When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "recommend" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. So here's this week's top posts, as endorsed by you via the recommend feature, or as indicated by the level......

Artist: Rakim Album: The Archive: Live, Lost & Found Label: Koch Records Release Date: 03/04/08 There’s not much to say after mentioning that Rakim released a new album, The Archive Live, Lost & Found, which has live performances of some of Rakim’s biggest hits and new, unreleased tracks. Even the novice hip-hop fan will know that this album is a bona fide crowd pleaser, with nothing even coming close to being comparable, well, that is,......

Found on Franklin Blvd. in Los Feliz, Flickr user and photographer, Zabowski, snaps this shot of a sad little sedan. We feel ya, we really do. Photo by Zabowski via Flickr......

"hang" | Photo by xxjetlab via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr THEATRE Members of the Towne Street Theatre are on stage tonight in a double bill. First is The 10 Minute Play Festival, which features plays ranging from comedy to satire to drama brought to you by 23 actors and 9 director. Second is PassingSOLO, a one-woman show based on their play version of Nella Larsen's 1927 novella Passing. There will be......

These murals outside Pincher's Liquor on Pico were some of your favorites this week on LAist | Photo by Osmany Rodriguez/LAist When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "recommend" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities......

Photo by ryanwhiteacre via Flickr In a follow up to "Found in LA: We Know You Went to USC, But Where Did You Learn How to Park?" LAist Featured Photos Flickr contributor, ryanwhiteacre, sent the above to us. We'll be publishing a coffee table book soon, including a section devoted to USC.......

Jason Williams the Star of 1974 Porn Flick, Flesh Gordon ("not to be confused with the original Flash Gordon") is looking for a Writer to Tell His Story. Aside from being an incredible source for houses, hookers, haikus and everything in between, Craigslist can also a great source of entertainment. Reading through the listings under the personal section, especially "casual encounters" and "missed connections" can serve as a much needed distraction on one of......

"Found on sidewalk near Hope & 8th" Ball-busting: The City of Los Angeles is considering mandating spaying and neutering for all cats and dogs because shelters are overcrowded and so many animals go unadopted. Enforcement is expected to be easygoing, as in if your pet minds its own business you'll stay under the radar, but if your neighbor logs in a complaint about your barking dog and his junk is still ready to make......

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Found on Fairfax outside Canter's, love is lost and if Valentine's Day counts, the clock is ticking. What to do? What to do? We suggest finding that special one over a bowl of matzoh ball soup hanging out in the Kibitiz Room.......

After debuting last week on the Internet, Jackass 2.5 is coming to DVD tomorrow. I'll be watching, laughing and drinking--in that order. If you missed Eastern Promises in theaters, pick it up immediately. Viggo has never been better. I enjoyed The Kingdom, but I think I would have preferred the original ending (spoiler warning!). The Heartbreak Kid was funnier than critics gave it credit for and had the best last line of any movie......

[O]ur friends at Found LA have decided to get together and throw us a party at their amazing gallery in Silverlake (Google Map here), with free drinks and a cake to boot. It goes from 8PM - 10PM this Saturday (12/15) and is bound to be a blast......

Found on Hollywood Blvd. late yesterday morning: PETA members demonstrating against Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's use of animal fur. "The only bigger fashion victims are animals." The small text at the bottom of the posters tell people to play an online game where you can interactively dress up "Hairy-Kate and Trashley Trollsen". See our Mary Kate carrion inspired design after the jump.......

Monday Eliot Tiegel presents The Latinization of America 6:30pm @ Book Soup Judith Freeman discusses and signs The Long Embrace 7pm @ Vroman's Roz Chast discusses Theories of Everything 7pm @ Central Library Robert Kuttner in conversation with Arianna Huffington about The Squandering of America 8pm @ James Bridge Theater, UCLA Tuesday Cesar Millan presents Be the Pack Leader 7pm @ Borders, Pasadena Frank McCourt presents Angela and the Baby Jesus 7pm @ Borders,......

Monday Paul Krugman discusses The Conscience of a Liberal 7pm @ Central Library Randy Cepuch signs A Weekend With Warren Buffett 4pm @ Dutton's Jenna Bush presents Ana's Story 7pm @ Pasadena Public Library Jason Goodwin discusses and signs The Snake Stone 7pm @ Vroman's Tuesday Wole Soyninka discusses his work with Mona Simpson 7pm @ Hammer Museum Eduardo Machado & Michael Domitrovich present Tastes Like Cuba 7pm @ Book Soup Maira Kalman discusses &......

LAist had the opportunity to catch up with Jonny Coleman, curator of Art Crawl X and also founder of Found Gallery in Silverlake this week to ask him some questions about the art walk this weekend, what not to miss, and why this art walk is sure to kick ass. What is Art Crawl X? Art Crawl X is the tenth annual art walk on the Eastside [excluding downtown]. The Crawl includes both conventional......

Dear _____, Cool! I'm totally in and excited to see you this weekend too! Yeah I totally heard all about Art Crawl X and am excited to check it out. Isn't it something crazy like over 25 galleries and stores all around Echo Park, Silverlake, Los Feliz and Atwater Village are participating and holding shows and exhibits and stuff? And like at night some are having bands perform and tattoo stations and I heard......

The top e-mailed story from the Los Angeles Times website today was "Mythical Chupacabra Found in Texas?" Some of us know exactly what a chupacabra is thanks to a 1997 X-Files episode "El Mundo Gira." Sort of: It's a creature that supposedly either looks like a weird wild dog or a lizard-like alien. First reported in Puerto Rico, there've been spottings in Mexico and the U.S. The name translates to "goat sucker," and it......

Last week, we wondered if Reggie was truly ready for his big L.A. Zoo debut. It now seems that Reggie is saying, quite firmly, that he he'd like more time to ready himself for his public. Or that he'd like a break from putting on a happy face for the kiddies. Or maybe he's just having a laugh. According to the LA Times, he "disappeared" from his water enclosure overnight at the zoo: Zoo......

This photo taken in Echo Park by Victoria Bernal speaks for itself. Go Dodgers! Found on the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr......

Diary Of A Mad Housewife & The Last Of Sheila It's another crazy 1970s double feature. Directed by Frank Perry Diary Of A Mad Housewife stars Carrie Snodgress (rocker Neil Young's girlfriend for a time in the 70s) and Richard Benjamin as a young, well-to-do Manhattan couple whose marriage hits the skids thanks to obnoxious, self-absorbed hubby. The film feels dated, but Snodgress' Oscar-nominated performance still rings true. The gem on tonight's double bill is......

A plastics chemical called melamine - not rat poison - was found on wheat gluten in recently recalled pet food, according to the FDA's latest report. Now that rat poison has been eliminated as the cause of over 2,400 pet deaths, more foods must be tested for melamine. The FDA has promised the public they will announce the addition of any foods to the recall list if it is warranted. Concern is growing among pet......

Grindhouse The week begins with sassy sexploitation flicks Pretty Maids All in a Row and Revenge of the Cheerleaders, then segues into Asian action with aFearless Fighters and Supermanchu and closes with a triple bill of bloody horror: The Blood Spattered Bride, Asylum of Blood and Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary. WHEN: Mon., March 26 - Sun., April 1; various times WHERE: The New Beverly: 7165 Beverly Blvd. (1 block West of La Brea Ave.) King......

Johnny Chang considers his occupation to be an "experimentalist." The 27-year-old Auckland, New Zealand native has been living in LA for 7 years now, currently making Echo Park his home. If experimentalist is a bit too abstract or general for you, Chang freelances as violinist. No, you generally won't see him playing Bach with the LA Chamber Orchestra or on a soundstage recording music for a film. Rather, that occupational title he gives himself......

- Crew member hurt on the set of the new Julia Roberts / Tom Hanks film in Downey - ET - Subway mercury spill exploits painfully slow LA response - LAT - The Valley has very few drive-thrus, Santa Clarita has a lot - Daily News - MySpace lawyers continue to have more reason to bill hours - NY Daily News - Robert Redford says George Bush owes the US an Apology for everything......

A number of architecturally historic buildings reside along Wilshire Boulevard, many of which don't serve their original purposes anymore, having been converted into restaurants, boutiques, or office supply stores. One such example is the newly remodeled Metro Customer Center on Wilshire. Housed in an understated yet elegant building originally designed by Welton Beckett's firm, Metro Customer Center functions as an information and pass distribution center as well as the Lost and Found for the......

Bree McGuire, one of Buzznet's Content Editors, is surrounded by new music all day long. Buzznet was at dozens of music fests and events last year and is super tight with the emo superstars Fall Out Boy, which is why we were stoked that she agreed to tune us in to what she was tuned in to last year... 1. The Queen & I - Gym Class Heroes 2. Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah......

With the year winding down, LAist is asking famous celebs, local politicians, and other movers & shakers of LA to tell us what they thought were tops of 2006. Before founding PostSecret, Frank Warren grew up in the Valley and attended Colfax Elementary School with Adam Carolla. If you missed his book signing last month, you can catch him on January 15th at Borders Books in Torrance as he signs the next PS book, "The......

James Kim, 35, was found dead today in a steep ravine of the Oregon Wilderness in what appears to be an attempt to get help for his family. When it was apparent that James and his family were stranded in the snow early this past Saturday he left them to seek help. He had walked a long distance before his body was discovered in a ravine today by authorities. His autopsy results indicating cause......

"I don't care if Mark Foley had been asking boys to describe their penises because I have some sad news for you: Your kid is so larded out on Cheetos and Yoo-hoo, he can't even see his penis." - Bill Maher, today on Salon.com "You're wankers, but really important wankers. Even you, Robert Joseph at Earthlink, who has sent me consistent hatemail for two years straight. You, sir, have been impressive." - Jessica Coen......

One of the biggest box office hits of 2006 that you've probably never seen or even heard of is Krrish, an action-adventure/romance/sci-fi extravaganza courtesy of India, home of the world's most prolific film industry. Released in late June, Krrish was produced on a $10 million budget (lavish by Bollywood standards) and has grossed anywhere from $30 to $60 million dollars, depending on which figures you believe. The movie is actually sequel to the 2003......