Imelda

LONDON -- Two years before she was offered the role of Dolores Jane Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a friend of Imelda Staunton's called her up to say he'd just read J.K. Rowling's book and that there was a part in it she'd be perfect for. "So I read it," Staunton says, "and thought, `Small, squat, ugly, toadlike woman - thanks a lot.'" But her friend clearly wasn't the only one who had her in mind to play Umbridge, a character Stephen...

The return of Imelda Marcos to the Philippines after nearly six years exile to face trial on 70 charges of tax evasion and corruption, and to court her old popularity, is a testament to the growing confidence of President Corazon Aquino that she can finish her term without overthrow.Mrs. Marcos, as former first lady and consort to an avaricious dictator, fans the nostalgia of some Filipinos for what they are pleased to consider the good old days, and shamelessly claims her mission is to abolish poverty, when in fact the late Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos used his power to amass the national wealth in their own pockets.

On November 19, 2005 IMELDABERNIECE, beloved wife of the late Harold Edwin Weakland, loving mother of Andrew Weakland, Kimberly La Valley and Lorraine Kline, dear grandmother of Debbie, Michelle, Stephen, Ronald, Theresa, Jennifer and Brock; also survived by 11 great-grandchildren. Funeral from the Bruzdzinski Funeral Home P.A., 1407 Old Eastern Avenue, Essex, at Rt 702 (Beltway Exit 36) on Wednesday at 12:30 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial in St. Clare Church, 1 P.M. Entombment Gardens of Faith Memorial Gardens.

Shoe nut? Count 'em up. If you've got more than 30 pairs -- and any unworn -- you probably qualify, in which case here's some exciting news: You can collect them in a whole new form! That's right, "Just the Right Shoe by Raine" makes 4-inch-long porcelain miniatures out of everything from golf shoes to high-heeled, purple platforms. And, even better, they're meant for display, so you can actually litter your house with fabulous footwear. If that's not enough for you, Raine also makes jewelry shaped like shoes.

Talk about a great story just falling into your lap. Baltimore filmmaker Ramona Diaz can't help but chuckle while recounting how she first heard about Arnel Pineda, the unlikely successor to Steve Perry as lead singer for Journey and the subject of her latest documentary, "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey," which is showing Tuesday at the Charles Theatre. "I heard about Arnel getting the gig through an unsolicited email," she says, "that connected me with a link that was sort of going viral among the Filipino community.

MANILA, Philippines -- Weeping and clutching a rosary, flamboyant former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos returned home to an uncertain welcome today after nearly six years of exile in the United States.Amid tight security and a crush of reporters, the 62-year-old widow of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos was taken into an airport holding room where her one-way entry documents were stamped."It's wonderful to be home," she said as she disembarked from her chartered Boeing 747, back to the country she and her husband fled in disgrace in 1986.

When was she was first granted a 15-minute interview with Imelda Marcos in 1993, Ramona S. Diaz expected to be dismissed by the woman notorious for her conviction that looking marvelous was comfort enough for her country's millions of impoverished citizens. "I was born and raised in the Philippines and left as a teenager. All my conscious life, they were in power. After all those years of hearing about her, observing her comings and goings as a teenager, it was just surreal to meet her," Diaz says.

At 3 a.m. last Monday, filmmaker Ramona Diaz, asleep in her Baltimore home, received what she terms "a friendly call from 'a friend'" of Imelda Marcos. The former first lady of the Philippines was willing to make a deal, the caller said: If Diaz agreed not to call her documentary about the widow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos a "documentary," she would drop her effort to block its release in the Philippines. Almost simultaneously, though, a Philippine court threw out the request for the ban because Marcos had given permission in 1996 for the film's release.

When Marcy Loane, sales and marketing coordinator for Bob Ward Homes in Harford County, made a simple but creative floor plan change in the house she bought from her employer, she never expected to start a trend.But the 7-by-14-foot walk-in closet that extends from her master bedroom into space over the garage caught the eye of other homebuyers. Now, customers are asking for the extra storage space in their own homes and the "Marcy" closet has become a popular Bob Ward Homes option."We love our closet," Loane said.

George has decided to run for re-election against Japan. He will win.Cheer up. Imelda Marcos is running for president.Well, if we made it to '92, we should be able to go all the way.