People

DEMOCRAT MOUNTS CHALLENGE TO CONDIT

For the first time since Rep. Gary Condit became the center of national attention -- following the disappearance of an intern and members of his party openly questioning his ability to serve -- a Democrat has officially mounted a challenge to his seat in Congress. The head of a Modesto, Calif., charity, Tom Ciccarelli, says he is challenging Condit because he is "disgusted" with the incumbent's behavior. Meanwhile the heads of the Democratic Party in two of the counties in Condit's district have recently given him a vote of "no confidence." With all of this going on, Condit has opened an office to run again, has hired a staff and has begun the process of mounting a campaign for what would be his seventh term on Capitol Hill.

VIOLENT HOLLYWOOD BLINDED BY MONEY?

It's coming slowly, but finally some of Hollywood's biggies are saying that the unbridled flood of incredible violence, depravity, gratuitous sex and digitally generated mega-trash that has come to dominate today's movies has created a more violent society. Sadly, movies have given the world the impression that America is a country of foul-mouthed urban terrorists. Now, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, at least two members of the Hollywood hierarchy are wondering what effect today's movies might have on the rising mood of terror in the world. The news provider MrShowBiz.com says that directors Robert Altman and Oliver Stone -- usually on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum -- have joined in blaming the movies, in part, for the recent wave of violence. Altman says he hopes that audiences can again learn to enjoy movies that are thoughtful and character-driven, and blames much of what Tinseltown has been cranking out for the recent attacks. Additionally, Stone recently blasted movie executives for what he calls the "mediocrity of Hollywood."

HAMMOND TO HEADLINE COLLEGE GALA

Officials at American University in the nation's capital say that comedian Darrell Hammond -- best known for his hilarious celebrity impressions of Bill Clinton, Al Gore and others on "Saturday Night Live" -- has been tapped to perform at the school's upcoming gala. Hammond will appear at the school's annual Homecoming and Reunion, scheduled for this coming weekend. The events will take place off campus at the Washington's Union Station, near Capitol Hill. Several other alums of the school are scheduled to appear, including Bob Edwards of "Morning Edition" fame on NPR. Edwards will be the master of ceremonies. Also appearing will be Adrian Cronaeur, the inspiration for the movie "Good Morning, Vietnam." Technically he's not an official alumnus of the school. He was drafted just 11 credits shy of being graduated.

BUCK OWENS SEARCHES FOR ELUSIVE FAN

Last month country icon Buck Owens, now 72, crossed paths with an enthusiastic female fan. Now he wants to meet her again. Published reports indicate that Owens is so anxious to find the woman he's placed ads in several Southern California newspapers. He apparently met her while taping an episode of "Family Feud." During their meeting Owen's asked for and got the woman's phone number ... then lost it! The ads include the phone number of his office in Bakersfield, Calif. The singer is in the process of divorcing his wife of 22 years.

CHEERLEADERS TOO RAUNCHY?

Some parents of students attending high school in Savannah, Ga., say they think that the routines being done by cheerleaders are too "adult" and rules should be established to make sure the envelope isn't pushed too much. Published reports say that the school board recently voted "yes" on a proposal that would prohibit "lewd gestures, inappropriate comments, foul language and suggestive or vulgar comments." One member of the cheerleading team at one of the schools involved suggests that the board may be "out of touch" and should see what other schools are doing. Meanwhile some, in reacting to the controversy, are wondering why teacher sponsors have seemingly lost control over their charges. The flap is a far cry from past years (as recently as the early 1970s) when some Catholic high schools -- for reasons of modesty -- did not have female cheerleaders.

DIXIE CHICKS TO OPEN HOUSTON RODEO

They may have recently gotten a spot in the Guinness World Records Book because they have sold more albums than any other country group, but the girl group The Dixie Chicks has never played the Houston Astrodome. That, though, is about to change. The trio's publicist says the Chicks will open the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo next February. The girls, all three from Texas, say they have been fans of the rodeo for a long time, but have never attended. The mega-event is scheduled for a long run, from Feb. 12 through the first week in March. The group is scheduled to perform each evening of the rodeo.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 184

Today's question is prompted by my failed attempts to locate a friend from my college days. So, here goes: "Is there anyone from your school days whom you'd really like to get in contact with and can't seem to locate?" Put FRIEND in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet. By the way, if RWH, former member of Red Cross Youth, unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of the student body of American University, who once taught me to the sing the Canadian national anthem, is reading this, you can use the "survey" address, too.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 179 (DISCONNECT)

Last week we asked about the good and bad experiences you've had dealing with Internet service providers (ISPs) and other sellers of cyberspace. Here are some of your replies: WW leads the pack in disgust in leading off her comment with, "Do you have two years to hear it all?" She says that all this stuff about EASY to sign on, EASY to use, etc., is a bunch of hooey. It took her four hours to use a freebie disk to get on line. WW is also among the many who praise AOL for its user-friendly services. At the same time, there are a lot of people who call the company "A-O-Hell." But, in all fairness, many critics of AOL are geeks who have the smarts to move up to higher levels of service and look at America On Line as being too "low class" for them. On the plus side, many respondents, including Peggy, say they are on line via a 56K modem and seldom get disconnected. Peggy praises Sonoma Interconnect. Peggy, is the "Sonoma" from Sonoma County, Calif., by chance? Maybe the techs there are "mellow." After all, that IS wine country. Cheryl reports good customer service after a lightning strike killed her modem. Marlene says she often gets dumped because of "inactivity" even though she's actually playing a game, but hasn't made a move in a few minutes. Finally, MW says she never has any problems. "I use WebTV," she reports. Personally, I've been waiting for over a week for my ISP to replace my DSL modem that recently died a horrible death. I called yesterday and was told, "If it's not in tomorrow we'll overnight you one. Remember we said it might take five business days and tomorrow is day number five." "Why didn't you overnight me one last week," I asked? "Hmmmm," the tech replied. The rules say we promise the units in five days." "But, if you overnight it tomorrow I'll get it on day SIX!" At that point the silence was deafening. I'll let you know if it's in the mailbox today. GBA.