Bluebell was nearly dragged to death in December, but that is clearly not enough for the LA District Attorney’s office to press charges against the dog’s former owner, Bryana Wilson.

Workers at the Southeast Area Animal Care Agency (SEAACA) were stunned when they saw Bluebell choking and bleeding as she was dragged on a chain behind a truck pulling into the shelter’s parking lot.

The owner of the dog, Bryana Wilson of Norwalk was bringing the then one year old, “Prada” to the animal shelter to be killed because of an undiagnosed skin problem, which turned out to be an easily curable case of mange.

Wilson put the dog in the back of an open pick up truck, tied her to the truck bed with a leash and, at some point during the drive, the dog fell out of the truck (or jumped out of the truck as the owner claimed) and was dragged for blocks. Meanwhile, a horrified motorist was screaming, waving and honking for the owner to pull over but Wilson didn’t notice.

It wasn’t until Wilson was met with a very upset crowd of at least 15 people that she realized what had happened. When Wilson got to the shelter, the bloody dog had lost consciousness after being nearly dragged to death. SEAACA cited the owner and took custody of the dog to provide veterinary care.

Now the Cat and Dog Rescue Association has learned that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office will not be pressing charges against the owner. Read the rest of this entry →

I promise we didn’t plan last night’s earthquake as a publicity stunt, but we’ve just launched a brand new site dealing with pretty much just that. If you have a moment, take a look at Urban Journal. I wrote a little more about it on my own blog but basically it’s a site focusing on survival and preparedness tips for people who live in a big city. It’s a topic Jason and I have been looking into a lot recently and the more we looked the less we found, at least that appealed to us. There’s a good bit of info out there about wilderness survival and a endless supply of political hand wringing but we didn’t want to get into any of that. This is pretty straight forward advice for people who live in cities, a lot of it we’ve learned over the years watching things happen in other Metblogs cities and seeing what people were faced with and how they survived those challenges.

This short video of LA photographer Estevan Oriol is from “The Run UP” and was filmed by Shaun Roberts. I’ve talked about Estevan’s work before and am happy to have shown some of it years ago at sixspace. He’s crazy talented and this feature is beautiful and definitely worth watching.

Via HoC.

Or so everyone in my house says.

More to come!

Preliminary Earthquake Report
A moderate earthquake occurred at 8:39:36 PM (PDT) on Sunday, May 17, 2009.
The magnitude 5.0 event occurred 2 km (1 miles) E of Lennox, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 14 km ( 8 miles).

Revision after seismologist review:
A light earthquake occurred at 8:39:36 PM (PDT) on Sunday, May 17, 2009.
The magnitude 4.7 event occurred 1 km (1 miles) ESE of Lennox, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 15 km ( 9 miles).

See the USGS Community Internet Intensity Map for this quake.

Did you feel it? (Fill out the survey)

Separate studio at the Sale House

While millionaires admired each others’ handiwork at yesterday’s New Wave of Venice Architecture tour, part of this weekend’s Venice Art Walk & Auctions events, pedestrians flocked to the nearby Art Auction preview for something more within reach. First up was the Architecture tour, comprising six modern (some just-finished) homes, several of which have won design awards. The homes were located in the “West of Lincoln” neighborhood, with five of the homes inside the area bordered by Lincoln, Venice, and Abbott Kinney Boulevards, and the sixth home just across Abbott Kinney.  I was told that this area has the most architects per capita on the planet, and I wouldn’t doubt it.  Some of the architects took a break from their houses to check out the competition.  Likewise, some area residents got a rare opportunity to do the same, and to get some design ideas for their own homes.
Click here to take the tour

I’m still in a state of mourning that Battlestar Galactica has ended as a series. Like many others, I watched the show reluctantly at first. It didn’t take long to get hooked, which made it even harder to say good-bye. Luckily for fans, there have been some events recently that allow the show to go on. Damn, it’s good to live in L.A.

Queequeg gave us a good look at the Battlestar Galactica props and costumes that were up for auction last weekend in Pasadena. The first sell-off this past January was awesome too, but of course it couldn’t feature any items from the last several episodes. This time I didn’t make it over to the convention center early enough on Preview Day to peruse as many items as before (or sit in a viper! How did Queequeg get so lucky?). However, I was able get there in time for a couple of entertaining and informative panels, one with some members of the cast and the other with various crew members. Personally, I could have listened to all of their stories for several more hours.

First up, we were treated to fun with four cast members. They recounted their time on the show, which was fun, challenging, and emotional. It was obvious that they all cherish their Battlestar Galactica experience.

Grace Park (Sharon/Boomer/Etc.), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Michael Trucco (Sam Anders), Luciana Carro (Kat)

Continue on after the jump for more on the panels, including a video of Michael Trucco, and an announcement about a cool BSG event happening in L.A. this summer.

Read the rest of this entry →

So yeah, let me obligatorily offer the qualifier that the above-featured confection may not be suitable to everyone’s taste, but for me since first hearing about Nickel Diner’s bacon maple doughnut I’ve been jonesing to try one — a dream finally realized this early morning when five of us pedaled from Silver Lake for a re-do of the infamous Ten Bridges Bike Ride.

Since the Nickel was conveniently on our way, I directed us to a stop at the eatery where for $4 I was delivered a box bearing two of the beauties. With real bacon crumbled upon a moist and gooey maple-glazed circle of fried dough, they are unique to say the least — and one was enough. Seriously, I transported the second one the length of the ride and home to my wife Susan, who sampled it but said it wasn’t her style. But then she’s the kind of person who can’t stand pancake syrup coming in contact with anything else on her breakfast plate, whereas I am not such a syrup segregationalist.

Nickel Diner, 524 S. Main St., Tues – Sun, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.; Tues – Sat, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Ever since their 2002 album “Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone,” I’ve had a music crush on The Walkmen. The delicacy of that album, the wistful tinkling layers of piano swirling through the vocals, blew me away. It’s good to see them back, and they’ll be playing on the 20th at the El Rey with The Morning Benders and total hound. Wanna go? Tell me your favorite album YOU ever listened to…on a Walkman.

Think about it. The Walkman is now obsolete technology, like an 8-track or a Victrola.

Info on the show is here.

Two funny things happened to me right after I passed the bar exam and was officially licensed to practice: everyone suddenly needed a contract written or negotiated, and everyone either had, or knew someone who had, an immigration problem.  I could help with the former; with the latter, I was a bit out of my league.

Immigration law is often cited as second only to tax law as the most complicated and difficult areas of law to navigate.  This is with good reason: the laws controlling who can, and cannot be, present in our country is politically and racially motivated, often contradictory, and highly complex, even to those perfectly fluent in English.  Adding to the density is that the xenophobic immigration laws passed after 9/11 created additional, burdensome barriers to entry and harsh detention policies for those whose status were unconfirmed.  Whether you need to figure out how to obtain citizenship in this country, how to bring your non-U.S. spouse nationalized over here (please, for the love of God, unless you absolutely must enter into a lavender marriage, no more questions on how to enter into sham union with some guy you barely know, just so you can stay in their country), or how to sponsor a family member’s journey, it will be an uphill battle.  Following the jump is a list of legal organizations that will provide free or low-cost help with the process.  As always, check with the organization to make sure you qualify for their assistance.

• Read the rest of this entry →

Remember last month when a person driving a Hummer ran over cyclists in downtown, then threatened the cyclists then tried to run away only to be stopped by the LAPD who then threatened the cyclists and let the driver go? Well city council is looking into it and judging from this video they aren’t buying the official LAPD story either.

[via mikey wally]

While heading down Abbot Kinney today I saw the gates open on the soon to open Intelligentsia and had to poke my head in and embarrass myself by vomiting fanboy level admiration for everything going on there. Looks like doors should officially be opening to the public sometime next week. Would it be weird to set up camp on the sidewalk out front to wait? It would right?

Get your art and your walking shoes on. This weekend, the Venice Art Walk & Auctions events, including archtitecture tours, take place in various locations around Venice. Proceeds go to benefit the Venice Family Clinic, the nation’s largest free clinic. Here’s what’s happening:

Saturday, May 16, 12 noon-4 p.m.: New Wave of Venice Architecture
This self-guided walking tour, covering six homes, highlights “the work of award-winning and cutting-edge architects.”  Tickets are $100 per person, which includes a private cocktail reception at Dogtown Station Lofts following the tour.

Saturday, May 16, 12 noon-4 p.m.: Historic Walking Tour of Rustic Canyon
This tour begins with a lunch and presentation hosted by famed local architect Leo Marmol of Marmol Radzinger Associates and  architectural historian Tony Merchell at the historic Rustic Canyon Community Center. Groups will be led on an informative walking tour of the “architecturally bountiful” Rustic Canyon neighborhood, past projects by renowned architects, stopping to tour selected houses representing the old and new.
Tickets are $175 per person, which includes lunch, and the private cocktail reception at Dogtown Station Lofts following the tour.

Check out the rest of the events

My dearest native informant has insisted since I arrived in the City of Angels that the parking notices are self-evident.  I think it is a point of pride for the natives that they know the secret to these matters… I joke that my informant “knows a guy who knows a guy in the parking department.”

I am a bit alarmed, actually, that I no longer have too much difficulty deciphering signs like the ones shown (though this is not the worst of them). Or at least I can understand them to a first brush, enough to park or not with a moderate degree of confidence.  Of course, it is all relative, since I have found that being in clear conformance with signage does not necessarily prevent tickets, in any case.  You have the right to contest a $40 ticket, of course… as long as you are willing to spend a full day, at an unspecified future date, waiting in lines at court (and probably being ticketed outside the course building).

There are corner cases still, naturally.  Were I to have that district no. 13 permit, would I be ticketed on Tuesday mornings? Do readers have any more convoluted examples to add to my bag of arcana; I am sure I’ve seen five adjoined signs at times, but cannot remember exactly where now that I’ve thought of posting these mysteries. Read the rest of this entry →

Dear Mysterious Billboard:

I saw you today on Riverside near Fulton in Sherman Oaks, while waiting in the El Pollo Loco drive-thru for a manly skinless chicken breast meal.

I tried not to stare, but I couldn’t help it. You looked so old and sad. I wonder when you last got plastered. That must have been a fun night. Now, you just sit there, rotting away. No longer useful to anyone.

Does the city even know of your existence? Are you legal? How do you feel about the whole billboard moratorium thing? Do you secretly hate those Statue of Liberty ads and miss the care-free days of the Coppertone girl? Would you like to come down and help us clean up the neighborhood?

I feel for you, Billboard. You are a slave to the machine. But, then again, so am I.

If you are a downtown art walker then like many people you’ve probably found yourself wandering the streets aimlessly after you’ve visited all the galleries with nothing else to do. Like so many of us you might have turned down the wrong street and started selling crack just to past the time. If you are anything like me chances are before you even knew it you were rummaging through dumpsters and panhandling and peeing on gated shop windows. And for what? Well luckily you don’t have to answer that because our friends at MusicUnion are organizing an after the art walk party & concert that will give you something to do for the rest of the night to prevent you becoming a danger to yourself and others.

The Globe Theater (Club 740) at 753 South Spring Street will be home to the event whose doors open at 8:30pm. are available via TicketWeb for $12.50 pre-sale or $15 at the door. Use promocode 90013 and get an extra 10% off presale tickets (not at the door). Some of the proceeds are going to some great downtown charities as well. More info here and there’s a flyer after the jump. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →