 'Wheel,' 'Jeopardy!' are bigger than TV
 Associated Press
You take trivia answers that call for rapid-fire questions. You take a jumbo roulette wheel and the letters of the alphabet. What you've got are “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” TV's reigning syndicated shows for a quarter-century.
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Kidman: 'Australia' film fulfilled childhood dream
SYDNEY, Australia, 5:47 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
It was hot and dusty during filming in one of the world's most remote locations. But Nicole Kidman says the prospect of a smooch with Hugh Jackman eased the troubles of working on the Outback romance, “Australia.”
“Obviously we're in character when we kiss, but it was good to go to work,” a laughing Kidman told a news conference Tuesday ahead of the worldwide premiere of the film, in which Kidman's prim British aristocrat character falls in love with Jackman's rugged cattleman in World War II-era Australia.
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Nov. 19 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Salt away?: To brine or not to brine: That is the vexing question that faces Thanksgiving Day cooks determined to turn out a moist, succulent roast turkey deserving of their guests' oohs and ahs.
It would seem a no-brainer to go the brining route, given its acclaim as a sure-fire way to impart moisture to cooked meat.
Nov. 19 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
First Bite: Tasting what's new in town :
My thick, juicy pork chop of uncertain provenance – the menu identified it as Duroc; the bill, Kurobuta – had a listed price of $30. Costly, but a delicious dining improvement over my companion's choice, a bland $12 Wagyu burger.
Nov. 19 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
For the record:
NEW YORK, 7:09 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)Playwright Horton Foote's daughter proves handy: Hallie Foote's personal life is hard to separate from her professional one. First, she's performing in a play written by her father, the legendary playwright Horton Foote. For another, she's acting alongside her husband. And, to top it off, all three live under the same roof. NEW YORK, 5:59 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
Report: McCready not proud of ties to Clemens: Country singer Mindy McCready claims she broke off her relationship with Roger Clemens when the former baseball star wouldn't marry her, according to an interview to be broadcast Monday by the syndicated show “Inside Edition.” NEW YORK, 5:57 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
Miley Cyrus the victim of Internet death hoax: No need to grieve, tweens: Miley Cyrus is not dead. The “Hannah Montana” star, who is alive and well, was the victim of an Internet hoax over the weekend when someone hacked into her YouTube account and posted a video alleging she'd been killed by a drunken driver. LOS ANGELES, 5:54 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
Prescription drugs cited in Locklear DUI charge: Prosecutors in Santa Barbara have charged Heather Locklear with misdemeanor driving under the influence, citing prescription drugs. SYDNEY, Australia, 5:47 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
Kidman: 'Australia' film fulfilled childhood dream: It was hot and dusty during filming in one of the world's most remote locations. But Nicole Kidman says the prospect of a smooch with Hugh Jackman eased the troubles of working on the Outback romance, “Australia.” NEW YORK, 3:30 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
New generation pays tribute to Leonard Bernstein: Leonard Bernstein was as much a teacher as a conductor and composer. Now, the post boomer generation – Bernstein's musical grandchildren – have taken the stage, and perhaps just in time for classical music. LOS ANGELES, 3:15 a.m. Nov. 18 (AP)
Fans flock to 'Twilight' premiere in Los Angeles: Hundreds of shrieking fans – mostly teenage girls – lined the streets outside the Mann Village and Bruin Theatres on Monday for a chance to peek at the stars attending the Los Angeles premiere of “Twilight.” Some enthusiasts of the popular vampire literary series-turned-movie camped out overnight, while many arrived at dawn to secure a place in line. NEW YORK, 9:29 p.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
'Borat' star crashes NBC drama 'Medium': Even a make-believe psychic couldn't spot the scam when an actor disrupted a scene for “Medium” involving Patricia Arquette, who stars as psychic Allison DuBois in the NBC drama. NEW YORK, 6:41 p.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
Perfume maker sues Prince over contract in NY: A perfume company is claiming Prince and his music publisher failed to honor a contract to help market a fragrance named for the album “3121.” Nov. 17 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Lithe spirits: Shoba Sharma aspires to disappear onstage. Sharma isn't a magician. Rather, she practices the Bharata Natyam style of Indian dance, in which the purpose is to become free of worldly burdens and transcend the self. Nov. 17 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Lee Grant's Outtakes: MAKING WHOOPI Whoopi Goldberg, the former San Diegan who washed dishes at Golden Hill's Big Kitchen and got her break at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, and now the calming influence on ABC's “The View” (10 a.m. daily), has been bouncing delightfully all over the tube. Nov. 17 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Open fire: Jack's back to warm you up for '24's'action: Over the summer, Kiefer Sutherland told a “24” fan in withdrawal, “Don't worry, we're going to make it up to you.” Nov. 17 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Annette - Disney's Miley 50 years ago: Fifty years ago, the heartthrob for many teenage boys was Annette Funicello, the No. 1 Mouseketeer on Walt Disney's TV series, “The Mickey Mouse Club.” With her dancing, singing and a downright nice personality, she stole the show. Nov. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Art work: Robin Clark holds a doctorate in art history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. But she seems almost destined to have become a curator rather than a full-time academic.
LOS ANGELES, 12:20 p.m. Nov. 16 (AP)
Bond finds 'Solace' in $70.4M box office debut: James Bond's quantum of the weekend box office: $70.4 million. “Quantum of Solace,” with Daniel Craig returning as Bond for the first direct sequel in the spy franchise, pulled in nearly $30 million more over opening weekend than its predecessor, 2006's “Casino Royale,” according to studio estimates Sunday.
LONDON, 8:34 a.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
Michael Jackson being sued in UK court: The son of an Arab monarch took the King of Pop to court Monday, charging that Michael Jackson took $7 million as an advance on an album and an autobiography that he never produced.
ROME, 7:42 a.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
Fellini sketches to be displayed in L.A.: Scores of sketches from Federico Fellini's personal journals will go on display in Los Angeles, including a caricature of Marcello Mastroianni and drawings that inspired movie characters.
LOS ANGELES, 7:15 a.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
Winslet, DiCaprio meet on new 'Road' to Oscars: The first time out, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio's romance went down with the ship. Now the “Titanic” stars reunite for another love affair, and this one's a train wreck.
NEW YORK, 5:30 a.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
Pop stars, fans say goodbye to MTV's 'TRL': Carson Daly chatted with Eminem, Beyonce gave a show-stopping performance, girls shrieked at the sight of Justin Timberlake and hundreds of fans lined up outside in Times Square for a glimpse at superstars.
LOS ANGELES, 12:30 a.m. Nov. 17 (AP)
'Twilight' time: Vamp tale seeks blockbuster bite: Girl-meets-boy stories are not the usual stuff of Hollywood blockbusters, even when it's girl-meets-vampire.
NEW YORK, 9:06 p.m. Nov. 16 (AP)
Obama interview a big 'get' for CBS' Steve Kroft: The first time Steve Kroft went to Barack Obama's house to interview him two weeks before his presidential campaign kickoff, Obama's daughter Sasha answered the door.
Nov. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Financial instruments: Attention shoppers! If you want to buy “Black Ice,” the chart-topping new album by Australian hard-rock legends AC/DC, there are 3,500 stores across the nation where you can get it at the bargain rate of $11.98.
Nov. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'Lyrics,' 'Fall' ably stretch the limits of hip-hop dance:Eveoke Dance Theatre's new “Lyrics, Beats, & Bricks” pulses with the thrusting joints and explosive power of hip-hop. To a driving beat, dancers at a recent rehearsal whipped through a unison sequence of precisely cocked elbows and stop-on-a-dime turns.
Nov. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Wizard behind 'Wicked' booked for benefit concert at the Globe:The composer-lyricist behind the Oz-inspired musical “Wicked” will blow into town (without benefit of tornado) this spring for a one-night performance benefiting the Old Globe Theatre.
Nov. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
High ticket prices kept them away:Regarding George Varga's Neil Young review (“Young, at heart, shows mastery of many musical moods,” Oct. 31, Currents Weekend): Thank you so much for mentioning the outrageous ticket prices, which were the reason we weren't at the concert though we'd have loved to be there.
Nov. 16 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Teaming up to climb a 'High Tower':Back booth, corner, City Deli, Hillcrest. A table resplendent with kosher dill pickles, brisket sandwiches on rye, Dr. Brown's Cream Soda, other delectables. Music: oldies but goodies. It was here, between scoops of creamy cole slaw, that fledgling filmmakers Rusty Treviño and Seher Basak formulated “The High Tower,” a hot San Diego-set short film about, of all things, Chinese gangsters.
PARIS, 6:45 a.m. Nov. 15 (AP)
Activists throw flour on fur-clad Lindsay Lohan: U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan has been pelted with a flour bomb on arrival at a Paris nightclub wearing a fur stole.
Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
For your ears only: The James Bonds may have changed over the course of 46 years (from Sean Connery to George Lazenby, back to Connery, then to Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig), but the venerable 007 film series has its staples: loads of derring-do, special effects, beautiful women – and (usually) memorable music.
NEW YORK, 5:34 p.m. Nov. 14 (AP)
Joe Jonas says he's no cad: Joe Jonas is tired of hearing about how he's a bad boyfriend – and now he's trying to defend himself.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., 5:27 p.m. Nov. 14 (AP)
Costner indulges passion for music with debut CD: He's played Wyatt Earp, Robin Hood and Eliot Ness in the movies, but Kevin Costner says his most natural gig is playing music with his band.
LOS ANGELES, 4:41 p.m. Nov. 14 (AP)
Can Blu-ray save Christmas for Hollywood?: Movie studio executives on Friday presented the best-case scenario for a winter holiday surge in the purchase of high-definition Blu-ray players as their best hope to keep the U.S. home video market's decline from accelerating past 3 percent or 4 percent this year.
NEW YORK, 4:41 p.m. Nov. 14 (AP)
Trial opens for Empire State Building parachutist: A former host of a TV stunt show put himself and others in danger because he was reckless and selfish enough to try to parachute from the Empire State Building 2½ years ago, a prosecutor told jurors Friday.
Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Reflecting on Bond now vs. then: Movie audiences nowadays expect scenes of graphic violence in James Bond movies, a big change from Roger Moore's tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the super spy, Moore believes. Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'Quantum of Solace' barely worthy of rich 007 history: For James Bond aficionados, “Quantum of Solace” is a quantum leap into mediocrity, a ripoff of pictures like “The Bourne Ultimatum.”
Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Devout Jonas brother devoted fan of decidedly irreverent blink-182: The Jonas Brothers, whose concert tomorrow night at the San Diego Sports Arena sold out all 10,500 seats in just 15 minutes, are certifiably the biggest teen-pop band in the land. The group, which teams devoutly Christian brothers Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas, specializes in upbeat pop-rock songs and wholesome power ballads.
Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Lee Grant's Outtakes: CASTING CALLS Last week, Outtakes came up with a roster of actors for the prized roles in a project we all know is percolating around Hollywood, “The Barack Obama Story.”
Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
For Phoenix, Act II is full of musical numbers: Joaquin Phoenix is retiring – from movies, anyway. That's what he told the media at the recent L.A. premiere for his upcoming film, “Two Lovers.” As if to emphasize the decision, he had written the words “Good Bye” on his knuckles for one and all to see.
Nov. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
A humble new venue braves Greek classics: Even if you've got more than one good eye, The Theatre Inc.'s new space (now hosting the Cyclops as part of a Greek-classics double feature) is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it affair.
Nov. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
The people's champions : There are those who like their art shows in stark, sterile environments accompanied by white wine, a nice cheese plate and perhaps a string quartet in the background. But not Kinsee Morlan and Zack Nielsen. The two local art enthusiasts hate stuffy shows and they're doing something about it.
Nov. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Children of the damned: The soundtrack has a feeling as carefree as the boys running through the opening scene of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." They're on their way home from school, running through the streets with their arms extended, pretending to be airplanes. It's easy to remember doing the same thing yourself. Nov. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'Dancing' her way to stardom: Once, though, it was her first love. “Eeet wassa deezaster,” said Elisa, who goes only by her first name and speaks with a warm and lyrical Italian accent. “But I always dance in my room. I have a little stereo in a small room full of mirrors and that's where I'm dancing at 30-years-old, still, to this day.”
Nov. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'You have to believe this ridiculous story absolutely': The music was memorable. The cast was respectable. The roller skates were adorable. The story was deplorable.
Nov. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)He's no dangling conversationalist: There's a good reason “Sex and Gasoline” ranks as Rodney Crowell's most accomplished and satisfying album since 2001's justly acclaimed “The Houston Kid.” In both instances, the veteran Texas singer-songwriter completed an entire album, then discarded it and began the whole process anew, only this time in Los Angeles instead of Nashville. Nov. 13 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Who Made You God?: What album would you play to get rid of unwanted house guests – or to prompt the surrender of a deposed foreign leader from his hideout? Nov. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Pilgrim's progress: Thanksgiving is a dicey time. Everyone has favorite dishes, and woe be to the intrepid cook with an itch to tinker with the feast. Nov. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Pint of the Week: Pipeline, Kona, Hawaii: DARK ENOUGH FOR YOU? Porter is The Other Dark Ale, the Un-Stout, laboring in the long, inky shadow of its rival. Even casual beer drinkers can name at least one stout – Guinness, anyone? – but porter was so unheralded, the style nearly died out in the late 20th century.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., 7:13 a.m. Nov. 12 (AP)
Alan Jackson having a 'Good Time' with 4 CMA nods: Back when he was starting out, Alan Jackson felt mighty lucky to be nominated for a Country Music Association award.
LOS ANGELES, 6:32 a.m. Nov. 12 (AP)
'Idol' gives back over $64 million to charities: “American Idol” has allocated more than $64 million in grants to six U.S. and international charities from contributions to its “Idol Gives Back” fundraising event.
NEW ORLEANS, 4:59 a.m. Nov. 12 (AP)
Kardashian and Bush enjoying down time in N.O.: As New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush recovers from knee surgery, he and girlfriend Kim Kardashian are enjoying the down time.
LOS ANGELES, 4:36 a.m. Nov. 12 (AP)
'Cosby' equals Obama election? Cosby mulls it over: When Bill Cosby entered the polling booth in his neighborhood last week, he carried with him photographs of his late parents and Jimmy, the kid brother who died in childhood.
LOS ANGELES, 4:04 a.m. Nov. 12 (AP)
Maurice Greene ran off of 'Dancing with the Stars': Maurice Greene won't be running around the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom anymore.
NEW YORK, 4:01 a.m. Nov. 12 (AP)
MSNBC host now guarded by 7-second delay: After an F-bomb dropped on “Morning Joe,” the MSNBC news-talk show has installed an early-warning system.
Nov. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Torte With Butterscotch Sauce:
Nov. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Cranberry Sauce With Port and Dried Figs:
BAKERSFIELD, 11:11 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)
Merle Haggard recovering after lung surgery: California crooner Merle Haggard says he's on the mend after successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung.
Nov. 11 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'Couch' is thick with life's stories:Getting people to talk is a snap. Getting them to share is an art. Having a purple couch helps. That's what local filmmakers Cheryl and Michael Johnson discovered when they plopped a purple couch in the middle of public streets, squares and parks (including Balboa Park) and invited people to sit down and share their stories.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., 8:29 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)Underwood a steady hitmaker after meteoric rise: After three years, Carrie Underwood is no longer the country newcomer on a meteoric rise. She's become a multiplatinum, steady hitmaker with two No. 1 albums and eight Top 5 singles, seven of them chart toppers. And while she may not be a veteran, she's certainly become one of country music's seasoned stars. NEW YORK, 8:17 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)
Web site: Spears' youngest son out of the hospital: Britney Spears' youngest son has been released from the hospital after being treated for some kind of reaction. LOS ANGELES, 7:53 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)
'Leave It to Beaver' actor to show at the Louvre: Eat your heart out, Eddie Haskell. Tony Dow, best known as the actor who portrayed The Beav's big brother, Wally, in the '50s TV series “Leave It to Beaver,” will have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre. NEW YORK, 7:22 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)
'Seeker': A girl, a guy, a wizard and a quest: On “Legend of the Seeker,” the heroes do the work for you. Chiseled woodsman Richard Cypher and his even prettier protectress Kahlan Amnell stay on the run, dodging arrows and parrying swords as they chase an evil force that would enslave the known world. NEW YORK, 4:57 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)
Beyonce on offers for wedding pics: 'Ridiculous!': Beyonce insists she would have never considered selling photos of her hush-hush wedding to Jay-Z to a glossy celebrity magazine. Still, the singer acknowledges that she was amazed at the amount of money that was offered. WASHINGTON, 3:35 a.m. Nov. 11 (AP)
Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin honor George Carlin: The late comedian George Carlin – famous for those “Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV” – was honored Monday with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the only award he saw as a legitimate comedy prize.
Nov. 10 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
City Ballet presents a 'Dream' performance: Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich aimed high simply by choosing the name City Ballet of San Diego, thus inviting comparison with New York City Ballet. The 15-year-old company has lived up to its ambitious name. The Wistriches have developed their dancers by exposing them to demanding repertory, and City Ballet has become San Diego's most professional troupe.
DALLAS, 7:18 p.m. Nov. 10 (AP)Confusion at 'Dallas' reunion rankles fans: Who saw J.R.? A weekend event organized to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Dallas” has created a drama worthy of the Ewing family itself after angry fans complained they didn't get the access to cast members they'd ponied up for – while others got close to the stars without paying for the privilege. NASHVILLE, Tenn., 8:56 a.m. Nov. 10 (AP)
Tim McGraw to host 'Saturday Night Live': Live from New York! It's Tim McGraw. McGraw's spokeswoman said he will host “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 22, joining a short list of country stars to host the show. Nov. 10 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Flaming strange: It's difficult to tell whether the sci-fi adventure “Christmas on Mars” is serious or ridiculous. Nov. 10 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Lee Grant's Outtakes: SPIRIT OF 'BROTHERHOOD' Showtime's “Brotherhood” (8 p.m. Sundays) is back for its second season, better than ever with tense, involving stories of a tough Irish family in working-class Providence, R.I. 8:25 a.m. Nov. 10 (AP)
Music Review: Taylor Swift just gets better on CD: By TOM GARDNER For The Associated Press Taylor Swift, “Fearless” (Big Machine Records) 6:55 a.m. Nov. 10 (AP)
Game news: TV and movie-based games stumble: Real news from the virtual world: NO MORE HEROES: Does NBC's “Heroes” make sense anymore? Does anyone care? Apparently, Ubisoft doesn't think so. The company has pulled the plug on its “Heroes” video game, which was announced more than a year ago. LONDON, 6:37 a.m. Nov. 10 (AP)
Fallen rocker's song included in UK test material: A British exam board is recalling a high school music test that included convicted child molester Gary Glitter's music in its “suggested listening” section, board officials said Monday. NEW YORK, 4:41 a.m. Nov. 10 (AP)
Mr. Big goes to Washington: Chris Noth's focus had shifted from career to family when his agent called about a role in the Atlantic Theater Company's off-Broadway production of a new political drama, “Farragut North.” JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 4:24 a.m. Nov. 10 (AP)
South African musical legend Miriam Makeba dies: Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who wooed the world with her sultry voice but was banned from her own country for more than 30 years under apartheid, died after collapsing on stage in Italy. She was 76.
Nov. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
To dye for: In 1937, a promising 20-year-old Japanese artist, Itchiku Kubota, paid a visit to the Tokyo National Museum. He saw a fragment of a 17th-century textile with imagery so vivid he stared at it for hours. The technique used to make it, tsujigahana, was lost to history. But Kubota vowed to recreate it in his own work.
Nov. 8 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
With Obama election comes the return of the vampire: Zombies are red, vampires are blue. Whatever its challenges, the Bush White House has presided over a period of robust health for a genre that – if history is any guide – will soon fade: the zombie movie.
Nov. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
City-owned Moonlight builds theater from the ground up:The city of Vista does things most cities do: Fixes potholes, puts out fires, issues building permits. Then, seven times a year, it puts on a play. These aren't just humble one-acts presented between rec-league games. Each summer, Moonlight Stage Productions – an official city program – produces four professional musicals at Brengle Terrace Park that attract 1,000 or more people to each performance.
Nov. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'I'm really optimistic about the future':Olga Sánchez never planned on waiting so long to launch her clothing label, FuegoRosa. Even though the Tijuana designer with the flaming red hair has been making outfits since grade school, she's encountered a variety of bumps in the road along her professional path.
Nov. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Seizing the day:Mondays have a bit of an image problem, but New Village Arts Theatre is hoping to breathe some life into the start of the workweek with a series it's calling “Off Nights at NVA.”
Nov. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
High ticket prices kept them away:Regarding George Varga's Neil Young review (“Young, at heart, shows mastery of many musical moods,” Oct. 31, Currents Weekend): Thank you so much for mentioning the outrageous ticket prices, which were the reason we weren't at the concert though we'd have loved to be there.
Nov. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
For the record:
Nov. 7 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Tool lead singer hits the right notes in the winemaking community: Expressiveness. Complexity. Connectedness. Integration. These are the kind of words you might expect to hear Maynard James Keenan use when discussing the heady music he makes as the lead singer, lyricist and frontman with such boundary-pushing rock bands as Tool and A Perfect Circle.
LOS ANGELES, 9:52 p.m. Nov. 6 (AP)'Girls Next Door' co-star engaged to an Eagle:
One of Hugh Hefner's live-in girlfriends is trading the grotto for the gridiron. The Playboy mogul said in a statement Thursday that “The Girls Next Door” co-star Kendra Wilkinson is engaged to Philadelphia Eagles receiver Hank Baskett.
Nov. 7 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Soul mates:"Soul Men" is soul food for the heart, and the multiplex. Let's say it: You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll come out of the theater humming “I'm Your Puppet.” Bring a hankie. Bernie Mac, so funny, so talented, died last August at age 50 from pneumonia. “Soul Men” serves as a grand epitaph for a man who emerged in “The Original Kings of Comedy” and whose warm, family-friendly “The Bernie Mac Show” was a TV hit for five years.
Nov. 7 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Hillerman's tales deserve a cinematic telling:After more than a dozen novels and a couple of serious but foredoomed relationships, Sgt. Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police found true love, at last, in 2003. "Who the hell was he," Chee pondered of himself in the Tony Hillerman mystery "The Sinister Pig," "to think he could find the perfect love? ... How many men found perfection?"
Nov. 7 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
HBO's 'Summer Heights High' reaps laughs while ringing true: In the opening credits of "Summer Heights High," a camera follows a student as he hurtles through the school's hallways and into the perilous freedom of the schoolyard. The shot is arty and a little showoffy, but it packs a punch that feels very real.
LOS ANGELES, 9:02 a.m. Nov. 7 (AP)Britney, Justin perform separately at Madonna show:
Britney and Justin still share one bond: Madonna. In separate appearances, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake performed Thursday night during Madonna's show at Dodger Stadium. The former pop power couple did not take the stage together, and it wasn't clear if they'd crossed paths.
LOS ANGELES, 8:34 a.m. Nov. 7 (AP)
Fox does 'House' moving, sets 'American Idol' date: Fox's “American Idol” will return for its eighth season Jan. 13 while medical drama “House” is moving to a new night, the network said in announcing its midseason lineup.
CLEVELAND, 8:04 a.m. Nov. 7 (AP)
Guitar hero Les Paul ready for Rock Hall tribute: When Les Paul's grandchildren are jamming on the video game “Guitar Hero,” it's not lost on him that he made it all possible.
NEW YORK, 7:59 a.m. Nov. 7 (AP)
Gris, Picasso, Kandinsky paintings auctioned in NY: An oil-on-canvas painting by Spanish artist Juan Gris has been auctioned in New York City for more than $20 million.
Nov. 6 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world: Nearly 50 years ago, Cape St. Francis, South Africa, was a remote locale and the spot where filmmaker Bruce Brown and surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August discovered the perfect wave.
OKLAHOMA CITY, 3:46 a.m. Nov. 7 (AP)
Obituaries in the news: Rosella Hightower, an Oklahoma-born ballerina who became a leading figure in the European dance world and founded a major ballet school in France, has died. She was 88.
NEW YORK, 4:24 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
Writers welcome a literary president-elect: Last winter, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison received a phone call from Sen. Barack Obama, then the underdog to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Nov. 6 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Who Made You God?: THIS WEEK'S FOCAL POINTS: GET IN THE GROOVE WITH POCKET Playing funk and jazz-funk isn't difficult, as I learned years ago as the young drummer in the San Diego band Focal Point. But playing funk and jazz-funk really well is another matter altogether.
NEW YORK, 10:14 a.m. Nov. 5 (AP)
Publishers ponder the market for Bush memoirs: In less than three months, President-elect Barack Obama will take office and the Bush administration will belong to history. With the president reportedly interested in writing about his White House years, publishers have a suggestion:
LOS ANGELES, 12:02 p.m. Nov. 6 (REUTERS)
David Archuleta set to move beyond 'American Idol': David Archuleta, who broke millions of young hearts with his soulful piano ballads on ”American Idol,” wants his first album due in record stores next week to prove that he's more than just a pretty face.
11:54 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
Madonna says L.A. show will go on as scheduled: Madonna isn't going to let lighting and technical issues keep her from performing at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
NEW YORK, 8:51 a.m. Nov. 6 (REUTERS)
Rock musical 'Hair' returning to NY's Broadway: Groundbreaking 60s rock musical ”Hair” will return to Broadway in February for the first time since the show debuted there four decades ago, producers said
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., 7:44 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
Brad Paisley the guitarist gets his moment on CD: At a recent concert, Brad Paisley closed his show with a song that most of his fans had never heard and probably never will on country radio.
LOS ANGELES, 7:10 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
Lucci eliminated from 'Dancing': Susan Lucci's story line on “Dancing with the Star” has come to an end. The “All My Children” actress and her professional partner, Tony Dovolani, were eliminated Wednesday from ABC's popular dancing competition. The pair received the judges' lowest score – 24 out of 30 – for their paso doble routine Monday.
NEW YORK, 5:00 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
50 Cent has business-centered reality show on MTV: 50 Cent has a new show on MTV, where business-savvy contestants compete for a shot at fame and a huge cash prize. But the rapper says he's not following the path of that other famous reality show hosted by Donald Trump.
LONDON, 4:29 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
Source: Winehouse husband out of jail, into rehab: The husband of troubled retro-soul singer Amy Winehouse swapped prison for rehab Wednesday, a man familiar with the matter said.
LIVERPOOL, England, 9:46 a.m. Nov. 6 (AP)
Liverpool rocks for MTV Europe Music Awards: When Kanye West performs Thursday at the MTV Europe Music Awards, it will be the second time he's taken the stage at the ceremony – but the first time he's been invited.
Nov. 6 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Master of the miscellaneous ...:With his soft-featured round face, genteelly clipped moustache and snowy white hair, Toots Thielemans looks like he'd fit in better on Sesame Street than 52nd Street, though the 86-year-old harmonica virtuoso has strong claims to both boulevards.
NEW YORK, 12:47 p.m. Nov. 5 (AP)
ABC's coverage of Election Night tops ratings: More than 65 million people watched Election Night returns Tuesday on the main broadcast and cable news networks.
Nov. 5 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Grape Expectations: A primer on what to pour: FEATURED GRAPE: GAMAY (GA-MAY); RED What it is: This French grape is practically synonymous with the region in which it is primarily grown, Beaujolais, in southern Burgundy. Few varietals can incite such divergent opinions. To a dwindling number of enthusiasts, the annual November release of beaujolais nouveau (this year, Nov.
Nov. 5 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
For the record: A story in yesterday's Currents Health section incorrectly reported the calorie and carbohydrate content of roughly 3.5 ounces of Bacardi. The correct amounts are about 240 calories and 10.5 carbohydrates.
NEW YORK, 10:13 a.m. Nov. 5 (AP)
Family: Michael Crichton dies of cancer: The family of Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science fantasies as “Jurassic Park,” “Timeline” and “The Andromeda Strain,” says the author has died in Los Angeles.
9:46 a.m. Nov. 5 (AP)
'Monday Night Football' tops TV cable ratings: Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Oct. 27-Nov. 2. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
LONDON, 9:35 a.m. Nov. 5 (AP)
Mothers of Invention drummer Jimmy Carl Black dies: Jimmy Carl Black, who went from drummer in Frank Zappa's avant-garde Mothers of Invention to doughnut shop worker and house painter, has died at age 70.
LONDON, 9:13 a.m. Nov. 4 (AP)
Pooh's dip into honey fetches pounds at auction: Tiggers might not like honey but collectors apparently do. A sketch by Winnie the Pooh illustrator E.H. Shepard entitled “Tiggers Don't Like Honey” fetched 31,200 pounds ($49,770) at auction Tuesday, well above the pre-sale estimate of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds ($24,000 to $32,000).
NEW YORK, 5:13 a.m. Nov. 4 (AP)
Edwards discusses his cameo as Dr. Greene on 'ER': Anthony Edwards says it's easy being Greene. The actor, who left “ER” six years ago, said in a telephone news conference Monday that he had no problem getting back into the swing of things while reprising his role as Dr. Mark Greene for the Nov. 13 episode of the NBC medical drama.
LOS ANGELES, 5:10 a.m. Nov. 4 (AP)
Monday's late-night wrap-up of election jokes: 'Twas the night before the presidential election and all through the house was the sound of late-night TV hosts getting in their last-minute digs.
LOS ANGELES, 4:48 a.m. Nov. 4 (AP)
Callie, Erica's romance over on 'Grey's Anatomy': Callie and Erica's burgeoning romance on “Grey's Anatomy” is coming to an abrupt end, and so is Brooke Smith's role as Dr. Erica Hahn.
NEW YORK, 6:28 p.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
Despite gloom, NYC fall art auction sets records: The Sotheby's auction house kicked off its annual art sale in the city this week against the backdrop of a gloomy economy that had some observers wondering whether there were any deep-pocketed buyers left to snap up paintings for tens of millions of dollars.
LOS ANGELES, 5:21 p.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
Jury: Keanu Reeves doesn't owe paparazzo: It's a most excellent outcome for Keanu Reeves: The “Matrix” actor doesn't owe a dime to the paparazzo who sued him.
LOS ANGELES, 5:05 p.m. Nov. 3 (REUTERS)
Two surfers plead innocent over paparazzi brawl: Two surfers pleaded innocent Monday to charges they attacked a paparazzo taking pictures of actor Matthew McConaughy on a beach.
Nov. 4 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Local stations to provide updates:It will be all-election all the time on the cable-news stations, but San Diego's local-news outlets won't be slacking today. Here is a look at their election offerings.
CHICAGO, 8:25 a.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
Mourners gather for private Hudson family funeral: Mourners are arriving at a church on Chicago's South Side to attend the private funeral service for singer-actress Jennifer Hudson's slain mother, brother and nephew.
NEW YORK, 7:02 a.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
Good grief! New Peanuts videos released online: Barack Obama, John McCain ... or Linus? In a batch of 20 new webisodes, Charlie Brown and the gang have been brought back to animated life, much in the style of their classic holiday TV specials. But Lucy, Snoopy and others have been remade for the Web in 3- to 4-minute videos taken directly from classic 1964 comic strips.
BEVERLY HILLS, 6:54 a.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
Seth MacFarlane is 1 wealthy 'Family' guy: Talk about inflation. Seth MacFarlane is Hollywood's hundred-million dollar man – and he's not even bionic.
NEW YORK, 4:02 a.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
Howard Stern on hand for wife's NYC marathon run: Newlywed shock jock Howard Stern was on hand to cheer his new bride complete the New York City Marathon in style.
NEW YORK, 7:37 a.m. Nov. 3 (AP)
'Chocolate News': Spoofing black current affairs: From a comedy standpoint, David Alan Grier is fine with whoever wins the election. As the nation's first black president, Barack Obama could mean a wealth of material for “Chocolate News,” Grier's fearless spoof of a black-oriented news magazine show.
Nov. 3 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
North Coast Rep's 'Don't Dress' success is all in the delivery:In a weird way, farce is just tragedy stuffed into a clown suit. Think of the MacBeths, those zany, sketchy Scots whose ill-advised tries at gaining and retaining the throne get crossed up like a bad plaid. Might be funny, if not for all the fatalities.
Nov. 3 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Lee Grant's Outtakes:ABC's rookie “Life on Mars” (10 p.m. Thursdays) and CBS' veteran “Cold Case” (9 p.m. Sundays) take viewers from the present to the past and back again. Both are about cops – one (“Cold Case”) set in Philadelphia, the other in New York City.
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)He covers the waterfront: Artists evolve in ways you could never anticipate, and that unpredictability is one of the pleasures of art.
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
18 at last: Turning 18 is quite the moment in young people's lives. The occasion brings a sense of newfound independence and, whether they know it or not, a load of life-changing circumstances.
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
S.D. Jewish Book Fair extends its reach:At the 14th annual San Diego Jewish Book Fair, inquisitive types can meet: one victim of torture. A professor of cultural criticism. An enemy of oenological snobbery. One atheist. One self-professed expert on divinity. And that's just Christopher Hitchens. As for the rest of the 35 authors coming to read from their latest works or to give talks, the lineup promises to be as intellectually diverse as it will be entertaining, says fair director Jackie Gmach.
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
At this stage, she's acting like a bargain hunter:Today, we check out what's in Amanda Sitton's closet. She is an actress who has worked with several San Diego County theaters for 20 years. She began her acting career with Junior Theate and is now starring in the North Coast Repertory Theatre's “Don't Dress for Dinner.”
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'I think I was meant to play this part':She has helped build a theater, written songs for children's shows and acted in dramatic plays. Somehow, though, writing a seriocomic sequel to "Romeo and Juliet" featuring Friar Laurence as a kind of Phantom of the Penitentiary had not yet occurred to Jill Costanzo.
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Tapping into a mesmerizing telematic tapestry at UCSD:The piazza of modern life is undoubtedly electronic. As we once gathered in the open public square, so we now meet in the etheric netherworld of the Internet, where images, reflections and representations of the real substitute for what was once concrete.
Nov. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Boost from Getty helps MCASD stage show:The subject is Los Angeles: more specifically, “Art in Los Angeles, 1945-1980.” And the J. Paul Getty Foundation is funding 15 grants at a cost of $2.8 million to create a series of exhibitions, scheduled for 2011, that will include venues from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
Oct. 31 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Scream test: There is a “Munsters” marathon on WGN and “100 Scariest Movie Moments” on Bravo. Cartoon Network is hosting a “Goosebumps” marathon, and KPBS is revealing “The Secret Life of Ghosts and Werewolves.”
Oct. 31 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
'Changeling' writer tells a true hero's story: Like a detective piecing together the past, screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski spent a year digging through dusty Los Angeles City Hall archives, yellowing court files and old hospital records to unearth the largely forgotten 1920s child-swap scandal portrayed in “Changeling.”
Oct. 31 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
A real gas at Halloween: menacing, star vehicles: Loving both cars and Halloween as I do, it won't surprise you to hear that films about demonic vehicles are among my favorite scary movies. Throw in my incorrigible mistrust of machines (does that contradict my love of cars?), plus this recurring dream I have – about a menacing, driverless automobile – and I've got a full-scale phobia going.
Oct. 31 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Young, at heart, shows mastery of many musical moods: Neil Young displayed at least three distinct musical personas during his Wednesday night concert at SDSU's Cox Arena, each inspired and rewarding.
Oct. 31 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Frightening reality propels 'Changeling': Clint Eastwood's “Changeling” is a Halloween movie for adults. Its monsters range from psychopaths to police, doppelgangers to doctors, great depression to the Great Depression.
DUBLIN, Ireland, 11:33 a.m. Oct. 31 (AP)
Dublin shelves U2 Tower plans amid property slump: Plans to build the tallest building in Ireland – with new recording studios for Irish supergroup U2 on top – have been suspended because of Ireland's property slump and slide into recession.
GEORGE VARGA: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Who Made You God?: SINNER, REPENT! DURING OR AFTER THE HEADBANGING, YOUR CHOICE England's Newton Faulkner plays a mean guitar and sings well, but has yet to carve out a distinctive musical niche. MUSIC PREVIEW: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Resident, Hotel California: Long before he became the king of California roots music, Dave Alvin wasn't too pleased with what he heard coming out of the Golden State. Or rather, he was distressed by the soft sounds emanating from his hometown, the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, in the early 1970s. FOOD: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Doubling down on dessert: Because dessert is the quickest way to drown out the chaos around us, and because the cacao tree produces the world's most popular flavor, we turn to the reassurance of chocolate in these uncertain times. ART: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Grand obsessions: Focus on one work in David Adey's exhibition and the word “creepy” may come to mind. Train your eyes on another and “beautiful” may be the better term. ART: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
The light touch: A skeletal bandit with a black mustache twirls a pair of smoking guns in one painting; bright orange marigolds bookend a skull with cavernous eye sockets in another. “Please Spare Me” is a work of art that uses a curvaceous bowling pin for a canvas and it's decorated with dancing skeletons wearing giant sombreros.
TIJUANA EXHIBIT: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Mommy, there's a mummy! : Guanajuato is one of the most mysterious cities in Mexico. Its legends of ghosts who wander through its colonial alleys are well known, among them La Llorona, that grieving soul legend says is always searching for her children.
CONCERT PREVIEW: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Madonna, by the numbers :If you want to know what kind of vocal microphone Madonna is using on her “Sweet and Sticky” concert tour, you're out of luck.
MOVIE REVIEW: Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Madonna's 'Filth and Wisdom' a gritty tale:As if reading juicy details about Madonna and Guy Ritchie's divorce isn't awkward enough, now the couple has competing movies opening on the same day.
NEW YORK, 8:15 a.m. Oct. 30 (AP)
Beatles music to be in new video game: The Beatles are coming to a game console near you. For the first time, the legendary group's music will be featured in the lucrative video game market in a deal with MTV Games and Harmonix, creators of the “Rock Band” series. The game is scheduled to make its debut sometime next year, according to a statement Thursday.
NEW ORLEANS, 7:39 a.m. Oct. 30 (AP)
Bono: World has a stake in upcoming U.S. election: U2 frontman and activist Bono said Wednesday that next week's presidential election provides a great opportunity to “relaunch Brand USA” amid worldwide scrutiny.
CINCINNATI, 7:20 a.m. Oct. 30 (AP)
Rocker Frampton fuming over stolen Obama signs: Rocker Peter Frampton is wishing someone would show him the way to keep his Barack Obama yard signs from getting swiped.
LONDON, 7:14 a.m. Oct. 30 (AP)
David Tennant announces 'Doctor Who' departure: Britain's best-known time traveler is ending his journey. The BBC has announced that Scottish actor David Tennant will leave long-running science fiction series “Doctor Who” in just over a year.
NEW YORK, 4:16 a.m. Oct. 30 (AP)
Wednesday's late-night wrap-up of election jokes: As the presidential campaign enters the home stretch, late-night TV hosts aren't letting up. A selection of jokes from Wednesday:
Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
The rest of the story . . . :Due to a production error, the ending of a story on sustainable dining was missing from the Dining Guide on Oct. 23. Here is the missing portion.
Oct. 30 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
For the record:
Oct. 29 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Puck's Jai takes cuisine to a new stage: For travelers dazed by Tokyo's go-go-go! atmosphere, a tonic awaits an hour away by train.
NEW YORK, 9:26 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)Cookbook author not amused by Seinfeld's jokes: An author who claims Jerry Seinfeld's wife plagiarized her cookbook says she wasn't amused by jokes the comedian made last year on late-night television. NEW YORK, 9:11 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Cruise, Smith appear in video to get out the vote: Leonardo DiCaprio is bringing out the big guns to get out the vote. Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg and Justin Timberlake are among the celebrities starring in a new public service announcement produced by the actor, who also appears in the spot. SAN FRANCISCO, 8:05 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
'Milk' premiere brings stars to SF's Castro: It was only fitting that “Milk,” the film about Harvey Milk's life and death, premiere Tuesday night in the Castro. LONDON, 7:45 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Comedians suspended by BBC over prank calls: The BBC indefinitely suspended two of its most popular broadcasters, Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, on Wednesday for leaving a series of lewd phone messages on an actor's answering machine. ROSEMONT, Ill., 7:11 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Pinching pennies? Not these proud pet parents: Emilie Wilson's menagerie includes 15 ferrets, two dogs and four cats, including a hefty gray feline named Tonie Stewart who rides in style inside a pet stroller during family outings. NEW YORK, 6:31 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Web site documents trace lives of Jews worldwide: A genealogy Web site is launching what it's billing as the world's largest online collection of Jewish family history records. LOS ANGELES, 4:39 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Court extends Spears' conservatorship indefinitely: Britney Spears' father will maintain indefinite control of her personal and financial affairs after a court commissioner on Tuesday extended the arrangement beyond 2008. LOS ANGELES, 4:38 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Actress' death center stage again in Spector trial: The death of actress Lana Clarkson at Phil Spector's hillside castle stunned Hollywood five years ago. It is a distant memory now as Spector, the eccentric musical genius behind some of rock 'n' roll's biggest sounds, goes on trial for a second time. TAMPA, Fla., 4:33 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
Jimmy Buffett to sing for Obama in Florida: The mayor of Margaritaville is jumping into this year's political fray. Jimmy Buffett plans a free concert Sunday in Tampa to urge people to vote for Democrat Barack Obama for president. The “Last Chance for Change” rally and concert is happening two days before the election at the outdoor Ford Amphitheatre. NEW YORK, 4:28 a.m. Oct. 29 (AP)
CW network explores 'Melrose Place' remake: Having done well with a remake of “Beverly Hills 90210” this season, the CW network is considering a remake of that show's spinoff, “Melrose Place.” Oct. 28 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
The age-old question: Do men and women age differently? In some ways, the answer is obviously yes. For one thing, women tend to do it longer. The average life expectancy for a female in the United States is now 81.1 years, compared with 75.2 years for males. Men are closing the gap, though, thanks in part to more women taking up bad habits like smoking and eating too much.
Oct. 28 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
S.D. Rep's 'Water & Power' delivers briskly with thunder: You wouldn't want every play to take its title too seriously (imagine the potential PETA freakouts over a literal-minded “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”).
Oct. 27 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
S.D. Ballet's 'Carnival' a night of wild fun: Ballet is never more fun than in the hands of Javier Velasco, the cheeky co-director and choreographer of San Diego Ballet. Velasco gleefully mixes high art and high camp, and at his best, he comes up with dances like the delightful “Carnival of the Animals,” which debuted on Saturday at the Lyceum Theatre.
Oct. 27 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Lee Grant's Outtakes: It's a pleasure to see accomplished actors find juicy roles on TV. For instance, there's Kyra Sedgwick as Southern-sassy homicide sleuth Brenda Johnson on TNT's “The Closer”; New York through-and-through, old-school cop Harvey Keitel on ABC's out-of-this-world “Life on Mars”; Dianne Wiest, Emmy-winning, composed shrink-to-a-shrink on HBO's “In Treatment.”
Oct. 27 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Dressed to kill : It took 10 months to create. More than 250 artists and technicians and craftspeople worked on it. It employed 50 performers – actors, models, dancers, aerialists, magicians – to make it happen.
Oct. 27 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Catch up with old 'Animal house' friends:Toga parties, food fights, frat fights, beer and girls: These college traditions saw their ultimate expression in “National Lampoon's Animal House,” which after 30 years is as funny as ever.
PHOENIX, 10:57 p.m. Oct. 26 (AP)
Acclaimed author Tony Hillerman dies at 83: Tony Hillerman, author of the acclaimed Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels and creator of two of the unlikeliest of literary heroes – Navajo police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee – died Sunday of pulmonary failure. He was 83.
Oct. 26 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Soot and ties: When Mike Schlegel proposed to Becky Boomer at his own surprise birthday party in May 2007, it was a given the couple would marry at the Wild Animal Park. Schlegel is the park's animal nutritionist, and Boomer is a human resource manager there.
Oct. 26 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Amped up: Shakespeare once groused about the “sound and fury” of life, likening it to what takes place on a stage.
Oct. 26 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Time has not dimmed their deep affection: Norene McCoy's floor-length wedding dress cost $110. “I thought it was so much money.”
Oct. 26 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
She's banking on hitting the heights:Getting her heart broken for the first time at the age of 18 was a wrenching experience for Jodi V. It was also the best thing that ever happened to her, musically speaking. “I actually remember the night that this little punk hurt me,” she said of her former boyfriend.
Oct. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Tuned in, turned on to election: If he had to pick the moment when our presidential election became the perfect subject for his celebrity-news program, “Showbiz Tonight” executive producer Dave Levin votes for the day in late July when Sen. John McCain went to Paris. Hilton, that is.
Oct. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Timeline : Issues, what issues? From the Obamas' fist bump to Sarah Palin's peep-toe pumps, here is a look at some memorable pop-culture landmarks on the winding road to Nov. 4:
Oct. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Trackback: Karla Peterson : Recent quibbles aside, I am a total “Supernatural” softie. Give me an entertaining Monster of the Week, a nugget or two of mythological protein, a few brothers 'n' beer-bonding moments, and I am pretty much mush.
Oct. 24 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Terrifying mind-set : Few filmmakers in history messed with the mind like Alfred Hitchcock did. Id, ego, superego – they were all fair game for the director who famously opined: “Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.” Freud would have loved Hitchcock, or feared him. And wouldn't a course called “Hitchcock 101” make a terrifyingly perfect elective in some university's psychology (or abnormal psychology) curriculum?
Oct. 24 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Lifetime of iconic images forms a portrait of the artist Leibovitz:
These words cannot possibly do justice to the photographs of Annie Leibovitz, which are eloquence personified. As principal photographer for Rolling Stone magazine from its raw beginnings, Leibovitz – who as a young girl aspired to be an art teacher – documented an art form (rock 'n' roll) and a generation (hippiedom and, later, post-hippiedom) like no one with a camera before or since.
Oct. 24 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
A grownups guide to 'High School Musical':
DETROIT, 8:28 a.m. Oct. 24 (AP)
Kid Rock's apparel label to aid music scholarships: Kid Rock and his Made in Detroit apparel line are working with Wayne State University to help start a college scholarship fund for area music students.
LOS ANGELES, 7:27 a.m. Oct. 24 (AP)
'Housewives' actor Harold out of intensive care: “Desperate Housewives” actor Gale Harold is out of intensive care at a Los Angeles hospital and improving daily after suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident.
NEW YORK, 7:22 a.m. Oct. 24 (AP)
Will Ferrell's Bush meets Fey's Palin on 'SNL': Appearing as President Bush on the primetime edition of “Saturday Night Live,” Will Ferrell offered his political “strategery” to Tina Fey's Sarah Palin.
OKLAHOMA CITY, 4:57 a.m. Oct. 24 (AP)
Underwood sees new wax figure of herself in NY: Country music star Carrie Underwood now has a double. Underwood visited Madame Tussauds in New York on Thursday to help unveil a wax figure of herself. The 25-year-old Checotah, Okla., native posed for pictures beside the likeness, which will be added to the museum's “VIP Room.”
NEW YORK, 9:25 p.m. Oct. 23 (AP)
Anne Hathaway's ex-boyfriend gets 4½ years in scam: Anne Hathaway's former boyfriend was sentenced Thursday to 4½ years in prison for cheating investors of millions of dollars by claiming he had Vatican connections that enabled him to buy Roman Catholic Church property at a discount.
NEW YORK, 9:24 p.m. Oct. 23 (AP)
Thursday's late-night wrap-up of election jokes: Letterman, Leno and Conan were all off Thursday night, but Will Ferrell and Tina Fey were on. Quotes from their “SNL” appearance and other late-night election jokes from Thursday:
LAS VEGAS, 9:14 p.m. Oct. 23 (AP)
El Tri frontman Alex Lora gets Vegas sidewalk star: Mexican rocker Alex Lora wagged his tongue, sang with a mariachi band and yelled, “Viva rock and roll!” several times as he accepted a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars on Thursday.
Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Joys in the 'hood: Exciting, inventive cuisine is no longer the sole province of the fine-dining scene. Thankfully for all of us, there has been an explosion of neighborhood eateries that have raised the bar for anyone contemplating opening a restaurant in the 'hood.
Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Get happy: The clock is inching its way toward the stroke of 5, and you're itching to ease your paper cuts, frayed nerves and carpal tunnel syndrome with a cocktail. The ever-perky office pest is once again determined to rally the troops for an invasion of the blasé restaurant bar next door, but why fall into line when sundry happy-hour options exist in San Diego?
Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Staying the course: “I hope to be around a long time.” Neil Young told Night&Day that two years ago – not about himself, but about his annual Bridge School benefit concerts at the Shoreline Amphitheatre near San Jose.
Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Buffet battle: A place that offers all you can eat for a fixed price sounds like just the ticket in these grim economic times. Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Burger's best: San Diego may have a long-standing reputation as the home of the fish taco, but it's no slouch in the hamburger department, either. Locally, we are blessed with plenty of burger barns and swank restaurants alike that serve up everything from ground chuck to grilled 'roo (that's kangaroo). Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Fries to die for: Fries are the classic sidekick to a burger, but at some eateries, the fries are good enough to be the main attraction. Here are some of our staff's favorites: Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
The breakfasts of champions: If cereal leaves you feeling soggy and burnt toast brings you down, there's a much better way to break your fast. Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Baker's doozies: If the thought of yet another lunchtime staring down the barrel of yet another smooshed peanut butter and jelly from home is too dreary for words, it's time to treat yourself to a midday meal made by professionals.
Oct. 23 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
True blood – California Ballet gives new life to 'Dracula' : The undead can dance. Dracula is the title character in more than a dozen ballets. The Houston Ballet's $1 million version by Ben Stevenson (in 1997) featured an airborne Count Dracula swirling a 23-foot cape. Mark Godden's 1998 “Dracula” proved such a hit for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet that it was filmed for television.
ALBANY, N.Y., 9:17 a.m. Oct. 23 (AP)
Court upholds Bianca Jagger's Manhattan eviction: New York's top court has upheld the eviction of Bianca Jagger from a rent-stabilized Manhattan apartment.
MIDDLE RIVER, Md., 4:53 a.m. Oct. 23 (AP)Ashes to concrete: Sea burials help rebuild reefs: If you want to help the Chesapeake Bay in the afterlife, or forever be part of the memories from Baltimore's historic Memorial Stadium, a Georgia company has a burial option you may want to consider. Oct. 22 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Pint of the Week: Karl Strauss Double IPA, San Diego: NO, THAT RATING'S NOT A TYPO: Karl Strauss is the area's oldest existing microbrewery – it turns 20 next year – but it had a woeful rep among hopheads, thanks to its timid lineup. If any one brew can shatter that image, this beautiful bruiser is it.
Oct. 22 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Uh-uh, no way – What stops you cold in a recipe?: Despite my love of the kitchen and all things that come out of it, recipe instructions like these (three pages into a method for making lobster bisque) halt me in my tracks. Call me a wimp, but if decapitation is involved, there ain't no way I'm making that soup.
NEW YORK, 11:31 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
'Spamalot' and 'Hairspray' set January closings: January is usually a pretty chilly month on Broadway. But this year, the post-holidays could be a little colder than normal. “Hairspray” and “Monty Python's Spamalot,” both long-running, Tony-winning best musicals, are closing up shop.
LOS ANGELES, 7:47 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Howard: 'Iron Man' swap was a surprise: Terrence Howard says he was surprised to learn that Don Cheadle would replace him in “Iron Man 2.”
SYLVANIA, Ohio, 7:36 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Did he whack the 'stache? Ohio officer suspended: A police officer was suspended for three days without pay in a tussle over whether he whacked his mustache to regulation length.
NEW YORK, 6:10 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Brooklyn librarian fined $500 over daughter's book: A New York City high school librarian has been fined $500, but it isn't a late fee: He's being punished for promoting his daughter's graphic novel on the job.
LOS ANGELES, 4:39 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Simpson trial witness sues Dr. Phil for defamation: The memorabilia dealer who led O.J. Simpson to a hotel room where an infamous robbery occurred filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the “Dr. Phil” show claiming his remarks in an interview were spliced to change their meaning.
NEW YORK, 4:23 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Tuesday's late-night TV wrap-up of election jokes: With Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien all taking the week off, the presidential campaigns are catching a break.
LOS ANGELES, 3:36 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Toni Braxton booted from 'Dancing with the Stars': Toni Braxton will no longer break it down on “Dancing with the Stars.” The singer and her professional partner, Alec Mazo, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition. The pair received a score of 22 out of 30 from the show's judges during Monday's performance after a respectable West Coast swing routine.
LOS ANGELES, 12:09 a.m. Oct. 22 (AP)
Sumner Redstone files for divorce: Court documents show that entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone has filed for divorce from his wife of five years.
HYDE PARK, N.Y., 10:59 p.m. Oct. 21 (AP)
NY town bakes 6,600 cookies for troops: An upstate New York town has rallied 'round the ovens – baking 6,600 cookies for troops serving