Check It. Hair powder alternatives to shampoo.

This morning I read about the alternatives to shampooing, including using homemade hair powder instead of a traditional wash.

I've been aware of the detriments of daily washing, stripping hair of beneficial oils, but have yet to find an alternative. The suggested use of hair powder is to apply and soak up any access oils that may be caking up your hair.

This seems like an excellent alternative to maintain the health of your hair.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. Foo Fighters at Fingerprints.

Alth0ugh all 200 wristbands to the Foo Fighters album release sold out almost as soon as they became available, many people are heading to Fingerprints this Saturday to try and get a glimpse of the Foo performing live (and free!) at Fingerprints in Long Beach.

As part of Record Day this Saturday, the Foo Fighters are set to perform a few of their new and old hits in the East Village record store.

Other events are scheduled that day, including a free ticket give-away to the theatrical release of the Beastie Boys' "long-form video", a meet-the-bad with F*cked Up, and another live performance after the Foo's 2 hour show.
Fingerprints is located at 420 E. 4th Street in Long Beach. The Foo Fighters are set to perform at 5 p.m.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. Ledjam Radio.

One of the many gifts of the internet is that there are plethora of good radio stations and music sites that bring obscure and interesting bands to the forefront.

I love 8track, "handcrafted internet radio", where individuals create playlists and you can search by mood, band/group, or keyword (like "birthday," "happy," or "breakfast").

Another gem is Ledjam Radio, an "eclectic" radio station based out of Paris. Among the styles that appear on the show are jazz, funk, house, and a variety of very talented bands and musicians that are new to me.

I've found some amazing artists on both of these, and it has certainly helped me get through those hours at work when your mind begins to doze.

So enjoy the good music and happy Friday!

-- Lauren Williams

Advance Notice. 'Dazed and Confused' beach screening.

Outdoor screenings are one of the many excellent summer Los Angeles activities, and this year it seems they're starting a bit early.

This upcoming April 20 there will (appropriately) be a screening of "Dazed and Confused" on the beach in Long Beach, near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Junipero Avenue.

There is parking on the beach and near the street. Admittance is free and blankets are encouraged.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. Quidditch comes to L.A.

For all the Harry Potter fans who didn't want the magic to end with the final seventh book, Quidditch has made it's way into the world of real-life sports, and is coming to Los Angeles this weekend.

The sport was one of the many nuances of the world of Harry Potter, but was detailed with rules and objectives like any other sport.

This weekend 11 college teams are set to compete Saturday and Sunday at Cheviot Hills Park in West Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

So check it out!

Cheviot Hills Park is located at 2551 Motor Ave.

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times.

Do It. Pick good produce.

With the changes in season, I was reminded this morning of a post I did last year about the new produce selection coming out in the coming spring and summer.

Here are a few tips on picking up good produce. From our archives:

With the changing of seasons comes the changing of produce. But how to choose a good apple, citrus, melon versus a not-so-fresh one? Here are a few pointers in picking out the freshest, ripest fruits and veggies.

For citrus, you always want small pores, shiny skin, vibrant color (true of all produce really), and you want to be able to smell the fruit. A heavy citrus also means it's juicy on the inside, but you should eat it soon after purchasing it.

Shininess and brightness in color are pretty important in all produce selection. Never get anything with dull or wrinkled skin -- that means it's on the way out the door. Firm skin means it will last a few days in the fridge.

Melons too should be heavy and make a kind of hollow sound. I believe if a melon doesn't have a "bouncing" or hollow sound when you knock softly on it, it means the flesh inside is a bit sandy and too soft in texture.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. David Sedaris archives.

"Liking" something on Facebook can be a mixed bag. You can be inundated with updates, or totally forget that you "liked" something and never get good updates.

David Sedaris' Facebook page, however, is excellent. It both posts his book tour dates and, more interestingly, posts archived Sedaris readings from live performances and appearances on This American Life from the 1990s, when I at least was not yet a Sedaris fanatic.

Today's gem was a show on wackiness. Enjoy!

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. Gap coupon for 30%.

If you're looking to make your wardrobe more springy, or need some excellent professional clothes, this weekend is the time to head to Banana Republic, Old Navy, or the Gap.

Through March 20, the retailers will be offering 30% off in-store check out with this coupon.

So get shopping!

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. Stream SXSW.

Last year, I was thrilled to find out NPR was streaming SXSW. There was no way I could head out there, and this year was equally impossible.

I will however, be streaming as many of the shows I can from March 16-19 when NPR will be there, and be sure to check out NPR's 100-song best of mix.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. Odd Future.

While browsing the SXSW lineup, I saw that one of the most anticipated groups among the approximately 2,000 (!!!) that are set to perform, was an up-and-coming hip hop group Odd Future.

Someone who's always in the market for good hip hop, I was intrigued. Although the group doesn't appear in a cursory iTunes search, they do blog! And regularly!

So read up before they hit the stage this week, and if you like what you hear, they'll be performing at the Glass House next month.

-- Lauren Williams

Etc. Happy Pi Day!

Today is March 14 (or 3.14), a major holiday for nerds, math geeks, and people who love any excuse to celebrate something.

Listen to this NPR broadcast about the holiday and celebrate with pie!

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: NPR

Check It. Girl Scout Cookie app.

There's an app for almost everything. Directions, banking, translations, currency conversion. Nearly every news organization has created an app, and now Girl Scout cookies are joining the ranks of apped items.

From the Kellogg Company, you can now located a Girl Scout cookie location wherever you are. Just enter city, state, or ZIP. I can see this being quite a handy app, because when you want a Girl Scout cookie, nothing else will do.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. NPR Books.

When I was little my mom used to say that I should read the first page of any book I was considering buying. Doing so gave me a taste of the authors style, storytelling abilities, and diction and I'm sure it saved me many a dollar.

Now, with NPR Books, you can both read a short book review along with the first chapter of the book, which is totally genius. I've gotten exposure to so many books I previously wouldn't have considered, like the recently-reviewed Pym, the eye-opening if not slightly horrifying Tiger Tiger, The Company We Keep, and Let the Great World Spin.

And if you're a FB fan, you get these little book excerpts once a day or so. Truthfully these make my day. Fan them!

-- Lauren William

Check It. 'Moonwalking with Einstein'.

While perusing the New York Times this morning, I found an excellent book review of Joshua Foer's (brother of Jonathan Safran Foer) latest: a reflection on our collective loss of memory.

Foer's "Moonwalking with Einstein" stems from a 2006 article he wrote for Slate.com. According to NYT, in this book Foer like Malcolm Gladwell makes scientific concepts tangible and easy to read, which I definitely believe.

With his smart, but conversational tone and powerful storytelling I can only imagine this is going to be another hit.

-- Lauren Williams

*An earlier version of this post mistakenly attributed the "Einstein" to Jonathan Safran Foer. Thanks for the heads up, readers!

Check It. Treme.

If you were one of the many obsessed fans of The Wire, then you have to check out Treme the latest socially-conscious show created by the same genius minds who made The Wire.

Set in New Orleans one month after the hurricane, the show follows the stories of fictitious characters as they try to rebuild their lives and city.

Not nearly all dark and gloomy, the show is filled with some excellent and funny moments, as well as a few cheesy lines. The show was filmed in New Orleans nearly four years after the Hurricane Katrina/FEMA disaster, and it's amazing to see how unchanged New Orleans is; it certainly makes for a believable backdrop.

There are also some All Star actors on the show including John Goodman, Steve Zahn, Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander, and Melissa Leo. They had me at John Goodman.

Treme's second season is coming back on HBO in April, so it's time to catch up or refresh on Season 1.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. USB typewriter.

This strange Brazil-like contraption combines the best of both worlds: a vintage typewriter for a keyboard, and modern Mac, PC, iPad screen for a screen. Imagine the beauty of punching away to the click of typewriter keys, but also being able to omit the painful Wite-Out, and careful sentence-by-sentence, word-by-word writing that was synonymous with typewriter writing.

The USB Typewriter came about when inventor Jack Zylkin saw a vintage typewriter on a friend's mantel, and decided to put it to use, according to Nerdist.

They're now available on Etsy.com (I want the Underwood), or you can get fall in love with the typewriter of your choosing and buy the DIY kit.

-- Lauren Williams

Check It. TED talks come to Long Beach.

So we've talked about the amazingness of TED before. The nonprofit that posts videos on changemakers, innovators, and talks about creating a lasting positive difference in the world.

And this week they're in Long Beach, before heading out to Palm Springs. But attendance to these talks doesn't come cheap. A regular attendance ticket goes for $7,500, donor's going for $15,000, and patrons are at $125,000. Just to watch the webcast is $500.

But videos and highlights from the conference are being posted, with more cropping up throughout the year, at the "conference" part of their website.

Check it out!

-- Lauren Williams

Advance Notice. Palm Springs film noir festival.

Heading out to the desert for a film noir festival sounds like an excellent quick weekend getaway.

Coming up in May, the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival will be held in Palm Springs, with 12 classic black and whites on the agenda.

The festival takes place from May 13-16 (kind of a long weekend), and among the films in the festival are "New York Confidential" and "The Big Night."

There are also five appearances by actor and actresses (or their grandchildren) scheduled for a discussion of the films, one or two talks scheduled everyday of the festival. Among those appearing are Kirk Douglas, Don Murray, Ann Robinson, June Lockhart, and Julie Garfield (John Garfield's granddaughter).

Tickets to the event go on sale April 9th. For information about accommodations in Palm Springs, visit the event's website, which has a list of film sponsoring hotels where people from nearby L.A. and Orange County can stay.

The festival is will be held at Camelot Theaters, 2300 E. Baristo Road in Palm Springs.

-- Lauren Williams

Eat In. White bean hummus.

The classic white bean hummus dip. This is another easy recipe that is incredibly quick and tasty.

What you'll need:

--One can of white beans
--One lemon, for juice and zest
--Pepper
--Salt
--Fresh rosemary
--olive oil, add until smooth
--One clove of garlic

Zest and juice the lemon, set aside. Chop 1 tbsp worth of rosemary. Also set aside.

In a food processor or blender add all the ingredients, gradually adding olive oil until the blend is smooth.

I love this recipe. It incorporates more fibrous beans into your diet, and it's so fast that the clean up actually takes longer then the actual cooking.

Enjoy!

-- Lauren Williams

Eat In. Oat clusters.

The gorgeous oat clusters pictured above were a Friday experiment of mine. I saw the recipe on ReadyMade magazine, and had been looking for a healthy snack to take to work.

Instead a happy mistake with a little too much peanut butter and chocolate, and I'm sort of ashamed to say these clusters didn't survive the weekend, let alone make it all the way through the work week.

This is probably the easiest no-bake recipe out there.

What you'll need:

1 tbsp. of butter
2 tbsp. of honey/agave syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
chocolate chips
raisins or dried cranberries, to taste
1/2 cup rolled oats
rice crisp (optional)

Melt the honey and butter in a pan, mixing well. Mix in the peanut butter until homogeneous and smooth. Then just add in all dry ingredients.

Take a spoon and plop onto a cookie sheet to form perfect balls, and leave in the fridge until they set (about 30 minutes).

That's it! It took about 15 minutes total, not including clean up time.

Honestly though, I kind of curse the person who wrote about these cookies. They're addictive.

-- Lauren Williams