Sunday, March 04, 2007

Santa Monica and Culver City  "What I wondered was if there was anything about the Murdock Brasher that might identify it to an expert-to a man like old Morningstar." She thought, sitting still, not looking up. "Yes. There might be. The coinmaker's initials, E.B.,  are on the left wing of the eagle. Usually, I am told, they are on the right wing." --Raymond  Chandler, The High Window (1942). Our armchair tour of the city continues, this time we're looking west. At exactly 120° Longitude west from Location #1, we hope to find somethig interesting, and sure enough we land right smack dab in the middle of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport. SMO. That was easy. Let's call it Location #5. Now comes the hard part, the proof. Okey, according to the formula L1-L5 must be bisected by location 34.01150/-118.392. A little dead reckoning, and a look up somewhere around behind 4408 Jasmine Av., in Culver City. [Hmm. Sort of a screwy street layout there, don't you think? I know I've seen something similar, somewhere...Aw, it'll come to me. I must admit a bit of a letdown by this corner when you compare it to the spectacular Golden Bowl, at it's doppelganger Location #3, but then it's not quite in the river, either.] Reading left to right: Location #5 (34.0158/-118.452) Santa Monica Municipal Airport [Runway]. Location #4 (34.0150/-118.392) 4408 Jasmine, Culver City [Rear, near the river]. Location #1 (34.0150/-118.332) 3848 S. Norton, Los Angeles [by fire hydrant]. Location #3 (34.0149/-118.272) L.A. Memorial Coliseum [Peristile entrance]. Location #2 (34.0149/-118.212) S. 24th. St. & S. Alameda St., Los Angeles [Clement Junction].                  The careful reader will notice that the latitudes are creeping around a little. That's because I don't have a good map and compass so I have to Google in and out to get it right. Satellite photos don't do so hot where the elevations are changing constantly, and the more distance your line runs, the more subject to the earth's curvature, thus playing perspective tricks and causing land navagation headaches. Longitude isn't subject to the same constriants, therefore my locations are all exactly sixty degrees (one minute) from it's adjoining location. More coincidences? Impossible. The dumpsite is intentional, there simply can be no doubt about it. Miss LibertyTorch Lady Now let's take a drive in my Chevy Short. From the SMO to Clement Junction, with stops in between: Get in!  6:28:32 PM    comment