California Representative Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) was at this candidate forum at Pierce College last night and he got all up in Rep. Howard L. Berman's (D-Valley Village) grill like Tyson at a pre-fight press conference and put an arm around him in that fake "I'm a bully acting like I'm your friend" move and he was all, "Do you wanna get into this? You wanna get into this?" And Rep. Berman was all, "This guy."

Noted homophobe and ex-gay who "was never gay-identified" David Pickup made an appearance on CNN this afternoon to mansplain to everyone that reparative therapy—designed to "cure" gays of their homosexuality—is still valid because it totally "worked" on him. Pickup (his real name, by the way) is the newest spokesman for National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) after their previous leader George Rekers was caught vacationing with male prostitutes.

There is a longstanding and serious debate over whether solitary confinement is, in and of itself, torture. Countless prisoners who've experienced it have said that isolation is worse than any form of physical torture. A new Amnesty report on isolation in California's prisons should make any rational person queasy about what we're doing to society's most forgotten people.

Yesterday, Michael Wayne Hash, who spent 12 years in a Virginia prison for murder, had all of the charges against him dismissed. A judge found him to be innocent. He's a free man. Not every innocent prisoner is so lucky.

One of the many distinguishing features of freedom-loving den of Reaganites California is that the voters, in their infinite wisdom, chose long ago to cap property taxes by law—one of those special kinds of laws that very specifically helps people who are already wealthy. Congratulations, wise self-disinterested voters of California! The rich are very happy that law exists right about now.

Some 60 customers at a Denny's in Newcastle, California, were pleasantly surprised to learn that they would not be required to pay for their meals — because a mystery woman had already picked up their check.

Garden Grove Medical Center employees thwarted a baby theft this weekend after Grisel Ramierez allegedly tried to walk out with a newborn girl she'd hidden in a tote bag. Ramierez had disguised herself in nurses' scrubs and led the newborn's mother to the bathroom, instructing her to shower before the doctor's examination. Once the mother left the room, Ramirez put the infant in her tote bag and was on her way out when the baby somehow set off an alarm after crossing an "imaginary line," which seems impossible if it was actually imaginary but, you know, technology is crazy these days.

Above is video of two goats surfing in California. The goats were trained by their owner, Dana McGregor. Said McGregor:

A lawsuit filed earlier this week in Los Angeles [PDF] alleges that California's recently enacted ban on foie gras is "unconstitutional, vague and interferes with federal commerce laws."

Smog-laden gang territory California has something to look forward to before its collapse into the murky depths of the sea: a thin, furry blanket of brown widow spiders.

Everyone in California has lost their damn minds in advance of the state's foie gras ban that goes into effect this Sunday, July 1st.

California, the doomed and sun-scorched absurdity ruled by Bloods, Crips, Mickey Mouse, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, will sink into the thirsty lips of the merciless ocean by century's end, according to scientists. The time to flee is now.

Ashton Kutcher's production company filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the California Department of Motor Vehicles for breach of contract.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted today against reconsidering its previous ruling that the state's same-sex marriage ban — better known as Proposition 8 — was unconstitutional.

On Tuesday, Californians will vote on a ballot initiative for a $1-a-pack cigarette tax. While raising cigarette taxes does discourage smoking, especially among teenagers, support for Proposition 29 has waned.

A 43-year-old woman in California suffered third-degree burns last Saturday after two rocks she'd collected at the beach SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED while she was standing in her kitchen, causing her shorts to catch fire. (The rocks were in her pocket).

Star Wars creator George Lucas has announced plans to inflict rickety, consumption-ridden poor people on one of America's wealthiest counties, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

Much of the time, when a mother adds her child on Facebook, she finds herself thrown on limited profile lockdown real quick—if her request is not ignored entirely.

A California man has filed suit against BMW North America after a four hour-ride on his BMW motorcycle turned into a two year party: he claims his bike's custom-installed ridged seat caused him to develop an erection that lasted for twenty months.

Rescuers are trying to help a stranded dolphin return to the ocean after the animal got trapped in a narrow wetlands channel off the California coast. Actually, this is nothing like Free Willy, but when you think of marine mammals and miraculous rescues, what other film springs to mind?