Archive for January, 2010
What to Consider in Anticipation of a Major Transaction
January 31st, 2010 | 
Author: 
GreenGoPost.com has spent much time talking about the "what-if" scenarios in the world of renewable energy and green technology.
But there are companies out there that have found much success. For those of you considering a major transaction for your business, whether it is a sale, merger, private equity financing, or debt financing, I invited Ara Babaian, a partner at the Beverly Hills firm of Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP, to write about the issues involved in undertaking a large transaction. (more...)
Parkman Triangle Park in Silver Lake
At the corner of Silver Lake Boulevard and Parkman Avenue lies a 2000-square foot patch of asphalt that has lain empty for decades. Occasionally, trash is strewn across it; sometimes there are unpermitted weekend yard sales or flea markets; often cars are parked on it illegally. Years ago this space was paved over to make right turns off of Parkman to Silver Lake Blvd. safer, but the redesign left wasted space that currently does nothing for the local community.But soon, after two years of research, phone calls, and neighborhood activism, this barren space in Silver Lake, south of Sunset Boulevard, will become a vibrant park, thanks to the Parkman Triangle Improvement Project. (more...)
The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
Rio is one of those must visit cities, so you should be sure to visit before the 2016 Summer Olympics in case its leaders decide to erase its wonderful retro sheen.Naturally the beaches are lovely, but you must visit the Botanical Garden, at the foot of Corvocado mountain. When we visited in 2004, we happened to visit there on a very rainy day, but we loved every moment of it. Whether you are into orchids, palms, carnivorous plants, cacti, or flowers, you will be in heaven.
Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.
That line ended the 1974 film, Chinatown, one of the great psychodramas of all time. Inspired by the catastrophic disputes over land and water that embroiled Southern California politics in controversy during the early 1920s, Chinatown should be on your must-see list if you have yet to watch it.It's funny how that term, Chinatown, is part of our American conscience. Part of it is that when about 1 in 5 of the earth's population has roots in that region, you are bound to run into a Chinatown, or at least a cluster of Chinese restaurants and businesses. You shouldn't miss San Francisco's Chinatown when visiting, though the real joy of this neighborhood is exploring its back alleys like Ross and Waverly. New York's Chinatown is vibrant and full of cheap eats in a city that's notorious for assaulting your wallet. Los Angeles still has a Chinatown, but drive a few miles east to towns like Alhambra or Rosemead if you want truly authentic food and a good foot massage. (more...)
Going Paleo
Next month we are going to Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, for Carnival. It will be my second time in Brazil and first in Salvador, and I am looking forward to this trip. I am a little nervous, however--the word on the street is that Brazilian immigration will not allow you in the country if you have an excess of 9% body fat, and it's too late for plastic surgery. So being in a country where the term "dress code" is probably presumptuous is a little nerve wracking. Let's just face it, Brazil is noted for its gorgeous people and sense of style and design, so how is an American guy going to fit (pardon the pun) in? Well, we're trying a diet that actually works and at many levels is sustainable: the Paleolithic Diet. (more...)What Green Economy?
Yesterday, as I walked up Pico Boulevard to the Los Angeles Convention Center, a sense of doom overcame me as I saw the crowds outside the entrance on Figueroa Street.Drat, I thought. It's 10:20, it started at 10, and I won't get into the Go Green Expo. The place is mobbed, so "green" really is the rage! There will be thousands of people accosting the exhibit hall for a handful of job openings--just like what we see in the newspapers when a new hotel opens and 3000 folks queue up for 100 jobs.
I could not believe all the tension in the air. People really looked down and out. It seemed half of them were smoking cigarettes. I saw many with determined looks on their faces. It seemed that most were with their families. Such is life in LA at a time when employment is over 12%.
Will I ever get in, I thought, as I approached the glass and steel entrance.
Posted in business | 
Tags: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Go Green Expo, green events, green jobs, greenwashing, Los Angeles | 
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Beyond the Kale
I try my best to buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. I loved my time in Chile, but I prefer not to buy produce shipped from there. I'm staying away from salad greens, only because we got spoiled last year when we grew our own salad greens: my attempt at a winter crop was sabotaged by a posse of nut-burying squirrels. I have become smitten though by one vegetable over the past year: kale. (more...)
Posted in food and consumer products |
Tags: gardening, kale, organic, recipes, seasonal food, slow food |
1 Comment »
Pour Some (Brazilian) Sugar On Me
It has been said that the North Korean diplomatic outpost in Uzbekistan has probably the worst diplomatic staff on the face of the earth. The second worst is probably the staff of the Brazilian Consulate in Los Angeles. Horror stories abound, the most recent of which comes from poor (name withheld to avoid any risk of a denied visa), who upon presenting all of his documents, was told, "Oh, you're going to Salvador? I love it there . . . but I cannot issue you a visa . . . Ha! You should have seen the look on your face! Oh, but I'm not issuing you a visa because you don't have a proper blank page in your passport." Meanwhile, a sign above the windows admonish the following: (more...)
Posted in International, energy |
Tags: biofuels, Brazil, ethanol, Minas Gerais, Petrobras, sugar cane |
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LA’s Fragile Water Supply
Los Angeles and water sure have a sordid history together. Of course there's the 1974 movie, Chinatown, that sums up the backroom deals and violence that worked to bring water to a thirsty and ambitious Southern California. Now we are on the verge of another chapter in the "water wars," as years of drought, increasing population, and frustration elsewhere in California threaten to disrupt the way of life to which Angelinos have grown accustomed.
(more...)
Posted in water |
Tags: conservation, Ivanhoe Reservior, Los Angeles, Patrick Benson, Silver Lake, Silver Lake Reservoir, videos, water rationing, water wars |
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The Real California
I spent MLK weekend in Fresno visiting an old college friend. The drive to Fresno is about four hours, and takes you to a completely different world than to which we are accustomed in Southern California or the Bay Area. We tend to be dismissive of this part of the state, but there is much that the San Joaquin Valley offers the visitor. For better or for worse, that bag of goodies you have snagged at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's most likely had its origins in this region, the true bread basket (or gift basket?) of America. Fresno County is the largest agricultural county in the nation; its neighbor, Tulare County, is number two. (more...)
Posted in air - land - quality of life, art and culture, construction and architecture |
Tags: Armenian, farming, Fresno, San Joaquin Valley, Tower District, travel |
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Farewell, Ericka
We are sad to share the news that Ericka Norman was lost in last week's Haiti earthquake.
Here are just a few words from her sister:
Ericka IS one of God's special ones and we are all better for having been allowed to the privilege to know her. She
has special angels waiting to greet her; I suspect that we now have another guardian angel watching over us.
There was a huge expat community in Haiti that was trying their best to alleviate that nation's suffering. Many have been lost, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.
A Story Recycles
Companies from your corner hair salon to Wal-Mart are all on the sustainability bandwagon. When you walk into a shop, it's now common to be bombarded with signs bragging how "green" a company's "recycled" and "eco-friendly" products are. Professional services firms are riding this wave as well, creating "green" committees and including "sustainability" sections on their web sites.
Try selling this to Margie Pabigian, the facilities manager of a West LA law firm, and she'll just shrug her shoulders and laugh. Sustainability, recycling, and living simply has been her family's story for a long time. (more...)
Posted in air - land - quality of life, art and culture, business |
Tags: Armenian, Charlie Pabigian, Margie Pabigian, paper, recycling, United Paper Stock Company |
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A Korean Winter Dream
Two events occurred after I left Korea that I wished I could have witnessed. First, the 2002 World Cup, though being there in 1996 when Korea the bid with Japan was interesting for Koreans' collective angst at having to settle for co-hosting that extravaganza. Second, last week much of Korea was buried in 10 inches (25 cm), of snow, a record since the country first gauged statistics in 1937. In addition to the traffic, I can only imagine the mayhem resulting from those trying to trudge through Myong-dong in platform shoes or delivering noodles or appliances on the back of a motorbike. Perhaps this was a case of best witnessing the news from the safety of television. However, what that odd weather pattern does remind us is of Korea's third attempt to host the Winter Olympics, this time in 2018 in PyeongChang. (more...)Haiti – Ericka Norman
The horrible tragedy in Haiti is affecting many of us. I'm posting this for a friend who now lives in Singapore--her maid of honor works for the UN and is now missing:
Hello All,
I wanted to contact you all to let you know that the horrible disaster in Haiti has touched Ericka Norman, someone verydear to me. Some of you may remember her as my maid-of-honor at my wedding.
Ericka works for the UN and was transferred from Kosovo to Haiti some years ago. Ericka worked at the UN
headquarters in Port-au-Prince, the building that collapsed. We know that she was in the building the morning of the quake because I talked to her on the phone at about 10AM her time. It is unclear whether she left for a meeting at 4:30PM or remained in her office until the time the quake hit.
Her husband managed to contact to her family in Seattle and reported that he and their toddler are safe. However, Ericka is still missing. Communications is poor and there is a chance she is injured in one of the many medical centers.
We are all hoping for the best.
I will keep you all posted on any new information. I am posting a link to the iReport page set up by a friend of
Ericka’s in the US.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-385749?ref=feeds/latest
Regards,
Deanna
Water: the message of Election 2010
This Monday I attended a talk that Dr. Richard Bernard gave at the California Endowment. Dr. Bernard is a consultant at Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, a public opinion firm based in Santa Monica that has worked on many high-profile campaigns in California. During his 90 minute discussion, he spoke about the political climate in California and the United States and what advocates in California can do in order for measures ranging from the preservation of open space to statewide water initiatives succeed in what is a very challenging environment. (more...)
Posted in politics, water |
Tags: 2010 Election, California, Fairbank Maslin Maullin and Associates, Richard Bernard |
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