ReportLA

Trolling for Ideas

USC

Researchers at USC have applied the 90 second speed dating model to help facilitate the exchange of ideas and the search for research partners.  Can posts on Craigslist be far behind?

Speed Dating at USC

L.A. Mayor to Unions, "Take Less"

Mayor calls on Coalition of City Unions to accept wage and benefit concessions or layoffs.  The union wants buyouts.  With a $300 million dollar budget hole to fill, can compromise be far behind?

L.A. Times: Unions face Layoffs   

Fill it up With H2, Please

CalEPA is spending 3.4 Million to build two Hydrogen filling stations in Southern California.  One will be in Westwood.  The other in Newport Beach.  Details below.

Hydrogen Filling Stations Information

Sex, We Love it, We Hate it

Spring must be in the air.  Lots of academics are presenting think pieces on this country's widly divergent attitudes toward one of our most primal instincts.  And I'm just talking about straight heterosexual coupling here.  UCLA and Rand offer up some thoughts.

UCLA

Rand Commentary

Legalize It

More and more media attention is being paid to the idea that pot should be legal.  Steve Lopez  has taken up Tom Ammiano's  crusade recently and in a very informal poll, 94%  of people responding favored legalization.  While not advocating legalization, Time Magazine   has a piece outlining the gray areas between the Federal and State approaches to prosecuting pot offendors. This is an idea whose time has come.  Contact your State Senator and Representative early and often.

Photo-Time Magazine

BIG BLUE BUS, Say it Ain't So!

The Santa Monica Big Blue Bus line has been fined by the Cal EPA for, "failing to test, measure and maintain records of its heavy duty transit fleet in 2006 and 2007."  More ugly details below.

CalEPA fines Big Blue Bus

Two Local Schools Part of EPA Study

Soto Street Elementary School in Los Angeles and Santa Anita Christian Academy School in El Monte are two of the schools around the country that will undergo outdoor air monitering in a program that is designed to help protect children from toxic air pollution.  More details through the link.

EPA School Testing

What do you Mean You Sacked the Dwarfs?

Bad news at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Layoffs at U.S. Theme Parks

Budget, What Budget?

I'm a day late with this, but the Public Policy Institute of California came out with polling data related to the propositions on ballot in May.  The people are not happy and they're looking for concrete solutions to the budget problems that are plaguing us all.  See for yourself.

Public Policy's Polling Data

Name That Mars Rover

Colbert got his name on the Space Station.  Is he destined to hold all the naming rights?  Link and vote.

Name the Mars Rover