It's our ever-active City Council President, Eric Garcetti, getting down and dirty this morning for all us Angelenos on an inspection of the city's now rain-taxed sewer system. This is Garcetti's way of kicking off his Shorty Awards campaign for excellence in social media on the subject of--gasp!--politics. You can give him a nomination via Twitter and see that LA defeats the equally Tweet-a-licious, snow shovel-wielding Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker. Let the West Coast/East Coast battle begin! more ›

Think you're a fan of Broadway musicals? Think Again. Caught this week on the 704 Metro Rapid down Santa Monica Boulevard was this guy, complete with tattoos on his legs and arms featuring, not intricate designs, but logos from musicals such as Cats, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, Dreamgirls, A Chorus Line, Rumors and 42nd Street. Now that's awesome dedication. more ›

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. And Georgia O'Keefe was really painting desert blooms. The Disney castle turrets are just turrets. So get your minds out of the gutter, people. Still, the stone statuary at the entrance of Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at LA Live can make you do a second take when viewed from the right angle. more ›

What is happening to our mannequins? First they got all slutty in front of children, no less, and now this. more ›

It's street political activism at its best and we're sure many of you agree with this sign that covers a Los Angeles city meter found by LAist Featured Photos contributor Lord Jim. "Stop Feeding Your Government, What Have They Done to Feed You?" reads the sign that shows a fist inside the mouth of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But no matter how one feels about the issue we're sure everyone will pay to avoid getting a ticket.
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Decorating your backyard can mean a lot of tough decisions. Tropical or desert? Should the plants be drought resistant? Maybe Adirondack chairs. more ›

Every once in awhile you come across a directive that seems obvious, even bordering on the ludicrous, like "Do not use hair dryer while sleeping". This sign at the local pet shop is especially ridiculous because cats can't even read. So good luck with that. In actuality, it seems that the ruffians from Menchies Frozen Yogurt next door have made this cat wonderland their own personal hangout spot. more ›

Before he was named MVP in the chaotic series of 7 NBA finals games, this street art depicting the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant in a Batman mask was spotted by LAist Featured Photos contributor Lord Jim. So who is the artist behind this image? more ›

This is a spectacular WANTED sign. It's not looking for a missing puppy, yet it includes drawings to identify the missing objects. The drawing of the shopping cart -- 3-dimensional wiring -- that deserves a prize. We should all send them a dollar to buy new stuff just for that drawing. What's even more amazing is that there is more than one sign. They replicated that drawing by hand. more ›

We came across this interesting vehicle on the streets of Burbank. A friendly neighbor walking a dog said that it belongs to a local rock band. They play on top of the roof. At night moving lights make it look like flowing lava, which is pretty rad. But I still kind of wish I didn't know. I prefer a little mystery with random weirdness.
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Cancel my subscription because I don't need your "issues." With apologies to Pamela Des Barres, the juxtoposition of this shirt and the sale sign were just too serendipitous to pass up. What do the other shirts on the rack say? "Don't ever mention my father again. Ever" "Beer - It's What's For Breakfast" "It's not you. It's me" more ›

It looks like there was a little mix-up at the bookstore. Cookbooks and pet care got mixed up to make this serendipitous tableaux. It turned out to not be a kitten cookbook. Kittens are really tough anyways and need slow braising.
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Someone wasn't thinking when they designed this parking structure. In fact, it looks like a lot of people weren't thinking. The columns were strategically placed in the exact position to block the car doors. The column on the left makes it impossible to open the driver's side door, and the column on the right makes it impossible for every third car to open their passenger side door. If the cars on the outside are smart enough to park towards the middle so they can get out, the center car is trapped, FAIL. more ›

I have a confession to make. I LOVE plastic food. It's one of my favorite reasons for wandering around Little Tokyo. I found out from one restaurant that they have their plastic food custom-made to look exactly like their real food, which amazes me. I had always thought they just ordered "Udon #2" from a catalog. Imagine my surprise at finding a perfect plastic rendering of a sub sandwich at the Subway shop. Just in case you aren't sure what a sandwich looks like. more ›

Yesterday would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday, and while Elvis, has indeed left the building, his spirit--and likeness--remains. For example, the GRAMMY museum honored the King by opening a new exhibit of rare photos yesterday, and folks with teeth as sweet as Presley's can taste the cupcake named for him at Crumbs Bakeshop. Celebrations continue through the weekend for Presley, and so we dove into our LAist's Featured Photos pool to find Elvis is all over Los Angeles, all the time. Happy 75th! more ›

There's a lot of shopping going on this year, and to lure in customers sidewalk signage is out in full force. While this kind of gaffe can happen year-round, this sign-making oops was found just a few days ago outside a South Pasadena beauty shop. That's b-e-a-u-t-y shop. Hopefully they are, in fact, beauty experts, since they aren't evidently spelling experts. more ›

Getting a shot from this vantage point is pretty rare. That's because in recent years, the Hollywood Sign has become more highly guarded than ever before, which means casual explorers, hiking enthusiasts, tormented would-be starlets, pranksters, and enemies of the state are kept at bay from the 86-year-old icon on the hillside. more ›

*Not all of you will see the unicorns. It's okay. We can't all have the gift. more ›

Tributes to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson popped up almost the instant news broke that the singer died suddenly on June 25th this year. But is it too soon to mourn him and call him "crazy as hell" all in the same poster? Spotted at this year's Unique LA Holiday Show is this poster from MNKR that does just that. Will MJ fans hang (with) it? more ›

Uhhh, that stop sign is facing the wrong direction. "I don't know if this was the work of pranksters or the fine folks of the street department," writes LAist reader Drew McKinley in an e-mail. If not corrected, you can find this at Serrano and Russell in the East Hollywood area. more ›

Also file this under "Only in L.A," where medical marijuana is in abundance--around 1,000 dispensaries by unofficial count. This canister, still with some weed left in it, was spotted by a kid--what's "kush?" she asked her mother--at Beverly and La Brea over the weekend. The area is rife with dispensaries. more ›

This photograph looks like it could have been taken anywhere. There was just something so timeless and universal about this moment. Evening had not yet become night, so it was still, but with a quiet bustle all around. Businesses were closing down, carpets were being shaken out and pails of water were being dumped. It's not Bangkok. It's not Mexico City. It's the alley behind Mozza. more ›

We have Pink's Hot Dogs to thank for this one. We get it, OK? Jalapeno dog. Chili. Onions. Guacamole. Villaraigosa is spicy. Caliente. You will probably have really bad breath after chomping on the mayor's weiner. But what's up with lettuce? Lettuce doesn't belong on a hot dog. It's so wrong. And where's the cheese? This dog should definitely be cheesy. What's most amazing is that this hotdog doesn't come with ham. In fact, this dog should just be a big ham stuffed inside of a...no, we won't go there. more ›

"OUT OF SERVICE" was also spray-painted by hand all over the side windows. They really meant it. It must still be an official vehicle. I mean, before they would re-sell a sheriff's vehicle, wouldn't they do a little more than that? Maybe it was the most ingenius car thief ever. He could just spray-paint "NOT A STOLEN CAR" and hey, no questions asked. more ›

Your dream has come true. You finally meet that special guy. It's the third date. Time to seal the deal. He takes you out for a fancy dinner, or maybe he even cooks for you. Maybe a walk under the moonlight, or along the beach. He takes you back to his place. Soft music low on the stereo, a bottle of wine. The making out is hot and heavy. You look deep into his eyes. This could be the one. You both stumble, undressing into the bedroom. And then you get a good look at the sheets. more ›

With an ailing economy in the era of prolific self-expression via a multitude of platforms, sometimes the best way to be heard is to grab some paper and a pen and put the message up on your own four wheels. This is what one San Fernando Valley resident seems to be fond of doing, as found byLAist Featured Photos pool contributor CookieDuster, who explains the sign-maker's most recent foray into their version of Twittering:

The neighbor is riled up enough again to post his first tailgate message since election day. A total lack of punctuation and a spelling mistake only adds to the charm. more ›

Okay, random. LAist reader Jon Zack was walking on the beach yesterday when he saw this 5 foot plaster-made snowman between the walking path and the water. "He looked happy, but a little melty," he joked. more ›

You know those movies, where there is a serial killer out there, and only one man who can catch him? But that one guy is an ex-cop who got on the bottle after a serial killer murdered his wife. And he's living in some cheap apartment putting whiskey on his cornflakes now. So the one guy on the force who believes in him has to go hunt him down and clean him up and then the ex-cop gets his act together and hunts down the killer who turns out to be the same guy who killed his wife! Maybe he starts dating one of the female cops, or the DA or something, and they have a lover's quarrel and he gives up. Then the serial killer kidnaps her and he has to prove he can beat the bottle and they have a big shootout on the docks and the ex-cop is the hero. Well, this apartment is totally where they go to find the ex-cop on the skids. If anyone from the studios wants to contact me, my email is on the staff page. We could even make it a buddy movie if you guys want. more ›

Found at a park within Park La Brea where the going rental rate of a 580 square foot studio starts near $1200. more ›

Roberto Lopez was shot by a stray bullet on Tuesday evening as he walked on the sidewalk with his sister. This morning, police announced they've got a suspect. more ›