Results tagged “summer”

Even during a recession, some news outlets are still looking for freelancers. Tonight the Society of Professional Journalists presents “Editors Spill the Beans: What do they want from freelancers?” tonight at 7 pm. On the panel are Sara Wilson, associate editor, Los Angeles Magazine; John Haas, editor, Marketplace; Stephen Pizzello, editor, American Cinematographer. Cost: $18 for SPJ members and students; $23 for nonmembers. The price includes cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. dinner at Golden Dragon Restaurant in Chinatown. Reservations are required. Please call the SPJ/LA hotline at (323) 259-3350 or send an e-mail to SPJLosAngeles@gmail.com.

     

In what turned out to be an unhappy coincidence of timing, the Hollywood Outdoor Cinema presented a screening of the classic 1986 teen flick about love, class consciousness and the prom, Pretty in Pink. The film's screenwriter, Johh Hughes, died suddenly last Thursday in NYC at 59, which has prompted a wave of cinematic nostalgia, many of whom made their way to the parking lot of the empty Circuit City on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake this weekend to attend the screening.

This recipe from Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa really takes advantage of the flavors of summer and is an easy dish to make early in the day to bring to any of the afternoon BBQs you've got on your calendar or put in a Hollywood Bowl picnic. Ingredients like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mint, and fresh parsley are what you'll find in abundance at your favorite farmers' market, or perhaps in your own backyard garden, and the main grain--bulgur wheat--is a bargain out of the bulk bins at your nearest Whole Foods or the like (we paid 91 cents for the one cup the recipe called for).

       

Was it hot enough for you this weekend? Summer is in full effect here in sunny SoCal, which means the mantra for many over the weekend was "Must. Counteract. Heat." The answer for many was simple: Hit the beach!

So today Pink's was giving away free hot dogs and now Pinkberry has announced four hours of free froyo, if you like it, that is. The Froyo craze has definitely ended--interestingly enough, cupcakes never lost their buzz--but add free to froyo and the lines will be there. "This Friday June 26th, everyone will invited to come in and receive a free small yogurt of one of Pinkberry's new summer flavors," says KNX1070."The giveaway will take place from 5 PM until 9 PM at participating stores."

Tomorrow marks the first day of summer, though our overcast skies tell another much gloomier story. Today happens to mark the day when several public City-operated swimming pools open up for the season. It also marks the launch of Operation Splash, a free "learn-to-swim project for area youth," run in partnership by the City of Los Angeles and Kaiser Permanente, according to abc7.

Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Rolling Ridge Elementary in Chino Hills and Dickson Elementary in Chino would probably issue their school district admins a great big ol' F for FAIL if they could. Those hundreds of students don't get to sing "no more pencils, no more books" for 34 more days, thanks to "a clerical error on a spreadsheet" at the Chino Unified School District that led to the miscalculation of mandatory time spent in the classroom, according to the LA Times.

Get ready to splash! Come Saturday, 34 pools will open to the public for the summer season, including the new family Aquatic Center at Jackie Tatum (Harvard) Recreation Center in South LA. Additionally, 16 year-round pools will begin their summer schedule.

Neko Case at the Greek Theatre on Friday and the 31st Annual Playboy Jazz Festival Saturday and Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl reminded us of how much we appreciate the summer outdoor concert season.

Last year this time, gas was a daily news story as it climbed to its all time high on June 21st at $4.626. However, in these recession times, gas prices are not, thankfully, news breaking items. Gas has risen 19-cents in the last two weeks, now at the price of $2.743 per gallon of regular.

Franklin Village's Locali is prepping to go mobile. Later this month the "Conscious Convenience" store (you know, where you buy your vegan condoms) launches The Icycyle, a roaming vending tricycle that will be offering up a selection of frozen treats made with diabetic-friendly, handmade vegan, gluten-free, and organic products. "By combining the idea of environmentally conscious living with the element of convenience, Owners Melissa Rosen and Greg Horos are making Locali’s regionally and sustainably sourced, organic, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, and other eco-friendly products easily accessible to people in their everyday lives," we're told. The Icycle begins serving on wheels May 25th, making for a summer-long treat trek lasting Memorial Day to Labor Day. Follow them on Twitter to see where they'll be stopping.

       

The weekend weather gave us a hint of what's around the corner: summer. Now while a lot of people went eastward for Coachella, LAist covered all the bases this weekend, and also headed west. About as far west as you can get -- to Manhattan Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Here's our little tip for the summer: Be patient because a day at the beach is always worth the wait.

                            

Dear Gothamist and Chicagoist,

More hot times are headed our way again this week, with temps expected to reach triple digits in many parts of Los Angeles, like in the San Fernando Valley where 100+ degree weather will take over starting tomorrow. The Daily News is passing on the heat wave lowdown; it's bad news for folks sweatin' it out without relief in some areas, and good news for those who have the beach handy. Don't be surprised if a whole lot of other people have the same idea you do--to cool down on the coastline or take a dip in a neighborhood public pool. It's "word to the wise" time, too: Stay hydrated, conserve as much electricity as you can, and be careful of kids, pets, and the elderly who can't handle the heat like most of us can. So it's going to get hot... ah, yes... summertime!

Time for a little more cuisine of the obvious. For a couple of years now, each summer has a Ben & Jerry's flavor I like best. 2006 was Oatmeal chocolate chunk with cinnamon ice cream, chunks of oatmeal cookies and dark chocolate. Last summer, it was brownie batter. The brownie batter made the chocolate deepen the chocolate flavor. This year, I surprised myself. A friend gave me the idea of peaches and ice cream--went to the market, and they were out of Breyers vanilla, soI picked up some Ben & Jerry's.

     

Perhaps you thought Burton was just for winter-sports, and didn’t realize that they’ve taken over Channel Islands. It’s all good, that’s why you’re reading LAist. Now they have all kinds of tight shit for the summer, and the beach, and just straight up kicking it pool-side. (For some of us, the beach is like a million hours of traffic on the 405)

Damn, it's hot! The city of Los Angeles' 54 summer pools will open tomorrow, the first day of summer, through Labor Day, and are free for seniors, people with disabilities, youth, and adults with LA Public Library cards.

       

Now that it stays light until almost nine o'clock, nighttime has taken up its annual habit of being more playful, with balmy temperatures and the hint of summertime. But weekday doldrums can still take over, which means weeknight relaxation and indulgences are a must-have. Here's where the beautiful and historic Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa comes in. From now until August 27, every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 4-8 they're having a poolside summertime special, starring you, your fingertips, and your thirst. It's Martinis & Manicures... and, ladies (and gents!) it's lovely!

One of the most exciting things to do in the summer is to go see some shows at the Hollywood Bowl. It has a variety of classical and popular shows and has been known to bridge the gap between the two genres with their collaborations between artist and orchestra (Remember this?).

Can we call it summer yet? Despite the rampant bouts of June Gloom as of late, our afternoons have been pretty close to picture-perfect weather wise, and with this month seeing school out, backyard parties galore, and beach days, we may as well add that hot-weather favorite to the mix.

LA Magazine has already crowned it one of the best things about living in LA. If you've ever tried to drive down Santa Monica Blvd. around Gower on a Saturday night, you'll quickly find out what thousands of Angelenos already know: there's no better way to spend a Saturday night than with a picnic and a bottle of wine in the middle of a cemetery, watching a classic film. In fact, Cinespia's weekly summer film showings have become so popular that it's best to arrive several hours early (by public transportation if you can get it; parking's a bitch!), friends and pic-a-nic basket in tow.

On Saturday evening, local green-minded band (and covergirls) The Ditty Bops (MySpace), with Jesca Hoop (MySpace), John Reynolds, and Kaveh Rastegar (MySpace), performed at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica.

We're four months out from the official start of the 2008 Hollywood Bowl Season and the schedule is nearly complete. Single tickets won't go on sale for a couple months but the Bowl is offering 16 different series packages, each containing 3-5 genre-specific performances.

Even more restaurant news is coming down the wire -- earlier today, we checked out some early reports on Bond St in Beverly Hills, and now we hear that developers The Valencia Group will be transforming Downtown's historic Union Bank building into The Union Restaurant & Lounge (it's all about the restaurant-slash-lounge concept nowadays, isn't it?). So, yes, Downtown will have another fancy-schmancy dining space; the website is promising "2 Floors of Entertainment, Upscale Dinning [sic] and Cocktail Bar, The Vault Lounge & Bar."

As a devoted fan of , though, is a completely different story.

And who said culture doesn’t exist in Los Angeles? Check out these events for a little learning, a little entertainment – or both.

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.

Andy Summers will be at Amoeba Music tonight @ 6pm to sign his just-out book from Taschen, I'll Be Watching You: Inside The Police 1980-83.

If tonight's slim pickings in the music scene had an official theme, it would fall into Western/Country. In mid-country, House of Blues, Sunset Strip, is hosting a night of insane Psychobilly (punk, meet rockabilly). The Southlands of Long Beach finds the baritone country rock sounds of Brad Johnson at Cowboy Country and to the north in the Valley, the straight ahead country rockabilly Jeffrey Michaels visits The Cowboy Palace Saloon.

Despite the ominous stormclouds looming overhead, last Friday, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly creator Joss Whedon and an estimated 350-400 people, comprised of former Mutant Enemy Productions staffmembers, actors, and fans (mobilized through Fans4Writers, with some flying in from across the country and as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia), picketed in support of the ongoing WGA Strike in front of 20th Century Fox. Mutant Enemy staffers at the rally...