News In Brief

I'VE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES

As with other dotcom millionaires, the past several months haven't been kind to Jaakko Rytsola. As noted in this space last November, he paid the largest traffic fine in Finnish history - more than $70,000 - because penalties there are based on the offender's annual income. But that was then, and now circumstances have changed. Rytsola appealed, and last week a Helsinki court refunded all but $119 of the fine. Why? Because he successfully argued that the downturn in Internet commerce has lowered his cash flow to an average of $17.90 a month.

IT'S WHAT MY FRIENDS CALL ME

There are, however, still people who just can't get enough of the Web. Case in point: Tomer Krrissi, a 20-something computer programmer from Ramat Gan, a town in central Israel. Or, to use the name he now prefers: Tomer.com - since he has talked the Interior Ministry into approving the change, even on his passport. "The Internet," he explained, "has changed my life."

Rising stars at the stove: Rating the best new chefs

Culinary masters from San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, and Austin, Texas, are among the US' most promising new chefs, according to an annual list by Food & Wine magazine. Its editors evaluated thousands of nominations, selecting the finalists through taste tests and other assessments. This year's 10 best new chefs (in alphabetical order, with their restaurants) as announced by the magazine earlier this month:

Kelly Courtney Mod, Chicago

Wylie Dufresne 71 Clinton Fresh Food, New York

Sandro Gamba NoMI, Chicago

Randy Lewis Indigo, New Orleans

Anita Lo Annisa, New York

Will Packwood Emilia's, Austin, Texas

E. Michael Reidt Bomboa, Boston

Frank Ruta Palena, Washington

Craig Stoll Delfina, San Francisco

John Sundstrom Earth & Ocean, Seattle

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