I couldn’t help but notice these two signs posted one atop the other in my neighborhood. It just seems too coincidental, and I found myself imagining how they got there. I’m not in the union, so here you go:

EXT. 8TH STREET, MIRACLE MILE – DAY

A woman, driven crazy by grief, approaches a lamppost with a stack of fliers and a roll of tape in hand. She begins to post one of the pages, sobbing as she works.

A man, holding a similar stack of pages, approaches the same lamppost.

MAN

Hi There.

WOMAN

I, I–I LOST MY DOG, Wahhhh.

MAN

Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.

He begins to post one of his own fliers above the one the woman posted.

MAN (CONT’D)

I found one. Anyway, hope you find your dog. Good luck.

The two go their separate ways, stopping at trees and lampposts until…

FADE OUT

Seeing as how it was hosted at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, many of of the costumes were art-inspired. Por ejemplo:

Many more below…
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This past weekend saw the 1-Year Anniversary Party of GOOD Magazine, which was hosted at the Natural History Museum. Party sponsors included Moli.com, French Rabbit Wine, Hope Equity, and Silk Soymilk. I’ve been a GOOD subscriber since the beginning. You can read all about my discovery of the magazine on my personal blog, right here. To sum up: When you subscribe to GOOD for one year, 100% of your subscription fee ($20) goes to the charitable organization of your choice. Subscribers choose from twelve organizations, which include Ashoka, Teach for America, and Slow Food USA. GOOD is based right here in LA. Here’s my footage from the party:

I grew up with a framed photo/litho of Marilyn Monroe in my home. My mother wasn’t a fanatic, she just happened to love this one particular image, and so my earliest perception of the tragic actress was as an earthy, glowing, calm presence. Shot by George Barris, Monroe appears grounded and peaceful in the photo, which is titled “The Warm Up.” To me, she looks like a good listener, ready to hear you out and offer encouragement and guidance. Amazingly, the warm image was taken toward the end of her short life–some even claim it was the last photo ever taken of her. Not long after, on August 5, 1962, she’d be dead of an overdose of sleeping pills–a death around which conspiracy theories still swirl.

I never would have guessed that Monroe (who legally changed her name from Norma Jean Mortenson after being discovered) was born in LA. I would have taken her for a Midwestern gal, from somewhere dusty and wide open. Then again, Los Angeles was a heck of a lot wider-open and dustier back in 1926 when she was born, so there you go. A lot of people probably think Monroe wasn’t all that great. Sure, she was the ultimate sex symbol, a Hollywood starlet, a surprisingly talented actress with a gift for comedic timing, and a tabloid darling, but so what?
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Let’s call this reason #173 why I’m glad to be a vegan. I thought this was a hoax when I first stumbled across it, or at the least, the ravings of some lunatic conspiracy theorist whose best friend is a big invisible bunny (or something along those lines). But a little Googling brought me to an LA Business Journal article from 2004. Oh, yum:

West Coast Rendering, which also uses the name D&D Disposal, collects several hundred thousand dead animals every year–euthanized animals from shelters and pets that have been put to sleep at veterinary hospitals.

West Coast Rendering appears to be one of the few remaining companies that render dogs and cats, said Don Franco, president of the non-profit Center for Biosecurity, Food Safety & Public Health in Lake Worth, Fla.

Because of environmental laws, dog and cat remains cannot be mixed with other beef byproducts.

However:

“Rendering means that these dead animals are cooked in a giant stew pot for an hour, at just above boiling, and then the fat is drained off this soup and put in drums for shipment to cattle feed facilities in California and elsewhere,” said Leo Grillo, founder of the largest care-for-life cat & dog sanctuary in the world, D.E.L.T.A. Rescue, of Glendale, CA, “the rest is ground up into a powder and loaded by tractor into either a container or an open grain truck, which is later used for grain and feed transport.”

“Our D.E.L.T.A. Rescue Humane Investigation Unit followed trucks to American companies where the powder, now called ‘protein meal,’ is added to farm-animal feed. We also followed containers to the ports where they are loaded for shipment to Asia … to be added to feed for the farmed fish and seafood that comes back to the United States and is sold in our supermarkets. Check the labels of the seafood in the stores: ‘product of Thailand, Vietnam, etc.’”

What kind of wine do you serve with souffle of Fido?

Los Angeles gets a lot of grief for being home to an inordinate number of celebretards, pseudo-celebretards, star fuckers, and vain VIPs. Although the city is thusly stereotyped, it’s also home to a thriving population of unique and noteworthy people whose pursuits add diversity and depth to a seemingly shallow pool. LA’s Better Half profiles distinctive Angelenos doing something remarkable and original. This week: Tanya Petrovna, chef and founder of the always packed and ever-expanding Native Foods.

Tanya opened her first Native Foods restaurant in Palm Springs over ten years ago, followed by a second in Palm Desert in 1996. The third shop, her Los Angeles Proper location, opened in Westwood in 2000. Now the diminutive space on Gayley–always packed with dedicated customers–is expanding, and so is the business as a whole. I recently caught up with Tanya to talk about her childhood memories of Los Angeles, her path to and passion for gourmet veganism, and the very promising future of Native Foods.
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Tonight is the last night to check out David Michalek’s outdoor installation “Slow Dancing” at the Music Center. I checked it out last night, and it’s mesmerizing and enchanting. Definitely worth a visit. I suggest grabbing a blanket or a beach chair, picking up dinner, and spending an hour (or two, or three, depending on how Zen you are) camped out, circling the screens and watching from different angles. There’s something meditative and fascinating about watching these incredible dancers at such slow speeds.

Slow Dancing simultaneously captures the beauty of the body in motion, while exposing its most intricate nuances.

Projected on 16 foot screens, each subject’s movement (approximately 5 seconds) was shot on a specially constructed set with a high-speed, high-definition camera recording at 1,000 frames per second. The result is approximately 10-minutes of extreme slow movement-a motion portrait in which the dancer’s unique artistic expression and technique are revealed as never before.

Slow Dancing features over 30 of today’s foremost modern and ballet artists, as well as recognized master interpreters of a range of traditional and contemporary dance forms, including “krump” artist Christopher “Lil C” Toler, “Crutchmaster” Bill Shannon, Bill T. Jones, Desmond Richardson, Shen Wei, Allegra Kent, ABT’s Herman Cornejo and Isabelle Guerin, to name a few.

PERFORMANCE DATES/ TIMES
September 18-26, 2007 6:00PM – 12:00AM
Public Exhibition (FREE)
Optimal viewing after 7:30 PM

More pics after the jump…
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If you’re in the Miracle Mile, Museum Row, Fairfax, or Carthay areas right now, it might be worth your time to take a break and sprint over to the Courtyard at 5750 Wilshire Blvd (the enormous pink business complex on the south side of Wilshire), where E! Entertainment is currently hosting their “Health Affair,” which goes until 2 PM.

There are a bunch of sponsors set up with tons of samples of everything ranging from health drinks to bagels to dog food. I’m going to head over, grab some stuff, and head back to update with some pictures.

Go get free stuff and sweet deals!

EDITED: There’s still about an hour left. More of the companies exhibiting include…
Crayons Fruit Juice Drink
Dogswell Natural Dog Treats
Ola Loa Sports Drink
Emergen-C
Wellness Natural Food for Pets
Taste of the Goddess Cafe
Krav Maga National Training Center, who are offering a 2 Week Pass: (310) 966-1300
Western Bagel
Segway
Trader Joe’s
Exhale Spa, with some new membership options

Lots of pics after the jump…
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Here’s the uplifting, inspiring, tug-at-your-heartstrings, kick-in-the-ass kind of event you didn’t know you were waiting for. Free Arts for Abused Children, which I wrote about back in July, is celebrating their 30th anniversary with an amazing art exhibit, and you’re invited to the opening reception:

Art Explosion! Complimentary Cocktail Reception
Saturday, September 15th 7 to 10 PM

Celebrating 30 years of ART HEALS!

Featuring an extraordinary exhibit of children’s artwork.

Art Explosion! is an exhibit for the community to experience artwork created by youth participating in Free Arts for Abused Children’s creative expression programs.

TRACY PARK GALLERY
1431 Ocean Avenue Santa Monica, California 90401
(between Broadway and Santa Monica)
Complimentary valet parking available beneath the building.

I’ll be there, camera in one hand, Kleenex in the other.

Los Angeles gets a lot of grief for being home to an inordinate number of celebretards, pseudo-celebretards, star fuckers, and vain VIPs. Although the city is thusly stereotyped, it’s also home to a thriving population of unique and noteworthy people whose pursuits add diversity and depth to a seemingly shallow pool. LA’s Better Half profiles distinctive Angelenos doing something remarkable and original. This week: Raise your hats to Pleasant Gehman, AKA Princess Farhana: LA’s Underground scouring, short story writing, punk-scene chronicling, belly dancing queen–er, princess.
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Numerous studies have shown that doing good is good for you. Some have even demonstrated a measurable correlation between volunteering and good health. Not only do volunteers live longer, they live better: Volunteering can promote a sense of well-being, bolster the immune system, reduce insomnia, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help keep weight in check, raise energy levels, increase relaxation, and a lot of other cool stuff. Sounds like the fountain of youth, a miracle cure, and a happy pill all rolled into one. With this in mind, I’ve set out to volunteer for a different Los Angeles organization each week. I’ll write about the experience here. This week: The Amanda Foundation.
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Okay, maybe not the world, but it’s still a good deed. Kay ‘n Dave’s Fresh Mex Cantinas in West LA, Santa Monica, and Pacific Palisades will donate 20% of your tab to Free Arts for Abused Children Monday, July 23 (that’s today) through Thursday, July 26.

That’s right: You can waltz right in and order a Veggie Tostada today, Greenhouse Tamales tomorrow, Tropical Enchiladas on Wednesday, and Black Bean Tacos on Thursday, and as long as you remember to drop your receipt in the basket by the door on your way out, 20% of each tab will be donated to Free Arts. Actually, technically speaking, you could dine there for both lunch and dinner for the next four days, and each time, 20% of your tab would be donated.

Bon Appetit, Salud, and Mazel Tov, you’ve done a mitzvah.

Kay ‘n Dave’s exist to please you at these fine locations:

Pacific Palisades
310.459.8118
15246 Sunset Boulevard
Between Swarthmore and La Cruz

26th Street
310.260.1355
262 26th street
1/2 block south of San Vicenti across from the Brentwood Country Mart

West L.A.
310.446.8808
10543 Pico Boulevard
3 blocks east of Overland between Patricia and Prosser

Los Angeles gets a lot of grief for being home to an inordinate number of celebretards, pseudo-celebretards, star fuckers, and vain VIPs. Although the city is thusly stereotyped, it’s also home to a thriving population of unique and noteworthy people whose pursuits add diversity and depth to a seemingly shallow pool. Each week, LA’s Better Half will profile one distinctive Angeleno doing something remarkable and original. This week: Meet Brad Warner, LA’s Book-Writing, Film-Making, Bass-Playing, Zazen-Teaching, Punk Rock Zen Buddhist Monk.
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Passionate about improving air quality in Los Angeles? Love blogging? Always wondered what it would be like to work a street corner? If you answered “Yes” to one of more of these questions, then BREATHE LA wants you. The organization is looking for writers to blog about air quality issues on their website, and are hosting an Editorial Team orientation this Thursday.

Also needed: Volunteers to participate in their very first street team activity this week. Volunteers are needed to help spread the word about clean air in Los Angeles by standing at busy Los Angeles street corners during morning and afternoon rush hour.

Dates and times:
Weds July 18 – morning and afternoon
Friday July 20 – morning and afternoon

Locations :
Alvarado Blvd./Glendale Blvd.
Wilshire Blvd/ Sepulveda Blvd/
Union Station
Universal Studios Metro Stop @ Lankershim Blvd.
Hollywood/Highland
Other: Tell them where YOU think they should be.

For more info on how to get involved, contact Todd
or Julia.

Numerous studies have shown that doing good is good for you. Some have even demonstrated a measurable correlation between volunteering and good health. Not only do volunteers live longer, they live better: Volunteering can promote a sense of well-being, bolster the immune system, reduce insomnia, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help keep weight in check, raise energy levels, increase relaxation, and a lot of other cool stuff. Sounds like the fountain of youth, a miracle cure, and a happy pill all rolled into one. With this in mind, I’ve set out to volunteer for a different Los Angeles organization each week. I’ll write about the experience here. This week: Free Arts for Abused Children.
Read the rest of this entry →