May 18, 2005

IT is not my imagination. Whole-wheat pasta tastes much better than it did 10 years ago, when all of it was brittle and grainy. If consumers partook in a blind taste test today, most would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a dish of the best brands of whole-wheat pasta and those made with white flour. Technology, for once not the enemy of good food, has figured out how to give whole-wheat pasta a texture quite similar to what most of us are used to, one that is slithery and that allows the pasta to slip down the throat deliciously and effortlessly.

Immigration officials arrest Luis Posada Carriles, Cuban exile suspected in deadly airplane bombing and other atttacks, weeks after he slipped into United States and shortly after he withdrew application for political asylum; Bush administration faced growing pressure from Cuba and its ally Venezuela to extradite him; critics had questioned why United States would not root out suspected terrorist, even one hailed by Cuban exiles as freedom fighter against Fidel Castro; as Homeland Security Dept detains 77-year-old Posada, hundreds of thousands of Cubans in Havana participate in protest march against him; photo of Posada (M)

Manohla Dargis Critic's Notebook column on Belgian film directors and brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, whose latest work, The Child, is being shown at Cannes Film Festival; two comment on working together; photos (M)

Financier Ronald O Perelman's fortunes are looking up after jury awards him $604 million from lawsuit against Morgan Stanley tied to his investment in Sunbeam; Revlon, cosmetic company that is his most prominent holding, is also in better shape these days, having reduced its debt sharply over last year, and shares of some of Perelman's lesser-known investments are holding their own; recent developments could mark renaissance for Perelman, who after developing reputation as one of most fearsome raiders in 1980's, suffered embarrassing string of losses; photo (M)

In Greek mythology, the Golden Age was a time without war, property or labor. Gentle breezes rendered clothes unnecessary. Death came as painless as a catnap. At Marquette University, the Gold Age lasted about a week, and it was not quite as serene. In a meeting this month, the university's board of trustees, tempted to resuscitate an athletic nickname with links to American Indian stereotypes, instead went with a new nickname few students and alumni were prepared for.