Uncounted - Election Day 2004 (Ohio)
Long lines, too few voting machines, voter intimidation, voting machine failures, voters purged from rolls - these are just some of a long list of problems encountered in Ohio on Election Day 2004. It's not just electronic voting machines that threaten our democracy, as Election Day 2004 illustrates, there are systemic problems inherent in the process that make it possible for massive disenfranchisement. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, so know what could happen and get ready to fight back in November 2008.
Obama On Todd Akin: 'Rape Is Rape' (Huffington Post)
"Although these particular comments have led Governor Romney and other Republicans to distance themselves, I think the underlying notion that we should be making decisions on behalf of women for their health care decisions, or qualifying forcible rape versus non-forcible rape, I think those are broader issues," Obama said. "And that is a significant difference in approach between me and the other party."
Corey Doctorow: "Man forced to work in jail laundry while awaiting trial sues for 'slavery'" (Boing Boing)
In 2008, Finbar McGarry, a grad student at the University of Vermont, was arrested on gun charges. While he was awaiting trial, his jailers ordered him to work for $0.25 in the jail laundry or be condemned to solitary confinement. He's now suing for violations of his 13th amendment rights, saying that this amounted to slavery. The case was dismissed but that's been overturned by a higher court and is steaming forward.
Mark Morford: Packing list for dirty pagan nirvana (SF Gate)
No one back home - particularly your nervous relatives, particularly those friends who won't even see R-rated movies much less venture anywhere near nipple-pierced, flame-throwing festivals, particularly those Americans who sleep with Bibles or guns (or both) under their pillow for fear of attack by zombie Mexican drug rapist liberal dubstep DJs - no one will understand what the hell you mean when you say you've seen a 10-ton neon cruise ship carrying 200 revelers float across the desert floor at 3:00AM, lit up by 4,000 LEDs and shooting fire twenty stories high and bouncing lasers off the moon.
Ian Pike: Attack of the Comic Reposters (San Diego Reader)
Internet hype exploded around a feud between the Oatmeal - a webcomics and humor site based in Seattle and run by Matthew Inman - and FunnyJunk - a site that has a reputation for reblogging humorous content from other sites without crediting the original artists. According to the Oatmeal, FunnyJunk stole a bunch of the Oatmeal's comics, and in a critical blog post, Inman asked that they be removed. That action ultimately prompted a bizarre lawsuit threat against the Oatmeal.
Emily Temple: 10 Great Artists' Famous Calling Cards
Here at Flavorpill, we love looking for patterns in the culture around us - and patterns there are aplenty. This week, we've been thinking about the trademarks that often span artists' bodies of work. Like a stamp on an official document or a secret code rapped through a bedroom door, many artists, directors and authors have these calling cards - trademarks that they either slip into their works on purpose or that just tend to crop up time and time again in their work.
Greg Ross: Bird-Watching (Futility Closet)
When director George Pal first came to the United States from Hungary, animator Walter Lantz helped him obtain U.S. citizenship. As a tribute to their friendship, Pal inserted Woody Woodpecker into most of his films…
Django Reinhardt: music, mischief and magic (Guardian)
Django Reinhardt was a Gypsy jazz genius who kept on living in his caravan long after he found fame. Guitarist and devotee Martin Taylor explains why he has written a Prom in his honour.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Baseball (Athens News)
When author George Plimpton was a kid, he admired New York Giants' ace pitcher Carl Hubbell, who had thrown so many screwballs that he was deformed - his palm turned to the outside. Young George used to walk with his palm turned to the outside, hoping that people would think that he threw screwballs, but his father made him stop. Mr. Plimpton says, "He said it looked as if I had tumbled out a window and my parents didn't have enough money to set the broken arm properly.
$2 David Bruce Ebook: "Dante's Purgatory: A Retelling in Prose" (Smashwords)
This is a retelling in prose of Dante's "Purgatory," the second part of his "Divine Comedy." In this volume, Dante the Pilgrim climbs the Mountain of Purgatory with his guide, the Roman epic poet Virgil. Dante purges the seven deadly sins, and at the top of the mountain he finds the Forest of Eden, aka the Garden of Eden. Finally, he sees Beatrice for the first time after her death.
David Bruce has 42 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $42 you can buy 10,500 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," "Maximum Cool," and "Resist Psychic Death."
The term "Valley Girl" and the Valley manner of speech was given a wider circulation with the release of a hit 1982 single by Frank Zappa entitled "Valley Girl", on which Moon Unit Zappa, Frank's fourteen-year-old daughter, delivered a monologue in "Valley speak" behind the music. This song, Frank Zappa's only Top 40 hit in the United States, popularized phrases such as "grody to the max".
Source
Alan J was first, and correct, with:
Valley Girl
BttbBob wrote:
'Valley Girl' done with his daughter Moon Unit in '82... Ol' Frank definitely was an acquired taste... kinda like pickled bologna... Yep, Ol' Frank coulda had a song titled, 'Pickle My Bologna'. and it woulda fit right in... Fer Sure...
Charlie said:
"Valley Girl" (1982)
Valspeak:
As if - lit. "as if" except it does not use a subject; expresses disbelief.
Bitchin' - adj. slang for excellent; first-rate. Though a derivative of "bitch", bitchin' is not considered profane.
Whatever! - short for "whatever you say"; sarcastic comeback.
Barf me out! - "So disgusting it makes me want to vomit."
Fer shur - lit. "For sure"
Betch - lit. "Bitch"
Totally - "I agree" or "completely."
Grody to the max! - "As gross as he/she/it can be."
Like, oh my God - can be used many ways; expresses shock (OMG for short).
I'm suuure! or I'm so sure - "I'm absolutely positive," but usually used sarcastically.
Tre - A synonym for "very" (derived from French "très")
Trippendicular! - It can mean either "awesome" or a drug high.
Betty - An attractive woman.
So - Very; used too often and said with too much emphasis. "He's so not cute!"
Baldwin - An attractive man.
Seriously - Frequent interjection of approval.
Gag me with a spoon! - expression of disgust.
Zlint - "excellent", derived from the phonetic spelling of the classifieds abbreviation "Xlnt"
Nevertheless, the soundtrack to the film is quite good:
Baron Dave ("You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." -- Frank Zappa) responded:
Iirc, Frank Zappa's biggest US hit was the totally tubular "Valley Girl".
Jim from CA, retired to ID, replied:
Valley Girl
Adam answered:
Valley Girl. I thought so, but I wasn;t sure if it would be credited to Moon Unit or Frank.
DanD wrote:
(Ah Moon-Unit, where are you now?)
Frank Zappa could have been a Frankenstein creation that was sewn
together from the discarded parts of both "left and right" wingnut
perverts ... the grand poobah pedophile of proto-hippiedom's darker
crotch-itch underbelly!
Ooh, but he was entertaining ~
From the early 80s to about 87 I lived in a small, cave-like,
single-esh bandit-apartment on Fredonia Ave just up a little ways from
Cahuenga (ka-wan-ga) Blvd., right across the 101 Freeway from
Universal City Tours. I would sometimes go walking for hours in the
Hollywood Hills (metaphorically) located just out my back door
(actually, it was located just outside my bathroom window).
Poor FZ wouldn't have even had this Top 40 one hit wonder to his own
name if he hadn't pimped his Valley Girl daughter into helping him do
it with her Val-rap talents. But what is family for?
Go read this website: www.davesweb.cnchost.com/index.html ,
all the LC postings.
PS: Sally, I never really left, I'm just skulking in the undergrowth,
forever waiting to pounce ~
Dale of Diamond Springs replied:
Valley Girl with Moon Unit fer sure! Have been a Zappista since I first saw the Mothers in early 67. A true genius!!!! Saw Dewezil do "Zappa Does Zappa" last year. Catch it if you can!
This song here might offend you some
If it does it's because you're dumb
Frank Zappa, "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station"
I have several DVD's and around 12 of his CD's. Inspirational !!!
Sally said:
Zappa and his young daughter, "Moon Unit" did a release, "Valley Girl" circa early 80's.
How the 'Ex' and myself agonized over choosing names for our children, and that asshole Zappa, decided to make a laughing stock out of his kids by choosing absolutely horrible names for them! I always expected them to sue the parents as soon as they reached voting age... And, where the Hell was the mother of those kids back then - allowing those names??
Yeah, I'm cranky tonight...
Marian responded:
Valley Girl. I'm home!!! Had a wonderful time visiting family.
MAM wrote:
"Valley Girl" 1982
And, Joe S answered:
"Valley Girl" is a song by the musician Frank Zappa and his then 14-year-old daughter, Moon Unit Zappa. It was released on Zappa's 1982 album Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch. Moon supplied Frank with much of the content, speaking typical "Valley girl" or "Valspeak" phrases she heard at "parties, bar mitzvahs, and the Galleria". Zappa intended to lampoon the image, but the single popularized the Valley Girl stereotype nationwide. There was a significant increase in "Valspeak" slang usage, whether ironically spoken or not (not the least of which was the film, Valley Girl). This song was also included in the compilation album Strictly Commercial.
The song was Zappa's only top 40 single in the United States, peaking at #32 in the Billboard Hot 100, although he had charted hits in other parts of the world
http://veracitystew.com/2012/08/19/selling-the-sacred-lakota-sacred-ground-to-be-auctioned-off/
CBS opens the night with a RERUN'Big Bang Theory', followed by a RERUN'2½ Men', then a FRESH'Big Brother', followed by a RERUN'Person Of Interest'.
Scheduled on a FRESHDave are Kathy Griffin, Michael Somerville, and Josh Turner.
On a RERUNCraig (from 7/26/12) are Emile Hirsch and Ariel Tweto.
NBC begins the night with a RERUN'The Office', followed by a RERUN'Parks & Recreation', then a FRESH'Saving Hope', followed by 'Rock Center'.
Scheduled on a FRESHLeno are Kirsten Dunst, Chris Matthews, and Smashing Pumpkins.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are Spike Lee, Mike Birbiglia, and Chef Michael Anthony.
On a RERUNCarson 'The Scab' Daly (from 5/24/12) are Harvey Weinstein, Timur Bekmambetov, and Kasabian.
ABC starts the night with a FRESH'Wipeout', followed by another FRESH'Wipeout', then a FRESH'Rookie Blue'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Kyra Sedgwick, Nick Prueher & Joe Pickett, and Josh Doyle.
The CW offers a FRESH'Oh Sit', followed by a FRESH'The Next: Fame Is At Your Doorstep'.
Faux has a RERUN'Raising Hope', followed by a RERUN'New Girl', then a RERUN'Glee'.
MY recycles an old 'Without A Trace', followed by another old 'Without A Trace'.
AMC offers, once again, an old 'CSI: The 2nd One', followed by the movie 'Groundhog Day', then the movie 'Groundog Day', again.
BBC -
[6:00AM] BBC WORLD NEWS
[7:00AM] BBC WORLD NEWS
[8:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - Season 9 - Ep 5 - Lady Gaga, Geoffrey Rush, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Byrne
[9:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - Season 6 - Ep 10 - 50 Cent, Catherine Tate, Jimmy Carr
[10:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - Season 1 - Ep 12 - Bad Wolf
[11:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - Season 1 - Ep 13 - The Parting Of the Ways
[12:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES UK - Season 3 - Ep 2 - The Fenwick Arms
[1:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES US - Season 1 - Ep 8 - Peter's
[2:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES REVISITED UK - Season 1 - Ep 3 - Moore Place
[3:00PM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES US - Season 3 - Ep 4 - Flamangos
[4:00PM] DOCTOR WHO - Season 5 - Ep 7 - Amy's Choice
[5:00PM] BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Season 4 - Ep 13 - Sometimes a Great Notion
[6:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - Season 5 - Ep 3 - Ensign Ro
[7:00PM] TOP GEAR - Season 14 - Episode 4
[8:00PM] TOP GEAR - Season 4 - Episode 7
[9:00PM] TOP GEAR - Season 16 - Episode 3
[10:00PM] TOP GEAR - Season 18 - Episode 1
[11:00PM] TOP GEAR - Season 2 - Episode 1
[12:00AM] TOP GEAR - Season 16 - Episode 3
[1:00AM] TOP GEAR - Season 18 - Episode 1
[2:00AM] TOP GEAR - Season 2 - Episode 1
[3:00AM] RICHARD HAMMOND'S CRASH COURSE - Season 1 - Ep 4 - Striker
[4:00AM] RICHARD HAMMOND'S CRASH COURSE - Season 1 - Ep 3 - Landfill
[5:00AM] BBC WORLD NEWS (ALL TIMES EDT)
Comedy Central has last night's 'Colbert Report', last night's 'Jon Stewart', 'Chappelle's Show', another 'Chappelle's Show', 'South Park', another 'South Park', still another 'South Park', and 'Tosh.0'.
On a RERUNJon Stewart (from 8/13/12) is Robert Pattinson.
On a RERUNColbert Report (from 8/13/12) is fun.
FX has '2½ Men', another '2½ Men', still another '2½ Men', yet another '2½ Men', 'Anger Management', followed by a FRESH'Anger Management', then a FRESH'Wilfred', followed by a FRESH'Louie', then a FRESH'Totally Biased With Kamau Bell'.
History has 'Great Lake Warriors', 'Pawn Stars', another 'Pawn Stars', still another 'Pawn Stars', yet another 'Pawn Stars', 'Counting Cars', and another 'Counting Cars'.
IFC -
[6:00AM] Onion News Network-Stock Market Crash
[6:30AM] Onion News Network-Real America
[7:00AM] American Gu
[9:00AM] C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
[11:00AM] The Dead
[12:45PM] American Gun
[2:45PM] C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
[4:45PM] The Three Stooges-Up in Daisy's Penthouse
[5:10PM] The Three Stooges-A Bird in the Head
[5:35PM] The Three Stooges-All Gummed Up
[6:00PM] Malcolm in the Middle-Malcolm Films Reese
[6:30PM] Malcolm in the Middle-Malcolm's Job
[7:00PM] Malcolm in the Middle-Christmas Trees
[7:30PM] Malcolm in the Middle-Block Party
[8:00PM] The Beach
[10:30PM] From Dusk Till Dawn
[12:45AM] The Beach
[3:15AM] Whitest Kids U'Know
[3:30AM] Onion News Network-Sex in America
[4:00AM] Onion News Network-Artificial Intelligence
[4:30AM] Onion News Network-Brooke vs. O'Brady
[5:00AM] Mr. Show With Bob and David-Bush Is a P...
[5:35AM] The Three Stooges-All Gummed Up (ALL TIMES EDT)
Sundance -
[6:00A] ICONOCLASTS - Eddie Vedder + Laird Hamilton (Episode 1, Season 2)
[7:00A] Faintheart
[8:35A] Sorry, Thanks
[10:15A] Everlasting Moments
[12:30P] Faintheart
[2:05P] Sorry, Thanks
[3:45P] Everlasting Moments
[6:00P] Love Lust & Sex Symbols
[7:00P] FREAKS AND GEEKS - Tricks and Treats (Episode 3, Season 1)
[8:00P] Next Floor
[8:15P] Blood and Wine
[10:00P] L.A. Confidential
[12:20A] Bloody Ties
[2:20A] The Lady and the Reaper
[2:30A] FREAKS AND GEEKS - Tricks and Treats (Episode 3, Season 1)
[3:30A] L.A. Confidential
[5:50A] The Trenches (ALL TIMES EDT)
SyFy has the movie 'Outlander', followed by the movie 'The Fifth Element'.
TBS:
On a RERUNConan (from 6/5/12) are Charlize Theron, Curtis Stone, and Bahamas.
Actress Valerie Bertinelli (2nd R) poses on her star with actresses Jane Leeves (L), Betty White and Wendie Malick (R) after it was unveiled on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California August 22, 2012.
Photo by Mario Anzuoni
Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider has asked Republican vice presidential running mate Paul Ryan's camp not to play his hit song, "We're Not Gonna Take It."
Ryan spokesman Brandon Buck wrote a pithy email in response: "We're Not Gonna Play It anymore."
Snider says in a statement that he does not support Ryan and denounced use of the song, an anthemic 1984 hit for the glam metal band.
It joins a long list of songs that musicians have asked politicians to stop using. Most recently, the rock band Silversun Pickups asked likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney to stop using the song "Panic Switch" last week. The campaign said the song's use was inadvertent.
Actor Clark Gregg, left, daughter Stella Gregg, and actress Jennifer Grey attends the 25th anniversary screening of "Dirty Dancing", held by Skinny Cow, on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 in Los Angeles. Skinny Cow, makers of ice cream and candy, hosted an eight city anniversary tour this summer, which encouraged women to enjoy a girls night out.
Photo by John Shearer
LL Cool J plays a special agent on TV's "NCIS: Los Angeles," and now he's caught an actual bad guy.
The 44-year-old rapper struggled with and subdued a suspected burglar early Wednesday morning at his home in the Studio City area, police said. He was not hurt.
Police got a 911 call shortly before 1 a.m. from someone who said her father had spotted an intruder in their home and was holding him downstairs.
A 58-year-old man was taken to the hospital and was expected to be arrested on suspicion of burglary. His identity wasn't released but there was no indication that he knew LL Cool J or had a personal vendetta, French said.
Richard Gere will receive the Golden Icon Award at this year's Zurich Film Festival, the festival's directors announced on Wednesday.
The festival's award recognizes an actor or actress' lifetime achievements, as well as contributions outside of his or her acting career.
Wednesday's announcement also notes Gere's work as a human rights activist, in particular his relationship with the Dalai Lama and his support of Tibet in the face of Chinese occupation. His eponymous foundation contributes to several human rights projects, in particular awareness of Tibet.
The festival runs September 20-30, and Gere will receive the award September 23.
Sven Moeller of "Steampunk Design" sits behind his retro designs inside a former hangar at Tempelhof airport before the "Campus Party" electronic event in Berlin August 22, 2012. The technology festival involving workshops, talks, competitions and hackathons will run 24 hours a day from August 21 to 26 in the German capital, according to its organisers.
Photo by Tobias Schwarz
A judge appointed Michael Jackson's nephew on Wednesday to share guardianship responsibilities for the singer's three children, but not without a last-minute effort by some relatives to delay the decision.
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff named TJ Jackson as the children's co-guardian who will now share responsibilities for raising the siblings, who range in ages from 10 to 15.
The judge made the ruling after considering a letter submitted by singer Diana Ross, who was named in Michael Jackson's will as a potential guardian, and a letter presented by cousins of the singer who sought a delay in the appointment.
Debra Jackson and her son Anthony urged Beckloff to delay his ruling, saying they were concerned that family matriarch Katherine Jackson was being coerced. The pair said they had been ostracized from the family and that the children may not be as excited about TJ Jackson's appointment as has been presented to the judge.
But Beckloff noted that all three children have said they consent to the co-guardianship, and that an independent investigation he ordered showed they "have a very strong, loving relationship with TJ Jackson."
Elisabeth Murdoch steps out of the shadows this week to deliver the biggest speech of her career, a chance to show her credentials to take over father Rupert's empire as her brothers' claims to lead it out of scandal have faded.
While Rupert and James Murdoch both used the same forum of the annual Edinburgh Television Festival in years past to attack the state-funded BBC, Elisabeth, 44, is likely to take a more measured approach and could even touch on the failings of her own family firm when she speaks at the event on Thursday.
A successful television producer in her own right with powerful friends in the British establishment and global business, what she says about the tabloid phone hacking affair that cost News Corp dear, tarred its reputation and scuppered an expansion in British television may help shape views of her fitness to run the company among both investors and regulators.
Overlooked for more senior jobs that have in the past gone to younger brothers Lachlan and James, Elisabeth rarely speaks in public, despite being well known in Britain for her company's TV shows and as host alongside her PR man husband Matthew Freud of opulent social gatherings for the rich, famous and powerful.
Aided by her husband Freud, a great grandson of the psychoanalyst and widely described as Britain's most influential public relations executive, Elisabeth has managed to distance herself from the scandal.
A devotee takes pictures of an idol of Hindu elephant god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, at a workshop in Mumbai August 22, 2012. Idols of Ganesh are made two to three months before the day of "Ganesh Chaturthi", a popular religious festival in India. The idols are taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by dancing and singing, to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of his journey towards his abode in "Kailash", while taking away with him the misfortunes of all mankind. Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated September 19, 2012.
Photo by Danish Siddiqui
It's one thing to stage a do-it-yourself renovation on a table, mirror or painting found deep in the weeds of a yard sale.
It's quite another to attempt a repair job on a one-of-a-kind 19th century fresco by the Spanish painter Elias Garcia Martinez with a few broad brushstrokes.
Such was the lesson learned by an elderly member of the Santuario de Misericodia church in Borja, in northeastern Spain. Her handiwork, or lack thereof, was discovered after the painter's granddaughter donated the work, "Ecce Homo," to the archive of religious paintings housed at the Centro de Estudios Borjano, also in Borja.
When officials from the center went to examine the work at the church a few weeks ago, they found it was not as Martinez had left it, the U.K.'s Telegraph reported .
The last photo taken of the artwork before any damage was done, in 2010, showed Martinez's intricate brush strokes around the face of Jesus. A photo taken in July by center officials for a catalog of regional religious art showed the painting splattered by white marks, possibly the work of the woman trying to remove paint. The final photo, taken this month after Martinez's relative donated the work, showed broad and thick layers of paint now covering important details in the work, such as the crown of thorns on Jesus' head.
Barry Diller has found himself in yet another legal entanglement over his involvement with Aereo - but this time he's the one initiating the proceedings.
Diller filed suit Tuesday against Alkiviades (a/k/a "Alki") David, founder of the website BarryDriller.com, claiming that the site is unfairly capitalizing on Aereo's success.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in central California Tuesday, notes that BarryDriller.com purports to offer an identical service to Aereo, which allows users to watch over-the-air television broadcasts on devices connected to the internet.
Combined with the fact that the site bears an almost-identical name as Diller - who's backing Aereo through his InterActiveCorp (IAC) - the suit alleges that BarryDriller.com is attempting to "associate their service with Plaintiff."
Alleging false designation of origin, violation of the right of publicity and cybersquatting, the suit is seeking a permanent injunction against David using BarryDriller.com and similar names, and for the domain name BarryDriller.com to be transferred to Diller. The suit also seeks unspecified compensatory, general, statutory and exemplary damages, plus interest, attorneys' fees and expenses.
A onlooker takes a pictures on his smartphone as Pope Benedict XVI leads his weekly audience from his summer residence of Castelgandolfo, south of Rome August 22, 2012.
Photo by Alessandro Bianchi
British singer Sarah Brightman may be the next paying passenger to ride a Russian rocket to the International Space Station, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing an unidentified official in the space industry in Russia.
If it happens, Brightman, 52, would make the journey in 2015 and would be the first paying customer since Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte who donned a red clown's nose during his 2009 trip, the official was cited as saying.
Russia has sent seven private passengers to the International Space Station, each of them reportedly paying at least $20 million. American investment manager Dennis Tito was the first to make the journey in 2001.
But seats on the three-person Soyuz capsules have become scarce since U.S. space agency NASA retired its space shuttles last year, leaving Russian rockets as the only craft capable of carrying crews to the station for now.
Grab your camera and binoculars: There's rarely been a better time to go whale-watching off the California coast.
Tourists from around the world have been flocking to Monterey Bay to catch a glimpse of the massive marine mammals, including impressive numbers of blue whales, the largest animals on earth.
Longtime observers say they've seen a sharp increase in endangered blue and humpback whales feeding near California shores, where they spend the spring and summer before heading to their winter breeding grounds off Mexico and Central America.
What's bringing the whales so close to shore? A bumper harvest of their favorite food: tiny, shrimplike critters known as krill.
Strong northwest winds have been pushing up cold, nutrient-rich waters from the ocean bottom - a phenomenon known as upwelling. That has fueled blooms of phytoplankton that have led to an explosion of krill, the main food source of blue and humpback whales.
British writer Nina Bawden, who wrote children's classics including the World War II story "Carrie's War," died Wednesday. She was 87.
Her son, Robert Bawden, said the author died at her London home. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Bawden wrote more than 40 novels for adults and children, including "The Peppermint Pig," ''The Runaway Summer" and "Carrie's War," which drew on her experience as a wartime evacuee from London.
"Carrie's War" has been filmed twice by the BBC and is read by British schoolchildren as part of the national curriculum.
Bawden's adult novel "Circles Of Deceit" was shortlisted for the 1987 Booker Prize.
The writer became a campaigner for rail safety and victims' rights after her husband Austen Kark was killed in a train crash in 2002. Bawden was seriously injured in the same accident, when a high-speed train derailed at Potters Bar, north of London.
Her last published book, "Dear Austen," dealt with the crash - which killed seven people and injured more than 70 - and its aftermath.
Playwright David Hare, who included Bawden as a character in his play about railways, "The Permanent Way," said the novelist was "an uncomplicatedly good woman, whose long fight to obtain justice for the victims of the Potters Bar crash was a model of eloquence, principle and human decency."
Bawden's publisher, Lennie Goodings of Virago Press, said she was "a gently fierce, clever, elegant, wickedly funny woman."
Bawden is survived by her son, two step-daughters, nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
A piece of art by the Brazilian artist Fernando de la Rocque depicting former California Gov. Arnold $chwarzenegger (R-Family Values) is exhibited at the La Cucharacha, a small alternative gallery in the stylish, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday Aug. 20, 2012. Some of Rocque's pot-stained prints are being sold for $2,500 each. It takes him a week to complete a single print blowing about five joints' worth of smoke onto a paper daily.
Photo by Felipe Dana
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wrote:
answered:
