826la good times

MAY 17, 2010 CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2010 FREE

VOLUME II, ISSUE I ’Cause nothing’s cheaper

BY MIGUEL

On April 24, 826LA students went to the UCLA Book Fair to read the writing that they created.

Several students from the 826LA Good Times were on the UCLA Etc. stage to read the articles that they created in 826LA.

Alex, an 826LA writer, said that his parents liked to go to UCLA to see him read his article. Alex guesses 45 to 60 persons were watching him read his article.

Another writer from 826LA, Lena, said, “The announcer was way too happy.” She had fun with her friends who were there.

In conclusion, every writer from 826LA saw Dave Eggers, and they were happy because he was the producer of “Where the Wild Things Are.” 826LA

Writer Dave Eggers (standing) talks with the 826LA students at the Etc. stage

at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

826LA at the Festival of Books

BY BIANCA

Cassandra, the director of the Echo Park Lake Center, went to the meeting about

the Echo Park Lake.The city plans to drain the lake

and fix everything in the park. The park could be closed for two years, but this could be extended to four years.

“When I heard that [the city is] go-ing to clean the lake, I said, ‘Finally, they’re going to clean the lake,” Cassandra said. “The lake looks like fungus; it is so green. I am guessing they are going to drain the water and there will be a bunch of stuff in the lake, like a shopping cart or a car or some people.”

The city plans to fix the lights, the lake water, the playground—basi-cally everything that’s at the park. Echo Park hopes to reopen the park before the spring festival. 826LA

Draining the Lake

The Echo Park Lake covers 13 acres and could be closed

for up to four years.

n Construction work is scheduled to start in April 2011 and last at least 24 to 26 months if the entire lake is drained.n The entire park will be fenced off during the project.n Four acres of the lake’s surface will be covered with plants to create artificial wetlands to help filter and clean the water.n 51 trees will be removed and more than 70 new trees will be planted.n Most of the trucks that will carry out tons of contaminated dirt and muck will enter and exit the park off Echo Park Ave. south of Laguna Ave.

Source: www.theeastsiderla.com

All About the Echo Park Lake Clean Up

Behind the scenes of Lady Gaga’s video

Dialing “Telephone”ARTS & CULTURE

BY ALEX

Ilike the music video “Telephone.” It shows Lady Gaga in jail. I talked to Susan Porsche over

email about the music video. She was the production coordinator.

Susan Porsche said, “It took two days to shoot ‘Telephone.’ The first day we worked for 18 hours, and the second day we worked for 20 hours. So they were very long days with not a lot of sleep in between. This is very common with music videos because you have to work around the artist’s schedule, which is often very busy—so if you only have them for two days, then you have to squeeze a lot into those two days! There was also about a week of prep time and a couple days to wrap the whole job up, so in the end, it took about

two weeks from start to finish.”

Another thing I wondered about was the story, and who came up with the story idea. Susan explained, “The story was a collaboration between Lady Gaga and the director, Jonas Akerlund. Lady Gaga and her record label had a general idea for the video, and Jonas elaborated on it by coming up with the look and feel of the video, i.e. the style of the video, the wardrobe, how the dancing should look, and how Beyonce and Gaga would act. Jonas and Gaga also approved all of the final wardrobe, choreography, props, hair

and makeup, and locations.”As for the hardest part of making

the video, Susan said, “The hardest part was getting all the people (crew) and equipment in order for the shoot. A crew can have between 50 to 100 people, and it is a lot of work making sure they all know

Lady Gaga (l.) and Beyonce drive away after killing people in a restaurant in the

music video “Telephone.”

BY LENA

Iinterviewed Liz Garo about her bookstore, Stories. I wanted to find out more about Stories because it

is located right next to 826LA.

Q: How long has the bookstore been open?A: Since November 2008.

Q: How long did it take you to come up with a name?A: It took almost a year for Claudia and I to pick a name.

Q: Why did you open this book-store?A: Because I had always wanted to.

Q: Why did you open a bookstore with a cafe in it?A: Because it brings in more people. We also have events. Like on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m., we have Storytime Funland for kids 1 to 6.

Q: Do people read different books than they used to?A: No, people like a good story. We sell new books and books that came out 40 years ago.

Q: What is the best-selling book at your bookstore?A: There is not really a best-selling

continued on page 12

Liz’s Stories Bookstore

Books are stacked from floor to ceiling at Stories Bookstore.



Arelease party was recently held for the new issue of McSweeney’s. Good Times journalists Lena and Alex interviewed two guests at the party about why they were there and why they like McSweeney’s.

Lena went out and interviewed a guy who was at the party for the new issue of McSweeney’s. It was held outside of 826LA. His name was Ken Bauman.Q: Why are you here?Ken: I am here to see the writer Nick McDonnell read from the part of his book that’s in the new McSweeney’s. McSweeney’s is a book published about four times a year. The founder also founded 826LA.

Q: Why do you like McSweeney’s?Ken: They are very beautifully made books. People put a lot of effort into each one. They are unique. Like one was published in a wooden box, and you had to open it to read the book.

Alex interviewed Juliet Litman. She works at McSweeney’s, and she put out a new book. She also told me that Dave Eggers started McSweeney’s. It’s Nick McDonnell’s book; he wrote it in April 2009, and he was very excited. I asked him who he interviewed, and he said that he interviewed American soldiers who are fighting in Iraq. One of the soldiers he talked to was Zach Holmberg. He’s an SPC specialist. Nick talked to the soldier in Mosul, Iraq. He talked to many soldiers, and the book is a true story. 826LA

McSweeney’s Party at 826LA and Stories

The release party for McSweeney’s 34 was held in Echo Park on April 26.

BY JAYCOB

Q: How does Spider-Man sling webs?A: In the movie, Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider. That gives a lot of the powers of normal spiders, including the power to sling webs. All he needs to do is bend his wrist, and a web shoots out. In the comic books, Peter has to build a device, like a bracelet, that goes around his wrists to shoot webs.

Q: How can Spider-Man turn into Venom?A: Spider-Man never becomes Venom. Eddie Brock does. This can be confusing because Venom looks a lot like Spider-Man. Here’s what happened: In the movie, a comet filled with black goo crash-lands on Earth, and the goo grabs onto Peter Parker, turning his red Spidey outfit totally black. This makes him black-suited Spidey and gives him extra powers. Unfortunately, those

All About Spidey

Q&A with Henry Gayden, “Spider-Man 3”

writer’s assistant

Spider-Man fights against Venom.

Join the staff of 826LA Good TimesPublished every six weeks, 826LA Good Times is a

production of the journalism workshop at 826LA East, which meets Mondays, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We’re looking for students, ages 6 to 18, interested in journalism of all sorts, as well as adult volunteers

who can help students write a good story. For more info, please write to us at [email protected]

BY ALANIS

Q: Why are earthquakes happening every month?Hutton: There are earthquakes every day. Hundreds of them. Most of them are very small, but occasionally they are larger. Worldwide, there are normally up to ten 7.0+ quakes per year, a hundred 6.0+, etc. Often they are under the ocean or in unpopulated areas, so you don’t hear about them on the news.

Q: Where do earthquakes happen the most and why?Hutton: Almost all earthquakes occur at or near the boundaries of large pieces of crust called tectonic plates. The plates move around at a rate of a couple of inches per year, so they rub together. This may cause some fault zone to break, which sends out sound waves in the Earth that we feel as shaking.Q: National Geographic predicts the big earthquake will happen by 2037. Do you agree?

Hutton: We think we know something about how often earthquakes occur and we think there is at least a 50/50 chance of a 7.5+ quake in southern California in the next 30 years. Even more likely for a Northridge-sized quake (6.7+), maybe 97% chance. Since this study was made in 2007, that would account for the date quotes as 2037.

Q: Do you think Los Angeles is prepared for the big one? If not, what can we do?Hutton: There is a wide range. Some people just don’t want

A Closer Look at EarthquakesQ&A with seismologist Kate Hutton

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010.

Photo: www.earthquaketracker.org

Pluto: Not Considered a PlanetBY RUBY

Q: How cold is Pluto?A: The average surface temperature on Pluto is 44 Kelvin (-229 Celsius or -380 Fahrenheit). For more, see www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/pluto/temperature-of-pluto

Q: Is Pluto dusty?A: No, we do not think so. Rather, we imagine the surface consists of frozen methane (which is a gas down here!), and so instead of ‘dusty,’ ‘icy’ is the better comparison, even if it is not water ice.

Q: Can people live on Pluto? If not, why?

A: Well, try to live at -380F ... (of course, if you bring a full space habitat, with heating and air and water, sure, but I would not call it ‘live.’ Similarly, can I ‘live’ on the Moon? Normal speaking here implies a ‘no,’ even if we can build lunar bases, etc.

Q: How long would it take me to get to Pluto?A: With current rocket technology, the trip can be done in four to 10 years, depending on if you are willing to burn more fuel to get less payload


Q&A with USC Professor Werner Dappen about dwarf planet Pluto


A trip to Pluto takes four to 10 years.

SCIENCE

Little Things on PlanetsQ&A with Tom Overton of Gems and Gemology Magazine

and Wendy Van Norden of National Earth Sciences Teacher Assn.BY JOSEPHINE

Earth is the only planet that has life, because it is in the perfect spot. Any closer to

the sun, and it would be too hot and things would die. Any farther away from the sun, and the oceans would freeze. Tom and Wendy answered my questions about planets and the atmospheres of different planets.

Q: Can you tell how old a planet is?Tom: It’s not possible to determine exactly how old something like a planet is. However, scientists can get a good estimate by measuring the age of the planet’s rocks and applying that to what they know about how planets form. One the most useful methods is a technique called radiometric dating or radioisotope dating. A radioisotope is an element that, over time, can turn into another element. Because scientists have extensively studied all the elements in nature, they know how long it takes for one radioisotope to turn into something else. So, if a geologist finds a rock that is composed of a mixture of one radioisotope and the element that it turns into, by measuring the amounts of each, they can determine how long it has been since the radioisotope was pure. Some radioisotopes turn into other elements very quickly; others take many, many years. When working with very old rocks, geologists look for an element called uranium, which

slowly turns into lead over billions of years. By measuring the uranium and lead in these rocks, geologists know that the oldest rocks on earth are about 4.4 billion years old.Wendy: We assume that all of the planets formed at the same time that the solar system formed. (Pluto is a possible exception.) We base the age of the earth on the age of meteors and the moon that formed at the same time as the solar system and upon our oldest rocks on earth. We can date the rocks and meteorites by radiometric dating. Some of the minerals in the rocks contain radioactive elements, and over time, those radioactive elements decompose into different elements. By seeing how much has decomposed and knowing the rate of decomposition, we can figure out that the moon rocks and meteorites are 4.55 billion years old. The oldest rock that we found on earth is 4.4

billion years old. So we assume that all the planets of our solar system are 4.55 billion years old. However, now we know that there are planets around other suns, and we have no way of knowing their age (yet)!

Q: Are we the only planet with gravity? If we are, why?Tom: All objects have gravity—even you. Gravity is a force of attraction exerted between two objects. If you have only one object, there would be no detectable gravity. However,

any two objects that are close enough together will exert a gravitational force on each other. The strength of the force depends on how big the two objects are and how close together they are. However, gravity is a fairly weak force compared to other forces scientists are aware of, so it takes a very large object like a moon, planet, or star to generate a gravitational force strong enough for you to feel. It is gravity that keeps the moon in orbit around the earth, and the earth in orbit around the sun.Wendy: Every planet has gravity. In fact, everything with mass has gravity, even you! The more mass a planet has (like Jupiter), the more gravity it has.

Q: How hot is lava on earth?Tom: Lava is melted rock, and rock has to get very hot in order to melt. However, there are different types


Earth has a very strong atmosphere.

GENERAL INTEREST

Profile of MarkBY OSCAR

Last week I interviewed Mark, Kevin’s best friend. Kevin is a tutor in journalism at 826LA,

and Mark came by to visit him.Mark’s favorite sport is hockey

and his favorite team is the L.A. Kings. His mom used to work for Children’s Hospital. He works as an author and software writer.

When I asked Mark what his favorite food is, he said, “Brussels sprouts, chopped in half, sauteed in soy sauce.”

“I live in Portland, Oregon,” said Mark. He is married and has three kids. “My son Felix is 12, my daugh-ter Hanna is 11, and my daughter Saskia is 7.”

He also has a brother named John, whom Mark described as, “A reasonable man and suburban farmer.”

Mark has a small house. He has a tree house in the backyard, but is

having some trouble with it, some-thing to do with the wood. He has five chickens: Fudge, Daisy, and he has not named the other ones.

His favorite kind of car is the “Chevy Nova, 1963, steel blue.” His favorite athlete is Kip Kenyo, who ran marathons barefoot. His favorite TV show is “Emergency!” and his

favorite movie is “The Misfits.”His favorite hobby is stamp collect-ing. He can also talk fast, and he wears earrings, but he lost one.

He wears brown and also blue glasses, and blue is his favorite color.

Mark has a taste for fashion, and his favorite holiday is Arbor Day. He said his favorite season is, “Any season, like, whatever.” His favorite place to be? “826LA.”

Mark likes the dark and sleeps poorly. On the day he came to visit, April 19, he woke up at 4:30 a.m.

Mark likes coffee and his favorite chocolate is 72 percent. It is made in southern Oregon. He despises mushrooms. Mark is very cool and so is his family.

That’s the info about Mark. 826LA

Mark (above and below) is the best friend of Kevin, an instruc-

tor of the Good Times journalism workshop at 826LA.

Return of the Wolves

BY SIERRA

Exterminated as vermin, gray wolves (Canis lupus) vanished from Mexico to the

Arctic by the 1930s. The loss of habitat also caused lower numbers of wolves.

The wolves were listed as an endangered species in 1973.

In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wild-life Service airlifted 66 wolves from Canada in an experiment to repopu-late Yellowstone National Park and Idaho’s wilderness areas. It caused some controversy.

A few wolves have crossed the border into Montana by themselves and formed packs.

In February 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the gray wolf was “thriving” in the northern Rockies. The organization removed the northern Rockies gray wolf from the endangered list on May 4, 2009.

The Interior Department reports that there are about 1,500 wolves now roaming in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. 826LA

A howling gray wolf photographed

by the U.K. Wolf Conservation

Trust.

Idon’t cry around onions. I don’t know why. Don’t ask me —talk to expert chefs who know about

onions.First I asked, “Why do onions make

some people cry?” “They tend to make people cry not when they eat them, but when they cut them,” Anita said. “There is a chemical containing sulfur which reacts in the eyes that causes tears,” said Casey.

Then I asked, “What are onions made of?” And Anita said, “I guess the scientific answer is that they’re made out of cells, like every other or-ganic thing is. When you cut an onion, you’re breaking open the cells and those cells contain a chemical called an enzyme. The enzymes are harsh smelling, and sensitive people can cry when they’re exposed. One solution is to use a very, very sharp knife when

working with onions. That makes the break in the cell wall cleaner and less likely to release the enzymes. Other people have nutty ideas about having running water nearby, or chewing on a piece of bread while cutting, but I don’t believe any of that.” Then Casey said, “Just like any other vegetable, organic material.”

Next, I asked if onions were stinky. Anita said, “An old onion will have a worse smell than a fresh one. A cooked onion will have less smell than a raw one. But in my opinion, the worst smell of all is onions on some-body’s breath. Ew.” But then Casey said, “Onions should be sweet and earthy but still smell like an onion.”

I also asked, “Where do onions grow?” Anita answered, “One of the best, sweetest variety of onions is called the Vidalia onion, because it grows in Vidalia, GA.” Casey said, “The ground. Most any place with good soil can grow onions. They do like warmer places.”

I also wondered if onions are sour. Anita said, “Onions have a strong taste, but not a sour one. If it’s sour, it’s probably old and you should reconsider eating it.” Casey had a dif-ferent answer. “No, they shouldn’t be sour,” he said.

Finally, I asked what their favorite recipe for onions is. Anita said, “I love french onion soup. It’s not very easy to make at home though. When I’m not in a restaurant kitchen with all the fancy equipment and expensive ingredients, I would probably just slice an onion very, very thin and cook it in a saute pan with a little olive oil for a very long time until it’s a deep mahogany brown, then serve it on top of a thick juicy steak.” Casey said he likes French onion soup. 826LA

FOOD

Onions Ahoy!Monica asks chefs Casey and Anita about onions

BY BIANCA

Iknow how to make chile rellenos. This is my grandmother’s recipe. My

grandmother passed it to my mother, and my mother passed it on to me. It’s not that hard to make this; it’s pretty easy. Depending on how you make it, it can be spicy or not.1. You have to cook the green chile peppers.2. You have to peel off the skin on the peppers.3. Stuff the peppers with cheese or whatever you want.4. Put the peppers in a foam with eggs and flour.5. Put the chile peppers on a pan to just cook the foam.6. Put the peppers in tomato sauce to make it sweeter and cook it until it’s soft.

Recipe: Chile Rellenos

Photo: highlyirrelevant.com

Mr. Onion is crying because of his stinky onion smell. But then, he

couldn’t take it and had a tantrum.

BY ALEX

If I go to John Marshall High School, I would join the football team. The reason why I think

John Marshall High School football rocks is because I like the school’s football field, which is big. I talked to Andy Moran, the coach of the varsity football team. I asked him some questions about what to do to get into the football team.Q: What do you need to do to get into the football team?A: The first thing you need is to have and maintain a 2.0 grade point average. This is the minimum grade requirement; we want players that strive for higher grades than that.

Q: How do you make the team win the championship?A: Winning a championship requires more than anything I do. It takes

dedication from every member of the team, and it requires everyone to work together for a common goal.Q: How and why did you be-come a coach?A: I became a coach by going to college and volunteering my time as an assistant coach once I graduated. I became a coach because I really enjoyed football, and coaches always played a big part in my life, and I wanted to be

like them.Q: Did you ever play football?

A: I did play football. I played in high school and college. I even got to try-out for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 826LA

John Marshall High School Football Rocks

SPORTS

John Marshall High School has a big football field.

Playing BallBY BIANCA

In the 2000s, the thing I remembered most was learning how to play football. I play football because there is nothing

else to do and I was bored, and every-thing else was boring.

I play with my friends Gaby, Jose, Jonny, Anthony, Angel, Ivy, Efron and sometimes April and other people too. It is half girls and half boys, and the best player of the boys is Jonny, and the best of the girls is me. I am the quarterback, and I was the wide receiver. Jonny is too.

This summer, in one game, Jonny was the quarterback, and I was the wide receiver. I got the ball and made a touch-down in the last play of the game. That was the best win of 2009 in football.

The first game that I ever played was in April 2009. I don’t watch football; I just play it.

One time Jonny got a touchdown, and he did the SpongeBob dance to celebrate. I threw about 10 touchdowns in 2009. 826LA

BY JASON

Kim Yu-Na was born in Bu-cheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.

She was born with a talent that no other female skater has. Yes, she is pretty and a queen all over the world, but she also is the best skater in the whole world.

She came to Toronto in 2006 to practice, because in Korea, she is a big, and I mean big, superstar.

She is the world champion skater and a queen to the entire nation of Korea and the whole world, except Japan.

She entered the 2010 Vancou-ver Olympics with her coach Brian Orser. He helped Kim do better jumping, which is a very hard thing to do in figure skating.

Kim, who is 19 years old, brought the first gold medal to Korea while also breaking the world record for the highest score, 228.56. 826LA

Kim Yu-Na Wins Gold

Kim Yu-Na at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics women’s figure

skating competition. Photo: Associated Press

BY JASON

The Dodgers could make it to the World Series if the team works hard.

The Dodgers center fielder, Matt Kemp, would be the ultimate hitting weapon, along with Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez. The team’s closer, Jonathan Broxton, will be the best, if he keeps an ERA (earned run average) of 0.00. Clayton Kershaw might have an ERA of 0.00. Blake

DeWitt and Ronnie Belliard are weak at plate, so they have to make it up by hitting.

Ramirez and Kemp have to avoid injuries. Ethier had one injury. He has to avoid that.

The Dodgers have a chance to win the National League Division Series, and then go to the National League Championship Series, and then off to the World Series with maybe the New York Yankees.

I think that the Yankees will also win because of A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) and Derek Jeter, but that’s off topic.

Russell Martin had a big improvement with his hitting. Casey Blake has to regain his 2004 form with a lot of home runs.

So if the Dodgers are good this season, the team has a shot at the World Series.

The chart below reflects statistics since May 3. 826LA

Current PlayersManny Ramirez

Clayton Kershaw

Hiroki Kuroda

Jonathan Broxton

Casey Blake

Russell Martin

Rafael Furcal

Blake DeWitt

James Loney

Matt Kemp

Andre Ethier

PositionLeft fielder

Pitcher

Pitcher

Pitcher

3rd baseman

Catcher

Short stop

2nd baseman

1st baseman

Center fielder

Right fielder

Jersey #99

22

18

51

23

55

15

33

7

27

16

Home run*2

2

3

0

3

2

0

0

1

7

9

ERA*n/a

3.07

2.08

0.00

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Will the Dodgers Make It to the World Series?A prediction of the team’s season

Dodgers (l. to r.) Don Mattingly, Russell Martin, Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez. Photo: Getty Images

PLUTO continued from page 5 Advertisement

EARTH continued from page 4

EARTHQUAKES continued from page 5

BY JOSEPHINEWords to find (look forwards, backwards and diagonally).1. Coordinator2. Audience3. UCLA4. Kettle corn5. Chairs6. Microphone7. Stage8. Books9. Autograph10. Pictures11. Tents12. Questions

WORD SEARCH K L N U C L A R P C C U Y H T P H B V U L O L L O T I S V E I K R M D I G R H O B O T E N C T E Y J Z L X S R B O O N T T Q H T A S A U D I E N C E S U U I L F V K W R I E T Y H S R E J E M L S P Y N X A N A O E S K Y F M E C R A R A E I W S T L N A Z Y C M T H U W R C M I M W O P Q R O O A T Q S A O O J U A H C L N R M O C R B U N A B C I O J O J N G O T O S S F E D U T S V O Z R I Y O L K G S T A G E W X Z A O J K K M O J P I H R H I N P O S S M I C R O P H O N E A H E Z O

ARIES: May will be a bad month, because you think you can do everything in

secret, but everyone knows already.AQUARIUS: May will be a bad month, because your

good relationship that might go bad.CANCER: May will be a good month, because your relationship with your partner

will be good, but don’t keep secrets.CAPRICORN: May will be a great month, because when you want something, that’s what you will get.

GEMINI: May will be a good month, because money will come to you on one of the weekends.

LEO: May will be a good month, because everyone is going to love you a lot during this month.

LIBRA: May will be a good month, because for every choice you make, you are pretty

sure it is the right thing to do.PISCES: May will be a good month, be-cause all of your work will be done. You think you’re doing bad, but you’re not.

SAGITTARIUS: May will be a good month for Sagittarius, because Mother’s Day is coming

up. I’m going to give a present to my mom on Mother’s Day.

SCORPIO: May will be a bad month, because you will not pay attention in class and you will get distracted with any little thing some-one does.

TAURUS: May will be a good month for Taurus, because in May, you will show all your strength and everything

that makes you a great guy or girl.VIRGO: May will be a good month for Virgo, because you won’t stop talking until the end of the day and you will make people happy.

Horoscopes BY MIGUEL

to think about it.Others have all their supplies and

are ready for anything. Most are in between somewhere. Some of the city’s infrastructure, such as water mains, are by now quite old and breaking even without the help of earthquakes. These sorts of things could be a problem.

Q: How do you predict earthquakes?Hutton: We have not figured out how to predict earthquakes, so people will just have to be prepared at all times. There is work being done on an “early warning” alarm system that would warn that a quake has started and the waves are headed your way, maybe some seconds of warning. 826LA

there or not. A NASA spacecraft—New Horizons—is actually on the way. Departed 2006 and arriving 2015.

Q: What is the surface like?A: As said above, icy (but with frozen methane, not water).

Q: How many asteroids a year land on Pluto?A: I would not speak of ‘landing.’ Next time an asteroid hits the earth and kills half of the human population (can happen every 100 million years or so), I would speak of an impact, not landing. But to your question, I have no clue (and depends on how small the asteroids are—dust grains? In that case, of course, many impacts. But if bigger chunks are meant (city size or larger), I do not know about the asteroid population there, and nobody knows, because out there, they are too small to be seen from here.

Q: Is Pluto a planet? If not, what is it?A: On Aug. 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided on a new definition of “planet,” which does not include Pluto. Pluto is now classified as a “dwarf planet” (or “Kuiper Belt object”). This renaming makes sense, because we believe there are many Pluto-class objects out there, and to be consistent, that would hike up the number of planets; demoting Pluto has prevented this. But we love its name, its history. For more, visit nineplanets.org/pluto.html 826LA

of lava, each of which can exist at different temperatures. Bright red liquid lava that you might see spurting out of a volcano is the hottest, over 1,200 degrees Celsius. Other types of lava are darker and thicker, and might be around 700 to 900 degrees. The behavior and melting temperature of lava is determined by its chemical composition. Hot, runny lava is high in iron and magnesium, while thicker, chunkier lava is high in silica and aluminum.Wendy: The temperature of lava can depend on the kind of lava. The lava of Hawaii that creates the black

rock called basalt, can be over 1,000 degrees Celsius, while the kind of magma that creates granite, an important rock of the earth’s crust can be about 800 degrees Celsius. You don’t get to see that kind of magma very often, because instead of just flowing down the side of a volcano, it tends to erupt violently, like at Yellowstone.

Q: Is the moon really just a part of the earth, or is it separate?Tom: The moon is not physically part of the earth. However, some scientists think it might once have been. There are several theories about how the moon formed. Some scientists think it was a very small planet that was

captured by the earth’s gravity long ago. Others think it formed at the same time as the earth, from the same cloud of gas and dust. However, the most popular theory today is that the early earth was struck by another planet soon after it formed, and from that, a large mass of rock was thrown into orbit around the earth. That mass of rock eventually formed into the moon. So in a way, the moon may be a part of the earth that got knocked loose.

Wendy: The most accepted theory about the formation of the moon states that early earth was hit by a planet the size of Mars. This ripped a big chunk of the earth, which formed the moon. 826LA

ALANIS is 11 years old. She takes ka-rate (Kempo). She is intelligent and likes to play her PSP and Nintendo DS. She goes to Gabriella Charter.ALEX is 11 years old. He likes math. He has a PSP. He goes to Micheltorena School.BIANCA has lived in Echo Park for 12 years. She likes to shoot pool, watch TV, listen to music, go to the park, watch the Lakers and the Dodgers and text her friends.

EDGAR is 12. He likes to play soccer.JASON is 10 and lives on N. Alvarado Street. He knows a lot about the orca. He likes baseball and football.JOSEPHINE is 8, in third grade at Edison Elementary and lives in Echo Park. She likes soccer, basketball, baseball, bowl-ing, dodgeball, handball and roller derby.LENA goes to Larchmont Charter and is 8. She likes to read and write.MARSDEN is 10 and in fifth grade. He loves videogames. He goes to Dahlia Heights.MIGUEL is 15. He goes to Fairfax High School and likes soccer.

MONICA is 8 and attends Eagle Rock Elementary School, where she likes reading, recess and learning about dinosaurs.

NICKIE is 8 and in fourth grade. He goes to Dahlia Heights Elementary School.

OSCAR is 11. He likes soccer, video-games and watching TV. He goes to Michetorena Street School.

RUBY is 8 and homeschools. She likes hanging out with her friends, playing soccer and has a nice dog named Sandra Dee.

SIERRA loves to homeschool and play soccer.

826LA GOOD TIMES STAFF

STORIES continued from page 2

SPIDER-MAN continued from page 3

LADY GAGA continued from page 2

where they are going for the shoot and that they have ordered the right equipment.”

I also wondered why Lady Gaga wore caution tape around her body in the music video. “The director, Jonas Akerlund, wanted the video to have very strong fashion statements with bright colors and funky details. Since Lady Gaga is known for having very unique fashion choices, the caution tape played into that theme well,” said Susan.

Regarding the Beyonce collaboration, Susan explained, “Lady Gaga first collaborated with Beyonce for the ‘Videophone’ music video, so Beyonce returned the favor by doing a cameo in ‘Telephone.’ They are both big stars, so it was great to have them in each other’s videos.”

Finally, I wondered why Lady Gaga has become so popular lately.

Susan said, “I believe it is because she is young and fresh. People like to dance to her music, and she is very visual and wears great clothes that people like to talk about.” 826LA

powers seem kind of evil, and Peter has to tear the black suit off of his body. The goo then dribbles down onto Eddie Brock, a bad guy, and turns Eddie into Venom.

In the comic books, Spider-Man becomes black-suited Spidey several different times for several different reasons. In one comic, he even travels to an alien planet and a weird space machine makes the suit for him!

Q: How does Harry see his dad in the mirror?A: He imagines his dad in the mirror. His dad’s voice haunts him from beyond the grave, pushing Harry

to seek revenge. Harry slowly goes crazy and starts seeing his dad in the mirror.

Q: How does the spider bite Peter Parker?A: Peter was bitten by a radioac-tive spider on a school field trip. It bit him the same way most spiders bite—with its poisonous fangs, which in science is called the Cheliceral Fang.

Q: How does Spider-Man lose his powers?A: Spider-Man loses his powers be-cause he stops believing in himself and his responsibilities. Part of him doesn’t want to be a superhero any-more, and that causes him to lose some of his powers. 826LA

book, but we sell a lot of fiction. And we also sell used books.

Q: What is your favorite book?A: “Wise Blood” by Flannery O’Connor.

Stories sells books such as “Charlie Brown” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series as well as

books about music, traveling, and food.

The store also has gifts such as magnets and cards for birthdays and much more.

Stories is open every day. On Mondays to Thursdays, it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Fridays, it is open until 10 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Stories is located at 1716 Sunset Blvd., right next to 826LA. 826LA

826la good times

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