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Completion!

Dear Reader,

you might have already anticipated that this project called “Dana’s Hollywood” has been… completed.
This blog has been a great success and gained a large following in Germany, especially after a national TV station reported about my work during evening prime time back in spring last year. This blog also helped me in establishing a relationship with a large German newspaper that wanted me to write for them about “Living in Hollywood”.

So I want to thank all my readers for their interest and the many clicks (visits), which still continue to date–a pretty amazing fact considering that there were no updates for a while. I believe that these people find some content on here that is pretty timeless. Feel free to browse around a bit to see a roundabout of three years of work and dedication to an idea that used to sparked my interest.

Since I love to live an exciting life with never ending sparks I decided to plan on a new venture.

Keep a stiff upper lip.

Dana

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A Vision: The One World Movement

One Earth

Thanks for checking back; I am amazed at the fact that, although I didn’t really post any updates for a while, my readership remained pretty much stable. There seem to be a lot of people who are curious and are checking back in on a regular basis.

I tend to do things that get me excited and can be considered “big steps” in a way with certain risks involved, as long as they promise fun. I probably would have wanted to become a Formula-1 race driver if I was born a man. Anyway, I am a woman in this world and happen to love aesthetics and beauty. I tend to have a vision and a huge sense of idealism.

My vision is to create a movement that crosses borders between people and countries. How to go about this? By featuring beautiful, creative, thought provoking creative work. Our world is full of amazing creative people who are known in their respective country—but only there. I want to change that and give them a platform.

By promoting (pop) culture and art between nations, I see the possibility of bringing people in this world a little closer to each other. It might just be the start of something that will become prevalent and really normal for the next generations.

 

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Painted Beauty: Nowadays Pinups by Michael Pazarro

by Michael Pazarro

by Michael Pazarro

Michael Quinn Pizarro has one particular passion: girls with tattoos. One can tell because they are his favorite models. Actually, he combines the pin-up style of the Fifties with nowadays pop art. To top it off, he also draws from his Hispanic roots.
When I met him recently at an art gallery in L.A. he said: “If I’m feeling something and I’m passionate about it, I will paint or want to draw it. Everything I see can inspire me to paint.”

Michael Pazzaro at Blue Canvas

Artist Michael Pazarro

Artist Michael Pazarro

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Mexican Street Art: Carlos Aguilar

by Carlos Siner Aguilar

You can imagine that for a person born in Germany, anything Mexican is pretty much something exotic – and this also pertains to Mexican street art. Last weekend I went to an art exhibition at a small gallery in Downtown L.A.
If you ever get to compare Downtown L.A. (as it is now) with East Berlin (as it used to be the first couple of years after the wall came down) you will see striking similarities. Of course we have never had homeless people camping on the street like in the seedier parts of Downtown L.A. – but you will find lots of small galleries with up-and coming artists. It is the new generation of pop artists.

Artist Carlos and his wife Amy

Carlos Siner Aguilar is one of them, a Chicano (a Mexican born in the USA) whose background is Graffiti art. He recently moved on to painting on canvas. Check out his web site.

Art Exhibition Gallery Crewest Downtown Los Angeles

Michael Pizarro is the next painter I am going to introduce. His paintings remind of tattoo/pin up art. Stay tuned.

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Ford’s Filling Station

Ford's Filling Station

Harrison Ford’s son Ben(jamin) usually does not appear in the news—seems he prefers the quiet life. On the other hand, can you refer to the life of a cook and restaurant owner as “quiet”? Maybe not so much… anyway–

The name of the place is Ford’s Filling Station. It is located in Culver City, South-East of Santa Monica in the middle of a well-known restaurant strip. I have been to lunch there recently, together with a colleague.
When I glanced over to the neighboring table, a plate with french fries caught my attention—particularly since we had been waiting for our meal since about half an hour. Not sure why a Turkey Sandwich and BLT-Burger took that long?

The French fries arrived with lightning speed—but were very disappointing. I hate mushy French fries.

So, when my sandwich came, my mood was dampened… until I took the first bite: it was juicy and crispy and delicious with a delicate, but not overpowering dressing and a perfect amount of Sauerkraut (what do you expect—I hail from Germany.)
It was delightful. And my colleague from Paris was really happy with his burger as well.

All in all I would say the place is recommendable. Just don’t get the French fries. You can also get full-blown meals there—it is just not common in the States to eat anything else than a small dish for lunch. We wait for dinner to fill our bellies with the elaborate stuff.

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Motown is Back (Good Times)

Mayer Hawthorne

Mayer Hawthorne

Seriously, you might miss something if you don’t look twice. It’s true.
This is one of the reasons why I like Mayer Hawthorne so much; one would not think that this white, kind of nerdy looking guy from Ann Arbor in Michigan does the most awesome Motown sound since… yeah, since Motown went down the drain, pretty much. (Mayer–you have the last laugh;)
Mayer’s song “A Long Time” has just recently been featured in the “Harald Schmidt Show,” Germany’s equivalent to America’s Jay Leno Show. Contrary to the light tune, it is a critical song about the downfall of the automobile industry in Detroit, where many, many workers were laid off, who are still trying to recover from the effects.

Mayer Hawthorne is going on his international tour this year. Here are the tour dates.

Mayer Hawthorne – A Long Time by zokerx

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Published Article: Between Hannuka, Kwanzaa and waving Reindeers

Disneyland Weihnachtsparade

Disneyland Weihnachtsparade

Wishing all of you Happy Holidays! This article is currently only available in German; it was published last week in a German newspaper. I am writing about how a native German, who typically does not learn much about religious customs other than Christianity (since Europe is pretty much ruled by it;) experiences Christmas in L.A.
I promise to deliver the translation soon! After I went and enjoyed these good meals and get-togethers with friends and family, that is.

The article was published Dec. 19th, 2011 in the Neue Westfälische Zeitung, the largest circulated print publication in its region.

Copy of Dana's article

Copy of Dana's article

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Experience: Flying without Wings! Indoor Skydiving in Hollywood

Dana is about to fly away

Dana is about to fly away

Are you, just like me, addicted to having butterflies in your stomach? You know, the feeling you get when you sit in a sports car and accelerate really, really fast or when the plane you are sitting in is just about to lift off the ground. You will get your fix at Universal City Walk: between countless restaurants and tourist gimmicks you can experience Indoor Skydiving. “iFly” consists of a vertical wind tunnel. You will need to have control of your limbs somewhat, because you will be following a few instructions in order to stay afloat… but it is easy! And believe me–it is a great workout.

However, generally, I would prefer the actual experience of riding in a fast car any time.

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No time for Hot Air: Cinematographer Steven Poster

Steven Poster at Work

Steven Poster at Work

People who know the craft of cinematography say it is nothing more than pictures in motion: in any case, you look through a lens, capture a moment and–if you have done your work well– you evoke something unforgettable in the viewer. Being a photographer for many decades, Steven Poster knows about the art of making things visible. He shoots timeless photographs in black and white; it seems as if he does not want color to distract and take away from the essence. His style reminds one of the French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, who developed a new genre of photo-journalism, “The Real Life Reportage.”

When asked what More…!

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Insider’s Tip: Interior Decorators Exhibition at The Greystone Mansion

Doheny Mansion

Doheny Mansion

The Greystone Mansion is a 55 room estate in Beverly Hills that is often utilized as a filming location. Currently, 24 interior decorators are showcasing their work until December 22nd. This is a rare occasion, because the mansion is usually open only for special events. (The surrounding park area can be accessed on a daily basis—unless they are filming or giving a special event.)
Let me tell you briefly about the history of this place: the Greystone Mansion was built in 1928 by the oil tycoon family Doheny. The owner and only heir of the Doheny family, Edward L. (Ned) Doheny, Jr., had received this house as a gift from his father. Unfortunately, he died after four months in this mansion, being involved in a murder/suicide tragedy. The mystery of this case has never been completely solved; fact is, that he died together with a friend and his secretary.

The mansion now belongs to the City of Beverly Hills. Opening hours until December 22nd are Tue-So 10-3 pm PST. Admission: $35.

Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Doheny Villa in Beverly Hills

Doheny Villa in Beverly Hills

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