Los Angeles Times

  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Times: Top News

  • A teen party, a mysterious death -- and a town's unanswered grief

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Joe Loudon attended a gathering in Orinda, drank some beer and later died. Miscues in the investigation led to finger-pointing, igniting a debate over whether his death was an accident or a crime. The telephone rang shortly after 8 a.m. on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The caller was a friend of my son's who said he needed to speak to him. "It's important," he said.

  • Some on Metrolink board question leadership of David Solow

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:44 am
    After the Chatsworth crash and a recent bid to raise fares yet again, at least one member thinks the executive may not be best suited to run the agency. Solow's 'on overload,' another official says. A highly unpopular mid-recession fare increase proposal and a host of other Metrolink management challenges are intensifying questions about the future leadership role of David R. Solow, the executive in charge of Southern California's sprawling commuter rail service, The Times has learned.

  • Crucial vote to advance Senate healthcare bill seems assured

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:27 am
    The last of three Democrats whose support was needed to allow debate on the bill after Thanksgiving says she'll vote to move the measure along, but all warn they still have doubts. With the crucial support of a trio of centrists, Democrats seemed assured today of winning a procedural vote to allow debate on a sweeping overhaul of healthcare after Thanksgiving.

  • Candy Spelling stands firm on $150-million asking price

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The widow of TV producer Aaron Spelling can afford to be patient for someone to make an offer on her 56,500-square-foot Holmby Hills mansion. Eight months ago when Candy Spelling, widow of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, put her 4.7-acre estate in Holmby Hills up for sale, the $150-million listing price raised more than a few eyebrows.

  • Cancer screening: What could it hurt? A lot, actually

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Routine cancer testing saves lives, but it also leads to biopsies, surgeries, radiation, even deaths that otherwise would not have occurred. But experts' reevaluations are met with public angst. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Times: Most Emailed Stories

  • A teen party, a mysterious death -- and a town's unanswered grief

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Joe Loudon attended a gathering in Orinda, drank some beer and later died. Miscues in the investigation led to finger-pointing, igniting a debate over whether his death was an accident or a crime. The telephone rang shortly after 8 a.m. on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The caller was a friend of my son's who said he needed to speak to him. "It's important," he said.

  • Candy Spelling stands firm on $150-million asking price

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The widow of TV producer Aaron Spelling can afford to be patient for someone to make an offer on her 56,500-square-foot Holmby Hills mansion. Eight months ago when Candy Spelling, widow of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, put her 4.7-acre estate in Holmby Hills up for sale, the $150-million listing price raised more than a few eyebrows.

  • Radiation overdoses found at second hospital

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Glendale Adventist says 10 patients received excess doses during CT scans. A second hospital in Los Angeles County has discovered that patients were receiving overdoses of radiation from CT scans used to diagnose strokes.

  • Cancer screening: What could it hurt? A lot, actually

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Routine cancer testing saves lives, but it also leads to biopsies, surgeries, radiation, even deaths that otherwise would not have occurred. But experts' reevaluations are met with public angst. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

  • Happy feat in strappy heels

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    On a dare, an entertainment reporter steps into the shoes (and sultry zebra dress) of a 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant. In a grueling test of stamina and nerves, she discovers her inner shimmy. Eight hours of practice and an utter lack of common sense have brought me here, poised to descend 19 steep steps to the ballroom floor of "Dancing With the Stars."
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Times: California Local News

  • A teen party, a mysterious death -- and a town's unanswered grief

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Joe Loudon attended a gathering in Orinda, drank some beer and later died. Miscues in the investigation led to finger-pointing, igniting a debate over whether his death was an accident or a crime. The telephone rang shortly after 8 a.m. on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The caller was a friend of my son's who said he needed to speak to him. "It's important," he said.

  • Saving Century Plaza Hotel takes a whole village

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Neighborhood groups, preservationists and a councilman galvanize to negotiate a rescue plan with the hotel's owners, who want to build a retail-condo complex on the site. When the space-age planned community of Century City displaced much of 20th Century Fox's backlot in the 1960s, the centerpiece of the office, retail and residential complex was an elegantly curved luxury hotel designed by a rising architect named Minoru Yamasaki.

  • Station fire probe yields little evidence, no suspects

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The chief investigator in the fatal blaze says there is not enough evidence to arrest anyone. 'Basically we have nothing at this point,' he says. 'We have run down all our leads.' Nearly three months after the Station fire blazed through the foothills and canyons above Los Angeles, killing two firefighters and scorching 160,577 acres, investigators say they don't have the necessary evidence to arrest anyone for setting the fatal fire.

  • 41 arrested in UC Berkeley protest

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Fee hike and budget cuts trigger the occupation of Wheeler Hall. A daylong occupation of a classroom building at UC Berkeley on Friday ended with the arrests of 41 students who had barricaded themselves inside to protest budget cuts and steep hikes in student fees, university officials said.

  • New York man arrested in 1982 Koreatown killing

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    LAPD cold-case detectives use DNA evidence to tie the suspect to the stabbing of a 63-year-old woman, who also was sexually assaulted. More than 27 years after Hazel Hughes was found stabbed to death in her Koreatown apartment, Los Angeles Police Department cold-case detectives have arrested a New York man in the slaying, police said.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Times: California Politics

  • California lawmakers, officials face 18% pay cut

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Legislative leaders had challenged the authority of the state's independent pay commission after it voted to trim salaries. But Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown's opinion says the panel can cut compensation. California's Legislature went to state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown recently seeking relief from a future pay cut and on Thursday received an unwelcome surprise: An 18% reduction for lawmakers and other elected state officials can begin next month instead of a year from now.

  • L.A. County hate crimes drop 4%

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    But gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people were targeted more often, prompted in part by last November's highly charged Prop. 8 initiative, report says. Los Angeles County saw an overall 4% drop in hate crimes last year, while crimes against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people increased, prompted in part by last November's highly charged Proposition 8 initiative, the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage in California, according to a report released Thursday.

  • Group tied to DWP employees union sues L.A. Ethics Commission to block fundraising limit

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A 1985 local law bars political committees from accepting contributions of more than $500 if the group plans to use that money to make an independent expenditure for a city candidate. A nonprofit group closely tied to the Department of Water and Power employees union has filed a federal lawsuit against the City's Ethics Commission, saying a city campaign fundraising law is unfairly limiting its ability to advocate on behalf of City Council candidate Christine Essel.

  • Low turnout in Orange County Assembly race rekindles debate on mail-only voting

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Just 4% of registered voters in the 72nd District went to precincts to fill Mike Duvall's old seat. Another 14% sent in ballots. Dismal turnout at the polls in Tuesday's special election to fill Mike Duvall's former Assembly seat is adding to the debate over wider use of mail-only elections.

  • California voters want a no-pork diet

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The water bond proposal written and passed by the Legislature needs a major rewrite, with an emphasis on de-larding it. No matter how clever and careful the writer, on occasion a work should be ripped up and retooled. That also goes for writers of legislation.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Times: Orange County

  • Donald E. Smallwood dies at 81; retired Orange County Superior Court presiding judge

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Smallwood oversaw the courts in 1992 and '93. He was honored for his initiatives to help battered women. He also served on the Newport-Mesa school board in the 1970s. Donald E. Smallwood, a retired Orange County Superior Court presiding judge, died Nov. 12 at City of Hope in Duarte from complications after cancer surgery, said his son, Mark. He was 81.

  • Low turnout in Orange County Assembly race rekindles debate on mail-only voting

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Just 4% of registered voters in the 72nd District went to precincts to fill Mike Duvall's old seat. Another 14% sent in ballots. Dismal turnout at the polls in Tuesday's special election to fill Mike Duvall's former Assembly seat is adding to the debate over wider use of mail-only elections.

  • Laguna Beach: Purple Queen beans, Pink Lady apples, satsuma mandarins

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    At hand are late apples (worth the wait) and early mandarins (getting sweeter by the week). And check out these colorful beans. The Laguna Beach farmers market, held in a city parking lot below a huge bluff, has remained a stable, successful venue for the past decade. It features about 20 produce vendors, including three Orange County vegetable growers, Smith Farms and two branches of the Berumen family.

  • Wildfire east of San Juan Capistrano nearly contained

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Crews are aided by cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Full containment of the blaze, which has burned about 145 acres of heavy brush, is expected today, officials say. Fire crews nearly encircled a wildfire burning east of San Juan Capistrano on Tuesday afternoon as temperatures began to cool slightly throughout Southern California.

  • Chris Norby is first but faces runoff in 72nd Assembly District

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:18 pm
    The Orange County supervisor jumped to an early lead but fell short of the majority vote needed to win Mike Duvall's old seat. After a whirlwind, blistering race to replace a disgraced former state legislator, Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby came in first among five candidates Tuesday but fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    National | U.S. News

  • New law bans genetic discrimination

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the most sweeping anti-discrimination law in nearly 20 years, prohibits employers from hiring or firing based on a person's genetic makeup. The most sweeping federal anti-discrimination law in nearly 20 years takes effect today, prohibiting employers from hiring, firing or determining promotions based on genetic makeup.

  • Cancer screening: What could it hurt? A lot, actually

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Routine cancer testing saves lives, but it also leads to biopsies, surgeries, radiation, even deaths that otherwise would not have occurred. But experts' reevaluations are met with public angst. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

  • Senate readies for key healthcare vote

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Democrats expect to clear a major hurdle that would open the bill to debate after Thanksgiving recess. A close vote is expected. After negotiating critical last-minute commitments, Senate Democratic leaders on Friday stood on the verge of achieving the necessary 60 votes to begin debate on the most expansive healthcare legislation to go before the Senate in nearly half a century.

  • Senate Democrats facing numerous votes on the path to healthcare reform

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The long road ahead

  • Rep. Joe Sestak trying to outrun Sen. Arlen Specter

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Democrat has arguably the hardest-working staff on Capitol Hill scrambling to meet requests from constituents, lobbyists and the media. Now he wants to beat Pennsylvania's longest-serving senator. Rep. Joe Sestak needs a comb. His wavy, graying hair has been through a hectic morning, and the Pennsylvania Democrat is racing toward his third interview of the day, this time with ABC News.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    U.S. Politics | Washington, D.C.

  • Rep. Joe Sestak trying to outrun Sen. Arlen Specter

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Democrat has arguably the hardest-working staff on Capitol Hill scrambling to meet requests from constituents, lobbyists and the media. Now he wants to beat Pennsylvania's longest-serving senator. Rep. Joe Sestak needs a comb. His wavy, graying hair has been through a hectic morning, and the Pennsylvania Democrat is racing toward his third interview of the day, this time with ABC News.

  • Senate ethics panel admonishes Burris

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Illinois senator, appointed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill President Obama's seat, gave 'incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information,' the panel says. Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.) was rebuked Friday by the Senate Ethics Committee, which issued a "public letter of qualified admonition" for his actions in connection with his appointment by disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

  • Senate readies for key healthcare vote

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Democrats expect to clear a major hurdle that would open the bill to debate after Thanksgiving recess. A close vote is expected. After negotiating critical last-minute commitments, Senate Democratic leaders on Friday stood on the verge of achieving the necessary 60 votes to begin debate on the most expansive healthcare legislation to go before the Senate in nearly half a century.

  • California lawmakers, officials face 18% pay cut

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Legislative leaders had challenged the authority of the state's independent pay commission after it voted to trim salaries. But Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown's opinion says the panel can cut compensation. California's Legislature went to state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown recently seeking relief from a future pay cut and on Thursday received an unwelcome surprise: An 18% reduction for lawmakers and other elected state officials can begin next month instead of a year from now.

  • Republicans criticize dismissal of AmeriCorps watchdog

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A GOP report contends that the Obama White House was politically motivated when it fired inspector general Gerald Walpin after his 2008 investigation of Kevin Johnson, now Sacramento's mayor. When Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento, was under investigation last year for alleged financial misdeeds and inappropriate behavior with female students, he had an important ally behind the scenes.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Business

  • Complaints against airlines fall sharply

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Critics say it does not reflect better service but rather the frustration of passengers so fed up they're not filing complaints. Congress is pushed to adopt a passenger bill of rights. After hearing Jim Engle of Sierra Madre talk about the headaches he and his wife endured on a round trip from Burbank to Detroit on American Airlines in the summer, you might be surprised to hear that the country's airlines continue to get great marks in customer service.

  • Electric-car maker Tesla said to be planning stock offering

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The California firm reportedly is filing for an IPO soon. Some analysts wonder how much interest it would spark among investors, given the implosion of shares of ethanol producers. Will investors get charged up over a stock offering by California electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc.?

  • Afternoons without Oprah

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Who will fill the void, and who will watch, when the queen of daytime TV departs for cable in 2011? Oprah Winfrey told her audience Friday that she had made up her mind to end her hit daytime talk show in September 2011 "after much prayer and months of careful thought."

  • Growth of counterfeit drugs sparks international response

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Authorities in the U.S. and across the globe conduct raids this week to intercept fake medications. In highly orchestrated raids around the world this week, Interpol officers in Europe, drug agents in the United States and task forces from Sweden to Singapore confiscated counterfeit prescription drugs in an attempt to stem a rapidly growing criminal business that preys on financially pressed consumers looking for bargains.

  • California gains jobs, but unemployment still rises to 12.5%

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    More seek work amid hopes that companies are finally hiring again. Meanwhile, prospects for job growth in key industries, such as construction and manufacturing, remain weak. California employers added workers to their payrolls in October for the first time in more than a year, but the state's unemployment rate ticked higher as more job seekers entered the labor pool amid hopes that companies are finally hiring again.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Personal Finance

  • 'Carbon tax' is sensible, and perhaps inevitable, advocate says

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Dieter Helm of Oxford says climate change policy should focus not on carbon production, but carbon consumption. A tax on carbon-heavy activities places the emphasis where it belongs, he says. With the global climate change summit in Copenhagen just a few weeks away, gloom has settled in many quarters over the increasing likelihood that a robust international treaty to lower carbon emissions is out of reach, at least for now.

  • Under speculators' influence, gold sales lag while prices soar

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Third-quarter purchases of the precious metal were down 34% from the same period a year ago. Gold remains in a powerful bull market as measured by prices in the futures market, where speculators can run rampant.

  • Sinking short-term Treasury yields aren't a sign of panic this time

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Unlike a year ago, demand stems from moves by banks and other financial institutions to bolster their balance sheets with liquid assets as the year ends, an expert says. Uncle Sam is getting yet another break on the cost of borrowing. Suddenly, cash is again fighting to get into the haven of shorter-term Treasury securities, driving yields down to levels last seen after the first stage of the financial-system meltdown a year ago.

  • In a low-rate world, here's how savers can help themselves

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    You'd think that $10 trillion would merit a little more respect.

  • After Wells Fargo settlement, a spat over who gets the credit

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Who deserves credit for forcing Wells Fargo & Co. to buy $1.4 billion in troubled securities from small investors?
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Education

  • Chocolate milk: better than no milk?

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    School administrators debate whether the vitamins are worth the added sugar. In Illinois, students organize to overturn a ban. The dairy industry recently rolled out an expensive media campaign in praise of chocolate milk, a classic school lunch drink that's under assault for its sugar content. As trade groups spend upward of $1 million to defend the drink, three fifth-graders have come to its rescue.

  • UC regents approve 32% student fee hike

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The decision was made with little debate after a lengthy committee discussion Wednesday. Thousands of students and labor union activists protested outside the meeting at UCLA. With the chants of protesters wafting into their meeting room and armed police standing guard, the University of California's Board of Regents approved a 32%, or $2,500, increase in undergraduate fees Thursday, but promised more financial aid to keep needy students from dropping out.

  • UC regents approve partnership with L.A. County to reopen King medical facility

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The regents, some expressing concern about potential pitfalls, said they acted out of a moral imperative to aid the community for which the hospital was once a point of pride. In a unanimous vote that sparked cheers of "thank you" from the audience, University of California regents on Thursday approved a partnership with Los Angeles County that clears the way to reopen the Martin Luther King Jr. medical facility in Willowbrook, possibly by 2013.

  • State's school funding process is failing

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Anyone who has spent time in or around government, from the deeply embedded bureaucrat to the young policy wonk, knows that there are two important issues in funding a public program.

  • 250 men get a voice at school in Watts

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:54 pm
    L.A. city officials are among those who read books to students for an hour at an annual event called Donuts With Dad. 'They were hanging on my every word,' one volunteer says. Sherri Williams, principal of 99th Street School in Watts, said that almost every time she would call the homes of her students, she found herself talking to mothers.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Environment

  • Children starve in parched southern Madagascar

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As temperatures rise, drought, crop failure and deforestation have combined to create a crisis of malnutrition. Foreigners have come to Anjandobo village, a cluster of wooden huts on the desolate red dust of southern Madagascar. They're vaza -- outsiders.

  • 'Carbon tax' is sensible, and perhaps inevitable, advocate says

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Dieter Helm of Oxford says climate change policy should focus not on carbon production, but carbon consumption. A tax on carbon-heavy activities places the emphasis where it belongs, he says. With the global climate change summit in Copenhagen just a few weeks away, gloom has settled in many quarters over the increasing likelihood that a robust international treaty to lower carbon emissions is out of reach, at least for now.

  • Catalina bison going on birth control

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:20 pm
    The Catalina Island Conservancy has been rounding up the herd so females can get a reversible contraceptive vaccine. The goal: Control the size of the herd to keep it and the environment healthier. Half a dozen men with walkie-talkies and cattle prods set out on foot at sunrise Thursday to coax a herd of 10 feral bison into a corral a mile away at the bottom of a Santa Catalina Island valley.

  • Effects of judge's Katrina ruling could be huge

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The finding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is liable for much of the New Orleans flooding could change how levees are designed nationwide. The harshly worded legal ruling that held the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responsible for much of the flooding during Hurricane Katrina could have a far-reaching effect on national flood-control policies and on the federal government's long-standing refusal to take responsibility for its errors.

  • Jeanne-Claude dies at 74; collaborated with artist-husband Christo

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The artists attracted attention for decades by wrapping buildings and with temporary environmental projects such as 'Running Fence' in California in the 1970s and 'The Gates' in New York City in 2005. Jeanne-Claude, whose collaboration with her husband Christo in creating massive environmental works of art such as the 24-mile-long "Running Fence" in California in the 1970s attracted worldwide attention for decades, has died. She was 74.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Religion

  • Lawmaker apologizes after 'savage religion' remark

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) says his remark about terrorism suspects did not refer to Islam generally. Also, the Senate avoids an effort to block spending for U.S. housing of Guantanamo inmates. An Illinois congressman who opposes the idea of moving terrorism suspects to a prison in his district issued a qualified apology Tuesday after a comment that critics viewed as insulting to Islam.

  • Gap's Christmas cheer makes a boycott backfire

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The American Family Assn. attacked Gap for not using the word 'Christmas' in its advertising -- but in fact it does, and in a big way too. The Mississippi-based American Family Assn. last week issued a fatwa against Gap Inc. -- the retailing giant whose brands include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic -- calling for a "two-month boycott over the company's failure to use the word 'Christmas' in its advertising to Christmas shoppers."

  • Catholic bishops' influence on healthcare bill

    16 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The church's support of Democratic healthcare efforts gave it a seat at the table during last week's healthcare vote -- and helped it add a controversial antiabortion amendment. For weeks, the Catholic Church has asked its U.S. parishioners to work toward ensuring that tough language restricting federal funding of abortion is included in healthcare overhaul legislation.

  • Service members bridge gap between mosque and military

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    It's never been easy for Muslims in the military, but as their ranks grow, the armed forces become more accommodating and families more accepting. Lt. Col. Shareda Hosein, who lives dual lives in Army fatigues and an Islamic head covering, sometimes encounters what she calls "Islam anxiety" among her fellow soldiers, saying they pepper her with direct questions about jihad and Islamic law.

  • Catholic archdiocese gives ultimatum to D.C.

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Church officials say that unless the city alters a proposed same-sex marriage law, the archdiocese will discontinue its social service programs. The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it would be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District of Columbia if the city refused to change a proposed same-sex marriage law.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Science

  • Science Briefing

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    High hopes for corn genome map / Large Hadron Collider powers back up / Galileo's missing bones are found High hopes for corn genome map

  • Ancient crocodiles filled different, often scary niches

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Paleontologists unveil fossils of five African species known as BoarCroc, RatCroc, DuckCroc, DogCroc and PancakeCroc. Some could gallop and eat dinosaurs. Crocodiles have a nasty reputation, but the leathery, snappish critters have been around so long that they probably gave dinosaurs a fright too.

  • Cancer screening: What could it hurt? A lot, actually

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Routine cancer testing saves lives, but it also leads to biopsies, surgeries, radiation, even deaths that otherwise would not have occurred. But experts' reevaluations are met with public angst. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

  • Radiation overdoses found at second hospital

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Glendale Adventist says 10 patients received excess doses during CT scans. A second hospital in Los Angeles County has discovered that patients were receiving overdoses of radiation from CT scans used to diagnose strokes.

  • Cancer screening

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Here's what can happen when an asymptomatic person takes a screening test. Cancer screening
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Technology

  • Google gives public a peek at Chrome OS

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Google Inc.'s new Chrome operating system, which is designed to bypass computer hard drives and work totally by way of an Internet connection, got its first public preview Thursday.

  • Electronic Arts to close game developer Pandemic Studios

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    EA bought the Westwood firm two years ago along with its sibling Bioware Corp. for up to $775 million. The closure will put nearly 200 people out of work. Electronic Arts Inc. is shutting down its Westwood-based game developer Pandemic Studios just two years after acquiring it, putting nearly 200 people out of work.

  • The danger of marketing prescription drugs online

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    If pharmaceutical companies are allowed to send abbreviated pitches, they'll emphasize the benefits of their medications and send consumers elsewhere to find out the risks. Google, Yahoo and the pharmaceutical industry are pushing to change how prescription drugs are hawked online. That's not a bad thing necessarily.

  • Congress is cracking down on Internet marketing companies

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Legislation targets unethical, aggressive sales tactics that result in countless 'mystery charges' for consumers. A Senate probe focused on online marketing firms Affinion, Vertrue and Webloyalty. Linda Lindquist was in Atlanta, where she had taken her 19-year-old daughter for therapy after a skiing accident left her a quadriplegic, when she decided to treat the teenager to a movie.

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 video game gets Hollywood-scale launch

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Activision Blizzard's marketing and publicity campaign has featured all of the trappings of a modern movie effort, a further sign that the two businesses are coming to rival each other in popularity. On a cloudy Friday afternoon on Venice Boulevard in West Los Angeles nearly two weeks ago, about 50 people were waiting to buy a video game that wasn't supposed to go on sale for four days.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    World

  • U.S. Afghanistan debate curbs Gates on Canada visit

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates attends a conference but, with the Obama administration wrestling over its Afghan strategy, isn't in a position to push Canada to reconsider a troop withdrawal plan. As the Obama administration wrestles over its new Afghanistan strategy, the domestic debate is having far-reaching implications for the United States' ties with its allies in the war.

  • Outages dim Chavez popularity

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Power failures, unpaid civil servants and falling oil revenue play havoc with support for the Venezuela leader. Power outages are hitting Henrique Vollmer's rum distillery several times a week, interrupting production, damaging equipment and jeopardizing the jobs of his 375 workers.

  • What They Are...

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Listening to in Iraq:

  • 'Carbon tax' is sensible, and perhaps inevitable, advocate says

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Dieter Helm of Oxford says climate change policy should focus not on carbon production, but carbon consumption. A tax on carbon-heavy activities places the emphasis where it belongs, he says. With the global climate change summit in Copenhagen just a few weeks away, gloom has settled in many quarters over the increasing likelihood that a robust international treaty to lower carbon emissions is out of reach, at least for now.

  • Children starve in parched southern Madagascar

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As temperatures rise, drought, crop failure and deforestation have combined to create a crisis of malnutrition. Foreigners have come to Anjandobo village, a cluster of wooden huts on the desolate red dust of southern Madagascar. They're vaza -- outsiders.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Africa

  • Children starve in parched southern Madagascar

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As temperatures rise, drought, crop failure and deforestation have combined to create a crisis of malnutrition. Foreigners have come to Anjandobo village, a cluster of wooden huts on the desolate red dust of southern Madagascar. They're vaza -- outsiders.

  • Egypt recalls envoy from Algeria over soccer violence

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The move follows attacks on Egyptian fans after Algeria's victory in a World Cup qualifying match in Sudan. Egypt has recalled its ambassador to Algeria after Egyptian soccer fans were attacked by their Algerian counterparts following the two countries' playoff match in Sudan in the 2010 World Cup qualifications, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

  • U.S. vessel Maersk Alabama repels pirates in 2nd attack

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Private security guards thwart the would-be hijackers off Somalia. In April, pirates boarded the cargo ship and then held American captain Richard Phillips hostage in a lifeboat for five days. Guards aboard the Maersk Alabama cargo ship used guns and a sound blaster Wednesday to repel the second pirate attack in seven months on the U.S. vessel at a time when ships are increasingly hiring armed security teams to thwart hijackings.

  • Zambian newspaper editor acquitted of circulating pornography

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Chansa Kabwela of the Post sent Zambian government officials photos of a woman giving birth on a street during a hospital strike. A judge finds there is no evidence that they were obscene. A Zambian editor charged with distributing pornography for sending photographs of a woman forced to give birth on a street during a hospital strike to officials has been acquitted by a court in Lusaka, the capital.

  • Operatic trills rise from Botswana bush

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The tiny south African nation's first opera, written by the author of the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series, is a version of 'Macbeth,' with baboons. It's a rare opportunity for a local soprano. The villages of Botswana are full of music. Gospel music. Choral music. The singsong repetitive music of rote classroom learning.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Asia

  • 16 Afghans killed in suicide attack

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Afghanistan officials think Farah Gov. Rohul Amin may have been the target; he was not injured. The attack comes a day after President Karzai appealed to militants to put down their arms. Authorities on Friday were investigating whether a blast that hit a crowded marketplace in western Afghanistan was aimed at a provincial governor considered friendly to the United States.

  • New York man arrested in 1982 Koreatown killing

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    LAPD cold-case detectives use DNA evidence to tie the suspect to the stabbing of a 63-year-old woman, who also was sexually assaulted. More than 27 years after Hazel Hughes was found stabbed to death in her Koreatown apartment, Los Angeles Police Department cold-case detectives have arrested a New York man in the slaying, police said.

  • U.S. Afghanistan debate curbs Gates on Canada visit

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates attends a conference but, with the Obama administration wrestling over its Afghan strategy, isn't in a position to push Canada to reconsider a troop withdrawal plan. As the Obama administration wrestles over its new Afghanistan strategy, the domestic debate is having far-reaching implications for the United States' ties with its allies in the war.

  • U.S. aims to hold Afghanistan's Karzai to his pledges of reform

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    U.S. officials say aid will be cut off to any Afghan agency in which corruption persists. The Afghan president, at his second inauguration, also indicates he wants most foreign troops out in 5 years. The United States is developing a set of benchmarks to ensure that Afghan President Hamid Karzai keeps a promise delivered at his inauguration to fight corruption and inefficiency, U.S. officials said.

  • Chinese officials rip Obama interview from newspaper

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Many copies of the Southern Weekend were missing the page carrying Obama's exclusive interview, even though it didn't cover anything controversial. Even after he left Beijing, President Obama apparently fell afoul of the Chinese censors.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Europe

  • 'Carbon tax' is sensible, and perhaps inevitable, advocate says

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Dieter Helm of Oxford says climate change policy should focus not on carbon production, but carbon consumption. A tax on carbon-heavy activities places the emphasis where it belongs, he says. With the global climate change summit in Copenhagen just a few weeks away, gloom has settled in many quarters over the increasing likelihood that a robust international treaty to lower carbon emissions is out of reach, at least for now.

  • European Union settles on a Belgian and a Briton for top posts

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Although seeking a higher profile, the EU picks two relative unknowns. Belgian Premier Herman Van Rompuy will be the first full-time president. Catherine Ashton of Britain is to be foreign minister. The European Union wants to become a more influential and higher-profile alliance, but its leaders picked a pair of relative unknowns Thursday to represent the continent on the international stage.

  • EU's angst over choosing a president hasn't helped its image

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Critics say the contentious process has made the alliance a laughingstock. Belgium's little-known prime minister, Herman Van Rompuy, is expected to get the nod in Brussels on Thursday night. He's smart, he's modest, he writes haiku about going bald. He looks like an absent-minded professor, and his public name recognition outside Belgium is virtually zero.

  • Hershey and Ferrero may enter bidding for Cadbury

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The British candy maker is already the target of a $16.4-billion hostile takeover bid by Kraft Foods. Hershey Co., hoping to expand its overseas presence, has lined up a potential partner as the most recognizable name in American chocolate considers starting a bidding war for British candy maker Cadbury.

  • Russian lawyer for investment fund dies in custody

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Sergei Magnitsky, 37, had been in ill health, his lawyer says. Magnitsky was jailed for his work with Hermitage Capital Management, a vocal critic of official corruption. A lawyer for Hermitage Capital Management, the investment fund locked in a scandal-soaked clash with Russian authorities, died in a Moscow jail, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Latin America

  • Outages dim Chavez popularity

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Power failures, unpaid civil servants and falling oil revenue play havoc with support for the Venezuela leader. Power outages are hitting Henrique Vollmer's rum distillery several times a week, interrupting production, damaging equipment and jeopardizing the jobs of his 375 workers.

  • Trying to get ahead in the slow lane

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    In the organized chaos of the San Ysidro border crossing, Deciderio Mauricio Cantera is a specialist. He is el churrero , the churro seller. But in changing times, even the best hawkers are struggling. El Churrero -- the Churro Man -- sidesteps tamale carts, squeezes between bumpers and beggars, working 24 lanes of idling vehicles.

  • Cuba rights abuses continue, report says

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Civil liberties in Cuba remain severely curtailed, despite hope among activists that Raul Castro would end Cold War-era limits on dissent and the media, a Human Rights Watch report says. Restrictions on civil liberties in Cuba have continued to be harsh since President Raul Castro assumed power from his brother Fidel three years ago, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

  • Chavez's threats of war against Colombia should raise alarm bells

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Venezuela's leader is not making empty threats, says a consultant: A border skirmish, if not war, would solidify Chavez's support base amid rising inflation, rampant crime and a stagnant economy. Reacting to a deal that gives the Pentagon use of seven bases in Colombia for flights to combat drug trafficking and insurgency, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said this month that his country should prepare for war with its neighbor. It was only the latest belligerent statement directed at his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe.

  • El Salvador honors 6 slain Jesuits

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    During the ceremony for the priests killed in 1989, the defense minister says that the army is prepared to ask for forgiveness and that he is willing to open military archives to investigators. In a sign of the remarkable changes afoot in El Salvador, the government Monday bestowed the nation's highest award on six Jesuit priests slain by the army exactly 20 years ago.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Middle East

  • Egypt recalls envoy from Algeria over soccer violence

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The move follows attacks on Egyptian fans after Algeria's victory in a World Cup qualifying match in Sudan. Egypt has recalled its ambassador to Algeria after Egyptian soccer fans were attacked by their Algerian counterparts following the two countries' playoff match in Sudan in the 2010 World Cup qualifications, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

  • Nuclear fuel won't go abroad, Iranian says

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki may be a dismissal of a U.S.-backed plan, or an attempt to haggle. Iran's foreign minister vowed Wednesday that his nation wouldn't allow any of its enriched uranium supply out of the country, the most definitive statement so far on an international proposal to exchange the bulk of Iran's nuclear material for fuel rods fitted for a Tehran medical reactor.

  • Iraq vice president vetoes new election law

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Move could disrupt plans for a January vote and for troop withdrawals. The Sunni official says the law didn't provide enough seats for refugees. One of Iraq's vice presidents vetoed the country's new election law Wednesday, throwing into fresh doubt the feasibility of holding crucial national balloting in January and possibly disrupting the withdrawal next year of U.S. troops.

  • Jerusalem housing plan draws U.S. fire

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The White House, which is trying to foster peace talks, says it is 'dismayed' by an Israeli housing panel's approval of a plan to build 844 new homes in a part of Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians. Israel's plan to add 844 homes to a part of Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians drew sharp international protest Tuesday as U.S. officials denounced it as a blow to their already troubled effort to restart peace talks.

  • Egyptian mummies show signs of heart disease

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A study finds evidence of hardened arteries in nine out of 16 ancient mummies, suggesting that modern diets and lifestyle aren't exclusively to blame for the disease. CT scans of Egyptian mummies, some as much as 3,500 years old, show evidence of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which is normally thought of as a disease caused by modern lifestyles, researchers said Tuesday.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Times Opinion | Op-Ed

  • MOCA man

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Benefactor Eli Broad has challenged the art museum to 'make new history.' The chief curator intends to do just that. Paul Schimmel doesn't need much encouragement to squire a guest around the Museum of Contemporary Art's galleries, which he does with the zest of a house-proud homeowner. And why shouldn't he? Next month, MOCA's chief curator celebrates 20 years with the museum, which has just put up a big, gorgeous show of its collections for its own "First Thirty Years" celebration.

  • Senate inquiry into Ft. Hood misplaced

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Sen. Joe Lieberman's insistence on this matter smells of opportunism. Sen. Joe Lieberman insists on pushing ahead with a Senate inquiry into the mass murder at Ft. Hood, despite White House and Pentagon anxieties that the probe could compromise the prosecution of alleged killer Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

  • Homophobia and AIDS funding can't coexist

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The U.S. sends millions of dollars in relief money to Uganda, which is considering a draconian law aimed at homosexuals. Since its inception in 2003, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- PEPFAR -- has become the largest public health program in history. Created by President George W. Bush, it has distributed nearly $50 billion worldwide, mostly in Africa, to prevent the spread of HIV and to treat its victims. Over the last five years, the fund has provided care for 3 million people and prevented an estimated 12 million new infections. Even Bush's harshest critics do not deny that…

  • MOCA renews museums' mission

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Los Angeles museum's escape from financial ruin is a reminder that the display of donated art is a key to survival. The new anniversary exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art is not only cause for celebrating the financial stabilization of an irreplaceable cultural institution in Los Angeles. It also is part of an important turning point in the modern history of museums -- a renewed focus on permanent collections. With its "Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years," the museum is the latest to put its own works of art front and center to attract the public rather than rely on traveling…

  • Levi Johnston: He's hot, he's cute, he's playing hardball

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Who can resist this Playgirl-posing bad boy? I'm not proud of this, but I sort of love Levi Johnston. I know he's an opportunistic buffoon. I know he's a grammatically challenged, Playgirl-posing, pistachio-shilling (yes, he made a commercial for nuts) media pawn who's not only taking the low road but ripping the pavement to shreds.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Sandy Banks

  • An underground renaissance in Inglewood

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A gallery tour shows a thriving art community hidden in a gritty, industrial area. I was tired of staring at that blank space on my hallway wall. For years, I'd been searching for just the right artistic statement for the spot at the bottom of my stairs -- something to brighten my mood when I stumbled down bleary-eyed in the morning, and calm me as I headed upstairs to bed at night.

  • A warm farewell to the chief

    13 Nov 2009 | 10:14 pm
    Pasadena's Bernard Melekian is moving to Washington, D.C., to become the national face of community policing. We've spent a lot of time recently celebrating the reign of Bill Bratton, whose LAPD legacy -- less crime, more accountability, closer ties between officers and neighborhoods -- is rooted in his promotion of community policing.

  • Finding a deeper lesson in high school gang rape

    7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Adults see Richmond High attack as the product of long-simmering immorality, indulgence and insensitivity. In last Saturday's column, I relied on teenagers at Richmond High to help me understand how gang rape became a spectator sport on their San Francisco Bay area campus. They explained that bystanders who watched the assault on a 15-year-old girl outside their homecoming dance last month may have been too afraid to intervene. Or they didn't feel compelled to help because the victim wasn't in their clique. Or they were simply paralyzed by shock, fixated as if the violent scene was a snippet…

  • Plenty of questions but no easy answers in wake of gang rape

    31 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    Brutality of the incident at Richmond High is hard to fathom. The sense of horror seems to be fading at Richmond High -- the Northern California school that made news around the world this week after a 15-year-old girl was gang-raped outside a campus homecoming dance while a crowd of students watched but did nothing to intervene.

  • Fighting to be a mother again

    24 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    For women trying to get their children out of foster care, it's more than becoming a better parent and kicking drug habits. It's contingent on finding safe, affordable housing. It took her 15 years -- one stint in prison, several passes through drug rehab, months of weekly parenting classes.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Meghan Daum

  • Levi Johnston: He's hot, he's cute, he's playing hardball

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Who can resist this Playgirl-posing bad boy? I'm not proud of this, but I sort of love Levi Johnston. I know he's an opportunistic buffoon. I know he's a grammatically challenged, Playgirl-posing, pistachio-shilling (yes, he made a commercial for nuts) media pawn who's not only taking the low road but ripping the pavement to shreds.

  • Cyclists and motorists on collision course

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A physician's conviction in a bicycle crash case reveals a noxious form of road rage. On Monday, Dr. Christopher Thompson, the driver who abruptly stopped his car in front of two cyclists last summer, was found guilty of six felonies and a misdemeanor. The trial, which lasted three weeks and captivated the cycling community, revealed a particularly virulent form of road rage. Christian Stoehr suffered a separated shoulder and Ron Peterson shattered several teeth and broke and nearly severed his nose when the two hit the back of Thompson's Infiniti sedan on Mandeville Canyon Road.

  • Suddenly, America digs farming

    29 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Huffington Post's 'hot organic farmers' and the Internet social game FarmVille may be signs of a growing interest in growing things. Farming, which many city folk once associated primarily with children's books and distinctive if not entirely flattering tan lines, is suddenly in vogue. Never mind that most of the food we eat comes not from cozy acreages reminiscent of the setting of "Charlotte's Web" but from big corporate operations. Never mind that census data tell us that fewer than half of family-run farms show a positive net income (in other words, most farmers need day jobs). Even…

  • Columbine, O Magazine and suicide

    22 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    An article in Oprah Winfrey's publication by Susan Klebold -- whose son was one of the high school shooters 10 years ago -- seems to diminish the enormity of the incident. The November issue of O Magazine (that's the Oprah Magazine) features a series of articles about how to be "your true self," a guide to do-it-yourself hair coloring and -- thud -- an essay by Susan Klebold. In April 1999, her son, Dylan, along with his classmate, Eric Harris, killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves in a massacre that would thereafter be known simply as Columbine, the deadliest high school shooting in…

  • Shriver and her cellphone

    15 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    Even the governor's wife apparently doesn't take talking hands-free while driving seriously. As scandals involving the Kennedys go, Maria Shriver's failure to use a hands-free cellphone device while driving is a bit, well, anticlimactic.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Jonah Goldberg

  • It's no way to fight a war on terror

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Trying suspected 9/11 terrorists in civilian court is wrong on several levels. I get where President Obama and Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. are coming from. They think that if we change our way of life, the terrorists will have won.

  • Sometimes, an extremist really is an extremist

    10 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    If we act as if 'Islam is the problem,' we will guarantee that Islam will become the problem. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan demonstrated many things when he allegedly committed treason in the war on terror. For starters, he showed -- gratuitously alas -- that evil is still thriving.

  • True conservatives just want a turn

    3 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    George W. Bush didn't count, and Barack Obama may be proving the value of limited government. If there's one thing liberal pundits are experts on these days, it's the sorry state of conservatism. The airwaves and the Op-Ed pages brim with more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger lamentations on the GOP's failure to get with President Obama's program, the party's inevitable demographic demise and its thralldom to the demonic deities of the right -- Limbaugh, Beck, Palin.

  • Fido, a.k.a. the climate criminal

    27 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    Some climate-change activists would take your dog away -- and spend trillions on other efforts -- rather than come up with solutions that could actually work to offset carbon levels.

  • Perotistas on the march

    20 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    Ross Perot tapped into a populist anger in the 1990s; Democrats may fall prey to those same forces. One of the most macabre images I've ever heard described came in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami in 2004. Before the tidal wave crashed on shore, beach- goers stood around and idly gaped as the water drastically receded. Bewildered, they didn't realize they were looking at the prelude to a calamity.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Patrick Goldstein

  • Larry King nepotism alert: A new king on the TV throne

    LAT Blogs
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:06 pm
    I find many things in the modern world scary, from Sarah Palin to Taylor Swift to Michael Bay. I actually had a fever-induced nightmare the other night in which I'd gone to the premiere of "Avatar" and instead found myself surrounded by screaming 7-year-olds at a screening of "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel." But here's something really frightening: Larry King's son is going to have his own talk show. Yikes! As first reported by TMZ, Chance King, the cherubic 10-year-old son of the much-married…

  • Is anyone unhappy about the Oscars' snub of Michael Moore?

    LAT Blogs
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm
    Let's be honest. Is there really anyone who is up in arms over Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" being left off the Academy's 15-title short list for the best feature documentary? In fact, I would argue that when it comes to a snub of a much-ballyhooed film, the Academy has never managed to make more people happier. Let me count the ways:  Conservatives are positively dancing in the street, with the New York Post's Lou Lumenick leading the way, gloating over the fact that Moore's "paen to socialism" missed the cut.

  • Fareed Zakaria on 'Mumbai' style terrorism: It's time to encourage 'religious revulsion'

    LAT Blogs
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pm
    HBO is airing a really scary movie tonight at 8. It isn't "District 9" or "Paranormal Activity." It's a documentary called "Terror in Mumbai," about the infamous 2008 terrorist attack that killed 170 people, wounded another 300 and, in the eyes of many anti-terrorist experts, may have served as a dress rehearsal for future terrorist actions in other parts of the world -- including here in the good old USA. Having watched the film, I can assure you that it's far more than another dutiful re-creation of a tragic incident of…

  • The Art of the Swine Flu: The strange aesthetic of being sick as a dog

    LAT Blogs
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    I've been sick with the swine flu for the past few days, hence the sparse number of postings on the blog. At least I assume it's the swine flu, since I got a regular flu shot and I still came down with something (fever, headache, cough, congestion and a generally awful achiness) that hit like a ton of bricks. But I'm not looking for sympathy, not that you'd ever dream of getting any sympathy from the cranky blogosphere. My point is this. When you're really down-for-the-count sick, your brain begins to operate differently, I've come to believe.

  • The latest 'Twilight' mystery: Why vampires aren't Jews

    LAT Blogs
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm
    With "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" due out Friday, the media have been pretty much frothing at the mouth. Everyone's trying to cash in on every crumb of fascination with the mega-hit franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's phenonemally successful series of novels about a high school girl who falls for a hunky young vampire. Judging from the tsunami of stories, you'd have to say that every utterance from "Twilight" stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson has been recorded for posterity, no matter how dopey…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    David Lazarus

  • Collect call from a pay phone could cost a small fortune

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    In today's wireless world, it's hard to imagine that anyone would ever need to use a pay phone or call somebody collect. Just try asking someone younger than 20 what a collect call is.

  • The danger of marketing prescription drugs online

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    If pharmaceutical companies are allowed to send abbreviated pitches, they'll emphasize the benefits of their medications and send consumers elsewhere to find out the risks. Google, Yahoo and the pharmaceutical industry are pushing to change how prescription drugs are hawked online. That's not a bad thing necessarily.

  • Banks prove they need a strict baby sitter

    14 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pm
    It's not that lawmakers want to crack down on banks because its sounds like fun (although it does). They're doing it because banks have proved themselves consistently unworthy of our trust. As Sen. Christopher J. Dodd unveiled a sweeping plan last week to overhaul regulation of the banking industry, and as the banking industry complained loudly that this would be a horrible idea, I couldn't help but think of Silver Lake resident Jonathan Leahy.

  • The sad illusion of happy customers

    11 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Retailers say they want shoppers to be satisfied, but few have the resources to deliver the goods. Customer satisfaction has become such a scarce commodity in the business world, it's now a selling point at a time when companies are increasingly desperate for shoppers' dollars.

  • GOP healthcare plan isn't about helping the uninsured

    8 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Among other things, the proposal would actually increase the number of people without health insurance over the next decade. But it allows the Republicans to say they offered a cheaper alternative. Republican lawmakers issued their own healthcare reform plan the other day, and you'd have to look hard to find a more cynical document purporting to represent the best interests of the American people.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Steve Lopez

  • The emergency room bill is enough to make you sick

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A doctor is flummoxed by the costs when he becomes the patient. Are you ready to play "How much was that visit to the ER?"

  • High fashion in the medicinal high business

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Dr. Sona Patel, who worked as a model while going to medical school, is not your ordinary medical marijuana specialist. Her ads and her appearance emphasize glamour. The physician was wearing high heels, a tight-fitting white lab coat and lots of gold jewelry, which is not quite what you expect to see when you visit a pot doctor. Nor do you expect to see a chandelier the size of a Christmas tree in a waiting room decorated like an Indian palace.

  • Zuma Jay's righteous choice: clean water

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The incoming mayor of Malibu says it's time to replace the septic tanks that are fouling the Malibu coast. If Matthew, Mark, Luke or John were alive and still writing, Malibu would definitely get a mention in an updated version of the Bible. There'd be a parable about a blessed place of heavenly natural beauty attracting people who foul their nest, introducing pollution to paradise.

  • Iraq, Afghanistan veterans need more help at home

    11 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    More resources may be needed to help care-givers cope with a rising caseload of damaged or suicidal veterans in need of counseling. Floyd Meshad, Vietnam vet, was in a Ralphs supermarket in Westchester when his cellphone rang at 9 o'clock one evening not long ago.

  • Bangladeshis, Koreans stake out their pieces of L.A.

    8 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A yearlong border skirmish comes to an end as the two ethnic groups agree to the boundaries of Little Bangladesh, a four-block stretch within Koreatown. There was no telling how many people would show up Tuesday morning to discuss, one last time, how much of Koreatown should be surrendered to the Bangladeshi community.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Dan Neil

  • 'When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present' by Gail Collins

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    When Everything Changed

  • Chia Obama's hairy question: Is it racist scorn or sincere tribute?

    10 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The scene: A vast crowd at a political rally raises a tumult of adulation. Triumphal music rises. Graphics of President Obama's image slide across the scene as we hear the now-familiar voice say, "Change has come to America. . . . Our moment is now. . . . Yes we can!" The crowd chants. Slow pullback on the image of the White House. Announcer: "To commemorate the inauguration of our 44th president with a well-known American icon, introducing. . . ." Jingle: Chi-chi-chi Chia! Announcer: "Chia Obama!"

  • 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon: Specs

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Base price: $39,830

  • 2010 Lexus HS250h: Stats

    30 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    2010 Lexus HS250h Base price: $34,200

  • The Patriot Act: Looking back to 2001

    23 Oct 2009 | 2:40 pm
    Jena Baker McNeill says the Patriot Act was long overdue before the 9/11 attacks. Julian Sanchez says we need an analysis of the trade-offs that come with increased surveillance powers. Today's topic: In hindsight, did Congress and the president react too hastily in 2001 by passing the Patriot Act just weeks after the 9/11 attacks? Did the revisions in 2005 adequately address concerns that the act went too far or didn't go far enough? Jena Baker McNeill and Julian Sanchez finish their debate on the Patriot Act, key provisions of which Congress is considering reauthorizing.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Bill Plaschke

  • Lakers' Gasol proves his worth, even if fans don't notice

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The forward/center, who made his season debut Thursday night against the Bulls, makes the Lakers contenders again. The World's Tallest Actor With Bed Hair And Braces returned to his day job Thursday, back to the Lakers and the season's most pressing question.

  • A culture crash for Trojans

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Seven years of near-invincibility have gone down the drain this season, capped by the 55-21 loss to Stanford. A Stanford senior communications major stood in the middle of a nearly empty stadium, the homecoming crowd having long since gone home, and administered the latest plunge into the heart of a USC football season.

  • Phoenix's big-top antics come to a stop against Lakers

    13 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Lakers are able to slow and eventually smother the team that thrill-seeking fans hoped would be their biggest Western rival. The NBA's traveling carnival came to town Thursday, tilt-a-whirl breaks and cotton candy shots everywhere.

  • Dodgers put a low price on decades of experience

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    George Genovese, the team's 87-year-old scout, gets a 56% pay cut -- to $8,000. Times are tough, the club says. After spending the last couple of weeks choking on the McCourt divorce numbers -- $6,000 a year for birthday parties? -- Dodgers fans can finally relax.

  • Kevin Prince is UCLA's best quarterback option

    8 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Redshirt freshman's play against Washington before being sidelined because of a helmet-to-helmet hit leaves no doubt about who the Bruins' starter should be. Did you see what I saw? Did you see what Rick Neuheisel should be seeing?
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    George Skelton

  • California voters want a no-pork diet

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The water bond proposal written and passed by the Legislature needs a major rewrite, with an emphasis on de-larding it. No matter how clever and careful the writer, on occasion a work should be ripped up and retooled. That also goes for writers of legislation.

  • Water still divides the state

    16 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    California's biggest statewide problem is -- and always has been -- how to share water. But it's really a local issue. Years ago, pundits and pols began redrawing the California political map with an east-west divide, erasing the historic north-south split. Now they can partition it north-south again, at least in mapping the reignited water war.

  • The Jerry Brown tapes: Never a dull moment

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Transcripts of phone interviews with reporters show the once-and-possibly-future governor is as outspoken as ever. For a politics columnist, they make for fascinating, if somewhat guilty, reading. It seemed like eavesdropping on a private conversation -- or reading a rival journalist's notes. But I eagerly did it anyway out of curiosity about Jerry Brown.

  • Taxing our credulity

    9 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Spelling out the state's new 'interest-free loan': T-A-X The state of California began withholding more taxes from paychecks last week. And don't believe it if you hear this isn't a tax increase.

  • The big state government that could

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The governor and the Legislature put together a sweeping water package through old-school negotiations, trade-offs and rewards. Now it's up to the voters to ensure funding. The California Legislature did something right, it would seem. So did Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Art Reviews

  • Domestic drama: Lee Strasberg's family continues the legacy of instruction, despite some friction

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Although his widow and sons disagree on Method acting's techniques, the craft's principles are the same, they say. The Method is dead. Long live the Method. ¶ Spend an afternoon with David Lee Strasberg, the ambitious 38-year-old son of legendary acting guru Lee Strasberg, and you just might walk away with the idea that something revolutionary is going on at the Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute . That would be overstating matters. This family-run school with flagships in West Hollywood and New York still finds its raison d'être in what Strasberg himself identified as the training of the…

  • Simon Rattle wins over the Berlin Phil and its fans

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    After becoming the orchestra's principal conductor in 2002, the Englishman has endured a rocky interlude but wins a contract extension through 2018. In April 1989, the glamorously autocratic Herbert von Karajan resigned from his post as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic, the West German ensemble he had led for 35 years and made into the most brilliant orchestra the world had ever known. In July, he died. On Nov. 9, the Berlin Wall came down.

  • Performa '09 and futurism

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The centennial of the Italian movement, which advocates the art of action and public confrontation, has been the focus of this year's incarnation of Performa in New York. A decade ago, art historian and impresario RoseLee Goldberg, who literally wrote the book on performance art -- "Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present," first published in 1979 -- found herself being pushed by her publisher for an updated version to write less about history and more about the next big thing. Unfortunately, she felt "the performance scene was just rehashing what had been happening in the '70s and…

  • Kandinsky retrospective is natural for Guggenheim

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    An exhibition of oil paintings by the abstract artist celebrates the museum's 50th anniversary. "Kandinsky," the big exhibition of 95 oil paintings made between 1902 and 1942 by the visionary pioneer of abstraction, Vasily Kandinsky, is a show that looks like it was made expressly for the spiral ramp of the Guggenheim Museum. That's because in a sense it was.

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art is hard hit by recession

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Its investment portfolio fell 23% and the museum drew $100 million less in donations in 2008-09. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art saw its investment portfolio lose nearly a quarter of its value during its 2008-09 fiscal year, which coincided with the worst worldwide financial debacle since the Great Depression.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Entertainment News

  • VIDEO: Lady Gaga before she was famous

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:10 pm
    Before the uber-drama makeup, costumes and flashy dance routines.

  • Afternoons without Oprah

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Who will fill the void, and who will watch, when the queen of daytime TV departs for cable in 2011? Oprah Winfrey told her audience Friday that she had made up her mind to end her hit daytime talk show in September 2011 "after much prayer and months of careful thought."

  • NBC's 'Nightly News' anchor Brian Williams shows his lighter side

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He loosens up on appearances on '30 Rock' and 'Saturday Night Live.' And it hasn't hurt him in the ratings. He loosens up on appearances on '30 Rock' and 'Saturday Night Live.' And it hasn't hurt him in the ratings.

  • Infiltrating 'Dancing With the Stars'

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    On a dare, an entertainment reporter steps into the shoes (and sultry zebra dress) of a 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant. In a grueling test of stamina and nerves, she discovers her inner shimmy. On a dare, an entertainment reporter steps into the shoes (and sultry zebra dress) of a 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant. In a grueling test of stamina and nerves, she discovers her inner shimmy.

  • Fans scream with delight for 'Twilight: New Moon'

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Midnight screenings of the vampire film draw long lines. 'omg unbelievably thrilling!' says one tweet. They were 99.9% sure they were going to love it.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Movie News

  • Fans scream with delight for 'Twilight: New Moon'

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Midnight screenings of the vampire film draw long lines. 'omg unbelievably thrilling!' says one tweet. They were 99.9% sure they were going to love it.

  • 'New Moon' smashes 'Potter' midnight ticket sales record

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:52 am
    According to four people close to the movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" sold more than $22.2 million worth of tickets in midnights shows last night, the all-time record set this summer by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

  • Review: 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Drawn to another man-in-crisis story, director Werner Herzog delivers a darkly delicious tale in which Nicolas Cage is positively reptilian. Drawn to another man-in-crisis story, director Werner Herzog delivers a darkly delicious tale in which Nicolas Cage is positively reptilian.

  • Review: 'The Messenger'

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a strong cast in director Oren Moverman's taut drama about a casualty notification team's struggle to balance duties with private lives. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a strong cast in director Oren Moverman's taut drama about a casualty notification team's struggle to balance duties with private lives.

  • Review: 'The Blind Side'

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Sandra Bullock and newcomer Quinton Aaron have a warm and winning chemistry in director John Lee Hancock's fact-based story of a football-loving white family's adoption of a homeless black teen. Watching "The Blind Side" is like watching your favorite football team; you'll cheer when things go well, curse when they don't, and be reminded that in football, as in life, it's how you play the game that counts -- though winning doesn't hurt, either.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Movie Reviews

  • 'The Blind Side' info

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    'The Blind Side' MPAA rating: PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence; drug and sexual references

  • 'Blood Equity'

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The heavy toll of playing pro football. "Everybody who plays leaves with something," says retired New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson in the documentary "Blood Equity" but, sadly, he doesn't mean a glorious pension or athletic pride. He's referring to the physical and mental struggles of ex-football players who feel monetarily neglected by the now $7.1-billion sport and its union when, as studies increasingly show, the game's built-in brutality -- and fierce pride in playing injured -- leads to a post-career life of constant medical care.

  • 'The Blind Side'

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Sandra Bullock and newcomer Quinton Aaron have a warm and winning chemistry in director John Lee Hancock's fact-based story of a football-loving white family's adoption of a homeless black teen. Watching "The Blind Side" is like watching your favorite football team; you'll cheer when things go well, curse when they don't, and be reminded that in football, as in life, it's how you play the game that counts -- though winning doesn't hurt, either.

  • 'The Messenger' info

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    'The Messenger'

  • 'The Messenger'

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a strong cast in director Oren Moverman's taut drama about a casualty notification team's struggle to balance duties with private lives. For too long, life for Army Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery has been all about death. On the Iraqi frontline where he's been, he and his buddies just wanted to cheat it and survive. Now he's back home with only a few months left in his tour of duty, only to find himself surrounded by it once again.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Music News

  • Pop music review: High on Fire, Converge, Mastodon and Dethklok

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The most animated act (think: Adult Swim) grabs the spotlight at a metal mash. It's telling that the most orthodox act on one of the season's most anticipated metal package tours was the one composed of cartoon characters. The sprawling quadruple bill of High on Fire, Converge, Mastodon and Dethklok -- the last a Gorillaz-like animated band project for self-aware Hessians -- proved Thursday night at the Hollywood Palladium that while the heaviest strains of rock music are very much thriving, the rule book for what constitutes metal today has been burned at the stake.

  • Live: Chris Brown at the Avalon

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A little singing, a little dancing from the performer in his first local show since his sentencing. Chris Brown had already pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna earlier this year. But Wednesday night at the Avalon, in his first local performance since being sentenced to probation and community service in the February altercation in L.A., Brown still seemed to be offering up character witnesses in an attempt to prove, as he insists in a widely circulated YouTube video, that he's no monster.

  • EMI is first major label to agree to distribute music videos on Hulu

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    EMI Music became the first major music company to agree to distribute its music videos and concert footage on Hulu, the popular online video site.

  • Operatic trills rise from Botswana bush

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The tiny south African nation's first opera, written by the author of the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series, is a version of 'Macbeth,' with baboons. It's a rare opportunity for a local soprano. The villages of Botswana are full of music. Gospel music. Choral music. The singsong repetitive music of rote classroom learning.

  • Despite a romantic split, it's still a Swell Season

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The 'Once' couple's romantic relationship is off, but their musical partnership plays on. When Irish singer Glen Hansard and Czech pianist Markéta Irglová fell in love on the big screen in the 2007 hit "Once," audiences swooned over the passionate and fragile acoustic music the couple made together in the film, which mirrored, reflected and fictionalized their lives.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Music Reviews

  • John Adams is feeling festive

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The composer is organizing the Los Angeles Philharmonic's first festival for its new music director, Gustavo Dudamel. What does a renowned, Harvard-educated, Pulitzer Prize-winning classical music composer say just after the standing-ovation world premiere of his new symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of its wildly celebrated new music director, Gustavo Dudamel? ¶ "That was rockin' , wasn't it?" says a beaming John Adams. ¶ Yeah, that's the way "we old boomers" talk, Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn. President Deborah Borda, 60,…

  • Los Angeles Philharmonic

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Los Angeles Philharmonic Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall,

  • The viola sings out

    1 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Reviews of recordings by Kim Kashkashian, Yuri Bashmet, David Aaron Carpenter, Eliesha Nelson and others. Google "viola joke" and you'll be rewarded with thousands, an afternoon's worth of hilarity at the expense of one of the most expressive sound producing machines ever conjured up.

  • Andrey Boreyko leads L.A. Phil

    26 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    The program includes pieces from Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty.' Andrey Boreyko -- the chief conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland and as of this fall the music director of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra -- may not have the most glamorous, high-powered publicity buildup in the world. But you'll be hard-pressed to find a more absorbing program this season at Walt Disney Concert Hall than the one that the 52-year-old Russian put together Friday night.

  • Gustavo Dudamel starts off at a fast tempo

    27 Sep 2009 | 12:00 am
    The excitement is infections and he is, no question, a rare talent. But let's all keep our cool while he continues to grow. Eléctrico Gustavo, writ large on the back of buses, appears to be the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's newest source of renewable energy. Radiante Gustavo flashing on electric billboards luridly illumines the Southern California sky in competition with Nature and Her sunsets. Pasión Gustavo, in giant letters on Walt Disney Concert Hall, stirs Frank Gehry's steel.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Restaurant Reviews

  • A teen party, a mysterious death -- and a town's unanswered grief

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Joe Loudon attended a gathering in Orinda, drank some beer and later died. Miscues in the investigation led to finger-pointing, igniting a debate over whether his death was an accident or a crime. The telephone rang shortly after 8 a.m. on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The caller was a friend of my son's who said he needed to speak to him. "It's important," he said.

  • Some on Metrolink board question leadership of David Solow

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:44 am
    After the Chatsworth crash and a recent bid to raise fares yet again, at least one member thinks the executive may not be best suited to run the agency. Solow's 'on overload,' another official says. A highly unpopular mid-recession fare increase proposal and a host of other Metrolink management challenges are intensifying questions about the future leadership role of David R. Solow, the executive in charge of Southern California's sprawling commuter rail service, The Times has learned.

  • Crucial vote to advance Senate healthcare bill seems assured

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:27 am
    The last of three Democrats whose support was needed to allow debate on the bill after Thanksgiving says she'll vote to move the measure along, but all warn they still have doubts. With the crucial support of a trio of centrists, Democrats seemed assured today of winning a procedural vote to allow debate on a sweeping overhaul of healthcare after Thanksgiving.

  • Candy Spelling stands firm on $150-million asking price

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The widow of TV producer Aaron Spelling can afford to be patient for someone to make an offer on her 56,500-square-foot Holmby Hills mansion. Eight months ago when Candy Spelling, widow of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, put her 4.7-acre estate in Holmby Hills up for sale, the $150-million listing price raised more than a few eyebrows.

  • Cancer screening: What could it hurt? A lot, actually

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Routine cancer testing saves lives, but it also leads to biopsies, surgeries, radiation, even deaths that otherwise would not have occurred. But experts' reevaluations are met with public angst. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Theatre and Dance Reviews

  • Domestic drama: Lee Strasberg's family continues the legacy of instruction, despite some friction

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Although his widow and sons disagree on Method acting's techniques, the craft's principles are the same, they say. The Method is dead. Long live the Method. ¶ Spend an afternoon with David Lee Strasberg, the ambitious 38-year-old son of legendary acting guru Lee Strasberg, and you just might walk away with the idea that something revolutionary is going on at the Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute . That would be overstating matters. This family-run school with flagships in West Hollywood and New York still finds its raison d'être in what Strasberg himself identified as the training of the…

  • Simon Rattle wins over the Berlin Phil and its fans

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    After becoming the orchestra's principal conductor in 2002, the Englishman has endured a rocky interlude but wins a contract extension through 2018. In April 1989, the glamorously autocratic Herbert von Karajan resigned from his post as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic, the West German ensemble he had led for 35 years and made into the most brilliant orchestra the world had ever known. In July, he died. On Nov. 9, the Berlin Wall came down.

  • Performa '09 and futurism

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The centennial of the Italian movement, which advocates the art of action and public confrontation, has been the focus of this year's incarnation of Performa in New York. A decade ago, art historian and impresario RoseLee Goldberg, who literally wrote the book on performance art -- "Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present," first published in 1979 -- found herself being pushed by her publisher for an updated version to write less about history and more about the next big thing. Unfortunately, she felt "the performance scene was just rehashing what had been happening in the '70s and…

  • Kandinsky retrospective is natural for Guggenheim

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    An exhibition of oil paintings by the abstract artist celebrates the museum's 50th anniversary. "Kandinsky," the big exhibition of 95 oil paintings made between 1902 and 1942 by the visionary pioneer of abstraction, Vasily Kandinsky, is a show that looks like it was made expressly for the spiral ramp of the Guggenheim Museum. That's because in a sense it was.

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art is hard hit by recession

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Its investment portfolio fell 23% and the museum drew $100 million less in donations in 2008-09. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art saw its investment portfolio lose nearly a quarter of its value during its 2008-09 fiscal year, which coincided with the worst worldwide financial debacle since the Great Depression.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    TV News

  • Afternoons without Oprah

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Who will fill the void, and who will watch, when the queen of daytime TV departs for cable in 2011? Oprah Winfrey told her audience Friday that she had made up her mind to end her hit daytime talk show in September 2011 "after much prayer and months of careful thought."

  • Happy feat in strappy heels

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    On a dare, an entertainment reporter steps into the shoes (and sultry zebra dress) of a 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant. In a grueling test of stamina and nerves, she discovers her inner shimmy. Eight hours of practice and an utter lack of common sense have brought me here, poised to descend 19 steep steps to the ballroom floor of "Dancing With the Stars."

  • NBC's 'Nightly News' anchor Brian Williams shows his lighter side

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He loosens up on appearances on '30 Rock' and 'Saturday Night Live.' And it hasn't hurt him in the ratings. When the writers of "30 Rock" sent Brian Williams lines earlier this fall for his latest cameo , the NBC News anchor had a couple of suggestions. A scene in which he auditioned to be on the show's fictional comedy sketch series was "too blue" for his taste. In another, in which he approached Tina Fey's Liz Lemon about trying out for the program, Williams adopted an alter ego that paid homage to his late uncle Tony Mortarulo.

  • Memorial celebration to be held for late comedy writer Larry Gelbart

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The award-winning writer died Sept. 11. A celebration of the life of award-winning comedy writer Larry Gelbart, who died Sept. 11 at age 81, will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills.

  • Oprah to end her show in 2011

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    She's expected to deliver a new program to a cable outlet she's starting. Her exit is a blow to two networks. In another blow to the struggling business of network television, Oprah Winfrey is expected to announce on her program today that she will step down from her syndicated afternoon talk show, which over the last two decades has transformed her into one of the richest and most influential forces in popular culture.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Sports

  • Ohio State capitalizes on Michigan's mistakes for 21-10 victory

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:15 pm
    Ninth-ranked Buckeyes intercept four passes by Tate Forcier, who also fumbles in his own end zone. ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Tate Forcier threw four interceptions and fumbled in his end zone, and No. 9 Ohio State took advantage to beat Michigan 21-10 Saturday for its sixth straight win in the series.

  • Bruins could be in position to consider the (bowl) possibilities

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A victory over Arizona State on Saturday would take UCLA to 6-5 heading into the season finale against USC, potentially opening up postseason vistas for the Bruins. A victory over Arizona State on Saturday would take UCLA to 6-5 heading into the season finale against USC, potentially opening up postseason vistas for the Bruins.

  • Stanley Havili ready to move forward

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Trojans fullback didn't want to talk after the 55-21 loss at Stanford last weekend. He foresees a strong finish to the season for USC and himself. The Trojans fullback didn't want to talk after the 55-21 loss at Stanford last weekend. He foresees a strong finish to the season for USC and himself.

  • Donte Smith drops weight, finds role as point guard

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Smith started only three games last season and played little down the stretch because of his weight, but he played the entire 40 minutes Tuesday against UC Riverside. Donte Smith won the starting point-guard role for USC without challenge because he's the most experienced of several inexperienced players at the position.

  • Victories coming at a high price for Lakers owner Jerry Buss

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The team has the highest payroll in the NBA, with $91.3 million in player salaries and $21.4 million in luxury taxes. The team has the highest payroll in the NBA, with $91.3 million in player salaries and $21.4 million in luxury taxes.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Auto Racing

  • Mark Martin seems likely to come up short again in Cup chase

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The driver returned to a full schedule this year in hopes of winning his first championship. But he appears to be in line to finish as the runner-up for the fifth time. Mark Martin often says he's "blessed," and for good reason.

  • Jimmie Johnson has another Sprint Cup well in hand

    16 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He wins NASCAR race at Phoenix, his seventh victory this season, and all but clinches an unprecedented fourth straight Sprint Cup Series season title. Turns out Jimmie Johnson was right about the lightning.

  • Schumacher earns another championship

    15 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm
    He loses semifinal race in NHRA season finale at Pomona but still wins seventh title. ''He loses semifinal race in NHRA season finale at Pomona but still wins seventh title.''

  • Kyle Busch burning again after a bad season

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The surly driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has made it to the Chase for the Cup three straight years and was a contender this year, but again fell short of a championship. ''The surly driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has made it to the Chase for the Cup three straight years and was a contender this year, but again fell short of a championship.''

  • Robert Hight completes unlikely run to funny car championship

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The last one to qualify for the Countdown to One, he locks up title with third-fastest qualifying run at Auto Club Raceway. ''The last one to qualify for the Countdown to One, he locks up title with third-fastest qualifying run at Auto Club Raceway.''
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Baseball

  • Cubs agree to contract with reliever John Grabow

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The left-hander becomes the first of the 171 free agents to agree to a contract, getting a two-year, $7.5-million deal with Chicago. The left-hander becomes the first of the 171 free agents to agree to a contract, getting a two-year, $7.5-million deal with Chicago.

  • For Angels, Jason Bay, John Lackey and Chone Figgins are all in play

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As the free-agent shopping season opens, owner Arte Moreno warns that even with a boost in overall payroll, there might not be enough to re-sign their pitching ace and third baseman. As the free-agent shopping season opens, owner Arte Moreno warns that even with a boost in overall payroll, there might not be enough to re-sign their pitching ace and third baseman.

  • Giants' Tim Lincecum wins his second straight Cy Young Award

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He beats out Cardinals aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright in one of the closest votes in history. He beats out Cardinals aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright in one of the closest votes in history.

  • Torii Hunter to have surgery to repair sports hernia

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He suffered the injury mid-season and played hurt. He expects to be ready for spring training. Torii Hunter will undergo surgery on Monday in Dallas to repair a sports hernia, an injury the Angels center fielder expects to fully recover from by the start of spring training next February.

  • Bud Selig vows to condense the postseason

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    In response to Mike Scioscia's criticism of the lengthy playoff format, the commissioner says, 'I think he was right.' But it's unclear how it would change. Commissioner Bud Selig pledged Wednesday to tighten baseball's lengthy postseason schedule but declined to say how he would do so.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Dodgers

  • For Angels, Jason Bay, John Lackey and Chone Figgins are all in play

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As the free-agent shopping season opens, owner Arte Moreno warns that even with a boost in overall payroll, there might not be enough to re-sign their pitching ace and third baseman. Matt Holliday is not coming. Jason Bay might be coming. John Lackey and Chone Figgins are not coming back -- not together, anyway.

  • Bud Selig still isn't worried about the Dodgers

    18 Nov 2009 | 9:05 pm
    Commissioner won't discuss what the future might hold given the McCourts' divorce proceedings but says team is 'in good hands.' Commissioner Bud Selig said the Dodgers were "in good hands" for now but refused to offer assurances to fans worried that the McCourt divorce saga could compromise the future of the club.

  • Can Dodgers' road get any lower?

    14 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Readers continue to weigh in on the McCourts. Mark Cuban says he wants to buy the Dodgers but, oh yeah, they're not for sale. Jamie McCourt, the "baseball girl," has her own plan to buy the team -- good news for Little League presidents throughout the city. The mediocre left fielder announces that he will indeed come back to suck up $20 million of the payroll, thus insuring that Juan Pierre and his exciting brand of ball will stay on the bench. It's the third day of the general managers' meeting, and not a word of activity from Ned Colletti.

  • Dodgers put a low price on decades of experience

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    George Genovese, the team's 87-year-old scout, gets a 56% pay cut -- to $8,000. Times are tough, the club says. After spending the last couple of weeks choking on the McCourt divorce numbers -- $6,000 a year for birthday parties? -- Dodgers fans can finally relax.

  • Matt Kemp and Orlando Hudson win Gold Gloves

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Manager Jim Riggleman will have interim tag removed in Washington. Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp won his first Gold Glove on Wednesday but was already looking ahead to his next.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Angels

  • For Angels, Jason Bay, John Lackey and Chone Figgins are all in play

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As the free-agent shopping season opens, owner Arte Moreno warns that even with a boost in overall payroll, there might not be enough to re-sign their pitching ace and third baseman. Matt Holliday is not coming. Jason Bay might be coming. John Lackey and Chone Figgins are not coming back -- not together, anyway.

  • Torii Hunter to have surgery to repair sports hernia

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He suffered the injury mid-season and played hurt. He expects to be ready for spring training. Torii Hunter will undergo surgery on Monday in Dallas to repair a sports hernia, an injury the Angels center fielder expects to fully recover from by the start of spring training next February.

  • Mike Scioscia runs away with AL manager-of-the-year honors

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Angels field boss receives 15 of 28 first-place votes. Minnesota's Ron Gardenhire is second. Tragedy struck three days into the 2009 season, when 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in an April 9 automobile accident, a devastating blow that could have given the Angels every reason to fold.

  • Angels GM says focus is not on outfielder Matt Holliday

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Tony Reagins says re-signing John Lackey and Chone Figgins remain the top priorities. Vladimir Guerrero and Darren Oliver are also still in play. General Manager Tony Reagins on Monday shot down a Foxsports.com report that the Angels are one of three teams, along with the Yankees and Red Sox, that have expressed serious interest in free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday .

  • Torii Hunter wins 9th consecutive Gold Glove

    11 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Angels' outfielder is one short of the record for consecutive Gold Gloves by an American League outfielder. Angels outfielder Torii Hunter won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove for fielding excellence on Tuesday, leaving him one short of the record for consecutive Gold Gloves by an American League outfielder.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Basketball

  • Victories coming at a high price for Lakers owner Jerry Buss

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The team has the highest payroll in the NBA, with $91.3 million in player salaries and $21.4 million in luxury taxes. The team has the highest payroll in the NBA, with $91.3 million in player salaries and $21.4 million in luxury taxes.

  • Clippers come up big against Nuggets

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Butler scores 27 points in a reserve role and helps hold off Denver late with a key three-point shot. Butler scores 27 points in a reserve role and helps hold off Denver late with a key three-point shot.

  • Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith suspended for comments

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Clippers announcers were pulled from Friday night's broadcast after on-air exchange about Memphis' Hamed Haddadi. Clippers announcers were pulled from Friday night's broadcast after on-air exchange about Memphis' Hamed Haddadi.

  • Magic defeats Celtics for fourth straight win

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Boston has lost three of its last four and three of five at home. Vince Carter scored 26 points, Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics, 83-78, on Friday night.

  • LeBron James scores season-high 40 points in victory

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Cleveland's Shaquille O'Neal misses his fourth game in a row because of a shoulder strain, but the Cavaliers defeat Indiana, 105-95. Cleveland 105, at Indiana 95: LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points, and the Cavaliers rallied to beat the Pacers. Cleveland center Shaquille O'Neal sat out his fourth straight game because of a strained right shoulder.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Clippers

  • Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith suspended for comments

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Clippers announcers were pulled from Friday night's broadcast after on-air exchange about Memphis' Hamed Haddadi. Clippers announcers were pulled from Friday night's broadcast after on-air exchange about Memphis' Hamed Haddadi.

  • Clippers come up big against Nuggets

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Butler scores 27 points in a reserve role and helps hold off Denver late with a key three-point shot. Butler scores 27 points in a reserve role and helps hold off Denver late with a key three-point shot.

  • Clippers' Dunleavy defends himself amid speculation about his job security

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He says he deserves a chance to prove himself when the injured Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin return to play. He says he deserves a chance to prove himself when the injured Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin return to play.

  • Clippers revert to (bad) form

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Baron Davis scores 23 points, but the Grizzlies, who post only their third victory, have much more firepower. Marcus Camby injures his back. Baron Davis scores 23 points, but the Grizzlies, who post only their third victory, have much more firepower. Marcus Camby injures his back.

  • Clippers' loss is bigger than just a game

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    They drop to 4-8 with defeat against Hornets and, even worse, absorb another major injury, as Kareem Rush suffers a torn knee ligament and is lost for the season. An already subdued Clippers locker room -- quieted after a 110-102 loss to the Hornets on Tuesday night at New Orleans Arena -- became even more downcast when Kareem Rush arrived on crutches, moving slowly to his spot near the corner.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Lakers

  • Victories coming at a high price for Lakers owner Jerry Buss

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The team has the highest payroll in the NBA, with $91.3 million in player salaries and $21.4 million in luxury taxes. The Lakers don't have the NBA's best record this season, but they lead the league in something else -- highest payroll.

  • Lakers' Lamar Odom leads from the bench

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    His change of heart about sixth-man role should energize a mostly ineffective reserve unit. Lamar Odom wasn't entirely thrilled when he found out he was no longer a starter last year in training camp, saying Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was "out of his . . . mind" for making him come off the bench.

  • Five years later, Ron Artest recalls the Brawl at the Palace

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Now with the Lakers, Artest says the melee wasn't his fault and he should get some of the $5 million he lost during a 73-game suspension. Five years ago Thursday, Ron Artest was a part of one of the worst brawls in sports history when he and his Indiana Pacers teammates went into the stands during a game against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.

  • Pau Gasol's freelancing: Buss has a stand, what's yours?

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    When is too much basketball too much? In a men's room interview, the Lakers' owner allows as how he thinks Gasol overdid it in the off-season. Mike Bresnahan covers the Lakers for the Times. Readers' questions about the Lakers will be answered every week.

  • Lakers' Gasol proves his worth, even if fans don't notice

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The forward/center, who made his season debut Thursday night against the Bulls, makes the Lakers contenders again. The World's Tallest Actor With Bed Hair And Braces returned to his day job Thursday, back to the Lakers and the season's most pressing question.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    College Basketball

  • Up next for UCLA: Monday vs. Pepperdine

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Bruins will try to notch their second win before the schedule gets tougher over the Thanksgiving break. UCLA up next VS. PEPPERDINE Monday, 8 p.m., Pauley Pavilion, FS W est . The Bruins (1-1) get a final warmup before facing a field that includes several top-25 teams in the 76 Classic in Anaheim over the Thanksgiving vacation. Pepperdine is 1-2 after Friday night's 72-70 win over Cal State San Bernardino. The Waves are lead by guard Keion Bell, a sophomore out of Pasadena High.

  • Things get better for Bruins on court, worse off it

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    UCLA overcomes slow start to beat Cal State Bakersfield, 75-64, for its first win of the season, but starting forward Nikola Dragovic is suspended after being charged with felony assault. An already tough season got a little tougher for the UCLA basketball team on Friday night.

  • Men's AP top 25 results

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    How they fared:

  • Women AP top 25 results

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    How they fared:

  • Donte Smith drops weight, finds role as point guard

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Smith started only three games last season and played little down the stretch because of his weight, but he played the entire 40 minutes Tuesday against UC Riverside. Donte Smith won the starting point-guard role for USC without challenge because he's the most experienced of several inexperienced players at the position.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    College Football

  • Ohio State capitalizes on Michigan's mistakes for 21-10 victory

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:15 pm
    Ninth-ranked Buckeyes intercept four passes by Tate Forcier, who also fumbles in his own end zone. ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Tate Forcier threw four interceptions and fumbled in his end zone, and No. 9 Ohio State took advantage to beat Michigan 21-10 Saturday for its sixth straight win in the series.

  • Bruins could be in position to consider the (bowl) possibilities

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A victory over Arizona State on Saturday would take UCLA to 6-5 heading into the season finale against USC, potentially opening up postseason vistas for the Bruins. Bowled over?

  • Stanley Havili ready to move forward

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Trojans fullback didn't want to talk after the 55-21 loss at Stanford last weekend. He foresees a strong finish to the season for USC and himself. The Trojans fullback didn't want to talk after the 55-21 loss at Stanford last weekend. He foresees a strong finish to the season for USC and himself.

  • Bruins want to experience the joy of six

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Rick Neuheisel's team is 5-5 and needs one win in its last two games, including Saturday's against Arizona State, to be bowl eligible. Doing so would eradicate a significant 'barrier,' the coach says. Rick Neuheisel's team is 5-5 and needs one win in its last two games, including Saturday's against Arizona State, to be bowl eligible. Doing so would eradicate a significant 'barrier,' the coach says.

  • USC in the Sugar Bowl? Not such a sweet possibility

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Times' college football writer gives the answers to readers' questions. The Times' college football writer gives the answers to readers' questions.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Golf

  • Lee Westwood takes two-shot lead in Dubai

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He shoots a 69 to strengthen his chance of winning the European money title He shoots a 69 to strengthen his chance of winning the European money title

  • LPGA announces reduced schedule

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The tour will feature 24 tournaments, down from 28 events this year, with only 13 events in the U.S. The tour will feature 24 tournaments, down from 28 events this year, with only 13 events in the U.S.

  • Tiger Woods is a big attraction down under

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Golfer draws large crowds on the way to winning the Australian Masters. Golfer draws large crowds on the way to winning the Australian Masters.

  • Golf is still fun -- and relaxing -- for Fred Couples

    16 Nov 2009 | 11:10 am
    The golfer talks about Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, the Champions Tour and the grind of practicing versus the fun of playing. The golfer talks about Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, the Champions Tour and the grind of practicing versus the fun of playing.

  • Wie wins first LPGA tournament

    15 Nov 2009 | 10:04 pm
    The 20-year old finishes with a three-under-par 69 to claim victory at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The 20-year old finishes with a three-under-par 69 to claim victory at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    High School Sports

  • Bishop Amat defeats Mater Dei in Pac-5 playoff opener

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The combination of Jay Anderson, Jerry McClanahan and Rio Ruiz made major contributions in the Lancers' 28-21 victory on Friday night. In this era of specialization, La Puente Bishop Amat's football team has found a way to keep its trio of future college baseball standouts happy, and their athleticism and talent are fueling a resurgent football program.

  • Long Beach Poly beats Los Alamitos

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Jackrabbits use a strong defensive effort in a 24-7 playoff win. Long Beach Poly's special-teams play and its running from senior tailback Kaelin Clay ensured the Jackrabbits a 24-7 victory over No. 19 Los Alamitos on Friday in the first round of the Pac-5 playoffs.

  • Dorsey puts away San Pedro

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Dons force four turnovers in a 33-17 win over the Pirates. Los Angeles Dorsey High forced four turnovers to bounce back from a pair of late-season defeats with a 33-17 victory over host San Pedro on Thursday night in a City Section Division I first-round playoff game.

  • Player of the year? Oaks Christian's Malcolm Jones will make a run for it

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Especially if given more second-half playing time, the running back will be turning some heads in an expected four-game romp through the playoffs. It's that time of year in high school football when the player of the year is supposed to emerge, someone who lifts the team on his shoulders and doesn't let go until the championship trophy is kissed.

  • Mater Dei, Bishop Amat to meet in Pac-5 playoff

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The game is considered the most evenly matched first-round game in the division. Santa Ana Mater Dei (6-4) at No. 9 La Puente Bishop Amat (9-1), 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Hockey

  • Scott Niedermayer's friendly gesture prompts fight

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Fans throw punches after the Ducks defenseman tries to give his hockey stick to a young girl. Fans throw punches after the Ducks defenseman tries to give his hockey stick to a young girl.

  • Alexander Frolov knows Kings need him to shoot more

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He says he'll 'try to keep it in mind.' But with only four goals so far this season, the veteran winger will try to raise his game a notch. He says he'll 'try to keep it in mind.' But with only four goals so far this season, the veteran winger will try to raise his game a notch.

  • Up next for Kings: Saturday vs. Calgary

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Defenseman Rob Scuderi will miss his third straight game but is expected to skate Sunday. Ryan Smyth will remain out for about four weeks. Defenseman Rob Scuderi will miss his third straight game but is expected to skate Sunday. Ryan Smyth will remain out for about four weeks.

  • Up next for Ducks: Saturday vs. San Jose

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Ducks are hurting, with several players game-time decisions. Ryan Carter will miss Saturday's game. VS. SAN JOSE

  • Dany Heatley nets hat trick as Sharks crush Flyers, 6-3

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Joe Thornton gets his 600th career assist and Evgeni Nabokov makes 27 saves for San Jose, which rebounds after losing its last two games. Dany Heatley scored three times, Joe Thornton recorded his 600th NHL assist, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3, on Friday night.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Anaheim Ducks

  • Scott Niedermayer's friendly gesture prompts fight

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Fans throw punches after the Ducks defenseman tries to give his hockey stick to a young girl. The Ducks know how to fight on the ice. And by Friday it was apparent some Ducks fans can fight too.

  • Scott Niedermayer's goal gives Ducks overtime victory

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The defenseman scores 52 seconds into extra period to rescue the Ducks, who blow a 3-0 lead. It appeared the Ducks' losing habits caught up to them.

  • Ducks hope meetings result in more than just talk

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    After winless weeklong trip, the team practices in preparation for Thursday's home game against the Lightning. The Ducks have had their meeting of the minds.

  • Ducks rally late but fall short against Red Wings

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The two teams trade blows in a wild third period that features eight goals. Henrik Zetterberg finishes with a hat trick and two assists for Detroit. Henrik Zetterberg and the Detroit Red Wings finally found a way to shake off the rallying Ducks.

  • Ducks' road struggles continue in shootout loss to Columbus, 3-2

    14 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Rick Nash scores in regulation and in the shootout, and Mathieu Garon stops both shooters in the tiebreaker to send the Ducks to their fourth straight loss on road. Rick Nash scored the winning shootout goal and also had a goal in regulation, and Mathieu Garon stopped both Ducks shooters in the tiebreaker to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-2 victory Friday night.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Kings

  • Scott Niedermayer's friendly gesture prompts fight

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Fans throw punches after the Ducks defenseman tries to give his hockey stick to a young girl. Fans throw punches after the Ducks defenseman tries to give his hockey stick to a young girl.

  • Alexander Frolov knows Kings need him to shoot more

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He says he'll 'try to keep it in mind.' But with only four goals so far this season, the veteran winger will try to raise his game a notch. He says he'll 'try to keep it in mind.' But with only four goals so far this season, the veteran winger will try to raise his game a notch.

  • Up next for Kings: Saturday vs. Calgary

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Defenseman Rob Scuderi will miss his third straight game but is expected to skate Sunday. Ryan Smyth will remain out for about four weeks. Defenseman Rob Scuderi will miss his third straight game but is expected to skate Sunday. Ryan Smyth will remain out for about four weeks.

  • Up next for Ducks: Saturday vs. San Jose

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Ducks are hurting, with several players game-time decisions. Ryan Carter will miss Saturday's game. VS. SAN JOSE

  • Dany Heatley nets hat trick as Sharks crush Flyers, 6-3

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Joe Thornton gets his 600th career assist and Evgeni Nabokov makes 27 saves for San Jose, which rebounds after losing its last two games. Dany Heatley scored three times, Joe Thornton recorded his 600th NHL assist, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3, on Friday night.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Horse Racing

  • Hollywood Park season arrives, with an eye to Kentucky Derby

    13 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The focus will be on identifying 2-year-old candidates for the Run for the Roses. Sidney's Candy is an intriguing prospect. The focus will be on identifying 2-year-old candidates for the Run for the Roses. Sidney's Candy is an intriguing prospect.

  • Southern California racing fans could see Zenyatta again

    11 Nov 2009 | 11:37 am

  • Breeders' Cup should make itself at home here

    9 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Santa Anita showed what it can do the last two years and should be considered for the permanent site of horse racing's world championships. 'Santa Anita showed what it can do the last two years and should be considered for the permanent site of horse racing's world championships.'

  • A Classic finish for Zenyatta

    8 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The undefeated mare comes from the back of the pack to beat the boys for her 14th consecutive victory. 'The undefeated mare comes from the back of the pack to beat the boys for her 14th consecutive victory.'

  • He has a double-double in the Mile

    8 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Freddy Head won the race twice in a row as a jockey and now as a trainer with Goldikova. By Pete Thomas and Eric Sondheimer
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Olympics

  • By the numbers, Alissa Czisny's short program adds up to excellence

    Newsdesk
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm
    In the for-what-it's-worth department, a few points of reference about the personal-best score reigning U.S. champion Alissa Czisny racked up in today's short program at Skate Canada in Kitchener: 1. Skate Canada is the last of the six regular-season Grand Prix events, and Czisny's short-program total, 63.52, has been topped by just two other women on the circuit this season: Yuna Kim of South Korea (76.08 in Paris, 76.28 in Lake Placid) and Joannie Rochette of Canada (70.0 today to beat Czisny.) 2. It bettered Czisny's previous personal best, which came in 2005,…

  • Belbin looks like an Olympic medalist. But we say the winner is . . .

    Newsdesk
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:02 pm
    (Judge for yourself whether ice dancer Tanith Belbin gets style points for this.  Photo courtesy Men's Health magazine.) A few figure skating observations as the Grand Prix series heads into its last event before the Dec. 4-5 final in Tokyo: *Over dinner Sunday night in Lake Placid, five reporters who will be covering figure skating at the 2010 Olympics agreed to hazard predictions on the Winter Games medals. I decided to come up with an aggregate of our picks by assigning five points for a prediction of gold, three for silver, one for bronze. I know the whole thing is very…

  • Feathers flying, gender bending ... only in figure skating

    Newsdesk
    15 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pm
    Ten things I have learned after three days at Skate America: 1. Vera Wang designed the costume that reigning world champion Evan Lysacek is wearing while performing his short program to Stravinsky's "Firebird.'' Lysacek was skeptical about the feathers Wang hung from the gloved wrists when he first saw them, but now thinks of them as a good fit with the Stravinsky piece. "Stravinsky is sort of a bizarre artist,'' Lysacek said. "The accent of the feathers adds to that.'' 2. Bizarre hand coverings are hardly…

  • Stephen Colbert endorsement has fast effect on U.S. Speedskating coffers

    Newsdesk
    10 Nov 2009 | 4:13 pm
    By Philip Hersh The deal all but fell into U.S. Speedskating's lap. And it quickly has made the sport's athletes feel more confident they won't be lapped by the competition in this Olympic year for financial reasons. I'm talking about the fundraising arrangement between the Colbert Report and the speedskating federation, making the Colbert Nation the official sponsor of U.S. Speedskating. It was announced Nov. 2 on the show, barely a week after the U.S. media -- me among them -- reported that the collapse of Dutch bank DSB had left a $300,000 hole in the federation's…

  • To gain long-term clout, U.S. needs longer term for Olympic boss

    Newsdesk
    9 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am
    Larry Probst needs to be the U.S. Olympic Committee chairman for at least eight years. That is the only way to begin addressing issues highlighted in postmortems after the dismal failures of the last two U.S. bids to host a Summer Olympics. 1.  The United States has no clout in the Olympic world. 2.  The U.S. Olympic Committee leadership has changed so frequently in the past decade it has developed none of the relationships to create such clout. The current situation: The United States has ZERO presidents of international federations with sports still on the Olympic program. And…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Pro Football

  • Broncos' Kyle Orton unlikely to play Sunday

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Backup quarterback Chris Simms is set to start against the Chargers. Backup quarterback Chris Simms is set to start against the Chargers.

  • NFL injury report

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The updated listings, as provided by the league: The updated National Football League injury report, as provided by the league:

  • Ricky Williams buoys Miami Dolphins' playoff chances

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He scores three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers in a 24-17 victory. With Ronnie Brown lost for the season, the Miami Dolphins turned to their aging running back. Ricky Williams showed he's still got it.

  • Only Maurice Jones-Drew can stop Maurice Jones-Drew

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Former UCLA standout has become one of the NFL's best, and now he is known for a heady kneel-down to help the Jaguars win. Former UCLA standout has become one of the NFL's best, and now he is known for a heady kneel-down to help the Jaguars win.

  • Sam Farmer's NFL picks for Week 11

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Times' NFL writer examines this week's matchups. Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines this week's matchups. Lines according to Glantz-Culver. Last week 7-7, overall 93-50 (.650); against spread 4-9-1, overall 62-80-1 (.437) See Farmer's video picks online at our Fabulous Forum blog at latimes/sports:
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Soccer

  • Not to stick a (Space) needle in MLS' balloon, but is it sound?

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    First-year success in Seattle, site of Sunday's MLS Cup between the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, is encouraging for Commissioner Don Garber and his league. But beneath surface there are troubling signs. First-year success in Seattle, site of Sunday's MLS Cup between the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, is encouraging for Commissioner Don Garber and his league. But beneath surface there are troubling signs.

  • A look inside MLS Cup '09: Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A breakdown of Sunday's Major League Soccer championship match at Seattle. A breakdown of Sunday's Major League Soccer championship match at Seattle.

  • Galaxy's Landon Donovan selected MVP of Major League Soccer

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    He finishes ahead of New England's Shalrie Joseph and Dallas' Jeff Cunningham to win honor for the first time. He finishes ahead of New England's Shalrie Joseph and Dallas' Jeff Cunningham to win honor for the first time.

  • Thierry Henry's handball gets a big thumbs-down in Europe

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The popular veteran star's startling act of cheating that sent France past Ireland and into the World Cup -- and his unapologetic stance afterward -- may ruin his reputation. Oddly, festive car horns echoed through the city even during the first half of the France-Ireland soccer melodrama Wednesday night.

  • World Cup qualifiers

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:31 am
    The 32 teams in the 2010 World Cup will be grouped Dec. 4. The qualifiers:
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Tennis

  • Turns out, all Andre Agassi needed was . . . love

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    His harrowing autobiography notwithstanding, the tennis great appears to have achieved inner peace. Steffi Graf and their kids are a big part of that. His harrowing autobiography notwithstanding, the tennis great appears to have achieved inner peace. Steffi Graf and their kids are a big part of that.

  • Andre Agassi and the fake mullet

    17 Nov 2009 | 5:04 pm

  • Roger Federer loses in his hometown event

    9 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Novak Djokovic wins the Swiss Indoors final at Basel Novak Djokovic wins the Swiss Indoors final at Basel.

  • Melanie Oudin, in Italy for the Fed Cup, happy to go unrecognized

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Florida teen escaped the publicity at the U.S. Open surrounding her parents and calls her time since then 'crazy.' Meanwhile, Mary Joe Fernandez puts together a U.S. team minus the Williams sister The Florida teen escaped the publicity at the U.S. Open surrounding her parents and calls her time since then 'crazy.' Meanwhile, Mary Joe Fernandez puts together a U.S. team minus the Williams sister

  • In more celebrity news . . .

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Add Maria Sharapova to the list of Lakers romances Mike Bresnahan covers the Lakers for The Times and ties up loose ends on the day of his self-designated "Lakers game of the week." The Lakers play tonight at Houston:
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    USC Trojans Sports

  • Donte Smith drops weight, finds role as point guard

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Smith started only three games last season and played little down the stretch because of his weight, but he played the entire 40 minutes Tuesday against UC Riverside. Smith started only three games last season and played little down the stretch because of his weight, but he played the entire 40 minutes Tuesday against UC Riverside.

  • Stanley Havili ready to move forward

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Trojans fullback didn't want to talk after the 55-21 loss at Stanford last weekend. He foresees a strong finish to the season for USC and himself. The Trojans fullback didn't want to talk after the 55-21 loss at Stanford last weekend. He foresees a strong finish to the season for USC and himself.

  • USC in the Sugar Bowl? Not such a sweet possibility

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Times' college football writer gives the answers to readers' questions. The Times' college football writer gives the answers to readers' questions.

  • Up next for USC: Saturday vs. Loyola Marymount

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Trojans are missing three players and North Carolina transfer Alex Stepheson. Loyola Marymount's Drew Viney, a transfer from Oregon, has scored 52 points in his last two games. USC today VS. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT When : 5 p.m.

  • Letters: USC fans are unforgiving

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Pete Carroll and the Trojans (but mostly Pete Carroll) get ripped for second big loss in three weeks. UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel must be feeling pretty good about the Bruins' chances in next week's game after watching one of the worst performances by USC in 10 years against Stanford.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Autos

  • Electric-car maker Tesla said to be planning stock offering

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The California firm reportedly is filing for an IPO soon. Some analysts wonder how much interest it would spark among investors, given the implosion of shares of ethanol producers. Will investors get charged up over a stock offering by California electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc.?

  • Getting a charge out of Nissan's Leaf

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    This thought came to me as I was piloting the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle prototype around Dodger Stadium last Friday: When gasoline-powered cars sleep at night, they dream of being electric.

  • GM plans to pay back its government loans early

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The automaker, announcing a smaller-than-expected third-quarter loss, says it could pay $1.2 billion to the U.S. and Canada next month and be rid of the debts by June. Analysts question the idea. Borrowing a page from the playbooks of Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, General Motors Co. is moving to repay its federal loans early.

  • Nissan is turning over a new zero-emission Leaf

    14 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The electric car, which made its U.S. debut Friday in L.A., is set to go on sale in select markets in the U.S., Europe and Japan next year and go global in 2012. On the vast expanse of asphalt outside Dodger Stadium, Nissan Motor Co.'s new electric car made its U.S. debut Friday, zipping quietly through a maze of orange cones on its way to what the Japanese automaker hopes will be the top of the clean transportation class.

  • 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing: The mind-blowing 1950s version was cooler, but . . .

    13 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    To compare this model to the first modern sports car is unfair. This one has a low center of gravity and explosive bolts in the doors, but that one was a minor miracle. It goes about a zillion miles an hour, looks tougher than jailhouse steak and has explosive bolts in the doors, but before getting to the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing, if I may, a nod to the old (1955-1957) Gullwing.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Books

  • Orhan Pamuk's L.A. stroll conjures up familiar sights

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Nobel Prize-winning author and self-proclaimed 'Istanbul boy,' feels a familiar bond with Los Angeles' old-fashioned urban scape. The Nobel Prize-winning author and self-proclaimed 'Istanbul boy,' feels a familiar bond with Los Angeles' old-fashioned urban scape.

  • 'Invisible: A Novel' by Paul Auster

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Multiple levels of meaning and identity figure in the author's new novel about a dying man remembering his student days. Multiple levels of meaning and identity figure in the author's new novel about a dying man remembering his student days.

  • 'Time' by Eva Hoffman

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The author's daunting task -- to dissect this universal constant -- is too far ranging and hobbled by a topic that's difficult to define. The author's daunting task -- to dissect this universal constant -- is too far ranging and hobbled by a topic that's difficult to define.

  • 'Open' by Andre Agassi

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A literate and absorbing chronicle of the tennis star's lifelong search for identity and serenity, on and off the court. A literate and absorbing chronicle of the tennis star's lifelong search for identity and serenity, on and off the court.

  • 'The Vintage Caper' by Peter Mayle

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A delicious romp through Bordeaux and Marseille. The author of "A Year in Provence" returns with a delicious romp through Bordeaux and Marseille.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Food

  • Thanksgiving takeout and dining options

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Many Southern California restaurants will be serving holiday meals, to eat in or take out. Here are some of the choices. Thanksgiving is next week, and if that takes you by surprise, there are at least a couple of ways to deal with the fact that you have yet to plan Thanksgiving dinner: reservations at any of the dozens of restaurants that will be celebrating the holiday, or takeout. In addition to the listings below, check your local grocer for takeout options. And besides many notable hotel dining rooms, restaurants all over the Southland are offering wonderful menus for Thanksgiving…

  • Your questions answered about the 'Judy Bird'

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The dry-brining technique for preparing roast chicken named for chef Judy Rogers of San Francisco's Zuni Café in San Francisco can turn your Thanksgiving meal into something special. We've been writing about dry-brining turkeys for three Thanksgivings now and the response from readers has been overwhelming. Most say it's the best turkey they've ever made. But there are always some lingering questions. Here are answers to some of those most frequently asked. If you've got one that's not covered here, drop me a line at russ.parsons@latimes.com and we'll add it to this list:

  • Thanksgiving takeout and dining options

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Many Southern California restaurants will be serving holiday meals, to eat in or take out. Here are some of the choices. Thanksgiving is next week, and if that takes you by surprise, there are at least a couple of ways to deal with the fact that you have yet to plan Thanksgiving dinner: reservations at any of the dozens of restaurants that will be celebrating the holiday, or takeout. In addition to the listings below, check your local grocer for takeout options. And besides many notable hotel dining rooms, restaurants all over the Southland are offering wonderful menus for Thanksgiving…

  • Laguna Beach: Purple Queen beans, Pink Lady apples, satsuma mandarins

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    At hand are late apples (worth the wait) and early mandarins (getting sweeter by the week). And check out these colorful beans. The Laguna Beach farmers market, held in a city parking lot below a huge bluff, has remained a stable, successful venue for the past decade. It features about 20 produce vendors, including three Orange County vegetable growers, Smith Farms and two branches of the Berumen family.

  • A more flavorful dry-brined turkey

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Thanksgiving is a holiday built on tradition. And, much to my surprise, I seem to have found a new one of my own -- writing about dry-brined turkey.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Health

  • Research Medicare Part D options

    23 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Seniors need to review their options now to be aware of changes for 2010, including premium increases, new deductibles and alterations in the Extra Help program. Got your eye on the calendar? Good. Seniors who want to participate in the Medicare drug program, known as Medicare Part D, must sign up for coverage with a plan that serves their geographic region by Dec. 31. Sign-up began Nov. 15.

  • Is binge eating a psychiatric disorder?

    23 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As the American Psychiatrics Assn. considers including it in its diagnotic manual, skeptics object and possible treatments are debated. Rina Silverman's refrigerator is almost always empty. She keeps it that way to avert episodes of frantic food consumption, often at night after a full meal, in which she tastes nothing and feels nothing but can polish off a party-sized bag of chips or a container of ice cream, maybe a whole box of cereal. The food she's eating at these moments hardly matters.

  • Holidays can feed binge eaters' problems

    23 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Food's central place in seasonal celebrations can prove difficult, especially with stress triggers from family or lonely feelings. Three of the most common and most powerful triggers for binge eaters -- family, food and feelings -- converge at this time of year, making the holidays an especially challenging time.

  • A desire booster for women?

    23 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    An experimental non-hormonal drug appears to help women increase their sexual desire, but will the FDA approve it? An experimental non-hormonal drug appears to help women increase their sexual desire and satisfaction -- and reduce the distress associated with lack of desire.

  • Binge eating: Is it a form of addiction?

    23 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Overeaters describe cravings and benders. Experts are split. The notion that binge eating is a form of addiction comes up frequently in experts' discussions of the diagnosis.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Home & Garden

  • How to plant, care for sage

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Planting and care tips Planting: Start now and start small. One-gallon sages planted now in advance of winter rains should be given a hole four times the width and two to three times the depth of the nursery container. Before planting, soak the hole three or four times and allow the water to infiltrate. Loosen any bound roots, then use existing soil (not garden center planting soil) to fill around the seedling. Ensure that the root crown is not buried.

  • Sage, the West's soulful savior

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Don't overlook salvia, not only water-hardy and low-maintenance but bright blooming, aromatic and uniquely suited to the California landscape. Many gardens go without sage in California, but at the cost of soul. Sage is to the West what lavender is to France.

  • Lakers reserve guard Sasha Vujacic buys W Hollywood Residences condo.

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The condominium, in the $350-million development at Hollywood and Vine, has two bedrooms and 21/2 bathrooms. Lakers reserve guard Sasha Vujacic has purchased a unit at the W Hollywood Residences.

  • Bubble lights vintage ad calendar

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    It's calendar season, and design fans have lots of options: Taschen's celebration of Antoni Gaudí, Pentagram's popular typographic extravaganza for font freaks, and Blue Ant Studio's annual (and free) print-it-yourself calendar depicting classic chairs. For anyone looking for a midcentury motif, check out the Bubble lights calendar featuring the original 1950s advertisements and a brief design history by architectural writer and Home contributor Jeffrey Head. Just last week we reported that George Nelson's classic white lamps are being reissued with colored shades, but the Bubble calendar…

  • A Long Beach Craftsman in all its 1913 glory

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The Craftsman was free, the restoration wasn't. It took money and persistence to get back to its original beauty. When Wendy Harn rescued her 1913 Craftsman from the wrecking ball in 1989, she didn't know much about the home except that it was free to anyone who would pay to move it. So she relocated the two-story, five-bedroom behemoth from Ocean Boulevard opposite the Long Beach Museum of Art to the Bluff Park Historic District. The distance was only nine-tenths of a mile, but it marked the beginning of a long, strange trip through the curious history of a house that's been, at various…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Image

  • $35,000 for a dress?

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Yes, when it's been worn by actress Keira Knightley, has a place in film history and supports a good cause. Yes, when it's been worn by actress Keira Knightley, has a place in film history and supports a good cause.

  • N.Y. designers look to L.A.

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    More New York City designers are drawn to Los Angeles for the creativity and freedom the city offers. More New York City designers are drawn to Los Angeles for the creativity and freedom the city offers.

  • Henri Bendel comes calling in L.A.

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The tony New York department store opens an accessories and gifts annex at the Beverly Center. The tony New York department store opens an accessories and gifts annex at the Beverly Center.

  • MOCA's fashionable 30th-anniversary gala

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    There was a lot of wearable art walking around. There was a lot of wearable art walking around.

  • Joey Arias and Thierry Mugler's design collaboration

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Arias has elevated performing in drag. Mugler has been there every kick-step of the way with his push-the-limits costume designs. Arias has elevated performing in drag. Mugler has been there every kick-step of the way with his push-the-limits costume designs.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Estate

  • FHA-insured mortgages may become more expensive and harder to get

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The agency, which needs to pump up its reserves, considers raising its insurance premiums or increasing minimum down payments, among other possibilities. For several years, the Federal Housing Administration has been the go-to financing resource for cash-strapped home buyers who can't come up with a big down payment. It has zoomed from barely a 3% market share to nearly 30% of home purchase loans. But now, FHA-insured mortgages could be on the verge of becoming more expensive and tougher to obtain.

  • Old World grandeur, modern comforts

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A newly built Tuscan-villa-style house in Manhattan Beach offers plenty of luxuries at just under $6 million. Modeled after a Tuscan hillside villa, this new custom home in Manhattan Beach features an Old World exterior with a stylish modern interior of more than 8,500 square feet.

  • Owners' willingness to 'strategically default' on loans depends largely on how far underwater they are

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Research shows that the bigger the difference between what people owe and their home's value, the more likely they are to walk away, even if they can still afford to make mortgage payments. That some underwater owners -- whose houses are worth less than what they owe -- are walking away from their homes even though they can still afford to make their mortgage payments has been well reported, if not well documented.

  • Homes in Corona for less than $500,000

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    1510 San Clemente Lane, Corona 92882

  • One homeowner dealt with a group problem. Who pays?

    22 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Individuals must be very careful not to take on the association's responsibilities. Question: I live in a free-standing town house with no common walls and only two units in the entire association. The builder left a dangerous defect in my home. I wanted to bring a legal action against the builder and gave $7,500 to an attorney for the retainer fee.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Travel

  • A trip to North Korea offers curious sites

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Seeing the captured USS Pueblo, monuments to father and son rulers, and scrubbing workers. Visiting North Korea is like peering in the window of a store that closed long ago but where old merchandise mysteriously remains. I walk through the aisles feeling privileged, fascinated and curious, a little nervous, but not scared.

  • Niihau's unspoiled version of paradise

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Visitors to the privately owned island are discouraged from mingling with the natives, but the isle's charms make mainlanders feel welcome. Tell people you're going to Niihau, and they invariably exclaim, "No way!" Or, "Do you know the Robinsons?"

  • On the trail of vampires

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Even before 'Twilight' and 'True Blood' helped raise their pop-culture profiles, vampires had left their marks in many places. The garlic is optional. Vampires have long been objects of fascination in history, literature and lore. With the Nov. 20 release of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," HBO's "True Blood" and their countless imitators, Americans are welcoming vampires into their homes again. Though many consider Transylvania to be the lair of vampirism, there's plenty of vampire culture right here. Whether you have just come out of the coffin or long thirsted for night life, these locations…

  • Drop-off turnoff

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Question: What is the reason for a drop-off charge for a rental car? Sometimes it is assessed, and other times it is not. In October, for instance, I rented a car in Phoenix with a California license plate, and I dropped it off at LAX. The fee was $200. Why?

  • If you go to North Korea

    15 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    If you go About 300 U.S. tourists travel to North Korea annually between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, the period coinciding with the Arirang Festival (commonly called "mass games") in the capital city of Pyongyang. This is the only time American tourists are allowed, according to Walter Keats, president of Asia-Pacific Travel in Kenilworth, Ill. Truly independent travel is not permitted; visitors are required to have government "escorts," who are with you whenever you leave your hotel.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Europe

  • Leiden's legacy of open arms

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:18 pm
    This year when you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, think about tulips, windmills and wooden shoes. Think about a town in Holland where, for a brief golden moment in the early 17th century, people of disparate faiths could worship as they saw fit -- French Huguenots, Roman Catholics, Jews, Qua...

  • Siebold House pays homage to Dutchman's connection to Japan

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:18 pm
    For a small town, Leiden has a surprising number of museums dedicated to natural history, medical science, antiquity and the city's past. A gem among them is the Siebold House on tree-lined Rapenburg Canal, opened to the public in 1837 by a Bavarian surgeon who collected wonders as an agent for t...

  • Planning your trip to Leidin, Netherlands

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:48 pm
    THE BEST WAY From LAX, nonstop service to Amsterdam is offered on KLM, and connecting service (change of planes) on Northwest, British, Lufthansa, United, US Airways, Air France and Delta. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $500. Leiden is about 25 miles southwest of Amsterdam. It's a 30...

  • Readers recommend: luxury guesthouse in Scotland

    31 Oct 2009 | 2:18 pm
    SCOTLAND Great guesthouse Luxury guesthouse in the Outer Hebrides with a beautiful setting, comfortable and modern accommodations, wonderful food, and warm and welcoming hosts. Broad Bay House, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides; 011-44-18-5182-0990, www.broadbayhouse.co.uk Rooms from $2...

  • The new Berlin

    30 Oct 2009 | 6:18 pm
    One thing does lead to another. Last spring, I was obsessed with cleaning my garage; a week later, I had scheduled a trip to Berlin. As I admired my handiwork, I eyed an old cedar chest along one wall, and I realized I hadn't looked inside since 1988. I hadn't wanted to. After all, it was fill...
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Hawaii

  • In Hawaii, Thanksgiving moves to the beach

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am
    Earl Chang's left hand slides smoothly up and down the frets of his acoustic guitar as he fingers the soft chords of a traditional Hawaiian song. His brother Kona picks rhythmically at the lilting melody on the ukulele. Behind them, the Pacific swell crashes on a reef that shelters the nearby bea...

  • Niihau's unspoiled version of paradise

    13 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm
    Tell people you're going to Niihau, and they invariably exclaim, \"No way!\" Or, \"Do you know the Robinsons?\" Yes, way, and I do not know the Robinsons. And even though I've now been to Niihau, I can't really say I know it either. But I do know that there are few places in the world th...

  • Poipu a picture perfect island vacation

    12 Aug 2009 | 12:18 pm
    POIPU, Hawaii -- Poipu is postcard perfect Hawaii, guaranteed. Or as closed to it as you can get in the real world. The resort strip on the southern end of Kauai is an as-advertised version of a island vacation -- endless sun, great beaches, good food, maybe some golf or snorkeling. Days filled w...

  • Hawaii's oldest ukulele factory offers free tours

    30 Jun 2009 | 11:03 am
    What: A tour of the oldest ukulele factory in Hawaii. Where: 550 South St., Honolulu, Hawaii, 808-531-3165; www.kamakahawaii.com). How much: Nada. Kamaka Hawaii's world headquarters is the sort of building you pass without a second thought: a two-story, cinder-block structure on a ...

  • Free nights on Maui's Napili Bay

    1 May 2009 | 3:33 pm
    Tahiti sound appealing this summer? How about Tuscany? Family vacation options range far and near, including Anaheim. Many deals let kids stay free or provide an extra day or two of lodging. Below is a sampling of recent offers. Note that many have limited availability or other restrictions. F...
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Las Vegas

  • Las Vegas calendar: events for November 2009

    30 Oct 2009 | 1:18 pm
    NOV. 5 Latin Grammy Awards Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center Highlights: David Bisbal and Luz Rios are among the stars who will perform as Latin Grammys celebrate its 10th anniversary. Info: (877) 632-7800, www.mandalaybay.com NOV. 12 Leonard Cohen Where: The Colosseum at Ca...

  • Las Vegas New CityCenter is a haven for contemporary art

    9 Oct 2009 | 4:48 pm
    A sea of people wearing hard hats and reflective vests moved in and out, up and down among the slot machines, still covered with drop cloth. Everyone had a role to play, almost like a well-choreographed, contemporary ballet. But instead of brass and winds, there was the discord of drills, circula...

  • CSI: The Experience puts you at the scene of the crime

    2 Oct 2009 | 2:33 pm
    The drab, cheap motel -- the type that rents rooms by the hour -- sits just a couple of blocks off the Strip. Compared with its upscale neighbors, with their towering hotels and neon-laden casinos, this place seems better suited for a lonely crossroads in the desert than for fabulous Las Vegas. ...

  • Las Vegas calendar: events for October 2009

    25 Sep 2009 | 3:03 pm
    Oct. 2 to 4 Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth Where: Mandalay Bay Highlights: The ink will be flowing as an expected 50,000 tattoo fans gather to watch famous artists use the human body as their canvas. Info: (201) 342-4446, www.mandalaybay.com Opening Oct. 7 'America's Got Talent'...

  • Big Elvis is slimmer but still a hunk of burnin' love

    11 Sep 2009 | 12:48 pm
    For first-timers to the lounge at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, entertainer Pete Vallee certainly lives up to his stage name: Big Elvis. At about 425 pounds, he seems ready to burst out of his bulging black jumpsuit, despite its 60-something-inch waist. Even those who have seen him perform a...
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Mexico

  • Planning your trip to Queretaro

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pm
    THE BEST WAY TO QUERÉTARO From LAX, Continental and Mexicana offer connecting service (change of planes) to Querétaro. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $320. TELEPHONES To call the numbers below from the U.S., first dial 011 (the international dialing code), then 52 (the ...

  • In Queretaro, a rich and colorful past and present

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pm
    There are plenty of reasons to visit Querétaro, but it's the instability and conflict and violence that finally won me over. The instability of 1810, that is. The conflict of 1848. The violence of 1867. All set amid 18th century colonial architecture, surrounded these days by commerce and...

  • Traveling in Mexico despite drug violence, H1N1 flu

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:33 pm
    Mexico's drug war is entering its fourth year. Its H1N1 flu outbreak began with dozens of deaths and global headlines last spring. This leaves travelers with at least two reasons to study up before booking that Mexico trip. But it doesn't necessarily mean staying home. Mexico's drug-war dea...

  • Mexico's family-friendly hot spots

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:33 pm
    With news of drug-related violence and H1N1 flu in the headlines, tourism to Mexico has plummeted. But the truth is the violence is largely regional and the swine flu is no longer confined to here. Many places in Mexico are inexpensive, kid-friendly and sunny. Here are some of my family's recent ...

  • Planning your trip to Riviera Maya

    5 Nov 2009 | 4:33 pm
    THE BEST WAY From LAX, Mexicana and Alaska airlines offer nonstop service to Cancún. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $278. TELEPHONES To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), followed by 52 (Mexico's country code), plus the two to three-...
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    All the Rage

  • Tolkowsky, king of the diamond cut

    Susan Denley
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Ask a diamond connoisseur about cut, and they’ll probably mention “Gabi,” otherwise known as Sir Gabriel Tolkowsky, master diamond cutter.  So, it was no surprise that the glitterati showed up earlier this week to meet the man himself and to get a peek at his namesake, the Gabrielle diamond jewelry collection, at posh jewelry purveyors Black, Starr & Frost at South Coast Plaza. The Gabrielle has an intense fiery sparkle, even at first glance. Diamonds cut in this manner also have a dazzling price tag and are comparatively more expensive than other cut diamonds with the…

  • Ann Taylor gets a makeover

    Melissa Magsaysay
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:27 pm
    About a month ago, a friend and I were strolling through the Beverly Center, when to my surprise she requested we make a stop at Ann Taylor.  A present for her grandmother, I assumed, but it wasn’t the case.  She, in a Balenciaga lace bandeau top and Nina Ricci ankle boots, made a beeline for a table of shiny accessories and started trying them on.  Still confused as to why we were in my mom’s favorite shopping destination, I spotted another young lady shopping, wearing beaded moccasin boots and the cover look from the Urban Outfitters catalog.  I knew right then, this was no longer…

  • Shopping, Weekend Update: Little Tokyo's No. A grand opening, Splendid and Three Dots sample sales

    Max Padilla
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    No. A, boutique in Little Tokyo, is having a grand opening party today (Nov. 20). The store stocks affordable contemporary collections for men and women such as Corpus, Ulrika Sandstrom, Rojas and Costume Dept. plus accessories from Alex & Chloe and Boos & Besitos. All merchandise will be 10% off this evening only and the first 100 patrons receive a gift bag. Ice cream sandwiches will be served along with an open bar. DJ Aaron Castle from Rhonda provides the soundtrack. 374 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles. (818) 259-6155. 8 to 11 p.m. Sample Sales Splendid Today (Nov. 20) through Sunday…

  • Chanel Iman gives tips for the next Ford Supermodel

    Max Padilla
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm
    Eons before “America’s Next Top Model,”  Ford Models for 30 years has been conducting a global search annually to scout new faces. One lucky gal gets to take home a $250,000 modeling contract with the agency. Past Ford Model contestants have included big industry names such as Gemma Ward, Elsa Benitez and Alexina Graham. L.A. gal Chanel Iman represented the United States at the 2006 Supermodel of the World finals. On Saturday, Ford Models is casting for the American contestant simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York. The L.A. search is taking place at the W Hotel in Westwood from…

  • Stella McCartney to play it again for GapKids

    Max Padilla
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:51 pm
    Stella McCartney’s collection for GapKids and BabyGap was such a chart-topper that McCartney has signed on to design a second kids collection for the San Francisco-based chain to fill store racks next March. Apparently, the customers had enough Beatles nostalgia for the $128 Sergeant Pepper-ish boys military jacket which was a sellout according to Marka Hansen, Gap Brand president. “The combination of her unique aesthetic and our brand’s experience in children's wear has resonated with our customers around the world, with certain styles including the Miller jacket being a sellout…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Babylon & Beyond

  • EGYPT: Mubarak steps into Algerian football spat

    Jeffrey Fleishman
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:57 am
    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has sought to calm an angry and defeated Egypt following the nation's dramatic soccer loss to Algeria, which has led to riots in the streets and a nasty international political row between the two North African nations.   Delivering a previously scheduled speech to Parliament today, the 81-year-old president spoke publicly for the first time about the violence that erupted over the last week during two World Cup qualifying matches. Algeria's players were attacked by Egyptian fans, and Egyptian fans were threatened and assaulted by Algerian mobs.

  • MIDDLE EAST: Saudi beauty queen attacked for weight

    latme
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:19 am
    Beauty contests are notoriously catty, and the Miss Arab World pageant in Cairo last week proved no exception. Muwadda Nour of Saudi Arabia had barely lain hands on her faux-jewel encrusted crown when critics began sniping that at approximately 200 pounds, she "did not meet the required standards" of a beauty queen, according to the popular Arab entertainment site Wikeez.Delphine Edde, the publisher of Wikeez, confirmed to The Times that the site spoke with organizers and contestants at the event. Despite the controversy, Nour kept her crown, beating out 15 other young women between…

  • EGYPT: Cairo recalls its ambassador to Algeria after soccer violence

    Jeffrey Fleishman
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm
    Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki confirmed today that Egypt recalled its ambassador to Algeria after Egyptian fans were attacked by their Algerian counterparts following the two countries' playoff match in the 2010 World Cup qualifications held in Khartoum, Sudan, on Wednesday. The incident comes days after Algeria's ambassador to Cairo, Abdel Qader Hadjar, was summoned by the Egyptian government to explain violence against Egyptians living in Algeria in the days leading up to the crucial match, which Algeria won 1-0. Hadjar was summoned once again today, hours before…

  • IRAN: Campaign launched to annoint Neda Agha-Soltan Time magazine's Person of the Year 2009

    latme
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:42 am
    The flickering images of Neda Agha-Soltan’s last moments in a Tehran street on June 20 before she died from gunshot wounds gripped the world, galvanized the nation and made the 26-year-old music student the face of Iran’s recent protest movement. Five months after an unknown assailant took her life at a demonstration in the Iranian capital staged by pro-reform activists, supporters across the world have spearheaded a grassroots initiative in a move to immortalize her. Through the use of various social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, they are pushing to make Agha-Soltan Time…

  • UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Authorities target book piracy in raids across the country

    latme
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:17 am
    Fearing that the United Arab Emirates might turn into a haven for intellectual property scofflaws, authorities are implementing tough new measures to keep pirated book traders at bay.  Over the last months, the UAE's Ministry of Economy along with police forces in Dubai and Sharjah and the Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance have carried out a series of raids suspected of book piracy across the country. The task force is said to have so far busted three major traders and locked them up on charges of violating copyright law. Several book shops were shut down in the raids, while others were let…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Big Picture

  • Larry King nepotism alert: A new king on the TV throne

    LAT Blogs
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:06 pm
    I find many things in the modern world scary, from Sarah Palin to Taylor Swift to Michael Bay. I actually had a fever-induced nightmare the other night in which I'd gone to the premiere of "Avatar" and instead found myself surrounded by screaming 7-year-olds at a screening of "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel." But here's something really frightening: Larry King's son is going to have his own talk show. Yikes! As first reported by TMZ, Chance King, the cherubic 10-year-old son of the much-married…

  • Is anyone unhappy about the Oscars' snub of Michael Moore?

    LAT Blogs
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm
    Let's be honest. Is there really anyone who is up in arms over Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" being left off the Academy's 15-title short list for the best feature documentary? In fact, I would argue that when it comes to a snub of a much-ballyhooed film, the Academy has never managed to make more people happier. Let me count the ways:  Conservatives are positively dancing in the street, with the New York Post's Lou Lumenick leading the way, gloating over the fact that Moore's "paen to socialism" missed the cut.

  • Fareed Zakaria on 'Mumbai' style terrorism: It's time to encourage 'religious revulsion'

    LAT Blogs
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pm
    HBO is airing a really scary movie tonight at 8. It isn't "District 9" or "Paranormal Activity." It's a documentary called "Terror in Mumbai," about the infamous 2008 terrorist attack that killed 170 people, wounded another 300 and, in the eyes of many anti-terrorist experts, may have served as a dress rehearsal for future terrorist actions in other parts of the world -- including here in the good old USA. Having watched the film, I can assure you that it's far more than another dutiful re-creation of a tragic incident of…

  • The Art of the Swine Flu: The strange aesthetic of being sick as a dog

    LAT Blogs
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    I've been sick with the swine flu for the past few days, hence the sparse number of postings on the blog. At least I assume it's the swine flu, since I got a regular flu shot and I still came down with something (fever, headache, cough, congestion and a generally awful achiness) that hit like a ton of bricks. But I'm not looking for sympathy, not that you'd ever dream of getting any sympathy from the cranky blogosphere. My point is this. When you're really down-for-the-count sick, your brain begins to operate differently, I've come to believe.

  • The latest 'Twilight' mystery: Why vampires aren't Jews

    LAT Blogs
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm
    With "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" due out Friday, the media have been pretty much frothing at the mouth. Everyone's trying to cash in on every crumb of fascination with the mega-hit franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's phenonemally successful series of novels about a high school girl who falls for a hunky young vampire. Judging from the tsunami of stories, you'd have to say that every utterance from "Twilight" stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson has been recorded for posterity, no matter how dopey…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    BitPlayer

  • The darker side of California's new TV wattage limits

    Jon Healey
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm
    The California Energy Commission unanimously approved a regulation today capping the power consumption of televisions sold in California starting in 2011. Although the Consumer Electronics Assn., which represents the world's largest TV makers, was apoplectic about the action, The Times' Marc Lifsher reports that one faction -- the LCD TV Assn. -- was all smiles. The reason? LCD sets are less power-hungry than plasma TVs. In other words, as so often happens when the government regulates products, it favors one technology over another -- and manufacturers know it, even if the regulators…

  • Guvera, a place for advertisers to give away music

    Jon Healey
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    After SpiralFrog's collapse and Qtrax's repeated misfires, I'm skeptical about any online music service that says it will give away advertiser-supported downloads. But Guvera, an Australian start-up launched by former advertising executive Claes Loberg, is different enough to make me think it might actually work. Admittedly, I also liked Uplister, Echo and dozens of other ill-fated online music services. But Guvera, which is expected to announce a licensing deal this morning with Universal Music Group, has at least one thing going for it that SpiralFrog didn't and Qtrax has yet to…

  • Radio and TV broadcasters on the defensive in D.C.

    Jon Healey
    17 Nov 2009 | 2:27 pm
    The Consumer Electronics Assn. and the CTIA (the main trade group for the mobile phone industry) urged the Federal Communications Commission today to consider reclaiming some digital TV airwaves and dedicating them to use with wireless devices. The chief executives of the CEA and CTIA sent a joint letter to members of the FCC, reminding them that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the commission to review how the digital TV airwaves were being used within 10 years of the first licenses being granted for DTV channels. Those licenses were issued nearly 11 years ago, so a review is…

  • Sezmi says hello to Los Angeles

    Jon Healey
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:01 am
    Angelenos unhappy with the cable or satellite TV offerings in their neighborhoods will have a new, much less expensive option today: Sezmi, a novel combination of over-the-air broadcasting and broadband programming. The company is launching a trial run here in anticipation of a much broader rollout by March, providing free equipment and service for about three months to those who participate. (You can sign up at Sezmi's website.) Even after the free trial ends, the price will be far below competing pay TV services: just under $5 a month for local broadcasts, Internet channels and access…

  • Clicker's guide to the unlimited-channel universe

    Jon Healey
    12 Nov 2009 | 6:01 am
    One testament to the popularity of online video is the growing number of sites that serve as Internet program guides, helping people sort through the billions of available items to find something they might like to watch. The latest, Clicker, has its official launch at 10:30 this morning (it had been conducting an invitation-only trial since mid-September). Unlike most of the other guides, which direct users to videos available on their own sites, Clicker exists to help people find programming around the Web, including such sources as Hulu, YouTube or…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Booster Shots

  • Thanksgiving-eating psychology -- with a twist. Oh, and some turkey nutrition

    Rosie Mestel
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:06 pm
    Thanksgiving's just around the corner -- so here are two Health section stories published in festive seasons of yore that should be just about as helpful now as they were then. In one, freelance writer Ben Harder and I decided to dispense with all that sensible "moderation" advice about taking small portions and eschewing the gravy and pie. Instead, we set out to learn what the science of human eating behavior tells us about conditions that make us prone to gorge or exercise restraint. Things like... the size of your plate. The color of your tablecloth. The tightness of your…

  • Swine flu seems to be trailing off -- for now, at least

    Thomas Maugh
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:34 pm
    The current wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza infections is trailing off a little, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this morning, and other indicators seem to confirm that diagnosis. In particular, the numbers of prescriptions written for antiviral agents are declining, and so are diagnostic tests for the virus. According to the CDC, swine flu activity is widespread in 43 states now, down from 46 last week, but health officials fear a resurgence as people travel around the country for the holidays, carrying their germs with them. During the week ending Nov. 6, prescriptions…

  • For mild dysplasia and cervical cancer, you can blame HPV

    Tami Dennis
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:48 pm
    Mild cellular changes detected by Pap smears don't necessarily lead to cancer, a fact that played a role in the new pullback on cervical cancer screening, but both cell changes and cervical cancer can be traced to human papillomavirus. As today's story noted: "Human papillomavirus, or HPV, which causes cervical cancer and infects half of all young women within a few years of sexual activity's start, also causes cell changes called dysplasia. Those abnormal cells are typically removed before they become cancerous. But such treatment may not be necessary." Here's…

  • Molars, incisors and canines -- oh, my!

    Tami Dennis
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:25 pm
    Concerned about the strength of teeth-whitening chemicals and by the growing number of non-dental venues through which they’re being sold, the American Dental Assn. today asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to evaluate the compounds for safety and classify them. Currently, teeth whiteners, which commonly use hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide as the active ingredient, are neither drug nor cosmetic device nor medical device, according to the dental association. The ADA wants the FDA to put the chemicals in a category and evaluate them for safety. Depending on the outcome of that…

  • Age may have its advantages in endurance sports

    Jeannine Stein
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pm
    Endurance sports such as ultra-marathons, ultra-triathlons and cycling marathons have exploded in popularity over the years. Among them is the grandaddy of the genre, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, which began in 1974 and meanders through the Western States Trail in Northern California. A new study looked at how the race has grown, and finds some interesting trends among the runners -- mostly that they've gotten older and faster. Researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs' Northern California Health Care System and Virginia Commonwealth University in…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Bottleneck Blog

  • Woman fatally struck by Metro Blue Line train

    Amanda Covarrubias
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm
    A woman was fatally struck by a northbound Metro Blue Line train this afternoon in Watts. The incident occurred about 1:20 p.m. when the woman, in her mid-50s, was walking eastbound along the tracks near 115th Street. The woman died at the scene, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Northbound trains are experiencing a 15-minute delay because of the accident, and southbound trains are operating normally, said Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo. The train that struck the woman was carrying 150 passengers, all of whom were transferred to another train. -- Baxter…

  • Parts of 91 Freeway to be closed early next week

    Amanda Covarrubias
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:44 am
    Parts of the eastbound 91 Freeway near the Orange and Riverside county border will be closed early next week while some lanes are restriped to accommodate construction. The closures will occur on the express lanes and the regular lanes from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday. The freeway will remain open during peak hours. The actual construction project will widen six miles of the eastbound 91 Freeway between the 241 and 71 freeways. The project is expected to be completed near the end of 2010. It is intended to ease congestion on the 91 Freeway near Coal Canyon Road.-- Baxter Holmes

  • Delays expected on Metro Blue Line for track installation

    Amanda Covarrubias
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:05 am
    Metro Blue Line passengers will experience delays today and this weekend as crews install tracks that will connect the Blue Line and the Expo Line. Delays of up to 40 minutes between Washington Station and 7th Street/Metro Center are expected from        9 a.m. today until the line closes Sunday night. Metro buses will provide service between Washington Station and 7th Street/Metro Center and will stop at San Pedro, Grand, Pico and the 7th Street/Metro Center stations. The Metro Red and Purple lines will run on a regular basis. This is the first of…

  • Eastbound 118 Freeway reopened after closure due to accident [Updated]

    Shelby Grad
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:27 am
    The eastbound 118 Freeway was closed at Woodley Avenue due to a jackknifed big-rig truck that was leaking oil. The incident was causing gridlock in the Grenada Hills area. [Updated at 12:01 p.m.: The freeway has reopened.] The accident occurred on the 118 just east of the 405 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol. Cars were being slowly escorted off the freeway at Woodley Avenue, and nearby surface streets were quickly filling up with traffic. Motorists coming from the West Valley and Ventura County could take the 101 Freeway as an alternate. -- Shelby GradMore…

  • Workday commuters ride Gold Line extension for first time

    Amanda Covarrubias
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:44 am
    Officials handed out coffee to commuters riding the new Gold Line Eastside extension this morning for its first day of service during the workweek. The line opened to the public Sunday with about 75,000 riders taking part in a day of free rides and festivities along the Gold Line, which now runs from East Los Angeles to Pasadena. A ticket costs commuters $1.25. “It’s still a party here,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who was at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights this morning giving commuters free rail passes, commemorative pins and coffee. Metro Chief Executive Officer Art…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Comments Blog

  • What do you think of Dawn Chmielewski’s performance on 'Dancing With the Stars'?

    Emily Christianson
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pm
    Dawn Chmielewski took a dare to go on “Dancing With the Stars” before watching a single episode of the reality show. Paired with a professional dancer, Chmielewski learned the ropes of ballroom dancing, went through a total transformation from entertainment reporter to performer and even faced the famous panel of judges. Her feat never made it onto the show, but we’ve got it all here on the Times website. Read the story, watch the videos and see the photo gallery here.-- Emily Christianson Photo: Jonathan Roberts and Dawn ChmielewskiCredit: ABC

  • Box-office record for 'New Moon' midnight showings rankles Harry Potter fans

    LATimes
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:23 pm
    I know, I know, we’ve heard enough about Twilight’s “New Moon” already. Westwood residents couldn’t get away from fans lined up on the sidewalks for the midnight showing holding signs declaring their devotion (like one I spotted that said, "We flew all the way from NY and NJ to be here"). But this is big news, worth bringing up in the endless wizard-vampire comparisons.Summit Entertainment set the official estimate for “New Moon’s” midnight ticket sales at $26.3 million, breaking the record “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” set this summer at $22.2…

  • Oprah to end her syndicated TV show in 2011

    LATimes
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:56 pm
    Oprah officially announced her decision to leave broadcast syndication for cable after her contract with CBS expires in 2011. Our Company Town blog wrote she will most likely resurface on OWN, a cable network she is starting with Discovery Communications. Commenters haven’t been saying much about the breaking news on Oprah’s split, but other social networkers are all a-Twitter about the decision: cruedoll wrote: #oprah rules the world doesn't she? I don't think I have ever even watched her show tylersnotes: Hey world why is it surprising that Oprah is cancelling her show in…

  • Comments war: UC students and non-UC students discuss the student fee hike

    LATimes
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:43 pm
    It seems the recent decision by the University of California Board of Regents to increase student fees by 32% has caused not only a "students vs. regents" demonstration at UCLA's campus today, but also a "students vs. non-students" quarrel in our comments sections. The fee hike that everyone is arguing about (justifiably so) will come in two steps by fall 2010. Basic UC education fees will rise then to about $10,300, plus another $1,000 for campus-based charges and an estimated additional $16,000 for room, board and books. No wonder there is such a heated comments war…

  • What should be done about cheating in the World Cup?

    LATimes
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pm
    Apparently there's this sport called "football" in which the players don't wear helmets and they actually use their feet to move the ball around the field. And currently these athletes are holding their semi-regular qualifying tournament whose winners are allowed entry into the main event that they boldly call the World Cup.  Controversy struck when Ireland squared off against France today in northern Paris when a gentleman from the home team used his hands, allegedly, to help his team get the ball into the gigantic net. Seems that in this version of football using…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Culture Monster

  • Simon Rattle is back in LA. with the Berlin Philharmonic

    Mark Swed
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pm
    Angelenos remember Simon Rattle when. We know enough not to trust Wikipedia, which states that the Liverpool-born conductor made his U.S. debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1979. In fact, he appeared at the Hollywood Bowl three years earlier, as a 21-year-old with the London Schools Symphony Orchestra. He was still startlingly young when he began his 13-year stint as principal guest of the L.A. Philharmonic in 1981. Now he is Sir Simon, music director of the mighty Berlin Philharmonic. It hasn’t been all Sunny Sir Simon, as the German capital dubbed him when he took over in…

  • Art review: 'Kandinsky' at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

    Christopher Knight
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:03 am
    Just over a year ago, New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum completed a three-year restoration project for its great landmark building by Frank Lloyd Wright. Among much else, the beautifully done project put a grayish white skin on the original corkscrew building, visually separating it from the undistinguished annex added in the rear in 1992.The renovation was done in time for the Guggenheim's 50th anniversary celebration -- and, happily, in time for the celebratory Vasily Kandinsky retrospective, on view now. Kandinsky (1866-1944) was among the small handful of authentic…

  • Lee Strasberg: The acting legacy lives on

    Charles McNulty
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am
    This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, the school founded in 1969 by the legendary acting guru, who died in 1982, and his wife, Anna Strasberg, who is still carrying the torch of Method training with her son David Lee Strasberg, the institute's chief executive and creative director. For some, the Method is a relic, a throwback to a mid-20th century form of neurotic realism. Yet no one can deny the effect that Method actors have had on American theater, film and television. I can't say I became a theater critic because of…

  • Music review: Gustavo Dudamel and Gil Shaham play Mozart and Berg

    Mark Swed
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    The great 20th century conductor Bruno Walter claimed he wasn’t ready to conduct Mozart until he was 50. This refined, unfussy musician believed the heaven-sent symphonies of a young composer who died at 35 were wasted on the young, with their immature tendencies to romanticize, their childish swagger, their puppy love. Gustavo Dudamel, 28, opened and closed a Los Angeles Philharmonic program in Walt Disney Concert Hall Thursday night with two late, major Mozart symphonies – the “Prague” and “Jupiter.”  In an act of great seriousness, he used these scores to make an Alban Berg…

  • Opera broadcasts from La Scala, Barcelona returning to local cinemas

    David Ng
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm
    Now that the Metropolitan Opera no longer has the monopoly on opera broadcasts to cinemas, fans can look forward to a greater variety of productions from outside the Peter Gelb Ministry of Music.Starting Dec. 7, Laemmle Theaters in Southern California will screen broadcasts of opera productions from Milan's La Scala and Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. The season of programs, which runs through July 1 and includes six productions, features such vocal luminaries as Plácido Domingo, Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann, Ben Heppner and Erwin Schrott.The participating Laemmle cinemas…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Daily Dish

  • Thanksgiving countdown: whole-grain mustard rolls

    Rene Lynch
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:55 am
    These rolls can be prepared up to three days in advance  -- or you can make them right now, and freeze them until Turkey Day. Here's the recipe: And don't forget the butter. -- Rene LynchOn Twitter @renelynch  PHOTOS: 97 of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes This Thanksgiving, let someone else do the cooking More recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen Join us on Twitter @latimesfood and Facebook at facebook.com/latimesfood Photo credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times 

  • Market Watch: Salad greens, Brussels sprouts, apples, grapes, persimmons and pepinos

    Rene Lynch
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:53 am
    The Burbank farmers market, now held in the parking lot next to City Hall, has occupied several locations since its founding in 1983 but has always maintained high standards. It continues to feature many more produce vendors than prepared foods and crafts, 25 of 33 stands. Much of the credit belongs to the longtime manager, Carolyn Hill, who retired in July 2008 but trained her successor, Sarah Dornbos, to continue the market's style. The event provides more than $50,000 yearly to its sponsor, the Providence St. Joseph Medical Foundation, to subsidize medical expenses for needy…

  • 'The Next Iron Chef': It's Jehangir vs. Jose

    Rene Lynch
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:21 am
    For Chef Jose Garces, it was a curdled flan. For Chef Jehangir Mehta, it was the grape leaves. The last two chefs standing in the battle to become "The Next Iron Chef" say they are haunted by such flops as they head into Sunday night's finale on the Food Network. The Season 2 winner will join an elite stable of champions including Masaharu Morimoto, Bobby Flay and Cat Cora. These culinary warriors are the ones to beat on the popular Food Network game show "Iron Chef America." But the title goes beyond a TV game show. The winner gains immediate fame thanks to a singular…

  • Wine Spectator reveals Top 100 Wines of 2009, but... are all wine rating systems flawed?

    Elina Shatkin
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:16 pm
    Now that Wine Spectator has finished dragging out the reveal of its Top 100 Wines of 2009 -- a 2005 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked No. 1 -- over a yawn-inducing three days, we have to ask: Are wine ratings an accurate and useful guide for consumers? Or are they merely a series of wildly subjective impressions based more on context and expectation than the actual qualities of the wines? That's the question Leonard Mlodinow explores in a recent Wall Street Journal story, "A Hint of Hype, A Taste of Illusion." Given the high price of wine and the enormous number of…

  • Kiss My Bundt needs to sell 5,000 mini bundts to stay in business

    Jessica Gelt
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    The charming 3rd Street bakery Kiss My Bundt, which we have featured a few times in this blog (since its bundts and cupcakes are so tasty) is in a bit of trouble. Due to the recession and the rising cost of ingredients such as milk, butter, sugar and Belgian chocolate, the little bakery is struggling to stay afloat. Last week, investor Erin Hill sent out an e-mail saying in part: Chrysta [Wilson], the owner of the bakery, has been fighting valiantly since things got tough in January, but hasn't been able to build the business fast enough. So it has come down to the next few weeks, in…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Daily Mirror

  • A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

    Larry Harnisch
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Nov. 21, 1957: “It was bound to happen. Marlon Brando and Stanley Kubrick, director, parted company. Brando may take on directorial job himself. The credits could then read: Written by, directed by and starred in ‘One-Eyed Jacks,’ or he may let Karl Malden direct. Karl’s making a fortune on this picture: on salary since Sept. 1. When I asked why Brando does anything he likes, I’m told he’s box office.”

  • Dodgers Moving to KFI

    Keith Thursby
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am
        Nov. 21, 1959 This was a very small story that turned into a big deal. The Dodgers were moving on the radio from KMPC to KFI for the 1960 season. The significance? Gene Autry's company owned KMPC and when the Dodgers left, he looked for something to fill in the large gaps (and hopefully big ratings). When the American League decided to expand beginning in 1961, KMPC wanted the rights to broadcast the new team that would play in Los Angeles. Of course, Autry got a lot more than that, becoming the owner of the Los Angeles Angels. So would the Angels not have been born…

  • Man Beaten With Ukulele

    Larry Harnisch
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am
      “Safe Trip Ends in Death” – OK, but it made you look. April 29, 1930: I was researching a story from Nov. 21, 1959, and came across a much more interesting account of a man beaten into unconsciousness with a ukulele.

  • Wife Divorces ‘Girlish’ Army Officer

    Larry Harnisch
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    “When a Feller Needs a Friend,” by Clare Briggs Nov. 21, 1919: Lucille Howell seeks a divorce from her husband, an Army captain who likes to wear a girdle. "You know I always wanted a form like yours. You just wait until I accomplish the development that I want to. I tell you, honey, you will have quite a girl for your hubby,” Capt. Clarence Howell wrote. Capt. Howell appealed to the head of the Daughters of the American Revolution to arrange a reconciliation, but the attempt failed.  In one letter, Mrs. Howell called her husband a “sissy.” "He replied that if he got…

  • Pioneer of Covered Wagon Days Seeks to Save Oregon Trail

    Larry Harnisch
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Ezra Meeker, who first traveled the Oregon Trail in 1852. The city is overrun with loose dogs, The Times says. Dec. 4, 1928: Ezra Meeker dies at the age of 97. Nov. 21, 1909: The Times profiles Ezra Meeker, who traveled the country in an ox cart to promote his campaign to preserve the Oregon Trail as a national highway. Meeker is the fellow with the ox cart in the photos of the 1910 Aviation Meet.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Daily Travel Deal Blog

  • Explaining time shares’ star system

    Catharine Hamm
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:15 am
    Question: My husband and I own four time shares that we use frequently but have never had this problem until recently. We stayed at an RCI property that was billed as a five-star resort. We had to change the bed linens and bath towels ourselves by taking them to the laundry room to exchange, and [...]

  • Coeur d’Alene to the North Pole: An Idaho resort goes all out for Christmas

    Susan Derby
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:49 am
    When not in Vegas, 1.5-million lights can only mean someone’s putting on one heck of a holiday party. Northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Resort, which claims to hold the world’s tallest living Christmas tree, puts on a family-friendly Holiday Light Show annually on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene. This year, the event runs Nov. 27 [...]

  • Yosemite: Curry Village ice rink opens today

    Susan Derby
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm
    Whether you’re on the ice to pirouette, or to practice skating in a straight line without causing any harm, you can’t have less than an awe-inspiring time at an outdoor rink in Yosemite. The national park’s ice-skating venue, which sits below Glacier Point’s cliffs, is naturally blessed with good views of popular landmarks like Tenaya [...]

  • SeaWorld Aquatica’s 2010 expansion to include 4 new water slides

    Brady MacDonald
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:33 am
    The recently opened SeaWorld Aquatica water park in Orlando, Fla. will add four first-of-a-kind water slides in 2010, including a pair of inner-tube rides that go uphill with the help of a hydro-magnetic launch. The twin Tornado Walls are V-shaped slides that start with a magnetic launch that shoots a six-person inflatable raft up the face [...]

  • Thanksgiving travel predicted to be up this year at LAX, down at ONT

    Susan Derby
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am
    Here we go. Today begins the 10-day stretch known in some circles as the “Thanksgiving holiday travel period,” so brace yourselves for lines, lines, lines. At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), passenger volumes between today and Nov. 29 are predicted to be 1.1% higher than they were in 2008. Airport officials expect to see 1.49 million [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Dish Rag

  • The Dish Rag has Moved!

    Zap2it Staff
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:24 pm
    Elizabeth Snead will continue her reporting of TV Entertainment at a new location. Please update your RSS feed URL's today to catch all of the stories on her new site! http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheDishRag
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Entertainment News and Buzz

  • Comcast's plan to take control of NBC Universal encounters roadblock

    John Lippman
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:08 pm
    Comcast Corp.’s plan to take control of NBC Universal has encountered a roadblock. The Philadelphia-based cable operator, which had hoped to have a deal announced this week to acquire a 51% stake in the entertainment giant, is being held up as NBC Universal owners spar over the value of the company, according to people close to the negotiations. General Electric Co., which owns 80% of the television and movie company, and French telecommunications firm Vivendi, which owns 20%, have been negotiating for several weeks over the value of the minority stake. GE needs to reach an agreement with…

  • 'New Moon' poised for biggest box office day ever [Updated]

    Ben Fritz
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:31 pm
    "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is poised to break its second box office record in a single day. According to four people who have closely watched ticket sales data today but requested anonymity because they are not authorized to release the information, the teen vampire phenomenon is all but certain to gross more than $67.2 million, the record set by "The Dark Knight" last year for the biggest single-day take at the box office. By 5 p.m., the movie had already sold more than $50 million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada. When evening shows are included, the total will…

  • SAG's Pamm Fair resigning

    Richard Verrier
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pm
    Pamm Fair, deputy national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild, is resigning.Fair, who heads SAG's legislative affairs and communications divisions, will step down by the end of the year, a person close to SAG said. SAG officials declined to comment on the reason for Fair's resignation.  Fair was among the guild's highest paid staffers and saw her responsibilities grow during the controversial tenure of Doug Allen, the union's former executive director, who was fired by the SAG board earlier this year over his handling of a protracted contract standoff with the…

  • Jeff Zucker's rough ride

    Joe Flint
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:52 am
    It's probably not much fun being Jeff Zucker these days. Over the last year or so, the NBC Universal President and CEO has faced harsher criticism than usual. A press favorite when he was the wunderkind producer of NBC's "Today," those days are long gone and now he is pretty much a punching bag. Earlier this month, New York magazine called him a "reviled wonder boy" and said the "beleaguered and tattered Peacock Network deserves better." For every story that says Comcast is planning on leaving Zucker in charge if it takes control of NBC Universal, there…

  • 'New Moon' smashes 'Harry Potter' midnight ticket sales record

    Ben Fritz
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am
    The vampires have beat the boy wizard. According to four people close to the movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" sold more than $22.2 million worth of tickets in midnight shows last night, beating a record set this summer by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Two people close to the picture said the exact gross, which is still being calculated by Summit Entertainment, could be as high as $26 million. In addition, one person with access to ticket sales data said the original "Twilight," which was re-released in theaters last night, collected $1.2 million…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Greenspace

  • Green jobs: women and minorities left out?

    Tiffany Hsu
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    Green jobs don’t have to leave out women and minorities, according to a case study released by the Applied Research Center today. The report, by senior research associate Yvonne Yen Liu, profiled the work of the community organization Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education and the Los Angeles chapter of the Apollo Alliance in helping to pass a green retrofit ordinance for municipal buildings.The Applied Research Center, a racial justice think tank based in New York, said in “Greening Los Angeles” that women and minorities are often left out of the green economy. Of the…

  • California regulators outlaw power-hungry TVs

    Marc Lifsher
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pm
    The California Energy Commission, after two years of study, voted unanimously to ban the sale of large-format televisions that use too much electricity. It approved standards that would set maximum power consumption for TVs of up to 58 inches beginning Jan. 1, 2011. Those standards would be tightened two years later to require a 50% reduction in the number of watts. Buyers of new TVs would save approximately $30 a year over the 10-year life of a set, the commission estimates, and statewide savings over a decade would be $8.1 billion. Additionally, the state would be relieved of the need…

  • Green jobs grants for California

    Tiffany Hsu
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm
    The U.S. Department of Labor doled out nearly $5.5 million in grants for green-jobs training today, with more than a dozen awards scattered throughout California. The funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will support job-training and labor-market information programs to help workers find jobs in green industries and related occupations, said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. The Recovery Act has $500 million planned for green-jobs training grants. Today’s grants, to be administered by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, were given…

  • Global warming: California pushes ahead

    Margot Roosevelt
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm
    While Congress dithers over federal climate change legislation, and nations squabble over a global treaty, the nation's most populous state is doggedly pushing ahead with its own regulations to control the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating up the Earth's atmosphere. In a milestone for the state's landmark plan to slash emissions by 15% over the next 11 years from today's levels, the Air Resources Board announced today that more than 97% of the state's 605 largest factories, cement plants, refineries and power plants have reported how much carbon dioxide and other…

  • Nuclear power: less effective than energy efficiency and renewable energy?

    Tiffany Hsu
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:01 am
    If the U.S. wants to help stop global warming, nuclear power is not the way to go, according to a new report released today. The Environment California Research & Policy Center concluded that launching a nuclear power industry nearly from the ground up is too slow and expensive a process. Energy efficiency standards and renewable energy options are better solutions, researchers said. Currently, no new nuclear reactors are under construction in the country, and no U.S. power company has ordered a nuclear plant since 1978. All orders for nuclear facilities after fall 1973…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Gold Derby

  • Oscars quiz: Who got demoted?

    tomoneil
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:48 am
    It doesn't matter what acting category you campaign for at the Academy Awards; voters can put you wherever they want. Most frequently, when ignoring category guidance, they tended to promote contenders from the supporting race to lead like Kate Winslet ("The Reader") and Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider"), but sometimes they have the nerve to push a lead contender down to supporting. Which one of these actors suffered that humiliating fate? To see the answer, click on the "Continue reading" link under the photos. ANSWER: James Cromwell was demoted to the 1995…

  • Join our live chat during the American Music Awards on Sunday

    tomoneil
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:24 pm
    Turn your viewing of the American Music Awards this Sunday on ABC (5 p.m. PT, 8 p.m. ET) into a multimedia experience. Share your reactions to the wins, performances and general craziness during the ceremony with other award nuts here at The Envelope. Join our live chat. &lta href=&quothttp://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amptask=viewaltcast&ampaltcast_code=e085b012b3"&gtAmerican Music Awards 2009

  • Gold Derby nuggets: Sigourney Weaver praises James Cameron | Fighting words of snubbed 'Tyson' director | Will Sandra Bullock be blind-sided in awards game?

    tomoneil
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:58 pm
    • Jada Yuan chats with Sigourney Weaver about reuniting with "Aliens" helmer James Cameron for "Avatar." Says Weaver -- who landed the first of her three Oscar nods under Cameron's direction -- "Well, he was always so sweet to me during 'Aliens.' And that was a tough picture for him, because the crew had this big Ridley Scott obsession, and it took him a while to get their attention as a filmmaker. But with me and the other actors, I always felt, he cast so well; he's so devoted to his actors. He does get impatient with filmmaking in a way, but he always pushes…

  • Tom O'Neil's bio

    Emily Christianson
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:04 pm
    Tom O'Neil is the author of "Movie Awards," "The Emmys" and "The Grammys" (Penguin Putnam Books) and has reported on showbiz awards for the L.A. Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Variety, TV Guide, Reader's Digest and other major media. In 1999, he launched GoldDerby.com, the first website devoted to predicting all top showbiz awards. It was acquired by the Los Angeles Times in November 2005 and folded into the launch of TheEnvelope.com. O'Neil's special interest is how the awards affect each other, particularly the top film prizes that can be viewed as one…

  • Gold Derby nuggets: Hit docs left off Oscars long list | Crazy journey for 'Crazy Heart' | 'Lost' returns Feb. 2

    tomoneil
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:13 pm
    • Only 15 of the 89 feature-length documentaries eligible made it onto the academy's long list that will now be winnowed down to a final five by members of the documentary branch. Among those widely distributed docs that failed to make the cut were Oscar champ Michael Moore's ("Bowling for Columbine") latest effort "Capitalism: A Love Story" -- which merited just 61 at Metacritic -- as well as "The September Issue" (MC score of 69), Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim's ("An Inconvenient Truth") rock doc "It Might Get Loud" (MC score of 70),…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Hero Complex

  • Avatar: The Game will follow its own path through the alien jungle

    Geoff Boucher
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:12 am
    "AVATAR" COUNTDOWN: 28 DAYS James Cameron has big aspirations for "Avatar," and here at Hero Complex we're stepping up with some epic coverage plans: a 30-day countdown. Today's topic: Hero Complex contributor Gerrick Kennedy reports on the Ubisoft video game that hopes to take the fans of the sci-fi epic on an entirely different adventure. Security is intense these days at the Montreal offices of Ubisoft where more than 200 employees are working overtime to put the final touches on the new James Cameron's Avatar: The Game, which is due to hit…

  • USC professor creates an entire alien language for 'Avatar'

    Geoff Boucher
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    "AVATAR" COUNTDOWN: 29 DAYS James Cameron has big aspirations for "Avatar," and here at Hero Complex we're stepping up with some epic coverage plans: a 30-day countdown. Today's topic: The USC professor who found himself on an unexpected Hollywood adventure when he was hired to create the language spoken by aliens on Cameron's distant planet of Pandora. This modern era of moviemaking has plenty of peculiar challenges for actors -- on green-screen sets, for instance, they have to watch a ping-pong ball hanging from a string and…

  • Taylor Lautner on Rob Pattinson: 'Sadly, we don't hate each other'

    Geoff Boucher
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:22 am
    In May, Hero Complex contributor Gina McIntyre traveled north to Vancouver, Canada, to visit the set of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and talk to the creative minds behind one of the most anticipated films of 2009. This week, as we count down to the release of the vampy sequel -- which is now screening everywhere -- McIntyre gives us daily dispatches from her trip. Today's final post in the series is a Q&A with Jacob Black himself, 17-year-old actor Taylor Lautner.    GM: I understand you did a lot of your own stunts in the…

  • Giovanni Ribisi pretty much loves Jim Cameron

    Geoff Boucher
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:20 pm
    "AVATAR" COUNTDOWN It's 30 days until the opening of James Cameron's "Avatar," and here at Hero Complex you will find more insight and information about the film than anywhere else; today marks the start of our daily countdown coverage leading up to the much-anticipated epic adventure. Will the film live up to the industry billing of "the game-changer" for Hollywood special-effects movies? Today we start the countdown with a conversation with Giovanni Ribisi, one of the stars of the movie, who could not talk…

  • Missing Nemo: Berkeley Breathed says new movies are missing magic and drowning in pixels [UPDATED]

    Geoff Boucher
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:49 am
    GUEST ESSAY BY BERKELEY BREATHED Last week, at the precise moment on screen that millions of screaming, tanned Angelenos tumbled down into a mile-deep cataclysmic crack in the planet’s exploding crust along with their high-rise condos and labradoodles,  a man’s phone rang in the row of seats behind me. In a voice rising even above the sound of continental plates and Hummers scraping on each other, he discussed dining options with his caller. “Szechuan!” he spouted. “It’s spicy!” I looked around at my fellow multiplexers.  I’d need help strangling him. …
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Homicide Report

  • Man shot and killed in Long Beach

    Robert Lopez
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:33 pm
    A Los Angeles man was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the courtyard of a Long Beach apartment complex, police said today. Detectives are investigating the slaying of Comontray Lenoir, 24, as a gang-related crime, the Long Beach Police Department said. Lenoir's body was found at the complex in the 2700 block of East 57th Street after officers responded to reports of a shooting about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Lenoir had been shot in the torso and upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call Dets. William Matsubara and Todd…

  • Man fatally shot in Norwalk

    Robert Lopez
    16 Nov 2009 | 11:03 pm
    A man was shot dead this evening in Norwalk, authorities said.The victim was in 11200 block of Ferina Street when he was killed shortly before 6 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released.No additional details were available.Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.--Robert J. Lopez

  • Man said to be in stable condition after being shot in head

    William Nottingham
    15 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm
    An argument between two men in South Los Angeles today ended with one shooting the other in the head at about 11:15 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Gregory Baek said.The 34-year-old victim was expected to survive, he said.The 10100 block of South Vermont Avenue, where the incident occurred, was closed to traffic for more than two hours as authorities searched for the suspect. The victim, whose name was not given, was transported to a hospital in stable condition. The shooting is not believed to be gang-related, Baek said. -- Corina Knoll

  • Two wounded by gunfire in Chatsworth

    William Nottingham
    15 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am
    Two men were shot and wounded early this morning as police broke up a party in Chatsworth, authorities said. Los Angeles police officers at the Devonshire station responded to complaints about a party in the 22200 block of Chatsworth Street about 2:30 a.m., Sgt. Andrew Kukla said. As the crowd was dispersed, gunshots were heard. The officers discovered a man about 20 to 25 years old who had been shot in the leg and a man about 30 years old who suffered a gunshot to his ankle, Officer Gregory Baek said. The men were transported to a hospital in stable condition. The shooter appeared to have…

  • Two found shot to death in Santa Fe Springs

    William Nottingham
    15 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am
    A man and a woman were found shot to death early this morning in a Santa Fe Springs parking lot, authorities said. Two Whittier police officers conducting a traffic stop on Norwalk Boulevard heard gunshots about 2 a.m. and began searching the area, Lt. Carlos Solorza said. They discovered the two victims in the 11500 block of Los Nietos Road, in an industrial neighborhood, but did not see a suspect. The relationship of the man and the woman was not known, and their names and ages were withheld pending further investigation. They were pronounced dead at the scene, Solorza said. -- Corina Knoll
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Jacket Copy

  • A cornucopia of book covers

    Carolyn Kellogg
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:30 am
    The blog The Book Cover Archive has come up with a short, short list of its top 10 book covers of the aughts, with another 10 runners-up. There are special mentions for a handful of designers, but really, a group of 10  covers -- even 20 -- is not nearly enough. This set has a heavy helping of covers that work as trompe d'oeil -- 2008's favorite, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," has a cover that appears to be the spines of a bunch of other books lined up in a neat row. But those lose some of their charm when reproduced digitally (it's hard to…

  • Reviews this week: not just Palin and Agassi

    Carolyn Kellogg
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pm
    This week, there were some small books competing for attention against some blockbusters. Andre Agassi's memoir, "Open," is charming everyone, including our reviewer David Davis:This literate and absorbing book is, as the title baldly states, Agassi's confessional, a wrenching chronicle of his lifelong search for identity and serenity, on and off the court. Peter Mayle, best known for "A Year in Provence," begins in Malibu but swiftly heads back to France, in a wine-and-food fiction this time around. Reviewer Bernadette Murphy writes:"The Vintage Caper"…

  • Shakespeare and Company's new literary mural

    Carolyn Kellogg
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:17 am
    The English-language bookstore on Paris' left bank, Shakespeare and Company, has been a draw for generations of expatriate writers. That goes for both its first iteration, owned by Sylvia Beach, who was the original publisher of James Joyce's "Ulysses," and the more recent version, opened in 1951 by George Whitman. And those writers are rendered in portraits in a new mural in the shop, on the stairwell between the ground floor and the upstairs browsing/reading room.On its website, Bomb Magazine has a slideshow of the mural's creation, and an interview with the artist,…

  • Can Nick Cave rival Bad Sex Award favorite Philip Roth?

    Carolyn Kellogg
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:46 am
    British magazine the Literary Review has announced the shortlist of finalists for its Bad Sex Award. The contenders list could be plucked from any highbrow literary award competition: John Banville has won a Booker, Amos Oz has been awarded the French Legion of Honor and Philip Roth has one Pulitzer and two National Book Awards. But maybe they'd prefer not to add the Bad Sex Award to their achievements. "Nobody wants to win that award," Margaret Atwood -- who is not in the running -- told Jacket Copy in October.  Not all the finalists feel that way. Nick Cave's "The…

  • Amy Goodman's book tour draws noontime crowd

    Carolyn Kellogg
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm
    It's hard to fill a bookstore at noon on a weekday, but that's exactly what happened at Skylight Books in Los Feliz today when Amy Goodman appeared to talk about her new book, "Breaking the Sound Barrier." By 11:45 a.m., all the seats were filled, decent standing room was taken and people were queuing up behind high bookshelves -- even if they couldn't see, they could listen. Listening is what they're used to doing with Goodman, a longtime left-wing radio host. In Los Angeles, her show Democracy Now!, now in its 13th year, airs on KPFK-FM (90.7). Out on the…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Land

  • L.A. Land is moving to Money & Company

    LATimes
    16 Nov 2009 | 1:19 pm
    LA Land has moved to a bigger, brighter, newer home. You can now find it in our Money & Company blog. You will still be able to find all the real estate news, foreclosures, and Hot Property pieces, but now in our uber-business blog.  Before you click the link, make sure to bookmark the new url: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/real_estate/File photo by Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times

  • Tree of the Week: The picturesque Aleppo pine

    Nancy Rivera
    14 Nov 2009 | 6:06 am
    Aleppo pine -- Pinus halepensis Tough and rugged as a movie outlaw, the Aleppo pine's asymmetrical shape, leaning habit, sparse foliage, haphazard branching pattern, and grayish branches and needles contribute to a picturesque image. But it isn't a pretty pine tree. Native to coastal areas around the Mediterranean basin, the tree historically was more abundant on the west side (Spain, Morocco, Algeria) than around the Middle East, even though its name derives from the Syrian city of Aleppo. It thrives on thin soil and steep slopes, and prefers deserts and seacoasts, where it…

  • Report: Entry-level home buyers make up biggest share of market ever

    Alex Lazo
    13 Nov 2009 | 5:27 pm
    First-time buyers made up a bigger share of the housing market in 2009 than any other year on record, according to a study released this afternoon. The number of first-time home buyers rose to 47% of all home sales from 41% of transactions in last year’s study, and was the highest on record dating back to 1981, according to the Washington-based National Assn. of Realtors. Home sales have been fueled in recent months by cheap foreclosure properties. Both investors and first-time buyers have jumped into the market to snap up these heavily discounted digs. For first-time buyers, one major…

  • This weekend: A flurry of condo and townhome auctions

    Alex Lazo
    13 Nov 2009 | 2:07 pm
    Still sorting out your weekend plans? Maybe it’s time to snap up that discounted downtown loft. Beverly Hills-based auction company Kennedy Wilson is closing out 55 units in the Market Lofts building with a session Saturday. The auction is part of a trend playing out across the region as fancy edifices put up during the boom years are now sitting vacant. From The Times’ May 18 story on the subject: Across Southern California, projects conceived during the housing boom, but completed after the bust, are sitting largely vacant. Developers are desperate to unload these units, but they face…

  • Real estate roundup: Californians in foreclosure limbo

    Alex Lazo
    13 Nov 2009 | 11:07 am
    A rising number of Californians are finding themselves in financial limbo, having defaulted on their mortgages but still living in their homes, a new report has found. The report by Foreclosureradar.com (registration required) found that while the number of properties scheduled for foreclosure sale increased last month, lenders continue to postpone the sales rather than foreclose. After three months of declines, the number of houses taken back by banks in October rose by 22.2% from September and 20.95% from October 2008. Despite that jump, the number of foreclosures remains 42.6% below a peak…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Now

  • State attorney general investigating whether African American churches were defrauded in computer scam

    Carlos Lozano
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pm
    California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown announced today that he is investigating whether four individuals defrauded more than 30 African American churches in Southern California by forcing them to pay thousands of dollars for substandard computer kiosks, which the churches were promised wouldn’t cost anything.According to Brown, the kiosks were pitched as high-tech devices that could serve as electronic message boards, print retail coupons from local businesses and generate advertising revenue.“The promise was that the churches involved would be able to attract more customers,” said the Rev.

  • Mexican teen pleads guilty to killing U.S. Border Patrol agent

    Steve Clow
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    A Mexican teenager pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a U.S. Border Patrol agent last summer while attempting to rob him of government property in a remote area east of San Diego, according to a plea agreement announced today. The suspect, 17-year-old Christian Daniel Castro-Alvarez, and an unspecified number of co-conspirators, lured Agent Robert W. Rosas Jr. out of his vehicle while he was on routine patrol near the border community of Campo, according to the agreement. Rosas was shot multiple times by Castro-Alvarez and one or more co-conspirators. Federal authorities provided few details…

  • Michael Jackson's doctor bought powerful anesthetic a month before singer's death, court records say

    Amanda Covarrubias
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am
    Michael Jackson’s personal physician purchased five bottles of the powerful anesthetic that killed the singer from a Las Vegas pharmacy the month before his death, according to court documents unsealed today. Dr. Conrad Murray acknowledged giving Jackson the drug propofol in a police interview two days after Jackson’s June 25 death, and according to a police affidavit made public by a Las Vegas judge, Los Angeles police and federal drug agents subsequently worked to connect the doctor to drug bottles found in the pop icon’s rented Holmby Hills mansion. During a July raid on the…

  • Man falls to death from downtown L.A. apartment

    Seema Mehta
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:32 am
    Police are investigating the death this morning of an elderly man who fell from his 10th-story apartment in the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Officers called to the 500 block of South Spring Street about 5:30 a.m. initially investigated the death as a suicide, said Officer April Harding, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. A recent string of suicides in the area, the city’s Old Bank District, has confounded residents. But coroner’s officials say the death appears to be accidental, and that a section of the fire escape outside the man’s apartment apparently…

  • Police seeking suspects in three murders in Long Beach and Pico Rivera [Updated]

    Seema Mehta
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:18 am
    Police are asking for the public’s help today in solving three separate murders in south Los Angeles County. One person was killed and two wounded about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in a shooting outside a liquor store in the 3600 block of Santa Fe Avenue in Long Beach, according to city police spokeswoman Jackie Bezart. The  murder is believed to be gang-related, and the victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of his family. [Updated at 11:28 p.m.: The victim was identified as 19-year-old Frank Castro Jr. of Long Beach. A man approached him and the two other victims on foot…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Unleashed

  • Despite protests, mass animal sacrifice to go on as planned in Nepal

    LATimes
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:51 pm
    Katmandu, Nepal -- A Hindu festival in which thousands of animals are expected to be sacrificed will go ahead as scheduled in southern Nepal despite protests, organizers said Friday. The Gadhimai festival, celebrated every five years, is attended by many Hindus from India as well as from Nepal. More than 200,000 buffaloes, pigs, goats, chickens and pigeons are expected to be slaughtered this year on Nov. 24 and 25. Organizers said they will not bow to "interference" from animal rights and religious groups that have held protests in Katmandu and in the festival area in Bara district,…

  • Reader photo of the day: A lilac-breasted roller on the hunt in Africa

    LATimes
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:45 pm
    Submitter Alan shares his vivid photo of the most colorful bird we'd ever seen (and that's including peafowl), taken in Botswana.  The bird is a lilac-breasted roller, a species commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East.  Lilac-breasted rollers are known to perch high in trees or atop telephone poles and other similarly high places in order to scope out their favored foods, which can include everything from small insects to reptiles to other birds.  Think your animal photo should be our reader photo of the day?  Show us by submitting it to the Pets &…

  • Three new AKC-recognized dog breeds: bluetick coonhound, Boykin spaniel and redbone coonhound

    LATimes
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pm
    The American Kennel Club has announced that three new dog breeds -- the bluetick coonhound, the Boykin spaniel and the redbone coonhound -- will be eligible for AKC conformation competition beginning Dec. 30. The new breeds will bring the total number of breeds recognized by the AKC to 164.  The bluetick coonhound (left) is believed to be descended from the French staghound and English foxhound, and blueticks were originally classified as members of the English foxhound breed.  Blueticks and English foxhounds went their separate ways in 1945 because, according to the AKC, bluetick breeders…

  • Dogs aren't welcome in Redondo Beach's city parks (but dog owners want to change that)

    LATimes
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:16 pm
    We know Huntington Beach has a reputation for being the most dog-friendly city in Southern California.  But what city is the least dog-friendly? Vying for that dubious title, at least if you ask some residents, is Redondo Beach. All of Redondo's 20-plus parks (with the exception of its excellent off-leash dog park) have a strict no-dogs-allowed policy, but a group of dog-loving residents is working to change that. Our colleague Jeff Gottlieb has the story; here's an excerpt: "We've been described as the most dog unfriendly city in the South Bay," Councilman Bill…

  • Your morning adorable: Three bumps -- er, Siberian tiger cubs -- on a log

    LATimes
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:59 am
    Germany's Nuremberg Zoo welcomed Rangar, Khan and Domur, Siberian tiger cubs, back in August. Since Siberian tigers (also called Amur tigers) are endangered -- it's believed that only about 400 to 500 animals remain in the wild in eastern Russia and parts of China and North Korea -- these three healthy cubs have given the zoo great cause for celebration. Siberian tigers are the largest of the tiger subspecies still in existence today. There were once eight subspecies, but three (the Caspian tiger, Javan tiger and Bali tiger) became extinct during the 20th century.  The five…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    La Plaza

  • Los Angeles council members to make donations for El Salvador storm victims

    Paula Diaz
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:40 pm
    Five Los Angeles City Council members this week pledged to donate $2,000 each to help storm victims in El Salvador. Council Members Jose Huizar, Eric Garcetti (council president), Ed Reyes, Tony Cardenas and Richard Alarcon promised a donation totaling $10,000 to a local disaster relief agency focused on El Salvador.  Torrential rains in the Central American nation this month triggered flooding and mudslides that left dozens of people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes, officials said. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a press release that Los Angeles is home to the…

  • Latin America Digest: Today's one-line news briefs

    Efrain Hernandez
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm
    Salvador, Brazil — Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday joined visiting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in calling on Israel to stop building new settlements in areas claimed by Palestinians. Bogota, Colombia — Six people, including two children, were killed when suspected Colombian FARC guerrillas stopped and set fire to a bus traveling in the south of the country, a state governor said. Guatemala City — Guatemalan officials announced the resumption of international adoptions after a nearly two-year suspension prompted by the…

  • Police in Peru say gang members killed people to drain their fat for cosmetics

    Efrain Hernandez
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm
    Gang members in Peru face charges of killing people and draining their fat for use in cosmetics, police said today. Police showed journalists two bottles of fat that authorities said were recovered from two suspects and a photograph of a rotting head believed to be of a male victim. The suspects allegedly told police the fat was worth $60,000 per gallon. Police Col. Jorge Mejia said three suspects who confessed to five killings told authorities the fat was sold in Lima, the capital. One suspect said the gang severed body parts and then suspended the torsos, collecting  fat in tubs…

  • Mexican authorities predict fewer Mexican immigrants will be back home for Christmas

    Paula Diaz
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    Mexican authorities predict a decline in the number of Mexican nationals returning to their country during the holiday season due to the current economic crisis and the necessity of having a passport to re-enter the United States, according to Cecilia Romero Castillo, Commissioner of Mexico’s National Institute of Migration.  “According to our estimates, approximately 850,000 individuals will return this year, whereas last year the number was more than 1 million,”  she said.Romero Castillo was in Los Angeles this week to attend the opening of the Feria Paisano, which was…

  • Movie has 2012 wrong, says Canadian archaeologist

    Deborah Bonello
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:59 am
    Kenneth Turan reviews "2012," the latest disaster movie portraying the end of the world. The movie is directed by Roland Emmerich, who seems to be stuck on the same theme, after movies like "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day." "2012" is based on a premise apparently laid out in an ancient carved monument found in the Mayan region, which covers the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America. The region has been home to the indigenous Maya people since 900 BC. But Canadian archaeologist Kathryn Reese-Taylor, who teaches at…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Lakers Blog

  • If I might just rant here for a moment... and other Lakers/NBA news

    kambrothers
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pm
    A well run pick and roll is a great thing to watch, impossible to defend completely given the right personnel. That doesn't mean I want to see it all the time. But as Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times confirms and quantifies here, increasingly in today's NBA, it's a P and R world, the rest of us are just passengers. The Lakers, who originated only 11% of their offensive plays last year through the set writes Abrams, are an exception. Fans and the game are better for it. LA's offense demands players think and interpret, share the ball, display...

  • Friday practice notes: Pau, PJ, and Bynum

    kambrothers
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:54 pm
    (Self Promotional Notes: Don't forget to download this week's 710 ESPN.com Lakers PodKast, and to follow us on the Twitter at latimesKbros. Finally, AK and I are the, ahem, "personalities" representing 710 ESPN at this poker tourney at Hollywood Park Casino. Apparently, there's a bounty on our heads. Not for capturing us Boba Fett style for delivery to Jabba the Hutt, but rather knocking us out of the event. Come down/up/over and play if you can. That is all... for now. Moving on...) Sorry for what will be a brief report from Friday afternoon's practice in El Segundo, but it's...

  • Andrew Bynum Ankle Update

    kambrothers
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pm
    Or A.B.A.U., for the acronymically* inclined... No surprise, after turning his right ankle in the third quarter of Thursday's 108-93 win over the Bulls, Andrew Bynum didn't practice Friday afternoon in El Segundo, instead receiving treatment ranging from medicine to ice to something he called a "laser level," which I always thought was used to hang picture frames properly. (Note: If my Google skills are worth their salt, I'm pretty sure he meant a low-level laser, which is used to help reduce swelling.) "It was sorer than last night, he said. "I left last (the arena) last…

  • New 710 ESPN.com Lakers podkast!!!

    kambrothers
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pm
    The two part presentation remains intact. And in honor Pau Gasol's return, the sections will be titled in Spanish. We're bridging the gap like that. Part Uno -We discuss what the return of Pau Gasol means to the Lakers. Through eleven games, the Lakers have been mostly solid, occasionally fantastic, occasionally bad, but rarely resembling the one that took home an O'Brien last June. As we noticed last night, Pau's presence goes a long way towards restoring that dominance. Between his scoring abilities, passing skills, underrated D and general smarts, an awful lot has been brought to the…

  • Lakers beat Bulls: Tapas for all the people!

    kambrothers
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:28 am
    Hamstring! It sounds like a bad musical, but really, it was just the major running subplot for the Lakers over their first 11 games as they waited for Pau Gasol's balky hammy to heal up. Thursday night, the curtain finally rose on Gasol's '09-'10 season, and the reviews (I'm already sick of this metaphor, but it's too late to turn back) were sterling. Tony Award quality, even. (Wow, that last one made me cringe... hackneyed, thy name is me.) 24 points, 13 boards, 35 minutes as the Lakers knocked off the Bulls 108-93. Gasol didn't expect so many minutes, or...
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Money & Company

  • Tree of the Week: The fast-growing white alder is a thirsty native

    Lauren Beale
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    The white alder -- Alnus rhombifolia The white alder is an inhabitant of "the other California," that small and shrinking part of the state where the streams are always flowing and water is never in short supply. The tree is native to stream beds in Western states, where it is an important contributor to the variety of riparian woodland species and supports abundant local wildlife. The tree grows very fast, sometimes while standing in water. Often it is the pioneer vegetation in denuded soils, and because it is able to manufacture its own nitrogen thanks to helpful bacteria living…

  • Most expensive home in the U.S. plans to stay that way

    Lauren Beale
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:32 pm
    The list of the world's most expensive homes was published this week at Forbes.com, and Candy Spelling's Holmby Hills estate, dubbed the Manor, remains the leader among U.S. residential properties at $150 million. At only eight months on the market, it's still a youngster as listings in this price range go, so don't expect a $149-million discount any time soon. More details are included in my story at latimes.com. One side note not included in the story is that the 56,500-square-foot French chateau was originally called  L'Oiseau (meaning the bird) for it's W…

  • Mini review: 2010 Bentley Continental GT Supersports

    Lauren Raab
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm
    There are many ways in which the Bentley Continental GT Supersports is appalling.  There is the price, of course: $274,000.  There’s the fact that when you roll down the windows and turn up the mega sound system, traffic helicopters fall out of the sky. There’s the absolutely unavoidable truth that, in the interests of extracting a total of 241 pounds out of the car, Bentley engineers have removed the Continental GT’s lovely front seats and replaced them with cruel Sparco carbon-fiber racing seats that feel as if you are reposing in the jaws of an upholstered crescent wrench.

  • A second look at those housing starts

    Alex Lazo
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:40 pm
    It’s Friday and it’s slow, so let’s dig a little deeper into those housing-starts numbers that got investors running scared this week. If you will recall, the Commerce Department reported that housing starts unexpectedly fell 10.6% to a seasonally adjusted 529,000 annual rate in October compared with the previous month. That was a 30.7% drop from October 2008. Analysts said the drop probably had to do with trepidation from the building industry in October as uncertainty remained over whether Congress would extend its $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers beyond its Nov. 30 deadline.

  • How Twitter plans to make money

    Alex Pham
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm
    A $1-billion valuation creates big expectations, especially when the company doesn't yet have a clear plan for how it plans to generate cash. That's certainly the case with Twitter, the microblogging site that boasts tens of millions of users (including this reporter) but not much in the way of revenue. To mollify skeptics, Twitter's chief operating officer, Dick Costolo, dropped a few crumbs this morning about how his company plans to make money. The short answer: ads. To read more, click here. -- Alex Pham
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Movable Buffet

  • Movable Buffet: Final entry

    RichardAbowitz
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pm
    In a very Vegas way, I got lucky. In October 2005, I was hired by L.A. Times editors who had found my Vegas writing online. I became one of the first bloggers in the history of the L.A. Times. Vegas...

  • Fangoria's Trinity of Terrors: Waters, Romero, Slipknot and more

    RichardAbowitz
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:59 am
    Here are some final round-up notes from Fangoria's Trinity of Terrors that took place over at the Palms this weekend: Tom Atkins and Adrienne Barbeau (pictured) have appeared in a few films together over the years, including "Escape From New...

  • Photos from Fangoria: Trinity of Terrors

    RichardAbowitz
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am
    Buffet photographer Sarah Gerke sent in these images from Fangoria: Trinity of Terrors at Palms on Saturday. The convention, put on by horror magazine Fangoria and featuring films and a variety of actors and personalities, finishes up today. I am...

  • Oops, I am a tourist (and it's expensive)

    RichardAbowitz
    31 Oct 2009 | 10:00 am
    I am staying at the Palms this weekend (where despite covering the resort since its opening in 2001, I never spent a night before) to blog the Fangoria Trinity of Terrors. The convention did not start until late Friday afternoon,...

  • Fright Dome: Huge haunted houses at Circus Circus

    RichardAbowitz
    30 Oct 2009 | 11:47 am
    I had not seen Jason Egan, owner and creator of Fright Dome, since interviewing him in 2005. Since then, there has been a slow transformation of Fright Dome from what was primarily a locals event to one that increasingly includes...
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Opinion LA

  • Thank thee, bishops

    Michael McGough
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pm
    America's Roman Catholic bishops aren't completely obsessed by abortion and gay marriage. My former colleague Ann Rodgers, one of the best religion reporters around, reports in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that bishops have been battling over whether to approve a retro English translation of the Mass with more traditional (and, critics charge, more stilted) language. The new/old language won out at the recent bishops' conference. So now when the priest says "The Lord be with you," the congregation will reply "And with your spirit," not "and also with…

  • A little bit more choice in a reformed healthcare system

    Jon Healey
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pm
    Good news today from the backstage maneuverings on the Senate Democrats' healthcare reform bill. As The New Republic reported, Democratic leaders have agreed to give more flexibility to millions of Americans who get their health insurance today through their workplace. First, a little background. My favorite healthcare reform proposal was the Healthy Americans Act by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Robert Bennett (R-Utah). In addition to being a genuinely bipartisan approach to the issue, it was smart about bringing market forces to bear on the industry. But it also was the most radical…

  • They took all the newsmen and put them in the Newseum

    Michael McGough
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    I met Tim Russert only once, before a "Meet the Press" debate between two Senate candidates from my home state of Pennsylvania. Russert was engaging, impressively au courant with Keystone State politics and, well, a nice guy. I also admired his work, and I was sad when he died before his time. (You never hear about someone dying at his time.) Still, I cringed at the excessiveness of his obsequies. Journalism has a long, and appealingly human, tradition of providing a little nicer send-off to colleagues than someone in another business might receive. That's why…

  • Paying for healthcare reform with a 'botax'

    Jon Healey
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:07 pm
    We've seen taxes on death, luxury and sin, and now the Senate is poised to impose one on vanity. To help cover the cost of health insurance subsidies for the working class, the bill cobbled together by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) would create a 5% excise tax on elective cosmetic surgery. "Elective" is the important word here; the new levy wouldn't apply to reconstructive surgery for people who'd been disfigured. The idea, which some Senate Democrats have been kicking around for months, has already been tried out in New Jersey, where it reportedly brought…

  • Is a $26,000 UC education still a deal?

    Paul Thornton
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm
    That's $26,000 for a single year at a University of California campus, not the four usually needed to graduate. The UC Board of Regents voted today to increase basic education fees for undergraduates by 32% to more than $10,000 for the 20010-11 academic year. Throw in the roughly $16,000 per year required for room, board and books, and the UC system fees approach $30,000 per year -- and feel a lot like the cost of an Ivy League education with few of the perks. (None of this is to say, mind you, that the regents won't be forced to raise fees again in 2010, with the state facing a…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Outposts

  • Skateboarder Mike Vallely in fracas at hockey game

    Pete Thomas
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:02 am
    News item: Mike Vallely, a legendary figure in the core skateboarding universe, is arrested after a brawl at the end of a Friday night Anaheim Ducks hockey game (a video has already been posted on YouTube). The fight begins when player Scott Niedermayer tries to toss his stick to a girl in the front row as a friendly gesture. Niedermeyer stares in disbelief through the glass at a group of people struggling for the stick, including Vallely. The Ducks reportedly have disassociated themselves from Vallely, who's a die-hard fan and had blogged on the team website. Reaction: Perhaps the Ducks…

  • Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 20

    Kelly Burgess
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:13 pm
    Attention anglers: Outposts will attempt to post the daily Southern California saltwater fish count, courtesy of 976-TUNA, each evening. Hope you find it useful:Daily Wrapup Boats Anglers Fish Audio H&M Landing 1 11 4 Sand Bass 2 Sheephead 4 Whitefish 14 Rockfish 3 Sculpin 18 Red Snapper   Seaforth 2 37 5 Calico Bass 3 Whitefish 47 Rockfish 4 Bonito 1 Sculpin 12 Red Snapper   Dana Wharf 3 30 16 Calico Bass 18 Sand Bass 24 Sheephead 6 Rockfish 2 Bonito   Davey's Locker 1 8 1 Calico Bass 7 Sheephead 2 Whitefish 5 Rockfish 1 Perch   Newport Landing 1 10 5…

  • Buck's amazing rack may be a new Nebraska record

    Kelly Burgess
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm
    A Texas man may find himself in the Nebraska state record books after shooting a 38-point whitetail buck. Lexington, Texas, resident Wes O'Brien was hunting with a friend on private land in Richardson County, Neb., on Saturday when he spotted and shot the deer from about 100 yards. O'Brien told the Lincoln Journal Star that his trophy has received a preliminary score of 281. The rack's official score won't be determined for 60 days, the "drying period" during which the antlers will shrink a little. Should O'Brien's buck be scored the new state record, it will…

  • Girl, 14, dies after skiing accident at Breckenridge in Colorado

    Pete Thomas
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:20 pm
    A 14-year-old girl died late this morning after an accident on the slopes at Breckenridge in Colorado. Vail Resorts, which operates Breckenridge, confirmed the news but did not release the name of the girl. The accident occurred on an intermediate trail called Spruce. The girl reportedly was wearing a helmet and might have struck a tree. She was administered to by emergency personnel and transported to Breckenridge Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Breckenridge has issued a media release stating: "Breckenridge Ski Resort, Breckenridge Ski Patrol and the Vail Resorts…

  • Nationwide campground and RV resort survey gives 31 'A' grades

    Kelly Burgess
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm
    Thirty-one campgrounds and recreational vehicle resorts have earned all-around "A" grades in the second annual consumer satisfaction survey of independent parks. But only one -- Meadowcliff RV Resort -- is in California. Nearly 17,000 camping and RV enthusiasts participated in the online survey, which evaluated guest experiences at 1,840 independent campgrounds and RV resorts affiliated with the National Assn. of RV Parks and Campgrounds. The survey was for privately run locations only -- national and state parks were not included. "Sixteen of the nation's 31 top parks in…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Pop & Hiss

  • American Music Awards: Three reasons to watch, three reasons to avoid

    Todd Martens
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pm
    It's hard to imagine that this is finally happening. A music awards show without Kanye West and/or Taylor Swift will go down on Sunday night, and right here in our hometown. The American Music Awards are set for a live Sunday night broadcast -- tape-delayed for the West Coast. Set to air at 8 p.m. on ABC, expect at least 20 music performances, and the occasional fan-voted award to be handed out at the gala at downtown's Nokia Theatre.  In a tradition started last year by Pop & Hiss, here's three reasons to tune in, and three reasons one may be better off catching up on…

  • Maxwell gets post-Grammy nomination concert

    Todd Martens
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm
    R&B singer Maxwell will perform a concert at downtown's Club Nokia on Dec. 2 after the venue plays host to the unveiling of the nominations for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards. The Maxwell appearance will be open to the public, and proceeds will benefit the next-door Grammy Museum, which will celebrate its first anniversary Dec. 6. Maxwell will earlier appear on the live CBS broadcast to announce the 2010 Grammy slate, "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! -- Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night.” The latter, which will be tape-delayed for SoCal viewers but air live on the East…

  • Eminem replacing 'Relapse' sequel with 'Refill'

    Randy Lewis
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:27 pm
    Eminem is rebooting plans for the successor to his first studio album in five years, “Relapse,” which brought the Detroit rapper back to the top of the national sales chart when it was released in May. He had announced his intention to release “Relapse 2” in December, but now comes word that on Dec. 21,  he and his label, Interscope Records, are putting out “Relapse: Refill,” an expanded version of the first “Relapse” that includes seven bonus tracks. He said he and producer Dr. Dre had to rethink what they had come up with for the follow-up. “I got back in with Dre…

  • Live review: High on Fire, Converge, Mastodon and Dethklok

    Todd Martens
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    The most animated act (think: Adult Swim) grabs the spotlight at a metal mash.It's telling that the most orthodox act on one of the season's most anticipated metal package tours was the one composed of cartoon characters. The sprawling quadruple bill of High on Fire, Converge, Mastodon and Dethklok -- the last a Gorillaz-like animated band project for self-aware Hessians -- proved Thursday night at the Hollywood Palladium that while the heaviest strains of rock music are very much thriving, the rule book for what constitutes metal today has been burned at the stake.Booked at the…

  • Tonight: Neon Indian at the Echoplex

    Jeff Weiss
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pm
    It’s easy to be skeptical of Neon Indian, the bedroom pop-turned-big-time project of 21-year-old Alan Palomo. For one thing, there’s the name. Neon Indian sounds more appropriate for a hirsute Bombay-born fixture on the Cobrasnake/Cinespace circuit, circa 2006. Then there was the breathless blog buzz generated from songs called “I Should’ve Taken Acid With You” and “Terminally Chill,” titles that sound straight out of a Hipster Runoff Parody. Plus, this is Palomo’s third new band in two years -- though I’m willing to bet it will be his last. Since making the aforementioned…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Readers' Representative Journal

  • Times updates social media guidelines

    Jamie Gold
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm
    Here's the memo: Colleagues, As you know, the Standards and Practices Committee issued newsroom guidelines in March on using social media. We have now revised and organized them in a way we believe is easier to use (see below).  Although the document addresses a few new situations that have arisen in the last several months, the underlying principle is unchanged, one best expressed in the opening passage of our Ethics Guidelines: The Times is to be, above all else, a principled news organization. In deed and in appearance, journalists must keep themselves – and The Times – above…

  • Steven Zeitchik: reporter -- Entertainment

    Jamie Gold
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am
    Here's the announcement to the staff from Sallie Hofmeister, assistant managing editor; and Craig Turner, arts and entertainment editor: We are pleased to announce that Steven Zeitchik is joining The Times’ entertainment team as a reporter and blogger assigned to cover the movie industry. Steven, a resourceful, creative and collaborative journalist, comes to The Times from the Hollywood Reporter, where he was a regular front-page presence, writing about studio business and the independent film scene with expertise and aplomb. In addition to his work on breaking news and feature…

  • Lisa Fung appointed Online Arts and Entertainment Editor

    Jamie Gold
    30 Sep 2009 | 1:19 pm
    Here's the memo from Editor Russ Stanton: Colleagues: Lisa Fung, who has overseen our arts and culture coverage in Calendar for the last nine years, is our new online arts and entertainment editor, effective immediately. She will oversee our formidable online entertainment report for latimes.com and theenvelope.com, which includes more than a dozen blogs and a team of producers, editors and freelancers. Lisa also will work closely with editors and reporters in Calendar, Company Town and The Envelope to keep these sites fresh 24/7. The goal is to extend our online readership locally,…

  • Sean Gallagher appointed Los Angeles Times' managing editor/online

    Jamie Gold
    28 Sep 2009 | 11:02 am
    Here's the note from Editor Russ Stanton: Colleagues: I’m pleased to announce that Sean Gallagher, managing editor of latimes.com, will fill the masthead-level position of managing editor/online, effective immediately. Sean has played a key role in the growth and continued improvement of our website, including overseeing the recent redesign that has won much acclaim from our readers and industry colleagues. In his new position, Sean will be responsible for the overall reader experience on latimes.com and the rest of our nearly dozen other digital efforts, which we will continue to…

  • (Even) more Qs & A's on the revamped latimes.com

    Jamie Gold
    19 Aug 2009 | 2:22 pm
    Between comments published on the initial and follow-up posts on this journal about the redesign, and e-mails sent to the readers’ representative office, almost 900 notes have come to praise or heckle the revamped latimes.com, some three-quarters of those responding saying they like the changes. Meredith Artley, Managing Editor, Online, addressed several often-asked questions last Thursday. Two of those questions have persisted: Why did the “print edition” option disappear, and “where is California news?” More information on those and other questions readers have asked over…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Show Tracker

  • 'The Next Iron Chef': Life is about to change for one cheftestant

    Rene Lynch
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am
    For Chef Jose Garces, it was a curdled flan. For Chef Jehangir Mehta, it was the grape leaves. The last two chefs standing in the battle to become "The Next Iron Chef" say they are haunted by such flops as they head into Sunday night's finale on the Food Network. The Season 2 winner will join an elite stable of champions including Masaharu Morimoto, Bobby Flay and Cat Cora. These culinary warriors are the ones to beat on the popular Food Network game show "Iron Chef America." But the title goes beyond a TV game show. The winner gains immediate fame thanks to a…

  • A reporter puts on her dancing shoes to perform on 'Dancing With The Stars'

    Maria Elena
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    Have you ever wondered what it's really like to be a "Dancing With The Stars" contestant? You know, beyond the beautifully packaged clips of rehearsals the talented producers of the ABC hit show us every week? What does it really take? Well, Los Angeles Times entertainment reporter Dawn Chmielewski couldn't turn her back on an ABC executive's dare and recently agreed to put herself through the rigors of learning a salsa routine with professional partner Jonathan Roberts. Chmielewski did everything the contestants do each week -- rehearsals, spray tan, hair extensions,…

  • Saturday's TV Highlights: 'Robin Hood' learns he has a half-brother

    Ed Stockly
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    Click here to download TV listings for the week of Nov. 22 - 28 in PDF format This week's TV Movies BROTHERS: Gisborne and Robin (Richard Armitage, left, Jonas Armstrong, right) work together to save their half-brother (Clive Standen, center) on a new episode of 'Robin Hood' at 6 and 9 p.m. on BBC A SERIES Celebrity Ghost Stories: Jay Thomas mistakenly used a tombstone in a home renovation (7 p.m. Biography). America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back: John Walsh travels to Eastern Europe to hunt down a drug lord who has led authorities on an international cat-and-mouse…

  • Weekend TV Talk Shows: Senate Healthcare debate is the weekend's hot topic

    Ed Stockly
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:08 pm
    Click here to download TV listings for the week of Nov. 22 - 28 in PDF format This week's TV Movies TODAY Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer Fort Hood shooting: Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.). Cancer; mammogram debate: Breast cancer survivor Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). Afghanistan; Pakistan: Seymour Hersh. Iran: Con Coughlin, the Telegraph. Swine flu: Father David O'Connell, Catholic University of America. Hunger in America: Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 3 p.m. CNN McLaughlin Group 6:30 p.m. KCET SUNDAY Today Unable to get…

  • James Franco on "General Hospital," six lines in

    Robert Lloyd
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pm
    James Franco, movie actor, Golden Globe winner, "Freaks and Geeks" class of 2000, began his guest arc on the extremely long-running "General Hospital" today. It is quite some time since I paid any attention at all to the goings-on in fictional Port Charles, N.Y. These days the landscape is dominated by Italian gangsters of the post-"Sopranos" variety, some of whom are apparently less villainous than others. There are also: a woman who runs or works for an art gallery and her perky assistant; some security specialists of no clear moral convictions; a cop; and a…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Technology

  • Twitter adds business model

    Alex Pham
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:37 pm
    Feeding the Twitter bird. Credit: wharman via Flickr. The twitterati today are aflutter about a few crumbs that Twitter Chief Operating Officer Dick Costolo dropped during an interview with TechCrunch's Michael Arrington on how the microblogging service plans to make money. With millions of people, organizations and businesses now using the service, there is keen interest in keeping the little blue Twitter bird alive. The question has always been: How? Costolo today supplied a partial answer: Ads. But these won't be your father's Chevrolet ads. Twitter ads will be…

  • Betting that Brizzly will be huge, ex-Googlers are working on things

    Mark Milian
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:32 am
    Thing Labs in their San Francisco office. Chris Wetherell, middle left, and Jason Shellen, middle right. Credit: Mark Milian / Los Angeles Times The mad scientists at Thing Labs have a very impressive track record. On the sixth floor of a trendy building in San Francisco's recently renovated Mint Plaza, four former Google employees -- scratch that: five former Googlers, with today's addition of FriendFeed's (now Facebook's) Ben Darnell -- and a few others are working on things. Some very interesting things. Founder Jason Shellen is purposely fuzzy with his description of…

  • Pogoplug: A new device for new lifestyles?

    sanfrandan
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    The new Pogoplug. Credit: Cloud Engines. One way to score a big hit in technology is to come up with not just a new gadget, but a new category. Of course, that is also a recipe for failure, because there's a risk that consumers don't think they need what you're selling. That's the risk for Cloud Engines, a San Francisco company that makes something called the Pogoplug. They're calling it a "multimedia sharing device," in the hopes that people are looking for an easier way to share all the videos, photos and music that are now defining their digital lives. The…

  • Techmeme's Gabe Rivera makes news aggregation profitable

    Mark Milian
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:29 pm
    Gabe Rivera, founder of news aggregator Techmeme. Credit: Mark Milian/Los Angeles Times.Don't tell News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch, but technology news aggregator Techmeme is raking in profits. Rather than visiting the front pages of every newspaper or choosing a few out of brand loyalty, as Murdoch hopes consumers will do, aggregators put all of the Web's big headlines of the moment onto one page. There's no shortage in news aggregation. General news readers might go to Google News, a computer-generated engine that pulls in more than 25,000 newspaper websites and authoritative…

  • Google gives first demonstration of its Chrome operating system

    David Colker
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm
    Google posted a video to explain its new operating system, Chrome OS, due out next year. Credit: YouTube. Google's new Chrome OS operating system, which is designed to bypass computer hard drives and work totally by way of the Internet, got its first public preview today.  The system, due out about a year from now, could eventually pose the first real competition for Microsoft's and Apple's consumer operating systems since the earliest days of home computers. Chrome's main difference is that applications and other materials that now exist on hard drive will instead live…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Top of the Ticket

  • Sunday shows: Singh, Fiorina, Coburn, Nelson, Kyl

    Andrew Malcolm
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    ABC This Week with George Stephanopoulos: Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), and a round table with ABC's George Will, Liz Cheney, Aspen Institute's Walter Isaacson and Robert Reich. Bloomberg Political Capital with Al Hunt: Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).CBS Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer: Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and CBS medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.CNN GPS with Fareed Zakaria: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Newsweek's Maziar Bahari. CNN…

  • Fort Hood shootings were terrorism, says Senate Armed Services Committee chair Carl Levin

    Andrew Malcolm
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:52 am
    Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, which will investigate the deadly Ft. Hood shootings, calls them an act of terrorism. Although some officials, including fellow Democrat President Obama in the early post-shooting hours, have urged caution in characterizing the shocking shootings that caused the deaths of 13 and wounding of 29 on the Texas Army base, Levin tells C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program in a taped interview, "It sure looks like that." Levin has already been briefed by investigators.The Ticket has…

  • Weekly remarks: Obama on Asia trip, Sen. Mike Crapo on healthcare costs, cuts

    Andrew Malcolm
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Weekly Remarks by President Obama, as provided by the White HouseHi. I’m recording this message from Seoul, South Korea, as I finish up my first presidential trip to Asia. As we emerge from the worst recession in generations, there is nothing more important than to do everything we can to get our economy moving again and put Americans back to work, and I will go anywhere to pursue that goal.  That’s one of the main reasons I took this trip. Asia is a region where we now buy more goods and do more trade with than any other place in the world – commerce that supports millions of jobs…

  • Commander-in-Chief Obama shares stories with U.S. troops in Korea

    Andrew Malcolm
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:19 pm
    The president spoke to about 1,500 American troops in South Korea, telling them at one point, "You guys make a pretty good photo op." He also promised to increase military pay, which received more applause. Obama reassured South Koreans that his country's commitment to their security would never waver. At one point he cited as evidence of that enduring commitment a soldier there, Skip Sharp, whose father fought in the Korean War during the Truman administration. So, let's see, that puts us about 57 or 58 years into the 100 years that, during the 2008 presidential campaign,…

  • Sarah Palin apologizes for leaving 100 books unsigned in Indiana

    Mark Milian
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pm
    Based on the above video (found here), the scene in Noblesville, Ind., at the end of Sarah Palin's appearance looked more like a protest than a book signing. Outside the Borders bookstore in Noblesville (wouldn't it be great if it was a Barnes & Noble in Noblesville?), dejected Sarah Palin fans shouted, "Sign our books! Sign our books!" as her personalized bus sputtered and prepared to drive away. Some booed as they held fresh copies of "Going Rogue" without a wet signature from Palin. However, they were plenty wet from the rain they had been waiting in. The…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Up to Speed

  • Mini Review: The 2010 Bentley Continental GT Supersports

    Dan Neil
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:02 pm
      There are many ways in which the Bentley Continental GT Supersports is appalling.  There is the price, of course: $274,000.  There’s the fact that when you roll down the windows and turn up the mega sound system, traffic helicopters fall out of the sky. There’s the absolutely unavoidable truth that, in the interests of extracting a total of 241 pounds out of the car, Bentley engineers have removed the Continental GT’s lovely front seats and replaced them with cruel Sparco carbon-fiber racing seats that feel as if you are reposing in the jaws of an upholstered crescent…

  • Trouble at the top at Aptera?

    Martin Zimmerman
    16 Nov 2009 | 4:36 pm
    The co-founders of electric car maker Aptera Motors have given up their operating roles at the company. Whether they jumped or pushed is a matter of debate. According to the Vista, Calif., company, Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony left their jobs voluntarily as part of a plan to conserve cash while Aptera tries to complete its latest round of financing and readies a second attempt at getting a loan from the federal government. Fambro was Aptera’s chief technical officer in charge of advanced concept development. As the company strains to get production of its first model, the three-wheeled…

  • Up To Speed is moving to Money & Company

    LATimes
    16 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm
    Up To Speed has moved to a bigger, brighter, faster newer home. You can now find it in our Money & Company blog. You will still be able to find all the auto industry news, reviews, and other related pieces, but now in our uber-business blog.  Before you click the link, make sure to bookmark the new url: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/autosFile photo by Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times

  • KTM unleases its 2010 RC8 R superbeast

    Susan Carpenter
    14 Nov 2009 | 12:03 am
    The sticker on the RC8 R's tank pretty much says it all. It takes 94 octane gas. The lighter-weight and even more flaming-fast version of the RC8 superbike KTM introduced for the 2008 model year, the new 2010 RC8 R, is a high-compression, high-performance beast that begs to be flogged at the track. I attempted to do so recently at Laguna Seca, where I was invited with a bunch of other moto journos to test what KTM is hoping will be its Yama-Suzu-Honda buster when it enters world superbike racing, most likely in 2012.  But this bike flogged me instead. With 170 horsepower, 90.7…

  • Brammo drops price of Enertia electric motorcycle to $7,995

    Susan Carpenter
    12 Nov 2009 | 11:37 am
    In an effort to bring electric vehicles to the masses, Brammo Chief Executive Craig Bramscher announced this week that the Oregon-based manufacturer will drop the price of its Enertia electric motorcycle to $7,995. The suggested retail price had been $11,995. "We set the retail price two years ago, and now that we've built dozens of prototype bikes and built 100 for customers, we now have the real data to determine what it's going to cost us to build these and get them out in larger volumes, so we're able to price that in accordance now," Bramscher said. The price…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Varsity Times Insider

  • Cross country: San Pedro duo win City titles

    Eric Sondheimer
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:32 pm
    Pablo Rosales and Laura Delgado, both San Pedro High students, won the boys' and girls' individual titles Saturday during the City Section cross country championships at Pierce College.Rosales ran 14:31.30 over the three-mile course to defeat Javert Solorzano (15:04.36) of Granada Hills and Mizreal Mendez (15:08.55) of Birmingham. Monroe won the boys' title, with Birmingham and Granada Hills tying for second. Birmingham advances to state with Monroe on a tiebreaker.In the girls' race, Delgado ran 18:16.07. Fany Alvarado of Taft was second in 18:29.93 and freshman Jacklyn…

  • Cross Country: Morales breaks City finals record

    Steve Galluzzo
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pm
    San Pedro senior Pablo Rosales ran 14:31 to win the City Section cross country championship Saturday morning at Pierce College, shattering the prior finals record of 14:42 set by Belmont's Roman Gomez in 1983. Morales' previous best time was 15:08 in last year's City finals, when he finished second to El Camino Real's Brett Schmitt. This time, he was happy to win but happier that younger brother David, a sophomore, finished ninth and earned the last qualifying spot for next week's state meet in Fresno. "I felt comfortable, I was pushing it, but I didn't…

  • Football: Max Wittek is the QB for 2010

    Eric Sondheimer
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:56 am
    It's hard for me to believe there won't be a better quarterback in Southern California in 2010 than Max Wittek of Santa Ana Mater Dei. The 6-foot-4 junior had his season ended Friday night in a 28-21 loss to La Puente Bishop Amat, but what great progress he has made and what potential he has.Unlike former Mater Dei quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley, Wittek can run out of the pocket, and combine that with his powerful arm and it's clear he has all the makings of a top college prospect.I also saw some toughness and determination Friday that I hadn't seen earlier…

  • Football: It's survival time

    Eric Sondheimer
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am
    It no longer matters whether the game was pretty, whether the team made mistakes or how close victory was. It's all about winning and moving to the next game in the playoffs, and top-seeded Valencia (11-0) is just happy about getting a 28-27 victory over Thousand Oaks in the Northern Division playoffs.This was the easiest game to predict that an upset was possible. Thousand Oaks had lost to Valencia, 39-36, in the season opener. When the pairings were announced, Valencia Coach Larry Muir said, "I saw the draw, 'Holy Cow,' " he said.Thousand Oaks (5-6) came back from a…

  • Girls' volleyball: Friday's Southern Section championship scores

    Eric Maddy
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:44 am
    Championships, at Cypress College Friday DIVISION 3A: Mayfield d. Cerritos, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21DIVISION 5A: Pacific Lutheran d. Baker, 25-17, 24-26, 25-17, 25-23
Log in