Sean Yoda's Windows Over Main Street

Part of My View for a Year, on TV!

2010-04-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Since moving to downtown Los Angeles, I've had a lot of fun playing "Where was that shot?" Sometimes you know of such things in advance, such as when CSI: NY staged a St. Patrick's Day parade on W 4th. St (between S. Spring & S Main). Other times, you just say "Hey! I know where that is." Such was the case when seeing the VW "Punch Dub" ad for the Tiguan. Both Pam and I instantly recognized this shot (click the photo to access other sizes):

Why? Because it was part of the view we had from our bedroom window when we lived in the Hellman Building. The building in the shot is The Canadian. You might recognize it as the location of Tom's apartment in "(500) Days of Summer." For us, it's the home of:

Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant (which occupies the corner & the adjacent space to the right with the awning)
Stella Dottir (next to the tree)
Raw Materials (you can almost make out their sign)
An empty space for lease that used to house Main St. Tattoos (which tells us that this was shot within the past two months)
Metropolis Books

So, was this shot from our old apartment? I highly doubt that. It's either shot from the roof of the Old Bank District Garage or the roof the Hellman Building. Still, it's fun recognizing your neighborhood.

New Streetlamp on Main Street

2010-01-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, some of the old streetlamps on Main Street were replaced with cobra style streetlamps like this one:

When I tweeted about this, I received a response suggesting that this was a temporary move. On Monday, this was confirmed.

First, they installed a new base:

Then, the mid-section:

Then, the retro style top:

Screw in the actual lamps:

And voila! New streetlamp

And whadda ya know? It works!

To see more photos of the installation, go here.

Sunday Sunset on Main

2010-01-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

While watching the Vikings-Saints game, I spied on this view out the window:

More here

Luminosity at The Continental Gallery

2009-12-29T23:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the last night reception for Sean Sobczak's Luminosity at the Continental Gallery:

For the rest of the photos, go here

You Tube gets in the Logo Act

2009-12-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

YouTube follows its owner's lead and wishes everyone a Happy Solstice:

Meanwhile Google wishes everyone "Happy Holidays" with promises of more logos to come:

A Few Sesame Street Clips

2009-11-10T23:43:00.000-08:00

In honor of Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary, here are a few clips:

Patrick Stewart helps out Count Von Count
Kermit Reports News on Sleeping Beauty
Marilyn Horne Sings C Is For Cookie
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Grover And A Fly In My Soup
Drawing Bert's Face
What's The Name Of That Song?
REM and The Muppets Furry Happy Monsters Shiny Happy People
Monsterpiece Theatre: Me Claudius
Super Grover - Telephone Booth

Thanks to ZannaLand for the inspiration.

20 Years of Germany Now in One Piece

2009-11-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, Google in Germany has this logo:

Google Honors Two Anniversaries Today

2009-11-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

If you visit Google today, you will see this image:

Happy 40th Anniversary! Sesame Street

But that's not all.

If you visit Google in the UK today, you will see this:

Happy 20th Anniversary! Wallace and Gromit

Addendum
More Google country sites are also honoring Sesame Street:

India:

Indonesia:

Isreal:

Mexico:

The Netherlands:

South Africa:

After checking the list of Google foreign language servers, that appears to be all of the different logos. Some country sites don't have a special logo, others use one of the above Sesame Street logos, and still others have the Wallace & Gromit logo.

Addendum:

Later logos:

Thursday 11/5:

Friday 11/6:

Saturday 11/7 & Sunday 11/8:

Monday 11/9:

Monday 11/9 evening:

Lookie at what was lit tonight

2009-06-26T01:11:00.001-07:00

Looking Ahead to the LA Times Festival of Books

2009-04-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

The LA Times Festival of Books takes place every year on the UCLA campus over the last weekend of April. The event features discussion panels, author interviews, book signings, author readings, poetry, live performances, and many book vendors/publishers. I highly recommend that you attend. Here are some of the panels I'm considering attending:

Saturday 4/25 --

12:30 PM
PANEL 1122 Ackerman Grand Ballroom
Science Fiction: The Grand Masters

Moderator: Mr. Scott Timberg
Mr. Joe Haldeman
Mr. Harry Harrison
Mr. Robert Silverberg

2:00 PM
PANEL 1053 Broad 2160
Clive Barker in Conversation with Gina McIntyre

Interviewer: Ms. Gina McIntyre
Mr. Clive Barker

3:30 PM
PANEL 1044 Haines 39
History: Unknown Los Angeles

Moderator: Mr. William Deverell
Ms. Frances Dinkelspiel
Mr. Chip Jacobs
Mr. D.J. Waldie

4:30 PM
PANEL 1124 Ackerman Grand Ballroom
Ray Bradbury with an Introduction by M.G. Lord

Introducer: Ms. M.G. Lord
Mr. Ray Bradbury

Sunday 4/26 --

10:30 AM
PANEL 2121 Ackerman Grand Ballroom
Michael J. Fox in Conversation with Mary McNamara

Interviewer: Ms. Mary McNamara
Mr. Michael J. Fox

12:30 PM
PANEL 2052 Broad 2160
James Ellroy with an Introduction by Patt Morrison

Introducer: Ms. Patt Morrison
Mr. James Ellroy

2:00 PM
PANEL 2043 Haines 39
History: The Underbelly of California

Moderator: Mr. Miles Corwin
Mr. Larry Harnisch
Mr. Richard Rayner
Mr. David Ward

Five Films in 13 1/2 Hours

2009-02-23T01:54:00.000-08:00

On the day before the Oscars, Pam and I attended AMC Theatres' Best Picture Showcase 2009 -- a one day showing of all 5 Oscar Best Picture nominated feature films. There were several AMC locations where we could have watched the films. Our first choice, The AMC Burbank Town Center 6 was sold out. So, we searched or other locations. Even though some closer options were available, we opted for the AMC 30 at the Block in Orange (since we were familiar with the locations.)

The first film was set to start at 10:30, so we arrived at 10:00 AM. It's odd to arrive at an open-air mall before anything is open. Even the background music was not playing. Anyway, we picked up our tickets from the kiosk and got in line. I'd guess that there 150 people in front of us. The line moved in starts and stops; they were admitting roughly 20 people at a time. When we were let in, we were directed to a table outside the theater. We were each handed a collectible lanyard (that was our in-and-out pass) and a non-collectible popcorn bag. We then managed to obtain seats near the center of the 2nd-to-last row. With our seats secured, and the news that the first film would start a little late, Pam got up to get some popcorn and a large Coke Zero (we already had some Reece's Pieces courtesy of Target). She got back just as the movie was starting.

So, the first film up was Milk. Having grown up in the bay area during the 1970s, I was looking forward to seeing this film. I was familiar with the events of the story and even remember where I was when I heard the news that Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Milk had been shot. The film covers Milk's life from when he decides to move to San Francisco up to his assassination. You watch Harvey Milk change from resident to businessman to political activist to Supervisor using different events to drive the story forward. While I enjoyed the film, my familiarity with the outcomes of those events made the film a slight let down. That said, both Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk and Josh Brolin's performance as Dan White were fantastic. In fact, had Heath Ledger not passed away, I think Josh Brolin would have won best supporting actor; he nailed Dan White.

Anyway, I recommend "Milk". If not in the theater, at least on DVD. I'm hoping that when the film comes out on DVD and BlueRay, that there are extra scenes, perhaps the interviews used to create the story. Seeing "Milk" also makes me want to watch the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk again. I'm adding it to my Netflix queue.

Between the first and second films we had a short break. Just enough time to hit the restroom, refill the soda and get back to our seats in time for trivia. Yes, as part of the movie marathon, they had trivia. The prizes appeared to be a choice of a golf umbrella or a grab bag (that appeared to contain a calendar, some candy, and other stuff.) Unfortunately, the trivia was handled in a lame manor. Someone would shout out a question and someone else would pick on a raised hand for an answer. Because the person shouting the questions was at the very front and we were near the very back, we couldn't hear all of the questions. Over the course of the day, the questions asked included:

1. For which film did Sean Penn already win a Best Actor Oscar?
2. What does AMC stand for?
3. Which film has two songs nominated for Best Song?
4. How many Oscar nominations did "Titanic" receive?
5. How much does the Oscar statuette weigh?

Going in, The Reader was not a film that piqued my interest. I knew that Kate Winslet's performance had already received several awards and that part of the plot involved someone reading to her character. Not knowing anything about the story definitely enhanced my experience; I was surprised! What I liked most of this film was that it made me think without being preachy. The story paced pretty well, though it took a little while to pull me in. All in all, I liked it. Still, it's going to be a while before I watch it again.

Knowing that the next film was the longest, I made sure to take a bathroom break and get both soda and popcorn refills.

I had some idea of the story for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button before going in. Folks had said that, though the film was long (2 hours 46 minutes), it would keep you interested throughout. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. There were points where I found myself about to nod off or asking myself, "OK, where's this going? When are they going to finally hook up?" The film also made me think of Forrest Gump (which had the same screenwriter -- Eric Roth). I really enjoyed "Forrest Gump". Now when watching one film makes you think of another film you think of as much better, then you know you're in trouble. This is not to say I disliked "Benjamin Button". I merely thought it was OK.

I know that enjoyed it more than me. She liked seeing New Orleans age throughout the film, and kept playing "spot the location."

The break after "Benjamin Button" coincided with dinner. Fortunately, they gave us 45 minutes instead of a half hour. After scouting some of the fast food locations at the block, we opted for Rubio's. We got back to the theatre with 15 minutes to spare.

Besides "Milk," Slumdog Millionaire was the other film we were both looking forward to seeing. Yes, I knew that it had a lot of hype. And yes, I had known that the general plot was that the main character was one question away from reaching the top prize in "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", had been arrested on suspicion of cheating, and how he recalled different events in his life which allowed him to know answers to the questions he was being asked. Did that impact my experience of the film? Nope. I thought it made for a great plot device to learn this man's story and his experiences. Like the interrogating officer in the film, I got sucked into his story. Of the five films, this was my favorite. If the bonus features on the DVD/BlueRay release are good enough, I'll even buy it.

With four films down and one to go, we were hoping we could get some caffeine from Starbucks. Unfortunately, a bunch of other people (who chose not to sit through "Slumdog Millionaire's" credits) had the same idea. The line was too long by the time we got there. Still, the walk outside was good and the soda refill gave us enough caffeine for the last film.

I wasn't that interested in seeing Frost/Nixon beforehand, but I wanted to say that I had seen all five nominees, so we stayed. I'm glad that I did. Now, while I remember some of the Nixon administration and Watergate, I don't remember watching the Frost and Nixon interviews. Yes, I've seen clips, but I have no memory of watching the actual interviews when they first aired. What did that mean for me? Well, I couldn't really compare the film with the actual interviews. This was not a bad thing. What got me into this film was watching the process of how the interviews came to take place -- what each side hoped to gain as a result. Enhancing the experience was the inclusion of clips of present day interviews with some of the key players behind the scenes at key events in the film. Yes, there were points where I asked myself the question "Did that really happen that way?" but then I reminded myself this is a drama. Still, I enjoyed watching the film and recommend it to any historical junkie. I'm hoping for some good bonus features when this gets released on DVD/BlueRay.

So, five films and 13 1/2 hours later, we were ready to head home. All in all, while it was a long day, it was a good one. If, next year, we find that we haven't seen most of the five best picture nominees, we'll do this again.

Addendum: The event cost $30 per person and included admission to all five films, free popcorn, and free refills (on popcorn and soda) all day. As a MovieWatcher member I could have saved $5 on each ticket by purchasing tickets at the theatre box office, but because I was not able to get to the theatre box office before the day of the show, I opted for the convenience of purchasing on-line. Even at $6 per film, this was a bargain.

Gung Hey Fat Choy

2009-01-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Year of the Ox!

Los Angeles' historic Chinatown's 110th Golden Dragon Parade is this Saturday from 2 to 4 PM. The parade will include a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's “Flower Drum Song." Nancy Kwan is the parade's Grand Marshal.

Pam and I will not be attending the parade this year because we'll be in the bay area for some family events (one sad -- a memorial and one happy -- a birthday celebration), otherwise we'd be there.

I have photos and video from last year's parade.

Farewell Indie 103.1 FM

2009-01-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

It took me by surprise. Reading through Twitter and seeing this from @lametblogs:

BREAKING: Indie 103.1 No More?: Twitter is abuzz with news that Indie 103.1 is seizing their broadcast

(Yes, they wrote "seizing" instead of "ceasing"). Slightly more information was posted here. Indeed the official site had the statement that they were going internet-only.

I turned on the radio, and tuned to 103.1 FM. In between each song was the same announcement:

This is an important message for the Indie 103.1 Radio Audience -

Indie 103.1 will cease broadcasting over this frequency effective immediately. Because of changes in the radio industry and the way radio audiences are measured, stations in this market are being forced to play too much Britney, Puffy and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge. Due to these challenges, Indie 103.1 was recently faced with only one option --- to play the corporate radio game.

We have decided not to play that game any longer. Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course.

This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative - simply put, only the best music.

For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 - which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves.

We thank our listeners and advertisers for their support of the greatest radio station ever conceived, and look forward to continuing to deliver the famed Indie 103.1 music and spirit over the Internet to passionate music listeners around the world.

My next stop was LA Observed, since Kevin Roderick is great at posting breaking news. His post referenced Franklin Ave.. (No surprise, since Mike Schneider keeps abreast with the LA radio scene). Mike's post confirmed the rumors that the station is going Spanish language/music with a memo from the station's onwers.

After that, my next and final stop was to Indie 103.1 DJ Tedd Roman's twitter. He described hearing the news, visiting the station's offices, and other stuff.

So, this leaves one less listenable radio station in the LA/Orange County area. Granted, with the proliferation of on-line, satellite, and other options, I was not listening as often as I used to. Still, 103.1 FM was one of my radio presets. Not anymore.

I don't know how well the on-line only version of the station will work. I personally do not have high hopes, as it will be music only. How will that be any different than finding music on pandora radio, last.fm, or any of the other on-line outlets?

Happy Feast of Fools

2009-01-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

Today is the sixth of January. For those who celebrate, it's the 12th day of Christmas. For others, it's the start of King Cake season. And for me, it's a chance to remember one of my favorite shows at Disneyland -- The Festival of Fools.

Here's video of the show:
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 3 of 3

Winter Break is Over

2009-01-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

The past month was a pretty slow one. However, it's a new month, and a new quarter, so that means I should have lots of work-related stuff going on. Today I fly up to San Jose to visit a customer for a few days. Fortunately, I'll be back in time for the first Downtown Art Walk of the year.

I'm not the only one who's returning from a break. Today marks the return of Blossom Cafe after two weeks of vacation and remodeling. Yes, they'll still be sporting their C grade for a few more months, but the remodeling is not related. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes they've made. I'll see them when I return from San Jose.

And one more thing. Last year at this time, Franklin Avenue had a "contest" called "The Bloggiest Loser" in which several members of the blog-la-sphere attempted to lose weight (a'la "The Biggest Loser"). The contest was not a success as folks stopped sending updates almost immediately. Though I did not participate, and though Mike is not having the contest this year, I will be recording my weight here once a week in an attempt to see if I can shed some pounds from my ample frame.

So, my weigh-in for today is 257.4 pounds. That puts my BMI at a whopping 38 (as the Wii Fit says, "That's obese!"). So, if my first step is to get the Wii to tell me "That's overweight." instead, means I need to lose roughly 55 pounds. If I wish to have my Wii Fit no longer say I'm overweight, then I would need to lose a further 35 pounds after that. For now, my goal is to shed the 55 pounds by the end of the year. That's just over a pound a week. Obviously, this means more activity and healthy eating. Traveling doesn't make this easy, but I will be recording my endeavors here.

RIP Forrest J. "Forrey" Ackerman 1916-2008

2008-12-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

The news had broken earlier that he was ill, but it still saddens me...

AP: Sci-fi's grand old man, Forrest J Ackerman, dies

I picture him being greeted by late authors and fans all wearing buttons that say "I like the sound of fornicating crickets"

Addendum: LA Times blogger Carolyn Kellogg says goodbye to Forrest

Prop 8, the musical

2008-12-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's 6 weeks late, but I still enjoyed watching it.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Thanks LAist

For What am I Thankful?

2008-11-27T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for
my loving wife,
my wonderful friends,
my two cats,
a comfortable place to live,
food on the table,
clean water,
a good paying job that I like,
and much much more.

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving
and that you all take the time to give thanks.

Why Does this Say "The Harbor"?

2008-11-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

While walking to Pitfire today, Pam and I were surprised to see the non-descript front at the north end of the building on the "northwest" corner of 3rd and Main open...

The interior once belonged to Mr. Fix It, but the door that was open was actually to the right of the old Mr. Fix It store front. Anyway, what caught our eye was the tile:

And what caught my eye was this at the entrance:

So historians, what was "The Harbor?"

Old Bank Celebration

2008-11-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

The Old Bank District had an Election Night Party. Here's the scene at 8 PM PST:

More photos here

Election Eve Thoughts

2008-11-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

As I write this, the results from Dixville Notch, New Hampshire are in. Barak Obama received 15 votes while John McCain received 6. I'm hoping that the rest of the nation follows the lead set by the citizens of Dixville Notch.

In the morning, I will be voting for Barak Obama and Joe Biden. Still, while that vote may be considered historic, because I live in California it will not be my most important. That distinction will go to my no vote on proposition 8 (which, for those of you outside of California, would amend the state constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.) Same-sex couples have had the right to marry in California since May of this year. Has that had an impact on my marriage with Meeko? Absolutely not! Do I feel that our marriage is harmed by same-sex couples marrying? Absolutely not! I feel that denying Californians rights that are considered fundamental according to the state constitution is discriminatory, prejudicial, backwards, and just plain wrong.

As such, my fellow Californians, I'm asking you to vote no on Proposition 8.

Performance at PARK(ing) Day 2008

2008-09-19T09:25:00.001-07:00

One of the bands performing at PARK(ing) Day 2008 on Winston at Main.

PARK(ing) Day 2008

2008-09-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

One of the main sites for PARK(ing) Day LA 2008 is just outside my window. I'll be uploading photos to my PARK(ing) Day 2008 flickr set throughout the day. Here are a couple of photos.

Looks Like Lime is on the Block

2008-08-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Craigslist: $3800 / 2100ft² - Lime Cafe is looking for a partner or possibly a buyout

And to think, they just had their grand re-opening

Busted! at 4th and Main

2008-08-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Around 9:45 this evening Pam looked out one of my windows and shouted, "What's that!?!"

LAPD pulled over a reportedly stolen car and eventually carted away two suspects. More photos here

Anyone Need Some Stuff?

2008-08-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, the following objects appeared on the curb of Main Street across from my apartment...

Update: As of 11:30 PM, the Sunbeam appliance and iMac are gone, but the TV and microwave are still there.

Lime's Grand Re-Opening

2008-08-03T00:20:00.000-07:00

After a brief period in which it was open with a menu that attempted to have the same price for burritos, tacos, and tostadas, Lime Cafe shut its doors to revamp its offerings. The restaurant re-opened in the middle of July with a greater variety of choices and prices. To celebrate, there was a grand re-opening ceremony on July 31:

CRA's Warren Cooley (on left) and Historic Downtown Retail Project's MiguelAcuña (on right) stretch the ribbon to be cut.

LA City Councilwoman Jan Perry (9th district) holds the ribbon while Lime owner and operator Michael Franz cuts.

Julie Rico (owner of the Julie Rico Gallery which houses Lime Cafe and owner and operator of the adjacent restaurant Weeneez), Jan Perry (City Concilwoman for Los Angeles' 9th District), Michael Franz (owner and operator of Lime Cafe), and Don Garza (LA Town Crier) ring in the opening for Lime

More photos are here.

Well, I KNOW This Is New

2008-07-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Previously I asked if the lights on the Canadian Building were new. As blogdowntown post from three years ago shows, I just never noticed them. On the other-hand, I know this is new:

Sphinx Tattoo Studio and Gallery is now Main St. Tattoos.

Are These Lights New? (I Guess Not)

2008-07-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

Looking out my window over Main Street this evening, I noticed what seemed to me, new lights on the Canadian Building at the corner of Main and Winston:

So, is it my imagination, or are those lights new?

Addendum I guess it is my imagination. There's a post on blogdowntown from three years ago documenting the new lights.

Thoughts on my first DLANC Election

2008-06-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I voted in my first Downtown LA Neighborhood Council election. It was a very simple process. As I was allowed to vote for only three contests, I filled out my ballot in less than a minute. I went into the election with the assumption, that the election was by majority. Now that the unofficial results are coming in, I'm surprised to learn that election is by plurality. In the case of a tie, according to the Unofficial DLANC Weblog, the contest is decided by a coin-flip. That seems ridiculous.

Why not use Instant Run-off Voting? My first exposure to IRV was when I was a student at UC Berkeley. The Associated Students of the University of California has used IRV for its elections for its 5 officers and 20 senators for many years. If the ASUC can pull it off, why can't the DLANC?

It's Time to Vote

2008-06-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Today is election day. Sure, this election is not as sexy as a presidential primary (oh imagine if my fellow Californians had not voted to move up the date for presidential primary), but don't let this let down deter you from going to the polls. On the ballot are a couple of state initiatives that tackle eminent domain (prop 98 could result in the elimination of rent control).

Folks in the second supervisory district of LA county have an exciting race between Bernard Parks and Mark Ridley-Thomas. If I lived on the other side of the street, I would be voting in that contest.

Speaking of that, before going to the polls, check for the location of your polling place on line. It may have changed!

LA County Voters
Other California Counties

One voter living across the street from me told me that he votes in Little Tokyo; This morning I found out that he's supposed to vote at LA CAN.

Rosslyn Sign Lit Tonight!

2008-05-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

While driving back from the Burbank Airport (with stops along the way at Costco, Ralphs, and Trader Joes) I missed the turnoff from the southbound 5 to the southbound 110. I instead, took the 4th Street exit. This turned out to be a good turn, because, while crossing the 4th Street bridge, I spied some lit neon (unfortunately, I couldn't stop and take a distant photo, so I had to wait until I got closer)...

They're filming at the Rosslyn Hotel tonight, so they had the hotel sign lit.

Not my view (fortunately)

2008-05-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Where do you think this was taken?

Would you believe Riverside?

My New View

2008-04-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

My apologies for neglecting this blog. I've missed posting about a couple of art walks, the grand re-opening of the Museum of Neon Art and most importantly, my move from the Packard Lofts to GilVille. As I unpack stuff, I'll be catching up in the coming weeks.

Downtown LA Housing Bus Tour

2008-03-10T00:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 3/8/08, I went on the Downtown Los Angleles Business Improvement District's Downtown Housing Bus Tour.

We visited

The Mandel (for lease),
The Union Lofts (for lease),
Barker Block (for sale),
The Chapman (for sale),
Market Lofts (for sale), and
1100 Wilshire (for sale).

The photos are here on Flickr

Gotta Visit Sometime

2008-03-10T00:33:00.000-07:00

After Will Campbell's post on LA Metblogs, I want to visit:

Photo courtesy of Coco's Variety Store

Two Films, Same Story

2008-03-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles ImaginAsian Center is showing a double-feature this week. Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars. If you're wondering why an Asian center would be showing a spaghetti western, remember that A Fistful of Dollars is based on Yojimbo. This double-feature allows you to compare the original with the remake. Interestingly enough, Yojimbo is based on Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest.

Yahoo Maps Shows Downtown Neighborhoods

2008-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I needed to map at a route and went over to Yahoo Maps. I was noticed the map for downtown Los Angeles included color shading. When I zoomed in, I noticed labels for the neighborhoods:

It's not just downtown, or even just Los Angeles, but also in many other cities (such as San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York, to name a few).

Shaking my head at this...

2008-03-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

The website for the 2008 LA Times Festival of Books is now on-line and slowly being updated. Hopefully someone rethinks some of the color choices on the public transportation page. Please?

Big Doin's on Sunday -- LA Marathon & LA Heritage Day

2008-03-01T23:08:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning is the Los Angeles Marathon. If you know folks racing, you can track their progress. Since the portion of the course on 11th St. passes one block south of my apartment, hopefully I'll get enough warning to cheer on some friends of mine as they pass by.

Besides the marathon (which also includes an early morning bike ride and a 5k fun run/walk for those that don't want to run over 26 miles), tomorrow is the first ever LA Heritage Day at the Heritage Square Museum. This is an opportunity to visit with historical societies and museums from all over southern California presenting their communities' and Los Angeles’ heritage. The museum is open from 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM with tours on the hour from noon to 3:00 PM. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 6-12, and free for museum members and children under 6. See the museum website for more details, including directions.

I've never been to Heritage Square, so this is as good a reason an any to visit.

Tonight! Two Free Shindigs in South Park

2008-02-21T00:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight there will be two free shindigs going on in South Park aimed at downtown residents.

First, from 6 PM to 9 PM, the O Hotel is hosting a downtown residents night at the Oh! Restaurant and Bar (with complimentary Sangria). The O Hotel is located at 819 S. Flower St., just off the corner of 8th and Flower.

Then, starting at either 7:00 PM (if you go by the website) or 7:30 PM (if you go by their flyer and announcement in the LA downtown News), the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council will be hosting a mixer at the Figueroa Hotel. The Figueroa Hotel is located at 939 S. Figueroa St., between Olympic Blvd. and James M. Wood Blvd/9th St.

UPDATE! DLANC is saying that RSVPs are required. Get you name on the list by calling Mamta Patel at 310-428-3248 or e-mailing Greg Schumann at Greg@SouthCollection.com.

If you look at the map, you'll see that the two locations are very close to each other. I'd say, grab some free Sangria and check out the O Hotel around 6:30 and then wander over to the Figueroa Hotel around 7:30 for the DLANC Mixer. And if you live in South Park, be happy that you won't have far to walk home afterwards.

My First Downtown Art Walk

2008-02-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

And boy, do I feel like an idiot for waiting this long to actually go on one. On the second Thursday of every month, many of the art galleries in downtown participate in the Downtown Art Walk. By my count, since moving downtown, I've missed 16 downtown art walks. Now granted, last year I did so much traveling that I missed many of them because I was out of town. Anyway, enough whining...

I started the evening by wandering up Figueroa to 7+fig for the debut of their "Art Space". I have to say, I was let down. It's plainly obvious that they haven't been able to find a tenant for the space, so they decided to turn it into a showcase for art. Currently on display is a exhibition entitled Many Waters by artist Kyungmi Shin. As expected, every piece on display had some element of water involved, be it the collage from a third-world city in a tropical locale or video of a river cruise with lily-pads superimposed above the video. I'm a little surprised that they participated in the Art Walk since the venue is well off the path. In fact, if it wasn't just a little out of the way from home, I probably would not have visited.

My next stop was Weeneez at 5th and Spring. Every time I've been there, I've enjoyed their hot dogs, but this time I wanted to try a cheeseburger. Alas, earwax. Because it gets very crowded on Art Walk nights, they don't server burgers. I "settled" for an LA Hottie (grilled hot dog with chilli, cheese, peppers, and bacon) which was yummy. The restaurant also features a wall of terrific rock show posters. Sorry, no photos, because I did not feel comfortable taking photos inside. When I finished my dinner, I walked into the attached Julie Rico Gallery, which had an exhibition entitled Dreaming With Your Eyes Open with etchings by Rafael BuÒuel and paintings by Peggy Reavey.

After enjoyi9ng the exhibit, I decided to walk to the Museum of Neon Art (which used to be located across the street from my home). Unfortunately, I arrived too late. The museum had a special Valentine's Day Neon Cruise, and had closed early. (Either that, or they weren't open at all). My disappointment at missing the Neon was tempered by wandering down Broadway at the end of the evening.

Next stop was Crewest. they hosted what I thought was the best theme for the night -- Fatally Yours. It's described as a show featuring works by artists disheartened with Valentine's Day. Again, no photos, but all of the art work fit the theme to a tee. Keeping with the urban theme, my next stop was the Sphinx Studio Tattoo & Body Art Shop & Gallery. This was one of two venues where a live band was playing at its entrance. The band was decent, and the art on display inside was cool to look at.

I kept wandering down Main Street, stopping in at the Dale Youngman Gallery followed by the LAMP Art Project Gallery. The photo at the top of this post was taken outside of the LAMP Art Project Gallery.

My next stop was the corner of 5th and Main, where, outside of PHARMAKA, another band was playing. The band attracted a bit of attention. First a dancer...

And then, a couple of guys dressed for the day:

Cupid and Pan seemed to hang around the area, as they posed for photos outside of Bert Green Fine Art:

The Bert Green had a display by 3 sculptors. I enjoy looking at 3-D art (particularly when its in motion), since, from different angles, you'll see different details. Still, the most unusual display I saw during the night was next door to the Bert Green at a party rental space:

If you want to see what's decorating the ceiling, click here. As I said, definitely unusual. After leaving the space, I walked back to Spring St. and on to the 626 Art Gallery (sorry Stitch fans, but it's named for it's address, not a cuddly blue alien, though I did see a not so cuddly alien and a cuddly plush pink lion during the walk) Anyway, the exhibit (called Colors To Life Beautiful) of art inspired by The Color Purple was my favorite for the evening.

With that, I needed to head back home. If I didn't have work the next morning, I would have stayed longer. (Of course, I didn't sleep much, because I spent time catching up with Survivor and Lost and then edited the photos) On my way home, I stopped outside several of the Broadway theatres to get video of their signs:

The Palace:

The Los Angeles:

And finally, The Orpheum:

So, will I return to Art Walk? Absolutely! The next one is on Thursday, March 13. If you've never attended, you should. I have to wonder if anyone will dress up as Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, or Brutus.

Anyway, for all of my photos from the evening, check out my flikr set for the night.

The James M. Wood Walk

2008-02-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

First, a little history. After Pam and I moved to the Packard Lofts, we found out that Mike at Franklin Avenue wanted to celebrate his 10th anniversary of living in the Los Angeles area with The Great Wilshire Walk -- walk the full length of Wilshire Blvd from Grand Ave. to the shores of the Pacific. Due to a previous commitment, I was not able to participate in the entire walk. Still we were able to join folks for breakfast and walk as far as Valencia St. before heading back home. Pam has photos from the day here. If you want, you can read Mikes' post-walk post here and see a video here.

Anyway, one of the other walk attendees was Shannon of sha in LA; She was inspired to host her own 6th Street Stroll the following February. Neither Pam nor I were able to participate. However, when she announced that this year, she would host The JMWB Walk (JMWB is for James M. Wood Blvd.) from Wilshire and Western to the Hotel Figueroa, I said "Why not?"...

I really enjoyed the walk. Photographically, here are a couple of highlights:

The Oxford Apartment Homes

The Wilshire Mediterranean Apartments

Bathroom at The French Chateau

Susana Machado Bernard House

Frederick Mitchell Mooer's House

The rest of the photos are in this flikr set.

In addition Shannon has posts about the walk here and here.

How we ended up in downtown los angeles

2008-02-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

In 2003, Pam and I were still living in Berkeley. I spent much of that summer working on a massive data migration at 20th Century Fox. During a late night drive back from the Fox lot to my hotel, I was scanning the radio until I heard some Hawaiian music on KCSN 88.5 FM; The program was called Hawaiian Eye. Naturally, I followed the link to the DJ, Mike Schneider's blog -- Franklin Avenue -- and made it a regular stop on my web browsing.

Anyway, while I was spending my summer at Fox, I was told that I would be spending more time in southern California. With that news, I asked to be relocated. The next year, Pam and I moved to Anaheim. After two years, we decided that it was time to move. At first, we were looking at some places in and around the North Hollywood Arts District, as they had good access to public transportation, and were closer to most of customers' sites.

In June 2006, Mike announced that for his 100th Rate-a-Restaurant he wanted to have a special gathering. Pamela and I had a good time at the gathering. One of the other bloggers at the gathering, Eric Richardson, who contributes to blogdowntown, suggested that we take the Downtown LA Housing Tour. We signed up, and toured several properties. We have photos from the tour here. We enjoyed our visit to The Packard Lofts enough that we returned a week later. When they offered us a nice move-in special, we signed a year-long lease for our current apartment. Since then, we have extended our lease for six months.

Still, while we like the location (it's one block from the downtown Ralphs), the rent is a bit on the high side and while we have a nice patio, we don't use it, and we get very little natural light. As such, we'll be moving. More on that later.

The 2008 Golden Dragon Parade

2008-02-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the 2008 Golden Dragon Parade, celebrating the Year of the Rat. In the four years that I've lived in southern California, this was the first time I made the effort to see the parade. The day itself was gorgeous and clear. I debated taking the Red Line from 7th and Flower to Union Station and then walking the rest of the way against taking the Downtown Discovery DASH. Cheapness won out, and after paying my quarter, I was on my way to Chinatown. Unfortunately, when the bus made the turn on to Cesar Chavez, it got bogged down in traffic. To compound the mess, because of street closures, the bus driver informed us that the next stop was the Chinatown Gold Line Station. It would have been nice if the LADOT had added some temporary stops for the day (how about at Cesar Chavez and Broadway). Still, I had plenty of time to wander the parade route and get some photos.

There are more photos from before the parade here.

After wandering around, I settled on a spot on the west side of Broadway along Alpine Street. This enabled me to watch the parade start down Hill St. prior to it turning round and coming down Broadway. I chose the spot because the parade would be heading toward the sun and get good light. And it worked (for a while):

However, as the parade dragged on, it got frustrating. First, the parade suffered from a back-up, where it would stop for some random length of time and then start moving again. Then, as the sun made it's trek across the sky behind me, the shadows across Broadway lengthened, and impacted my shots:

The rest of my parade photos are here.

Next year, I think I'll take a spot up where the parade makes the turn onto Broadway.

After the parade finished, I walked to the New Years Festival area, where I was a bit disappointed. There were sponsors booths and some food booths (none with real Chinese food) but only one thing made me stay for any length of time -- to see the firecrackers explode when the parade was completely finished:

That was NOT disappointing.

After my experience on the Downtown Discovery, I decided at first to take the red line. However, when I realized that I could walk the distance, I decided to do that instead.

The rest of those photos are here. All in all, in spite of my disappointing moments, I was glad I went to the parade. I have my lessons learned to enjoy next year's parade.

Gotta wonder if this was legal

2008-02-09T00:05:00.001-08:00

Earlier this evening, I shot some photos from the top floor of the Packard Lofts. As I went to take the stairs down to the ground level, I noticed something projected on a building one block away at the corner of Flower and Olympic:

The source of the projection was this...

I wonder if these guys got permits.

The Met Lofts' Lights

2008-02-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

A little after sunset, I wandered around South Park to investigate some music I heard emanating from the area of LA Live. When I reached the corner of Figueroa and Chick Hearn Ct. (which runs between the Staples Center and LA Live), I found that Chick Hearn Ct. was blocked off and a stage had been set up to face the LA Live courtyard. Some event staffers were preventing folks from walking beyond the barricade unless they had credentials. I guess this was some sort of Grammy Awards gig. I decided that this would be a good time to shoot video of the lights on the Flower Street face of the Met Lofts:

Hollywood Bowl 2008

2008-02-08T23:23:00.001-08:00

Most of the 2008 Hollywood Bowl schedule has been published. Here's what's caught my eye so far:

Wednesday, July 16, 8:00 PM
Swing Night
featuring Big Bad Voody Daddy, The Manhattan Transfer, and Sophie Milman

Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19, 8:30 PM
Julie Andrews: The Gift of Music
Julie Andrews is the host; It doesn't say who's going to sing.

Friday, August 1 and Saturday August 2, 8:30 PM
Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy) with Eric Idle
Sing it with me... "Always look on the bright side of life"

Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30, 8:30 PM
John Williams: A Hollywood Legend

Sunday, August 31, 7:30 PM
The Big Picture: The Films of Warner Bros.

Wednesday, September 3, 8:00 PM
Bossa Nova at 50

Friday, September 19, 6:00 PM
Sing-A-Long Sound of Music

New Year's Day Sunrise in LA

2008-02-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

Introduction

2005-09-09T00:53:00.000-07:00

This blog is my home for posts about the place I live -- Los Angeles. For my other works, see the side bar