Posts Tagged ‘ los angeles news ’

"California Brain" RapScallions

November 20, 2011
"California Brain" RapScallions

“California Brain” is a 2011 rock/hip hop song about Los Angeles by the rock band RapScallions from Hollywood, California. A song with lyrics critical of television’s American Idol , “California Brain” challenges performers dreaming of making it in the music business to stay true to their own dreams — to not sell out to a cookie-cutter path to recognition and stardom in Hollywood. This is the place The city of dreamers where angels are made Devils are born, money is stored And souls are picked up like street corner whores Cali is the place where you have to perform They will try to brainwash, they will try to conform Just stand your ground and go against the norm ‘Cause Cali is the place that will let you soar RapScallions’ aggressively-catchy sound fits into the rock sub-genre long dominated by fellow L.A. band, Red Hot Chili Peppers , but RapScallions definitely have a groove that is uniquely their own. Typical of California’s multicultural mix, RapScallions members each came from somewhere else to form their band in Hollywood.

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k.d. lang lists long time laurel canyon crib

November 15, 2011
k.d. lang lists long time laurel canyon crib

SELLER: k.d. lang LOCATION: los angeles, ca PRICE: $1,975,000 SIZE: 2,968 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms YOUR MAMAS NOTES: much to your mama’s surprise, much lauded and deservedly applauded 4-time grammy-winning canadian-born crooner k.d. lang has long lived in a modest, rustic-modern, quasi-craftsman ranch-style residence above los angeles’ laurel canyon. it seems, however, she’s ready to move on because the thickly-treed and privately situated hillside property was listed this week with an asking price of $1,975,000. property records we peeped are a bit unclear but it appears to your mama that miz lang, an out lesbian, staunch animal right activist, and practicing buddhist who often but not always articulates the spelling of her name in all lower case letters à la idiosyncratic poet e.e. cummings, acquired her laurel canyon crib in early 1999 for an unknown amount of money. miz lang occupies the premises, as far as we know, with her also buddhist lady-mate of 10 or so years jamie price. after buying the .36 acre spread miz lang had the interiors of the cabin-ish crib worked over in the late 1990s by then l.a.- now new york- and paris-based interior designer valerie pasquiou who has also done up day-core for other tinseltowners and high profile peeps such as sitcom star lisa kudrow ( web therapy, friends ), her hollywood highness sharon stone, fashion photographer turned handbag and shoe designer monica botkier , fashion executive serge azria, design writer and editrix extraordinaire sue hostetler , well-connected french comedienne and movie star michèle laroque, and motion picture literary agent robert bookman who lives in a roland coate-designed spanish hacienda-style mansion once owned by reclusive billionaire howard hughes in los angeles’ affluent hancock park ‘hood. miz pasquiou’s own chic, cozy and all but undecorated tin-roofed loft apartment in new york city’s soho neighborhood was photographed for loft life in early 2009. miz lang’s laurel canyon hideaway was photographed for metropolitan home magazine in 2001 but listing photos suggest to your mama that some of miz pasquiou’s dee-voonly uncomplicated, kick-up-your-feet contempo-cozy day-core has since been altered or replaced, possibly but not necessarily with the assistance of miz pasquiou. listing information shows the single-level residence was originally built in 1940, measures 2,968 square feet and includes a total of 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. a row of high hedges, mature trees and other jumbled foliage comes together in a thick kerfuffle of leaves to completely shield the house from the prying eyes of paps and other passers by. A simple swinging wooden gate opens to the tree-shaded front yard where flagstone pathways criss-cross a rather anemic lawn and connect the entry gate to the front door and the gated flagstone driveway. inside the the day-core is decidedly simple and even spare but abundant natural materials used in the architecture keep it from feeling overly spartan, bare or coldly minimal. a trio of boxy, low-slung seal gray sofas sit on a rich red carpet the living room area warmed by wood floors, a massive stone fireplace and hand-hewn wood beams, doorway frames and lintels. a second stone fireplace anchors the voluminous dining room where cushioned built-in benches line one wall and a long row of wood-framed french doors open the room to the rustling tree tops and small deck peppered with clusters of potted plants. the simple but fully-equipped eat-in kitchen has mexican paver tile floor, wood-beamed ceiling, at least two dutch doors–and who does not l.o.v.e. a dutch door?–tile counter tops, and raised panel wood cabinetry with glass uppers. the surprisingly spacious master suite boasts a third, massive stacked stone fireplace, a heavy-beamed wood ceiling, and a wide bank of french doors that lead out to a secluded cobblestone terrace laid in a zen-like pattern of concentric circles. the attached bathroom has concrete walls, double sinks, wood-beams across the ceiling, a jetted tub and an over-sized shower stall with built-in bench, barrel vaulted ceiling and we, four-pane window for proper moisture ventilation. in addition to the master bedroom, two small but adequately sized guest rooms–one with deep window seat and the other with knotty pine paneled walls and ceiling–share a single bathroom. a shrubbery shrouded stone staircase leads down from the house to a free-form swimming pool and raised spa surrounded by flagstone terracing and a wide wood deck that sets sunbathers into the tree tops. tree shaded lounging areas offer respite from the almost always shining and often scorching southern california sunshine. the house was reportedly once owned by hunky (and closeted) homosexual matinee idol rock hudson and later by oscar-nominated lyricist gerry goffin ( the loco-motion, (you make be feel like) a natural woman, one fine day, saving all my love for you, theme from mahogany: do you know where you’re going to? ). miz lang’s current celebrity (and “celebrity) neighbors are many: nepotistic young actress rumer willis bought the house next door in june 2010 for $971,500, soo-blime stockard channing is a couple doors down from there, musician paul doucette (matchbox 20) and the original valley girl moon unit zappa live across the street, and box office superstar comedian will ferrell owns a sprawling hillside compound just down the road he bought back in 2006 from comedienne/chat show host ellen degeneres listing photos: p rudential california realty View post: k.d. lang lists long time laurel canyon crib

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Diaspora Founder Dead at 22

November 15, 2011
Diaspora Founder Dead at 22

Ilya Zhitomirskiy , founder of the Facebook rival Diaspora , was found dead in San Francisco, California at age 22. Diaspora, the privacy-aware, user-controlled social network, was founded in response to criticism of Facebook’s handling of its users’ privacy. The cause of Ilya Zhitomirskiy’s death is yet to be determined by the San Francisco coroner’s office, which said it will take weeks. A public memorial service is being arranged for the late Russian-Californian technology innovator later this week in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Ilya was a great guy.

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Paris Hilton’s Global Business Empire

November 12, 2011
Paris Hilton’s Global Business Empire

Paris Hilton is a successful entrepreneur after life as an heiress and socialite.

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Death At UCLA Frat House

November 7, 2011

An 18-year-old man was found dead in a bed at a UCLA fraternity house Saturday afternoon. The Manhattan Beach man has been identified as Glen Parrish, and the cause of death is under investigation. Parrish was not a UCLA student. See the article here: Death At UCLA Frat House

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New Report Shocks CA Economy

November 7, 2011
New Report Shocks CA Economy

A new report finds that the frustrating California economy is forcing Californians to radically change how their cities and counties are governed from now on. A political and economic earthquake is shocking the Golden State into a very different kind of future. Golden Governance The new “Golden Governance” report highlights seven California communities that are not just sitting on their hands complaining about the state economy, they are completely restructuring governance and their approach to citizen engagement. The report finds that the state’s current economic situation is actually driving innovation, with local leaders fundamentally changing their approach to governance to meet the demands of America’s most-informed citizens. Many Californians say it’s about time. The state of California is now leading the nation with innovative approaches that have government and citizens co-creating workable solutions for the the financial and service needs of communities. A couple of the seven communities showcased in the “Golden Governance” report include: Salinas, CA , where a participatory budgeting process had taxpayers directly prioritizing public services to meet city budget limitations. Redwood City, CA , where an unpopular $72 million waste water recycling plan caused taxpayers to propose alternatives that respected the city’s budget. The “Golden Governance” report is something by which every Californian can become inspired toward active engagement and participation. The extensively researched report was sponsored by some outstanding nonprofit, nonpartisan and multipartisan organizations that care about the economic future of California: California Forward (Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles) Center for Individual and Institutional Renewal (San Francisco) Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University (Malibu) National Conference on Citizenship (Washington) The “Golden Governance” report was released from Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West , which studies how technology and hands-on engagement can work together to improve how California communities are governed. Leaders representing the report’s sponsoring organizations are excited about where the California economy is headed in 2012 and beyond, as citizens become aggressively involved in community issues. Pete Peterson , Executive Director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement, praised the progress enjoyed by some California communities, which he hopes to see happen statewide. “Redwood City is just one example of how citizens and government officials can come together to identify innovate policy solutions.

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The Godfather of Orange County’s Story

November 3, 2011
The Godfather of Orange County’s Story

It was called “Operation Black Flag” when Santa Ana police and the FBI rounded up more than two dozen gang members with ties to the feared Mexican Mafia this summer. It all started with the so-called “Godfather of Orange County.” Read more here: The Godfather of Orange County’s Story

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1969 Time Capsule

October 30, 2011
1969 Time Capsule

This 1969 Time Capsule commemorates the year 1969 a.d. or MCMLXIX for future generations to come. ’69 is a year with so many changes, I’m not sure where to begin.

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Occupy LA Protesters Go After FOX

October 22, 2011

On the 21st day of Occupy Los Angeles at City Hall, the day started with a field trip billed as “Occupy FOX”… a field trip to the 20th Century Fox

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Lindsay Lohan Arrives at Morgue

October 21, 2011
Lindsay Lohan Arrives at Morgue

The staff at the L.A. County morgue, where Lindsay Lohan is supposed to perform community service because of a conviction for DUI and one for jewelry theft, has been warned that anyone taking a picture of the actress will be fired on the spot, it was reported today. Excerpt from: Lindsay Lohan Arrives at Morgue

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Raw Police Video