Dark Ages

I HAVE LIVED all my years in states that are now called "blue" by the guardians of the democratic process. The first candidate I ever voted for was Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the only Democrat was John F. Kennedy. Lately, I have passed up recent elections because the deep blueness of my state guarantees that all electoral votes will go to the Democrats, as will almost all local offices. It seems the only way to effectively participate in the democratic process is to move to one of those battleground states.

Those who lived through the McCarthy era will find nothing new in ''Guilty By Suspicion.'' Those who are too young to have been aware of that period should find the film both riveting and informative.The late '40s ands early '50s are frequently referred to as Hollywood's ''Dark Ages,'' and that they were. Those were the years when the House Un-American Activities Committee, knowing where it would get the most coverage, forced actors, producers and directors to testify before the committee.

How long should it take to force an apartment manager to provide enough fire extinguishers? Or to make a bar owner unlock fire exits?Under Anne Arundel County's near-ancient fire code, the process can take months.First, the fire inspector drives out to one of the 10,000 widely scattered buildings that the county inspects.He finds a violation and orders the building owner to correct it by such-and-such a date.Such-and-such a date arrives, the inspector goes back to re-check, and, lo and behold, still no fire extinguishers.

THE "get tough on crime" mentality that demands executions, longer jail sentences, fewer chances for parole and few, if any, rehabilitation programs has spread its cloak of fear over our troubled youth.A "get tough on juveniles" effort is afoot in the United States. Republican Sens. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Jeff Sessions of Alabama are leading the crusade to take us back into the Dark Ages of prison policy. They have co-sponsored The Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Act, which would allow young teens to be jailed with adults.

WASHINGTON -- As soon as German U-boats put eight saboteurs on U.S. shores during World War II, one of the eight called the FBI to betray the mission but was brushed off as a crackpot. Days later, he called again and managed to persuade the FBI he was an authentic saboteur. Partly to keep this embarrassment of bungled enforcement from becoming known, the eight were secretly tried by a military court inside the FBI headquarters. Unexpectedly, a U.S. Army lawyer assigned to the Germans mounted a spirited defense.

Computers are crucial to the future of Gary Becker, who's studying computer-aided design at Essex Community College and planning to attend the Johns Hopkins University's school of engineering.Fellow student George Phillips, a night shift metal worker, is building a new career through cyberspace.And Carole Cascio, a former dancer and biochemist, is studying computer-aided design and drafting to heighten her creativity.Despite their diverse backgrounds, they agree that Maryland's largest community college system -- in the throes of a tumultuous reorganization -- is woefully behind in computer technology.

In the mind of a 9-year-old it must seem eons ago. Imagine, 1967, a dark age before Nintendo, compact discs and VCRs, when the bulldozers tore into an old farm to make way for an elementary school in Odenton.Rachel Frieder's eyes grew wide at the very thought: 25 years ago. Imagine."THAT'S long," said Rachel, of Odenton, who attends fourth grade at Waugh Chapel Elementary School, which last week celebrated its silver anniversary. "I think they were a lot stricter" in the school in those early days, she guessed.

These galaxies are not only long ago and far away. They're also the earliest and most distant ever photographed. And there are thousands of them. They're the galaxies of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field - the first fruits of a continuing project at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Eventually, astronomers expect to capture the glow of tens of thousands of them. And the systems are all waiting in what looks like an "empty" spot of sky just one-tenth of the diameter of the moon.

How many brunettes does it take to start a fashion trend? Two, apparently -- if they used to be famous blondes. Pop tarts Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera shocked fashion observers recently. Brazenly, they cast aside their signature peroxide locks in favor of sleek, dark manes and ushered in a new era for hair color. Brown, clearly, is the new blond. And the new brunette is definitely out to have more fun. "I do think we are in a brunette moment right now," said style observer Robert Verdi, host of Full Frontal Fashion on the Women's Entertainment network.