Today's Story Line:

Call it Lady Democracy's weekend.

At noon on Saturday, George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States. Half a world away, at the same local time in Manila, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became the 14th president of the Philippines.

The first transition was that of a mature democracy: carefully scripted, drawing on 200-plus years of history and heartfelt traditions. The second was somewhat improvised. It borrowed from a blueprint just 15 years old. But the guiding principles were the same. And the case of the Philippines illustrates how democracy, rough hewn though it may be, is making a go of it in Southeast Asia (page1).

Quote of note: "We don't want to have to do this a third time.... We have to go after [former President] Estrada and his cronies or suspicion will fall on this government that nothing has changed."

- Guillermo Luz, Filipino businessman.

David Clark Scott World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB..

TAKE MY WIFE: Reporter Shawn Donnan was accompanied by his wife - who is an art historian and budding photographer - on his search for a "yowie," the Australian version of sasquatch. They have worked together before. "She tends to have a very different relationship with the people I'm interviewing. Her reaction to people tends to be more human rather than the kind of detached, polite observer status I tend to adopt as a reporter."

But Shawn says "this was the first time that Rachel became a part of the story, which adds a whole new dimension to working together." Shawn adds that when he went to journalism school they never dealt with whether or not to use your spouse as yowie bait in any of those ethics classes.

"On Saturday I answered the phone at home and it was my mother-in-law. Among her first words: 'You used my daughter as yowie bait!' They didn't teach me how to deal with that situation either in journalism school!"

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Publishing Society