Over at the Orange County Register, ace reporter Peggy Lowe writes tonight on Orange County Sheriff's Department blog news that two of indicted ex-Sheriff Mike Carona's Yes Folks (YF) quit today: assistant sheriffs Jo Ann Galisky and Steve Bishop.

Somehow the third and final major YFer embarrassment, Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson, remains . . . sitting atop the massive police agency, repeatedly uttering four words: "I am the sheriff' and waiting, nervously, for guidance from Carona/GOP operative Mike Schroeder.

Can the public and the honest people at OCSD ever get decent leadership? I ask this to you, Janet Nguyen.

Today's developments prefaced an upcoming unflattering grand jury report on the brutal killing of a man in pre-trial custody in October 2006. The Carona-Galisky-Bishop lie, oops, line was that a deputy standing feet away from the lethal beating (that lasted, perhaps, 20 minutes) suffers from severe ADD. They proposed that he remained clueless to the gory killing because, drum roll, he was too busy watching TV.

According to the new public employee union contract, jail deputies are required to work only during regularly scheduled TV commercials and not at all during sporting events or the airing of porno.

There's good news though. Galisky--who recently hired a criminal defense lawyer (no, really!)--won't join the unemployment line. She's announced that she will head a new private detective firm with Carona and Bishop: Blatant Liar, Screw Em & Duh, LLP.

They'll specialize in sexual harassment, illegal eavesdropping, misuse of public property and unnecessary government employee travel abroad cases. Galisky's focus? Evidence elimination and grand jury preparation tactics.

The ultra-trustworthy Full Disclosure Network reports that other notables are set to participate in the firm too. Don Haidl will supply employee perks--free boats, cash and Bible-based pep talks, but only if he gets to wear a Blatant Liar, Screw Em & Duh badge. Thanks to a grant from a mysterious individual with mysterious interests, Brian Sun and something like nine other Jones Day lawyers will work as, uhhh, "free" employees. Incarcerated Las Vegas titty bar owner Rick Rizzolo and ex-federal prosecutor Wayne Gross, a Carona apologist, have already signed on as clients. Meanwhile, Reg columnist Frank Mickadeit--who lives with Gross!?!?!--is waiting for final instructions from Schroeder before he writes a flattering column on Galisky's new business.

-- R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly

We offer our condolences to longtime Weekly photographer John Gilhooley, whose stepdaughter Paige D'Agostino passed away last Friday.

"She received a heart transplant in 2000 and after 7 plus years she had a heart attack and did not make it. Paige was 18," writes John.

There will be a memorial concert for her in Sunset Beach on Sunday, and you're all invited to come and perhaps make a donation to help the family with her medical bills. Details below:

It's February 29th, the fifth Friday in February, and the Register has failed us again.

Journalism is supposed to be objective, but that doesn't mean it can't be good. Our daily rag doesn't seem to get that. Case in point: in yesterday's story regarding the FAA's grounding of the Great Park Balloon, here's what the Reg deemed quote-worthy:

“I think we are pretty confident that we operate a safe attraction out there but as with everything there’s always room for improvement. So we hope to take care of any outstanding issues so we can get back to normal operations as soon as possible,” Burgess said.

The visitor's center will remain open and the public is free to come tour the balloon and surrounding areas, [Great Park operations manager Rod] Cooper said.

“We are going to get it up and running as soon as we can,” said Great Park Interim CEO Sharon Landers. “We are definitely being very cautious.”

Yawn. Dull. BORING! Especially when the actual language of the complaint involved is absolutely bitchen. Balloon co-pilot Jonathan Bradford claimed the balloon operators displayed a "cavalier attitude" towards FAA regulations, cultivating a "culture of unsafe behavior." Chief Pilot Gary Stevens called Bradford an "inexperienced trainee" whose accusations were "ridiculous and unprovable."

Bad news, Gary. You ain't the judge of what's provable. Read on for more actual information on the complaint.

Check out our cover boys the Holechek brothers as they pose for pictures and direct some pick-up shots for the movie:

It is frequently said, by critics, of the romantic comedies that Hollywood churns out that “if you’ve ever seen a movie before, you know exactly what’s going to happen.” In the case of PENELOPE, one doesn’t even need to have seen celluloid projected upon screen.

As the opening phrase “Once upon a time” suggests, anyone who has ever heard a fairy tale knows what direction the story will take, though there is admittedly no evil step-parent in this case, and the only wicked witch is but a minor player who long ago placed a curse upon the Wilhern family that the next girl child born to them would have the face of a pig, until such time as one of her own kind could love her for who she is.

The Wilhern family live in a big country estate that is also somehow smack-dab in the middle of a city whose central core looks like New York, with outskirts cribbed from both London and the movie MOULIN ROUGE. Motor-scooters exist in this world, as do spy cameras and two way mirrors; yet reporters bang away on manual typewriters, and there is clearly no Internet, for if there were, pig-nosed Penelope (Christina Ricci) would have zero problem finding a man – there are undoubtedly porcine fetishists out there.

And they will surely beat off to this movie for ever and ever (finally, for them, something besides the Muppet Movies).

Not exactly as sexy as water for chocolate, but still.

Those crafty bastards over at Sunlight Foundation have cranked out the latest version of their watchdog tool for the Senate, Congress, committees, lobbyists and legislature: Open Congress.

We've recently added more ways to access the info created by the public on OpenCongress: helpful comments, votes on hot bills, social networking about your interests, and more.

To find out how these new features bring you closer to what's really happening in Congress, visit today's announcement on our blog:

http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/431-New-Features-on-My-OpenCongress

Even if you haven't joined "My OpenCongress", you can help make our
site more useful. We hope you'll take a few minutes to fill out this
new user survey, your feedback is really important:

http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/11719/opencongress.htm

It's been exciting to watch the "My OpenCongress" community grow over
the past weeks and start discussions on just about everything in
Congress. We have lots more features to release in the months ahead,
so please stay tuned and let us know what you think!

Thanks,

David & the "MyOC" Team

Get it? See the relevance? OC Weekly, MyOC? That's right, baby. Copyright infringement. Just kidding.

The site is quite cool in that within minutes you can not only tabulate how a particular representative has voted or track not just the passage of a bill through committees but details on the sponsorship of said bill as well. For professional and citizen journalists, that's like talking about the texture of the lace teddy you're going to wear to the Equestrian Suite at the Madonna Inn. Or maybe that's just me.

Since moving to Santa Ana from a much larger Hollywood apartment, my home life has been a constant battle against clutter and trash, a struggle I generally lose. I can't invite anyone over to visit due to the shame of my omnipresent pile o' crap.

But I feel a whole lot better about it after reading today's Register story that highlights a home in Villa Park:

Sixteen live cats, four dead, a 3-foot pile of feces in the middle of the living room and a urine-soaked floor...Officials found cat feces in the living room and debris inside the home, across the street from Villa Park Elementary School on Center Drive. The kitchen was reported to have no running water, and baths and toilets were semi-operational or not working at all.

Four dead cats were found inside the home – two behind a piano. Several of the cats found were also suffering from burns on their paws, believed to have been caused by the urine on the floor, Amormino said. Animal Control officers confiscated 14 cats, two kittens and found two cat skulls.

My crushed beer can "collection" suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

Apparently it's not just happy cows that come from California.The Times reported earlier today that the state Department of Public Health has released a list of Southern California food retailers linked to the Chino-based slaughterhouse responsible for the largest beef recall in United States history.

The USDA ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef Sunday after the Humane Society released a video of workers at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. shoving sick and/or crippled cows with forklifts, shocking them with electric prods, dragging them with chains and shooting water up their poor little cow noses.

While no illnesses have been linked to the recalled beef, it may still be nice to know if that steak you ate two weeks ago came from the Chino plant or if it came from a happier slaughterhouse on another side of the dead animal rainbow.

To view the Times article and list of restaurants click here.

Tomorrow, those boob tube rubes known as the Parents Television Council will impart its Entertainment Seal of Approval™ (their trademark, not our lame irony) on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. "We commend the TBN Networks for upholding the positive values that families hold dear," states a PTC press release. "Our culture seems to grow ever more resistant to what is best for the family and this includes many broadcast and cable networks. The TBN networks stand out for their excellent programming that the entire family can watch and enjoy together." The release goes on to claim TBN viewers "can be assured they'll be watching programs that are devoid of inappropriate and offensive messages." Guess that means the snake charmers who fill the TBN airwaves and remain the subject of an IRS probe qualify as family programming for the PTC, eh?

We recently heard from a reader in Santa Ana who received a copy of the "Republican Party Census Document," along with an introductory letter from the RNC stating that "your answers will represent the views and opinions of ALL Republican voters living in your voting district...Unless we hear from YOU, we will not have an accurate BLUEPRINT -- a full legislative agenda and campaign plan -- and a unified Republican Party.""

Problem is, our reader is not now nor has she ever been a registered Republican. However, it's hard to imagine the survey actually matters in determining a platform, since every question is so ridiculously skewed. A few samples, after the jump...

BORA KORKMAZ, 8 p.m.
Turkish delight.
Cal State Fullerton Performing Arts Center, 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton

TROUBLE IN CHEAP SHOES, 9 p.m.
Nothin' but trouble and tunes.
Que Sera, 1923 E. Seventh St. Long Beach

JAZZ AT BOWERS: MUSIC IN THE MOMENT WITH BILL MADISON, 6 p.m.
Be sure to pick up one of Tagata's signature cocktails.
Tangata Restaurant, Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St. Santa Ana

SUPER ESTRELLA, 9 p.m.
Puro Party!
Vegas, 1901 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa

12 ANGRY MEN, 7:30 p.m.
Guilty or not guilty?
Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa

On the drive to Weekly world headquarters in SanTana today, I noticed a banner hanging on a chainlink fence near the Santiago Street Lofts. "Santiago Art District," it read, and what a relief! Faithful readers will recall my bickering with some loft residents over their attempted, lame branding of the area as the North Logan Artist District (NoLo for short), a historically inaccurate laugher if there ever was one--and it's no longer there. As I explained to the mysterious Ben Dayhoe (author of the chingón blog Life at the Santiago Lofts) last Saturday at Jason's Downown, I never meant my little crusade to become personal--I just get a little nutty when it comes to Orange County history. Dunno who was behind the name change, but the ghosts of OC past salute you, loft dwellers. Everyone else: check out the area's ArtWalk every third Saturday of the month.

LA Daily News staff are bracing for a possible shakeup after, as media blog LA Observed reports, employee representatives have sent memos saying a meeting this very afternoon could produce some very bad news.

We expect there will probably be a staff meeting called Wednesday afternoon and that they will offer buyouts, but this is not certain. I wish I had some news to offer, because I hate this confusion and darkness as much as everyone, but all I can say is that as soon as we hear anything, we'll let you know. --Union representative Brent Hopkins

OCWeekly reporter Nick Schou, who's out for the week, broke the story early last week about a series of secretive meetings between the Orange County Register and Dean Singleton's MediaNews, Inc. regarding content sharing. The reason this is a big deal is that, since Singleton owns regional newspapers like the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the LA Daily News, the companies can save money by laying off reporters who work beats that both the Reg and Singleton-owned papers, already cover.

But take a deep breath, sigh, these are just secretive meetings. It's not like every secretive meeting actually comes to fruition. That's why it's a secret. You don't want a bunch of reporters getting the wrong idea and overreacting. It's just talk.

Oh wait, yesterday Schou wrote on our blog that the content sharing is already going on.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram didn't seem to like that they had to learn about the sharing agreement from outside media sources, namely the OC Weekly. According to LA Observed, this memo was released by disgruntled employees in Long Beach.

We are very disappointed that our own management team has not granted us the courtesy and respect to tell us about an agreement that has a strong potential to undermine our job security. We would appreciate the opportunity to understand how the plan will work, how they see it as an improvement to our Press-Telegram and to ask questions about the changes. After all, we are stakeholders in this newspaper too.

I'll answer this. The purpose is not to improve the Press-Telegram. The purpose is to resuscitate waning profits by cutting back on input costs, i.e. shitcanning reporters.

JOHN SOLONE'S TRIBUTE TO SINATRA, 6:30 p.m.
Perfect pitch at Piccolino's.
8731 Los Alisos Blvd., Ste. 3 Mission Viejo

CLERKS, 7:30 p.m.
Revisiting a dead end.
1561 W. Sunflower Ave. Santa Ana CA

A LIFE ONCE LOST; ARSIS; SKELETONWITCH; VEIL OF MAYA; APATHY IN DISCHORD; SECOND SMILE, 7:30 p.m.
Embrace your inner angst.
1652 W. Lincoln Ave. Anaheim

INDOOR SWAPMEET, 8 p.m.
Get down and funky with your bad self.
2913 E. Anaheim Blvd.Long Beach CA

TWO IDIOTS PEDDLING POETRY PRESENTS UNDERGROUND MASTERS, VOLUME II, 7:30 p.m.
Revel in profundity.
261 N. Glassell St.Orange

With 7,100 Starbucks locations closing tonight at 5:30 for a three-hour, nationwide "training session," what's a coffee addict to do?

There are dozens of local coffeehouses that should be cashing in and welcoming new costumers. A few worth a visit:

• Kean Coffee, 2043 Westcliff Dr., Ste. 100, Newport Beach, (949) 642-5326.

• Gypsy Den, 2930 Bristol St., Ste. B102, Costa Mesa, (714) 549-7012. Also at 125 N. Broadway Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 835-8840.

• Avanti Cafe, 259 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 548-2224.

• Tulley's Coffee, 4610 Barranca Pkwy., Irvine, (949) 451-6855.

• Alta Coffee & Roasting Co., 506 31st St., Newport Beach, (949) 675-0233.

• Kelly's Coffee, 1801 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, (714) 621-0471. Also at 4341 Macarthur Blvd., Newport Beach, (949) 475-9288.

Where will you be getting your caffeine fix?

Joseph Pulitzer, famed newspaper magnate and founder of the Pulitzer Prize once said, "Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together." Sam Zell, billionaire and CEO of the Los Angeles Times parent Tribune Co. once said, "Everyone likes pussy. It’s un-American not to like pussy."

With such an eloquent man at the helm of the Southland's flagship newspaper, there's little doubt that our press, along with our Republic, are once again on the rise. That is, as long as we're not talking about the probably-on-the-chopping-block Washington bureau. According to LA Observed, Zell let those lazy self-important reporters in D.C. know exactly how dispensable they are at a recent meeting there. Although we are not told how this information was leaked, apparently Zell said something along the lines of "there's way too many people (at the D.C. bureau) and they should start acting like a wire service for the Tribune newspapers."

It's no secret newspapers have been axing bureaus from Washington to Moscow for years, growing ever more reliant on cheaper wire services in a pathetic attempt to reclaim the double digit profit margins of yesteryear.

The Times' Orange County bureau has taken massive hits itself in recent years. However, if Zell had his way, LA Observed reports, the situation would be "reversed" and D.C.'s bureau would see massive cuts and OC's staff would be beefed up (at least how we're interpreting it).

Does that mean we can expect better coverage of our fair county by the news juggernaut that is the Los Angeles Times? Pfft. It's probably more likely that the D.C. bureau will lose staffers and the OC bureau will lose still more staffers.

Ladies and gents, Carona's "Little Sheriff" is no more. You voted, and rechristened the indicted top cop's more active head The Little Debbie Snack.

All hail OC Weekly's fabulous proofreader Jack Grimshaw for his creativity and ability to rip off McKee Foods.

Jack, you win. . .The Little Debbie Snack, congratulations. We're not sure where your prize is at the moment, but we're sure it's up to no good. Or possibly: coming soon to a Debbie near you.

Y'know, I'm not one to advocate shopping at Urban Outfitters in the first place. It always seems to be the second to last stop for trends on their way out of style (the last being your local mall), it's overpriced and worst of all, you run a high risk of seeing a dozen other people wearing the same outfit as you.

Of course, they do carry some things I like. For instance, this, this and this.

But this shirt. This shirt pictured to your left? I don't really have much to say about it, other than if I ever see anybody wearing it in real life, I'd slap them in their big dumb faces. Just sayin'. The Truly Madly Deeply Collegiate Crew promises to be a "vintage-washed soft and shrunken crewneck sweatshirt with old-school faded graphics at the front" and it'll only cost you $38 to look like you're trying way too hard. Grey not your color? Don't worry: It also comes in black. But that one reads "Motor City Wildcats." Sorry.

It's been just over a week since I wrote that the Orange County Register is in content-sharing talks with Dean Singleton's MediaNews Inc. and a week since Register publisher Terry Horne told one of his own reporters about his vision for saving the paper, including the formation of "a consortium with other companies, to be announced soon, that will share advertising and news content."

There's no evidence the reporter even asked Horne about my story about Singleton, which is pretty bizarre given that my sources at the paper say everyone is aware of it. I also received a nasty anonymous email from someone at the paper claiming I got my facts wrong. You can see that letter in our paper Thursday, as well as my response, which concerns evidence already emerging that the deal with Singleton--which my sources told me Horne had claimed was still being negotiated--is actually already in place.

Here's the evidence: Stories by Bill Plunkett, the Register's Anaheim Angels writer, are running in numerous Singleton newspapers, including the San Bernardino Sun, the Pasadena Star-News, and the Whittier Daily News. Meanwhile, Tony Jackson of Singleton's LA Daily News is appearing in the Register for Dodgers coverage. And more recently, there's this Feb. 22 story that ran in the San Mateo County Times--a Singleton paper--with a byline that says "By Kimberly Edds and Salvador Hernandez, MEDIANEWS STAFF."

What's so strange about that, you might ask?

Edds and Hernandez, if you haven't already figured it out, happen to be Register reporters.

As the former Register reporter who sent me that link remarked, the fact that Register bylines are already appearing in Singleton papers proves not only that the paper's management can't be trusted to tell the truth to its own staff, the paper can't even be trusted to report accurately on itself.

"Typical Register . . . to start something without telling readers or maybe even staff," he said. "Not sure how a newspaper expects to develop/maintain the trust of readers when the paper doesn’t even do a good job of reporting on itself."

Today, the Daily Pilot published a piece by freelance writer Steve Smith in which he takes issue with my Feb. 10 op-ed piece for the Los Angeles Times (where I'm a contributing editor) criticizing its bowdlerized edits regarding stories (the passing of former Nixon Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz and new Times owner Sam Zell's f-you to an Orlando Sentinel photographer) where an obscenity is the story. "Contrary to popular belief, neither story is better with the bad language included," Smith asserts. "What Arellano sees as a behind-the-times (no pun intended) newspaper, I see one that distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack for not printing what everyone else is printing — and setting a standard for my kids." He also proudly boasts, "To this day, I have no idea what words Zell used, nor can I recall what that dead man said about 31 years ago. And I have no intention of finding out, even though the answer is just a Google away."

Smith makes it seems as if I argued that the Times should print as many profanities as possible and can't help but take a swipe at your favorite rag, saying the Weekly "often runs foul language in its stories and letters to the editor." Fuck yeah we do, Steve-o, and what of it? I'll take the Weekly's potty-mouth record over the Pilot's society pages-light coverage any day--but that's besides the point. Fact is, Smith misread my Times piece. Here's my op-ed's thesis:

But it's one thing to publish an unedited Howard Stern rant or print a transcript of the latest Paris Hilton sexcapades; it's quite another when the vulgarity itself is the story.

If Smith cares so much about his kids, he'd click here to find Butz's vulgar remarks and teach the chamaco to do otherwise. Same thing with Zell's f-bomb. His most ridiculous point, however, is his claim that parents are "smart enough to figure out the content on our own without having it shoved in front of us night and day." Ha! Anyone clever enough to figure out Butz's joke is lying or a fan of H. Millard--so which is it, Steve?

GLORIOUS DRUNK, 8 p.m.
Passing out in a blaze of glory.
The Pike Bar & Grill, 1836 E. Fourth St.Long Beach

TONY LUCCA; ROB GILES; TIM JONES, 7:30 p.m.
Acoustic rock star.
Plush Lounge, 207 N. Harbor Blvd.Fullerton

LIVE COUNTRY MUSIC, 8 p.m.
Spin your partner round and round.
OC Tavern, 2369 S. El Camino RealSan Clemente

MANNEQUIN, 9 p.m.
That's so 80's!
Que Sera, 1923 E. Seventh St.Long Beach

COISCEIM, 8 p.m.
Relationships never seemed quite so complicated.
Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr.Irvine

Well, the good news is the Register finally took down those "Our marriage is great because of M.E.!" click-thru marriage education ads, which have recently tortured anyone attempting to access the paper online. Guess someone found them tasteless, considering.

The bad news?

In case you hadn't heard, on Saturday night Orlando Cho of Yorba Linda shot and killed his wife and three of his four children. The fourth child, 14-year-old Ian Mercado, is recovering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Read to the bottom for details on how to donate to Ian's cause.

The killings are described as the worst in Orange County's recent history - debatable. What's not debatable is that the Register is taking an impressive amount of flak over their so-called flawed coverage of the story.

From the very first comment once the story went on-line, readers expressed their indignation:

canyonrob wrote:

Why do CNN and the San Diego U-T both have larger, more detailed stories about this local event than the Register...and why is this not on the front page? If someone from another city was to come here looking for more information on this story, they'd be seriously disappointed. Great LOCAL coverage, Register...keep up the bad work!

bronsonator wrote:

I agrew with canyonrob. I wrote the editor at OCR (via email) with this at about 8:50 this morning: A murder – suicide leaving 5 dead in Brea happens at 11PM Saturday night. On Sunday morning, not only was it not in your paper (deadlines, I know), but it wasn’t even listed on your website under headlines OR local news at 9 am Sunday morning! Yet, Foxnews.com has it via the AP. Sucks to see the national boys have got my local paper scooped on a story in their own backyard. Makes me wonder why I’m still subscribing when I can learn all I want for free on FOX.

Courtesy of the Orange County chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws:

In the movie THE SIGNAL, my film pick for this past weekend, a mysterious subliminal pulse is sent out via various forms of media, turning the people who receive it crazy, and usually homicidal.

The movie is a work of fiction. But at the AMC in Fullerton, it came true, during a screening of THE SIGNAL:

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., officers were sent to the theater at 1000 S. Lemon St. after someone reported finding a bag with what appeared to be illegal substances, said Fullerton police Lt. Tom Basham.

While the officers were at the theater, people started running out of the theater showing "The Signal," including two men with blood on them, Basham said.

Just before people started running out in a panic, two men sitting in separate areas of the theater were randomly stabbed by an unknown man, Basham said.

"He started stabbing at the theater seat and then he stabbed the victim," Basham said. "As he fled, he stabbed another victim sitting near the exit."

Basham said the victims did not know each other or the suspect.

No doubt this is great fodder for those who'd like to ban horror movies, or think that people will invariably copy what they see. So thanks a bunch, dumbass criminals, for ruining it for the rest of us.

Unless the Signal IS real...

(hat tip: AICN)

Over the weekend, Orange County Register columnist Gordon "Bootlicker" Dillow wrote some claptrap about the continuing controversy involving the proposed renaming of John Wayne Airport to something reflecting idiot Orange County television shows. But because the Reg is the Reg, that column isn't online despite it coming out yesterday...wait, I just found it after digging. Argh! Where were we? Ah, yes: in trying to find Dillow's most recent column, we stumbled upon a reminder of his one good cause over the years--urging veterans in 2002 to visit legendary cartoonist Bill Maudlin before he passed away in a Newport Beach retirement home. Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran an excerpt of Bill Maudlin: A Life Up Front, in which Dillow is given prominent, rightful play for promoting Maudlin in his final days. The book is out today--buy it, and remember the old adage about blind pigs and truffles.

Dave Segal moved into Detroit Bar on both Friday and Saturday nights: "Free the Robots' thrilling [Friday] live show blew away Afrika Bambaataa's moldy DJ set. Local upstarts overshadowed a legend!" And on Sat, "DJs Josh One, Hyder, James Pants and Peanut Butter Wolf spun loads of great hip-hop cuts and freaky dance tracks that didn't fit neatly into any categories."

Saturday took our interns Patrick Chavis and Nate Jackson to Cal State Long Beach for the Ludacris concert/protest and the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds for Kat Von D's MusInk Tattoo and Music Festival, respectively. Patrick chatted protesters up in the rain while Nate ogled the heavily-inked and scantily clad, then caught the Tiger Army performance at the concert hall on the premises. Photographer Christopher Victorio dropped in on MusInk on all three days and will shoot us tons of snaps later today.

Also on Saturday: CV shot Billy Joel at the Honda Center while Reid Sheldon took in The Henry Clay People at The Prospector in Long Beach. He writes: "Some might have been disappointed with a set of mostly covers (there were one or two others in there that I can't remember right now), but really I found myself more than satisfied. They played my two favorite originals as well as a brand new song from their forthcoming full length album that will be out later this month. They came, they drank, they rocked, and I hope someone sober drove them home (probably one of the nice girls selling their merch)." Read the rest of Reid's review here.

Elsewhere, LYT rediscovered the wonders of Wal-Mart, where he bought shelves, "the three-disc director's cut of HELLBOY for $9.44, and ear-plugs, for all the leaf-blowers and lawnmowers in Santa Ana. Dental floss too. Wal-Mart's pretty cool sometimes."

On Sunday, food blogger Edwin Goei reviewed Pho Ha Noi, which took the place of the pricier Saigon Grille in Irvine. Check back next Sun. for Edwin's take on a certain hot dog stand that's set up in front of the REI Sporting Goods Store in Santa Ana on the weekends.

Christopher visited Huntington Beach High School for the OCTO (Orange County Transporter Organization) Winter Meet, which featured scores of cute but rusty Volkswagen buses. Later in the night, he dropped in on the last leg of the DJ wars at OC Weekly's Spin City event at Sutra, where Irvine boy DJ Dizzy won the right to take his scratching skills to Miami. Again, photos to come.

Last but never least, Gustavo Arellano appeared on Inside OC with Rick Reiff with OC Register reporter Norberto Santana, Jr. on Sunday. (Santana joined G. at Jason's for his usual Corsican calamari and Bloody Mary Friday.) Tune in to KOCE on Wednesday if you missed the show.

SALSA MONDAYS, 8:30 p.m.
Shake it at Sachi.
Sachi Bar, 6400 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. Long Beach

S.I.N. MONDAYS, 10 p.m.
Behave, ladies and gentlemen! Or not.
Fury, 4221 Dolphin Striker Way Newport Beach

WE BARBARIANS, 9 p.m.
Fee, fi, fo, fum, grab a drink and have some fun.
Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St. Costa Mesa

REVOLUTION ROCK, 9 p.m.
Release the funk.
Proof Bar, 215 N. Broadway Santa Ana

CZECH PHILHARMONIC, 8 p.m.
A Classical evening.
Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Dr. Costa Mesa

Throw a stick anywhere in Westminster and it'll hit a pho joint. Not so in Irvine, where Vietnamese restaurants are as rare as the slices of steak in the soup they serve. At my last count, there are exactly five eateries that serve this foul-weather food.

The stalwarts are the two Pho Bac Ky's and the Pho 99 on Jeffrey. But the rest changes hands more often than a basketball. The latest to get passed is Saigon Grille, which enters the open court as Pho Ha Noi, managed by the same people who brought you Pho Hung Vuong in Tustin.

SUNDAY KARAOKE, 9 p.m.
Unleash your mad singing skillz.
Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St. Costa Mesa

LUCKY SUNDAYS, 8 p.m.
No Charms here, just booze.
Tia Juana's, 14988 Sand Canyon Rd. Irvine

JUDAH FRIEDLANDER, 8 p.m.
El campeon del mundo.
Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Dr. Irvine

SUNDAY FUNDAYS, 8 p.m.
And the partying continues.
Ocean Avenue Brewery, 237 Ocean Ave. Laguna Beach

SPIN CITY DJ CONTEST, 8 p.m.
The best battle.
Sutra Lounge, Triangle Square, 1870 Harbor Blvd., Ste. 200 Costa Mesa

REGGAE CRUISE, 7 p.m.
For all the Reggae-loving bredren.
Star Party Cruises, 140 Marine Dr. Alamitos Bay Long Beach

CLUB RUBBER, 8 p.m.
Celebrating their 12-year anniversary.
Galaxy Concert Theater, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd. Santa Ana

LUDACRIS, 8 p.m.
And for extra entertainment: a protest outside.
Cal State Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. Long Beach

MORRIS DAY & THE TIME, 8 p.m.
Time to get your groove on.
Cerritos Center, 12700 Center Court Dr. Cerritos

SINGLES VALENTINES PARTY FOR COUPLES, 7 p.m.
Love is apparently still in the air.
Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Hwy. Long Beach

Scientists in Long Beach made a breakthrough!

Apparently, the most recorded orgasms in one hour by researchers at the Center for Marital and Sexual Studies in Long Beach was 134 by one female and sixteen for a male.

How do you sign up to participate in that study? I'm just sayin'.

To read more fun sex facts click here.

Twofold pick this week.

If you're not yet caught up on the Oscar nominees for Best Picture, then the AMC quintuple-feature of all of them is the best deal in town, tomorrow at 11 a.m., at The Block in Orange as well as a couple of other area multiplexes. Thirty bucks, with in-and-out privileges, and all-you-can-eat popcorn. I may have mixed feelings on the merits, overstated or otherwise, of some of these films, but all are ultimately worth seeing.

If that bores you, then I recommend THE SIGNAL. I'm not going to give a full review here, as the version I've seen was a festival version that has since been recut, though judging by the reviews I've read, one of my most nagging issues with the film -- an intro that appears to bear no relation to the rest of the story -- has been fixed and fully integrated. I'm glad to hear it, because even with that nit-pick, the movie was without a doubt one of the best I saw last year, and the first strong contender this year for any future best-of list.

Directed by three different people, THE SIGNAL is more cohesive than you'd expect. The premise is simple: All televisions, monitors, computers, etc. start broadcasting a hypnotic signal that brings out the craziest, most homicidal side of anyone who watches it. Some people show the signs more overtly than others, and the mid-section of the film, veers into very dark comedy as a particular group's derangement manifests itself in a bizarre forced normality, proceeding with a dinner party even as the world ends outside.

It's hard to go into more detail since it's been a while since I've seen it. But I can't wait to see it again. Nor should you.

According to the U.K.'s Telegraph, Giorgio Armani had some rather snappy things to say about Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

During a press conference for the upcoming Metropolitan Museum of Art fashion exhibition "Superheroes," which the two are co-chairing, Armani said he could not understand why so many people dislike Wintour, claiming he was "indifferent" to her.

The Telegraph article stated: Not content to leave it at that, Mr Armani detailed what he thought sparked this dislike, referring to her championing of the US and French fashion industries and alleged lack of support for Italian fashion.

Meow!

Read the full article here.

Thanks for all the nominations in our open call to rename the Little Sheriff. Now, you get to vote on one of our ten favorites! So reach out and touch your choice, and the poor little guy will remain nameless no longer.

Most people wouldn’t bail out of the OC Weekly’s Savviest Singles party early to run and catch a midnight screening of Larry the Cable Guy’s brand new movie WITLESS PROTECTION. But that’s why you have me, and believe it or not, it’s the most fun part of my job. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.

It will very likely not surprise you that the pun contained in the title of this film is as clever as the humor gets. This is a movie in which an FBI agent is named “Agent Orange,” and a security firm is called Private Maximum Security (PMS, get it?). It is also a movie that begins by playing “Eye of the Tiger,” a cliché that ought to be put out of its misery since PERSEPOLIS came up with the last possible clever variation on its use (no I’m not going to explain that further – go see PERSEPOLIS. It’s damn good. You’ll like it. If you hate subtitles, there’s even an English version coming).

2000 LBS OF BLUES, 4 p.m.
And an extra 2000 lbs of attitude.
The Blue Dog, 4111 Viking Way Long Beach

BELLY DANCE SUPERSTARS, 8 p.m.
A little wiggle room.
Orange County Performing Artscenter, 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa

STEVE AOKI: KID MILLIONAIRE, 9 p.m.
Scratching it up at Sutra.
Sutra Lounge, Triangle Square, 1870 Harbor Blvd., Ste. 200 Costa Mesa

ANOTHER ANTIGONE, 8 p.m.
Sophocles gone contemporary?
The Orange Curtain Theater, 31776 El Camino Real San Juan Capistrano

FRIDAY NIGHT HAPPY HOUR, 5 p.m.
Friday at last!
Laguna Culinary Arts, 845 Laguna Canyon Rd. Laguna Beach

The Transportation Corridor Agencies, whose Foothill-South (241) toll road extension was recently vetoed by the California Coastal Commission, sent out the following letter to its supporters. My edits are in italicized bold.

Dear Supporter:

Thank you for your ongoing support for the completion of the 241 Toll Road. Such willful ignorance is to be commended. Special appreciation goes to all those who attended the February 6 Coastal Commission hearing in Del Mar. Sorry we only paid you for half the day. Hundreds of supporters showed up to take a stand against the traffic congestion that hurts the quality of life of all Southern Californians. We weren't quite dwarfed by the thousands of opponents who fought the road, making it by far the most widely-attended Coastal Commission hearing ever. More than 1,000 letters, 2,000 postcards and 7,600 emails were sent to the Coastal Comm