Gonna get Carried away

BY WERNER TRIESCHMANN

With apologies to poet Wallace Stevens, here are “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Carrie Underwood.” ICarrie Underwood sells tickets. Her show at Alltel Arena tonight is sold out. Josh Turner, the man with the smooth baritone who sounds like Randy Travis and has that “Firecracker” song, is the opening act. Alltel’s upper deck will be draped with a black curtain, so there were only approximately 6,500 tickets available to bask in Underwood’s golden radiance live and in person. Those tickets are gone. So the show is a sellout though it won’t be a capacity crowd. Underwood isn’t George Strait yet. But she’s only 25 and, then again, who else is? II She is eBay’s BFF (best friend forever). - Sunday, May 11, 2008

LET’S TALK : I spread my wings in church

HELAINE WILLIAMS

After reading last week’s column about the challenge of choosing friends who won’t embarrass you should you seek a high-profile position, my editor suggested I follow up with my perspective on the black church. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

Walton center books Spamalot

BY ERIC E. HARRISON

FAYETTEVILLE — Monty Python’s Spamalot will be the Arthurian crown jewel in the 2008-09 season for the Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

FILM : Festival lineup shows aplomb

BY KYLE BRAZZEL

The Little Rock Film Festival, which returns Thursday for its second year and with a slate of more than 50 films, ought to be in its sophomore slump. This time around, there’s no novelty and no Knocked Up, the summer 2007 blockbuster that, through some shrewd negotiating on the part of festival programmers, received an early sneak-preview screening by opening the inaugural event. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

Prince Caspian actor finding himself in strange new world

BY BROOKS BARNES THE NEW YORK TIMES

LOS ANGELES — As jarring moments go, the action figure in his likeness was nothing compared to the billboard on the Sunset Strip. There he was, towering eight stories above the boutiques and rock clubs, with sword brandished, lips pursed and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian emblazoned across his legs. “This has to be one of the weirdest moments of my life,” said Ben Barnes, the young British actor who plays the title role in the new movie. He backed up to take in the advertisement’s full effect. “I have no comprehension of what’s about to happen to me, do I?” Nope. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

ENTERTAINMENT NOTES : Operatic voices, soulful strings fill the air with beautiful music

BY ERIC E. HARRISON

Students of the Chotard Institute of Music will stage two one-act operas by Benjamin Britten — Abraham and Isaac and The Golden Vanity — at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, 4823 Woodlawn Ave., Little Rock. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

SPIN CYCLE : Our ‘stimulating’ shopping list

JENNIFER CHRISTMAN

Got stimulation? - Sunday, May 11, 2008

THE TV COLUMN : ABC’s ax chops Men in Trees

MICHAEL STOREY

It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to start saying goodbye for the season to our favorite TV shows. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

TELL ME ABOUT IT : Relocation his decision alone

CAROLYN HAX

DEAR CAROLYN: I have been working in a career field for the past four years, since I graduated from college. For the past two years, I have been unhappy. My job requires frequent travel to dangerous places, intense hardship and long hours at times. I have been looking to make a change but haven’t had the chutzpah to make it happen. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

Cowell criticizes his own show

BY TERRY MORROW SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

American Idol judge Simon Cowell is never one to hold back, even about his own series. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

LIVE MUSIC : Bluegrass-gospel fest back at Otto

The 16th annual Bluegrass-Gospel Festival will be held Thursday through Saturday at the Lester Flatt Memorial Park in Otto, just off Arkansas 107, south of Vilonia. - Sunday, May 11, 2008

Space invaders

BY JANET B. CARSON SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Landscaping can add value to a home. Choosing plants that can be maintained and sustained can make a big difference in a landscape. Yet ease of care should not be your only consideration. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Ask the expert

What do I need to know about arranging flowers? - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Tools & toys

— Marcia Schnedler

Fagor Portable Induction Cooktop What’s to love: Cooks 50 percent faster than gas or electric; uses 90 percent of energy produced versus 50 percent for conventional methods. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

In the garden

JANET CARSON

Janet Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at P.O. Box 391, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail her at jcarson@arkansason line.com QI bought potted tulips for my wife a few weeks ago. The flowers have dropped and the plants are looking bad. What do I need to do in order to replant them in our flower garden? Do they prefer morning sun or afternoon? - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Personal space

— Catherine Rodgers

Deke Whitbeck Where I live: My wife, Sarah, and I live in Spring Valley Manor with our two dogs, Abbey and Ally, and a cat named Tyler. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

OTUS THE HEAD CAT : Children rally to support rat as beloved wastewater mascot

Dear Otus, I read with great interest your April 26 column about Capt. Sewer, the Little Rock Wastewater Utility mascot. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

A guide to speaking ‘green’ and leaving a small footprint

BY SYLVIA E. KING-COHEN NEWSDAY

Here’s a primer for those who want to improve their environmental-quality vocabulary. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Keep it clean

— Karen Martin

Quick cleaning According to the May issue of Shopsmart, sometimes nothing less than a thorough deep-cleaning job will do. But if time and budget won’t allow such a major project, you can still banish grit and grime. Choose from the best way or the fast-and-cheap way to handle spring-cleaning jobs. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Quapaw houses on historic tour in Little Rock

The 2008 Quapaw Quarter Spring Tour of Historic Homes from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, will feature the following properties in downtown Little Rock: Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol Ave. (for tickets and tour information ) Ault House, 2017 S. Arch St. - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Shrink, shrank, shrine

STORY BY ELLIS WIDNER PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN HALE

Steve Martin started his career as a stand-up comic and his absurdist routines had club and concert audiences laughing till they hurt. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

REISSUES : Willie Nelson boxed set is One Hell of a Ride

BY ELLIS WIDNER

If it hadn’t been for Willie Nelson’s smiling face peeking through a cutout in the flimsy brown package embossed to resemble his guitar, I might easily have passed over his amazing new boxed set, One Hell of a Ride (Columbia/Legacy, four CDs, $49.98). - Thursday, May 8, 2008

COMMENTARY : Networks take baby steps toward putting TV on Web

BY TIM GOODMAN SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Adam-12 is just sitting there. So is Kojak and Lou Grant and WKRP in Cincinnati and McHale’s Navy. They’re all free (sort of). Just waiting for you to click on them and play. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

THE TV COLUMN : Deaf couple take a leap to hear in Hear and Now

MICHAEL STOREY

Imagine living your life deaf since birth. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

Answering ‘WWJD?’ is DIY; book tells what Audrey’d do

BY GREG MORAGO THE HARTFORD (CONN.) COURANT

There’s a slew of young female celebrities who probably should invest $22.50 in a copy of Pamela Keogh’s book What Would Audrey Do? (Gotham), which recently arrived in bookstores. Instead of being photographed for the gossip sheets looking drunk or flashing body parts, the Britneys, Parises and Lindsays of the world would do well to consider how a real lady like Audrey Hepburn would conduct herself. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

TELL ME ABOUT IT : Try to ease brother’s isolation

CAROLYN HAX

DEAR CAROLYN: Brother has been married for 15 years. Two kids. Sister-in-law has all control — brother’s and kids’ schedules, (over)spending, etc. Her often heinous attitude has all members of her family and his, who support this family however possible, in various levels of exasperation. He has completely abandoned autonomy because it causes even more grief from her. What can he do to change the situation? — Sad but True DEAR READER: Sad but true: From your (admittedly scant) description, the wife sounds like an abuser. If so, then your brother might not be doing his kids any favors. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

That dusty, outdated computer can still do household chores

BY BILL HUSTED ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

You may have an old computer or two in a closet, basement or attic. I put my old machines there, but only because I don’t know what else to do with them and I’m not quite ready to throw them on the junk heap. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

Check your knowledge

1. What Indian group called itself Lenni-Lenape or Lenape? 2. Which spelling is correct: “phenominal” or “phenomenal” ? 3. Zinc and copper form what alloy? 4. During what war did women first serve in the U.S. Marine Corps? 5. In what state are the cities of Baytown, Irving and Garland? 6. Anthracite is hard or soft coal? 7. Which president sent troops to Chicago in 1894 to prevent striking Pullman Co. workers from obstructing U.S. mails? 8. According to the Bible, what was the Deluge? 9. What is the iguana ? 10. What is the name of the Green Bay Packers football stadium ? Answers 1. Delaware Indians 2. “Phenomenal” 3. Brass 4. World War I 5. Texas 6. Hard coal 7. Grover Cleveland 8. A flood that covered the Earth and destroyed all living things except the family of Noah and creatures on the Ark 9. A lizard 10. Lambeau Field. It seats 72,928. - Thursday, May 8, 2008

Care for the caregivers

BY KIMBERLY DISHONGH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

For years they take care of you or work along side you as equals … and then something changes and your role in the relationship has to change, too. “You think you’re going to get married and grow old together, and then there is this bend in the road,” says Jo Davis of Little Rock. - Tuesday, May 6, 2008

CRITICAL MASS : Emptying out travel bag filled with good intentions

PHILIP MARTIN

Good intentions are no excuse for indifferent results, but resources and attention spans are finite. My desk overflows and the calendar pages whip away as in an old black-andwhite newsreel: Time marches on. So I’ll do this from time to time — a column about all the things I’ve meant to write about and haven’t. - Tuesday, May 6, 2008