Ability

If you want to find out how good Overlea High running back Tyrese Barmer is, don't clock him in the 40-yard -- and don't watch him practice."He has a certain time in the 40 and he also has a certain time when ,14l you give him the ball," said Overlea coach Terry Ward. "He doesn't talk a lot and he's not a great practice player, but we forgive him when game time comes."With good reason.With three regular-season games remaining, Barmer, a junior, has rushed for 934 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine two-point conversions to lead the Falcons to a 7-0 record and the area's No. 6 ranking.

The House of Delegates convenes at 10 a.m. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. Hearings of interest: The House Environmental Matters Committee hears testimony on 28 bills concerning government's ability to seize property through eminent domain for economic development purposes. The hearings begin at 1 p.m. The House Judiciary Committee considers several bills that would restrict illegal immigrants' ability to get driver's licenses. The hearings begin at 1 p.m.

When you think about Chris McAlister, you have to remember the good and bad. The toughness and the ability mixed in with the crucial moments when he didn't keep his head. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/cornersportsbar)

It's hard to imagine a more heartbreaking disease than Alzheimer's or a more heartbreaking hour than "Lost in the Mind" (11 p.m.-midnight, MPT, Channels 22 and 67).The work of Washington-based producer Don Lennox (who lost his mother to the disease in 1994), the show includes multiple visits with Alzheimer's patients, generally made two years apart. The effects of the disease's progress is both dramatic and demoralizing, as patients lose their memory, their ability to put sentences together, even their ability to walk.

Older people trying to stave off the natural effects of aging should exercise their minds and bodies rather than rely on drug treatments, several new studies say. Researchers reporting in today's Journal of the American Medical Association found that older adults who received training in memory, reasoning and mental speed showed significant - and lasting - improvements, suggesting a way to slow or reverse normal declines in thinking ability. Another study found that postmenopausal women who engage in moderate physical activity such as walking have a substantially reduced risk of hip fracture, which frequently leads to fatal complications in the elderly.

After their 23-0 preseason win over the Redskins, do you think the Ravens are better, worse or about the same as last year's team? Better 54% Worse 8% The same 38% (1,332 votes, results not scientific) Next poll: : After the recent shooting at Harborplace, the Baltimore police committed to stepped up enforcement downtown. Are you confident in the city's ability to keep the harbor safe? Vote at baltimoresun.com/vote

Oakland Mills coach Kim Rosado is expecting her team to improve upon last year's 3-12 record.How far the Scorpions climb in the county standings, however, will depend on their ability to sweep teams instead of splitting matches."

The public's confidence in President Bush's ability to deal wisely with an international crisis has slid sharply over the past five months, and a clear majority is uneasy about his ability to make the right decisions on the nation's economy, the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll has found. Overall, the poll found, Americans are for the first time more critical than not of the president's ability to handle both foreign and domestic problems, and a majority says he does not share their priorities.

George Kokinis, the Ravens' pro personnel director, sizes up the Bills: Strength of offense Receiver Eric Moulds. If you want to say Terrell Owens, Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison are the NFL's elite receivers, then Moulds is right behind - if not among them. He has quickness to get separation and strength to go over the top of defenders downfield. A complete receiver, Moulds can stretch the field and do the dirty work underneath. Strength of defense Cornerback Nate Clements. Like Moulds, he is under the radar as far as a top name in the league.