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5 Packaged Food Fails: Who Thought These Were Good Ideas?

There are some pretty nasty things out there in the grocery stores of America: breakfast cereals you'd never have eaten even as a sugar-addled 7-year-old, tinned meats, caffeinated beef jerky. And yet, very little of what's on the shelf today compares with some of the monstrous fails perpetrated on ... More >>

Attention Gay Men: Our Choices Are Killing Us

See also: "Is L.A. Gay Pride an Outdated, Adolescent Mess?" Alan Turing was the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. Harry Hay spearheaded a movement that brought greater acceptance, visibility and equality for millions of queer folks around the world. Simon Nkoli tirelessly foug ... More >>

Bizarre Tidbits Hidden in the Children's Audio Tour at the Getty

One of the best things about the Getty Museum is its free-ness. And included in that free-ness is free use of iPods that offer audio tours of the museum. Most pieces of artwork on premises have corresponding numbers -- enter the number into your iPods and get a thoughtful, scholarly analysis of said ... More >>

OK, Assholes, Flash Mobs Need To Stop

Flash mobs need to stop. In fact, they needed to stop about five years ago. We've all been there, walking through the grocery store alone on a Saturday, perusing the natural foods aisle looking for someone to make fun of in our heads. "Oh man, that dude's not gonna lose weight eating organic fudge ... More >>

6 Other Boxing One-Man Shows We'd Like to See

See also: *Mike Tyson's One-Man Show at the Pantages Theater Is Surprisingly Good Mike Tyson's much-hyped one man Broadway show (and Spike Lee joint) Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth came to L.A. for just a few performances this past weekend. In it he apparently comes clean about his past by admitting ... More >>

There Are Three Incredibly Geeky Conventions in L.A. This Weekend

If you're looking to relive television shows from the '70s through the '90s and profess your fandom for long-forgotten action heroes, this weekend offers a bevy of conventions to satisfy your inner geek.

Top 7 Ways to Avoid a DUI on New Year's Eve

We've survived the election, the holidays and the apocalypse, so there's even more to celebrate come New Year's Eve. Not only is it almost 2013, but we're all still here -- so let's keep it that way. Given the vast amount of liquor that comes with NYE, operating heavy machinery isn't feasible, and ... More >>

Frank Sinatra's "The Lady Is a Tramp": Why This Song Sucks

[Editor's note: Why This Song Sucks determines why particular tracks blow using science. It appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday.] Song: Frank Sinatra, "The Lady Is A Tramp" History: Apparently "The Lady Is A Tramp" comes from a '30s musical*. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga recorded their own ... More >>

The Ballad of Ricardo Flores Magon, Plus All the Latest New Theater Reviews

Hosted by Rubén Martínez and Raquel Gutiérrez, Loyola Marymount University, KCET Community Television and VARIEDADES present The Ballad of Ricardo Flores Magón at the Ford Amphitheatre September 28, 2012, 8 p.m., 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. The show features Quetzal, augmented by members of ... More >>

Birding in L.A.: 7 Reasons to Do It, and How to Get Started

Bird-watching. A word that is synonymous with you don't really know because you've already lost interest just thinking about it for one second. Lucky for you this post isn't about bird-watching; it's about birding. I said MOTHERFUCKIN' BIRDING YOU GUYS! Sorry. I got a little overzealous trying to ... More >>

Top 10 Gay Bars in Los Angeles

Gay nightlife in Los Angeles might seem like it's separated into two distinct camps -- Weho on one side and Silver Lake on the other -- but the truth is, plenty of queer and queer-loving crowds hit both, thanks to promoters offering parties on both sides of town. Cliches about the Westside being s ... More >>

Rave Drug Ketamine Eyed as Quick Cure for Suicidal Depression

The circle of life, or something like it, has come to the field of severe depression medicine. You see, while ravers often complain of depression because they use up all their happy coupons every Saturday night (often in the form of serotonin-greedy ecstasy), physicians who treat hardcore cases of ... More >>

5 Creepy Vagina Nicknames That Should Go Away Forever

What's in a name? Well, it depends! Ladyslippers sound like the perfect wedding/christening flower -- until you look them up on Wikipedia and see they appear to have varicose veins and a nasty case of the herp. The Swedish supermodel/gymnast you watch buy a soy chai every morning as you loiter ... More >>

Top 10 Events in the History of Polka Dots

"A polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots become movement... Polka dots are a way to infinity." --Japanese polka dot artist, Ya ... More >>

Master Cleanse, aka 'Lemonade Diet': I Tried it During Christmas. Here's How That Went

In our new column, First Person, L.A. writers tackle the good, the bad and the funny about life as they know it. Deciding to go on the master cleanse in December was either inspired or idiotic. Since I got the idea while in the far-too-familiar haze of a wine buzz, I blame it on the alcohol. You'r ... More >>

Mike Vitar, 'Sandlot' Star Turned Los Angeles Firefighter, Adored by Internet

TumblrBenny done growed up.​It's hard to hate a man in uniform. Especially when he gets caught by news cameras casually saving a kitten from smoke inhalation, emerging from a car explosion unscathed, etc. Add a starring role in the cult childhood flick of a generation, and you've got Internet ... More >>

Cheeseburger Week in Pasadena: Coming in January

J. Cabralcheeseburger at Biergarten​Pasadena will be hosting a "Cheeseburger Week" starting on January 15th and going until the 20th. It will feature various renditions of the cheesy meat sandwich by a handful of popular places, even a sushi restaurant. According to the press release (and Wik ... More >>

Music Picks: Overdoz, The Cure, Lucinda Williams

Also, K. Flay, The Civil Wars, Bob Mould tribute

Seven Terrible L.A. Halloween Costumes (With Suggested Improvements)

Yes. Yes it is.​ OMFG! Halloween starts this weekend! Even though CVS put out the candy and the knickknacks right after Labor Day, you still waited 'til the last minute to get a costume, didn't you? Only recent temperate climate transplants that have been waiting for the palm trees to change ... More >>

Eddie Izzard at the Largo: A Hilarious End to the Comedian's 'Secret' Three-Night Stand

Wikimedia Commons.Dressless: Izzard plays the part of our hip perpetual bachelor uncle...who's also British​ "I was laughing. It was funny," a deadpan Izzard fan protested at 2 a.m. this morning. Obviously a newcomer. Maybe an asshole. Clearly it was too late for enthusiasm for some folks on ... More >>

Top Five Rappers Who Are Worse Then Lil B

The Game​For all of the disses and shots Game is throwing out lately, you'd almost think he had a new album due next week or something. (Well, he does, and he's going to be on our cover, too.) The latest to find themselves on Jayceon's shit list is Bay Area phenomenon Lil B, whom Game this we ... More >>

WU LYF's Anti-Establishment "Heavy Pop" Hits L.A. Tonight

Jonathan FlandersThis BBQ's getting out of control​Leading today's pack of gnashing, anti-establishment wolves are Manchester's WU LYF, a quartet who play self-described "heavy pop." Formed in 2008, they are the latest followers in the Mancunian footsteps of Joy Division, the Buzzcocks and the ... More >>

Page Two: WU LYF

Wikipedia Live! The Great American Wiknic Comes to L.A.

Keith PlocekA QR Code? What the heck is a QR Code? We know exactly where you can find out.​ It has all the makings of a crappy YouTube skit: "What if the internet was, like, in reality and like, what if Wikipedia articles were people that you could talk to!?" Too wacky to handle, we know. But, ... More >>

L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine, in Final Moments Before Budget Passage: What About Cutting $150 Million in City-Worker Bonuses?

WikipediaExcuse the councilman's Dr. Evilness; he's got your money in mind.​City Councilman Dennis Zine got 99 problems, but a blind eye to L.A.'s extravagant set of city-worker privileges ain't one. His op-ed in the LA Daily News this morning calls out his fellow politicians for gutting cruci ... More >>

Donald Sterling, Clippers Owner, Alleged Housing Discriminator, Gets Wikipedia Bio Scrubbed of All Things Controversial

Both sides of Donald Sterling.​Donald Sterling is something like a Jekyll and Hyde of Los Angeles society for some. If you've seen his full-page ads in the Los Angeles Times, you'd think he was the city's greatest humanitarian. Ever. But if you've read some the lawsuits against him, you'd se ... More >>

[Updated, Again]: Dervaes Family Trademarks "Urban Homestead" Term: Legal Battle Follows

The cover of The Urban Homestead, written by Erik Knudsen and Kelly Coyne, which might be renamed in the next printing.​Updated, 2/22, 12:30 p.m.: The Dervaes family recently filed a Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA) take down notice to Google regarding content in The Urban Homestead by K ... More >>

WIKI, DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER

#Snowpocalypse Replaced By #SnowLoko As Official Hashtag Of New York Blizzard; Sweet Time-Lapse Video; Rare 'Thundersnow' Sighting

KOMOnews.comWhadya know -- a Snow Loko!​Hey there, New York. How's the weather? Hehe. Anywho, while we were collectively kicking it by the pool out here in Los Angeles -- half scoping Twitter for real-time updates on your misery and half gazing up at the heavens in partly-cloudy satisfaction, ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 12/6-12/10

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "When you see how they react to the live octopus tentacles at Masan or the pig ear chicharrones at Lazy Ox Canteen, you may have a better idea of how they might handle the idea of babysitting triplets or a sudden move to Icel ... More >>

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: L.A. in the Mix

amazon.com​The need to obsessively bookmark every delicious-sounding recipe you find on your favorite food blogs is quickly lessening, since new cookbook Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices hit shelves on Tuesday. Foodista, which is sort of like Wi ... More >>

Beef Recall Spotlights Tenderization Hazards: DIY Beef Tenderizer, Anyone?

A recall on Christmas Eve of almost a quarter million pounds of beef has focused attention not only on the beef, but on the process of mechanically tenderizing the meat. 248,000 pounds of beef products were recalled by the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service from National S ... More >>

Five Free MP3s: New Tunes from Imaad Wasif, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Jogger, Fool's Gold, and Strong Arm Steady w/ Madlib ( video, NSFW)

Because, why not? You like free music and so do we. Neither of us likes Mondays, so let's sweeten the pot, no? Here are five fresh MP3s from L.A. artists, with PR blurbs, a NSFW video (psychedelic boobs!), key release dates and other examples of sheer randomness. First, the boobs, courtesy of Immad ... More >>

Grauman's Chinese Theater for Sale?

Base image: Carol Highsmith/Wikipedia ​​It may not be a state monument or an historical city-owned property, but Grauman's Chinese Theater is an integral part of Hollywood -- both of its history and its daily commerce as part of the Mann Theater chain. That's why a Hollywood Reporter story is in ... More >>

Dodgers: Fluke Win or Are They on the Road Again?

At least of half that old notion that all theaters and the best restaurants are dark Mondays was once more laid to rest last night as the eternal drama between the L.A. Dodgers and San Francisco Giants played out once more. In a rather quiet game, the Dodgers won handily,Wikipedia​4-2. More import ... More >>

Beckham Booed in Home Game

L.A. Galaxy fans got to see two sellouts Sunday -- the exhibition soccer match against ACCaleb Williams/WikipediaDavid Beckham Milan they attended and the first home appearance of superstar David Beckham since he negotiated his way out of his Galaxy contract to play with the very same AC Milan. A ca ... More >>

Scientology Battered on Two Sides

E-meters along Hollywood and Sunset boulevards must have been going off their dials this week. The WikipediaLos Angeles-based Church of Scientology, which has fought the IRS, former members and the state of Florida, now finds itself on even less stable battlegrounds: the French legal system and Wiki ... More >>

Return of the Native Habitat

Yesterday a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked a slight, cautious return of native environment toWikipedia the Sepulveda Basin, in the form of Bull Creek's revitalization. The "ecosystem restoration project," as it's known in bureau parlance, provides about 28 acres of aquatic and riparian habitat as it ... More >>

GO LA: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Young Frankenstein and Other Horrors

Plus, Doug Stanhope, Fake Radio, Oliver Sacks and more, April 17-23

DOUG STANHOPE

Fashion Week Diary, Supplemental: A Note on The Fancy Bathrooms, and Other Random Miscellanea, Etc.

1. A Word on Bathrooms: If you ever get a chance to pee in the Los Angeles Theater in historic downtown LA, I urge you to visit the Ladies' restroom. There, you will see this. It's way more impressive than I've managed to capture in the photo. 2. The Guests: Can you imagine these guys at Paris ... More >>

And Worth Every Trust-Fund Dollar: Pete Carroll's Salary

Today's Daily Trojan publishes a story, unconfirmed by the University of Southern California, that superstar football coach Pete Carroll "is not only the highest paid employee at USC but at any private university in the country." The DT bases its piece on a report issued by the Chronicle of Higher E ... More >>

It Must Be Belly, ‘Cuz Jam Don't Shake Like That

Track of the Cat: Echo Park Bob Sightings

Residents who live on the outskirts of Elysian Park know that their hill slopes and back yards have recently become outdoor kennels for roaming coyotes. Until the rains came, the feral canines could be spotted lolling on their backs in gardens or chewing up drip lines in search of water. The hearts ... More >>

The B-Sides: Bishop Lamont Interview

Q: What was it like for you growing up in Los Angeles during the 80s? A: It was the LA of the Reagan administration. Drugs were really heavy in the streets at that time…more crack addicts…crack babies. It was a good time simultaneously because there was more creativity within the music and it ... More >>

LA Weekly Catches Grief Over Serial Killer Nickname

L.A. Weekly has been getting loads of grief about our choice to name L.A.'s elusive serial killer the Grim Sleeper. (Because he stopped killing Angelenos for 13 years, but now he's back.) This afternoon, comedian Patton Oswalt, who was guest hosting on Indie 103.1's “Jonesy's Jukebox,” ridiculed ... More >>

Ode to Tlaloc

It won't stop raining. It's rained pretty much all day today. In the morning, during the lunch hour, during rush hour, all night. It's just past midnight and it's raining right now. In fact it's been raining all week. As of Tuesday night various boroughs of the city are on flood alerts. El Univ ... More >>

Hitting It Off With Orny Adams

Mods & Rejects

What to do in Los Angeles this week

Dirty Sanchez

Local bands, man