New Year S Eve

It's back. Megabus , which offered low-cost bus service to Las Vegas from L.A. in 2007 and then withdrew from the market, will begin service between the two cities on Dec. 12, it announced Wednesday. Like Greyhound , which also has recently introduced low-cost service to Las Vegas from L.A., Megabus hopes to lure Vegas-bound Angelenos out of their cars and onto modern coaches with one-way fares starting at just $1. “We've seen impressive growth throughout North America and are confident that our 21st century double-decker buses with Wi-Fi and power outlets combined with our outstanding prices will be a success among California and Nevada residents,” said Mike Alvich, Megabus.com's vice president of marketing and public relations.

I'm not one to make a gazillion New Year's resolutions. I've faltered too many times. Exercise every day? Up at 5:30 every morning to write or swim? Less time in front of the computer? Probably not going to happen. But it always takes a while for reality to kick in. The resolutions I do keep tend to be things I really long to do more than those I'd give anything to avoid. So, once a year, I'll sit down and muse about where I'd like to go, culinarily speaking, in the new year. It's thrilling to learn some new dishes, techniques or a new cuisine.

Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris made it to the vows this time around, getting married on New Year's Eve in a small ceremony at the Playboy Mansion. Hef, 86, announced the news via Twitter on Monday, saying, "Crystal & I married on New Year's Eve in the Mansion with Keith as my Best Man. Love that girl!" Keith Hefner, 83, is Hugh's younger brother.  The Playboy founder followed up on Tuesday, tweeting, "Happy New Year from Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hefner!" with an accompanying picture of him in his trademark pajamas with the bride, 26, still in her pink mermaid-style gown.  The couple were wed in front of a simple floral arch at the mansion.

Whatever you did for New Year's Eve, you can rest happily knowing that your night was probably better than Jamie Kennedy's. The actor, perhaps best known for his role in the “Scream” movies, agreed to host “First Night,” a live New Year's Eve celebration on KDOC-TV. The night was meant to be a freewheeling party with a Southern California vibe. Kennedy was joined by a number of other celebrities who, like him, hit their peak around the turn of the millennium, including “American Pie” actress Shannon Elizabeth, hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and soul singer Macy Gray.

Whatever you did for New Year's Eve, you can rest happily knowing that your night was probably better than Jamie Kennedy's. The actor, perhaps best known for his role in the “Scream” movies, agreed to host “First Night,” a live New Year's Eve celebration on KDOC-TV. The night was meant to be a freewheeling party with a Southern California vibe. Kennedy was joined by a number of other celebrities who, like him, hit their peak around the turn of the millennium, including “American Pie” actress Shannon Elizabeth, hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and soul singer Macy Gray.

Moments before the shoot, we caught up with cover girl Dita Von Teese to find out what the burlesque queen/author/fashion-"It"-girl has been up to, and how she plans to ring in the new year. Here's a hint: If you're invited to her place Monday night, you might want to bring a cream pie. You just got back from vacationing in Egypt. What was that like? It was great. I spent a week on Christian Louboutin's houseboat and we took a trip down the Nile. It was a glamorous, fabulous sightseeing trip.

Whether you're saying, “Good riddance, 2012” or “Thanks for the memories,” Las Vegas has a venue where you can welcome the new year in whatever style suits you. You can try the $20 all-you-can-drink party at the Silverton or the $60,000 “Ultimate” package at the Mandarin Oriental . You can turn back the clock to the 1920s and party in an airport hangar or listen to a Grammy winner. Party central, of course, is Las Vegas Boulevard, which transforms itself into a festive pedestrian mall, where the masses, drinks in hand, count down the seconds to a gigantic fireworks display that rings in the new year.

Attention L.A. hipster-parents: New Year's Eve isn't just for grown-ups anymore. And apparently, neither is alternative comedy, that awkward, absurdist brand of humor so popular with the skinny jeans-and-cardigan crowd. So take note of "The Not Inappropriate Show" on Thursday afternoon at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Hollywood. The show is curated by Bob Odenkirk, one of the alternative-comedy scene's godfathers, and his talent-manager wife, Naomi, and features sketches written for adults but "not inappropriate" for kids.

Feeling impulsive and hoping to book a last-minute getaway to Las Vegas for New Year's Eve ? Despite the notion that Sin City is virtually sold out and that the only remaining rooms are wildly expensive, a variety of lodging options is still available. And a two-night (Sunday and Monday) stay on the Strip can be as little as $320, taxes included. That rock-bottom price is for a classic room at the Riviera, and we found it both at the hotel's website and the Vegas.com travel portal . A couple of blocks north, a deluxe room at the Stratosphere for the same two nights is selling for $393.

McDonald's won't be the only restaurant chain with a presence on Christmas Day, as other chains open their doors to consumers who don't celebrate the holiday or are doing so without home-cooked food. “Denny's is always open, including all 24 hours of Christmas Day,” the diner chain said in a statement. In 2011, the company's restaurants served more than 1.5 million guests on Dec. 25 -- the busiest day of the year for the second straight year. The most trafficked Christmas hours for Denny's?

The Kings' Jarret Stoll does not have a verified Twitter account. But then again, he probably doesn't need to have one. The low-key guy with the history of dating high-profile women was dominating social media after Erin Andrews tweeted a photo of them together on New Year's Eve. For the record, Andrews, the well-known media personality, has 1.6 million-plus followers on twitter. Social media gossip aside, Stoll has had an impressive seven months. Winning the Stanley Cup in June.

Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris made it to the vows this time around, getting married on New Year's Eve in a small ceremony at the Playboy Mansion. Hef, 86, announced the news via Twitter on Monday, saying, "Crystal & I married on New Year's Eve in the Mansion with Keith as my Best Man. Love that girl!" Keith Hefner, 83, is Hugh's younger brother.  The Playboy founder followed up on Tuesday, tweeting, "Happy New Year from Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hefner!" with an accompanying picture of him in his trademark pajamas with the bride, 26, still in her pink mermaid-style gown.  The couple were wed in front of a simple floral arch at the mansion.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - At least 60 people died and about 200 were injured Tuesday in a stampede that followed a fireworks display at a football stadium in the Ivory Coast capital, Abidjan, according to emergency officials. Most of the dead and injured were children and teenagers. The stampede happened in the early hours of the morning as crowds were leaving the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium after a New Year's Eve fireworks display ended about 2 a.m. It is not known what triggered the stampede, officials said.

On Monday night at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, punk bands the Melvins and Redd Kross will team up to greet 2013 with volume, riffs and (hopefully) a few drum solos. The hotel, which in its prime played host to luminaries including Woodrow Wilson, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Mae West, features a gorgeous ballroom, which is where the bands will play. We caught up with the Melvins' Buzz Osborne via email to ask him about the gig. Pop & Hiss: What can Angelenos faced with hundreds of New Year's Eve party choices expect to be different about your particular get-together?

The Henry Clay People performed on New Year's Eve at the Satellite last year, and by all accounts it was a Champagne-saturated bacchanal of indie rockers letting their hair down. They'll reprise it this year with a set to wrap up their December residency, which is celebrating their 10th anniversary as a band. Torches, Kissing Cousins and the Lonely Wild join them, and if your heart still lies with fuzz-blasted rock tunes and stage-diving frontmen, this is where you want to watch the ball drop (or ignore the ball-drop to spray someone with PBR)

Los Angeles officials are warning that anyone discharging a firearm into the air to celebrate the new year not only risks killing someone but could also face a lengthy prison sentence. "Firing into the air weapons in celebration puts innocent lives at risk," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said last week. "Nothing ruins the holiday season like an errant bullet coming down and killing an innocent. " Villaraigosa said the misuse of firearms is on everyone's mind in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting that left six adults and 20 children dead.

We've already compiled one dining guide for those still figuring out where to eat their last meal before ringing in 2013. For the undecided, here are eight more restaurants in the Los Angeles area offering multiple-course and a la carte menus on New Year's Eve: Ammo: Hollywood's Ammo will be offering a prix-fixe dinner on New Year's Eve, accompanied by live music from Max Whipple of local band Deux Sons . Dishes include roasted baby...

On Monday night at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, punk bands the Melvins and Redd Kross will team up to greet 2013 with volume, riffs and (hopefully) a few drum solos. The hotel, which in its prime played host to luminaries including Woodrow Wilson, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Mae West, features a gorgeous ballroom, which is where the bands will play. We caught up with the Melvins' Buzz Osborne via email to ask him about the gig. Pop & Hiss: What can Angelenos faced with hundreds of New Year's Eve party choices expect to be different about your particular get-together?

We've already compiled one dining guide for those still figuring out where to eat their last meal before ringing in 2013. For the undecided, here are eight more restaurants in the Los Angeles area offering multiple-course and a la carte menus on New Year's Eve: Ammo: Hollywood's Ammo will be offering a prix-fixe dinner on New Year's Eve, accompanied by live music from Max Whipple of local band Deux Sons . Dishes include roasted baby...

Every party has one. A smoker out on the balcony; the sweaty guest glued to the dance floor; the party animal who never fails to bring the shot glasses. Here's a list of eight party foods with some real personality. Be sure to check out the recipes to make for your own New Year's Eve bash. 1. The boozer: What's a good party without a stiff drink? The boozy bread pudding with whiskey from Handlebars Food and Saloon can definitely throw back a couple shots. And these little guys sure are sweet.