Darren Radar

True to it's reputation, Los Angeles is populated with pretty people. The majority of folk are regular looking, but the number of hotties is elevated here. Naturally, I notice the fact that most of the men here are thin and many of them are achingly attractive, but I have to admit that the women outdo the men in the looks department. I've literally been stopped in my tracks by female beauty on the streets of LA. In fact, I walked right passed a winner of America's Next Top Model on an LA street and was quite literally stunned at how attractive she was in person. I'm gay for the beauty, even when it undermines whatever scrape of confidence I have left. I am an unhealthy American trapped by weaknesses that stand no chance against billions of dollars in advertising and the natural instinct to look at shiny things. That is, until they start talking. Then, well, I'd rather I was talking to a magazine advertisement. Having said that, I have to admit to having had...

Like most large cities in this declining country of ours, Los Angeles has its share of homeless people. I saw them in Santa Monica when I first moved here. Stacks of tattered clothes and worried expressions juxtaposed against a backdrop of sail boats, palm trees, and volley ball games. I saw them when I worked at Second City on Hollywood Blvd. where the devastation was sharper; angry, dirty faces, shoeless cracked feet walking filthy star covered sidewalks; aggressive desperation, addiction ravaged arms and eyes. I've seen them in Downtown LA while walking from the parking structure to the LA Stage Alliance offices. The population downtown is bit heartier than the ones in Hollywood and Santa Monica. They seem smarter, more self-possessed and crafty. They each have an angle. Vets, musicians, people with signs to explain their personal plight or condition - one girl with a purple wig and scars across her face sat in front of a Coffee Bean with a pet rabbit asking for money to...

In April 2007 I began a very interesting day job at an arts service organization called LA Stage Alliance (LASA). LASA is a member based organization that offers programs services for performing arts organizations, primarily theater arts. I was hired to administer their co-operative advertising program with the Los Angeles Times. The offices are in a charming historic firehouse in downtown LA and the rest of the staff were lovely, goofy, theatre types of varying administrative abilities. I loved the job and felt like I'd landed in a good place to spend my time. The only real problem at first was the pay. I was told that due to budget issues the staff was currently under a salary freeze . Because my expenses have more than doubled since moving to LA and my hourly rate was significantly less that I was making when I left Denver, this created a problem. At the time I applied for the job at LASA I was working part time at Second City and after some intense schedule juggling I ...

Crossing the street in downtown Los Angeles one day I looked up to see the blinking red hand on the sign post across the way. I quickened my pace. There was a man in front of me and, I noticed, a women in navy shorts, navy polo top, and a bicycle helmet on the corner of the side walk facing us frantically waving her hands. I assumed she was gesturing to the man in front of me. As I reached the other side of the street the lady, who I now realized was a bicycle cop, asked me and the man in front of me to "please stand to the side." Another officer told her that he would take care of me. I was very confused and asked what was going on. The similarly clad male officer explained that I was getting a ticket for crossing the street on a steady hand. I corrected him, saying that it was a blinking hand and asked if he could explain. Apparently it's fine-able offense to cross the street in LA when the walking man symbol was not activated on the cross walk sign. I was in ...

Right before leaving Denver I met and briefly dated a lovely man named Rob. He opened my heart at a time when I was closing it down for extended renovations. After meeting Doug (seriously, I will get to the Doug post), I had to bring our romance to an end, but I have to thank him for keeping the light in my heart from going out. I have missed Denver terribly. Or rather, I have missed my circle of friends and my lover of five years. More difficult than adjusting to a ginormous west coast metropolis has been leaving behind an amazing group of actors, directors, writers and friends. This struggle has been made worse by my own insecurities about writing home. Things have not played out as I had hoped when I first came to LA. I was not terribly accomplished in Denver, but I worked fairly consistently and had work to discuss, dissect, celebrate or regret with my loved ones. In LA I've struggled. I'm new here, with little to introduce me and my age and lack of contacts remain...