NOTEBOOK

By NADYA LABI, LINA LOFARO, EMILY MITCHELL, MEGAN RUTHERFORD, ALAIN L. SANDERS AND GABRIEL SNYDER

WINNERS & LOSERS

TOUGHING IT OUT FOR GOOD AND ILL

[WINNERS]

CARROLL O'CONNOR Archie Bunker always stood by his unminced words, and now a jury agrees: a drug supplier is a killer

TOM BROKAW NBC anchor strings out talks, plays the CNN card and finally gets parity with Diane Sawyer

RUPERT MURDOCH In game of cable chicken, gets Fox on Time Warner

[& LOSERS]

WILLIAM WELD Would-be ambassador hangs himself out to dry by dissing Helms. Hasta la vista, Bill

HALEY BARBOUR O.K., he came out swinging, but colleagues cast doubts on his earnest claims of ignorance

ALEX KELLY He came back to face the music, and the music stopped

AND MISS NICEST NAVEL...

Bare midriffs! What's the world of Miss America coming to? For the first time since 1947 (when all the gals sported two pieces, though the bottom one had to be 2 in. above the navel), Miss America contestants will be permitted to wear bikinis in the swimsuit competition. Leonard Horn, CEO of the Miss America Organization, explains that the decision "is about choice, individuality and allowing 17- to 24-year-old women to be who they really are," and is not, we repeat, not a ploy to boost ratings. The organization, concerned that the image of the beauty queen is a wee bit outdated, is giving the competition a make-over. Accordingly, the national office distributed to local organizers the following list of word substitutions to make during this year's pageant season:

PHRASES TO AVOID USE INSTEAD

beauty contest scholarship program

reign year of service or year of tenure

queen state representative, local representative or winner

royal or regal relevant, significant, outstanding or role model

charm or poise ambition, leadership or self-confidence

well-groomed well-educated or physically conscientious

HEY, YOUR ZUCCHINI WEARS ARMY BOOTS

Mother warned you not to play with your food--and don't insult the legumes either. Thirteen states now have so-called veggie-libel laws that allow farmers to sue anyone who unfairly claims their products are dangerous to eat. Agricultural lobbyists argued for these laws after apple growers saw their sales plummet following a 60 Minutes report that Alar, a chemical used in the apple industry, may cause cancer. The threat of libel, First Amendment advocates fear, could put a clamp on public debate of legitimate health concerns, especially as food producers explore new agricultural techniques such as irradiation, genetic engineering and fertilizers made out of recycled sewage. The first major legal test of the food-disparagement laws will be a Texas lawsuit, in which a group of cattle ranchers have sued Oprah Winfrey for a show she did on mad-cow disease. States where you risk a suit if you scoff at the squash:

Idaho Ariz. Colo. Okla. N.D. S.D. Texas La. Miss. Ohio Ga. Ala. Fla.

COMMERCE

NEW BUSINESS Talk about a young and vibrant economy. Nearly three-quarters of the nation's 9 million companies are no more than a quarter-century old. But let's not ignore the hardy perennials. Longfellow's Wayside Inn, founded in the early 1700s and probably the oldest homegrown business, still welcomes guests in Sudbury, Mass. Below, a durable-biz list:

AGE % OF BUSINESSES

25 years old or less 73.9% 26 to 50 years old 19.2% 51 to 75 years old 4.4% More than 75 years old 2.5%

Source: Dun & Bradstreet

LOCAL HERO

ZELPHA STOREY WELLS, 60ish, TUSCALOOSA, ALA. Pianist and Music Educator

After she left a teaching job in public schools in 1975, Wells began giving free music classes to children, instructing thousands of youngsters. Financed by raffles and donations, the cultural center she opened in the city in 1996 offers piano and organ lessons for kids and adults. "This is not a black program. This is not a white program," insists Wells, who has played the piano since she was five. "It's for people."

HOW WE LIVE NOW

DEMOCRACY INACTION The U.S. prides itself on being a model of participatory democracy. But according to a new study, America lags behind much of the world when it comes to casting ballots. An average of just 44.1% of the voting-age population has turned out for national legislative elections in the 1990s, putting the U.S. in 139th place among 163 countries surveyed by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. The top-ranked nation? Malta, with a turnout of 96.2%. Here's how some other democracies stack up:

Sweden 83.2% Denmark 81.1 Israel 78.4 Spain 77.6 Britain 75.4 Germany 72.7 Finland 68.5 Canada 63.9 France 61.3 Japan 56.6

LAST RITES

CREMATION NATION Designer Gianni Versace joined Janis Joplin, Albert Einstein and John Lennon by being cremated upon death. Forty years ago, fewer than 4% of Americans chose cremation, but in 1995 21% did. That figure is expected to rise to 40% by 2010. California and Florida lead the U.S. in number of cremations. People who pick cremation see it as simpler and less expensive than a burial--and it certainly consumes less space. The average cremated remains weigh about 6 1/2 lbs. and take up about 200 cu. in., the volume of a small shoe box.

Source: Cremation Association of North America