Patron Saint

SAN FRANCISCO - Hudson Landers is high-energy and loves sports. Spencer Witaszek is into quiet evenings lounging at home. And Marley James? The Topanga Canyon blond enjoys the mountains and has an independent streak. All three are looking for love, just not the kind you might imagine. Hudson, Spencer, Marley and their two-legged guardians are part of a novel online service called City Dog Share, whose motto is as straightforward as its members: "I will watch your dog if you can watch mine!"

VATICAN CITY -- Before crowned heads, government leaders and masses of the faithful, Pope Francis formally took office Tuesday as head of the Roman Catholic Church in a ceremony replete with pageantry and symbols from ancient Christendom. In a homily, the church's 266th pontiff exhorted his listeners and 1.2 billion followers to care for the environment and for other people, especially the poor and forgotten -- themes closely associated with the saint whose name he picked for his own as pope, Francis of Assisi.

Anne Heche will join the cast of "Everwood," the WB drama about a Manhattan brain surgeon who moves to a Colorado mountain town. The actress, who has starred in the movies "Wag the Dog" and "Six Days, Seven Nights," will play the role of Amanda Carver, the patron saint of the town of Everwood, the WB announced. Also joining the third season of "Everwood," which premieres Sept. 13, is Scott Wolf, best known for his role on "Party of Five."

SAN FRANCISCO - Hudson Landers is high-energy and loves sports. Spencer Witaszek is into quiet evenings lounging at home. And Marley James? The Topanga Canyon blond enjoys the mountains and has an independent streak. All three are looking for love, just not the kind you might imagine. Hudson, Spencer, Marley and their two-legged guardians are part of a novel online service called City Dog Share, whose motto is as straightforward as its members: "I will watch your dog if you can watch mine!"

Thousands of Orange County Latinos will gather this weekend to take part in Guadalupe Day festivities, commemorating a 461-year-old legend of the patron saint of Mexico. More than 1,500 people are expected at a Mass today honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Most Rev. Norman F. McFarland, bishop of Orange, will preside during the noon Mass at St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Anaheim. Msgr. Jaime Soto, who heads the diocese's Hispanic Ministries, said that each Dec.

Latinos across the county will gather at a dozen Catholic churches today to honor the patron saint of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Before dawn, church members gather to hold lighted candles and sing "Mananitas," a serenade to the Lady of Guadalupe. The candles represent the light the Virgin Mary has given the Mexican people, said Sister Carmen Sarati from St. Joseph Church in Santa Ana. After the Mananitas, a special Mass with mariachis is held.

Kyle Turley isn't just an outstanding right tackle for the New Orleans Saints. He's a patron of the arts, a dedicated surfer and, when angered, an out-of-control maniac. Turley cost his team the chance to tie or beat the New York Jets on Sunday by drawing a pivotal 15-yard penalty when he ripped the helmet off safety Damien Robinson and flung it downfield, then made an obscene gesture.

Should you ever become involved in litigation and your lawyer gives less than a sterling performance, you might suggest that he or she journey to the little village of Treguier near here and request a pardon from St. Yves, the patron saint of lawyers who is buried there. Thousands of lawyers come here from all over the world to seek blessings, or redemption, for past and future cases. St.

Inside the small church, Aurora Goscon knelt before a sculpture of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint. She paused while reciting the rosary in Spanish to wrap a dark blue wool rebozo , or shawl, around her shoulders to ward off the night cold. Then, picking up the litany again, she chanted, " Santa Maria, madre de Dios . . . ," her voice droning through the rosary's 60-odd prayers.

SMART FOLKS are a dime a dozen. What truly matters is creativity. As Albert Einstein put it, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Given our increased focus on science and math, and our newly increased emphasis on testing in schools, we need to make sure we don't forget this. We tend to teach by drilling in knowledge rather than stimulating imagination. Einstein rebelled against rote learning, and that attitude helped make him the genius that he was.

Since the 1970s, the books of Judy Blume have prepared generations of girls for the emotional and biological hurdles on the way to womanhood: The sting of first love, those mysterious undergarments and the harsh reality that not even divine intervention can save you from puberty. In honor of Blume's legacy, the Cavern Club Theater in Silver Lake hosts "Are You There God? It's Me, Karen Carpenter," a musical parody that mashes up memorable moments from Blume's coming-of-age classic "Are You There God?

This post has been corrected. Details at the bottom. Winston Marshall of the band Mumford & Sons has roofing on his mind. Although music often occupies the multi-instrumentalist's thoughts, this day there are more pressing matters: The British folk-rock band is bringing a group of hand-picked artists to the U.S. in August for its four Gentlemen of the Road festivals, and the question is whether each stage should get a roof - or is that...

This weekend the Venice Beach boardwalk has a new sort of freak show: a display of assorted terrorists like Osama bin Laden and Shining Path leader Abimael Guzman (seen here in prison stripes) made by artist Cara Faye Earl. Based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's "most wanted" list, these sculptures are lifelike but not lifesize, barely knee-high. They are up this weekend only as part of the Venice Beach Biennial, an event designed by Hammer Museum curator Ali Subotnick to bring dozens of boardwalk artists together with more mainstream types.

San Sebastián, the heart of Spain's Basque Country, is well known for its superb cuisine. The elegant seaside resort of 185,000 lays claim to more Michelin stars per capita than any other city in Europe. Restaurants such as Arzak and Mugaritz, acclaimed for their high-tech gastronomy, attract diners from all over the world. But there's another side to San Sebastián's culinary culture that few outsiders are aware of. The city is home to scores of txokos , private gastronomical societies where members gather to cook, eat, drink, talk and, quite often, sing together.

Two years ago, Andrea Soto's breathless voice was the faintest in the choir. She wore a wig to hide her scalp ? bare from months of chemotherapy ? and forced herself to smile and keep up with the lyrics. After all, this was a time to say thank you. For many Latino Catholics across Los Angeles, the second week of December is about paying tribute to the mother of God, La Virgen de Guadalupe . They set up altars with lights and roses in their homes, parade in colorful street processions and awake before sunrise each Dec. 12 to serenade the virgin at local churches.

The Santa Monica strip dotted with record studios and upscale condos looks nothing like the home they left behind. No fields abundant with agave. No central plaza. No prehistoric ruins. Still, on a recent weekend Oaxacans traveled here from as far away as Washington and Utah to celebrate. They marched down Colorado Boulevard, blew their trumpets, balanced giant baskets of chrysanthemums on their heads and danced in gold brocade and velvet. "We're supposed to have fireworks, too, but the city's safety code won't allow it," said Cindy Cruz, 26, as she followed the small procession.

Santa Paula resident Bob Borrego joined thousands of Latino Roman Catholics throughout the county who awoke before dawn Monday to attend crowded church services in observance of the patron saint of Mexico. They gathered in churches, restaurants and homes during the daylong celebration of El Dia de la Virgen Guadalupe--The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In London, the day was being celebrated with a performance of the Britten Sinfonia at stately Stationers' Hall. In Boyle Heights, it was being observed by a group of enthusiastic mariachis playing guitars and trumpets on the street outside Olympic Donuts. It was the annual Festival of St. Cecilia--which honors the patron saint of musicians. And London certainly had nothing on Friday's street fiesta east of downtown Los Angeles.

It was just before midnight and downtown Los Angeles lay empty and silent, its streets subdued by the rain. But on Spring Street, just around the corner from Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, the sidewalks teemed with humanity. Crowds of pedestrians, many bearing bouquets, spilled into the road while a line of cars inched into a parking lot near Our Lady Queen of Angels Church across from Olvera Street. Vendors selling hot chocolate, tamales and votive candles stood over their steaming stands.

Sherri Shepherd is not afraid to use her pain for a laugh. In July, "The View" co-host got her first Brazilian wax on camera, and this week, Lifetime premieres "Sherri," a semiautobiographical comedy she stars in about her life after a messy divorce. Her next project, the Sundance film "Precious," will be released in November. It's been three years since you joined "The View." Have you recovered from telling Barbara Walters that you didn't know if the Earth was round or flat?