LOS ANGELES (AP) – Academy Awards heavyweights such as George Clooney and Cate Blanchett were no match for another of Tyler Perry’s populist tales.The Lionsgate release “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?”, a marital yarn whose ensemble cast includes Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Jill Scott and writer-director Perry, debuted as the No. 1 weekend […]

NEW YORK (AP) – Clapton is Good.The second “o” is critical. Back in the 1960s, when London graffiti proclaimed “Clapton is God,” the brilliant British guitarist was descending into a personal hell. Eric Clapton traded a heroin addiction for alcoholism, suffered disastrous love affairs, contemplated suicide while armed with a bottle of vodka, a gram […]

DEAR ABBY: I recently began attending a private high school in Manhattan on scholarship. The commute can take two hours – or more – each way. In the beginning, I was willing to accept the challenge and make it work. However, as the long days continue, I’m wondering if it’s worth it.I don’t seem to […]

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Stacy Keibler, 28; Usher, 29; Natalie Maines, 33; Harry Anderson, 55Happy Birthday: Don’t put your emphasis on the wrong things. Perfection and a passion for what you do should reign supreme. You will face daunting changes but, if you are quick to isolate the problem, you can turn anything negative […]

FRESNO, Calif. – As a consultant to several universities, Helen E. Johnson has noticed a huge increase during the past decade in bright students who lacked the maturity to handle college on their own.“They need constant reinforcement and support,” said Johnson, co-author of the parent guide “Don’t Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Money.” […]

In a world where “interactive” is invariably synonymous with “electronic,” you might expect paper pop-up books to seem hopelessly analog.But today’s kids, raised on the touch-screens and prerecorded audio of LeapPad and Reader Rabbit, are likely to be surprised and delighted by the deliberately low-tech magic found in the current crop of pop-up books. And […]

If you can bypass the butter, popcorn is a low-fat, whole-grain snack full of fiber.But it can be tough to resist the beast. The Star’s Rosemary Cheese Popcorn recipe gussies up fat-free microwave popcorn with herbs and cheese and a single tablespoon of butter to make them stick.When buying microwave popcorn, watch out for “butter […]

DEAR MR. DAD: I am newly pregnant, and even though our baby isn’t due for a few more months, my husband and I are having a major disagreement. I want to breastfeed for at least 4 or 5 months and my husband is scared of breast milk. He insists that it is “gross” and doesn’t […]

PARIS – Tuesday morning the trial of Wallace G. Everett, indicted for the murder of Edgar J. Radcliffe, will begin. As will be remembered, Radcliffe was blown up in the powder house at Crocker Hill mine at about 10 o’clock, Thursday night, June 13. Subsequent examination of the mangled body revealed a knife stab in […]

PORTLAND – Geri Jewell, noted actress, comedienne and motivational speaker and trainer, will appear at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the University of Southern Maine’s Abromson Center in recognition of National Disability Employment Month. Jewell is the first person with a visible disability to have a regular role on a national prime time television […]