Darby

A rerun of "Animal Planet" flickered across the TV screen as my roommate yawned deeply, lay down on the floor in front of me and rolled over on his back, his long, gangly legs sticking straight up. "I get the message," I said. "Too much TV. So let's go somewhere." Darby, my happy-go-lucky wheaten terrier, jumped up and ran to the front door, panting. "I didn't mean right now," I said. "We have to plan it. But you get to pick where we go: North? South? East? West?" He barked four times.

In the age-old war between cats and dogs, the Fidos of America have scored another victory. Their triumph revolves around the nation's bed-and-breakfast owners. Long a bastion of anti-pet sentiment, the B&B industry has grown so fond of dogs that it's luring them with special toys, treats and cushy beds. Cats, meanwhile, are rarely invited anywhere. This makes my pal Darby, a handsome Wheaten terrier, giddy. He loves to travel and hates felines, so he's only too happy to hit the road and check out places to stay, especially places that don't allow cats.

In the age-old war between cats and dogs, the Fidos of America have scored another victory. Their triumph revolves around the nation's bed-and-breakfast owners. Long a bastion of anti-pet sentiment, the B&B industry has grown so fond of dogs that it's luring them with special toys, treats and cushy beds. Cats, meanwhile, are rarely invited anywhere. This makes my pal Darby, a handsome Wheaten terrier, giddy. He loves to travel and hates felines, so he's only too happy to hit the road and check out places to stay, especially places that don't allow cats.

Most remakes of classic films are shadows of the originals. But Joel and Ethan Coen's version of the western "True Grit" ? with Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as the plucky Mattie Ross and Matt Damon as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf ? has won over critics, audiences and even Kim Darby, who played the resolute Mattie in the 1969 original for which John Wayne won his only Oscar as the irascible Cogburn. "It's a wonderful movie," said Darby, now 63. "It's top drawer.

My friend Darby revels in the good life when he travels: Egyptian cotton bed linens, gourmet meals whipped up by the chef, a workout with a private trainer or a day of in-room massage and grooming. Happily, some of Southern California's finest hotels leap at the chance to accommodate his penchant for luxury. They greet him with open arms, tell him how handsome he is, then give him the run of the place. Never mind that Darby speaks only in monosyllables, doesn't carry a credit card and ambles across the lobby on four legs instead of two. He is treated as an honored guest.

Some "Moonlighting" viewers are missing the point entirely (Calendar Letters, April 12). Love and hate are basically two sides of the same emotional coin, intense feeling expressed in different ways. Since Maddie and David usually express the intense feelings they have for each other by duking it out, the only believable way they could have gotten together is to be in the middle of a fight and suddenly "flip the coin," so to speak. Once they admit that they actually love each other, then they can be "gentle and romantic."

My pal Darby and I love to go where the wild things are. In his case, that's because he qualifies as one of them. Darby is a happy-go-lucky wheaten terrier with a penchant for travel. The mere whisper of the words "Let's go" unleashes boundless enthusiasm in him. We make great traveling companions because I also get pretty hyped when I hear those words, although I try not to leap around and whine. Last month the great outdoors called, and we answered with a resounding yes and a hearty woof.

Rick Majerus, Utah basketball coach, wasn't taking any chances after his heart bypass surgery last year. The 5-foot-9, 270-pound Majerus recently told Skip Myslenski of the Chicago Tribune about his rehabilitation process: "I went to Santa Monica to run. I wanted to go to a rich city where they have 911 and rich doctors with good equipment. I wasn't going to where they just let you lie in the street if you have a heart attack."

Most remakes of classic films are shadows of the originals. But Joel and Ethan Coen's version of the western "True Grit" ? with Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as the plucky Mattie Ross and Matt Damon as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf ? has won over critics, audiences and even Kim Darby, who played the resolute Mattie in the 1969 original for which John Wayne won his only Oscar as the irascible Cogburn. "It's a wonderful movie," said Darby, now 63. "It's top drawer.

Terence Trent D'Arby walked on stage at the sold-out California Theatre here Wednesday night a question mark, but he left every bit a star. For anyone who has followed D'Arby's spectacular rise in recent months, that result may seem all too predictable. After all, this London-based American artist who combines the dazzling vocal conviction of Sam Cooke and the seductive performance tease of Mick Jagger, is one of the most talked about newcomers in pop in years.

It is difficult for me to place any credibility in Karl Zimmermann's story on cross-country train travel ["Make Tracks," June 20] based on my experience. Zimmermann says the Coast Starlight is one of the best trains in the Amtrack system. Here's a slice of reality: My wife and I rode the Starlight roundtrip between Los Angeles and Seattle for several years to visit our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Things were fine for a while. Then they started to go downhill fast. On the last four legs we traveled — two northbound and two southbound — the train was never less than seven hours late in arriving.

A rerun of "Animal Planet" flickered across the TV screen as my roommate yawned deeply, lay down on the floor in front of me and rolled over on his back, his long, gangly legs sticking straight up. "I get the message," I said. "Too much TV. So let's go somewhere." Darby, my happy-go-lucky wheaten terrier, jumped up and ran to the front door, panting. "I didn't mean right now," I said. "We have to plan it. But you get to pick where we go: North? South? East? West?" He barked four times.

My pal Darby and I love to go where the wild things are. In his case, that's because he qualifies as one of them. Darby is a happy-go-lucky wheaten terrier with a penchant for travel. The mere whisper of the words "Let's go" unleashes boundless enthusiasm in him. We make great traveling companions because I also get pretty hyped when I hear those words, although I try not to leap around and whine. Last month the great outdoors called, and we answered with a resounding yes and a hearty woof.

My friend Darby revels in the good life when he travels: Egyptian cotton bed linens, gourmet meals whipped up by the chef, a workout with a private trainer or a day of in-room massage and grooming. Happily, some of Southern California's finest hotels leap at the chance to accommodate his penchant for luxury. They greet him with open arms, tell him how handsome he is, then give him the run of the place. Never mind that Darby speaks only in monosyllables, doesn't carry a credit card and ambles across the lobby on four legs instead of two. He is treated as an honored guest.

On HBO's hit sitcom "Flight of the Conchords," Rhys Darby steals scenes as hapless band manager Murray Hewitt. The 33-year-old Kiwi comic recently wrapped his first feature film, "Yes Man," with Jim Carrey, and will be recording two stand-up performances at the El Rey Theatre this Sunday for his first DVD. WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT AT THE SHOW? My stand-up essentially is quite physical. I put aspects of mime and sound effects into my performance. I like to give a 3-D picture instead of just telling a story.

The fast, furious and enigmatic career of late-'70s punk rocker Darby Crash, who died of a heroin overdose Dec. 7, 1980, at the age of 22, remains a half-buried L.A. legend. His demise was overshadowed by another rock death the next day -- the shooting of John Lennon 3,000 miles east. As explored by debuting director Rodger Grossman in "What We Do Is Secret" -- screening at 10 p.m.

Long Beach State has come a long way to make to the NCAA tournament, emerging from the depths of consecutive seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04 when the 49ers went a combined 11-43 to a 24-7 record this season. Nobody knows better than Louis Darby, a fifth-year senior who has been through it all. Darby, a reserve forward, just shakes his head and smiles when he thinks about going to Columbus, Ohio, to face Tennessee in the first round Friday.

On HBO's hit sitcom "Flight of the Conchords," Rhys Darby steals scenes as hapless band manager Murray Hewitt. The 33-year-old Kiwi comic recently wrapped his first feature film, "Yes Man," with Jim Carrey, and will be recording two stand-up performances at the El Rey Theatre this Sunday for his first DVD. WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT AT THE SHOW? My stand-up essentially is quite physical. I put aspects of mime and sound effects into my performance. I like to give a 3-D picture instead of just telling a story.

Long Beach State has come a long way to make to the NCAA tournament, emerging from the depths of consecutive seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04 when the 49ers went a combined 11-43 to a 24-7 record this season. Nobody knows better than Louis Darby, a fifth-year senior who has been through it all. Darby, a reserve forward, just shakes his head and smiles when he thinks about going to Columbus, Ohio, to face Tennessee in the first round Friday.

Georgetown hasn't been an elite team for a long time, but it was still too much for Long Beach State in a 57-51 victory Wednesday in the Rainbow Classic. Freshman forward Jeff Green had game highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Hoyas in the tournament's consolation bracket at Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center. Georgetown improved to 5-3.