L.A. County Fair Thursday, August 25, 2011

What's so great about a county fair? Deep-fried everything, of course! This year's L.A. County Fair serves up more fun than you can shake a corndog-on-a-stick at, from circus shows to tribute bands, shark encounters to pig races. The Timberworks Lumberjack Show includes axe throwing, log rolling, cross-cut sawing, hot sawing and chainsaw carving; the Aerial Arts Circus Show, Dream World Cirque and Chinese Circus of Beijing bring "du Soleil" entertainment to sunny SoCal; the High School Marching Band Parade Competition invites you to cheer on your favorite band geeks; and the likes of Liquid Blue, Opa Opa, Orquesta Salsa Caliente, Person to Person, Son Mayor, and the Silverados provide live music. There's also Beatles cover band Paperback Writer, the Harvest of Praise Gospel Festival, "The Pirate's Parrot Show," magician Dan Sperry, and thoroughbred horse racing with satellite wagering. And you're off! Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue, Pomona; Wed.-Sun., Sept. 3-Oct. 2; $12-$17 per day, $7-$12 kids 6-12, $9-$14 seniors 60+, 5 & under free; some concerts extra. lacountyfair.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, September 2, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 12:00 AM, ,

The Lazy Gourmet Sunday, August 7, 2011

Too lazy to cook? You're not alone, especially in this fast-paced, on-the-go, 24-7, modern-day world we live in, and authors Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin are here to help. Their new cookbook, The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy, offers a cornucopia of tips and tricks for creating amazing edibles without breaking a sweat. Here's a tip: "Read the recipe." Here's another: "Keep your knives sharp." From tutorials on boiling pasta, separating eggs, and trimming asparagus to recipes for Roasted Salmon With Garlic Confit, Moroccan Chickpea Stew With Charmoula, and Duck Legs in Port Reduction, this book has enough sage advice to turn you into the next Galloping Gourmet. Even if you don't know what charmoula is. The authors sign their book at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Sun., Aug. 7, 4 p.m.; free, book is $15.95. (626) 449-5320, vromansbookstore.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, August 5, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 2:12 PM, ,

Whip Smart Friday, August 5, 2011

Turns out Melissa Febos got her start as a dominatrix by answering an ad in the Village Voice. (Who hasn't?) That's when she discovered the liberal-arts major's secret to financial independence: sex work. Not prostitution, not stripping, not porn. Just wielding a whip and peeing on your clients. How did a privileged girl from New England get herself deliberately involved in the dungeons of New York? Melissa explains it all in Whip Smart, her uncensored memoir of the whys and wherefores of her employment as a professional domme. While much of the story concerns her brutal fight with drug addiction, her personal confessions are equally frank. "I torture people for money and I can't stop." Melissa (a.k.a. Justine) discusses and signs her book at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Fri., Aug. 5, 7 p.m.; free, book is $24.99. (310) 659-3110. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, August 5, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 1:32 AM, ,