a Guest Blogger

Fifty years after it was released, Joseph Losey's 'The Servant' is back in theaters in limited release with a sparkling digital restoration by StudioCanal.

Summer may be over but not all of the fun is. This weekend hosts a special edition in the art of the anti-artist: Dr. Sketchy’s. On Saturday, October 16th, from 2 to 5 p.m., event goers can experience more than just fashion for fashion week. For those not familiar, Dr. Sketchy’s Los Angeles edition is a monthly event put on by Baby Tattoo that blends art, fashion, and oftentimes gratuitous nudity for local artists to practice life drawing.

How low can you go? The Governor’s approval ratings sink to lowest percentage ever. Do you have what it tokes to be OC Weekly’s Marijuana beat writer? Hero dog in “cheerful” condition after Hollywood Hills home invasion robbery leaves him riddled with bullets.

An Oregon wind farm will supply energy to Southern California Edison by 2011. Tesla Motors vacillates between Long Beach and Downey for the site of its new manufacturing facility. Also in Long Beach: global warming could increase ocean levels by 16 inches over the next 40 years, threatening the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, among other California ports.

If he does say so himself, LA’s own iconic chronicler of 20th century American crime James Ellroy has just published his “ultimate masterpiece." Following American Tabloid (1995) and The Cold Six Thousand (2001), Blood’s a Rover completes Ellroy’s “Underworld USA” trilogy of novels exploring the dark side of the dark side of our country’s political madness circa 1958-1972.

Bicyclists quickly shot down the city’s idea of possibly making it illegal to ride on sidewalks. During the Transportation Committee meeting last Wednesday, advocates said changing the vehicular code won’t ensure that all cyclists will be aware of the law. Instead, the city should develop safety education programs to inform casual or less experienced riders of the dangers posed by cycling on sidewalks.

L.A.'s master of puppets officially became a part of history as the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre was declared an historic cultural monument by the city of Los Angeles yesterday. "At age 85, he’s still the star of his company," Steve Meltzer, president of the L.A. Guild of Puppetry, told the LA Times. "There are performances where his presence is requested.”

The It’s a Small World attraction has Disneyland’s most annoying song, yes, but also its most enlightened message. Originally created by Disney artist Mary Blair for the 1964 World’s Fair, the ride partnered with UNICEF to make a statement about shared humanity using images of doll children around the world. Created at the height of the Cold War, it was refreshingly free of both political posturing and Disney product placement. But no more. Today,...

Photo by California CPA via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr With no fanfare, last week Caltrans opened lanes and onramps that had been off-limits during the 405 Freeway’s lengthy construction through Culver City (.pdf). Barriers were removed on the Culver Boulevard onramp and on new right-hand lanes, all part of the expansion to make way for High Occupancy Vehicle (you know, car-pool) lanes in the center of the freeway. At one point, construction, which...

Back in October, the Yes on 8 "people" challenged California's Superintendent of Schools, Jack O'Connell, to a debate about gay marriage. According to Yes, even the remotest possibility of learning anything about gay marriage is harmful to children. Nothing hateful about that! Anyway, the No side refused to debate. In fact, not only did (self-described) Campaign Manager Steve Smith hide from the debate, but his response was obscured from public view in a hard-to-find...