a Guest Blogger

When the new Whole Foods that opened in Venice, I figured it would be like the other Whole Foods. Cramped. Packed. Expensive. Sometimes worth going to but an endurance. This Whole Foods is different in that it is gigantic (see the photo below) and even has clothing. That is all fine and good, but you can buy food and clothes many places.

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.

Although City Council repealed the bicycle license law earlier this month, the issue continued to be a point of discussion between officials and bike advocates. At the Transportation Committee meeting earlier this week, some cyclists said they don’t completely oppose a licensing program, but they would like to see a more efficient and easier process that would be “voluntary.”

At the Transportation Committee yesterday, the city presented its Bicycle Plan proposal, which maps potential fixes to L.A.’s streets to make riding easier and safer for cyclists. The verdict? “Flawed,” pretty embarrassing” and an “egregious waste of money” were among some of the comments from bike and community advocates, Sierra Club members and neighborhood councilmembers. “No matter what people tell you, we are not involved in the process,” said bike activist Stephen Box, who also commented on several other items discussed at the meeting. “I’m calling on you to…call it dead,” he told Transportation Committee Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Bill Rosendahl.

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.”

By Gareen Darakjian Apparently, “smooth” is a way of life for Brazilians as evidenced by their two most significant contributions to the aesthetics industry. Unlike its more painful counterpart, the Brazilian Blowout, developed by celebrity stylist and native Sao Paoloan Mauricio Ribeiro, is a virtually painless chemical straightening and de-frizzing process that actually improves the condition of your hair. The single application treatment offers an alternative to more caustic and inconvenient hair straightening such as...

Photo by Elise Thompson for LAist By Greg Thompson, Exclusive to LAist The Shade event last Sunday at Shade saw over 50 medium to large and boutique wineries poured some their best selections, many not usually seen at these events! There were too many to review, or even list, but standouts included Acacia. BV, Cambria, Chappelet, La Crema, and Plumpjack. It was a classy touch having Fiji bottled water available Organic wines were popular,...

Music of the 80’s ushered in groups like Roxy Music, Sex Pistols and UB40 that gave us “Red, Red Wine” and “If It Happens Again.” Saxophonist Brian Travers has been to UB40 to that of Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen’ Band or Roxy’s Music Andy Mackay and whether listening to UB40 debut album “Signing Off” or 2009 compilation album “Love Songs,” its musical odyssey has been surreal to that of Salvador Dali, dada to that of Hugo Ball, and neoclassical to that of Nicolas Poussin. He spoke to us about the history, longevity and musical legacy of the band as he prepared for Thursday night concert at the Sunset Strip House of Blues.

Michael Salerno By Daood Obaid, Special to LAist The Brewery Artwalk, now in its 27th year taking place this weekend, is a twice annual open studio event at the world’s largest art colony with over 150 resident artists participating. During the event, you will have the opportunity to see new works, discover new favorites, and speak with the artists and purchase work directly from the artists at studio prices. Michael Salerno is an artist...

Story by Gareen Darakjian, Special to LAist Renewable energy is a phrase that has been dancing on everyone’s lips these days. Its physical (and metaphorical) incarnation, however, has taken the form of a super funky retail store in Chinatown - New High (M)art - where fashion and art are displayed gallery-style in thematic exhibits that owners Miho Ikeda and James “T-RIK” Brewer curate. The 6-9 week long high concept installations called “store moments” allow for...