Thursday, March 30, 2006

how the pros do it

Photo by Bob BradfordPhoto by Bob Bradford

This is my new loftmate Lucas. He's a photographer for Reuters and he was covering Gran Marcha this past Saturday, shooting the protest from our roof. My other loftmate Bob was also on the roof taking pictures, he snapped this one of Lucas in action.

Photo by Bob Bradford
Photo by Bob Bradford

Lucas just recently moved downtown and he really likes living here. This is his caption for the pictures above:
"This is Lucas Jackson (me) risking life and limb to shoot the 500,000 person immigration rally in downtown Los Angeles from my 'backyard' on March 25, 2006. It is INCREDIBLE to see and hear this many people in one place."

Lucas' little sister K is visiting this week from New Mexico and she is adorable. Tuesday night we had a boozy penthouse loftmates and friends dinner at the penthouse (thanks for cooking Tim!). After dinner we made a beeramid, then we went "exploring" in the Alexandria Hotel. Yeah, security wasn't exactly on their j-o-b that night. We returned to the penthouse and rearranged the living room furniture. It still looked good the next morning, so I guess we weren't all that drunk after all. Yesterday morning was so beautiful after Tuesday night's rain, so Lucas, K, Skip (of Spiderman Midget fame), Jim and I went shopping in the Toy District. I found 100 great toys for the blood drive goodie bags and an "Open" neon sign for the bar in the penthouse. It's shaping up to be a full week, and it's only Wednesday. Welcome to downtown Los Angeles, Lucas!

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

club 86 and additions to the goodie bag

Have you signed up for this Friday's Blood Drive yet? We haven't signed up as many donors as we had hoped for, which worries me. So to entice you to call or email to sign up you and your friends, I'm going to give you a little peek into the world of goodness you gain entry into by signing up.

One thing we didn't count on last time was that people were denied because of health reasons, such as anemia, or for stupid ones like, they've engaged in gay sex. To counter that we now have Club 86, for those who make the effort to donate blood, but through no fault of theirs, were not able to donate. All members of Club 86 are entered into a raffle for a $100 gift certificate to Patina at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Last time, there were maybe 25-30 people who weren't able to donate, so the chances are good for winning. Also, every hour there will be a raffle for $50 gas cards and other $50 gift certificates.

As if that wasn't enough incentive, we've had a new addition to the contents of the goodie bag that all the donors receive. Dr. Phil (through my dear friend Gabrielle) was nice enough to donate copies of his new book, Love Smart: Find the One You Want -- Fix the One You Got. So if you don't have a significant other, donate blood, read the book, have some lunch (lunch is provided for all donors), and try out what you've learned later that night at the after-party at Cole's.

We haven't yet finalized what's going in the goodie bags, so if you have something to promote and want to reach that elusive, hip, downtown crowd - here's your chance. Email me if you want to promote your business or services via the goodie bag, or if you just want to donate some goodies and help us out.

three dogs, one bone

What do you do when you get some down time? My friend Camille and her business partner Sandra (also a good friend) like to spend some quality time with their dogs. They sent me this video of their Maltese puppies, Gadget, Bella, and Champoy. They're sweet and adorable, but there are three of them and only one bone. The ramp-up is a little slow, but once the dogs go into action - it's a laugh riot. Check it out.

Monday, March 27, 2006

favorite quote of the day

"You stay away from my nipples!"
- jim -

1973 nikon f2 slr 35mm camera needs a good home

My friend Sandra's dad, in the process of moving, found an old camera that he had in storage for the last 30 years - a Nikon F2 SLR 35mm camera. And now he's putting it up for sale. He's got 41 pictures of it up here if you want to take a look. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say about the camera:
It's an original 35 mm, Nikon F2 Professional Camera, Serial #7345468--still in great condition with many of the original accessories:

*Black body (Back in the days, this style cost much, much more than the chrome version.)
*Authentic, black Nikon Leather Case with velvet interior
*Authentic camera neck strap attached
*Flash coupler for F2 shoe
*Nikon wide-angle 28 mm lens with case and strap
*Nikon Telefoto lens - variable 86 mm - 135 mm
*Plus 4 must-have filters

This camera is rare, and because of its condition, it's collector quality. Professionals, as well as those just learning the fundementals of photography, would appreciate an item like this. My grandkids keep telling me to put this up on eBay and let someone else enjoy the joys I got from this camera. So here it goes --- my first eBay sale from a garage full of my treasures from the olden days.

It reminds me of my dad's old Pentax, the one my sister's ex-boyfriend the crackhead stole. But that's another post for another day.

that's the biggest one i've seen yet

HR4437 Protest - Image from LA Times
And I've seen a lot of them, too. Gran Marcha was, by far, the biggest protest I've seen since I moved downtown in 1991.

Jim and I were having breakfast on Saturday morning, getting ready to hit the Downtown Living Weekend Tour (too bad the tagline wasn't "Rain, Shine, or Protest"), when we saw large crowds of people in white shirts streaming down the street. I didn't have my camera with me, so Jim took a few shots from his pad, and few more when we were in the thick of it. It was a great day to hold a protest, all sorts of downtown events were disrupted, film shoots held up, pedestrian, vehicular, and metro traffic was a nightmare, and other downtown bloggers were all over it.

After hitting a couple loft tours, we headed back to the penthouse to take a few pictures from the roof. My new loftmate Lucas is a Reuters photographer, so he was on the roof as well, taking shots for work.

Jim and I joined the protest at 5th & Broadway. It was great being in the middle of that crowd. It was multi-generational as well as multi-cultural, and one of the most polite protest marches I've ever participated in. Somewhere on Broadway between 5th and 4th, a sound system blared the opening notes to "Imagine" and the crowd started to sing along, some in English, others in Spanish. It sounded great together and to hear voices from all over the street singing loudly.

Further along Broadway, I saw this homeless man standing and watching from the periphery with his hand outstretched. One of the protesters handed him a cigarette and walked on. He stuck it in his mouth and a split second later, another protester walking past him lit his cigarette, then lit his own without breaking his stride.

We left the protest and decided to continue on the loft tour. Walking through Pershing Square, a dazed couple from Australia wandered aimlessly before the man approached me, asking if I knew what was going on as he and his wife had just come off the train to what, I'm sure, looked like chaos. We explained why they were protesting and they seemed to be really taken aback. I used to date an Australian guy, so I understood their surprise that anything was able to motivate Americans to put down the beer and chips, get off the sofa, and actually do something like walk, much less in protest of something.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

20 minutes before the first "fuck you" was thrown out

UPDATE: I can't believe I forgot to mention the announcement that elicited the most enthusiastic response from the tenants of the Alexandria. Mr. Islas announced, "From now on there will be no more raves at The Alexandria Hotel." Sorry Dave.

My building, The Alexandria Hotel, has been sold to the Amerland Group, an "affordable" housing company, whatever that means. Flyers were in all the mailboxes, inviting us to a tenant meeting last night in the Palm Court Ballroom to discuss planned renovations.

My loftmates Bob, Lucas and I rode the elevator down to the lobby. As soon as the doors opened, it was clear this wouldn't be a sedate affair. Actually, my first clue was on the flier, I should've known when I read, "Food and drinks will be served," that the place would be a mob scene. The lobby was full of people making their way into the ballroom. There were maybe 150-200 people in the room, with maybe six to eight security guards milling around. Immediately upon entering, there was a table with forms for all the residents to sign:
To Whom It May Concern,

I am currently a tenant at The Alexandria Hotel and I attended the tenant meeting held by The Amerland Group on Tuesday, March 14th, 2006.

At this meeting, The Amerland Group described the renovations they plan to make at The Alexandria. A few of the many renovations described are:

* New kitchenettes in every unit
* New phone lines in every unit
* Reopening of the lobby diner

The Amerland Group also explained to us that no tenants will be relocated, and that tenants will continue to be protected under rent control.

As a tenant of The Alexandria, I am in support of the renovations that the Amerland Group plans to make, as described to us in this meeting.

Sincerely,

__________________________
Signature

________________
Date

__________________________
Print Name

________________
Unit Number


I wonder how many people actually signed and turned those things in.

There was a line of tables along one side of the wall, where they dished out free sandwiches, bags of chips, sodas and fruit - and it was easily the most densely packed portion of the room.
Alexandria Hotel Amerland Group food line

The room wasn't packed, but then again, it's a big room. The President of Amerland, Ruben Islas, did most of the talking, though they did introduce most of the Amerland Group in attendance. Some of the things that Mr. Islas promised before he opened it up to questions were:
* No one's rent is being raised
* No one is to be displaced or kicked out
* A/C and heaters in every unit
* Microwaves, refrigerators, sinks, and burners for cooking in each unit
* Phones in each unit
* Community room on the mezzanine
* Gym in the building
* Computers - free to use for tenants
* Free Wi-Fi in the entire building
* Providing programs and activities, especially for seniors

There was a lot of skeptical grumbling and audible gasps of disbelief and outright guffaws as he ticked off the list of promised renovations. Mr. Islas stopped to say, "We're not new to this, we did this all over California. The only thing we need from you to fix up your unit... we need you to move out of your unit so that they can fix it up."

That's when the incredibly wide-ranging and diverse group of misfits, er, tenants, got really loud. Mr. Islas introduced Jeremy Turner, the construction manager, and went on to explain that there are approximately 150 empty rooms in the building. Those would be fixed up first. Then when the time comes for a tenant's room to be renovated, the management company in charge of this would help move the tenant to one of the already renovated rooms for 2-3 days while their unit undergoes renovation. Then they'd be moved back, into their old, newly-renovated unit.

Mr. Islas said they would close the deal within 3-4 weeks and construction would start in 2-3 months with a schedule to come. They were also offering to reopen the restaurant in the lobby of the building. Additionally, if a tenant's rent is more than 30% of their income, then they get a meal program. I wonder how the proprietors of the two restaurants currently in the building feel about that.

Now remember, this crowd is very eccentric and vocal, and they were like that throughout the entire presentation. Then they opened it up for questions and you could've cued up XXXX because it was a 3-ring circus. Mr. Islas had to yell above the crowd, so I didn't hear a lot of the questions. I didn't see most of the regulars, but Preacher Man, that guy who sermonizes in that hypotic yet unintelligible drone on the corner of 5th and Spring, he stood a few feet away from me, muttering to himself after each round of questions and answers. After raising his hand for a long while, he got his chance. Preacher Man had the room's attention. He asked his question and even though I was maybe 4 feet away from him, it sounded just like he was on the street corner, sermonizing unintelligibly. As Mr. Islas listened to Preacher Man's drone, you could see he was valiantly reaching for comprehension and I could've sworn I saw his eyes cross. Laugh? I thought I'd die.

One of the Amerland guys looked very familiar to me, I'd seen him around before but couldn't remember where or how I knew him. I walked up to him and suggested that Mr. Islas repeat the tenants' questions before answering. Moments later when it was especially loud because five people were yelling at 10 other people to shut up so that seven other people could scream different questions in unison, he walked over to Mr. Islas and whispered that suggestion. Then I remembered why he looked so familiar to me.

Just then, a security guard walked to the front of the room, right next to Mr. Islas and whistled so loudly I had to check my ear to see if it was bleeding. That quieted the room down enough to resume taking more questions. So Mr. Islas pointed to one gentleman for his question and the guy yells, "Have you taken any public speaking courses?" Without waiting for an answer, he asked another question that I didn't hear. So I moved forward, straining to hear him continue with, "And what are you going to do for the Marines? We fought for this country..." Someone yelled something about staying on topic when the guy yells, "Fuck you!" and lets loose a barrage of obscenities. Well that was it. The room was completely out of control after that. That only took 20 minutes (I looked at my phone to note the time). Security moved in, people moved for the door, others rushed the Amerland guys with heated questions along the lines of, "What are you going to do about the carpeting in my room? It keeps coming up at the corner and won't stay down, now what are you going to do about that?" or my favorite, "Are the laundry rooms going to have machines that will constantly take my quarters? What are you going to do about us losing money on crap washing machines?" I'm surprised it took 20 minutes for it to degenerate.

This is Gabriel the security guard talking to the guy who asked about Amerland's plan to help the Marines and threw out the first "Fuck you".
First FY guy with Gabriel

Well, I guess we just have to wait and see. While we're waiting let's line up for more free food.
Alexandria Hotel Palm Court food line

I talked with one of the individual investors who helped Amerland finance the deal. I asked him what his name was, he didn't want to give it to me. I wanted to Google his name, after all, he's got a large interest in the building I live in and will have some say in how the building is managed. He told me all sorts of things that he probably shouldn't have just to get me to stop asking him what his name was. He seemed extremely uncomfortable. I talked to Ruben Islas, asked him a few more questions. He squinted at me and asked, "Do I know you? Have we met before?" Which takes me back to why one of the Amerland guys looked so familiar to me. A few months ago (pre-Jim), I ran into the Amerland guys around 3pm on a Friday afternoon. They were getting coffee in a cafe on Spring Street and I was having a late lunch. He chatted me up, asked what I was getting and where else was good to eat in the neighborhood. He was flirting, kinda good at it, kinda cute and with a cute accent. Then a few weeks later, he and some other Amerland guys took a tour of the building and the penthouse, but under the guise of being location scouts. I don't think he recognized me in my big fluffy pink bathrobe and matching slippers (it was very early in the morning). But now I wonder if he remembers flirting with me and if he connects that with the cranky chick who walked out into my living room looking like a Pepto Bismol bottle.

viagra cowboy

After last night's tenant meeting, we went to Banquette for dinner and drinks. We were sitting there enjoying our sandwiches when Bob asked, "Did you see that guy in the cowboy hat with the Viagra jacket walk by?" I must have been really into my sandwich (get the Bird, it's sooo good) because how else could I have missed that? Then he walked back in to survey the baked goods at the counter and I snapped this:

Viagra jacket

Viagra jacket, cowboy hat? I had to find out what this was all about. So I chatted him up and that's how Kennedy Dotson, cowboy, poet, Arkansas booster, and self-avowed friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton came to sit at our table telling us his life story.
Kennedy Dotson

Kennedy had to get going, he is leaving on Sunday, going back to Arkansas. But he was happy to pose here in-between loftmate Bob and new loftmate (and very talented Reuters photographer) Lucas.
Bob, Kennedy Dotson, Lucas

I love this neighborhood. More fun than a barrel full of monkeys.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

remember laura, get free beer

On March 31, 2006, my good friends Ali and Adam are hosting another Blood Drive in memory of my sister, Laura Esguerra Adams, who passed away September 3, 2005. We are also announcing the formation of the Laura Esguerra Adams Foundation (LEAF), and I'll post more about that as the information becomes available.

The last blood drive broke all records for blood donation for Kaiser, and although through Ali's and Adam's tremendous efforts the minimum goal has already been reached, we'd like to sign up more donors.

Here are the details on the Blood Drive and the after-party:
It's that time again...Are you ready to party and have a great time? No, it's not another divorce party or birthday party. This one is special...I am even throwing in a 2- for-1 deal in during the happy hour.

TWO Lagers for FREE...Yes...FREE PINTS OF BEER.

Of course, there's one tiny catch. I need your blood again.

On Friday, March 31st, Adam and I will be hosting another Blood Drive in memory of our friend, and beloved Cole's regular, Laura (July 5, 1969 - September 3, 2005).

Once again, my friends from Kaiser will be drawing your blood at Adam's penthouse (home of the best unobscured views of the downtown LA skyline). The Blood Drive will be held from 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. I need 50 people to set this up, so email me or call me to set up an appointment ASAP -- appointments can be at the top of each hour to cut down your wait. The drive will start by appointment at 12 p.m. and continue until all the people signed up are done...

All donors will receive a thank you gift bag which includes a Super Lotto Ticket, a chance to win a fabulous prize, and 2-for-1 gift certificate for free pints of Spaten at the Cole's after party.

That night, I'm hosting a party for all our friends and donors at Cole's (you don't have to donate to come). One of the best local bands in town -- I See Hawks in LA -- will be playing in the back room. The free beer will be flowing, and we'll all compare Band-Aids.

Get Free Beer, Listen to the Hawks....you can't do better on a Friday.

Appointments and RSVP's

Email Ali or call 714.715.1685

Blood Drive Location
Adam's Penthouse
533 South Los Angeles Street
Between 5th Street & 6th Street
7th floor

Laura's Blog - Kevin's Dead Cat

After Party
Cole's
118 East 6th Street
Between Main Street & Los Angeles Street
213.622.4090


Kaiser Blood Donor Center
Marliz Triggs
323-783-7069 Direct
323-783-6667 Blood Donor Center

I hope to see Laura's friends, former co-workers and fans of her blog at the Blood Drive and After-Party. If you enjoy reading this blog, please donate a pint and if you can't - please convince someone you know to donate in your stead. You don't have to donate blood to enjoy the party at Cole's, but I hope you'll make the effort. Thank you.

buy my friend's benz

A friend of mine is selling her '97 Mercedes Benz 230 (88k mi). She has limited parking space and she's now driving a company car, so it has to go. Anybody looking for a good used car? I'll buy you several drinks at Cole's if you buy her car, just you and me since Jim's in Italy. More info below, posting is here, where you'll find plenty of interior and exterior pictures of the car.
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-230 (88k mi only!) - The Ideal Used Car - $9999

BODY: 4 door Sedan
EXTERIOR: Champagne body + tinted windows
INTERIOR: Leather, Beige, Wood-Grain Console (The Works!)
TRANSMISSION: Automatic (with Winter/Summer traction control)
ENGINE: 4-Cyl. 2.3 Liter
DRIVETRAIN: Rear-wheel drive
CONDITION: Excellent!

*Kelly Blue Book reports the value at $11,165
*WOMAN owned and cared for.
*Very LOW mileage: only 88,000 miles! That translates to an average of 9,800 miles per year only.
*NEVER been in an accident, not even a little fender bender.
*Clean title history. Check it out for yourself: WDBHA23E3VF492867
*New battery.
*Passed smog check & safety inspection with flying colors.
*Garaged.
*Detailed every 2 months -- even the engine is kept clean (with no fluid leaks and is free of any wear or visible defects.)
*Oil changed every 2500 miles (because owner is compulsive about keeping vehicle maintained).
*Gas level never reached under 1/4 of tank (for the same reason as above).
*Stock 6-CD changer (with cassette + AM/FM radio)
*Power everything (seats, doors, headrest, telescoping wheel, etc.)
*Sunroof and moonroof
*All original keys: 2 wireless + 1 valet (one of the wireless and the valet key are in excellent condition, because I never really used them)
*Runs and drives well!

This is my personal car and was hoping to keep it forever. But my company will be providing me with a corporate car, which leaves me no room to park this in my garage. If you're a Benz lover, I won't have to explain why this car is such a steal. If you've never had a Benz before, owning this car will turn you into a Benz lover. It drives so smooth and the turning radius is just incredible! You'll be amazed at how many narrow streets this car can make a smooth U-turn. It feels very safe and quite powerful, especially when entering the freeways of Southern California.

Monday, March 13, 2006

hot men in feathers

Last Thursday I joined a group of ballet fans from Out In Downtown LA and caught Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at the Ahmanson Theatre. There was a mixer at Kendall's prior to the show, but I really like the outdoor bar on the plaza, so I got my tix and headed up there for a cold beverage.

A half hour before curtain and the bar was crowded, yet we were lucky to find two seats at the bar. Behind me, I heard two men confer with each other on what to drink. They decided and the one closest to me leaned in over my shoulder to give the order to the bartender. They waited for her to make their drinks. Quietly, his companion whispered, "Do you need Daddy to pay?"

I can't stand when I'm standing behind seated patrons at the bar and they don't acknowledge someone standing behind them trying to transact business at the bar. So I scooted over a little bit to make room for him to pay, turned around and gestured that it was okay for him to move in closer, then asked, "Does Daddy need to pay?" I realized that they could've easily been offended. But they laughed uproariously, we all laughed together, became fast friends, made out by the fountains, and now if Jim ever hesitates pulling out his credit card for a drink or meal, I just might say, "Daddy needs to pay."

Oh yeah, the ballet was wonderful. See it if you get a chance.

2nd floor, dreamgirls

Dreamgirls was filming in my building last week.
wayfinding signs for dreamgirls
They were filming in a lot of different locations downtown. I think Jim snapped a few pics of base camp at 3rd & Main and at the hotel kitty corner from his window, but I don't think he's posted them yet.
Dreamgirls elevator sign CU
The crew seemed nicer than most. Normally, if they're rude to the residents, someone defaces their wayfinding signs. But these remained intact. A few months ago, one production crew "lost" a laptop and posted signs in the elevator offering a $300 reward, no questions asked. That was promptly defaced. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It went a little something like this:
LAPTOPDANCER LOST!
$300$30,000 reward for safe return
For more details, PUsee or call production crew
I didn't say there was a brain trust living in my building, but sometimes they can be amusing.

Sadly, there were no Eddie Murphy, Beyonce, or Jamie Foxx sightings last week.

Friday, March 03, 2006

"we roll tonight... to the guitar bite..."

I don't think it will occupy the same place in my heart or my brain as West Wing, but SuperGroup seems like enough of a car wreck for me to tune in, or at least TiVo. What's SuperGroup? Just like it sounds - VH1 is putting together a few hard rock icons to see if they can play nice [music] together. Comprised of Ted Nugent, Scott Ian, Sebastian Bach, Evan Seinfeld and Jason Bonham, SuperGroup will follow the guys over a two-week period in Las Vegas as they try to get along as they rock on. The show premieres May 18 at 10pm.

Just to make it interesting they should have thrown someone like Mark McGrath or Hillary Duff's boyfriend in the mix. Or a Backstreet Boy. I'd tune in to see Ted threaten to shoot Nick Carter with a crossbow. Wouldn't you?

another opening, another show

They finally finished up shooting House, M.D. in my living room this week and left the penthouse just as they found it. Sort of. I forget which episode they shot, but it was a two-parter. I took some pictures and they look great, but I can't post them until after the episode airs, whenever that will be. I'll let you know.

The other day I was walking down Spring Street on the way home when I saw some new production vehicles and unfamiliar crews. They were filming interiors for Miami Vice next door. I wondered if I would spot Colin Farrell again. For a while I couldn't swing a dead cat around my head without hitting him - they shot Phone Booth on 5th Street between Main and Broadway for several weeks and the phone booth itself was directly across the street from my living room.

We'll probably have a rash of Jamie Foxx sightings in downtown Los Angeles. He's starring in Miami Vice and Dreamgirls. I was in the elevator, dreading the rainy drive to the office, when the doors opened and three PA's started loading cables. I asked what they're shooting and one of them said, "It's a feature called Dreamgirls." They're shooting Dreamgirls in my building!!! I loved, no, LOVED the musical and listened to the original cast soundtrack over and over again, like a mental patient, just rocking back and forth - well you get the idea. So if you're in downtown Los Angeles around 5th and Spring, or recently paroled, or a "street entrepreneur" selling pharmaceuticals, or a sex offender staying at the Alexandria - be on the lookout for Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, and Beyonce (she shot her Crazy In Love video on our roof).

I love downtown.

sunday nights just won't be the same

The series finale of The West Wing is scheduled for May 14. So I guess we'll know whether fictionalized America prefers Matt Santos or Arnie Vinnick by season's end. I hope we get to see Sam Seaborn, Danny Concanon and other favorite West Wing actors that I can't remember right now but I love just the same from the past seven seasons before, or during, the series finale. What's going to happen with Charlie and Zoey? Will Josh and Donna hook up? Will Kate Harper and Will Bailey? Whatever happened to his sister? Sigh.

Yeah, Sunday nights just won't be the same. Then again, I said that about Sunday nights after the final season of Sex and The City, and I survived.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

four l.a. things meme

Mack from LA Voice tagged me with that meme/chain letter/time suck that's been going around the LA blogosphere. Thanks Mack, didn't I email you something about me being crazy busy with work? I guess you figured that meant I can make time for this...

Four Jobs I’ve Had In My Life in LA:
waitress at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour
chip runner at the Bicycle Club Casino
talent manager
creative executive at a film & tv production company

Four Movies About LA I Could Watch Over And Over: (does it count if it is set in Los Angeles, but not about Los Angeles?)
Chinatown
L.A. Story
L.A. Confidential
Swimming With Sharks


Four Places I’ve Lived All Over L.A. (With Food Memories From Each):
Downey - beef & cheese burritos with sour cream from El Taco
Manhattan Beach - whatever I ate at The Kettle at 3am
East Los Angeles - those monstrous burritos from El Tepeyac
Alhambra - wet fries and roast beef sandwiches from The Hat

Four LA-Themed Shows I Love(d) To Watch:
S.W.A.T.
L.A. Law
Entourage
Brady Bunch

Four Places I Would Vacation At In LA:
Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach
Eric's house in Malibu
Casa del Mar in Santa Monica
Checkers and/or The Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles

Four LA-Based Websites I Visit Daily:
Variety.com
LA Observed
blogdowntown
trainedmonkey


Four Of My Favorite Foods Found In LA:
Mabodon at Ko-Raku in Little Tokyo
peanut butter & chocolate shakes at Harbor House Cafe in Sunset Beach
crepes at Genki Living / Japanese Dessert Land in Rowland Heights
deep fried egg rolls at Brodard's in Garden Grove


Four Places In LA I Would Rather Be Right Now:
the penthouse
Disneyland
Cole's
wherever Jim is

Tagged:
jim (trainedmonkey)
Mike (Franklin Avenue)
Jonah (LABlogs)
Brady Westwater (LA Cowboy)

But enough about me. What do you think of me?

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

new movie database

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) launched TCMdb, an interactive movie database. The new database will feature content related to more than 130,000 titles and more than 10 million distinct pieces of information, spanning movie history from the 1890s to films currently in production. The database includes library content licensed from the American Film Institute's Catalog of Feature Films (usually only available to AFI members), with additional content purchased from Internet Movie Database, Inc. and other sources, allowing TCM to include film content from all of the major movie studios.

I'm sure that at some point I'll give it a test spin. But at first glance it seems to be heavy on films from the wayback past that I won't need to reference and less of the films that are in various stages of development and/or production. Other than using TCMDB for the occasional bet, I think it'll continue to be IMDB for me.