Exciting

Whether by necessity or choice, a quarter of Americans take at least one vacation by themselves each year. Some solo travelers are single. Some have partners who dislike travel or have different interests or can't get away. Some just crave freedom. But all face the same question: What's the best trip for the person traveling alone? "The key is to know yourself," said Beth Whitman, author of a guide for women traveling alone and founder of Wanderlustandlipstick.com , a website devoted to advice and tours for women on the go. "There are times when you just need to get away, to recuperate.

BALTIMORE - Wednesday morning at Pimlico race track was similar to most mornings for Claude McGaughey III. Except there were lots of reporters around, which made it different. McGaughey is a thoroughbred horse trainer, currently the one in the catbird's seat in his sport. His long-striding Orb won the Kentucky Derby, making him racing's next Great Brown Hope. It also makes McGaughey the present voice of the sport's future. He has little choice. Horses, except for Mr. Ed, are lousy quotes.

Until recently, very few people had ever heard of raspberry ketones, the aromatic compounds that give the berries their distinctive smell. Today, health food stores have trouble keeping the capsules or drops of the stuff on their shelves. Almost overnight, an obscure plant compound became the next big thing in weight loss - and all it took was a few words from Dr. Oz. In a February episode of "The Dr. Oz Show," Mehmet Oz told viewers that raspberry ketones were "the No. 1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat. " Once Oz calls something a "miracle," it doesn't remain obscure for long.

Yay? One of the most hyped teams in NBA history fell exhaustedly into the playoffs Wednesday. Appropriately, it happened with only three hours left in the season. Fittingly, it was clinched when they were just standing around. Ten minutes before the start of their game with the Houston Rockets, the Lakers learned that the Utah Jazz had lost in Memphis, meaning the Lakers were guaranteed the Western Conference's final playoff spot. BOX SCORE: Lakers 99, Rockets 95 (OT)

Thanks a lot for nothing, KHJ-TV, for airing the dull, boring "Those Amazing Animals" in place of the exciting "Voyagers." A bad mistake. Sarita Sarnobat, Diamond Bar

Heilbrun emerges as a fine role model for women over 50. She is courageous and knows that the later years offer exciting opportunities for those brave enough to take advantage of them. DIANE KOVACS Los Angeles

Here's an idea for keeping the Rose Bowl competitive in the future: Send the champion of the Big Ten to face the second-best team in the Pac-10. It worked great this year. The game was far more exciting than the slaughter we are used to seeing. MARCO A. ANGULO Montebello

I'm really sick of these so-called Dodger fans continuing to second-guess Tommy Lasorda's decision to pitch to Jack Clark. Speaking as one of the 55,000 in the stadium that afternoon, I know that we were all on our feet chanting: "One more out! One more out!" clearly impatient to win the game, knowing full well that even the best hitters pop up more often than they hit home runs. The fact that we saw the game, as well as the season, disappear over the left-field wall takes nothing away from what was indeed the most exciting game of the year and one of the most exciting seasons in Los Angeles Dodger history.

First, a really bad Germs bio-pic, followed by three 50-year-olds and a TV actor impersonating the dead lead singer playing live as the band ["With Shane West, 'New' Germs Spreading," Dec. 27]. It sounds a lot more like "Punk'd" than punk to me. The "new" Germs are the complete antithesis of what was exhilarating and exciting about punk, circa 1977. Nicole Panter Twentynine Palms Panter managed the Germs from 1977-80.

As a Laker fan of 25 years, having attended hundreds of games and watched or listened to thousands more on TV or radio, I seriously doubt if the majority of fans would agree with Mark Barnett of Temecula, who would rather have the Lakers lose, 120-115, than win, 85-80. Mr. Barnett might enjoy a season as a Denver Nugget fan, but I wouldn't. Incidentally, losing teams seldom generate the income necessary to support "exciting" players. S. DENNIS FOSTER Rialto

The Los Angeles Film Festival will open with the North American premiere of Pedro Almodóvar's "I'm So Excited!" on Thursday, June 13. The festival will run through June 23 at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Billed as something of a return to the bawdy, cheeky sex comedies of the Spanish filmmaker's earliest films (as opposed to his more recent, modern melodramas), the story of "I'm So Excited!" takes place mostly inside an airplane. With a cast that includes Paz Vega, Javier Camara, Hugo Silva and Cecilia Roth, the film also features cameos by Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.

Last November, America got Powerball fever and California felt left out. The jackpot for the multi-state game had reached $587.5-million and ticket sales skyrocketed. But California was one of only eight states without Powerball, forcing residents to ask relatives in other states to buy them tickets or even drive to the Arizona border. On Monday, Powerball finally came to California, and with long lines. Powerball is the lottery's first new game in nearly a decade, and at $2 a pop is also the most expensive jackpot to enter.

Vin Scully is luring us back to the Dodgers with wonderful old stories and the promise of a new season, and the Angels will introduce new acquisition Josh Hamilton to their home fans Tuesday, but winter sports haven't relaxed their hold on us just yet. Sunday is rivalry day in Southern California, a gift from the schedule makers of the NBA and the NHL. It's enough to keep us indoors when summer sports are trying to draw us out into the sunshine....

Fans of the 2011 artsploitation hit “Drive” have been on tenterhooks waiting for more footage from “Only God Forgives,” the Thai Western that director Nicolas Refn had been talking about for months, then went ahead and cast his “Drive” star Ryan Gosling in. They can rest a little easier - or feel their blood pressure climb further--at the first sign of extensive footage from the 2013 release.  The red-band trailer for the new phantasma...

On Wednesday, Lakers forward Metta World Peace said his injured knee is doing "really well. " "I can't tell you how well it's doing, but it's good," World Peace said.  "Just wait and see. " The Lakers forward had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee Thursday. He injured it on March 25 at Golden State in a loss to the Warriors. "I was posting up in the second quarter and my foot kind of went out and the knee kind of went in," he said. "I fell back when I was trying to get post-up position.

Ellen DeGeneres will "just keep swimming" in her new "Finding Nemo" sequel, "Finding Dory. " The talk show host, who voiced the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish of 2003's "Nemo," has been lobbying Disney and Pixar for years for a follow-up for the Academy Award-winning ocean adventure. On Tuesday, Disney made it official, announcing that the film would be released Nov. 23, 2015, Movies Now reported . And DeGeneres couldn't be more excited. "I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time," she said in a statement.

If you're over 40, you probably remember that first time someone called you "Ma'am" or "Sir. " It almost surely hurt, no matter how young and fit you felt. Evidently, your age was showing in those wrinkles and sags. Some decide to live with it; others do everything they can to obliterate the evidence. Today there are more nonsurgical options than ever to erase lines, thanks to new developments in the world of fillers. Thirty years ago, a filler such as Zyplast (cow collagen) would be injected to bring a line or scar up to the level of the surrounding skin.

"Don't go there," a well-traveled friend said when I mentioned my plans to visit Capri, a sunny island off southern Italy. Why? "You're not going to want to come home," he said. I laughed. My friend, a know-it-all author, loves to give advice. I didn't need it; I already knew I would fall in love with Capri. It's been one of Europe's favorite island getaway for more than 2,000 years, enthralling a cast of characters ranging from Roman emperors to 21st century luminaries and A-listers.

USC's football coaching staff traveled across campus to the Galen Center on Wednesday to attend the introductory news conference for basketball Coach Andy Enfield. While his assistants huddled in the back of the reception room, Lane Kiffin settled into a front-row seat. "USC basketball should be relevant," Athletic Director Pat Haden said in his opening remarks. "Let's be honest: It's not been relevant for a while. We're about to change that. " Even at a school dominated by its football program?

Count USC basketball players among those excited by the school's hiring of Andy Enfield and the uptempo Dunk City style he will bring to the Galen Center. Trojans guard Byron Wesley said Tuesday that he became a fan of Enfield's Florida Gulf Coast University team during its run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. "After the first game, I saw it wasn't a fluke -- they were legit," Wesley said. "I really like they're style of play. He really let them play, throw lobs and just play exciting.