At 11 a.m., editor Ellen Griley calls the meeting to order—in attendance: food editor/mail sorter Miles Clements, senior editors Theo Douglas and Dave Wielenga, interns Vy Pham and Whitney Walker, Girl Reporter TM  —and returns to her laptop. Eventually, Steve Lowery blows in, prompting everyone to check their watches—it’s 11:19 a.m. … hmmm, not bad. Griley opens [...]

Less than an hour before tipoff in Game One of the National Basketball Association Finals, and I still don’t know if I’ll be able to root for the Lakers.  The reason?  I hate Kobe Bryant … possibly more than I hate the Boston Celtics. That’s hate.  I want to stop. I want to forgive. If you have, [...]

They ran out of garden burgers early at Tuesday night’s Beer & Politics forum–which pitted the truth-and-justice screeds of assembly candidates on one end of Gallagher’s Pub against the screams of basketball fans on the other–and late in the evening talk-show host Art Levine ran off with Theo Douglas’ three-quarters-full glass of Widmer Hefeweizen. Who [...]

Just got back from “Star Trek: The Tour” at the Queen Mary–hilarious details in future missive–and I’m still shaken but what I was shaken down for regarding parking: $15! Fifteen! When the woman nonchalantly asked for said lucre it suddenly came to me why the Queen is doomed: they are absolutely [...]

Toys That Kill: More punk out of Pedro. $5. 21+.
ALEX’S BAR 2913 E Anaheim St, Long Beach 90804. 562.434.8292; alexsbar.com.
South Coast Chorale: Songs to “Make the Yule Tide Gay.” 5pm. $35.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 241 Cedar Ave, Long Beach 90802. 562.743.1365.

WED. OCT. 31: PAUL TIBBETS AND THE ENOLA GAY
Tues | Oct 30 Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona is indicted on federal corruption charges that could land him in prison for 105 years. That’s a long time for anyone, let alone someone known as “America’s Sheriff.” I mean, I don’t know a lot about prison—my friend [...]

if{open}: Continuing on with Retro Row’s so-called rebirth, {open} hosts its fourth-anniversary party with Dublab and cupcakes. The event will also kick off the bookstore’s “if{open}” exhibit, in which 25 artists from around the world imagine and re-imagine the word “open.” 7pm. Free.
{OPEN} 2226 E Fourth St, Long Beach 90814. 562.499.6736; thestoryofopen.com.
Tree Planting: Wrigley residents [...]

SAT OCT. 20: PIPE BOMB! by DANIEL DEBOOM
Tues | Oct 16 Yesterday, we put the Best of Long Beach issue together inside a studio apartment in Bluff Heights, where we were joined by a desktop printer, one pizza, four laptops, a highlighter and two cats. This is all very unusual, of course . . . [...]

One good thing about the start of another interminable NBA season–have you got your tickets for the league finals? In June?–is that we get to read the LA Times Mark Heisler write on basketball. Heisler is simply one of the best, and he is always great when giving advice to hapless NBA franchises. Until recently, [...]