Dateline>City of Angels

Amid all the usual tips for weekend getaways, this season’s hottest succulents and making your cramped living spaces look bigger, the latest issue of Sunset Magazine includes a curiously uncharacteristic fluff piece on “How to Live to 100.”

Announcing that “One hundred is the new 70,” the article purports to “uncover the secret to why people are living longer in the West, particularly in California, which has more centenarians that any other state.” Then, employing a rather unscientific methodology to answer this weighty question, the “Magazine of Western Living” interviews three Extreme Senior women, ages 99-102, about their lifestyles and interests. (Apparently no coherent men in that age bracket could be found.)

The conclusion? Westerners live longer, healthier lives because we enjoy the sun and relaxation, eat fresh-picked fruits and vegetables, do a lot of hiking and visiting day spas, and quaff plenty of Pinot Noir.

Oh yeah… and we garden, too.

Really.

Catching up on my web browsing, I see that the Big Orange Landmarks blog recently got to the Shakespeare Bridge in the Franklin Hills neighborhood, managing to attract the attention of a Los Angeles Times literary blog in the process.

Kudos to Big Orange’s blogger, who writes under the pseudonym Floyd B. Bariscale! Whoever he is, I really enjoy his one-by-one visits to L.A.’s long series of designated historical-cultural landmarks. (Even more, I admire his ability to simply get out, explore and photograph them on a regular basis.)

In regards to the bridge (which I happen to enjoy crossing each morning during my daily “coffee runs” to Los Feliz), Bariscale notes that the origins of its Shakespearian moniker remain a mystery… Read more

I must be the only writer in L.A. without a script in the oven. I say this, because whenever I tell people what I do at a party or cocktail gathering, they instantly light up with questions about my TV and movie credits.

Upon explaining that I’m not a script writer — that my work is mainly PR and magazine features — I start to lose them. When I add that my most recent work has been for an off-road trade journal, their eyes really glaze over. After all, how relevant can that be to most people’s lives?

Judge for yourself: Marketable Trends is my latest piece for Off-Road Business Magazine, appearing in this month’s issue. Even if you aren’t a Jeeper, Baja racer or dune buggy enthusiast, you may find it interesting. As automakers step up their manufacturing of products and parts for this segment, more and more mainstream American companies are injecting “off-road lifestyle” imagery into their advertising and marketing campaigns. Plus, an increasing number of tourist destinations are courting off-highway vehicle users to give their local economies a boost. Once reserved for hardcore outdoor adventurers, this unique form of motorsports (along with the money fueling it) is definitely on the rise.

L.A.’s love affair with the automobile has left a special mark on the Southland: a massive tangle of streets bearing iconic names. Some are wistfully romantic-sounding, others obviously named for historic figures or events. But more often than not for us modern-day commuters, the monikers are merely puzzling signposts to a forgotten past.

If you’ve ever wondered about the history behind your neighborhood route, click on over to KPCC’s Street Stories Blog. I ran across the site entirely by accident the other day and found myself quickly engulfed. KPCC Radio (89.3 FM) reporter Kitty Felde has amassed quite a collection of quirky tidbits about SoCal’s many roadways — a collection that continues to grow.

History buffs will especially appreciate reading/listening to the “When the Streets Had No Names” and “Long and Winding Roads” features at the top of the page. Plus, you can even suggest your own avenues for investigation via the blog’s comment section. Consider it a pleasant drive down Memory Lane.

Mary Bingham, a historian-writer based in Arizona, has completed another article in her fun and informative series about families and descendants of the famous Anza Expedition. Appearing in the June/July issue of the Tubac Villager, this installment focuses on Jose Vicente Feliz, a Los Angeles founder and first grantee of Rancho Los Feliz. She quotes Yours Truly regarding the legendary curse attached to the land. (Thanks, Mary, I’m honored!) I’ve enjoyed my back-and-forth exchanges of info with Ms. Bingham and look forward to following her continuing series as it unfolds.