Elise Thompson

Yesterday afternoon Bob Hope Airport brought out the cake and balloons to celebrate its 80th birthday beneath a tent set up in the parking lot. Invitees included local dignitaries, police departments, the Bob Hope family, and every single airport employee, who had to attend in rotation to keep the airport running.

You know what we really need? One more cheese-flavored cracker. My cracker needs are just not being met by Nabisco Cheddars, Cheese Nips, Cheese-its, Cheese Thins, cheese crackers filled with peanut butter, cheese crackers filled with cheese, and those packs of cheese that you spread on the cracker. Thank God Kraft stepped in to fill the void. Kraft Mac and Cheese was just too much work anyways, what with adding margarine and stuff. Then there...

You may find more elegant surroundings than the plastic-laminated tables and walls plastered with posters from Bollywood movies, and you can definitely find better Indian food. But for a delicious and filling meal at only $1.99 you can't beat the fiery flavors of the samosa chana.

This weekend LA Weekly provided an A+ collection of speakers and performers. The only thing missing was you. Where were you? Seriously, you could have called. LA Weekend had the misfortune of going up against the larger-than-life Silver Lake Jubilee, but the trek across town to hit both Saturday actually wasn't that bad.

Sometimes it's fun to ask strangers to do random things just to see if they will do it. The people you most expect to be daring often get shy, and the least likely subjects are the first to volunteer. At the Silver Lake Jubilee last weekend a booth was selling stick-on moustaches for $1. First I put one on my self, then walked around with a handful of them to see who was game. It's...

The Silverlake Jubilee opened yesterday in the glare of bright sunshine and closed with cool breezes blowing in the twilight. Two stages on either end of the festival grounds played at a carefully adjusted volume so the music didn’t collide. The event was crowded enough that you often had to wind your way through, but it was not the inescapable crush of the Sunset Junction. In fact, it’s it was difficult not to compare the event to the much-maligned Junction.

The biannual Punk Rock BBQ is revving up to rock your socks off once again. The theme for the summer lineup this year is instrumental bands with an alternative surf vibe. And I don't mean shitty bands like the Surf Punks. I mean Dick Dale with Link Ray and just a taste of Bali Hai. The Five, count 'em, five bands will be grooving their hearts out for you. Bands include Chum, Double Naught Spy Car, Glasgow Tiki Shakers, and straight outta Austin, 3 Balls of Fire.

Tonight and tomorrow LA Weekly will present two days of events "connecting politics, art, music, comedy, theater, film, food and books. The event includes film screenings, speaker panels, book signings and other activities. LA Weekly LA Weekend 2010 will take place at the beautiful art deco Saban Theater on Wilshire near La Cienega. Here are a few highlights.

Today LA's newest traveling food made its debut near the Silverlake Farmers Market. With flavor combos like Salty Cucumber, Lemon Mint Blueberry and Cantaloupe with Anise, these are not your standard frozen fruit bars. And at $3 a pop they are an affordable splurge.

According to AP, the grey whale that has been swimming in and around Dana Point harbor for two days has begun swimming north. A team of experts from Sea World and Pacific Marine Mammal Center used a pole with a sickle this afternoon to cut away two ropes and removed more than 100 pounds of fishing net and other gear tangled around its tail and left front flipper.