Archive by Month
November 30, 2007
The red flag alert is definitely over. No Morning Buzz today. My KCRW commentary this afternoon at 4:44 will talk about USC and the Coliseum.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 29, 2007
Among them is director Oz E. Scott, appointed to the Cultural Heritage Commission. Release with bios follows.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The Signal in Santa Clarita on Wednesday published a column and accompanying editorial cartoon skewering the manipulation of faith and politics. After some readers complained... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Villaraigosa accepts the NFL won't come to Coliseum Time to forget the NFL dream and give a USC a long-term deal, the mayor says. LAT... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 28, 2007
An open letter from Athletic Director Mike Garrett. Excerpt: It gives me no pleasure to write a letter of this kind, but there are issues... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Airbus returns to LAX today An Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, will arrive at LAX at 11:45 a.m. on Runway 25L then taxi... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
USC alumni don't want to gather on campus Saturday mornings, touch the statue then get on a bus. They want to walk to the stadium.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 27, 2007
The Santa Anas are back and the LAFD has declared a red flag day in the hills for Wednesday. Those who live there know what... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The Los Angeles Press Club is getting into the non-geographic awards game, announcing it will accept entries (for $35 each) and give out the National... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts: People can minimize it all they want, but these round-numbered birthdays are times that I take stock, and looking at... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
No word in the Times web story on when civil rights lawyer Stephen Yagman begins serving his federal prison term for tax evasion, money laundering... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Sometimes the hiring memos at the L.A. Times yield some insight into the interests an editor brings to the table. In this case, we learn... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Remember Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, the journalist who quit the L.A. Times in a huffy outburst and resurfaced as a successful novelist? (And who more recently mourned... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
We told you Saturday that Matt Welch had left the L.A. Times editorial page to return to Reason magazine, and said to await further details.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Yagman dances, sentencing delayed Civil rights lawyer Stephen Yagman talked so long at Monday's sentencing hearing that it won't be until today that he finds... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Commenters on the God Blog have attacked the Jewish Journal for employing a "God-fearing Christian" with the last name of Greenberg to write for the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 26, 2007
Mayor Villaraigosa's office says that Carol Baker Tharp, general manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, has died. The mayor just released this statement: “Carol... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Malibu toll: 53 homes County fire chief says this blaze could easily have taken 250 homes, but he credits firefighters. LAT, Here in Malibu Villaraigosa... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Here are quick links to some posts from the weekend, which wasn't all about Malibu fire coverage and the end of Mayor Villaraigosa's affair with... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 25, 2007
In the December issue of Vanity Fair, David Friend writes that this Oct. 31, 1974 photo of President Gerald Ford and then-Gov. Ronald Reagan —... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 24, 2007
Former Los Angeles Times staffer Michael Krikorian, one of several reporters to work the paper's gangs beat over the past decade or so (he later... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The footage on Channel 9 of "super-scoopers" scraping the ocean surface in Santa Monica Bay has been awesome. Fresh fish tonight for the raccoons in... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Matt Welch makes official what has been unfolding behind the scenes for a bit: he has left the Los Angeles Times editorial page to return... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Veronique has updates on the fire at Here in Malibu. Last I heard, 35 structures had burned and 200 more were threatened, mostly in the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Katie O'Laughlin of Village Books, one of the city's best and coziest small bookstores, says she's losing the battle against the big boxes and rising... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
David Zahniser reports in the Times, based on unnamed sources, that the affair between Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Mirthala Salinas "disintegrated" possibly as long ago... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Residents smelled smoke at about 3:30 a.m. Fire started in Corral Canyon, then swiftly spread wests due to strong winds, which have since died down.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 23, 2007
Long weekend equals time to catch up on some L.A. blog reading. Here's a few; may be more later: Jasmyne Cannick drove down Crenshaw this... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Baseball blogs are already ridiculing today's Kurt Streeter column in the L.A. Times worshiping at the feet of new Angels center fielder Torii Hunter, a... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Posting will be intermittent until Monday. My regular Friday afternoon LA Observed spot on KCRW is pre-empted today by a This American Life marathon.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 22, 2007
Mitch Harding co-created (with Mike Hodel in 1972) the long-running science fiction and writing show "Hour 25" on KPFK. Later at KCRW, he was the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 21, 2007
Sharon Waxman went out to the Getty Villa today to monitor the packing up, and shipping out, of some of the 40 statues and other... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
In this week's ¡Ask a Mexican! column in the LA and OC Weekly(ies) — and around the country, I presume — Gustavo Arellano delves into... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Scott Glover has been a digger on local law enforcement for the L.A. Times. He's moving over to focus his reporting on the U.S. Attorney's... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Before a City Council committee voted yesterday to tentatively approve a controversial condo project in Van Nuys Valley Village, a planning staffer for the city... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Cooley's mixed record on corruption District Attorney Steve Cooley took down corrupt officials in Compton, South Gate, and Vernon, but in Cudahy and Bell Gardens... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Nice photo from yesterday's writers guild street rally in Hollywood by Barbara Davidson at the L.A. Times. Strike coverage is pulled together at a compilation... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Pacifica radio station KPFK is in the midst of an election that, once again, has divided the staff, show programmers and listeners over politics and... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 20, 2007
LAPD officer struck by hit-and-run Unidentified officer is believed to be in critical condition after being hurt near Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. NBC4 City... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 19, 2007
Bill Nye "The Science Guy," who lives in Studio City, wants a restraining order to protect himself from his former wife, Blair Tindall, author of... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Sure enough, my pals at Los Angeles have somehow come out with another monthly issue — this one containing the magazine's first Walk of Shame... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Writers Guild strikers and their brethren are planning to converge Tuesday afternoon for a rally, accompanied by Alicia Keys. The guild is hoping for a... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
In addition to his blog here at LA Observed, Bill Boyarsky is a regular columnist for Robert Scheer and Zuade Kaufman at Truthdig. They actually... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
PhotoFriends.org is the site for the nonprofit organization that supports the Los Angeles Public Library's photograph collection, which is lovingly nurtured (and increasingly put on-line)... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Brian Grazer was "deeply upset by the episode" in which the L.A. Times asked him to guest-edit the opinion section on Sunday, then refused to... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Mayor Bobblehead The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project sells a bobblehead doll of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for $30. It's a fundraiser for the group. Rick... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
OK, just kidding about that. But who knew her older sister is a rabbi on a kibbutz in Israel? I guess you would if you... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 18, 2007
Veteran anchor-reporter Linda Alvarez is taking her leave of Channel 2 at the end of the month, concluding 14 years at the station. Here's the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The writers strike has inspired a frenzy of non-stop posting by Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily. (I shudder to think of the condition of... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Los Angeles novelist and screenwriter Clancy Sigal turned up in today's letters section in the New York Times Book Review, offering a counter view to... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Axel Koester grabbed this scene (for the New York Times) of photographers swarming actress Mandy Moore's arrival at a Beverly Hills restaurant. The term paparazzi... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Ted Johnson, the Variety managing editor who writes the trade's politics blog, Wilshire & Washington, posts about Sen. Hillary Clinton's appearance Saturday at a local... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
An email correspondent caught me up with angryasianman.com by Phil Yu, a 27-year-old Korean American who was the subject of a story last month (!)... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 16, 2007
No Morning Buzz, sorry. * Where did the time go?: Before you know it, Friday turns into Sunday...... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Michael Aguirre began "investigating" San Diego's PBS station after cancellation of a show where he was a frequent guest. As soon as light was cast... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 15, 2007
Phil Willon, who runs the L.A. Times bureau in the Inland Empire, is becoming the paper's newest statewide political writer. He'll continue to be based... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Times Publisher David Hiller uses his in-house blog to refute Joe Scott's blind item that reported the LAT building is for sale. I guess most... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Yeah, LAPD won't map where Muslims live Who didn't see this coming? The department dropped the plan, but will still do outreach. "Muslim Americans were... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 14, 2007
Heidi Klum tries to appear charmed at the gift of pumpkin bread from Councilman Tom LaBonge, but most of the Victoria's Secret Angels seem —... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Political blogger Joe Scott, citing buzz among major real estate brokers, says the Tribune Co. intends to sell the square block of Downtown where the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
"Dancing with the Stars" didn't work out for Leeza Gibbons, so the former celebrity gossip monger has time to take a new gig — Gov.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Councilman Jose Huizar, downtown advocate Brady Westwater and, especially, the owner of several of the former movie palaces on Broadway are featured in a Wall... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Last night's was the final show for the talker who came with a bit of a checkered past from Kentucky and had some run-ins here,... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Coroner investigating Donda West's death The mother of Kanye West died under mysterious circumstances a day after undergoing cosmetic surgery from high-profile Brentwood plastic surgeon... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 13, 2007
Shopping mall developer Rick Caruso nicked the owners of the Glendale Galleria for $15 million in punitive damages today, on top of the $74 million... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Judith Regan today sued News Corp for $100 million over her firing last year and charged that a senior executive urged her to mislead federal... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Larry Mantle this morning took on one of the lesser issues of our time, but one that's still interesting and perplexing for locals: should we... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Events are starting up for Bill Boyarsky's major political history from University of California Press, Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics.... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Times media columnist Tim Rutten is moving to the opinion pages, where he began his L.A. Times career [* nope, I'm told he began in... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Speaking of Ciudad (next item below), former executive editor Yvette Doss is on to a new project. The founder of Frontera magazine, Silver Lake Press... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Ciudad's culinary guide to Latin dining in the November issue ranges from La Casita Mexicana in Bell to La Super-Rica Taquería in Santa Barbara, and... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Weekend catch-up edition... City Council is gone to New Orleans No meetings this week with so many members off to a League of Cities confab... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 12, 2007
Monday was bring your family to the picket line day. The Tuesday target for Writers Guild media attention is Universal. The talent scheduled to appear... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
L.A. Times photographer Luis Sinco has been immersed in the life of former Marine Cpl. James Miller since the horrible day in 2004 when Sinco... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
It seems the masthead where the L.A. Times lists its top editors is either expanding — or shrinking — depending on the leadership culture in... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
USC's Norman Lear Center and pollster John Zogby tested for the link between political leaning and taste in entertainment. They conclude that 37% of the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Gus Hawkins was elected to the California legislature in 1934 [editor's note: !] and almost three decades later he became the first African American from... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
It's hiring memo day at the L.A. Times. First, before he became the Wall Street Journal Hollywood columnist and a Sitrick and Company troubleshooter, John... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
I'm observing the holiday today — have been all weekend, actually — but I couldn't resist this. AP's photographer and caption writer can be excused... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 09, 2007
LAPD plans to map Islamic neighborhoods "We are looking for communities and enclaves based on risk factors that are likely to become isolated. . .... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 08, 2007
Want to know how editorial cartoonists work? The Daily News' Patrick O'Connor posts early sketches, talks about his process for deciding on a topic and... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The FBI has sent a notice to law enforcement warning of possible Al-Qaeda threats against shopping malls in Los Angeles and Chicago this holiday season,... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Sue Doyle compiles her realities of driving for the Daily News, and some are just so true: If you're waiting behind cars in a left-turn... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
No progress in writers strike Yesterday was the day when stars were brought out to the picket lines to entice the media with tales of... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 07, 2007
During today's discussion of the expansion at Holy Cross hospital in the Northeast Valley, Councilman Richard Alarcon made City Hall reporters sit up in their... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
CityBeat columnist Alan Mittelstaedt FOI'd the chancellor of UC Irvine trying to find out who pressured him to un-hire Erwin Chemerinsky as dean of the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Fun little item on Rich Hammond's Kings blog for the Daily News. Even though the players supposedly had the day off, they were called to... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The surfers get edgy when the big waves roll in as they did today, "sleek and steely and cold, spitting out sets like a Tommy... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Studios to stop production deals Plans to suspend scores of long-term contracts with television production companies, as early as today, "underscores just how hostile their... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 06, 2007
Busier-than-usual day for me away from the blog. Here's what has caught my eye: Would you believe $40 million more for the new LAPD headquarters... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 05, 2007
Andrés Martinez, the former LAT editorial page editor, has teamed up with the Washington Post website on a twice-weekly online political advice column. (His former... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
In a post over at Native Intelligence, Denise Hamilton goes for a sidewalk adventure in the city with Judith Freeman, author of the new book... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Points to photographer Gary Leonard for getting the front position at this morning's Joe Torre investiture at Dodger Stadium. But who's Gary giving the evil... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The New Yorker's Connie Bruck examines the personality that is Sam Zell and his deal to acquire Tribune, and comes up with some earthy quotes... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Kennard deal at LAX raises eyebrows When Lydia Kennard was still a consultant at Los Angeles World Airports when she talked to URS about joining... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 04, 2007
Late-hour talks broke down over the weekend, so the Writers Guild of America went on strike at midnight New York time and is preparing to... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Joel Rubin's first-person Column One in the Saturday L.A. Times described — in tasteful but descriptive detail — how he ended up in the ER... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 03, 2007
The bureau in Los Angeles will close at the end of the year, the San Diego Union-Tribune staff was told yesterday. No word on what... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The parking ban and shuttle bus system at the renovated Griffith Observatory is history as of today. Although the mayor says 650,000 patrons have visited... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 02, 2007
No LA Observed on KCRW this afternoon — I had to take the day off. Purely by coincidence, I will be on KPCC's "Off-Ramp" tomorrow... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The DWP was told it could not have a preliminary injunction blocking the Daily News from publishing salary info on nearly 8,500 workers on the... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Another of Speaker Fabian Nuñez's legal dodges to squeeze money out of special interests has been uncovered. The LAT's Nancy Vogel and Evan Halper report... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
While his columnist ex-colleagues at the L.A. Times fall over themselves to pronounce Joe Torre just what the Dodgers need, J.A. Adande is now a... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
After posting Wednesday's item about the newspaper that couldn't decide if it was the Los Angeles Sun or the Los Angeles Star, I heard from... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
November 01, 2007
Dana Goodyear has been blogging on the fires for The New Yorker and has a Talk of the Town piece in this week. Excerpt: Southern... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The Washington Post team in Los Angeles is losing their bureau aide to National Public Radio [actually KCRW, see below] and would like to hire... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The District's Rebecca Schoenkopf got to know Sheriff Mike Carona in her OC Weekly days — he once sent her a bottle of wine and... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Brian D’Arcy, head of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, is going to eat David Nahai's lunch at the Department of Water, Alan... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
In January the Sacramento Bee baffled people by going against the trend and moving its online political coverage behind the pay wall — a high... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
The former Los Angeles Business Journal reporter and L.A.-based blogger was dismissed this week as an editorial writer for the Indianapolis Star after posting a... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Before Joe Torre's hiring — as the most expensive Dodgers manager ever — became official today, Jerry Crowe in the LAT noted that his pre-Yankees... $MTEntryExcerpt$>
Writers talks break down at deadline Writers Guild could be moving closer to striking Hollywood, and all that that entails. Variety, LAT, Deadline Hollywood Daily... $MTEntryExcerpt$>