You're Done.
I've lost any last speck of respect I once had for Dennis Miller, who has now turned into a cheap shill for Dubya.
Hey, "10-10-220" pitch boy, you're over. (What were you doing pimping for MCI Worldcom anyway, Mr. Holier Than Thou? You really wanted to work with ALF?) There's a reason why "Monday Night Football" and HBO dropped your ass. It ain't 1989 anymore. Get off my stage.
Monday, June 30, 2003
Suge Knight Update
Status (check one) :
[X] IN JAIL
[ ] NOT IN JAIL
Reason (if "In Jail" checked on question one) :
Violating Parole
The "Suge Knight Update" brought to you courtesy a grant from Snoop D-O-Double-Gizzle. (That's Snoop Dogg, for the ill-informed in the hizz-ouse.)
Status (check one) :
[X] IN JAIL
[ ] NOT IN JAIL
Reason (if "In Jail" checked on question one) :
Violating Parole
The "Suge Knight Update" brought to you courtesy a grant from Snoop D-O-Double-Gizzle. (That's Snoop Dogg, for the ill-informed in the hizz-ouse.)
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Horror in Chicago
Just had a horrible sense of deja vu after reading how 12 people died at a Chicago party last night when an overcrowded third-floor porch collapsed.
It was one of those Lincoln Park 1920s-era apartment buildings, with wooden porches out back that were never built strong enough to accomodate 50 people and a keg. The third floor just pancaked down--taking the second floor and first floor porches down with it (the people who died were likely on the first two floors).
The exact same thing happened about six years ago in Chicago at my friend Justin's apartment building. Justin lived on the second floor and was minding his business when he heard the porch out back collapse. Partiers from the floor above him were suddenly walking through his apartment, dazed, bloodied and confused. Apparently the third floor porch had just fallen, but stopped at his level. Luckily, that meant a lot of injuries, but no deaths. It really shook up Justin and his roomies, however-- his apartment suddenly looked like a scene from "Night of the Living Dead."
Justin's building got its 15 minutes of fame after that, but obviously -- judging by what happened last night -- no one in town learned their lesson.
Just had a horrible sense of deja vu after reading how 12 people died at a Chicago party last night when an overcrowded third-floor porch collapsed.
It was one of those Lincoln Park 1920s-era apartment buildings, with wooden porches out back that were never built strong enough to accomodate 50 people and a keg. The third floor just pancaked down--taking the second floor and first floor porches down with it (the people who died were likely on the first two floors).
The exact same thing happened about six years ago in Chicago at my friend Justin's apartment building. Justin lived on the second floor and was minding his business when he heard the porch out back collapse. Partiers from the floor above him were suddenly walking through his apartment, dazed, bloodied and confused. Apparently the third floor porch had just fallen, but stopped at his level. Luckily, that meant a lot of injuries, but no deaths. It really shook up Justin and his roomies, however-- his apartment suddenly looked like a scene from "Night of the Living Dead."
Justin's building got its 15 minutes of fame after that, but obviously -- judging by what happened last night -- no one in town learned their lesson.
MTV Eats Its Young
Maria and I headed to the Hollywood Palladium last night to take in the taping of an upcoming special for the channel, "MTV Bash"--their version of a Friar's Club roast.
The roastee? MTV's very own Carson Daly, the Man Who Would Be Dick Clark.
Now, if you find it odd that MTV would promote a special that more or less makes fun of one of its marquee "talents," you're not the only one. But it's all in fun, I suppose, and Carson should probably be counting his blessings that MTV still cares enough to devote a special to him-- even one that mocks his existence. The channel frequently rotates its hosts so that they never become bigger than the channel itself -- but for some reason, they took a liking to Daly's white-bread, non-threatening persona.
Roaster extraordinaire Jeffrey Ross hosted the program, and he probably was the best thing about the show-- and the only guy who really took to heart the "Bash" aspect of the event. (Too bad MTV viewers have no idea who the hell he is.)
Otherwise, people kept the gloves mostly off. Rapper Nelly was probably the surprise of the night-- he pulled off his presentation rather well. Comedians in the house, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Corolla and Sarah Silverman, also held their own.
On the other hand, Carson's celeb pals like Fred Durst, Kid Rock and Pam Anderson could barely read the teleprompter. (Kid Rock and Pammy both encountered each other at one point, and the recently split-up pair at least appeared civil to one another, if not kind of happy to see each other. I know, probably not juicy enough dirt for ya. But whaddyuh want? This ain't Page Six.) Famous Carson ex Jennifer Love Hewitt, newly blonde, also struggled a bit with her bit.
One thing you could count on: Plenty of dick jokes, and "Carson-is-a-womanizer" jokes. A good Catholic whose parents were in the audience, Daly seemed genuinely embarrassed at times-- yet likely knew something like this could only help his career, particularly at MTV (where he is quickly aging out of the demo).
The surreal point of the night, however, was when MTV has-been Pauly Shore, who was in the audience, leaped on stage during a commercial break to say "hi" to Carson. Must have freaked the crap out of young Mr. Daly. Pauly, afterall, represents those legions of one-time MTV stars who eventually faded away in favor of the next generation.
Also at the event: Nicky Hilton, one half of the Hilton sisters. ("She puts the 'ho' in 'hotel,' Ross says--drum shot, please.) Do these girls do anything other than show up at events?
Maria and I headed to the Hollywood Palladium last night to take in the taping of an upcoming special for the channel, "MTV Bash"--their version of a Friar's Club roast.
The roastee? MTV's very own Carson Daly, the Man Who Would Be Dick Clark.
Now, if you find it odd that MTV would promote a special that more or less makes fun of one of its marquee "talents," you're not the only one. But it's all in fun, I suppose, and Carson should probably be counting his blessings that MTV still cares enough to devote a special to him-- even one that mocks his existence. The channel frequently rotates its hosts so that they never become bigger than the channel itself -- but for some reason, they took a liking to Daly's white-bread, non-threatening persona.
Roaster extraordinaire Jeffrey Ross hosted the program, and he probably was the best thing about the show-- and the only guy who really took to heart the "Bash" aspect of the event. (Too bad MTV viewers have no idea who the hell he is.)
Otherwise, people kept the gloves mostly off. Rapper Nelly was probably the surprise of the night-- he pulled off his presentation rather well. Comedians in the house, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Corolla and Sarah Silverman, also held their own.
On the other hand, Carson's celeb pals like Fred Durst, Kid Rock and Pam Anderson could barely read the teleprompter. (Kid Rock and Pammy both encountered each other at one point, and the recently split-up pair at least appeared civil to one another, if not kind of happy to see each other. I know, probably not juicy enough dirt for ya. But whaddyuh want? This ain't Page Six.) Famous Carson ex Jennifer Love Hewitt, newly blonde, also struggled a bit with her bit.
One thing you could count on: Plenty of dick jokes, and "Carson-is-a-womanizer" jokes. A good Catholic whose parents were in the audience, Daly seemed genuinely embarrassed at times-- yet likely knew something like this could only help his career, particularly at MTV (where he is quickly aging out of the demo).
The surreal point of the night, however, was when MTV has-been Pauly Shore, who was in the audience, leaped on stage during a commercial break to say "hi" to Carson. Must have freaked the crap out of young Mr. Daly. Pauly, afterall, represents those legions of one-time MTV stars who eventually faded away in favor of the next generation.
Also at the event: Nicky Hilton, one half of the Hilton sisters. ("She puts the 'ho' in 'hotel,' Ross says--drum shot, please.) Do these girls do anything other than show up at events?
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Cough, Cough
Remember that mask you bought to protect yourself from SARS? Don't throw it away just yet. The Daily News reports that smog is on the rise again in Southern California.
According to the paper, "the region's ozone level has exceeded federal health standards 18 days, compared with 12 days by this time in 2002 -- the worst start to a smog season since 1997 and the worst overall smog year since 1998."
Officials are worried that the era of improving air is over. Hold your breath!
Remember that mask you bought to protect yourself from SARS? Don't throw it away just yet. The Daily News reports that smog is on the rise again in Southern California.
According to the paper, "the region's ozone level has exceeded federal health standards 18 days, compared with 12 days by this time in 2002 -- the worst start to a smog season since 1997 and the worst overall smog year since 1998."
Officials are worried that the era of improving air is over. Hold your breath!
Friday, June 27, 2003
Schwabs 2.0
It's coincidental, but this week's L.A. Times Calendar Weekend has a cover story on Fake Los Angeles, including the wannabe canals of Venice Beach, the faux neon skyline of Universal CityWalk and the Matterhorn of Disneyland.
Starting next year, you can put the rebirth of the famed Schwab's pharmacy on the list.
The original pharmacy, at the corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights (now home to that small mall with Virgin Megastore, Laemmle Theaters and Wolfgang Puck's), was a legendary celeb hangout in the 30s and 40s. It closed up shop in 1983, around the same time other old Hollywood landmarks like the Brown Derby also disappeared.
This time around, developer Larry Bond has bought the rights to the name and logo and will open a new version at his Sunset + Vine shopping/apartment complex. It will be housed behind the preserved Steamline Moderne facade of a building that once housed ABC Radio.
It's coincidental, but this week's L.A. Times Calendar Weekend has a cover story on Fake Los Angeles, including the wannabe canals of Venice Beach, the faux neon skyline of Universal CityWalk and the Matterhorn of Disneyland.
Starting next year, you can put the rebirth of the famed Schwab's pharmacy on the list.
The original pharmacy, at the corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights (now home to that small mall with Virgin Megastore, Laemmle Theaters and Wolfgang Puck's), was a legendary celeb hangout in the 30s and 40s. It closed up shop in 1983, around the same time other old Hollywood landmarks like the Brown Derby also disappeared.
This time around, developer Larry Bond has bought the rights to the name and logo and will open a new version at his Sunset + Vine shopping/apartment complex. It will be housed behind the preserved Steamline Moderne facade of a building that once housed ABC Radio.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
New School
Check out "SNL" alum Will Ferrell's Class Day speech from this year's Harvard Commencement.
(From Pure Content by way of Media Diet.)
Check out "SNL" alum Will Ferrell's Class Day speech from this year's Harvard Commencement.
(From Pure Content by way of Media Diet.)
Best of L.A...east of La Brea
Apparently the L.A. Alternative Press wants to get a jump on the competish and this week unveils its take on the time-old "Best of L.A." genre.
Of course, staying true to its roots as the "Silver Lake Press," the LAAP pretty much sticks with locations and events on the eastside. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, being biased Los Felizians ourselves.)
The list itself is pretty uninspired, however. Best radio station? Of course, KCRW. Best supermarket? Yup, Trader Joe's. Best spa-- Burke Williams. Indeed, there aren't any "finds" on the list.
But I suppose it's a good primer for people just moving into the area. The paper also avoids those cutesy items that have made many a "Best of LA" section too cumbersome to use in recent years. "We made an efort to simplify the concept and give you meat-and-potatoes listings that you can actually use," the paper says. And I can't argue with them: As cliche as it's become, the El Coyote margarita is indeed the most potent in town.
Apparently the L.A. Alternative Press wants to get a jump on the competish and this week unveils its take on the time-old "Best of L.A." genre.
Of course, staying true to its roots as the "Silver Lake Press," the LAAP pretty much sticks with locations and events on the eastside. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, being biased Los Felizians ourselves.)
The list itself is pretty uninspired, however. Best radio station? Of course, KCRW. Best supermarket? Yup, Trader Joe's. Best spa-- Burke Williams. Indeed, there aren't any "finds" on the list.
But I suppose it's a good primer for people just moving into the area. The paper also avoids those cutesy items that have made many a "Best of LA" section too cumbersome to use in recent years. "We made an efort to simplify the concept and give you meat-and-potatoes listings that you can actually use," the paper says. And I can't argue with them: As cliche as it's become, the El Coyote margarita is indeed the most potent in town.
"How's It Hangin', Royal Spike Dude?"
My recent Variety column on Spike Lee vs. Spike TV got a lot of positive reaction from industry-type folk.
But it became all worthwhile yesterday, when I got an email from one Alex Winter.
Who?
Yup, the man who played Bill S. Preston, Esquire, in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" emailed yesterday to riff on my column. He now runs the commercial production company Hyena Films in New York.
I should email him and say, "Dude, you should be suing Dell Computers for its Dell Dude character. He's obviously a rip-off of Bill!"
But I won't. Nor will I ask him if Keanu still calls.
My recent Variety column on Spike Lee vs. Spike TV got a lot of positive reaction from industry-type folk.
But it became all worthwhile yesterday, when I got an email from one Alex Winter.
Who?
Yup, the man who played Bill S. Preston, Esquire, in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" emailed yesterday to riff on my column. He now runs the commercial production company Hyena Films in New York.
I should email him and say, "Dude, you should be suing Dell Computers for its Dell Dude character. He's obviously a rip-off of Bill!"
But I won't. Nor will I ask him if Keanu still calls.
Lotus operandi
It happened again. Our beloved Electric Lotus tried to cheat us again. Never mind that it's a neighbohood fave of ours. Never mind that we like the newly remodeled space. Never mind that the wait staff is always cool. Never mind that we just love the food.
Electric Lotus cheats on their bill. I wrote about it before but the latest crime was they added an extra item on our bill. We caught it and quickly notified our waiter but c'mon! Adding insult to injury, they (gasp!) stopped taking the KCRW card for that extra discount.
Just. Plain. Mean.
But, we'll be back. We always go back.
It happened again. Our beloved Electric Lotus tried to cheat us again. Never mind that it's a neighbohood fave of ours. Never mind that we like the newly remodeled space. Never mind that the wait staff is always cool. Never mind that we just love the food.
Electric Lotus cheats on their bill. I wrote about it before but the latest crime was they added an extra item on our bill. We caught it and quickly notified our waiter but c'mon! Adding insult to injury, they (gasp!) stopped taking the KCRW card for that extra discount.
Just. Plain. Mean.
But, we'll be back. We always go back.
TV News Blues
Let's hope local TV watchdog Ron Fineman gets well soon. While most internet pundits are busy pulling apart the L.A. Times, there just aren't enough people out there taking on the true violators of basic journalistic principles-- the local TV newscasts.
Fineman, who's battling cancer, still manages to tweak the local stations a few times a week. He hasn't been as prolific lately while focusing on chemo, yet when he does pick up his keyboard, it's worth the small fee to check out his site.
Here's Fineman on a recent exchange he witnessed on KCOP-13's newscast:
If there is one thing you should not want from your anchor it is the perpetuation of a libelous urban myth. But what should we really expect from Lauren Sanchez, who just seems to say whatever pops into her head?
After a story about hamsters, Sanchez said to co-anchor Rick Garcia, "You like hamsters -- you and Richard Gere."
Garcia responded: "That would be gerbils, not hamsters."
Sanchez: "Same thing, right?"
Garcia: "No."
Sanchez: "Small little things...okay, one's bigger than the other. Whatever."
Later, Sanchez said: "I love Richard Gere, by the way."
And before that comment, Maria Quiban chimed in: "He's not watching anyway."
Hey, check out the ratings. Nobody is watching. I wonder why?
Let's hope local TV watchdog Ron Fineman gets well soon. While most internet pundits are busy pulling apart the L.A. Times, there just aren't enough people out there taking on the true violators of basic journalistic principles-- the local TV newscasts.
Fineman, who's battling cancer, still manages to tweak the local stations a few times a week. He hasn't been as prolific lately while focusing on chemo, yet when he does pick up his keyboard, it's worth the small fee to check out his site.
Here's Fineman on a recent exchange he witnessed on KCOP-13's newscast:
If there is one thing you should not want from your anchor it is the perpetuation of a libelous urban myth. But what should we really expect from Lauren Sanchez, who just seems to say whatever pops into her head?
After a story about hamsters, Sanchez said to co-anchor Rick Garcia, "You like hamsters -- you and Richard Gere."
Garcia responded: "That would be gerbils, not hamsters."
Sanchez: "Same thing, right?"
Garcia: "No."
Sanchez: "Small little things...okay, one's bigger than the other. Whatever."
Later, Sanchez said: "I love Richard Gere, by the way."
And before that comment, Maria Quiban chimed in: "He's not watching anyway."
Hey, check out the ratings. Nobody is watching. I wonder why?
Bloggerama
Blogger finally moved everyone over to its new system, and hurrah! Our archives are finally fixed. You can now check out our month-by-month archives and all of our posts will actually be there. Wheee!
Meanwhile, for some reason the site that handles our comments ("Shout Outs") is down for maintenance. Hence the "Closed for Maintenance" tag you see at the end of the post. We'll get to the bottom of it, or perhaps find a new service to handle our comments.
Blogger finally moved everyone over to its new system, and hurrah! Our archives are finally fixed. You can now check out our month-by-month archives and all of our posts will actually be there. Wheee!
Meanwhile, for some reason the site that handles our comments ("Shout Outs") is down for maintenance. Hence the "Closed for Maintenance" tag you see at the end of the post. We'll get to the bottom of it, or perhaps find a new service to handle our comments.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Rate-A-Restaurant, #17 in a series
Restaurant: Xiomara
Location: 69 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
Type of restaurant: Latin cuisine
They stipulated: That diners show up in classy attire. We came in jeans. They still sat us-- after putting us at the bar just long enough to order a drink.
What we ordered: Appetizer: spice-seared Ahi tuna; Main: Poblano risotto for Maria; seared pepper-crusted salmon with black bean croquette for Mike.
High point: The Mojitos we had at the bar. Very different from the ones we've had in the past (at places like Ciudad) or even made at home. They had an almost interesting wintergreen flavor. The secret to their Mojito? Freshly crushed sugar cane. The bar had a machine I had never seen, where you feed it actual sugar cane stalks, and sugar juice comes out the bottom. Fascinating. Gotta get me one of those.
Low point: The decor. It truly was like entering 1987. I half expected to be dining next to Andrew "Dice" Clay. The fixtures were designed with frosted glass; the color scheme was that emerald, gold and black combo popular of the era, and the room was just too small. We were cramped next to some older guys talking about golf.
Overall impression: Actually, the whole room was a slightly older crowd, which perhaps is inevitable in Pasadena. The food was decent, but not memorable. Perhaps we should have tried the owner's new Cuban restaurant instead. That said, the Ahi tuna was probably the highlight, although Maria's risotto was good as well. I've got to stop ordering salmon; it all tastes the same after a while.
Chance we will go back: Unlikely.
Restaurant: Xiomara
Location: 69 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
Type of restaurant: Latin cuisine
They stipulated: That diners show up in classy attire. We came in jeans. They still sat us-- after putting us at the bar just long enough to order a drink.
What we ordered: Appetizer: spice-seared Ahi tuna; Main: Poblano risotto for Maria; seared pepper-crusted salmon with black bean croquette for Mike.
High point: The Mojitos we had at the bar. Very different from the ones we've had in the past (at places like Ciudad) or even made at home. They had an almost interesting wintergreen flavor. The secret to their Mojito? Freshly crushed sugar cane. The bar had a machine I had never seen, where you feed it actual sugar cane stalks, and sugar juice comes out the bottom. Fascinating. Gotta get me one of those.
Low point: The decor. It truly was like entering 1987. I half expected to be dining next to Andrew "Dice" Clay. The fixtures were designed with frosted glass; the color scheme was that emerald, gold and black combo popular of the era, and the room was just too small. We were cramped next to some older guys talking about golf.
Overall impression: Actually, the whole room was a slightly older crowd, which perhaps is inevitable in Pasadena. The food was decent, but not memorable. Perhaps we should have tried the owner's new Cuban restaurant instead. That said, the Ahi tuna was probably the highlight, although Maria's risotto was good as well. I've got to stop ordering salmon; it all tastes the same after a while.
Chance we will go back: Unlikely.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Nightmare on Franklin Avenue
The namesake street of this here blog hasn't been kind to my car. Two years ago, parked near the Shakespeare Bridge, someone smashed into the back of my trusty Honda Civic at about 5 a.m.-- and drove off. That's when I learned the cardinal rule of Franklin Avenue: Don't park at the top of the hill, because drivers (especially drunk ones at 5 in the morning) will speed up, not see your car and... SLAM!
Fast-forward two years. I haven't parked in that spot-- the scene of the crime-- ever since the last collision, for fear of another drunk speeder. Other people with more cojones did park their cars there, with nary a scratch.
Friday night, with parking a premium on Franklin, the only spot available was said Death Spot. The Spot I've avoided for two years. The Spot where my Honda was reduced to tears.
I decided to take a chance. What were the odds, I thought. No way lightning will strike twice. No one had been smacked in that spot in those two years, I rationalized. So I parked there. And didn't give it another thought.
Until Saturday morning. 8:15 a.m. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I get out of bed right when I hear someone's car skidding on the pavement and careening out of control.
SMASH!
I knew immediately they had hit my car. I grabbed a pen and pad, threw on some shoes and ran outside (still wearing my VH1 "Pop-Up Video" boxer shorts, which contain little pop-up bubbles with factoids about... boxers). A group of teens had torn off a chunk of my Honda's back side. And totaled the front of their Toyota in the process. Happy Saturday.
The namesake street of this here blog hasn't been kind to my car. Two years ago, parked near the Shakespeare Bridge, someone smashed into the back of my trusty Honda Civic at about 5 a.m.-- and drove off. That's when I learned the cardinal rule of Franklin Avenue: Don't park at the top of the hill, because drivers (especially drunk ones at 5 in the morning) will speed up, not see your car and... SLAM!
Fast-forward two years. I haven't parked in that spot-- the scene of the crime-- ever since the last collision, for fear of another drunk speeder. Other people with more cojones did park their cars there, with nary a scratch.
Friday night, with parking a premium on Franklin, the only spot available was said Death Spot. The Spot I've avoided for two years. The Spot where my Honda was reduced to tears.
I decided to take a chance. What were the odds, I thought. No way lightning will strike twice. No one had been smacked in that spot in those two years, I rationalized. So I parked there. And didn't give it another thought.
Until Saturday morning. 8:15 a.m. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I get out of bed right when I hear someone's car skidding on the pavement and careening out of control.
SMASH!
I knew immediately they had hit my car. I grabbed a pen and pad, threw on some shoes and ran outside (still wearing my VH1 "Pop-Up Video" boxer shorts, which contain little pop-up bubbles with factoids about... boxers). A group of teens had torn off a chunk of my Honda's back side. And totaled the front of their Toyota in the process. Happy Saturday.
Full Throttle
We went to a screening of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle this past weekend and much enjoyed the campiness of it all. Fuss was made over Demi "I Can't Act" Moore's comeback but one of the highlights was Bernie Mac as the new Bosley. The gap was seamless and he made for an even better sidekick to our three angels. And, you'd never think it could be done, but Cameron Diaz looked pretty gnarly with a mullet 'do.
Speaking of angels, Kelly Garrett -- aka Jaclyn Smith (my favorite angel, *swoon*) -- has a cameo along with Bruce Willis, Eve, The Olsen Twins and Pink. The Crispin Glover sub-plot was a bit of a mess, but I suppose there's always room for Crispin Glover sub-plots in every movie.
Set around Los Angeles, there's the usual round-up of L.A. spots including the Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood & Highland, Roosevelt Hotel (with the Ambassador Hotel posing for the lobby), the Wax Museum, The Los Angeles Theater and even El Carmen on 3rd street, camouflaged as a Mexican taverna.
We went to a screening of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle this past weekend and much enjoyed the campiness of it all. Fuss was made over Demi "I Can't Act" Moore's comeback but one of the highlights was Bernie Mac as the new Bosley. The gap was seamless and he made for an even better sidekick to our three angels. And, you'd never think it could be done, but Cameron Diaz looked pretty gnarly with a mullet 'do.
Speaking of angels, Kelly Garrett -- aka Jaclyn Smith (my favorite angel, *swoon*) -- has a cameo along with Bruce Willis, Eve, The Olsen Twins and Pink. The Crispin Glover sub-plot was a bit of a mess, but I suppose there's always room for Crispin Glover sub-plots in every movie.
Set around Los Angeles, there's the usual round-up of L.A. spots including the Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood & Highland, Roosevelt Hotel (with the Ambassador Hotel posing for the lobby), the Wax Museum, The Los Angeles Theater and even El Carmen on 3rd street, camouflaged as a Mexican taverna.
Raiders of the Lost Buildings
In his shout out to the Ghost Towers post below, reader Tom points out that empty buildings are a dime a dozen in Detroit, home of the abandoned historic core. (At least in L.A., downtown is becoming "cool." No such luck in the Motor City.)
Speak of the devil, today's L.A. Times has a story out of Detroit about urban explorers, people who thrill to get inside long-abandoned, grand old buildings. It's a nationwide trend, as evidenced by the online zine Infiltration, which calls itself "The Zine About Going Places You're Not Supposed to Go."
Notes the Times: The city of Detroit, which owns many of the old landmarks, has demolished several over the years, including Hudson's department store, once the biggest in the nation. But it can cost more than $10 million to take down a building of such size. And many people, including Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, are reluctant to destroy the grand architecture built when Detroit was on top of the world. So the buildings have sat empty — one for more than three decades. And the heart of downtown — a six-block radius around Woodward Avenue — has become an irresistible playground for urban explorers.
I sure feel that call here in L.A., although so far I've stuck to legal methods--a dance troupe performance at the Ambassador Hotel, a UPN party at the old Herald-Examiner Building, a loft tour organized by the L.A. Conservancy.
But I can definitely relate to the excitement these Detroit explorers-- who call themselves the "Urban Exploration League." For one, I've wanted to explore the abandoned tunnels from the original red car subway. But I'm not quite gutsy enough to just work my way into these buildings yet.
In his shout out to the Ghost Towers post below, reader Tom points out that empty buildings are a dime a dozen in Detroit, home of the abandoned historic core. (At least in L.A., downtown is becoming "cool." No such luck in the Motor City.)
Speak of the devil, today's L.A. Times has a story out of Detroit about urban explorers, people who thrill to get inside long-abandoned, grand old buildings. It's a nationwide trend, as evidenced by the online zine Infiltration, which calls itself "The Zine About Going Places You're Not Supposed to Go."
Notes the Times: The city of Detroit, which owns many of the old landmarks, has demolished several over the years, including Hudson's department store, once the biggest in the nation. But it can cost more than $10 million to take down a building of such size. And many people, including Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, are reluctant to destroy the grand architecture built when Detroit was on top of the world. So the buildings have sat empty — one for more than three decades. And the heart of downtown — a six-block radius around Woodward Avenue — has become an irresistible playground for urban explorers.
I sure feel that call here in L.A., although so far I've stuck to legal methods--a dance troupe performance at the Ambassador Hotel, a UPN party at the old Herald-Examiner Building, a loft tour organized by the L.A. Conservancy.
But I can definitely relate to the excitement these Detroit explorers-- who call themselves the "Urban Exploration League." For one, I've wanted to explore the abandoned tunnels from the original red car subway. But I'm not quite gutsy enough to just work my way into these buildings yet.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Not-So-Subtle Magazine Cover of the Week
"American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken, the non-threatening heartthrob of 11-year-old girls everywhere, appears on this week's Rolling Stone.
Clay wears a see-through black shirt, wind-swept at the bottom to reveal a small auburn-colored tuft of hair on his belly. With his hair done up and eyebrows perfectly trimmed, you could probably assume that the rumors are true. And the cover line? "Growing Up Clay." Hmmm.
Save your $3, here are some exciting Clay-bits the story reveals: He's scared of water, detests house cats, vastly prefers instant grits to real and bites his toenails. A Rolling Stone cover destined to be seen in junior high school lockers everywhere this fall!
"American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken, the non-threatening heartthrob of 11-year-old girls everywhere, appears on this week's Rolling Stone.
Clay wears a see-through black shirt, wind-swept at the bottom to reveal a small auburn-colored tuft of hair on his belly. With his hair done up and eyebrows perfectly trimmed, you could probably assume that the rumors are true. And the cover line? "Growing Up Clay." Hmmm.
Save your $3, here are some exciting Clay-bits the story reveals: He's scared of water, detests house cats, vastly prefers instant grits to real and bites his toenails. A Rolling Stone cover destined to be seen in junior high school lockers everywhere this fall!
Good Eats
I've never been able to figure out how to take advantage of L.A. Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila's star-rating system. Maybe it's because every restaurant she reviews gets the same one star-- "Good." In S. Irene's opinion, there just aren't many "very good," "excellent" or "outstanding" restaurants. But nothing's "poor" either. Everything's just....good.
Perhaps it's time to break down the "Good" one-star into a variety of sub-categories, just to mix it up.
But S. Irene, you're forgiven this week. The Sunday Times magazine's Restaurant Guide is the most thorough I've ever seen the paper do. It's a keeper. A list of 300 restaurants, a focus on new joints to check out and a feature on Musso & Frank's highlight the package.
I've never been able to figure out how to take advantage of L.A. Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila's star-rating system. Maybe it's because every restaurant she reviews gets the same one star-- "Good." In S. Irene's opinion, there just aren't many "very good," "excellent" or "outstanding" restaurants. But nothing's "poor" either. Everything's just....good.
Perhaps it's time to break down the "Good" one-star into a variety of sub-categories, just to mix it up.
But S. Irene, you're forgiven this week. The Sunday Times magazine's Restaurant Guide is the most thorough I've ever seen the paper do. It's a keeper. A list of 300 restaurants, a focus on new joints to check out and a feature on Musso & Frank's highlight the package.
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Los Angeles' Ghost Towers
Los Angeles has plenty of empty buildings-- but there's nothing more unsettling than a tall, hulking mass of a structure that's gone empty. Seeing a tower that's boarded up and neglected reminds you of hopes dashed, of promises squandered, of time passed.
I'm not even talking about buildings like our beloved Ambassador, which at least still sees some life as a popular movie shoot location (the lobby most recently made an appearance in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," doubling as the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel).
Los Angeles, the town late to the skyskraper game, now has more than a few that just sit there, empty. Here are a sampling:
Sunset-Vine Tower
Built in 1963, this skinny 20-story building-- at the corner of Sunset and Vine, natch-- was the first skyscraper built in the city after Los Angeles repealed its14-story building height limits.
You know the building-- it's the centerpiece of the 1974 Universal Studios disaster flick "Earthquake." More recently, it was also home to the 360 restaurant/bar, which offered up amazing views of the city from the building's top floor.
Until Dec. 6, 2001, that is. An electrical room in the basement was destroyed by fire, and the Tower was evacuated.
Spanish-lingo radio station KWKW and sister KIRN (an Iran-focused radio outlet), were based in the tower and forced off air the day of the fire. Station employees were only allowed to take what they could before scrambling to find other studios (their story is here). Although the stations had back-up generators and were able to continue broadcasting from the otherwise dark building, fire inspectors still ruled the building unsafe.
A year and a half later, the Sunset-Vine Tower is still boarded up and dead to the world-- ironic given the action across the street, where a housing/commercial space is being built, with apartments and a Borders set to open within the next year.
Instead, it looks like squatters and taggers have taken over. You can see the grafitti on the first floor windows, clearly done from inside. According to an L.A. Times story from last August (sorry, no link), the office tower has remained padlocked as disputes continue over who is to blame for the electrical problem and whether the building is safe to enter.
Colwell Company Building
Located at the corner of 6th and Vermont, the Colwell building is probably best known for the elaborate grafitti that now adorns the roof.
In addition to the typical, huge Andre the Giant "Obey" image, someone has painted large block letters in yellow and black above the top level's windows. It's a very 70s motif, as if the tagger in question had just seen "Saturday Night Fever" before going out on an ambitious grafitti run. On the north-facing side, the letters spell out "SABERVOK." On the south-facing side, it reads, "ZESTEEL."
The building itself is a pretty non-descript, 1950s-era structure about 12 stories in height.
But the real draw is the lettering on the side of the building advertising its one-time inhabitants. "The Colwell Company," the building reads in a 50s-era sans serif font. Underneath that, "Mortgage Bankers" is spelled out in the fancy script (think the "Los Feliz" marquee) popular from the era.
Beyond that, this building is a mystery. It doesn't appear to have been inhabited in quite some time. Grafitti adorns virtually every floor, and there's no upkeep.
Hall of Justice
The 14-story building, built in 1925, remains L.A.'s most famous ghost tower.
The building, at Temple and Spring Streets, was abandoned the morning of the Northridge earthquake-- and calendars in the building are still set to January 1994. Christmas presents, empty files and other things left behind still collect dust.
The Hall of Justice, of course, is where famous criminal proceedings such as the trials of Sirhan Sirhan, Charles Manson and Bugsy Siegel took place.
A retrofit and reconstruction are still in the works, almost 10 years after the historic building was left for dead. Here's the proposal, as submitted in February, according to Southern California Association of Governments' Intergovernmental Review Clearinghouse Report:
The County of Los Angeles is proposing to renovate the Hall of Justice for use by the County Sheriff's Department, District Attorney, Recreation and Parks and other County Agencies. The primary objective of the project is to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the HOJ by seismically retrofitting the earthquake damaged building that w as historically used as a jail and court facility into an office building while maintaining the primary historic features of the building, to the extent that preservation efforts are economically feasible. At completion, the 15-floor 549,284 square foot building w ould be renovated to consist of 13-floors providing approximately 475,000 gross square feet of space and 325,000 square feet of useable space. The Hall of Justice is located in downtown Los Angeles at 211 W. Temple Street.
1110 Wilshire Blvd.
This 37-story office tower, built in 1986, has been empty for a decade and has never been more than 10% occupied, according to the L.A. Times.
Built before the late 80s construction collapse in downtown, the building was hampered by its location-- on the west side of the 110 freeway-- as well as its odd design.
You've seen it while driving north or south on the 110: It's the triangle-shaped building that sits on top of a 15-story parking garage. That's right-- a 15-story parking garage. Potential tenants were scared off by the sheer size of the garage, as well as the difficultly in laying out a rectangular office plan in a triangular office.
But things are starting to look up for the structure. The Times reported in May that a group led by Santa Monica-based developer Robert D'Elia had bought the property for $36 million, and plan to convert it into luxury condos.
More ghost buildings to come in future weeks. If you know of any, drop us a shout out!
Los Angeles has plenty of empty buildings-- but there's nothing more unsettling than a tall, hulking mass of a structure that's gone empty. Seeing a tower that's boarded up and neglected reminds you of hopes dashed, of promises squandered, of time passed.
I'm not even talking about buildings like our beloved Ambassador, which at least still sees some life as a popular movie shoot location (the lobby most recently made an appearance in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," doubling as the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel).
Los Angeles, the town late to the skyskraper game, now has more than a few that just sit there, empty. Here are a sampling:
Sunset-Vine Tower
Built in 1963, this skinny 20-story building-- at the corner of Sunset and Vine, natch-- was the first skyscraper built in the city after Los Angeles repealed its14-story building height limits.
You know the building-- it's the centerpiece of the 1974 Universal Studios disaster flick "Earthquake." More recently, it was also home to the 360 restaurant/bar, which offered up amazing views of the city from the building's top floor.
Until Dec. 6, 2001, that is. An electrical room in the basement was destroyed by fire, and the Tower was evacuated.
Spanish-lingo radio station KWKW and sister KIRN (an Iran-focused radio outlet), were based in the tower and forced off air the day of the fire. Station employees were only allowed to take what they could before scrambling to find other studios (their story is here). Although the stations had back-up generators and were able to continue broadcasting from the otherwise dark building, fire inspectors still ruled the building unsafe.
A year and a half later, the Sunset-Vine Tower is still boarded up and dead to the world-- ironic given the action across the street, where a housing/commercial space is being built, with apartments and a Borders set to open within the next year.
Instead, it looks like squatters and taggers have taken over. You can see the grafitti on the first floor windows, clearly done from inside. According to an L.A. Times story from last August (sorry, no link), the office tower has remained padlocked as disputes continue over who is to blame for the electrical problem and whether the building is safe to enter.
Colwell Company Building
Located at the corner of 6th and Vermont, the Colwell building is probably best known for the elaborate grafitti that now adorns the roof.
In addition to the typical, huge Andre the Giant "Obey" image, someone has painted large block letters in yellow and black above the top level's windows. It's a very 70s motif, as if the tagger in question had just seen "Saturday Night Fever" before going out on an ambitious grafitti run. On the north-facing side, the letters spell out "SABERVOK." On the south-facing side, it reads, "ZESTEEL."
The building itself is a pretty non-descript, 1950s-era structure about 12 stories in height.
But the real draw is the lettering on the side of the building advertising its one-time inhabitants. "The Colwell Company," the building reads in a 50s-era sans serif font. Underneath that, "Mortgage Bankers" is spelled out in the fancy script (think the "Los Feliz" marquee) popular from the era.
Beyond that, this building is a mystery. It doesn't appear to have been inhabited in quite some time. Grafitti adorns virtually every floor, and there's no upkeep.
Hall of Justice
The 14-story building, built in 1925, remains L.A.'s most famous ghost tower.
The building, at Temple and Spring Streets, was abandoned the morning of the Northridge earthquake-- and calendars in the building are still set to January 1994. Christmas presents, empty files and other things left behind still collect dust.
The Hall of Justice, of course, is where famous criminal proceedings such as the trials of Sirhan Sirhan, Charles Manson and Bugsy Siegel took place.
A retrofit and reconstruction are still in the works, almost 10 years after the historic building was left for dead. Here's the proposal, as submitted in February, according to Southern California Association of Governments' Intergovernmental Review Clearinghouse Report:
The County of Los Angeles is proposing to renovate the Hall of Justice for use by the County Sheriff's Department, District Attorney, Recreation and Parks and other County Agencies. The primary objective of the project is to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the HOJ by seismically retrofitting the earthquake damaged building that w as historically used as a jail and court facility into an office building while maintaining the primary historic features of the building, to the extent that preservation efforts are economically feasible. At completion, the 15-floor 549,284 square foot building w ould be renovated to consist of 13-floors providing approximately 475,000 gross square feet of space and 325,000 square feet of useable space. The Hall of Justice is located in downtown Los Angeles at 211 W. Temple Street.
1110 Wilshire Blvd.
This 37-story office tower, built in 1986, has been empty for a decade and has never been more than 10% occupied, according to the L.A. Times.
Built before the late 80s construction collapse in downtown, the building was hampered by its location-- on the west side of the 110 freeway-- as well as its odd design.
You've seen it while driving north or south on the 110: It's the triangle-shaped building that sits on top of a 15-story parking garage. That's right-- a 15-story parking garage. Potential tenants were scared off by the sheer size of the garage, as well as the difficultly in laying out a rectangular office plan in a triangular office.
But things are starting to look up for the structure. The Times reported in May that a group led by Santa Monica-based developer Robert D'Elia had bought the property for $36 million, and plan to convert it into luxury condos.
More ghost buildings to come in future weeks. If you know of any, drop us a shout out!
Friday, June 20, 2003
"No Fatalities? Can't We Just Make Something Up?"
Quick check of our local stations: Viacom sibs KCBS-2 and KCAL-9 are simulcasting each other; KNBC-4, KTLA-5, KABC-7 and KTTV-11 are also providing non-stop coverage of the freight train derailment in the City of Commerce, which appears to have damaged two houses.
You can detect the disappointment in on-air reporters' and anchors' voices as they realize that this isn't much of a tragedy.
No fatalities to report, and even early estimates that six houses had been destroyed has been lowered to just two. Twelve injuries to report at the moment-- but 11 aren't serious. Damn!
Don't matter, of course, as our local news teams will breathlessly provide plenty of meaningless coverage over the next few hours!
News Corp.'s KCOP-13, meanwhile, is sticking with its regular program, "Crossing Over with John Edward." At least there are dead people in that.
Quick check of our local stations: Viacom sibs KCBS-2 and KCAL-9 are simulcasting each other; KNBC-4, KTLA-5, KABC-7 and KTTV-11 are also providing non-stop coverage of the freight train derailment in the City of Commerce, which appears to have damaged two houses.
You can detect the disappointment in on-air reporters' and anchors' voices as they realize that this isn't much of a tragedy.
No fatalities to report, and even early estimates that six houses had been destroyed has been lowered to just two. Twelve injuries to report at the moment-- but 11 aren't serious. Damn!
Don't matter, of course, as our local news teams will breathlessly provide plenty of meaningless coverage over the next few hours!
News Corp.'s KCOP-13, meanwhile, is sticking with its regular program, "Crossing Over with John Edward." At least there are dead people in that.
Color Me Transit
MTA has finally solved its ridership issues: Change the color of its buses!
Turns out overcrowding and erratic schedules weren't the reason why some people don't ride the bus. It's because the buses are white, with orange stripes.
But have no fear. The MTA's creamsicle buses will soon give way to ones encased in bold red, orange or blue colors, and trains adorned in silver.
Says Maya Emsden, MTA director of creative services: "It's a hipper bus. It's a cooler bus. We live in Los Angeles; we shouldn't be afraid to be bold."
I'm sure the denizens of carless Angelenos taking the bus for one reason or another will be pleased to know that the bus they're smushed together on is at least hip...
MTA has finally solved its ridership issues: Change the color of its buses!
Turns out overcrowding and erratic schedules weren't the reason why some people don't ride the bus. It's because the buses are white, with orange stripes.
But have no fear. The MTA's creamsicle buses will soon give way to ones encased in bold red, orange or blue colors, and trains adorned in silver.
Says Maya Emsden, MTA director of creative services: "It's a hipper bus. It's a cooler bus. We live in Los Angeles; we shouldn't be afraid to be bold."
I'm sure the denizens of carless Angelenos taking the bus for one reason or another will be pleased to know that the bus they're smushed together on is at least hip...
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Food catches some Flak
Flak Magazine reviews the guilty pleasure that is the Food Network-- and gets it right. "$40 a Day" and "30 Minute Meals" host Rachael Ray is "unbearable, cheerfully shrill" and Maria's favorite, "Food 911" and "Tyler's Ultimate" host Tyler Florence, is "nonthreateningly flirtatious, sweet and earnest."
Flak reserves most of its venom for "Hot off the Grill" and "FoodNation" host/chef Bobby Flay. Their assessment? "Flay is the successful chef-owner of Manhattan hotspots Bolo and Mesa Grill, and a core member of the Food Network's stable of talent. He is also a total dick."
Flak Magazine reviews the guilty pleasure that is the Food Network-- and gets it right. "$40 a Day" and "30 Minute Meals" host Rachael Ray is "unbearable, cheerfully shrill" and Maria's favorite, "Food 911" and "Tyler's Ultimate" host Tyler Florence, is "nonthreateningly flirtatious, sweet and earnest."
Flak reserves most of its venom for "Hot off the Grill" and "FoodNation" host/chef Bobby Flay. Their assessment? "Flay is the successful chef-owner of Manhattan hotspots Bolo and Mesa Grill, and a core member of the Food Network's stable of talent. He is also a total dick."
Rate-A-Restaurant, #16 in a series
Restaurant: Opaline
Location: 7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Type of restaurant: contemporary bistro with a Mediterranean-accented menu
They stipulated: No reservation? Wait in "The Den" (their bar, which doesn't actually have a bar) and try to pounce on the first available table
What we ordered: Appetizers: crab salad for Maria and butternut squash soup for Mike; Main: Seabass for Mike and Pan-roasted Alaskan halibut with Oxtail ravioli for Maria.
High point: The wine, for one. I stuck with their house wine, the Opalmina, which is the personal wine of managing partner David Rosoff. The food itself was decent, but not overly memorable. Oxtail ravioli was a fascinating idea, but perhaps not fully realized.
Low point: See our account below of the first-date couple sitting next to us. Then again, that might have been a high point-- after all, we got a blog item out of it!
Overall impression: I always liked Red, the restaurant that formerly resided in Opaline's spot. But there was a nice vibe to Opaline the night we went. Waitstaff was superb-- the maitre'd made sure we got a table. The decor is has a nice grey-and-lime green feel. And the portions were perfect sized.
Chance we will go back: Sure. But there are quite a few new restaurants in the Beverly district to conquer, so we may try other new establishments like Grace first.
Restaurant: Opaline
Location: 7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Type of restaurant: contemporary bistro with a Mediterranean-accented menu
They stipulated: No reservation? Wait in "The Den" (their bar, which doesn't actually have a bar) and try to pounce on the first available table
What we ordered: Appetizers: crab salad for Maria and butternut squash soup for Mike; Main: Seabass for Mike and Pan-roasted Alaskan halibut with Oxtail ravioli for Maria.
High point: The wine, for one. I stuck with their house wine, the Opalmina, which is the personal wine of managing partner David Rosoff. The food itself was decent, but not overly memorable. Oxtail ravioli was a fascinating idea, but perhaps not fully realized.
Low point: See our account below of the first-date couple sitting next to us. Then again, that might have been a high point-- after all, we got a blog item out of it!
Overall impression: I always liked Red, the restaurant that formerly resided in Opaline's spot. But there was a nice vibe to Opaline the night we went. Waitstaff was superb-- the maitre'd made sure we got a table. The decor is has a nice grey-and-lime green feel. And the portions were perfect sized.
Chance we will go back: Sure. But there are quite a few new restaurants in the Beverly district to conquer, so we may try other new establishments like Grace first.
I Just Met a Girl Named...
What a lucky person you are if your name is Maria. Every now and again, when meeting someone for the first time, they break into song. No reason why, just lots of singing.
Just this morning someone sang to me on the phone. The West Side Story version remains the most popular but the more recent Blondie single is a close second.
Girls named Roxanne also get their fair share of serenades. When I used to work for the Mouse, the shuttle driver's name was Roxanne and we’d always greet her with, "Rox-anne... you don’t have to put on the red light...”
What a lucky person you are if your name is Maria. Every now and again, when meeting someone for the first time, they break into song. No reason why, just lots of singing.
Just this morning someone sang to me on the phone. The West Side Story version remains the most popular but the more recent Blondie single is a close second.
Girls named Roxanne also get their fair share of serenades. When I used to work for the Mouse, the shuttle driver's name was Roxanne and we’d always greet her with, "Rox-anne... you don’t have to put on the red light...”
A Bounty Hunter Named Dog
As you read this, some hack writer at a Starbucks in West L.A. is already penning a bad TV movie or Steven Seagal actioner based on the story of Max Factor heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster.
You just gotta love the story of Hawaii-based bounty hunter Duane Lee Chapman, who goes by the nickname "Dog" (apparently for "God" in reverse) and chased down Luster in Puerto Vallarta to score a piece of Luster's $1 million skipped bail.
Here's a little bit more about Chapman. Gotta love his motto: "From 18 to 80, Blind, Crippled or Crazy, If they can't walk or crawl, We'll drag 'em back."
The "Dog's" website: www.dogthebountyhunter.com
UPDATE: Actually, Lifetime already has a movie in the works: The channel recently greenlit "Against Their Will: The Andrew Luster Case," starring Jason Gedrick ("Boomtown") as the convicted rapist and fugitive, and Marla Sokoloff ("The Practice") as Connie, a college student and one of Luster's victims. Now the movie has an ending!
As you read this, some hack writer at a Starbucks in West L.A. is already penning a bad TV movie or Steven Seagal actioner based on the story of Max Factor heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster.
You just gotta love the story of Hawaii-based bounty hunter Duane Lee Chapman, who goes by the nickname "Dog" (apparently for "God" in reverse) and chased down Luster in Puerto Vallarta to score a piece of Luster's $1 million skipped bail.
Here's a little bit more about Chapman. Gotta love his motto: "From 18 to 80, Blind, Crippled or Crazy, If they can't walk or crawl, We'll drag 'em back."
The "Dog's" website: www.dogthebountyhunter.com
UPDATE: Actually, Lifetime already has a movie in the works: The channel recently greenlit "Against Their Will: The Andrew Luster Case," starring Jason Gedrick ("Boomtown") as the convicted rapist and fugitive, and Marla Sokoloff ("The Practice") as Connie, a college student and one of Luster's victims. Now the movie has an ending!
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
You're Going Down, Spike!
I've been obsessed with the whole Spike Lee vs. Spike TV lawsuit, as you've probably noticed by all my previous posts. Today I take on Spike Lee once and for all in a Variety column.
Lee just isn't in the pop culture zeitgeist anymore, and this lawsuit is truly a desperate cry for attention. He seems convinced that he still owns the rights to the name Spike. And perhaps he does -- among his well-to-do friends and those waking up from a decade-long coma.
I've been obsessed with the whole Spike Lee vs. Spike TV lawsuit, as you've probably noticed by all my previous posts. Today I take on Spike Lee once and for all in a Variety column.
Lee just isn't in the pop culture zeitgeist anymore, and this lawsuit is truly a desperate cry for attention. He seems convinced that he still owns the rights to the name Spike. And perhaps he does -- among his well-to-do friends and those waking up from a decade-long coma.
Fo' Shizzle
The debate over whether to rename Crenshaw Blvd. after late Mayor Tom Bradley rages. City Councilman Nate Holden wants to do it, but most of the steet's residents and businesses say it would take away the Crenshaw area identity.
What this L.A. Times story doesn't mention is how Crenshaw (as in "rollin' down Crizz-enshaw in my Hizz-ummer") is a regular name check in west coast hip-hop songs. Some how rapping about "Mayor Tom Bradley Boulevard" doesn't have the same ring.
The debate over whether to rename Crenshaw Blvd. after late Mayor Tom Bradley rages. City Councilman Nate Holden wants to do it, but most of the steet's residents and businesses say it would take away the Crenshaw area identity.
What this L.A. Times story doesn't mention is how Crenshaw (as in "rollin' down Crizz-enshaw in my Hizz-ummer") is a regular name check in west coast hip-hop songs. Some how rapping about "Mayor Tom Bradley Boulevard" doesn't have the same ring.
Rock is Dead
L.A. Times rock critic Robert Hilburn goes to a Justin Timberlake concert, and he likes it!
L.A. Times rock critic Robert Hilburn goes to a Justin Timberlake concert, and he likes it!
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
The L.A. Street Conspiracy
Here's a tip from The Volokh Conspiracy, by way of L.A. Observed (credit where credit's due!):
Recent arrivals to L.A. might like to know this useful mnemonic for figuring out what side of the street a building is on:
SeE NoW
The even numbers are almost always on the South and East sides; the odd numbers are almost always on the North and West.
Here's a tip from The Volokh Conspiracy, by way of L.A. Observed (credit where credit's due!):
Recent arrivals to L.A. might like to know this useful mnemonic for figuring out what side of the street a building is on:
SeE NoW
The even numbers are almost always on the South and East sides; the odd numbers are almost always on the North and West.
Department of Odd Trends
The New York Times uncovers a hidden epidemic: Business travelers who watch too much TV in their hotel rooms!
The New York Times uncovers a hidden epidemic: Business travelers who watch too much TV in their hotel rooms!
Thank Goodness for Bureaucracies
Not to obsess over the Ambassdor Hotel, but it seems to be everywhere I turn these days. According to the Daily News, LAUSD superintendent Roy Romer held a press conference Monday to go over the five different scenarios at the site.
The cheapest, at $286 million, would be to raze the property and build new schools. "Maximum reuse," the L.A. Conservancy's favorite option, clocks in at about $382 million. LAUSD will make its decision in October, which hopefully will be enough time for Eli Broad or someone to step in and donate some money to save this classic building.
By the way, there's some irony in all of this. The LAUSD has been dying to build a school on the site for years, keeping the Ambassador property in legal limbo until about two years ago, when it finally took full control of the property. Had LAUSD not stepped in and tried to steal the land from previous owners (which included Donald Trump), the Ambassador probably would have been torn down a long time ago and replaced with a monstrous skyscraper or big-box shopping mall.
Not to obsess over the Ambassdor Hotel, but it seems to be everywhere I turn these days. According to the Daily News, LAUSD superintendent Roy Romer held a press conference Monday to go over the five different scenarios at the site.
The cheapest, at $286 million, would be to raze the property and build new schools. "Maximum reuse," the L.A. Conservancy's favorite option, clocks in at about $382 million. LAUSD will make its decision in October, which hopefully will be enough time for Eli Broad or someone to step in and donate some money to save this classic building.
By the way, there's some irony in all of this. The LAUSD has been dying to build a school on the site for years, keeping the Ambassador property in legal limbo until about two years ago, when it finally took full control of the property. Had LAUSD not stepped in and tried to steal the land from previous owners (which included Donald Trump), the Ambassador probably would have been torn down a long time ago and replaced with a monstrous skyscraper or big-box shopping mall.
If These Walls Could Talk
L.A. Times staff writer Sharon Bernstein takes a tour of some of downtown Los Angeles' city wall murals in today's paper.
There are actually more than 1,500 murals in the city, Bernstein reports, but her tour takes her to just about half a dozen. She kicks off at the Our Lady Queen of Angels church ("La Placita") on Main Street -- where Maria and I got married last fall.
"On the side of the church is an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, painted for the 2000 Jubilee," Bernstein writes. "It has become a shrine, flanked by rows of burning candles in a nearly hidden alley between Main and Spring streets."
L.A. Times staff writer Sharon Bernstein takes a tour of some of downtown Los Angeles' city wall murals in today's paper.
There are actually more than 1,500 murals in the city, Bernstein reports, but her tour takes her to just about half a dozen. She kicks off at the Our Lady Queen of Angels church ("La Placita") on Main Street -- where Maria and I got married last fall.
"On the side of the church is an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, painted for the 2000 Jubilee," Bernstein writes. "It has become a shrine, flanked by rows of burning candles in a nearly hidden alley between Main and Spring streets."
Monday, June 16, 2003
Sleeping with the Ambassador
(Update: OK, OK, L.A. Examiner guys, we heard ya! Pics are here.)
Last night, we attended Collage Dance Theatre's performance at the Ambassador Hotel. When Mike first told me about this event, I thought he said there was a dance at the Ambassador Hotel. He said we should try to go to it since this may be the only chance we could see the interior of this historic hotel (which shut down in 1989).
We weren't expecting much from the evening save for the chance to check out the hotel and maybe take a few pictures. Turns out, the performance was entertaining. A combination of haunting music, athletic dancing and circus-like performances filled the whole night. Everything seemed nostalgic and I was constantly reminded of how grand the Ambassador was in its heyday.
Part of the performance (which took place throughout the hotel) was held at the famed Cocoanut Grove, but it looked nothing like the old glamorous place it once was. The interior is black, much like any stage you would see if you were seeing a small play. It was a little spooky thinking that RFK was shot just next door from that room, as someone from the show told us later.
The evening concluded in the great lobby where the elegance was still evident. This was where Mike turned loco.
I stood, amused, as he turned into a photo maniac trying to get all he can into our little digital camera. The same digital camera that was full of pictures, which we weren't quite sure if we downloaded them yet or not. We quickly deleted photos to make room for some cool Ambassador shots.
As we were leaving the hotel, we followed a group of people going towards the bungalows. Alas, we were quickly turned away by some guy who said that those areas are hazardous. Upon further probing, he said that whoever goes in will get something worse than SARS.
"Asbestos," I said to Mike. Sure enough, the hazard-nazi did admit that there was asbestos in those buildings -- to which we laughed over his dramatics.
(Check out the New York Times article on the "Sleeping with the Ambassador" performance here).
(Update: OK, OK, L.A. Examiner guys, we heard ya! Pics are here.)
Last night, we attended Collage Dance Theatre's performance at the Ambassador Hotel. When Mike first told me about this event, I thought he said there was a dance at the Ambassador Hotel. He said we should try to go to it since this may be the only chance we could see the interior of this historic hotel (which shut down in 1989).
We weren't expecting much from the evening save for the chance to check out the hotel and maybe take a few pictures. Turns out, the performance was entertaining. A combination of haunting music, athletic dancing and circus-like performances filled the whole night. Everything seemed nostalgic and I was constantly reminded of how grand the Ambassador was in its heyday.
Part of the performance (which took place throughout the hotel) was held at the famed Cocoanut Grove, but it looked nothing like the old glamorous place it once was. The interior is black, much like any stage you would see if you were seeing a small play. It was a little spooky thinking that RFK was shot just next door from that room, as someone from the show told us later.
The evening concluded in the great lobby where the elegance was still evident. This was where Mike turned loco.
I stood, amused, as he turned into a photo maniac trying to get all he can into our little digital camera. The same digital camera that was full of pictures, which we weren't quite sure if we downloaded them yet or not. We quickly deleted photos to make room for some cool Ambassador shots.
As we were leaving the hotel, we followed a group of people going towards the bungalows. Alas, we were quickly turned away by some guy who said that those areas are hazardous. Upon further probing, he said that whoever goes in will get something worse than SARS.
"Asbestos," I said to Mike. Sure enough, the hazard-nazi did admit that there was asbestos in those buildings -- to which we laughed over his dramatics.
(Check out the New York Times article on the "Sleeping with the Ambassador" performance here).
We Have Number Three!
Whether you believe it or not, the theory goes that celebs die in packs of three (much like juice boxes). I solicited ideas down below when David Brinkley and Gregory Peck kicked it, but no one opted to join the death pool. Now you're too late: If you were thinking Hume Cronyn (and if you were, that's kind of weird), you win! Mr. Jessica Tandy died today, just shy of his 92nd birthday.
Meanwhile, Bob Hope lives on!
Whether you believe it or not, the theory goes that celebs die in packs of three (much like juice boxes). I solicited ideas down below when David Brinkley and Gregory Peck kicked it, but no one opted to join the death pool. Now you're too late: If you were thinking Hume Cronyn (and if you were, that's kind of weird), you win! Mr. Jessica Tandy died today, just shy of his 92nd birthday.
Meanwhile, Bob Hope lives on!
R.I.P. Schwarzlose
Jim Romenesko reports that one of -- if not the -- best professors at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism died on Saturday.
Dick Schwarzlose was a character, and one of the profs who defined my (and just about everyone else's) experience at Medill. At first glance, Schwarzlose looked like your typical hard-livin', hard-drinkin' grumpy prof... until he opened his mouth. Schwarlose was actually the funniest, most passionate instructor to walk the corridors of Fisk Hall. The guy was Journalism -- he may not be well-known outside the school, but generations of journalists were taught the history of reporting and ethics by him. And anyone who pooh-poohs j-schools has obviously never met Schwarzlose or taken a class from the man.
Medill -- where he worked from 1968 on -- won't be the same.
Jim Romenesko reports that one of -- if not the -- best professors at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism died on Saturday.
Dick Schwarzlose was a character, and one of the profs who defined my (and just about everyone else's) experience at Medill. At first glance, Schwarzlose looked like your typical hard-livin', hard-drinkin' grumpy prof... until he opened his mouth. Schwarlose was actually the funniest, most passionate instructor to walk the corridors of Fisk Hall. The guy was Journalism -- he may not be well-known outside the school, but generations of journalists were taught the history of reporting and ethics by him. And anyone who pooh-poohs j-schools has obviously never met Schwarzlose or taken a class from the man.
Medill -- where he worked from 1968 on -- won't be the same.
Military secrets
While the public schools in the Antelope Valley (the high desert) are some of the worst in the state, more and more civilian workers at Edwards Air Force Base have been able to send their kids to Edwards' on-base elementary, junior high and high schools, according to the L.A. Times.
That's a big deal-- these on-base schools boast private-school caliber education--and I can vouch for that. Attending elementary school at Clark Air Base in the 80s, both my third and fourth grade teachers held doctorate's degrees.
The Times explains the allure, particularly of Desert High School at Edwards: The campus is an anxious parent's dream: It's small, safe and graffiti-free, and the cool kids are the ones who do their homework. The frequent booms are not from gang violence, but from the experimental aircraft breaking the sound barrier over the desolate border between Los Angeles and Kern counties.
With fewer military personnel at Edwards these days, room has opened up at Desert High for those kids of civilian base employees.
While the public schools in the Antelope Valley (the high desert) are some of the worst in the state, more and more civilian workers at Edwards Air Force Base have been able to send their kids to Edwards' on-base elementary, junior high and high schools, according to the L.A. Times.
That's a big deal-- these on-base schools boast private-school caliber education--and I can vouch for that. Attending elementary school at Clark Air Base in the 80s, both my third and fourth grade teachers held doctorate's degrees.
The Times explains the allure, particularly of Desert High School at Edwards: The campus is an anxious parent's dream: It's small, safe and graffiti-free, and the cool kids are the ones who do their homework. The frequent booms are not from gang violence, but from the experimental aircraft breaking the sound barrier over the desolate border between Los Angeles and Kern counties.
With fewer military personnel at Edwards these days, room has opened up at Desert High for those kids of civilian base employees.
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Joel Grover's revenge
I'm talking, of course, about the KNBC "investigative" reporter who seems to investigate just one thing: Dirty restaurants. (Hey, I'm all for shining a spotlight on gross kitchens, but there are other bad things going on around town.)
Grover's reports led to the now-standard letter grades at each restaurant, as well as a stepped-up inspecting process by the health department. The L.A. Times also prints each month a list of restaurants that were shut down because of some health code violation. A few expensive restaurants always make the list, in addition to the usual roach coach dives.
Last September, Caffe Luna made the list.
Now, prior to that point, the Melrose restaurant was always one of those places you go to when you can't for the life of you think of a place to go. Open late, decent but not spectacular Italian grub and--perhaps most importantly--an outdoor patio to make up for the mediocre food.
So when KCRW threw its semi-annual beg-a-thon last August, I picked up a Caffe Luna gift certificate for my $50 pledge. Literally two days later, the L.A. Times had a nice big story on major restaurants that had been shut down due to health code violations-- and Caffe Luna led the list.
Nice.
I decided to give them some time to get their act together, and filed away the gift certificate. Until this weekend, when Maria and I headed to Melrose to finally cash in on my free Caffe Luna meal. Only Caffe Luna was nowhere to be found. Two restaurants had taken over the space. Turns out Caffe Luna never re-opened after its September shutdown.
Damn you, Joel Grover! You owe me a new KCRW premium!
I'm talking, of course, about the KNBC "investigative" reporter who seems to investigate just one thing: Dirty restaurants. (Hey, I'm all for shining a spotlight on gross kitchens, but there are other bad things going on around town.)
Grover's reports led to the now-standard letter grades at each restaurant, as well as a stepped-up inspecting process by the health department. The L.A. Times also prints each month a list of restaurants that were shut down because of some health code violation. A few expensive restaurants always make the list, in addition to the usual roach coach dives.
Last September, Caffe Luna made the list.
Now, prior to that point, the Melrose restaurant was always one of those places you go to when you can't for the life of you think of a place to go. Open late, decent but not spectacular Italian grub and--perhaps most importantly--an outdoor patio to make up for the mediocre food.
So when KCRW threw its semi-annual beg-a-thon last August, I picked up a Caffe Luna gift certificate for my $50 pledge. Literally two days later, the L.A. Times had a nice big story on major restaurants that had been shut down due to health code violations-- and Caffe Luna led the list.
Nice.
I decided to give them some time to get their act together, and filed away the gift certificate. Until this weekend, when Maria and I headed to Melrose to finally cash in on my free Caffe Luna meal. Only Caffe Luna was nowhere to be found. Two restaurants had taken over the space. Turns out Caffe Luna never re-opened after its September shutdown.
Damn you, Joel Grover! You owe me a new KCRW premium!
Saturday, June 14, 2003
First Date Follies
Last night, enjoying a late dinner at new restaurant Opaline (rate-a-restaurant review to come!), Maria and I sat right next to a couple out on their first date.
And perhaps their last.
The painful give-and-take between the two made it tough for us to concentrate on our own dinner, since we couldn't help but eavesdrop. It started when we overheard the guy trying to impress his date (?!) by reciting the state fish of Hawai'i-- the humuhumunukunukuapua'a.
Now, it's questionable to begin with why you'd decide this would score you points. But even worse, our poor suitor couldn't spit it out. After four tries he gave up. At that point I had to fight the urge to lean over and score my own points by saying it right.
Next up on the boneheaded moves list, the guy thought it would be flattering to compare his date to--of all things--an obscure reference: David Letterman's assistant Stephanie, who appears on the "Late Show" from time to time. Huh? If you have to go on and on to explain what you mean and why you think there's a resemblance, you're in trouble. At one point the guy had to justify that "she's cute-- honest!" while continuing to dig a hole. I quietly saw what he meant-- Letterman's Stephanie sounds a little aloof and flighty, and so did this guy's date. But is that how you flatter a girl?
Of course, she wasn't exactly a gem, either. Witness this exchange:
HIM: So Rodney from KROQ is on the cover of this week's L.A. Weekly.
HER: Who?
HIM:You know, Rodney from KROQ.
HER: Huh? Oh, you mean Rodney the Fish?
HIM: Huh?
The guy, by the way, claimed that the L.A. Philharmonic had performed some of his music (sounds like he was a composer of some sorts-- but still in his late 30s).
She tried to engage him-- "Isn't the L.A. Phil conducted by some Esa Pekka whosit?"
Esa-Pekka Salonen, the guy leaned over and stressed in his "Ha, ha, let me teach you a few cultured things, little girl" voice.
Maria noticed that the girl every once in a while would drop a few hints on the dude-- "Oh, I've had a long day, and probably should call it a night." But did our clueless bachelor tune in to those subtle suggestions that he's lost the battle? Of course not.
Meanwhile, Maria and I had drinks at the bar, had appetizers, dinner and (me, at least) one more drink and then even paid our check, entering and exiting while their painfully long date went on and on. According to Maria, the girl mentioned this to the guy as well-- another hint, totally missed by the guy, that it was time for them to go.
Screw "Blind Date" or any of those other syndicated dating shows... Maria and I watched the real thing last night!
Last night, enjoying a late dinner at new restaurant Opaline (rate-a-restaurant review to come!), Maria and I sat right next to a couple out on their first date.
And perhaps their last.
The painful give-and-take between the two made it tough for us to concentrate on our own dinner, since we couldn't help but eavesdrop. It started when we overheard the guy trying to impress his date (?!) by reciting the state fish of Hawai'i-- the humuhumunukunukuapua'a.
Now, it's questionable to begin with why you'd decide this would score you points. But even worse, our poor suitor couldn't spit it out. After four tries he gave up. At that point I had to fight the urge to lean over and score my own points by saying it right.
Next up on the boneheaded moves list, the guy thought it would be flattering to compare his date to--of all things--an obscure reference: David Letterman's assistant Stephanie, who appears on the "Late Show" from time to time. Huh? If you have to go on and on to explain what you mean and why you think there's a resemblance, you're in trouble. At one point the guy had to justify that "she's cute-- honest!" while continuing to dig a hole. I quietly saw what he meant-- Letterman's Stephanie sounds a little aloof and flighty, and so did this guy's date. But is that how you flatter a girl?
Of course, she wasn't exactly a gem, either. Witness this exchange:
HIM: So Rodney from KROQ is on the cover of this week's L.A. Weekly.
HER: Who?
HIM:You know, Rodney from KROQ.
HER: Huh? Oh, you mean Rodney the Fish?
HIM: Huh?
The guy, by the way, claimed that the L.A. Philharmonic had performed some of his music (sounds like he was a composer of some sorts-- but still in his late 30s).
She tried to engage him-- "Isn't the L.A. Phil conducted by some Esa Pekka whosit?"
Esa-Pekka Salonen, the guy leaned over and stressed in his "Ha, ha, let me teach you a few cultured things, little girl" voice.
Maria noticed that the girl every once in a while would drop a few hints on the dude-- "Oh, I've had a long day, and probably should call it a night." But did our clueless bachelor tune in to those subtle suggestions that he's lost the battle? Of course not.
Meanwhile, Maria and I had drinks at the bar, had appetizers, dinner and (me, at least) one more drink and then even paid our check, entering and exiting while their painfully long date went on and on. According to Maria, the girl mentioned this to the guy as well-- another hint, totally missed by the guy, that it was time for them to go.
Screw "Blind Date" or any of those other syndicated dating shows... Maria and I watched the real thing last night!
Friday, June 13, 2003
Oh-oh-OH-oh-oh---oh-oh-OH-OH---oh-oh-OH-oh-oh...The Right Stuff
Jessica recently attended the American Cinematheque screening of space race movie classic "The Right Stuff" and files this report:
"There was a time when "The Right Stuff" was never confused with a New Kids on the Block song. I got to relive those days at the Egyptian Theater on Monday night when the American Cinematheque held a screening in honor of the movie's 20th anniversary and two-disc special edition DVD release.
"It was a HUGE cast and crew reunion, including Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Scott Glenn, Kathy Baker, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum, Harry Shearer, Scott Wilson, Pamela Reed, Scott Paulin and Lance Henriksen. Director Philip Kaufman and the film's cinematographer and producers were also there. In the audience were Amy Madigan (Ed Harris' wife) and Stockard Channing (for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why she was there).
"The highlight of the evening, though, had to be seeing astronaut Gordy Cooper and flying legend Chuck Yeager. Yeager really stole the show during the Q&A with his flying tales. Both he and Cooper said that they thought the film was true to life and were pleased with the results.
"The movie was fantastic, but to be honest it was a bit of an odd evening. If you've ever been to the Cinematheque you know what sort of collegial atmosphere it has. It's nondiscriminatory. Anyone who likes films is welcome, and everyone's treated equally. This time out, the organizers had put out a nice spread (appetizers, sandwiches, etc.) in the lobby. You literally had to walk past the food to get into the theater. But you weren't allowed to eat it. No, no. Never mind that people had been waiting in line for hours or that they'd now be sitting through a 193-minute movie plus a Q&A. They had guards standing in front of the food. Food that was, I guess, reserved for their special guests. But I sure didn't see any of the honored guests eating anything.
"The common folk were eventually 'rewarded,' however. As we walked out of the screening, still sitting on the table were hundreds of leftover turkey and roast beef sandwiches that the unspecial guests were able to grab."
Thanks, Jess! I've got to get that DVD... I have no recollection of Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer in the movie (or for that matter, much else!).
Jessica recently attended the American Cinematheque screening of space race movie classic "The Right Stuff" and files this report:
"There was a time when "The Right Stuff" was never confused with a New Kids on the Block song. I got to relive those days at the Egyptian Theater on Monday night when the American Cinematheque held a screening in honor of the movie's 20th anniversary and two-disc special edition DVD release.
"It was a HUGE cast and crew reunion, including Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Scott Glenn, Kathy Baker, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum, Harry Shearer, Scott Wilson, Pamela Reed, Scott Paulin and Lance Henriksen. Director Philip Kaufman and the film's cinematographer and producers were also there. In the audience were Amy Madigan (Ed Harris' wife) and Stockard Channing (for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why she was there).
"The highlight of the evening, though, had to be seeing astronaut Gordy Cooper and flying legend Chuck Yeager. Yeager really stole the show during the Q&A with his flying tales. Both he and Cooper said that they thought the film was true to life and were pleased with the results.
"The movie was fantastic, but to be honest it was a bit of an odd evening. If you've ever been to the Cinematheque you know what sort of collegial atmosphere it has. It's nondiscriminatory. Anyone who likes films is welcome, and everyone's treated equally. This time out, the organizers had put out a nice spread (appetizers, sandwiches, etc.) in the lobby. You literally had to walk past the food to get into the theater. But you weren't allowed to eat it. No, no. Never mind that people had been waiting in line for hours or that they'd now be sitting through a 193-minute movie plus a Q&A. They had guards standing in front of the food. Food that was, I guess, reserved for their special guests. But I sure didn't see any of the honored guests eating anything.
"The common folk were eventually 'rewarded,' however. As we walked out of the screening, still sitting on the table were hundreds of leftover turkey and roast beef sandwiches that the unspecial guests were able to grab."
Thanks, Jess! I've got to get that DVD... I have no recollection of Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer in the movie (or for that matter, much else!).
Spike TV spiked
Talk about a bad Friday the 13th nightmare: I actually find myself sitting here defending corporate behemoth Viacom from the crazy rantings of Spike Lee.
Shockingly, a Manhattan State Supreme Court justice won a preliminary injunction yesterday that blocks Viacom from changing the name of its TNN cable network to Spike TV on Monday.
I'm beside myself how ridiculous this is. Spike Lee truly believes the name "Spike" has become his trademark, never mind that volleyball players spike the ball, Snoopy's brother is named Spike and director Spike Jonze has had bigger, better movie success in recent years. And how I wanted to believe that this was a publicity ploy by MTV Networks to launch the net! (Insiders at the network, by the way, say a number of people have approached them thinking this was a marketing stunt!)
UPDATE: Type in "www.spiketv.com," and you'll now be directed to MTV's website. Also, the network has put its "The New TNN" website back up; that site had been taken down and replaced with a teaser for Spike TV.
Talk about a bad Friday the 13th nightmare: I actually find myself sitting here defending corporate behemoth Viacom from the crazy rantings of Spike Lee.
Shockingly, a Manhattan State Supreme Court justice won a preliminary injunction yesterday that blocks Viacom from changing the name of its TNN cable network to Spike TV on Monday.
I'm beside myself how ridiculous this is. Spike Lee truly believes the name "Spike" has become his trademark, never mind that volleyball players spike the ball, Snoopy's brother is named Spike and director Spike Jonze has had bigger, better movie success in recent years. And how I wanted to believe that this was a publicity ploy by MTV Networks to launch the net! (Insiders at the network, by the way, say a number of people have approached them thinking this was a marketing stunt!)
UPDATE: Type in "www.spiketv.com," and you'll now be directed to MTV's website. Also, the network has put its "The New TNN" website back up; that site had been taken down and replaced with a teaser for Spike TV.
Not So-High Flying
I wrote the other day about the mysterious airline Mainline Airways, and how a Hawaii judge barred the airline's website from selling anymore cheap-o $89 Los Angeles-to-Honolulu flights because they hadn't gotten the necessary approval-- such as even registering themselves with the FAA! (It also didn't have other necessary items to operate like, oh, planes!)
Well, here's more. Surprise. It sounded like a scam, and sure enough, the AP reports that the airline was nothing more than a Web site created by an 18-year-old freshman at Babson College: "Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly won a temporary restraining order Wednesday that bars Luke Thompson, of Yardley, Pa., from using any bank accounts associated with his business, Mainline Airways, for any reason other than to provide refunds to customers."
I wrote the other day about the mysterious airline Mainline Airways, and how a Hawaii judge barred the airline's website from selling anymore cheap-o $89 Los Angeles-to-Honolulu flights because they hadn't gotten the necessary approval-- such as even registering themselves with the FAA! (It also didn't have other necessary items to operate like, oh, planes!)
Well, here's more. Surprise. It sounded like a scam, and sure enough, the AP reports that the airline was nothing more than a Web site created by an 18-year-old freshman at Babson College: "Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly won a temporary restraining order Wednesday that bars Luke Thompson, of Yardley, Pa., from using any bank accounts associated with his business, Mainline Airways, for any reason other than to provide refunds to customers."
Living in the Past
You've probably been taken aback by the Villa Riviera while visiting downtown Long Beach. They just didn't construct buildings that high in Southern California back then, save City Hall.
As a matter of fact, the 16 story building--built in 1928--is just a few feet shorter than City Hall. The height restriction in L.A. (repealed in the 1950s) means you'll find no other buildings in the region from that era taller--which is why the Villa Riviera is such a sight to behold.
According to the L.A. Times, it's now a 134-unit condo dripping with history. Here's the best part of the story: A tenant recently doing some repair work discovered a Prohibition-era safe behind a fake wall in one of his closets. The safe contained newspapers from 1929-1933, plans for a 1929 party and a bottle of 1913 champagne.
You've probably been taken aback by the Villa Riviera while visiting downtown Long Beach. They just didn't construct buildings that high in Southern California back then, save City Hall.
As a matter of fact, the 16 story building--built in 1928--is just a few feet shorter than City Hall. The height restriction in L.A. (repealed in the 1950s) means you'll find no other buildings in the region from that era taller--which is why the Villa Riviera is such a sight to behold.
According to the L.A. Times, it's now a 134-unit condo dripping with history. Here's the best part of the story: A tenant recently doing some repair work discovered a Prohibition-era safe behind a fake wall in one of his closets. The safe contained newspapers from 1929-1933, plans for a 1929 party and a bottle of 1913 champagne.
Addendum
I was just browsing the new City Beat website again, and I'm just struck by how bad the newspaper's logo is.
Also, here are updates on the West Hollywood red light ruling (the city won and it's been reversed--in other words, pay up, suckers!) and the Riverside controversy over "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby" (the book will stay on school shelves).
I was just browsing the new City Beat website again, and I'm just struck by how bad the newspaper's logo is.
Also, here are updates on the West Hollywood red light ruling (the city won and it's been reversed--in other words, pay up, suckers!) and the Riverside controversy over "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby" (the book will stay on school shelves).
I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie!
I was just thinking how I hadn't busted out "Baby Got Back" at a karaoke joint in a while. The Sir Mix-A-Lot joint (yes, I just used the term "joint." You gonna sue me, Spike Lee?) has been my signature karaoke song for years. One night at the Brass Monkey about four years ago a group of older women were astounded that I knew all the words. Video screen? Bah. I could recite 'em all for you right now, along with plenty of other cheezy late 80s/early 90s poppy rap songs (like "Bust A Move," "The Humpty Dance," and of course, "U Can't Touch This.")
Apparently there's now an epidemic of goofy white boys rapping semi-old school in the world of karaoke. The L.A. Times chronicles the hip-hop karaoke night at Silver Lake's Upon Shop Records. Perhaps you'll see me there on the last Friday of the month.
Of course, true karaoke is to be had in Koreatown at one of the 24-hour joints. There's nothing like belting out songs with friends in your private karaoke room at 3 in the morning. (Of course, you can interpret whether that sounds like fun or your personal nightmare.) The best place remains the Rosen Music Studio (3488 W. 8th St.).
By the way, one of my prize possessions at the moment is M.C. Hammer's cell phone number. Don't even think of asking me for it.
I was just thinking how I hadn't busted out "Baby Got Back" at a karaoke joint in a while. The Sir Mix-A-Lot joint (yes, I just used the term "joint." You gonna sue me, Spike Lee?) has been my signature karaoke song for years. One night at the Brass Monkey about four years ago a group of older women were astounded that I knew all the words. Video screen? Bah. I could recite 'em all for you right now, along with plenty of other cheezy late 80s/early 90s poppy rap songs (like "Bust A Move," "The Humpty Dance," and of course, "U Can't Touch This.")
Apparently there's now an epidemic of goofy white boys rapping semi-old school in the world of karaoke. The L.A. Times chronicles the hip-hop karaoke night at Silver Lake's Upon Shop Records. Perhaps you'll see me there on the last Friday of the month.
Of course, true karaoke is to be had in Koreatown at one of the 24-hour joints. There's nothing like belting out songs with friends in your private karaoke room at 3 in the morning. (Of course, you can interpret whether that sounds like fun or your personal nightmare.) The best place remains the Rosen Music Studio (3488 W. 8th St.).
By the way, one of my prize possessions at the moment is M.C. Hammer's cell phone number. Don't even think of asking me for it.
Thursday, June 12, 2003
Let the Games Begin
Finally, things could get a little interesting on the weekly front, as the latest in a slew of planned rivals to the L.A. Weekly throne, CityBEAT, makes its debut this week.
According to L.A. Observed, the competish is already getting catty (yay!): The first picture by photog-around-town Gary Leonard is of former mayor Richard Riordan, posing outside The Pantry with the prototype of his Los Angeles Examiner. It's not such a subtle dig, considering that CityBEAT arrives (today) before Riordan's long-delayed weekly.
Finally, things could get a little interesting on the weekly front, as the latest in a slew of planned rivals to the L.A. Weekly throne, CityBEAT, makes its debut this week.
According to L.A. Observed, the competish is already getting catty (yay!): The first picture by photog-around-town Gary Leonard is of former mayor Richard Riordan, posing outside The Pantry with the prototype of his Los Angeles Examiner. It's not such a subtle dig, considering that CityBEAT arrives (today) before Riordan's long-delayed weekly.
Death Pool 2003
OK, so now we’ve got (1) Gregory Peck and (2) David Brinkley. Who’ll be number (3)? We’re taking bets! (Gray Davis’ political career? Ben and J. Lo’s engagement? Hip-hop star 50 Cent? The opportunities are endless!)
OK, so now we’ve got (1) Gregory Peck and (2) David Brinkley. Who’ll be number (3)? We’re taking bets! (Gray Davis’ political career? Ben and J. Lo’s engagement? Hip-hop star 50 Cent? The opportunities are endless!)
Hollywood Moment #7 in a series
Where: The Playboy Mansion
When: Tuesday night
Why: MTV Networks party to celebrate the launch of Spike TV, the channel Spike Lee is convinced was inspired by him (including "Stripperella"?)
Who: Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, standing by himself most of the evening. Poor Fred. It's not 1999 anymore, and apparently the kids just don't dig the rap metal like they used to.
Also seen around the party: Busta Rhymes, Lance Bass (still not in space! A travesty.), Mike O'Malley (still not funny! Another travesty.), Pamela Anderson, Kelsey Grammer, Carmen Electra (performing a cabaret number--I don't make this stuff up), Paris Hilton and of course, Hef and the girls.
Where: The Playboy Mansion
When: Tuesday night
Why: MTV Networks party to celebrate the launch of Spike TV, the channel Spike Lee is convinced was inspired by him (including "Stripperella"?)
Who: Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, standing by himself most of the evening. Poor Fred. It's not 1999 anymore, and apparently the kids just don't dig the rap metal like they used to.
Also seen around the party: Busta Rhymes, Lance Bass (still not in space! A travesty.), Mike O'Malley (still not funny! Another travesty.), Pamela Anderson, Kelsey Grammer, Carmen Electra (performing a cabaret number--I don't make this stuff up), Paris Hilton and of course, Hef and the girls.
Yo, Ho, radi-O
Looks like the pirate radio station broadcasting at 100.7 FM is off the air, at least for now. The station, which broadcasts a mix of dance, techno and trance tunes, hits all of Hollywood, Los Feliz, Echo Park and Silver Lake. It also broadcasts a crisper, higher quality stereo signal than the city's other pirates. The station has gone off the air from time to time in its three year history, so it's unclear whether the people behind it are taking another break--or if the FCC finally got to them.
As for the station at 104.7 FM broadcasting out of Silver Lake, I haven't checked lately to see if it's still on the air. But the 104.7 FM pirate had been broadcasting the programming at KillRadio.org.
Meanwhile, there's still no word from the Monkey Man about when he plans to bring back Pirate Cat Radio. The station, which had broadcasted at 87.9 FM, has been down since the start of the year. The Monkey Man is still soliciting funds to repair his busted transmitter. Pirate Cat Radio's 30 watt transmitter made it by far the strongest pirate in town.
Looks like the pirate radio station broadcasting at 100.7 FM is off the air, at least for now. The station, which broadcasts a mix of dance, techno and trance tunes, hits all of Hollywood, Los Feliz, Echo Park and Silver Lake. It also broadcasts a crisper, higher quality stereo signal than the city's other pirates. The station has gone off the air from time to time in its three year history, so it's unclear whether the people behind it are taking another break--or if the FCC finally got to them.
As for the station at 104.7 FM broadcasting out of Silver Lake, I haven't checked lately to see if it's still on the air. But the 104.7 FM pirate had been broadcasting the programming at KillRadio.org.
Meanwhile, there's still no word from the Monkey Man about when he plans to bring back Pirate Cat Radio. The station, which had broadcasted at 87.9 FM, has been down since the start of the year. The Monkey Man is still soliciting funds to repair his busted transmitter. Pirate Cat Radio's 30 watt transmitter made it by far the strongest pirate in town.
2 Fast 2 Furious 2 Ticketed
Last year, 19,654 tickets-- at $271 a pop-- were issued in West Hollywood courtesy those bastard intersection cameras at Beverly and Robertson boulevards; La Cienega and Sunset boulevards; Santa Monica Boulevard at Fairfax and La Brea avenues; and Fountain Avenue at Crescent Heights Boulevard.
Somehow, I managed not to get one. I probably regularly pass through all of those intersections-- and regularly skirt the yellow.
A L.A. County superior court commissioner dismissed many of those tickets, ruling that the yellow lights went by too fast, trapping motorists in the red. But West Hollywood lawyers today will ask a judge today to stop dismissing those tickets.
Last year, 19,654 tickets-- at $271 a pop-- were issued in West Hollywood courtesy those bastard intersection cameras at Beverly and Robertson boulevards; La Cienega and Sunset boulevards; Santa Monica Boulevard at Fairfax and La Brea avenues; and Fountain Avenue at Crescent Heights Boulevard.
Somehow, I managed not to get one. I probably regularly pass through all of those intersections-- and regularly skirt the yellow.
A L.A. County superior court commissioner dismissed many of those tickets, ruling that the yellow lights went by too fast, trapping motorists in the red. But West Hollywood lawyers today will ask a judge today to stop dismissing those tickets.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Why I Should Run the Music Industry
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The music industry shot itself in the foot when it phased out the single. As a kid, buying singles got me excited about purchasing music. But this generation of kids haven't been trained to go to the music store to buy the latest release on a regular basis. Maybe they go twice a year to buy a full-length CD-- but singles brought kids into the store every week!
Anyway, here's further proof that if you sell it, people will come: According to HITS magazine, the new single from "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken is on track to sell as many as 300,000 copies this week-- with "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard's single (250,000) close behind. The #1 single in the nation usually sells only about 5,000 copies a week, HITS notes.
(It also proves that the American public has horrible taste in music, but that's another post altogether.)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The music industry shot itself in the foot when it phased out the single. As a kid, buying singles got me excited about purchasing music. But this generation of kids haven't been trained to go to the music store to buy the latest release on a regular basis. Maybe they go twice a year to buy a full-length CD-- but singles brought kids into the store every week!
Anyway, here's further proof that if you sell it, people will come: According to HITS magazine, the new single from "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken is on track to sell as many as 300,000 copies this week-- with "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard's single (250,000) close behind. The #1 single in the nation usually sells only about 5,000 copies a week, HITS notes.
(It also proves that the American public has horrible taste in music, but that's another post altogether.)
We're Number One!
Murders are down 21% in Los Angeles this year-- but have no fear, the city is still in the running to be named this year's Murder Capital of America. With the Lakers and Ducks blowing their chances, it's oh-so-nice to see our fine city still in contention for a big national title. Go L.A.!
Murders are down 21% in Los Angeles this year-- but have no fear, the city is still in the running to be named this year's Murder Capital of America. With the Lakers and Ducks blowing their chances, it's oh-so-nice to see our fine city still in contention for a big national title. Go L.A.!
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Check out Roadside Peek and travel in time as you see some attractions from years' past. This page features southern california fast food joints from another era that are still in business today. We should know, this past Sunday we got a bucket o' chicken from Dinah's. Muy delicioso!
Startup airline Mainline Airways has been selling cheap $89 one-way tix between Los Angeles and Honolulu on its website since April. One problem, according to a Hawaii judge: The airline doesn't have any approval to operate. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Pacific Business Journal report that the judge has barred Mainline from selling any more tickets.
Apparently hundreds of people have already bought tickets, even though the airline hasn't even filed an application with the Federal Aviation Administration! ("It takes more than a Web site to start an airline," said Mark Recktenwald, director of Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.)
Nonetheless, Mainline claims it will start daily widebody jet service between Los Angeles and Honolulu in July. But the Mainline website doesn't seem to work right now, and even a cache version of the site (Thanks, Google!) turns up blank.
Coincidentally, we're starting up Franklin Airlines next month, with non-stop daily service to Kauai. Make your reservations here.
Apparently hundreds of people have already bought tickets, even though the airline hasn't even filed an application with the Federal Aviation Administration! ("It takes more than a Web site to start an airline," said Mark Recktenwald, director of Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.)
Nonetheless, Mainline claims it will start daily widebody jet service between Los Angeles and Honolulu in July. But the Mainline website doesn't seem to work right now, and even a cache version of the site (Thanks, Google!) turns up blank.
Coincidentally, we're starting up Franklin Airlines next month, with non-stop daily service to Kauai. Make your reservations here.
Dammit, why does the Drudge Report always link to doomsday articles like this one? According to Britain's honorary astronomer royal, the odds of an apocalyptic disaster striking Earth have risen to about 50 percent from 20 percent a hundred years ago. The story details why. I know, I know, I don't actually have to click and read the story, but I'm a sucker for freaking myself out with scary statistics I have no control over.
What's the difference between the movie Mighty Ducks? (Besides Emilio Estevez, of course.) For one thing, in the movies, the team always wins the big game. In real life, that just doesn't always happen.
Meanwhile, this is sure to send shockwaves throughout L.A.: A City Council committee has voted
to ban lap dancing and entertaining in private "VIP rooms" at Los Angeles strip clubs.
Meanwhile, this is sure to send shockwaves throughout L.A.: A City Council committee has voted
to ban lap dancing and entertaining in private "VIP rooms" at Los Angeles strip clubs.
Monday, June 9, 2003
Mope rocker extraordinaire Morrissey has signed with U.K. music firm Sanctuary Group; as part of the deal, he'll record for the revived Attack Records.
Go ahead and congratulate him the next time you go grab a pint at the Cat and Fiddle; chances are you'll find him there, holding court, any night of the week. He's probably digging the June Gloom right now.
And of course, if you suddenly have the urge to listen to Moz, might I suggest The Best of Morrissey, which has got to be the best damn looking CD compilation out there? (Expertly designed by Ms. Franklin Avenue!)
Meanwhile... Spotted in Beverly Hills this afternoon: Evan "Joe Millionaire" Marriott, walking down Rodeo. The dimwitted reality chump was wearing a sweatshirt and man sandals (yes, "mandals") while carrying a powder blue Tiffany bag. Wonder if he has any words of advice for "For Love or Money's" Rob "Hey, I was drunk, so how can I remember if I groped her?" Campos?
Go ahead and congratulate him the next time you go grab a pint at the Cat and Fiddle; chances are you'll find him there, holding court, any night of the week. He's probably digging the June Gloom right now.
And of course, if you suddenly have the urge to listen to Moz, might I suggest The Best of Morrissey, which has got to be the best damn looking CD compilation out there? (Expertly designed by Ms. Franklin Avenue!)
Meanwhile... Spotted in Beverly Hills this afternoon: Evan "Joe Millionaire" Marriott, walking down Rodeo. The dimwitted reality chump was wearing a sweatshirt and man sandals (yes, "mandals") while carrying a powder blue Tiffany bag. Wonder if he has any words of advice for "For Love or Money's" Rob "Hey, I was drunk, so how can I remember if I groped her?" Campos?
Heads up: The revamped version of Matt Welch and Ken Layne's L.A. Examiner is online. Welch and Layne first launched the site in May 2001 as a place to muse on L.A. stuff-- in particular, the sorry state of local media affairs. But now they're moving the focus to be more broad and less about how the L.A. Timez sucks this week. (The duo are also busy putting together the new Dick Riordan paper, which is supposed to launch in September--unless Dick gets bored.)
Part of the reason they're switching gears is the arrival of Kevin Roderick's excellent new site L.A. Observed, which takes an extensive look at the world of local media, particularly the print world.
The new L.A. Examiner looks spiffy, but eliminates the ability to leave comments. Welch and Layne say that's because the comments on the site had been lively, but had also gotten tired. Indeed, too many items were met with the usual sniping over who's more whiny, liberals or conservatives. But they also got rid of the "Sports by Brooks" ad. That'll cut their readership down by at least half. It was something to look forward to, especially when the site wasn't updated for days at a time.
Meanwhile, we here at Franklin Avenue love comments. That's why you see that "shout out" line at the end of each item. That's our oh-so-1997 way of asking you to leave behind some rantings or ravings. Please. Yes, we're needy.
Part of the reason they're switching gears is the arrival of Kevin Roderick's excellent new site L.A. Observed, which takes an extensive look at the world of local media, particularly the print world.
The new L.A. Examiner looks spiffy, but eliminates the ability to leave comments. Welch and Layne say that's because the comments on the site had been lively, but had also gotten tired. Indeed, too many items were met with the usual sniping over who's more whiny, liberals or conservatives. But they also got rid of the "Sports by Brooks" ad. That'll cut their readership down by at least half. It was something to look forward to, especially when the site wasn't updated for days at a time.
Meanwhile, we here at Franklin Avenue love comments. That's why you see that "shout out" line at the end of each item. That's our oh-so-1997 way of asking you to leave behind some rantings or ravings. Please. Yes, we're needy.
It just ain't a reality show without a scandal. And more specifically, it just ain't a reality show without a scandal uncovered by The Smoking Gun. Just as every Fox reality show contestant seems to have a dark past-- and it all seems to end up at the Gun's website, so now does the star of NBC's "Bachelor"/"Joe Millionaire" rip-off, "For Love or Money."
According to The Smoking Gun's latest find, star Rob Campos was discharged from the Navy after he got drunk one night and groped a fellow cadet after forcing his way into her room. Nice.
NBC issued the usual statement-- we didn't know the star of our reality show was really a creep, etc. etc.
What is it about reality contestants that they're required to have a checkered past? And why do the investigators hired by the networks and production companies never (snicker, snicker) seem to find out about these histories? It does get people talking though, hmmm?! "For Love or Money" airs tonight at 9 p.m./8 p.m. CT on NBC.
According to The Smoking Gun's latest find, star Rob Campos was discharged from the Navy after he got drunk one night and groped a fellow cadet after forcing his way into her room. Nice.
NBC issued the usual statement-- we didn't know the star of our reality show was really a creep, etc. etc.
What is it about reality contestants that they're required to have a checkered past? And why do the investigators hired by the networks and production companies never (snicker, snicker) seem to find out about these histories? It does get people talking though, hmmm?! "For Love or Money" airs tonight at 9 p.m./8 p.m. CT on NBC.
I think I've mentioned before how jarring it is to be watching a movie set in Los Angeles where the geography is all out of whack. In Adam Sandler's "Punch Drunk Love," for example, he's hanging out at the Sunset Blvd. shopping center with the Virgin Megastore and Wolfgang Puck's...but when he leaves the center, he's shown driving out of the Kaiser Permanente hospital complex here in Los Feliz.
So the L.A. Times reports that the new flick "The Italian Job" is probably the most realistic take on Los Angeles geography in a long time. The paper points out that by "taking in the Hollywood Hills, the Argyle Hotel, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood & Highland complex before racing through downtown on the way to Union Station, the film pays surprisingly strong attention to keeping the actual geography of Los Angeles intact and realistic during the drive."
The story also points out Rob Cohen's major blunder in "The Fast and the Furious": The flick shows cars speeding around the hills of Silver Lake, including insanely steep Micheltorina Blvd. Suddenly, they turn the corner at Glendale Blvd....and they're at the San Pedro docks! Huh?
Cohen admits it's impossible in real L.A., but in the fast-cut world of the movies, anything's possible.
So the L.A. Times reports that the new flick "The Italian Job" is probably the most realistic take on Los Angeles geography in a long time. The paper points out that by "taking in the Hollywood Hills, the Argyle Hotel, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood & Highland complex before racing through downtown on the way to Union Station, the film pays surprisingly strong attention to keeping the actual geography of Los Angeles intact and realistic during the drive."
The story also points out Rob Cohen's major blunder in "The Fast and the Furious": The flick shows cars speeding around the hills of Silver Lake, including insanely steep Micheltorina Blvd. Suddenly, they turn the corner at Glendale Blvd....and they're at the San Pedro docks! Huh?
Cohen admits it's impossible in real L.A., but in the fast-cut world of the movies, anything's possible.
Saturday, June 7, 2003
Apparently you'll be able to check out the Pasadena (110) freeway from a unique perspective-- by walking or biking it-- next Sunday. Arroyo Fest takes place on June 15.
The Red Cars are back! Well, sort of. Part of early Los Angeles lore, the city's transportation system in the first half of the century, led by the trolleys known as "red cars," was the envy of the world.
But the post-war car boom pretty much made them extinct, with the last Red Car retired in 1961. Now San Pedro, in the hopes that it might boost tourism, has won approval to run three streetcars along Harbor Boulevard--mainly for the tourists visiting the harbor off their cruise ships. Two of the streetcars are reproductions of the Pacific Electric "red car" trolleys and the other is a1907 vintage trolley.
The streetcars will run in the daytime on the weekends. I've read of similar proposals to resurrect some Red Cars as a tourist attraction downtown.
But the post-war car boom pretty much made them extinct, with the last Red Car retired in 1961. Now San Pedro, in the hopes that it might boost tourism, has won approval to run three streetcars along Harbor Boulevard--mainly for the tourists visiting the harbor off their cruise ships. Two of the streetcars are reproductions of the Pacific Electric "red car" trolleys and the other is a1907 vintage trolley.
The streetcars will run in the daytime on the weekends. I've read of similar proposals to resurrect some Red Cars as a tourist attraction downtown.
Another hazy day. I was utterly convinced all week that it would rain and soil my already dirty car further. So I waited. And waited. The rain didn't come, and my car was covered in an ever thicker layer of muck. Finally got the car washed Friday.
Welcome to Los Angeles in June. Warm and hazy during the day, chilly at night. Summer, you say? Not in Southern California, in June! The L.A. Times explains the origin of "June gloom" and gives a detailed scientific explanation. I'm sure it makes sense, but I'm not in the mood to contemplate on another gloomy Saturday.
Welcome to Los Angeles in June. Warm and hazy during the day, chilly at night. Summer, you say? Not in Southern California, in June! The L.A. Times explains the origin of "June gloom" and gives a detailed scientific explanation. I'm sure it makes sense, but I'm not in the mood to contemplate on another gloomy Saturday.
Friday, June 6, 2003
This is why local TV news is evil.
Watching KABC a moment ago, I heard reporter Miriam Hernandez, on the scene at the small plane crash in the Fairfax district, just call it "9/11 all over again."
Huh?
Perspective, people. This is a news story, yes, and involved a small plane crashing into a building, causing a fire and lots of damage. But it's unclear if anyone was killed-- or even seriously hurt-- on the ground.
You just know that our fine newscasters at 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 will find a way to embarrass themselves with coverage overkill. After watching ABC7's coverage, I was sick of it after 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, here are the facts: A plane crashed into the building at 601 Spaulding Ave., near Melrose Avenue and Fairfax High School, at about 3:50 p.m. No reports of casualties just yet, and it appears that the fire is already out. The building is pretty damaged, however.
Watching KABC a moment ago, I heard reporter Miriam Hernandez, on the scene at the small plane crash in the Fairfax district, just call it "9/11 all over again."
Huh?
Perspective, people. This is a news story, yes, and involved a small plane crashing into a building, causing a fire and lots of damage. But it's unclear if anyone was killed-- or even seriously hurt-- on the ground.
You just know that our fine newscasters at 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 will find a way to embarrass themselves with coverage overkill. After watching ABC7's coverage, I was sick of it after 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, here are the facts: A plane crashed into the building at 601 Spaulding Ave., near Melrose Avenue and Fairfax High School, at about 3:50 p.m. No reports of casualties just yet, and it appears that the fire is already out. The building is pretty damaged, however.
The L.A. Conservancy kicked off its annual Last Remaining Seats movie festival this week. The real star, of course, are the classic L.A. theater palaces. This year's event only travels to three: the Orpheum, the Los Angeles Theater and the Wiltern (the site of the Conservancy's first ever victory, a late-1970s bid to save it from demolition).
Movies shown this year are Auntie Mame, To Kill a Mockingbird, El Jefe, Holiday, On The Town, and The Sea Hawk. Most are already sold out.
Movies shown this year are Auntie Mame, To Kill a Mockingbird, El Jefe, Holiday, On The Town, and The Sea Hawk. Most are already sold out.
Thursday, June 5, 2003
Give it up, Spike Lee. The writer/director thinks that Viacom stole his first name when it decided to change TNN's moniker to Spike TV, eventually filing a suit with the conglom.
I'm usually all for sticking it to megacompanies of the Viacom ilk, but this is ridiculous. What about filmmaker Spike Jonze? Or Snoopy's Mojave Desert-based brother Spike? The Washington Post's Lisa deMoraes spanks Spike in today's column.
Of course, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Spike Lee was in cahoots with MTV Networks to help publicize the new Spike TV, which coincidentally debuts this month. But that would be cynical of me, hmmm?!
I'm usually all for sticking it to megacompanies of the Viacom ilk, but this is ridiculous. What about filmmaker Spike Jonze? Or Snoopy's Mojave Desert-based brother Spike? The Washington Post's Lisa deMoraes spanks Spike in today's column.
Of course, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Spike Lee was in cahoots with MTV Networks to help publicize the new Spike TV, which coincidentally debuts this month. But that would be cynical of me, hmmm?!
For years, Martha Stewart was a non-entity to me. Sure, I saw the book parodies, the "Saturday Night Live" jokes and even knew of her TV show. But I really didn't pay attention. Until I met Maria, that is.
Maria is a Martha believer--and Maria eventually got me to be a believer too. After all, I'm a sucker for organizing (I alphabetize my CDs, after all), and Martha's the queen of perfect organization. And I love food--and Maria has helped feed us well thanks to Martha recipes.
I never thought I'd be here feeling like I need to defend the woman. But the L.A. Times points out that even some of her detractors are now sympathizing with her. Was Martha too easy a target? Considering things many other male CEOs have pulled off, Martha's accused of something pretty insignificant.
UPDATE: Check out her new personal site, Martha Talks.
Maria is a Martha believer--and Maria eventually got me to be a believer too. After all, I'm a sucker for organizing (I alphabetize my CDs, after all), and Martha's the queen of perfect organization. And I love food--and Maria has helped feed us well thanks to Martha recipes.
I never thought I'd be here feeling like I need to defend the woman. But the L.A. Times points out that even some of her detractors are now sympathizing with her. Was Martha too easy a target? Considering things many other male CEOs have pulled off, Martha's accused of something pretty insignificant.
UPDATE: Check out her new personal site, Martha Talks.
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
The sport of TV viewing was not lost on me last night as I found another reality show I can sink my teeth into.
The Contenders
American Juniors Fox, 8 pm - it's like American Idol but with younger (brattier) kids and their evil stage parents vying to be a part of a 5-member singing group.
I had to TiVO this for Mike, who was out carousing with friends last night, but left the TV on as I made dinner. I only saw glimpses of the show as I roasted some chicken and talked to the lovely Clarissa on the phone. The noise that was coming out of the TV was unbearable: highly emotional parents, attention loving kids, the usual (standard) bad performances, the seacrest hair...
America's Next Top Model UPN, 9 pm - a group of underweight and super tall women go through competitions such as applying make-up and how to wear a complicated designer top (comprised of strips of fabric) properly to win a modeling contract, be managed by a top agency and be featured on a fashion magazine.
I was switching between this show and Miss Universe but it was filled with all the makings of a good reality show: the cattiness; real world type situations as our heroines are sequestered in a, what else, penthouse; the gay make-up artist (love him!) etc. I think Tyra Banks, who seems nice, takes herself a little too seriously as she announced which uberwannabe model will be booted off.
Miss Universe NBC 9 pm - the mother of all beauty contests, maybe the original reality show that spans the globe as a beautiful representative from each country competes to win the title of Miss Universe, promoter of world peace.
Having been a 51-year tradition, this show can't really keep me fixated on the television anymore. The judges are comprised of a list of daytime soap stars, a couple of models, a fashion designer, blah, blah, blah. It was held in Panama so of course, Miss Panama was among the women who made it to the first cut and so did Miss USA (surprise, surprise). I stopped watching after the first cut was made.
The Winner
America's Next Top Model gets my vote. I'm in and so is our TiVO.
Now, go see Finding Nemo.
The Contenders
American Juniors Fox, 8 pm - it's like American Idol but with younger (brattier) kids and their evil stage parents vying to be a part of a 5-member singing group.
I had to TiVO this for Mike, who was out carousing with friends last night, but left the TV on as I made dinner. I only saw glimpses of the show as I roasted some chicken and talked to the lovely Clarissa on the phone. The noise that was coming out of the TV was unbearable: highly emotional parents, attention loving kids, the usual (standard) bad performances, the seacrest hair...
America's Next Top Model UPN, 9 pm - a group of underweight and super tall women go through competitions such as applying make-up and how to wear a complicated designer top (comprised of strips of fabric) properly to win a modeling contract, be managed by a top agency and be featured on a fashion magazine.
I was switching between this show and Miss Universe but it was filled with all the makings of a good reality show: the cattiness; real world type situations as our heroines are sequestered in a, what else, penthouse; the gay make-up artist (love him!) etc. I think Tyra Banks, who seems nice, takes herself a little too seriously as she announced which uberwannabe model will be booted off.
Miss Universe NBC 9 pm - the mother of all beauty contests, maybe the original reality show that spans the globe as a beautiful representative from each country competes to win the title of Miss Universe, promoter of world peace.
Having been a 51-year tradition, this show can't really keep me fixated on the television anymore. The judges are comprised of a list of daytime soap stars, a couple of models, a fashion designer, blah, blah, blah. It was held in Panama so of course, Miss Panama was among the women who made it to the first cut and so did Miss USA (surprise, surprise). I stopped watching after the first cut was made.
The Winner
America's Next Top Model gets my vote. I'm in and so is our TiVO.
Now, go see Finding Nemo.
Fun with Google
It just gets tiring after awhile running into all of these self-proclaiming political pundits while surfing through various blogs. It's too easy to use the terms "knee-jerk" and "left- or right-wing," slap a few verbs and nouns together and BAM!-- you're a politco expert ready for your Fox News Channel close-up.
I threw a couple of phrases in Google to see how many people ranting and raving these days, and what they're ranting about:
First off, there's a huge discrepancy in who's using the cliche "knee-jerk." The phrase "knee-jerk liberal" returns 1,290 hits, while "knee-jerk conservative" brings back 309.
The reverse is true when discussing wingers. "Right wing" brings back 948,000 hits, while "left wing" clocks in at 624,000.
Now, here are two things I can get behind:
"George W. Bush sucks" returns 124 hits. (And now 125, thanks to this post!) "F--k George W. Bush" gets even more-- 139 hits!
It just gets tiring after awhile running into all of these self-proclaiming political pundits while surfing through various blogs. It's too easy to use the terms "knee-jerk" and "left- or right-wing," slap a few verbs and nouns together and BAM!-- you're a politco expert ready for your Fox News Channel close-up.
I threw a couple of phrases in Google to see how many people ranting and raving these days, and what they're ranting about:
First off, there's a huge discrepancy in who's using the cliche "knee-jerk." The phrase "knee-jerk liberal" returns 1,290 hits, while "knee-jerk conservative" brings back 309.
The reverse is true when discussing wingers. "Right wing" brings back 948,000 hits, while "left wing" clocks in at 624,000.
Now, here are two things I can get behind:
"George W. Bush sucks" returns 124 hits. (And now 125, thanks to this post!) "F--k George W. Bush" gets even more-- 139 hits!
Tuesday, June 3, 2003
Wacky news time: A grandmother in Riverside wants the school district to ban the book "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby"-- because one of the book's villians is, um, a piece of poop. It all started when the woman found her 7-year-old grandson sketching the character, whose name is Deputy Doo-Doo. Speaking to the L.A. Times, the woman complains that "there's just no moral value to that poop character."
More specifically, Taylond, a second-grader, was sketching Deputy Doo-Doo, the villainous character in "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby" by Dav Pilkey.
More specifically, Taylond, a second-grader, was sketching Deputy Doo-Doo, the villainous character in "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby" by Dav Pilkey.
Monday, June 2, 2003
Rate-A-Restaurant, #15 in a series
Restaurant: Union Pacific
Location: 111 East 22nd (between Park Avenue South and Lexington), New York
Type of restaurant: contemporary American
They stipulated: They have a prix fixe lunch menu for $20.03 (deal!) but we opted to order from the regular menu.
What we ordered: Appetizers: yellow curry of baby calamari with rice for Mike and the campanelle with smoked ricotta for me; Main: sauteed skate (fish) with lime pickled swiss chard in brown butter sauce for Mike and miso-marinated hangar steak with mushrooms for me; Dessert: an assortment of sorbet and chocolate hazelnut parfait (compliments of our waiter).
High point: The food was exotic yet simple. Nice ingredients that blend well together creating the most delicious flavors in your mouth.
Low point: The steak was a bit chewy but it was my own damn fault. The waiter warned me that it may be a little tough when I ordered it medium-well so I changed it to medium, he recommended getting it medium-rare.
Overall impression: The service was impeccable especially when the waiter gave us the other dessert (it had a light & flaky crust similar to that of the Feraro Roche chocolate and a heavenly hazelnut mousse) and the food was very sophisticated. The restaurant has a dramatic small pond and a small bridge leads you to the dining area.
Chance we will go back: Yes, next time we'll try the prix fixe menu.
Restaurant: Union Pacific
Location: 111 East 22nd (between Park Avenue South and Lexington), New York
Type of restaurant: contemporary American
They stipulated: They have a prix fixe lunch menu for $20.03 (deal!) but we opted to order from the regular menu.
What we ordered: Appetizers: yellow curry of baby calamari with rice for Mike and the campanelle with smoked ricotta for me; Main: sauteed skate (fish) with lime pickled swiss chard in brown butter sauce for Mike and miso-marinated hangar steak with mushrooms for me; Dessert: an assortment of sorbet and chocolate hazelnut parfait (compliments of our waiter).
High point: The food was exotic yet simple. Nice ingredients that blend well together creating the most delicious flavors in your mouth.
Low point: The steak was a bit chewy but it was my own damn fault. The waiter warned me that it may be a little tough when I ordered it medium-well so I changed it to medium, he recommended getting it medium-rare.
Overall impression: The service was impeccable especially when the waiter gave us the other dessert (it had a light & flaky crust similar to that of the Feraro Roche chocolate and a heavenly hazelnut mousse) and the food was very sophisticated. The restaurant has a dramatic small pond and a small bridge leads you to the dining area.
Chance we will go back: Yes, next time we'll try the prix fixe menu.
Braces: Day Four
Argh. They're still in my mouth. Is this really what the next two years have to offer? Actually, I think things are slowly getting better, but my tongue is still getting thrashed by the lovely metal bands on my back molars. And brushing my teeth is now an event. I'm constantly reminded of meals past-- this morning I spit out more chunk's from yesterday's lunch! Hey, I thought I got all you little morsels out! I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I hopefully start eating more solids. For now, I'm still sticking mostly to soup, mashed potatoes, applesauce, pudding and ice cream. Sounds like the diet from hell, but I'm still counting on losing some weight!
Argh. They're still in my mouth. Is this really what the next two years have to offer? Actually, I think things are slowly getting better, but my tongue is still getting thrashed by the lovely metal bands on my back molars. And brushing my teeth is now an event. I'm constantly reminded of meals past-- this morning I spit out more chunk's from yesterday's lunch! Hey, I thought I got all you little morsels out! I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I hopefully start eating more solids. For now, I'm still sticking mostly to soup, mashed potatoes, applesauce, pudding and ice cream. Sounds like the diet from hell, but I'm still counting on losing some weight!
It's the end of media regulation as we know it-- and somehow I don't feel fine. When moguls like Ted Turner and Barry Diller have even come out against the further relaxation of media ownership rules, you know this sure ain't going to be good. Get ready for even more media giants--and even fewer independent voices (if that's even possible) after the FCC announces new ownership rules today.
Sunday, June 1, 2003
You've, of course, heard about Route 66. But you probably don't know much about California's Highway 99.
It's looking more and more like the L.A. Unified School District is planning to tear down the legendary Ambassador Hotel. That would be a shame. Not only is the Ambassador beautiful architechturally, but it's brimming with history. The Ambassador was L.A.'s elite hotel for decades, and virtually every major performer through the 1970s was on stage at its legendary Coconut Grove nightclub. The Ambassador was home of the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, Los Angeles’ premier night spot for decades; and host to six Oscar ceremonies and to every U.S. President from Herbert Hoover to Richard Nixon (who wrote his 1952 “Checkers” speech at the Ambassador). And most historically, the Ambassador was the site of Bobby Kennedy's assassination.
The Ambassador shut down in the 1980s, a victim of the changing neighborhood. It's been threatened with demolition a number of times-- Donald Trump wanted to build the world's tallest building there in the early 1990s, but then the economy went south. Eventually, the school district--badly in need of new schools--inherited the site.
The Los Angeles Conservancy believes there's a way to convert the building into a school in order to meet the school district's needs but still preserve most of the school. The Coconut Grove, for example, would be the auditorium. The hotel's massive lobby could turn into a student gathering place. And so on. Time's running out, though, but hopefully the LAUSD will do the right thing.
Speaking of RFK and the Ambassador, the L.A. Times' Steve Lopez meets up with Juan Romero. He now labors for a paving company in San Jose. But in 1968 he was a busboy at the Ambassador-- and is the young man you've seen cradling Bobby Kennedy's head in that famous photo taken inside the hotel's kitchen.
The Ambassador shut down in the 1980s, a victim of the changing neighborhood. It's been threatened with demolition a number of times-- Donald Trump wanted to build the world's tallest building there in the early 1990s, but then the economy went south. Eventually, the school district--badly in need of new schools--inherited the site.
The Los Angeles Conservancy believes there's a way to convert the building into a school in order to meet the school district's needs but still preserve most of the school. The Coconut Grove, for example, would be the auditorium. The hotel's massive lobby could turn into a student gathering place. And so on. Time's running out, though, but hopefully the LAUSD will do the right thing.
Speaking of RFK and the Ambassador, the L.A. Times' Steve Lopez meets up with Juan Romero. He now labors for a paving company in San Jose. But in 1968 he was a busboy at the Ambassador-- and is the young man you've seen cradling Bobby Kennedy's head in that famous photo taken inside the hotel's kitchen.
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