Blog: Los Angeles

California's nutty propositions

Every election, Californians have to deal with a bewildering array of propositions to vote on, many of which are arcane matters the state legislature ought to be dealing with. But they can't, because California law requires voters to approve every change in another law voters have approved, making it necessary to vote on propositions concerning expanding the authority of the BART police force to cover light rail trains and minutiae like that. Even when the propositions matter, there are so many of them as to make this parody, by Laughing Liberally comedian James Adomian, not far off:

posted on Feb 1, 2008 6:04 pm (comment)

tags: California, humor, Los Angeles, politics, videos

Two reversals

I criticized Steve Jobs for keeping DRM on music from iTunes even when the record label didn't require it. But today, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would "embrace" a music industry without DRM, pleasing Lessig (but less so his skeptical commenters).

And Rep. Henry Waxman has won passage in the House for a bill repealing his 1985 bill that banned tunneling to extend LA's Red Line down Wilshire Boulevard. The Senate is expected to also pass it and Bush will sign.

posted on Feb 8, 2007 12:28 am (comment)

tags: Apple, Henry Waxman, IP, Los Angeles,
Steve Jobs, technology, transit

West Kos trip

I've returned from a week and a half long trip to the West Coast, including Jamie's bachelor party, a Laughing Liberally show at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles attended by over 1,000 people, and the four-day Yearly Kos convention in Las Vegas. The convention featured many guests from the political world including Senators Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid, Howard Dean, recent authors including Ambassador Joe Wilson, Professor George Lakoff and Air America host Sam Seder, likely Presidential candidates Wes Clark and Mark Warner (the latter who threw a lavish party at the top of the Stratosphere hotel), many netroots candidates, top bloggers from Daily Kos, MyDD, Firedoglake and many others, and a crowd of over 800 blog readers of all ages.

Laughing Liberally comedians performed at all four plenary sessions, featuring Baratunde Thurston, Katie Halper, Lee Camp, and a new member of Laughing Liberally's team, Bush impersonator James Adomian. Drinking Liberally organized a laid-back happy hour after the conference program on Friday and a raucous afterparty in our suite (as big as a typical Manhattan two-bedroom apartment) Saturday evening. Everyone left energized, socialized, and contact-ized.

posted on Jun 13, 2006 10:10 pm (comment)

tags: Las Vegas, Laughing Liberally, Living Liberally,
Los Angeles, Netroots Nation, parties

Four cities and a wedding

Time in New York, Martha's Vineyard, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles for Jason and Lan's wedding (third of four for the summer) constitute an eventful few weeks.