"Pictures of Children's Stories"

A large but little-noticed mural that a noted ceramic artist, F. Carlton Ball, created in an alcove of a public library branch in Whittier is having its moment in the spotlight after what may or may not have been a near-brush with the wrecking ball.

"Pictures of Children's Stories" is 12 feet high and 8 feet wide and has stood in a short passageway between the circulation desk and the adult wing of the Whittwood Branch Library since the building opened in 1968.

It consists of more than 100 square and rectangular tiles of irregular size, in glazed-over shades of blue, green, copper and silver. There are 79 scenes from beloved books — Long John Silver from "Treasure Island" appears with his sword and treasure chest; Aladdin's genie towers above his master; the Cheshire cat grins down upon Alice; Goliath staggers from David's fatal slingshot. Near the ceiling, between tiles showing the winged horse Pegasus and two knights jousting, Rip Van Winkle awakens and rubs his eyes.

Ball, who died in Tacoma, Wash., in 1992 at age 81, according to an Associated Press obituary, made his mark mainly with pottery during a long career as an artist, art professor and author of books on ceramics-making. He trained at USC in the early 1930s and returned there as an art professor from 1956 to 1967; he taught at several other institutions, including Oakland's Mills College, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Puget Sound.

Tour of Lovell Beach House

Two landmark homes -- Rudolph Schindler's Lovell Beach House in Newport Beach and Charles and Ray Eames' residence in Pacific Palisades -- are opening to the public this weekend in separate fundraisers.

Architects, scholars, historians and critics -- including the Times' Christopher Hawthorne -- will act as tour guides Sunday at the Lovell Beach House, sharing their perspective on Schindler while escorting small groups. The Lovell house, pictured above, was designed by Schindler in 1926 along the Balboa Island boardwalk. To preserve the ocean views and allow access for cars and pedestrians, Schindler raised the house above the street and created a play yard and parking below. The home features a two-story-tall glass-fronted living room, outdoor sleeping porch and a sun deck on the roof.

Tickets for the timed tours are $100 each with spots available between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Nearby on the beach, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture will set up a canopy, refreshments and Frisbees. Proceeds benefit the MAK Center. Tickets are available on the MAK Center website or by phone, (323) 651-1510.

A message from the new Rainbow Warrior

The new Rainbow Warrior was inaugurated and launched on the 14th of october 2011. We want to thank each and every one of you, from all over the world, who donated to the Rainbow Warrior III. With our new ship, we'll be able to take action at the front line of environmental crime. Again, thank you for making us stronger.

Welthauptstadt Germania

Welthauptstadt Germania ("World Capital Germania") refers to the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Nazi period, part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Germany after the planned victory in World War II. Albert Speer, the "first architect of the Third Reich", produced many of the plans for the rebuilt city in his capacity as overseer of the project, only a small portion of which was realized between the years 1937-1943 when construction took place.

Some projects, such as the creation of a great East-West city axis, which included broadening Charlottenburger Chaussee (today Straße des 17. Juni) and placing the Berlin victory column in the center, far away from the Reichstag, where it originally stood, succeeded. Others, however, such as the creation of the Große Halle (Great Hall), had to be shelved owing to the beginning of war. A great number of the old buildings in many of the planned construction areas were however demolished before the war and eventually defeat stopped the plans.

"slashed in half by a giant shard of glass and steel"

Atop a hill overlooking a city still rebuilding after its near-destruction more than 65 years ago stands a once-staid former armory now slashed in half by a giant shard of glass and steel.

The Museum of Military History in Dresden, redesigned by the American architect Daniel Libeskind and set to open to the public Saturday, is the first war museum to open in Germany since the country's reunification and a study in contrasts appropriate to a nation grappling with its violent past.

The radical $85-million overhaul of the museum, run by the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, has drawn criticism from all sides, civilian and military alike, with some complaining of excessive antiwar sentiment, some of insufficient attention to the victims of organized violence, and others simply of misguided aesthetics.

Central to the controversy, and the new museum, is the 99-foot, 14,700-ton wedge of steel and glass that cuts through the old arsenal like an enormous piece of shrapnel. The museum was one of the few major buildings to survive the February 1945 firebombing of Dresden by Allied forces, which leveled 80% of the city, and to some of its residents, its dramatic bisection by the modernist wedge is a step too far.

“wonder of the piano”.

Ingolf Wunder, a 24 year old pianist from Austria and a winner of seven international piano competitions, is called a “wonder of the piano”. At the age of 14, he gave his debut recital at the Vienna Konzerthaus, and in 2008, he had a debut in one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls – Vienna Musikverein. Mr. Wunder has already performed in many countries, including Austria, France, Germany, China, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Belgium, Portugal, US, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Poland.

After his debut, critics wrote: “Sinewy, powerful and broad in scope. His interpretation is as rich in colors as it is strongly-scented and free in feeling. He joins the best interpreters of these difficult pieces.” (The World of Music).

Mr. Wunder’s exceptional talent was noticed at many international competitions, where he became a first prize winner: “VII Concorso Internationale di Musica Premio Vittoria Caffa Righetti in Cortemilia” (Italy, 1999), “XIV European Music Competition in Torino” (Italy, 1999), “63 Steinway Piano Competition in Hamburg” (Germany, 1999), “Prima la musica 2000 Music competition in Feldkirch” (Austria, 2000) “Concours Musical del France in Asti” (France, 2000), “VI Trofeo Internationale in Casarza Ligure” (Italy, 2000), “36 Großer Ferenz Liszt Wettbeverb in Budapest” (Hungary, 2001).

In 2006, Mr. Wunder released his first CD with works of Chopin and Ravel.

Ingolf Wunder was born in 1985. He had his first music lesson at the age of four, and celebrated his early musical successes with the violin by the age of eight. Having already achieved a high level of musical skill with that instrument, Wunder first occupied himself seriously with the piano at the age of 14, after a teacher accidentally discovered his extraordinary talent for the instrument and urged him to dedicate himself intensively to the piano. After completing his education at the Conservatory of Music Klagenfurt and Linz, he studied at the Viennese Academy of Music.

The 1965 Toyota Sports 800

The Toyota Sports 800 was a derivative of the Toyota Publica that was first shown as a concept in 1962. It entered production in 1965 and competed mainly against the Honda S800.

Unlike the Honda S800 which was powered by an Inline-4 engine, however, it was powered by a Flat-twin "boxer" engine. Its styling may have been inspired by contemporary Italian designs by the the likes of Bertone and Pininfarina.

The front fascia may be confused with that of the Toyota 2000GT due to the similar headlight design.

Between 1965 and 1969 approximately 3,100 units were built. Only about 10% of those vehicles are known to have survived.

The vehicle was powered by an air-cooled 790 cc horizontally opposed two cylinder boxer engine. The 0.8 liter 2U engine (45 bhp @ 5400) was produced from 1965 through 1969

Owner of CarrotCorp

Thomas Suarez is a 6th grade student at a middle school in the South Bay. Tom has been fascinated by computers and technology since before kindergarten. Recently, he’s been focused on the development of applications for the iPhone, and has established his own company, CarrotCorp. His most successful ap is one he terms “an anti-Justin-Bieber game” called “Bustin Jieber”. “It’s is a variation on the Whac-a-Mole theme,” he explains.

Put your sunglasses on: the Toyota iQ Disco concept

The IQ City Car

Yesterday was the first day of the 2010 New York Auto Show, and as you could expect, it was filled with interesting announcements. One of the first came from Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, Scion, which revealed the 2011 iQ city car.

As you may know, the Toyota iQ has been around for quite some time, but is just now reaching US shores, badges as a Scion. The visual style hasn’t been changed all that much, and besides the new badge, it is quite similar to its European and Japanese brothers.

Busting rumors that it might appear as a hybrid, the Scion iQ will only be powered by a 1.3-liter gasoline engine of undisclosed performance (we’re betting around 90-100 HP). No other details were given, but it’s a safe bet that in terms of fuel average it will be upper 30s, and will also get a CVT gearbox.

Lots of safety features, including 10 airbags, will be included in the small city car, and you can certainly expect Toyota to market it aggressively towards the younger crowd. Expect the 2011 Scion iQ to debut in dealerships this fall.

"Colorful mobiles made from boldly painted sheet metal"

CHICAGO, IL (AP).- Colorful mobiles made from boldly painted sheet metal and steel wires will dangle above visitors' heads this summer as the Museum of Contemporary Art displays an exhibit of 60 works by Alexander Calder. But this Calder show, which debuts Saturday, doesn't only feature the artist's abstract pieces in the museum's large, white main-floor gallery. In an equally large gallery across the way, dozens of works by young artists who have a Calderesque style are on view. Sorry but the Exhibition dates were 26 June through 17 October, 2010. However, a Calder exhibit is opening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

"25 feet from the street" OR "are bigger idiots appearing today or does it just seem like it ???"

Danvers — An evening stroll through a corn maze at Danvers’ Connors Farm took a confusing turn Monday, Oct. 10, for a family that became disoriented in the rows of corn and called 911 to ask for help.

A father and mother with two children used their cell phone to call Danvers Police at 6:32 p.m. reporting that they were lost in the corn maze. Danvers Officer Justin Ellenton responded to the call and entered the corn maze with Connor’s Farm manager Ritchie Potter to search for the family.

Within nine minutes of entering the maze, Officer Ellenton and Potter found the family. The family had almost found their way out, unbeknownst to them, they were only 25 feet from the street. Police were not releasing the name of the family as of press time.

"Did African Americans take up the Confederate cause, which defined them as slaves?"

The image on the Civil War tintype is at once both simple and striking: Two armed men in Confederate uniforms pose unsmilingly side by side, so close their legs touch.

But a closer look reveals something more startling. One of the soldiers is African American. The photograph reignites a long-standing historical debate: Did African Americans take up the Confederate cause, which defined them as slaves?

That question is at the center of Tuesday's episode of PBS' "History Detectives," which investigates the tintype and the identity of the two soldiers — Andrew Chandler, who was white, and Silas Chandler, who was black.

Adding more delicacy and resonance to the exploration is the unlikely friendship between two descendants of the men in the photo: Chandler Battaile, a descendant of Andrew Chandler, and Bobbie Chandler, a descendant of Silas Chandler. The two men, who live in different states, have been close for a couple of years after bonding over the tintype, but investigating the story behind the photo could have easily destroyed that. American slavery in the abstract is one thing, but sitting across from a man whose family owned yours is quite another.

"Picking at the scab of slavery is never satisfying," said Wes Cowan, the historical Americana expert who stars in "History Detectives" and is a featured appraiser on PBS' "Antiques Roadshow." "It is emotional, and I certainly thought this would affect their friendship."

Mary Frances Berry, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said the question of whether African Americans served in the Confederate Army has percolated for years. The idea, as some historical evidence suggests, that slaves willingly joined the Confederate Army is controversial today, not to mention deeply troubling to many African Americans.

"It's obvious that the two persons in the picture had a non-adversarial relationship," said Berry, who participated in the inquiry. "It immediately raises the question — what is this? What are they doing? Is this one of the missed stories about the people of the Civil War?"

Both descendants were eager to find out the truth, and believed their friendship could survive whatever what was uncovered.

Said Battaile, 45, a fundraiser for National Public Radio who lives in Alexandria, Va., "Our two families have had a close relationship, during and after the Civil War. We made a connection 23 months ago. Having that shared history, even though it's complex and based on oppression, has not changed that closeness."

Chandler, a retired Washington Times production manager, said, "I was concerned when I first looked at it. I wanted to know if he was a slave or a Confederate soldier. But whatever the outcome, I knew Chandler [Battaile] and I would still be friends."

Cowan initially appraised the tintype during a January 2010 episode of "Antiques Roadshow" when it was brought to him by Battaile. The tintype, which has been with his family since 1861, was appraised by Cowan as being worth $30,000 to $40,000.

After that broadcast, producers received a stream of messages and inquiries about Silas Chandler, the African American in the photo. Was he a slave or was he a Confederate? Was he free or was he serving his owner? Other than the suggestion that the two men were close, the photo offered few clues.

"It was a pretty amazing piece," said Cowan of his first impression. "I have seen images of African Americans dressed up as Confederate soldiers, but I had never seen an image of an African American in Confederate uniform seated next to a Confederate soldier in uniform. It's an amazingly powerful image."

Added Cowan, "When you peel back the onion, it speaks volumes about the issues of slavery, and it raises the whole issue of blacks in the Confederacy."

But one fact that arose during the investigation was that Andrew Chandler's mother owned 39 slaves. Cowan said, "Whatever feelings there were between these two men, it was colored by the fact that the mother owned slaves."

Investigators learned that it was illegal for African Americans to enlist in the Confederate Army until the war was almost over. Other clues, such as how Andrew Chandler is apparently seated higher than Silas Chandler, give more insight into their relationship.

But Battaile and Chandler say they are both pleased with the conclusions that were reached by "History Detectives."

"I feel much better now," said Chandler. "Silas was doing what he had to do. I think he will rest in peace now."

By Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times
Oct 12, 2011

"all the flourishes and amenities"

The project was ambitious from the start: a $185-million central public library downtown.

Turner Construction, the New York-based firm selected for the project, built the new Yankee Stadium, the John F. Kennedy Library and the world's tallest building in Dubai.

The architects made sure the nine-story design had all the flourishes and amenities to rival new libraries in style-conscious San Francisco and Seattle: airy reading rooms, a sculpture garden, a domed terrace, a special-collections wing and more.

But when it came to financing, the city decided to stick with what some critics say is a typical San Diego penny-pinching approach that relied too heavily on private donations. Now the structure is halfway complete and there's a problem: a $26-million shortfall, money needed to finish the project.

"'Hollywood Legends Collection' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre"

Some of Tinseltown's famed costumes and props are on display at the venerable Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The "Hollywood Legends Collection," on exhibit through October in the theater lobby, features 1,000 props and costumes from both the big and small screens including Marilyn Monroe's gold gown from 1953's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and Judy Garland's blue and white gingham pinafore and blouse from 1939's "The Wizard of Oz." The exhibit is open to movie ticket holders and VIP Tour guests.

Designer of glass-skinned buildings

Anthony J. Lumsden, a prolific Southern California architect who helped develop new ways of wrapping buildings in smooth glass skins, accelerating a shift that reshaped skylines around the world, died Sept. 22 in Los Angeles. He was 83.

"The Terracotta Army"

The Terracotta Army was discovered in the spring of 1974 to the east of Xi'an in Shaanxi province by a group of farmers when they were digging a water well around 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the Qin emperor's tomb mound at Mount Li (Lishan, a region riddled with underground springs and watercourses. For centuries, there had been occasional reports of pieces of terracotta figures and fragments of the Qin necropolis — roofing tiles, bricks, and chunks of masonry — having been dug up in the area. This most recent discovery prompted Chinese archaeologists to investigate, and they unearthed the largest pottery figurine group ever found in China.

View of the Terracotta Army.In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the emperor has also been found around the first emperor's tomb mound. The tomb mound is located at the foot of Mount Li as an earthen pyramid and the Qin Shi Huangdi’s necropolis complex was constructed as a microcosm of his imperial palace or compound. It consists of several offices, halls, stables and other structures placed around the tomb mound which is surrounded by two solidly built rammed earth walls with gateway entrances. Up to 5 meters (16 feet) of reddish, sandy soil had accumulated over the site in the two millennia following its construction, but archaeologists found evidence of earlier disturbances at the site. During the digs near the Mount Li burial mound, archaeologists found several graves dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, where diggers had apparently struck terracotta fragments which were then discarded as worthless back into the back-filled soil

According to historian Sima Qian (145-90 BC), work on this mausoleum began in 246 BC soon after Emperor Qin ascended the throne (then aged 13), and the full construction later involved 700,000 workers. Geographer Li Daoyuan, six centuries after the death of the First Emperor, recorded in Shui Jing Zhu that Mount Li was a favoured location due to its auspicious geology: "... famed for its jade mines, its northen side was rich in gold, and its southern side rich in beautiful jade; the First Emperor, envious of its fine reputation, therefore chose to be buried there".

"Rebel with a Cause"

At the age of 16, Zach Veach (you can also find him on Twitter and Facebook) has probably spent more time behind the wheel of a car than most of us will in our entire lives. But when he's not racing for Andretti Autosport or writing his own book (99 Things Teens Wish They Knew Before Turning 16 came out this spring), he's a fan of tech toys, just like anyone else.

But being a pro racer isn't all fun and games for Veach. As part of Oprah Winfrey's No Phone Zone initiative, he's been outspoken on the topic of distracted driving — when people are trying to drive while keeping up with text messages, email, and the rest of the information our smartphones offer us. He's even released an app called urTXT on the Android Market to help drivers ignore text messages and focus on the road.


Zach Veach, right, with Indy car driver Takuma Soto.

"One Night -- Two Catastrophes"

Was the Great Chicago Fire on the night of Oct. 8, 1871, really caused by one of Kate O'Leary's cows knocking over a lantern? One hundred and 40 years later, that question remains the topic of sometimes-heated debate, at least in Illinois.

Three hundred Chicagoans died in the conflagration, and an additional 90,000 were left homeless, putting the Windy City tragedy in record books as one of the nation's worst disasters.

In an eerie quirk of fate, an inferno of even greater proportions was visited upon a village 250 miles to the north that same evening. As many as 1,200 people were killed when a massive forest fire swallowed up tiny Peshtigo. Unlike the Great Chicago Fire, the tale of the catastrophe in the remote north woods of Wisconsin is a historical footnote. Some label it America's "forgotten fire." A modern sculpture depicting flames is installed outside the Peshtigo Fire Museum, which commemorates the catastrophe 140 years ago.

(Jay Jones)

"Execution or Concept ????"

Does the Green Lantern have a future on the big screen ???? Despite the big-budget superhero movie’s disappointing box office performance so far, Warner Bros. executives still want to find a way to make a sequel work. Bringing superheroes from its DC Comics unit to the big screen is a top priority for the studio, and executives believe that the problem with “Green Lantern” was in execution, not concept. They even have ideas on how to turn things around next time.

"Butch Cassidy Lives"

The new film "Blackthorn," which is already available on video on demand and which opened in Los Angeles on Friday, presupposes that the Wild West bandit Butch Cassidy did not die in a sepia-toned shootout as famously depicted in 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Rather, Shepard, in an increasingly rare lead role, portrays the outlaw as an old man living in the hardscrabble mountains of Bolivia, feeling time passing him by and dreaming of returning to America. His performance is equal parts tender and lonesome, fearsome and commanding.

"A Little Nightmare Music"

Classical musicians and YouTube sensations Igudesman and Joo come to the Broad Stage on Saturday for the L.A.-area debut of "A Little Nightmare Music," their show blending violin and piano virtuosity with humor and invention.

"Il Teatro Alla Moda - Theater in Fashion"

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the United States premiere of Il Teatro Alla Moda - Theater in Fashion, the first exhibition to explore Italy's famous haute couture designers and their impact on the stages of opera, dance and theater. Over 80 costumes, sketches and drawings from Giorgio Armani, Roberto Capucci​, Enrico Coveri​, Fendi, Alberta Ferretti​, Romeo Gigli, Antonio Marras, Missoni, Emanuel Ungaro, Valentino and Gianni Versace​ will be on display in Beverly Hills to celebrate the current transformation of the Italian Renaissance Beverly Hills Post Office into a distinctive performing arts venue and to honor the designers' contributions to the performing arts. The exhibition will have a limited 4-week run from October 14 to November 13, 2011. While the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is under construction, the exhibit will be on display at 253 North Beverly Drive on the ground floor of the new MGM Place, which will be converted into a temporary gallery. Hours are Monday-Friday noon- 7 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a $10 suggested donation for the exhibition. The Annenberg will open in the Fall 2013.

City-to-ocean views

Sited on a ridge top with city-to-ocean views, this Craftsman-exterior home was designed for its previous owner, actor James Woods. Inside, architect Lise Claiborne Matthews created the element of surprise with light-filled, contemporary interiors and bands of inlaid mahogany on the walls that wrap around corners, climb, dip, narrow and broaden from room to room.

Location: 1520 Gilcrest Drive, Beverly Hills 90210

Asking price: $9,995,000

"The miracle of melancholia"

We're a nation obsessed with being happy, but sometimes feeling bad can do you some good. Eric G. Wilson is a professor of English at Wake Forest University and author of "Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy."In april of 1819, right around the time that he began to suffer the first symptoms of tuberculosis -- the disease that had already killed his mother and his beloved brother, Tom -- the poet John Keats sat down and wrote, in a letter to his brother, George, the following question: "Do you not see how necessary a World of Pains and troubles is to school an Intelligence and make it a Soul?"

Implied in this inquiry is an idea that is not very popular these days -- at least not in the United States, which is characterized by an almost collective yearning for complete happiness. That idea is this: A person can only become a fully formed human being, as opposed to a mere mind, through suffering and sorrow. This notion would seem quite strange, possibly even deranged, in a country in which almost 85% of the population claims, according to the Pew Research Center, to be "very happy" or at least "happy

Indeed, in light of our recent craze for positive psychology -- a brand of psychotherapy designed not so much to heal mental illness as to increase happiness -- as well as in light of our increasing reliance on pills that reduce sadness, anxiety and fear, we are likely to challenge Keats' meditation outright, to condemn it as a dangerous and dated affront to the modern American dream.

But does the American addiction to happiness make any sense, especially in light of the poverty, ecological disaster and war that now haunt the globe, daily annihilating hundreds if not thousands? Isn't it, in fact, a recipe for delusion?

And aren't we merely trying to slice away what is most probably an essential part of our hearts, that part that can reconcile us to facts, no matter how harsh, and that also can inspire us to imagine new and more creative ways to engage with the world? Bereft of this integral element of our selves, we settle for a status quo. We yearn for comfort at any cost. We covet a good night's sleep. We trade fortitude for blandness

"part of the natural landscape"

Images like this one above showing water tumbling down a huge moulin are being held up with gloom and doom scenarios that say Greenland’s Ice is melting “faster than expected” and we’ll get six feet of sea level rise from it along with a 10-15°F temperature rise by the year 2100.

Perhaps. But, moulins have existed since Greenland had ice, they are just part of the natural landscape and processes. They aren’t “new” to our time.

"nature’s purest, most exotic creations"

Greenland is largely perceived as an icy, permanently frozen piece of landmass, north of Canada. However, it should be understood that it is also a distinct tourist destination offering the rare chance to witness nature’s purest, most exotic creations. Being the largest island nation in the world, Greenland hardly sees many visitors because it is cut-off from international travel routes for a major part of the year. However, during the few months that it is accessible, it offers an amazing view of a topography that is hard-to-describe in words—the numerous bays and straits have divided the entire landscape in a manner that has no precedents. Among these, the Davis Strait is the most popular since it is close to the Canadian Archipelago. Greenland Sea has also become an often toured destination, particularly due to explorers approaching Greenland from the Spitzbergen-Denmark Strait route. The entire region is covered with ice throughout the year, except for the small, hospitable zones around the coasts. Besides the cold temperatures and the ice being a deterrent, the fjords and scurries ensure that transversing Greenland without seeking professional help could be hazardous. However, if you are an adventure-seeker, there isn’t a place more worthy than Greenland as it offers the opportunity to explore its vastness without any inhibitions, offering absolute freedom from any vacationing norm.

Global Warming: Greenland When It's Hot

The Arctic frontier is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth—in ways both spectacular and terrifying. The sea ice is melting, the glaciers are crumbling, and scientists and adventurers are scrambling like mad just to keep up.

Text by Paul Bennett Photograph by Greg Von Doersten

Put a little life in your tank

Finger coral does well in almost any tank condition. Under higher light they extend flower like polyps along the length of their "fingers". These are rapid growers but are easily propagated by cutting. Since this genus does not produce a slime coat like many other soft corals when cut it is much more easily attached to small pieces of live rock, or placed in a hole or crevice in the rock. It generally only takes a few days to become securely attached to it's new home.

Convict Lake, flanked by Mt. Morrison and Laurel Mountain, mirrors this spectacular scene

California's High Sierras

(Photo by Susan Spano)

"He opened ears and remade sensibilities"

Legendary and iconic are terms cheapened and debased by advertising and the overeager. They should be reserved for someone like Ravi Shankar. I am among the maybe millions whose first meaningful experience with music from a distant culture was Shankar’s sitar playing. He opened ears and remade sensibilities.

You can find almost ANYTHING at the 99 cent store

"it wasn’t hard to find someone less fortunate"

Edhi is one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan, a premiere example of a life of compassion, perseverance and patience. Born January 1st 1928 in British India, Edhi grew up taking care of his mother who suffered from paralysis and diabetes. She taught him a daily lesson by giving him two paisas, one to spend on himself, and one on someone less fortunate. This simple lesson shaped him into the great man that he is today. In a region that had faced great turmoil after the dismantling of the British Empire, where millions of Hindus and Muslims were uprooted and became refugees, it wasn’t hard to find someone less fortunate.

"The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess"

On the cusp of her Broadway return, starring in the controversial re-imagined production of "Porgy and Bess" (renamed "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess"), four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, 41, comes to Orange County on Oct. 15 for a cabaret performance, midway through a two-month cross-country tour.

National Arts and Humanities Month

As the 2012 election season nears, political pundits of various persuasions have lately been noting the strong populist streak emerging in President Obama's recent public presentations. Now, add Monday's White House proclamation naming October as National Arts and Humanities Month.

"Norman Rockwell's magazine covers are classic and recognizable portrayals of American life," the proclamation begins, going on to describe a famous 1963 Rockwell depiction of 6-year-old Ruby Bridges being escorted into a recently desegregated school by U.S. marshals, a racist epithet scrawled on the wall behind her amid blood-like splatters of thrown tomatoes. The image was originally published as a 1964 centerfold in Look magazine. "Like Rockwell's painting, art in all its forms often challenges us to consider new perspectives and to rethink how we see the world," the proclamation continues.

The choice of Rockwell, America's favorite homespun illustrator, is a long way from the modern and contemporary art that the Obamas chose to hang in the White House in 2009. That art was widely noticed in the press for being artistically challenging. Similar to the recently installed Rockwell, enshrined not far from the Oval Office, paintings by Ed Ruscha, Susan Rothenberg and Mark Rothko were loaned for the residence.

"a portrait of character"

"George Harrison: Living in the Material World," which premieres Wednesday and Thursday on HBO, is a long, lovely meditation on the Beatle sometimes called the Quiet One and the quiet one sometimes called a Beatle. Directed by Martin Scorsese at the invitation of widow Olivia Harrison, it is not especially informative in the way documentaries usually strive to be, a cataloging of causes and effects and significant facts and figures; nor has it been made as a brief for George's unsung genius. In fact, it leaves a lot out and doesn't always explain what it puts in. But it is not really so much a film about a career as it is about a life and not so much about a life of events as of spiritual progress — a portrait of character more than of "a character."

Boeing's Phantom Works

After nearly seven months of flight, the U.S. Air Force's latest X-37 robotic space plane is nearing a milestone in its secret mission in Earth orbit as it chalks up mileage and operational experience.

As of last week, the reusable X-37B space plane had been in orbit for more than 206 days, two months shy of its 270-day mission design lifetime. The spacecraft, which looks like a miniature space shuttle, launched on its clandestine mission on March 5 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.


The space plane is the second X-37B spacecraft built for the Air Force by Boeing's Phantom Works and carries the name Orbital Test Vehicle 2, or OTV-2.

The X-37B — like the now-retired NASA space shuttles — is capable of returning experiments to Earth for further inspection and analysis, as well as re-flight of equipment.

"arrested decay"

Over a century removed from its notorious heyday, the ghost town of Bodie, California remains in a state of "arrested decay" on the eastern slope of the Sierra.

"flying into the eye of a hurricane"

It's 3 feet long, weighs 8 pounds and looks a bit like a plastic airplane model. But by next year it will be flying into the eye of a hurricane, bucking incredibly violent winds and maneuvering within 100 feet of the ocean's surface.

Its primary mission: to help the National Hurricane Center improve intensity predictions, an area where forecasters have lagged for decades. It also will help improve the accuracy of real-time storm predictions

"Elizabeth, Sweetheart, Dream angel, Queen-of-the world"

The jewelry from seven husbands. The wardrobe of a '60s jet-setter. The memorabilia of a Hollywood icon, including a love poem by Bob Dylan that he scrawled on a framed publicity poster of himself and dedicated to "Elizabeth, Sweetheart, Dream angel, Queen-of-the world."

These are among more than 2,000 objects that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor and are being auctioned by Christie's in mid-December in New York.

They have already been on display in London and Moscow and will travel to other capitals of wealth. But for four days in October, Taylor's collection will be back in Los Angeles, where she lived most of her life and died at age 79 in March.

The auction preview will take place Oct. 13-16 at MOCA's Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, with admission costing $20. Anyone lucky enough to put their nose inside Taylor's Vuitton luggage set will still be able to smell her perfume.

Above: Elizabeth Taylor with Burt Lancaster in 1961.

Still funny . . . after all these years!!!

As a stand-alone CBS comedy series, "The Honeymooners" — starring Jackie Gleason as blustery bus driver Ralph Kramden; Audrey Meadows as his no-nonsense wife, Alice; Art Carney as his clueless friend, Norton; and Joyce Randolph as Norton's wife, Trixie — lasted only one season, 1955-56. Gleason, though, had introduced "The Honeymooners" as a recurring sketch in 1951 on the DuMont's network's "Cavalcade of Stars" and when he went to CBS to do "The Jackie Gleason Show" in 1952, he took the characters with him. Sketches from 1952-55 and 1956-57 are featured on MPI's new 15-disc "The Honeymooners Lost Episodes: The Complete Restored Series." The set features 10 hours of "Honeymooners" sketches that have not been seen since the 1950s, including eight "Honeymooners" musical hours telecast in 1957. The collection was restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

"good luck tiki"

Fourteen feet tall with a somewhat menacing look, a redwood tiki that was a fixture on the Redondo Beach Pier was recently discovered in a city storage facility.

Pier visitors might remember the giant tiki standing guard outside Helen Yue’s Restaurant or the Lahani Haloha lounge beginning in the 1960s. The good luck tiki survived the wrath of several nasty storms as well as the fire that nearly burned down the pier in 1988.

“It’s my hope we can restore the tiki and have it displayed somewhere in a public space in the city as a wonderful historic monument,” said Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin.

Dread Zeppelin for . . .

music or comedy or both or neither or . . . ?

Miss Veedol

East Wenatchee, Wash.— The Wright brothers. Charles Lindbergh. Amelia Earhart. Howard Hughes.

You don't have to be interested in aviation to recognize the names of famous, risk-taking pilots from the early days of flight.

But mention Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, and most folks stare blankly as they utter, "Who?"

Even in the Wenatchee Valley, east of the Cascades in central Washington, schoolchildren don't know the names, although this is where history was made on Oct. 5, 1931, when the two pilots, in a plane named Miss Veedol (after a brand of motor oil), belly-flopped onto a muddy airstrip, becoming the first people to fly nonstop across the Pacific.

The two, who had taken off 41 hours earlier from Japan, flew much farther than "Lucky Lindy" had four years earlier, when his Spirit of St. Louis crossed the Atlantic. Unlike Lindbergh, Pangborn and Herndon didn't make it into most history books — or even the movies.

61 Homeruns in 1961 without steroids!!!

Illustration by Trygve Olson / The Forum, Fargo, N.D.

"concept cabin"

An illustration shows Airbus' "concept cabin" -- situated above the cockpit -- for a commercial passenger plane expected to fly by 2050. Company engineers imagine that by mid-century commercial planes will have pliable seats that adjust themselves to a passenger's body and transparent cabin ceilings.

(Airbus / October 2, 2011)