FOOD REVIEW: Chico's Restaurant (Highland Park in Los Angeles)

One of my favorite dishes are the Shrimp Tacos at Chico's Family Restaurant in Highland Park. They cost $3.75 each and are full of grilled shrimp, grilled onions and peppers and have slices of avocado and sprinkles of parsley on them. They are served on two corn tortillas each and radishes and lime are offered as garnishes.

I have had some of the other tacos at Chico's and they are okay, but the shrimp tacos are increible. If you are in the Highland Park area I strongly recommend you stopping buy and trying Chico's Shrimp Tacos! (Here's a hint, you can call ahead and they'll be ready to go in 10 minutes.)

Name: Chico's Family Restaurant.

Location: 100 North Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

Contact: 323-254-2445.

Visit: August 10, 2011.

AMBIANCE: B+.

SERVICE: A-.

VALUE: A.

FOOD: A+. 

OVERALL: A- (3.917/4.0)

Kim Kardashian and Ass Go Shopping in L.A.

I'll be the first to admit that this isn't exactly newsworthy.  "Kim Kardashian and Ass Go Shopping in L.A." happened today, yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week, last month, on Christmas Eve, last year, the year before that... What IS interesting is to ponder what our obsession (or my obsession) with Kim Kardashian means exactly.  I have broached this subject before.  Should we smear Kim Kardashian's good name for catapulting to superstardom through a sex tape, a reality show where she manages to thin out multisyllabic words into monosyllables, the uncanny ability to appear devoid of any thought while pointing one's backside at a camera, and (possibly most egregiously of all) the way she foisted her entire family upon us without us realizing that she was doing it?  I mean, ensnaring professional athletes with your vagina tentacles is bad enough but now there are Americans, Britons, Canadians, etc. that can name every member of the Kardashian-Jenner clan and even draw diagrams showing three degrees of separation of the herpes virus between Brody Jenner and Lamar Odom.  Alright, that last one confused me to, but I'm sticking to my guns here.  Do not drag the Kim Kardashians of the world through the mud (they are already sullied as it is), but bemoan the society that produced them.  Kim Kardashians do not spring autochthonously (sp?) from the ground fully-equipped with a dozen plastic surgical procedures; society produces these people.  We live in a country that says (1) the most important thing in life is money, and (2) if you generate money for us (producers, agents, corporations, etc.) we will reward you with more money.  This is America, cholos and cholas.  It's all about the American dollar.  We outsource homeless shelters, prisons, schools: all to save money, a piece of paper invented by human beings.  Nothing else matters.  (Yes, I realize I went off on a tangent here, oh so sorry).

"This ass is all mine, guys.  I paid for it."

"Being rich is sooooo hard.  Do I look thoughtful, because that's the look I'm going for?"

"OMG, what's the paparazzi doing here?!"

Only Days After Slutting It Up With Prince William, Jennifer Lopez Announces Divorce

Actually, I was very surprised when I heard this news.  Somehow, I thought that "Jenny from the Block" Jennifer Lopez and chronically-malnourished Mark Anthony would last, but that was only because I was forgetting quite how disreputable J. Lo is.  In fact, it isn't surprising that J. Lo and Mark are getting divorced now since Jenny was seen only two days ago to virtually bulldoze celebrities out of the way to get some quality time with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (AKA Prince William and the former Kate Middleton) during their stopover in Los Angeles as part of their tour of North America.  dlisted (I get all of my news from dlisted now) quoted Mary-Louise Parker (via People) as saying (in response to the question of whether or not she had the opportunity to meet the Duke and Duchess):

"I didn't meet them.  I was shoved out of the way by Jennifer Lopez.  Uh oh.  I shouldn't have said that."

No, Mary-Louise Parker, you shouldn't have.  Don't you know she's called "Jenny from the Block"?  Don't you know what she could do to you?  I mean, if she were to wrap her thighs around the back of your head and rest her buttocks on your neck, you wouldn't last two minutes.  Or if she were to call Jesus and Lupe or one of her other goons from the Bronx...  It's not looking good for you.  Anyways, people are saying that J. Lo was too good for Mark, or that Mark was just a rebound guy after Ben Affleck, or that Mark was jealous of the resurgence of her career.... Yadda, yadda, yadda.  It's all bullshit IMHO.  Mark Anthony is no question more talented than J. Lo, albeit less famous, and (I hate to say this), but when the woman is more successful than the man, that's as much a problem with the woman (thinking she can now do better) than it is with the man (just watch the historic documentary: The Human Animal!).  Now that J. Lo is looking hotter than ever, her face is on TV, and she has the twins she wanted, Mark Anthony is no longer necessary.  Frankly, I think Mark Anthony is a decent looking guy and he can go back to the Miss Universe that J. Lo stole him from.  Keep your head up, Mark!

"Why, yes, Jennifer!  Your navel looks terrific in that dress and the green accentuates your backside.  I agree entirely!  Kate?  Kate, help!"

CA-36: Hahn Barely Leads Huey In Special Election

Janice Hahn (D) has a lead of 8 points over a Tea Party Republican
 in tomorrow's Congressional special election in the 36th District

Daily Kos has a new poll of the 36th Congressional district special election which should scare the bejeezus out of every Democrat in Southern California! In the special election between Democratic Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and Tea Party Republican businessman Craig Huey

Here are the poll results:

Janice Hahn (D): 52 

Craig Huey (R): 44 

Undecided: 4 

Margin of Error: ±3.9%

The margin of error is important. The spread between the candidates is a mere 8 points but the margin of error is ±3.9 which means that Hahn's lead could theoretically be 0.2 percentage points (or it could also be 15.8 points). Another interesting factor there is the undecided number: just 4 percentage points. That is pretty low, as it should be, since election day is tomorrow Tuesday July 12th. However, people in the 36th district have been voting absentee-by-mail for weeks. However, there is not so good news there for Hahn either.

Dave Catanese of Politico has these totals by the party registrations of those people who had requested vote-by-mail ballots as of Friday July 1st:

Republican/Libertarian — 13,343 

Democratic/Green — 14,035 

Non-affiliated — 5,512

Democrats/Greens outnumber Republican/Libertarian absentee voters by a mere 692 votes! However, in California, it is more likely than not that Hahn is winning the vast majority of the Decline To State ("Non-Affiliated") voters so in that case she should be going into tomorrow's election with a lead, but that's a BIG IF.
The 36th is a pretty tricky district, even if Obama carried by 30 points (64-34), which is a bit less than the 69-31 longtime incumbent Jane Harman had carried it by.

I fully expect Janice Hahn to replace Harman in Congress representing the 36th District tomorrow. It should be interesting to see what happens to the 36th District in the final round of redistricting and if Huey will have a better chance of unseating Hahn in a less partisan district.

Election Results for tomorrow can be found here at LAvote.net.

FOOD REVIEW: Blue Dog Beer Tavern (Sherman Oaks, CA)

Exterior of the Blue Dog Beer Tavern

Twice-fried french fries with a bacon cheese burger

Vertical view of bacon cheeseburger and fries

As I continue my exploration of the best burgers in Los Angeles I was dragged into the valley for a plant-related errand by the husband so we decided to check out Blue Dog Beer Tavern in Sherman Oaks. Blue Dog Beer Tavern was mentioned in the now seminal LA Weekly article 30 Burger n 30 Days.

I had the Blue Dog Burger (Grilled Mushrooms, Bacon and Caramelized Onions topped with Swiss Cheese and Root Beer Bourbon BBQ sauce; price: $12) with the House Fries. Both were absolutely excellent.

The burger was medium-rare, perfectly juicy and well-maintained with a large toothpick through each half. The fries were crunchy (probably twice-fried), with the skin-on and maintained their temperature well. They went well with the BBQ sauce (provided on the side) or the basic ketchup provided.

The Other Half had The Burger with Cheese, $10 which he also enjoyed. If you're ever in the Sherman Oaks area near where the 405 intersects with the 101 I strongly recommend you stop by and have a burger at the Blue Dog Beer Tavern.

Name: Blue Dog Beer Tavern.

Location: 4524 Saugus Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

Contact: 818-990-2583.

Visit: May 30, 2011.

AMBIANCE: B+.

SERVICE: A-.

VALUE: A-. 

FOOD: A. 

OVERALL: A- (3.667/4.0). 

FOOD REVIEW: Go Burger (Hollywood, Los Angeles)

Exterior of Go Burger at Sunset & Vine

Vidalia onion rings

"duck fat fries"

my burger, with the lovely slaw and superfluous pickle

inside of my burger, with delightful bits of bacon showing

My ongoing quest to find the best burgers in Los Angeles lead me to Go Burger in Hollywood, recently. This is actually the second time I am writing this review. My first review was lost in the great Blog apocalypse of May12, 2011 which initially deleted my published review of Lazy Ox Canteen and erased my draft review of Go Burger.

 Go Burger resembles Juicy Burger (see review) and The Counter (see review) in that it is the kind of place where they have a number of set burgers but you can also select your own ingredients and design your own.

I decided to have the BLT (Double Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, BLT Burger Sauce, $11) and splurge on the fries cooked in duck fat. The person I was eating lunch with had the "Make it a Philly!" Smashed Burger (with Griddled Onions, Peppers, Pickled Jalapeños and Melted Provolone, $12) and the Vidalia Onion Rings. On the advice of the LA Weekly article "30 Burgers in 30 Days" I purposefully selected a relatively simple burger and was interested in the duck-fat fries.

It turned out that the burger was excellent, while the fries were disappointing. The onion rings were also incredible. The fries sounded better than they tasted. They ended up being somewhat soggy and not very flavorful while the onion rings were delightfully crunchy with and  relatively sweet. Another surprise was the cole slaw that was delivered with the burgers--it was also excellent. I am never fan of something other than ketchup being used to dip onion rings or fries into, but the buttermilk ranch dressing on the side was pretty good, especially with the onion rings!

The price point of Go Burger appears to be slightly higher than either Juicy Burger or The Counter but the burger seemed to also be of higher quality. It was still not as flawless as the Lazy Ox Canteen burger but I would rank it a close second to all the burgers I have eaten recently. I would definitely go back to Go Burger, to order the onion rings and try out one of their other burgers or put together one of my own design realizing that this could end up pretty pricey when cheese toppings (Vermont cheddar, American, Provolone, Monterey Jack) are $1 each and premium toppings (Blue cheese Gruyere, grilled onions, Bacon, sliced avocado, madeira mushrooms, fried egg, homemade chili, grilled red peppers) are $1.50.

Overall, Go Burger well deserves its place on the list of outstanding burgers in Los Angeles.

Name: Go Burger.

Location: 6290 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028.

Contact: 323-327-9355.

Visit: May 9, 2011.

AMBIANCE: A-.

SERVICE: A-.

VALUE: B+.

FOOD: A-. 

OVERALL: A- (3.583/4.0). 

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries Have A Night At The Roxbury

This is actually the club in L.A., not one of the other Roxburys (in New York, for example).  If you are guessing that this was just another opportunity for Kim and Kris to get their faces in the papers, than, naturally, you are right, but that's just business as usual for the American celebrity.  Kim is looking more sedate now that Kris is about to make her an honest woman, though she certainly is not shying away from showing off that 20.5 carat, 20 million USD engagement ring.  Can you blame her?

Now this is what a night at the Roxbury is supposed to look like...

Celebrity Friday: Jackie Lacey Could Become LA County DA

Jacquelyn Lacey is the front runner to become the first female (and first African-American)
District Attorney of Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley announced that he would not be seeking a 4th term next year and endorsed the #2 person in the office, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jacquelyn Lacey as his replacement.

Jackie Lacey had already been running for Los Angeles County District Attorney. If she wins, she will become the first Black and first female District Attorney in Los Angeles County, the state's largest. Interestingly, Kamala Harris was the first Black female District Attorney of San Francisco and famously defeated Lacey's boss by a razor-thin margin to become California's first Black and first female Attorney General earlier this year.

Openly Gay LAPD Officer Wins $1.1M Lawsuit

Sgt. Ronald Crump

An openly gay police officer named Ronald Crump who literally appeared on a poster to recruit people to the Los Angeles Police Department has won a million-dollar judgement against the City of Los Angeles for anti-gay job discrimination and retaliation.

Karen Ocamb of LGBT POV has been covering the story diligently:

Openly gay Sergeant Ronald Crump is suing the city of LA claiming that his boss in Media Relations, Lt. John Romero, created a hostile work environment for gay and lesbian officers. His civil suit outlines a series of incidents over six months in which Crump claims he was harassed and humiliated. For instance, Crump claims that Romero said: “I was a religion major at Liberty University – Jerry Falwell would roll over in his grave if he knew I hired you.” The suit notes that Fawell founded the conservative religious university – but doesn’t mention that Falwell’s Moral Majority helped launch the antigay movement in 1977 with Anita Bryant.

Crump claims that Romero subjected him to “nearly constant harassment on account of his sexual orientation, including introducing Crump to new co-workers as “the new Ruby [Crump’s predecessor] – the only difference is that he doesn’t wear heels.” When Crump told Romero that he didn’t appreciate being referred to as the “new Ruby,” he says Romero told him to “’get over it’ and chuckled as he walked away.”

The lawsuit also details comments Romero allegedly made about other LAPD employees, calling one a “quirky, effeminate guy;” and of another, “She’s a militant, don’t ask/don’t tell activist lesbian,” among other similar comments.

The lawsuit also reports how in January 2009, a lesbian co-worker “remarked that Lt. Romero made the office environment stressful and that she saw Romero treating Plaintiff and others poorly.”  That lesbian left the Media Relations Department one month later, which was closely followed by an inquiry into the concerns about the hostile work environment from then-Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell’s office. Before he left the LAPD, McDonnell had an extraordinarily good relationship with the LGBT community.

And people think this blatant discrimination won't happen in California just because we have strong laws against it? It's up to the justice system to enforce the laws on the books.

Here's a local media report on the Crump verdict:

Los Angeles - A Los Angeles police sergeant who claimed he was the victim of retaliation for being gay was awarded $1.16 million by a jury today. 

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated for part of Wednesday afternoon and most of today before finding in favor of Sgt. Ronald Crump. 

"This was not a case about Ronald Crump being gay, but about the department's retaliation against him," attorney Gregory Smith said on behalf of Crump. 

Smith said his client's involuntary transfer from the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section in 2009 after complaining about his treatment from his boss at the time, Lt. John Romero, left the sergeant without a chance for significant promotions and pay increases. 

"He's not going anywhere in this department," Smith said during closing arguments Wednesday. "He is finished forever. They have completely destroyed his career for any advancement or promotion." 

Deputy City Attorney Daniel Aguilera declined to comment on the verdict. However, his colleague, Deputy City Attorney Shaun Dabby Jacobs, told jurors that Crump did not lose rank or pay with his changes of position and earns about $110,000 annually. She also said that months passed after he began the media relations assignment before he complained about alleged mistreatment.

I wonder what City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck will say about the Crump case the next time they address a large openly LGBT audience during one of their regular community forums?

FOOD REVIEW: Lazy Ox Canteen (Downtown Los Angeles)

exterior of The Lazy Ox Canteen

shell-on roasted fava beans, $5

yellow tail crudo w/ scallion, grapefruit & papaya salad, $14

8 oz. lazy ox burger with cantal cheese & green peppercorn mustard, $14

seared fijian albacore with lentils, pickled apple, oregano & bacon, $18

chocolate pate, $8

butterscotch pudding, $8

Recently, MadProfessah and The Other Half finally made it back to Lazy Ox Canteen, a hot restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. We went for the first time following the Los Angeles Times food reviewer S. Irene Virbila's now-famous rave review:

Lazy Ox Canteen is poised to become the restaurant of the moment. Partners Michael Cardenas and Centeno have made all the right moves. The place has an edgy energy, a cozy, casual interior with huge bare filament bulbs swaying from the ceiling and wood-clad walls, a seriously great wait staff and a wildly interesting crowd. Not to mention Centeno's deliriously inventive cooking, all at affordable prices.

I'm torn. I'd like to keep the place an insider's secret. I like being able to decide, that night, to head over to San Pedro Street for dinner and being able to get in. That's about to change. In the future, reservations are probably going to need to be made well in advance, I'm sorry to say.

We returned again this year on the same day (a birthday) and although the amazing fried chicken was not available (it typically sells out in the first hour of dinner service),we still had a stunning meal.

We started with the shell-on roasted fava beans and the yellow tail crudo with scallions, grapefruit & papaya salad. I was not happy with the fava beans. The shells were very tough and the flavor of the fava beans themselves is an acquired taste. The yellowtail salad looked more impressive than it tasted, because for $14 there should have been at least twice or thrice as much raw yellowtail. The salad looked great and was quite crunchy and piquant. But overall, it felt like a game of hide and seek looking for the crudo.

 The next item was the seared fijian albacore with lentils, pickled apple, oregano & bacon ($18). This is an incredible dish with the only bad thing that one can say about it is that there's not enough of it. It is actually an ample serving of absolutely delicious very rare albacore tuna combined with a sweet, crunchy, savory and salty mix. A must-order, in my book.

The pièce de résistance, however, was the $14 Lazy Ox cheese burger, which was produced with square cut fries and a green peppercorn mustard. The burger was cooked to perfection, exceptionally juicy with just a hint of pinkness and bursting with flavor. The fresh toppings of greens, tomato and melted cheese were kept attached to the burger through the use of a large wooden toothpick, maintaining a breathtakingly balanced burger. At first bite, both of us said "Wow! That's a good burger." Then you bite into the fries which remain quite hot for an astonishingly long time, and are amazed at how delightfully crunchy they are. The only downside of the Lazy Oxy burger and fries is the inclusion of the green peppercorn mustard. I have a strong belief tat the optimal condiment for fries is a simple ketchup and the green peppercorn mustard, although interestingly spicy, is a bit too fancy and fussy.

But, wait, there's more! For dessert we ordered the butterscotch pudding and the chocolate pâté, both of which were absolutely amazing. It's hard to choose between the two, but as a moist, very chocolatey dessert their "chocolate pate" was excellent, especially at $8.

I hope that it doesn't take another year before I return to Lazy Ox Canteen, and that they will still have these desserts on the menu, as well as the albacore and the signature burger. The service was attentive and the prices generally reasonable. Although the dining room itself is very loud when the place gets packed, a meal at Lazy Ox Canteen is one you will remember with pleasure for a long time afterwards.

Name: Lazy Ox Canteen.

Location: 1241 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90012-3808.

Contact: 213-626-5299.

Visit: April 26, 2011 (and April 26, 2010).

AMBIANCE: B+.

SERVICE: A-.

VALUE: A. 

FOOD: A+. 

OVERALL: A (3.917/4.0). 

FOOD REVIEW: Juicy Burger (Los Feliz/Griffith Park in Los Angeles)

The exterior of Juicy Burger, at 1820 N. Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90027

interior of Griffith Park/Los Feliz Juicy Burger

burger and fries

Not on many lists of the best burgers in Los Angeles is Juicy Burger. However, it is often mentioned in the list of good late night dining spots in the Hollywood area. MadProfessah has long been interested in exploring excellent burgers in multiple cities, and I have taken a position (in favor of the latter) in the forthcoming In-N-Out versus Five Guys burger wars.

Juicy Burger has a very similar approach to burgers as The Counter (see MadProfessah review); you get to select the size of your burger (1/3 lb. or 1/2 lb.), then select your bun (lettuce, ciabatta bread, fresh bun), select free toppings (mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, red onions, mayonnaise, 1000 island dressing and dill pickles) and then add cheese (American cheese, cheddar, Monterey jack, blue cheese) for $.75 and premium toppings (caramelized onions, fried egg, sliced jalapenos, green chile, guacamole, onion strings, bacon strips, grilled pineapple, grilled spinach, sauteed mushrooms). You can also add premium sauces (buttermilk ranch, chipotle mayo, chipotle ketchup, garlic mayo, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce) for $.50.
You can also get fries (with one free sauce) for $2.50. The place is very small, not much more than a counter, but there is whole seating section outside if you want to eat your burger right there.

Overall, I was somewhat disappointed with Juicy Burger. The fries were more remarkable than the burger. I ordered the 1/3 burger with a regular bun with the free toppings of lettuce, tomato and dill pickles, cheddar cheese and two premium toppings of bacon and caramelized onions I ordered it medium-rare but it appeared to be closer to medium-well (no pink left at all). It was also sort of dry and the bun seemed a bit excessive so I took off one half of it. The bacon was well-done (how can bacon ever be bad?) and the onions were excellent but overall the burger seemed excessive, and not well-balanced like the almost-identical burger I ordered at The Counter a few weeks before. However, unlike at The Counter, Juicy Burger's fries were excellent! Very crunchy, and not overly salty. For $2.50, the "small fries" were a decent portion. However, it is always my position that the best topping for fries is plain, simple ketchup (or catsup) and the chipotle ketchup was the closest option but this is still an inferior option (plus I had to go back to the store to pick up my sauce because I had ordered take-out and the first time they gave me my food without a sauce.

I would strongly recommend going to The Counter for their burgers but definitely check out Juicy Burger for their fries. Even though the burger at The Counter was more expensive, I felt that it was a better value and a higher quality dining experience. It's possible that some of Juicy Burger's classic burgers might be a better deal, but there a lot more burgers I want to try first before I give Juicy Burger a second chance.

Name: Juicy Burger.

Location: 1820 N. Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

Contact: 323-660-1211.

Visit: April 27, 2011.

AMBIANCE: B-.

SERVICE: A-.

VALUE: B+.

FOOD: A-.

OVERALL: A- (3.417/4.0). 

Saturday Politics: Hahn and Bowen Battle Over CA-36

LA. City Councilperson Janice Hahn ((left) and CA Secretary of State Debra Bowen
are competing for a rare open Congressional seat

Open congressional seats  in California are like "blue moons": they don't come around that often. The last open seat was CA-33 when Diane Watson retired and was replaced by former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. With the retirement of U.S. Representative Jane Harman, who was a hawk and a Blue Dog, progressives are salivating over the prospect of getting a true liberal to replace her in the 36th Congressional District which Barack Obama carried by over 30 points.

The Washington Post's Rachel Weiner notes:

The likely result of the May 17 primary fight, which features 11 total candidates including 2010 primary loser Marcy Winograd, is a July 12 runoff. Under California’s new primary system, if no candidate gets 50 percent in the primary, the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to a runoff.

“I think its clear there’ll be a runoff,” said Joe Trippi, a longtime Democratic consultant who is advising Hahn’s campaign.

Bowen holds statewide office and represented most of this district in the 1990s as a state legislator. Yet to hear her campaign tell it, she’s the outsider against Hahn.

The argument: Hahn has more endorsements and more money while Bowen has more grassroots support. A majority of her donors gave $200 or less. Democracy for America, a leading liberal organization, endorsed her after polling their members in the district. Her campaign is also quick to point out that Hahn has taken contributions from lobbyists.

As secretary of state, Bowen has been behind a number of initiatives that appeal to liberals, including work on ballot security. She has a long history of advocacy on environmental issues. She’s positioned herself as the anti-war candidate, trying to take some of the space occupied by Winograd, who ran against Harman in 2010 and took 41 percent.

The only poll of the race I have seen is an internal poll released by the Bowen campaign indicating a tie between Hahn and Bowen with 20 percent of the vote each, and Winograd back at 6 percent and openly gay Republican Mike Gin at 8 percent.

MadProfessah doesn't really know either of these candidates well, but I have been unimpressed with Hahn in the past when she ran (and lost) against Gavin Newsom for  Lieutenant Governor last year while Bowen has been endorsed by LGBT super-ally U.S. Representative Judy Chu (CA-32). Hahn has been endorsed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and enemy-of-true-progressives everywhere U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Celebrity Friday: Kobe Bryant Tapes PSA On Tolerance

Last week, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by NBA Commissioner David Stern for saying the words "f***ing f***ot" to a referee during a game.

This week, Kobe and some of his team mates have released a PSA which will air at Lakers home games during the playoffs in which the players call for tolerance of  "people [who] are different," regardless of race, ethnicity, political belief or sexual orientation.

Kobe Bryant Fined $100K By NBA For Anti-Gay Slur

The blogs have been going pretty crazy with the news that Lakers star Kobe Bryant called an official a "f**ing fa**ot" after receiving a technical foul in a game last night.

Kobe issued a statement:

“What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone.”

HRC was unhappy that this did not include an apology. Later NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a statement and fined Kobe $100,000.

“Kobe Bryant’s comment during last night’s game was offensive and inexcusable. While I’m fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. Accordingly, I have fined Kobe $100,000. Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society.”

Hat/tip to TowleRoad.

AD-45: Luis Lopez Fundraiser TODAY in Silver Lake

My friend Luis Lopez is running to represent the 45th Assembly District (in which I live) that is being vacated when Gil Cedillo is termed out next year. Luis is an open;y gay Latino "homegrown progressive" and has strong labor bona fides as intrepid lesbian reporter Karen Ocamb details at LGBT POV.

Teachers, nurses, long-term care workers, community allies–the whole labor family–converged on First AME in Los Angeles on Monday, April 4, to rally together in support of Wisconsin workers and to show strength in numbers in California.

The environment was buzzing and filled with familiar faces–young and old–representing the rich diversity in race, ethnicity, immigration status, and language that are Los Angeles and California.

This rally’s message echoed the recent march downtown, where I added my voice with several thousand California voters and the sounds of protest chants and high-school bands. We spoke then and reiterated in church on Tuesday that California must not and will not become Wisconsin. In both states, community leaders and elected officials need to heed the public outcry and the economic evidence: collective bargaining, public education, affordable healthcare and higher education, and reliable pensions are the backbones of a strong middle class. These proven tools of America’s strength need to be upgraded and renewed, not undermined or reversed.

Luis has a fundraiser this afternoon at Le Barcito in Silver Lake. Please support him!

Los Angeles March 2011 Election Results

The March 8, 2011 Los Angeles City-wide election results are now available.

Proposition Me    Results
Measure G   Yes   74% YES
Measure H   Yes   75% YES
Measure I   Yes   78% YES
Measure J   Yes   81% YES
Measure L   Yes   63% YES
Measure M   Yes   59% YES
Measure N   Yes   70% YES
Measure O   Yes   51% NO
Measure P   Yes   66% YES
Measure Q   Yes   62% YES
Los Angeles City Council Races
LA CD 2     Krekorian* 76%
LA CD 4     Labonge*   55%
LA CD 6     Cardenas*  58%
LA CD 8     Parks*     50.89%
LA CD 10    Wesson*    73%
LA CD 12    Englander  58%
LA CD 14    Huizar*    64%
Los Angeles Community College District
Seat 1      Field*     59%
Seat 3      Veres      57%
Seat 5      Svonkin    35% (May 17 run-off)
Seat 7      Santiago*  66%
Los Angeles Unified School District
Seat 1      Lamotte*   74%
Seat 3      Galatzan*  62%
Seat 5      Sanchez    45.37% (May 17 run-off)
Seat 7      Vladovic*  63%

As you can see, most incumbents (indicated by the asterisk) were re-elected. In the hotly contested election in the gay-enclave of West Hollywood, one (appointed) incumbent, Lindsey Horvath failed to make the Top , placing 5th in preliminary results:

Scott Schmidt	1226
Lucas John	469
Abbe Land*	2548
Mark Gonzaga	474
Mito Aviles	919
Steve Martin	2026
John D'Amico	2471
Martin Topp	140
Lindsey Horvath	1902
John Heilman*	2359

Heilman has been on the West Hollywood City Council since the city was incorporated in 1984! The other two councilman, John Duran and Jeffrey Prang were not up for re-election, and Duran supported D'Amico. The West Hollywood City Council will now have 4 openly gay men and one straight woman.