Newspaper Page Text
Autoiak
by Zane Binder
*99 BUICK REGAL LS
opossum@ix.netcom.com
When car buffs banter about
orty midsize vehicles, Buick’s
gal is conspicuous by its absence,
ttle noticed, under its sheet-metal
in, the Regal boasts solid creden
-Is. A firm but compliant 4-wheel
iependent suspension, 200 HP in a
werplant that’s smooth and effi
:nt, and 4-wheel disc brakes with
ndard Traction Control surprise
d please. It’s one of General
otor’s best-kept secrets!
Inside, the low-line Regal LS 4-
or is attractive. The leather/vinyl
lit front bench, a small part of the
IM Buypower Package ($1,310)”
th storage armrest and fold-out
pholder, provides reasonable com
rt for two adults. In back, there’s
nerous legroom for two. The huge
ink has a low liftover height
Turning to the dash, you’ll find
equate instrumentation. Standard
uipment includes dual “Second
deration” airbags, daytime run
ig lights, power windows, electric
cks, variable effort Comfortilt
wer steering, keyless entry, cruise,
conditioning of adequate capacity,
pollen and dust filtration system,
e inflation monitor, intermittent
pers, power takeoff, and much
ore. American cars typically pro
de many more features than their
erseas competitors!
Up front, under the stylish hood,
sides a balance-shaft equipped 3.8
WOMEN AT WORK
Rikki Klieman, one of the hosts of
ourt TV’s “Prime Time Justice,”
id a frequent contributor to other
lows on the network, has a very
tecial interest in the new hit John
ravolta movie, “A Civil Action.”
s. Klieman - who is one of the
mntry’s most distinguished lawyers
was an adviser to Jan Schlichtmann,
le crusading attorney (played by
ravolta) who took on two major cor
orations in Woburn, Massachusetts,
i behalf of families who charged
ley lost children to leukemia caused
y the corporations’ toxic wastes.
EXIRA INFO
liter, 200 HP (up five from *9B), 2-
valve-per-cylinder V 6. Zero to 60
arrives in 8.4 seconds, a competitive
figure for this 3,439-pound vehicle.
The powerplant produces abundant
torque, and consequent fuel efficien
cy is outstanding. Expect 18 city and
27 highway miles per gallon (EPA
19/30).
The Regal’s thrifty cast iron, fuel
injected engine is mated to an elec
tronically controlled 4-speed auto
matic overdrive transmission with
lockup torque converter. It shifted
flawlessly.
In a vehicle positioned as sporty,
what can you expect ride-wise?
Potholes, dips, and frost heave did
nothing to upsetthe Regal’s newly
firmed for ‘99 poise. Though
solid,families won’t complain of
harshness. Handling is similarly well
done. There’s little “dive” through
comers, and the car remains reason
ably “flat.” The turning circle, at 38
feet, is slightly below average for the
class. The tires, mud and snow radi
als, were dismal.
Quality control was well above
average, and vehicle sophistication is
slowly closing the gap with the
imports.
Overall, the ‘99 Regal LS, also
available in high-line trim with a
supercharged 240 HP engine, is a
well thought-out and economical
sport-oriented midsize. At $22,300
base and $24,190 as tested it merits a
look!
© 1999 King Features Synd., Inc.
film.
Rikki, who played herself in the
movie, “The Cable Guy,” majored in
theater at Northwestern, and after
graduation, became a professional
actress. But at a point, she decided to
devote herself to the law.
The phrase, women and the law,
once seemed oxymoronic. .Even if
women could get into law schools,
they were often deliberately ignored
by their professors. But now, women
are involved in all areas of the legal
profession - from partners in major
law firms to Supreme Court Justices.
Will the trend _
by Zane Binder
UNSOUND PRACTICES
opossum@ix.netcom.com
Like most computer enthusiasts
you’re probably enthused about
“positional” audio
(loosely A3D), Microsoft’s
Direct Sound 3D stereolike enhance
ments, and the plethora of similar
“standards” intensely vying for mar
ket share. The bottom line for the
rival aural formats: all are variations
of stereo, surround sound, or (again
loosely) some way to emulate the
foregoing. There is, however, a sig
nificant downside to “cutting edge”
3D: using them can slow your system
to acrawl!
A Simple Problem: all 3D emula
tions use large chunks of your CPU’s
(the central chip “brain”) power. The
“old” (and universal) Soundßlaster
format, for example, would only con
sume between four and 10 percent
maximum of your chip’s processor
cycles. The new standards can take as
much as 84.2 percent, leaving “pit
tance power” for video and your
machine’s other functions! Result:
woeful, unacceptable slowness and
choppy application and game perfor
mance, even on computers with 300
MHZ CPU’s and enough memory to
model global weather patterns!
Advice You Require: Each 3D
sound card (and that's what you need
to use the new formats) is different.
The results noted above, for example,
were obtained from a Turtle Beach
Montego A3D Extreme and mea
sured using reputable benchmark
software (in addition to real-world
observation) obtained at
www.zdbop.com. For reasons too
technical to detail in a consumer-ori
ented column (write for more infor
mation), it’s NOT a Recommended
card! What you need to seek during
sound card purchasing dfcpeditions
ISN’T, repeat ISN’T, a high “audio
by TAMARA JONES
“I believe so,” Klieman says.
“Good lawyers are always in
demand, and the legal profession
offers a lot for women.”
Do women really bring a special
sensitivity to the law?
“I would say we are the products
of our experiences. And to that
extent, women tend to have had dif
ferent experiences from men and
that’s what they bring to whatever
they do.”
Is there really any benefit to tele
vising court proceedings beyond
audience curiosity?
“I believe so,” Klieman says. “You
InFoLinK
Entertainment extra • 1/29/99 thru 2/4/99
I i ir'i- l'c Al . : /Y. P
At
■
- - St
1
faithfulness” index ... the 3D art’s
state just isn’t that good! Look for a
card that specifically incorporates
hardware sound buffers (not software
buffers). Don’t just read the box,
either: take the time and call or e
mail your sound card manufacturer
of choice! At present, InFoLinK can
only recommend Diamond
Multimedia's offerings (www.dia
mondmm.com), which use a mea
sured maximum of 12 percent of
your CPU’s power. Another point:
don’t think by simply “turning off’
the 3D sound configuration option in
most new applications and games
you can entirely avoid this problem.
Unfortunately, the basic architecture
of the new sound cards means
“turned off’ 3D functionality merely
improves the situation ... but DOES
N’T rectify it or even make it accept
able!
Be a smart buyer: beware!
© 1999 King Features Synd., Inc.
can see for yourself how the legal
system actually operates. I believe
the more we know about our govern
ment, our laws, our judiciary, and our
rights under the law, the better it is
for us individually and as a country.”
Finally, will there ever be a time
when all nine members of the
Supreme Court are women?
“It’s possible,” she says. “After all,
our Justices should represent the best
and brightest legal minds, and there
are a great many women who can
meet all the criteria.”
© 1999 King Features Synd., Inc.
Extra
by Evelyn Ludvigson
Q. I read that Diane Sawyer is join
ing the ABC “Good Morning
America” show and I wonder if she
will also continue on her other shows
at ABC. Also, can you give me some
background on her? I understand she
worked for Richard Nixon and I
would like to know if she ever com
mented on his Watergate situation.
Kelly Mcß.
A. Diane Sawyer will continue her
co-hosting duties on “Prime Time
Live” and “20/20” while she and for
mer “GMA” co-host, Charles Gibson,
do morning duties until the network
can find new hosts to take over the
troubled show. Diane will also contin
ue as substitute anchor for “World
News Tonight With Peter Jennings”
and “Nightline.”
Here’s a short rundown of
Sawyer’s background: She was bom
in Glasgow, Kentucky, and raised in
Louisville. She earned a BA from
Wellesley College in 1967. She did a
year in law school before starting her
broadcasting career on station WLKY
in Kentucky. She went from thereuo
hold several positions in the Nixon
administration. After President Nixon
left office, she worked with him in the
writing of his memoirs in 1974 and
1975.
The only statement on Watergate
that I’m aware of from Ms. Sawyer
was one she made to a magazine
interviewer that she didn’t think it
would be appropriate for her to make
any comments. Period.
Prior to joining ABC News, Diane
was at CBS for nine years. She co
anchored the CBS Morning News,
and later, was the network’s State
Department correspondent. She was
also one of the co-hosts of “60
Minutes.
Sawyer is a multi-award winner for
her investigative reporting. Among
the stories she helped break were con
cerns about the competency of some
ultrasound technicians and doctors,
the role of Russia in the production
and sales of biological weapons, an
expose of telephone con artists who
swindle the elderly, neglect at state
run institutions for the mentally dis
abled, unsanitary conditions in some
fast-food restaurants, home child care
programs, an undercover investiga
tion into packaging and sanitary con
ditions at the Food Lion grocery chain
which won her the top prize from the
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Association, her expose of the busi
ness practices of three famous tele
vangelists - W.V. Grant, Larry Lea
and Robert Tilton, and more.
In her private life, she is married to
famed director, Mike Nichols.
Q. Is Janet Leigh related to the late
Vivien Leigh? I understand there is a
link to an English relative of Janet’s
who is of royal blood. Marlene G.
A. Janet Leigh’s real name is
Jeanette Morrison. Her daughter,
Jaime Lee Curtis, is married to a
writer who is a member of the British
nobility and who recently inherited a
tide.
. . © J 999 King Features Synd., Inc.
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