked my sedan, and went into the store to browse and not spend any money. When I came out, this minivan was parked in front of my car. You could not get a fly's testicle in between the vehicles. What is this person's problem? And you know the driving habits are just like the parking behaviour. What gives? I should have gone into the store and asked them to make an announcement that the minivan was being broken into and stolen. But I got the picture of the plate, so I will be on the look out for this clown.

More traffic...

2006-03-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

I hate the traffic here in Los Angeles.
I'll have some pictures tomorrow.

Still driving in LA...

2006-03-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

Why do the guys have to run up beside you on the Harbor Freeway north, and there is no one behind you, and then they get in front of you in a most dangerous way, just to get on the Golden State freeway north? What is their point? This is not Indianapolis. Not Daytona. What gives? Are people that stupid? Or do they have something to prove? And why are so many of them on the cell phone at the time? Sometimes I wish I had the jeep from the TV show Rat Patrol. Lots of ignorant drivers out there. When I come upon you after you had your accident, I'll take pictures and sell them to you. With a caption that says, "Its THIS GUY'S FAULT!!" Good luck in your race to the bottom of the car racing contest on LA freeways that takes place everyday. Go ahead and show everybody how fast your car is. We all know you are rushing to some unimportant appointment. Whatever it is, it can wait... In other words, Back off clown!!

While driving in LA...

2006-03-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

When you're driving in Los Angeles, is the guy who passes and cuts you off a prick and the guy who tailgates you an asshole? Or is it the other way around? I wonder about these things as I drive to the office.

I'm Back...

2006-03-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

I know its been a while since I laast posted. I went out and took a bunch of pictures today. Came away with some nice ones. Only thing is, these were taken with the old Nikon. I went to a one hour place and just asked for the film to be developed, 20 minutes these days. Then I scanned the negatives into the computer. Not the same as taking pics with a digital camera. But it does feel good to have a heavy Nikon in my hand compared to the plastic Kodak. Anyway, here is a bunch more stuff that someone is tossing out curbside. Looks nice, doesn't it?

Its raining...

2006-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

It took me almost ninety minutes to get home tonight, rain you see, slows everything down in Los Angeles. No accidents were reported by the second rate traffic reporters on the all news and talk radio stations. Just tons of people on the road at the same time. Friday afternoon it took me an hour to get home from Burbank at two thirty in the afternoon. No accidents. The offramps for Crenshaw and La Brea were backed up at least half a mile. And the traffic south on La Cienaga was crawling to Rodeo. I think this town should get an award for being the most poorly planned city in the universe. The freeways cannot handle the amount of traffic they endure everyday. And the city streets are no better, with the traffic signals so badly timed as to make driving even half a mile an ordeal. When will this place get it together? When we have the Olympics again?
In the summer of 1984, the streets were the most driveable they have been since probably the 1930s. Most of the residents left town for fear of the crowds of foreigners that were going to invade, and almost all of the trucks made their deliveries after dark. Which cut down on a lot of the traffic on the freeways. Everyone who stayed was pleasantly surprised. The hookers were scooted away from Hollywood and Sunset Blvds., and went to Santa Monica Blvd. The Olympic events I went to had no traffic jams leading to the venues, and no large throngs of foreigners threatening the local populace. That was two weeks of peace on the roads. It was almost a town deserted.
I think Los Angeles is about to burst with people and cars, like an ugly zit. The town will be a giant puss wart on the face of the earth, pop, and get swallowed up by the oil underneath it. Then it will be like it was before anybody moved here and wanted to be close to movie stars or in the movies.

Where have I been...?

2006-02-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

I know I have not posted any discarded items in a while. I'll get back to it soon.
I am posting a bunch of new drawings on my other blog, scottydrawings.blogspot.com
Check them out...

Palos Verdes

2006-02-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a view of the Palos verdes cliffs to give you some peace of mind for the weekend. Let the waves wash over you as the sounds of the ocean flow through you and calm you after your rough drive to the office through the mean streets of Los Angeles.

Wide screen

2006-02-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Once everyone is watching videoes on their cellphones, you'll need more than one to see some movies, like Ben Hur...

More ramblings...

2006-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

I'll start posting new photos tomorrow or the next day. They won't be pictures of old furniture. I will produce a calender of the furniture pictures for next year, probably through CafePress. I also will make mugs and tee shirts and other items.

Wednesday morning...

2006-02-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

Thinking of changing the title of this blog and the subject matter as well. Might turn into something I can use as a rickety soap box of what I think of the world in general,
and Los Angeles in particular. Which may happen this week. Keep watching this space for further developements....

another old philly photo...

2006-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

Don't know if I already posted this or not, but here it is...looks to be a shot looking down Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum.
I did not get out to take more pictures of discarded furniture this past weekend, as I was fixing the bathroom sink, putting the finishing touches on the plastic pipes I picked up to replace the original metal pipes and making sure they were sealed. Tough job if you don't have a plumbers' licsense...I'm a cartoonist...

A pile o' stuff

2006-01-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a good way to show off how much stuff you can buy and throw away, just put it in front of your house. Too bad pick up trucks are so scarce these days. If there were more pick up trucks around, people could haul their stuff away themselves. Oh well.

Geodetic point

2006-01-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

If you know where this point is on the cliffs in Palos Verdes, you know where I was.

the view from Palos Verdes

2006-01-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot from the cliffs down in Palos Verdes, one of my favorite places. I was there over the weekend taking pictures. I'll put some more up tomorrow.

More to come, later

2006-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Tried to upload a couple of pics this morning. I took a little drive Saturday to Palos Verdes, just to look at the scenery. Really pretty down there. Will put pics up tonight after work.

And the other picture...

2006-01-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here is the other picture of the bathroom sink job. Hope to finish it tomorrow night or Tuesday morning.

What I did this weekend

2006-01-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well, here is what I worked on most of this weekend, instead of drawing. Its trying to clean out the drain that is the real hard part, since the drain pipe angles to the left in stead of down. And the small auger is having a hard time trying to get through the gunk. So I need to go the hardware store tomorrow morning and get a couple of washers for the drain. Maybe even a new shorter drain pipe and a flexible plastic pipe to connect it to the p-trap. Sheeeesh!!!

Its about time...!!

2006-01-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally got out to take more pictures today, and I think this little setup takes the cake. The shoes were a nice touch. While I was taking this picture, a guy walked up to me and said something about the items left by the curb, and who would put this stuff here?
He looked homeless. He wanted me to give him a job I think, like cleaning this stuff up.

AWAY......

2006-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

I know I have been away for a wile, but rest asured, I am going to start posting again soon. Just need a bunch of new pictures!

Old Philly Photos...

2006-01-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

Can't recall if I already posted this one or not, but this might be the Municiple Services Building downtown Philadelphia. I must have taken this from City Hall back in the day.

A mirror

2006-01-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

Don't know why there is a mirror set up like this in an alley, strange. Interesting little scene. Who put it there and why? What was the person trying to see?

Keeping your stuff up off the street...

2006-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

Well, here's a good idea...keep your stuff up till you get ready to take it away. And right next to the trash can, so you remember that its got to go.

television sets

2006-01-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

Hey, this is another pair of tv sets I found. Don't know why people throw out televisions two at a time. Guess they blow out at the same time. Well, just leave them at the curb. Someone will pick them up. Wonder if there are any parts inside of them to use to make a SUPER TV that will show old tv shows from signals bounced back from space of "I Love Lucy"?

Entire bed set!

2006-01-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Look at this. An entire bed set, just left at the curb. Use it and throw it away. Somebody will pick it up. Looks good here, doesn't it? A shot of the sun rising behind this would make Ansel Adams jealous.

From the Harbor Freeway...

2006-01-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

I took this from the Harbor Freeway driving north this morning on the way to the office
and was surprised it came out at all. The digital camera does pretty good in the car at speed.

Television sets...

2006-01-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

So why couldn't these two TV sets just walk themselves to the dump? Could it be that, oh, I don't know, they don't have LEGS??!!! Come on guys!! The city has a place you can take the TVs to get rid of them once they don't work anymore. Look it up in the city directory! Or check the Yellow Pages. You know, the phone book the phone company sends around every year!