The Clippers – one of LA’s favorite sportsball teams.

More than anything else on their menu, the Gobi Manchurian is what keeps me coming back time and time again. The first time I visited, it was described to me as “sort of like a vegetarian fried chicken.” From the first bite, I was hooked. It’s actually cauliflower marinated in garlic, ginger, chilies, and soy sauce, but the fried chicken comparison does seem quite apt, provided you marinate the fried chicken in ten gallons of awesome before serving it up hot.

According to the Woodlands website, Jonathan Gold is a fan as well:

Still uncommon is the ALL-VEGETARIAN Indian restaurant serving the intriguing foods of India’s southern region. . . . If you’re looking for value and tasty food, you will certainly find it here.

If you’re ever up in that corner of the Valley, you should do yourself a favor and check this stuff out. You won’t be disappointed. Unless you come on a Monday, that is; they’re closed on Mondays.

Cartoon-loving Angelenos are in for a treat: American Cinematheque is putting on a retrospective at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, running from this Thursday (26 January) through the middle of next month (12 February).

The American Cinematheque Presents
Castles in the Sky: Miyazaki, Takahata and The Masters Of Studio Ghibli
A 14-Film Retrospective Featuring New 35MM Prints
of Studio Ghibli Classics including SPIRITED AWAY and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

Much like recent US-made films Up and Wall-E, I think Studio Ghibli’s work appeals to viewers young and old alike. Find more info about the films being screened and the dates at the American Cinematheque site. Goldstar already has half-price tickets for Friday 27 January showing of Spirited Away, so snatch ‘em up while you can.

2011 from hey_rabbit on Vimeo.

Via PetaPixel.

Was a brand spanking new Laemmle theater with seven screens. Santa delivered! Wednesday night the NoHo 7 theater, newest addition to LA’s awesome “we’re not afraid of subtitles” Laemmle chain.

Wednesday just so happened to be the last night of a friend-of-a-friend’s visit to LA, and so when we tried to narrow our options for how to best entertain him, breaking in our new neighborhood theater seemed like a clear front-runner.
The theater was quite nice, and it still has the new construction smell. The film selection, for anyone who is not familiar with the Laemmle chain, is probably precisely what you would imagine from a theater chain that prides itself on not being “afraid of subtitles.” The overall feel of the place, for those who are familiar with the Laemmle, is not quite what we’ve grown accustomed to at the Encino and Fallbrook locations, but can best be described in comparison to those other locations as simply “clean.” But don’t fret; thanks to the staff, the place seems to retain some sense of character in spite its cleanliness.
So next time you’re in the East Valley and looking for a reason not to kill yourself movie to entertain yourself, check out Laemmle’s NoHo 7. I think you won’t regret it.

Image from Creative Tools on Flickr, used via Creative Commons license

Metro will offer free fare rates on the Eves of both Christmas and New Years. Here is some information from the press release, as found at Metro’s The Source blog:

The free fare program will be in effect between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on the nights and early mornings hours of December 24-25 and December 31-January 1.

Patrons boarding a Metro Bus, including the Metro Orange Line, or the Metro Red, Purple, Blue, Green or Gold rail lines during the hours designated will receive a free ride to their destination.

Have fun; be safe. Happy Holidays!

This post is part of our Blogging.LA Holiday Giving series.

The holidays, for many, can be a time to excuse a bit more indulgence than usual. A few extra drinks at the office Christmas party, perhaps. But then, most offices have that guy or that gal—you know the one—who takes it to another level. Slurring, stumbling, making inappropriate comments and feeling like a total asshole upon waking up coming to the next morning. Or maybe it’s the one who spends an inordinate amount of time in the restroom, talking like Charlie Sheen when they finally emerge. Winning!

For some people holiday libations can be a wonderful social lubricant to help people get over the humbug and try to feel warm and caring towards—gasp!—coworkers and family members. For others, the holidays might simply serve as a socially acceptable license to seek out what we really desire any time we pick up a drink (or other drug)—total oblivion.

For people with that self-destructive impulse, whatever its source (genetics, personality type, we got sweaters for Christmas instead of Transformers), the holidays can be the most dangerous time of year. There are places that are there to help, however, and Cri-Help in North Hollywood is one of them. Here’s some info from their website:

CRI-HELP assures accessibility to all our services by individuals and families in need, and reserves at least 51% of its treatment opportunities for persons who are uninsured and unable to pay for the services they receive. Every year we treat more than 1,500 persons who are working to rebuild their lives.

Looking To Our Future

Our continuing goal is to help each individual who seeks us out develop the tools that allow him or her to integrate back into the community as a drug-free, self-sufficient, law-abiding and productive member of society.

How Can You Help?

Support Cri-Help With Your Financial Gift

A little bit goes a long way, and your contributions will support Cri-Help so they can be there for that Charlie Sheen in your office, or for the uncle who always ends up passed out in the La-Z- Boy. Do it for the kids.

According to Wikipedia, the total eclipse of the heart moon will take place from 6:06 AM to 6:57 AM tomorrow. Anyone staying up that late/ getting up that early to watch it? What are some of your favorite spots for viewing cosmic events such as this?

I ain't afraida no ghosts

Spotted this Chrysler 300 with license plates “ECTO 300″ and ghost-catching gear attached heading down Ventura Boulevard Sunday afternoon, but this was the only decent pic I was able to snap. I saw another Ghostbusters logo on the side of the vehicle as I passed, but no phone number to call when there’s somethin strange in your neighborhood. No indication as to whether this might be part of a rumored third installment in the Ghostbusters series, but I doubt it.

For old time’s sake:

In case you haven’t been able to load twitter or step outside today, you very well know that the wind is blowing hard here in LA. As I made my way East on the 101 toward my Studio City home last night, all sorts of debris blew past, including some old woman on a bicycle saying something about my little dog. A brief scan of twitter let me know that people from various parts of the city have been without power, such as a few friends in the Eagle Rock/ Glendale area.

What’s your experience of the wind been? Let us know in the comments—what part of town are you in and what effects have you witnessed?