Symposium

Catalina Island's iconic casino, known as a concert venue for some of America's most famous Big Band orchestras, will rock to the tunes of a different era Saturday during a rock 'n' roll symposium. The event, "The British Invasion Rocks America," is being sponsored by the Catalina Island Museum , and is the opening salvo for a trio of events spotlighting '60s rock. Also in the works: an exhibit at the museum, "Gimme Some Lovin': The Spencer Davis Group," which opens Saturday and runs through Aug. 22; and a Fourth of July fireworks show and concert at the casino that will feature the Spencer Davis and the Catalina All-Stars.

What would have been John Cage's 100th birthday on Wednesday is being celebrated around the globe throughout the year. Here's a selective listing: Full story | Timeline | Music | Inspiration | Critic's Notebook West Coast John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures, Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, Sept. 4-Dec. 16 Happy Birthday: A Celebration of Chance and Listening, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, Ore., Sept. 5-Nov. 17 Cage 100 Festival in Santa Monica, Jacaranda, various locations, Sept.

It began more than three years ago, when a half-ton piece of stucco fell from the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport. Engineers scrutinized the structure and discovered the arched landmark ? the inspiration for the jet-set architecture in "The Jetsons" ? was at risk for collapse or irreparable damage in an earthquake. The discovery came not from a government mandate but because the airport's owner, Los Angeles World Airports, a city agency, decided to reevaluate the structural fitness of the half-century-old structure in light of the stucco failure.

Catalina Island's iconic casino, known as a concert venue for some of America's most famous Big Band orchestras, will rock to the tunes of a different era Saturday during a rock 'n' roll symposium. The event, "The British Invasion Rocks America," is being sponsored by the Catalina Island Museum , and is the opening salvo for a trio of events spotlighting '60s rock. Also in the works: an exhibit at the museum, "Gimme Some Lovin': The Spencer Davis Group," which opens Saturday and runs through Aug. 22; and a Fourth of July fireworks show and concert at the casino that will feature the Spencer Davis and the Catalina All-Stars.

Former President Ronald Reagan plans to visit Japan in October at the invitation of Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita and speak at a symposium of Japanese businessmen and political leaders, a Japanese communications group has announced. Reagan would speak before the Fujisankei Forum in the first such speech by a former American President, the Fujisankei Communications Group said in releasing details of Reagan's trip. It would be the first trip for Reagan outside of the United States since he left office.

Noted psychologist Carl R. Rogers will speak today on his theory for reducing tension between antagonistic groups as part of a two-day symposium on AIDS, world peace and self-esteem at UC Irvine. The symposium, entitled "Toward a Healthier State," is one of several being held throughout California at the prompting of Assemblyman John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose). Rogers' presentation, at 10 a.m.

It's the first rule of thumb for any aspiring UFO investigator: Keep an open mind. "We all want to believe, we all want to believe bad," said David MacDonald, a certified investigator with the Mutual UFO Network. "But you've got to look at the evidence. You've got to come at this like a scientific researcher. " On Friday, MacDonald and dozens of like-minded individuals filled an Irvine hotel conference room to discuss the finer points of investigating the inexplicable — or at least that which cannot be explained in terrestrial terms.

A last-minute decision to serve fried chicken and waffles at a campus dining hall in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. was a regrettable choice and lacked sensitivity, UC Irvine officials acknowledged Wednesday. FOR THE RECORD: MLK Day menu: In the Jan. 27 LATExtra section, an article on complaints about a UC Irvine dining hall's menu of fried chicken and waffles on Martin Luther King Day incorrectly referred to "the late Dick Gregory. " Gregory, 78, remains active as a commentator and performer.

First Lady Nancy Reagan will be the keynote speaker at a two-day symposium on drug abuse to be sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Mrs. Reagan will address television industry leaders on the first day of the symposium and will be followed by conferences between TV executives and experts in substance abuse. A daylong seminar on drug abuse will take place the following day.

Seventy foreign experts will attend a leprosy symposium in the southern Chinese city of Canton in November, when a treatment center for the disease will open, the Public Health Ministry has announced. Japan's Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation will help set up the treatment and prevention center. China has about 100,000 lepers.

The title of “Grace Notes & Anvils” at the Odyssey Theatre refers to two divergent aspects that those in mourning will inevitably encounter. “Grace notes” are those individuals whose acts of kindness come with unexpected synchronicity. “Anvils” goes the other way, when the almost-forgotten personal loss reenters consciousness with a "thud. " So say Ron Marasco and Brian Shuff, authors of “About Grief: Insights, Setbacks, Grace Notes, Taboos.” Their exploration of the tricky subject of grief is a specialty hybrid of staged reading, topical symposium and group therapy session.

It's the first rule of thumb for any aspiring UFO investigator: Keep an open mind. "We all want to believe, we all want to believe bad," said David MacDonald, a certified investigator with the Mutual UFO Network. "But you've got to look at the evidence. You've got to come at this like a scientific researcher. " On Friday, MacDonald and dozens of like-minded individuals filled an Irvine hotel conference room to discuss the finer points of investigating the inexplicable — or at least that which cannot be explained in terrestrial terms.

All signs point to the NFL and players inching closer to a labor agreement that would not only save the season but keep training camps and exhibition games intact. If there isn't a growing peace, both sides are doing an awfully good job of faking it. In a scene that would have been unimaginable in the toxic aftermath of the NFL Players Assn. decertification and ensuing lockout by club owners, Commissioner Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith, leader of the union-turned-trade association, took the stage together Wednesday at the NFLPA's rookie symposium in Sarasota, Fla. Of the negotiations, Smith told the rookies: "The goal is to get this done fast but right so that everything can start on time.

Stephen Orr's lecture schedule includes these California stops: April 15: Garden Conservancy symposium, "The Way We Garden Now," 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Golden Gate Club, Presidio, San Francisco. $155 for symposium and lunch buffet. Reservations: (845) 265-2029, http://www.gardenconservancy.org . April 17: Flora Grubb Gardens. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1634 Jerrold Ave., San Francisco. (415) 626-7256, http://www.floragrubb.com . April 20: Garden Conservancy event, 6 to 8 p.m. $35. The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd.

Head to Palm Springs for Modernism Week ? a 10-day celebration of Midcentury Modern design, architecture and culture. This unique design aesthetic came of age in the 1950s and '60s and is recognizable by its clean, simple lines. Some of its best examples can be found in Palm Springs. During the week you'll have access to a variety of events including architecture tours, films, lectures, an architecture symposium and plenty of parties in Midcentury Modern homes. Palm Springs. Locations, events and ticket prices vary.

A last-minute decision to serve fried chicken and waffles at a campus dining hall in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. was a regrettable choice and lacked sensitivity, UC Irvine officials acknowledged Wednesday. FOR THE RECORD: MLK Day menu: In the Jan. 27 LATExtra section, an article on complaints about a UC Irvine dining hall's menu of fried chicken and waffles on Martin Luther King Day incorrectly referred to "the late Dick Gregory. " Gregory, 78, remains active as a commentator and performer.

What would have been John Cage's 100th birthday on Wednesday is being celebrated around the globe throughout the year. Here's a selective listing: Full story | Timeline | Music | Inspiration | Critic's Notebook West Coast John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures, Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, Sept. 4-Dec. 16 Happy Birthday: A Celebration of Chance and Listening, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, Ore., Sept. 5-Nov. 17 Cage 100 Festival in Santa Monica, Jacaranda, various locations, Sept.

Stephen Orr's lecture schedule includes these California stops: April 15: Garden Conservancy symposium, "The Way We Garden Now," 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Golden Gate Club, Presidio, San Francisco. $155 for symposium and lunch buffet. Reservations: (845) 265-2029, http://www.gardenconservancy.org . April 17: Flora Grubb Gardens. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1634 Jerrold Ave., San Francisco. (415) 626-7256, http://www.floragrubb.com . April 20: Garden Conservancy event, 6 to 8 p.m. $35. The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd.

The captain may be gone, but the ship sails on; experience raw sonic power and mad poetics at Gary Lucas' Captain Beefheart Symposium, celebrating the work of bluesman and painter Don Van Vliet ? a.k.a. Captain Beefheart. Guitarist Lucas was a member of the last incarnation of Beefheart's Magic Band and will be playing live, spinning unreleased tracks, and showing slides of Van Vliet's artwork. The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Thurs. Seats: $15 adv; $17 door; Standing: $12 advance; $14 door.

It began more than three years ago, when a half-ton piece of stucco fell from the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport. Engineers scrutinized the structure and discovered the arched landmark ? the inspiration for the jet-set architecture in "The Jetsons" ? was at risk for collapse or irreparable damage in an earthquake. The discovery came not from a government mandate but because the airport's owner, Los Angeles World Airports, a city agency, decided to reevaluate the structural fitness of the half-century-old structure in light of the stucco failure.