Checking in with LA's Blogging Elite

Over the past few days, Obamathon Man has gotten a bit homesick, and thus has been contacting some of the more established bloggers back in the LA area. First, in hopes of finding advice about going green for the inauguration, I sent an email to Green LA Girl. I asked if she had any info about cold-weather clothes that were environmentally friendly, and unfortunately she didn't. But she said she'd give some thought to other green inaugural tips - look for another post along these lines (fingers crossed!). Those interested in going eco-inagural might find plenty of good general advice on her site, or you could try contacting her directly at greenlagirl@gmail.com.

Obamathon Man has been notoriously bike friendly in earlier posts. Looking for a little expertise to add gravitas to my bike posting, I contacted Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA, a group which advocates for bike friendly development, cyclist's rights, and livable streets. He was friendly and supportive of the trip my associate and I are taking, and even offered to meet up after we get back. Damien is something of a policy guru and will have plenty to say on what effect Obama and his transportation secretary Ray LaHood will have on bike policy nationwide. Unfortunately, LaHood looks to be one of Obama's more questionable appointees. But at least my hometown has approved Measure R, a sales tax which funds more buses and new subways in LA. Ironically, some bike enthusiasts have opposed measure R because it doesn't allocate enough money to bikes; I disagree because I think bikes and transit have a symbiotic relationship. The subway is going to be finished when I get back, right guys?

Leaving Tomorrow

Tomorrow Obamathon Man and his associate depart for Denver. To celebrate our last day in LA before Obama takes office, we took a leisurely afternoon stroll through some of our favorite LA haunts. We took a bunch of pictures, not all of which will fit in a blog post. But you can find all of our fine photographic works at the new Obamathon Man Flickr Page, which also includes the previously shown DC pictures and some photos from Chicago as well. Look for plenty of roadside photos from all across the country, coming soon!




We rode the metro to Pershing Square in Downtown, then visited the skating rink. Unfortunately the zamboni was called out before we had a chance to skate ourselves.




We then hopped back on the Metro and rode to Los Feliz, picking up coffee and heading to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hollyhock House/Barnsdall Park. It was a clear day and we had a nice view from the hilltop park, formerly home to a wealthy oil heiress.




Then, acting on a heavily misguided whim, we ventured west to Hollywood and Highland, aka Toruisttrapistan. We were hoping that an Obama impersonator who we'd seen earlier might be there again, and that I could use that as material for this otherwise meandering blog post. But alas, all we found was a guy trying to sell cds, and a bunch of foreign tourists. That's the one cool thing about H&H. you're surrounded by foreign languages. Portuguese to your left, Tamil to your right, and in front of you a gaggle of British tourists who can't figure out who Jackie Chan is. Surreal.



After that disappointing turn on Wax Museum Way, we were entreated to a nice holiday scene on the subway: holiday flowers and a hipster in a santa hat.




I'm thrilled to be trekking, but I'll be a bit nostalgic for my home town. If for no other reason, for the weather.

In other LA-related news, congratulations to Hilda Solis, who has been appointed by Obama to head the U.S. labor department. Solis is an LA native and long time representative of the San Gabriel Valley's 32nd congressional district. Way to represent Hilda, and Solis Navidad!

Los Angeles ♥s Obama

Full disclosure: Obamathon Man is a proud citizen of the Los Angeles area. Or as his detractors would say, an unrepentant Angeleno. LA may not be the most romantic city in the world, but we love us some Barack.



Post election, celebrations erupted across the city, above is a video of Leimert Park Nov. 4. Obamathon Man himself decided to keep it low key, celebrating election night at a quiet coffee shop in Long Beach. After the election announcement, however, the place became significantly less quiet. There were cheers, and people who had never met before exchanged hugs. Friends from Santa Monica reported that enthused revelers took to the streets, blocking traffic.


Angelenos can take pride in our unique contributions to Obama's campaign. LA is, of course, home to the "Hollywood Liberal", one of the most dangerous types of liberal. Obama's campaign has scooped up major cash from Westside elites. LA's star-centric kennels have taken an early interest in providing the Obama family with a presidential pooch, and it is still possible an LA canine may be chosen as first dog. Outside of "the business", LA is the home of googie architecture, whose futuristic giant donuts actually proved to be prophetic Obama logos.

Regrettably, there was no LA equivalent of Chicago's Grant Park Gala. The Militant Angeleno, role model and third-person inspiration to Obamathon Man, laments the lack of centralized parks in LA. Obamathon man hopes that by 2012, the Hollywood Freeway Central Park will be open, covering up an ugly freeway with a lovely park. Perhaps Obama's new public works department could pitch in to help?

In Los Angeles County, the country's largest voting district, Obama won 69% of the vote. But there are plenty of Angelenos who were displeased with the election results as well. My advice to them is to suck it up.

Obamathon Man looks forward to providing coverage of Americans' views on the inauguration during his cross-country travels next month. But along the way, I won't forget to show a little love to Angelenos back home.