Los Angeles Times

Brace yourself for another asteroid flyby To quote science...

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:20:55 -0700

Brace yourself for another asteroid flyby

To quote science reporter Deborah Netburn:

It’s 1.7 miles long. Its surface is covered in a sticky black substance similar to the gunk at the bottom of a barbecue. If it impacted Earth it would probably result in global extinction. Good thing it is just making a flyby.

At approximately 1:59 p.m. PDT May 31, Asteroid 1998 QE2 will make a close (by galactic standards) pass by our home planet. Coming within just 3.6 million miles of Earth, the asteroid will be so close that many of its features will be visible on radar.

For more details on the asteroid, including its possible origin, at Science Now.

Photo: NASA / JPL / Caltech

Background on the Yahoo-Tumblr deal Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has...

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:46:44 -0700

Background on the Yahoo-Tumblr deal

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has been looking to revitalize Yahoo since hopping aboard last year, examining several companies for possible acquisition. But it wasn’t until early this morning that Yahoo’s big push to gain the trust of a younger online audience was finally confirmed with a $1.1-billion purchase of Tumblr.

But many of the Tumblr faithful are concerned about Yahoo’s shaky track record in properly handling fresh acquisitions:

Yahoo has a history of buying promising young companies only to let them waste away. Acquisitions under previous Yahoo chiefs such as Geocities, an early social networking site, and Flickr, the popular photo sharing website, were long neglected within the company.

Mayer, aware of the widespread concerns of an audience that contains many users who weren’t even alive when Yahoo began, maintains that Tumblr will be independent:

We promise not to screw it up. Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently. David Karp will remain CEO. The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve.

Read more on the Yahoo-Tumblr deal via tech reporter Jessica Guynn, or sound off below on whether Yahoo’s move is brilliant, or doomed to be a bust.

.gif: Yahoo

Tumblr Staff: News!

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:34:44 -0700

Tumblr Staff: News!:

staff:

Everyone, I’m elated to tell you that Tumblr will be joining Yahoo.

Before touching on how awesome this is, let me try to allay any concerns: We’re not turning purple. Our headquarters isn’t moving. Our team isn’t changing. Our roadmap isn’t changing. And our mission – to empower creators to…

The rumors turned out to be true: Yahoo has purchased Tumblr for $1.1 billion, in what may be the first corporate acquisition announced via .gif.

The greatest Dodger of all time: Sandy Koufax What began with a...

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:38:02 -0700

An undated photograph of Dodgers great Sandy Koufax.

A box containing the only known audio tape of Vin Scully calling Sandy Koufax's first no–hitter in 1962.

Sandy Koufax, left, and catcher John Roseboro celebrate on the field in Los Angeles after the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 2–1 to take the 1963 World Series.

The greatest Dodger of all time: Sandy Koufax

What began with a simple question from sports writer Houston Mitchell: “Who are the 10 greatest Dodgers of all time?” turned into a massive wave of feedback, with 12,231 ballots surging in. And after a lengthy wait, we can finally reveal that the top Dodger of all time is legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax.

What made Koufax so great (beyond his victory on our ballot):

Koufax was the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards (1963, ‘65 and ‘66), as well as the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award by a unanimous vote (1963, when he went 25-5 with a 1.88 ERA). Many people will tell you that the greatest pitcher in baseball history was Sandy Koufax on four days’ rest. Second greatest? Sandy Koufax on three days’ rest.

As for the rest of the top three, the groundbreaking Jackie Robinson came in second, and the longtime voice of the Dodgers, Vin Scully, took third.

Many thanks to everyone who sent in a ballot, and feel free to check out the rest of the top-ranking Dodgers here!

Photos: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times, Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images

english2english: nationalpostsports: David Beckham is...

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:25:36 -0700

english2english:

nationalpostsports:

David Beckham is retiring: The end of an era

The 38-year-old Beckham, who recently won a league title in a fourth country with Paris Saint-Germain, has become a global superstar since starting his career at Manchester United.

“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” Beckham said in a statement Thursday. (Photo: Getty Images/AFP/Files)

Advantage: UK. The US got the older and less aggressive Becks. But all bets are off for his future movie/underwear modeling career.

And L.A. got a MLS Cup out of the deal! For those looking for a new Tumblr to follow, English2English is pretty great.

An invasion of privacy for the sake of art? L.A. native Arne...

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:05:19 -0700

A detail section from the Photography of Arne Svenson as it hangs inside the Julie Saul Gallery.

A visitor views the photography of Arne Svenson on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at the Julie Saul Gallery in New York.

Photography of Arne Svenson hangs inside the Julie Saul Gallery in New York.

A modern luxury glass apartment building, left, sits across the street from an older red brick apartment, the home of photographer Arne Svenson.

An invasion of privacy for the sake of art?

L.A. native Arne Svenson’s art instillation “The Neighbors,”opened at New York’s Julie Saul Gallery Saturday, and has quickly been met by an uproar from his own neighbors. As the title of the work suggests, Svenson’s subjects were his own neighbors, whose pictures he took from across the street with a Telephoto lens.

Though the photos depict the mundane acts of daily life, with naps, chores and the like, and the faces are all obscured, some of the individuals caught candidly are considering taking legal action against Svenson.

As one nearby resident told the New York Post:

“This is about kids. If he’s waiting there for hours with his camera, who knows what kind of footage he has. I can recognize items from my daughter’s bedroom.”

Check out the full story via Culture Monster, or head over to Svenson’s site for a better look at “The Neighbors.”

Photos: Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press

latimespast: Times copy editor Larry Harnisch attends the...

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:20:55 -0700

Hollywood sign, 1978. (Los Angeles Herald Examiner / Los Angeles Public Library)

O.J. Simpson carries the Olympic torch in 1984. (Los Angeles Herald Examiner / Los Angeles Public Library)

Cher at the 1986 Oscars. (Los Angeles Herald Examiner / Los Angeles Public Library)

A protest in Beverly Hills in 1979. (Los Angeles Herald Examiner / Los Angeles Public Library)

The final edition of the Herald Examiner. (Los Angeles Herald Examiner / Los Angeles Public Library)

latimespast:

Times copy editor Larry Harnisch attends the reunion of Los Angeles Herald Examiner photographers:

A generation has come of age since the death of Hearst’s Los Angeles Herald Examiner on Nov. 2, 1989, a digital generation that has no memory of The Times’ scrappy competitor. Once the nation’s largest afternoon paper, the Herald was a victim of changing lifestyles and a long, bruising strike, a publication that was losing about $2 million a month when it folded.

Today, the Herald’s pages are preserved on reels of microfilm, accessible only to those willing to make the trek to the Los Angeles Public Library or other research facilities.

But the newspaper’s photos have found new life online.

You can see some of those photos above, and there are even more at Framework, where Scott Harrison has put together a gallery that has the back stories of some of these amazing images. Still more photos — the source of the ones above, in fact — are in the Los Angeles Public Library collection (which you can search).

Photos: Top: The Hollywood sign in 1978. Middle left: O.J. Simpson carries the Olympic torch in L.A. in July 1984. Middle right: Cher and Don Ameche at the 1986 Oscars. Bottom left: A police car hits a protester in Beverly Hills in 1979. Bottom right: The final issue of the Herald Examiner. (Credit: Los Angeles Herald Examiner / Los Angeles Public Library)

disneyparksphotoproject: New strategy, let the Wookie...

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:45:11 -0700

disneyparksphotoproject:

New strategy, let the Wookie spin

photographer: MR Gif

location: Star Wars Weekends - May 9 to June 9, 2013

Wookie + .gif = instant Friday reblog.

pacificstand: bizweekgraphics: Dorothy Gambrell illustrates...

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:04:38 -0700

pacificstand:

bizweekgraphics:

Dorothy Gambrell illustrates everything you wanted to know about California’s prison labor program, but were afraid to ask. They can only sell inmate-made goods to the state, and if the state cuts back, those prisoners lose their jobs. Jeez, in jail AND laid off? Can this prison sentence get any worse????

Prison labor, once best known for making license plates, has grown to 57 factories doing such work as modular building construction, toner cartridge recycling, shoemaking and juice packaging. Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek

Ready for the battle of the burgers? Who molds the most...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:54:57 -0700

The "H–Bomb" burger.

The Howie Burger.

The Italian Turkey Burger.

The Buffalo Cambozola Burger.

The BLT burger.

Ready for the battle of the burgers?

Who molds the most delicious patties? Who dashes the most finely-tuned selection of seasonings on those perfectly succulent bits of meat? Find out in this year’s annual Battle of the Burgers, an all-out brawl over who can find the best combination to put between a bun!

Last year’s winners are seen above, and all of the corresponding recipes can be seen here,

So to join this elite burger echelon, submit your own recipe to the our food section’s Facebook page starting tomorrow, and find out if your homegrown recipe can top the competition.

Photos: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Big duck in the big city The gigantic duck seen above is the...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:05:55 -0700

Dutch conceptual artist, Florentijin Hofman's Floating duck sculpture called "Spreading Joy Around the World", is moved into Victoria Harbour.

Dutch conceptual artist, Florentijin Hofman's Floating duck sculpture called "Spreading Joy Around the World", is given a welcome ceremony by the Hong Kong Police band.

A woman takes a picture of a deflated Rubber Duck created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman in Hong Kong.

Big duck in the big city

The gigantic duck seen above is the work of Dutch conceptual artist, Florentijin Hofman. Titled “Spreading Joy Around the World,” the 16.5 meter-tall rubber duck has been traveling the world since 2007, appearing in 10 countries and 12 cities.

But after suffering structural damage, the duck has been unfortunately been deflated for repairs.

Photos: Jessica Hromas / Getty Images, Vincent Yu / Associated Press

Handing out Abercrombie clothes to shame a self-absorbed...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:40:00 -0700

Handing out Abercrombie clothes to shame a self-absorbed brand

Recent USC graduate Greg Karper, along with a friend, has taken to the street of Los Angeles to voice his disgust with comments from Abercrombie Chief Executive Michael S. Jeffries that have recently resurfaced.

Said Jeffries:

“Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

To counter that “exclusionary” bend, Karper has purchased bundles of used Abercrombie clothes to hand out to the homeless of L.A., and is hoping that more people will do the same.

Read the full story over at Money & Co.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week begins next week (something we...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:39:39 -0700

National Dog Bite Prevention Week begins next week (something we didn’t know existed until just a bit ago), and as a prelude to the festivities. the postal service has released a list of the cities with the most reported attacks on postal workers by dogs. And just look at who comes out on top…

From L.A.’s acting postmaster Ken Snavely:

“If our letter carriers deem your loose dog to be a threat, you’ll be asked to pick up your mail at the Post Office until it’s safe to deliver.”

Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

pbs-food: Click here to find a delicious chocolate chip cookie...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:57:17 -0700

pbs-food:

Click here to find a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe perfect for your own noms.

We endorse this message.

Angelina Jolie’s not the first to make a drastic choice as...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:04:05 -0700

Doctor Beth Karlan (left) says, "Your dad is with us, from above, " to Anna Gorman in the pre–op before her hysterectomy/ oophorectomy in 2006.

Happy to be home Anna Gorman cuddles daughter Sadie Metcalfe (left), 23 months, and Twyla Metcalfe, 3 months, as husband Coll Metcalfe is nearby in 2006.

Angelina Jolie’s not the first to make a drastic choice as cancer looms

Jolie surprised the world earlier this week with the announcement that she had undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, a decision that Los Angeles Times writer Anna Gorman is all too familiar with.

Fear of cancer is a horrible thing. It stays with you all day long, and it wakes you up at night.

I didn’t want to live with that, especially when I knew I could do something about it.

Like Angelina Jolie, I have a genetic mutation that increased my odds of getting breast cancer to nearly 90%. Also like Jolie, I chose to get my healthy breasts removed to reduce that risk to less than 5%.

Nearly five years after her surgery, Gorman is doing absolutely fine, her scars have faded and she’s glad that Jolie is bringing the tragic genetic condition that prompted both of their decisions to the forefront of the national conversation on cancer.

Read Gorman’s emotional story in full, as a part of our Column One series.

Photos: Anne Cusak / Los Angeles Times

Solar flares galore! Last night, the fourth major solar flare of...

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:17:23 -0700

This blend of two images taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a solar eruption that occurred on May 12.

These image obtained from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory show the three X-class flares that the sun emitted in under 24 hours on May 12-13.

NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory captured this image of the X1.2 solar flare that peaked at 6:48 p.m. EDT on May 15.

Solar flares galore!

Last night, the fourth major solar flare of the week burst onto the scene in a flash of ultraviolet radiation. And there may be even more just around the corner:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters say there’s a good chance that more solar flares are on their way. The agency says there is a 50% chance of X-class solar flares and an 80% chance of less powerful M-class solar flares, in the next 24 hours.

You can read more on the flares over at Science Now, but for the time being, we’ll step back and let you look at the crazy photos above a bit longer.

Photos: NASA Solar Dynamic Observatory / Associated Press

climateadaptation: The Guardian has a multi-part, video heavy...

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:08:43 -0700

climateadaptation:

The Guardian has a multi-part, video heavy media set on climate refugees in America. I’d argue that the title “first” is a misnomer and would point to the coastal communities in Texas, New Orleans, and the Carolinas who’ve been retreating from the coasts for several years. But, the point is made - that sea-level rise and coastal erosion is much more aggressive than at anytime in history. Thus, tens of thousands of people are at immediate risk, especially the poor.

The above is one minute.

The people of Newtok, on the west coast of Alaska and about 400 miles south of the Bering Strait that separates the state from Russia, are living a slow-motion disaster that will end, very possibly within the next five years, with the entire village being washed away.

The Ninglick River coils around Newtok on three sides before emptying into the Bering Sea. It has steadily been eating away at the land, carrying off 100ft or more some years, in a process moving at unusual speed because of climate change. Eventually all of the villagers will have to leave, becoming America’s first climate change refugees.

Some great work here!

Another rough day for the White House Today continued the...

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:38 -0700

Attorney General Eric Holder seen during a press conference at the Justice Department.

White House press secretary Jay Carney pauses as he answers questions during his daily news briefing at the White House.

Editorial employees walk through the headquarters of The Associated Press in New York.

Another rough day for the White House

Today continued the rough-and-tumble week for the Obama administration, following…

Friday’s sudden discovery that the IRS had disproportionately screened conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
The ongoing controversy over the administration’s handling of last year’s terrorist attack in Benghazi.
And, finally, the sudden revelation yesterday that the Justice Department had secretly seized months of phone records from the Associated Press.

Attorney General Eric Holder today recused himself from the investigation into his own department’s probe of multiple AP reporters and editors, while announcing an extensive investigation into the IRS matter.

Holder also defended the seizure of AP records, claiming the AP’s leaked information posed a danger to the public:

“It put the American people at risk and that is not hyperbole. And trying to determine who is responsible for that requires aggressive action.”

White House Jay Carney refused to comment on the AP scandal, citing an ongoing investigation, but did say the White House, to his knowledge, had no idea about the IRS screening until just a few weeks ago.

Photos: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Mark Lennihan / Associated Press

staff: Share posts you love straight from your Dashboard! Just...

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:02:59 -0700

staff:

Share posts you love straight from your Dashboard!

Just enter your friend’s email address and you’re good to go.

Good news, everyone!

“You don’t have to get my permission; go destroy...

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:50:46 -0700

A painting of Turkey's first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk by Nader Haj Kadour hangs on the second floor of a vocational high school named.

Nader Haj Kadour poses with a landscape mural he did at a vocational high school in Reyhanli, Turkey.

Nader Haj Kadour stands on a rickety ladder and works on his third mural at a vocational high school late on a Sunday night so as not to be bothered.

Nader Haj Kadour in his room in the apartment he shares with his elderly mother and brother's family.

“You don’t have to get my permission; go destroy them.”

Nader Haj Kadour, a classically-trained painter, always wanted to paint animals, landscapes and spoke to the Times at one point while painting a butterfly.

But for decades, the main subjects of his art were the late President Hafez Assad and his son Bashar, who is currently embroiled in the bloody Syrian civil war.

Their faces have dominated walls, storefronts and car windows all over Syria, a visual declaration of loyalty to the dictators. Their images — sometimes partially hidden behind sunglasses, other times in military uniform but always stern and slightly foreboding — were the ubiquitous reminders that Big Brother was watching.

Now, with the country in the midst of a longstanding civil war, and Kadour no longer under the thumb of the government, he works with rebels to paint caricatures of the Assads, and welcomes rebel fighters to tear down his representations of the brutal Syrian president and his family.

Read the full story in our latest Column One feature.

Photos: Raja Abdulrahim / Los Angeles Times