The Mar Vista Farmers Market
Sundays, 9am - 2pm
12224 Venice Blvd, Mar Vista

One basic principle of farmers markets is that the good ones are crowded. There has to be something about them to make the community want to attend on top of their usual grocery shopping at regular markets and Trader Joes. The organizers of the Mar Vista farmers market clearly know all this too, and they have put their knowledge to good use.

This was one of the most crowded markets in LA, and it is not even located in an area benefiting from pre-existing foot traffic like markets on 3rd Street Promenade or Downtown. This, plus the presence of families and groups of young people just hanging out is a testament to the fact that people just plain like this market. The produce was not even that out of the ordinary; most of the vendors sell at various other markets as well, making this spot quality, but not necessarily unique, yet the crowds prove that something is being done right.

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…And I’m not talking about Bette Midler.

I’m a c-word.

Not that c-word. I’m a Christian, which nowadays generates a response similar to the one I imagine I would receive if I announced that I host Klan rallies and dogfights in my backyard.

Perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit, but it’s no secret that those who profess allegiance to organized religion are increasingly considered social pariahs. For the most part, I completely understand the disdain; throughout history people have committed some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity in the name of religion.

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Have you heard the one about gas prices in LA?  Yeah, me neither.  This is no joking matter, people.  The gas station down the street from me (in Los Feliz) is hocking its wares for a mere $4.58/gallon.  In Arcadia, gas prices are already over $6/gallon.  Yeah, you heard me.  That was no typo.

So, when my 1998 Ford Escort finally bit the dust last week (bum transmission), I decided to buy a hybrid.  But, here’s the thing.  You either can’t find one or they’re crazy expensive.  Why?  Because everyone else in LA is buying a hybrid.  Or, a Mini or a Fit or something else small and fuel efficient.  Which is wonderful in and of itself but terrible if you want to buy right now.  And it’s not getting any better any time soon.

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Chuck Palahniuk, author of the contemporary cult classic Fight Club, released his latest novel last Tuesday, SNUFF. The story is that of small town gal, turned biggest porn star in the business, her relationships, lost child and her final act of grandeur; an attempt to set the record for the world’s largest gang-bang film – sweet Cassie Wright (porn queen) tries to service 600 men in one continuous sex act. Beautiful in its conception, but SNUFF mostly takes place in the disgusting green room, a holding pen for “pud pullers” that go to the set three at a time.

SNUFF is a wild, jaw-dropping ride that mixes beauty and disgust, tits and trivia, penises and vagina’s, but is so well crafted it as brilliant as any of his novels (eleven to date). The story flashes back on Miss. Wright’s life through her rise in the adult film industry, her fractured relationships, and her (unknown) child. The story, told through a few of the 600 men that eat corn chips, power bars, doughnuts, and soda while they wait for their minute. To some the story is gross, rude, (to me - funny) and as significant in its theme as any other novel out there today. As Chuck often does, he examines life, and society, and we see the wild character’s unique and pure motives. The story highlights the things we do (to our self and others) and the repercussions of our actions. In the words of the banger known as Mr. 137 says “It can only take a moment to waste the rest of your life.”

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LA is a diverse city, and here lies the headquarters of a very memorable company; Suicidegirls. The Suicidegirls are a group of alternative pin-up girls who model on the website; www.suicidegirls.com. The site has expanded by leaps and bounds over the past few years. You’ll often catch glimpses of the girls at tattoo conventions, and some girls have starred in a Marilyn Manson music video and in TV shows.

The ethos of the website is a group of unconventionally gorgeous pin-up girls devoted to changing people’s ideas of what makes a woman beautiful. Women are all sizes, from worryingly thin to plus-size, and everything in-between. Most of the women are emo, goth, skaters, indie kids… The site is an appealing visual fest of alternative lifestyles.

The system the girls have to go through to model as full Suicidegirls - to ‘go pink’ as they call it, is very difficult. The majority of girls are responsible for finding their own photographers and setting up the shoots themselves. The ’sets’ as they’re called, are little pieces of art in themselves. The girls often explore elaborate fashion and make up set into a theme or a storyline. There are several thousands sets and models on the site, and you can waste a whole day on there. The site is very inspiring for photographers, artists and the fashion-savvy.

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Do you love it or do you hate it? There is a new apartment complex open to the public today, built almost completely like a hotel resort. Although, now that I think about it, it’s more like it’s own little world. Think of it like M. Knight Shyamalan’s movie The Village, but with first class dining and huge fake Renaissance fountains.

So what creeps me out about this place so much is the following: First of all it was was built by the same people who built The Grove.  It comes complete with 100 condos, 238 apartments, and all the food, entertainment, and hotel amenities you could want. Basically it’s like living at a mall.

Within this 15.5 acre little world you have a bunch of restaurants to choose from, including Katsuya, The Cheesecake Factory, Jody Maroni’s and of course a Coffee Bean and a 50’s Diner. You have your H&M and LaCoste stories, plus specialty shops like The Art of Shaving and Australian pajama-ist Peter Alexander.

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Riding your bike on any public road in Los Angeles is always a nightmare, the vast majority of drivers seem to have a general disdain for your presence and a lack of drivers ed. Perry and his friend over at bannedbikes decided to take things up a notch with an organized Santa Monica Freeway ride, covering a stretch of the 10 and the 405, nine other riders showed up for the making of the video you see below. Perry mentions that he has come to the conclusion that his rush hour ride was no less safe than a grid locked PCH (pacific coast highway), I think that says more about about Perry than the safety of the routes. The ride was organized as a fun event as opposed to a political statement and the posting of the video seems to have caused some melodrama in the local cycling community, more to follow.

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Oh and don’t do this at home kids cycling on a freeway is illegal.

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Photo by aturkus

When stripped down to its most organic state, surfing is never about money. Multi-national surf corporations spend millions of dollars on advertising in an attempt to convince the surfing and non-surfing masses that the lineups are populated by pre- and barely post-pubescent young men who bust massive airs in boardshorts that cost a small, but worthwhile fortune worthwhile for their ability to make a surfer look cool among his peers and sexy to the opposite sex. That representation of the sport is surfing at its least organic: one-dimensional and exclusive, designed to keep surf corporations in the black, and simultaneously dismissive of surfing’s storied past while being indifferent to its unpredictable future. Money, not the leash, ruined surfing.

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Ever wanted to start your own compost pile, but worried about the smell and the mess? Well worry no longer. It turns out the City of LA Sanitation department offers home-composting bins. But not only that, every 4th Saturday of the month they also offer a workshop to teach you how to use it.

Think about it: all your organic trash could be used to fertilize your lawn / plants / illegal grow operation in your closet. It’s good for your plants, good for the city and good for the environment!

So do yourself a favor and start your own compost!

Special thanks to The Ideal Bite’s local daily email green tip for the heads-up.

City of LA Sanitation Dept
Saturday March 22nd
10AM-Noon
5400 Griffith Park Dr
(213)485-2260

Photo by wisemandarine via Flickr

If being an English major in college has taught me anything it’s this: analyze, analyze, analyze. Dive as far into the text as you possibly can; and then go further. Lately, my favorite topic of analysis has been Shakespeare. At the beginning of this quarter my Shakespeare professor introduced us to the idea of the problem play. These problem plays are comedies that deal with contemporary social and moral issues. They mix the heavy with the light, using comedic situations and characters to deal with serious issues. The plays classified as problem plays are Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, and All’s Well That Ends Well. Well Shakespeare, I’ve got another one for you: The Problem Poop.

Yes, that’s right, I said poop. Allow me to explain.

This past Monday, I was sitting in class at UCLA when poop was discovered in my classroom. Our professor had given us a ten-minute break when I heard a chorus of voices murmuring something about poop. My classmates had discovered a pile of fecal matter on the floor in the back row. There was a mass exodus of students from the back of the classroom to the front. The general consensus of the class was that it was, in fact, human feces. Class proceeded as scheduled, and the door was opened for air, but the poop was not removed. On my way out of class that day, I took a peek, just to see for myself.

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