Los Angeles is falling apart...

...but the LADWP can only think of raising water and electricity rates. For years, they've ignored the aging infrastructure lurking all around us. Only concerned with guaranteed yearly pay raises, generous pensions and maintaining an iron hand grip over city politicians, the DWP forgot they actually had a job to do. Now we're all facing the serious consequences, even firemen!

Al Franken passes his first test

Congratulations Al Franken! You managed to calm the hostile mob of angry health care anti-reformists!



I bet you could win the Kobayashi Maru scenario!

Does California possess a diversified fleet of firefighting aircraft?

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times / August 31, 2009)

Smoke from the Station fire over the Angeles National Forest as seen from a helicopter.

A non scientific survey of watching fires raging on the evening news tells me that for the most part, Southern California relies primarily on helicopters for aerial firefighting. Planes can typically carry much larger loads of water and retardant, though they might be less maneuverable and precise as helicopters. Still shouldn't we have more fixed wing aircraft to fight the fires we know are coming year in and year out? We even go so far as to lease 2 highly effective "Super Scooper" planes from Canada every fall.



The SGV Tribune asks the question:

What if California had its own water-scooping giant airplanes and kept them year-round? Wouldn't it make a tremendous difference in the ability to knock down a wildfire quickly? Wouldn't they seriously cut down on the loss of life and property?

I think it's time for our elected officials to answer this question. Is there a preference for purchasing helicopters over fixed wing aircraft? Is this preference justified given the vastly greater capabilities of fixed wing aircraft?

The last 9 weeks

"These bladder wheeled bicycles are diabolical devices of the Demon of Darkness. They are contrivances to trap the feet of the unwary and skin the nose of the innocent. They are full of guile and deciept! When you think you have broken one to ride and subdued its wild and Satanic nature, behold it bucketh you off in the road and teareth a great hole in your pants. Look not upon the bike when it bloweth upon its wheels, for at last it bucketh like a bronco and hurteth like thunder. Who has skinned legs? Who has a bloody nose? Who has the ripped breeches? They that daly along with the bicycle!

from a sermon, Maryland, 1896.
As quoted from: A social History of the Bicycle, Robert A. Smith
found at Atomic Cycles

I've spent many weeks pondering this quote, since grabbing a faceful of L.A.'s finest asphalt.

Lucky for me, the LAFD was still fully staffed at the time.

And I was just dazed enough to make light of the whole experience. Actually, my thumb was the real victim, broken and in need of surgery, a couple pins and 6 weeks of immobilization...

A cast is a dignified accessory, like a pocket watch or kerchief. A real conversation starter.

In the meantime, the camera provided me a chance to disassociate from my broken body, temporarily at least. The Tour De France and a couple New Yorkers also filled my hours on the couch...


Oh, and a trip to Hawaii....and Oregon....




oh yeah, & Idaho....




on the way home, the window seat proved to be irresistible. So I reached across Heather who was seated in it to record this sequence:





Here's a funny story. After the cast finally came off, I found this lodged in my chin. A bit of roadway briefly sheltered in my face:


Last weekend, we needed to escape the smoke for at least a couple hours...


It seems we weren't the only ones...

LACM 5/29/09

Last Friday's Los Angeles Critical Mass ride was a success in its smoothness of operation, lack of rousting from cops, and overall fun factor. South Central (above) was representing from start to finish.







Sorry for the crappy video quality. Enjoy!

Getty Museum raises parking rates again! Bikes still park free!

Like everyone else, the Getty lost a ton of cash in the stock market. To make up for the shortfall, they're firing 60+ people and raising parking fees to $15. You can still ride your bike and lock it up for free. LA Observed thinks the only way you can get there is in a car.

So the fact remains, what is free to do at LACMA — stroll the grounds, browse in the gift store or take in the view — will cost $15 at the Getty on July 1 and raise anew the elitism questions. Once you do gain access to the top of the hill, though, the museum part of the experience does remain free.

Where's the free parking at LACMA?! The Getty lets you see the art for free, LACMA charges! The only elitism I see is in the eyes of Angelenos unwilling to get out of their cars, ride bikes and support public transit. Parking is not a right, it's a privilege! So I say Bike On!

Critical Mass Los Angeles: An exercise in chaos

photo by alexbcthompson

On the heels of multiple bicyclists being hit and killed by motorists, last friday night's Critical Mass bike ride began as it always does, with a gregarious gathering of cyclists at Wilshire and Western. The ride had a planned destination, the ghost bike erected in honor of Jesus Castillo, a bicyclist killed by a motorist. Upon heading out, the mass quickly splintered into numerous groups of riders separated by vehicular traffic. It seems the ones at the front were riding way too quickly and not keeping the ride organized and tightly gathered in one continuous group. The usually ordered process of "corking" the lights was almost non-existent, with cars getting stuck between groups of riders, and drivers growing impatient at their pace and lack of road sharing abilities.

This led to the police becoming increasingly agitated as the ride meandered into downtown. Since the mass was not unified, the usually safe and organized system of rolling thru red lights became haphazard at best, with single riders making poor decisions in an effort to catch the pack. I belive the police responded to this lack of cohesion by citing a few riders they singled out for running a red light.

Though I've only attended a handfull of rides, this was by far the least organized, especially considering there was a planned destination and reason for this ride, namely to honor the life and death of a fellow cyclist. Everyone in attendance had their own political and philosophical views which is to be expected with a anarchic assembly of independent minds. However, past rides almost always stuck together and kept a unified mass that could safely make its way thru the city with a tolerable amount of disturbance to vehicular traffic.

Usually I would see drivers honk in support of the riders. While I did see many drivers in support of us that last night, a negative and adversarial tone by both drivers and riders dominated the evening. It wasn't the best ride, and I hope the organization improves next month.