Fillet of Soul

I write from the strange location of Hollywood Blvd, in a cyber cafe, while the meter on my car runs out. I'm in the middle of my shameless barnstorming tourist phase of acquainting myself with LA -- spent the night last night in a Best Western in Long Beach, drove up a really REALLY lame stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway (perhaps like yourself, I got a glamorous image of something like the Big Sur during a helicopter-swooping car commercial-type-thing. Well, definitely not so between Long Beach and Santa Monica). Then up Santa Monica Blvd, over which the sun had already come up, so I guess I missed out on that. Then right on La Brea to the apparently-world-famous Pink's hotdog stand, and after half an hour of waiting in line for a goddamn hotdog and eating it in 30 seconds, I headed east on Melrose, back west to Vine, and thence to Hollywood Blvd.

And I haven't spotted any actual celebrities yet, but considering the number of bums and tatoo parlors right down the street from the Kodak Theater and Man's Chinese, I wouldn't be caught dead around here if I were an established film stud (Oscar night and Walk of Fame ceremonies excepted). I caught glimpses of the Beverly Hills off Santa Monica Blvd, and I bet they're probably all around there somewhere. And I also bet they wouldn't let me on their property to spot them.

And to answer Shonda's musing, I don't know where the hell I'll be sleeping tonight -- maybe something I read in the California Lonely Planet to the tune of Banana Bob's $15 Hollywood Hostel off of Cahuanga Blvd, which is supposed to be rambunctious and movie-oriented. Probably run by some guy who looks a lot like Divine. But hey, during the week I'm livin' bucks up! And I love it when our throng of archaeologists drags itself back from the field covered in filth and onto the elevators with the Polo-wearing, full-paying business types. It's all I can do to keep from asking them for a quarter!

And one last bit of very odd but exceedingly cool news -- James's own Tim Booth is rumored to be cast as a bad guy in the upcoming Batman movie. Probably gets killed when he's struck by lightning, and he's lit up against the sky like a sign. Like a neon sign.

And one more thing: 4 days until Morrissey's first cd in 7 years! Go. Buy. Validate!