In the meantime, here are some of my recent tweets of things to do in LA:

Subversive [...]]]> I’ve been spending way too much time on Twitter.  I hope you’ll follow unhipla there because I post way more over there than here now.  www.twitter.com/unhipla.  Sure once the novelty wears off for me, I’ll probably return to these pages.

In the meantime, here are some of my recent tweets of things to do in LA:

Subversive superhero art show at the Royal T this Fri 7/17. Free! Superhero attire suggested, contests/hero snacks too.

[CRUSADERS & HATERS] « ZIPPERCUT

Friday, July 17. Sing-along to the Beatles at Keck Aud/ Disney Concert Hall. FREE! arrive 45 min early for tickets

Friday Night Sing-Alongs

Thursday, July 16, Sing-a-long to Funny Girl at the Ford, part of Outfest:

OUTFEST 2009 Under the Stars at the Ford Amphitheatre

Sounds like fun!

Via @LADecostified McDonald’s giving out free 8 oz iced or hot mochas on Mondays till Aug 3.

Mondays Just Got a Little Sweeter…. | LA Decostified

On Saturday, Beverly Hills hosts a "public art party" to celebrate the work of Yayoi Kusama.  I’ve experienced a Kusama installation before at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh.  It was cool and wacky.  This event’s free and the Paley Center for Media will be free as well that day as part of the festivities.

http://www.publicartparty.com/ [...]]]>

On Saturday, Beverly Hills hosts a "public art party" to celebrate the work of Yayoi Kusama.  I’ve experienced a Kusama installation before at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh.  It was cool and wacky.  This event’s free and the Paley Center for Media will be free as well that day as part of the festivities.

http://www.publicartparty.com/

Combine this day with a visit to the Renegade Craft Fair (also free) and you’ll have a great, creative Saturday.

http://www.renegadecraft.com/los-angeles?site=la

And it’s free!

Learn how to make a linoelum block print and other arts/crafts for free!  There will be bands too.  And it all takes place on the penthouse level of California Market Center with 360-degree views of downtown L.A.

 ****  UPDATE***

We went to this.  It was very cool to see all the great [...]]]> This sounds great!

http://www.renegadecraft.com/los-angeles?site=la

And it’s free!

Learn how to make a linoelum block print and other arts/crafts for free!  There will be bands too.  And it all takes place on the penthouse level of California Market Center with 360-degree views of downtown L.A.

 ****  UPDATE***

We went to this.  It was very cool to see all the great craft-y stuff people made.  Creativity was everywhere.  It was nice to see that there were people who weren’t technologically obsessed and still making things by hand.  Practically everyone was a hipster there in a craft-y sense and no grandma dollies or doilies were around.  Most of the vendors were quite shy and that was cute to see, though that probably doesn’t help their businesses.  One of the coolest things I saw was The Weekend Store which made vintage recycled jewelry from old typewriter keys.  Pics to come.

These bloggers have nice posts about the event:

http://apatchworkworld.blogspot.com/2009/07/renegade-swap-o-ramarama-recap.html

http://milkandeggsco.com/index.php?_a=viewBlog&blogId=34

R.I.P.  Michael Jackson

I’m here in Chicago again for my annual June pilgrimage.  Here are some new observations of Chicago (It might help to read my ones from last year to compare.  Also put Chicago into my search box above.):

1.  [...]]]> ~~Note – I wrote this a few weeks ago, but am too lazy to change the verbs. ~~

I’m here in Chicago again for my annual June pilgrimage.  Here are some new observations of Chicago (It might help to read my ones from last year to compare.  Also put Chicago into my search box above.):

1.  Downtown Chicago has great "walk" signs.  The most I’ve had to wait at one was 20 seconds.  I walked blocks and blocks without nary a break. 

2.  Fancy galoshes are popular here.  I saw many women sporting these rain boots in many different patterns.  It was supposed to thunderstom today, but luckily it didn’t. 

3.  Smoking is prevalent in the city.  People of all ages were puffing while walking and taking smoke breaks outside of buildings.  That was very weird for me to see because in L.A., I just don’t see too many smokers.  Then again, I don’t really see lots of people together either because I am not walking around with crowds of people – I am driving.  In downtown Chicago though with lots of people walking together, I frequently would have to hold my breath whenever a smoker passed by.  If I did not hold my breath long enough, I’d get a whiff of the second-hand smoke cloud.  Smoking just seemed like an anachronism, so 70s or 80s.  I really don’t experience second or first-hand smoke in L.A., just smog.

4.  Steak houses are everywhere and froyo still has not taken over the Midwest yet.  No Pinkberries in sight, but there are froyo knock-offs. 

5.  People in Chicago are as nice and helpful as ever.  Chicago is a cosmopolitan city allright but it just doesn’t have any of the ‘tude NYC has.   That’s pretty cool.

6.  Paper toilet seat covers are still not often used here.  Why, Chicago, why?  It’s like the city has a boycott against them. 

7.  Cloth towel hand driers still exist! 

8.  Cellulite is A-okay here!  It’s hot and humid – women are wearing shorts and tanks tops with no shame.  This definitely is not L.A. where toned bodies are everywhere.  I find it hard to believe Michelle Obama came from these parts because the majority of women I’ve seen here decidedly do not have Michelle arms.  I think I’m primarily looking at Midwestern tourists though.  I like it that people are not fixated by appearance here.  It’s a relief. 

UP NEXT – Riding the Chicago Water Taxi

For listing of free things to do for the 4th, go here:

http://www.freefunguides.com/?page_id=4

Sierra Madre’s 4th activities sound pretty happening!

And this Friday begins Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park. http://www.independentshakespeare.com/box-office/box-office.html

You can picnic at both of these places.  When I first started this blog, I was majorly enamored by both these events and wrote about them here and here.  The Levitt Pasadena is [...]]]> Tonight kicks off the Levitt Pavilion’s free outdoor concert series in Pasadena.  http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org/summer-calendar-2009.html

And this Friday begins Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park. http://www.independentshakespeare.com/box-office/box-office.html

You can picnic at both of these places.  When I first started this blog, I was majorly enamored by both these events and wrote about them here and here.  The Levitt Pasadena is the Hollywood Bowl without the Bowl.  Both series are a great way to have fun on a dime. 

Mark your calendar – August 21 is Bollywood Night at the Levitt!!!

http://twitter.com/unhipla

I have a feeling I’ll be tweeting more than blogging only because I often have good things to share but don’t always feel like firing up the laptop, logging into the blog, typing in the small box, spellchecking, etc. [...]]]> Yes, I’ve finally gotten on the bandwagon.  I’m unhip, what can I say?  Here’s my twitter link:

http://twitter.com/unhipla

I have a feeling I’ll be tweeting more than blogging only because I often have good things to share but don’t always feel like firing up the laptop, logging into the blog, typing in the small box, spellchecking, etc.   We shall see.  Let the games begin!

Here’s an explanation of what Twitter is.

Summer Movie Camp – $1.00 movies, Wednesdays at 10 am for kids.  July 1st will be Madagascar Escape 2.  The money goes to charity. My sister tells me these movie days are a madhouse [...]]]> We saw Up today at the AMC Barrington 30 in South Barrington, Il.  While there, I noticed two flyers for special screenings:

Summer Movie Camp – $1.00 movies, Wednesdays at 10 am for kids.  July 1st will be Madagascar Escape 2.  The money goes to charity. My sister tells me these movie days are a madhouse because summer camps come to them.  Still, it’s a great deal.   AMCEntertainment.com/smc   I just went to its site and see this deal is nationwide too. 

Sensory-Friendly showing of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on Saturday, July 11th at 10 am. "With Sensory-Friendly Films, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and and the sound turned down."  This screening is for autistic children and is co-sponsored by the Autism Society of America.