TRAVEL DEAL: PALMS HOTEL, VEGAS, JR. SUITE, $59/night, $99 WKEND (REG. $300+)

From travelzoo.com

The Travelzoo Newsdesk has found this outstanding offer from
TripRes.com:

LAS VEGAS--SEPTEMBER 28, 2007-- TripRes.com just announced
a terrific early-bird deal for the hip 4-star Palms Hotel in
Las Vegas. Stay midweek for $59 per night or on a weekend for $99 per
night. You will also get a FREE upgrade to a Junior Suite.
Right now, these rooms go for over $300 a night!
This offer is good on dates between Nov. 18-22, 24-29 and
Dec. 9-13, 16-20, 21-22 and 23-27.

The Palms is famous for its celebrity visits, upscale
restaurants and hip night-life. With this deal you even get
FREE access to Rain and Ghost Bar -- Las Vegas' top-rated
bar according to Zagat -- as well as $10 in slot play, 2-
for-1 breakfast buffet and more.

For more information -- including a 2nd night FREE offer at
the Palms -- and to book your trip through TripRes.com,
click here: http://www.travelzoo.com/Newsflash.asp?328780

WEBSITE: a.placebetween.us - FIND THE MIDDLE, MAN

Yes, the website a.placebetween.us finds a place between us -- that is, a place between you and someone else on a map. And you can tell it what kind of place you want to find that lies between us. Going on a date with someone geographically undesirable? Find a coffee place halfway between you and your GU. Or, if several pals want to get together, find a place equidistant from each person. With gas at record levels, why make one person drive too far when you can each meet in the middle?

SEP. 28-30: SWERVE FESTIVAL - FILM/ART/MUSIC/PARTIES AT BARNSDALL, ECHOPLEX

The 1st annual SWERVE festival has come to LA - or, to be more specific, the Silverlake area of LA. We love the 3D image in their poster (below), and it IS in ultrahip Silverlake, so we know this will be a cool fest. Other proof of coolness: bands like DeVotchKa and We Are Scientists, films that include a Joy Division doc, and even the chance to design your own skateboard deck (Createaskate). Venues: Barnsdall Art Park (art and design), Vista Theatre (film), and the Echoplex (music).


Some highlights from the SWERVE festival website:

Free Music Performances

Performances by DeVotchKa, The Black Angels and Bonde Do Role, Foreign Born, Oh No! Oh My!, Snowden, Illinois, Thee More Shallows and more. Easy registration.

Film Screening Tickets

You can now purchase individual film screening tickets including the U.S. Premiere of Surfwise and West Coast Premiere of Control. The All-Access Swerve Pass gets you into all events even if individual tickets are sold out.

We Are Scientists Closing Night Party

Swerve Festival’s closing night party at the Echoplex will feature a special live performance by We Are Scientists. Tickets are ONLY $5.

MOBILE: METROPCS - $35/MO, UNLIMITED CALLS

Yes, the ad on the back of CityBeat said unlimited calls, even long distance, $35 per month. Not sure if there is a catch, but you can learn more at www.metropcs.com, which said:

MetroPCS's cell phone coverage allows more than 3 million subscribers great, flat rate plans with unlimited minutes, no signed contracts, no activation fees and your first month of service FREE! MetroPCS is among the first cellular service providers to deploy an all-digital network based on third generation infrastructure and handsets. Cell phone coverage includes many top markets like Atlanta, Florida, Dallas, Detroit and California.

Note that the ad listed contact phone numbers for cities that all had one thing in common: being on the outskirts of Los Angeles -- fringe adjacent cities -- so perhaps coverage is one issue to check on if you live in the main areas of LA. Their coverage map actually looks okay, but will be much improved once their "planned expansion" is completed. We also noticed that this map mentions what may be a roaming fee - a cost in certain areas for "travel talk" - so perhaps that is a potential catch to what otherwise sounds like a great deal. We hope that MetroPCS will at least spur more competition and lower prices on other cell services.

TECH: NEW ARMANI/SAMSUNG CELLPHONE with ALARM: sends text msg to friends/family in case of rape/emergency

The Giorgio Armani Samsung handset, unveiled at Milan Fashion Week before the designer's spring-summer fashion show, uses cutting edge technology to ensure the world's most safety-conscious mobile. The credit card size designer mobile phone comes with an in-built 'rape alarm' function which can be activated from a pocket or even handbag. The phone automatically sends an SOS text message to five pre-programmed family or friend phone numbers, alerting them to danger. By pressing an easy-to-locate volume control button four times in quick succession - which can be done through jeans or any heavy material including leather - an automated emergency text is sent. Received within seconds, the recipient can then call the phone, allowing them to gauge the situation and respond accordingly by calling the police. From here, the mobile's GPS tracker system can be activated to locate the owner's exact position.

EVENT REPORT: SCION "MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP" SCREENING AND Q&A

(Sep. 26, 2007 : Beverly Hills, CA) Event Report by Don Rose

Scion held a cool event tonight, screening the fine film "The Mayor of the Sunset Strip" at the Fine Arts Theatre (Wilshire just west of La Cienega). They provided popcorn, drinks, and invited the documentary's director George Hickenlooper to do Q&A afterwards. George was great, graciously answering numerous questions after the film, dropping many a movie reference that often went over the audience members' heads, but giving us all "some homework to do," he joked.

The LA Report loved the movie. The film's star and subject: Rodney Bingenheimer, long-time KROQ DJ (still on the air, 106.7 FM, Sundays midnight to 3am) and creator of the legendary English Disco nightclub on the Strip. Did you know Rodney introduced Bowie to LA? (See the film for many more facts and details, too lengthy to repeat here.) We especially enjoyed the cast of eccentric characters around Rodney, which really added a lot of depth to the film. "Mayor" is not just a great biopic, but an excellent analysis of celebrity culture and the history of Los Angeles. We can't wait to see the extras on the DVD (George mentioned a discussion between songwriting titans Elvis Costello and Brian Wilson, who were both in the film but for oh so brief a time; their conversation probably could have been a docu film in itself).

Kudos to George, and to "Mayor" producer Chris Carter, who is also in the film (owing much of the great things in his life to Rodney, he says; Rodney broke Chris's band Dramarama into the big time, among many other groups and artists). Chris hosts America's longest running Beatle show, Breakfast with the Beatles (KLOS 95.5 FM, Sundays 9am to noon).

Best B-story in "Mayor": Kim Fowley (Rodney's songwriter/producer friend and foil, who claims he is the original Mayor of the Strip, who lent the title to Rodney to use while he was away, way back when). Kim was the subject of a segment on Little Steven's amazingly great Underground Garage show (KLOS 95.5 FM, Sundays 10 to midnight) a few weeks ago.

OCT. 23-24: ADWEEK'S CREATIVE CONFERENCE, MASHUP 2007, Roosevelt

AdWeek's Creative Conference, Mashup 2007.
Location: Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

More info: www.adweekcreativeconference.com

BEST BET: "FAMILY GUY" -- FRICKIN' GREAT

The LA Report cannot recommend "Family Guy" highly enough. We feel this smartly-written hugely-funny show is in that same echelon of all-time great comedy programs that shares comedic DNA with Monty Python, SCTV, Get a Life, The Simpsons, The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show, Arrested Development, The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Shows that create an alternate reality that is nonetheless familiar and hyperreal, with situations and stories that stretch your mind and tingle your spine with good feeling, yet laced with doses of silliness, subversiveness and absurdity that expands your consciousness while repeatedly generating big laughs.

LA Showtimes:
KTLA, Channel 5, Mon-Fri 730pm and 1130pm.
Cartoon Network (Adult Swim), Mon-Fri 1130pm.

SEP. 27-30: PRECIOUS CHEESE FEAST OF SAN GENNARO, LA, PRESENTED BY RALPHS

The 6th Annual Precious Cheese Feast of San Gennaro, Los Angeles, presented by Ralphs, returns to Hollywood on Thursday Sep. 27, 2007, with its annual "Prima Notte" Fundraising Gala ($100 per ticket). The kickoff gala event runs from 5pm to 10pm. Enjoy a plethora of Italian food, music, culture, games and rides! Entrance is at 1651 N. Highland Ave. (one block south of Hollywood Blvd).

Prima Notte is a star-studded fundraising gala and auction featuring some of the city’s most prominent Italian-Americans and dignitaries who join together to support the San Gennaro Foundation. This year’s theme, "Celebrating Italian-American Immigration" pays tribute to the Italians who immigrated to America, and whose talents, contributions, and self-sacrifice enriched the New World that they called their own. Music legend Frankie Valli will receive the San Gennaro Foundation “Italian Heritage Award” and John Paul DeJoria, Co-Founder and CEO of Paul Mitchell Systems, will receive the San Gennaro Foundation "Humanitarian Award." In addition, entertainment will include a special performance by honoree Frankie Valli. The hosts for Prima Notte, like last year, will be Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla. Performances by Frankie Valli and The Marvelous Wonderettes. Additional guests include Bill Conti, Deanna Douglas, Ed Marinaro, Antonio Sabato Jr., Vincent Spano, Susan Sullivan and many more.

Thursday, September 27, 2007, Prima Notte, 5-10 pm.
Red Carpet Arrivals 5:30 pm, On-stage presentation 6:00 pm, Frankie Valli performance 7:45 pm.

After Prima Notte, the rest of the fest runs Sep. 28-30 (hours 11am-10pm). $5 Admission. Kids under 12 free. Student discounts! For more information, contact info@sangennarofoundation.org - visit www.sangennarofoundation.org - or call (818) 508-0082.

About The San Gennaro Foundation

The San Gennaro Foundation is a 501(3)c non-profit created by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, producer Douglas DeLuca, and some of Los Angeles' most prominent Italian-American citizens, to benefit underprivileged children and homeless in Los Angeles, as well as to provide entertainment and cultural enrichment to the community through its non-profit, cultural outreach program. The Foundation’s mission is to uphold the principles established by St. Gennaro, patron saint of Naples who worked tirelessly to help people in need. In addition to fundraising, the group seeks to perpetuate cultural identity and solidarity within the Italian American community. All events are intended to embody the attributes of generosity and goodwill that define the Italian spirit. While some efforts celebrate Italian culture, the Foundation and its programs are not limited to Italian Americans and are supported by diverse individuals.

EVENT REPORT: 2ND ANNUAL L.A. WEDDING SALON SHOWCASES STAR WEDDINGS; CELEBRITY PLANNERS SHARE INSIDER TIPS AND HOLLYWOOD’S LATEST BRIDAL TRENDS

(September 26, 2007: Beverly Hills, CA) Event Report by Don Rose

Bridal fantasies came alive for Los Angeles brides-to-be and bachelors-no-more at the second annual Wedding Salon- Los Angeles, located once again at the Four Seasons Hotel. The back of the hotel was transformed into a lavish reception hall showcasing the most extravagant and memorable ideas and trends for discriminating brides on any budget. (One attention-grabbing booth featured furniture on the walls - not an easy feat!)

An impressive influx of party planners, brides, grooms and press indulged in seemingly-endless displays of exceptional invitations, cakes, and floral arrangements, exquisite one-of-a-kind ceremony services, and creative folks who provide receptions and honeymoon ideas. Bloomingdales showed off their Registry services. Crate and Barrel raffled off a fab giftbasket and showcased their stellar items that can be used not only for wedding parties, but to populate the home of newlyweds as well.

Guests also enjoyed the Beauty Suite, a separate area at the event that showcased hair products and treatments plus make-up consultations with some of the best in the biz. Everyone also got up close and personal with gorgeous models roaming the party, wearing the latest in bridal gown fashions. Libations flowed from Hpnotic (that blue liquer making the rounds at many A-list LA parties), Fiji featured its pure water (inside The LA Report's favorite bottled-water bottle), everyone loved the candy bar (an actual bar with candy in jars), and the Four Seasons served champagne drinks and appetizers.

One booth we found especially intriguing was from Dr. Robert Rey, of the E! television show "Dr. 90210". Not only were his 3 DVDs on display (designed to help women with information about all aspects of cosmetic enhancements), but they also promoted a kind of "21st century couture girdle" that is sleek, black, and lets you drop a dress size instantly (if I read their literature right). You could call it a kind of bustier for the below-bust bulge. The LA Report calls it a fine "fashionvention."

If you missed the Salon this year, make plans for 2008, especially if you work in the wedding or party planning field. The annual Wedding Salon brings together the ultimate collection of the world’s finest wedding resources to help couples save months of planning time with personalized suggestions from the industry’s most prominent talents. Whether your dreams include a traditional storybook wedding, an intimate island getaway or anything in between, renowned event planner Tatiana Byron, founder of The Wedding Salon, turns dreams into reality by bringing together the best of the best for Los Angeles’ premiere bridal showcase. Brides can meet the most prestigious players in the field showcasing their most fabulous designs and ideas. Champagne and Martini Bars, Photographers, Jewels, Registries, Videographers and more -- they are all there, to help plan your wedding or connect you to people who can help your wedding/party-related business.

As the five hour event came to a close, departing guests received generous gift bags with products by Vincent Longo, Godiva, SAMY Salon Systems, Naieme Collection, Emmett Cooper Haircare, Evian, NuBar Cosmetics and more. For information on The Wedding Salon, go to http://www.weddingsalon.com/ or call 212-631-7777.

DRaMa-FREE MP3? AMAZON? AMAZING! E-TAILER LAUNCHES SONG SELLING SERVICE

Yes, Amazon has entered the fray, in direct competition with iTunes and other music download services. However, what people are abuzz about are reports that Amazon's mp3 downloads will let you play purchased music on any device, free of digital rights restrictions. eMusic's service already lets you buy and download such DRM-free mp3s, but their song selection is not as robust as that of iTunes, Napster, Walmart, Sony Connect and other services. Actually, even iTunes lets you get shackle-free music - but non-DRM tunes cost 30 cents more than iTunes' standard 99-cents-per-song. That's a 30 percent premium. It will be interesting to see if new contender Amazon can dethrone King Apple, where other industry giants have failed.

Many news stories are covering this, but via Google we found the website with the best title:

Hacking NetFlix : Amazon Testing DRM-Free MP3 Service
The world is one step closer to a DRM-free future: Amazon is testing a music service called Amazon MP3, where unprotected songs typically sell for 89 cents ... www.hackingnetflix.com/2007/09/amazon-testing-.html - Similar pages

EMMYS 2007 REPORT: Mix Media Award Suites at the Sofitel

(Sept. 13-15, 2007: Beverly Hills, CA) Event Report by Don Rose

From September 13 to 15, Alive!Expo presented the Mix Media Green Pavilion and Award Suites to celebrate the 2007 Emmy Awards. The event took place at the Sofitel Hotel in LA, and was a big success, drawing a packed crowd of celebs, VIPs and media during all three days it was open. Everybody got a little “Green” and then some.

All loved the Madison & Mulholland Swagsuite -- sponsored by Pioneer Elite, presented by Magnolia (the high-end home theatre company you may have seen inside Best Buy stores) -- and everyone also enjoyed the Mix Media Green Pavilion (photo shows the gifts inside the Mix Media Green Bag). It was indeed an Official "Hollywood green event", an excellent example of how more and more Hollywood parties and soirees have gone green to help raise awareness about climate concerns and healthier living.

On September 13, the Mix Media Award Suites kicked off its first day of Emmy celebration gifting some of the greatest in “green” goods and uber technology gadgets to TV’s favorite celebrities, who browsed, borrowed and got beauty treatments. Cheryl Hines (“Curb your Enthusiasm”) was all smiles and a delightful guest as she picked up some great eco-friendly products from Aubrey Organics and was very impressed with Kirsten Muenster’s ethically sourced jewels. The stunning Access Hollywood host Maria Menounos (photo) sat down for a foot massage but will be able to continue her relaxation at home with her new Detox America Foot Spa. The toys the boys couldn’t pull themselves away from included the Pioneer Elite Plasma TV and the rest of the mega home theater goodies (like the Blue Ray DVD player). Judd Nelson practically spent the day with Magnolia. Chris MacDonald went for a spin on America’s coolest new electric scooter from Vectrix (photo).
George Clooney’s Tango commuter car was a big hit. These sleek new rides are quiet as mouse! They look like half a car when you first see them, as if dropped onto our streets from the future -- but these babies are built for speed, as well as safety, and besides being able to fit into any tight parking spot, they are very cool to look at. “George Clooney’s Tango Commuter car was such a huge hit, he was so gracious to loan it to us for the green pavilion event,” said Kim Shimmel, owner of Mix Media.

The Suites also hosted Rachel Harris ( “Notes from the Underbelly”), Kevin Sorbo, Michael Urie and Mark Indelicato (“Ugly Betty”), Jason Lee, Greg Grunberg ("Heroes") and Jenna Baird (“4400"). And all this was just Day 1!

The Suites had another successful day on Friday, introducing the latest and greatest “green” products and super swag to many talented actors; some you will soon know as they make their debut on some of the networks' most talked about new shows. Performers in attendance included Hal Sparks from “Queer as Folk” (photo) as well as Kenny Johnson (“The Shield” and “Saving Grace”), Rachelle Carson-Begley (host of “Living with Ed” on HGTV), Omarosa ("The Apprentice"), Andy Baldwin ("The Bachelor"), Leyla Milani (“Deal or No Deal”), Christian Clemson (Emmy nominee for “Boston Legal”) Madeline Zima (“Californication”), Joshua Gomez (NBC’s new series “Chuck”), Dania Rameriz (“Hereos”), Tony Dovolani (choreographer/judge on “Dancing with the Stars”) and Kaisha Whitaker.

The Mix Media Award Suites then wrapped up pre-Emmy week with a bang on Saturday, the final day. Scott Baio (45 and single, according to his reality show's title) was one of the first guests of the day, followed by Tim Daly, Anthony Anderson ("K-Ville"), David Boreanaz ("Bones"), Sofia Vergara, Natalie Zea, Oscar Nunez (“The Office”), Robert Knepper (“Prison Break”), Sarah Lancaster, and the crew from "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia." These thesps were just a handful of the Suites' fabulous visitors.

Anthony looked right at home on the Vectrix Scooter, while Scott and his fiancée picked up a Little Stork bag for their future little one. Hal Sparks and David Boreanaz got goodies from Detox America like their Bio Feedback Machine, and Home Detox Spas as well as Aubrey Organics for men. The ladies enjoyed other AliveExpo! products such as Aubrey Organics for women, Pure & Basic, Head Organics and were pleased to see one more person going green with accessories like Kirsten Muenster’s ethically sourced jewelry. Bags were overflowing with green goods! To top it off, LeSpa certificates were also gifted to VIP guests, good for any spa service of their choice from the Sofitel’s gorgeous new spa!

Another excellent room at the Mix Media Suites featured Pence Hathorn Silver, LA’s top Westside real estate firm. They joined the AliveExpo! Green pavilion lounge in order to build awareness and help educate the media, celebrities and general public about building green and becoming more environmentally conscious. PHS has worked with A-list celebrities and affluent clientele for years, but this was their first opportunity to visit face to face with some of televisions most recognized faces and share their “green” advice. Aside from welcoming potential buyers, they shared knowledge about building green, what that means for interested buyers or those who might want to go green.

Rachel Harris and fellow funny actress Cheryl Hines (photo) checked out the suite. Hines just purchased a home, but told PHS partner Loraine Silver that she has a friend who might be looking to buy and was excited to share all of this new information. PHS partners Charles Pence and John Hathorn entertained other celeb guests such as Hal Sparks, Kevin Sorbo, Gigi Grazer (who wrote “The Starter Wife"), Scott Baio, and Judd Nelson. Everyone was thrilled to hear about PHS's “going green” campaign. Pence Hathorn Silver also hosted celebrity interior designer Kari Whitman, HGTV TV’s Rachelle Begley, Michael Maloney and Paige Hemmis (hosts of “Extreme Home Makeover”) -- all of whom look forward to collaborating on future projects. The PHS room was a huge success, and now everyone knows who to turn to when it comes to the experts in real estate and making Southern California a better place to live (Pence Hathorn Silver can be reached at http://www.phsrealty.com/ or 800-874-5018).

The LA Report thanks Kim Shimmel, Mix Media, and Stacy Broff at Diamond Girl PR for their assistance on another very successful event.

Twiistup3 postponed from Dec. 2007 to Jan. 2008

Mike, the great guy who runs the Twiistup events, told me that his planned December date is now off for the third installment of Twiistup. The tech soiree is now scheduled for January 2008 in LA. Probable theme: New Years Resolutions, where the Showoffs (companies featured at the event) each help you with one or more resolutions for the coming year. Cool idea. Stay tuned for more details.

SEP. 22-23: Make a Wave event

From the website (makeawaveproject.org):

The Surf-a-Thon is a 24-hour, non-stop surf event for anyone who loves the beach! Surfers will participate in one or more 3-hour shifts between 12pm on September 22nd and 12pm on September 23rd. The event will take place at the Ocean Park Beach in Santa Monica at 2600 Barnard Way. The MAWP Surf-a-Thon will be rockin’!! You can expect two days of music and fun in the sun and sea. Look for the four white canopy tents stationed at the Ocean Park Beach near lifeguard Tower 26. HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE: SURF - If you would like to surf this event, click on the “SURF” link at the top-right of this page. SUPPORT - Bring your friends and family to cheer on the MAWP surfers as they catch waves and rip it up!! This is a grass-roots event y’all, and we appreciate any and all the support you can give – whether you surf, make a donation, or bring your good energy to the beach on September 22nd and 23rd. DONATE - Even if you’re not surfing the event, we encourage you to make a donation to Make A Wave Project by clicking on the “DONATE” link at the top of this page. Donations can also be mailed in to the following address (Make check payable to): Oceana, c/o Make A Wave Project, 1112 Montana Avenue #402, Santa Monica, CA 90403.