Carrie Meathrell

Watch out, Westwood! The color spectrum in Bruinville just got ever so slightly darker. Today's L.A. Times reports that a whopping 203 black students have decided to enroll in next fall's freshman class, out of the nearly 400 that were accepted. This is a 100% increase from last year's debacle, when only about 100 black students enrolled for the fall quarter. Campus officials attribute the rise in minority enrollments to a new "holistic" admissions...

When we heard that a Georgia couple were sentenced to prison yesterday for the death-by-vegan-diet of their infant son, we got a little bit pissed off: "DAMN VEGANS and their DAMN DIETARY RESTRICTIONS! Now they're killing babies, what's next?? Muzzling tigers so they can't hunt their prey? De-fanging sharks so they can't devour fish? Ruining Christmas???" Then we calmed down a bit and took a closer look at the story: the baby's death was...

By now, everybody knows that the magical culinary wonderland that is Surfas will be closing its doors at its current location on July 1, no thanks to Culver City and one of the lamest enactments of eminent domain in Westside history. The latest news update on their website states that they will be moving to a nearby warehouse on July 1st and continuing to serve their customers, but hope to continue fighting the city...

What with all the political hubbub brewing this year over issues like The War, immigration, abortion, political corruption, we're pretty sure the Farm Bill is going to get the shaft as far as public conversation is concerned - just like in 2002, when its passing was totally overshadowed by 9/11 and the ensuing hysteria. Frankly, it's a damn shame. This is one issue that actually has a chance of raising bipartisan support - even...

While there's certainly more than a few funky little coffeeshops in the Southland where you can get your java on, how many of them can offer cool services like free headshot-worthy portraits from an up-and-coming photographer? At Viento Y Agua in Long Beach, that's exactly what you'll be getting this weekend. Local photographer and lecturer Mitchell Maher will be taking free photos of the Viento's patrons all day on Sunday, May 6th. His style...

One of the coolest, most classic things about that most classic of old-school Hollywood restaurants, Dan Tana's, is that the servers will toss your Caesar salad for you right at your table. The white-clad waiters wheel the whole station out on a little wooden cart, and fling those frilly romaine leaves about with a kind of carefree showmanship. Besides the tart, creamy taste of freshly made dressing, what puts their salad over the top...

For today's 4:20 Video, we bring you Los Angeles-based funnymen and filmmakers Honor Student, who decided to peek into the psyche of one of America's greatest leaders. The mind of a dead president turns out to be a morbid yet musical place. Watch out for Abe Lincoln's cameo on the keyboard guitar. No wonder Walt Whitman thought he was so sexy! (Rated Mature for some sabre-related violence.)...

Huston's Pit BBQ is a bit of an anomaly. It's an aging, yellow-painted shack smack in the middle of Hollywood, on a stretch of Cahuenga that is also home to such hip, happening spots as Citizen Smith and the Hotel Cafe. You could easily walk right past it and not even register that it's there. I know I used to, until one day one of our supervisors at work had them cater lunch -...

I believe in America. I also believe in America's Italian delis, more specifically one found in the unlikeliest of places: Santa Monica. This being America, however, you do have to work hard and maybe even call in some favors for your lunch. The struggle to get your hands on one of Bay Cities Italian Deli's enormous, delicious sandwiches begins in the parking lot: it's that classic Los Angeles scenario, too many shiny expensive SUVs...

Every time I'm driving up La Brea and I see that line of hungry hot-dog cravers snaking up the street, I gotta shake my head - seriously, people? You'd wait in that line? For a hot dog? And for Christ's sake, where are all you people parking? Don't get me wrong - I love Pink's as much as the next girl, and I've certainly indulged in my fair share of that famous chili cheesiness...