If your weekend plans include dropping a line into the lakes at Earvin Magic Johnson County Park, be ready to be in it just for the sport--don't take those fish to the dinner table! The Los Angeles County Health Officer is issuing a Health Advisory cautioning residents to not eat fish caught there at the park. They report that "preliminary data from water and fish samples taken from the lakes suggest that fish may contain contaminants above the levels considered safe for human consumption. These samples were taken as part of a joint investigation, headed by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and Exxon Mobil." Folks are being urged to refrain from eating their catch until further testing is completed. Learn more about fish-eating safety here in Los Angeles, and the Department of Public Health by doing a little fishing (not phishing!) online. more ›

Earlier this week I made a right turn out of a parking lot in order to avoid waiting a lifetime to make a near-impossible left turn. I found myself on a quiet side street in lovely Toluca Lake, and eyeballed my trusty GPS navigation screen in order to see if the road I'd taken would connect me through to a street I knew would hook me up with Riverside Drive and send me on my way home. more ›