JohnValbyNation

When the holidays begin, my reptilian brain takes over. It keeps me breathing, but as McGill University describes it, “The reptilian brain … tends to be somewhat rigid and compulsive.” That’s attractive. Or not, especially when it comes to car travel this time of year. For Thanksgiving alone, 55 million people are expected to take…

Forget holiday fireworks or the house with 5 million strings of lights. Instead, think drones, lots of them, creating images in the sky of Santa’s sleigh and reindeer, candy canes and a Christmas tree. Southern California’s only holiday drone show will take place Dec. 21 in the Danish-themed village of Solvang in the Santa Ynez…

Regarding “Here to There,” Nov. 17: I wish L.A. World Airports and the Metropolitan Transit Authority folks could have figured out a way to have rail lines go directly to one or more terminals at LAX. Why couldn’t the Green Line go to the airport? I know that security concerns were cited, but many other…

WASHINGTON —  President Donald Trump on Friday heard opposing viewpoints in the debate over youth vaping but offered no insight into where he would ultimately come down on the issue after promising two months ago that he would ban most flavored e-cigarettes but later backtracking. He said the administration would announce its plan “very soon.” “We…

1/7 Actress Chelsey Crisp in the game room in her Century City home.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 2/7 Ionian Sea Linen wallpaper and a powder-coated aluminum panel are part of the game room.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 3/7 A painting by Los Angeles artist Marc Trujillo in the game room.  (Mel…

1/16 Jeff Bridges and his wife, Susan Geston, sold their Spanish-style estate in Montecito to media mogul Oprah Winfrey for $6.85 million.  (Eric Foote) 2/16 The four-acre property is the latest purchase in the Santa Barbara area for Winfrey, who owns a large estate and a horse farm in the area.   (Eric Foote) 3/16…

It’s not uncommon to see a luxury property pass from one player in the entertainment industry to another. After all, the factors that appealed to the seller — privacy, security, location — would likely appeal to another celebrity. This week’s chain game sees a renowned actor handing off to a media mogul and a reality…

Want a free tree for your yard or neighborhood? L.A.’s Green New Deal to plant 90,000 trees in the city over the next two years is a bonus for residents. The city will give out up to seven free yard and/or street trees to qualifying residents. More than two dozen species are listed on the…

Esteban Ocon was as usual hot on the heels of Force India team mate in qualifying for this weekend’s  the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The young French driver continues to accumulate experience and progress on his learning at an unabated pace. “It’s the best qualifying position in my career and I am very happy about how…

Rachel Malarich faces a pressing task: overseeing the planting of 90,000 trees over the next two years in Los Angeles, home to the largest urban forest in the United States. As the city’s first forest officer, the veteran arborist needs to boost the tree canopy by at least 50% in shade-starved low-income areas by 2028.…