In tonight's Extra, Extra, a group of bold San Pedrans brave the chilly New Year's ocean, Gwyneth Paltrow has some truly thrilling ideas for hangover cures, and Oscar season is upon us. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.
Extra, Extra: Swimming in Frigid Waters, Hangover Cures from Rich People, and Oscar Predictions
No Street Cleaning Tickets Between Christmas and New Year's
If you forgot to move your car before leaving town for the holidays, you might be in luck: NBC Los Angeles reports that the city won't be issuing tickets to vehicles parked illegally because of street cleaning.
A New Dawn for Sports
Everywhere you go, there’s a hell of a lot of sentimentality going on. Best of 2009 lists, best of the decade lists despite the fact that the decade doesn’t end until this year. It’s just a bunch of mushy nostalgia served to cheapen the events that actually happened. As Thom Yorke crooned on “Let Down” on OK Computer, “Don’t get sentimental it always ends up drivel.”
TV Junkie: Tuesday
With even more evidence of the population spending more time with programming and movies online, Lifetime, which I jokingly refer to as the most sexist network on the planet, is now launching programs on the web. If you weren't getting enough reality TV, first verify that you don't have testicles and then check out mylifetime.com and look for "That Magic Moment" which is about couples' first time in the sack and the "Clean Start Challenge” about 10 goody-two-shoes women who are sticking to their New Years' resolutions.
Tonight in Rock: Hot Chip, Pity Party, Henry Clay People
Despite it being Superbowl Sunday, February residencies got off to a great start last night with Alex & Sam at Tangier. Tonight is the first night of February residencies at Spaceland, Silverlake Lounge, Crash Mansion and The Echo/Echoplex. By last Thursday, The Airborne Toxic Event had gained so much popularity from their January residency, they had to reject 300 people from the door. Case in point, catch these bands in residency early on in the month.
New Year's Resolutions - Top Places to Work that Aren't Your Office
I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes...
New Years Resolutions - Explore Pasadena!
I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes...
Photo Essay: Redondo Beach Pier Walkabout
After a visit to the doctor for my yearly oil change and lube, I was in the need of a bit of fresh air. Don't you just hate the irony of a heavy-set doctor telling you that your blood pressure is closer to high than it should be and that losing all the weight you gained back might be a really good idea? Yeah, me too. Damn it, I really wasn't planning on any New Year's Resolutions! Nevertheless, in lieu of my regularly scheduled veg out in front of the computer, I decided to take a brisk walk on a bright and blustery day in my neighborhood, a neighborhood conveniently located near an off-season tourist spot.
Let's Make Some Babies!
Maybe your New Year's resolution was to spend quality time with your family, to see your friends more often, or to try your hand at something creative. Mark Jenkins' ongoing tape projects are a great way to accomplish all of these goals. All you need is packing tape, something sharp, and some plastic wrap. You can use a doll to make babies as part of the Storker Project, or parts of your own body as a mold for full-grown tape people.
Radiohead to Play Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Diego This Summer
Well, whatcha know, Radiohead's In Rainbows, which hit stores on New Year's Day, sits atop the Billboard charts nearly three months after the band offered the album as a pay-what-you-want digital download via their Web site.
New Year's Resolutions - Start Your Own Business Ideas from Amy Swift of Ladies Who Launch
I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes...
New Year's Resolutions - Your Guide to Style with Erinn Valencich from Ominarte Design
I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes...
Pencil This In: Sunday
So maybe you holed up inside last night with a hot toddy and are thinking, "rain be damned! I'm going out tonight!" Okay, fine. If you make it out earlier, you can celebrate the Japanese New Year, or you can lay low until the evening hours and then get yourself so theatre. Or you could just stay home and keep drinking. We'll never tell...
Watt's Pic of the Week
Here is a self-portrait of Watt braving the frigid January waters off of San Pedro in the 37th annual Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears Plunge on New Year's day.
Extra, Extra: Waiting on the Rain
Photo by C-Monster via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
New Year's Resolutions - Explore LA!
New Year's Day, most in LA seemed to be up in Pasadena watching either the Rose Parade or the Rose Bowl, or getting over their New Year's Eve hangover at home watching TV. Why do I think that? Because the roads were EMPTY! It seemed that no one was on the roads. My goal was to head out with a friend, with cameras in hand and hit the roads and drive around LA on the one day in the year that you can get from one end of the city to the other in 20 minutes. The city seems almost small and quaint when you can get from Silverlake to Santa Monica at a constant MPH and without going under 45.
The Pity Party @ Little Radio, 12/31/07
The New Year's Eve celebration at Little Radio in Downtown LA featured locals The Pity Party (MySpace), Fatlip (formerly of The Pharcyde), and Restaurant (MySpace), as well as DJ Lady Michelle Sinclair (MySpace). Not to mention free alcohol (after a $20.00 admission fee).
Tonight in Rock: Swamphouse, International Farmers, Jimmy Gnecco
Venues are still recovering from New Year's Eve as not many concerts are happening tonight. But that doesn't mean there's good music to check out. Local organic hip-hoppers, Swamphouse (a mixture of R&B, rock and jazz), open up at Temple Bar in Santa Monica tonight at 9:30 p.m. They are followed by the Manhattan Beach based reggae band -- International Farmers -- at 11 p.m.
Pencil This In: Monday (New Year's Eve Edition)
Love it or hate it, tonight's New Year's Eve. And while half of the city has vacated for NYE's in Vegas, there's plenty to do right here in LA to welcome '08.
Radiohead and NYE, Max and Jason and Current TV
So we heard that at 12:00 a.m. EST, 9:00 p.m. PST (or LA time for those of us who could give a crap about the rest of the West Coast) tonight, those sexy boys at Current TV, Max Lugavere and Jason Silva, will be hosting the exclusive (yes, exclusive) US broadcast of Radiohead playing In Rainbows. In its entirety. Sexy, exclusive, entirety. After the broadcast, M and J will be hosting a very special Best of Current TV hour.
Don't Drink and Drive, Dummy! Get a Free "Tipsy Tow"
It's a matter of simple math: New Year's Eve + Drinking + Driving = DUI.
Foodie Roundup: Bests, Books, Bonanzas
Week Around the -Ists
- SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others.
- Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish list.
- Gothamist looked at the wooden bikes being offered for NYC's first bike share program on Governors Island.
Sunday Photoist: Another Look at LA's Subway
This week's Sunday Photoist pic features an unusual perspective of LA's subway, from the platform of the Red Line's terminus in North Hollywood.
Will Protesters Rain on the Rose Parade?
While the controversy over Beijing's Olympic-themed float in Tuesday's 119th Tournament of Roses Parade has not managed to stir up LA's Chinese-American community, as New Year's Day draws near, murmurings of anti-war protests have begun to surface. The protests are linked to a group called the White Rose Coalition, and involve well-known activist Cindy Sheehan, whose soldier son was killed in Iraq. According to a press release:
Local and national pro-Impeachment and pro-Peace American citizens will stage non-violent protests and demonstrations throughout the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 beginning at 7:30 a.m. with support from Cindy Sheehan and the Camp Casey Peace Institute. The convergence of activists is called the White Rose Coalition, in honor of the resistance movement in Munich in 1942.Furthermore, the groups are calling to impeach Bush and Cheney and hope to draw the attention of the millions of attendees and viewers of Pasadena's annual spectacle of flowery floats and marching bands.
Update on All Night Trains for New Year's Eve
As reported earlier this week, on New Year's Eve, there will be all night Metro rail service. As one commenter pointed out, the news was actually broken in a press release where it was buried with not much detail given:
“The Tournament of Roses parade and game is the biggest venue for Metro Gold Line service all year, with upwards of 60,000 train boardings on a single day,” said Pam O’Connor, Santa Monica City Council member and Metro Board Chair. “Metro is meeting that demand this year with quality, all-night train service and free rides from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. that day to ensure the public enjoys these wonderful New Year’s festivities.”

