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Rowling Says Imagination, Not Magic, Changes World

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 6, 2008

J.K. Rowling extolled the crucial importance of imagination during a speech Thursday at Harvard University's spring commencement, saying, "We do not need magic to transform our world."

The "Harry Potter" author also stressed the benefit of failure, recalling the humiliations of her time in poverty before her career took off with her string of novels about a bespectacled boy wizard.

Before the speech, two members of Harvard's class of 1936 paid tribute to Rowling by carrying brooms during an alumni procession.

Ramsay Opens California Restaurant

Gordon Ramsay is in a California state of mind.

The fiery Scottish chef and star of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" was all smiles at the opening of his latest restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood, on Wednesday. The event was attended by celebrity guests such as "Will and & Grace" co-star Eric McCormack, "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, Kim Kardashian and David Beckham.

So why did Ramsay decide to set up shop on the West Coast?

"It's less aggressive than New York," he told The Associated Press in the kitchen during the opening celebration. "Vegas? I don't want to play my card in Las Vegas. It's materialistic. Here, it's proper. I'm very happy to be here. Everything is in abundance in California."

O'Donnell Says She'll Wait For Now

Ellen DeGeneres is doing it. So is George Takei. But Rosie O'Donnell isn't jumping at the chance to walk down the aisle.

O'Donnell and her girlfriend, Kelli Carpenter, were married four years ago when the mayor of San Francisco allowed same-sex marriages. The California Supreme Court later declared such marriages invalid.

O'Donnell told AP Radio that she and Carpenter are "going to wait until it's legal everywhere, because otherwise, I said to Kelli, we'll be going around touring the country on the marriage tour every state by state."

Osbourne Wins Libel Lawsuit
Ozzy Osbourne has accepted undisclosed libel damages and an apology over a newspaper claim that he was ill at the Brit Awards.

The 59-year-old rocker sued over a story in the Daily Star that alleged he had toppled over twice just before the televised ceremony and that he was moved around the awards in an electric buggy.

Osbourne's lawyer, John Kelly, told a court in London on Thursday that none of the allegations were put to Osbourne or his representatives before they were published.

Express Newspapers' lawyer Kate Wilson said the publisher now accepts that the allegations were untrue.

Today's Birthdays

Actress Billie Whitelaw is 76. Actor Robert Englund is 59. Playwright-actor Harvey Fierstein is 54. Comedian Sandra Bernhard is 53. Record producer Jimmy Jam is 49. Actor Paul Giamatti is 41. Rapper-rocker Uncle Kracker is 34.

Source: The Associated Press

CORRECTIONS

It is the policy of The Tampa Tribune to correct all errors of fact. To report an error, call (813) 259-7600 or e-mail news@tampatrib.com.

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