KARA to have fan events in Korea, Japan

South Korean girl group KARA will hold special events for their local and Japanese fans next month in the group’s first public appearance in five months, its management agency said Wednesday.The group will hold “fan meeting” events in Seoul on May 24 and in Tokyo on June 1 for members of its fan clubs, according to DSP Media.This marks the group’s first public activities since it switched to a three-member band after the departure of two of its original five members ― Kang Ji-young and Nicole ―

April 17, 2014

Japan virtual star Hatsune to join Lady Gaga tour

TOKYO (AFP) ― Hatsune Miku, a computer-generated Japanese pop star who performs as a hologram, is to support some of Lady Gaga’s tour of North America next month, the U.S. songstress has announced on Twitter.The pixel-perfect pop princess, whose voice is also the product of digital code, will perform in 3-D alongside a band made of real musicians at shows starting in Atlanta on May 6. “My favourite digital pop star Hatsune Miku is opening The ARTPOP Ball from May 6-June 3!” Lady Gaga said on her

PerformanceApril 17, 2014

Neil Young raises $6m for Pono on Kickstarter

NEW YORK (AP) ― Neil Young has raised more than $6 million through a Kickstarter campaign to fund the singer-songwriter’s digital music project PonoMusic. Kickstarter closed the campaign Tuesday after it raised $6.2 million through 18,000 supporters. The campaign is the third most-funded project for Kickstarter. Young’s portable player will cost $399 when it debuts in October. PonoMusic will also launch an online music store. The project promises high quality audio compared with other digital tr

PerformanceApril 17, 2014

Peter Matthiessen tackled experience of being human

Peter Matthiessen, who died on April 5 at age 86 of complications from leukemia, was complex, even contradictory, in the most compelling sense. Born into privilege, he attended Hotchkiss boarding school and Yale and founded the Paris Review in 1953 with George Plimpton and Harold L. Humes. Yet he later became a Zen monk and in his own fashion was something of an ascetic.He was perhaps best known as a writer of nonfiction, particularly “The Snow Leopard,” the 1978 account of his trip to the Himal

BooksApril 17, 2014

‘Everything to Lose’ for a good cause

Everything to LoseBy Andrew Gross (Morrow)Who hasn’t thought that a bag of money could solve a lot of problems? But it’s also prudent to remember that money can be the root of evil, as the adage goes.Hilary Blum knows that money can’t really buy happiness but it could buy her some peace of mind. She’s drowning in debt, taking care of her 7-year-old autistic son, Brandon, who is finally thriving at his progressive, but pricey, private school. She doesn’t receive any help from her ex-husband, who

BooksApril 17, 2014

‘Blood Always Tells’ oozes plot twists

Blood Always TellsBy Hilary Davidson (Forge)Hilary Davidson puts aside her award-winning series about travel writer Lily Moore for an engrossing standalone thriller that revels in strong characters and exciting surprises.“Blood Always Tells” works well as a heartfelt, energetic story about greed, entitlement and the unbreakable bonds between siblings who never stop believing in each other. Davidson also works in a subtle but effective subtext about racial politics that gives “Blood Always Tells”

BooksApril 17, 2014

‘Doing Harm’ a medical page-turner

Doing HarmBy Kelly Parsons (St. Martin’s Press)Kelly Parsons’ highly entertaining debut delves deep into the ethics and competitiveness of the medical profession while exploring why doctors choose their careers. “Doing Harm” starts strong and never loses its momentum throughout the energetic plot infused with an intriguing look at modern medicine without being overwhelmed by the intricacies of the profession.“Doing Harm” also will scare anyone who has to go to the hospital.Steve Mitchell, the ch

BooksApril 17, 2014

Kathy Kulig and husband talk marriage and date night

Kathy Kulig was out of town for a business trip when she texted her husband, Joe.“Don’t be worried,” she wrote. “I learned to use a flogger tonight and I have a few bruises.”“Why should I be worried?” he replied.Attending a conference on bondage and sadomasochism is just business as usual for Kathy, whose latest erotic romance is “Summer Sins” (Ellora’s Cave).Her second career ― she has a day job in a medical laboratory ― has created a few relationship challenges, the Kuligs say, but not because

BooksApril 17, 2014

[Eye on English] Complex perceptions of Korean English-speakers

Young professional Jeong So-hee was surprised when a coworker complained about “people who speak English when they are fluent in Korean.” The 26-year-old works at a company where she and her colleagues deal with foreign clients almost on a daily basis. Every employee has considerable knowledge of the English language, although not everyone has studied overseas. “I think it’s rude to speak to your coworkers in Korean when you have a foreign client sitting in front of you, who can’t understand Kor

CultureApril 16, 2014

[Herald Interview] Tenor talks about life’s many turns

Kang Yosep seems to be a hot commodity in Europe’s opera scene. Last December, he sang the leading role in Puccini’s tragic opera “La Boheme” for 17 days in three different productions staged by top opera houses in Berlin, Mannheim and Vienna. His schedule for this year and the next looks much the same. He is to perform in the German cities of Munich, Leipzig and Dresden, and in Warsaw and Vienna in the next few months. “I would love to spend some time with my family in Seoul, but my schedule is

CultureApril 16, 2014

Victoria’s Secret announces London show

LONDON (AP) ― London is getting a new fashion extravaganza ― the Victoria’s Secret Show, which will take place for the first time in the British capital this year. Victoria’s Secret models Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel joined Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek at the company’s London flagship store for the announcement Tuesday. The annual show, known for its unique lingerie and live performances by top entertainers, will be held at Earls Court in the fall and air on CBS at a later date. No sp

Arts & DesignApril 16, 2014

Cannes taps epitome of 1960s cool for poster

PARIS (AFP) ― An image of Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni peering over his dark glasses taken from Federico Fellini’s classic “8 1/2” has been chosen for this year’s Cannes Film Festival poster. The sepia-tinted poster is the latest in a series that has featured some of the biggest names in cinema such as Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Marilyn Monroe and Faye Dunaway. In a long career, the celebrated Italian actor, who died in 1996, was nominated for three best actor Academy Awards and star

FilmApril 16, 2014

Dance show ‘Soul Train’ may boogie onto Broadway

NEW YORK (AP) ― The groundbreaking song-and-dance show “Soul Train” is chugging toward Broadway. Stage and film producer Matthew Weaver, who helped create “Rock of Ages,” has acquired the theatrical stage rights to the TV show and said Tuesday he’s hoping to repeat his success by turning “Soul Train” into a show that attracts both die-hard Broadway fans and those who usually avoid Times Square. “I’m nervous and I’m humbled and I’m excited,” said Weaver, who heads the production company MediaWeav

PerformanceApril 16, 2014

EXO gives fans an ‘overdose’

Jamsil Indoor Stadium was filled to the brim with deafening screams on Tuesday night as thousands of fans flocked to the arena to witness the 12 members of EXO in the group’s latest showcase. Around 8,000 young K-pop lovers attended the “EXO Comeback Show” to see their beloved K-pop idols perform live and hear the newest singles off EXO’s soon-to-be-released six-track EP “Overdose.” As soon as the members took to the stage with back-to-back performances of their hit tracks “Wolf” from their firs

April 16, 2014

Block B returns with new single, carnival concept

K-pop boy group Block B has come out with new single “Jackpot” and a wild, carnival-crazy music video. The single was released via Youtube, social media and local music websites on Tuesday.“Jackpot” is filled with electro hip-hop beats, rhythmic rapping and lively vocals. The song features an interesting mash-up of diverse sounds ranging from piano and brass to bass, children chanting and gunshots. The music video, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s famous children’s story “Alice in Wonderland,” pre

April 16, 2014

Gummy to return with new EP, concert

R&B singer Gummy is scheduled to release a new album and hold a solo concert in the coming months.Gummy, whose real name is Park Ji-yeon, will release a new EP in early May and stage a concert in June, according to her agency C-Jes Entertainment on Tuesday. The new EP will feature Gummy’s signature R&B style and explore various genres of music in line with the spring season, the agency said.The new record will also mark Gummy’s return to the local music scene four years after the release of her

April 16, 2014

Old lumber is trend for some of the best new homes

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina ― Reclaimed lumber is among the most environmentally friendly building materials because, as any 12-year-old can explain, recycling is good for us and the planet.The wood is beautiful. A floor of salvaged antique heart pine glows with the patina of decades, even centuries. Every piece of barn siding is uniquely weathered, which gives a one-of-a-kind appeal to walls and furniture.And, say Paul Atkinson of Southend Reclaimed and Jonathan Kauffman of Kauffman and Co., buye

CultureApril 16, 2014

Illinois Lottery app stirs up controversy

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois ― When Illinois launched its first-in-the-nation lottery app in January, Matthew Ruder quickly signed up so he could jockey for jackpots with just a tap of the finger on his smartphone.“It’s really easy to buy lottery tickets on the big draw days,” said Ruder, 40, of Pekin in central Illinois. “I can just log in to it, add some money to it, buy some tickets, and then I have them right there instead of stopping at the store. It just makes it easier sometimes.”State lottery o

CultureApril 16, 2014

Beloved in antiquity, Greece’s hot springs left untapped

THERMOPYLAE, Greece (AFP) ― Hercules used them to regain his strength after his legendary labors, Hippocrates lauded their beneficial properties and even a famous Roman general, Sulla, said he owed his health to them.Their praise was for hot springs, a medicinal resource known and appreciated in Greece since antiquity ― though regrettably less so nowadays.“Greece invented the therapeutic use of hot springs thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ,” says Zisis Aggelidis, a professor of

CultureApril 16, 2014