Museum trying to preserve memorial banner

LEXINGTON, Ky. - It was the first and may remain the mostcompelling visual memorial to the 49 people killed in a crash atLexington's airport, but the huge banner bearing hundreds ofmessages of support is fading and showing signs of wear.

Now the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, the current home of thebanner commemorating the victims of the August 2006 crash of Comair5191, is working to preserve the original and to produce a life-sized replica that can remain on display.

On the morning of the crash, when the airliner went down in afield after the crew mistakenly took off on a runway that was tooshort, there was an immediate need for both friends and strangers toexpress their condolences.

The makeshift solution was a 20-foot by 5-foot cloth and plasticbanner, which Blue Grass Airport posted at a parking lot near theterminal so people could put their thoughts in writing.

"It is a positive and uplifting thing that came out of this,"said Anita Threet, whose husband, Greg, was among those killed."I've viewed it only a few times, but only been able to see ahandful of signatures. I was hoping they'd put it in a format whereI could really take some time to read it. Those people areexpressing their thoughts about our loss."

Since the crash, the combination of sunshine and wet weather hascaused some of the ink to bleed through the banner material. Theedges have started to fray.

"At that point, no one was thinking about preserving this," saidJack Baugh, director of the aviation museum. "They were justthinking about this horrible tragedy and the loved ones who werelost."

The museum has been holding discussion with the Smithsonianmuseums in Washington, as well as the Kentucky Historical Society,about storing the banner in inert gas to prevent furtherdeterioration.

The museum staff also took a first step last week to duplicatethe banner. The cloth was spread out flat and a photographer climbeda ladder to shoot dozens of digital images so a detailedreproduction can be printed.

The museum hopes to eventually display the duplicate banner andpublish it in book form so people could have access to all of themessages.

The construction of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington -where people left flowers, letters and mementos - was the start of anational habit of saving not only famous artifacts after a tragedybut also artifacts reflecting public and personal grief, saidMarilyn Zoidis, assistant director of the Kentucky HistoricalSociety. She previously worked for the Smithsonian, where she ledefforts to preserve artifacts from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacksand to restore the original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag thatinspired the national anthem.

She noted that, after the 2001 terrorist attacks, communitiesacross the nation produced banners where people could write messagesand, like Kentucky with its Comair banner, many face preservationissues.

"They present real challenges, yet they are such important piecesof memory," Zoidis said. "They speak to the immediacy, the tragedy,the sense of loss. And, in many ways, they also speak to thecelebration of life, because people will often leave something thatis significant about this person's life."

Lust Burns so slowly

In March 2006, Taiwanese film-maker Ang Lee was embroiled in oneof Hollywood's most shocking robberies.

Riding proudly to the Academy Awards with his love storyBrokeback Mountain, Lee deservedly collected the statuette as BestDirector only to see his picture sensationally denied the top prizein favour of homegrown drama Crash.

The gasp of disbelief which echoed around California that nightwas almost as loud as the sound of jaws collectively dropping aroundthe world.

Lee sensibly escaped the furore by returning to Asia for thisslow-burning adaptation of Eileen Chang's short story Se, Jei, setagainst the Japanese occupation of Shanghai during the Second WorldWar.

Lust, Caution is the director's first Mandarin language filmsince Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the two features couldn'tbe more different.

Whereas the 2000 martial arts epic boasted breathlessly pacedaction sequences, this new work - a meticulous study of femalerepression - is achingly slow paced, punctuated with graphic sexscenes that leave nothing to the imagination.

The film's flawed heroine is demure Wong Chia Chi (Wei), whobolsters her self-confidence by joining the university drama societyrun by radical Kuang Yu Min (Leehom).

She blossoms on stage, learning to hide behind various masks,even growing to like cigarettes because one of her co-stars tellsher "It comes in handy on stage".

Kuang vociferously denounces the Japanese and he recruits Wongand the other actors to his cause, which includes a daring plot toassassinate high-profile Japanese collaborator Mr Yee (Leung), usingWong as bait.

She will pose as businessman's wife Mrs Mak and infiltrate thesocial circle of Mrs Yee (Chen), then seduce the traitorous husband.

Wong's transformation is stunning and Mr Yee is poised to succumbto her charms, only for tragedy to strike.

Lust, Caution will be too languid for some tastes. ScreenwritersWang Hui Ling and James Schamus are in no hurry to bring theassassination plot to a speedy resolution, preferring to captureevery furtive glance of longing.

If anything, there is too much lust in the meandering middlesection - a couple of the full frontal couplings could be excised toquicken the film's pulse without sacrificing any of the intensity oremotion.

Newcomer Wei and the iconic Leung are dazzling.

Both actors place their trust entirely in Lee as the charactersare laid bare, in every sense, consumed by a desire that willeventually destroy them.

Chen oozes style as the dutiful yet bored wife who would heartilyagree with Wong's assertion that, "Men have constant distractions,so we ladies have shopping and Mahjong."

Director of photography Rodrigo Prieto, who worked on BrokebackMountain, captures the beauty and devastation of the period,impeccably recreated by production designer Lai Pan.

If you invest time in Lee's magnificent study of betrayal, you'llbe handsomely rewarded.

Damon Smith

INSIDE

New boys looking forward - pages 4&5 Vesty ready for key role -page 6 Season tickets to be won - page 7

Henry Gale takes charge of The Others this season on 'Lost'

HONOLULU - Henry Gale wasn't supposed to live this long.

The cunning, bug-eyed character on ABC's castaway drama "Lost,"played by Michael Emerson, was hired for three episodes midwaythrough Season 2. But once producers saw Emerson in action, he wasmade into a key character and is now leading The Others in the highlyanticipated third season.

"The reason The Others seem so frightening is like everything inthe real world - it's frightening when it's unknown," Emerson toldThe Associated Press. "Their agenda is unknown to us; therefore wefill it up with terrible imaginings."

The former Broadway actor is best known to TV audiences for hisEmmy-winning performance as a serial killer in "The Practice." DamonLindelof, co-creator and executive producer of "Lost" (seasonpremiere Wednesday at 9 p.m.), said the original plan was to haveHenry escape after the three episodes. But Season 2 ended with Henryand his armed cadre on a dock, holding plane crash survivors Jack,Kate and Sawyer captive.

"Who are you people?" asked Michael, who had betrayed his fellowcastaways in exchange for his son.

"We're the good guys," Henry replies.

"I think he means it," Emerson said of his character (actors aretypically kept in the dark about future plot developments). "We maynot agree with him, but I think he believes it."

Season 3 opens with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lily) andSawyer (Josh Holloway) in captivity. This season will explore whythey were targeted; whether Sun's baby is really Jin's; Charlietrying to gain Claire's trust, a new woman catching Jack's attention;Locke and Sayid leading a group to rescue the three captives; andDesmond's wealthy lover trying to locate the island.

"In Season 3, the show moves geographically and spiritually toanother place," Emerson said. "We will be with The Others more. Theywill become more three-dimensional."

He said viewers might even come to sympathize with The Others, whowere on the island long before the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.

"Who's really the intruder? Who's the bad guys? Who's upsettingwho? Who has the right to be there?" Emerson said.

Despite most of his scenes occurring in a small cell, Henry Galehas become one of the most compelling figures on "Lost." With apiercing stare, he transitions from victim to villain, keepingviewers guessing whether they should be sympathetic or scared.

And while Locke was pushing buttons to save the world, Henry wasbusy pushing Locke's buttons. Could Henry be a psychologist, or justwell-read?

"He seems to have a strong background in psychology, I would say,"Emerson said. "He's beyond well-read. He's really well-read. Thatpsychology stuff? That sounds good to me. He's not playing aroundwhen it comes to behavior."

Like his character, Emerson is articulate and intelligent. UnlikeHenry, Emerson is personable and warm.

While honing his skills on stage, he held several odd jobs as alandscaper, teacher, carpenter and illustrator.

"You know those Social Security statements that tell you what youmade every year? I look back on that and think, 'This is insanelylittle money,'" Emerson said. "But I don't remember feeling verydesperate about it. ... Despite my poverty, I was always sort ofdoing what I wanted to do."

Emerson, 52, grew up in the small farming town of Toledo, Iowa,where he spent a lot of his unstructured childhood reading, drawingand daydreaming. He majored in theater at Drake University andquickly became known as the small guy with a big voice.

He moved to New York City.

"I thought Des Moines [Iowa] was this crazy big town. New Yorkjust knocked the wind out of me," he said. "I was looking for a bigchallenge, and I found it."

The name "Henry Gale" is as puzzling as Emerson's character.

It's not even the character's real name. He at first presentshimself as a rich businessman who crashed onto the island on a hot-air balloon with his wife, who allegedly died.

Henry Gale was Dorothy Gale's uncle in the film "The Wizard ofOz." In the 1938 classic, a hot-air balloon was the mode oftransportation for the Wizard and supposed to return Dorothy home toKansas.

"What does all that mean? Is it just fun or is it a clue?" Emersonasked. "Dorothy is sort of shipwrecked in a strange place far fromhome, but hers was a fantasy. It wasn't real.

"It was a place where the moral order was sort of turned upsidedown or seen from a different perspective. On some level, it was atest of her as a person."

The real Henry Gale on "Lost" is a dead black man who is buriednear the damaged balloon.

That leaves even Emerson perplexed about who his character is.

"I'm not sure how that's going to work out," he said. "It seemseverybody kind of knows him as Henry now, but sooner or later, we'regoing to have to put a real name on him, aren't we?"

Henry Gale takes charge of The Others this season on 'Lost'

HONOLULU - Henry Gale wasn't supposed to live this long.

The cunning, bug-eyed character on ABC's castaway drama "Lost,"played by Michael Emerson, was hired for three episodes midwaythrough Season 2. But once producers saw Emerson in action, he wasmade into a key character and is now leading The Others in the highlyanticipated third season.

"The reason The Others seem so frightening is like everything inthe real world - it's frightening when it's unknown," Emerson toldThe Associated Press. "Their agenda is unknown to us; therefore wefill it up with terrible imaginings."

The former Broadway actor is best known to TV audiences for hisEmmy-winning performance as a serial killer in "The Practice." DamonLindelof, co-creator and executive producer of "Lost" (seasonpremiere Wednesday at 9 p.m.), said the original plan was to haveHenry escape after the three episodes. But Season 2 ended with Henryand his armed cadre on a dock, holding plane crash survivors Jack,Kate and Sawyer captive.

"Who are you people?" asked Michael, who had betrayed his fellowcastaways in exchange for his son.

"We're the good guys," Henry replies.

"I think he means it," Emerson said of his character (actors aretypically kept in the dark about future plot developments). "We maynot agree with him, but I think he believes it."

Season 3 opens with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lily) andSawyer (Josh Holloway) in captivity. This season will explore whythey were targeted; whether Sun's baby is really Jin's; Charlietrying to gain Claire's trust, a new woman catching Jack's attention;Locke and Sayid leading a group to rescue the three captives; andDesmond's wealthy lover trying to locate the island.

"In Season 3, the show moves geographically and spiritually toanother place," Emerson said. "We will be with The Others more. Theywill become more three-dimensional."

He said viewers might even come to sympathize with The Others, whowere on the island long before the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.

"Who's really the intruder? Who's the bad guys? Who's upsettingwho? Who has the right to be there?" Emerson said.

Despite most of his scenes occurring in a small cell, Henry Galehas become one of the most compelling figures on "Lost." With apiercing stare, he transitions from victim to villain, keepingviewers guessing whether they should be sympathetic or scared.

And while Locke was pushing buttons to save the world, Henry wasbusy pushing Locke's buttons. Could Henry be a psychologist, or justwell-read?

"He seems to have a strong background in psychology, I would say,"Emerson said. "He's beyond well-read. He's really well-read. Thatpsychology stuff? That sounds good to me. He's not playing aroundwhen it comes to behavior."

Like his character, Emerson is articulate and intelligent. UnlikeHenry, Emerson is personable and warm.

While honing his skills on stage, he held several odd jobs as alandscaper, teacher, carpenter and illustrator.

"You know those Social Security statements that tell you what youmade every year? I look back on that and think, 'This is insanelylittle money,'" Emerson said. "But I don't remember feeling verydesperate about it. ... Despite my poverty, I was always sort ofdoing what I wanted to do."

Emerson, 52, grew up in the small farming town of Toledo, Iowa,where he spent a lot of his unstructured childhood reading, drawingand daydreaming. He majored in theater at Drake University andquickly became known as the small guy with a big voice.

He moved to New York City.

"I thought Des Moines [Iowa] was this crazy big town. New Yorkjust knocked the wind out of me," he said. "I was looking for a bigchallenge, and I found it."

The name "Henry Gale" is as puzzling as Emerson's character.

It's not even the character's real name. He at first presentshimself as a rich businessman who crashed onto the island on a hot-air balloon with his wife, who allegedly died.

Henry Gale was Dorothy Gale's uncle in the film "The Wizard ofOz." In the 1938 classic, a hot-air balloon was the mode oftransportation for the Wizard and supposed to return Dorothy home toKansas.

"What does all that mean? Is it just fun or is it a clue?" Emersonasked. "Dorothy is sort of shipwrecked in a strange place far fromhome, but hers was a fantasy. It wasn't real.

"It was a place where the moral order was sort of turned upsidedown or seen from a different perspective. On some level, it was atest of her as a person."

The real Henry Gale on "Lost" is a dead black man who is buriednear the damaged balloon.

That leaves even Emerson perplexed about who his character is.

"I'm not sure how that's going to work out," he said. "It seemseverybody kind of knows him as Henry now, but sooner or later, we'regoing to have to put a real name on him, aren't we?"

Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller tie the knot

The star of "Two and a Half Men" has moved on to marriage No. 3.

Charlie Sheen tied the knot with fiancee Brooke Mueller Friday night, said publicist Stan Rosenfield, who declined to give more details.

The 42-year-old actor and Mueller, a real estate investor, have been engaged since last summer.

"She's just easy, and loving, and smart, and if everybody was just as happy to see me when I walk through a door as her, my life would be perfect," he said soon after the couple got engaged.

Sheen married Denise Richards in 2002. They divorced in 2006 and have been embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their two young daughters. Richards stars in the new reality show "Denise Richards: It's Complicated" on E!

Sheen briefly married model Donna Peele in 1995, and announced plans to divorce her about six months into their union.

Sheen has appeared in several movies, and currently stars in the CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men."

Israelis nostalgic as state turns 60

As Israel celebrates its 60th birthday, Israelis have their gaze set firmly backward.

Turn on the TV and you'll see grainy archive footage and old-timers reminiscing about victorious desert wars and pioneering days on the kibbutz. Radio stations are busy with musical retrospectives and the country's hottest CD features contemporary singers covering Israeli favorites, many of which were fresh when the country was half its present age.

The love affair with the past comes at a time of unease _ Israelis have much to be proud of but aren't sure what they have to look forward to.

"It's no secret that in our country the present isn't great and the future is always scary, so if you want to feel good, it's more fun to look back and ignore the problems," said Shaanan Streett, frontman for one of Israel's best-known hip-hop ensembles, Hadag Nahash. The name roughly translates as "the fish is a snake."

"It's just like when people turn 60," he said. "Their relatives throw a party and show slides of them when they were younger and better-looking."

In one typical anniversary project, a newspaper and television station decided to pay homage to photographs of great moments in Israel's history by recreating them with their original participants. One 1949 shot of soldiers jubilantly hoisting an improvised Israeli flag against a backdrop of barren hills became a color photograph of a group of elderly men around a flagpole.

The new photographs _ deflated, drained of traces of heroism and myth _ came across to many as an unintentional tribute to the country's current state of mind.

As it celebrates its 60th birthday this Thursday, Israel has never been richer or stronger. It has weathered assaults that would have crippled weaker societies and has thrived while doing so.

But Israelis are increasingly alienated from a political system that suffers from serial deadlock and corruption and is increasingly devoid of figures of real stature. An end to Israel's conflict with its Arab neighbors, which appeared around the corner a decade ago, is now widely seen as a naive dream. And having jettisoned its original spartan, socialist ideals, the country has yet to agree on a positive vision to replace them.

"The nostalgia exists because we have an emptiness today _ that's the root," said lawyer Eliad Shraga. Shraga, a reserve paratroops officer, fought in Israel's Lebanon invasion in 1982 and then again in Israel's war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon two years ago. For nearly two decades, he has headed a group called the Movement for Quality Government in Israel.

"When I see what's happening with my prime minister, I miss people like David Ben Gurion and Menahem Begin, like Golda Meir, people who lived in two-room apartments and made do with very little," Shraga said, mentioning some of Israel's past leaders. "Even if you didn't agree with them, you knew they were ethical."

Less than a week before the anniversary, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was questioned by the police's fraud squad on corruption suspicions. The new police investigation is the fifth into Olmert's activities since he took office. Embezzlement allegations forced Olmert's finance minister to step down, and another of his close political allies was convicted of sexual misconduct. And that's an abbreviated list.

"When we think about ethics and leadership, it's not just our imagination _ things really were different once," Shraga said.

The failure of peace talks with the Palestinians in 2000 and the years of violence that ensued have left Israelis deeply cynical about chances of resolving the conflict. Olmert is holding talks with the moderate Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas, but polls have shown that a majority of Israelis, still smarting from the dashed hopes of the 1990s, doubt anything will come of them.

"Today, most Israelis don't believe in peace anymore. This wasn't the case when the country turned 50," said prominent historian Tom Segev.

But Israelis don't really long for the past, Segev believes. The fact remains that they live better today than they ever have, he said _ "Anyone can leave the country if they want to, but they don't."

"People don't believe in politicians, they're not interested in the news or in ideology, but in life," he said. "There isn't anything more normal than that, and that normalcy is precisely the Zionist dream."

In an anniversary poll published in the daily Yediot Ahronot, 91 percent of Israelis said it was "fairly good" or "very good" to live in Israel. Those who said life in Israel was "fairly bad" or "very bad" numbered only 9 percent.

The poll, carried out by the Dahaf Institute, included 500 respondents and had a 4.5 percent margin of error.

Ruth Gefen-Dotan was 23 when Israel was founded, and remembers the men on her kibbutz fashioning mortars out of irrigation pipes to battle the Arab forces that tried to destroy the country not long afterward. Over the years, her son and a half-dozen members of her extended family have died in the military.

Now 83, she lives on Ayelet Hashachar, a kibbutz in northern Israel. If there is something that has changed for the worse in Israel today, she said, it's that "people put 'me' first instead of 'us.'"

"We have to understand that things are in our hands. Everyone must give what they can," she said.

But that's as nostalgic as Gefen-Dotan allows herself to be.

"I look at my kibbutz _ it was destroyed in the fighting in 1948, and everything here was yellow and dead. Today I'm sitting in a flowering garden full of children and young people," she said. "What am I supposed to miss?"

Jolting Nolting Rates Berth in Hall of Fame

The roll call is faded - Luckman, McAfee, Turner, Stydahar,Musso, Nolting, et al. It goes on - faded, but still retaining astubborn luster. Perennial championship forms a particularmetallurgy immune to complete oblivion.

And what do these gentlemen - adept operatives of the firstdynasty of modern pro football, the mighty pre-World War II Bears -have in common?

They're the first to be worthy of a lasting sobriquet -"Monsters of the Midway." And what else do these gentlemen, save one, have in common? All aremembers of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The exception being thelast, Ray Nolting.

But there was always something workman-like about Nolting. Likea …