October 17, 2008
It happens overnight when you are least expecting it. You are frightened awake. You check your bed-side vanity… diamonds are still there. Unlock the safe… cash reserves are secure. Was it just a dream? You peek outside and gasp. Your political yard sign is gone! Read More
October 16, 2008
With sustainable living now officially mainstream-cool, many high-speed road warriors are loathe to give up their super-fast, gas-guzzling, chick magnets (and has that been proven?). But fear not, eco-conscious speedsters: A fleet of chic and sleek alternatives that clock in faster than the Porsche 911 are now available. George Clooney favors the Tango electric car which accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. The Tesla Roadster does it in 3.9 seconds and made Forbes list of most coveted cars. And the Ultimate Aero EV by Shelby SuperCars is expected to move out even faster. Read More
October 16, 2008
Last week, more than 900 real estate professionals gathered for the Asian Real Estate Association of America’s (AREAA) 3rd annual gala and convention at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The Hot Sheet was there. The nation’s largest real estate organization representing the diverse Asian community convened leading economists and industry experts to examine where the real estate market is heading. The underlying theme? Optimism.
October 14, 2008
It was not long ago that the Hot Sheet reported on plans for 56 Leonard Street – a 57-story condominium tower made almost entirely of glass in Manhattan’s chic hood of Tribeca. Dramatic outdoor terraces and breathtaking views from virtually every angle will define the translucent glass skyscraper. But is an all-glass structure all it’s cracked up to be? Read More
October 13, 2008
After weeks of lurching, the U.S. Treasury Department’s alliance with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to solve the global financial crisis seems to have found solid ground. The plan is for the United States government to take an equity share in struggling banks, thereby: infusing them with cash, restoring confidence, thawing capital markets before they go into deep freeze, and, ultimately, passing the benefits along to consumers and taxpayers. The U.S. stock market has responded favorably – at least for a day. The same day that New York Times-based economist Paul Krugman received the Nobel Prize on economics. Krugman, who early-on warned about the housing bubble and radical deregulation, has advocated the approach that Treasury has now grasped following the bailout brouhaha. Last week he wrote, “The answer is… a bailout, yes, but Read More
October 9, 2008
The fight against hunger recently received a breath of fresh innovation from a forward-thinking non-profit in Detroit that figured vegetation on stone wall décor could be even more attractive in a hungry stomach. Noting greenery blossoming vertically on city walls, Urban Farming Founder Taja Sevelle correctly reasoned that edible plants should thrive as well. Sevelle teamed with architects and engineers to form Urban Farming Food Chain which constructed and secured four 30-foot-long-by-6-foot-high walls containing 4,000 plants in four Los Angeles Skid Row locations. Read More
October 9, 2008
Most Hot Sheet readers – over the age of 21, of course – have been there before. Often it’s a phone call or text message, but sometimes it’s an email… one sent after one-too-many happy hour cocktails. It’s the one you want back, the one you wish you’d never sent. To an ex, a colleague, or perhaps – gulp – even your boss. Fret no more because Google has saved the day again with its new drunken e-mail safety net, Mail Goggles. Read More
October 8, 2008
Every sane person who has heard this is now seething with anger: Associates of fallen insurance giant AIG billed $440,000 for a posh retreat at Orange County’s St. Regis resort just days after the company received a taxpayer bailout of $85 billion. Representative Henry Waxman’s congressional hearings revealed that “the company paid more than $440,000 for the event, including nearly $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals, $23,000 in spa charges and almost $7,000 for golf outings,” according to Los Angeles consumer columnist David Lazarus’ report. And that’s just the most sensational disgrace the committee dug up. It also exposed the termination agreement with the former head of AIG Financial Products Group, Joseph T. Cassano, “outlining a 9-month consulting contract under which he continued to be paid $1 million a month,” while he knew the company was going under. But wait, there’s more: Read More
October 8, 2008
Across the Inland Empire, on the eastern fringe of L.A., the lawns are brown and the swimming pools are green. City employees drain the mosquito-breeding pools, while others dye the dead grass green for bankruptcy sales.
The mortgage meltdown has hit the Inland Empire hard with the one of the largest foreclosure rates in the country. Click here for a story by The Wall Street Journal on how the area is grappling with this slow-motion disaster.
Ah, but there is a bright spot in the Inland Empire. $4 million worth of bright. Read More
October 7, 2008
It was only a matter of time. Nutritional labels – listing serving size, calories and ingredients for packaged foods – may soon be applied to homes. In a recently released white paper and according to Architectural Record, Michelle Kaufmann Designs is proposing a “sustainability” labeling system for houses that mimics the labeling system of packaged food. Read More
