Working today? (We are!) Or are you relaxing for the holiday? Either way, here are 5 songs about working for your Labor Day video lunch enjoyment. more ›

Maybe you think that Labor Day is just a celebration of the fine American past time of grilling. Well, it's time for you to learn a thing or two, courtesy of some of our country's finest TV anchors and actors. Here, Katie Couric schools the world on the real meaning of Labor Day... more ›

It's a national holiday and in Los Angeles city limits, that means relaxed parking rules. Obvious things like parking in red zone, handicap areas and on sidewalks will still be enforced, but most meters and preferential parking districts will not. The following is via LADOT's website: more ›

We've had two days of record low temperatures this week, but that trend is quickly dying. High temperatures are forecasted for Friday and Saturday in, not just the Valleys, but the L.A. Basin. Expect temperatures there to be in the high 80s. Valleys will see mid 90s and some may get close to 100. As always, L.A. County's Department of Public Health is asking everyone to take precautions, especially those who are sensitive to heat. more ›

For its inaugural event, the Taste of Beverly Hills is going all out with four days of tastings, cooking demonstrations by hot local chefs, live music, and much more. more ›

Last year, 40 people died statewide on roadways patrolled by the California Highway Patrol during Labor Day weekend. This year the number plummeted to 12 with 9 of those victims found not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. “Wearing a seat belt needs to become a habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Buckle up every trip, every time. It may save your life or the life of someone you love.” (we actually feel naked when our seat belt is not on). Also, DUI arrests were down 11 percent this year with 1,417 people caught by officers statewide. Last year, there were 1,586 DUI-related arrests. “Making an arrest is far easier than having to make a notification to the family member of someone whose life was cut short by a drunk or drugged driver," said Farrow. The agency credits the decline to their Maximum Enforcement Period they instituted, which assigns every available officer to the roads. more ›

It seems like just yesterday we were prepping to dive into the deep end of Summer 2009, and now with Labor Day Weekend upon us it looks like it's time for us to start coming in from the water. Well, that's the case for most City of L.A. Public Swimming pools, as all but seven city seasonal aquatic facilities will close on Labor Day. You can get your swims in this afternoon until 5, Sunday from 1-5, and Monday from 1-5 if you're in need of a cool down and find yourself without a pool to dip your toes in. more ›

For those planning a trip to Yosemite National Park this weekend, about a five-hour drive from L.A., they don't have to worry about the Meadow Fire ruining too many of their plans, officials say. The park will remain open, save for some off-limit areas and roads due to the 7,240-acre blaze. more ›

As many Americans are preparing to bid adieu to the season with Labor Day weekend, those of us lucky enough to live in this part of the country have several more weeks of warm weather to frolic in. Even so, there are some of you who have thought, “I should go to the beach this summer” and it’s still not too late. With the holiday weekend around the corner, we at LAist figured that you same-sex loving guys out there would appreciate info on where gaze upon gym-toned bods without fear (Lady-loving ladies, we’re open to a similar post just for you). more ›

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Don't know what to get for the gun toting rifleman who has everything? In San Francisco, turning that rifle in to authorities will net you a cool $100 gift card. Eh, you say? OK, how about $200 for AK-47s? I wonder how that conversation might go at home: Honey, where is my gun? Oh, I turned it in sweety, for $100 worth of movie rentals. You did what? Guns don't kill people, gift cards... more ›

Right around Labor Day we interviewed KCRW dj Jason Bentley about the 30th anniversary of Morning Becomes Eclectic. Today he provides us with his top ten albums of 2007, and you Radiohead fans will be glad to see that he adds them to his list just like most of his cohorts did. Interestingly when Mathieu Schreyner left Radiohead off his list, not only was he not criticized, but he received many more positive comments... more ›

You might recall that right around Labor Day we celebrated KCRW's 30th anniversary of Morning Becomes Eclectic with a series of interviews with a handful of their on-air personalities. Today we are lucky enough to get the Top 10 list of Nic Harcourt's top albums of 2007. We are very happy to see that he's just as down with local kids Sea Wolf and Great Northern as we are. Not only that, but atop his list is another local girl, Jesca Hoop! more ›

Last Labor Day weekend I desperately needed to escape the disagreeable, torturous heatwave. So I made a last minute decision to fly to Seattle and bumbershoot. As luck would have it, my spontaneity provided for a much more temperate and rainless 70 degree haven. The Bumbershoot Festival has been running 37 years strong and every year it seems to progress into a bigger and better animal. Situated within the spacious Seattle Center amidst the... more ›

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and several smiles as well as lots of cash were raised by some plucky urban ironing. London is apparently full of lies and whales: one of these things is true. We leave that up to you to figure out. more ›

You can reproduce the amazing flavors of true Santa Maria BBQ in your backyard on a much smaller scale, using a 2-3 lb. tri-tip in place of a 20 lb topblock. Looking to watch your urbane clique revert to their primal roots, forsaking knife, fork, and plate for fingers, bulged eyes, and wide smiles? Want to see your veggie and vegan friends split into groups of people either salivating because they want a taste, or are fully repulsed at such a carnivorous feast? Want to make something awesome, with $20, and at the last minute for a group of 4-5 people? This is your answer. more ›

My sister decided to be the best sibling in the world and buy tickets for me to see Justin Timberlake at the Mandalay Bay. The only bad part about it was that it was on September 1, smack dab in the middle of Labor Day weekend. If you've ever headed to Las Vegas or the river during this time, you know it can be a total pain in the ass. I believe the 15... more ›

Recent major events for the LAFD include last night's apartment fires in North Hollywood and Westchester. Busy day on LAPD's blog: a drive-by shooting yesterday, a labor day homicide, Congressman Xavier Becerra's office burglarized, two fatal Skid Row stabbings, a Carl's Jr. robbery and a fatal shooting this morning in South LA. Sparked by the recent heat-reated power outages, Matt Littman at the Huffington Post asks if Los Angeles is in permanent decay: "It... more ›

So I have this pretty fun tradition (aside from Three Rivers in the holidays), of going camping at Two Harbors on Catalina Island every Labor Day Weekend. The tradition originally began as a Jugglers' Festival, oddly enough, of which I was only a part due to my friend and her husband who are amateur jugglers, and because they are friends with some fairly accomplished ones. There was a juggling volleyball game on one of... more ›

Selecting a gift for a loved one is tough, especially if the occasion is a 226th Birthday. What do you get the City of Los Angeles? After all, she already has it all! more ›

About the Above Photo: "Every Sunday from sunrise to sunset since February 15th 2004, a temporary memorial is erected in the sand just north of the pier at Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles and at Sterns Wharf in Santa Barbara, California and other locations around the country by local chapters of Veterans For Peace (VFP) and volunteers. This memorial is known as Arlington West... By the end of July 2007, using the U.S.... more ›

Labor Day Related Accounts Payable Door to Door for Greenpeace 10 Tips to Get Ahead in the Business World Creating A Hostile Work Environment With Dirty Comics Slinging Sunglasses in Inglewood Graveyard Manager at Gorky's Russian Cafe Phone Scam Artist Street Spammers and Signwalkers High School Janitor Labor Day Recipes. Yum! First Film, Last Straw My Year Running Bootlegs Sex Why Dating/Hooking Up With Friends Isn't a Good Idea Media & Advertising Misadventures in... more ›

At 21 years old, less than two months new to town, living in my cousin’s back room in the deep valley, making love to a Thomas Guide every night, with zero frame of reference for my situation, I embark on a film career. My first break, an independent film, hires me to be their production secretary. What’s that? I don’t know either. Here’s what I do know. The production office is at 6th and Alameda... more ›

Just out of college, I worked at a small record store that was actually a front for a much larger music bootlegging operation. The owner was a coke-fuelled mafia wannabe, who rarely stopped by the store, except to empty the register. I would always have to give customers huge discounts, because I couldn’t make change for them. The boss was completely moody and unpredictable. You never knew if he was gonna scream at you... more ›

After two years of college I had to drop out for financial reasons. I had stopped talking to my family, and needing loans to pay for school I had no one to cosign for them. Being wary of those bank loans I decided it better to drop out. I went to a temp job and they placed me in an accounts payable position for a non-profit. Nine years later here I am still working... more ›

Some fresh AIR would be really great right about now. Har har har!!! I'm such a card. Now, really, how about Air at the Greek this month, courtesy of LAist: head on over to enter our Labor Day Weekend Air Contest. In the category of Thank God It Hasn't Happened to Us Yet: over twenty thousand homes and businesses have lost power this weekend. If you're on the roads tonight, please drive safely, use... more ›

I've had some frustrating jobs in the past--mostly in retail--but there is nothing quite like the pain and humiliation of stumping for a cause and a minimum wage paycheck. When I was a mere young'un, at 18, I spent six months working as a door-to-door canvasser for Greenpeace. Yes, I was one of those annoying neo-hippie crusader types (mind you, I bathed and shaved and did not spread any funk, unlike some of my... more ›

As I try to do anything but labor on this Labor Day, I reflect on my nearly 10 years working in office jobs to support my freelance habit. So while I spend my 9 to 5s at work-work, I've held myself to certain standards. I believe I act with integrity. I've tried to treat people – regardless of my personal feelings for them – with dignity. And I've worked hard because (besides being a... more ›

Everyone's favorite secretary is set to become the new celebrity face for the self-proclaimed "most erotic lingerie in the world". The upscale, reservation-only, lingerie shop on Melrose, Agent Provocateur has taken the torch from the coke-stained claws of Kate Moss and handed them to Maggie Gyllenhaal, an honor once bestowed upon Kylie Minogue and Dita Von Teese. more ›

I used to work in an extremely uptight government office. My one saving grace was my friend, Karen, who was the only normal person there. more ›