Friday, July 17, 2026

Sign up for the excellent and free LA Material newsletter so I can win some merch

Here's the sign up link. And here's some recent highlights, some of which I've previously shared (I read it every day):

Devastating Pyrotechnics. The company had contracts to put on Fourth of July fireworks shows for several Northern California cities — but authorities began to suspect that legal displays were only part of its business, and that the company was also involved in importing millions of pounds of dangerous fireworks from China and selling them on California’s booming black market. 

A tool to see if you've been wrongfully issued a ticket for parking on street sweeping days

The Shocking Budget Disaster Hitting One of L.A.'s Ritziest School Districts:
Mira Costa High School looks like a glimmering college campus. An $18 million Olympic-sized swimming pool is in the works to complement the school’s $39 million athletic center, opened in 2021. 

They’re here, in part, for a murder mystery cruise. The setup is that the boat’s owner, the heiress “Genevieve Evening,” died at sea exactly one year ago, and the guests are supposed to find her will and her murderer’s identity. But the whodunnit is something of an afterthought compared to the night’s true purpose.

Good Mario Kart Lakitu ornament

Preorder at Amazon (July 20 release date):


New fighting game Humble Bundle

Three new game bundles. First, fighting games from Arc System Works in celebration of Evo 2026 starting at $5 for five games (including something called "MELTY BLOOD Actress Again Current Code") and five coupons. 

Second, "megahits" published by 2k, $15 for fifteen games. 

Third, romantic visual novel games, starting at $9 for 18 (but be warned, this bundle promises it's "Even Steamier").

Today's news and jokes







Great poster for the opera Turandot (art roundup)