... Just looking for a quiet lil’ dinner at Violet on Pico Boulevard, the Buzzman settled in for some lil’ plates at a favorite neighborhood haunt. The images of revelers from the Daily Press holiday party may be haunting in their own right. With camera flashes and drunken newspaper types both going off in turns, not all the mooning was in the sky above Friday night. Of course, Buzz would write more about it if he didn’t start swig-ging’ some cheap sugar-laden Canadian whiskey out of its plastic bottle right alongside them. Turns out,“Secret Santa” got a little sloshy in ’06. The only headlines produced that night were on the staff’s foreheads after they passed out on floors across the city. If sugar plums made an appearance, they were probably dancing in puddles of Wild Turkey...... Just one day prior, a couple of lucky Pier-goers secured an autograph from Jet Li, high-fiving eachother down the street afterwards in rapid-fire “Romeo Must Die” style succession. Only problem was their paparazzi-like target was the Daily Press publisher, who can throw hands in his own right. As they say at the local newspaper, “The pen truly is more powerful than the ‘soto mikazukigeri.’” Buzz was thinking of hitting up the editor of the DP for an autograph by Jack Tripper next week...... On a recent Friday evening, Buzz was cold chillin’ with some friends on the promenade after a night of live jams and free micro-brew at Wild About Music on Second Street. There, he stumbled into peace activist and bumper sticker salesman Jerry Rubin. The two chatted it up as Buzz’s surfing buddy went in search of some socks — damn flip-flops.
That’s when Rubin was almost roughed up by some Russians who couldn’t understand why someone would sell merchandise lambasting President Bush while the country is at war. Apparently, one was a graduate of Georgie’s alma-mater Yale and was hopped up on alcohol. It was then that the irrational and sexist comments began to fly, as did their jackets, as the two Iron Curtain hoods looked to put the smackdown on a pacifist.
Maybe it was the short-shorts, but Rubin managed to maneuver his way around the ruffians while calling for help. Seems the visitors couldn’t handle a little free speech and shapely man-legs, running off, only to return a short time later and apologize. To show there was no hard feelings, Rubin gave the guys some free stickers. They didn’t choose the one about Bush...... In answer to last week’s post about the search for the missing Robin Rose ice cream parlor, wrote: “You saw the same PBS special I saw with ice cream from an old 1890's place in a Philly drug store and ice cream on Marthas Vineyard etc.
I too went looking for Robin only to find it vacant. Bummer.”
Ah, but is not a Rose is a Rose is a Rose? What’s the matter with these peeps, any ways, too good for Rite Aid’s Thrifty brand?...... Buzzerbeater caught the show by former Doors drummer John Densmore and his new band Tribal Jazz at the Starbucks Hear Music on the promenade on Wednesday. Didn’t think he looked like Kevin Dillon at all. Still, breaking out the jazz showed Densmore had more up his macchi-ato cup sleeve than just rehashing stories ’bout Jim... though it woulda been nice to hear a couple... maybe when Krieger plays at Fatburger...
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 18, 2006. Read the original PDF.