December 2008 Archives

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When we first aired the billboard series, we weren't sure what to expect in terms of a reaction.  Now, two months later, the story has been picked up by NPR, the New York Times and several local media outlets. It also got the attention of the LA City Council.

As soon as today - December 18th - Los Angeles may have a three month temporary ban on all new signage.  The city council voted yesterday to approve the ban and it now awaits the signature of Mayor Villaraigosa, who has stated he will support it.

This turn of events is a result, in part, of our story.  It's the kind of reporting that is so lacking in Los Angeles.  Few are doing the indepth reporting that is critical to keeping us a well informed society.   When is the last time a local tv station had a city hall reporter?  When is the last time any of them even had a reporter go to a city council meeting?

We usually rely on the LA Times or the Daily News to cover that beat.  With both of those papers imploding,  we at Socal Connected feel it's our job to fill in those gaps. The billboard story is a good example of what we think is lacking in LA news. And it's where we think we can be successful storytellers.  So keep the story ideas coming!!

Switch and Bitch, Naked Lady Party, Bitch Swap; whatever catchy title you prefer, it's the latest in social recycling. A group of girlfriends get together and bring along unwanted clothes, makeup, books, even baby clothes. Nothing in tatters but rather something you love, but just don't wear enough for whatever reason, or a book you would like to share. Most commonly overheard phrase: "WHY are you getting rid of this?" Answers range from, "It just never seem to wear it" to "I got it from an ex." Regardless, everyone leaves with a new treasure and the satisfaction of having shared their old ones. Any leftovers the hostess donates to GoodWill. Voila, instant karma (with style).

The scene at a recent swap at the home of producer Christal Smith:

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As the kids of a previous century liked to say: You know what time it is. There may only be six shopping days left until X-Mas, but you've got thirteen days left in '08 to give back and get involved in your community.

Since 1976, the Los Angeles Fire Department has run a yearly toy drive. It has since grown into Spark of Love, serving all of Southern California and involving fire departments across the region. As their site explains: "Families experiencing a sudden catastrophic loss are also aided by Spark of Love. When possible, the local Fire Station crew (occasionally accompanied by Santa Claus) makes a discreet and dignified special delivery to these deserving children."

Drop a new unwrapped toy or sporting good off at your nearest fire station and make a kid's day. You can find your nearest station here.

If you can't give a gift, give your voice... and burn a few holiday calories. The Eastside Bike Club is having a Christmas Caroling Bike Ride December 20th. "Come decorate your bikes at 3pm. Ride leaves at 5pm from: CHARO BLDG (East Driveway), 4301 Valley Blvd, El Sereno, CA 90032." If you can't make that ride, the Midnight Ridazz site maintains a calendar of local rides.

The Los Angeles Mission needs volunteers for both Saturday gift wrapping and its December 24th Christmas Street Meal. "We need almost 400 volunteers to help make this event happen," says the Mission's site. Click here to be one of that number.

Perhaps all this seasonal commodity fetishism has got you down? The Public School at Telic has a weekly reading/study group on Marx's Capital, which is having its first meeting this week. If reading Marx is against your religion, you can also get your Scrooge on (for 2 acts, at least) ata free screening of the1970 film version of Christmas Carol starring of at the Egyptian Theater.

Nikki Maxwell, who you met in this week's web original, A Middle Class Christmas, shares some thoughts on how to get through the holidays on a budget.

Since I was laid-off in September, I've been asked a lot about holiday stress with three kids. Sure, it worries me. Right now, everything worries me. But here's the thing, in the absence of a lot of shopping money, creativity becomes really important. Family time starts to eclipse a need to go find presents at the mall.

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I.O.U.S.A is a new documentary that is as well timed as it is dismal. A movie about the national debt crisis starring Warren Buffet, Paul Volker and Alan Greenspan? It may not be the most fun you have at the movies (The Village Voice calls it:” a bowel-rattling cry of fiscal doom”), but it will open your eyes to what I now think of as the fiscal forest we can still barely make out, even the economic indicator trees are falling all around us. That’s right, our national debt is something else to be worried about. Very worried.

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As the Thrift Economy segment on this week's SoCal Connected put it, "most everyone is looking for ways to save money. But many people are also looking to make money." In that kind of climate, the Owner's Manifesto - if you can't open it, you don't own it - isn't just a clarion call for the open-access set, it's a canny money-saving tactic. Being able to fix, customize and tweak your own technology is the first step to freedom from the tyranny of costly repairs, repeat buying and enforced, planned obsolesce.

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Like many workplaces, the libraries are full of bloggers. Here is a look at librarian life in librarian's own words.

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This is video of my entrepreneurial moment at the Glendale Swap meet. I am selling a hat rack to a lucky bargain hunter. Since we were doing a shoot at the Glendale Flea market, I took the opportunity to rid my garage of a few choice items. When all was said and sold I netted a whole $9 bucks!

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The Maxwell’s consider themselves a typical, middle class family, living a typical middle class life in the suburbs of Southern California. But, the economic downturn hit the Maxwell’s hard and they’re re-thinking what it means to be Middle Class, especially this holiday season.

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There’s been justifiable concern in Los Angeles over financial troubles at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Losing MOCA would be a major cultural blow.

But another Southern California institution at risk of collapse would leave an even larger hole in the region.

That’s the local news media.

Follow a day in the life of the Los Angeles Public Library, as Phillip Saffell shows us how this public space serves as his home.

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These days, most everyone is looking for ways to save money. But many people are also looking to make money. When the economy shrinks, what’s known as the informal economy swells. Legions of scrappy entrepreneurs make their way in an industry that operates beyond the four walls of conventional commerce. It's a little known world where people buy and resell used goods. And when times get tough, their business starts booming.

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Our show, “Inside Locke High” tells the story of the troubled high school’s transition from LAUSD to the charter school company, Green Dot, through the eyes of three typical students - Joanna, Damon and Bryan. They each tell their own story. In their own words. In their own way. It’s definitely not a typical, paint-by-numbers TV show.

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No discussion of education reform in Los Angeles gets very far without the United Teachers Los Angeles coming up. The union, headed by A. J. Duffy, represents "48,000 public school teachers and health and human services professionals in the Los Angeles area," and - fairly or no - many of L.A.'s schooling woes accuse the union of obstruction and foot-dragging at best, out-and-out malfeasance at worst. As unions from the UTLA to the UAW increasingly take the blame for the failures of their respective industries, we thought we'd take to the web to see what union members and teachers had to say.

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As this week's episode of SoCal Connected shows, Los Angeles' high school students are full of life, humor, insight and promise. Get off the proverbial couch and give them hand.

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What advice do you have for Joanna Alatorre, Damon Horton and Bryan Ordaz, the three students you met in this week's episode of SoCal Connected, Inside Locke High?

Locke High is notorious. It’s a school where students are more likely to drop out than graduate. Academically, Locke ranks third-lowest in the state. About 1 in 9 students scores grade-proficient in English. In Math, it’s 1 in 25. The chaotic campus sits in the midst of rival gang territory. Graffiti marred the halls. Fights broke out daily. Last year, nearly half of the 3-thousand-plus students were suspended at least once.

What words of wisdom (or caution, or encouragement, or....) do you want to give Joanna, Damon and Bryan? How would you suggest they navigate Locke? Give them your best; they'll be reading!

Locke High is notorious. It’s a school where students are more likely to drop out than graduate. Academically, Locke ranks third-lowest in the state. About 1 in 9 students scores grade-proficient in English. In Math, it’s 1 in 25. The chaotic campus sits in the midst of rival gang territory. Graffiti marred the halls. Fights broke out daily. Last year, nearly half of the 3-thousand-plus students were suspended at least once. In May of 2008, LAPD officers in riot gear had to break up a schoolwide brawl. Three years ago, a 15-year-old student was a victim of random gang violence - shot and killed while waiting for a relative to pick her up after school.

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During one of our three shoot days at Locke, I noticed a guy cleaning graffiti from the sidewalk. It was sort of surprising to see because there’s zero tolerance of tagging on campus since Green Dot took over. But the custodian told me that this tag was left over from last year. Every few days he attacks the sidewalk with fresh cleaner and he predicts it will eventually disappear.

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Green Dot’s takeover of Locke High School means there have been big changes in how the school looks, how students learn and how they’re allowed to dress and act.

But let’s talk about what really matters to teenagers. Lunch period.

The new Locke has hired a private caterer for its food service. That’s right. People in chef’s hats actually cook from scratch. No fake food in microwaves.

The students have obviously noticed. The owner of the catering company - Greg Dulan - says only about 300 meals were served at lunchtime last year. Now, he’s serving five times as many - 1,500 meals a day. Kids even try to sneak back into the line to get seconds.

Mr. Dulan wasn’t around the day we shot at Locke, so we talked to his chef.

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When we were shooting at Locke, I spotted Patt Morrison strolling around with a couple of girlfriends. Or is this a Patt Morrison lookalike?

You decide.

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A day in the life of Ramon Quevedo, student at Verbum Dei High School in South Central, L.A.

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