[further] journeys in los angeles

After weathering (literally) about a week of inclimate weather, and a rather despiriting stomach infection the skies cleared, and other than staying away from delicious food and drink for the next five to seven days things are looking up. Lexi and I decided to celebrate these gastrointestinal and atmospheric changes by actually exploring this city that has been little more than a string of used furniture stores and home depots to us for the past few weeks. After a brief walk through the holiday lights in Griffith Park last week , and after a little 'rebel without a cause' nostalgia we decided to come back and check out the observatory.
















The panorama is pretty unreal. On a clear day you can see the Angeles National Forest to the North, downtown, Hollywood and Beverly Hills to the South, and planes landing at LAX just at the edge of the Pacific to the West. On an unclear day you can see a broad line of deep brown smog spread over the entire city which, although far less picturesque, is still a sight.















We were accosted by a rogue coyote on the drive up, so welcomed the indoors which houses a planetarium, a camera obscura, and a Foucault's Pendulum (one that has been there since the 1930s, and seems to attract the exclusive attention of the elderly, which is strange since the physical manifestation of time's passing is something that I hope not to ponder in my old age). They also have a working Tesla coil, which may be why the elderly and infirm wheel themselves in a panic towards the opposite end of the museum to gaze at the slow moving, less electric bolt-throwing pendulum. Much to my dismay the go button was under lock and key so I could only imagine what it would have been like to turn David Bowie's tophat into an alley cat or however that thing works.
















Thank you, no. Even Leonard Nimoy couldn't convince me to go inside something called the 'event horizon theatre.' I'm pretty sure that an eyeball-less Lawrence Fishburne is just hanging out in there waiting to ruin another six weeks of my nightly dreams.

















Yeah, I guess that's pretty cool.















There are a few massive telescopes that are apparently open to the public most nights. This was a 12" Zeiss which I'll bet is pretty stellar on a clear night.























Well, as you do.






















Good times for sure. A little stop by Amoeba on the way home, and now it's time for a nap.

a wise purchase

an apt talisman