People

PATTY DUKE INJURED IN TANGLE WITH HORSE

Popular actress Patty Duke was rushed to an Idaho hospital recently after suffering a concussion and skull fracture in an encounter with a horse. The Idaho Statesman says that the 55-year-old Duke was initially listed in fair condition at the Kootenai Medical Center in the northern part of that state. The official police report says that Duke was in the process of trying to spray a young filly with an insect repellant when the horse either kicked her or somehow threw her against a wall. Duke's husband, who was nearby, said he heard a "thump" then heard his wife cry out. He found her sprawled on the floor of the horse's stall. At last report Patty was doing better and was taken out of intensive care over the weekend. Duke and her husband Michael Pearce maintain a home and ranch in northern Idaho.

NELSON A 'NO-SHOW' IN NEOSHO

Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson had to cancel a major appearance in Neosho, Mo., over the weekend because of a chronic nosebleed. The Neosho Daily News says that the medical condition now threatens the remainder of Nelson's nearly finished 2002 tour and comes just days before his latest FarmAid concert. According to the publication, a spokesman for Nelson noted that the entertainer's doctor has advised him to take it very easy and that cancellation of the rest of his 2002 tour is a possibility. About 10,000 people were expected to attend the concert, slated for Mid-America Music Park, just north of Neosho. That city is in southwestern Missouri, about half way between Springfield and Tulsa, Okla.

RETIREE ASKS LILLY TO CHANGE DRUG'S NAME

How would you like it if your last name were Viagra. Well there's a retired accountant in England who doesn't have that last name, but his last name is Cialis and Cialis is the name that drugmaker Eli Lilly has chosen for its male rejuvenation drug. So, according to the published reports, Cialis is suing the mega-pharmaceutical company, asking the company to change the name of its drug. Meanwhile the Indianapolis-based company says that it came up with the name by bastardizing the French word for sky, "ciel." Essentially, it says that Cialis means "the sky's the limit." Experts in the pharmaceutical world say that Lilly's new drug could generate $1 million A DAY in sales.

MAN SURVIVES 'BURIAL' ORDEAL

A Texas man is mourning the death of his young son but giving thanks that he survived a scary experience over the weekend. The Texas Highway Patrol in Navarro County tells me that the driver of a big-rig truck was nearly crushed to death when his truck crashed into an overpass on busy Interstate-45, bringing the span down onto the cab of his truck. It took rescue workers more than eight hours to safely extricate 41-year-old Chester Broadway. He was pinned under the collapsed roof of the truck's cab. During the ordeal his main concern was his 19-month-old son. The boy died of his injuries. Rescue workers were able to work within a small "pocket" created in an area between two strong beams. The Highway Patrol quickly closed the Interstate and all traffic was routed through downtown Richland, Texas, on the old highway that had been replaced by the Interstate in the '60s. The highway is the major commuting artery between the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and Houston. Broadway is expected to recover from his injuries.

LANCE BASS AND HIS RADIO FRIENDS

Although there could be a last minute reprieve and "boy singer" Lance Bass be able to rake up the $20 million to buy a ticket on the next Russian flight to the international space station, it would appear that it will be a cargo pod that will go in his place. But even if Bass never goes into space he will be left with more than just great memories of going through the preparations. He became a ham radio operator as part of his training. Last week, according to the FCC, he passed his Technician Amateur Radio license test. He was to have carried out several spacecraft-to-ground transmissions as part of a "ham" radio exercise while in Earth orbit. At 23, the 'NSync singer would have become the youngest person to have ever flown in space. Bass is, of course, not the only famous person to have his or her own amateur radio call sign. Former Senator Barry Goldwater was a very active "ham" in his home state of Arizona. Mega-star Arthur Godfrey was often heard on the air when he wasn't busy doing his myriad radio and TV shows. One of the biggest-selling country stars of our time, Ronnie Milsap, is also on the air a lot. But the bulk of "hams" are just ordinary people, constantly honing their skills in case disaster hits their area. It's also a great hobby. For more, contact the American Radio Relay League at arrl.org on the Internet.

CUSTER PROFILED IN CABLE DOCUMENTARY

The Fighting 7th Cavalry came to prominence under the direction of a hard-driving, flamboyant member of the U.S. military ... Gen. George Armstrong Custer. Under his command the 7th quickly became legendary. But today if you mention the name George Armstrong Custer to most people, the image of the Battle of the Little Big Horn (Custer's Last Stand) comes to mind. The legacy, for the most part, is one of humiliating defeat. The successes are forgotten. Now the History Channel says that it will air a two-hour profile of Custer's fighting days before his infamous run-in with the Sioux, as part of a look at the Fighting 7th Cavalry. The cable network, on its Web Site, says that the special will look at what it calls one of the "best known fighting units in American military history." Custer took over the famous unit at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1866. But, even as the cavalry was destroyed at Little Big Horn, it did not "stay dead" forever. The channel says the profile looks beyond the Custer regime to the later reincarnation of the unit and its service in WWI, WWII and eventually in the Vietnam era. For more go to historychannel.com on the Internet.

UPI SURVEY QUESTION NO. 411

Today's question is: "Paper or plastic?" Put BAG in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 406 (BEST)

Last week we wondered about the best job you've ever had. From a quick, random dip into the e-mailbox, here is a sampling of replies: One of the most interesting comes from Alison W, who lives in South Australia. She reports that her favorite job is one that pays nothing. She has been taking part in the every-weekend filming of an independent movie ... of which she is the star. She admits that working on the film is wonderful. She adds that her day job is an assignment she hates. Alison, good luck in your movie career. IMHO says the best job he ever had was working at the state fair for several summers ... selling ice cream. Mikee says his best job ever was shipping air freight all over the world. Angela S says she also got her kicks selling ice cream at a soda shop while she was in high school. "The shop would feature new flavors every month and you could eat the mistakes," she says. Good old Melba recalls a time when she was involved in selling brownies during high school football games. She confesses, "I ate a few profits." Finally, Stacey K says for five years she worked as a telemarketer. She had to endure a lot of abuse on the phone, but it taught her how to deal with people. She says the "people skills" she learned have helped her in subsequent jobs. My favorite job? I still remember the years I did a weekly one-hour on-the-road radio show (a kind of poor man's Charles Kuralt show) for UPI Radio. It was great fun, while it lasted. TOMORROW: Your thoughts on kids and TV. GBA.