Los Angeles is a scary city. Angelenos and visitors have a smorgasbord of neighborhoods to choose from in which stereotypes and reality collectively instill the fear of physical endangerment. Finding a place that plays on the mind’s more irrational fears, however, seems much less doable. Of course, there are the annual Halloween iterations of local theme parks, but less contrived and expensive experiences exist few and far between. Being the cheapskate I am, though, I said to hell with paying for actors and décor to spook me, did a little research, and embarked on a mini-tour of creepy LA locales that require no entry fee. Continue reading...

Mobs gathered at the tables, anticipating. We were screaming, shouting, performing like circus animals—all for a morsel smaller than our outreached hands. Was this ripped from history, a Depression-era image of food ration lines? Hardly. We paid $5 admission for this. Another key difference: we all had smiled plastered on our faces. That didn’t make the competition for food any less Darwinistic. Welcome to the 1st 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational. Held last Saturday, April 25th in Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown, this competition calls itself the “Grilled Cheese Sammich cooking competition.” And how exactly does a mere mortal like myself get to judge such a competition? It only took the hard work and perseverance…of an internet search. Don’t ask me how and the other hundreds of people found out about this niche of a cooking contest. Call it divine guidance. Continue reading...

By the dawn of 2010, you will probably never see a film again—at least, not in the strictest sense. Though digital cameras have long been a staple of home movies and amateur films, technology has advanced to a point that independent filmmakers and professional production companies are looking to digital for current and upcoming projects. And if they aren’t yet, they will soon. Say “goodbye” to celluloid and “hello” to the RED-volution! Continue reading...

What comes to mind when you think of Downtown LA? Words like “grungy,” “poor,” and “ghettolicious” are common for USC students. But don’t we owe it to our alma mater and the community to break free from the dark cloud of the University of South Central? Luckily, we’ve got some venues that are helping us solve Downtown’s poor image—think LA Live, the new hub of dining and soon-to-be-hotel venues that surround the powerhouse of the Nokia Center. With a vision of Downtown as a place to take a leisurely stroll, the creators constructed a “Times Square of the West.” They even lobbied to repeal the “traffic-reducing” law forbidding taxis from being hailed on the sidewalk (which, one must admit, was not one of the smartest solutions to LA traffic). Continue reading...

FADE IN: EXT. TROUSDALE WALKWAY - NIGHT STARBUCKS, 38, a twin-tailed siren with a starry crown on her wavy black and white hair, slithers behind a table on the campus walkway. The stall is stacked with different coffee bags. She munches on a coffee bean. STARBUCKS (munching) Mmmm. Remarkable coffee with a depth and versatility - a perfect pairing with a variety of gourmet entrees and desserts. (pause) I give the world - Guatemala Casi Cielo! Continue reading...

Attention Business Students! With finance jobs down the tube, odd jobs are receiving some more credibility—and an influx of job applicants. Disgruntled with your boss, freshly laid off, or just looking for extra dough? Check out these jobs, and see if your calling was just a little too odd to be listed on Monster.com. Continue reading...

Williams Sonoma. Nordstrom. Crate & Barrel. Abercrombie and Fitch. This was San Francisco’s Union Square, a spot we had been told was a must see. Thank goodness we came here. We had never seen a Williams Sonoma or an Abercrombie and Fitch before. As a liberal gay couple, San Francisco seemed like a logical and obligatory place to sojourn en route to Seattle for spring break. And so there we were, sipping cappuccinos in the middle of the city’s prized landmark. As enthusiastic as we tried to act, we couldn’t help but feel that we had traveled hundreds of miles only to end right back up at Rodeo Drive or New York’s Fifth Avenue. Continue reading...

At 4 a.m. we were to commence enforcing passive-aggressive, international policies of note-taking nonintervention. I’m fine, I contemplated on the toilet, you have bowels of steel. Continue reading...