@RinnyRiot via Twitter

"Tent City outside of Chick-fil-A right now!"

​Something about fast-food chicken shop Chick-fil-A inspires a strange devotion in Americans. Maybe even more than for In 'N' Out or Sonic, hardcore fans will travel miles (and brave cold winter campouts!) to get at that greasy crack-cocaine goodness.

All across the country, almost eclipsing the real Occupy movement today, Chick-fil-A activists are camping out for a year's worth of free chicken at its yet-to-open-locations -- including a much-anticipated branch in Northridge.

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renemiranda.net

El Grito gets the consul general's blessing.

​In late August, without a peep of opposition, your elected L.A. officials voted to transfer almost $100,000 from various cultural-affairs and general-purpose funds to tonight's El Grito festival -- a celebration of Mexico's independence from Spain.

It's vetted as a city-family affair, with hugs all around. One Spanish-language paper reports that Councilman Tony Cardenas will "kick off the celebration by shouting 'Que Viva Mexico!', flanked by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and a full house of L.A. political royalty. From there, the cultural debauchery will ensue, as musicians and dancers take the stage.

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L.A. Zoo

​It's hard to avoid press releases when they're slathered in promises of adorable zoo animals. And, uh, comparing adorable zoo animals to Star Wars characters? No fair. We're putty in your PR campaign.

So yeah, this Saturday is Star Wars Day at the L.A. Zoo -- the best thing to happen to the L.A. Zoo since elephant porn on Valentine's Day.

There will be actual Star Wars characters present at the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. event (the non-burlesque kind; sorry)...

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pubclub.com

No smiling.

​A little piece of Jimmy Buffet dies every time the word "tailgating" is paired with the word "guidelines" in a city document; so, by our calculations, tonight's agenda report for the Rose Bowl Operating Company meeting has left 15 little pieces of Jimmy Buffet in need of margarita IV.

Dorkiest of all is the third guideline down:

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dharma communications

​Tomorrow will mark the end of the world, according to one famous interpretation of the bible that calls 6 p.m. on May 21 the time for rapture.

(Wonder if it's East Coast time or what? What if we're waiting for this to happen at 6 but instead it happens at 3 while we're like, doing our last deeds? Discuss).

While many of you will be bummed not to be able to spend another day at the beach, listen to your favorite song again, or post one more tweet, think about the upside for the city of L.A:

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Asbarez.com

L.A. Armenians to Obama: Just say it.

​Updated after the jump: Obama arrives -- and the riot gear comes out.

Update: Obama is prepared for the worst after being sung to by a group of San Franciscans this morning. Apparently they paid $5,000 each to air their outrage that a WikiLeaker is behind bars while a Quran burner goes free. Top that, L.A.

Racist O.C. Republican Marilyn Davenport isn't the only one giving President Obama a less-than-cuddly welcome to SoCal today.

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Wendy Gilmartin

No emergencies here.

​Updated after the jump with the promoter's official crowd estimate. See the rest of our Coachella coverage, including eye-opening photos, here.

Supporters of ecstasy-fueled mega-raves at publicly owned venues in L.A. have used comparisons to other mainstream concerts as a way to drum up support. But, if this year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is any gauge, there is no comparison.

The three-day event, expected to draw about 195,000 people compared to last year's record of 225,000-plus, saw only 49 arrests and 48 medical transports, Indio, California police and Riverside County fire officials told the Weekly.

For comparison, last summer's controversial Electric Daisy Carnival rave at the L.A. Coliseum saw ...

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officialroyalwedding2011.org

Strategically flashing the sapphire.

​The Royal Wedding is here! The Royal Wedding is here!

Well, not quite. April 29 is the big day, as you're well aware. But the next best thing is here: The complete schedule of the Royal Wedding, down to the last rose petal and glance between the good Prince William and his muggle of a blushing bride.

Here's the official timetable, via the Associated Press and Hello Magazine -- a strict regimen for royal love in the modern age.

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Cute puppy

​Used to be, when Fido got lost chasing a squirrel across town, you'd nail dozens of little posters with his cute dog mug on it to cluttered telephone poles, hoping someone would buzz you with the good news that your pet had been found.

Then along came those tiny tracking chips placed under the skin of the family dog. But the problem was, they cost a bit. Except this weekend in Hollywood.

On Saturday, the Zoom Room of Hollywood at 726 N. La Brea, a self-described "canine social club" whose primary business is training dogs, is offering to plant a tracking chip in your pup for $5, instead of the usual $50.

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​If there's a Southern California city that has collective low self esteem and really doesn't pat itself on the back enough it would have to be the rarely praised hamlet of Beverly Hills. You might have heard of it -- city of 35,000, swimming pools, movie stars?

Just in case you haven't, the city is celebrating itself and its main zip code, 90210, on Sept. 2 with "9.02.10 Day." Get it? The idea, reports the Beverly Hills Courier, came from Mayor Jimmy Delshad:

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Timothy Norris

Hard Summer festival.

​
Check out our slideshow of Hard Summer 2010.

Ten people were arrested at the Hard Summer dance music festival near Chinatown over the weekend, according to CBS2. Alleged violations included trespassing and theft.

All eyes were on the event, which drew several thousand people to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, after June's Electric Daisy Carnival rave saw 60 arrests, more than 200 medical responses and subsequent the death of a 15-year-old girl who apparently took ecstasy to enjoy the party.

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EDC 2010.

​Drug possession and sales allegations reportedly prompted most of the 21 felony arrests at the weekend's Audiotistic rave in San Bernardino that was organized by the same people behind the controversial Electric Daisy Carnival event at the Los Angeles Coliseum last month. Fifteen people were hospitalized, according to the San Bernardino Sun.

"Although there were still some issues to report, the number of problems is an mprovement over past events of this nature," Lt. Jarrod Burguan said, according to the paper.

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​San Bernardino County officials this week banned raves at venues they control. Of course, no raves happen at venues they control.

The move came as the promoter of Los Angeles' controversial Electric Daisy Carnival, which attracted about 160,000 fans, prompted 60 arrests and saw the subsequent death of a 15-year-old who friends say took ecstasy, was scheduled to host a rave in San Bernardino proper this weekend.

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Timothy Norris

'EDC' fans.

​The promoter of the troubled Electric Daisy Carnival rave last month, where a 15-year-old who later died apparently took ecstasy, is moving to an 18-and-older format for his next big event, the Audiotistic Festival July 24 at the National Orange Show Events Center San Bernardino.

"What he's doing for the first time is he's going to 18-and-over," Dan Jimenez, general manager of the Orange Show venue, told LA Weekly. "He felt bad that someone of that age was there."

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Hard ravers.

​[Updated at 5:40 p.m. -- after the jump -- with indication that ticket sales were to blame].

A rave-like event scheduled to take place July 17 at the publicly operated Los Angeles State Historic Park near Chinatown had been postponed, a park ranger told the Weekly.

Ranger James Valdez says he received an email from Hard promoter Gary Richards indicating that he "was postponing the event ... As far as the reasons why he chose to do that, I don't know. I'm waiting to get further information."

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mpwnelson via Flickr

Sunny Garcia.

​Ah, the 4th of July weekend. Time for grilled hot-dogs, charred skin, and sand between your toes. But this year it's shaping up to look like a mash-up sequel based on Point Break and Jaws.

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Timothy Norris

Electric Daisy Citizens.

​[Update: A 15-year-old has died after attending the event].

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this week questioned whether a public venue should continue to be used for a massive rave that claims to have drawn 185,000 people to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over the weekend.

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Anderson Cooper.

​LA Weekly took home several awards, including Best Website for a News Organization, at the Los Angeles Press Club's 52nd Annual Southern California Journalism Awards gala, held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel downtown Sunday night.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a speech and actor Sean Penn presented the President's Award to CNN's Anderson Cooper.

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Via Twitpic

​The Los Angeles Fire Department reported over the weekend that it responded to 226 medical emergencies at the annual Electric Daisy Carnival mega-rave in Exposition Park, with 114 people being taken from the event to hospitals.

CBS2 reported that many of those requiring emergency treatment were suffering from dehydration. Event organizers reportedly claimed that 185,000 people attended the event over Friday and Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

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Via Twitpic

​Dozens if not hundreds of people crashed the gates at a massive rave in Exposition Park Saturday, according to Fox 11 News. The annual, two-day Electric Daisy Carnival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum drew an estimated 140,000 people, according to the station. Although fans were shown on video going over barriers and occupied tents in order to get inside the venue, no injuries were reported.

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