June 2009
19 posts
An Englishman in Los Angeles →
Architectural critic Reyner Banham came to L.A. from England in the late 1960s and liked what he saw.
Banham came from abroad, but he came, not to escape something, not to try to reinvent himself or to sneer at us. He came to celebrate, and, in 1971, this bucked a 40-year trend in which Los Angeles had been cast as a schlock dystopia. Banham declared (outrageously, many said at the time) that L.A....
Overheard in My Brother's Gym Locker Room
Baller A: Ah, man, saw you playing hoop today—you was killin' 'em.
Baller B: Yeah, you know, I gotta go strong. You know how we do.
Baller A: Fosho, you gotta go strong. THAT'S REAL TALK! NO SOFT COOKIES!
In Defense of the Hipster →
Robert Lanham, author of The Hipster Handbook:
The rage and self-loathing associated with hipsters has become more annoying, more naive, and more artificial than hipsters could ever hope to be.
Via INFY. Previously: IRB hipster-article roundup.
Growing Up in Case Study House No. 22 →
The children of C.H. “Buck” Stahl on what it was like to grow up in what is arguably the coolest house in Los Angeles. Designed by Pierre Koenig, the Stahl house is designated Case Study House No. 22. There’s also some interesting background information about the design and construction of the house.
Real Talk Episode 9: Get Like Me
This week we are...
Entertainment Industry Progeny Discover Indie... →
The well-heeled children of Los Angeles are often derided as a lacquered tribe consumed with shopping and status, a stereotype sustained by the likes of the recently revived “Beverly Hills, 90210” franchise. But a different scene has been thriving here lately, composed of kids in thrift-store threads churning out homespun indie music and flocking to shows often held in one another’s backyards and...
WatchMark Bittman on Today shows how to cook five meals from 10 ingredients (note: requires a decently stocked pantry).
10 Authors and Their Typewriters →
Alternate titles for this post: “Hand Me That Typer”; “Get Your Type Right.” Via Valet. For the record: my favorite typer.
Amazing Happened →
The NBA championship the Lakers won by defeating the Orlando Magic, 99-86, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight at Amway Arena redeemed so many of them. It was the Lakers’ first championship since 2002, the 15th in their storied franchise’s history.Kobe is named finals MVP. Phil gets his 10th ring. The parade is Wednesday, from Staples Center to the Coliseum.
WatchThe Daily Show’s Jason Jones visits the Gray Lady. The name of the segment: “End Times.”
72 Hours in Los Angeles →
Valet has a nice little weekend travel guide for our fair city. Points deducted for using the phrase “la la land,” though.
LAT Revises Mapping Project* →
The first draft (a sort of public beta) of the L.A. Times’ attempt to map the city’s myriad neighborhoods was released in February. After taking reader feedback into account, the Times has updated the map with nearly 100 changes. The result, which is searchable, can be found here.
*Update: Looks like the maps have demographic data now. Neat.
Lonely at the Top: Kobe Is Still Searching for a... →
The Great Debate rages on, but it will have to wait for now. Howard Beck in the NYT:
The real-life Kobe stands alone, where he has always been.
A rival? In 13 seasons, Bryant has never had one. A few audacious souls have tried to claim the title. Some players with comparable star power have traveled in a parallel orbit. But if a rivalry is defined by similar talents going head to head and...
Troubled Times →
Mark Lacter on the LAT’s downward spiral.
The news business has been in free fall for some time, in part because of a killer recession but more broadly because arrogant and often incompetent owners and operators didn’t have the smarts to recognize that the world around them was changing. The Times epitomized that attitude. But those institutional and economic challenges have been made...
WatchUnsurprisingly, Conan has a pretty long stride.
Tales From the Grocery Store
Checkout woman: And will you be paying today, or will he [Jeremy]?
Me: I will be paying.
Checkout woman: May I see your ID?
Me: Sure [shows ID]. You know, I'm older than he is.
Checkout woman: You don't look like it.
Me: He's actually my adopted son.