My usual shortcut around Highland traffic was impeded by this limo, whose front fender had gotten stuck on a curb. His attempts to back out of the trap only caused the back tires to spin and burn rubber. (map)

All the while, the passengers would poke their heads out occasionally, express frustration at the driver, then hide whenever they saw someone taking a photo – which included almost everyone, like me, who had to make a u-turn and reroute.

(Which of course is typical Hollywood: while dozens of people heading to or from work were inconvenienced, most saw the humor in it. The pampered passengers inside the airconditioned limo, however, did nothing but complain.)

From last Wednesday’s Arclight Cinemas eblast… finally a chick flick I’ll be rushing to!

Uploaded with plasq‘s Skitch!

Just curious as to who plays the shark or octopus, Meryl Streep or Amy Adams?

Nearly two years ago, I posted a video of bank robbers in downtown Los Angeles making a getaway in spite of a heavy police presence. Nearly 3 million people have watched it.

However, it wasn’t real. In both my original post, and the description on YouTube, I point it that it was merely a commercial shoot I’d run across. Still, people clearly will believe what they want.

Fortunately, Snopes finally looked into it, and confirmed that this was indeed just a commercial shoot.

Unfortunately, the YouTube page Snopes.com is pulling from doesn’t include my description – someone downloaded my clip and reuploaded it under their own name, saying it took place in Georgia. Damn copyright thieves will even resort to stealing free content of crappy video shot guerrilla style at a public film shoot!

Instead of taking the typical Alternate Reality Game approach between seasons, the producers behind ABC TV’s “Lost” are readying the launch of a series of online classes and lectures with lessons on the source material behind the myth heavy series.

Viewers who enroll in “Lost University” will be able to study languages, such as Korean, Latin, and Iraqi Arabic, Hieroglyphics, Time Travel, and Jungle Survival, among other topics that fans will immediately see the importance of, as well as philosophy and psychology classes that will use show references as analogies.

Los Angeles “Lost” fans should be especially proud that most of these classes are taught by actual professors and teachers from USC and UCLA, including fellow blogger Clifford Johnson (Asymptotia.com), a USC physics professor who will be presenting a course on time travel along with Sean Carrol of the California Institute of Technology and Nick Warner, another Trojan. Read the rest of this entry →

Tom LaBonge is taking the credit for negotiating with local church’s to return the LA Marathon to a Sunday next year, when the route will take runners from Dodger Stadium to the Pacific Ocean.

Pressure from assorted houses of worship caused the Los Angeles Marathon to move to Memorial Day this year, as church’s complained that marathon related road closures resulted in reduced attendance.

While the return to Sunday during a cooler period will bring unanimous satisfaction to L.A.’s diverse running community, the new route may not. But what do you think?

image from Roadsidepictures, used under Creative Commons

You won’t need to register online for a slim chance to get in, and the City of Los Angeles won’t be footing the bill on this one (but you may need to pay over $10 to park), as Universal Citywalk transforms itself into Universal Moonwalk for a free public tribute to Michael Jackson on Thursday night at 7pm.

“The Wiz” and “Thriller” will be screened, and a live dance retrospective will be performed, chronicling his career from his days with the Jackson 5 through his modern successes.

Details here.

Locals tip: Instead of paying $10 for parking, take the subway up from Hollywood & Highland, where you can also pay tribute to Michael Jackson’s Walk of Fame Star in front of Mann’s Chinese Theatre.

Shameless plug: Anyone else see the video, that appeared live on CNN, of what may be a ghost inside Neverland Ranch? If not, its up at CreepyLA.

While covering Tuesday’s Madame Tussauds’ scream contest outside of the Chinese Theatre for Creepy LA, the biggest screams of all were heard on the sidewalk as who I can only assume is some sort of mega celebrity arrived to presumably pay their respects at Michael Jackson’s star.

Sadly, while dozens of tourists and locals squealed and surrounded her, demanding an autograph, none of the press at the Tussauds event could identify who this blonde was. Here are a couple frame grabs:

Can any Metblogs readers let me know who this is? (click images for a better view)

I’d like to just surrender and call our economic state a depression, which all signs indicate we’re barrelling towards, but, per the definition, the concept just depresses me.

Instead, following are five ways I’m saving a few bucks that may be of use. In summary: Rocket Video, refilling water jugs, free movie previews, 99 cent store, and blogging.

If you have your own magical money saving ways, please share in the comments.

And the somewhat irrelevent photo at right is the legendary Bob Hope, returning home from a USO tour to be greeted by his dog named Recession.

1. Putting my Netflix subscription on hold, visiting Rocket Video on 2 for 1 days.

Normally, with a membership rentals are $2.99, but on Thursdays and Saturdays Rocket Video are 2 for 1 days, including new releases and Blu-Ray rentals. Considering I only watch a couple rentals every week, this is already cheaper than Netflix (which charged more for Blu-Ray). There’s also something inherently fun about browsing video racks and having to make an alternate selection. (my Yelp! review of Rocket here)

On the downside: Besides obviously needing to schedule your video pickups, late fees are at the normal rate, and can add up quickly. Read the rest of this entry →

I’m going to be brief and bloggy and ranty for a moment:

1. Last night at 4am I couldn’t get to sleep because of music blaring from the roof of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel over 4 blocks away. When I arrived in the lobby there were two other neighbors there as well, one had been there over 45 minutes. The hotel acknowledged the music started at 2am. It took over an hour for the police to respond (the music finally stopped around 4:30am).

2. Yesterday, blogger “Toastycake” wrote that he went to see “The Hangover” at the Arclight with a friend who stars in the film, and took a still of the screen when said friend appeared. Arclight staff took notice, escorted Toastycake out of the theatre where four LAPD officers were waiting to give him a verbal lecture on piracy.

More on the whole Roosevelt situation later – but 4 officers respond almost immediately to a piracy complaint, but it takes more than an hour for them to respond to numerous residents complaining about being woken up by music at 3am?

h/t Molls She Wrote

Its not uncommon for the homeless to take up shelter in abandoned homes and other structures, but it always leaves the question of whether or not property owners or the government should allow it if they’re not harming anyone else.

CNN.com posted  a video report showing a homeless encampment built in a cave beneath a Los Angeles freeway that apparently was home to more than a dozen transients.

A homeless woman says she visited often and claims the space, the size of half a football field, was carpeted, and furnished with sheeted beds and couches. In the report, Caltrans workers cleaning up the site found needles, graffitti, and pornography among piles of trash.

Regardless of how these people were living, is it right to evict them from a shelter nobody else is using, especially in an economy where existing services for homeless are being both overwhelmed while also being drastically cut back?

 

Last week, Metblog’s contest winner Keekle had dinner with legendary porn star Ron Jeremy before riding in a limo with him to the red carpet of the premiere of “One Eyed Monster,” a mainstream horror-comedy starring Ron’s most famous body part.

But the real winner of the contest was Metblogs itself, as not only did Keekle step in to provide us commentary of the evening in the video above, but he’s provided us with a detailed account of what transpired at dinner with Ron.

What follows is entirely NSFW, includes offers of lapdances, Ron’s account of “the most outrageous thing” he’s seen in his long career in porn, and pretty much the norm of what transpires when someone wins a Metblogs contest. (okay, that’s a lie, but there are lots of pictures). Read the rest of this entry →

A Japanese woman who flew from LAX to Japan’s Narita international airport has tested positive for swine flu and was sent to a hospital, according to Breaking News On and Xinhua.net.

Xinhua adds, “some 10 other passengers sitting around her would be transported to another medical institution for further examinations.”

Based on a search of the Northwest Airlines website, the related flight appears to be #1 that departed Los Angeled International Airport  on Wednesday with a scheduled departure of 12:35pm (with an actual departure at 12:24pm). The flight arrived in Tokyo 12:45am PST (3:45pm local).

A new ad for Microsoft Office claims a computer that doesn’t use their software, “is like Los Angeles without Santa Monica Pier.” Besides being a really poor metaphor – you’d think Microsoft could think of a more essential asset than the pier to compare their product to, such as the freeway – the ad also seemed to bring up an constant debate among Metblogs readers and writers: should any area outside of the City of Los Angeles be referred to as L.A.?

When I think Los Angeles, my mind is on anything within county limits. The Los Angeles of popular fiction and of the national mindset never bothers to take into account the borders of the 88 different cities of Los Angeles County, including Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Santa Monica.

Street sign colors may change, certain parking restrictions may be different, real estate taxes may fluctuate, but there’s little practical reason to distinguish between what is the City of Los Angeles and what happens to be another city, or incorporated part of, Los Angeles. As in County.

Except for the City of Long Beach, which really should be annexed into Orange County. Really, please, take it. But I digress…

What say you, Angelenos (county folk, city folk, all!) – is there any value in having city pride instead of boldly claiming stake as a member of the great metropolis called Los Angeles?

Congratulations to “Keekle” for offending our authors by not just adapting post titles into porn films, but also adapting our names into those of porn stars. You can see his contribution in the original post here.

Keekle and a guest will be having dinner with Ron Jeremy on Monday before sharing a limo ride with the international superstar to the premiere of his new film, “One Eyed Monster” at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. (Is there a better named venue for a film of this caliber?) For those of you who didn’t win, but would like the play the home game, the DVD of the film will be released Tuesday, April 28th.

Mike at Franklin Ave. was inspired by our Songs About Los Angeles series and has created a poll asking his readers which L.A. song is their favorite. As of this post, 96 people have voted, with no clear winners, but Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” is in the lead with 22% of votes cast. Strangely, Walter Moore is also on the list currently in second place. How’d that happen?

Go vote.