Fri, May 19, 2006 -- 4:30 PM

The California Report Magazine 2006-05-19
The Dangerous Legacy of California's Gold Rush -- Thousands of abandoned mines are creating hazards for life and property as developers push further into the Sierra foothills. And American Sign Language is no longer just for the deaf community. It's gaining wide acceptance as a foreign language and an early childhood education tool.

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Host: Scott Shafer

UC President in the Hot Seat Over Compensation
There were more revelations of secret pay raises and lavish perks at the University of California this week, after yet another audit found repeated violations of the school's compensation policies. But UC president Robert Dynes dodged a bullet, surviving calls for his firing over a scandal that has plagued him for months.

Guests:

Music Bridge #1
"Not Nice" by 9 Lazy 9, from "Paradise Blown" (Ninja Tune)

The Gold Rush's Perilous Legacy
After the sudden death of a Placer County man last month, attention is once again being focused on the hazards of abandoned mines in California, especially as development reaches deeper into Gold Country.

Book Review: "Mom's Cancer" by Brian Fies
To the uninitiated, it may be surprising to learn that cancer memoirs are something of a sub-genre in comics. There's Harvey Pekar's "Our Cancer Year," Miriam Engleberg's "Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person" and, later this year, New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Marchetto's "Cancer Vixen." New to that list is "Mom's Cancer" by Northern California-based Brian Fies.

Guests:

Music Bridge #2
"Dr. Crash" by Yo La Tengo, from "Today Is The Day" (Matador)

Sign Language for Babies
American Sign Language is no longer confined to the deaf community. It has gained wide acceptance as a foreign language and an early childhood education tool. In many cities across the country, parents are using sign language with their hearing babies, in the hopes that it will help them communicate earlier. Baby signing programs have grown in popularity in recent years, and more programs and instructors are cashing in.

What is Hyphy?
Just as the South has Crunk, Baltimore has B-more and Rio has Baile Funk, Northern California now has its own indigenous dance music known as Hyphy. Music critic Todd Inoue has more on a new Hyphy song that touts some famous California-born footwear.

Guests:

End Music
"Tell Me When To Go" by E-40, from "Ghetto Report Card"; "Vans" by The Wolfpack