We'd like to start this week's run-down by wishing a very happy birthday to parent blog Gothamist, which turned four on Friday. If it wasn't for them, the rest of us wouldn't be here. They celebrated their birthday by nabbing an interview with Entourage star Adrian Grenier, who misses NYC public transportation when he's working in LA. They also reported on NYU students protesting a band whose name is also known as a slur,......

Before we begin, we'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of James Kim. We are not, by any means, trying to discount that tragedy by juxtaposing posts about the Kims with more light-hearted posts. It's the nature of doing a compilation such as this one: we're trying to give a full slice of the goings-on in the Ist-a-Verse: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Londonist wants you to know where......

- George Bush cuts n' runs from "Stay The Course" - The Australian - Tan Nguyen stays the course in his controversial race for Congress - NBC4 - Warner Bros. cut n run from their plan to provide limbs to Africans - Defamer - Get an 80 hour Tivo with 1 year of service for just $125 - zatznotfunny - Set your Tivo to record Madonna on Oprah this Wednesday - People - Bush......

"As Home Educators from all over the State pack into the Ontario, California Convention Center, Friday, July 7, Guitar Coach Jean Welles gets ready to make good on her boast that she can teach almost anyone to play the guitar in 7 minutes." - Topix.net "Ten people were arrested Wednesday at the now-defunct South Central Farm as protesters tried to prevent bulldozers from plowing over the 14-acre urban garden". - CBS2 "The combination of......

Jose Canseco, who was recently signed to the San Diego Surf Dogs was traded yesterday after just one game. And, Snoop Dogg, he's coming to the LBC. Reno Silver Sox general manager Dwight Dortsh said Tuesday that the former Major League Baseball slugger, who played for San Diego in Monday's 4-3 victory over Chico, will be traded to the Long Beach Armada for a player to be named later. - Nevada Appeal Frankly we don't......

The weeks starts out right when a sucker punch on the field lands Chicagoist in the middle of a Sox/Cubs throwdown and the fists continue to fly in the comments. Despite suburban resident Ms. Pinney's best little try no books will be banned anytime soon and the El is really really gross. Houstonist is there to start compiling the punditry when when the guilty, guilty Enron verdict comes down. This guy seems to be able......

Score one for the little guy. The verdict is in on the fraud and conspiracy trial of Enron's Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, and it's guilty, guilty, guilty. Lay was found guilty on all charges while Skilling was found guilty on 20 of 28 counts (conspiracy, fraud, false statements, insider trading). Maybe they weren't the smartest guys in the room after all. Here's extensive Enron coverage from our brothers at Houstonist. They've been on......

Another step has been taken in transforming downtown with the Grand Avenue project. Now we're not sure we're going to get the technicalities of municipal development right, but as we read in the Daily News, an agreement to begin design on the park (see illustration) that will stretch from the Music Center to City Hall has been approved. A gallery of park proposals from the people has been put together by good-intentioned rabble-rousers at......

Yep, that's Felicity Huffman, and yes, she wins Best Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards. Think she's got a shot at the Oscar? Sarah Silverman continues to knock it out of the park. And the attendees like her. "Finally there's an award show host that you'd wanna fuck," Kevin Smith says. He had a long dirty story to tell before announcing the best director winner. Best Foregin Film goes to Paradise Now, the only......

DCist helps us make more sense of the world this week. Posts like this concert review are the reason for Scott Stapp. DCist also enumerates the reasons for playing ultimate frisbee, Condi's tight buns, their love of a local convenience store, and their jealousy of a person in Seattle calling the city. We documented graf artist Banksy's most recent visit to LA in one two three posts. We also found the best possible use......

Earlier this week kissy couples were wading through roses and red tissue paper deeper than an east coast snow dump and singles shook a tiny, lonely fist (no ring!) at it all. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Valentine's season is in the can, finally. Austinist is already pulsing with SX energy and posting on the People's Choice Award nominees and the short films that will be playing while the......

It seems California has been in a constant state of administrative turmoil ever since Enron and their ilk conned and cajoled our legislature during Pete Wilson's term to reform and deregulate the energy laws that for over a century had protected California and guaranteed her thirst for power would be met. We have always suspected a dastardly engineered conspiracy conceived in the still-classified FERC meetings where both Rove and Enron exec Ken Lay plotted......

Well, the “fit’s hit the shan,” the storm has hit, whatever metaphor you’d like to use–the mayor’s race has taken the long-predicted turn to the negative, as detailed in today’s Times. Hahn’s come out with his first attack ads, while Villaraigosa and Hertzberg have responded with their own (credit Parke Skelton and John Shallman with the pre-packaged response ads; they knew it was coming). Though we haven’t seen the ads (we don’t have time......

Angelenos can crack a wry smile today at the news that Enron CEO Ken Lay has been indicted in Houston. The details of the indictment are sealed but an announcement may come tomorrow. Tapes released in June document the nature of Enron's crimes against California. In the recording, one trader gloats about another: "He just fucks California," says one Enron employee. "He steals money from California to the tune of about a million." "Will you......