This story has been peppering the local news for a few weeks now so chances are you’ve heard about it already, but let’s do a small recap just for the fun of it. Tennie Pierce is a LA Firefighter. One day he was in the station minding his own business eating his spaghetti and realized someone had added an extra ingredient – dog food. Pierce wasn’t so into this and took it as a case of racial discrimination and filed suit against the city. The defense argued that there was nothing racial, nothing personal about the park but rather it was just part of every day Fire Department hijinx. The City Council voted to settle and awarded Pierce $2.7 Million dollars to ease his pain. And that was almost the end of it, until a bunch of photos showed up picturing Pierce engaged in very similar “hazing” parks on other fire fighters at the stations. So it’s OK for him to do it to other people, but if anyone tries to get him back it’s racism, right? Probably not. So Mayor Villaraigosa stepped in and vetoed the settlement stating that “Given the magnitude of the recommended settlement, taxpayers have a right to demand a reconsideration with the full benefit of the facts.” Members of City Council are claiming they never saw the photos before voting for this settlement however after the photos did surface the council rejected a motion to reconsider.

Now, anyone who has friends or family who are fire fighters or has ever been to a station knows the places are one giant prank house. They have to be to keep sane. There are practical jokes being played on each other nonstop. How this guy Pierce thought he could participate and then sue when it happened to him is completely beyond me. Although it almost worked. So who voted in favor of the $2.7 Million settlement? Names after the jump…

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At least not in LAPD reports anyway. If you’ve been following the story of the Cardenas Arrest Video then you’ve heard the term “Distraction Strike” more than once. The video shows Officer Farrell punch the suspect in the face at least 6 times while attempting to put hand cuffs on him. In the police report of the incident these were called “distraction strikes” which is a term often used in police reports to describe a strike given to a suspect to distract them long enough for an officer to apply a technique. Well, apparently it’s being used too often says Chief Bratton. On Friday the Chief officially banned the term from reports which will cause officers to be more specific in their descriptions of use of force events. It’s important to note that the policy allowing these strikes or what kind of force is allowed hasn’t changed, just that this term is becoming a catch-all and is too vague so it can no longer be used. While this might seem like arguing semantics at first glance I’m of the opinion this is a good thing as more detail in these reports can only help as far as I’m concerned. Apparently the term is frequently being used to describe strikes applied to suspects to get them to submit to arrest which is an incorrect definition. This applies specifically to the Cardenas video, according the LA Times:

Some officials said the punches were thrown because the officers believed that the suspect was reaching for one of their gun belts. Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell said the term should not be used to describe punches to the face of a suspect reaching for a gun belt so that the arrest can be completed.

He said elimination of the term is meant to force officers to describe their actions in greater detail. Too many officers appearing before the department’s Use of Force Review Board were saying in their defense that they used distraction strikes.

With the term abolished, officers now will be asked to give a more descriptive account, McDonnell said.

And speaking of distractions and the LAPD, watch out, there’s an ass grabber on the loose!

This story is just asking for a new headline. Insert yours below.

Frozen Pigs Fly Across SoCal Freeway In Accident

(AP) LOS ANGELES – Dozens of frozen pigs were scattered across one of Southern California’s busiest freeways Monday night after a truck carrying the carcasses collided with another truck, authorities said.

The pigs were strewn over 80 feet of the Golden State Freeway near Sylmar, about 25 miles north of Los Angeles, California Highway Patrol Officer David Porter said. [full story and video]

::photo courtesy of HEATEM::

Computer crashed, RSS feed got backed up, couldn’t face the pile of unread posts, blah blah blah. Sweatin’ Bullets is back after a brief hiatus.

photo, “Death In the Port of Los Angeles”, by GaretFS via Flickr

Mel Gibson may be a dork, but X17 are unethical scum. Am I the only one offended by paparazzi staking out Alcoholics Anonymous meetings? (h/t CelebLover via Digg)

Before he became a big famous tv commercial star living off his residuals, Shane Nickerson made his living writing for blogging.la. Well, maybe I’m talking out of my ass, but Shane recently posted two of his recent commercial appearances at the Nickerblog – one for his beloved Dunkin’ Donuts, the other for Toyota.

The creators of Adult Swim’s “Tom Goes to the Mayor“, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, present “LA Guyz”, a mockumentary about their lives in L.A. (h/t Locke40 via Digg).

Eric Garcetti encourages residents to bring their families to his Glassel Park field office for a FREE flu vaccination on Wednesday from 9am to 11am.

LosAnjealous reviews “Hair Wars”, a Paper Magazine event held at Rudy’s Barbershop near Sunset Junction. Intern Shane has some snaps of battling styles, including the “Hairy-Copter”.

LA City Nerd thinks we deserve to be in the top 10 of our country’s best “arts destinations” – last year we were only #12. Embarassing, Nerd suggests, due to who beat us out: Columbus and Portland.

If you or any of your friends were planning to fly in or out of John Wayne airport tonight you are pretty much screwed. It seems that there was a “security breach” which caused the evacuation of the entire airport and the cancellation of an undetermined number of flights. Hundreds upon hundreds of people effected by this. So what was the “security breach”? Apparently a women told security that she saw someone take a handgun out of their waistband and put it into their carry on bag after passing through the security check point. Except nothing was found. Which means it’s probably just someone who has been listening to 6 years of “ZOMG RED ALERT!!” and was paranoid thinking that since the Democrats won the house and the senate that the US is now a safe haven for terrorists and saw some dude with a wallet or cellphone or something and just freaked. Did I mention the flights that were cancelled and the people that were stranded? I feel so much safer don’t you?

Anyone who has ever stepped into a Paul Frank store knows that some of the most sought after things they sell are the limited edition collaborations. In the past they have teamed up with The Andy Warhol Foundation, LA Artist Mark Ryden, The Elvis Presley Estate, and even Barbie and Hello Kitty. The results of those partnerships usually sold out in minutes and the only way to get your grubby mitts on them was to pay 4x retail price on ebay. Well, this weekend they are selling limited quantities of these products at the Paul Frank Store in LA (7964 Melrose Avenue – Friday and Saturday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm). The sale begins Friday and ends Sunday but don’t even think about lining up earlier than 7:00am on Friday or they will kick you the hell out. And likewise if you try and buy more than one Barbie. Are you already doing backflips and checking your savings account at the thought of this? Here’s the details.

It’s just not stop action over here these days. The past two hours have been packed with sirens and helicopters and what seems to be a barricade blocking off Lucile between Effie and Crestmont. A quick chat with an officer reveals that someone in one of the houses there thought it would be a good idea to point a rifle at one of his neighbors, who in turn didn’t seem to agree that it was such a hot idea and informed the authorities directly. The helicopter seems to have stopped circling but the roads are still blocked off so I’m guessing this is at least near being wrapped up. Exciting!

We just made a pretty exciting announcement – You can now read all the Metroblogging sites, including blogging.la super easily from any Helio mobile device. Of course if you don’t have a Helio then this isn’t *that* exciting for you, but for those of us who do it’s pretty awesome. We’re right off of the main Helio web start page under “Surf Helio” next to The Onion and Maxim. Full announcement is here. Enjoy!

Its the best night of the year tonite, as everyone in an area that recognizes Daylight Savings Time gets to stay up an extra hour, or get up an hour later, and drag that hour hand back one hour. Officially, this happens at 2am Sunday morning, when the time magically becomes 1am.

Halloween Will Be a Little Brighter Next Year

Daylight Savings Time has traditionally ended on the last Sunday of October, but some pansies in Congress (cough, Republicans, cough) decided that extending DST to the first Sunday of November would allow trick-or-treaters one extra hour of daylight in what is known as the “Halloween Safety Act.” Part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the new dates for observing Daylight Savings Time begins next year.

Part of the Halloween magic for me has always been that it always got darker just before the holiday – alas, no more. More importantly, isn’t part of the Halloween fun the novelty of being able to go knock on your neighbors door and extort them for candy, after dark?

(photo taken at Elsie’s Watch Repair by nailmaker via Flickr)

One of the perks of my company is that we get free bottled water (Crystal Geyser) and sodas. About a month ago, I stopped drinking the water because it smelled and tasted… funny. The more I smelled the water, the more it smelled like phlegm. I was beginning to think I was coming down with something because every bottle I opened tasted like phlegm. So I stopped drinking the water at work and began downing diet soda, instead. (Yes, it’s as healthy as it sounds.)

But then when I bought a bottle of Crystal Geyser at a liquor store on my way to a screening the other day and it had the same phlegmmy taste, I knew it wasn’t me!

Thank you, intarweb for solving the mystery of the Phelgm Water‚Ñ¢! Too bad I’m still afraid of the bottled water, even though I know it wasn’t really phlegm.

Here are some key snippets regarding the Crystal Geyser recall, explanation for, and apology of the Phlegm Water‚Ñ¢. The full text can be found at http://www.crystalgeyserasw.com/recall

First and foremost, we would like to emphasize that there is no health or safety issue with our product. Nonetheless, this situation was of great concern to our company from a consumer satisfaction perspective as we pride ourselves on bottling the highest quality alpine spring water.

Immediately after receiving complaints we began investigating. Our investigation has revealed that we were unknowingly supplied bottle caps containing resin which did not conform to our company’s specifications. Although these caps were made from food grade materials which are approved by the FDA, they contain materials which may be susceptible to taste or odor problems. It is for this reason that it is our company policy not to use caps containing this grade of resin, even though these caps are widely used in the beverage industry.

When these caps are exposed to adverse storage conditions, such as excessive heat or light, they may breakdown and transfer a taste or odor to the water. We believe that this summers’ heat wave in southern California caused this problem. Again, this resin is made from food grade materials which are approved by the FDA, and therefore, the off-taste does not pose health or safety risks to our consumers.

If you have 8-oz or 16.9-oz product produced by our southern California Olancha plant from July 17th through September 30th, 2006 -whether opened or unopened- we suggest that you return it to the store where it was purchased. Your product will, of course, be replaced with the good tasting alpine spring water that you are accustomed to drinking. It is very important to us that we provide you with water of the highest quality and satisfaction.

The only bottles that may be affected have code that begin with “O1, “02″, and “O4″ and “Sell By” dates that range from 07/17/08 through 09/30/08. Remember, only 8-oz and 16.9-oz product with these specific codes and “Sell By” dates may have been affected and should be replaced.

That’s right folks, our 50th city is live now. Swing by Graz and see what the bloggers there are up to. Of course this is our 2nd Austrian blog joining our friends in Vienna. For new readers who want some trivia, this whole crazy Metroblogging project started right here in Los Angeles back in November, 2003. And now here we are, 50 cities later. Welcome Graz!

Pranks Turns Tragic When Shopping Cart Falls on Woman

PASADENA, October 24, 2006 – A shopping cart that had been hoisted atop a supermarket flagpole by pranksters fell on a Ralphs employee and broke her neck.

“The cart fell on (her) when she untied the rope to raise the flag, something she did every day when she went to work,” police Lt. Lisa Perrine said Tuesday. The accident occurred Saturday morning outside the Ralphs in the 300 block of West Colorado Boulevard, she said. Someone apparently raised the empty cart aloft during the night. Perrine did not know how much the shopping cart weighed or how it was attached to the top of the pole.

Shantie Marjal, 62, of Eagle Rock has been hospitalized in serious condition.

I wonder if this is a Halloween prank gone seriously wrong? Not to be a killjoy, but while many pranks are harmless, some do have the potential to maim and kill. I hate reading tragic stories about people who are injured or killed because of some “seemingly harmless prank.” Don’t people know there are consequences for their actions?

Kevin Roderick at LA Observed points to an LA Weekly article about an epidemic of staph infections on skid row, with the disclaimer, “The pictures with the story are fairly disgusting.”

Of course, I took the bait. And he’s right. I’ve lost my appetite for breakfast (and lunch, and dinner).

If you don’t know about staph infection, read up.

The article says that this nasty infection is even spreading to aid workers who are having minimal contact with the currently infected homeless, and criticizes the LA Dept. of Health Services for not taking the issue seriously.

Alas, I encourage you to check out the article, if only for the pix… and then decide if we should ignore this potentially city wide epidemic as merely a skid row problem…

Reader Scott Lowe writes into tell us about an accident at Swork in Eagle Rock (at Eagle Rock and Colorado). Anyone have any more details on this, it’s the first I’ve heard of it myself and I definitely don’t condone Minivan on Coffee Shop violence.

Today I drove past [Swork] and saw that the glass front doors appeared to be broken and were being boarded up. Watching the news tonight (I haven’t found anything on the web yet), I learned that a driver leaving the gas station across the street somehow stepped on the accelerator (it was suggested that the driver might have had a seizure), hit another car, and ended up plowing into Swork’s front door. Six people were hospitalized for their injuries.

Update: Brian Humphrey checks in with the word from the LAFD inthe comments:

“The first 9-1-1 call came from the coffee shop at 12:21:57 on Sunday afternoon with a caller stating one vehicle had traveled into the coffee shop.

The *preliminary* report from the first arriving Firefighters was of four patients, including a child with facial trauma.

Three LAFD ambulances transported patients to Glendale Memorial, Huntington Memorial and Kaiser Los Angeles Hospitals.

None of the injuries was considered life threatening.

The City’s Department of Building & Safety was summoned to assess the integrity of the structure.

LAPD was to handle the incident investigation. In case anyone wishes to follow-up with them, it was LAPD Incident #2320 of that date. “

Reading the coverage of Saturday’s meeting in today’s L.A. Times, I’m sorry that I didn’t make it to the unveiling in Lincoln Park yesterday of the three finalists’ conceptual designs for the new Los Angeles State Historic Park (aka The Cornfield) — if for no other reason than to roundly hiss and piss upon the submission of the eastcoast-based firm of Field Operations, which hypes its idea as “a radical proposal, a practical solution.”

I have an in-built skeptometer that pegs whenever practicality is proferred as a point of sale, but I’ll certainly agree with the “radical” part, in which their plan expands faaaaaaar beyond the park’s intended and allocated acreage to include nothing less than the demolition and relocation of Dodger Stadium, which they abruptly refer to as “obsolete.” What I particularly love is that the New York company trotted out an L.A.-based architect named Thom Mayne to deliver that edict… as if having a local say it somehow lends it more credibility while also buffering any blowback at the outsiders for saying the destruction of the treasured landmark is long overdue.

Putting emotions aside as best I can at the thought of one of my favorite places disappearing from the landscape, I still can’t get past the incredulity I feel toward Field Operations for redrawing the park’s footprint at an increase of some 640%, from its existing 32 acres to 205 — 60 of which would of course be allocated for residential and commercial development. How does that happen? Did they just look a little to the side of the Cornfield and say “Hey, what’s say we get rid of Dodger Stadium!?” Not that I’d ever be against more urban parkland, I just find it highly suspect when out-of-towners color so far outside the lines. It may just be me, but if I’m designing a 32-acre parcel into public parkland, you can count on me to pretty much stay within those boundaries. You can also count on me to shake my fists at any New Yorkers who come here with little regard for anything other than their grand plans of remaking the place in their own image and for their own gain.