Photo by hinducow via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Looks like the Hollywood sex tape predates YouTube and Betamax by a landslide. A sex tape featuring late film icon Marilyn Monroe--on 16mm film--sold for $1.5 million to a NY businessman. Did you check out the Songkran fest yesterday in Thai Town? Did you ride the Red Line? Did you wonder why the hell the MTA only put in two ticket vending machines......

What's currently a 2-cent tax on beer could be 30-cents if one zealous freshman San Jose politician gets his way in the state assembly (that means that a barrel of beer would go from $6.40 to $89, and that's just the tax). Democrat Assemblyman Jim Beall introduced the idea on Thursday saying that it "would generate $2 billion a year to fund health care services, crime prevention and programs to prevent underage drinking and addiction,"......

Sometimes a girl just gets so cranky and angst-ridden, she needs an emergency administration of both chocolate and alcohol. If you don't have Kahlua and ice cream , you will have to rummage through the cupboard and just make do. If you're lucky, you may hit upon an amazing combo. This is a drink I am dubbing The Girl Scout. It will bring you great comfort when the hormones are raging. Men, you can......

Deacon Booze has returned! Yes, your favorite Steely-Dan-inspired happy hour listing is back on track for March, and we still need your hott hott tips! I recently fell victim to a devil of a gastrointestinal virus (sexy!), and so was unable to ingest any kind of liquid other than Top Ramen broth, but I am happy to say that my convalescence is complete, and I am ready to drink. And drink. And drink! Send......

Fie upon those who wish downfall upon the Westside! We shall smite thee with our flaming elven sword. (That's how we talk to LAist staffers who aren't behaving; nothing whips a writing team into shape like a little dangerous elf talk.) We will now stop being nerds and give you incentive to visit the Westside. Here are some more happy hour specials that'll make you wish you lived on the beachier side of life.......

Devoted LAist reader Ashley requested a Westside version of Deacon Booze -- and as a former long-time resident of the Westsiiiiiiiiide, I'm more than happy to oblige. Here are some of my top spots for drinks in West LA -- (and trust me when I say I have TESTED these places more than a few times). Why not email me your picks for when you find yourself west of the 405? carrie@laist.com. Did I......

Dudes, it's raining, I know, but that doesn't mean there's still not cheap booze to be found in this city tonight! Here's a few more we managed to dig up this week -- send your secret spots and recommendations my way at carrie@laist.com. Kung Pao Kitty, Hollywood, 3pm - 7pm everyday: Need more, uh, kitty in your diet? Try $3 appetizers like lettuce cups, chicken wontons, and fried tofu, plus $3 drinks. Lucky Devil's,......

Actor Brad Renfro was found dead yesterday in his Los Angeles apartment, of causes unknown, but for reasons that are no doubt both tragic and infuriating. He was the cute little kid who acted alongside huge names like Susan Sarandon, Ian McKellan, and Mary Louise-Parker, the cute little kid who grew up to be a troubled but still talented young man, the young man who spiraled downward into a diseased web of drugs and......

Dudes, it's become clear to me that just by walking about whatever fine neighborhood you happen to reside in (NoHo, WeHo, SilLake, DnTn, SanMo, KTown, HanPark, CulCity, etc), you're bound to happen upon a great little bar with great happy hour deals. Fer instance: this week I was walking around Downtown and ran into some friends, who happily guided me to the Redwood Bar & Grill, a fun and surprisingly classy little pirate bar......

Every once in awhile something is so surprisingly good that you never forget the first time you tried it. I was standing around a giant campfire freezing my ass off somewhere near the Ortega Highway when a fellow camper handed me a big, warm thermos of cocoa. Mmmm, chocolate - and mint - and alcohol. Alcohol! How was it possible that it never occurred to me to put alcohol in cocoa? She had spiked the......

I'm still waiting for all your hot happy hour tips, Los Angeles! We'll be posting happy hour listings at least a few times weekly in 2008; send your secret spots and recommendations my way at carrie@laist.com. And besides, what better way to get 2008 started than with some cheap booze at some happening city spots? Here's a few more we managed to dig up this week: Miss T's Barcade, Koreatown, Happy Hour 5-9 pm:......

Within 48 hours, building fires in Los Angeles did not take a holiday vacation. Early this morning in the Westlake neighborhood, a fire broke out in a three story converted-to-apartments Victorian home. Eleven residents, including two children were displaced while one man died. The cause is unknown. Early last night on Budlong Ave. near 117th St, a fire, most likely caused by a space heater, killed a 48-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman in......

Thanks to all for sending in some great happy hour tips! Here are a few more so you can get your drink on this frosty Friday evening. Don't forget to send your happy hour suggestions to carrie@laist.com From reader David: Dragon on the Hermosa Beach Pier, "Lucky Hour" from 4-9PM every day: They have a different special each day. "Yesterday I had kobe satay for $5 and drinks were 2 for 1." La Cita,......

Winter really gets me down. It's cold, it's rainy, everybody's on vacation except for me. Worst of all, when I get off work every evening, it's already dark outside. Can we say SADS? So how best to beat the winter blues? Why, BOOZE, of course, the cheaper the better, and there are a ton of happy hours and special events taking place across the city that will lighten your holiday-heavy heart without lightening your wallet.......

For many years, I was a Veuve girl. As in, Veuve Clicquot. But that's so obvious now and it's expensive. Then I became a Heidsieck (Charles or Piper) girl. Much nicer, less obvious, but still pricey for the good stuff. With the holidays mere seconds away (and with all my "wine novice" locations shutting down their wine tastings until next year) I thought it would make sense to tap into the one area of the......

The LA Times is reporting that the authorities have named 5 men as suspects in the arson case of the brush fires that tore through Malibu and burned over 50 homes beginning on November 24. The suspects were identified by sheriff's officials as Brian Allen Anderson, 22, William Thomas Coppock, 23, and Brian David Franks, 27, all of Los Angeles, and Eric Matthew Ullman, 18, and Dean Allen Lavorante, 19, both of Culver City, authorities......

A body was found yesterday afternoon in the Angeles National Forest, off Highway 2 near Big Pines. The identity of the person has not been revealed. Now you can get all the penis-biting snake action you want on the web: the next "Jackass" sequel is set to premiere on the web through Blockbuster's new online movie service. In New Jersey, the state assembly has voted to outlaw the death penalty, "poising the state to......

A piece written while inebriating oneself with absinthe. Read on as Elise test-tastes these fabulous absinthes...with interesting results! For many years people have believed that wormwood, or specifically the chemical thujone, found in wormwood, drove people mad. Because of this popular misconception, absinthe has been banned in the United States since 1912. Popular during the 19th century, absinthe inspired famous works by poets and painters alike. Absinthe has seen a recent resurgence in popularity and......

Ever tell a joke? Chances are that if it wasn't made up by Red Sandwich, then it's indebted to his work. Fact of the matter is, our modern conception of humor and pathos has its roots in the groundbreaking pantomimes of Red Sandwich. LAist sat down with the prognosticator of laughter as the best medicine on the eve of his perennial The Red Sandwich Christmas Hour to discuss the nature and evolution of pathos,......

TALK: Pulizer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold moderates a Zócalo discussion that focuses on “The Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles.” Joining in on the roundtable are Gilberto Cetina of the Yucatecan restaurant Chichen Itza, Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu of La Casita Mexicana, and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill. 7 pm // Central Library – Mark Taper Auditorium // 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles // Free. (Reservations are recommended.)......

Since 2001, about 230 people have died in the U.S. after being shocked with a Taser. One of the most recent incidents was in an unincorporated part of South LA last Friday night when a 32-year-old man died after being shocked twice by LA County Sheriffs. Apparently, Cesar Silver was under drugs or alcohol and fought and struggled with five sheriffs before the Taser gun was brought out. "Eyewitnesses indicated there was a real struggle.......

What with all the Big Game festivities going on this weekend, a girl can't help but think back fondly upon her alma mater. But you know what? It's only been a few years since I left UCLA, and I gotta say -- I almost don't recognize the place anymore. Has it really been so long since I graduated? Five years? Maybe more? So much has changed -- I came of age in the Steve......

The Malibu fire is now 25% contained. At least 35 structures have been destroyed and thousands were forced to flee as wind whipped flames ravaged the coastal town. The cause of the blaze is not known at this time, but crews haven't ruled out CNN's Glen Beck. In other fire-related news, two people died this morning when a house fire ripped through their Pasadena home. The cause of the fire is unknown. A woman......

You know who makes a lot of sense? Michael Pollan does. If only he had the ear of the Senate as it prepares to pass a sorry, sorry Farm Bill. I love alcohol in unusual, fruit-oriented containers. Slashfood turns us on to this pumpkin keg -- yes the beer was actually brewed inside the pumpkin shell. Expect to see one of these at an LAist party near you very soon. It's good to know......

Injured Lamar Odom, who has been a huge disappointment to the Lakers, totaled his Mercedes Benz in Hawthorne yesterday, t-boning a woman in a Geo Prism who had to be removed via the jaws-of-life. The small forward sustained a concussion from the accident but was healthy enough to watch the Lakers lose to the Rockets last night. Odom, who is inactive for the Lakers because of left shoulder surgery in the offseason, was on......

e3rd Steakhouse isn't your average late-night dining spot. Its vibe is less "let's go soak up all that alcohol" and far more "let's have a fabulous meal post-theatre." Located in the growing Arts District downtown, e3rd's premise is promising: a steakhouse owned by the guy who owns Zip Fusion Sushi, the most popular sushi restaurant in the area. When we asked owner Jason Ha why a steakhouse - and why a steakhouse only steps......

How does something like this happen? It happens when a sober person accidentally crashes into a drunk person."[Actor Gary Collins] was not at fault in the accident," [Officer] Harding said. "The other motorist failed to yield to oncoming traffic and collided with Collins' vehicle." The actor's sports utility vehicle subsequently crashed into two parked cars, Harding said. "Officers smelled alcohol on his breath and initiated a field sobriety test, which he failed," she said. Collins......

8th Annual Festival de los Gente Saturday the 27th 11am - 10pm and Sunday the 28th 11am - 8pm On the streets of LA at the historic 6th street bridge Festival de la Gente is a community-based Event in a Historic Venue featuring Live Entertainment, Arts and Crafts altars, in a carnivale-like atmosphere for families with children. The event will feature live music, art exhibits, teatro performances, storytelling, arts and crafts demonstrations and traditional latin-American......

Sometimes I think the sign out front ought to read: EL INDIO: PROUDLY HELPING DRUNKS SOAK UP THE ALCOHOL FOR OVER 30 YEARS! 24-hours a day, this Northridge taco stand buzzes with a steady stream of policemen, students, and blue collar joes. But El Indio really starts hopping after the bars close down. Everyone in the valley knows this is the hotspot for post-party tacos. I secretly enjoy eavesdropping on packs of club-hopping young......

On the last night of a short west coast tour to promote his ridiculously great new record Bluefinger, (review here) Charles Thompson the Third aka Frank Black aka Black Francis hit Safari Sam’s last night with a blistering hour-plus set comprised of the entire Bluefinger “rock opera”, and just a very few extra songs thrown in for good measure. The set was loose and blissfully raw. Like any good maestro, Black was talkative, and......