Okay, so where am I?

I might be on the search for the perfect home. I need something eclectic, yet futuristic. Something that can host some killer media parties and where return visits are sought. I was looking at something futuristic, yet not ridiculous.

There’s a ton of wildly fun homes in the Greater Los Angeles area. If you’re waiting for the future, no need. Thus kind of architecture was already dreamed up in the in middle of the twentieth century. As a mater of fact, space age architectural design was essentially invented in L.A. We were given the Theme Building at LAX, Johnie’s Coffee Shop, and whimsical homes that would make the Jetsons proud.

Join me on my tour around SoCal and the genius of the land…all I need now is a realtor like Phil Dunphy.

Chemosphere
Architect: John Lautner

When the 45-degree slope in the Hollywood Hills proved to be too challenging, a new concept was born. Rest an octagonal-shaped wonder on a 30-foot-tall pole. Getting to the front door is not problem. Simply take the funicular to ring the bell. You would think that this would be the safest home around until you discover that the home’s second owner was stabbed to death during a robbery attempt.

Garcia House
Architect: John Lautner

Another Lautner Hollywood Hills creation rests on what looks to be thin legs. The ceiling-to-floor walls makes the views of the city nothing short of spectacular. Movie buffs like me will remind you that Mel Gibson destroys this house in Lethal Weapon 2 after a bunch of South African diplomats kill his new girlfriend.

Futuro House
Architect: Matti Suurone

This masterpiece was conceived as a pre-fabricated portable ski chalet. The house is mostly made of plastic with stairs that fold out from the entry hatch. You know, like the Millennium Falcon. Less than 100 were made in the late 1960s and early 1970s with only 50-60 still remaining. This one sits literally next door to the Chemosphere. Han Solo would be proud to retire here.

Al Struckus House
Architect: Bruce Goff

Situated in the San Fernando Valley’s bedroom community of Woodland Hills, this hippie New Age home is built out of repurposed wood. The house is said to have an energy that gives an aura off that makes you feel like you are in a world without atmospheric friction.

Bubble House
Architect: Wallace Neff

Some of the original inexpensive housing were the bubble houses, circa 1940s. They were by inflating a giant balloon and then covering it with spray-on concrete. I’m not kidding here. Overseas, they were grouped together in a cluster as you would imagine a Martian colony would look like. This one resides in Pasadena, California, home to the Rose Bowl.


Bob Hope House
Architect: John Lautner

Bob Hope’s Palm Springs home, aka the “UFO House”, was created in 1973 to be reminiscent of volcano with a circular opening in the courtyard roof. If anything, it looks like something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind with the mothership touching down on Planet Earth.

The only truly acceptable place for a UFO house is on top of the cinder core of a dead volcano in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Designed by Harold Bissner Jr. for the guy who patented the original skateboard, the 1968 home (near Barstow) is tricked out with a moat and rooftop observation deck. Oh, yeah, and for a number of years, it was owned by Huell Howser—precious Huell Howser—who eventually donated it to Chapman University.

Volcano House
Architect: Harold Bissner Jr.

In 1968, the guy who patented the skateboard decided to built a UFO house on the top of dead volcano in the heart of the Mojave Desert. It even has a moat and rooftop observation deck.

Elrod House
Architect: John Lautner

Designed by John Lautner, the official king of spaceship homes, this Palm Springs treasure was featured in the James Bond classic Diamonds Are Forever. See it in high def below.

The post Finding the Perfect Media Guy House… appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

I just cracked a Skyfall DVD and seeing Daniel
Craig cycling across Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar conjured up memories of a top
secret mission press trip The Media Guy recently took to Turkey. I needed to get it all
down in writing so you can take a similar trip if you so choose. Only 13 hours
from Los Angeles and eight hours from New York.

Get to the Greek

The winding road to the Upper Greek House ($80-$150/night;
+90 384 353 54 13) leads you to the top of the grand old Turkish village of
Mustafapasa in Cappadocia. The high-end bed and breakfast is an actual villa
that has been delightfully restored by John and Judy Warmerdam, its American
owners, who sit with you in their comfy Internet-ready living room lounge area.
Each sleeping room is a bit different; however. I was in the cave bedroom with
a grand fireplace and the thickest, most luxurious blanket that I have ever had
the privilege of sleeping with. The expansive bathroom was appointed with what
felt like ancient Greek/Turkish marble and sumptuous bath products.

The Sky Chef is your personal server and concierge.

• Overall:
  A. What could be better than an airline that celebrates the humanity of the
  airline traveler?
• Beauty
  Factor: B+. Smart designers can turn normal materials and methods into art.
• Seats/Lounger:
  B. A little difficulty maneuvering the first hour of the flight. At the end, it
  was my most amazing sleep in flight.
• Bathrooms:
  A+. Roomy! Functional! Nice touches.
• Entertainment:
  A. Excellent.
• Dining:
  A+. You know when the chef comes out in full uniform, including his puffy white
  chef’s hat, and shows you all of his wonderful selections of mezzas and main
  courses. I did, and it was amazing. The chef spent (literally) 15 minutes
  explaining the ingredients and the provenance of some of the “fresh and never
  frozen” dishes from the menu. This touch remains the most outstanding differentiator from any other business class travel I have experienced.

Cream of asparagus with olive chutney bruschetta.

Meals:

Seafood mezza: Nova Scotia lox with dill sauce, jumbo shrimp and
greens.

Breakfast: cheese omelet with cherry tomatoes, fresh fruit
and cheese plate.

I
really enjoyed the international flavors of the extensive selection of
liqueurs, whiskeys and wines. What caught our attention were the Turkish wines
and beers. On my flight, here were my category favorites (yes I tried them
all): beer: Efes Pilsen; liqueur: tekel Ozel Uretim; red wine: 2006 Doluca
Karma; and white wine: 2009 Kavaklidere Narince.

Bring 007 home for a Staycation Turkish Experience

The post TURKISH DELIGHTS appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

I used to roll in some jeans and comfy shoes. Kind of a grunge-under-the radar-look that really doesn’t sit well if you are labeling yourself the “Media Guy.” Now I rock in all black with Armani slacks and a pin stripe Hugo Boss blazer with a purple scarf that doubles as a pocket square.

I’m no James Bond, but the new look, slimmer, sleeker Media Guy now fits the bill. Score another for the new workout regime.

So there I was in the desolate Aleppo Airport at 11p. Six journalistic souls in a foreign land hoping for a quick entry stamp in their passports and a metaphorical journey into the unknown. They were looking for a center. I mean as much as I love travel, the Middle East and Syria, all this airport was missing was the Green Acres theme music and a goat randomly searching for a meal near baggage claim.

I didn’t know any of these writers prior to reaching Syria. They were simply blurry faces on bad copies of passports that were coupled with flashy bios of past successes. I must have stood out because each found me and wondered aloud if I was ready to lead them past the Immigration folks. After a quick discussion of the pocket scarf and a quick comedy show I had collected passports and forms and started my visa negotiations. Credit the new Media Guy Look again for opening doors that would have been otherwise closed with the old grunge ensemble.

I’ve done this many times before. You know, the tap dance to get everyone into the country without issue. This one was especially easy because every question from the officials sounded like a warped overhead speaker announcement. I understood nothing they were saying except “Yes Mr. Michael.” With each approval my mind drifted back to more pressing issues.

Ethics are on my mind lately. The lines of ethics are getting more blurry every day. People poking their noses in other clients’ business and other levels of untrustworthiness, spying (and the related) creates this big soap opera.

I see the lines between work and real life getting more blurry and confusing; everyone’s running back and forth across the line so much that their footprints are obscuring it even more. I see that no one knows the meaning of a Chinese Wall.

Most people don’t know its technical correct meaning: The ethical barrier between companies that protects client confidentiality. Setting appropriate boundaries so that the same people can have business and personal relationships without damaging either.

I don’t see people honoring the sex Chinese Walls either. Don’t fish in the company pond or the more direct don’t f#*k where you work. Seems fine when you are young until you get caught.

I also see a lot of people blurring the mantra of “There’s life, and there’s work.” The two are different and you forget that to your peril. Maybe the “end of the world” hyperbole can remind us that it’s not the end of the world at all, it’s the potential end of a business in a booming industry and a great job market. Too bad the job market is so poor and we can’t just say “It’s just business.”

Regardless of where the walls are crumbling, I know that truth and transparency eliminates most ethics gaps. But there has never really been a line for most people. Work and family and love and sex and career have always been far too intermingled for most. Maybe that’s part of my problem since I have always been able to compartmentalize life’s segments. Others can’t and won’t.

Perhaps if I did a few more downward dogs or crammed in a workout before having to jump into Media Guy role I wouldn’t be thinking so much.

Some deep breaths might do the trick; and sometimes that’s all that matters.

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