A David versus Goliath struggle has erupted in West Hollywood, and the local pet-loving community is voicing its opinions loud and clear. Yesterday, a community pet shop with just two Los Angeles locations received an unexpected two-year anniversary present atop their Santa Monica Boulevard store. more ›

After more than a decade in business, American Apparel has decided to offer plus sizes. (And by "plus sizes," of course we mean "plus size".) Now the company is asking for the next bigger, better, booty-ful, curvy, full-figured, XLent ladies with full-size fannies who need a little extra wiggle room where it counts to be the next face of the new plus size line. more ›

Got a product that needs hawking? A recent poll suggests that Betty White is your Golden Girl. Reuters/Ipsos asked Americans the dubious question of which celebrity they most trust. White, continuing to ride a crest of late-career popularity, came out just ahead of Denzel Washington and Sandra Bullock. Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Kate Middleton and Morgan Freeman also made the top 10. more ›

Media Leaders, the social media strike team that manages Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for over a dozen brands, hosts an influential networking event tonight in Santa Monica. more ›

A class action lawsuit filed against Taco Bell asked the fast food chain "where's the beef?" and now that lawsuit has been dropped, reports MyFoxLA, after Taco Bell made alterations to their "marketing and product disclosure." At issue was the amount of beef in the beef mix they put in their various menu items; the suit alleged false advertising, claiming that the "meat" was made of more binders and fillers than actual beef. more ›

Shoppers with a bent for the macabre may already know that the Los Angeles County Coroner's office runs a gift shop called "Skeletons in the Closet." Toe tag lapel pins, chalk body outline notepads and key rings, a "My First Skeleton" kit, suncatchers, beach towels, travel mugs and more are on sale as a sincere, albeit quirky, side project of the department. more ›

Now you can fool your friends and lovers into thinking you're the richest richie on the block with a new line of fragrances from The City of Beverly Hills!! What does 90210 smell like? Like cold, hard cash. The city is hoping to earn $500,000 in five years by basking in its own stink and spritzing their brand on aspirational millionaires. Mmm...mmm...good! more ›

It's a good question: "What percentage of Metro employees go Metro to work?" more ›

When you hear Oxnard, what do you think of? Maybe strawberry farms, maybe Channel Island Harbor or maybe a sleepy beachside town. But officials of the 112-year-old city are not too happy with the name anymore because it doesn't conjure up images that attract tourists. more ›

The non-profit charged with bringing Los Angeles' revitalized downtown its first streetcar by 2014 released a short and simple one-year progress report today. more ›

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery this week announced that they have acquired Shephard Fairey's collage portrait of Obama that was a defining image of his campaign. "This is the original collage that the prints and campaign materials were based on," museum spokeswoman Bethany Bentley said in an email to Jesus Sanchez at The Eastsider LA, a blog devoted to the city's region where Fairey's studio and gallery resides. more ›

First, it was David Duchovny admitting he was a sex addict. Then a tunnel was found going from Mexico to a house in Calexico, CA. And that's when LAist readers became concerned. more ›

Ever wonder who puts up those signs along freeways advocating for some cause or the other? One person is the Freeway Blogger who has hung over 4,000 signs against the war on freeways across the California and the western U.S. The above photo is from late July, but at least five went up yesterday afternoon, according to the blogger in an e-mail. more ›

In a bid to revive the Hollywood stars after years of abuse and being stepped on, Absolut Vodka became the first corporate contributor to a $4-million dollar restoration plan in advance of the Walk of Fame's 50th anniversary in 2010. To recognize Absolut's initiative (and creative marketing tactics?), Leron Gubler, CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented the company with an honorary star near the entrance to the Kodak Theatre. More on the "Friends of the Walk of Fame" project and the condition of the 2,365 stars at the LAT. more ›

Two LAist Featured Photos contributors happened to submit similar photos around the same time. A new trend in street photography? Probably not, but where else can you put a biker looking dude's head? more ›

This is a purposefully backdated post for a National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP) workshop called "The New Frontier Part Two: Blogging, Social Networking and YouTube!" organized by the LA Stage Alliance with guest speakers D. Jean Hester and LAist Editor, Zach Behrens. The following are notes and reference links for workshop participants. more ›