'Frankissstein' author Jeanette Winterson gives new life to the monster
If anyone can revivify the Frankenstein story, it’s adventurous, prize-winning British writer Jeanette Winterson. Frankenstein’s monster has been part of our culture for more than 200 years — Mary Shelley’s book was published in 1818. In 1931, Universal made the classic films with Boris Karloff, giving the story cinematic momentum. Then came Mel Brooks’ satire…
What's on TV Friday: 'Fresh Off the Boat,' the NLCS and more
SERIES Are You Afraid of the Dark? The 1990s anthology series featuring scary stories for kids is back for a three-episode reboot. 7 p.m. Nickelodeon Charmed The magical trio (Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, Madeleine Mantock) are back in action as this reboot of the supernatural drama returns for a second season. 8 p.m. The CW…
Review: Instead of a cautionary tale, ‘Jexi’ may drive you deeper into cellphone addiction
Whether in a dark theater or on the couch at home, smartphones are an existential threat to the movie-watching experience. Their mere presence promises interruptions and temptations for the easily distracted (pretty much of all of us at this point). But “Jexi” is such a dumb, lazy film that it might have even the most…
Escapes: Falling for fall in the Sierra
Falling in love with fall in California is easier than you think. Autumn does arrive in the Golden State, and if you don’t believe that, I’m going to hold my breath until the leaves turn color. Fortunately, I don’t have to. My name is Catharine Hamm, and I’m the travel editor for the Los Angeles…
System warning deaf beachgoers of dangers seems so obvious. It wasn't until now
Lightning struck Venice Beach in 2014, killing a 20-year-old swimmer and injuring more than a dozen others. Emergency responders sprang into action to get 20,000 people out of the water and off the sand. When Randy Dean, safety officer for Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, considers this freak accident and other beach…
That young humpback whale that turned up in Hawaii? It was, well, a fluke
A relatively young humpback whale was sighted off the north side of Kauai on Oct. 1, about three weeks earlier than usual. The Hawaiian islands are a natural marine sanctuary where humpbacks come to breed between November and May. Marine biologists and researchers say the early visitor doesn’t mean an earlier start to the annual…
Five great places for pizza in Honolulu when you want a piece of the pie
HONOLULU — Think pizza in Hawaii and you may think of a ham/cheese/pineapple creation that wasn’t even created in Hawaii. But Hawaii’s contribution to the world stage of pizza goes well beyond pineapple toppings. Within a few square blocks of downtown Honolulu, five eclectic, outstanding pizza hot spots are serving slices and pies for those occasions…
California bans hotels from offering tiny plastic bottles
SACRAMENTO — Hotels in the nation’s most populous state will have to stop giving guests small plastic shampoo bottles under a new law set to take effect starting in 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he had signed a law banning hotels from giving guests plastic bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner or soap. It takes effect…
Microsoft employees call to end GitHub ICE contract
Microsoft Corp. employees are circulating a letter supporting an effort to get its GitHub subsidiary to cancel a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the latest effort among tech-company staff to influence corporate policy on government work. The letter reflects concerns that Microsoft’s sales to the agency implicate the software maker in…
Fine print in leveraged loans sparks market backlash
Some of the largest investors in the $1.2 trillion market for risky corporate loans say they’re being given too little time to comb through the hundreds of pages of documents that govern the deals, leaving them exposed to potentially dangerous loopholes. Now many are urging the industry’s main trade group to do something about it.…