AP, TAIJI, Japan: In the fervor of the Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday, last year's winners will be a distant memory. Half a world away in the Japanese fishing village of Taiji, few will ever forget the film that won in 2010 for Best Documentary Feature.
A year after "The Cove" received an Oscar for its scathing portrayal of Taiji's dolphin hunting tradition, the tiny town is still under siege by foreign activists. That's created a deep deadlock with Taiji's fishermen, leading some activists to seek a different tact.
"I'm trying to get a grass-roots movement going in Japan. I've come to realize, you can't show up with a big stick and tell them what to do," said Ric O'Barry, the veteran dolphin activist who stars in "The Cove."
A smattering of foreign protesters has come for years to Taiji, but since the success of the movie, the sleepy town of 3,500 has been inundated. The environmental group Sea Shepherd has started a "Cove Guardian" program that brings visitors, new groups such as "Taiji Action Group" and "Eyes on Taiji" have sprung up, and many people have come on their own.
The influx has had little effect. The town's two dozen dolphin hunters, most of whom are gruff ex-whalers, ignore the protesters as unwanted foreign pressure on their traditions, and have responded with elaborate tarp structures to hide the gorier aspects of their work. A rare public meeting between the two sides in November ended in confusion and discord, and town officials say the attention is largely a nuisance.
"We're a small town, we really can't get anything else done while this is going on," said Masahiro Mukai, who normally runs the town's volunteer fire department but now goes on regular patrols to monitor the activists.
So activists like O'Barry are trying to recruit more Japanese to their cause, publishing materials in the Japanese language and holding meetings with those who show an interest. Longtime Japanese activists like Masato Sakano have organized crowded forums in Tokyo to discuss the implications of "The Cove" and the Taiji hunts.
While many in the country feel the town should be allowed its traditional ways, others are coming to Taiji to protest or simply see for themselves.
"A lot of foreigners are helping us, but if we don't do something on our own, this problem won't be resolved," said Yoshiko Wada, 33, a hairdresser who has visited the town six times.
The government permits about 20,000 dolphins to be hunted along Japan's coasts each year. Only about 2,000 of those are taken in Taiji, but it is singled out mainly because it uses drive fishing, in which the animals are herded near to shore and slaughtered in shallow water, as opposed to being harpooned at sea.
This method also lends itself to capturing live animals, because they are relatively unscathed and can be examined up close by aquarium buyers or dolphin dealers. Those that aren't picked are killed for meat or occasionally released.
In years past, several towns captured live dolphins in Japan, but now only Taiji remains. So a complete end to the hunts would be difficult, because they have become crucial for the popular and lucrative dolphin shows throughout the country, and captive breeding is rare.
While killing dolphins for food remains a cultural touchstone, the hunts generate far more money from selling live animals. Bottlenose dolphins sold for meat typically go for several hundred dollars, while prime live animals sell for about $10,000 domestically and much more abroad. In the year ending in March 2010, 79 dolphins were exported from Japan for 277 million yen ($3.38 million), the government says.
With Taiji's fishermen unlikely to bend to foreign pressure and the strong ties to Japan's aquarium industry, a quick end to the hunts looks unlikely. Some foreign activists have called for protests directly at aquariums, but others question that approach.
"If we can't shut down aquariums in our own countries, how do you go to the Japanese and ask them to do that here?" said Michael Dalton, an Australian activist living near Taiji.
Kathleen Parker out of CNN's "Parker Spitzer" show
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Journalist Kathleen Parker is leaving CNN talk show "Parker Spitzer," and the prime-time program will be revamped with former New York governor Eliot Spitzer remaining, alongside others, CNN said on Friday.
CNN said Parker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist was leaving to focus on her writing. The "Parker Spitzer" talk show debuted in October to disappointing ratings, and critics said the pair lacked chemistry as a duo.
Spitzer has sometimes been appearing solo in recent weeks, chairing a more hard news-oriented show about politics and the upheavals in Arab states.
"We have been pleased with how the 8 p.m. hour has become a centerpiece of substantive, policy-oriented conversation, and we are looking forward to building on that with this new format, " CNN executive vice president Ken Jautz said in a statement.
Jautz said the new program would be called "In the Arena" and it will adopt an ensemble format with several newsmakers, guests and contributors joining Spitzer each night. On a regular basis, Spitzer will co-host the show alongside news anchor E.D. Hill and conservative columnist Will Cain.
CNN said Parker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist was leaving to focus on her writing. The "Parker Spitzer" talk show debuted in October to disappointing ratings, and critics said the pair lacked chemistry as a duo.
Spitzer has sometimes been appearing solo in recent weeks, chairing a more hard news-oriented show about politics and the upheavals in Arab states.
"We have been pleased with how the 8 p.m. hour has become a centerpiece of substantive, policy-oriented conversation, and we are looking forward to building on that with this new format, " CNN executive vice president Ken Jautz said in a statement.
Jautz said the new program would be called "In the Arena" and it will adopt an ensemble format with several newsmakers, guests and contributors joining Spitzer each night. On a regular basis, Spitzer will co-host the show alongside news anchor E.D. Hill and conservative columnist Will Cain.
Jamie Oliver: food for kids a civil rights issue
AP, MIAMI BEACH, Fla: British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver called Sarah Palin a "Froot Loop" for criticizing the Obama administration's healthy eating initiatives, and said getting healthy foods to kids is a civil rights issue.
The U.S. is in a "really dark moment" when it comes to children's health and needs to make it a priority, said Oliver, who tried to transform the diets of a West Virginia town with his 2010 ABC show "Jamie's Food Revolution" and is filming a new version in Los Angeles.
Improving what children eat at school alone can have a far-reaching, positive effect on their habits and health as adults, Oliver said Saturday during an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
He said he doesn't have much faith that government will lead the way, but said the Obama administration is on the right track.
Palin, in contrast, "clearly on this issue is a Froot Loop," he said.
The president recently signed a bill that increases the federal reimbursement for free school lunches and expands the government's nutrition requirements for the free and reduced meals it subsidizes to cover all foods sold during school hours.
Some school groups argue it will be hard for already-stretched schools to pay for the new requirements, and Palin and other conservatives have argued that telling children what to eat is a case of government meddling, and that parents should decide what their children eat.
But Oliver, who launched his career in England as "The Naked Chef," countered that he's heard from pediatricians and dentists who feel some parents are edging toward child abuse by not feeding them healthy food. And he argued that the obesity epidemic is hampering the American spirit of problem-solving and ingenuity.
"From my view of the health situation we're in at the moment, it really isn't allowing Americans to be Americans," he said.
But, he predicted that once a majority of the public takes to his ideas, things will change quickly.
"Americans, when you get them on something, will shift faster than anyone else," he said. "I think America's going to react very strongly to what I've filmed in the last two months."
___
J.M. Hirsch is food editor of The Associated Press. To see all of the videos from AP's coverage of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, go to: http://bit.ly/f4lFT6
The U.S. is in a "really dark moment" when it comes to children's health and needs to make it a priority, said Oliver, who tried to transform the diets of a West Virginia town with his 2010 ABC show "Jamie's Food Revolution" and is filming a new version in Los Angeles.
Improving what children eat at school alone can have a far-reaching, positive effect on their habits and health as adults, Oliver said Saturday during an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
He said he doesn't have much faith that government will lead the way, but said the Obama administration is on the right track.
Palin, in contrast, "clearly on this issue is a Froot Loop," he said.
The president recently signed a bill that increases the federal reimbursement for free school lunches and expands the government's nutrition requirements for the free and reduced meals it subsidizes to cover all foods sold during school hours.
Some school groups argue it will be hard for already-stretched schools to pay for the new requirements, and Palin and other conservatives have argued that telling children what to eat is a case of government meddling, and that parents should decide what their children eat.
But Oliver, who launched his career in England as "The Naked Chef," countered that he's heard from pediatricians and dentists who feel some parents are edging toward child abuse by not feeding them healthy food. And he argued that the obesity epidemic is hampering the American spirit of problem-solving and ingenuity.
"From my view of the health situation we're in at the moment, it really isn't allowing Americans to be Americans," he said.
But, he predicted that once a majority of the public takes to his ideas, things will change quickly.
"Americans, when you get them on something, will shift faster than anyone else," he said. "I think America's going to react very strongly to what I've filmed in the last two months."
___
J.M. Hirsch is food editor of The Associated Press. To see all of the videos from AP's coverage of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, go to: http://bit.ly/f4lFT6
DiSpirito: ditch the calories, keep the sin
AP, MIAMI BEACH, Fla: Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito wants to turn a collection of healthy recipes into a lifestyle, and he wants people to feel bad about it.
The key to transforming comfort food into healthy fare is cutting calories while retaining the "sinful" feeling that comes from eating rich foods, he said Saturday in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
"Fried chicken needs to feel bad. You need to crunch through that outer coating, you need to feel like you're committing a sin," he said, describing a recipe that involves poaching chicken until it's almost cooked, then flash frying it so that it absorbs just a tenth of the oil of the conventional approach.
His new cookbook, "Now Eat This! Diet" is a follow-up to his best-selling "Now Eat This!" cookbook. The new book combines a diet plan and recipes with shopping lists, menus and exercise advice, and though it joins countless other diet books on store shelves, DiSpirito said his offers a new approach.
"I think the professional chef who has a particular focus on flavor has been missing" from the diet book industry, he said.
DiSpirito, who rose to fame at his Union Pacific restaurant in New York and later starred in the reality show, "The Restaurant," said he thinks Americans increasingly are turning to celebrity chefs for guidance in eating healthier. Healthy cooking is not just for the dietitians of the world, he said.
"We're the gateway to information on entertaining, cooking, food and wine, living large," he said. "We represent a lot of things to a lot of Americans. Now, we're becoming a resource for healthy eating. We all got old, some of us got healthy."
But DiSpirito also looks to his fans for help with his books, using Facebook and Twitter to gather ideas. What started as throwing out a request because he didn't know what else to post turned into a valuable way to gain insight into his audience, he said.
"I just wanted my book to one, have the most accurate information, and two, America's real preferences for the comfort food I was going to transform from the bad boys of food to real healthy food," he said. "The main message was, 'We love our comfort food and we want it to be healthy ... but we would still eat it if it wasn't healthy.'"
____
J.M. Hirsch is food editor of The Associated Press. To see all of the videos from AP's coverage of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, go to: http://bit.ly/f4lFT6
The key to transforming comfort food into healthy fare is cutting calories while retaining the "sinful" feeling that comes from eating rich foods, he said Saturday in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
"Fried chicken needs to feel bad. You need to crunch through that outer coating, you need to feel like you're committing a sin," he said, describing a recipe that involves poaching chicken until it's almost cooked, then flash frying it so that it absorbs just a tenth of the oil of the conventional approach.
His new cookbook, "Now Eat This! Diet" is a follow-up to his best-selling "Now Eat This!" cookbook. The new book combines a diet plan and recipes with shopping lists, menus and exercise advice, and though it joins countless other diet books on store shelves, DiSpirito said his offers a new approach.
"I think the professional chef who has a particular focus on flavor has been missing" from the diet book industry, he said.
DiSpirito, who rose to fame at his Union Pacific restaurant in New York and later starred in the reality show, "The Restaurant," said he thinks Americans increasingly are turning to celebrity chefs for guidance in eating healthier. Healthy cooking is not just for the dietitians of the world, he said.
"We're the gateway to information on entertaining, cooking, food and wine, living large," he said. "We represent a lot of things to a lot of Americans. Now, we're becoming a resource for healthy eating. We all got old, some of us got healthy."
But DiSpirito also looks to his fans for help with his books, using Facebook and Twitter to gather ideas. What started as throwing out a request because he didn't know what else to post turned into a valuable way to gain insight into his audience, he said.
"I just wanted my book to one, have the most accurate information, and two, America's real preferences for the comfort food I was going to transform from the bad boys of food to real healthy food," he said. "The main message was, 'We love our comfort food and we want it to be healthy ... but we would still eat it if it wasn't healthy.'"
____
J.M. Hirsch is food editor of The Associated Press. To see all of the videos from AP's coverage of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, go to: http://bit.ly/f4lFT6
Art Smith: stars can make healthy eating sexy
AP, MIAMI BEACH, Fla: Defending the often frenzied food celebrity culture, chefs Art Smith and Spike Mendelsohn said Saturday that more stars should use their status to promote healthy eating.
Smith, who rose to fame as Oprah Winfrey's personal chef, said the American public loves personalities, so chefs — and athletes and movie stars — might as well tap into that fascination to do some good.
"If you don't make it sexy, if you don't make it fun, they're not going to buy into it. And the fact is, for so long, when it came to health and wellness, it was not fun," said Smith, who has made healthy eating a public focus since losing a considerable amount of weight in recent years. Offering even a few healthier menu items can make a difference, he said.
"What will change America most effectively and efficiently will be more chefs like Spike, like me, like Jamie (Oliver), getting on the bandwagon," Smith said in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
Mendelsohn, a contestant on "Top Chef: Chicago," and chef and owner of Good Stuff Eatery and We, the Pizza restaurants in Washington, D.C., acknowledged that food television has become more about entertainment than teaching people to cook, but he believes it is slowly coaxing people back to the kitchen.
"Most people out there get anxiety in the kitchen. I feel with all this television, all these chefs doing demonstrations, they're starting to learn this is really not that hard," said Mendelsohn.
And even people who aren't interested in cooking for themselves can be spurred to think more about their food choices by celebrity chefs, he said.
"If we can get that education through entertainment, if that's the way we can deliver it to you and make you understand about food, I think that's the best way," he said.
Smith challenged actors and athletes to follow the lead of celebrity chefs.
"I want to see these amazing sports people say, 'Hey, the reason I look like this is because I eat this,'" he said. "We are so star struck that if these people with power would say, 'I feel great because this is part of my regimen,' people will buy into that."
____
J.M. Hirsch is food editor of The Associated Press. To see all of the videos from AP's coverage of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, go to: http://bit.ly/f4lFT6
Smith, who rose to fame as Oprah Winfrey's personal chef, said the American public loves personalities, so chefs — and athletes and movie stars — might as well tap into that fascination to do some good.
"If you don't make it sexy, if you don't make it fun, they're not going to buy into it. And the fact is, for so long, when it came to health and wellness, it was not fun," said Smith, who has made healthy eating a public focus since losing a considerable amount of weight in recent years. Offering even a few healthier menu items can make a difference, he said.
"What will change America most effectively and efficiently will be more chefs like Spike, like me, like Jamie (Oliver), getting on the bandwagon," Smith said in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
Mendelsohn, a contestant on "Top Chef: Chicago," and chef and owner of Good Stuff Eatery and We, the Pizza restaurants in Washington, D.C., acknowledged that food television has become more about entertainment than teaching people to cook, but he believes it is slowly coaxing people back to the kitchen.
"Most people out there get anxiety in the kitchen. I feel with all this television, all these chefs doing demonstrations, they're starting to learn this is really not that hard," said Mendelsohn.
And even people who aren't interested in cooking for themselves can be spurred to think more about their food choices by celebrity chefs, he said.
"If we can get that education through entertainment, if that's the way we can deliver it to you and make you understand about food, I think that's the best way," he said.
Smith challenged actors and athletes to follow the lead of celebrity chefs.
"I want to see these amazing sports people say, 'Hey, the reason I look like this is because I eat this,'" he said. "We are so star struck that if these people with power would say, 'I feel great because this is part of my regimen,' people will buy into that."
____
J.M. Hirsch is food editor of The Associated Press. To see all of the videos from AP's coverage of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, go to: http://bit.ly/f4lFT6
'King's Speech' spotlights stress of stuttering
AFP, MCLEAN, Virginia: When the envelopes are opened Sunday at the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, Keiko Brown will be rooting for "The King's Speech" to take home best film, best actor, best everything.
Brown's 17-year-old daughter Melanie stutters, as did King George VI, who is played in the movie by British actor Colin Firth.
To the mother of a child who stutters, "The King's Speech," which has been nominated for multiple Oscars including best film and best actor for Firth, has gone a long way toward teaching people with fluid speech about the high-stress world of stutterers.
"I think if it takes an Oscar, it's good," said Brown.
"Before, nobody really understands," said the Japan native as she sat in the waiting room of therapist Vivian Sisskin, the University of Maryland speech disorder expert who had just led Melanie and three other teenage girls with stutters through a one-hour therapy session.
"People say they understand, but I don't think they really do understand how much they suffer and how much stress they have every single day," Brown said, her gaze fixed on Melanie, sitting at her side.
"The King's Speech" is based on the true story of how a speech therapist helped George VI control a severe, lifelong stutter to allow the monarch to address the British people as they prepared to enter World War II.
The National Stuttering Association hailed it as an "accurate depiction of people who stutter through the compelling story of a real-life hero."
Debbie Grinstead, mother of 16-year-old Claire, called "The King's Speech" a "burden-lifting experience for those who stutter," while her daughter, whose speech disorder includes tongue clicks, said Firth deserved an Oscar just for having the courage to step into the skin of a stutterer.
"Stuttering is so stressful. If you induce that kind of stress on yourself, I think that deserves everything," she said.
Stutterers are often thought to be stupid and nervous, but the four girls in therapy with Sisskin are anything but.
Jacqueline Speiser, 16, is an "A" student at the best public high school in the United States, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Virginia.
She started therapy with Sisskin around four months ago after she realized "I was messing up my advanced Spanish course, because I would stutter during presentations."
Melanie wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Claire wants to be a genetics counselor, and Dina Trembinsky, 16, has her eye on a job in communications and advertising.
Some fluid speakers assume -- wrongly -- that stutters are caused by abusive parents or are a psychological disorder.
But a study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine found that they could could be linked to defects in three genes.
"When you meet someone who stutters, it's just like meeting someone with another condition that they were born with or have a predisposition to develop, like asthma or diabetes," Sisskind said.
Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation of America, said "The King's Speech" has created a "tsunami of awareness" of the fear and stress that stuttering brings to sufferers and their families.
"My father was a very severe stutterer and only now are my cousins and aunts and uncles calling me and saying, 'Now we understand what your father went through, now we understand why you're doing the job you're doing,'" Fraser told AFP.
"Even close family members never understood the horror that it was for him -- and for me, waiting for him to get his words out. As a child, I would sit there and get so tense waiting for those words to come out, and agonize over what I could do to help get them out."
Stuttering tends to come on between the ages of two and five, but in nearly 80 percent of cases, the child spontaneously heals from his or her stutter.
Sitting on the off-white couch in Sisskind's waiting room, Irina Tremblinsky wondered if she could have prevented daughter Dina's stammer "by dealing with it right away when we noticed that she stuttered, when she was two years old."
"But the pediatrician told us don't worry about it, she's too small. So we waited, and we probably waited too long," she said.
Keiko Brown wished for a miracle that would allow her to trade places with Melanie.
"If they can switch us and I can stutter from now on, it doesn't bother me," she said. "But her life is from now on. And she has to go through so much."
Brown's 17-year-old daughter Melanie stutters, as did King George VI, who is played in the movie by British actor Colin Firth.
To the mother of a child who stutters, "The King's Speech," which has been nominated for multiple Oscars including best film and best actor for Firth, has gone a long way toward teaching people with fluid speech about the high-stress world of stutterers.
"I think if it takes an Oscar, it's good," said Brown.
"Before, nobody really understands," said the Japan native as she sat in the waiting room of therapist Vivian Sisskin, the University of Maryland speech disorder expert who had just led Melanie and three other teenage girls with stutters through a one-hour therapy session.
"People say they understand, but I don't think they really do understand how much they suffer and how much stress they have every single day," Brown said, her gaze fixed on Melanie, sitting at her side.
"The King's Speech" is based on the true story of how a speech therapist helped George VI control a severe, lifelong stutter to allow the monarch to address the British people as they prepared to enter World War II.
The National Stuttering Association hailed it as an "accurate depiction of people who stutter through the compelling story of a real-life hero."
Debbie Grinstead, mother of 16-year-old Claire, called "The King's Speech" a "burden-lifting experience for those who stutter," while her daughter, whose speech disorder includes tongue clicks, said Firth deserved an Oscar just for having the courage to step into the skin of a stutterer.
"Stuttering is so stressful. If you induce that kind of stress on yourself, I think that deserves everything," she said.
Stutterers are often thought to be stupid and nervous, but the four girls in therapy with Sisskin are anything but.
Jacqueline Speiser, 16, is an "A" student at the best public high school in the United States, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Virginia.
She started therapy with Sisskin around four months ago after she realized "I was messing up my advanced Spanish course, because I would stutter during presentations."
Melanie wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Claire wants to be a genetics counselor, and Dina Trembinsky, 16, has her eye on a job in communications and advertising.
Some fluid speakers assume -- wrongly -- that stutters are caused by abusive parents or are a psychological disorder.
But a study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine found that they could could be linked to defects in three genes.
"When you meet someone who stutters, it's just like meeting someone with another condition that they were born with or have a predisposition to develop, like asthma or diabetes," Sisskind said.
Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation of America, said "The King's Speech" has created a "tsunami of awareness" of the fear and stress that stuttering brings to sufferers and their families.
"My father was a very severe stutterer and only now are my cousins and aunts and uncles calling me and saying, 'Now we understand what your father went through, now we understand why you're doing the job you're doing,'" Fraser told AFP.
"Even close family members never understood the horror that it was for him -- and for me, waiting for him to get his words out. As a child, I would sit there and get so tense waiting for those words to come out, and agonize over what I could do to help get them out."
Stuttering tends to come on between the ages of two and five, but in nearly 80 percent of cases, the child spontaneously heals from his or her stutter.
Sitting on the off-white couch in Sisskind's waiting room, Irina Tremblinsky wondered if she could have prevented daughter Dina's stammer "by dealing with it right away when we noticed that she stuttered, when she was two years old."
"But the pediatrician told us don't worry about it, she's too small. So we waited, and we probably waited too long," she said.
Keiko Brown wished for a miracle that would allow her to trade places with Melanie.
"If they can switch us and I can stutter from now on, it doesn't bother me," she said. "But her life is from now on. And she has to go through so much."
Rachael Ray: small steps key to child nutrition
AP, MIAMI BEACH, Fla: Though she lobbied Congress last year to boost the reimbursement rate for school lunches, food celebrity Rachael Ray said Saturday that improving school nutrition can best be tackled closer to home, in small steps without stepping on toes.
"As long as you don't insult someone and start with a conversation instead of a lecture, it's really easy to find people who are willing to make small changes," she said. "Finger wagging turns everyone off."
Ray, whose Yum-o! charity teaches kids healthy eating, spoke about that approach in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. While she applauds the recently announced plan by the Agriculture Department to implement the first major nutritional overhaul of students' meals in 15 years, Ray said parents and others shouldn't sit back.
Under the guidelines announced last month, school cafeterias would be required to cut the sodium in subsidized lunches by more than half, use more whole grains and serve low-fat milk. But those changes could take years to implement, and in the meantime, schools can find other ways to encourage healthy eating, such as having students plant gardens or offering healthier options in vending machines, Ray said.
"You don't have to wait for them to make a law, you can make changes in your own school by just going in there and telling them you care," she said.
Seven months after Ray's trip to Washington last spring, President Barack Obama signed a bill in December expanding access to free lunch programs and increasing the federal reimbursement for free school lunches by 6 cents a meal. Ray said she was pleasantly surprised that members of Congress listened to her pitch, but she was struck by the shortsightedness of some who couldn't see that the obese children of today will be generating costly medical bills years into the future.
"They can't see that debt yet, so they're not going to do anything about it, it doesn't exist," she said. "It's really childish, ironically."
She said she doesn't understand people who cast the debate over food policy as a battle between elitists and common folk or who criticize first lady Michelle Obama's fitness and childhood obesity initiatives.
"How could you criticize the idea of children playing in the sunshine and eating healthy food?" she said. "I don't know any one person in my broad or tight circle that agrees with any of that."
Though she grew up eating a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet, Ray said she was a latecomer to exercise, and didn't start running until she turned 40.
"When I started running, I felt like I wasted 20 years of my adult life," she said. "It makes such an emotional difference, and such a huge difference in your clarity of thought to vigorously exercise on a regular basis."
"As long as you don't insult someone and start with a conversation instead of a lecture, it's really easy to find people who are willing to make small changes," she said. "Finger wagging turns everyone off."
Ray, whose Yum-o! charity teaches kids healthy eating, spoke about that approach in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. While she applauds the recently announced plan by the Agriculture Department to implement the first major nutritional overhaul of students' meals in 15 years, Ray said parents and others shouldn't sit back.
Under the guidelines announced last month, school cafeterias would be required to cut the sodium in subsidized lunches by more than half, use more whole grains and serve low-fat milk. But those changes could take years to implement, and in the meantime, schools can find other ways to encourage healthy eating, such as having students plant gardens or offering healthier options in vending machines, Ray said.
"You don't have to wait for them to make a law, you can make changes in your own school by just going in there and telling them you care," she said.
Seven months after Ray's trip to Washington last spring, President Barack Obama signed a bill in December expanding access to free lunch programs and increasing the federal reimbursement for free school lunches by 6 cents a meal. Ray said she was pleasantly surprised that members of Congress listened to her pitch, but she was struck by the shortsightedness of some who couldn't see that the obese children of today will be generating costly medical bills years into the future.
"They can't see that debt yet, so they're not going to do anything about it, it doesn't exist," she said. "It's really childish, ironically."
She said she doesn't understand people who cast the debate over food policy as a battle between elitists and common folk or who criticize first lady Michelle Obama's fitness and childhood obesity initiatives.
"How could you criticize the idea of children playing in the sunshine and eating healthy food?" she said. "I don't know any one person in my broad or tight circle that agrees with any of that."
Though she grew up eating a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet, Ray said she was a latecomer to exercise, and didn't start running until she turned 40.
"When I started running, I felt like I wasted 20 years of my adult life," she said. "It makes such an emotional difference, and such a huge difference in your clarity of thought to vigorously exercise on a regular basis."
Banksy, Franco's singing among Oscar mysteries
AP, LOS ANGELES: To the movie industry, the Oscars are an awards ceremony. For the rest of us, they're a show. So while we couldn't recall last year's best picture on a bet (Cameron's blue-aliens movie? No, wait, it was "Hurt Locker" from his ex!), we savor the memory of Billy Crystal's great opening bits and Jack Palance's one-armed push-ups and brave Christopher Reeve onstage, alone, in a wheelchair.
So, Academy Awards, what are you going to do for us in the three-hour-and-then-some ABC broadcast starting at 8 p.m. EST Sunday?
Nobody's complaining about seeing the likes of nominees Natalie Portman, Amy Adams or Colin Firth in their designer duds and with a potential winner's aura (and, in Portman's case, the unbeatable glow of pregnancy).
But in a year with so many apparent dead-certs — including Portman as best actress for "Black Swan," Firth as best actor for "The King's Speech" and Melissa Leo and Christian Bale of "The Fighter" for the supporting-actor prizes — we need more bells and whistles.
First, there's the all-important theme for the Kodak Theatre event. This year: "You're invited."
OK. We accept.
Moving on, it's going to be cold, at least by L.A. standards, with temperatures dipping into the 40s at showtime. So during the red-carpet parade, look for loyal publicists earnestly guiding starlets out of the chill because why cover a designer gown with a coat?
The show's hosts are a key element and, this year, relatively daring: Anne Hathaway and James Franco, two fine, handsome actors but lacking the standard credentials of their predecessors, whether a seasoned emcee (Johnny Carson), comedian (Chris Rock) or song-and-dance man (Hugh Jackman).
ABC's promotional spots, including one in which Franco puts Hathaway's bathroom-break quickness to the stopwatch test, are a good sign that clever comedy is afoot. So is the approval of Alec Baldwin, who was a hit last year with co-host Steve Martin.
"She's a very smart and talented and gorgeous and funny woman, and he's a very charming and polished leading man," Baldwin said Friday. "They are great symbols of young Hollywood. The show is very well served by having them."
Any hosting advice for Hathaway, who was a best-actress nominee for 2008's "Rachel Getting Married," and Franco, who's up for best-actor honors for "127 Hours"?
"Just go with your instincts, because your instincts are what got you there in the first place," Baldwin counseled.
Hathaway, at 28 the youngest host ever, and Franco, 32, are expected to make a little music together. Hathaway sparkled in a 2008 Oscar duet with Jackman, while Franco practically demanded the chance to sing Sunday, said producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer.
More tunes are on tap with the return of the best-song showcases. The four nominated numbers will be performed by Gwyneth Paltrow ("Coming Home" from the film "Country Strong"); Randy Newman (his "Toy Story 3" song, "We Belong Together"); Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and composer Alan Menken ("I See the Light" from "Tangled") and Florence Welch and composer A.R. Rahman ("If I Rise" from "127 Hours").
The producers have secrets in store, including something they've termed "scenic transitions," with music and images that will take viewers to different points in film history for presentation of the more technical awards.
The best surprises, of course, are the unplanned emotional peaks. One could come courtesy of Annette Bening, 52, nominated three times before without winning, finally earning her trophy for "The Kids Are All Right." Or it could be provided by 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld emerging as the underdog winner for her film debut in "True Grit."
Then there's presenter Sandra Bullock, returning to the stage where she triumphantly claimed her best-actress trophy last year for "The Blind Side" and then, within days, saw cheating allegations surface against her now-ex-husband, Jesse James.
Suspense over winners and losers is obviously a staple of the night. But there's a twist this year thanks to Banksy, the elusive British bad-boy street artist and nominee for best documentary feature for his directing debut, "Exit Through the Gift Shop."
Will the artist who prefers to hide his face from public view suddenly turn ham and appear in front of a half-billion viewers? As the movie academy would put it, you're invited to find out.
So, Academy Awards, what are you going to do for us in the three-hour-and-then-some ABC broadcast starting at 8 p.m. EST Sunday?
Nobody's complaining about seeing the likes of nominees Natalie Portman, Amy Adams or Colin Firth in their designer duds and with a potential winner's aura (and, in Portman's case, the unbeatable glow of pregnancy).
But in a year with so many apparent dead-certs — including Portman as best actress for "Black Swan," Firth as best actor for "The King's Speech" and Melissa Leo and Christian Bale of "The Fighter" for the supporting-actor prizes — we need more bells and whistles.
First, there's the all-important theme for the Kodak Theatre event. This year: "You're invited."
OK. We accept.
Moving on, it's going to be cold, at least by L.A. standards, with temperatures dipping into the 40s at showtime. So during the red-carpet parade, look for loyal publicists earnestly guiding starlets out of the chill because why cover a designer gown with a coat?
The show's hosts are a key element and, this year, relatively daring: Anne Hathaway and James Franco, two fine, handsome actors but lacking the standard credentials of their predecessors, whether a seasoned emcee (Johnny Carson), comedian (Chris Rock) or song-and-dance man (Hugh Jackman).
ABC's promotional spots, including one in which Franco puts Hathaway's bathroom-break quickness to the stopwatch test, are a good sign that clever comedy is afoot. So is the approval of Alec Baldwin, who was a hit last year with co-host Steve Martin.
"She's a very smart and talented and gorgeous and funny woman, and he's a very charming and polished leading man," Baldwin said Friday. "They are great symbols of young Hollywood. The show is very well served by having them."
Any hosting advice for Hathaway, who was a best-actress nominee for 2008's "Rachel Getting Married," and Franco, who's up for best-actor honors for "127 Hours"?
"Just go with your instincts, because your instincts are what got you there in the first place," Baldwin counseled.
Hathaway, at 28 the youngest host ever, and Franco, 32, are expected to make a little music together. Hathaway sparkled in a 2008 Oscar duet with Jackman, while Franco practically demanded the chance to sing Sunday, said producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer.
More tunes are on tap with the return of the best-song showcases. The four nominated numbers will be performed by Gwyneth Paltrow ("Coming Home" from the film "Country Strong"); Randy Newman (his "Toy Story 3" song, "We Belong Together"); Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and composer Alan Menken ("I See the Light" from "Tangled") and Florence Welch and composer A.R. Rahman ("If I Rise" from "127 Hours").
The producers have secrets in store, including something they've termed "scenic transitions," with music and images that will take viewers to different points in film history for presentation of the more technical awards.
The best surprises, of course, are the unplanned emotional peaks. One could come courtesy of Annette Bening, 52, nominated three times before without winning, finally earning her trophy for "The Kids Are All Right." Or it could be provided by 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld emerging as the underdog winner for her film debut in "True Grit."
Then there's presenter Sandra Bullock, returning to the stage where she triumphantly claimed her best-actress trophy last year for "The Blind Side" and then, within days, saw cheating allegations surface against her now-ex-husband, Jesse James.
Suspense over winners and losers is obviously a staple of the night. But there's a twist this year thanks to Banksy, the elusive British bad-boy street artist and nominee for best documentary feature for his directing debut, "Exit Through the Gift Shop."
Will the artist who prefers to hide his face from public view suddenly turn ham and appear in front of a half-billion viewers? As the movie academy would put it, you're invited to find out.
Tigers looking for more down the stretch
AP, CLEMSON, S.C: Clemson guard Tanner Smith knows the Tigers aren't experts in the motion offense. Still, the junior thinks the team has picked up first-year coach Brad Brownell's schemes quicker than some may have expected.
That's one reason for Clemson's success.
"Maybe we're 'A' students now," Smith said Friday. "We'll see how it goes."
With about a week left in the regular season, the Tigers are vying for a first-round bye in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and a spot in the NCAAs. The stretch starts Saturday against Wake Forest, the Tigers' first game since a rousing road win at Miami last Sunday.
Bidding for an NCAA spot was not where some, including Smith, thought Clemson (18-9, 7-6 ACC) would be so late in the season. Not after longtime coach Oliver Purnell left for DePaul and the team's star, Trevor Booker, became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I definitely had some questions," Smith said.
Clemson was picked to finish seventh in the ACC. There were several reasons, including the unknown quantity of Brownell, hired from Wright State to replace Purnell, and the question over who would pick up the offensive punch of Booker, the power forward who led the Tigers with 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds a game last year.
Things looked even worse early on. Brownell could not hold on to promising Purnell recruit Marcus Thornton while long-range shooter Noel Johnson decided to transfer less than a month into the season.
There were three straight awful defeats to Michigan, rival South Carolina and Florida State where the Tigers appeared lost in the offensive flow.
"It was a transition, no doubt about that," Smith said. "But we had some people who were battle tested and wanted to succeed."
The Tigers reeled off eight straight victories, including a 2-0 start in ACC play. They defeated a ranked team in Florida State on Jan. 29 and are a game behind Virginia Tech for fourth place, which would mean an opening round rest when the ACC tournament starts.
"We're on the bubble, or whatever, so we have a lot of work to do before we worry about those kinds of things," Brownell said.
The Tigers have been particularly sharp at home, winning five of six so far with the Demon Deacons (1-12 in the league) on Saturday and the Hokies left at Littlejohn Coliseum a week later.
Despite the transition, Brownell never eased up on expectations. But he didn't inflate them, either, always placing the emphasis on gradual improvement over how high the Tigers might go.
He's not changing that now with Clemson in sight of a fourth consecutive NCAA tournament berth.
"Both collectively and individually, we still have to get more guys playing consistently well for us to challenge in the ACC tournament or things of that nature," the coach said.
The Tigers have been led by seniors in point guard Demontez Stitt and forward Jerai Grant. Stitt, a slasher who's best at driving the lane, is the team's top scorer at 14 points a game. Grant, the 6-foot-8 son of former Oklahoma standout Harvey, is right behind at 12 points a game and leads the club in rebounding (6.5 average).
Smith says the team's epiphany came when they discovered that tightening defense would mean easier baskets and a better offensive flow. The Tigers lead the ACC in scoring defense giving up just 60.2 points a game, 2 points a game ahead of Florida State and Virginia.
Clemson's players believe in what their coaches are teaching and it shows on the court. Smith said the Tigers were angry about fumbling away a 69-61 loss at North Carolina State last week after leading for a good part of the contest. Instead of crumbling, Smith said the team channeled efforts into last Sunday's 63-59 win at Miami.
"The energy is there. The focus is really there," Smith said. "We can't dwell on the games we gave away. We're still in control of our destiny and I think we're ready."
That's one reason for Clemson's success.
"Maybe we're 'A' students now," Smith said Friday. "We'll see how it goes."
With about a week left in the regular season, the Tigers are vying for a first-round bye in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and a spot in the NCAAs. The stretch starts Saturday against Wake Forest, the Tigers' first game since a rousing road win at Miami last Sunday.
Bidding for an NCAA spot was not where some, including Smith, thought Clemson (18-9, 7-6 ACC) would be so late in the season. Not after longtime coach Oliver Purnell left for DePaul and the team's star, Trevor Booker, became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I definitely had some questions," Smith said.
Clemson was picked to finish seventh in the ACC. There were several reasons, including the unknown quantity of Brownell, hired from Wright State to replace Purnell, and the question over who would pick up the offensive punch of Booker, the power forward who led the Tigers with 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds a game last year.
Things looked even worse early on. Brownell could not hold on to promising Purnell recruit Marcus Thornton while long-range shooter Noel Johnson decided to transfer less than a month into the season.
There were three straight awful defeats to Michigan, rival South Carolina and Florida State where the Tigers appeared lost in the offensive flow.
"It was a transition, no doubt about that," Smith said. "But we had some people who were battle tested and wanted to succeed."
The Tigers reeled off eight straight victories, including a 2-0 start in ACC play. They defeated a ranked team in Florida State on Jan. 29 and are a game behind Virginia Tech for fourth place, which would mean an opening round rest when the ACC tournament starts.
"We're on the bubble, or whatever, so we have a lot of work to do before we worry about those kinds of things," Brownell said.
The Tigers have been particularly sharp at home, winning five of six so far with the Demon Deacons (1-12 in the league) on Saturday and the Hokies left at Littlejohn Coliseum a week later.
Despite the transition, Brownell never eased up on expectations. But he didn't inflate them, either, always placing the emphasis on gradual improvement over how high the Tigers might go.
He's not changing that now with Clemson in sight of a fourth consecutive NCAA tournament berth.
"Both collectively and individually, we still have to get more guys playing consistently well for us to challenge in the ACC tournament or things of that nature," the coach said.
The Tigers have been led by seniors in point guard Demontez Stitt and forward Jerai Grant. Stitt, a slasher who's best at driving the lane, is the team's top scorer at 14 points a game. Grant, the 6-foot-8 son of former Oklahoma standout Harvey, is right behind at 12 points a game and leads the club in rebounding (6.5 average).
Smith says the team's epiphany came when they discovered that tightening defense would mean easier baskets and a better offensive flow. The Tigers lead the ACC in scoring defense giving up just 60.2 points a game, 2 points a game ahead of Florida State and Virginia.
Clemson's players believe in what their coaches are teaching and it shows on the court. Smith said the Tigers were angry about fumbling away a 69-61 loss at North Carolina State last week after leading for a good part of the contest. Instead of crumbling, Smith said the team channeled efforts into last Sunday's 63-59 win at Miami.
"The energy is there. The focus is really there," Smith said. "We can't dwell on the games we gave away. We're still in control of our destiny and I think we're ready."
Loss to Cougars not forgotten by Washington
AP, SEATTLE: After Washington State upset Washington in Pullman in January, Cougars fans stormed the court to celebrate the victory over their rival.
The Huskies returned to their locker room to find another jab waiting for them along with their postgame meal: A Pullman sandwich shop had placed messages in the players' boxed meals.
"May memories of the fun you share bring you gentle comfort. So sorry for your loss," the prank note said.
The Huskies didn't appreciate the gestures. And the Huskies do remember, especially Isaiah Thomas.
"Right after that game I just watched how they did that," Thomas said. "They felt it was the right thing to do I guess. ... Beating any team in the regular season, unless it's the No. 1 team in the country, I don't feel like you should storm the court."
The teams meet again on Sunday night in Seattle. Since their victory over Washington, the Cougars have fallen apart, winning just two of their last seven and falling to cellar-dwelling Arizona State last weekend.
The loss has all but ended the Cougars' chances to make the NCAA tournament field. Outside of winning the Pac-10 tournament in two weeks, Washington State would probably have to win its remaining three regular season games and make it to the Pac-10 title game to have any shot of making the field as an at-large selection.
The loss to Washington State began a three-game skid for the Huskies that dropped them out of the conference lead.
Washington has since responded by winning four of its last five games, with an 87-86 loss at conference-leading Arizona the only blemish.
The Huskies' chances at the Pac-10 regular season title realistically ended with the loss on Saturday, but Arizona's loss to USC on Thursday night kept the door open slightly.
The Wildcats would need to lose two of their last three games to give Washington a chance of claiming their second regular season crown in three seasons.
"A lot has to happen for that to take place," coach Lorenzo Romar said. "We can't lose sight of Sunday. We have a week and a half of conference play and we have to take advantage of it and not get sidetracked by other issues."
The Huskies turned the ball over 24 times and made just 11 of 31 three-pointers in the loss to Washington State, something Romar stressed can't happen again if the Huskies are to win this time around.
"From my standpoint, I'm more concerned that we turned the ball over 24 times and didn't guard like we should have guarded. That bothers me," Romar said. "We turned the ball over far too many times by trying to force the issue the last time we played them. We needed to be a little more patient against them."
The Huskies returned to their locker room to find another jab waiting for them along with their postgame meal: A Pullman sandwich shop had placed messages in the players' boxed meals.
"May memories of the fun you share bring you gentle comfort. So sorry for your loss," the prank note said.
The Huskies didn't appreciate the gestures. And the Huskies do remember, especially Isaiah Thomas.
"Right after that game I just watched how they did that," Thomas said. "They felt it was the right thing to do I guess. ... Beating any team in the regular season, unless it's the No. 1 team in the country, I don't feel like you should storm the court."
The teams meet again on Sunday night in Seattle. Since their victory over Washington, the Cougars have fallen apart, winning just two of their last seven and falling to cellar-dwelling Arizona State last weekend.
The loss has all but ended the Cougars' chances to make the NCAA tournament field. Outside of winning the Pac-10 tournament in two weeks, Washington State would probably have to win its remaining three regular season games and make it to the Pac-10 title game to have any shot of making the field as an at-large selection.
The loss to Washington State began a three-game skid for the Huskies that dropped them out of the conference lead.
Washington has since responded by winning four of its last five games, with an 87-86 loss at conference-leading Arizona the only blemish.
The Huskies' chances at the Pac-10 regular season title realistically ended with the loss on Saturday, but Arizona's loss to USC on Thursday night kept the door open slightly.
The Wildcats would need to lose two of their last three games to give Washington a chance of claiming their second regular season crown in three seasons.
"A lot has to happen for that to take place," coach Lorenzo Romar said. "We can't lose sight of Sunday. We have a week and a half of conference play and we have to take advantage of it and not get sidetracked by other issues."
The Huskies turned the ball over 24 times and made just 11 of 31 three-pointers in the loss to Washington State, something Romar stressed can't happen again if the Huskies are to win this time around.
"From my standpoint, I'm more concerned that we turned the ball over 24 times and didn't guard like we should have guarded. That bothers me," Romar said. "We turned the ball over far too many times by trying to force the issue the last time we played them. We needed to be a little more patient against them."
Northwestern St. beats Texas-Arlington 78-71 in OT
AP, NATCHITOCHES, La: Devon Baker scored 20 points and Northwestern State defeated Texas-Arlington 78-71 in overtime Saturday.
Northwestern State (17-12, 9-5 Southland Conference) made 6 of 8 free throw attempts in overtime and hit 26 of 42 free throws for the game. The Mavericks were 10 of 18.
Leading 69-68 in the extra period, the Demons went on a 9-1 run for a 78-69 cushion with 17 seconds remaining.
The Demons were not as successful from the field, shooting 32.8 percent (22 of 67). The Mavericks made 35.5 percent (27 of 76).
Baker scored the final five points in regulation for the Demons, who finished the second half with a 14-2 run to force overtime.
Will Pratt added 14 points and Shamir Davis had 11 for the Demons.
Jordan Reeves scored 19 points, Darius Richardson added 16 and Bo Ingram had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks (13-14, 7-7).
Northwestern State (17-12, 9-5 Southland Conference) made 6 of 8 free throw attempts in overtime and hit 26 of 42 free throws for the game. The Mavericks were 10 of 18.
Leading 69-68 in the extra period, the Demons went on a 9-1 run for a 78-69 cushion with 17 seconds remaining.
The Demons were not as successful from the field, shooting 32.8 percent (22 of 67). The Mavericks made 35.5 percent (27 of 76).
Baker scored the final five points in regulation for the Demons, who finished the second half with a 14-2 run to force overtime.
Will Pratt added 14 points and Shamir Davis had 11 for the Demons.
Jordan Reeves scored 19 points, Darius Richardson added 16 and Bo Ingram had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks (13-14, 7-7).
West Virginia coach Carey rips official after loss
AP, PISCATAWAY, N.J: West Virginia coach Mike Carey might have to do some explaining to Big East Conference officials after yelling at a referee and criticizing her following a loss at Rutgers.
Carey stormed on the court Saturday after the No. 19 Mountaineers dropped a 67-58 decision to Rutgers and screamed at referee Angela Lewis for a couple of seconds. Lewis had handed Carey a technical foul in the waning seconds.
In the postgame news conference, Carey said some of the female official's calls — Lewis was the only female in the three-person crew — were "unbelievable."
The one that seemed to upset Carey the most was when Lewis overruled fellow official Ed Sidlasky with 3:47 to go and Rutgers ahead 54-53.
Sidlasky, who was positioned on the baseline, called a charging foul against Rutgers' Daisha Simmons on a baseline drive. Lewis, who was the outside official, overruled him and called a foul on Madina Ali, her fourth, sending Simmons to the line for two free throws.
"I can't talk about the referee," Carey said. "I would love to. The female, unbelievable, referee. I didn't say their names so maybe I won't get in trouble. Unbelievable. Unbelievable calls down the stretch. It's unbelievable."
Carey also was miffed his team didn't get any calls in the second half despite taking the ball to the basket. Rutgers had 21 free throws in the final 20 minutes. West Virginia got seven.
"We didn't even get to the one-and-one until under 30 seconds," Carey said. "Granted you have to attack the rim to get the one-and-one, but we were. We were getting banged driving and no calls, and they were getting those calls."
West Virginia (21-8, 7-8) has lost seven of nine games after starting the season 19-1. The Mountaineers, who will have to play a first-round game in the Big East tournament, will finish the regular season at home on Monday against St. John's.
Carey stormed on the court Saturday after the No. 19 Mountaineers dropped a 67-58 decision to Rutgers and screamed at referee Angela Lewis for a couple of seconds. Lewis had handed Carey a technical foul in the waning seconds.
In the postgame news conference, Carey said some of the female official's calls — Lewis was the only female in the three-person crew — were "unbelievable."
The one that seemed to upset Carey the most was when Lewis overruled fellow official Ed Sidlasky with 3:47 to go and Rutgers ahead 54-53.
Sidlasky, who was positioned on the baseline, called a charging foul against Rutgers' Daisha Simmons on a baseline drive. Lewis, who was the outside official, overruled him and called a foul on Madina Ali, her fourth, sending Simmons to the line for two free throws.
"I can't talk about the referee," Carey said. "I would love to. The female, unbelievable, referee. I didn't say their names so maybe I won't get in trouble. Unbelievable. Unbelievable calls down the stretch. It's unbelievable."
Carey also was miffed his team didn't get any calls in the second half despite taking the ball to the basket. Rutgers had 21 free throws in the final 20 minutes. West Virginia got seven.
"We didn't even get to the one-and-one until under 30 seconds," Carey said. "Granted you have to attack the rim to get the one-and-one, but we were. We were getting banged driving and no calls, and they were getting those calls."
West Virginia (21-8, 7-8) has lost seven of nine games after starting the season 19-1. The Mountaineers, who will have to play a first-round game in the Big East tournament, will finish the regular season at home on Monday against St. John's.
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