Guests set for Derby Grand Gala

By Mary Meehan mmeehan1@herald-leader.com

Comedian Chris Tucker, Dr. Ian Smith of Celebrity Fit Club, basketball greats Julius Erving and Michael Jordan, and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks will be among those attending the Grand Gala 2008 Derby party in Louisville.

McConnell Springs gets its due at documentary's world premiere

howard m. snyder Herald-leader social columnist

Folks gathered Thursday at The Kentucky Theatre for the world ­premiere of a documentary about ­McConnell Springs. This wasn't a benefit; it was a ”gift,“ said Isabel Yates, former vice mayor of Lexington and co-executive producer of the film.

Fans anticipate Souped-up super hits

By Scott Sloan ssloan@herald-leader.com

The coming week sees the release of what are expected to be two of 2008's hottest video games — Grand Theft Auto IV, likely to be the biggest hit of the year; and Mario Kart Wii, the newest iteration of Nintendo's acclaimed franchise.

Did you know?

The Mario Kart series has included two arcade games, co-produced by Nintendo and Namco. The games — Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP2 — included Namco characters including Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man.

Monthly sales statistics

The NPD Group, which tracks video game sales and a host of other things, recently released its March report.

Video game new releases

The following games are among those slated for release next week, according to GameSpot.com. Dates are subject to change.

News in the video game industry

Sub-Zero and Superman?

Tony Snow to be CNN commentator

Former White House press secretary Tony Snow has joined CNN as a conservative commentator. Snow's new duties return him to the world of punditry he occupied for 10 years at CNN rival Fox News Channel. Before joining Fox, Snow was a substitute co-host for CNN's Crossfire. Snow, 52, was named White House press secretary in April 2006. Snow was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and underwent surgery and chemotherapy.

Making news

A rockin' idea

Did you know?

Sony's PlayStation 2 console is still going strong. Lehman Bros. estimates that sales of software for that system are outpacing software for the PlayStation 3, which has been on the market for more than a year and commands higher per-game prices. PS2 games account for 17.7 percent of all software sales this year, the company said, while PS3 represented 13.8 percent. The Xbox 360 led all systems with 26.8 percent. The Nintendo Wii was second with 20.4 percent.

New video game releases

The following games are among those slated for release next week, according to GameSpot.com. Dates are subject to change.

Gaming sales statistics

The following North American statistics are courtesy of Lehman Brothers and Vgchartz.com.

Polyphony's tactic lucrative but slimy

by scott sloan ssloan@herald-leader.com

This one's for the parents.

Clooney receives peace award for efforts on Darfur

Associated Press

George Clooney and Don Cheadle received a peace award Thursday for their efforts to raise awareness of the plight of the millions who have fled their homes in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

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