If you're in need of an escape from the forced awkward conversations with relatives that turkey and a day off from work brings, head downtown to the Convention Center and check out the LA Auto Show. All of the manufacturers you've heard of and a bunch you've never heard of, found enough money in their budgets to make the trip and fortunately they brought some of their best new cars with them. Ford premiered the......

Pictures from the Burning Man Arts Festival...

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Hottest_Beach_Volleyball_Tournament_of_the_Year_2'; Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor did us proud at the Olympics this year. The two Californians by birth brought us home the Gold. And just one weekend before the games began, Manhattan Beach put on their own famous "Six Man" Volleyball Tournament, which would definitely win the gold if tournaments would compete each against each other. The games are a mix of "world-class players, top college stars and disguised AVP pros"......

Local food blogger Food Woolf went in for the attack (in the nicest, saucy rib-devouring way possible) at the 8th annual Lucques BBQ aka the Rib Roundup which was held Sunday August 10th. By the end of the meal there wasn't much left except for some bared bones, empty plates, stained table linens, and these delicious photos that she shared with us via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. It'll be another year until......

An early Sunday evening walk exploring your own neighborhood can be quite fulfilling. Here's what caught our eye while taking a walk up Alomar Drive in the hills of Sherman Oaks towards a little known piece of public open space that overlooks the San Fernando Valley (nearby, you can hike a small trail in Dixie Canyon Park). Looking for a walk that is a little more than casual? Try the Hollywoodland Staircases Walk in Beachwood......

Saturday night was hopping in Chinatown, from Hop Louie's to the Lindy Hop on the dance floor as the iconic neighborhood celebrated their 70th anniversary. A big band was on hand to provide the tunes, folks in 30s and 40s garb milled about, the shops were open, and the Central Plaza was abuzz with young and old alike celebrating Chinatown's history. To learn more about the area's features and stories (like why it's called "New"......

This weekend marks the first ever inter-league meet-up of Derby Dolls here in LA, called Battle on the Bank and our own L.A. Derby Dolls are a big part of the fun and spectacle (last week we chatted with Micki Krimmel, aka Mickipedia, who is a "Baby Doll" on her way to joining the team). It's a banked track tournament featuring skaters from the L.A. Derby Dolls, Team Awesome, San Diego Derby Dolls, TXRD Lonestar......

What happens when you put on a party at an Eagle Rock bowling alley with a famous UK band? Huge success. Fans at last Thursday night's Ladytron party at the All Star Lanes brought out the bowling balls and dance shoes for fans, who thought the event was a blast. And Ladytron didn't even go on until 1:20 a.m, reports LAist photographer Tom Andrews. Earlier in the evening, LAist contributors Jimmy Bramlett and Wathana Lim......

Amidst the rain and cold weather, 4,000 participants gathered at the Live Oak Campground in Santa Barbara to dance, play, and frolic in Do Lab's Lightning in a Bottle Arts and Music Festival....

On Saturday May 10th, members of Anonymous took to the streets all over the world in protest of Scientology. Here in Los Angeles, Anonymous staged their gathering at 6331 Hollywood Boulevard at one of the many Scientology buildings in the city. LAist photographer Tom Andrews was on the scene this week, just as he was last week, to capture the events on camera.......

I can't believe I called in sick to work to watch this utterly terrible Dodger game. The Blue Crew lost 12 to 1 to the Mets at their monthly mid-week day game today. Maine was pitching a complete game shutout into the 9th until the Dodgers managed to squeak out one run to wipe that big fat 0 off the scoreboard. Not much to say about this one. It sucked balls. A bunch of......

Tent City is a homeless camp that has been growing in both size and reputation in Ontario for almost a year now. It is a place where the homeless can find a refuge that offers relative safety and was set "up on city property just west of LA/Ontario International Airport last June to lure the local homeless away from dangerous sites" by area officials. In recent months, however, police have begun to tow cars away......

The difference between last year and this year was night and day. Last year, the police were in riot gear, got injured, shot rubber bullets into crowds full of innocent people including, children, the elderly and reporters live on air (see this video). This year, the LAPD retrained and chilled out... a lot more. By the end of the day, only five people had been arrested. Earlier May Day Photo Essays include: Portraits, Crowds and......

More scenes from yesterday's various May Day marches from LAist Featured Photos contributor Tom Andrews.......

LAist Featured Photos contributor Tom Andrews spent the day at yesterday's May Day marches. Here are some of the amazing images of the people he saw and met.......

The May Day 2008 marches and rallies are underway and thousands of people have converged on downtown LA:You can expect massive traffic troubles through downtown during Thursday's events. Marchers will stage at 7th Street and Parkview at MacArthur Park, Olympic and Broadway, and Alameda and Central. All will converge at 1st Street and Broadway for a rally that is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. -- ABC7See our May Day Travel Guide for tips on......

Tonight's Dodger game was amazing in so many ways. The emotions ran high, ranging from the elation of witnessing Matt Kemp's grand slam to top off a 10 run first inning, the fear and helplessness of watching umpire Kerwin Danley get hit in the head by one of Penny's pitches, and then the absolute anger and frustration that I personally experienced sitting in front of the most annoying fucktard ever. Sometime around the 5th......

Andre Ethier gets hit by a pitch. There are very few days in my life when I actually wish I were rich, but today happened to be one of those days. My sister scored us field level seats behind home plate, which are a world of difference from our season seats in reserve level. As luck would have it, every time someone gives me amazing seats, the Dodgers lose. Every single time I've sat......

Several hundred people squared off in Pershing Square yesterday to help celebrate International Pillowfight Day. LAist brought you a wonderful photo essay on the event last night. And since about 500 of the 300 people at the pillowfight had cameras, I suspect these aren't the last photos you will be seeing from the event.......

Yesterday as I made my way from the Blessing of the Animals to the Great Pillowfight of Pershing Square, I was amazed to find that 4th street had been shut down for this commercial shoot. The image of a giant slip n' slide running across two city blocks in the heart of downtown was a joy to stumble upon.......

While the feathers were flying in Pershing Square, just a few miles north, feathers of a different kind were being blessed at Olvera Street. A tradition since 1930, it has to be seen to be believed. The crowd is an interesting mix of religious folk and what looks like extras from a John Waters film.......

All photos by Kelly C. Gallamore for LAist.-->Lucent Dossier is the spectacular LA-based vaudeville circus that highlighted The Do LaB's awesome Lucent L'Amour Valentine's Day party last month. You may have even seen them performing at the official Grammy Awards party (no, that wasn't Cirque du Soleil, it was Lucent Dossier). Stretch your legs and enjoy the photos below of Lucent Dossier members getting their vaudeville cirque on at the Lucent L'Amour bash. Want......

I have been having a great time in Los Angeles since last week. These are photos of my visit to Redondo Beach. I played in the sand, watched the sunset on the Pacific, and had a lot of fun in the arcade, The Fun Factory. Like my new shades? Check out my photos after the jump!......

Photo by highervision via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr This evening a public viewing will be held for slain LA High football star Jamiel Shaw, with funeral services to follow tomorrow. Shaw's tragic murder has prompted many LA residents to refocus on the senselessness of gang-related violence. Go, stop, go, stop: Commuters northbound on the 57 and the 605 transitioning to the 210 westbound this morning were greeted by the new traffic......

Update, 3/15/08: Here's a video of the LAPD at the Anonymous event and a photo essay of all the craziness. Also, here's a video from the Anti-War March.If you're walking the streets of Hollywood this Saturday, be prepared to march or take in the sights -- two protests are planned and both could be crazy. March 15th is the second of worldwide protests against Scientology planned by Anonymous. In the video below, 22 rules are......

Escape from the city by camping out in the great wide open of the Joshua Tree National Park....

Photo by ve®onica via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Thanks to our shutterbug readers, our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr was gifted with some shots from yesterday's 23rd Annual LA Marathon. Pictured above is Tatiana Aryasova in the middle of the group, who won the "Banco Popular Challenge" (and $100k!) and the ladies' division. After the jump, more great pictures from the run, including men's elite winner Laba Moiben of Kenya.......

Photo by Phillyist's Matt Johnson, SkyscraperSunset.com, December 19, 2007. Phillyist explored an impending implosion and lived to tell the tale.Gothamist marveled at the city's new NYC-branded condom campaign - especially the use of a Toronto landmark in the advertising. (Also, fun fact: Gothamist turned five years old yesterday.)Tired of the worldwide Scientology protests? Torontoist totally isn't: they covered the big downtown protest the day it happened, and followed up with an examination of all......

Scientology centers around the world were targeted by a mass protest yesterday organized by an anonymous group called, simply enough, "Anonymous". Members refer to themselves only as "Anon" or "Legion". Protests were reported in Boston, Toronto, Europe and Australia. Here is an LAist photo essay of the protest at the Celebrity Center. Blogger Bandergrove has provided additional photographs and a first-hand account of the events in Hollywood yesterday. People showed up in droves —......

For background and a photo essay on this protest, see our story from yesterday. "There was NO old media, anywhere, that I saw. And we spent an hour in front of the damned CNN building. Creepy," said Teague Chrystie (guy in pink hair in video), one of the hosts of the above LA based podcast called Geekza. "We don't represent Anonymous or Scientology, we're just some industry cats of various niches who dig activism,"......