| Bush-Putin "lobster summit" turns to diplomacy
Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin held oceanside talks on Monday to try to ease tensions that have taken their countries' relations to a post-Cold War low. Meeting at the Bush family's New England estate, the two leaders turned from fishing trips and lobster meals to serious diplomacy as they confronted the main issues that divide Washington and Moscow. With Bush and Putin at odds over a planned U.S. missile shield, the future of Kosovo and the state of democracy in Russia, their relationship has looked as rocky as the Maine coast that provided the setting for the talks. Both sides advised against expecting breakthroughs as the informal, two-day summit neared an end. Instead, they portrayed the meeting as a chance for Bush and Putin to revive the rapport they once enjoyed and to start mending U.S.-Russia relations.
Doucet aims to protect lobster fishery in disputed waters
Rick Doucet is calling for talks to prevent lobster overfishing in a so-called "grey zone," a 160-square-kilometre area near Grand Manan called Lobster Fishing Area 38B. Because both the U.S. and Canada have been insisting they have sovereignty over the area since before 1832, it's policed by Canadian authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard and Maine Marine Patrol. But it is also fished by boats from the two countries. "It's a very productive area which is why people from both sides are interested in fishing the area," said George Lapoint, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine resources. Lapoint said more American boats are moving into the area off Machias Seal Island. "One of the issues that was of concern to the folks on the Canadian side was that the number has increased over time." Doucet said the situation is unfair to Grand Manan fishermen who are watching the lobsters disappear.
The tasting menu at Opus reveals many savory surprises
�ve heard rumors of a delicate culinary arrangement called �The Egg.� The creator is Josef Centeno, chef at the sleek and dimly lit restaurant Opus, adjacent to the Wiltern on Wilshire Boulevard. The Egg is supposedly a Wonka-esque revelation � an unctuous mixture of soft-cooked egg, Cream of Wheat, tart whipped cream, a burnoise of bacon, and a drizzle of raw honey, all encased in a shell and with a tiny spoon to dig in. With that ovum in mind, I made reservations for dinner. Though it has been getting its fair share of deserved press recently, Opus still feels like a great Los Angeles secret. The staff is kind and helpful, professional but with no whiff of pretension. The bar and dining room are dark and sexy, all clean angles and lofty ceilings. Instead of crisp white tablecloths, black leather covers every surface.
|
