When the LAPD on Monday sent out a mysterious community e-mail alert stating that the sign would be "covered up for an international campaign [...] until further notice," a surprise meant for Thursday began to unravel. The world's most famous sign, which originally read "HOLLYWOODLAND"--and thanks to pranks, "CALTECH," "HOLLYWeeD" and other phrases throughout the years--is expected to read "Save the Peak" on Thursday.

Call it activism, if you will, to save one of the most famous pieces of open space in Los Angeles. When the Cahuenga Peak and surrounding land was sold to a Chicago-based investment firm in 2002 for a cheap $1.675 million and later put on the market for $22 million, it concerned environmentalists (preserve the open space) and preservationists (don't ruin the backdrop of the world's most famous sign) alike. Touted as "the last private, undeveloped promontory ridge in Los Angeles," the property was divvied up in five parcels and marketed to those seeking the ultimate luxury home.

At 1,821 feet, the Peak sits nearly 150-foot above Mount Lee, where the Hollywood Sign rests, and offers a 360-degree view over the city to Catalina Island and across the expansive San Fernando Valley. Hikers and even some city officials assumed the land was part of the city's 4,210-acre Griffith Park, but when it was sold, some local history spilled out.

Billionaire Howard Hughes bought the land in 1940 with the idea to build a romantic hilltop home for his love, actress Ginger Rogers. "We'll live up here by ourselves with the world far below," he told her. The gesture, however, didn't sit too well with Rogers who feared he would lock her up and never let her see anyone. The two broke up and the land was put in Hughes' trust for 62 years until it was sold.

As the market began to crash, so did the new owner's bloated $22-million asking price. Last year, the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land entered into a one-year due diligence period with Fox River Financial Resources for a total of $12.5 million. The goal is to purchase the land and deed it over to the city's Griffith Park, but to date, only $6.3 million has been secured. By April 14th, the rest of the money is due or the property risks being sold to other buyers.

For L.A. City Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose district includes Griffith Park--he hikes atop Mount Hollywood daily--this issue is close to his heart. "It's absolutely critical that we acquire this piece of land. I've been working for 10 years on this and the moment is now." he said in a statement to LAist.

Now LaBonge, the Trust and other organizations have teamed up to ask for help. "Although donations are coming in, we have a long way to go in a very short time," an appeal reads on the Save Cahuenga Peak website. "Protection of Cahuenga Peak will prevent development from scarring one of Los Angeles' iconic views--the Hollywood Sign backed by the peak's sweeping natural landscape."

Come Thursday, it will be hard for Los Angeles and the rest of the world to not notice that appeal. "Save The Peak" will be seen loud and clear and that's what fundraisers are hoping for.

Citing the incoming storm and risk of mudslides, county officials tonight warned foothill residents in Station Fire burn areas that mandatory evacuation orders will go into effect tomorrow morning. By 10 a.m., residents of over 500 homes (.pdf) must vacate their La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge, and Acton neighborhoods, according to an alert stated.

In addition to text message alerts, Sheriff's deputies will be going door-to-door to notify residents, who have been told not to leave vehicles or trash bins in the street. "The evacuations have been ordered as a safety precaution following predictions of rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday," an alert stated (.pdf). "Residents are strongly urged to comply with the evacuation orders."

The storm last weekend was less intense than rainfall in January, but due to the cumulative effect of water buildup in the mudslide prone Station Fire area, 43 homes were damaged.

American Red Cross shelters will be set up at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 2411 Montrose Avenue, Montrose, CA 91020 for La Canada and La Cresenta residents and at Acton Community Center, 3748 Nichols St., Acton, CA 93510 for Acton residents.

• A small experimental plane crashed today in San Bernardino County, killing a man and woman.
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be one of the last few torchbearers on the relay leading up to the opening of the Vancouver Olympics.
• Actor Charlie Sheen (whose car mysteriously tumbled down a hillside last week) was charged in Colorado with 3 felonies in relation to an alleged assault on his wife on Christmas in Aspen.
• The LA Weekly points out that the head of LA Live seems to think he's done the city a big ol' favor.
• Police are investigating a shooting that took place last night around 9 at Pico and La Brea.
• Want to snuggle up with a pillow and blanket on your next American Airlines flight? That'll be $8, please.
• California's animal laws are the most "animal-friendly" of all the states, says the Humane Society.

[Update: Hollywood Sign Expected to Read 'Save the Peak' on Thursday. Read about it here.]

The LAPD this afternoon sent the most unusual non-chalant e-mail to the community today. "On February 11, 2010 the Hollywood sign will be covered up for an international campaign," an e-mail read. "The sign will be covered until further notice. Do not be alarmed, the sign will remain in place and there will be no changes done to the sign. This is just an informational e-mail so we do not receive phone calls from worried citizens."

That got David Markland at Metblogs curious enough to call Councilman Tom LaBonge’s office [Added: The LAPD is referring all calls to Ramsay]. But the answers he received from them only raised more questions. “You’ll have to wait til Thursday," LaBonge's public information officer Carolyn Ramsay said.

Wow, so secretive, which makes think this will be either really lame or really cool (let's hope for the latter).

Ramsay, however, did emphasize this has nothiing to do with Ke$ha's latest music video hoax. We would hope not, considering this is for an "international campaign." It's probably not for PETA's vegetarian Hollywood Sign dream (see photo here), but maybe it's for Unite for Human Rights in Iran Day? Los Angeles and Tehran are sister cities, after all, and LaBonge is the city's cheerleader on that particular issue. And Storycorps comes to town on Thursday.

But that's all guessing at this point. Anyone know what this is about?

Update: We're hearing that a formal announcement will be made soon and that it will be "all good stuff."

Update #2: The LA Times says it's a project of the Trust for Public Land. No details yet on what it is.

Update #3: Hollywood Sign Expected to Read 'Save the Peak' on Thursday. Read about it here

This week has a bunch of good stand ups, including two special Bill Maher shows that are selling like things that sell well. Hotcakes? Not hardly. There's also a large amount of fantastic indie improv, be it at the iO West Loft, Room 101, Crashbar or out at Westside Comedy. Simply put, there's just no reason for you not to be pumped about this week in comedy.

You know the drill: hit me up if you'd like to get listed here.

MONDAY 2/8

Bill Maher, 8p Irvine Improv. Head south to catch some stand up by the one and only. Tickets may even be sold out now, but it’s worth calling to see about some last minute deals.

Two For The Show, 10:30p iO West Loft. Around back of the mainstage is the iO Loft, where you can catch some great two-person improv for FREE.

TUESDAY 2/9

The C-Word, 7p Comedy Store Belly Room. Deep inside the Comedy Store, Iliza Shlesinger and Jodi Miller bring up some great new comics.

BILL MAHER AGAIN!, 8p Comedy & Magic Club. This is for those of you who couldn’t get in at the Improv in Irvine. Now you’ve got no excuse to miss seeing the man himself.

WEDNESDAY 2/10

Tokin’ Trash, 8p Comedy Central Stage. A panel of partakers talks about whatever comes to their smoke-addled minds.

Room 101, 9:30p The Complex (Flight Theater). A weekly indie improv showcase. This week features some great teams, including Boomtown.

THURSDAY 2/11

Crashbar Valentine’s Battle, 8p Tres Stage. Ten great improv teams compete for the love and affection of one showcase show. Pay particular attention to Moose Boots and Fiasco!

craigsLOST, 8p UCB. A Craigslist rideshare to Los Angeles brings four strangers together in ways they never imagined. Oh, and you know they get into some LOST shit.

FRIDAY 2/12

U.S.S. Rock N Roll, 8p Westside Comedy. The iO house team and 2009 Harold Team of the Year are moving west for the night, and you should join them.

Harland Williams, 10:30p Ice House. The Dirty ‘Dena has Harland on tap all weekend, so why not head on out to laugh at all that weirdness.

SATURDAY 2/13

Songs for Haiti, 8:30p Largo. The Haiti benefits are starting to wind down, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting out and check Paul F. Tompkins help host this great night of music and (at least some) comedy. After all, the man does a little singing himself.

Beer Shark Mice, 9p iO West. Do not sleep on one of the best improv shows in Los Angeles.

SUNDAY 2/14

Improv Backspin, 9p Westside Comedy. Once you’re done with that fancy dinner in Santa Monica, roll over to Westside off the Promenade for three great improv teams.

Dirty Laundry, 9:30p UCB. This amazing story show is going ‘Bros Before Hos’ for Valentines Day, and you simply won’t be able to comprehend the horrifying stories that get told. With Brian Finkelstein and Charlie Sanders, among others.

These commercials sucked and yet they are supposed to be la creme-de-la-creme of overpaid Don Draper wanna-bes. Your toilet paper, cell phone bill, and cars cost more because of the ads that are run on their behalf and this was the best that Madison Avenue could come up with? We know some people in the industry and saw them giving supportive shout-outs to their buddies on Twitter as their ads were broadcast yesterday: Dear Friends, come up with some better shit because if there's another industry that needs an overhaul, it's yours.
---
A colleague of ours, Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle, had a great write-up about the Winter Olympics yesterday but we take issue with a couple points he raises. Should viewers get really excited about the Winter Olympics? Yes, absolutely. Should they take what they get from NBC and like it? Absolutely not. Goodman mentions "treacly [athlete] profiles" (we call it "Jim McCayification) and the need to get vital information about unknown Team USA members. We don't need to get those profiles because virtually none of the "information" in them is vital. We didn't need to know Michael Phelps' dog Herman, and we're not going to need to know Lindsey Vonn's favorite yogurt flavor. Let the athlete's perform without the hype.

Goodman also states that biathlon might not be TV gold. For some reason those insane Europeans have made biathlon the most televised winter sport on their continent so let's think that they are smart enough to be on to something. Since we're going to Vancouver to follow a biathlete that we know, we are only slightly biased. Speaking of Olympian profiles, if NBC could come up with video pieces like this one on American biathlete Tim Burke by Time Magazine (yeah, magazine), viewers would be both informed and enthused about events they have (so far) had little exposure to. C'mon Tim, drink some biathlon Kool-Aid!
---
Tonight: The 10pm slot is super congested with some really good programming. You've got "Damages", "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations", "Secret Diary of a Call Girl", "Ultimate Cake Off", and the premiere of "NFL Full Contact" on truTV. Thankfully all of these shows with the exception of "NFL Full Contact", are repeated again at least once before 1am so you can watch/Tivo to your heart's content. We've seen a screener of "NFL Full Contact" and it's very good so if you are more sports inclined, that show will be your bet tonight. What we really want to see is Bourdain hanging out in the Hudson Valley of New York with Bill Murray so that will take precedence over hot hookers, angry lawyers, and sweet cakes.
---
The TV Junkie Plan: @aots, "How I Met Your Mother", "The Black List, Vol. 3", "24", "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" (in Hudson Valley with Bill Murray!), "La La Land", Letterman (Sandra Bullock - see our great pics of her at the SAG Awards), Fallon (Stephen Colbert)

7:00pm Attack of the Show! G4 - Lethal D; motocross; sneakerheads.

8:00pm How I Met Your Mother CBS - Lily and Marshall forget to fix Ted up on a blind date for Valentine's Day; Robin's obnoxious colleague invites her to a party at his apartment.

8:00pm Chuck NBC - Chuck and Hannah unexpectedly become part of agent Shaw's latest mission

8:00pm Bank of Hollywood E! - Season Finale

8:00pm House FOX - The inner workings of the hospital are seen through the eyes of Dr. Cuddy.

8:00pm The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love ABC - Jake visits the hometowns of the final four contestants; one bachelorette, after making a surprise visit to Jake's room, makes a shocking revelation that leaves him reeling

8:30pm The Black List, Vol. 3 HBO - Special Presentation

9:00pm American Experience PBS/KCET - British and American allied forces carry out a bombing campaign over Germany's cities which claims the lives of almost half a million civilians.

9:00pm 24 FOX - Day 8: 10:00PM - 11:00PM As international delegates reconvene at the U.N., President Taylor's goodwill comes into question.

9:00pm Heroes NBC - Season Finale. Everyone bands together to try to stop Samuel from taking the lives of thousands; Peter teams with an unexpected ally to save Emm

9:00pm Celebrity Fit Club VH1- Season Premiere

9:25pm The Big Bang Theory CBS - Leonard must choose who to bring with him when he goes to see the Large Hadron Collider on Valentine's Day.

10:00pm Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Travel Channel - Anthony explores the history and foods of the Hudson Valley in New York state.

10:00pm Damages FX - Patty races to prevent a key witness in the Tobin case from fleeing the country; Ellen learns a dark family secret.

10:00pm Secret Diary of a Call Girl Showtime - Belle tries to broaden Jackie's sexual horizons; suffering writer's block, Belle seeks help from Duncan.

10:00pm NFL Full Contact TruTV - Series Premiere

10:00pm Ultimate Cake Off TLC - Three masters compete to build the most impressive cake for the American Kennel Club's Agility Invitational and take home $10,000.

10:30pm Tracey Ullman's State of the Union Showtime - Architectural commission representative; vocal coach; angry driver; environmental activist; Kate Winslet.

10:30pm Be Good Johnny Weir Sundance - Johnny struggles with the departure of Paris and a new choreographer and it seems that this show was created simply to be mocked by "The Soup"

11:00pm La La Land Showtime - LA, prepare to be mocked, subtly and not-so-subtly

11:00pm Chelsea Lately E! - Musician Ozzy Osbourne; round-table guests include Matt Braunger, Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar.

11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - Actress Sandra Bullock; the announcement of the cover model of the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue; Josh Turner performs.

12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actor Pierce Brosnan; Patty Griffin performs.

12:35am Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC - TV host Stephen Colbert; actor Willie Garson; chef Eric Ripert.

Now that Conrad Murray has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, Michael Jackson's autopsy report has been released, listing “acute propofol intoxication” administered by another person as the cause of death, according to the report via the LA Times. The amount of propofol used was equivalent to a major surgery, it said.

"There are NO reports of [propofol's] use for insomnia relief, to my knowledge,” an anesthesiology consultant wrote in the report. "The only reports of its use in homes are cases of fatal abuse (first reported in 1992), suicide, murder and accident... The levels of propofol found on [the] toxicology exam are similar to those found during general anesthesia for major surgery (intra-abdominal) with propofol infusions.”]

Additionally, the report noted the lack of working medical equipment (also the lack of equipment needed in the first place) and numerous other drugs found in Jackson's system.

Murray was booked on $75,000 bail.

But what the LA-based Matarazzo has given readers doesn’t fall easily into either category. While these interconnected short stories are tinged with the excitement of lust-love, the book is also permeated by heartbreak and melancholy, too. There is much bodice-ripping per se (a lot of bed hopping and shedding of clothes), but many of the characters or situations are fantastical--that’s where the “deliriums” part of the title comes in--that sometimes they’re more interesting than the sex.

In the short story, “Fisty Pinions,” we meet Ashlyn Aschenbecher, the girl with the glass ashtrays for breasts. She wasn’t born that way, she just chose to tape two ashtrays to her chests with mounting tape. Ronnie Scartoon, a girl from high school, has been in love with Ashlyn forever. They go on a date, and Ronnie isn’t bothered about her date’s enhancements one bit.

“Hotmouths” has elements of Romeo and Juliet, with a few twists. The Girlfriend is still in high school and her boyfriend Rose Quartz, 28, works on an oil rig after being discharged from the army. The Girlfriend’s mother refuses to let her daughter engage in “hanky panky,” so naturally the two keep their relationship a secret. But those twists? The Girlfriend has no hands--and Rose Quartz has pink rocks for teeth that burn hot when he’s excited, i.e., when they kiss.

The little twists and absurdities in each of these stories keep readers turning pages. These “oddities” in Matarazzo’s characters are seamlessly woven into her love stories; they’re not forced, which is a testament to Matarazzo’s voice and style. Of course, not all stories are equal, a few in the middle of the book don't work as well because the people are just a little too...normal.

We’ll take the deconstructed love stories in Drenched over the usual boy-meets-girl fairytale anyway.

Marisa Matarazzo reads from Drenched: Stories of Love and Other Deliriums
@ Book Soup
Tuesday, Feb 9 at 7 pm
Free


BASTERDS
Quentin Tarantino is in person tonight at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood for a double-feature of his films: Pulp Fiction at 6 pm, followed by Inglorious Basterds. There’s a moderated discussion following each film with director Tarantino. Tickets are $11 and student/senior are $9.

READING*
It’s the latest installment of Rant & Rave at Rogue Machine tonight at 8 pm. A group of writers are given a topic--this time it’s love--and a time limits. Writers-performers include: Ralph Bruneau, Katherine Cortez, Douglas Kearney, Julio Martinez, Michael O’Keefe, Debora Puette, Michael Redfield and Betsy Zajko. Tickets: $15.

BOOKS
Andrew Porter, winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, signs his book The Theory of Light and Matter tonight at Vroman’s at 7 pm. The collection of stories “takes familiar characters and puts them into surprising and difficult situations.” 7 pm. Free.

MUSIC+ART
For two weeks this month, the Heard of Elephants art and music collective takes over the Synchronicity Space for the show c'est l'amour. The show features artwork from Liza Epps, Lynde Low, Adam Stamp, Erina Digby, Peter Van Dyke, Billy Franevsky, Alex Pfender, Andrew Huang, Lauren Lim, Michal Carman, Alicia Papanek, Will Canzoneri, Jonathan Smith and others. Performances tonight from Ohioan, Ah Holly Fam'ly, M Geddis Gengras, Bow+Arrow, Moment Trigger

PERFORMANCE
Sacred Fools Theatre Company presents Ten Tops! An Eclectic Open Performance Event tonight. Hosted by Pogo Saito & Carla Jo Bailey, 10 performers get seven minutes apiece to do anything they want—sketch comedy to dramatic readings, rock & roll to interpretive dance to spoken word poetry. Tonight’s featured performer is The Roman Catholic Mime Collective. Optional theme: Love. Tickets $10, Ten Tops Collective members $5, free for performers. Sign up to perform at 7:30 pm. Show starts at 8.

*Pencil pick of the day

Want more events? Follow me on Twitter.

"The Backbone simply establishes a basic framework of priority corridors and a strategy for supporting a cyclist's freedom to move," notes bicycle community organizer Stephen Box. "[It] requires little, if any, funding in order to become a significant improvement over the status quo. The City of Los Angeles already provides many services that are key to making the Backbone the foundation for cross-town cycling, including law enforcement, routine maintenance, and prioritized repairs. Now is the time to focus them on the removal of obstacles so that the Backbone flows."

Without community support, plans like the city's bicycle master plan will have a tough time receiving funding from outside sources. If today's LA Times' traffic talkback comments section is any indicator of support, perhaps it's time for the city to listen up.

Our Pick: Princeton, Casxio, Rafter, The Jubilee Singers @ Spaceland (FREE!)

Tonight local blues-infused indie rock duo Rumspringa (LAist Review, #2) will be opening up the second night of Red Arrow Messenger's free residency at the Bootleg Theater. LA-based alternative rockers the Useless Keys will be gracing the Echo once more. And, lastly, bicoastal electro-pop singer-songwriter Guy Fantastico will be performing at the Silver Lake Lounge with LA-based indie pop outfit HAIM. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch the second night of Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton's (LAist Interview) month-long residency.

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

Princeton - "Calypso Gold"

Princeton, Casxio, Rafter, The Jubilee Singers @ Spaceland (FREE!)
Red Arrow Messenger, Jenny O., Rumspringa @ Bootleg Theater (FREE!)
Useless Keys, The Black Apples, Light FM, L.E.F. @ The Echo (FREE!)
Gamble House, Guy Fantastico, Haim, Damn Sons @ Silver Lake Lounge (FREE!)
Spirit Animal, Des Roar, Imagine Dragons, All Wrong and The Plans Change @ The Roxy
Laura Jansen, Sweet Talk Radio, Jodi King, Alex Vargas of Vagabond @ The Hotel Café
Slanty Shanty Band, Elijah Crampton, TBA @ Pehrspace
Joe Jack Talcum, American Sheriff, Lord Grunge, Bassturd + DJ Jester and the Filipino Fist @ Echo Curio

There's no question about it. Hugo's Restaurant (you may know them for their taco stands) has some of the best mac and cheese in town (fusilli in a creamy combination of Cheddar, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan cheese baked crispy for $12.95). So when they introduced a vegan mac and cheese special ($7.50) for the month of February, it had to be tried.

The dish is made of fusilli pasta is mixed with diced onions, garlic, sliced mushrooms and sweet peas in a homemade cashew cheese cause, topped with a crispy potato crumb crust. Vegan blogger Quarrygirl was "floored" by it and others seem to agree.

From a non-vegan standpoint, however, it was decent. And as one Quarrygirl commenter noted, it was "more like a casserole than mac & cheese." The cheese sauce, which needed to be thicker, lacked the essence of cheese and felt more like a light cream. The vegetables are a nice gesture, but are more distracting than anything. This is a good step in the interminable quest to master vegan cheese and Hugo's should hold on to the menu item, both for their vegan customers and in an effort to perfect the recipe (we have faith they can).

Hugo's boasts a number of high quality meat and vegan dishes alike (try their veggie burger). You can find them in Studio City and West Hollywood. Their taco stands are in Sherman Oaks and Atwater Village.

Brentwood's Compartes (did you know they've been around since 1950?) has several Valentine's Day offerings, including their Valentine's Chocolate Covered Oreos Assortment (13 of their double dipped chocolate covered Oreo ™* cookies dressed up for Valentines Day in a Red Velvet Heart Shaped box; $40). You can also get 16 ($40) or 32 ($75) of their delectable handmade truffles in a heart-shaped box, or go for the 1 lb mix of everything they make ($65). If you time your shopping right and head over to the shop on Thursday from 11:30-2:30 p.m. you can grab lunch from the NomNom Truck, who'll be parked outside again, and your $20 minimum Compartes purchase gets you a free NomNom taco!

Chocolates for her and him are available at Valerie Confections, whose seasonal selection includes 9, 18, or 36 piece heart-shaped bittersweet or milk chocolate assortments presented in an ivory box with red grosgrain ribbon ($20, $40, $80), a manly Pour Homme set of 11 chocolates ($30), and a collection of chocolates featuring rose petal flavors in the Pour Elle set ($30) in addition to larger gift sets. A hint for the frugal: Valerie is giving 15% off online purchases over $30 through Thursday, February 11th. To get your discount you must enter code LOVE15 during checkout. Please note, the discount is applied before shipping and handling and does not apply to previously placed orders.

Our favorite Valentine's Day item from Switzerland's Teuscher Chocolates in Beverly Hills is their Champagne Truffle, which is their house specialty, created in 1947 that's "a delicate blend of fresh cream, butter and chocolate with a champagne cream center surrounded by a dark chocolate ganache, enrobed in milk chocolate and dusted with confectioner’s sugar." (Swoon!) Definitely an indulgent pick, you can get these in boxes of 16 ($41.50), 24 ($61.50), 36 ($89.50), 48 ($119.50), or 72 ($183.50).

San Pedro-based Happy Ending Chocolate will take your online order for their special 8-piece Valentine's Day Collection inspired by William Shakespeare, which includes a piece each of: Vanilla Truffle, Honey Saffron Bon Bon, Kir Royale Bon Bon, Passion Fruit Bon Bon, Strawberry-Balsamic Truffle, Black tea & Lemon Truffle, Lavender Caramel Bon Bon, and Hazelnut-Sage Truffle for $18.

Maybe your heart is made of English Toffee made right here in Los Angeles. If so, you might want to get someone a Toffee Heart from Littlejohns, a goody that's their famous butter crunch toffee, cooked to perfection to ensure that it melts in your mouth, cut in the shape of a heart then dipped in the finest milk chocolate and fresh roasted almonds ($11.73-$51.90 depending on size). They've got heart-shaped fudge and marshmallows, too! You'll find them, of course, at their shop and kitchen inside the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax, where we like to go to watch them make their delicious treats.

LAist Lifestyle Editor Julie Wolfson contributed to this post

Previously on LAist
7 Reasons to Love L.A.: February 1, January 25, January 18, January 11, January 4, December 28, December 21, December 14, December 7, November 25, November 17
Seven Reasons L.A. is the Best

One annoyed neighbor's humorous attempt to educate neighbors on letting dogs relieve themselves on their lawn makes for good camera fodder. And this isn't the first time we've seen this type of "activism" in Sherman Oaks. A few years ago, complimentary "shit bags" appeared on one side street.

Want the help of the city with this illegal activity? Good luck. There is a process, but it's a bit convoluted. If you witness it, you can write the Department of Animal Services about the violation, but you first have to know the violator's address, which means you have to be creepy and follow them home. And if you don't get it on video, the city can only write a warning letter of sorts. Perhaps these signs are the real solution?

To lease 10 city parking garages for 50 years or not? That is one of the current big financial questions, which the LA Times explores today. At issue is the $212-million budget shortfall that officials want to solve mostly with money from the reserve fund, which should be kept around 5%--$230 or so--of the city's overall budget. But depleting the reserve fund can tank the city's bond ratings so, in turn, the city would have to quickly backfill the reserve and one way to do that is leasing 10 parking garages for a large sum of money upfront with some shared profit coming in over the years.

If the drastic move of taking reserve funds to save the day is done, the city absolutely needs to privatize the parking garages, which could bring in $100 to $200 million, in a record amount of time. By contrast, the plan to privatize the city's golf carts has taken seven years and still no action.

Council President Eric Garcetti says it's an extremely risky proposition, calling it "largely untested [in a] somewhat unpredictable market area." Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Deputy Chief of Staff Matt Szabo believes the opposite, citing a good amount of interest from the private market. "The risky proposition is doing nothing," he said.

Previously on LAist
- Hollywood & Highland, ArcLight & Other Public Parking Lots Could Soon be Run by Private Entities
- City Panel Recommends Moving Forward with Privatization of 10 City Parking Garages
- Parking Operators Owe the City Nearly $100 Million

The exact nature of the charges have not been revealed, however it's believed Murray "will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with administering the combination of sedatives and anesthetic blamed in the singer's June death." Murray has not denied administering propofol to Jackson, and has said in police interviews that while Jackson relied on the drug to sleep, the doctor "was trying to wean Jackson from it the week he died."

An LA Times investigation into Murray's personal and professional life reveals that the Nevada and Texas based cardiologist was welcomed at Jackson's Holmby Hills mansion and seen as a "benevolent figure" described by Jackson's chef as a "very nice man, very charming, very well-groomed, very respectful, well-spoken." However, records show that he was facing multiple financial troubles, including being behind on his mortgage, child support payments, and other professional accounts, yet could seemingly not resist taking on patients and cases where he thought he could be of medical assistance.

Forgive me for I have been an awful Louisianan.

Never mind that I haven’t lived there since I was eight nor that the last time I’ve visited has been my dad’s funeral 13 years ago in my childhood town of Zachary, about 20 miles away from Baton Rouge and 100 miles from New Orleans. But the worst of my sins was that I didn’t believe in the Saints in this Super Bowl.

I doubted them on both sides of the ball, but they made me feel the gash on their side. All of the sudden, Peyton Manning’s receivers couldn’t hold on to the ball. They were falling down on their routes. And the Saints defense didn’t allow many yards after the catch after the Colts receivers caught the ball.

The Saints played to win the game while the Colts seemed to turn conservative.

It was the Saints who surprised everyone watching the game by kicking an on-side kick to start the second half and get possession of the ball. It was the Saints who went for it on fourth and goal in the second quarter. Although it failed, the Colts ran three consecutive running plays to go three-and-out and give the ball back to the Saints at their 48-yard line with 1:03 left in the game.

In the fourth quarter when leading 17-16, the Colts faced a fourth down on the Saints 33 yard line. They opted to kick the 51 yard field goal knowing full well their kicker Matt Stover was the oldest player ever in the Super Bowl at 42 years old. Of course the kick went wide left and gave the Saints great field position where they scored the go-ahead touchdown.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was the sharpshooter throwing only seven incomplete passes. Manning was the one who made the big mistake with 3:12 left in the game which sealed the championship for the Saints.

After the paper bags, derisive nicknames and threats of a relocated franchise, the Saints now sit on top of the football world ready to return to New Orleans as heroes.

So Mmmmnommnommmnomm*burp*.

That’s the sound of the crow I’m eating. Sorry for the belch, but my stomach was already filled with gumbo, Buffalo wings, mini tacos, baby carrots, chips and spinach artichoke dip. I accept my punishment and will now go to bed with the bottle of antacids on my night stand.

The embarrassing When in Rome led off the bottom half of the top ten ($5.5M | $20.8M). After that it was the okay The Book of Eli ($4.8M | $82.1M), the fantastic Crazy Heart ($3.6M | $11.1M), the worthless Legion ($3.4M | $34.6M) and the better-than-it-had-any-right-to-be Sherlock Holmes ($2.6M | $201.5M). In limited release, Red Riding Trilogy ($13,500 per theater) and Terribly Happy ($13,000) both enjoyed solid openings.

• A Gold Line train and a car collided this morning in Highland Park, but thankfully no one was injured.
• A Delta baggage handler was questioned and released at LAX yesterday morning after he allegedly ran from a security screener and returning barefoot to pick up his belongings.
• The David Beckham soccer academy was quietly shut down in December, and the superstar is looking to create another program that isn't affiliated with a sole location, like the now defunct one in Carson.
• The CHP re-opened portions of the Ortega Highway this morning, following a washout yesterday due to the heavy rainstorms.
• A Long Beach man shot a female family member and then turned the gun on himself.
• Three unrelated shootings in South L.A. have left three men dead.
• Metroblogging's Tara Tiger Brown looks back on her first year of life in LA, in particular all the places where she's found great vegan eats.

• DCist is busy digging out of the great Snowmaggedon of 2010.
• Londonist discovered an alpine ski lodge, some abstract art, a treasure-trove of antiques and several tube-carriage offices, all in the unlikely setting of East London's rooftops and alleyways.
• Gothamist was amazed when a Best Buy shopper was arrested for using valid gift cards. Oh, and when a 12-year-old was arrested for doodling on her desk. Oh, and when a 9-year-old was almost suspended for a Lego-sized toy gun. Oh, and when ?uestlove wondered about NBC's Black History Month cafeteria menu.
• Phillyist reported from the Miss'd America pageant in Atlantic City, former home of the Miss America pageant.
• Torontoist has been interviewing the members of the Kids in the Hall one by one by one, now that the much-loved comedy troupe is back on TV with a new mini-series, Death Comes to Town.
• Shanghaiist got shoved into overcrowded subways by new professional subway shovers.
• Bostonist toyed around with a naked Scott Brown action figure.
• LAist was exited to announce that a light rail line and route connecting Santa Monica to Downtown had finally been approved.
• Chicagoist followed PETA's battle to get the controversial "Lobster Zone" game removed from a local bar (PETA won).
• Seattlest checked out the strange case of a photographer sued for taking a picture of Seattle public art.
• SFist recoiled at senate candidate Carly Fiorina new campaign attack ad, which features swine, sheep and furries.
• Houstonist focused a spotlight on the local music scene.

This week British indie rockers Editors will be headlining the Wiltern with none other than Brooklyn-bred indie rock trio the Antlers in tow. Tulsa-based indie pop songstress St. Vincent (LAist Interview, Review) is poised to perform to a sold-out crowd at the El Rey Theatre. Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton (LAist Interview) will be continuing their month-long residency at Spaceland. And, lastly, experimental English indie rockers Wild Beasts will be embarking on their first North American tour, stopping through the Troubadour.

Wild Beasts - "Hooting & Howling"

Monday

Princeton, Casxio, Rafter, The Jubilee Singers @ Spaceland (FREE!)
Red Arrow Messenger, Jenny O., Rumspringa @ Bootleg Theater (FREE!)
Useless Keys, The Black Apples, Light FM, L.E.F. @ The Echo (FREE!)
Gamble House, Guy Fantastico, Haim, Damn Sons @ Silver Lake Lounge (FREE!)
Spirit Animal, Des Roar, Imagine Dragons, All Wrong and The Plans Change @ The Roxy
Laura Jansen, Sweet Talk Radio, Jodi King, Alex Vargas of Vagabond @ The Hotel Café
Slanty Shanty Band, Elijah Crampton, TBA @ Pehrspace
Joe Jack Talcum, American Sheriff, Lord Grunge, Bassturd + DJ Jester and the Filipino Fist @ Echo Curio

Tuesday

Loudon Wainwright III @ Largo at the Coronet
St. Vincent, Wildbirds and Peacedrums @ El Rey Theatre
Nouvelle Vague, Soko, Findley Brown @ Henry Fonda Music Box
Mia Doi Todd, Ariana Delawari, Correatown, DJ Nobody @ Spaceland
Ferraby Lionheart, Buddy, Josh Ottum, Evan Voytas @ Bootleg Theater
Mumford and Sons @ Troubadour (Sold-Out)
Jay Nash, Katie Costello, Nikki Jean, special guest @ The Hotel Café
Roll The Tanks, Gooby Goo & Peekers, Bomb Your Face @ Silver Lake Lounge
Laco$te, Michael Nhat, Fawn as Women, Fantastica Bastidas @ The Echo
Red Tide, River Avenue, Flying Machine @ El Cid
Shakey Graves, Cave Country, Hod Hulphers @ Echo Curio
Sinden @ Arena
Electrolightz, Jen Lasher, Hyphy Crunk @ Cinespace
Lucy Schwartz, Letron, Jennifer Singer @ Saint Rocke
The Thermals, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down @ Detroit Bar

Wednesday

Nocando's record release, Dntel, King Cannibal @ The Airliner
Wild Beasts, Still Life Still, Magic Bullets @ Troubadour
Justin Townes Earle @ Amoeba Music (FREE! Early Show; 7 PM)
The Fold presents A Haiti Benefit w/ Pete Yorn, Tim Kasher, Craig Wedren, special guests @ Bootleg Theater
Cobra Lilies, Findlay Brown, Pizza!, Superhumanoids @ The Echo
JDub Records and LA Record Present: Milk and Honey w/ Luke Top (of Fool's Gold; DJ Set), Jason Savvy (of Malabomb; DJ Set) @ Bar Lubitsch
Golden State, The Hundred Days, Taxi Doll, KC Booker and The High Decibels @ The Viper Room
Big Phony's record release, Austin Hartley Leonard, Lindsay Ray, Anne Heaton @ The Hotel Café
The Tuffingtons, Warlords of Rock and Roll Thunder and Lightning, New Planets @ Silver Lake Lounge
Thurlow, Samuel Stewart, Mouse Kills Tiger, The Heligoats @ Echo Curio

Thursday

Editors, The Antlers @ The Wiltern
The Thermals, Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, Slang Chickens @ Troubadour
Richard Thompson @ Largo at the Coronet
Justin Townes Earle, Joe Pug, The Hi Hos @ The Echo
Eyedea and Abilities, Dosh, Silent Army @ Echoplex
Alec Ounsworth, The Romany Rye, Line and Circle @ Bootleg Theater
Imaad Wasif, Becky Stark, Voice on Tape @ Spaceland
Big Phony's record release, Guggenheim Grotto w/ special guests, Oak & Gorski, That Noise @ The Hotel Café
Artichoke, Setting Sun, Sam Mellon and the Skylarks, The Long Holidays @ Hyperion Tavern
Body Parts, Alina Cutrono, Micah James, Deathday Party @ Echo Curio
Captains, Venus Bogardus, Bullied By Strings, Dreamers @ Silver Lake Lounge
Michael Nhat, Big Whup, No Paws (No Lions), Pangea @ The Smell
Death Hymn Number 9, Aftergloam, Stab City, Manhattan Murder Mystery @ L'KEG Gallery
The Binges, Dinner At The Thompson's, 8mm, Hadouken @ The Viper Room
Paperplanes, Two Guns, Cowboy and Indian @ The Prospector
Death Hymn #9, Dante Vs. Zombies, The Living Sickness @ Alex's Bar

Friday

Fitz & The Tantrums, Sweater Girls @ The Echo
The Chicago Underground Duo, Pit Er Pat, The Pity Party @ Bootleg Theater
Miss Derringer, The Creep Show, The Triggers @ Troubadour
Christian Death @ El Rey Theatre
Web In Front presents Shadow Shadow Shade, Twilight Sleep, Marvelous Toy @ Spaceland
I See Hawks in LA, Richie Lawrence record release @ Cinema Bar (3967 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles)
The Idyllists' record release, The Passports, Freddy & Francine, Dawn Thomas, The Appletons, The Ravishing @ The Hotel Café
Sierra Swan, Carina Round, Samuel Stewart, Wildlife @ Pehrspace
The Monolators, Make Me, Heavy Hawaii, The Preteens @ The Smell
Let Go of the Rail, Moment Trigger, Lee Noble @ L'KEG Gallery
The Damselles, The Hi-Ho's, Sweet Little Things @ Casey's Irish Bar & Grill
Seasons, So Many Wizards, Torches in Trees, C-Horse @ Juanita's Restaurant & Bar
Meshell Ndegeocello @ Largo at the Coronet
Moan Red, Ric Veda, The Jack Fris Radio Choir, The Marietta James @ Redwood Bar & Grill
Demonora, TS and The Past Haunts , Weasels Exist, Eating Faces @ Mr. T's Bowl
Dog, The Crystelles, Actuary, Geronimo, Sissister @ Echo Curio
James McMurtry @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
Tommy Santee Klaws @ Robin's Sculpture Garden (1632 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Santa Monica)

Saturday

Lucent L'amour 2010 w/ Bassnectar, Stanton Warriors, N.A.S.A., Yard Dogs Road Show, Lucent Dossier Experience, Beats Antique, Ana Sia, Lazer Sword, Lynx & Janover, Patricio @ The Shrine
Alice in Chains @ Hollywood Palladium (Sold-Out)
The Album Leaf accompanied by Magik*Magik String Quartet, Sea Wolf @ El Rey Theatre
Daniel Lanois' Black Dub @ Spaceland
Saint Motel, Young the Giant, Chasing Kings, Links @ The Roxy
Social Science's Lonely Hearts Club w/ Obi Best, Sunny War, Soko, Correatown, Yeah Brother, Eagle And Talon, Boris Smile, Vincent Minor, Fascinoma, Patrick Park @ Social Science Loft (530 Molino St. #217, Los Angeles)
Spain @ Origami Vinyl (FREE! Early Show; 7 PM)
West Indian Girl, Pollyn @ Bootleg Theater
Foxtails Brigade, The Karabal Nightlife, Devotionals, Ash Reiter @ Echo Curio
Laco$ta, Repetitions, I.E., Essay @ The Smell
The Black Currents, Sunshine Factory, Los Larks, Feats in Inches, The Legion @ Mr. T's Bowl
Graydon, Coby Brown, Jason Karaban & Craig Elkins and friends, Zachariah and the Lobos Riders, Jeremy Silver, Erin Ivey @ The Hotel Café
ALO, Chris Velan @ Troubadour
Pacific Pride, Peg Leg love, Brigsley Blong, Her Imaginary Friends @ Silver Factory Studios
The Mau Mau's @ Redwood Bar & Grill

Sunday

Kidrockers w/ Dengue Fever, Buddy @ The Echo (Early Show; 1 PM)
Van Dyke Parks, Clare and the Reasons @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
Build An Ark @ Amoeba Music (FREE! Early Show 5 PM)
The Meek, Weekend, Young Prisms @ The Echo
Normandie, Night Horse, Yours Til Death @ The Viper Room
John Wiese, Lasse Marhaug, Joe & Joe, Seven Depressions @ The Smell

Watching St. Vitus romp through their twenty-five year old catalog in front of a big crowd of foaming-at-the-mouth headbangers at a warehouse in Downtown LA last week was not just a reminder of days gone past, but a delivery of some kind of justice for a band that forged the genre of Doom Metal without many people even noticing at the time. But during their twenty years of absence, they’ve built up a following. They are truly one of those groups that only sold a few records in their day, but inspired every single person that bought one to start a band. “This is the best LA audience Vitus has EVER played to,” said guitarist Dave Chandler early in the set, and if you were around at the time they invented that stuff, it’s not hard to believe it.

Sometime early in 1985, the once fiercely-opposed musical forces of punk and metal struck an uneasy truce. The historic “Crossover” alliance accomplished a couple of important things for each side - hardcore bands won the right to sound beefier and incorporate more slow parts and guitar solos into their songs without being accused of selling out, and metal bands were now allowed to play at lightning speed, wear t-shirts on stage, and travel around the country in vans with copies of their homemade EP for sale. This agreement paid huge dividends for both sides, making the most of two different audiences, both of which were willing to dig underground to find stuff.

St. Vitus should have thrived in a world like that, but for some reason, had a hard time finding embrace from either side. The “punk” part of the equation came only from their association with SST Records, the label that brought you Black Flag, Minutemen, Husker Du, Meat Puppets and Bad Brains. It certainly didn’t come from the speed of the music. In a scene obsessed with playing faster, they were stripping heavy metal back down to the first Black Sabbath album and then stopping. Vitus was slower than Sabbath themselves, and single-minded in their pursuit of sludgy excellence. They didn’t look the part of the usual dorky SST guys either, and as a result, are said to be the only SST band that regularly got paid. Their whole trip wasn't about metal as an evolution - it was a reduction, even a throwback. When Vitus took to the road with a punk band, as when I saw them with the Mentors in 1987 in Newport, Kentucky, you could sit on the sidelines and watch a dividing line emerge between the people who turned off to it in a few seconds, and the people who sat there mesmerized. They sure weren’t anything like the last hundred bands you’d seen at that club. They were fucking GOOD, but their appeal was quite selective, as Ian Faith might tell you. They stood alone, and so might you if you showed up at one of their gigs.

Fast forward twenty years from the last time they played in LA - at the Second Coming in early 1990, where I remember everyone being in a really bad mood - and it turns out that, on the stage, not much has changed. There’s a new drummer, Henry Vasquez, who seems to be just about as good as original thumper Armando Acosta, and even kinda looks like him from a distance. Dave Chandler is admirably committed to that metal ‘fro of his, and still lurks menacingly at stage right, pointing at random people as if putting the whammy on them, his tone still a wall of throbbing mud. Bassist Mark Adams is still the reliable rhythm machine he always was, holding up the low end.

And then there’s Wino, smiling more than he used to but otherwise looking unaffected by time. Since leaving Vitus behind, he’s led a string of very heavy, generally high-grade bands that includes the Obsessed, Spirit Caravan and the Hidden Hand, steadfastly keeping the faith of Doom. Within the scene he’s become a Lemmy-like elder figure, his presence lending authority to whatever project he’s doing at any moment.

Original singer Scott Reagers gets invited back on stage for the encore, and impresses mightily with his guest spot. But he hands the mic back to Wino for the inevitable closer, “Born Too Late”, the 1987 anthem for loner stoners ‘round the world, featuring the defiant couplet, “They say my songs are much too slow/ But they don’t know the things I know!”

They sound real good, and the crowd is clearly fever-pitched. Lots of them are too young to have seen the band in their day, but there are also a good number of veteranos trading memories of the time when a Vitus gig might draw twenty people to the Anti-Club, shaking their heads at the huge mass of bodies in front of them. “This is crazy!” But really it feels like the sanest moment yet in the long history of Vitus. I always knew there was a roomful of people who’d eat this stuff up if they only knew about it. Now the knowledge isn’t quite so secret. Although it’s taken them a while to find large-scale validation, you have no trouble believing in St. Vitus. They are men true to their word, an increasingly rare commodity. Long may they run.

We noticed some pretty cool images from different laundromats in Los Angeles in the mix of our LAist Featured Photos pool, and rather than just letting them soak, we thought we'd put 'em together and share them with you. Maybe looking at these photos will help you pass the time while you wait for the spin cycle to finish. Oh, and don't forget the fabric softener!

43 homes in the area were damaged by the massive mudslide and ensuing debris flow that erupted before dawn following a night of heavy rains pounding on the saturated hillsides scarred by last summer's Station Fire. 9 of the homes have since been deemed uninhabitable by authorities.
Touring the affected neighborhood this morning, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would assemble a team to look into local officials' claims that the mudslides impact on the area were due to some extent by the mishandling of the Station Fire, and he pledged assistance from the state in cleaning up.

While many residents have been allowed back into their homes, more rain is on its way into Southern California.

Previously: Photos: Mudslides in La Cañada-Flintridge

• cha gio (fried spring rolls stuffed with fake meat and vegetables) $4: "this stuff is tasty, huge, fried, and cheap…win/win/win/win."
• lemongrass tofu banh mi $6: "this sandwich cost a dollar more than the Mandoline Grill banh mi we had last time, but was a full 6 inches longer as well! The sandwich was massive, hearty, fresh, and full of some of the most amazing marinated tofu I’ve ever eaten."
• lemongrass tofu noodle bowl $6: "tasted good… but not nearly as good as the banh mi. it came with the same perfect tofu that the sandwich did, but on a bed of thin cold noodles to be eaten w/ chop sticks."
• cha gio noodle bowl $6: "basically like the tofu noodle bowl, but w/ spring rolls plopped on top rather than tofu. [My friend] agreed that it was tasty, but the banh mi was better."

The next moves for the theatre, whose roots reach back to 1917 when an actor and director began to put on community theatre shows in an old burlesque house, remain unclear.

With an annual operating budget of $7 million, Executive Director Steven Eich believes it would take at least $10 million to re-open the Playhouse. For now, all 37 staff members have been laid off, though the theatre will continue to work from an administrative space donated on Rosemead Blvd.

The financial history of the Playhouse is as varied and tumultuous as the venue itself, which was built in 1925 and designed by Elmer Grey, and was named the State Theatre of California in 1937.

While the theatre boasted a reputable training academy for both actors and the infant medium known as television, "the historic building on South El Molino Avenue was taken over by the bank," in 1969, and did not reopen until the mid-80s, when it emerged from a "major privately funded restoration." A decade later its then-operating company went bankrupt. Of all the financial woes the Playhouse has, rent is not one of them; they lease the building from the City of Pasadena for $1 a year.

Eich and the Playhouse staff promise to keep their fans apprised if anything can and will be done to re-open the Playhouse in the near future.

In response to local officials' assertion that the mudslides were a result of poor handling of the Station Fire, Schwarzenegger said he would "appoint a blue ribbon commission" to investigate their claims, reports KTLA. "He promised to cut red tape to find disposal sites for thousands of truckloads of debris that must be removed from houses, yards, streets and catch basins."

Most residents were allowed back into their homes today, although evacuation orders remain in place for the uppermost points off Ocean View. At least 43 homes were damaged, of which nine are considered uninhabitable, and mud is reportedly knee-deep in some places.

See more photos from Ocean View Blvd. here.

Free Fruit Trees @LACMA
As part of their current partnership exhibition at LACMA, The Fruit of LACMA, which assembles work in several media (painting, photography, and decorative arts) to examine the haunting persistence of fruit in art, Fallen Fruit will be giving away free fruit trees today at Noon at the Museum. (They suggest you get there early to get in on the giving.) This public fruit-tree adoption, officially launches EATLACMA, the museum's year-long series of food-related talks, performances, exhibitions, and other events on culture, art, politics, and eatables.

Drag Queen Bingo @Hamburger Mary's
You don't have to dress in drag (unless you want to!) but you can have fun and support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at tonight's always-popular Drag Queen Bingo at Hamburger Mary's in WeHo at 7:30. For a $20 entrance donation you get $20 10 bingo cards, which gives you 10 chances to win the great prize packages. This year's prize packages have an average value of $200 and include, Lululemon , Starbucks, Coffee Bean, and Queen Bee waxing goodies, DVDS, restaurant gift cards, gym memberships, grocery store gift cards, massages, waxing, body treatments, DVDs, dance classes, and gym memberships. and more.

Watch the Super Bowl...or Not
A few days ago we shared with you some suggestions on where to belly up to the bar or settle down at a restaurant table to watch the "big game." If you're still looking for a spot, check out our suggestions. If you're totally not interested in the game, you might want to hide out at the movies, or read a good book.

On Thursday night, the GRAMMY Museum hit one out of the park with the genre's fans by featuring Los Tucanes de Tijuana to kick off the Nuestra Historia series -- the museum's first program to be held exclusively in Spanish.

Affectionately referred to as the band that sells records before getting airplay (due to the fact that much of their popularity has come by way of grassroots and word-of-mouth efforts), the group's popularity largely stems from its often simple, colloquial lyrical style to which many fans can relate. Over their 22 year history, the group has produced over two dozen albums with numerous hits, the vast majority of which have been written by band leader Mario Quintero Lara.

The packed house at the GRAMMY Museum's 200 seat sound stage was certainly a testament to their appeal. Cheers went up the moment the band was visible and they only got louder once they finally made it on stage. Once on stage, Lara talked about the band's beginnings in Tijuana and how the name had been suggested by a relative whose intention was to join the group, but ultimately never did join as he never learned to play an instrument. Equally comical was Lara's recounting of how one of the group's early hits, La Chona, took him five minutes to write and was meant to appeal to an Ensenada DJ so as to get some airplay.

On a more serious note, Lara also touched on narcocorridos, songs talking about drug runners and their deeds, to which Lara stated that while some people may not like that said music exists, he feels that people have the freedom to listen to what they like and they are merely giving people the music that they want to hear.

As the night progressed, Lara continued to share stories behind some of the hits, and together with the rest of the band, played excerpts of those songs that made Los Tucanes famous. The program was briefly interrupted as Universal representatives presented the group two new Gold records, adding to the large collection of awards the group has already amassed.

Sidenote: many of their older albums are being re-released by Universal/Fonovisa. Fans should expect new releases every two weeks.

The program closed with the band playing full length versions of some of their hits. That seemed to energize the crowd further and it wasn't long before it started to look like a big party. Unfortunately for fans, all things must come to an end, but Los Tucanes played on until the very last second and their fans loved it.

Keep an eye out for future Nuestra Historia listings at the GRAMMY Museum as they certainly look like they will be lots of fun for fans.

• It seems CA Assembly Speaker Karen Bass is looking to enter the race to take the place of Diane Watson as the Rep. for CA-33, who has begun to tell people she won't be running for re-election.
• How has the arts scene changed in Pasadena in recent years? Today's LA Times takes a look.
• The 38-year-old surfer who lost his life in the massive waves brought on by last month's serious rainstorms was remembered in Newport.
• Drivers of 2010 Toyota Priuses can expect to hear about a recall to fix possibly faulty brakes next week.
• Today would have been Ronald Reagan's 99th birthday, and plans are already in the works for celebrating his 100th next year.
• There's an 83-years-young woman taking part in tomorrow's Surf City half-marathon down in the OC.
• Gasp! Teen mom Jamie Lynn Spears is splitting up with her baby-daddy, Casey Aldridge.

Although many areas in SoCal might currently be experiencing some blue skies and a welcome break in the rain, we are still in the midst of a weather system that continues to impact homes, roads, and residents all over the greater Los Angeles area.

• Mandatory evacuations of 500 homes were ordered this afternoon for parts of La Cañada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, and Acton. [Full list of impacted addresses available here via .pdf]
• Mudslides have been reported in many Hollywood-area neighborhoods, including the 1400 block of Benedict Canyon, Nichols Canyon, and Muholland Drive west of Coldwater Canyon near Summit Circle [via Twitter].
• Elsewhere in Hollywood, a sinkhole formed at Sunset and Gower, and many businesses on Melrose Avenue were affected by flooding.
• The CHP is reporting a mudslide along Malibu Canyon Road just south of the tunnel, and also "a very large boulder has landed on Las Virgenes Road in Malibu. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department arrived and attempted to move the boulder, however it was reported too heavy to move. [SoCal Newswire]
• In Orange County, "Ortega Hwy washed out. 74 closed between San Juan Capistrano + Lake Elsinore. CHP reporting roadway completely eroded." [via Twitter]

Through February 20th, the UCLA Film & Television Archive will continue to showcase cinematic works as part of its 20th Annual Celebration of Iranian Cinema.

This year, the entire program is comprised of six recent features, as well as documentaries and shorts. The films are mostly in Farsi with English subtitles.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the Archive will present Wind Blows in the Meadow, a 91 minute film about a woman who finds herself in unfortunate circumstances (married off to the son of one of her family's creditors) after her father is injured in an accident.

Tickets are $9 at the event, $10 online (where you can also obtain a full schedule of the film screenings).

Photo: Sean Gallup/Staff/Getty Images

Iranian Film Hits Los Angeles originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 14:02:30.

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KCRW is home to amazing music programs hosted by Jason Bentley, Raul Campos, Garth Trinidad and others, as well as news programs like Which Way LA with Warren Olney, and NPR news. The station relies on listeners for funding.

If you can't reach into your pockets, another alternative (which is what I did last year) is to volunteer your time answering calls and taking pledges at the station in Santa Monica.

KCRW Winter Fund Pledge Drive originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 15:31:45.

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Go old skool this year, and celebrate the Superbowl with a crew of West Coast rap's pioneers. Rappers Tone Loc, JJ Fad, Coolio, Yo-Yo, Young MC, AMG and Ms. Toi will be in the house judging halftime competitions at the Largest & Sexiest Super Bowl Party Ever.

The event also promises a football pool, free finger foods, card and casino games and something for the ladies and gents: a 'hard bodies and sexy legs' contest.

Host Joe Jones is throwing the party this Sunday the 7th at Paradise Restaurant at 889 W. 190th Street in Gardena starting at 2 p.m. But the party will go on until 11 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance via Paypal or $15 at the door.

Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Staff/Getty Images

LA Superbowl Party Featuring 'Coolio and the Gang' originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 14:44:41.

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The new February issue of Wired is out and it's got a great feature package in it on the bullet train decade to come. The lead says: "The nation's test bed will almost certainly be California, which already has voter-approved funding and planning under way."

Los Angeles to San Francisco will represent the first wave of the high speed train's California leg (to be completed by 2025). They're going for a top speed of 220 miles per hour! Right now, standard bullet trains don't go that fast.

In a special section on California's bullet trains, Wired writers say the trains will need ample passengers in order to make the high-speed transports' price tag worth it. The aim is to get people from LA to SF in 2 hours and 40 minutes. And, as usual, California's poised to be ahead of the pack.

Photo: David McNew/Staff/Getty Images

Bullet Trains From Los Angeles to San Francisco originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 13:46:48.

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It's a big day in Hollywood...well, not the big day...yet. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its Oscars nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony. Major categories are listed below. For the full list go to the Academy Awards website.

Best Actor

• Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
• George Clooney in Up in the Air
• Colin Firth in A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman in Invictus
• Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Best Actress

• Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren in The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan in An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
• Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Best Picture

• Avatar
• The Blind Side
• District 9
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
• A Serious Man
• Up
• Up in the Air

Best Director

• James Cameron for Avatar
• Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
• Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
• Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
• Jason Reitman for Up in the Air

The Huffington Post also has the story on the stars' reactions (like Sandra Bullock being woken up from a deep sleep with the news) to their Oscar noms.

Photo of George Clooney by Kevin Winter/Staff/Getty Images

Oscar Nominations Are Out originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 15:33:08.

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Now there's yet another thing to look forward to on 'hump day.' M Café in Culver City has launched "Pizza Night," which will offer diners a special promotion on Wednesday evenings after 5 p.m.

For $9.75, you and a friend will get a share-able thin-crust Margherita pizza topped with a rustic Marinara sauce, vegan Daiya cheese and fresh basil. For an extra $1.50 they'll add their special seitan salami to it. And $1.50 will get you a baby green salad.

As far as I know, there's not much you can order in restaurants for $1.50 these days--not even a side of fries.

Photo Courtesy of Quarry Girl

Cheap Eats on Wednesdays at M Cafe originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 14:52:59.

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I had the pleasure of attending a titillating and tasteful opening last night at the Sugar Lilie lingerie boutique at 8024 W. Third St. Apart from the usual intimates on display, the store hosted erotic art photography by Steve Diet Goedde.

Goedde--who has during his career shot such vixens as Dita Von Teese--takes an aesthetically nuanced (i.e. not just pure shock value) position with his sometimes surrealist works. I was really impressed with the beauty, style and grace with which he captured his muses in this beautiful collection of black and whites.

The event was as intimate as the subjects, and another indicator of the trend of retail spaces doubling up to accommodate evening events, art shows and such.

Photo Courtesy of Steve Diet Goedde

Erotic Art Photography and Designer Lingerie Opening originally appeared on About.com Los Angeles on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 14:58:45.

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