Important Thing

PHILADELPHIA -- Taking shots at the NCAA is normally such a simple task. For decades now, the people in charge of college athletics have been an unrelenting study in both blindness and arrogance, the easiest of targets.Equal justice? Forget it.Obsessed with inconsequential nit-picking? Always.Concern for minorities? Hah.Concern for the athletes? Hah-hah.But that was then, and this is now. And the NCAA Presidents Commission last week did a few things that received scant public notice, but that are really good things.

Drs. Guy McKhann and Marilyn Albert, two of the world's leading experts on brain research, have a theory why women tend to live longer than men: They shop more. Whether it's for clothes or groceries, shopping is a simple way to summarize what's good for the brain, say this cerebral husband and wife. It combines three elements that allow the brain to function better: * staying physically active * challenging the brain * keeping a positive self-image. "Women go to the mall, and they have to walk around a lot, oftentimes carrying heavy bags.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Even the uniform had to come out of retirement, but there was No. 22, throwing with the same smooth motion that carried Jim Palmer to the Hall of Fame. Only the velocity had been changed.Palmer didn't push it, and he didn't have to. He showed up at Twin Lakes Park yesterday morning, which some considered an upset in itself. He went through a day of fundamental drills with 40 teammates, many of them less than half his 45 years. He handled the media with wit and charm. Nobody expected him to throw hard on his first day, but nobody came to see him model underwear, either.

If you want a uniquely local holiday treat, consider taking part in the annual Christmas Lights Parade of Yachts in Annapolis Harbor and Spa Creek, set for Saturday, Dec. 15.It's an event that will bring a smile to even the toughest, most hard-bitten Scrooge and is guaranteed to delight everyone else.Event chairwoman Yvonne Kazan of the sponsoring Eastport Yacht Club said there is still some space left inside the fleet maximum of 60 boats.Kazan said additional applicants are welcome, although entries must be in before the mandatory Dec. 13 skippers meeting.

When Black Enterprise magazine was first published 36 years ago, its founder challenged readers to imagine the day when there would be a black chief executive officer or president of a major company. Now, there are Robert Johnson, Dick Parsons, Stanley O'Neal and a host of others. As black America continues to make strides in the business world, Black Enterprise is undergoing leadership changes. In January, founder Earl Graves Sr. passed the reins to his son, Earl "Butch" Graves Jr., who took on the roles of chief executive and president.

It's the Fourth of July weekend, and as a special holiday bonus, I'm offering a four-columns-in-one deal -- and all for the same low price.If you can beat that anywhere else, I'll match the offer and throw in a copy of Dan O'Brien's recently released autobiography "15 feet, 9 inches to Glory".Here goes.Column 1: The Dream Team Is a Good Thing.I have heard people whining that there's no joy in watching the USA/NBA Olympic team beat up on the undersized, under-talented basketball teams of neighboring countries.

WASHINGTON - No. 2 seed Alex Corretja has never let perception stand in his way. A native of Barcelona, Spain, he is supposed to be a clay-court specialist. But Corretja has always wanted to be more and has worked hard over the years to make himself into an all-surface player. He has won five hard-court titles and yesterday he again showed why his ability as a hard-court player is now respected. After facing set point at 6-5 of the opening set, Corretja kept his focus and powered his way past No. 3 seed Nicolas Kiefer, 7-6 (7-2)

To the students at Norrisville Elementary School in Harford County, there was nothing abstract about the science they were experimenting with last week.Theories of electricity, light and magnetism may have been at work here, but what the young science students saw was a handmade doorbell they could buzz, a cardboard periscope they could peer through and a shoebox camera that took real photos.An erupting volcano, an orangutan house and dozens of other experiments and research projects helped bring science to life for the students as they shared the results of their endeavors at an all-day science fair Thursday.

Q: My 12-year-old daughter has larger breasts than most of the girls in her class. The kids tend to be a little jealous and can hurt her feelings and try to put her down.I need some ideas to help her through this transition period.J. B., Cleveland, OhioA: The most important ways to help your daughter are to maintain open communication, be a good listener and do everything you can to bolster her self-esteem."Many girls are developing at young ages, and it is important to help your daughter to understand that she is normal and this is a natural part of growing up," says Gloria Thomas, a reader from Barrington, Ill.And this from a reader in Providence, R.I. "Talk to her about other people's reactions to her breasts, including the reactions of older boys," Arlene Shropshire says.

When comedian Demetri Martin lived in New York, he liked to talk with his friends and fellow comedians about the idea of a body of work. Surveying the national comedy scene, Martin would see comics who were hugely popular, but he didn't think were all that funny, as well as hilarious comics toiling in obscurity. Martin felt the right way to put things in perspective wasn't to judge them based on success alone but all the work they'd done in their lifetime. "It always seemed that if you thought about the body of work, that was the best way to stay on track," Martin said.