Idle

First came Paul vs. John, which begat Dirk vs. Nasty, which begat Eric vs. Neil. Monty Python member Eric Idle and comedic songwriter Neil Innes were the close friends and collaborators who created the Rutles three decades ago as a parody of the Beatles -- a very popular band, you may recall, whose bitter breakup left close friends/collaborators Paul McCartney and John Lennon at each others' throats. In the wake of the recently released straight-to-DVD The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch, Idle, who plays McCartney stand-in Dirk McQuickly, and Innes, who plays Lennon stand-in Ron Nasty and wrote the Rutles' dead-on parody songs, are still going at it. "Neil is a clever and gifted singer and songwriter who's determined to be a failure, and his determination succeeds," volleyed Idle, who wrote and co-directed the 1978 NBC special All You Need Is Cash and made a virtual solo project out of the new sequel.

City police are searching for a car thief who took the wheel of an idling Ford Explorer Thursday morning in Northeast Baltimore and made off with the vehicle and its 7-year-old passenger. The incident occurred in the 5900 block of Fairwood Avenue in the Glenham-Belhar neighborhood. The child, who was in the back seat, was quickly let out of the vehicle at a MTA bus stop near the intersection of Belle Vista and Hamilton avenues. He was not harmed, police said. The license plate of the silver 2004 Explorer, which is still missing, reads 828 M 506. The car owner was dropping a younger child at a day care center and left the car idling.

Team (record) ... ... ... ... Last week ... ... ... ... ... This week1. Fla. State (1-0-0) .. ... .. beat Brigham Young 44-28 ... .. Tulane2. Michigan (0-0-0) ... ... ... idle ... ... ... ... ... .. at Boston Col.3. Miami (1-0-0) ... ... ... ... beat Arkansas 31-3 ... ... ... idle4. Washington (0-0-0) .. ... ... idle ... ... ... ... .. .. .. at Stanford5. Florida (0-0-0) ... ... .. .. idle ... ... ... ... .. .. San Jose State6. Notre Dame (0-0-0) ... ... .. idle ... ... ... ... .. .. Indiana7.

With one day before Hurricane Sandy was expected to knock out power for much of the area, Marylanders like Rob Reichel spent Monday braving the wet and windy weather to ensure their families had what they needed to get through the storm. "We wanted to cook another nice dinner tonight while we still have power," said Reichel, 48, as he shopped at the Giant on York Road in Baltimore. He said he was motivated by the need for more milk and other provisions, along with "a little curiosity" about Sandy.

Tracking the pursuit of Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in 1961:................ HR Proj.Mark McGwire ... 44 69Yesterday: Cardinals idle.Ken Griffey .... 40 62Yesterday: Mariners idle.Sammy Sosa ..... 40 61Yesterday: 2-for-4, 2 HRsGreg Vaughn .... 37 57Yesterday: Padres idle.Pub Date: 7/28/98

While sharing Southwestern's facilities the last three years while Walbrook was undergoing asbestos removal, the two schools decided not to meet in football. When Friday's game at Walbrook, won by Southwestern 21-20, was played on a field without a scoreboard clock, the fans and participants couldn't -- be sure why the game seemed to take so long.Team (record) .. .. Last week .. .. .. .. .. ..Next week1. Poly (0-0) .. .. .. ..idle .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Gibbons2. Wilde Lake (2-0) .. ..Beat Dundalk, 27-0 .. .. ..Southern-AA3.

Q. The catalytic converter on my 1987 Chevrolet 3/4 -ton pickup is damaged. The auto parts store will sell me a "test pipe" for $35 to replace the $300 converter. No shop will install this pipe, but I was told I could install it myself. What do you suggest?A. That information is emphatically untrue. You could be fined $2,500 if you -- or your designee -- remove the converter and install the pipe. A shop that removes the catalytic converter could be fined $10,000. The California Air Resources Board members should petition the EPA to levy penalties against the real culprit, the test pipe manufacturer.

1.OHIO STATE DEF. MINNESOTA, 44-0 Record: 9-0Next: at Illinois, Saturday 2.MICHIGAN DEF. NORTHWESTERN, 17-3 Record: 9-0Next: vs. Ball State, Saturday 3.USC LOST TO OREGON STATE, 33-31 Record: 6-1Next: at Stanford, Saturday 4.WEST VIRGINIA IDLE Record: 7-0Next: at No. 6 Louisville, Thursday 5.TEXAS DEF. TEXAS TECH, 35-31 Record: 8-1Next: vs. Oklahoma State, Saturday 6.LOUISVILLE IDLE Record: 7-0Next: vs. No. 4 West Virginia, Thur. 7.AUBURN DEF. MISSISSIPPI, 23-17 Record: 8-1Next: vs. Arkansas State, Saturday 8.TENNESSEE DEF. SOUTH CAROLINA, 31-24 Record: 7-1Next: vs. No. 14 LSU, Saturday 9.FLORIDA DEF. GEORGIA, 21-14 Record: 7-1Next: at Vanderbilt, Saturday 10.CLEMSON LOST TO VIRGINIA TECH, 24-7, THUR.

It has come to this, an almost dreaded time of year for we imbibers: having to base our beverage choices around the temperature outside. Is it really "weather appropriate" to drink an Old Fashioned when it's 103 degrees? Shall I enjoy a frothy Guinness next to the pool in a swimsuit? Call me crazy, but I say no. Still, if you don't want to take my word for it, I've got professional backup: Brendan Finnerty and Randal Etheridge, co-owners of Idle Hour in Federal Hill. Their drink - Josh's Last Call - is the answer to your overheated woes.

It's deja vu at Sparrows Point. The Baltimore County plant once again faces wholesale layoffs and a possible sale. The same story has played out every couple of years for the past decade at the steel plant, whose future remains in limbo. The revolving pattern of new owners and layoffs that began when longtime owner Bethlehem Steel declared bankruptcy in 2001 leaves some questioning how much more the Sparrows Point plant can take and remain viable. "How many lives does a mill have?"

Idle Talk caught In the Rough late to win the $75,000 Dahlia Stakes, a turf race for fillies and mares Saturday at Pimlico Race Course . Jockey Horacio Karamanos led the spotted grey mare through traffic as she charged to her fourth win in a row. This was the daughter of Olmodavor's first stakes attempt and her 6-year-old debut. The Mary Eppler trainee had competed for an $18,000 claiming tag as recently as last summer. Idle Talk paid $32.00 and led a $169 exacta and a $1,063.60 triple.

The Curbside Cafe is driving off into the sunset. The owners of the popular food truck, one of the first to ply Baltimore's streets on a regular basis, posted a closing message on its Facebook page. "This will be the last week for our little red truck as Curbside Cafe," the message says. "The perfect opportunity has come along that is beneficial to us and the new owners. "  

The abilities of some intelligent, civic-minded people are going to waste while about a quarter million tax dollars sit idle. This isn't necessarily the result of some government boondoggle, just one of those things that didn't work out as planned. But that doesn't mean officials can't do anything to correct this situation. The Howard County Revenue Authority has had little to do in the five years since it was formed, initially to study and secure funding for a parking garage in Ellicott City's historic district.

The Black-Eyed Susan has been the official cocktail of the Preakness Stakes since time immemorial. At least since the 1950s, estimates Pimlico Race Track historian Joe Kelly. The cocktail has been re-invented over the years, but not enough to satisfy people's complaints. Back in 1985, reporter Rob Kasper ran a contest to replace it with a new cocktail. It's time to give a coup another try. It's not like there isn't precedent. The White Carnation had been the official cocktail of the Belmont Stakes for years, until master mixologist Dale DeGroff suggested a change to his version of whiskey punch, which he called the Belmont Breeze.

The PGA Tour has an open date this weekend — the only one between January's opening tee shot at Kapalua and the final putt at Disney a dozen days before Thanksgiving. A prime opportunity for the LPGA and Champions tours to attract viewership, right? Actually, no. Both circuits also are taking the week off, leaving fans to choose between the Nationwide Tour's event in Boise, Idaho, or the European stop in Austria to get their golf fix. Ouch. In each of the last two years, both circuits did a pretty good job taking advantage of the PGA Tour's absence.