Small Businesses Hit Hard By The Recession - VIDEO | Neon Tommy

Love that Neon Tommy has an eye on the fundamentals of the American economy.

Small Businesses Hit Hard By The Recession - VIDEO | Neon Tommy

Amor a la patria

I'm a salad bowl of cultures - I remember an intercultural communication class that posed the question of whether the melting pot concept was inaccurate, and even, derogatory.

But days like today make me love the land that I call home, for the salad or soup of wonders it has to offer. In fact, the city offered me a delicious sandwich from the Grilled Cheese Truck yesterday. :)

In between a lame 2-minute Gold Line photo shoot and a city council meeting (and the beginning of an awesome new project I can't disclose yet), I found one of L.A.'s most inspirational spots.

If you ever have an extra half hour in downtown, please do yourself a favor and climb up to the 27th floor of City Hall. 

Dia de los vivos

While Guatemalan/Salvadoran Dia de los Muertos is a much-celebrated remembrance of the dead, not to mention a holiday (check out this Prensa Libre package), mom ventured out of her typical candles for her difuntos (deceased) to experience a Mexican/American version of the celebration with me. I think this is the beginning of a hybrid tradition of our own. :-)

I'm working on a story about the "underground" economy behind Latino holidays to show how commerce in the immigrant community is often unaccounted for. Help me out, what do you buy the most for Dia de los Muertos? Flowers? Pan dulce? What other Latino holidays come to mind? Do you celebrate modified versions of American holidays? Tamales instead of chumpe (turkey)? How do these holidays affect your spending habits?

Fashion in L.A.

LAEDC economist on fashion industry:

While fashion manufacturing jobs are unlikely to return to L.A., the design jobs and the "creative sector" are here to stay and they will keep fashion from fleeing L.A.

Also, celebrity-driven campaigns are L.A.'s "strong suit."  "Pricey jeans"-makers can afford to keep their operations, including some manufacturing, in the state, rather than "plain vanilla jeans" that are worn until holes are ripped into them. Holes in pricey jeans are actually a premium.

On the other hand, retailers like Forever 21 are thriving during the recession because they are seizing opportunities in the real estate market and catering to the "young woman" who "shops for fun." They are also maximizing their use of L.A.'s still-large production base, which is adapting to quick turnaround periods for companies that want fashion manufactured yesterday, put on their shelves today and restocked by tomorrow.

Shoring Up Cali

The California Department of General Services is getting about $2.33 billion for 11 office properties up and down the state. About $1.2 billion of that is going to the state general fund and it will allegedly prevent further statewide program cuts and tax increases, not counting what already was approved in the state budget.

Let's keep tabs!

Running on fumes

I'm SO AWAKE and well-versed on the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles right now! :)

Just finished writing some neighborhood council and CRA/LA reports for The Neighborhood News' October/November edition.

lush

Oreana Winery in Santa Barbara has Cupcake + Wine Pairing Saturdays!

I can only vouch for their normal tasting on Labor Day Monday but I highly recommend it.