The James Logan Courier

By Susan Ferriss
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gay marriage advocates have a steep climb to invalidate the ban voters approved in Proposition 8, according to legal experts who Thursday watched California Supreme Court justices cast a skeptical eye on their case during three hours of oral arguments.

At the same time, experts said justices appeared inclined to uphold the nearly 19,000 gay marriages performed in California between mid-June and the Nov. 4 election.

"I think the opponents of Proposition 8 faced heavy going," said Stephen Barnett, Boalt Hall law professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

By Scott Canon
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No longer is David Braaten constantly cocooned in his red super parka. He left the insta-freeze winds of the Antarctic interior in January.

But as cold as the trip was for the University of Kansas scientist, he recognizes what one discovery after the next has demonstrated this year: It's getting remarkably warm for down there, and it's heating up incredibly fast.

"We're trying to find out what's happening to the ice," said Braaten, the deputy director of the KU-based Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets.

By Mia Tungol, Courier Daily Editor

During the weekend of the Souper Bowl, the St. Anne Youth Ministry held a fundraiser in order to support St. Anthony's Foundation in San Francisco.

Despite the complications of fewer people attending the masses, the Youth Ministry group was able to raise almost the same amount as the previous year. Last year, the group fundraised $2,729.00, but this year the group raised $2,728.00. Some of the group members were slightly disappointed since they were only one dollar off from the year before. The Youth Ministry group had hoped to raise more money, but they are glad they still met their quota.

By Rohan Kumar, Courier Staff Writer

The Godfather video game sequel is finally here and stays true to the original films story. From EA games The Godfather II is set to be released for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, April 7, 2009. The Godfather II is an third person action game that resembles game play similar to Grand Theft Auto. Some of the voice overs will be done by the same characters in the film, such as Robert Duvall, who voices his character Tom Hagen.

LUNCH
Salsa Bar at the Creations booth! Pizza, Chinese, grill items such as burgers & chicken strips, deli sandwiches and, of course, burritos!

MISCELLANEOUS
Spirit skits have been postponed due to the fire alarm on Monday. Please listen to Logan Live for when they will be rescheduled.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

"MLB 2K9," not unlike its most immediate predecessor, has issues.

The default calibration between runner and fielder speed is all over the map. Pokey fielder animations turn even simple double plays into uncertainties, but stretching singles into should-be doubles is similarly dicey.

Then again, the computer's A.I. occasionally likes to nap on base and in the field. Even completely misplaying a ball doesn't ensure your opponent will take proper advantage.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

The lights will shine more brightly this spring when drama students at Alvarado Middle School put on their performance of “Willy Wonka Jr.” – thanks to the generosity of the New Haven Schools Foundation.

AMS drama teacher Erin Ford was one of four recipients Monday as the Foundation distributed the first of its “Project Enrichment” grants for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities at schools in the New Haven Unified School District. Surprised in front of her colleagues at an afternoon staff meeting, Ms. Ford received $400 to purchase a lighting board and acting blocks for the AMS Drama Club.
x

From wikipedia:
Mikimoto Kōkichi (10 March 1858 – 21 September 1954) was a Japanese entrepreneur and adopter of the Mise/Nishikawa technique for production of spherical cultured pearls.

Born as the first son of an udon shop owner in Toba, Shima Province (present-day Mie prefecture), Mikimoto left school at the age of 13 and sold vegetables to support his family. Seeing the pearl divers of Ise unloading their treasures at the shore in his childhood started his fascination with pearls.

Meiji entrepreneur
In 1888, Mikimoto obtained a loan to start his first pearl oyster farm at the Shinmei inlet on Ago Bay in Mie prefecture together with his wife and partner Ume. On 11 July 1893, after many failures and near bankruptcy, he was able to create the hemispherical cultured pearls. He introduced these mabes at a marine products exposition in Norway in 1897, and began an export business. However, it took him another 12 years to create completely spherical pearls that were indistinguishable from the highest quality natural ones, and commercially viable harvests were not obtained until the 1920s.

Learn more about Mikimoto Kokichi and the Japanese pearl industry, free from the Mikimoto Pearl Island website.