Friday, March 5, 2021

Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty

Festival Pass is a newsletter that lands in your inbox weekly. But during prime festival season you get bonus editions, too! Subscribe now.


As much as I can fall down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos (I fully admit I lost a few hours to the recent resurgence of Boney M.’s “Rasputin” dance trend on the app), my first music video love will always be those that MTV played constantly in the ’80s.

And I am truly delighted when I come across a lost gem of a popular song where I have little recollection of the truly bizarre video.

Last week, colleague Peter Larsen brought the video for Billy Ocean’s “Loverboy” to my attention. I definitely knew the song, but I did not remember the video that looks like someone had a crazy dream in a knockoff Star Wars cantina.

Back in this decade, we have lots of new music, livestreams and more drive-in shows on the way.

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian’s solo EP, “Elasticity,” drops on March 19 and his documentary, “Truth to Power,” was released to select theaters and limited streaming on Feb. 19, but will be available for video on demand on April 27. (Photo by George Tonikian)

Musically active 

Serj Tankian, best known as the frontman for System of a Down, makes the rest of us look like we haven’t been doing a whole lot during the pandemic. Tankian has a solo EP on the way, produced a documentary called “Truth to Power,” has been scoring video games and documentaries and continued his political and humanitarian activism.

Sign up for our Festival Pass newsletter. Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to watch from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Subscribe here.
Los Angeles trio Ellas will perform modern boleros as part of Boleros De Noche, a virtual concert on March 5 that celebrates the Latin romantic ballads known as boleros. (Photo courtesy Ellas)

Love language

Cozy up for a night in with some romantic music with the latest installment of the Boleros De Noche concert series on Friday. The show, which will feature Ellas and Las Hermanas Garcia, will be available to watch through the weekend.

Electronic artist Deadmau5 will be part of the two-day Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series happening March 5-6, which will benefit CORE in an effort to bring COVID-19 vaccines and testing to low-income communities throughout Los Angeles. (Photo by Leah Sems)

Concert with a cause 

This weekend, the Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series will feature Foo Fighters, Deadmau5, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Macy Gray, James Blunt, Perry Farrell and others. The charity event will benefit multiple COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs, including mobile COVID-19 vaccination in low-income communities around L.A.

Scarypoolparty is the stage name of Alejandro Aranda, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Pomona who finished second on “American Idol” in May 2019. His new EP “Los Angeles,” will be out March 26. (Photo by Bex Griffin)

L.A. story

Pomona’s own Alejandro Aranda, who you might remember from his time on “American Idol” in 2019, has a new EP on the horizon. Recording again as Scarypoolparty, the new release is inspired by Los Angeles and out March 26.

Los Angeles electronic music duo ARMNHMR will bring its show Infinite Skies: SoCal to City National Grove of Anaheim’s Drive-In OC Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. (Photo courtesy of ARMNHMR)

Roll on up

The Drive-In OC concert series in Anaheim has added more electronic music shows to its schedule. Desert Hearts, with Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky, will have a night of techno on March 19. A week later, L.A.’s ARMNHMR will perform on March 26 and 27. Find out how to get tickets.


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Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty

Festival Pass is a newsletter that lands in your inbox weekly. But during prime festival season you get bonus editions, too! Subscribe now.


As much as I can fall down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos (I fully admit I lost a few hours to the recent resurgence of Boney M.’s “Rasputin” dance trend on the app), my first music video love will always be those that MTV played constantly in the ’80s.

And I am truly delighted when I come across a lost gem of a popular song where I have little recollection of the truly bizarre video.

Last week, colleague Peter Larsen brought the video for Billy Ocean’s “Loverboy” to my attention. I definitely knew the song, but I did not remember the video that looks like someone had a crazy dream in a knockoff Star Wars cantina.

Back in this decade, we have lots of new music, livestreams and more drive-in shows on the way.

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian’s solo EP, “Elasticity,” drops on March 19 and his documentary, “Truth to Power,” was released to select theaters and limited streaming on Feb. 19, but will be available for video on demand on April 27. (Photo by George Tonikian)

Musically active 

Serj Tankian, best known as the frontman for System of a Down, makes the rest of us look like we haven’t been doing a whole lot during the pandemic. Tankian has a solo EP on the way, produced a documentary called “Truth to Power,” has been scoring video games and documentaries and continued his political and humanitarian activism.

Sign up for our Festival Pass newsletter. Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to watch from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Subscribe here.
Los Angeles trio Ellas will perform modern boleros as part of Boleros De Noche, a virtual concert on March 5 that celebrates the Latin romantic ballads known as boleros. (Photo courtesy Ellas)

Love language

Cozy up for a night in with some romantic music with the latest installment of the Boleros De Noche concert series on Friday. The show, which will feature Ellas and Las Hermanas Garcia, will be available to watch through the weekend.

Electronic artist Deadmau5 will be part of the two-day Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series happening March 5-6, which will benefit CORE in an effort to bring COVID-19 vaccines and testing to low-income communities throughout Los Angeles. (Photo by Leah Sems)

Concert with a cause 

This weekend, the Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series will feature Foo Fighters, Deadmau5, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Macy Gray, James Blunt, Perry Farrell and others. The charity event will benefit multiple COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs, including mobile COVID-19 vaccination in low-income communities around L.A.

Scarypoolparty is the stage name of Alejandro Aranda, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Pomona who finished second on “American Idol” in May 2019. His new EP “Los Angeles,” will be out March 26. (Photo by Bex Griffin)

L.A. story

Pomona’s own Alejandro Aranda, who you might remember from his time on “American Idol” in 2019, has a new EP on the horizon. Recording again as Scarypoolparty, the new release is inspired by Los Angeles and out March 26.

Los Angeles electronic music duo ARMNHMR will bring its show Infinite Skies: SoCal to City National Grove of Anaheim’s Drive-In OC Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. (Photo courtesy of ARMNHMR)

Roll on up

The Drive-In OC concert series in Anaheim has added more electronic music shows to its schedule. Desert Hearts, with Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky, will have a night of techno on March 19. A week later, L.A.’s ARMNHMR will perform on March 26 and 27. Find out how to get tickets.


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Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

The Plain English Guide to Demand-Side Platforms (DSP)

As a marketer, you might be focused on creating organic content most of the time. But you should keep in mind that paid advertising is just as important.

When you manage the paid ads for your business, you can go through individual ad managers such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads. However, that's not the only option. You can also use demand-side platforms (DSP), which are automated, as a way to purchase and manage your online ads.

In fact, did you know that in 2020 $46.86 billion, or 88.7% of all US mobile display ad dollars, were transacted via automated means?

This means that a majority of marketers paid ads used DSPs as a way of purchasing, managing, and tracking online advertising.

Below, let's review all the basics about DSP advertising.

Access Now: Free Media Planning Template

With a DSP, you can purchase mobile ads on apps, banner ads on search engines, and video ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and even more platforms. Instead of using both Google Ads and Facebook Ads, for instance, you can purchase those ads in one place on a DSP.

The purpose of this is to make ad buying faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Now, let's dive into how DSP platforms work and why you should use one.

DSP Advertising

So, you might be thinking, "How do DSPs work?"

DSP's work by using programmatic advertising, which is the buying and selling of ads in real-time through an automated system. With real-time bidding, ad placements are auctioned off in milliseconds.

When you get started with DSP advertising, you'll need to begin strategizing how much you want to spend. Think about what an effective cost per click and cost per action might be. This will help you set up your online ads so the platform knows how much to spend in any given auction.

The best DSP platforms will allow you to include multiple rich media ads, including video, images, and animation.

Now you might be wondering, "Why would I use a DSP?"

The main reason is that it makes your digital ad experience easier and more cost-effective. You can control, track, and maximize all your digital ads in one place. This means you can manage an entire ad campaign across sites on one dashboard. For example, you can show someone an ad on Google, then show them ads on Facebook, and then across other sites they visit all in one campaign. Before DSPs, those would be separate campaigns on Google and Facebook Ads.

This means you can advertise on many networks, including all the major publishers, in addition to more. With the amount of networks, you'll have a more global reach.

Additionally, DSPs often partner with third-party data providers, giving you better tracking and reporting capabilities than a single network usually provides. And in the planning process, the targeting options are more personalized, meaning you can get better conversion rates.

When you're choosing a platform to work with, you'll want to look at how many ad exchanges the DSP has access to because that affects how many people you can reach. Plus, you'll want to consider cost, training (full service or self service), support, and ease of use.

Now that you know more about DSP advertising and how it works, let's discuss the platforms that can help you do it.

Top Demand-Side Platforms

1. Centro

Centro is an omni-channel DSP built to generate better outcomes for your ad campaigns. One of the best features is that it uses AI machine learning to automatically analyze data from numerous campaign parameters to optimize your ads.

With this DSP, you'll be able to target hyper-local audiences across devices and multiple touchpoints. You'll also get access to the industry's leading exchanges, along with 25,000+ audience segments across over 30 different data providers.

2. Google Marketing Platform

Google Marketing Platform is Google's unified advertising and analytics platform for smarter marketing and better results. This DSP has several products for both small businesses and enterprise companies, including Campaign Manager 360.

With this product, you can save time with cross-channel ad management to maximize insights and optimize media and creative performance across all your digital campaigns. The flexibility is the standout feature on this DSP. You can use third-party features and integrations so you can choose the capabilities that best help you manage and measure your campaigns.

3. Knorex

Knorex is a universal advertising platform that automates personalized marketing across channels, devices, and ad formats. You can market on Google Search, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn all in one place.

This DSP also uses AI to learn from past data to predict and adjust ad budget dynamically in real-time to drive higher efficiency.

4. Jampp

Jampp is a DSP that leverages unique contextual and behavioral signals to deliver customers and in-app purchases through programmatic advertising.

The key features of this platform are user acquisition, app retargeting, geolocated ads, dynamic ads, and predictive bidding. This is mainly a mobile user acquisition and app retargeting DSP where you can focus on mobile first ads.

5. Smadex

Smadex is a mobile DSP engineered for growth. The platform uses a combination of its own programmatic advertising technology, machine learning, and first-party data.

With this platform, you can reach global audiences at scale and re-engage audiences with its retargeting capabilities.

When you choose a DSP, make sure you understand how many inventory sources it accesses, which third-party data integrations it offers, and what targeting criteria is available. To successfully run programmatic ads on a DSP, you'll need to reach global audiences with personalized ads.

paid media template


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The Beginner's Guide to the Competitive Matrix [Template]

Have you ever been playing a game with your loved ones and you have to look around to suss out the competition?

Whether you currently own or you' re looking to start your own business, you need to do the same thing.

A competitive analysis will help you identify your competitors and research their products, sales, and marketing strategies. By doing this, you' ll learn your place in the market, how to differentiate yourself from your competition, and how to improve on their processes.

Below, let' s learn what a competitive matrix is, and review some templates and examples.

Access Now: 10 Competitive Analysis Tempates [Free Download]

Before you dive into the world of competitive matrices, it' s important to understand that there are different types that you can use to compare your company to your competitors:

  • Features and benefits analysis
  • SWOT analysis
  • Competitive strategic overview
  • Content marketing strategies
  • Review tracking

Essentially, you can use a competitive matrix to compare any characteristics of your company with a competitor.

Sometimes these matrices will be more visual in nature (a plotted graph), but sometimes it' s just an excel doc with the information listed in columns.

The goal of the competitive matrix is to be able to see at a glance the competitive landscape and your position in the marketplace. This will help you see gaps in the marketplace and hone in on your unique value proposition.

Perhaps, after looking at a competitive matrix, you brainstorm new product ideas, or new tools or features that you hadn' t considered before. Or maybe you come out of it with a ton of ideas on how to improve your content marketing strategy.

Regardless, you can use a competitive matrix for a lot of reasons. You can use it to develop new ideas, or you can use it to train sales staff on how to differentiate your company from the competition.

After figuring out what you' re going to do with the information, make sure you write down your ideas, develop KPIs, and regularly conduct this analysis so you can stay up to date with your strategy.

Now that you know what a competitive matrix is and how to use one, let's review some templates that you can use for your own strategy.

Competitive Matrix Templates

1. Two-Feature Competitive Landscape Chart

One type of competitive matrix you can do is a simple comparison of features. You can use this information to plot where your company is compared to competitors.

The features could be something like price or customization potential. Then, you' d place the logos of each company (including yours) on the graph depending on how well a company executes a certain feature. The point of this matrix is to visualize who does what better, so you can see what you have to work on and how to differentiate yourself against the competition.

HubSpot template for a competitive matrix.

Download this Template

2. Content Marketing Analysis Template

As a content marketer, this is my favorite template. With this template, you can compare social media followers, blog strategy, email strategy, SEO, etc. This will help you decide where you need to focus your content strategy -- should you place an emphasis on Twitter, rather than Facebook? If you download this template, it also includes a graph and more strategies to analyze.

HubSpot template for a content marketing competitive analysis.

Download this Template

3. SWOT Analysis Template

A basic competitive matrix is the SWOT analysis. Conducting a SWOT analysis will help you identify areas where you could improve. You should conduct a SWOT analysis for yourself, but also for your competition. Knowing what weaknesses your competition has will help your sales reps and help you make improvements in those areas.

HubSpot template for a SWOT analysis.

Download this Template

4. Review Tracker

A review tracker matrix will help you see at a glance the types of reviews you get versus your competitors. It' s important not to forget about reviews because they can have a big impact on a business. With this template, you can also use a scoring system to normalize the averages.

HubSpot template for a review tracker competitive matrix.

Download this Template

After reviewing those templates, it' s time to see what a competitive matrix looks like in action. Let' s see some examples below.

Competitive Matrix Examples

1. HubSpot

This is a public HubSpot competitive matrix comparing the overall pricing of our CRM versus Salesforce. This is a standard matrix that's meant to help people see the difference between the CRMs at a glance.

HubSpot vs. Salesforce competitive matrix.

Image Source

2. SugarSync

This is a great example of what a feature matrix might look like. SugarSync compares its feature offerings against the competition in an easy-to-understand visualization.

SugarSync competitive matrix.

Image Source

3. 360iResearch

In this example, 360iResearch reports on survey management software. This is a plotted graph showing which companies have the best product satisfaction and business strategy.

360iResearch competitive matrix.

Image Source

Competitive matrices are great tools to help you uncover how you' re different from your competitors. You can learn your unique value proposition and identify areas for improvement.

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Lawmakers, county assessors seek clarity, delay on Prop. 19 provisions

Two California senators and the state’s 58 county assessors are seeking clarification on the implementation of a new property tax measure, and they’re hoping to delay a provision that makes it more costly for children to inherit some homes from their parents.

Proposition 19, narrowly approved by voters in November, took effect Feb.16. It allows California homeowners who are over the age of 55, disabled or victims of natural disasters to transfer their existing property tax base to a replacement home in the state, even if the new home is more expensive.

But tucked inside the bill is a provision that repealed Prop. 58, a 1986 constitutional amendment that said parents could transfer ownership of any home to their children without a change to the property tax bill.

Under Prop. 19, properties that are not farms or the principal home of the child within a year would be reassessed at current market value when the title changes hands. That would also apply to a child who chooses to keep the property as a second home, vacation home or rental property.

Any of those scenarios would likely hike property taxes by thousands of dollars when a home is transferred from parents to children, or in some cases, from grandparents to grandchildren.

Prop. 19 was backed by the California Association of Realtors, which supported the measure with $35.7 million. The industry group, which benefits from home sales, saw a barrier for older residents who either wanted to downsize or move but wouldn’t because they were locked into a low tax rate on their longtime homes.

Senate Bill 668, authored by Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Nigel in partnership with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, would delay implementation of the property inheritance provision until Feb. 16, 2023.

A two-year delay, Bates said, would give the state time to assess the issues. Families would also have additional time to seek professional advice on how a property transfer might affect potential tax liabilities.

“While Prop. 19 is now law, the measure is silent on some issues regarding implementation,” Bates said in a statement, adding that it’s not always possible for family members to quickly relocate — particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill is awaiting referral to a Senate policy committee.

Sen. Robert M. Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, hopes to bring clarity to Prop. 19 through Senate Bill 539, which he introduced last month.

County assessors, the legislation says, “need explicit authority” to administer the new law, and property owners need clarity to make informed estate planning decisions.

The bill is set for a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday.

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang said his office has no clear guidance on how to implement portions of Prop. 19, a measure he says was “hastily written at the end of the legislative session with confusing and conflicting language.”

“We spent the Christmas holiday combing through the measure to come up with an inventory of the deficiencies,” he said.

The California Assessors’ Association and Board of Equalization crafted a detailed legislative package with proposed changes to Prop. 19 on a variety of issues, including what properties are eligible for transfer, who is eligible and what the application process is. The package has failed to gain traction.

Prang offered an example of how Prop. 19 can be confusing.

“Suppose you are going to inherit your mother’s house and that property tax base as well,” he said. “What happens if she develops Alzheimer’s and is living in a memory-care facility? Under Prop. 19, you would not qualify to inherit that property because that would not be her primary residence.”

The situation would be equally unwieldy if multiple siblings inherited a home, Prang said.

“The law says that must become your primary residence,” he said. “That means they would all have to move into the house, which is absurd.”

Prang expressed his frustration in a letter sent last month to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

“Assessors are likely to interpret some portions of Proposition 19 differently from county to county,” he wrote, adding that legislative action taken may later “invalidate, supersede, modify intermittently, or retroactively contradict those interpretations.”

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Whiting Ranch remains closed by mountain lion activity

On Wednesday, Ranger Candi Hubert headed out into Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park to check trails, brush and wildlife cameras for evidence mountain lions were still hanging around.

It’s a task the supervising ranger has done daily since the wilderness park near the community of Foothill Ranch was shut down on Feb. 7 after a mountain lion approached a young child walking with his parents in a park area known as Four Corners.

  • A mountain lion captured by a wildlife camera in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 5:16 p,m. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity. (Courtesy OC Parks)

  • A mountain lion sighting sign at the temporarily closed entrance to the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Barricades block the entrance to the temporarily closed Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park Supervising Ranger Candi Hubert stands by the temporarily closed entrance to the park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The temporarily closed entrance to the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park Supervising Ranger Candi Hubert locks the gate to the temporarily closed entrance to the park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The temporarily closed entrance to the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A mountain lion sighting sign at the temporarily closed entrance to the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Foothill Ranch on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The park remains closed due to an uptick in mountain lion activity after a juvenile lion targeted a young child in the park on February 7th. Rangers have been looking for prints and tracking the lion’s activities with help from experts at Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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A park maintenance worker, who saw the big cat “sling down” before walking toward the 6-year-old, scared the animal off and back into nearby brush by driving his truck toward it and loudly honking.

The lion’s actions were determined to be “bold,” said John Gannaway, who oversees OC Parks’ wilderness areas, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified and the park gates shut. UC Davis’ Wildlife Health Center is also lending its expertise.

It’s been nearly four weeks and Whiting Ranch remains closed – the longest the park has been off limits following a mountain lion incident that wasn’t a fatal attack.

When in January 2020 a mountain lion was killed after it injured a 3-year-old Lake Forest boy and hid in a tree, the park was reopened two days later.  In 2004, when a mountain lion attacked and killed a mountain biker, Whiting Ranch was closed for five to six weeks while officials waited for the results of a necropsy to verify the cat that was put down was the cat involved in the incident.

The history of mountain lion attacks in California is overall pretty low, with 16 attacks recorded in 100 years – three of them were fatal, including the bike rider in Whiting Ranch.

There are an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions in California.

“It’s a judgment call,” Gannaway said of how much longer the park might be kept closed to the public, which has seen a 70% jump in popularity in recent months during the pandemic. “We want a little bit of time to better evaluate what’s going on, especially now that we have UC Davis collaborating with us.

“We’re not interested in keeping the park closed long-term,” he said. “We need time to evaluate the photo images and get back to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis and talk more. If we do open, what strategies should we have in place?”

The UC Davis group is headed up by Dr. Winston Vickers, who has studied mountain lions in California for decades. At his urging, park rangers have put out more wildlife cameras, which have shown near-daily sightings, officials said.

The increased cat activity could be a result of the recent Bond and Silverado fires that burned through some of the mountain lions’ nearby terrain. Their range extends into the Santa Ana Mountains.

At least two male cats, one juvenile and an adult, have been seen on camera. Territory for a male lion to roam is about 125 to 150 square miles, a female needs about 75 square miles, Vickers said.

“Whiting might be an area where territories overlap,” Vickers said. “You’d rarely have more than two lions who would use the park.”

As part of the ongoing investigation, rangers are mapping where they are finding tracks and watching the cats’ behavior. They not only look along trails, but also in dense brush and through vegetation. There is some evidence a deer was recently killed, which might have kept the cats around a bit longer.

“Unless they’re there to feed on a kill, they’ll roam,” said Vickers. “It’s never been my experience that they stay around for a long time – even on a deer kill. They’d be there for about a week and then move on.”

Vickers said most of the camera photos show the lions active at night, which he calls encouraging and evidence of appropriate behavior.

He also said the length of the closure should have given the cats time to move on, but it might also be making it more attractive for them to stick around with the park devoid of people.

“It’s a catch 22,” he said.

When the park does open, Gannaway said it will include a more robust effort in getting the public educated on appropriate behavior in the wilderness area. That might include rangers stopping to talk with people more and outreach to underline the fact that those visiting the park are entering a known lion habitat.

“The key thing is for people to remember that it is a wilderness park and take it as such,” Vickers said. “People need to hike and bike with that awareness and know ahead of time what to do.”

With more homes being built, the mountain lions’ territory is diminishing all across Southern California. Since Christmas, the Santa Ana Mountain population has been reduced by six cats.  Three adults were killed, two by car and one by fire.

A female mountain lion struck on Antonio Parkway left two orphaned female kittens; one was also struck by a car, but not killed. She and her sister were taken to Dr. Scott Weldy, a wildlife veterinarian in Lake Forest. He is treating the injured kitten, and placed the other orphan into a rehabilitation center from where it will be released back to the wild.

Weldy also treated another injured kitten that was struck on the 241 toll road on Christmas Day. The animal was so young it can’t be released into the wild, he said.

“The population is so fragile and in a sense, the decline is alarming,” Weldy said. “It does emphasize how these guys are at risk.”

He applauds the closure at Whiting Ranch so there is less chance of interaction with a human that could get one of the big cats in trouble.

He would also support a longer-term closure, he said. “It’s not a bad idea to keep it closed and give the cats a place to live.”

“People can go everywhere,” he said. “They can take bikes, cars and planes. Right now, it’s the only place cats have.”

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Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty

Festival Pass is a newsletter that lands in your inbox weekly. But during prime festival season you get bonus editions, too! Subscribe now.


As much as I can fall down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos (I fully admit I lost a few hours to the recent resurgence of Boney M.’s “Rasputin” dance trend on the app), my first music video love will always be those that MTV played constantly in the ’80s.

And I am truly delighted when I come across a lost gem of a popular song where I have little recollection of the truly bizarre video.

Last week, colleague Peter Larsen brought the video for Billy Ocean’s “Loverboy” to my attention. I definitely knew the song, but I did not remember the video that looks like someone had a crazy dream in a knockoff Star Wars cantina.

Back in this decade, we have lots of new music, livestreams and more drive-in shows on the way.

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian’s solo EP, “Elasticity,” drops on March 19 and his documentary, “Truth to Power,” was released to select theaters and limited streaming on Feb. 19, but will be available for video on demand on April 27. (Photo by George Tonikian)

Musically active 

Serj Tankian, best known as the frontman for System of a Down, makes the rest of us look like we haven’t been doing a whole lot during the pandemic. Tankian has a solo EP on the way, produced a documentary called “Truth to Power,” has been scoring video games and documentaries and continued his political and humanitarian activism.

Sign up for our Festival Pass newsletter. Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to watch from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Subscribe here.
Los Angeles trio Ellas will perform modern boleros as part of Boleros De Noche, a virtual concert on March 5 that celebrates the Latin romantic ballads known as boleros. (Photo courtesy Ellas)

Love language

Cozy up for a night in with some romantic music with the latest installment of the Boleros De Noche concert series on Friday. The show, which will feature Ellas and Las Hermanas Garcia, will be available to watch through the weekend.

Electronic artist Deadmau5 will be part of the two-day Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series happening March 5-6, which will benefit CORE in an effort to bring COVID-19 vaccines and testing to low-income communities throughout Los Angeles. (Photo by Leah Sems)

Concert with a cause 

This weekend, the Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series will feature Foo Fighters, Deadmau5, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Macy Gray, James Blunt, Perry Farrell and others. The charity event will benefit multiple COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs, including mobile COVID-19 vaccination in low-income communities around L.A.

Scarypoolparty is the stage name of Alejandro Aranda, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Pomona who finished second on “American Idol” in May 2019. His new EP “Los Angeles,” will be out March 26. (Photo by Bex Griffin)

L.A. story

Pomona’s own Alejandro Aranda, who you might remember from his time on “American Idol” in 2019, has a new EP on the horizon. Recording again as Scarypoolparty, the new release is inspired by Los Angeles and out March 26.

Los Angeles electronic music duo ARMNHMR will bring its show Infinite Skies: SoCal to City National Grove of Anaheim’s Drive-In OC Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. (Photo courtesy of ARMNHMR)

Roll on up

The Drive-In OC concert series in Anaheim has added more electronic music shows to its schedule. Desert Hearts, with Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky, will have a night of techno on March 19. A week later, L.A.’s ARMNHMR will perform on March 26 and 27. Find out how to get tickets.


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Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty

Festival Pass is a newsletter that lands in your inbox weekly. But during prime festival season you get bonus editions, too! Subscribe now.


As much as I can fall down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos (I fully admit I lost a few hours to the recent resurgence of Boney M.’s “Rasputin” dance trend on the app), my first music video love will always be those that MTV played constantly in the ’80s.

And I am truly delighted when I come across a lost gem of a popular song where I have little recollection of the truly bizarre video.

Last week, colleague Peter Larsen brought the video for Billy Ocean’s “Loverboy” to my attention. I definitely knew the song, but I did not remember the video that looks like someone had a crazy dream in a knockoff Star Wars cantina.

Back in this decade, we have lots of new music, livestreams and more drive-in shows on the way.

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian’s solo EP, “Elasticity,” drops on March 19 and his documentary, “Truth to Power,” was released to select theaters and limited streaming on Feb. 19, but will be available for video on demand on April 27. (Photo by George Tonikian)

Musically active 

Serj Tankian, best known as the frontman for System of a Down, makes the rest of us look like we haven’t been doing a whole lot during the pandemic. Tankian has a solo EP on the way, produced a documentary called “Truth to Power,” has been scoring video games and documentaries and continued his political and humanitarian activism.

Sign up for our Festival Pass newsletter. Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to watch from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Subscribe here.
Los Angeles trio Ellas will perform modern boleros as part of Boleros De Noche, a virtual concert on March 5 that celebrates the Latin romantic ballads known as boleros. (Photo courtesy Ellas)

Love language

Cozy up for a night in with some romantic music with the latest installment of the Boleros De Noche concert series on Friday. The show, which will feature Ellas and Las Hermanas Garcia, will be available to watch through the weekend.

Electronic artist Deadmau5 will be part of the two-day Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series happening March 5-6, which will benefit CORE in an effort to bring COVID-19 vaccines and testing to low-income communities throughout Los Angeles. (Photo by Leah Sems)

Concert with a cause 

This weekend, the Rock ‘N’ Relief: Live Stream Concert Series will feature Foo Fighters, Deadmau5, Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Macy Gray, James Blunt, Perry Farrell and others. The charity event will benefit multiple COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs, including mobile COVID-19 vaccination in low-income communities around L.A.

Scarypoolparty is the stage name of Alejandro Aranda, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Pomona who finished second on “American Idol” in May 2019. His new EP “Los Angeles,” will be out March 26. (Photo by Bex Griffin)

L.A. story

Pomona’s own Alejandro Aranda, who you might remember from his time on “American Idol” in 2019, has a new EP on the horizon. Recording again as Scarypoolparty, the new release is inspired by Los Angeles and out March 26.

Los Angeles electronic music duo ARMNHMR will bring its show Infinite Skies: SoCal to City National Grove of Anaheim’s Drive-In OC Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. (Photo courtesy of ARMNHMR)

Roll on up

The Drive-In OC concert series in Anaheim has added more electronic music shows to its schedule. Desert Hearts, with Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky, will have a night of techno on March 19. A week later, L.A.’s ARMNHMR will perform on March 26 and 27. Find out how to get tickets.


Get Festival Pass delivered to your inbox weekly.

from Irvine Business Signs https://ift.tt/2O60wj9
via Irvine Sign Company


Festival Pass: Talking with Serj Tankian, more drive-in shows and a Scarypoolparty was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Lawmakers, county assessors seek clarity, delay on Prop. 19 provisions

Two California senators and the state’s 58 county assessors are seeking clarification on the implementation of a new property tax measure, and they’re hoping to delay a provision that makes it more costly for children to inherit some homes from their parents.

Proposition 19, narrowly approved by voters in November, took effect Feb.16. It allows California homeowners who are over the age of 55, disabled or victims of natural disasters to transfer their existing property tax base to a replacement home in the state, even if the new home is more expensive.

But tucked inside the bill is a provision that repealed Prop. 58, a 1986 constitutional amendment that said parents could transfer ownership of any home to their children without a change to the property tax bill.

Under Prop. 19, properties that are not farms or the principal home of the child within a year would be reassessed at current market value when the title changes hands. That would also apply to a child who chooses to keep the property as a second home, vacation home or rental property.

Any of those scenarios would likely hike property taxes by thousands of dollars when a home is transferred from parents to children, or in some cases, from grandparents to grandchildren.

Prop. 19 was backed by the California Association of Realtors, which supported the measure with $35.7 million. The industry group, which benefits from home sales, saw a barrier for older residents who either wanted to downsize or move but wouldn’t because they were locked into a low tax rate on their longtime homes.

Senate Bill 668, authored by Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Nigel in partnership with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, would delay implementation of the property inheritance provision until Feb. 16, 2023.

A two-year delay, Bates said, would give the state time to assess the issues. Families would also have additional time to seek professional advice on how a property transfer might affect potential tax liabilities.

“While Prop. 19 is now law, the measure is silent on some issues regarding implementation,” Bates said in a statement, adding that it’s not always possible for family members to quickly relocate — particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill is awaiting referral to a Senate policy committee.

Sen. Robert M. Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, hopes to bring clarity to Prop. 19 through Senate Bill 539, which he introduced last month.

County assessors, the legislation says, “need explicit authority” to administer the new law, and property owners need clarity to make informed estate planning decisions.

The bill is set for a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday.

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang said his office has no clear guidance on how to implement portions of Prop. 19, a measure he says was “hastily written at the end of the legislative session with confusing and conflicting language.”

“We spent the Christmas holiday combing through the measure to come up with an inventory of the deficiencies,” he said.

The California Assessors’ Association and Board of Equalization crafted a detailed legislative package with proposed changes to Prop. 19 on a variety of issues, including what properties are eligible for transfer, who is eligible and what the application process is. The package has failed to gain traction.

Prang offered an example of how Prop. 19 can be confusing.

“Suppose you are going to inherit your mother’s house and that property tax base as well,” he said. “What happens if she develops Alzheimer’s and is living in a memory-care facility? Under Prop. 19, you would not qualify to inherit that property because that would not be her primary residence.”

The situation would be equally unwieldy if multiple siblings inherited a home, Prang said.

“The law says that must become your primary residence,” he said. “That means they would all have to move into the house, which is absurd.”

Prang expressed his frustration in a letter sent last month to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

“Assessors are likely to interpret some portions of Proposition 19 differently from county to county,” he wrote, adding that legislative action taken may later “invalidate, supersede, modify intermittently, or retroactively contradict those interpretations.”

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