Robert Wagner shares pieces of his heart

Robert Wagner gets a bit emotional explaining how he came up with the title of the memoir he wrote with Scott Eyman, "Pieces of My Heart."

After receiving a rough manuscript of the autobiography, he recalls, he decided to read the chapter about Barbara Stanwyck to his wife, Jill St. John, and a friend. The veteran Stanwyck and Wagner had a secret four-year relationship in the 1950s when he was in his early 20s and she was in her mid-40s. "She was a wonderful woman," Wagner says. "She was such a big part of my life."

Wagner got so choked up during the reading that he couldn't finish. He says their friend commented, " 'It must be very difficult to write a book. It must be very painful.' I said, 'Yes. It's taken pieces of my heart.' That's how I got the title."

Wagner's book has plenty of stories about his stern, demanding father, his early years in Hollywood, his friendship with such legends as Spencer Tracy and David Niven -- "you couldn't ask for a better friend" -- and his career ups and downs.

The crux of "Pieces of My Heart," however, revolves around his first -- and third -- wife, Natalie Wood, who died in 1981. For the first time since her death, Wagner talks publicly about the fateful night. But there are no surprise revelations in his account; he reiterates what the coroner and police concluded: Wood's drowning was accidental.

So Long to the "House that Ruth Built"

An image of former New York Yankees Babe Ruth is shown on a screen after the final regular season MLB American League baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, September 21, 2008.
REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES)

Outstanding Photography from the Journal Gazette of Ft. Wayne

Fireworks boom over downtown Fort Wayne in this view from the roof of Three Rivers Apartments, celebrating the new millennium, January 1, 2000.

For a CAUSE !!!

Pretty in Pink -- About 650 participants wearing pink ponchos gather in October 2005 in Headwaters Park to make a giant human pink ribbon as a visual reminder of the fight against breast cancer, before the start of the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

Sink or Swim !!!

Players from the Black & Blue and the Old Boys rugby clubs of Fort Wayne, Indiana risk drowning when they hit the sodden ground during a demonstration match at the Highland Games in June 2004.

This photo won first place for sports action in the 2004 Hoosier State Press Association contest.

Illusionist Plans Inverted Hang Over Central Park

For three days and two nights, illusionist David Blaine will enjoy an unusual view of New York City's Central Park -- one that can only be enjoyed from six stories in the air, while hanging upside down.

The magician's latest stunt, called the "Dive of Death," began 8:30 this morning as he was hoisted into position. The effort will reportedly culminate in Blaine dropping to the ground at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Dr. Ronald Ruden, Blaine's physician, told ABCNews.com that when he first heard the name of the stunt, "It scared the crap out of me."

Considering the various health hazards Blaine may face as he hangs in the position for about 60 hours, Ruden's concern is warranted. He said the stunt will be all endurance -- no smoke and mirrors.

"How he does this I'm not 100 percent sure," Ruden said. "He seems to have the ability to use his mind to control his body to not experience pain and discomfort, as well as take away his basic drives to eat and sleep and defy his fear."

"We don't even know what the physiology of this is," he said with a laugh. "I hate that."

Blaine told "Good Morning America" today right before he was hoisted into the air that he always found images of Harry Houdini hanging upside down "compelling to look at."

Houdini dangled upside down wearing a straightjacket and tried to escape as quickly as possible, but Blaine's niche is testing his endurance.

"I always liked that idea of being upside down," Blaine said. "So I started experimenting on how long could somebody actually be put upside down. And there was no documentation of it. Nobody really had research on it. I invited doctors to kind of look and watch me as I was doing experiments. And although the dangers are high, I think there's a way to override that. "

Blaine said he has prepared for the challenges of the 2½-day hang by losing some weight, performing special exercises and practicing dangling upside down.

But there are certain health considerations that simple conditioning cannot address. During his ordeal, Blaine will not eat or sleep. He will urinate through a catheter. And doctors not involved with the stunt say there are definite risks involved with his attempt.

The photo below shows David Blaine submerged in an earlier stunt.

"The Merkle Boner"

On Wednesday, September 23, 1908, while playing for the New York Giants in a game against the Chicago Cubs, while he was 19 years old (the youngest player in the NL), Merkle committed a base running error that later became known as "Merkle's Boner," and earned Merkle the nickname of "Bonehead."

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Merkle came to bat with two outs, and the score tied 1-1. At the time, Moose McCormick was on first base. Merkle singled and McCormick advanced to third base. Al Bridwell, the next batter, followed with a single of his own. McCormick advanced to home plate scoring the winning run for the game. The fans in attendance, under the impression that the game was over, ran onto the field to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Merkle, thinking the game was over, walked to the Giants' clubhouse without touching second base. Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed this, and after retrieving a ball and touching second base he appealed to umpire Hank O'Day, who would later manage the Cubs, to call Merkle out. Since Merkle had not touched the base, the umpire called him out on a force play, and McCormick's run did not count.

The run was therefore nullified, the Giants' victory erased, and the score of the game remained tied. Unfortunately, the thousands of fans on the field (as well as the growing darkness in the days before large electric light rigs made night games possible) prevented resumption of the game and the game was declared a tie. The Giants and the Cubs would end the season tied for first place and would have a rematch at the Polo Grounds, on October 8. The Cubs won this makeup game, 4-2, and thus the National League pennant.

Shroud of Turin stirs new controversy

A life-sized illuminated photograph of the Shroud of Turin, believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

A Colorado couple researching the shroud dispute radiocarbon dating of the alleged burial cloth of Jesus, and Oxford has agreed to help them reexamine the findings.

Stonehenge may have been an ancient Lourdes

British researchers think they have solved the decades-old mystery of why ancient Britons transported massive rocks 250 miles from Wales to Salisbury Plain to construct the massive but enigmatic Stonehenge monument: They believed the stones possessed healing powers.

A variety of archaeological evidence, including results from the first excavation inside the monument in nearly half a century, also suggest that the first stones were placed at least 200 years later than previously believed and that the Romans may have altered the stones during their occupation of Britain.

The findings do not conflict with other recent theories about the uses of Stonehenge -- which indicate that it was an astronomical observatory, a cemetery and the site of biannual celebrations that honored the dead and the living. But they do suggest that the monument also was an ancient Lourdes where pilgrims congregated to have their wounds and illnesses magically healed.

Have you forgotten about loud, combative, opinionated, rude and laughable Wally George ??? . . . God knows I've tried !!!

Conservative TV talk host, Wally George.

Time Magazine.

THE BIRDMAN COMETH

Joe Krathwohl, a.k.a. the Birdman of Las Vegas, does astonishing bird tricks with a menagerie that includes Hawaiian cockatoos, Amazon parrots and the endangered Andean condor at 1 and 3 p.m. Fridays through Sundays inside the 80,000-square-foot Hawaiian Marketplace, 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Free.

Impressive Greeting

Two of the most famous man-marks of Las Vegas are the volcano in front of the Mirage and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" neon sign that greets those driving north on Las Vegas Boulevard upon reaching the Strip. One is changing and the other, well, for now, it is staying put.

The Mirage is redoing its iconic volcano in front of the casino. The refreshed volcano was set for a fall opening with a press conference expected prior to announce the details. But that press conference did not take place until Wednesday. Now the opening is going to be scheduled for early December.

The big headline is that in addition to ramping up the explosion and adding a fire dance in the lagoon, part of the $25 million renovation will include a new soundtrack, lasting seven minutes, to the Volcano eruption written by former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and his co-composer, Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain. The press conference was held at the Love theater at Mirage because there Hart's music could be carefully and loudly presented with a custom Meyer speaker system, the same company working on the volcano's score sound presentation. Talk about great expectations ???

Twenty One Vegas Ideas

By Steve Friess
Special to The Los Angeles Times

Once upon a time, Las Vegas was synonymous with bargains. Then cheap buffets, lounge acts and inexpensive hotel rooms gave way to Michelin Guide star-rated restaurants, Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas and luxury suites at the Bellagio. But all is not lost, even in these tough economic times when gas prices alone may make you reconsider a Vegas trip. These 21 ideas, each for less than $21, show that Vegas is still the land of the cheap and home of the free, if you know where to look.

Look in today's Sunday Los Angeles Times.

(Photo by Anne Cusack)

Will Charlie Brown ever get to kick that ball ???

Santa Rosa, California: People come to the edge of the wine country for some grown-up fun amid the Cabernets and Chardonnays of Napa Valley. But for dessert, you can get the house that Charlie Brown built.

Or rather, the museum Charles M. Schulz built. And the ice rink, the coffee shop, the gift shop, the gardens and the baseball field.

Schulz, the father of the "Peanuts" cartoon strip, lived in Sonoma County for more than 40 years, constructing an empire around the hapless Charlie Brown and the irrepressible Snoopy. Within two years of the artist's death in 2000, the Schulz family had put up the Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center here, 56 miles northwest of San Francisco. It gets about 60,000 visitors a year.

Largest Globe in the World

The Unisphere was constructed in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens for the 1964-65 World's Fair. A gift from the US Steel Corporation, the Unisphere is the largest globe in the world, standing 120 feet tall and weighing almost one million pounds. It symbolized the theme of the Fair, which was peace through understanding. It consists of steel renderings of the seven continents and is encircled by three metal rings. Two of its concentric rings symbolize the orbits of the first American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts in outer space. The third ring symbolizes the first communication satellite in outer space. The Unisphere is now a landmark and has become a fitting symbol of Queens, the most diverse county on the planet. After a $3 million renovation, the addition of spectacular lighting makes the Unisphere visible from many distant vantage points on the ground and in the air. It has also gained national prominence, appearing on television shows, in commercials, and magazine ads.

A Historic Moment and Indelible Image

The ceremony honoring Babe Ruth on June 13, 1948, just two months before the Hall of Fame Slugger's death.

Sometimes I get the feeling that a fashion designer will do anything to be "different"

A model displays a creation by Indian designer Varun Bahl on the fifth-day of India Couture Week in Mumbai September 20, 2008.
REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe (INDIA)

How do you spell "fun" in German: OKTOBERFEST !!!

A waitress serves beer after the opening ceremony of the Oktoberfest in Munich September 20, 2008. Millions of beer drinkers from around the world will come to the Bavarian capital Munich for the world's biggest and most famous beer festival, the Oktoberfest. The 175th Oktoberfest lasts from September 20 until October 5.
REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski (GERMANY)

Shelley . . . we remember you well . . . thanks for the laughs !!!

Actor and comedian Shelley Berman, nominee for his role in "Curb Your Enthusiasm", poses at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Primetime Emmy Awards Nominees for Outstanding Performance reception in Los Angeles, California September 19, 2008. The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles September 21.
REUTERS/Fred Prouser (UNITED STATES)

Banderas wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas holds up the Donosti Award for lifetime achievement on the second night of the 56th San Sebastian Film Festival September 19, 2008.
REUTERS/Stringer (SPAIN)