If you’ve been following the LA food blogosphere these past few months, you’ll know that LA has more or less criminalized those bacon-wrapped hot dog vendors ubiquitous to crowded late-night areas.
It’s unclear why the City of LA has declared deliciousness illegal (not just these but taco trucks in East LA), but things are reaching a boiling point: As reported on LAist and EaterLA, the LAPD had a crackdown on the mobile dog-vendors last Friday night, and it wasn’t pretty: apparently rather than actually subject them to this fanciful idea of “due process” and actually following the law, they simply tossed the carts, vittles and all, into a garbage truck.
Quote the Desert Dispatch:
In Los Angeles, police cracked down on illegal street hot dog (bacon-wrapped!) cart vendors. Most disturbing is that apparently, the police simply destroyed all the carts and all the contents without involving that crazy little creation we have here in the United States called “the justice system.”
They’re probably relying on the operators to not have the money to sue over this, but good lord. Due process? Anybody heard of it? Anybody?
Just a few more weeks of summer which means brand new nightly TV is just around the corner.Unfortunately for readers of Cityzine, it means only a few more weeks of this column.Chin up, there’s still some great picks below.
Olympic Games
Michael Phelps may be out of the pool, but there’s still a lot of Gold to go out in Beijing.Tonight on NBC at 8:00 catch Gymnastics, Beach Volleyball, and Track & Field.In the latter you’ll get the chance to see new fastest man in the world Usain Bolt needs to run the entire 200M in order to set another world record.
On CNBC it’s Wrestling and Table Tennis starting at 9:00.
Reality Rundown
After almost an entire summer of being able to flip around the dial without seeing stupid rich people acting stupid, “The Hills” shoves it right back in our face with its season premiere tonight at 10:00.But that’s not all; MTV has found enough benevolence to bring us an entire marathon of past episodes leading up to the big moment.Why pay for a lobotomy when you can get one for free just by watching TV?
Ed Ruscha: A Selection of Prints
The Greenfield Sacks Gallery
Bergmot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica
Hey cool post-modern art kids, you have just one week left to enjoy the Pop Art prints of Ed Ruscha at the Greenfield Sacks Gallery in Santa Monica’s haven for contemporary art, Bergamot Station. Ruscha’s textual “word paintings” are credited for the birth of the Pop Art movement, along with Warhol’s silk screened multiples and Lichtenstein’s comic reproductions.
Ruscha’s stark prints gain much of their notorious and sardonic satire from their simplicity. His works span multiple mediums, from photography and painting to print making as in the show, frequently featuring single words, phrases, or repetitions. This plurality of mediums and influences, however, ironically echoes the banality of LA life and the onslaught of text created by mass media, instead of the city’s rumored energy and potential. If his works seem at all dull or familiar, that is sort of the point.
I”ll be honest here.I have been pretty bored with music recently.I find myself rummaging through my cd case, settling on the “old faithfuls” (we all have them) rather than any of my new additions.As unreliable as the radio is and always has been, the extent to which it has taken my boredom these days has been extreme to say the least.And who knows, maybe I’m just not looking in the right place.But really, should good music be so far tucked away that it takes the impossible to discover it, anyway?Oh well, whatever.What I’m getting to is a neat little band called Silent Treatment.And while I wouldn’t go as far as saying they are going to revolutionize the radio, I will say they will be a welcome addition to what may otherwise be a very sad lineup.
If you have children and you are slowly trying to introduce them into the Star Wars universe.
You are looking to kill some time. If none of these apply to you by all means save your money, or go see Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express or The Dark Knight. All of these are by far a better use of your hours.
(Warning spoilers ahead) The plot of this newest Star Wars saga goes something like this. Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi have their hands full fighting amongst the Clone Army. In the middle of all this battling, a young Padawan by the name of Ahsoka is sent (via master Yoda) to be trained by Anakin. Throw in a subplot about Jabba the Hut’s son being kidnapped and a double cross by the evil Count Dooku and presto,  this film unsteadily has its legs. Two hours later, the message is simple and easy to get. Young Padawan’s should trust their elders, and secondly, though you may be a Jedi you still could use some help now and then.
People, especially in LA, are always trying to looks like someone they’re not. What they don’t realize is that those people don’t look that way either. All this pressure that everyone puts on external beauty is really just pointless. Why try to achieve something that doesn’t exist?
And then the extended version with some faces you may know…
Looking for some great art and music? Well look no further.
Robert Drasnin, created his original alubum “Voodoo” in 1959, and not with the help of archivist and arranger Skip Heller and X drummer D.J. Bonebrake (on vibes) they have finally in 2007 recorded “Voodoo II.” Drasnin has been playing selections from both discs at various festivals around the country and in Europe with members of local symphony orchestras. He will be performing his exotic sounds live from one night only at the 8th annual Tiki Oasis festival in San Diego on August 15.
Raised in Los Angeles, Drasnin started as an alto sax player, working with Tommy Dorsey, Les Brown, and other big bands. After the early 1950s, he worked primarily as a studio musician. He eventually became musical director for CBS television, where he scored such shows as “Lost in Space” and “The Wild, Wild West.” He and Gerald Fried handled most of the scoring work on “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” after Lalo Schifrin left. He currently teaches film music composition at UCLA (where he graduated from) and has been rediscovered with the new revival of exotica.
So… It’s Thursday night and you’re not sure what to do. Well have no fear because I’ve got a plan. First, come over to my place and enjoy some “refreshments.” Second, call a cab. Third, take in a show. Make sure to repeat as necessary. Here’s a couple shows to get you started, enjoy.
August is finally here which means the baseball playoff race is heating up, football is on its way back and, most importantly, the new TV season is almost here. We must soldier on for a few more work weeks until all our favorite shows come back in September to make the drudgery more bearable.
But don’t despair, below are enough good shows for tonight to get you through at least this evening.
Reality Rundown
“Miami Ink” is back on TLC tonight at 10:00 and celebrates its return with a trip abroad.Yoji takes Bridget and Sidney home to Japan in order to see his mother and rebuild some family ties.Back in Miami, a doctor approaches the tattooed team for help with a young patient.
Discovery Channel’s incredibly droll “Some Assembly Required” rolls out two new episodes at 8:00 and 8:30.This series takes viewers behind the scenes of how mundane and everyday items are made.Tonight it’s washable crayons and pipe organs followed by Ludwig Drums and Compound Bows.Expect lots of funny quips from co-host Brian Ungar formerly of the Craig Kilborn-era “Daily Show”.
They’re doing a little giveaway to the Orange County Celebrity Food Show!
Quote the event website “This is Southern California’s Premier Food Event Featuring TV Celebrity Chefs, Top-Shelf Gourmet Foods and Beverages, Wine Tasting, Celebrity Autographs and Photos! Enjoy everything the Gourmet Industry and Celebrity Chefs have to offer.”
An estimated 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in this year’s Olympics in Beijing from over 200 countries. The United States team has 596 athletes participating, and you’ll be surprised to find out that a good number of them are from the greater Los Angeles area. From basketball, to fencing and boxing, L.A. has definitely gone to the Olympics.
Dolly Danger’s Alley of the Dolls, the new Wednesday night burlesque show, opened this week at El Cid in Silver Lake. Apart from the late start, the show didn’t disappoint with its crazy 60’s theme show. Burlesque performer and comedienne, Polly Peabody, emceed in sixties hippy gear and later performed “I’m Tired” from Blazing Saddles, dressed in kinky Naziesque black high-boots, corset, and hat. Dizzy Von Damn painted herself and Scarlett Letter wowed the crowd with a frenzy of dance moves. Crystal Swarovski chopped stuffed bunnies; equally fascinating and terrifying the crowd and there were performances by Jewel of Denial and Nancy Sinultra. Of course, no night would be complete without a midget Elvis impersonator. Little Elvis belted out four top tunes from the King and showed off some nifty moves. Now that’s entertainment.
If you’ve been following the LA food blogosphere these past few months, you’ll know that LA has more or less criminalized those bacon-wrapped hot dog vendors ubiquitous to crowded late-night areas.
Ed Ruscha: A Selection of Prints
