Dandy

Often considered the most popular entertainer of the 20th century--his extravagant performances set still-unchallenged attendance records--Liberace (dubbed "Mr. Showman" in tribute to his flashy theatricality) sued a London columnist in 1956 for implying he was gay. He won.

BASEBALL URBAN LEGEND : The Yankees had a costumed mascot during the 1970s. On July 10, 1979, the famous costumed mascot the San Diego Chicken (who was working for the Seattle Mariners that day), put a hex on New York Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry during a Mariners/Yankees game in Seattle. This upset Yankee outfielder Lou Piniella, who then chased the mascot and even threw his glove at the giant costumed bird. After the game, Piniella remarked regarding his irritation at the mascot trend, "If people want to pay to see a chicken, they should dress the players up in chicken suits.

Is it too early to get excited about a high school basketball game? Los Angeles Fairfax Coach Harvey Kitani on Tuesday announced the matchups for the Fairfax State Preview Classic set for Jan. 28, and there are two games that should produce much intrigue and big interest. At 4:30 p.m., Los Angeles Price will face Los Angeles Windward in a game between two of the state's top small-school programs. At 8 p.m., there could be three-point shots en masse when Orange Lutheran and Arizona-bound guard Gabe York take on Los Angeles Loyola and its numerous top guards in the featured game of the night.

Sean O'Casey's widow, Eileen, and daughter Shivaun left town Wednesday after what they felt was a productive 10-day visit to the Southland. The attractive O'Casey ladies, who strongly resemble each other, came to see what they could do to help get a production of O'Casey's "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy" mounted in Los Angeles.

THIS week, the British artist and writer Sebastian Horsley flew from London to Newark, N.J., to begin a book tour. In his mind, he would be an Englishman touring the Americas just as Oscar Wilde did in 1881, when he told an American customs official, "I have nothing to declare but my genius." Horsley, whose memoir, "Dandy in the Underworld," was just published in the U.S., didn't even get that quip out. The customs officials at Newark International Airport took one look at the author, who was wearing a three-piece suit and a top hat, questioned him, considered the book he was here to promote (kindly reviewed in the New York Times and Village Voice, among others)

As a student at Van Ness Elementary School in the mid 1920s, my father and all his classmates were taught a little song to sing to their parents to encourage them to vote for a school bond similar to the one now facing voters in the upcoming April 8 election that will upgrade and modernize deteriorating classrooms in Los Angeles. He called me from his home in Palm Springs and suggested that Mayor Richard Riordan, state Sen. Tom Hayden and the school board teach the same song to students today to motivate their parents to support Proposition BB (Feb.

Where was the music part of Geoff Boucher's "Ronstadt's Message Is Well-Received" (July 22)? Linda wowed the audience that night with not just her bravery as a private citizen, but she also sang beautifully -- standards, new songs, Jimmy Webb songs, her hits. Boucher made it sound like everything (to quote a standard song) was just "fine and dandy." It certainly was not. I have been to hundreds and hundreds of concerts over the years, and I have never felt such tension in an auditorium before.

I grew up in a former walnut orchard in North Hollywood, so I am familiar with Emily Green's plight ["Eden at the Garden Center, $19.99 a Tree," Jan. 20], especially trying to grow anything in the shadow of walnut trees. Some suggestions: The pluot, a plum-apricot cross, is the sweetest piece of fruit I have grown. 'Dapple Dandy' is my favorite, but the 'Flavor Grenade' pluot is a close second. For a list of good fruit trees to plant in Southern California, go to dave wilson.com/homegrown/all_tom/tom_picks05.

J.A. Adande wrote a lovely piece on Vin Scully, Chick Hearn and Bob Miller ["Three Kings", Dec. 5]. There's a forgotten broadcaster in this town who's also worthy of the Hall of Fame: Ralph Lawler, now in his 22nd year as the voice of the Clippers. Nobody has suffered more heartbreaking losses, yet nobody calls a more exciting game. Lawler begins each game believing it will be "a dandy," and when that do-or-die three-pointer goes in to the sound of Lawler's "Bingooooo!" you hear the optimism that is the heart and soul of the franchise.

During the men's European runway shows this summer, I overheard a fashion editor describing a military history book he'd read. "The commanding officers in the British army at the time of the Crimean War were dandy aristocrats who were more concerned with one-upping each other with over-the-top uniforms and military regalia than they were with military strategy," he said. With the cardinal-red military jacket, blue sash and chest full of medals worn by Prince William during his April nuptials to Kate Middleton fresh in my mind, I was intrigued and inquired further.

Though he made his name as the ultimate tough guy in a series of gangster flicks at Warner Bros., James Cagney began his career as a hoofer and comedian in vaudeville. He got a chance to return to his song-and-dance roots in 1942's "Yankee Doodle Dandy," which airs Monday at 5 p.m. on TCM. The role of famed composer, singer, dancer and actor George M. Cohan fit the bantam-sized, energetic Cagney like a glove, especially in the rousing musical numbers "Give My Regards to Broadway. " Cagney won his only lead actor Oscar for his larger-than-life performance.

For those times when you can't get to the gym -- or don't feel like breaking out your credit card to pay the membership fee -- home workout equipment is essential. But as these innovative, lightweight and very portable devices show, a home gym doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg or take over the entire living room. They don't even have to stay at home anymore. -- Hanging around GFlex Portable Gravity Gym: Simple clip-on, strap-and-pulley suspended bodyweight device that turns any door, tree or solid structure into an all-body strength-training apparatus.

No Manny? No matter — the Dodgers still have Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda's no-hit pitching through 71/3 innings lifted the Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies and ace Roy Halladay on Monday at Dodger Stadium. The win not only helped the Dodgers put Manny Ramirez's departure behind them, it also lifted the Dodgers to within 5 1/2 games of Philadelphia in the National League wild-card race. Kuroda, perfect before walking Carlos Ruiz with one out in the sixth, didn't allow a hit until Shane Victorino singled to right field with one out in the eighth.

The Lakers congregated all day Thursday, first the coaching staff and later the players, everybody hoping to put together a successful game plan against the Oklahoma City Thunder before anyone else got hurt or fined. The latest injury news wasn't favorable for the Lakers, with reserve guard Sasha Vujacic sidelined a lengthy period because of a severely sprained left ankle, and the financial trends weren't great either when Phil Jackson got hit with his second $35,000 fine in 10 days for criticizing referees.

The day Domino Harvey died, she called her former partner, Ed Martinez, to reminisce about old times -- the three violent, thrilling years they spent together as bounty hunters in South Los Angeles. Harvey, daughter of the late British actor Laurence Harvey and supermodel Paulene Stone, had led a tormented, eccentric existence. She ran a London dance club, worked as a ranch hand in San Diego, then became a "bail recovery agent," hunting fugitives and carrying a shotgun she called Betsy.

Suddenly glasses seem to be all the rage. Scenesters are wearing oversized frames at the club, Tina Fey flaunts sexy librarian-style specs, and Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z have launched remarkable collections of Clark Kent-style eyewear. And, sure, you can go to LensCrafters to buy a serviceable pair in a cafeteria-type setting, or to Oliver Peoples for some high-class panache. But if funky boutique is more your style, a couple of independent spots in town are definitely not from the cookie-cutter.

Guy Ritchie's aggressively stylized, testosterone-addled movies careen from one steroidal encounter to the next. But in "RocknRolla," Ritchie dials down the pace, soaking up the atmosphere of sweat and stale beer around a revolving cast of low-level thugs and underworld operators. Ritchie whisks you along on a whirlwind tour, but he's not averse to putting on the brakes long enough to admire some of his favorite attractions. "RocknRolla's" deliberately convoluted plot centers around the hunt for a painting that belongs to a Russian mobster (Karel Roden)

THIS week, the British artist and writer Sebastian Horsley flew from London to Newark, N.J., to begin a book tour. In his mind, he would be an Englishman touring the Americas just as Oscar Wilde did in 1881, when he told an American customs official, "I have nothing to declare but my genius." Horsley, whose memoir, "Dandy in the Underworld," was just published in the U.S., didn't even get that quip out. The customs officials at Newark International Airport took one look at the author, who was wearing a three-piece suit and a top hat, questioned him, considered the book he was here to promote (kindly reviewed in the New York Times and Village Voice, among others)