Let’s face it: smokers can be some of the rudest asshats on the planet. They’ll defend their addiction to nicotine as a right to the bitter end, even at the expense of the comfort of their neighbors.

That said, God bless State Senator Alex Padilla (Democrat, Van Nuys), who has just proposed a bill that would allow landlords to ban smoking inside of rental units.

Normally, I’d argue that if people wanted to smoke in the comfort of their own home to go right ahead and turn those lungs into tar (death by lung cancer being so pleasant and rare and all). However, its the all too common smokers that can make apartment living as they suck on a pack below, blowing smoke out their window so it drifts up into yours. Not to mention their tendency to make courtyards unpleasant as they congregate and cloud the air, then leave behind overflowing ashtrays and the ground littered with butts.

I’m not asking for a law like the one in Calabasas that bans smoking outright in most rental properties, just some ammunition for the landlords who are sick of hearing their tenants complain about the asshat smokers they have to live with.

They call it “Sally D,” “Sage of Seers,” or “magic mint.” It can cause the sensation of out of body experience, heightened senses, and frightening hallucinations. And it can be found for sale, legally, at any number of headshops in Los Angeles.

Salvia divinorum, commonly known as Salvia, is a mind altering “psychoactive herb” that has yet to be regulated under the “Controlled Substances Act.”

According to reviews on Yelp, the  Mike’s Smoke Shop in Hollywood is a particularly location to purchase the hallucionogen.

Daniel Siebert, a Malibu resident and expert on salvia, sells dried leaves by mail for $125 per ounce. His bio also claims that he has “worked with” salvia “under the guidance of Mazatec shamans” who have used the plants in rituals and for its spiritual properties. On his website, salvia is described as being, “physically quite safe,” and non-toxic.

“Salvia is not a stimulant, it is not a sedative, it is not a narcotic, it is not a tranquilizer.” However, salvia, which can be smoked or chewed on, “can alter perception and behavior.”

In today’s Daily News where I first read about the “herb,” (print only) a San Bernadino County Sherrif says that one woman who used salivia had a terrifying experience:

“She had a burrito on the table,” he said, reporting her hallucination. “It grew legs and teeth and started to attack her.”

A California State bill that was introduced last year attempted to add salvia to a list of controlled hallucinogenic substances was denied.

You can buy marijuana in a vending machine, but I had to stand in two lines, show ID, and try not to act too fidgety while they checked me against a “hot list” -TO BUY ALLERGY MEDICATION.

Hoo gah.

The Pasadena Independent reports that actor Andrew Koenig was arraigned today in LA Superior Court in Pasadena for his protest during the Rose Parade.  His action was one of many in an effort to force the Pasadena or the Tournament of Roses to remove the Chinese float.

The best quote in the article: “”The elected president of Burma and Nobel Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, – who has never been allowed to assume authority and remains under house arrest by the military government – was once asked what people outside of Burma could do to help their cause,” said humanitarian Andrew Koenig, who has visited refugees in Burma. “Her response was ‘Use your freedom to promote ours’. So that’s what I did”. 

Koenig is represented by former Pasadena Mayor Bill Paparian, the good guy who did NOT get a “grinch award”.

Koenig as an actor is known by many as “Boner” from the sitcom years back “Growing Pains”.  Note, I showed great restraint and did not use the headline “Boner stands up in Court”.  Too snarky.  This standing up for freedom will be the bigger mark he leaves us with.

Pic from the Pasadena Independent by Terry Miller. 

The paparazzi are getting worse in L.A. We’ve been seeing an increase in incidents the past few years where they not only bait celebrities into altercations for their little TV magazines, but they endanger lives of the stars and innocent bystanders. The latest lowlight was Britney Spears leaving UCLA, only to be chased by photogs who broke numerous laws.

Are Los Angeles citizens tired of this crap yet? You bet. So is Dennis P. Zine, the L.A. City Councilman who wants a new law to control these idiots.

Zine estimated that it cost $25,000 just to drive Britney to the hospital in the first place. At the time, I questioned if that much security was needed. Apparently, it was. Markland showed us video evidence of these assholes running into traffic, trying to snap pictures of Spears as she left her evaluation.

According to Celebitchy, Zine has had it.
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As a resident of this little corner of LA I can’t say that I am not holding my breath waiting for the next shell casing to drop.  Those of us here in Monrovia were glad to see the show of force the last few days.  Many often wonder why it took a crisis for us to get this sort of protection and high visibility policing.  Many  of us are glad that the City of Monrovia has taken a lot of steps over the last several years to help those in the poorer sections of the community to rebuild themselves through their MAP program with the goal of making sure crime would not happen.

The San Gabriel Tribune has been covering the gang warfare with constant articles and updates.  The most recent article:  Monrovia police arrest seven in raid of gang locations which brought the good news that there was 7 arrests last night.  Of those 7, 6 are being held without bail.

Most worrisome to many in the area was the sudden realization that there was a “no mans land”, or unincorporated communities who were within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County.  Many were unaware that their “Monrovia” address was for the convenience of the postal service and mail delivery whose policing and services were due them from the County.  I can applaud my city for stepping in and trying to help and making their quality of life an issue with LA County.  It doesn’t however, change the problem for the folks down there in the unincorporated county land using Monrovia, Arcadia or Duarte as their address. They have lived there for many years not realizing the local city governments did not have the jurisdiction to help them.

Among the many meetings taking place in the area throughout the area are “down there” as well.  The meeting at Annunciation Church on Thursday night was well attended.  I did get one email from a community member here that served only to illustrate the problems within the LA County area.  She wrote me: “I went to the town meeting at annunciation and i feel so sorry for the people in unincorporated area: they’re on their own. it was pathetic.”.  I called her to clarify what she meant.  She said that she understood the community’s problem down there, the County Board of Supervisors sent a representative from Mike Antonovich’s office, but the got little in the way or promises or assurances.  She said she does understand even better how the term “no mans land” came about and only hopes that the county steps in and does its job.

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Today was one of those surreal moments.  I went to the Monrovia Press Conference staged to let the public know through the media what the various government agencies are doing to control the gang warfare that is plaguing my corner of the SGV.  (A side bar is that people writing on blogs aren’t considered media, rather advocates but I wasn’t tossed out so that is OK).  

As a citizen I sat there listening to the Mayor’s speech.  One by one various members of the community and county stood up and introduced themselves.  The mayor stood there and said this show of forces is what will do what it takes to fix the problem.  I believe him and agree that the community as a whole needs to step up and talk about what they see to help them rid us all of the problem.  I may not always agree with the methods but I do remember to be thankful someone stood up to do the job.

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Yahoo news ran the story yesterday ACLU: Sex in Restroom Stalls Is Private, The ACLU has taken on the appeal of that Idaho senator who sought a little oral pleasure at an airport this summer. Their argument relies on a case heard 38 years ago where the state ruled one had “a reasonable expectation of privacy” when they had sex in closed stalls.

Oh sweet lord, I nearly spit up my morning coffee with this one. What the hell…an expectation of privacy to having sex in a public bathroom? I honestly thought it was illegal. I expect to have a privacy so I can do my business, get in and get out. The only noise I want to hear is the plop plop whiz whiz what a relief it is. When I go into a public restroom with my kids I certainly expect the bathroom will be just what it is intended for, not walk in a sex show. Not that I’m a prude but some things I don’t want to walk in on, something I certainly don’t want my kids to be exposed to.

After reading the article in more detail and looking at a few other sources I understand their argument. The senator was arrested for an alleged invasion of privacy. They argue “The government cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Senator Craig was inviting the undercover officer to engage in anything other than sexual intimacy that would not have called attention to itself in a closed stall in the public restroom,”. Interesting twist and good use of shepardizing. Although not a CA or LA specific case it could have interesting ramifications elsewhere as it moves along.
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During my morning running circles to get the kids to school I spotted this forest of bright yellow signs on North Primrose here in Monrovia. After I dropped the last of them off I stopped by and learned that they all said “slow down”, so I decided to grab the camera and started walking and shooting.

What I learned you can get after the jump.
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I’ve watched you for way longer than I care to admit. Not in that fun stalking way, but I figured you are a hazard and I don’t want to get creamed.   A few rules of driving in CA if you want to survive.

The DMV gives you 20 days to changes your plates.  That’s all.  If you garage it here they don’t care, change the plate.  This would be a good time to get your CA drivers manual and get tested locally.   Stop signs are not optional in CA, especially the one at Foothill and Mountain that you blow with a fair amount of regularity.  Read the manual as well, look at the signs at Foothill and Mountain. Really if you are in the left lane NB Mountain, AFTER YOU STOP,  you make your left into the LEFT lane on Foothill.  Really, today it was my fender you nearly took off while making the wide turn.  This isn’t the back east, it’s not the land of Fried Green Tomatoes where you are bigger are better insured and you can be a cranky old wench.  In more than a few area’s the locals are armed and may shoot.  REALLY.

The speed limit isn’t an optional thingy either, the 25 school zone isn’t a suggestion.  I saw you trigger the radar warning through there at 37.  Are you totally outta your mind?

Just be glad I’m not totally in a passive aggressive state of mind and use the link to CHP cheaters…imagine what you are in for with outta state plates that expired nearly 3 years ago. I’m not even in a total dickhead mood so you are relatively safe.  Eventually MPDwill pick you out of the crowd as your driving stinks. That is your worry not mine.

Pic by me, grabbed at the light while we were stopped.  get’s a bit bigger if you really want to see more.

Eminent Domain is a hot button and is bound to get hotter. Many cities in the LA Metro area are undergoing a rebirth via use of eminent domain by their redevelopment agencies. This video gives a good start to the discussion. “Eminent Domain is Like Cancer” is the best quote on the topic I have heard in a while.

I like the video and shared with a friend who worked as a paralegal for So Cal Ed for many years. Her take on it, “Of course Anaheim found a way to not use Eminent Domain, they had too. They lost too many cases trying to use it 20 years ago”. Hmmm so all is not good over at the town of Rat after all.

Eminent domain started initially to prevent ones property from being taken without compensation for public use. Intended to provide a mechanism to protect property owners from seizure of their land by a governmental agency, it still allowed some uses like roads, schools or bridges to be built and pay a private property owner a fair use for their property. The problem is that over the last 50 years the courts have consistently held that greater tax revenue is enough to allow eminent domain to be used to take ones home and put up a mall or other business that would generate greater tax revenue for the city.

More after the jump
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A friend gave me call the other day and it went down something like this.  “The assholes, did you hear what San Marino did?”

“Nope, now what?” 

“They are charging NON-RESIDENTS fees to use public parks”.  What….and the fume went further.  They had gotten wind that Lacy Park, funded with a lot of state money for parks is charging admission to non-San Marino residents.   They even went as far as to rant that their source, a little old lady in San Marino, was glad it was going to keep the riff raff out of San Marino.  They opined that San Marino was trying to remain lily white within its borders (that’s too late given the large Asian population but that’s another stupid debate for another time).

So after a bit of research I found this interesting op-ed piece in the LA Times titled: “You paid for San Marino to play” by Steve Lopez.  The article confirms the $4.00 fee charged to non-residents to use the park, reportedly to cover the city overhead for maintenance and parking.

US, State and County parks charge fees.  Monrovia charges fees to it’s Canyon Park so the idea of charging at a municipal level isn’t unheard of.

So what do you have to say.  Does a city have the right to charge parking to use public parks?  If so can they designate the fee to only non-residents? 

Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Is capital punishment what Superman had in mind?

New Jersey has joined the ranks of states banning the death penalty in favor of life without parole. According to deathpenaltyinfo.org:

This is the first legislative abolition of the death penalty since it was reinstated in 1976. Iowa and West Virginia in 1965 were the last states to vote out capital punishment.

So where is California on the issue? Fun facts:

Death Penalty? Yes
Number of Executions Since 1976? 13
Number of Executions before 1976? 709
Current Death Row Population? 660
Women on Death Row? 15
Can a defendant get death for a felony in which s/he was not responsible for the murder? Yes
Method? Choice of Injection or Gas
How is the Sentence Determined? Jury

Should California follow suit and ban capital punishment?

Photo of Florida’s Idea of Justice

You know that feeling you get sometimes–the quiet little instinct that alerts you to nearby sketchiness? Oftentimes you can’t even identify what specifically is sketching you out: It’s just a sense, a hunch that something is off. This happened to me a few days ago, when I stopped in for a coffee at the Museum Square Organic to Go. As I crossed Wilshire at Courtyard Place, I noticed a couple sitting at one of the outdoor tables, a few back from the sidewalk. My sketch-o-meter immediately went off. I can’t really tell you why, exactly–they looked “normal” enough, but also somehow “different.” It’s an odd sense to have in a city like Los Angeles, with its eclectic and eccentric population. They made eye contact with me as I approached, and the woman (who looked like she was in her early thirties) said something to me about my dog. I didn’t hear her clearly, so she repeated it. I still couldn’t understand–which raised the level of my sketch-o-meter even higher. I have a pretty good ear, especially for accents and speech impediments, so not being able to make out what she was saying to me at such close range was odd, especially considering that she didn’t have an accent. She sounded like she was “from here.”
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The Daily News ran an article “No good excuse for taking disabled parking spots”. Call it what you want but it isn’t a sting as there was no set up involved. All the Glendale PD had to do was wait for people to just park in the handicapped spots and nab folks with out the right stickers. Sweet. There isn’t enough enforcement. My applause to Glendale PD for enforcing this law.

The law ought to make the fine steep, say $500 or more and include automatic booting or towing with impound. Draconian? Maybe, but let me have my self righteous moment here. I’m not disabled but have friends who are. Even older folks without handicaps who have difficulties moving about deserve the closer parking. I may not be as able as I used to be and waiting to be old enough for the knee replacements, but I still park at the far side of parking lots. I do it not because I want to prevent door dings. I do it to give the less mobile a shot at close parking. (If you saw my cars you’d know I’m about 2 dings short of beater status, but I digress).

The pic is of my most favorite flagrant Handicap Cheat in all of Monrovia. She is barely 30 and darts quickly in and out of stores. Always. Never seen her with a kid so that lame excuse is gone. I would love for MPD parking to finally nab her.

Last request. CHP has a CHEATERS for reporting out of state cars not registered timely, why not put one up for Handicap Cheats?

Pic by me with the trust che-ez, get’s bigger with a quick click.