|
|
Best of the summer book lists for grown-ups
South Bay, don't hang up those skates just yet
Skydiver's chance at world record floats away
South Bay ought to be in pictures
Don't miss South Bay's coral trees
7 things to do in the South Bay for National Libraries Week
What's blooming in the South Bay?
Check out a Lomita 'Unigeezer' on YouTube
You don¹t have to be a word geek to appreciate Take Our Word For It (TOWFI). TOWFI has an amazing archive of word histories and usage and is an interesting place to find out the why of word meanings. The site has also won several awards as an outstanding educational resource. Click here for fun reading.
Looking for something to read on your summer vacation? These lists may help:
USA Today has a cool, interactive list of books being released this summer, including Andre Dubus III's latest, "The Garden of Last Days," which has gotten a lot of buzz. Here's the New York TImes review.
NPR's summer book recommendations
The New York Daily News compiled anti chick-lit list of beach reading for guys:
But not to worry - all you guys out there aren't expected to sit around listening to your iPods and twiddling your thumbs. Here's a dude-oriented list of beach reading broken down by category, with something for the sportsman, the mystery addict and the guy who's just thrilled not to be at the office.
Real Simple magazine asked 10 authors for their favorite summer reading picks in its June issue. The list is broken down into categories such as "books to savor all summer" and "one-day reads."
For example, Philippa Gregory recommends:
Dragonwyck, by Anya Seton (Chicago Review Press, $15, www.amazon.com).
"A gothic novel set in 1844 America. At times it's utterly ridiculous, but it is truly haunting. Think an American Jane Eyre at high speed. A great book to gulp down in a day."
If you're looking for a local recommendation, the Redondo Beach Library posts a list of light reading for beach days, but sadly, it was last updated in 2006. Still, it has some intriguing entries that may be of local interest, including Joy Nicholson's "The Tribes of Palos Verdes," which is described as a dark book about local surf culture.
Coming tomorrow: links to summer reading lists for kids.
We first crystallized this list in November, when plans to transform Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach into an ice skating rink were put on hold, and we now must report another revision.
The Skating Edge in Harbor City -- the most traditional rink in the South Bay and the one where Michelle Kwan got her start -- is temporarily closed. But there are still a couple of South Bay sites where you can practice your Salcows, Lutzes and triple toe loops:
French adventurer Michel Fournier, 64, who wished to set the world skydiving record, saw his hopes float away at North Battleford, Saskatchewan on Tuesday when the helium balloon that was supposed to take him to death-defying heights for his feat, er, got away from him without him attached. The $200,000 balloon was supposed to take Fournier to a world-record height of 130,000 feet.
Fournier had hoped to break the record for the fastest and longest free fall, the highest parachute jump and the highest balloon flight. He also hoped to bring back data that will help astronauts and others survive in the highest of altitudes.
A former army paratrooper with more than 8,000 jumps under his belt, Fournier planned to be freefalling at a height three times higher than a commercial jetliner flies. A mountain climber would have to ascend the equivalent of four Mount Everests stacked one on top of the other.
To read up on Fournier, go to his site, Le Grand Saut (The Big Jump).
Well, it is.
Photography social networking site Flickr has the LA South Bay group. More than 200 amateur and professional photographers share the people and places they captured in Torrance, the Beach Cities and the Peninsula.
Anyone can join this group and share their own photos. The photos can even be "geotagged" by placing their location on an interactive map. The group also maintains a discussion board.
A free basic membership allows uploads of up to 100 megabytes. A paid pro account allows for unlimited uploads.
There are more than 4,000 photos in the group. A few hundred or thousand more wouldn't hurt.
For the rare chance to see the Erythrina lysistemon, also known as the Common Coral Tree, in bloom, head to the South Coast Botanic Garden, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The group’s Web site gives more information about the decorative tree, such as the fact that the trees used be planted on the graves of Zulu chiefs because of the spectacular color of its flowers. You can also find out information about the garden’s location, membership program and special events.
Are you a Scrabble addict? Using the site www.scrabulous.com/ you can play an online game and connect with friends—even if they are miles away. Sign up on the site, invite friends to play, and have fun, without having to keep track of pieces, or clean up when you’re done. And, since the game is online, it’s much easier to get help. Type in your tiles here and the site will tell you all of the different word combinations you can use. Yeah, it’s sort of cheating, but if you’re really in a pinch, or you’re just trailing in points, it can prove useful.
As April is School Library Media Month, and Monday kicks off National Library Week, here are seven tips and events to help you share the week’s theme: “Join the circle of knowledge @ your library.”
1) Actess Julie Andrews is honorary chair and patron of this year’s event. Public service videos by the “Sound of Music” songstress can help you climb every mountain that stands in your way.
2) Redondo Beach Main Library at 303 North Pacific Coast Hwy celebrates National Library Week all week with a series of events that includes Musical Monday at 10:30 a.m., a talk on the environment and global warning by Linda Groff of the Political Science and Economics Department, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and Rudy’s Radical Magical Science Show at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
3) National Library Workers Day is honored every Tuesday of Library Week. It’s a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Drop in today and give your thanks to the hard-working, dedicated staff at your local library.
4) North Torrance branch library at 3604 West Artesia Boulevard Wednesday hosts guide dog puppies being raised to become Guide Dogs. You can also find out how your family can be volunteer “puppy raisers,” too, at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
2) Henderson Branch of the City of Torrance Libraries at 4805 Emerald St will celebrate National Library Week Thursday at 4 p.m. with the Library Fairy, who will perform stories from rich, diverse cultures and corners of the world. The children will get a chance to perform in the Story Theater with crazy and fun costumes.
6) Join the campaign for your local library at the National Library Association.
7) First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.
RELATED POST:
South Bay book groups
According to the Daily Breeze's gardening columnist, Meredith Grenier, the South Coast Botanic Garden is at its peak this month. Check out their website to see what's blooming and what is going on in the garden community. You can also take a virtual tour on the Web site.
If you have a green thumb, now is a good time to start seedlings so you'll have plenty of fresh veggies and pretty flowers throughout the summer. Visit the Garden Guide for tips on getting things going.
Terry Peterson of Lomita gets his outdoor kicks riding and bouncing around on a unicycle specially designed for extreme mountain biking.
He first caught the attention of the Daily Breeze two years ago, when we wrote a cover story about him for our features section.
These days you can catch the 52-year-old Peterson on YouTube, where he has posted numerous unicycling videos under the name “UniGeezer.” (Some include footage of him as “UniKid.”)
A piano technician by trade, Peterson has put together a compilation of the videos he has made during the past two years.
The final piece of the compilation shows him jumping and clearing a set of stairs with eight steps.
See all of Peterson’s videos on YouTube.
Torrance Library's book group schedules
Barnes & Noble book group schedule
Find book groups by theme or location with BookClub Meetup.
If discussing books in a group is too much face time for you, try a virtual version with these links at BookSpot.
Hollywood action star Chuck Norris, known for his martial arts prowess and tough-guy image, has become a cult figure among the U.S. military in Iraq and an unlikely hero for some in Iraq's security forces. A small cardboard shrine dedicated to Norris has been set up at a U.S. military helicopter hub in Baghdad.
"The fastest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris's fist," reads one message at the shrine, which consists of a signed photo of the actor surrounded by similar statements.
"Chuck Norris puts the laughter in manslaughter," reads one and "Chuck Norris divides by zero," reads another.
Known as Chuck Norris "facts," the claims have already become an Internet phenomenon, and scores are featured on www.chucknorrisfacts.com, including "Superman wears Chuck Norris pyjamas," and "There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma."
The actor has visited Iraq several times and was made an honorary Marine last year. Some 20 U.S. military personnel and support staff spoken to by Reuters could recite at least one Norris "fact," despite many having not visited the Web site.
U.S. troops in Iraq say his support for them and Norris' invincible image has made him their idol and insist the exaggerated and satirical claims are not meant to mock him.
Kite fliers take to the skies — well, at least the kites do, anyway — at the Redondo Beach pier Sunday. The pier hosts the 34th annual Festival of the Kite, a free event taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kite-flying experts show off their stuff for prizes and audience delight. Kites are also on sale at Sunday’s event. Non-kite activities include a hot-dog-eating competition and music provided by a band from Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance.
Redondo Beach’s Sunshine Kite Company sponsors the festival.
LA Observed, a fine blog covering the Los Angeles area, has partnered with Eric Estrin, a TV writer and much more, for a community script-writing experiment. Here's the idea, as described on LA Observed:
Eric has written the opening pages of a screenplay set in and about Los Angeles. It has a name, Right of Way, and a mayor who may or may not be shady as the main character. You can write the rest by submitting a few pages of scene and dialogue. Each week he'll select the best pages and post them.
If you’re looking for something to do with your Daily Breeze after you finish reading the latest issue, we have some ideas.
To make a kite, you’ll need scissors, a tape measure, string, glue, two wooden sticks and instructions.
Or, if you want to make a biodegradable seedling pot, check out this site that will tell you how to use your newspaper to do just that.
It’s pretty amazing that with a few simple folds, you can make a piece of paper glide through the air. To perfect your paper-airplane making skills, you need some simple instructions.
Finally, for those really looking for a challenge, learn how to make purses woven out of newspaper.
The Breeze has gone through a lot of typography and design changes in the past year. One of them was switching our main sans serif typeface to Helvetica, generally regarded as one of the most readable, comfortable sans serif fonts in the world.
In 2007, 50 years after the font was first developed, a documentary filmmaker released, "Helvetica," which explores the impact one font has had on the visual design world, as well as the psychology of typography. The movie is now out on DVD.
From the filmmaker's statement on the film's Web site:
Since millions of people see and use Helvetica every day, I guess I just wondered, "Why?" How did a typeface drawn by a little-known Swiss designer in 1957 become one of the most popular ways for us to communicate our words fifty years later? And what are the repercussions of that popularity, has it resulted in the globalization of our visual culture? Does a storefront today look the same in Minneapolis, Melbourne and Munich? How do we interact with type on a daily basis? And what about the effects of technology on type and graphic design, and the ways we consume it? Most of us use computers and digital fonts every day, so are we all graphic designers now, in a sense?
The Web site also has links to reviews of the movie, trailers and clips, and a blog, for ongoing discussions about the font and typographic design issues.
If you're inspired to play with type yourself after seeing the movie, download free faces at www.dafont.com, or submit your own.
A horseback riding program has been proposed for Hernandez Ranch in the Peck Park Canyon area of San Pedro. You can support the program by signing the online petition.
A so-called tantric master stood immersed in ice for 72 minutes, breaking his own world record of 68 minutes, The Associated Press reports.
Wim Hof’s feat, performed in an ice-filled container on a Manhattan street Saturday, was the kickoff of BRAINWAVE, a series of New York events exploring how art, music and meditation (which Hof says he used to withstand the cold) affect the brain.
Full-body ice contact isn’t Hof’s only trick, though he does seem fond of cooler temperatures. His Web site claims he has also swam under ice without oxygen and climbed snow-covered mountains with bare feet. Read more about Hof and his feats of endurance at his personal Web site.
And if you’re looking to test your mind and body, you can contact Hof about joining him on an adventure.
It's easy to find information about collecting Barbies, but what about poor Ken, always waiting patiently in the shadows? If you've got a Ken and you want to know how old he is and what he is worth, this is the site for you. At Man Behind the Doll Web site shows how Ken has evolved through painted, flocked, and Afro-haired variations. It also has information on collecting and identifying the dolls, a full history, and a shop for resale. This site is not affiliated with Mattel, but you can read about the superfan who built the elaborate site.
Chances are you'll be doing some baking and cooking in the days and weeks ahead. But have you been duped by some dopey myths about the culinary art? An author of books about computers (he cooks, too) thinks you may have been. Peter Aitken reports that the following kitchen-related assertions are false: You can't make a good cup of tea in the microwave; you shouldn't salt meat before cooking it; never put bananas in the refrigerator. Check it out for yourself.
|
|