LAist Monthly Favorites

Win Tickets to See Sigur Rós at The Greek On Oct. 2

Tickets for 89.9 KCRW's presentation of Sigur Rós on October 2nd at The Greek go on sale Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Lucky for you, LAist running a contest giving you a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show before tickets go on sale.

For past contests related to the Greek, we've asked you what to do in Los Feliz and what's so great about Griffith Park. In light of high gas prices and a public transportation surge, we're asking for your best Los Angeles related transportation tip outside the realm of cars. Whether it is walking, biking, taking the bus or train, tell us what you do to make traveling in this city work when car-less. Here's how the contest works:

Enter the contest by making a comment on this post (below). Comments must fit the criteria, stated below.
The criteria of the comment/entry must be your best Los Angeles related transportation tip outside the realm of cars. Whether it is walking, biking, taking the bus or train, tell us what you do to make traveling in this city work when car-less. If you don't know the subject well, use the Internet.
You may only enter once.
The contest closes at 11:59:59 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2008.
Two winners will be selected at random to receive a pair of tickets and will be notified via the e-mail connected to their LAist.com login. They must confirm the receipt of the e-mail by 5:00 p.m., Monday, June 30, 2008 or the tickets will be released to another winner.

Good luck!

California to Legalize Weed for Everyone

That was an eighth of some $80 weed. 510 Kush. Photo by Anti/LAist

There is an initiative in the works that could end up on the November ballot that allows for marijuana to be sold to anyone, and anywhere that already sells alcohol. Its being called The Inalienable Rights Enforcement Initiative. From the full text of the measure:

This initiative will amend the Constitution of California to defend and safeguard the inalienable rights of the People against infringement by governments and corporations, providing for the lawful growth, sale, and possession of marijuana. Marijuana will be taxed through a system of stamps and licenses--a $5 stamp will be required for the sale of an eighth ounce of marijuana and a $50 annual license will be required for the growth of one marijuana plant. To protect participants and encourage participation in the system, such licenses and stamps will be available anonymously in stores where marijuana is sold.

So instead of getting some quack doctor to give you a prescription for $100 because of your supposed "anxiety" or alleged "insomnia", you will just pay an extra tax each time you buy yourself another 8th.

Aside from allowing all willing adults to be able to buy weed easily, this initiative will start to generate revenue for California, and stimulate our struggling economy. More weed stores means more jobs for Californians, more taxes to be collected, and more people enjoying better weed. And finally marijuana will be put into the same file as Alcohol and Cigarettes where it belongs, instead of it being equated with crack-cocaine and heroine.The initiative goes on to say why they believe this to be a necessary measure:

We also hold these truths to be self-evident-That, as an intoxicant, marijuana is far less harmful to the health and safety of the People than alcohol--That, as a smoking substance, marijuana is far less addictive or harmful to the health of the People than tobacco--That, even though alcohol is harmful to the health and safety of the People, the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933 only increased the harms associated with alcohol use: criminals seized control of the alcohol market, crime and violence increased greatly, and poverty, unemployment, and corruption flourished, while otherwise lawful alcohol drinkers were treated as "criminals" subject to detention, arrest, and incarceration, even though they had not harmed the rights of anyone--That, as with alcohol prohibition, the prohibition of marijuana has only increased the harms associated with the use of marijuana: criminals control a multi-billion dollar market, crime and violence have increased greatly, and poverty, unemployment, and corruption flourish, while otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are treated as "criminals" subject to detention, arrest, and incarceration, even though they have not harmed the rights of anyone-That the history of marijuana prohibition is a history of repeated injuries and infringements upon the inalienable rights, powers, and best interests of the People.

Fuck Yes! Preach on, brothers! They go on to point out that alcohol, tobacco, and big-pharma lobbyists have the politicians that are supposed to represent the People in their back-pockets and serving the interests of the alcohol, tobacco, and big-pharma industries.

Despite the harms of marijuana prohibition, politicians persist in imposing and upholding marijuana prohibition, because these politicians are not working for the People--they are working for the corporate executives who financed their campaigns, such as corporate executives in the alcohol industry who want to protect their monopoly on intoxication, corporate executives in the tobacco industry who want to protect their monopoly on smoking, corporate executives in the pharmaceutical industry who want to protect their monopoly on expensive medicines, and corporate executives in the many industries threatened by competition with hemp. These corporate executives pull the strings of the government to perpetuate marijuana prohibition despite its harms, because they do not care about the inalienable rights and best interests of the People--they care about taking as much money from the People as possible. These corporate executives also use their control of the mainstream media to make it seem like marijuana prohibition is a failed attempt to serve the interests of the People, censoring the idea that marijuana prohibition is a successful attempt to serve corporate interests at the expense of the People. For these corporate interests, politicians sacrifice the inalienable rights and best interests of the People. This corruption and corporate influence is worse at the national level, where the People can least afford political influence and the media is most effective at manipulating public debate. Because of this corruption, it is futile for the People to turn to the federal government for protection--because the federal government is the source of the harm. The repeated attempts by the People to reduce the harms of marijuana prohibition have been answered only by repeated injury. The harm from marijuana prohibition is ongoing and the need for relief is urgent. Such is the suffering of the People, and such is the necessity that constrains us to alter our former systems of government. A government with a character marked by every act that defines a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Therefore, appealing to humankind for the rightness of our intentions

They need 694,354 signatures by September, 5, 2008. I think it's totally do-able. Its been over a decade since Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, was passed with over 5 million votes in favor.

So 12 years later... are we more or less tolerant of recreational use of marijuana? For now, we'll have to wait and see.

Related Story: Marijuana Initiatives, What Went Down in '06

Road Rage Motorist vs. Cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road

Update: The outcome of this incident has been updated here.

On July 4th, about 300 cyclists gathered at the Manhattan Beach Starbucks for a Holiday Ride to the top of Mandeville Canyon Road in Brentwood. The Holiday Ride is a regular event that takes place 5-6 times a year drawing cyclists from all over the greater LA area.

Mandeville Canyon, off Sunset Blvd., is a steep and challenging ride and the crowd quickly thinned out with some cyclists racing to the top while others rode socially, catching up with old friends and savoring the journey.On the descent, a cyclist in the back fell, breaking his collarbone and injuring himself seriously enough to require medical attention and a ride to the hospital in an ambulance. Christian Stoehr, 29, and Ron Peterson, 40, stayed behind until the ambulance arrived and then they began their descent down the hill.

Christian Stoehr recounts "We were riding downhill at approximately 30 mph when a car came up behind us, must have been doing 50 mph, and the driver started honking at us. We moved to the right in single file within seconds and the motorist pulled along Ron and started screaming at him. He then pulled in front of us with 3-5 feet to spare and slammed on his brakes, giving us no time to stop. I swerved and almost made it, clipping the car and flying through the air and landing in the street. Ron had no room to move and he went straight into the back of the car, putting his face through the back window."

The driver of the vehicle stopped his car and continued the tirade, identifying himself as a Doctor but never offering medical attention.

Ron told the motorist to turn off the car and Christian sat on the hood of the car, afraid that the driver would drive off. The motorist continued the tirade, telling Christian to get his bike out of the street. Christian reported that they were afraid that the motorist would leave the scene.

A third cyclist, Chris Roberts, rode up and stepped in to make sure the motorist didn't leave. Christian collapsed on the side of the road as the ambulance from the top of the hill pulled up with the first injured cyclist. Paramedics jumped out and administered first aid.

Christian was banged up, collected road rash and was unable to move his right arm. Ron reports that "my nose was separated to the point that it was hanging off my face. They moved it to the side and pulled glass out of my face. My front two teeth are broken, they found a piece in the backseat mixed in with all the glass. I've got 90 stitches in my face."

Both cyclists ride with Synergy and both are accomplished racers. Ron is a CAT1 racer and former State Champion with 14 years of racing experience. Christian has a couple of years of racing under his belt and says "Ron is my racing coach and just a couple of months ago he conducted a safety class with exercises to teach us better bike handling skills. This meant I was better prepared to take evasive action and I almost made it! Ron had no room to move and ended up hitting the back of the car, putting his face through the back window."

Christian says "It'll be months before I can ride again, I was looking forward to some of the upcoming stage races but the season is over for me. Not only that, I'm a camera and steadicam operator so I'm going to be unable to work for months."

Their bodies are broken, their bikes are totaled but their resolve is stronger than ever.

"This isn't the first time that there's been an incident like this." says Ron. "In fact two cyclists from LAGrange were recently run off the road by a motorist who fits the same description as this one. They reported it but no charges were filed. Same road, same situation. We've got to work together to prosecute this guy to the full extent of the law before he kills somebody!"

Update: The outcome of this incident has been updated here.

LA's Finest - Taking Care of Business - Personal Business

I was standing in a long line at the ATM on the parking lot side of the Sunset & Vine WaMu when I noticed an LAPD car circle around the parking lot and then pull up to the red zone just to the right of the access ramp. The driver left the car running, got out and came and stood in the painfully-slow-and-not-moving-very-fast line.

We had time to chat. Lots of time to chat.I broke the silence and suggested gently that there are some that might suggest that leaving a vehicle idling is a waste of fuel in addition to having a significant negative impact on our environment. He smiled as if I had just said something mildly amusing.

I rephrased my comment, this time asking him if he would consider the negative impact of his behavior and simply turn the idling vehicle off while he waited in line with the rest of us. Again, he smiled and looked at me as if I was trying to entertain him.

I clarified, "No really, that fuel is paid for with our money, you're simply wasting our resources and it's our neighborhood and you're treating it with contempt. Please, turn off you engine if you're going to take the vehicle out of service while you run personal errands with your partner sitting shotgun."

He explained that it isn't his money, it doesn't matter because everyone does it, look around, cars everywhere!

Who can argue with logic like that? Not I!

I asked his partner if it was necessary to leave their vehicle running while sitting idle in a parking lot.

He explained that if they got a call and they had to go "lights and siren" and the car didn't start, what would they do? Besides, they were very busy and they needed to keep the car running so they could stay up on the calls.

I asked why, if they were so busy, his partner had just picked the longest line at the worst possible time of the day to take care of personal business while on duty.

All I heard were crickets. Crickets and the exhaust. Crickets coughing.

Councilman Calls for Mandeville Canyon Bicycle Meeting

Injured cyclist, Ron Peterson being prepped for transport to an area hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics.

Update #2: The meeting has been canceled. More information here.

Update: The meeting location has changed to across the street to accommodate more people. it is not located at Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center at 11338 Santa Monica Boulevard.

After the unfortunate, yet eye-opening incident between an alleged "road rage" motorist, who was arrested, and two bicyclists on Mandeville Canyon on Fourth of July and press coverage from most major media outlets in Los Angeles, Councilman Bill Rosendahl has set a time and date for a public meeting to discuss the issues.

"City officials will welcome suggestions from all parties on how to improve safety on the narrow 5 mile roadway that is heavily used by residents, visitors to nearby recreation areas, and cyclists," a press release stated. "Discussion will also focus on efforts to better inform the public about laws and vehicle code sections pertaining to cycling and sharing the road."

It goes on to say "the specifics of the July 4 incident, which is being investigated by law enforcement officials, will not be a subject of the meeting."

The meeting next Monday at 6:30 p.m. will be held in the ~~2nd floor Hearing Room at the West Los Angeles Municipal Building (1645 Corinth Avenue, which is between Iowa and Santa Monica Blvd)~~ (see above update). Bicycle racks are available and are allowed in the building lobby. Car parking can be found behind the building.

Can Bicycles Run Red Lights Legally?

Bicycle advocate Alex Thompson wrote on his blog that he ran various red lights last night in Santa Monica. He explains his actions. "Because the decrepit signals wouldn’t change for me. Every time I visit Santa Monica City Council I run the light in front of the Police Department. I wait and wait and wait before I realize that the signal is not going to change for me. Then I look around, make sure there aren’t any police about, and I run it."

He noted that there was "supposedly" a law allowing people to run a red light if it is not changing. "I’m not looking to have that conversation with a cop," he said.

It's true, the California Vehicle Code does have something for this:

21800 (d) (1) The driver of any vehicle approaching an intersection which has official traffic control signals that are inoperative shall stop at the intersection, and may proceed with caution when it is safe to do so. This subparagraph shall apply to traffic control signals that become inoperative because of battery failure.

Of course, it's very interpretive. How long does one have to wait for it to equal inoperative? How does one know when it is battery failure? If a light changes for a car, but not a bicycle, does that make it inoperative?

Photo by racreations via Flickr

Councilman Rosendahl: From Champion to Weasel

Councilman Bill Rosendahl played to the cycling community last week when he announced that he was convening a Community Forum to address issues raised in the aftermath of the Mandeville Canyon "road rage" incident of July 4th.

The response to the Community Forum, which was announced last Wednesday, was so significant that the event was moved to a larger venue to accommodate the anticipated crowd.

Abruptly, Rosendahl's Office reversed course on Saturday, announcing that the Community Forum was canceled, citing concerns that "the tenor of media coverage and of blog posts would make a Monday public meeting counter-productive."

It turns out that the meeting wasn't really canceled, it simply returned to its original meeting location, this time with an exclusive guest list (notes from meeting are here).
This is hardly the public process that was championed at Wednesday's Transportation Committee, where committee members stressed the importance of public participation in the development of policy and projects in the community.

The tremendous irony in this is that the Cyclists' Bill of Rights (something Rosendahl endorsed) lists #8 as "Cyclists have the right to be actively engaged as a constituent group in the organization and administration of our communities." Apparently, that holds true only if you're on the list.

One of the invited members to the exclusive club recognizes that the Mandeville incident "does shine a spotlight on increasing tensions between motorists and cyclists and the need to address this citywide." Another attendee expressed hope that the issues raised by the homeowners could be dealt with in a way that resonated throughout the community. And yet...

The LADOT, Public Works and LAPD sat down with a council district approved group of homeowners and cyclists, including reps from "cycling groups" who took the time to communicate to the public that the meeting had been canceled, all the while knowing that the meeting was on, simply not with the public.

One can only watch and wonder what kind of success Councilman Rosendahl and the participants are expecting if the first move made is to exclude the public, move silently and then to meet.

UPS Makes the Case For Simple Steps

It's the end of the day at the end of the week and the parking lot on Hollywood Boulevard between Argyle and El Centro looks like a UPS Swap Meet. 10 Trucks are parked in a tight arrangement that allows the drivers to quickly reallocate or distribute the packages remaining on their trucks.

In light of the recent spate of City, County, State, Metro and Utility vehicles that have been left idling on the streets of our community, I went into the parking lot and rode through the "herd" of UPS Delivery Trucks.Not one of them was running. The engines were silent. I recognized a couple of the Drivers from the neighborhood and so I approached and asked them a few questions.

I asked if UPS has a policy about idling vehicles. They all laughed. "Ah, yeah. Turn it off!" They laughed. Apparently it's a stupid question with an obvious answer. At least to them.

I asked if fuel conservation is ever discussed. They laughed again. "All the time. We have regular meetings. It's not just wasting fuel but it's air pollution. We are always talking about strategies to improve."

I asked what they could do to reduce fuel use and air pollution. They didn't laugh but got serious and started talking over each other. "Good route planning, pick your parking spots carefully and centrally and then get out and walk, making more deliveries per stop. You gotta use your brain and you gotta use your feet."

I checked and sure enough, UPS has a very simple policy on idling vehicles. Turn it off.

Sometimes the biggest impact comes from the simplest step. At UPS, the importance of fuel conservation is demonstrated throughout the ranks with drivers playing an important role.
Idling: UPS drivers are trained to always turn off their package cars when they stop for a delivery, never idling at the curb or in a driveway. Even if the driver is out of the truck for a few seconds, the vehicle is always turned off.

When it matters, people will do the right thing. It's up to us to make it matter.

Where are the Best Fireworks in Los Angeles?

Photo by Zeroth57, used with permission

The use of fireworks and explosives are prohibited in the City of Los Angeles, but that doesn't stop people. The city estimates illegal fireworks caused a total of over $380,000 in property damages in 2007. Eeek!

However, for most residents, it's all about enjoying the fireworks displays around town. Tonight, there will be about eight fireworks shows from Altadena to the Hollywood Bowl (Go Dodgers!) to Norwalk. On Saturday, shows are in Boyle Heights and Avalon on Catalina Island. Coming in last, Agoura Hills has a Sunday show.

Of course, Friday is the day for fireworks shows with over 40 shows around the region.

So, where do you watch your fireworks? What's the best place?

Obama in Los Angeles Tuesday

Barack Obama is scheduled to ask Hollywood's most celestial bigwigs to open up its pocket books on Tuesday during a fundraiser in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

It will be Obama's first Los Angeles appearance after securing the Democratic presidential nomination said Variety's political blog Wilshire & Washington, who broke the story Friday:

"Barack Obama's fund-raiser at the Los Angeles Music Center on Tuesday is expected to draw a sizable contingent of stars and Hollywood executives, including Samuel L. Jackson, Seal, Heidi Klum, Sidney Poitier, Will.i.am, Cedric the Entertainer, Dennis Quaid and Kal Penn.

Also on the list are Ari Emanuel, Ron Meyer, Bryan Lourd, Mike and Irena Medavoy, Jim Wiatt and Sherry Lansing."After Obama secured the nomination in early June, and after Hillary Clinton publicly endorsed him less than a week later, observers wondered if his former foe's supporters would cross the Democratic aisle.

A portion of her female supporters -- including some very vocal NOW members -- vowed not to support Obama, citing perceived slights to the first woman candidate with a true shot at the White House. Others promised to vote for John McCain. But apparently, there will be no question who Hollywood will be backing, Wilshire & Washington's Ted Johnson said: "Some of her key fund-raisers, like John Emerson, chairman of the Los Angeles Music Center, are already raising money for Obama."

Obama's planned Los Angeles visit follows Clinton's first appearance since she called it quites, speaking at a Bronx high school Sunday. Odds are, the still possible -- if unlikely candidate for VP -- who is now being mentioned as a possible Supreme Court Justice, will keep a high public profile; all politicians are narcissists in the most basic form.

Speaking of narcissism: Bill Clinton also spoke on Sunday for the first time since his wife left the race. In Miami, the former president told the national conference of mayors he was pleased with Obama's energy plan. Reporters at the Florida event asked whether Bill Clinton would endorse Obama, which he has not yet done. Apparently, no one asked why it still matters what one of this country's most accomplished presidents and now its most visible malcontent still thinks.

Photo by victoriabernal, via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr.

Marijuana Initiatives, What Went Down in '06

Vote for Weed! | Photo by Anti/LAist

Since many are hopeful that California will have weed legalized for everyone in California, we thought we would share with you what happened in 2006. From the trends you can see below, fewer and fewer people see marijuana as a "bad, evil, boogie-man that will unravel society as we know it."

California Marijuana Initiatives 2006:

Santa Barbara, CA. Measure P Win by 65% Make marijuana possession the lowest law enforcement priority.
Santa Cruz, CA. Measure K Win by 64% Make marijuana possession the lowest priority for laws enforcement.
Santa Monica, CA. Measurer Y Win by 65% Make marijuana possession the lowest priority for law enforcement.
Albany, CA. Measure D Win by 53% to allow a medical marijuana dispensary in the City of Albany.

What's the next step in making something the lowest criminal priority? Legalization.

After the jump more results from other states' 2006 Marijuana Initiatives.Nevada Marijuana Initiatives 2006:

State of Nevada Question 7 Loss by 56% to permit the manufacture, distribution and sale of marijuana to adults 21 and older.

Colorado Marijuana Initiatives 2006:

State of Colorado Amendment 44 Loss by 60% Allow possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.

Montana Marijuana Initiatives 2006:

Missoula County Initiative 2 Win by 54% Make marijuana the lowest priority for law enforcement.

Arkansas Marijuana Initiatives 2006:

Eureka Springs Initiative Win by 63% Make the possession of one ounce or less the lowest priority for laws enforcement.

The results from the other states is not quite as exciting. But in time, marijuana will be legalized!

Source: Socal Norml

LADOT's Michael May to Violate Brown Act

Left to right: LADOT Staff Michael May, CD-4 Larry Hoffman, Mayoral appointee Glenn Bailey at a LABAC meeting | Photo courtesy by Alex Thompson

Shocked by the horrific road raging motorist vs. cyclists incident on Mandeville Canyon Road this past holiday weekend, the cycling community has rallied in the last four days to fight for justice and to ensure that Los Angeles city leadership, law enforcement and the judicial system respond to incidents such as this.

Brad House, council district 15 representative to the LA Bicycle Advisory Committee (LABAC), which is the official body charged with advising the LA City Council and Mayor on cycling issues, brought the incident to LAist contributor Stephen Box's attention, and called for immediate action from the LABAC.

Other members agreed that the LABAC must act decisively, so a discussion took place internally about convening an emergency meeting of the LABAC.LADOT's Michael May, who acts as support staff for the committee, responded by tentatively scheduling a meeting in the LADOT 9th floor offices in the Caltrans Building. The use of this location has come under fire in the past because the location violates the Brown Act by restricting public access. Private citizens cannot attend without submitting their identification, which California correctly prohibits because it is a deterrent to public participation:

California Code 54953.3 A member of the public can attend a meeting of a legislative body without having to register or give other information as a condition of attendance.

May and the LABAC have been reminded about this provision in the past -- it is because of this law that the committee can no longer meet in the Department of Water & Power building. Should the committee violate this rule, not only will the decisions and discussion from the meeting be stricken from the record, but each participant is guilty of a misdemeanor.

LADOT staff's actions may render the committee unable to take swift action on the awful incident in Mandeville Canyon. It's a good thing when positive action is about to be taken, but it needs to be done legally, otherwise why is the city wasting time?

Senator Calls for President to Implement Car Idling Law

Yesterday, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley wrote a letter to President George Bush asking him to consider taking a stand against car idling in Washington D.C.

"While people across the country are looking for ways to reduce their fuel burden by using less, the federal government doesn’t appear to be taking the same steps to reduce wasteful energy consumption and save taxpayer money," he wrote. "Each and every day, there are likely dozens, if not hundreds of federal government SUVs and sedans idling for hours in Washington alone while waiting for their passengers. Some of the biggest culprits of this practice are vehicles attending to cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries and assistant secretaries."

Anti-idling advocates in Vermont, where an idling law exists affecting school areas, say that "idling your vehicle for more than just 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your engine" and that "idling your vehicle for 10 minutes uses as much fuel as it takes to travel 5 miles." California also has an anti-idling law for school buses.

Grassley knows that others may view this as small issue. "Some might say these cases are a spit in the ocean of our energy problems, but the limousines and SUVs of high-level government leaders are important symbols of leadership and their actions are sending a message that they’re out of touch." His full letter is below.

July 10, 2008
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

Hard-working Americans across the country are struggling to cope with the rising costs for energy. With crude oil at over $135 a barrel and gasoline averaging over $4.00 a gallon, Americans are spending ever more of their family budgets on transportation costs. In my travels across the state of Iowa, I’ve heard from farmers, small businesses, truck drivers and families who are desperately in need of help.

Because of the increased cost for fuel, American’s are forced to take measures to reduce their consumption, either by driving less, combining errands, car pooling, or driving a more fuel efficient vehicle. These measures don’t eliminate the burden of high gas prices, but they’re small steps that can be taken to increase efficiency and reduce consumption. I know you’ll agree that the federal government should be leading in this area, not lagging.

Each and every day, there are likely dozens, if not hundreds of federal government SUVs and sedans idling for hours in Washington alone while waiting for their passengers. Some of the biggest culprits of this practice are vehicles attending to cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries and assistant secretaries. I understand that in some cases the idling may be necessary. But, I would imagine that in an overwhelming majority of the situations there is no reason for a car or SUV to remain idling for hours on end. Surely there are simple and painless steps the federal government could take to do its part to reduce energy use, including eliminating this wasteful behavior.

Some might say these cases are a spit in the ocean of our energy problems, but the limousines and SUVs of high-level government leaders are important symbols of leadership and their actions are sending a message that they’re out of touch. There are likely thousands of situations such as this where fuel is being wasted by federal employees who have never been instructed to use common sense to reduce fuel use in their daily job duties.

I hope you’ll see fit to challenge the federal bureaucracy to look for ways to eliminate blatantly wasteful behavior that is costing the American taxpayer and also contributing to the high cost of fuel at the pump. I look forward to hearing the actions you intend to take to ensure the efficient use of fuel by federal government employees and vehicles. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator

Photo of a sign in New York City by miss rogue via Flickr

Councilman Back Pedals on Bicycle Meeting

Photo by Egan Snow via Flickr

After quickly championing the rights of vehicles and bicycles sharing the road in the aftermath of the Mandeville Canyon "road rage" incident, Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl has canceled this Monday's community town hall that he quickly put together last week (he even changed locations once to accommodate the expected large crowd comfortably).

"At the request of the residents and of the cyclists who use Mandeville Canyon Road, I have decided that a more focused, deliberative task force will achieve my goal of bringing the relevant people together to discuss ideas and proposals for everyone to share this narrow canyon roadway," Rosendahl said in an e-mail notice sent to residents.

The notice continues to say that "the tenor of media coverage and of blog posts would make a Monday public meeting counter-productive."
Alex Thompson, resident of Rosendahl's district and a monthly rider with Santa Monica Critical Mass, said he was surprised and disappointed in the cancellation. "I'm sure the meeting would have been uncomfortable, but that discomfort comes from a genuine conflict between motorists and cyclists. We won't get anywhere by ignoring that conflict when these two cyclists were hurt. The problem is deeper and broader than Mandeville Canyon, so we need to approach it as such."

The task force will be made up of representatives from the three Mandeville Canyon homeowners associations, the four cycling clubs that regularly train there, the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and his staff. It will be tasked to "develop proposals to address issues of safety, personal and public rights, and civic responsibility – among both cyclists and residents of Mandeville Canyon," the e-mail stated.

Rosendahl introduced a "Cyclists' Bill of Rights" motion on Friday that was endorsed by fellow councilmembers. He thinks the venue for such discussion is more appropriate at Transportation Committee and City Council meetings where it could lead to a citywide education campaign about cyclists rights and sharing the road.

The original Cyclists' Bill of Rights for Los Angeles was written by the Bicycle Writers' Collective. No member was invited to the task force. "The Citywide response to this Road Rage Incident has demonstrated that this is a Citywide problem that must be addressed with a Citywide Solution," said BWC member (and LAist Contributor), Stephen Box, who had just returned from a Neighborhood Council event downtown where he was promoting the Cyclists' Bill of Rights and lobbying the community leaders for support. "As authors and champions of the Cyclists' Bill of Rights, the BWC must be a part of the task force, but even more important, it is imperative that the public have a chance to participate."

Councilman Rosendahl's letter to Community
Sent 5:38 p.m., Saturday, July 12, 2008

In response to escalating tensions over a July 4 incident that sent two cyclists to the hospital, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl is replacing a public Town Hall meeting with a task force on how cyclists and residents can better and more safely share Mandeville Canyon Road.
"At the request of the residents and of the cyclists who use Mandeville Canyon Road, I have decided that a more focused, deliberative task force will achieve my goal of bringing the relevant people together to discuss ideas and proposals for everyone to share this narrow canyon roadway," Rosendahl said.

Over the past few days, officials with homeowner associations and the bicycling clubs that train on the winding, 5-mile stretch of road expressed concern that the tenor of media coverage and of blog posts would make a Monday public meeting counter-productive. Many said they worried the issue had become larger than the specific issues of Mandeville Canyon

"While I always prefer more public dialogue and welcome it even now," Rosendahl said, "I appreciate the views and concerns of the residents and cyclists most involved in this issue and most familiar with this road.'

The Town Hall meeting had been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 14 at the Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center in West Los Angeles

Instead, Rosendahl said he would convene a task force of representatives of the three Mandeville Canyon homeowners associations, the four cycling clubs that regularly train there, the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and his staff. The group will develop proposals to address issues of safety, personal and public rights, and civic responsibility – among both cyclists and residents of Mandeville Canyon.

Rosendahl said he hoped the more global issues of road-sharing between cyclists and motorists throughout Los Angeles would get a more thorough airing in a more appropriate, citywide venue. He noted he and several colleagues last week introduced a motion endorsing the Cyclists' Bill of Rights.

"When the Transportation Committee and the City Council take up that issue, I think it will be an exceptional opportunity to begin a citywide education campaign about the rights of cyclists and the need for everyone to share the road. We're all stuck in gridlock in Los Angeles, and we need to voice our frustration at the lack of a sensible transit system, and not at each other.

Rosendahl said he also welcomes any feedback at councilmanrosendahl@lacity.org.

Mandeville Canyon Motorist Vs. Bicycle Incident Deemed 'Road Rage'*

Regarding the incident reported this morning where a one Dr. Christopher Thompson*, a 58-year-old emergency room physician and resident of the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood, was involved in an alleged road rage incident between two bicyclists, Christian Stoehr and Ron Peterson, on Mandeville Canyon Rd. in Brentwood, there have been some updates.

"Captain Eaton, the commanding officer of the West LA station, reports that LAPD believes this was indeed a 'road rage' incident, made an arrest, and is handling the matter as a felony criminal assault, and not as a traffic collision," explained Mike Bonin, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, in a comment that was verified this morning. "The investigation will be handled by [West Los Angeles division] Detectives, who are seeking a criminal filing. When LAPD updates us on the progress, I will be sure to share that information here."

*Note: There are other Dr. Christopher Thompsons in the Los Angeles area who work in medicine and unfortunatley some are being wrongly threatened.

Opinionist: Good Job, LA Times - You're Almost As Good As The Enquirer

UPDATE: Further down the page, I refer to Jonah as an idiot. That's not really fair, and I apologize. He's ~~a fu~~ an incredible idiot:

One small point in response (I know, I know: Why bother?). The 13th amendment lists involuntary servitude and slavery as different things. If they were the same, the founders wouldn't have wasted the ink repeating themselves.

In case you're curious, here's a brief description of just how much of an incredible idiot he is. SPOILER: William Seward isn't as far as I know, classified as one of the Founding fathers. Wonderful work there, LA Times. Awesome hiring. (Via Atrios.)

***

It’s not easy being the LA Times. Like all print media, they've fallen on hard times in the last 8 years. They’re bleeding circulation like a 19th century Russian Monarch. They've experienced a sharp decline in ad revenue and lose money by the crate. They've been, ahem, “forced” into firing essential staffers, which has of course resulted in a marked drop in quality and coverage. Why, they might even be forced to abandon the building they’ve called home for a gazillion years. What's an ossified, megapowerful publishing entity to do? How can they climb out of the half-dug grave and remain relevant in the Internet age?

* Might they consider improving the quality of their reporting? Please.

* What about examining how Americans, having been lied to about practically everything during the Bush years, might be looking for other information outlets where they can get facts instead of lies and guilt trips? HahaHAHAHAHhahah cough. Ahem. Sorry, you just aroused my naturally boisterous blogging sensibilities*.

* Could they figure out a way to actually make money on the internet? Crazy talk! No one knows how to do that!

* Then maybe they could just blame everything on the internet and try shovel a mountain of right wing bullshit down their readers’ throats?

If you’re paying attention, then you know they’ve gone with option 4.

****

Exhibit Q is their recent decision to add to their editorial pages prominent conservative trustafarian Jonah Goldberg. Many of you may not know who this incredible douchebag actually is. He’s famous for three things:

1) He’s the son of coprolitic professional conservative complainer Lucianne Goldberg, and thus the recipient of right wing welfare that even George Bush envies. Jonah, thanks to mommy’s money, managed to launch a hilarious career on the internet advocating for, among other things, the Iraq war. And like most conservatives, he was conspicuously unwilling to actually, you know, serve in it.

2) He’s the author of the hilariously unreadable Liberal Fascism, a book that alleges, with a straight face, that liberal champions of civil liberties and equal rights are heirs to Hitler and Mussolini. I shouldn’t need to tell you how crazy that is, but in case I do, think about it like this: When was the last time you met a liberal who advocated for endless war, ethnic cleansing, total corporate control of the government and the slaughter of the nation’s enemies?

3) His pearl-clutchingly histrionic support for the Iraq war. He’s one of the original conservatives who equated supporting the war with actually serving in it. Think about that – people like Jonah actually believe that their blisterfully masturbational support of this awful war is morally equivalent to actually risking their lives to fight in it. He also frequently accused opponents of the war with disloyalty, cowardice and so forth. When confronted with the absurdity of his statements, he offered a ridiculous response that perfectly captured the venal, pants-crapping cowardice of America's conservatives and led to the liberal blogosphere bestowing him with the richly deserved nickname "The Doughy Pantload."

****

Today, Mr. pantload treats Angelenos to a startlingly transcendental masterpiece entitled “Forced Servitude In America?”:

There's a weird irony at work when Sen. Barack Obama, the black presidential candidate who will allegedly scrub the stain of racism from the nation, vows to run afoul of the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery.

That would be weird irony. Because as far as I know, the last mainstream American candidate who favored a return to slavery died on July 4, 2008. Could it be that Obama is the candidate to continue Helms' legacy and finally restore the glory of the old South? I Declare!

For those who don't remember, the 13th Amendment says: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime ... shall exist within the United States."

And here I thought the 13th Amendment stipulated that "he who killed Jason must verily portray him in the next film." Or maybe conservatives need to stop treating Americans like we're all as fucking stupid as they are. But I digress. Jonah was talking about, what, slavery, right?

I guess in Obama's mind it must be a crime to be born or to go to college.

OH MY GOD! I heard Obama was a blackity black not black enough atheist Muslim black man who also has the audacity to not own a pet. But considering college a crime! That's too far, even for a liberal fascist like me!

In his speech on national service Wednesday at the University of Colorado, Obama promised that as president he would "set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year."
He would see that these goals are met by, among other things, attaching strings to federal education dollars. If you don't make the kids report for duty, he's essentially telling schools and college kids, you'll lose money you can't afford to lose. In short, he'll make service compulsory by merely compelling schools to make it compulsory.

Wait, what? Never mind, let's watch Jonah draw a false equivalence in order to defend his alleged point. We say "alleged" because this doesn't actually make sense.

It's funny that, when the right seeks to use the government to impose its values, the left screams about brainwashing and propaganda. When the left tries it, the right thunders about social engineering. But when left and right agree -- as seems to be the case on national service -- who's left to complain? As ever, the slipperiest slopes are greased with the snake oil of "bipartisanship."

Yes, because advocating for increased involvement in national improvement, opposing the war, opposing compulsory prayer in school, believing in sexual freedom and civil liberties, and fighting to end discrimination is exactly the same as opposing sexual freedom, religious freedom, the right to dissent and being a massive supporter of the war. Exactly the same thing. Why, how anyone could make an informed judgment, when the left and right positions are actually so totally different and only an idiot could possibly think there's any moral equivalence, is beyond me. Fortunately, Jonah is here to explain how.

This is the real problem with national service mania: It seeks to fix what ain't broke. No, national service isn't slavery. But it contributes to a slave mentality, at odds with American tradition. It assumes that work not done for the government isn't really for the "common good."

Soooo... Obama is proposing that Americans perform national service, and in return, they'll receive increased assistance for things like college? And somehow, that's very similar to being forced to toil in cotton fields and live with the constant threat that your owner might rape you. Or at least, to creating a "slave mentality." Really? OH, Jonah! Truly you are the Harriet Tubman of the Top 10% Tax Bracket!

But Jonah, before you become so self satisfied by your comparison of national service to slavery that you do the world a favor and finally disappear up your own asshole, here's the thing. You're an idiot. And a dick.

****

Still, I have to admit that it makes perfect sense, Los Angeles being such a notorious enclave of extreme right wing politics, to include noxious right wing conservatives in our local paper. After all, we’re home to such an avid conservative voting base, with an anchor industry so utterly enamored with the GOP, that the expression “Hollywood Conservative” has become a Cliché, a stock phrase so frequently repeated that it’s lost all meaning except as a way of saying “asshole” on TV without offending the censors.

As everyone knows, there isn’t a single depiction of conservative views on TV news programs. Worse, famous liberals like Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris are frequently used as political props by ambitious liberal politicians, anxious to relate to the bigots in the Heartland with the associated folksy populism of these liberal icons, while even the appearance of a conservative celebrity in the same zip code as a Republican is enough to send the liberal media off the rails. Even mentioning Barbara Streisand’s numerous connections to the Bush Family is enough to inspire a mountain of cash from outraged liberals, tired of Hollywood’s close relationship with the Republicans and desperate to claim for themselves a slice of the entertainment industry.

Clearly, LA is a conservative town with a population desperate for right wing propaganda, so it makes perfect fucking sense that the LA Times would finally respond to this tidal wave of market pressure by making their voices heard. And publishing a first rate concubine like Jonah Goldberg in their Editorial Pages really is the right way to respond to this incredible, incontrovertible outpouring of demand for right wing nonsense in the pages of the LA times.

Or perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe, instead, the owners of the LA times ought to reconsider their decision to devote the paper to insulting the town it's supposed to serve. Because last I checked, it makes no fucking sense, from a pure business-plan point of view, to provide the exact opposite of what people actually want to purchase. It's like operating an abstinence only educational center from inside the Hustler coffee shop. Or pissing off your entire base just to score points with dicks.

Call me naive, but it seems like, now that the war is deeply unpopular, as is president Bush and pretty much everyone associated with him, it'd make more sense to try working from that point. For instance, why not bring back people like the sorely missed Robert Sheer, who you fired for having the audactity to not enjoy journalistically fellating the president. You know, the kind of people who were actually right, and actually representative of their city.

Not that we have any illusions. If the last 8 years is any guide, it's going to get much worse until eventually the LA Times has the journalistic integrity and operating budget of a John Birch pamphlet. Oh well. If the LA Times wants to publish lies and obfuscation, so be it. Meanwhile, the rest of us will just have to look forward to reading about their bankruptcy on the internet.

Photo "No Known Restrictions" by Pingnews.com, via Flikr.

*basic joke shamelessly stolen from Larry Gonick.

Welcoming Drew Doughty to the LA Kings

There's a new hockey player in town. He's 6' 1, 219 pounds, 18 years old and from Canada. Meet defenseman Drew Doughty, who was the Los Angeles Kings' 1st round choice and 2nd overall in the 2008 NHL draft.

Today, Doughty was found at the Los Angeles Kings Prospects Development Camp that started today. The camp is from July 8-18 at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. The camp is open to the public, so anyone can head on down. LAist Feautured Photos Flickr contributor Michael Zampelli headed down and shared these photos with us.

The Mickipedia to Becoming a Derby Doll

This upcoming weekend is probably the biggest weekend the LA Derby Dolls have had so far. In a first tournament of its kind, the best skaters from Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County are having it out on a banked track. Not only will there be tons of games throughout Saturday and Sunday, there will be bands, food, beer and general awesomeness. What the Derby Dolls do is very special and unique to Los Angeles. If you were making a list of thing to do before you move out of town, this is a must and here's two days of opportunity (and while available, there's a discount code [ladd2day] for $10 off here).

And if you do go, you'll see one hopeful player working the door. She won't be playing since she's still considered "Fresh Meat," or sometimes a "Baby Doll," but she hopes to make a team in the August try-outs and isn't shy to admit her derby zeal and kick-ass skills on the track. By day, she's Micki Krimmel, a new media consultant who helps media companies and technology startups define their web strategy, particularly with social tools. "My focus is on building long term sustainable communities," she says.

And by night--or more accurately, when online--she's Mickipedia."I guess you could say Mickipedia is my online alter-ego," she told LAist in an interview. "I started blogging in 2002 just for fun. Back then I was working in the indie Film industry and my blog was called 'The Red Carpet' as sort of a play on the whole 'I want to be famous' thing. I'm basically using myself as an art project to explore the narcissism of our generation and how that plays out in media.

"When I moved to LA, I took a job with Participant Productions where I started to really focus on the new media stuff. It was 2004 when blogging was finally becoming mainstream and everyone was in a frenzy about how the web was playing such a big role in politics and social change. So I led the interactive department for Participant for a couple years and spent a lot of time at conferences, etc just trying to learn as much as I could about what we now call "social media." It was a conference in San Jose that Brad Templeton (Chairman of the board of EFF) told me I should register the domain Mickipedia. I did it on the spot. A year or so later, I saw Brad and he said to me, 'I knew I was naming your website. I didn't know I was naming you!'

LAist: You're well established in the blogging scene, but how did you start to get invovled with the Dolls? What made you want to try out?

Mickipedia: Well i've always skated -- I mean not in a number of years, but i grew up on skates. I went to two bouts and felt like "I can do that!" I found out a friend of mine was training to be a referee and he really encouraged me to come 'cause I was a little intimidated at first. But he came with me to my orientation -- then i found out that the league is really supportive. The trainers are amazing and all the girls are super helpful. They beat the crap out of each other sure, but they do it with love.

So I figured what the hell? They have skates and pads and helmets for new girls to use so you can try it out without making the commitment. I figured I'd give it a try and if i didn't like it, no harm done. Of course, I LOVED IT right away.

Mickipedia practicing to a whip

So is this when you had to raise money and used your Twitter to help that effort?

Hee hee. Well, yeah, basically. I was determined to move up as quickly as possible. I wanted to be as ready as possible for the next round of try-outs and I knew that would mean that I needed gear ASAP.

My boyfriend and I recently had a bunch of family issues pop up that necessitated last minute travel, etc. so my bank account simply was not supporting the idea of paying $500 for a pair of roller skates. But $500 ain't that much if it's spread out across a few thousand people. So I went on a limb and created an online fundraiser with pledgie.com. I wrote a blog post and twittered -- asking for support. It was amazing!
People started donating right away. So I kept updating the fundraiser on twitter, thanking people for donating and drumming up excitement. In 48 hours, I had surpassed my goal. In total, I think I raises about $520.

One of my Twitter followers (who i don't know personally) dontated $100! I sent him a DM [direct messaged] like, "did you add an extra zero? Did you mean to donate that much?" And he said he did. I mean wow. Of course, now I have to stick with it. I've got to get out there and kick ass for the people who helped me when I needed it.

Wow, amazing.

Yeah it was pretty motivating. I mean we had a really rough couple of months with people dying, houses burning down, etc. and I needed something fun that would push me to move on in a way. Roller derby is super motivating. You leave practice and you feel like you can do anything. So while it was just a few hundred dollars, it meant a lot.

How often are practicies?

For fresh meat, two times a week. Once you get track-cleared, which basically means you can skate well enough not to be dangerous to others, you can practice more often.

There's a whole set of skills you need to master first. The training program is really intense. You don't just go to the track and skate in circles. They've got it all worked out. One day you're working on stops, the next day you're practicing different falls and how to get up quickly. There's most definitely a method to the madness. It's a serious sport. There are four teams now and a couple open skates each week so i think if you went by the doll factory any night of the week, someone would be practicing.

Well, good luck at the next try-outs and we'll see you this weekend at the tournament!

Photos by Michael Zed (aka Rink Rat)

LAist Interview: Jennifer Maisel

Playwright Jennifer Maisel has written plays that have been described as, "a sort of David Lynch on estrogen” and "inventive and sophisticated". Tonight her award winning "The Last Seder", in co-production of The Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA and Greenway Arts Alliance, opens at the Greenway Court Theatre on Fairfax. The The play tells the story of four sisters, who come back to their childhood house to celebrate Passover before their father moves into a nursing home. With both drama and humor, the holiday dinner reveals something about all of the family members.

LAist asked Jennifer about the LA production of "The Last Seder", her memories of celebrating Passover, and why playwrights need each other.

LAist: What inspired you to write “The Last Seder”?

Jennifer Maisel: Passover is my favorite holiday, the one that's really about your family. Every seder gets infused and all screwed up by your own particular family dynamics. I think that's why this play has broader appeal than a Jewish audience. Everyone can relate to dysfunctional holiday dinner. Seder means order and the idea of incorporating the traditional order into the structure of the play and messing with it was intriguing.

How did your family celebrate Passover when you were growing up?

It was always either at our house or one of my cousins' houses. Our family seder inevitably included some ritual bloodletting on the part whoever was working in the kitchen, my uncle ending the night playing his piano bar act on the baby grand and a battle over the afikomen. Various highlights included the year my aunt forgot to turn the oven on and had only raw turkey and gefilte fish to serve and my cousin's engagement to Herb (also her father's name) which provided a new yearly joke about the "bitter herbs".The play won the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award. How many drafts and readings has it been through to get to this point?

It keeps evolving and evolving. The play has had many readings and workshops and three productions prior to this one. For two of them I was part of the rehearsal process. And each time I've made changes, I think there are natural changes with each production, particularly with a contemporary play. Sometimes they're about how the world has changed technologically or politically. Sometimes it's because your actors or the director brings something new and refreshing to it and you find yourself wanting to shift things. Sometimes it's because getting productions in theatre takes so damn long, that in the interim I've grown as a person and a writer and I see things in a new way.

Many playwrights in LA write for film and television too. You have written films for MTV and have been on the staff for TV shows. How does the experience compare writing for the live theatre?

Part of the difference is the proscribed structure. To my mind, theatre has a much more organic structure. The play finds its own rhythms, rises and falls. No one is telling me that when I write it the turning point needs to be at page 27 or there has to be eight acts. Some of the delight of writing for film and TV for me is writing into those structures - the challenge of them can be freeing in its own way. But then again I love that in theatre you can make the impossible happen in staging in a magical way, that neither film or television can really ever emulate.

You are a member of several playwright groups: including Playwrights Ink, the Dog Ear Playwrights Collective, and Circle Rising. How does participating in these groups influence your work?

The other playwrights in these groups are really my life-line. They all inspire the hell out of me. They kick my ass when it needs kicking. They're insightful and supportive and insanely talented. It's essential to find that family of other playwrights for yourself. Playwriting is one of the most illogical forms of writing to attempt. Once you've written whatever it is you're writing, then you need a slew of people with various talents to work with you collaboratively to realize those words. All whom are pretty well aware that they're investing their time, talents, and souls and are most likely not making their fortune (or even gas money). This takes years to achieve, that time period from putting the first words down on paper until opening night of the first production. So having the folks that are there for me from the beginning of this process and through to the end is what keeps me going.

How long have you lived in Los Angeles? What is your favorite thing about living here?

It took me a really long time to start calling LA home, I was back and forth between here and New York so much. I think my favorite thing about living here is that I met my husband and had my daughter here.

Where would we find you on a day off?

Day off? What's a day off?

Where are your favorite places to eat?

K-Zo and Tender Greens in Culver City, Petite Sara for muffins and sandwiches and Nicks for breakfast, Sky's Tacos and Papa Christos (C and K) for Greek Food.

What is your favorite landmark in LA?

I have to say Union Station and Traxx - we had our L.A. wedding party there and the blend of art deco glamor and tourists with suitcases wandering through, it was just right.

What do you think of the theatre scene in LA?

Full of gems not enough people know are there. People will tell me that they will take trips to New York to see theatre, but you can't get them to take two freeways to see a play here. It's so hard to get people into seats in LA but there are so many theatre companies that really are worth the effort and the drive.

What inspires you to keep writing?

I'm not sure, sometimes it seems like more addiction to me than anything else.

The "The Last Seder" runs through July 27 at the Greenway Court Theatre.

WHAT: “The Last Seder.” West Coast Premiere.
WHO: Written by Jennifer Maisel. Directed by Joseph Megel.
Produced by Pierson Blaetz, Danny Fresh, Laura Jane Salvato and Whitney Weston.
With: Jenny O’Hara, Patty Cornell, Victoria Stern, Joseph Ruskin, Lauri Hendler, Elisa Donovan, Annika Marks, Heather Robinson, William Duffy, Douglas Dickerman, Chuma Gault, and Nick Ullett.
A co-production of Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA and Greenway Arts Alliance.
WHERE: Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036.
WHEN: Opens Friday, June 20, 2008 at 8 p.m., runs through July 27. Regular show times: Thurs.-Sat. at 8, Sun. at 4.
ADMISSION: $24. Students and seniors, $20.
RESERVATIONS: (323) 655-7679 ext. 100.
Tickets: Greenway Court Theatre

photo by Mark F. Schwartz

Weed Review: Master Kush

We got our hands on this from a guy who dropped this off after his softball game, and needed a shave. It's called Master Kush and we paid $70 for an 8th of the goodness. It's a hindu/skunk hybrid that originates from Holland, and this indica/sativa mix will be your best friend on a sleepless night. You'll be sleeping in no time.

Pre-Smoke Examination:
Its covered with crystals that glisten in the light like tiny specs of glitter. The smell is a clean and refreshing mix of the earthiness of pine tree clippings with the sweetness of major league chew bubble gum. The buds are bright green with tiny hints of purple, and are very dense. All the buds are good sized, larger than a grape and smaller than a Cadbury cream egg.

Post-Smoke Examination:
Despite being so dense, the nugs crumble apart with ease. The bud was dried perfectly because when breaking it apart most of the crystals stay stuck to the plant matter instead of stuck to your fingers or the grinder. The bowl burns fairly quick generating a very thick stream of smoke into your lungs. If it is paced right you won't cough at all. Very smooth taste, just like how it smells.

The high rolls up on you like a helicopter passing you by. Slow and faint right at first, but increasing in its intensity until you're totally consumed with it. I smoked one little bowl and I'm totally rocked. The high is all over the place from the back of my eye balls to the backs of my ears. The Master Kush is truly a weed for serious smokers only, and only if those serious smokers don't have any plans for the evening.

Look for Master Kush in your local dispensary or weed-guy's house.

Water Ice Found on Mars

Dr. Randii Wessen, a program system engineer at NASA, holds a globe of mars where at the top in the northern hemisphere, a yellow square marks the landing area of the Phoenix Lander where ice water was found. | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist

This just in from the Mars Phoenix Lander's Twitter at 5:15 p.m.: "Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!" It was just two days ago that media outlets were reporting that there were no signs of water yet.

Then nine minutes after that: "Whoohoo! Was keeping my eye on some chunks of bright stuff & they disappeared! Sublimated! So it can't be salt, it's ice."

"It must be ice," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice. There had been some question whether the bright material was salt. Salt can't do that."

The chunks were left at the bottom of a trench informally called "Dodo-Goldilocks" when Phoenix's Robotic Arm enlarged that trench on June 15, during the 20th Martian day, or sol, since landing. Several were gone when Phoenix looked at the trench early today, on Sol 24. [University of Arizona Mars Phoenix Mission]

Not only do we have ice on Mars, NASA has whole-heartedly used the 2007 Word of the Year -- w00t.

For the Record: The original title of this post was 'Ice Water Found on Mars,' but was changed to 'Water Ice Found on Mars' | Photo of Mars from JPL/Univ. of Arizona

LA Takes the Win in a Weekend of Roller Derby

After a full weekend of roller derby action, it was time for last night's championship game on Sunday between the LA Ri-ettes (LA Derby Dolls) and Team Awesome (an all-star team from all over the USA). The game came down to a chaotic ending with the enforcers deciding the outcome in a confusing mess. In the end, the LA Ri-ettes came away with the victory and the trophy.

Michael Zampelli (aka rink_rat on Flickr) was there to take photos and shared with us. See his photos from Saturday's action and read Micki Krimmel, aka Mickipedia, in her interview about the weekend and becoming a roller derby Doll.