LAist

Woman Flees Sexual Assaulter By Jumping Off Cliff in Malibu

Lindsay William-Ross — 2010-03-13T11:00:43-08:00

The rugged vista seen while hiking in Malibu (Photo by Wathana Lim/LAist. See more photos here)

A midday workout ended in cuts and bruises for a woman who was the victim of a sexual assault attempt in Malibu, according to the Huffington Post.

The woman "told deputies she had finished a run at about noon at Point Dume State Beach and was standing at the edge of a cliff when she was grabbed from behind. She says she and the man struggled for several minutes before she was able to break away. That's when the woman ran and jumped off the cliff."

The suspect then fled in the woman's vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser. The woman was taken to the hospital to be treated for her injuries.

4.2 Quake Rattles San Diego County This Morning

Lindsay William-Ross — 2010-03-13T10:45:00-08:00

A moderate quake rumbled in San Diego County this morning, but authorities are reporting no calls, damage or injuries, according to CBS2. The magnitude 4.2 quake hit at 8:32 a.m. near Mount Laguna in the Laguna Mountains, which are located in central San Diego County. The epicenter of the quake was about 48 miles east of downtown San Diego.

Haim's OD Prompts Prescription Drug-Ring Probe

Lindsay William-Ross — 2010-03-13T10:00:00-08:00

Haim seen in a 2009 publicity photo (AP Photo/Lions Gate Entertainment, Justin Lubin)

Following the death of onetime child star Corey Haim this week from a prescription drug overdose, authorities and the public quickly moved to scrutinize the actor's abuse of the pills and the possibility he had been "doctor shopping"--a practice that involves seeking prescriptions from multiple doctors at the same time.

In the wake of Haim's death, and as part of what's described as "an ongoing crackdown on prescription-drug fraud and abuse," Attorney General Jerry Brown announced yesterday his office is investigating an "illegal and massive prescription-drug ring" with ties to Haim, according to a press release.

38-year-old Haim's link to the ring comes via an unauthorized prescription found in his name "during an ongoing investigation of fraudulent prescription-drug pads ordered from a vendor in San Diego." These pads are ordered using fraudulent and stolen doctor's information; the medical professionals are "usually unaware that his or her identity has been stolen for this purpose."

So far, "more than 4,500 to 5,000 fraudulent prescriptions linked to the fraud ring in Southern California" have been uncovered.

L.A. Marathon Sells Out

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-13T09:30:00-08:00

That's it folks. For the first time in the races 25-year history, the Los Angeles Marathon has hit capacity. You can thank the new Stadium to Sea route, which features regional icons like Dodger Stadium, the Sunset Strip and near the Santa Monica Pier. There's still one way to participate, however: do the 5K Run/Walk companion race. Unlike year's previous, the traditional bike tour, which allowed cyclists to bike the route before runners took the course, was canceled to great disappointment. Race day is Sunday, March 21st.

Get Out: Rockin' Book Signings, Mr. Toast Party, Band from TV

Ali Trachta — 2010-03-13T09:00:00-08:00

Photo by Alex de Cordoba via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr.

Book Signings
There are a plethora of author events to choose from this weekend, and we're certain at least one of these picks will suit your particular brand of bookworminess.

1) Author Michael Walker will read and discuss his book, Laurel Canyon, The Inside Story of Rock n' Roll's Legendary Neighborhood, now in its tenth printing. As The New York Times once wrote about the book, which captures the L.A. neighborhood circa the 1960s, it is "a winding, inviting...portrait of a bohemian quarter that played a prominent role in the foundation of rock music." 1 p.m. at Bookstar.

2) If you're a parent, guardian or babysitter feeling particularly spiritual today, we suggest hitting Santa Monica's main library for a children's book reading and signing with Dr. Deepak Chopra (I know, right?) and illustrator Dave Zaboski. The two will read and sign their book, You With the Stars in Your Eyes. 11 A.M.

3) At Book Soup, cookbook authors Eric Lechasseur and Sanae Suzuki present and sign Love, Eric & Sanae: Seasonal Vegan Macrobiotic Cuisine. "Cuisine" being the operative word. If these two meatless wonders can make this difficult diet into something craveable (as Madonna and Tobey Maguire claim), sign us up.

Toast Mr. Toast
If it involves the Grilled Cheese Truck, we're there. If it's grilled cheese and beer, we're doubly there. If it's grilled cheese + PBR + hangin' at JapanLA, a celebration of Mr. Toast, goodie bags, an art show and merch sale...need we say it? 7-10 p.m.

'Band from TV' Concert
Band from TV is made of a motley crew of actors-turned-rockstars who jam together not just for our listening and viewing pleasure, but for the benefit of various charities as well. To be specific, the rockers include Greg Grunberg, Adrian Pasdar, Jack Coleman and James Kyson Lee from NBC’s “Heroes”, Jesse Spencer from FOX’s “House”, Bob Guiney from ABC’s “The Bachelor” and Scott Grimes from NBC’s “ER." In a somewhat Tiffany-esque move, they're playing at the grand opening of Loehmann's in Costa Mesa tonight. Purchase tickets here.

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How do School Gardens Grow? With Donated Seedlings!

Lindsay William-Ross — 2010-03-13T08:45:00-08:00

TwitPic

There's not a lot of good news out of the LAUSD very often these days, but there is some hope growing, and it smells a little bit like fresh dirt. That's because today Board Members Monica Garcia and Marguerite La Motte and the Mayor's Day of Service staff are teaming up with the LAUSD Green Program to give away 50,000 organic vegetable, herb and ornamental seedlings to school garden groups in the area.

The last in a series of regional give-away days, the donated seedlings (what, you think the LAUSD pays for them?) today will get in the ground at schools in East Los Angeles and elsewhere in the LAUSD.

And while news that kids will soon get to interact with and learn from these infant heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, basil, begonia and snap dragon plants is most useful to the teachers and program volunteers who should head to Multnomah Elementary [map] today at noon, it's also a good FYI for those who are excited to know the seeds of change are being sown here in our LAUSD schools.

Busy Soccer Scene Despite Looming Strike

Angel Magaña — 2010-03-13T08:00:27-08:00

Photo by swanksalot/Flickr

Major League Soccer made history this past week, but for all the wrong reasons. Frustrated by the lack of progress towards a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between themselves and the league, MLS players overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike. Through their vote, players have essentially told MLS that if an agreement is not reached by March 25th, clubs shouldn't expect to see them in their respective locker rooms.

Few would have imagined back in 1994--when the league existed nowhere else but paper--that at this stage in the league's life, it would be facing the threat of its first strike. Negotiations are scheduled to continue next week, but last week's discussions seemed to yield very little progress despite the involvement of a federal mediator. Perhaps someone will blink in the next two weeks and it will all be water under the bridge come March 25th.

The threat of a strike, however, has not hampered soccer activity in the area. The one trophy coveted by all European clubs, the UEFA Champions League Trophy, is on tour and today marks the first day of its multi-day L.A. stop. It is going to make several appearances in the area, so check out the full schedule for this rare opportunity to see what is widely considered as the most prestigious prize for club soccer.

Thousands of miles away, English Premier League side Everton FC is also closely monitoring the strike situation. Galaxy and U.S. Men's National Team star Landon Donovan is reaching the end of his stint with the Toffees and is scheduled to return to L.A. on the 15th of this month. Donovan's interest in extending his stay in Liverpool may be helped by the dispute given it is a World Cup year and he needs to be playing on a regular basis through the next few months in order to have a chance at a good performance in South Africa in June. Those conditions may give Everton sufficient leverage to work out a deal that allows him to stay longer, but that's assuming the parties involved are even factoring in his participation in South Africa. The next few days should produce a good quantity of rumors and are sure to be interesting to follow.

Those that have been following the rest of Donovan's Everton adventure will notice something a bit different in this week's match against Birmingham. Nike has provided all EPL teams with special (Nike)RED soccer balls to be used this weekend. La Liga and Seria A teams from Spain and Italy respectively will also participate, so you are likely to see quite a bit of these balls this weekend if you are into watching top-flight soccer. The move is part of Nike's continued efforts to bring awareness to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Much like the (RED) branded laces we told you about a few weeks ago, the balls are also available at www.nikestore.com with proceeds benefiting The Global Fund to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

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LAst Night's Action: Lakers Get By Suns

Jimmy Bramlett — 2010-03-12T21:45:03-08:00

Phoenix Suns' Jason Richardson holding back his head coach Alvin Gentry who was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter. AP Photo/Matt York

LA Lakers defeat Phoenix Suns 102-96. After leading by seven points at the half, the Lakers extended their lead to 15 points. Treating the paint as if it were filled with landmines, the Lakers clanged jump shot after jump shot while Steve Nash then kicked it in full gear for the Suns who went on an 11-2 run to end the third period to bring the game within four. The Suns would eventually take the lead just under three minutes into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers then decided that attacking the paint might be a good idea. After not going to the charity stripe at all in the third quarter, the Lakers were awarded with ten shots at the free throw line. Two of those came via technical fouls when Suns coach Alvin Gentry went crazy when a flagrant foul was not called on Pau Gasol when he fouled Louis Amundson. Kobe Bryant had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds while the Suns Amare Stoudemire led all scorers with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Ron Artest got his shot going getting 15 points while Lamar Odom had four points on 2-for-8 shooting.

LA Kings defeat Dallas Stars 2-1 (SO). Five rounds of the shootout went by with neither team scoring a goal. After Jamie Benn missed in the Stars half of the sixth round, that set the stage for Jarret Stoll to get one past Marty Turco to give the Kings the two points for the win. Jonathan Bernier, called up yesterday from the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL to replace Jonathan Quick who was tending to his wife Jaclyn as she gave birth to their first child, made his fifth NHL start and first since October 14, 2007. The Stars tested him in the first two periods getting 11 shots off in the first period and 10 shots in the second. Brenier saved all 21 of those shots while the Kings took advantage of a power play at the end of the first period with Fredrik Modin giving the Kings a 1-0 advantage. It was his fifth goal of the season and third in his last four games. Brandon Morrow tied the game up in the third period. The Kings now are 6-0-1 in their last seven meetings against Dallas since March 22, 2008 and are tied with the Phoenix Coyotes for fourth place in the Western Conference with identical 40-22-5 records.

Nashville Predators defeat Anaheim Ducks 1-0. The Ducks needing as many points to help vault them into the playoffs have now gone 0-4-1 since the Olympic break. Basically out of 10 possible points they could have by now, they have only gotten one point. Predators goalie Pekka Rinne stood on his head to block all 31 shots on goal, but the Predators penalty killing was stout not allowing a shot on goal during the 50 seconds the Ducks had a power play opportunity. Shea Weber had the only goal in the game during a 5-on-3 advantage at the end of the first period.

Charlotte Bobcats defeat LA Clippers 106-98. With Gerald Wallace out with a sprained ankle, the Clippers still sunk on the road losing six straight games and all three since Mike Dunleavy was fired. This despite the fact the Clippers shot 57.5% for the game, but the 23 turnovers which led to 32 Bobcats points essentially did the Clips in. Baron Davis led the Clippers with 24 points while Drew Gooden and Travis Outlaw had 16 points.

California Golden Bears defeat UCLA Bruins 85-72. With that UCLA’s season is over. Bruin fans, you can now show your faces again. Oh wait. They might get an NIT invitation. Nevermind.

Notable Notes

It’s amazing how quickly the tide has turned for the Oregon Ducks. After making their first Rose Bowl since 1995 and completely stinking up the game, they have descended into the Pac-10’s answer of the Oakland Raiders. Everyone on national television witnessed running back LaGarrette Blount’s punch against Boise State’s defensive end Byron Hout in the first game of the season. The guy who bailed him out in the backfield LaMichael James just pled guilty to a harassment charge after allegedly grabbing his ex-girlfriend by the throat outside his apartment and pushing her to the ground on February 15. And of course the Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is pled guilty to a felony burglary charge for stealing laptops and a guitar with ex-wide receiver Garrett Embry from a frat house and has been suspended for the 2010 season.

But that’s not all folks! Kicker Rob Beard pled guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge for his role in a January 24th street fight. Defensive end Matt Simms was charged with assault and summarily dismissed for hitting a man whom he thought attacked Beard.

And what’s a dysfunctional team without a DUI charge? Linebacker Kiko Alonso filled that role who was then suspended for all of the 2010 season.

This all leads to one question: can the Oregon Ducks handle success? If this is how they show it, perhaps they, and all of the Pac-10 for that matter, would be better served if the Ducks merely contended for Emerald Nut Bowls.

The mare that captured the hearts of the public during the Breeder’s Cup Classic late last year will make her Santa Anita debut on Saturday. The six-year old Zenyatta will be racing the $250,000 Grade I Santa Margarita Handicap and is a rare 1-9 favorite. The racing world hopes a Zenyatta victory in the Santa Margarita will lead to the “Race for the Ages” against Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the $5 million Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 9. The highlights from the HRTV broadcast of the race will be shown on the 3:00 pm version of SportsCenter on ESPN.

The Kings will be host the first “Family Fun Day” this Sunday as part of the Kings-Nashville Predators game scheduled at noon at the Staples Center. Anze Kopitar bobbleheads will be distributed to the first 10,000 fans and the Kings will be celebrating their mascot Bailey’s birthday. Bailey and several other NHL mascots will be on hand for a pregame autograph session and will take on a youth hockey team during the second intermission. After the game kids can take the ice and take a shot on net with a suggested donation of $5 with proceeds going to Kings Care Foundation. More information can be found LAKings.com/familyfunday.

Tonight’s Action

LA Clippers at San Antonio Spurs. 5:30 pm FS Prime Ticket, AM 980 KFWB.

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Extra, Extra

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T18:11:18-08:00

As seen at Bronson and Santa Monica earlier this week | Photo by douglasspics via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

A new live music venue in Venice? Meet Witzend.
The city budget cuts and how they are affecting the parks is enough to make you feel like a nervous "rec."
The cute Hollywood restaurant Off Vine, which was shuttered because of a fire, is finally opening next week.
Lady Gaga's latest video, featuring Beyonce, nods a few cool SoCal landmarks.
The mayor says there's no scenario in which Los Angeles will go broke.
How a change in the city's live/work definition will affect the downtown condo market.
Heads up. There will be Blue Line delays this weekend.
Finally... Some housekeeping. There are a few ways to stay connected with us. Consider following us on Twitter, Facebook, through your RSS reader or via our new iPhone app.

How L.A. Could Build 12 Major Transit Projects in 10 Years

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T17:40:56-08:00

Photo by Salaam Allah West Coast Transitphotography KING! via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

The hardest part about bringing Los Angeles a world-class public transit system is the funding. That's why Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's has been hitting up Washington hard for his 30/10 plan--12 projects scheduled to be completed in 30 years accelerated to 10 years. The Plan doesn't ask for free money, it asks for a long-term loan to be paid back with guaranteed funds from Measure R, the voter-approved sales tax hike.

At yesterday's Senate Committee on the Environment and Public
Works hearing, USDOT Undersecretary for Policy Roy Kienitz said there's no one funding mechanism to support the project as a whole, but he does understand L.A.'s need for improved transit in the immediate future. “Everyone who has ever driven in LA knows that more and better transit in that region is a must, and the sooner it’s in place, the better,” he said.

After returning from his trip, Villaraigosa's office today announced a handful of federal programs that could help fund 30/10:

Federal loan guarantees

Interest rate subsidies

Direct (bridge) loan

Innovative repayment options (e.g. repayment doesn’t begin until a project is completed, similar to TIFIA)

There's no hint to when day one of ten years begins, but the conversation is definitely making some headway. Here are the 12 projects in 30/10:

Orange Line Canoga extension (under construction)
The Westside Subway Extension
The Regional Connector Light Rail connector
The Gold Line Foothill Extension
The Crenshaw line in South Los Angeles
The Green Line Extension to the South Bay
The Green Line Extension to LAX
The Expo Light Rail Line Phase 2
The Gold Line Eastside Extension
The West Santa Ana Branch Corridor
A 405 Corridor project west
San Fernando Valley North South rapidways

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Train to (Near) LAX Begins Exploratory Drilling on Monday

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T16:42:41-08:00

Efforts to build the $1.7 billion Crenshaw Line will take another step Monday when exploratory drilling begins. The process to test below-ground surface conditions will be hailed by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a press conference to mark the important project.

Expected to be completed in 2018, the 8.5-mile light rail line will move passengers between the current Green Line Aviation station (meaning getting to the actual airport is still a shuttle bus away, but Villaraigosa has other plans) and Crenshaw and Exposition, home to a future Expo Line station currently under construction. 7,800 jobs construction jobs are expected to be created from the project.

Will Fresh & Easy Move into HOWS Market's NoHo Space?

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T16:29:03-08:00

With HOWS Market poised to leave the NoHo Arts District, residents and blogs have been abuzz--wishing, hoping, pleading--with the prospect of a possible Fresh & Easy takeover of the space. Michael Higby at the Downtown NoHo Times, citing a "secret inside snoops," says that Fresh & Easy indeed does have plans to move in. But a representative at the company tells LAist in an e-mail that it's not the case, at least not at the moment. "We’re looking at sites in NoHo, but not that site at this time," he wrote. So, at this point, it's anyone's guess.

Presented By:

2010-03-12T16:29:03-08:00

Music, Art, Food Trucks & Bicycles: ArtCycle Returns to East Hollywood Tomorrow

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T16:01:00-08:00

Photo by Cassandra Pruett via Flickr

A portion of Santa Monica Boulevard will be opened up to pedestrians and bicycles tomorrow for the 2nd Annual ArtCycle event, which is meant to merge creativity and cycling in celebration of East Hollywood's emerging arts scene. The street fair will feature a small army of food trucks, various bands, arts and crafts, face painting and art in addition to bicycle-led tours of neighborhood art galleries and historical spots.

One building with history written all over it, however, sits in the middle of the festival. The Cahuenga Branch Library is steeped in history and across the street from it is another spot where residents hope to make a historical move by changing a city facility into the neighborhood's first park.

"One of our big issues is to create parks because we don't have any of them," explained David Bell, president of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, which is sponsoring the event. "Right where we're having the ArtCycle this year is the Bureau of Street Lights' storage facility for the entire city. We're kinda doing it front of that location to show that we've been storing the street lights for the entire city for long enough. It's time to move that out and turn that piece of propety into a park."

Bell says Councilmember Eric Garcetti, the bureau and others are in agreement that it should move, but to where is the question. "Perhaps under a freeway," he suggested.

Envisioning the city's future aside, ArtCycle looks to be a good time. Bands include Killsonic, Luna is Honey, 60 Watt Kid, John Nixon from Whqles and others, with DJs from Dublab filling in the gaps. Salsarologo, the Capoeira Group and the Flag Dancers will also be there for entertainment.

Food trucks booked by the Mobile Food Vendor Association include Fresser's Pastrami, Louks, Del's Lemonade, Let's be Frank, Frysmith, Asian Soul Food, Komodo Food, Slice Truck, Fishlips, Dragotta, India Jones, Vesuvius, and Grilled Cheese Truck.

The event goes from 2 to 10 p.m. and if you don't have a bicycle, don't worry. The event is next to the Vermont/Santa Monica Red Line Station.

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FMLY Bicycle Ride (Eastside Meets Westide!) 03/13/10

Melissa Moore — 2010-03-12T16:00:00-08:00

I love me some Los Angeles (born, bred, and back again), but one of the things I miss the most about my time in San Francisco is the traffic-stopping, bell-ringing, cyclist rights-asserting celebration that is Critical Mass. Sure, LA has their own regional chapters, but with the city spread out as it is, the full impact of our cyclist army isn't felt as heartily as in our sister city to the North. Until now, that is.

The proactive kids in LA's beloved Rumspringa have put together an Eastside meets Westside bicycle ride tomorrow night in the name of peace, prosperity, and plenty of live music (we CAN all just get along!). Grab your gear (bike, helmet, lock, tools), pick a side at 7pm (Eastsiders are meeting in DTLA at Spring St./Cesar Chavez, Westsiders at Cloverfield Park), and mess with motorists (just kidding folks) as you make your way to the middle (West Adams/La Brea) for a local band smorgasbord.

Besides Rumspringa, you'll be treated to the sounds and sights of Insects vs. Robots, 60 Watt Kidd, The Light Rays and others - all for a $3 donation. Plus pizza! Let's give those SF bicyclists a run for their money.

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

tien mao — 2010-03-12T16:00:00-08:00

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist.

Palladium Boots, ready to help you explore your street, your city, or the world.
American Apparel, with 8 stores in LA, you can look your best any time.
GroupOn, using collective buying power to bring you one ridiculous coupon each day.

If you're interested in advertising on LAist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

Theater Roundup: Recently Opened Productions

Guest Writer — 2010-03-12T15:30:21-08:00

Rafael Feldman, Saleem and Korken Alexander in Salam Shalom, written by Saleem, now playing at the Greenway Court Theatre in the Fairfax district | Photo: Michael Lamont

by Lyle Zimskind for LAist

Salam Shalom
The personal and the political are stuck with each other in actor-playwright Saleem’s 1996 Harvey Fierstein Award-winning Salam Shalom, now running in a new, substantially revised version at the Greenway Court Theater in West Hollywood. Thrown together as roommates in UCLA graduate student housing, Israeli business student Yaron (Korken Alexander) and Palestinian ethnomusicologist Nabeel (Saleem) soon find their mutual attraction stronger than the knee-jerk antagonism that their conflicting backgrounds had initially generated. Once the two men move back to their respective homes in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, however, inescapable family pressures and social imperatives put this relationship to what may be an impossible test.

Salam Shalom, Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N. Fairfax Boulevard. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through April 17.

Hell Hath No Fury
The hijinks fly fast and furious as six very different women meet at a party and discover they’ve all been dating the same man in Ben Gillman’s new play for Above the Curve Theatre. Oh, the bastard doesn’t get away with it, that’s for sure. But all of these deceived former lovers are going to have to pay for the revenge crime that only one of them has committed unless they can quickly figure out whodunit. Was it the cheerleader, the Christian, the hostess, the punker, the Republican…or the one who brought them all together?

Hell Hath No Fury, Actors Workout Studio, 4735 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through March 21.

Old Glory
One year after its critically acclaimed world premiere in Chicago, Brett Neveu’s contemporary wartime drama Old Glory is making its west coast debut at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank. The Victory’s co-associate artistic director Carri Sullens directs a cast of six that includes company co-founder Tom Ormeny.

Old Glory, The Victory Theatre Center, 3326 West Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through April 25.

TV Junkie: 'The Pacific' on Sunday; 'Men of a Certain Age' @ PaleyFest Tonight

Thomas Attila Lewis — 2010-03-12T15:00:52-08:00

[NOTE: Please double check broadcast times, particularly on Sunday's shows. Since we move the clocks ahead 1 hour at midnight on Saturday, we aren't sure that this time change has made it through the broadcast feeds we are monitoring.]
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This weekend is all about HBO's new mini-series, "The Pacific" (see the promo above), which is also being renamed by some as "Band of Brothers - Part Deux". What made "Band of Brothers" so compelling was that we followed the same group of guys, Easy Company, throughout Europe, which made the storyline somewhat easier to follow. It was also incredibly interesting because these were true stories about real people, many of whom are still alive.

We wonder if "The Pacific" will be as engaging since we understand that some of the characters, while based on real people, were in different units, it might not be as easy to follow. What will be true is that HBO has spent a lot of money to get this series and it is a quality production - heck, Steven Spielberg is running the show, so we know it will look great. We will definitely give this series as many chances as we can and if you have HBO and are choosing not to watch this, please explain yourself.
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PaleyFest2010 continues with one of our favorite new shows being honored tonight: TNT's "Men of a Certain Age", the event begins at 7pm and it's well worth going. Tomorrow night "Glee" gets the treatment!
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Other Notes: Late night tonight looks very good, Saturday looks weak, and Sunday, while it has plenty of premieres, they all look cheap in anticipation of "The Pacific" - who would choose "Celebrity Apprentice" over "The Pacific", it defies logic. What also defies logic is watching a comedy like "How To Make It In America" immediately after so we're a little mystified at HBO's programming choice. E! has some shows premiering at 10pm on Sunday, more on those later this weekend. Please check out the full listings though, as we slave over these for you.
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The TV Junkie Plan: Tonight - "Ricky Gervais Show", "Life & Times of Tim", Bill Maher, "Caprica", "The Soup", "Comedy Central Presents", Letterman (Liev Schreiber & Jim Gaffigan), Fallon (Parker Posey, Jason Sudeikis, Vampire Weekend). Saturday - "The Big Heat", SNL (Jude Law & Pearl Jam). Sunday - "The Pacific"

Tonight

6:00pm The Ricky Gervais Show HBO - Karl admits that he is getting a face rub at a spa; the customs of undocumented tribes in New Guinea; Ricky and Karl's trip to an antiquities store; a fan's e-mail warns of dangerous dolphins.

6:30pm The Life & Times of Tim HBO - Tim finds a way for a scout troop to make money; Rodney suspects his wife of cheating on him with a hockey player.

7:00pm Real Time With Bill Maher HBO - Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.); journalist John Heilemann; actor Hill Harper; commentator Amy Holmes; former N.M. governor Gary Johnson.

8:00pm The Monster That Challenged the World TCM - (1957) A Navy commander (Tim Holt) leads a desert search-and-destroy mission for prehistoric sea snails.

8:00pm Who Do You Think You Are? NBC - Intrigued by a rumor about his ancestry, football legend Emmitt Smith explores his family roots.

9:00pm Supernanny ABC - 100th episode, Season Finale

9:00pm Caprica Syfy - The Imperfections of Memory

9:00pm What Not to Wear TLC - An unexpected twist arises while trying to dress a breast cancer survivor who lost 90 pounds and decided to not have reconstructive surgery

9:55pm Spartacus: Blood and Sand Starz - Batiatus buys new slaves and contemplates selling Crixus; IIythia wants someone to kill Spartacus.

10:00pm The Soup E! - Gabourey Sibide is slated to show

10:00pm Friday Night With Jonathan Ross BBC America - Lady Gaga; Stephen Moyer; Michael Ball

10:00pm Numb3rs CBS - Season Finale

11:00pm Comedy Central Presents Comedy Central - Julian McCullough and Shane Mauss

11:30pm Charlie Rose PBS/KCET - Author Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush.

11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - Actor Liev Schreiber; comic Jim Gaffigan; Drive-By Truckers perform.

11:35pm The Tonight Show With Jay Leno NBC - Actress Dakota Fanning; director Judd Apatow; Katharine McPhee performs.

12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actor George Hamilton; astronaut Mike Massimino.

12:35am Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC - Actress Parker Posey; actor Jason Sudeikis; Vampire Weekend performs.

Saturday

8:00pm The Big Heat TCM - (1953) A gun moll (Gloria Grahame) helps a detective (Glenn Ford) find the gangsters who killed his wife.

8:00pm What I Hate About Me Style - A newly divorced woman who also lost her job needs to face the future with confidence.

8:00pm Dinoshark Syfy - Special Presentation

9:00pm The Dish Style - Celebs, snark, gossip, and fashion

11:25pm Saturday Night Live NBC - Host Jude Law; Pearl Jam performs.

Sunday

8:00pm Minute to Win It NBC - Series Premiere. This looks completely idiotic.

8:00pm Killer Aliens Animal Planet - Special Presentation

9:00pm Undercover Boss CBS - Churchill Downs Executive Bill Carstanjen faces his fear of horses while working under cover at Churchill Downs.

9:00pm Desperate Housewives ABC - Gaby has a chance encounter with supermodels Heidi Klum and Paulina Porizkova in New York

9:00pm Celebrity Apprentice NBC - Season Premiere

9:00pm The Pacific HBO - Mini-Series Premiere

9:00pm Ultimate Recipe Showdown Food - Season Premiere

9:30pm Sons of Tucson FOX - Series Premiere

10:00pm America's Worst Driver Travel - Series Premiere

10:00pm How to Make It in America HBO - Ben and Cam meet with a Japanese buyer; Rene tries to locate a pile of stashed cash; Rachel hopes to bring some fresh energy into her relationship with Darren.

10:00pm The Antonio Treatment HGTV - Series Premiere

10:00pm Fatal Attractions Animal Planet - Series Premiere

10:00pm Kendra E! - Season Premiere

10:00pm Hoarding: Buried Alive TLC - Special Presentation

10:30pm Pretty Wild E! - Series Premiere

"The Pacific" premieres at 9pm this Sunday on HBO

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Eeek! Lots of Sex and Leftover Condoms in Elysian Park

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T14:59:30-08:00

KFI AM 640 has a video from a Spanish TV crew showing tons of used condoms off hiking trails in Elysian Park near Little League fields. The radio station says this is a hot spot for males to have anonymous sex. "Maybe shining a light on this, hopefully, discouraging males who would come up and do this type of activity," LAPD Captain Bill Murphy said. "We'll get that word out there." 90 arrests have been already made this year.

Weekend Movie Guide: Remember Green Zone

Josh Tate — 2010-03-12T14:30:00-08:00

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I'm psyched to see any new Paul Greengrass movie and even though Green Zone feels a little Bourne-ish, I'm definitely there. I can't say the same for Our Family Wedding which looks like a quasi-racist farce (and not in a good way). Will Team Edward flock to see Remember Me? Let's hope not! Jay Baruchel is solid gold in my book, and She's Out Of My League appears to be the sort of broad, horndog comedy that I tend to like.

The filmmakers of Children of Invention have been four-walling the country for months. They finally land in Los Angeles for a brief stay. The best movie opening this week is probably Mother which means that no one will see it. As much as any current musician, Jack White could be a movie star if he ever committed to it. See how much of that charisma comes through in White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights.

Tickets, Showtimes, Reviews & Previews after the jump!

Tickets & Showtimes

Green Zone
Our Family Wedding
Remember Me
She's Out Of My League
Children of Invention
Mother
White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

Reviews

Green Zone
Our Family Wedding
Remember Me
She's Out Of My League
Children of Invention
Mother
White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

Previews

Green Zone

Our Family Wedding

Remember Me

She's Out Of My League

Children of Invention

Mother

White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

Map of the Day: What Streets Have Been Repaved So Far This Year?

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T13:42:31-08:00

Detail of resurfaced streets in Sherman Oaks. Zoom out to see the full district | View this map in a larger format

If you live in L.A.'s Council District 2 (we don't), you're in luck. The recently elected City Councilmember Paul Krekorian today released two useful Google maps for residents. One of them focuses on one of constituent's top complaints: street resurfacing.

The 12.07 miles resurfaced--that's 74 separate projects--within the district are marked on the map, color coded to the funding source (Gas Tax, Prop C and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act).

"These maps are part of our innovative approach to government that will not be limited to simply creating maps," explained Krekorian's spokesman Jeremey Oberstein (Transparency Note: Oberstein occasionally writes for LAist as a volunteer contributing to Arts & Events). "Councilmember Krekorian believes that government should be accessible to everyone, which is why we will be creating many more maps for the district and will be unveiling our new website in the coming weeks - of which a portion will be dedicated solely to maps everyone can use."

This is a simple idea, but one that's much needed. Residents in other parts of the city should demand this sort of transparency for their neighborhoods (we'll be bugging Paul Koretz, that's for sure). The unfortunate thing is that Krekorian's staff are the ones creating these while this data should be provided to the public (and council offices) through the city's in-house technology agency.

In San Fransicso, a pilot project called DataSF aims to "liberate city data." This enables residents and private companies to access public data and affords the opportunity to create commerce via web publications such as mobile phone apps. In New York City, a city sponsored data-driven contest yielded an iPhone app that identifies and educates the public on street trees. Tree Near You uses GPS to find your location and marks what tree is what with photo examples.

Krekorian also released a general emergency map that shows where sandbags can be picked up. It can be seen below:

View CD 2 Emergency Map in a larger map

Also: Game Changer? Councilman's Staff Begin to Live Blog

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Pencil This In: Night Hiking, Fr. Greg Boyle at Vroman's, Celebrating Sam Adams and Spring at the Farmers Market

Christine N. Ziemba — 2010-03-12T13:00:00-08:00

Farmers Market clock tower | Photo by M.V. Jantzen via LAist's flickr pool.

HIKE
There's an organized night hike of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon tonight at 6:30 pm sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The "Trail to the Stars" is a two-hour moderate 1/2-mile hike. Meet at the Victory Blvd. entrance trailhead. The hike is free, but parking is $3. (Oh and leave Fido at home. No dogs allowed on the group hike.)

CURLING
Hollywood Curling expands to the Santa Clarita Valley for three learn-to-curl workshops at the Ice Station in Valencia tonight. Registration begins at 7 pm, prep talk begins at 7:30 pm and on-ice learning runs from 8-10 pm. If you watched curling in the Olympics recently and became enthralled with the sweeping and "rock" throwing, and said to yourself, "I can do that..." Now's your chance. If you can't make tonight's open house, there are others on March 27 and April 10. $15. Ages 8 and up. Pre-register at info@hollywoodcurling.org with the subject "Valencia Curling." Wear layers, rubber-soled shoes and gloves. Helmets are recommended for children.

BOOKS*
Tonight at 7 pm, Vroman's welcomes Father Greg Boyle as he discusses and signs his book Tattoos on the Heart. Father Boyle was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1982, and moved to Boyle Heights in 1986 to become the pastor of Dolores Mission. Two years after coming to Boyle Heights, he founded an organization that would eventually become Homeboy Industries--the outstanding nonprofit that provides at-risk youth and former gang members with job experience and alternative pathways to gang life. "Father Boyle draws on his 20+ years of stories and experiences in Tattoos on the Heart, telling the stories of LA’s gangs with unmatched love and compassion."

OPENING
There's an (E.P.I.C.) Echo Park Independent Co-Op grand opening party and Post-It Note art show to benefit Million Trees LA tonight from 7-10 pm. There will be food trucks, music and Jett Vodka to help the festivities. The concept as a retail store is to carry all Los Angeles only brands, focusing on up and coming L.A. fashion designers, art, music and other local goods. Proceeds from sales of items in the store and from the art show will help Million Trees LA plant more trees throughout the city. The new co-op is located at 1712 W. Sunset Blvd. (in the Jensen's Recreation Center) in Echo Park.

SAM ADAMS
The beer and wine bars of the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax are celebrating Spring with Sam Adams. March marks the 25th anniversary of Samuel Adams Boston Beer Company. Today, the Farmers Market bars 326 and EB’s will be serving pints of Boston Beer, including Sam Lager, Noble Pils and the brand new Coastal Wheat, at 1984 prices. From 6 pm on, DJ Todd B will be spinning 80s tunes on the West Patio. (And here's a heads up: Happy hour at the Farmers Market is from 5-7:30 pm daily. Pints are 50 cents off, pitchers are $1.50 off for draft beers.

*Pencil pick of the day

> Check out your cinematic options on the LAist Film Calendar.
> LAist's Comedy calendar

Want more events? Follow me on Twitter.

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YouTube Video of Race Car Crash Busts Two for Alleged Auto Insurance Fraud

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T12:55:16-08:00

A crash happens around 2:00 on this video

The above YouTube video helped investigators land two Diamond Bar siblings in cuffs today after they allegedly submitted false claims to insurance agents. 21-year-old Jay Xi Chen told Farmers Insurance Exchange that his sister, 29-year-old Tracy Chen Chen, had been driving the GT-R when it was involved in a collision on Interstate 10 on March 16, 2009, according to the California Department of Insurance. She corroborated the story, but her brother later withdrew the claim, saying he would fix the repairs himself.

Then on June 2, 2009, Jay reported another claim with the same vehicle, stating that this time he crashed the auto while driving on Highway 60 in Riverside County.

And that's where eyebrows began to raise. The shop where the car was brought to in March said they still had the unrepaired car. Then investigators found the above video, which showed the same damage in one of Jay's claims, taken during an apparent street race on San Gabriel Mountain Road. The car was said to have crashed into a wall.

Damage was estimated to be $76,000. Both brother and sister were arrested today on felony auto insurance fraud charges for filing an allegedly false insurance claim surrounding. Jay was charged on six counts, his sister on one count.

Tonight In Rock: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Happy Hollows, Sleepy Sun, Big Moves

Joshua Pressman — 2010-03-12T12:00:00-08:00

Big Moves will be performing tonight at the Bootleg Theater | Photo by Anna Webber via Big Moves Myspace

Our Pick: Holly Miranda, Yellow Red Sparks, Big Moves @ Bootleg Theater

Tonight local psych-infused indie rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (LAist Interview) will be headlining the Echoplex with Athens' own garage rock revivalists the Whigs in tow, ringing in their first full length in over two years—2010's Beat The Devil's Tattoo. LA-bred indie rock outfit the Happy Hollows (LAist Review, #2, #3) is poised to grace the Troubadour. And, lastly, San Francisco-by-way-of-Santa Cruz psych-tinged rock sextet Sleepy Sun will be performing at the Echo with none other than local rock and roll outfit Slang Chickens. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch burgeoning LA-based jazz-infused indie rock act Big Moves. Buzz-worthy Brooklyn-bred singer-songwriter Holly Miranda is slated to headline.

You can find these listings as well as the rest of the week's in our weekly Week In Rock post, which goes up every Sunday.

Big Moves - "My Room Became A Forest"

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Whigs, Mini Mansions @ Echoplex
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Amoeba Music (FREE! Early Show; 6 PM)
The Happy Hollows, The Veils, Twilight Sleep @ Troubadour
Sleepy Sun, Slang Chickens @ The Echo
Quasi, Explode Into Colors, The French Semester @ Spaceland
Truth & Salvage Co., The Parsons Red Heads, Brother Sal, Basia Bulat, Suzie Brown @ The Hotel Café
Holly Miranda, Yellow Red Sparks, Big Moves @ Bootleg Theater
Kenneth Pattengale @ Molly Malone's Irish Pub
'Classical Geek Theatre' Mouse's birthday party w/ Stoned at Heart, Jack Wilson Jr., Downtown/Union @ Pehrspace
Anna Oxygen, Broken Water, Happy Prescriptions, Dunes @ The Smell
Amps For Christ, Cabeza de Vaca Arkestra, Parallax @ Echo Curio
Carrie Newcomer @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
Little Boots, Dragonette, Fan Death @ Glass House
Agent Orange, The Gears, Viva Hate, Werewolf @ Alex's Bar

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Transit Authority Responds to Lawsuit Against Train from Culver City to Santa Monica

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T11:39:43-08:00

Girder installation for an Expo Line trench | Photo via Expo Authority

The authority charged with building a train between downtown and Santa Monica responded today to a lawsuit filed that could hinder construction on the route's second phase west of Culver City. "The Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority (Expo Authority) is confident that the Phase 2 project complies fully with the California Environmental Quality Act and the Authority intends to defend the project vigorously," an agency statement read.

Neighbors for Smart Rail (NFSR) this week filed a lawsuit challenging the approval of environmental studies, which allows the Expo Authority to begin preliminary engineering and eventually break ground later this year. They contend that running a light rail train at street level through residential neighborhoods and adjacent to schools and parks has "little or not regard to the safety, traffic or community environmental impacts such as noise, vibration and visual blight," according to their website.

Supporters of the Expo Line, Friends4ExpoTransit said "NFSR's long deep tunnel beneath the existing railroad right-of-way is unprecedented, never built on any modern U.S. light rail line."

"The Authority conducted many large-scale community meetings and well over
one hundred additional key stakeholder briefings to discuss the alternatives that were studied and to obtain feedback from the public," the Expo Line statement continued. "The selected project alternative reflects the consensus of the communities served by the project and incorporates the highest standards for design, public safety and environmental protection."

"Communities on the Westside of Los Angeles are among the most traffic-congested in the nation and have long been underserved when it comes to options for public transportation," the authority noted. Scoping of the project has been in progress for decades

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Presented By:

2010-03-12T11:39:43-08:00

Pasadena Burgers: Pie n' Burger

Elise Thompson — 2010-03-12T11:00:24-08:00

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Pie n' Burger has a lot going for it. For over 40 years the little diner has graced the corner of California and Lake. The current owner is Michael Osborn, who ate at Pie n' Burger on summer trips to visit his grandmother. He began working there in 1972 and never left. The formica counters and elderly waitresses make entering Pie n' Burger feel like a trip back in time circa Nick at Nite. Pie 'n Burger has been around so long that its diet plate of a burger patty, peach slices and cottage cheese has actually come into vogue again.

The meaty patty is nicely charred. Burgers come standard with big leaves of iceberg lettuce, pickles, and thousand island dressing, which makes for a delightfully messy handful. There is so much lettuce on it that it probably counts as a salad, but instead of being filler, the crispy iceburg makes the burger strangely refreshing. You can also order your onions grilled, which we highly recommend.

As the name suggests, pies are the star of the show here. The fruit pies are possibly the best pies in the Los Angeles area, especially the blueberry pie. The flaky crust fairly bursts with blueberries, and the slice collapses under the weight of two massive scoops of ice cream. The cream pies are topped with meringue instead of a whipped cream topping, the best of these being the banana. When olallieberry season comes around it is newsworthy.

Best of all, Chronicle Wine Cellar is inconspicuously located in the back of the parking lot. You can stop in and pick up a bottle from the friendly shopkeeper, Gus Martin, before your meal. The diner doesn't charge corkage, so you can enjoy your burger with a shiraz or zinfandel.

Old-fashioned also means no credit cards. Cash or checks only, and I think a check might be pushing it. Although once as I dug for an elusive two dollars, the cashier said, "It's ok if you don't have it." Talk about the good old days!

Bus Service between Union Station and Dodger Stadium is Back [Updated]

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T10:55:24-08:00

Photo by susan catherine via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

The transit program that swept baseball fans between Union Station and Dodger Stadium in 2008 and then canceled in 2009 is back, thanks to a $300,000 grant enabling a no-cost express bus service for the 2010 Dodgers season. The news comes from County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who sits on the Governing Board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) where the air reduction pollution grant was secured.

“Dodger fans across the County can now avoid the traffic, save gas and help improve air quality by using public transit and our new Dodger Express Bus to get to the game,“ Antonovich said in a statement.

Buses will run between the station and stadium every 10 minutes prior to the start of a game run every 30 minutes or so during the game. Further details are pending.

Update: Here are the details on the operation and schedule, per Antonovich's staff:

Seven CNG buses would be used for 83 home games-- two preseason and 81 regular season games.
Pre-Game - service will be provided on a 10 minute frequency from 90 minutes prior to game up to the 3rd inning.
Mid-Game - service will be provided on a 30 minute frequency between the 3rd inning and 7th inning
Post-Game - service will be provided "load and go" from 7th inning to 45 minutes after game ends

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Protest at Accused Whale-Serving Sushi Restaurant Planned for Today

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T10:29:20-08:00

AP Photo/Reed Saxon

Charges from the U.S. Attorney's office against restaurant allegedly serving whale meat are not enough for the international non profit Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

“When we heard that the offense is only a misdemeanor and that operators of The Hump could at most be fined and serve possible jail time for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, we realized that we needed to do more to raise awareness and educate the Los Angeles community that this local restaurant is serving endangered Sei whale meat. We encourage people to join us to help put an end to restaurants in the US and Japan selling endangered species as delicacies," said Zoli Ignite Teglas, a coordinator with the group, in a statement.

Today's peaceful protest will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the restaurant, located at The Santa Monica airport - 3221 Donald Douglas Loop South - Santa Monica, CA 90405.

Glendale to Intensify Fight Against Proposed 710 Freeway Tunnel

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T10:15:18-08:00

A proposal to tunnel underneath a handful of cities to connect the 710 and 210 freeways has been a controversy for decades. And it's not over yet.

City of Glendale officials this week agreed to devote more resources to fighting the project, which currently has studied five different tunnel routes that could affect Alhambra, Glendale, La Cañada-Flintridge, Los Angeles, Monterey Park, San Marino, South Pasadena or Pasadena.

Joining La Canada and South Pasadena, Glendale, which only formally opposed the project last year, will now use funds to create an action plan, according to the Glendale News-Press. The action could involved legal challenges.

“I hear a clear consensus on wanting to take an active position against the tunnel and being more engaged in this,” said City Manager Jim Starbird, who also noted the costs associated could amount to the hundreds of thousands.

One councilman opposed the move. “The analysis hasn’t been made. Environmental documents haven’t been done,” said Dave Weaver. “We don’t know which route it will go. Nothing has been done.”

Gavin Newsom Makes Lt. Gov Run Official; Janice Hahn Campaigns Today in the Bay Area

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T09:45:56-08:00

Newsom

Has California ever seen a race for Lt. Governor that has gotten so much coverage? The race for a practically unknown office is getting its due as San Francisco Mayor and former gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom faces off with Los Angeles City Councilmember Janice Hahn, whose brother is L.A.'s former mayor.

Newsom today officially announced his run for the job along with a number of big name endorsements, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Los Angeles), Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and the California Nurses Association.

Hahn, who announced her candidacy in December, has been working since garnering a plethora of endorsements from the likes of the California Federation of Teachers, Ed Begley Jr., The National Organization for Women (NOW), L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti, among many others.

The L.A. politician will be in the Bay Area this morning, giving a keynote speech at the National Women's Political Caucus in Marin County. Last month, amid rumors of today's eventual news, Hahn's campaign went on the attack, demonstrating that Newsom balked at the idea of running for Lt. Governor and admitting he didn't even know what the job was about.

"Like many, I’ve openly questioned whether the office of LG is the right place to lead a reform movement that has the power to shake up Sacramento," Newsom said this morning, half addressing Hahn's attack. "But, as I’ve opened my mind, asked tough questions and met with esteemed experts, I’m more convinced than ever that the broad, informal portfolio of the office allows our Lieutenant Governor the freedom and platform to engage on any issue, from the ground up, without being distracted or deterred by the usual Sacramento power plays or bureaucratic turf battles. Big, bold ideas are the currency of this job and I plan on bringing many to the table."

Newsom says he's running because "it’s that local communities throughout California can only achieve their full potential if we fix the dysfunction that is strangling progress in Sacramento." And it can be fixed. "I know it can be done because we’ve done it in the City and County of San Francisco," he noted, touting his accomplishments in San Francisco--some locals will refute these--such as "putting politics aside and solving the toughest problems together," the creation of "new, modern, living-wage jobs," providing "access to quality health care for every resident," investing in schools and teachers and raising student test scores, protecting the environment and putting "put people back to work in the new green economy."

Running for office while serving as Mayor will be challenging, Newsom says. "I am certain that I can be both a successful candidate in this race and a devoted husband and father without having my focus, attention or passion for the job of Mayor affected or diluted by even one iota.”

" I clearly won’t be running a traditional, politics-as-usual campaign," he added.

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Apparent Burglar Strikes City Councilman's House for the 2nd Time

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T09:18:01-08:00

Photo via Alarcon's Webpage

Councilman Richard Alarcon, currently under investigation for not living in his Northeast Valley district, came home last night to find a man in his house. That man apparently was the same one who broke into his house last year, scaring Alarcon to live at his wife's house in a different district for some time, which prompted an anonymous tip to the District Attorney's office about him not living in his district.

While the status of the investigation is unknown, last night's apparent burglar was arrested by police, according to the Daily News. Alarcon said he came home and couldn't open the front door because the intruder was holding the door shut. "He said, `No trespassing,"' Alarcon told ABC-7. "I knew instantly who it was. It was the same guy who did it back in October."

Back in October, the man took over his home for less than two days, he told the LA Times in January. The apparent "mentally ill man broke into his house, changed the locks on at least three doors and destroyed his possessions, including many of his clothes," described the paper.

Watch Out! Streets Activist Moves to the Westside

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T08:59:30-08:00

Damien Newton at Streetsblog LA announced this morning that he's moved from the Fairfax District area to the Westside. "Westside motorists are amongst the worst in the city when it comes to sharing the road," the avid cyclist noted in addition to the lack of trains and a spotty bus system. "... a missed bus means a missed meeting," he said. Add to that fewer pedestrians, a limited bicycle infrastructure and a street grid problem. However, there's the good, such as the bikeway along Ballona Creek and the planned one along the Expo Line. And we'll add some great pocket neighborhoods of joy like Palms and Little Osaka. What's your favorite part of the Westside?

Weekend Weather Check: Getting a Taste of Spring

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T08:39:36-08:00

Photo by lostlosangeles via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

It's been weekend after weekend of rain or cold cloudy days, but things should change this weekend. "We're looking at a pretty decent weekend, really," said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "We're in for a nice dry trend here."

Today will be mostly sunny with highs in the 60s followed by the same temperatures tomorrow, albeit partly cloudy. By Sunday, which is also when Daylight Savings Time begins (put your clocks one hour ahead), "mostly sunny" will return with warmer temperatures: highs around 70 with locally gusty--15 to 25 mph--winds through passes in canyons in the morning.

Then comes Monday and Tuesday. "We'll get a little taste of Spring by early next week," said Sweet. Predictions put the temperatures in the upper 70s and 80s.

80,000 Fewer Potholes to be Filled, Thanks to Budget Woes

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-12T08:27:47-08:00

With the budget shortfall--estimates now have it up to $700 million for the rest of this fiscal year and next year--and massive city layoffs--up to 4,000 over the next year--city services will start dwindling. The one we'll feel (literally) the most? Potholes. On Wednesday at the L.A. City Council meeting, Bureau of Street Services director Bill Robertson said 80,000 fewer potholes will be filled, according to the Daily News. That's 300,000 potholes instead of the usual 380,000 (at least they are useful to artists). "We will not be able to be as proactive as we have been," Robertson said. "We will be reacting more to complaints and emergencies than we are able to deal with this in advance." Response times to illegal dumping complaints will also take longer--from four tday to six to seven days.

Extra, Extra

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-11T18:52:00-08:00

The San Gabriel Mountains, as seen from Atwater Village last Sunday | Photo by 27ray via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

Music producer Phil Spector wants an appellate court to overturn his murder conviction.
Convicted Serial Killer Rodney Alcara took photos of his victims and now that hundreds his photos have surfaced, police want to know if these people were also victims.
"An attorney and two chiropractors were among a group of people arrested today for allegedly taking part in a large-scale auto insurance fraud ring."
USC officials named C.L. Max Nikias as the 11th president of the university, it was announced this morning.
The New York Times assigned a new bureau chief to Los Angeles.
Five of the six people killed in last week's bus crash in Arizona were California residents.
A study has found that most Americans want help from the government when it comes to healthy eating. Good thing 'cause the USA pays $152 billion a year due to food-borne illness.
One month and $3 million to go to "Save the Peak" next to The Hollywood Sign.
Finally... Some housekeeping. There are a few ways to stay connected with us. Consider following us on Twitter, Facebook, through your RSS reader or via our new iPhone app.

LAPD Takes First Steps to Train Officers on Bicycle Laws

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-11T17:45:30-08:00

Photo by alexbcthompson via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

Bicycle activism in Los Angeles made a giant step last month when LAPD Chief Charlie Beck met with cyclists, vowing to better protect them and train officers on cyclist rights. Part of his plan was assigning Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger to oversee the move along with the creation of Bicycle Task Force, which has met three times already.

Effective immediately is the enforcement of California Vehicle Codes pertaining to cyclists, according to an operations notice obtained by the The L.A. County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC). "Because cyclists are among the most vulnerable users of the roadway and are more likely to suffer injuries in a collision, they need to be recognized as legitimate users of the roadways," Paysinger wrote in the notice to officers. "Cyclists also deserve law enforcement personnel who are familiar with the laws that apply to both motorists and cyclists who engage in activists that endanger cyclists and the general public."

The notice listed various laws pertaining to cyclists, including 21200 (a)--"every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle"--and 21202 (a)--"The 'Bike to the Right' provision does not require cyclists to travel in the 'door zone.'"

It's a two-way street, however. Other laws listed indicated enforcement of issues drivers often complain about, such as cyclists running stop signs and traveling on the wrong side of the road. The full operations notice and laws can be read here (pdf).

Other issues discussed at the meeting were divisions assigned to collisions and a public safety campaign, noted LACBC.

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S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom to Enter Lt. Governor's Race

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-11T16:45:47-08:00

Rumors be damned about Gavin Newsom, here it is, via the LA Times: "He has called elected officials and potential donors to inform them he is in the race. Sources familiar with Newsom's plans say he will unveil a list of endorsements that includes many of the state's top Democratic leaders. They requested anonymity to allow Newsom make the announcement." Too late on the latter, but this sure will make the campaign against L.A. City Councilmember Janice Hahn a fiery one. Hahn's team has already been on the attack, pointing out that the San Francisco Mayor and former gubernatorial candidate didn't even know what the elected job was about.

Presented By:

2010-03-11T16:45:47-08:00

Meet Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Molly Bergen — 2010-03-11T16:17:00-08:00

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Peter Hayes, Leah Shapiro, and Robert Levon Been I Photo by Tessa Angus

It's been over ten years since Black Rebel Motorcycle Club exploded out of California with their brand of bluesy rock wrapped up in black leather swagger. Aptly named for Marlon Brando's gang in the movie, The Wild One, BRMC is still trying to figure out how they fit into the whole music biz. They've seen new labels, new records, new tours, and new drummers, and maybe, just maybe, have finally figured out a way to tame the beast. We caught up with bassist, Robert Levon Been, the weekend before their sixth album, Beat The Devil's Tattoo, dropped. We talked about the state of the music industry, BRMC's new drummer Leah Shapiro, and why we don't appreciate things that come to us easily. Here is some of what was said.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil's Tattoo

When did you first pick up an instrument?
Jesus... I think I had a little guitar when I was five or six, but I didn't have any interest in playing it at all. It just sat there and collected dust. Then in fifth grade, I put this band together with friends. I think we were God awful. My dad told me later that he'd listen to us play and thought some of the kids were all right, but he told my mother, "You don't have to worry your son following in my footsteps. He doesn't have it. He doesn't have the basic ability to follow music."

Wow, that's harsh.
Yeah, well it was true at the time. Something changed somewhere around junior high school. I started playing the trombone and learned how to read bass clefs. It took about a year, I guess, before something switched in my brain and I began to follow music. I began to see things that were a little more abstract. I don't think I realized that anything had clicked, yet though. Then in high school I picked up the bass in order to play with my friends in the battle of the bands and just kept on playing.

How come? It probably attracted more girls than the trombone.
(laughs) I really didn't think it was cool. I thought it would be easy. There are less strings than a guitar for one thing. Honestly though, if it had been difficult, I would have quit within a couple days. I'm not that dedicated to anything. I'm easily discouraged. You could never write a story about my life about how I overcame the odds. For some reason there seems to be more pride in stuff you worked really hard at, but sucked at then things that came easy. There seems to be more honor in it. It's really a shame the things your naturally good are things you don't appreciate as much. I feel really spoiled that they bass comes really easy.

Are there instruments that you aren't good at that you appreciate more?
Oh yeah! I don't play the piano well. I work my ass off practicing that thing. I love that instrument, but I can barely play it. With this band being a three piece, though we all have to pull our weight on whatever we're good at. Whether it's the guitar or songwriting or whatever. You know we were auditioning singers when we originally started?

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club I Photo by Tessa Angus

No, I didn't. What happened?
It was so horrendous that we decided just do it ourselves. By the end of the auditions we just thought, "Fuck it. At least it won't be as bad as that." But Peter and I aren't strong singers, so we had to share the responsibility. Just to balance it out. There's no way one of us could have sung the whole set. We just didn't have it. That's the way we started any way, and it's something that we've had to work hard at.

What is your writing process like?
Writing lyrics and things have also been things that we've had to work at. It's really easy to get writer's block and lose your mind. The trick to getting around it is to think of it as "Okay, this is the way I'm paying for the things that come easy to me." Otherwise it would be so easy to be disheartened. You know our brains are too small to understand the balance of the universe. It's like a mouse trying to understand algebra. They're not concerned with numbers they're just thankful for the cheese they ate today. We're like that. We can't understand the tsunamis, disasters and everything going on right now. Some people think that they've showed up because of the sins they've committed. They think that it's some sort of judgment, which is ridiculous. It's so self centered to think that the world is going to end just because you fucked someone's girl. We make all these elaborate story lines in our head, but honestly we're all just trying to get the cheese at this point.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have been together for over ten years now. Are there any words of advice that you would give yourself from ten years ago if you could?Get out! Get out now! Go back to school. (laughs) Not really. I was really lucky that I didn't start playing music just because I wanted to get laid or do drugs and get away with it. I fell in love with music. Everything that came after that has been mostly a nice surprise. Friends of mine that were in bands when we were starting off who were in it for other reasons didn't do as well. You should never get into music if you think you're going to make a lot of money. You're going to be really disappointed. I've already resolved myself to that fact. Especially not now. You might have been able to before when the record industry existed. Although the time we're in now is kinda cool. It's like a weeding out of the herd. The only one's who will be left are the ones who really love it.

Why did you choose Philadelphia to write this album? Is it a particularly inspirational spot?
(Laughs) We went to Philly because we didn't have any money! We needed a place to live and one of our friends let us live at their house and write the album. They had two bedrooms and a couch that no one was living on. So they let us hang out as long as we wanted and rehearse there and record there. We spent six months in the basement. It was surreal to be part of their family for awhile, but it was great. Then we went back to LA and couch surfed while we finished the album.

Seriously? You guys couch surfed?
Yeah, people are usually surprised that we have as little money as we do. The last couple of records we had to make all of our money on tour. Everything we made we put back into the band, so we spent everything. We're big believers in giving back. We just take all the money we make and put it back into the music. So when we come off the road, we scramble to figure out how to live in the meantime. This time was cool though. We've got a new plan.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club I Photo by Tessa Angus

What's the plan?
We're not taking an advance from a record company. We made a record for zero dollars, so we're zero in debt right now. Even if we make a small amount from the tour, that would be huge. I mean I might actually come home with five bucks in my pocket!

Well you've sold out the Echoplex for three nights, so that should work in your favor.
Yeah we're playing smaller venues on this tour. We want to keep it small for the first introductions to these songs. We could have played the Nokia downtown to make some more dough, but we want to keep the first tour intimate. I think our band translates the best in a small club, and that's what it's about. We might come back around, later in the year and play a bigger venue. We've been really lucky. We've got a great fan base. It really feels great playing anywhere. And if this plan works, I'm going to brag about it to everybody. I'll be like, "Listen this might be a formula that works! You could actually make it home with a couple dollars."

Do you and Peter ever fight about who sings what?
No, no. It's a cool balance. Me and Peter have never fought about anything too important. I guess whoever had the idea first is the one who gets to sing the song. Most of our best songs come from the three of us in a room jamming. Someone will start with a guitar line or drum beat and we'll jam it out and it'll just be done. Before you have a chance to think about it, it'll be out there There's a lot of healthy competition to come up with that first idea, but the way a song ends is always a surprise. Songs are like a cliff hanger endings when you don't come up with them. It's like when you try and scare yourself to get rid of the hiccups. You can't just do it. It doesn't work. You need someone else. That's the magic part of being in a band. You need everyone to create a song.

Do you still get nervous before an album comes out?
Yeah, I do, but it's the good kind of nervous, like pins and needles. I'm pretty happy with it. We worked on it for a full year.

How did you end up getting together with Leah Shapiro? Did you audition other drummers or did you know you wanted her?
No, we knew we wanted Leah from the beginning. Having a good drummer is crucial. There is so much nonverbal communication that happens with drummers. Most of the work is instinct and about that person's own sensibilities. They have to just know when they're supposed to fall back and when they're supposed to get excited and break through. You really can't teach that to someone. Nick was really great at that. We were actually nervous that it wasn't going to be the same kind of thing with Leah. But she's amazing. I've got only great things to say about both of them. It's very rare trait to have.

How did you find her?
She played for a band that supported us on tour. She's just hypnotic to watch on the drums. It certainly left an impression. After Nick left she was the only person we were going to call. We didn't have a plan B. We weren't going to audition other drummers. There was no way we were going to sit through some awful pop idol auditions. So when she started we were actually worried that her style would turn us into another band. We actually considered changing the name of the band if that happened, but it turned out that she made us sound so much like our early stuff, that we thought we'd get more shit if we called it something else.

What made you guys decide to form Abstract Dragon Records?
We first started it because we thought it would be a cool idea. We could help other bands out and have interns and things. Then the record industry changed and it turned from this luxurious idea to a necessity. It became a life raft to get our music heard. All of the labels now don't know what they're doing. They're all guessing about what would work and what doesn't. We just wanted a label that won't give up on their idea half way through the album cycle. That's what happened to us. We would get dropped and then have to make our way back home from half way across the world. Having our own record label is more gratifying because you own everything about the process and you're more part of it. (laughs) It's almost like the honor as a samurai, you know? Sticking a sword in my own stomach rather than having someone else do it.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Conscience Killer

But you're partnered with Vagrant Records right?
Yeah we have a partnership with them to distribute it and get it out. They've been really good. This process just feels way more right. It's nice to not owe a large chunk of money early on and be grossly into debt.

Are you going to sign other bands to it eventually?
(laughs) No! First we're going to try not to drown. First we're going to try and get up on the raft and make a sail. Maybe we'll start looking good to someone else, but if they joined us then we'd probably just end up cannibalizing them. So I wouldn't invite anyone in for awhile. Maybe later when we're a little more nourished.

Sounds fair. Okay last question, if you were booking a show in Heaven and a show in Hell, who would you have headline?
We'd be headlining in Heaven!

You would?
Oh no doubt, man. And I think...Hendrix would be our opener.

Really? You want to play after Jimi Hendrix?
Well, I mean it's Heaven, so everyone will love us just as much as him. Although it would really suck if he had a double encore...hmm...especially if that pushed us back and fucked us. I guess that would be the Hell version of this dream. That would be what happened in hell. We'd get bumped.

Being bumped for Jimi Hendrix isn't that bad. If you were bumped for Miley Cyrus though...
Good point! If we were bumped for someone like Toto or Rico Suave, that would be pretty heartbreaking.

Well thank you so much for talking with us.
Thank you. It's been one of the weirdest interviews I've had in awhile.

You're welcome.

Be sure to catch Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at the Echoplex tonight or Friday or Sunday evening. Whatever night suits you best.

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Villaraigosa Testifies to Senate Committee on Transit Funding

Zach Behrens — 2010-03-11T15:50:51-08:00

Photo by Non Paratus via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

Mayor Antonio Villaragisoa sat before a Senate committee this morning in Washington D.C. and laid out his case to bring billions to Los Angeles in transportation money. And it's not free money he's looking for, it's a loan of up to $40 billion that would be paid back over the next 30 years from Measure R, the 2008 voter-approved sales tax increase.

"We think we can generate almost four billion dollars in savings in a ten year period of time due to the soft market, the fact that the unemployment rate in the construction industry particularly is as high as it is," Mayor Villaraigosa told the committee, according to KPCC

California Senator Barbara Boxer lauded the plan, saying it could be a model for cities across the country, noted Streetsblog Capitol Hill. "It would be foolish that we’ve got this opportunity now to save these funds that we just didn’t speed up this whole idea," she said.

It's part of Villaraigosa's 30/10 plan--build 30 years worth of planned projects in 10 years. In all, that's 12 projects, including the Subway to the Sea.

Federal transportation under-secretary Roy Kienitz, however, warned that some federal programs could help secure this funding, but not 100% of it. "It’s not clear that any of these programs - either existing or as currently proposed - can fully support the vision that’s been articulated," he said.

When the Senate passes a multi-year transportation bill later this year, Villaraigosa wants it to include his financing vision.

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TV Junkie: Betty White to Host 'SNL'; LA Misses Out on a First; Nomar to Commentate?

Thomas Attila Lewis — 2010-03-11T15:00:09-08:00

Success: After several posts here on LAist, a Facebook page, and other internet buzz, Betty White will be hosting the May 8th, yes, the Mother's Day edition, of "Saturday Night Live".
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#fail: Los Angeles, entertainment capital of the world, failed to provide a citizen to step up to the plate to buy the first 3D home entertainment system. That "honor" goes to the Manhattan borough of New York City where the first system, by Panasonic, was sold at a Best Buy on a recent but unspecified date. It might be argued that whomever bought the nearly $3000 hunk of soon-to-be-outdated silicon is an idiot, but judging by all the Ed Hardy-wearing and Escalade-driving Angelinos we see, it was just luck of the draw.
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Like baseball? How do you feel about ESPN immediately announcing upon Nomar Garciaparra's retirement today that he will be stepping in as a commentator in the upcoming season of "Baseball Tonight" and certain games. Have you seen Garciaparra in press conferences? Unless he's been undergoing speaking and presentation tutoring 24/7 for the last year, we think this might be a shaky assignment for him.
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New episode of "Community" tonight - be sure to see our interviews with cast and creator at PaleyFest.
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The TV Junkie: @aots, "Community", "Parks and Recreation", "The Office", "30 Rock", "Important Things With Demetri Martin", "The Sarah Silverman Program", "Chelsea Lately", "Watch What Happens: Live", Fallon (Michael Moore, Chris Hardwick; Broken Bells)

7:00pm Attack of the Show! G4 - Viewer Army; Epic Fail; Loop; hosts: Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn.

8:00pm Community NBC - Jeff tries to help Pierce connect with his stepdaughter (Katharine McPhee) on Greendale's Family Day.

8:00pm Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains CBS - A castaway suffers a serious injury in a fall

8:00pm SoCal Connected PBS/KCET - Mansion Markdown: local housing still suffering from lower valuations

8:00pm American Idol FOX - Scott MacIntyre and Matt Giraud perform; four contestants are eliminated; the top 12 finalists are revealed.

8:30pm Parks and Recreation NBC - Leslie must catch a possum that bit the mayor's dog; Mark refuses to bend the rules for Ron.

9:00pm The Office NBC - Michael tries to impress Jo; Dwight causes trouble on Jim's first day back from paternity leave; Erin and Andy go on their first date.

9:00pm Grey's Anatomy ABC - Owen and Richard compete for an extremely difficult surgery; Bailey gets ready for another date with Ben

9:00pm Kitchen Nightmares FOX - Chef Ramsay travels to South Florida to help a clueless head chef revive his French restaurant.

9:00pm The Real Housewives of Orange County: Reunion Special, Part 2 Bravo - Special Presentation

9:30pm 30 Rock NBC - A rumor puts Jack's future at stake; Liz tracks down a man she met in the dentist's waiting room; Jenna helps Tracy pursue a Tony award.

10:00pm The Marriage Ref NBC - Musician Madonna and actors Larry David and Ricky Gervais offer their opinions on the celebrity panel.

10:00pm Important Things With Demetri Martin Comedy Central - "2"

10:00pm Archer FX - Two new episodes!

10:00pm The Real Housewives of New York City Bravo - LuAnn gets a surprise visit from Rosie; Ramona chastises Mario; Jason asks Bethenny to move in with him.

10:00pm Project Runway Lifeteime - Watch as designer Amy decides to enhance her outfit with something truly out of the ordinary.

10:00pm Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew MTV - Disco Challenge: Crews give classic disco songs a hip hop update and add '70s moves to the routines.

10:00pm Celebrity Rehab Presents: Sober House VH1 - Season Premiere

10:00pm LA Ink TLC - Whose Party Is It?

10:00pm True Crime with Aphrodite Jones ID - Series Premiere

10:30pm The Sarah Silverman Program Comedy Central - Sarah reconnects with her imaginary childhood friend, who lures her into a life of sex and drugs.

10:30pm The Rotten Tomatoes Show Current - "Alice in Wonderland"; "Brooklyn's Finest"; "Stolen"

11:00pm Lopez Tonight TBS - Kendra and Hank Bassett; singer Ozzy Osbourne.

11:00pm Chelsea Lately E! - Tess Taylor, Alexis Neiers and Gabrielle Neiers of "Pretty Wild"; round-table participants include Josh Wolf, Brad Wollack and Dan Levy.

11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - Real estate mogul Donald Trump.

11:35pm The Tonight Show With Jay Leno NBC - Actor Dana Carvey; TV personality Kim Kardashian; Colbie Caillat performs.

12:00pm Watch What Happens: Live Bravo - Actress Fran Drescher; Jill Zarin ("The Real Housewives of New York City").

12:05am Jimmy Kimmel Live ABC - TV personality Nicole Richie; Gin performs.

12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actress Holly Hunter; Ryan Bingham performs.

12:35am Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC - Filmmaker Michael Moore; TV host Chris Hardwick; Broken Bells perform.

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Seven Questions: Jessica Drake, Adult Film Actress/Sexpert

Tim Hammer — 2010-03-11T14:30:15-08:00

Photo by Koga/LAist

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email.

Today's subject is Jessica Drake.

Jessica Drake or "jessica drake" as she prefers to have her name appear in all lower-case letters (she says, "It's actually trademarked." Adding, "I just prefer it that way, it's cuter.") is an adult film actress who has appeared in hundreds of films. Along with performing in front of the camera, the AVN Hall of Famer has also worked as a writer, director and several other roles behind the camera.

Tonight the Texas native will be appearing alongside fellow Wicked Pictures star, Kaylani Lei at the Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood from 5-9 p.m. Later this month, the 2005 AVN Award Winner for Best Oral Scene will be returning to the Pleasure Chest to teach a workshop on the topic of blow jobs.

Jessica took some time out of her busy schedule to talk to LAist about tonight's appearance, her days as a food critic, a prosthetic leg-waving incident, condom use in the adult industry and of course, blow jobs.
1) You'll be appearing at the Pleasure Chest on Thursday alongside Kaylani Lei. Could you tell us a little more about what you two will be doing?
I go to the Pleasure Chest on a fairly regular basis both for work, picking up props and supplies, and also for my own personal life. The past few times I've been in there I've been recognized by some of their employees. Finally, I asked them how come they recognized me because they don't have a ton of my movies in here. That kind of began a conversation between me and the management and marketing. I told them I haven't done that many appearances here in Los Angeles but every time I have one it's usually a tremendous turnout. I said we should definitely do something, so we kind of collaborated. And not only am I doing this signing on Thursday, but I'm also their newest addition to monthly seminars. I'm their newest sexpert. I'm really happy about that. I think it's a great opportunity to get out and meet fans and reach out to that couples' fan base and women as well. I know a lot of women are going to participate in my first workshop later this month, so I figured this signing on Thursday would be a great way to please the guys.

Jessica Drake at Erotica LA 2008 | Photo by Koga/LAist

2) What is the strangest interaction you've ever had with a fan?
It actually took place at a strip club. I feature dance not only all over the U.S. but also all over the world. I happened to be on the east coast and I was finishing up one of my shows. I do giveaways at the end of the show, I give out free t-shirts, hats and DVDs. I was just waving around a t-shirt on stage at the very end of my show. I do a lot of crowd work, like I'll split the crowd up and get them to make noise and get them to all kinds of crazy things. I'm waving the t-shirt and all of the sudden I see a fan who had spoken to at great lengths before and had done dances for, jumped up on a bar stool and waved his prosthetic leg. I've never seen anything like that. I had to walk over to him to give him the t-shirt and when I did, I said, "you really should have waited for the DVD, you wasted that move on a t-shirt."

3) On your website you have a great photo with Mike Tyson. Do you have any celebrity fans?
I have a lot of pictures with me and celebrities on my website. Yeah I do. I'm not much for kissing and telling but I will say I met Chris Brown at the World Music Awards a few years ago before he had his bad reputation and he was very outgoing and friendly towards us.

A lot of the time we get to do red carpet events with Wicked, they really afford me a lot of high profile opportunities. They sent me to the Grammys two years ago and I walked the red carpet. The clip of me ended up on David Letterman's show because of it.

I'll be at celebrity poker tournaments, golf tournaments, parties and one of the things that ends up happening is they're (celebrities) looking at me pretty much as much as, or more than I'm looking at them. I know that they recognize me. I've had a lot of celebrities come up to me and tell me that they're big fans. I've had few MySpace me. I thought that was odd because I didn't think that it was the actual person. Celebrities have always been really cool. I don't have any wild sex tapes coming out with me and a celebrity because I just wouldn't do it. I'm not saying I wouldn't have sex them, I just wouldn't tape it and put it out there.

4) You also direct. How much has your time in front of the camera helped your work behind the camera?
I would say that everything I've ever done in this industry has prepared me for where I'm at right now. Like I said, I'm very fortunate to have a contract with a company that's as great as Wicked. I think we're definitely at the top of our game right now. They've allowed me to grow in more ways than just being a performer. About three or four years ago, I started out writing for them. I've written about a dozen movies for them. When I was doing that I was also doing about everything else on the set. I never wanted to be the girl that just said, 'Hey, today I'm going to be a director.' I wanted to be the girl that said, 'Hey, now that I know how to do this...' I was an AD for three or four years. I've done everything on a set. There's no job on a set that I think I'm too good for. I've cleaned up after people. I've been the condom and lube girl. I'm not too good to do anything on the set. I think that just doing all of that has been great practice for the transition into being a director.

That being said, I'm still in love with performing. I don't have any plans to quit performing any time soon. I just want to bring more of me to my movies. I want to bring as much of me as possible and I think that being the director and having that platform is creative control. I love creating. To see it all come together, it makes me very proud. I want to do as much as I can and get as much experience as I can while I can get it and while the opportunities are there.

On March 24th, you'll be teaching a workshop at the Pleasure Chest covering the topic of blow jobs.
I am. We're going to talk about blow jobs. We're going to talk about the basics. We're going to talk about technique. We're going to have an extra credit portion of the class. We're going to do advanced tricks. I'm going to talk about my little secrets. I'm going to really encourage everyone to participate in the class and ask questions. Judging by the amount of phone calls and emails that they've received and the number of emails and messages I've gotten on Twitter, I think it's going to be really really big. It's going to be huge.

5) Can you offer a tip here for those who won't be able to attend your workshop?
I was actually doing a little bit of research for this seminar and I polled hundreds of guys and I asked them, 'What are the three most important words were when it came to blow jobs?' Repeatedly the answers I got over and over were these: effort, technique doesn't matter, willingness and love to do it. Basically, overall the opinion that I got from guys is they just want a woman to be excited about it. To just try. To just make the effort and have fun with it. I polled them on whether spit or swallow was important to them. I'm going to go with about 80 to 85 percent said it absolutely doesn't matter as long as they're getting a blow job. I find it really interesting to me. When I'm polling these guys, I'm doing it in a very public forum. I'm either doing it in a bar or night club. I'm doing it on Twitter. I'm doing it on my website. I'm asking very frank questions. Women are going to be surprised because the answers are not what they might imagine.

Jessica Drake & Kayden Kross | Photo by Koga/LAist

6) There was a story in the LA Times earlier this week about a possible law change that would require condom use in adult films. What are your thoughts on this issue?
Because I work with an amazing company like Wicked, I've always been for my entire career 100 percent condom only. I think that it's very important for me to always use a condom when I have sex. Also, I have a very short list of people that I work with. That being said, while using condom 100 percent of the time is extremely important to me, I don't really agree with any type of government decision that enforces their beliefs on everyone. At the end of the day, it has to be your own decision what you're doing with your body. For me, the right decision is to use condoms but I don't think that me nor anyone else should be able to make that decision for someone else.

7) What do you enjoy most about living in Los Angeles?
The thing that I enjoy most about LA is the diversity. Any different kind of mood that I'm in, there's something to do here. I love to go to the beach. It's really cultural. It definitely is a melting pot. I'm from Texas and my first week here, I had seen more than I had seen my entire life living in Texas.

I fancy myself a bit of a food critic. A while back I used to write for a publication called Beverly Hills Outlook, I did some restaurant reviews and that allowed me to get acquainted with a lot of restaurants in town.

LA's great because there's so much to do and you never know who you're going to meet here. When Kid Rock performed at the Hollywood Bowl, I was one of his dancers. Where else could something like that happen? It's just crazy the amount of opportunities that are here.

Meet Jessica Drake and Kaylani Lei tonight at the Pleasure Chest (7733 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, 323-650-1022) from 5-9 p.m. For more Jessica, go to jessicadrake.com, wicked.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @thejessicadrake. In addition to Jessica's workshop, The Pleasure Chest offers several other workshops.

Kaylani Lei, Jessica Drake & Alektra Blue | Photo by Koga/LAist

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