Surf shop apologizes for Martin Luther King Jr. day 'black products' sale

BAD JOKE: An Orange County surf shop issued an apology for a Martin Luther King Jr. day sales promotion that some considered offensive. NBC4 say the owners vow to be more "careful" in the future:

The sale featured a digitally altered ad showing the civil rights leader in a wet suit. The Thalia Surf Shop online advertisement titled "Respect'' slashed 20 percent off black-colored products, such as wet suits and T-shirts. Monday's promotion also showed a likeness of King in a wet suit holding a surfboard. "In no way did we intend to hurt or offend anyone. For those that took offense or disrespect we truly are sorry."

ROAD REDESIGN: Streetsblog Los Angeles reports that Venice's roads might be reduced to two lanes for cars, while adding in space for a turn lane and bike lanes.

VENICE STYLE: This Venice house look horrid, but it's for charity. (Curbed LA)

BOOK WATCH: A data analyst at California Watch takes Google's Ngram Viewer, an application that graphs how often certain phrases have occurred in 15 million books, for a California spin. 

LIGHTS, ACTION: Hollywood filmmakers turn to a camera shop in North Hollywood for film and digital equipment to customize, run over, drown and ignite. (Daily News)

 

WEIGHT-LOSS TRAGEDY: A family wants answers after Lawndale woman dies during weight-loss surgery. (KTLA)

-- Soo Oh