Results tagged “newyear”

Does anyone else hear the overwhelming sounds of silence? Where once elipticals whirred and treadmills whizzed, now there are only crickets. From Santa Monica to Echo Park, aerobics studios are feeling a chill wind blow. It seems, friends, as though no one can afford their gym membership anymore. But an empty wallet is no excuse for clogged arteries, and in fact, exercise will get your mind off depressing stuff like that pesky recession. Here are some ways you can keep your resolution to get in shape without breaking the (already broken) bank.

On New Year's Eve I found myself in the fortunate position of being invited to two parties. One was being held at the swanky Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, well known playground of the rich and famous. The other had an Old Hollywood theme and was thrown at the ancient Vogue Theater, which is no longer a theater but remains an icon (and is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in Hollywood.) The two soirees were four blocks from each other on Hollywood Blvd, but the price of admission cost ten times more at one than the other.

The new year marks an official "do-over" in the collective consciousness of the world. It's a time to realize our shortcomings, assess our weaknesses, and take stock of the glaring absences (or over indulgences) in our life that need tending. In short, the new year provides us with a clean slate to do more and be more, with 365 fresh and exciting chances stretched out before us. In case you haven't given much thought to how you're going to do it different in 2009, we at LAist are putting forth our personal resolutions as a gentle reminder to take some stock and make some change. This year is totally going to kick 2008's ass.

Last November we put out a desperate plea to 89.3 KP-CC to go e-z on the O-R-G.

href="http://londonist.com/2008/02/air_bound.php"> remove one man from Gatwick.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has begun to get the word out that he plans on running for a second term. According to the LA Times, Mayor Tony made mention of his plans, along with "his most personal remarks to date about the political fallout from his extramarital affair" on Wednesday during an interview on the Charlie Rose show.

The annual Lunar New Year Festival continues today in Chinatown. Catch pan- Asian entertainers including Chinese acrobats, as well as Thai dancers and Taiko drummers. Food, games, children’s activities, and more will also be on tap during the free festival.

Come celebrate at LA's annual Lunar New Year Festival! Today the Golden Dragon Parade featuring lion and dragon dancers will thrill over 100,000 spectators along North Broadway. The festival continues until 8pm tonight, and runs from 10am to 3pm tomorrow at Broadway and Cesar Chavez.

The Lunar New Year has officially started, and pigs are like soooo last year. To usher in the Year of the Mouse and Rat, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles is hosting the 109th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and festival on February 9th and 10th. Performers from Beijing will lead the parade, followed by assorted city officials (Villaraigosa et al.), Mickey Mouse as grand Marshall, flower drum dances, a plethora of beauty queens, and lots of floats, costumes, and dragons.

Has the New Year got you asking those “life, the universe and everything” kind of questions? If, like me, one of your resolutions in 2008 is to improve your mind, body and spirit, a great place to get busy is at the 6th Annual Conscious Life Expo, which takes place Friday through Sunday at the LAX Hilton.

In my scouring for good things to read online, I've stumbled across (not actually Upon) a new favorite. Carrie Brownstein, former guitarist of one of my favorite bands, Sleater-Kinney, now writes for NPR's much commented-on new music blog, in a section called "Monitor Mix". She gets about 50 comments per post, no doubt partly due to her fame, but her writing is also really good in its own right. I've already discovered a couple new bands I like through Carrie, and identified with her on many occasions, in her musings on the new year, the use of theme songs by politicians - "It is noteworthy that U2's ubiquity has transformed their songs into ones that are both non-partisan and non-threatening, which at least in the aforementioned contexts skirts a little close to non-music" - musical pet peeves, and comments on where the music industry stands today versus earlier days. If you're not already a reader, check it out.

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions – it just seems like paving the way to letting myself down sometime mid-February. Besides, if I can’t stick to something in, say, June, why would I be able to stick to it in January?

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...

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...

After a visit to the doctor for my yearly oil change and lube, I was in the need of a bit of fresh air. Don't you just hate the irony of a heavy-set doctor telling you that your blood pressure is closer to high than it should be and that losing all the weight you gained back might be a really good idea? Yeah, me too. Damn it, I really wasn't planning on any New Year's Resolutions! Nevertheless, in lieu of my regularly scheduled veg out in front of the computer, I decided to take a brisk walk on a bright and blustery day in my neighborhood, a neighborhood conveniently located near an off-season tourist spot.

Here in LA, we’ve seen record store closures from the behemoth Tower chain to the local gem Sea Level Records as of late – a clear sign that the record business is edging closer to extinction with each new year. We are most likely heading towards a world where music is primarily consumed digitally, with physical product existing only for the die-hards who feel that they need to own something tangible along with their music. Would a plastic card emblazoned with album artwork or a band photo do the trick? That’s what Starbucks and now Sony are betting on.

As you might have guessed, we're pretty big into gaming over at my house -- our console set-up includes the both generations of the Xbox, not one but TWO PS2's (one for the living room, one for the bedroom), a Dell XPS with a wide-screen monitor (for PC gaming), a Nintendo Gamecube, a Nintendo 64, an SNES, and a Gameboy -- oh, and possibly a Sony PSP floating around somewhere. Our 50" big-screen is optimized for the best gaming experience, with surround-sound Bose speakers and wireless networking.

The Pasadena Star-News is looking for you. Or if there are problems to rant about in general throughout the SGV, then the San Gabriel Valley Tribune might be where you go. Or hey, same goes for Whittier and the Whittier Daily News. "It's a new year and we are on the lookout for letters to the editor. If you have a person that wants to write one, or is expressing an opinion on an article or photo, direct them to write a letter to editor..." That's Mickie of Mickie's Zoo talking. She's a professional belly dancer (swords are her specialty), a singer in a rock band and a full-time journalist. She also has been crowned the Queen of the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade that will take place on January 20th.

a writer's perspective

Starting a business in Los Angeles is what thousands of people do. In fact, in the City alone there are over 300,000 registered business, which means their is one business for every 13 residents (no matter their age). Starting a business is the realization of a dream for many, and can be lifechanging. But how do you start?

Maybe your New Year's resolution was to spend quality time with your family, to see your friends more often, or to try your hand at something creative. Mark Jenkins' ongoing tape projects are a great way to accomplish all of these goals. All you need is packing tape, something sharp, and some plastic wrap. You can use a doll to make babies as part of the Storker Project, or parts of your own body as a mold for full-grown tape people.

Sure, you could always stay in and watch reruns of [insert name of your favorite show here], but why bother when you have these things happening tonight to get you through hump day.

Well, whatcha know, Radiohead's In Rainbows, which hit stores on New Year's Day, sits atop the Billboard charts nearly three months after the band offered the album as a pay-what-you-want digital download via their Web site.

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...

a writer's perspective

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...

So maybe you holed up inside last night with a hot toddy and are thinking, "rain be damned! I'm going out tonight!" Okay, fine. If you make it out earlier, you can celebrate the Japanese New Year, or you can lay low until the evening hours and then get yourself so theatre. Or you could just stay home and keep drinking. We'll never tell...

Here is a self-portrait of Watt braving the frigid January waters off of San Pedro in the 37th annual Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears Plunge on New Year's day.

Happy New Year from LAist and your brand new Food Editor! I've arrived home refreshed from a fantastic vacation in the Philly/New Jersey area, and now I'm revved up and ready for the New Food Year. It was difficult to leave Philadelphia and its fabulous dining options behind (cheesesteaks are only the tip of the iceberg), but nothing beats Los Angeles for its range of offerings. Here's my wish list for places to go, ingredients to cook, and meals to eat in 2008. What's tops on your list of must-eat destinations and recipes this year?

Photo by C-Monster via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr