Long Weekend

"This weekend is going to make a colonoscopy look like a treasure hunt,” says the reluctant host of “The Long Weekend” at Theatre 40. However comically overstated, it's not far off the mark. Training his facility with one-liners and a crowd-pleasing formula toward character truth and narrative logic, playwright Norm Foster scores a bull's-eye with this tickling romp about mismatched spouses. Meet straight-arrow Max (John Mullen, droll and proficient), the aforementioned host, an upscale lawyer with a new country house, which he and Wynn (Kathryn Larsen, adept and appealing)

So, it's Sequester's Eve, and all through the White House (and the House and the Senate), not a creature is stirring, not even John Boehner. Out in the hinterlands, folks are putting up their Sequester trees, decorating them with $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills. Some have strung together coins in long, looping chains. And government workers are hanging furlough notices and/or pink slips. All for that magical moment Friday morning when everyone will gather around the tree and scramble to grab as much money as possible before it's all gone.

Southern California's Memorial Day weekend should be sunny and a little warmer--just about perfect for picnics, hikes, backyard barbecues, sailing, strolls in the park, beach outings and almost anything else--the National Weather Service said Thursday. There probably will be some night and morning coastal clouds throughout the weekend, but the high-level storm system that drew a gray layer over the Southland and brought strong winds to the deserts moved east of the Rockies on Thursday.

After the coffee. Before making sure my electric bill is paid up. The Skinny: I wonder if that blackout during the Super Bowl would have been as much fun without Twitter around for people to crack jokes and stay interested in the game. I just hope that Joe Flacco's swearing won't lead to another decade-long legal battle between CBS and the FCC. Monday's headlines include a recap of the weekend box office, a look at the sometimes tense relationship between Legendary Films head Thomas Tull and Warner Bros., and the challenges of trying to make historical films look right.

Another brief footnote to the absurdity of daily life in Iraq: On a recent Thursday, the Rafidain Bank in the southern city of Amarah was not serving customers, though employees were inside and it was not a holiday. The reason?

With good weather in sight, campgrounds around Ventura County are either booked or filling up fast for the long Memorial Day weekend. At Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, campgrounds probably will be full before Friday, predicted Don Turner, a law enforcement officer for the National Forest Service. "People are kidding themselves if they think they are going to come up on Saturday and get a site," Turner said.

Next Monday night's Ram-Raider game at Anaheim Stadium has been sold out since early October, so it will be seen locally on Channel 7. It will be the last of seven NFL games televised in Los Angeles over the weekend. ABC will offer a special Friday night game, Denver at Seattle, at 5 o'clock. Then there will be two Saturday telecasts, Pittsburgh vs. the New York Giants at East Rutherford, N.J., at 9:30 a.m. on NBC, followed by Washington at St. Louis at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Travel agent Liz Tanacsos has two words for anyone just now deciding to take advantage of this long holiday weekend by planning a little vacation: forget it. People have anticipated this long weekend for months in advance, said Tanacsos of Associated Travel Services Inc. in Fullerton. Flights may still be available, she said, but travelers may have nowhere to stay. "Trying to find an available hotel room now would be very difficult," she said.

Bracing for an Independence Day tradition of unruly beach parties and gridlock, a full complement of police officers were dispatched Saturday to begin a long weekend watch in local coastal communities. Although police reported no major incidents, authorities were clearly demonstrating a presence with the early closure of municipal beaches in Huntington Beach on Saturday night and the planned shutdown of streets today on the crowded Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.

The violence in Los Angeles led to spot food shortages and boosted prices of security services, glass, lumber and such essentials as gasoline. The surge in buying was greatest in neighborhoods near South Los Angeles, where many gas stations and grocery stores were closed. But buying was also brisk in such communities as Palos Verdes and Woodland Hills, as people stocked up on food, paper towels and even videos to prepare for a weekend close to home.

Drawn by aggressive discounts and earlier-than-ever opening hours, shoppers opened their wallets on Black Friday weekend in record numbers and handed retailers a promising start to the holiday season. Merchants raked in an estimated $59.1 billion in sales from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday, up from $52.4 billion a year earlier, as millions flocked to stores and browsed online, according to the National Retail Federation. Spending per shopper jumped 6% to $423. The spending mania is expected to continue into so-called Cyber Monday, which is the first workday after the holiday weekend, when many indulge in online shopping in their cubicles or offices.

"The Possession" took ownership of the No. 1 spot at the box office this Labor Day weekend, but there was no love for "The Oogieloves. " The horror flick produced by Sam Raimi did stronger-than-expected business, grossing a solid $21.3 million over the four-day weekend, according to an estimate from distributor Lionsgate. "Lawless," the violent crime drama featuring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy, trailed with a so-so $13-million debut. And then there were those poor "Oogieloves.

After the coffee. Before figuring out what to do with a long weekend. The Skinny: One thing I'll be doing this weekend is taking my cat in for his semi-annal crew cut. His haircut costs more than mine but it also looks better. Friday's headlines include the box-office preview for the holiday weekend and Robin Williams may return to television. Daily Dose: For everyone who wants to get HBO without having to pay for cable, now you have a chance. There's only one problem.

The horror film "The Possession" is set to claim the No. 1 spot over the Labor Day weekend, though the most frightening thing at the box office may be poor overall ticket sales. The Sam Raimi-produced scary movie is expected to take in a decent $15 million over the four-day holiday, according to individuals who have seen pre-release audience surveys. "Lawless," a crime drama starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy, will have to vie for the runner-up position against "2016: Obama's America," as each is likely to gross around $12 million during the long weekend.

Apprentice jockey Eswan Flores has been removed from his mounts indefinitely under orders of the California Horse Racing Board, spokesman Mike Marten said Sunday. Flores was taken off his mounts on Saturday at Del Mar and was scheduled to ride in six of 11 races on Sunday. Marten said "no comment" as to the reason for the CHRB decision. Flores' agent, Joe Griffin, said Sunday Fores had "a couple of personal problems" he's working out. "He thinks everything is going to be fine," Griffin said.

The 25th time is the charm for Chris Volstad, who had gone 24 starts without a win before Sunday's 5-0 rain-shortened Chicago Cubs victory over the Colorado Rockies. Volstad's winless streak dated back to July 17 of last year, when he was a member of the then-Florida Marlins. He was 0-14 with an earned-run average of 5.27 during that stretch. His streak will end four starts short of the major league record of 28 consecutive winless starts. Jo-Jo Reyes tied the record last May and now shares it with Matt Keough and Cliff Curtis.

At 1:59 p.m. Friday, an aide drops the first 38 pages of the much-awaited report into Jim Rogan's hands. They are still warm from the copy machine. Five ABC-TV crew members are crammed into the red-carpeted office of the Republican congressman from Glendale, a member of the House Judiciary Committee who will now weigh whether the 400-plus-page tome from independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr is grounds for impeachment. "What will you be looking for?"

Jiang Xingjun hates holidays here. Rather than providing respite or relaxation, China's three national vacation weeks -- one observed in winter, one in spring and one in fall -- are often more like hell on wheels, with jam-packed planes, trains and automobiles gone berserk, he says. On cue, hundreds of millions of workers embark on mass pilgrimages to hometowns often located thousands of miles away.

"This weekend is going to make a colonoscopy look like a treasure hunt,” says the reluctant host of “The Long Weekend” at Theatre 40. However comically overstated, it's not far off the mark. Training his facility with one-liners and a crowd-pleasing formula toward character truth and narrative logic, playwright Norm Foster scores a bull's-eye with this tickling romp about mismatched spouses. Meet straight-arrow Max (John Mullen, droll and proficient), the aforementioned host, an upscale lawyer with a new country house, which he and Wynn (Kathryn Larsen, adept and appealing)

Some "Men in Black" took down both aliens and superheroes at the box office this weekend, as the third installment in the sci-fi comedy series knocked"The Avengers"out of the No. 1 position after four weeks. "Men in Black 3," starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, grossed a respectable $70 million domestically over the four-day holiday, according to an estimate from distributor Sony Pictures. Overseas, where the 3-D movie debuted in every major foreign country, the movie collected a solid $133.2 million, bringing the film's worldwide total to $203.2 million.