Impressions

The two-artist exhibit titled "Impressions" at the Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House makes it clear that the abstract paintings by Joanna Kos and realistic photographs by Bruce Blum reflect very different impressions of nature. At first glance, you might think that Kos' oil paintings are complete abstractions. The orbs, arcs, triangular shapes and painterly washes are so tightly packed together in her compositions that they qualify as imaginative landscapes that only exist in the artist's mind.

ESPN analyst Paul Carcaterra provided color commentary for fifth-seeded North Carolina's 16-7 rout of Lehigh and Cornell's 16-8 upset of sixth-seeded Maryland in a pair of NCAA tournament first-round contests this past weekend. The former Syracuse All-American midfielder, who can be followed on Twitter via @paulcarcaterra, will be part of the crew covering Saturday's quarterfinals in College Park and Sunday's quarterfinals in Indianapolis. Carcaterra offered his perspective on results that impressed and surprised him, concerns for the top two seeded teams and the most interesting quarterfinal.

President-elect Clinton and Democratic leaders on Capital Hill are saying all the right things as they prepare for a "new era" in which their party will control both the executive and legislative branches of government. They talk of the end of the "Cold War" between Congress and the White House and try to smooth away the rough edges of contentious issues that have arisen -- often gratuitously -- in the first fortnight after their Nov. 3 election victory.The American people, however, have every right to adopt a "show me" attitude.

Orb's reputation began growing at Churchill Downs the Monday before the Kentucky Derby, when the colt breezed four furlongs in 47.80. The run looked effortless and made Orb the talk of Louisville - and the morning-line favorite. Though there is no doubt he will be an overwhelming favorite for Saturday's 138 th running of the Preakness, Orb again turned in a promising breeze -- in which he's basically allowed to run without much guidance from the rider -- the Monday before the race.

Location, the right price and good financing all play major roles in influencing the decision to buy a house. But curb appeal -- the first impression a potential buyer gets of a house -- is the lure that gets the buying process started.Without curb appeal -- the favorable first impression that makes a casual shopper sit up and take notice -- potential buyers may never cross the threshold to see what's inside.In Harford County, where home sales are up 12 percent from last year, Realtors say that giving a home curb appeal is simple and can be inexpensive.

WASHINGTON -- After 115 hours of proceedings, 6,000 pages of documents, 35 witnesses and 71 questioners, after eight days and nights of gavel-banging, finger-pointing, sound-biting, it's appropriate to ask the question that a congressman posed at the start of the House and Senate's Whitewater hearings:"What is going on here?"What went on over the past two weeks -- all of it under hot TV lights -- didn't reveal a smoking gun to bring down a president. It didn't answer questions about the Clintons' Ozarks land deal at the heart of the Whitewater controversy.

Tired of being accosted by the same old crab dip, celery stuffed with cream cheese and Swedish meatballs at every cocktail party? Then run, do not walk, to get a copy of "First Impressions," by Betty Rosbottom (Morrow, 288 pp., $20).Ms. Rosbottom, author of "Betty Rosbottom's Cooking School Cookbook" (Workman, 1987) and director of La Belle Pomme cooking school in Columbus, Ohio, has brought some fresh thinking as to how a dinner party should begin. After all, her "showstopper" smoked salmon cheesecake with dill toasts served on lemon leaves sounds more appetizing than salted peanuts, doesn't it?

JUPITER, Fla. - Early impressions are tough impressions. Orioles manager Mike Hargrove uses this reminder to preface his evaluation of new center fielder Chris Singleton. It's a little too soon to draw conclusions on any player, even one who is driving pitches to all fields, chasing down fly balls and running the bases aggressively. Even one who has outshone every Oriole through two exhibition games. After stroking a three-run homer to account for all the scoring in Thursday's opener, Singleton doubled in his first at-bat yesterday and raced home on an infield hit. He's making quite an impression, no matter how early.

To his outplacement consultant, the unemployed insurance salesman looked "slovenly." With his old plaid shirt, chino pants and shaggy haircut, he sat slouched in the consultant's office.A change of image made a world of difference, recalls Lynn Litow, the Linthicum consultant who helped him through a difficult career transition. A whole new outfit (basic gray suit, striped tie and dress shirt) was a decided plus in the transition, as were pointers offered by Ms. Litow on posture, handshakes and other elements of body language.

Mark Eichhorn,Orioles relieverEichhorn is known around baseball for his clever impressions."I've been doing them probably since I was 5," he said. "I grew up with 10 other kids, so I had an audience. If you asked anyone, they probably say they get sick of them. They'd say I've been doing it for 34 years, and I'm 34 years old."His favorite impressions:1. Popeye.2. The Cowardly Lion.3. Willie Nelson and Julio Inglesias.4. The Wicked Witch of the West.5. John Wayne.

When Orioles right-hander Freddy Garcia was left without a job just a week before the regular season began this year, there was no doubt in his mind that he would pitch in the major leagues in 2013 if he was given the chance. Garcia - a 15-year major league veteran who won the World Series with the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and is the winningest Venezuelan-born pitcher in baseball history (152 career wins) - didn't need to prove anything after the San Diego Padres released him in late March.

The stories started circulating long before John Simon first set foot on Ohio State's campus and became such a program favorite that his head coach talked about naming his next child after him. By the time he got to elementary school, Simon was already performing a daily regimen of pull-ups and sit-ups. He lifted 225 pounds 31 times as a 16-year-old. Before he graduated from high school, he had benched 450 pounds and squatted 700. "People really didn't believe us," said P.J. Fecko, the head football coach at Cardinal Mooney in Youngstown, Ohio.

Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel was not particularly good on Thursday night. He struggled with his command, at one point throwing half of his 28 pitches for balls. He ended up with 104 pitches -- and only 59 for strikes. And yet he allowed just three hits, two runs (none earned) and two walks in six innings against the Oakland Athletics -- who led the majors in runs scored and on-base percentage heading into Thursday -- without being on the top of his game. Hammel may not be an ace, but he is the Orioles' No. 1 pitcher.

  Baltimore Sun reporter Don Markus, intern and Diamondback co-sports editor Josh Vitale, and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Should Mark Turgeon go after Antonio Barton to play point guard next season for the Terps? Don Markus: Having already written that Pe'Shon Howard might have been a suitable stop-gap before Roddy Peters is ready to take over at the point, I think it is fair to say that Barton would be a more than suitable replacement as Maryland's transition point guard going into the 2013-14 season.

Cuban Revolution has come to Baltimore's Middle East neighborhood. Just a few blocks away from the Johns Hopkins Hospital , the Middle East area has seldom officered any reason for outsiders to wander in. That is changing. The neighborhood is being developed as a mixed-use life science campus. The anchor tenant is the Science & Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, but the 80-acre area will include other research facilities along with new housing, parking and a six-acre central park.

As a media scrum surrounded him in the Orioles clubhouse after he made his major league debut Saturday night, left-hander T.J. McFarland was told by a reporter that if he was nervous out on the mound, it didn't show. “Didn't show it at all?” McFarland said. “I definitely was. I was able to work through it and calm myself down.” He helped calm the Orioles down, too. McFarland, a 23-year-old who was acquired this winter in the Rule 5 draft, made his debut in a difficult situation as the Orioles trailed the Minnesota Twins, 5-3, in the fourth inning.

LANGEBAAN, South Africa -- The oldest known footprints of an anatomically modern human are in danger of destruction on the shores of a sparkling lagoon here after having been preserved by nature for 117,000 years.Scientists say the extraordinary pair of footprints, discovered in 1995 but not disclosed publicly until last year, have become so popular among barefoot beach-goers that the soft sandstone impressions may not last the South African summer.The threat to the rare prints has become so worrisome that the National Parks Board will meet tomorrow to consider removing them to a museum for safekeeping.

A Cuban Revolution has come to East Baltimore. The city's Middle East neighborhood is just a few blocks away from Johns Hopkins Hospital, but there was seldom any reason for outsiders to wander in. That has changed. Amid protests from some longtime residents and others, most homeowners in the area were relocated and their houses — along with many that were abandoned and dilapidated — were torn down. Now Middle East is being developed as a mixed-use life science campus. The anchor tenant is the Science & Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, but the 80-acre area will include other research facilities along with new housing, parking and a six-acre central park.

Hundreds of fans packed into the bleachers at Dunbar's football field Saturday afternoon, and dozens more looked on through the fence. They were there to see the Maryland football team play its first of two scrimmages at local high schools. And on the first drive of the day, they weren't disappointed. On the scrimmage's opening play, quarterback Ricardo Young found wide receiver Deon Long down the left sideline for a 70-yard gain. Seconds later, running back Brandon Ross rumbled into the end zone for a 5-yard score.