Pinball

The queen bed where pop star Michael Jackson took his last breath? It could be all yours. So too a chalkboard from the late singer's kitchen, on which, in children's scrawl, is written "I (heart) Daddy. SMILE, it's for free. " Then there's a bedroom armoire where Jackson, preparing for his comeback tour, wrote a message to himself: "TRAIN, perfection, March April. FULL OUT May," it reads. The entire contents from the 54,000-square foot Holmby Hills home where Jackson spent the last months of his life — from silverware and candles, desks and sofas, to a painting by French artist Maurice Utrillo — will be auctioned in December in Beverly Hills.

The converted auto showroom is silent as about 60 people hunch over rows of miniature pinball machines, carefully aiming the plungers as small silver balls roll along the wooden boards. When they look up, it's to eye the bingo card signs above each machine. Three minutes later, a bell rings. At the back of the room, a woman screams, "Yes!" and others in the room groan audibly.

They're tourists, bloggers, travel writers and newspaper pundits - an opinionated crowd with one thing in common: They're Vegas haters. And, oh, do they have their reasons, their ammunition. They abhor what they see as the mindless Mardi Gras of the Strip and arrogant hand-in-your-pocket connivances of the casino bosses. They criticize such Las Vegas entertainment mainstays as the comedian Carrot Top and the sickening largesse of those all-you-can-eat buffets, not to mention the scruffy characters who shove tacky girlie-show cards into the hands of passing tourists.

Reporting from Milford, Conn. — There are generally two types of sports talk shows: loud and louder. And then there's Dan Patrick. The former ESPN anchor who along with Keith Olbermann helped establish the cable channel in the cultural zeitgeist through their dry wit and repartee, has carved out a second act as host of a sports talk show that relies more on brains than brass. Broadcasting on radio and simulcast on television for three hours every weekday morning from a converted apartment here known as the "man cave" Patrick — backed by his four sidekicks, "The Danettes" — has created a hit that has become an important stop not only for athletes but actors, musicians and the occasional super model.

David Rothenberg has dreaded this day since kindergarten. The father who doused him with kerosene and set him afire seven years ago is getting out of prison Wednesday. And although Charles Rothenberg has vowed never again to hurt his son, David doesn't buy it. He has practiced self-defense and all the best ways to flee his Orange County home. He knows the fastest routes on his bicycle from his junior high school.

The Japanese government, trying to defuse opposition attempts to raise a new political scandal, admitted Friday that its ministers had received donations from the pinball industry but said no wrong had been done. Chief Cabinet Secretary Mayumi Moriyama told reporters that pinball parlors made legal payments of nearly $35,000 to Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu and seven of his ministers over a four-year period.

TUCKED away in the Hollywood Hills between Griffith Park and Lake Hollywood is the scenic enclave of Beachwood Canyon. Home to more than 22,000 residents, it was first developed in the 1920s by a syndicate composed of Gen. M. H. Sherman, the founder of West Hollywood; Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler; and real estate mogul Sidney Woodruff. Its architecture and landscaping drew inspiration from the southern regions of France, Italy and Spain.

LONDON -- Sure, a 26-foot animatronic statue of Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor stood next to Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square on Monday, but for pertinence it probably should've been William "The Refrigerator" Perry. And yes, it's impressive that changing trains at Waterloo means running across advertising placards of Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey, but maybe they should've gone with Tom Brady and, really, Dan Marino.

Since its release in 1969, I have been a devotee of the rock opera "Tommy" and was therefore delighted to attend one of its early performances at the La Jolla Playhouse. The whole show was energetic: The acting, singing and music exploded from the stage with an urgency reminiscent of the original Who album. But hey, Pete, why the different ending? I understand that you've re-examined your personal life and decided that pop saviors have feet of clay and so had Tommy disown his own messiahship.