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for dining under the sun and stars

June 05, 1986|MARTINA WINN

Some outdoor restaurants evoke memories of European street cafes, while others are uniquely Southern Californian. Whether hidden in canyons or in the middle of the city, their trees, flowers and umbrellas provide havens for beleaguered city dwellers.

Here is a sampling of 10 restaurants that offer outdoor seating year-round (barring inclement weather):

Ranch House, South Lomita Ave., Ojai, (805) 646-2360. A fragrant and intimate garden, eclectic cuisine and the warmth of owners Alan and Helen Hooker have drawn visitors here for 30 years. The dinner menu, featuring such entrees as lamb Arabian, changes at least once a month. More than 100 herbs from the garden flavor the food and several of the teas. Much of the patio is covered and remains open in the rain. Open for lunch in the summer Wednesday- Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday brunch 1-2 p.m. Dinner Wednesday-Friday, 6-8:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. Heated. Casual. Reservations recommended. Lunch entrees $5.95-$8.95. Lot parking.

Inn of the Seventh Ray, 128 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, (213) 455-1311. Plan to linger here amid the oak trees. A creek flows beside the terraced brick patio, which is lighted by candlelight after dark. Cold poached salmon, vegetable fondue with cheese and wine sauce and homemade baked goods are typical of the inn's health food. Open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday brunch 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner daily, 6-9:30 p.m. Brunch reservations recom- mended. Heated. Casual. Lunch entrees $1.75-$7.95. Lot parking.

Moreno's, 4328 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, (714) 639-2181. Three California pepper trees and a fountain cool this patio, part of a century-old restored Quaker church and Sunday school. Carnitas and mole con pollo, chicken sauteed in a red sauce, highlight the traditional Mexican fare. Watch tortillas being made from scratch daily from 5 p.m. and during Sunday brunch. Mariachis stroll outside Sundays, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., warm Sunday evenings, 5-9 p.m. and summer Fridays and Saturdays, 6-10 p.m. Open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mexican bakery open Tuesday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Casual. Lunch entrees $2.75-$9.95. Lot and street parking.

Greeter's Corner, 329 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (714) 494-0361. If you like to people-watch, take a seat next to Main Beach beneath the Corner's blue-and-white umbrellas. A redwood carving of Eiler Larsen, Laguna's greeter, welcomes visitors to the city, as Larsen himself once did in the same location. Scallops, skewered shrimp and lobster tails are a few of the broiled seafood specialties. Open daily in winter, 8 a.m.-sunset, in summer, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Casual. Lunch entrees $3.25-$16.95. Street parking.

Casa de Bandini, 2754 Calhoun St., San Diego, (619) 297-8211. Juan Bandini's house, completed in 1827, lies within Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The extensive courtyard overflows with rosebushes, fountains, citrus trees and umbrella-shaded tables. Mexican seafood dishes like camarones rancheros and sauteed shrimp in ranchero sauce are the specialties. Enjoy mariachis Wednesday-Sunday, 5:30-10 p.m., and a strolling guitar trio Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Heated. Casual. Lunch entrees $3.95-$9.95. Park in Bazaar del Mundo's lots on Juan Street.

Pioneer Boulangerie, 2012 Main St., Santa Monica, (213) 399-7771. One of the Boulangerie's patios has a sliding glass roof; the other, umbrellas. Ocean breezes and French music waft through both. Choose breakfast or lunch from the indoor buffet and carry it out to a table. There is table service at dinner. There are four daily homemade soup choices and one daily stew. On the premises are a bakery, wine shop, delicatessen and coffee store. Open Fridays and Saturdays, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sundays and Mondays, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Heated. Casual. Lunch entrees about $5; menu and prices vary daily. Street parking.

Hotel Bel-Air, 701 Stone Canyon Road, Bel-Air, (213) 472-1211. Several swans grace the lake and luxurious garden beneath this elegant terrace. Bougainvillea, trees and flowers complete the setting. A harpist plays during high tea, served Monday-Friday, 3-5 p.m. Summer hours 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday brunch served 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; reservations recommended for all meals; call a week in advance for brunch. Heated. Casual to dressy; coat required at dinner. Lunch entrees $15-$20, brunch entrees $22-$30. Valet parking.

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Ghoul's Out as Alice Lets the Songs Speak

IRVINE — For years now, Alice Cooper has lurked on the fringes of musical insignificance. True, he had a cameo appearance in the "Wayne's World" movie, but he hasn't had a hit song since "Poison" in 1989; still has no new record to plug and, until now, hadn't toured the states in five years.

But none of that seemed to matter at Irvine Meadows on Saturday, when--opening for the Scorpions, a metal band from Germany--Cooper and his tight five-man band delivered an impressive 12-song set that proved there's more to this man than a legacy of ghoulish stage antics.

There were a couple of nods to his theatrical impulses (there was an entertaining gang fight, for instance, during "Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets" late in the show) but for the most part, Cooper has stripped away the theatrics and seems intent on letting his songs stand or fall on their own.

Surprisingly perhaps, they soared.

Such classics as "Billion Dollar Babies," "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and the set-opening "Under My Wheels" were played crisply and still sounded catchy as ever. Caught up in the good-time spirit, even many of the over-30 males in the crowd sang along to "I'm Eighteen":

I'm in the middle, without any plans.

I'm a boy and I'm a man.

I'm eighteen . . . and I like it.

Cooper (born Vincent Furnier) showed us his more introspective side. At one point--as Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Slash joined the party--the pace was slowed for an acoustic-based, emotional rendering of "Only Women Bleed," Cooper's look at the loneliness and hardships endured by women romantically involved with rock stars. Equally moving was a penetrating examination of mental illness, the haunting "Ballad of Dwight Fry."

Some songs, such as the melodramatic "Welcome to My Nightmare" from 1975, have not aged as well, and at times Cooper's voice was rough and ragged. But he and his band--particularly ex-Winger guitarist Reb Beach--played with enough enthusiasm and conviction to overcome the deficiencies.

As the set started drawing to a close with a rousing rendition of "School's Out," Cooper donned a white top hat and tuxedo jacket and launched into the finale, "Elected." After prancing about the stage waving an American flag, he stepped up to the microphone and reminded everyone: "This is an election year, so don't forget to vote--for Alice!"

While Cooper has discovered new ways of reinventing himself, the Scorpions have lost their sting and seem headed hopelessly toward extinction.

In choosing to practically ignore their new album, "Pure Instinct," they relied almost exclusively on their tried-and-true mix of power ballads and interchangeable rockers during their 90-minute set. Except for a couple of songs, the band chose to milk its oldies to satisfy its loyal but apparently undiscriminating fans.

Equally problematic was the band's insistence on punctuating practically every number with an exclamation point. Each song, it seemed, had to be big, then bigger, then biggest, with repetitive choruses and loud, frenzied guitar jams.

At the quintet's disposal are numerous songs that could add variety and texture to the musical menu. But either they were ignored ("Edge of Time," "White Dove" and "Are You the One?" all were missing in action) or given cursory treatment ("Holiday," "Wind of Change").

The only moments of inspiration were during the encores, the tender "Still Loving You" and the band's signature "Rock You Like a Hurricane."

Until then, the best thing going for the Scorpions was a beautifully designed and executed lighting scheme that bathed them in striking color combinations. Too bad the music paled in comparison.

In its ineffective, five-song opening set, My Head, a power trio from Los Angeles, cranked out lots of thick, grinding guitar riffs but, as demonstrated in the songs "Killer Hair" and the self-indulgent "Sonrisa," these people have to focus on essential ingredients--like melody and composition.

As things stand, the band's cluttered notes come off as little more than self-absorbed noodling.

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Coalition's Goal Is to End Use of Child Labor to Make Soccer Balls

Protest: Pakistan is focus of campaign to have equipment rating reflect social concerns.

WASHINGTON — A coalition of labor, religious, consumer and child advocacy groups launched a campaign Friday to pressure the world governing body of soccer to halt the production of soccer balls by Pakistani children.

The initiative, dubbed the FoulBall Campaign, calls on the Federation Internationale de Football Assn. to withhold its endorsement of soccer balls produced by child labor. The organization currently endorses any ball that meets specific size, weight and leather-quality standards.

The campaign, announced at a Labor Department news conference, represents a new front in a growing effort to focus public attention on foreign-made consumer goods produced with child labor. The department is conducting hearings to gauge the extent of child exploitation by makers of imported clothing and other consumer goods.

The initiative is aimed primarily at Sialkot, a region in eastern Pakistan where most of the world's soccer balls are produced. A 1994 Labor Department study found that 20% to 25% of the work on the 35 million balls the region produces each year is done by children younger than 16.

Dan McCurry, coordinator of the campaign, said that more than 3,000 Pakistani children under the age of 14 must work six days a week to hand-stitch enough soccer balls to satisfy the demand in the United States alone.

"We must begin here today with the FoulBall Campaign to loosen stitches and pull out the needles of bondage," McCurry said.

Association leaders met for the first time last week in London with European trade unions to discuss the issue of child labor, but no decision was made about the organization's endorsement, McCurry said.

Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich said the FoulBall Campaign is a big first step in an effort to "reduce or eliminate the scourge of child labor."

Reich said Pakistan's human rights commission reported that children as young as 6 are used to sew soccer balls and that the typical workday of a child is eight to 10 hours long.

"These children are robbed of their labor," Reich said, "but they are also robbed of their youth."

McCurry said such labor is used because children are cheap and are more easily intimidated than adults. A typical child can sew about three soccer balls a day and is paid about 60 cents for each ball produced.

At the news conference, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) called the proposal "morally fair" and said that U.S. leaders and consumers need to do more than simply talk about the conditions. "For many of us," Frank said, "this has been morally self-evident, but that hasn't been enough."

California Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) said that if the federation will withhold its endorsement, consumers will be able to distinguish between balls that have been produced by underage workers and those that have not.

"If we are successful here, we can carry this through to the fashion industries," he said.

Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) suggested that the United States apply more pressure by limiting aid and monitoring World Bank loans to Pakistan and other countries where there are similar labor practices. He also said the United States should increase donations to the International Labor Organization, a body made up of labor ministers from 173 nations, to advance stricter labor policies.

"It sends a chill down the back of your spine to know these balls were made by children," Smith said.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) demonstrated his sentiments by whisking a red card from his pocket, imitating the signal a soccer referee uses to eject a player guilty of a flagrant violation.

Children, dressed in soccer uniforms, joined the men onstage, reading letters and singing songs of protest to show that, in the words of McCurry, "no longer will our children play with the labor of your children."

Executives of Nike and Reebok, both of which have "stitching centers" in the Sialkot region, endorsed the campaign and said their companies are committed to building new factories that will obey child-labor laws and improving working conditions.

Peter Moore, Reebok senior vice president, said that company will also begin educational and rehabilitative programs for workers.

In a written statement, Brad Figel, a Nike executive, said his company will also expand health-care services, establish recreational facilities and provide literacy instruction for workers and their families.

At a Labor Department hearing after the news conference, Honduran Ambassador Roberto Flores Bermudez issued a statement pledging that his country will make efforts to eliminate abusive and exploitative child labor conditions in the production of goods exported to the United States.

The Honduran government has been criticized in recent months for allowing children to be used in producing clothing sold in the United States.

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Sedaris Kicks Skeletons Out of Family's Closet

May 19, 1997|LYNELL GEORGE

For the last couple yuletide seasons, the compact voice of author and frequent National Public Radio commentator David Sedaris has become something of an arch holiday tradition. "SantaLand Diaries," the centerpiece of Sedaris' last collection of short stories and essays, chronicled his big city adventures as a bewildered, frayed-at-the-edges department store elf.

In his new best-selling collection of autobiographical essays, "Naked" (Little, Brown), Sedaris gives his thirsty following a Windex-polished window into his formative years--from his childhood neat-freak, obsessive-compulsive behavior to his sister's and mother's obsession with '70s TV detectives--in only the astute and singularly inside-out way David Sedaris can sew up family matters:

From the essay "Ashes":

The moment I realized I would be a homosexual for the rest of my life, I forced my brother and sisters to sign a contract swearing they'd never get married. There was a clause allowing them to live with anyone of their choice, just so long as they never made it official.

"What about children?" my sister Gretchen asked, slipping a tab of acid under her tongue. "Can I not marry and still have a baby?"

I imagined the child, his 15 hands batting at the mobile hanging over the crib. "Sure, you can still have kids. . . ."

My fear was that, once married, my sisters would turn their backs on the family, choosing to spend their vacations and holidays with their husbands. One by one they would abandon us until it was just me and my parents, eating our turkey and stuffing off TV trays. It wasn't difficult getting the signatures. The girls in my family didn't play house, they played reformatory. They might one day have a relationship--if it happened, it happened; but they saw no reason to get bent out of shape about it. My father thought otherwise. He saw marriage as their best possible vocation, something they should train for and visualize as a goal. One of my sisters would be stooped before the open refrigerator, dressed in a bathing suit, and my father would weigh her with his eyes. "It looks like you've gained a few pounds," he'd say. "Keep that up and you'll never find a husband." Find. He said it as though men were exotic mushrooms growing in the forest and it took a keen eye to spot one.

"Don't listen to him," I'd say. "I think the weight looks good on you. Here, have another bowl of potato chips."

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The World

Russian City to Ban 'Outsiders'

Policy: Authorities in Norilsk say decree is aimed at curbing crime and drug problems.

MOSCOW — Norilsk, the city of nickel, situated above the Arctic Circle in Russia's freezing, inhospitable north, has been declared off limits to foreigners.

Set in a barren landscape of dead trees, home to the world's biggest nickel mine and known for industrial pollution so severe it has drifted as far as arctic Canada, Norilsk is not exactly Paris.

Yet foreigners, local authorities complain, are flooding the city, bringing crime, AIDS and drugs. So beginning Nov. 25, the local airline, KrasAir, will restrict ticket sales to Norilsk, and would-be visitors will have to get special permission and an invitation.

Norilsk's closure is unusual because authorities are not citing military secrecy as the motive, but simply the desire to keep the city free of outsiders.

In Soviet times, many cities and towns were closed to foreigners, usually because they were home to nuclear, biological or chemical weapons production, plutonium enrichment, space research or military intelligence.

When the Soviet Union collapsed a decade ago, most of those cities remained off limits. In July the Russian government formalized the Soviet-era restrictions, publishing a list of 90 cities, towns and villages still closed to outsiders for security reasons.

Norilsk, population 230,000, is home to the giant Norilsk Nickel firm and other industrial plants but was never listed among the closed Soviet cities.

When Krasnoyarsk Gov. Alexander I. Lebed, whose domain includes Norilsk, pledged Thursday to "cleanse" the city of foreigners, he was using a code word every Russian understands.

To Russians, it was clear that the restriction was aimed not at Americans, French or Germans but at people from what is known as the "near abroad," or former Soviet states, particularly southern republics such as Azerbaijan.

"The decree does impose entry restrictions for foreigners. But you must understand that people from other republics of CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States, which includes most former Soviet republics] are also foreigners, and this is a very important factor needed to understand these measures fully," said Gennady Likhovtsev, a government security official in the region.

"The reason for it is the crime and drug situation in the city. I mean such crimes as theft of precious metals from local enterprises," he said.

Lebed said tough measures would be taken against any foreigner who comes to the city after the restriction takes effect.

Non-Russians without invitations will be deported, he said. Only citizens from Belarus, which is bound in a loose union with Russia, will be exempt.

"It will not be easy because a person can simply say that he has no money and no place to live. But we will clean Norilsk anyway," said Lebed, whose vast Krasnoyarsk region stretches from far northern Russia almost to its southern border.

Hostility in Russia toward the dark-skinned people of southern republics appears to have become more brazen lately. In Moscow last week, a large band of skinheads went on a rampage, beating up people of Caucasian appearance and killing two, an Indian and an Armenian. In April, more than 100 youths clashed with market traders of Caucasian origin in the capital. Many smaller attacks go unreported.

An official of the Krasnoyarsk region, Gennady Klimik, blamed crime in Norilsk on the Azeri population and said local residents want fewer of them around.

"Norilsk is a very rich and stable city that attracts not only big-business people dealing with Norilsk Nickel but other foreigners trying to earn money in any way," he told the Reuters news agency, adding that 23,000 Azeris live in Norilsk. He said 4,500 foreigners came to Norilsk in the first 10 months of the year.

Norilsk Mayor Oleg Budarin said in an interview on Russian television that foreigners who want to visit Norilsk must have invitations from companies or organizations, which must report the visit to the FSB, the main successor to the KGB.

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Top Democrats Call for Pitt to Step Down

Politics: Daschle and Gephardt question the SEC chief's handling of accounting oversight board's creation.

October 10, 2002|From Reuters

Congress' two top Democrats wrote to President Bush on Wednesday seeking the resignation of Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey L. Pitt and questioning the SEC chief's handling of the creation of a national board to police corporate accounting.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) said in the letter that they were concerned about Pitt's actions in the selection of a chairman for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

"We believe that you should replace him immediately as SEC chair," the letter said. It was the second time Daschle has called for Pitt's resignation.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer dismissed the appeal. "It's a political charge that has no merit and substance," he said, adding that the SEC has a record of aggressively pursuing corporate misdeeds.

SEC spokeswoman Christi Harlan said, "The chairman serves at the pleasure of the president. We've heard enthusiastic endorsements from the president on the chairman's work." Pitt was unavailable for comment.

As Democrats try to swing voters' attention from talk of war with Iraq to the sluggish economy and corporate misdeeds, Pitt and his handling of the accounting board and the SEC are becoming a political punching bag.

Securities law experts said it was unlikely that Pitt--appointed in 2001 after a career as a Wall Street lawyer and earlier as an SEC staff attorney--would resign.

In a statement, Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio), who co-sponsored newly enacted corporate reform legislation, called on Democrats "to stop this outrageous effort of politicizing the [SEC] and undermining its current chairman."

Congress ordered the SEC to set up the accounting oversight board this summer after a cascade of corporate and accounting scandals hammered Wall Street and undermined investor confidence.

The SEC was moving smoothly to set up the board--with John Biggs, chief of the TIAA-CREF mutual fund and pension company, seen as the front-runner to become chairman--until a flap broke out last week, with Biggs' backers accusing accounting lobbyists of moving to block him.

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Helene Elliott ON THE NHL

His Game Went South but Returned With Move East

May 24, 2003

OTTAWA — Jeff Friesen's tenure with the Mighty Ducks was doomed from the start, and he knew it.

Traded from San Jose to the Ducks on March 5, 2001 for the popular and prolific Teemu Selanne, he never found a niche or anything resembling a scoring rhythm. Some of his problems might have been self-inflicted, but the end result was the same: a deal that backfired colossally.

"Everyone wanted me and Paul [Kariya] to play together," he said, "and that was the biggest disappointment. He was a left wing and I was a left wing. He moved to the other side, but we just never found the chemistry. Our games just didn't go with each other."

Being traded by the Ducks to New Jersey in a seven-player deal last July, he said, "resurrected my career." And the delicious absurdity of having to leave Anaheim to play there for the Stanley Cup wasn't lost on Friesen, whose goal with 2:14 to play Friday gave the Devils a 3-2 victory over Ottawa and the Eastern Conference title, as well as a date against the Ducks in the Cup finals starting Tuesday at New Jersey.

"I'm shocked it's the Ducks," said Friesen, who had nearly become the goat Friday at the Corel Centre when his giveaway at the Ottawa blue line helped the Senators pull even at 2-2 early in the third period.

"To get traded and meet that team in the finals -- I would have thought more likely it would be San Jose, because they were building something when they traded me away. You've got to give [Duck General Manager] Bryan Murray credit. He's done a great job there."

Although he liked Orange County enough to buy a home in Dana Point and let his dog romp along the Huntington Beach dog beach, Friesen knew he had to leave the Ducks to rebuild his career. "It's just a blessing that trade was made," he said.

Yet, he found more obstacles in New Jersey, potholes of self-doubt generated by his woes in Anaheim and the awkwardness of being thrust into another unfamiliar situation.

Again, he had been traded for a skillful and popular player, in this case Petr Sykora, who had played a key role in the Devils' 2000 Stanley Cup success. His apprehension was obvious during training camp and well afterward.

"At the beginning of the season, Jeff was a little nervous about his teammates and how they'd accept him," Devil center John Madden said. "I saw Jeff grow as a person. He's an unbelievable guy. I'd have him on my team any day."

Playing with savvy veterans Joe Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner, Cup winners both, undoubtedly accelerated Friesen's adjustment to the Devils' grind-it-out-and-hope-for-a break offensive style. But the choice of whether to make a concerted effort to fit in was his, and he chose to take the chance and wring out of it all he could.

He had 23 goals this season, second on the team only to Patrik Elias' 29, and his goal Friday gave him the team playoff lead with five. It was also his third winner in this series, following decisive goals in Games 2 and 4.

"He fit right in and played a team game in New Jersey," Devil captain Scott Stevens said. "He sacrificed points and goals for the team and he fit in great."

He created the fit with the scrappiness that had marked him as a player on the rise early in his career with the Sharks, a feistiness he never seemed to have in Anaheim. Nor did he have in Anaheim the resilience he showed Friday.

After losing the puck to Ottawa defenseman Karel Rachunek, he watched in horror as Radek Bonk capped a three-on- two rush by scoring the goal that revived the Senators' hopes of producing what would have been the most monumental victory in franchise history. When he went back to the bench after Bonk's goal, 1:53 into the third period, "I think he was pondering suicide at that point in time," Coach Pat Burns said. "He was banging his stick. I said, 'Just relax. You owe me one.' He went and got the goal."

It wasn't quite that simple.

"I tried snapping my stick but it wouldn't break," Friesen said. "Then I just wanted to give myself a chance to redeem myself.... Pat grabbed me and Marshy [Grant Marshall] grabbed me and said, 'Hang in there.' Then Marshy made a great play and I'm glad I could get that goal. It was the biggest play of my career so far."

Madden made it all happen by winning the puck in a scrum along the boards and finding Marshall on the left side. Marshall, in turn, found Friesen for a shot that sucked the sound and fury out of what had been a vortex of roars and swirling rally towels.

"I felt this was a series where I needed to step up," Friesen said. "I felt I could do it. This was especially big after that turnover, to have a coach who doesn't quit on you."

And a player who doesn't quit on himself, although he had every opportunity to do so. "It's strange," he said of the prospect of returning to Anaheim. "This was a big series for us to win, but one it's one more series against Anaheim for all the marbles."

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The World

In Latin America, the Battle Over Legalizing Abortion Is Heating Up

Religion and tradition have long made the issue taboo. But at grass-roots and government levels across the region, change is in the air.

October 26, 2005|Henry Chu | Times Staff Writer

SAO PAULO, Brazil — By their own definition, Dulcelina Vasconcelos Xavier and Yury Puello Orozco are committed Catholics. But in the eyes of the Vatican, they're apologists for murder.

"We're rebels," Xavier acknowledged. "We're going to convince Catholics of the right to choose."

The two women belong to a faith-based organization in Sao Paulo dedicated to promoting abortion rights in a land where almost none exist. Together with civic groups, some medical professionals and a handful of judges and politicians, Xavier and Orozco occupy the front lines of an increasingly heated battle over faith, morality and individual rights in Brazil, the world's largest Catholic country.

It's a battle being fought throughout Latin America, where religion and tradition have long made abortion a largely taboo subject and a mostly outlawed practice. Restrictive laws remain in force across the region, but public debate over abortion has mushroomed recently amid moves to lift bans on ending unwanted pregnancies.

In Mexico, for example, antiabortion activists have gone to the Supreme Court to stop a newly enacted law under which the "morning-after" pill would be made available widely in the country's 19,000 government hospitals and clinics. Catholic groups have excoriated President Vicente Fox for liberalizing use of the hormone-based drug, which can be taken after sex to prevent pregnancy.

In Uruguay, a bill legalizing abortion that had been approved by the lower house was defeated in the Senate by just three votes last year. Backers of the legislation, including trade unions, women's groups, doctors associations and even some Protestant churches, have vowed to keep trying.

Colombia's high court is expected to rule by the end of the year on a petition to slightly loosen the country's abortion laws. In August, the influential newsmagazine Semana put the issue on its cover, declaring, "It's time to decriminalize."

In Brazil, a bill authorizing abortion on demand was introduced last month by a government minister after lengthy deliberations by a high-level commission. Supporters acknowledge that the bill's chances of approval are slim but hail its introduction as a step forward in turning the issue into a matter of civic debate rather than the preserve of religious dogma.

"Even if we don't succeed in getting this law passed, society won't be the same," Orozco said, "because there will have been discussion of the issue as a woman's right to decide."

Abortions are permitted in Brazil and in many other Latin American countries only in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in danger, although many opponents want even these provisions scrapped. Only Cuba and Guyana have completely legalized abortion, and in Chile and El Salvador, terminating a pregnancy is forbidden under any circumstance.

Proponents of relaxing the laws note that the bans do not mean that abortions don't take place -- merely that they get driven underground.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, about 4 million clandestine abortions are performed in Latin America every year, some of them poorly, ending in injury or death to the mother. Botched abortions rank among the leading causes of maternal mortality in several countries in the region, including Brazil.

Many abortion rights activists are trying to frame the issue as a matter of public health rather than an argument over women's reproductive rights.

Other groups emphasize the unequal social realities arising from the laws against abortion, which affect poor women disproportionately because they lack alternatives to public healthcare. In Brazil as elsewhere, well-off women resort to clandestine but efficient clinics to end their pregnancies, whereas their disadvantaged sisters must rely on shady outfits where inadequate conditions and incompetent care often expose them to greater risk of injury.

"The women who die the most from abortion are poor, young and black," said Fatima Oliveira, a physician and director of the Women's Health Network. "Those who don't have money pay with their lives. This is anti-democratic, cruel and cannot continue."

Even when women are legally entitled to an abortion, as in cases of rape, finding a doctor to perform one can be especially difficult for poor women. Some doctors refuse to perform such operations on religious grounds.

When 18-year-old Alice da Silva Oliveira discovered that the twins in her womb were joined at the chest, sharing a heart, she won permission from a judge to end her pregnancy because neither baby would survive. Although rape and danger to a mother's life are the only explicitly stated justifiable reasons for abortion, an increasing number of Brazilian judges have granted the right to abortion in certain cases of severe malformations of the fetus.

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UCLA's Lewis Is Pleased With His Destination

April 30, 2006|Lonnie White and Gary Klein | Times Staff Writers

While USC offensive tackle Winston Justice and running back LenDale White spent a long day waiting for their names to be called in Saturday's NFL draft, UCLA tight end Marcedes Lewis' day went about as expected.

Lewis was selected 28th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team he thought, and hoped, he might end up with all along.

"I knew that I could go anywhere from 21 to the latter part of the round," said Lewis, who won the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end, after leading the Bruins with 50 receptions for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns last year.

"There were four teams that seemed interested in me -- Tampa Bay, Chicago, Cincinnati and Jacksonville -- but I really didn't know until I got that call."

Lewis, who watched the draft with a group of about 30 family and friends in a Loews Hotel suite in Santa Monica, was picked by the Jaguars, who not only passed on Justice and White but also Georgia tight end Leonard Pope and Florida receiver Chad Jackson.

"Once we got to our pick, he was our pick," Coach Jack Del Rio told reporters after selecting the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Lewis.

"We feel solid about this pick. It was a pick the coaches and scouts had an affection for. He's a fine young man; top character."

Justice, listed in several mock drafts as a top-10 selection after a solid pro-day workout, was not selected until the seventh pick of the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

The next local player to be selected was USC offensive guard Taitusi Lutui, two picks behind Justice by the Arizona Cardinals with the 41st selection overall. White's time finally came when the Tennessee Titans picked him 45th overall.

According to reports around the league, Justice and White dropped in the draft because of character issues, but USC Coach Pete Carroll blamed the recent negative attention surrounding the program for their fall.

"I think the reason they slipped is hype going in, media stuff," Carroll said. "The real evaluations came through."

Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid said the Eagles did their homework on Justice, who will go to training camp behind veteran tackles Tra Thomas and Joe Runyan.

"We have some veteran players in there, so it gives [Justice] the opportunity to learn," Reid told Philadelphia reporters. "But he also has the skill and the ability to step in and play if he needs to."

Later in the second round, Jacksonville and Del Rio -- a former USC All-American linebacker -- turned to UCLA again when the Jaguars selected running back and kick returner Maurice Drew with the 60th overall pick.

"We drafted him as both. We think he can be a positional player," Del Rio said about the 5-7, 209-pound Drew, who led the nation in punt returns last season.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo defensive end Chris Gocong was the next local player to be selected when the Eagles chose him with the seventh pick of the third round. Gocong, the 71st overall selection, is the highest Mustang player drafted in the NFL.

To close out the first day of the draft, two USC players were picked late in the third round when defensive end Frostee Rucker was selected 91st overall by the Cincinnati Bengals and tight end Dominique Byrd was picked 93rd by the St. Louis Rams.

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Do extra pounds always equal extra risk?

Researchers say plenty of fat people are healthy, and plenty of thin people are unhealthy.

October 12, 2009|Marnell Jameson

Though many people connect poor health with excess weight, the two don't always go together.

Even as most health experts say that fat fuels the onset of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers and arthritis -- and with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linking obesity to 9% of health care costs -- folks behind the Health at Every Size program say that such statistics don't actually take healthy fat people into account.

One of the largest studies to support their claim that weight doesn't determine health is the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, published in August 2008 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The NHANES study looked at 5,440 adults, assessing weight and metabolic health indicators such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood lipids, blood glucose, insulin resistance and other diabetic markers. Although those in the normal weight group were healthiest, metabolically speaking (76.5%), nearly one out of four fell into the abnormal range. In the overweight group, more than half (51.3%) were metabolically healthy; as were nearly a third (31.7%) of the obese group.

The researchers' conclusion: Although fat people are more apt to be metabolically unhealthy, plenty of fat people are healthy, and plenty of thin people are unhealthy.

"You can't know just based on a person's size whether that person has good or poor health habits," says Linda Bacon, a professor of nutrition at City College of San Francisco and author of "Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight" (Ben- Bella 2008). "Some people are heavy and unhealthy, and some are heavy and health- y."

So instead, folks behind the Health at Every Size program, which Bacon and many others are researching and promoting, advocate intuitive eating -- that is, teaching people to tune in to their hunger signals

By doing so, they say, people are more likely to eat when they're hungry, not because it's lunch time, and to stop when they're satisfied not stuffed. These advocates also encourage people of every size to embrace physical activities that feel good and that they enjoy. "The advice applies whether you're 100 pounds or 500 pounds," Bacon says.

Bacon and her colleagues tested the Every Size theories with funding from the National Institutes of Health, and published their findings in the Journal of the American Dietetic Assn. in 2005.

The study tracked 78 obese women between the ages of 30 and 45. Half the group participated in the Every Size program, and half participated in a traditional weight-centered diet. Two years later, researchers found that both groups weighed the same as when they started. (Although the diet group's members had lost weight at the six-month checkpoint, they'd gained it back by the two-year mark.)

However, unlike the diet group, the Every Size group lowered its blood cholesterol and blood pressure and maintained those reductions for the entire course of the study. The dieters did not lower their cholesterol at any point, and did not maintain the lowered blood pressures they achieved in the first six months.

Similarly, levels of depression improved and self-esteem increased for both groups at first. However, only the Every Size group sustained the positive mood and self-esteem scores two years later. The dieters' depression levels fell back to near original levels, and self-esteem scores were worse at follow up.

"Increasing evidence supports the belief that diseases associated with obesity can be reversed or minimized through lifestyle changes, even without weight loss, and people can improve their health while remaining obese," says Bacon, who -- incidentally -- at 5 feet tall and 105 pounds has a low BMI of 20.5. For heavy people who have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight, a health-centered rather than a weight-centered approach may help them get healthy if not thin.

Not all health experts are so quick to give heavy people a hall pass.

"It's dangerous to go down the path that says it's OK to be obese," says Janet Pregler, director of the Iris Cantor UCLA Women's Health Center and a professor of clinical medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "We know that obesity is a detriment to health."

But even Pregler acknowledges that obesity is very difficult to treat and may never be fully resolved. "Weight-loss interventions are so ineffective," she says. "So I agree that if you're obese and doing what you can to reduce or manage other risk factors, that's an important goal."

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Time 100: Jay-Z, JLaw, Duchess Kate among the most influential

April 18, 2013|By Nardine Saad

Time magazine has released its 10th annual list of the Time 100 most influential people of the year, and not surprisingly, a number of celebrities have been bestowed the honor.

The magazine doesn't rank its picks but divvies up the 100 into five categories: titans, icons, pioneers, leaders and artists. Time includes President Obama, the newly ordained Pope Francis and North Korea's Kim Jong Un but also pays tribute to people like 29-year-old Instagram creator Kevin Systrom (who gets a shout out from Ryan Seacrest) and Egypt's Jon Stewart-esque talk show host Bassem Youssef (whose essay is written by Stewart). The list also includes 35 women.

"This year we are trying something new: seven cover portraits of Time 100 honorees who reflect the breadth and depth of our list, each one profiled inside — as is our tradition — by an equally luminary voice," managing editor Rick Stengel writes. "We commissioned the renowned photographer Mark Seliger to create the covers. The shoots took him and his crew to Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Washington and Birmingham, England."

PHOTOS: Time 100 gala

Among the artists mentioned are Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, singers Christina Aguilera, Miguel and Frank Ocean; TV personalities "The Mindy Project's" Mindy Kaling of "The Mindy Project" and Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad," and late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

Interestingly, other celebrities are chosen to pen short essays on each influential name. Actress Jodie Foster says Lawrence is a "gem with a killer stare." Jon Hamm recounts his first encounter with Cranston, calling him "friendly, funny, gregarious, humble and lovely." "The Office" star Ed Helms asserts that Kaling "was created by an evil scientist to lull us into a giddy stupor in order to control our minds." John Legend explains that Ocean "will follow his muse wherever it goes — he's not the kind of artist to adhere to everyone else's schedule. That’s what makes him special."

The magazine's celebrity icons include "Girls" mastermind Lena Dunham, three-time Oscar winner Daniel-Day Lewis, Olympic skiier Lindsey Vonn, artist Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, First Lady Michelle Obama and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

PHOTOS: Frome Kate Middleton to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

"Lena's true power, though, lies in her transparency. She is unflinchingly, unnervingly honest," Claire Danes writes. Stevie Wonder says Timberlake's "star power comes from the fact that he sounds like he's having fun when he makes music. Author Sally Bedell Smith writes that the former Kate Middleton is dignified, dutiful and unflappable, with a modest reluctance to steal the spotlight from her husband, Prince William."

Baz Luhrmann says Beyoncé and Jay-Z "are the royal couple of culture, and she is the queen bee. She’s gone beyond being a popular singer, even beyond being a pop-cultural icon. When Beyoncé does an album, when Beyoncé sings a song, when Beyoncé does anything, it’s an event, and it’s broadly influential. Right now, she is the heir-apparent diva of the U.S.A. — the reigning national voice."

Among the titans are NBA superstar LeBron James, music mogul and Beyoncé's husband, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber's and Psy's manager, Scooter Braun, designer Michael Kors and "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes.

"Jay-Z embodies so much of what makes New York New York," writes NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg. "He's an artist-entrepreneur who stands at the center of culture and commerce in 21st century America, and his influence stretches across races, religions and regions."

PHOTOS: Beyoncé and Jay-Z through the years

Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg calls Braun "a very savvy businessman and a creative visionary" whose clients collectively have nearly 7 billion YouTube page views.

Oprah Winfrey penned Rhimes' short essay and asserted that "She gets us — all of us! Shonda is a storyteller for our times." Fashion designer Zac Posen believes that Kors "is poised to become fashion's next billionaire.

For the full list and essays, click here. The annual issue will hit newsstands Friday.

Bradley Cooper explains why he lives with his mom

Gwyneth Paltrow at 40: 7 things we learned from Harper's

Jennifer Lawrence and wedding planning: They're not a match

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Mickey Mouse Gets A Mixed Reception In France

December 20, 1985|By United Press International

PARIS — French newspapers were gleeful Thursday that France will be the home of Euro Disneyland, but two groups blasted the giant amusement park as an environmental hazard and a ''dagger in the back'' to traveling carnivals.

Walt Disney Productions announced Wednesday that it had chosen the newly developed city of Marne-la-Vallee, about 20 miles east of Paris, to be the site of Euro Disneyland, the company's fourth theme park.

Paris newspapers were so enthralled by the prospect of Euro Disneyland in France that front pages displayed cartoon drawings of Mickey Mouse and the other Disney characters.

''France is offered a Mickey Mouse,'' the daily Liberation newspaper blared. ''Marne-la-Valley is enchanted,'' Le Quotidien said.

But the Syndicate of Amusement Parks of France said Euro Disneyland would wipe out the small, private carnival operators who travel across France. ''It's an abuse of confidence and a dagger in the back to us,'' said its president, Marcel Campton.

He said French officials had assured him only two days ago that ''nothing would be signed'' with Disney on the huge amusement park, expected to be completed in 1990 or 1991.

The French Federation of the Societies for the Protection of Nature said the park will destroy a rural area near Paris. ''This will put in danger a remarkable green zone of the Paris region,'' the group said, adding that it was ''ready to fight for the preservation of nature and for the respect of the law.''

Disney chose the Paris area over four sites on Spain's eastern Mediterranean coast. France has agreed to build highways to the park from Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports and to extend rail service.

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A Life Of Scars

January 29, 1986

I READ David Scruggs' story about the 17-year-old who sat impassively in a Rockledge courtoom while adults argued what to do with him. In a few months he will turn 18 and be on his own. He is identified as unruly, a ward of the state and from a home of strife. The article was a sidebar to your series on juvenile justice.

A normal childhood for the boy was lost when an aerosol can exploded in his face and caused hideous scars. It affected his life. His family couldn't afford plastic surgery and the boy became the object of scorn in school. Classmates taunted him, calling him Al Capone, Scarface and Frankenstein. He lashed out at them with his fists and quickly was labeled a troublemaker. His increasingly antisocial behavior at school and frequent truancy introduced him to the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in 1980.

The youth's story could have been that of any one of us if we had to face life as he has.

I pray the future will bring the wonders of plastic surgery into his life. What remarkable physical changes occur from it, as well as effects on one's behavior.

Mrs. Alyce Brown

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Brunansky Wants 'Reliable' Drug Test

March 7, 1986|By Larry Guest of the Sentinel staff

Tom Brunansky insists he does not do drugs. Tom does home runs. Tom does runs batted in. Tom does All-Star Games. Tom does long-term contracts.

But Tom does not, he assures, do drugs. And, for the moment at least, Tom also does not do drug clauses.

Our subject for the day is the handsome young right fielder for the Minnesota Twins who in three-plus seasons in the big show has established himself as a bona fide big-league power hitter. Tom has averaged 30 homers a season the past three years and has become one of the singular stars in baseball's frozen tundra.

Believe me, I would far prefer to wax eloquent this morning only on Mr. Brunansky's emerging bat or the surrender of his bachelorhood last October or his mysteriously fluctuating batting average. Or even the relative angle of his big toes. Anything but more drug talk. Drugs, drugs, drugs. Blechhh! Would Billy Martin please slug another marshmallow salesman so we can change the subject.

However, Tom Brunansky threw himself onto the front lines of Commish Peter Ueberroth's widely applauded war on drug abuse through the casual exercise of refusing to sign a drug-clause addendum to his current 6-year contract with the Twins. This set Tom apart from the crowd because it was revealed this week that only three members of the entire team have refused to sign such clauses, which voluntarily submits each player to random drug testing. And Brunansky is the largest name of the three. (Three others who went through arbitration weren't approached.) Ergo, hello headlines.

Tom's refusal has its obvious and ugly implications. This he acknowledges. Brunansky won't allow the chemists to dissect his urine samples, so he must have something to hide, right? Wrong, says Tom. ''I imagine I'll catch a lot of heat for this,'' said Brunansky, sipping a cup of soup at his Tinker Field locker just before Thursday's Rollins/Twins exhibition. ''I want to wait for a universal, reliable test and a plan that our union agrees with.

''Drugs are one thing that I've always managed to avoid. Now, I like my beer,'' he said, flashing that winsome smile. ''But doing drugs is stupid. Sure, I've had plenty of opportunity. Anytime you make a lot of money and you're young, the opportunity will be there. But you've still got to look in the mirror.''

Brunansky says he wholeheartedly supports the sweeping actions by Ueberroth last week, the doling out of conditional suspensions and fines to 21 major-league players linked with drug abuse. ''I'm all for it. If guys can't police themselves, then they should be punished,'' he said.

That so many players are signing the drug clause is a healthy sign that the mood of the employees is right in step with the commissioner's bold efforts. But Brunansky's concern is that the runaway passions of the moment may overrun order and good judgment. He wants the players union to participate in the testing plan, assuring that the best interests of the players are protected. Only after consulting with a union official did he make the decision to refuse the drug clause.

''This is too big an issue to sweep under the rug or go too fast,'' he says. ''I don't know much about drugs, but I do know that the tests sometimes have false positives. What I want to know is who has access to that information.''

''Bruno,'' as his teammates call him, doesn't want to wake up one morning and read in large headlines how yesterday's false-positive has forever branded him as a druggie. So, armed with the luxury of that long-term contract, Brunansky felt no urgency to sign the drug-testing clause. ''I can understand why so many of the guys with 1-year contracts signed. It might have been a case of give-and-take in negotiations,'' he said.

Twins President Howard Fox said he respects Brunansky's other reasons for choosing not to sign the testing clause but vehemently denied that the clause was an integral part of contract negotiations with any Twins players. ''Only after we reached complete agreement on the rest of the contract did we ask each player to sign the drug clause. We didn't pressure any of them in any way,'' Fox says.

This has been Dr. Guest reporting from the seamy side of sports. Hopefully, next time we can get back around to Tom's big toes and see if there's a more interesting story there.

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Mavs March Past Magic

Guards Are In Charge For Dallas

March 23, 1990|By Barry Cooper of The Sentinel Staff

Scott Skiles and Nick Anderson, who at least for now are the new backcourt for the Orlando Magic, both turned in double-doubles Thursday night, but that was not enough to offset the size and talent of the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas won, 116-106, at Orlando Arena behind 32 points by guard Rolando Blackman and 27 by guard Derek Harper. The Magic gambled that they could get away with double-teaming Dallas' gargantuan frontcourt players, but Blackman and Harper made the Magic pay by tossing in perimeter jumpers and occasionally slicing to the basket.

The Magic gambled on another front, too. Orlando was healthy for the first time in a month, but Coach Matt Guokas stayed with his new starting five that pulled off an upset of New York on Tuesday.

Veterans Sam Vincent and Reggie Theus, who didn't dress for the Knicks game, watched from an unfamiliar vantage point - the bench.

Vincent played 10 minutes, Theus played five.

Such inactivity was especially shocking to Theus, who half-jokingly said, ''I should have kept my street clothes on.''

Guokas' dilemma: Should he ease the veteran guards back into the lineup or continue to allow Skiles and Anderson to play?

Said Guokas: ''You never know what might happen.''

Theus, clearly upset at languishing on the bench, let it be known he is not ready to be pushed aside. Theus, 32, and Anderson, 22, play the same position - shooting guard. Over the last six games, Anderson is averaging 19.2 points and shooting 56 percent from the field as a starter.

Theus, averaging 19.9 points and 5.7 assists, missed the last two games with a back injury. Vincent, who remained in the trainer's room and did not speak with reporters after the game, had been out for two weeks with a hip injury.

Theus, surrounded by reporters, tried to be diplomatic, and he applauded the progress being made by Anderson.

''It is a real tough area for me to comment on because I am not happy right now,'' Theus said. ''I am an elder statesman, but I am not ready for the glue factory.''

Such controversies over playing time occur almost daily in the NBA, and Magic General Manager Pat Williams said this one will pass.

''I think Matty's feelings are that Nick and Scott have earned the right to play more minutes,'' he said. ''I think you have to let them play this string out.''

Skiles had 22 points and 10 assists. Anderson also had 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Guokas was so pleased with their play that Vincent and Theus got in for only one stretch of play in the second quarter.

Anderson played for 43 of the 48 minutes and Skiles played for 38.

When asked if he might have stayed with his starters too long, Guokas said, ''The longer the game goes, the tougher it is for those guys who have been sitting on the bench all night. The other guys were playing pretty well. We were in the ball game.''

The loss was the 16th in 18 games for the Magic (17-50), who play at the arena Saturday against Milwaukee.

The Magic were in contention for three quarters, and led at the end of every period except the fourth.

Despite the loss, the Magic's lineup up forwards Otis Smith and Terry Catledge, center Sidney Green and guards Anderson and Skiles proved to be a good mix.

Green helped Orlando by making his first eight shots, including five in a row in the first half to help Orlando lead, 61-58, at halftime. Catledge also was 5-for-5 in the half. But Green's shooting cooled, and he missed his last five shots to finish with 18 points. Catledge had 16 points but only 1 in the second half.

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Reddicks Does It All - Except Capture State

SPORTS All-Seminole County girls basketball team

March 25, 1990|By Hugo Kugiya Of The Sentinel Staff

No one on the Seminole girls basketball team ever intended the last game of the season to be the last game of the season.

The Fighting Seminoles were two points and two games short of winning a state championship. And the player who probably took it the hardest was Sheri Reddicks.

''I felt very disappointed because it was my last year, and I really wanted to win a state championship,'' said Reddicks, Seminole's girls basketball player of the year. ''It took me two or three days to get over it.

''I've had the coach (John McNamara) tell me, 'OK, Sheri, we have to win this game.' I got used to being the person the team depended on. I had to go out there and play my best all the time.''

For 24 games, Reddicks, a 6-foot senior center, gave her team all it needed. Seminole entered its last game undefeated at 24-0, ranked No. 1 in the state and well on its way to its second consecutive state tournament.

But in the last game, a 47-46 loss to Haines City in the sectional, even Reddicks' play was not enough.

The Seminoles finished the season 24-1, and for the second year in a row had every reason to think they could win a state title, but didn't. Last year, Seminole lost the championship game to St. Petersburg-Lakewood in double overtime.

''We took it hard, but we realized everyone wins and everyone loses,'' Reddicks said. ''We're still proud to get that far. To do what we did is pretty good.''

To do what Reddicks did this season is at least that. She led the county in scoring, rebounding and shot blocking from the first day of the season. No one else was even close.

In her 25 games, she scored 600 points, grabbed 375 rebounds and blocked 74 shots. That averages to 24.0 points, 15.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. She also averaged 2.6 steals per game. Those were her best numbers of her four-year varsity career.

''We just throw it to her,'' Seminole guard Emily Anderson said. ''When it's one on one, you can't stop her. It takes three people on her to stop her.''

The week after basketball season ended, Reddicks was running track. She competes in the shot put, long jump, mile relay and the 880 relay. Last fall, she competed for the cross-country team, which helped her speed on the court.

Last week, she scored nine points in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's state all-star game, as her North team routed the South team. The all-state team has not yet been announced, but Reddicks is a very strong candidate for the first team.

Reddicks competed in another all-star game Saturday at Valencia Community College. She represented the North team in the Family Christian Association of America's Central Florida all-star game.

''It's been fun to play with these different players that I've heard about all season,'' Reddicks said. ''It's nice to hear people tell you what a great player you are.''

As an all-star Reddicks has been dined, praised and bestowed with gifts like basketball shoes and uniforms.

The college recruiting season has not yet arrived, but McNamara expects that Reddicks will get a large share of suitors once the college season ends. Reddicks doesn't have any particular favorites, but she knows one thing.

''I don't want to stay in Florida,'' Reddicks said. ''I'll go anywhere as long as it's not in Florida. I've been here for 18 years, and I feel it's time to try something new.''

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The Mavericks

May 22, 1992

Who: the Mavericks.

When: 8 p.m. today.

Where: the Barn, 1200 S. French Ave. (U.S. Highway 17-92), Sanford.

What about them: From Miami, the Mavericks are a country band with a new album, From Hell to Paradise. The members are (from left) Paul Deakin, Raul Malo, Robert Reynolds and David Lee Holt.

What it costs: $5 at the door.

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My Word: Tax-credit scholarship expands options

January 5, 2012|By Doug Tuthill

Public education in Florida is under enormous pressure to improve at a time when school districts are being squeezed financially. The anguish of district leaders is understandable. But that is no reason to blame low-income parents for wanting options ("Seminole schools blast tax-credit scholarships," Orlando Sentinel, Dec. 23).

The Florida tax-credit scholarship was created in 2001 to provide students on free or reduced-price lunch with learning options, and the Legislature provides dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributions that fund the $4,011 scholarships. But no one forced the parents of nearly 38,000 mostly black and Hispanic children on the scholarship this school year to apply. No one insisted they pay upwards of $1,000 to cover the gap between scholarship and tuition.

So when Seminole schools Superintendent Bill Vogel says the program is "part of the agenda" to weaken public schools, he is not only attacking the bipartisan legislative coalition that supports it. He is also telling some desperately poor parents that their schooling choices are wrong — even though public education is about equal opportunity.

This scholarship is part of an increasingly customized public-education system. In Florida, 736,000 students attend magnet programs, career academies, choice and open-enrollment schools; 154,000 choose charter schools, and 140,000 4-year-olds use public funds to attend private schools.

District officials are right to call for accountability. To that end, scholarship students take nationally norm-referenced tests, and their schools answer to parents who help pay tuition. From such oversight, we know students who choose the scholarship are the lowest performers from their district schools and that their test-score gains now match students of all income levels nationally. These same students receive 64 cents on the public-school dollar, which is why four independent organizations have concluded the program saves tax money.

These are challenging times for public education, but to label scholarships for impoverished children "a travesty" is the kind of hyperbole that cheapens public discourse. Only 53 percent of low-income children read at grade level, and the ones who choose this scholarship are doing worse than the rest. Their parents don't care about a school's corporate governance; they simply want schools that work for their children.

What's wrong with that?

Doug Tuthill is president of Step Up For Students and the former president of two teachers unions.

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Free pie in Wicker Park tonight

May 29, 2013|By JoVona Taylor | RedEye

Attention all pie lovers, Pie it Forward, a group of people dedicated to promoting kindness around the nation, will be giving away free pie in Wicker Park—near the fountain at the intersection of Damen Avenue and Schiller Street--at 6 p.m. this evening.

The group, also known as OccuPIE, started giving away pie in Ann Arbor, Mich., after being inspired by a speech from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, according to Sarah Fertig, the executive weirdo do-gooder for Pie it Forward.

“She said if you built a factory and got rich, you still have an obligation to pay into the system that helped create your success,” she said. “The pie is a metaphor for that same idea. I made the pie, but I didn't plant the apple trees or the wheat field or milk the cow or churn the butter. Just because I assembled the pie doesn't make it mine all mine!”

Fertig said the group decided to host pie giveaways in different locations throughout the U.S. in order to lead by example and show others how sharing can make the world a nicer place.

In terms of pie preparation, Fertig said the pies are made a day in advance of the event at the house of the group’s host for each city they visit.

“These particular pies [for the Chicago event] were baked in a kitchen in a collective house near California and Division,” she said.

Pie it Forward can be spotted at today’s pie giveaway holding a sign that reads,“FREE PIE AND REVOLUTION.”

Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page

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Ex-aide Admits Robbing Nursing Home Patient

March 26, 1986|By Jean Dubail, Staff Writer

A former aide in a Lantana nursing home pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that she robbed a patient by altering checks he gave her to cash.

The former aide, Katherine B. Newton, 36, of Boynton Beach, was accused of altering 18 checks written by Toimi Ronka, 70, a resident of Atlantis Nursing Center at 6026 Old Congress Road. Newton was arrested in October after Ronka discovered a discrepancy between his bank statement and his own records.

Police said Newton increased the amounts drawn from Ronka`s account by adding a digit to two-digit numbers and inserting words such as ``one hundred`` or ``two hundred`` on the second line of the checks. Over a three-month period she stole $2,700 from Ronka`s account, police said.

Newton originally was charged with 36 counts of grand theft, petty theft, forgery and uttering a forgery. Had she been convicted of all 36 counts she would have faced a prison sentence of up to 2 1/2 years or a similar term of house arrest.

Newton arranged to plead guilty to half the counts. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge James Carlisle sentenced her to three years probation and ordered her to repay the $2,700 to Ronka.

Newton also was charged with accepting food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children without telling federal officials that she was employed.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft. Carlisle sentenced her to three years probation on those charges and ordered her to make $1,540 restitution.

Newton`s attorney, Nancy Perez, told Carlisle she had advised her client not to plead guilty. Carlisle asked Newton why she accepted the arrangement.

``I did wrong, sir,`` she said.

``No one cares about that,`` Carlisle replied. ``What we care about is that you understand what you`re doing.``

He warned Newton that violating the terms of her probation could result in a stiff prison sentence.

``You don`t make your bed right, you`re looking at 90 years in prison,`` he said.

Charles Coxson, administrator of the nursing center, said Newton had worked there a few months and that she quit shortly before her arrest in October. He said it was against the center`s policy for employees to cash residents` checks.

``We had no idea this was going on,`` he said.

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Governor-elect Wise To Wait For Second Look At Powerball Idea

December 6, 1998

Gov.-elect Jeb Bush can be forgiven for hedging his bet on a controversial source of revenue. His decision to delay the introduction of the big-money, multistate Powerball lottery game in Florida is a prudent move that makes a lot of sense.

Powerball is sure to attract interest. The game is known for its big jackpots that often stretch to nine figures. Powerball, however, may not be a sure thing for the Sunshine State.

Revenue projections for a Powerball-plus lottery already have been cut by $17 million, and there's concern that the new attraction will cannibalize existing games. Powerball is expected to generate roughly $241 million a year, but 65 percent of that revenue will come from Cash Three, Play Four, Fantasy Five and Lotto.

Critics are also questioning a related contract that would pay an Atlanta-based firm $23 million annually over nine years to provide lottery computers and machines to convenience stores and gas stations in Florida. Lottery Secretary Marcia Mann signed the deal just days before the Nov. 3 elections.

From the outset, the Florida Lottery has been a controversial revenue source that was initially touted as a fiscal salve for public schools.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out as planned. The Florida Legislature used lottery proceeds to replace general revenue funds formerly spent on education. Rather than financing enhancements, lottery money was used to finance basics.

Earlier this year, Florida was invited to join the Powerball network, a lottery that encompasses 20 states and the District of Columbia. The state signed on to what seemed like a certain source of new revenue, and the new game was set to begin next year.

Now financial planners say future lottery proceeds will be flat. They also project shortfalls in Florida's utility tax receipts, the state's primary funding source for school construction.

With these financial pressures facing it, Florida obviously can't afford a losing lottery proposition.

The jury is still out on whether Powerball will be a winner or loser for Florida's schools. Bush was wise to call for a review. Better to have a clear head and a pat hand when faced with a game of chance.

Sun Sentinel Articles
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August 26 Serene Spiritscape Minimalist Ocean Lake w Sailboat Starting Bid $14.95 Toni Grote

SOLD! "Light of Guidance" is listed on an Art Auction with a starting bid of ONLY $14.95 including FREE shipping! I have several other paintings on auction at a low starting bid. If your walls need freshening up then please check them out. To the Auction!

1 comment:

Greg Rodrigues said...

It's the perfect art ... natural, beautifully colored, coastal, inspired by God! For our new house!


text:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Works on Paper
A Fifteen Year Survey of Women
June 19 - August 21, 2009
Main Gallery
Andrea Rosen Gallery

Can somebody explain to me why today after having touring about 24 different galleries in Chelsea , why about 20 of them are showing shows right now with images that are mostly about sexual content and rather demeaning to women?

The work by the way in my opinion... is not top quality either.

Is it a new art market trend?
Or just a desperate tactic.

Or just the SEX SELLS  being demeaning women in the process?

No comments:


text:
Recent Posts

Late night artdump!

When you gotta shout your frustrations out,
you draw yourself monstrosities to let it out.
Spock approaches life based on logical decisions
I don't have time, I'm bored by innate precision.
Like a scientist experimenting in the middle of the night
As Doc Frankenstein said, "Ah, IT'S ALIVE!"

To any visitors or readers, greetings! With an urge to be consistent in showing my work process, I figured I will make this blog as a means to get some critiques and hopefully be of some inspiration. So here we go:

This is a work-in-progress of an assignment that involves creating a visual metaphor out of a fortune cookie message. The message is a bit straightforward: "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take that step today!"

More posts to follow. Stay tuned!


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It’s raining Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Earlier, we reported that an important photographic exhibit about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera would be seen at Mexic-Arte Museum come Sept 16-Nov. 26. Later, we learned that some local elements would be added to the touring show, including a piece inspired by Kahlo’s Blue House.

“Diego and Frida: Smile in the Middle of the Way” comes to Mexic-Arte in September. Contributed

Now we find out that the Butler School of Music and the University of Texas School of Fine Arts have commissioned a Spanish-language opera about the creative duo. Other partners in the deal are Fort Worth Opera, San Diego Opera and DePaul University.

To add to the buzz, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz and composer Gabriela Lena Frank have signed on to create “The Last Dream of Frida & Diego.” It will premiere in Fort Worth in spring 2020, San Diego in 2021 and at UT’s Butler Opera Center in February 2021.

We love this. Austin Opera has co-commissioned several outstanding works, although not for a while, as has UT. It’s what an opera producer should do.

Reader Comments 0


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Chili Cheese Muffins

Chili Cheese Muffins

Y’all. Have you embraced the pumpkin yet? I made some awesome pumpkin butter last weekend with some pumpkin puree I had tucked away in the freezer. But I feel like a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie may need to be in my future (and therefore in your future). There’s just something wonderful about that pumpkin chocolate combo. It’s so sweet and dense and warming all at the same time. I remember having one for the first time at Starbucks (I know, surprise, surprise) in high school, and it was love at first bite. But obviously that particular cookie is no longer an option for my gluten-intolerant self, which means I’ve gotta find the right recipe. So, stay tuned.

Remember how I said it didn’t really feel like fall here in Texas yet? Yeah, it still doesn’t, but holy cannoli-my dogs are shedding like nobody’s business (that doesn’t even make sense, but you get what I’m saying). I try to keep the house vacuumed weekly (ok, fine, sometimes it’s every other week), and still there’s always hair all over the place. My fashion statement for the fall is black, brown, and white hair all over. Because nothing says classy like dog hair on your black yoga pants. I can even constantly use that special extra-sticky lint roller specifically made for dog hair, and it’ll still look like my dogs rubbed themselves all over me. To be fair, they do shed year-round. It just feels like during the changing of the seasons, the shedding always increases tenfold. I think of this phenomenon as my own personal version of Groundhog Day. If you can see the dog hair all over you after just vacuuming, then legit fall weather must be approaching just like the groundhog’s shadow and the 6 weeks of winter or spring or whatever (does anyone actually remember which way that goes? I never seem to keep that one straight). They’re darn lucky they’re cute, I’m just saying. But honestly, could you get mad at a face like this??

Or this??

So, occasionally when I have a morning off during the week, I get to watch the Today Show. IT just so happens that I was watching yesterday, and they had Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper talking about their new book The Magnolia Story. I love watching their show especially since they’re in Waco (my grandparents lived in Hubbard). I’m way behind on all of the episodes though since we’re old school around here and don’t have cable (I know, we’re crazy like that). But the way those houses are transformed by the end of each episode just blows me away. Everything is so put together and looks like something out of a magazine. Now, I get that there are tons of people behind the scenes making these designs a reality, but I’m still amazed that someone came up with the original floor plan/design etc.

I’m not blessed in this area of home decor. I easily enough point out what designs and decorations I love, but I don’t have that gift of walking into a room and visualizing how it should be put together and then actually doing it completely on my own. I have to find exactly the look I’m going for (after having searched Pinterest for hours), find everything I need to mimic it, develop a game plan, and THEN execute it. And this is exactly why our house still looks like we just moved in. The only thing hanging on the walls is the wine rack in the kitchen we got as a wedding gift. Because we have priorities around here. But I just downloaded SketchUp this week, which I’ve heard is wonderful for this kind of thing. I’m hoping this will be the special tool that combined with Pinterest will help me finally put some holes in the walls (like for hanging things, not for “oops, we decided to play football in the house and Steven tripped over the dog and fell through the wall” holes) and make some things home-y. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.

But I’m so excited to share these muffins with you today! This recipe is from Elana Amsterdam of Elana’s Pantry. Elana’s recipes are no-nonsense, simple, easy, and delicious. These muffins are a wonderful example. With only 6 ingredients, they can be whipped up in a heartbeat for an easy breakfast or snack option (and they store in the freezer well too!). I love using my processor for this one to process all the other ingredients together first and then to add the shredding insert to shred the cheese right into the batter. I tweaked the amount of red pepper flakes, but besides that, the recipe is the same. The great thing about this recipe is that you can definitely play around with the spice and cheese combinations. I’ve used feta instead of cheddar and added oregano instead of chili flakes. I’ve also used pepper jack cheese and eliminated the red pepper flakes entirely. I bet these would be wonderful with Parmesan and basil. The possibilities are endless!

Chili Cheese Muffins

1¼ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, plus more for sprinkling
2 cups (8 oz.) grated cheddar cheese

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, combine the almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda.
  3. Pulse in the red pepper flakes and cheese.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, and cool for one hour.

Original recipe from Elana Amsterdam of Elana’s Pantry can be found here.

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A mixture of rock riffs and punk sensibilities, catchy hooks and melodic anthems, As A Rival are fast becoming one of the most hard-working, explosive live bands on the Australian punk rock scene. Continuing to deliver upon their unrelenting live shows, with precision and intent.

Comprising of Pete Cerni (vox/guitar), Nathan Wheatley (drums/vox) and Johnny Beech (guitar/vox), 2016 saw the tech-punk outfit rise in stature releasing their debut album, ‘By Design’, supported by 2 national tours and gaining their first major support slot, playing at 170 Russell.

2017 sees no change in pace as the juggernaut rolls on. Heading into the studio to record their 2nd album at ‘The Studios In The City’, produced by Tom Larkin (Shihad) & Sam Sproull. ‘Griefers’, tackles themes of betrayal, deceit and defiance and sees a maturity in song writing, fine-tuning their song craft into a driven, sonic deluge. From the gallop of lead single, ‘Bring Out The Dead’, to the hook of ‘Atmosphere’, the soar of ‘Head in the Clouds’ to the punk punch of ‘Orbital’, ‘Griefers’ is unrelenting from start to finish and shows a clear intent by the band launching head first into 2018.

Their debut album, By Design, recorded and co-produced by Tom Read (Bodyjar) and mixed by Grammy Award winning producer Adam Kasper (Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age), saw a coming of age in their songwriting, surpassing the promise and expectations built from previous releases, packed with energy and drive.

Dropping the music video for single ‘Obsolete’, a punk infused anthem that tackles fighting the reality of ageing and fear of irrelevance that comes with it. The clip was well received, achieving their debut appearance of ABC’s RAGE music program, where it stayed on rotation for 5 straight weeks. By years end, As A Rival had played over 30 shows across 6 states around Australia, building upon their fan base and growing their live show reputation.

Beginning from an accumulation of bedroom demos, the premise for As A Rival was to be challenged musically and become a rival to what was on offer. The year 2011 saw the release of the Reminder Designer single, which was followed by the acclaimed Concerning Trends EP in 2013. Playing live is where the band feels most at home, touring across Australia, both metro and regional since their inception and stamping a claim as one of Australia’s most entertaining live bands.

As A Rival will make their return February 2018 playing shows across Australia as they celebrate the release of their latest single, 'Bring Out The Dead'

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