[lbo-talk] a vile cesspit of a film

[Jim Devine]

it's a class thing. The coast (along with places like Beverly Hills),
for example, is really great looking because it's largely inhabited by
the professional and upper classes. It goes both ways, of course: the
richer folks are the only ones who can afford to live in such a pretty
area. On the other side of the 405 freeway (in the smog belt), on the
other hand, you see an area mostly occupied by the working and poor
classes. This includes South Central.

The coast vs. inland (non-smog vs. smog) dimension isn't the only one,
however. In addition, there's the hills vs. flatland dimension. Richer
folks live on most of the hills not part of the national forest, while
the poorer live in the flats.

In addition to class issues, there's also a weather-related dimension.
When the air is clear (like after a torrential rain), some of the
worst neighborhoods in Hellay look pretty good. The hills and ocean
are spectacular!

Mark wrote:
> >Yesterday I had to drive into downtown Los
> >Angeles from the south, via Interstate 5.  The
> >sheer ugliness of the landscape I drove through
> >_ South Central El Lay _  staggers the mind.  It
> >is a cliché to call it a vision of Hell, but
> >clichés are clichés because they are substantially true.

On 3/15/06, Dennis Claxton <ddclaxton at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Every morning I drive into downtown Los Angeles
> via myriad routes.  And during the week I drive
> all over Los Angeles.  Sometimes the sheer beauty
> of the landscape I drive through takes my breath away.
--
Jim Devine / "There can be no real individual freedom in the presence
of economic insecurity." -- Chester Bowles