Rice

Wasn't exactly a stretch of the imagination to predict Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice would make it into the Hall of Fame. Rickey was a no-brainer, and Rice's status as a borderline candidate probably had something to do with his horrible relationship with the baseball media. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

BAGHDAD -- After weeks of hesitation, Iran announced yesterday that it would attend a conference this week in Egypt that is intended as a forum for Iraq's neighbors -- along with the United Nations, the United States and other world powers -- to establish a regional consensus on ways to stabilize Iraq. Without Iran, Iraq's largest and most influential neighbor, it is unlikely that any serious progress could have been made. Topping the American agenda for the meeting is the U.S. allegation that Iran is helping fuel the violence in Iraq by facilitating the supply of weapons, money and sophisticated bomb-making techniques to insurgents.

JERUSALEM -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice returned to Israel yesterday for the third time in six weeks, seeking to nudge the Israeli and Palestinian sides closer together in advance of a U.S.-sponsored peace conference. But Rice, after a day of meetings with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, acknowledged that her two-day visit is unlikely to produce agreement on a hoped-for joint pre-conference statement of mutual goals. "They're still working. And like with anything of this kind, you know, they're going through some knotty discussions," Rice said.

JERUSALEM -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday to agree to peace talks that would include three issues that have bedeviled Middle East negotiations since 1979. Late last evening, Olmert had not agreed to allow negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to include discussions about the status of Jerusalem, the borders of an eventual Palestinian state or the question of whether Palestinian refugees who fled, or were forced to leave, their homes would have a right to return to Israel.

On Tuesday, October 16, 2007 IDA MILINER FISCHER, beloved mother of Amy Parker and Rice (Lucinda) Miliner. Also survived by four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Friends may call on Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. at the Donaldson Funeral Home, P.A., 313 Talbott Ave., Laurel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday 11:30 A.M. at St. Marys Catholic Church. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.

JERUSALEM -- After three days of intensive diplomacy in the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced yesterday that the Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to meet every two weeks to discuss day-to-day issues and "a political horizon." The agreement steps up the pace of face-to-face discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but falls well short of starting substantive negotiations on the core issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The more colorful the foliage and the nippier the air, the heartier-yet-simpler our suppers can be. Here's a great recipe for expressing that autumn spirit - a rich, earthy risotto laced with the pleasantly bitter edge of radicchio, deepened by the mysterious flavor of porcini mushrooms, bound together in a lush, soothing backdrop of the traditional creamy rice. The charm of any risotto is the contrast between the separate, al dente grains and the thick, smooth sauce in which they are suspended.

A reputed hit man for a Northwest Baltimore drug organization linked to four killings pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday to racketeering and murder charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, federal prosecutors said. The Maryland U.S. attorney's office had targeted Eric Hall, 36, for the death penalty. But as a result of a plea agreement, he will serve prison time and then be on 15 years of supervised probation. Prosecutors say Hall worked as an enforcer for a drug ring led by Howard and Raeshio Rice, brothers who, respectively, are serving 30-year and 27-year prison sentences.

JERUSALEM -- Israel declared the Hamas-run Gaza Strip to be "hostile territory" yesterday, setting the stage for possible cutoffs of fuel and electricity, and overshadowing a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to prepare for a November peace conference. Israel did not say when it might cut the flow of power or fuel to the impoverished coastal enclave. A statement from the office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his government would study the legal ramifications before imposing such sanctions and seek to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

VINCENT DEDOMENICO, 92 Rice-a-Roni inventor Vincent DeDomenico, co-inventor of Rice-A-Roni, whose catchy TV jingle paid homage to San Francisco and made the pasta dish famous, died Thursday in Napa, Calif., with his wife, Mildred, by his side, his family said. He had kept working until the day before his death. Along with his brothers, Mr. DeDomenico, the son of Italian immigrants, created the packaged side dish of rice and pasta for their San Francisco-based family business. "The San Francisco treat" became known in the 1960s through TV commercials that featured the city's cable cars.

In a stunning turn of events, the Bengals marched 80 yards in 11 plays to score the winning touchdown with 22 seconds left. The drive, aided by three penalties against the Ravens, took 1:53 and left the 71,161 at M&T Bank Stadium in disbelief. That drive came after the Ravens' Ray Rice scored on a jaw-dropping 48-yard pass play from Flacco. Rice made half the Bengals miss, and he was able to keep his balance without letting his knee touch the ground. Ravens: Rice 48 pass from Flacco (Hauschka kick)

Willis McGahee hardly broke a sweat primarily because he wasn't asked to do so. The running back who leads the NFL in touchdowns with seven was used sparingly in the Ravens' shocking 17-14 loss Sunday to the visiting Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. McGahee carried the football just once for a loss of 2 yards and caught one pass for 4 yards. Asked whether he was surprised about his lack of activity, McGahee replied diplomatically: "I'm content with what's going on. I've got nothing to complain about."

HOUSTON - - For all of the euphoria felt by Navy's players after last week's heart-stopping overtime victory over Air Force, those on the offensive side of the ball also felt frustration. The Midshipmen struggled to move the ball against a rival that is intimately familiar with their triple-option offense, and it bothered them. They won't have that feeling after overwhelming Rice in a 63-14 victory Saturday. Navy's offense held the ball for 40 minutes, 36 seconds; scored touchdowns on nine of its 11 possessions; and amassed 537 yards, its highest total since the 2008 season opener against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Towson.

Navy (3-2) at Rice (0-5) Time: : 3:30 p.m. TV: : CBS College Sports Radio: : 1090 AM, 1430 AM Line: : Navy by 11 Series: : Rice leads 6-5. Last meeting: : Navy won, 41-9, on Oct. 22, 2005. Murray steps in: : Midshipmen junior Vince Murray will likely get his first start at fullback; sophomore Alexander Teich didn't practice all week because of a sprained left ankle. Murray, who is averaging 3.5 yards per carry, is not as fast as Teich, but he is a more physical runner - "and right now, that's what we need," offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper said.

This is a rare and wonderful season for the Howard girls field hockey team. With Friday's 4-3 home win over rival River Hill, the Lions have built an 8-3 record and are experiencing their best season in at least a dozen years. Last week, Howard beat rival Mount Hebron for the first time in 10 years, and Friday's win was its first over the Hawks in Lions coach Rick Oursler's eight-year tenure. "It is by far the best season we've had in a very long time," said Oursler, who said his team leads the Class 3A East regional standings.

Navy sophomore defensive end Jabaree Tuani ranks ninth on the team in tackles with 15 and has yet to pick up his first tackle for a loss, but the contributions he makes to the Navy defense go beyond just statistics. "How do you put in the stat sheet that he made the line bubble back and the quarterback couldn't step up? Or the run had to bounce?" Midshipmen coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "He's such a force; he's such a strong kid. You can see the line when Jabaree is in there, because he makes everything bubble."

SAN DIEGO -- All Willis McGahee seems to do for the Ravens is score touchdowns. Although he's listed second on the depth chart at running back behind starter Ray Rice, it's McGahee who has been finding the end zone for the Ravens. He posted his second consecutive two-touchdown game, providing the Ravens with their first two touchdowns in a 31-26 victory over the host San Diego Chargers on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. McGahee powered his way into the end zone from 5 and 3 yards out as the offense converted three of four trips into San Diego's red zone.

These street thugs continue to steal, rape and murder people, and you don't expect them to stand up for themselves? Maybe you are ready to surrender but I am not. Someone breaks into my house and I hear them, the chances they are going to walk away alive are not very good. Studies by the FBI have shown that criminals are more afraid of the armed homeowner than they are of the police. Look at this guy, he has been convicted of 29 crimes in his 49 years and God only knows how many times he was never caught or how many he was not convicted of, but he still only gets an 18 month sentence.

It could be weeks before prosecutors decide whether a Johns Hopkins University student will face charges for killing an intruder Tuesday with a samurai sword, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney's office said. Police will gather witness statements, forensics and other evidence before turning over the case file to prosecutors, spokeswoman Margaret T. Burns said Wednesday. State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy typically meets with her deputies and the top prosecutor in the homicide division before making a decision.

1 Joe Flacco continues to improve in his second season. Springboarding off a successful rookie year, he seemed to grow even more in the preseason, when the team put an emphasis on its passing game. Flacco could become the first Raven to throw for 20 touchdowns in a season since Vinny Testaverde (1996). 2 Defense is more motivated by Rex Ryan's departure. Ray Lewis and teammates seem determined to prove the defense's success is based more on players than scheme. That's why new coordinator Greg Mattison inherits a defense focused on being No. 1 this season.