Depression-era book captures LA’s essence


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Eighty years ago today, thousands lost their wealth in a series of unfortunate economic events. As stock values plummeted, so did the Los Angeles pride that had been built up through the growth of California industry. The infamous Black Tuesday launched a nationwide economic depression that caused staunch politicians in decades following to initiate programs […]

Halloween brings out the best and worst


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So tell me: Why was the skeleton afraid to cross the road? I must have used this joke at least 30 times each year to get my precious, long-awaited candy. Nearly every person who opened their doors demanded a joke before allowing me a handful of sweets and, loving the sudden spotlight as a comedian, […]

A professional link to social networking


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You know the story: You interview for the job of your dreams and walk out confident. Your interviewer Googles you, Facebooks you and generally stalks you on every website possible, and, in doing so, comes up with a few good reasons — namely, your history of naked keg stands — why you are not a […]

Climbing up the corporate ladder


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Part of working in an office is respecting, or at the very least recognizing, the hierarchy of the workplace. Especially as a young person trying to climb the corporate ladder, you must check your ego at the door and accept your role and your responsibilities, no matter how ignoble they may be. In some professions, […]

Morgan’s style proves Hollywood standout


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James Bond and archenemy Ernst Blofeld meet for a tense discussion of global espionage. Their guns are holstered, but their hands are ready to draw. At the emotional high point of the confrontation, we cut jarringly to M giving his reaction to the whole affair. This Bond versus Blofeld scene might sound like a parody […]

Specter of crimes past continues to haunt LA communities


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On a sleepy August morning, a man sorting through a Buena Park Dumpster found a suitcase stuffed with the mangled remains of a female body. Authorities identified her as Jasmine Fiore, a swimsuit model. They believed that the man she was last seen with — Ryan Jenkins, a contestant and finalist on VH1 reality show […]

During childhood, ignorance is bliss


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What is it about a child that makes truth a fluid, flexible thing? When I was a kid, I was lied to. A lot. I was gullible, impressionable and, in all honesty, my mind was like Play-Doh — easily molded by whoever got their hands on it. Was I weak in character? Was I an […]

Honoring the best ways to waste time


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This past weekend, thousands of people stepped away from their computers and traveled to Las Vegas. Sin City was this year’s home to the Blog World Expo, and geeks everywhere gathered not to gamble, but to talk about their social networking habits. Every day, the Internet is gaining more recognition as not only a communication […]

Desk behavior in the workplace proves a little too revealing


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In an office, every employee, no matter how lowly, is entitled to his own workspace. As a file clerk, I had a pretty little cubicle to call my own. The paralegals were the proud owners of the slightly larger cubicles with fancy trappings, like legroom. The attorneys had smaller offices with the luxury of fully […]

Wild Things has indie cred, not nostalgia


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Saying this won’t halt any productions, but I wish Hollywood would stop co-opting my childhood to turn a profit. Coming soon to a theater near you is a slate of board game and action figure-based movies inspired by the success of Transformers and G.I. Joe — which if you haven’t heard about, gaze ye upon […]