Musician

They call him Mr. Wonderful. But Kevin O'Leary was recently engaged in one of his less-than-wonderful rants, the kind familiar to anyone who loves to hate him on ABC's "Shark Tank. " "If I were the president of the United States, I would make unions illegal," O'Leary declared, between sips of Cabernet during a Sunday brunch at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. "They no longer serve a functional purpose in democracy, in my view. "My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity," the 58-year-old former educational software mogul turned investor added, warming to his topic.

Some kids don't want to look back when they turn 19 and find themselves released - "emancipated" - from foster homes they were placed in because of family problems or brushes with the law. But not Arturo Flores. Flores was so grateful for his 2005 and 2006 stay at a Highland Park group home operated by Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services that he returned to become a counselor. "I wasn't planning to work here. I just wanted to give back for what this place did for me," said Flores, now 24. "This place did a lot. " Flores said he was 16 when his life spiraled out of control.

Rapper Heavy D died last month of a blood clot in his lung that was likely formed during a long flight home from London, where he had performed a tribute to Michael Jackson, according to the L.A. County coroner's office. Although some had speculated that Heavy D's weight or pneumonia played a role in his death last month, the autopsy report released Tuesday revealed that he suffered from deep leg thrombosis that caused a pulmonary embolism. Known as the silent killer, a pulmonary embolism is the medical term for a blood clot in the lung.

The state planning agency that oversees open space in the Santa Monica Mountains will drop its opposition to a controversial bid by U2 guitarist the Edge to build a compound of homes above Malibu in exchange for more than $1 million in funding, consulting services and dedicated open space from the musician and his partners. In a deal with the rocker narrowly approved this week, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy agreed to take a neutral position on the high-profile project in exchange for a $750,000 payment, $250,000 worth of work by a consultant who works for the musician, 97 acres of conservation easements, and development restrictions around the homes that would eventually allow a short length of trail to be built through a sliver of the property.

Sheila Styron was on a sidewalk in West Los Angeles when it happened. A bus, she says, angled in over the curb, and in one terrifying instant, caved in her upper front teeth, bruised her from head to shin and knocked her off her feet. But that, she says, wasn't the worst part. Getting hit by a bus forced Sheila Styron to face two simple and profound facts about herself: She is blind and because she is blind she is vulnerable.

Andy Griffith's death on Tuesday meant the most prominent cast member of the landmark "Andy Griffith Show" had finally departed. Costar Don Knotts preceded Griffith in death in 2006 and Frances Bavier (who played Aunt Bea) died in 1989. Many of Mayberry's older residents have been long gone, such as Floyd the barber (Howard McNear) in 1969 and Otis the drunk (Hal Smith) in 1994. But fans of "The Andy Griffith Show" can take heart that the streets of Mayberry haven't gone completely empty.

Dan Nobuhiko Smiley is principal second violinist for the San Francisco Symphony. He laughs at his title: "Sounds like an oxymoron. How can you be a principal and second at the same time?" Not every concertgoer realizes that the sea of violins in a symphony orchestra consists of two distinct sections. Likewise, there are two violins in a string quartet. In both cases, the first violins generally "knock out the high melodies," as Smiley puts it, while the second violins handle the accompaniment.

Actress Patricia Heaton , who stars in "The Middle," and her husband, actor David Hunt , put their home in Hancock Park up for sale at $8.295 million, and in three weeks it was in escrow. The Italianate Mediterranean-style estate was built in 1923. The architect was Pasadena-based Elmer Grey, who designed the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Pasadena Playhouse and the Huntington Art Gallery, among other landmarks. Nearly 8,400 square feet of interior space features Malibu tile, murals, wrought-iron work, a library, a billiard room, seven fireplaces, six bedrooms, five bathrooms, two offices and a guesthouse/screening room.

Greg Gutfeld, 47, is the host of Fox News Channel's late-night news and humor chatfest, "Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld. " In July, the New York-based TV personality began helming "The Five," a daily round table that replaced departed host Glenn Beck's show. Let's start with your surprising career arc from men's magazine editor to Fox News personality. I was a magazine guy. I worked at Men's Health, where I like to think I wrote all the great ab lines, like "Lose your gut. " I think that was me. And "Six-pack abs in six minutes.

When the Hola Mexico Film Festival first came to Los Angeles in 2009, the concept seemed simple enough, yet its origins were curious. The festival's organizer, Samuel Douek (a Mexican by birth), said he'd gotten the idea for a Mexican film festival while living in Australia. Australians, Douek told the L.A. Times, have very eclectic tastes in cinema. That led him to launch a festival in Sydney showing films that would reflect, he said, "a Mexico that's more modern, more cosmopolitan.