Some accumulated news chum for the week:
- From the “Where Do We Go From Here?” Department: This is mostly for bdot, who I seem to recall has a soft space for this place. The LA Times has a nice article today on where the Mt. Calvary Monastary will go next. The spiritual retreat was destroyed in the recent Tea fire in Monticito, and the monks are contemplating its future in a fire area, in light of the aging of the monastic order’s members.
- From the “Pappy Parker’s Noodley Appendage” Department: The LA Times has a nice “Column 1” piece (which they rarely do anymore) about a former Bob’s Big Boy in Alhambra that has been converted to a noodle restaurant. The founder always loved Bob’s, and when the Alhambra location closed, purchased it for his noodle restaurant. In homage, however, he has retained a Big Boy statue, and pays $1/year to license it. That reminds me… I need to go out to Burbank, home of one of the original restaurants (still operating) designed by Wayne McAllister.
- From the “And The Economy Keeps Rolling Down…” Department: Today brings news of both Nortel Networks and Gottschalks filing for bankruptcy. Closer to home, we’re seeing a victim of the collapse of the auto industry: Superior Industries is closing their Van Nuys Factory next to the Van Nuys Flyaway. 290 workers will lose their jobs. Superior supplies aluminum wheels to Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Seat, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
- From the “You Knew It Was Coming” Department: Come the end of March, WaMu will be history, its brand replaced by Chase. Chase plans to invest $300 million in refurbishing and renaming the 708 California branches and another $75 million to open 20 more this year. The Chase logo will also appear on 1,900 ATMs across the state by the end of the first quarter. Of course, as with the side effects of the auto industry, this cost California jobs: both at the Pleasanton and San Francisco operations centers, as well as earlier cutback at the loan operations departments in Chatsworth. Chase said it will honor the free checking WaMu offered to existing clients. For now, customers can also continue to use their WaMu checks and debit cards. Dimon said the company is studying how it will alter or combine the product offerings of the two banks.
- From the “10101010 10111000: The TV Series” Department: There’s more information coming out about the push to delay the DTV switch. Yes, the coupon program has run out of money, and there’s no quick fix… but there are costs to the delay as well, both in the electricity for operating two transmitters, the staffs coordinating the switch, etc. Quite interesting to see the background. However, in some markets the switch is already starting: On Monday in St. Louis, KNLC Analog 24 will go all digital, freeing its analog channel for use by KMOV Analog 4’s digital channel, which is now on Digital 56. The article notes how boxes will need to rescan for signals, which makes sense for us but will probably confuse most folks. As this transition comes closer, I’m even more thankful I have DirecTV, although I’m curious whether DirecTV will ever broadcast some of the Digital subchannels that are now available in local markets.
- From the “He’ll Have Pie With That” Department: Wednesday’s paper brings news of the death of Don Callender, the man responsible for bringing us the food of his mother, Marie… especially her pies. Waistlines will stop their expansion for one minute in his honor. Even after selling Marie Callender’s he remained in the business: in fact, the day after he died his Jackalope Ranch restaurant in Indio, Calif. opened.
- From the “Secret Asian Man” Department: Alas, Number 6 has died. Star of Danger Man, Secret Agent, and The Prisoner, he was one of those great actors. I remember watching the Prisoner when KCET ran it in the 1980s, and having intense discussions about it in the UCLA Computer Club. I just hope that the recent post from the mayor_of_tv about the planned remake of The Prisoner TV Series didn’t send him to his grave prematurely. Haven’t heard about it. Later this year, AMC is planning to present a six-hour miniseries adaptation of “The Prisoner”. All together now: But why?
ETA: From the “That’s Two” Department: We also lost Ricardo Montelban. 80’s TV folk will instantly go “Da Plane, Da Plane”; SF folks will go “Kahhhhhn”. But that’s two. Who’s next in our SF actor trifecta?
