Miscellaneous: August 2009 Archives

        

Seen from almost any corner of the county, the Station Fire has been mesmerizing to watch (even for us media-jaded Angelenos). The billowy smoke plumes can be seen from afar, while a closer view offers the lava-like formations glowing at night. There is definitely some beauty to be found in all this chaos while our brave firefighters battle Mother Nature.

• Bostonist mourned the passing of our senior U.S. Senator with a slideshow of the memorial at the JFK Library, a look at the Boston history of the Kennedys, and a report from the memorial services.
• LAist rocked out hard at the Vans Warped Tour to a lineup of "new-age punkers."
• Phillyist got John Oliver to go Shakespearean on Philly cheesesteaks and then tried to convince a tourist that there's more to do in Philly than grab one of those eponymous sandwiches.

A new study says that Los Angeles is the number one city for sensitive guys -- in where they (we?) can be found and where that sensitive side can best be showcased. Actually, we share the top position. The City of (Sensitive) Angels tied with San Francisco. With six additional Golden State cities filling out the study’s top fifteen, California kicked the less-sensitive butt’s of forty nine other states. Orange County (Anaheim/Santa Ana) came in at number eight.

       

Last week LAist took MTV up an opportunity to hang out at Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, a 25,000 square foot complex which is home to Rob's business empire Dyrdek Enterprises and the setting for his reality show, which enters its second season tonight at 9pm. To celebrate the new season, Rob along with the cast of "Nitro Circus" and "Bully Beatdown" (season two of both premiere tonight as well) got together for a Tuesday afternoon of Velcro suit dirt bike jumping and other various shenanigans that most human beings wouldn't dare to try.

Can an ALS patient in a hospital bed create graffiti along the 10 freeway? Yes, yes one can through some hardcore programming, the movement of the patient's eyes and some really amazing creativity. Meet Eye Writer, described as "the latest ocular assault weapon from the Graffiti Research Lab, openFrameworks and The Ebeling Group...

• SFist was sent back to the halcyon days of childhood after Lombard Street was transformed into a Candy Land game board.
• Gothamist was amazed that former Giants star Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty and will face 2 years in prison for charges related to the November incident where he brought an illegal gun into a Manhattan nightclub and accidentally shot himself because the gun was falling down his pants.
• Toronto was unexpectedly besieged by tornadoes, but marveled at the strange beauty of their aftermath.

       

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I hail from a land where the Breakfast Sandwich is King (and not the one that comes from the Burger's King.) In the Northeast there's a serious Breakfast Sandwich culture and its hub is a chain for which LA's East Coast transplants bemoan longing: Dunkin Donuts. Their morning formula is simple. Egg, cheese, and breakfast meat gets wedged in a croissant, bagel or an English muffin. It's a great way to start your day.

LAist reader and Hollywood Hills videographer, Daniel "Brat" Barassi, offers a jerky, sunny-day tour of the right side of the tracks.

• Chicagoist had a surreal Lollapalooza experience, starting with a soaked first day that included a man dying during one of the first sets, followed by hot and steamy days two and three, lots of amazing pictures, people in Buckingham Fountain, and ending with a man punching a horse.
• Londonist witnessed unecessary tabloid shock at the languages spoken by some of London's children.
• DCist watched the premiere of a new documentary about the life and times of the District's "Mayor for Life," The Nine Lives of Marion Barry on HBO.

       

When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "like" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. And if you really like what you see, why not Tweet it or post it to your Facebook? Share the love!

I’m not going to wait until one of you gets your compost together to ask me an important question. I’m not going to hear the 4th query on “why do I suck at gardening?” (A: worms hate you). This column needs to be responsive, sure… but let me ask a question that you should be asking: Why do my dahlias have jock itch?

To borrow from The Daily Show, but to draw more from its non-satirical roots, this is a glimpse of a true California moment of zen. Taken at Salt Creek Beach, Dana Point. If you put your face close enough to the monitor you might be able to catch a whiff of the ocean air. Then again, you might just look like a tool. Better bet: Hit the beach and chill out.

Last week came the news that the Clinton family (yes, Clinton) had decided to sell the building that has housed Clifton's Cafeteria, known as Clifton's Brookdale because of its whimsical forest themed decor, since 1935. Although few people admit to finding the food offered at the last of the Clifton's Cafeterias a gastronomic revelation, the news brought the immediate fear that this would bring about the end altogether of a decades-long institution in Los Angeles. While the Clinton family hopes to just unload the property but continue to operate the cafeteria (they actually only bought the building at 648 S Broadway in Downtown outright in 2006) now seems like a fitting time to fill in the gaps of local history when it comes to the Clintons and their Clifton's Cafeterias...and maybe, if you're hungry, prompt a trip with a tray down the lanes of the eatery--the last of a dying breed.

It was somewhere around the fifth sprint across the Runyon Canyon tennis courts on Wednesday afternoon that I realized I wasn't quite as in shape as I would have liked to believe. Or maybe it was as I heaved my way up the hill, ten minutes after the rest of my group. But as I sputtered and gasped towards the top, like a good Health Editor, I was struck by an epiphany: there is an unfortunate reason that this ass is so out of shape, and it was a catch-22. I sucked at Runyon Romp because I never do anything as hard as Runyon Romp.

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email.

• Phillyist headed down the shore for the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, where they got to hang out with Ted Allen and Guy Fieri.
• DCist revisited the saga of Molly, the stolen and ultimately returned local dog, when aggressive animal rights group PETA decided to speak up on the issue of leaving your pets tied up alone on the sidewalk.
• Gothamist was stunned when a sightseeing helicopter crashed with a small plane over the Hudson River yesterday, presumably killing all nine passengers.

        

What do you do when your female lead singer parts ways with your band and you have big gigs on already booked? No matter what, the show must go on -- and that’s exactly what West Indian Girl is doing. On Friday, the band played at L.A.’s House of Blues without the vocal stylings of former frontwoman Mariqueen Maandig; instead, Tiki Lewis filled in for the night. As they begin their rigorous hunt for a new female vocalist throughout the greater Los Angeles area, the remaining members of West Indian Girl - Amy White, Robert James, Mark Lewis and Francis Ten-- still need someone to step in for the interim.

       

When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "like" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. And if you really like what you see, why not Tweet it or post it to your Facebook? Share the love!

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email.

On August 1, 1939, California Attorney General Earl Warren sent 250 local and state officers to raid four gambling ships anchored off the coast of Santa Monica and Long Beach. The Tango and Showboat idled off Long Beach while the Texas and the Rex anchored off Santa Monica. Local and state authorities, riding in Fish and Game boats and 16 rented water taxis, easily boarded the Tango, the Showboat and the Texas. Once aboard, raiding officers eagerly threw roulette wheels, dice tables, black jack tables and slot machines into the Pacific Ocean. Upon approaching the S.S. Rex, officers were greeted with armed gunmen and high-pressure fire hoses. A nine-day standoff ensued, which newspaper men dubbed "The Battle of Santa Monica Bay."

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email.

     

If you've had your eye on our skies the past couple of dawns and dusks, you may have paused to appreciate what have been some pretty spectacular sunrises and sunsets. These LAist Featured Photos pool contributors shared with us their shots from this week.

       

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email.

• Chicagoist saw controversy erupt when a youth-painted pro-immigration mural was defaced with racist graffiti.
• Torontoist was shocked to discover the mythical chupacabra! Actually, a raccoon with alopecia, it turned out.
• Houstonist was surprised at President Obama's selection for the "beer summit" and suggested that the president stock the White House fridge with Texas beer.

       

When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "like" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. And if you really like what you see, why not Tweet it or post it to your Facebook? Share the love!