Allison Garwood a.k.a. Big Al, the gal, is a striking femme fatale who lives in dowtown Los Angeles. She was the creator of the recently retired syndicated comic strip, NEUROTICA. The Gal also maintains a daily blog at bigalthegal.blogspot.com.
There’s been some eventful changes on Billboard’s Hot 100 this week! She-who-kissed-a-girl-and-shall-not-be-named dropped down to the third spot and replacing her at number one is the lovely Rhianna with ‘Disturbia.’ Unless you’re my dog, Cheerio, you can’t see my happy dance that I’m doing it in the privacy of my own house right now as I revel in joy. Rhianna also makes the Top 5 twice with ‘Take a Bow’ at number four.
Chris Brown is holding his own at number two with ‘Forever.’ Brown is young and hot, while his lyrics are not that creative or original it’s a sure-fire way to get a party jumping. It’s gonna be me and you on the dance floor, double your pleasure, double your fun…
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Tags: News · artists
Well, well, well, it’s been another week and She-Who-Kissed-A-Girl-&-Shall-Not-Be-Named is still #1 on the chart. In a last-ditch effort to remain positive I’ve decided to take the constructive criticism/commentary of a one Ms. Liana Aghajanian. She commented on my She-Who-Kissed-A-Girl-&-Shall-Not-Be-Named article last week saying the only song on Billboard that deserved to be on the list was Paper Planes, by M.I.A.
This week on Billboard’s Hot 100, at #16 is Paper Planes. Had it not been for Aghajanian, I would never have given M.I.A. a second thought. Her style is new and interesting; it vaguely reminds me of Peaches. She has actually toured with Peaches. Born Mathangi Arulpragasm [July 17th, 1977] in London and of a Sri Lankan Tamil ethnicity, M.I.A. uses her multicultural background as a foundation for most of her work. Her lyrical content ranges from global politics, violence, and poverty to her issues with the war on terror. Her songs sound dance-able [if you're high on X] and shallow at first play; when you read them over you can’t miss the dark tension when she sings about gas, bureaucracy, and ‘the’ system.
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Tags: Editorials · shows
Recently, I received an email that told me I can save “up to $100,000 on the courtyard collection!” at the Barker Block. That sounds like an amazing deal, but I can’t imagine this offer comes without a catch.
So, I went to my homie in the ‘hood, my dude in downtown, my man in the mortgage, my lad in the lofts, my mate in the market, my friend in floorplans, my pal in pricing, Mr. Developer.
Big Al, the gal: Good sir! I’m pretty sure Barker Block isn’t just going to hand me a $100,000 check. What gives in this situation?
Mr. Developer: They were previously having an 18% off incentive campaign (about $90,000 off on a $500,000 condo). They have had minimal sales from this earlier promotion. Now, they are stepping it up and offering $100,000 off some units b/c they are just not selling them.
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Tags: Real Estate
I’ve noticed, as have we all, that the unemployment numbers are rising. Already, we are hearing about a booming foreclosure market, and now people who may have been scraping by are losing their jobs. Wow.
What is going to happen next? I have no idea, so I went to my insider source, Mr. Developer, to find out.
Big Al, the gal: As people continue to lose their jobs, I assume the number of foreclosures will increase. What will this mean for the housing market?
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Tags: Real Estate
Recently, I visited my home state of Georgia for two weeks. I grew accustomed to a very different way of life than I lead here in downtown Los Angeles. Strangers smiled and I smiled back. People waved when I let them scoot ahead of me in traffic and I waved back. No one asked me for money.
My parents live in Athens, Georgia (home of the University of Georgia, go dawgs! Woof!) (ahem, sorry) and that city is working very hard to fix their homeless problem. They have about 60 homeless people. Riiiiiiight right right right right riiiiiiiight.
Last night, my husband, two male friends/neighbors, and I went to dinner. We decided to walk to Pete’s on 4th and Main. Have the homeless people down here gotten crazier while I was gone? Was I just desensitized before I left? What is going on??
I realize that homeless people are people with problems and deserve respect and compassion. I do. I’ve even written about it before. But we got yelled at, asked for money, and one guy even hollered “BITCH!!” and spit on me out of the blue.
Is it getting worse instead of better down here? If so, why?
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Tags: Editorials
The Ralph’s “Fresh” Fare on 9th and Flower has only-game-in-town-itis. For the most part, the store is satisfactory. Clean … enough … varied … enough. What it’s missing is the attention to detail that competition would bring. Any competition. At all. Anything!
The prices seem high. The organic produce has one foot in the grave. The weekly wine tasting: no offense, wine guy, but it’s well suited for a small town in one of the Dakotas. If a store is going to hold a wine tasting anywhere between Sonoma and Los Angeles, they’d better put a knowledgable sommelier on the job.
My biggest gripe, is their biggest success. The crowds. The store is always packed. I went to shop at 1:30 on a weekday and decided to grab a bite from the salad bar. No place to sit. I ended up on the cement steps outside the door in the hot sun with business people angrily stepping around me. I felt a little like a piece of chewed gum on a doormat.
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Tags: Editorials · LA Backdrop
IHOP. Yum. While I have always been a friend of the IHOP, their downtown L.A. location has turned me into an actual fan. The food is pretty much the same at any location … except for the time in the Marina in San Francisco when we happened upon a 5 star sous chef at his second job. But that’s another story for another day.
Anyhoo, the reason I am a fan of the downtown IHOP is because the service is always always friendly! In Los Angeles, we are accustomed to being treated like home invaders by wait staff. When I visit family in Georgia, I find myself leaning over and whispering to my Mom, “Why is the waiter being so nice? Drugs?”
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Tags: Restaurants
Maybe you have heard about the Farmers’ Market which takes place each Wednesday from 11:30 AM until 2:00 PM. But have you ever trotted over to check it out?
You’ll see all the grumpy nasty people who bump you as they speed walk to their office or miss your kneecaps with their Mercedes bumpers by inches on their way to the parking deck. BUT! When they visit a farmers’ market, suddenly everyone turns nice! It’s delightful.
While the market only takes up the sidewalk along one block (West 5th Street btwn South Grand Avenue and South Flower Street), you’ll find a surprising variety of merchandise.
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Tags: Local Happenings
Recently, I read about an odd phenomenon. Real estate developers are holding something they call UN-auctions in order to move their merchandise. People seem to be taking the bait too. But what is this really all about?
Big Al, the gal: How is an un-auction different from an auction? Why do they call it an “un” auction?
Mr. Developer: An un-auction advertises auction-like prices without having to go through the auction process. You don’t have all buyers in a room with an auctioneer and the pressure that comes with it.
You have a bit more of the traditional sales process in that you can work with one of sales people before the un-auction to figure out which house you want to go after.
At a recent un-auction, a long line of buyers formed early in the morning before the un-auction opened. You have to be ready to move when it’s time.
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Tags: Real Estate
My parents live in Athens, Georgia, and I have recently returned from visiting them for two weeks. The first thing I thought when I got back to L.A. was “gosh it’s loud.”
Fortunately, there was an inhumanly nice fellow in the seat in front of me on the plane. I lucked out and bumped into him at baggage claim. He helped ease the transition.
My husband was happy to see me, but not in that answering-rhetorical-questions Southern way to which I’d grown accustomed.
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Tags: Editorials
What is the DL on the DT, yo? How can we find out what it’s reeeally like to live in downtown Los Angeles?
Why, interview folks of course! This week, I found a respectable looking businesman and peppered him with questions which weren’t any of my business.
Big Al, the gal: How long have you lived in downtown Los Angeles?
Laurence C.: Not counting other lives, I have lived downtown for 9 months.
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Tags: Uncategorized
There are several fascinating, safe parks in and around downtown Los Angeles. Yes, I said “fascinating”. For some reason, the parks in downtown L.A. tend to focus on making you think! This spring, I will guide you through a few of them.
Did you know you burn less calories when you watch t.v. than when you sleep? Think what television is doing to your brain if that is what it’s doing to your body. Yikes.
My brain is bored, but I have a solution!
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Tags: Visual Arts
