DEC 6: LAWIM HOLIDAY GIFT BAZAAR

L.A. Women in Music and Professional Musicians Union present a Holiday Gift Bazaar, on December 6, at the Union Hall on Vine Street in Hollywood.

Offered are music industry panels, along with a variety of vendors of jewelry, toys, books, clothing, and more.

More information at LAWIM's website: www.lawim.com.

NOV 29, DEC 5-6: BEL AIR CAMERA OFFERS FREE PORTRAIT PHOTOS WITH SANTA IN WESTWOOD

Bel Air Camera invites you to come in with your family for a free portrait photo with Santa on the following days:

Sat. Nov 29, Noon -3:00

Fri, Dec 5, Noon -3:00

Sat. Dec 6, Noon-3:00.

And, this fine store also has "everyday Outstanding Values" at www.belaircamera.com.

If for some reason you don't like Santa, but love family portraits, I suppose you can make sure the Big Bearded One is positioned at the end, then crop the Great Gift Guy out with Photoshop. But really -- who doesn't love Santa?

Free family portraits with Santa Claus. Nov29, Dec5, Dec6. Address: Bel Air Camera, 10925 Kinross Avenue, Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California, 90024.

NOV 22: Beverly Hills Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Celebration; Free; Fireworks Finale

November 22 brings a favorite festive fete back to Beverly Hills, as they kick off the holiday season with style. Partake of holiday shopping sure to suit every taste, and holiday tastes sure to satisfy every palette.

Holiday street festivities begin at 3:00 pm in the 200 and 300 blocks of Rodeo Drive where adults and children alike will enjoy musical entertainment, balloon artists, and face painters – and, oh yes, have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the big guy in the red suit.

The “big show” starts at 6:00 pm with a live stage show, culminating in the lighting of the spectacular UNICEF crystal snowflake and 20 one-of-a-kind Baccarat chandeliers along Rodeo Drive.

And if that’s not enough, you’ll be treated to the fireworks finale above the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel. It’s all free – including the two hours of free parking at the City parking structures on Beverly and Canon Drives.

Nov 22, 2008. Ring in the holidays in Beverly Hills. Free. Location: 200 and 300 blocks of Rodeo Drive. Rumor is that Joel Madden and Nicole Richie may be there (they are listed on the web as being part of this celebration), so there is even a celeb factor here. Heck, it'll be loads of fun no matter who shows up. www.lovebeverlyhills.org.

BEST BET: THE SOUND, BEST ALL-AROUND 24-HOUR POP-ROCK MUSIC RADIO STATION IN LA, 100.3 FM

Recommendation by Don Rose

If I was going to design my own music station on the radio, I would follow a few simple rules. I would play only good pop-oriented music, tending toward the rock end of the spectrum, with solid memorable melodies, regardless of what decade it was from. Good is good, after all, whether it's a single, a less-known album cut, live recording, studio cut, a sixties super seller or a brand new tune. I would also honor the music -- that is, not talk over it, let it play from beginning to end. And I would pick low-key less-talky DJs who talk softly and carry no big schtick.

Well, someone beat me to it. It's here in Los Angeles, and it's called THE SOUND. "World Class Rock" is their motto. Check it out at 100.3 FM. They play the best cool tunes, from five decades worth of great music (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s). If you need a comparison, think of it as a more eclectic, less Top-40-ish version of JACK FM. It's just better. Another way to describe it: imagine if Jack and KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic had a child. That's The Sound, baby.

Recent artists/songs I enjoyed on The Sound include Elvis Costello, ELP (Emerson, Lake and Palmer, "In The Beginning"), Talking Heads (live "Burning Down the House"), brand new Counting Crows, Peter Gabriel ("Sledgehammer"), Stevie Wonder ("I Wish" from "Songs in the Key of Life" album), Jane's Addiction, Joe Cocker, a new Scottish band called Gloss Vegas, Jack Johnson, and the song that launched a thousand wedding receptions in the seventies, "Beginnings" (from Chicago's debut album, and they played the WHOLE thing, down to the last percussive notes). I especially love all the eighties tunes I am hearing here, since most other stations tend to gloss over or ignore that most poppish of decades. Give it a try, LA. You won't be disappointed.

Best Bet (Radio): The Sound. 100.3 FM. Likeability Index: 92 (I liked 92 percent of what they played).

NEW VIDEOGAME, "NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER", NOW IN STORES

by Don Rose

No matter what the state of our economy happens to be, there is one industry that never seems to slow down in terms of growth year after year: videogames! Every year brings more splashy debuts of hot new games, and now this week brings the latest lavish launch - Need For Speed: Undercover. Yes, the highly anticipated videogame is now in stores, as of 11.18.08. You can learn more about Need For Speed: Undercover at their website, http://www.needforspeed.com/.



Plus, for you gamers who want to dig even deeper, there is another site where you can check out video coverage of Need For Speed: Undercover, including producer interviews, game trailers, as well as developer commentary: http://www.gametrailers.com/game/9796.html.

EA Games is even hosting a big red-carpet launch party and car exhibition this Thursday to further promote the launch of this new game. The private invite-only Need For Speed event, taking place in Los Angeles, is perfectly timed on the eve of the upcoming LA Auto Show, the annual car confab which begins this weekend.

So, if you're feeling that Need For Speed, make sure to check out this new game, now in stores everywhere. It's sure to get your blood... racing.

BEST BET: YOGURT EXPRESS: YUMMY YOGURT & ICE CREAM IN WESTWOOD; PAY BY THE OUNCE, GREAT FOR DIETS & BUDGETS

by Don Rose

The friendly man who runs Yogurt Express in Westwood (just opened a short while ago) told me his four yogurt flavors (Chocolate, French Vanilla, Coffee and Tart) are fat-free, no sugar added. They tasted great. I chose to buy a mix of chocolate and vanilla, and was very satisfied.

I love their concept: "Pay by the ounce", which can help you control your cost and calories. The service was very quick, and there is a scale on the counter to help you figure out when to say when. All the cups are the same size -- nice and large, so any toppings you get won't spill on the floor.

Yogurt Express takes cash and credit cards. They have a few tables to sit and eat, plus a bench just outside.

Also: FREE WI-FI!

And, I enjoyed the TV they have, which shows Danoo TV, an in-store silent infotainment service that is becoming popular (Westwood's Subway also has it). Danoo shows videos from YouTube, stock quotes, weather, local events and more. Very cool.
Overall, The LA Report loves Yogurt Express, one of our Best Bets for your Dessert cravings. Next time, I hope to try the Dr. Bob's Ice Cream they also offer, which has gotten rave reviews (see the 10 BEST photo).

Yogurt Express, 10878 Kinross, just West of Glendon, Westwood Village, L.A., CA.

A TO Z OF VICTORY: 26 REASONS FOR OBAMA'S ASCENDANCY TO THE PRESIDENCY

Commentary by Don Rose

A: Audacity of Hope. Not just a Barack book, but a brand, a message, that millions believed in. After eight years of fear, hope prevailed. Yet think back to early 2007. Imagine the audacity of a young relatively unknown first-term Senator of African-American descent to hope he can beat the odds and become leader of the free world. Yes he can.

B: Bush. Yes, baby, Bush begat Barack. Yin begat Yang. One can argue that Bush devolved so deeply into a fear-mongering Constitution-shredding neo-Conning rightwing idealogue that the nation snapped back with a vengeance to the intelligent, erudite, anti-Iraq pragmatist candidate -- Obama -- who seems to be above ideology. Out of fear, hope.

C: Clinton. Hillary's hard fought battle against Obama made Barack a tougher, wiser candidate, and got almost all the dirty laundry out in the open early. Remember when Rocky and arch rival Apollo Creed team up to beat Mr T? Okay, not a perfect analogy, but I still love that movie.

D: Dean. Howard Dean was Net Candidate 1.0 way back in 2004. Smart and tech savvy, the first true Internet grassroots candidate. While Obama's version 2.0 was superior to the original Dean model, the Vermont visionary and his network guru Joe Trippi pointed the way. Howard's other influence on Obama's win came as DNC head. In that role, Dr. Dean championed the "50 State Strategy" that kept GOP strategists scrambling and helped Obama expand his base to "traditionally non-Democratic states" -- even win several of them.

E: Economy. No con on me! That's how many felt, and still feel -- like the $700 billion bailout revealed a con going on, causing collapse of a broken system and then, like poisonous icing on a stale cake, using gobs of taxpayer money to bail out fat cats. Yes, it is always "the economy, stupid". Voters vote their pocketbook if it's getting lean. Bad economy helped Obama, big time. But it wasn't just that, it was Bad Men. Constant bailout news made it look like those in power (GOP) had taken advantage, then wanted to do even more damage (taxpayer bailouts) that might not even work (wanna buy some toxic financial instruments?). Also helping Obama, ironically, was that his relatively light experience made him look even more like an outsider, hence one who could come in and clean house.

F: Fairey. Shepard Fairey's graphics gave the Barack brand its ubiquitous face. His iconic HOPE posters were copied, mimicked and parodied ad infinitum, which only helped spread the brand further.

G: Gore. When Al didnt run, the best non-Barack brand in the bunch went bye-bye, leaving Obama as the leading "CHANGE" agent.

H: History. Millions wanted to make it, and they did. In fact, I think history's call led to a kind of "reverse Tom Bradley Effect", where voters on the fence jumped more to Obama in order to be part of history. Also, African Americans voted in record numbers. Call it the "being black bump". It helped the Change wind grow to gale force.

I: Iowa. First Obama victory, surprising Clinton and the pundits, foretold the future. Most momentum-al moment. I know Obama must be thinking, "I owe a lot to Iowa." (Okay, maybe not Obama, but Iowans.)

J: JFK. The similarities between Obama and John Kennedy are many. Even JFK brother Ted acknowledged it. Both men: young in age, two young kids, young attractive wife, picked experienced Senator as running mate, and broke barriers (JFK was first Roman Catholic President, and of course Obama is first President to check email regularly).

K: Kerry. Democrats learned from the mistakes of 2004. GOPers tried to Swift Boat Obama like they did Kerry, but the Obama camp was ready. Every attack was immediately and strongly rebuked or counterattacked. It worked.

L: Love. Young people were definitely showing the love for Obama, in droves, and were relentless in getting out the vote, calling people in swing states, holding rallies and parties in support of Obama, and more. With Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004, Democrats may have been satisfied with their candidate, even admired them, but twasn't love.

M: Moveon.org. Their more-than-daily emails kept Obama on the brain, whether you liked it or not. They relentlessly informed of urgent needs for funds and house parties/events where one could help the cause. Kept essential info coming to an ever expanding base of net-savvy supporters. Got the word out, kept the brand afire. (But be honest, aren't you kinda glad the flood of messages is finally over? Even The Onion acknowledged how often these emails were flying round the net with their headline, "Obama Deletes Yet Another Unread Moveon.org Email").

N: Negativity. McCain seemed negative in the debates, and his ads were overly negative. This turned off many, even his longtime friend and GOP honcho Colin Powell, who cited this negative tone as one reason he backed Obama. Plus, McCain's negativity was in such stark contrast to Obama's endless optimism.

O: Oratory. Obama's oral outpourings? Outstanding.

P: Palin. Pitifully poor pick. Pretty person. Petty prattle.

Q: Questioning assumptions. Who says a Dem can't win red states? Who says a black Dem can't win GOP voters and endorsements? Who says record dollars can't be raised via millions of small donations averaging under $100? Not he.

R: Republican Right. The GOP keeps assuming you must appease or energize the rightwing and/or religious wing and/or nutjob wing. Here's a maverick idea: why not cow tow to the needs of millions of MODERATE Republicans? Nixon used to talk about the "Silent Majority" and my guess is there is now a new generation of Silent Majority folks who are GOP but in the middle of the political spectrum. In 2008, McCain tried so hard to court the right, Obama could go full court press in the middle and win lots of GOP moderates (Colin Powell), even some conservatives (Bush's former press secretary and even the son of William Buckley). Obama, post-Hillary, moved right to win over middle ground -- and, amazingly, McCain gave it up as he slid right. Huge tactical mistake by McCain. He handicapped himself. With Republicans reeling, rife with rifts and ripped apart riffs, this seems like RIP GOP (at least for two terms). With the new powerful left, there' s not much left of the right that's right. Right?

S: Stephen Colbert. His performance at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner was a warning shot across the neo-Con bow that a mighty wind of change was coming. It got people thinking. And talking. And it was funny as hell. Blistering satire is one thing, but to do it right in front of all the people you are mocking, who also happen to be the most powerful people on the planet, is quite another. Yet Colbert pulls it off masterfully. The room didn't roar with laughter (for fear of firing, perhaps), but millions streaming on the Web did. I think it was an Emperor's New Clothes moment, which set the stage for millions to accept a new brand like Hope-Change-Obama. See Colbert's redhot roasting of Bush here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879.

T: Texting Obama's VP pick. The text message announcing VP Biden was another brilliant stroke, not only giving mass attention to Obama's "Change" brand again (e.g., this guy is with it, tech savvy, etc), but brings in tons of funds and emails and cell numbers in order to be part of the early select millions getting the early word (which leaked big time anyway, but who cared, the point was to expand further the huge Obama network, who then kept getting constant emails and texts about Obama events, donating reminders, pleas to phone swing states, reminders to vote, chances to win things like "be backstage with Barack" -- if you donate, of course, and so on).

U: Unflappable. Obama always kept things on an even keel, especially during the debates. The people liked that.

V: Vice President Biden. First major decision for Obama, he hits a home run. Showed superior judgment to McCain, who chose a much inferior VP when it was his turn. Veep is crucial in a tight race; Barack knew it, McCain blew it.

W: Winfrey. Oprah's Obama endorsement certainly didn't hurt. Especially in the campaign's earlier days.

X: X-Factor. The late George Plimpton wrote a book on it. That certain something. Surely Obama has it.

Y. Yes We Can. The 3 most empowering words since I Love You and We Shall Overcome.

Z. Zebra. Half black and half white, like Obama, and symbolizes... ...oh, forget it. Isn't 25 reasons enough, people?