Courtesy Tom Ferda

Scores of people, police and, of course, Occupy L.A. hit downtown yesterday for the annual May Day marches and rallies. The streets were clogged with an estimated 10,000-plus people who were there to speak their minds on immigration reform, and -- wait! -- did that sign just say what we think it said?

Of course, it would just be an example of someone exercising their First Amendment rights. The phrase is not unknown to us, right? It has been used in various protests across the world at least since the N.W.A song made the phrase popular in 1988.

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Courtesy of Glyn Lowe

From revered gay UC Riverside professor and brilliant classical composer Byron Adams to Spectrum L.A. gay blog editor Stevie St. John, prominent Los Angeles-area lifelong fighters for equality were stunned by President Obama's surprise inaugural promise to bring full, unprecedented human rights to gay men and women.

Adams, 57, declared: "For most in the LGBT community, President Obama will be revered as our Great Emancipator."

On a bittersweet note that will ring true for many older gays, some of whom lived in the closet -- and in fear -- for years, Adams adds: "I frankly don't know how I will behave if given equal rights -- I have been oppressed for over a half-century and know no other life."
If you missed it, the President said:

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Courtesy of Blue Eyed Entertainment

Commissioned Officer Diana Zschaschel, Paul Garcia, and their baby

Commissioned U.S. Army Reserve Officer Diana Elizabeth Zschaschel and her family are facing a cold winter eviction set for today in Los Angeles, after they say the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, wrongfully evicted them -- while she was on duty in San Diego.

On May 14, 2011, Zschaschel, an active-duty officer, was part of "Operation Ready Warrior," in San Diego, which helped military personnel with dental needs, a field in which she specializes. While deployed out of town, her husband was trying work out a repayment plan with Bank of America because they were behind on their mortgage in Los Angeles. Instead, she and the family's attorney allege, B of A illegally foreclosed:

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Couresy of Beverly & Pack

Everyone wants to live forever. But a study from USC and the National Academies suggests that if you'd like to see 51, it's time a lot of people stopped acting stupid. Americans spend more on health care than anyone, but are less healthy, birth to death, than residents in other developed countries. In fact, death before 50 accounts for about two-thirds of the difference between U.S. male life expectancy and guys in other nations. For women, not as bad.

U.S. residents are more likely to prematurely die of anything and everything, and the causes for that include many lifestyle-driven diseases such as diabetes and HIV. Are they really so much more fit and careful in Europe?

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Johnny Strange via Facebook

Johnny Strange, a 20-year-old Malibu local, is no stranger to a little danger.

He climbed all of the the highest mountains on each continent -- known as the Seven Summits -- before he was even legal. In January 2011, just after turning 19, he visited the South Pole.

This week, he took it to another level by skydiving out of a helicopter onto the North Pole and becoming the youngest-ever person to complete the so-called Explorers Grand Slam -- reaching both poles and all Seven Summits.

Check out the insane video footage...

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USC

Tercero.

What are your accomplishments at age 26? Wrapping up community college? Completing your bong collection? Touring Vegas locations made famous by The Hangover?

Sorry to make you feel insecure and underachieving, but this is the guy your mom wants you to be:

His name is Brent Tercero, and not only is he a USC Master of Public Policy student, but he's also ...

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