Compact Discs

County police arrested a Baltimore man Wednesday evening for allegedly trying to shoplift $130 worth of compact discs from JTC the Caldor store in the 7300 block of Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd., authorities said yesterday.A security officer at the Caldor store said that he saw a man come into the store shortly after 6:30 p.m., put six compact discs under his jacket and try to leave the store without paying for them.The security officer stopped the man and recovered the property.He held the man until a Northern District officer arrived and took him into custody, police said.

POLICE REPORTS IN BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY: Central Baltimore Thefts A navigational system valued at $300 was stolen Wednesday from a 2008 Honda parked in a garage in the first block of Frederick St. At the same location that day, someone broke into a 2004 Jeep Cherokee and stole a laptop computer, an iPod, an iPod charger, a pair of sunglasses and 12 compact discs. Total value of the property was $1,330. Theft A 2005 Tri-Cross bike valued at $2,000, with serial number P54N41871, was stolen Aug. 26 or Aug. 27 from outside Peabody Institute at Mount Vernon Place.

A Glen Burnie disc jockey was slashed early Sunday morning by a man who attempted to take his compact discs during a dance at a Crain Highway club.Bobby Miner of the 7300 block of E. Furnace Branch Road told county police he was working at Dietrichs Tavern when a man tried to take the discs. The two argued and fought on the dance floor.The man pulled a knife and slashed Mr. Miner on his chest, arm and head, police said.The assailant then ran away.Robert George Hedges of the 100 block of Stevens Road in Glen Burnie, who police said was arrested near the tavern, is charged with assault with intent to commit murder, assault with intent to injure, assault with a deadly weapon and battery.

CHICAGO - Guitars at Best Buy. Frozen pizzas at Menards. Yoga pants at Walgreen's. As the economy slows and the retail industry cuts back on investment in new-store construction, the time is ripe for dusting off a tried-and-true retail strategy: Sell more products in the stores you have. Sometimes it works. For instance, Barnes & Noble Inc. changed the bookselling business by putting coffee shops in its stores. Other times, it is a strategy that sends merchants far into the weeds. Midwestern shoppers may remember when supermarket chain Jewel sold lumber.

An Annapolis man was arrested Tuesday evening after he allegedly walked out of a Pasadena store with about $130 worth of compact discs hidden inside his coat, county police said.A security officer at the Kmart department store in the 8000 block of Jumpers Hole Road told police that a man entered the store about 6 p.m., took eight compact discs from a display rack and put them inside his coat.The man walked out of the store without paying, but was caught and held, police said. Among the discs were two copies of Green Day's "Insomniac" and two copies of "Stripped" by the Rolling Stones.

A report of a burglar yesterday morning in a house at The Greens of Westminster led to the arrest of a man from the area on charges of burglary and theft from vehicles and yards in the neighborhood, city police said. Police recovered items including a 19-inch television, a lawn trimmer, a child's scooter, a bicycle, a man's wallet and a woman's purse, credit cards and numerous compact discs, said Maj. Dean A. Brewer. The property was reported missing from a home, a shed, several yards and five or six vehicles that had been parked in the area of Johahn and Stacy Lee drives, he said.

After years of anticipation and false starts, compact discs are set to do for computers in the '90s what they did for stereos in the '80s.Dozens of companies are selling or readying computer CD players and titles for consumer consumption this year.Even in the past month, companies as diverse as Apple Computer and Nintendo have revealed plans to introduce desk-top computers or video game consoles with CD-ROM drives in 1992. Others are hawking CD-ROM upgrade kits to turn plain computers into multimedia wonders.

As MP3 music players have proliferated, many consumers have been reluctant to invest in yet another music format. And with most of these gadgets limited to about an hour of music, I've seen no need to give up my personal CD player. HanGo's Personal Jukebox 100 (www.pjbox.com) addresses the problem of too little storage in a big way. The 3-inch-by-6-inch device holds the equivalent of 100 compact discs. The secret is a 4.8-gigabyte hard drive. Combine that with pretty good sound and a relatively small package, and I'm ready to whip out the gold card, which is what you'll need to buy it. The PJB-100 is not cool-looking.

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights that begins tonight at sundown, is a celebration of freedom filled with the joy of family gatherings and gift giving. But that joy is dampened this year as thoughts turn to the violence and unrest that have engulfed Israel. So the Jewish community in Baltimore is reaching out to fellow Jews touched by the uprising -- Israeli soldiers and victims of violent attacks -- by sending them gifts of music and messages of solidarity. Inviting people to "put a new spin on Chanukah," local Jewish organizations are holding a CD drive, soliciting donations of new or used compact discs and encouraging donors to write a message on a specially designed paper sleeve.

POLICE LOG* Elkridge: 5700 block of Paradise Ave.: Compact discs were stolen after someone entered a home through an open window Friday, police said.

A 26-year-old Street man has been convicted of 12 counts of possession of child pornography, investigators said yesterday. Frederick H. Garrity, who was convicted Monday in Harford County Circuit Court, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, according to the Harford County state's attorney's office. Acting on a tip, investigators searched Garrity's residence and seized a laptop and compact discs that contained pornographic images of children.

Tommy Bahama executives weren't dreaming of a white Christmas when they decided to sell custom compact discs in their stores this holiday season. More like something in tropical pastels. Aiming for a compilation of songs that would best reflect the resort-style clothier's relaxed, sand-between-the-toes image, they turned to Jeff Daniel, a 36-year-old "lifestyle music" consultant who helps upscale retailers select the music that goes into compact discs sold at their checkout counters. "Tommy Bahama customers want to be transported to tropical places," Daniel said.

POLICE LOG* Oakland Mills: 7200 block of Oakland Mills Road: Compact discs were stolen from an apartment while a resident visited with a neighbor across the hall Tuesday, police said.

Man charged with shopliftingAn Annapolis man was arrested Tuesday and charged with shoplifting $42 worth of compact discs from the Caldor store in Severna Park, county police said yesterday.Cathy Pierpoint, 34, a security officer at the Ritchie Highway store, saw the man come in about 7 p.m. and hide seven compact discs under his shirt.The man then left the store without paying for the merchandise, Ms. Pierpont told police.Ms. Pierpoint stopped the suspect and had him return to the security office, where she called police.