Certainly our fair city is having a hard time.  And it seems that one of the answers the people who run this place have is raising the fine on just about everything having to do with driving.  Forget about the impact on the populace.  There’s a new attitude and it seems to be…  let’s make new laws to take as much money as we can from the people of this city.

Now I’m not an advocate of scofflaws who drive like maniacs and endanger peoples lives by their bad driving.  Those losers should be off the road… but I can’t help but wonder what kind of message politicians are sending to us folks when they raise the parking rates to outrageous sums, slap $50 parking fines on expired meters, boot and tow cars after three unpaid parking tickets … it used to be 5 (lots of money in getting a car out of hock) and now are suggesting that putting more cameras at intersections can raise millions for the city.

Here’s just a taste of what it costs now compared to a couple of years agao:  Running a red light… $446 (without traffic school fees), up from $271 in 2008.   Get caught doing a rolling right turn at a stoplight and you’ll pay $381 — up from $156 two years ago. Park at an expired meter, pay a $50 fine now vs. $35 a year ago.

The city estimates that just by changing the boot process from three to five tickets they can make an additional 61 million a year.  Here’s a news flash:  most people who don’t pay tickets are struggling to pay for groceries and rent and when you have to make a choice, it usually goes in favor of food.  Schwarzenegger wants in on the money too.  He’s proposing that they put up cameras to catch speeders (not just red light violators) so the state can get a piece of the action too.  Frazgo wrote about this here and what you can do about it.

Like I said, it’s great to get bad drivers off the street, but the zeal with which these things are being proposed to solve money problems just seems to be a head on collision with the goodwill of the people of this city.  We did, after all, vote our council, mayor and others in to protect us.  Not to skin us alive for driving.

Jenette Bras is here for you.

This Thursday, Friday and Saturday Jenette Bras is hosting Men-Only evening events from 6pm to 8pm. From their invite:

We’ll pour you a drink, then get to work helping you select the perfect gift: beautiful brassiere and pantie sets, slips, corsets and gift certificates for a custom bra fitting. And if your honey is already a Jennette Bras gal, then we’ve got her stats and you’ve got it made. Painless.

If your special someone a gorgeous, curvy gal, this is the shop for her. And you.

At Jenette Bras, the Alphabet Starts at D — ask your woman, she’ll know what that means.

(Full disclosure, I’m a very satisfied customer of Jenette Bras so I know what I’m talking about.)

Jenette Bras
4308 Melrose Ave.
323-665-7490
Right around the corner from Scoops!

So without busting out the slide rule and coming at it from an intensely scientific and/or parlimentary perspective, suffice it to say that upon the conclusion of the 8 Presidents Ride (estimated to be around 2 – 2:30 p.m.), some of us cyclist types will then be pedaling down 7th Street to Bixel to end up where the food peddlers (and free bike valet!) are. Join us, won’t you? Or see you there!

PS. Our own Queequeg had the fest’s details here first.

Our three options:

Hot Hollywood Night: Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles and Boardner’s

Burbank Bonanza: The Smokehouse

Westside Alka-Seltzer Fest: Tito’s Tacos and Johnnie’s Pastrami

As ever, we’ll start around 5pm so you can stop in then move on to the rest of your Saturday evening events. Or stay all night!

Click here to vote!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles: Have you had this magical combo that came to us from Harlem? The restaurant is not as old as some in LA, only about 30 years or so, but the reputation is solid. We will be going to the original location on Gower in Hollywood. Boardners, since 1942, is west on Hollywood from Roscoe’s, right around the corner from Musso and Frank. The Art Deco rooms and bar are still gorgeous, the back patio is perfect for an evening’s refreshment. The glitterati used to spend time here and it’s rumored that Elizabeth Short had her last drink here before stepping into the night and becoming the Black Dahlia. Do you need further proof that Boardner’s is an LA Classic? I thought not.

Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles
Boardner’s

Burbank Bonanza

The Smokehouse has been nestled in Burbank since 1946, serving the likes of  Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Milton Berle, and Jack Parr. Located right across the street from Warner Bros. Studios, you never know who you might see there. Captain and Tenille were discovered there — need I say more?? They are also famous for their garlic bread – okay twist my arm, I’ll orders some. BONUS: On Saturdays from 4-6pm you get 25% off any item on their regular dinner menu. I don’t have a second location for this event, so if anyone can chime in for a follow up spot, local to Burbank and in any way classic, I’m in!

The Smokehouse

Westside Alka-Seltzer Fest:

Tito’s Tacos has been in Culver City since 1959 and I’ve been on many a film set when the late meal was a greasy box of Tito’s and the crew was stoked. The lines are long, almost no matter when you drive by. Just around the corner is Johnnie’s Pastramiwhere since 1952 they’ve been serving up pastrami, hot dogs and great fries. Bring the Bromo!

Tito’s Tacos (Warning: the website has a theme song when you click on the link. I can’t find the off button!)
Johnnie’s Pastrami

An LAPD “community alert” sent to me moments ago reads:

On February 11, 2010 the Hollywood sign will be covered up for an international campaign. The sign will be covered until further notice.

Do not be alarmed, the sign will remain in place and there will be no changes done to the sign. This is just an informational e-mail so we do not receive phone calls from worried citizens.

Carolyn Ramsay with Councilman Tom LaBonge’s office would provide me with no additional information besides that they were participating in the secretive event. “You’ll have to wait til Thursday,” Carolyn repeated to me when I pressed for information.

*UPDATE 4:59pm: The media point person with the Hollywood sign itself, Betsy Isroelit, told me that the sign cover up would have nothing to do with an Amnesty International announced day of support for human rights Iran also scheduled for the 11th, or the Winter Olympics, beginning the following day. Zach at LAist is also digging into this.

**UPDATE 7:54p: The LA Weekly reveals that the alteration is planned to coincide with an announcement by the non-profit “Trust for Public Land,” which, based on the group’s purpose, could theoretically be purchasing the land around the Hollywood sign, which has been at risk of being used for private development over the past few years. Details will be announced at a Thursday 10am press conference at the Hollywood W Hotel.

Worth nothing: Carolyn insisted this has nothing to do with the fake Hollywood sign vandalism that pop star Ke$ha hoaxed her fans with a few days ago.

Ke$ha’s viral video of her defacing the Hollywood sign… again, a real defacement of sorts will be occuring this Thursday so DO NOT BE ALARMED.

click to embiggen

Everytime I drive past this little house in Duarte I have to double take the 6 foot tall headless angel.  Next to the flag pole, framed by a partial fence.

Pic by me and does get bigger with a click.  I love these home-owners that decorate with a zeal an HOA would never approve of.

Now, it’s one thing to recognize local landmarks being used in a film, but I find it especially fun seeing my own neighborhood represented on the big screen (or TV. or laptop screen.). Eagle Rock is used all the time for exteriors, as many blocks are easily disguised as Small Town, Anywhere, USA. But interiors are harder to spot on TV – I knew it was Cindy’s Diner (which quite possibly gets more business as a shooting location than a restaurant) in those AT&T ads with Luke Wilson, but only because I saw Wilson standing outside in the parking lot while the commercial was being shot.

But this weekend while catching up on The Office, I spotted another local business (Can you guess it? Identity revealed after the jump):

It’s the newly-relocated PeekAboo Playland on Colorado! And how did I peg that one? I recognized their big, white eMac by the front door. Yes, PeekAboo Playland staffers, I am that chick who walks by and stares through your window awkwardly all the time because I can’t wrap my head around how you’re running your business on an eMac.

And that’s one more immersive viewing experience ruined because I spent too much energy watching the background and trying to make this screencap – so much so that I had to rewind and watch the scene over again since I totally forgot everything that happened.

click to embiggen, image courtesy of Stephen Coleman.

Photographer Stephen Coleman got up into the neighborhoods below the Mullaly Flood Basin that over flowed in the early morning hours on Saturday.  His images of the devastation is pretty amazing.  I feel for those home owners and their recovery that lies ahead.  I hope that the storms set for this week aren’t as strong and don’t add to their misery.

Photographs can be seen in two sets Mudflow A and Mudflow B.

Photograph “Paradise Valley” used with permission of Stephen Coleman.

If indeed I’m not making that up, in the interim we have some artists from the Positive Message Division of the Department of DIY who have undertaken the charming decoration of the box pictured at right (click to enlargify) found on the southeast corner of Virgil and Lexington (pinpoint map).

I finally stopped my dawdling and immortalized it while biking home Thursday night because even though it’s been there for more than a month, there’s just no telling when it might become the target of taggers or seen by some assbackward county supervisor who would no doubt place a rush order for the federal stimulus funds needed to paint it out.

The backside of the box reads: “December 28, 2009,  Love N Respect,” and it’s signed by Michael, Emilio and Diana. Bravo to them. More please.

I’m vegetarian and my dude Sean is vegan so we probably do a lot more scouring than omnivores do. Vegan does not equal rabbit food as so many like to joke, in fact, I believe that vegans have a much more refined palate than non-vegans. And when vegans get together, 99.9% of the time they will talk about food and where to get the good stuff.

Here is a list of my favorite restaurants that we frequent and that serve vegan food (in alphabetical order):

BabyCakes: Desserts: Downtown: Cupcakes Cupcakes Cupcakes. Oh they also serve donuts and cookies and brownies. Vegan and gluten free options. The gals who work there are adorable.

Bawarchi Indian Kitchen: Indian: Culver City: I recommend getting the $8 dinner. Your taste buds, stomach, and wallet will thank you.

Bulan Thai Vegetarian Kitchen: Thai: West Hollywood and Silver Lake: I could eat their chicken satay all the day long. Mmm, I want some just thinking about it.

M Cafe: Macrobiotics: Culver City and West Hollywood: The Tofu Benedict and French Toast are a great way to start the day. Their tempeh bacon is my favorite. I took a class on how to make it but haven’t actually attempted it yet…

The Meet Market...Sandwiches: Silverlake: Their vegan brunch on Sunday for $10 is not to be missed. The sausages, bacon and pancakes are my favorite. I also recommend their sandwiches, especially the Roast Beef and Cheese.

Native Foods Cafe: Organic/Vegan/Vegetarian: Westwood: You can’t go wrong with the chicken wings.

Pure Luck Restaurant: Veggie/Pub: Wilshire Center: Right across from Scoops so don’t get too full! I love their potato pals. I’ve eaten them as a meal before. I think it’s their sauce that rocks the most.

Renovo: Smoothies and Fresh Squeezed Juice: Santa Monica: It’s within walking distance of my office so I go here a lot. They are seriously the best smoothies in the universe. The ones with Almond Milk in particular are amazing.

Scoops: Ice Cream: Wilshire Center: They serve vegetarian and vegan ice cream. Homemade, the flavors constantly change, and the best ice cream I have ever had.

Seed: Vegan/Macrobiotic:Venice: Amazing burgers. Really can’t go wrong grabbing a couple of these and heading over to the beach.

Shima: Japanese: Venice: They serve vegetarian and fish options and use brown rice. Their vegan salmon rolls taste like the real thing. Their dessert menu is entirely vegan and OMG delish!

Samosa House: Indian: Culver City: I’ve been to India a couple of times and their samosas and chutney taste just like the ones I bought off the street from vendors. They have two locations in Culver City, both amazing!

Swingers: American Diner: Santa Monica: Lots of veggie/vegan options. My favorite is the Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes served on the weekend.

The Veggie Grill: Burgers: Hollywood and El Sugundo: Best Effin’ burgers I have ever had in my life!!! Sean served some at CrashSpace and the meat eaters did not believe that it wasn’t real meat. The nachos are also dynamite.

Z Pizza: Pizza: El Segundo and Larchmont: The first time I had Daiya cheese was on a delicious veggie pizza sitting at an outside table with twinkly lights all around me. I was enamored.

What’s really missing for us is a great vegan brunch place and an ice cream shop on the Westside. M Cafe and Swinger’s are great for breakfast, but I think we would be pretty happy to have a Meet Market and a Scoops over here. Can someone make that happen?

If you have any suggestions that I have missed here that we should definitely try out, please comment! Also if you try any of these restaurants and love ‘em or hate ‘em, let me know why. I know a lot of omnivores think that vegetarian food is tasteless, but I challenge you to try these options out and see if you can be convinced otherwise.