A surprising move for Walmart.
Earthquake Quartet? Bizarre.
Is there a future for Mariachi Plaza?
There are three Subway shops in the Pentagon? Hmm.
Human skin lampshade. Scary.
Don't miss the boat. NO on Proposition 23. duh.
Censoring in the US?

In other news, I went to the new Which Wich today, a new development I have been most decided about. It was, however, only open for a private party. Immense disappointment! I did spot Josh from Sabrina the Teenage Witch (don't know his real name but yeah Sabrina the Teenage Witch! best show of middle school times).

PROBLEM

There is definitely some piece of music used in "No Reservations'" underscore that has been used in the foreground of some other show that I can't think of. And, it's driving me crazy. Please help!

UPDATE: I think it's used in Sundance's "Iconoclast." Hmmm.

WHAT!?#%*

Crazy: "Some 40 years ago," MGM dumped many thousands of musical scores to be used as landfill in the building of the 405 freeway.

Every day I watch some PBS, and every day I learn something outrageous.

Los Angeles Freeways postcard

Los Angeles Freeways postcard
Originally uploaded by Smaddy

This is amazing.

Reasons why I love Clifton's Cafeteria, even though the food is terrible.

I just found this post I wrote October 19, 2009. I don't know why I never published it. Perhaps, I knew subconsciously Clifton's would one day change and I would have to not so much defend it's honor but remind you of what it once was.

1. "Clifton's" is a portmanteau of Clifford Clinton. I love portmanteaus.
2. All the really good fonts.
3. The fancy floor outside the entry. Macadamed maybe? I don't remember the correct descriptor. (But today, September 26, 2010, I do: it's terrazzo).
4. It's Huell Howser approved.
5. The fake bears make me nostalgic for The Country Bear Jamboree, which Disneyland should never have removed--or made a movie about.
6. The variety of antlers available for viewing in quite some random places.
7. The gang of Bible Crusaders in orange shirts using the second floor as it's pamphlet-folding headquarters.
8. The creepy mini-chapel that talks to you when you push a button.
9. It's pretty cheap to eat there (but not this good).
10. OMG FLOCKED WALLPAPER.

Hey Glow,

Why don't you let people actually ride the carousel?!

Laura

P.S. Infrared-scanning of the audience/other audience-based art does not a good art piece make.

Dear Apple,

"Learning" is not an adjective. Get your parallel structure act together!!

Only looking out for you,
Laura

Good news, we escaped the No Country for Old Men Herman Munster Cowboy Hallway Creeper!

I've liked Ferraby Lionheart's music in some form or another for maybe close to a decade, but tonight's show was really super spectacular. Way better than anything he's recorded. Big sound! Thanks to some of Leslie & the Badgers and some others as his backing band. Really, really swell. oh, hey, the show was free! His new album comes out tomorrow, but, sadly, it's not this sequined-suit-wearing sound that I want it to be.

P.S. There was prestidigitation (!) involved. Legerdemain/prestidigitation--which is a better word? Tough decision.

bah.

Psychoanalysis of Talking Heads
Flags! I got all of them except Lebanon.
Pothole gardens! Awesome!

I wore a hat for a long time today. But I've also not worn a hat for the past couple hours. My head still feels like it's wearing a hat. This is very strange.

Also,

I was doing some math while I was waiting for my friend to get her book signed. Anthony Bourdain's going to be 70 when his daughter is 20.

In case you were wondering...

DSC05693
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

who would win in a knife fight between Giada de Laurentiis and Nigela Lawson, Anthony Bourdain (pictured in the super blurry picture above) is pretty sure about Nigela taking it.

King Wimp

I've been cleaning out my purse again and found a receipt on which I scrawled "to have and have not Rex Wimpy." After some quick googling, I now know that Rex Wimpy did the special effects cinematography for many films including one of my favorites, To Have and Have Not, with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (I believe that's the film on which they first met). Anyways, what a silly name, Rex (King) Wimpy!

Holsum

Holsum
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

This is one of my favorite signs in Las Vegas currently lit, which I guess is saying a lot because there are tons o' signs in that town. Of note is the apparent need to shorten Italiano with an apostrophe, getting rid of only one letter but a whole syllable.

According to a pretty fantastic campaign from 1910, home-made bread is slavery! See more at the grand Daily Mirror blog (not connected to the UK tabloid).

I always joke that a lot of today's fashion is clothing my grandmother would wear. Here, in fact, is a jacket my grandmother actually owns and wears all the time. Strange.

I saw Fred Armisen at the Silverlake Jubilee this past weekend.
1. I was surprised I remembered his name, considering I rarely watch SNL, because it is terrible.
2. Why is he in LA?
3. After reading the Wikipedia article on him, he plays drums on a Les Savy Fav album. What?!

Anyways, he lost out, though, 'cause he left before The Living Sisters even started. Loser.

I really, really want a Mr. Jones Watch.

After the glow, the scene, the stage, the set

I saw Pavement this past Thursday night in Pomona and it was definitely magical, that is until we were stranded on the side of a freeway, but I'll get to that later. Most important information on that evening is that they played five out of my top seven pavement songs:

1. Spit on a Stranger
2. Roll with the Wind
3. Shady Lane
4. Cut Your Hair
5. Range Life
6. Harness Your Hopes
7. Stereo

I'm pretty satisfied with that outcome, as the italicized ones are B-sides I probably should never have hoped them to play (but can we just all agree that Roll with the Wind is spectacular?).

So then my friend's car has some sort of issue, in which the car fills with smoke and loses power breaking capability. Let me tell you, that is some scary stuff. And then we stand, freezing, on the side of a freeway in the middle of the night waiting for a tow truck. I obviously did not envision this occasion in choosing to wear a dress that morning. It's a good thing everyone bought shirts at the show; wearing three shirts did help a little. This situation would probably have been less frightening had I not watched so many Law & Orders and or film noirs that include scenes similar to these.

All in all, however, it was a pretty successful Nochella weekend: Pavement, first day of new job, long shift at old job (money!), Record Store Day (including buying a Robyn Hitchcock album I somehow missed which has a song titled "Raymond Chandler Evening"--what could be more perfect?!), pizzza I hadn't had in 14 years, square dance, maybe the best donuts in L.A., and learning how to make bagels.

Listomania

Awesome. Louis Armstrong.
Buy me this book please.
I now know what a pot walloper is.
Nancy Pelosi, the Anna Wintour of Congress!
"Bank Failures Strike a Blow to City's Art"
DO clap between movements!
Y'all know how much I love maps. Here's an interesting one. All of USA could fit into New Hampshire!
The Yet-But