Tomorrow morning (3 – 4am!) is the closest approach that Comet Lulin will be making to earth. It may be tough to see in our very bright city, but perhaps with a telescope or binoculars you could get lucky. (Oh and if it’s not pouring rain…) 

Blast past the jump for the map of the night sky and Lulin’s position in it. Also click here for Nasa’s Green Comet page.

If you lays eyes on it, please come back and comment!

Read the rest of this entry →

Every year, the hoopla surrounding a certain awards show makes me want to dismiss the entire medium of filmmaking as an art form. But just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in.

Who’s they? Why, the unsung heroes of the film industry in Los Angeles. Of course I’m talking about the revival movie theater houses. Institutions which, I’d speculate, need your hard-earned cash more than ever.

You know their names. The New Beverly. The UCLA Film & Television Archive. The American Cinematheque. The Silent Movie Theater. And that’s just scratching the surface. Between the American Film Institute, LACMA, the Getty, and the Japanese American National Museum (Oh God, I know I’m leaving some of you out. I truly never expected to be writing this post!) there are dozens of places in this city to see classic, forgotten, cult and foreign films on the big screen.

Which brings me to the Cinematheque’s double feature of 1984 and 2010 this Wednesday at the Aero Theatre. Both films are celebrating their 25th anniversary and present intriguing visions of the future. Or, in the case of 1984, present a look back at a vision of the future which still seems like it could become our future. And think about this: If a giant monolith begins orbiting Jupiter AND the Soviet Union makes a comeback, then 2010 could also could become our future. That’s what hard-core science fiction is all about!

And since we’re on the topic … did you catch last night’s winner for most inappropriate soundtrack?

Image: Stills from 2010 (left) and 1984.

So in biking back home from the Rose Bowl after volunteering as a course marshal for the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California yesterday afternoon, I opted for the scenic route along Arroyo Drive through Pasadena and South Pasadena, and that decision was rewarded with an awesome encounter at Magnolia Street of a large and raucous flock of feral red-masked (aka cherry head) conures — at least 40 strong by my unscientific count. The far more widespread yellow-chevroned parakeets found noisily all over the area (I wrote about them here back in January 2008) ain’t got nothing on the cacophony generated by these feathered fiends. In fact I heard ‘em before I saw ‘em and so of course had to stop for some vid/snaps.

Apologies that the capture conditions couldn’t have been much lamer. The birds were backlit by leaden skies and the sun was way off on the right stuck behind the overcast. But nevertheless: behold at least the silhouettes and sounds of an amazing find:

My wonderful neighbors took us and the dog on a beau-tiful hike in the Santa Monica mountains up near Mandeville and Westridge. Best part: the trail was super dog friendly; almost everyone, in trusty REI gear, was with dog.  There was an only-in-LA view of downtown, Century City, and the ocean, but this is what caught my eye:

It’s a poop bag!  It’s a glove!  It’s a poop bag!  It’s a fashion statement!  Actually, I saw one of these tony stations in a nice pet-friendly loft building downtown once, but never in a public park or on a trail.  For those dog owners who can’t handle the complications of the upturned plastic bag, this double ply sock of plastic is great.  But, just like double ply toilet paper, this euphemism for a poop bag can only do so much to help you forget what it is you’re really doing.  Still, it’s nice to have a trail that actually stocks poop bags – now, if everyone could just use them …

Whether you like it or not, actors often express their opinions on issues they feel passionately about during award shows.  The most prominent cause for 2009 will come as no surprise – Gay Marriage.

Keep an eye out during the Academy Awards for little white ribbons with a knot in the middle of them.  They’ve already appeared at the Grammys and the Spirit Awards.

Want to share your own support with a white knot?  You can get yours here.

The exquisitely elegant Riva in Santa Monica will be holding a series of wine education classes.   The first one is taking place right now but there are two more afternoon excursions into the lush world of Italian wines.

Starting February 21, 2009, Riva, Santa Monica’s newest neighborhood dining destination for seasonal coastal Italian cuisine, will host a series of monthly Italian wine education classes for $65 per person including food pairings. Led by Sommelier Thierry Perez and a guest winemaker, each two-hour class will explore wines from Italy’s various viticultural regions including Tuscany (February), Piedmont (March), and Sicily (April).

Executive Chef Jason Travi will complement each wine tasting with generous food pairings featuring his boldly flavored dishes inspired by the rustic cuisine of the Italian coastline using the highest quality of ingredients found at the neighboring Santa Monica Farmers’ Market.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to take a wine education class, be assured that they are not as stuffy as they sound.  It’s often a joyful and fascinating journey into a new level of awareness.

Beginner’s tip – Take it slow and know your limits (unless you are walking home).

For additional information on Riva or for instructions on reserving your spot visit this link.

Church to church march from Monrovia to Duarte in united effort to curb local gang warfare.

The march starts at 10AM at Monrovia’s Immaculate Conception Church (740 S Shamrock) and will end at the New Hope Church of God and Christ (738 Euclid Ave) in Duarte.  Immediately after the march there will be a rally with numerous community members speaking out on the need to end the gang violence in the area.  (Snark: with Monrovia’s elections in April this will have a lot of political grand standing and campaigning).

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

-William Carlos Williams

Read the rest of this entry →

Earlier today, Jason Burns and his keen eye spotted Mayor Antonio Vaporaigosa’s joining of the cliched coat-over-the-shoulder brigade in some Facebook campaign shenanigans:

For me, the rhythm of the lame not-really-true tagline “Bringing people together. Getting things done.” got me thinking of the similarities it has with the meter and flow of a famous phrase uttered by a man we all know and love and who I for one would be no less disappointed  to have as our next civic leader than I am with the one we have now:

If you are a fan of graffiti art, you have certainly been waiting for this for a long time. Finally Brooklyn artist KAWS is having a show here in LA and it’s opening Saturday night at Honor Fraser. His first LA exhibition The Long Way Home will feature new large scale paintings as well as a bunch of sculptural works, including some kind of life sized Chum figure. Souris has a ton more info about the show over on Hustler of Culture, but chances are if you are a fan you know enough already. Go!

Click to make it bigger.

The next bout at the Doll Factory between San Diego Derby Dolls’ “The Swarm” and L.A.’s own “Varsity Brawlers” is happening next Saturday night (2/28,) and we’ve got free tickets.

If you weren’t at last month’s season opener, you missed an incredible double-overtime win by the Tough Cookies. It was one of the most exciting nights in L.A. sports in recent memory (I’m looking at you, Kings. How ’bout a win at home?)

In addition to the excitement on the track, there will also be a half-time performance by Barrio Tiger, as well as the usual vendor village featuring Alex’s Bar, gourmet cookies and lots of other cool stuff. They’ve even got Hot Dog On A Stick!

You don’t want to miss this one, so follow me past the jump to find out how you can win tickets and a Derby Dolls t-shirt.

Read the rest of this entry →

Shouldn’t they be called “POOPS” instead?

Why is this so very unappetizing?

“INDIANS FOR INDIAN ROLES”

“MEXICANS FOR MEXICAN ROLES”

“ITALIANS FOR ITALIAN ROLES”

They were picketing Paramont Pictures in Los Angeles. The year was 1971.

Photo from UCLA Library Digital Collections

Villaraigosa has a new Facebook app asking you to pledge allegiance to him. Behold:

It is not the fact that he claims to be “bringing us together,” or that he is “getting things done,” that bothers me most. Instead, it is the disturbing trend in political head shots featuring the coat over the shoulder. The one that says, “Hey, I’m just like you, voter. I’m taking off the tweed and rolling up the shirt sleeves to make this a better city.”

It should be noted that Antonio isn’t the first to channel his inner 80’s. Tom LaBonge of District 4 does it on his $25,000 website:

Read the rest of this entry →

Sunset over Venice Beach/Marina Channel, 2/19/09, 6:05 p.m.

Although we have relatively mild winters in the Los Angeles area, we still get short days. Therefore, I became a bit giddy yesterday when, as my photo indicates, the sun did not fully set over Venice Beach/Marina Channel until 6 p.m. I assure you that my most bearable lightness of being had nothing to do with a certain iced and caffeinated beverage that ends in a vowel, followed by a caffeinated iced tea, that I had just imbibed.

It’s simply that the prospect of Spring and longer days makes me Snoopy dancing happy. It means the ability to partake in outdoor activities in the evening, or just to leave one’s office building for the day while it’s still light outside. I can’t wait to host a barbeque this late Spring or Summer and to cook without having to use my Energizer LED Nightlight camping lantern with its horrendous fluorescent light, which prevents me from determining whether the burgers are medium rare or medium burnt. Yes, Los Angeles, Spring is coming!

Ok, maybe the caffeine had a tiny effect.