Panto stars try on new costumes

In an uncertain world there is nothing better than a bit of crossdressing slapstick to put some magic back into our lives.

This week the cast of this year's Theatre Royal Bath's panto Jackand the Beanstalk met to try on their costumes and to get togetherfor the first time - although several of the actors had known eachother before.

As usual this year's Bath panto, which opens on December 18, hasbeen masterminded by Chris Harris who also plays Dame Trott.

He has been joined by a galaxy of stars from various branches ofthe entertainment business, including former Doctor Who Colin Baker,Susan Penhaligon from the TV series Bouquet of Barbed Wire, locallybased comic …

Letters

The GAAP evolution

I am compelled to respond to Melanie Hepburn's letter, "Death of a Canadian accountant" (June/July 2001).

In it she states, "OSC Chairman David Brown calls for the elimination of Canadian GAAP." A Toronto Star article, "Adopt US GAAP: OSC chair" (February 14, 2001), relates to comments by Brown that were made in his speech "Maintaining confidence and competitiveness in Canadian capital markets," given in Toronto on February 13, 2001, at The Canadian Institute's 11th Annual Securities Super conference. Unfortunately, the headline doesn't match the story. Brown didn't call for the elimination of Canadian GAAP or the adoption of US GAAP. He raised some …

Pope, amid protests, renews solidarity with Jews

Pope Benedict XVI, faced with an uproar over a bishop who denies the Holocaust, said Wednesday he feels "full and indisputable solidarity" with Jews and warned against any denial of the full horror of the Nazi genocide.

With his comments, the pope was reaching out to Jews angered by his recent decision to rehabilitate bishop Richard Williamson, who says no Jews were gassed during the Holocaust.

"As I renew my full and indisputable solidarity with our brothers," Benedict said, "I wish that the memory of the Shoah will prompt humanity to reflect on the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the hearts of men." Shoah is a …

Playboy net drops 76%

Chicago-based Playboy Enterprises on Wednesday reporteddepressed results for the fourth quarter and for the fiscal yearended June 30, reflecting deep losses from Playboy's video group,which is being retitled and refocused.

For the year, Playboy reported net income of $2.6 million, or 28cents a share, down 76 percent from a year ago. Revenue was $158.8million, down 1.7 percent.

In the fourth quarter, Playboy recorded a loss of $5.4 million,compared with a profit of $7.3 million in the year ago period.Revenue was $37.8 million, down more than 12 percent.

Playboy said its full fiscal year net income from continuingoperations was just $300,000. The …

AT&T-BellSouth Merger Expected to Get OK

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is expected to approve AT&T Inc.'s buyout of BellSouth Corp. without attaching any conditions to the sale, three people knowledgeable about the matter said Tuesday.

The merger, now valued at about $70 billion, would create a telecommunications giant with both the largest land-line and wireless networks in the nation. Critics say the government is well on its way to reconstituting the old Ma Bell monopoly, which was broken up after years of fighting in the early 1980s.

The Justice Department is expected to …

Correction: Winter storm story

In a Dec. 3 story about a winter storm in the U.S. Northeast, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a JetBlue airplane slid off a runway at Syracuse's Hancock Airport. According to a statement from JetBlue, the plane landed …

Don't expect NU lefty Jokisch to dodge draft

Northwestern pitching coach Tim Stoddard would love to mentor junior left-hander Eric Jokisch one more year. But that's probably not going to happen.

''I have a feeling he's going to get drafted high enough to leave,'' Stoddard said. ''And I hope he goes on to reach the pinnacle in baseball, as I was able to do. Any time I can help a guy do that, it's a feather in my cap.''

Stoddard, the East Chicago, Ind., native who pitched for the 1984 Cubs during a 13-year major-league career, already has a capful as the only athlete to collect a World Series ring ('83 Baltimore Orioles) and NCAA championship ring ('74 North Carolina State basketball). He sees plenty of upside in the …