"a love affair with Roquefort"

Reporting from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France — A cool water droplet hit my forehead as I descended narrow stairs into the caves. An overwhelming smell — ammonia meets dirty feet — assaulted my nostrils. Chilly, stinky, damp. It was heaven. I had entered the caves of Roquefort (rohk-FOR), a village in the south of France and home to the world's most famous blue cheese.

My love affair with Roquefort possibly began in the womb. My mother loved all things French, especially pungent cheeses. So I panicked last year when I saw a newspaper headline declaring: "U.S. Punishes France With Roquefort Tariff." A small wedge would skyrocket from $20 a pound to $60 or even higher in a matter of weeks. Quelle horreur! Who would bother to sell? Bigfoot might soon be easier to find. My lifelong desire to visit became a mission to secure my stash at the source.

I arrived in Marseille, France, then hopped a train for the five-hour journey northwest. For one week, I would eat Roquefort on baguettes. In salads. On le chicken and le duck. Straight out of the package with a fork. Roquefort-flavored chocolate and potato chips? Oui. I would eat it until I could feel my pants becoming uncomfortably tight.

(By Mary Ellen Monahan, Special to the Los Angeles Times)

"chunks of ice, some as large as basketballs"

A team of astronomers announced its first snow Thursday — not due to the approaching winter, but from a spacecraft that observed a peanut-shaped comet spitting fluffy ice balls into space.

The Deep Impact spacecraft flew within 435 miles of the comet known as Hartley 2 on Nov. 4, snapping images as it whizzed past about 27,000 mph. Images released that day revealed a nearly 1 1/2-mile-long body with a smooth middle and rough, bulbous edges that was spewing gas from its surface.

In the two weeks since, scientists noticed the white specks circling the comet, as if it were inside an invisible snow globe. When they analyzed the images, they were in for another surprise — the smooth, middle portion, which they expected to be relatively inactive, was emitting water vapor; while the ends released chunks of ice, some as large as basketballs.

The flurry of white specks surrounding the comet's body caused the astronomers' jaws to drop, Peter Schultz, a team scientist from Brown University, said in a news conference at NASA headquarters in Washington.

"Surfing alpaca makes waves"

Peruvian surfer Domingo Pianezzi hit the headlines in 2001 when he was photographed surfing with a dog on his board and again in 2008 after teaching a cat to surf. Now, photographer Pilar Olivares spends the day with him and his newest surfing companion, his alpaca "Pisco."

He forgot to warn the bull not to "touch his junk"

"The Yimin Festival – The search for the fattest pig"

In Taiwan there are many odd things to cover -- mass weddings, fights in the parliament and the enchanting sky lantern festival. The image above was discovered at the Hakka Yimin festival in Hsinchu where worshippers breed pigs to a fattened state for sacrifice.

(Photo by Nicky Loh)

"glamour and history too"

Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel has long been synonymous with glamour. The first Oscars were held there at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. in 1929. Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift were residents at the historic hotel in the 1950s. Aspiring rock stars began hanging poolside during the 1990s, and in the last few years bona fide celebrities have again been flocking to the place — especially since New York-based Thompson Hotels began managing the iconic 300-room property in 2005 — transforming it into a nightlife anchor for the area.

Recently, however, the Roosevelt's poolside Tropicana Bar and still-sizzling lounge, Teddy's, have been challenged by new rivals in the vicinity such as the tempting bars and restaurants of the W Hollywood and the Redbury Hotel.

In response, Roosevelt hotelier-in-chief Jason Pomeranc is doubling down on late-night thrills. The hotel owned by David Chang and Goodwin Gaw is being remade once again with two new bars: a new outpost from formerly Las Vegas-based impresario Jeffrey Beacher, and a new gaming-inspired lounge called the Spare Room.

Baltimore to build a 236-foot-tall illuminated metal sculpture

Paris has the Eiffel Tower.

St. Louis has the Gateway Arch.

And Baltimore could soon have a monumental work of art if a developer is successful in his quest to place a 236-foot-tall illuminated metal sculpture on the city's waterfront as a focal point of a $1.5-billion development.

The sculpture would be one of the tallest works of art in the United States and visible for miles around, said Pat Turner, president of Turner Development Group. The art tower is part of a larger economic development strategy to call attention to the waterfront project that includes housing, offices, shops, a hotel and recreational space.

"We want the sculpture to be the center of attention of the project," Turner said. "It does for Baltimore what the arch does in St. Louis. It would become a symbol of the region."

"The most trusted man in America"

Reporting from Austin, Texas — "Hello, I'm Walter Cronkite." The stentorian voice booms from an oversize replica of an early console television. To viewers older than 40, the image on the screen is familiar, though more distant with the passing of years. Younger observers appear curious or bemused, or both.

In quick succession, the TV images highlight some of the biggest events of the 20th century. The coverage of the assassination of President Kennedy appears in black and white. Later images from political conventions and Vietnam are in color, before a return to fuzzy, black-and-white footage of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon.

Through the tragedy, upheaval and excitement, there is one constant: the essential anchorman. Cronkite. Uncle Walter. The most trusted man in America.

"Did Col. Mustard throttle Professor Plum with a silver-plated candlestick?"

Did Ms. Scarlet silence Mrs. Peacock with a knife to the throat? Or did Col. Mustard throttle Professor Plum with a silver-plated candlestick? Mystery buffs can map out, investigate and solve murder mysteries at a variety of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, many of which have a few ghosts of their own rattling around within their historic halls. There's even a Murder Mystery Train: You can murder your significant other while traveling on Amtrak between Los Angeles and San Diego.

CONCEPT CARS: "We may never meet again"

Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept

Lotus Elan

Jaguar C-X75
Kia Pop

Nissan Ellure

"Destroy All Movies!!!"

Cinefamily calls all disaffected, bitter and downright nasty punks to show up for "Class of 1984," which it describes as "one of the most vicious and hateful exploitation movies of the '80s." Director Mark L. Lester's disturbed masterwork features rabid packs of bloodthirsty teen gangs roaming our schools … and also, apparently, a scene in which the sweetest of '80s faces, Michael J. Fox, gets stabbed. Come for the poisonous imagery; stay for the subsequent Q&A with Lester. The program begins with "Destroy All Movies!!!" a Mondo megamix of punks on film. 611 N. Fairfax Ave. 9:15 p.m. Sat.-Sun. $10. (323) 655-2510.

WRIGLEY FIELD: "The Friendly Confines are now the Cozy Confines"

With the gridiron for Saturday's Illinois-Northwestern game laid out east to west, there are some tight spots that promise to affect play-calling.

"It definitely will be an element in the game," NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "We will plan accordingly."



Parts of the east end zone are within spitting distance — don't get any ideas — of the right-field bleachers. The back-middle of the end zone is just a foot from a thickly padded wall.

So get ready for the first Arena football game in Big Ten history.

UPDATE: Billy goats, black cats, Bartman and now the forbidden end zone. With Wrigley Field playing host to its first college football game in 40 years, something wacky was bound to happen. And no, painting the famed Chicago Cubs marquee purple doesn't suffice.

Despite months and months of planning for the Wrigleyville Classic, Big Ten officials announced Friday — less than 36 hours before kickoff — that the schools had agreed to run all offensive plays toward the west end zone because of safety concerns. Turns out, the Friendly Confines were a little too cozy, with the east end zone hugging the brick wall in right field so tightly there wasn't even room for a standard goal post.

No matter if Illinois or Northwestern had the ball, all offensive plays headed toward the third-base dugout Saturday. Kickoffs went the other way and, after the change in possession, referees repositioned the ball so it was pointing west. The only quality time anyone spent at the east end of the field was when Northwestern safety Brian Peters returned an interception 59 yards for a score midway through the first quarter (11-20-11).

"Golden moment in the Sierra"

If timing is everything, Andrea Ashley hit this one just right. This photo, taken last month on the June Lake Loop off U.S. 395 on the eastern side of the Sierra, almost quakes with color. "I was fortune to be there during the peak time for the aspens," said Ashley, a Hidden Hills resident. "The leaves only last for about two weeks, when they turn brown, and a few days later, [they] fall off. Some years are better than others, and this year was spectacular." She used a Canon Rebel EOS-XTi for this shot.

(Photo from Your Scene -- Los Angeles Times)

"Ralphie V"

Handlers called "Ralphie runners" guide Ralphie V, the mascot of the University of Colorado, around the surface of folsom Field. It's a home game tradition in Boulder.

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

“Pandemonium"

“Pandemonium,” the latest noise-athon spectacle from the creators of “Stomp,” is playing at UCLA’s Royce Hall through Thursday. The stage production, which features 26 musical performers and a choir, is a family-friendly concert in which ordinary objects are transformed into musical instruments through improvisation and old-fashioned elbow grease.

A "feel-good" story

By Robert Hilferty

When you've reached the peak of your career at age 14, it must be hell to face your next 60 years as a has-been. Yet that seemed to be what fate held in store for Bejun Mehta, a celebrated boy soprano who thought he was washed up by the time he reached his mid-teens.

When Leonard Bernstein first heard Mehta, he declared: "It is hard to believe the richness and maturity of musical understanding in this adolescent boy." Music was, to be sure, in Mehta's blood -- his Bombay-born father, a pianist, is a cousin to conductor Zubin, and his mother, a singer, was his voice teacher -- but in the end, what could really account for his unusual gift? It's not every singer, after all, who can navigate the wicked coloratura riffs of Mozart's Queen of the Night, hitting those high F's, no less -- a difficult task for most grown sopranos, let alone a 7-year-old.

In 1983, Mehta's youthful gift was preserved on a Delos CD, Bejun, for which he was named Stereo Review's Debut Recording Artist of the Year. But then the inevitable occurred: Hormones kicked in, effectively ending his career. Bejun took up the cello, studied German literature at Yale, and took odd jobs to get by. But he never quite gave up on coming back to singing. A slightly balding man with fierce blue eyes and a jovial manner, Mehta, now 30, grows visibly distressed when remembering this period. When he'd appeared before an audience of supportive friends, the reviews were less than rosy. Though Mehta kept trying for several years under the tutelage of the famed vocal coach Phyllis Curtin, the mediocrity of his baritone was becoming unbearable.

"I kept hoping that something was going to happen, that somehow his voice would suddenly switch on like a lightbulb," recalls Met diva Marilyn Horne, a friend of Mehta's, "and yet, I just heard this baritone that was pretty nondescript."

After several embarrassing attempts, he finally quit. Record-producing was a possible alternative, something he had been doing since his college days. Mehta produced the Grammy-winning Bach Suites for Solo Violoncello by Janos Starker, and reissued titles in Sony Classical's prestigious Masterworks Heritage series. But when the business crashed in 1996, Bejun quickly slipped into debt.

Then, just over a year ago, Mehta happened upon a profile of superstar countertenor David Daniels. Countertenors sing in a high range -- equivalent to that of a female alto -- using a highly developed falsetto. "What the hell, I'll just try this," Mehta said to himself, and started singing higher. And higher. Seemingly out of nowhere, his prodigious voice returned.

"I'm a countertenor now," Mehta proudly informed Horne, who was understandably skeptical. Still, she had no choice but to invite him to audition for her foundation, which showcases new talent. "He came in and sang this unbelievable aria from Handel's Flavio," says Horne. "I was flabbergasted!" Relieved and thrilled for her long-frustrated friend, Horne immediately offered to present Mehta as part of her series "On Wings of Song." Horne also put the young singer in touch with a manager, who suddenly found himself fielding invitations from around the world. In September, Mehta snapped up the role of Armindo in Handel's Partenope at the New York City Opera, in a performance that earned rave reviews. Two months later, when Daniels took ill during an international concert tour, Bejun was tapped to stand in for him. Called in at the last minute, he memorized his cantata on the plane to Vienna.

A critic once described Mehta as a "singing animal," and it's true that he performs as if just unleashed from a cage, which in a sense he is. His joy is palpable, the voice practically inhabiting a theater. Last week, his performance before a packed house at the Kosciuszko Foundation was met with unrestrained acclaim. (The concert will be broadcast Saturday at 9 p.m. on WQXR 96.3 FM.) Next season he has been invited to perform Handel's Ariodante at City Opera. Not bad for a has-been.

On the American musical . . .

— Charles McNulty comments on “Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater” a book by Larry Stempel (W.W. Norton & Co.) "This history shimmers with critical insights into the American musical as it evolves from its 19th century beginnings through its golden age in the mid-20th century to its post-Sondheim deliquescence. One of the most astute guides out there."

"Popular Mechanics Magazine Predictions"

Between 1903 and 1969, scientists and other experts made hundreds of predictions in Popular Mechanics magazine about what the future would hold. Their forecasts ranged from ruefully funny to eerily prescient and optimistically utopian. Here are the very best of them, culled from hundreds of articles, complete with the original, visually stunning retro art.

"Grizzly Falls in Kings Canyon"

Grizzly Falls is located in California along Hwy 180, 4.4 miles west of Cedar Grove at Yucca Pt., 15.2 miles west of Cedar Grove (or about 25 miles from Grant Grove). It is a short walk from the parking lot.

(Submitted July 24, 2010 by Steve S., Your Scene, Los Angeles Times)

Dylan, surfing at age six

(Photo credit: Mike H., Your Scene, Los Angeles Times)

The Comac C-919

The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China expects to begin producing its 156-seat C919 by 2016. It would compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. Above, a model of the aircraft.

(Vincent Yu, Associated Press / November 13, 2010)

"idyllic sites in the backcountry"

It may seem premature to plan next year's diversion, but that's exactly what you must do if you want to stay at Yosemite National Park's coveted High Sierra Camps. The good news is that the deadline for entering the lottery that will determine whether you get your dates has been extended to Nov. 20. It was originally Nov. 1.

Five camps occupy idyllic sites in the backcountry to the north and south of Tioga Pass Road. They consist of dormitory accommodations in basic tent cabins, a hot shower at most locations and family-style dinners and breakfasts.

An online lottery handles requests for stays. Applicants will be told by http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_HighSierra_HowtoApply.aspx Jan. 15 whether they have the thumbs up or thumbs down.

Of the 3,300 applications last year, only 850 were assigned dates. One trick is to submit alternative dates or, better still, a range of dates. The 10% to 20% of the dates not claimed by lottery participants become available for first-come, first-served reservations starting Feb. 8.

The odds become smaller as the summer season approaches, except at the end of May, when cancellations occur as families finalize their summer plans, said Dee Dee Smith, a reservation specialist with DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, the lodging concessionaire in the California park.

Lining up camps for the desired dates can be tricky. The opening dates hinge on snow coverage and camp preparations. Last season, late-spring snowstorms caused delayed openings and many cancellations.

Merced Lake tends to be the easiest High Sierra Camp to secure because it has the most tent cabins and the greatest number of beds. But it is also the farthest from a trailhead (about 15 miles to Tenaya Lake or Tuolumne Meadows).

"If people are flexible, we'll get them into something," Smith said.

She recommends keeping a watchful eye on the online availability calendar for cancellations made just outside of the 30-day window, which incur a modest fee. Saddle trips and guided hikes present alternative (although considerably more expensive) options when all independent hiker slots are booked.

I've stayed at the camps, which get many repeat visitors.

In July, I sat down for breakfast at the park's Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, eager to embark on my first High Sierra Camps expedition. The dining hall pulsed with the energy of hiking parties discussing supplies, equipment and routes. Some readied to head north toward Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Others faced a couple of hundred of miles south on the John Muir Trail before Mt. Whitney. Most would attempt a part of the High Sierra Camps loop. Mine was a modified version, with Yosemite Valley as a destination after two nights at Merced Lake.

Acting on the counsel of a Wawona ranger, who praised the high-country landscape around the Vogelsang camp (shown above), I nabbed a last-minute cancellation after a quick phone call to the reservation office.

Elated at my good fortune, I arrived at the camp, snug at the base of Fletcher Peak, less than three hours later and sat down for a snack with the staff of Vogelsang. Several hiking parties filed in before I set out to explore nearby Townsley and Hanging Basket lakes.

Fred Strauss, 85, said he first came to Vogelsang in 1936. He credits reservation specialist Smith ("Dad's other wife," his son said) for arranging his yearly trips down memory lane. "I'm going to quit when I get old," he said. "Believe it or not, Yosemite hasn't changed all that much."

Barbara Talmadge has been coming to the park for 67 of her 85 years.

"I suppose it gets in your blood, you could say," she said. This year she booked five weeks at Merced Lake, where two of her grandchildren work.

"headed for California roads next year"

Some vehicles defy easy classification. Take the plug-in electric Peraves E-Tracer, headed for California roads next year. Balanced on two wheels and operated with a throttle, it's similar to a motorcycle. But it's also fully enclosed in a Kevlar fiberglass shell.

With two bucket seats, a floor-mounted brake, windows, even a windshield wiper, its interior feels more like a car — a toppled-over, traveling egg with windows all around, providing fantastic visibility.

It is, at once, an electric automobile and a motorcycle — and a prizewinner.



"It's not a hybrid. It's a hybris, a snake, a serpent with two heads," said Roger Riedener, the Swiss chief executive who dreamed up the idea and who walked away with $2.5 million in Septemberfor winning the 2010 Automotive X-Prize Alternative Class.

Beating 127 other X-Prize entries competing to build the world's most fuel-efficient vehicle, the E-Tracer can travel more than 200 miles on a single gallon of gas equivalent and reach a potential top speed of 200 mph.

It is the only X-Prize winner scheduled to go into production. About 100 of these "less than $100,000" vehicles will be built each year, their shells assembled in Thailand and their drivetrains installed in San Dimas at AC Propulsion, which developed its electric motor and battery system.

"Puu Oo Vent on Mount Kilauea"

When Kilauea volcano's Puu Oo vent was active I visited it often. On this particular cold January morning the winds were light, which allowed the superheated gases and steam to rise straight up into the sky from the glowing and spattering vents within Puu Oo. The cold air pushed the hot plumes back down in a swirling motion at sunrise. This allowed for the beautiful colors. Shot with a Nikon Dslr and the Nikon 10.5 lens from the north rim of Puu Oo vent. 30-second exposure.

(Text and Photograph by Bryan Lowry)

"Bottlenose Dolphins in Surf"

Dolphins are known to jump out the back of big waves as they break against the shores. This pod of bottlenose dolphins was leisurely surfing in the waves as the offshore wind blew against the incoming waves, creating an atmosphere that was most unique and magical. At a place called Waterfall Bluff in the Transkei, South Africa. This photo was a featured image from the 2008 International Photography Contest.

(Photograph by Andrew Wong)

Hadid did it !!

The aim of the Nuargic and Contemporary Museum in Cagliari by Zaha Hadid is to create a node of cultural exchanges that simultaneously serve as a landmark announcing the arrival to Cagliari from the sea, and answer the five challenges proposed by the brief. Through the interconnection of the inner circulation with the public paths and the alternation of open spaces and cavities, the building shares its public dimension with the city. Moreover, it geometrically aligns along the axis of the sea, and extends its arms towards the quarter and the stadium of S. Elia, connecting and assimilating itself to the site. Architectural concept The new museum is like a coralline concretion, empty inside, hard and porous on the external surface, able to accommodate, in a continuous osmotic exchange with the external atmosphere, cultural activities in a lively and changing environment. At times it assimilates to the ground, creating a new landscape, while at others it acquires a strong mass defining the new skyline. The open and dynamic quality of the shape is also pursued inside the building, where the circulation of the visitors through the exhibition, information and commercial paths determine the geometry of the spaces.

"MAXXI Museum in Rome"

Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born architect who has lived for some four decades in the U.K., finally won recognition from her country of adoption as she clinched the U.K.’s RIBA Stirling Prize for her MAXXI Museum in Rome.

British acclaim had so far evaded Hadid, 59, who in 2004 became the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, her profession’s highest distinction. She had been nominated three other times for the Stirling, the U.K.’s top architecture award.

"Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Sunday burned rubber on a racing circuit in a Formula One car"

MOSCOW (AFP) – In a helmet emblazoned with the emblem of Russia and reaching a speed of 240 kilometres (150 miles) an hour, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Sunday burned rubber on a racing circuit in a Formula One car.

The high-speed session -- unthinkable for almost any other world leader -- was the latest in a series of widely publicised hardman outings for Putin as he seeks to cement his image as the Russian strongman ahead of 2012 elections.

It was also aimed at raising the profile of the sport in Russia as the country prepares to host its first Formula One Grand Prix from 2014 in the southern city of Sochi, under a plan championed by Putin.

The "Gherkin" of London

The Norman Foster Building (right), commonly known as "The Gherkin" is a stunning piece of architecture.

The Mirrorcube Treehotel in Sweden

From the country that brought you the Ice Hotel and the Hotel under a Lake, comes the latest in luxury tourist attractions, the Treehotel. 60 km south of the arctic circle in Harads, Sweden, owner Kent Lindvall has just opened the unique and stunning Treehotel to the public. Launching with six structures designed by five different architects, Lindvall envisions an eventual expansion to 24 structures, each designed by a different architect.

The most stunning and picturesque structure to date is surely the Mirrorcube designed by Tham & Videgard architects. Perched upon a single tree and encased in mirror glass, the Mirrorcube is certainly one of the most unique tree-houses ever conceived.

- The structure is made of light-weight aluminum and hangs around a tree trunk
- A mirror clad box that measures 4m × 4m x 4m (13.12 ft)
- The exterior reflects the surroundings and the sky, creating a camouflaged refuge
- The interior is all made of plywood and the windows give a 360 degree view
- The mirrorcube accommodates two people and includes: a large bed, a small kitchenette and bath, a living room and roof terrace
- Access to the cabin is by rope ladder or rope bridge
- To prevent birds colliding with the Treehotel, an infrared film, visible only to birds is laminated into the glass panes

Cost: $409 USD/night (single) - $592 USD/night (double)

- The Treehotel will be open all year round, so guests will be able to benefit from either of hot summer or cold winters
- Each of the rooms vary in size from 15 to 30 square meters (160 sq ft - 320 sq ft) and are positioned in pine trees between four and six metes from the ground (13 ft - 20 ft)
- They have all been constructed from wood and glass and feature an electric floor heating system, a state-of-the-art eco-friendly incineration toilet and a water-efficient hand basin
- The hotel also features a tree sauna that can accommodate up to 12 people

Los Angeles Scene

Formerly named LA Plaza Abaja in 1866, this five-acre park was renamed Pershing Square for General John J. Pershing in 1918. This postmodern redesign by Ricardo Legorreta, was dedicated in February 1994 and is full of symbols of California life.

"oldest in the Americas"

The Plaza de Toros de Acho is the premier bullring in Lima, Peru. Located beside the historical center of the Rímac District, the plaza is classified as a national historic monument. It is the oldest in the Americas and the second-oldest in the world after La Maestranza in Spain (not counting the Roman Empire-era Arles Amphitheatre in France). Of the 56 official bullrings in Peru, the Plaza de Acho ranks most prominently. It has a seating capacity of 17,000 and was constructed of adobe and wood, both traditional materials. In 1765, Agustín Hipólito de Landaburu sought permission to construct what he called "a fixed plaza for the corridas de toros" that would take place in Lima during the city's celebration of Carnival. The plaza would be constructed in the Rímac district on a site that had been used for several temporary bullrings since 1754. The site was called “el Hacho,” a Quechua word meaning “elevated place with view of the sea.” Construction on the plaza officially began on the 30th of January, 1766

"By Federico Ilustre"

Manuel L. Quezon was the first Filipino president (1935–1944) of the Commonwealth of the Philippines under the U.S. This is the Quezon Memorial, designed by Filipino architect Federico Ilustre. It is made of Carrara marble and is 66 meters high, the age of President Quezon when he died. The three pylons represent Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the three main geographical divisions of the country. On top are sculptures of mourning angels holding sampaguita—the national flower—wreaths, designed by the Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti. The structure isn't just a memorial—it is a mausoleum holding the remains of President Quezon and his wife, Aurora. The little door at the base leads to a small museum containing Quezon's presidential memorabilia.

New Mexican American Cultural Center to Focus on L.A. and Southern California

Next Year, Los Angeles will gain another museum and cultural center and it will be quite unique for anyone curious about the early days of the city and its roots. When LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes opens on April 15th, it will be housed in what was once the tallest building in the city -- five whole floors! -- and near where the city was founded in 1781.

“The Mexican and Mexican American presence has permeated the communities of Los Angeles with its enduring values and celebration of life, touching and enriching everyone in this global metropolis and beyond,” said LA Plaza’s President and CEO Miguel Ángel Corzo recently in announcing the opening date.

I wonder if the jail is this nice ???

The Los Angeles Police Department’s 50,000 square-foot headquarters — built on a parcel of land facing City Hall — features an open design and significant public amenities, which include a nearly one-acre public park, a 400-seat auditorium and a rooftop garden.

"Free-form architecture"

Frank Gehry's Schnabel House in Brentwood has been called many things: deconstructivist design (which Gehry says is inaccurate). Free-form architecture. Career watershed. Status symbol. Family home. Sculpture.

When Jon Platt, Tony Award-winning producer of "Angels in America" and a current producer of "Wicked" on Broadway, moved into the residence in 2006, it became something else: passion project. He went on to spend four years "invisibly shepherding this house into the 21st century," but in a way that he hoped would please Gehry.

"It was Zenyatta's first loss in 20 career starts"

Jockey Garrett Gomez and Blame (right) hold off Mike Smith and Zenyatta to win the Breeders' Cup Classic race on Saturday at Churchill Downs. It was Zenyatta's first loss in 20 career starts.

(John Gress / Reuters / November 6, 2010)