I Work

William Baldwin has only done four films, and if you're under the impression that he has done lots more, it is only because of the Baldwin name.There are a few Baldwin boys lighting up the big screen these days, Alec, William and Stephen.Alec (''The Marrying man'') was first, and William gives his brother some credit for his choice of profession. ''I supposed he paved the way,'' he said. ''I was going to go to law school. At the time, I was more cerebral, then half-way through college, I decided I wanted to become an actor.

In February, Susie Little was sitting in figure-painting class at the Carver Center for Art and Technology when her guidance counselor came in and pulled her out of the classroom. Usually, when a guidance counselor pulls a student out of class, it's either for something really good or something really bad. That day, it was something really good. Susie's mom was waiting for her outside the classroom, holding an envelope from the admissions department of Cooper Union in New York City. Last year, Susie, a 17-year-old senior, and her mom attended one of Cooper Union's open houses, where Susie presented her art portfolio for review.

Mike Royko is on vacation. In his absence, we are reprinting some of his favorite columns. This column was first published on April 25, 1978.The young couple had a bitter quarrel. From the angry words that drifted to others in Billy Goat's Tavern, the dispute seemed to be over whether he or she was the better racquetball player. She loudly declared that she was through with him forever and flounced into the night, leaving him to brood over his beer.After considerable brooding, he squared his shoulders and with a sob in his voice said: "I feel like jumping off the bridge and ending it all."

After a cross-country search for "the perfect city," Susan Loysen chose Baltimore as her home, and has become an ardent supporter of its arts scene. Known for her spare, chic style, Loysen softens her neutral pallette with a visual sense of humor. Loysen, 35, will be among the crowd at the Orpheum benefit 5 p.m. Sunday at the Charles Theater. (For more information about the event -- an evening of movies and music that will help the now-closed theater pay its debts -- call 410-732-4614.)Loysen, a social worker who works with teens in foster care for the Baltimore County Department of Social Services, is also an ardent collector of local art, which she displays in her Hampden rowhouse.

In less time than some people spend over a cup of coffee, artist Joe Sheppard works his pig bristle brushes to get an unmistakable likeness of the late Cardinal Lawrence Shehan.On a blank canvas rectangle, Sheppard paints the prelate's gentle smile, square jaw and hairline -- and personality. In two more weeks, he'll complete the work and deliver it downtown to the Baltimore Archdiocese, where it will hang in Cardinal William H. Keeler's big gray house at Charles and Mulberry streets. A second version of the same painting will go to the Vatican.

Stylist Paul Skotarczak believes a visit to a beauty salon should be an experience of renewal -- a chance to sit back, find new confidence and emerge for the better.He may have discovered the key to reflection during his years as a semi-cloistered monk of the Black Franciscan order, where he also studied for his degree in philosophy. Although his time as a monk was a rich spiritual experience, he says, he wanted more."I thought it possible to touch and influence more people by being in the world," he says.

Mike Condon spends most of his free time -- like six nights a week -- in a hockey rink.Condon, 32, is a linesman in the American Hockey League, an off-ice official for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, a referee for collegiate games and a supervisor for youth and high school games."

This week it's time to let our secretaries know how much we value their skill, versatility, hard work and dedication. April 24-30 is Professional Secretaries Week.Flowers and a lunch out are a nice touch, especially if they're accompanied by a thank-you note (with a copy to her personnel folder), briefcase, business cards or financial support for further education or training.But the secretaries who write to me each week would ask these "gifts" of you too -- not just during Professional Secretaries Week, but all year long:* Treat me with respect and consideration.

WASHINGTON -- Finally, there's room to stretch. There's a chance to yawn. And during the day, some even find time for a midafternoon snooze.It's the end of August, and with Congress in recess, the Supreme Court gone since June and the vacationer-in-chief having left town yesterday for Martha's Vineyard and other sun-dappled spots, the nation's capital has settled into its annual late-summer slumber.Overworked lobbyists, lawyers and legislative assistants can kick up their heels and plop them down on their desks.

Military personnel overseas no longer have to wait for mail-call. They have the Internet. The Sun asked Stephen Stolte, 24, a sailor from Catonsville stationed in the Persian Gulf near Iraq, to send us an e-mail letter. Here are excerpts of his reply this week, which was routed through a Navy media monitor.The atmosphere here on the USS Independence is kind of tense, but more from having to hurry up and wait than anything else. We made the almost impossible happen to get out here on a moment's notice, and it's difficult to keep the adrenaline rush going strong.