Advance Notice. 826LA's Everything You Know is Pong.

826LA is known for their fantastic charity events. An evening of summer fun is coming up, featuring Spike Jonze, Miranda July, and Ping Pong! What's not to love?

Everything You Know is Pong: Tournament of Champions will take place next Tuesday night at the Echoplex. There are options to join an existing team, create a team, or sign up as an individual player.

The Echoplex is located at 1154 Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park. Spectator tickets $10, donations also welcome. Info: attheecho.com & 826la.org, to register: 826la.org/pingpong

Related post--Check out this beautiful rehearsal video of my all-time favorite singer Ryan Adams (and his wife, the multitalented Mandy Moore), for an 826LA event last fall.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: 826LA

Check It. Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore for 826LA.

Ryan Adams, who's probably my favorite musician, was a last minute addition to the recent 826LA charity event hosted by Judd Apatow and Dave Eggers. Adams and Mandy Moore (his wife) sang one of his best songs, Oh My Sweet Carolina, from his Heartbreaker album.

Here's an iPhone video someone took at rehearsal (and I found on Ryan Adams' facebook page). Enjoy!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Do It. Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers at Family.

Now that Lauren's told you about the awesome Family bookstore on Fairfax, it's time to check out the cool events they put on--like this Saturday's double book launch, featuring a Q&A and signing with filmmaker Spike Jonze and author Dave Eggers.

The two made a collaborative splash together last year when they released the film version of Where the Wild Things Are, but now they're promoting their separate projects (albeit together, which is cute). Jonze is representing a behind-the-scenes book about a short he released earlier this year named I'm Here, a sort of robot romance that stars one of my favorite new actors Andrew Garfield (he's going to be the 'new' Spiderman). Eggers, meanwhile, continues on his not-fiction run with his first book of drawings titled It Is Right to Draw Their Fur (I'm really hoping that's his work up there in the poster). He'll be interviewing Jonze for the Q&A, and then there'll be a live performance by Aska, whose music appeared in I'm Here.

Even with Jonze alone, this event is sure to be entertaining, but it'll be even greater to see the two friends play off of each other and support each other's works. Again, Family is pretty tiny, so be sure to get there way before the 8:30pm start time to grab a chance at meeting the two; it's doubtful you'll regret it.

Family is located at 436 N. Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. 826LA's Spelling Bee.

Admit it: every June, whenever you're flipping the channels around and see the Scripps Spelling Bee is on (or if you don't even try to pretend and just immediately switch to it), you get excited. You get pulled in. You suddenly get overwhelmed by every single awkward and passionate emotion that you remember feeling as an adolescent child and put all that energy into that one kid with the glasses, nervously asking for any alternate pronunciations. And no matter who wins, you're happy. Everyone loves the spelling bee.

So why not take that love and put some money behind it? And maybe take your own spelling skills to task? The (always cool) education-based non-profit 826LA has got the event for you. In its latest creative fundraiser, A Spelling Bee for Cheaters, you have the chance to show off your spelling moxie...but also save some face if you're not exactly keeping up with word origins and all that. That's because if you and your team raise enough money, you can buy cheats such as "get a dictionary" ($750) or "i before e" (ask a letter hint, $100) to get you through to the next round.

The bee is on August 14, so it's time to start raising your money! Glee's Dianna Argon is already past her goal of $5,000. Oh yeah, there'll be celebrities there too, like Argon and Spike Jonze and John Krasinski. So even if you're spelling-shy, you can still sponsor another participant, or buy general admission tickets to the show (will be available on Aug.6 for $25). Educational, charitable fun? It's spelling 8-2-6-L-A (that's sort of cheating, I know, but that's the spirit of it all, right?).

A Spelling Bee for Cheaters is taking place Aug. 14 at 2pm at Lincoln Middle School at 1501 California Avenue in Santa Monica.

-- Chau Tu

Etc. Conor Friedersdorf's Best of Journalism in 2009.

(let's hope you're right, Dave)

As members and valiant supporters of the industry, we here at theBEAT surely recognize, acknowledge and are curious about the difficulties facing journalism these days. One thing we know for sure: although journalism may be having its identity/survival crises right now, that doesn't mean the stories being churned out by its hard-working loyalists are any less wonderful, inspiring or important.

Take for example, the latest list compiled by True/Slant's Conor Friedersdorf of the best journalism of 2009. Spread across newspapers, magazines, online and, yes, even radio (go TAL!), the pieces chosen here are those of a caliber that shouldn't be ignored, forgotten or dismissed. They remind you that indeed, there was a purpose to this poor trade, and goshdarnit if it ever ceases to exist or matter.

Take some time to appreciate not only the great stories being told literally in these pieces, but also the stories of the times and atmospheres from which they originated. And no matter what, these pieces really are worth perusing.

-- Chau Tu

Etc. TED Talks.

I first got introduced to TED by my friend Joel, who sent me a video of a brain scientist talking about her stroke, and how she lived through the experience knowing every single thing that was happening in her brain at that moment. In her words, "In the course of four hours, I watched my brain completely deteriorate in its ability to process all information." (And yep, that's her holding a real brain up there.) The talk was simple, personal and mind-blowingly (pun not intended) enlightening; the kind of lecture you wish you could get every day in school (but probably didn't/don't).

But now you've got TED. The non-profit began as a conference to bring together those in Technology, Entertainment and Design, and over the course of 25 years has featured speakers such as Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Richard Branson, Stephen Hawking, Steve Jobs, Moshe Safdie and John Hodgman, just to name drop to a few. Basically anybody who's done innovative work in those fields above has spoken for TED at their annual, nearly impossibly-to-get-into conferences--one of which is going on right now in Long Beach, and welcoming the likes of James Cameron, Andrew Bird, Valerie Plame Wilson and Bill Gates.

But don't feel left out. TED's motto is "Ideas worth spreading," and they stand by it by posting up intellectual and awe-inspiring videos every week. I've yet to be able to peruse all 500 currently on the site, but some of my favorites are J.J. Abrams, Dave Eggers and Malcolm Gladwell. Spend some time on the site, and you're sure to find something that touches you.

Time to get inspired, BEATs!

-- Chau Tu