January 26, 2006

Liquid silicone, which was at one time used to enlarge women's breasts, is now being used in more refined way to reduce facial lines and scars; some experts warn that product, which creates permanent facial changes, can lead to extreme side effects that are also permanent; silicone was approved for medical use by Food and Drug Administration to hold detached retinas in place and no long-term studies of its use in plastic surgery have been completed; doctors give their opinions on liquid silicone procedures; photos (M)

In the court of public opinion, they were convicted long ago. But as Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling, the onetime leaders of Enron, step into a court of law next week, the outcome of their fraud trial is far from certain, creating one of the most closely watched and hotly contested white-collar criminal cases ever. On one side of the Houston federal courtroom starting Monday will be two top-flight teams of defense lawyers, who will be taking the risky approach of proclaiming many of the controversial actions of Enron and some much-criticized statements of their clients to be legal and truthful.

Someone has just opened a window in the funhouse. Daylight has flooded the little stage at St. Mark's Church, long the theatrical fief of the avant-garde auteur Richard Foreman, and boy, do things look excitingly different. What once was sinister, shadowy and perfectly self-contained now appears quaint, vulnerable, exposed. Little wonder that the whey-faced, kohl-eyed creatures who have been hanging out for decades in this tiny, self-contained amusement park -- who were Goths before Goth was a fashion -- have the startled air of nocturnal animals surprised by the dawn. They have been invaded, you see, by a ravishing alternative reality, with its own landscape and bizarrely natural-looking cast of characters, who pursue independent (if two-dimensional) lives. O, the heresy of it! With ''Zomboid!,'' his latest work, Mr. Foreman has resolutely introduced film into his theater, and it looks as if these seemingly antithetical art forms will just have to learn to get along.

Rauch Foundation-commissioned study finds that Long Island (NY) property taxes, which are some of highest in nation, are creating financial hardship for residents, who as result are clamoring for reforms; schools account for half local spending and many propose that local income tax dedicated to school funding is viable solution despite unwillingness up to now of politicians to support such a plan; graph (M)

Landscape designer Mario Nievera discusses devastation caused by Hurricane Wilma and other storms to gardens and trees in Palm Beach, Fla; is tailoring his advice to clients based on his own observations of which plants and trees can withstand extreme winds; is also designing landscaping to conceal large propane-fueled electricity generators, unsightly but increasingly common home addition after series of storms that knocked out power for prolonged periods; photos (M)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority yesterday proposed a contract considerably harsher to the city's transit workers than the one they narrowly voted down last Friday. Some labor experts said the authority's move was intended to pressure union leaders to accept binding arbitration -- but was likely to heighten labor unrest.

John Rockwell reviews New York City Ballet performance of new Christopher Wheeldon ballet; photos (M)

He's back. The Tracinda Corporation, owned by the billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, said on Wednesday that it had repurchased 12 million shares in General Motors stock that it had sold late last year to cover tax obligations, giving Mr. Kerkorian the same stake he held before the sale.

Interview with Michelle Huneven, novelist, first-time house buyer and co-author with Bernadette Murphy of The Tao Gals Guide to Real Estate; she discusses lessons she learned on her first foray into world of real estate market as single woman and describes house hunting in tight Los Angeles area, shopping for mortgage, and her experiences with contractors during renovations; photos (M)

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer raises unprecedented $19 million in campaign funds despite high-profile investigations into dealings at New York Stock Exchange and investment banks; Kenneth G Langone, former New York Stock Exchange director and co-founder of Home Depot, criticizes Spitzer's motives as political and discusses his support of Democrat Thomas R Suozzi in Democratic gubernatorial primary (M)

Connecticut University defeats St John's University, 66-50; photos (M)5

Cathy Horyn review of Paris spring haute couture collections credits John Galliano of Dior with stirring images of historic French Revolution and revolution occurring on Paris streets today; holds that couture continues to thrive because designers, like Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel and others, are able to make designs relevant to all generations and honor all traditions; photos