When is a parking ‘tard not a parking ‘tard?  This Chevy Avalanche was taking up two nice spaces in a West Side supermarket parking lot.  On foot, I snapped this picture before I noticed that the driver was inside.  As a result of seeing me, I think, the driver then started the engine and took off.

So, does that make him a parking ‘tard?  A standing ‘tard?  No ‘tard at all?  If my rudimentary photo software would have allowed me to black out the license plate, I would have done so unless and until a “guilty” verdict was reached.  What do you think?

This past weekend, the LA Greekfest wrapped up with Salsa Night at St. Sophia Cathedral. As always, the atmosphere was fun, but the food left a lot to be desired. If you missed last weeks festivities and still want to attend a Greekfest this year, the Pasadena Greekfest is this weekend.

The Hellenic Festival at  St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church runs September 18 – 20 and has a jam-packed schedule of shows, tours and exhibitions.  Admission is $3 and children 12 and under are free. Street parking is available. Despite being at a smaller church, the Pasadena Greekfest seems much bigger, perhaps because there’s a lot more particapatory activities than there are shopping booths. For what it’s worth, the bonus of the Pasadena Greekfest is that the food is cheaper and definitely better than at the LA Greekfest.

You can see more of my photos of the LA Greekfest on my flickr page.

I can’t think of a better pairing I’ve seen all year, than these two bands.

But maybe you can. (Hey, it’s not impossible, I suppose.)

If you’d like to win tickets to this f**kin’ HAWESOME show, leave a comment telling me your dream-come-true concert pairing.

I can think of a few bands I’d love to see paired, like Queen and Muse, Calexico and Califone, Whiskeytown (time warps are allowed) and Wilco…

So tell me your perfect pairing and maybe we’ll get you in to the show this Friday at Club Nokia.

Thanks to Goldenvoice for the tickets. Here’s info on the show.

Image by alterna2 via a Creative Commons license.

We gave away Richard Cheese tix to a few lucky winners earlier this week, and Goldenvoice has just answered my plea for an extra pair so you weenies can enjoy Cheese’s FINAL FREAKIN’ SHOW in LA. The catch? You need to reply to us on Twitter to win.

Contest closes at 3pm.

Does this happen anywhere else? Besides Costco, that is. I’ve lived here for almost 3 years and I’m still astounded to see these long lines for gas everyday. This am/pm is on the corner of Eastern Ave. and Huntington Dr. It’s a busy intersection and the station’s 3 egress channels are always blocked with parked cars waiting their turn.

The exit onto Eastern Ave. (not seen in the photo) is the worse. If you get gas at the channel parallel to Eastern Ave., chances are you’ll be stuck there for a long time because of cars blocking you both the exit there and the first egress on Huntington.

For some apparantely unsubtantiated reason, Manhattan Beach city officials are considering clamping down on personal trainers in city parks after they’ve allegedly found gym equipment left behind. NBC Los Angeles, who covered the story, spoke with a number of frequent park visitors, none of whom could recall an issue with gym equipment.

City officials hope to pass a ban on such dangerous equipment as yoga mats and exercise balls, but in the meantime point out existing city code that they believe already prohibits personal trainers from bringing clients to parks:

12.48.070 Commercial activities.
Commercial activities, including, but not limited to vendors, caterers, and peddlers, including vendors, caterers and commercial enterprises associated with permitted, organized groups, shall be prohibited in all City parks unless a permit is obtained from the Director of Parks and Recreation. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Director of Parks and Recreation from awarding a franchise for special events to a particular caterer or vendor.

I’m not a lawyer, so correct me if I’m wrong, but if they’re going to use this to charge personal trainers with a misdemeanor, wouldn’t this also apply to nannies or babysitters?

Actual flyer. Please print, copy, and post wherever coyotes may see it!

A coyote snatched Jessica Simpson’s dog before her very eyes, per a tweet she sent Monday evening.

@jessicasimpson: http://twitpic.com/hrudr – My heart is broken because a coyote took my precious Daisy right in front of our eyes. HORROR! We are searching. Hoping. Please help!

Clearly, this is incredibly urgent. Coyotes aren’t known to keep malti-poos as pets for very long, and according to urban legend, will often sell these dogs to NFL players to be used as “playthings” for their rottweillers and pitbulls.

“Mommy” Jessica Simpson is offering a reward for Daisy’s safe return, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

In case this turns out badly, I’m asking all Metblog readers to chip in with me for a gift that will help protect any of Jessica’s future canine pals: a leash.

Who says writing at Metblogs won’t get you fame and fortune, or at least another gig to be heard?  Our own Ruth666 snarked a few weeks back about Senator Feinstein’s attempt to interfere with medical marijuana and got the attention of  ”The Filter”. “The Filter” is Fred Roggin’s YouTube show that interviews and debates local news and pop culture issues.  She was invited to be one of the weekly debaters.  This weeks episode was so big it actually had to be broken into two episodes.  To catch part two of this weeks installment you need to make the jump. Read the rest of this entry →

I still get a little excited when I see movie sets in my corner of the world.  Yup, today was no different even though it made me late for a morning coffee meeting due to traffic control even on the sidewalks in Old Town Monrovia.  It was still fun watching all the action and talking with the rent-a-cops and stage hands getting the deets on the movie, who’s in it etc.,.

Today’s celebs were of the old school sort, Betty White and Jamie Lee Curtis with roles in You Again.  (The IMDB doesn’t put it as a Disney flick but several of the set hands we chatted with attributed the film to them).

The cell pic is by me and will get bigger with a click.

The cheesiest cat in the music biz brings his swanky show to the Fonda this Wednesday…and you can go! His lounge-lizard versions of contemporary rock blockbusters and his regular gig as the house band on Last Call with Carson Daly has earned him worldwide renown, but I have to give the maddest props for his clever reworkings of modern rock titles: Aperitif for Destruction, for example, Viva la Vodka and OK Bartender.

The man is a genius, clearly.

If you could Cheese-ify any music album or song, what would it be? Leave yours in the comments for a chance to win tickets. For example, my submission would be Don’t Stop Drinkin’ (Journey).

Now you! Info on the show is here.

This Thursday night, Layer 23 and The Good Hurt present Upgrade, a steamy night of geek chic electro featuring a rare live performance by the inseparable hetero-life partner duo who virtually invented the genre, Telesonic Commander.

Some of you may already know Telesonic Commander from their live Ustream shows (of which I am a frequent listener and fan). Based on those performances, I expect to see flashy jumpsuits, exotic mustaches and just a taste of loveless copulation. If you want to preview their sound, check out the track, “Game Set Match” here.

There will also be music by DJs D++, Delicious Mix and Aeon Flux, free giveaways by IHEARTCOMIX, photos by Matador y Toros and video visuals by Verdilak.

According to the event organizers, Upgrade is a night for “hip geeks” looking to get away from the crowded Hollywood spots and the 18+ dance clubs. The idea is to have a place where you can dance or just tuck your laptop into a dark corner and geek out while listening to some cool electro beats – everything from EBM to IDM, breakbeat to 8-Bit, Electroclash to Eurotrash.

Let Your Geek Flag Fly this Thursday Night

“While we will make sure the music is danceable, we also want to encourage people to bring their PDAs and laptops and just sit in one of Read the rest of this entry →

Driving down Myrtle Ave here in outer Monrovia earlier today my son spotted this license plate first and exclaimed “Dad…think that guy has crotch rot?”.  Closer inspection of the plate in question I wondered too what DMV safe meaning “SWTYPNS” could have had.  Can anyone come up with one?

The crappy cell phone pic taken by my son is after the jump and feel free to do so. Read the rest of this entry →

I walked into the store and it caught my eye.  Hundreds of hang tags hanging from the shelves with the word “Banned” on them with some text.  Close inspection revealed why a book was banned and where.  From elementary schools here to military juntas,  if it was banned and is on Vroman’s shelves its labeled for your ease in identifying the offending book.

My favorite is on the list.   Don Quixote.  I loved that book in high school.  It was the source of  my question authority mindset I have carried into adulthood (Hunter S Thompson sorta cemented that notion, but I digress a bit).

If you want to easily see what has been banned and pick up your own copy just pop on over to either of the Vromans locations in Pasadena.

Vroman’s Bookstore:

• 695 E. Colorado, Pasadena CA 91101, 626-449-5320
• 3729 E Foothill Blvd (Hastings Ranch), Pasadena CA 91107, 626-351-0828

Dear Mr. Reznor,

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Burns!

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Photo by Burns!

More after the jump. Read the rest of this entry →

Did you know that another water main broke today in Los Angeles? That makes five.

UPDATE (2:46PM) Make that six. In less than a week.

But, don’t worry. The City Council plans to “more closely monitor upgrades to the city’s aging, leaky water system.”

Oh. Thanks.

In the meantime, may I recommend some afternoon shopping?

Photo from KTLA