California Dreamin’
By David Feldman at 12 October, 2009, 9:14 am
Reprinted from our sister blog at www.reboundpost.com:
John and Michelle Phillips of the group were living in NY at the time and thinking about the sunshine here in LA, where I am now for business meetings the next few days.
Some things about California stay the same. It is still the source of many new trends, including my perennial favorite cobb salad. Little kids with their yoga instructors on Muscle Beach. Apparently it’s all the rage here to like some obscure band called the Beatles. A “doctor” has set up his “office” right on Venice Beach where you can get a card entitling you to medical marijuana for a year as long as you have (or claim you have) certain medical issues (anxiety will do it). Fires and small tremors seem to remain a sometimes frustrating way of life. And the sun still loves to shine.
But times are tough. And they seem tougher here than in most. Real estate has fallen apart (though some signs of life have commenced). There is a sense of everything toned down conspicuous consumption wise. The infrastructure, from my non-scientific observation, is in bad shape. The government is running on a shoe-string. There is talk of legalizing marijuana mainly to raise taxes.
Will they make it? Yes. While New York wakes up a little faster thanks to reinvigorated Wall Street firms, when will private equity, venture capital, and the entertainment businesses, all central to the Cah-lee-fawnia (as Gov. Schwarzenneger loves to call it) economy, wake up? It’s slow for all. The film business is not bad though. It seems like Haagen Dazs we have continued to allow ourselves small luxuries like going to the movies. Or maybe we just need the escape. Maybe both.
My next trip is back to China in November, where things will certainly be in contrast to here in CA. I have a number of clients and important contacts here, so I’m pulling for the left coast. And not too shabby Dodgers and Angels!
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