June 2006 Archives

The writer of The Night Shift With Greg Sidor really works the night shift ... just look at those posting times. MANNNNNN.

The most recent three entries, here, here and here, focus on women in the, um, entertainment professions, and make for very good reading.

I sit across from Greg for the brief hour that our work shifts have in common, the hour that stretches, 5 to 6 p.m., and I must say that it is a pleasure.

I don't play poker, but I read about it a whole lot. It's part of my job, you see, at the Daily News. We run the Steve Rosenbloom poker column (that him on the right) in the U section. Believe me, there's more than one poker column out there, given the game's popularity -- it's like miniskirts in the '60s and granola in the '70s (need I go on? I think not).

With the help of Daily News online master Armando Hernandez, we have created a one-stop poker education page -- basically Steve Rosenbloom pouring all his poker knowledge into all the columns of his that we have run over the past months.

So if you want to speak poker, or play it and win, click on over and learn what to do if you've got the nuts.

Brent Hopkins has a story today about "ghost traffic" on the 101, meaning mysterious jams on the freeway long after accidents have been cleared:

Phantom traffic blanketed the Ventura Freeway on Monday, snarling morning commutes, delaying work and confounding experts.

This insidious phenomenon, which seems to present itself periodically at the least convenient times, has no direct cause, no singular reason why it comes or goes. No lane seems open, no relief appears down the road. Though people joke you can get anywhere in Los Angeles in 15 minutes, on days like this, a simple trip takes an hour.

As a daily commuter, either on this freeway or the go-to street alternatives (Burbank and Victory boulevards), I think it's just basic over-capacity on the freeway, and the days when it's good are just about outnumbered on days when it's bad.

I NEVER take the 101 home, heading Eastbound -- it's NEVER good. I always take Victory, but in the morning, heading Westbound, I got into the habit of taking the 101, since for the most part it hasn't been too bad. Last week, however, was exceptionally bad every day, and I bailed off at Balboa Boulevard a couple of days and headed for Victory (that's big V ... there was no victory in the literal sense).

On the Westbound side, I think it's pretty much a phenomenon created by Calabasas and Thousand Oaks becoming work destinations for people who don't live there. After all, if you work in any kind of retail job, and there are plenty of them out there, chances are you don't live in Calabasas, Agoura or even Thousand Oaks. You probably live somewhere else in the Valley, or even another part of Los Angeles, and you're commuting in. So the morning-drive traffic no longer ends at Topanga Canyon Boulevard, but extends out to Parkway Calabasas and beyond. Lovely.

But there's more: Amgen is in Thousand Oaks, Consolidated Electrical Distributors is headquartered in Westlake Village, and there are plenty more I don't know about. So besides being a bedroom communities, these areas are work destinations for thousands of commuters, making it a two-way fight on the 101 every single day.

Brad Greenberg had a great story today about a homeless poker player Ellix Powers who both teaches the game in Reseda and plays at the big-money tables. His style of play is quite a bit different than the stuff I edit every week in the poker column. Mr. Powers is "a real character," as they say. Here's a taste:

In 2004, he incited the World Series' second-most memorable moment, his 15 minutes of fame replayed over and over on ESPN reruns.

At the final table for limit hold 'em, Powers did everything he could to disrupt the game's natural flow.

He bet and raised before being dealt cards. He offered patronizing apologies for his capricious play. He thanked opponents for losing while they were still in the hand. He flat out talked trash like former Laker Gary Payton.

"You're disrespecting the game," author James McManus scolded him.

"I can raise in the dark anytime I want," Powers shot back, referring to his move of betting without looking at his cards. "I'm going to do it every time now."

His erratic play got the best of McManus, who quickly called a bet from Powers when all McManus had was queen high. Powers taunted him, albeit inaccurately.

"You called me with a jack high? You called me with a jack high? He called me with a jack high," Powers repeated after goading McManus into the bad play.

"This guy is nuts. I like him. He's good for poker," pro John Hennigan mused. "I'm having fun. I never have fun. This guy is making me have fun."

Powers eventually got bumped in seventh place and strutted to the cashier.

"Do I get any money here? Do I get any money?"

He got $40,040. But Powers has only won about $12,000 at tournaments during the two years since, according to a database of pros at pokerpages.com. He's also won and lost an unspecified amount playing in casinos and mostly online.

"Poker is a big, cruel beast," Powers said in an interview. "There's not a lot of sympathy in the game. There ain't no refunds."

It's been months in the planning, but I now have Wi-Fi running at the house. In keeping with the surplus-computing ethos I espouse in This Old Mac and This Old PC, I tried to do it as close to free as possible.

Let me tell you, nothing is easy when it comes to technology. I'll have to remember the last electronic thing I installed that worked as advertised, right out of the box, with no tweaking, pleading or help-desk haranguing. It did happen, but I can't remember when.

But I've entered the 21st century.

First I got DSL.

Then I got the DSL working properly.

Part II

I hooked up the Wi-Fi.

And took care of a pesky interference problem.

... with this cogent (or merely conscious) entry on the J.J. Abrams-Matt Damon-Ben Affleck possibilities for the "Star Trek" prequel.

There obviously needs to be a role for Jennifer Garner in the movie, given her connection to Affleck and Abrams. I'm thinking something super-villainesque.

What don't we know about the Daily News' blogging journalists?

Mariel elaborates:

Though most likely I contracted the bug from something I ate -- the soft scrambled eggs that morning, the Subway sandwich for lunch that lingered via a bad aftertaste for hours -- part of me can't help wondering if I didn't pick up something from the bus. All those unwashed hands leaving God-only-knows-what kind of nasty bacteria on every surface. Considering that studies have found that most people don't regulary wash their hands after going to the bathroom, it would not be a huge stretch of the imagination.

Go to the item, where she also discusses her waitressy past.

Greg Sidor, who happens to sit right across from me (at least from 5 p.m. when he arrives, till 6 p.m. when I leave) has started a Daily News blog, The Night Shift.

He's up all night pouring type into Dailynews.com, and than means he knows what he's doing when it comes to HTML and various other Webby technologies, so give him a look-see.

Doug Dowie, ex-Daily News editor-turned-PR-exec, who's neck-deep in hot water and now a convicted felon over his ex-firm Fleishman- Hillard's DWP contractwants a new trial, according to L.A. Observed:

Dowie's argument for a new trial cites as grounds that the jury was inadequately charged, that one juror may have had a prior connection to government witness Monique Moret, that Dowie was barred from introducing a polygraph exam and, among other points, that the evidence was not sufficient to find him guilty.

COMING SOON: When Doug Dowie pitched to me (and no, it wasn't an office chair).

My CD review last Friday was the new Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band disc "The Phat Pack."

An excerpt:

Running a big band is kind of like juggling flaming chain saws - who's to say which is more difficult? Gordon Goodwin - CSUN alumnus, Grammy ("The Incredibles") and Emmy winner - gives way more than the proverbial 110 percent with his 18-piece Big Phat Band.

What I didn't say in the review was that way back when I was in the big band at Grant High School (in what used to be Van Nuys, but is now Valley Glen), I remember Gordon's arrangements very well -- they were pretty rocking (literally, as in rock 'n' roll) for jazz arrangements, and it was pretty easy for the band to sound good with them, as we all understood and could interpret the language that much better.

Gordon is a California State University Northridge graduate, and he talks about the importance of learning the classical saxophone there. I also know of Gordon through his close association with guitarist Grant Geissman (guess they save on monogramming by buying in bulk, no?) also a CSUN alumnus.

They played together in Grant's early group, which was very popular in L.A. in the '80s, drawing large crowds at Donte's in North Hollywood, where my underage self once saw them.

(At left is Grant Geissman's famous Gibson-L5-in-the-pool shot, which he explains on one of the extras from the DVD, "The Grant Geissman Quintet - There and Back Again." Gordon is also featured on the DVD, which includes video, audio and extras.)

Our friend and computer guru Bruce, who lives in what I like to call Southeast Van Nuys, is now driving this thing across the country. As Ilene writes, our daughter, fascinated with all things having to do with buses and trucks, loves this thing. Bruce even convinced his next-door neighbor to remove a fence so he can park this thing in the driveway.

No, Bruce is not Jewish, but upon further inspection, Jews DO own RVs, and they even have their own club. Now we can wander the desert in air-conditioned, bathroom-equipped comfort.

Just before our girl let the elusive poo drop into the toilet, I got this Sesame Workshop newsletter, which said many kids have quite a bit of trouble with No. 2:

Finn is now almost 5 and a half, and still insists on wearing pull-up diapers at night, and at least part of the day. Most of the time, he wears regular underpants, and happily stands in front of the toilet to pee. Going poop is another matter. (Before I delve into the specifics, a quick aside to the grown-up version of Finn, in case he reads this newsletter in the future. "I hope you're not embarrassed that I shared the intimate details of your potty training with thousands of random parents. Be assured that many moms and dads will benefit from our experience.")

Anyway, back to Finn and pooping. Even though he has "gone" while sitting on the toilet, this is not his usual modus operandi. No, these days, when he feels the urge at home, he disappears into his room, pulls down his underpants, meticulously puts on a pull-up diaper himself, and then pulls his underpants over it. Then he finds a place in the apartment where he can "be alone," as he puts it. About five minutes later, Finn will emerge from his hiding place, and ask my wife Ellen or me, "Please change me. I have poop." We then go to the bathroom, where he removes his underpants and the pull-up, and we pour its contents in the potty. "This is where it should go," we remind Finn, then flush, and clean him up. Much as we gently cajole, Finn resists wiping himself. He then pulls up his underpants and pants, washes his hands, and returns to whatever he was doing.

Believe it or not, this ritual is progress. Six months ago, the pull-up diaper wasn't part of the process. Whenever he felt the need to poop, he usually just did so in his underpants, sometimes not telling anyone. For a while, this happened almost daily in preschool. His teachers never made a big deal about it, but helped him change into spare clothes, and discreetly mentioned it to me at pick-up time. His teachers fortunately responded to Finn's embarrassment by reassuring him that everyone has "accidents" from time to time. The only time his teachers mentioned the subject was in the context of a group discussion about the procedure for telling the teacher when they have to go to the bathroom.

While many children are out of diapers by the time they are 3 or 4, I was relieved to learn recently that our situation isn't unique. Other parents of 5 year olds sometimes grapple with how to help their kids say goodbye to diapers.

Seriously, the whole thing freaked me out, but as I write below, we've had a major, um, breakthrough.

Not many people know that the great jazz guitarist Joe Pass had a whole lot to do with the San Fernando Valley. Before he made it really big, he used to teach out of his Northridge garage, and he established himself as one of the masters with regular gigs at the great North Hollywood (and Universal City adjacent) club Donte's.
For Joe and North Hollywood completists, the Donte's sessions are gathered on two CD sets: "The Joe Pass Trio Live at Donte's" and "Resonance." Also, great L.A. bassist and longtime Pass associate Jim Hughart plays bass on both sets.

More things Pass:

Joe Pass and Roy Clark
Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson

And more: A pretty good Wikipedia entry. One fan's remembrance. And the mother of all Joe sites, the Joe Pass Memorial Hall.

... and the eagle is a poop in the potty. You see, when you have kids, you use the word "potty" a whole lot. You talk about poop. You have a lot to say about poop. And a momentous occasion is upon us. Ilene blogged about it here.

Our little Lulu has POOPED IN THE POTTY. The toilet training was going pretty well -- she's 2 years, 10 months old, and is very comfortable making a wee-wee (yes, "wee-wee," unsure whether or not it takes a hyphen, is another word we use all the time -- and I do mean all the time) by herself. She pulls her own pants and pull-up down (I think Pull-Up is some kind of trademark, but I choose to ignore that fact -- sorry Huggies), throws her potty seat (made for small butts) on the toilet, puts her IKEA "big step" in front, climbs on and does her business.

(This is the Big Step -- $2.99 from IKEA. We have lots of them)

But the poop. It has been elusive. She will do the afomentioned, make the pee, wipe, pull the pants up, flush and request help washing her hands. Then she'll go to the couch, assume the position, let it rip and announce, "I have a poo," at which time one of us will get her on the changing table, remove said poo, then give her a new pull-up, which she'll put on herself, followed by pants and shoes.

But on Father's Day, it was different.

She was on the toilet, making a pee, and announced, "I have to make a poo." Ilene said OK, which she's said before, and we didn't really expect it to happen. When Lulu screamed, "I made a poo in the potty!!!!" (with that many exclamation points), we ran in, and cheered like the Lakers had won the NBA Finals and we actually gave a crap.

In a ceremony right then and there, our girl was presented with the stuffed hippo we promised her when the deed was done, and the next day she got her other promised item, a Chococat pillow from the Hello Kitty store. Then we called the grandmas, to which the pooper excitedly told what just happened. And the next day -- two more in the potty! Elation. Joy. Relief.

(Picture of rabbit with doughnut on his head from here).

What the hell is "amaretto," and moreover, what's it doing in my coffee? Gotta make a run for supplies. Out of coffee, out of that white powdery substance you can't get arrested for (nondairy creamer).

Copped an old-fashioned doughnut from photo editor Dean Musgrove's desk. (He's on vacation, doughnuts are on duty.) Stomach pouring over pants. Have to do something about that. The Van Nuys Diet has yielded a 3.5-pound weight loss over the past few months ... but that could all be slipping away.

Our daughter fell asleep (in the car, of course) at 5 p.m. yesterday ... not for a nap, but for the night. ... So she was up at 5 a.m. Ilene took the 5 a.m. shift, I took the 6, our little Lulu had a giant breakfast to make up for missing dinner, and we were out walking by 7:30.

... or off the bus, which she's pledged to ride for a month. But don't worry, her car is a Toyota Prius, so she remains environmentally correct:

The truth is, after two weeks of not driving, I missed my car. I missed gliding down the hot streets of L.A. inside my air-conditioned, hybrid-quiet bubble of steel. I missed, inexplicably, traffic. I missed cupholders. I missed drive-thrus. I missed blasting my favorite songs. I missed going where I wanted when I wanted, traffic allowing.

Zach Behrens of In the Oaks reports that In-N-Out in Sherman Oaks may be a casualty of mixed-use development. Can't say I've ever eaten at In-N-Out, being a vegetarian and all, but I'm amused and intrigued by Zach's teaser:

At some point, I'll have to share my story about my encounter with In-n-Out customer service about a dispute over the definition of a Veggie Burger ...

If you're in or near Sherman Oaks, want to know about the arcana of city planning and development (Zach's day job is with the city of Santa Clarita, I believe) or what happened at the Neighborhood Council meeting, In the Oaks is a good place to stop.

L.A. Observed knows we, the Daily News bloggers, are here.

If by some strange reason you don't know about it, Kevin Roderick's L.A. Observed site is the No. 1 must-see site on Los Angeles, and he covers the Valley, too, at America's Suburb.

Especially if you're coming here from there, thanks for clicking -- and thanks Kevin for the link.

Who knew that those helium-voiced rodents of music and TV fame, Alvin & the Chipmunks, were born in Van Nuys?

Here's how Valerie Kuklenski starts it out:

In 1958, a young father in Van Nuys who supported his family working as a songwriter came up with a novelty group of three singing chipmunks, taking them from hit records to an animated TV show.

Nearly 50 years later, his son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., and his wife, Janice Karman, have made that imaginary trio - Alvin, Theodore and Simon - their livelihood and their life.

So it's a multigenerational family affair. Can't say I've ever been bitten by the Chipmunks bug, but you gotta hand it to this guy for keeping the animated dream alive.

I bet YOUR squirrel is nowhere near as patriotic, or as willing to be dressed in military fatigues and suspended from a toy helicopter, as Sugar Bush Squirrel, who's billed by his owner Kelly Foxton as an "International Superstar and The World's Most Photographed Squirrel," and holds down a second squirrelly job as anchor of SNN, the Squirrel News Network. (What, YOUR squirrel is only a weekend fill-in weathercaster?)

Check out the latest photo, titled "al-Zarqawi has been terminated by Sugar Bush Squirrel and Special U.S. Forces":

... girls rock your boys.

How can I resist? Clearly I cannot. How many blogs can one have? The answer, my friends, is many. This official Daily News blog joins 2,000 Days in the Valley, Jazz Guitar Journey and the equally new This Old Mac and This Old PC blogs as yet another place for my thoughts and observations, both ordered and random.

I do live in Van Nuys, and I do work for the Daily News, where I'm ensconsed on the Features Copy Desk, know way too much about Brangelina, Tomkat and Joe Pass, and inhale coffee like it's the air I breathe. I'd eat another orange, but I'm too tired to peel it.

So look here for the skinny and the fat on Van Nuys, the San Fernando Valley and beyond.

See ya.