The tragedy of Michael Jackson's death at age 50, reportedly from cardiac arrest, pales in comparison to the tragedy of his life. To understand all that Jackson had and lost requires wiping away three decades of plastic surgeries that deformed him, erratic behavior that made his name synonymous with the warping powers of fame, and a 2005 trial for sexually abusing a child that, even though he was spared of any finding of wrongdoing, made him a pariah to ...

The tragedy of Michael Jackson's death at age 50, reportedly from cardiac arrest, pales in comparison to the tragedy of his life. To understand all that Jackson had and lost requires wiping away three decades of plastic surgeries that deformed him, erratic behavior that made his name synonymous with the warping powers of fame, and a 2005 trial for sexually abusing a child that, even though he was spared of any finding of wrongdoing, made him a pariah to ...

As he began finding success as a cartoonist, marketer and Web pundit Hugh MacLeod posted a list of 40 "keys to creativity" onto his popular blog, gapingvoid.com. His breezy advice for aspiring artists — wisdom such as "Dying young is overrated" and "Selling out is harder than it looks" — found a hungry audience and was downloaded more than a million times. Macleod has assembled his observations into a book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, and ...

Interstate 980 cuts through a gritty section of West Oakland, California, bisecting a neighborhood blighted by abandoned homes and open drug-dealing. It's also home to a bustling farm that's been feeding writer Novella Carpenter and her neighbors for six years. An energetic advocate of sustainable, do-it-yourself living, Carpenter has raised chickens, ducks, geese, goats and even pigs in what was formerly a garbage-strewn lot next to her home. She recently published a memoir, Farm City: The Education of ...

Formula One racing is a bit like evolution governed by an appeals committee: Winning races has long been relied on engineering innovations that give a race car that extra microsecond advantage, while the teams left in the dust cry foul and demand that the sport's governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile , rule those innovations out. FIA supremo Max Mosley had hoped to tamp down what he calls the sport's "financial arms race" by imposing a $66 billion ...

SAN FRANCISCO --The big knock on Apple -- whether or not it's always been accurate -- is that its products are more expensive than most of its competitors. But in the keynote speech Monday that opened Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, it became clear the company is tackling the price question head on. The best example of this new attitude is the decision to keep the 8GB iPhone 3G, but sell it at $99. That was the most aggressive price move ...

French Open champion Roger Federer dramatically withdrew from the Halle Open tournament on Tuesday saying he was "overwhelmed and exhausted" after his Paris triumph. Federer beat Swede Robin Soderling in Sunday's Roland Garros final to complete his Grand Slam haul and equal the record 14 'major' wins by Pete Sampras. He traditionally uses the German follow-up event as his warm-up for Wimbledon which starts on June 22. "I sincerely apologise to the tournament organisers, my competitors, and my fans ...

Former world number one, Pete Sampras, has described recently crowned French Open champion Roger Federer as the best player in history. The 37-year-old American, nicknamed 'Pistol Pete' for his bullet-like serves, won a record 14 grand slam men's singles titles over a 15-year career, though never captured the trophy at Roland Garros. In beating Sweden's Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 to take the French title on Sunday, Federer equaled Sampras's record and became only the sixth man in ...

Michel Platini, the president of the governing body for European football (UEFA) has exclusively told CNN that he urges fans not to travel to the Champions League final in Rome without a ticket -- in the wake of news that a Briton needed hospital treatment after being stabbed. Although Platini is looking forward to what he describes as a "dream" final between Manchester United and Barcelona, the Frenchman has also admitted that he will have one eye on events ...

Roger Federer has exclusively told CNN he feels he could beat reigning champion Rafael Nadal at this year's French Open in Paris, because despite winning the last four tournaments the Spaniard is "only human." The world number two is hoping this year will prove to be a turning point after suffering three consecutive final defeats to Nadal at Roland Garros. "He's won four straight times here in Paris which shows how tough he is, but if you play him the ...