At The Cheese store of Silver Lake. I know how he feels…

JavaJunkee and a GrillemAll Weedeater

Hey everybody – I’m a newbie blogger here at blogging.la, so I wanted to get things started on the right foot by letting you know two things: 1. I love to eat. 2. Nevermind, I guess I already covered that in point 1.

But seriously, I’ve been a longtime reader of blogging.la and have always appreciated what the fine authors here have offered in terms of both individual character and LA culture. I’ve tagged along to various events such as the Blog-around-the-clock marathon at Canter’s and the Donut Summit in Griffith Park. (I missed the Hot Dog Death March and have yet to attend an installment of Classic Eats, but it’s going to happen!) Now that blogging.la has given me an opportunity to contribute to what they’ve got going here, I’m certainly hoping that my offerings will be half as valuable to other readers as I’ve found blogging.la to be for me over these past (almost) five years I’ve had the privilege of calling myself an Angeleno.

Anyway, I wanted to take the opportunity in this post to let folks know about a semi-regular event that seems to be gaining steam over in my neck of the woods, North Hollywood. Last Saturday I ventured out with fellow blogging.la author Travis Koplow and a couple other friends to a lot behind The Federal Bar where ten food trucks had gathered for a third installment of “Get FED!” The truck lineup appears to vary from month to month, and the purpose of the event seems to be at least a little bit focused on trying to promote The Federal Bar. The first time through, back in mid-January, Frysmith tried to dissuade one of my companions from swapping out sweet po’ fries for the regulars on whatever special she happened to order, and then tweeted an apology after the fact. This time around, me and my companions tried out one of the Grill Em All Truck‘s specials, the “weedeater,” and left feeling quite satisfied. Probably the highlight of the event, though, was the two homeless men, or homeless-looking men – completely independent of one another – getting down to the music provided by live DJs. I haven’t seen anything that says with certainty that this will be a monthly event; the first took place on the 15th of January, the second on the 12th of March, and the third on the 9th of April. If you’re looking for a chance to catch multiple food trucks in a single location in the east Valley, I’d say keep your eyes peeled around the first or second Saturday of May for your next chance to catch this one.

While it’s definitely nice to have an event like this just down the street on occasion, I do have to temper my excitement with the sense of disappointment I experience when something really cool – like the food truck phenomenon in LA – reaches that point at which it starts to feel like it’s being exploited as another great marketing gimmick. I’m still not sure, though, which is more distasteful to me: businesses shamelessly trying to tap into the zeitgeist to make a quick dollar (which Get FED! may or may not be, but bank billboards definitely are when they say things like “we have ATMs all over for when you happen to cross paths with that gourmet food truck” – no I don’t have a pic for this but I swear I’ve seen it), or the fact that something cool and obscure about the city becomes ubiquitous and pedestrian. Is that hipster-ish of me to say? Oops.

Our CHP and the Arcadia PD teamed up to bring Drivers Edge to teach LA area kids how to drive in situations they’ve never experienced before.  Over this weekend 700 teen drivers and their parents will go through the Drivers Edge safety class and learn how to brake to avoid an accident and how to get themselves out of trouble if they get into a skid.

The course is divided into 4 modules.  Two are static and involve learning a cars systems and the other is to chat with APD/CHP officers on the laws affecting driving with a focus on distracted driving and DUI.  (More on that later).  The modules that got their attention was using ABS braking systems to avoid accidents and how to get themselves out of trouble if they wind up in a skid. The latter was the most fun for them as it involved intentionally getting their cars into a skid on a wet track and get themselves out of the skid. The driving modules are taught by professional race drivers.  The video is of Arcadia resident and LaSalle High Student Andrew Crabtree and his skid control efforts.

Read the rest of this entry →

I’m totally geeking out over these few photos of the Cabazon Donosaurs being built. As you should know Claude K. Bell started building these things in the 60′s and for many years they were quite the tourist attraction along that strip of the 10, and then of course there was this – though I still attest that Tim Burton’s version how how they should have been lit is by far the greatest. As I mentioned when I blogged about these back in 2006, they are now owned and operated by creationists so if you visit you can learn a little bit about how medieval knights had to fight dinosaurs to protect their families and how God killed them all in a “world wide water disaster.” Which is honestly so goddamn amusing it’s worth it. What sucks is that so much got built up around them which completely kills the effect of giant dinosaurs roaming the desert.

Photographer Adam Rindy took some amazing portraits of people and their bikes at The Hammer Museum’s Third annual bike night last week. This is a fantastic collection showing the wide variety of Los Angeles cyclists, with many a familiar face to anyone who regularly finds themselves on 2 wheels.

Numerous twisties in the upper section of Highway39 in the San Gabriels.

If you have a car made for carving up the twisties in the mountains one of my favorite stretches in the area has reopened up to Crystal Lake.  Yup, CA Highway 39 that has been closed for the last 9 years has reopened, and that includes the sorta famous campground snack bar and its Chili.

I just got back after spending a couple of hours up there carving up the curves, gas prices be damned, and enjoyed every minute of it.  Of course once you are up there stop and enjoy the view as well as the snow melting around you…yes you are that high up. Read the rest of this entry →

Murder Suspect Sought in Studio City (via ktla.com)

UPDATE: My bad, I had to walk the dog and forgot to hit post when this was relevant. *Doh!* Please go about your day. The suspect is now in custody.

According to coverage at KTLA:

Three schools were placed on lock down Friday as police search for a murder suspect in Studio City.

Police say the suspect was last seen just east of the Carpenter Ave. Elementary school campus where he fled after being recognized by North Hollywood detectives.

Authorities are searching the area near Laurel Canyon and Maxwellton.

The suspect may be armed and is dangerous, officer Diana Figueroa said.

Read the full story at KTLA.com

Tomorrow the zombies invade Satan Monica to terrorize tourists and shoppers. I’ve been to a bunch of these in San Francisco and I can tell you from experience they’re more fun than a barrel of severed limbs. If you’re in the area definitely check it out!

When- April 16, 2011
Where- 3rd st. Promenade in Santa Monica, CA
Meet up location-TBA
Time- 5:00 pm. with the “WALK” starting at 6:00pm sharp! Be on time for “RULES”, photos! Leave early if you live far so you don’t miss the kick off!

For more info check out:
http://www.socalzombiewalk.com/
https://www.facebook.com/socalzombiewalk

Hat-tip to @PIXFeedLA

With all the brouhaha going on across the world it’s time to remind all of us Angelino’s that we’re living on top of a ticking time bomb and we all should do our parts to be prepared. A few years ago a bunch of the Blogging.la crew went out and got CERT training. For the un-initiated, CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and the training is provided free of charge to everyone 18 and older living in the city of Los Angeles.

Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.

CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. While people will respond to others in need without the training, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.

The course is one day a week for seven weeks with a total of 17.5 hours training time. In the classes you’ll learn to:

• Manage utilities and put out small fires,
• Treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling
• Bleeding, and treating for shock,
• Provide basic medical aid,
• Search for and rescue victims safely,
• Organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective,
  and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.

I missed the initial classes but now that I’m back in LA I’m getting my training at the first available class. If this sounds like something you’re into (and it should be dammit) check their calendar for a class near you! You can also peruse the class manual online.

Either that or somebody there is a Bradbury fan.

Check out the box number for the Brush Clearance Unit.

This weekend: Art(isanal LA), art in a brewery, Art in the Streets.  Coachella, what Coachella?

Read the rest of this entry →

A delicious pie from Crust at the December Artisanal LA event

Oh, womp, you’re not going to Coachella this year.  But whoop, that means you’re free to go to Artisanal LA, the eat-and-eat-more locals-only event.  About 100 local artisanal vendors will gather at the Santa Monica Place’s dining deck, including personal favorites Creme Caramel (get the bacon bread pudding) and Crust (Missouri butter pie).  You’ll also get to preview The Market at Santa Monica Place before it opens in a few weeks; The Market, by the by, purports to be our version of the Ferry Building.  If Acme Bread ever decides to head down here, I may never visit the Bay Area again.

And lest you think this is just about buying food, it’s also about learning about food: Lindy & Grundy did a rad cooking demo at the first Artisanal LA; this time, there will be workshops and demos on LA’s burgeoning craft beer scene, how to stake your own urban plot, a demo and tasting with Intelligentsia, and a cocktail demo with mixologist extraordinnaire Matt Biancaniello.  At $10 (pre-sale), this will be possibly as much fun as, and far, far cheaper than, your would-be weekend at Coachella.

Artisanal LA’s Spring Show
Saturday 11am – 8pm; Sunday 11am – 7pm
At the Level 3 Dining Deck at the Santa Monica Place
Each day $10 (pre-sale)/$15 (at the door).  Or, pick up the weekend pass for $18.

The Month of Photography – Los Angeles is in full swing and there are a ton of cool events and openings coming up. These are a few that caught my eye. Especially the LA Times Pop-Up Gallery happening tonight. Check out the full list of events for more info on what’s happening for the second half of the month.

April 14th, 2011

Los Angeles Times Photo: Pop-Up Gallery at Downtown Art Walk

Where: Los Angeles Times, 145 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When: 6pm-10pm
Cost: Free

In association with MOPLA, Los Angeles Times Photo and Video is presenting a special, one-night-only pop-up gallery during Downtown Art Walk from 6pm-10pm. The exhibit will celebrate the power and explore the craft of visual storytelling through a curated collection of recent work from Times photojournalists. The multimedia-savvy crew will also give a nod to its history with a chronological array of images, spanning from the present back through the decades. Join Los Angeles Times’ award-winning staff for this ephemeral event and block party, outside The Times iconic building on the corner of 2nd & Spring. Sounds by Big Sonic Heaven’s Darren Revell. Refreshments by 213 Nightlife.

More Info:
http://latimesframeworkparty.eventbrite.com/
http://www.latimes.com/frameworkevent

Pints and Pixels: The Cell Phone Edition

Where: Julia Dean, 755 Seward St, Los Angeles, CA 90038
When: 7pm-10pm
Cost: General $10, Students $5

ASMP Los Angeles and MOPLA present the second annual projection event Pints and Pixels: The Cell Phone Edition. The event showcases projections of cell phone images from competition finalists. A book printed by A&I with the featured photographs will be sold as well and the proceeds will be donated to SnapShop — a photography workshop series for at-risk high school students.

More Info:
http://www.asmpla.org

More events after the jump

It’s time to shake things up! We’re looking for some fresh blood so we’re opening up the doors for 10-15 new bloggers and feature writers to join our team.

Are you a local with awesome insights and passion about this great city? Can you translate that passion and insight into words and photos? Do you know how to blog using WordPress? Are you not a flake and can punch out at least 2-3 posts a week? And can you do it all for the sheer love of it and the love of your soon to be adoring public? Then you might be ready to join the ranks of the Granddaddy of LA Blogs.

If that person isn’t you don’t despair, the dream isn’t over yet! We’re also looking for locals that don’t have time to do regular blogging but have something more specific to contribute and can commit to one feature post per week that’s about a specific aspect of life in LA. It could be from mainstream topics like sports or art to the utterly absurd. This is an experts only position.

All the details after the jump

That’s right folks, it’s that time of the year again. Time for gasoline and sunshine….and beer. The 37th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will make it’s way through the streets of Long Beach this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There’s a schedule of events you can check out but I suggest that you do NOT mis the celebrity race on Saturday afternoon as well as the ALMS race immediately after. Sunday will be the main Indy Car race and the culmination of what is to be a great weekend.

It looks like the weather will be perfect too. Sunny and warm, but not hot. I’ll be wearing my sunscreen. If you’ve never been, check out a post I did a couple years ago for OC Metblogs. It gives you a good idea of what to expect each day. I highly suggest you check it out. You can get Friday/Saturday tickets super cheap. Doooo it!