Islands' "Miracle Menu" to Benefit Children's Hospital Los Angeles

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Islands Restaurants is partnering with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals to raise $100 000. Locally, this will support Children's Hopsital Los Angeles.  

[photo credit]

Children's Hospital Los Angeles is a non-profit, academic, pediatric medical center and treats over 93 000 children a year from Los Angeles County and around Southern California.  The hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and annually triages over 3 000 patients some brought by air support.  Its 40-bed Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit provides innovative therapies for high-risk infants transferred from other hospitals throughout Southern California and beyond.  The 20-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the 15-bed Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit provide more pediatric critical care beds than any other hospital in the Western U.S.  Through the Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles conducts laboratory and clinical research to find ways to better diagnose, treat and prevent pediatric diseases.

Islands has created the “Miracle Menu,” which consists of the popular Spinach & Artichoke Dip, their signature burger, the Big Wave® with Cheese, and the Kona Pie. Ten percent from each item ordered will help reach a $100 000 donation goal.  The "Miracle Menu" will be available through Sunday 12 June 2011.  

To find an Islands location near you visit: http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/miracle/

To learn more about Children's Hospital Los Angeles, visit: http://chla.org/.  See also the LA Times profile on CHLA.

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About Islands Restaurants
Founded in 1982, Islands is privately held and has managed controlled but steady growth, with a focus on providing the finest quality food and an outstanding guest experience. Islands offers specialty burgers, soft tacos, fresh salads and exotic drinks in a beach-inspired, tropical atmosphere. The Carlsbad based company operates 54 restaurants throughout California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Hawaii. For more information visit http://islandsrestaurants.com/

About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America, which, in turn, use the money where it's needed the most. When a donation is given it stays in the community, ensuring that every dollar is helping local kids. Since 1983, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $4 billion, most of it $1 at a time. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of our mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Learn more at http://CMNHospitals.org/

– Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

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Just the Facts: Drinking and Driving

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A person who drives drunk somehow convinces himself or herself that nothing will happen, or that they are competent to drive however, the statistics show otherwise.  Motor vehicle wrecks are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons under age 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those deaths, more than 40 percent are alcohol-related.  About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. An alcohol-related motor vehicle crash kills someone every 30 minutes and injures someone every 2 minutes.

Effects of Alcohol

Consuming alcohol can severely affect cognitive and psychomotor skills needed for the safe operation of a motor vehicle.  Impairment is related to alcohol in terms of its concentration in the bloodstream.  For reference, a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.04 percent might be achieved by a 150-pound man consuming two drinks in 1 hour.

The brain's control of eye movements is highly vulnerable to alcohol. In driving, the eyes must focus briefly on important objects in the visual field and track them as they (and the vehicle) move. Low to moderate BAC's (0.03 to 0.05 percent) interfere with voluntary eye movements, impairing the eye's ability to rapidly track a moving target. 

Steering is a complex psychomotor task in which alcohol effects on eye-to-hand reaction time are superimposed upon the visual effects described above. Significant impairment in steering ability may begin as low as approximately 0.035 percent BAC and rises as BAC increases. 

Alcohol impairs nearly every aspect of information processing by the brain. Alcohol-impaired drivers require more time to read a street sign or to respond to a traffic signal than unimpaired drivers; consequently, they tend to look at fewer sources of information. Research on the effects of alcohol on performance by both auto-mobile and aircraft operators shows a narrowing of the attentional field beginning at approximately 0.04 percent BAC. 

The most sensitive aspect of driving performance is the division of attention among component skills. Drivers must m aintain their vehicles in the proper lane and direction (a tracking task) while monitoring the environment for vital safety information, such as other vehicles, traffic signals, and pedestrians. Alcohol-impaired subjects who are required to divide their attention between two tasks tend to favor one of them. Therefore, alcohol-impaired drivers tend to concentrate on steering, becoming less vigilant with respect to safety information. Results of numerous studies indicate that divided attention deficits occur as low as 0.02 percent BAC.  At .08 BAC (the point at which one is legally drunk in California), a driver is 11 times more likely than the non-drinking driver to be involved in a crash.  

[Source]

Sobering Facts

AAA of Southern California dispels some of the myths concerning one's belief in being okay to drive after a few drinks:

Myth: A cold shower, sleep, food, or a cup of coffee will sober you up.	Fact: Time is the only factor in the elimination of alcohol from the body.
Myth: Beer and wine are less intoxicating than liquor.	Fact: It depends on how much you drink of each. A 12 oz. beer and a 5 oz. glass of wine contain the same amount of alcohol and the same potential for intoxication as 1.5 oz. of liquor.
Myth: Everyone can drink one drink per hour without getting drunk.	Fact: No two people metabolize alcohol at the exact same rate. Your gender, body weight, metabolism, and drink size can all affect your blood-alcohol level.
Myth: As long as my blood alcohol level is under 0.08%, I’m ok to drive.	Fact: You can be convicted of impaired driving with a blood-alcohol level lower than 0.08%. Not to mention, just one drink can impair your judgment and motor skills and you could cause a crash or worse—injure or kill someone.
Myth: I drink all the time, so I can drink more without getting drunk.	Fact: Some of those who drink frequently may have a higher tolerance to the behavioral effects of alcohol consumption, but their blood alcohol level would be affected just the same. And some who drink heavily will have enhanced reactions to alcohol.

Source: AAA of Southern California

The cost of driving drunk

First and foremost, the highest possible cost of drunk driving is your life or someone else's.  Aside from that, your pocketbook will definitely take a hit for a DUI conviction.  AAA of Southern California estimates that a first-time DUI conviction can easily exceed $12,000 in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and added insurance expenses.  

Estimated Costs for a first misdemeanor DUI conviction in California
Fines (minimum)	$    468
Penalties (minimum) **	$    780
Tow/Impound Fee	$    187
Alcohol Education Class	$    500
Auto Insurance Increase *	$ 8,652
Restitution Fund	$    100
Attorney and Legal Fees (fees will vary)	$ 2,500
DMV license reissue fee	$    125
Booking, fingerprinting and photo fee	$    156
Total	$13,468
* Based on premium increases over ten years for a male motorist with 9 years driving experience. ** Penalties vary by county from $663 to $858. The most typical cost is $780.

 Source: Westways, AAA of Southern California

These costs do not include the value of lost work time/wages, medical expenses, vehicle or other property damage expenses, the cost of installing an ignition lock device (in LA County), other court fines and cost of public transportation if your license is suspended.

A conviction will also cost you your time.  According to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, you may be ordered to spend anywhere from 2 days to 2 years in jail or performing community service.  You must also attend a DUI treatment program from 3 to 30 months.  In addition your driver's license will be restricted or suspended for 4 months to  5 years.

Tips on recognizing and reporting a drunk driver:

How to spot a possible drunk driver:

1. Quick acceleration or deceleration
2. Tailgating
3. Weaving or zig-zagging across the road
4. Driving anywhere other than on a road designated for vehicles
5. Almost striking an object, curb, or vehicle
6. Stopping without cause or erratic braking
7. Drifting in and out of traffic lanes
8. Signaling that is inconsistent with driving actions
9. Slow response to traffic signals (e.g. sudden stop or delayed start)
10. Straddling the center lane marker
11. Driving with headlights off at night
12. Swerving
13. Driving slower than 10 mph below the speed limit
14. Turning abruptly or illegally
15. Driving into opposing traffic on the wrong side of the road.

What to do if you see a drunk driver:

First, stay as far away from the other vehicle as possible. 
Second, do not try to pass the vehicle or signal the driver to pull over.  Doing so could result in a collision.
Third, take notice of the license plate number of the driver along with details of the vehicle including make, model and color. However, make sure you don’t compromise your own safety trying to obtain this information. 
Finally, pull over and call 911.  Give the exact location of the vehicle, including the name of the road or cross streets and the direction the vehicle is traveling. Give a complete description of the vehicle and the manner in which the vehicle is being driven.

 Source: http://maad.org/

Recommendations for safe drinking

The Los Angeles County Sherrif's Department offers these tips for helping to reduce the risk of over consumption:

At a party:
• Respect 21 – never serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age and don’t ask a minor to serve you alcohol.
• Determine ahead of time when you'll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of
the game (just like in NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Serve plenty of food throughout the day.
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like soft drinks, juice, and water.
• Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks.
• Find ways to recognize designated drivers at your party as special guests:
Give them a great spot to watch the game; make sure their glass is always full of whatever non-alcoholic drink they're having; let them have first pass at the buffet table; make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home.
• Be ready to step in and stop serving someone who has had too much.
• Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available.

If you’re traveling to a local bar, restaurant or other public venue:
• Find ways to recognize designated drivers when you are out at a bar or restaurant:
• Offer to be the designated driver the next time you go out; cover the cost for parking or even paying for a tank of gas; pick up the tab for their food and drink. Say thank you.

> > > Taxi cab info for the Los Angeles area < < <

Tipsy Tow for the holidays

Statistics show that traffic-related fatalities increase significantly around the holidays. AAA's Tipsy Tow program offers free rides to drivers who have been drinking. The service is available to non-members as well as members and can transport you and your vehicle up to seven miles from the point of pickup. This service is limited to certain dates and times around a few holidays (July 4th and New Year's Eve) check back on their website for details, or call (800) 400-4AAA [4222].

Sources:
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/drive/a/aa070297.htm
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa25.htm

http://www.adp.ca.gov/Criminal_Justice/DUI/faqs.shtml

http://criminal-law.freeadvice.com/drunk_driving/california-dui.htm

http://www.dui-education.com/

http://dui-california-arrest.com/

http://aaa.com/
http://madd.org/ 

– R. Nelson  |  Updated 20:06 Mon 30 May 2011

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Free Admission for Military to Blue Star Museums in Los Angeles

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The Blue Star Museums initiative is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 1,000 museums across America. First launched in the summer of 2010, Blue Star Museums once again are offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families.

The Blue Star Museums program runs from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 through to Labor Day, September 5, 2011.  The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members).  Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members.  Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program.  For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly.

Over 40 museums around Los Angeles are participating in the Blue Star program: 

Autry National Center (Griffith Pk)	Newport Harbor Nautical Museum (Newport Beach)
Bolton Hall Museum (Tujunga)	Orange County Museum of Art (Newport Beach)
Bradford House (Placentia)	Pacific Asia Museum (Pasadena)
California Surf Museum (Oceanside)	Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (Long Beach)
Carnegie Art Museum (Oxnard)	Pasadena Museum of California Art (Pasadena)
Children's Museum (La Habra)	Pasadena Museum of History (Pasadena)
Chinese American Museum (DTLA)	Point Fermin Light House (San Pedro)
Columbia Memorial Space Center (Downey)	Pretend City Children's Museum (Irvine)
Dr Willella Howe-Waffle House & Medical Museum (Santa Ana)	Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens (Long Beach)
Getty Center (Brentwood)	Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden (Claremont)
Getty Villa (Malibu)	Reagan Ranch Center (Santa Barbara)
The Grammy Museum (DTLA)	Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (Santa Barbara)
Gull Wings Children's Museum (Oxnard)	Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara)
Hammer Museum (Westwood)	Santa Barbara Trust for Historical Preservation (Santa Barbara)
Japanese American National Museum (Little Tokyo)	Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (Santa Monica)
Laguna Art Museum (Laguna Beach)	Simi Valley Historical Society & Museum (Simi Valley)
Leonis Adobe Museum (Calabasas)	Skirball Cultural Center (Sherman Oaks)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Miracle Mile)	Southern California Genealogical Society & Family Research Library (Burbank)
Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach)	Southern California Medical Museum (Riverside)
Oceanside Museum of Art (Oceanside)	Ventura County Maritime Museum (Oxnard)
Museum of Ventura County (Ventura)	Zimmer Children's Museum (Carthay)

The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention Common Access Card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, including those stamped URW and DB. These include active duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), National Guard and Reserve members and up to five immediate family members.

“Blue Star Museums may be the program at the NEA of which I am proudest,” said NEA Chairman Rocco
Landesman.  “Blue Star Museums recognizes and thanks our military families for all they are doing for our
country, and simultaneously begins young people on a path to becoming life-long museum goers.”

For a complete list of participating museums in the USA and for additional details, visit http://arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

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About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services,
including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect and empower military families. In addition to
morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of
military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Membership includes military spouses,
children and parents as well as service members, veterans and civilians.  To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://bluestarfam.org/ 

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the
federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence,
creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through
partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at http://arts.gov/

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– National Endowment for the Arts; R. Nelson.  |  Updated 00:05 Wed 1 June 2011

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Calling All Skateboarders!

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Largest Skateboard Parade 

World Record Attempt 

As part of the Venice High School Centennial Celebration, skaters in the Venice community will attempt to set a new Guinness World Record™ for "largest skateboarding parade."  The current record was set this past April in Michigan with 341 skaters.

Click image to enlarge.

The basic rules are pretty simple: Participants must ride their own skateboard under their own power from start to finish and not have a gap of more than 2 meters between skaters.  Helmets required for those under 18 and a parent or guardian must be present for those under 12 years.

The record attempt will take place in the Venice High School Centennial Parade on the morning of Sunday 27 June. The parade cover about two miles and will begin at Pacific Avenue and South Venice Boulevard and move east to Beethoven Street, south to Zanja Avenue and onto the Venice High School campus.  At the conclusion of the parade there will be a festival on campus.

Event:

Sunday 26 June 2011
  7am – Check-in begins
  9am – Line-up
10am – Parade begins

For complete details and to pre-register for this event, go to: http://www.imathlete.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?fEID=8867

External Links:

Venice High School
Venice High Centennial
Venice High Alumni Association

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– R. Nelson  |  Updated 00:54 Wed 1 June 2011

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Venice High Centennial Celebration (1911-2011)

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Join the festivities as Venice High School celebrates 100 years!

  

Entrance to Administration Building. [photo credit]

The high school in Venice, CA, with its 52 students and 8 faculty began in 1911 in a rented part of the old Lagoon Bathhouse building on Winward Avenue and Coral Canal (now Main Street).  After a couple years Venice Union Polytechnic School moved to its current 29-acre campus at Walgrove Avenue and Venice Boulevard.

Inspiration. [credit]

In 1922, the head of the art department used three students as models for three statues representing the Mental, Physical and Spiritual.  Collectively known as Inspiration, the trio was placed in front of the school.  The Spiritual model was Myrna Williams, who changed her name to Myrna Loy and would become an immensely famous movie star and voted the "Queen of Hollywood."

Some other famous Venice alumni include Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham; footballers Larry Atkins, Leon Clarke, J.P. Losman, Dana McLemore; Skater, surfer and director Stacy Peralta; baseballers Jerry Turner and Doug Slaten; actors Beau Bridges, Gary Collins, and Crispin Glover; singer/songwriter, producer Teena Marie; founder of In-N-Out Burgers Harry Snyder.

Venice Union Polytecnic, 1921. [credit]

The 1933 Long Beach earthquake destroyed the original brick buildings and the campus was rebuilt in conjunction with the Works Project Administration (WPA) while classes were held in tents.  The newer Art-Deco buildings and campus were featured prominently in the 1978 film Grease as "Rydell High."  Numerous other productions were filmed at Venice High including American History X, Nightmare on Elm Street 5, Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time" and Young MC's "Principle's Office."

Today Venice High School has over 2700 students enrolled, including 500+ in its Foreign Language and International Studies Magnet.  Venice High also contains a Bilingual Business and Finance Academy and a New Media Academy.

New Myrna statue. [credit]

Despite being repaired twice in the 80s, Inspiration was removed in 2000, due to years of vandalism and deterioration.  Only the Spiritual Myrna Loy statue was recreated in bronze and unveiled in front of 2000 spectators in 2010. 

This year, a much larger celebration will take place over four days as Venice High celebrates its centennial.  There will be a  two-day festival featuring food, games, merchants, entertainment and live music.  Festivities also include a screening of Grease on the football field, a car show featuring the Grease Lightning car and a parade from the Venice Beach to the high school.  A time capsule and walk of fame will be unveiled and local skaters will attempt to break a Guinness World Record™ for "largest skateboarding parade." 

Venice High Centennial Celebration, 

Fri 25 – Mon 28 June 2011.

Car from Grease at Petersen. [credit]

Friday – Movie night at Watson Field: Grease (1978) Staring John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John; Come in 50s style: Contests for best 50s garb and Best Grease character!

Saturday – Pancake Breakfast, Festival (food, games, live music, merchants, entertainment), Auto Show, Time Capsule/Walk of Fame unveiling, Jazz Concert.

Sunday – Parade from Pacific Ave/South Venice Bl., led by Grand Marshal Walter Cunningham, Skateboarding World Record Attempt, Festival (food, games, live music, merchants, entertainment), Picnic, Closing Ceremonies.

Monday – 17th Annual Gondo Golf Classic (Robinson Ranch Golf Course)

Venice High School today. [credit]

For a full list of festivities and times, see the Events page.

For more on the skateboarding record, see the info LA blog post.

For volunteer, vendor and sponsor information, see the Opportunities page.

Venice High School

13000 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles 90066 [MAP]
Centennial hotline: (310) 216-9365
Centennial website: http://venicehighcentennial.com/
Centennial social media: facebook • twitter

Parking

There will be limited parking on the Venice High campus. Additional parking at Mark Twain Middle School one block south, enter from Lucille Avenue. [MAP]

Go Metro!

Venice Blvd 33, 733
Santa Monica BBB 2






– R. Nelson  |  Updated 01:13 Wed 1 June 2011

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Long Beach Mid-City Studio Tour [June 2011]

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Click image to enlarge.

Long Beach artists will open their studios on Saturday and Sunday, June 4^th and 5th, 2011 from 11 AM to 5 PM. The public is invited to see a diverse range of art works, including paintings, mixed media constructions, handmade artists’ books, prints, photographs, and jewelry.


The free event is called The Mid-City Studio Tour because of the neighborhood locations of the artists’ studios within Long Beach. This fifth biennial program celebrates the vital visual artist community in this city. Sue Ann Robinson, known nationally for her innovative, handmade artist’s books, comments, “There are many wonderful, creative artists in this area who outnumber the arts venues available to present work to the public.

The Mid-City Studio Tour provides a special opportunity to see artists’ environments and processes.”
Invitations and maps for this self-guided studio tour are available before the event at Greenly Art Space (2698 Junipero Avenue #113 in Signal Hill), Long Beach Museum of Art (2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach 90803), Free Spirit Yoga (3910 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach 90807), Arts  Council for Long Beach (110 Pine Avenue, Long Beach 90802), Utopia (445 E 1st St Long Beach, CA 90802), and various It’s a Grind coffee houses in the mid-city area.

Please visit the website  http://www.midcitystudiotour.com for images, more information about the artists, and the tour map.

The Mid-City Studio Tour is sponsored by Arts Council for Long Beach and It’s a Grind coffee houses in the mid-city area.

– Mid-City  Studio Tour 16:19 Thu 26 May 2011

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First Fridays in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach [June 2011]

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First Fridays Long Beach — a celebration of art and music.

The mission of First Fridays Long Beach is to promote and support local artists and musicians by providing them with an outlet to showcase their work. Every first Friday night of the month, participating Bixby Knolls businesses unite to promote local artists and musicians through extended
operating hours. In doing so, we hope to encourage a dialogue between businesses, artists and the community.

First Fridays on June 3 will get us all in the pre-summer mood with an overflowing plate of fun from the dessert buffet. The district continues to bring the monthly programming of untraditional fun, hijinx, and plenty of “the unexpected.”

Ingredients for the night include: Mobile art stations, 80s dance music, spoken word, electronic grooves, improv comedy, Timstrument, community drawing, tarot cards, drag queens, face painting, First Books, antiques, piano man, Big Red Bus, and the Knolls Ranger.

We will initiate a new program called “Seniors First! at First Fridays” with the help of the Long Beach Shakespeare Company and Don Knabe’s office sponsoring a bus to bring senior citizens from Gold Star Manor to enjoy all of the festivities of the event.
 
When the businesses start to close, "First Fridays After Hours" begins. Nino's Italian Restaurant, The Factory, and EJ Malloy’s go late into the night with food, drinks, and great music. Why go home early? Stay out and continue the energy.

Dine on Art-Lantic Avenue at one of our tasty restaurants then grab the Big Red Bus that will transport you venue to venue from designated stops at the participating businesses.

Visit http://www.firstfridayslongbeach.com/ or the Facebook First Fridays, Long Beach event page for details including a listing of participating businesses.


Stop by Bella Cosa (3803 Atlantic) from 6:30pm – 8:00pm to find all the information about First Fridays, maps, business info, and restaurant recommendations.

First Fridays Long Beach
Bixby Knolls, Long Beach, CA 90807

View Larger Map
– Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association 11:05 Thu 26 May 2011

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What Graffiti is to New York - Street Art is to Los Angeles

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Maximillian Gallery at Sunset Marquis    presents    "What Graffiti is to New York - Street Art is to Los Angeles" Featuring The Top Los Angeles Street Artists Curated By Melrose and Fairfax Featuring: Alec Monopoly, Free Humanity, SmogCity, Bankrupt Slut, DeeKay, Bod Bod, 2wenty, Snyder, Gregory Siff, KH no. 7, Smear, Desire Obtain Cherish, CYRCLE. & DD$, Leba, and Homo Riot OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY MAY 28, 2011 - 6PM - 9PM Exhibition: May 28 - June 30, 2011 Every Day, 1PM - 8PM, and by appointment (Closed Mondays)        More information on this exhibition can be seen here: http://maximilliangallery.com/shows-events/graffiti-new-york-street-art-los-angeles  Maximillian Gallery 1200 Alta Loma Road, West Hollywood 90069 [MAP] (310) 881-6025 caradoc@maximilliangallery.com http://maximilliangallery.com Maximillian Gallery is open daily (Closed Mondays) from 1 - 8 pm except certain major Holidays, and by appointment, and usually late on Fri & Sat, please call first at 310-881-6025 to make sure we're open as we're sometimes closed for special events. We recommend all gallery guests to park at Millennium garage for this opening as valet parking will not be available at Sunset Marquis. Alternate parking at meters may be available on Sunset Blvd. Gallery-validated valet parking is $5 all other times with gallery purchase. There is self-parking across the street at Sunset Millennium, enter off Alta Loma Road off Sunset, and alternate parking at meters may be available on Sunset Blvd. – Caradoc & Maximillian Gallery 12:20 Thu 26 May 2011

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Huntington Free Day [July 2011]

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The Huntington offers free admission on the first Thursday of every month! 

The Huntington, founded in 1919 by Southern California businessman Henry E. Huntington, is a first-class cultural, research and education center.  Located in San Marino (near Pasadena), The Huntington is comprised of libraries, art galleries and botanical gardens.

From the Huntington website:

Library The Library’s collection of rare books and manuscripts in the fields of British and American history and literature is nothing short of extraordinary. For qualified scholars, The Huntington is one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States in its fields of specialization. For the general public, the Library has on display some of the finest rare books and manuscripts of Anglo-American civilization. Altogether, there are about 6 million items. Among the treasures for research and exhibition are the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible on vellum, the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, and a world-class collection of the early editions of Shakespeare’s works. The Huntington also is among the nation’s most important centers for the study of the American West, with an unsurpassed collection of materials that span the full range of American western settlement, including the overland pioneer experience, the Gold Rush, and the development of Southern California. The Munger Research Center, the newest addition to the Library structure, adds 90,000 square feet of space for scholars and staff, preservation, conservation, and storage. Art Collections The Art Collections are distinguished by their specialized character and elegant settings in three separate galleries on the Huntington grounds. A fourth space, the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, hosts changing exhibitions. The Huntington Art Gallery, originally the Huntington residence, contains one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of 18th- and 19th-century British and French art. It serves as home to Gainsborough’s Blue Boy and Lawrence’s Pinkie.  On display in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, The Huntington’s American art collection includes works from the 1690s to the 1950s, including important paintings such as Mary Cassatt’s Breakfast in Bed, Frederic Edwin Church’s Chimborazo, Edward Hopper’s The Long Leg, and John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Pauline Astor. Botanical Gardens The Botanical Gardens are an ever-changing exhibition of color and a constant delight. Covering 120 acres, more than a dozen specialized gardens are arranged within a park-like landscape of rolling lawns.  Among the most remarkable are the Desert Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Chinese garden. The camellia collection is one of the largest in the country. Other important botanical attractions include the Subtropical, Herb, Jungle, and Palm gardens. To the north of the Scott Galleries sits the Botanical Education Center, featuring the Helen and Peter Bing Children’s Garden, the Teaching Greenhouse, and The Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science. The Conservatory provides children and families with exhibits designed to capture the imagination, engage the senses, and teach some of the fundamentals of botany. The Children’s Garden is most suitable for kids ages 2-7; the Conservatory is designed for middle-school-age students.

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First Fridays at the Natural History Museum [June 2011]

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From First Friday flickr, May 2011.  (Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

First Fridays

Once a month, the entire Natural History Museum stays open until 10 pm and features live music, exciting scientific discussion, and behind-the-scenes curatorial tours. Since its inception in 2004, First Fridays has been has been an immersive program designed for audiences of all ages, bringing together a dynamic discussion with scientists on the cutting edge of their fields and musical performances by fresh and innovative artists. In recent years the program has been hailed as Los Angeles’ “Best Intellectual Event in Disguise” (L.A. Downtown News, 2008) and “Best Museum Party Night” (Los Angeles magazine, 2009). First Fridays welcomes its audience back to the Museum they loved as kids, putting a new and exciting spin on an old favorite.

First Fridays 2011: Nostradamus Edition!

One of the many great attributes of science is that it allows us to use the tools of today to understand where we have been and to predict where we are going. For the 2011 edition of First Fridays we take out our scientific crystal ball to ask what may be in our future. Will we be walking among woolly mammoths? Will we be able to harness the power of your brain to be more creative? Is climate change causing us to evolve? Will we live in a building designed by termites?  Are we doomed to go the way of the dinosaur? Or, perhaps, will we live forever?  This is not science fiction of the future but the real science that is affecting our life today. Join us this January as we look at the latest happenings in the fields of genetics, neuroscience, evolution, biomimicry, paleontology and human biology and learn how the science of today is paving the way for a fascinating journey into our future!

Check out what's happening this Friday 6/3/2011:
Tours and discussion 5:30-7:30pm,
Performances 8-10pm by Gayngs, Ditry Beaches
plus Resident DJ Anthony Valadez (dublab, KCRW) featuring Dan Wilcox (Ten Music, KCRW) 5:30-10pm

Tickets are now available

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Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles 90007 [MAP]
213.763.DINO
http://www.nhm.org/site/
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Go Metro!

Exposition 102
Vermont 204, 754
Figueroa 81
SILVER LINE: 37th Street/USC Station
EXPO LINE: (coming late 2011)

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Look Out Below — Operation: Pothole

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Look Out Below!

Maybe your morning latte has spilled on your lap too many times courtesy of your unfriendly neighborhood potholes; Perhaps you are tired of the guy behind you thinking that latte is spiked as you swerve to avoid said potholes.  You can do more than shake a fist at them in the rear-view mirror: report those holes!

Los Angeles city officials present Operation: Pothole.  The sequel to January's successful event will again see the Bureau of Street Services spend a weekend (4 & 5 June) filling potholes across the city.  This time around officials have doubled their goal to get 20 000 potholes filled by 100 street maintenance teams. 



With more than 6 500 miles of pavement, don't assume the city knows where every single pothole is located.  The city needs you help in finding them.  Next time you're on the road, look out below:

• Note the address or intersection nearest the pothole.

• Report it to the city by dialing 3-1-1

• Or report it online at: http://bss.lacity.org/request.htm.

Note that not every street imperfection is technically a pothole.  To distinguish them, take a look at A Guide to Potholes and Other Street Damage.  Other flaws in the pavement, such as utility depressions, require a more involved process and thus longer time to fix.  You can report these other flaws but only expect the quick fixes to be considered for this weekend event. 

If you live in Council Member Eric Garcetti's District 13, you can also report your pothole via the "Garcetti 311" mobile phone app for iPhone or Android.  Council Member Paul Krekorian of District 2 also has an app called "CD2Krekorian" with which to report potholes via iPhone.  Both apps allow you to send a picture as well as give a description.

– R. Nelson  |  Updated 00:45 Mon 30 May 2011

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