Dooh Dah Parade. Many thanks to reader and LAist Featured Photos contributor Movie Lover for contributing these fantastic photos of yesterday's Doo Dah Parade. The normal-looking man nursing a hangover in the middle of all this lunacy is Tom Coston, who's become Doo Dah's P.T. Barnum since his nonprofit arts organization, The Light Bringer Project, bought the parade 12 years ago from founder and legendary Pasadena barfly Peter Apanel for $2. " … It's......

OK, maybe this post is a little last-minute. But most of the grocery stores are open until noon today. There is still time. Christmas dinner is very similar to Thanksgiving dinner, but easier. Some people have an identical turkey dinner, perhaps with an added ham. One sure way to make Christmas special is with a rib roast. The standing rib roast is a beautiful thing, and even easier than a turkey! Figure one rib will......

TOYS FOR TOTS Everyone has that one special moment when it really starts to feel like Christmas. It might be shopping Thanksgiving weekend, baking cookies or buying the tree. For me, it is that magical moment while stuck in traffic when I am taken unawares by a phalanx of motorcycles zooming by carrying giant stuffed bears on the back. That is truly the spirit of Christmas. The bikers are part of an annual Toys for......

For the past two weeks Councilmember Tom LaBonge has been proudly welcoming visitors to the 12th Annual LADWP Holiday Light Festival at Griffith Park, announcing with a straight face that this year's Festival demonstrates the DWP's commitment to a "Greener LA." Tom deserves credit for maintaining a straight face as he makes this outrageous claim because this Festival is far from Green! Granted, there is a lighting display at the entry that clearly states "DWP......

Here's the mix: Download or listen to the mix above which contains the songs and their related articles below: - Spoon "Infinite Pet" for show review by Staci Goodner - No Age "Everybody's Down" for a story/show review by Joshua Pressman - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings "Tell Me" for a CD review by tomdog - MIA "Galang" for a show review by Joey Maloney - Cake "War Pigs" cuz they play on 11/30 at......

Although most of us here at LAist are gourmet vegan chefs, a few of us (hi!) get our meals via drive-thru's not just daily, but several times a day. So the day after Thanksgiving we found ourselves in the drive-thru of the Jack in the Box on Santa Monica Blvd. in Westwood right near the 405 and we saw this interesting sign. Because we're selfish, lazy, bastards, at first we thought "oh cool, Jack......

Now that Thanksgiving is over, many of us are feeling guilty about overeating and we're starting to sweat the next month. My philosophy is to go ahead and enjoy the food when it is a special event, like Christmas Eve. What you really have to watch are the little unhealthy habits that the season brings - mindless cookie munching in the breakroom, triple-macchiattos to keep your energy up, and fast food meals eaten on-the-run......

a writer's perspective I imagined that I would begin Week 4 of the strike full of energy, completely rested and rejuvenated after nearly a week of Thanksgiving festivities. The reality was quite the opposite. I am tired! The WGA has officially shortened our shifts to 3 hour blocks, Monday through Thursday. Fridays are being reserved for rallies, meetings, or heavy drinking. I signed up to do the 5am to 8am shift this morning, but......

Today Pat Morrison explains that parking can be tough for people who live in the hills who have converted their garages into offices and spare rooms. Sure you can say, "awwww poor rich people, listen to the tiniest violin." But lots of people live and work in hilly areas of this town so hush. The mountains and hills that make Los Angeles beautiful also create a bowl for smog, as well as gullies and......

As winds died down Sunday, firefighters gained the upper hand on the Malibu blaze that burned at least 49 homes and sent thousands fleeing. It is now 70% contained and officials expect full containment by Tuesday. The damage could run close to $100 million. Firefighters rescued a father and his 4-year-old son in a Sun Valley home that burned down this morning. The father got his wife and daughter out of the house, but,......

In Los Angeles, LAist most definitely celebrated Thanksgiving like no other. After all, one has to keep up all the energy to keep on walking the line at the Writers Strike and fighting the unfortunate return of the wildfires in Malibu, which single handedly destroyed over fifty homes within the first 24 hours. National outlets may be covering the fires, but CNN also found it is easier to buy a gun than fruit and......

Many of us have friends who live in Malibu and are worried about them and their families and their pets and their neighbors. Although it's pretty safe to say that most of the people are ok, if you would like to see if their home is ok - or if you live in Malibu and you're traveling for Thanksgiving, and you would like to see if your home is all right - the City......

Dear WGA: Being Thanksgiving weekend and all, I have spent a lot of time the last few days thinking about what I am thankful for. I am very thankful that I have been able to make a living as a writer. I am thankful that every day I am able to do something creative, something I love. As I’ve walked the picket lines, I’ve been very thankful for the overwhelming support I’ve felt from......

Now that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas Tree shopping is in order, it's a good time keep in mind that when it comes time to get rid of that tree, you can recycle it. If you have a green yard trimmings container, then you can the tree up and place it in there. If not, it's a good thing the Department of Public Works is already pushing their Christmas Tree Recycling Program that will be......

This weekend I thought we'd take a break from the sea and the red thing to check out the animal kingdom version of Thanksgiving. Are these not the fattest racoons you have ever seen? It's as if they are a new species. Don't mess with Pedro racoons, man. - Elise The Raccoon (Procyon lotor), also known as the Northern Raccoon, Common Raccoon, Washer Bear or Coon, is a widespread, medium-sized, omnivorous mammal native to......

Most insane picture and story of the day: a cruise ship strikes submerged ice in the Antarctic and begins to sink, 154 passengers escape to safety. I guess the holidays just really stress some people out: "a 27-year-old man turned himself in to police early this morning after allegedly shooting his brother-in-law to death following a Thanksgiving celebration." Christ, did somebody burn the turkey? And the long lines waiting for Black Friday deals weren't......

This year this scumbag is thankful for... The amazing people i love and call my family. My friends and their support when i needed it most. Not getting arrested! Not once! That hasn't happened to me since i was 15! The crazy, Dirty, Beautiful city that i call home. The amazing dinner my mother made tonight. That this year is almost over, I need a new year. The chance I took moving east of......

By William S. Burroughs For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild turkey and the Passenger Pigeons, destined to be shit out through wholesome American guts — thanks for a Continent to despoil and poison — thanks for Indians to provide a modicum of challenge and danger — thanks for vast herds of bison to kill and skin, leaving the carcass to rot — thanks for bounties on wolves......

Today we are all supposed to be thankful, so that's exactly what I am going to do, right now, in enumerated fashion, just for you. 1. Just to get all the obligatory thanks out of the way: I am thankful for my mom and dad, for all the rest of my family, for the people who try their best to live green every day and for all the good things that have ever happened......

Photo by blueiron9 via Flickr. I'm thankful that my mom always confuses Thanksgiving with Columbus Day, and then makes lasagne instead of turkey and pumpkin pie, and then says: "Puritans. Columbus. They're both genocidal land-thieves. Now shut-up and eat your lasagne or I'll tell all your progressive friends that you came over for Thanksgiving dinner." I'm also thankful for my Mommy Dearest DVD.......

1. That I have two healthy, happy, sometimes crazy kids. 2. That, against all odds, I've found in Los Angeles a city I'm as comfortable in as my hometown (that would be Brooklyn, NYC). 3. That I have a better adult life than I could ever have imagined back during my stickball-playing childhood in Flatbush. 4. That being a square actually became the cool thing to be. 5. That I have a family and......

Family Such as a grandpa who was awesome enough to teach a 12-year-old me about binary as well as the difference between analog and digital. People Who Adopt I wouldn’t be here were it not for a kind couple who opened their home and their hearts to my foreign-born mom and her siblings. Really Thick Books Along with other reading, I’ve been working my way through Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle. Even if I only......

From Mike Watt for LAist Entrance into the fourth world Two main versions exist as to the hopi's emergence into the present (or fourth) world. the more prevalent is that spider grandmother caused a hollow reed (or bamboo) to grow into the sky, and that it emerged in the fourth world at the sipapu. the people then climbed up the hollow tube into this world. typically, the location of the sipapu is given as......

1. Cajun Style Deep Fried Turkey from Miss Peaches. See above. It's off the hook. 2. A seemingly endless supply of ethnic restaurants in Los Angeles. This is such a great place to be a food blogger. 3. LAist, of course. 4. Del Taco, which is actually open today. 'Cause when you're cooking up something ridiculous for dinner, the last thing you want to worry about is making lunch. 5. My Fujifilm camera --......

I am thankful for… Thanksgiving - even though I think it’s a stupid holiday, and I pretty much hate all the food associated with it - for giving me the opportunity to spend the day with family that I love and actually enjoy being around. I am thankful every day that I am able to make a living being creative and doing something I love. (Except for when I’m on strike) I am thankful......

Phew! Today, be thankful this is not you. Apparently, Arnold Schwarzenegger said this at one point: "I love Thanksgiving turkey... it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts." Parking in Beverly Hills is now a little better, just in time for Holiday shopping. Four parking structures will double their free parking from one to two hours. Residents, merchants and New York City retailers are rejoicing. 167 people in Riverside County......

1. I can go to work in my pajama bottoms 2. I can find any song in the world on the internet 3. There are three different CSI-s, plus about four other shows that are exactly like CSI 4. The miracle of modern pharmaceuticals 5. I can hear my boyfriend coming home right now and he is going to cook me dinner Picture by Ofelaine, via Flickr......

I'm a lucky bitch. But I'm grateful, and even though every day I walk across those stars on Hollywood and Vine, I still take some time to thank them for everything I've got. For one: I've had a great year professionally, and I'm glad to say I have both a day job and a writing gig that bring me immense satisfaction and fulfillment. I get up every morning and spend my day at a......

I am very thankful for getting to paddle, I did it this morning. w/paddle, watt......

Five reasons I am thankful to be living in this city... 1. Urban + Nature It's truly the best of two worlds to live in Los Angeles. My native Angeleno ex-girlfriend used to ask why would anyone want to leave LA? You can surf in the morning and ski at night. She didn't do either and, well, she eventually moved away. Still, pick up a Southern California hiking book or two and you'll find......