Need Cash and Wish to Rob an In-Store ATM Kiosk? Wish Again... - 2012

 

Need Cash and Wish to Rob an In-Store ATM Kiosk? Wish Again...

During a recent visit to Costco, I noticed a technician opening the admin panel in order to begin repair of a CardTronics logo “Need Cash?” in-store automated teller machine (ATM). Since I am curious about ATM technology, I approached the ATM with my camera ready. As I arrived, the technician opened a drawer, which supports the front panel and customer interface.

Unlike a bank ATM, the CardTronics in-store ATM accepts no deposits. Its functions include cash dispensing, charging user fees and indirectly, facilitating cash purchases at Costco. No one outside of those two companies knows commission CardTronics pays Costco for that lucrative site. I know that CardTronics pays merchant commissions because I Googled “CardTronics+ATM+commission”. On page one of the search results I found a LinkedIn profile for a CardTronics employee. He listed his job title as “Merchant Commission Analyst”. We expect CardTronics to retire that job title soon. Sorry Charlie, but you should know that LinkedIn is public on the internet.

CardTronics is ubiquitous in the arena of freestanding, kiosk-focused financial services. With over 50,000 locations, CardTronics is the largest provider of retail ATM services in the world. Within ten miles of my own location, CardTronics has ten ATM’s ready to dispense cash for a fee. With all of their money, I wondered what integrated ATM solution CardTronics might install at Costco. I can tell you here, the answer surprised me.

Rather than a futuristic electronic ATM-marvel, the unobtrusive gray and black cabinet featured thirty-year-old technology. Up front, are a keypad, cash dispenser, receipt printer and a low-resolution display. That customer-interface module slides in and out of the cabinet on drawer glides. Bolted to a shelf high inside the cabinet is a bare-bones personal computer (PC) chassis. Showing its age, the PC features both a CD-drive and a 5.25” floppy-disk drive. If the boot sequence for the ATM fits on a floppy disk, the kernel of the operating system must be quite small.

By then I realized that the ATM was an old workhorse. Manufactured by NCR Corp. under their now retired EasyPoint trademark, the ATM features an Intel x86 processor, introduced in 1981 and the IBM OS/2 operating system introduced in 1987. During the early 1980s, IBM and Microsoft (MS) jointly developed OS/2. The unusual corporate collaboration was a joint offensive and countermeasure to growing cyber security threats. “Antivirus” updates became a nuisance for users of the fledgling Windows operating system. Despite IBM OS/2’s ability to deflect foreign executable instructions, MS Windows went on to dominance in the PC marketplace. This Costco ATM, running OS/2 in “protected mode” is virtually a closed system.

Having lost faith in their old operating system, IBM abandoned support for OS/2 in 2006. Even so, electronic ATM thieves should not waste time writing OS/2 scripts with instructions for “cash on demand”. A pair of copper wires connects the PC modem-port to the telephone network. My friend Tom Shudic helped determine how such ATMs prevent unauthorized outside access. According to Tom Shudic, “Those two wires must be a bidirectional interface, although surely with some sort of very high security protocol - perhaps even a dedicated line”. That, combined with the OS/2 operating system’s ability to block unauthorized access may explain the lack of remote control ATM robberies. Even the Russians could not hack that connection.

The only ways into an NCR EasyPoint/OS/2 ATM is with a key, a high technology cutting torch or using a battering ram. One could use an explosive, but that might destroy the cash, as well. Bank robbers seeking electronic entry to an old CardTronics in-store ATM now see that it is a waste of time and effort. Regardless of their chosen operating system, I hope that the current NCR SelfServ in-store ATM’s are as robust.

Physically, the cash cassettes are stored behind steel doors, in the base of the kiosk. Short of ramming it with a Mack Truck, you will not achieve a break in of a CardTronics kiosk ATM. Even if upended, steel plate protects the integrity of the ATM vault compartment. If any of our readers clicked here to learn techniques for in-store or electronic ATM robbery, you may now depart wiser and less likely to try such larceny.

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By James McGillis at 02:22 PM | Technology | Comments (0) | Link

First-Hand Stories About the Artist - Costantino Proietto - 2012

 

Two Family Members Offer First-Hand Stories About the Artist - Costantino Proietto

As some readers may know, I have been trying to solve the mystery of exactly whom the Italian artist Costantino Proietto actually was. Recently, the artist's first cousin Nunzio LoCastro  and his nephew, Larry LoCastro, both of New Jersey contacted me. Here are their combined stories of the artist C.Proietto, which I have edited for clarity.
 
Nunzio LoCastro – Cousin of the artist Costantino Proietto:
 
“Although I grew up in New Jersey and Costantino Proietto grew up in Italy, we were first cousins. While in the Army, I was stationed in Germany from 1951 - 1953. While there, I was fortunate to travel to Stuttgart, Germany where Tino, as we called him, lived and painted for many years. First, let me tell you a bit about his life.
 
I know that his birthday will be a surprise, but his birth year was 1910, not 1900, as previously believed. I know, because I was twenty-six in 1951 and Tino was forty-one when we met. It is time to rewrite history, only this time it will be correct. In 1979, skin cancer was the cause of his death. In his early days, the oil paints had a very high lead content. When I met him in the 1950s, he had a sore on one finger that sometimes bled and would not heal properly.
 
Costantino Proietto's father died when he was very young. In Randazzo, Sicily, Tino was soon was on the streets, smoking cigarettes and looking like he was up to no good. At age fourteen, a renowned professor of art came to the town, having received a commission to repaint and repair the artwork in one of the local Catholic churches. When asked who would be best to help the professor with his art, everyone in town pointed to Tino and said, "For his sake and ours, please take this kid off our streets". For the next eighteen years, Tino was apprenticed to the master artist and teacher. During that time, he received room and board, but no wages or compensation for his work.
 
During his apprenticeship, Tino learned the new technique of applying paint with a palette knife. As he developed in his career, he never used brushes again. By using the palette knife, he was able to add layering and texture to his work. He then added detail, through the addition or removal of paint material. His technique added depth, warmth and perspective to his paintings.
 
In the 1930s, with the approach of World War II, Tino emigrated from Italy to Switzerland, France and later to Stuttgart, Germany. At one time, he worked on a street corner, hand painting men's neckties on the spot. When he settled in Germany, he continued to paint scenes of Italy and Switzerland. In later years, he would photograph many scenes and then go to his studio to recreate the scene. In Germany, he was famous for his landscapes of Lake Como, Venice, San Remo and the Capuchin Convent on the Amalfi Coast. In addition, he was an accomplished portrait painter.
 
Again working from photographs, Tino once created a stunning portrait of Adolf Hitler. His likeness of der Fuehrer was so lifelike that the Mayor of Stuttgart had it sent to Berlin. Although Tino received no money for the painting, he likewise had not trouble being an Italian immigrant, living in Germany throughout World War II.
 
In 1952, when I married my wife, Doris in Vaihingen, near Stuttgart, Tino was my best man.  So that you know, Tino was a devoted and loving husband. His common law wife Gisela was German, and they were together for the rest of his life. The had a great relationship. He spoke perfect German and she spoke perfect Italian. Communications were never a problem. When Tino died, he left two condos in San Remo and all of his worldly possessions to Gisela.
 
After decades of training, painting came naturally to Tino. Although he was a great portrait painter, in his later years he preferred to paint landscapes. He was an energetic man and did not wish to spend the time required to paint portraits. Throughout his career, Tino could complete one of his signature landscapes of Italy or Switzerland in only a day or two. At the beginning of each new year, Tino would paint daily, until almost Easter time. Then he would load the paintings into his car and distribute them to various Galleries around Germany. After his Easter break, he would paint until near Christmas time and then distribute his paintings again to the galleries. During his career, he produced and sold hundreds, if not thousands of signed C.Proietto original oil paintings.
 
When I met him, he had a wonderful apartment in Stuttgart, with oriental rugs and fashionable furniture. Paintings by other artists graced his walls. On his work days, Tino would walk one or two blocks to his studio. The studio was one big room, with lot of windows. This allowed natural light to inspire his creative processes. When he was working, he would paint all morning, return home for lunch with Gisela, put on a fresh shirt and head back to the studio. When it grew dark, he would stop painting and go out for some personal time in the City.
 
What you cannot see, but perhaps you can feel from his paintings was his enjoyment of life. He was a smoker, although it never affected his health. When he was out on the town, he loved to eat fine foods. He was a great cook and could make a fine meal at home. Although he would drink wine at appropriate social moments, Tino preferred "acqua minerale". Most of all, he had a great laugh, which I remember still. He was always laughing, telling stories over a meal and encouraging others to enjoy themselves. After eighteen years as an unpaid apprentice and having survived the Allied air raids on Stuttgart during the war, Costantino Proietto went on to enjoy every day of his life. He told me that if he "died today", he was happy with his life. He was always happy with life.
 
Although I do not recall the name, a prestigious art dealer in New York City accepted his works for sale. An academy in Berlin recognized him for his contribution to German art in the mid twentieth century. Oh, the stories I could tell you about my cousin Tino… his laughter, his love of the good life and his ability as a great artist. To this day, I have eight of his paintings in my home in New Jersey. I still look at them every day.”
 
Larry LoCastro – Nephew of the artist Costantino Proietto:
 
“Finally, I had the opportunity to talk with my uncle, Joseph Amante. Joseph is also a cousin of Costantino Proietto and visited him in Stuttgart, Germany. Although I have not yet spoken with my Uncle Nunzio LoCastro (see story above), I am providing biographical and family history for you here.
 
I have taken a number of pictures of Joseph's paintings, but have not yet transferred them all to my computer. However, I have attached pictures from my prized possession painting by Uncle Tino. It is a scene which includes the footbridge at Nesso, on Lake Como, in Switzerland. You might also find interesting some close up detail shots from the same painting. Note that in the rowboat a dark haired oarsman rows a blond female passenger in a custom built craft.
 
On a bum-around trip to Europe during my late teens, I had the pleasure seeing Tino paint in his studio. I watched him take dabs of color and apply it to the canvas in what seemed like rapid succession. I did not realize what was happening (being painted) before my eyes until I "saw" the picture come to life. The process and the result were amazing to see.
 
Here is some brief history regarding my family relationship to Costantino Proietto. Starting, I believe in Randazzo on the island of Sicily, Tino's mother was a daughter of Salvatore LoCastro. She had a sister Antonina who was my Uncle Joseph Amante's mother, and a brother Frank LoCastro. Frank was my grandfather. Frank, Salvatore, Nunzio, Vivien, Richard, Margurite, Costantino, and Joseph Amante were all first cousins by their grandfather Salvatore LoCastro.
 
Costantino Proietto was from Sicily and sensed upcoming conscription for the Second World War. In order to continue with his art, he went first to Switzerland and later settled in Stuttgart, Germany. There his brother, Epiphaneo, sister-in-law Brunhilda, and nephew Mario, joined him. Brunhilda survives to this day.
 
Tino found ready customers in the German people, who loved his paintings of Italy. Some of his early work in Switzerland included painting the walls of a church, and restoring Egyptian mummy cases under an art professor. In addition, he painted designs utilized later in the creation of printed fabrics.
 
In the future, I will provide more pictures that I took of C.Proietto paintings, including the backs of the frames, which typically included the name, and location of the painted scene and the "CP" seal over a label of Tino's "business card" information: studied under and places his art was sold.”
 
Author’s note: In the time since I first published this article some new information regarding Costantino Proietto came to me. As I learn more about the life of the artist, I will make corrections to this and to my earlier articles on the subject of Costantino Proietto. If any reader has additional information regarding the artist, his works or biography, please contact me via email. I will be happy to share such information with all. In addition, if you have a signed C.Proietto painting in its original frame, in good condition and for sale, I will pay $400, plus reasonable packing, shipping and insurance costs for each C.Proietto painting.

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By James McGillis at 10:10 PM | Fine Art | Comments (1) | Link

Mulholland Drive - From Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley - 2012

 

Mulholland Drive - From Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley

During our driving tour of Hollywood, Carrie McCoy and I had already experienced several adventures. First, we had viewed a LACoFD training exercise at the Hollywood Bowl. For lunch, we stopped at Legendary Paul Pink’s Hot Dogs on La Brea Ave. After lunch, we drove toward Mount Lee to take pictures of the Hollywood Sign. Then, we departed Hollywood, via the Yellow Brick Road, better known as Mulholland Drive.

In its first mile, Mulholland Drive climbs from Cahuenga Pass to the crest of the Hollywood Hills. A quick series of switchbacks and hairpin curves introduces the neophyte motorist to the full Mulholland Drive experience. As Jim Morrison once sang in Roadhouse Blues, "Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel." If you do not, you could easily leave the roadway or mix with oncoming traffic. Until you pull over to let them pass, many drivers will tailgate you there at any speed. Over the decades, auto and motorcycle racing on Mulholland Drive has cost many lives. Since we were on a sightseeing tour, I pulled aside often, thus allowing traffic to clear.

Our first stop was at the Hollywood Bowl Overlook. Although the view down-canyon to the Hollywood Bowl was disappointing, the view east to Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles was classic. In the foreground were the Hollywood Freeway and the Capitol Records Building. Seven miles east was the Emerald City, better known as the skyline of Downtown Los Angeles. From the overlook, on that clear day, we could see the LA Basin in all of its glory.

With tour buses often crowding the small lot, Hollywood Bowl Overlook parking is limited. Just west of the overlook, there is adequate, if crumbling street-side parking. From there, however, one must cross through traffic to see the views. Like many places with limited parking and extraordinary views, people tend to linger. For them, it is like owning the view without having to pay for it. I walked in, looked around, took my pictures and returned to my vehicle.

While walking back to my car, I looked up to see an infamous, yet iconic single family home. Designed by architect Harry Gesner, the "Haynes House", as it was originally known, came to roost on its prominent hillside location in 1975. Although another of Gesner’s houses inspired the Sydney Opera House, the Gesner house at 7000 Macapa Drive has inspired more scorn than praise.

With its Gesner-signature roof design, what I call the "Paraglider House" is the antithesis of Frank Lloyd Wright's “organic architecture”. According to FLW, building atop the crest of a hill destroys the hill. Viewed from the Hollywood Freeway below, the structure looks like an overgrown beach shack, silently screaming, “Look at me. Look at me”. I would prefer a house above the Hollywood Bowl Overlook that could project itself into group consciousness with less blatancy.

The public record on the Paraglider House is mixed. In early 2010, the owner had listed it for $2,695,000, or almost exactly one thousand dollars per square foot. Apparently, it sold later that year for $2.0 million. Even that was expensive for a thirty-five year old, three-bedroom, three-bath house encompassing 2,698 square feet. In essence, someone bought the view, not the house. In October 2011, a Google Street View showed the house stripped to the studs and under reconstruction. As of this writing, construction was ongoing.

As one might experience anywhere on Mulholland Drive, our sojourn west included many tight turns and a few confusing street signs. Needing a rest, we stopped at one of many turnouts provided along the road by the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy. By then we were well away from Hollywood and approaching the San Fernando Valley. Having grown up in Burbank, California, I knew how hazy the sky could be in The Valley. From our perch atop the Hollywood Hills, we marveled at the clear sky and long views.

To our right, we could see Mt. Lee, famed for its Hollywood Sign and named for early Los Angeles car dealer and broadcaster Don Lee. At the top of Mt. Lee stands a communications tower that dates back to at least 1941. In the late 1930s, the first Los Angeles television broadcasts emanated from that tower. During my high school days in the 1960s, you could still drive to the top of Mt. Lee and enjoy a 360-degree view of Los Angeles and the Valley. Today, a gate far below prevents traffic from surmounting Mt. Lee. From our vantage that day, we could see an end-on view of the Hollywood sign, clinging to the far-right slope of the mountain. My father's memories of Los Angeles television history follow below.

Dr. Loron N. McGillis: “The call letters for the first Los Angeles television station were W6XAO. They transmitted from the communication tower atop Mt. Lee. When the station came on in the early evening, we watched on our 7" Motorola TV. During the day, they broadcast the traditional Indian Head test pattern, with emanating black and white bars. There was also a news tape running across the bottom of the screen. In 1948, the station became KTSL and in 1951, they changed again, to KNXT. In the 1980s, they changed again to the current KCBS TV.”

Panning my camera to the left, Spokesmodel Carrie McCoy appeared in my rangefinder. With lush vegetation behind her and a smile on her face, I could not resist taking yet another picture of the original “Valley Girl”, from Burbank, California. “Look”, Carrie said, “From here, you can see Universal City and Warner Bros. Studios”.

As I looked down from a curve on Mulholland Drive, the most prominent building in view had a huge sign that read, “NBCUniversal", with no separation between those two iconic names. In a not-so-subtly way, the resident media giants NBC and Universal Studios had melded into one. It reminded me of the dark days in the 1970s, when executives briefly renamed Warner Bros. Studios, “The Burbank Studios”. When the next intergalactic mega-media firm takes over NBCUniversal, that prominent office tower will display yet another in a long list of corporate logos.

Even in Los Angeles, few people remember who built what we now call the NBCUniversal Building in Universal City. In the 1970s, at the height of his wealth and fame, oilman J. Paul Getty commissioned the building as the Getty Oil Company headquarters. Although the building looks rectangular to the casual observer, its narrow lot and adjacency to the Hollywood Freeway dictated a trapezoidal shape. Although any form other than rectilinear creates triangular offices and wasted space, Getty and his oil company had money to burn. To make the edifice look more impressive, Getty specified an exterior clad in Italian marble. In 1976, prior to completion of the building, J. Paul Getty died.

In 1984, when giant Texaco Oil purchased Getty Oil, the building became the Texaco Building. In 1985, when Texaco lost in court to Pennzoil, that smaller company became sole owner of both Getty Oil and the Getty Building. If there was ever a Texaco sign at the top of that building, it did not last for long. As with media companies, Old Energy oil companies come and they go. Only their buildings remain to hint at their former glory. Exactly how the Getty Building morphed into the NBCUniversal Building, I cannot say. If history foretells anything, that building will not be the NBCUniversal Building forever.

Panning to the right of the Getty/Texaco/Pennzoil/NBCUniversal Building, I realized that I was looking down upon both Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios. In the 1960s, Universal Studios was a relatively small affair, with a concentration of buildings and activities on Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood. With the advent of the Universal Amphitheater, the Universal Studios Tour and Universal City Walk, most of the “back lot” succumbed to development. For reasons unknown, there is only one exception to that over-development.

On a hillside lot, overlooking the corner of Barham Blvd. and Buddy Holly Drive, a haunted house once stood. Having sneaked up to the house with my high school friends, I know that it was haunted. At night, we could see a dim light glowing inside the house. As we approached from below, I tripped over a half buried headstone and fell headlong down a muddy slope. Using a flashlight, we read the names and dates of death on several tilting headstones. After determining that one grave was that of a child, we scrambled back to our car, never to return. That haunted house is gone now, but remnants of the circular driveway are still visible on Google Earth.

All good ghost stories and all good Hollywood auto tours must end. Carrie and I still had one last stop to make at the intersection of Mulholland Drive and Interstate I-405. There, we planned to visit with Coney the Traffic Cone, where he stood guard over the missing bridge lane at Mulholland Drive in Sepulveda Pass.

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By James McGillis at 04:53 PM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link

The Hollywood Sign and the Gateway to Mulholland Drive - 2012

 

Two Hollywood Mystery Locations - The Hollywood Sign and the Gateway to Mulholland Drive

Continuing our January 2012 driving tour of historical Hollywood places, Carrie McCoy and I departed Paul Pink’s Hot Dogs on La Brea Ave. heading north toward Hollywood 28, as it was known in the old days. The beautiful residential streets in the lower slopes of Hollywood mesmerized us. We emerged from that bubble at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Argyle Ave. As I turned right on to Sunset Blvd., I caught a glimpse of the Hollywood Sign, several miles away.

After stopping the car, I got out and took several long shot images of the Hollywood Sign. Panning to my right, I recognized the Hollywood Palladium, a Streamline Moderne Hollywood theater built in 1940. According to the marquee, “Bassrush Presents” hosted a sold-out electronic music event there the previous night. From the Big Band era to  Nero, the return of Funktion and the 12th Planet's “The End is Near Tour”, the Palladium has seen and heard it all.

Continuing north on Argyle Ave, I stopped to view the iconic Capitol Records Building. When it opened in 1956, both the public had mixed opinions about the building. It had been a while since a new Los Angeles building had made a whimsical statement through its architecture. Although its statement was not as literal as the old Brown Derby, the building’s cylindrical structure did evoke a stack of 45-RPM records. This thirteen story turntable featured a roof pinnacle that looked like a soaring stylus.

To some, it was a reference to vinyl as state-of-the-art in the recording industry. Others hailed the building’s energy-saving features. There were exterior metal sunshades, which surrounded each of the floors. In contrast to the trend toward sealed glass towers, the building’s windows were operable. The combination of shade and afternoon sea breezes allowed workers to enjoy fresh air, without the need for constant air-conditioning.

Still heading north, but now on Gower Street, we approached the Hollywood Freeway. Poking above both the skyline and the freeway was the original 1929 Hollywood Tower Apartments. Its tower sign is visible to thousands of motorists driving north each day on the Hollywood Freeway. Is it any wonder that Walt Disney Company, under Michael Eisner expropriated the historic name Hollywood Tower for an attraction at their California Adventure theme park in Anaheim?

As freeway drivers curve gracefully around the faux French Normandy concrete monolith, few realize that highway engineers created that jog in the Hollywood Freeway in order to avoid the landmark. In its early days, and into the 1980s, many writers and actors called the Hollywood Tower Apartments home. From the tower itself, they could lord over all of Hollywood, so long as they paid the rent.

Continuing up Gower Street, we followed the path towards Hollywood’s Holy Grail – the Hollywood Sign. As with all things Hollywood, the simple, direct path may not lead to your destination. In the upper reaches of Gower Street, the terrain screens the Hollywood sign from view. In the lower canyon, there are several good, if distant views of the sign.

If you seek a close-up view, consult with Google. By the way, the residents of North Beachwood Drive would prefer that you stay away. Parking is almost nonexistent and the road is narrow. Although we did step out on to lower Gower Street to photograph the fabled sign, we soon turned back and headed for equally fabled Mulholland Drive.

Hollywood is full of secrets. One of best kept is how to access Mulholland Drive at its source, just north of the Hollywood Bowl. Traveling from Hollywood, the directional signage is of little help. Google Maps gets the route correct HERE and gives an alternate route using the Pilgrimage Bridge HERE. I have no interest in conspiracy theories, unless they are my own, so here are my facts to support the Mulholland Drive Conspiracy.

• The first “Mulholland Drive” sign on Cahuenga Blvd. North directs you appropriately toward the Mulholland Drive Bridge.
• At the Pilgrimage Bridge intersection, the "Mulholland Drive" directional signage is partially obscured by a traffic signal on the left side, as seen in this Google Street View.
• If you turn left across the Pilgrimage Bridge, a "Right Turn Only" sign will direct you unknowingly towards your goal.
• Less than one mile north on Cahuenga Blvd. West, there is a traffic signal, with access to Mulholland Drive, at the point where it actually takes the Mulholland name.

Let us go back and assume that you did not access the Pilgrimage Bridge, instead motoring north on Cahuenga Blvd. East.

• At that point, the obscured sign that you missed seeing leaves you guessing and then shunts you on to the Hollywood Freeway North.
• If you manage to escape the freeway trap, stay to the right and continue north on Cahuenga Blvd. East.
• Soon, you will pass under the Mulholland Drive Bridge itself.
• Without any warning or directional signage, you must then turn right at Lakeridge Place., reversing direction in order to head south.
• Soon, with new energy light shining down as it does in this Google Street View, you will gain access to the original, two-lane, 1940 Mulholland Bridge.
• After crossing over the freeway, you will intersect Mulholland Drive, which was your original destination.

As I indicate above, why should any historic Los Angeles street be so difficult to find? Did some influential residents of Mulholland Drive ask City Hall to remove the directional signage? Did residents pay a private crew to remove the signs? Did adequate directional signage from Hollywood to Mulholland Drive ever exist? In the absence of a simple answer, I cannot yet abandon my Mulholland Drive Hollywood Conspiracy Theory.

In our next article, we will motor along the scenic Mulholland Drive to the new Mulholland Drive Bridge, currently undergoing replacement in Sepulveda Pass.

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By James McGillis at 11:35 PM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link

Dining at the Legendary Paul Pink's Hot Dog Stand in Los Angeles, 90038 - 2012

 

Dining at the Legendary Paul Pink's Hot Dog Stand in Los Angeles, 90038

In January 2012, I toured Los Angeles, California, stopping first at the Hollywood Bowl for a water display created and produced by LACoFD Truck Company 8. After that memorable experience, I headed south on Highland Blvd. through old "Hollywood 28". After postal Zip Codes came into use, that designation changed to Hollywood 90028. Even today, the cognoscenti are aware that real Hollywood resides within that one postal designation. Nearby areas pretend to be Hollywood , yet no other Zip Code can legitimately make that claim. At Sunset Blvd., I turned west and then turned south again to 709 North La Brea Ave. There I stopped for lunch.

For readers who do not know that address, it is the location of Pink’s Hot Dogs. As the Great Depression wore on in 1939, Paul and Betty Pink bought a rickety pushcart and went into business selling hot dogs. At the time, a Hoffy brand hotdog “made special for Pink’s”, served in a long split roll and ensconced in cardboard boat lined with an under-sheet of wax paper, cost ten cents. If lunch at Pink's was then ten cents, was coffee a nickel?

The Pink family built, or possibly remodeled the current building in 1946. In a nod to the diverse neighborhood in which it stands, one half of Paul Pink’s contiguous building still houses the Things-Antiques store. In 1939, when Paul Pink purchased his pushcart, my father was fourteen years old and living in L.A.'s Fairfax District. Each weekend, he would travel between his father's home in Los Angeles and Sunland California, where his mother and stepfather lived. In researching this article, I asked if he had any memories of Paul Pink’s that he might share. Here is what he had to say.

Dr. Loron N. (Duke) McGillis: “Each Sunday, we would travel through Cahuenga Pass and then would navigate to the corner of Melrose Ave. and La Brea Blvd. On the northwest corner of the intersection, there was a station. Next door, at 709 North La Brea Ave. stood a pushcart where a man sold hotdogs. I do not remember if a hotdog cost a dime, but a Hershey bar or a Coke was only a nickel, so that sounds right. In those prewar days, there was no discernible smog in Los Angeles. With help from Google Street View, I can still see that cart, shining in the sun. It stood on the parkway or sidewalk, right where people still stand in line for a hotdog. His hotdogs were so great that Paul Pink's became our regular Sunday stop.”

On La Brea Ave., three blocks south of Pink’s is the local branch of the Bank of America (BofA). As Paul’s son told the story in a recent BofA Television ad, Paul Pink strode into the BofA branch one day and asked for a loan. The granting of that loan led to Pink's new location in 1946 and to an enduring business relationship.

In July 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridgee made headlines with their visit to Los Angeles, and to legendary L.A. eatery Paul Pink's Hot Dogs. Although no one so famous as they were present in the Hollywood crowd, I noticed Spokesmodel Carrie McCoy,waiting patiently in line.

“I’m having a chili dog and a Coke", Carrie stated. "What will you have?”

“I’ll have the same, thank you”, I replied with a smile. We had places to go and things to see, so this was no time for a complicated order.

As we wended our way through the slow shuffle of the line, I asked Carrie why she came to Pink’s Hot Dogs on that day. “For me”, she said, “it is all about Paul Pink. He was such a beautiful man”.

“So, you knew Paul Pink personally”, I asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes. I was born nearby, at the Queen of Angles Hospital. My early childhood, I spent here in Hollywood. Later, in the 1980s, I worked at the BofA, here on La Brea Ave. Paul Pink would come in to deposit his cash receipts at our branch. I remember that he was happy and friendly to everyone he met. Almost daily, he would travel the three blocks from his store to the bank. Sometimes, he would bring hot dogs for everyone. It was always a treat to see Paul Pink. To me, 'Paul Pink’s' is the proper name for this place".

After several minutes, our simple order of two chili dogs received top priority from the staff. Soon, Carrie McCoy and I were sitting out back in the patio area. It was late January in Los Angeles and we were out there having fun in the warm California sun. The food was so good that we finished eating in a matter of minutes. Although each of our meals cost more than ten cents, I must say that for me it really hit the spot.

Thank you to Los Angeles native, Carrie McCoy for dining with us at Paul Pink’s. Her personal story added greatly to an authentic Hollywood experience, even if we were in Hollywood 90038.

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By James McGillis at 10:11 PM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link

New ATM Technology Helps Eliminate Waste, Fraud and Theft - 2012

 

New ATM Technology Helps Eliminate Waste, Fraud and Theft

Other than a few ascetics, penitents and abstainers, almost everyone likes money. Even better than hard-earned money, is free money. To get free money, you could win the lottery, but the odds are against you. Robbing an automated teller machine (ATM) has recently become another method of choice. Becoming a bank robber is both risky and illegal. Usually, such actions result in a prison sentence for anyone so foolish as to try.

Regardless of the consequences involved, my two previous articles about ATM robbery continue to be among the most popular on this blog. As the website administrator, I can see which articles receive the most “hits”. Over time, I have watched as individuals Google “ATM Robbery” or “Bank ATM Robbery”. The number of such searches is an indicator of trans-personal economic stress. Whenever the world economy wavers, I see more search phrases that include "bank robbery". With my articles, I hope to discourage, rather than to encourage any plans to rob a bank or ATM.

In May 2008, I wrote about after-hours break-ins to bank ATM rooms. Poorly armored and alarmed ATM rooms were easy prey for break-in artists. After demolishing a demising wall from an adjoining suite, the robbers might utilize a high-speed plasma torch. With such a torch, it is easy to penetrate the lightly armored back of an ATM. With a combination of luck, skill and criminal intent, robbers could make off with more than $100,000. Better yet, the untraceable twenty-dollar bills come neatly concealed in currency cassettes complete with carrying handles.

Defeating ATM robbery attempts is relatively easy, but often neglected by even the largest banks. A combination of video surveillance, motion alarms and high-decibel alarm-horns would eliminate most such robberies. Still, many strip-center bank branches have ATM security no greater than door locks. Until the banks wake up to their vulnerabilities, I expect a continued increase in ATM break-in robberies.

In December 2011, I wrote about a new, more brazen ATM robbery. That month, in Laguna Hills, California, a local Chase Bank branch had an outdoor ATM disappear overnight. Using a large truck, robbers rammed the building, dislocating the ATM from its moorings. Using a truck-mounted winch, the robbers grappled the ATM and hauled it away. In only a few minutes, the thieves absconded with the ATM, leaving a gaping hole in the wall of the building. As of this writing, the Chase Bank Laguna Hills robbers remain at large.

There is an easy solution to the ATM-snatch-robbery phenomenon. All outdoor ATMs should have concrete filled steel bollards installed to prevent ramming by heavy equipment. A recent visit to Kokopelli Federal Credit Union (KFCU) showed no such barriers installed. Beyond exposure to “smash and grab” robbers, the lack of barriers leaves customers exposed to errant drivers. Only when enough banks settle liability lawsuits from injured customers or incur sufficient losses from outright ATM theft, will the situation change.

During a recent visit to KFCU, the ancient spirit Kokopelli was correcting their ATM problems. Seemingly everywhere at once, Kokopelli oversaw the installation of both crash barriers and new Diebold ATM security. Although busy removing an old ATM at the time, Kokopelli stopped to show me the differences between old and new ATM technology.

An old ATM, Kokopelli indicated, was a glorified envelope-processing machine, with a cash dispenser. Each day, an attendant removed the deposit envelopes, placed them in bags and couriered them to a processing facility. There, staff counted the cash and processed the checks through the Federal Reserve System. Upon receipt, a high-definition camera would photograph the contents of each envelope. That way, the bank could reconcile any discrepancies between the recorded amounts and envelope contents.

Careless or disreputable customers often deposited empty envelopes. The more brazen would later claim that they had enclosed money or checks. Although most ne’er-do-wells quickly admitted their malfeasance, some demanded proof that their envelope was empty. Either way, the process took time and money, thus creating losses for the banks. With fraud and abuse becoming rampant, banks need new ways to stop the fraudsters at their source.

 

 Diebold New ATM Technology

 

In order to eliminate ATM fraud, Diebold Corporation designed KFCU’s new ATM with electronic, photographic and communications modules. By combining new hardware and software, KFCU eliminated the use of deposit envelopes and deposit slips altogether. As you feed cash deposits into the new ATM, a photographic reader rejects any defaced or counterfeit bills.

When you deposit a check, the reader sends data to both the Federal Reserve System and to independent fraud detection. Once the software accepts the account as valid, the ATM requires the customer's approval, as well. Upon agreement, the ATM provides immediate check truncation, thus debiting the check issuer’s account. Thereafter, the scanned image becomes a substitute check, eliminating further need for the original paper check. Thereafter, the paper check serves only as backup to the electronic version.

After explaining the new technology, Kokopelli exposed the backside of the new ATM. The machine contains a high-speed central processing unit (CPU) similar to a home computer. As the brains of the ATM, the CPU connects electronically to the KFCU processing center. The center connects in turn to both the Federal Reserve and fraud prevention. Included in the new machine are check and cash readers, with storage bins for each media type. Finally, there is a device that every customer loves - the Diebold cash dispenser.

With the exception of its fascia, Kokopelli installed the entire ATM from inside the building. With proper structural reinforcement and crash guards, thieves can no longer grapple a KFCU ATM and pull it through the wall. If every bank and credit union were as careful as KFCU, the incidence of ATM theft and robbery could decline. Thank you, plush Kokopelli and KFCU for continuing to cover our ancient assets.

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By James McGillis at 02:13 PM | Technology | Comments (0) | Link

Key to Google Search Ranking is New and Unique Content - 2012

 

Key to Google Search Ranking is New and Unique Content

In September 2007, I bought the internet name JamesMcGillis.com and began writing this weblog. Since that time, I have posted over two hundred fifteen unique articles. My many subjects include Pre-Puebloan Indian cultures, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, LA County Fire Department Aerial Truck 8 and radioactive contamination at the Moab Pile. Each topic was one that I cared about, enjoyed researching and wished to share with the world.

When they use text only, blog articles tend to be pedantic and boring. To add unique content to my blog, I began publishing my own photographs. That way, I could tell my stories with both words and pictures. Hoping to catch the eye of readers both young and old, I targeted my content to a ninth grade reading level. Moreover, I continued to write and publish new and unique information. Now, with more than four years of internet experience, I can see the fruit of my labor. Following are a few examples.

In September 2007, I attended the Quantum Leap Celebration in Taos, New Mexico. There, 650 Shaumbra (meaning "those who inspire consciousness") arrived at Taos Station in an Old Energy train. Three days later, we pulled away in the new energy express. At the event, I purchased an “Inspire Consciousness” t-shirt. After taking a picture of my new energy t-shirt, I published it within an article about that event. If you Google “Inspire Consciousness” today and then click “Images”, my t-shirt has #1 Google search ranking.

In November 2007, I wrote about new social networks, which were then taking the internet by storm. At the time, MySpace.com had eighty percent market share, compared to Facebook.com with just over ten percent. Since then, MySpace crashed under the weight of Rupert Murdoch’s ownership. As the epitome of old energy, Rupert could not relate to new media, let alone new energy. MySpace is now an internet afterthought while Facebook is valued at $100 billion. In my 2007 article, I displayed a small Google logo. If you Google “small Google logo” today and then click “Images”, my version has #1 Google search ranking.

In March 2008, I wrote about Elton John’s “lost concert”. On September 7, 1973, Elton had played the Hollywood Bowl, yet at that time there were no pictures or video of the concert on the internet. How could the media overlook such a seminal night, I wondered. Later, legendary rock & roll photographer Harvey Jordan sent me an image of Elton at the piano that night. With Harvey’s permission, I inserted his picture into my original article. In November 2008, I wrote about my souvenir Elton John Hollywood Bowl t-shirt. If you Google “Elton 1973”, “Elton Hollywood Bowl” or “Elton John t-shirt” today, and then click “Images”, Harvey Jordan’s photo, my article and my t-shirt each has its respective #1 Google search ranking. If you purchase an Elton John 9/7/73 t-shirt, Moab Jim will donate $10 to the Elton John Aids Foundation.

In November 2010, I initiated two live webcams in Simi Valley, California, as shone on the website Simicam.com. In December 2011, I wrote about the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, also in Simi Valley. After visiting the library, I published several outdoor images in my article about Ronald Reagan. Today, if you Google Costantino Proietto (1910 – 1979), you will find my articles about the artist. At the time, there was scant information on the internet about the artist. After publishing an image of my own C.Proietto masterpiece, friends, family and collectors of C.Proietto’s work came forward. With the help of others, I have now published many previously unknown images of the artist’s work. If you Google “Costantino Proietto” or “C.Proietto” today and then click “Images”, my images of his work have #1 Google search ranking.

So what does all of this mean? Google, and to a lesser extent, Microsoft’s Bing search engine will reward new and unique content on the internet. So much content has disappeared from the internet in recent years that my “small Google logo” is the oldest extant copy. The key to success on the internet is to add new information without deleting the old. If you do so, Google will raise the search ranking of all related content.

If you plan to write for the internet, rather than using a pay-for-play blog company, consider creating your own blog. By hosting Google AdSense ads on your blog, you can monetize your efforts. When the late Andy Rooney retired from the CBS Television show 60 Minutes, he had broadcast 1097 episodes of his “TV blog”. In order to catch up with Andy Rooney's output, I have 880 articles yet to write. I call that number my stretch goal. Why would anyone create content for Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook to monetize when you can take home the cash yourself? Any ninth-grader reading this article knows the answer to that question.

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By James McGillis at 12:22 PM | Technology | Comments (0) | Link