And I have proof. Bill attended the Amanda Foundation fundraiser (you know, the one I’ve been going on and on about) last night at Lola’s on Fairfax. The complimentary Ketel One martinis were strong enough that I had no reservations about insisting on a pic:
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I went to the Grammy’s tonight. I wore camo cutoffs, Coolio hair, and a suit jacket.

Read about my misadventures here.

AT&T want to Scour the Web for Pirates; Verizon says, “No.”

AT&T, at the behest of Hollywood, is ready to start “Network Filtering.” That is, monitoring the packets of information that sail across their networks, in order to stop distribution of works under copyright.

Y’know, spying.

I frankly think the entire system and thought behind copyright law needs an overhaul, (I invite you to check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and their efforts at “Copyfighting”) but whatever your views on it I don’t want my ISP monitoring what goes on in my computer any more than I want my phone company listening to my telephone conversations.

Oh, wait, these are the same bastards that did that for the Bush Administration.

And they’re not alone, Comcast has been bottlenecking Bit Torrent transfers for some time. Doesn’t matter if the content is legal or not, Comcast is throttling Bit Torrent. Have fun waiting for that mandatory game patch on Warcraft!

Once these measures are in place, does anyone really think the policing will stop at copyright violations? I know this is an Industry Town and all, but I am not ready to sacrifice what may prove to be the last bastion of the First Amendment just so little Johnny can’t illegally download Cloverfield.

Fortunately, not all ISPs are on board. Verizon is telling Hollywood to shove it.

(Follow me over the jump where they can’t see us…)
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IT is the COSTCO Deal of the day 

Today’s almost weekly trip to Costco is where I found  the “Linda Ultra Sweet” Pineapple at 2.99 each.  Such a deal.  Smell the stem end and it is so sweet your teeth hurt.  Don’t forget the inland valleys you can actually grow the tops into new pineapple plants.  I had a couple going until the frost got them a couple of years back. 

pic by me with the trusty phonecam

Whilst at the pediatrics office for a quick check on my middle that poster was the first thing greeting you in the exam room.  I had to laugh the rule at our house was “he who smells it changes it”.  I was very glad I had sinus problems and couldn’t smell much.

pic by me with the trusty cameraphone

Yes, I’m one of those. Despite the fact that it disgusts people like my mom and fiance, I make out with animals. No, not in a way that could get me arrested or ruin my life, but rather in the sense that I have a very hard time not (heavy) petting every dog I meet on the street, and I can’t stay away from the Amanda Foundation. Once, in elementary school, I kissed a calf on the nose, and my mom freaked out and told me I was going to get lockjaw. Despite ensuing nightmares to that effect, I was not put off of cows, horses, mules, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, turtles, llamas, lizards, and any number of other creatures with whom I enjoy canoodling. My dog of over a decade, whose name is tattooed across my ribs, has given me more comfort over the years than many of the friends who have come and gone. Whether single or involved, miserable or happy, he is always there to remind me that I’m not alone, that life is fun, and that every day offers a new beginning. Who can argue with that? I’m in love! That’s why for Valentine’s this year (yep, it’s approaching fast), I suggest you join me for a martini on behalf of all the doggies who…
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I’m not really sure if a creepy talking car is qualified, let alone legally allowed, to teach your kids “how things grow” and “where you come from,” (and with a temptation of “woobies” but in these mid 80′s spots for the Museum of Science & Industry (now the California Science Center), KITT from Knight Rider seems to think so.

And for $2.00 a call, he’ll also tell you how to get a free woobie. (Thats $2 a call, not $2 a minute, today’s rate having someone talk to you til you get a woobie).

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click to quadruplify

Despite my appreciation of the light-brown pit while we all waited for the light yesterday morning, her mid-bark posture and wary attention demonstrated that the admiration was not at all mutual.

Yeah, well, he actually filed a lawsuit last Thursday. Gabo Olvera, the homeless man unceremoniously dumped at Skid Row last year is suing Hollywood Presbyterian for for negligence and elder abuse, with the help of advocacy organization Public Counsel. Olvera is one of about fifty reported incidents that have taken place in the last twelve months, of homeless people being dumped by hospitals. But Olvera, a paraplegic, was dumped off in Skid Row without a wheelchair – only a soiled gown and a colostomy bag, and was found crawling along the pavement with his paperwork in his mouth. An especially callous touch: witnesses claim that the driver of the van stopped to apply makeup before driving off.

This isn’t the first lawsuit on the subject in L.A. In May, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, settled a lawsuit involving the dumping of another patient by agreeing to find shelter places for all patients it discharges in Los Angeles. According to Reuters, “Hollywood Presbyterian said in a statement in May it would adopt similar protocols, but lawyers for Olvera said the hospital had failed to do so.”

Really, I just think it makes L.A. look even worse, like it is some sort of Blade Runner dystopia where the handicapped are left to die in the streets. But is it all the hospitals fault? Where are the resources for long-term care for those who are physically unable to care for themselves? These examples of dumping are above and beyond ridiculousness, but what options do the hospitals have if no shelter spaces are available? Obviously, a good start would be releasing patients with a donated wheelchair, clothes and a blanket – but maybe this lawsuit & any others like it will help the Skid Row charities get the support they need to help the hospitals with the outpatients that no-one comes to pick up.

Stopped by 8000 Sunset to pick up some lunch and grab a DVD, but unfortunately, the Virgin MegaStore is now closed.

Another victory for the webernet, another blow to bricks and mortar.

Dear “Three guys in beanies and parkas riding horses on the southeast corner of Imperial and Broadway in South LA at 7:45 pm”,

I was heading home, trying to get there in time for dinner, when I saw you in the shadows, riding tall in the saddle. I thought I was hallucinating. No: you were sitting there on your horses; your horses were standing still, waiting for your next command.

One of you looked around, and for a moment I imagined you on a desert plateau, looking out for rustlers or injuns or little doggies.

Thank you for a very surreal moment in the city.

Yours truly,

A Reverse Cowgirl

Not really. But, he should.

There is news today that no agreement is likely between the WGA and the show’s producers. The WGA hasn’t announced plans to picket the Grammys, but some musicians are already considering a boycott. It’s a list that includes Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Prince, Tim McGraw, Kelly Clarkson, The White Stripes, and a who’s-who of others.

I haven’t heard if Kanye West is staying home on Feb. 10. He does stand to be cheated out of have 8 awards during the live broadcast on CBS. A trip to Kanye’s Blog only reveals that he likes shoes, phones, and the new Macbook Air. I wonder if George Bush likes Mac people.

I think we should swallow our pride and face reality. Award season is a bust. It’s like knowing your favorite football team is a big, steaming pile of crap, but you have to play all the games anyway. So, why not mix it up, and have some fun with it?

Billy Bush, hosting the Grammys. Billy Bush, hosting the Oscars. Billy Bush, hosting the Republican National Convention. We could start MulletWatch, and track the growth of Billy’s hair. We can play the Billy Bush Drinking Game, with shots of Bushmills every time he says “I.” Imagine, the insightful critiques of the nominated musicians, actors, and Presidential candidates that Billy thinks should have won!

Live from the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles… Heeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrr’s Billy!

I like supporting my students. I like going to football games and buying chocolate bars and cookie dough.

But I love boxing. So when one of my former students told me he was selling tickets to his boxing match, I bought a couple floor seats off the kid. He was not a star pupil, a bit mischievous, but a good kid. I always thought he, like most urban youth, lacked direction or purpose. He almost always showed up late to class, and rarely did his work. This year, to my delight, he found the boxing league.

According to this Craig’s List post, three schools will be participating, for a total of 12 bouts. Word on the street is that the son of Sugar Shane Mosley will be one of the fighters in the ring.

This is a great opportunity to see some up-and-coming fighters. As we say at school, “Fight in the ring, not on the street!” See you on the floor!

Saturday, January 12, 2008
Los Angeles Southwest College [map]
1600 W. Imperial Hwy
Los Angeles, CA 90047

Doors open at 5pm / Events start at 6pm
Tickets will be available at the door: $10 for students / $15 for adults / $25 for floor seats

For the first time that I’ve ever noticed, the staticy burps of the Emergency Broadcast System interrupted a TV broadcast with something other than “this is a test, this is only a test.”

At a little past 11:45pm on local networks, the Emergency Broadcast System announced a flash flood warning was in effect until 1:30am. I had a very difficult time making out the warbled audio of the announcer.

Thanks to our friends at CBS2, here are the warning details:

The National Weather Service in Oxnard has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for…
mountains and valleys of eastern Los Angeles County

* until 115 am PST

* at 1115 PM PST… radar indicated heavy showers developing
across the warning area. A trained weather spotter in
Pasadena reported one half inch of rain in 35 minutes.

* Locations in the warning include but are not limited to
the Barham and Griffith Park burn areas… Pasadena and
Burbank

In addition to flash flooding… rainfall is expected to cause debris
flows in the Barham and Griffith Park burn areas.

I spotted ‘em first earlier this afternoon on the west side of Glendale Boulevard coming up from Fletcher, and then these this evening on the south side of Sunset Boulevard near Parkman…

The poles themselves are harmless in their present headless state, but it won’t be much longer before that component is attached and once they are woe be them that opt not to feed these hungry beasts. Woe, I say.