A recent eastside addition, Echo Country Outpost is difficult to sum up or define. The space is a part-time music venue and a full-time shop, selling such items as moccasins and handmade jewelry, candy brass knuckles and the "world’s largest pine cones." Animal furs, antlers, weathered books, vintage typewriters and local artwork adorn the walls, tabletops and small stage that sits at the far end of the shop, while the scent of incense wafts through the air, giving the place the feel of a cozy country cabin far away from the noise and neon of Los Angeles.

The slew of past and future events at the Outpost includes Parlor Nights for those who want to play a hand of poker or throw some darts; "Drunken Breakfasts," which serve up Bloody Marys along with your eggs; and "Psychedelic Sleepovers," complete with movies, storytelling and the occasional guided meditation to teach you how to have good breakup sex or get over writer's block. And if that isn’t enough, the shop exhibits the work of local artists, allows neighborhood organizations such as the Echo Park Improvement Assn. to use the space for meetings, and is actively collaborating with neighboring businesses including the Echo Park Collective to gain traction for the recently launched Echo Park Art Walk, an event they hope will turn into a bimonthly block party.

Located on Echo Park Boulevard, north of Sunset and away from the commerce-heavy heart of Echo Park, the Outpost has become a neighborhood hangout, attracting 12-year-olds who come in to play with the typewriters and 80-year-olds who sit outside weaving. And that, besides the varied scope of events, is what really makes this place a novel concept. The mission it holds harks back to an earlier era:  to become a neighborhood clubhouse.

The Outpost is owned by three close friends, Chris Hajek, Erica Forneret and Brendan Missett, whose aim is to create a “surrogate living room” - a meeting place that draws the disparate parts of the neighborhood. The inspiration for the shop came when Erica, an L.A. native, and Chris, a Chicago transplant, found that their own home in Echo Park, with its “outdoor living room,” had become the gathering place for friends and neighbors. Partnering with close friend Brendan, an installation artist from Idyllwild, the trio decided to transfer this concept of a communal living room to a space that would allow local artists, musicians and community members to contribute to its formation.

This spirit of collaboration allows the Outpost to remain in constant evolution, as its development largely depends on the needs and involvement of the neighborhood. So whether you go in to borrow a book, buy a palm fiber bird mask (a must-see), listen to a local band, or just kick back and hang out, you're sure to discover several one-of-a-kind items, have interesting conversations and find yourself a little more positively charged.  

Echo Country Outpost, 1930 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles

--Dima Alzayat

Photo courtesy Echo Country Outpost.

Doors open at 7p.m. sharp, but you had better believe that there will be folks lined up much earlier. When they cut the ribbon, it's gonna be a scene straight out of a Wal-mart store on Black Friday. Total pandemonium. Music by KCRW's Jason Bentley.

(True story: A friend of mine went to a similar art sale recently and picked up a work on paper by Julio Ruela worth over $36,000! His price? A mere $150.)

“On the outside, the Better Marriage Blanket looks and feels just like a warm comforter. On the inside it has a layer of active carbon fabric, the same type of fabric used by the military to protect against chemical weapons”

Satisfaction guaranteed!

--Richard Metzger

Offering sweet, sweet remedy to our insatiable need for attention is Ryan Falkner's Spotlight Dance Party, staged at downtown's opulent onetime brothel, Bordello. As a self-taught dancer and “natural born showman,” Falkner encourages attendees to request the track of their choice and take their rightful spot in the glare of the limelight for a dance unencumbered by partners, shame or lack of talent. Local indie rockers Luna Is Honey will play a set first, but once DJ Chips rocks the tables, it's open season for spotlight booty shaking.

Bordello, 901 E. 1st St, downtown L.A.; 9 p.m.; $8 or $5 with RSVP at www.partyscammers.com

--Alie Ward

From corsets to sky-high stilettos, women have been suffering in the name of fashion for years. Thanks to the Beverly Hills-based footwear line Dana Davis, named for its founder and chief executive, high-heeled-shoe lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. In its third season and selling well locally at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza and at danadavis.com, the label features chic styles with invisible comfort technology such as customized arch supports and strategic cushioning. Imagine heels that may actually be good for you.

With designs including embellished flat sandals and 41/2-inch platform heels, Dana Davis just might be the brand to make a comfort shoe go mainstream in the fashion world. “These aren't two-hour shoes, they are eight- to 10-hour shoes,” says Davis, 42, of Brentwood.

Although companies such as Cole Haan and Kenneth Cole have comfort lines, Davis' is the first to feature built-in orthotics in a high-fashion shoe, particularly heels. Her styles are designed so that you can also easily put in your own orthotic if needed. “Previously, there was no dress shoe you could put an orthotic into, so this is a big step,” says podiatric surgeon Dr. Robert K. Lee. “Current styles tend to be far too narrow, which can lead to bunions, hammer toes or other foot conditions. As the heel gets higher, that's more load on the balls of your feet, which can lead to stress fractures or tendinitis.”

It's not often that a bluesy trad rock sound gets paired with such a mournfully gritty voice like Erika Wennerstrom's. The result is impressive, expansive and often tinged with tragedy. On the Heartless Bastards latest release, “The Mountain,” the band explores different textures, from sparse acoustics to psychedelic touches.

Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., $16 / 8:30 p.m.

-Ramie Becker

Photo by Arol Horkavy. Video: "All This Time" by Heartless Bastards.

Kulov's Tea Fest started as a homespun party for the founder's nieces, but the annual event has since grown into a leaf-lover's tangle of lessons, demos and brew-infused food samples. Royal/T gallery and cosplay café hosts this year's event, and while the tea marketplace is free, the workshops on etiquette, brewing and Japanese ceremonial customs will set you back a nominal fee. In the array of blends from around the world, there's one thing you won't find: hand-scrawled signs bearing political messages. It's not that kind of tea party.

Royal/T, 8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; free admission, workshops $5-$20

--Alie Ward

Photo: courtesy Kulov Comnunications.

The palms that rim our city's vistas are integral to L.A.'s identity, but they're curiously non-native. Same goes for that guy sitting next to you. And probably you. Honoring a town composed of imports, This gallery in Highland Park presents “Transplant,” a photography show with work from 11 non-indigenous Angelenos. Egyptian-born Sian Kennedy captures the desolation of the desert; Jeremy and Claire Weiss, respectively from New Jersey and Bermuda, snap hazy, lazy afternoons; and Ryan Schude of the “Greater Chicagoland area,” creates complex tableaux. Uproot the palm trees, but keep these people around.

This, 5906 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park; Friday 7-10 p.m.; free

--Alie Ward

Image by Emily Shur. Used by permission.

Arnold Schwarzenegger "never worked as fluffer": The governor has denied working as a “fluffer” on the sets of pornographic films after making a joke that it had been his worst ever job. (Telegraph)

Is this Madonna's diary? A "treasure trove" of Madonna memorabilia for sale on Ebay for $2.5 million. (Gawker)

LAPD officials expect up to 100,000 at immigration march Saturday: May Day march will swell due to outcry over new Arizona law. (Los Angeles Times)

Anthem Blue Cross withdraws scheduled rate increases of up to 39%: Firm faced public outrage after proposing raising premiums by as much as 39%. (SF Gate)

--Richard Metzger

The art installation "Rooms" on view until May 15 at Scion's in Culver City, opened this past weekend with eight spaces designed by different artists. Photos by Laila Derakhshanian for the Los Angeles Times.

According to the Telegraph newspaper, an 82-year old holy man from India has subsisted entirely on prana, the Hindu concept of lifeforce, for the past 70 years.  Ayurveda texts say prana comes from the sun and the breath.

Yes, you read correctly, this dude claims that he never eats:

Prahlad Jani is being held in isolation in a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gurjarat, where he is being closely monitored by India's defence research organization, who believe he may have a genuine quality which could help save lives.

He has now spent six days without food or water under strict observation and doctors say his body has not yet shown any adverse effects from hunger or dehydration.

Mr Jani, who claims to have left home aged seven and lived as a wandering sadhu or holy man in Rajasthan, is regarded as a 'breatharian' who can live on a 'spiritual life-force' alone. He believes he is sustained by a goddess who pours an 'elixir' through a hole in his palate. His claims have been supported by an Indian doctor who specializes in studies of people who claim supernatural abilities, but he has also been dismissed by others as a "village fraud."

India's Defence Research Development Organisation, whose scientists develop drone aircraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles and new types of bombs. They believe Mr Prahlad could teach them to help soldiers survive longer without food, or disaster victims to hang on until help arrives.

Okay, sure. I read it in the paper --a British paper, even-- and so therefore it must be true! But wait a minute, haven't we heard about this kind of thing before? What about that Wiley Brooks character, the fellow who tried to charge "seekers" --there's one born born every minute-- $25 million dollars for the secret of living on sunshine and fresh air (which he bottles)? The same Wiley Brooks who was spotted holding a hot dog, a Slurpee and a box of Twinkies coming out of a Santa Cruz 7-Eleven store?

Something tells me that Mr. Lani might have a few Powerbars stashed away in his hospital room, what do you think? But Wiley Brooks is still sticking to his guns, even if he does admit that man cannot live on light and life alone. On his website, Brooks reveals that the "Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese" meal from McDonald's has an intrinsic "base frequency" and that the secret of Coca Cola is "liquid light." 

--Richard Metzger

Contenders on the hit show “Top Chef” aren't known for being humble. That's why some L.A. foodies were surprised to hear that Alex Eusebio — a Season 5 contestant and a hometown favorite — had quietly opened an unassuming gourmet sandwich shop in Toluca Lake called Sweetsalt Food Shop.

David Hrobowski has a thing for popsicles. He takes the frozen dessert sticks, thousands of them, and glues them together one by one to construct tables, chairs, lamps, mirrors and even staircases. He says one of the biggest hurdles in popsicle design is patience. He can layer three or four sticks before he must pause and let the glue dry.

Newsworthy wallpaper is made from strips of newspaper that have been hand-loomed with nylon thread.

Delivering both Internet puns and excess estrogen, Elle Oh Elle Comedy at the Echoplex is a veritable harem of female stand-ups. Investigative reporting/YouTube stalking yielded plenty of chuckles, particularly at the hands of “Def Comedy Jam's” Tiffany Haddish, “Last Comic Standing's” Kristin Key and the diminutive but spellbinding 3-foot-10 Selene Luna, who moonlights as a burlesque dancer. Also on the bill is Fortune Feimster, a wry Southerner with a pillowy afro who claims to look like Richard Simmons and cracks wise about unicorns and strippers. Viva la woman.

The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park; 8 p.m.; $10

--Alie Ward

Video: Selene Luna in "Goodbye Detergent" a telenovela directed by Austin Young.

"Werner Herzog" (of course, this isn't really him) reading the children's classic, "Where's Waldo?" And where was Waldo found, you may ask? Floating through the infinite void that is modern existence.

--Richard Metzger

A heaping slab of white funk, dripping in slow-fried beats and covered in a voice that goes down like molasses. If Jamie Lidell sounds like a concoction thrown together by some of the finest soul food chefs in the world it’s because he was. His influences range from James Brown to Prince,  and you can hear plenty of others in there, too. A little LCD Soundsystem, a splash of Jamiroquai – and it all comes together to make a sexy, sensuous feast. His new album “Compass,” produced by Beck, is another helping of blue-eyed, British soul-funk.

-Ramie Becker

Video: "You Got Me Up" by Jamie Liddell.

Steve Carell to leave 'The Office': At least that's what he said during a recent BBC interview. (Entertainment Weekly)

"Bigotgate" and the British election 2010: Gillian Duffy had only popped out to buy a loaf of bread. But by the time she got home, following a chance encounter with the prime minister, the 65-year-old widow had become the woman who could seal the outcome of the general election. (Telegraph)

-- Richard Metzger

Photo: Steve Carell in 2008 at the 60th annual Emmy Awards. Credit: Spencer Weiner / For the Los Angeles Times

Case studies published in Current Biology magazine examine how chimpanzees mourn their dead. In some ways the primates behave similarly to human beings, but the reactions varied. The emotional responses can range from loud and seemingly violent to apparently deeply felt anguish. Video cameras at a safari park in Britain were able to capture some chimps in the mourning process. Things that seem certain are that our primate cousins have an awareness of death and can to a certain degree also anticipate it. There are certain types of death-related rituals that chimps indulge in.

"[T]hree chimps gathered around another, elder female of the group as she neared death. Pansy was more than 50 years old, and had been slowing down for some time. For days before her death, the group was very quiet, and paid her lots of attention. Just before she died, the group continually groomed and caressed her, which researchers think was partly to test for signs of life. When she died, the group left, but her adult daughter came back, and spent the night with the body.

The next day the keepers removed the corpse, and the other chimps remained subdued. For a number of days they avoided sleeping on the platform where she died -- usually a prized location, and remained generally quiet for long period afterward.

At the opposite end of the age spectrum, a group of researchers were studying chimpanzees in Guinea, and observed the death of two infants from flu-like respiratory infections. The mothers responded by carrying around the bodies of their children for weeks or months, to the point where the corpse was mummified. They would take them everywhere, groom them, and take them to sleep. Slowly, over the course of this period, the mothers would begin to let the other chimps come in contact with the dead babies for longer and longer periods. They would increase the length of time they could handle being separate from the bodies, even allowing other young chimpanzees to play with them (like in the video below). They appeared to slowly and gradually accept the passing of their young.

James Anderson of the University of Stirling says of the safari park chimps:

"Several phenomena have at one time or another been considered as setting humans apart from other species: reasoning ability, language ability, tool use, cultural variation, and self-awareness, for example, but science has provided strong evidence that the boundaries between us and other species are nowhere near to being as clearly defined as many people used to think. The awareness of death is another such psychological phenomenon. The findings we've described, along with other observations of how chimpanzees respond to dead and dying companions, indicate that their awareness of death is probably more highly developed than is often suggested. It may be related to their sense of self-awareness, shown through phenomena such as self-recognition and empathy towards others."

In Silver Lake, the crafty crow evidently trumps the skunk. The neighborhood's defunct watering hole Stinkers may still be stuck in some barflies' noses, but the skunk-inspired homage to canned beers, truck stops and white-trash Americana has been closed since February. Having undergone a face-lift, the joint reopened last week as the Thirsty Crow.