LA is burning again

There is a huge plume of smoke rising out of the Antelope Valley today, as yet another brush fire burns out of control. With all the main freeways closed into LA we are essentially stuck until the flames die down. This weeks earthquake drill in LA was a timely reminder that the 'big one' could strike at any time - but realistically, a bigger ongoing threat to us all is fire. And so many of us are ill prepared.

I voted

I did it! No queue and a paper punch hole ballot. All very easy.
It's time for change...

Election Day!

I get to vote in my first US election today. LA woke up to rain and
fog but the damp weather does not appear to have dampened enthusiasm
for this historic election. I'll cast my vote - or votes if you
include the propositions - at a polling place on a trailer park in
Canyon Country. Very exciting. Fascinating to see if the polls are
correct.

Train drivers and cell phones

There is a cruel irony in the fact that using a mobile phone while driving in California was (belatedly) outlawed earlier this year - yet, there is no such legislation applying to train rivers. Following Friday's rail disaster the authorities are investigating whether the engineer of a commuter train was text messaging before the collision that killed 25 people. Apparently some railroad operators have policies prohibiting the personal use of cell phones, but they are widely ignored. Come to think of it, the rules applying to motorists here are widely ignored too - and technically, it is still not illegal to text while driving.

LA Train Crash

As I navigated my way through road blocks and police cordons to get to the scene of Friday's horrific train crash in LA, I was struck by the scale and efficiency of the rescue operation. The normally quiet, rural streets of Chatsworth (an outlying LA suburb) were jammed with fire engines, ambulances and trucks carrying heavy lifting gear. The air was thick with the stench of fumes from generators. The coordination between agencies was impressive - something America seems to be getting right these days.

As ever, in LA, a huge media operation had swung into action. The authorities here are very media savvy and officers on the ground are always helpful. It was, however, a bit disconcerting, given the gravity of the situation, when one cheery cop greeted us with, "Cool, the BBC."

Chillingly, the crash occurred in a relatively open area which opened up like an amphitheater. As the firefighters did their work, cutting into the train's first carriage, in search of survivors, we looked on from a press pen. It was a perfect yet awkward vantage point. The grim nature of what we were watching highlighted by the sight of a bodies, draped in white sheets, being removed from the carnage.

With the death toll currently standing at 25, the hours after the tragedy have seen an unusually swift assessment of the cause of the crash. The train operator has blamed its engineer on the train for ignoring a red signal. It has been suggested on local TV that the engineer may have been texting at the time. There is is still much that we do not know for certain.

An evening with Donna Summer

"It's not easy being a diva," joked Donna Summer to a packed crowd at the Hollywood Bowl, last night. But a diva she still is, and she thrilled the audience with a show that relied as much on new songs as the old hits from the 70s. Summer, who turns 60 this year, was in her element. She chatted with the crowd between numbers and at one point shed a tear when, she claimed, she was overcome by their enthusiastic response. "Don't make me cry, c'mon!" she said, after MacArthur Park drew a prolonged standing ovation. It was a touching and genuine display of appreciation from an artist that clearly still has much to offer. Her new songs, the ballad, Sand on My Feet, and the rousing dance-rock Stamp Your Feet were every bit as polished as the old hits, Last Dance, On the Radio and She Works Hard for The Money. A thoroughly enjoyable concert - and no one enjoyed it more than Donna Summer. Sweet.