A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City (Doctors Without Borders)
By Bill Karz • Oct 6th, 2008 • Category: culture., news.
When: October 22–27
Where: Griffith Park
What: This 8,000-square-foot interactive outdoor exhibit recreates settings where Doctors Without Borders work, giving visitors a chance to experience cholera treatment centers, health clinics, emergency refugee housing and other ways that the organization helps refugees from all over the world.
Scoop: Since 2006, refugees from international conflicts have increased by 3 million. If that doesn’t sound like much, consider that an estimated 42 million refugees have fled conflicts from Sudan, Colombia, Cambodia and many other war-torn countries. This exhibition is a chance to raise awareness and gain insight into a critical global issue. www.doctorswithoutborders.org/refugeecamp.
This past weekend, LA had three great festivals take place citywide. From the Grand Avenue Festival in Downtown to the San Gennaro Feast of LA in Hollywood and the Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice, Los Angeles was humming with African drum beats, Italian performers and the sounds of the LA Philharmonic. Celebs were sighted and pounds were gain.
Don’t miss this chance to vote for the overall best city in the U.S. — Los Angeles! America’s Favorite Cities, the annual survey from 
Winner of more Tony Awards® than any theatre outside of Manhattan, the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum re-opens its doors to the public on Sept. 14, 2008 after a yearlong $30 million renovation with the premiere of “The House of Blue Leaves.” The distinctive circular theatre located at the Music Center in Downtown has received a much-needed updating of its technical capabilities and audience amenities. Inside the auditorium, the unique intimacy of the Taper will be retained, with upgrades such as new, more comfortable seats, upholstery, carpeting, and sleek and elegant new railings along the aisles. The acoustics of the theatre will also be improved to allow theatregoers to hear the spoken word better, and a new air conditioning system will provide quieter and more even air distribution. The theatre’s lobby will more than double in size and the lobby bar will be more accommodating. The 1,350 square-foot lower lobby will also offer comfortable, casual seating with two large banquettes, on either end of the lobby, and additional adjacent seating.
Who knew that the Nike+ 10K Human Race would be a reunion for 90210? Former cast members like Tiffany Amber Thiessen and Jason Priestly ran in the event on 8/31/08 as well as the new cast of faces like Jessica Stroup, Dustin Milligan, Tristan Wilds and Michael Steger. This was a star-studded event with Randy Jackson as the host. Other actors from Jerry O’Connell to Pooch Hall also took part in the run, and athletes like Brandi Chastain, Lisa Leslie and Sarah Reinerstein were in attendance (some participated).
Munich had the fastest runner at 29′25″. The top 3 fastest cities included Taipei at #1, followed by Austin and Mexico City. Los Angeles came in 21st with our fastest man, Christian Hesch, at 30′41″ and fastest woman, Grace Padilla, at 36′35″. The race began at 8:31:08 p.m. and ended with a performance by Kanye West and Common. Kanye took the stage just after 10:00 p.m. and rocked the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for an hour. The night ended just how it began–with a big bang, as fireworks lit up the night sky.
Pack your sleeping bag and running shoes, the Nike+ Human Race takes place tonight at the Los Angeles Memorial coliseum. The 10k race featuring 12,000 runners starts at 8:31:08 p.m. Why the late start? LA is just one of 25 global cities hosting the event. As the final leg of the global marathon, Los Angeles will send off runners after the race to the anthems of Kanye West and Common.
