Lawrence.com

Loud and clear

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown connected with deaf actress Marlee Matlin, making the first 7-1-1 call in California on a new system for the hearing impaired.

Brown's words were relayed on Monday through an operator, who typed them to a special screen connected to Matlin's phone in Los Angeles. She typed her message on a connected keyboard, then the operator spoke the words to Brown.

The 7-1-1 system, which began operating Monday, is available nationwide for deaf callers or others with disabilities that prevent them from talking. Prior to the 7-1-1 system, calls to and from deaf callers had to originate with a 10-digit number that varied from state to state.

Matlin, who plays Joey Lucas on NBC's "The West Wing," won an Academy Award for her role in the 1986 film "Children of a Lesser God."

Checker's move

Chubby Checker says the music industry has left him twisting in the wind.

The king of "The Twist" recently took out a full-page ad in Billboard magazine, arguing that he's one of rock 'n' roll's most important figures � and one of its most underappreciated.

In an open letter to the entertainment industry, Checker demanded a statue of himself in the courtyard of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. If he doesn't get one, he said he'll refuse induction into the hall, although he hasn't been voted in.

"I want my flowers while I'm alive. I can't smell them when I'm dead," he wrote. "I will not have the music business ignore my position in the industry."

Royal ambassador

Prince Andrew began his new job as a trade ambassador with a visit to a British factory that manufactures railway freight cars.

The 41-year-old prince, the Duke of York, ended his 22-year naval career in July to take up the job of royal roving ambassador for British Trade International, the government agency responsible for the promotion of overseas trade and investment.

Monday, the prince was shown around the Thrall Europa plant in York, in northeast England, where he chatted with factory workers. He met local business people before making a speech to Yorkshire industry representatives.

Anti-war cry



The founder of rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D, cautioned against rushing to war without first considering what it will cost Americans.

"All this rah, rah, rah, let's go get 'em," he said, reminds him of when his father was summoned to fight in Vietnam. His father returned from war deeply disturbed, he told a group of University of Georgia students on Monday.

Chuck D now tours the country speaking to various groups and has written an autobiography, "Fight the Power," which is also the title of a Public Enemy song.

The 41-year-old former rapper called the recent hijackings a reality check for a country in which nothing seemed to matter but entertainment and sports.

"The biggest news in this whole country before Sept. 11 was whether Michael Jordan would come back," Chuck D said.

But now, he said, "We need smart people. We need to listen to smart people."