UPDATED: Pee Wee's Famous Hot Dogs and Hamburgers Rips Off Picture of its “Mexican Hot Dog” from Legendary Tucson Chain El Güero Canelo

Updated, with a comment from Pee Wee's and the Tucson Weekly at the bottom… I've been hearing good things about Pee Wee's Famous Hot Dogs and Hamburgers in Surf City, but had to roll my eyes when the Orange County Register announced this morning they were introducing “real Mexican hot dogs” to its menu. Not …

Girl in a Coma Tops Esquire's 'Best Unknown Songs' List

In the December issue of Esquire Magazine, San Antonio rockers Girl in a Coma find themselves atop “The Best Unknown Songs You Probably Haven't Heard” list of 2010. The ladies lead the collection of “eight recent under-the-radar tracks that happen to make us very thankful for this glorious season” as compiled by writer Andy Langer. …

Long Beach Cops Hold DUI Checkpoint Tonight, Costa Mesa Kicks Off the First of 2 This Month on Saturday

​ There will be a DUI checkpoint from 6 tonight to 2 a.m. Saturday within Long Beach's South Patrol Division, which includes Anaheim Street to the ocean and from Cherry Avenue to the western edge of the city. Costa Mesa holds the first of two DUI checkpoints this month from 7 p.m. Saturday to 1 …

The Orange County Interwebs Horror Show E! News Daily Insider Extra Entertainment Tonight Edition

​ Went to write this week's collection of things written about and/or from Orange County on the Interwebs, and an episode of Entertainment Tonight broke out. The following batch includes celebrities and TV characters crossing our real estate before ending with La Habra's very own tabloid queen. ] My Invitation is Probably in the Mail …

Was 2010 the Year of the Fish Taco?

Like we’ve been fundamentally late to many food trends (cupcakes, Pinkberry, churrascarias), OC has pioneered food trends that the lot of us laugh at when reporters declare them suddenly “in”–bánh mìs (and Vietnamese food, in general), luxe-loncheras, and now…fish tacos? That’s what Nation’s Restaurant News is halfway claiming, in an article showing how the number …

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido Claims He No Longer Will Receive $500,000 for Helping His Boss Buy State-Owned Buildings

The California political class is agog with news that SanTana Mayor Don Papi Pulido was scheduled to receive a $500,000 bonus if the sale of state buildings to private hands went through–that is, until the Don Papi magnanimously announced it was no longer to be. But that doesn't remove Pulido's legwork for the winning consortium, …

New Campaign Seeks to Raise $50K for Someone Cares Soup Kitchen

​ To many Orange County residents, December means wearing more than one layer of clothing, frequent shopping trips to South Coast Plaza or Fashion Island, a warm fireplace to sit by, and a heart-filled Christmas dinner. But what this picturesque image often covers up is the rise in empty stomachs locally. Orange County, one of …

Reasoning Rap and Metal in the Islamic World

In the December issue of the libertarian Reason Magazine, an article by journalist James M. Dorsey explores the cultural phenomenon of underground music scenes in the Islamic world. “Rap and Metal on Planet Islam” begins in Morocco with the story of metal head Nabyl Guennouni. Guennouni helped organize Casablanca's annual L'Boulevard des Jeunes Musiciens, a …

Christmas Plays Are the Reason for the Season

Only the bitterest Grinch could dare find fault with any theater entity producing a holiday-themed play the month of December. So, in the spirit of last year’s LAME (Lamentably Asinine Merrymaking Experience) index, meet the far-more-scientific (and two-letters-longer) CRAAAP Index, for “Christmas Really Ain’t All About Profits,” a (trademark-pending) scale that evaluates art versus commerce …

Birthers Cling to Case With an OC Connection Claiming Obama is Ineligible to be President

​Political Vel Craft (“Veil of Politics”) is an amazing site with ads against the climate change “con,” a link to the U.S. Debt Clock and blanket coverage of the WikiLeaks-exposed marriage between the United Kingdom and The Illuminati. There's also a call for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to intervene on behalf of Lt. Col. Terry Lakin, …