Purpose

Proceedings in Florida's case against George Zimmerman for the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin have recently provided an object lesson in how the institution of bail is supposed to work - but almost never does. Last week, George Zimmerman's wife was charged with perjury for lying at her husband's bail hearing in April - she testified that the couple was broke, which prompted the court to set a low bond. But since then prosecutors have alleged that, at the time of the hearing, the Zimmermans had in fact raised over $100,000 for the defense.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Orioles waived veteran outfielder Dwight Evans yesterday for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release and for the purpose of clearing some space on their crowded roster.The move also was for the purpose of avoiding another year of Evans' uncertain medical status. He apparently had too many strikes against him to escape the club's first significant roster cut of the spring.General manager Roland Hemond met with Evans yesterday morning and informed him that he no longer fit into the club's plans, eventhough Evans did seem to fit the job description that manager John Oates had outlined for him when he re-signed with the team in December.

Redskins are no prizeIn response to Louis Levin's Dec. 1 letter, I want to be the first to remind you of the Redskins' record the past three years. It's great for a laugh. In 1995 they were 6-10; in 1994, 3-13; and in 1993, 4-12. It's especially funny when you consider grown men wearing pig noses, wigs and dresses. What an intimidating crowd. With the return of several starters on defense and the addition of some draft picks, the Ravens won't be able to add the wins fast enough. To have the Redskins on the Ravens' schedule next year would put a smile on my face.

Level the Transportation Playing FieldNow that the baseball strike has slowed the hoopla around Camden Yards, and the Redskin stadium proposal has collapsed over the prospects of an avalanche of automobiles, perhaps it is time for some sober reflection on transportation in general, and specifically on the role of Camden Station.As everyone knows, Camden Station, built to serve train passengers, has been made into a baseball trophy display.In fact, thousands of train riders embark and debark at Camden daily and need both shelter and services, which should be provided in the building that was built for that purpose -- Camden Station.

REUVEN CHAIM WEISSMAN, our first grandson, is a baby without a country. Born recently in Jerusalem, this tiny apolitical person has just arrived in Baltimore from Israel with his proud parents, a journey that required him to have an American passport. All went smoothly at the U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem until I asked the woman processing the forms why there was no country listed after "Jerusalem" on the passport application. "If your grandson had been born elsewhere in Israel," she said in an apparently well-rehearsed speech, "his passport would have named the state.

OF THE MANY forecasts for the next century, an easily safe one is that privacy will be a goner. The computer is already leading to that in medical recordkeeping, personal buying patterns and even in tracking our physical whereabouts. And we're only in the beginning stages of keeping tabs on everything about everyone.Every now and then there's an outrageous assault on privacy, such as the recent surfacing of thousands of AIDS patients' names from a supposedly secure filing system. However, the shrinkage of privacy is mainly an invisible process.

(Updates at end with response from NewsHour) With the word Tuesday that "NewsHour" was shutting down offices and laying off employees, it's time to ask the question: Just how much of the this one-time PBS bedrock is actually left? In fact, let's go a step further and ask if it is even accurate to call it a nightly newscast any more -- and if what's left is worth trying to save? I know I've been avoiding asking those questions for at least four years even though they begged to be asked.

In the black market of Maryland's prisons and jails, where the right price can secure cellphones and drugs, transactions unfold through a complex system of currency. Among the key elements: 14-digit codes, prepaid debit cards and text messages. One brand of cards - Green Dot - is so ubiquitous that it has become part of the lexicon on the inside. The recent federal indictment of two dozen inmates and corrections officers in an alleged Black Guerrilla Family corruption scandal at the Baltimore City Detention Center notes several instances in which suspects refer to "dots" in transactions.

SOWETO, South Africa-- --Wow," he blurts out. "Man." Monde Dweku's eyes widen along with his smile. His eyebrows dance up and down. At last, his girlfriend, Irene, is stepping from her house and into the warm late November evening. She has kept him waiting a good couple of hours, though it felt much longer. "Are you getting there?" he had asked her on the phone earlier, the Xtreme cologne already wafting from his skin. "I'm getting dressed, I'm getting dressed, I'm getting dressed," was all she would say. "These girls," he had muttered after hanging up. The wait has been worth it. Finally, Monde is headed to the Fons Luminis Secondary School matric dance.

One of Randy Edsall's goals in his final year at Susquehannock High School in Glen Rock, Pa., was to be named to the Pennsylvania roster for the Big 33 Football Classic. Although he wasn't selected for the 1976 game despite being an all-state quarterback, the Maryland football coach was ecstatic last October when he learned the state of Maryland would return to the high school football all-star game this year. The Maryland Football Coaches Association signed a five-year agreement with the Big 33 Scholarship Foundation, Inc., last fall to renew the state's participation in the game after a 21-year hiatus.