2012

This post has been updated. See note below for details. Pink Floyd's “Dark Side of the Moon” is no longer just the rock album that has logged more weeks than any other on Billboard's national album chart nor merely the one acid heads favored for syncing up as a twisted soundtrack for “The Wizard of Oz.” It's also now going into the 2012 National Recording Registry, one of 25 recordings over the last century singled out for their “cultural,...

With average gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon, fewer Southern California residents say they plan to take a leisure trip over spring break, according to a survey by the Auto Club of Southern California. The annual survey of Auto Club members found that 47% said they plan at least one leisure trip this spring break season, compared with 57% in 2012 and 55% in 2011. High gasoline prices prompted 69% of those polled to say they made at least one significant cut to their budget, compared with 66% in 2012 and 61% in 2011.

Hollywood remains a hot global commodity, according to a new industry report. Global movie ticket sales soared to new heights last year, climbing 6% to $34.7 billion, fueled mainly by growth in international box office revenue, according to a report by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the chief lobbying arm for the major studios. International ticket sales reached $23.9 billion, up 6% compared to 2011 and up 32% over five years ago, driven by growth in Russia, Brazil, and China, which last year surpassed Japan as the world's largest international box office market for movies, the MPAA said in its annual survey of the industry.  China had $2.7 billion in movie ticket sales last year, while Japan had $2.4 billion.

The Lakers took their 2012-13 team photo on Wednesday. In honor of the late Dr. Jerry Buss, the Lakers left an empty seat between Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol.  Buss died Feb. 18 from an undisclosed form of cancer. The team also released a brief video of the shoot via Vine.com The Lakers also sent out a thank-you message on Twitter for reaching 3 million followers . Off until Friday, the Lakers (36-33) next host the Washington Wizards (24-43) at Staples Center.

Katie Holmes is willing to expand her little family. "I don't know. I'm open to it," the actress tells Allure brightly. However, she's been linked to few suitors, save for a rumored ( and debunked ) dalliance with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Tom Cruise's ex-wife and mother of stylish 6-year-old Suri Cruise is the mag's balmy April cover girl. She strips down for the mag's pictorials (a la her topless Iris jewelry ad campaign ) and is opening up a bit about what the future holds for her. PHOTOS: 50 most beautiful female celebrities The past year has been a tough one for the girl-next-door-turned-A-lister.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle named the winners of its annual awards on Monday for stage productions that opened last year. Sharing the honors for best production were the national tour of "The Book of Mormon" at the Pantages Theatre; "Cyrano" at the Fountain Theatre; "Justin Love" at the Celebration Theatre; and the national tour of "War Horse" at the Ahmanson Theatre. The group gave its award for best revival production to " Waiting for Godot " at the Mark Taper Forum.

Lindsay Lohan avoided jail again when she pleaded no contest Monday to misdemeanor charges related to a June 2012 car crash in a last-minute deal that will send her to 90 days in a locked rehabilitation facility. The "Mean Girls" star must also spend 18 months in therapy and serve 30 days of community service as part of the agreement, in which she pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless driving and providing false information to police. A charge of willfully resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer was dismissed.

The hours before Selection Sunday are what Lakers announcer Chick Hearn used to call "nervous time. " Defending national champion Kentucky might want to chew on some of Jerry Tarkanian's old towels after probably blowing its bubble bid with an early SEC tournament ouster against Vanderbilt. Kentucky Coach John Calipari needs to move Sunday morning's team breakfast into the beggars banquet room. Those eight NCAA titles are of little use now. "The good news is everyone seems to be losing," Calipari said after his team "laid an egg" against Vandy.

WASHINGTON - Home equity is back, and it's growing fast. According to the latest data from the Federal Reserve, Americans' net equity in their houses jumped nearly $500 billion during the last three months of 2012 and $1.7 trillion since spring 2011. What does this mean to you personally? Depending on where your home is, it could mean that finally - after years of struggling with an underwater mortgage, one that exceeds the value of the home - you are seeing the market value of your property rise into positive equity territory, or at least closer to the break-even mark.

The Environmental Protection Agency says that model year 2012 cars and trucks will have the highest ever real-world average fuel economy at about 23.8 miles per gallon. That would be 1.2 mpg higher than the previous peak set in 2010. In 2011, when U.S. gasoline prices averaged a then-record $3.53 for a gallon of regular, the mpg numbers fell. The EPA says that mileage fell by 0.2 mpg in 2011, in part because of the effects of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power disasters in Japan.