It's getting that you can't keep track of the newspapers ciruclating on the streets and computers of Laguna Beach without a scorecard. Count among them Stu News Laguna, which has Stu Saffer reporting on the village's happenings online every Friday.

He's already produced one of Clockwork's favorite stories of the week: "In This Case, Size Mattered."

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​Friday, August 28th: Black Hole Surf Shop Opening Reception

"I can remember your name if I just stop trying," he said, "don't tell me. I can get it if I just stop trying." He was a sixty-something man known locally as "The Dude." Sabre Vision makes a pair of sunglasses called The Dude, named after him.

He is thin and tall and has shoulder length white-gray hair under a large trucker hat. He rides a skateboard. Next to him was a group of young girls, maybe sixteen at the oldest. Next to them was a small group of tattooed artists in their mid twenties.  "That's really the key, you know. The key to...to..."
 
"To life," said a passer-by.

"Yes, exactly," he said, beaming. "You kids get it. That's exactly right. The key to life is not trying."

The Japanese Motors' set drew a large crowd--at least a hundred people, maybe more. The guys from Hollywood's Barber Shop next door were manning the kegs, pouring five beers a minute.

Lots of signs told people to be careful about the booze. "DON'T BE SKETCHY, DRINK INSIDE," said one. Japanese Motors played some of the indie hits that make them so beloved in the local scene, songs like "Better Trends" and "B.N.E." They also played some of their new stuff, the songs that will be on their long-awaited second album. People ranging from 13 to 60-something years old danced and talked and enjoyed the show.

Tanner Prairie's best boards were on display, price tags and all. He chatted with people, running his hands along the rails or explaining a board's shape. He got some phone numbers and expects the orders to start rolling in.More >>

Bruce McNall

The State Board of Equalization list of California's top sales and use tax delinquents has welcomed 17 new members who owe nearly $22 million as a group--and, yes, some locals are among them.

Richard Steven Lansburg of Long Beach-based Best Billiards and a Fullerton filer for bankruptcy in 2000, leads the local contingent with $1,072,919.47 owed. Seven rungs down from him are W & J Higgins Investments, LLC/Sizzler Restaurants of Foothill Ranch with $546,783.20 owed, and Irvine web systems engineering firm Gemini Associates Inc. with $543,175.40 in unpaid taxes.

The top three newbie delinquents to the state board's list of the 250 top deadbeats are: Michael Cope of Chatsworth ($4,128,084.16 owed); Stars Petroleum Inc. of Ramona ($3,164,888.55); and ABC NJ Inc./Bosch Kia Isuzu of Carona ($1,607,647.99).

The 17 join the list of 250 as 17 other people and/or firms are removed for either having paid up or other board criteria for removal. The list is updated every quarter.

De Won Motors Group Inc. of West Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles and John Kwon of South Pasadena top the overall deadbeats list with $7,920,518.42 in sales or use taxes owed apiece, closely followed by former Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce Patrick McNall of Tarzana at $7,492,356.96.

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​According to a story today in the Wall Street Journal, Freedom Communications, the parent company that owns the Orange County Register and other publications, is going to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. You have to pay to read the full WSJ story, but here's the free part:

"Freedom Communications Inc., the owner of the Orange County Register, is expected to declare bankruptcy this week, according to people familiar with the situation, the latest in a string of Chapter 11 filings in the battered newspaper business.

The company, majority owned for more than 70 years by the Hoiles family, has reached agreements with its lenders to restructure its debts, according to these people.

With annual revenue of about $700 million, Freedom owns the Register and more than 30 other daily papers and eight TV stations. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization -- a popular ..."

If true, this news doesn't come as much of a surprise. Ever since Freedom had to borrow a fortune from Blackstone Group to buy out recalcitrant family owners and survive the general death of the print journalism industry, the company has carried a mountain of debt. According to sources familiar with the debacle, the only thing going for Freedom has been the fact that unlike so many of Blackstone's other holdings, the newspaper chain at least brings in a reliable monthly revenue, if not profit.

So far there's been no official confirmation of this story coming from the Register, although oddly, the Reg's website does have a link to a story saying that July 2009 produced the highest number of Chapter 11 filings in the past 43 months. You can click here to read that particular story and a slew of predictable comments blaming Obama for this mess.

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The world has wretched in collective disgust at the crimes of Antioch resident Philip Garrido, who kidnapped former Orange County resident Jaycee Lee Dugard more than a decade ago when she was a prepubescent and kept her in a secret backyard compound along with her two daughters. The Orange County Register has done a great job documenting the story, but also added major fuel to the fire by publishing the URL to Garrido's blog, Voices Revealed. Nothing interesting in terms of his writing, but when you give Register readers a platform free of the vigilant censoring of comments by the paper's website operators...well, you know what happens.

Most of the comments wish prison rape in graphic details on Garrido; some have been removed by Google (only people with Google accounts can leave comments). But still on the wall are slurs against the real bogeymen of Orange County: homosexuals, Muslims, and Mexicans.
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Flickr user KingKong21

Nemo finding Doctor Doom.

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Just this morning, the Walt Disney Company released a press release announcing their intention to purchase and acquire Marvel and its portfolio of 5,000-plus characters--including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, the Fantastic Four and more--for $4 billion.

 "Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel's Chief Executive Officer. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."

Both the Boards of Directors for Marvel and Disney have approved the transaction, but it is waiting to be cleared under the "Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions." Marvel shareholders will also have to sign off on the transaction.

Of course die-hard comic fans are seeing this like it's a sign of the apocalypse. But for good measure, it should be known that DC Comics was acquired by Warner Bros. in 1969.

So, does this mean we'll see more Kingdom Hearts-y collaborations in the near future? Darkwing Duck and Spidy team up to take out Doctor Octopus? Snow White and the Fantastic Four?

After the jump: A nostalgic look back at one of our favorite Disney superheroes...
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Beth Stirnaman

Badass gramps.

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We had quite possibly the shittiest weather for a weekend full of outdoor activities--with temperatures reaching into the triple digits, we spent our weekend, well, kind of constantly moist. But that's okay: We trudged on. For you, our readers. For. You.

First up, on Friday and Saturday, OC Weekly photographer Beth Stirnaman braved the heat and hit up the San Diego Street Scene music festival. The two-day event featured everyone from M.I.A., Public Enemy (a brief side note: Chuck D said hello to us, still not over this, nope), the Dead Weather (blew all other bands out of the water!), Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups and more. See all the photos from the music extravaganza here and here! Wait. What's that you say? You want MORE Dead Weather? Well then, you should see our slideshow of their show at the Glass House last Thursday.

Beth Stirnaman

Chuck D and Flavor Flaaaaaaav!

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Now: Onward! What else did we do? There was the Orange County Beer Festival at Irvine Lake... 
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Robin Williams is not exactly the "World's Greatest Dad."

​When the guy who played Mork from Ork strips down to his shaved nakedness and exposes his Little Nanu Nanu, or the guy who played Sheriff Andy Taylor and Benjamin Matlock gets head from the woman who played Seinfeld's mom, it can mean only one thing.

You're not in TV Land anymore.More >>

By Nolan Hall

Offshore Conditions in Baja

​The Santa Ana Winds and the hottest weather of the year are already showing up this year, even as early as late August. It brings back memories of last year, coughing and surfing ash-covered waves under dark, smoky skies. Early Santa Anas bring that haunted dryness that feels like fire waiting to ignite. But they also might mean some great surfing to close out the summer. The various contest promoters, as well as Surline.com, are predicting good conditions for this year's remaining summer events, including the Hurley Pro at Lowers, which starts September 12th. Meanwhile, we've all been enjoying good waves and hot days at the beach. This first taste of the fall season reminds us why the place we live is one of the great surfing capitals of the world.More >>

​Anyone else notice that ever since President Obama began pushing health care reform and waffling back and forth between advocating for a public option and saying that a public option was really just optional, ya know, just an idea, his popularity numbers have been plummeting? Conservatives already hate the guy and millions of morons think he's some kind of Manchurian candidate trying to turn the good old USA into a socialist bloc nation. But what about his supporters, all those tweeting, Facebook-friendly progressive souls who back in November believed he was a savior who would solve all our woes?

Where the fuck are these people? Why aren't they marching in the streets demanding that our insurance-industry-corrupted politicians (including Obama) get their shit together and improve our nation's suck-ass health care system?

Turns out these people do exist and they are coming to a Fashion Island near you (that is, if you're rich enough to live near Fashion Island, but never mind...) On Monday, Aug. 31 at 11 a.m., a coalition of progressive OC groups including Free Enterprise Advocates, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Laguna Beach Democratic Club, Progressive Democrats for America, and Women For: Orange County, will be marching along the sidewalks adjacent to Orange County's most opulent shopping mall. Anyone who thinks its high time to take the health care debate away from the right-wing lunatics is invited to attend.

The organizers suggest you bring along American flags and placards bearing photos of loved ones who have been denied coverage by the insurance industry. You can also lend your signature to letters that will be sent to legislators demanding their support for a public option.

Hmmm. Ya think Obama could use a few of those letters too?

For more info contact Alan Boinus of Free Enterprise Advocates at ochealthmarch@gmail.com or visit www.ochealthmarch.com.