Today I got some very sad news in my email box from heathervescent. Machine Project was supposed to get a $35k grant this month – but it’s been canceled. For an organization of their size this is a great loss, as they were planning to use the funds for rent and for their their one full time operations manager (who kicks major ass!).

They reached out to their LACMA show volunteers (that’s how Heathervescent found out) to help raise the needed money by donating $50 today. So I am personally asking you – fellow lovers of technology and fans of awesome art–to donate at least $50-100 to Machine Project. They are in my mind, one of the most innovative, unique, awesome, interesting and cool wellsprings of creativity this city has ever seen.

Machine Project hosted the geek dinner last year. They’ve created amazing workshops and hosted wonderful, magical art and creative endeavors. They’re a home for music, robotics, and fractal knitting. They host dorkbot. And they recently took over LACMA doing to the museum what I have always wanted to seen done to a museum.

Please help Machine raise the $35k they need to continue. It’s easy and they have an ASCII Unicorn.

==> Donate now: http://machineproject.com/lacmafriend/
==> Become a Member (ascii unicorn and a lot more):
http://machineproject.com/membership/
==> Give a class gift certificate: http://machineproject.com/store/

In case you’re not aware – the FRY-B-Q is today from 8-11pm, and now features pie! Machine will also be screening videos from the LACMA show all night, next door at the Echo Park Film Center.

Please give what you can. Spend the $50+ you would usually spend on coffee and drinks in LA for January and give it to Machine. I promise you’ll achieve enlightenment and all your dreams will come true if you help. I just donated $50. If you can’t afford that much, donate what you can, and help spread the word.

For those of you still mourning the unnecessary and idiotic death of Los Angeles Marathons on Sundays in March, there’s a new one coming. In March. On a Sunday. In Pasadena — coincidentally a city that could be argued as having a proportionally greater number of houses of worship per capita than L.A. Hallelujah!

You might recall the inaugural Pasadena Marathon scheduled for November 16 was all set to go off only to be canceled because of  air quality issues in the midst of the wildfires burning at the time. Well, its organizers — a group called Pasadena Forward — have gone all carpe diem in planting a flag on Sunday, March 22 as the rescheduled date for the first-ever event, ably filling the void left by the L.A. Marathon after its unceremonial exorcism to a potentially marathon-unfriendly Memorial Day from its typical first Sunday in March.

That heinous destruction of tradition came about after city officials caved to pressure from churches that had long damned the associated street closures as the reason why their congregations dropped so drastically that one day out of the year. Thus, when the event’s new organizers took over this year (under the ownership of the L.A. Dodger-owning McCourts), they did so basically being forced to heed this silly “Never on Sunday!” civic mandate.

Pasadena not only says to hell with that noise, but has gone proactive in providing special race-day travel information on its website offering congregants optimal routes to the churches in proximity to the course whose attendance might otherwise be impacted by the event.

Now there’s an idea: working together for manageable solutions rather than working apart to create monumental problems. Pasadena just made L.A. look reeeeeeally stoopid.

This just can’t be right: Was I seriously 16 months less old when Hot Knives’ Alex Brown and Evan George staged their inaugural LA Grand Crew Beer Ride? Maybe it seems like it couldn’t have been two summers ago because it was so epically epic and awesomely unique biking between strategic beer buys (such as the landmark Galco’s, pictured at right) that began in Highland Park and ended all the way out to the 405 Freeway near Pico before heading back to Hot Knives’ HQ in Echo Park for an informal 99-bottle beer tasting — with homemade snacks! — at sunset with so many fun-loving hops-heads.

Just thinking about that wonderful day is enough to get me suitably weepy for a sequel, so gawd bless Evan for dropping a teaser in my inbox that No. 2 is being incubated and to stay tuned. Then on Sunday he and Alex announced that Grand Crew II is gonna be even better than the first time and happen Saturday, December 20.

Details are here on the Hot Knives blog, and my pix are on Flickr from the 2007 beer ride.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or so they say. Its that season when we all try a little harder to be patient, being more passive and less aggressive, perhaps with the help of some spiked nog. But let’s face it, as we make our lists and check it twice, there’s got to be something to give to those that have been naughty. And that’s why for the third year LA Metblogs is asking readers to nominate individuals for the Grinch of the Year Award.

Last year Pasadena’s Mayor Bogaard was the winner, for allowing China, a country with a poor record of human rights, into the Rose Bowl Parade, as well as his kicking a grandma out of a city council meeting for protesting the action. And in our first year Zuma Dogg earned the title for being a thorn in the side of LA City Council (now he’s running for mayor, btw).

This year, who could it be? Sam Zell for continuing to run the LA Times into the ground? Alejandro Moreno and Juan Meza of Palm Desert for shooting each other dead at a Toy R Us on Black Friday? Pasadena Now’s James MacPherson for outsourcing writers to India for $7.50 per 1000 words? Or maybe El Coyote owner Marjorie Christoffersen for donating $100 to the Yes On Prop 8 campaign?

Nominees can be anyone who has been a Scrooge to Los Angeles residents, or a fellow Angeleno who gives the rest of us a bad name. Of course, the nominating process is entirely subjective, but feel free to name names and plead your case in the comments below. We’ll filter through suggestions over the next week or so, and then put final nominations up for vote.

I just got word that La Mano Press is closing up shop after five years, and that their annual holiday sale scheduled for December 5-7 will actually be their last event.

Writes La Mano’s creator and master printer Artemio Rodriguez:

After five great years at La Mano Press we have decided to say goodbye to LA.

For me it has been about 14 years of learning experiences, accomplishments, many good moments and many great friends. We, Silvia, myself and all the friends who have collaborated with us, have done all our best to try to promote the arts in our communities. I hope we have at least left some mark along our way.

This is sad news. I discovered La Mano just last year from the “Puro Muerto” exhibit at the Central Library and I’ll definitely be making some time to get over there this weekend to say goodbye and get some of their unique handmade offerings.

La Mano Press, 1749 N. Main Street, 90031 (map). Sale hours: Friday, 6 -11 p.m.; Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 – 5 p.m.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with the folks at outside.in to bring Story Maps to LA Metblogs (as well as most of our US sites). Astute readers will note these have been live for a few days now but you know with the weekend and beta testing and stuff, we thought it might be best to hold off until today to throw a big fuss about them. So commence fuss throwing immediately. These little maps which you’ll find on the right side of the site will give you a visual representation of where what we’re talking about is. At a glance you can see which posts relate to what parts of town. We think they are super cool and hope you do too!

I’ve been told that Los Angeles should expect a sonic boom today at about 1:25 p.m., as the Space Shuttle lands at Edwards Air Force Base. Supposedly, when this has happened before, the boom could be heard as far away as West L.A. Is that an urban legend? We’ll soon find out.

UPDATE: I Just heard it! A double boom! at 1:20 p.m., all the way at the Marina, while watching the landing on the news and hearing the announcer say “two sonic booms signaling a landing at the California coast.”

It’s true, hard to believe but true. Five years ago today we launched this site, which lead to the creation of the entire metblogs network. Here’s Jason’s first post on the site ever and my followup announcement. It seems like forever ago, a whole different world back then and yet still kind of the same on so many levels. We hope you’ve enjoyed the last 5 years, it’s certainly something that changed our lives.

I just stumbled upon this message from a couple of days ago by an organization called Full Disclosure.  As their written materials and accompanying video indicate, apparently, the Los Angeles City Council is set to vote tomorrow, November, 25, to ratify a plan that would eliminate most cable television Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access facilities serving the city.  According to Full Disclosure, the principal cable operators in Los Angeles, which they name as Time Warner Cable and Cox, switched from a citywide franchise to a statewide franchise in 2006, which became effective last year.  Under the previous franchise agreement, which, says Full Disclosure, had been in effect for at least 20 years, the  City’s cable operators had been providing 14 PEG facilities, including studios and equipment, for the production of this local access programming.  Under the new plan, which Full Disclosure states was adopted by the City Council’s Committee on Information Technology Agency & General Services on November 11, the cable operators may eliminate all of their PEG facilities support by the end of this year, and the City would be left with only 4 PEG channels to finance and run itself, if it chooses to foot the bill. According to Full Disclosure’s video, Time Warner has already stated that it intends to eliminate all 14 of its PEG facilities.  Full Discloure states that, not only would Los Angeles residents lose valuable PEG facilities, but the remaining facilities would be fully controlled by the City, which would stifle local voices.

Update after the jump

Los Angeles doesn’t strike me as the quaint type of town one associates with parades.  Perhaps that’s why there’s a Coca-Cola-sponsored “Live Positively” holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony taking place on December 13, and the only information I can find about it is on a skimpy website and a coupon from Ralph’s.  The event begins at 5 p.m.  The parade starts at Figueroa and Washington Blvd., and ends at L.A. Live at Figueroa and 11th.  The tree lighting will take place at L.A. Live at 6 p.m.  Admission is free.

Live Positively is Coca-Cola’s community outreach arm, which includes scholarships, recycling and “green efforts,” and, apparently, holiday parades.  Why Coca-Cola and the City of Los Angeles have seemingly shrouded this event in so much mystery is, to me, a mystery.

Back in 2006, Michael Schneider of Franklin Avenue decided to commemorate his 10-year anniversary as an Angeleno by inviting anyone who wanted to come along for a walk on Wilshire from the boulevard’s beginnings downtown all the way to the other end in Santa Monica. I couldn’t join him in that endeavor, but the following year I was one of several score who strode Pico Boulevard from the Coca-Cola Building at Central Avenue all the way to the water’s edge in Venice (Flickr set here).

Tomorrow will be Mike’s Third-Annual Great L.A. Walk and it will begin from Union Station downtown, heading out along Cesar Chavez/Sunset Boulevard to Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction where we’ll bear left at the headwaters of Santa Monica Boulevard, and continue all the way to the ocean — or perhaps more specifically Ocean Avenue.

Folks might recall last month my friends David and Julia and I were certifiably insane successful in traversing the 28-mile length of Western Avenue from Griffith Park to Palos Verdes (Flickr set here). And I can’t think of a better way to follow that up than by joining Mike and what I’m sure will be a whole bunch of others tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. to begin what I’m sure will be a far-from-pedestrian pedestrian adventure.

More info here.

Sorry for the short notice and lack of photo, but I was just sent word about this last night and wanted to pass it along as soon as I could.  The Los Angeles-based Organization of Black Screenwriters, founded in 1988 and whose “primary function is to assist screenwriters in the creation of works for film and television and to help them present their work to the industry,” is holding its next Short Film Showcase this Thursday night, November 20, from 7-10 p.m. at the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building at 1999 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 90018.

More information after the jump

The info embargo is over.  As of 12:01AM 11/18 I can share some tidbits that I was given at last weeks Lincoln MKZ reveal on the new ‘stang that should whet a few appetites around LA.  

First its no secret that for Ford, LA and So Cal is the most important market for the Mustang (base and performance versions) that it was only fitting that the World Premiere of the 2010 Mustang is to take place at the LA Auto Show. The LA Auto show has pretty much matched Detroits Auto Show in importance on the global car show circuit.  Us finally getting the World Premieres shows how important this show has become.

What most of you don’t know is that Ford is having a special pre-reveal party tomorrow in Santa Monica.  The reveal party details can be had by registering on the Ford 2010 Mustang Reveal site.  We get the real deal while 11 other cities get a satellite feed of the event.  At the reveal party there will be a huge Mustang only show presented by the Ford Mustang Clubs.  Mustangs from the last 40 years will be on display.  Followed by that is what they expect to be standing room only for the roll out and uncovering the 2010 Mustang. 

The technical bits on the new Mustang I can reveal right now, more once the official press releases are passed out and I can sift through them.

• improved fuel economy on V6 and V8 models
• new suspension on all models based on current Bullitt
• Full Sync integration with Sat Nav
• automatic climate control (solves my trivial complaint nicely)

You can twitter about your experiences, concerns & ideas without creating a twitter account.

In addition to the email for your fire stories, concerns & questions (see post below this one), I’m also conducting an experiment: I’ve created a twitter account that anyone can login to and twitter about the fire, whether it’s just about your experience or whether it’s breaking news. I’m hoping no one abuses it. Let’s see what happens:

Twitter your fire story from LAfirestories at twitter.com: http://twitter.com/LAfirestories.

To login: You can login with the email metblogsfirestories (at) gmail (dot) com (of course please change the “dot” to a . and the “at” to an @, and remove any spaces). Your password is bigdumbfire.

I dunno if anyone will use it, but I’m curious to see how it’ll work.