Somehow it is easy to imagine Gene Fisher when he was a friendly, open faced kid who just wanted to make friends on the schoolyard, but was met with taunts and bullying despite his best efforts, or because of his best efforts. Gene is a naturally outgoing and friendly guy, but he learned from an early age that people do not always respond to him in a friendly manner.

Gene is not always a smooth talker. Quite the opposite, he is at times brusque and perhaps may even appear to be a little aggressive in his communication. Even though he is West Coast born, his manner comes across as East Coast urban. He doesn’t have the codependent, self-conscious empathy that modulates the give and take of social interaction, where two people engaged in conversation carefully gauge how they are being perceived by the other and adjust accordingly. He’s not rude or insensitive; just a little awkward, unpredictable and forward. Misunderstood, he would say.

Like a soldier who feels no pain, Gene is fearless in social interaction, which makes him a good salesman. He has to be in his business — the brutally competitive world of advertising specialties and promotional products. He is a classic extrovert — someone who enjoys and is energized by interacting with people –- and someone who takes customer service seriously.

In every household, in every office, on every desk you will probably find some item with a logo, tagline or message printed on it for promotional purposes. It wouldn’t be hard to never have to pay for a pen, notepad, coffee mug or t-shirt in one’s life, especially if you frequent places where business people go to meet each other.

There was a time when a business owner would have to seek out someone like Gene — with his stacks of product catalogs, knowledge, and ideas — to place an order for logo-emblazoned tchotchkes, swag and paraphernalia. Nowadays, of course, Gene can be bypassed on the Internet.

But bypassing Gene and placing an order through the Internet is to miss out on the experience of working with Gene — of having a working relationship with a guy who is himself kind of a novelty. He adds the value of human relationship to a transaction that can otherwise be completely devoid of human value. And one can marvel at how he operates successfully in a world that is, at times, a little uncomfortable with him.

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President Obama is coming into town today to shake the Hollywood money tree. He will be primarily in West Hollywood, but his motorcade will undoubtedly wreak havoc across the Westside.

To monitor traffic via Twitter, use the hashtag  #ObamaJamIV.

Here is what Councilman Paul Koretz has to say:

President Obama is coming back to west Los Angeles. While City agencies and the County Sheriff’s Department are working with security for the White House to minimize traffic disruptions, TRAFFIC MAY BE SEVERELY AFFECTED. PLEASE AVOID THE AREA IF POSSIBLE.

We don’t have a lot of exact traffic information. We understand from news accounts that the President will be at two events on Monday, September 26 — the House of Blues in late afternoon (with Sunset Boulevard particularly affected around 5:00 pm) and later that evening at the Fig and Olive restaurant near La Cienega and Melrose Place. The President then will travel through Beverly Hills and West LA Tuesday morning, September 27, before heading out from Los Angeles.

We have been informed that La Cienega will be closed entirely from roughly 7:15 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Monday evening, and that streets otherwise will be closed on a rolling basis as necessary to ensure safe travel for the President.

Again, while we do not have precise traffic information, officials have warned that west side traffic in the area may be severely affected. If at all possible, we urge you to avoid the area entirely.

While I very much appreciate the President’s visit, I apologize in advance for the inconvenience it will cause.

 

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The Bel-Air Association blog has posted a photo of a wild cat spotted drinking from a resident’s pool. It certainly looks like a bobcat. Looking closer at the photo, the head does not look like a bobcat, but on closer examination, it is apparent that the cat has lost fur from its head and neck.

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With today’s groundbreaking ceremony in Santa Monica, officials will be marking the beginning of construction of phase two of the Expo light rail line to Downtown Los Angeles.

The first phase of the Expo line is expected to open for service between La Cienega/Jefferson and Downtown by the end of the year, followed by the extension of service to Culver City in early 2012. Phase 2 is expected to be completed by 2015.

For more information about the Expo Line, go to BuildExpo.org.

 

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Certainly in violation of the intention of the law to ban them, mobile billboards have reappeared on West L.A. streets hitched to scooters.

In January of this year, the California State Vehicle Code was amended to authorize the banning of unhitched trailers with billboards from city streets. The Los Angeles City Council quickly followed up with an ordinance and enforcement that saw the trailers removed.

Mobile billboards have returned to the streets of Los Angeles, taking advantage of a loophole in the law that allows trailers that are hitched to some sort of vehicle, such as a scooter.

AB 1298, which is currently moving through the state legislature, will close the loopholes in the current law and enable the city to again ban mobile billboards on city streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sherman Oaks Patch is keeping track of a brush fire that started yesterday on the Valley side of Mandeville Canyon.

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According to Larry Watts, posting at Westside Today, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is proposing legislative district maps that will keep Brentwood intact, including the VA property.

Having undivided legislative districts that include the VA will help the community in its role as a watchdog over the often controversial land-use plans of the VA.

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The following comes courtesy of the Los Angeles Police Department:

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department West Los Angeles detectives are requesting anyone who may know the identity or location of two suspects involved in a pharmacy break-in to contact them. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.

On August 20, 2011, at about 5 a.m., two men smashed the front door of a pharmacy in the 11500 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. One of the suspects then entered the location while his accomplice acted as a lookout. Once inside, the suspect went behind the counter, removed medication and then left through the damaged door.

The suspects are described as two Black males, 35 to 45 years old. One suspect is described as being of normal height with a stocky build and short hair. He was wearing a blue beanie-style cap, a blue long-sleeved shirt, dark pants, white shoes and black gloves. The other suspect is described as having above average height with a thin build. He was wearing a dark beanie-style cap, gray sweatshirt, blue pants, dark shoes and black gloves.

Anyone with information about this incident or who recognizes the suspects is asked to call LAPD Detective Guevara at (310) 444-1523 or 1522. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to (213) 978-6500 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.

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Westwood developer Kambiz Hekmat hopes to build a 29-story luxury hotel on the odd-shaped corner lot at Wilshire and Gayley in Westwood Village.

According to Travel Weekly, Hekmat says, “It would revitalize Westwood Village, which is my home… I think it’s needed in Westwood badly.”

For more on the project, including Hekmat’s stalled project on Lindbrook, see Curbed LA’s post, “Can Robert AM Stern’s Wilshire Gayley Hotel Be LA’s Flatiron?”

 

 

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The Sierra Club has given Assemblyman Mike Feuer the 2010 Byron Sher Award for Achievement in Environmental Protection by a Public Official.

According to a press release issued by Feuer’s office, he wrote legislation “granting California officials the broad authority to regulate dangerous chemicals found in consumer products” and also wrote “the first law in state history to target major reductions in statewide urban water use.”

Feuer received the award during the Sierra Club’s Lobby Day event, where activists and professional lobbyists interacted with legislators.

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