December 1st marked the beginning of another year of the Grey Whale Census and Behavoir Project. No Grays have been official added to the migration tally yet this year, but several have been spotted in the area before December 1st. The census takes place at the Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center during daylight hours, rain or shine, until May 15th.

2007 marked one of the best Blue Whale seasons in southern California. (This was in stark contrast to last year, which was certainly disappointing, with whale watching boats out of Santa Barbara failing to see Blue Whales for days on end.) 3-5 Blue Whales are still being spotted in the area, including off of Pt. Vicente and Portuguese Bend this week.

Other species spotted this week include 3 Fin Whales (observed lunge feeding), Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Risso’s Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins (with calves) & Common Dolphins.

Weather for on-shore observation will be good today (and probably pretty cool with the huge waves) but dodgy later this week with the coming rain. However, naturalists have observed that Gray Whales often come closer to shore after the first rains of the year (the influx of fresh water may be useful for removing parasites). So look sharp if you’re close to the shore later this weekend.

See daily updates from the Gray Whale Census here.

Here’s a reminder that, in celebration of the International Day of the Ninja, bLA’s very own Kent Nichols is throwing down tonight at the El Rey with Ask a Ninja Live! Obviously, the Ninja will be there, as will über-funnyman Patton Oswalt (a personal favorite of mine) and comedy duo Hard ‘N Phirm. I can personally guarantee that if you miss it you will live the rest of your life filled with regret and remorse.

Ask A Ninja Live!
The El Rey Theatre
5515 Wilshire Blvd.
8 PM
$10 Advance, $15 at the door
Click Here To Buy Tickets!

As a warm up for tonight, might I suggest you take a moment to re-watch the ninja’s take on the writer’s strike?

If you were mayor of your neighborhood, what one thing would you change to make it a better place to live?

If I ran the Valley, there would be subways. Everywhere.

Reading through Curbed today, I saw that they linked to a post Andrew put up on Here In Van Nuys. He talks about meeting with a Los Angeles City Planning Department Community Planning Official – try fitting that on a business card.

Their discussion focuses on Van Nuys Boulevard, and it’s potential for redevelopment.

How we rebuild and redevelop Van Nuys Boulevard will become an architectural testament to a city struggling with illegal immigration, obesity, overcrowding, traffic, gang violence. We cannot simply propose new design concepts without attacking the root civic behavior that so degrades this section of the city.

I’ve always thought Van Nuys Boulevard could use a landscaped median. Maybe some nice benches and those swanky green information kiosks that would say “VAN NUYS.” And street lamps that don’t look like gigantic alien arms waiting to probe you as you drive past.

Where do you live? If you had the chance to make one major improvement, what would it be?

Photo of an Angry Invader’s Digits From So Cal Metro’s photostream

[ok to click - no naughty bits showing]

Looking for something fun and different to do tomorrow night?

The why not head to Book Soup to meet Dave Naz at his L.A. Bondage Book Release Party & Signing?

Thurs Dec 6th, 2007 at 7:00PM at:
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd
W. Hollywood 90069

Also Signing: Eric Kroll, Ashley Blue, Nadia Styles, Gia Jordan, Dana De Armond, Flower Tucci, Jelena Jensen & Adrianna Nicole, Claire Adams, April Flores & More.

Plus A Live Bondage Performance by Damon Pierce, Claire Adams & Mykal Binds

Do I need to say it? Best leave the kiddies at home for this one.

The Street Services men and their chainsaws arrived around 9:30. OMG! Chainsaws are really, really loud. And yes, I knew that, but when two chainsaws are going nonstop for an hour or more you realize just how loud they are.

They’re just about done now, so look for my third and final TREEWATCH!!1! installment later today.

I’m kind of sad that it’s all over so fast. Those street services guys are really very efficient.

Three (real) pics behind the cut.
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The Pasadena Star News wrote about the suit in a story that ran this morning with the headline “Former Monrovia police officer settles harassment suit”. Short version is that officer Glenn Cobb has settled his racial and discrimination suit against the City of Monrovia and Monrovia Police Department.

For those of you keeping track of Monrovia’s not so glamorous track record in terms of fair treatment of individuals based on race or sexual orientation, this is the SECOND suit this year settled. The other settled this summer was brought by Mike Solarez which I reported HERE.

My rant is after the jump.
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The big excitement in Koreatown is a tree that fell last night. I know! Isn’t it exciting? It fell right across the road and hit two parked cars.

At about 8:30 my husband was putting our son to bed when I heard a crash. At first I thought a truck had hit something, but there hadn’t been that first smashing noise you hear when two vehicles collide, just the second smash of the car being hit. The tree looks perfectly healthy except that it’s no longer attached to its roots. I think it must have broken where the roots were trying to push up under the sidewalk.

Pavement: 1
Nature: 0

Details and lots of pictures behind the cut, for anyone as bored as I am.
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If you surf, you’re probably not seeing this because you’ve been neoprened and out catching huge sets since dawn.

If not – if you boat, or you wish you surfed, or you just like dipping your toes or even swimming – then you’ll want to know that a big, fat passel of 900-foot-high waves is fixin’ to smash our beaches this week:

Southern California including the Los Angeles County coastline is currently experiencing a series of large swells coming from the W and WNW, which have produced some large surf ranging from 4′ – 8′ with even bigger sets. The swells are expected to peak Wednesday afternoon and surf expected to be in the 8′ – 12′ range with even bigger sets. The result of large surf and uneven bottom equals dangerous ocean conditions and extremely dangerous “RIP CURRENTS”. These swells and conditions are expected to run through the end of the week.

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Coming along Washington Boulevard through the Art District of the City of Culver yesterday morning I chanced to look up and commence a double-take while passing this hoodie’d fella hanging out and dangling over the edge of one of the galleries. Seeing as he shows up in Google Maps’ street view (link) I’ll bet he’s been a fixture for awhile to the locals in the area, but he’s new to me and maybe you, too. Couple more pix of “The Headless Hoodsman” after the jump.
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View Larger Map

Last week Google Maps launched “terrain view” allowing for everyone to better visualize potential mudslide areas and recognize that there are more mountains on the horizon than our smog ridden skylines would have you believe.

Who doesn’t love jackhammering outside your window at 1 in the morning?

Jackhammer party at 1 in the morning. from ben on Vimeo.

This has apparently been going on for weeks, I’ve thankfully been out of town up until now. I rolled out and chatted with the gentleman on the left there. He said they’re jackhammering up in my head at 1 in the morning because the city won’t let them shut down the LFB during the day. (The LFB, that’s Los Feliz Blvd, to those not “with it.”) In the meantime I’m gonna, uh, not sleep. Rad.

(For the record, we’ve hit up Garcetti, he says “Call the cops!” The cops though, are seriously unamused by this because our little jackhammering friends have the necessary permits. It looks like it’s time to just live with it. Eat a bag Los Angeles!)

Damn, too nice to work and Julia’s post
gave the final nudge to take a mental health day. I’ve done them for years in December. First in retail as the grind was too much during the holidays, then later as a cube dweller just because it was a job that ground my ass to the bone daily. Better than a benzodiazepine is Venice Beach for a quick reset on a mental health day. And when it’s going to be warm like this I am out and enjoying it as fast as possible.

Today was perfect. Took the good camera to continue the exploration of movement when worked with HDR . The day was documented with the trusty che-ez snap as well. More of the latter after the jump.
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Andrew from Here In Van Nuys at Runyon Canyon (used under Creative Commons).

Tomorrow is the last scheduled public hearing before City Council’s December 12th vote on whether or not to pave a portion of Runyon Canyon into a parking lot. (announcement after the jump)

I’m a bit torn on this issue. The lower lot of Runyon is used frequently for free yoga classes, and as a chunk is fenced in, to let some dogs run around a bit. It also stinks of dog poo as a result of negligent pet owners who abuse the lax enforcement of the non-off leash areas of the park and look the other way when their canines run away from them to leave a landmine.

On the other hand, visitors regularly have to circle the neighborhood in search of parking, snarling traffic a bit. Surprisingly, residents adjacent to the park are the most vocal against building the parking lot, citing worries of a parking lot attracting even more visitors and the enviornmental impact (although the emissions spewed by the circling cars may cause even greater long term damage).

I’d love to hear what any readers familiar with Runyon Park think of the plan.
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Yesterday, I mentioned the problems Los Angeles food banks are having this year with warehouse shortages and budget cuts. The SOVA Community Food & Resource Program in Van Nuys is one in particular that is having trouble providing for several thousand families that it serves each month.

So, last night, I decided to see how much each of us could help with one twenty dollar bill at the grocery store.

4 cans 24oz beef stew $3.96
6 jars 18oz peanut butter $7.50
8 cans 15oz chili $7.92

Total Cost $19.38

I stopped by SOVA during lunch to drop off my 2 bags worth of food. I left with a grand tour of the whole facility. Leslie Friedman and Fred Summers were great hosts, and they explained the whole process. Some things I learned:
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If you’re one of the bazillion LA commuters who take the 405 to and from the Valley every day, you’ve noticed the perpetual construction is finally beginning to pay off. Of course, the 101/405 interchange has been widened and improved, and now the carpool lane is being expanded. The eventual plan is to have a carpool lane that runs from the 118 all the way to to the 90. Last weekend I noticed that the carpool lane is already stretching down to Santa Monica Boulevard, and I had a moment of warm feelings toward Caltrans and their attempts to make driving in this town marginally less hellish. Then I read this and it becomes clear that the 405 widening is part of a larger MTA plan to turn our freeways into “payways.” I knew it was too good to be true.
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