Pizza By The Slice » Los Angeles

Roller Skating Cows, Bunnies… & Yams?

Buz — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:23:13 +0000

Having begun the year the way I suspect many of you did — watching the Rose Parade — afterward I, too, found my attention drifting during the parade’s namesake bowl game (bless their hearts, they tried, oh, how they tried). Not being a USC football fan, well, I lap-topped my laptop, grabbed my trusty mechanical pencil in hand and… doodled — not just any doodle, but doodled my first coloring page of 2009, one that fittingly celebrates one of ’08’s highlights: Charles’ Moonlight Rollerway Holiday Jubilee! (exclamation marks are compulsory following “jubilee”, right?).

Superlatives eagerly queue, each vying to describe just how great an entertainment mix this event was, but you’ll find out yourself when you go. OK, a quick taste: an Ektachrome romp through Californian holidays of yesteryear chaperoned by Charles. “The Worlds Greatest Roller Rink Organist” Dominic Cangilosi! Roller skating cows! For Pete’s sake, roller skating cows! Zombies roller skate-dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”! A slice of pumpkin pie (with whipped topping cap) figure-eighting with a can of yams and you still ask for proof? Cows? On roller skates??!!

For now just download my coloring page (102KB PNG, but worth the millisecond download time as it features a rollerskating cow!) and, of course, check out my photos.

More event info: CharlesPhoenix.com or MoonlightRollerway.com (forgive them their Flash).

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this event, nor its venue, nor did I accept any form of compensation from any bovine, buffalo, or cow, roller skating or not, in consideration for this doodle. Happy Mooooo Year!!

Fonts: MEgalopolis Extra, free from Jack Usine’s SMeltery font factory and, again, Desigers available (free also) on daFont.com.

Angelenic’s downtown Holiday lights meet-up & walking tour!

Buz — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:14:02 +0000

Had a fun time wandering around downtown LA with Angelenic enthusiasts, including fellow MySpacers Rob, Brandon, and Rowan. Met many great folks (howdy, Diana, Natalie, Claudia, Ramone, Sal, Jennifer, and Sue — golly, hope I didn’t make-up anyone’s name wrong). Rich did a fine job wrangling ~100 people, having expected about 50. Didn’t make it to LA Live in time for Britney Spears (oh, drat), but walk ’twas a pleasant one (route), taking in City Hall’s tree, the Music Center, and Pershing Square’s skating rink before hitting LA Live. Visit my Flickr set “Holiday Jingle Sing Along – Los Angeles Music Center“.

A Very “Bob Baker Marionettes” Christmas Coloring Page

Buz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:20:00 +0000

Was recently talking with friends when the conversation lit upon the unrivaled Bob Baker Marionette Theater and its crazy-great Holiday shows, a true timewarp/throw-back granting anyone who wishes, if even just temporarily, to see Christmas through kid’s eyes. So I knocked out this coloring book page, cuz, that’s apparently what I do lately when I have a cold: fan art.

So, you owe yourself this trip; make the effort to see this Los Angeles treasure. (spoiler: they server cake and ice cream after the shows).

Not convinced? Amy Ambatielos produced a great 15 minute documentary for USC impact on Bob, Impact Show #24 — Bob Baker: Puppeteer

Right-click ‘n Save the above picture to download fullsized coloring page (1200px by 1553px, 153KB PNG). Here’s a wee-bit smaller 800px by 1035px (115KB PNG) version.

Sorry to say that the font, Desigers, doesn’t include any information about its designer.

Vote No on Prop 8

Buz — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:35:00 +0000

What kind of place are we building (or is it that tearing down is just too danged fun)? Dunno. But this is an easy one, Californians: (Another) chance to stand up against homophobic paranoia: VoteNoOnProp8.com. Watch commercials on YouTube

And kudos to the likes of Brad Pitt and Apple both of whom kicked in $100,000 (that’s apiece) to defeat this measure. From Apple’s site (October 24, 2008):

No on Prop 8

Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.

Update:

So it passed. We kinda knew it would. Funny, but apparently Californians like caged-chickens more than gays — there’s a lesson in there someplace. Well, rather than focusing on those who stood for continuing prejudice (hey, thanks Latter Day Saints — grrrrr) consider this:

We know who our friends are.

Do you?

We saw them with yard signs (always Obama and No on 8, NEVER, not once, not ever one McPalin and No… hmmmm). We saw them standing on street corners. We got emails. We, in short, learned that some folks stood with us and vocally put themselves out there.

Google, Apple, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Pitt — these celeberties and thousands of everyday, common folks spoke out publicly, often statements that cost them money (well, obviously as their monetary donations were sizeable).

Anyway, a big thanks to people that made an effort, who were outraged on our behalf, who confronted ignorance. (added bonus: I now have a county-by-county map of places I’ll never live — shoot, Los Angeles County went YES. Let’s talk.).

Oh, I am happy for the chickens though.

Los Angeles’ Chinatown’s 70th Anniversary Celebration

Buz — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:43:00 +0000

Ludlow and I met up with Emil, Phil, Reid, & Ming to wander about enjoying a terrific swing band and a tremendous restoration of Chinatown’s neon signage — tacky is back, and it’s beautiful.

Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five (campusfive.com) played from 7-11, with the dance floor filled the entire time. myspace.com/campusfive

12 Photos. My Flickr set has high-res versions.

Cycleway Coffee (Hermon /Highland Park… errr, somewhere in Los Angles)

Buz — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:04:00 +0000

My recurring lament “wherefore art thou, neighborhood coffee house” ends with the opening last month of Cycleway Coffee, a truly first-class coffee house nestled at the foot of the hill-saddle between Highland Park, Monterey Hills, and the Arroyo Seco — otherwise known as “Hermon”.

Their opening day was quite well attended, capped off by a stop of some scores of bicyclists enjoying the monthly NELAart Organization – Spoke(n) Art Bike Tour (open-studios throughout Highland Park). I dropped in during the day to shoot these photos (also posted as a Flickr set).

The very existence, as brief but notable as it was, of the cycle way was a complete surprise to me. And while it was never finished, rarely used, and was replaced by a freeway it’s quite a tale.

(full disclosure: yes, I worked on their web site)