North County just can't catch a break lately: another fatal freeway pileup near Antelope Valley today, this one involving eight vehicles and at least one fatality. The freeway has been closed in both directions. Things Not Worth Beating Someone With a Hammer For: six dollars? A group of males accosted and hammered a man in Canoga Park last night; then they blew the cash on penny candy and stamps. Not really, but six bucks??......

The James Beard Foundation award nominations (the Nobel Prizes of food) are out today. And two out of three nominated cookbooks "From a Professional Point of View" are from chefs who've made their names in Los Angeles: Nobu Now from Nobu Matsuhisa and Sunday Suppers at Lucques by softspoken Suzanne Goin. Together the books total just about $50, which is less than you'd pay to eat in either place. In fact, those two chefs get......