Bloggin' Shout Out to Amir's Garden

A little known gem in Griffith Park is Amir's Garden. Amir's Garden is cared for by Kristin Sabo, who has contributed to MayorSam and other blogs over the years and is a passionate advocate for issues in Griffith Park and in the North Valley foothills areas. 

Huntington Garden (Photo by Non Paratus via the LAist Featured Photos pool)

Amir's Garden was recently named "One of the Ten Best Places in LA to Enjoy the Outdoors" by LAist. According to LAist, "The garden was the labor of love for Amir Dialameh, who spent three decades hiking up a service road to transform a small five-acre patch of the park into a green, shady escape with rose bushes, geraniums, oleander and yucca." Sabo worked with Dialameh for many years and took over when he passed. 

Click here to watch an episode of "Visiting with Huell Howser" where Howser is given a tour of the Garden by Kristin.

Definitely check out Amir's next time you're in Griffith Park. You will be amazed!

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Wednesday

Gloria Allred to take over for Heath Ledger in next Batman movie.

When the liberal blogs are questioning what's behind the Gloria Allred-Jerry Brown attempt to smear Meg Whitman you know that there's more than a whiff of scandal in the air.  Gloria Allred, who probably loves the camera even more than Antonio Villaraigosa, holds another press conference with a newly made over Nicky Cruz who is fresh off reports of a big payoff.  Were Gloria not an attention-whore and a longtime Democratic Party activist she would have referred Cruz to an immigration/labor attorney who would have handled Cruz's case privately and ethically without the attendant Super Glo circus. The way this has unfolded with Glo's patented staged press conferences and shrill cable TV appearances clearly indicates this a coordinated effort to boost the Brown campaign.

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Will The Folks at LAist "Get It" This Time When It Comes to Prop B?

Now I don't mean specifically to pick on LAist but in this instance we're going to because I want to challenge their very hip and trendy readers to look past the bling bling veneer of an oh so feel good proposal put forward by the Mayor and City Council which is nothing more than a big hunk of candy coated shadiness.

I'm hoping we can get past stories of "No Pants Day" and "The Lighthouse Ghost" to take a moment that if the fine readers of LAist (which really is a kick-ass blog) were to do so, they'll save themselves a few bucks.

Prop B on the March primary ballot here in Los Angeles tells you it's all about solar energy. Great! We're all for alternatives to fossil fuels and indeed, Los Angeles becoming the home to green industry could be the very thing that turns things arounds and creates the economic renewal we need.

Prop B doesn't do that.

Prop B's solar program in a nutshell changes City rules to allow the City Council to raise your electric rates without your vote, forces all installation of solar panels to be done by one union who has contributed hundreds of thousands to the Mayor and Council (instead of extending the opportunity and work to all workers including those in OTHER unions AND will use solar panels MANUFACTURED IN CHINA instead of here in LA.  In a nutshell, the same politicians who have raised your DWP rates three times in the last two years, raised parking meters and eliminated parking options for you and raised your cell phone taxes want you to rubber stamp a plan that will effectively kill any positive benefits solar energy could bring to LA.

We don't expect the very hip and happening youngsters who read LAist to waste their time with the usual admninistrivia of City government that excites the blue hairs to no end - all kinds of fun stuff like environmental impact reports, mitigated negative declarations and zoning changes.

This one however is important - and straightforward: Do you think that solar and green energy is important to Los Angeles' future? If yes, who do you trust to manage that future - the experts in the field or the politicians who can't even pave your streets? I believe the answer is clear - No On Prop B.

PS: By the way I tried to search LAist's archives to see if they've covered this issue.  Their search feature appears to not be working so if they've written about it, I'd love to read it.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Sunday

Alex Walker, a computer programmer and activist in peace and civil rights causes, has announced as a Green Party candidate in the special election to fill the seat of State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas who was elected to the County Board of Supervisors in November.  Walker stated, "Republicans and Democrats in California are dysfunctional. Voters voted for Obama for president and Mark Ridley-Thomas for county supervisor with a promise of a 'New Politics.'  Also seeking the seat are Democratic Assemblymen Mike Davis, of Los Angeles and Curren Price, Ridley-Thomas' hand picked successor, of Inglewood. 

LAist offers it predictions for 2009, among which includes the forecast that "Bob Hertzberg, Eric Garcetti, and Tavis Smiley all launch mayoral campaigns."  Sorry guys, the filing period is long over and the race is between Mayor V, Zuma Dogg and Walter Moore.

Former Mr. Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, is dating again.  Wags say  he's been seen canoodling with a six-foot tall blonde one year younger than the pop princess who bore (some of) his children.  Apparently Britney is pissed.

Following our campaign to return the venerable broadcaster to the KTLA announcer's booth at the Rose Parade on New Year's Day, Stephanie Edwards re-joined Bob Eubanks and his new hip after a two year exile.  As such, KTLA once again racked up the highest ratings of any parade coverage in LA.

#46?

I guess it shouldn't matter to me what a blog I've never heard of thinks of our blog or any others and though I SHOULD be honored I had to laugh when I saw LA Snark's list of the "top 50" blogs in LA.

First off we're at #46. Now back in the day that would be awesome. But when you regularly rank in BlogNetNews' Top 20 Political Blogs, you're getting thousands of visitors a month, you've been on CNN, you've been an LA Magazine Website of the Month, its kind of different. The bigger crime is marking Don Garza's Central City East Blog lower than us; Don is one of the most relevant bloggers in LA; whether I agree with him or not.

I don't even understand their ranking system. Of course, every one loves to kiss butt to the Westside White Guy and put him near the top. (But I am sure old Kev is fuming that LAist is ahead of him) where. But to put some of the self obsessed "what did I wear today or did he ask me out yet" blogs ahead of significant, entrenched go to blogs like Franklin Avenue or Curbed LA is unbelievable.

And where is Boi from Troy? Mainbrace? Flap? Zuma Dogg? Walter Moore? Or even Here in Van Nuys? Not on the list!

The most incredible thing is that they put LA Voice at #6. Number six?!?! Since Mack Reed left months ago that blog has been dead; the only thing keeping it alive for the most part is press releases posted by my pal Edward Headington.

You can't always trust lists.

Now I leave it to you to post how this is because of 1) Zuma Dogg 2) My weight 3) Red Spot's spelling 4) Valley Doll's cookie post or 5) all of the above.

Number six? Ha ha ha ha!

Open Thread for Super Tuesday

LAist has a good piece that covers both sides of Proposition S and was nice enough to quote me and Zuma Dogg. They even have a poll - the only one I've seen so far - that shows S losing handily. That goes to my prediction that IF the latte sipping, text messaging, casual young voters who may show up to vote for Barack Obama actually do go to the polls AND they see past the fradulent ballot title and description of S (as well its cousin Measure D in Pasadena), then maybe S could go down. Yes, it's a big if but who knows.

Zach Behrens, also at LAist, somehow thinks if your Presidential candidate ends the war we'll have a Subway to the Sea in five years. You're a cool dude Zach, but keep dreaming.

Don't forget our Super Tuesday party tonight.

So blog and predict away dum dums. What's the big upset of this election?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Hoping to not doom chances for passage of Mayor Vs phone tax by pissing off the voters even more, the City Clowncil will probably hold off on DWP rate increases that have been tossed around for a while now.

A green blog derides Mayor Villaraigosa for failing to get Angelenos to conserve water and says that the Mayor seems to "epitomize everything the rest of us think about Los Angeles; all surface, a suit and smiling face with no more real substance than a Saturday AM cartoon rerun." Ouch!

Walking from the Metro to work, Steve Lopez runs into a press conference on thieves stealing copper wire from LA's street lights.

Our post on new KNBC weathercaster Elita Loresca stirred up some readers with some of finding the "sexiest newscaster in America" to look like a "tranny" and others finding her unattractive because the Phillipine born and Southern California reared Loresca "looked too Mexican." If you want more on Loresca you can check out a fan created blog that reviews her wardrobe or check out video and more pictures at the Backyard.

Now that he's ended it with Mirthala, Mayor V may want to post some personal ads on Craig's List or Match.com. Our friend Jon Regardie has drafted some up for the Mayor. Or the Mayor could take the advice of Speed Seduction creator Ross Jeffries to get some good mileage going for the holidays.

Here in Van Nuys has a great post about what a horribly ugly corner Sepulveda and Vanowen in Van Nuys (or is it Valley Glen or West Lake Balboa or Lake Balboa or Encino or Sherman Oaks? Someone please advise.) is. Who is the Clowncil Member over there?

Starting January 1st, you will no longer be able to transfer for free from the Metro to an LADOT or DASH bus.

Redondo Beach levied fines on cable operator Time Warner. When Time Warner asked to appeal to the the local Clowncil, they were turned down. Now, they're suing.

Kudos to Joseph Mailander for getting linkage from LAist for his post advising Mayor Villaraigosa on how he should use his bully pulpit to bring recalcitrant movie studios to the bargaining table in the writers' strike. Just wish they would have given the byline to Joe and not me (cause you know good old reactionary Republican me would come down on the side of the studios).

Even though they use "bio-fuels" with a minimal carbon footprint, City Clowncil liberals in New York City want to ban the horse and carriages that are a city icon.

State Senator Alan Lowenthal, writing at Capitol Weekly, says that if the Governor and members of the Legislature really want re-districting reform, they could pass SCA 10, rather than getting ready for a costly signature gathering drive and ballot fight.

Gossip mongers are parsing a recent speech by Jodie Foster that the actress is coming out as a lesbian. Who knew?

Blog Wars

Blog Wars Part 1: As Joe reported, LAist's Tony Pierce gets hired by the LATimes. In a lot of ways LAist is a good blog and its one I read daily. The story is also picked up on blogging.la and the comments start to fly by the pro and anti Pierce forces. Nothing we're not used to here. Then in comments on his own post, blogging.la's David Markland questions the impact of LAist's local coverage on their ratings as opposed to their prolific gossip and pop culture. Despite that, Markland gives props to the blog and Pierce.

Following which, Pierce posts an overly defensive, ballistic screed accusing Markland of lying and being jealous.

I'm not sure I got that from David's comment. However Tony's histrionics now make me question the wisdom of the Times' pick. But whatever. I've always preferred Markland's writing anyway, nothing personal to Tony. Even when I called Markland an idiot.

Blog Wars Part 2: Angelic Blog posted a list of all the current development projects Downtown. Westchester Parents blog posts an article urging a moratorium on new construction until the water crisis can be solved and links to Angelic's list. Then, Angelic refers to Westchester as BANANAs. Westchester accuses Angelic of getting testy. Finally in comments on Westchester, Angelic's rico denies being testy and tells Westchester that if the BANANA shoe fits, wear it.