"Hello, this is the USPS calling…" In regard to your complaint.

Posted by: Mia Taylor on June 4, 2009

Woke up a few days ago. A blocked caller.  I hate blocked callers. To be honest, I usually don’t pick up. This time I did, and boy was that a mistake.

It was kinda like this:

Ok, so maybe it didn’t happen just like that but basically what they told me was this:

Well Ma’am, they pay us to deliver the bulk mail to you, so we can’t simply stop delivering it.  What you can do, however, is contact each of the distributors personally and pay to be removed from their mailing list.

Well, let me give you an idea of how long this would take.  In 2 days of not checking my mail, I received the following pieces of junk: (Keep in mind that most of these have multiple pages…as I’m sure you well know!)

  • Organize your home, ClosetWorld- Sent to Postal Customer
  • PennySaverUSA- Sent to Postal Customer
  • A Local community center pamphlet- I receive this bi-monthly at LEAST
  • Walt Disney Concert Hall
  • Faith Baptist Schools pamphlet
  • Henry’s Farmers Market – Sent to Postal Customer
  • Misc Furniture on Sale- Sent to Postal Customer
  • IKEA pamphlet (I do not shop here and have not given them my address)
  • Doit Center Sale junk- Sent to Postal Customer
  • Longs Drugs/ CVS coupons- Sent to Postal Customer
  • MoneySaver
  • Rite Aid pamphlets/Coupons
  • Molly Maid
  • 40-page LocalValues coupons
  • REDPlum coupons – Sent to Postal Customer
  • Vons- Sent to Postal Customer
  • Albertsons- Sent to Postal Customer
  • Ralphs – Sent to Postal Customer
  • Pavilions– Sent to Postal Customer
  • Smart& Final- Sent to Postal Customer
  • LA Private Trainers – Sent to Postal Customer
  • World Wide Windows
  • Hometown buffet- Sent to Postal Customer

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, two days.

Case and Point.  I will be switching to a private post office box.

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Sifting Through Junk- Thanks USPS.

Posted by: Mia Taylor on June 1, 2009

USPS Mail boxes should all come equipped with a headlamp and shovel for all the digging we endure just to get out bills and holiday cards. I’m serious, the junk mail problem is a big problem.  It’s a problem for a number of reasons, reasons I’m sure you’ll agree with. USPS Junk Mail

Ever sit in your kitchen shaking all the grocery coupons and pamphlets erratically just to make sure you didn’t lose a piece of mail in the abyss of junk mail?  It’s a regularity for me. Maybe I’m getting more junk and bulk mail than most, but that’s unlikely. I’m sure I’ve accidentally tossed an important letter here and there, and for this reason I’ve decided to become a P.O. Box user. Why has getting our mail from the mailbox regressed to the days of sifting through email inbox spam folders of the 90’s ? And better yet, Why can we not opt out of receiving all the junk?

I stopped by my local USPS store to see if I could fill out a form which would (hopefully) put me on a list of others annoyed with CouponMania, MoneySaver and all the other bulk mail, but to no avail. “You mean I have no option in the matter,” I said to the postman.  He looked at me and simply said…”Um…no ma’am.”  Fan-tastic. Cool. Great. Thanks USPS

Yesterday,  when I picked up my mail (and the endless junk mail that accumulated over just 2 days) I noted that it was time for a blog post. Not only irritating, the junk mail problem has become more and more wasteful over time.  Aren’t we trying to go “green?”

Like I said. It’s a big problem. Make the switch- get a P.O. Box near your home or work.

Visit http://donotmail.org/ to sign the petition against junk mail!

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Will Travel for Food- Full of Life Flatbread

Posted by: Mia Taylor on May 10, 2009

A few weeks ago I made a trip up to Los Alamos, CA to visit Full of Life Flatbread, the home of some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had. I struggled with this post (hence it being weeks overdue) because there simply weren’t words for how impressed I was. Putting all fabrication and exaggeration aside, I was truly stunned when I set foot at Flatbread to find out that the production room doubles as a restaurant Friday-Sunday and that all of their ingredients are from local farmers within 40 miles of the restaurant. Not to mention that they ship their pizzas nationwide!
Chocolate Egg photo by Wil Fernandez

Touring the dessert fridge

When I arrived, Clark Staub, a former Angeleno in the music industry (formerly the VP of Marketing for Capitol Records) and now owner of Flatbread Full of Life restaurant, directed our attention to the fresh fava beans and pink lemons that had just arrived. I was even lucky enough to taste their homemade pink lemon whipped cream and witness the making of the Easter-inspired chocolate eggs filled with fresh berries and crème.

For dinner, we headed back to Flatbread and dined on some of the most delicious Pepperoni and Poblano Pepper pizza, Clam stew, Duck salad followed by a variety of other fresh flatbread wood fired pizzas. The one that I was most intrigued by was a pizza topped with cooked stinging nettles.  Yes, nettles.  Apparently, when cooked, they’re incapable of stinging and actually quite tasty. By the time dessert came, I knew I was in for a treat. Remember that pink lemons we saw earlier? They were made into a delicious lemon tarte, topped with sweet and savory pink lemon whipped cream. I could have eaten it for days!

Clark Staub Full of Life Flatbread

Clark Staub, Chef/Owner

Flatbread owner, Clark Staub explained to us a bit about the production of Flatbread pizzas. With only one hearth and limited bakers, Full of Life Flatbread produces over 200 pizzas per hour, each day of the week. Being as Los Alamos is a small town, locals from the vocational training center not far away, are employed to help build Flatbread frozen pizza boxes and knead dough.  Many of the individuals hired for this process are in need of job opportunities for those with mental or physical disabilities.

Locals from and around Los Alamos, gladly serve some of the most delectable and original dishes. Many employees I spoke with seemed to share Clark’s view of great food service and production.

“Full of Life is my own quest for simplicity and my own demand for quality food. Food made with and inspired by friends. Food that has a sense of place. Food made by real people without pretense or fashion. Food shared with our neighbors. Food that we ourselves eat. Food that is real and good and is part of the world that surrounds us.”  - Clark Staub

Full of Life FlatbreadI had the pleasure of meeting a great group of Flatbread employees after closing shop that night.  Pictured to the left is owner and chef, Clark Staub sharing an uplifting moment with his employees…then he sends them home with a pizza!

Check out Wil Fernandez’s photo site for more photos.

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Vibrato Grill, A Review

Posted by: Mia Taylor on March 22, 2009

Vibrato Grill lends itself to a lovely, lively and delicate environment of music and cuisine.

Mia Taylor's Review of Vibrato Grill

The elegantly lit dining room sets the stage as a central focus while jazz ensembles fill the room with unique tones.

The night I visited Vibrato Grill, Son Mayor ( www.sonmayor.com ) graced the stage with an extraordinary collection of Cuban Jazz.  Not only was I in the company of a great, live ten-piece band, I was in the company of a great  food, a fantastic ambiance and great people.

For dinner, I ordered:

Chilled Oysters:

Shallot Mignonette, Cocktail Sauce, Spicy Seaweed Salad

Mac and Cheese
Bacon Brioche Crust

New York Strip

Not only am I a fan, I’m dying to go back!

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Moving Back To Los Angeles

Posted by: Mia Taylor on March 6, 2009

The signs were all there…literally.

At 1:45 I headed out to meet a friend at the beach “See you in ten, then” I said.  Little did I know the road ahead was full of road blocks- both metaphorically and literally. Calabasas has me trapped.  As I drove through Malibu Creek State Park, where the 40 minute detour left me, I thought to myself-

Why? Why am I living in a place that has very little to offer me, even less to motivate me and far less to entertain me?  The ever-so-present detour signs were the signs I needed to confirm my decision. The road I travel on a daily basis, reminding me of those deep within the countryside of the mid-west, now had signs telling me I needed to change it up a bit.  Ok…so maybe I’m working the metaphor a little, but hey- it works!

I’d been thinking of moving back to LA for a while but had debated becoming one of the innumerable commuters.  Was it worth the 40 minute drive from home to school in order to be in  a more pleasant living situation? I don’t know why I even question it.

So, that’s it. My lease will be up in a few months and I’m headed back to the Westside!

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A Bicoastal Lifestyle

Posted by: Mia Taylor on February 27, 2009

After a long walk on along Zuma Beach this afternoon with Lindsey and Sarah I decided that the topic requested by a former classmate in New York would be a perfect one for today.

A few days ago Anthony P. wrote in:

“Hey,

It’s the first time I’ve checked out your website. You’ve penned some great articles. If I could recommend a topic: Can you speak about the lifestyle in Malibu as compared to NY when you were over here? Perhaps the entertainers you see? Maybe talk to a celebrity on the street? I can already feel your eyes rolling, because you see them everyday. Still, for an easterner, it would be interesting. Let me know if you at all decide to pursue this.

-Anthony”

It’s been a couple years since my Bicoastal lifestyle so I wracked my brain for all the things I loved and despised about having a home base on either side of the continent.

Courtesy of McGlinch

There are a few things that differ dramatically depending on the coast.  The People, The Pace and The Culture.

New York and Los Angeles (especially Malibu) have obvious differences in pace.  Malibu, a city of the laidback and over-priveleged, promotes an entirely different (neither better nor worse) vibe than say… New York City.  New York’s  fast-paced, cemented city promotes a hustle and bustle you’d have to search high and low to find anything comparable in Los Angeles.

I don’t have to make you aware of one of the most major differences between the Northeastern and Southwestern regions of our country and for me this was the biggest issue. The weather.  Aside from this years particularly rainy season (see Our Rainy Season post) you can’t beat the Los Angeles climate. It’s almost always a beach day, bikers speed down Pacific Coast Highway and lonely wives chit-chat in every corner Starbucks.

Contrary to Anthony’s belief I don’t see celebs on a daily basis (unless you count Angelyne, eek!).

angelyne

Angelyne

But with great weather and constant sunshine, pop icons are definitely more noticeable that the bundled celebs you frequently miss when walking down 5th Ave.

On occasion you’ll see Pam Anderson and her golden retriever running the hills of Pepperdine University. She’s been a fan of the baseball team for quite a few years. Pam Anderson at Pepperdine

The team has, on more than one occasion, been invited to events at her Malibu home.

And more often than not, you’ll see masses of Paprazi surrounding Malibu’s Nobu or Taverna Tony’s.

Britney's car bombarded by Paparazi

Britney's car bombarded by Paparazi

Overall, there are a couple things I miss about the East Coast.  The pizza, the culture and the ease of access to a multitude of states in a matter of hours.

There’s something about the city, a true melting pot of cultures.  One minute you’re in Little Italy, one train and you’re in Greenwich.

The flying back and forth, sleeping with your head on the seat-back tray while your legs go numb and getting in late on Sunday night before a hectic Monday get old very fast. Not to mention it’s a pretty pricey lifestyle.

Great to visit, not a place I’d set up fort for too long.

Have you relocated from one coast to the other? Lived on both coasts for work or school? Feel free to share your comments here! I’d love to hear about your experiences.


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Is Facebook Claiming Our Personal Lives, Or Did We Give Them Up?

Posted by: Mia Taylor on February 17, 2009

Everyone’ s freaking out about the new Terms of Service that Facebook has set into motion. In a matter of days, the Facebook group “People Against the New Terms of Service” has grown to over 42,000 members.I’m not going to pretend it didn’t freak me out a little at first, but with some reassurance and an open mind to the explanations of those more “legal-jargon wise” than myself, I realized they’re just trying to cover their ass. Scared

One group member wrote in and said something profound… or maybe it’s just common sense. “If you care so much about your intellectual properties, STOP UPLOADING THEM TO PUBLIC WEBSITES”.

I have to say, I couldn’t agree more. The same people kicking and screaming are the same ones uploading picture after indecent picture and posting status updates that are debatably legal.

Facebook member Peggy said “This stinks…..many of my photos are of my creations. My jewelry is my living….I dont want to share my photos or ideas”.  My advice is to get a website, host it somewhere other than Facebook and I think you’ll actually make a better living. Copyright your photos. If you don’t want to share your creations, you might want to refrain from posting them on facebook- a network that shares every aspect of your being if you let it.

The media are invoking fear in Facebook users by creating titles such as: “We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever.” The real issue here is not that they’re claiming our information, but that we are uploading information onto this thing… no big deal…it’s called the World Wide Web and that, my friends, means it’s available to everyone.  So, if this is a problem for you, head into your Privacy Preferences and uncheck the box that declines the publication of your information on the web.

Company legal representative Susan White clarified in a statement today. “We used to have several different documents that outlined what people could and could not do on Facebook, but now we’re consolidating all this information to one central place,” she said.

For those worried about their writing, photography, illustrations or any other kind of creative innovation, this might be of note to you.

Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt read a public statement  on Monday- “We are not claiming and have never claimed ownership of material that users upload.  And indeed, Facebook’s terms of service do say that ‘User Content and Applications/Connect Sites’ are exempt from its claims on content ownership.” He continued, “The new Terms were clarified to be more consistent with the behavior of the site. That is, if you send a message to another user (or post to their wall, etc…), that content might not be removed by Facebook if you delete your account (but can be deleted by your friend).”

Be careful what you post, you are your responsibility.

Spring (photo) cleaning anyone?

Ask not what Facebook can do for you, Ask what you can do for your Facebook.  What do you think about all this commotion??


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Mia Leigh Taylor- on Our Super Rainy Season.

Posted by: Mia Taylor on February 9, 2009

Rain over here in Los Angeles simply won’t let up, will it?  Ok so you’re one of those people, the ones that enjoy the rain?  To each his own, but let me tell you this, driving in Los Angeles in a rainstorm is just about as enjoyable as… well, it’s not at all.

As if there isn’t enough traffic in Los Angeles, add unexpected rainfall to the mix and you’ve got everyone honkin’.  I have to admit though, there is something great about the rain.

Things I love about the rain:

  • Lighting the fireplace
  • Having smog-less skies
  • Gettin cozy with a soft blanket on the couch
  • The smell of saturated pavement
  • The sound of rain is kind of soothing

So while the rain puts a “damp”er on outdoor activities it’s nice to have a little change- so long as it doesn’t last much longer!

Like or dislike the rain? Tell me about it here :)

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