A message shows up on the Internet in code. “Dar al-Harb to Dar al-Salaam base: The weapon is tested and ready, the perfect time and place chosen with great care and cunning. Hundreds of thousands of infidel souls will flood into hell, their New Year’s stillborn. Praise be to Allah! — Azzam the Younger.” This could... Read more →

If I were to take a vote right now, I’d have to say that Gordon Bressack’s new play “Fuggedaboudit!” is the worst play I’ve seen this century. But then, of course, the century is new. So maybe I’d have to throw in the 20th century as well. Fuggedaboudit, for those of you not of the Brooklyn or New Jersey or... Read more →

Pizza Fusion is a neat, new restaurant on the corner of Ocean Park Boulevard and 29th Street that serves up more than just pies of all kinds. This Earth-friendly restaurant chain dedicated to sustainability tries to educate its customers about the values of buying organic. Even when you are just standing outside this modern, fresh space,... Read more →

Q: This question comes out of numerous recent discussions I have had. Why is it that we sometimes say the meanest things and hurt those we care about? Why do they do it to us? - Signed, Sorry A: Dear Sorry, This is a great question and I want to remind you that your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. There are many... Read more →

MID-CITY — It’s been a lifetime of service for Santa Monica plastic surgeon Robert Amonic. “I have always thought it’s very important to give things back to the community,” he said. “It’s just something you just do — it’s not even optional.” Amonic’s latest chance to serve... Read more →

Entering BiMi Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles, I was at first a bit apprehensive. These days there are so many similarly designed generic, and mediocre sushi bars in town, that the experienced Japanese restaurant-hand tends to get slightly jaded. Fortunately, BiMi is the exception. Although the décor was rather... Read more →

La Tour d’Argent is one of the most famous restaurants in the world. Located on the left bank in Paris, across from the cathedral of Notre Dame, it’s also one of the oldest surviving restaurants, and one of the first places in the world to have served chocolate. And if you order the specialty of the house, pressed duck, your name... Read more →

Dear New Shrink/Katie, “I have heard that most jobs are never posted; that if I want to find a job I had better get with it and learn about networking, especially online networking. I am clueless about the difference between Twitter and Facebook or any of this stuff. And it scares me. Do I really want to put myself on these different... Read more →

COLORADO AVE — MTV landed the rights to develop a U.S. version of the award-winning British hit “Skins,” it was announced Monday. Created by the father-and-son team of Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, the E4 and Channel 4 series is about a group of British teens who are trying to grow up and find love and happiness. Brian... Read more →

I spent the day with my son. Now, granted I spend almost every day with my son. But some days are different. Some days, you take a step back and remind yourself to remember this. This moment right here. This is why it is OK that I am always tired. This is why I don’t work anymore. This. Benjamin and I had that kind of day recently. It... Read more →

So there’s this radio DJ who is running a contest to find the best new musical talent in town. Doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop. Then there’s Denny (the cute one) and his buddy Eugene (the nerd) practicing their moves in Denny’s basement. Then they add Wally (the choir boy) because he can raise the $50 they need to enter the contest.... Read more →

Since the dawn of civilization, pretty much, bread has been known as “the staff of life.” But for those suffering from gluten intolerance, bread may be more like “the enemy of the state” or at least feel that way from the associated digestive issues. There are times when cutting down on bread can facilitate weight... Read more →

We all have something to hide. If a list of your deeds were to fall in the wrong hands what would be the outcome? What if you were being blackmailed? To what extent would you go to make sure the information never saw the light of day? In this story the blackmailer has been killed but the information is still out there. An auction is being... Read more →

SM PIER — The 25th Annual Twilight Dance Series is combining social action with songs tonight, bringing two music acts to the pier known for their dedication to community service in honor of the Surfrider Foundation’s 20th anniversary.  Founded in Malibu, the Surfrider Foundation works to protect the world’s oceans and... Read more →

I had a lovely, simple and delicious meal a week or two ago at Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine on Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista. This is basically Northern Indian food with an addition of a number of potato dishes as the Himalayas are chilly and the potato is a major food group. We went with two other people and all of us found the place cozy... Read more →