News: February 2010 Archives

During a rare Northern California appearance on Monday, the increasingly bizarre and camera-whorish Sarah Palin opened her mouth, with self-consciously controversial results. It all happened at a media-banned logging conference in Redding, a town of 90,000 north of Sacramento, the former VP candidate "called studies supporting global climate change a 'bunch of snake oil science,'" reported Associated Press, who forked over $74 to attend the spectacle. more ›

We've seen it time after time. Someone approaches a tagger in action and they get shot, usually fatally. The LAPD recommends getting out of harms way and calling 911, but when former Crips gang member Ronald L. Barron saw a tagger spray painting on Sunday evening on Pico Boulevard, he approached him. There was good reason for that, however, as Barron had transformed his life, becoming a gang outreach and intervention worker. more ›

When Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa last week announced 1,000 layoffs, he ruffled some City Councilmembers' feathers when he added a request for some $40 million in off-budget pet project accounts. While he doesn't have power to force the Council to hand over the money, it was last week's press conference that pushed the issue into the media spotlight. more ›

At a meeting of the L.A. City Council Budget panel on Monday, Councilman Bill Rosendahl enquired about the reality of ever seeing the $72 million in taxes owed from the city's top debtor, Prestige Parking. What he heard back was not ideal. more ›

With the sale of 138 acres next to the Hollywood Sign pending $6.3 million in donations, the iconic sign is expected to change wording as an appeal to the community, and perhaps the world... more ›

Citing the incoming storm and risk of mudslides, county officials tonight warned foothill residents in Station Fire burn areas that mandatory evacuation orders will go into effect tomorrow morning. By 10 a.m., residents of over 500 homes (.pdf) must vacate their La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge, and Acton neighborhoods, according to an alert stated. more ›

• A small experimental plane crashed today in San Bernardino County, killing a man and woman.
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be one of the last few torchbearers on the relay leading up to the opening of the Vancouver Olympics.
• Actor Charlie Sheen (whose car mysteriously tumbled down a hillside last week) was charged in Colorado with 3 felonies in relation to an alleged assault on his wife on Christmas in Aspen.

[Update: Hollywood Sign Expected to Read 'Save the Peak' on Thursday. Read about it here.] more ›

Now that Conrad Murray has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, Michael Jackson's autopsy report has been released, listing “acute propofol intoxication” administered by another person as the cause of death, according to the report via the LA Times. The amount of propofol used was equivalent to a major surgery, it said. more ›

Over the last week, the L.A. Bike Working Group has been releasing their vision of how the city should be connected for cyclists. It's a plan in opposition of the Los Angeles' current and official draft master plan for biking, which since the beginning has been steeped in controversy. more ›

o lease 10 city parking garages for 50 years or not? That is one of the current big financial questions, which the LA Times explores today. At issue is the $212-million budget shortfall that officials want to solve mostly with money from the reserve fund... more ›

Michael Jackson's physician, Conrad Murray, is expected to be charged today in L.A. in a criminal case in conjunction with the music star's sudden death last summer, according to LA Now. Initially speculation indicated Murray, 56, would be arrested and charged late last week, however the specifics of how the action would play out were uncertain. more ›

• A Gold Line train and a car collided this morning in Highland Park, but thankfully no one was injured.
• A Delta baggage handler was questioned and released at LAX yesterday morning after he allegedly ran from a security screener and returning barefoot to pick up his belongings.
• The David Beckham soccer academy was quietly shut down in December, and the superstar is looking to create another program that isn't affiliated with a sole location, like the now defunct one in Carson.

Guy McCarthy of Watershed News shared with us these images he took yesterday morning of the mudslide damage in the Paradise Valley neighborhood of La Cañada-Flintridge on Ocean View Boulevard and Manistee Drive. more ›

Tonight is closing night for "Camelot" and the theatre in which it's been running. The Pasadena Playhouse is closing its doors following tonight's performance, thanks to about $3 million in debt, reports KTLA. more ›

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got an up-close and personal look today at the damage to homes, vehicles and property in the northern portion of Ocean View Boulevard in La Cañada-Flintridge sustained during massive mudslides and debris flow that erupted in the early morning hours of Saturday. more ›

Which music dominates the L.A. radio airwaves? Some folks might be surprised to learn that regional Mexican outlets like La Nueva 101.9 FM have long dominated the scene. The phenomena dates back a good 15 years when La X 97.9 FM (now La Raza) broke into the top spot in the ratings, a first for a Spanish language station. Since then, the popularity of such stations has only grown, a reflection of not only the increasing Spanish speaking Latino population in the area, but also the appeal of the music. more ›

• It seems CA Assembly Speaker Karen Bass is looking to enter the race to take the place of Diane Watson as the Rep. for CA-33, who has begun to tell people she won't be running for re-election.
• How has the arts scene changed in Pasadena in recent years? Today's LA Times takes a look.
• The 38-year-old surfer who lost his life in the massive waves brought on by last month's serious rainstorms was remembered in Newport.

Although many areas in SoCal might currently be experiencing some blue skies and a welcome break in the rain, we are still in the midst of a weather system that continues to impact homes, roads, and residents all over the greater Los Angeles area. more ›

At around 2 p.m., a large tree surrendered itself to the weather, falling to the ground and blocking access along Angus Street at Micheltorena, a few blocks from the neighborhood's Trader Joe's. No injuries to humans or cars were sustained... more ›

This video posted today by Melrose Action shows some of the businesses who were affected by floodwaters rushing through the streets due to backed up drains that filled quickly when heavy rains fell rapidly. more ›

Photos taken this morning showing some of the property damaged by the mudslides and debris flows that took place in the early morning hours at the top of Ocean View Boulevard in La Cañada-Flintridge [map]. The hillsides, burned by last summer's Station Fire, were saturated by heavy rain, and at least one catch basin in the area overflowed. Residents describe being awoken by thunderous noise and witnessing walls of water and mud cascading through their community and homes. No one was injured, and residents are evacuating with the help of Los Angeles County Firefighters. more ›

Venice's Equator Books has been a welcoming independent option for book lovers on Abbot Kinney for over five years, but now they have announced that this weekend they are closing their doors for good. In an announcement sent out by email and posted on their website, the bookstore's owners are asking their customers to come by and make a last purchase from their collection of rare, vintage, and specialty books or vinyl:

To our friends, customers, family: more ›

While there are some clearing conditions now in the skies above Los Angeles, a night and morning of heavy rains has caused serious damage to homes and property as well as created hazardous road conditions all over the area. Road closures include the 2 Freeway which is closes from 2 mi east of the 210 in La Cañada-Flintridge to Islip Saddle (LA Co.); SR 27/Topanga Canyon Blvd closed from SR 1 to Topanga Canyon Road; and the transition road from the SB 110 Freeway to the NB 101 Freeway near downtown LA (due to flooding). Many mountain roads and surface streets are also closed and/or flooded and many accidents have been reported.

To find out current traffic conditions where you are or where you need to be, check one or more of the following frequently-updated websites:
• City of LA Traffic Conditions
• California Dept. of Transportation Roads (Search by Route #)
• California Dept. of Transportation (Updated Hourly)

Heavy rain overnight and into this morning has wrecked havoc on the burned and now over-burdened hillsides in areas affected by last summer's Station Fire. At least 7 homes have been reported destroyed in the Pickens Canyon area of La Crescenta [map] after a catch basin was overrun with debris flow, as well as damage to vehicles along Ocean View Boulevard, according to LA Now and KTLA. more ›

• Oh, shucks! Soon, you might not be able to carry your gun into Starbucks.
• Good news for Silver Lake: That annoying digital billboard has been turned off.
• KCRW is in its final days of their bi-annual pledge drive. Here's a video of what it looks like at the station with all those volunteers working the phones.

Below the collections of artifacts from around the world, dinosaur bones and historical displays that make up most of the Natural History Museum is a room full of living things. You can still find bones, rocks and artifacts in the Discovery Center, found tucked in the museum's basement, but it's in this interactive room where living animals make their home. From exotic reptiles to turtles and snakes, it's where the public can learn about, not just animals from around the world, but local wildlife. more ›

But it looks like it's just an accident this time. One vehicle went 20 feet down the cliff off Mulholland Drive at Laurel Canyon Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. "Occupant out. No injuries at this time," they tweeted. more ›

Our mothership Gothamist posted earlier today that Isiah Thomas might be given the keys to the Clippers. According to Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports, the Clippers reached out to Thomas to be head coach, general manager and president. more ›

In the same vicinity where Charlie Sheen's car went off the cliffside early this morning, apparently after it was stolen, another car this afternoon has been found, appearing to suffer the same fate. At 1:41 p.m., a Bentley found over the side of the road at 13832 Mulholland Drive was reported to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Like when Sheen's car was found, there were no victims or injuries to report. more ›

It's often hidden from our eyes, but the Los Angeles area is the third largest oil field in the country. You can find hidden oil rigs at The Farmers Market, the Beverly Center and other well known spots. And for such a lucrative business, no taxes are levied upon them, despite years of budget belt tightening across the state. more ›

Yes, they are. Local news blogger Erin Holness at News Me Baby became frustrated enough with those PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) that she researched the legality of them on Los Angeles streets. "Those god-damned PODS," she bemoaned. "As if parking wasn't hard enough, some lazy neighbor has had one of those PODS delivered to the curb outside their building/house. The POD takes up at least 1.5 legitimate parking spots and it sits there FOREVER." more ›

On Wednesday morning a team of LAPD and probation officers, along with Councilman Dennis Zine and the Department of Children and Family Services, conducted tagger probation compliance check operation. 11 West Valley homes of subjects who were on probation, with search and seizure conditions, for graffiti and related vandalism offenses were checked and one person was netted. more ›

To give more access to the city's widespread public, the L.A. City Council began holding meetings in the Valley on the first Friday of the month. But now, with the city's dire budget situation, those meetings are canceled until at least the new fiscal year, Councilman Dennis Zine announced this morning during today's meeting in Van Nuys. more ›

LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines, who is paid $250,000 a year (it should be $300,000, but he voluntary staved off $50,000 for budget reasons), is once again leading by example by taking his furlough day next Monday. “How can I ask LAUSD employees to take what amounts to a pay cut if I am not willing to share the sacrifice?" he said. "These are dire times. The savings accrued from furlough days are needed to keep deeper cuts away from students and the classroom." more ›

Perhaps you could file this under the list of the many symptoms contributing to Los Angeles' budget crisis, now hovering around $218 million with 1,000 jobs to be eliminated. On Today's City Council agenda, Council President Eric Garcetti has a motion requesting $6,766 for the "Glendale Boulevard and Brunswick Avenue Urban Forestry Christmas Light Installation" in Atwater Village. more ›

Charlie Sheen reported his car missing early this morning and it was found, via OnStar, below 300 feet below a cliff off Mulholland Drive. When police and fire arrived to the vehicle off the 13300 block of Mulholland, not too far from Sheen's home near the Mulholland and Beverly Glen intersection, no one was found inside or nearby. more ›

The second phase of a project to bring light rail from downtown to Santa Monica cleared a huge hurdle today when its construction authority board approved a final environmental impact document and chose a route. Preliminary engineering can now begin followed by design and construction, which will could commence later this year. more ›

• With an involuntary manslaughter charge expected to be filed (and possibly other charges), Michael Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, is said to be in negotiations with prosecution to surrender himself on Friday.
• Holiday Killer: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has won the right to cut Lincoln's Birthday and Columbus Day from state workers' list of paid holidays."
• Some guy in a motorcycle helmet has been robbing banks since the summer of 2008 in the Long Beach and Harbor area.

The Blue Line is notoriously known as most accident prone train in the city, if not the nation. Incidents involving cars and pedestrians make headlines quite often. In fact, the problem was enough to push Metro, L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies and LAPD to go on a public safety awareness campaign today, meaning they saturated an area of the light rail line and cited violator after violator. more ›

After the L.A. City Council failed to close a $212 million budget shortfall during a marathon-length meeting yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took action, directing the elimination of 1,000 positions among other moves. "If we have to choose between funding firefighters and police officers or continuing to operate golf courses and parking meters across Los Angeles, I choose public safety and I will do everything possible to protect those priorities," he said. more ›

With the opening of a new green and satellite L.A. city hall in South L.A. last week comes the re-opening of the Central Avenue Farmer's Market, which by all appearances seems to be a bigger and badder operation. A kitchen built inside the new city facility means freshly prepared foods and cooking classes to be hosted at the the market in addition to the market operator, SEE-LA (they operate the big Hollywood Farmers Market and Farmers Kitchen, too), be working with a federally funded state program to bring more fresh food to families. more ›

As far as we know, they don't Twitter, but this is a savvy old-school complement to the growing stock of food trucks out there. The Miracle Bookmobile, which travels around the state accepting donations and giving away and books for free is currently in Los Angeles and will be making a scheduled appearance at Barnsdall Arts Park, according to Lucinda Michele at Metblogs. more ›

The causes of death were diabetic ketoacidosis for Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson and pneumonia for actor Brittany Murphy, according to reports released by the Los Angeles County Coroner this morning. While Johnson's death, which occurred on January 5th, was listed as natural, Murphy's was a little more involved. more ›

The Biking Working Group yesterday continued to release their vision of a city Backbone Bikeway by releasing a map of the San Fernando Valley. The system, created in response to the official, yet controversial, bicycle draft plan for Los Angeles, is supposed to act as the most basic way of bicycle travel throughout the city. more ›

By the end of Wednesday's marathon session of the Los Angeles City Council, where the budget crisis was being attacked head on, elected officials had taken action on several items, saving the city $6 million of the $218 million deficit. A small but good amount of money, but insignificant as the group also added $10 million in costs, reported the LA Times. more ›

Remember last August, right as the national healthcare reform debate was getting a bit wild, when a huge free medical checkup event set up for a week at The Forum in Inglewood? Well, they're coming back in April from the 24th through May 4th--this time at the Coliseum. The Coliseum Commission yesterday, at the request of L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, voted unanimously to waive rental fees for use of the Sports Arena for Remote Area Medical's return. more ›

• Gov. Schwarzenegger's pick for Lt. Governor could change off-shore drilling in Santa Barbara County.
• L.A. Councilmember Jose Huizar wants more clarity in state law regarding medical marijuana.
• In California: "​The number of women who have died from complications related to their pregnancies has tripled from 1996 to 2006."

With mountain lions, bears, coyotes and bobcats as parts of the daily Southern California life, it's easy to forget the ocean is a bounty of wildlife. This week, a few interesting stories have surfaced. more ›

Is this a true change in standpoint from our leadership? The beginning of a culture shift? Today, the L.A. Department of Transportation General Manager, Rita Robinson, aka MobilityMaven on Twitter, tweeted a warning to drivers: "Drivers - plz watch the road- be aware of cyclists. LADOT wrking w/LAPD & cyclists on road conditions/safety. Educ of drivers is crucial." Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa then retweeted it and followed it up with this: "I'm directing @MobilityMaven to work with the LAPD, LADOT and the cycling community to make our streets safe for cyclists." more ›

Hoping to oust Senator Barbara Boxer (D) from her long-held seat, Carly Fiorina (R) has released a video biography in the hopes Californians want to get to know this "5'6" fireball." more ›

When the Obama Administration yesterday released the list of transit projects set for federal funding, Los Angeles was missing. Hartford Connecticut and Oakland received funds for bus rapid transit. San Francisco got some dough for a subway. Other rail funding went to Hawaii, Minnesota and Colorado. Even San Bernardino and Riverside were funded for projects (see the full list here). more ›

The big day is tomorrow. The Expo Line's construction authority board is scheduled to vote on the second phase, which will bring the line from Culver City to Santa Monica (the first phase between downtown and Culver City is already under construction). The vote could go a variety of ways, including being voted down--meaning no train--to what's expected: the route as seen in the photo above. more ›

That's the question Alex Thompson at Westside Bikeside is asking. A proposal by two Los Angeles councilmembers seeks $30 million in federal money to extend the Marvin Braude Bike Path--the 19 mile beach bicycle path between the South Bay and near the Santa Monica-L.A. border--by two more miles to the north. For Thompson, this is a questionable priority. more ›

Next Thursday, Downtown diners will be able to order up from a small set of food trucks parked at a designated lot, thanks to the organizational efforts of the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association, reports the Daily Dish. SoCal MFVA VP Matt Geller explains that the lot will be located at Alameda and Traction, and will have "ample parking," and "3-4 trucks daily." more ›

As the City Council prepares to vote on laying off 1,000 employees in order to help save teh $208-million budget shortfall, Westside Councilmember Bill Rosendahl is unwilling to bend on one issue in particular: calligraphy, which is a $1 million affair at city hall. During Monday's budget hearing, he said "whatever we need to do to preserve it, I want to do." That's quite a shift from 2009 when he told the LA Weekly "if it comes down to fixing the pothole or giving out a certification, I’ll fix the pothole.” more ›

When it comes to condom use in the local porn business, Los Angeles County officials are opting to keep their hands to themselves. more ›

There's nothing sexy about a city government's budget, no matter how you color it. The city of Los Angeles is facing so much red ink--currently $208 million--it's going to start bleeding out onto the streets and into your daily life. And that's exactly why you should know what's going on. If pot holes annoy you, get ready for more of them. If slow police response times anger you, you might be waiting even longer in the near future. City services demand money and well, that money isn't there. more ›

The city could soon be bringing in more much-needed revenue if they follow through on discussions to expand the current red light camera program, according to the LA Times. Over the next few months LA's motorists could see cameras added to "blocks of eight intersections at a time and eventually doubling the overall reach of the program to 64 intersections." more ›

"Drama in Sunset Junction. Police line up and lots of cop cars racing in circles up and down the streets," twittered Jeff Nicholas about his Silver Lake neighborhood last night. That's because around 7 p.m., a man's body was found in the middle of the 1100 block of Manzanita Street with a gun laying 15 feet away from him. It was first reported that he was possibly shot in the head, but ABC7 confirms "that the injury was not a gunshot wound." Nicholas later twittered "no gunshots heard around here." more ›

• What if community colleges gave out bachelor's degrees? It's being discussed up in Sacramento.
• If Michael Jackson's doctor is charged in the death of the pop star, he is prepared to surrender himself.
• Huell Howser appeared on The Simpsons last month and now the Staples center gets some cartoon love.

Hyperbole or not, Councilman Richard Alarcon was on a tear in today's city council meeting going after city staff (and perhaps himself in a round-a-bout way) for, what he says, was the easy way out of the budget mess: by proposing to layoff 1,000 employees. more ›

10 percent of the 1,000 city hall employees to be laid off in a current budget saving proposal are city attorneys. It's safe to say, like any employee with a threat to the job, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is not thrilled. So at last night's meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee, Chief Deputy City Attorney Bill Carter read a poignant statement on how losing city attorneys means costly unintended consequences. "Our office does not create liability, other departments do," he said. A portion of his statement is below: more ›

When the 2009 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Report (.pdf) was released last Fall, it said there was a 38% drop in homelessness in the county. But that didn't make sense to the shelters and non-profits that claimed their services were overwhelmed. And today, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank released a report furthering facts about an increase in services for the needy. more ›

As the city explores ways to sell the operation of public parking garages to private companies for 50 years--the city council today unanimously approved a move to further develop these plans--a recent report listing the top debtors reveals that parking operators owe the city close to $100 million in uncollected taxes. more ›

Reports out of El Salvador from earlier this year indicating that Salvadoran National Team member William Osael Romero was on the verge of being signed to an MLS contract have been confirmed Stateside. more ›

And, oh, he's only slept with three women. But don't worry, he has, according to him, " talent, stamina, endurance." Meet Markus Bestin, a former marine who was recently left homeless after a failed attempt in the porn industry. He's been gaining some buzz over the last couple weeks as Nevada's first legal male prostitute. more ›

It's envisioned as a map "outlining a system of bikeways that will get you anywhere in the city" and it's not the one being currently done by city officials. Angered over the sloppy process that has become the now-controversial Los Angeles Bicycle Draft Plan, a group of bicycle community organizers called the Bike Working Group has come up with their own plan. more ›

To fill in a budget shortfall of $208 million ($485 million next fiscal year), many ideas about public-private partnerships have been floated. From selling the zoo and golf courses to the convention center, it's all on the talked about. One item, however, took a major step last night at meeting of the L.A. City Council's Budget & Finance Committee: privatizing ten parking garages (and future ones under construction and planned) for 50 years. [Update: After discussion, the full council approved moving forward with developing a draft request for qualifications.] more ›

Perhaps the most sobering news that came out of yesterday's 11-hour L.A. City Council budget committee session was a request to see a layoff plan that included police and firefighters. The current proposal to layoff 1,000 employees, which was not recommended by the committee late Monday evening, left public safety jobs off the table, but Councilman Bernard Parks, the former LAPD Chief, wanted to see the "grimmest picture" possible, according to the LA Times. The council is faced with a $208 million budget shortfall this year and will be up against a $484 million one come July 1st. more ›

Close to ten hours into a Los Angeles City Council budget committee meeting late Monday night, the money-saving move to layoff 1,000 employees was not approved, despite a $208 million budget deficit. At first, the layoffs were approved by Councilmembers Bernard Parks, Greig Smith and Bill Rosendahl with Paul Koretz and Jose Huizar against it, but Rosendahl quickly balked, siding against the layoffs. more ›

• The "frugal" CA Gov hopeful Jerry Brown has $12M in the bank in prep for his campaign. (Incidentally, Meg Whitman says she's willing to spend $100M.)
• Toyota is now ready to begin the work to fix the pedal issue on their many, many recalled models.
• The hearing in the case of the big-rig driver charged with vehicular manslaughter in last April's Angeles Crest Highway accident remains on hold while the court determines if the accused can be tried for murder.

A pursuit that began in Burbank via car ended up inside The Americana at Brand mall and residences where the suspect hid in the parking structure until apprehended by police. The crime for which three suspects were sought was a liquor store robbery that took place in Burbank late this morning, according to LA Now. more ›

It's 3:30 p.m. and the Los Angeles City Council's Budget and Finance Committee is in session. It sounds boring, but Los Angeles is facing a current $208 million budget shortfall and an expected $400 million shortfall come July, when the new fiscal year begins (and not to mention a $1 billion shortfall in future years). That could translate thousands of employee layoffs and basic city services not being done--think more potholes, less tree trimming, more sidewalks and streets in disrepair, unresolved dispute resolutions, crimes, civil and criminal, going un-prosecuted, unfunded arts grants, less disability services, lower parks staffing and lots more. more ›

As the Expo Line's first phase between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City gets closer to completion (despite it being over-budget and delayed), the building authority's board is set to vote on the second phase, which would connect the line from Culver City to Santa Monica, this Thursday afternoon. If they side with project staff's recommendation, as expected, they will approve a route known as LRT Alternative 2, which would go from Culver City towards the beach via a right of way until connecting with Colorado Boulevard in Santa Monica until 4th Street (it's the more northerly dashed line on the above image). more ›

It looks like June is when we'll see the groundbreaking for the MTA Gold Line's Foothill Extension, which will take the tracks from its current terminus in Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border, reports the Pasadena Star-News. more ›

As the process to fix Los Angeles' budget woes continues, today a City Council budget and finance committee will examine the recent mid-year and three-year fiscal reports and recommendations--you know, laying off 1,000 employees, etc--in addition to a major 400-page report on possible budget savings via public-private partnerships on city-owned parking structures. more ›

The move to ban the sale of cats and dogs in West Hollywood is a first, but that's nothing unusual. The recent spate of cat declawing bans in various cities around California--Los Angeles included--was something that began there and it seems to have invigorated some new energy. "West Hollywood can take the lead on this issue and help set the standard for Southern California city governments," reads the background analysis to the ban's proposal. more ›

Although the state said they would give $14.7 million in funding for the Orange Line extension in the West Valley, they've balked, forcing Metro to either delay the project or use their own money in the meantime. Last Thursday, the latter was chosen, in hope the state will honor the money in the future. more ›

Last fall we heard about plans Arnaud Ozharun, owner of Natural Mind Beauty & Beyond on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, had to convert the exterior of his business into a vertical garden. This weekend we caught some of the installation in process, as vibrant greenery was being set into small pockets all up and down the outside of the building--a total of 20,000 will eventually be in place in the vertical garden, which Ozharun said he hopes will look "like Amazonia." Head to Silver Lake and check it out! more ›

The case against Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, in federal court finished last week and it's safe to say, however may Judge Vaughn Walker rule, this is not the end. Appeals will definitely be made and all signs point indicate that it will be the backers of the Prop who will be making the appeal. Perhaps the writing was already on the wall during a pre-trial hearing when the Prop 8 folks asked for a summary judgement: more ›