How can you not trust a hot dog with a halo??

Since 1949, Papoo’s Hot Dog Show has been filling the tummies of Toluca Lake residents and visitors with tasty hamburgers, sandwiches, fries and of course….hot dogs. Countless movie and TV stars have been regulars over the years. Though the owners and recipes have changed, it has always remained a great hole-in-the-wall place for some really good grub. Well today, Sunday August 28, 2011 marks the end of 62 years of Papoo’s Hot Dog Show.

Hot Dog Show holds a special place in my heart as I’ve been going there since….well before I was born! My mom worked there when she was 16, her initials STILL carved into the counter. In fact, I only just found out that my parents met there. If it weren’t for the Hot Dog Show, I wouldn’t exist! Having lived only 1 block away for most of my life, I can remember riding my scooter or bicycle up there on a regular basis. I always ordered 2 plain dogs with ketchup, fries and a Dr. Pepper. While I would wait for my food I would play either Galaga or Ms. Pac Man with the “WOOZ” (upside down “ZOOM”) button. With that “WOOZ” button I could fly through to the banana stage in about 4 minutes flat.

I’ll miss you Hot Dog Show and I’m not looking forward to the rumored Italian restaurant taking your place. At least we still have Dale’s Jr. Money Tree Hampton’s IHOP Copper Penny Bob’s!

Creative Commons /MarcoFromHouston.com

That’s right kids, Wednesday June 1st, Usher will be doing his thing at the Staples Center here in LA and I have a FREE pair of tickets to give away. But I refuse to just give it to anyone. I want to make sure the person who gets to go is a true fan.

This is a 2 part process, so pay attention.

First, in one of Usher’s first singles, he states “I tried, I tried to fight it but…..”
But what??
(This really isn’t that difficult)

Last, I want you to tell me why you should go over the others who answer correctly.

You all have 1 week to submit your answers/reasons in the comments section. I will announce the winner Wednesday May 25.

And now, to get you in the mood, here is a little Usher mashup from DJs From Mars via the Bootie Mashup gang.

Make sure your account is linked to an email address or I can’t tell you you’ve won!!!!!!

Courtesy of SamCarterArt.com and available at the show.

What happens when movie nerds and the ability to paint form into some super movie artist nerd? Excellent things. Like the 3B Art Show at Gallery 1988 in Venice. 3B showcases pop art based on the movies Back To The Future, Beetlejuice and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure/Bogus Journey. A similar show was held last year titled 3G (Goonies, Gremlins and Ghostbusters) in which Ernie Hudson showed up opening night in Ecto 1. While there were no stars at the show, there were 2 Delorian time machines, pre and post Mr. Fusion (In the same space-time continuum?? This is heavy). It was awesome.

As far as the art in concerned, it was really amazing to see what some of these artists came up with. (My friend Sam Carter created the pinup of Jennifer from Back To The Future you see to the right) A lot of the art wasn’t what you would expect. I really enjoyed that the artists pulled a lot of scenes and characters that don’t initially come to mind, then when you see it……”Great Scott! I forgot that was in the movie!” I’ve included a few pictures that I took opening night and you can see all the art on the 3B site, but you should really go check it out in person. The site just doesn’t do some of them justice.

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!

On Broadway b/w 2nd & 3rd

Here it is. Your full-service wedding and divorce “chapel.” They’ll even do you’re taxes too! I wonder if you get a discount on your divorce case if you were married there.

*Spotted while on my jury lunch in Downtown.

Ugh.

C’mon. Skip the Starbucks once and spend that money to help those in need. Who knows? It could be you seeking out the Red Cross after a huge quake here. Wouldn’t you want them to have enough supplies for you?

……..yeah. Funny right? Maybe not. Turns out she was taken to the hospital to rule out the possibility of a stroke. Inability to speak can often be the first sign. I REALLY hope this isn’t the case. I went to school with her and I seem to remember her being very nice. Hopefully it was just a quick flub. Cause if she’s OK, then we can laugh.

And for all the haters out there who think all his films are the same and have no depth, blah, blah, blah…..good for you. Don’t go see the exhibit. More room for me!

Wife and I as Corpse Bride a few years ago.

Pogo is a young Australian bloke who has made himself famous thanks to some crazy musical talent and You Tube. He first captured my (and 5 and a half million others) attention with this remix from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland:

The thing about Pogo is, he doesn’t just make a song that includes sounds from a particular movie, he creates songs with ONLY sounds from the movie. And the music he makes is just too damn good. I like the pleasant, chillout aspect from most of his work. While “Alice” will always be a favorite because it was the first, my personal favorite is “Upular”:

Loyal You Tube fans aren’t the only people recognizing him anymore either. Last year he was honored at the Guggenheim in New York for a piece he made called “Gardyn” that featured his mother and sounds from her personal garden. His latest endeavor, Remixing The World, has him travelling around the world creating music from anything he experiences. “Joburg Jam” is a taste of what’s to come, and I like it.

Making You Tube videos isn’t all he is about. Apparently he plays live too. For a while US fans have been asking him to head our way and he finally is! He’s set to do a brief US tour in March, ending here in Los Angeles March 12. I am really looking forward to it and can’t wait to see what he does live. You can find out more details of his tour here (scroll down to “Pogo tours North America”), including the location of his LA show.

Are any of you fans of his work? Planning on seeing him? I know I’m excited for the new “Lord of the Rings” mix he’s working on.