Althouse: You can feel like you're slipping off the end of the world out here.

July 28, 2008

You can feel like you're slipping off the end of the world out here.

Your efforts are futile:

Prone:

35 comments:

Trooper York said...: Holy crap! Was that Manute Bol in the first photo?

Buy that man a sandwich for God's sake!; 7/28/08, 11:26 AM
chuck b. said...: The view north-to-south...nice.

The hidden meaning is that life in the east has no relevance.

And it's true, especially when you're on a beach in California.

But if you pointed east we could have fun trying to determine what beach you're at.; 7/28/08, 11:29 AM
Bissage said...: Generally, seasickness can be alleviated by keeping your eyes on the horizon.

There are some notable exceptions, however.; 7/28/08, 11:47 AM
Roger Sweeny said...: Years ago The Economist did one of it's pull-out surveys on California. The package was titled, "Where America Runs Out of Continent."; 7/28/08, 11:55 AM
XWL said...: On the top picture, if you look at the full sized image over at Flickr, it's pretty easy to tell exactly where this is.

Gazing past the pregnant woman, and the people on the bike path, two clues as to where this is pop out.

First, you have the concrete block like building, that identifies itself as "Venice Beach Recreation Center".

Also, farther along to the right of that structure you can see the shield of the LAPD, which marks the location for the LAPD Venice Substation.

Here's what the LAPD page says about that place (bolding, mine):

The Los Angeles Police Department’s beach SubStation is located in the heart of Venice Beach at 1530 W. Ocean Front Walk. Venice is "world famous" for its beach which draws crowds in excess of 500,000 during summer weekends. The Los Angeles Police Department maintains a highly visible police presence on the beach and strives to provide a safe and secure environment for residents and tourists alike. Due to the special needs of policing a beach environment, the Los Angeles Police Department has employed a number of innovative policing methods such as deploying officers in shorts and T-shirts, on bicycles and in 4x4 vehicles for use on the sand. While public safety remains an officers’ primary concern, personnel assigned to the beach detail are also responsible for crime suppression, vending enforcement issues and locating lost children in and around the Venice Beach area.

Any snaps of officers in shorts pending?; 7/28/08, 11:56 AM
Mrs. Bonita Spratzle said...: It's the number #1 worst beach in Southern California. More gang shoot-outs on that beach, than any other. But then again Althouse likes being the only Blonde on the beach ?

Low-rent. Why go on vacation if you're not going to do it up right ?; 7/28/08, 11:58 AM
Mrs. Bonita Spratzle said...: Good-grief, who's your activies planner? Where's Julie McCoy ?

Koreatown, then Venice Beach.

I suppose Florence and Normandie is coming up.

I dare you to go out on the corner of Florence and Normandie and whip out your camera and start photographing the natives......see what happens.; 7/28/08, 12:01 PM
Trooper York said...: California has a wimp beach. Seven people drowned this weekend in New York beachs and one died when they got hit by lighting. You west coast pussies don't know what a tough beach is for crying out load.
Talk to me when you have to dodge medical waste and dead chinese immigrants that wash up on shore. Now that's a tough beach!; 7/28/08, 12:03 PM
Ruth Anne Adams said...: It looks like the edge of the sky in "Truman."; 7/28/08, 12:03 PM
The Dude said...: Hope there weren't any men wearing shorts there...; 7/28/08, 12:06 PM
vbspurs said...: Mrs. Bonita Spratzle

This is the (new/old) Maxine, right...?

Cheers,
Victoria; 7/28/08, 12:15 PM
Fritz said...: Will Bobby Vee and his posse on motorbikes stop by this evening to take you away?; 7/28/08, 12:15 PM
vbspurs said...: As a girl who lives blocks away from SoBe's beach, and grew up playing on the sands of Copacabana/Ipanema, I just have never been able to froth at the mouth about beaches. I understand their allure. But I'm like 'eh'.

Nice photos though.

I noticed the top Manute Bol photo is only at DSC_0036.

IIRC the Vortex photo was _0003, which means that despite Althouse showing us some great snaps of LA, she hasn't been going Japanese tourist snap-happy there.

Cheers,
Victoria; 7/28/08, 12:19 PM
Palladian said...: "This is the (new/old) Maxine, right...?"

There are many Maxines, Victoria.

In fact, if either of the Presidential candidates could garner the votes of Maxine and all of her sock puppets, they would win in a landslide, especially since Maxine lives in California, where I think sock puppet votes are considered legitimate.; 7/28/08, 12:42 PM
XWL said...: One other thing, that beach scene isn't quite as wild as this one (from 1934) hanging over at LACMA.

(and now we know where Crumb got his art style); 7/28/08, 12:43 PM
Palladian said...: And if sock puppet votes aren't considered legitimate in California, then we should start one of those "Legalize L.A." style campaigns. Amnesty and voting rights for sock puppets! Free health care and Haloperidol! Legalize Maxine!; 7/28/08, 12:47 PM
ricpic said...: Go to the beach,
Stare at the sea,
No place left to go.

Get in the car,
Head back east,
Driving disappointedly slow.; 7/28/08, 1:11 PM
vbspurs said...: I think sock puppet votes are considered legitimate.

Unfortunately Shari and the Lambchop are Democrats. They're too creepy and out of touch with lunchbox issues to be Republicans.; 7/28/08, 1:12 PM
ricpic said...: Compared to the Atlantic,
Cold, briny and bracing,
The Pacific is a bathtub lukewarm,
Soul erasing.; 7/28/08, 1:24 PM
Bissage said...: Speaking of sock puppets, Lee Siegel of TNR/Spermatozoa fame was on NPR's "On The Media" this weekend casting himself as a heroic defender of internet civility.

What a pompous ass.

Just wanted to say that.

*feels better now*; 7/28/08, 1:44 PM
Mrs. Plyrina Pahpoff said...: Life on the Althouse Blog:

23 comments, and all but 2 of 'em are Maxine.; 7/28/08, 2:03 PM
XWL said...: Go to the beach,
Stare at the sea,
No place left to go.

Get in the car,
Head back east,
Driving disappointedly slow.

Ricpic, that's why you drive one of these . . .

Also, as far as water temps go, it's the other way around. The water in the Northern Hemisphere circulates clockwise, so our waters are coming straight out of Alaska, and are chilled currently to a bracing 68.2 F (which is about as warm as the water ever gets here).

Meanwhile at about the same latitude on the other coast in Onslow Bay, NC, it's a balmy 82.9 F (practically bath water, at least compared to the Pacific above Mexico)

Even by Boston the current water temp is warmer than it is in Santa Monica Bay.

That's one reason why Hurricanes almost never hit above Baja California in the Pacific, while in the Atlantic have been known to get much farther north (on very rare occasions, even up into New England); 7/28/08, 2:09 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: The SoCal beaches have great sunsets. Nothing like sitting back at the end of the day with the ocean breeze in your face, sipping a margarita and watching the sun slip into the sea.

On the east coast the sun sets behind the land, which is really stupid.; 7/28/08, 2:27 PM
Original Mike said...: Wow. Look at all that skin cancer.; 7/28/08, 4:59 PM
blake said...: XWL is right.

Our beaches are cold, very cold. The water is bracing even on a hot day.

Take that, Trooper York!

And, if not that, take the swarms of jellyfish that frequent Zuma. They'd kill ya, but we're not usually dumb enough to go swimming among them.; 7/28/08, 5:06 PM
Anonymous said...: and grew up playing on the sands of Copacabana/Ipanema

Victoria, I didn't know you lived in Brasil as a child. Do tell! No wonder you have a better feel for the Latin/Hispanic world than most.

And no wonder you're bored with beaches.; 7/28/08, 5:28 PM
The Drill SGT said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/28/08, 7:40 PM
The Drill SGT said...: As a Native Californian, I can honestly say that as Victoria so succintly put it "California, the Land of Fruits and Nuts" with no ill will meant to our gay friends.

A rational sociologist described the cause like this. "folks that didn't fit in, in the old country moved to the new world. Those that didn't fit in with the folks in New York moved to Ohio. Those in Ohio, that didn't fit in there, moved on to Missouri. Those that could not adapt to Missuri moved on to Californa. There they ran out places to move. (this theory ignores Alaska, but the same is true there) Thus California has more than its share of risk takers, non-conformists and basic wackos in its gene pool."

The Venice beach in LA and University Avenue in Beserkly are the epicenters of wierdnes in Calfornia if not the world.; 7/28/08, 7:42 PM
blake said...: I resemble that remark.; 7/28/08, 8:13 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Frederic Jackson Turner. "Theory of the Westen Frontier"

Turns out he was from the University of Wisonsin of all places :)

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1958/3/1958_3_4.shtml; 7/28/08, 9:30 PM
rcocean said...: "Our beaches are cold, very cold. The water is bracing even on a hot day."

Bracing = Too f*cking cold.; 7/28/08, 10:17 PM
blake said...: rcocean flunks Travel Agent copy writing school.; 7/28/08, 10:39 PM
vbspurs said...: Theo wrote:

Victoria, I didn't know you lived in Brasil as a child. Do tell! No wonder you have a better feel for the Latin/Hispanic world than most.

Theo! I only write about South America/Brazil in every other comment here and at my blog. The other ones are all about the Kennedys. ;)

Yes, I did live there for many years, but correction -- not really as a child. As a teen in the late 80s/early 90s, before my parents moved back to where they had emigrated (the US).

And no wonder you're bored with beaches.

Yes. Sadly. I really wish I were one of those people who could lie near my pool or on the beach FOR HOURS, and just bake.

After 15 mins. I have to find a volleyball, a book, SOMETHING, else I am bored out of my gourd.

This is why I am allergic to British tourists abroad. Sitting around the pools on a Torremolinos package tour is my idea of a fresh kind of hell.

Cheers,
Victoria; 7/29/08, 12:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Sorry, Victoria. I read all your comments, and have noted your Brazil experience, but never thought of the connection with beaches. Duh.

Sorry to say also that I don't read your blog much. I used to make it a habit to check out 5-10 new blogs a day, and I kept up with about 20 regularly. Now, I look at 2 or 3 daily, Althouse being one. I'm still spending an inordinate amount of time on the internet, but, frankly, I don't have time to read that many blogs. I may be wrong, not knowing current blog statistics, but if I'm any bellweather, the novelty of blogs has worn off, and people may be seeking either pure entertainment or more substantial reading and information.

I will check our YOUR blog more often, though, as being both entertaining and informational ;-); 7/29/08, 10:14 AM
Patm said...: must say - at first I didn't like all the fisheye lense photographs...but now, I like them a lot.; 7/29/08, 7:56 PM