A brand new big nothing. Open space where there once stood a bungalow. I checked my email yesterday at about 5 pm for the first time that day and saw that something was up. A long string of messages, from a variety of people, with the words "demo," "update" and "Lucretia" in the subject line. An unpermitted demolition had begun at 1600 Lucretia. People were running over with cameras. The police were called. Eric Garcetti's office tried to get information. The police arrived to find no permit on the grounds. Which didn't mean the destruction was halted. When I drove up to the cul de sac end of Lucretia this morning the remains of what once was a peeling, old bungalow (presumably once a candidate for restoration) were squashed into a big, white dumpster, which overflowed with the disassembly. On the site, the bungalow's foundation remained and, it appeared, a single original wall (which, according to building laws, would obviate the need to obtain a new-construction permit as the project could be classified a renovation -- in this case a renovation of open air). There was new plywood enclosing the shell -- to conceal that now there is nothing there? A workman was hosing down bare dirt. A few scattered bricks lay on the grounds, a small post marked the side walkway, which leads to a public staircase down to Delta Street. A picket fence sagged, and there were a couple of car tires. Rubble.

It's more or less what the LAUSD tried to do with its 9A project. Tear down first. Pay a little for breaking the law later.

The last of yesterday's emails on the matter said the following:

I feel like I live in the wild west! Delta street looks like the 9th ward in New Orleans. Vista Gordo is a pile of rubble and lies. Lucretia is now you see it now you don't! Add to that LAUSD's negligent upkeep of 9A and we may as well apply for FEMA funds! Echo Park is a disaster!

(If you're just tuning in, Delta Street is where a field behind a chain-link fence has been fallow for some time. A worthy bungalow and other residences are empty on the site. Vista Gordo is a street at the far north end of Elysian Heights. Apparently, they're having some trouble up there.)

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Machine goes west. This just in from Machine Project:

We’re excited/terrified to tell you that we’ll be presenting over 30 of our favorite artists/projects/performers/workshops this weekend at the Art LA art fair. Highlights include a floral volcano which reads poetry, a Corey Fogel dance/sneeze performance (with a 500 pepper-shaker suit), the amazing Tron lecture redux, a fallen fruit jam jam, how to make moonshine, and so much more.

According to Machine Project, ART LA is from the 25th to the 27th. According to ART LA's site, it's from the 25th to the 28th. Not to be confused with the art fair at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar on the same days.

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Correction. I just received the following information from Sandra, who identified herself as "one of the 8,104 friends of Inara [George] and Greg [Kurstin]." The Jay Leno performance date for The Bird and the Bee is January 25.