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To celebrate the paperback publication of Susan Shapiro's debut novel Speed Shrinking, you can "speed date" with actual mental health professionals during the month your regular therapist is away. SPEED-SHRINKING is exactly what it sounds like, speed dating with mental health professionals.  Feel like having a drink and resolving an issue at the same time?  These events are geared to help you do just that.  From sex therapists to relationship experts, Speed-Shrinking, created by Susan Shapiro, your $15 cover includes one(1) drink ticket and proceeds go to 826LA, leaving you feeling twice as good about yourself...  well worth the price of admission. Whether you need a new shrink, quick tune-up or some replacement tough love, this line up of nine brilliant gurus will be on hand to meet, greet, and help you get over all your success blocks - and it's for charity!  Books are available at the event through Book Soup. In Susan Shapiro’s laugh-out-loud funny fictional debut Speed Shrinking, Manhattan self-help author Julia Goodman thinks she’s got her addictive personality under control. Then her beloved psychoanalyst moves away at the same time her husband takes off to L.A. and her best friend gets married and moves to Ohio. Navigating her insurance ...

With the economy being what it is today, we all need a cheap laugh.  Included is a list of LA's comedy open mics, for both amateurs and pros come try ou their new material.  Feel like a laugh?  Check out these great venues at great low prices: MONDAY HAHA CAFÉ COMEDY CLUB 5010 Lankershim Blvd  North Hollywood, CA 91610 (818) 508-4995 Sign up: 5:00 pm   Show: 6:00 pm Cost: $5 COMEDY STORE 8433 W Sunset Blvd  Los Angeles, CA 90069 (323) 656-6225 Sign up: 6-6:30 pm  Show: 7:00 pm KULTURAS BOOKS (2ND Monday) 1700 Ocean Park Blvd  Santa Monica, CA (310) 450-8707 Sign up: 6:00 pm  Show: 7:30 pm Notes: Music & comedy open mic CAFÉ MUSE 6547 Santa Monica Blvd  Hollywood, CA 90038 (323) 464-6873 Sign up: 7:00 pm  Show: 7:30 pm Notes: Comedy & poetry RAINBOW BAR AND GRILL 9015 W Sunset Blvd  West Hollywood, CA 90189 (310) 278-4232 Sign up: 8:00 pm  Show: 8:30 pm Cost: $2 Notes: Comedy & music open mic SKINNY'S LOUNGE 4923 Lankershim Blvd  North Hollywood, CA 91601 (818) 763-6581 Sign up: 8:00 pm  Show: 8:15 pm Notes: Mostly booked show. Drawing for 2 open mic spots GROUND ZERO COFFEE HOUSE 615 Child's Way  Los Angeles, CA 90089 (213) 821-1484 Sign up: 9:00 pm (USC students)  Sign up: 9:20 pm (general public) Show: 9:30 pm Notes: Music, comedy & poetry open mic LIQUID ZOO 7214 Sepulveda Blvd  Van Nuys, CA 91405 (818) 997-3818 Sign ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Warning: This is not an unbiased review. I love Las Brisas Restaurant for its incomparable location. The place is quaint, just comfortable enough to satisfy, with flashy rose gardens in seasonal bloom,  but make no mistake, it is the ocean which holds pride of place. It sits on a promontory overlooking the sun-dappled Pacific Ocean, with curving Laguna Beach to the south replicating vistas of  Italy’s Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, our families’ ancestral home. For us former Chicagoans, the place, especially in January, represents a fantasy of beauty and breezes (hence the name – The Breezes) to which we’ve brought our most beloved family and friends. Our Chicago-born fathers, Mike DeCarlo and Pete Rocco, taking their first plane ride in their 80s, relished the experience of eating in sunshine on a winter day. My sister, Christine, and others have shared our delight in merely being in this sublimely spectacular spot. Native Californians cannot fathom the depth of pleasure experienced by we cold-clime folk, who find ourselves squinting into the winter sun as we munch delicious Las Brisas nachos on the terrace. We can almost feel we’re again visiting fabled Positano, Italy, seated on the terrace of the ...

Featuring a night of singers, songwriters and music by Jon McLaughlin, honeyhoney, The Daylights, and Sixpence None The Richer Koffeehouse is proud to present its 4th Annual “Evening of Independence” benefitting MusiCares® on August 7, 2010 at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. The evening will feature the most talented emerging artists and special guests with featured performances by Verve/Universal recording artist, actress KATHARINE MCPHEE, Island Def Jam recording artist JON MCLAUGHLIN, national recording artists HONEYHONEY, Los Angeles Indie-rockers THE DAYLIGHTS, GRAMMY-nominated SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER, who will be reuniting at The Ford after a six- year hiatus as well as a special performance by award-winning cellist, TINA GUO accompanied by Marcelo. The event will be hosted by award-winning correspondent and host, ANGELA SUN of Yahoo! Sports' Minute, Tennis Channel and NBC First Look. Koffeehouse’s 4th Annual “Evening of Independence” is in official partnership with Los Angeles County Arts Commission and is sponsored by ABC7, KPFK 90.7fm, Univision, LA Weekly, LA18, and Fusicology. One hundred percent of the evening’s net proceeds benefit MusiCares, whose mission is to provide a safety net of critical assistance for musicians in times of need (www.grammy.org/musicares.com). “When we started these intimate showcases in my backyard nearly seven ...

Hosted by Iconic WGN Radio Personality Steve Cochran, WGN-TV’s Mike Toomey, Patti Vasquez and Travel Channel’s Mark DeCarlo The all-ages charity event features FREE BBQ, Live Blues Bands, Comedy Acts, Golf, Cooking Demonstrations and More! Johnsonville Sausage invites you to celebrate this Father’s Day, Sunday June 20th, 2010 at Poppa-Palooza, a one-of-a-kind, all ages music and comedy festival featuring Chicago’s greatest personalities, musicians and comedians at America’s Historic Roundhouse in Aurora, IL. The phenomenal line-up includes legendary WGN radio personality Steve Cochran, WGN-TV’s Mike Toomey, with popular Chicago  comedian Patty Vasquez, and Travel Channel’s Mark DeCarlo alongside the band Old Blues Eyes. Doors open at 5pm and festival continues until 11pm. America’s Historic Roundhouse is located at 205 N. Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for children under 12. All tickets include two (2) FREE Johnsonville Brats and all Dads will receive a FREE raffle ticket. Tickets can be purchased by calling 630-264-2739 or visiting www.rh34.com . Poppa-Palooza will include a fun-filled afternoon of golf contests, incredible raffle prices, live music & comedy, cooking demonstrations, competitions, a live auction and surprise guests. This event is geared to gives Dad's a day off while helping to raise money for what ...