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It’s the culinary extravaganza described by experts as unlike any other on the calendar anywhere in the world. Vegas Uncork’d kicks off its fifth-annual, four-day, ’round-the-clock fine dining and wondrous wines with an amazing gathering of the world’s best chefs tomorrow afternoon.

Star Chef Julian Serrano of Picasso at Bellagio and Julian Serrano at Aria performs a ceremonial saber-off by using a large sword to slice the top of a magnum of champagne. He will be joined by some 35 Vegas Uncork’d chefs and sommeliers, including Top Chef Masters stars Tom Colicchio, Hubert Keller, Mary Sue Milliken, Rick Moonen and Jet Tila in front of the fountains at the Bellagio.

Mayor Oscar Goodman will be on hand with Bellagio President Randy Morton, Bon Appetit’s Adam Rapoport and other celebrity chefs, including Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Michel Richard, Akira Back, Charlie Palmer, David Walzog, Shawn McClain, Francois Payard, Martin Heierling and more.

The split second the cork flies off the giant bottle, it will cue the fountains to explode for an amazing photograph. (May have to do it two or three times to get the perfect shot?) The double rocket ride of bubbly and water explosions officially launches this year’s Vegas Uncork’d.

Highlights of tomorrow’s first day include newly wed hotel mogul Steve Wynn hosting a lavish wine dinner with members of Frank Sinatra’s family at Chef Theo Schoenegger’s Sinatra at the Encore. At Caesars Palace, celebrated Chefs Bradley Ogden, Guy, Francois Payard and restaurateur Frank Pellegrini Jr. play host for the Masters Series dinners.

I’ve managed to obtain the menus supposed to be kept secret. Guy will serve lobster, turbot, artichoke and black truffle soup, a rack of veal with strawberry and chocolate fondant desserts at Guy Savoy. Bradley will serve oysters with caviar, Atlantic diver scallops, Alaskan halibut, Sonoma foie gras, Colorado lamb and a

Fans at the Celtics-Heat game sang the national anthem, and 10 military personnel — many in dress uniforms — unfurled a 50-foot flag at midcourt shortly before tipoff of the

Eastern Conference semifinal Tuesday night.

The Heat also paid tribute to military members with a video slideshow, including shots of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in their 2008 U.S. Olympic uniforms and photos

of their training camp at a pair of U.S. Air Force installations in Florida's Panhandle last fall.

Miami has honored military personnel before its home games for the last five years. Tuesday's was the Heat's first home game since U.S. forces killed Al-Qaida leader Osama bin

Laden in Pakistan.
 

Fans attending Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks on Monday night faced somewhat heightened security in light of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

They were checked with a metal detector wand as they entered the United Center, with the State Department warning of an "enhanced potential for anti-American violence."

The arena's website says fans usually only undergo a visual inspection. Metal detectors are only used in a full inspection when it is determined "the potential is high for inappropriate or illegal items to be brought into the building."
 

Plaintiffs lawyers are targeting Sony Corp. with class-action suits after a breach of the company's online-game network compromised the personal information of millions of users.

In one lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court's Northern District of California, videogame player Kristopher Johns said Sony's security was negligently poor and the company failed to encrypt personal information.

The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday against Sony's U.S. entertainment unit and seeks class-action status, also alleges Sony failed to notify customers of the breach in a timely manner.

"This has caused, and continues to cause, millions of consumers fear, apprehension, and damage," the filing said.

The data breach also prompted the filing of a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, alleging Sony was negligent in allowing the theft of its members' personal data.

"Sony broke its contract and violated its customers' trust," said Caleb Marker, an attorney representing plaintiffs in Los Angeles lawsuit, which is also seeking class action status.

Sony didn't respond to requests for comment on the lawsuits.

The lawsuits come on the heels of Sony's acknowledgment that a hacker gained access to servers containing the private information of its PlayStation Network customers, which the company discovered between April 17 and April 19.

The Japanese electronics giant took the service offline shortly thereafter, but waited until April 26 to notify users of the extent of the hack, which exposed names, addresses and birthdays of its users. Sony said that credit card information may also have been taken by the hacker, but its credit-card database was encrypted.

The company said it was working with law enforcement to investigate the intrusion. An official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was in discussions with Sony on the matter, but declined to say if a

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis has been fined by the NHL for complaining about the officiating in Vancouver's first-round playoff series win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The NHL confirmed the fine Wednesday in an email to The Canadian Press. The league wouldn't reveal the amount.

A league source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday that Gillis wouldn't be fined for his comments. However, the source told LeBroun on Wednesday that the league had

changed its mind.

On Monday, Gillis blamed the referees for the Canucks being forced to play a Game 7 against Chicago. He said more penalties had been called against the Canucks than the

Blackhawks.
                                                                                              
He also was angry Chicago's Bryan Bickell wasn't assessed a penalty for a hit on defenseman Kwvin Bieksa during overtime of Game 6. The Canucks beat the defending Stanley Cup

champions 2-1 in overtime Tuesday night to win the Western Conference series.

Air China announced today the impending launch of its new route between Beijing and Milan on June 15. The route will be serviced by a wide-body Airbus A330. As the second largest city in Italy, Milan is world-famous for its fashion, art and culture. Air China is the only Chinese airline to fly direct routes to the city from Beijing, greatly benefiting travelers in pursuit of fashion and art. Roundtrip airfare for the first flight on June 15 starts at RMB2600, with ticket prices for flights within the route opening period starting at RMB3200. Passengers can book tickets on Air China's website (www.airchina.com) or through its ticket hotline.

Air China's Beijing-Milan route will offer flights every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, on flight numbers CA949 and CA950. Outbound flights will leave Beijing at 13:30 and arrive in Milan at 19:00. Return flights will depart from Milan at 13:30 and arrive in Beijing the next day at 13:30. The trip is 11 hours and 30 minutes each way. Air China officially launched a direct Shanghai-Milan route in May, 2008, but the route from Beijing to Milan is yet to be opened. In the past, the journey would normally take passengers approximately 17 hours to complete and usually required a transfer. The new route will not only make the trip more convenient but also save a lot of time.

Mr. Zhou Enyong, General Manager of Air China's Marketing Department, said, "The Beijing-Milan route is an expansion of Air China's network in Europe, successfully making Air China the airline with the most European routes among China's domestic airlines. Air China is committed to building its domestic and international network. Since joining the Star Alliance in 2007, Air China's international network has been strengthened to cover 29 countries and regions. Moreover, our new routes to Europe will help satisfy growing market demand for travel to Europe and bring more convenience to both Chinese and European passengers."

This is a loss that will sting for quite some time.

The IronPigs dropped a 5-3, rain-shortened game in Buffalo on Monday, with the game being stopped in the middle of a ninth-inning Lehigh Valley rally.

After falling behind 5-0 entering the ninth inning, the 'Pigs started coming back.

Matt Miller hit a two-run, bases loaded single to cut the lead to 5-2. Then, Rob Hudson drew a bases loaded walk to trim the lead to 5-3.

But after Hudson's walk, the umpires deemed that the rain was falling too hard, and ordered that the tarp be brought on the field.

After a lengthy delay, the game was ruled an official final, despite the IronPigs' incomplete rally.

The 'Pigs had the bases loaded and just one out at the time of the delay. The tying run was in scoring position.

The loss drops the IronPigs to 9-9 on the year.

They'll open an eight-game homestand at Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday night at 7:05pm against Pawtucket.
 

Fashion in the extreme was the hallmark of the late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen (1969-2010). In pieces like his armadillo-shaped heels (worn by Lady Gaga) and a

kimono that traps the arms like a straightjacket, Mr. McQueen embraced exaggeration, upended fashion conventions and grappled with paradox.

From May 4 to July 31, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is presenting "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty," 100 ensembles and 70 accessories from the

designer's career that spanned 19 years and yet was cut tragically short. (He committed suicide early last year.)

Mr. McQueen's designs often defied practicality: Why add antlers and a veil to an evening gown? Why make a dress out of feathers? "He felt his work was a social document that

reflected the times in which we live," said the exhibition curator Andrew Bolton. The designer was a master tailor, having worked in London's Saville Row before attending design

school at the city's Central Saint Martins.

While his couture-level artistry was high concept, Mr. McQueen's effect on fashion can still be seen on city streets. In 1995, he created a new shape for trousers, the

"bumster," that sat revealingly low on the hips. "The bumsters were extreme on the catwalk, but every girl from New York to L.A. to Paris is wearing them," said Shelley Fox,

director of Parsons the New School for Design's graduate program Fashion Design and Society. "It's that extremeness that pushes things forward."

The Met's exhibition follows themes —such as Gothic design, exoticism and nationalism—and silhouettes that recurred in Mr. McQueen's collections. "He loved clothes that

referenced history and idealized the female form," said Mr. Bolton.

That interest manifests itself in dresses that draw from the exaggerated hips of the 18th century, and in garments with

It may not be racy like her Calvin Klein lingerie advertisements, but stunning actress Eva Mendes still managed to smoulder in her latest fashion campaign.

In a photoshoot for European fashion department store Peek and Cloppenburg, the 37-year-old slips her sensational curves into an array of chic designer outfits.

In a figure-hugging satin blue shift, Eva channels sophisticated European glamour as she poses in front of the backdrop of an idyllic seaside landscape.

Showing off more skin in a black and printed sleeveless dress, the actress also models a bright and breezy frock with ease.

In another snap, Eva poses poolside in a weekend wearable taupe day dress with lemon-coloured stappy heels.

And for the more casual options in the catalogue , the actress is seen in a tribal printed top paired with black trousers, in addition to a black layered tank top and beige carpi pants.

The photoshoot took place in Los Angeles, where superimposed backdrops were used to recreate a picturesque Mediterranean setting.

Peek & Cloppenburg is an international brand originated from Germany, with fashion department stores in several countries including Belgium, Austria and many in the Eastern Block.

Eva has become one of the faces of the company, appearing in their catalogues and online website.

The casual womenswear shoot was a far cry tame from her usual smouldering shoots in the risqué Calvin Klein adverts that see her oiled up and half naked.

Eva models for both Calvin Klein’s lingerie range as well as their clothing collection.

Eva is also the new face of Thierry Mugler’s Angel fragrance and has recently been made an ambassador for Reebok EastyTone trainers amidst her successful film career.

She is currently filming Ansiedad, which sees a neglected 13-year-old look to a teen rite-of-passage as a way of changing her life.

For many of us, footwear is synonymous with fashion. But for the country’s most vulnerable, a pair of shoes is poverty’s most visible mark.

“We often take footwear for granted,” said Robin Schleien, president and CEO of BioPed Franchising Inc. “ But, in fact, many Canadians – children and adults – either go without decent shoes or have none at all. We created the goodytwoshoes foundation to help fulfill this basic need.”

Established in March 2010, goodytwoshoes aims to give the gift of comfort, activity and better foot health to thousands of Canadians. Since then, thousands of gentlyloved shoes have been donated by patients of the more than 45 BioPed full-service clinics across Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia.

Now, with hopes of expanding the program to a greater number of less fortunate people, BioPed has partnered with The Salvation Army to contribute to their National Dignity Project. On Wednesday, May 18, BioPed will close its clinic doors, dispersing clinicians and staff to Salvation Army shelters nationwide. In addition to distributing footwear, professionals will conduct routine foot assessments and foot-related education.

“Dignity is a fundamental human right for all,” said The Salvation Army’s Major Chris Dickens, executive director, Maxwell Meighen Centre in Toronto. “Yet dignity is out of reach for those who lack life’s basic necessities.

Footwear and footcare is tantamount to our clientele, but they focus their efforts on other challenges. Many don’t walk well.

Instead, they shuffle in shoes that don’t fit them properly. Others have issues related to poor posture and diabetes. The goodytwoshoes foundation has, and will continue to have, an amazing impact on their lives.” “We truly thank our valued suppliers and patients for supporting our efforts,” said Schleien. “Through their generosity, we’ve accumulated more