"Kiss Today Goodbye"

Canadian singer Celine Dion performs onstage at the Shanghai Stadium April 11, 2008. Canadian pop superstar Celine Dion's April 13 Beijing concert has been cancelled because the organisers failed to obtain a permit despite selling thousands of tickets, local media reported.
REUTERS/Aly Song (CHINA)

Collider Generates Hope . . . and Fear (Click to Enlarge Image)

What the critics are in such a lather about is the $8-billion Large Hadron Collider, a massive assemblage of iron, steel and superconducting wire 300 feet underground in a 17-mile-long circular tunnel on the Franco-Swiss border.

The most complex piece of scientific equipment ever built, the collider will send particles crashing into each other at just a wink shy of the speed of light, generating energies more powerful than the sun.

The Natural Art of Montana

Bales of hay dot the landscape along Interstate 90 between Billings and Bozeman, Mont. Many a passerby has the impulse to capture such simple, beautiful scenes in the form of artwork, and many folks find what they want in Bozeman's eclectic arts community.

The dramatic skyline along Interstate 90 between Billings and Bozeman, Mont.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Daniel Radcliffe will bare all on Broadway in 'Equus'

Well, at least Daniel Radcliffe won't be under the legal age of adulthood when he romps nude on a Manhattan stage in the first Broadway revival of "Equus." Last summer the wholesome "Harry Potter" star caused quite a ruckus when he flashed London audiences while blinding horses at age 17. The New York production begins previews Sept. 5 and will continue for a limited, 22-week run at the Broadhurst Theatre, directed by Thea Sharrock. That will inconveniently overlap with the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on Nov. 21, but maybe he can pull off some magic tricks with that wizard's wand of his.

"Throwing the Bull"

Matador Miguel Abellán performs a pass as a bull does a somersault after getting its horn stuck in the ground during a bullfight in Seville. 29 April 2006.

REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo

Taldykorgan

A Kazakh hunter releases her eagle in Taldykorgan. The people of eastern Kazakhstan have been hunting with golden eagles since the days of Genghis Khan. 23 January 2004.

REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

Surf's Up

A group of young boys crouch behind a sea-pool wall as they play in massive surf at Sydney's Narrabeen Beach. 26 February 2004.

REUTERS/David Gray

"Idol Gives Back"

Miley Cyrus performs at the "Idol Gives Back" show at the Kodak theatre in Hollywood, California April 6, 2008. The "American Idol" special charity event benefits relief programs for children and young people in extreme poverty.
REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)

Legend or Relic ???

Movie star Myrna Loy has passed from legend to relic status on the Venice High campus. For 80 years, a statue she posed for as a Venice student was a landmark on the aging campus. But most Venice students have never seen it; it's been hidden in a storage shed since today's seniors were freshmen.

Myrna Loy (then known as Williams) was a shy 16-year-old dance student when her art teacher asked her to pose for one of three clay statues being created for the school's front lawn.

A few years later, she would begin her career as a dancer at Grauman's Chinese Theater, entertaining audiences between silent movie screenings. Her exotic looks led to roles as sirens and vamps, and in 1934 the "The Thin Man" series helped make her one of America's most popular stars.

But her star faded. Her statue crumbled. Body parts were stolen by pranksters and vandals ignited an explosion that blew off the head of the statue. A fence was erected to protect it, but lack of maintenance turned that into an eyesore. When the statue was finally taken down, it was rotting from the inside out, too damaged to restore. A small group of heartbroken alumni began plotting its return in the late 1990s. It would cost more than $200,000 to re-create the famous statue, but after five years the group had raised less than $10,000.

"Venice High always had the aura of being a little funky, a little tough," said Schwab said. "But I loved it there. And the statue was a big part of who we were."

Rival schools would paint it with their school colors. People would dress it up in outlandish gear. Even to the world beyond Venice High, it was instantly recognizable from the opening scenes of the movie "Grease."

So when Schwab saw an announcement about fundraising efforts in the alumni newspaper last fall, he contributed $75,000 and pledged to match additional donations to help the group reach its fundraising goal, so the new statue can be unveiled next spring.

Sean Connery Celebrates Tartan Day and Talks About the Scottish Story of Independence

There are few more cherished American ideals than independence. As we prepare to celebrate Tartan Day, established as April 6 by a U.S. Senate resolution in 1998 to commemorate one of the inspirations for the Declaration of Independence -- Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath -- it is as good a time as any to tell the uniquely Scottish story of independence.

In 1320, Scots penned the Declaration of Arbroath. In lines that would echo through the ages, they wrote, "It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honors that we are fighting, but for freedom -- for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

In 1997, Scots spoke loudly when they voted to reinstate their Parliament. When Scottish National Party President Winifred Ewing was able to say, "The Scots Parliament, adjourned on 25th March 1707, is hereby reconvened," she touched hearts across the country.

The Scottish Parliament has authority for health, education, courts and the environment. The British Parliament retains control over most taxes and foreign affairs.

The question now is, what next? The current Scottish government is the first one in modern times that wants to see Scotland reclaim its independence.

The best part of this debate is that it is based on ideas, not ethnicity. Conversations about the best future for the country are happening in the Scottish Parliament and in homes and workplaces across the country.

The Scottish government wants Scotland and England to become independent and equal nations, with the queen and her successors continuing as the common head of state of both -- similar to what happened in Canada and Australia in the 20th century. In other words, we would move toward becoming united kingdoms, rather than the United Kingdom.

"Cutting-edge Technology"

COLUMBUS, OHIO - With most of the nation's best swimmers scheduled to compete at the Toyota Grand Prix here this weekend, record-breaking performances might take a back seat to the swimsuit competition.

The Speedo LZR Racer, a $550 seamless, water-resistant swimsuit, has dominated pre-Olympic meets, and its use has been praised - and questioned - because of its cutting-edge technology and high price tag.

Since the suit's debut in February, 18 long-course world records have fallen, 17 of them to LZR-clad athletes. The Australian Olympic trials produced eight world marks in eight days. Swimmers at the European championships last month set six world records. At the British championships Wednesday, the record in the 50-meter backstroke fell to a swimmer in a LZR.

Not surprisingly, Michael Phelps, the six-time Olympic gold medalist from Rodgers Forge and Speedo's top pitchman with a multimillion-dollar deal, gave the suit this endorsement: "I remember trying it for the first time in Canterbury [Australia] with Ryan Lochte, and it just felt like I was a rocket coming off the wall. It feels like a spacesuit. I'm excited to see the results."

"Diamonds are forever"

A model is carried on the shoulders of two other models as she displays a diamond-studded thong during Viva La Eve by Triumph at the Singapore Fashion Festival April 3, 2008. The thong, valued at S$168,000 ($121,106), is decorated with 518 diamonds totalling 30 carats.

REUTERS/Vivek Prakash (SINGAPORE)

Sounds like a real Mona

The Mona Lisa's smile may always remain a mystery, but it is now possible to hear what her voice would have sounded like, thanks to a Japanese acoustics expert.

Dr Matsumi Suzuki, who generally uses his skills to help with criminal investigations, measured the face and hands of Leonardo da Vinci's famous 16th century portrait to estimate her height at 168cm and create a model of her skull.

"Once we have that, we can create a voice very similar to that of the person concerned," Suzuki said in an interview at his Tokyo office.

"We have recreated the voices of a lot of famous people that were very close to the real thing and have been used in film dubbing."

The chart of any individual's voice, known as a voice print, is unique to that person and Suzuki says he believes he has achieved 90 per cent accuracy in recreating the quality of the enigmatic woman's speaking tone.

"I am the Mona Lisa. My true identity is shrouded in mystery," the portrait proclaims on a website at

http://promotion.msn.co.jp/davinci/voice.htm

Five Years After

A visitor from north-eastern China looks at a wax figure of Hong Kong pop star Leslie Cheung at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong March 31, 2008, one day before the fifth anniversary of his death. Cheung jumped to his death from a hotel on April 1, 2003.
REUTERS/Bobby Yip (CHINA)

"Cycle of Life"

Britain's Prince William arrives to talk with members of the "Cycle of Life" team at Clarence House in London March 31, 2008, before they set off for their 5000 mile ride across rural Africa in aid of charity "Tusk Trust".
REUTERS/Stephen Hird (BRITAIN)

"Leatherheads" to open April 4

Cast member John Krasinski poses at the premiere of "Leatherheads" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California March 31, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on April 4.

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)

Tennis with a view

The Tennis Court at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


The Burj al-Arab is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 metres (1,053 feet), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. It stands in the sea on an artificial island 280 metres (919 feet) away from the beach in the Persian Gulf, connected to the mainland only by a private curving bridge.

The Burj al-Arab does not have ordinary rooms; rather it is divided into 202 duplex suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 square metres (1,819 square feet), and the largest one covers 780 square metres (8,396 square feet). It is one of the most expensive hotels in the world to stay in. The prices for the least expensive suites are in the range of $1,000 to over $6,000 a night. The most expensive suites can cost over $15,000 a night.

Dodgers and fans, a record 115,300 strong, revisit their history

In more of a civic festival than a sporting event, the Dodgers attracted what they announced as a world record for a baseball game -- 115,300 -- to an exhibition game against the World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Fans cheer at the conclusion of the national anthem before the start of Saturday night's exhibition game between the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. The Coliseum was the home for the Dodgers during the 1958-61 seasons before they moved into Dodger Stadium.

Truly a sight to behold

March 31st is right at the beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but it is questionable at this point if the blossoms will achieve their full glory this year, but they are truly a sight to behold.

Stradivarius when you want to play the very best

A Stradivarius violin known as "The Penny," is seen on display at Christie's Auction House in New York March 27, 2008. The 300-year-old Antonio Stradivari violin named after its previous owner, the pianist and violinist Barbara Penny, will be auctioned on April 4. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (UNITED STATES)