Really, Olympics? Really?

Perhaps we all have dirty minds, but c'mon London. Really?

Baby, it's cold outside

We may not have snow here in L.A., but that doesn't mean our toes don't freeze.

The Real Sunset Strip

Credit: Ann Johansson for The New York Times

The Sunset Strip is my home away from home out here in L.A. The New York Times ran a fantastic article this week on Nic Adler, The Roxy and the revitalization of the music scene on the Strip.

Also, I recently discovered a UStream show called The Real Sunset Strip hosted by Lauren Scheff and The Hawk, which is the next best thing to actually being there. Tonight, Mark McGrath, Nylon Pink, Purple Melon (check them out at High Voltage Sunday!), Anyshka, David Faustino (Bud from "Married with Children"), and Lacey from VH1's "Rock of Love" stopped by for a chat.

Check it out Saturday nights from 10PM to midnight.

And, keep up with all these awesome Strip people on Twitter,

God's gift to the computer-bound.

Nic Adler

The Roxy

The Real Sunset Strip

High Voltage

Attack of the Cute!

My sister sent me this to brighten my day.

"Stop name-dropping, shadow!"

Suzi Barrett's love letter to Los Angeles. NSFW!

We live in two different worlds

Everyone knows that China has tight reins on the internet that their citizens see, but most don't realize that the contrast between our internet and theirs is so stark.

Do a search on the U.S. version of Google Images for "Tiananmen," and this is the first result you get.

Do a search on the Chinese version of Google Images for "Tiananmen," and this is the first result you get.

Further search through the Chinese results turns up no images similar to the ones we in America would find.

Understandably, the Chinese government may be embarrassed by the images of the massacre, as most governments would be of their shameful pasts. But do do a quick search for "American slavery" and you'll come up with some pretty honest and harrowing images.

Ain't Democracy great?

Don't cry, Emo Guy

"No ifs, no buts -- the worst man, period...As a class we are in fact the sorriest cohort of masculine Homo sapiens to ever walk the planet."

Anthropologists say modern man is a wimp. What say you, Unicorn Knight?

Introducing...the Utera Maxima

No...really. It can be yours for $48.00.

Waking The Dead

I was one of the lucky 2500-ish people who scored tickets to Bon Iver's sunrise show at the Hollywood Forever cemetery in the heart of Los Angeles on Sunday morning.

Movie Buffed's Casey and I made our way through the headstones around 1:30AM and parked our beer, fruit, nuts, Cheetohs, and blankets on the cold, wet grass. We shivered our way through the next 4 hours, alternating between sleeping, watching Bottle Rocket, getting kicked in the head, and practicing our campground hovers in the Port-a-Potties.

We sat up to the sounds of Buddhist monks chanting -- an odd sound, indeed -- but I figured I could sleep my way through any good blessings.

Finally, as the sky was turning pink and as the marine layer was starting to lift, Bon Iver took the stage and performed a 70-minute set.

The music itself wasn't the most amazing part of the 7 hours we spent that night in the cemetery, though, don't get me wrong, it was great. But, it was the incredible experience we had with thousands of others, socializing, snoozing, laughing, and singing for one night with strangers all brought together by a love for live music. It was like getting a taste of what Woodstock must have been like -- a music experience unsullied by the commercialization of today's outdoor festivals.

Check out the videos below of the evening. There are many more on YouTube. If you couldn't be there, do a quick search. If you were, relive the awesomeness. Read reviews of the show here at LAist or in the LA Times.

Bon Iver performs Skinny Love as dawn breaks.

Bon Iver closes the show with The Wolves (Act I and II).

Modern foot-binding for Suri Cruise

The 3-year-old can't run away if she's in heels.

The Daily Special 9.21.09

Oh, it's been a while since I've done one of these. Sorry. Can't promise it'll hold out all week, either. Law school. Ass-kicking. Name-taking. It's all very time-consuming.

• Don't tase me, bro. Mississippi police take down a wayward emu. Yes, emu.

• "The Office" is back, and it's on Hulu! PARKOUR! PARKOUR!

• The tracks on the soundtrack for the upcoming New Moon have finally been revealed. I'd like to take this moment to slap Stephanie Meyer and the series' bat-shit crazy fans for associating with some of my favourite bands.

• Just how much pot does one put in the brownies to create a Matrix-style sense of bullet time and death?

PeTA's got some vegan candy for you, little girl

I'd like to punish this stupidity by eating a 32oz. steak.

Way to go, PeTA.

I'm Too Sexy

Snuggies showed up on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week.

I weep for this nation.

Say You're Sorry

Ahhh, Interwebz! You have endlessly creative lovers.

One of them slapped together this gem: "The Kanye West Apology Generator."

P.S. How much do I love that Taylor Swift towers over him in that pic? THIS much!

RIP Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze succumbed to pancreatic cancer at age 57. So sad.

R.I.P.

Friday Round-Up

This has been a week from hell, which is why The Daily Special suddenly was not so daily nor special. So, I bring to you my Friday Round-Up -- a bunch of things I might have posted had I been joyfully assing around in class rather than making my school earn every penny of its outrageous tuition. Enjoy!

• Head over to The Top 13 Albums Project and submit your nominations for the top 13 albums of the decade. I will be posting my list here soon for you all to consider and copy. DEADLINE is October 2!

• I have a naughty habit of going to great lengths to get TinySpecialFriend (she loves little people/midgets, whichever you prefer) to crack up in our Evidence class. The effort came back to bite me in the ass this week when I found this little DIY gadget on the interwebz and we both had our heads on the desks crying with silent laughter, trying not to get caught. It's what you get for the guy who has everything...including foreskin.

• For anyone looking to stock up on unique deadly weapons, I direct you to a list of 7 items you won't believe are actually legal.

• Emails From Crazy People is a great site, but I just came across this gem of a "Not A Stalker" letter, and it reminds me a little of Dimitri, the perfect guy and his phone message. These guys know how to charm a lady.

• This Durex commercial was banned in Europe. I just love the squeaky sound effects.

Lookin' for some law school lovin'

My roommate mistakenly thought I posted this missed connections ad on CraigsList, but I laughed too hard to not give it its due publicity.

P.S. The argument needs some finessing.

The Daily Special 9.4.09

Happy Friday, everyone!

• Congratulations to "Paul" who swam from Catalina to Palos Verdes overnight! I admire this guy because I've wanted to get into marathon swimming for a while.

• I'd been seeing this mentioned a lot, so my curiosity took over and I was thoroughly squicked. Uhm...yay for the environment, but no. Just...no.

• Speaking of idiotic products...I now know just what to get that special guy for his birthday.

• Give it up for the Sunset Strip! Who's with me for the StripCrawl on Tuesday night?

• Aaaand, this is what I'll be watching all weekend. Love me some Ari Gold.

The Daily Special 9.3.09

• Some people are just too special for words. I weep for the youth of America.

• And then when they get to college, this is what they pay for. I really shouldn't knock it. I totally would have wasted an elective on the class.

• But, then I would probably have ended up like this guy.

• Or the dude who wasted his herb on a fundraiser.

• I'm really hoping to end up like these women, though. RAWR!

Shit My Dad Says

The LA Times did a nice profile of Justin Halpern, the guy behind the Twitter page "Shit My Dad Says" who posts quotes from his hilarious, cranky, retired father. Follow Justin @shitmydadsays.

The Daily Special 9.2.09

• I saw this article about a pantless man harassing a horse (yes, I said pantless and horse), and all I could think of was that disturbing indie doc Zoo.

• Speaking of not sexy...

• Well, it takes a village, doesn't it?

• Just in case you wanted to know: milk drinking started around 7,500 years ago in Central Europe. True facts.

• I don't understand a word in this video, but I know when to laugh in any language.

LA County Fires

Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via New York Times

Check out Brandon Riza's site for a time lapse video of the LA County wildfires.

The Daily Special 9.1.09

It's September. How did I miss April?

• My state is still on fire. Prayers and love for the families, friends, and firefighting emergency personnel out there battling the blaze.

• Which annoying type are you? My favourite: "The Bad Grammarian. "So sad about Fara Fauset but Im so gladd its friday yippe". Yes, I know the punctuation rules are different in the digital world. And, no, no one likes a spelling-Nazi schoolmarm. But you sound like a moron."

• The tools of modern justice are the same tools that hold your plumbing together.

• Big pimpin' in aisle 3.

• This kid really loves his bacon.

The Mouse Takes On Marvel

Big news in the comic book world. Disney to acquire Marvel.

Not sure how I feel about this yet. Thoughts?

The Daily Special 8.31.09

OK, gonna try to get back to the daily routine here. Fun tidbits below. Enjoy!

• Since when are English muffins considered junk food? And P.S., taxing breakfast is not going to make me skinny.

• The ultimate recycling: illegal home conversion.

• This is why the terrorists hate us. Ugh...even I hate us after reading that headline.

• Look ma! My internet obsession is actually good for me!

• Who doesn't love a foreign prankster?

Band of Skulls Tonight!

I am headed to check out the amazing British group Band of Skulls at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa tonight. If you haven't yet heard of them, check out their MySpace page and their single "I Know What I Am."

Power Tripping

I don't trust our government to efficiently screw in a light bulb, so I certainly don't think it should have anything to do with policing the internet. But that's just what Congress wants to allow the president to do.

The President. One man. With the power to control our access to information and communication. Think it'll never happen?

S.773 drafted by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

First and foremost, I want to know exactly what constitutes a "cybersecurity emergency." I can not think of a single doomsday scenario that would justify turning any region of the United States into Burma, even temporarily.

This is bad news.

RIP Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein

Found dead in his NYC apartment this morning. Age 36. RIP.

EDIT: Adding this image of The Viper Room's marquee, changed to honor DJ AM.

Follow The Viper Room on Twitter @theVIPERroom.

Kurt Cobain Lives on Guitar Hero 5

According to Rolling Stone, Activision has announced that Guitar Hero players will be able to take on the characters of Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Matt Belamy of Muse, and Shirley Manson in Guitar Hero 5. I'm geeked!

No. Just...no.

This news about a Kings of Leon remix album just makes me want to punch babies.

P.S. Follow Paste Magazine on Twitter @PASTEmagazine.

Movie News: I Want To Believe

Gillian Anderson is hinting at a possible third X-Files movie. The second one kinda sucked. Can Chris Carter redeem himself with a third?

New Take On Getting Fried

Get your chicke...er, marijuana. Read the story behind this KFC in Palms, CA.

Mind The Gap

Taking some down time from the blog to figure out how to juggle this crazy schedule. Lord, beer me strength.

Bad News For Working Moms

Las Vegas has an unemployment rate of 13.1%.

Movie News: Avatar 3D Technology

The geek in me is just drooling over the deets of how James Cameron filmed Avatar. Its success at the box office will likely matter less than the success of the technology.

Attack of the Cute

That's a baby panda! Two weeks old! Yawning! OMG!

Watch more at the San Diego Zoo's Panda Cam page.

Edit: Yes, I continued watching for another hour and caught this image, too.

Shut up, you love that little fuzzball!

Movie News: Machete!

We got a fake teaser in those 70s-era Grindhouse trailers before Planet Terror, but now it's becoming reality. Robert Rodriguez has been working on his script for Machete and it looks like Robert De Niro and...Lindsay Lohan (WTF?) will be starring. I'm willing to overlook La Lohan because I'm betting she gets hacked and slashed after showing her ta-tas. And, I have a deep abiding love for Danny Trujo.

The Daily Special 8.21.09

Happy Friday, all y'all!

• Oh, how much do I love Quentin for including Team America and Shaun of the Dead on his list of top 20 movies since 1992? Thiiiiiiiiis much!

• It's like a real-life version of Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego?

• Law students take notice! If you time it right, credit card fraud pays off.

• Mexico makes itself the new haven for stoners and addicts!

• Here's your Friday moment of Zen.

Movie News: Avatar Trailer

Check out the trailer. So far, I'm hearing a lot of comparisons to FernGully. Thoughts?

The Daily Special 8.20.09

• I will be at the Franz Ferdinand show, but by all means, don't let my disdain for child molesters stand in the way of you enjoying a free night with Jimmy Kimmel and R Kelly.

• "We're getting married!" Serial scarlet lady finally nabs her man after breaking up his marriage (and 3 others). What a brazen hussy.

• Really, Honda? You didn't think to make your cars tornado-proof? Well, that's just shockingly negligent.

• This guy went backpacking through Europe, and all he got was this stalker-ish harpy of an ex-girlfriend.

• Where's my Emmy?!?!?!

I'm A Winner!

I absolutely love Filter Magazine for their awesome reads, but today I love them even more because they hooked me up with tickets to Franz Ferdinand's show at the Hollywood Palladium on August 27.

Follow Filter on Twitter @FILTERmagazine.

Taking ShinySpecialCarWashingScampiMakingMusicLovingBestFriend to the show as a thanks for all her love and support during our first year of law school. And for introducing me to Flogging Molly at the Palladium almost one year ago!

New Imogen Heap

I have heard Imogen Heap's new album, Ellipse, and I hereby re-profess my love for her and her music. It hits stores and iTunes on August 25th.

The Daily Special 8.19.09

• As if Hollywood didn't tear at the fabric of my childhood enough by doing a craptastic job on Transformers 2 this summer, The Smurfs movie is now casting.

• I read Craigslist these days for the LOLZ and the occasional sweet, hopeful message of love in Missed Connections. I'd love to hear of anyone out there actually making a love connection off Craigslist so I'm gonna help y'all out. For any of you single lades, this guy seems like he deserves a shot. However, this guy decidedly does not. Oh, and be safe.

• Yeah, I refuse to buy into the notion that my $5 Old Navy toe thongs can take me down when swine flu hasn't. But still, gross.

• Electro-alternative Cali band I Will Never Be The Same has taken up Tuesday night residency at my favourite LA hang, The Viper Room. Check them out and stay for happy hour, 11PM-2AM.

• Further evidence that all good things flow from Joss Whedon. If you haven't seen this video yet, here I am to make right your life. Watch it. Love it. Check out The Guild's YouTube series.

The Daily Special 8.18.09

I spent the last five days romping around SoCal with ShinySpecialMama and ShinySpecialBabySister before Baby Sis starts her senior year of high school. My apologies for the lack of your Daily Special. I know all three of you were starving. Anywho, bottoms up.

• RIP Robert Novak.

• Billy Corgan continues to be douchey by doing a series of small venue shows at large venue prices. Who pays $30 for what is essentially a Pumpkins cover band? Bring back Iha and D'Arcy!

• Admission to the LA Arboretum is free today!

• Speaking of free, who wants to see the Cold War Kids with me this Friday?

• Because I love to hate it and so do you, here is the recently released trailer for New Moon.

The Daily Special 8.12.09

• Ding DONG! Is your unexpected visitor wearing pants?

• At about 10AM, my neighbour took his domestic dispute to the front lawn and started dropping F-bombs like he was battling SkyNet.

• This is what happens when idiots get funding.

• Speaking of stupid products, weren't we all thinking this when the Snuggie hit the market?

• Even better -- The Snugger.