DineLA's Restaurant Week Gets Into the Food Truck Craze

The first-ever fall edition of DineLA's popular Restaurant Week takes place Oct. 4-9 and 11-16, once again offering prix fixe menus at popular eateries all over town. Over 260 restaurants are participating.

To spread the word, DineLA has taken to the current food truck trend, sending top chefs out to hand out free food all over Los Angeles this week. Yesterday, The Foundry on Melrose's chef/owner Eric Greenspan and sous chef Nick Russo were outside the Variety Building, and we were there to sample a few free goodies:


Carmelized scallops (with spinach, almonds and curry)


Tuna tartare (with bok choy, orange and soy)

Both items will be featured on the Foundry's Dine LA menu ($44 for an appetizer, mid-course, entree and dessert).



Here's the rest of the week's DineLA food truck stops:

Sept. 30, Santa Monica: Anisette Brasserie Executive Chef, Alain Giraud
Oct. 1, Beverly Hills: Lawry's, The Prime Rib Executive Chef, Walter Eckstein
Oct. 2, Downtown: Rosa Mexicano, Executive Chef John England

Check out DineLA's Twitter account for exact locations.

Newly Formed Seaglass Theatre Uncovers the "Wonder of the World"

Our pal Pang-ni is part of the newly launched Seaglass Theatre company, which is currently showcasing Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Lindsay-Abaire’s play "Wonder of the World."

Production takes place will be presented Sept. 26 through Nov. 1, 2009 in the Little Vic Theatre at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank.

First premiered in 2000 at the Manhattan Theatre Club, "Wonder of the World" revolves around a woman who dumps her husband and heads to Niagara Falls in search of freedom. She flees on a "journey of self-discovery that has her crossing paths with a blithely suicidal alcoholic, a salty sea captain and a strange caper involving a gargantuan jar of peanut butter, all of which push her perilously close to waters edge."

Thesps include Elizabeth Bond, David Ghilardi, Jill Holden, Jen Ray, Paul Stroili, Kimberly Van Luin and Ian Vogt, while Neil Wilson direct. Early reviews are strong; Broadway World called "Wonder of the World" " drop dead hilarious from beginning to end." Publication also called the cast "is a dream under Wilson's taut direction."

In other words, it sounds like it's worth your time. "Wonder of the World" runs Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and on
Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m through November 1. All tickets are priced at $22.00 and will be available
for purchase online beginning Monday, August 16 at www.seaglasstheatre.org.

"Kate Plus Eight Minus Jon": The Aftermath

The Wrap's Joe Adalian, my former Variety colleague, asked a bunch of us on Tuesday for some (tongue-in-cheek) career advice for the Most Hated Dad In America, Jon Gosselin (who's just been axed from the now-retitled TLC series "Kate Plus Eight").

Here's what I sent him:

Attention, "The Biggest Loser" producers, it's spin-off time. Season one of "The Biggest Douche: Celebrity Edition" features Jon Gosselin, Tucker Max and Joe Francis as they struggle each week to shed as much douchiness as possible. In episode three, a tearful Jon is forced to set his Ed Hardy shirts on fire. Potential problem: Production is halted mid-way through when Francis is once again arrested and Gosselin's sister-in-law reveals her torrid affair with Jon to OK! Magazine. Producers pull the plug in disgust.

Sadly, I think this show would sell.

MEANWHILE, am I psychic, or what? Check out this June 18 tweet I wrote as a joke:

Jon and Kate Gosselin to make big announcement on their show Monday. My prediction -- Two new shows coming to TLC: "Kate Plus 8" and "Jon."

It came true, kinda.

Help Us Hand Out Some Linky Love

Now that Franklin Avenue is 6 1/2, we've been around long enough to see countless other blogs come and go. Some older blogs are still in our links, even though they haven't updated for months or even years.

New blogs, meanwhile, have come along, and we've perhaps not yet stumbled upon them.

That's where you come in. What L.A.-centric blogs are we missing in our links? Don't be shy -- pimp your own blog if you've got one that chronicles your life in our fair city. Help us freshen up those ancient links to your right!

Some Good News For a Change: Billboard Ban Upheld; and the Angeles Forest Will Rise Again

(Photo collage via Public Ad Campaign.com.)

With so many outdoor advertising companies slapping billboards all over town -- and in many cases, ignoring city ordinances (not to mention spitting in the face of a billboard ban), it seemed like a losing battle for Los Angeles. Not so: According to the L.A. Times, a federal judge declined to halt enforcement of the city's ban against the installation of supergraphics and new digital billboards:

In a tentative ruling, U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins said Liberty Media had failed to show a likelihood that it would prevail with its procedural arguments against the month-old ordinance.

Liberty had asked Collins to issue an injunction and force the city’s Building and Safety Department to allow 16 new signs to go up. One billboard foe had feared that a ruling against Los Angeles would have had greater ramifications, opening the door to scores of new signs by other advertising businesses.

“My feeling was that if she ruled in favor of Liberty Media, the sign companies would be lining up outside the Building and Safety Department to get permits,” said Dennis Hathway, president of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight.

City officials said all 16 signs sought by Liberty Media were supergraphics, which can cover the entire side of a building.

Los Angeles is fighting more than 20 legal challenges from the billboard companies opposed to its efforts to regulate outdoor advertising. The council approved a temporary sign ban in December, hoping to buy itself time to craft a new ordinance that would withstand a court challenge.

(Pic by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.)

MEANWHILE, with most of the news coming out of the Angeles National Forest pretty depressing (the Station fire isn't even 100% contained), people are angry over L.A. Times reports that the fire could have been contained within a day or two of ignition, with little damage -- but that authorities didn't call out the big guns, figuring the fire wouldn't expand. Boy, were they wrong.

It's pretty depressing to realize that the once-vibrant forest to the north of Los Angeles is now nothing more than an ashy pit. But scientists hold out hope that the forest can eventually restore itself (as long as heavy rains, which could further the ersion, don't happen). The L.A. Times writes that we'll once again enjoy the forest... one day:

Where some see withered plants and scoured hillsides, (Forest Service plant ecologist Jan Beyers) sees decades of patient aspiration come to fruition -- the "shooters and seeders."

Trees that have lost limbs to fire will grow new, sturdier arms. Plants that have been annually depositing seeds in subterranean "seed banks" will be rewarded with young growth rising out of soil rejuvenated with nitrogen-bearing nutrients.

"There are seeds in the soil here that have been waiting decades for this chance," she said wistfully.

Indeed, for some growing things, fire is a bonanza. Certain species of conifers require heat to release seeds from their tightly closed cones. Some plants need the fire's heat to crack hard seed coatings in order to sprout. Some plants thrive on the chemicals produced from ash leaching into soil. Smaller bushes, crowded out by larger neighbors before the fire, flourish afterward in their newfound elbow room.

The seed caches of ground-dwelling rodents will be disinterred, and the still-viable seeds dispersed by ants and birds, everyone pitching in to repair their habitat...

Then there is the profusion of wildflowers that will debut in the spring. The fire followers: purple lupines, morning glories, California poppies, larkspurs, wild sweet peas and snapdragons.

"Ten years from now," Beyers said, taking in the charred hillside and smiling, "you can come back here and never know there was a fire at all."

I guess we'll check back in 2019. But more immediately, I wonder when the Angeles Crest Highway will re-open -- and whether we'll be able to make our annual drive into the Angeles forest this winter to play with the snow.

Los Angeles Plays Itself, "FlashForward" Edition

Now THAT'S what I call a Sig Alert on the 110.

As many have noted through the years, Hollywood loves to destroy Los Angeles. TV is getting into the act this season, starting with ABC's new sci-fi adventure "FlashForward," which launched last week.

"FlashForward" begins with the entire world blacking out for a little more than 2 minutes. When they awake, the world is in chaos: Planes have crashed, accidents are everywhere and fires have been started. Because the show takes place in Los Angeles, we get a close-up look at the aftermath in downtown, where the show's main characters had been staking out a suspected terrorist.

I'm excited to see how they use Los Angeles as a character in future episodes. For now, here are a few shots from the show's first episode. Above, here's the view looking south, down the 110.


Glancing north, above 110, with downtown on fire. Even a plume of smoke wafts out of City Hall.


FBI agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) attends an AA meeting held inside the old Fred Harvey restaurant at Union Station. And yes, for those of you playing at home, THIS is where Maria and I had our wedding reception in 2002!


Our heroes on a stakeout, right underneath the Gold Line tracks in Chinatown. And yes, that's a billboard for Oceanic Airlines -- the fictional airliner from "Lost" -- in the background.


Their location, from the other side. That's the stairs to the Gold Line's Chinatown station behind them.


Kent Shocknek?!?! This is bizarre for two reasons: (1) Kent is the morning anchor on CBS' KCBS-Channel 2. "FlashForward" is an ABC show. And (2) It's Kent Shocknek!! (BTW, check out Kent's IMDB page here -- the man has made quite a lucrative career out of moonlighting as a fake news anchor for TV and film.)


Things aren't looking good on Broadway, in front of the Orpheum and the Broadway Bar.


Yep, that's the Disney Hall on fire back there (and it looks like the Dorothy Chandler isn't faring much better, further to the right). For all you jury junkies out there, that's the parking garage, in front of the Disney, where you store your car before reporting for duty.
But what's the deal with the fake skyscraper behind Disney Hall? Some set designer decide the view wasn't exciting enough?


The City of Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power gets a logo makeover for the purpose of "FlashForward." Here's the real logo below:



MEANWHILE, you say you enjoyed watching Los Angeles get destroyed on "FlashForward," but you want more? Here's a promo shot from ABC's upcoming "V," in which massive alien ships hover over the world's biggest cities -- including L.A. (And if that's still not enough, NBC's upcoming post-apocalyptic "Day One" also takes place in L.A.)

Retro Friday: Fall TV Edition

ABC in 1976 -- including "The Bionic Woman" and "Happy Days."



CBS circa 1978 -- "Turn Us On, We'll Turn You On!" Wait, what? Wow, CBS was quite cheeky in 1978.



NBC in 1979: Wait, forget CBS in 1978, the Peacock was even more randy in the late 1970s. Here's a clip of fall shows from that year -- plenty of women in bikinis and shirtless guys. I guess it was the 70s.

Wonder Bread's Return to Los Angeles

(Flickr pic by SoCal Metro.)

The decision to end production of Wonder Bread -- that bland, wholesome white bread that everyone grew up on -- in Southern California drew big headlines in 2007 (see here).

But I haven't been able to find many articles touting its return. It's true: Wonder Bread is back. And Jnterstate Brands Corp. has also brought back Home Pride brands, and introduced a new line, Nature's Pride, to the marketplace.

Sales had been declining for some time when Interstate, which also manufactures Hostess and Dolly Madison products, decided to eliminate Wonder Bread all together from SoCal. The L.A. Times wrote in 2007:

Essentially, "the company was in the wrong business in the wrong market," said Rich Seban, chief marketing officer for Wonder Bread maker Interstate Bakeries Corp. of Kansas City, Mo.

Shoppers such as Sarah Foss, a court reporter from Upland, are weaning their families off refined flour products. "Wonder Bread is like wallpaper paste," she said.

I guess Interstate had a change of heart, Here's its recent press release:

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, WONDER® AND HOME PRIDE® BREADS RETURN TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARKET

Irving, TX – In response to significant consumer demand during a nearly two-year absence, Wonder and Home Pride brand breads – among the top sellers in their respective categories previously – are now again available at retailers throughout the Southern California market, Interstate Brands Corporation (IBC), the baker of both breads, announced today. The company also announced that its new Nature’s Pride bread, the first brand of 100% natural bread available across the country, has expanded its west coast distribution and is now sold throughout Southern California .

When previously in the market, Home Pride was the best selling brand of premium white and everyday wheat bread and Wonder, the number one brand of white bread in America , was also one of the top sellers in Southern California .

In connection with the re-introduction, IBC has pledged to donate 5,000 loaves of bread to the San Diego Food Bank and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to support their missions of providing food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and advancing human caring.

Rich Seban, chief marketing officer of IBC added, “Not only are we bringing back Wonder and Home Pride, we are also expanding our offerings with new 100% natural Nature’s Pride, which, in only a few short months since its launch, has drawn rave reviews from consumers and earned high praise from Fitness Magazine as the best sliced bread. Nature’s Pride is a testament to a renewed commitment to innovation at IBC, one that will continue to expand our focus on nutrition to meet consumers’ evolving tastes and desires. We are extremely excited about the significant market opportunity here.”

Looks like either Rich had a change of heart, or the re-introduction of Wonder Bread is really just a way to get some shelf space for Nature's Pride. Either way, there's something comforting in having an old brand back in the supermarkets.

KROQ's Bean On His One-Time Co-Worker, Glenn Beck

Gene "Bean" Baxter (center) at WPGC in 1983.


Glenn Beck (upper left) as part of the team at WPGC.

Now that Glenn Beck has frighteningly become a powerful force in politics -- leading now to the resignation of two officials -- folks like Salon are looking deeper into his background as a morning zoo DJ.

That's right -- before he was a cable TV news blowhard, Beck was a drive time DJ (and once you realize that, it's obvious how that morning zoo background still comes out in what he does now).

In 1983, Beck was at legendary Washington, D.C. top 40 (now urban) WPGC. Also there at the same time was a young Gene Baxter, now known as "Bean" on KROQ's wildly popular "Kevin & Bean" morning show.

I asked Bean whether he remembered much about working with Beck, and he emailed back:

I have a notoriously poor memory and only remember that for a while I was doing 6-10pm (I replaced Don Geronimo) and Glenn followed me from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

He was extremely arrogant then, but he was only 19 years old and on the air full-time in Washington D.C., so maybe I can’t blame him. I guess I was 3 or 4 years older. I remember him as a very good top 40 deejay though.

He also smoked funny little clove cigarettes, back when one was allowed to smoke on the air, and they were pretty nasty.

Check out Salon's three-part series (yes, three-part series) on Glenn Beck's origins as a top 40 DJ, starting here.

And in case you haven't seen it yet, check out Beck as a zany morning zoo DJ in Phoenix 25 years ago:



Beck later branded that monkey a Commie and threw him in a pot of boiling water.

The Station Fire: Like an H-Bomb Hit North of Los Angeles

Metblogs L.A. author Lulu did her homework and came up with this stunning stat: The amount of energy released by the devastating Station Fire is equal to 3 megatons of TNT -- or an average-size H-bomb.

Yikes.

She writes:

Somehow the equivalence, however, makes me think of a point made by Thom Andersen, in Los Angeles Plays Itself, which I had the pleasure of seeing a few weeks ago at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, with live questions and answers with the writer/director. Andersen observes, among many things in his essay-as-film, how often Los Angeles plays the scene of post-apocalyptic disaster, and how well suited to this role are the desolate downtown neighborhoods such as Bunker Hill. Part of this type casting is, no doubt, a certain Weltanschauung of audiences and producers about Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, some good news from the fire: Newcomb's Ranch says that it survived the fires and will reopen once the Angeles Crest Highway reopens.

Also, the Mt. Waterman Ski Resort, near Newcomb's Ranch on the Angeles Crest, reports that it, too, has survived, and hopes to open this winter once the snows hit:

Caltrans has already awarded contracts to fix the road (guardrails, signs, etc.) and lets hope the road opens this winter so we can all enjoy the skiing this winter. Is this really going to be an El Nino year?

Also to note: The Angeles Crest Hwy is now closed from La Canada to Islip Saddle. No date has been set to reopen the road. Much work will need to be done before most of us will be able to enjoy Mt Waterman again.

FRANKLIN AVENUE CONTEST: Disco Night at the Hollywood Bowl

Celebrate good times. Come on.

"Disco Fever," which includes performances by Kool and The Gang (above), the Village People, and CHIC with Nile Rodgers, hits the Hollywood Bowl this Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.

Wanna go? Email us BY THURSDAY with your favorite disco track (it doesn't have to be from one of the artists above) and we'll put your name in the hat!

Pair of tix come courtesy of Allied Live.

Indie Rock For the Tot Set

Kidrockers returns to The Echo on Sunday, Oct. 4 with performances by The Damselles, as well as Quazar & the Bamboozled.

"Kidrockers"? Yep, it's exactly what it sounds like: An afternoon show geared toward young music fans -- age 3 to 13 -- and their parents.

OK, go ahead and roll your eyes at the hipster parents forcing their kids to a rock show. But I personally think it's a pretty cool idea. First of all, exposing your kids to live music is never a bad thing (well, unless it's Miley Cyrus). And getting your kids excited about good music is never a bad thing either. Obviously you can't take your kids to a late night 21-and-over show, so this represents a rare opportunity to head to The Echo, during the day, with your young kid in tow. (Those of you without kids have no idea how liberating this sounds.)

Matt Dwyer is hosting the Oct. 4 show, which takes place from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at The Echo (1822 Sunset). Tix are $9 in advance (here) or $12 at the door.

More backstory on "Kidrockers":

These All Ages shows are designed to bring families together to experience some of the most engaging and vital artists in indie music and comedy. Artists perform original (not specifically made for children) songs in a manner that is both authentic and kid-friendly. Past artists include Rogue Wave, Ra Ra Riot, Tad Kubler (and members of the Hold Steady), Matthew and Ira of Nada Surf, Vivian Girls, Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles, The Jealous Girlfriends, Harlem Shakes, Chairlift, Jeffrey Lewis, Le Switch, The Radar Brothers, The Subjects, Looker, Bishop Allen, The Spinto Band, The Deadly Syndrome, Afternoons, The Broken West, Henry Clay People, Local Natives, Locksley, Phonograph, Palomar, Pela, Los Campesinos!, Chris Baron and LEVY. Kidrockers hosts include Seth Herzog, Craig Baldo, Matt Dwyer, Greg Behrendt, Bobby Tisdale and Patton Oswalt.

“We love to hear great new music -- and so do our kids.” says KiDROCKERS founder Beth Lorge. “We want to create an opportunity for kids and parents to discover artists and get to see them play live in a fun, safe and comfortable environment.”

Usher In Fall At the Observatory

The Griffith Observatory will celebrate the autumnal equinox -- the official start of fall -- on Tuesday. (Fall officially begins at 2:19 Pacific time.)

At 12:46 p.m., the projection of the Sun’s image crosses the engraved meridian arc of the Gottlieb Transit Corridor; then, a 6:50 p.m., the Sun aligns with the engraved equinox line on the Observatory’s West Observation Terrace.

So what's the Autumnal Equinox? The museum explains:

The autumnal equinox occurs when day and night are of nearly equal length ("equinox" is Latin for "equal night"). This is true throughout most of the world at only two times a year.

The autumnal equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator (the projection of Earth’s equator into space) from north to south. From the autumnal equinox and until the start of winter – the winter solstice on December 21 – days will continue to get shorter, and the noon elevation of the Sun will decrease. This happens because the Earth's axis is tilted 23½ degrees to its orbit.

The Sun will rise and set on September 22 nearly due east and west, respectively. Around the world, ancient ruins include features oriented to the rising, setting, and passage of the Sun through the sky on solstices and equinoxes. Many ancient sites suggest that ritual was an important part of observing solstices and equinoxes. Griffith Observatory has several architectural features that align with celestial events.

License Plate of the Day: Honesty Edition

Here's someone harboring some serious wishful thinking: In this case, a BMW in Mazda clothing.

Pic via Xoxo_meme on Twitter. Submitted to us by ndevelopment -- thanks! For all of you, keep sending your vanity plate pics our way!

Emmy Wrap: Strong Show, Repeat Winners

The ratings were up for Sunday night's Primetime Emmy Awards, which is about all that CBS -- which telecast this year's show -- could ask for. According to early numbers, the Emmycast averaged 13.3 million viewers and was up about 10% in key demos. Not bad, considering it went up against a highly rated Giants/Cowboys game on NBC.

Neil Patrick Harris was a hosting sensation, and is earning nothing but raves for his turn as the Emmys' master of ceremonies. (It helps that he comes a year after the disasterous performance by five reality show hosts.) On the flip side, "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" both repeated their wins for outstanding comedy and drama, respectively. Those awards are well deserved... but didn't provide much suspense for Emmy viewers. It's the first time both categories provided back-to-back wins since 1983 and 1984, when "Cheers" and "Hill Street Blues" won both years.

As usual, I was backstage in the "deadline press room," watching the show and furiously scribbling notes. In a tux. Oh, the glamour.

Here's some Variety coverage:

'30 Rock,' 'Mad Men' Take Top Emmys

What A Non-Difference A Year Makes

The Nerds Take Over the Emmys

'Amazing Race,' 'Daily Show' Roll A Seven

Winning Thesps Cross Genres

2009 Emmys: Complete List of Winners

Retro Friday: Fox's Ill-Fated Joan Rivers Experiment

In 1985, Joan Rivers -- who had served as Johnny Carson's permanent "Tonight Show" guest host -- got word that she wasn't likely a contender to officially replace Carson once he retired. At the same time, Rupert Murdoch had just bought the Metromedia TV stations and was preparing to launch a fourth TV network. Fox dangled a proposal Rivers couldn't refuse: Her own nightly talk show. Rivers split -- which caused a permanent rift with Carson, who never spoke to her again -- and on Oct. 9, 1986, the Fox network launched with a late night show: "The Late Show with Joan Rivers."

Above, it's Joan's show number one, which featured an eclectic guest list: Elton John, Cher, Pee-Wee Herman and David Lee Roth.

Alas, the show was not meant to be. Rivers and Fox quickly clashed... and by mid-1987, she and Fox parted ways. Fox relied on a series of guest hosts for a while -- but then settled on a young comedian, Arsenio Hall, to take over. Hall hosted for 13 weeks -- but then left to star in "Coming to America." He later came back with his own syndicated talk show, which ran from 1989-1994.

Below, here's what it looked like 25 years ago when Rivers was still the "Tonight Show" guest host.

"Affable Man-About-Town" Seeks Los Angeles Street, For Long Walk

Nice surprise to see KNBC's website take up our cause in scouting out a street for this year's Great Los Angeles Walk.

Here's what they wrote:

Mike Schneider is one of those affable men-about-town that we're particularly fond of. The Variety writer and keeper of the Franklin Avenue blog -- which everyone should be reading, whether they live in the Los Feliz/Glendale nexus or not -- is wild about this city. He's so enamored that he occasionally rounds up several friends and friendly strangers for a huge strut down one of the larger thoroughfares of our city.

There's a name for the strut -- The Great Los Angeles Walk -- and a permanent date -- the Saturday before Thanksgiving (the better to pre-work off all those calories, says Mike). And since we're now speeding into fall, Mike has sent out the call. Where should the next walk take place? What street?

It's a grand idea. It's the fine way to discover your next favorite bookstore or leather repair shop or park. And you meet plenty of likeminded souls who are also fond of this big lovely sprawly place, too.

Thanks to Alysia Gray Painter for the writeup. I'm gonna be testing out potential routes soon; keep hitting me with ideas!

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: "WATER MAIN"

Another City of Los Angeles water main broke on Thursday afternoon, this time on Topanga Canyon.

Wait a sec... have we Angelenos become extras in a cheesy, "Volcano"-style disaster movie? Coming soon to a theater near you: "WATER MAIN."

The plot: DWP officials stress that these breaks are unrelated. But a tenacious Caltech scientist says no. NOPE -- it's the first sign that what we've feared for years is coming true: Los Angeles is falling into the ocean. It'll take the genius mind of our Caltech scientist (young, blonde, female) and our at first skeptical DWP official to spread the word. But eventually, all of L.A. will get together and send that water to the Owens Valley. LA is saved, and the water is back where it belongs!

WATER MAIN... The Coast isn't Toast. It's All Wet.

(As first Tweeted yesterday on @franklinavenue.)

Art Over Pasadena

Did any of you catch this on Saturday? We happened to be driving east on the 134 when we noticed the skywriting above. "LEAVE THE LAND ALONE."

Turns out it was an art piece designed by Bruce Nauman, who first came up with the idea in 1969 -- and finally pulled it off in 2009. The L.A. Times' Christopher Knight writes:

A small airplane buzzed into view around 11:37 a.m., and soon it began to emit puffs of white smoke. A never-before produced sculpture by Bruce Nauman – a little-known but emerging artist when he conceived the sky-writing piece in his Raymond Avenue studio in 1969, but now one of art's premier international figures – was finally coming to fruition.

Soon the words took shape in a gentle arc overhead: LEAVE THE LAND ALONE.

The fluffy words hung in the idle air, then slowly dissipated, leaving barely a smudge. The plane circled around and rewrote the brief sentence several times. (I counted four in the first 20 minutes.) A few groundlings took pictures, having been prepared for the event: It kicks off “Installations Inside/Out,” a 20th anniversary exhibition of installation art at Pasadena's Armory Center for the Arts. But mostly it went unnoticed or else puzzled recreationers in the park.

We're so ingrained to assume that these kind of messages are marketing tools that I spent some time wondering what product they were selling.

License Plate of the Day: "Facts of Life" Edition

Joltin' Jo? Off to the shop to fix a bike? Racing over to Edna's Edibles to tell off Blair?

Thanks to Rachel for the pic.

Just In Case You're Still Going Through Jonesy Withdrawl

(Pic by L.A. Times.)

The Jonesy's Jukebox fansite has posted several episodes of Sex Pistol Steve Jones' old show on the late, great Indie 103.1. Details:

"I dug out some interesting shows that may be of interest. I have some others to put up there as well. This is just a very small selection and may give some understanding of how good this radio show was. All unedited so adverts and all. Shows generally start about 10->15 minutes in to file.

Looking Back At -- And Preserving -- 1960s Los Angeles Architecture

The Los Angeles Conservancy and its Modern Committee is about to launch “The Sixties Turn Fifty,” a nine-month initiative to celebrate the city's 1960s-era architecture -- and promote its preservation.

The timing of the celebration -- which marks the 50th anniversary of the 1960s -- comes as developers continue to threaten the demise of the 1960s-era Century City Plaza Hotel.

"The Sixties Turn Fifty" kicks off on Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. with a discussion at the Department of Water and Power Building (A.C. Martin & Associates, 1965; below) in downtown Los Angeles. Experts in architecture, preservation, and SoCal modernism will examine critical issues facing 1960s preservation.
RSVP for the free event here.



A few more upcoming "The Sixties Turn Fifty" events:

It’s a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod City - Sunday, November 8, 2009
One-time-only self-driving tour of a range of 1960s buildings, with docent-led tours at each stop

Spring Tour – Sunday, March 14, 2010
One-time self-driving tour featuring the residential gems of 1960s Los Angeles, with docent-led tours at each stop

Last Remaining Seats – Wednesdays, May 26 - June 30, 2010
Sixties films integrated into this annual series of classic films in historic theatres

Annual Meeting – June 2010
Free event at a 1960s location, featuring a preservation year in review

The Conservancy notes that the 50th anniversary means 1960s-era structures will now be officially considered old enough to have acquired historic significance, particularly in terms of the National Register of Historic Places. The org writes:

The 1960s were an exciting time for Los Angeles and the country. L.A. came of age as a modern metropolis with a new freeway system, flourishing aerospace industry, and booming population.

The City of Los Angeles created its Cultural Heritage Ordinance in 1962, becoming one of the first cities in the U.S. to do so. The National Historic Preservation Act followed in 1966. While preservation protections were put into place, architects were experimenting with new materials and designing large-scale developments across the county. Sixties modernism was perfectly suited to the optimism and ambition of postwar Los Angeles.

Despite its early foray into the world of historic preservation, Los Angeles doesn’t have a strong track record in protecting its historic resources, particularly those of the 1960s. The region has lost a number of important sixties structures, from commercial buildings to significant homes like the Irving Stone Residence in Beverly Hills (Richard Dorman & Associates, 1961). Several sixties structures are currently threatened, most notably the 1966 Century Plaza Hotel.

The Conservancy also notes success stories from recent years -- such as the preservation of the Cinerama Dome, which was also threatened with destruction.

Arianna Huffington: Pundit, Blogger, Radio Host... TV Sitcom Producer?

Huffington Post maven -- and KCRW "Left, Right & Center" host -- Arianna Huffington is geting into the sitcom business.

Really. Huffington has partnered with "Friends" alum Greg Malins to develop a sitcom for ABC set in the world of politics.

"Freshmen" revolves around a group of three newly elected members of Congress -- two men and one woman -- who wind up sharing an apartment in Washington. Multi-camera half-hour comes from 20th Century Fox TV, where Malins is in the middle of an overall deal...

In D.C., politicos who room together include Democratic politicians Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, George Miller and Bill Delahunt, who all share a rented house.

As for Huffington and (founding editor) Sekoff, Malins said he's an avid reader of the Huffington Post and took a meeting with the duo to get some advice on how to create the show.

"It was a perfect pairing," Malins said. "They threw out some ideas, and I even stole from Arianna's life and put it in the show."

Malins said Huffington and Sekoff are also cooking up Internet tie-ins to the project, such as putting together campaign websites for the show's characters, coinciding with next year's midterm elections.

As for Huffington, the political pundit is already well-versed in the world of TV comedy: She stars as the voice of "Arianna" the bear on Fox's upcoming "The Cleveland Show."

Rate-A-Restaurant #218: Baracoa

Restaurant: Baracoa

Location: 3175 Glendale Blvd (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: Cuban

We stipulated: We were looking for a quick dinner close to Franklin Avenue HQ, and had been meaning to check out Baracoa for years.

They stipulated: "We also offer a great priced lunch menu, food to go and delivery. For those who will join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we offer a nice beer & wine menu and the best Sangrias."



What we ordered: Jerk Chicken (Marinated in Jamaican spices, seared and finished in oven; $12.95); Pork Chop (Chuleta) (10oz. Charbroiled well seasoned chop. Served with rice and beans; $11.95)



High point: The portions are good sized, and we liked how the rice had a nice, soft texture. The Cuban bread starter is also really addictive.



Low point: It was cozy, but one waitress was on duty for the entire place -- making for slow service. Also, the beans had a slightly smoky taste -- but not necessarily in a good way; and the pork was a little too thick.



Overall impression: Yes, the decor is cheesy -- but the restaurant is nicely intimate. And yes, the food had a hit or miss quality -- but it's comfort Cuban food, and you can't go too wrong with that.



Chance we'll go back: And that's why we probably will -- when we want a nice, sitdown, simple yet comfortable dinner, Baracoa fits the bill.

For a complete list of our more than 200 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant website.

KCRW's "Left, Right & Center" Returns to the Stage

Tickets go on sale this morning at 8 a.m. for another live stage edition of KCRW's political talk show "Left, Right & Center."

Event takes place Sunday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m., over at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

Details:

Back by popular demand, Arianna Huffington, Matt Miller, Robert Scheer and Tony Blankley return with their wildly popular KCRW weekly political radio show and podcast at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Witty, irreverent, no-holds barred repartee from the fearless foursome as they tackle the hot button headline issues. You'll have an opportunity to meet the hosts before they take to the stage and ask your own questions before the event concludes.

Tix are $75 for preferred seating, $50 for general admission, with $100 and $150 for box seats. They go on sale online only at KCRW.com.

The Jay Leno Experiment Starts Tonight

My Variety take on how "The Jay Leno Show" would impact NBC and its rivals in success -- or failure:

What if it works? What if it doesn't?

NBC finally takes the wraps off "The Jay Leno Show" Monday night -- and just about everyone inside and outside the Peacock expects a big turnout on day one.

It's what happens in the following weeks and months that is anyone's guess. Once the initial interest in the primetime "Leno" wears off, talk will likely turn to whether it's actually a success -- and what sort of impact it has had on rivals ABC and CBS.

The bar already has been set pretty low for the show overall, with the benchmark expectation that it will average a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demo. NBC insiders hope the debut at least matches what the finale of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" did in May, a 3.4.

Considering that Fox's relatively unknown "Glee" pulled off the same rating for its premiere last week, it would be a shock if Leno couldn't at least match that number.

More likely, "Leno" will do at least a 5 rating (something that some NBC execs are more realistically expecting) -- or perhaps even higher.

"I'm sure they've already written the press release for the first night," said one rival exec. "For the first week there will be plenty of lookie-loos. We're not going to know for a while."

Read on here.

Remembering Better Times Inside the Angeles National Forest

(Pics from happier times inside the Angeles forest.)

The first reports are in from how the Angeles National Forest fared with the Station Fire -- and it's not good.



The Pasadena Star-News' Dan Abendschein visited the forest -- still off limits for the most part -- and says the view is heartbreaking:

The news is not good. The lower end of the forest, up to the intersection with Big Tujunga Canyon Road, is absolutely devastated. There are stretches where there is almost no foliage left anywhere in sight. Guard rails are laying on the side of the road, the wooden posts that held them up burned to ashes. Without any trees left for wind break, yesterday's slight breeze felt very strong, sending up little dust devils whirling around the charred landscape.

There are few bright spots left for outdoors enthusiasts. Hiking trails off Big Tujunga Canyon Road will be useless. The trail up to Strawberry Peak that starts near Mt. Wilson is burned.

The backside of Mt. Wilson is one of the few exceptions in the area. Firefighters did an amazing job protecting the area, and hiking trails down in the canyon next to it could still be intact. Another bright spot is Switzer Falls, an extremely popular picnic area low in the park. Though the fire burned hillsides on either side of the canyon it sits in, the canyon itself is still mostly intact, especially right in the picnic area. The hiking trails in the area may not be open for a while, though, as trees and boulders have rolled down the hills into the canyon.

The L.A. Times editorial page stressed the need for better funding to help restore the Angeles National Forest:

Civilization grows so close to the Angeles that simply leaving its ash-strewn acres alone will not be enough to restore it. The landscape will need time to regrow; it must be protected from rogue bikers who see an opportunity to cut new trails across sensitive terrain, and from marijuana farmers and squatters. Any archaeological sites revealed by fire -- such as caves or petroglyphs -- must be mapped and preserved. Existing trails will need to be repaired. Tree planting will help bring back shaded forest areas. Invasive species that attempt to take hold must be rooted out. Something will have to be done about animals that have lost their habitat and show up in suburbia searching for food and water.

Such civic-minded groups as the Boy Scouts, the Sierra Club and the Warrior Society, a mountain-biking organization, will almost surely volunteer to help. That community involvement is welcome and vital, but it's not enough. The national forests and parks have been underfunded for years and show it. Facilities are worn, the maintenance backlog is staggering, pine bark beetles are destroying woods and staffing is inadequate for policing, let alone conducting field studies and replanting natural environments.

Modern Hiker, meanwhile, has a strong post on how to help the forest begin its recovery:

The way I see it is this – we should all do our best to try to pitch in to the best of our ability. In all likelihood, we will not be allowed to hike in the Western San Gabriels for quite some time — so why not use one or two of our hiking weekends per month replanting trees, rebuilding trails, or volunteering at information desks?

Full recovery will likely take decades, especially for the higher burn areas. But every hour we volunteer to the rehabilitation efforts will not only help speed up the likely re-opening date, but will also ensure that future generations get to hike through the same forested, green canopies we got to enjoy.

The fires are still burning, although we can't smell the smoke or see the flames anymore. Authorities pushed back the target date for full containment of the Station Fire until this Saturday.

Then, the healing can finally begin.



(All pics from a visit we took up to the snow in 2008.)

Retro Friday: 70s/80s Feel-Good Kids TV Edition

I don't remember much about "Kids Are People Too," other then it was a little too precious. (But just about everything was back then, yes?) But apparently it was also just plain bizarre: In this clip, rocker Patti Smith comes on to sing... "You Light Up My Life."



The "Big Blue Marble" : Such a product of the kumbaya 70s!



Contender for best title of an ABC Afterschool Special: "My Dad Lives in a Downtown Hotel."

MIKE ON TV: Dissecting the Fall TV Season on "Attack of the Show"

Video Game - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

I discuss "V," "Flash Forward," "The Cleveland Show," "Vampire Diaries," and more, with host Kevin Pereira on Thursday's "Attack of the Show."

The L.A. County Fair's Deep Fried King

(Flickr pic by Bobbiteenager.)

Charlie Boghosian wants to kill you.

OK, not quite. But the man known as "Chicken Charlie" at the L.A. County Fair has become famous for his deep fried concoctions -- which he sells in the tens of thousands at the annual event. The L.A. Times' Elina Shatkin profiles the man with the deep fryer:

One day while working a fair in Miami, he noticed a vendor selling deep-fried Twinkies. "I liked the idea, but I didn't like the way it tasted," Boghosian says. "It had been dipped in a very thick, wet batter and you could barely taste the cream inside. I decided to dip it in an egg wash and roll it in dry, sweet flour, creating a thin crust that was very crispy and crunchy. You could taste how nice and warm the Twinkie was." The year he debuted it at the L.A. County Fair, 2001, he sold 10,000 pieces.

"After that, everyone asked: 'What will you do next year?' That question stayed in my head. When the season was over, I bought some portable fryers for my kitchen at home and started experimenting."

In 2002, Boghosian introduced deep-fried Oreos, which he dips in pancake batter, deep-fries, drizzles with chocolate syrup and dusts with powdered sugar. The next year, he deep-fried avocados using fish-and-chips batter. The year after that, he invented his infamous Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich: a raspberry jelly-filled doughnut, sliced in half, stuffed with a seasoned chicken breast and topped with honey sauce. "We have sold tens of thousands of those," he says. This year at the Orange County Fair, he debuted the Zucchini Weenie, a turkey frank tucked in a hollowed-out zucchini that's dipped in corn dog batter and (what else?) fried.

(Flickr pic of Deep Fried White Castle hamburger by My Last Bite.)

I don't know if I'm disgusted or hungry. Or perhaps both. The L.A. County Fair runs Sept. 5 to Oct. 4.