Dude

International Space Station Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield returns to Earth, and eventually Canada, on Monday. So, what better way to end the mission than doing a personalized rendition of David Bowie's classic "A Space Oddity," in the first music video from space. Hadfield, from the Canadian Space Agency, has been one chatty dude up there in the International Space Station, tweeting constantly during the Expedition 35 mission, which included a precedent-setting emergency spacewalk this weekend to repair an ammonia coolant leak.

During a timeout in Tuesday's game against New Orleans, Kobe Bryant had a talk with Pau Gasol. "I basically told him, dude, especially when I'm not in the game, you just gotta go to the block and not move," Bryant recalled. "When I'm out there, I can slow the game down, call plays off, and just give it to him -- but if I'm not, then listen, you just gotta go to the block and not move. Just stand there. " Gasol reluctantly followed Bryant's advice. "That's not my personality," Gasol said.

Prepare a hearty white Russian for the latest run of Lebowski Fest , the slavish annual appreciation of the comedy that made bowling the coolest thing a man can do. A screening at the Wiltern is followed the next day by a bowling party where the Dude himself (well, Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for Jeff Bridges' character, above) will abide. Screening at the Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., at 8:30 p.m. Fri. $19.99. Bowling party 9 p.m. Sat. at Cal Bowl, 2500 Carson St., Lakewood. $30. See www.lebowskifest.

The Coen Bros. film, "The Big Lebowski," starring Jeff Bridges, has achieved cult status thanks to hordes of adoring fans who obsess over its every detail and character. That's why something called Lebowski Fest was created. Fans of the film (called "Achievers") spend two days drinking white Russians, watching the film and other film-related live performances, and enjoying an energetic bowling party. Locations, times and prices vary. Fri. and Sat. http://www.lebowskifest.com .

Dude Fun With Dude and Betty Lisa Pliscou, illustrated by Tom Dunne Harper: 32 pp., $14.99, ages 4 and up Once upon a time, there was a little surfer looking for some tasty waves. Not kiddie swells in the wading pool. No way. What he wanted was some good, righteous stuff to make him shout "Stokaboka!" all day long. Lisa Pliscou's children's book, "Dude: Fun With Dude and Betty," is the story of this young man's quest to ditch homework and spend a hot summer's day on the finer things in life, like cranking waves and eating nachos.

Game On Dude overpowered three rivals to successfully defend his title in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on Sunday. Ridden by Hall of Fame member Mike Smith, Game On Dude ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.53 and paid $2.10 and $2.10 at 1-9 odds. Trained by Hall of Fame member Bob Baffert, Game On Dude is co-owned by retired Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was on hand. Game On Dude broke sharply and was immediately engaged by 12-1 longshot Basmati. "I got pressured, even more so than if it was a full field, believe it or not," Smith said.

As an avid dude ranch vacationer, I read "Say Howdy Dude" (July 17) with considerable interest. The two ranches you covered were both large in terms of guest capacity; there are many ranches that accommodate 30 or fewer, and these have a distinctly different feeling, marked by a far more flexible structure. Also, Eugene Kilgore's "Ranch Vacations," distributed by John Muir publications, is an excellent source on dude ranches, fly fishing ranches and cross-country skiing ranches. LESLIE GOLDENBERG, Los Angeles

Lest men get lost in the feminine hygiene section or the towering array of probiotic yogurts, a New York grocery store has created a testosterone haven: a so-called man aisle stocked with all the goods a dude could desire. It's a supermarket man cave of sorts, according to the New York Post . The dedicated aisle at Westside Market NYC features steak sauce, condoms, booze, deodorant, razors and other gentlemanly necessities. The grocery store's selection of beer sits next to the special section, dubbed the "Aisle of Man. " Elsewhere in the market, customers can find more evolved fare, such as Apollinaris sparkling mineral water imported from Germany, organic produce and Kashkaval cheese.

If Game On Dude is going to win the horse-of-the-year award, then Saturday's $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita is an ideal setting to make a lasting impression. A year after leading in the stretch and being overtaken by the late charge of Drosselmeyer at Churchill Downs, Game On Dude will try again to win the Classic, but this time the 5-year-old son of Awesome Again has a home-track advantage. So far, Game On Dude is a perfect five for five at Santa Anita. "You want to win the Breeders' Cup, you have to bring your A game that day," Game On Dude's trainer Bob Baffert said.

I'm thinking: "What's your name?" No, I'm not talking about that old song. Literally, I'm thinking, "What's your name?" Sure, I know we just met, and you said your name when we were introduced. However, in the nanosecond since our handshake ended, I have forgotten it. Of course, the easiest thing for me to do would be to ask your name again, but I will not do this because: One, it would be embarrassing. Two, there is no guarantee I will remember it the second time around.

A Ferrari made the rest of the field look like go-karts Saturday in the Santa Anita Handicap. As the 6-5 favorite, Game On Dude was expected to be impressive, but he went well beyond that. He was dazzling, awe-inspiring. For the crowd of 26,901 at the Great Race Place, the 2 minutes and 14-hundredths of a second they got of Game On Dude was easily worth the price of admission. The 6-year-old gelding broke to the front and never looked back, winning the $750,000 Grade I race by a record 7 3/4 lengths over Clubhouse Ride.

Bob Baffert's big money horse, Game On Dude, carries the high expectations of both his trainer and the betting public Saturday in the 77th running of the Santa Anita Handicap. One of the two top races in Santa Anita's annual winter season — the other is the Santa Anita Derby on April 6 — the Big 'Cap is a Grade I stakes that carries a purse of $750,000, with 60% to the winner. Game On Dude, a 6-year-old gelding, has already won $3,252,158 and is the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

Attention, rock stars: When Jimmy Fallon introduces you on his chat show as "one of the most legendary and influential musicians of all time," apparently you've got the run of the place. At least that's the message suggested by Prince's appearance Friday on "Late Night," where the Purple One dropped by to perform two songs, including his killer garage-rock single "Screwdriver. " It's one of a handful of tunes Prince is selling through a recently launched website, 3rdeyegirl.com , named after his new all-lady backing band.

For the first time in its 76-year history, the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap will feature two past winners — last year's Ron The Greek and 2011 champion Game On Dude. "I'm confident my horse is going to run a big race," said Bob Baffert, who trains Game On Dude. That certainty about the 6/5 favorite for the $750,000 Big 'Cap on Saturday is rooted in Game On Dude's recent performances, a 1 1/4-length win in the $250,000 Native Diver Stakes on Dec. 1 and a more-impressive 6 1/2-length triumph Feb. 3 in the $196,000 San Antonio Stakes.

Catching up on some items on the web: -- Sandy Koufax lets Yahoo's David Brown know he's not all thrilled about being part of the 'Big Lebowski' lore. -- Sore-elbowed Chad Billingsley tells the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett: “I'm going to be like Takashi Saito. ” -- The one guy the Dodgers didn't want to give up in that blockbuster trade with Boston last summer, Rubby De La Rosa, has impressed Pedro Martinez: “He has an opportunity to be someone special.” -- Tampa Rays manager Joe Maddon likes his early view of James Loney , calling him a “good gamble for the Rays.” -- Feelin' Kinda Blue's Dustin Nosler has unearthed the White Sox video of Hyun-Jin Ryu's spring debut with the Dodgers on Sunday.

Ashton Kutcher is living a double life, or so his latest profile in Esquire magazine would have us believe. On one hand, he's an actor who's taken goofy, likable-guy kinds of roles and parlayed them into a career and, on the other, he's a tech-geek, venture capitalist who's trying to change the world. And if there's one thing we learned from this lengthy story , it's that he loves to work, despite his description as "dumb-actor savant" by Esquire's Tom Chiarella. Kutcher has come a long way since his role on "That '70s Show.

A Ferrari made the rest of the field look like go-karts Saturday in the Santa Anita Handicap. As the 6-5 favorite, Game On Dude was expected to be impressive, but he went well beyond that. He was dazzling, awe-inspiring. For the crowd of 26,901 at the Great Race Place, the 2 minutes and 14-hundredths of a second they got of Game On Dude was easily worth the price of admission. The 6-year-old gelding broke to the front and never looked back, winning the $750,000 Grade I race by a record 7 3/4 lengths over Clubhouse Ride.

Probably no movie in recent memory uses the words radical and dude as much as "Rad" (citywide). You seem to be hearing them every minute or so. But that doesn't mean it's a radical movie . . . dude. The whole thing reminds you more of an overanxious teacher or coach, taking a few slang words and repeating them endlessly in a doomed attempt to "relate." "Rad" is about BMX bicycle racing.

Game On Dude overpowered three rivals to successfully defend his title in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on Sunday. Ridden by Hall of Fame member Mike Smith, Game On Dude ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.53 and paid $2.10 and $2.10 at 1-9 odds. Trained by Hall of Fame member Bob Baffert, Game On Dude is co-owned by retired Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was on hand. Game On Dude broke sharply and was immediately engaged by 12-1 longshot Basmati. "I got pressured, even more so than if it was a full field, believe it or not," Smith said.

In the off chance you were lying awake at night wondering what America's greatest moral philosopher Charlie Sheen thinks about Lance Armstrong, your wait is over: He's “kind of a douche,” the “Anger Management” star told Jay Leno on Thursday on “The Tonight Show.” When asked about the ongoing revelations about Armstrong's doping, Sheen -- hardly an exemplar of virtue himself -- revealed that he's not exactly a fan of the disgraced...