Keg

JERUSALEM -- On color-coded tourist maps, the Old City is neatly divided into self-contained quarters. Each of its four communities -- Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Armenian -- looks to be secure in its own exclusive enclave. The maps are wrong. The Old City, surrounded by 16th-century walls up to 9 feet thick, is a labyrinth of winding, narrow streets where mutually distrustful sects compete for influence and turf while safeguarding their rituals, some dating back thousands of years.

POOR KASHMIR. It lies in the Himalayan ramparts where the borders of India, Pakistan and China rub together. Reality mocks its beauty. There is no escaping the permeating melancholy of a land that lies under the gun. It is as if malevolent gods, jealous of its loveliness, placed a curse on it. The poison entered the garden in 1947 when the war-weary British quit their Indian empire and partitioned it. They had no wish to cut it up: One of their imperial...

TCPolice logSeverna Park: A thief smashed the front window of Cork 'N Keg Liquors in the 500 block of Ritchie Highway shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday and stole cigarettes, cash and liquor.Pub Date: 2/04/97

Motorists would be banned from carrying open beer cans, wine bottles or other unsealed containers of alcohol in cars under legislation given final General Assembly approval yesterday and sent to the governor for his promised signature. Anti-drunken-driving advocates who pushed for an open-container law applauded the 46-0 Senate vote, even as they acknowledged that the version of the bill passed was weaker than they would have liked. The legislation would create a civil penalty for carrying an open alcoholic beverage in the driver or passenger area of a vehicle, punishable by a $25 fine.

How did Mac Miller do it? It seems improbable, but the party-all-the-time Jewish rapper from Pittsburgh found himself at the top of the Billboard 200 on Nov. 16, without a radio hit, and more important, without a major-label machine there to take the credit. Miller, 19, sold 144,000 copies of his debut album, "Blue Slide Park," making him the first independent artist to claim the top spot since 1995. He's not a protege of a superstar, nor have any of "Blue Slide Park's" songs charted.

Miguel Tejada should have been upbeat and excited in the clubhouse after the Orioles' victory in Oakland on Aug. 17. Instead, the Orioles' star shortstop and emotional centerpiece was morose and combative with reporters. Even though the Orioles had just put themselves back into the playoff race by completing a surprising three-game sweep of the Oakland A's, Tejada seemed to grasp that his team was doomed. The normally ebullient All-Star showered quickly, put on a pinstriped suit, hid behind sunglasses and snapped at reporters, "Why do you want to talk to me?"

The Preakness is, let's face it, the dark horse on the nation's party planning circuit. After all, the second leg of the Triple Crown is squeezed between its more challenging and prestigious cousins, the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. And, it's held in proudly fashion-averse Baltimore. Nonetheless, there are a few pioneering socialites and trailblazing doyennes living in states such as Kentucky and Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For them, the Preakness' underdog status practically demands a celebration — and the more fancy hats and black-eyed Susan centerpieces the better.

A Pasadena man was arrested on drug charges and three other men and a juvenile were issued citations for possession of alcohol yesterday after police stopped the young men for a traffic violation.An officer stopped a blue Toyota pickup truck shortly after 3 a.m. and found a keg of beer in the truck bed, police said. While confiscating the keg, police said, they found a bag with what appeared to be marijuana in the truck bed.Calvin Truman Holmes, 18, of the 1200 block of Rock Hill Road in Pasadena, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Operators of Merriweather Post Pavilion are facing a $500 fine for an underage drinking incident at a Kenny Chesney concert July 10 when an employee slipped two cups of beer to a friend while the beer stand manager stepped out. Howard police Detective Martin Johnson saw the incident. Acting on undisputed facts, the Howard County Council, acting as the liquor board, last week imposed a $250 fine for each infraction on Charm City Hospitality and licensees Julie Berla and Jerome and Lisa Gottlieb.

Quote: "We came out and played a beer league game. The only thing missing was a keg around second base." -- Mariners manager Lou Piniella, whose team committed four errors, leading to four unearned runs.It's a fact: The start of the sixth inning was held up for two minutes while the video of the Belmont Stakes was shown on the Yankee Stadium scoreboard.Who's hot: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera lowered his ERA to 0.44 with a scoreless inning.Who's not: Mariners second baseman Joey Cora committed three errors, leading to three uneared runs.