Carolyn Kellogg

Counting down today's few birthdays: Esteemed playwright Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") is 78; he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1996. Unlucky in love Liza Minelli turns 60 today. She was charming once — Netflix Arthur. Put that away! Porn stud Ron Jeremy is 53. Troubled former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry celebrates his 44th today. Actor Aaron Eckhart turns 38. And although we rarely include the deceased in our birthday...

78 years ago today the St. Francis Dam burst, sending 12 billion gallons of water into a small town near Saugus. The flood was so powerful and so swift that the number killed has always been approximate — around 450 people died. The dam's collapse was blamed on the LADWP's head, the brilliant William Mulholland; he's the one in the black hat surveying the dam's wreckage in the photo above. Franklin Avenue is keeping...

Police Chief Bratton leaves for Israel on Thursday. The LA Times reports he spent four months of the year 2005 out of town; some are displeased. We think he manages to stay in LA for the good stuff; we spotted him in his uniform outside the Oscars. Anti-gang efforts continue in East LA. Led by Father Gregory Boyle, Homeboy Industries broke ground on a new $11.5 million, 21,000 square foot complex. The nonprofit helps former...

Torontoist throws down the gauntlet and challenges all comers: pillow fight, bitch. They also stand up for a fellow blogger taking heat from the TTC and welcome city-wide WiFi. SFist can finally admit it: It's possible that Bary Bonds juiced. Is Bay Area artist (tempted to put quotes around that) Thomas Kinkaid "kinda crappy" or "explosively crappy" or does he just like marking territory? SFist wonders. Technology comes in the form of new Mac goodness...

Thora Birch turns 24 today. She was great in American Beauty, but perfect as the movie version of Enid in Ghost World. Don't worry, be happy: musician Bobby McFerrin celebrates his 56th. And a handful of hyphenate birthdays: Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard is 37, Jackass-actor Johnny Knoxville is 35 and actor-director Peter Berg is 42. And Long-Island-lover-turned-porn-dude Joey Buttafuoco is 50 today. Supreme Court watchers may be interested to know that Antonin Scalia turns 70...

Now in its third year, The Other Venice Film Festival celebrates independent film, diversity and music. And, eh, slightly bad attitudes. Take, for example, the film screening opening night: Champion, a documentary about actor Danny Trejo. He's the guy you've seen playing a Latin tough in From Dusk Till Dawn to "Desperate Housewives." Turns out he's a genuine Latin tough who was brought up in Echo Park, spent time in prison, did drugs and...

Today the LA Times reports on the internal LAPD debate about what to do with Skid Row. Clearcut clean up the worst areas, like 6th and San Julian, by removing everyone (to where)? Or target the criminals in those areas? We don't know what the best solution might be, but we can't wait to hear what downtown activist Brady Westwater thinks. Yesterday janitors at NBC-Universal picketed Citywalk — not because it sucks, but to...

One of the fun things about celebrity birthdays is seeing what famous people are born on the same day you are. Well, March 10 babies, we apologize. Celebrating his 49th birthday today is Osama Bin Laden, in an undisclosed location. Sharon Stone says she's celebrating her 48th today. Although if any women in Hollywood have ever fudged their age (no!) we'd wager Sharon Stone is among them. We believe that Jasmine Guy from "A Different...

The Grand Central Market has sold meats, veggies and more since 1917. It reaches from Broadway to Hill between 3rd and 4th in downtown LA. In addition to the groceries on hand, it has a dozen stalls serving prepared food (mmmm, pupusas) and one liquor store in the corner. The neighborhood has come up with all the new downtown lofts, but you can still find people buying their Mad Dog at the booze counter,...

Some of you don't like seeing birthdays. Welll, we think it's kind of sad to only pay attention to people when they die (Gordon Parks, Chris Penn). We'd like to give folks a little nod while they're alive. So as we wish them happy birthday, join us — or just don't read it. Emmanuel Lewis will always be small, even as he turns 35 today. Rapper Lil' Bow Wow is (almost) all grown up —...