Ready for your morning cup of irony? There's a list and map of all the Starbucks closures on the website of a newspaper making quite a few cutbacks of its own. The LA Times breakdown of espresso let-goes holds at least one surprise that may ease your jitters ... none are getting axed in the Valley, and only one is closing west of the 405. Angelinos obviously love their caffeine, even if it costs more......

DINE dineLA Restaurant Week starts today. The event "unites restaurants from the traditional to the trendy to promote the extraordinary diversity and culinary expertise found throughout LA’s restaurant scene. Restaurants in two dining categories will serve a selection of three-course menus at special prices." Nab a reservation for tonight, and eat up this amazing event! (Previously on LAist: Restaurant Week Coming to LA this Month; dineLA Restaurant Week's Big Kickoff) January 27th-February 8th, lunch &......

COMIC BOOK ART The gallery named for the year that brought us Hypercolor T-Shirts, Yo! MTV Raps, and Salt N Pepa's single "Push It" (that's 1988 for those who didn't immediately connect) is currently featuring "Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee" in a show that runs until February 1. Preview some of the artwork online and then activate your Spidey webs and crawl over to Melrose Ave. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. //......

I didn't want to just do a "best of" list. So this year, I've decided to take a years worth of personal New Year's Resolutions, ask around for those of friends and put a call out to readers (email me here) about things you've always wanted to know, always wanted to do and then take those requests and ask an expert, an insider to help out. The result? Here goes... Today's Resolution: "I want......

John Sayles has enjoyed one of the more respected careers in film over the last twenty-five years. By some estimates, he is the king of the uncredited re-write and has used the large fees he's garnered as a script doctor to further his own career as a writer-director. His resume is studded with several superb pictures (Sunshine State, Passion Fish, Eight Men Out, The Brother from Another Planet) and one masterpiece (Lone Star). Tonight......

It's a sparklie!! The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica is host today to the 25th Anniversary (yes, really) of this 1982 masterpiece about a sick mouse, a sinking house, Dom Deluise as a crow in a blouse, and magic rats. I'd write more about it but I'm busy gathering my amulet. The Secret Of NIMH -- 25th Anniversary! @ The Aero Theatre Sunday July 29 1328 Montana Avenue Santa Monica 3pm......

Wassup Rockers, the new film from Larry (Kids) Clark, features a bunch of Latino skate kids that head to Beverly Hills. On Monday the kids, pro skaters, moviemakers and more hit chi-chi Montana Avenue in Santa Monica for a screening at the Aero and, we hear from a tipster, tied up traffic. The photo above shows, from left, Renee Renee (thankfully sparing us the outfit's matching turquoise shorts), director Larry Clark and pro skater......

Rumour has it that the latest chapter in the Harry Potter saga, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," goes on sale Saturday, July 16th. We wonder if the release date for the new flick "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was deliberately set to coincide with this most auspicious date. This LAist just realized that the media and hoopla that's developed around Harry Potter perfectly matches the mania depicted in the "Charlie" book and......

While Huey spends this week trying to convince his granddad to stop wearing an earring, you can spend your Saturday with Aaron McGruder talking about the upcoming Boondocks animated series (heading to Adult Swim in the fall), his always controversial views on current events and what's really going on on the funny pages. Mr. McGruder will be at Every Picture Tells A Story in Santa Monica this Saturday at 2 PM to sign his......

Westside cinema enthusiasts, fret over traffic no more. The once-threatened Aero Theatre on swank Montana Avenue is now open after a lengthy (alas, the rule rather than the exception) rehabilitation. Better yet, the theater, which was built in 1940 by Douglas Aircraft Company, is now operated by the American Cinematheque. This non-profit entity will use 75% of programming from its Hollywood base at the Egyptian Theatre to illuminate the screen in the Westside outpost.......