This guy holding a microphone with a radio next to him tells me he has to be saying CQ, CQ, CQ. That was the ham radio call for an operator looking to make contact. My dad bought his first TV in 1949, the year I was born. Someone in the neighborhood was a ham operator and when I was five I remember him breaking in and we’d hear that on our TV. I guess he was lacking some kind of filter on his transmitter.
American consumers like images where everyone is grinning like morons ... or grinning and laughing like we all live in some utopia and buying enough wonderful products will make it so! [Well, to be fair, not anywhere near all consumers, but enough to make companies continue to pump out the crap.]
Hello, When the 3rd street Promenade was opened in Santa Monica, it was designed to compete with the large outdoor mall in Lakewood, California. That was the largest outdoor mall that drew thousands daily and it was a destination place for a lot of So Cal folks. Santa Monica wanted some of that incursion of families and yes, tourists. My wife and I wandered around the 3rd street outdoor shopping area during our final college years. It was something new and different, as well as being close to UCLA where we usually studied in the vast library. Our local college library did not stay open long into the night. The UCLA library stayed open until the wee hours of the morning. Those library stacks were quiet, allowed actual studying for tests, researching for papers to write and just being near each other. Sometimes, we wandered over to the 3rd Street Promenade along with the Santa Monica Pier. That was a true destination, but, yet, far away from Long Beach. It was a new place for us and just one block over was the famous 4th street area that had some of the best restaurants in the whole area. Famous celebrity chefs and new restaurant menus were the big draw. Even the little diner/restaurants had great food for a variety of destinations. Plus, when finished or prior to, we could walk all along the promenade. Eventually, at the end of the street was a huge shopping building. So, Santa Monica had covered all things for locals and tourists. Shopping, dining and the pier for amusement shops and rides. Jnaki But, those things were all added in to draw tons of folks to the district. That included the vast beach area and calm waters. A true destination area. The area was so nice that the L.A. Olympic 28 committee had originally selected Santa Monica for the “Beach Volleyball Competition” right on the sand in the area next to the pier. The “tie ins” to the sand volleyball origins in Santa Monica would have played right into is history… It would have the best viewing area for the competition. All within walking distance to the 3rd street Promenade. But, the wise committee from Santa Monica decided to forgo the Olympic event and concentrate on presenting the whole area as a destination location for all of the LA Olympic events in their vast amount of hotels and resorts. YRMV The ”Beach Volleyball” competition events moved to Long Beach and their wide white sandy beach location. Win some, lose some... Note: Recently, the city council in Santa Monica started something that is only a So Cal thing. The ordinance allows folks over 21 to purchase liquor drinks at various 3rd street vendors. It allows those with drinks to wander down the street, while shopping and gathering in the seating areas. The folks cannot take the drinks into stores, but are allowed to window shop. It was ok'd to try and bring more wandering window shoppers to the area and help the stores with their products/purchases. Since it is a new thing, one can wonder how that makes more money for the merchants along the custom street shops...YRMV Several of our favorite restaurants were located one block over on another well known, local street littered with restaurants and small shops that are similar in size. The street is 4th street and is/was a draw for the area, too.
The Jalopy Journal
