Memorial Day Video: Clark Air Base Cemetery

After the U.S. military left the Philippines in 1991, it was up to volunteers to look after the cemeteries left behind. Thousands of U.S. and Filipino soldiers who died in WWII combat are buried in the cemetery that was once a part of Clark Air Base; as the video notes above, it's now veterans' groups that must raise the funds to maintain the grounds.

A Memorial Day shout-out to the folks who maintain U.S. cemeteries in far-away lands like the Philippines.

Retro Friday: 1950s L.A. TV, Including Johnny Carson

Before hosting "The Tonight Show," Johnny Carson's resume included hosting a show here in L.A. on local KNXT-TV (Channel 2, now known as KCBS) in 1951 and 1952: "Carson's Cellar."

Here's how the Museum of Broadcast Communication's Encyclopedia of Television describes the show: "Relocating to Hollywood in the early 1950s, Carson's television career took a step forward with his weekly low budget series, Carson's Cellar, on CBS' KNXT. Performing monologues and satirical sketches reminiscent of his later work, Carson attracted the attention of such stars as Fred Allen, Groucho Marx and Red Skelton--all of whom dropped by to appear on the local show at no charge. Based on his work with Carson's Cellar, a more sophisticated Johnny Carson Show was created for regional broadcasts in the western United States. This proved unsuccessful and Carson subsequently began work for the Red Skelton Show as a writer."



And speaking of KNXT, here's the Memorial Day edition of the station's 1961 morning program "Panorama Pacific."



Another cool find: A promo from 1954, when KECA-TV Channel 7 changed its call letters to KABC.

L.A. TV May Sweeps: KMEX, KABC dominate, while decent returns for KTTV, KCBS

The Los Angeles TV May numbers are in -- and KABC remains the local English-language news champ, while Univision's KMEX wins the overall crown at 11 p.m.

KCBS, meanwhile, exhibited a nice growth story thanks to its new Paul Magers/Pat Harvey anchor combo, pulling ahead of KNBC to second place at 11 p.m. among viewers (at least in the English language).

KMEX won 11 p.m. with 358,000 viewers, followed by KABC (324,000), KCBS (251,000), KNBC (214,000) and KCOP (70,000 -- trailing "Friends" on KTLA and "The Simpsons" on KTTV).

At 10 p.m., an "American Idol"-fueled KTTV was a dominant first (220,000 viewers), while KCAL (145,000) narrowly beat KTLA (144,000) for second place. Coincidentally -- or perhaps not -- KTLA co-anchor Victoria Recano has left the station, which leaves Micah Ohlman as the station's solo anchor for now.

The traditionally dominant KABC also won the 6 p.m. news race outright, as well as 5 p.m.

In the morning competish, KTTV's "Good Day L.A." and KABC's "Good Morning America" tied for tops (164,000), followed by KNBC's "Today Show" (124,000) and KTLA's "Morning News" (102,000).

In the advertiser-favored adults 25-54 demographic, KMEX is once again first at 11 p.m. (2.4 rating/9 share), followed by KABC (1.9/7), KNBC (1.1/4), KCBS (0.9/4) and KCOP (0.6/2). At 10 p.m., KTTV dominates (1.6/5), followed by a tie between KCAL and KTLA (0.9/3).

Also in the demo, KABC wins at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. In the morning, KTTV's "Good Day L.A." (1.4/13) is ahead of "Today" (0.7/6), "KTLA Morning News" (0.7/7) and "Good Morning America" (0.7/6).

Press Release of the Day: The "PottyPatch"

Thanks to Stu for sending me his Press Release of the Day:

Dog waste can often be a frustrating problem related to lawn care. Small amounts may produce a green up or fertilizer effect, while larger amounts often result in lawn burn or dead patches.

Keep your lawn, kids and pets clean by curbing your dog with a Potty Patch. Typically used as an indoor bathroom, new puppies can be trained to go on the Potty Patch outdoors this summer too.

The Potty Patch helps avoid urine marks on well-manicured lawns and deck where families usually play. Supported by the American Kennel Club, the PottyPatch is a necessary item for keeping your lawn in tip-top condition.

Here are a few key tips to keep your lawn and dog healthy with use of the Potty Patch:

Consistency for at least 2-3 weeks is important to establish this as a routine, trained behavior.

Dogs should not be unsupervised in the yard while this initial training is occurring.
Train your dog to an elimination command such as: Potty, Piddle, Do Your Business or Hurry Up, etc.

My question: Can I use this on a toddler? We're about two years away from another round of potty training, after all...

Ambassador, the Early Years

Our Ambassador chronicler friend Tess just found this classic 1920 image of the old hotel. She writes:

I found this photo at the Vintage Paper Fair this past weekend. It is the oldest photo I have of the Ambassador, to date. Do you know any car experts out there who can help date the photo by the types of the automobiles that are parked on Wilshire Blvd.?

Can anyone help Tess out?

Conversations with the Blogger Kid

This morning's conversation with the 5-year-old:

Blogger Boy: "Dad, why didn't you grow up wanting to work on a space station?"

Me: "Hmm, good question. I guess I didn't know about space stations back then."

Boy: "Then why didn't your mom and dad tell you about space stations? They're supposed to tell you about things like that."

Here's One Last Chance to Say Goodbye to "Lost"

We won't have "Lost" to look forward to anymore.

Sigh.

Luckily, if you're in New York, you still have a chance to celebrate the now-gone series. On display now at Gothams's Vilcek Foundation: props and other memorabilia from six seasons of "Lost."

The org, which celebrates the contribution of immigrants and first-generation Americans to science and the arts, is behind "The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST: The International Artists and Filmmakers of ABC’s Hit Show."

The free exhibit features "Lost" items ranging from the show's 1970s-era blue VW van to the atomic bomb nicknamed "Jughead." The donkey wheel, Hurley's Mr. Cluck outfit, Sawyer's letter to himself, Ben Linus' forged passport, it's all here.

The main reason for the exhibit, however, is to celebrate the show's unique status as a crossroads for talent (both in front of, and behind, the camera) from all over the world. Exec producer Carlton Cuse -- who was born in Mexico City -- is part of the exhibit, as areas are Jorge Garcia (“Hurley”), Yunjin Kim (“Sun”), Nestor Carbonell (“Richard”), Dominic Monaghan (“Charlie”) and Daniel Dae Kim (“Jin”). I got a chance to write up the bio info for the accompanying booklet to the event -- which looks great (kudos to the photographers and booklet designer).

Hurry -- the exhibit concludes at the end of next week. After that, it doesn't sound like the props will be on display in such a major way anywhere else.

"The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST"
Dates: May 20 – June 5, 2010
Location: 167 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 12–6 p.m.

(Photos courtesy The Vilcek Foundation.)

License Plate of the Day: Hungry Edition

Inspired by Homer Simpson? Mmmm, "FOOOOOODDD"!

(Keep sending your LPOTD entries! We've got a nice back log now, so you'll be seeing yours in a few weeks!)

Dunkin' Donuts to Southern California: No Free Donut For You

Now, Dunkin' Donuts is just taunting us.

We've written countless times about the strange omission of Southern California from the Dunkin' Donuts chain's footprint. Dunkin' was once in SoCal, but apparently felt the market was already saturated by chains like Winchell's and an overabundance of mom-and-pop stores.

They're probably right. And Dunkin's donuts aren't really any better than Winchell's. But we always want what we can't have. So if Dunkin' Donuts refuses to open a store in SoCal, we're gonna make some noise.

And now that they're taunting us on Facebook by inviting us to a FREE DONUT DAY on June 4, something we clearly can't be a part of, I've decided to also invite folks to an imaginary event on the social networking site. It's called I Can't Attend FREE Donut Day Because You Refuse to Open a Store in SoCal. Join in!

And after that, join up with a group on Facebook that someone else has launched, WE WANT A DUNKIN DONUTS IN LA. Dunkin, we will be heard.

Los Angeles, Ad Town: Volkswagen and AT&T Hit Downtown

In a new Volkswagen commercial, workers fix the Orpheum's neon sign as the camera pans down Broadway in downtown.


The California Club, on Flower St.


And in a new AT&T ad, kids drawings roam the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, including the Library/U.S. Bank Tower (above, left)


On Grand. (That's Bottega Louie on the right.)

What Could Have Been: The 1970s-era Los Angeles Monorail That Wasn't

Los Angeles transit history is littered with proposals and projects that never got off the ground.

Of course, we're now all left to wonder whether L.A. would be easier to navigate had a system been put in place nearly 40 years ago. But no matter -- what's done is done, and we still don't have a subway to the sea.

L.A. Times freelancer Steve Harvey put together a list of the more outlandish rapid transit ideas over the years, including the monorail.

More:

In the 1960s and '70s, plans were drawn up for elevated "people-movers" in L.A.'s Civic Center. Drawings showed what looked like "Star Wars" vehicles zipping over traffic on Spring Street.

But the concept was opposed by San Fernando Valley legislators who thought their region was being left out. (Even the Aerial Swallow had included the Valley in its plans.) L.A.'s "people-mover" idea didn't go anywhere.

Check out our 2007 Franklin Avenue post on L.A.'s failed rapid transit plans here. It includes a link to maps of old proposed transit plans -- as well as the link to a 1954 Fortune article touting the future of a monorail in L.A.

Monorails, of course, have been discussed for years as an L.A. rapid transit option -- particularly after Walt Disney constructed a mini version for Disneyland. Ray Bradbury was also a big proponent. The push hasn't died down, as real estate developer and potential City Hall candidate Rick Caruso has discussed the option.

But as the commenters on this Curbed L.A. post note, there's a host of reasons why monorails won't make sense. First off, subways are more safe in the event of an earthquake. The idea of a monorail is romantic, but not practical.

Whoa, What's Going On Over on "Blondie"?

From the May 17 "Blondie": Looks like the relationship between Mr. Dithers and Dagwood has taken a strange turn.

Grim Night in News? At Least the L.A. Times Apologizes

This is why print still trumps TV. Gruesome night for local headlines: Brittany Murphy's husband dies; a 15-year-old shot in the back in a game of Russian Roulette; three people get out of their wrecked cars after a crash & are killed in a subsequent crash on the 101.

That's a juicy night for TV news. For the L.A. Times city desk, the Sunday night editor in charge of the desk's Twitter account felt the need to apologize for being so gruesome.

That's All, Folks, for Metblogs?

Metblogs -- the collection of local blogging sites that began in late 2003 as Blogging.la -- may be calling it quits.

With no funding source in the offing, Metblogs announced over the weekend that the sites would shut down on May 31:

Left with no other alternative we’re sadly forced to shut our doors at the end of the month. After 6 and a half years it’s been an awesome ride and we can’t thank the authors and captains enough that have made it possible. Seriously, you guys (and gals) completely rock and we’re humbled by all you’ve done to keep us going and making the sites so awesome. We’re not going to get into the nitty gritty of the finances but the rebound in online ad sales is taking it’s sweet ass time among other factors and has just put us too far personally into debt keeping the old girl afloat.

We want nothing more than to keep the sites online and going strong so if you’ve got some spare cash around and want to own the granddaddy of local news blogs drop us a line. We can be reached at sean or jason @metblogs.com. Barring a 4th quarter miracle the site will be going offline on May 31st.

It ain't over yet, though; Metblogs wrote via Twitter that "things are looking positive." Stay tuned.

Retro Friday: Los Angeles' Old-Time Amusement Parks

Pacific Ocean Park, Circa 1960



Kiddieland



Long Beach's Pike

Kid-Friendly San Francisco: Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park's Children's Playground

Before our recent trip up to San Francisco, I asked our Bay Area friend Lisa to come up with a few kid-friendly suggestions. She went beyond the call, giving us a great list of things to do. Some of them we were familiar with, but others were new to us:

:: Crissy Field

:: Palace of Fine Arts and Exploratorium

:: Chestnut Street playground/Moscone Recreation Center

:: Golden Gate (GG) Children’s Playground and Carousel

:: Yerba Buena Gardens Playground and Carousel

:: San Francisco Zoo

:: Pier 39. Sea lions and Aquarium of the Bay.

:: Cable Cars

If you want to venture just over the GG Bridge to Sausalito (5-10 minutes from Crissy Field):

:: The Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito

:: If you do go over to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, you may also want to hop back in your car and then walk along the waterfront in “downtown” Sausalito, about 5-10 minutes away.

:: Another idea is to take a car ride through the pretty Marin Headlands and/or over to see Rodeo Beach

On the way to San Francisco from LA (or on the return), you may also want to check out:

:: Gilroy Gardens, in Gilroy

:: Lemos Farm, in Half Moon Bay

More shots from the Children's Playground at Golden Gate Park:


Great slide


Carousel


Family art studio

License Plate of the Day: Forever Edition

Or shall I say, "For EVVVA!"

(Pic thanks to Joe. Keep sending your license plates in!)

Another Year, Another Upfronts in New York City

Posting is slow this week as I race around New York covering the annual network TV upfront presentations.

Yep, the is the week ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the CW announce their fall schedules. There's plenty of intrigue and mystery as well look to uncover 11th hour deals, pickups and scheduling strategy. Fun but taxing.

Head over to our Variety TV blog, ON THE AIR, to get the scoop.

In Celebration of "Fred Rated" and the Shadoe

Here's a pretty unlikely retrospective: The Cinefamily is holding a screening featuring Shadoe Stevens' work in the 1980s as the wacky spokesperson for The Federated Group. The event will also screen Stevens' cable special "Shadoevision."

The one-time "American Top 40" host and "Hollywood Squares" announcer will be on hand as well.

Here's the description:

Who knew that commercials could be this much fun?! One of the most berserk, outrageous and unforgettable TV comedies of the 1980s, doled out thirty seconds at a time, was the unending series of wacky, ultra-fast-paced commercial spots for the So Cal electronics chain The Federated Group that starred "Fred Rated", the half-insane "Bass-O-Matic"-style spokesman with a smooth baritone and a suave smile (played by broadcasting legend Shadoe Stevens). Before he was the voice of "Hollywood Squares", Stevens and his round-the-clock gung-ho skeleton crew tirelessly cranked out highly memorable, frenetic nuggets of dadaist Monty Python-esque video art disguised in the form of VCR and car stereo ads -- amassing the astounding figure of over 1000 genius commercials in the span of just a few years, and leaving an indelible mark on the psyche of every L.A. TV-watcher.

Event takes place at the Cinefamily (611 N. Fairfax-- the old Silent Movie Theatre) on Tuesday, June 15th at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tickets are $12.

Here are a few "Fred Rated" spots to whet your appetite:

License Plate of the Day: Animal Rights Edition

I'm guessing this car wasn't on its way to In-N-Out.

Farewell, "Law & Order" -- and "Judge Michael Schneider"

Over its 20 seasons on the air, "Law & Order" would occasionally use the name of a reporter who covers TV as either a body bag or a judge. That's how the Los Angeles Times' Joe Flint wound up as "Judge Joseph Flint," and how a "Judge Michael Schneider" made several appearances on the show.

Check out "Judge Michael Schneider's" IMDB page here. My namesake was played by David Little, who appeared as Judge Schneider at least four times. (Funny enough, as happened frequently on the show, Little also played several other characters through the years on "L&O.")

Little's other credits include guest spots on "The Sopranos," "Ed" and "Lipstick Jungle." Here he is, portraying my namesake on "L&O":

Jay Leno's Imaginary "Tonight Show" Los Angeles Skyline

How many Los Angeles landmark buildings can you name? This photo illustration, found on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" website backdrio takes some classic L.A. architecture -- some well-known, some not so much -- and squishes it all together.

Watch Your Back, Lotto Winners

This is why it's probably a good idea for lotto winners to try to stay anonymous as possible.

We were one of hundreds (thousands?) of folks to write about the big lotto win for KNBC-TV staffer Jacki Wells Cisneros (read our post here). But the vultures are even finding their way here.

Check out an email I received yesterday from a French Yahoo! account:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask you if i can get coordinates of Jackie Cisneros from you.Grateful if you can revert with her email address or phone number

Uh, yeah. Sure guy. It's that easy. (By the way, it probably *is* pretty easy to figure out Jacki's email address, by using NBC Universal email protocol. I'm sure she's already been forced to change addresses.)

Just, ahem, looking out for you, Jacki. Pal. Best of luck with those millions.

Another Kit-Kat Haul

Our recent San Francisco stay took us to Japantown -- and I, of course, immediately sprinted to the Japanese grocery store to scout out some Kit-Kat flavors.

Regular Franklin Avenue readers know that we're obsessed with the wacky, weird and different Kit-Kat varieties found in Japan, some of which make it here via importers.

We were not disappointed. This biggest find: That bag of Maple-flavored Kit-Kats. They don't disappoint; the Maple flavor is subtle (perhaps too subtle). My favorite may be the Green Tea Kit-Kats, as seen in the bottom row.

Also picked up: Milk Latte Kit-Kats and Dark Chocolate Kit-Kats.

License Plate of the Day: Lunacy Edition

Just plain lunacy. (Send in your license plate pics to franklin_avenue(at)yahoo(dot)com!)

Rate-A-Restaurant #225: Larkin's

(Flickr pic by dreamyshade.)

Restaurant: Larkin's

Location: 1496 Colorado (Eagle Rock)

Type of restaurant: Contemporary soul food

We stipulated: We had a coupon ($10 off), and although we had heard mixed things about Larkin's -- including service problems -- we decided it was time to check it out.


(Flickr pic by Calamity Hane.)

They stipulated: "Larkin’s marks a new era in soul food, with dishes characterized by old recipes of the South combined with dynamic contemporary flavors and preparation techniques. Chef Larkin Mackey brings years of experience combining traditional soul food with his Californian upbringing to his restaurant."


(Flickr pic by Calamity Hane.)

What we ordered: Country Style (Two pieces of fried chicken sided up with two buttermilk biscuits smothered in our homemade gravy; $12). Hotlink Scramble (Eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers & hot links, topped with cheese. Served with a biscuit; $12). Larkin's Toast (Battered in a bread crumb mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Served with our pure maple syrup; $7)

High point: That french toast -- er, "Larkin's Toast" -- was quite good. And the chicken was quite crispy. Plus, the free lemonade refills (and the big coffee mugs) were appreciated.

Low point: The scrambles couldn't be ordered with egg whites. And the gravy was a bit too garlicky.

Overall impression: We went for brunch on a Saturday afternoon, and the restaurant was empty enough that we got to sit in what essentially became our own dining room. With so few fellow patrons, service was also quick and strong. (Others who have visited in busier times haven't been so lucky.) Coffee was also tasty.

Chance we'll go back: That's tough to say. We had a decent visit, and I did enjoy that Larkin's toast. But we don't feel this compelling need to immediately return. We'll see.

(For our complete list of 225 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.)

Dodgers Horse Around in New Promo Campaign

This is *not* a parody, believe it or not:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced that Zenyatta, the wildly popular undefeated thoroughbred horse who calls Los Angeles home, will be the newest high-profile Angeleno featured in the 2010 “This Is My Town,” Dodgers marketing campaign.

As a personality in her own right, Zenyatta has accomplished an incredible feat by winning every one of the 16 races she has ever run. In the process, she has captured the imagination of horse racing fans around the world. This graceful filly is featured in a newly unveiled “This Is My Town” billboard on Hawthorne and 106th Avenues near Hollywood Park.

Owned by Ann & Jerry Moss, A&M Records co-founder, Zenyatta was named after the album Zenyatta Mondatta from The Police, who were one of the top groups on the label.

Move Over, House of Davids: There's a New Tacky Home Champ

When it comes to taste, there's good, there's bad... and then there's "Youngwood Court."

Also known as the "House of Davids," the Hancock Park home is notorious for its design motif -- namely, that Michelangelo has apparently barfed on the front yard.


(Flickr pic by Donielle.)

Now... has "Youngwood Court" owner Norwood Young brought his design ethos further East? Or was an East Hollywood resident simply inspired to play copycat?

Either way, another home -- found on Virgil -- is flying the cheese flag proudly. A few shots:







Young may have an intellectual property suit on his hands. Can two horrifying homes of this ilk exist in the same city? This is a trend that terrifies me greatly... let's hope other homes follow suit!

Kim Amidon replaces Brian McKnight at 94.7 "The Wave"

Take that, KOST.

Radio personality Kim Amidon is back in weekday morning drive. The host has been paired with longtime morning drive DJ Pat Prescott on 94.7 KTWV-FM ("The Wave"), where she begins on Monday.

Amidon replaces recording artist Brian McKnight, who had been co-hosting with Prescott.

Amidon has been guesting on KTWV's weekend schedule since February. Amidon and Prescott host weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. -- against competition including KOST and her longtime radio partner (22 years) Mark Wallengren.

The move comes as Kim's former KOST boss, Jhani Kaye (who has more recently overseen KRTH "K-Earth"), added oversight of "The Wave" to his duties.

More info:

In making the announcement, KTWV program director Jhani Kaye called Amidon one of the most relatable personalities in the industry. “Kim is a perfect fit for The Wave’s audience and is sure to attract many of her former listeners. Together Pat and Kim will add a local flavor to the show as they both have the unique ability of making every listener feel like they’re in the car right alongside with them.”

Current morning show co-host Brain McKnight will continue to periodically appear on the program and will contribute to other Wave projects and events. McKnight is an accomplished R&B recoding artist and also hosts a self-titled television talk show.

Amidon was raised in Southern California. In addition to her legendary run at KOST she has worked for L.A. stations KRTH, KHJ, KUTE, KACE and KOLA. She has a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has won several major broadcasting awards during her career.

Here's what we wrote in 2007 when KOST, in a cost-cutting move, let go of Amidon.

Construction Gets Underway at the Soon-To-Be-Expanded Trader Joe's

The long-awaited Trader Joe's Silver Lake expansion is finally underway. With the Video Hut closing up shop at the end of last year, TJ's is tearing down the wall between the two separate businesses... and in a few months we'll finally have a less-cramped, more easy-to-navigate Trader Joe's (or at least, we should hope).

This expansion will bring the Silver Lake location closer in size to newer locations like the one at Sunset and Crescent Heights or in Culver City. (Or the one we visited in San Francisco -- have you seen the size of that one?? Jealous.) Hopefully the larger store will boast wider aisles, a bit more goods and a larger sample station. What it won't have is more parking... but that's the charm of the Silver Lake location -- right? Right? Hmm.


Hmm, looks like I could have walked in with a pencil and added a few ideas of my own to the plans.


Hope there's no rain in the forecast: A skylight on the roof is right now completely open.

Good Sign for the Economy? "Hooters" is Hiring

The scene outside the Burbank outpost of Hooters on Saturday. Apparently the restaurant was holding open auditions (or whatever you'd call it) for a new round of employees. And me without my short shorts!

Mr. T's Mother's Day Advice

Happy Mother's Day! Now heed some advice from Mr. T -- "Treat Your Mama Right."

Images from San Francisco

Old-fashioned window washers


Japantown


More Japantown


The view from the hill


Is this the university president's residence?


Berkeley's University Library


94720!