BLOCK BUSTED ... AT 7TH AND MONTANA!

It was Bye Bye Blockbuster once and for all at 7th and Montana this morning as a crew of workers removed the last vestiges of Blockbuster Video -- the 'ghosted' remains of the Blockbuster sign -- from the building across from Our Favorite Starbucks. Poor Blockbuster. They've been crushed by their debt ratio and punished by Wall Street for not being more like Netflix ... despite the fact that they actually do a lot of the same things Netflix does. Oh, well. Onward and upward I always say. Signs in the window of the former Blockbuster suggest that Chase Bank will be moving in soon ...!

PLUM LOCO ... AT WHOLE FOODS

In case you missed it, Plum Balls are on sale at Whole Foods this week for only $15.99. Yes, you heard me right: Plum Balls. They're imported from Japan and come four to a pack. "I'll bet they taste just like chicken," said a fellow shopper who noticed me taking a photo of the packaging. Speaking as someone who has been served a plate of fish testicles in Japan (on December 11, 2008 in Miyazaki to be exact), I had my doubts. "I think I'm going to buy a box, just to try it" said the shopper. "More power to you," I replied, "The ball's in your court ...!"

IS THERE A SPIN DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

They say that "love makes the world go 'round." That might be true, but a precocious young man found another way to keep things spinning at 7th and Montana this morning. He walked right to the middle of the store -- not too far from the pastry case -- and spun around in place for as long as he could stand it, just to see what would happen. What happened is he started staggering around and bumping into people. Maybe a nice Apple Fritter would anchor him in place ...!

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TURBANATOR ...

It was a case of Turban Renewal today at the Whole Foods in Beverly Hills as an attractive woman wearing a tight-fitting turban made the scene at the "lunch counter." Don't get me wrong, I like turbans as much as the next guy, but I couldn't help noticing that she didn't buy anything. She was playing backgammon and -- unless I'm mistaken -- reading her friend's palm. I don't know how long she was sitting there, but I couldn't help noticing that a security guard was watching her very closely. Something tells me you don't need to be a palm reader to predict her future: A change of venue ...!

BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. ... AT 7TH AND MONTANA!

Eyes were popping at 7th and Montana yesterday as a would-be Tsarina made the scene. Far be it from me to Russian to judgment, but surely someone -- maybe a good friend -- could find a polite way to tell this woman that her hat looked like a dead Chipmunk from Chernobyl. I'd have said something myself, but she was obviously in a rush. She ordered a coffee to go and Trotskied out the door ...!

THAT'S MR. BURPEE TO YOU ... AT 7TH AND MONTANA!

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet "Mr. Burpee," a top-seeded belcher who announced his presence at 7th and Montana this morning with what just might be the world's loudest burp. He somehow slipped it in the middle of a sentence that went something like this: "Oh, I don't know, we'll figure something out ... BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP ... then, again, maybe we won't." Birds stopped chirping; Dogs stopped barking; Everyone looked in his direction. But Mr. Burpee just went right on talking as if nothing happened. "I guess it could have been worse," said one onlooker, "It could have come out the other end ...!"

PUTTING "SLIGHTLY OLD" FRITTERS TO GOOD USE ... AT 7TH AND MONTANA!

Ever wonder what happens to all those day-old Fritters -- and other pastries -- when they're done 'serving time' in the display case at 7th and Montana? It turns they're donated to a good cause, Cherry Picked, which by coincidence is run by an old friend of mine named Justine. Imagine my surprise yesterday when Justine, who I hadn't seen in nearly 15 years, walked into Our Favorite Starbucks, grabbed a bag of day-old Fritters (pictured above), and start heading out the door. I gawked at her in disbelief, waiting for that glimmer of recognition on her part before I asked what she was up to. It turns out that she delivers all the pastry to local food banks. In addition, her charity -- "a just cause foundation" -- runs a thift shop on Pico. Proceeds go to St. Augustine's Volunteer Emergency Services (S.A.V.E.S), which provides food and clothing to needy people, and Harvest Home, a maternity home in Venice which provides shelter and support to pregnant women. Justine believes that "help starts at home" and she sure has lent a helping hand to those in need. She's currently looking for more just causes to support, especially in the areas of animal rescue, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and support for the military.