Bio • Email • Archive
Follow Mark on Twitter •
Archive by Date
February 28, 2010
It expands on my Tuesday morning chats with Steve Julian. We got things going a few days ago.
February 27, 2010
Less than a year ago, it was assumed that a General Motors bankruptcy would be disastrous. So much for conventional wisdom.
The company that placed a supergraphic ad on the First National Bank building didn't have a permit. But so what?
February 26, 2010
It's a little like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," except with Jimmy Stewart playing the bad guy.
The Tiger de-coupling has unfolded pretty much as expected. Only the companies that really need him are keeping him.
Boy, network officials weren't kidding when they announced a huge downsizing.
Alas, those supporting the president don't need convincing and those opposed are beyond hope.
In round numbers, you're looking at almost 100,000 fewer registrations in 2009 than a year earlier - and 2008 wasn't such a hot year.
For anyone naïve enough to think that the carmaker's problems couldn't possibly get any worse, well, they just did.
Budget shortfalls have opened up in 41 states, and things might get even worse for FY2011.
The parent company of Carl's Jr. is in the process of being sold. Fine, but what about the commercials?
Californians can't pay their mortgages, Carl's Jr. parent to be sold, state insurers subpoenaed, and lots of travel delays today.
February 25, 2010
The arrest last week of Frederick Scott Salyer on charges of racketeering and fraud got some attention, but oh, what a backstory.
Sandra Pianalto, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, offers a pretty good summary.
A few members are wondering whether city workers could do some of the work now being handled by private contractors.
Obama's fallback on health care, businesses paying bills faster, illegal workers slipping through, and KABC goes Hollywood.
February 24, 2010
The California Congresswoman got confused between the discount rate and the fed funds rate.
When folks don't buy cars, they don't need service. That's why service departments could see big declines between now and 2013.
Published report says David Bergstein's creditors have begun circulating a petition to force him into bankruptcy.
The aerospace company's decision to leave L.A. has set off a frenzy of interest among local governments in the Washington, D.C. area.
Always be suspicious of scare stories showing the number of businesses leaving the state or L.A. The numbers are almost always off.
What would an Olympics be without NBC socking it to West Coast viewers?
That would be Newport Beach plaintiffs attorneys Mark Robinson and Kevin Calcagnie, who appear on the oped page of the WSJ.
Pickup in jumbo loans, layoffs in Long Beach, McCourts are tax free, and setback for Karatz.
February 23, 2010
The councilman doesn't think much of S&P's decision to lower the city's general fund credit rating from AA to AA-.
There's just too much supply, much of it the result of foreclosed homes and condos being turned into rentals.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich goes after those responsible for monster-sized supergraphic signs.
When it's over, up to 25 percent of the news division could be slashed, or 300 to 400 staffers.
Americans really turned gloomy in February. The question is why.
The stock exchange will allow users to take long or short positions on upcoming films.
They're receiving closer scrutiny by the feds, usually because they have weak capital cushions to prevent against failure.
Shia LaBeouf, who stars with Michael Douglas in the upcoming "Wall Street 2," tells Jimmy Kimmel about his huge (supposed) payout.
Home prices edge higher, Toyota's fractured management, Anthem gets whacked, and Magic deal for Ebony collapsing.
February 22, 2010
More passengers are arranging their own travel by computer, and besides, Continental charges $20 to make a reservation by phone.
Lots of changes starting today, many of the related to interest rates and fees.
New questions are being raised about OneWest Bank, the local savings and loan that was formed by several wealthy financiers.
Just another example of how we love to pump up stuff and then shoot it down.
Toyota's new problem, NBC making more than expected on Olympics, port hiring is up, and why Anthem has so many enemies.
February 19, 2010
Downtown News editorializes on the chaos at City Hall.
Oliver Stone's "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" doesn't open until April, but the trailers are already making the rounds.
Here is the mayor being asked to explain how he intends to deal with the budget crisis - and not a complete sentence in sight.
A long-awaited report, just out this morning, says that the two north runways should remain in their current configuration.
If today's carnival tells us anything, it's that pro golf without Tiger Woods becomes a second or even third-tier sport.
Candys leave Bev Hills, Jaime McCourt wants more, no to three digital billboards, and LAX falls flat.
February 18, 2010
Agency heads are being instructed to eliminate 3,000 additional jobs - by layoffs, if necessary, by July 1.
Monday is the groundbreaking for the Bradley West project, which will greatly expand the congested international terminal.
Bankruptcy judge has given the media conglomerate (and parent of the LAT) until the end of March to file a reorganization plan.
Intrade, the online trading exchange, has "The Hurt Locker" leading the pack, followed by "Avatar."
The numbers are getting better, but permanent mortgage relief remains elusive.
More manufacturers are hiring, women still lagging at corporate level, no to L.A. privatization, and additional runway lights at LAX.
February 17, 2010
The change affects about $3.2 billion of debt, a clear indication that Wall Street doesn't like what it sees..
Content would have to be really good and unavailable for free, an enormous burden for an online publication.
Brouhaha over the handling of tickets for Bruce Springsteen concerts is apparently being resolved by the feds and the company.
He's expected to apologize and discuss his future plans at a meeting on Friday near his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
The plane, which apparently struck a transmission tower, was owned by an executive with the electric-car company.
Now under new studio management, the Mouse House is only interested in two types of movies.
It's the $35 million purchase of an 8,704-square-foot Bev Hills home by DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Dumping laid-off city employees to the airport, port and DWP never seemed like a good idea.
It's darkest before the dawn and all that, but today's NYT story about party gridlock is enough to get folks good and nervous.
Toyota's latest problem, still-struggling L.A. economy, port traffic shows some improvement, and NYT reporter explains plagiarism.
February 16, 2010
Absentee buyers bought 22.3 percent of the homes sold last month, the highest level for any month since at least 2000.
Andy Rooney thinks it's pretty funny that CBS shelled out two grand to have him shuffle around at the Super Bowl.
Some singular events do stir wholesale buying and selling. But it's not the norm.
The quake is believed to have killed 200,000 to 250,000 people and caused $7.7 billion in damages.
With L.A. being such a have- and have-not region, the 25th place showing makes sense, kinda.
More sales in January involved distressed properties and lower-cost inland homes rather than the pricier fare closer to the water.
More foreclosures expected, tax credits won't generate many jobs, new troubles for Toyota, and Mattel's hot toy.
February 15, 2010
Zachery Kouwe, a reporter for the Dealbook blog, apparently swindled passages from the WSJ and other news organizations.
Barbara Walters says she's sick of the post-award lovefest in which she profiles several celebs.
The airline did everything right, and Smith is a jerk - a Hollywood jerk, the worst kind.
Too bad the folks in San Pedro chose to squabble for so many years on how to redevelop their aging community.
Attention is focused on changing the federal formula for determining how homeless dollars get divvied out.
February 12, 2010
Now that they're being held responsible for the bottom lines of the companies they oversee, they're being paid a lot more.
Just in time for Valentine's Day - and complete with free wooden flowers. Just consider it deflationary romance.
Deal with NBC's 10 O&O stations puts to rest speculation that the ABC stations might go after her as an Oprah replacement.
Getting a piece of Buffett, profits for health insurers, best place to find work in CA, and Disney pushes window.
February 11, 2010
Come April 15, small business owners have to shell out a sales tax covering Internet and phone purchases from out of state. If only they knew.
Villaraigosa says he plans a second wave of job cuts for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
There's a big difference between getting city approval to begin construction and actually beginning construction.
In the 1990-91 recession, out-of-work folks found work in new industries or started their own businesses. But maybe not this time.
Wellpoint says it's stuck with too many sick people. But the company "cares deeply about our California customers and community."
"There were serious disagreements and something had to give," one source told Boomtown's Kara Swisher.
CA foreclosures fall, L.A. bankruptcies rise, Toyotas get fixed, and bumper grape crop doesn't mean lower prices.
They're revamping the original plan to raze the hotel and build two 50-story high-rises.
February 10, 2010
After less than a year, Owen Van Natta is out as CEO of the struggling social network site.
But nothing has really changed - the state's cash position will still fall below safe levels this spring.
But are the numbers declining because fewer people are entering the country or because more are leaving?
Wall Street traders unable to get home tonight will be eating, drinking and goodness knows what else.
Not a great day to be flying, even if you aren't going back east.
He's the ex-bond fund manager at L.A.-based TCW Group who was ousted and then formed his own money management firm.
Why are applications at UCLA up 6 percent from last year while Cornell reports a 52 percent increase?
Honda recall expanded, improving HMO scores in CA, L.A. apartment rents get cut, and Hooters is on the block.
February 9, 2010
CityWatch has gotten hold of the 1,000 jobs presumably on the chopping block. Actually, it's kind of interesting.
It's all about angry voters who want things to get better, but aren't interested in those devilish details.
The average length of unemployment during the recession has been 31 weeks, the longest on record.
The Dow pulled back quite a bit from its earlier high, but still managed to finish about 150 points on the upside.
United Way study notes a higher poverty rate and a greater percentage of working poor than the rest of the nation.
San Clemente home hit the market at $4.2 million, and then, four days later, it was reduced to $2.9 million.
Fitch Ratings says it's monitoring L.A.'s budget situation for a possible downgrade in the city's rating.
Toyota details its brake recall, upbeat forecast at the ports, L.A. Council looks to restructure, and that pillow is going to cost you.
February 8, 2010
NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has settled with two L.A. private equity firms in connection with an ongoing corruption probe.
Stations have been inundating the L.A. air with news, mainly because it's cheaper than running top-tier syndicated fare.
Dow loses 103 points, finishing below 10,000 for the first time since Nov. 4.
Some of the individual declines for general interest magazines are breathtaking.
.Huge increases for individual policyholders have caught the attention of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
What was it with the ads that had men trying to affirm that they're really, truly MEN?
Crackdown on health plans, risks in L.A. budget plan, Santa Anita avoids sale, and pushback on Broad.
February 7, 2010
"If it stinks, put a lid on it." That Japanese proverb captures the car company's ineptness leading up to the current crisis.
This should be an up year for stocks, at least based on the goofy-but-often-accurate Super Bowl indicator.
February 5, 2010
Chico Enterprise-Record will allow free access to as many as 25 "premium" articles each month, after which readers will have to pay.
The Dow had been down as much as 170 points, but made a late-day charge.
More on the relationship between James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow, the top contenders for best director and best picture Oscars.
HBO is developing series that centers on a powerful female online showbiz journalist with a no-holds-barred style.
David Kiely, the investment manager who was seen opening semi-nude pictures of Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, gets to keep his job.
Generally, it's pretty good, despite the economy losing 20,000 jobs in January.
Toyota chief is sorry, why job news could be good, council president tap dances, and Katzenberg buys $35-million home.
A very mixed bag - and very reflective of the transitional period that the economy still faces.
February 4, 2010
Villaraigosa announces immediate layoffs of 1,000 city employees to help to balance the city's budget.
The carmakers had suspended sales of eight models because of concerns over sudden acceleration.
Jennifer Aniston is fed up with show biz types, according to her friends, and now wants to be set up with a wealthy businessman.
At the close, the Dow falls under 10,000 - and down 270 points, or 2.6 percent, for the day. *Final...
More than 18,000 homes statewide sold for $1 million or more last year, down almost 24 percent from 2008.
That's when L.A. is likely to see a real recovery in the commercial real estate market, according to a new report.
Same type of plane, same fuel, same distance - so why does it take so much longer these days?
There's the usual concern about the economy, along with new worries about the European financial system.
The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cToyotathon of Deathwww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Crisis Funny...
Prius brake update, L.A. Council delays cuts, NBCU execs being scrutinized, and teens turned off to blogging.
February 3, 2010
Well, what have we here? More than $30 million being used by City Council members for, ahem, special projects
Citing the drop in cargo activity, Moody's downgraded $1.7 billion of Alameda Corridor bonds and placed the debt on its watch list.
Bottom seven includes Bank of America, Chase and Citibank. Customers grouse that the banks are too interested in earnings.
Hundreds of people are griping about the cuts being proposed by L.A.'s chief budget official.
The state jobs crisis is far more serious than December's 12.4 percent unemployment rate would have you believe.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is known for speaking his mind, but he might have gone one step too far this morning.
Improving job reports, L.A. council caving, still more trouble for Toyota, and big cuts at CBS News.
February 2, 2010
Almost one million L.A. County residents - or nearly one in 10 - received food assistance in 2009.
Intelligence honchos testifying on Capitol Hill say that Al-Qaeda will try to strike in the U.S. within the next three to six months.
Boy, it's gotten so that a guy can't even surf the net for nudie shots anymore.
They were down 16 percent in January, not a big surprise given the recall and sales suspension.
The good news is you got nominated for Best Picture. The bad news is that if you might not get credit.
The Council will consider a plan to eliminate at least 1,000 positions, but the measure could not muster majority support from the budget committee.
How to fix Toyota pedals, L.A. budget cuts advance, Sony layoffs, and Super Bowl sells out.
February 1, 2010
The L.A. billionaire wants to buy up as much as 37 percent of the bookstore chain. But he's getting pushback.
The White House budget calls for scrapping the Boeing-made cargo plane, though we've heard that tune before.
That would be developer Sonny Astani's downtown condo tower, which got snagged up last fall by the failure of its first construction lender.
A total of 70 homes worth $45 million were sold in advance of the formal opening of two communities.
Toyota lays out plan, Tesla going public, Miramax up for sale, and SAG and AFTRA talk partnership.
© 2003-2011 • About LA Observed • Email the editor
Follow LAO
| If you lived in Los Angeles in the 1960s and were inclined toward rock and roll, you might have seen Ray Manzarek and The Doors play at Sunset Strip clubs, at Ports O'Call in San Pedro — or at your high school. Memories are flowing on social media.
| Several out-of-town budinskis have called the campaign an embarrassment, which was certainly not the case. Let's just say that the race, like so many others these days, was a missed opportunity