In the wake of the big Fidel Castro seemingly-non-news of him stepping down as president (meanwhile the US recently bombed Pakistan without notice or permission), it's interesting to look back at the impact of the man on Los Angeles. The divide between those who wanted to work with Castro's Cuban government and those who vehemently opposed it led to violence -- eleven such terrorism incidents occurred in the Los Angeles area alone according to Cuban......

Yesterday's tragic assassination of Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has shocked and angered the world and the tide of emotion is strong in LA's community of Pakistani-Americans. The Daily News reports that many in LA knew Bhutto was in danger, but still found the news shocking. Others saw this as an obvious progression in the tragic line of assassinations and events that have plagued Bhutto's family. Many believe that power is at the root of......

Post Xmas doldrums have hit the tube big time, here's what's worth watching tonight: 7:00pm BBC World News BBCA - BBC will exclusively cover Benazir Bhutto's assassination and turmoil in Pakistan, aka "shit hits fan" 9:45pm A Guy Named Joe TCM - (1943) Featuring Spencer Tracy as the ghost pilot who shadows Van Johnson who is courting his old girlfriend played by Irene Dunne. This original is a million times better than Spielberg's piece of......

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 &......

For Joe Wilson, joking is a part of everyday life. After all, he is a comedian. But, one day, some casual joshing lead to an experiment: would people pay money for celebrity air? Joe put his plan into action, started an eBay auction, and found himself swamped by media attention, enemies with Jay Leno, and with enough material for a one man show that he called A Jar of Celebrity Air, which he'll be......

Two explosions ripped through a convoy carrying former Pakistani premier and maybe the country's best hope for Democracy, Benazir Bhutto, following her triumphant return after an eight-year exile. She was not hurt, but hundreds were killed and injured. How did the White House respond? By tying it back to the war on terrah, of course, saying, "Those responsible seek only to foster fear and limit freedom." A dump truck is in a "precarious spot"......

Artist: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan + Gaudi Album: Dub Qawwali Label: Six Degrees Records Release Date: August 7th, 2007 I count myself incredibly fortunate to have seen Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan perform while he was still alive, this was back in 1990, at a little hamlet called Santa Barbara, a year or so after Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation of Christ came out, which featured Khan on the soundtrack. The essence of one......

A comedian dressed as Osama Bin Ladin was spotted downtown trying to do a lame bit, but it made us realize something: fake Osamas are funny. We don't know why fake Osamas are funny. The real one is an evildoer and all. And he probably had something to do with 9/11, but given the lack of attention that our government is paying to him, we're starting to doubt it. Seriously, if bro really orchestrated......

India and Pakistan. Ohio State and Michigan. Leno and Letterman. These rivalries pale in comparison to mascot battles royales. Plus, we know how this one started. For more classic mascot moments, Sports Illustrated has a great blog entry going.......

It's almost time for the Persian New Year, known as Norooz (also spelled Noruz), which celebrates the coming of spring. The word itself literally means new day in Persian and marks the beginning of the solar year on the Vernal Equinox (March 20th). The holiday is a cherished Iranian festivity that is also celebrated in Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India, amongst the Kurds and Los Angeles.......