Absolutely Absorbed

USC Trojans Draft in Review

2009-05-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

The New York Jets have found their franchise quarterback in Mark Sanchez. Facing some competition from the Washington Redskins, the Jets swapped picks with the Cleveland Browns to move up to the 5th pick to snag Sanchez. Immediately after the selection of Sanchez, media outlets everywhere were comparing him to former Jet Joe Namath. The selection of Sanchez provides the Jets, and their new head coach Rex Ryan with the franchise quarterback they have been desperately looking for.

The Jets will look for Sanchez to bring over his pro style offense that he ran at USC, and will most likely rush him into the starting job.

Two other Trojans went in the first round. Trojan outside linebacker heads over to the Houston Texans, a team that is in desperate need of a additional pass rush to its defense. The Texans made Cushing the first of the three big USC linebackers that were projected to go in the first round.

Picking after the Texans, the San Diego Chargers were often rumored to have interest in inside linebacker Rey Maualuga, but durability concerns left them to pick another linebacker in Larry English.

The next Trojan selected in the first round is outside linebacker Clay Matthews. Most people know the story of how Matthews walked onto this Trojan team, and strong numbers at the NFL Combine and USC Pro Day made him a surefire first round pick.

The Packers selected Matthews with the 24th pick. Matthews joins Boston College defensive tackle BJ Raji, who was selected 9th overall, in an effort to revamp the Packers defense. Both players will work to solidify the run, while also providing some play-making abilities on defense.

In a surprising move, Maualuga fell out of the first round to the Bengals. Maualuga joins fellow Trojan linebacker Keith Rivers, whom the Bengals selected last year with their first pick. Teams questions Maualuga's ability to play all three downs, and he fell for that reason.

It was a solid weekend overall for the Trojans. Patrick Turner saw his draft stock improve the most, jumping all the way to the third round. He joins a high powered Miami offense, and the Dolphins will look to use his size to get some redzone touchdowns. The Cowboys took kicker David Buehler, who put up better numbers at the combine than all USC players other than Brian Cushing. Buehler had 68 touchbacks last year, and will compete with Nick Folk for the starting job.

Top Trends at the Met Ball

2009-05-07T09:37:00.001-07:00

2009-04-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Starting in mid- May, every Saturday afternoon, dozens of artists will gather at the Bronx Zoo event at La Cita, a small downtown bar on Hill and 5th streets nestled between bank buildings and lofts, for a live figure drawing class that is unlike any other in Los Angeles. Guests of all ages set up work stations and enjoy sangria in the spring weather as bikini-clad models in gorilla masks pose for their eager canvases. The class, appropriately titled Ape Escape, will be hosted by Ghettogloss, an up-and-coming art gallery in Silverlake. This will be the second annual Bronx Zoo event due to last year’s success.

The back patio, decorated with scarlet leather booths and dulled brass, vibrates with classic rock. Every fifteen minutes the bartender shakes a plastic toy monkey, whose electronic cry signifies a pose change. “I’ve done posing before, but never anything like this. I feel like a modern mythological beast; half woman, half ape” said Katinka Lincoln of last year’s event, “I definitely want that feeling again, so you can see me in the spring!”

“It gets so sticky inside these rubber masks, but at least we will have plenty of breaks and free cold drinks,” said veteran Ape Escape model, Tina Croghan.

The class will be held from 2 p.m.- 8p.m. and get increasingly crowded as the cocktails get cheaper with happy hour specials. With the exception of rowdy onlookers who caught word of models in couture lingerie and swimwear, the artists take the event very seriously. “The people who actually come for the figure drawing are here from opening to closing. They don’t come for the drinks or the girls, they come to draw,” according to Rachel Williams, the Bronx Zoo’s project manager. “We had so many compliments from last year about how we combine a professional atmosphere with a fun one,” added Williams.

Ape Escape is also a potential opportunity for the artists to have their work showcased at the gallery’s October 2009 drawing show. “Any opportunity we get, I love figure drawing, and the potential chance to get shown at Ghettogloss is priceless,” said artist and last year’s attendee Mel Trad. The winning sketches will bechosen by Shana Dambrot, the managing editor of Flavorpill, an online magazine.

“There’s no event like this anywhere else. Only in Los Angeles,” said Williams.

View 336 S Hill St in a larger map
La Cita
336 S Hill St
Los Angeles, CA, 90013
Monday-Sunday: 10AM-2AM

2009-04-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Blog Roundup!

Looking for great information about a great place to eat?

Welcome to Kate’s first annual BLOG ROUNDUP!

First we have a restaurant review from my absolute favorite L.A. blog: LAist.com

In this article they managed to have a fresh review about probably the most reviewed restaurant in Los Angeles: Philippe’s.

Instead of droning on and on and on about French dip and one hundred year old recipes, the blog gives the old classic a new look in a new recession.

First, the article is titled “Recession Obsession” and points out how ridiculously cheap a good meal at Philippe’s can be.

This isn’t one review, but it’s an entire blog that I love: SeriousEats.com

I log onto this page, the clouds part and a ray of sunshine appears on my computer screen.

If you feel like cooking or trying something new, this site will do a good job of getting you out of your food funk. From buying Kimchi to spicing up a burger, the Serious Eats serves up great tips and interesting fact to share over dinner.

The site also has articles on innovative products, columns and recipes.

Check it out.

Coachella 2009 Fashion Review

2009-04-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

3 days. 90-degree temperatures. Hundreds of miles. Thousands of people and an infinite number of straw fedoras. All for one cause: music.

Music might have been the main attraction at this past weekend’s Coachella Valley Music Festival, but the “anything goes” dress code put on a show that gave Paul McCartney a run for his money.

Dress code: optional. Coachella goers rocked everything from carefully selected designer duds to barely-there swimsuits. The street fashions at Coachella were as diverse as the musicians performing.

From the electronic haze of the Bloody Beetroots to the classic sounds of Paul McCartney, there was a fashion to match. The myriad of looks is enough to send the eyes into a state of ecstasy (no drug required). Yet, despite the eclectic mix of fashions, there is clearly a “look” that defines Coachella fashion. The key to the indie-chic “Coachella look” is appearing effortless, barring the fact that it probably took plenty of time, thought, and money to get the look.

Coachella staples from last year, like the ever-so-popular romper, Ray Bans, and fedoras made their return to the Empire Polo Fields in full force. Below is a breakdown of this year’s trends (new and returning) and top fashion flops.

Top trends:

*Fedoras- There were so many, I couldn’t even keep a count after five minutes in Indio. Although they were a bit overdone, they served as functional fashion to keep the harsh sun from burning a lot of faces this weekend. I have to admit, I saw plenty of guys and gals wearing a fedora and it was the perfect finishing touch to nail their Coachella look.

*Bandanas- People were wearing bandanas on everything- around their necks, around their biceps, and on their heads. They went bananas with bandanas. Seriously.

*Plaid- another popular choice was, big surprise, plaid. Guys especially wore plaid shirts, plaid shorts, and even plaid hats.

*Glow-in-the dark anything- The sun went down and something was still glowing. Singer M.I.A. and her dance crew lit up the stage with more than their talent in their glow-in-the-dark sunglasses, shoes, and shirts.

*Vintage, vintage, vintage- I think it was part recession and part tradition that inspired the abundance of vintage clothing that flooded the Polo Fields this weekend. Even more than usual, festival attendees wore vintage floral prints, leather goods, and one-of-a-kind sunglasses.

Flop trends:

*Hipster headband- About two years ago, or probably even earlier, the hipster chic headband made its way to the masses thanks to American Apparel and now it just won’t go away. Plenty of ladies and gentlemen at the festival showed up in an ever-so-predictable fashion wearing them. Sighhhhhhhhh…

*Flab, Not so Fab- Bathing suits are an understandable and very useful way to beat the heat. However, more often than not, all the wrong people were sporting their bathing suits. It seemed there was more flab than bathing suit and let’s just say, it was NOT a pretty sight to see.

*Gold leggings- Just like the issue with the bathing suits, the wrong people wore gold lame leggings. What could have been fun, funky fashion was just flop fashion.

Check out the on-stage fashions at M.I.A.'s performance....

Photos: Kristin Studeman

Video: Kristin Studeman

2009-04-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Born in Rome and raised in Paris, stylist and store owner Ilaria Urbinati was born into the world of fashion. After high school, Urbinati moved to Los Angeles with visions of old Hollywood glamour and celebrity style. “When I showed up to LA, I was thinking, ‘wow! It’s a lot dirtier than I imagined! But the grit of the city turned out to be a good thing. It made my sense of style a bit rougher,” said Urbinati. Her first job at 18 was working for her aunt, designer Laura Urbinati, when she became a buyer at her West Hollywood boutique.

After getting the swing of things and developing an eye of her own, Urbinati later became the buyer for LA boutiques Satine and Milk before landing a job as the head stylist for Showtime's The L Word. Since then, she has styled for various magazines including Flaunt, Nylon, Mean and LA Confidential. She has styled runway shows for the likes of Agent Provocateur, and has worked with some of the biggest in Hollywood: Zooey Deschanel, Isla Fisher, Bijou Phillips, Kristin Stewart, Joseph Gordon Levitt, James McAvoy and Emile Hirsch.
Her latest accomplishment? A hip Los Feliz boutique called Confederacy, which Urbinati opened in 2008 with actor-turned-DJ, Danny Masterson. “It’s more of a cultural center than just a plain old store,” said Masterson of the 5,000-square-foot space that includes a courtyard café, art gallery and an in-store tailor in the men’s section.

“The brands we carry and our quality of service is so rare in this city. We definitely stand out,” said Urbinati. The high-fashion emporium includes the latest from Alexander Wang, Azzedine Alaïa, Boy by Band of Outsiders, Etro, Proenza Schouler, Zac Posen, Opening Ceremony, A.P.C. and Vena Cava. And don’t bother leaving the dressing room if you grabbed the wrong size. “Our dressing rooms are vintage telephone booths that dial the front desk so you can ask for a different size,” said Urbinati, “it’s all about combining fashion-forward products with old school service.”

Confederacy
4661 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90027
323 913-3040 / Phone
323-913-3041 / Fax
Mon-Sat 11am - 8pm
Sunday 11am - 7pm

View 4661 Hollywood Blvd in a larger map

Aaron Corp is the USC Quarterback

2009-04-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

Aaron Corp, Photo Courtesy of the LA Times

It was announced on Pete Carroll's blog earlier this week that Aaron Corp, the redshirt sophomore out of Villa Park, beat out Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain for the starting QB position at USC. This is a big deal because no quarterback who has won the starting job in the spring has ever lost it in the fall.

Coach Carroll seemingly had his hands tied as the other two competitors either never had a chance to begin with or took themselves out of the race. After transferring from Arkansas, Mitch Mustain won the backup job behind Mark Sanchez, then threw a mediocre 2 TD's and 2 INT's in his limited time last season. In the mix early, Mustain was sloppy in the spring, committed turnovers and wasn't accurate or willing to take smart risks downfield. Starting out as a frontrunner, he finished in third and it wasn't close.

Matt Barkley, Photo courtesy of the LA Times

Matt Barkley, the true freshman who played last semester at Mater Dei High School (Matt Leinart's old school), surprised everyone by giving Corp a run for his money during the spring practices. He showed poise, a big arm, and a lot of accuracy. With his gunslinger mentality, Barkley created big plays all spring long culminating in a 3 TD performance during a scrimmage in the Coliseum. Barkley had two weaknesses... he turned the ball over far more than Pete Carroll likes from his starting QB and he had yet to master the playbook. Add in
to that the fact that Carroll had never started a freshman at quarterback and it was the perfect storm for Corp to seize the starting spot.

What do you think about the decision to start Corp? Tell me in the comments or by participating in the poll.

poll by twiigs.com

Have YOU Been to The Room?

2009-04-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, then you are one of those people who are calling up other people to find out what's going on that night...And the fact is that there are MANY things going on all over...you just need to know where to look!

I was doing some research on things to do in Hollywood, and I came across a bar called The Room. It has quite the interesting name, but I found that there was more to it that meets the eye.

The Room was one of the first lounges on Cahuenga. It now has a front entrance, but before its makeover, it was not easy to find. It is on Cahuenga between Selma and Hollywood, but back in the day you had to go behind a blue building with an orange colored awning and look for the doorman. Crazy right? It sounds like an old-time speak easy, and that whatever is going on in there is illegal. Inside, it is low-lit with leather booths and an old-school bar. It's the perfect place to just remain low key, kick back, and relax.

The Room is also the IT place to find good music. It features up-and-coming deejays and caters to a crowd that is down for any kind of music.

On Tuesdays, it's THE place to be in Hollywood.

It is definitely a place to check out if you are looking to try a new place in Hollywood. You just might find your new hangout spot.

ADDRESS: The Room Hollywood
1626 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, CA, 90028
(323) 462-7196
Hours: 9pm-2am

Stay tuned to my posts, I will be bringing all the latest events and hot spots that will be bringing the night to life!

Earth Day Around the World

2009-04-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the waters: Some people are still able to have fun despite floodwaters that fill the streets of Manila. Trash-clogged drainage pipes in the city contribute to flooding.

Much needed smog test: Children in Manila pushing a smoke-spewing car through a flooded street.

This is not a street: This "street" in Manila is actually a creek filled with trash.

Click here for Earth Day events in the Philippines.

Earth Day rally: Schoolchildren shout slogans against the use of polyethylene bags during an Earth Day rally in Srinagar, India.

A sea of plastic: A waste management worker sorts through plastics collected for recycling in Shenyang.

Poisoned fish: A fish culturist in Hubei province, central China, gathers fish that died from poisoned water.

Click here for Earth Day events in China and India.

Brown skies: Dust clouds create brown skies in Athens, Greece.

Recycled cars: Earth Day has helped bring attention to all forms of recycling including the recycling of these junkyard cars in the Inofita industrial district just north of Athens, Greece.

Click here for Earth hour blog in Greece.

Just a bit oily: Hurricane Ike along the Texas coast left a sheen of oily residue in the waters around a crane pump near High Island, Texas.

Photos edited from LATimes.com

Want to learn more? Here are some helpful links to get you started:
Earthday.net
Nationalcenter.org
Epa.gov

Pete Carrol and the "Twitterview"

2009-04-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's no typo. The Twitterview. A marriage between the classic interview and the 140-character phenomenon that is Twitter.
If you were wondering how far it would go... I think this is it.

The words of a coach:

LisaHorne: Aaron Corp is No. 1 going into fall- what's his most outstanding attribute, besides not throwing picks?

PeteCarroll: Corp's a really good athlete and his speed and ability to avoid the rush is awesome... he's also been very efficient

PeteCarroll: already these thought provoking answers have stumped you . what's next?

PeteCarroll: c'mon this is twitter! faster!

PeteCarroll: so lisa what'd you think of the lakers rolling against the jazz?

LisaHorne: So will Trojans fans see some special "Tebow-like" plays in the offense this season?

PeteCarroll: no, tebow plays for the gators!!

PeteCarroll: hey lisa your picture kicks butt on mine haha

(Twitter.com / Special to FOXSports.com)
LisaHorne: LOL...Ok, what will QB Garrett Green's role be in '09?

PeteCarroll: he is the consummate utility guy for us playing qb, wr and everything on special teams

LisaHorne: By the way, Pete, I'm a Celtics fan...so who are you picking to win the Finals?

The interview continues for several other 140-character graphs.

Q & A: Tar Heels' NBA prospects

2009-04-16T18:14:00.001-07:00

Now that the North Carolina Tar Heels have completed their charmed season and earned their fifth national title, the next natural question to arise is...what's next?

The 2009 Tar Heels roster is stocked with more NBA talent than perhaps any other team in the country, and its three best players are upperclassmen. Having won a national championship, the likelihood of these players declaring for the NBA draft is very high, since their "stock" is currently at its peak.

Juniors Wayne Ellington (2009 NCAA Tournament MVP), Tywon Lawson (2009 ACC Player of the Year), and senior Tyler Hansbrough (2008 National Player of the Year) are all sure-fire bets to declare for the draft. Additionally, junior Danny Green and freshman Ed Davis have the potential to declare for the draft, too. Many analysts have said Davis, although raw, might have the most natural talent and athleticism of any of the bunch.

Photo courtesy of ESPN.com

To analyze the where each of these players will be selected, and to forecast which will be busts and which are destined for NBA greatness, we've brought in our resident college basketball expert, the Basketball Guru.

Q: Tyler Hansbrough has accomplished everything one possibly can imagine at the collegiate level, both individually and on a team level, having won both Player of the Year and a national championship. Still, however, there are doubts about the 6-foot-9 forward's ability to transition to the NBA. Why?

A: Hansbrough's natural athleticism has never "wow-ed" NBA scouts. He doesn't jump well, and he's probably only 6'9" on his tip-toes. Without those attributes, scouts wonder whether grit and guile will be enough for Hansbrough at the next level.

Q: Which of UNC's "Big Three" will go first?

A: Despite Wayne Ellington's fantastic tournament performance and where he's being projected in mock drafts, I say Tywon Lawson. Lawson's speed makes him an instant game-changer, and now that he's developed a more consistent jump shot, the only knock on the 5-foot-11 guard is his size. But Chris Paul is only listed at 6-feet, and look at the success he's had in the NBA. Though Lawson won't be Paul-quality, he will be a successful pro, and might make an All-Star game or two before he's done.

Q: Who would you compare Wayne Ellington to, and who goes first, Ellington or his high school teammate, Duke forward Gerald Henderson?

Photo courtesy of TheHoopsReport.com

A: Henderson may be bigger than Ellington and might have a better all-around game, but he's a little less polished and isn't nearly as good of a pure scorer. Ellington's jump shot is picture-perfect, and he will make a great off-guard for any team looking for offense. I say Ellington goes first, but they both go in the 10-15 range. If I were to draw an NBA comparison to Ellington, fellow Tar Heel Rashad McCants might not be a bad one. Ellington will be as good as McCants, at worst, and could be a potential Ray Allen-type guard.

Q: What team has the potential to be next year's North Carolina?

A: Kansas has a wealth of young talent, including Cole Aldrich and Sharron Collins, and could easily contend for a national title in 2010. Both could end up going in the top 10 of the 2010 NBA draft, too.

Photo courtesy of New.KentuckySportsRadio.com

Beep Beep-- Move Over Grandma

2009-04-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Just the other days I was talking to my grandmother who told me she wanted to rent a car on her vacation in Florida. Nothing wrong with that right? But then she told me the problem is she can't rent a car because of her old age. I didn't believe her, so I had find out for myself.

According to SmartMotorist.com, the number of elderly drivers (persons 70 & over) is predicted to triple in the United States, in the next 20 years.

Here's the scoop with some local car rental companies.

Budget:
As long as you have a valid driver's license as well as a credit
card... cha ch$ng!
No age limit for renting cars

Hertz:
As long as you have a valid driver's license as well as a credit card.
There is no age limit.

Avis:
As long as you have a valid driver's license as well as a credit card.
There is no age limit.

Alamo:
Restrictions- You need to have a valid driver's license and be 25-99
years-of age to rent. As well as hold a credit card.
(877) 222-9075

Enterprise:
Restrictions- You need to have a valid driver's license and no older
than 86 years of age, and no younger than 25. As well as hold a credit
card.

Some countries do have laws regarding the maximum age for rental cars
drivers. Bur overall, car rental companies are more apt to rent to a
senior citizen than to someone who is under 25. For the most part,
age is only a factor is you are younger than 25. Make sure with your
car rental company before you make a reservation. Also, keep in mind
that senior citizens can usually get discounts for their age. :)

Hollywood's work has been outsourced to D.C.

2009-04-16T18:10:00.001-07:00

No need for Hollywood if you want to escape today's depressing times, just turn to Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha.

They are the ultimate distraction, providing a sense of--dare I say it-- hope to the American people. The same way Americans turned to movies in the 1930's, we are now watching Barack at the Bulls game and Michelle as she invites influential woman over to her new home.

This family is perceived to have gone from the average debted home to the White House. There is a general feeling of kinship with the first family and many feel like they're just like them.

Keeping all this in mind, the Obama's are our escape.

"During the Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles," said the much compared President Franklin Roosevelt of his constituents.

In Rachel Swarns' article "Could It Really Be Him? Yeah, Probably"she discusses the Obama family's interaction with the American people.

"Like basketball? There was Mr. Obama sitting courtside recently alongside astonished fans at the Verizon Center as he cheered on the Chicago Bulls in a losing battle against the Washington Wizards.

Enjoy the performing arts? The Obamas have been to the Kennedy Center twice, once to see the Alvin Ailey dance troupe — with daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7 — and once for a musical tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy," she wrote.

He's a Steeler fan, he holds his own Superbowl parties at the White House, he predicts the future in college football and he has won the approval of the American public--no matter who they root for.

Just ask Miles Rawls, the rawty Wizards fan who sat behind the president at the Bulls game. "We were up by 15," Rawls said in a Washington Post interview.

"I told [Obama], 'You can tell them to warm up the limo, Sir, because this is a wrap here.' "

Yep, we're growing so comfortable with our president that we can talk smack to him if we find ourselves on opposing sides of a game.

"We was just going back and forth," Rawls said. "Once Chicago started coming back, he told me, 'Now I think you need to sit down.' When Tyrus Thomas dunked on somebody, he turned around, was talking smack. Then JaVale McGee had that alley-oop, and he gave me the high five. We was just supporting each others' team, having a good time."

Obama was said to have also commented about the sweet seats he and the 5-year-old sitting next to him had.

Meanwhile Michelle is picking up where Jackie Kennedy left off, rebirthing the idea of a strong, intelligent and stylish leading lady. She graced the cover of March's Vogue and has been a style icon for a while. She is both graceful and powerful. He top-notch education makes her an idol to young women aspiring to become leaders and her strong sense of motherhood makes mothers across the nation reclaim their position of homemaker as a significant role.

It's Playoff Time

2009-04-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again that every NBA fan dreams of.....yes that's right, it's time for the NBA playoffs. There's some intriguing matchups ahead, so stay tuned for this blog roundup combining the 3 most exciting playoff series to pay attention to.

The #5 Miami Heat at #4 Atlanta Hawks

A series that is sure to keep everyone on their tip-toes. The invincible Dwyane Wade is taking on a yougn Atlanta team that pushed last year's champs, the Boston Celtics, to their most grueling series, one that lasted 7 games and kept every Bill Simmons-loving Celtic fan up at night. With Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Al Horford, and Josh Smith, the Hawks are a team people should be scared to face. The Hawks won the series against the Heat this year 3-1, but this is a different Heat team than they faced earlier in the season. Stay tuned.... much more action left to come!

Series Prediction: Hawks in 7 games

Click Here To See The Series Matchups!

The #5 Houston Rockets at #4 Portland Trail Blazers

Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to play Portland right now. They are the hottest team in the league and the only team on the Lakers' radar as a potential threat to their romp through the Western Conference. Portland plays in front of one of the best home-court-advantages in the league, with that rough Rose Garden crowd always supporting their team. That's tough to beat in the playoffs, even with a reinserted Yao Ming back into the starting lineup for the Rockets. Overall, a good season for Houston, but they got a tough matchup and I think they go down in the first round.

Series Prediction: Trail Blazers in 5 games

Click Here To See The Series Matchups!

The #7 Chicago Bulls at #2 Boston Celtics

The Celtics are banged up. A team that looked like it would cruise to an Eastern Conference Finals date with LeBron and the Cavs now looks like it's just trying to hang on for their lives. After getting destroyed by the Cavs last week, the Celtics announced today that their best inside player, Kevin Garnett, would likely not be returning to play in the playoffs. And without their defensive leader on the floor, things could get interesting against the Bulls and young rookie-of-the-year Derrick Rose. This series could get very interesting without Garnett, but I think the Celtics come through in the end. But next round might be a different story.....

Series Prediction: Celtics in 7

Click Here To See The Series Matchups!

The End of an Era

2009-04-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

John Madden has called it quits on a 30-year career is sportscasting. The last game he announced in Tampa Bay will go down as one of the best Super Bowls of all time.

"The thing that made it hard is not because I'm second guessing: 'Is it the right decision?' But I enjoyed it so damn much," Madden said on his Bay Area radio show. "I enjoyed the game and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything."

Madden's excitement for football, and his personality made him a fan favorite in homes for three decades.

At the age of 73, Madden decided that he wants to spend more time with his family. He noted that his grandchildren are at the age where they notice when he is gone.

It appears as though Madden will be replaced by Cris Collinsworth who has also worked with NBC in year's past.

Where to draw the ad lines

2009-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of The Baltimore Sun

At a dinner I recently attended with two of my former journalism professors who both work for the LA Times, an interesting debate erupted -- what the hell is going on with the new ads in the Los Angeles Times?

For those of you who haven't witnessed them, the Times has recently enacted a new method of advertising, most have declared a last ditch effort to rally the failing publication from Sam Zell's death grasp. The ads run in the artistic layout of a story--one for instance in the place on the front page where a column one normally runs, with the same fonts and layout formatting as a column one--except instead of editorial content one finds advertising.

While both my professors insisted one would have to be an idiot to mistake this advertisement for a column one (perhaps they spend too much time in the newsroom), the paper ran a second one inside their Arts section several days later. This one advertised the upcoming movie The Soloist, based on a selection of columns by Times columnist Steve Lopez and a homeless musician he rehabilitated back to performing. Besides the obvious conflict of interest of them advertising this movie, the ads ran in the exact same editorial format as the Arts page, from borders to font size to paragraph breaks. It featured a selection of photos that were presented as if they were photos embedded in a story, not an advertisement. Truthfully, it was borderline absurd.

The debate that ensued regarded how much is too much? As print newspapers become more and more deformed , how low do they want to stoop for the sake of money that, ultimately, will not be enough to save them?

Both of my professors lamented the fact that just 2 weeks ago, the Times suffered another round of layoffs that cut 70 staff members, leaving the editorial staff of today a third of what it was a year ago. As Zell continues to run this paper into the ground, it is sad to see he is insistent on destroying its dignity as well.

L.A. Eating as Cultural Diplomacy

2009-04-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

In the cultural buffet that is America, many use food as a passport to get to know their neighbor. While some may argue that it is self-pleasing and passive, eating is a form of cultural diplomacy.

Los Angeles has it's fair share of eateries that are implants to the city. Along Fairfax Avenue, south of Whilshire, there are about a half dozen of Ethiopian restaurants which are owned by natives of the country but are often frequented by curious Angelenos with bold stomachs.

As they take in the spices, their ears get filled with Ethiopian pop music and eyes take in the vibrant colors of the printed linen that often line the walls which are adorned with pictures of the homeland.

Digging into the textured dishes with nothing but their bare hands and a slab of enjera (Ethiopian flat bread), visitors often will find a picture Haile Selassie, the beloved Emperor of Ethiopia, staring at them like a hungry Mona Lisa.

Consumers of the Ethiopian food in L.A. are not only blessed with a great meal but are able to explore a foreign culture and learn about their ritual of eating all in an hour's time.

In the same way, Angelenos are being turned on to Korean BBQ and the practice of making their own food from raw goods delivered by waiters.

Uncooked beef, pork and chicken are presented to food enthusiast

and in order to eat the food they must barbeque it on a small grill. Much like the Ethiopian presentation of food, the art of Korean BBQ promotes interaction between its guests and is a definite break from normal eating habits.

Visiting new spices, the pallete gets educated about goods

available to the Korean people.

The incorporation of garlic, red peppers, buckwheat noodles, boiled and salted eggs act as ambassadors to their culture.

It is clear that the exploration of a new culture often begins with tasting foreign food but it should not end with digestion. In this way, food is only the gateway--a safe invitation to a new world.

Please click on photo to find its origin.

Do you use food to learn about foreign cultures?

poll by twiigs.com

Stella's Lucky Spot

2009-04-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Images courtesy of Belsay Castle

Always one to push the envelope, it seems like Stella McCartney
has no end to her creativity. What now? She designed a jeweled curtain of thousands of Swarovski crystals hung in the shape of a horse from the ceiling in the Belsay Castle’s Great Hall. But it comes as no surprise as this uber-creative designer has often use the silhouette of a horse in her textiles and fashion designs.

It is the second time that the sculpture made from thousands of hanging crystals has been exhibited at the English Heritage castle.Originally displayed in 2004 at the Belsay Castle in the UK, the "Lucky Spot" crystal horse sculpture is back by popular demand in a special engagement for the Easter holiday.

Stella McCartney was inspired to create "Lucky Spot" following a visit to Belsay. Her response to this beautiful place with its grand medieval castle and mystical quarry garden was to create something magical, romantic and visually stunning.

The shining exhibit will be open to the public from Good Friday. Simply stunning.Simply amazing.

Tough Love Approach to Internet Addiction

2009-04-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of: The Times

With children all around the world being exposed to the internet at an early age, many parents are anxious on finding tactics to combat the increasing internet-craze among the younger generation. In America, oftentimes parents will set up an internet filtering system or revert to the tried-and-true scolding. However, the Chinese take internet obsession among their youth very seriously as an unacceptable addiction. China has taken a more direct and serious approach to showing their children tough love when it comes to kicking their internet addiction. For some kids, spending too much time online means a family trip to boot camp where the option of surfing online becomes a distant memory.

With an estimated 300 million internet users, China is struggling with the problem of a large internet-obsessed youth demographic. China's increasing concern resulted in the creation of the country's first Internet-addition-treatment facility, the China Youth Mental Health Center. The secluded military compound is in Beijing and more than 3,000 patients have been treated there ranging in ages of 12 - 22. Having an "internet addiction" is classified by the director of the center as using the web for six consecutive hours a day for three straight months.

Once checked in, most "patients" are required to stay for three months without any access to cell phones and of course, computers. The parents are also expected to stay at the center for several weeks of treatment since the director believes the child's addictions often stems from parental mistakes. The center demands not only a great deal of discipline and time, but also a steep amount of money. The total stay can cost around $3,000 - almost three month's salary for the average Chinese couple. But for many families, the end is worth the means in this case.

There are no luxuries at this camp, only a strict and disciplined daily routine. The patients get up at 6:30 a.m. and go to bed at 9:30 p.m. Throughout the day they engage in military drills, therapy sessions, reading and sports. It may seem surprising to us, but many patients who have completed the program say that although it seemed unbearable at first, the experience grew to be comfortable and peaceful. Many patients still in the program have said that their internet addiction was ruining their lives: they constantly ate unhealthy food in front of the computer, became very unfocused and skipped numerous classes just so they could stay on the internet. The discipline of the program forces them to get their priorities in order. Another surprise is that as many as 30 students from two of China's most prestigious universities have been to the camp. The director says that many of the camp's patients are very smart, but that they have encountered a detour in their youth and that the camp helps them get back on track and regain their confidence.

Personally, I see many gaps in China's tough love approach to internet addiction. Let's start with the vague definition the center gives to "internet addiction." Many researchers or financial analysts who use their computers for hours on end could also be defined as an "internet addict" by the camp's guidelines. Also, just the idea of sending a 12 year old to a military camp just seems a bit too extreme - in combination with the costs and the time for that child to be taken out of school seems much too costly in more ways than one. With only 5 years under the camp's belt, we are not able to know the long-term success rate of the graduating patients and whether or not they will simply relapse into their addiction a few days, weeks, or years later. Although I believe that a little discipline is good for getting one's life back on track, this camp seems to pushing it on the concept of tough-love.

poll by twiigs.com

Andrew Bynum

2009-04-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers have already clinched home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

Oddsmakers have them almost guaranteed in the NBA Finals this year.

Kobe Bryant is having yet another MVP-caliber season.

Everything seems to be going right for the Lakers. Until a young player having a career year went down with a right knee injury....

All of a sudden, experts around the league said that without the young center, the Lakers wouldn't be tough enough down-low in the post to compete with Eastern Conference foes Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando.

The Lakers post-season hopes weigh on one 21-year-old kid that is barely old enough to buy a beer at a bar.

(Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com)

Meet Andrew Bynum.

The Lakers fourth-year starting center is emerging as one of the best young players in the league.

He has grown into his seven-foot figure that caused the Lakers to select him with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Bynum was the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game, breaking Jermaine O'Neal's record, when he played at only 17.

(Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com)

Making the jump from high school to the NBA was difficult at first.

Hailing from New Jersey, Andrew was known around high school as cocky and arrogant. But who could blame the kid dubbed as the Lakers replacement to the Big Diesel?

If you were supposed to replace Shaq, one of the game's all-time greats, you might have to build an ego too.

In his first two seasons in the league, the young man looked lost out on the court. So much so that Kobe publicly was talking about how Bynum wasn't the kind of supporting cast he wanted.

Kobe wanted the Lakers to pull the trigger on a proposed deal that would have sent Bynum to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Jason Kidd. When the Lakers backed-out of the deal, Kobe was angry.

Now Kobe's best shot at a ring in the P.S. era (Post-Shaq) lies on the health of Bynum's right knee.

Before getting hurt, Bynum had a coming out party that had every NBA fan around the country shaking their head in disbelief. Bynum was all smiles after a 42 point, 15 rebound, 3 block game against the Gilbert Arenas-less Washington Wizards.

Bynum the rookie was gone. Bynum the veteran had arrived.

(Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com)

Bynum's knee is healthy again, or so the doctors say. If Kobe is going to win a ring, he needs his young sidekick to help him out.

With Bynum and Gasol down-low, playing together, the Lakers are almost impossible to beat.

And you know that's making Kobe smile....

A night at The Lab Gastropub

2009-04-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

My night at the Lab Gastropub in numbers

6 giant dinner tables... and a handful of smaller tables make you sit with people you don't really know, in an attempt to get you to finally make some friends. My ex-roommate and current dinner date was not down. So we sat at the bar....free!

One Old Rasputin beer...I couldn't resist. I've always thought Rasputin - the weird healer/wizard/politician who was responsible for the fall of the Romanov dynasty in Russia - was the scariest man in history. I wondered what kind of beer he would taste like. Let's just say, it filled me up quickly and threatened to leave some hair on my chest. Oh, and the color of the brew is black - not brown - black. That's how dark it is...$6

One Spinach Artichoke Dip appetizer...So this was by far the best thing I ordered. The spinach dip was the perfect balance of artichoke and spinach flavors. It also came with these puffy, fluffy pita chips that were totally unique. A soft outside absorbed the dip but still left enough crunch to satisfy their chiply duty...$8

Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia
One buffalo chicken wrap... I ordered it because the bartender suggested it. It was just ordinary. Or maybe I was just too full already from the Dip and Rasputin...$8

One great bartender...put up with my boyfriends weird order when he asked for no vegetables on the shrimp..which only comes with 6 shrimp and vegetables. He got extra points for separating our checks when we didn't even ask and for NOT giving me a weird look when I ordered a thick Russian beer...well worth a $5 tip!

All added up to...

On great night...in USC's newest addition right across Figueroa near the Radison. I loved the ambiance and modern decor, wide selection of weird and interesting beers and good conversation. Finally USC students are getting what we're thirsting for! It was a busy Wednesday night so if you haven't checked out the Lab yet...you better hurry...$30!

Have you been to the Lab Gastropub?

poll by twiigs.com

USC Sports Roundup

2009-04-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Football & Men's Basketball

Former Heisman winner Reggie Bush might have gotten USC in trouble.
Photo courtesy latimes.com

The NCAA announced today that it combined the investigations of former basketball star O.J. Mayo and former football star Reggie Bush. They are now looking at the allegations that Bush and Mayo took money from agents while still in school as potentially a larger problem in the two athletic programs as a whole. The announcement comes as a reminder to many following both teams that both investigations are still ongoing despite no news from the NCAA of late. What does this mean? Possibly the dreaded violation of "lack of institutional control" slapped on the Trojan athletic program. Punishments from "lack of institutional control" could be as small as forfeiting wins and as large as the so-called Death Penalty (probation from participating in the sport for 2 seasons). While the Death Penalty isn't likely in this case, this is potentially very bad news for Trojan fans.

ESPN's blog about the new probe

Original LA Times story

DeMar DeRozan may be dunking in an NBA uniform next year.
Photo courtesy latimes.com

In a more basketball-related story, the LA Times is reporting that the Trojan trio of Daniel Hackett, Taj Gibson, and DeMar DeRozan will all declare themselves eligible for the NBA Draft. While it looks like Hackett will hire an agent (making him gone for good), Gibson won't (meaning he could come back), and DeRozan might. DeRozan is following in the footsteps of last season's one-and-done's, O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson . How did that work out for those two? For Mayo, it actually went pretty well. He was drafted third overall and has played great basketball for the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging more than 18 points a game. For Jefferson, not so much. He went undrafted, couldn't return to USC (because he hired an agent), and is now playing with Maccabi Haifa B.C., a professional Israeli basketball team. Oops. Hard to know where this batch of Trojans will end up in the draft.

LA Times story

Women's Basketball

Mark Trakh is out as the head coach of USC women's basketball.
Photo courtesy of daylife.com

Head coach Mark Trakh resigned on Wednesday after 5 seasons with the team. There were rumors Trakh was on his way out after having disappointing seasons with a talented team. How talented? Next year's roster boasts 6 former McDonald's All-Americans. The LA Times article reporting the story was quick to point out that this is the same number on the champion UConn Huskies team that went undefeated and won a national title on Tuesday. The team has been stung by injury after injury. Trakh said he resigned because "it was the right time and the best thing, for both me and USC, to step away." Provided everyone stays healthy the Trojans will be a force to be reckoned with no matter who's at the helm next season.

Daily Trojan's report

LA Times' blog

Baseball

Shortstop Grant Green gave USC the win Tuesday.
Photo courtesy chrismcguirephoto.com

The Trojans are on a little bit of a roll. They won the Arizona series this weekend, before coming home and beating Cal State Northridge in a wild 8-7 win. It was a sloppy game for the Men of Troy. They committed a whopping 6 errors, giving Northridge 4 unearned runs in the ball game. Despite this, Grant Green's big bat (3/5, 3 RBI) gave the Trojans the win. USC has now won 3 straight heading into a series at home this weekend against Pac-10 foe Oregon.

USCTrojans.com game recap

Tar Heels use senior leadership to take March Madness by storm

2009-04-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

In 2007, NBA commissioner David Stern implemented the "one-year" rule, which forced high school players to be at least one year removed from high school before they would be eligible for the NBA draft. The purpose of the rule was to force high school players to go to college, where they could mature both athletically and personally while furthering their education. For every Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett, who successfully made the leap from high school to the pros, there have been five to 10 highly touted players that flopped in the NBA, such as Kwame Brown, Gerald Green, Ricky Sanchez, and Amir Johnson.

Though its intentions were good, in practice, the rule has yielded mixed results. In recent years, many top high schoolers have adopted the "one-and-done" mentality, spending one arbitrary year at a university (or in Brandon Jennings's case, in Europe) and then springing for the pros immediately after their first season. This has become popular practice for the 5-10 highest regarded players every year.

Recent examples include USC's O.J. Mayo, Indiana's Eric Gordon, Memphis's Derrick Rose, and UCLA's Kevin Love.

Since many of these players have proven ready for the pros in their rookie season (Mayo is averaging over 18 points per game, Gordon is averaging nearly 16), Stern is hard-pressed to find a legitimate reason to compel these kids to stay in school longer, and make his rule accomplish its intended goal.

Which is why the results of this season's NCAA Tournament have such important implications for the future of the NBA.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, who finished off their 34-4 season with an 89-72 shellacking of Michigan State on Monday, featured an experienced squad who were intent on winning a national title.

UNC's three core players, forward Tyler Hansbrough and guards Wayne Ellington (below) and Tywon Lawson, each shunned the NBA in 2008 despite the potential to be first-round selections in order to have another shot at winning a national championship.

Photo courtesy of NBA.com

Turns out, their decision paid off. Not only did Hansbrough, Ellington, and Lawson (below) get to experience the once-in-a-lifetime exhilaration of cutting down the nets after winning the title, but they also gained priceless experience and maturity. Not only that, the trifecta were able to showcase their skills in the national spotlight, with all the scouts and NBA big wigs watching.

Photo courtesy of sportsalex.files.wordpress

With North Carolina's domination of the tournament (they won all six games by double-digit margins), and the superb performances from each of their three stars, each of the three improved their NBA stock by leaps and bounds. Ellington shined throughout the tournament and was named MVP, while Lawson dazzled with eight steals in the final game, setting a new NCAA record.

Photo courtesy of SI.com

Hansbrough (pictured on the Sports Illustrated cover above), who returned for his senior season despite being named Player of the Year last season, is the poster boy for collegiate athletes returning to school (Ex-USC quarterback Matt Leinart could have claimed co-ownership of that title, if not for his beer bong antics, shown below). Hansbrough averaged more than 20 points per game for the second-consecutive season, and has never averaged less than 18 points per game in a season for his entire college career.

Photo courtesy of Phoenix.fanster.com

And now, in addition to being able to claim 2008 Player of the Year honors, he is also a 2009 national champion.

Will the success of North Carolina this season all-of-a-sudden inspire collegiate athletes to stay in school? Probably not. But hopefully, it will at least force them to think twice.

Several underclassmen, including Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, USC's DeMar DeRozan, UCLA's Jrue Holliday, Arizona State's James Harden, and Georgetown's Greg Monroe are projected to go in the top 15 of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Will they spring for the millions of dollars in contracts and endorsements that the NBA can offer? Or will many of them reconsider, choosing to hone their skills at the collegiate level instead? Only time will tell.

One way or another, the repercussions of North Carolina's 2009 national championship will have an interesting impact on the future of college basketball and the NBA.

Which team will be next year's North Carolina?

poll by twiigs.com

RIP Nick Adenhart - A Baseball Tragedy

2009-04-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

After a promising start to open his 2009 season, 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident. Just hours after pitching six shutout innings, the Angels phenom was hit at the Fullerton intersection of Lemon and Orangethorpe by 22-year-old Andrew Thomas Gallo. Gallo was running a red light when his van drove Adenhart's eclipse into a light pole.

(Photo Courtesty of ESPN)

Adenhart had a promising future ahead of him, ever since being drafted by the Angels in 14th round of the 2004 draft. Adenhart played for Team USA in the 2006 future's game. He was the youngest player in the majors when he was called up in 2008, and had a 37-28 career Minor League record with 3.87 ERA.

The sad and shocking news led the Angels to cancel Thursday night's game against the Oakland Athletics. A press conference was held this morning by those closest to Adenhart within the Angels organization. Also in attendance was Adenhart's agent, Scott Boras, who was filled with emotion and tears as he spoke about his young prospect.

(Photo Courtesty of MLB.com)

Adenhart overcame a major elbow surgery in his path the majors, and was set as the third pitcher in the Angels' rotation. He hurt his pitching elbow just two weeks before the June 2004 major league draft. Before the injury, Adenhart was projected as a top-five pick out of Williamsport High in Maryland.

Adenhart's father had flown out from Baltimore to attend the game. Scott Boras said that Adenhart wanted his father there because "something special was going to happen."

(Photo Courtesty of ESPN)

After the accident, Adenhart was rushed to the hospital, where he died in surgery at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. The Angels will wear a patch for the rest of the year to honor him, and will most likely be retiring his number.

Armin at the Vanguard

2009-04-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, then you are one of those people who are calling up other people to find out what's going on that night...And the fact is that there are MANY things going on all over...you just need to know where to look!

clubplanet.com

As soon I heard the news, I knew that I had to post this!

The music genius that is ARMIN VAN BUUREN will be performing at the Vanguard in Hollywood this Saturday!

Now, there are some of you who are wondering, ‘Who is that?’

Armin Van Buuren is one of the most prestigious DJs spinning out there right now. He is one of the most influential trance artists right now, and he has received special titles such as the #1 DJ Top 100 list in 2007 and 2008, as well the “World’s Official Most Popular DJ.” Click here to go to his website!

He has been on tour all over the world, but he is making a stop at the Vanguard, and I am sure that he is going to deliver!

myspace.com

The Vanguard is quite the arena itself—it has one of the biggest dance floors in Hollywood, and they are decked out in the greatest colors. But that isn’t the only thing to keep you occupied -- you can catch a stellar light or video show all around you while you sip on a drink from the fully-stocked bar.

The Vanguard is located at 6021 Hollywood Blvd before Gower St. Now, anything located in Hollywood can already tell you that the parking can become a situation—luckily, there are parking locations nearby.

Now I must stress this—THE VANGUARD IS 21 AND OVER, I REPEAT, THE VANGUARD IS 21 AND OVER…but think about it, that makes it that much better (c’mon, you know you have been to one of those all-ages/18+ clubs….it is just not the same!)

Dress code is to dress hot! Some of the sexiest people show up to party here, so if I were you, I would dress to impress! No baggy clothes or sports attire, you won't be let in!

Purchase tickets here now for this awesome event. It will be an event with good people and good music—what more could you want?

I am a BIG fan of his music, when I hear ANY of his sets, it gets me dancing immediately! This is one of my favorite Armin songs, check it out below, courtesy of MP3 Tube! And this is just one song....If you like this, you can be SURE that the show will be AWESOME!

Armin Van Buuren - This World Is Watching Me

Stay tuned to my posts, I will be bringing all the latest events and hot spots that will be bringing the night to life!

Lights, Camera, Fashion.

2009-04-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

FIA Fashion Show by Numbers

$13,000--> Total money spent on the show
500 --> Expected attendees
100+ --> Total number of students involved in FIA. 30 of those students have dedicated countless hours to this years show
12 --> Designers showcased in the show
5--> Years FIA has existed
4+ --> Months spent by students and designers working on the show
1--> Night of memorable fashions presented by FIA and LF Clothing store

Photo credit: Kristin Studeman and courtesy photos from FIA

FIA FASHION SHOW PREVIEW 09

LA Fashion Week may be over but it's show time for USC’s Fashion Industry Association (FIA).

Friday’s red carpet soiree marks the 5th anniversary of the student-run show. The show features collections by five student designers, seven up-and-coming designers, and the final looks by show sponsor, LF clothing store.

VP of FIA Public Relations, Frankie Rosas, noted student designer Michael Ward,23, as one to watch on Friday night. “He has really good color schemes and a strong use of different fabrics. His jackets are very interesting not just because of the funky colors, but also the construction,” he said. This is Ward's first women's collection.

Ward drew from his studies in architecture at USC to create the line. "Being an architecture major, I focus on details and placing significance in every piece. Since the line was designed in Paris, I constantly thought of French aristocracy," the designer said. Ward's French-inspired line uses luxe, plum-shade wools, silk chiffon, and iridescent fabrics.

Rosas also offered plenty of praise for budding student designer, Marie Le Ford, 19.

Le Ford's first-ever collection debuting on Friday night is a polished blend of romantic meets rocker chic. "I think I am more inspired by the muse of my imagination than anything; in my mind, she's my heroine because she takes risks and she's independent; I try to convey this attitude and this woman in my designs. I envisioned the collection as a fused tension between classicism, romanticism, and edginess; that kind of irony is what really inspires me, and I tried to convey that as much as possible," the designer said.

French lace, silk chiffon, leather, and satin- with unique adornments like peacock feathers-are smartly incorporated into backless mini dresses and romantic blouses. "The color scheme of the collection appears to be on the darker side, although there is a lot of blending of light and dark color contrast. For instance, salmon or cream colored fabric is contrasted with black in several pieces," she said.

The collection could easily be mistaken to be the product of a well-seasoned designer. A word to the wise: order your lace backless mini dress now because after Friday night, they will be harder to get than a mail-order Snuggie.

While FIA initially tried to channel the vibes of LA fashion, they ultimately decided to refrain from the generic jersey look.

“Originally, we tried to focus on LA fashion but then when we figured out what LA fashion was, we tried to stray away from it. We have some pieces in the show with that look but we did lots of other stuff as well,” Rosas said.

The menswear collection by Norway native, Moods of Norway, is far from the laidback sportswear fashions typical of LA. The quirky line is the brainchild of three Norwegian designers just six years ago. Today, Moods of Norway is rapidly gaining notoriety thanks to their growing list of celebrity clientele.

The FIA fashion show coordinators have opted to alter the Mood by mixing and matching the eccentric three-piece suits.

This year’s model line-up also promises to dish up a fierce dose of attitude. The show normally features rookie student models but this year’s catwalkers are LA models that also happen to be student models. (There is a reason we are also called the University of Sexy Children).

“One of the models was on a previous season of Project Runway and we also have Thomas Wyatt, who was the face of Prada about two seasons ago,” Rosas added.

They will be strutting to original beats of resident LA dj, DJ Legit.

Nicolita swimwear and Candice Held’s pieces make their return to the FIA runway once again as veterans of the show.

The show is rare blend of budding student talent and LA institutions like LF store. The night promises to dazzle the audience more than the sparkling chandeliers that adorn the Town & Gown.

EVENT INFO
What: USC Fashion Industry Association's 5th Annual Fashion Show
When: April 10, 2009 from 8-10pm. Doors open at 7:30pm
Where: USC Town and Gown
Cost: Free!
RSVP: uscfia.rsvp@gmail.com
Dress: Dress to impress

Check out the designers and sponsors...

LF clothing store

KEEMIA

link to Nicolita (swimwear) in a new tab

Candice Held

Moods of Norway (menswear)

Allikijan

TLOV

Mhanna by Kimmy Mhanna (student)

Kealohalani by Sara Tsukamoto (student)

Marie Le Ford (student)

Amber by Michael Ward (student)

Obsidian by Kathleen Coltman (student jewelry)

Simply Shreena Jewelry by Shreena Grewal (USC Alum-jewelry)

*Check back Friday night for post-show info and more images from the collections debuting!

Moblog/Breaking news

2009-04-07T23:39:00.001-07:00

Breaking news. USC baseball beats Cal State Northridge 8-7 despite 6 errors.

Interesting....Very Interesting

2009-03-05T20:32:00.001-08:00

The US Census Bureau sure does collect some interesting information! I was surfing the releases on their site, and I used my chart-creating skill :) to come up with these great graphs! Below each chart is the link not only to the raw data, but the release itself. Check it out!

http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/ledow04nv.pdf

*RAW DATA: http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/fm1.xls

RELEASE: http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/fm1.xls

*RAW DATA: http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/fertility/cps2006/SupFertTab1.xls

RELEASE: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/013378.html

* Some of these charts were made from only parts of the original data. The raw data will show more data that could, if you really wanted to, make other charts!

Beef Monster

2009-02-26T18:52:00.001-08:00

Charts and Charts

2009-02-26T18:41:00.001-08:00

Charts and Figures

2009-02-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

Chart HW: College Basketball

2009-02-26T17:37:00.001-08:00

Diversity!

2009-02-26T16:44:00.001-08:00

Click for the full view!

Charts

2009-02-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Chart HW

2009-02-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

U.S. Cencus Bureau

2009-02-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Chart Assignment

2009-02-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

Charts Assignment

2009-02-25T14:32:00.000-08:00

Most Probably Our Future USG Prez and VP

2009-02-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

Meet the Artists

2009-02-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

Israel

2009-02-19T18:26:00.001-08:00

Located in the Middle East along the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel lies. Although the appeal of Israel's ancient history is obvious, and is home to numerous monotheistic faiths,the countries western appearance is more than a lesson in history.

From inside to out, Israeli architecture has developed from an ancient background to a modern and prevailing international design trend. The whole country is like a packed ball- everything from hiking the Mount Masada and the Negev desert to swimming the beaches of Eilat and going clubbing in the streets of Tel-Aviv. In one day you could surf, ski, sip wine, and ride horses. You can also work on a kibbutz, volunteer at a West Bank school, float in the Dead Sea, or hike across the Israel National Trail.

For the beachy bums...Israel is by far one of the best beach cultures in the world. Okay, it's not tropical beaches, but it's its definitely A Mediterranean metropolis in nature. Every beach has a cafe with seats right in the sand. You can also order food and cocktails while your legs are embedded in the fine sand.

Israel's diverse population makes its cuisine unique. From falafel made of chick peas to hummus and pita...the food is light and zesty with herbs and spices used liberally.

Contrary to popular belief, and the tension surrounding the south and the Gaza Strip, Israel is not a war zone to be avoided. A ceasefire is now in effect and the rigid security in both regions make travel safe. You are bound to nudge into a few arguments on politics and religion,as Israeli's have their own opinion and keep them for you, but enter the Holly Land with a clean slate and you'll be fine.

Model Minority Q & A

2009-02-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of: naver.com

There tends to be a common stereotype that Asian-Americans are the "model minority". Being Asian-American myself, I personally have no objection to the good qualities that come with this label, but I also know that much of this stereotype is misplaced and shallow. The problem with the idea of a model minority is that the label overshadows others who often struggle to fit the stereotype.

I feel proud that the success of many Asian-Americans in both the academic and business world have given rise to this ideal of strong work ethic and diligence. On the other hand, I also realize how great of a burden it is to many Asian-Americans who are expected to mold to the stereotype and feel incompetent when they cannot do so. Students often have it the hardest. As if being a college students itself isn't hard enough, oftentimes they also face strong pressure from their families to become this exemplary student. I sat down for a question and answer session with Vivian Luu, a Chinese-American student studying Creative Writing, in hopes of unraveling the myths behind the model minority title:

ME: Tell me what you think of when you hear the label "model minority".

VIVIAN: Someone who's in the model minority would probably be extremely hard working, and finishes his work on time, maybe ahead of time. I actually think of Harold from the "Harold and Kumar" movies, you know, kind of nerdy.

ME: But in the movie Harold in often unappreciated by his peers. Do you think members of the model minority are unappreciated?

VIVIAN: Oh definitely. They work hard, they are smart, but everyone just expects that of them so no one really values all the effort they actually put in.

ME: What would you say if someone defined you as a member of the "model minority"?

VIVIAN: Ha! I'm Chinese, but I don't have superpowers although I wished. I mean, I study as much as the next college student, but I'm pretty sure no one would define my study habits as a model for anything.

ME: So labeling the Asian-American community as the "model minority" is a misguided assumption?

VIVIAN: Well, I can't speak for everyone, because granted there are Asian-Americans who do meet those standards but labeling Asian-Americans as a whole is pretty absurd. There's too much pressure that comes with that stereotype and I for sure don't meet the criteria.

ME: Do you feel like you are under a certain pressure to be diligent and smart just because of your ethnicity?

VIVIAN: Yes, sometimes. Mostly from my parents, they expect a lot from me. I think I already disappointing them by deciding against going premed. Actually, I use to pressure myself before in high school to meet certain standards, but I've let that go now, I just try my best and see where it goes from there. Some things you just can't force.

Tada! Myth unraveled - or at least partially. Being any ethnicity or race does not gaurantee anyone inherently gifted abilities. Acknowledging successes and triumphs are important, but not everyone can or should mold into a mythical stereotype. There is no necessity in being a model of someone else's ideal, only your own.

All for Sale, No Buyers

2009-02-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

Photo : Kristin Studeman
The lack of sound was unreal. Literally, I could have heard a pin drop if there was any movement at all in the stores. Occasionally there was sound: Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” blasting from the stereo, a doors creaking, and insanely bored store employees sighing. But all of those noises seemed to be on mute because there was one big thing missing from the typical Friday afternoon shopping scene: customers.

View Larger Map

I traipsed down Melrose Avenue looking for shoppers and they were nowhere to be found. The large “70 percent off” signs that blared from the store windows were not enough to lure even a few shoppers. The employees stood aimlessly in packs while others reorganized clothing racks that were already meticulously in order.

Then I ventured in to the Beverly Center thinking all of Los Angeles was just hiding from the rain. No, it was as empty as the USC campus at 8 am. H&M, although typically a well-priced store to begin with, was practically giving clothes away. Several racks of clothes had large, red $5 tags on them. (If you can believe it, for once the $5 clothes were not hideous). Even cheap clothes are not luring shoppers to the stores.

That is when you know that he state of the economy is in the dumpster. Clearly, it didn’t take a shopping trip for me to notice the economic crisis. Absolutely no one can hide from the tremendous job losses, crashing markets, and cutbacks. However, it was just one more sharp moment of realization.

As college students we live in this fantasy world that is definitely not in sync with the rest of the world. Yes, we may be well educated about the crisis in Darfur or we might spend all day in class talking about the details of what is going on with the global market. We know a lot, but there is such a different world out there that doesn’t have discretionary funds as a payment option. For the most part, we are funded by our parents’ checkbooks and in result, it leaves plenty of us asking the same question: where do I fit in this financial depression?

College seniors across the country are starting to find a bleak answer to the question. It seems like there isn’t a place for them in the job market. That wake-up call is a far more stressful one than I experienced in the Beverly Center on Friday afternoon. I only have an internship so my paycheck is not at stake. My parents have not cut my funds from what they used to be. I don’t have stalks to watch fall. I am fairly certain that most USC students are in a similar situation so we only know that we are in a crisis, but we have not truly felt the singing effects of this so-called depression.

As I sauntered towards the cash register with my boyfriend cut blazer, a couple of dresses and accessory pieces in hand, I found myself coming to crashing halt. In the midst of Bloomingdales it occurred to me that my credit card was not the economic stimulus plan to bring us out of this one. With plenty of hesitation, I wisely put the items down and left the store.

Proving Yourself at the NFL Combine

2009-02-19T16:55:00.001-08:00

The NFL combine is where thousands of collegiate athletes gather to improve their draft stock, and try to prove their worth to NFL teams. Athletes choose whether to compete or not based on whether they think competition can improve where they fall in the draft.

In 2008, the draft was loaded with various promising running backs. Therefore, choosing to not compete could significantly affect where one falls in the draft. Among the top running backs in 2008 are Rashard Mendenhall from Illinois, Jonathan Stewart from Oregon, Chris Johnson from East Carolina, Felix Jones from Arkansas, Darren McFadden from Arkansas, Matt Forte from Tulane, and also Kevin Smith from Central Florida. The talent at the running back position was so deep that all of the athletes chose to participate in the combine in some fashion.

(Photo courtesy of Scout.com)

For the running back positions, the combine tests their competency through a series of drills. These tests are the 40-yard dash, bench press reps, vertical, shuttle, 60-year dash, cone drills, and the broad jump. Although some athletes may choose to opt out of a certain drill, for the most part every running back competes in at least the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and bench press.

Below is an infographic of the top competitors at last year's NFL combine.

The numbers that can be found in those graphs are what NFL scouts use to determine who is the cream of the crop at the running back positions. Chris Johnson showed scouts his speed at the NFL combine was rewarded with a late round selection. As the 2009 NFL draft approaches, it appears that the offensive tackle position will be under the spot light of scouts this year.

Q and A with "The King"

2009-02-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

DoubleDribbled: I am fortunate enough to be joined by this season's leading candidate for the NBA's MVP award, LeBron James. LeBron, it's good to have you on the blog again.

LeBron James: It's good to be back.

(photo courtesy of nba.com)

DD: Alright, we are going to get right to it. Do you think this is the year that the Cavaliers finally take the next step as a team and win an NBA Championship?

LJ: I think so. We are playing the best defense we have ever played. We are more of a team than ever before. I guess this season it finally seems like it's all coming together for us.

DD: Everyone is excited about the summer of 2010. A.K.A. The summer LeBron is a free agent. Your hometown Cavs would love to keep you. Your friend Jay Z is in New Jersey and has made it clear he wants you. The Knicks have been clearing their payroll in anticipation of offering you a maximum contract to come to New York. What are you thinking right now?

LJ: You know what, I can honestly tell you whenit comes time to make a decision, I'm going to weigh my options and make the best decision for me and my family. I have never ever said I wanted out of Cleveland. I love Cleveland. It's my hometown. On the other hand, it would be amazing to be able to play somewhere as famous as Madison Square Garden every night. The decision is a long ways away and many things that haven't even happened yet will probably have something to do with the end decision.

(Infographic courtesy of hustleknockin.com)

DD: Who was the player you looked up to and wanted to be like most growing up?

LJ: Are you kidding me? Who's number do I wear? There was only one. I grew up watching Michael Jordan, man. He's the bees knees. The things he could do with the ball are unbelievable. The creativeness and level of competition he brought to the court every night was unmatched. That's what I try and bring it every night, 82 games a year.

DD: Your front office remained quiet at the trade deadline today. Many experts feel that the team still needs one more player to get past the Celtics trio and what the Magic got heating up in Orlando. What do you think?

LJ: We got the guys right here in Cleveland to get the job done. We have had the best record in the league for a large portion of the year. People can doubt us all they want. In fact, until you win a championship, they should. But I feel that we are that kind of team right now that no one wants to play. The kind of team people are going to have nightmares about....

DD: Fair enough. Do you ever walk back down the court after hitting a shot and say to yourself "this is too easy" or "is that all he's going to do to guard me tonight?"

LJ: (laughs) Nah, man. Cause if that first guy isn't doing much to guard me you can bet the second and third guy sliding over to help him out will. The NBA is full of a lot of guys that can play ball. Most teams bring it hard every night. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to play like that.

DD: Okay, so enough about basketball. I saw Michael Jordan on t.v. the other day and he is getting huge! I'm talking pretty heft there. Definitely not "fruiting the loom" into any underwear commercials anytime soon. What happens after basketball? You going to get fat and go into politics like Charles Barkley? What about running for mayor of Cleveland?

LJ: Mayor of Cleveland? You're kidding me right? Mayor of Cleveland? I've been mayor of Cleveland since I was 12 years old. I'm already the King of Cleveland, what would I want to be mayor for? I'm way too young to be thinking a

bout life after basketball. I got my best years still 5 years ahead of me!

DD: What do you say to those scientists who link your career shooting percentage averages to global warming trends?

LJ: I guess when I get hot I get hot. (laughs) Nah, I'm just kidding. Some of the stats you guys come up with are ridiculous. Are we out of time yet?

(Infographic courtesy of introducingliston.blogspot.com)

DD: Well that's settled. We are out of time. I want to thank this week's guest for coming in.

LB: My pleasure.

DD: That's it for us folks. I'm Double Dribbled, reminding you to eat your vegetables and mind your manners. Until then, see you all next week.

(Entire interview actually happened only in my head, not in real life.)

Who is Harley Viera-Newton?

2009-02-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

Harley Viera Newton, is not a model or an actress, but following in the footsteps of her friend Cory Kennedy, starlet of online photo gallery The Cobrasnake, Newton is an internet It girl. From her MySpace page to appearances on The Cobra Snake, Newton has been attracting internet fashionistas, magazines like Nylon, and DKNY’s upcoming ad campaign.
"I feel like I've made fun of people called It Girls," she says, “it tends to connote someone whose goals don't extend beyond being photographed, or partying, which I can't relate to.” A student majoring in Egyptology and Archaeology at NYU, as well as the bass player for Lissie Trullie, a New York punk band, and a regular DJ at LIT lounge in NYC, this 20-year-old is making sure she stands apart from the other It girls.

But being in the limelight does have its perks for Newton. A self-declared “shutterbug,” Newton’s connections helped her land a highly-coveted internship with Mario Testino, a legendary fashion photographer.

With her enigmatic and effortless style, her look has been plastered all over the pages of The Cobrasnake’s Mark Hunter, bloggers, and magazines, but it's her background that makes her stand out—born in London, her father in the music industry and her mother in fashion, Newton’s style is a marriage of the world of music and fashion. "My style is such a dichotomy. I’m either in an old punk band t-shirt or a skin-tight, vintage Herve Leger dress. But if I don't know what to wear I'll call one of them," she says of her parents. But whether she’s in a comfy tee or a bandage dress, itmust come with confidence and comfort. "If you're not comfortable and you're aware of wearing an outfit, everyone else is going to be aware that you're wearing an 'outfit.' That's not style, that's trying to be stylish."

What’s her all-time fashion influence? “Tom Binns. He influences my style more than anyone. He's so ahead of the game. He worked with Westwood and Maclaren like way back in the day and just has like such an incredible eye,” says Newton, “he is the person you want to take to a flea market with you. He will find something either a gem that you're like 'Oh my god how did you find this?' Or something that you're just like 'Huh?' and then he'll put it on you, and you're like 'This is incredible.' He could tell me to wear a cardboard box and I would. I trust him."

USC Ice Hockey Finishes... Third???

2009-02-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

The Trojans came up to Eugene with high expectations. They'd come close to beating the top seed Oregon earlier in the season. The last three seasons they'd faced Oregon in the title game and came out champions two of those years. But it was not to be. For the third game in a row, USC blew a 3-1 third period lead by giving up 5 unanswered to lose 5-3 to the Washington Huskies. The Trojans would easily win their consolation game 7-0 over the WSU Cougars, but it was a disappointing showing nonetheless. Joey Forgette had a natural hat trick in the third period and Stefan Sobiek iced the game with an empty netter. Check out the Daily Trojan's recap of USC's tournament. Below are the audio highlights of Washington's third period comeback as called by myself and Stanford broadcaster Erik Adams.

The third place finish is part of a major negative trend for USC hockey over the last few years.

The loss is especially disappointing for a group of seniors that started their USC career with a championship against the Ducks when the tournament was last held in Eugene. Back in 2006 and 2007, there was a sense on the team that they would not be denied no matter what. There isn't that same feeling to this year's team, and it'll be up to Coach Mark Wilbur and the players themselves to try and find that elusive mentality. It will be a very long offseason for this Trojan squad.

Bracketology 101: Big East leads the way with two No. 1 seeds

2009-02-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

The term "bracketology" and how it relates to college basketball and the NCAA Tournament is not easily defined -- without the help of UrbanDictionary.com, that is! See their definition below:

1. bracketology

Bracketology is an example of adding the suffix 'ology' to a trivial task to make it sound scientific or difficult. Usage skyrockets during the month of March when any idiot with cable thinks they know everything about college basketball. At least until the boss' 13-year-old daughter wins the office pool by picking the teams with the best looking jerseys. Anybody else is just kidding themselves.

While that definition may be accurate in many cases, we'll use one of Urban Dictionary's alternate definitions, instead:

3. bracketology

Most directly put, the study of how to put a bracket together. Popularized by the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, bracketology is the system by which sports analysts and the NCAA committee decide, by a series of statistics such as RPI, win-loss ratio, final AP Ranking, and auto-bids decided by the outcome of a teams regional end-of-season tournament, what 65 teams (including the play-in game for the two least-qualified team) will play for the chance to win the NCAA Div. 1 Men's Basketball title.

Ah, much better. Simply put, bracketology is the analysis of which college basketball teams will and won't receive a bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament.

Several prognosticators have taken up this pseudo-science from various sports Web sites: ESPN.com, CollegeHoops.net, and BracketProject.50web.com, to name a few.

But due to the dense nature of their analysis, I will condense this into a smaller, more easily digestible summary for you, the reader, focusing on only the six major conferences (Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East, the Big 12, the Big 10, the Southeastern Conference, and the the Pacific-10) plus teams that can receive an "at-large" bid from smaller conferences.

We'll discuss who the four likely No. 1 seeds will be, which teams are locks to receive a bid, and which teams are on the proverbial "bubble."

No. 1 Seeds:

1. Pittsburgh, Big East (23-2)
Comment: After beating UConn, 76-68 -- the No. 1 seed going into this week -- on Monday, the Panthers have proven they're the team to beat.

Pittsburgh's Dajuan Blair, pictured. Image courtesy of seattletimes.nwsource.com.

2. Oklahoma, Big 12 (25-1)
Comment: The Sooners' Blake Griffin has solidified his status as the undisputed No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after posting a 40-point, 23-rebound effort in OU's 95-74 victory over Texas Tech last Saturday.

3. North Carolina, ACC (23-2)
Comment: The Tar Heels beat Duke in Cameron Indoor last week, a tough test against their arch rivals. UNC was everyone's preseason favorite to go all the way, and now they're showing why.

4. Connecticut, (24-2)
Comment: Despite losing to Pitt on Monday, UConn will be a force to be reckoned with as long as their 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet and point guard A.J. Price remain healthy.

UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, pictured above. Image courtesy of TheHoopsReport.com.

Locks to receive a bid (by conference):

ACC:
1. North Carolina
2. Wake Forest
3. Duke
4. Clemson

Big East:
1. Pitt
2. UConn
3. Villanova
4. Louisville
5. Marquette

Big 10:
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Purdue

Big 12:
1. Oklahoma
2. Kansas
3. Missouri

Pac-10:
1. Washington
2. UCLA
3. Arizona State

SEC:
1. LSU

At-large:
1. Xavier
2. Memphis
3. Dayton

Top five teams on the bubble:
1. Arizona (18-8, 8-5 Pac-10)
2. USC (15-9, 6-6 Pac-10)
3. Virginia Tech (16-9, 6-5 ACC)
4. Maryland (16-9, 5-6 ACC)
5. Georgetown (14-10, 5-8 Big East)

Lunardi's Bracketology:

To easily view more information on the teams listed above, or to see which other teams are on the bubble, view Joe Lunardi's Bracketology page courtesy of ESPN.com.

Hurry Up and dineLA!

2009-02-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

So dineLA Restaurant Week ends with the end of the month!

In case you’ve been missing out, dineLA is usually a two week event that allows Angelinos to enjoy specially priced three-course meals from some of LA’s best known (and priciest!) restaurants.

Here are some highlights near the USC area! Just click on the name to see each one’s deals and steals!

Border Grill in Santa Monica
- This place looks a little cheesy on the outside but has the best TexMex in L.A. County (being a border Texan, I consider myself an expert)

ESPN Zone at LA Live
- Hey it’s new, it’s fun and it’s super close. I could pretend to like sports for a couple hours to check this place out.

Luna Park on La Brea
- The ambiance here makes it a great date spot.

Water Grill
- Expensive, but known to have some of the best seafood in Los Angeles. If you’re going to try it, Restaurant week is a good time to go and save some $$$.

Zucca Ristorante
- I love the pumpkin ravioli!

And Click here for the Whole List!

2009-02-12T20:59:00.001-08:00

Breaking News: Cleveland's coach fined $25k

A Trimmer Stimulus

2009-02-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of istock.com

As word spread of the Obama Administration's stimulus package slowly making it's way through the bureaucracy of Washington this week, many were curious as to what his cocktail parties and town hall assemblies had actually accomplished and what was thrown by the wayside. Ultimately, the final version of the bill clocked in at $789 billion, surprisingly lower than the versions proposed -- nearly 4 percent off the House bill and nearly 6 percent from the Senate version.

Causing the most commotion was the elimination of Obama's bold proposition to cap salaries and eliminate bonuses from CEO's of companies seeking financial bailout money. Met with surprise from the general public and disdain from inside Washington's elite mixture of government figures, lobbyists, and close ties to banking sector, the suggestion was one of many Obama has thrown on the table in the past several weeks. Perhaps it was too much, too soon, too bold a maneuver to try and slip by in an already controversial and seemingly unbackable financial plan for most Republicans. The idea of curbing paychecks probably reads like socialism to them.

But is it? What are the repurcussions of government control over non-governmental institutions, and more importantly, their paychecks? To many, the idea doesn't seem that ludicrous -- after all, we pay a hefty some of those checks to the government as is so even if inadvertantly they do have a relative manner of control over our incomes. Governmental jobs are under strict pay regulations, the idea being that people won't merely get into politics for the money that comes with it. But is that ethos even possible to extend to the banking sector, jobs whose draw is rarely anything but the paycheck?
The New York Times Style section featured an attempt to justify the outrage -- you try telling an ibanker at Lehman to try and live in Manhattan with a family on $500,000 and see his response. The article is dismal at best, implying that -- God forbid! -- the man would have to take his kids out of private elementary school to cope with the trauma.

I only wish Obama had held out a bit longer to bring this bold of a move into the fold. A second effort could prove effective in, say, six months, if, say, the stimulus package is effective and the economy is on the upswing. But once he's been laughed out of the room once on it, there's no getting back in.

Beauty's Effort

2009-02-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

Just this week I watched an interesting feature on the topic of beauty. If we think about the “standards” of a beautiful woman in the United States, most are obsessed with weight and staying thin and tan. If we were to think of a prime example of what an American woman was to consider beautiful, Angelina Jolie may come to mind: big lips, big eyes, tall, and remaining magically thin everywhere but the chest area.

Photo courtesy of: allposters.com

This idea of “what is beauty?” got me thinking about how beauty is defined across the world. What are the standards for a beautiful woman outside of American’s obsession with the tanned and toned? In Asia, the opposite is often true. Whereas in America most women strive to be as tan as possible, even coining the phrase “tanorexia”, women in Asia view their skin as their main source of beauty and go to great lengths in keeping it as smooth and as white as possible. The Japanese in particular are famous for producing countless whitening products in facial creams, masks, moisturizers, and even pills to achieve their desired effect.

Desired outcome:
Photos courtesy of: skin-whitening-products.com

Oh a sunny day, it is not uncommon to see every girl on the street carrying around an umbrella to shield themselves from the sun, also known as the enemy. Japanese women in particular think of white porcelain-like-skin as a staple of what is beautiful. And when I say they’ll go to great lengths to keep their skin white, I mean it. The latest craze in Japan is what’s called the “Geisha Facial” which is really a “bird poop facial”, and many women do not hesitate in paying big bucks ($180 for 60 minutes) to get it. The "Geisha Facial" combines powered bird droppings with a skin softening soap to create a facial mask that evens out skin tone and whitens the complexion.

Photos courtesy of: shizukany.com

Although I am guilty of owning many skin whitening products myself, I have not yet gotten to the level of desiring to undergo the poop facial. Well, at least they're being creative.

poll by twiigs.com

Doing it All Over Again

2009-02-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

When an athlete is good enough to play multiple sports in college, he normally chooses the sports he or she is best at and focuses on that particular sports. And that's just was Ira Brown did.

Upon graduating high school, Ira Brown was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 8th round as a pitcher. Brown decided to pass up college offers to play baseball and basketball, and signed with the Royals. As a pitcher with the Gulf Coast Royals in 2001, Brown began his career as a professional baseball player. Brown continued to play for five more seasons, playing for the Spokane Indians, Arizona Royals II, Burlington, Iowa, Shreveport Sports Central and Edmonton, Alberta. Brown struggled throughout his career since graduating high school, and was traded around before being released by the Seattle Mariners in 2005. Brown's 97 mph fastball was no longer cutting in the minor leagues. It was then, when Brown decided to call it quits on his professional baseball career due to shoulder problems he developed from pitching.

So, what's out there for a retired baseball player at age 23 without a college degree?

A chance to do it all over gain. Brown decided to go back to school, and signed with Phoenix College in May of 2005. At Phoenix College, Brown decided to play both baseball and basketball. For Brown, this would be his final year of baseball, after a successful Freshman year playing basketball.

Brown went on to start for Phoenix College his Sophomore year earning first-team NJCAA All-America honors. His sophomore season saw him named to the ACCAC, NCJAA Division II Region I and NCJCAA Division II National Tournament All-Tournament team.

His career began turning around, and he became ranked as one of the top junior college players. An offer to come play for the Gonzaga Bulldogs proved to be too enticing for Brown, and he decided to enroll.

(photo courtesy of The Spokesman-Review)

His first season at Gonzaga saw limited playing time, but his hard work and determination would soon prevail.

Now, well into his Senior season, Brown is playing significant minutes for the Bulldogs, and has helped propel them to the number 19 ranked team in the country. Brown has played in all 22 games for Gonzaga and it proving that he can turn it around as a 26-year-old Senior.

(photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

Brown hopes that a strong senior season will gain him recognition once again, but this time in a different sport. A strong showing in the tournament this March may be just what Brown needs to launch a professional career. This time it will be as a basketball player.

A Cup of LiteraTea

2009-02-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

I don’t know much about architecture but it seems almost Medieval in the midst of a sprawling college campus. LiteraTea’s shady courtyard, quaint coffee shop and serene study room make it an oasis in the middle (well, sort of) of campus.

When I get out of class early or can’t find a lunch buddy I come here where the crowd is studious and intellectual and the view is beautiful. The café has tables outside where groups debate politics or work on projects and other loners like me read (or blog!) and eat lunch. The courtyard is probably the best part of the LiteraTea experience. It’s a lot better to sneak away here than brave the crowded and boisterous Lot.

I took some pictures of the architecture outside. Maybe someone can tell me what era inspired it?

Sitting in LiteraTea café, the study room is absolutely beautiful and serene. Square tiles lead the eye across the floor and to the eight over stuffed chairs that line the left side of the wall. Opposite, a study bar has comfortable leather stools with a sturdy wood base and steel bar to rest your feet on. Above the wooden ledge brown textured walls are speckled with electrical outlets and phone jacks. Unlike the rest of Doheny, you can bring food and drinks in here but just like LiteraTea’s larger counterpart, the room is completely silent.

The coffee shop offers pretty much the same fair as anywhere else on campus: grab-and-go lunches, Peet’s Coffee and bagels – except this place has a toaster oven. The shop’s walls and furniture utilize the same, warm colors and woods of the study space and it smelled like burnt toast when I walked in.

Overall, LiteraTea is beautiful, quiet and definitely a USC campus best kept secret. I recommend frequenting it…if you can find it!

L.A.: Foot Traffic and Social Spaces

2009-02-12T16:25:00.001-08:00

As a native to the city of Los Angeles, I find very few things wrong with the place I call home. All things considered, ( traffic, smog, tourists), I think the worst of our problem lies in our lack of social space.
Because of its size, it's nearly impossible to live in LA without a car. With all of us driving around there are few places in the city that nurture human interaction.

The problem with limited social space in Los Angeles is that it creates a great disconnect in our community, as illustrated in the Oscar-winning film Crash. As a commuter myself, I enjoy having the luxury of driving my own car but at times I wish that my city had a place like Central Park as a watering hole where we can all mingle.

View Larger Map

Being a global city, Los Angeles artificial shopping spaces such as The Grove and The Americana at Brand but I would consider the foot traffic is consumer based rather than accessible to all.

MacArthur Park is truly one of the few areas in LA that is used by its community. Located on Alvarado Street, just a few blocks north of downtown, the park actively engages its community because it is surrounded by bus stops and has several street vendors.

Rather than revamping Pershing Square and making it part of the downtown neighborhood, city officials have put in L.A. Live-- another bubble which profits off of its visitors.

I just wish there was a place for Angelenos could go without the prerequisite of spending money.

2009-02-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

A weekly flea market has finally come to Silverlake, and who better to host it than Ghettogloss, a quirky local art gallery.The Silverlake Art/Craft and Vintage event, held every Sunday from 9 a.m to 5 p.m, will bring in new vendors every week. Ghettogloss' sprawling parking lot will be filled with indie crafters and local artists, mixed in with vintage collectibles, clothing and furniture (not to mention palm readings). "We want the event to have the charm of all the other flea markets in LA, but with a unique twist that only Silverlake, and our gallery, could offer," said Fiora Boes, owner of Ghettogloss. Although they were closed for Super Bowl weekend, the flea market was packed with artists and shoppers last weekend. Plus, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, Ghettogloss is holding a gloomier "Anti-Valentine" event.
Also, due to the huge success of Ghettogloss' Bronx Zoo, a summer figure drawing class featuring models in high-end lingerie and gorilla masks, the gallery is making a spring edition of the class. The new event will feature male models frozen in fighting poses, equipped with boxing gloves and champion belts.
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5 Guys You Build Your Team Around

2009-02-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

If you were a general manager for an NBA franchise and won one of the top 5 selections in a start-over NBA season where you could pick any player, who would you take? Does any member of the defending Boston Celtics championship squad even make the list? Who steals the last spot?

If I were put in charge of my Minnesota Timberwolves and asked to replaced the legendary great player terrible general manager Kevin McHale, this is my draft order. Keep in mind that you get the player at their current state, so picking younger guys with more years to play strengthens a players' draft position over some other deserving veterans.

And with the fifth pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select: Kobe Bryant

Lakers fans would kill me if I had Kobe as late as #5 because he is one of the two best players in the game and one of the most memorable of the past decade. But his tire-tread legs won't last forever and the guys in front of him on this draft list are younger with more years to give me. Kobe still has a couple great seasons left in him, but how many more is he really going to play? 5 seasons? 7 seasons? That's a long time....but not when you got 20-year-olds with 15 years left in their bodies.

And with the fourth pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select: Dwyane Wade

One of the most electrifying players today. Wade already has a championship ring to his name and is having his best regular season ever. He seems to work on his weaknesses more than any other player. Wade's assists, steals, and blocks are all at career-highs this season. It's tough to debate between Wade's remaining career and Kobe's, but a younger Dwyane Wade wins over an older Kobe if I got the fourth pick. Wade was also one of the leaders for the gold-medal USA basketball team and could be a cornerstone for Team USA for years to come.

(photo courtesy of nba.com)

And with the third pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select: Chris Paul

The next two players are as similar as they are different. Paul is a statistical freak. He is a 20 points, 12 assist, 3 steals a game type of player that will lead the league in assists for the next decade if he stays healthy. His outside game is still raw and he is a smaller point guard, but Paul's lightning quick moves and demanding leadership presence make him a guy I want to build my team around. Not only is he a great player, but he has a great image and the media loves him.

(photo courtesy of sportsillustrated.com)

And with the second pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select: Dwight Howard

Superman might be a bigger freak than Paul. Howard is the most powerful player in basketball today....and he is barely in his 20's! He has that youthful excitement level that keeps all eyes on him. A rebounding and block machine, Howard needs to continue to work on his inside scoring, which is already dramatically improving each season. He looks like a giant kid and is always smiling. There are too many positive things to say about a player like Howard, but he looks to be a future hall-of-famer lock.

(photo courtesy of newssports.com)

And with the first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select: LeBron James
Was there really any debate about who you would take with the top pick? Have you watched any NBA games or ESPN highlights at all? If you have, you would know that King James is on a completely different level compared to everyone else. Standing at 6'9 and weighing in at 285 pounds, LeBron is a physical specimen. He can run the floor with anyone. He has that rare ability to make a pass no one else sees or just lower his shoulder and overpower his defender as he rumbles to the hole. LeBron is young, huge, and the scary part? Getting way better. People often talk about a player's ceiling, but when you think about it, what is LeBron's? Once he works on his 3-point shot more next summer (which is already getting better), what else is there to do? He is playing the best defense of his career (and leading talks for defensive player of the year) and doing it consistently.

Give me LeBron and I'm a happy man.

(photo courtesy of newssports.com)

Signing off until next time...

Double Dribbled
mailto:michaesj@usc.edu

“No Discipline” for Basil

2009-02-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Photo: www.bloomacious.com

Q&A with designer Basil Soda

Katy Perry was looking pretty in pink at Sunday’s Grammy Awards and she owes it all to Lebanese fashion designer Basil Soda. Basil Soda opened his own fashion house in 2001 and his ultra-feminine creations gained popularity in the Middle East immediately. This month, Basil Soda opens his new museum theme atelier in Horsh Tabet. On Sunday, Basil Soda’s designer status catapulted to another level when singer Katy Perry floated down the red carpet in one of his stunning creations. I caught up with Basil Soda at the Grammy Style Suite at Smashbox Studios Hollywood just a few days before. I was surprised to discover that the man behind such ornate, fairytale designs is not an eccentric wild man but instead, he is soft-spoken and he is all business.

Kristin: Hi Basil so nice to meet you. Tell me about the history of your line.

Basil Soda: Well, I started in 2001, it is our third year showing in Paris, and we are set to launch the latest collection next month.
K: What is the theme of your collection?

BS: The theme is “no discipline”. It is all based on a mood. These pieces have very fitted bodices and special attention to the female figure.

As it says on his website, “Simplicity weaves its way to moods”.

K: What color tones did you focus on?

BS: There is lots of purple, pink, golds and jewel tones, and summer colors. You want black? I don’t have it.

K: No I love all these rich colors! Do you always stay away from prints?

BS: I don’t do prints.

K: What celebrities will be wearing your dresses down the red carpet on Sunday?

BS: We don’t know for sure yet. It is never a sure thing until moments before the event. Keyshia Cole picked a few things up from us yesterday though.

(I point to the stunning pink dress in the corner-which Katy Perry ultimately ended up wearing).

K: That dress is fabulous. Will anyone be wearing that one to the Grammy’s?

BS: No one has picked it up yet. Maybe they will though.

K: Thank you for your time Basil.

To learn more about Basil Soda and his creations, visit www.basilsoda.com

Q&A - USC Ice Hockey @ Pac 8's

2009-02-12T01:20:00.000-08:00

With the Trojans heading up to Oregon for the Pac-8 Championships, some questions about USC's chances are only natural.
Question: Who will be the two teams playing in the Pac-8 Finals this year?
Answer: Given that the last three years the matchup has been Oregon vs. USC, it's hard to expect anyone else will be playing for the championship on Sunday.
Question: Who's a dark horse to win the title?
Answer: Normally, I'd say Arizona State, the third best team and the only one to beat Oregon, but for for complicated reasons they won't be in Eugene. Instead keep an eye on the winner of the Washington-Stanford game. I think the Huskies will come out big winners and give Oregon a surprise.
Question: Who is the most key player for USC's title hopes?
Answer: As typical as it is to answer this question by saying the goaltender, it is truly Matt Buttweiler. The netminder has been on and off this season, but has put together some solid performances as the season has wound down. If USC wins a title, it'll be on his back.
Question: What should concern a Trojan fan most entering this tournament?
Answer: Three things. One, USC has been notoriously poor at coming out on the winning side of close games. In Oregon, Stanford, and last weekend at SJSU, USC has blown third period leads, and with Oregon specifically, the Trojans lost both games in either the last minute or a shootout. Two, Oregon has won five straight against USC (the third of which is pictured at left.... photo courtesy www.pac8hockey.com) . Three, this Trojan team is getting healthy at the right time, but the chemistry on the offensive lines isn't there and hasn't had time to develop. All of these could pose major problems.
Question: The most perfect hero for USC?
Answer: Clark McClanathan (pictured right: image courtesy of the Orange County Register). In 2007, USC won the title on a goal scored by a fourth line player with no goals (as far as I remember) on the season. In 2009, wouldn't it be perfect for a fourth line player who always plays with passion and heart to come away with the winner?

This week's audio highlight:
USC gave up two third period leads this past weekend against the San Jose State Spartans. This first game was incredibly exciting and sums up, in a way, the entire series. Enjoy!

No. 3 UNC Tar Heels stomp No. 5 Duke, 101-87

2009-02-12T00:22:00.001-08:00

DURHAM, N.C. - In arguably the most heated rivalry in college basketball, North Carolina once again bettered the Blue Devils on Wednesday night in a game that was much closer than its 101-87 score might indicate.

BACK AND FORTH
The Tar Heels got off to a quick start, but Duke caught up with just less than six minutes remaining in the first half on a three-pointer by Greg Paulus that gave Duke its first lead of the game, 36-33. Duke stretched the lead to eight points by halftime through offensive contributions from Paulus, Gerald Henderson, and Kyle Singler.

However, even the Cameron Crazies couldn't wreak enough havoc to the keep the Heels at bay.

SECOND HALF SURGE
It was a tale of two halves for the Devils. After limiting each of UNC's two best players -- Ty Lawson and 2007-08 Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough -- to only four first half points, the defensive effort collapsed in the second half.

The Tar Heels used runs of 25-11 and 14-0 to reclaim the lead late in the second half, which they stretched to 17 points by game's end.

THE GAME BALL GOES TO...
Lawson (below) was UNC's MVP, scoring 21 of his 25 points in the second half to help his team overcome its 52-44 halftime deficit.

Hansbrough added 13 second half points as well, and all five Tar Heel starters finished in double-figures. The team shot an impressive 54.8 percent from the field on the evening, and 40 percent from behind the arc.

Photo credit: farm1.static.flickr.com

Singler, Jon Scheyer, and Henderson led the way for Duke in the losing effort with 22, 20, and 17 points, respectively. Backup point guard Nolan Smith provided a nice spark off the bench for the Devils, and claimed the highlight of the night with a nifty spin move that led to a fastbreak layup toward the end of the first half.

MAKING HISTORY
The Tar Heels made history by becoming the first team in nine years to hit triple-digits in points against Duke. The win also marked a fourth consecutive season that UNC has beaten the Blue Devils on their home floor.

Photo credit: media.kansan.com

Hansbrough (above, left) and Danny Green (above, right), both seniors who have taken part of each of those four victories, became only the third and fourth players to ever beat Duke four times in a row at Cameron Indoor in the Mike Krzyzewski era, joining former Wake Forest greats Tim Duncan and Rusty LaRue.

North Carolina continues to lead the all-time series, 129-97, and has a two-game winning streak going against the Dukies.

REDEMPTION
The Blue Devils won't have to wait long (or travel far, since the schools are a mere 8 miles apart) to try to avenge Wednesday's loss; the two teams meet again, this time at North Carolina's Dean E. Smith Court on March 8. After surrendering the top spot in the ACC Conference on Wednesday, expect Coach K to have his team more ready than ever for the powder-blue boys from Chapel Hill.

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LA Gears Up for Valentine's Day

2009-02-11T17:24:00.001-08:00

Hooray for Valentine's Day! It is a time of love, passion, romance, and spending time with that oh-so-special someone...and is one of my favorite holidays!

Now, I know that my last post was about a Valentine's Day rave, but I know for a fact that it not everyone's cup of tea. Well, for those people--you're in luck.
With this special day days away, many LA hotspots are gearing up with special events just for the occasion!

Here are a couple of things I found that you can use to dazzle your special sweetheart (now if I could only get my husband to do them for me!)

LA.com

1. Arclight Theatres: Now who does not like dinner and a movie? Well, for the holiday, both Arclight locations in Hollywood and Sherman Oaks are doing both! Not only are they serving dinner, they have special Valentine's Day-themed drinks to go with get this--romance films! Yes, throughout the theatre, they are going to be showing the mushy-gushy films (that's right--Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Way We Were, and so much more!) that will for sure make the fires in your heart burn! Click here to find out more or call ArcLight Hollywood at(323) 464-1465/ArcLight Sherman Oaks: (818) 801-7713 for more information!

LA.com

2. The Laugh Factory Presents: My Funny Valentine: If your special someone likes to laugh, then this is an option to consider! The famous Laugh Factory is having a special Valentine's-Day themed show! It is sure to get both of you crying tears of joy!

When: Saturday, February 14th @ 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm
Where: The Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90046. 323-656-1336
Cost: $25-$35 ($100 couples package) for 8 pm show
$30-$45 ($125 for couples package) for 10 pm

For tickets, information, and directions click here!

LA.com

3. Venice Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt: What better way to bond with your honey than to go on an adventure? Venice has a scavenger hunt for teams of two, and it allows couples to use the clues to make their way around Venice-- get this--on bikes! A perfect thing to do to start Valentine's Day off right! Click here to link to the event website for more information!

4. Sunset Hollywood Ranch: Now this is my all-time favorite!! What is more romantic than a horse ride with your lover? Bring out the cowboy/cowgirl in your life! Take a sunset ride in the Hollywood Hills and end it with a good ol'fashion barbeque dinner at the ranch. Price is $85 per person for a 2 hour ride and dinner! Click here for directions and more information!

I wish you ALL a safe and happy Valentine's Day!

Stay tuned to my posts, I will be bringing all the latest events and hot spots that will be bringing the night to life!

Beverly Hills 90210--No Go

2009-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of Beverly Hills Unified School District

Beverly Hills...besides the fancy shmancy cars, mansions, and restaurants, the area is also renowned for its top of the line education. Because of the Beverly Hills School District's elite school system and array of extracurricular activities, many parents get jobs in the 90210 area so their children can attend the schools. But just recently I heard about the Beverly Hills Board of Education's decision to possibly lower the number of students in the district--meaning pounce out the rest of the non-Beverly kids.

Image courtesy of Beverly Hills Unified School District

Due to the financial problems of the economy, kids who go to Beverly High and do not live in the Beverly Hills district, are in jeopardy of getting kicked out-- in the middle of the year! This is incredibly horrible news to those parents who live close to the 90210, but dont't quite make the district cut. According to Brian Goldberg, a Beverly Hills Board member, the if the new laws pass, the city will also halt out-of-district permits.

This news comes after many Beverly Hills residents say they want their cities $57-million budget spent for only students who live within its boundaries. Parents who don't live in Beverly Hills argue that the city is discriminating against the poor and putting walls around the city. But for Talia Amiri, a mother of two who lives in Beverly Hills says, "it's not fair... why would I pay extra taxes for other people to attend these schools?"

Image courtesy of Beverly Hills Unified School District

Goldberg says nothing is for certain yet until "the board votes on any new policy we will continue to follow our current policy, which is to have current permit holders to apply for a permit each year and based on space availability we will accept out of district permits for a 1 year permit who obtain a release from their home district and who meet all the qualifications for obtaining either a new or renewal permit based on those criteria and available space."

Map of Beverly Hills and Schools in district

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The board will be voting on this issue at our Feb. 24th Board meeting. The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm in the Salter Theater at the Beverly Hills High School.

Q and A with Brian Goldberg at City Council Meeting:

Why do you oppose opportunity permits yet support permits for employees of the district, the City of Beverly Hills, diversity and legacy permits? Under basic aid, don't they all cost us money?

Yes, from a purely economic standpoint, having any permits reduces the amount we can spend on each resident child. Let me take each category one by one:

Employees of the District: I believe that in order to attract and retain the best and brightest employees to the district we need to provide a competitive advantage to those employees. I also believe that employees who have children in the district will be even more committed and more dedicated to the district because their children attend.

Employees of the City of Beverly Hills: The City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Unified School District share a common interest in providing the best possible education for our residents. If this is one additional advantage that the City of Beverly Hills can offer to its employees, so much the better.

Diversity Permits: The agreement is between BHUSD and LAUSD to provide opportunity to specific geographical areas in LAUSD for students to attend Beverly Hills High School who would not otherwise have that opportunity. We offer new permits in 9th grade and the number varies year to year based on space availability in accordance with our policy.

Legacy Permits: This permit was started last year to provide grandchildren of residents the ability to attend our schools. The students must have a grandparent who has resided in Beverly Hills for ten continuous years and have at least one parent who attended a Beverly Hills school for at least 4 years.

Do you think people who are not residents of Beverly Hills should be allowed privilege to the Beverly Hills school system?

poll by twiigs.com

Where to walk on the ArtWalk

2009-02-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

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Daytime Adventures in L.A. Matched with Dinner

2009-02-06T18:22:00.001-08:00

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2009-02-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

Converted from an old fire station into a swanky restaurant, the Edendale Grill has quickly become one of the most popular new restaurant and night spot in Silverlake. Dating back to 1924, the building has a classic California style and serves gourmet "comfort food," like meatloaf wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon served on gorgonzola mashed potatoes (yum!). Their cocktail lounge, lovingly titled the Mixville Bar after Western movie legend, Tom Mix, is located where the old fire-truck bay used to be. Their renovation of the long garage was difficult and expensive, but proved to be well worth their dollars after ooh's and ahh's over the bar's unique pressed-tin ceiling and 38-foot long, mahogany bar.

The Edendale Grill's proprietor, Melanie Tusquellas, wanted to make sure the restaurant's food and look reflected the rich history embedded in its walls. "We tried not to do too much with the original design of the building. We even kept the truck bay doors," said Tusquellas. "And after researching classic American recipes, our classic menu reflects that history as well." Although popular for their dinner menu, the Edendale Grill offers an equally delightful lunch and Sunday brunch menu.

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Roy's

2009-02-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was my big 21st birthday and I knew I had to find the perfect location to celebrate. I chose Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion because it’s close, classy and serves good cocktails. It doesn’t hurt either that one is called the 1988 (for $10 each, which add up pretty quickly), so I could toast to my birth like my drink was made for me. Roy’s main menu is pretty pricey, but my girlfriends had a great meal just with sticking to the shorter, yet creative, sushi menu.

Roy’s is a great to celebrate a birthday because they really cater to their special guests. I was able to make reservations for 8 on the day-of and when I arrived the table was ready with confetti, a personalized menu, seasoned edamame and a wine menu. The service was friendly and prompt. My friends love it, I love it and most assuredly recommend it!

I posted a map to show you how close this place is. Just take a cab and make a night out of great Hawaiian Fusion and cocktails!

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MARDI WHAT?

2009-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Folks...February has arrived which only means one thing... Mardi Gras! Just the mere mention of these two words conveys the images of parades, beads flying through the air, ear-to-ear grins plastered on people's faces, king cakes and of course the city itself, New Orleans. If there is a better time to be in New Orleans, it should be during Mardi Gras, also known as "Fat Tuesday."

Parades

The Mardi Gras parades usually begin with the King and Queen leading the parade, followed by beautiful floats, live music and dancers. If you have ever visted New Oreans during Mardi Gras season, the words "Throw me something mister!" seem all to familiar. People on the floats, known as "krewe members" throw goodies to the crowds lining the streets. These throws can be beads, cups,stuffed animals, etc. Crowds of women and men line up in the streets, hoping to catch some of the treats and sometimes even flash a little bare skin to get the necklaces. Many of these items become collectibles each year.

All of the businesses and roads are practically shut down. People are dressed in crazy costumes, and kids are roaming around everywhere. Many people wear purple, green, and gold, colors symbolizing justice, faith, and power.

Where are these parades?

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King Cakes

A very popular and delicious treat of this festivity is the "King's Cake." The cinnamon cake is filled with dough in the shape of a hollow circle. The cake is topped with a delicious glazed topping and then sprinkled with colored sugar. The three colors of the sugar are Purple (representing Justice), Green (representing Faith) and Gold (representing Power.It is a custom to make these cakes and give them to friends and family. They say if you're lucky you will find a plastic baby inside. You might be wondering, "Why on earth would a plastic baby be inside of a cake?" The tradition is that whoever receives the baby in their piece of cake must buy the next King Cake or throw the next party.

History of Mardi Gras

While all the beer-drinking and bead-catching is always fun, we must not forget about the history behind the celebrations. Mardi Gras originated as one of the series of carnival days held in all Roman Catholic countries between Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, and Ash Wednesday.The first American Mardi Gras was celebrated near modern-day New Orleans on March 3, 1699.

Mardi Gras festivities are also held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nice, France; and Cologne, Germany.

Photo credits and Mardi Gras information Mardigras.com

Preparing for the NFL Draft

2009-02-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

There's a lot that goes into the transition from college football to the NFL. As the season ends, players declare their desire to enter eligibility for the NFL draft, and prepare for the move to the NFL. For a player getting ready for the draft, there are three main opportunities to showcase their skills as they prepare.

The NFL Combine is the most widely respected spectacle of skills and determination of players. Many athletes choose the combine to show their abilities in front of NFL scouts. The 2009 NFL combine will be conducted at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. More than 600 NFL personal including scouts, general managers, and coaches show up to watch the athletes.

The combine is held over a period of three days and players are asked to show their skills in an assortment of tests. For speed and agility, players do sprints ranging from 10 to 40 years. Shuttle and cone drills are used to measure quickness, control, and endurance. For lower body explosiveness, players do vertical and broad jumps. The bench press is used to test strength, and players are measured based of how many repetitions at 225 pounds can be done. This tests stamina as well as upper body strength. In addition to these tests, the NFL combine also has an assortment of individual tests on a position by position basis.

These highly stressful drills are conducted in combination with interviews by team psychologists as well as coaches. This will test a players mental capacity as well as the desire to play the game. This can be of greater importance for certain positions like quarterback.

The NFL Combine is very important because it can measure the maximum output that players can do at the top of their game. However the Senior Bowl, held in Mobile, Alabama, allows for players to show their skills in a game setting. Split up into two teams, North and South, graduating seniors get to play in one final game on the collegiate level in front of scouts, and coaches. This game can sometimes account for certain abilities that can't be measured by the tests at the combine.

The last option for players to show their skills is at their school's Pro Day. USC's Pro Day typically falls after the NFL combine and Senior Bowl, and it's the last chance for players to perform before scouts. This is often the chosen path of players that are nursing injuries suffered during the season.

Whatever players decide to do, the transition to the NFL is a rigorous one, and players must be prepared to make the change. Played must make sure they are in optimum performing shape if they want to cash in on a big paycheck on draft day.

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The End of an Era

2009-02-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Confession: I am addicted to Japanese snacks. Hardly ever do they fail to be adorably packaged and delicious.

As a college student deprived of home-cooked meals, my top choice to shop groceries is the Mitsuwa Marketplace in downtown Little Tokyo for their packaged, easy to cook dumplings, sushi selection, and most off all: Japanese snacks. I often make care-packages for my close friends filled with these snacks and although the food may be pricier than your average grocery store's, the quality of their merchandise is well worth the extra cash.

This past weekend I realized I desperately needed to re-stock on my groceries and without even considering other options (such as the Ralph's just one block away), I got in my car and drove down to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Japan Town. I arrived at the market only to find that it had closed down! Even now I think I am still in a bit of denial over the stores closing – and very nostalgic.

Photo courtesy of: Flickr's fridayinla

The Mitsuwa Market in downtown’s Little Tokyo has been a staple of the area for two decades and its closing represents the end of an era to many J-Town residents and loyal customers of the store such as myself. With the recent economic downturn, the Mitsuwa business has suffered and like many battles, the good side lost. After 24 years of business, Mistuwa Market in Little Tokyo closed its doors on January 24. Besides being very uneasy about the closure, another thing I don’t understand is how I failed to miss the store’s 50% sale off all products before its closing because apparently it was a big deal.

Photos courtesy of: The Los Angeles Times

When the market first opened Mitsuwa had been the first and largest modern Japanese supermarket in J-Town. The market’s prosperity reflected much of Little Tokyo’s prosperity – and now with its closure, I can’t help but wonder how much it foreshadows on the entire town’s economical future. However, to end on an optimistic note, at least there's still Marukai and Nijiya Market left in Little Tokyo - although much smaller than the late Mitsuwa, I highly recommend both for all your grocery shopping needs.

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No. 1 seed: Honor or Curse?

2009-02-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

As the college basketball season has heated up, so has the fierce competition to retain the prestigious No. 1 ranking that has become both an honor and a curse.

The North Carolina Tar Heels (19-2) were most experts' preseason favorites to win this year's National Championship since they returned their three best starters (and sure-fire future pros) Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and 2007-08 Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough from last year's squad. UNC held the top spot from Week 1 all the way into Week 7, when they were upended by Boston College on Jan. 4, 85-78, in a home game at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.

In Week 8, then-undefeated Pittsburgh (19-2) claimed the top spot, but it wasn't long before they too had to relinquish the ranking after a loss on Jan. 18 to then-No. 20 Louisville, 69-63, at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky. The Cardinals held each of Pitt's top three scorers, Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, and Levance Fields below their season averages, while Louisville's Terrance Williams and Earl Clark led the Cardinal attack with 20 and 16 points, respectively.

Here's where the madness begins. Since Pitt's loss to Louisville, no team has been able to hold the top spot for consecutive weeks.

In Wake Forest's first week in the top spot in Week 10, the Demon Deacons got shocked by a 78-71 upset loss to Virginia Tech on Jan. 21 at Wake's Groves Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Despite Wake's leading scorer Jeff Teague leading the way with 23 points and four Deacons finishing in double-figures, it still wasn't enough. Harvey Hale (No. 4, below) finished with 12 points in the losing effort.

The following week, Wake Forest returned the favor by posting an upset bid of their own against one of their Tobacco Road rivals, then-No. 1 Duke, by beating the Blue Devils, 70-68, at Groves on Jan. 29 on a last-second, game-winning lay-up by Wake's James Johnson at the buzzer. Although both Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler scored 20+ points for Duke, Wake took down the Devils with a team-based offensive scheme and stifling defense.

As you can see from the map below, North Carolina's Tobacco Road -- the 15-mile area that encompasses the campuses of Wake Forest, Duke, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State -- has become a hotbed of No. 1-seed upsets this season.

The bigger trend, however, has been that of No. 1 seeds losing in their first week at the top, which has continued since Pitt's Week 9 loss.

With Connecticut (20-1) holding the top spot as we enter Week 12, the Huskies need only to defeat Michigan (14-8) at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in East Hartford, Conn. However, given the recent upset trend, could this be the next upset site? Watch ESPN at 6 p.m. ET to find out.

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How Sweet It Is 2009 is Being Moved from the Shrine!

2009-02-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, then you are one of those people who are calling up other people to find out what's going on that night...And the fact is that there are MANY things going on all over...you just need to know where to look!

Photo: insomniac.com

Now this is such a shame! People (especially USC students) have been lucky to have How Sweet It Is, a wonderful rave/party,so close in the vicinity of Los Angeles.

But this year, Insomniac Events has announced that they are moving How Sweet It Is to a new, larger location for 2009!

The new location for this year’s How Sweet It Is is the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino!

I went to HSII back in 2006, and it was amazing! It was really convenient because at the time I lived on campus and all I had to was walk across the street!

Even though attendees of the event must leave earlier to get through the usual LA traffic, just like any other rave the drive is totally worth it! This year is sure to have great artists performing, check out How-Sweet for listings!

The date is Saturday, March 21st, 2009, so buy your tickets now online!

Stay tuned to my posts, I will be bringing all the latest events and hot spots that will be bringing the night to life!

Trojans Beat/Sweep UCLA

2009-02-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

They didn't do it the way they thought they would, but the Trojans swept UCLA by winning the weekend's first game 6-1 and by UCLA forfeiting the second one.
The 6-1 score in Friday's game at Anaheim Ice was reminiscent of the scene in March of 2006 when the Trojans clinched the Crosstown Cup in the fifth game by that same 6-1 score.

The outcome of Game 4 (Friday's game) was in doubt for about half of a period. UCLA was out-hitting the Trojans and the teams traded scoring opportunities.
But midway through the period, with nothing clicking on the first two lines, the offensive spark came from an unlikely senior.

Joe Scialfa scored the initial goal by scooping up a loose puck from the corner, skating in front and slipping a sliding shot just inside the near post. That was surprising enough. Scialfa, generally a fourth liner, had scored only one other goal all season (in an exhibition game in China) and that goal was a tap-in at best. The team on the bench was fired up over just one goal. Little did anyone know that less than 20 seconds later, Scialfa would backhand into the net a rebound from a blast off the post by Charlie Mach. The building EXPLODED. At that point, even though the game was in the first period, it was clearly over. What a shift from Scialfa.

The packed house of donors, fans and fraternity boys were loud and rowdy all game, giving USC by far its best home attendance of the season. The game was summarized in the Daily Trojan in this article.

As for the Game 5 forfeiture.... It's weird. UCLA Hockey has had a bizarre year administratively, firing their coach early in the year. Coach Wilbur wasn't sure if the hockey program was possibly in disciplinary trouble or just simply didn't feel like spending the money when they had no chance of winning.
No Audio Highlight this week, but expect one next week following the two San Jose State road games. Instead enjoy this map showing the best ways to get to/from Anaheim Ice as well as the home arenas for USC's local opposition (Long Beach State, UCLA, LMU)

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USG Gears Up For Elections

2009-02-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

With the University Student Government elections only three weeks away, a constitutional amendment was passed today that allows part-time students as well as full-time students to be eligible candidates for USG positions. Previously, students had to be "full-time and in good standing" in order to qualify.

The amendment was proposed by residential senator Ashlie Chan, who is running for a vice presidential position on a ticket with Greek senator Holden Slusher. “I think this opens USG up for all students. A student’s desire to run is testament to the drive and character of the candidate, whether he is part-time or not," Slusher told the Daily Trojan after the vote Tuesday night. Slusher, oddly, declined to say whether or not he was a full-time student.

The vote has allegedly been in the passing stages for quite some time now, but it does strike me as a bit convenient that the candidates unwilling to comment on their status as students are the ones pushing for the amendment. While the ethos of being equal opportunity employers stands, much of the debate on the vote came down to the fact that some part-time students (those taking only six units) are exempt from paying the Student Programming Fee that USG relys on for much of its funding. On top of that, the election to office of USG comes with a hefty stipend -- a couple thousand in some instances -- so to elect somebody who doesn't pay the standard fees and grant them with a stipend on top of it seems almost like not taxing the CEO of a company and handing over their bonus anyway.

Owen Caine, the current director for university affairs and another candidate for the presidential spot, is taking 18 units this semester in addition to his extracurricular work (like many students at USC). “It is important that anyone who pays the student fee should be able to run for USG, since we decide how to spend that money,” he told the Daily Trojan after the vote. “But I think it sets an example that someone is able to hold a full academic schedule, get good grades and also work for USG. I think it shows your commitment to serve the students to do both.”

Ultimately, the decision will not come down to the symantics but to the votes on February 17th, 18th, and 19th. Polls for all students -- full-time, part-time, and commuters -- can be found below.

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Lookin' for FUN? Come to MyHouse!

2009-02-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

The place: MyHouse. And the name does not lie-- this new, anticipated club is just that, a Hollywood Hills home that seems to have been placed smack dab in the middle of Hollywood!

The two-story,10,000sqft house/club has all the amenities: a kitchen with a stocked bar, a master bedroom decked out with the finest decor, a living room, and a patio with a fire pit, BBQ, and a Jacuzzi.

Photos: LA.com

The place can get crowded (like any other club in Hollywood), so expect lines. But don’t worry, the creators of MyHouse have thought of a fix for that—the club is lined with hedges so you can wait in line in peace.

And you don’t need to worry about the hassle of Hollywood parking—there is $5 self-parking next door.

To sweeten the deal of this "club," there are fresh-baked cookies served late in the kitchen.

Be sure to bring cash or plastic with you, because the comfortable that this place is, you will want to make yourself feel at home!

MyHouse
7080 Hollywood Blvd
Cross Street: La Brea Ave.
Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00PM - 2:00AM.
Reservations: (323)960-3300

Here's Google Map on how to get here to MyHouse!

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Stay tuned to my posts, I will be bringing all the latest events and hot spots that will be bringing the night to life!

Coachella Lineup

2009-01-30T22:22:00.000-08:00

I wasn't lying when I said the Coachella Music Festival lineup announcements should be coming sooner than later... Well, here they are:

Lineup
Friday, April 17th
* A Place To Bury Strangers
* Alberta Cross
* Bajofondo
* Beirut
* Buraka Som Sistema
* Cage the Elephant
* Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
* Craze and Klever
* Crystal Castles
* Dear and the Headlights
* Felix da Housecat
* Franz Ferdinand
* Genghis Tron
* Ghostland Observatory
* Girl Talk
* Gui Boratto
* Leonard Cohen
* Los Campesinos!
* M. Ward
* Molotov
* Morrissey
* N.A.S.A.
* Noah and the Whale
* Patton & Rahzel
* Paul McCartney
* Peanut Butter Wolf
* People Under the Stairs
* Ryan Bingham
* Silversun Pickups
* Steve Aoki
* Switch
* The Crystal Method
* The Aggrolites
* The Airborne Toxic Event
* The Black Keys
* The Bug
* The Courteeners
* The Hold Steady
* The Knux
* The Presets
* The Ting Tings
* We Are Scientists
* White Lies

Saturday, April 18th
* Amanda Palmer
* Amy Winehouse
* Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
* Atmosphere
* Band Of Horses
* Billy Talent
* Blitzen Trapper
* Bob Mould Band
* Booker T
* Calexico
* Cloud Cult
* Crookers
* Dr. Dog
* Drive By Truckers
* Drop The Lime
* Electric Touch
* Fleet Foxes
* Gang Gang Dance
* Glass Candy
* Glasvegas
* Henry Rollins
* Hercules and Love Affair
* Ida Maria
* James Morrison
* Liars
* Junior Boys
* Mastodon
* Michael Franti & Spearhead
* MSTRKRFT
* Surkin, Para One
* Superchunk
* The Bloody Beetroots
* The Killers
* Thenewno2
* Thievery Corporation
* Tinariwen
* TRAV$DJ-AM
* Turbonegro
* TV On The Radio
* Zane Lowe
* Zizek Club

Sunday, April 19th
* Antony and the Johnsons
* Brian Jonestown Massacre
* Christopher Lawrence
* Clipse
* Friendly Fires
* Fucked Up
* Groove Armada (DJ Set)
* Jenny Lewis
* K'naan
* Late of the Pier
* Lupe Fiasco
* Lykke Li
* M.A.N.D.Y.
* Marshall Barnes
* Mexican Institute of Sound
* My Bloody Valentine
* No Age
* Okkervil River
* Paolo Nutini
* Paul Weller
* Perry Farrell
* Peter Bjorn and John
* Public Enemy
* Roni Size Reprazent
* Sebastien Tellier
* Shepard Fairey
* Supermayer
* The Cure
* The Gaslight Anthem
* The Horrors
* The Kills
* The Night Marchers
* Themselves
* Throbbing Gristle
* Vivian Girls
* X
* Yeah Yeah Yeah's

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Coachella

There is plenty of new music by bands such as, "Throbbing Gristle" as well as older music by the "Cure" and Paul McCartney. Whatever your taste may be, this music lover's oasis is bound to toot your horns. One problem... which bands to watch? With such a variety playing on different stages it's hard to choose.

But your tickets

NBA Free Agent List 6-10 Continued

2009-01-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

Continuing with last week's theme, we are going to focus on the upcoming summer's big-name free agents.

Last week's top 5 include:

1. Kobe Bryant

2. Carlos Boozer

3. Steve Nash

4. Allen Iverson

5. Shawn Marion

And on to the NEXT 5.....

6. Mehmet Okur: Big men who can rebound and hit the three-pointer as consistently as Okur are hard to find. The Jazz could be hard-pressed to keep Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Okur. I see Okur getting away from the Jazz and signing elsewhere. I can see Okur going to a worse team than the Jazz and going where the money is. Look for Mehmet to sign as a team's deep threat and number two option as an offense's focal point. Not quite talented enough to be a team's consistent leading scorer but a good supporting player.

Expected Status: Leaving

7. Hedo Turkoglu: The NBA's reigning "Comeback Player of the Year" winner only seems to get better. Turkoglu has surpassed Rashard Lewis as the surging Magic's second-best player this season behind Dwight Howard. Turkoglu has impressed me more than almost anybody this year. He is a big man with quality handles and that

same rare ability Okur possesses to hit the long-rang bomb from three-point land. Look for Turkoglu to stick it out in Orlando and resign with the yo

ung Magic to make them a contender for years to come.

Expected Status: Re-signing with Orlando

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8. Ron Artest: The Ron Artest experiment has not yet run its course in Houston. But you can bet if the Rockets make a run when Yao Ming a

nd Tracy McGrady come back and get to the Western Conference Finals, Artest should be coming back. If the Rockets sputter down the stretch, watch for him to hit the road. Artest can defend any position. He's got a strong lower body that he uses to win position in the down-low battle with opponents. Plus he knows how to rap and his tongue spits fire, added bonuses for any teams considering him.

Expected Status: Leaving

9. Rip Hamilton: With the Pistons playing their worst basketball this decade, expect Hamilton to be gone come this summer. Detroit already broke up the nucleus of their championship year runs when they sent Billups, their floor leader, to Denver in exchange for Allen "We Talkin' Bout Practice" Iverson. Expect the Pistons to continue breaking up their team, leaving only Prince still on the squad from the old big 4. Hamilton already has his championship ring and the credentials of being a player who gives you everything he's got every game. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hamilton go to whoever pays the most, with more of a Marion situation where he tries to go where he can be a little bit more of the man for an organization.

Expected Status: Leaving

10. Mike Bibby: For a guy who's highlight years are far behind him in Sacramento, Bibby continues to play at a high-level every year. Bibby is still a great shooter with a pure stroke. Teams needing a shoot-first point guard that still knows how to dish the rock could be in luck Bibby will come at a veterans discount considering he is getting older and may only have a couple years left in the spotlight. If the Hawks have a finish like they did last season, Bibby could be back. With the added depth in the East this year, don't expect that to happen anytime soon. Just ask Orlando, Boston and Cleveland.

Expected Status: Leaving

Free-Agent Honorable Mentions: Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace

NBA POLL

2009-01-29T20:27:00.001-08:00

poll by twiigs.com

Blago Out

2009-01-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Illinois State Senate just announced the official impeachment of corrupt Sen. Rod Blagojevich. The Senators voted 59-0 that Blagojevich should be ousted, a move that literally took all but physical force. The former Senator had spent much of the past week on a whirlwind media tour on every major news platform, be it daytime, network or evening, the purpose of which was lost on just about everybody. Did he really think going on Good Morning America and The Rachel Maddow Show would help his case? For some, perhaps this would have aided in his cause, considering that he insisted that what he did was not criminal and disregarded all parallels to Richard Nixon and the infamous Watergate scandals (and denials thereof). But Blagojevich the man is what caused this mess and certainly Blagojevich the man is what would keep him in it. On the Daily Show, Jon Stewart featured a clip of one of the many Blagojevich interviews of the day, where he insisted that what he said on the phone (stating that the Illinois State Senate seat was a "F-ing valuable thing" and that he wasn't just going to "give it away for nothing") should not be considered offensive because he made sure sure "there were no women on the phone." Not only did the continuing media onslaught show how little comprehension Blagojevich has toward realizing what the world thinks of him, he seemed to show a vacant if not vapid sense of wrongdoing. As the New York Times reported:

When the proceedings ended, Senate President John Cullerton, a Democrat, said, “Today we mark a shameful low in the proud tradition of our state.”

Hooked on Hookah

2009-01-29T18:09:00.000-08:00

One notch above going to a café with friends, hookah lounges all over Los Angeles are attracting the youth by giving them a place to bum around for hours. Flavored tobacco ranging from mixed fruit to cognac flavors are packed into a small bowls which are placed over a water pipe, allowing smokers to get a taste of the smoke while feeling a bit light headed.

Depending on where you go, smoking hookah can be accompanied by Middle Eastern cuisine and sometimes belly dancing. One trend remains the same, elaborate tapestry, hot Persian tea and Arabic music which are staples of L.A. Hookah hot spots.

One of the largest hookah destinations is “The Spot” in Encino. Usually it’s full of the backwash of club goers as they return to their homes in the Valley after a night of partying. Typical of hookah bars, it doesn’t serve liquor but it has a lot of outdoor seating and a menu with pretty good Middle Eastern dishes.

My personal favorite is the “Hookah Lounge” in Glendale. How it became my favorite is because it’s the closest to my house and it’s relatively inexpensive. One hookah will cost you anywhere from $12-$20 and the minimum charge per person is $7 where most are $10.

A cup of hot tea is $3 but it’s well worth it with non-stop refills that come almost every 5 minutes. The food is really good and they have a wide range of appetizers and main dishes. A plate of lule kabob (ground meat barbequed on skewers) with plenty of rice and barbequed veggies cost $10.95. I would give it three out of four stars---good but not at restaurant quality.

The best thing to do is to snack. One bowl of tobacco can last a two smokers up to two hours (refills are $7-10). I love their lebni (kefir cheese—has a yogurt-like texture) with toasted Persian flat bread. All their appetizers, ranging from humus to nachos, can serve two easily.

The Hookah Lounge has both indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor seating allows you to sit on couch-like seats wear you can sit cross-legged on Persian rugs. It’s a beautiful atmosphere, however, the DJ booth is inside and the music is so loud it usually interrupts what would be a comfortable conversation.

They recently upgraded their outdoor patio to include wood-panel roofing and the nurture of heaters. Overall it is the best bang for your hookah buck. Check out what Hookah Lounge looks like.

L.A. Favorites

2009-01-29T17:37:00.000-08:00

Living in a city with hundreds of restaurants, I wonder how anyone has a favorite. I try to go somewhere new every time I go out and I haven’t a place that feels quite like home to me yet. Or, it seems like just when I think I do I return a few weeks later to find the lobster ravioli has been replaced with crab or their tuna casserole is not as appetizing as it sounds. So I set out today to roam around campus and do a little Q&A to find out if people had places where they loved to eat again and again.

I was surprised when everyone I asked seem to have a special spot.

Some people like homier places like the Old Spaghetti Factory for their warm atmosphere or comfort food. Some USC students liked going out to where they get treated like royalty (like Fogo de Chao where dinner is $45). Other’s just liked the salad menu or the rare opportunity to order something they knew was not on the menu. Some restaurants were chains and others were one of a kind.

I’m going to keep trying more restaurants around L.A. because I don’t feel nearly as passionate about anywhere in this city as some of the people I interviewed felt about their pick. If you have any suggestions let me know…trust me I’m searching.

2009 NBA Mock Draft Version 1.0 Picks 1-5

2009-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

To some hoops fans, college basketball represents the sport in its purest form. Student-athletes play for nothing more than love of the game, they say, and the passion and pride of the student body can't be matched by fans of professional sports.

To others, college ball is simply another checkpoint on the path to an athlete's ultimate goal -- the pros, and the money, fame, endorsements and celebrity that comes with it.

I should point out that reaching the top of the sports totem pole isn't every athlete's plan, according to the NCAA's Public Service Announcement commercials, who state "there are over 380,000 student-athletes, and almost all of them will go pro in something other than sports."

For sports fanatics like you and I, however, we only care about the ones that do. That's why as any college basketball season progresses, scouts, general managers, and other prognosticators spend countless hours trying to decipher which college players are capable of making the transition to the big time.

Unfortunately, there's no real formula on how exactly to predict such things, for now. Some people weigh past performance as a higher criterion than all else, while others like to hypothesize about a player's potential, or "ceiling." Still others drool at a player's pure athleticism and raw ability, and prefer to use instinct rather than numbers to evaluate.

As I try to do my own personal evaluations of this year's crop of college talent, I will try to inject all of these characteristics into my predictions and use comparisons to past players whose NBA fates might resemble those of certain players in the 2009 class. Since the draft order is yet to be determined via the NBA Lottery, we'll assume for now that the teams will draft in reverse order of how they finish the regular season.

Let's begin.

#1: Oklahoma City Thunder selects...
Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma (pictured)

Comments: This one is a no-brainer. Griffin possess unique skills and athleticism for a player his size, at 6-foot-10. He is averaging over 22 points per game, and 14 rebounds per contest as well, which leads the nation. Griffin's physical style of play could mesh perfectly on an Oklahoma City team that desperately needs a go-to big man in the post to compliment small forward Kevin Durant and emerging Rookie of the Year candidate Russell Westbrook.

#2: Washington Wizards select...
James Harden, SG, Arizona State

Comments: There's really no clear-cut unanimous No. 2 guy, but given Harden's production during his first two years at ASU, it's tough to pass him up in a weak draft class like this one. Harden averaged 17 points a game last year as a sophomore in a tough Pac-10 conference, and has picked that up to a 22 ppg average in 2008-09. With cornerstones Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison locking down the other perimeter positions, Harden's slashing, penetrating style of play would be a perfect fit in the nation's capital.

#3: Sacramento Kings select...
Brandon Jennings, PG, International

Comments: Every since Mike Bibby left Sac-town for Hotlanta, the Kings have yet to find a suitable replacement. With Kevin Martin solidifying the shooting guard spot and forwards Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson developing in the front court, Jennings would be the perfect compliment to the Kings' young roster. And for a team lacking superstars, Jennings could certainly add some pizazz that Sacramento hasn't seen since the Jason Williams era.

#4: Los Angeles Clippers select...
Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson

Comments: Although the Clippers just inked Baron Davis to a big off-season deal this past summer and rookie Eric Gordon has emerged into a prolific scorer, the Clips lack guard depth. Their front court is crowded with Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph, and Chris Kaman all competing for playing time, which makes the selection of a forward here a virtual impossibility. In drafting the nation's leading scorer at 29.5 ppg, L.A. adds some instant offense to their sputtering attack.

#5: Memphis Grizzlies select...
Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona (pictured)

Comments: The Griz have a gaping hole in the front court, and will undoubtedly draft a big man with their first-round pick. Hill is averaging over 18 ppg and nearly 12 rpg in his junior campaign, and can add an immediate presence in the paint.

NBA Top Free Agents Available In 2009

2009-01-29T16:09:00.000-08:00

After much excitement and viewer emails, the much anticipated top upcoming summer free agent list is here. I will profile the top ten free agents and some teams that might be interested in signing them.

And without further ado, the list....

KOBE BRYANT- The Lakers' superstar has an early termination option in his contract, making is possible for Bryant to opt out of his contract this summer and sign elsewhere. But with all the front office moves the Lakers have made in the past year bringing in players like Gasol, Ariza, and the development of a budding Andrew Bynum, the chances of Kobe slipping out of L.A. are slim to none. The Lakers have made it known ever since they chose a younger Kobe instead of an aging Shaq that this team was all about him. Kobe loves being a star too much in a large market like L.A. and is in the right environment to be a championship contender for a long time to come.

Expected Status: Staying put in Los Angeles

2. CARLOS BOOZER- Utah's big man is in a contract year. It will be interesting to see what he decides to do with the Jazz's tough season thus far. He could leave Utah and look for a contending team freeing up cap space. I can see the Cleveland Cavaliers making a run at Boozer again in the free agency market if they feel that LeBron is going to leave in 2010. I expect Boozer to resign with the Jazz and team up with Deron Williams to become the focal points of Utah's offense for a number of years to come.

Expected Status: Staying put in Utah.

3. STEVE NASH- Although maybe not as exciting as a free agent prospect as some may feel compared to the list below and his age skyrocketing towards a back-end of a career, Nash intrigues me. Sure he plays absolutely no defense, similar to Iverson, but he also is a great team player and leader as well. The league is changing to a faster pace similar to what Phoenix started with Coach D. Guys like the Celtics win with veterans. Who better to bring in to help you lead a veteran team than Nash? I think he would be a great fit back in Dallas or on a fast paced freestyle team in the East like the soon Elton Brand-less 76ers would be a great style for Nash as well.

Expected Status: Leaving

4. ALLEN IVERSON- This bad boy seems to hold teams back, not help them move forward. The Nuggets look better with Billups than Iverson at the helm. The Pistons look worse with him. He is too much of a do-your-own-thing-by-yourself on offense thing for any team's liking. He plays the game by himself and doesn't use his teammates often. He plays little defense by this point in his career as well. Yet, he is "The Answer." Iverson is still one of the best players in the league at getting to the line. He has that rare ability to be able to swing a game by himself. Any veteran team looking for more of a veteran scoring presence could be a good destination for A.I. I'm guessing a team like the Knicks ends up with him.

Expected Status: Leaving

5. SHAWN MARION- What self-respecting player wants to leave a championship team where he's getting paid big money to go to a bad team in the East just to be the team's best player. Once that team finished with one of the worst records in the league, Marion's comments look stupid. Still, he gives you length on defense, a guy that has range, athleticism, and gives you steals, rebounds, and 3's. Mr. Versatility has taken a step back in the past year, but it may just be to lower standards on his bad team and no real effort. A motivated Marion could be just like a competing team needs. The Heat are sick of Marion, so he's going to test the waters.

Expected Status: Leaving

Tune in for next week's 6-10 ranked free agents. The list goes on....

poll by twiigs.com

Getting "Lucky"

2009-01-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Many of us may briefly wonder at one point or another, “Why isn’t Chinese New Year on January 1st?” Then the moment passes, and life goes on. But seeing as how this year’s new start began just this past Monday on January 26th, we ought to follow in the tradition of new things and learn something novel. So maybe this year it’s finally time to become enlightened on the traditions and history of Chinese New Year.

The Tradition
Chinese New Year is known as the most important traditional holiday in China. It often falls on a different day than most of the world’s traditional New Year’s Day because the Chinese date their months according to the Lunar calendar. The date corresponds to the new moon: usually beginning on the darkest day and celebrated for 15 days until it ends on the full moon. The festivities traditionally end only when the moon is brightest; this day is called Lantern Festival. A very special tradition performed on the last day of festivities is known as the “lion dance." Typically, two or more skilled men will dance inside a lion’s costume and mimic the animal’s movements to the beat of a drum. The lion is thought to be a guardian animal and the dance is performed to scare away bad spirits in order to usher in a luck-filled New Year.

The New Year in China is all about welcoming renewed good fortune and luck. In China, celebration of the New Year includes wearing festive red clothing, decorating red paper cut-out designs and handing out red envelopes of “lucky money” to children. These red envelopes are given by married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors – the money in the envelopes can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. The color red is symbolic of fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. Even the tradition of lighting fireworks is rooted in the ancient Chinese custom of lighting bamboo stalks – the crackle of which would also frighten evil spirits.

Sense of Family
Other than getting “lucky”, a big aspect of the New Year is its emphasis on a time of family reunion. Blood ties are considered the strongest and most unbreakable bond to the Chinese and family piety is valued above all individual needs. During the New Year, family members gather at each other’s homes on New Year’s Eve to have a celebratory feast. This feast is known as a reunion dinner of celebration. Special traditional dishes are cooked such as fish (which symbolize abundance), dumplings, noodles (for longevity), and a traditional Chinese cake called “niangao” for dessert. My family is big on celebrating the New Year with lots and lots of "longevity noodles":

Year of the Ox
The year of 2009 is the Year of the Ox. People born under the “ox year” are thought to possess similar attributes as the animal such as the ox’s sense of hard work. The ox may be one of the most powerful animals, but they are also very dependable. Those born under the ox year are in turn expected to be modest, patient, hard-working, and fully capable of enduring tough times. They are also thought to be positive people who are kind, logical, and secure in the sense that both their feet are firmly planted on the ground. The people of the ox year are typically extremely intelligent but speak little.

What would be better than eating good food, celebrating in festivities, reuniting with family members, and receiving envelopes full of money? It is no wonder why the Chinese look forward to this particular holiday all year round.