Hard to find, but totally worth it

(Departures.com) -- Several years ago a houseguest visiting me in New York said, "You've taken me to four bars and two restaurants, and none of them have been marked. What is going on?" It was the height of Manhattan's speakeasy craze, and although it may have gotten (and may still be!) a little out of hand, there was something irresistible about exploring an underground New York just for New Yorkers.

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In a city that sees 48.8 million visitors each year, the best way to claim a corner of one's own may be to hide it behind a secret phone booth, underneath a pizza stand, beyond the kitchen, on the other side of the wine cellar or in a train car. The same is true in other cities, of course, which is why digging for insider tips and word-of-mouth directions before a trip always pays off. The legwork is far more fun when the results are guaranteed.

Take, for example, La Petite Cuisine Paris. British ex-pat Rachel Khoo moved to town to train at the Cordon Bleu, and she ran this two-seat restaurant out of her 256-square-foot apartment. She served lunch just two days each week, on Wednesday and Saturday. Guests were treated to souffl , ragout or coq au vin, depending on the chef's inclination.

Khoo is closing her kitchen soon, so here are ten other word-of-mouth addresses worth investigating. Whether this list leads you to a hilltop spa in Mexico, a helicopter-access-only slope in the Canadian Rockies or a kitchen filled with Italian grandmas hell-bent on perfecting your pesto is up to you. When you've arrived, you'll know you're there.

Boulangerie de Croquignoles: Verbier, Switzerland

Verbier is that rare place in which travelers exercise and party in equal measure. A day of off-piste skiing isn't complete without a rich raclette supper, drinking and dancing. Crowning it all is one phenomenal secret address, located just outside the town square: Boulangerie de Croquignoles. The bakers begin their morning just as weekenders are ending their night. Knock on the window and a hand will appear, bearing a hot croissant in exchange for about $5. A most symbiotic relationship! The macaroons are also worth the trip. Route des Creux 22; verbier.ch.

Le Tunnel de la Collonge: Ambierle, France

In the cheese world, affinage, or the art of aging and maturing cheese, is a whole separate genius. Fromagerie Mons, in Roanne, France, is at the top of the game, supplying perfectly aged cheese to the world's best restaurants. Beginning in March, travelers can witness the aging process in a most alluring way, by venturing to the tiny town of Ambierle to spy the innovative aging tunnel the affineurs constructed in 2009. The entire operation is tucked inside an abandoned railway tunnel. Filled with shelves and shelves of the finest cheeses in the world, one imagines that if Willy Wonka had had an affection for dairy, not candy, Le Tunnel de la Collonge would have been his headquarters. 42820 Ambierle; mons-fromages.com.

Tutti a Tavola: Chianti, Italy

Learn to cook Italian from those that know best: mammas! Mimma, Lele, Franca and Simonetta are the women behind Tutti a Tavola, a hidden cooking school in Tuscany. (The name translates to "Everyone to the table.") If you inquire, these Italians mothers might invite you to stay on their own property -- think: incredible 18th-century farmhouses -- for a two- to four-day culinary course. That includes shopping with the mammas at the market, cooking with the mammas in the kitchen and joining the mammas at the table. Best of all -- just like an American mama -- they're pleased to visit you too. Each year they pop in to see former guests in America, Australia and beyond. Near Chianti; tutti-a-tavola.com.

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Happy Hummingbird: British Columbia, Canada

Ditch the same ho-hum run-and-go for something a bit more adventurous with Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). As the inventor of heli-skiing, they know a thing or two about secret slopes. Instructor Jean-Francois Lacombe suggests hopping a 12-minute flight from Calgary to the outfitter's private Valemount Lodge, where another ten-minute flight will take guests to a narrow ridgetop for a run dubbed "Happy Hummingbird." Lacombe says, "I love this run because of the cool landing site, great views and, of course, a great ski descent, from mountain top to the helicopter pickup at the bottom of the valley." With its (relatively!) central location and notable amenities, Valemount Lodge tends to book months in advance. Plan ahead. Near Valemount; canadianmountainholidays.com.

Carlson's of Fishtown: Leland, Michigan

Some New Yorkers go to the Hamptons to get away from it all. Mario Batali heads to Northern Michigan. "It takes less time for me to get here from New York than it would for me to get to Amagansett," he told the New York Times. Batali's choice of Midwest secret addresses for Departures is Carlson's of Fishtown, a hole-in-the-wall so obscure that Google Maps can't find it. No matter. In this tiny town, any native knows where to go for smoked whitefish p t , a famed local delicacy. 205 West River St.; lelandmi.com.

Verjus: Paris, France

In 2007, American ex-pats and avid cooks Laura Adrian and Braden Perkins began hosting private dinner parties as a way to make new friends in Paris. What started as a hobby soon became a business, as their "Hidden Kitchen" gained traction through food blogs and word of mouth. Soon it was nearly impossible to get a reservation for their ten-course meal, served two times a week in their home. On December 1, the couple took their culinary accomplishments out of hiding and opened Verjus, a restaurant near the Jardin du Palais Royal. Hurry, this won't be a secret address for long! 52 Rue de Richelieu; verjusparis.com

Spa En Vivo at Hotel Matilda: San Miguel Allende, Mexico

If you haven't been to San Miguel Allende, chances are it's on your list. The 469-year-old colonial city and artisan hub is the new must-see destination in Mexico, with two new luxury properties -- Rosewood San Miguel Allende and Hotel Matilda -- that opened just in the past year. This November, Hotel Matilda added a secret address to its features. In addition to its on-site 4,700-foot spa, it opened Spa En Vivo. This outdoor spa perched on a hilltop in the countryside allows guests to experience hand-blended apothecary treatments created from locally sourced ingredients in an environment that's every bit as natural. Enhanced by thermal pools, bamboo-encased treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion and a contemporary interpretation of a temazcal sweat lodge, it's so pleasant outside you may never want to go back in. Private hilltop in the countryside; hotelmatilda.com.

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Night Gallery: Los Angeles, California

As much as we love New York's pristine Chelsea galleries, they're a far cry from the gritty artists' studios in which the works are created. To narrow that gap and dig for a diamond in the rough -- and we do mean rough -- drive to L.A.'s Night Gallery. Canadian-transplant Davida Nemeroff opened the black box space in February 2010 as a safe haven for young artists and the collectors who love them. She now runs it with Mieke Marple. Need directions? Look for an unmarked former party supply store surrounded by taco shops in a dicey eastside neighborhood from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Tuesday through Thursday. Sound scary? Wait for Night Gallery's next show at the Chateau Marmont. Their first group show at Bar Marmont opened in October 2011 to rave reviews. 204 S. Avenue 19; nightgallery.ca.

Royal Mansour Marrakech: Marrakech, Morocco

The result of King Mohammed VI's marvelous mandate -- and budget -- to build the most beautiful example of Moroccan architecture in the world, and years of toil by more than 1,000 craftsmen, Royal Mansour Marrakech opened in June 2010 to much fanfare. The property includes 53 riads, each more opulent than the next. The winner, though, is the palace within the palace: Riad D'Honneur. Royal Mansour does not advertise, and in that sense alone, it's a secret address. It becomes even more so when one considers the intricate tunnels and passageways that run under the hotel, obscuring the Royal Mansour's most opulent feature of all: impeccable, invisible service. Rue Abou Abbas El Sebti; royalmansour.com.

Door 74: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

This Amsterdam stalwart speakeasy gets continued high marks for its consistently delicious cocktails, intimate booths and modern reservations system. Just call 31-0/877-844-980 in the morning to book a table and text the same number in the evening to confirm. Upon settling in, the menu arrives with specific instructions to further the clandestine nature of the place. Smokers are asked to walk to another bar, down the road, before lighting up -- lest they signal the secret address to passing pedestrians -- and patrons are instructed to say their farewells before exiting the bar. Reguliersdwarsstraat 74; door74.nl.

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Former NBA player recounts struggle with drug addiction

Boston (CNN) -- In the 14 years he lived as a drug addict, former NBA player Chris Herren had no shortage of moments that could have been his "rock bottom."

The earliest may have come when he was only 18, shortly after Sports Illustrated hyped the local star's matriculation to Boston College. Herren -- then one of the most highly anticipated freshmen basketball players in the country -- left BC after only one game after a positive test for cocaine.

Maybe it could have come a few years later, after he had transferred to Fresno State. Just days after one of the most brilliant games of his college career, he announced to a national audience at a news conference that he had once again failed a drug test.

Or maybe rock bottom came in 2001, when Herren's family and friends joined the packed crowd at Boston's Fleet Center to witness Herren fulfill his childhood dream of playing for the Boston Celtics. Even though he was in the starting lineup, Herren was nowhere to be found among the players warming up on the fabled parquet floor.

Instead, he stood in full uniform outside the Fleet Center in the pouring rain, waiting on a dealer just moments before the game.

Herren shot heroin into his veins before his mother's funeral, bailed on his wife and newborn son in the hospital to get drunk, and even had to be brought back to life once after an overdose.

But it wasn't any one of these moments that finally motivated him to get the treatment he needed to overcome his addiction. Herren did not have one singular moment of rock bottom.

"Addiction is rock bottom" he said in a recent interview. "I had 14 years of rock bottom."

Now three-and-a-half years sober, Herren looks back at those dark moments of his life with glib honesty and an almost macabre sense of gratefulness.

Making that buy on a street corner in his Celtics uniform? "Just another normal day in the life of an addict," he said.

Using heroin before a game? "I couldn't play without it in my system."

The overdose that almost killed him? "It was a blessing."

Burying his mother while he was on heroin? "When I tell the story about getting high before my mother's funeral -- the looks of disgust people give me -- those looks mean everything to me now."

Opinion: Addiction is not hopeless

Herren said those looks of disgust help him stay on the straight and narrow because he had never before been on the receiving end of such confrontational shows of disapproval. No one had ever looked him in the eye and told him what he already knew: that he was a junkie.

"I used to tell myself that I was no good all of the time," he said. "But it's much harder to look someone else in the eye and say the same thing."

When Herren was finally ready to dedicate himself to getting clean in 2008, he was met with a new challenge, one as daunting as kicking heroin, and one that he says helps perpetuate the cycle of addiction: the cost of effective treatment.

"Unless you have the very best insurance, you'll only get eight or nine days," he said. "You can't expect someone to run the streets for 10 years and come out clean in 10 days."

Herren knew effective treatment for him was going to need to last more than 10 days, and because he squandered all of his earnings to feed his addiction over the years, he also knew there was no way he could afford to overcome it himself.

That's when Chris Mullin, his friend and former NBA mentor, emerged to give Herren the assist of a lifetime. Mullin, a Hall of Famer and a recovering alcoholic, arranged for Herren to spend nine months getting clean in the type of intensive rehabilitation that he knew Herren needed so badly.

Although Herren still doesn't know exactly how Mullin made that happen, he is sure of one thing: "If it weren't for Chris Mullin and his family, I probably wouldn't be here."

It was his inability to access effective treatment, combined with his desire to repay Mullin's kindness, that inspired Herren to launch his own nonprofit in 2011. In one year, the Herren Project has already privately paid for more than 100 addicts to receive the treatment they otherwise could never have afforded on their own.

Read more about addiction

Effective treatment doesn't come cheap. At Gosnold on Cape Cod, a place where Herren spent three of his nine months in recovery, treatment runs $17,500 a month, according to Gosnold CEO Raymond Tamasi.

But that doesn't deter Herren, who says that "for some cases, we've paid for three months if it's needed."

As part of his work with his foundation, Herren crisscrosses the country, visiting high schools, colleges and prisons to tell his raw and jarring tale. In 2011, ESPN Films wove together scenes from those assemblies for a documentary about him called "Unguarded" that chronicled his rise and fall from stardom amid his descent and emergence from the abyss of addiction. That same year, Herren wrote "Basketball Junkie," a memoir in which he refuses to spare readers a single anguishing detail about his harrowing journey.

But if anyone thinks Herren wasted his talent or his life, he doesn't see it that way.

"People come up to me now and pity me, they call me a 'poor thing,' " he said. "I was a 'poor thing' for 14 years. My life is second to none now."

That life is in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, these days, where Herren, 36, spends his days marveling over the routine tasks of waking his children up for school every morning and putting them to bed every night -- a ritual he calls his proudest achievement.

He also spends a lot of his time at a nearby gym, running his eponymous basketball clinics for boys and girls of all skill levels. Here is where Herren's life has come full circle. He spent 14 years using basketball to fuel his addiction. Today, his basketball clinics also have another purpose, this time a positive one: It might look like he is teaching kids the mechanics of a jump shot, or a pick-n-roll, or a full-court press, but what he is really doing is teaching them to discover their self-esteem.

And that's something Herren didn't get around to doing for himself until he got sober.

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How can I avoid costly vet bills?

(MNN.com) -- My dog has a preference for shoes, but some dogs and cats have a knack for finding and consuming more dangerous items, in spite of our best efforts to deter that behavior. When those things get stuck, pets often need a trip to the vet for emergency removal.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), more than 5,000 pets received treatment at the group's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York.

Many of the cases resulted in costly treatment for preventable conditions. The group's top five are dental disease, urinary tract disease, pyometra, foreign body ingestion and high-rise syndrome, with veterinary bills ranging from $400 to more than $3,000. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

1. Dental disease (Estimated cost: $400 to $1,000)

"Picture what would happen if you literally never brushed your teeth," says Dr. Louise Murray, vice president of the Bergh animal hospital. "With proper dental care, dental treatments are shorter, less complicated, less invasive and less uncomfortable for your pet."

Set a goal of brushing your pet's teeth at least three times a week, which can extend the periods between veterinary dental procedures. Finger toothbrushes make quick work of the task, but Murray says wet gauze wrapped around your finger will do the trick.

Rub the outside surfaces and avoid human toothpaste, which is toxic to pets. Don't miss this video on what happens during veterinary dental procedures. It will make you want to grab a toothbrush, fast.

MNN: How to get your pet's dental act together

Chew toys also can help promote good dental health and prevent destructive behavior. ASPCA dog trainer Kristen Collins recommends investing in a variety of chew toys -- ranging from hard to soft -- to keep pets entertained.

"Supervise your dog really closely the first few times that she is chewing anything," she warns. Broken pieces can present a choking hazard. "If you have a power chewer, make sure those 'indestructible' toys are really indestructible."

Some pet toys, such as the Kong line, contain hollow centers that can be filled with peanut butter or other treats that may prove more enticing than your shoes. As pets age, their teeth can become more brittle, so consider softer gear.

Planet Dog has a line of Toys for Old Souls, and SmartBones digestible chew toys are made from dried chicken breast, an alternative to rawhide.

2. Urinary tract disease/obstruction (Estimated cost = $1,500+)

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) typically leads to inappropriate urination outside a cat's litter box. According to Murray, this common condition affects male and female cats and can be avoided by increasing their water intake.

"Cats evolved in the desert; their ancestors developed to produce a very concentrated urine," she says. "Cats' prey in the wild was 80 percent liquid. We give dry food and the urine becomes incredibly concentrated. Tons of studies show more liquid in diet can help."

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Canned food, pouches or homemade moist diets contain more water than dry kibble. If your cat is finicky about food, start by adding a tablespoon of water to her kibble and increase the amount over time. Patience is key.

Murray notes that it can take months for cats to adjust to the change. During the transition, Collins recommends water fountains for dehydrated pets. "A lot of cats will consume water if they can play with it," she says.

Murray adds that stress can trigger FLUTD, so stock up on interactive toys, scratching posts and window perches to keep cats busy.

3. Pyometra (Estimated cost: $2,000)

Chronic exposure to hormones can cause female cats and dogs to develop cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH), thickening of the uterine tissue. This condition can predispose the animal to pyometra, a bacterial infection within the uterus.

Emergency surgery is costly, and Murray notes that both medical conditions are 100% preventable.

"Spay your pet," she warns. "Don't wait for this to happen. Instead of a spay that costs $200 or $300, now you have $2,000 ICU emergency bill."

4. GI foreign body (Estimated cost: $2,000)

While pets can ingest anything, Murray says that stringy items such as dental floss, ribbons and shoestrings can be particularly harmful for cats and dogs. Once ingested, these objects can become entangled and actually rip an animal's intestines. Keep these dangerous items out of reach.

Pet toys that become damaged can present hazards as well. Avoid toys that are small enough for pets to swallow, and remove toys that become torn or broken. Bones are strictly off limits.

"Do not give them bones, period, end of story," Murray says. "I can't tell you how many bones I've taken out with the endoscope or doctors have taken out surgically. Anything that's super hard will break their teeth."

MNN: Pets eat the strangest things

Collins likes teaching dogs the "drop it" command to help people and pets avoid potentially dangerous items. If your dog has something it its mouth, say "drop it" and show a high-value treat.

As soon as your dog drops the item, offer praise and give the treat. Repeat this step a few times and then move on to the next stage of saying the command without showing the treat each time.

"Train them well and you can use 'drop it' with various items," she says. "I used to live in Manhattan and used to walk dogs for friends and neighbors; 'drop it' is the best cue you can have. It can save their lives."

Of course, cats don't respond well to bribery, so Collins says to be vigilant about keeping their environment safe. Remove items they are likely to find chew-worthy and stock up on cat grass or other alternatives. Since boredom can lead to destructive behavior, interactive toys help in this area as well.

5. High-rise syndrome (Estimated cost: $1,500 to $3,000)

Tall buildings and curious cats can be a dangerous combination. Each year, Bergh animal hospital treats quite a few ruptured lungs and broken limbs that result from cats falling from tall buildings. Make sure windows are tightly framed and avoid letting cats free on the balcony.

"People think cats have good instincts and won't jump or fall from the balcony," Murray says. "A cat has no way to know how high they are. They came up in an elevator."

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Feds may also be joining Sandusky investigation

(CNN) -- Federal authorities may be conducting their own investigation involving Penn State and the sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky.

Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach, is already being prosecuted by the Pennsylvania state Attorney General's Office over allegations that he sexually abused young boys over a 15-year period.

A Penn State spokeswoman said Thursday that the university received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania requesting information about Sandusky and his charity. The U.S. Attorney's office also asked for information about former president Graham Spanier, and Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, two former school officials charged with perjury and failure to report a crime.

Prosecutors have alleged that Sandusky met his accusers through the Second Mile, the youth charity he founded. Sandusky has also been accused of taking one of the alleged victims across state lines to bowl games in Texas and Florida, an issue that federal authorities could be looking into.

Joe Amendola, Sandusky's attorney, said he has no comment on the matter. Sandusky, who faces more than 50 counts of child sex abuse, is currently under house arrest as he awaits trial. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Last week, Penn State said it has incurred nearly $3.2 million in combined legal, consultant, and public relation fees pertaining to the Sandusky scandal.

Almost $2.5 million of the fees stem from Penn State's internal investigation and crisis communications team costs. Roughly $500,000 has been spent on university legal defense services, the university said.

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2nd teacher accused in scandal

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A preliminary hearing for Martin Springer, the second Los Angeles teacher charged with lewd conduct with a child, was set Thursday for April 16.

The former Miramonte Elementary School teacher has been charged with three felony counts of lewd acts with a girl under the age of 14. He has pleaded not guilty.

Springer was released last Friday in lieu of $300,000 bond and fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitoring device.

On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Shelly Torrealba scheduled the April hearing date and denied a defense request to remove the device.

The defense had argued it "suggests guilt" and is "akin to an inmate walking into a courtroom in shackles during a hearing or trial."

Springer walked into court wearing sunglasses and a blue blazer.

The Los Angeles Unified School District board fired Springer hours after he was formally charged this month. He was the second teacher at Miramonte charged with lewd conduct.

Former Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt, 61, was arrested and accused of taking bondage photos of more than two dozen students in his classroom, including some with suspected semen-filled spoons at their mouths.

Berndt was charged with 23 felony counts of lewd acts with pupils, a sheriff's spokesman said. He is being held in lieu of $23 million bail.

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Suspected drunk pilot kept off Omaha flight

(CNN) -- A Chautauqua Airlines pilot was kept off a flight in Omaha, Nebraska, Thursday morning after he failed a blood-alcohol test, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Authorities said they were tipped off by a hotel shuttle bus driver, who called airport police to report he suspected the pilot was drunk.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the agency is investigating the incident.

The male pilot, whose identity was not released, was scheduled to fly Frontier Flight 1894 from Omaha to Milwaukee at 6 a.m., according to the airline. Both Chautauqua and Frontier are owned by Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.

But shortly before the flight, a shuttle bus driver called the Eppley Airfield Airport Police to report his concerns about the pilot, said Chris Martin, director of operations for the Omaha Airport Authority.

"The pilot did make it through the checkpoint and he was met by our police officers near the gate of departure," Martin said.

Airport police talked to the pilot and handed the investigation over to Frontier Airlines, as well as notifying the FAA, Martin said.

Under the FAA's so-called "bottle-to-throttle" rule, pilots are prohibited from flying or performing any safety-sensitive operation within eight hours of consuming alcohol, or if they have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or higher. But Frontier Airlines spokeswoman Lindsey Carpenter said Frontier and Chautauqua enforce policies that are even more strict than the FAA's eight-hour rule.

The airline said 29 passengers and a three-person crew were on Flight 1984, an Embraer 145 aircraft.

"Because this is a personnel issue, we can't and won't comment on specifics other than to say that because of concern for the condition of the crew member, the crew member was replaced," Carpenter said. "Frontier and Chautauqua have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol that has resulted in a 100% safety record for both carriers."

"Appropriate action will be taken with the crew member when our investigation is complete," she said.

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Suspected drunk pilot kept off Omaha flight

(CNN) -- A Chautauqua Airlines pilot was kept off a flight in Omaha, Nebraska, Thursday morning after he failed a blood-alcohol test, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Authorities said they were tipped off by a hotel shuttle bus driver, who called airport police to report he suspected the pilot was drunk.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the agency is investigating the incident.

The male pilot, whose identity was not released, was scheduled to fly Frontier Flight 1894 from Omaha to Milwaukee at 6 a.m., according to the airline. Both Chautauqua and Frontier are owned by Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.

But shortly before the flight, a shuttle bus driver called the Eppley Airfield Airport Police to report his concerns about the pilot, said Chris Martin, director of operations for the Omaha Airport Authority.

"The pilot did make it through the checkpoint and he was met by our police officers near the gate of departure," Martin said.

Airport police talked to the pilot and handed the investigation over to Frontier Airlines, as well as notifying the FAA, Martin said.

Under the FAA's so-called "bottle-to-throttle" rule, pilots are prohibited from flying or performing any safety-sensitive operation within eight hours of consuming alcohol, or if they have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or higher. But Frontier Airlines spokeswoman Lindsey Carpenter said Frontier and Chautauqua enforce policies that are even more strict than the FAA's eight-hour rule.

The airline said 29 passengers and a three-person crew were on Flight 1984, an Embraer 145 aircraft.

"Because this is a personnel issue, we can't and won't comment on specifics other than to say that because of concern for the condition of the crew member, the crew member was replaced," Carpenter said. "Frontier and Chautauqua have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol that has resulted in a 100% safety record for both carriers."

"Appropriate action will be taken with the crew member when our investigation is complete," she said.

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Smithsonian breaking ground on black history museum

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Smithsonian Institution officially began construction Wednesday on a new museum dedicated to African-American culture and heritage -- a complex committed to the celebration and study of one of the central components of the American story.

Construction of the Smithsonian's 19th museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture -- to be located on the National Mall -- is expected to last three years. The museum is slated to open in 2015.

The nation's first black commander in chief, President Barack Obama, delivered remarks highlighting the importance of the museum's location.

National Museum of African American History and Culture.

"It was on this ground long ago that lives were once traded, where hundreds of thousands once marched for jobs and for freedom. It was here that the pillars of our democracy were built, often by black hands," the president said.

"And it is on this spot --- alongside the monuments to those who gave birth to this nation, and those who worked so hard to perfect it --- that generations will remember the sometimes difficult, often inspirational, but always central role that African-Americans have played in the life of our country."

The museum "will be a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience, what it means to their lives and how it helped us shape this nation. A place that transcends the boundaries of race and culture that divide us and becomes a lens into a story that unites us all," according to the Smithsonian website.

"This was true bipartisan effort, echoing the museum's message of unity. What a magnificent location, in view of powerful symbolism. It is a fitting home for this museum, invoking the indelible threads that connect African American stories to the American tapestry," said Wayne Clough, secretary of the Smithsonian.

Former first lady Laura Bush and Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis -- an icon of the civil rights era -- were among the other speakers celebrating the start of the museum's construction.

"I look forward to the day when I can amble through the exhibit, search through the archives, participate in a program, rest my tired feet in a cafe and get lost in history inside the granite wall of an idea whose time has finally come, " Lewis predicted.

"We didn't give up, didn't give in. We didn't give out. We didn't get lost in a sea of despair. We kept the faith. We kept our eyes on the prize."

The five-acre site, selected six years ago by the Smithsonian, is located between the Washington Monument and the National Museum of American History. The museum will be the first environmentally sensitive "green" building on the Mall. It is expected to cost $500 million, half of which will be covered by federal funds.

The groundbreaking ceremony was emceed by actress Phylicia Rashad, best known for her role as Claire Huxtable in the 1980s sitcom hit "The Cosby Show." Opera singers Denyce Graves and Thomas Hampson also performed.

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New York's Bloomberg defends city surveillance of Muslims

New York (CNN) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday fired back at the president of Yale University and others who have suggested city police went too far in their surveillance of Muslims.

"We have to keep this country safe," the mayor told reporters, addressing questions about an Associated Press report that said the NYPD was closely monitoring Muslim student associations in schools across the Northeastern United States.

"If people put things on websites and make them available to everybody, of course the NYPD is going to look at anything that's publicly available in the public domain," Bloomberg said. "And given we've had a dozen people arrested or convicted of terrorist acts who've come from similar organizations, we have an obligation to do so."

The AP article said police have tracked websites, and on one occasion sent an undercover officer with students from The City College of New York on a whitewater rafting trip.

"The police department goes where there are allegations," the mayor said, adding that the city's officers are seeking to protect "the very things that allow Yale to survive."

But Yale President Richard Levin described New York's surveillance program as "antithetical to the values" of the New Haven, Connecticut, university and those of the nation.

When asked by a reporter if police had gone too far by sending the agent on the rafting trip, Bloomberg responded "no."

Police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN that his agency does not monitor students directly, but confirmed it does monitor the websites they use.

"In any case where you see an NYPD officer present, it's an indication that we were looking at an individual," he said.

Browne accused the AP of "hyping these stories" to sensationalize them. He provided a list of 12 people arrested or convicted on terrorism-related charges in the United States who were once members of Muslim student associations.

The Columbia University Muslim Students Association condemned the police practice in a statement Tuesday.

"We are concerned that news reports about NYPD's presence on our campus have a chilling effect on the intellectual freedom necessary for a vibrant academic community," it read.

In December, a prominent group of Muslim leaders boycotted Bloomberg's annual interfaith breakfast in protest of the controversial program.

The move stemmed from a series of earlier news reports that raised questions about the nature of a CIA partnership with the NYPD that allegedly helped to build city intelligence programs to spy on Muslims.

The boycott stood in a stark contrast to the goodwill the mayor earned among Muslim leaders when he defended plans for a controversial Islamic community center near the former site of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

The CIA later announced its internal watchdog found no issue or evidence of wrongdoing in the spy agency's partnership with the NYPD.

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More Hollywood films set for China

Hong Kong (CNN) -- In a boon for IMAX and movie-watchers in China alike, a deal struck between the United States and China last week raises the number of 3D, IMAX and similar enhanced-format movies released in China.

China has remained mostly closed to Hollywood, with a quota of 20 foreign films per year, most of them being from the United States. Under the agreement, announced during U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's trip to Los Angeles with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, 14 additional IMAX or 3D films would be allowed. Foreign film companies will also be permitted to take a 25% cut of the box office, nearly double the current 13%-17%.

In a White House statement, Biden said the deal would support "thousands of American jobs in and around the film industry," adding that "Chinese audiences will have access to more of the finest films made anywhere in the world." Some 2.2 million Americans have jobs that depend on the film and television industries, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

IMAX, which has 217 theatres open or contracted to open in China, hailed the move, saying in a statement Saturday that it was "also committed to bringing Chinese films presented in our format to the U.S."

On February 14, the company said that its first quarter box office of the year was $55 million, up from $38 million during the same period last year, driven primarily by "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol," which accounted for nearly half those earnings. The Chinese film, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate," rounded the top four with $3.7 million.

Last year, Chinese box office revenue exceeded $2.1 billion, much of the revenues from 3D titles, the White House noted.

The deal resolves film-related issues related to a 2009 World Trade Organization ruling siding with the United States. According to the ruling, China's measures relating to the importation and distribution of films, sound recordings, audiovisual home entertainment products and reading materials breached its trading rights commitments as a WTO member.

Hollywood has been battling piracy in China, despite Beijing's closure of piracy websites, in no small part due to the limited access of U.S. films to Chinese screens.

Allen Wan, head of production for Hong Kong-based Salon Films Group which has worked with Hollywood companies in Asia, was positive about the deal. "Chinese audiences can see more films from the U.S. properly, officially. And on the other hand, I think it will increase more opportunities for Chinese and U.S. film (companies) to cooperate together to produce more films."

"The Flowers of War," directed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou and starring Oscar-winner Christian Bale, cost $100 million to make, the largest production made in China. The film, which is set during Japan's occupation of Nanjing and the 1937 massacre, was China's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Its executive producer is David Linde, CEO of Lava Bear Films and former chairman of Universal Pictures. (He was also executive producer for Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.")

The movie has failed to connect with U.S. audiences, however. For the week of February 14, it was playing in six locations, down from 30 when it opened, with an average gross of $550 per location, according to Boxoffice.com. The film's overall U.S. gross during its four-week run? $213,792, at last count.

On Friday, coinciding with the U.S.-China film deal, DreamWorks Animation announced a joint venture with China Media Capital (CMC) and two other Chinese companies to establish a China-focused family entertainment company, Oriental DreamWorks. "In addition to content creation, the joint venture will pursue business opportunities in the areas of live entertainment, theme parks, mobile, online, interactive games and consumer products," DreamWorks Animation said in its announcement.

The venture will have an initial capitalization of $330 million.

The Chinese companies will hold a 55% majority stake; DreamWorks Animation will hold about 45%, according to the announcement. On the agenda: "Kung Fu Panda 3," Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua cited CMC chief investment officer Li Huaiyu as saying in an exclusive interview.

DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda" was the top animated film released in China in 2008, according to the company. The sequel, which made $95 million at the Chinese box office last year, was second only to "Transformers 3," which brought in $170 million.

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Why Siri isn't included in OS X Mountain Lion

(WIRED) -- Apple's latest OS X update, Mountain Lion, adds a slate of new features, nearly all derived from iOS 5. There's one big omission, however: Siri, Apple's voice-controlled virtual assistant, does not make the migration from mobile to desktop.

Now, technically, Siri isn't a part of iOS 5. It's marketed as the most game-changing feature of the iPhone 4S (which runs iOS 5), and Apple has remained mum on whether Siri will ever be ported to other devices this to the pique of independent developers who've hacked the feature to run on everything from the iPod touch to thermostats.

Clearly, Siri is Apple's most celebrated user feature. And, clearly, there's interest to see it appear on other Apple devices. Indeed, companies throughout the consumer tech industry are exploring novel new user interface models, including voice-control and gesture-control.

But porting Siri to Mountain Lion desktops would pose several challenges. Apple was smart to leave it out of the latest desktop update, and here's why.

Microphone logistics

Microphone positioning on MacBooks and iMacs would present technical challenges for any Siri desktop port.

The iPhone is designed to be held up to your face, and has a built-in mic that includes advanced noise reduction technology to ensure your voice is heard loud and clear, while street noise and the nearby guy shouting into his phone aren't picked up.

In part, this is accomplished by using two microphones: one near your mouth to pick up your voice, and another near the headphone jack to identify and cancel out background noise.

Yes, your MacBook Pro has an omnidirectional microphone built-in. It's very convenient for using FaceTime in conjunction with the notebook's camera, or for the speech recognition function built into Macs for OS control.

The omnidirectional mic, however, doesn't offer the same voice-processing sensitivity of the iPhone 4 s dual-mic arrangement. All told, Siri voice analysis would be far more challenging on a Mac computer, particularly when other voices or noises are in the room.

Granted, using an external mic, or even the mic on your throwaway iDevice earbuds, could provide a solution. But even though Siri is still considered a beta product, Apple wouldn't resort to such an inelegant hack just to put Siri on Macs.

"Apple has been reluctant to put in features that require something like that," Forrester analyst Frank Gillett told Wired. "It's too fussy for what they like to do. Current speech-recognition products work pretty well if you wear a special high-quality microphone. What's very clear is they need the mic on your face, right by your lips."

Location detection

Siri is all about location-awareness. She wants to give you directions, provide local weather reports, and locate the closest sources of exotic cuisine. But desktop computers don't include native GPS.

"I think the main challenge [in bringing Siri to Mountain Lion] would be the lack of an accurate location being available," said William Tunstall-Pedoe, CEO of True Knowledge, which has developed a Siri clone called Evi. What's more, as Tunstall-Pedoe points out, desktop computers are relatively stationary devices, so a Mac version of Siri may not even need location-awareness, as a large portion of Siri's talents would never be engaged.

All of which begs the question, If a good portion of Siri's functionality isn't even germane to the desktop experience, why even deliver a port?

While MacBooks don't currently include GPS services, various web services (like Google Maps) can figure out your location by using either IP geolocation, or by triangulating your position based on WiFi networks around you. These strategies, however, deliver location accuracy limited to about 150 feet, whereas GPS can peg you within 10 feet of your precise position on the Earth. Future MacBooks could easily include GPS chip built-in for more exact positioning, but for now, laptop and desktop geolocation capabilities aren't accurate or even that necessary.

Hands-free voice control isn't needed

People tend to use Siri because their hands are tied, like when driving. Thus, "Siri, where's the nearest gas station?" With Siri, you can find the answer quickly, and relatively safely, while keeping your eyes on the road. But these basic use cases just don't transfer to the desktop.

"I think it is fair to say that the advantages that a voice-powered assistant give are stronger on a small mobile device," Tunstall-Pedoe said. "PCs typically have a much larger screen and a keyboard and mouse." Or, in Apple's case, a trackpad or Magic Trackpad instead of a mouse, depending if you're on a laptop or desktop.

Either way, hand-driven data entry is a familiar and generally effective method for using today's computers. What's more, as Tunstall-Pedoe points out, "PCs are also often used in environments where the use of voice would be awkward," such as inside an open floor plan office.

Granted, if you're disabled or injured, you could certainly make use of a hands-free feature. But in these cases, you would probably want a tool more robust than Siri. Which brings us to our next point:

Limited use cases

With Siri, you can do things like schedule reminders, look up restaurant and business information on Yelp, get information from Wolfram|Alpha, and ask general search engine-style queries. That's not a large number of functions, and they're not specifically suited to the desktop environment.

Indeed, why would you have Siri look up something when you can more quickly run your own Google search?

"On the iPhone, people want to do short things, like quick dictation and sending a quick text message," Gillette says. The use cases would be different on a Mac, and not necessarily centered around short phrases. Siri's capabilities would need to expand in order to handle these different functions.

Always-on data

Lastly, Siri needs a constant data connection in order to interface with Apple's servers. Until MacBooks include a built-in 3G, or more likely, 4G data connection, WiFi alone won't cut it for consistent, high-quality network availability, Gillett says.

Gillett also believes Siri ties into unique hardware features that make chatter between one's device and Apple's data center more streamlined. "There seems to be special silicon within a special chip that has capabilities for voice recognition that a Mac wouldn't have," he said.

Gillett notes that Siri is sometimes able to analyze a query and provide a response extremely quickly, while other times, it takes 10 to 15 seconds of processing. "I think the chip does some pre-analysis, shrinks stuff it has to send, Apple's data center gets a crunched answer, and Siri displays it on screen," Gillett said.

"Apple may be working on Siri-enabling features [for Macs] in the future, but there will be some hardware enhancements to go with it," Gillett said. "And they'll think long and hard about the use case before they implement a voice feature in the Mac."

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When will workers share in Apple's wealth?

(CNN) -- Apple's CEO Tim Cook says the company "cares about every worker" in its factories and that "no one in (the) industry is doing more to improve working conditions than Apple."

Of course, when it comes to issues of corporate responsibility, talk is cheap. What matters is not what Apple says, but what it does.

And what Apple does in its vast global supply chain has been well-documented, which is why the company is in public relations overdrive, frantic to protect its once pristine corporate image.

Consider the fate that befell workers at a factory in Chengdu, China, that makes products for Apple. In May, independent investigators issued a report documenting grave dangers to workers at the facility. They warned the factory was failing to control the profusion of dust produced by the manufacture of aluminum cases for the Ipad 2. When a factory is suffused with aluminum dust, there is a high risk of explosion. Apple ignored the report and refused to meet with the authors, the investigators said. It did nothing to address the danger.

Two weeks later, the factory exploded, killing four workers and injuring 18. In the wake of the explosion, Apple said its suppliers took measures to control aluminum dust. But despite this, in December 2011, another explosion, at an Apple supplier factory in Shanghai, injured 61 workers.

Grievous labor rights problems at Apple's supplier factories have been known for years, including the spate of worker suicides in 2010 at the giant plant in Shenzhen, China, known as "Ipod City." At this factory -- owned, like the Chengdu plant, by Apple's biggest supplier, Foxconn -- more than a dozen workers took their own lives by throwing themselves from the roof of the factory's overcrowded dormitories, in apparent protest of the brutal treatment facing workers at the facility. (Foxconn reportedly responded by putting up nets outside the dorms and making workers sign pledges not to kill themselves.)

In recent weeks, public awareness of these issues has increased exponentially, thanks to a huge jump in media interest, raising Apple's public relations problems from a low simmer to a rolling boil.

When a company comes under this kind of pressure, sometimes genuine change in policy can occur. The more typical response is a mere change in rhetoric. This is the route Apple is choosing.

Apple's major move has been to announce that it has joined an organization called the Fair Labor Association, which will "audit" Apple's factories. According to Apple, the Fair Labor Association is an independent watchdog that will work tenaciously to hold Apple and its suppliers accountable.

Unfortunately, while there are some fine people at the association, the organization is not the independent watchdog Apple claims it to be. Indeed, most of its money -- millions of dollars per year -- comes from the very companies whose labor practices it is supposed to scrutinize. Although Apple has not disclosed its financial relationship with the Fair Labor Association, it is likely now the organization's largest funder. Moreover, on the association's board of directors sit executives of major corporations such as Nike, Adidas and agribusiness giant Syngenta. The job of these executives is to represent the interests of other member companies, such as Apple. Under the Fair Labor Association's rules, the company representatives on the board exercise veto power over major decisions.

Independence, as most people understand the term, means an organization is not funded and governed by the companies it is charged with investigating. Despite the financial relationship, Apple argues that the Fair Labor Association will act independently and that the association's review of Apple's factories will probably be "the most detailed factory audit in the history of mass manufacturing."

Early indications are not encouraging. Just one day after launching what was supposed to be a long and uncompromising investigation of Foxconn's Ipad plant in Shenzhen, the association was already issuing public praise of Foxconn and Apple.

On Wednesday, CNNMoney/Fortune ran an article with the headline, "Apple iPad plant is 'way, way above average,' says inspector." Fair Labor Association President Auret van Heerden said this about Foxconn to Reuters: "The facilities are first-class. ... I was very surprised when I walked in the door how tranquil it is. ..." The CNNMoney/Fortune article notes that "whether intended or not, van Heerden's remarks served to support (Apple CEO) Cook's contention that no one has done more than Apple to address the working conditions at factories."

Van Heerden reached these conclusions after a guided tour of the factory provided by Foxconn's owner, Terry Gou. The views of Gou, one of the wealthiest men in Asia, are well-known to Foxconn workers because, as punishment for displeasing their managers, workers are sometimes forced to spend hours writing out copies of his personal sayings. Clearly, Apple's partnership with the Fair Labor Association is not, in and of itself, going to usher in radical change.

So what steps would Apple take if it were genuinely committed to improving its labor practices? For starters, it would open its factories for inspection and worker trainings to genuinely independent groups such as Hong Kong-based SACOM, the organization whose report on the Chengdu factory could have saved the lives of the workers killed there in May, had Apple paid it heed.

And if Apple genuinely "cared about every worker," it would pay every worker a living wage -- enough for workers to achieve a minimally decent standard of living, support their families and even save a bit toward a better future. Today, barely 1% of the retail price of an Ipad goes to the workers who make it; 33% goes to Apple's profits. Apple's profits are so high, and its global labor costs so low, that it could triple the wages of its 700,000 manufacturing workers and help them achieve a living wage (just a few dollars an hour in China), and still make $40 billion a year. A wage increase of 16% to 25% at Foxconn, announced today as Apple's public relations blitz reaches a crescendo, doesn't come close.

Next time you are at the Apple Store, consider bellying up to the Genius Bar and asking why the most profitable company in the history of technology can't pay its workers a living wage and why, if Apple is really ready to open itself to independent scrutiny, it doesn't allow inspections by organizations in which it is not a dues-paying member.

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Costner delivers poignant eulogy for co-star Houston

(CNN) -- A blockbuster movie could not have been scripted better: a woman whose unparalleled voice earned her the kind of single-name recognition that felt like an unbearable burden.

Fitting, then, that superstar Kevin Costner should eulogize his co-star in this way.

At Whitney Houston's funeral Saturday, Costner recalled a woman who doubted herself when she need not have.

He revealed how Houston was chosen to star with him in the 1992 movie "the Bodyguard." Few had confidence in Houston -- she had never acted before. A lot was riding on this role, he said, and the studio was unsure about giving it to a black woman.

But Costner thought she was perfect, though she would have to prove it to the studio with a screen test. In her trailer, he took her nervous hands in his; told her she looked beautiful.

"I could still feel the doubt," he said.

She asked for some time and after 20 minutes appeared for the screen test.

"We hadn't said four lines when we had to stop," Costner recalled. "I needed to know what she had done in those 20 minutes."

He stood her in front of a mirror, her makeup running down her face.

In those 20 minutes, she had wiped off the studio makeup and applied her own, the thick heavy kind she wore for her music videos, the kind that melted under the heat of studio lights.

She didn't think the lighter makeup made her look good enough. To Costner, Houston seemed so small and sad at that moment.

"You weren't just pretty. You were as beautiful as a woman could be," Costner said in front of a packed Newark church.

"Whitney, if you could hear me now, I would tell you: You weren't just good enough. You were great. You sang the whole damn song without a band."

Costner, of course, was referring to Houston's signature song: "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard."

"A lot of leading men could have played my part, but you, Whitney, I truly believe, you were the only one who could have played Rachel Marin."

For her closest friends inside that church Saturday, and strangers who continue to draw inspiration from her voice, Costner's words hit a painfully honest note about human frailty.

"It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble again," he said.

Years after "The Bodyguard" hit theaters, reports of Houston's struggles with drug addiction and a rocky marriage with Bobby Brown surfaced and her album sales declined.

"The inexplicable burden that comes with fame," Costner said. "Call it doubt. Call it fear. I've had mine. I know the famous in the room have had theirs."

Costner said Houston's own story could help a new generation of young girls who dream big.

"Maybe they're thinking they aren't good enough," he said. "I think Whitney would tell you: Guard your bodies. Guard the precious miracle of your life. Then sing your hearts out, knowing that there's a lady in heaven who's making God himself wonder how he created something so perfect.

"So off you go, Whitney. Off you go," Costner said in closing.

"Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father. And when you sing before him, don't you worry. You'll be good enough."

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