Station Fire Day 2

Scenes from the stubborn Station fire burning in the foothills above La Canada.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

La Canada's Conflagration

The Station fire burning in the foothills above La Canada.

Photo and footage by Ted Soqui © 2009

MJ Lives @ Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds Hollywood unveiled a new Michael Jackson wax figure today. The wax figure, which Jackson sat for, cost $300,000 dollars to fabricate, that's a lot of candles.

Fans will be able to pose and take photos with the figure beginning tomorrow at Madame Tussauds Hollywood.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

Dominick Dunne 1925-2009

Had the privilege to have one of my photos illustrate a story he wrote for Vanity Fair on OJ Simpson.

Dominick was always a gentleman journalist, he will be missed from the ever shrinking professional LA press corp.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

Uncle Teddy 1932-2009

Goodbye, Uncle Teddy...

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2009

Chris Brown Sentenced to Five Years, Probation

Singer Chris Brown was sentenced to today to five years probation for clobbering his then girlfriend to within an inch of her life. He will serve his "sentence" somewhere in his home state of Virginia, where the crime did not occur, cleaning up graffiti or doing some "service" like that.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2009

Monday Morning

Seen @ Hollywood and Vermont this morning.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2009

AFL-CIO Join Pro Carwash Workers Rally

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney spoke on behalf of carwash workers rights at a rally held in front of the Vermont Carwash located at Vermont and Hollywood Blvd. Union workers from all over the city attended the rally to help support the carwash workers of LA to form and join a union.

A giant billboard that had a pro union message advertisement and was to have served as a background for the event, was taken down before rally was to begin. The billboard was taken by CBS down due to "pressure from the carwash owners" according to pro union representatives, the billboard is located on the carwash property.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

Defacto Prius Ads Invade SoCal Highways.

Advertisements made of water loving non-native plants and flowers will be popping up along various L.A. public highways. The non-advertisement advertisements are part of a new marketing concept by Toyota to push the new 2010 ugly assed Prius on to L.A. drivers. The campaign designed by Saatchi and Saatchi is entitled "Harmony between man, nature and machine." In return for the prime space, Toyota will landscape a total of 3 acres around the square flowered uninspired ad.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa along with Caltrans and Toyota officials help to launch and present the flower rectangle today at a press conference. There will a be a total of 7 Prius ads around the public freeways of Los Angeles from this program.

The first rectangle is at the Alpine overpass on the 110 freeway. Missing the supergraphics already. Wanna save the environment, ride a bike.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

Robbery Suspect Caught By North East LAPD Units

A mask wearing robbery suspect was spotted running from a bottle/can recycling business that he just robbed by LAPD unit that just happened to be driving by. The suspect pistol whipped and robbed an employee of the recycling business on 6152 Myosotis Ave in Highland Park, and ran off right past the LAPD unit. The suspect hid under a camper truck on Ruby Place, not far from the crime scene. A LAPD air unit circled over the general area of where the robber was spotted, calling out on their bullhorn for him to give up. More North East units showed up with a police dog and shotguns. The dog quickly found the suspect, and the officers retrieved the belligerent and spitting suspect from under the camper. The suspect was transported by ambulance from the scene.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2009

Mallika Sherawat Receives Honorary LA Citizenship

Indian film star Mallika Sherawat received honorary L.A. citizenship today from the L.A. City Council. Council people Jose Huizar and Tom LaBonge presented Mallika with a plaque during today's council meeting. Yanni, who wrote a song about the star, was also in attendance.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2009

WBC Heavyweight Championship Press Conference @ Staples Center

Boxer Vitali Klitschko (37-2) will face off again Cristobal Arreola (27-0) on Sept. 26, 2009 at the Staples Center. Both fighters claim the LA area as their home, but Arreola will have the clear hometown advantage. Vitali will be defending his WBC title against a fighter who is ten years younger and who is known to pack a serious punch. Both fighters were very respectful of each other during the press conference. Vitali claimed he didn't know who would be victorious, but said he would give his best effort and the fans would see a good fight.

HBO fight announcer Larry Merchant was spotted at the event.

I predict the fitter Klitschko will win if the fight goes past 5 rounds.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

Doing Good In Inglewood

Hundreds of Los Angeles area volunteer doctors, dentist, optometrist, and nurses are providing free healthcare services via RAM, Remote Area Medical Corp an non-profit health care organization.

RAM, founded by Stan Brock, has provided free healthcare to anyone who ask since 1985, mostly in rural and remote parts of the world.

This is the first time RAM has staged a large urban event. Over 10,000 LA area residents will receive free healthcare, the event is being held inside the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood.

Services will be provided until August 18, 2009.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

Why So Serious?

The new poster of President Barack Obama as the Joker form the "Dark Knight" seen around L.A.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2009

Wednesday Roundup

R and B singer Chris Brown attends court, only to put off the pain till Aug 27.

LAPD Chief Bratton takes the money and run, effective on Halloween.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2009

Laura And Euna Back In The USA

Journalist Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were held captive by N.Korean officials and sentenced to hard labor for entering N.Korea illegally, were pardoned and released back to the US. The pair landed early this morning at Burbank Bob Hope Airport via a snowy white 737. Euna Lee bowed as she exited the plane and they both cried and ran into the arms of their loved ones. Former President Bill Clinton flew to N.Korea to help arrange for the release of the two. Former VP Al Gore was on hand to greet them as well. Laura Ling gave an emotional briefing to the throng of waiting journalist, Euna Lee and President Clinton did not speak.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009

President Clinton To The Rescue

Photo by Ted Soqui © 1991

Eagle Rock/Glendale/Burbank/Pasadena Fire

A small brush fire broke out about 4pm today in the foothills above Eagle Rock/Glendale/Pasadena/Burbank this afternoon. Fire companies from all four surrounding cities sent fire trucks and helicopters to battle the blaze. It was quickly extinguished and sent local and freeway traffic into nightmare mode.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2009