Beneath the blazing sun and high temperatures, thousands gathered yesterday before Los Angeles City Hall to protest Proposition 8. The public demonstration was one of many throughout the state and even spanned to cities outside of California, including Portland, Chicago and New York City. Here in LA, the crowd marched from downtown to Chinatown to Los Angeles State Historic Park (the former Not a Cornfield site).... [continue]

Historically, the first 100 days of a presidency can indicate what a newly elected leader is able to accomplish during his term. GOOD magazine has created a well-designed chart titled "The First 100 Days" illustrating the major milestones of the last 12 U.S. Presidents, from Franklin D. Roosevelt all the way to George W. Bush. Keep in mind, the illustration is simply a sampling of some important decisions that were made - not a comprehensive... [continue]

Known for their anti-war efforts, ANSWER LA is organizing an emergency Prop 8 rally tomorrow on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. to protest the recent passage to ban same-sex marriage in California. From the ANSWER LA website: The well-funded forces of bigotry and discrimination think they have turned back the clock of history. Wrong! The struggle for full equality for the LGBT people will continue until the right to marry is won—in California and under... [continue]

We all saw a lot of memorable things yesterday during the historic election. Here's one perspective captured with an Angeleno's camera.... [continue]

People came out in droves to vote early over the weekend at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office in Norwalk. The line on Saturday just before polls opened at 8 a.m. wrapped around the voting tents, down the sidewalk, along the length of the office building before turning the corner. They came from Torrance, from Van Nuys, from Brentwood and from Bell Gardens. A palpable excitement could be felt in the air despite the early... [continue]

Down syndrome is a disorder that many can recognize, but few in the general public really understand its cause and health complications. It occurs when a child is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. The genes function normally, but having an extra throws the delicate balance of the body off, leading to health issues, mental disabilities and the distinct facial features identified with Down syndrome. This Saturday, Oct. 11, the Down Syndrome Research... [continue]

After several years as a resident of Los Angeles, artist Lesley Reppeteaux lived as an ex-pat in Paris, Barcelona and Berlin before making a more permanent move to Portland, Oregon. Known for eclectic, poignant painting and illustration that often includes portraits of quirky lasses, Reppeteaux’s art mixes the sublime with a shadowy expressionism. Art Ltd. magazine recently listed Reppeteaux as one of several notable artists in “Pop Surrealism” to emerge from the West Coast. The... [continue]

Peanut Butter Wolf prepares for another music marathon. Photo by Eric Coleman Tonight marks the second night of Peanut Butter Wolf's 888 LA Tour, where the DJ continues his audio/visual experience spinning music videos for eight consecutive nights in eight different venues. Each night is a different genre of music with this evening's celebration focusing on "oldies" videos for the weekly Funky Sole at Jimmy's Lounge. Following last night's romp through the disco era in... [continue]

Starting today, Dodger Stadium will offer free trolley rides to baseball fans from Union Station to the field on game days. The shuttle is presented by the City of Los Angeles in the hopes that event goers will take advantage of the many bus and rail lines that convene at Union Station. Trolley rides begin 90 minutes before game time and conclude one hour after the game ends. Passengers will be dropped off inside Dodger... [continue]

Photo courtesy of John Palmer Starting Saturday and running until July 28, The Black Maria Gallery will feature an exhibit examining landscapes both natural and manmade. Titled “Modern Soil,” the show will include new drawings from Brooks Salzwedel and a series of short films from John Palmer called "Landscape Quartet.” We spoke with Palmer about his black-and-white 16mm project that takes an introspective look at Los Angeles environs.... [continue]

Earlier we did an interview with director Jon Reiss about his graffiti documentary, Bomb It. Here we offer a gallery of photos featuring some of the work and artists featured in the film from all over the world. If you really want to get your graffiti fix on, check out the Bomb It Flickr site.... [continue]

In 1999, director Jon Reiss brought the electronic/rave scene to audiences with the documentary feature Better Living Through Circuitry. Reiss now returns with another kinetic documentary, this time exploring the controversial art of graffiti in Bomb It. Shot with vivid colors and set to an energetic soundtrack, the film investigates the history of graffiti while profiling artists all over the globe. Featuring old school legends and current favorites such as Taki 183, Cornbread, Stay... [continue]

In conjunction with the exhibition "The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito," The Westwood Art Forum is presenting a series of free events that include guided meditation classes, yoga, discussions and a day programmed for children. Spaces are filling up fast, but there is still plenty of availability starting this Thursday for events throughout May and June. The different yoga classes encompass Anusara, Hatha and interestingly, symphonic where instructor Brad Keimach sets the practice to... [continue]

Let’s face it, there are a lot of bar events going on in our city that we hear about every day. When we heard about a new Wednesday night social in Hollywood called Down With the Nerdsters (DWTN), one had to ask, “What the heck is a nerdster?” Promoter Griffin Marcus clued us in: “Nerdsters is a term that I came up with to describe what people call hipsters. I don’t find those kids very... [continue]

Photo by sheilaellen via Flickr. The Los Angeles Public Library is under pressure from Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council to cut spending and raise fees to help decrease LA's $400 million budget deficit. If the budget goes through unchanged on May 1, drastic cuts would force eight regional branch libraries to close their doors on Sundays, the book buying budget would be slashed by $2 million and library staff may be subject to... [continue]

Yes, it's Monday and with an event like LACMA's upcoming Art Book Swap there is yet another reason to look forward to the weekend. Working in conjunction with Regency Arts Press Ltd. and the New Art Dealers Alliance, the museum has arranged for art books to be donated by stores, libraries, publishing houses, galleries and many others. The fun thing is you bring your old books in and trade for the gifted items or swap... [continue]

Tonight marks the second installment of a new monthly event called Third Wheel Thursday at The Bar in Hollywood. The idea is for couples to bring their single friends, meet some new people and possibly inspire a love connection or two. It’s a great idea that includes music and drink specials with no cover charges. Founded by Rita Wadhwani, Third Wheel Thursday will move from neighborhood to neighborhood in Los Angeles to keep the... [continue]

“Good MORNinnnnng!” calls out the voice of trainer Jenna Phillips in the Tuesday sunshine. It’s my first Mission: Possible training session and I’m meeting her, along with several other “agents” at the intersection of Vista and Franklin Avenues in Hollywood for a 90-minute group workout in Runyon Canyon. Phillips has been taking advantage of the Southern California landscape and using it as her gym for the past year. Besides Runyon Canyon, sessions also occur... [continue]

Following several weeks of gradual draining by the Department of Water and Power, the Silver Lake Reservoir is now fluid-free. LAist previously reported on the reservoir's contamination of bromate, a carcinogen formed by the combination of bright sunlight, chlorine and natural bromides found in groundwater. Once a shimmering reservoir that held drinking water intended for the central and southern part of the city, the now-empty reservoir is an alien sight for much of the... [continue]

We’ve already discussed the satisfying lunch and bright atmosphere at Town & Country Bakery & Café in Silver Lake, but now it’s time to talk breakfast. Served all day from this laid back, casual establishment, breakfast includes the usual fare (pancakes, eggs bacon) and less common items like a Brie and walnut quesadilla or French toast stuffed with Mascarpone and marmalade. There was one menu item that jumped out at us: Asparagus Hash ($8.95).... [continue]