Anger Management

WE LIVE in a time of rage. Road-ragers challenge each other on the highways. Anger management classes are a growth industry. In Baltimore and too many other places in this country, up close and personal killings are an almost daily occurrence. And every now and then, someone just starts shooting wildly - at co-workers, or fellow students, or folks they don't even know. Such Columbine moments are just the extreme for a society in which the popular culture - the popular music, images, language - ripples with confrontation, if not outright violence.

I don't like Charlie Sheen, and I thought the online mania over him last year after he was fired by CBS was a sign from God that American culture was in a very bad place and needed divine intervention to be saved. Given the political landscape these days, I'm not feeling any better about American culture, but I like Sheen's new FX sitcom "Anger Management"  a lot more than I thought I would. "Not only do I like it, as in, "Gee, that was a lot more fun to watch than 95 percent of the braindead network sitcoms I screen," I am impressed by it, as in, "Yikes, this thing actually looks like it might have something to say about American life today.

I don't like Charlie Sheen, and I thought the online mania over him last year after he was fired by CBS was a sign from God that American culture was in a very bad place and needed divine intervention to be saved. Given the political landscape these days, I'm not feeling any better about American culture, but I like Sheen's new FX sitcom "Anger Management"  a lot more than I thought I would. "Not only do I like it, as in, "Gee, that was a lot more fun to watch than 95 percent of the braindead network sitcoms I screen," I am impressed by it, as in, "Yikes, this thing actually looks like it might have something to say about American life today.

The Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center will hold a five-week session of anger management training from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, beginning Monday and continuing through May 3. Classes are designed to help participants learn to channel anger in a positive direction. Classes include group discussions and exercises and cover topics such as identifying anger triggers, conflict styles, coping strategies and taking responsibility. Classes, which will be held at the center's offices at 2666 Riva Road in Annapolis, cost $175 and include all materials.

This time next year, University of Maryland researchers will launch a $2 million federal study to find out whether a program being used in Anne Arundel County classrooms can change how children treat one another, school officials told the Board of Education yesterday. The study will look at the effectiveness of Second Step, a behavior education program used in 15,000 schools nationwide, including more than 50 in Anne Arundel and several in Baltimore. Programs that teach young pupils skills such as conflict resolution and anger management can affect how they perform academically later, said Professor Gary Gottfredson, who is leading the study.

Anger Management / Nissan Pavilion Rap titans Eminem and 50 Cent headline Anger Management Tour 3 tomorrow night at Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, 7800 Cellar Door Drive in Bristow, Va. Show starts at 7, and tickets, $54-$83, are available through Ticketmaster by calling 410-547-SEAT or visiting www.ticketmaster.com Sunday in the Country / Merriweather Country stars Jo Dee Messina, Keith Urban and Sugarland will lead the WPOC Sunday in the Country show at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, Sunday beginning at noon.

Paper blizzard hurting companies' competitive edge A University of California study from Berkeley found that in 2002, the world's offices used 43 percent more paper than in 1999, according to office products firm Esselte, based in Stamford, Conn. All that paper increases office chaos - workers lose things more easily - and reduces efficiency. By overlooking the importance of getting organized, many companies are missing out on gaining a competitive edge on their competitors, said Magnus Nicolin, the company's president and chief executive officer.

North Arundel Hospital names vice president North Arundel Hospital has named Mary T. Jozwik vice president of quality and patient safety. Jozwik's experience includes working as director of utilization management at Johns Hopkins Health Care in Glen Burnie, vice president of medical management at Ascendia Healthcare Management in Owings Mills and as vice president of clinical operations and quality at Prince George's Hospital Center's Dimensions Healthcare...

Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was placed on probation for 11 months and 29 days by judge Al Nations of the Williamson County General Sessions Court yesterday after a domestic dispute in February. Rolle was arrested and charged with assault after an altercation with his wife at the couple's home in Brentwood, Tenn., on Feb. 15. Danisha Rolle was treated and released from a local hospital that night for a cut over her left eye that required three stitches. According to police, Rolle struck his wife during an argument.

Muslim Foundation hosts health fair The Howard County Muslim Foundation will hold its annual Living Well Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. More than 30 physicians will be on hand; free blood tests, blood pressure screenings, stroke risk assessment, dental and vision screenings, mammogram vouchers and other services will be available. Information: Dr. Saba Sheikh, 410-465-7400. Classes offered at Howard General At Howard County General Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine will offer smoking cessation classes from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 1 through April 3 and April 7 through April 9 at the hospital's Wellness Center, suite L-9 of the Columbia Medical Center, 11055 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia.