From Los Angeles to the deepest parts of the universe, it's nothing but nonstop presidential talk. But here in California -- the land of liberal legislatin' -- there are SEVEN statewide ballot propositions to consider once you step inside the voting booth tomorrow. One L.A. City prop is also on the ballot. Just so happens, LAist has your back. You give us ten minutes, we'll keep you from hastily punching "yes" or "no" on... [continue]

Perez Hilton on the "no" carpet LAist had the opportunity to attend Twiistup 3 last week in Venice at the Air Conditioned Supper Club and it was a geek fest you didn’t want to miss! Tech startups, their employees and followers were joined by Venture Capital firms, bloggers, news crews and even Perez Hilton to enjoy a night of hands-on demos by 8 pre-selected local startups called “showoffs” for the night all while mixing... [continue]

Let me start off by saying that I don’t particularly enjoy running. No matter what, during the first ten minutes of my run I feel like I’m about to die. Afterwards, my legs can get so sore it hurts to even walk. Nevertheless, I easily get stressed out from life and work and running helps relieve the tension. Ultimately, it makes me feel good and that's why I continue to do it. For a... [continue]

Some things just naturally go together. Take, for instance, caffeine and the written word. So the inclusion of coffee shops in libraries makes perfect sense. The Santa Monica Public Library opened in January 2006. The Library surrounds an idyllic Southern California modern open-air courtyard where you will find the coffee shop, The Bookmark Café. At the time the library was being planned, the public was surveyed on a number of issues, and the response was... [continue]

I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes... Today's Resolution: "I work... [continue]

I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes... Today's Resolution: "I am... [continue]

Last Tuesday, local singer/songwriter Jesca Hoop (MySpace), whose album Kismet was number one on Nic Harcourt's Top Ten Albums of 2007, performed at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. Opening for Hoop were KS Rhoads (MySpace), Rie Sinclair (MySpace), and HoneyHoney (MySpace), featuring Wendy Wang from The Sweet Hurt (MySpace). Hoop was scheduled to again perform tonight at the Hotel Cafe, but according to the venue's website, "Due to illness, Jesca Hoop has postponed her... [continue]

Mitt Romney is the consummate, cookie-cutter, robot-like Republican. Forget about eliciting animation or human emotion from this wanna-be prez. Even his campaign henchmen lack the ability to opine on, well, just about anything, as evidenced below. Romney is lucky to have 30 delegates on his side after Iowa and New Hampshire. Problem is, it takes 1,191 to win the Republican nomination. The 60-year-old former Massachusetts governor does have one or two things going for him,... [continue]

Is it about that time? Time to start winding down for the weekend? And finally, a weekend of sunshine and not rain! We couldn't resist sharing with you a little video to get it going right. An unlikely combination to be sure, after all when was the last time you thought of Tom & Jerry and the Sugarhill Gang in the same sentence? Well it's a tale of friendship, of sticking up for your... [continue]

A London vacation for $900 -- airfare and hotel? Cancun for $500? I got an email alert this morning about big after-holiday airfare sales -- and as a frequent traveler who is often frustrated by the price of airline tickets, I jumped at the chance to research some sweet mid-winter vacations. Via Expedia, if you book now and travel by mid-March, you can snag very cheap round-trip tickets out of LAX for places like... [continue]

We've been hot on the trail of friend-of-LAist Jacob Soboroff and his Why Tuesday? voting-system reform initiative and 2008 campaign coverage. This morning he sent in an interview with our very own Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who was in New Hampshire yesterday to check out the efficiency of that state's No. 2 pencil-driven computerized voting systems. Visit Why Tuesday? for more on SoS Bowen's commitment to certifiable voting machines as well as '08 presidential... [continue]

This unexpected Tiki God has materilized on Mildred Ave. between Pacific and Dell--steps from my weekend gig in Venice. A few weeks back when I caught a glimpse of a resident with a machete, I was a little concerned. Thankfully, this friendly neighborhood Tiki was the result! I wonder if he is meant to be Lono, the god of Peace, or Kanaloa, the god of the Sea, or just a whimsical protector of the local... [continue]

Biscotti have been my passion and my specialty for over 10 years. It all started in high school with one side of my family being Molto Italiano and everyone had their own specialty. I wanted something of my own so I took stock of what was missing. We already had an amazing cook in the family, my step-dad. His greatest pleasure in life might just be cooking, taking an entire Sunday to create a...... [continue]

Yesterday, another LAister, Jessica Pauline asked about Hollywood shortcuts. A few people gave suggestions, such as the now "not-so-much-a-secret" Fountain but other commentors plain old said, "I'm not giving up my secrets to you greenie." I was reading over the comment and got to thinking... In a town like Los Angeles, a good short cut is like a good dive bar. You don't want the hipsters to take over your secrets and blast them... [continue]

Out of sheer luck, and man was this lucky, I popped home in the middle of the day today to make lunch and grab my wallet which I had mistakenly left at home in my mad rush out of the house this morning. I turned on Ellen, which I've seen maybe once before ever, and she showed a clip from this Japanese talk show which loosely translates to "Human Tetris." Basically there are shapes... [continue]

BarCampLA-4 is here! LAist has been a friend, attendee and proponent of BarCamp since the beginning and this time is no different. What is BarCamp? Here is their definition (it's really the best): BarCamp ad-hoc un-conference born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees. If you like, it can be overnight, like camp! BarCamps - and...... [continue]

I guess if I were the Lord and Savior I'd appear a little smug too. I have already written up my impressions of the LACMA Halloween event. Now for the best of the best costumes! Also after the jump is my personal prize for nakedest costume. Safe for work!... [continue]

These photos were taken by amateur photographer Chris Mesaros of Santa Clarita, who submitted them to us. We think they're brilliant! Their local government has also posted a neat google map of all the fire incidents. Donation to the rescue efforts can be made here. More great photos after the jump! (photos have been posted with permission from artist)...... [continue]

Like most people, proximity to death frightens me. Somehow the beauty of the headstones and obelisks overshadows my fear. To me, cemetaries are like museums. The mediums themselves - cool white marble, wrought iron fences, cracked bricks and mortar speak to me. But what really entrances me is the statuary, especially the angels. Their serene countenance and peacefulness somehow embraces penultimate sorrow. They have the ability to show respect for loss while still offering...... [continue]