November 2007 Archives

Entertainment Web sites want writers and audiences alike to know that the Internet isn’t just for TV reruns and film downloads. And with the writers strike forcing many productions to shut down, many sites see opportunity. Here’s a sampling of sites that relate to the strike or offer alternatives to now-in-reruns TV. (Some of these sites use strong language.)

“The Office is Closed” features actors and writers from the hit NBC comedy “The Office,” on which production has shut down. You can find it on YouTube by searching for the title.

MyDamnChannel features work from performers such as comedian Harry Shearer, the voice of several characters on the “The Simpsons,” and David Wain, a founder of the comedy show “The State” on MTV.

Some A-list actors have even joined the effort and appeared in the strike-related Web series “Speechless,” where Sean Penn, Ed Asner and others demonstrate the helplessness of actors without a script.

Even the strike itself has gone virtual. MySpace members can join a virtual picket line.

A powerful earthquake in the Caribbean on Thursday triggered a series of false quake alarms in California. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey said a wave of seismic energy confused computers that try to triangulate the location of earthquakes along the West Coast. But even though those weren’t real, hundreds of others in California in the last week were. You can find out where and when they hit from the U.S. Geological Survey, which also links to shaking maps that are updated within 10 minutes of temblors with a magnitude of 3.5 or more.

And if the ground moves for you, pop over to the site and tell them where you were when the quake hit and what you felt.

A report published today warns that millions of Americans are being exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation during CT scans. While some say the need for concern is exaggerated, most experts agree that the use of such X-rays ought to be curbed, especially for children. But when they are needed, you can be prepared by reading up on what to expect and how to prepare for procedures, and how to reduce radiation risks.

The Audubon Society has released its latest watchlist of endangered birds, and the news isn’t great for California — many of the 217 fowl on it are native to the Golden State, and 35 of those are known in the South Bay.

A massive San Pedro calendar covers everything from meetings of the Harbor Area planning commission and neighborhood councils to parades, POPS concerts and movies. The site also includes contact information so you can get your event listed for free.

Julia Scott, a reporter over at the Daily News, blogs compulsively about shopping bargains. Sometimes her stuff is Valley-centric, which makes it useless to us in the South Bay, but lately, she's had a treasure trove of holiday tips and online shopping codes, like one for free gift wrapping at Nordstrom online or free shipping from Macy's or 20% off at snapfish.com.

Below are some Web sites our own bargain hunters use on their internet quest to find inexpensive gifts:

http://dailydeals.com/ offers daily updates on computer and electronics deals, as well as coupon codes that will save you when you check out online. You can also sign up for e-mail alerts on specific items you're looking for.

Overstock.com sells name-brand items for 40 to 80 percent off their original price. For the clueless, they have a holiday gift finder and #1 top sellers section, and for the super cheap, they have a clearance bin with their best-valued items.

Movie director Steven Spielberg began the Shoah Foundation archive in 1994 -- a year after completing "Schindler's List." The archive, which is housed at USC, includes the videotaped testimonies of nearly 52,000 Holocaust survivors -- Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses and others -- in 56 countries.

While the Shoah institute maintains the largest archive of its kind in the world, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., houses the largest registry of Holocaust survivors in the United States.

The Million Book Project has completed the digitization of more than 1.5 million books. All of the books, which range from Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” to “The Analects of Confucius,” are available through a single Web portal of the Universal Library.
From the press release:

“Anyone who can get on the Internet now has access to a collection of books the size of a large university library,” said Raj Reddy, professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon who has spearheaded the project. “This project brings us closer to the ideal of the Universal Library: making all published works available to anyone, anytime, in any language. The economic barriers to the distribution of knowledge are falling.”

If you're still studying health plans for next year, there are plenty of online guides to help you determine the type and amount of coverage that is right for you and to help you sort through some of the mumbo jumbo. Try some of these reputable sites: WebMD; Consumer Reports (subscription required for some items); and The New York Times Health section's Money and Policy focus.

Explore Mars now to see what life might be like there tomorrow. The Diomedes Mission, set to launch in 2017, plans on inhabiting Mars. Using current technology, take an interactive tour of the base camp.

An American Indian proposal to build a Tongva boat house where the public could see how plank canoes once were made by California's earliest inhabitants is being discussed for the White Point Nature Preserve. The original proposal with photos was submitted for Angels Gate Park. The public can also review other master plan proposals for the park, including The Palace of 7 Gardens and the Golden State Pops Orchestra.

Baen Publishing Co. offers free downloads of some of its backlist in a variety of formats.
The company has been opposed to DRM for years and publishes at least five of its print releases each month in e-book form as well. Buyers can purchase the entire package for $20 or $6 a copy. It is also providing a Web site for other publishers wanting to enter the e-book market.
Its library, which has about 100 titles ranging from novellas to novels both new and some classics, provides an opportunity to check out several different science fiction and fantasy series for free.

Bruins, Trojans, college football fans, this is the weekend. There's a Rose Bowl berth on the line and a classic cross-town rivalry to be played. Get up to date and in depth with bloggers' entirely partisan and sometimes exhausting coverage of their teams. Plus, check out Breeze bloggers' takes on USC and UCLA football and other sports.
Blue and gold: Bruins Nation; Inside UCLA.
Cardinal and gold: Conquest Chronicles; Inside USC.

Wildfires have ravaged Southern California this year. Is your home safe from danger? Get tips at at the stat's fire prevention Web site.

If you've got a dog, you're probably thinking about stuffing its stocking with treats.

The Associated Press reported recently:

Americans are expected to spend an estimated $48.7 billion on their pets in 2007, nearly twice the amount of a decade ago and growing at more than 7 percent a year, according to Packaged Facts, a consumer research company in Rockville, Md.

A San Pedro business that bakes homemade dog treats is offering to share the holiday wealth with less fortunate pups. The home-based business has a holiday promotion to donate 50 percent of its proceeds to local animal shelters and rescue groups.

With a roll of stamps and plenty of time, Tom Locke decided to write to 100 companies and ask for free stuff. His blog details his whimsical and sometimes amusing experience. The experiment lasted about three months and he received over $270 worth of coupons and merchandise. Not bad for a $39 investment.

Manhattan Beach is pulling up its ice plants in search of greener landscaping (a la Al Gore, not Kermit). But having environmentally friendly plants isn’t the only way to reduce your eco-footprint. Changing your maintenance practices, swapping out equipment and reducing the use of pesticides are a few of the tricks the Environmental Protection Agency says can benefit you and the Earth.

As of Saturday evening, the wildfire in Malibu had destroyed 49 residences and damaged 27 other buildings. The city of Malibu has posted a list of addresses and descriptions of the structures.

Anchor Free can help your Internet addiction no matter where you may be with itslist of thousands of free hotspots around the globe. Whether sipping a Starbuck's in Seattle or brunching on a bagel in Boca Raton, you're never far away from the Internet.

Is King Kong taller than Godzilla? Are white chocolate and caviar tasty together? Test your senses and challenge your instincts.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering a float in the Rose Parade to mark their 50th year in Los Angeles, and they need fans to help build it. Volunteers are asked to complete an online form.

The volunteer dates are:
Today and Sunday: 8:30am - 4:00pm
Dec. 1-2, 8-9, 15-16 and 22: 8:30am - 4:00pm
Dec. 23: 8:30am - 1:30pm

According to the floatmaker's Web site, which includes a rendering of the float, "Dodger Stadium will be depicted, complete with 12 Dodger Baseball legends and Nancy Bea playing game-day favorites on the stadium organ. Fifteen fans will also be on board, cheering from the bleachers for the 35 foot tall MLB player with the Grand Slam swing."

She doesn’t have a name yet (that’s coming Monday), but she’s got a Web show. Watch the San Diego Zoo’s youngest panda — the child of one of the most reproductively successful panda pairs in captivity.

While there are plenty of games online to play, this one is a bit different. While you're playing, not only will you get smarter, but you'll also help stop world hunger! FreeRice has two simple goals: 1) Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free, 2) Help end world hunger by providing rice to starving people for free. Every time you guess the correct definition of a word, sponsors of the Web site will donate 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. Click here to start playing and feed the hungry.

As foreclosures increase and more houses sit untended, the pools out back are growing green and murky -- and drawing potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes, including the West Nile virus. The National Vacant Properties Campaign is among the groups focusing on revitalizing abandoned property.

Check Santa's schedule for photo-ops at South Bay shopping centers between now and the big day:

Southbay Pavilion, Carson
Instead of a traditional Santa photo studio, the mall will have a "strolling Santa," who will cruise the mall from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Bring your camera and he'll pose for photos with you. Call customer service at 310-366-6629 for more information.

Manhattan Village Mall, Manhattan Beach
Santa Claus will be availabe for photos at the Center Court of the Manhattan Village Mall from
November 23 through December 24 at the following hours:
Monday - Saturday: 11 am-8 pm (Breaks: 1 pm - 2 pm & 5:15 pm - 6 pm)
Sunday: 11 am - 6 pm (Break: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.)

South Bay Galleria, Redondo Beach
Children of all ages can share their wishes and sit for paid portraits with Santa at Level 1, Center Court of the South Bay Galleria. In addition to Santa photos, parents can purchase a special "snow package," which will capture the surprise on kids' faces as snow falls from a nearby snowman.

Studio hours:
Nov. 23: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Nov. 24: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Nov. 25: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Nov. 26 - 30: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 1: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 2: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Dec. 3 - 7: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 8: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 9: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Dec. 10 - 14: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 15: 9 - 10 p.m.
Dec. 16: 10 - 9 p.m.
Dec. 17 - 20: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Dec. 21: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Dec. 22: 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Dec. 23: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Dec. 24: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
(Breaks are subject to change, but typically they are: Monday - Saturday, 1 - 2 p.m. and 5:15 - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 2 - 3 p.m.)

Pets can get their photos with Santa, too.
Nov. 19, 26: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 3, 10: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Dec. 17: 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Avenue of the Peninsula, Rolling Hills Estates
The Avenue of the Peninsula offers complimentary Santa photos in front of the tree in the fountain area every Saturday from 2-5 p.m., from Dec. 1 through Christmas.

Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance
The Del Amo Fashion Center Santa Set will be opening in Jo-Ann's Court near Mall Entrance 11 from now until Dec. 24, 2007. Take pictures with Santa at the Santa Set during the following hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Breaks: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. - 6 p.m.)
Sunday: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Break: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.)

With the holiday season comes the reminder that it's better to give than to receive. But when it comes to giving to a national charity, be sure you're making a good investment by learning which organizations meet the standards of the Better Business Bureau. The bureau's Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org offers reports on individual charities, news and alerts on charity scams, tips on giving and more.

It's hard to resist all the goodies that go with the traditional turkey dinner, but you might find it easier after checking out the brutally honest Thanksgiving calorie counter. Just click on the items you plan on eating. The Web site totals the calories and then shows you how many miles you'll have to go in order to walk them off. Put on some comfy shoes - an average meal could cost you more than 20 miles.

Every year, readers write to our "Ask Us" editor inquiring about organizations that will reuse old Christmas cards. In last year's answer, which lives on in our Ask Us Database, she reported that the sources we used to recommend no longer takes the cards because they were overwhelmed with donations.

This year, she recommends some sites that will walk you through some creative ways to reuse the cards yourself.

Make bookmarks, gift tags and other projects
Make ornaments
Make candy holds, postcards and other projects

A simple lab technique can transform ordinary skin cells into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells, according to two studies published online today. To read about the discovery that could distill the debate over the controversial treatment, check out www.cell.com or www.science.com, which include the papers detailing the experiments in Japan and the United States.

But once the transformation is complete, how can the cells be used? You can find out answers to that, as well as details about what stem cells are and where they come from at www.mayoclinic.com/health/stem-cells/CA00081.

As we get in to heavy duty baking season, ask yourself this deep question: Do you know how old your spices are? Or what their shelf lives are? If you have McCormick spices in your cupboard, you can check how old they are with the age decoder on the company's Web site. It also has a guide for how long you should keep different types of herbs and spices.

Two South Bay Gold’s Gym locations will offer free workouts on Black Friday as part of a Thanksgiving promotion.

Anyone wanting to burn calories by working out rather than shopping can visit Gold’s locations in Redondo Beach, 200 N. Harbor Drive, and Hawthorne, 4917 W. 147th St.

Visitors can walk in and inquire about a free workout.

Information about how to exercise at home and stay motivated during the holidays is available on the Web site.

From staff writer Rick Orlov:

A bobblehead-doll version of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is being sold by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project as part of a fundraising effort.

The SVREP has been instrumental in registering new voters, particularly Latinos, around the western United States and has been seen as a critical factor in the emergence of Latino politicians.

The dolls are being sold for $25, plus $5 for shipping. For information, go to www.svrep.org.

Want to tune out your relatives by listening to the radio, but not sure which stations come in loud and clear at grandma's house? By clicking here, it's easy to find out which stations have a strong signal whereever you travel. When you enter a zip code, dozens of stations are listed by their signal strengths.

If you're the family shutterbug, you might want to read up on this site. You'll find tips for taking better Thanksgiving photos, including help with large family portraits.

Americans are estimated to have received 20 billion catalogs this year. If you feel like they've all come to your house and you want off the mailing lists, there is a new Web site to help.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, nearly 150,000 people have signed up at the site in just 5 1/2 weeks. The paper reports:

Catalog Choice is a project of three environmental organizations: the National Wildlife Federation in Virginia, the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York and the Ecology Center in Berkeley.

The concept is simple: Catalog Choice provides a convenient online process for people to remove their names from specific mailing lists in a way that also makes it easy and beneficial for catalog companies to cooperate. All consumers have to do is register for a free log-in at the Web site. After that, they can check off the catalogs - from a list of more than 1,000 so far - that they don't want and Catalog Choice will forward the information to the companies.

The stakes are high. Those 20 billion catalogs, according to Catalog Choice, are created at a cost of 53 million trees and by using enough energy to power 1.2 million homes per year.

Go here to sign up.

Go here to read more of the Merc's article.

Want to cut down on the junk mail you get, too? Try this site which will get you off of some national marketing mail for a $1 registration fee. The site also has a form you can download and send to a specific company to get off its mailing list.

This one is the official site to opt out of prescreened credit card and insurance offers.

Get your kids cranked up for Thursday's parade with games, puzzles and other fun stuff here.

Need something to occupy your mind while you're waiting for your relatives at the airport? At ManyBooks, you'll find thousands of free eBooks pre-formatted for reading on your computer, PDA, Blackberry, iPod, Sony Reader and most eBook readers. The books, which are in the public domain, range from classics to pulp fiction, as well as biographies and nonfiction. There's a tip jar but no pressure to donate to keep the site active.

Grist, the environmental news and commentary Web site, has invited the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to the Wadsworth Theatre today in West Los Angeles for a grilling on what they will do, if elected, about global warming and energy issues. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich have accepted. Registration for the event is filled up, but Grist will webcast the event live, starting at 2 p.m.

Internal Revenue Service officials announced this week that 5,150 Los Angeles County residents didn't get their tax refund checks. The amounts total $5.7 million -- that's an average of more than $1,000. Claim your slice of the pie by going here. If you'd rather call, the number is 800-829-1954. (And tell your friends in Riverside County and O.C. that they're owed money too.) Here's hoping they owe you lots.

If you want to build some offbeat - and a bit macabre - pit stops into your roadtrip, check out these unusual celebrity gravesites. These are the flippered, furried, and feathered celebrities. Mr. Ed, Flipper, and Elsie the Cow have special resting places and you can visit them, if not in person, at least on the Web.

AddictingGames is a big source of free online games including arcade games, action games, sports games, puzzle games, flash games and more. Updated every weekday with lots of new games on Friday.

The remains of a dinosaur with a strange jaw designed to hoover-up food 110 million years ago went on display Thursday at the headquarters of the National Geographic Society, where they will remain until March.

Scientists have completed a full reconstruction of the skull and skeleton of Nigersaurus Taqueti, the odd-looking dinosaur discovered in the 1990s in Niger, Africa. For a further explanation and more pictures, go here.

For more on the discovery of Nigersaurus Taqueti, go here.

Can't make it to the annual Los Angeles Auto Show, which begins today? You can still check out the automotive debuts, concept cars and 2007 models of all the exhibitors on the show's Web site.

The site's "Show History" link describes the very first L.A. Auto Show, held 100 years ago in 1907:

Conservationists are trying to save the chestnut tree that Anne Frank looked out upon during her period of hiding from the Nazis during World War II. The Anne Frank Museum Web site has a Web cam of the tree.

Explore the rest of the site for dozens of pictures and stories about the now-famous Amsterdam house.
For an extensive collection of Anne Frank Web links, go here.

Home sales in six Southern California counties fell to the lowest level for October in 20 years. Zillow.com shows you estimated home values within your neighborhood, along with aerial photos. You can search by ZIP code, address or neighborhood name. But be forewarned: While the site can give you a good sense of how the homes in your neighborhood stack up, its estimated values may not reflect up-to-the-minute market realities.

Taking the stairs instead of the escalator will help your heart, a British health study has concluded. Calculate how many calories you burn climbing stairs, and doing 70 other assorted physical activities here.

For practical tips on adding stair-climbing to your fitness regimen, check out this site.

The longest urban stair-climbing race is the Go Vertical competition held every November at the Sears Tower in Chicago, which has 2,109 steps. See how the world's other stair-climbing races stack up here.

How does the 84.37-carat white diamond sold by Sotheby's to George Marciano of Guess Clothing for just under $16.2 million compare to the largest known diamonds in the world? You can see pictures of and read descriptions of the biggest known rocks here.

And if you're looking for a diamond that's a better fit for your budget, here's a consumer guide to everything you need to know.

San Franciscans are used to living in one of the world's highest-rent cities, but even many of them winced Wednesday as gas prices neared $4 per gallon for regular-grade fuel. Los Angeles was No. 2 at $3.32 per gallon. If you're planning a holiday trip by car, you might want to know what it will cost you in fuel before heading out. The American Automobile Association has a site to help make that easy. By answering a few questions here.

Find the cheapest local gas prices by clicking here. You can also get tips for getting more miles per gallon and link to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Palos Verdes Estates author Angi Ma Wong has published a children's book about the Harbor City gator's saga. For $17, you can order the book here. The Web site also has a plush reggie doll for sale.

Or, you can call the publisher to get a copy at 310-541-8818.

Here are some local spots where you can pick up the book:

Kaiser Medical Center gift shop
25825 South Vermont Avenue
Harbor City, CA 90710

Torrance Memorial Medical Center gift shop
3330 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90731

The Grand Emporium
323 West 7th Street
San Pedro, CA 90731

The author apparently is already thinking about a sequel. There is a link on the site to send your ideas for Reggie's future.

The winter storms have yet to arrive on our doorstep, but that chill in the November air usually turns the thoughts of skiers and snowboarders to the slopes. SkiReport.com can bring you up-to-the-minute reports on conditions at all of California's major ski resorts:
http://www.skireport.com/california/
Information varies with each site, but can include live ski cams, opening dates, road conditions and ski area trail maps in addition to basic information about snow and weather conditions at each ski area. Looking out of state? Leave the "California" off the address, http://www.skireport.com/, for national and international ski coverage.

The Women's Fellowship of the Neighborhood Church will hold their 51st annual Palos Verdes Yule Parlor Parade on Dec. 7-8 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. There are four houses decorated for Christmas on the tour. You'll save $5 of the $35 price if you buy tickets before Dec. 7.

Go here to download the form to buy advance tickets and to read a description of the homes on the tour.

Scripps Howard News Service has been publishing a series about infant deaths in the U.S.
A new look at the records of 40,000 infant deaths casts deep doubt on claims of medical authorities that cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have fallen by more than half since the 1990s. A Scripps Howard News Service Investigation of infant deaths going back to 1992 revealed that the quality of infant death investigations, the level of training for coroners, and the amount of oversight and review vary enormously across the country. In many cases, professional bias -- both for and against a diagnosis of SIDS -- trumps medical evidence. The sloppy investigations and muddled records come with a very high price: the deaths of more babies who might have been saved through medical research.

You can read the series here.
Explore a database that breaks down infant deaths by state and county here.

Now that the skies have cleared up and with the sun setting earlier, you might want to dust off your telescope. What are you looking for? Click here to see what others are looking at and photographing. You can also find sky maps, alerts on near-Earth asteroids, and information about and photos of the incredible, growing Comet Holmes.

Marvel is putting some of its older comics online Tuesday, hoping to reintroduce young people to the X-Men and Fantastic Four by showcasing the original issues in which such characters appeared. It’s a tentative move onto the Internet:
Comics can only be viewed in a Web browser, not downloaded, and new issues won’t go online until at least six months after will only go online at least six months after they first appear in print. Check them out here.

A recent study found that three-fourths of parents rarely or never play videogames with their kids. But as all you parents begin your holiday shopping, you'll probably see some videogame titles on your kids' wish lists. What will you do if you find yourself at the store wondering what "Rated M for mature" means or what "E for everyone" means? Have you ever played an M-rated game? If not, you can shop prepared with unbiased information from www.whattheyplay.com. Search by game title, console or rating -- and figure out the lingo used in the gaming world. It's a fairly new Web site but is already quite detailed; expect this one to become a fantastic resource for parents of gamers. Also, gamers who can spare a minute away from "Halo 3" may want to check out what the next big thing in videogames will be. For gaming-industry news and more, check out www.joystiq.com.

The snapshots that Ansel Adam took -- and probably didn't want anyone to see -- have been put on display. They don't quite measure up to the majestic landscape portraits he's know for, but some argue that the exhibit will be educational in showing the photographic process. Adams had to start somewhere, and the same is true for you. Don't let your digital photos waste away on your computer. Want to edit them? You don't need Photoshop. Just upload them to Snipshot and you can resize, crop, rotate and adjust your photos with ease. Once they look beautiful, show them off at Photosig, where you can get feedback and browse through other people's images for inspiration.

Confused about which 2008 presidential candidate to throw your support behind? You can research all 17 of them, or you can take an easy yes-or-no quiz. All you have to do is go here and answer 23 questions to find out how your position on the issues -- such as the death penalty, the Patriot Act and the border fence -- matches up to the candidates. You might be surprised at the results.

CollegeWeekLive, a virtual college fair, will be held Nov. 13-14, allowing students and their parents to explore dozens of campuses at no cost. Highlights include “virtual booths,” with electronic brochures, videos, webinars, pod casts and real-time IM and video chat among admissions counselors, students and parents. To register, check out the agenda and get an updated list of participating colleges, see www.collegeweeklive.com.

Originally called Armistice Day and intended to celebrate the ending of World War I, what we now know as Veterans Day honors veterans of all wars. To learn more about our veterans and how you can honor them, go here.

Express your doodle; doodle your expressions. And share them with the world. Sketchcast.com lets you draw anything you'd like and, if you'd like, do a voiceover to explain it. You can post it on your blog or create a channel so everyone you know can tune in to your sketches. Why? Who knows. But you'd be in good company: Some of the U.S.'s greatest presidents are well known for their doodles. Check this link for more on that: www.presidentialdoodles.com.

The writers strike has led some shows to go dark, but on the Internet, others are coming to life. A dramedy about a group of twentysomethings in the entertainment and Internet industries, "Quarterlife" is the work of two of the creative forces behind the big-screen film "Blood Diamond" and the small-screen cult favorite "My So-Called Life."

A book to be released next week claims that within "The Last Supper," Leonardo da Vinci hid a musical score, among other things. For an explanation and to hear the music, watch this video.

See a high resolution version of the painting here.

If you are looking for a different way to fix your Thanksgiving turkey this year, click here for some deep fried turkey recipes. While it may sound greasy, it¹s not. Deep-frying sears the turkey quickly to seal in flavor. For a large crowd, it makes a tasty alternative to the traditional tom.

An 84-foot tall Connecticut Norway Spruce tree was hoisted into position at Rockefeller Plaza in New York yesterday. The 48-foot in diameter tree will become the Rockefeller Center
Christmas Tree tree in a lighting ceremony Nov. 28.

Get everything you ever wanted to know about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition here.

For the inside story behind how this year's Rockefeller Center tree was selected, go here.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley will debut a new Nancy Reagan dress exhibit Saturday called “A First Lady’s Style,” which features more than 80 of her most memorable suits, dresses and gowns. Want to go? Get more details at www.reaganlibrary.com. Want to know more about the first ladies? You can read about all of them at www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies.

With holiday travel on the horizon, it's time to review the various Transportation Security Administration rules and regulations regarding airplane travelers here.

From the same site, here's the TSA's Wait Time calculator. Input some basic departure information and find out roughly how long you can expect to wait in the security screening line here.

To check basic arrival and departure information for domestic flights, or the weather and status at most domestic airports click here.

Here's one of many sites that will track in-progress flights.

Take a closer virtual look at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. To find a photo of a specific name on the actual wall, or to view the whole wall in pictures click here.

Find in-depth information about those memorialized on the wall, for instance, lists of women casualties, Medal of Honor winners, brothers who were killed, poems and stories about the Wall, and more in-depth information on individual soldiers memorialized there here and here .

For architectural information on the wall and on Maya Lin, its designer.

Accuweather says this week's glooomy skies and chilly evenings will continue for a few more days. If you want the Southern California Gas Company to light the pilot light on your heater, fill out this online form. The company is booked until Monday, Nov. 19, so get on it now if you want your heater to work before Thanksgiving. If you don't have a computer, call 1-800-427-2200.

Even as the new gorilla exhibit opens at the Los Angeles Zoo, news reports tell us that these giant, mysterious creatures are in danger. Go to here to read about a scientist working with mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

And remember those hours spent trying to outsmart a video-game gorilla on the original Nintendo? This will take you back.

The latest trend in nanny-watching is the blog. Concerned observers post descriptions of incidents they've seen as a warning to the moms who might be reading the site.
LAnannywatch.blogspot.com has posts around the Los Angeles area.

ISawYourNanny.blogspot.com is a similar thing. On the California list, there are two recent posts about nannies seen on the PV Peninsula.

Aside from nanny cams and online nannywatch sites, entrepreneurs have come up with a third way for parents to keep tabs on their child care providers.
ReportMyNanny.com, based in Canoga Park, and HowsMyNanny.com, started by a prosecutor and mother in New York, issue little license plates that attach to a stroller, so people can report – good or bad – a nanny to members. Membership for HowMyNanny costs $50 per year; ReportMyNanny.com costs $10 a month.

International Nanny Association site with tips on hiring and use of “nanny cams.”

Want to see a picture of the world’s biggest and smallest dogs? Or the man with the most tattoos? Today is Guinness World Records Day. Celebrate a host of unmatched achievements at www.guinnessworldrecords.com

The Associated Press released a report that says about 1,700 high schools in the United States have a dropout rate of about 40 percent. Do you know what the dropout rate at your high school is? The California Department of Education has statistics on dropouts for each school district. You can see how rates compare by gender, age, ethnicity or grade level here.

On Tuesday, Mattel recalled more than 172,000 Fisher-Price kitchen toys after several children choked and gagged on small, detachable parts. To determine if a product you own in included in the recall, or to review the recall announcement, click here.

Plans to increase the production of champagne in France may cause more competition and controversy in the tightly controlled vineyards where its source grapes are grown.

For a full rundown from the French perspective, go to "le Champagne," the official site for all things bubbly

For a concise history of the beverage go here.

And here's a consumer primer to champagne, done in FAQ form.

According to a new government study, being as much as 25 pounds overweight does not raise one's risk of cancer or heart disease, though more than that amount may be deadly. Here's a handy body body mass index calculator from the Centers for Disease Control:

The news that 2007 has become the deadliest year of the Iraq conflict so far for American troops is sobering, but is tempered by a sharp decline in casualties in recent months. You can track the trends yourself by viewing Iraqi war casualty figures broken down by year, month, type and a wide variety of other statistical measures at the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a non-government site maintained by volunteers that compiles casualty data from every available source.

Have a hard time remembering digits? Maybe www.phonespell.org can help. It automatically converts any phone number it into words. If your number was 568-3569, people would only have to remember “love joy.” What will yours be?

Get your polling place, sample ballot, Breeze election stories and endorsements with this one handy link. And tonight, come back to it to check the results in the races you are interested in.

Plans to transform Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach into an ice skating rink may be on hold until next year, but the South Bay still has places where you can practice your salcows, lutzes and triple toe loops.

Harbor City is home to the area's most traditional rink, The Skating Edge Ice Arena

The Avenue of the Peninsula shopping center houses the Palos Verdes Ice Chalet on its first floor, making it a premier location to show off your moves to the assembled shoppers.

If you time it right, you can also skate on the ice that the Los Angeles Kings practice on with a trip to El Segundo's Toyota Sports Center complex

Comet Holmes just keeps growing and growing. Astronomers are calling it a once-in-a-lifetime event.

According to The Associated Press:

The comet is exploding and its coma, a cloud of gas and dust illuminated by the sun, has grown to be bigger than the planet Jupiter. The comet lacks the tail usually associated with such celestial bodies but can be seen in the northern sky, in the constellation Perseus, as a fuzzy spot of light about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper

The report from Giffith Observatory

Sky and Telescope has an interactive sky chart to make the comet easy to spot if you can't find it. The site also has photos taken of the comet from all over the world.

A guide for kids

Check out www.cleardarksky.com first. Clear Sky Clocks give extremely accurate astronomical observing conditions for almost 2000 sites in North America. It can show at a glance if you¹ll have good weather for star-gazing.

Jill, the blogger (and former Breeze staffer) over at South Bay Soliloquy, discovers the joys of the Pine Wind Garden at the Torrance Civic Center. See her photos and read her review of the place here.

If, after reading her post, you want more info about how to have your own wedding there, go here.

The Save Historic Old Torrance group is planning a Grand Tea on Saturday, Dec. 1. Sippers will get a full tea service and then tour the Zamperini and McCoy homes, which will be all decked out for Christmas. Cost is $35. If you want to go, you need to buy tickets online before Nov. 15. The Web site says spots are limited, so you might want to act sooner rather than later.

Check out the details and order tickets here.

Want to be able to eat large quantities of turkey, mashed potatos and pie on Thanksgiving without feeling guilty about all the calories you're packing on? Then maybe you should sign up for Torrance's 28th annual turkey trot. It's only three miles. A $20 pre-entry fee (due by November 8) guarantees you a commemorative t-shirt, so send your forms in now! Get more information and sign up here.

If you can't make it to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt to check out King Tutankhamun's tomb in person, you can learn plenty about him online -- like if he was murdered. Check out interactive features on the investigation into a 3,000-year-old crime, watch a slide show documenting the discovery of Tut's tomb and more here.

And, if that puts you in the mood to travel, here's a starting point for those headed for Egypt.

On a lighter note, remember the King Tut villain from the 1960s "Batman" TV show? We knew that you've always wanted to know more about him. So, check it out here.

Want to vote but lost your sample ballot that tells you where? Go here, type in your address and get your polling place.

If you haven't yet decided who to vote for in tomorrow's city council and school board elections, study up with our voter guide. It has links to all the stories the Breeze has done on the races, as well as all the endorsements from our editorial page editor.

The Associated Press has a story today that says the rise in autism isn't so much that more kids have it, but that it is being diagnosed more often because of the increase in special education funding. And a shifting definition of what autism is.

If you suspect you or someone you know has a form of autism, taking these tests might help you.

50-question Autism test for adults.

Autism test for children.

This site has a lot of resources including book recommendations and links.

You can change the time on your digital clocks, but you can't change the time on your biological clock, according to a study released last week by some German researchers. Now that daylight savings time has ended for the year, go see what changing the clocks did to you all summer.

Read the article here.

If you forgot to set your clock back this morning, get the exact time here.

The Western Museum of Flight, dedicated to preserving and displaying aircraft history, opens today in Torrance. Visitors have the opportunity to view Warbirds, aircraft and target drones, piston and jet aircraft components, aircraft ejection seats, World War II instruments, and an extensive model aircraft collection.

The new center is located at 3315 Airport Drive, Red Baron Hangar #3, Zamperini Field, Torrance, CA 90505. The grand opening will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, and admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. For more information, go to the Museum's Web site here.

In an effort to educate and alleviate fears about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Staph infections, the Torrance Unified School district is offering various resources for parents and students, including a health advisory with more details about the infection.

For answers to commonly asked questions regarding MRSA, view California Department of Public Health's easy-to-read brochure.

The CDPH also offers a guide for parents on prevention and important information they should pass on to their children.

Are you wondering if you have a skin infection? A new Web site made in part by LA BioMed scientists has pictures of thousands of different skin ailments to help you figure out whether you should be concerned or not. Once you find the picture that is most similar to your condition, you can read more about the diagnosis and potential therapies.

Get the latest talking points before you watch today's college football games. See staff writer Scott Wolf's USC blog and staff writer Brian Dohn's UCLA blog.

Live game stories will be here at 12:30 for UCLA v. Arizona and at 5p.m. for USC v. Oregon St.

The South Bay heads to the polls Tuesday for an election that includes four city council races, eight school board races and several local measures. Get up to speed on the issues, the candidates and the Breeze’s endorsements here.

The Associated Press recently ran a series of stories about how school bureacracy and legal loopholes help abusive teachers remain in schools. A follow-up story today essentially says that since then, state lawmakers have been looking into the matter. If you don't want to wait for them to "look into it," you can take matters into your own hands and research your child's teachers yourself.

Go here to look up a teacher's credential.

If you want to read the whole series, they are linked on our school blog.

Restaurant reviewer Merrill Shindler weighs in on Cialuzzi's, the Redondo Beach Italian restaurant that solved the mystery of whatever happened to the North Torrance pizza parlor, Antonio's. Here's the review.

If you missed the two-part saga by reporter Nick Green about the defunct restaurant from which Cialuzzi's co-owner Charlie Byrd came, you can catch up with the place everyone is talking about in Part One and Part Two.

“Spring ahead, fall back.” Yes, it's that time of year again; time to reset our clocks. All but one major industrialized country has Daylight Saving Time in some part of the country. Click on
http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving to find out which country opts out and other interesting DST information.

When you change the clock, you might as well get it right down to the second. You can get the official time, according to the U.S. government, here.

"Ownerless" art confiscated by the Nazis during World War II now has a new owner. Found in the possession of the heirs of a U.S. soldier based in Germany, two leatherbound photo albums created by Third Reich staff are being donated to the National Archives. You can view the images here.

UC Berkeley scientists say they have developed a test that will help sufferers of "red wine headache." The testing device is in its prototype stage now, so for more immediate relief, go here to read more about RWHs and some tips on how to minimize them.

Find out the latest about what's happening to the TV schedule in reaction to the threat of a Writers Guild strike in David Kronke's blog. Did you know "Heroes: Origins" has been cancelled?

For me, it's the most wonderful time of the coffee year. Why? Because it's pumpkin spice latte time.

Go here for a recipe.

I called around to some stores that I thought might carry the magic syrup: Bristol Farms, Cost Plus, Cookin' Stuff, Starbucks. I looked on the Starbucks Web site. No luck. So, if you want the syrup, go here.

Halloween is sooooooo yesterday. Time to start thinking about your Thanksgiving turkey. Or at least that's what the people at Butterball are hoping.

Starting today, they have a turkey blog, tip of the day and podcast (seriously) that will run until Thanksgiving Day. The site also has a special section for first-time turkey cookers and some games for the kids.

Go here.

You know all about Halloween but what about the day after? Oct. 31 is All Hallows EVE after all. So what about Nov. 1? All Saints' Day is celebrated in Los Angeles' Olvera Street as Dia De Los Muertos, complete with a procession, children's workshops and art exhibits. Find out more about Dia De Los Muertos here. And get information about the festival, running Nov. 3-4 here.

Go here to figure out how far you went and how many calories you burned on your trick-or-treat trek.

Before you dive in to the trick-or-treat leftovers, check out this comparison of the nutritional values in most of the common candies. You can sort the list to rank the candies by calories, fat content or grams of sugar to figure out which is the best of the worst.