A Very SkullTape Happy New Year!

As part of your New Year Ringing In Activities, stop a while and appreciate the glory of an all new Los Angeles band, SkullTape! They played a beyond sold out show at PehrSpace earlier this week. Behold & Happy New Year!

Double Rainbow over Los Angeles

Thanks @gabbat for the heads up on this double rainbow explosion over Los Angeles just now! I quick scamper up a soaked hillside offered a spendid view of the majesty of Iris & Sun Ra!

Last Minute Los Angeles Holiday Gift Guide

Pickle of the Month Club from Full Moon Pickles $40/month

One of the many benefits of being engaged to a foodie, is the abundance of tasty treats that come across my plate. Among the best is the pickled sorcery of Jen Smith. Her pickles arouse all the senses and bring nothing but joy and happiness to my taste buds.



STRiDA LT in Creme from FoldingBikeLA.com. $625

This bike cures L.A. traffic. The genius of the triangular frame is that it can quickly fold. In five seconds, you have a light, compact form that you can easily wheel onto a bus or subway, load in your car or stow by your desk in your office. Don't believe me? Just ask Jeana!



Le Mini Sac from Clare Vivier $169

Clare's the undisputed Bag Lady of Los Angeles, and it's a known fact! She's got you covered from this lil number to full bore weekend getaways. I'm getting one myself for use as a proper tool bag.



Silver fleur de lys cufflinks from Kathryn Bentley $120

Being a lover of all things ancient, I am completely obsessed by the handiwork of Kathryn Bentley. Her pieces look like they could have been unearthed during an excavation of a medieval silversmith's shop in a little hamlet near Newcastle Upon Tyne.


Epoisses Cheese from The Cheese Store of Silver Lake $22.99

This is one of the tastiest cheeses I ever had! Clare's husband Thierry introduced this to me last night and I cannot wait to get some for myself, though my kitchen will stink to high heaven. Who cares? Napoleon would approve.


Mohawk (Khaki Suede) Shoe from Generic Man $82

Doesn't every guy need a decent pair of shoes? This is the shoe. It's basic, or rather, generic, but has a little bit of flair. It dresses up and down, and you can't go wrong with a name like Mohawk.

See & Be Seen

Biking in an urban environment such as Los Angeles has many challenges. The one that makes me most nervous is not being seen by motorists. The most obvious solution is to have really bright bike lights front and back. But what about cars approaching from the side? As important as it is to have adequate lighting to see where you're going, it's also critical to be as visible as possible from all directions. Front and rear lights will only provide limited visibility to cars traveling perpendicular, ie at intersections. Intersections are the most dangerous places on the road, so this is where visibility is arguably most critical.



I had the opportunity to try out a novel new product called Reflecta-Tyre that makes your wheels into glowing circles of light. They're made by a company in Australia called Be Seen Reflective. From their website:

Reflecta-Tyre is designed to stick onto the actual bike tyre,so as not to interfere with brakes.this comes in 1 size that is designed to fit on all size wheels/bikes.
Reflecta-Tyre comes with 32pieces per pkt(16pieces per tyre,8 per side).Reflecta-Tyre usually needs replacing 12 - 18months, depending on riding conditions,frequency of bike use

These highly reflective little stickers pack a powerful punch! The faintest amount of illumination sets them blazing in the night. Mount them on your tires and they create Tron-Like circles of light when you ride at night, making you extremely visible to cross traffic. I'm stoked to have them on my bike and I hope I'll never know just how safe they're keeping me!

Learn more at BeSeenReflective.com

Tonight: A Fireside Chat with Stephen Box

Between company holiday parties and last minute gift buying, try to squeeze in this important event tonight. I'm hosting a Fireside Chat at Taylor De Cordoba with Stephen Box, candidate for Los Angeles City Council. Please pass this along to anyone you think might be inspired by Stephen's vision. There will be refreshments, wine and beer as well as an excellent exhibition of new works on paper by Kyle Field. I hope YOU can make it!

Fireside Chat with Stephen Box: Community Organizer - Transportation Activist - Candidate for Los Angeles City Council

Wednesday, December 15 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Taylor De Cordoba

2660 S La Cienega Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90034

Stephen Box is a first-time candidate, newly-minted American citizen and a veteran of civic engagement, community campaigns and grassroots politics.

Seeking the fourth district seat, Box's “Moving Forward” campaign is a vision-driven, active solution alternative to traditional City Hall politics. You can learn more about Stephen's vision for Los Angeles at his website:

http://StephenBox.com/

Join us for cocktails, light appetizers & candid conversation on city politics.

We're requesting a $50 donation towards the Box for City Council 2011 campaign to get Stephen Box elected. Please make check payable to Box for City Council 2011 and write in the memo Campaign ID #1328214. Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds, so if you can donate less or more, all your support is appreciated and welcome!

Some people asked me to provide additional informationa about Stephen's platform. It has 4 key features:

A Vision that Connects: The City of Los Angeles must make connectivity the foundation of our Great City commitment, from streets that work to engaging the public in City Hall, from partnering with neighboring cities to connecting with federal and state funding sources, it's time for Los Angeles to connect with its destiny as a Great City and CD4 is the place to start.

A Plan that Endures: The City of Los Angeles must bring its vision to life with a General Plan that endures. The people of L.A. can no longer afford to live in an environment where they are forced to sit by as growth follows the whims of outside developers. CD4 is attractive to developers for all the wrong reasons and it is imperative that the community grow according to a "plan that endures."

A Budget that Sustains: The City of Los Angeles must develop and implement a budget that is based on a commitment to the city's vision and plan. CD4 is an abundantly diverse community with a vigorous economy and it is imperative that the city's budget commit to supporting the quality of life with a commitment to performance, efficiency and effectiveness.

A City that Works: The City of Los Angeles must put people first, engaging them, serving them, and evaluating performance based on the delivery of city services. There is no better time than now for L.A. to move from a complaint-driven system to a standards-driven city, one that delivers on its vision, commitment and potential. Most of all, L.A.'s greatest asset is its people. It's time for the City of L.A. to make its priority putting people to work, starting with CD4.

If you're inspired to make a donation ($5, $500 or anywhere in between), and you're not able to come to the fundraiser on tonight, you can donate at his website:

http://stephenbox.com/contribute.html

or you can send a check to

Box for City Council 2011
5629 Hollywood Blvd.
P.O. BOX 44
Hollywood, CA 90028

Looking forward to seeing you all tonight!

-Alex