The Fake Angeleno

Reading Material 1/10: Elvis; Fake Freeway Sign Art; Netflix Preferences

Color me sorry that I missed the L.A.'s 25th annual Elvis birthday bash at the Echoplex this weekend. I'll definitely attend next year. [LAT Music]

In case you haven't heard this story, here's a nice recap of "The Fake Freeway Sign That Became a Real Public Service." [Good.is]

"Movies White People Like..." Metblogs has a recap of a fun NYT article about Netflix preferences by zip code. [Metblogs]

You know you it's a class joint ... [Chili's Menu]

Reading Material 7/28: Pynchon's Wired L.A.; Sewage in Long Beach; Underpaid Babies; Veggie L.A.

1. This one's been making its way around the local blogs this week: Wired's Unofficial Thomas Pynchon Guide to L.A. [Wired]


2. 1,000 gallons of sewage spill into the waters of Long Beach. [LAist]


3. William Morris assistants being paid babysitter wages.  Aww. [Defamer]


4. Anyone ever heard of the Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine?  I hadn't until this morning... [Vegetarians in Paradise]

Reading Material 7/6: MJ the Bookwork; Farmers Markets; Rent Decreases

1. Who knew?  Michael Jackson was a well-read man who loved local bookstores. [LAT]


2. Here's a comprehensive list of certified farmers markets in Southern California.  [Farmer Net]


3. The first quarter of this year saw the largest apartment rent decline in over a decade. [Calculated Risk]

Reading Material 6/30: Michael Jackson RIP; Bike Maps; Bad Architecture

1. Enjoy the photo above?  You'll want to pay a visit to the excellent East of West L.A. photo blog. The proprietor says he's "photographing L.A. -- all of it." [East of West L.A.]


2. Despite a ghetto design and UI, this bike routing site for Los Angeles actually looks like it might be useful.  (Also has 95 Delicious bookmarks...) [Bike Metro]


3. Ugly Angel is a blog devoted to "an ongoing critical examination of Los Angeles architecture and urban development," and I just had a big laugh at their latest architectural "crime of the week" post. [Ugly Angel]

The Open Source Urban Planning Edition of Reading Material

1. Attention local iPhone app enthusiasts and web developers: The new L.A. Metro development beta site is "a community website for individuals and entities who are using transportation and multi-modal data in interesting ways." [Metro Development Beta]


2. Unsurprisingly, LAist has a great rundown on the new site, which it sees as a harbinger of Google Transit's imminent integration with Metro... [LAist]


3. Speaking of which, here's a great blog post about open source urban planning which mentions our friends at the LA Streetsblog. [Wired]


4. Further speaking of which, be sure to read the Streetsblog post "Everyone agrees: Measure R should be used for cyclists and pedestrians." [LA Streetsblog]

Reading Material 6/4: 420 Edition

1. Gawker calls L.A. "just one big weed spot," thanks to the rapidly metastisizing marijuana dispensary scene here in town. [Gawker]


2. Overwhelmed by all the new weed spots offering formerly illicit substances?  The Dispensary Guide can help you make an informed decision about where to fill your "glaucoma prescription." [Dispensary Guide - California Medical Cannabis Dispensaries]


3. Maybe Gawker is onto something: According to a recent L.A. Times article, half a dozen applications to open dispensaries are filed with the city clerk every DAY. [LAT]

Reading Material May 28: Music Festivals, MOCA Cuts, Sandwich Counters; Bull Creek

1. Here's a workmanlike list of 11 summer music festivals in and around L.A. during the next few months. [About]


2. MOCA is cutting staff and exhibitions to meet its 2009 budget. [LAT Culture Monster]


3. Some guy at Chow is very high on the El Gaucho Meat Market #2 in Anaheim as being a gem of a "hidden sandwich counter," serving extremely tasty Argentinian and Uruguayan fare. [Chow]


4. "After a year of restoring its wildlife and native habitat, Bull Creek, between Victory Boulevard and the LA River in the San Fernando Valley, re-opened to the public this morning." [LAist]

Reading Material 5/19: Clippers; Breed St. Food Fair; Bicycle Librarian

1. The Clippers just won the top pick in the 2009 NBA draft.  I wonder how they'll screw it up this time?  Michael Olowakandi anyone? [KABC]


2. Here's a really extensive recap (with many photos) of the Breed Street Food Fair in East L.A.  Makes me sorry I missed it. [EatDrink&BeMerry]


3. The Bicycle Librarian blog is dedicated to "reading the streets of Los Angeles and beyond." I like that mission statement.  [Bicycle Librarian]

Reading Material 5/12: Planes, Pointless Online Contests, and Photos of Barbecue

1. First of all, I'm enjoying the new "Eye on L.A. Aviation" blog.  Second of all, how does a 747 "ingest a baggage cart" with 150 passengers aboard?  Wow.  [Eye on L.A. Aviation]


2. It's nice to see Los Anjealous shares the Fake Angeleno's soft spot for pointless and/or blatantly promotional online polls, surveys and controversies.  They have a fun post up about NBC Local's "Spaceland vs. The Troubador" contest for the best local music venue recipient of the "Golden Local." [Los Anjealous]


3. Curious as to what went on at the Los Angeles Barbecue Festival this weekend?  One local website was there.  (So was the Fake Angeleno, but he didn't take any pictures...) [Manolith]

Reading Material 3/31: New Photo Museum; L.A. Festivals; SoCal Seismic Network

1. The new Annenberg Space for Photography is open in Century City.  It's free, recently relocated from Philly, and "the design is a mash-up of museum gallery, Apple Store and ArcLight Cinema."  [LAT]


2. Here's a poorly organized monthly calendar of L.A. festivals from the Department of Cultural Affairs. [LACAD]


3. Wow.  This site is some scary good times.  Welcome to the "Southern California Seismic Network. [SCSN]