text:
LONDON, England (CNN) -- London's newest hotelier Mark Fuller is showing commendable bravado for someone about to open a luxury hotel during a global recession.

Entrepreneur Mark Fuller in the Sanctum Soho hotel, a rock'n'roll "haven of hedonism" in London.

"F*** the recession, let's get on with it," he says, while sitting on the roof terrace of the Sanctum Soho, a 30-room establishment dubbed the rock'n'roll hotel, as much for its "anything goes" service philosophy as the pedigree of its owners, which include the co-managers of heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

"We do not recognize there is a credit crunch because we believe you should battle through it," Fuller says, adding, "If you get panicky and scary about things like this, you're no man at all."

Besides, he admits, three years ago when he started working on the concept of an 'alluring haven of hedonism' (as the hotel is described on its Web site), the credit crunch didn't exist.

And by the time it hit, it was too late to pull out. "We wouldn't do anyway," Fuller insists, adding "fortune favors the brave, as they say."  See images of the rock star hotel Â»

The former band manager turned entrepreneur, is looking quite the rock star tonight, decked head-to-toe in black while a shiny silver skull stares ominously from his belt buckle.

Downstairs, staff are frantically preparing for a launch party that promises to be heavy on champagne, cocktails and celebrities. It's almost like the crunch doesn't exist.

This is Fuller's world and he's hoping plenty of people will want to join it. "In every downturn in the economic climate I think people look for some affordable glamour and escape," he says.

Fuller also owns and runs the Embassy Hotel, an exclusive nightclub in the upmarket London suburb of Mayfair which he plans to franchise in Dubai, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi.

The partners in his new hotel venture ooze rock credential: Iron Maiden co-managers Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor.

While Taylor has experience running a restaurant and hotel, "The Inn on the Green," Smallwood's experience in the hotel industry is based on 30 years on the road with Iron Maiden.

Last year he stayed in 80 hotels in 40 countries and one of his biggest gripes is returning to his hotel after a gig and finding the bar is closed.

"You want good service, and you want the bars open, and you want good food available," he says from the roof terrace equipped with a bar and Jacuzzi he's taken to calling "my lounge."

Smallwood expects to stay in the hotel once a week and says it will become a London bolt-hole for the band.

While non-music types and the tone-deaf are welcome to stay in the hotel, over-enthusiastic groupies are not.

"If you're on the road for three months, you can never escape," Smallwood says. "The fans, some of them, think they have a God-given right, just because they're staying in the same hotel, to put a camera in your face over your cornflakes."

"The rule here is no autographs and no photographs," he says firmly. "Say Paul Weller is sitting in the corner having a beer, and you go and ask for an autograph or photograph, you will not stay here again."

Along with privacy and a beer at all hours, guests have access to an on-call guitar doctor, a necessity, apparently, if you break a string while strumming in your room. Guests who have inadvertently left their guitar at home can hire one from reception.

The rock star concept extends to the room decor. The silver wallpaper and mirrored columns may appear garish in daylight, but at 3 a.m. one suspects they add a touch of glamour.

Free standing baths are a bold leap from the bed and the mini bar is well-stocked with champagne.

Rod Smallwood is confident the concept will work.

"Recession or no recession, we're talking about 30 rooms in a huge major city. If we can't sell 30 rooms in the depths of recession it means we're useless, and we know we're not."

Mark Fuller says he's selling more than a hotel room. In times of economic crisis the Sanctum Soho offers the chance to forget the mortgage and live like a rock star, if only for a day.

"You can sit in the restaurant and have a hamburger for seven pounds ($10)," he says. "The drinks are cheaper than most hotels, and probably cheaper than most nightclubs. The room accommodation runs everywhere from Â£125 ($255) straight up to Â£450 ($650). Take your pick. Cut your coat."

I mishear him. "Cut your coke?" I ask.

"No, you can't do that!" he exclaims.

"Musicians are not like that anymore," Fuller says. "The music industry is such now that people release CDs to support tours, not the other way around, so this is a professional state.

"I just don't want to be the hotel at the end of the tour, then I'm in danger," he laughs.

text: LONDON

text: England

text: CNN

text: London

text: 's

text: newest

text: hotelier

text: Mark

text: Fuller

text: is

text: showing

text: commendable

text: bravado

text: for

text: someone

text: about

text: to

text: open

text: a

text: luxury

text: hotel

text: during

text: a

text: global

text: recession

text: Entrepreneur

text: Mark

text: Fuller

text: in

text: the

text: Sanctum

text: Soho

text: hotel

text: a

text: rock'n'roll

text: haven

text: of

text: hedonism

text: in

text: London

text: F

text: the

text: recession

text: let

text: 's

text: get

text: on

text: with

text: it

text: he

text: says

text: while

text: sitting

text: on

text: the

text: roof

text: terrace

text: of

text: the

text: Sanctum

text: Soho

text: a

text: establishment

text: dubbed

text: the

text: rock'n'roll

text: hotel

text: as

text: much

text: for

text: its

text: anything

text: goes

text: service

text: philosophy

text: as

text: the

text: pedigree

text: of

text: its

text: owners

text: which

text: include

text: the

text: co

text: managers

text: of

text: heavy

text: metal

text: band

text: Iron

text: Maiden

text: We

text: do

text: not

text: recognize

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: credit

text: crunch

text: because

text: we

text: believe

text: you

text: should

text: battle

text: through

text: it

text: Fuller

text: says

text: adding

text: If

text: you

text: get

text: panicky

text: and

text: scary

text: about

text: things

text: like

text: this

text: you

text: 're

text: no

text: man

text: at

text: all

text: Besides

text: he

text: admits

text: three

text: years

text: ago

text: when

text: he

text: started

text: working

text: on

text: the

text: concept

text: of

text: an

text: alluring

text: haven

text: of

text: hedonism

text: as

text: the

text: hotel

text: is

text: described

text: on

text: its

text: Web

text: site

text: the

text: credit

text: crunch

text: did

text: n't

text: exist

text: And

text: by

text: the

text: time

text: it

text: hit

text: it

text: was

text: too

text: late

text: to

text: pull

text: out

text: We

text: would

text: n't

text: do

text: anyway

text: Fuller

text: insists

text: adding

text: fortune

text: favors

text: the

text: brave

text: as

text: they

text: say

text: See

text: images

text: of

text: the

text: rock

text: star

text: hotel

text: Â

text: The

text: former

text: band

text: manager

text: turned

text: entrepreneur

text: is

text: looking

text: quite

text: the

text: rock

text: star

text: tonight

text: decked

text: head

text: to

text: toe

text: in

text: black

text: while

text: a

text: shiny

text: silver

text: skull

text: stares

text: ominously

text: from

text: his

text: belt

text: buckle

text: Downstairs

text: staff

text: are

text: frantically

text: preparing

text: for

text: a

text: launch

text: party

text: that

text: promises

text: to

text: be

text: heavy

text: on

text: champagne

text: cocktails

text: and

text: celebrities

text: It

text: 's

text: almost

text: like

text: the

text: crunch

text: does

text: n't

text: exist

text: This

text: is

text: Fuller

text: 's

text: world

text: and

text: he

text: 's

text: hoping

text: plenty

text: of

text: people

text: will

text: want

text: to

text: join

text: it

text: In

text: every

text: downturn

text: in

text: the

text: economic

text: climate

text: I

text: think

text: people

text: look

text: for

text: some

text: affordable

text: glamour

text: and

text: escape

text: he

text: says

text: Fuller

text: also

text: owns

text: and

text: runs

text: the

text: Embassy

text: Hotel

text: an

text: exclusive

text: nightclub

text: in

text: the

text: upmarket

text: London

text: suburb

text: of

text: Mayfair

text: which

text: he

text: plans

text: to

text: franchise

text: in

text: Dubai

text: Istanbul

text: and

text: Abu

text: Dhabi

text: The

text: partners

text: in

text: his

text: new

text: hotel

text: venture

text: ooze

text: rock

text: credential

text: Iron

text: Maiden

text: co

text: managers

text: Rod

text: Smallwood

text: and

text: Andy

text: Taylor

text: While

text: Taylor

text: has

text: experience

text: running

text: a

text: restaurant

text: and

text: hotel

text: The

text: Inn

text: on

text: the

text: Green

text: Smallwood

text: 's

text: experience

text: in

text: the

text: hotel

text: industry

text: is

text: based

text: on

text: years

text: on

text: the

text: road

text: with

text: Iron

text: Maiden

text: Last

text: year

text: he

text: stayed

text: in

text: hotels

text: in

text: countries

text: and

text: one

text: of

text: his

text: biggest

text: gripes

text: is

text: returning

text: to

text: his

text: hotel

text: after

text: a

text: gig

text: and

text: finding

text: the

text: bar

text: is

text: closed

text: You

text: want

text: good

text: service

text: and

text: you

text: want

text: the

text: bars

text: open

text: and

text: you

text: want

text: good

text: food

text: available

text: he

text: says

text: from

text: the

text: roof

text: terrace

text: equipped

text: with

text: a

text: bar

text: and

text: Jacuzzi

text: he

text: 's

text: taken

text: to

text: calling

text: my

text: lounge

text: Smallwood

text: expects

text: to

text: stay

text: in

text: the

text: hotel

text: once

text: a

text: week

text: and

text: says

text: it

text: will

text: become

text: a

text: London

text: bolt

text: hole

text: for

text: the

text: band

text: While

text: non

text: music

text: types

text: and

text: the

text: tone

text: deaf

text: are

text: welcome

text: to

text: stay

text: in

text: the

text: hotel

text: over

text: enthusiastic

text: groupies

text: are

text: not

text: If

text: you

text: 're

text: on

text: the

text: road

text: for

text: three

text: months

text: you

text: can

text: never

text: escape

text: Smallwood

text: says

text: The

text: fans

text: some

text: of

text: them

text: think

text: they

text: have

text: a

text: God

text: given

text: right

text: just

text: because

text: they

text: 're

text: staying

text: in

text: the

text: same

text: hotel

text: to

text: put

text: a

text: camera

text: in

text: your

text: face

text: over

text: your

text: cornflakes

text: The

text: rule

text: here

text: is

text: no

text: autographs

text: and

text: no

text: photographs

text: he

text: says

text: firmly

text: Say

text: Paul

text: Weller

text: is

text: sitting

text: in

text: the

text: corner

text: having

text: a

text: beer

text: and

text: you

text: go

text: and

text: ask

text: for

text: an

text: autograph

text: or

text: photograph

text: you

text: will

text: not

text: stay

text: here

text: again

text: Along

text: with

text: privacy

text: and

text: a

text: beer

text: at

text: all

text: hours

text: guests

text: have

text: access

text: to

text: an

text: on

text: call

text: guitar

text: doctor

text: a

text: necessity

text: apparently

text: if

text: you

text: break

text: a

text: string

text: while

text: strumming

text: in

text: your

text: room

text: Guests

text: who

text: have

text: inadvertently

text: left

text: their

text: guitar

text: at

text: home

text: can

text: hire

text: one

text: from

text: reception

text: The

text: rock

text: star

text: concept

text: extends

text: to

text: the

text: room

text: decor

text: The

text: silver

text: wallpaper

text: and

text: mirrored

text: columns

text: may

text: appear

text: garish

text: in

text: daylight

text: but

text: at

text: a.m.

text: one

text: suspects

text: they

text: add

text: a

text: touch

text: of

text: glamour

text: Free

text: standing

text: baths

text: are

text: a

text: bold

text: leap

text: from

text: the

text: bed

text: and

text: the

text: mini

text: bar

text: is

text: well

text: stocked

text: with

text: champagne

text: Rod

text: Smallwood

text: is

text: confident

text: the

text: concept

text: will

text: work

text: Recession

text: or

text: no

text: recession

text: we

text: 're

text: talking

text: about

text: rooms

text: in

text: a

text: huge

text: major

text: city

text: If

text: we

text: ca

text: n't

text: sell

text: rooms

text: in

text: the

text: depths

text: of

text: recession

text: it

text: means

text: we

text: 're

text: useless

text: and

text: we

text: know

text: we

text: 're

text: not

text: Mark

text: Fuller

text: says

text: he

text: 's

text: selling

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: hotel

text: room

text: In

text: times

text: of

text: economic

text: crisis

text: the

text: Sanctum

text: Soho

text: offers

text: the

text: chance

text: to

text: forget

text: the

text: mortgage

text: and

text: live

text: like

text: a

text: rock

text: star

text: if

text: only

text: for

text: a

text: day

text: You

text: can

text: sit

text: in

text: the

text: restaurant

text: and

text: have

text: a

text: hamburger

text: for

text: seven

text: pounds

text: he

text: says

text: The

text: drinks

text: are

text: cheaper

text: than

text: most

text: hotels

text: and

text: probably

text: cheaper

text: than

text: most

text: nightclubs

text: The

text: room

text: accommodation

text: runs

text: everywhere

text: from

text: straight

text: up

text: to

text: Take

text: your

text: pick

text: Cut

text: your

text: coat

text: I

text: mishear

text: him

text: Cut

text: your

text: coke

text: I

text: ask

text: No

text: you

text: ca

text: n't

text: do

text: that

text: he

text: exclaims

text: Musicians

text: are

text: not

text: like

text: that

text: anymore

text: Fuller

text: says

text: The

text: music

text: industry

text: is

text: such

text: now

text: that

text: people

text: release

text: CDs

text: to

text: support

text: tours

text: not

text: the

text: other

text: way

text: around

text: so

text: this

text: is

text: a

text: professional

text: state

text: I

text: just

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: hotel

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: tour

text: then

text: I

text: 'm

text: in

text: danger

text: he

text: laughs

question: What is the name of the rock'n'roll hotel?

answer: Sanctum Soho

text: Sanctum Soho

question: Which stars are among the backers?

answer: The partners in his new hotel venture ooze rock credential: Iron Maiden co-managers Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor.

text: The partners in his new hotel venture ooze rock credential: Iron Maiden co-managers Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor.

question: What is the colour of the sparkling wallpaper in some rooms?

answer: silver

text: silver

question: Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor are co-managers of which rock band?

answer: Iron Maiden.

text: Iron Maiden.

question: Where is the rock'n'roll hotel?

answer: London.

text: London.


text:
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A trendy California sushi restaurant charged by federal authorities with serving whale meat offered an apology Monday, saying it "ignored its responsibilities" to endangered species.

Prosecutors charged Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of Santa Monica's The Hump, and chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, with the illegal sale of a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.

Although it is considered a delicacy in Japan and some other countries, meat from whales -- an endangered species -- cannot be sold legally in the United States.

"We write to address the misdemeanor charge recently filed by the U.S. attorney," the restaurant said in a statement posted on its Web site.

"The charge against the restaurant is true: The Hump served whale meat to customers looking to eat what in Japan is widely served as a delicacy," the statement continued. "In serving this meat, The Hump ignored its responsibilities to help save endangered whales from extinction and failed to support the world community in its uphill fight to protect all endangered species."

The restaurant pledged to set up procedures to ensure that it complies with laws and "becomes a good corporate citizen."

"We sincerely apologize. We pledge to work hard to re-earn the trust of the public and respect of our customers."

The misdemeanor charge carries a federal prison sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to $200,000 for the company, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.

The law firm for the restaurant and its parent company deferred questions to The Hump's Web site. However, Typhoon attorney Gary Lincenberg has said the restaurant accepts responsibility for serving whale and will agree to pay a fine, CNN affiliate KTLA reported.

The investigation into the restaurant began in October, when two members of the team that made the documentary "The Cove" visited The Hump, officials said.

"The Cove," which exposes the annual killing of dolphins at a Japanese fishing village, won the Academy Award for best documentary this month.

The restaurant, located at the Santa Monica Airport, is known for its exotic fare. Its Web site asks diners to surrender themselves to its chefs for "a culinary adventure ... unlike any that you have previously experienced."

Crowd marches outside restaurant

Armed with a hidden camera, the two women captured the waitress serving them whale and horse meat and identifying them as such, a federal criminal complaint said. A receipt from the restaurant at the end of the meal identified their selection as "whale" and "horse" with the cost -- $85 -- written next to them.

The women snuck pieces of the meat into a napkin and later sent them for examination to a researcher at Oregon State University. He identified the whale sample to be that of sei whale, prosecutors said.

The sei is found throughout the world's oceans. Whalers began to hunt them after the populations of right, humpback, blue and fin whales declined due to overfishing. It is now considered an endangered species.

In February and March, the activists returned and again asked for -- and were served -- whale meat, the criminal complaint said.

A DNA test of the meat smuggled out after the February visit confirmed it to be meat from the sei whale, Mrozek said.

During a final visit in March, officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observed the activists asking for "kujira," or whale meat.

One of the officers then saw the sushi chef leave the restaurant and return with a wrapped package that he seemed to have retrieved from a parked Mercedes, the complaint said.

The chef told a customer it was whale meat, the document said. Next, officials raided the restaurant, and chef Yamamoto admitted that he had served whale meat, the complaint said.

"Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species," U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. said.

Conservation agencies are engaged in an ongoing feud with Japan over whaling.

In the early 1980s, the International Whaling Commission determined that there should be a moratorium on commercial whale hunting. However, whaling is allowed under international law when done for scientific reasons, which Japan cites as the legal basis for its hunts.

The country's annual hunt kills up to 1,000 whales. Many in the international community believe that such hunts amount to needless slaughter.

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: California

text: CNN

text: A

text: trendy

text: California

text: sushi

text: restaurant

text: charged

text: by

text: federal

text: authorities

text: with

text: serving

text: whale

text: meat

text: offered

text: an

text: apology

text: Monday

text: saying

text: it

text: ignored

text: its

text: responsibilities

text: to

text: endangered

text: species

text: Prosecutors

text: charged

text: Typhoon

text: Restaurant

text: Inc.

text: the

text: parent

text: company

text: of

text: Santa

text: Monica

text: 's

text: The

text: Hump

text: and

text: chef

text: Kiyoshiro

text: Yamamoto

text: with

text: the

text: illegal

text: sale

text: of

text: a

text: marine

text: mammal

text: product

text: for

text: an

text: unauthorized

text: purpose

text: Although

text: it

text: is

text: considered

text: a

text: delicacy

text: in

text: Japan

text: and

text: some

text: other

text: countries

text: meat

text: from

text: whales

text: an

text: endangered

text: species

text: can

text: not

text: be

text: sold

text: legally

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: We

text: write

text: to

text: address

text: the

text: misdemeanor

text: charge

text: recently

text: filed

text: by

text: the

text: U.S.

text: attorney

text: the

text: restaurant

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: posted

text: on

text: its

text: Web

text: site

text: The

text: charge

text: against

text: the

text: restaurant

text: is

text: true

text: The

text: Hump

text: served

text: whale

text: meat

text: to

text: customers

text: looking

text: to

text: eat

text: what

text: in

text: Japan

text: is

text: widely

text: served

text: as

text: a

text: delicacy

text: the

text: statement

text: continued

text: In

text: serving

text: this

text: meat

text: The

text: Hump

text: ignored

text: its

text: responsibilities

text: to

text: help

text: save

text: endangered

text: whales

text: from

text: extinction

text: and

text: failed

text: to

text: support

text: the

text: world

text: community

text: in

text: its

text: uphill

text: fight

text: to

text: protect

text: all

text: endangered

text: species

text: The

text: restaurant

text: pledged

text: to

text: set

text: up

text: procedures

text: to

text: ensure

text: that

text: it

text: complies

text: with

text: laws

text: and

text: becomes

text: a

text: good

text: corporate

text: citizen

text: We

text: sincerely

text: apologize

text: We

text: pledge

text: to

text: work

text: hard

text: to

text: re

text: earn

text: the

text: trust

text: of

text: the

text: public

text: and

text: respect

text: of

text: our

text: customers

text: The

text: misdemeanor

text: charge

text: carries

text: a

text: federal

text: prison

text: sentence

text: of

text: up

text: to

text: a

text: year

text: and

text: a

text: fine

text: of

text: up

text: to

text: for

text: the

text: company

text: said

text: Thom

text: Mrozek

text: spokesman

text: for

text: the

text: U.S.

text: attorney

text: 's

text: office

text: The

text: law

text: firm

text: for

text: the

text: restaurant

text: and

text: its

text: parent

text: company

text: deferred

text: questions

text: to

text: The

text: Hump

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: However

text: Typhoon

text: attorney

text: Gary

text: Lincenberg

text: has

text: said

text: the

text: restaurant

text: accepts

text: responsibility

text: for

text: serving

text: whale

text: and

text: will

text: agree

text: to

text: pay

text: a

text: fine

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: KTLA

text: reported

text: The

text: investigation

text: into

text: the

text: restaurant

text: began

text: in

text: October

text: when

text: two

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: team

text: that

text: made

text: the

text: documentary

text: The

text: Cove

text: visited

text: The

text: Hump

text: officials

text: said

text: The

text: Cove

text: which

text: exposes

text: the

text: annual

text: killing

text: of

text: dolphins

text: at

text: a

text: Japanese

text: fishing

text: village

text: won

text: the

text: Academy

text: Award

text: for

text: best

text: documentary

text: this

text: month

text: The

text: restaurant

text: located

text: at

text: the

text: Santa

text: Monica

text: Airport

text: is

text: known

text: for

text: its

text: exotic

text: fare

text: Its

text: Web

text: site

text: asks

text: diners

text: to

text: surrender

text: themselves

text: to

text: its

text: chefs

text: for

text: a

text: culinary

text: adventure

text: unlike

text: any

text: that

text: you

text: have

text: previously

text: experienced

text: Crowd

text: marches

text: outside

text: restaurant

text: Armed

text: with

text: a

text: hidden

text: camera

text: the

text: two

text: women

text: captured

text: the

text: waitress

text: serving

text: them

text: whale

text: and

text: horse

text: meat

text: and

text: identifying

text: them

text: as

text: such

text: a

text: federal

text: criminal

text: complaint

text: said

text: A

text: receipt

text: from

text: the

text: restaurant

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: meal

text: identified

text: their

text: selection

text: as

text: whale

text: and

text: horse

text: with

text: the

text: cost

text: written

text: next

text: to

text: them

text: The

text: women

text: snuck

text: pieces

text: of

text: the

text: meat

text: into

text: a

text: napkin

text: and

text: later

text: sent

text: them

text: for

text: examination

text: to

text: a

text: researcher

text: at

text: Oregon

text: State

text: University

text: He

text: identified

text: the

text: whale

text: sample

text: to

text: be

text: that

text: of

text: sei

text: whale

text: prosecutors

text: said

text: The

text: sei

text: is

text: found

text: throughout

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: oceans

text: Whalers

text: began

text: to

text: hunt

text: them

text: after

text: the

text: populations

text: of

text: right

text: humpback

text: blue

text: and

text: fin

text: whales

text: declined

text: due

text: to

text: overfishing

text: It

text: is

text: now

text: considered

text: an

text: endangered

text: species

text: In

text: February

text: and

text: March

text: the

text: activists

text: returned

text: and

text: again

text: asked

text: for

text: and

text: were

text: served

text: whale

text: meat

text: the

text: criminal

text: complaint

text: said

text: A

text: DNA

text: test

text: of

text: the

text: meat

text: smuggled

text: out

text: after

text: the

text: February

text: visit

text: confirmed

text: it

text: to

text: be

text: meat

text: from

text: the

text: sei

text: whale

text: Mrozek

text: said

text: During

text: a

text: final

text: visit

text: in

text: March

text: officials

text: with

text: U.S.

text: Customs

text: and

text: Border

text: Protection

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Fish

text: and

text: Wildlife

text: Service

text: and

text: the

text: National

text: Oceanic

text: and

text: Atmospheric

text: Administration

text: observed

text: the

text: activists

text: asking

text: for

text: kujira

text: or

text: whale

text: meat

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: officers

text: then

text: saw

text: the

text: sushi

text: chef

text: leave

text: the

text: restaurant

text: and

text: return

text: with

text: a

text: wrapped

text: package

text: that

text: he

text: seemed

text: to

text: have

text: retrieved

text: from

text: a

text: parked

text: Mercedes

text: the

text: complaint

text: said

text: The

text: chef

text: told

text: a

text: customer

text: it

text: was

text: whale

text: meat

text: the

text: document

text: said

text: Next

text: officials

text: raided

text: the

text: restaurant

text: and

text: chef

text: Yamamoto

text: admitted

text: that

text: he

text: had

text: served

text: whale

text: meat

text: the

text: complaint

text: said

text: Someone

text: should

text: not

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: walk

text: into

text: a

text: restaurant

text: and

text: order

text: a

text: plate

text: of

text: an

text: endangered

text: species

text: U.S.

text: Attorney

text: Andre

text: Birotte

text: Jr.

text: said

text: Conservation

text: agencies

text: are

text: engaged

text: in

text: an

text: ongoing

text: feud

text: with

text: Japan

text: over

text: whaling

text: In

text: the

text: early

text: the

text: International

text: Whaling

text: Commission

text: determined

text: that

text: there

text: should

text: be

text: a

text: moratorium

text: on

text: commercial

text: whale

text: hunting

text: However

text: whaling

text: is

text: allowed

text: under

text: international

text: law

text: when

text: done

text: for

text: scientific

text: reasons

text: which

text: Japan

text: cites

text: as

text: the

text: legal

text: basis

text: for

text: its

text: hunts

text: The

text: country

text: 's

text: annual

text: hunt

text: kills

text: up

text: to

text: whales

text: Many

text: in

text: the

text: international

text: community

text: believe

text: that

text: such

text: hunts

text: amount

text: to

text: needless

text: slaughter

question: where is the hump?

answer: Santa Monica's

text: Santa Monica's

question: What type of meat is considered a delicacy in Japan?

answer: whale

text: whale

question: What did the chef do illegally?

answer: sale of a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.

text: sale of a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.

question: what is considered a delicacy in japan?

answer: meat from whales

text: meat from whales

question: what did the chef illegally sell?

answer: whale meat

text: whale meat

question: What did Hump sushi do?

answer: "ignored its responsibilities" to endangered species.

text: "ignored its responsibilities" to endangered species.

question: What is considered as a delicacy in Japan?

answer: whale meat

text: whale meat


text:
(CNN) -- The Indian city of Mumbai exploded into chaos early Thursday morning as gunmen launched a series of attacks across the country's commercial capital, killing scores of people and taking hostages in two luxury hotels frequented by Westerners.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour says India and Pakistan might be warming toward each other.

Chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour spoke about the situation.

CNN: An attack this large, this sophisticated, and carried out with no warning could have come from inside India, maybe, maybe outside, maybe a neighboring state could be involved. We turn to Christiane Amanpour. What do you hear?

Christiane Amanpour: Well, Tom, Islamic militants have been stepping up their assaults on Mumbai, which is not just the center of its filmmaking, but the economic and financial hub of India.

They have often blamed terror attacks on Islamic militants based in Pakistan. Some, they say, are concerned about, for instance, Indian rule over Kashmir. Al Qaeda also has threatened to attack India in revenge for its policies.

Very, very interestingly, this comes at a time when the new president of Pakistan has, in fact, gone further than any previous Pakistani leader in saying they want to improve relations with India, in saying they want to jointly combat terrorism together. The Pakistani president even went so far as saying he would consider renouncing a nuclear strike on India.

This is a very confused situation. Although some group has claimed responsibility, nobody knows the motive yet.

...

CNN: Talk to me about why it would be in the interest of these people to sever this tie between Pakistan and India. Do they believe India would join in the effort to squeeze them out?

Amanpour: This is the ongoing situation. Certainly, Kashmir is a flashpoint for India and Pakistan, and really back in 2006, there were Islamic militants blamed for recent attacks. About 180 people were killed there.

The one that came closest to pitting India against Pakistan was in 2001, when Islamic militants attacked the Parliament. Only 12 people were killed, but not compared to what's happened now, and that almost led to a war between India and Pakistan.

Whatever happens in this region is so, so difficult and dangerous because of the flash point it centers on. As I say, though it has come at a time right in the aftermath of the warmest outreach by Pakistan to India in decades.

...

CNN: What is, in all of this world picture, Christiane, what is the significance of this?

Amanpour: Well, this is deeply significant, obviously, because it is such a complex and coordinated attack on multitudinous targets, multitudinous locations. Obviously, a large number of militants or terrorists who have taken part in this, and they have engaged the Indian forces, the police and security forces. It's not like they just put bombs somewhere and allowed them to go off, and either they were suicide attackers who got killed or they were able to remotely detonate their bombs.

What they've done is not just attack, take hostages, but engage also with the security forces.

So this really ratchets it up a very significant level. And it's been coming for about 20 years, these attacks. Small in the last couple of decades, but in the last 10 years or so, particularly since 9/11, there have been a number of very significant attacks blamed by the Indian forces on Islamic militants.

...

This is very, very dangerous in this part of the world. Mumbai is India's not just gateway to the nation; it's its economic and financial hub, and it's its cultural hub as well, having the Bollywood and the other film production studios there.

Nobody quite knows who it is and why they have done it. This is the thing that is very difficult and dangerous at the moment. This little-known group, if it's true that they exist, have claimed responsibility, although that has not been confirmed, so-called Deccan Mujahedeen, and what is the motive?

There has obviously for many, many years been a type of feelings by India that, say, 150 or so million Muslims who are in the minority are feeling sort of hard done by in terms of the Hindu majority. There are also complaints by Indian Muslims about the way Kashmir is progressing, that enclave, and that is a huge, huge flashpoint.

But what's really amazing is that often, it's blamed on tensions with Pakistan. And yet, this comes at a time where the president of Pakistan has -- the new president -- has really made an unprecedented overture to India in terms of trying to warm up relations, trying to secure a lasting peace. And just today, Indian and Pakistani officials were having meetings, and they ended it with a joint declaration that they wanted to cooperate on ending terrorism and combating terrorism.

CNN: Christiane, do you see any connection with the recent American elections and this?

Amanpour: Well, it's hard to tell. People would say that it takes a lot longer than a few weeks to plan something like this. It's difficult to tell. I'm sure there will be a huge amount of analysis in the upcoming days and weeks.

What is going to be vital is whatever information the Indian security forces can get from some of these terrorists, militants, who've apparently some may have been captured alive. Obviously, there apparently have been some who have been killed as well. All of this will provide some of those missing pieces of the puzzle. Who are these people? What is their motive?

Just today, there is an interview with the U.S. Marine Corps commandant as basically saying that al Qaeda's focus now is Pakistan. There had been some thought that maybe al Qaeda was in the past trying to launch its attacks also in India, but the Indian secret services and the security services say that they don't have a presence there. But Pakistan is a very, very big worry. It's a failing state. Afghanistan is practically a failed state right now, even after the U.S. in 2001 sent al Qaeda and the Taliban packing.

There's a very difficult and dangerous situation on this subcontinent that really has been the focus of a lot of attention right now, and indeed, the incoming president has said that he wants to step up the number of U.S. forces. U.S. commanders want more forces in that region as well, not just Afghanistan, but to cope with Pakistan as well.

CNN: As you said, there have been a lot of incidents since the year 2000 in India. Why is this one getting so much particular attention? There was one with over 200 deaths.

Amanpour: Well, about 180 in 2006. But those were sort of multiple bombings in trains and railway stations. But this is one night with, so far, according to our sources, at least 87 people killed, and it's a brazen attack on the most visible elements and symbols and structures of the economic, the cultural, the tourist, the international hub, as I said, the gateway to India -- which is the world's largest democracy -- which is not a failed state by any stretch of the imagination. Which has a unified political structure, which has an army and security forces. India is not Pakistan or Afghanistan, and yet this has been able to happen here.

And why is it getting so much attention? Because so many more people than ever before have been killed in one fell swoop, and it's ongoing, and these people launched pitched battles with the security forces, and they still have hostages, and it appears they deliberately targeted Westerners.

text: CNN

text: The

text: Indian

text: city

text: of

text: Mumbai

text: exploded

text: into

text: chaos

text: early

text: Thursday

text: morning

text: as

text: gunmen

text: launched

text: a

text: series

text: of

text: attacks

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: commercial

text: capital

text: killing

text: scores

text: of

text: people

text: and

text: taking

text: hostages

text: in

text: two

text: luxury

text: hotels

text: frequented

text: by

text: Westerners

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Christiane

text: Amanpour

text: says

text: India

text: and

text: Pakistan

text: might

text: be

text: warming

text: toward

text: each

text: other

text: Chief

text: international

text: correspondent

text: Christiane

text: Amanpour

text: spoke

text: about

text: the

text: situation

text: CNN

text: An

text: attack

text: this

text: large

text: this

text: sophisticated

text: and

text: carried

text: out

text: with

text: no

text: warning

text: could

text: have

text: come

text: from

text: inside

text: India

text: maybe

text: maybe

text: outside

text: maybe

text: a

text: neighboring

text: state

text: could

text: be

text: involved

text: We

text: turn

text: to

text: Christiane

text: Amanpour

text: What

text: do

text: you

text: hear

text: Christiane

text: Amanpour

text: Well

text: Tom

text: Islamic

text: militants

text: have

text: been

text: stepping

text: up

text: their

text: assaults

text: on

text: Mumbai

text: which

text: is

text: not

text: just

text: the

text: center

text: of

text: its

text: filmmaking

text: but

text: the

text: economic

text: and

text: financial

text: hub

text: of

text: India

text: They

text: have

text: often

text: blamed

text: terror

text: attacks

text: on

text: Islamic

text: militants

text: based

text: in

text: Pakistan

text: Some

text: they

text: say

text: are

text: concerned

text: about

text: for

text: instance

text: Indian

text: rule

text: over

text: Kashmir

text: Al

text: Qaeda

text: also

text: has

text: threatened

text: to

text: attack

text: India

text: in

text: revenge

text: for

text: its

text: policies

text: Very

text: very

text: interestingly

text: this

text: comes

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: when

text: the

text: new

text: president

text: of

text: Pakistan

text: has

text: in

text: fact

text: gone

text: further

text: than

text: any

text: previous

text: Pakistani

text: leader

text: in

text: saying

text: they

text: want

text: to

text: improve

text: relations

text: with

text: India

text: in

text: saying

text: they

text: want

text: to

text: jointly

text: combat

text: terrorism

text: together

text: The

text: Pakistani

text: president

text: even

text: went

text: so

text: far

text: as

text: saying

text: he

text: would

text: consider

text: renouncing

text: a

text: nuclear

text: strike

text: on

text: India

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: very

text: confused

text: situation

text: Although

text: some

text: group

text: has

text: claimed

text: responsibility

text: nobody

text: knows

text: the

text: motive

text: yet

text: CNN

text: Talk

text: to

text: me

text: about

text: why

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: in

text: the

text: interest

text: of

text: these

text: people

text: to

text: sever

text: this

text: tie

text: between

text: Pakistan

text: and

text: India

text: Do

text: they

text: believe

text: India

text: would

text: join

text: in

text: the

text: effort

text: to

text: squeeze

text: them

text: out

text: Amanpour

text: This

text: is

text: the

text: ongoing

text: situation

text: Certainly

text: Kashmir

text: is

text: a

text: flashpoint

text: for

text: India

text: and

text: Pakistan

text: and

text: really

text: back

text: in

text: there

text: were

text: Islamic

text: militants

text: blamed

text: for

text: recent

text: attacks

text: About

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: there

text: The

text: one

text: that

text: came

text: closest

text: to

text: pitting

text: India

text: against

text: Pakistan

text: was

text: in

text: when

text: Islamic

text: militants

text: attacked

text: the

text: Parliament

text: Only

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: but

text: not

text: compared

text: to

text: what

text: 's

text: happened

text: now

text: and

text: that

text: almost

text: led

text: to

text: a

text: war

text: between

text: India

text: and

text: Pakistan

text: Whatever

text: happens

text: in

text: this

text: region

text: is

text: so

text: so

text: difficult

text: and

text: dangerous

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: flash

text: point

text: it

text: centers

text: on

text: As

text: I

text: say

text: though

text: it

text: has

text: come

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: right

text: in

text: the

text: aftermath

text: of

text: the

text: warmest

text: outreach

text: by

text: Pakistan

text: to

text: India

text: in

text: decades

text: CNN

text: What

text: is

text: in

text: all

text: of

text: this

text: world

text: picture

text: Christiane

text: what

text: is

text: the

text: significance

text: of

text: this

text: Amanpour

text: Well

text: this

text: is

text: deeply

text: significant

text: obviously

text: because

text: it

text: is

text: such

text: a

text: complex

text: and

text: coordinated

text: attack

text: on

text: multitudinous

text: targets

text: multitudinous

text: locations

text: Obviously

text: a

text: large

text: number

text: of

text: militants

text: or

text: terrorists

text: who

text: have

text: taken

text: part

text: in

text: this

text: and

text: they

text: have

text: engaged

text: the

text: Indian

text: forces

text: the

text: police

text: and

text: security

text: forces

text: It

text: 's

text: not

text: like

text: they

text: just

text: put

text: bombs

text: somewhere

text: and

text: allowed

text: them

text: to

text: go

text: off

text: and

text: either

text: they

text: were

text: suicide

text: attackers

text: who

text: got

text: killed

text: or

text: they

text: were

text: able

text: to

text: remotely

text: detonate

text: their

text: bombs

text: What

text: they

text: 've

text: done

text: is

text: not

text: just

text: attack

text: take

text: hostages

text: but

text: engage

text: also

text: with

text: the

text: security

text: forces

text: So

text: this

text: really

text: ratchets

text: it

text: up

text: a

text: very

text: significant

text: level

text: And

text: it

text: 's

text: been

text: coming

text: for

text: about

text: years

text: these

text: attacks

text: Small

text: in

text: the

text: last

text: couple

text: of

text: decades

text: but

text: in

text: the

text: last

text: years

text: or

text: so

text: particularly

text: since

text: there

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: very

text: significant

text: attacks

text: blamed

text: by

text: the

text: Indian

text: forces

text: on

text: Islamic

text: militants

text: This

text: is

text: very

text: very

text: dangerous

text: in

text: this

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: Mumbai

text: is

text: India

text: 's

text: not

text: just

text: gateway

text: to

text: the

text: nation

text: it

text: 's

text: its

text: economic

text: and

text: financial

text: hub

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: its

text: cultural

text: hub

text: as

text: well

text: having

text: the

text: Bollywood

text: and

text: the

text: other

text: film

text: production

text: studios

text: there

text: Nobody

text: quite

text: knows

text: who

text: it

text: is

text: and

text: why

text: they

text: have

text: done

text: it

text: This

text: is

text: the

text: thing

text: that

text: is

text: very

text: difficult

text: and

text: dangerous

text: at

text: the

text: moment

text: This

text: little

text: known

text: group

text: if

text: it

text: 's

text: true

text: that

text: they

text: exist

text: have

text: claimed

text: responsibility

text: although

text: that

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: confirmed

text: so

text: called

text: Deccan

text: Mujahedeen

text: and

text: what

text: is

text: the

text: motive

text: There

text: has

text: obviously

text: for

text: many

text: many

text: years

text: been

text: a

text: type

text: of

text: feelings

text: by

text: India

text: that

text: say

text: or

text: so

text: million

text: Muslims

text: who

text: are

text: in

text: the

text: minority

text: are

text: feeling

text: sort

text: of

text: hard

text: done

text: by

text: in

text: terms

text: of

text: the

text: Hindu

text: majority

text: There

text: are

text: also

text: complaints

text: by

text: Indian

text: Muslims

text: about

text: the

text: way

text: Kashmir

text: is

text: progressing

text: that

text: enclave

text: and

text: that

text: is

text: a

text: huge

text: huge

text: flashpoint

text: But

text: what

text: 's

text: really

text: amazing

text: is

text: that

text: often

text: it

text: 's

text: blamed

text: on

text: tensions

text: with

text: Pakistan

text: And

text: yet

text: this

text: comes

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: where

text: the

text: president

text: of

text: Pakistan

text: has

text: the

text: new

text: president

text: has

text: really

text: made

text: an

text: unprecedented

text: overture

text: to

text: India

text: in

text: terms

text: of

text: trying

text: to

text: warm

text: up

text: relations

text: trying

text: to

text: secure

text: a

text: lasting

text: peace

text: And

text: just

text: today

text: Indian

text: and

text: Pakistani

text: officials

text: were

text: having

text: meetings

text: and

text: they

text: ended

text: it

text: with

text: a

text: joint

text: declaration

text: that

text: they

text: wanted

text: to

text: cooperate

text: on

text: ending

text: terrorism

text: and

text: combating

text: terrorism

text: CNN

text: Christiane

text: do

text: you

text: see

text: any

text: connection

text: with

text: the

text: recent

text: American

text: elections

text: and

text: this

text: Amanpour

text: Well

text: it

text: 's

text: hard

text: to

text: tell

text: People

text: would

text: say

text: that

text: it

text: takes

text: a

text: lot

text: longer

text: than

text: a

text: few

text: weeks

text: to

text: plan

text: something

text: like

text: this

text: It

text: 's

text: difficult

text: to

text: tell

text: I

text: 'm

text: sure

text: there

text: will

text: be

text: a

text: huge

text: amount

text: of

text: analysis

text: in

text: the

text: upcoming

text: days

text: and

text: weeks

text: What

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: vital

text: is

text: whatever

text: information

text: the

text: Indian

text: security

text: forces

text: can

text: get

text: from

text: some

text: of

text: these

text: terrorists

text: militants

text: who

text: 've

text: apparently

text: some

text: may

text: have

text: been

text: captured

text: alive

text: Obviously

text: there

text: apparently

text: have

text: been

text: some

text: who

text: have

text: been

text: killed

text: as

text: well

text: All

text: of

text: this

text: will

text: provide

text: some

text: of

text: those

text: missing

text: pieces

text: of

text: the

text: puzzle

text: Who

text: are

text: these

text: people

text: What

text: is

text: their

text: motive

text: Just

text: today

text: there

text: is

text: an

text: interview

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Marine

text: Corps

text: commandant

text: as

text: basically

text: saying

text: that

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: 's

text: focus

text: now

text: is

text: Pakistan

text: There

text: had

text: been

text: some

text: thought

text: that

text: maybe

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: was

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: trying

text: to

text: launch

text: its

text: attacks

text: also

text: in

text: India

text: but

text: the

text: Indian

text: secret

text: services

text: and

text: the

text: security

text: services

text: say

text: that

text: they

text: do

text: n't

text: have

text: a

text: presence

text: there

text: But

text: Pakistan

text: is

text: a

text: very

text: very

text: big

text: worry

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: failing

text: state

text: Afghanistan

text: is

text: practically

text: a

text: failed

text: state

text: right

text: now

text: even

text: after

text: the

text: U.S.

text: in

text: sent

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: and

text: the

text: Taliban

text: packing

text: There

text: 's

text: a

text: very

text: difficult

text: and

text: dangerous

text: situation

text: on

text: this

text: subcontinent

text: that

text: really

text: has

text: been

text: the

text: focus

text: of

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: attention

text: right

text: now

text: and

text: indeed

text: the

text: incoming

text: president

text: has

text: said

text: that

text: he

text: wants

text: to

text: step

text: up

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: U.S.

text: forces

text: U.S.

text: commanders

text: want

text: more

text: forces

text: in

text: that

text: region

text: as

text: well

text: not

text: just

text: Afghanistan

text: but

text: to

text: cope

text: with

text: Pakistan

text: as

text: well

text: CNN

text: As

text: you

text: said

text: there

text: have

text: been

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: incidents

text: since

text: the

text: year

text: in

text: India

text: Why

text: is

text: this

text: one

text: getting

text: so

text: much

text: particular

text: attention

text: There

text: was

text: one

text: with

text: over

text: deaths

text: Amanpour

text: Well

text: about

text: in

text: But

text: those

text: were

text: sort

text: of

text: multiple

text: bombings

text: in

text: trains

text: and

text: railway

text: stations

text: But

text: this

text: is

text: one

text: night

text: with

text: so

text: far

text: according

text: to

text: our

text: sources

text: at

text: least

text: people

text: killed

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: a

text: brazen

text: attack

text: on

text: the

text: most

text: visible

text: elements

text: and

text: symbols

text: and

text: structures

text: of

text: the

text: economic

text: the

text: cultural

text: the

text: tourist

text: the

text: international

text: hub

text: as

text: I

text: said

text: the

text: gateway

text: to

text: India

text: which

text: is

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: largest

text: democracy

text: which

text: is

text: not

text: a

text: failed

text: state

text: by

text: any

text: stretch

text: of

text: the

text: imagination

text: Which

text: has

text: a

text: unified

text: political

text: structure

text: which

text: has

text: an

text: army

text: and

text: security

text: forces

text: India

text: is

text: not

text: Pakistan

text: or

text: Afghanistan

text: and

text: yet

text: this

text: has

text: been

text: able

text: to

text: happen

text: here

text: And

text: why

text: is

text: it

text: getting

text: so

text: much

text: attention

text: Because

text: so

text: many

text: more

text: people

text: than

text: ever

text: before

text: have

text: been

text: killed

text: in

text: one

text: fell

text: swoop

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: ongoing

text: and

text: these

text: people

text: launched

text: pitched

text: battles

text: with

text: the

text: security

text: forces

text: and

text: they

text: still

text: have

text: hostages

text: and

text: it

text: appears

text: they

text: deliberately

text: targeted

text: Westerners

question: What may the nations join to fight?

answer: terrorism

text: terrorism

question: What country has the Pakistani leader reached out to?

answer: India,

text: India,

question: What place is a flashpoint?

answer: Kashmir

text: Kashmir

question: What region has been the flashpoint?

answer: Kashmir

text: Kashmir

question: Which region has been a flahpoint between Pakistan and India?

answer: Kashmir

text: Kashmir

question: Who commented about nations fighting terrorism jointly?

answer: new president of Pakistan

text: new president of Pakistan

question: Who has gone far in reaching out to India?

answer: the new president of Pakistan

text: the new president of Pakistan

question: What will the nations join together to fight?

answer: terrorism

text: terrorism


text:
(CNN) -- The backdrop to countless movies and television shows, Los Angeles has been reproduced on film more times than any other city on the planet.

The L.A. metropolis spreads over nearly 500 square miles.

But just like the movie sets that went up in flames last year at Universal Studios, the Tinseltown glamour is often no more than a flimsy facade.

Behind the myth of Hollywood lies a swirling melting pot of a place where nearly half of people speak Spanish and where, for every rising star, there's at least a hundred wannabes waiting tables or entertaining tourists on Venice Beach.

At once a Lalaland filled with dreamers, Los Angeles has also been scene to some of the worst race riots in American history: a paradoxical place that spawned both Charlie Chaplin and Gangsta Rap.

These days, aside from the smog -- an ever present in a city plagued with so many cars and so little rainfall -- the atmosphere is less toxic than two decades ago when the city was awash with crack cocaine and guns.  Watch Wolfgang Puck take CNN on a tour of L.A. Â»

Schemes to gentrify the downtown and other areas, such as the construction of the Hollywood and Highland complex that includes the Kodak Theater -- home to the Oscars since 2002 -- have gone some way to revitalizing the inner city.

In any case, in a city with an estimated population of 3.8 million sprawling over a metropolis nearly 500 square miles in size, it's easy to avoid the sharper edges if you want to.

Not that that's so surprising. After all, where better to detune from reality than in a town whose success is entirely founded on our appetite for escapism.

And from its world class art galleries to the unashamed schmaltz of Disneyland and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it offers escapism for all tastes.

The Los Angeles story started in the late nineteenth century when Midwesterners attracted by the promise of a warm, dry climate followed the railroad west.

The boom times risked coming to a premature halt at the turn of the century due to water shortages, but the smart engineering and dark maneuverings of the city water department (maneuverings that helped inspire the classic film noir, Chinatown) resulted in the construction of water aqueducts that ensured the city's continued growth. See pictures of Wolfgang Puck's Los Angeles

In the end though, light was the natural resource that mattered most. From the 1920s onwards, the motion picture industry grew into a worldwide phenomenon thanks to the abundance of clear, blue skies to help light the movie moguls sets.

By the time the Golden Age of Hollywood came to an end, the boom town had morphed into a sprawling urban center and the lure of the limelight had earned the city the tag it retains to this day, that of "entertainment capital of the world."

In the early nineties, the story lost its luster somewhat when years of marginalization suffered by African Americans found a rallying point in the Rodney King beating. Despite a video that appeared to show police violently attacking King, the accused officers were acquitted. The verdict led to rioting in which 53 people died and large areas went up in flames.

The city is certainly no angel, it's true. Even so, whether it's tattooed bodybuilders rollerblading Santa Monica Boulevard, a Marilyn Monroe look alike blowing kisses outside Grauman's Chinese Theater or a blood red sunset dropping into the Pacific, Los Angeles is a place with a rare ability to beguile and bemuse in equal measure.

text: CNN

text: The

text: backdrop

text: to

text: countless

text: movies

text: and

text: television

text: shows

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: has

text: been

text: reproduced

text: on

text: film

text: more

text: times

text: than

text: any

text: other

text: city

text: on

text: the

text: planet

text: The

text: L.A.

text: metropolis

text: spreads

text: over

text: nearly

text: square

text: miles

text: But

text: just

text: like

text: the

text: movie

text: sets

text: that

text: went

text: up

text: in

text: flames

text: last

text: year

text: at

text: Universal

text: Studios

text: the

text: Tinseltown

text: glamour

text: is

text: often

text: no

text: more

text: than

text: a

text: flimsy

text: facade

text: Behind

text: the

text: myth

text: of

text: Hollywood

text: lies

text: a

text: swirling

text: melting

text: pot

text: of

text: a

text: place

text: where

text: nearly

text: half

text: of

text: people

text: speak

text: Spanish

text: and

text: where

text: for

text: every

text: rising

text: star

text: there

text: 's

text: at

text: least

text: a

text: hundred

text: wannabes

text: waiting

text: tables

text: or

text: entertaining

text: tourists

text: on

text: Venice

text: Beach

text: At

text: once

text: a

text: Lalaland

text: filled

text: with

text: dreamers

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: has

text: also

text: been

text: scene

text: to

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: worst

text: race

text: riots

text: in

text: American

text: history

text: a

text: paradoxical

text: place

text: that

text: spawned

text: both

text: Charlie

text: Chaplin

text: and

text: Gangsta

text: Rap

text: These

text: days

text: aside

text: from

text: the

text: smog

text: an

text: ever

text: present

text: in

text: a

text: city

text: plagued

text: with

text: so

text: many

text: cars

text: and

text: so

text: little

text: rainfall

text: the

text: atmosphere

text: is

text: less

text: toxic

text: than

text: two

text: decades

text: ago

text: when

text: the

text: city

text: was

text: awash

text: with

text: crack

text: cocaine

text: and

text: guns

text: Watch

text: Wolfgang

text: Puck

text: take

text: CNN

text: on

text: a

text: tour

text: of

text: L.A.

text: Â

text: Schemes

text: to

text: gentrify

text: the

text: downtown

text: and

text: other

text: areas

text: such

text: as

text: the

text: construction

text: of

text: the

text: Hollywood

text: and

text: Highland

text: complex

text: that

text: includes

text: the

text: Kodak

text: Theater

text: home

text: to

text: the

text: Oscars

text: since

text: have

text: gone

text: some

text: way

text: to

text: revitalizing

text: the

text: inner

text: city

text: In

text: any

text: case

text: in

text: a

text: city

text: with

text: an

text: estimated

text: population

text: of

text: million

text: sprawling

text: over

text: a

text: metropolis

text: nearly

text: square

text: miles

text: in

text: size

text: it

text: 's

text: easy

text: to

text: avoid

text: the

text: sharper

text: edges

text: if

text: you

text: want

text: to

text: Not

text: that

text: that

text: 's

text: so

text: surprising

text: After

text: all

text: where

text: better

text: to

text: detune

text: from

text: reality

text: than

text: in

text: a

text: town

text: whose

text: success

text: is

text: entirely

text: founded

text: on

text: our

text: appetite

text: for

text: escapism

text: And

text: from

text: its

text: world

text: class

text: art

text: galleries

text: to

text: the

text: unashamed

text: schmaltz

text: of

text: Disneyland

text: and

text: the

text: Hollywood

text: Walk

text: of

text: Fame

text: it

text: offers

text: escapism

text: for

text: all

text: tastes

text: The

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: story

text: started

text: in

text: the

text: late

text: nineteenth

text: century

text: when

text: Midwesterners

text: attracted

text: by

text: the

text: promise

text: of

text: a

text: warm

text: dry

text: climate

text: followed

text: the

text: railroad

text: west

text: The

text: boom

text: times

text: risked

text: coming

text: to

text: a

text: premature

text: halt

text: at

text: the

text: turn

text: of

text: the

text: century

text: due

text: to

text: water

text: shortages

text: but

text: the

text: smart

text: engineering

text: and

text: dark

text: maneuverings

text: of

text: the

text: city

text: water

text: department

text: maneuverings

text: that

text: helped

text: inspire

text: the

text: classic

text: film

text: noir

text: Chinatown

text: resulted

text: in

text: the

text: construction

text: of

text: water

text: aqueducts

text: that

text: ensured

text: the

text: city

text: 's

text: continued

text: growth

text: See

text: pictures

text: of

text: Wolfgang

text: Puck

text: 's

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: In

text: the

text: end

text: though

text: light

text: was

text: the

text: natural

text: resource

text: that

text: mattered

text: most

text: From

text: the

text: onwards

text: the

text: motion

text: picture

text: industry

text: grew

text: into

text: a

text: worldwide

text: phenomenon

text: thanks

text: to

text: the

text: abundance

text: of

text: clear

text: blue

text: skies

text: to

text: help

text: light

text: the

text: movie

text: moguls

text: sets

text: By

text: the

text: time

text: the

text: Golden

text: Age

text: of

text: Hollywood

text: came

text: to

text: an

text: end

text: the

text: boom

text: town

text: had

text: morphed

text: into

text: a

text: sprawling

text: urban

text: center

text: and

text: the

text: lure

text: of

text: the

text: limelight

text: had

text: earned

text: the

text: city

text: the

text: tag

text: it

text: retains

text: to

text: this

text: day

text: that

text: of

text: entertainment

text: capital

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: In

text: the

text: early

text: nineties

text: the

text: story

text: lost

text: its

text: luster

text: somewhat

text: when

text: years

text: of

text: marginalization

text: suffered

text: by

text: African

text: Americans

text: found

text: a

text: rallying

text: point

text: in

text: the

text: Rodney

text: King

text: beating

text: Despite

text: a

text: video

text: that

text: appeared

text: to

text: show

text: police

text: violently

text: attacking

text: King

text: the

text: accused

text: officers

text: were

text: acquitted

text: The

text: verdict

text: led

text: to

text: rioting

text: in

text: which

text: people

text: died

text: and

text: large

text: areas

text: went

text: up

text: in

text: flames

text: The

text: city

text: is

text: certainly

text: no

text: angel

text: it

text: 's

text: true

text: Even

text: so

text: whether

text: it

text: 's

text: tattooed

text: bodybuilders

text: rollerblading

text: Santa

text: Monica

text: Boulevard

text: a

text: Marilyn

text: Monroe

text: look

text: alike

text: blowing

text: kisses

text: outside

text: Grauman

text: 's

text: Chinese

text: Theater

text: or

text: a

text: blood

text: red

text: sunset

text: dropping

text: into

text: the

text: Pacific

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: is

text: a

text: place

text: with

text: a

text: rare

text: ability

text: to

text: beguile

text: and

text: bemuse

text: in

text: equal

text: measure

question: Los Angeles has gotten how large since the railroad came west?

answer: population of 3.8 million sprawling over a metropolis nearly 500 square miles

text: population of 3.8 million sprawling over a metropolis nearly 500 square miles

question: What city is known as "the entertainment capital of the world?"

answer: Los Angeles

text: Los Angeles

question: Roughly how many people live in Los Angeles?

answer: 3.8 million

text: 3.8 million

question: What is the approximate population of LA?

answer: 3.8 million

text: 3.8 million

question: What is Los Angeles known as?

answer: "entertainment capital of the world."

text: "entertainment capital of the world."