CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 16, 2012 | By Ari Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times
When Los Angeles painted a 1.5-mile strip of Spring Street neon green last year, it was hailed as a major step in the city's effort to have cars and bicycles share the road. But now, the bike lane has become a symbol of how hard it can be to reserve room for cyclists in a city dominated by the car. The green lane has been criticized by the film industry, which frequently uses the stretch of Spring Street, in the heart of old downtown, as a stand-in for other cities and eras.
NEWS
October 15, 2011 | By Judi Dash, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Whether you want a bit of cushioning for yoga on the go or a compact ground cover for outdoor activities, the TMAT Pro fits the derriere. Measuring 21 by 29 inches (it's not meant for lying full length), the neoprene mat rolls tightly into a 6-by 4-inch-diameter bundle, secured by an integrated Velcro strap closure. The quick-drying mat comes in neon colors and patterns, and fits in a purse or carry-on bag. TMAT Pro costs $24.95. Info: TMAT Pro , (866) 759-2888.
ENTERTAINMENT
October 7, 2011 | By Robert Abele
The high school outcast comedy "Dirty Girl," set in 1987, wants to be a filthy-mouthed alternative to the John Hughes canon. When Oklahoma teen Danielle (Juno Temple) — a tight-skirted, bad-behavior tornado — is paired with chubby closet-case loner Clarke (Jeremy Dozier) for a remedial class project, they instead ditch their terrible home lives and hotfoot it to California. Danielle's on a biological-dad quest since mom (Milla Jovovich) is about to marry a restrictive Mormon (William H. Macy)
WORLD
August 20, 2011 | By John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times
For a quarter of a century, Kim Un-tae has found comfort in the red neon cross that sits atop the steeple of the Protestant church he founded here. For the 70-year-old holy man, the soft glow of the religious icon has always signified that his faith was open for anyone willing to enter the doors of his church. "It's like a coastal lighthouse for passing ships in the dark," Kim said. Yet critics say church crosses like Kim's are just another form of light pollution. Tens of thousands of churches dot South Korea, most with their own red neon crosses.
ENTERTAINMENT
March 23, 2011 | James Rainey
A conversation this week in the offices of Neon Tommy, a USC student-run online news outlet, went something like this: Editor: "We should be tweeting more of the Tumblr content. " Journalist One: "You can publish automatically to Twitter from Tumblr. " Journalist Two: "But the tweets can look weird. It's better to move the link to Bit.ly and customize it. Do your own. " The exchange might sound like Greek to those not immersed in the mediasphere. But the young people running Neon Tommy are purveyors of a new journalism, concerned as much with how a story is delivered and discovered by its audience as with how it's reported and written.
WORLD
March 14, 2011 | By Laura King and Kenji Hall, Los Angeles Times
— It's hard to imagine this city without its trademark blaze of neon — the garish, flashing signs that routinely turn the Tokyo nightscape into a phantasmagoric riot of color. On Sunday night, though, little imagination was needed. Tokyo didn't go dark. But it dimmed itself, a voluntary power conservation measure after Friday's catastrophic earthquake. Even what may be the city's most iconic structure, the 1,092-foot Tokyo Tower, turned out the lights. In the city's most neon-heavy precincts, Shinjuku and Ginza, people strolling the sidewalks on a cool, clear evening eyed the surrounding skyscrapers, pointing out to each other the gaps in what is normally a hallucinogenic, strobe-lit stream of images and Japanese-language characters.