Comments on: The Oddities of Los Angeles, by Matt Shirley

By: Diego Mamani

Diego Mamani — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:01:32 +0000

Hey, Caguama Beer is not Mexican, it’s Salvadorian! I bought case of cans at Ralphs, and while I find it refreshing with an OK taste, I also find it too light for my taste. It has a lower alcohol content than what I consider decent beer.

Have you ever been to an “In ‘n Out”? It looks like everybody working there is blonde and either pale- or pink-faced.

By: Man

Man — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:22:06 +0000

“Where I worked this summer, we had an ‘earthquake disaster drill’ twice monthly. This was stupid. You shouldn’t have earthquake disaster drills because you can’t prepare for earthquakes.”

Um, word?

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:13:21 +0000

I saw Ja Rule on rodeo drive when I lived in LA. A short guy, I never would have spotted him if it wasn’t for his two 6’5 body guards. That and ,although not very pc, thuggish looking black dudes stick out in that particular neighborhood.
In n out has great burgers, the fries are worthless to me though. Tommy burger with chili cheese everything, thats tasty, probably turns your heart into a time bomb though.
No way you don’t know this, but Amoeba records is numero uno.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:56:28 +0000

Matt’s article is starting to look like Facebook. Yes, I’m sure all houses in CA are being built with safeguards, however, those don’t protect you from your 6 foot tall Grandfather clock or the entire contents of that little cabinet above fridge where you keep the vases and china and other heavy, glass things from crashing on you. It’s the things we keep in our houses that I fear.. whereas outside, you just have to watch out for the trees. (in the burbs).

By: Art

Art — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:10:57 +0000

Well Kristin, is it not true that most houses these days are being built with safeguards for said earthquakes, thereby nullifying the whole “going outside” argument. At least, that’s what I hear from people I know who live in LA.

By: M Shirley

M Shirley — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:54:05 +0000

i go to in n out quite often and there are nothing but marias and fransicos at my local franchise. just because its owned by mormons doesnt mean they dislike good workers.

By: pshirley

pshirley — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:47:02 +0000

Kristin makes a good point about the fast food loophole that is In N Out. The franchise is owned by Mormons, after all. And Mormons: not so into unwhites.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:01:29 +0000

Well, Art, in the city, you’re probably right. In the suburbs (where I live), when not surrounded by other large buildings, you’re safer outside. There are lots of other open areas in LA where that is true also. At least that’s what most of us believe…

By: Art

Art — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:08 +0000

You know Matt, I’ve never been to LA, but contrary to this quote by Kristin “Get under something steady if you can’t make it to a door frame or even better, outside.” you do not go outside of a building in an earthquake.

Most people are killed by falling debris from buildings when they go outside. Unless you’re in some open meadow (and how many of those are there) you stay inside if you’re in downtown LA. Just a tip.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:16:28 +0000

Matt, your nine month development as an embryo inside LA’s gentle, nurturing uterus has truly prepared you for a glorious emergence into “la la land,” as we Orange Countyans call it. For some reason, I feel obligated to defend a few things here…

Does your idea of LA include Metro-LA? If so, as you personally experienced, in some parts of “the metro,” you might find white people scanning your grocery items and in many instances, also serving you fast food. Said places are: In n Out Burger, Starbucks, In n Out Burger and… In n Out Burger. And seriously, please don’t tell me that you’ve yet to experience the “In n Out” experience because I will be inclined to call you un-American. Well, un-Californian.

I believe you mentioned seeing Ja Rule at “Guys and Dolls” in mid-town. Cheers to the “black waldo” remark, hilarious. At a place like “Guys and Dolls,” you really only have to sort through two things: black guys and big-boobed dolls. So naturally, I can see how the distraction of the natural (or ironically, the unnaturally silicon infested) environment could hinder your ability to locate Mr. Rule.

Here’s the thing about California Earthquake drills in schools: While it’s true you can’t predict them, practicing for such an event has proven itself worthwhile to me in many instances. California kids generally know what to do when the ground below you begins to shift: Get under something steady if you can’t make it to a door frame or even better, outside. During our recent “bigger” earthquake (Chino Hills, last November I believe), I witnessed the difference between a “trained” Californian and a barbaric non-Californian during this shake. I find that out-of-towners tend to spend the entire 8-10 seconds (your seismic guestimate was close I’d say) completely freeze-framed and saying things like “oh my god, oh my god, an earthquake, oh my god, it’s an earthquake, oh my god, JESUS it’s an earthquake, holy mother of pearl it’s a freaking earthquake.”

First of all, thank you Captain Obvious. Yes, this is indeed an earthquake, and if it were to be one of those ultimate deathblow distributing earthquakes, you’re dead and I’m safely under the coffee table texting my mom. (By the way, no mention of common water-cooler conversation in southern California being about when we’ll have “the big one?”) When you head south into Huntington Harbour (my apartment), scattered about the street corners there are “Now entering Tsunami Zone” and “Tsunami evacuation route” signs. I feel that THESE are slightly more useless than earthquake drills. I mean, if a very large, destructive sea wave produced by a submarine earthquake or volcanic eruption is barreling towards me at approximately 475 miles per hour, I don’t imagine I’ll remember which way the arrow was pointing on that evacuation route sign, nor will I remember that I was indeed warned that I had entered a Tsunami zone.

Very good article, Matt! Excited for more.