HEALTH
May 19, 2012 | By Chris Woolston, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Until recently, very few people had ever heard of raspberry ketones, the aromatic compounds that give the berries their distinctive smell. Today, health food stores have trouble keeping the capsules or drops of the stuff on their shelves. Almost overnight, an obscure plant compound became the next big thing in weight loss - and all it took was a few words from Dr. Oz. In a February episode of "The Dr. Oz Show," Mehmet Oz told viewers that raspberry ketones were "the No. 1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat. " Once Oz calls something a "miracle," it doesn't remain obscure for long.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
October 4, 2012 | By Nita Lelyveld, Los Angeles Times
How do you let Justin Bieber know you're there when you're in a crowd of thousands at the Staples Center? You ditch school early and persuade your mom or dad to leave work to drive you. You wear purple because purple is Justin's favorite color. You write SWAGGY in gold sparkle on your T-shirt because Swaggy is Justin's special, made-up word. On your left sneaker, in Puffy Paint, you draw a fat red heart. On your right sneaker, you put the silver initials JB. You stand in front of the arena's still-locked doors hours before you'll be let in. And you join other true Beliebers singing his songs - "You are my love, you are my heart, and we will never, ever, ever, be apart" - only you really mean it, and you know he'll know it as soon as he steps outside long enough to lock eyes with you. PHOTOS: Justin Bieber comes to the Staples Center You are 5 maybe, or 6 or 10 or even 17 - and you carry the sign you spent all weekend making that says that you are his "one less lonely girl.
ENTERTAINMENT
January 3, 2010 | By Mark Lamster
Hearts of the City The Selected Writings of Herbert Muschamp Herbert Muschamp Alfred A. Knopf: 888 pp., $50 In December 1997, with the Getty Center finally set to open its expansive hilltop campus after more than a decade of frustration, Herbert Muschamp told readers of the New York Times that, at the very least, the museum could "take pride in arousing discontent." If that read like a backhanded compliment, it shouldn't have, given the source. "Conflict is the most important cultural product a city puts out," Muschamp would later write.
ENTERTAINMENT
May 30, 2012 | By Charlotte Stoudt
Go ahead, wear your heart on your sleeve. That's the dress code of “Where the Great Ones Run,” Mark Roberts' sweet tale of fame and regret. A 99-seat “Crazy Heart,” this tender 80-minute dramedy has the makings of a mellow hit for Rogue Machine Theatre. Country music star Sonny Burl (Jeff Kober) has left a trail of human debris on his way to the top: estranged wife Marylou (Holly Fulger), who runs a truck stop in their Indiana hometown; feisty daughter Julie (Lily Holleman)
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
February 14, 2012 | Nita Lelyveld, Los Angeles Times
I am in search of the King of Hearts. Day after day, I try to trace his meandering trail through the hills. Hansel dropped breadcrumbs to find his way back home. My mystery king scattered hearts to help his queen find him. They are strewn all over Beachwood Canyon in Hollywood, outlined in sunflower yellow and white paint. They're on curbs. They're on lampposts. They're on bus benches. They're on the beige telephone cross-connection boxes in front of quite a few Beachwood Drive apartment buildings.
NATIONAL
February 9, 2013 | By Marisa Gerber
Friends, family and First Lady Michelle Obama gathered Saturday afternoon to remember Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old Chicago majorette who was fatally shot a week after she performed at President Obama's inauguration. Hadiya -- who was shot in a park near her school in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity involving gangs -- was described by Rev. Michael Pfleger as an “innocent victim of gun violence.” Her killing, he said, raised a question: “When did we lose our soul?