George Mann's Bunker Hill photographs are now available, exclusively from this site.

Greetings, history geek:

Are you fascinated by the forgotten social history of Los Angeles, from low life to high society? Do old buildings make you swoon? Are you a good writer and a careful researcher, able to cite sources and bring old tales to life? Do you have or wish to develop a specialized knowledge of some neglected aspect of Los Angeles lore (for example: Vaudeville performers, streetcar routes, obsolete restaurants, political scandals)? Is time travel your dream date?

If the answer to most of these questions is yes, then you are a good candidate to be part of an ambitious new blog called In SRO Land, and we would like to hear from you. Read on for more information, and instructions on how you can apply to join the blog team.

Gentle reader,

Welcome to this week's installment of the Esotouric mailing list, an insight into upcoming happenings, fabulous freebies and suggested amusements to make your time in Los Angeles somewhat less tiresome. Read on for all the news you need...
 
1) THURSDAY, AUGUST 7: I'm co-presenting the THE SID SAGA: SID LAVERENTS' CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY PARTY and screening at UCLA, a chance to meet and marvel at one of the most astonishing (and long-lived) independent filmmakers California ever spawned. Once you see multiple Sids singing his Vaudeville-era crowd pleaser, you will be transformed: your life will just be a little more gleeful forever.  Info is on this page (scroll down) http://sidatucla.notlong.com

Gentle reader,

When times are tough one of the first things to suffer is the essential daily allotment of fun. We at Esotouric (the bus tour side of On Bunker Hill) want to make sure that economic panic doesn't cut into your Vitamin F, and that's why we're announcing a very special sale. From July 17-31, an Esotouric Season Pass costs just $180, a savings of $52. Look at the bottom of this post for a list of tours you can use your Season Pass on (with more to be announced in coming weeks), and we'll be looking forward to seeing a lot of you on future Esotouric bus adventures. http://esotouric.com/seasonpass

Greetings,

Eddie Quette here again, with another installment of my ongoing campaign for excruciatingly appropriate behavior.

Our first question comes from to us from a Carol Gwenn, who writes

Q. "Mr. Quette, you simply  MUST help me! I'm a person of interest to
several major law enforcement agencies, for reasons you will deduce
below.  I must beg you, under no circumstance are you to reveal my
identity in your blog!

A. Thank you, Carol Gwenn, I'll see what I can do. Now what was your question?

Q. Oh, I am SO relieved!  I knew I could count on you Eddie! 
Anyway, when preparing to divest oneself of a troublesome tenant,
(those room renters of the lower sort), is it appropriate to arrive
bearing arms or is it acceptable to pick up whatever the lowlife have
to hand (gun, knife, etc.)  Also, must one wear a hat - as well as
gloves -- for such an occasion?  These may seem like unimportant
issues, but it's the small things, the grace notes,   that make life
worth living.

Greetings! My name is Eddie Quette, and the powers that be here at the Bunker Hill blog have requested that I write about proper behavior. Every week, hundreds of letters pour into the blog, asking about table manners, social refinement, polite human interactions, good taste, and the like. My job is to extract from this pile the most tasteful, insightful, and intelligent letters. Then I throw those away and attempt to respond to the rest.

So, without further ado, let's dip into the ol' mailbag and read our first letter. This comes to us from a
longtime resident of Highland Park.

Q. Hello, I'm from Highland Park....

A. We KNOW that, numbskull! It was in the intro!

A. Oh, sorry. Anyway, I've oft put off or bowed out of a ganking, as I struggle with what I imagine are common questions: is a pearl-handled
firearm gauche before dusk? Are they "not done" after Labor Day? Is an automatic more appropriate when holding up dinner parties than a revolver? Can I wear a blued nickel piece with brown shoes? Please advise!

Please join our new Google group Off Bunker Hill, where you can talk about Bunker Hill and less lofty haunts in the weird old L.A. that's not there anymore. Click here for more info.