Youth

Recap: "Youth in Revolt" starring Michael Sera captures the misdeeds of a dweeb and his alter-ego in an effort to win the heart of his first love. Review: "There's not much here, but at least Michael Cera and company deliver some laughs in this long-on-the-shelf comedy." -- Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times film critic

CAIRO -- Prominent youth activist Ahmed Maher was arrested on Friday as he sought to leave the Cairo international airport, members of his April 6 youth movement said. Maher, who helped lead the revolution that ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak, will be held for four days pending investigations into charges of resisting authority, insulting the police, and disturbing traffic, the Middle East News Agency reported. He was arrested only minutes after returning from the United State.

In the summer of 2005, when she was 15 but not yet famous, Cory Kennedy went to a Blood Brothers concert at the El Rey Theatre. She remembers what she was wearing--black leg warmers, beat-up black Converse sneakers and a canary-yellow Lacoste mini-dress that she'd had to beg her mother to buy her. It was "back in the day," at the end of ninth grade, when she was still going by her full name, Cory Kennedy-Levin.

Re “ The frump factor ,” Opinion, Nov. 15 I couldn't have put it better than Meghan Daum. In this country, the “frump factor” is where it's at. And it doesn't end there. Besides the frump factor, we hold different ethnic groups to a double standard, and those of us who are overweight to a double standard. Until we realize that we're all in this together and that the good is on the inside of our brothers and our sisters, then I know our journey is far from over.

With all the talk about unemployed youth why don't we start up the old CCC that put the youth into camps all over the country? They built fire roads, maintained trails and firebreaks and maintained buildings in the parks and forests of the country. They had classes in English and math in the evenings and learned how to work. Many went on to successful careers. One even became director of the national parks. Now is the time to do something. HARVEY T. ANDERSON Malibu

Your article on San Diego teen-agers' use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs ("S.D. Teens Drink, Smoke Less Than Peers," Feb. 12) brings home the important statistic that 68% of all deaths for persons under the age of 24 are caused by car crashes, homicides, suicides and other injuries. The story correctly points out that the use of alcohol and other drugs contributes in major ways to these deaths. Of additional interest are statistics, not presented in your article, which show that about half of all drownings, spousal violence, child abuse and armed robberies, plus a large portion of other types of traumatic deaths, are also alcohol-related.