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Hollywood And Vine, Los Angeles

……….The last time Ed and I were at the beach together, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Our mood seemed to match the calm of the sea as we enjoyed the sunshine, surf, and the beautiful women that bask in the light at the Jersey shore during the summer months. We brought our beach chairs along, some food and beverage as we positioned ourselves as close to the beauties as possible. Ed also brought along a half dozen or so empty plastic containers.

W Hotel Ground Los Angeles

……….Besides the prolific writing on his blog, Ed’s first love (besides women) is his photography. He had been telling me about his idea of mixing in salts from the sea into his printmaking process. Somehow he claimed, he was able to distinguish the tonal effects that Atlantic Ocean water salts had on the tone of his prints, compared to printing in Pacific Ocean water for example. Thus, it was imperative for him to bring some East coast water along with him when he returned to Los Angeles, where he would resume a number of photographic projects; including the documentation of the construction of the new W hotel, that recently broke ground at the vicinity of Hollywood and Vine.

Job Site

………..The printmaking master discretely made periodic trips down to the shore line to gobble up ocean water, while the beauties were wondering what on Earth he was doing. I felt for sure everyone at the beach thought we were two weirdos, sitting there with empty bottles, and then periodically filling each of them up with the sometimes suspect ocean water, knowing full well we couldn’t drink it. Undeterred by my thought’s, Ed remained vigilant with his plan until all the containers were filled to the brim. Strangely enough the beauties started gathering around us……..

Construction

……….Ed got back to Los Angeles eager to begin the alchemystic process of printmaking the old fashioned way, in a dark room. He called from time to time to let me know that he added the Jersey shore water to his chemisty and continued to notice a difference in the distinct oceanic effects on the making of his prints. On a subsequent return trip to Philadelphia, with prints from the W Hotel project in tow, I met with Ed to see the results of our summer excursion to the Jersey shore. I was most impressed. To learn more about Ed Simmons photographs, log on to his blog at www.yeeha.org/art.

Ed Simmons: Photographer

Ed Simmons

Posted by Ed Simmons

The costs of War, always exceeds whatever may be gained by way of the Spoils of War. It is pointless, unless the true motivation is to thin the herd. A lot of wealth to be made in the manufacturing of weapons. War can become an addiction. These weapons dealers step right up, just like any dealer, of any commodity steps up, when he senses a hunger for his product. The world would do much better if it were at peace, we all know the devastation that would come from a nuclear bomb, this thought is so frighting. It keeps us from thinking about the devastation brought upon the Earth by conventional weapons daily. Every bomb, every jet or helicopter that crashes, every artillery shell, leaves a scar. We know that our Earth, at this time in history, is having a little trouble keeping up and cleaning up all our messes. Wouldn’t you think, we could give her a break?

Man is the only species on the planet, that entertains itself, by destroying all that is around him. I read once, the meaning of life, was to make shade where it will benefit others. Maybe we should start making some shade. There have been a lot of wars in my lifetime. The only one we ever had a chance of winning, was the War on Poverty. We had that enemy on the run in this country, even around the world. I can remember when it changed, the idea of letting the rich get richer, that the fix would trickle down, and raise the poor out of their despair. To have meaningful agreements, first, we have to find all that is common, with blinders on. We have to navigate through all that is uncommon. It is not local or national , truly it is global. Minus a couple of nuts, I don’t think there is a man or woman on this planet who wants to see it destroyed.

Why not set a date in the future, say 10 or 20 years out, where a world treaty could be signed, declaring a moratorium on inflicting any damage to the earth. I don’t think we wait for 10 years to end the wars, its all a waste, there’s never nothing left. We could use all that money, working for solutions for a future.

I remember Kennedy putting the challenge of Space Exploration before the people. The Moon seemed, at the time, just out of reach. I know a guy that talks of his time, under a console at Johnson, with a slide rule in hand, figuring it out, as they went along. We got so much more from these efforts, than just the landing on the Moon. Our lives today, for better or worse, are what they are today, because of all this. The problems we would encounter, setting up a colony on the Moon, are all the problems we face today on this planet. The science we would gain without question would justify the costs. This science is priceless. If I were to talk about grabbing the Brass Ring, many young people wouldn’t have a clue, to what I was talking about. On the Merry Go Rounds, as I was growing up, an arm, stacked with Brass Rings would drop. As you went around, you would reach out, trying to grab the ring. You didn’t turn your rings in at the end of the ride for a prize, grabbing the ring was the prize. You didn’t keep it, you gave back.

It may sound to simple, but we as people, are at our best, grabbing for the brass ring. World war II, the War to End All War, the Moon Landing, the Special Olympics, the War on Poverty, all things I see as grabbing the brass ring. Our Planet spins, like the Merry Go Round spins, the arm is down, the rings are there. When are people going to forget about all the arcade games, the cupie dolls, whack a mole, ping pong balls in a fish bowl, and reach for the brass rings again.

A Personal Remembrance

….Comments have been coming in to the studio about the recent blog about the passing of Lou Pop. When you’ve lived for 93 years a lot of people are left with memories. Lou Pop was an artist and a landscaper. One of the employee’s of Louie’s suburban landscaping business learned about his recent passing. In his own word’s Don Brunetti, now a singer songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee share’s intimate stories about the times he spent with Pop.

Lou Pop

On September 19, twenty years ago, my mother died. The next day, on September 20, Irving Berlin, the great songwriter passed. Now Louie has left us on September 21. I’m guessing, if there really is a place called Heaven, the three of them are maybe listening to Trotter and Utah Phillips picking and singing.

Some people pass and are easily forgotten, while other people leave a “hole in the world” when they pass. Louie filled a lot of holes in my life at a time when I needed it most. He had the wisdom of the street, a kind of “bottom up” view of the world. In 1973, when the gas prices went up to the he horrendous price of 50 cents a gallon, I told Louie we were about to have a depression. “Youse hippies don’t know anything,” was his reply, “In a depression, the money doesn’t go away, it just goes someplace else.”

He sure knew how to follow the money. The following summer, we had our best year yet. Another time, he came back from lunch at the “Fox and Hounds” and started yelling at me from a crack in the window of his air conditioned car. No particular reason, he was not what you might call, “a hippie whisperer”. Finally he said, “Why didn’t you do that?”. I yelled back, “Louie, I was going to do that last”. “Don’t do anything last!”

You couldn’t “one up” him either. Louie would always have the last word. I think my favorite story was the time when Trotter and I were walking up the alley one morning. We were both hung over, at least a half hour late and holding each other up. When we got there, Louie was yelling at Louis and Mark for being late. Marko should have kept his mouth shut, and Louie would have turned his wrath on us, but Mark said, “What about those guys, they’re later than us”. Louie turned around with his big shit-eating grin and said, “Youse guys are Hippies, youse can be late!”

As long as I’m around Louie Pop will live on in these stories. And nobody will believe them. About 30 years ago, I moved down to Corpus Christi because I needed a job and Trotter put me on his landscaping crew. I was working with a guy named William, who had his PHD in chemistry, but who preferred to work outside. William and I were riding around one day and I said, “I wonder what LouPop would think about all this?” William pulled the truck over and said, “There’s no such person as LouPop. That’s a story Trotter made up. Nobody could be like that.” “Sorry William, there is such a person and Trotter’s stories are only scratching the surface.”

When my son turned 30, he was starting to get upset about getting old. I used a “Louie-ism” when I told my son, “Don’t worry, the older you get, the more unique you become.” Lou-Pop was, if nothing else, was the most unique person I ever met, and I’ve met a lot of people. I’m sad for losing probably the best friend I ever had.

Drawings By Lou Pop

Stunning Look's And Legs, Great Coat

….Esther wore the coat well and the panties underneath even better. She has so much style and class it’s remarkable. No wonder she has done so well in fashion. On the set she was polite, lighthearted and ultra sophisticated…..sexy……

Man In The Mirror, Sascha Lilic

…..Tony and I met through Sascha Lilic, the man whose reflection is cast in the mirror in this picture. Sascha is a world renowned stylist and creative director who for many years worked alongside the legendary Helmut Newton on some of his most coveted assignments. Sascha and I collaborated on this shoot for Spoon magazine on location in Los Angeles……..