Elise Thompson

Flat Stanley makes a splash on the red carpet Children's book character Flat Stanley has become a symbol of world peace, promoting international relations and literacy across the globe. Sadly, the Trust of late author Jeff Brown is in danger of ruining Flat Stanley's reputation in the name of a quick buck. In 1995 Dale Hubert, a schoolteacher in Ontario, Canada started the Flat Stanley Project, for which he received the Prime Minister's Award...

Lions Drag Strip was opened in October of 1955 in an abandoned trainyard in Wilmington. The racetrack was one judge's attempt to cut down on criminal street racing by giving the wayward youth a place to race legally. Teaming up with the local Lion's Club to obtain financing, and leasing land from the Harbor Commission, the city opened Lions Associated Drag Strip. The strip was also referred to as "LADS" by locals, and as "The...

The Simpson's Ride at Universal Studios takes up a large section of the park, almost making it Simpsons-land. The exterior section is carnival-barker-themed, and as Sideshow Bob warns, "Silly Simpsons. Don't you know every ride has to end by the gift shop?" The Kwik E Mart gift shop sadly does not sell Squishees (or those hideous pink donuts) but it is fun to browse around in anyways....

According to Associated Press, Lori Drew has moved to dismiss her indictment related to the MySpace suicide hoax. "The new defense motions argue the indictment violates constitutional due process, fails to state an offense as required by federal rules of criminal procedure and alleges no crime, but is instead vague." The Washington Post examines the line between "wrong" and "illegal", interpreting the motions as implying that if Lori Drew is guilty, then everyone is breaking...

Call out the National Guard! Swarms of unidentified insects are on the attack! Well, maybe two. But they're really, really big. The other night I was sitting here in Burbank typing at the computer when I heard the cat walk across some newspaper. The only problem was that the cat was sitting in front of me. What on earth could be so big that I could hear it moving? Later that same night I...

"Ain't no party like a West Coast party 'cause a West Coast party don't stop" Some arrived early, and some arrived late, but the true die-hards at GLOW hung on until the bitter end. You can't really claim Westside cred until you've woken up face-planted on the beach....

The GLOW festival started at sundown Saturday night and didn't stop until after sunrise Sunday morning. The event was hosted by the City of Santa Monica and The Santa Monica Arts Foundation. It was sponsored by local businesses including The King's Head Pub as well as larger corporations. There were various installations, performances and exhibits scheduled throughout the night, so the experience changed drastically as the event progressed. Earlier arrivals had many more entertainment options,...

This mysterious shot was found amongst my father's belongings. The marker appears to be concrete, so we can assume he probably didn't find the Titanic, It would be safe to assume this shot was taken somewhere in the Los Angeles Harbor or Catalina, his favorite dive spots. Coincidentally, the LA Harbor was undergoing improvements in 1912. Businesses like canneries, oil drilling and shipbuilding were growing so quickly that the city decided to dredge and...

This week the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City seems to have opened and closed more times than Homer Simpson's refrigerator door (The light goes on; the light goes off; the light goes on; the light goes off). On Tuesday, the Sportsmen's Lodge director, Linda Scott, told ABC News that the lodge is "destined for the wrecking ball." The story was picked up on AP and widely reported yesterday. Not so fast. According to the...

A 12-member State Board of Parole panel in Sacramento unanimously denied Susan Atkin's request for an early release today according to AP reports. This was the third in a four-step process. The next and last step would have been to face a judge in Los Angeles, but the board declined to refer the request to the court. Atkins, who has one leg that is paralyzed and one that has been amputated, has only months to...