Yum!

Quick reminder for our Classic Eats #2 this evening:

4:00 – 5:00 Unofficial get together to gawk at gorgeous Union Station. (Sun sets at approx. 5:15pm) I’ll be at the entrance between 4 and 4:15 with an “LA Metblogs” sign. 

5:00 Meet at Traxx (the bar section) for a cocktail and meet and greet of Metblog Authors and Readers.

6:30 or 7:00 We’ll mosey over to Phillipe’s (it’s about 1 1/2 blocks away) and have some Classic Eats. Bring your umbrellas!

Classic Eats #3 is now scheduled for February 28th.

Looking forward to seeing you all there tonight and thanks for voting.

Maps and other details for tonight’s action after the jump.

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BREAKING: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an earthquake measuring 3.4 on the good old Richter scale struck Venice about an hour ago.  That’s weird.  It was a mile away from me, and I didn’t feel a thing.  However, two friends on the other side of the earthquake in Santa Monica told me that they felt it, short and sharp, and that the dogs were spooked for ten minutes.  Can earthquakes just point North?

I spotted this gem on the wall in the lobby of Monrovia High School whilst picking up my middle kid for an ortho appointment.  He had no idea when it went up or why.  No matter the reason, they can’t say they haven’t been warned.

Next Tuesday through Thursday (January 27th, 28th, & 29th), you can volunteer to help count the number of homeless people in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is an independent agency set up by local government in 1993 with the mission “to support, create and sustain solutions to homelessness in Los Angeles County by providing leadership, advocacy, planning, and management of program funding.”

The Count takes place at night. All participants will receive training and no one will be out on the streets alone. More information on the organization and event is available here. Teams of five or more are encouraged to sign up and commit to helping out for at least one of the dates.

I think Slash did. And if he did, like many people who buy stuff over the internet, he claims he didn’t get what he paid for.

In the case, Slash claims that what he was told he’d be getting was a 7800 sq. foot party home on a private drive, with plenty of street parking for guests. Instead, the home was much smaller than advertised, and is on Wattles Drive, a public street with limited parking including being a Red Flag parking zone.

I can only imagine there is more to the story, because who would drop $7 million on a home without checking these things out? In online reports depicting the purchase, square footage is listed at 5,539 square feet… meaning a blogger was able to find a different number. And wouldn’t a visit or two discover that the road is accessible by anyone?

Apparently, all of the above problems were discovered soon enough, as Slash and wife never actually moved in. And, apparently, they have grounds to sue, as a judge ruled today they can move forward on a suit against the real estate agents who sold them the goods.

Note to Slash: It ain’t about square footage or parking… home is always where you hang your tophat.

More at NBC LA.

LA Daily News reports that Los Angeles Schools Chief Ramon Cortines announced that the Los Angeles Unified School District will not be laying off any teachers throughout the end of the school year.

Huzzah! Right? Right?

Not so fast:

But Cortines said he does not want to make the cuts now because state lawmakers have not yet crafted a deal to address the state budget deficit, and he doesn’t want to disrupt classrooms halfway through the school year. He also noted a high number of district teachers have expressed interest in early retirement.

In a written statement to teachers, faculty, staff and the community, Cortines warned that this decision only delays the inevitable need for layoffs down the line.

“To guide us in our difficult decision making, we will have a plan to present to the Board of Education and community by the end of February 2009,” Cortines wrote. “I want to be clear that this plan will not be comfortable and will result in layoffs at every level of the district.”

Bummer. Thankfully my brother just got out of the LAUSD, but it’s a sad state of affairs when we’re laying off teachers. Any of you a teacher in the LAUSD? Any have less than two years worth of experience? (That’s who the layoffs are targetting.

Men came to the aid of their neighbors for little to no pay. There were no trucks. No digital mapping systems or GPS. No Twitter updates. They pushed their horse-drawn fire engines uphill on dirt roads into the belly of the beast.

They were L.A.’s bravest. The year was 1900.

Photo from the USC Digital Archive

(click to enlarge)

I was thrilled with the news a couple weeks ago of the long-awaited return of the “Dan the Miner” statue (sculpted by Henry Lion commemorating 19th-century California pioneers) that had been a fixture of the Carthay Circle neighborhood from 1925 until last February when a pair of thieves stole him, cut him in half and sold him for scrap. About a week later his parts were recovered and the suspects caught, eventually prosecuted, found guilty and sentenced to prison, all the while efforts were being made to make Dan whole again and restore him to his rightful place.

Having spent a good bit of my childhood growing up in the adjacent slums of Beverly Hills, Dan and the tiny triangle of a park on San Vicente was an occasional stop for me on my journeys around the way. So it was with much personal relief and satisfaction to learn that landmark of my youth was back where he belongs, and more secure than ever.

Having spent the days since his re-installation shrouded in plastic, Curbed LA reported yesterday on his official homecoming, so I stopped by on my way home last night to take the above snap and say welcome back.

Move over, Franklin Mint. A Los Angeles consortium called Ten Over Six, along with something called The Future Perfect in illustrious Brooklyn, is offering these exquisite Obama commemorative plates designed by Shepard Fairey and his Studio Number One, “of Obama Giant fame,” and “who gained international design acclaim with their Obama ‘Hope’ posters,” they tell us, for the amazing low price of $89 for the pair (or just three easy payments of $29.66!)

Own, and eat off of, a piece of history.

I rarely watch reality shows, but I once was really, really hooked on “The Amazing Race.” Two-person teams travel the world, chasing clues and conquering various mental, physical, and gastrointestinal challenges, all to finish first and win $1 million.  The girlfriend and I wanted to audition for the show.  Our highest priority was figuring Our Shtick.  These teams usually had super solid or super weak relationships that helped their chances of landing on the show: mother/daughter; BFFs; divorcees; etc. Our options were, in descending order of likelihood to win their attention: The Lesbians; The Asians; The College Sweethearts; and The Early 20somethings.

But, we never got around to filming our audition video. Come this Saturday or early February, though, we all can live out our fantasies of being stereotyped on a reality show by participating in one of two separate LA-specific, Amazing-Race-type urban adventures.

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Photo Courtesy of Neil Girling (www.theblight.net)

For the first time ever, the infamous Edwardian Ball will be making its tawdry way down the coast from San Francisco and gracing Los Angeles with an evening of exquisitely dark decadence in the historic Tower Theater on the evening of January 31^st.

For the unanointed, the Edwardian Ball is a celebration of art, dance, music, fashion and technology all centered around the art and stories of Edward Gorey. It is a unique blend of historical and contemporary imaginations colliding to create an unforgettable evening where the people watching is as integral to the experience as the performances on the stage. There is one small warning – there will be ballroom dancing. So, do get your practice in now, darklings.

Hosted by Cirque Berzerk in collaboration with Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the evening will be nothing less than an intoxicating ride full of glamour, visual seduction and live performances. Other talent featured includes Helios Jive, DJ Xian, Jill Tracy, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and several special guests.

The event is all ages. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $75 for VIP (which includes reserved balcony seating and a hosted absinthe bar). Tickets can be purchased online here or by visiting Necromance at 7208 Melrose Ave. LA, CA 90046 (323.931.2997).

Last Sunday a group of photographers were confronted by security outside of the US Bank Tower, who tried to stop them, citing 9/11. Even after conceding that the photographers were shooting from a public sidewalk, security continued to argue that they were totally in the right.

Blogger Discarted captured and added commentary to the video, above… more details at his site. (h/t LA Observed)

What do you think: are these photographers just looking for trouble and should stop shooting from public sidewalks when security asks? Is the security guards’ argument that they’re just doing their jobs legit, First Amendment be damned?

On a similar note, Anthony Citrano grumbles that security at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier told him to stop shooting as his camera appeared to be professional… although in this case, he was on private property.

Rendering of Possible Alameda Gold Line Station, in Beautiful Downtown… Azusa???

Metro had another meeting today. They decided to move forward with Westward extensions of the Red & Purple Lines to somewhere, a Downtown Connector, further extension of the Gold Line from East L.A., and the Orange Line train bus to Chatsworth. Super. Start building the damned things already.

Just one question… Why is L.A. still ignoring one of the fastest-growing traffic nightmares in the city?

101-134-210. It’s not code. It’s three major freeways that bridge the gap between the two Valleys. Van Nuys. Sherman Oaks. Studio City. Universal City. Burbank. Glendale. Pasadena. Major job centers. Thousands of motorists playing a daily game of car jockey at 15mph.

Why isn’t the city addressing this region with any sort of urgency? Why aren’t there at least discussions on the table about a Metro Rail link between the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel?

I went back to Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan to see if I missed something when it first came out.

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The current salmonella outbreak caused by tainted peanut butter products has hit Los Angeles close to home. Local favorite Trader Joe’s has pulled several products that can possibly cause the serious food-born illness off of the shelves. Click here for the company’s statement on which granola bars, cookies, and celery snacks were removed and destroyed. Scroll down the notice for a  list of other products they have taken out of circulation including various Clif, Lara, Luna, and Zone Perfect branded snack bars.

Another alert issued by the state concerns peanut butter cookie dough that was recently sold for a fundraiser in several regional school districts, including Los Angeles Unified.

I’ve read that there have been as many as 27 cases of salmonella-induced sickness reported in L.A. County. For the most up-to-date information, go to the FDA or CA Department of Public Health websites.

Work at a record store? Or are you merely a music snob? Here’s your concert. Tapes ‘n Tapes play with Wild Light & Wavves this Saturday at the El Rey. Of course, we know you’re all planning on being at the Classic Eats dinner that night, enjoying your drinks at Traxx and your extremely strong mustard at Philippe’s, but of course this would be a lovely little show to take in post-dinner.

Wanna go? Tell me in the comments what 10 songs you’d put on a mixtape & what the theme would be. We’ll pick a couple lucky bastards to go. Here’s all the info on the show.