Santa Monica 5k this Sunday - Join Us

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LA Magazine's Top 75 Restaurants - 2008

Los Angeles magazine recently came out and rated LA restaurants based on their opinions, at first I was not a fan of their star rating system, but even the One Star restaurants are very good places to eat, we have dined at a few of the 3 star restaurants mentioned below and I defeinitely think Josie is worthy of the rating but Wilshire? it's okay, but not necessarily worthy of its peers or better than Mastro's (my favorite steakhouse). I was also a little upset that Rustic Canyon didn't make the list, maybe they are too new?? I think the 1st 4 star restaurant I intend to try will be Melisse... mmm can't wait.



****: "Remarkable and extraordinary"
***: "Bold and ambitious"
**: "Distinctive and assured"
*: "Pleasant and satisfying"

FOUR STAR
1. Lucques
2. Melisse
3. Providence
4. Bastide
5. Urasawa
6. Sona

THREE STAR
7. Vincenti
8. La Cachette
9. All'Angelo
10. Patina
11. Hatfield's
12. Osteria Mozza/Pizzeria Mozza
13. Mako
14. Wilshire
15. The Dining Room at the Langham
16. Valentino
17. Angelini Osteria
18. Spago
19. Campanile
20. Fraiche
21. Josie
22. Saddle Peak Lodge
23. Craft
24. Cut
25. Water Grill

TWO STAR
26. Ortolan
27. Joe's Restaurant
28. A.O.C.
29. The Grill on the Alley
30. Gardens
31. Xiomara
32. Jar
33. Nishimura
34. Mimosa
35. Comme Ca
36. Mastro's Steakhouse
37. Ciudad
38. Simon LA
39. The Foundry on Melrose
40. Grace
41. Bar Hayama
42. Michael's
43. Drago
44. Il Grano
45. Kiriko Sushi
46. Matsuhisa
47. Lawry's the Prime Rib
48. Blair's
49. Massimo
50. Madeo

ONE STAR
51. Sushi Katsu-ya
52. La Botte
53. The Hump
54. Sushi Dokoro Ki Ra La
55. Tanzore
56. The Buffalo Club
57. Mori Sushi
58. The Lobster
60. Chameau
61. Il Carpaccio
62. Trattoria Tre Venezie
63. Nanban-kan
64. Asanebo
65. The BLVD
66. Paperfish
67. Petros
68. Sam's by the Beach
69. Bashan
70. The Ivy
71. Cafe Pinot
72. Crustacean
73. Cafe Pierre
74. La Scala
75. Tasca Wine Bar

Out My Window NYC

I was looking at some other blogs last night and came across this NYC Photographers (Gail Halaban) blog that I thought was fascinating. Not only is the actual photographic talent by Halaban awe inspiring, but it is a very interesting subject. It is so intriguing to visit other peoples homes not only to see their views in NY but also to see how they set up their space. You can see more at http://outmywindownyc.blogspot.com/

Improv Everywhere hits Hermosa Beach

Improv everywhere is a large network of people that get together and make large elaborate random scenes, in a word... they are awesome. Recently they turned a little league game in Hermosa into the best day of these kids' lifes. Imagine you are playing a standard little league game and expecting the usual crowd of 20 or so parents to show up until these guys come in and turn it into a major league caliber game. If you have any semblance of a soul, you will enjoy this.

You can check out some of their other scenes here: http://improveverywhere.com

Vacation Where the Dollar is Still Strong

Nice Article I found. Tijuana didn't make the list?

Check out these 7 places where the greenback is worth a lot more than the paper it's printed on
Argentina
Why spend thousands in France when you can find the same vibe here? Buenos Aires (a.k.a. the Paris of South America) has embarked on a dramatic turnaround since the 2001 collapse of the Argentine peso — but the place is still amazingly cheap.

Chic hotel rooms, nights out dancing and fabulous food and wine cost half what they do across the Atlantic. A huge thick-cut steak dinner? Rarely more than $25.

Mendoza region where they make the Malbec wine is supposed to be awesome.

Bali
With the dollar holding steady against the Indonesian rupiah over the past year, Bali has become one of the best island values in Asia.


Luxury bungalows nestled in lush hillsides can be had for $100 to $200 a night. At countless stone temples you can often see shadow-puppet performances for free or a small donation. And half-hour massages typically cost less than $15.

Please see countdown clock to right. Yessss!

Costa Rica
Incredibly, Americans now have about a third more buying power in this natural wonderland than they did five years ago — a dollar equals around 500 Costa Rican colones today vs. 360 then.

You can explore beaches good for surfing, then go snorkeling in coral reef-filled bays.Don't miss the rainforests, which teem with wildlife — including rare quetzals with spectacular plumage.

We may try to go this fall and stay at the Paladin (My Work)compound.

Mexico
With the peso/dollar exchange rate steady over the past couple of years, Mexico remains a prime bargain destination.

The hottest area now is arguably Mexico City, booming with new museums, a historical architectural revival, and a vibrant music and arts scene. Entry to the city's huge Museum of Modern Art, where you can see works by Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, costs just $2.

Aside from Cabo, which I have visited at least 5 times already and the rest of Baja, we really want to go to Xihuatanejo and Guadalajara.

Morocco
Though the Moroccan dirham has strengthened a bit against the dollar in the past year, in the ancient cities of Casablanca, Fez and Marrakech many café meals still cost less than $5.

Classic budget hotels in atmospheric narrow streets, such as the Hotel El Muniria in Tangier, where Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac stayed, cost around $30 a night. Plenty of luxury hotels are available too.

Just don't watch Babel before you go here.

Panama
This small country boasts mountains, rainforests, 1,500 miles of coast (your pick of the Caribbean or Pacific) and — of course — the magnificent canal, where you can gawk at giant supertankers being raised and lowered through the locks.

Forget exchange rates: Panama's currency, the balboa, is pegged at parity with the U.S. dollar, and the dollar itself is accepted virtually everywhere.

No thanks.

Vietnam
There's never been a better time to visit one of Asia's most fascinating countries, with pristine beaches and unique crafts: The dollar goes further against the Vietnamese dong than it did three years ago.

You may have enough left to splurge on a fivestar hotel, such as the new Park Hyatt in Ho Chi Minh City ($290 a night vs. up to $675 for a comparable room in Chicago).

I think Brandon set the Vietnamese record for most spring rolls consumed in a week, last I checked the record still stands... same same.

The Angels have descended upon us again...

The smell of fresh cut grass, hot dogs, and Coors light has overtaken the sinuses of all who enter Angel stadium once again. No single team has managed to bring nostalgia to me year after year as the Angels have managed to do, this year will mark my 25th year as a fan (my first game was at age 5 with Grandpa Gene). And an exciting year it promises to be, the Angels are on the heel of their 3rd consecutive AL West title and have brought some more talent in to make another solid run at the playoffs. Torii Hunter was the marquee addition to an already stacked outfield, he is great defensively and will put some more power in the lineup (as of this article he already leads the Angels with 4 HR's). Kotchman and Kendrick could have breakthrough seasons and the pitching lineup will be solid once Lackey and Escobar get healthy. Chone Figgins is on eof the best leadoff men in baseball, we will see if he can keep up his stellar on base percentage.



As far as the other teams in the AL West... they suck. Alright, I am sure Seattle will put up a decent fight this year and could very likely end up in the playoffs, they have a tight starting rotation and a lot of power potential in their lineup but lack depth, a few injuries will drop them out of contention. The A's are in a down cycle of their Moneyball philosophy and will be scrappy but ultimately lack overall talent, they should come in 3rd in Al West. The Rangers have a powerful lineup and solid bullpen but again have no pitching, they are my pick for cellar dweller this year. Obviously I am biased here, but I am also a realist... the West will be won in Anaheim again this year, after that it's anyones guess, but I will be damned if the Chowderheads go to the WS again. Go Angels!

Bell caught himself a Sailfish in Costa Rica!

Too bad you let that Dorado get away in La Paz during Bokow's bachelor party...

Guest Columnist - Cameron Verdi

Cameron is a good friend and financially astute observer of our weakening economy, please enjoy his perspective....

So with Bernanke( The Fed Chairman, who controls the Reserve, a position that can be herald as one of the world's most powerful positions) scheduled to talk tomorrow, the topic of conversation will undoubtably be about the state of our economy. Recession, inflation, you know, the normal stuff. Funny how the government is trying to act as a triage for all the pain our economy is currently in. Congress felt compelled to meet with some of the Oil big wigs this week, to determine exactly how did they make soo much money over the last few years. I have one number for you, $107. Price per barrel of oil, is a good start.

Enough about that, I find it funny how we can spend soo much time trying to understand why we are where we are, opposed to what we can do to fix it. This wont be fixed over night, and I dont intend on pulling my hair out trying to understand all of our global issues, including, but not limited to our devalued dollar, global dislike for the War, etc. From my perspective, it all starts with baby steps, 101 of spending and budgeting on the personal level.

A rule of thumb that I have always leaned on, is to take care of the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.

What does that mean? Well, lets get analytical on it.

If you bring home $4,000:

Try to save 10% of that into an account you dont touch ( except for emergencies)( May I recommend: www.ingdirect.com)

So you now have $3600 left.
Roof over your head shouldn't cost you more than 30% of your take home ( 4,000 x 0.30)= $1,200
Car and gas----that is up to you....but for the record, you now have $2,400 to play with.
$2400 less car expenses, gas, utilities, phone, health insurance ( dont skip this one, it is important), food, dining out, entertainment etc.

This all seems basic, but you would be surprised how much better life could be without the pressures of not having any money saved. Down the road, we can talk about IRA etc, but I think this will be a good start. Since I finished rebuilding my house, I realized I was lighting a lot more money on fire than I needed to be, so I have implement my old school style of saving, just like in the old days, and feel like it is an important thing to always maintain.

The Mitchell State of the Union

There seems to be so much anxiety and fear over whether or not we are in a recession lately, a lot of friends and family are always asking me if we are in a recession and if we are, how long will it last? My first concern is that whatever we are in, it does not need a label. A recession isn't the flu, you can't just diagnose it, take some Nyquil and sleep it off. There are so many factors effecting our current economy that just dismissing it is a recession (which indicates a finite end) would be naive. It has also been alarming how much our government has been intervening, trying to resuscitate our economy. Free market capitalism does not work under a socialist government.



We have a moderate situation now... even with interest rates being cut so aggressively by the Fed, the ratio of interest and principal payments to the disposable income in the household sector is at an all-time high. Americans are more in debt than ever and since most of their income is going towards paying staying afloat in their debt it doesn't seem that we will "heal" anytime soon. Many Americans can also attribute their net worth to their housing values which have decresead sharply throughout the country. Baby boomers that were banking on their home value to fund their retirement are in for a rude awakening. Instead of vacationining in Europe, they may now be re-entering the workforce and taking jobs at Target and vacationing in Rosarito instead of Barcelona. Those that enlisted a financial advisor who utilized a long term balanced asset allocation approach are probably way better off.

My advice to family and friends... Do well and work hard at your career and continue to make connections in your industry so others know your worth should you lose your job and need a new one. Your career is your source of income and current income will ultimately fund your investments and retirement. Do not invest in what you think is hot, it seems people have taken more and more risk because they want higher returns because they don't want to save as much, it is a new form of greed. I have to admit, I had a guilty pleasure when I witnessed the house flippers eat crap. Which leads me to my nexct point, save your money and pay down your debt. Debt is what got our country into this mess, the average American owns 6 lines of credit. Carrying debt is like trying to swim with weights on your ankles. Establishing credit is important but try to keep your debt to credit ratio low and you will have even better credit. Increase your 401k contribution, even if you think you are investing enough, you are probably wrong, the good thing about a recession is that it is like a Nordstroms once a year sale, everything is going to be cheap, so buy a lot of it. As I have told Kristina, I think a recession was inevitable and is a necessary wake up call, and we should come out of it much healthier.

Fridays off the 405 - Coming Soon

Fridays Off the 405 is starting up again. The next event is Friday March 21st which happens to be the Friday before Easter, unfortunately we will be heading to Mexico for Easter but will try to make the following month's event on April 4th.


We were able to hit up a few of these last year. My reccomendation is to take off work a little early to catch the sunset while enjoying one of best Margaritas around from one of the cash bars that are set up around the Getty courtyard... not a bad way to end the work week. This is a monthly event that has free live music (usually pretty eclectic) and the aforementioned cash bar from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Oh yeah, the art is pretty sweet too.

Click here for more info.

Torrance?

Lately I have been gravitating to the idea of buying a house in Torrance. It isn't too far for K and I to commute to work and there have been some decent price reductions lately. See the heatmap below: http://www.trulia.com/home_prices/California/Torrance-heat_map/

Best 2008 Superbowl Commercial - My Pick

I still laugh when I think about this commercial. It almost sounds like the stain is yelling in Latin. I can almost relate to this commercial since those who know me seem to think I am prone to spilling on my shirt. Apes aren't known to be very graceful when drinking.

This one barely edged out the Carrier Pigeon commercial and the AMP commercial where the Mexican guy that jumpstarts a car with his nipples.

Drew's Smoked Salmon

My Co-worker Drew Flichtbeil just smoked some Salmon and it was pretty damn good. Through some trial and error, he came up with his foolproof way to Smoke Salmon to perfection:





Here's the magic:

First make the Brine:

1/3 cup brown sugar1/4 cup non-iodized salt2 cup soy sauce1 cup water1/2 tsp. onion powder1/2 tsp. pepper1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce1 cup dry white wine

I was a little more generous with the pepper and tabasco. I didn't have any onion powder and didn't feel like going to the store, so I replaced it with garlic powder. Here's the site where I got the recipe.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,151162-247206,00.html


OK, now for the real business:

DAY ONE:
-Make the brine. You'll need a large bowl or preferrably a large pan with a lid. Mix all ingredients well. To test if you have enough salt, use the egg trick. If it floats, you're good to go (Make sure you take the egg out).

-Cut the salmon into chunks or fillets, however you prefer. My fillets were each one pound. Leave the skin on. The skin stays on throughout the smoking process.

-Submerge the fillets in the brine. You'll need to put something (like a plate) in the pan to keep the fish from floating to the top of the brine. They must be fully submerged.

-Then cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cure for at least 8 hours. I let mine cure for almost 24 hrs. last time.

DAY TWO:
-Go to BBQ's Galore to get wood chunks for your fire. http://www.bbqgalore.com/ The reason I suggest this place is because it is the only place I have actually found wood chunks, NOT wood chips. If you know another place, more power to you, but most grocery stores and other places sell wood chips. DO NOT USE WOOD CHIPS!!! They are to small, do not hold enough water, and they burn up to quickly. Salmon suggests using Alder wood, but I used Mesquite last time.

-You'll want to soak the wood chunks in water for at least 8 hrs. Mine soaked for 48 hrs. only because I did not know this process would take so long and I had already put them in the water. Some people just store their wood chunks in a barrel of water until they need them. Note, you will want the wood chunks to sit and dry for at least 2 hrs before using them in the fire. If they are to wet, they will cool the fire to much.

-Take your fish and brine concoction out of the fridge.

-Remove the fillets from the brine and briefly rinse them with water to remove the salt. The fillets should be have a brown tint to them at this point.

-Place them onto a surface that you will use to put into the fridge for drying. Preferrably you'll want to use a wire oven rack to put them on. I used a large bowl shaped strainer that I put into a large pan that it could drip into.

-Cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight to dry. You'll want to allow at least overnight time to dry, preferrably 24 hrs.

DAY THREE:
-GET TOTALLY PSYCHED UP!!! The fun is near.

-Get your smoker ready. Here's the one I have: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100327576

-Place enough coals in the firebox (lower offset area of the smoker) to burn for about 3-4 hrs. You can always add to the fire later if need be. Note, do not put the wood chunks in yet, but they should be out of the water and drying by now.

-I like to let the coals burn for about 20-30 minutes before I begin cooking allow the fire to stabilize and the fire is not too hot.

-You will also want to place a pan of water on the firebox grill above the fire. Just make sure it does not block to much heat from the fire. I used just a regular stove top cooking skillet/pan.

-Try to get the cooking area to about 140 degrees. This smoker does not come with a tempurature gauge, but it does have a cut-out for one. Generally the center of the grilling area is best. After the lid has been closed allowing it to heat-up, I place my hand on the lid. If I can hold it there for 2-3 seconds, the tempurature is about right. Note, the end near the smoke stack is usually cooler than the end near the firebox.

-Now you're ready to smoke. Put a sheet of aluminum foil large enough for your fillets on the cooking grill of the smoker (larger cooking area of smoker), then place the fillets on the foil. You want the placement to be in an area of the cooking area where you think the temp is around 140 degrees.

-Now after placing the salmon on the grill, close the lid and start adding the wood chunks directly into the fire. Note: Do this after you place the salmon on the grill. If you want smoke in your eyes, put the wood on the fire first, then the salmon on the grill... it's up to you. The only way to do this is by opening the door on the side of the fire box and using tongs to place them into the fire. Start out by only putting 2-3 chunks in. Smoke will start coming out of the smoke stack. When it starts to die down, add 1-2 more chunks at a time trying to keep the smoke coming out fo the stack consistant. You DO NOT too much smoke

-Smoke the salmon for about 2-3 hours periodically checking to make sure it is still soft. Periodically check the water pan above fire. It may boil completely out and you will need to add more water. Watch your eyes when openning any lids on the smoker.

-Note: It is impossible to under smoke salmon, as salmon can be eaten raw. Who knows, there may be others that prefer letting it smoke for only a minute. Just don't smoke it so long that the fish gets tough. It's hard to do, but it people still manage to mess it up, but not me. Mine is 100% perfect... 60% of the time.

-Once cooked, you can immediatly enjoy the magic straight from the grill. Smoked salmon needs little of no time at all to cool because it never gets that hot in the first place.

-Have an orgasm

Go Fish

I just got back from Santa Monica Seafood to pick up some oysters and halibut to have for dinner tonight, we will be pairing it with a Garretson Rousanne. The halibut was a nice size filet, but it cost $25. To me, this seems pretty high. Why is it that seafood has become so damn expensive? Has it always been this way? I looked around online to see what was going on with seafood prices and came across a pretty interesting article. Last week in Tokyo, a Hong Kong sushi restaurant owner paid a record $55,700 for a single bluefin tuna. They say the record price was caused by a sharp decline in world tuna supply and also go on to say that bluefin tuna will most likely be extinct sometime in the next fifty years. What a bleak picture for us sushi lovers! Could it be possible that our generation will be one of the last to enjoy fresh sushi from the ocean? I truly shudder at the thought of a world without sushi, it will inevitably be a an exlusive priveleged only food. I am also concerned that with globalization, countries like China and India will continue to develop and acquire a taste for sushi, seafood, and fine wine. Well, apparently supply is not going up, and as demand increases the prices will start to increase dramatically.

I can tell you one thing... I will happily pay $25 for that piece of Halibut and will eat as much damn sushi as I can this year. Hopefully I won't have to explain to my kids one day how delicious a filet of bluefin sashimi tasted with a splash of say sauce and a glass of sake.

Happy 2008!

New Years Eve at Brandons.

Presidential Donations in my Zip Code

70% of the presidential contributions in my zip code went towards Obama and Clinton. Maybe I won't be putting that Ron Paul bumper sticker on my car after all.

Breakdown by candidate »
12.1% Giuliani
1.5% McCain
4.5% Romney
0.5% Thompson
39.4% Clinton
1.7% Edwards
31.6% Obama
8.1% Others**

See where the money in your neighborhood is going:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-prezcontrib-splash,0,2804905,results.formprofile

Cheapest Days to buy items

I read an interesting article in Smartmoney, it turns out you can find bargains on certain days. I have always heard that but didn't really know what that meant until now. The only thing I knew was to not buy Sushi on Mondays because fish markets are closed on Sundays and they try to use up all the excess fish from the weekend on Mondays, thank BLee.. I still subscribe to that theory. Hope this article helps you make purchasing decisions:

Airplane Tickets
When to Buy: Wednesday morning.
Why: "Most airfare sales are thrown out there on the weekend," says travel expert Peter Greenberg, a.k.a. The Travel Detective. Other airlines then jump into the game, discounting their own fares and prompting further changes by the first airline. The fares reach their lowest prices late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Books
When to Buy: Thursday.
Why: Price compare between major chains Borders and Barnes & Noble. The former releases its weekly sales and coupons on every Thursday; the latter, every Tuesday.

Cars
When to Buy: Monday.
Why: "Car dealers live for the weekend, which is when they make most of their sales," says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. "On Mondays, the low foot traffic makes it seem like the weekend will never come." That dealer desperation, paired with fewer consumers on the lot, give you more negotiating power.

Clothing
When to Buy: Thursday evening.
Why: That's the day when stores stock their shelves for the weekend, and when many retailers — including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and Express — start their weekend promotions, says Kathryn Finney, author of "How to Be a Budget Fashionista." You'll find great prices and the best selection. "It's an effort to get people to shop in the middle of the week," she says.

Department-Store Wares
When to Buy: Saturday evening.
Why: Department stores have a lot to mark down for their Sunday circulars, so they frequently start the process on Saturday evenings before store closing, says Finney. "They're preparing for the big rush," she says. Bonus: Even if the markdowns haven't been made, many employees will honor the sale price if you ask. Print out the circular preview from the store's web site, and bring it with you when you head to the mall.

Dinner Out
When to Buy: Tuesday.
Why: Most restaurants do not receive food deliveries over the weekend. "Sunday is the garbage-can day of the week," says Kate Krader, senior editor at Food & Wine magazine. "No doubt, they're cleaning out their fridges. Tuesdays, they're starting fresh." Dining out on that day offers the best odds you'll get a meal worth paying for, no matter your price point, she says.

Entertainment
When to Buy: Wednesday.
Why: Plenty of movie theaters, amusement parks and museums offer extra discounts to consumers who visit midweek. Six Flags theme parks offer a $12 discount to AAA members — three times its usual discount of $4. AMC Theatres offers members in its free AMC Movie Watcher reward program a free small popcorn on Wednesdays. (This summer, it's also the day select theaters offer free Summer Movie Camp screenings.)

Gas
When to Buy: Thursday, before 10 a.m.
Why: The price of oil isn't the only factor influencing costs at your local pump. Consumer usage plays a role, too — and weekend demand is high, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, a price-monitoring site. Prices usually swing upward on Thursdays as travelers fuel up to head out the following day. By hitting the pump before 10 a.m. (when many station owners change their prices), you'll beat the rush and the price jump.

Groceries
When to Buy: Sunday — or Tuesday.
Why: Maximize savings by combining store sales, which run from Wednesday to Tuesday, with the latest round of coupons from your Sunday paper, says Mary Hunt, publisher of Debt-Proof Living, a money-saving newsletter. "It's a smart idea to wait until you have those in hand to match up with the week's sale items," she says. To snag savings on items you don't need just yet, shop on Tuesday, advises Hunt. Chances are, the store will have run out of the sale items. "That means you can pick up rain checks, which allow you to buy those items later when you need them, and at the sale price," she says.

Hotel Rooms
When to Buy: Sunday.
Why: There are two kinds of hotel managers, and the kind that won't give you a discount on your room rate has Sundays off, says Greenberg. Call the hotel directly, and ask to speak with the manager on duty or the director of sales. These employees are open to negotiation, he says. They'd rather have a booked room at a discounted rate than an empty room. (The rest of the week, your call would get you a so-called revenue manager, who monitors profits — and is rarely willing to lower rates.)

Still Waiting...

LA Times came out with an article regarding home price changes in August. As luck would have the areas in Green are the areas that I would like to own a home/condo/ whatever. Those happen to be the areas that have increased in this turbulent housing market. So the waiting game continues...

I got a craving...

The hot summer days are here and one of the best things other than a cold margarita to cool down is an ice cream sandwich. The problem is that I can't find the ice cream sandwich I fell in love with in High School... It's It. That's the name... it's it. It is vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two amazing oatmeal cookies and covered with dark chocolate. My high school cafeteria used to sell them and I got hooked at an early age. These delectibles are one of the few things from the Bay area that I can actually tolerate. I have checked every local liquor and grocery store and can not find the quintessential summer treat. It seem's that the Nestle ice cream cookie sandwich people have partnered with the Mafia because they are everywhere, taking up precious ice cream cooler space. If anyone in LA knows where to find It's It, please I am calling on you to help me. I am sure there are some SFO expats that are in the know. I am begging you.

Time to kick the Bums out.

Maybe we need a new plague. Perhaps a month of rain? Or maybe we need to see some law enforcement for once. As you may know I live in Santa Monica. There is so much to love about this city, the weather, beaches, culture, dining, etc. For that reason I am willing to pay a much higher cost of living, tolerate traffic, and deal with the scarcity of parking. The single biggest problem facing this city is the Homeless problem. I am a tolerant person by nature, what I am not tolerant of are shouting at people minding their business, accosting shoppers for money, making idiotic comments as I jog by on the palisade, breathing foul order as they make lewd comments towards my girlfriend or female friends, pissing in my garage, invading the park I live near (Reed) so I can never enjoy a picninc there without smelling alcohol and weed, etc.


This is NOT a political liberal vs. conservative issue. This is a police department and City Hall that fails miserably to do their job. God forbid you smoke outside in Santa Monica or have a car that emit's carbon dioxide... but it is okay to infect visitors and residents with social decay. It's quite a paradox that we have here. I came to SM thinking that it was one of the most progressive cities in the Nation, I was wrong. I would hate to leave, but I can not raise children around here if I don't even feel comfortable with my girlfriend walking to the grocery store midday. This needs to be resolved. We need our pier, palisade, and promenade returned to glory.