The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page E2

Today Page 2e Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003 The Sun PEOPLE AND PLACES The Far Side By Gary Larson Cherished tradition remains alive thanks to mom's words 1 993 faWodn. Inc. JI Sights "2Ca4rr; rr raiA0 Dear Abby Comic to be host of Peabody Awards show Katie Couric, co-anchor of NBC's Today show, will be the host of next year's George Foster Peabody Awards ceremony. The 63rd annual awards ceremony will be held May 17 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.

Couric received a Peabody Award for her five-part series, Confronting Colon Cancer. Her husband, television legal analyst Jay Monahan, died from colon cancer in 1998. "Katie Couric is the consummate newscaster, at ease with presidents and prime ministers, with Hollywood celebrities and intellectual leaders," Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards Program at the University of Georgia, said in a statement Monday. The Peabody Awards, which are administered by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, recognize excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, Webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. Entry deadline for programs aired in 2003 is Jan.

15. Winners they gave me the runaround. I began crying in frustration when a woman sitting nearby handed me her cell phone and said, "Here. Call whomever you need." I was speechless. I gratefully took her phone and called the car rental company back.

They located Geoff's keys and agreed to deliver them. When I handed the woman her phone, she said, "Now, call your boyfriend." I'll never forget her sympathy and generosity. If she reads this, she'll know who she is. Thank you and God bless you for your kindness! Grateful To My Guardian Angel Dear Grateful: At last! A positive story about someone with a cell phone. The woman who helped you was indeed an "angel." These days, many people prefer not to get involved when they see someone in a predicament.

My hat is off to her. Dear Abby: My son and his girlfriend have invited my wife and me to meet her parents for brunch at a restaurant in their home state 2 hours away. My question: Who should pay the bill? The young couple, her parents or should the bill be split three ways? Unsure in Utah Dear Unsure: The people who do the inviting usually pick up the tab. When the check arrives, let it sit on the table for a minute or two. If your son and his girlfriend do not pick it up, then consider suggesting that the bill be split among the older generation.

Universal Press Syndicate will be announced in April. Cover your ears Music fans, we have two words for you: Take cover! Captain Kirk, a.k.a. William Shatner, who tortured eardrums across the land a couple of decades ago with his painful rendition of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," has a new record. The New York Post says Shatner boasted to the film crew during a commercial shoot for priceline.com that his album was produced by Ben Folds and has guest singers Joe Jackson as well as straight-edge hard-core punk god and sometime poet Henry Rollins. We cannot wait to hear the results.

Yes, we can. Director honored F. Gary Gray, director of The Italian Job, will receive a special achievement award from the African American Film Critics Association. The award will recognize Gray's remake of the 1969 caper classic "demonstrated his strong growth and a solid command of the filmmaking process, according to Gil Robertson, a syndicated columnist and one of the group's vice presidents. The critics chose The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as the top film of 2003, followed by Lost in Translation and In America.

The Italian Job, starring Mark Wahlberg, Cnarlize Theron and Mos Def, came in seventh on the group's top 10 list. The rest of the list, in order: Dirty Pretty Things, The Last Samurai, Finding Nemo, Tupac: Resurrection, City of God and Mystic River. The African American Film Critics Association, which consists of print, broadcast and online movie reviewers, aims to draw attention to movies with appeal to black audiences, or to works that come from black filmmakers or star black actors. But no fries A Weston, mother of three got a lot more than breakfast at a McDonald's drive-thru. Janice Meissner says she ordered a bagel and a Diet Coke last week, but when she got her bag it seemed "super heavy." That was because it had hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in a sealed plastic bag money that turned out to be the restaurant's bank deposit.

McDonald's officials, who Dear Abby: One day when my son was 8, he came home from school and announced, "Mommy, I know there's no Santa Claus!" The day I had dreaded was finally here. I asked him why he believed that. He explained that his cousin, "Jason," had told him there was no such thing. I looked him straight in the eye and, not knowing what else to say, said, "If you don't believe, you won't receive. Now do you believe in Santa Claus?" "Yes," he said.

The subject was not mentioned again until the next year, when I again asked him if he believed in Santa Claus. He piped up with, "Of course I believe in Santa Claus." We have repeated this scenario every year. My son is now 22, and he still believes in Santa because you are never too old to believe in Santa Claus. Pam in Florida Dear Pam: Cousin Jason was a weasel, and I applaud your success in keeping a cherished tradition alive for your son. With an incentive like that, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't also still believe in the Tooth Fairy.

Dear Abby: I would like to send a heartfelt thank-you to my guardian angel. My boyfriend, "Geoff," invited me to join him for a weekend during a two-week business trip to California. We had a wonderful time. Monday morning, I returned my rental car at the airport and checked my luggage. An hour before my plane was to depart, I heard myself paged over the intercom.

I answered the call and heard Geoff's panicked voice. He had been unable to call my cell phone because the battery had run down. He had left the keys to his rental car in mine and had to get to work. I ran back to the counter to book a later flight, but since I had already checked my luggage, it was impossible. I had $1 in change in my pocket.

I called the car rental company from a pay phone, and As witnesses later recalled, two small dogs just waltzed into the place, grabbed the cat, and waltzed out. From The Complete Far Side, available in bookstores Original release date: 41393 Kevin Cowherd A gift to you: Ultimate 'nog Cowherd, from Page 1e Rhythm and blues singer John Edwards (The Spinners) is 59. Actor Gary Sandy is 58. Singer Jimmy Buffett is 57. Football Hall-of-Famer Larry Csonka is 57.

Singer Barbara Mandrell is 55. Actress Sissy Spacek is 54. Singer Annie Lennox is 49. Reggae singer Robin Campbell (UB40) is 49. Country singer Steve Wariner is 49.

Singer Shane McGowan (The Popes) is 46. Actress Klea Scott is 35. Rock musician Noel Hogan (The Cranberries) is 32. Singer Dido is 32. Rock singer Mac Powell (Third Day) is 31.

Country singer Alecia Elliott is 21. From staff and wire reports wouldn't say how much money was in the bag, said the deposit was placed in a food bag as a security procedure to make it less conspicuous before it was taken to the bank. They said it was accidentally left too close to the drive-thru window. Meissner, who had just dropped off her 5-year-old daughter at preschool, paused for a moment before backing up her minivan to the pickup window and returning the money to the employee who handed her the bag. McDonald's officials said they are going to send Meissner a thank-you letter and $50 in gift certificates.

Today's birthdays Singer Tony Martin is 90. Actor Dick Miller is 75. Actress Hanna Schygulla is 60. Liz Smith Liz Smith has the holiday off. Her column returns Theater Column Kennedy Center tackles Tennessee simply feels uncomfortable putting his head down on the kitchen table and napping with everyone else around.

Suit yourself. Just don't come whining to me when the nog doesn't taste as good. See, the thing about the booze is, it helps cut the eggnog. It thins it out, makes it less, well, eggnoggy. It also adds a rich, almost syrupy, taste.

Anyway, if you are going with the booze, throw in a half-cup of whiskey. And a half-cup of bourbon. And a half-cup of brandy. OK, I know that sounds like a lot of booze. I know it sounds like it's enough to leave a crew of lumberjacks passed out under the table, never mind your 80-year-old Uncle Phil.

But, again, you have to trust me. What we're working with here is a symphony of ingredients that all come together to produce an astonishing holiday beverage. Or something like that. Anyway, once you pour the booze in there, stir for a minute or two. But don't go crazy with the stirring you want this concoction to be cold and lumpy.

Then sprinkle some nutmeg over the whole thing. And drizzle some more brandy over it. Or sprinkle some brandy and drizzle some nutmeg. Look, at this point, it really doesn't matter what the sequence is. The main thing is that all the good stuff is already in there, percolating, producing energy.

It's like enriched uranium, and you just added the fuel rods and now the whole thing is ready to go. Well, almost. Once you're through with the sprinkling and drizzling, you need to stick the pitcher in the fridge and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then serve the nog in a nice, festive punch glass or tumbler. Oh, heck, serve it in anything you want.

Believe me, this stuff is so tasty your guests would slurp it out of jelly jars. Merry Christmas, everyone. Oh, and don't forget to put a blanket around Uncle Phil. TV's top shows Last week's top TV shows, according to A.C. Nielsen Viewers 1 CSI CBS 24.7 2 Without a Trace CBS 19.4 3 CSI: Miami CBS 19.2 4 Monday Night Football: Philadelphia at Miami ABC 18.8 5 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS 18.0 6 Two and a Half Men CBS 14.8 7 Law Order NBC 14.5 8 NFL Monday Showcase ABC 14.3 9 Cold Case CBS 14.0 10 Primetime, Wednesday ABC 13.9 11 60 Minutes CBS 13.7 12 Still Standing CBS 13.6 13 Sunday Movie: The Christmas Shoes CBS 13.5 13 (tie) Friends NBC 13.5 15 Barbara Walters Presents: 10 Most Fascinating People in 2003 ABC 13.1 16 Fear Factor NBC 12.9 17 NFL Sunday-Postgame Fox 12.8 18 Judging Amy CBS 12.5 19 Law Order NBC 12.4 20 (tie) The Price Is Right CBS 12.4 The listing gives estimated number of viewers (in millions) for each show last week.

Theater, from Page 1e Speaking of Scharf's appointment, Miriam Bazensky, an executive board member, said, "He knows the inner workings of the festival. He's very well-organized, he has good ideas and he has ways of making things happen." Meanwhile, the Baltimore Playwrights Festival is looking for volunteers: to serve as board and advisory committee members, script readers, directors and actors for staged readings, and student technical interns; and to help with long-range planning for the 25th anniversary. Those interested should email chairmanbaltplay fest.org. Tales of Tennessee The stars are beginning to align for "Tennessee Williams Explored," the Kennedy Center's spring and summer celebration of the great American playwright. Sally Field has been cast as matriarch Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie (July 20-Aug.

8), to be directed by Gregory Mosher. A two-time Oscar winner (Places of the Heart and Norma Rae), Field most recently appeared on Broadway in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? Patricia Clarkson, an Emmy Award-winner for her role in HBO's Six Feet Under, will play Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (May 11-30), under the direction of Garry Hines. The Yale-trained actress appeared on Broadway in Eastern Standard. Recent film credits include The Station Agent and Pieces of April. And, Dana Ivey, who won an Obie Award for her portrayal of the title character in Driving Miss Daisy, has been cast as Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (June 15-July 4), directed by Gerald Gutierrez.

Ivey garnered Tony Award nominations for her roles in The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Sunday in the Park with George and Heartbreak House. "Tennessee Williams Explored" will also include Five by Tenn (April 21-May 9), an anthology of one-acts, directed by Michael Kahn; A Distant Country Called Youth (June 11-13), a one-man epistolary show starring Richard Thomas; and Women of Tennessee (April 12), a symposium moderated by Charles Osgood and featuring Zoe Caldwell, Rosemary Harris, Estelle Parsons and Eva Marie Saint. For more information, visit www.kennedy-center.org. Big boost in Baltimore In each city it plays, Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's play, The Exonerated, raises money for the real-life exonerees whose stories are told on stage. The Mechanic Theatre, where the show played a two-week run last month, reports that the Baltimore engagement raised $21,498 and that the first week's total, $12,053, is the highest amount raised in a single week by any city on the tour thus far.

In other news from the Broadway in Baltimore series, which moves to the Hippodrome Theatre in February, the Hippodrome box office is scheduled to open Jan. 12. For more information, call 410-837-7400. Series adds Taylor Playwright and actress Re-gina Taylor has been added to the lineup of "Inside Theatre," the speakers series at the Clar- ii Emmy-winning actress Patricia Clarkson will play Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire." mm si TOUr 1 Young Buyers, 1st Time Buyers, Bankruptcies, IT DOESN'T AM ITtW Call our Toll Free Credit "Jfs and it's Available 24-Hours a Day, 7 Days a NOW! 1 -800- CAR-LOAN 1 800-227-5626 NATIONWIDE AUTO WORLD "It's Worth Your Drive to Nationwide!" fii finance often; on approved credit through dealer lender. DP988084504 Craig Flinner Gallery ice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland College Park.

Taylor, whose play Crowns is currently at Washington's Arena Stage, won the 2000 American Theatre Critics' Association Award for her play Oo-Bla-Dee. Her updated adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagull, retitled Drowning Crow, received a staged reading at Center Stage last season and will be produced on Broadway next month. As an actress, Taylor starred in the TV series I'll Fly Away. Her film credits include dockers, Losing Isaiah and Lean on Me. Taylor will speak at 7:30 p.m.

May 9. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $5 for students. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit www.claricesmithcenter Last winter, when San Francisco-based performance artist Josh Kornbluth was performing his one-man show, Ben Franklin: Unplugged, at the Theatre Project, he also gave several workshop performances of his newest piece, Love and Taxes. From Feb. 24-March 13, area audiences will be able to see the finished work at Washington's Arena Stage.

And, after each Saturday matinee, Kornbluth will be joined by several tax experts for a free "Tax Talk" discussion. Love and Taxes will be performed in the Old Vat Room at Arena, 1101 Sixth St. S.W, Washington. Tickets are $21. For more information, call 202-488-3300.

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