The Losanjealous Benevolent Society gathers a weekly list of strange happenings and fun events in LA–the more ridiculous, the better. Visit our events calendar for the full list. And if you’re organizing or know of an event you think belongs on the list, send us info at tips@losanjealous.com.

FRIDAY

Ghetto Gourmet
Underground supper club based out of Oakland makes their 4th trip to LA. Through Thu 3/22.

The Hidden Life of Garbage @ Machine Project
Join us as author Heather Rogers reveals the hidden life of garbage. The talk based on her book, Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, will take us through the surprisingly brief history of the trash heap, as before mass production and mass marketing it would have been unthinkable to dispose of so much of what we produce so soon after it is produced. Other key terms for this talk include: rat-eating dog army, Rikers Island, exploding gases, Ladybird Johnson.

Wizard World
Join thousand of fellow fans as they all converge at Wizard World LA to celebrate the best in pop culture. Wizard World has it all – TV, Movies, Comics, Toys, Games, Anime, Manga and Cards. Through Sun 3/18.

SATURDAY

Acousmatic Camera Obscura @ Machine Project
Our inexplicable habit of trying to make our sun-filled storefront pitch black in mid-day continues Saturday, as Ezra Buchla will be transforming the gallery into a Camera Obscura.

Annual Spring Rat Show
Brought to you by the fine folks at the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association.

Beat @ Robert Berman Gallery
Book release and installation of photography, letters, and ephemera from the Beat Generation. Photography and book by Christopher Felver. Contributions by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and others. Through Sat 3/31.

Blood & Dumplings Crime Bus Tour
A grim and gleeful descent into the criminal history of the San Gabriel Valley, including the battling Nazis of El Monte, the chilling (and probably incestuous) Case of the Buried Bride, missing Salvador Dali paintings, the dark history of the Lions Club’s lion meat BBQs held in eye- and nose-range of hundreds of the lovely beasts, the Man from Mars Bandit (his mystery revealed!), plus Phil Spector, neglected Manson victim Steve Parent, Geneva Ellroy and a peculiar East L.A. link to the JFK assassination, concealed Black Panthers and the coolest trailer parks in the Southland.

Cult of Childhood
Childhood fears dwell in the unrestricted imagination influenced by nighttime stories, myths and dreams. The dichotomy of fairytales and dark fables is the inspiration for this exhibition at Black Maria Art Gallery. Through Sun 4/15.

MONA’s Neon Cruise
A special cruise to beat the winter blues. With music, live poetry by Mike-the-Poet and 3 thirst-quenching neon stops.

New Paint Things @ Dangerous Curve
“Minimalist” sculptures out of used paint rollers, paint cans, watercolor pans, water bottle caps, or pastel sticks? That’s just a hint of what you’ll find in Mark Creegan’s show “New Paint Things.” He can repurpose the most ordinary things in the most extraordinary ways. The celebration of Creegan’s exhibition is on Saturday, March 17, 2007, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., featuring the usual great organic food prepared by our master vegan chef, John Saslow. Live music/art TBA. Through Sat 4/21.

SNOITON! @ GR2
Two-entity art show between Cupco and Nanospore. The show will draw on themes of deconstruction/reconstruction, war, and the outer worldly. Showcased work includes felt dolls, silkscreen paintings, and experimental apparel. Through Wed 4/18.

THURSDAY

1907 Centennial
Local writers, musicians, film preservationists, vaudevillians and storytellers will converge at Bedlam Art in downtown L.A. to share their short presentations on 1907-inspired themes. In an eclectic evening drawing on the popular music of the period, early cinema, comical literature, fortune telling and cookbooks, the participants will bring the spirit of 1907 to life in a decidedly 21st Century event.