DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) – Irish rocker and humanitarian Bono will become a knight of the British empire – but the U2 frontman won’t be called “Sir.”Britain confirmed Saturday Bono will receive his honorary knighthood from the British ambassador to Ireland, David Reddaway, in a Dublin ceremony shortly after New Year’s Day.The Dubliner, whose real name […]

NEW YORK (AP) – Actress Marilu Henner, best known for her role in the hit TV series “Taxi,” has married a former college classmate who proposed from his hospital bed after surgery for cancer.Henner, 54, married Michael Brown, also 54, before 100 people in Henner’s home in Los Angeles on Thursday, The New York Times […]

HDTV’s sharp increase in popularity a concern to some TV stars fearful of its sharp clarity LOS ANGELES – Vanity, thy name is hi-def TV.The holiday shopping season was expected to boost the number of U.S. homes with high-definition televisions to nearly 33 million. In the eyes of a growing number of image-obsessed on-air personalities, […]

CLEVELAND – Finding a Jackson Pollock painting is the art world’s equivalent of a winning lottery ticket.But proving a Pollock painting’s authenticity isn’t easy, which is why physicist Richard Taylor’s theory that the famed artist’s work can be identified using fractals has stirred such interest and controversy.Now, a graduate student is debunking Taylor’s analysis, saying […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Judi Dench may be one of the world’s most acclaimed actresses, but she still worries about getting work.The 72-year-old film and stage actress says she takes on many roles partly out of fear that her latest one could be her last.“It’s just wanting to be employed in my case,” she tells […]

DEAR ABBY: Do you believe there is a Santa Claus? My father died in 1966. I would have Mom for two more years. She was ill and developing Alzheimer’s when my husband gave me an ultimatum: him or my faith. I chose my faith. When he left, I was left with Mom and two teenagers […]

FARMINGTON – Mary-Ann Dunn has found a great method for trying new recipes. “I buy a cookbook, look through all the recipes and write down the page numbers of ones I’d like to try. Then, I have my three children pick numbers. Whatever they pick, I make,” she said.Dunn learned to cook by practice. “I […]

If you’re queasy about meat and poultry spoilage, good news: A gizmo called SensorfreshQ can sniff the item in question and give you a green, red or yellow light reading (yes, no or eat it soon). It uses flashlight batteries and replaceable sensor cartridges (two for $9.95). It’s $89.95, at Sharper Image.

Planning the spread for a New Year’s Eve party? Do your guests a favor and take your cheese tray to the next level.Instead of bland orange cubes speared on toothpicks, serve a colorful assortment of artisan cheeses. Made in small batches from cow, sheep and goat milk, these cheeses come in shades of blue, green, […]

Feeling gratitude toward others, and even life in general, has a positive effect on me. It makes me feel connected to others. It makes me feel a responsibility to share and contribute as a payback for what others have done for me. Gratitude is also a humbling experience. Seen correctly, it shows us that we […]