The Grateful Dead and a missing head...

The Grateful Deadand a missing head
SONOMA, Calif. -- The long, strange trip continues for Jerry Garcia's toilet. Police say the Grateful Dead leader's commode was stolen recently from a driveway along with three other toilets and a bidet. Garcia's salmon-colored toilet was the subject of a legal battle before it was finally moved to Sonoma, to await shipment to a Canadian casino. It's unclear if the toilet was swiped by a wayward Deadhead or a thief remodeling a bathroom. Police said they have no suspects or leads.
Henry Koltys bought Garcia's Marin County home for $1.39 million in 1997 and removed the toilet and other items he planned to sell to raise money for a charity. After Koltys sold the house to a friend of the band's, the new owner sued to block the auction. The dispute was resolved last year, and Koltys moved the items to his home in Sonoma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco. Last month, Koltys sold Garcia's toilet for $2,550 to online casino Goldenpalace.com, which planned to use it as part of a traveling marketing exhibit. The casino is offering a $250 reward for its return.
Koltys said Friday the toilet once stood in the master bathroom of Garcia, who died in 1995 at age 53. "It would have been his personal head," he said. The casino also paid $25,000 for William Shatner's kidney stone and $28,000 for a grilled cheese sandwich that reportedly had the image of the Virgin Mary on it, Koltys said. Jonathon Lipsin, who worked for Garcia as a gardener and now owns a Northern California record store, said the toilet might appeal to dedicated Deadheads. "It's a little gross," Lipsin said. "But I could see it at a rock 'n' roll museum, too."
Mike the Maoist?Tyson visits mausoleum
BEIJING -- Mike Tyson said he felt insignificant standing near the preserved body of Mao Tse-tung during a visit to the deceased leader's mausoleum. Tyson, 39, is a longtime admirer of Mao, who founded China's communist government in 1949. He has Mao's likeness tattooed on his right arm. "Standing in front of Chairman Mao's remains, I felt really insignificant," the heavyweight boxer told reporters Saturday during a 15-minute visit, the Beijing Times reported. "To have the chance to visit the memorial hall is a great honor for me." Mao died in 1976. His preserved body has been on display in a glass case on Tiananmen Square, allowing visitors to pay their respects. During the brief visit, Tyson bought three books on Mao, the newspaper said. He rolled down the window and yelled out "I love you" to Chinese crowds on the square as he drove away.
Mission is possible:Cruise says he'll wed
BERLIN -- Tom Cruise has told Germany's leading tabloid that he and Katie Holmes want to tie the knot this summer, after the birth of their baby and the release of his new movie, "Mission: Impossible III." Cruise was in the country to promote the film on the popular "Wetten Dass ... (I'll Bet ...)" TV show. He said on the show Saturday that two pilots were at the ready to fly him home should Holmes go into labor. "If Katie calls, I'm gone," the 43-year-old actor said. Holmes, 27, is in the final stages of her pregnancy with the couple's first child. Cruise confirmed to Bild in Monday's editions that he and Holmes plan to wed in the coming months. They have been engaged since June. "First the baby, then the film," he was quoted as saying. "Then, in summer, we want to get married. I won't let this woman get away." "Mission: Impossible III" will be released May 5.
Today's birthdays
Author-poet Maya Angelou is 78. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) is 74. Recording executive Clive Davis is 74. Bandleader Hugh Masekela is 67. Author Kitty Kelley is 64. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 62. Actor Walter Charles is 61. Actress Caroline McWilliams is 61. Actress Christine Lahti is 56. Country singer Steve Gatlin (The Gatlin Brothers) is 55. Writer-producer David E. Kelley is 50. Actor Phil Morris is 47. Actress Lorraine Toussaint is 46. Actor Hugo Weaving is 46. Rock musician Craig Adams (The Cult) is 44. Actor David Cross is 42. Actor Robert Downey Jr. is 41. Actress Nancy McKeon is 40. Actor Barry Pepper is 36. Country singer Clay Davidson is 35. Singer Jill Scott is 34. Rock musician Magnus Sveningsson (The Cardigans) is 34. Magician David Blaine is 33. Singer Kelly Price is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Andre Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 32. Actor Heath Ledger is 27. Actress Natasha Lyonne is 27. Actress Jamie Lynn Spears is 15.