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'Bloom County' makes return after 25 years

 
Islamabad, Pakistan An unorthodox cooldown A man cools himself off in hot weather, perched on a pipe at a dam on the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday. Many cities in Pakistan are suffering through heat wave conditions with temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations.
Islamabad, Pakistan An unorthodox cooldown A man cools himself off in hot weather, perched on a pipe at a dam on the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday. Many cities in Pakistan are suffering through heat wave conditions with temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations.
Published July 14, 2015

After 25 years, 'Bloom' is back

Opus the Penguin and his comic strip world of Bloom County, absent for a quarter-century, are back along with the ridiculous times that suit them, creator Berkeley Breathed said. The popular character from Bloom County made an unexpected appearance in a strip posted Monday on Facebook by Breathed. In it, Opus awakens after what he discovers was a 25-year nap. In an email to the Associated Press, Breathed said the time is right to revive Bloom County. "Bloom County operated on far less bile than people suspected, and far more whimsical effervescence. The last two decades were not the most conducive to stirring the latter," he said. "Ridiculousness has settled in again, so it feels safe for a gentle penguin in Jockey briefs applying bikini wax." A Facebook photo of Breathed shows him at his computer with the caption "A return after 25 years. Feels like going home." The whimsical strip, which viewed politics and culture through the lens of a small town in Middle America, began in 1980, appearing in newspapers daily. But in 1989, Breathed called a halt — until now. Breathed said the strip will be seen only on Facebook.

Trail runner says he set record

An ultramarathoner says he completed the Appalachian Trail in record time. Colorado resident Scott Jurek, 41, reached the summit of Mount Katahdin on Sunday afternoon to complete the 2,189-mile run from Georgia to Maine in 46 days, eight hours. That bests the previous record held by Jennifer Pharr Davis by three hours. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., said no organization tracks or verifies trail records and recordkeeping is on the "honor system." Jurek has won several elite ultramarathon races. He launched his run May 27 at Springer Mountain, Ga.

Prince flying Air ambulance

Britain's Prince William started a new job as an air ambulance pilot on Monday. He is flying with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, an emergency service based at Cambridge Airport. "First-day nerves," he said, chuckling, in a video distributed by Britain's Press Association. "Starting off on a wet Cambridge day, but very much looking forward to getting started."

Times wires