Everyone is agreeing to disagree up in Sacramento. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Democrats and Republicans are all bickering about their solutions as the state's budget forecast gets more turbulent every day.

"The Democrats want to block cuts to state government spending, and the Republicans want to block revenue increases because they have signed pledges to protect special interests," Schwarzenegger spokesman Matt David said in a statement yesterday. "Legislators were sent to Sacramento to fix problems, but now what they're doing is making the situation worse."
And if no agreement is come to, state Controller John Chiang says the state could run out of money in two months forcing billions of dollars in payments to contractors to be deferred or given in the form of IOUs. "The state's dire cash position not only jeopardizes and places at risk our ability to meet our financial obligations in a timely manner, it threatens our ability to respond to natural disasters and protect our communities from crime."

But Schwarzenegger's mantra is blame the legislature. "For weeks and weeks now the legislators have postured and played political games while the deficit grew larger and larger," Schwarzenegger said at a press conference yesterday about funds cut from the 405 Freeway HOV lanes and other projects in Los Angeles. "And that’s why I have a clock out in front of my office that shows that every hour we are wasting $1.3 million, every day we are wasting $40 million, every month we are wasting $1 billion."

But Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a local democrat, doesn't see it that way. "The single biggest roadblock to having construction on the 405 (freeway) move forward is Arnold Schwarzenegger," she said referring to the unsigned $18 billion package that Democrats sent him last week.

Photo Courtesy of the Office of the Governor

This weekend, some neighbors in Beverly Hills called in the cops and broke out the video camera to tell the tale of the thieves who helped themselves to items from their outdoor Christmas displays. Expressing dismay at the theft of things from $1000-elves, the Baby Jesus in his humble manger, and a wreath, the real 90210-ers were horrified that they would now have to chain down their lit-up snowmen and reindeer, and hoped that the public knew about their plight. LAist photographer Tom Andrews took a trip to the home of Peter and Shera Falk, whose pricey decorations were swiped. Is their holiday display less than it could--and should--be?

Of course, it's not really the theft that is disturbing (put nice stuff out and you run the risk of it being swiped, no matter your zip code, that's just how it is, frankly) but that the Falks and others would want to make a very public issue about it. It's hard to ascertain if they are hoping to let others know that some guys have a very un-Christian approach to Christmas, or if they expect sympathy for their loss. Theft of anyone's property is not right, but at a time when most people are living paycheck to paycheck, do we really need to hear about wealthy people losing lawn ornaments when many people are losing jobs?

Since the Fall, Los Angeles has been adjusting parking meter rates throughout the city to an increased $1 per hour rate at the minimum (you'll find some meters up $4 an hour) and they expect to be done by the end of January. Not only that, beware of the time. The days of free parking after 6 p.m. is over--numerous areas will now have meters in force until 8 p.m. The worst part of this transition is that in some areas, meters say they are enforced to 6 p.m. and the signs above say 8 p.m. What to do? What to do?

"People think show business was in Hollywood, but I think [Ronald] Reagan was absolutely right," Schwarzenegger said on 60 Minutes last night. "If he wouldn't have the training in acting, this would have been a very difficult job." Did the ability to act help bring the state to a $40 billion budget gap, too?

The iron fist of the law came down in what could be one of the most contentious sports-related trials in recent memory: Will the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim change their name back to just the simpler and more geographically-correct Anaheim Angels?

No.

According to the OC Register, the "4th District Court of Appeal ruled late Friday against the city of Anaheim, which has been fighting to overturn the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim name for nearly four years."

So much fighting over a name, and at quite the price tag: "The city spent $4 million in its attempt to restore the Anaheim Angels name through the 2006 trial," which is why they opted to put a cap on their spending ($150k) on the appeal.

It stands to reason, though, that the current name is reasonable; the team did begin, after all, as the Los Angeles Angels in 1961, and played their first season at LA's own Wrigley Field.

It's hard to believe the DWP Griffith Park Light Festival is now in its 13th year. Driving the mile long route can take upwards of an hour, but for those of you who own coats, LAist recommends parking by the zoo and walking the path. (We wont tell on you if you bring a flask.)

Some heavy fist beating and a 12-pound rock hurt the six-month German Shepherd mix so badly last month, the owner had to bring the dog to a veterinarian where the she was euthanized. LA County assistant fire chief Glynn Johnson, 54, was helping bring the runaway dog back to the owner, his neighbor in Woodcrest, when the dog clenched onto his thumb. Johnson, who was charged last week with felony animal cruelty and other counts, said his only choice was to hit the dog in self-defense, his lawyer said in court today. They also said the media and animal activists unfairly characterized the incident as an attack on an unprovoked puppy. Half a year old or not, the lawyer said the dog was big enough to do damage.

Hi, I'm Tom Cruise and I'm playing a Nazi. A good Nazi! | Photo courtesy of United Artists

The one question most people will ask about Valkyrie--fairly or unfairly--is, "Does Tom Cruise ruin this movie?" The answer--as fairly as I can state it--is that he doesn't ruin it, but he also doesn't particularly add anything significant to it which is a shame because Valkyrie should have been a good picture. The source material is rich indeed; the performances are mostly strong and the visual control of director Bryan Singer is absolutely top-notch. However, given the dominating presence of Cruise's character within the narrative, the best thing that can be said about Valkyrie is that it's probably better than you expect it to be.

For those unfamiliar with the details of the story, it concerns what was probably the most successful attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler by the German Resistance (many his own confederates within the Nazi Party). The putative assassin was one Claus von Stauffenberg who--were it not for a few last-minute changes of venue--may have been able to fulfill the grand ambitions of the Resistance plot and kill the Fuhrer. Of course, as we all know now, he obviously failed. Valkyrie follows Stauffenberg from the deserts of North Africa where he is grievously wounded to his ultimate, unceremonious execution at the hands of the SS in Berlin.

Even Nazis had to line up at the deli counter. | Photo courtesy of United Artists

As noted above, everyone knows that Hitler eventually died by his own hand in a Berlin bunker. This presents Valkyrie with a unique challenge, especially since it is structured and presented in the style of a suspense/espionage thriller. How do you keep the tension ramped up when every person in the audience can pretty much guess the ending? It's here that Singer and editor John Ottman do their best work. When the bomb blast goes off and Stauffenberg races back to Berlin to initiate the uprising against the Nazis, you half-believe he may succeed despite the incredible weight of history convincing you that he won't.

And, of course, he doesn't. After a brief moment of weakness, the Nazis rouse themselves and quickly exterminate Stauffenberg and his rebels. Unfortunately, it's here that the film wobbles badly. The German Resistance is portrayed quite heroically throughout Valkyrie--after all these were people who were risking their lives and the lives of their families by essentially being engaged in treason against the government. And yet their deaths are treated almost antiseptically. One can see the point in Singer's stoicism, but after so much building tension some genuine emotional release would have been welcome.

Some critics have carped at Singer's insistence on having his actors use their own accents instead of affecting German ones for the film. I think it's a minor quibble (Amadeus succeeded wonderfully using the same idea). Frankly, I'm tired of watching actors do bad accents when they play a foreign role (and there is always one actor in that type of film who is terrible). The genuine criticism of Singer should surround his selection of Cruise for the title role (assuming he actually had a choice which is open to debate). It's a decent film that could have been very good. It's always a shame to have to hold back on praise.

Chrissie Hynde is so cool, she can get away with talking to her audience like a cranky old man without losing their affection.

“I don’t like having my picture taken…surprised?” she remarked after having interrupted the previous song to chastise a gaggle of fans for getting overeager with the cell phone cameras. Hey, it’s a cell phone company’s club you’re playing at, and they presumably want to sell more of those phones that take nice looking pictures at rock concerts. At another point she asked us “What do you want to hear?” and as a chorus of shouted requests made their way to the stage, she interrupted, “As long as it’s not a PRETENDERS song!”

How she gets away with it is, in between the occasional snotty remark, you get some of the best, most heartfelt, and beautifully performed Anglophile-American rock and roll ever made. Their first three albums out of the gate are near-perfect, mountainous accomplishments, and if they haven’t really topped them since, well you know, Axl Rose just spent fifteen years and a hundred skidillion dollars trying to come up with what amounts to his fourth album and nobody except Chuck Klosterman has ANYTHING good to say about that. Three great albums is still a hell of a legacy, and the goodwill they generate can carry you through some lean times. But it just so happens that their latest, the country-tinged Break Up The Concrete, really is their best one in many, many years and nobody complains when they play songs from it for about half their set. It’s a new sound for a mostly-new band, with a pedal steel player joining the new bass player along with new, shit-hot, lead guitarist James Walbourne, alongside Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers.

The rest of the time, they mostly do their hits, but what hits! "Kid," "Brass In Pocket," "Talk Of The Town," "Message Of Love," "Day After Day," "Back On The Chain Gang," "Don’t Get Me Wrong,"--that’s a run of singles I’d put against any band of the last thirty years. We also get a barn-dancing "Thumbelina" and a face-first pummel through "The Wait" for an encore.

As great as the new lineup is, they couldn’t pull it off if Hynde was faltering. “I’m still hot!” she reminded us, and looked good doing it. She can still sing too, like nothing else you’ve ever heard. Though they didn’t do any Christmas songs - it would have been a nice excuse to break out the gorgeous "2000 Miles," or one of the more traditional seasonal tunes on their new iTunes-only holiday EP - they definitely made things twinkle. "Stop Your Sobbing" felt like the Phil Spector Christmas Album come to life, giant bass drum booming, guitars chiming, sugary harmonies and a big, unmistakable voice riding on top of it all.

They were followed by Brazilian electroclash act CSS (which stands for Cansei de Ser Sexy, Portuguese for “tired of being sexy,” not Crosby, Stills and Slash, as one high-spirited person guessed), who hit the stage like someone like flipped the “party” switch on, and held it right there for the next hour. (They played the Echo earlier this month.) They come on like a young, (mostly) female Funkadelic, equally at home among scraping guitar noise and boop-beep-booping synths, as long as the big beat keeps thumping in the background and a catchy chorus is just around the corner. And true to their name, they manage to be sexy without looking like they’re trying. At first glance, it looks like the grunge movement has just hit the South American dance scene. Unlike just about every American girl group doing dance music, there’s no hoochie factor, just some good-looking people playing instruments, dancing around and looking like they’re having a ball. What could be sexier?

This was my first time inside Club Nokia. It’s run by the people who run Staples Center so, you know there’s gonna be a labyrinth of secret elevators spiriting the VIPs away, along with a pecking order of wristbands that informs the staff how you should be treated at all times. One unusual aspect, the pit section in front of the stage is roped off for holders of an extra-special wristband. On this night that section was only about half-filled for most of the night, which must have looked from the stage like a near-empty room. It’s a nice room, the sound system is great, and it feels smaller than it is due to the tiered standing areas. However, they’re going to have to do something about the arena- level parking fees if they want to keep us hanging out there on a regular basis.

A woman who was allegedly attempting to commit suicide Monday night was shot and killed by law enforcement officers when she supposedly brandished a weapon. Both La Habra Police and Orange County Sheriff's responded to a 911 call regarding the incident around 10 p.m. Investigators from the District Attorney's Office are trying to establish what triggered the shooting and reportedly don't even know which police force killed the unidentified woman.

'Tis the season, fellow Americans, to make sweet, sweet love. According to McClatchy, more people are doing the horizontal mambo around the holidays than at any other time of the year. More condoms are sold, and on the flip side, more babies are made. But don't worry about sin or anything. If this is your idea of a Christmas-y good time, you're in good company: "according to Gabriele Doblhammer of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany. Heavy Christmas-New Year's sex 'is characteristic of all Christian cultures in which it has been evaluated.'"

When it comes to Skid Row's largest Christmas toy party, some wait over ten hours in line; some wait over night. Fred Jordan Missions' 65th annual Family Christmas Celebration was last Sunday and it brought out the masses, with smiles in tow.

In a year of economic hardship, you'll hear the same story: donations are down, the people needing help are up. For Fred Jordan, they've seen a 50 percent increase in people looking for help while donations decreased to 35 percent. But that didn't stop hundreds of volunteers and organizations like Disney and the Sikh community of Southern California from from donating toys, food, clothes and blankets for the huge event.

There are lots of ways to help others this season. One way is with this local mission. Their Box of Hope food drive to provide Christmas dinners for impoverished families is still going on. A tax-deductible donation of $25 will provide a Christmas dinner to a needy family, and an additional $25 will provide new toys and warm socks for the children. Call (800) 964-FOOD or go online to www.fjm.org.

This weekend marked the official opening of the jogging path around Silver Lake Reservoir. The new 3,300 foot path (that's about 2/3rds of a mile) on the eastside of the reservoir goes from Armstrong Avenue to the dog park. This new step helps one jog or walk a complete circle around the approximately 2 mile loop of both reservoirs (that includes Ivanhoe, too). The anticipated Silver Lake Meadow, however, still has not opened. For that, you'll have to wait until next summer.

For those in recovery, the holidays can represent the most trying time of the year. Good thing Los Angeles is strong on recovery. All sorts of help can be found, including many 12-step meetings from many 12-step programs. Perhaps there's something to it. Happy Holidays!

Adult Children of Alcoholics -- (310) 320-3931

Alcoholics Anonymous -- (323) 936-4343

AA (Spanish) -- 323 735-2089

Al-Anon/Alateen Family Groups -- (818) 760-7122

Al-Anon/Alateen (Spanish) (462) 948-2190

Cocaine Anonymous -- (310) 559-5833Co-Dependents Anonymous -- (323) 969-4996

Crystal Meth Anonymous -- (213) 488-4455

Gamblers Anonymous -- (213) 386-8789

Marijuana Anonymous -- (323) 964-2370

Nar-Anon Family Groups -- (310) 534-8188

Narcotics Anonymous -- (800) 642-0666 / (818) 773-9999

Overeaters Anonymous -- (323) 653-7499

Sex Addicts Anonymous -- (213) 869-2964

Photo by Synapped via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

Los Angeles is cold. It’s too cold for this Midwestern escapee’s comfort even if it is Christmas. Humbug. Yes, God gave us Jesus and a really great climate in SoCal, so it’s not supposed to freeze. We don’t really freeze that much, but Jesus and a frost show up once or twice. It happens; my Yahoo Weather report says expect the low 30’s. It says Buffalo. It says Dayton.

Every year I tell myself to rescue the fragile tropicals out in my garden before the freeze - the freeze that sometimes gets us in March or at least later than now for Christ’s sake. I thought I had time to slack. At any point when it gets close to 32, the freezing point, you need to jump. I’ll need to dig up my butterfly gingers, my coleus (minty cousin) and the modest herb turned shrub: African Blue basil.

IF there isn’t a freeze the tender perennial gets twice as big next season. Since I use my plant in arrangements and not so much in the kitchen, bigger is better. Thai basil ( African Blue and Siam Queen both) rock any bouquet so freezing is really bad. I need big plants. I need them. I must have them.

Saving them, however, can be really simple. If, like me, you are too busy with well, Xmas, then you can take a few options You can go the plastic bag route: just cover any sensitive plant. Paper would work too. It’s enough to buy the 3-5 degrees of warmth you need. A sheet of 6 mil plastic will cover a larger area, like an acre. But I don’t think you have to worry about that.

Of course you could spend your holiday outside digging up your “tender perennials” for next year’s season. Throw them in any draining pot and put the pot in the window and you have a new room mate. Of course the new roommate could go into transplant shock, drop its leaves and then die over the next 5 months but that can’t be worse than the last one you found on Craigslist. Whatever. Enjoy your holiday.

It was quiet, people seemed happy and overall, the Prop 8 candlelight vigil on Saturday night in Hollywood was positive. Light Up the Night was a nationwide demonstration that aimed to make an impact on the private sector by holding the vigils in high traffic business or shopping areas. Organizers estimate the vigils reached one million people with the message of equality.

In Culver City, Royal/T celebrates Christmas pop culture style. When we heard they had on display a one of a kind custom Tokidoki Christmas tree, we knew we needed to see it for ourselves and have lunch in their "Maid Cafe".

We are loving the STRANGEco vinyl figures. Maybe next year we'll decorate our tree with King Ken.

Merry Christmas!

More than thirty police officers attempted to untangle the strange web of events that took place in the Fall of 1960 in Lynwood. It concerned a car lot owned by a Mr Claude Mock. He'd employed Anthony Angelo--not realizing just what amount of problems were around the corner.

At first it seemed to be mindless vandalism. Nuts, bolts, sticks, stones and rocks flying across the air and crashing onto the vehicles and the building where both men worked. Then, the attacks continued at alarming frequency; the abnormal trajectory of the items thrown was noted, as was the fact that the missiles had begun to appear at exactly the same time Angelo was hired. Of course, the police put two and two together and somehow made five--they prosecuted Angelo, because they had, allegedly, on one incident seen Anthony holding an object and throwing it at a car.

Strangely, while Angelo was in custody the attacks continued, and when police were asked once again if they'd seen him causing any damage, they answered a resounding "no"! It was a bizarre case indeed, because Angelo was then charged with obstructing the police and the matter was to be taken to court.No one had seen anyone throw any rocks, but a local paranormal researcher named Mr Bayliss theorized that a poltergeist was to blame. Surprisingly, the judge was quite open to the evidence regarding such supernatural activity, and the poltergeist was spoken of on several occasions in the case.

"Due to the strange nature of the case, there must have been a supernatural cause, a cosmic disturbance, responsible", stated the judge.

Angelo was found not guilty of all charges, this proving to be one very unique case where indeed the 'supernatural' was blamed for throwing items to cause damage.

Photo by piccadillywilson via Flickr

Saturday night's marquee lineup at Club Nokia of X, New York Dolls, and Cracker was a perfect set up for a reenactment of the evolution of the clichéd rock fan: the MC5 meets Stooges and Stones 70's garage rock of the Dolls; the timeless West Coast iteration of late '70s downtown punk best repped by hometown heroes X; the '90s post-cowpunk, quasi-kitsch alt-rock of Cracker.

Throw away the bullshit clichés -- this nearly four-hour show was hardly a lesson in history. The music of X and the New York Dolls is as fresh -- and as rockin' as ever. After a delay in making it through security at Club Nokia and unfortunately missing Cracker's set, New York Dolls (with two remaining original members David Johnasen and Sylvain Sylvain) took off with a New Year's themed set. The Dolls originally made a name for themselves in the '70s with the late Johnny Thunders. Today, the Dolls are back, and songs from their 2006 comeback, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, such as the Intelligent Design protest song "Dance Like a Monkey" were among the liveliest of the set. The Dolls will return to the studio in the new year to record with Todd Rundgren producing.

While X -- now in its 31st year with the four original members -- sticks to early 80's hits, they play with a fever that has hardly faded. While the members of X individually have moved on to produce more -- let's say adult -- music, the songs and the sound of X remains extremely alive and relevant -- this was hardly a throwback show. The multi-generational crowd at Club Nokia did not want the show to end, with it's Christmas themes ("Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Chuck Berry's "Run, Run Rudolph"). The new venue -- like an idyllic rock joint in a box -- has pristine sound, sight angles, and is easily navigable with throughways on the right and left side of the crowd on the floor. The super-wide, but unfinished stairways really need to be better utilized so VIPs and balcony-sitters don't need to wait for an elevator. But for Club Nokia's first punk rock show -- at least according to John Doe -- this was a night to remember.

Photo courtesy of Casa Cocina y Cantina

Looking for a little holiday cheer in the frantic last days of frenzied mall crowds, last-minute shopping and party hopping? Well, today is your lucky day. Christmas in a cocktail glass at the following bars and even a little recipe to try at your holiday party!

I love Bar Lubitsch's Hot Winter Cider. This hot mug of cidery goodness with organic apple juice, Jack and Hennessey never fails to warm me up. And I love wrapping my hand around the pretty Russian-esque glass mug it comes in. Feels like I'm staying in from a blustery white night.

Westwood's BLVD 16 has comfort winter cocktails. For those who miss pumpkin pie, there's the Great Pumpkin ($14) cocktail with Captain Morgan Rum, Frangelico, Licor 43, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and pumpkin pie mix served on the rocks in a martini glass with a Graham Cracker crusted rim. The Apple Jack ($12) is another spiked hot apple cider with Jack Daniels and cinnamon simple syrup served in a spiced rimmed glass. If perchance you have a cold, the Chamomile Hot Toddy ($12) will have you feeling right as rain (what does that mean anyway?) with its chamomile-mango tea, Tuacca and brandy with honey and a cinnamon stick.New downtown Mexican restaurant, Casa Cocina y Cantina, has every favorite Christmas flavor in a one glass and it's called Feliz Navinog -- chocolate, mint, Bacardi rum and eggnog with crushed candy cane dusting the rim.

Citrus at Social is showcasing a cocktail flight ($12) just for the occasion -- a trio of holiday faves. Egg Nog is made with Vanilla Stoli, brandy, Buttershots, cream, vanilla bean simple syrup, nutmeg, garnished with graham cracker crumble. The Apple Cider is a different take on the winter drink, with Vanilla Stoli, Goldschlager, simple syrup, apple liqueur, cream and garnished with an apple slice. And the Candy Cane is a creamy minty mix of Vanilla Stoli, crème de menthe, simple syrup, cream, dash of cherry liqueur and garnished with a mini candy cane. You also have the option of ordering single large versions of each drink for $13.

I love Luna Park on La Brea, especially for the fact that they have the cutest Xmas-themed cocktails ($9.50 each) I've seen this year. The Bumble is a creamy, sweet concoction of vanilla vodka, Godiva white chocolate liqueur and Frangelico named after the redlight-phobic abominable snowman in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And of course there's a cocktail inspired by everyone's favorite Red Nosed Reindeer. This one is made with Captain Morgan, Grand Marnier, Grey Goose and a bit of eggnog, served on the rocks and garnished with cherries and a cinnamon stick. The Mistletoe Martini is surprisingly tropical with melon liqueur, coconut rum, pineapple and sweet and sour, the holiday touch is its "mistletoe" garnish.

The Peninsula's Club Bar in Beverly Hills is featuring a decadent Eggnog Martini. This one mixes eggnog with Amaretto di Sarono and Belvedere vodka and is garnished with cinammon sticks.

The Wildfish Seafood Grille all the way in Newport Beach is in the throes of its 12 Cocktails of Christmas where they're pouring premium holiday cocktails ($11 each) every night til December 31. Check out the following drinks: Peppermint Patty, Toasted Almond, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Man.

If you don't feel like making your own mulled wine this year, Wilshire in Santa Monica is serving it up, made with Cabernet, sugar, vanilla bean, cloves, black pepper, oranges, lemons, and brandy ($10) to warm you up on those cold nights.

And while I was flying Southwest Airlines this weekend, I found a yummy-sounding Christmas take on my favorite cocktail, the Manhattan, in the airline's magazine. This uses gingerbread liqueur in the place of Sweet Vermouth! Unfortunately, I didn't get to copy the recipe down but if I remember correctly, it's the following (although they did say to shake which is a no-no in my book). If not, adapt to taste.

Gingerbread Manhattan

* 3 oz. Maker's Mark
* 1 oz. gingerbread liqueur

Combine ingredients over ice, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a spear of candied ginger and brandied cherry.