Gov . James E . McGreevey 's chief counsel resigned today , the third member of his inner circle to leave in recent weeks as Mr. McGreevey seeks to revitalize his administration after a bumpy first year .

The counsel , Paul Levinsohn , who had been criticized in the past month for representing a company that sought to put a billboard on state land in South Jersey , said the controversy had nothing to do with his decision to step down .

But his departure is the latest sign that Mr. McGreevey is trying to retool an administration hampered by sagging polls numbers and embarrassing missteps .

Since the governor took office last January , ending eight years of Republican rule in Trenton , he has had a measure of success , managing to close a $ 6 billion gap in the state 's $ 23.4 billion budget without increasing the sales or income tax .

He assembled a plan to revamp the state 's troubled Department of Motor Vehicles , tightened environmental regulations and began to reorganize the state university system .

But the budget crisis has given him little room to woo legislators by approving their spending projects , and Mr. McGreevey has suffered several self-inflicted wounds .

His nominee to head the state 's Office of Homeland Security resigned after questions about his thin résumé , and his State Police superintendent stepped down after being reprimanded twice by the state attorney general .

Even Mr. McGreevey 's choice for state poet laureate , Amiri Baraka , caused a public relations disaster by writing a poem suggesting that Israel had advance knowledge of the attack on the World Trade Center .

Mr. McGreevey was also criticized for using the state helicopter for personal business 14 times and spending more than $ 50,000 of the taxpayers ' money to entertain staff members and relatives on a trip to Ireland that was billed as a trade mission .

Mr. McGreevey has apologized for the trips , and the state Democratic Party has reimbursed the state for the helicopter rides and the trip to Ireland , but with a recent poll showing Mr. McGreevey 's approval rating at 37 percent , many political analysts say a shake-up in his executive staff was inevitable .

`` There 's a real disjuncture in Jim McGreevey 's performance , and I think the public senses that , `` said David Rebovich , a political science professor at Rider University in Lawrenceville , N.J.

`` In all the polls , his personal likability is high .

But he has n't been able to translate that into approval by the public because of all the mistakes and a failure in communicating to the press and the public .

That 's why we 're seeing this shakedown , the recognition that he , McGreevey , had to show his stronger suit . ``

With another budget crisis awaiting him in the new year , and legislative elections in November that could give control of the evenly divided State Senate to Republicans , Mr. McGreevey has sought to recast an administration dominated by aides who worked for his campaign or for his administration as mayor of Woodbridge .

Mr. Levinsohn had worked on Mr. McGreevey 's campaign , and Gary Taffette , the governor 's chief of staff before he resigned last month , had worked for Mr. McGreevey in Woodbridge .

The governor 's new chief of staff , James P . Fox , is a seasoned political tactician who served as an aide to former Gov . Jim Florio , and to Senators Frank R . Lautenberg and Robert G . Torricelli , before working as Mr. McGreevey 's commissioner of transportation .

Mr. Fox said Mr. McGreevey was confident that his second year in office would be less tumultuous than his first .

`` The governor walked into his job inheriting a deficit of $ 6 billion , an E-ZPass system that was a mess , debt and mismanagement .

And he spent the first year cleaning up those problems , `` Mr. Fox said .

`` In the upcoming year he 's looking forward to outlining his vision , including initiatives regarding education , controlling sprawl , the university system and a common-sense approach to government . ``

Mr. McGreevey , who has been vacationing in Florida , issued a brief statement today saying he had regretfully accepted Mr. Levinsohn 's resignation , but did not comment further .

Mentioned as a likely successor is Paul Josephson , the governor 's liaison to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and other authorities .

Mr. Levinsohn , 34 , said he was leaving the job to re-enter the private sector .

Mr. Levinsohn and Mr. Taffett had been criticized for representing a company that was allowed to place a billboard in Washington Township without getting approval from a local zoning board .

State and federal officials found no evidence of wrongdoing , but local officials complained about the arrangement , creating more embarrassing publicity for the administration .

Administration officials insist that the contretemps played no role in either man 's departure .

Another top McGreevey aide , Jo Astrid Glading , recently announced that she would leave as director of policy and communications to take a job in the attorney general 's office .

The governor 's spokesman , Paul Aronsohn , also resigned , and today was his last day on the job .

While some legislators are gleeful about the turbulence in the administration , even Republican strategists say Mr. McGreevey has the opportunity and the tools to reinvent his administration .

New Jersey has the most powerful governor 's office in the nation .

Democrats control the State Assembly and share control of the Senate .

And Mr. McGreevey can refocus the agenda in mid-January , when he delivers the State of the State address .

`` The administration has n't put its message out very well , but the State of the State lets him lay out his vision without any real rebuttal , `` said Carl Golden , who worked for two Republican governors , Christie Whitman and Thomas H . Kean .

`` He can put the bad news of 2002 behind him . '' .

Summary: Paul Levinsohn , New Jersey Gov James E McGreevey 's chief counsel , resigns .

Summary: Is third member of McGreevey 's inner circle to quit in recent weeks .

Summary: Resignation is seen as latest sign that McGreevey is trying to retool administration hampered by low poll numbers and embarrassing missteps .


The State Department has accused two leading American aerospace companies of 123 violations of export laws in connection with the transfer of satellite and rocket data to China during the 1990 's .

The Boeing Company and Hughes Electronics Corporation , a unit of General Motors , were notified of the accusations last week .

The letter outlining the accusations was made public earlier this week by the Office of Defense Trade Controls , the State Department unit that regulates defense-related trade .

The letter provides new details of how American companies competed for Chinese business by offering to transfer aerospace data in connection with launchings of their satellites .

The information included responses to inquiries by the Chinese and others about failures of the rockets carrying those satellites .

The United States stopped permitting the use of American satellites for Chinese aerospace ventures in 1999 .

At the time , the Clinton administration had concerns over China 's aid to missile programs in North Korea and Pakistan .

Since the technology used to launch missiles is similar to that used for civilian rockets and satellites , there are tight curbs on exports of aerospace and satellite equipment and services .

The State Department alleges that the companies violated arms export laws and regulations when they failed to obtain State Department approval before transferring information to Chinese-related entities , some private and some governmental .

It included data on rocket failures , guidance systems , telemetry and aerodynamics .

The activities at issue relate to work by Hughes during the 1990 's .

Boeing was cited because it acquired Hughes Space and Communications , a piece of Hughes , in 2000 .

The companies have denied wrongdoing .

Company spokesman were not available to comment yesterday .

But the letter indicates that lawyers for the companies assert that the activities in question were lawful because the information that was transferred did not fit the definition of a licensable `` defense service '' or was constitutionally protected as `` speech . ''

The companies face fines of up to $ 500,000 for each count -- over $ 60 million -- as well as losing the ability to obtain future approval for exports , a major part of their business .

In the past , bans on exporting have been of limited scope and duration .

The filing is unusual , officials said , since companies typically negotiate a settlement for lesser amounts with the government .

One year ago , Loral Space and Communications agreed to pay $ 20 million , a record fine in a case involving one of several satellite issues in the case against Boeing and Hughes .

If there is no settlement , the case would go before an administrative law judge .

The letter , the civil equivalent of an indictment , was signed by William J . Lowell , director of the trade controls unit , who is leaving his job .

Friends of Mr. Lowell , who asked not to be identified , said his resignation was related to concerns that his office is being reorganized to make it easier for American defense companies to export sensitive technology .

State Department officials have said that the reorganization was meant to improve the defense trade unit 's performance .

The current case is the last of a series of investigations involving American aerospace companies and entities controlled or associated with the government of China .

In addition to the Loral case , the Lockheed Martin Corporation agreed to pay $ 13 million in fines in 2000 in connection with allegations that it provided technical aid and space-related information to a Hong Kong-based company with ties to Beijing .

The latest State Department letter mentions three separate cases in which company officials helped Chinese-related entities determine what went wrong on failed launchings .

Most of the counts are against Boeing , though the activities in question took place at the Hughes Space and Communications unit .

Mr. Lowell 's letter also accuses Boeing with failing to properly disclose the 1996 hiring of the son of a top Chinese general , whom , the letter charged , the company was trying to cultivate .

The Chinese general , Shen Rongjun , was described in a 1995 Hughes memorandum as `` the most important Chinese space official , '' according to Mr. Lowell .

The general 's son , according to Hughes internal documents from the mid-1990 ` s cited in Mr. Lowell 's letter , provided inside information on bidding efforts by Lockheed Martin , a Hughes competitor .

The inside information included price data and Lockheed 's negotiating strategy to `` sweeten their bid with technology transfers on launch vehicles , '' according to a 1995 Hughes memorandum cited by Mr. Lowell .

The general 's son was described as a `` translator '' by the company in 1996 when it sought federal approval to hire him .

But Mr. Lowell said he also functioned as an `` intermediary with his father . ''

Lawyers for the companies told the State Department this month that there was no need to disclose more information about the general 's son and that the 1996 disclosure was proper .

The State Department , in 1998 , initially approved the deal involving the general 's son .

The contract was awarded to Hughes from a company with Chinese partners that wanted to build a mobile communications system with a Hughes satellite .

The State Department killed the deal in 1999 after the role of the general 's son was disclosed .

Summary: State Dept accuses two leading American aerospace companies -- Boeing Co and Hughes Electronics Corp -- of 123 violations of export laws in connection with transfer of satellite and rocket data to China during 1990 's .

Summary: Provides new details of how American companies competed for Chinese business by offering to transfer aerospace data in connection with launchings of their satellites .


The Army is sending thousands more soldiers from the Third Infantry Division in Georgia to Kuwait in the largest single ground deployment to the Persian Gulf since the war there in 1991 , military officials said today .

One of the division 's three combat brigades , about 4,000 soldiers , has been training in the Kuwaiti desert since September , but the unit 's headquarters at Fort Stewart , Ga . , received an order from the Army within the last day directing the rest of the more than 15,000 combat troops to join the soldiers in Kuwait , officials said .

`` They all have deployment orders , '' Capt . James Brownlee , a division spokesman , said today .

The Pentagon has been steadily building up forces in the Persian Gulf for months , but this deployment is the first time a full division , which includes foot soldiers , armor , aviation and artillery units , has been sent to the region as part of that escalation .

The deployment is the latest visible signal that the Bush administration is moving toward military action to force Iraq to disarm .

The signal is all the more sharp because the Third Infantry Division specializes in desert warfare , and its brigades have been rotating through desert-training exercises in Kuwait and in Southern California for months .

In addition to the Army 's order , the Navy today directed the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group to remain at sea for perhaps three more months and be prepared to steam to the Persian Gulf on short notice , officials said .

The Lincoln and its seven-ship flotilla recently completed a six-month tour in the gulf region , and last week left Australia on the way home to Everett , Wash . , when the Navy ordered it to stay in the western Pacific in preparation for a possible war with Iraq , officials said .

Officials would not discuss the precise timing of the Third Infantry Division 's movements , but they said troops would leave in the coming days from Fort Stewart , Fort Benning and Hunter Army Airfield , all in Georgia .

Much of the division 's equipment , including many of its 4,300 vehicles , is in Kuwait , but Captain Brownlee said other equipment would be shipped from Savannah .

The Third Infantry Division became a likely candidate to be sent to the Persian Gulf after Defense Secretary Donald H . Rumsfeld signed an order last Tuesday to activate an Army division for duty there , officials said .

Mr. Rumsfeld 's directive also set in motion the first wave of about 50,000 reinforcements that will be dispatched to the gulf region in the next month , roughly doubling the American forces there .

At the same time , Mr. Rumsfeld directed the Navy to keep two aircraft carriers and two Marine amphibious assault groups ready to be sent to the gulf on 96-hour notice .

There is now one aircraft carrier in the gulf and another in the Mediterranean Sea , with the Lincoln in reserve as well as the George Washington , in Norfolk , Va .

Last week , the Navy activated one of its two 1,000-bed hospital ships , the Comfort , to be sent for possible duty in the Persian Gulf .

The Comfort will leave in the next few days for the Indian Ocean base at Diego Garcia , Navy officials said .

The Air Force has ordered several units to prepare for gulf duty , a directive that could more than double the 100 combat aircraft now in the region .

The units include the First Fighter Wing , an F-15C fighter unit based at Langley Air Force Base , Va .

The Fourth Fighter Wing , an F-15E unit based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base , N.C.

The 28th Bomb Wing , a B-1B unit at Ellsworth Air Force Base , S.D. AC-130 gunships from Hurlburt Field , Fla .

E-8C Joint Stars ground surveillance aircraft from Robins Air Force Base , Ga .

And Predator reconnaissance aircraft from Nellis Air Force Base , Nev .

Logistics specialists like port handlers and crane operators are also arriving in the region , officials said .

The military 's classified war plan for Iraq calls for as many as 250,000 American troops , about half of the forces that massed for the Persian Gulf war in 1991 .

But any American-led invasion force would be much smaller than that , with a sizable number of troops held in reserve , defense officials said .

The Third Infantry division is the first of perhaps three or four Army and Marine divisions -- equipped with hundreds of M1 Abrams tanks , Bradley fighting vehicles and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters -- that could be sent to the region .

The 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell , Ky . , equipped with Apache attack helicopters and Blackhawk troop transports , is likely to be deployed .

Any ground campaign is also likely to include elements of the 17,000-member First Marine Expeditionary Force , based at Camp Pendleton , Calif .

The current buildup is palpable in Kuwait .

At Camp Doha , the Army has converted a Kuwaiti port packed with warehouses into major military storage .

Hundreds of M1 Abrams battle tanks , Bradley fighting vehicles and fuel and cargo trucks are parked there .

Some have been unloaded recently from ships normally afloat near Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean .

And while military officials say they could start an attack against Iraq now if they had to , most planners are looking at mid-February as the optimal time for any offensive President Bush might order .

The Army deployments came as allied warplanes bombed Iraqi air defense radars and communications facilities late Monday in one of the largest strikes against Iraqi targets in recent days in response to Iraqi violations of the no-flight zone in southern Iraq .

Thirteen allied planes , including Air Force F-16 ` s , carrier-based FA-18 ' s and British Tornado GR-4 ' s dropped 16 precision-guided bombs on Iraqi air defense sites , including a Spoon Rest early-warning radar , in Basra , Al Kut and An Nasiriyah , a military official said .

A few hours after the attack planes pounded their targets , an Air Force Predator surveillance aircraft , flying from its base in Kuwait , fired a Hellfire missile at a Spoon Rest radar , the official said .

Military authorities said today that they were still assessing damage from the strikes .

The allied airstrikes , coupled with the highly publicized troop deployments , appear to have had scant effect so far on President Saddam Hussein 's decisions on Iraqi troop movements .

Most Iraqi forces have dug in to defensive positions around the country , but about 200 troops from the three Iraqi Republican Guard divisions stationed around Baghdad have moved south and west of the capital in recent days , a defense official said today .

The troops , which are from some of the better trained and equipped Iraqi units , did not deploy with their heavy equipment , the official said , leaving American analysts somewhat puzzled by the activity .

`` We 're watching them , but we 're not reading a whole lot into it , `` the official said .

`` We expect they 'll be back in their barracks in the next day or two . ``

THREATS AND RESPONSES : THE MILITARY .

Summary: US Army acts to send thousands more soldiers from Third Infantry Division in Georgia to Kuwait in largest single ground deployment to Persian Gulf since war there in 1991 .

Summary: One of division 's three combat brigades , about 4,000 soldiers , has been training in Kuwaiti desert since September , but unit 's headquarters at Fort Stewart , Ga , receives order within last day directing rest of more than 15,000 combat troops to join soldiers in Kuwait .

Summary: Photo .


On one hand , DEAN BLAIS , North Dakota 's coach , wishes the United States team success in the world junior championships .

On the other , he sure would like three of his best players back from that team in time for a key series against Colorado College this weekend .

`` We could lose these two games this weekend , '' Blais said , `` and it could cost us the league championship . ''

Top-ranked North Dakota has lost the most players to the national junior team , which is competing in the 10-nation world championships in Nova Scotia .

Four other Division I teams have two players each on the national roster .

But the Fighting Sioux -LRB- 18-1-1 -RRB- are without their leading scorer , the freshman ZACH PARISE , and two defensemen , MATT JONES and MATT GREENE , for as long as the United States remains in the tournament .

`` It 's one thing to miss Zach Parise , but the two defensemen have been rock solid for us , `` Blais said .

`` We 've been averaging only 18 shots against us a game , and those guys hold the red line like it 's the blue line . ``

Blais , who coached the United States junior team in 1993 and was an assistant coach two other years , holds international competition in high regard .

`` I know how demoralizing it is when college coaches wo n't let their players go for selfish reasons , `` he said .

North Dakota is 8-1-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association , second behind third-ranked Colorado College -LRB- 16-2-2 , 9-1-2 -RRB- .

The Sioux won the inaugural Subway Holiday Tournament on home ice in Grand Forks last weekend .

They edged Bemidji State -LRB- 5-6-6 -RRB- , 4-3 , in the final , after a 5-2 victory over Brown -LRB- 5-6-1 -RRB- in the first round .

The sophomore BRANDON BOCHENSKI scored six goals in the two tournament games and was named most valuable player .

His 25 goals are tops in Division I .

He is third in scoring with 36 points , behind Parise -LRB- 38 -RRB- and Colorado College 's PETER SEJNA -LRB- 41 -RRB- .

`` We would have loved to have Parise in the holiday tournament , '' Blais said .

`` His absence probably hurts your attendance and chances of winning .

But then , to have him display his talents to all the N.H.L. scouts and represent the country is as patriotic as can be . ``

Another coach concerned about the effect of the world juniors on his team is TIM WHITEHEAD of second-ranked Maine -LRB- 15-1-2 -RRB- .

The Black Bears are without forward GREG MOORE and goaltender JAMES HOWARD .

`` The only potential negative is those guys could get burned out , '' Whitehead said .

`` I 've seen it before . ``

Blais , though , sees another positive .

`` For me , losing those players to the world junior team , its a compliment to our program , '' he said .

`` You look at the roster and see three players from U.N.D. on it -- it says something about our development and recruitment . ''

HOCKEY EAST Eight Hockey East teams reached the championship games in holiday tournaments over the weekend , with four coming home with victories .

The Everblades College Classic in Estero , Fla . , featured an all-Hockey East final , with Maine -LRB- 5-0-1 Hockey East -RRB- beating Massachusetts -LRB- 10-7-1 , 4-5-0 -RRB- by 8-3 .

To reach the final , the Black Bears beat fifth-ranked Cornell -LRB- 10-3-0 -RRB- , scoring three straight third-period goals in a 3-2 victory .

Twelfth-ranked Boston University -LRB- 11-6-2 , 5-4 -RRB- won the Great Lakes Invitational with a 4-3 victory over No . 10 Michigan -LRB- 12-5-1 -RRB- .

Goalie SEAN FIELDS , the tournament 's most valuable player , had 37 saves .

The Terriers also scored three straight third-period goals to pull ahead .

Merrimack -LRB- 7-6-3 , 4-3-1 -RRB- defeated Wayne State -LRB- 6-11-0 -RRB- in the final of the Rensselaer / HSBC Holiday Tournament , 4-1 .

JOE EXTER , Merrimack 's senior goalie , was named the M.V.P. , stopping 58 of 60 shots in two games .

Northeastern -LRB- 6-8-2 , 1-6-1 -RRB- won the National Capitol Tournament in Ottawa with a 6-3 victory over York University of Toronto .

C.C.H.A.

Ninth-ranked Ohio State -LRB- 13-4-2 , 9-2-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association -RRB- will play a nonconference game Friday against Princeton at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh , an unusual site for a college game .

The Pittsburgh Penguins extended the invitation to play on their home ice .

Pittsburgh has no colleges playing Division I hockey .

Mercyhurst , in Erie , Pa . , which plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association , is the closest .

Ohio State has four players on its roster from the Pittsburgh area .

The game was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. , but was moved to 5 p.m. because the Buckeyes ' football team will be playing for the national championship in Arizona that evening .

MARK SCHEERER COLLEGE HOCKEY .

Summary: North Dakota University has lost players Zach Parise , Matt Jones and Matt Greene to US junior hockey team and world junior championships .


`` I was 28 , and I did n't speak English , `` Saori Kawano said about her arrival from Yokohama , Japan , 20 years ago .

But she invested $ 2,000 in 30 cartons of Japanese porcelain , sold them from her home and in 1983 opened Korin , a Japanese restaurant supply company in TriBeCa .

Some 4,000 restaurants , including Nobu , shop at Korin , which has 5,000 items in stock , from 60-cent chopsticks to $ 22,000 sushi robots .

But Korin also sells to the public .

New wares include a linen noren , or curtain , in the picture 's background , which shades from beige to pink and has abstract white cherry blossoms .

It is 3 by 5 feet -LRB- $ 220 -RRB- .

A silk obi , 12 by 70 inches -LRB- $ 139 -RRB- , can be used as a table runner .

The green glass bowls , right , used at Nobu , are $ 10 -LRB- three inches -RRB- and $ 22 -LRB- six inches -RRB- .

And those wax replicas of tuna , shrimp , fluke and mackerel sushi .

You can buy them and more for $ 12 each .

Korin is at 57 Warren Street , -LRB- 212 -RRB- 587-7021 or www.korin.com.

CURRENTS : KITCHENWARE .

Summary: Korin , Manhattan company that supplies chopsticks and other tableware to Japanese restaurants , sells to public as well .

Summary: Photo .


When Freyer Architects , a Manhattan firm , renovated a fourth-floor apartment in an Upper West Side brownstone and added a penthouse on the roof , the firm was asked for `` sunlight , a garden and ecological friendliness , '' Warren Freyer said .

He and William Machan , one of his architects , designed floor-to-ceiling windows at the rear of both floors , above right , and added a skylight for even more dazzling light .

The lower floor , 870 square feet , has a living room , above , and kitchen .

The 390-square-foot penthouse has a bedroom and a bath , plus a roof garden .

Recessed grilles in the cherrywood floors provide heat and eliminate radiators .

Red tiles on the roof deck are made of recycled rubber tires , $ 11.55 for a half-inch-thick tile , 24 inches square , at Environmental Molding Concepts in San Bernardino , Calif . -LRB- 909 -RRB- 383-7049 .

The budget for the apartment renovation was $ 300,000 .

Freyer Architects , 37 East 18th Street , can be reached at -LRB- 212 -RRB- 598-0900 .

CURRENTS : ARCHITECTURE .

Summary: Freyer Architects renovates fourth-floor apartment in Manhattan brownstone and adds penthouse on roof .

Summary: Photos .


A tiny restaurant called Mr. Sushi on Houston Street was in trouble , and its owners , Edmund Liu and Winston Kulok , decided that design could save it .

So they hired David Ling , a Manhattan architect , to transform their 900-square-foot space into a Chinese restaurant called ED .

The budget was a minuscule $ 40,000 .

`` We made a luminous cave , backlit in red , '' Mr. Ling said .

`` And it culminates with a waterfall that looks like liquid mercury . ''

The waterfall cascading over a mirror behind a sushi bar , above , is the focal point for the restaurant .

He draped white translucent fabric , designed for rear-screen projection , on black steel gas pipes to create a taut rectangular tent .

The floor , left , is a hand-sanded acrylic mirror .

`` I liked the contrast between industrial materials and the handmade finish , '' he said .

`` It makes for a murky , sandy , luminous surface , '' he said .

-LRB- Quarter-inch-thick acrylic mirror sells for $ 6 a square foot at Industrial Plastic Supply , 309 Canal Street , 212-226-2010 . -RRB-

On this stretch of Houston , east of Macdougal Street , the sidewalk runs two feet above the entrances to the storefronts .

The sidewalk at Mr. Sushi 's came right up to the building , making the entrance door only 8 feet high .

Mr. Ling excavated the sidewalk back 30 inches , to its original footprint , giving the storefront a full 10-foot height , above , and offering a pink glow that illuminates the street .

ED is at 142 West Houston Street .

David Ling can be reached at -LRB- 212 -RRB- 982-7089 .

225 East 21st Street , New York City .

CURRENTS : RESTAURANT .

Summary: Tiny restaurant on Houston Street call Mr Sushi is transformed into luminous Chinese restaurant called ED on budget of only $ 40,000 .

Summary: Photos .


Last January , the artist Ruben Toledo returned to Cuba with his wife , Isabel .

It was the first time he had been back since his family left the island in 1967 .

One result of the trip is Cuban Black , a collection of seven tile murals for Ceramica Bardelli , an Italian ceramics maker .

`` Cuba is such a bleached country , '' Mr. Toledo said .

`` Nothing has been painted in 40 years . ''

He called the country `` colorful in a black-and-white way . ''

One Cuban Black -LRB- right -RRB- , made of four tiles , each eight inches square , and selling for $ 203 , shows a dog .

Another , 18 tiles and $ 375 , depicts a cat on a chair .

Two other designs -LRB- 18 tiles , $ 443 .

24 tiles , $ 562 -RRB- show plants .

They are at available at Hastings Tile and Il Bagno Collection at 230 Park Avenue South -LRB- 19th Street -RRB- .

-LRB- 800 -RRB- 351-0038 .

CURRENTS : CERAMICS .

Summary: Ruben Toledo designs series of ceramic tile murals inspired by trip to Cuba .

Summary: Photo .


The race to win the Greater New York Bridge Association 's Player of the Year title appeared to be a runaway but turned into a cliffhanger .

When the Edgar Kaplan Regional began a week ago , Glenn Milgrim seemed to have an unassailable lead .

But John Fout , in second place after an equally stellar year , was chasing hard and gaining ground .

He was due to take the title if he won the final event , the Board-a-Match Teams , and was leading going into the last session .

But that session dropped him into second place , and the Player of the Year title went to Milgrim .

Last year 's winner , Chris Willenken , finished third .

He won the Team Player of the Year title , with Fout second and Milgrim third .

Milgrim 's favorite deal of the year , on which he sat South , is shown in the diagram .

He was playing with Willenken , and they arrived in six hearts from the South side of the table .

That was the result of the three-spade bid , a transfer to hearts by agreement , and the four-diamond bid , a retransfer .

Six hearts from the normal North position would have been hopeless after the marked club lead .

As it was , three intermediate cards in the North hand proved crucial : the eight-seven of hearts and the club eight .

Milgrim won the opening diamond lead with dummy 's ace and spotted a rare safety play , little-known even in expert circles .

He led the heart 10 , intending to run it , guarding against the possibility of a singleton nine in the West hand .

That was exactly the position , and East covered with the jack .

South won with the king and led his remaining heart to the ace .

The heart seven was led , and East took his queen and shifted to a club .

South won with the ace , crossed to the spade queen , and played the heart eight to remove East 's last trump .

The rest needed good technique , and Milgrim demonstrated it .

He led to his diamond king and ruffed a diamond , to reach this position : Diagram The last trump was led from dummy , and East and South discarded diamonds .

West could not guard both black suits , and the slam was made .

This column referred erroneously on Monday to South 's prospects in the deal shown .

He did not have the potential to take all 13 tricks .

With the cards West held , he was certain to take a trump trick .

BRIDGE .

Summary: Glenn Milgrim wins Greater New York Bridge Assn 's Player of the Year title .

Summary: Diagram .


Qin Shihuang 's fearsome exercise of power 2,200 years ago has been compared to the actions of Napoleon and Stalin , and his bloody legacy remains a raw wound in today 's China .

The Qin emperor was a military adventurer who unified the country for the first time by subsuming six warring states and began to build the Great Wall .

Ruthless , he imposed absolute order by executing those suspected of disloyalty .

Modern artists approach the subject with caution , in part because Mao Zedong saw the founding emperor as an inspiration and the Communist Party still views the ancient leader as a pointed allegory .

So when Zhang Yimou , China 's best-known and arguably most talented director , chose the Qin court as the setting for his big-budget martial arts epic `` Hero , '' expectations were high .

The director of `` Raise the Red Lantern '' and `` To Live , '' Mr. Zhang has often explored the emotional whiplash inflicted on common people by China 's tumultuous history .

He has also infuriated the Beijing government and found himself blacklisted , while delighting many critics .

But `` Hero , '' despite its complicated subject , has delighted Beijing 's mandarins , who are submitting it as China 's nominee for best foreign film at the Academy Awards .

And it has infuriated some Chinese critics , who have panned Mr. Zhang 's plot for promoting a philosophy of servitude .

`` ` Hero ' does not have the courage to present the massacres Qin Shihuang ordered in the name of peace under heaven , `` said Tou Jiangming , writing in The Sat-China Weekly .

`` The history so often questioned by modern thinkers is ignored by Zhang Yimou . ''

Or as a critic using the pen name Bu Tong put it in The Beijing Youth Daily : `` Zhang Yimou 's movie has a deep servility inside .

He tried to understand what the world looks like from the ruler 's standpoint . ``

This is a little like Fellini suddenly promoting Victorian values .

Most of Mr. Zhang 's earthy films view the world through the powerless , people stuck in anonymous villages who rely only on inner dignity and intense passions to guide them through a world that takes them for granted .

`` Hero '' is something new .

Mr. Zhang , 51 , set out to prove that he could make a Hollywood-style blockbuster that appealed to both Chinese and foreign audiences , while retaining his artistic touch .

He may have succeeded .

But he did something else new as well , whether because he needed government support to produce a film of unprecedented cost and scale for China or because he wanted the police to do more to help him fight rampant piracy : he made a movie that those in China 's propaganda apparatus are thrilled to promote .

After its premiere in mid-December in the Great Hall of the People , the deputy director of the state film bureau , Zhang Pimu -LRB- who is no relation to the director -RRB- , called it `` artistic , entertaining and thoughtful . ''

The $ 31 million production has an all-star cast of Jet Li , Tony Leung , Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi .

It has aerial martial arts choreography like that in `` Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon , '' the runaway success directed by Ang Lee .

Miramax backed `` Hero '' and will release it in the United States early in 2003 .

Like Mr. Zhang 's early films , `` Hero '' is lyrical .

From the lakes of Jiuzhaigou to the forests of Inner Mongolia , Mr. Zhang mixes spectacular natural scenery with his own cinematic vision , producing a colorful slide show of fine art .

The moment of truth in the story , written by Mr. Zhang and two others , comes when Jet Li , playing a nameless assassin , makes a gravity-defying assault on the king of Qin .

-LRB- The king has not finished subsuming all rival states and creating the Qin empire . -RRB-

The assassin decides , with a split second to spare , that his highest calling is to abandon his personal quest and let the king unify China .

The written Chinese characters `` Tian Xia , '' all under heaven , are the movie 's coda .

The king of Qin appears as a misunderstood leader who dispatches his black-armored cavalry to slaughter his neighbors but suffers quiet agony at the pain he must inflict for the common good .

Mr. Zhang 's king even sheds a tear for his converted assassin when , with a flick of his wrist , the king orders his execution .

The historical Emperor Qin left little evidence of his compassion .

He replaced feudalism with a merciless monarchy .

He killed Confucian scholars and burned their books .

The emperor 's ruthlessness left him few admirers until Mao .

`` Please do n't slander Emperor Qin Shihuang , sir , `` Mao wrote in a 1973 poem .

The Communist leader praised the emperor for suppressing Confucian orthodoxy , which Mao despised for its intricate morals .

Today , Qin 's rule is not a forbidden subject .

But it remains sensitive , particularly after Chen Kaige , Zhang Yimou 's peer , covered the same historical ground as `` Hero '' in his 1998 film , `` The Emperor and the Assassin . ''

Mr. Chen portrayed the emperor as a Shakespearean tyrant whose brutality covers inner shame .

The opening scene is of Qin soldiers exterminating a family .

To disguise his bastard birth , the emperor does away with his father .

Though the censors allowed it , Mr. Chen was roundly criticized for neglecting the emperor 's full record -- his unification of the nation and the building of the Great Wall .

Mr. Zhang has offered varying explanations as to why he took a more sympathetic view .

In interviews surrounding the national release of the film , Mr. Zhang initially disavowed any ideology .

`` The only test of a film 's success , especially a martial arts film , is whether it can keep the audience 's attention for 90 minutes , not its metaphysics , `` he said .

But he also explained that he aimed to break the mold of martial arts movies .

Too often , he said , they center on the hero avenging a master 's death .

He wanted his hero to have transcending values .

`` I wanted to write about people with warm blood , '' Mr. Zhang said .

`` People who have faith and ideals . ''

So what are these ideals .

Mr. Zhang quoted a well-known phrase attributed to a Song Dynasty official named Fan Zhongyan : `` One should be the first to worry for the future of the state and the last to claim his share of happiness . ''

Mr. Zhang has not commented on the movie 's metaphor for modern politics .

But Tony Leung , the Hong Kong actor who plays a peace-loving warrior in the film , made the connection .

In an interview with B International , a Hong Kong-based magazine , Mr. Leung said he applauded the message of `` peace and human kindness '' in `` Hero , '' then reflected on the Beijing government 's suppression of a democracy movement 13 years ago .

`` During the June 4 incident , I did n't join any demonstrations , because what the Chinese government did was right -- to maintain stability , which was good for everybody , `` he was quoted as saying .

Mr. Leung later said that his comments had been taken out of context and that he was speaking from the perspective of his character in the film .

`` My interest is in making movies , not politics , '' he said .

Mr. Zhang has never been a dissident .

But until recently he seemed to enjoy flirting with the limits of China 's artistic tolerance .

`` Red Sorghum , '' `` Raise the Red Lantern '' and `` Ju Dou '' were all set in the pre-Communist era .

They were all banned domestically after they were made , though all have since been released .

Censors objected , most likely , because they portrayed China as violent , backward and capricious and suggested that the condition was not merely a byproduct of its pre-Communist politics .

In `` To Live , '' Mr. Zhang extended the theme to Maoist China .

The 1994 epic , which won the Cannes Palme d' Or award , is the tale of a couple tumbling through successive historical calamities of China 's civil war , the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution .

It has never been legally shown here .

But over the past eight years , as China 's economy became more prosperous , Mr. Zhang 's films became less provocative .

In `` Not One Less , '' which he directed in 1998 , a young village schoolteacher goes to great lengths to retrieve a student who ventures into the big city to find work .

The teacher 's success depends on a soft-hearted official who runs a television station and takes a Rockwellian shine to the peasant girl .

Recently Mr. Zhang has also accepted some official duties .

He directed movies to promote China 's bid to be host of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and its entry to stage the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai .

He said in a recent newspaper interview that he no longer cares what the critics say because he gets attacked no matter what he does .

`` Only one film I 've done in my life has not been attacked , `` he said of his promotional movie for the Olympics competition .

`` And that 's only because Beijing won . ``

ARTS ABROAD .

Summary: Latest Zhang Yimou film Hero , which is set in court of Emperor Qin Shihuang , wins praise of Chinese leaders , who have been infuriated by Zhang 's earlier films , and condemnation from some critics , who accuse film of promoting philosophy of servitude .

Summary: Depicts Emperor Qin as far more compassionate character than historical evidence would justify , and his ruthlessness had few admirers until Mao Zedong .

Summary: Photo .


From an early age , it seems , Albrecht Dürer harbored no doubts about his artistic talent .

A remarkable self-portrait , drawn when he was 13 , could almost be interpreted as a proclamation of his genius .

Within a few years , this German artist had made his name in Nuremberg , his home city .

And although only 23 when he first visited Italy in 1494 , he quickly understood that he was in the same league as the Renaissance masters .

Yet if today Dürer does not stand alongside , say , Raphael , Leonardo and Michelangelo except in Germany , this may be his own doing .

Obsessed with winning fame and fortune , he achieved these objectives by turning his energies toward printmaking .

His prints , marked with his famous A D monogram and sold across Europe , brought him extraordinary wealth and prestige .

But then as now , to the public , painters outrank printmakers .

So it is that 32 years have passed since the last Dürer exhibition was held at the British Museum , which has one of three major Dürer graphic collections .

-LRB- The others are at the Albertina in Vienna and the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin . -RRB-

Now , to coincide with its 250th anniversary this year , the British Museum is making amends with `` Albrecht Dürer and His Legacy : The Graphic Work of a Renaissance Artist , '' which runs through March 23 .

This exhibition presents a wide range of Dürer 's prints , drawings and watercolors , with one small oil added as a reminder that he was also an exceptional painter .

Many of the works come from the British Museum 's collection and were part of Sir Hans Sloane 's donation to the museum when it was founded in 1753 .

But there are also important loans , including his teenage `` Self-Portrait '' and his majestic `` Study for the Praying Hands of an Apostle , '' both on display in Britain for the first time .

More than simply introducing Dürer to a new generation of museum visitors , though , the exhibition also trumpets his importance in the history of Western art by examining , in the words of Neil MacGregor , the British Museum 's new director , `` his astonishing afterlife , the absorption and adaptation of his work through the centuries . ''

Put differently , both contemporaries and successors were not only inspired by Dürer , but they also copied him without blushing .

Dürer is often described as the first truly commercial artist .

He knew the value of his work , and in art history 's first recorded plagiarism dispute , he sued an Italian artist for copying his prints , even down to the A D monogram .

Dürer also hired an agent to sell his prints outside Germanic territories .

And in what would later become something of a tradition among leading artists , his wife , Agnes Frey , acted as his hard-nosed manager .

The British Museum is showing many works inspired by or copied from Dürer .

Some , including numerous portraits of a stern-looking Dürer , were made after his death in 1528 .

Others reflect Dürer renaissances , one in the 17th century , when his engraving style influenced Rembrandt and others , and again in the early 19th century , when German writers like Goethe and painters like Caspar David Friedrich raised Dürer to mythical status as a Romantic icon .

Dürer 's graphic work stands out for its variety and originality .

One innovation was self-portraiture : at least 12 drawn or painted self-portraits survive .

He even used his own image to represent Christ in some prints , notably his `` Sudarium of St . Veronica . ''

But he was also something of an outdoors type , leaving his studio for painting and sketching forays .

For instance , `` The Courtyard of Innsbruck Castle , '' painted immediately after his first journey across Europe to Italy , suggests he had absorbed an interest in architecture from Renaissance masters .

His approach to nature was untypically realistic .

In his early 20 's he painted a series of stunning watercolor landscapes , including `` Study of a Rock Face , '' which is accurate enough to illustrate a modern geology textbook .

His drawings and paintings of animals were equally detailed .

Among the treasures in this show are two early watercolors of the muzzle of a bull , in which every hair has been painted individually .

Two later drawings , `` Resting Dog '' and `` Head of a Walrus , '' confirm that he remained intrigued by animals throughout his life .

His most famous illustration from nature is `` Rhinoceros , '' from 1515 .

Because he had never seen such an animal , Dürer based this woodcut on a description and sketch sent from Portugal , where the king had been given a rhinoceros from India .

Remarkably , Dürer created a good likeness , capturing the platelike folds of that animal 's thick skin and its menacing appearance .

In the process , he bequeathed an image that would be used for centuries in coats of arms , books and prints .

But Dürer was also very much a man of his age in that , while he evidently enjoyed being a celebrity , he was also profoundly religious and open to the myths , magic , superstition and neo-paganism prevalent in Germany during the late 15th and early 16th centuries .

He was not even 30 , for instance , when he embarked on his landmark `` Apocalypse '' woodcut series , inspired by the Book of Revelations , which eventually resulted in 15 prints .

When the 16th-century Florentine painter and writer Giorgio Vasari referred to Dürer 's `` extravagant imagination , '' he had `` Apocalypse '' in mind .

The most copied image , `` The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse , '' is in this show , with its three powerful riders representing Conquest , War and Famine , and the fourth , a skeletal white-haired figure on a sickly horse , representing Death .

As much as through individual prints like `` Rhinoceros , '' Dürer spread his fame through wide distribution of major narrative series on religious subjects , notably `` Life of the Virgin , '' `` Large Passion , '' `` Small Passion '' and `` Engraved Passion , '' each of which dealt with familiar passages from the New Testament with a power and freshness that , once again , would inspire many copies .

It is in a 1514 engraving called `` Melancholia , '' however , that many art historians have sought out the inner Dürer .

This show 's catalog reprints a 1972 essay by Günter Grass devoted to this print , while another German writer , Peter-Klaus Schuster , calls it `` the picture of pictures '' in his two-volume study of the work .

Packed with symbols , the print shows a winged figure leaning her chin on her left hand and looking out at the world with despair .

Dürer 's only engraving to match the philosophical depth of `` Melancholia '' is `` Knight , Death and the Devil , '' also in this show .

But the public Dürer was more straightforward : hardworking and obsessed with money .

His paintings are masterly , yet in his view they did not represent good use of his time .

`` I can not execute this work without loss for the mere 130 florins we agreed upon , '' he once told a patron who had commissioned a painting .

Your panel has almost 100 faces .

I am missing out on too much other work . ``

If his workshop in Nuremberg functioned as a cottage industry , with Dürer regarded as a prosperous artisan , his two long voyages to Italy gave him a taste for a world where artists were treated with respect .

`` Here I am treated like a gentleman , '' he wrote during his second visit to Venice , `` whereas at home I am treated as a parasite . ''

Well , perhaps then .

Today , in Germany , but also by many experts beyond , Dürer is viewed quite simply as the greatest printmaker of all time .

Summary: British Museum mounts exhibition of Albecht Durer prints , drawings and watercolors 32 years after its last Durer exhibition .

Summary: Devotes space to Durer 's influence on succeeding generations of artists .

Summary: Photo .


It is a remarkable display of civility that this city offers with the famous Johann Strauss concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic on New Year 's Eve and New Year 's morning .

All the more remarkable given what comes between .

To a midnight mob scene outside St . Stephen 's Cathedral worthy of Times Square , add the firepower of Chinatown at its new year : firecrackers and cherry bombs detonating virtually in your pocket , even full-scale fireworks , launched , it seems , by the guy next to you .

Life and limb thankfully aside , the din proved dismaying for a musical ear , because the big bell that rings in the cathedral tower to greet the new year could simply not be heard .

Well , solace came quickly , with the concert New Year 's morning at the Musikverein , conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and telecast live throughout much of the world , later in the day in the United States .

Mr. Harnoncourt , the reigning Austrian maestro , made his reputation as an early-music specialist but has carried his questing spirit into a wide range of repertory .

Although the New Year 's concerts are formulaic affairs , steeped in tradition , Mr. Harnoncourt , working with the Strauss specialist Franz Mailer , managed to inject seven works new to the series as well as two additional composers , Brahms and Weber .

-LRB- Three , if you count Berlioz , who orchestrated Weber 's `` Invitation to the Dance . '' -RRB-

Brahms was a friend of Strauss 's and no stranger to this hall , and his Hungarian Dances Nos . 5 and 6 fitted comfortably into the mix in lusty yet subtly inflected interpretations .

The Strauss novelties -- in addition to one by Johann 's brother Josef and one by their father , Johann I -- were the `` Niko-Polka '' -LRB- ending delightfully with a quiet passage for piccolo and harp that seemed to have strayed from a different piece , squelched by a big bang -RRB- and the `` Krönungs-Lieder . ''

The orchestra played superbly in a way that only it can in this repertory , with polish , spirit , humor and the inimitable lilt that comes from rushing the second beat in a waltz .

The magic lies in when , and just how much .

The only mishap in the smoothly oiled affair came with `` Invitation to the Dance , '' which ends with a rousing climax .

-LRB- Applause ! -RRB- No : actually it ends with a return to the quiet opening , with a cello solo , played beautifully here by Franz Bartolomey .

But premature applause is almost a given , and everyone took it in good humor .

While tradition may be made to be broken , these concerts are also steeped in commerce .

-LRB- Thus the inordinate appeal of the formula : it works . -RRB-

In addition to the television broadcasts , expected to reach some 50 million viewers , the recordings are perennial best sellers -LRB- not least , the one from Mr. Harnoncourt 's previous appearance , in 2001 -RRB- .

This year , Deutsche Grammophon promises to have finished CD 's in European stores by Jan . 7 .

American release is scheduled for Jan . 28 .

So there was also the expected .

Invariably , the first strains of the second encore , `` The Blue Danube , '' are interrupted by applause : in this case it was part of the well-oiledness .

And invariably the conductor turns around to wish everyone a happy new year on behalf of the orchestra .

Here Mr. Harnoncourt seemed to be reaching for something more , commenting earnestly on music 's ability to reach all and wishing the audience a `` blessed and peaceful '' new year .

Equally predictably , the third and final encore was Johann Strauss I 's `` Radetzky March , '' with everyone clapping along heartily .

Then it was off with the television cameras and down with civility as audience members descended on the flowers that festooned the hall -LRB- an impossibly beautiful one to begin with -RRB- , absconding with armfuls of white roses and carnations .

Mr. Harnoncourt and the orchestra are to bring music of the Strauss brothers as part of their tour of seven American cities in February and March .

If only they could bring the same heady atmosphere .

MUSIC REVIEW .

Summary: James R Oestreich reviews Vienna Philharmonic 's New Year 's morning concert at Musikverein .

Summary: Concert is conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt .

Summary: Photo .


ON a recent Sunday morning , Catherine Crier , the cool and cerebral Court TV anchor , was in her kitchen here mixing pancake batter and looking for ingredients .

`` Cynthia , '' she called upstairs to her sister .

`` Do we have any nuts .

`` `` Right-hand cabinet , second shelf , '' Cynthia Crier said without missing a beat .

There 's a reason that Cynthia Crier , who lives in Manhattan , knows what her sister 's cabinets in Westchester hold .

And it 's not because she 's a gourmand : she is the architect who doubled the size of her sister 's 3,000-square - foot house .

And in the two years it took , she did everything from supervising the contractor to stocking the shelves .

Some people might say that letting your sister take over your house is folly .

The pitfalls are obvious : childhood feuds , ancient jealousies , the threat of long-term repercussions if something goes awry .

`` They were very similar growing up , '' said their mother , Ann Crier .

`` Both are very competitive and goal-oriented . ''

But for Catherine and Cynthia Crier , the renovation built not only a home but a better relationship .

Catherine Crier left Dallas for college at 16 , when Cynthia was 12 .

And by the time she returned , Cynthia was off to Cornell to get a degree in architecture .

Growing up , they had shared little but competitive horseback riding .

-LRB- Catherine keeps four horses in a barn she built on her 30 acres here . -RRB-

`` It could be intimidating to have a sister who is both brilliant and beautiful , '' said Cynthia Crier , 44 .

`` But it also motivated me .

I also feel lucky that we chose different fields .

Catherine was so political -- I was more artistic .

I knew from the time I was a little girl that I wanted to be an architect .

It would be a lot tougher if we were competing in the same career . ``

Catherine 's career , in typical overachiever fashion , included a stint as a state district court judge -LRB- she was the youngest person ever elected a judge in Texas -RRB- , then high-profile positions at CNN , ABC News , Fox News and Court TV .

Even when she moved to Westchester in 1993 , only an hour from Cynthia , their relationship was cordial rather than close .

Who knew that talk of drainage pipes and mahogany dining room tables would provide glue for their relationship .

In fact , Catherine Crier , 48 , initially paid another architect $ 10,000 to design an 800-square-foot guesthouse .

`` It was a disaster , '' Cynthia said , with obvious satisfaction .

As her sister put it : `` I 'm sure he 's a fine architect for someone else .

I know it must have been very hard for him , because I could n't articulate exactly what I wanted . ``

When she said she liked the idea of a cozy cottage , he gave her something she described as `` too Laura Ashley . ''

When she elaborated and said she wanted stone and wood , to reflect the look of her property , he drew what she called `` a Swiss chalet . ''

Then , in August 2000 , Cynthia visited from Greenwich Village .

She had been the chief architect for the New York Fire Department from 1993 to 2000 and had previously worked for Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York .

She sat down to sketch a guesthouse .

She drew a house complete with beamed arches and rustic clapboards and , with Catherine 's blessing , went on to draw blueprints for a renovation of the main residence , built in 1930 .

The design opened up the boxy rooms and made the living room into a grand space , 22 by 43 feet and two stories high .

`` The Texas girl in me requires open space , '' Catherine said .

Nonetheless , she had some initial reservations about working with her sister on the guesthouse .

`` I 'm a lawyer and aware of the risks involved in working with a relative , `` she said .

Even after that project was completed satisfactorily , it was a big step to move on to the main house .

So , in a lawyerly way , she worked with her sister to lay down ground rules .

The first step was a standard architectural contract , with a section on interior design that specified the percentage Cynthia would be paid on the furnishings and finish work .

Second , Catherine knew she had to get out of the way so her sister could work .

It was decided she would move into the new guesthouse for a year while the main residence was being torn apart and put together again .

And they agreed that the total cost for the guesthouse , the expansion of the main house , furnishings and an art studio would not exceed $ 1.5 million .

Then came the ground rules for their friendship .

`` We 're both very headstrong , passionate people , `` said Catherine , who was recently divorced .

`` But we understood that to make it work , we would have to respect our jobs and our roles .

I 'm the owner , and have veto power over interior design , but I would defer when it came to architectural issues . ``

Well , not always .

Joseph Riccardi , the general contractor on the project , recalls one face-off .

`` There was one time where Cynthia had designed a staircase in the living room that Catherine decided she did n't want , `` he said .

The staircase would have let Catherine go directly from her bedroom to the kitchen , without going through a more public spot , the foyer .

`` Cynthia argued for it , '' he said , `` but finally gave in , explaining , ' This is what the boss wants . '

`` The plaster curlicue sconces in the master bedroom set the stage for another clash .

`` I found them too ornate , '' Cynthia said .

`` But Catherine insisted on having them , so I custom-made a fireplace frame to complement the design for a seamless effect . ''

But Catherine deferred to her sister when she insisted on the luxury of copper rain gutters -- `` They last a lifetime , '' Cynthia said -- and gave up the brick she wanted outside so its $ 8,000 cost could be used for radiant heat for the kitchen floors .

`` Since Cathy wanted open space , the ceilings are very high , '' Cynthia said .

`` And heat rises , as do the heating bills .

With heated floors , your expenses are reduced . ``

Both sisters laughed when asked if the renovation caused any screaming brawls .

`` No , I ca n't think of anything we argued about , `` Cynthia said .

Catherine said : `` Some people may want a Mario Buatta-styled house , and in a way , that 's easier to interpret .

I do n't want to feel that I 'm walking into some stranger 's house that 's been made for Architectural Digest .

I wanted to return to a place that is an extension of me .

And Cynthia just got it . ``

What saved them was experience .

Catherine had renovated houses in Dallas , Wyoming and Atlanta , but had not been totally satisfied with the results .

`` I could never articulate exactly what I wanted because I needed someone to interpret what I needed to reflect my life , '' she said .

As for her sister , she said : `` I saw how detailed she was in other projects , and I already had great respect for her work . ''

And Cynthia had already handled the design of 300,000 square feet of complex office space at MTV , where she had to assess the needs of everyone from Sumner Redstone to office managers .

She was happy to be working for one client .

It helped that Cynthia anticipated every interior detail , including the exact position of the lights for her sister 's varied paintings , which include one by André Bourrié and one with a Southwestern theme by Inger Jirby .

And as they worked together , they rediscovered each other 's exacting natures .

`` Our father still has electric bills from the 1950 's , `` Cynthia said .

`` We get it from him . ''

Yet Catherine 's perfectionism was channeled into her broadcast and legal work , more than into her home .

`` Cynthia realized how schizoid I am , and how I 'm always on the go and not organized at home , `` she said .

`` She made sure the house was designed to compensate for my failings . ''

In addition to organizing and alphabetizing her sister 's 3,000 books , and knowing where the nuts were stashed in her kitchen , Cynthia had separate drawers made for her sister 's silver jewelry and gold jewelry and for each sweater color , and she added shoe bins to the walk-in closets , compartmentalized into anchor clothes and casual clothes .

`` She even organized my linen closet , '' Catherine said .

`` Well , '' said her sister , `` even after I designed the firehouses , I made the beds upstairs for the boys to make sure they were perfect . ''

To Mr. Riccardi , the contractor , `` Cynthia was the person who took care of all aspects of this project , way beyond what architects normally do , or even interior decorators . ''

That meant she had to come up with a way to display her sister 's collection of Asian and African artifacts -- clay water pitchers , urns , furniture and Tibetan money that looks like colored steel toothpicks .

And she added the separate art studio .

`` I saw what she did and screamed : ' This is amazing ! This is what I want , ' '' Catherine said .

As with many working women , she already had her professional life , in jurisprudence , under control .

What she needed help with was her domestic life .

She was recently looking over copper-tufted swatches of upholstery fabric with Rebecca Boles , a Texas designer who met the sisters when they were girls on the Dallas equestrian circuit .

Although there has already been a housewarming party , some details still have to be attended to : a geometric bedspread for the guest room , pillows for the Kravet living-room couches , custom-made rugs from Switzerland and China in olive green .

The sisters put together a scrapbook of more than 2,000 pictures to document every step of the construction and sent it to their mother and their father , Bill .

Their parents and their sister , Carolyn , 50 , a homemaker in Dallas , traveled to Westchester over the holidays to see the collaboration up close .

It was the first Christmas the Crier family had spent together in 16 years , and they did it with a fresh snowfall and competitive games of pool , bridge and Scrabble .

What impressed their mother is that Cynthia , who prefers `` small rooms that are more intimate , '' made the house so expansive , to suit her sister .

`` They now have the friendship that they could have had in earlier years , '' Ann Crier said .

Catherine Crier bought a house .

Cynthia Crier made it her home .

HOUSE PROUD .

Summary: Cynthia Crier , Manhattan architect and sister of Catherine Crier , Court TV anchor , doubles size of her sister 's house in Katonah , NY , doing everything from supervising contractor to stocking shelves .

Summary: Renovation builds better relationship between sisters as well as better home .

Summary: Photos .


The year that just ended will be remembered as a year when the failures of America 's corporate governance and accounting procedures became widely apparent .

But a full reckoning of the Enron-WorldCom era must also take into consideration the ways in which the business press failed , too .

The late 1990 's witnessed an explosion of business media .

CNBC became the most profitable cable channel in America .

New magazines and Web sites sprang up : Business 2.0 , Red Herring , The Street.com and the publication I worked for , The Industry Standard .

All purported to untangle the mysteries of the burgeoning Internet economy .

Yet for all that increased attention , it 's difficult to say that the enlarged business media played a decisive role in exposing the shortcomings of American corporate practices .

Indeed , too often the new magazines and Web sites acted as incurious cheerleaders , championing executives and innovative companies without questioning their books .

Do a search , for example , of the word `` Enron '' in the databases of those publications prior to 2000 and you 'll find little but praise for its market innovations .

The mainstream media , too , did its share of hyping the technology boom , but no one did as much evangelizing as the so-called new economy publications .

They preached about how technology created new paradigms .

But they were frequently slow to note when technology did n't work , or markets did n't exist , and they relied far too much on a handful of self-interested bankers for information .

The billions that poured into Internet companies in the late 1990 's usually came through the hands of venture capital firms or large Wall Street brokerage houses , each of whom had a vested interest in the company 's success , or at least its rapid growth .

But they were often among the only people who had studied the industry closely enough to have an informed opinion , and so they were the ones we called .

With the benefit of hindsight , it 's now clear that I and others were wrong to rely so heavily on sources who had so much at stake .

I had begun to get an inkling of this in early 1999 : while writing about the merger of two large Internet music retailers , I sought a comment from one of the bankers following the stock of the newly formed entity .

Yes , he acknowledged , the merger had taken too long to complete , and in the meantime Amazon.com had taken the lead in online compact disc sales .

But , he insisted , the management team was solid and the company was on track .

I was impressed , and put his endorsement in my story .

In a matter of weeks , I noticed , the bank had dumped all its stock in the merged retailer .

I resolved never again to rely on analysts , but I confess that I did n't bring this epiphany to the attention of my colleagues or my readers .

Another part of the problem was that our own businesses were too far inside the beast we were covering .

The Industry Standard , which began publishing in 1998 , had the same start-up mentality as many of the companies it covered .

Inevitably , some of their worldview rubbed off on us .

At exotic conferences in Aspen and Barcelona , our management mingled with the leaders of high-flying tech firms , some of whom were simultaneously advertising in the magazine , sponsoring a section of our Web site , speaking at magazine-sponsored conferences they had helped pay for , selling us software and giving colorful quotes to our reporters .

This was not a formula for sustained independence .

As we grew -- The Industry Standard sold more advertising pages in the year 2000 than any magazine in America -- we inherited some of the dot-com hubris as well .

We spent millions on television advertisements , without being able to track whether they actually brought in subscriptions .

The magazine 's very success was sometimes a distraction that blurred the difference between us and our sources .

Our competitors , too , acted brashly .

Both Red Herring and Business 2.0 had so many pages of advertising that in order to publish a respectable amount of editorial content in certain issues they simply reproduced articles they had already published .

-LRB- One editor went so far as to defend the practice , arguing that his magazine had acquired lots of new readers since the articles had first been published . -RRB-

The storm of information surrounding the Internet boom was blinding .

So many words and press releases were swirling around that it was impossible to know if anything anyone said made a difference .

This depressing suspicion was made real for me one morning , when I appeared on CNNfn , the cable network 's financial channel , to discuss the state of the market for initial public offerings .

I had specifically told the producer that while I could discuss some Internet offerings , I was not an expert on the market for I.P.O. ` s .

No matter : when I turned up on the screen , the words `` I.P.O. analyst '' showed up beneath my head .

As if that was n't bad enough , the anchor then asked me a question about a company called Bamboo.com that was scheduled to issue stock later that week .

Unfortunately , I had never heard of Bamboo.com, so I found myself improvising .

Here 's what I said , warts and all : `` Bamboo.com is a specialized technology and Internet company that does certain kinds of currency exchanges .

Internet currency exchanges , I should say , come up with a specialized currency just for the Internet and it 's one that people are looking at .

I 'm not convinced that 's an absolute winner . ``

It 's not just the grammar that was off .

Bamboo.com was an online real-estate company that specialized in a technology that allowed for 360-degree images on the computer screen .

Could I have said no comment .

Sure , I suppose , and I was furious with myself .

Equally disturbing , though , was the fact that it just did n't matter .

The stock doubled in value on its first day of trading , and no one from the company ever bothered to contact me to correct my error .

The froth of stock trading during that period obscured the facts and , it seemed , even the need for facts .

It would be wrong to blame the news media alone for the business debacle .

If a company sets out to mislead regulators and investors , and finds a prestigious accounting firm willing to sign off on baked books , it 's extremely difficult for an outside reporter to uncover the truth , especially on deadline .

And there were plenty of occasions when The Industry Standard and others did diligently expose practices of tech and financial companies that seemed less than above-board .

We wrote about questionable sales tactics at America Online and tried to curb enthusiasm for Priceline 's discount grocery service , which has since failed .

But on balance I think even the best new economy journalists could not shout down the hype coming from the bankers and public relations machines .

-LRB- And when the banking and advertising money stopped flowing , journalism was not enough to keep us alive . -RRB-

I 'd like to believe that those of us who witnessed the tech bubble will be smart enough to prick the next bubble that comes along before too many investors get duped .

Encouragingly , some improvements have been made .

CNBC now usually identifies whether a banker it is interviewing owns stock in or does business with the companies being discussed on the air .

But in more skeptical moments , I fear that the rise of any boom sector in the American markets will bring with it an attending press that is at least compliant , if not out-and-out boosterish .

Editors and reporters need to be able to resist the notion that any single development in technology or business creates a new economy that defies traditional laws of business .

That 's not a problem that the Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress can solve .

James Ledbetter , business editor of Time Europe , is author of the forthcoming `` Starving to Death on $ 200 Million : The Short , Absurd Life of The Industry Standard . '' .

Summary: Op-Ed article by James Ledbetter says full reckoning of America 's corporate governance and accounting procedures scandals must also take into consideration ways in which business press failed , too .

Summary: Says late 1990 's witnessed explosion of business media , yet it is difficult to say that enlarged business media played decisive role in exposing shortcomings of American corporate practices .

Summary: Says too often new magazines and Web sites acted as incurious cheerleaders of innovative companies , without questioning the books .

Summary: Says mainstream media also hyped technology boom .

Summary: Fears that rise of any boom sector in American markets will bring with it attending press that is at least compliant , if not out-and-out boosterish .

Summary: Drawing .


TOO many people are resigned to living with cruddy kitchens that have them cursing through the holidays .

The temptation is to defer any improvements until Santa delivers $ 100,000 wrapped in a ribbon .

But you do n't have to wait for a dream budget .

You just have to be smart and realistic , and avoid blowing it all on a new Sub-Zero .

Focus instead on fixes that will make the kitchen a better place to cook and commune .

The following three kitchens were transformed with $ 5,000 , $ 10,000 and $ 20,000 , and they offer a few rules of thumb for minimizing costs .

Whatever you do , do not blindly ape an elaborate spread from a magazine , or you 'll end up with one of those pizza and champagne depositories like those shown on MTV 's `` Cribs . ''

Your kitchen , like the three shown here , should encourage you to pull out the pans and get busy .

The first thing I intend to make in mine is a cenone , a traditional Italian meal to ensure prosperity for the new year .

If you follow my lead , a little grappa will help instill courage for a renovation .

Discount Difference : $ 5,000 A burst pipe was the best thing that ever happened to the kitchen in our home in Sagaponack .

The blue Formica counter peeled and the cabinets delaminated .

We had no choice but to start over .

In most kitchens , the biggest budget-buster is the cabinetry .

For an average kitchen , custom millwork can easily run $ 30,000 .

To cut costs , we went to the Home Depot and picked out flat rail , one of the simplest cabinet styles .

We ordered the cabinets unpainted , for a 10 percent savings , and used the color of our choice .

I chose White Café from Schreuder , a Dutch company that makes enamels reminiscent of glossy French storefronts : steely blues , misty whites and foamy greens -LRB- www.finepaints.com -RRB- .

But the real savings was in confining conventional cabinets to the area under the counter .

We replaced the `` uppers , '' the expensive cabinets that usually hang over a counter , with open shelving .

To avoid that millwork altogether , Victoria Hagan , a designer , suggests converting a nearby closet to a pantry .

You pay to install a couple of shelves and the result is a wealth of storage .

As an enthusiastic but often disorganized cook , I also treated myself to hefty window-sash pulls for the drawers and doors that I incessantly open and close .

To make those deep low cabinets more accessible , I also sprang for pull-out drawers rather than simple shelves .

I even threw in a super-deep Elkay stainless-steel sink -LRB- the better to hide those dirty pots -RRB- .

Cost so far : $ 2,110.26 , including tax .

Ikea cabinetry is a designer secret so obvious as to be embarrassing .

Sometimes a professional just has to suck it up and admit that the obvious trumps the obscure .

Modern without looking cheap , the cabinet with frosted glass panel doors is a favorite , but I prefer to dress up cabinet fronts with special doors .

Paul Grassfield , a contractor in Brooklyn -LRB- 718-782-8408 -RRB- , often mounts panels of plain cherry or walnut for use as doors .

The panels can be oiled and waxed , a chore the untutored amateur can tackle with $ 100 and a Saturday afternoon .

More adventurous alternatives include doors made of recycled sunflower seeds , paper and agricultural fiber -LRB- available from Phenix Biocomposites , www.phenixbiocomposites.com -RRB- or polycarbonates that look like clear plastic versions of corrugated cardboard -LRB- priced from $ 1.66 a square foot at www.sundancesupply.com -RRB- .

All these products have a richness and a depth that look like big bucks .

Drab metal cabinets can be revitalized by spraying them with automotive paint that comes in a wide range of colors -LRB- from Heavenly Bodyworks in Chelsea , 212-691-1092 -RRB- .

For the countertops , I used white Formica -LRB- $ 600 including installation -RRB- .

For just $ 200 more , I could have inserted a slab of honed white Carrara marble for rolling pastry or a hefty chunk of butcher block for a built-in cutting board .

Another dress-up option is to edge the plain Jane counters in a metal trim that adds detail and coordinates with the silver hardware .

Appliance costs can also get out of hand .

We kept the old ones , except for the oven , which was destroyed in the flood .

I replaced it with the sturdiest basic model I could find , a 30-inch-wide Hardwick SF9616 for $ 369.95.

It has a gas pilot that allows it to keep working if summer storms cut off power .

We also perked up the rusty refrigerator by replacing the front panel for $ 50 .

To better see the new stuff , we updated some lighting , adding a few inexpensive recessed fixtures and mushroom-shaped surface-mounted ones , all from the Home Depot .

ROOM TO IMPROVE .

Summary: Three kitchens are redesigned on shoestring budgets : $ 5,000 , $ 10,000 and $ 20,000 .

Summary: Offer a few lessons on minimizing costs .

Summary: Photos .


FOR Leo Hughes , 23 , of South Weymouth , Mass . , music is a passion .

Having suffered a brain injury at 16 months that left him physically and mentally impaired , he is confined to a wheelchair and needs care 24 hours a day .

While home , Mr. Hughes sometimes uses a drumstick to `` conduct '' songs that are playing on the radio .

Although these performances are in pantomime , he knows quite a bit about playing music : while at the Massachusetts Hospital School in nearby Canton , he was in a musical group with other disabled students called the Headbangers .

The group is the brainchild of Jon Adams , an assistant technology specialist at the school , a public institution serving 120 students ages 6 to 22 with significant physical disabilities .

About 80 students live at the school during the week .

Mr. Adams said he teaches students how to `` use technology to access their world , usually through computers . ''

He often helps them use computers to communicate , move their wheelchairs , open doors and the like .

They do that with switches -- large buttons hooked up to computers that can be activated with the tap of the foot , the wiggle of a finger , a breath of air , the blink of an eye or a tap of the head .

Mr. Adams , who holds degrees in music education and music composition from the Berklee College of Music and Goddard College , said it was only natural for him to seek a way to use the technology to enhance the students ' music therapy sessions .

About 10 years ago he wrote a software program , Switch Ensemble , that enables a computer to play particular notes or rhythms when activated by a switch .

Shortly thereafter the Headbangers were born .

-LRB- The name was supplied by one of the students . -RRB-

Each member of the ensemble is assigned a different `` instrument '' and learns to follow the conductor through weekly practice .

The program can also be integrated with an IntelliKeys computer keyboard , which can be adapted for multiple uses and is widely used by disabled students .

The group plays many recognizable tunes , like `` Santa Baby , '' rendered at a recent holiday performance .

Although the music is activated with a simple rap on a switch , the tunes do not play automatically as a child 's toy might .

Just as with a regular orchestra , the students ' actions make or break the music .

The program , which Mr. Adams recently upgraded , simplified and renamed Super Switch Ensemble , requires that students learn about music to be successful performers , said Suzanne B . Hanser , the chairwoman of the music therapy department at Berklee , in Boston .

`` They have to recognize the melody , '' she said .

`` They have to match the rhythm of that melody and to make that auditory motor match so they know precisely when they need to move to create the sound that will work in the music .

`` This is earthshaking for individuals who have been locked inside themselves , literally unable to communicate . ''

Dr. Hanser is using Mr. Adams 's software to train music therapists .

Traditional music therapy for the disabled involved having a child imitate humming or use an instrument adapted to the child 's disabilities to create a single set of sounds .

Generally this does not involve performance of a work .

`` Musical instruments just do n't work -- they do n't have the physical abilities , `` said Eve Montague , a music therapist who coordinates the creative arts program at the hospital school , referring to the limitations of traditional music therapy for the severely disabled .

`` At some point you have to say there has to be another way . ''

Ms. Montague said that for many students in the Headbangers , it is their first experience of working in a group .

Because of their disabilities , group interaction had previously seemed unimaginable .

Mr. Adams has adapted his technology for use in dramatics , at the school radio station and in the school band , where students play percussion instruments supplemented by music created by students working with switches .

Recently students performed a dramatic version of `` Robin Hood , '' using the switch technology to `` recite '' their lines .

The Headbangers have performed at the school , at a conference in Rhode Island and at the headquarters of the Big Dig transportation construction project in Boston .

Mr. Hughes , who has graduated from the school and is now living in a small group home during the week , took part in those performances .

When he left school last year , he was awarded a $ 2,000 scholarship that was used to buy a computer on which he plays music .

`` Music is his primary focus in life right now , '' said his mother , Denise .

`` You do n't have to have all your physical whatever to enjoy music .

It transcends that .

It makes him feel like a whole person . `` .

Summary: Headbangers is musical group for disabled founded by Jon Adams at Massachusetts Hospital School .

Summary: Adams has helped students use computers to communicate and move their wheelchairs and now enhances music therapy sessions using IntelliKeys computer keyboard , which can be adapted for multiple uses .

Summary: Students must recognize melody and match rhythm to make auditory monitor match sounds that will work in music .

Summary: Photo .


WHEN Michael Scantlen purchased a Sirius satellite radio system for his car , he had to buy not only the equipment but extra gasoline as well .

`` The first week I got Sirius , I used up an extra half-tank of gas because I did n't want to stop listening to the programming , `` said Mr. Scantlen , 47 , an electrical engineer in Agawam , Mass .

`` I have n't listened to regular radio since I bought it . ``

Comments like Mr. Scantlen 's must come as relief to Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio , the two companies in the business of supplying an alternative to conventional AM and FM broadcast radio .

Both have spent billions of dollars on satellites , transmission equipment , studios and programmers -LRB- and seen their stock prices plummet in the process -RRB- to create all-digital radio networks .

Think satellite or cable television without pictures , and you will understand the digital satellite radio concept .

Both Sirius and XM offer 100 channels of static-free radio reception in the car or at home , scores of unique and proprietary channels coast to coast and excellent sound , no matter whether you are driving through Manhattan or the Arizona desert .

Like satellite or cable television , satellite radio requires you to sign up as a subscriber -LRB- usually through a car audio dealer -RRB- and pay a monthly fee : $ 12.95 for Sirius , $ 9.99 for XM -LRB- Sirius offers discounts for long-term subscriptions -RRB- .

You also need to buy new equipment .

Replacement receivers are available for cars -LRB- they also receive AM and FM broadcasts and come with the typical options like CD and tape players -RRB- , as are adapter kits that work with existing audio systems , feeding the signal through the cassette player or over an unused FM frequency .

Starting with the 2003 model year , many auto manufacturers are including satellite radios with certain cars .

For the home , receivers are available that connect to stereo systems , usually through an auxiliary input .

Sirius and XM use somewhat different satellite technology .

Three Sirius satellites orbit the earth in a figure-eight pattern , with two of the three always over the United States .

To ensure uninterrupted programming , all three transmit the same signal , but with a four-second delay between any two satellites .

This allows a memory buffer in the receiver to smooth over any loss-of-signal problems .

XM 's network consists of two geostationary satellites hovering over the United States -- one over the East Coast , the other over the West -- that also employ a delay-and-buffer system .

A small roof - or window-mounted car antenna picks up the signal .

Since the radio signals travel by line of sight , both companies have also created a network of ground-based repeater stations to ensure that the signals can be picked up in the shadow of a mountain , in the steel canyons of New York or in other areas where the transmissions might be blocked .

The similarity of the two services ' programming outweighs their differences .

Both have created extensive digital studios for live broadcasts and original performances .

Both offer at least 60 channels of music plus 30 or more channels of news , talk , variety and sports .

An uncensored comedy channel .

Children 's programming .

Radio dramas .

And news from the BBC , CNBC , CNN , C-Span and Fox News , among others .

Fans of National Public Radio 's signature news magazine programs , `` Morning Edition '' and `` All Things Considered , '' wo n't find them on either service , although Sirius does offer NPR talk and variety shows .

`` Our news programs are staples of public radio , and it 's important to keep them exclusive to our stations , `` said an NPR spokeswoman .

Sirius hopes that will change .

`` Stay tuned , '' said Jay Clark , the company 's vice president for programming .

`` We 're having discussions with NPR about that . ``

One difference between the services is in their policies on commercials .

All of Sirius 's 60 music channels are commercial free .

XM runs ads on half its 70 music channels but pledges that it will never program more than six minutes per hour of commercial spots , which is one-third the amount found on standard commercial broadcast radio .

Both companies emphasize the abundance of offerings to encourage listeners to surf the dial .

Beatles fans listening to the group 's songs on one channel might be directed to another channel to hear an interview with Paul McCartney .

People who like one type of music may be advised that a similar group is playing on another channel .

In that way , the companies hope to build loyalty to the service , not just one channel .

Both companies offer a wide range of specialty music genres .

Jazz and blues fans have a choice of seven channels on XM , and eight on Sirius .

XM has separate channels playing the hits of each decade from the 1940 's to the 1990 's , while Sirius offers four similarly themed channels .

XM and Sirius both classify 11 of their channels as rock-oriented , and both break down the genre into channels playing classic , heavy , album , alternative , soft and mainstream rock .

Listening to the offerings is the best way to decide which service is most appealing .

Customers can sample both services free at the companies ' Web sites -- siriusradio.com and xmradio.com.

XM offers a three-hour loop of each music channel , and Sirius simultaneously provides each channel 's content in its entirety .

To date , most subscribers have arranged to receive service by buying a replacement car radio or adapter .

But both services are counting on licensing agreements they have forged with car manufacturers to push sales to their break-even point .

BMW , Ford and DaimlerChrysler are offering integrated Sirius-compatible radios as a dealer-installed option on certain 2003 models .

GM is offering XM-compatible radios on 25 of its models , including all Cadillacs .

XM service will also be available as an option at many Toyota dealerships and to purchasers of Honda 's Accord , Pilot and Acura MDX models .

Nissan plans to offer Sirius and XM to customers on select 2003 models , and Volkswagen / Audi says it plans to offer both but has not specified when .

Sirius and XM have agreed eventually to market a radio that can receive either service , but both companies say that it will not be available any time soon .

Meanwhile , integrated dealer-installed radios for either service typically cost $ 325 , and after-market add -on units can be purchased for $ 200 or more , including installation .

To ease the burden for new-car buyers , manufacturers will often offer to fold the cost of the radio and a year 's service into the lease or financed purchase price .

Is digital satellite radio worth the price .

Some early adopters , frustrated with the limitations of regular commercial AM and FM radio , say it definitely is .

William Dreskin , a rabbi in Greenburgh , N.Y. , keeps his children content on car trips with the youth-oriented channels on the XM radio he bought when he leased a new car .

`` I 've set six channel presets on children 's programming for my kids , six for me and six for my wife .

I like to listen to jazz , but with a regular jazz radio station , I never knew what I 'd hear and if I 'd lose the signal when I was driving to Queens or Long Island to serve my congregants . ``

Brian Stafford , who owns a machine tool factory in Little Rock , Ark . , and travels 200 to 300 miles a week on business , said : `` Since subscribing to Sirius , I ca n't remember the last time I 've listened to regular radio .

The variety 's unbelievable and I can hear the programming wherever I go .

I have n't even bothered to reprogram my radio for the AM and FM channels I used to listen to . ``

BASICS .

Summary: Satellite radio , currently supplied by Sirius and XM , sees its fortunes rise after spending billions of dollars on equipment , studios and programmers .

Summary: Customers must susbscribe to service , pay monthly fee and buy equpment to receive broadcasts .

Summary: Networks offer similar programming with major difference being policies on commercials .

Summary: Sirius music channels are commercial free , but only half of XM channels are .

Summary: Both have abundance of offerings to meet almost every taste .

Summary: Chart compares services , fees and offerings .

Summary: Photo .