VISUAL POLLUTIONI know I am going to sound like an old fuddy duddy, and I probably have become one in certain aspects of my life...but, Los Angeles is just getting too big. The traffic is too horrible and there are definitely too many people moving here to the land of sunshine and not enough people leaving to go back to a more rural way of life by moving north to Oregon, Washington State, or Canada.
I've seen so very many changes from my house here in the hills. I've watched, without knowing I was doing that, as the landscape has changed over the years....I've seen a tremendous growth spurt in the 80's....an almost scary growth spurt, I might add....at one point there were about 20 new Apartment Buildings in one stage or another of construction dotted all about the city of Hollywood, as seen from my deck. I've seen what I call "Visual Pollution" crop up on the sides of Big Buildings...the first time I saw this I couldn't believe my eyes! There on the side of the old Bekins Storage Building on Highland Avenue was some sort of advertising! Advertising on a huge building??? Yes. And now that is an every day occurrence here in this city that pretends it isn't a city when it so clearly is just that! (Do you have that in your city, too?)
The Photo at the very top is looking down into Hollywood and everything south of that. Then, I went in closer so you could see this awful "visual pollution" that I spoke of. In this case it's advertising the iPod which I don't have and which I'm not sure I will ever have...especially since I don't know what it does, but I do know that it seems like just about everyone has one or wants one. And given how ugly I think it is to look out my window and see the entire side of a building devoted to 'advertising' an iPod and there-by mucking up my beautiful view...I doubt that an iPod will be gracing my hands anytime soon. And since I don't know what it does anyway, I can't be missing something that is a mystery to me, can I? Then again, maybe if I find out that I really do need an iPod I'll get one...and try not to think about that awful 'visual' that hurts every time I see it. Very shaky convictions here, wouldn't you say? (lol) (By the way, that building in the foreground is the famous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel...)
And here is another not-yet-finished piece of advertising on yet another building in Hollywood designed for passers-by to be distracted by while driving, and also for all the thousands of people who live up in these many miles of hills to ponder---what is the world coming to--...this time, on the side of the TV Guide Building...(when it's finished, I'll take another photograph of it so that we will all know just exactly what it is they are trying to sell us with this painting on the side of this huge building...)
Whatever it is, I hope it's not something I will worry about if I don't 'own' it.....(lol)
Do you have an iPod, and if so....would you tell me what it does, please?
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No, Naomi, I don't have one. They are used to download music into (like an old tape recorder) with an ear piece so you can carry it around with you and never have any blessed silence. I will never have one!
If I were you, I would be writing letters and emails to whomever I could to get rid of those building-sized advertising boards. They are awful, especially for those of you who live up in the hills.
To answer your question: no, I didn't write the post today. I have 4-5 friends with whom I exchange emails nearly everyday, and they send me most of the wonderful stuff I decide to post on the blog (for days when I am too busy to write or have nothing to write about).- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 1:26:00 PM PST
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I don't care for the visual pollution - but I do have a brand new iPod. The iPod is a musical database. You can download your whole CD library, in addition to downloading music from the internet.
You can get adapters for the car and "ports" for home or office where you just have to plug in the iPod to hear music through the speakers.
For me it beats having to lug around 20 CDs or curse when you realize your favorite CD is in your husband's car and he's out of town.- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 2:08:00 PM PST
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Kenju--it's never going to happen Judy...it's all over the city and especially where there is a lot of tourist traffic, as well, like on the Sunset Strip...and it has been going on now for probably 5 to 8 years...spreading, like a disease, I'm sorry to say...
Greed & Money is why they do it and I'm afraid that will never change.
Knittu-me--Oh! Well, I can see that THAT could be quite an amazing thing to have...The thing is, I'm someone who likes to listen to the same thing over and over and over, in my car...till I've worn out the tape! (I don't have a CD player in my car...) I'm soooo behind the times with this...Oh Well...I don't feel like I'm missing something at this point. When I do, I guess I will have to get me an iPod!- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 2:44:00 PM PST
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No ipod here but they are hugely popular with all the teens I know :)
I doubt I will ever find the need to buy one. The building advertising is rampant now,it is as you say visual pollution.- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 3:20:00 PM PST
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Oh I was going to say re the ipods. At the end of filming Narnia,Andrew gave an ipod to each of the children as a personal gift from him. They were all very grateful and thanked him profusely including young Georgie who played Lucy. As they walked away she turned to Helen her mother and said "what IS it ?"
So Naomi you are not the only one who didn't know HAHA- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 3:22:00 PM PST
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Wendy--Thanks WEndy..glad to know there are some young people who don't know either! Sorry to hear you have the "visual P" in New Zealand too! OY!
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I moved from the suburbs of DC to live here. I just recently moved into this house in the country to get out of the city that wasn't a big city when I moved here. I completely understand!
- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 4:36:00 PM PST
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I feel your pain about the visual pollution. Here in Florida there are neon signs on every building. I even saw a church with a big neon sign. Ick.
- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 4:38:00 PM PST
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Too bad about the visual pollution. I would expect it in a city as big as LA though!
I'm glad you asked about the Ipod thing, since I wasn't clear about what it was either. I don't see me ever having one. My car doesn't have a CD or DVD player either, just the tape player! Mostly what I have are tapes, so that's perfect for me!
They put stuff out now so fast I can't keep up with it. Heck, I still remember 8 track tapes!- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 6:17:00 PM PST
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We're nothing like LA, but...we are growing and growing and growing. One large condo after another, and another, and still another. The sad thing is that I work for the ocmpany that is building several of the new buildings that are scarfing up the water's edge the way a slice of bread gathers the last bit of soup out of a bowl.
- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 7:06:00 PM PST
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I think you said LA is "Getting" big; it's always BEEN big, I think. I grew up in a big city and keep moving to smaller towns. The last town I lived in had ONE tall building, an historic hotel from the turn of the century, EIGHT stories. Ya-hoo! Nothing else was over 4 or 5 stories. Most were 3 and under. Same as the town I live in now.
iPod's are great! I do not use the earbuds, I don't like them, but I have the connector to play it through my car stereo. Thousands of songs can fit in the palm of your hand! Plus, you can find a lot of FREE music on the Internet, plus, many times you don't want a whole album, you just want that one cool song, you know? It's very handy.- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 7:35:00 PM PST
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I remember wax and then vinyl...just a note to say I added you to my blog links.
I hate cities, I hate traffic...lol
I hate noise...
geeze, I'm a grump.- Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 10:40:00 PM PST
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"the iPod which I don't have and which I'm not sure I will ever have...especially since I don't know what it does,"
[chuckle] I don't have one either. MB has an MP3 player (same thing, I think iPod is a trade name!) but I still have my trusty CD walkman :-)
And like you, Naomi, I listen to the same stuff all the time :-)
cq- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 2:30:00 AM PST
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Same here, I don't own an IPOD but I have friends who have one and they are enjoying that small piece of player. It can store thousands of songs.
Here in the Philippines, almost all the major thoroughfares have big billboards. They started to pose a problem to drivers. The lawmakers here are planning to enact a law about it. Am sure advertisers with all their connections will lobby for the non-passage of the law.- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 3:43:00 AM PST
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No, I don't have an iPod.
About visual pollution, I agree with you, it's bad and ugly. But anyway, you are so lucky to live in a marvelous city with many attractions and cultural events.
Just to step down the hills and voila, an amazing big city is waiting for you!!!- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 6:01:00 AM PST
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Naomi the sort of ads on buildings you speak of have been showing up in New York City for years now. In fact, I can't recall a time since I started going in that I didn't see some sort of advertising on a building in Times Square if no where else. I was 8 on my first trip but I don't remember much more from that day other than the lunch we had or the play we saw. ;) I started going back to the city again when I was 14. Which means that unless my memory fails me, there have been some sort of ad (small perhaps to start into large) for over 18 years.
You've gotten a good idea of what an iPod is. I brought down and got one this Christmas. I have a little one - the Shuffle. I love it. I use it the same way I did my walkman. It goes to the gym with me, it goes to work with me sometimes, it goes anywhere I want some music but won't normally have any.- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 7:20:00 AM PST
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You have visual pollution, we are demonstrating against acustic pollution as the Barcelona airport has chosen our neighborhood for some flights...You are soooo cute asking about the iPod. I don't have one, my teenager does and it is an amazing little thing. But I don't need one.
- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 7:48:00 AM PST
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I was reading your comments and wanted do add that the iPod is also known as an MP4 player and in addition to music, it can also store films, pictures and MP3 music. You also have games to play while waiting for the dentist's appointment, lol!
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Chatty--I know you are out of the city and it looks very beautiful where you are...
Chickie--Yeah..Neon! Well we have it here too, but not like what you describe.
Rachel--Lol, LOL...I remember 8 tracka, too...That didn't seem to last very long did it?
Dena--Progress, huh? I hate to see that...no more stretch of beach? UGH!
Annie--believe it or not when I first saw L.A. it was a sleepy small town..yes, spread out, Always! But, not big and congested the way it is now, and getting worse by the day.
And I remember when the talest building in L.A. was the the City Hall, downtown...Look at it now!!
About the iPod; How many songs can you listen to at one time? it can download thousands??? Unbelievable!- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 8:35:00 AM PST
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Hi, I'm in Toronto, Canada and we have the same building advertising here. And the same astronomical population growth both in the sitting and the surrounding bedroom communities (where I live).
Maybe you can create a word cloud t-shirt about it. And, btw, I am definitely getting my word cloud t-shirt.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by my site!- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 8:36:00 AM PST
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sitting = city
(and that from an editor!)- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 8:40:00 AM PST
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Valerie--Yes! Wax and Vinyl. I still have a huge collection of both! It sure takes up a lot of room though.
CQ--LOL! Yeah, I still have a Walkman that I haven't used in years...But I do use my tape player that's in the car...all the time.
Viamarie--Billboards I'm use to seeimg from all the Billboards in New York, expecially in Times Square--somehow you expect it there, but not here when you look out your windows from your home.
Sonia--Yes, very true Sonia, but there is somethiing so tacky about putting Ads on Buildings! UGLY, beyond words.
Sandy--Yes! Times Square has always had HUGE Billboards vorever--The Camel Smoker comes to mind..forever...and you somehow expect it there..but as I said above, one doesn't expect it here, or I should say, we didn't use to...
Mar--Movies, too? My my my! We live in amazing times. Now I need to know what MP stands for...Music Player??? LOL.. I know I really sound lame....- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 8:46:00 AM PST
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Van Buren Ar. is getting too big for me and it's 25,000 -- :)
- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 9:54:00 AM PST
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No iPod, but my kids have them and love them. I like to see and hear what's going on around me.
As far as the sprawl in LA, I remember having to drive through it going back and forth from San Diego and the Bay Area while attending SDSU from '83 to '85. It was bad then, I can only imagine how much worse it is now. As far as the Bay Area is concerned, it's following right along in the same footsteps. Traffic is always bad (not just during commute) and there are far too many people. It is rapidly becoming the concrete jungle with no distinction between municipalities as SoCal.
Sacramento is not there yet, but I guess it's only a matter of time. Some day it'll be back to the hills for this non-urban dweller.
~Mike- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 10:42:00 AM PST
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I know they are for downloading music, but it seems like a lot of work to gete the music in there in the first place. I'd need some help. I get tired of updating and transfering things over to the new technology....don't you!! I'm sorry for the ad pollution...where will it end?!
Things (like fish and everything else) are definatley cheaper here...people make less to though.- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 11:54:00 AM PST
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Visual pollution is synonymous with a large population. I am fortunate to live in a sleepy lakeside village of 2,500. No visual pollution here.
- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 5:41:00 PM PST
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Both my teens have iPods. They hold thousands of their favorite songs, and my kids love them.
I'm not inclined to get one for myself.
The ads are SO huge. I guess they are forcing you to see them and read what they are selling.
LA traffiic really is terrible. When I visit my brother, I'm always cursing that awful traffic.- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 6:41:00 PM PST
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I do not have an IPOD. My Son has an IPOD. I have a dell dj. i prefer mine. all the sound, more quality. more subtle. but i digress. I live in a relatively small town, so we dont have ads like that, but there are a few, thankfully smaller, things like that in Portland. However, i will point out that we here in Oregon are hugely into preserving our historic crap. Several old two and three story brick buildings in our downtown area have very very old ads painted on their sides. Things like "Anderson's Dry Goods" and an interesting 1800s picture of things like hair tonic and ladies high button boots. So, building sized advertising isnt really new. it is just less tasteful these days, as is everything else.
- Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 11:07:00 PM PST
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I have to say that I love, love, love my iPod. Cd's are becoming a thing of the past and downloading music via your computer is becoming the way. It's brilliant and cheaper. And iPods don't take up any room, as compared to Cd's. My (nearly ) 60 year old dad has one and actually bought me mine. It is a sign of the times....
- Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 12:02:00 AM PST
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Some interesting comments on visual polution, no one like it and yet the advertisers love it, so you could ask why they advertise in ways that we hate, well probably because even if we hate it we remember the advert and product. This line of comments being a good example!
No visual polution in a small village in Sussex thank goodness!- Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 2:36:00 AM PST
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Good morning, Naomi. Thanks for the visit and the nice comments about my flowers. The photo service I use is Picasa.com. SRP told me about it. I scan the photos into the computer, open Picasa, and it gathers all the photos into one place. Then I can crop, lighten, or do whatever needs to be done to them. The only thing I do not care for is that once you have composed the post and added the photos, you have to post it right then. You cannot save it to drafts like you can if you do it through Blogger. Picasa is free; go and try it out. Let me know what you think.
- Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 4:39:00 AM PST
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I love my iPod. It's an integral part of my daily life. But, would I want to look out upon a BILLBOARD of an iPod? Nope.
A friend of mine said the best thing about going to Italy was that he didn't understand Italian, so any billboards or public advertising didn't register in his brain. I think he's got a point there.
Thanks for promoting my comment-a-thon AND for your donation, Naomi!- Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 5:39:00 AM PST
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That type of advertising is popping up all over my city too. It seems to be used to cover scaffolding where buildings are being restored.
I don't have an I-pod either... I have two children who are bugging me for them though... they can whistle lol- Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 10:41:00 AM PST
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Really nice pictures but they make me love my Oregon even more. And I am glad that we don't have that many people moving from there to here, ha, ha! I love the farm land and forests, rivers and the open spaces we have here. A lot of people who move here from the big citys soon move back where they came from in any case because of our Oregon rain and that is fine with me! I say let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!
It was so nice to have you stop by and be concerned for me. I am over what ever nasty bug I had. Now that we have sunshine here (it has been beautiful lately) after 2 monthes of steady record setting rain. I have been working in the garden, trimming and raking away winters left overs. I have the front garden done and am now working on the back garden which is huge. It has to be done, if you want to see any of those beautiful flower photos this spring and summer!! I am wanting to get a new digital camera too, before the spring, to take even better photos. I will be getting
Canons eos 20d with lenses. I have the Kodak Easyshare with lenses right now and it is alright for good photos but I want to go beyond just good to spectacular!
Oh, and while I am here I wanted to correct a mistake, on a comment I left you earlier in your posts ... Portait of Jenny, it was Jennifer Jones and I also liked her in Song of Bernadette. She had a sad life,, too.- Friday, February 10, 2006 at 6:23:00 AM PST
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No iPod here so as I am sure others will tell you what they do, let me add my own thought: I love the idea of storing so many of my favourite songs just for me, but I think they are just another way of blocking out what is going on in the world and so it's not for me = yet!
I listen to the radio through my mobile phone on the way to work - about half the other people on the bus are listening to iPods. Would they know if the Prime Minister died? Would they know if theQueen abdicated? Would they know if the Pope announced he was gay? No, and no they probably wouldn't care either but That's My Point! If the only choice they had was to listen to the radio then at least they are in some way connected to the world around them... sigh. Now I feel like the old old lady!!
Anyhow, Michele sent me and I will probably get an iPod when they fix the little issue that you cannot replace the battery when it runs out (or at least, not in the Australian version) and have to send it to Tokyo to be repaired.- Sunday, February 12, 2006 at 2:30:00 AM PST
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