Run. To the Hills.

Over the last two Willeniums or so we have recognized, studied, and tried to offer solutions to what one could call the 'vicious cycle of poverty' that has come to exist on our planet. And although this problem was probably pretty bad in the dark ages, we all know its still an issue.

But today lets put aside that issue, because I am here today to expose that other vicious cycle, the vicious cycle of having so much money that you live in the hills of Calabasas. Every day when I step out of the office for a walk in the fresh air, I see something new that amazes me. Calabasas is the birthplace of the frightening practice of mothers dressing their 8 year old daughters in the exact same ug-boots/sweatpants/cellphone outfit that they are wearing. This is where it all starts. There's an air of inevitability and assurance that that same child will find herself wealthy with nothing to do until the weekend when she grows up as well. It reminds me of those t-shirts where from left to right there's a fish, then a salamender coming out of the water, then an ape, then a less hairy ape, then a guy in a business suit, then at the end is a goofy looking teenager with a skateboard and a backwards hat and it says "The Evolution of Man" at the top. I know a certain set of twin's whose mom can attest to that! Oh brother! Anyway, this is exactly like that t-shirt, except that this is evolution of the suburb, and the t-shirt...really...doesn't help us out all or provide any direction as to understanding what I'm trying to purvey here. Moving along.

<- Peach 'olden-days' style minimalls! Yeah! (pic updated: thanks chris for the revision!)

It's not just the fact that people are rich in Calabasas, because there are more affluent areas in LA. See: Malibu, Bel Air, Beverly Hill, Van Nuys, etc. The difference here is that Calabasas is the gold plated suburb that every other suburb wants to be. It seems to say "If you work hard enough and play your cards right then you, your wife (because you're male), your two kids and your rocket car can enjoy the spoils of the American Dream. The previously mentioned areas are more fantastical and not really representative of an ideal that we can sink our teeth into. These places are set in our mind as unattainable and rightly so. If you live in Bel Air, then you have a story to tell because you're either a movie star, a movie star's plastic surgeon, or you have old money. On the other hand, Calabasas is a goal that at least appears achieveable, even though it's not. At all. For 99.9% of us. It's the chosen land, the land of milk and honey where the beer flows like wine.

Count the Cadillac Escalades in a row. A must for groceries.- >

I'm not saying all this because I think it's wrong to have money. I think it's wrong to not have money. I mean really morally wrong. But, all side-splitting jokes aside, I find it fascinating when you come across real physical places that represent and are sometimes the birthplace of shared social and cultural ideas. I guess I just bring this all up because it's very very different from anything I've seen back home. "You Won't See THAT in Canada! Not Yet Anway!" Queue the 'wow, wow, wooowwowow' trumpet with the toilet plunger in the end sound followed by clown or hillybilly banjo music.

<- Your average Calabasas parking lot. Look carefully.

We're still liking LA. We are going to some concerts in the coming months that we think will be quite good. We are also thinking about upgrading our computer to one of those fancy ones that has a back on it.


"Just Try to Stay Positive,
Just Try to Stay Positive,
Just Try to Stay Positive,
Just Try to Stay Positive" - the streets. (Original. Inspiring.)