It wasn’t all that long ago that I was in Southern California living in the realtively safe eye of the fires that ravaged San Diego, so I can imagine the angst that is gripping Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties this morning as fires rip through the region, again, causing extensive damage.  The Los Angeles Times has video and a full report.

Though it looks as though progress is being made as of this morning, the damage already done, of course, is tragic.  There are, as per usual, multiple fires raging.

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A recent scientific breakthrough has discovered drugs that drastically improve the fitness of subjects without them having to do one bit of work.   The research, performed at the Salk Institute in San Diego, California, has isolated two drugs that did wonders for the physical condition of so called “couch potato mice”.

One of the drugs, named Aicar, increased the endurance of mice on a treadmill by 44% after only four weeks of treatment without the test subject performing one other iota of physical exercise to get in shape during the trial period.   The other drug increased endurance by 75% but needed to be combined with physical exercise in order to gain the full effect, which if you’re looking for something for nothing, isn’t really where it’s at.   Scientists say the findings should translate over well to humans, who use essentially the same genes as mice to control muscle tone.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Obama Global Love Fest by Martin Musatov

Interview with Lawrence Lessig by Wendy Cohen

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 10 Ways to Green Your Move

Climate Change Activist Superglues Himself to UK Prime Minister

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Andy Kondrat:

Can Junk Mail Be Green?

Google Maps Adds Walking Directions

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Jon Popham:

Recycling Building Materials Greens Up Home Improvement

CA Hotel Owner’s Anti Same-Sex Marriage Donation Brings Boycott Calls

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Gina Telaroli:

Naming a Generation

Ebert and Roeper Exit: Time to Give a Lady the Thumbs UP

Hotelier Doug Manchester’s donation of $125,000 to overturn California’s same-sex marriage court ruling has stirred calls for a boycott of his two hotels.   The owner of the Whitetail Club and Resort, in McCall, Idaho and the Manchester Grand Hyatt and Grand del Mar Resort, both in San Diego, California, contributed the money to collect signatures for placing Proposition 8, a referendum on whether to make same-sex marriage unconstitutional in the Golden State, on the November ballot.

Mr. Manchester addressed the controversy yesterday, saying, “This really is a free-speech, First Amendment issue. While I respect everyone’s choice of partner, my Catholic faith and longtime affiliation with the Catholic Church leads me to believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman.”  

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Nicole Hughes:

Should Drive-Thrus Be Banned?

Eco-Moms Mad About “Greenwash” Barbie

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Andy Kondrat:

Home Depot Will Recycle Your CLF Bulbs for Free

Department of Energy Predicts 50% Energy Increase By 2030

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Jon Popham:

NYC Waterfalls Installation Starts This Week

Capt. John Smith Is Back…and Running for President

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Giulia Rozzi:

Yoga Across the Border

Emile Norman: By His Own Design

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Gina Telaroli:

Silverdocs 08: A Post-Fest Wrap-Up

Human Rights Watch 08: Letter to Anna

A group of people practiced yoga Sunday on both sides of the wall between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego.

The international group stretched and meditated together before exchanging hugs through the fence bars.  The session was organized by the Border Meetup Group, which promotes cross-border understanding by staging social events on the divided beach. Coordinator Dan Watman said the group aims “to make friends across cultural, political, societal, even emotional barriers.”The Tijuana beach is a popular destination for families who come to chat through the fence with loved ones on the other side. [Associated Press]  

The Border Meetup Group activities consist of events in which people from both sides of the San

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Tiger Woods forced a playoff yesterday for the US Open title by hitting a 12 foot put on the 18th Hole (reaction seen left). On his last possible chance of the day to tie Rocco Mediate’s score of 71, Woods made the put that will necessitate the first tie-breaking playoff round in the USGA’s US Open Tournament since 2001. Woods and Mediate will play this afternoon to decide who will be the champion of this year’s tournament being held at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

You can takepart in empowering youth by logging on and learning more about the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has benefited the lives of over 10 million young people since its inception in 1996. The Tiger Woods Foundation sponsors scholarships, learning centers, sporting and other recreational events to help improve the lives of young people.

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Give Gwen Stefani an “A” for altruism: Orange County’s own pop diva has established an “After-the-Fires Scholarship” to “aid graduating high school seniors and college students whose families either lost their homes or source of income” in the fires that ravaged San Diego last October, according to E! Online.Stefani also gave $166,000 from a recent concert to the San Diego Foundation relief fund, calling San Diego “a second home,” and adding, “San Diego has always been so supportive of me throughout my entire career.” Here’s to a blonde bombshell who hasn’t forgetten her roots.