Daily Link

The Iranian government has placed tight controls on media organizations as protests over the recent presidential election have grown. But this has not stopped news and images from emerging out of Iran.

Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are providing up-to-the-second news. Though, as Foreign Policy magazine warns, there are fakers and provocateurs out there.

Even Wikipedia had to lock its entry on the June 12 elections, citing vandalism.

Still images are constantly surfacing on Flickr, Picasa and Photobucket of events in Iran and sympathetic protests worldwide.

The international journalists association Reporters Without Borders provides news on press crackdowns and the whereabouts of journalists on its Iran page.

YouTube is teeming with videos, but one in particular may well emerge as the iconic image of the election protests.

In what's tagged the "Neda video," a young woman lays dying after reportedly being gunned down by a government militia member. However, The Associated Press said it could not verify the location, date or the content of the video, which is explicit.

If you want to keep your kids' minds sharp this summer, two bookstore chains might help.

In Barnes & Noble's program, kids in first through sixth grades complete a downloadable journal by reading and writing about eight books. Return the journal to a store and the child can select a free book from a grade-appropriate list.

Borders offers a similar program. Children 12 and under read 8 books, list them on a form, and then return the form to the store where they will get a coupon to buy some selected items for $4.99.

And, if you're not sure what your child should be reading, check out the state of California's reading list for Kindergarten through 12th graders. The list is sorted by reading level as based on the California English-Language Arts Standards Test.

The recession is clearly fueling the popularity of mother-oriented blogs that focus on penny pinching. But it's difficult to estimate how many there are because many female bloggers who used to limit themselves to such areas as gardening and weddings now include money-saving tips.
Jessica Hogue, research director of Nielsen Online, which has studied more than 10,000 parenting and mother-oriented blogs, believes about two dozen mother-oriented blogs that focus on frugality are influential. She ranks them based on how much chatter they garner, their volume of followers on Twitter.com and the number of times consumers link to them from other blogs, among other criteria.
Here are the top five mom-oriented blogs with a frugal focus Nielsen found most influential.

1. www.commonsensewithmoney.com:
Founder: Mercedes Levy, 34, mother of two boys, ages 4, 18 months.
Based: Sheboygan, Wis.
Background: Certified Public Accountant, holds an MBA. Stay-at-home mother. Started blog October 2007.
Focus: Rock-bottom deals.
Philosophy: "I wanted people to see that you can not only make it on one income but you can thrive on one."

2. www.5dollardinners.com
Founder: Erin Chase, 31, mother of two boys, ages 4 and 2.
Based: Dayton, Ohio
Background: Former high school math and science teacher. Started blog summer 2008.
Focus: Cooking and planning nutritious family dinners for less than $5.
Philosophy: "I buy EVERYTHING on sale and most non-produce/meat items with a coupon."

3. www.couponmom.com
Founder: Stephanie Nelson, 45, mother of two boys ages, 13 and 16.
Based: Atlanta
Background: Bachelor's degree in finance, 10 years' experience in sales and marketing with Procter & Gamble Co. and MarriottZZTO International Inc. Left corporate world 1995. Started blog 2001.
Focus: Slashing your grocery bill in half.
Philosophy: "Strategic shopping is not about changing the way you eat; it is about changing the way you buy the food you like."

4. www.moneyssavingmom.com
Founder: Crystal Paine, 27, mother of two girls, ages 4, 23 months and a boy, 3 weeks old.
Based: Kansas
Background: Stay-at-home mom, learned to live on "beans and rice budget" when husband was in law school. Started blog in late 2007.
Focus: Living on less than you make by using coupons and finding other deals.
Philosophy: "After years of scrimping and sacrifice, we're reaping the benefits now of being able to live significantly below our means because we don't have any payments."

5. www.freebies4mom.blogspot.com:
Founder: Heather Hernandez, 33, mother of two boys, ages 4,2.
Based: Houston
Background: Civil engineer. Stay-at-home mom. Started blog October 2007.
Focus: Free samples, freebies on products that families use daily.
Philosophy: "Moms deserve to be spoiled, and I help them by sharing the hottest freebies as a fun way to save money."

-- The Associated Press

The National Park Service is looking to stimulate summer vacations at national parks.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Tuesday that entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments -- including the Grand Canyon and Yosemite -- will be waived on three weekends this summer. The weekends are June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16.
"During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families," Salazar said at a news conference at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. "I encourage everyone to visit one of our nation's crown jewels this summer and especially to take advantage of the three free-admission weekends."
Most Americans live less than a day's drive from a national park, Salazar said. Last year, national parks attracted more than 275 million visits, generating an estimated $10.6 billion for local economies and supporting more than 213,000 jobs, he said.
For the Park Service, the free weekends will mean a loss of an estimated half-million dollars a day from entrance fees that range from $3 to $25. A total of 147 parks and monuments charge entrance fees; the nation's other 244 parks are already free.
Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman for Salazar, said the lost revenue should be more than offset by an increase in park tourism. Many tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other vendors near national parks will offer other discounts and special promotions on the free weekend dates, she said.
The waiver applies only to entrance fees and does not affect charges for camping, reservations, tours or concessions, Barkoff said.

Looking for something to keep your kids busy this summer without breaking the bank? Check out some of these summer movie programs geared toward kids.

AMC Theaters runs $1 movies during its "Summer Movie Camp" every Wednesday at 10 a.m. The Southbay Galleria 16 in Redondo Beach and the Del Amo 18 are participating this year. Here's the schedule:

June 17: Space Chimps
June 24: Kung Fu Panda
July 1: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
July 8: Tale of Despereaux
July 15: Horton Hears a Who
July 22: The Spiderwick Chronicles
July 29: Nim's Island
Aug. 5: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Promenade Stadium 13 in Rolling Hills Estates participates in Regal Cinema's "Free Family Film Festival." Every Tuesday and Wednesday during the program, movies are free at 10 a.m. for kids and their parents. Here's the movie schedule:

June 23-24: Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tale Movie (G)
Inkheart (PG)

June 30-July 1: Everyone's Hero (G)
Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa (PG)

July 7-8: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)

July 14-15: Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
Igor (PG)

July 21-22: Doogal (G)
Surf's Up (PG)

July 28-29: Space Chimps (G)
Hotel For Dogs (PG)

Aug. 4-5: The Tale Of Despereaux (G)
Nim's Island (PG)

Aug. 11-12: Charlotte's Web (G)
Kung Fu Panda (PG)

Pacific Theaters don't have a kids program, but they do have Monday Morning Mommy Movies at the El Segundo theater each week at 11 a.m. Here's the spiel:

Moms, Dads and Caregivers - here's your chance to see a first run adult-themed movie...with your baby! No one will mind if your baby cries, everyone will have a baby and all babies cry. So pack up your diaper bag and stroller, and we'll see you at the movies!

The City of Torrance screens family movies in some city parks for free on Saturday evenings during the summer. Bring your own popcorn, lawn chairs and blankets and see a flick under the stars. Follow the links for more info. Here's what's showing:
July 18: Back to the Future
Aug. 1: Singin in the Rain
Aug. 15: Ratatouille

Redondo Beach also sponsors a similar Outdoor Family Classic Film Festival. Here's the line-up:
July 24: West Side Story
July 31: On the Waterfront
Aug. 7: The Searchers
Aug. 14: Breakfast at Tiffany's

RELATED LINKS:
Database of fun stuff to do with kids in the South Bay
Database of South Bay restaurants with kids eat free deals
Calendar listings for family-friendly South Bay events

Do your kids use your iPhone as much as you do? Want to load up before your summer vacation? If so, you may want to check out the list of child-friendly apps ranked by Internetsafety.com, the developer of software called Safe Eyes, which blocks inappropriate Internet content for children.
The top 10 titles are listed below with Apple's App store prices. Full descriptions and links for purchase are listed at http://blog.internetsafety.com/2009/05/12/kid-friendly-apps.

Games

• Memory Match Kids by Jirbo, $.99 (animal-based memory game, 4+)


• Wheels on the Bus by Duck Duck Moose $.99 (sing-along game, 4+)


• Baloonimals by Ideo Soft Lab $1.99 (interactive balloon animals, 4+)


• DisneyZZTO Fairies Fly by Walt DisneyZZTO $4.99 (Neverland exploration, 4+)

Education

• Kid's Math Fun by NSC Partners LLC $1.99 (different versions for


• grades K-4)


• Kindle for iPhone by Reinke LLC free (reader for ebooks from Amazon, all ages)

Creative

• Comic Touch by Plasq $2.99 (funny photo manipulation, all ages)


• Karma Art by Stylem Media $.99 (cut-and-paste drawing assembly, all ages)


• Kids Finger Painter by Third Frame Mobile $.99 (painting program, 4+)


• Ocarina by Smule $.99 (turns iPhone into a flute, all ages)

RELATED POSTS:
Kid-friendly social networking
California's Kids Corner educational Web site
How to raise cash for schools without spending any
Freeware for kids
Database of kid activities in the South Bay
Database of South Bay kids eat free offers

With summer on the horizon, it's time to prepare that poolside or beach reading list.

Two Web sites that can give you some suggestions are Goodreads and This One Next.

Goodreads.com has a social networking feature. It lets you know what your friends are reading, have read or would like to read. It also alerts you to what are the most popular books — at least among members of Goodreads.

Currently, President Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" is being read by 2,651 members, and it's No. 10 on the reading list.

But Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" is No. 2 on the reading list, and other books in the series are Nos. 4, Number6 and Number 7. "The Host," the first book of her newest series, is No. 11.

The site also includes videos of author interviews and a database of upcoming literary events. Enter your zip code and the type of event and the results pop up in a list and on a map.

Goodreads also maintains several user groups to discuss literature by genre, geography or common interest.

The name of This One Next says it all. Type in the title and author of book and ask for suggestions. However, just a cursory check of the site found that the less popular the title, the more likely it will return an error message.

The site also will recommend CDs and videos, although its choices can seem a little odd — "The Sound of Music" draws a recommendation of "The River Wild" with Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon.

Both sites will link you to Amazon, so you can order a book, CD, DVD or an electronic download if you have a Kindle.

The Associated Press reports:

On Twitter, messages of 140 characters may seem confining. Mike Massimino is finding a different type of space even more limiting -- outer space.

The astronaut is sending messages to the social networking site from 350 miles above Earth on the space shuttle Atlantis -- and what's cramping his "tweets" is time, not the character limit.

Massimino, 46, averaged about four tweets a day before launch. Now that he's in orbit, it's down to one a day.

Still, Astro_Mike, which is Massimino's Twitter name, did make history.

He's the first person to tweet from space: "From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!"

There are 36 NASA Twitter accounts, including Massimino's. NASA also has 24 Facebook accounts, 13 YouTube channels, eight Flickr photo accounts and five MySpace sites.

More than 270,000 people have signed up to follow Massimino's tweets.

He tweeted Wednesday from orbit about chasing down Hubble: "From orbit: Getting more accustomed to living in space today and getting ready for our big rendezvous with Hubble."

And on Thursday, about grabbing Hubble the previous day: "From orbit: Rendezvous and grapple were great, getting ready for our first spacewalk."

The tweets may get more scarce. Massimino, 46, is spacewalking today and Sunday.

Astronaut Mark Polansky -- whose Twitter name is astro_127 -- also tweets, as does NASA, which also maintains a list of social media sites (such as Facebook) that it and its affiliates use.

The Los Angeles County assessor Monday again warned property owners about companies offering to find ways to lower property assessment rates.

County Assessor Rich Auerbach says his office continues to receive calls from property owners regarding such solicitations.

"Neither Los Angeles County nor any government agency approves or endorses these companies' services," Auerbach said. "Furthermore, companies offering to lower property taxes must show clearly that they are not a government agency, and failure to do so is a violation of California law."

"Don't get ripped off," county Supervisor Gloria Molina said. "You never have to pay for a review of your property's assessed value. The L.A. County Assessor's Office does this service for free."

The county is conducting an automatic review of about 500,000 single-family residences, with the list of properties included in the review posted on the County Assessor's Web site.

Property owners who disagree with the results of the review may contest the outcome through Dec. 31.

You land at LAX after a relaxing vacation only to find out your luggage didn't make it home with you. Just like the drier didn't eat your sock, the plane didn't eat your stuff, so where did it go?

One possible option is www.isthisyourluggage.com. When an airline or airport finds lost luggage but not its owner, it auctions off the bags and sends the profits to charity. The creator of isthisyourluggage.com buys that lost luggage at auction, photographs it and posts the images on the site so people can find their lost belongings. If while browsing the site you come across a suitcase or bag that looks like yours, you must send an e-mail to the luggage collector to negotiate the return of your items.