August 2007 Archives

I'm sure it was all the pre-CBS David Letterman I grew up watching, but Aaron Proctor is right, I do have a soft spot for Top 10 lists ... he's collected all of his into a single category, some of which are quite good.

So I was up past midnight waiting for the Weekly's online version to hit the Web, which didn't happen until about 10 a.m. this morning.

Andre Coleman is at the helm of the main column, this time writing about the lynching flier:

The tragic fact is, between 1882 and 1968, 5,000 African Americans were horsewhipped, drowned, hanged and stoned for simple things like drinking from the wrong water fountain or attempting to vote. Undoubtedly, thousands more lynchings went unrecorded. In the South, many African-American family members simply disappeared, never to be heard from again, like my great uncle Albert who went to the store to buy a loaf of bread and never came back.

With that said, I believe it's about damn time all of us stop trivializing racism and exploiting it for our own interests and get honest about ourselves and our community.

My other observation after refreshing the Weekly's site several times last night? I never want to see that picture of phyical trainer Joey Dowdy again. And Carl? I'm all for self-improvement, but maybe we could just incorporate your current weigh-in into "The Count:"

08-23-07
As of Tuesday, day 1,617 of the Iraq War…

3,705 American service members have been reported killed.
27,506 have been reported wounded in action.
70,182 is the minimum number of civilians killed in Iraq.
32 are the pounds shed through awesome dancersize by Carl K.

Since the last Count…

17 more American service members have been reported killed.
97 more American service members have been reported wounded.
848 more Iraqi civilians have been reported killed.
2.3 pounds were reportedly gained after The Carl's Bodytude suffered a lapse in Carl-fidence brought on by the mainstream, corporate media.

Brad Horn / Nevada Appeal via AP

Arrest made after Burning Man torched early

SAN FRANCISCO - Burning Man became Burnt Man four days early on Tuesday, and a San Francisco performance artist was arrested on suspicion of igniting the signature figure of the counterculture festival in the remote Nevada desert.

The early morning fire scorched about 85 percent of the structure, Burning Man spokeswoman Andie Grace said.

A small follow-up to the infamous flier first referenced here last week.

The big meeting reportedly only drew ... four people. But the flier did indicate it was the "first" of such meetings.

ALSO someone posted in the comments a link to "Killing mockingbirds" by Kevin Uhrich of the Pasadena Weekly:

Despite the book’s good intentions, however, NAACP Pasadena Branch President Joe Brown and Chandler parent Jim Morris want it taken out of the school’s English curriculum.

Neither Brown nor Morris want to take it out of the library. But using the book and its questionable language to teach young children lessons in English runs the risk of “sending the wrong message” to children.

For the record I did talk to Joe Brown, who says neither he nor his office had anything to do with -- or supported -- the lynching flier.

Paul Little's comment reminded me I had a photo of him and PUSD Trustee Scott Phelps from the '05 Follies

Given that the theme of this year's show, "Pasablanca," is a take-off of black and white films of the '30s and '40s, I couldn't possibly imagine who will be cast in Humphrey Bogart's role ...

Proceeds of the Oct. 21 show benefit the senior center. Ann, who writes the script, gets a hand this year from Director Jerram Swartz and music director Barry Gordon.

Participants in recent years: Sue Mossman, Rich Boccia, Tim Brick, Scott Jenkins, Percy Clark, Kevin Uhrich, Larry Wilson, Nina Chomsky, Bill Bogaard, Cynthia Kurtz, Tom Coston, Hall Daily, Victor Gordo, Michele Bagneris, Chris Holden, Kicker Mckenney, Richard Gray, Kellye Wallett, Paul Little, Jan Sanders, Scott Phelps, Darryl Dunn, Rick Barr, Martin Gordon, Rich Roche, Jim Plotkin, Monsignor Tobias English, Roberta Martinez, Arnie Siegel, Paul Lines, Richard Bruckner, Barry Gordon, Lena Kennedy, Teresa Lamb Simpson, Sid Tyler, Fred Messick and others.

Saturday's blogger picnic organized by Jill of Eye Level Pasadena was a success and unexpectedly worthwhile. Can't say 'bloggers' leap to mind as the most socially rewarding group to chill out with, but it was a cool group.

Former council candidate and restaurant owner Robin Salzer played the Sauce card and won the hearts and minds of carnivores present with a fat tray of ribs.

Jill's posted all the goodness.

Former Pasadena Mayor now Ventura City Manager Rick Cole wrote today to clear up a colorful story from former PUSD Supe Ray Cortines.

For the record, I was never expelled for mooning, as you apparently figured out yourself. For the record, I was never suspended for mooning. For the record, I have never mooned anyone, leave alone been punished for it. Chris Sutton WAS suspended for his underground newspaper. I was among those who took over for him and dared Ray to suspend us -- in a special edition of the newspaper I personally put under the windshield wiper of his Rolls Royce in his driveway. Ray did not pursue the matter . . .

What Ray has mixed up in his mind is a cover photo of one issue of the underground paper of Chris Sutton and two friends holding various props (I recall a guitar) in front of their otherwise unclothed bodies. One of the friends is now a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, the other is a lawyer in Pasadena. I had nothing to do with that.

Rowland Heights resident Hongwei Lou, who I spoke to last month regarding objections about a Chinese Olympic float in the Rose Parade, sent an update about her husband's imprisonment in China:

Recently there are some new progress in rescuing my husband, Dongwei Bu, who is a staffer member of US aid organization and was arrested from home by Chinese authorities on 19 May 2006 because he is a Falun Gong practitioner.

Eight congress members who are mainly from California cosigned a
letter which was sent to the labour camp to ask for Dongwei Bu's
release. There are four congresswomen of these eight congress members
who concern woman rights and human rights very much.

The other P-Town recently resolved to state on the record its opposition to the PRC's treatment of Falun Gong members:

Resolution No. 2007-73: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pomona Declaring Opposition to the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in the People's Republic of China

Whereas, Falun Gong is a peaceful and nonviolent form of personal belief and practice with tens of millions of adherents in China, the United States and over 80 countries around the world; and

Whereas, the Government of the People's Republic of China has forbidden Falun Gong practitioners from practicing their beliefs and cruelly persecuted them; and

Whereas, this prohibition and persecution violates China's own constitution as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and

Whereas, hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens from all over China have been jailed for refusing to give up their practice of Falun Gong and for appealing to the government for protection of their constitutional rights; and

Whereas, there are many credible reports of torture and other types of cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment of detained Falun Gong practitioners; and ...

A flyer circulated through the community this past week attacking the mayor over the Bakewell Co. That's fine -- attack away. The flyer also invited people to a meeting in the community room at Renaissance Plaza, the Bakewell-built shopping center on North Fair Oaks Avenue. That's fine too.

What's disturbing is the choice of visual imagery used. Images of lynchings are among the most chilling and evocative reminders of the depths of our own society's capacity for barbarism. They can be used to great, sobering effect.

But when such important iconography is exploited, it cheapens and insults the gravitas of history's deep injustice.

I got ahold of one of the flyers yesterday and debated whether to post it due to the inflammatory content. But I'm not here to act as moral decider; a gatekeeper for information. I felt ill when nearly all American media refused to publish Denmark's controversial Muhammad cartoons, despite my personal respect for Islam.

But here's a description if you don't want to look: The flyer -- the text of which makes little sense, but carries its sentiment effectively -- depicts a black lynching victim superimposed over the Pasadena City Hall. "Racism is alive in Pasadena. Ask the mayor why he is building an alliance against the people of the Northwest community."

"Continue reading" for the image in full.

After originally applying for a permit with the city as some sort of after-school program, Club Pasadena Underground operated as something else entirely up until the point Ebony Huel was killed outside Friday, as evinced by its profile on myspace.com.

Myspace.com tribute page to Ebony.

My friends and I would sneak off to underground clubs in Hollywood and downtown L.A. throughout high school, but those were, theoretically, 18 and up. Except for Marilyn's Backstreet on South Lake Avenue, which closed in 1992 to become Panda Express. That was a club for teens with different nights for different music genres in a relatively safe/secure environment.

Some pictures from inside Pasadena Underground if you "read more."

Was driving by Pasadena Manor yesterday and who should I see but former mayoral candidate Philip Koebel and one of the tenants he's representing. That's right, Philip passed the state bar exam earlier this year and is a full-fledged lawyer.

And we get accused of trading hyperbole for sales.

Pasadena Journal publisher Joe Hopkins this week blames Mayor Bill Bogaard for gang and interracial violence, awful public schools, blocking an African Sister City and fee hikes at PCC. The editorial, which exalts Pasadena as "a great city as long as all of the citizens, Black, White, Latino, Asian, and others, are included" laments the preponderance of Asians at our city college. (Guess who's to blame?)

Pasadena is a city of great things with the possibility of becoming a great city as long as all of the citizens, Black, White, Latino, Asian, and others, are included.

...

At the local Pasadena Community College there are a number of policies related to the ability to pay fees that the present Board members have implemented that has the effect of keeping Black, Brown and poor students out. There are no Blacks on that board and, therefore, few Black students at the college which has become known as "PCC, the PASADENA CHINESE COLLEGE."

The polemic is driven by the council's decision not to enter exclusive negotiations with the Bakewell Co. re: Heritage Square, which given its deep factual inaccuracies, must have occurred in the much-theorized about Bizarro Pasadena.

I'll keep doing this as long as one person is reading, but according to our web traffic, Under the Dome is the most-read blog among those published in our three-newspaper group (Whittier, Trib and Star-News). It's actually No. 4 -- the first three are our prep sports blogs, which draw a rabid brand of loyalty and interest.

For anyone who's joined recently, here's a random selection from the past eight months since the January 12 launch:

(queue the blur lines as Steve Keaton says "Remember the one time when Alex got arrested protesting for the ERA?")

After a particularly long council meeting, I said what everyone was thinking: (then) Councilman Paul Little really can talk.

Reviewed how the election campaign played out on the Internets.

Exposed former Councilman/Mayor Rick Cole's youthful over-exposure.

Paul Little demonstrated the commendable quality of being able to laugh at himself.

Witnessed a riveting election.

We waxed on the importance -- but difficulty -- writing about race-related issues.

Explored the Dark Side of the Moon Mayor.

Interjected some sex in response to one strip club's provocative political pitch.

Were surprised by developments on the PUSD school board.

Listened as Paul Little left on a musical note.

Pinned Councilman Chris Holden down on some tough questions.

The complete list.

What part of "public property" does this man not understand?

Access to information -- for all -- has long been under assault. We have to fight more than ever for access to meetings, public records from City Hall, the school district, the police department, the federal government ... and with fewer resources with which to do so.

As reporters we're not entitled to any privileged status, but exercising the legal entitlements held by every citizen is part of our job. This is the fundamental stuff of democracy here -- how to know what the hell your government and the people in it are doing.

Yet we grow increasingly indifferent to these notions and shrug off our Duty to exercise our Rights. We are to blame for allowing it to happen. Freedom is like that novice writing advice: Show me, don't tell me. Talkin' about ain't no substitute for doin' it.

If you don't like it, move to Myanmar.

In that vein, my first ever Banana Republic Award goes to this security guard, who works at Indymac on Lake Avenue between Colorado and Union, who took it unto himself to prevent Star-News photographer Sarah Reingewirtz from taking a picture from the sidewalk today as a fire crew searched for the source of a fire inside.

Sarah tried to explain the concept of a public street to the man. "Now you're just being silly," was the scofflaw's reply.

I believe that's about how many seats were in the "big theater" at the Pacific's Hastings Theater. I counted them all once the summer before graduating from high school, when I had to regularly clean it -- by myself on closing shift -- during a summer job during my senior year of high school that paid a cool $5.25/hour minimum wage.

Losing the Rialto and the Pacific Hastings makes for a grievous week for West valley movie fans.

So Congressman Adam Schiff couldn't shake my hand last night because his right hand was all gimped out. Spranged or such. So I inquired just what the heck Adam Schiff had done, and apparently Adam Schiff practices karate.

So who did Adam Schiff beat down? He wouldn't say ... but it makes one wonder the real reason behind Dennis Hastert's retirement.

Attenion blogheads and serial comment-leavers: Former Star-News editor and now SGVN Public Editor Larry Wilson is now on the scene via The Public Eye.

Larry had the stones to stride out of his office and pronounce his imminent blog supremacy over this one ... I wish him luck!

The Two Steves got into it tonight over the much protracted Super Manuel Bros. discussion. Madison talked - a lot - about the contractor's record and practices, leading Haderlein to call him out for delaying traffic relief demanded by "the people watching."

If we're looking for ways to fund Rose Bowl improvements, how about a little Thunderdome?

"TWO STEVES ENTER. ONE STEVE LEAVES."

In other news, my commute home took three minutes.

Another big meeting before the council goes into recess for a couple weeks. Among the agenda's alphabet soup:

* Super Manuel Bros. returns for round three
* Plan reviews for Huntington Hospital and All Saints Church.
* Second reading of the peloton ordinance
* New rules regulating unlicensed group homes

One of the more interesting arguments made last week by one of the peloton bikers was the potential to turn it into a First Amendment issue by slapping some slogan on their arms or shirts. A so-called "Critical Mass" ride.

When you've put down your Star-News this morning ... the L.A. Times has an article about 15 years of such rides in San Francisco, where invigorated cyclists take over the streets and are met with ire from people who find them arrogant and selfish.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The sea of bicyclists surges up this city's Financial District, a boisterous mass of freewheeling humanity, 1,500 riders strong. Pedaling six abreast, they send pedestrians scurrying as rush-hour traffic hits the brakes.

A cable car slows, engulfed by riders who whoop and holler or chat on cellphones. A traffic light goes red, green and red again. Still the bikes keep coming.

As a bystander high-fives passing cyclists, one car in a line of idling motorists lets loose with a long, blaring, impatient horn blast. A tourist snaps a photograph and asks: "Are you protesting global warming?"

"No," one rider shouts back, "we're taking over the streets!"

...

But it still has no leaders, no route plans, no spokespeople.

...

Many criticize the cyclists' holier-than-thou arrogance.

"There's an incredible self-righteousness, like the traffic laws obviously aren't made for them," said blogger Rob Anderson, who has written about the massers. "We're all trapped in our tin cans, while they ride unfettered. They run people out of crosswalks, yelling, 'Get out of our way! We're not burning fossil fuels!' "

Oh snap, I had no idea grandfather of cyberpunk, dystopian fiction William Gibson, who coined the term 'cyberspace' with Neuromancer in 1983, was speaking at Vroman's tonight.

Time: Friday, August 10, 2007 7:00 p.m. Title of Event: William Gibson discusses and signs Spook Country Gibson, the critically-acclaimed author of 8 previous novels, picks up the threat left off last in Pattern Recognition. Continuing to probe cultural changes in the U.S. since 9/11, Gibson's newest novel takes us into a new century where ideas of technology, globalization, and terrorism reign supreme.

UPDATED: So that turned out a strange and oddly circular experience. My friend and former supervisor Matt Ashton tipped me off to the Gibson appearance. I walked over to Vroman's and ran into Gavin Doughtie, who I'd interviewed with for an IT job back in 1996 in what was then the Western Asset building above Moose's in Old Pas -- where much of City Hall was until May. I didn't get the job, but Matt hired me one week later to work at 3D software/animation co. Electric Image Inc., which was then in the same building.

And Gavin, I learned this evening, is the same Gavin of Jill and Gavin at Eye Level Pasadena. I'd go lie down and process all this, but it's time to get serious about the whole packing thing before Sunday's move.

New episode of City Beat taped today and will be streaming/broadcast daily. Sort of an odd show, topics included:

* The Heritage Square/Bakewell denouement
* Affordable Housing
* Herkimer Arms
* Some Proctor worship
* Me
* My blog
* My imminent return to Pasadena (*Not* Riverside, Ann!)

My caffeine levels had me doing this kind of shrill thing, but I really warmed up to the last three topics. <.<

Forgot to mention, I did get corrected the other day re: the color of Councilman Chris Holden's suit. Although it looked uniformly white from my vantage point in the sixth-or-so row, apparently it was a summery, seersucker number faintly striped in blue and white.

Come for the popcorn, stay for the councilwoman.

District 2 Councilwoman Margaret McAustin is inviting her Central District constituents (come on, like she's checking ID's?) to catch a movie under the stars on Friday night on Craig Avenue "between Brigden and Woodlyn" according to her 100% legal mailer.

The movie? E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial. Yeah.

Call me when The Night Porter or Blue Velvet is showing.

UPDATED: Forgot to mention movie starts at 8 p.m.

ACT sponsors Dennis Kucinich this weekend at the home of political consultant Fred Register. My first question to Fred was if Elizabeth K. would be there. He couldn't confirm her attendance either way. :(

IN THE FIRST OF A SERIES HOSTING THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES PLEASE JOIN US AS ACT PRESENTS

DENNIS KUCINICH -- PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR PEACE

SATURDAY AUGUST 11, 2007, 2-4PM

AT THE HOME OF JEANNE AND FRED REGISTER 2345 MIDLOTHIAN DRIVE, ALTADENA,
CALIFORNIA

$25 PER PERSON, OR $40 TO JOIN ACT AND ATTEND EVENT

ALL PROCEEDS TO FUND ACT-ENDORSED 2008 CANDIDATES

RSVP BY PHONE AT 626-797-7021 OR RSVP BY MAIL: P. O. BOX 40074, PASADENA
CA 91114-7074

A worn park brought back to life with music for the masses? Sound familiar?

MacArthur park has been Levitt-ised and kicks things off today:

Councilmember Ed P. Reyes and the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion - MacArthur Park ... Wed., Aug. 8, at 8 a.m. will kick off of a free concert series at the newly-renovated The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts at the MacArthur Park Bandshell at the northwest corner of the park, near the intersection of W. 6th St. and S. Park View St.

The summer concert season, which runs Aug. 8 - Sept. 16, includes 30 free weekly-themed evening concerts. The World Music, Dance Rhythms, Música Latina, American Roots and Children's Night concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Sunday concerts begin at 6:30 p.m.

UPDATED: Free evening concerts at Pasadena's Levitt Pavilion are online here.

Calendar/schedule for the new location in MacArthur Park, courtesy of the Ed Reyes media machine.

Much love to my A-No. 1 competitor, Andre Coleman, who celebrated his special day yesterday. By the way, Andre, the AARP called and is wondering why they haven't heard back from you!

UPDATED: Apparently Aug. 6 was also the special day of none other than former Star-News political reporter Gary Scott.

Today's cycling story was supposed to hype an online video package I prepared last week for your collective enjoyment.

UPDATED: The story is now online with a headline that ain't too bad. Let's cross our fingers and hope "Council weighs Heritage options" has been retired.

G. Allan Kingston, who addressed the council in May as president of Century Housing not long before being placed on administrative leave, resigned Thursday.

Century Housing Announces Resignation of President & CEO CULVER CITY, Calif., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Century Housing, the nonprofit affordable housing lender headquartered in Culver City, announced today that its Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of G. Allan Kingston as President & CEO, effective August 31, 2007. Mr. Kingston served as the Executive Director of the Century Freeway Housing Program and led the privatization of that public agency to private nonprofit status in 1995, under continuing federal court supervision by Judge Harry Pregerson of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Century Housing remains one of the few known conversions of a California state program to a private, nonprofit corporation.

News breaks, though I hope that is only the web headline.

Pray for bandwidth if you'd like to review the Heritage Square investigation report, I'm guessing it was scanned at molecular resolution.

BTW, I couldn't tell you why the file is named "Heritage Park."

Word is the Bakewell Company had been notified by Century Housing prior to Monday night's council meeting that its financial partner was backing out, but the company broke their silence this evening:

Joint Statement Regarding Tom Scott Villages @ Heritage Square

This statement is presented jointly on behalf of The Bakewell/Century Housing Partnership (The Bakewell Company of California, LLC & Century Housing Corporation).

On January 17, 2007 the partnership known as Bakewell/Century submitted a proposal to bring a first class mixed use development to the residents of Pasadena. Hundreds if not thousands of man hours have gone into insuring that this project would not only be good for the residents of the Northwest but also good for all of Pasadena and its residents. Throughout this process we have competed honorably and earnestly and with the best of intentions.

[Follow the link below to continue reading]

Just in from John Li, president of the Caltech Falun Club, who invited the council Monday night to a 'celebration' on the steps of City Hall:

From: John Li Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 4:35 PM Subject: News Conference postponed

Dear Mayor Bogaard and Council Members:

Thank you so much for your concerns on the human rights issue in China regarding the Olympic float in Rose Parade.
Because it needs 10 days to get a permit to use a sound system for the news conference, we have to postponed the news conference in front city hall of Pasadena from this Thursday to another date to be determined.

Chinese people are waken up! Over 24 million Chinese people have submitted statements withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations. Shall we stand on the side of Chinese people or the CCP government? Shall we allow a sinking CCP boat to float in our free land? The answer is NO! We need your support on human rights in China. Genocide and Olympics cannot coincide in China!

I hope someone could forward this email to City Manager Cynthia J. Kurtz, council members Steven G. Madison and Sid Tyler. I do not have their emails.

Thanks!
Best,

John Li
President of Caltech Falun Club

Cribbed from CNET News: House panel approves legal shield for bloggers

WASHINGTON--A congressional panel on Wednesday voted, against the Bush administration's wishes, to shield journalists including advertising-supported bloggers from having to reveal their confidential sources in many situations.

By a voice vote only after politicians spent nearly two hours airing various misgivings, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee approved an amended version of the Free Flow of Information Act. Chiefly sponsored by Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.), it proposes protection for a wider set of people than previous years' versions.

"Today, we are reclaiming one of the most fundamental principles enshrined by the founding fathers in the First Amendment of the Constitution," Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said before the vote.

In response to concerns raised by the Bush administration and other politicians, the revised bill attempts to exclude the "casual blogger" from reaping those benefits by stipulating the protections apply only to those who derive "financial gain or livelihood" from the journalistic activity, Boucher said Wednesday. That broad rule could, however, include part-time writers who receive even a trickle of revenue from Google Ads or Blogads.com.

... snip ...

But in an age in which it's relatively easy and inexpensive to slap advertisements on blogs and meet the "financial gain" standard, several politicians questioned on Wednesday whether that language will make much of a difference. Anyone "could start a blog and request advertising on that blog, and whether they get it or not, would be considered a journalist under this bill," Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said before voting against the bill.

After 10 months of exile in North Hollywood I return to Pasadena in 12 days. That -- oddly enough -- seems to be the day foretold of the Proctor's return. I think a proclamation is in order.