Our Work

Rosemary McClure on cheap Hawaii eats - and depression

Our Rosemary McClure anchored a collection of recommendations of cheap food spots -- less than $20 -- on   Hawaii's Big Island for the Los Angeles Times. From her item on Quinn's Almost By The Sea:Under the spreading banyan tree sits Quinn's Almost by the Sea.

A local favorite, Quinn's bar and fish house has a nondescript façade, a '70s-era bar and a garden patio shaded by a lush banyan with a 40-foot circumference. Quinn's is a family business; three siblings on staff make sure things run right.

Point of personal preference: The big Island is the true Hawaii. But we're happy to hear counter-arguments.

On a more poignant note, McClure also wrote this recent column on dealing with depression among the elderly.

Rosemary McClure shows you what's to see in Hollywood

Our Rosemary McClure, a veteran travel writer, provided the content for a new "Experience Hollywood" site. As McClure explained it in an email, the site "was launched Friday by Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa to promote tourism in Hollywood. 

 "The website, which offers travel information, is being coordinated and powered by Universal Studios. It is part of an 'Experience Hollywood 2010 campaign' kicked off last week by the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors' Bureau and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The website has places-to-go and things-to-do information, with an emphasis on where to see classic Hollywood sights. It also lists restaurants and nightspots where celebrities often can be seen."

Janet Wilson is for the birds

Our Janet Wilson has a nice write-up in the current Orange Coast magazine about a new past-time -- and it turns out, something of a suburban trend. She's raising chickens. From her story:

 For chicken feed (literally), I am rewarded with giant, golden-yolk eggs plucked from scratchy, hay-lined milk crates. Hens are easier than dogs, and gobble up much of what our canines and recycling bins don’t, from carrot peels to brown lettuce. They lay fewer eggs in winter, but during halcyon summer days they produce enough for a rotating list of friends. 

I am entertained daily by their beady-eyed mischief, coos, and clucks. Ellie is an Ameraucana I named for her elevatorlike neck, which rises to scope out visitors and scraps. She is the mother hen, throwing a broad wing over Goldie, Clara Cluck, and the others. For quiet nights and happy neighbors, we’ve avoided roosters. My brood turns groggy at dusk, becoming a line of giant, feathered footballs dead to the nocturnal world.

Robin Rauzi edits piece on bringing high-end wines to the masses

Our freelance writers' work can be easy to find -- Lord knows they work for enough outlets. Less visible, but no less crucial to journalism, is good editing. Our Robin Rauzi was the guiding hand for this freelance piece in Entrepreneur.com on a new trend in wine marketing.

Rauzi, who held editing posts on the LA Times' Travel and Op-Ed sections (among other assignments) also is doing some consulting work for the Korn/Ferry Institute, which focuses on research into developing and retaining top management talent. From Korn/Ferry's website:

It is our intent to commission, originate and publish groundbreaking research utilizing Korn/Ferry’s unparalleled expertise in executive recruitment and talent development, combined with our preeminent behavioral research library. 

It's our belief that producing the best research will elevate and enhance our understanding of one of the most critical issues facing senior management today: maximizing human potential and organizational performance. The purpose of the website is to inform and expand our conversations around key talent management issues.

Nancy Wride visits LA's Grammy Museum for the Sacramento Bee

Our Nancy Wride has this piece in the Sacramento Bee on the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles - yes, there's more to the Grammys than the annual awards show that aired last night. From Wride's story:

The 30,000-square-foot building anchors a corner of the $2.5 billion entertainment and sports complex called L.A. Live, developed by AEG. It houses ESPN Sports, a plaza with giant outdoor screens and 16 new restaurants. Across the street is Staples, home of the Lakers, and next door is the Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Center.

[...]

The museum's name reflects its heritage in the recording industry and decades of awards shows. It does not, however, reflect all that a visitor experiences. The closest thing to museum exhibits are those like the denim duds of 1970s Neil Diamond, or the sequined costumes of Cher and other musical legends. 

There's a Gwen Stefani jumpsuit circa 2005 and a Martin Quintero outfit with Stetson from a 2007 concert. Visitors listen, touch screens, strum guitars or belt out songs. They can hear themselves play on headsets. 

"I think it's great here!" shouted Ian Gonzalez, 8, of South Gate, as he banged on a drum set, his brother Matthew, 5, fingering an electric guitar on a mock stage.

Rick Schmitt on the FDA and the work it (sometimes) does

Our Rick Schmitt looks into the FDA and its regulation of weight-loss products from Hydroxycut. He wrote this piece a while back but it is just now available online through Protect Consumer Justice, a California organization that tracks consumer legal issues. From Schmitt's story: 

"For years, the Food and Drug Administration has been the agency in Washington that consumer advocates love to hate, attacked and reviled for failing to protect the public against dangerous drugs and medical devices, and threats against the food supply. 

"But now, at least in the case of one of its most hotly debated responsibilities, the FDA may be in the early stages of shedding its paper tiger image. The cautious optimism among public health and consumer law experts, stems from a recall that the FDA triggered in May 2009 against the makers of a popular line of weight-loss products sold under the Hydroxycut brand."

Schmitt has been doing work for Kaiser Health News, as well. He is a former staffer in the LA Times' highly respected, but now closed, Washington bureau.