Filed under: Feature | Tags: 2009, California, Castro, Downtown Los Angeles, LA, Los Angeles, Mariachi Square, New York City, NYC, San Francisco, Santa, Santacon, Santarchy, SF, United States, Washington Square Park
SANTACON: DON’T MAKE SANTA MESS YOU UP
Downtown Los Angeles
Photo Credit: Daily Marauder
Over the weekend, the Santas converged, ready to get their drink on. Santacon began in 1994 in San Francisco when a group of 30 Santa’s converged on downtown SF and caused a bit of Kris Kringle mayhem. That spontaneous coordination of Santa fun has progressed into an international phenomenon. Saturday, Santacon dropped in on NYC, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The crowd descended on a Santa-infused pub crawl bringing chaos and fun in its wake. Did you happen to catch the red and white tide? If so, here’s a few pics to catch you up on the fun you missed.
Los Angeles
Mariachi Square, Los Angeles “Sado Masachristmas”
Photo Credit: Daily Marauder
We were in attendance on this one and it was truly an interesting array of creative holiday spirit. Locations were communicated either through traditional means (shouting) or through more digital means (Twitter). As this is a driving town, I was relieved to find that the flask-bearing crowd took the subway from location to location.
And who knew Santa had beef? In this shot, clowns show up to protest Santa’s progression through the streets. And yes, it rains in LA.
La Perla Los Angeles
Photo Credit: Daily Marauder
Here the singing Santas take over the subway. Yup, I didn’t know LA had one either…
New York City
Washington Square Park, NYC
Photo Credit: Sdavisk
San Francisco
Castro, San Francisco
Photo Credit: Jon Bauer
For more information on Santacon coming to a city near you, check out this calendar of events. Happy Holidays from one Santa to another.
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Filed under: Feature | Tags: Cheese, Cheese sandwich, Cooking, Dave Danhi, Grilled Cheese Truck, Home, Katz's, Los Angeles, Michele Grant’s, NYC, S'Mac, Sandwiches, Twitter, Water Grill
FOOD TRUCKS IN THE WILD: THE GRILLED CHEESE TRUCK
Last night in Silverlake here in Los Angeles, I made up my mind to track down The Grilled Cheese Truck after consulting with @thirteenny and convincing @kw to come with me. I located the cheesy goodness on Twitter and made my way down to MOCA to sample the wares.
After driving around for 20 minutes trying to locate a spot, I gave up and parked my car with the hazards on. There was no way I was walking away without a grilled cheese sandwich in hand, even if I had to cry in front of a parking attendant to get one. Out-of-state plates are so useful in times of need.
After a quick read of the menu, the combinations were a bit less than inventive. They could learn something from a quick study of S’Mac’s menu in the East Village, NYC. Mac & Cheese yes but stunning combinations of cheese all the same. All the same, a good classic is a good classic. I was ready to get this cheesy party started.
I went with the Cheesy Mac and Rib because really, isn’t it double the carbs, double the fun? Now, paying $7 for a grilled cheese sandwich isn’t something I’m in the habit of doing but what the hell, a girl’s gotta eat.
Photo Credit: Zach Behrens/LAist
The sandwich left me with several highs and a few low notes. On the upside, the cheese was perfectly melted and the sharpness of the cheddar perfectly paired with the sweetness in the BBQ pork and caramelized onions. The induced sad face came from the clump of BBQ pork aggregated in the middle of the sandwich rather than spread around for evenness. I expect a little extra on a $7 sandwich. Of course, I’ll pay $15 for a Katz’s Pastrami because I know it will be perfection every time.
In the end, as I shivered on the street while watching my illegally parked car like a hawk and downing melted cheese, I was satisfied with my melted goodness. That said, I won’t be as intent on tracking the truck down in the future.
The trucks’s chef Dave Danhi hails from an impressive list of restaurants from the Water Grill, Roxbury Supper Club, Habana, and Georgia. After a pre-melt in the Farmer’s Market, the truck launched to the masses on October 27th. The power of the launch was strengthened by Danhi and partner Michele Grant’s twitter feed launched 2 months earlier to spread the buzz. That goal was certainly attained as I don’t know single Angelino who hasn’t mentioned the truck in the past week. At this point, food trucks and twitter feeds are almost synonymous with each other. If you’re looking for a Twitter list of food trucks in your city, check these out:
As I drove home to West Hollywood full of toasted cheesiness, I passed countless Mexican food trucks and began to ponder. Yes, there is a food truck craze in full tilt. Yes, we love them. But what about the trucks that started it all? On my next commute home, I’m stopping there and getting a $3 taco. I’m pretty sure I’ll be even more satisfied.
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Filed under: Feature | Tags: Bicycle, Bike, Biking, Brooklyn, Commute, Cycling, Downtown Los Angeles, Helen's Cycles, Los Angeles, New York City
NYC VS. LA: COMMUTING VIA BIKE
Downtown LA
Photo Credit: the bocket
For the past 2 years, I’ve fancied myself a biker. Not simply one of those Spandex-wearing weekend riders but someone who commuted to her midtown office from the East Village frequently. Upon moving from NYC to LA, I thought my cycling would surely increase in intensity. After searching tirelessly for a new bike after mine was stolen in Brooklyn, I picked up some new wheels from Monty at Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica.
My Baby at the Starting Point/ West Hollywood, CA (I can finally rock a spoke card)
After a few weekend rides from Manhattan Beach to Palos Verdes, I thought I was ready to try the commute from my home in West Hollywood to Daily Marauder’s office downtown LA.
The Road
After procrastinating for far too long, I left my house at approximately 9:45AM. I took the diagonal down to Venice Boulevard along San Vicente. The wide road and easy traffic left me feeling over-confident. The computer on my back in my messenger bag started to ping my former shoulder injury almost immediately. Venice Boulevard in sight, I made the left and continued on ‘glee’-ful that I would finally have a bike lane. I did, for perhaps 2 lights. Le sigh.
Then, it was bike lane-free for the remaining 7 miles downtown. The traffic was light which made things fear-free.
Downtown LA
After arriving at work, I picked up the prerequisite coffee and quiche and carried my bike up the 4 flights of stairs to our office. I was exhausted and what’s more, at around 5PM, I would have to do it all again. Speaking of which, the ride home was by far scarier darting in between cars and buses pretending to be a bad ass while I tried to keep from peeing in my pants.
Distance: 26 miles roundtrip
Time: 2 hours and change
Hills: YES. OK…maybe I’m exaggerating here but I’m used to FLAT.
Pride: You can suck it LA. I’ll be back out there next Monday. This time, I think a back pack is in order.
NYC vs. LA
A Statement on the MTA/ Taken at 42nd Street/6th Avenue
In NYC, my morning commute would only consist of 3 miles each way. I would wear my cute dress and flip flops and ride along with the bike messengers to prove you can fashionably pass on the left. I would breeze into HBO feeling hardly challenged and park my bike in bike parking in the basement. The bike messengers and mail people in the building thought my daily commutes were pretty hysterical, especially as I suited up in my heels whipping out my BlackBerry as I motored for the elevator. Bike Barbie in. Professional Barbie out.
In LA, I bike 13 miles to work sneakers and Lululemon wicking fabric in tow. On the eastside, I arrived at work with 2 computers staring back at me. In LA, my MacBook Pro travels on my back. NYC doesn’t do hills unless you count the approach to the George Washington Bridge which really only applies to weekend rides for most people. LA’s got hills boy…HILLS. The last thing you want to see after 12 miles home from work is a wall of hill staring back at you.
Let’s talk cars for a second. Yes, NYC drivers are mean, cut in and out of traffic and will swear at you on a daily basis.
But here’s the difference: at least they know you’re THERE.
LA drivers hardly seem to be paying any attention at all trying to get in that text while looking for the closest Coffee Bean. Wake up y’all! Between NYC and LA, far too many of my friends have been hit by cars. A friend was recently hit in Brooklyn and more than twelve weeks later is still walking with a boot. Hell, I’ve been hit by a cab before. Be careful out there. I know some bikers can be assholes. I’ve seen them and ridden with them. They drive me nutty. Keep in mind; they are the few. Most of us are cool people who just want an alternative means to work outside the 4 wheels and gas tank (not to exclude you hybrids out there). So, in whatever city you live, go get your bike commute on and drop me a note and let me know how it goes.
Bike Commuting in NYC:
Bike Commuting in LA:
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Costume, Facebook, Halloween, Idyllic Nerd Commune, INC, Los Angeles, Neighborgoods, Parties, Recreation, Website
HALLOWEEN COSTUME SHARE IN LA: NEIGHBORGOODS STYLE
Neighborgoods, the web site encouraging users in the LA area to share and share alike, is throwing a Halloween Costume Sharefor members only. Come down, bring a costume, and find a new one that you can rock out this year. Last year, I rode my bike in Critical Mass NYC on Halloween in a carelessly stitched Facebook costume. This year, I plan to fight someone to the death for the mustard costume. I’ve got ears on the inside…otherwise known as Daily Marauder shares office space with Neighborgoods.
Time: Friday October 30th at 8:00PM PT
Location: Idyllic Nerd Commune, 923 East 3rd Street #407, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tickets: Free but you must be a member to roll so if not, sign up here.
If you’re not familiar with Neighborgoods, the site allows you to share and find things through friends or strangers. Have an extra bucket to share? Need a Kindle for a long flight? Hello Neighborgoods. You can also earn money for sharing (or shall I say renting) your stuff. And if you need some fun ideas for Halloween costumes, check this out.
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- Win Tickets to Heidi Klum’s Halloween Party! (justjared.buzznet.com)
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Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Columbia Pictures, comScore, Documentary film, Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Michael Jackson, Twitter, United States
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
On Wednesday, Columbia Pictures is releasing Michael Jackson’s documentary “This Is It” in theaters across the world.Before the film hits theaters though, it will make its worldwide premiere at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles today. The red carpet for the premiere will be live streamed via webcastacross the world, starting at 4:30 PM PDT. (Mashable10/26)
Twitter’s growth these days seems to be coming from abroad. ComScore data shows a 6.7 percent jump from August to September in worldwide vistors to 58.4 million (which translates to 949 percent increase from a year ago). The 20.9 million visitors from the U.S., in contrast, has remained flat since June. (Techcrunch10/26)
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Filed under: Feature | Tags: AIDS, California, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Office Space, Real Housewives, San Francisco, United States
DAILY MARAUDER GOES AWOL
Photo Credit: Thomas Hawke
Hey there loyal Marauderists,
Daily Marauder will be on hiatus from tomorrow until September. Being that this is such a large swath of time, I thought it would be worth mentioning a few reasons why we are going dark for so long. Take a deep breathe and deal with the abandonment issues. The purpose of this hiatus is to re-brand the site, re-define the user experience, and add what the movie Office Space refers to as a little bit more flair.
Daily Marauder has been a passion project of mine for the past 3 years. My mission for this site has always been to learn while assessing the digital landscape and speaking to companies about their strategies in this space. This, is still my mission. However, to continue to progress while maintaining some sense of sanity, I need some time to breathe, to re-create, and hopefully to produce a product you like even better than the one before it. During this hiatus, I will be doing a few things:
1) Beginning this Sunday, I and 2,000 other riders, will be biking from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the AIDS Lifecycle in support of the AIDS Foundation. If you would like to donate to the AIDS Foundation, click here. If you are interested in the journey, click on the image below or head to either of two places: www.twitter.com/dailymarauder or www.sftolaonbike.com
2) Re-brand and re-define: In the month of June, I plan to redefine my user flow and redesign the site to support that flow. The intention is to create a site which flows a bit easier and provides a more seamless user experience. More yay! and less nay. In addition, I will be consolidating my e-mail lists. You may receive an opt-in message during that time. I hope you decide to stick with us and continue to get your digital/TV/tech news on with us.
Till then. Try not to run me over on the road and I’ll catch you on the flipside of a few more Real Housewives of NJ episodes,
Marauder
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Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: AOL, Carl Icahn, Facebook, Huffington Post, Lazard, Los Angeles, Time Warner, Tucker Carlson
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Internet investment group Digital Sky Technologies, based in London and Moscow, is investing $200 million in Facebook for a 1.96% equity stake at a $10 billion valuation. The new investor says it sees “tremendous value” in social networks “as they redefine how people communicate.” (Iwantmedia 5/27, http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700121 5/26)
Conservative political pundit Tucker Carlson is planning to launch a political news competitor to the Huffington Post, reports The Hill today. <!–
class=”snap_preview_icon”> The site will be called TheDailyCaller.com and will be focused on reporting news about the Obama Administration but will add “facts to the conversation.” (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/26/political-pundit-tucker-carlson-to-launch-competitor-to-huffington-post 5/26)
Lazard eviscerated Time Warner in 2006 with its report supporting activist investor Carl Icahn’s campaign to break up the media giant. The investment services firm is now said to be vying for a mandate from Time Warner to spin off AOL. The move could make Lazard “millions.” (Iwantmedia 5/27, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124337772665256101.html 5/27)
Two AOL subscribers are filing a lawsuit against the company for inserting advertising in its email service. Los Angeles residents Rande Bronster and Robert Nachshin allege that such ads are unlawful under the federal Electronic Communications Act and California law. (Iwantmedia 5/27, http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=106721 5/26)
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