By Valerie Chen

Black Friday: A day when the average shopper undergoes a twisted transformation, as if the emergence of red sales tags triggers the uprising of zombie shoppers, desperately huuuunnngryyy fooorr baaaargaains. The brave venture out at 4 a.m. to hit the sales; the crazy camp on the sidewalks hours before; and the naïve eagerly try a hand at their first Black Friday mid-afternoon “adventure.”

This bargain hunter’s dream (that teeters on the brink of nightmare) is not for the weak of heart. It usually takes careful planning, lack of sleep, at least five cups of coffee and the steely resolve to not back down. You put yourself through the sea of forgotten manners because this special day comes just once a year, right? And when else can you score such a great deal for a 43-inch, 720p plasma high-definition TV?

Actually, there are plenty of other days — practically every day, including Cyber Monday, the Internet’s equivalent of Black Friday — if you know where to look.Coupon Mountain, an online resource dedicated to helping consumers save money, offers an extensive array of discount codes, deals, promotions and sales. Best of all, these reliable savings are available year-round in one, easy-to-navigate place. They’re also updated regularly and don’t require a lengthy registration process to access the coupons.

Are electronics on your shopping list? Current hot deals include $20 off online orders $100 or more at HP and 25 percent off featured laptops at Dell. Looking for toys and game consoles for holiday gifts? Earn 10 percent off on items at Kmart, in addition to an extra $5 off qualifying orders of $45 or more. And what about that so-called awesome Black Friday deal on a 43-inch, 720p plasma high-definition television set?Coupon Mountain offers $100 off a 55-inch, 1080p, LED 3-D HDTV. Sounds like a better deal, if you ask me.

The road from heavy prescription medicine usage to heroin addiction is short and devastating. And the road from addiction to overdose is just as brief and tumultuous.

An increasing number of drug addiction-related deaths in the wealthy suburban Southern California is the result of young and privileged adults gaining access to prescription medicine and getting hooked. As money dwindles, they turn to a more affordable vice: heroin.

It makes (terrifying) sense why drug users see heroin as more of a bargain. One 80-milligram OxyContin pill may cost as much as $100, while a bag of heroin can be purchased at the low price of $10, according to California Watch. Fueled by an insatiable desire for a fix, the users are unafraid to make the leap to the more severe drug.

“Suburban Junkies,” a video produced by California Watch and KQED radio, tells the harrowing stories of individuals on the front lines of the epidemic.

Blake, now a 22-year-old rehab worker, describes to viewers how he ended up getting hooked on black tar heroine. It started when he was prescribed methadone, a painkiller. But his supplier ran out and offered something called “BTH” instead. Blake then explains how it was only later that he found out that the acronym stood for black tar heroin. He quickly justified his usage of the drug as “not that big of a deal” because he “didn’t die” and was “okay.”

Dr. Robert Winokur, the emergency department director of Orange County’s Mission Hospital, knows it’s not okay: He encounters the victims on a regular basis in his work. Sometimes they’re dropped off half-dead (or already dead) in front of his emergency room:

“I would say this is an epidemic in America. Certainly it’s an epidemic in South Orange County, Los Angeles County, throughout California. Our kids are dying. These are good kids, these are athletes, these are cheerleaders, these are A students. It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy to see a 20-something-year-old die from a preventable illness.”

All might not be well financially for the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, but veteran puppeteer Bob Baker refuses to give up without a fight. Even though his theater is under the threat of foreclosure, Baker is staying so positive that he even has grand plans to expand the theater that he opened in 1961.

Although the venue is already listed for sale with an asking price of $2.05 million, Baker and his long-time fans and supporters are requesting your help. A fundraising campaign titled “Bob Baker’s Celebration and Preservation Extravaganza” invites the public to attend “a rare and exciting afternoon of live puppet magic” today at 4 p.m., according to its event page. Baker will be in attendance and will perform various acts from the timespan of his career, in addition to a sneak peek into his upcoming show “Arabian Nights.” Charles Phoenix will also be hosting (and hey, maybe Ryan Gosling, whose group had a residency at the venue a few years back, will show up, too).

A short film titled “The Art of Puppetry & Marionettes” was released this week that features a behind-the-scenes look at the marionette puppetry of Baker and his protégé Eric De La Cruz. The video is part of an ongoing documentary series called “SubCultures” that is sponsored by Rainn Wilson’s company SoulPancake. Filmmaker Erin Cantelo tells LAist that the series will “[look] at the intriguing world of Los Angeles subcultures through the eyes of one or two passionate people who share their personal stories.”

In the video, the 88-year-old Baker tells the story of how he got into the puppet business. It all began with a local department store puppetry show that piqued his soon-to-be lifelong interest at the young age of six. By the age of eight, he owned enough puppets to do a half-hour show.

As an adult, he and his business partner, the late Alton Wood, opened the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Echo Park. There, they held a countless number of puppetry performances, delighting audiences with the carefree magic of imagination. Baker had told the LAist in 2005 that he probably wouldn’t retire: “I don’t have a hobby. My stamp collection was stolen one day off the porch, so I don’t collect stamps anymore. I’d like to garden, but I can’t get down on my knees anymore. I like entertaining. I like giving a show.”

But right now, Baker’s career is at a tumultuous point. Back in 2008, the theater began to struggle as dwindling audiences and subsequent falling profit paved way for potential foreclosure. Not much has improved almost four years later. In June, Baker finally put his Marionette Theater up for sale, due to the high costs of maintaining and running the venue.

However, in the video, De La Cruz talks about Baker’s plans to transform the whole block. Baker intends to add a puppet studio, a gallery, a second theater for performances from out-of-country puppeteers and classes for those who aspire to participate in the art. His spirit, it appears, simply cannot be broken.

Baker adds:

“When you go to the theater, you pay your admission, and you watch a show with really nothing other than a piece of paper in your hand. But you take home the idea that goes on that stage; the illusion, the fantasy, the love, the drama, the music, and you’ll always have it. You’ll have it forever. I did that when I went [at] six years old. And I’m still talking about it.”

 

When Marco Lira was growing up in Simi Valley, he would never hesitate to put together a fundraiser for those in need. He and his musician friends organized local concerts and would donate the money they raised to the hungry, the sick or the victims of international disasters. Even when Lira moved to Los Angeles and became a casting associate for reality TV shows, he continued to play music and raise money for those in need.

Now friends of the 29-year-old Lira say it is their turn to raise money for their generous friend, who is facing serious medical issues and massive medical bills.

On July 14, Lira suffered a severe brain injury after accidentally falling and hitting his head, which caused his brain to swell. The actual cause of the fall is unclear, but doctors say recovery may take weeks, if not months. His subsequent hospitalization was met with vast emotional support but also massive hospital bills without the cushion of health insurance.

Lira underwent surgery after the accident to remove part of his skull and to reduce the swelling, according to close friend Ryan Moran who spoke to LAist. Lira is presently in critical condition and heavily sedated in the ICU at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in West Hollywood.

Nurses have repeatedly asked who Lira is, due to the large number of people constantly going in and out of the hospital to visit him, Moran said. He told LAist:

“His mom said that if [Marco] were able to speak right now, all the nurses would know exactly why so many people have been going in and out. He’s the kind of guy that if you know him for five minutes, you feel like he’s one of your old best friends. He’s charming and engaging, extremely kind, extremely giving and creative. When you meet him, you instantly feel like you know him.”

Back when Marco was 17 and a senior at Santa Susana High School, he and Moran organized a fundraiser to benefit Matthew Latta, who was only two years old at the time and battling leukemia. The gesture started as a senior project to showcase local bands and DJs at a dance, while raising money and collecting food for the poor. Since then, the duo has hosted other charity events with proceeds going to causes such as aid for earthquakes in Mexico.

Friends of Lira’s including Moran started the Get Well Marco fund on the website Indiegogo to help Lira with the medical expenses. In a mere two days, the campaign hit its $20,000 goal and now has raised over $26,000.

Some of the biggest stars from reality TV are asking for their followers to help Lira. “Jersey Shore” stars Vinny Guadagnino and JWoww, comedian Pete Holmes, “The Voice” contestant James Massone and “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Heather Dubrow have also spread the word about Lira via their Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Lira grew up in Simi Valley and has always been heavily involved with the arts. Although he currently works in the television industry as a casting associate for Iconic Casting* (and has worked for 495 Productions in the past), Lira’s passion has always been music, said close family friend and Ryan Moran’s brother Casey Moran. Lira sang in the L.A. pop/rock band InMemory, and you can watch Marco in action in this YouTube clip singing “It’s Not Over” with J. Bentley:

Colby Evett wanted to fly actual airplanes, but he couldn’t because of his poor eyesight. So instead of calling it quits completely, he fulfilled his aviation dreams on a smaller—though just as grand—scale: building models and sharing that joy with his customers at his hobby shop.

Evett’s Model Shop is one of the last hobby stores still standing in the Los Angeles area. It takes up residence on Santa Monica’s Ocean Boulevard, and since 1948, it has been specializing in plastic kits, diecast models and radio-controlled cars, helicopters and airplanes.

Evett did more than open up a shop (that he continues to work in at the age of 92)—he also became a pioneer in radio-controlled technology, inventing the interaction between simple radio remotes, according to Craig Anstett who created the short video “Colby And His Planes.” However, Evett was never interested in procuring a patent for the innovation.

Evett’s other impressive accomplishments include investing $1,000 in the 1950s—a large sum of money at the time—toward a Van Nuys airstrip that still exists today, as well as building models for Hollywood films and commercials.

Anstett, an L.A. resident and vintage enthusiast, stumbled upon Evett’s shop this year. Upon entering the shop, he said he felt like he had traveled into an amazing “50-year time warp”—an era when kids tinkered with model airplanes instead of playing video games.

After speaking in depth with the owner, Anstett knew that Evett’s story was one worth sharing. He worked with L.A. filmmaker Ben Pluimer in creating the short portrait documentary ”Colby and his Planes,” starring Colby and a few others who speak highly of his legacy.

Pluimer hopes that viewers of the “Colby and his Planes” will understand how rare it is for a little store like Evett’s Model Shop to have survived in such a big city for so many decades, especially since hobby shops have become increasingly obsolete.

Even though Evett is getting up there, you can still visit him and ask for a pointer if you need help on a project. Colby’s wife Yvonne Evett, who helps run the shop, told LAist, “Colby’s still here. His body has failed, but his mind is really good. He can help with projects; he just doesn’t have the body or physical strength. He’s still [at the shop] seven days a week.”

The documentary concludes with a piece of heartwarming life advice from Colby Evett: “So I feel like I’ve had a really good life of doing something I wanted to do, and I feel like I’m a success for doing it. So get out and do some work. It’s good for ya!”

You can visit Evett’s Model Shop at 1636 Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Step aside, Snooki and the Situation—it’s time for the West Coast to showcase its own loud and inebriated young population against the backdrop of Koreatown.

“K-Town” a (supposedly) unscripted reality show hosted by the YouTube channel LOUD and produced by Tyrese Gibson, follows eight Asian-Americans in their adventures of drinking, fighting and partying at nightclubs such as the Belasco.

The colorful ensemble already has their parts explicitly assigned to them in this teaser:

There’s the joker, the troublemaker, the sweetheart, the party animal, the entertainer, the bad-ass and the heartbreaker. Last but not least, there’s Violet the “drama queen” who “doesn’t need big tits and makeup like all you ugly bitches.”

Watch a clip of a “typical night in K-Town” for an idea of the cursing, bilingual yelling and purse-throwing that we’re in for:

Each episode will be about 10 minutes, and the first episode premieres this Wednesday (you can subscribe here).

We’re sure there are others like Angry Asian Man blogger who “can’t wait to start watching this train wreck of awesomeness.” The show knowingly busts the “model minority” stereotype of Asian-Americans. But it remains to be seen whether the showmakers will strike a balance and avoid the pitfalls of the heavily-criticized (and locally-based) reality show “Shahs of Sunset,” which critics called racist and exploitative.

When 29-year-old U.S. Navy petty officer Emily Valenzuela returned home to San Diego from seven months at sea, she couldn’t wait to see her beloved dog Bert. But Valenzuela’s high hopes were crushed when her puggle was nowhere in sight. It turns out that Bert was turned over to the county’s Department of Animal Services and euthanized—all without her knowledge or consent.
]]> http://valerielchen.com/2012/07/07/euthanized-dog/feed/ 0 pawprint valerielchen http://valerielchen.com/2012/06/30/actress-mila-kunis-says-she-supports-president-obama-with-illegal-graffiti/ http://valerielchen.com/2012/06/30/actress-mila-kunis-says-she-supports-president-obama-with-illegal-graffiti/#comments Sat, 30 Jun 2012 19:35:55 +0000 Valerie Chen http://valerielchen.com/?p=425 ]]> From LAist.com, published June 30, 2012

By Valerie Chen

Photo Courtesy Of: Glamour magazine cover

When actress Mila Kunis isn’t starring in movies alongside a potty-mouthed teddy bear or voicing Meg Griffin on “Family Guy,” she enjoys giving Banksy a run for his money on the streets of Los Angeles.

In an interview for Glamour, Kunis says that like much of Young Hollywood she supports President Barack Obama. But the way she does it is a little different than the rest of her glamorous peers:

Glamour: Do you fund-raise for Obama?
Mila Kunis: More like street-art-based stuff in Los Angeles that I can’t talk about…because I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.
Glamour: You graffiti?
Mila Kunis: Mm-hmm. I’d rather do that. I don’t need attention for it. What I truly believe in I will do privately.

You’ve already said too much, Mila. Now we’re curious to know just which graffiti works belong to the handiwork of the actress.

Since Kunis is pro-Obama, we’re guessing she didn’t do this Ron Paul poster that later got torn down on Rodeo Drive. And we don’t think she’s the mystery artist putting up these (admittedly cheesy) inspirational messages? Maybe she helped out Shepard Fairey with his famous “HOPE” posters during the last election, but it sounds like she’s been active during this election cycle.

We’d love to know more, but the 28-year-old actress is smart to keep details about her pasttime to herself, lest she face the wrath of the city attorney and certain city councilmen who aren’t afraid to crack down on street artists. Recently, the prolific taggers in the Metro Transit Assassins (MTA) were sentenced to performing 100 hours of graffiti removal and were forced to abide by an adult curfew.

Careful Mila, turning into a pumpkin before midnight could really put a damper on a Hollywood lifestyle.

[h/t Curbed LA]

]]> http://valerielchen.com/2012/06/30/actress-mila-kunis-says-she-supports-president-obama-with-illegal-graffiti/feed/ 0 milakunis valerielchen