Today's L.A. Times has an article about a new bar in Silver Lake that's - guess what? No, go ahead and guess, you're going to be so surprised - ironic!! Isn't that awesome?? I love it! The bar is called Stinkers, and according to the Times it's got a picture of Burt Reynolds in the ladies room, a "cornucopia of vintage bumper stickers," and "brazenly kitschy delights" like fake stuffed skunks and - wait for... [continue]

Proposition 4, which would have required doctors to notify the parents of minors seeking abortions, was voted down yesterday 52.3% to 47.7%. The breakdown in Los Angeles County was 53.6% (no) to 46.4% (yes). So, in the spirit of making ourselves very clear (thanks, John McCain, for the inspiration: “The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly”), here’s a brief memo to proponents of the initiative. Jim Holman, Don Sebastiani, Katie Short*, et... [continue]

As election day closes in, a Field Poll shows 45% of voters in favor and 43% opposed to Prop 4 (parental notification for minor's abortions). An earlier Field Poll, from September of this year, showed the initiative ahead by 49% to 41%. If history is any indicator of the outcome, it's heartening to know that nearly identical initiatives from the past two election cycles (Prop 85 and Prop 73) were also leading in the polls... [continue]

The fight over the ballot initiatives, as you know if you've turned on the TV for even half a second in the past few weeks, is heating up fast. Last week, the Los Angeles Times' Dust Up blog featured Miriam Gerace, Spokesperson for the No on 4 Campaign for Teen Safety and director of communications for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and Katie Short, coauthor of Proposition 4 and legal director of the Life Legal Defense... [continue]

The question on the table at the California Endowment last week was, can the next president reform health care? And as the panelists went back and forth over the course of the hour, it seemed that the answer was turning out to be "no." The program, entitled "The Change We Need: Can Either Presidential Candidate Reform Health Care?" was moderated by Mark Halperin, senior political analyst for TIME magazine, and featured Democratic strategist Chris Lehane... [continue]

...where it receives a resounding no: "California voters were right to reject this...on the first two attempts. They should do so again." The article also discusses anti-abortion ballot initiatives in South Dakota and Colorado, calling the measures, respectively, "unconstitutional" and "preposterous." Prop 4, the initiative we face here in California, would require doctors to notify the parents of minors who are seeking abortions. The South Dakota initiative, like Prop 4, is nearly identical to an... [continue]

As I enter week three of my cold, sneezing all over the computer and coughing (cautiously, away from the screen) there could be no more timely event than one discussing health care. Can I go in to see my doctor? Can I even get through the 10-minute wait on hold to talk to someone in my doctor's office? How might the health care policies of next president effect this situation? If you too have a... [continue]

Looks like proponents of Proposition 4, which would require doctors to notify the parents of minors seeking abortions, are hoping that people don't remember what's been said about this initiative so far. In an op-ed published in today's Los Angeles Times, Yes on 4 Communications Director Margaret Pearson tries to convince voters that Prop 4 isn't an anti-abortion initiative. Unfortunately, it's too late for that kind of posturing. As LAist has reported from the get-go,... [continue]

The first Yes on Prop 4 ad will be debuted tonight during the Vice Presidential debate, according to a press release sent out by the campaign. The ad will be 60 seconds long and will air on KVIQ-CBS, and will also be posted on YouTube and on the campaign's website. A Yes vote on Prop 4 would alter the state constitution to require that doctors notify the parents of a minor before she can obtain... [continue]

The Los Angeles Times yesterday editorialized against Proposition 4 (parental notification for minor's abortion). The Times addresses concerns that Proposition 4 would limit access to safe abortion care, and that it's passage could lead pregnant teens to harm through illegal abortions, not receiving prenatal care, or worse.... [continue]

Not sure what to think about Proposition 4 (parental notification for minor's abortion)? Listen to a live debate on KPCC (89.3)'s Pat Morrison show, today at 1:00 p.m. Debating the initiative will be Vince Hall of Planned Parenthood San Diego on the “NO” side, and co-author of the proposition/spokeswoman Katie Short on the “YES” side.... [continue]

The San Francisco Chronicle today editorialized against Proposition 4, the Abortion Waiting Period and Parental Notification Initiative. The newspaper has editorialized against parental notification legislation in the past, and asserts that the reasoning they've used before holds true for this year's souped up version as well. As we have said before, the arguments for parental notification may sound reasonable, but the real-world experience of the medical professionals who deal with scared pregnant teens suggest its... [continue]

Today's AirTalk program on 89.3 KPCC, hosted by Larry Mantle, featured a discussion on Proposition 4 (forced waiting period and notification for minor's abortion), and opened the subject up for comments on the AirTalk blog. The program featured Margie Pearson, volunteer and spokeswoman for the Yes on Proposition 4 campaign, and Miriam Gerace, Strategic Communications Director of the No on Prop 4 Campaign. The entire segment can be heard on the AirTalk website.... [continue]

The Daily Aztec, a San Deigo State University newspaper, reports on students that are organizing against Prop 4. "'We are educating the students on the dangers of this deceptive proposition," [former president of the SDSU Vox organization Vanessa] Cooney said."' According to Cooney, students are calling voters, conducting visibility events and handing out materials about the initiative.... [continue]

California Catholic Bishops have endorsed Prop 4 (forced parental notification and waiting period for minor's abortion). The news was published today in the California Catholic Daily, the San Diego newspaper owned and operated by Jim Holman. Holman has been a major financial backer of parental notification initiatives each of the three years that they have been on the ballot. This year alone, he has given at least $1.5 million.... [continue]

It looks like there's one more thing we can add to Sarah Palin's list of hobbies. We've all seen her leaning out of an airplane gleefully shooting wolves, and surely we've delighted in her ability to catch and gut a fish. Now we know that, much like her running mate, she also loves to gamble. Not gambling of the Vegas variety. No sipping free alcoholic beverages as she mindlessly and repeatedly yanks a lever.... [continue]

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, has recommended a "no" vote on Prop 4 (forced waiting period and parental notification for minor's abortion). According to a summary released over the weekend, "Parents rightfully want to be involved in their teenagers’ lives, but good family communication can’t be imposed by government."... [continue]

Where would L.A. be without divorce? The sound of crickets would be heard from the offices of Hollywood gossip magazines, Beverly Hills attorneys would find themselves suddenly slumming it in Mar Vista, and Aaron Spelling would be out of a career. The horror! But a new study is cause enough to wonder if we may be in for some changes of the like: Swedish researchers have isolated a gene in men which appears to... [continue]

A poll released yesterday by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that voters are split nearly evenly over Prop 4 (parental notification of minors having abortions), with 47 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed. Polls were similarly split in the past, when attempts were made to pass nearly identical measures (Prop 73 in 2005 and Prop 85 in 2006), and the initiatives were nevertheless defeated both times. Republican voters show the most... [continue]

Two intrepid runner/writers. One race. Your inside peek at the lives and workouts of the LAist Nike+ Human Race Team. LAist Contributors Melissa Moore and Angel Magana talk all about it. Photo by Hamed Saber via Flickr Name: Melissa Most recent 5K (3.1 mile) time: 25.4 Years running: 18 Miles per week: 15-20 Age: 31 Fitness level: Intermediate Shoe: Adidas Normal terrain: Pavement with some trail work Even the best runners find themselves, at times,... [continue]