Disappearing Honey Bees: the little guy who brings food to our table

The past week has seen some major ecological issues - from oil spills to the commercial shark fisheries to entire seas at risk. Let's finish the work week with a look at something a lot smaller: Apis millifera - the honey bee.

To many people, bees are responsible for two things: honey for our toast or tea, and a tender red welt (or worse) if we happen to get stung. For years, we have followed news reports of the expansion of the African killer bee; a more aggressive strain that was migrating from South America northward and establishing its own colonies or cross-breading with other species. While the aggressive nature of this particular species is certainly a point of concern, there is a greater threat to bees and humans alike.

The populations of honey bees have been in steady decline, often identified as CDD (colony collapse disorder) and responsible for declines in many areas, ranging from 30 percent to as high as 90 percent. The U.S. government has reported declines in bee hives in the last three years (2007 thru 2009) by 32, 36, and 29 percent, respectively. Since bees are the primary pollinators for many fruits and vegetables, this represents a major multi-billion dollar threat to the agricultural industry. In fact, it has been reported that as much as a third of our food is due to the actions of the honey bee.

"Honey and royal jelly are examples of precious food that we owe to bees but foremost we owe them abundant harvesting of fruits and vegetables since they contribute to pollinate the flowers which will produce the harvest," said Bernard Vallat, the Director General of OIE (World Organization for Animal Health). "Bees contribute to global food security, and their extinction would represent a terrible biological disaster."

The OIE has issued a report that points to a combination of issues which are conspiring against the honey bee. The extensive and sometimes irresponsible use of pesticides can weaken the overall health of the bee, exposing it to other diseases and pathogens - some old and some newly discovered.

Also, invasive species can take their toll (like Europe's recent intruder, the Asian hornet, which hunts and devours bees in mid-flight). Various mites and parasites attack bees and their numbers have increased in various parts of the world due to changing conditions, in some cases brought on by changes in climate.

Adding to all of that, as much as we depend on bees for our agricultural output, we don't make it easy for them. Large mega-farms, that look to bees for their cooperation, provide poor nutrition for the bees by stripping away wild flowers and shrubs. I have seen this on drives up California's central valley (the state's agricultural "breadbasket"). Row after row of fruit and nut trees with white man-made bee hives constructed throughout the orchards - but with nothing else in the area for the bees to feed on.

Insignificant to many, the honey bee actually plays a major role in our ability to feed ourselves. And it is under attack. There is no "silver bullet" solution. As much as we like to gravitate towards those simple answers, what is required here is a comprehensive approach. The cascade of influences impacting the health of the honey bee can have profound economic and health implications right in our own backyard.

Without the simple honey bee, mankind can really get stung.

Read article from the Mother Nature Network.

"a triumphant return"

About 25 years ago, a group of Southern California train enthusiasts made either the best or the worst investment of their lives, depending on how you look at it.

For the grand sum of $1, they bought the Santa Fe 3751, a 430-ton locomotive that had once played a seminal role in introducing high-capacity, high-speed passenger rail service to the West. Then they set out to get the thing working again, which wound up taking five years, $1.3 million, including cash outlay and in-kind contributions, and the work of nearly 400 volunteers.

Now, the 3751 is about to make a triumphant return to the public rails, the latest turn in what has been both a glorious and tortuous history.

On May 1 and 2, the locomotive will ferry as many as 500 people between Los Angeles and San Diego, pulling 10 Amtrak cars.

"Metropolis" sparkles

It's often been said that silent films are a lost art twice over. Not only are movies without sound not being made anymore, but many of the classics of the period also no longer physically exist. That, however, is not the end of the story.

For what's less well known is that pictures long thought to be lost forever, key works unseen for decades, have a remarkable tendency to regularly turn up in ways as exciting and dramatic as the films themselves. And so it is with Fritz Lang's masterwork, "Metropolis."

Sunday night at Grauman's Chinese Theatre as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival (with a full run scheduled at Laemmle's Royal starting May 14), a 2-hour, 27-minute version of Lang's film got its North American debut after a rapturous world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

Considered the most expensive German film of its day, "Metropolis" is celebrated as much for its spectacle as its story. Set in a mechanized city of the future where captains of industry live in towers and the slaves who do all the work dwell underground, "Metropolis" is simultaneously an examination of the future, a parable about capital and labor and the complicated story of an enigmatic young woman named Maria, played by Brigitte Helm.

Richard Chamberlain as Katherine Hepburn

During his long, successful career, Richard Chamberlain has played a wide variety of roles. But who knew that he could also do a pitch-perfect impression of Katharine Hepburn?

Chamberlain played opposite the legendary actress in the 1969 film "The Madwoman of Chaillot." He recalls that Hepburn demanded to meet him before he could get the role of Roderick in the comedy.

"I had to fly to France for her to OK me for the part," says Chamberlain, still "Shogun" handsome at 76. "She loved to fool around. We did a scene in this park where I had just tried to drown myself. I was lying with my head in her lap on this park bench. They were lighting the scene and she started fooling around with my hair."

And his ears. Conjuring up the spirit of the late, great Kate, Chamberlain mimics her, saying in her distinctive patrician style, "Oh, little pig ears. Close to your head. Just like mine. It means you are very selfish.' "

Chamberlain is relaxing in the living room of his three-bedroom West Hollywood apartment. His primary residence has been Hawaii for the last 25 years, but last July he moved back to Los Angeles — he's actually a Beverly Hills native.

"This is my hometown and it's great being back," he enthuses. He seems to be busier than ever. The next day, he was flying to Oregon to appear as the world's greatest thief on the TNT series "Leverage."

"My agent just called from England; they want me to do a play there this summer," says Chamberlain, who came to fame nearly 50 years ago as the idealistic "Dr. Kildare" on the NBC series.

Hawaiian Shark Fin Ban: a great victory in the legislature, but what next?

SB 2169, the Hawaiian ban on the sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins, has passed the state legislature and awakes signature by Hawaii's governor. This is a significant moment on several counts:

• It eliminates Hawaii as a major distribution hub for shark fins
• It sets a new standard for other states or countries to emulate
• It places the social heritage of Hawaiians' respect for sharks over the lucrative economic interests of the commercial shark fishing industry
• It recognizes the importance of the shark as a vital member of a healthy marine ecosystem

In the final vote, the sole opposition came from Rep. Riki Karamatsu, who had opposed the legislation, then seemed to favor it, and then at the eleventh hour re-took his opposing position. Because of his apparent support from the shark fishery industry, I took the position that he would remain opposed to the legislation. While some commended the representative when he appeared in favor of it, I was skeptical and adopted a what-and-see attitude.

It usually feels good to be right, but not when it means that it confirms the undue influence that economic interests can have over politicians.

Hardy congratulations are well deserved to those legislators who initiated and supported SB 2169 and to the many citizens who worked hard to promote it through some difficult times. But we must still be vigilant.

• As Hawaii's shark fin distribution business is dismantled, will the business move to other potential sites: San Francisco, other Pacific islands, or back to Asian soil?
• Will Hawaii continue on this path and consider banning or limiting business in other shark products like cartilage, liver oil, or meat (at least from highly threatened species)?
• Will future legislation, spawned from backroom deals with industry lobbyists, weaken the current legislation?

For now, it is a time to celebrate a great victory and loudly commend Hawaii's decision makers for siding with sensible conservation. And then tomorrow we carry on.

Read Washington Post article.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: energy has consequences beyond the shoreline

One of the leading environmental stories has been the recent explosion, fire, and sinking of the Trans Ocean/BP floating oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico and the subsequent oil spill that has been expanding by approximately 42,000 gallons of oil each day from an oil head 5,000 feet deep. According to the latest news reports, efforts are being made to stem the flow of oil, using ROVs to activate what is called a blowout preventer - a system of valves situated at the well head - but, as of this posting, they have not been successful. Alternatives include drilling relief lines to reduce the pressure, but that would take several months to complete.

In the meantime, the spill continues to spread and although a high pressure weather ridge, producing offshore winds, once slowed its advance, according to the Los Angeles Times, the first oil should reach the Louisiana shoreline by Friday. To many within the general public, particularly those living in the Gulf states that lie in the path of the oil spill, that's when it will become all too real. But what about the environmental impact right now?

Although the NOAA has reported that the spill is shallow (most of it apparently appears to be on the surface), it is coming from the bottom of the ocean floor up - as opposed to right from the surface, as with an oil spill from a ship. Does this have an impact on marine life - fish, plankton, etc. - as it makes its way up to the surface and then spreads out? While we are concerned with oil fouling local beaches, what about the migratory animals that might be moving through the oil far out at sea, well beyond our vision and, perhaps, our concern?

While efforts continue to stop the oil at the source, BP (British Petroleum) intends to conduct an oil burn-off, whereby sections of the oil spill will be isolated, condensed, and set fire. The burned oil will either sink or be removed from the surface. What is the environmental impact of burned oil on the seafloor bottom if it cannot all be collected? Unfortunately, any oil spill of any magnitude is an environmental disaster and as long as we continue to drill for oil - or expand ocean drilling, as proposed by the current U.S. administration - then we must accept the possibility of spills and the consequences that ensue.

This is the trade-off we struggle with. As we promote alternative forms of energy, there is no clear cut, totally environmentally-safe solution. Wind and solar are promoted as viable alternatives, but some conservationists say that expansive solar panel and wind tower farms are harmful to the environment. There are city ordinances that limit or prevent the use of wind and solar devices on individual buildings and the current cost is prohibitive for most residents. Hybrid or all-electric vehicles are advocated, but how will the extra demand for electricity be met? More nuclear or coal power plants?

As the politicians have said, we have an addiction to oil. But in fact, we have an addiction to energy. It runs your car, your lights, and the computer you are using to read this blog. And so, from wherever we get it - fossil fuels, wind, solar, nuclear, or something else, there will negative consequences; energy is just that kind of two-edge sword. We must do everything we can to prevent broad-based environmental disasters such as what is occurring in the Gulf of Mexico (Can oil companies channel their considerable technical knowledge toward the design of auto-shutoff valves, which could have prevented the blowout or the subsequent leakage?). And we must re-evaluate our entire energy system infrastructure and how energy is consumed at the user end.

No easy task. But do we have a choice?

Persian Gulf: threats make it a microcosm for the world's oceans

Another pair of articles covering studies in recent academic journals, this time on the Persian (or Arabian) Gulf: "Protecting the Arabian Gulf: Past, present and future" (Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management [Vol. 12/4]) and "The Gulf: A young sea in decline" (Marine Pollution Bulletin [60/1]). Like the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf is a nearly enclosed body of water which can often amplify the impact of environmental changes. It can also serve as a microcosm of what can happen to larger bodies of water.

The Persian Gulf is bordered by several countries that are both experiencing significant industrial, residential, and tourism development and are hampered by a lack of cross-border cooperation in investigating and acting upon environmental issues key to the health of the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and Iran are some of the key nations that surround the Gulf. Environmental impact studies typically depend on extensive background data, or a baseline, to determine potential impact from development activities. Due to a lack of intra-country cooperation, these baselines are limited or non-existent, thereby weakening the power and effectiveness of the studies.

Development around the Gulf ranges from dredging to provide new land areas for industrial, residential and tourism developments; to oil exploration and drilling; to dams and desalination plants. Sea bottom dredging removes large areas of productive, shallow water habitat. This destruction impacts sealife nurseries and feeder fish populations (a source of food for many local low-income communities) and the extended land for huge developments can alter the water flows which can adversely affect other productive marine areas.

The threat of oil spills from the region's oil operations, as happened in 1991, always looms as an environmental threat, just as we are seeing take place in the Gulf of Mexico today. And dams and desalination plants, designed to quench the thirst of growing populations, deprives or disrupts the Gulf of natural intakes of fresh water which rejuvenates marshlands and helps to balance overall salinity.

Then there is the impact of climate change and a marked increase in water temperature which has also contributed to changes in salinity levels and water quality, in addition to impacting coral reef communities and spurring the growth of various algi that compete and crowd out or overtake the corals.

The small, nearly enclosed nature of the Gulf exacerbates these environmental issues and without the political cooperation needed for comprehensive scientific research and multi-national strategies to preserve and protect the Gulf, one of the studies I reviewed said, "the prognosis for the Gulf continuing to provide abundant natural resources is poor."

What is happening in the Persian Gulf is also happening worldwide. Accelerated in the Gulf; perhaps more slowly on a global scale - but the end results can be the same. Will the citizens of the Gulf nations learn and respond to save the Gulf? Will the rest of us?

"Golem"

David Wisniewski's Golem, winner of the 1997 Caldecott Award, is not only an outstanding artistic achievement; it is a dramatic re-telling of a story with deep roots in history, religion, and legend. Although this book can certainly be appreciated without any extrinsic information; knowledge of religious history, of other tellings of the tale, and of the artistic techniques used to create the illustrations may enhance understanding and enjoyment for some readers. The web pages linked to this discussion group provide a great deal of background information related to this book, no doubt more than most readers would want to know. The array of contextual content, however, is intended to provide alternative paths for those who desire additional information on any of a number of related topics.

--Kay Vandergrift

"XXXL Chocolate Cake"

Dimensions: 7 inches tall by 6 inches wide

Cost: $10 Feeds: Four people

Available at: Society Café Encore, Las Vegas

Why it’s extreme: Though only 15 layers, this colossal-sized chocolate cake is truly worthy of a photograph when it comes to your table. Dense chocolate cake slathered with globs of chocolate frosting make this cake a little taller and a true treat. The whole cake weighs more than 35 pounds!

The "Big Dog Daddy" Burger

Weight: 4 pounds, 8 ounces.

Dimensions: 10.25 inches high by 8 inches in diameter

Cost: $29.95 for the restaurant’s challenge

Feeds: One person for the challenge, but the burger can feed six people. Available at: Toby Keith’s Bar and Grill, Las Vegas

Why it’s extreme: As part of the Bar & Grill’s 100-ounce, “Big Dog Daddy” challenge, this burger will leave you more than full. And, if you finish everything in the challenge (beer, fries and all) you get a T-shirt. This massive burger (yes, it’s actually the size of a plate) contains a two pound beef patty, 4 ounces of cheese, 4 ounces of lettuce, tomato and onion, 2 ounces of pickle and a 10-ounce bun. The burger is served with a 32-ounce beer and 16 ounces of “freedom fries.”

"Praça de Ronaldo"

Residents living near the Plaza de Ramales, a quiet square in a western residential area of the Spanish capital, awoke one morning recently to find the streets adorned with green and red confetti (the colours of the Portuguese flag) along with an imposing statue of Cristiano Ronaldo, commissioned by a sporting firm.

As reported by Spanish sports daily Marca, the statue of the world’s most expensive player is 10 metres in height and silver in colour, featuring the player standing over a football. The Plaza de Ramales was renamed the ‘Praça de Ronaldo‘ for the duration of the day when the statue was unveiled.

Click on the heading above for more photos.

"a ritual cleansing"

Clear lines in the stony sand formed a 200-foot-long image of the flute-playing Native American god Kokopelli. Beside him was Cicimitl, an Aztec spirit said to guide souls to the afterlife.

"No one has a clue that this stuff is out here," said Alfredo Figueroa, picking his way around a massive foot.

The self-taught historian has made it his mission to guard these huge carvings in the earth known as geoglyphs. On this day, he brought in Aztec dancers to do a ritual cleansing of the site.

Above, Estrella Newman, 76, center, drummer Jesus Figuera, left, and Aztec dancer Netze Cauhtemoc, right, perform a sacred dance around burning sage during a ritual cleansing of the grounds near several giant geoglyphs in the desert near Blythe.

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

"My Dog Spot"

His job is selling cars. But just about everyone who lived in California over the last half-century knows that. Cal Worthington, whose "My Dog Spot" commercials made him one of the most famous auto salesmen in history, has owned 27 dealerships and sold more than 1 million cars by his reckoning in his career.

Now 89, he still owns four dealerships, 10 office buildings, two shopping centers, a 10,000-acre ranch, television studio, advertising agency and finance company. He also has a 9-year-old son.

"I get too bored if I don't have something to do," he said.

"Walking in Holden Caulfield's footsteps through Manhattan"

Holden Caulfield was a flâneur. That's not generally how we think of him, this archetype of adolescent alienation, this detester of phonies, this poor little lost boy whose voice — by turns knowing, childlike, cynical and bereft — drives J.D. Salinger's iconic 1951 novel, "The Catcher in the Rye." Yet, from the moment, about a quarter of the way through the book, he arrives by train at Manhattan's now-demolished original Pennsylvania Station building, he is our guide on one of the 20th century's great literary walking tours.

The pond at the south end of Central Park is an object of fascination for J.D. Salinger's narrator, who wonders what becomes of the ducks when it ices over.

(Jennifer S. Altman)

"Legends Over Madera"

The "Legends Over Madera - Air Show" always thrills spectators of all ages with exciting aerobatic performers, rare WWII bombers & fighters, an F-16 flyover and the only civilian four-ship jet flight demonstration team of its kind in the world, The Patriots Jet Team. This headlining act flies the beautiful L-39 jet and performs exciting maneuvers similar to the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds.

Above: An Original Oil Painted by Steve Tack for "Legends Over Madera Air Show 2009."

Coral Reef Studies: stress the importance of holistic reef management

Was perusing through two articles on coral reefs that addressed the same basic issue - coral health - and had an interesting connection.

First, for those of you who are not familiar with the coral-zooxanthella relationship, within the tissues of coral are forms of algae, zooxanthellae, that provide much of the coral's color. This algae exists in a symbiotic relationship with the coral: basically, the coral generates wastes and nitrogen which the algae feed on and, in return, the algae produces nutrient sugars that the corals require.

Healthy coral exists only within very specific parameters and when environmental conditions are not ideal, as with an increase in water temperature, the algae disappears and the overall health of the coral is weakened, a condition called "coral bleaching" which can often prove fatal for the coral. Coral bleaching can be a naturally occurring event, like lightning-induced forest fires, which nature can withstand or handle. But climate change has been cited as a leading cause of an alarming increase in coral bleaching events worldwide.

A study published in Ecological Applications (Vol. 19[6]), detailed how better coral reef management which would produce clearer and cleaner water can help improve the coral's ability to withstand the effects of temperature change, thereby better resisting coral bleaching events. The article, Improved water quality can ameliorate effects of climate change on corals, cited coral's inability to genetically adapt or to alter the coral-zooxanthella relationship to better resist changes in temperature. The study reviewed data from coral bleaching events occurring in Australia's Great Barrier Reef during 1998 and 2002, examining relationships between heat stress and nutrient flux (what's in the water). Areas of poorer water quality played a significant role in the severity of the coral bleaching event.

So, what kind of factors can impact the water quality surrounding coral reefs and how can coral reef management be of help?

Another study, published in Environmental Pollution (Vol. 157[8-9]), also examined the Great Barrier Reef - this time focusing on pollution, specifically herbicides which, along with insecticides and fungicides, make their way into the coral reef ecosystem as runoff from agricultural areas through rivers and creeks. According to the article, Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef, even at low trace levels, these pollutants can impact the overall health of the corals, thereby reducing their ability to withstand any other adverse changes to the environment, such as temperature change, and making them more susceptible to coral bleaching.

Proper coral management must be a far-reaching holistic approach encompassing activities, such as agricultural development in developing countries, that can contribute to a compromised marine ecosystem already beset with worldwide issues like climate change. Healthy coral reefs provide home and food for a variety of sealife, a natural barrier to protect island communities from weather-inspired wave action and, at the very least, serve as a barometer for the overall health of the oceans.

To learn more about coral reef conservation:

• The Nature Conservancy's coral reef program
• Oceana PSA on coral reefs and bottom-trawling
• Reef Check's coral monitoring program
• Coral Reef Alliance's web site
• NOAA's coral reef conservation program
  

"This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection"

Carol Burnett and Tim Conway are making their first appearance together on an L.A. stage Tuesday night at a Writers Bloc program at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. They will talk about Burnett's sweet, sad and delightful new book of memories, "This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection," and take questions from the audience.

Famed Matador Gored

Over the weekend, doctors in Mexico struggled to save the life of Spain’s most celebrated matador, José Tomás Román Martín, after a bull tore a six-inch gash in his left thigh on Saturday in the Mexican city of Aguascalientes. The bullfighter, who is known to fans and the media simply by his double-barreled first name, José Tomás, needed 17 pints of blood and three hours of emergency surgery after being gored by an 1,100-pound bull named Navegante on Saturday afternoon.

According to a report in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo on Monday, the matador’s manager, Salvador Boix, said that he was communicating with doctors and was now “out of danger” after the 15th goring of his career. The injury on Saturday was considered the worst of his career, so much so that as doctors attended to José Tomás at the bullring they appealed to fans in the arena to donate blood, The Associated Press reported.

"The case of the coconut"

A duke in the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club displays a gold coconut during this year's Mardi Gras in New Orleans. That coconut, if that's indeed what it was, sparked a negligence suit and an only-in-Louisiana legal drama that continues to this day — one that has commanded the attention of two district judges, an appellate court panel, and now, possibly, the Louisiana Supreme Court. It also has generated reams of deeply weird deposition transcripts that mix Perry Mason earnestness with a touch of Marx Brothers.

(Patrick Semanksy / AFP/Getty Images / February 15, 2010)

Christie's Green Auction: over $1.3 million for NGOs

On Earth Day 2010, the famous Christie's auction house held an event to benefit several conservation organizations - Christie's Green Auction: a bid to save the Earth. With an auction to bid on a long list of luxury items ranging from a trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic to lunch with Vera Wang, the well-heeled participated (with an additional silent auction that will conclude on May 6th) in support of Oceana, Conservation International, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Central Park Conservancy.

A little too rich for your blood? Only for the celebrities and upper-crust who only care about the environment if there's an opportunity to enjoy a day of sailing with the Rockefellers as a reward?

SO . . . WHAT!

Conservation and research groups around the world struggle for every bit of funding they can get. Whether it's scrambling for pennies or going for high society gold, it all ends up in the same place, with organizations who need funding to bring about public awareness and provide critical information for policy and decision-makers. So, if you're a down-in-the-trenches, scrounging-for-what-you-can-get kind of conservationist, please don't view these types of events with disdain.

Yeah, I too couldn't afford to bid on a pair of tickets to the pit suites at the Singapore Grand Prix or a walk in Central Park with Candice Bergen. Maybe next year . . . or many years after that. But in the meantime, according to a recent press release, the auction has raised $1,387,000USD, with more to come after the silent auction concludes.

Fundraising is as challenging in many ways as the environmental issues these organizations are confronting. As long as it is well spent (and that is a critical criteria: Is the organization accomplishing anything?), then VIP events for the well-to-do are just as valid as grass root campaigns.

Oil Rig Disaster: potential harm to whale sharks

President Obama's announcement several weeks ago, wherein he would consider issuing offshore oil drilling licenses along the southeastern seaboard and portions of the Gulf of Mexico, drew criticism from many conservation groups as it appeared to be a reversal of his position during his presidential campaign. From a public relations standpoint, once you take on a controversial position, the last thing you need is to add fuel to the fire. Or should I say fire to the oil.

As you probably know, a massive floating oil rig off the coast of Louisiana suffered an explosion and fire, sank and, as of yesterday, is reported to be leaking oil from some yet to be defined source underwater.

Here's a post from SharkDivers, bringing up the issue of the oil threat to whale sharks that cruise the area. Unfortunately, this could be only the beginning. . .

Oil Spill in the Gulf - Whale Shark Impact?

Sunday, April 25, 2010

For the past two years we have been covering whale shark aggregations off the coast of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Upwards of 40-100 animals at a time have been sighted here year after year and have become both industry and major media news.

Scientist Eric Hoffmayer has been studying these groups as far out as 100 miles from shore and that's where this week's news from the Gulf takes a decidedly nasty turn.

The Swiss-based Transocean Ltd's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sunk last week, leaving many in the region to worry about ongoing oil seeping from the wellhead at 5000 feet. The worst case scenario has happened and now experts agree close to 1000 barrels a day are leaking to the surface or close to 42,000 gallons of oil.

Oil clean-up crews have dumped over a million gallons of chemical oil dispersant into the region and more is sure to come in an effort to break up the oil on the surface. As whale sharks feed on the surface this oil and chemical dispersant does not bode well for these peaceful giants of the Gulf.

"a different kind of bicycle"

A radically different kind of bicycle is making inroads across the globe. Click on the heading for more info.

"The Lucio Costa Plan"

Can Brasilia really be just 50 years old?

When the new capital of Brazil was dedicated by President Juscelino Kubitschek on April 21, 1960, its grand avenues, laid out by Lucio Costa, and dramatic modernist buildings by architect Oscar Niemeyer seemed to symbolize one thing: the crisp newness of the modern world, unburdened by history or context.

In fact, Kubitschek was so eager to call attention to the city — built from scratch in a remote spot 600 miles inland from the old capital of Rio de Janeiro — that he held the dedication ceremony while most of Brasilia was still under a cloud of construction dust.

"Exhibit honors Apollo venue"

Michael Jackson's fedora, Ella Fitzgerald's dress and Louis Armstrong's trumpet are together in a Washington exhibit celebrating the famed Apollo Theater that helped these stars to shine.

The Smithsonian's not-yet-built black history museum is bringing New York's Harlem landmark to the U.S capital. The first exhibit focuses on the Apollo, where many musical careers were launched. It opens Friday at the National Museum of American History.

Curators are showcasing some newly acquired items for the museum slated to open in 2015 on the National Mall, including the hat from Jackson's 1984 Victory Tour, which museum officials said was purchased at a recent auction.

—Associated Press

"Murder, while sleepwalking?"

Writer-director Allen Wolf loads "In My Sleep" with so much psychosexual baggage you wish he just focused on one emotional affliction to propel this mediocre whodunit. Instead, we're taken on a bumpy ride with main character Marcus (Philip Winchester), a sex-addicted, commitment phobic masseuse with mother and father issues, who may or may not have killed Ann (Kelly Overton), his best friend Justin's (Tim Draxl) susceptible wife.

Click on the heading above for the whole story.

"Dead Poets Society"

A former teacher who founded the Dead Poets Society of America and traveled 15,000 miles to document the graves of poets has a new mission: to create a Dead Poets Remembrance Day on Oct. 7, the date that Edgar Allan Poe (above) died.

Amateur poet Walter Skold of Freeport, Maine, launched his new endeavor Friday, beginning a 22-state tour of the graves of fallen bards. He's enlisted 13 current and former state poets laureate to help drum up support.

"Of course, it takes a little chutzpah to say we're starting a holiday," said Skold, who left his job as a public school technology teacher to pursue his passions of poetry and photography. "But we believe it's a really good idea, and we hope it catches on nationwide."

—Associated Press

"Spring;s Grand Entrance"

Lilac curator Rudy Schaffer strolls through an array of lilacs at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge.

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

"Venice home clad in sedums and other succulents"

You may have heard of living walls, but how about a living box? The exterior walls of the new wing of the Bricault family's Venice home are clad in sedums and other succulents, which soften the contemporary architecture so it looks like a plush, verdant floating cube.

Owner Paul Bricault likes the way the horticultural house gets people talking. "Everyone who comes here looks at it with this quixotic expression. We get all sorts of questions, including, do we have roots coming through the inside walls?"

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

"a natural spectacle"

In a natural spectacle rare in an urban environment, a swarm of Vaux's swifts flies with a view of the moon before funneling into a chimney at the 84-year-old Chester Building in downtown Los Angeles. The birds are migrating northward.

Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / April 23, 2010

Science Info Links: interesting links from an unlikely source

Here's some interesting information - covering a range of biology, medical, ocean, conservation, energy, and climate issues - from a rather unlikely source. The MRI Technician Schools, an organization involved in the evaluation of medical training programs has compiled a very interesting set of links to video and text lectures and presentations on a wide range of subjects loosely placed under a biological science heading:

100 Incredible Open Lectures for Biology Geeks

The links come from various sources like The Forum Network (PPS/NPR), YouTube, MIT and elsewhere. All are informative and worth checking out. Scroll down the list of subject categories and you'll come across Ecology & Conservation, Sustainable Energy, and Climate Change, with titles like:

• Ocean Exploration & Conservation by Dr. Gregory Stone, Conservation International
• 50 Ways to Save the Ocean by David Helvarg, Blue Frontier
• The Culture of Green Transportation: Biodiesel Explained
  
• Connecting Coral & Climate Change by Kim Cobb, Georgia Institute of Technology

You really don't have to be a biology geek to appreciate this listing. If you're a reader of this blog, you're bound to find something of interest. And of course, pass it along to your friends.

TCM Classic Film Festival to be in L.A. from Thursday to Sunday

Movies that include 1954’s ‘A Star Is Born (above),’ ‘The Story of Temple Drake’ and ‘The Day of the Triffids’ have been laboriously restored for the screenings. (Los Angeles Times)

'The Day of the Triffids' On Black

I was in the backyard this afternoon looking for my daily photo, when I heard strange whisperings.I looked around but could not see anyone. I went back to looking for my photo of the day then noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye. It was them, the plants, they were shaking up towards the sky, suddenly a strange light appeared in the sky , very weird indeed.

Maybe Project 365 is effecting me, maybe the challenge of having to find something different and interesting each day is finally getting to me, maybe I need a holiday. :-)

Something silly, for a change

Words and photo by "aussiegall" on Flickr -- to visit the website click on the heading above.

The new "Maserati GranTurismo Convertible"

Behind the convex grille on the new Maserati GranTurismo Convertible is a 4.7-liter V-8 that produces 433 horsepower.

The Maserati GTC is a heavy car. At 4,365 pounds, it's 200 pounds heavier than the coupe version because of the retractable roof. But that weight just melts away on takeoff.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

"Museum can't sell rare Ansel Adams prints

FRESNO, Calif. — The bankrupt Fresno Metropolitan Museum has agreed to return six Ansel Adams photographs to his son, who had objected to them being sold to pay off creditors.

The move will settle a lawsuit by Michael Adams and his wife, Jeanne, who gave the famed nature photographer's prints to the Met in 1983 but maintained they did not give permission for them to be sold.

The museum closed in January after going into $4 million debt.

The photos being returned are of Yosemite National Park, Mount McKinley and Lone Pine in California, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona. Adams' attorney Rene Lastreto says the photographer never intended for private collectors to hang those prints in their living rooms.

In exchange, the family will give the museum other Ansel Adams prints of equal value for the October art auction.

Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com

Secrecy could be Sinister ??

The launch of the X-37 pilotless space plane Thursday will be closed to the public, with only Pentagon-sanctioned photographers allowed. (U.S. Air Force / April 12, 2010)

For Dramatic Photos of the Blaze -- Visit National Geographic.com (Click Here)

Fire boat crews battle the blazing remnants of the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon, April 21, 2010.

It's Earth Day 2010: do something for the planet

It's Thursday, April 22nd . . . It's Earth Day.

Now celebrating its 40th year, Earth Day 2010 is a chance for all of us to take a proactive stance in protecting our natural resources, in protecting our environment - indeed, in protecting the planet.

So, today of all days, DO SOMETHING!

• Plant a tree or purchase some CFL or LED lightbulbs.

• Go to your local shoreline and do a little beach clean up.

• Make a contribution to your favorite conservation organization.

• Check the various conservation group web sites. Many of them have a shopping list of ideas.

• See Disneynature's Oceans. In its first week, Disney will make a contribution to coral reef protectection for each ticket sold.

You'll feel good about yourself. Trust me.