Mickey Mouse

BURBANK, Calif. - Walt Disney Co. directors tapped President Robert A. Iger yesterday to succeed Chief Executive Michael D. Eisner, writing the final chapter for an often stormy 21-year reign during which the company mushroomed from a moribund studio into a global entertainment giant. The selection ended a high-profile search for a new leader for the fabled company, which has been under siege by critics who wanted to hasten Eis- ner's departure. He will remain until Sept. 30, and then Iger will take the helm of a conglomerate that has more than 100,000 employees, a global theme park empire, a library of such classic films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the ESPN sports broadcasting juggernaut, the ABC network and the cartoon character Mickey Mouse.

MANY OF US who have drifted from faith often return to organized religion as parents, if only in search of moral instruction for our children. But there is a more pervasive communicator of values closer to home: the animated features produced by Walt Disney. The time children spend watching these movies, developing a sense of values, dwarfs that spent in church, synagogue, mosque or temple. From Pinocchio, Dumbo and Peter Pan, they learn that with faith, all things are possible. From Aladdin, they learn that you shouldn't pretend you are something you are not, just to be popular.

It seems that manufacturers of computer peripherals and game controllers must be testing their mice and controllers on guys about 6-foot-8 with massive hands. That's my conclusion after the first Microsoft Xbox controller caused my hands to cramp and I watched dozens of children under 10 struggle to get a good grasp on a computer mouse. KidzMouse Inc., a California-based company, has independently taken note of the latter observation. The manufacturer of niche peripherals and educational software has come up with kid-size mice that they're selling in major stores and online at their Web site, www.kidzmouse.

HOLLYWOOD - Mickey Mouse, once described by Walt Disney as "a little fellow trying to do the best he could," is now being called on to do even better. On its face, using Mickey Mouse to full effect as a marketing tool would seem a no-brainer for the executives at Walt Disney Co. After all, over the past three-quarters of a century, Mickey has sustained himself as one of the most recognizable figures in America, if not the world. Yet when Andy Mooney arrived at Disney a few years ago to rescue its struggling merchandising operation, he was stunned to find how much the entertainment giant was under-utilizing its famous mouse.

Jerry Edward Miller, a business education teacher at Pikesville High School, died Wednesday of a heart attack while driving. The Reisterstown resident was 56. Known for his Mickey Mouse ties and tenacious dedication to Pikesville High, Mr. Miller taught at the school for 33 years. He was a popular teacher in the community, often teaching two generations of families. "The genuineness of him and the sincerity has traversed the generations to the point where he is considered such an integral part of this community," said Dorothy E. Hardin, the school's principal.

Lisa Derman, 75, a Holocaust survivor who committed her life to making sure the world never forgot that catastrophe, died Sunday of an apparent heart attack while giving a testimony of her life at a storytelling festival in Spring Grove, Ill. "Her last public words were, `Please remember this story and tell it to others because I don't know how long I will be here,'" said her son, Daniel Derman of Evanston, Ill. Mrs. Derman, who was born in Poland, was...

Norris McWhirter's Book of Historical Records, by Norris McWhirter (Sterling Publishing Company, 288 pages, 24.95). From the originator and author of The Guinness Book of World Records comes this lavishly illustrated and designed addition to any coffee table or to the smallest room in the house. Beginning 680,000 years ago ("Homo erectus migrates to Europe."), it is divided by general subjects -- "Everyday Life," "The Arts," "Sports." Neither scholarly nor daunting, it is full of provocations and entertainments.

THANKS TO the Kids Wish Network, 17-year-old Phillip Gray of Ellicott City got to meet Mickey Mouse as part of a six-day trip to Orlando, Fla. Phillip was born with a rare blood disorder that causes mental retardation and skeletal disorders. About two years ago, his spine was damaged during surgery to correct a curvature, said his mother, Maria. Since then, he has used a wheelchair. Phillip's elder brother, 18-year-old Sean, has mild cerebral palsy. Mrs. Gray said she is asked repeatedly how she takes care of two disabled children.

10th annual Chocolate Affair Chocolate lovers, prepare to be enraptured this evening at the sight of treats created by area restaurants and caterers - for a good cause. Sample sweets and savories from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway, and help raise money for the Center for Poverty Solutions, a nonprofit charitable organization. Also at the 10th annual Chocolate Affair, celebrity judges will select the best food creations, and guests can bid on a variety of prizes.

NEW DELHI, India - The wall is not a subtle or decorative thing, and it was put there, let's be clear, to keep the poor people out. Slums on one side, India's gleaming high-tech future on the other. The wall was built solely to protect the stately corporate headquarters of NIIT, a huge computer-training and software-services firm. But now there's a breach in that wall. NIIT engineers have notched a computer into the concrete, a weatherproof computer that faces outward, toward a neighboring colony of squatters and itinerant laborers.