Man: To be honest, I don’t mind it. I love the fact that I can choose any available desk. I’m sure you’ll get used to it. 

Woman: Oh, I’m not so sure. The “first come, first served” system really annoys me. When I want to work at a certain desk, I have to arrive at work early – not to get the work done, but to get the desk I want. In my opinion, they should introduce some kind of booking system. It’s so irritating when someone asks a colleague who arrives early to save a seat for them.

When Louisiana police were informed that bags of stolen cash totalling over 60 thousand dollars had been hidden by thieves in a river, officers were sent to search for the money. The task was difficult because some beavers had built a dam across the river, creating a deep pool of water. The police began to take the dam apart to lower the water level. To their surprise, they discovered lots of one-hundred-dollar banknotes mixed in with branches, grass and leaves. Apparently, the clever animals had found the bags of money, torn them open and used the banknotes in the same way as leaves! Officers worked until midnight to recover the cash, and then dried the banknotes in a clothes dryer. The beavers repaired the dam by morning, and the thieves were eventually caught.

Known around the world as an emblem of Los Angeles and an icon of the movie industry, the Hollywood sign has its origins in the year 1923. This was when Harry Chandler, the publisher of the Los Angeles Times, provided funds for constructing a spectacular sign on the side of a hill called Mount Lee. It was meant to be just temporary and its purpose was to advertise homes in a newly-built neighbourhood called Hollywoodland. The name on the sign was later shortened to Hollywood. The sign became so recognizable that the original plan to take it down after some time was cancelled and it stayed there for good.

The size of the sign is much bigger than it seems when we see it in movies. Each letter measures about 15 metres in height and is almost nine metres wide. In the past, the letters also flashed at night. Change came in 1933 as it was getting costly to power the light bulbs, and the decision was made to turn them off. Since then, the sign has been illuminated only occasionally.

In 1973, the sign was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and received a “facelift”, which, unfortunately, didn’t include any structural maintenance. By the late 1970s, the sign had deteriorated beyond repair, and funds had to be raised to completely rebuild it and make it more resistant to wind and rain. A new sign was installed in the same location, with each letter built to the same dimensions as the original. That’s the sign which is still there today.

Although you can view the Hollywood sign round the clock via a webcam, millions of visitors decide to climb the hill every year to see it up close. There are several hiking trails and it’s possible to get a good view of the sign from a variety of spots leading up to it, but it’s more common and much more convenient to admire it from further down the hill. You can capture a perfect image of the iconic sign as you are walking up, so don’t miss the opportunity of getting a really good shot. If you decide to head for the top of Mount Lee, it’s a pleasant walk which will take you about an hour with appropriate footwear. The sign itself is fenced off, so bear in mind that you won’t be able to touch it. There are plenty of security measures, including cameras on top of the sign, and there is also a speaker system used by the police in case of emergency.