Pockets

Ever wished your favorite dress was more user-friendly? Sure, it's pretty, but wouldn't it be nice if it treated you like your best pair of jeans and came with a set of handy pockets for your cash, cell phone and lip gloss? Designers have figured out that today's woman wants more from her clothes than just good looks. Many of the hottest looks in dresses for summer and fall conveniently come with pockets. So ditch the heavy handbag and go hands-free in dresses such as these local favorites: 1. Camille dress by Dace Price: $225 Wear it to work; wear it to a party or just out for the day. This ultra-chic dress is a sexy but comfortable shape and comes in a gorgeous, versatile color: chocolate brown.

Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan pauses in mid-sentence to chew. He's chomping down on chili while talking about Hot Pockets - the subject of one of his most famous bits. More than five years after he first started riffing on the ridiculousness of the microwavable convenience food, Gaffigan still does the joke live. Hot Pockets will definitely be a part of his Lyric Opera House show tomorrow. "Sometimes you work on a joke, and it's kind of done," Gaffigan said. "The Hot Pocket phenomenon is just expanding in a never-ending fashion."

"Everything about ethanol is good, good, good," crows Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley, echoing the conventional wisdom that corn-based ethanol will help us kick the oil habit, line the pockets of farmers and usher in a new era of guilt-free motoring. But despite the wishes of Iowans (and the candidates courting them), the "dot-corn bubble" is too good to be true. - Cameron Scott, Mother Jones

BALTIMORE County's master plans have typically concentrated on ways to cope with growth. And no wonder.Since 1950, the population has swelled from 270,273 to 725,780, propelling the county past the city as the region's biggest governmental subdivision. In the past decade, though, the momentum has slowed as newer, more distant suburban counties became popular.This spring, a new blueprint called Master Plan 2010 is slated for County Council approval. Instead of focusing on where to channel additional growth, this version calls needed attention to broader societal issues and recommends steps to improve education, public safety, health, social services and economic development.

The former chief inspector of the Baltimore City Liquor Board was getting cash payments for servicing video poker machines owned by William J. Madonna, a former state delegate and Waverly bar owner, a jury was told yesterday.Donald Harlow, a former city liquor inspector, testified in city Circuit Court that he witnessed Anthony J. Cianferano stuffing cash in his pockets -- money that was paid to Cianferano in return for the work he did for Madonna.Harlow, who was hired by Madonna after serving a six-year jail term for assault with intent to murder, was one of two key witnesses to testify in the bribery and conspiracy trial of Madonna and Cianferano.

TWO presidential candidates, a Republican and a Democrat, stood together in Claremont, N.H., Thursday to decry what one of them called "the plague of money in our national politics."Bill Bradley, the former Democratic senator from New Jersey, and Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, lamented the corrosive impact of so-called soft money, funds raised outside the control of contribution limits by individuals, corporations and unions.The two senators joined students of the fundraising system to say there is nothing soft at all about the use of money raised officially for party building or issue advertising but often put directly at the service of a candidate.

Two robbers accosted a pizza delivery driver in Glen Burnie Wednesday night and robbed her of an undisclosed amount of money.The 36-year-old Baltimore woman, who works as a driver for Pizza Boli's on Crain Highway in Glen Burnie, told police she delivered an order to a house in the 200 block of Fox Manor Drive about 8: 30 p.m.As she was returning to her car, a man with a gray, semiautomatic handgun approached her and ordered her to remain still. Meanwhile, a second man, who had sneaked up behind her, searched her pockets for money, police said.

* Item: Toaster Breaks Melts* What you get: 6 sandwiches* Cost: About $2* Preparation time: One to two cycles in toaster* Review: Television commercials for these bake-in-the-toaster snacks seem to be aimed at the after-school set. If so, the Hot Pockets people who make them have hit their target. While my husband and I liked the meat-and-cheese-filled turnovers, my 13-year-old baby sitter and her 11-year-old sister loved them. We each tried three flavors. My husband enjoyed the Ham and Cheese, but would have preferred something a bit more substantive.

BALTIMORE County's master plans have typically concentrated on ways to cope with growth. And no wonder.Since 1950, the population has swelled from 270,273 to 725,780, propelling the county past the city as the region's biggest governmental subdivision. In the past decade, though, the momentum has slowed as newer, more distant suburban counties became popular.This spring, a new blueprint called Master Plan 2010 is slated for County Council approval. Instead of focusing on where to channel additional growth, this version calls needed attention to broader societal issues and recommends steps to improve education, public safety, health, social services and economic development.

NEW YORK -- John Bartlett, the favorite son of men's fashion, unveiled his vision for spring 1999 earlier this week and it's filled with military influences, matted hairstyles and pink leather.His much-anticipated show played on a talent he's demonstrated before -- his ability to emulate and alter male icons. This season he tried to take those a step further, mixing his images of sailors, bikers and surfers in playful, unpredictable ways.Bartlett's colors grew in intensity during the show, hitting an eye-popping crescendo when models appeared in pink polos and monogrammed pants followed by lilac paratrooper shirts and finally green floral padded vests with belted trousers.

Name: : E-sling by Case Logic What it is: : A messenger-type polyester shoulder bag designed to hold personal electronics and other items. How it works: : The largest of three versions works wonderfully whether carrying gear on a trip or back and forth to work. It has two main zippered compartments with smaller storage areas within and two large pockets front and back. One large compartment is padded for a mini-laptop. The other compartment is big enough for other gadgets and more. I variously carried a hardcover book, newspapers, magazines, an umbrella and a jacket in addition to a BlackBerry, MP3 player and glasses case.

Name: : cinda b Weekender What it is: : A midsize duffel bag designed to stash everything you might need for a couple of nights away. The feminine design touches bring to mind the Vera Bradley line of travel totes and accessories. But cinda b uses poly/nylon fabric. The result: enhanced resistance to water and stains. How it works: : The Weekender features a roomy interior, two outside pockets and four interior pockets for corralling smaller items. The good: : Unsnap the ends of the zip-close Weekender and you get expanded, easy access to the bag's roomy interior.

I've got a wad of shopping discount cards rubber-banded into a 4-inch brick in my kitchen drawer. It's my secret weapon for intruders; should some unsavory characters surprise me, I'll just rummage in my kitchen drawer and stun them with a shot to the head comprised of incredible savings and elite memberships. I just can't stand carrying these cards around. I don't even like carrying a purse, but I have to because most women's clothes only sport faux pockets that are sewn shut to give your hips a streamlined look.

If I am Nadya Suleman right now, I'm thinking 14 kids under the age of 7 is going to be the easy part. Dealing with all the anger that is raining down on her is what's tough. The wonder that greeted the news that Suleman had given birth to eight reasonably healthy babies quickly gave way to intrusion, ridicule, resentment and violent threats. Some of those threats included the phrase wood chipper, if you can imagine. And there has been a new and disturbing headline just about every day since the octuplets came into the world on Jan. 26. The mother is divorced, and the man whose sperm fertilized her eggs is just now finding out that he has 14 children.

You'll never look at, or reach into, an airline seat-back pocket the same after reading this. Besides being a repository for magazines, newspapers, books, iPods and air-sickness bags, seat-back pockets get stuffed with all kinds of disgusting trash, from toenail clippings to mushy meals. People do things on airplanes that they would never do in other public settings. They pluck eyebrows, polish nails and pick noses. They stick chewed gum in places only other passengers will discover. They blow noses into blankets that get folded up for the next weary traveler.

"Everything about ethanol is good, good, good," crows Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley, echoing the conventional wisdom that corn-based ethanol will help us kick the oil habit, line the pockets of farmers and usher in a new era of guilt-free motoring. But despite the wishes of Iowans (and the candidates courting them), the "dot-corn bubble" is too good to be true. - Cameron Scott, Mother Jones

Ever wished your favorite dress was more user-friendly? Sure, it's pretty, but wouldn't it be nice if it treated you like your best pair of jeans and came with a set of handy pockets for your cash, cell phone and lip gloss? Designers have figured out that today's woman wants more from her clothes than just good looks. Many of the hottest looks in dresses for summer and fall conveniently come with pockets. So ditch the heavy handbag and go hands-free in dresses such as these local favorites: 1. Camille dress by Dace Price: $225 Wear it to work; wear it to a party or just out for the day. This ultra-chic dress is a sexy but comfortable shape and comes in a gorgeous, versatile color: chocolate brown.

They are everywhere. From graduations to art festivals to a regular day in the city. No life event is complete without the long eye of the lens. Some cameras are conspicuous while others only come out of pants pockets and handbags when it's time to chronicle some of life's major milestones. Say "cheese!"

1. Is Virginia good enough to repeat? Recent history suggests that the Cavaliers will fall short of winning back-to-back NCAA titles. No one has pulled it off since 1998, when Princeton won its third consecutive national championship. But don't doubt Virginia, which lost an amazing core of talent, led by player of the year Matt Ward, after winning all 17 of its games by an average of 8.2 goals. Yet, the Cavs still have enough weapons to run the table in May and produce a handful of first- and second-team All-Americans.

Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan pauses in mid-sentence to chew. He's chomping down on chili while talking about Hot Pockets - the subject of one of his most famous bits. More than five years after he first started riffing on the ridiculousness of the microwavable convenience food, Gaffigan still does the joke live. Hot Pockets will definitely be a part of his Lyric Opera House show tomorrow. "Sometimes you work on a joke, and it's kind of done," Gaffigan said. "The Hot Pocket phenomenon is just expanding in a never-ending fashion."