Such an exquisitely unparalleled property as this commands instant attention and respect. While many large pieces of land on the Westside of Los Angeles remain unique unto themselves, this particular acre seems situated elsewhere than this large city. Immediately through the front gate beckons the distinct feeling of a secluded, well-adorned countryside.
The history of this home speaks volumes. As such, while various modern cosmetic and utility updates shall certainly be in order, historical preservation here remains paramount. From the expansive main house to not one but two guest cottages and much more, the delightful surprises line up to be discovered. After all, how can you go wrong with wall-to-wall leopard carpet? And to boast a patio that feels like your own Polo Lounge could never too shabby!
Much to say, yet so much more to see, 270 S. Canyon View Drive awaits that special buyer who will appreciate and maintain everything this generous piece of residential history has to offer.
One truly stunning white-on-red classic effortlessly contributes a generous splash of panache to my neighborhood street. While such a specimen of historic German elegance emerges from a long line of attractive relatives competing for their place, this particular 1961 190 SL also happens to hold its own, making a powerfully nostalgic statement all by itself.
“It’s no longer The City. It’s not the fog-lined streets Herb Caen described as a woman putting on her slip and sneaking out in the pre-dawn shadows of Sunday morning. It’s not the foghorn quieting conversation over cocktail hour. It’s not finding comfort in all the similarly octagon-tiled bathroom floors of Pacific Heights.” (Pridgen/DPBSports)
Having lived in “The City” for three years after spending significant time there throughout two decades preceding, the idea of moving back occasionally crosses my mind. Then when I read articles such as this quoted above, I’m reminded that my occasional idea is not exactly a good one, sadly enough. While there seem to be more ways that ever to say “it’s not,” perhaps the hardest one of all, personally speaking, is to say: “It’s not for me (in more ways than it is).”
But then, change comes to everyone and everything, as fortunately and unfortunately very little remains the same forever. On that note, check with me in five years for an update to my thoughts on living in San Francisco. That change might come sooner than we think.
In honor of baseball legend Yogi Berra, who passed away last week at age 90, a list of classic “Berra-isms” is well worth a thorough review– many of which warrant reuse (with proper attribution of course.) Below are five of 50, with the other 45 here.(Courtesy: USA Today)
1. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
2. You can observe a lot by just watching.
3. It ain’t over till it’s over.
4. It’s like déjà vu all over again.
5. No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.
And the lists abound! But then, did he ever say most of the things he said? I can certainly relate to such an insightful yet simple statement. How about you?
An occasion certainly a majority of Britons and a minority of Americans have been anticipating for some time– a moment I myself knew full well was on its way– this historic day has come. And she made it, not that there was much if any doubt she would. At 63 years, 216 days on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II today takes the title of longest reigning monarch in British history!
Among all the classic masterpieces already sold, slowly by surely come more for sale via Mercedes Motoring. It’s always a pleasure to take a fresh look at the remarkable lot.
Checking out the offerings du jour from my newest favorite sales source, this beautiful gem quickly rose to the top. 1978 was certainly a good year for SLs. As such, I’m adding to my bucket list a cross-country road trip from Vermont to California.
It all comes down to Paris, and then it’s over. A fourth stage win for Greipel, Sagan in green a fourth straight year sans stage win this time, and Quintana in white on the second place podium, altogether behind the first British two-time champion, bring to an end a three-week, 2088-mile journey for 160 of the starting 198 riders to reach stage 21 on the Champs-Elysées.
What was probable becomes certain. Chris Froome is the man– in not only yellow but also polka dots. With this, as 2013’s winner retakes his place two years later, the 102nd Tour de France takes its place in history. And so we close the latest chapter of professional cycling excellence.
2015 Tour de France Champion Chris Froome (Photo: ASO/B.Bade)
The second rest day arrives just in time for “gorilla” Andre Greipel to recharge following his third win du jour of the Tour in stage 15, while Peter Sagan is forced to rest with that same old number after the historically dangerous descent of the Col de Manse takes him to the line of stage 16 in– you got it– second. That’s now five #2 finishes for the points-leading “green machine.”
Then come the Alps, along with further losses to the overall field. As American Tejay Van Garderen had been sitting in third place overall, on stage 17 he meets an illness-induced end before reaching this Tour’s highest elevation point on the Col d’Allos. Meanwhile, other-American Andrew Talansky (of only three in this Tour) notably finishes the day in second with a GC 12th place. A French 1-2 closes stage 18 in Saint-Jean-de-Maurine, as Romain Bardet takes his first-ever Tour de France stage win, with Pierre Roland shortly behind. The GC standings and Froome’s longstanding 3:10 lead still don’t change, that is until the following day. Defending champ Vincenzo Nibali, nearly written off in the first week, proves he’s back by attacking on the Col de la Croix-de-Fer, winning stage 19, and moving himself up to fourth place overall, while second place Nairo Quintana pulls ahead to narrow the gap on le maillot jaune by 32 seconds.
This feeds into the penultimate finish atop Alpe d’Huez, at the end of a final climb long predicted to shake up the Tour even further. A great day it proves for the French, as Thibaut Pinot ascends to a remarkable stage 20 victory, holding off the young Colombian in white who crosses the line in second while erasing another big chunk off that GC gap. As such, to keep it interesting if not exactly shaken up, Chris Froome begins the Tour’s last day with a lead of 1:12, down from 2:38, down from 3:10, certainly a humbled presumed winner.
As always, it all comes down to Paris. The champagne soon again shall flow!
This year’s first French victory du jour in stage 8, followed by the team time trial of stage 9, close chapter one of the Tour leading into the first rest day, just in time for the wearer of le maillot jaune to gear up for the Pyrenean mountains ahead. And more than geared he proves by the end of stage 10 with his not-to-be-caught solo win on La Pierre-Saint-Martin, reinforcing Chris Froome’s general classification (GC) lead by almost three minutes. Meanwhile, in green, out of green, and back in green again, Peter Sagan keeps a not-so-tight hold on his best color.
Stage 11’s Col du Tourmalet
Stage 11 to the top of the Col du Tourmalet keeps Froome on top overall, far ahead of defending champion Vincenzo Nibali who’s clearly not having his greatest Tour. If that’s not enough, what some consider the hardest climbing day comes in stage 12 to the Plateau de Beille, amid extreme weather variations from dry heat to hailing downpour– but ultimately still no shakeup in the overall standings. Stage 13 into Rodez offers up the most exciting and unpredictable finish of the week, as Sagan propels to yet another almost-win but must settle for yet another second place du jour. At least he propels ahead in his points total after a momentary mid-stage loss, again showing he actually has to work to keep the green jersey for a change, courtesy of Andre Greipel of course. Still meanwhile– no GC shakeup.
Two-thirds of the 102nd Tour de France close with stage 14, seeing the first win for the first African team in Tour history, renewed points dominance for the “green machine” amid yet another top five stage finish, and in addition to a 2-3 switch in the GC, now an overall lead of more than three minutes for the man in yellow.
It might seem by now that le maillot jaune is wrapped up for this Tour– but then, is it? As always, we shall see. So comes and goes yet another July week across France. Next up, the Alps!
His risky solo breakaway proves awesomely successful, winning Tony Martin stage 4 and putting him in yellow. The German “Gorilla” throws the hammer down once again in the final meters of stage 5, Greipel’s second win for a second time eclipsing a Cavendish stage victory. Bad luck repeats itself for le maillot jaune, as a crash in the last moments of stage 6 sees Martin across the line with a broken collarbone. And in the next big sprint finish of stage 7, amid anticipation of dominance or payback, the latter ultimately prevails. The “Missile” triumphantly kills the pressure and wins his first stage of this year’s Tour!
Thrilling highs alternate with shattering lows, again and again in that unpredictable and unforgiving pattern that defines bicycle racing. One week of the 2015 Tour de France is now in the books, with the harsh-yet-glorious reminder that anything we might anticipate will always meet the unforeseen. This said, onward they go to the inevitable highs and lows that come next.
After a record-breaking individual time trial in stage 1 through Utrecht, and following some quickly shifting weather across Holland in stage 2 en route to a sprint finish in Zelande, comes the first dose of heavy carnage in the 102nd Tour de France– this massive high-speed pile-up in stage 3 to the Belgian town of Huy, big enough to halt the entire race for almost 20 minutes!
The first three days down and the first seven riders out, including today’s yellow jersey holder Fabian Cancellara who did valiantly finish the stage, comes in advance of tomorrow’s treacherous cobbles– not to mention French soil. Altogether, this day clearly beckons that annually uttered classic phrase: “C’est Le Tour.”
And now once again, for the 102nd time in fact, the long-anticipated eve has come. The 2015 Tour de France is ready to roll tomorrow, with new technology to boot!
“It’s certainly no longer surprising to see someone brandishing one of these wands of self-importance. Maybe they still inspire eye-rolls. But either there are enough people who don’t care if they look silly or there are enough people who realize that selfie sticks are rather convenient.” (Contrera, Washington Post Style Blog, 6/28/15)
Granted, pulling out “the stick” mid-roller coaster ride seems like a bad idea. But for such poor judgment to bring about a park-wide ban? Balderdash, I say. A selfie stick sensibly exercised on solid, open ground in front of a picture-worthy backdrop is hardly going to cause harm to anyone. And naturally, how you or I might appear to others remains irrelevant. I did indeed happen to receive “the gift of 2014” myself, and I like it. Unfortunately, Disney is now the one to say balderdash to me and all the rest of you who believe convenience trumps silliness.
The well-played role of Tom Bradford notwithstanding, this schmaltzy moment of all-American automotive nostalgia is what somehow first popped into my mind upon hearing of his passing. RIP Dick Van Patten.
So comes a spellbinding walk down memory lane for any American over– let’s say– 50? Seeing as this number sits far in my future, who am I to talk? Naturally, yours truly being old for his age, I remember, appreciate and truly adore nearly all the moments featured in episode one of CNN’s The Seventies, aptly titled “Television Gets Real” — of which the above clip is a part.
What we have before us is one outstanding look back at what once was in the world of broadcasting, and what– sadly and ever the more painfully– now is not. Simply put, they don’t make TV like this anymore. Nevertheless, while loving every minute thus far, I can’t wait for episode two, no matter how unflattering Mr. Nixon will inevitably emerge.
Two seconds behind at the start of the final stage turns into one second after the intermediate sprint time bonuses. As such, it must be solved in the last full-tilt sprint to the finish. And so it is, by the very narrowest of margins, all coming down to less than the width of a road tire. In the closest victory in the history of this tour, thanks to a four-second time bonus for finishing the day in third (narrowly enough), the great Peter Sagan wins the 2015 Amgen Tour of California!
Stage 5 of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California rolled out of Santa Barbara on Thursday, just after I was able to snag my own photo of my two favorite rival sprinters, Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan. As some very atypical wet weather soaked the 95-mile course and made for a soggy finish, like most other fans I was left to wonder which of the two powerhouses would win the day. The answer, of course, for his third stage victory of this tour: The Missile!
The 2015 Amgen Tour of California is off and rolling as of today. The week-long professional cycling race departs from Santa Barbara on Thursday! (Getty Images Sport)
Not in recent memory, if ever, have I seen such a famous and glamorous 74-year-old woman so “un-74” in every way. As the ever-lovely Donna Mills stepped into the spotlight this past weekend at the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, she proved her actual age is so unlike her. (Photo: celebmafia.com)
Always a pleasure it is to see the incomparable Betty White, this newest time on stage at the 2015 TV Land Awards taped April 12 in Beverly Hills and aired April 18. Impressively enough, the 93-year-old comedienne clearly surpasses colleagues more than half her age in style, wit and overall energy! Suffice to say, she continues to lead by example. (AP Images)
While I’m away from this site and not posting anything current, please feel free to immerse yourself here in this very non-current gem, a true classic of all classics, television as they sadly don’t make it anymore. Old in years as this great show now is, it simply never gets old in appeal– especially as I get ready to turn another year older, still waiting for my own dais.
From a most auspicious Pi Day, to the famous annual green river, to bewaring the Ides of March, a full weekend this past one certainly has been– and it’s not even St. Patrick’s Day yet! Nevertheless, this annual trio of spirited occasions always deserves good mention, celebrated– in one unique way or another– as each might be.
As I’ve mentioned at least once before, a favorite cycling moment for me is one in which I’m brought to a halt by the sight of a well-kept, vintage Mercedes-Benz. Such an instance came again, this time along Foothill Road in Santa Barbara. On this occasion the beautiful classic worth stopping to examine was one Stone Pine Green 1976 450 SL, in remarkable condition– at least cosmetically for all I could see. And even better– it’s for sale, along with many more photos than my one. Have a complete look for yourself if you share my appreciation.
The sight of Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris almost au naturel on stage may have triggered for you an infamous memory of Academy Awards show history, as it quickly did for me. While no comparing these two very different moments (except in above-waist result), the audience (i.e. the world) had not seen this much bare skin in more than 40 years, even on Cher, until last night!
As they already did for us in Santa Barbara this past weekend, “le bon temps” that is, so too they shall roll today no doubt. Happy Fat Tuesday to all, in New Orleans and well beyond.
Upon mere outside glance the decision might be a difficult one, given such immediate similarity between the C and CLA. As well discussed however, the numerous distinctions come from within the engineering of these two Mercedes-Benz cars, not to mention that other difference– the one from within your bank account. Horsepower, drivetrain and rear headroom aside, talking pure looks in this case, I get the feeling I’d opt for the lower-priced CLA myself. Et vous?
Is it just me, or was this year’s lot of Super Bowl commercials rather bland and underwhelming? Wait, I can quickly answer my own question: It’s not just me. Never mind I seem to be saying the same thing every year; 2015 out-dulled itself. Oh sure, we were treated to everything from a JFK voiceover to Kardashian egocentrism, media history vis-a-vis a Couric-Gumbel reunion, celebrity appearances by the likes of Matt Damon and Chelsea Handler, and my personal favorite of the evening– the latest nostalgic nod to television sitcom history with the clever and winning union of “The Brady Bunch” and Snickers. Still, not enough I’m afraid.
(Courtesy: Shamburger/thebiglead.com)
Altogether, my favorite moment of the evening came not from an ad, but during the game itself. Imagine that! The final interception that sealed New England’s win– and Tom Brady’s immediate reaction to it– are far more memorable than any 30 or 60 second “break” from the action. Unlike last year, Super Bowl XLIX produced a close, unpredictable and truly exciting game to the very end, brawl included! The commercials will just have to keep trying.
In advance of this Sunday’s annual round of pricey TV spots, I like many have seen the so-called “controversial” GoDaddy Super Bowl commercial that– thanks to the typical set of complainers– will not be aired in its original, expensively scheduled time slot. First, join me if you will in a big eye roll. Then, let me say I echo the well-reasoned sentiments of Brett Baker:It’s fine.
But it’s gone, unfortunately. So let’s take this entire illogical mess a step further, as you too might appreciate the clever reasoning of Alexandra Petri. She certainly raises a few great points to make her point, begging the question: How much more ridiculous does the whole matter have to get? Or better yet, why was this ever an issue in the first place? At least GoDaddy is getting an excellent publicity return on its $4 million investment! (Click image to watch the :30 ad.)
Ryan R. Sanderson 