Blog: Off-Ramp | 89.3 KPCC

The Gun on the Pavement: Marc Haefele on the Santa Monica shootings and John Zawahri's gun

Marc Haefele — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:24:02 -0700

A police photo of John Zawahri's old Army Colt, found on the pavement near Marc Haefele's home in Santa Monica.; Credit: Law enforcement/Brian Watt

It looked kind of familiar, the handgun that John Zawahri didn’t get around to using in his Santa Monica murder rampage last week. Lying there on the pavement, three blocks from my home. Among an infantry squad’s worth of ammunition for his automatic rifle and the other paraphernalia of mass murder.

Zawahri was reportedly carrying 1,300 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition—hundreds of dollars worth of cartridges at today’s prices. Most of these cartridges were loaded into rifle magazines of 20 to 30 rounds capacity— the sale, but not the possession, of which is a felony in this state, according to the Attorney General’s website. The gun he used turned out to be a replica AR-15, assembled from presumably mail-order parts. Both the AR-15 (a version of which was long the US Army's standard rifle) and its imitations are illegal in this state. Particularly with those super-sized magazines. Just having a gun like this in your closet is a very serious crime.

This one weapon killed five people within a short walking distance of where I live. It happened when we were off shopping late that June 7 Friday morning. We returned to find our streets blocked by police cars from as far away as Redondo Beach. We then discovered there had been a fatal shooting, centered at the community college that peacefully anchors Santa Monica’s Sunset Park area. Like most of our neighbors we stayed inside, waiting for an all clear that would not come until the next day. Waiting for the final death toll, too.

By now, we all know Zawahri’s story. Allegedly he grew up in a terribly dysfunctional and violent immigrant family. He had mental health problems, anger issues, purportedly once tried to build a pipe bomb and used his classroom computer to visit weapons and explosives web sites. He dropped through all the levels of the local school system and bounced out of it. This was not one of those “He was always such a quiet person” perps. He was a screamer whose outbursts scared the neighbors. He was obviously disturbed and dangerous. But he seemed to get no meaningful help. He did get his hands on a home-built battlefield weapon and enough ammo to fight a war. Enough to kill half his family with and then three people he could not possibly have known. To wound many others and to gravely shake a community that had not seen multiple homicides in over a decade. And never one this random.

How he got all that ammunition is another mystery.

The gun-control aspects of this episode haven’t been discussed much yet. There are no arguments we are not by now tired of making, tired of hearing. There is a wide range of opinion, ranging from the NRA to the Atlantic Monthly, that the problem is we do not have enough guns out there, implying that had the driver of the city bus Zawahri strafed had been armed, or the college librarian, perhaps, or the slain college groundskeeper, the tragedy might have been mitigated. To a saner body of opinion, it is obvious that Zawahri’s AR-15 was one gun too many. (Like the gun that killed the people in the Colorado theater, or was used in the Arizona massacre, or the gun that killed all those children in Connecticut.)

The other gun he had, the 1860 .44 Army revolver, looked exactly like the weapon that had been stolen from my old home, years ago. What chance of that? I do not know exactly why I had that gun in my dresser drawer. People who are fearful in the way I used to be think of guns as a hedge against unknown danger. We buy guns, they often get stolen, instantly going into the hands of criminals.

They rarely return to honest hands. It almost certainly wasn’t my old Colt .44. But if it were, and he had he killed someone with it…

I’d be feeling the remorse that, I deeply hope, whoever provided John Zawahri with those AR 15 components is feeling right now.

Marc Haefele comments on the arts and politics for Off-Ramp

Rabe heresy: A real martini includes vermouth

John Rabe — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:56:37 -0700

A perfect martini, with measurable amounts of dry vermouth.; Credit: John Rabe

From the days of Winston Churchill, who would only scowl at the vermouth from across the room, to author E.B. White, who would mix martinis in pitchers on summer days, then drink the whole thing, to certain modern macho types, a "martini" means cold gin and nothing more.

First of all, that's not a cocktail, friends. You could keep a bottle of gin in the freezer and swig from it and achieve the same effect. (I'm not against this practice; it's just not a mixed drink, nor especially restful.)

Secondly, the gin-centrics are missing the big news of the 21st century: you can get good dry vermouth. Yes, if all you can get is Trader Joe’s horrid Ponti or the only slightly less vile Martini & Rossi or Cento, you might use an eyedropper to put vermouth in your martini. But at any good liquor store, there’s now Dolin, the French vermouth. And some even carry Vya, the California-made vermouth that comes in Extra Dry and Whisper Dry. The website’s martini recipe would horrify Sir Winston:

To make a delicious Vya Extra Dry Wet Martini — a martini like you've never experienced before — select a flavorful gin with a balance of components: Gin 209, Tanqueray 10 or Citadel for example. Combine 2 parts gin with 1 part Vya Extra Dry and a dash of orange bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake or stir, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a cocktail olive.

At bars across LA, I’ve converted many pure gin drinkers to the delights of a “wet” martini, and you should try it for yourself. With a good vermouth, you don’t have the sickly rancid flavor that so many people remember. Instead, there’s an aromatic quality that complements the aromatics in the gin. And with proper proportions — 1:4, 1:3 or 1:2 — your whole body doesn’t do a gin shudder when you swallow.

I have found that it’s essential to use good, fresh olives. Armstrong Sicilian or Ranch style are best. And, yes, stirring (50-100x) gives you much better flavor than shaking. The more vermouth you use, the more you should consider replacing olives with a lemon twist.

Lastly, I’d prefer you never again drink a “dirty” martini, into which the bartender pours nasty salty liquid from the olive jar. If you’re trying to mute the taste of gin, make the martini wet, instead, with more vermouth. But if you insist on the dirty, don’t fall prey to the bottled “dirty martini juice” you find at BevMo and other liquor stores. They’re tricking you into buying the same stuff that’s in your jar of olives.

Thank you for listening to the show, and would it kill you to LIKE us on Facebook?

What the French are good at: driving

John Rabe — Tue, 28 May 2013 15:17:28 -0700

A car in France.; Credit: John Rabe

If you followed us on Facebook, you’d know that I spent the last couple weeks in France. The French get a lot of heat for many things – the guillotine, dog poop on the sidewalk, Serge Gainsbourg, Napoleon Dynamite -- but you may not complain about their driving.

From Paris to Avignon to Montélimar, I drove the lanes, streets, highways, and freeways of France. I encountered thousands of drivers, and only one was what I’d call a bad driver. He was a jerk driving a huge SUV way too fast one a 1-1/2 lane country road on the way to the town of Lussan, and who very nearly caused an accident. I’m assuming he was an American, or a fan of the movie Ronin.

This was a movie, not real life. In real life, when driving, the French do a number of things we might consider wrong, or “foreign.”

French drivers use their blinkers to signal a lane change or a turn. This odd habit allows drivers to anticipate the signaling driver’s next action.
French drivers use only one parking space.
French drivers first take their foot off the accelerator when they wish to slow down, and only use brakes when necessary, eliminating needless slowing on the highway.
French drivers pass on the left, and if they desire to drive slower than other drivers, use the right lane or lanes to do so.
French drivers don’t panic when they come to a roundabout.
French drivers seem to know how fast they are going, and where their car is on the road. If two cars are approaching each other on a narrow road, both cars will move to the far right so they don’t sideswipe each other, or force one of them into the ditch. This sounds wacky, I know, but I saw this happen with my own eyes many times.
If a French driver comes upon a bicyclist – even if the bicyclist is from another country, like Belgium, or Germany – the French driver will slow down or even stop to keep the bicyclist safe.

I know this list is weird, and you probably are a little reluctant to believe that there is such a freak show happening on our own planet, but there you have it.

Totally off-topic, but I just read a great blog entry in EastingAsia about driving as the best means of seeing Turkey.

I cannot overstate how much we love road-tripping in Turkey. As far as we're concerned, if you've got the time and can swing it financially, driving yourself is the only way to travel in what could easily be one of the world's most road-trippable countries. "Why would I want to self-drive in Turkey?" you ask. Well, for us it's mostly about food. We love Turkey's open roads, the people and places they've led us to and the food that they've set before us.

By the way, and would it kill you to LIKE us on Facebook?

Abutilons to succulents: Descanso Gardens Memorial Day Plant Sale

Robert Garrova — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:34:38 -0700

Descanso Gardens ; Credit: Richly Chheuy, Flickr Creative Commons

On Memorial Day, the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge will hold a sale where you can buy plants to take home with you -- from abutilons to succulents.

Prices range from $3 for smaller plants, to $9 for the larger ones.

The sale will take place on the Magnolia Lawn. Monday, May 27, 9am - 4:30pm at the Descanso Gardens: 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. More info here.

Experimental filmmaker Phil Solomon comes to Los Angeles

Robert Garrova — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:42:09 -0700

Still from "Remains to be Seen" by Phil Solomon; Credit: Courtesy Phil Solomon

Filmmaker Phil Solomon's works are coming to Los Angeles, beginning with an installation at Young Projects at the Pacific Design Center which runs through August 2.

Solomon's experimental films aren't your typical movie-watching experience. Watching a Solomon film feels less like watching a movie than looking into a kaleidoscope or opening your eyes underwater -- a haunting, dreamlike experience.

Sometimes Solomon's works are a little scary, like his 1978 silent black and white piece "The Passage of the Bride," in which eerie faces subliminally flash across the frame. In some of his more recent works, Solomon even used digital backdrops from video games like "Grand Theft Auto" to create ghostly landscapes.

You can catch Phil Solomon in person at REDCAT on Monday, May 20 where several of his films and digital works will be screened, including "What's Out Tonight is Lost" (1983) and "In Memoriam" (2005-09). Tickets and more info at REDCAT's website.

Fruits, veggies, and black market soda at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market

Mukta Mohan — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:42:39 -0700

Colorful produce at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market; Credit: Mukta Mohan

Intern Mukta Mohan writing. Today I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to meet the Obscura Society at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market before sunrise. When I had arrived at 5 a.m., tractors were filling trucks with hundreds of pounds of produce. People were making deals on their computers, and small business owners were examining produce to stock their shelves. Every day, the produce market supplies supermarkets and restaurants so they can feed Los Angeles...all before the sun comes up.

Executive Chef Robert Luna, of Malo and Mas Malo, led a guided tour through the market. He's been shopping at the wholesale market for produce for over 18 years and has seen how it has changed.

The Wholesale Produce Market is split into two distinct areas. The new market which borders Olympic sells primarily to large supermarkets. Meanwhile, the old market which borders Central sells smaller quantities to markets, restaurants, and individuals who are buying in bulk.

Crates full of produce ranging from apples and oranges to exotics like jackfruit and durian were on display on the sidewalk. Even more boxes were kept out of sight in giant walk-in coolers. Re-used glass bottles filled with soda are sold discretely, since their lack of nutritional information makes them illegal in the US.

The Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market is located at 1601 E. Olympic Blvd. If you can get up early, try to make it before sunrise -- even if you're just looking, it's still amazing.

Book review: "The Forgotten Presidents: Their Untold Constitutional Legacy" by Michael J. Gerhardt

Marc Haefele — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:24:08 -0700

; Credit: Oxford University Press

This is a surprisingly singular study of the U.S. Presidents who somehow didn't make it into the common history of our nation. Michael Gerhardt's objective seems to be to prove that they are an essential part of our constitutional history, even if they are not remembered by most of us.

But "forgotten'' is a relative term here. There are plenty of us alive who voted for — or against — one of Professor Gerhardt's unlucky 13. That would be Jimmy Carter, who has in some ways distinguished himself more in the 33 years since his presidency than he did in office. Gerhardt seems to be speculating that Carter's presidency will soon be forgotten. But his detailed analysis of Carter's strengths versus his fatal "constitutional incoherence," makes you doubt that.

Other than Carter, you can't much argue with Gerhardt's selection: Martin Van Buren; William H Harrison; John Tyler; Zachary Taylor; Millard Fillmore (who is arguably best remembered for being completely forgotten); Franklin Pierce; Chester Arthur; Grover Cleveland; Benjamin Harrison; William H Taft and Calvin Coolidge. Ring any bells? I thought not. Cleveland's face shows up on the $1,000 bill, but how long since you saw one of those? Even Ronald Reagan's personal shilling for Calvin Coolidge couldn't make Silent Cal a jot more famous. The first Harrison is known chiefly for dying in office weeks after he made the longest (8,000 words) inaugural speech in US history. The second for being the first Harrison's grandson. And so it goes.

A legal historian, Gerhardt doesn't say exactly what most of these men had in common, but it comes through anyway. With no more than one or two exceptions, they were career mediocrities. But when you are president, history happens to you whether you are a mediocrity or not. Gerhardt stresses the constitutional issues confronting each president. This leaves huge holes in some of their stories--in Taft's, the foreign policy for which he is best known is entirely omitted--but on the whole, it provides a fair measure of how some presidents in this batch--not many--rose above their mediocrity, while the remainder sank beneath it.

Some sank very far indeed. Particularly, it would appear, those mediocrities who used the Constitution as an inflexible "strict constructionist" rule book. Thus the presidential mediocrities in the worst case scenarios used the Constitution as an excuse to do nothing. In the case of Pierce and (his here-unmentioned successor) James Buchanan, the direct result was the Civil War. In the case of Reagan's vaunted do-nothing hero Coolidge, the direct result was the Great Depression.

It is probably a contradiction in terms to define historically someone who has transcended his limitations in office as a mediocrity. So maybe we'd best call Chester Arthur a former mediocrity who ascended to competence. He rates a place in history mostly for his rising above his origins as a prominent pig at the Republican Party patronage trough to become the president who created the Civil Service after President James Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled office seeker. He was also, unbelievably to modern Americans, criticized for accumulating too much money in the national treasury. Wise beyond his time, he also vetoed the Chinese Exclusion Act (though he let it pass another time), and tried to get Congress to pass a Civil Rights Act 81 years before it finally did so in 1964. Thus, he alienated both the Democrats and his own Republican party by the end of his term; his failing health was also a factor in his failure to get nominated in 1884. He died just two years later.

If most of the "Forgotten Presidents" were too bad to be reelected, you might say that Chester Arthur was the only one who was too good to win a second term. This makes him uniquely worth remembering. But the all of the rest of Professor Gerhardt's subjects make fascinating reading.

Natural History Museum celebrates 100th birthday on June 9, and you're invited

Robert Garrova — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:26 -0700

Photo from 1937: "Room where the bones from the La Brea Tar Pits are assembled for exhibition in the L.A. County Museum of Natural History."

On Sunday, June 9, the Natural History Museum will celebrate its 100th birthday. There will be plenty to do during the day, but you don’t have to go home once the sun goes down.

After dark, Adam Steltzner of JPL will talk about the Mars Curiosity rover and the museum will put on a “spectacle of light and sound” in the brand new Otis Booth Pavilion, which houses the bones of a 63-foot fin whale.

You can roam the museum gardens and listen to DJs in the Mammal Halls, too. And if all that's not enough, you can also catch a live performance from DEVO.

Tickets are $25 for non-members and can be purchased through the Natural History Museum’s website.

Just in time for Mother's Day: Echo Park Craft Fair is this Saturday and Sunday

Robert Garrova — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:35:35 -0700

All the great handmade stuff you could ever want will be at the Echo Park Craft Fair this Saturday and Sunday. Just in time to get something cool for mom, too. Like textiles from Counterpane, jewelry from Annie Costello Brown and artisan brittles from Morning Glory Confections.

But beware, even though it's called the Echo Park Craft Fair, it's actually taking place in downtown LA at 821 East 3rd St., 90013. Check it out Saturday, May 11, 12pm-7pm; and Sunday, May 12, 12pm-6pm. Free to attend. More info here.

Mike Sheehan's Sketchbook: LA Opera rehearsing 'Tosca'

Mike Sheehan — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:12:15 -0700

; Credit: Mike Sheehan

Artist Mike Sheehan has been sketching Los Angeles for Off-Ramp, including the Shuttle parade, the opening of Grand Park, and most recently, a weekend alongside Wendy Greuel's campaign for mayor. These are his notes from his day at rehearsals for Los Angeles Opera's rendition of 'Tosca.'

I always wondered how they put a big opera production together. I had it in my mind that it was always big, even in rehearsals. It was the opposite.

I arrived at the rehearsal room on the 4th floor of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. I got there as they were assembling. Next, I met director John Caird who gave me a prime seat next to prompter Nino, Pianist Jeremy Frank, and Conductor (for the May 26th performance) Jordi Bernàcer. The piano was the only accompaniment. Until that moment, I had no idea what a prompter was. A prompter is the person in the box at the front of the stage. They call out the first lines of a phrase to the performers and have a lot of prep work throughout the production.

I sketched performers Sondra Radvanovsky and Marco Berti as they worked through scenes. I was surprised by the looseness of the rehearsal. John Caird would occasionally stop the performers and give direction. Placido Domingo also showed up and made comments and offered encouragement. He's conducting this production.

Sketching while listening to them sing was amazing - I could do that everyday. Absolutely beautiful music and voices. When it's pared down to just piano and voices without all of the ornamentation, you hear it in a different way.

After that, I took my sketchbook down to the main stage where they blocked out a scene on the scaffold. It was too big (about 15 feet tall) to have in the regular rehearsal space.

Next, everyone took a break and later reconvened at 7 pm for the second half of rehearsal. Now, there were more performers and a really casual vibe permeated the room with lots of joking and playfulness. A few props were added with stacks of crates and a table and chairs.

The show opens May 18th and they were blocking with minimal props, no costumes and all in a very short time frame. It was difficult to imagine this all coming together in less than two weeks. When I asked about the time frame, Gary Murphy, the Director of Communications and Public Relations at LA Opera told me (paraphrasing), "It's different than theater. These people come in and know it as opposed to theater where the actors want to find the character and so forth. Short time frames are typical for them."

At around 10 p.m. director John Caird wrapped it up. It's an amazing world to get a close up view of. I can't wait to see the final production.

'The Source Family' documents radical living in 1970s Los Angeles

Mukta Mohan — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:13:53 -0700

; Credit: Courtesy Drag City Film

If you haven't heard of the Source Family, now's probably a good time to read up--you'll start hearing more and more about them in the coming week. That's because on May 9 a documentary on the LA based cults makes its premier at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood. The

The filme shows an eccentric cult based in sex, drugs, and rock n roll. The leader, Father Yod - a former marine and judo master who once killed a man with his bare hands - was a self-professed spiritual guru. He recruited young women at his natural foods restaurant, The Source, on The Hollywood Sunset Strip. In 1972, the Family moved into a 15 bedroom house in Los Feliz, and they started a psychedelic rock band called Ya Ho Wa 13. In total, the cult had about 140 members.

Forty years later, several members of the Source Family recount their experiences in a feature length documentary. After it's Thursday premier, The Source Family is up for a one week run at Cinefamily with special appearances by the directors and members of the famous cult. There will also be a Yahowa 13 reunion show at Cinefamily this Saturday, May 11th.

Eat. Drink. Art. -- Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery's Annual Benefit and Silent Auction

Robert Garrova — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:39:30 -0700

Barnsdall Art Park on Olive Hill; Credit: Matthew Field / Wikimedia Commons

The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery will hold their annual benefit and silent auction this Saturday at the Barnsdall Art Park. Even if you're not planning on buying any art at the auction, you can go for the drink tasting which includes selections from Silver Lake Wine and Eagle Rock Brewery. The Heirloom LA, Border Grill, Coolhaus, Flat Iron and Mandolin Grill food trucks will be there for when you get hungry too.

Silent auction artists include Kim Abeles, whose 48 foot "Paper Person" can be seen at the California Science Center; and John Frame, whose ongoing project The Tale of the Crippled Boy includes films he makes with handcrafted characters.

General Admission doors are open from 8 pm - Midnight. Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at door (includes three drink tastings). Saturday, May 4 at the Barnsdall Art Park. More info here.

PHOTO: “Sand in My Shorts,” or a picnic at the beach

John Rabe — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:03:19 -0700

LAPL ARCHIVE CAPTION, UNDATED PHOTO: A family of six enjoys a picnic at Venice beach. They sit on the sand and enjoy sandwiches and soda pop. The two young men sitting in the middle wear similar sweaters, shirts and bow ties, while the two little girls in the front wear matching white print dresses. A sign posted on the beach reads: "Public Beach. Keep it clean". Houses and businesses are visible in the background; Credit: LA Public Library

Every week I write an email newsletter that goes out to roughly 9-billion people, dogs, cats, birds, and lesser dust mites. Usually, don’t have a problem coming up with a couple hundred words. (The secret of writing -- despite what you read on blogs about the creative process -- is to write.)

But when I do have a problem, I turn to the faithful LA Public Library online photo archive. I type in a random word, and am rarely disappointed.

This week, my newsletter mind was blank, so I walked out into the operations pavilion of the Mohn Broadcast Center and asked Doug Gerry for “the first word that pops into your head.”

Of course, being a funny guy, and a Canadian, he said “pop,” so that’s what I typed into the search field.

Many photos came up of pop stars getting awards. Boring. There are a number of wonderful pictures of the late lamented Pacific Ocean Park, like this one. There’s a nice shot of Sandy Koufax; one of Bernard H. Linden, whoever he was; and one that shows how to pitch a baseball so it produces a pop-fly.

But when I came to “Family at Venice Beach, view 1,” our first photo above, I knew I’d found my photo of the week.

The caption reads: “A family of six enjoys a picnic at Venice beach. They sit on the sand and enjoy sandwiches and soda pop. The two young men sitting in the middle wear similar sweaters, shirts and bow ties, while the two little girls in the front wear matching white print dresses. A sign posted on the beach reads: "Public Beach. Keep it clean". Houses and businesses are visible in the background.”

But if you think this photo is remarkable, click through the slideshow to "Family at Venice Beach, view 2," and then thank me, even as the image is seared into your brain.

And if you'd like delightful tidbits like this delivered straight to your inbox, and the chance to win modest prizes every once in a while, plus recommendations for fun and cheap stuff to do in Southern California, sign up for the weekly Off-Ramp newsletter.

Mike Sheehan's Sketchbook: a weekend with Wendy Greuel

Mike Sheehan — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:32:09 -0700

; Credit: Mike Sheehan

Artist Mike Sheehan has been sketching Los Angeles for Off-Ramp, including the Shuttle parade, the opening of Grand Park, and Bill Rosendahl. These are his notes from his day with the Greuel campaign.

I've always wondered what motivates people to donate their time to a candidate, so I spent Saturday with the Wendy Greuel campaign, and talked with some of the volunteers, starting at the West Los Angeles field office. Turns out most of the ones I talked to were just straight up believers.

John Williams, like the composer: While I drew him he told me he was 76 years old and had run 93 marathons. He's retired and described himself as a "political junkie." He has more time now and likes Gruel. He and his daughter knocked on doors for the Obama campaign. That was a common theme: people who started on the Obama campaign as their way into volunteering.

Wendy Greuel arrived at around 11:30 am, and greeted everyone briefly so everyone could get back to work. After that, the volunteers split into groups and started working the phones.

I caught Juan Lopez, a first-time volunteer, when he broke for coffee. He told me he just didn't like some of the billboard business that Eric Garcetti was involved in, the Garcetti isn't but feels Greuel is a "straight shooter."

Greuel had a debate with Garcetti, so I headed off to Carla's Cafe on the CBS lot to watch. The gloves were off but it was still pretty civil.

Then, it was off to the South LA office, where they were cooking up some BBQ behind the building waiting for Wendy to arrive. She got there around 2pm (traffic sucked on Saturday), got some food, and talked with the volunteers about their concerns about their community. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Mayor Tom Bradley's daughter Lorraine Bradley stopped by to endorse her and encourage them to get out the vote.

The eccentric Doo Dah Parade takes over East Pasadena on April 27th

Mukta Mohan — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:02:37 -0700

The colorful and eccentric Doo Dah Parade comes back to Pasadena on Saturday, April 27th. Referred to as the "twisted sister of the traditional Rose Parade," Doo Dah features wacky floats that often satire those found at average parades. Some floats that will take part in the parade this year include A Moveable Feast inspired by a Hemingway novel, The World's Tallest Girl Scout, The Long Beach Ukulele Club, and The Great Firewall of China. Doo Dah was named "America's Best Parade" by Readers Digest and is not to be missed.

The Doo Dah Parade will take place on Saturday, April 27th at 11am. It will run through East Pasadena on Colorado Boulevard between Altadena and San Gabriel Boulevard. Street parking is available, and the parade is free to attend. More information can be found on the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade website.