Life Style & Travel

HOLLYWOOD—Hey, if you want to check clean out of this world and taken on an adrenaline ride that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go, you couldn’t do better than “Angel Baby” by Richard Lange. Lange, an LA-based and nourished writer, with a following in France and a Guggenheim to his name, wallows in a doomed gritty...

UNITED STATES—Even though the weather can get uncomfortably warm at times through summer or a bit cool and damp in winter, this is still the best climate in the world. It does not get as warm for as long as warmer regions or Arizona do. Nor does it get nearly as cold as even the mildest climates of Alaska....

UNITED STATES—Parkstrips, those narrow spaces between curbs and sidewalks, are among the most awkward spaces in the garden. In urban areas with significant traffic, they are commonly paved over. Some neighborhoods, especially downtown neighborhoods, do not have parkstrips at all. Suburban neighborhoods though, often have wider parkstrips. The difficulty with parkstrips is that there is so much happening around them....

LOS ANGELES—Many borrowers are seeing lower monthly payments and lower interest rates these days thanks to the growing popularity of interest-only loans. It’s not a new phenomenon exactly, but the popularity of these loans is giving many a chance at monthly payments 30 to 40 percent lower than a conventional home loan. It sounds like a great deal but it’s exactly...

LOS ANGELES—The economy is slowly improving and so is the real estate market which means good news for families looking for a new home to call their own. As more head into the market, the greater the need to learn about the ins and outs of home financing. As you explore the landscape of mortgage financing, it’s important to know...

UNITED STATES—Foliage is often employed to obscure views. Evergreen shrubbery or trees can provide privacy in the garden or for windows. It can just as easily hide unappealing buildings in the distance, or driveways where cars get parked. Unfortunately, too much foliage often obscures desirable views or interferes with lighting. There are all sorts of reasons to control greenery that...

HOLLYWOOD—In the café, where I’ve been hanging lo these many years, I overheard a man say, “I always wanted to write a story about clocks, but I never had the time.”  I’d like to set that fella straight, poor schlub desperately seeking a way out of time’s twisted labyrinth. Listen buddy, as long as you let us keep calling...

LOS ANGELES—As the market improves so do the opportunities to find a great piece of property suited to you. Short sales are one way to find a nice home as a primary residence or as a rental property. Short sales, of course, are properties being sold by distressed owners at potentially a great discount. Since the sale price falls short...

UNITED STATES—Boston ivy and creeping fig are good aggressive vines for freeway overpasses and sound-walls. They are resilient to harsh exposures and pollution, and help to muffle the sound of traffic. Boston ivy provides remarkable foliar color in autumn before defoliating in winter. Creeping fig provides thick evergreen foliage that overwhelms any graffiti that it can reach. However, their aggressive...

HOLLYWOOD—A lot of years I’ve been driving to the hinterlands east of Vine Street to get my shoes shined. It’s worth it: Igor’s mirror-bright shines draw the complements and his wise words usually rearrange the furniture of my mind. Of course it’s not always feasible to drive to his place of business, and I’m sheepish after committing ‘polygamy’ and...