Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service articles from December 2000, page 4

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service archives from December 2000

Bucs prepare to face Eagles, worst turf in the NFL.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... TAMPA, Fla. _ No official body count has been kept regarding the injury toll that the infamous turf at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium has taken on NFL players over the years. Perhaps the most tragic victim was Chicago Bears wide receiver...

Backup center to sit out Citrus Bowl.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... Auburn backup center Ben Nowland, who injured a knuckle on his right hand during Wednesday's practice, will sit out the Florida Citrus Bowl game because of the injury. The redshirt sophomore from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., broke the...

Even without Hill, Magic overcome Pistons.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ Grant Who? Playing inspired basketball the day after a depressing medical dispatch, the Orlando Magic delivered encouraging news to their fans that there is plenty of spunk left in the lineup that will be missing injured...

For Magic, defense is key.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... Forget Heart & Hustle. Expect the Orlando Magic to adopt a Mass & Muscle theme to their season now that forward Grant Hill won't be back for the rest of the year. Wanting to establish a tougher defensive presence, Magic Coach Doc Rivers...

Magic plan to share burden of losing star.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ After weeks of "Will he? Won't he?" indecision, the Orlando Magic need to answer the most critical question of a challenging season: How will they do without Grant Hill, slated to have a second surgery on his left ankle?...

Ask Anything: Sticky situation calls for honesty.(Chicago Tribune)
December 28, 2000... Dear Wendi: This guy invited me to a winter-break party. I want to go to the party, but I'd like to hold out until this guy I like better asks me. I told the first guy I'd think about it. What should I do? _ Wait and See? Dear Wait...

Manatee protection areas on the increase under federal plan.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla._As boats kill manatees in record numbers, the federal government plans a sharp increase in the number of protected areas for the endangered mammals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a list of about 150...

`Elian in reverse' case plays out on Cuban soil.(Chicago Tribune)
December 28, 2000... Wonder what Elian Gonzales would think of this: In what's being called an "Elian in reverse" case, a woman smuggled her 5-year-old son into Cuba from Florida, and the boy's dad began fighting to get him back. As of last week, at least,...

1995 quake awakened Japan to necessity of preparation.(Chicago Tribune)
December 28, 2000... TOKYO _ Six years ago next month, a killer earthquake struck the port city of Kobe, burying thousands of people, homes and the myth that Japanese planning skills could cope with a disaster of such magnitude. Since then, successive...

Real estate industry on the front lines when it comes to trying out digital signature technology.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... At his real estate closing last July, Jose Ignacio Arroyo didn't just purchase a new home. He made history. The Weston, Fla., man participated in the first completely electronic real estate transaction. In other words, he bought a home,...

Buying a home the electronic way versus the traditional way.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 28, 2000... Traditional closing _After signing a contract to purchase a home, the buyer calls banks or mortgage companies for rate information, requests an application package, completes it, returns it. Getting approval can take as long as 45 days....

Check fraud rising; forgery No. 1 cause.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... Banks are still losing ground in their ongoing battle against check fraud. A recent survey by the American Bankers Association showed that check-fraud losses rose to $679 million in 1999, up 32 percent from 1997, the last time the...

People in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... OSCAR'S LEADERS OF THE PACK Russell Crowe and Tom Hanks are the top contenders in a wide-open Best Actor race. But don't rule out Javier Bardem or Geoffrey Rush winning an Oscar. Here's Entertainment Weekly's take on the leading men:...

Air Force quarterback's family to cheer at his last game.(The Gazette)
December 28, 2000... MODESTO, Calif. _ They sat around the living room, father and mother, sister and brother, sharing in a long, engrossing conversation. Steve, Barbara, Melissa and Scott Thiessen talked about themselves, their dreams, their memories and the...

Teen boys charged with theft of San Francisco Zoo koalas.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... SAN FRANCISCO_Two teenage boys were arrested Thursday on burglary charges for the late-night zoo heist of mother and daughter koalas _ cute and seemingly cuddly animals the boys apparently wanted to give to their girlfriends as belated...

Dolphins expect playoff game to be decide by Fiedler.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... MIAMI _ The Dolphins expect this playoff game to be decided by Jay Fiedler, and that is fine for a team that is confident he will be their quarterback next season. Coach Dave Wannstedt is convinced the Colts will concoct a game plan to...

Panthers tap Sutter as new coach.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... MIAMI _ Even those players not around during Duane Sutter's tenure as Panthers assistant coach could talk about him. The Sutter name carries with it certain connotations. Intensity. Emotion. Passion. The Panthers know to expect those...

Blackout likely for Dolphins-Colts game.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... MIAMI _ A local television blackout is very likely for Saturday's Dolphins-Colts playoff game, and Channel 10 is operating under the assumption that the game will not be televised, according to an executive at the station. Channel 10...

Panthers fire Murray brothers.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... MIAMI _ There was no surprise in the Panthers' locker room Thursday when team president Bill Torrey fired general manager Bryan Murray and coach Terry Murray. There's rarely surprise at ground zero. And the news wasn't entirely...

NBA fans are cashing in on players _ or trying to.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... MIAMI _ Anthony Carter was attending a Miami Heat function last summer when a woman approached. He figured she would say hello or commend him for his rookie season. She asked for $2,000. ``I couldn't believe it,'' said Carter, who...

Latin music explodes onto American music scene _ at last.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... This was the year Latin music she-banged its way into America's mainstream consciousness, bursting with assured rhythm and soul on one hand _ and nervously clamoring for legitimacy on the other. The first Latin Grammy Awards in September...

2000's best and worst in pop were one and the same: Napster.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... In a bizarre year in which Americans either learned or relearned the words chad and "recount" none mattered more in pop music than this one: Napster. It's today's equivalent of yesterday's illegal home taping habit, and nothing fostered...

The best album of 2000: `Kid A' by Radiohead.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 28, 2000... THE BEST: 1. Radiohead, "Kid A" (Capitol). The most influential band since Nirvana. With groups lining up to emulate their sound, Radiohead turns around and raises the bar. Worth inclusion on the strength alone of "How To Disappear...

Cops always questioning: Is it mercy or murder?(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ Mercy or murder? Florida homicide investigators ask that question about twice a month. An elderly person dies violently, usually at the hand of an aged husband who had promised to love, honor and cherish his spouse until...

Sun Bowl capsule.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Sun Bowl Wisconsin vs. UCLA Time/site: 2:15 p.m. Friday/Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas. Broadcast: CBS. Records: Wisconsin 8-4, UCLA 6-5. About Wisconsin: The Badgers were a trendy pick to win the Big Ten and contend for the...

Peach Bowl capsule.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Peach Bowl LSU vs. Georgia Tech Time/site: 5 p.m. EST Friday/Georgia Dome, Atlanta. Broadcast: ESPN. Records: LSU 7-4, Georgia Tech 9-2. About LSU: The Tigers were sitting pretty for a Cotton Bowl berth before they were...

Liberty Bowl capsule.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Liberty Bowl Louisville vs. Colorado State Time/site: 1:30 p.m. EST Friday/Liberty Bowl, Memphis. Broadcast: ESPN. Records: Louisville 9-2, Colorado State 9-2. About Louisville: Folks wondered how the Cardinals would...

Mercer shooting his way out of slump.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Guard Ron Mercer stayed long after Tuesday night's practice ended, shooting jumper after jumper to try to shake off any rust accumulated during the Bulls' two-day Christmas break. "I wasn't shooting like I was when I left,"...

NFL pioneer quarterback Joe Gilliam dies at age 49.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... Joe Gilliam Jr., a pioneer African-American quarterback whose struggle with drug abuse caused him to pawn two Super Bowl rings, died Monday night of an apparent heart attack in his hometown of Nashville, four days before his 50th birthday....

Jauron takes responsibility for Chicago's 5-11 record.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Taking sole responsibility for his team's failures and admitting he "overestimated" Cade McNown's ability to be an NFL quarterback, a pensive Dick Jauron reflected on the 2000 Bears season Tuesday with a mixture of regret and...

New coordinator must `take control'.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ If Bears coach Dick Jauron is interested in filling the position of offensive coordinator from a pool of NFL candidates, he must wait at least 15 days before beginning to interview. An NFL rule gives teams the right to make...

Palestinian concerns cast doubt on further talks with Israelis before Bush takes over.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... JERUSALEM _ The Palestinians raised numerous concerns Wednesday about President Clinton's final Mideast peace proposal, casting doubt on further negotiations with the Israelis before the Bush administration takes office. Palestinian...

Four Horsemen to free agency _ Times change.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... For reasons beyond me, "The Tumult and the Shouting" caught my eye as I pondered the year in sports. A well-worn copy has been wedged into an unopened tomb on my bookshelf for maybe 25 years. Its author, Grantland Rice, died at his typewriter...

Dimming auto sales could brighten buyers' deals.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... With holiday retail sales proving to be a disappointment, and everyone from computer makers to apparel merchants hunkering down in a slowing economy, the nation's biggest industrial employers are planning for a relatively lean year. The...

Don't be deceived by yearend posturing by fund managers.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... A yearend rally appears to be underway. You might be tempted to ride along. Here are two reasons to wait: window-dressing and portfolio-pumping. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 5 percent in the last four trading sessions,...

Union Pacific to cut 2,000 jobs.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... The Union Pacific Corp., citing slowing economic conditions, said Wednesday it would cut 2,000 jobs next year. The nation's largest railroad, based in Omaha, Neb., said it would take a fourth-quarter charge of $70 million, or about 26...

PGA sees room for financial growth.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Bud Selig worries about out-of-control salaries. Paul Tagliabue and David Stern crack down on salary-cap offenders. Tim Finchem comes at his sports from a different perspective of those commissioners. The PGA Tour commissioner...

Virginia Tech defensive backs focus on Clemson quarterback.(Daily Press)
December 27, 2000... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. _ When asked if he had faced another quarterback quite like Clemson's shifty junior Woodrow Dantzler this season, Hokies sophomore free safety Willie Pile was at a loss for words. East Carolina's David Garrard? Nope,...

Bulls looking for help at center position.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... Brad Miller still had a broken right hand three weeks ago so he didn't travel when the Bulls lost in San Antonio. Because of that the center didn't have to relive the nightmares that emanated from his trip there last season with Charlotte....

Looking ahead to a wild, wild playoff weekend.(Newport News (Va.) Daily Press)
December 27, 2000... Presenting the wildest wild cards in NFL playoff history. The AFC offers the Indianapolis Colts, who boast football's best quarterback-wideout-tailback trio. Then there's the Denver Broncos, propelled by a 27-year-old rookie running back who...

Credit life insurance rips off the poor, consumer advocates say.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Richard Patton had a better Christmas than he expected this year. Just as the holiday shopping season began, Patton's mortgage company came through with a refund of $7,400. The 47-year-old paramedic was reaping the benefits...

Relatives of Anita's crew resign themselves to loss.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... MIAMI _ The brother of the missing Anita's chief mate, himself a ship's captain who regularly makes the same Miami to Haiti run, worried as he watched the ill-fated freighter pull away from the dock and head into stormy seas under what looked...

Doctors say bone graft from hip could heal Hill's ankle.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ Using a spoonful of bone from Grant Hill's hip, doctors could give the ailing basketball star a new Band-Aid for his injured left ankle. The surgery is among the possibilities being considered for the Orlando Magic small...

Clinton appointment of black man on 4th Circuit skirts Senate.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... WASHINGTON_Though he is leaving office in less than a month, President Clinton pointedly circumvented the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday by placing Virginia attorney Roger Gregory on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit....

New York skydiver dies in Florida after parachute problems.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla._A 31-year-old New York woman died Wednesday night when her parachute failed and she landed in a dark wooded area near Skydive DeLand. Chantal Bonitto had more than 100 dives under her belt, said DeLand Police Lt. Paul...

No. 9 Nebraska to give Northwestern little option.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... SAN ANTONIO _ Northwestern learned about the option in the third game of its season. Texas Christian used it to roll up 387 net rushing yards on its way to an easy 41-14 victory. Northwestern learned more about the option in the sixth game of...

A look at some odd college football bowl seasons.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Imagine a college football bowl season in which the top two teams didn't participate, the No. 5 team had to stay home and two of the more attractive schools bypassed the postseason, one by choice and the other on orders from the...

Purdue's run for Rose Bowl hardly has diminished `66 team's place.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. _ For the last third of a century, wherever Purdue football fans have gathered, elders would regale wide-eyed youngsters with an unimaginable story. For proof the old-timers would offer a creased game program, a...

Family remembers 1966 Purdue team.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. _ On the day Purdue clinched its first Rose Bowl berth since 1966, Kathy Erlenbaugh sat in her son's dorm room and reflected. Her son, J.D., a freshman, had gotten two extra tickets to the season finale against...

Mideast peace proposal remains in doubt after Arafat letter.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... JERUSALEM_Palestinians raised numerous concerns Wednesday about President Clinton's newest Mideast peace proposal, casting doubt on further negotiations with the Israelis before the Bush administration takes office, including a summit of...

Ankle injury ends Grant Hill's season.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ Grant Hill's first season with the Orlando Magic is over after four games, 55 points and a whole lot of X-rays. That works out to $2.4 million a game and $174,545.45 per point, which is not what the Magic or anyone else...

Tough case in Florida as husband, 80, shoots ailing wife, 74.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... DELTONA, Fla._As Eva Visco's son sees it, the man charged with killing her is no criminal. She was in pain, unable to care for herself. She wanted to die. Leo Visco should be set free, said Mike Bono of Deltona, the dead woman's...

For the first time, pedophile among 10 most wanted.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... WASHINGTON_The FBI on Wednesday placed an accused child pornographer on its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, for the first time in the list's 50-year history. Attorney General Janet Reno and Deputy FBI Director Ruben Garcia identified him...

Magic get a nightmare after Christmas.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ All those grandiose plans. All the meticulous research. All the wooing and cooing. All the time invested and money spent. All gone. At least for now. And maybe forever. Nobody really knows for sure. ...

Get down to business at Citrus Bowl.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville said his football team looked a little sluggish during its Wednesday morning workout at Thunder Field. He plans to scale back on practice in preparation for the Florida Citrus Bowl game against...

Michigan guard leads team to end zone.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ On his last trip to the Florida Citrus Bowl, Michigan guard Steve Hutchinson showed his teammates the way to Disney World's Space Mountain. For four years, Hutchinson has showed them the way to the end zone. ...

Gators arrive in Big Easy.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... REPORT: Florida's chartered plane from Gainesville landed in New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon. Most all of UF's players and coaches were on the plane, unlike the University of Miami's plane, which arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday. Many...

Lemieux nets goal, has 2 assists in comeback.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... PITTSBURGH _ He planned to take his time. "I'm going to have to be patient with myself the first two or three weeks, get a feel for the speed of the game, the players and adjust from there," Mario Lemieux said Wednesday morning before...

Blackhawks' unbeaten streak stays at 4 with tie vs. Phoenix.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ It seemed like the perfect finish for the Blackhawks' fourth straight victory in front of one of the biggest United Center crowds of the season. With little more than three minutes left to play, former Hawk Jeremy Roenick, who...

Amonte shrugs off trade talk.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Tony Amonte admits he's not as close to Jeremy Roenick since Roenick was traded to Phoenix in 1996. Even when he tries to talk with him, it seems as if Amonte has trouble making the connection. "I tried to give him a call about...

At 5-7, Oregon State's Simonton may be small, but he makes big impact.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. _ You might expect a player who has been rewriting Pacific-10 football history to look a bit more imposing. You might be taken aback by his happy-go-lucky demeanor. But this a good thing in a small package. Once he takes...

QB changes provide a new look.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ When the St. Louis Rams reached the playoffs and so much more last year, it stirred fantasies for teams trying to convince themselves that epic turnarounds were indeed possible. This year's playoffs, particularly those in the...

Rams' Faulk runs off with MVP.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... Marshall Faulk did not receive the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award on Wednesday. He stepped forward this month and just took it. With his St. Louis Rams needing a win Sunday to reach the playoffs, the seven-year running back ran for 220...

Wannstedt guides Miami to postseason.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ He wasn't the hot young prospect he was when he took over as head coach of the Bears nearly eight years ago. Nor was he the guy who was going to save the franchise, though after their 62-7 playoff drubbing to Jacksonville last...

Absence of `Snoop' could dog Florida St.'s chances.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... MIAMI SHORES, Fla. _ Josh Norman's odyssey began at 5 a.m. Tuesday at the Midland, Texas, airport. Three airports later, it finally ended at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when the Oklahoma wide receiver landed in Miami. Ice storms had turned a...

Northwestern Wildcats surprise No. 16 USC.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Jerry Krause was among the 3,882 fans snuggled into Welsh-Ryan Arena Wednesday night to watch 16th-ranked Southern Cal have its way against undersized, overmatched Northwestern. But the Bulls' general manager, who undoubtedly...

Illini feel at home at Allstate.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ Ninth-ranked Illinois will be taking on sister school Illinois-Chicago at 7 p.m. Friday at Allstate Arena, home of the DePaul Blue Demons. If that sounds a little convoluted, it's not as convoluted as what the Illini had to go...

Just 1 award to go for Woods: Best athlete ever.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... CHICAGO _ In something of an upset, Tiger Woods did not win the Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year award Wednesday, though the angry golfer vowed that 2001 will be different and Nike immediately announced plans for a Tiger Woods...

A year after Y2K, normality.(Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)
December 27, 2000... The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, 12-26: X X X With the end of the year approaching, people are making routine plans to spend the holidays traveling, celebrating and taking time...

Brief reviews of new paperbacks: stories.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Contemporary classics _ "The Best American Short Stories of the Century," edited by John Updike and Katrina Kenison (Houghton Mifflin, $28, paperback): You couldn't leave out Faulkner's "That Evening Sun Go Down." I might have chosen...

`Ellen Gilchrist: Collected Stories,' by Ellen Gilchrist; Little, Brown.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Rhoda, over here! Gosh, you look great. You haven't changed a bit. Did you know Nora Jane's going to be here? Flying in from California. And look, there's Traceleen, talking a dime a dozen. Some things never change. Thank goodness....

Van Sant is ready for comparisons of `Good Will' and `Forrester'.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... In "Finding Forrester," a very smart young man hides his brilliance to better fit in with his friends and neighbors. Then, a mentor comes along and tries to draw him out into the open. And as he does, a hole in the mentor's psyche is mended,...

Clinton's full legacy marred by impeachment.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... WASHINGTON_Bill Clinton's legacy as the 42nd president has been burnished by peace and prosperity, tarnished by impeachment, and now diminished by the apparent failure of Vice President Al Gore to become the nation's 43rd chief executive. ...

Fashion Q&A.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Q. I recently bought a pair of black leather boots that end just below the knee. I wear them under boot-cut jeans, but I'm not sure what length skirt to wear them with. In the fashion magazines, I have seen knee-length boots teamed with short...

Fashion news and notes.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Haute dog: Who, indeed, let the dogs out? ELuxury.com has everything from a faux pearl doggie necklace with sterling silver clasps and rhinestones (each strand costs $95) that would make Barbara Bush look twice, to designer...

Gary Zukav's `spiritual guidebook' has struck a chord with millions.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... DAVIE, Fla. _ Clad simply in sport jacket and mock turtleneck, the dark-haired, mild-mannered man seldom raises his voice, sometimes pacing the stage, sometimes sitting on a stool. Yet he holds the audience rapt for an hour. "We are...

Take these dog books for a walk.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Look into a dog's face and you will see the best life has to offer: love and loyalty. It is the stuff of legends, of literature, of tabloid headlines _ and a recent round of dog books. In "Buster's Diaries: The True Story of a Dog and His...

`Welcome to the Great Mysterious,' by Lorna Landvik; Ballantine.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Geneva Jordan is a superstar cast against type in Lorna Landvik's fourth novel, "Welcome to the Great Mysterious." From her entrance on the novel's first page, Geneva seems bent on "chewing up the scenery," as they say. She has a red-hot...

`Queen Victoria: A Personal History,' by Christopher Hibbert; Basic Books.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Britain's formidable Queen Victoria gave her name to an era _ one associated with morality, empire, dullness, dark rooms full of ugly furniture, and one of the most oft-quoted remarks made by a monarch: "We are not amused." But this...

Looking for a good mystery? It's here.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... So many mysteries, so little time. According to industry reports, nearly 1,400 mysteries (about 900 are new) are published annually. The following mysteries kept their hold on me long after whodunit and why had been revealed. 1. A...

`Jesus: The Evidence,' by Ian Wilson; Regnery.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Jesus Christ is not the superstar he used to be. A billion people may still label themselves Christians, but the savior's influence has much declined from the long centuries when orthodox Christianity was the default setting for Western...

Problem with Internet dialer should be easily arrested.(Chicago Tribune)
December 27, 2000... Q. The other evening we were visited by two police officers responding to a 911 call. No one in our household had dialed 911. The 911 center listed the phone number as our dedicated computer line. No one had been online for over two hours; it...

`Dark Matter,' edited by Sheree R. Thomas; Warner Books.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... Jim, a working-class messenger in 1920, emerges from a bank vault beneath Broadway to discover that he is one of two survivors of a devastating cosmic event that has wiped out life in New York City. "She had not noticed before that he was...

A scissors-wielding Sherlock; clues by crossword.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 27, 2000... _ `Hair Raiser,' by Nancy Cohen; Kensington ($20) Marla Shore is a true Floridian who firmly believes in Ocean Guard, a coastal preservation group. Although she's found organizing the group's annual Taste of the World fund-raiser more...