Subject: Irvine (California)

• The Ghost of Malthus in OC

  Only four days after OC was named the third wealthiest county in the country (with 113,299 millionaire households), news comes that Irvine is taking measures to ensure low-cost housing remains available. Given the state of low-cost housing in OC (mostly nonexistent), and the fact that the LA Times article is dated April 1, at first I thought it might just be an April Fool's Day prank. But no, Irvine is serious, in the way that only a master-planned city can be. The city intends, in six weeks, t

  April 1, 2006

• Irvine Offends Thousands of Its Citizens

  An Orange County Grand Jury recently decided that the Irvine City Council is trying to hijack the Great Park, and that the OC Board of Supervisors (who initially approved of Irvine's actions) might look into litigation in order to return control of this huge local resource to the county itself. Irvine Mayor Beth Krom was, unsurprisingly, confused by all the uproar. She had the following to say in the OC Register: "I'm befuddled. Nowhere does this seizing of power take place." "What we have done

  June 18, 2006

• OC talent gets its kicks in the MLS playoffs

  While most of the country keeps its attention on football, there are those of us who also enjoy the unbridled, over-the-top passion of futbol. With the Major League Soccer playoffs just around the corner (they start this Thursday), it is only fitting to give props to the OC natives who are representin'. So here's a partial list of some of the talent that will be appearing in the MLS playoffs courtesy of the Orange County soccer scene:

  October 22, 2007

• OC Homewreckers Hung Out to Dry

  According to a Department of Justice press release and reported by the Register, Charles Head, a 33-year-old from La Habra and several accomplices have been charged with illegal activities purportedly using the latest mortgage scam to come through the pipeline. One can only expect more scams to surface soon in the wake of the "mortgage crisis," (otherwise known, at least by me, as the most shining contemporary example of both the greed and stupidity of the American people and the relentless

  March 25, 2008

• Avocado Pizzas at Stonefire Grill in Irvine

  Pizza isn't something you'll see very often on this blog. Don't get me wrong. I eat plenty of it. But this is Orange County, not Chicago or New York. Pho, tacos, and ramen we got in spades -- just as good as those served in in Vietnam, Mexico and Japan, some might say. But pizza? So far, what I've found fits into the lowest common denominator. Most are harmless, serviceable at best, but for me, not worth writing about. That is, until I saw a pizza topped with avocado. And I don't mean l

  March 30, 2008

• $40 Omakase at Gen Kai in Irvine

  If you are at a sushi bar and the guy slicing the fish is the also the guy from which the restaurant is named, you are all but guaranteed exceptionally great sushi. In this category, there's Ikko, Hamamori, and Shibucho -- just to name a few in Orange County where the chef responsible for your meal also signs the rent check. But when you talk about the majority of sushi joints out there, this isn't the case. Most restaurants merely employ their itamae, who might be there one day, gone the next.

  May 4, 2008

• OC Music Fest 09 Partners with Be The Shirt for Contest

  What are you doing in May 2009? Not sure yet? Well, try to pencil in a few days for OC Music Fest 09, which happens in about 10 months in Irvine and promises to feature nearly 100 established and up-and-coming bands. In the meantime, you creative types may want to enter the Be The Shirt band/artist T-shirt design contest. For details regarding the contest and festival, read the press release after the jump.

  July 18, 2008

• To Do This Weekend 8/22-8/24

  Debra's Girls Present: Going Green Theme Party, Friday 7 p.m. Long Beach's favorite gay bar pitches in to help the environment. Ripples 5101 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 562-433-0357 Hootie & The Blowfish, Friday 8 p.m. Hold My Hand! House of Blues 1530 S. Disneyland Dr. Anaheim, CA 714-778-2583 Grillin' n Chillin' Cooking Class, Saturday 11:30 p.m. Join Memphis Café Owner and Executive Chef Diego Velasco for a summer cooking class will feature a sizzling menu that combines gourmet Southwest

  August 22, 2008

• To Do This Weekend 9/5 - 9/7

  Jay Mohr, Friday 8 p.m. Gimmie Mohr. Brea Improv 120 S. Brea Blvd. Brea, CA 714-482-0700 An Italian Straw Hat, Friday - Sunday 8 p.m. A play with flavors of vaudeville, ragtime, light opera and even barbershop quartet, following a hapless young bridegroom through turn-of-the-century New York as he tries to correct a horrendous problem. South Coast Repertory 655 Town Center Dr. Costa Mesa, CA 714-708-5555 Tchaikovsky Spectacular,Saturday 8 p.m. Rush in to hear this Russian composer. Pronto. Ver

  September 5, 2008

• To Do This Weekend 9/12-9/14

  Los Pinguos, Friday 5 p.m. Looks like the balloon wont be the only stupid thing at the Great Park this weekend. Orange County Great Park Off the 5 Fwy. Irvine, CA 949-724-6247 Casa De Tequila, Friday 8 p.m. This house has worms. Tia Juana's 14988 Sand Canyon Rd. Irvine, CA 949-551-2998 L.B.C. performing 100% Sublime Hits, Saturday 8 p.m. Smells like Lou Dog. OC Tavern 2369 S. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 949-542-8877 World Festival of Sacred Music, Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. The month

  September 12, 2008

• To Do Tonight 9/24

  420, 9:30 p.m. Breathe it in. Mai Tai Bar 97 Aquarium Way Long Beach, CA 562-435-1200 Sling Shot, 8:30 p.m. You'll shoot your eye out. Cook's Corner 19122 Live Oak Canyon Rd. Trabuco Canyon, CA 949-858-0266 Ride the Great Park Balloon, Daily High flying. Orange County Great Park Off the 5 Fwy. Irvine, CA 949-724-6247 Quilts at Bowers Museum, 10 a.m. Blankets of cool. Bowers Museum of Cultural Art 2002 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 714-567-3600

  September 24, 2008

• Called It! Reg. Owner CEO A Playboy Candidate (Updated: This IS Happening)

  No, silly, Freedom Communications's CEO Scott Flanders isn't posing in the venerated skin mag -- we hope. But he is being considered to run it, according to The Wall Street Journal, via the Register's own business blog (wonder if Reg real estate guru Jon Lasner got permission from the top to link to the story or not):Playboy Enterprises Inc. is expected to offer Scott Flanders, president and chief executive of Freedom Communications Inc., its vacant CEO post as early as this week, according to p

  June 1, 2009

• To Do Tonight 10/14

  Bad Parents, 10 p.m. Expect a spanking. $5 The Prospector 2400 E. Seventh St. Long Beach, CA 562-438-3839 Oktoberfest, until November 7 Go on a Sunday and watch the dachshund races if you’re in the mood for laughs, or head in any ol’ day if you’re in the mood to say prosit a lot. Old World Village 7561 Center Ave. Huntington Beach, CA 714-895-8020 transPOP: Korea Vietnam Remix, until November 8 UC Irvine is currently hosting “transPOP,” a touring exhibition of artists from Korea, Vie

  October 14, 2008

• To Do This Weekend: 11/14 - 11/16

  Phil Shane, Friday 9 p.m. If you haven't seen this one man legend gyrate his pelvis yet, you're missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures. THE DISTRICT LOUNGE 233 W. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 714-639-7777 Imagine Peace Vigil, Friday 4 p.m. All we are saying is give peace a chance. War is over if you want it. Intersection of Culver and Michelson Intersection of Culver and Michelson Irvine, CA National Protest for Marriage Equality, Saturday 10:30 a.m. Because all men are created equal unde

  November 14, 2008

• To Do Tonight 11/18

  Tight Wad Tuesdays, 8 p.m. We're in a recession people! Spend wisely. $3 drinks all night. 195 Grill and Sports Bar 195 W. Center Street Promenade Anaheim, CA 714-999-8699 Masters of Adornment: The Miao People of China, 8 p.m. Featuring approximately 80 objects, mostly drawn from the Bowers Museum's permanent collection, the exhibition includes several distinct examples of Miao women's festive wear paired with finely crafted jewelry. Bowers Museum of Cultural Art 2002 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA

  November 18, 2008

• To Do This Weekend 12/5-12/7

  Lighting of the Bay at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, Friday 6 p.m.Santa Claus himself will kick off the holiday season by flipping a giant switch to light more than 50 impressively illuminated and decorated Christmas trees situated in the tranquil waters of the bay.Back Bay Bistro, 1131 Back Bay Dr., Newport Beach, CA; 949-729-1144Merry-achi Christmas, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.Featuring Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez; America's first all-female Mariachi - Reyna de Los Angeles.

  December 5, 2008

• Well That's the Cox Calling the Kettle Black

  While former longtime Newport Beach Republican congressman-turned-Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox lashes out at his own staff for ignoring complaints that could have exposed Bernard Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme many years earlier, others wonder if Cox is not simply diverting attention away from his own incompetence.Fans of presidential history from long ago will recall the plaque on Harry S. Truman's Oval Office desk that read, "The buck stops here." Ol' Chrissie mu

  December 17, 2008

• To Do Tonight 2/2

  Immigrant Lives in the OC & Beyond Exhibit, until May 1 The UCI Langson Library presents a photo exhibit examining the lives of those who have taken that giant leap, legally or not, and showing how they have contributed throughout history to the development of our region. University of California, Irvine, University Dr. and Campus Dr., Irvine, CA Alternative Winter Market Opening, until Feb. 6 Featuring handmade creations, ceramics, paper, paintings and more by artists with intellec

  February 2, 2009

• To Do This Weekend 2/20-2/22

  The Great Skate, Friday-Sunday 11 a.m. through March 15Irvine's Great Park (you know, home to that dollar-sucking Great Balloon) brings the simple, youthful joy of ice skating to the park in an attempt to well, just do something fun and care-free for the community in these bleak times.Great Park, Sand Canyon Avenue and Marine Way, Irvine, CA; 866-829-3829MUSINK: The 2nd Annual Tattoo Convention and Music Festival, Friday-Sunday, 12 p.m.Featuring headlining acts like Reverend Horton Heat (Friday

  February 20, 2009

• Incoming: No Doubt Returns to Orange County! Eventually.

  Full tour dates have finally been announced for archetypal OC success stories No Doubt's tour with Paramore--we've known for a while that they were going on tour at some point and the first date would be May 3 at the Bamboozle Festival in NJ, but now we've got the whole sched, and the three month-ish tour will close out with two dates at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine--where they had a mini-reunion during the encore of one of Gwen Stefani's solo shows back in June 2007--on July 31 a

  February 25, 2009

• Letters

  'I no longer sell photos but there are great benefits to being married to the Mattress Maven of the Inland Empire. My sister the Rabbi tells me she is available at a moments notice.'

  February 22, 2007

• Kill the Poor!

  April 6, 2006

• To Do Tonight - 5/13

  Open Mic Night, 9 p.m.Bring your poetry, acoustic music and snaps to Long Beach's favorite (non-chain!) coffeehouse.Portfolio Coffeehouse, 2300 Fourth St., Long Beach, CA; 562-434-2486 ASID/OCC Design Tour, 3 p.m.New ideas for summer tabletops from Lynn Chichi of Chichi's Tabletalk.Central Park West, 2500 Michelson, Suite 100, Irvine, CA; 949-863-9017Banned Books Book Group, 7 p.m.Join the Banned Book Group for a discussion of Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala. New member

  May 13, 2009

• To Do Tonight - 7/2

  Film Screening: Rear Window, 7 p.m.View this Alfred Hitchcock classic starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, as it was intended to be seen: on the big screen.UC Irvine, Winifred Smith Hall, W. Peltason and Campus Dr., Irvine, CA; 949-637-0749 Salsa Group Class and Dance, 9 p.m.Bust out your best spicy Latino dance moves to these funky fresh grooves.Avant Garde Ballroom, 4220 Scott Drive, Newport Beach, CA; 949-442-9600Jamie Foxx, 8 p.m.He's an actor, a musician, a

  July 2, 2009

• Orange County Mud Run

  July 16, 2009

• Take Note, Budding Moviemakers: Kimera Is Running An Ad-Making Contest

  ​The Irvine restaurant is already offering a movie-related tie-in (each diner purchasing a $20 two-course or $30 three-course Movie Night Menu gets a free film ticket, but you must book--and mention the deal--in advance).But this is different--something that will actually get people thinking. Although the challenge is tough--applicants have to come up with a "15-second, family friendly commercial that illustrates why Kimera is an Orange County landmark"--the prize is worth it for aspiring, er,

  September 29, 2009

• Larry Agran, Then and Now

  Agran: Follow the bouncing tax dollars.THEN:January 28, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  #2003-10 SUBJECT:  City of Irvine Announces Funding Plan for Orange County Great Park IRVINE, CA-- Today, the City of Irvine released a detailed plan for funding the development and maintenance of a $353 million Orange County Great Park at the former Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro. The plan requires all costs to be shared among landowners and developers and does not require additional funding by fe

  July 10, 2009

• New Santa Ana Rule: Please Do Not Defecate In The Elevator

  ​An Irvine, California-based property management company was forced last week to remind tenants in a Santa Ana housing complex about common rules of decency. In a letter mailed to each unit, the manager urged tenants to "please be considerate" by using trash cans for trash, keeping noise down at night and monitoring unruly, screaming children playing soccer in the building's concrete courtyard. But that was not what caught our attention. The manager's final request was, no joke, "And please do

  October 25, 2009