etc...

MY ACCOUNTANT HANDLES THAT

If you haven't heard, Tiger Woods has added another title to his résumé. In addition to all his other championships, he's now the No. 1 taxpayer in ... Shenzen, China. That's not a misprint. The booming city is one of five special economic zones, and last November the world's most famous pro golfer agreed to conduct a clinic there and play two exhibition rounds. His fee: $2 million - or $1,999,241 more than the annual per capita net income for Chinese city dwellers. Oh, Woods's tax? $483,000.

As yesterday's deadline for changing over to the euro, the new single currency of the European Union, arrived in Italy, some folks were cashing in their remaining lira. Others, anticipating bouts with nostalgia, saved one or two for posterity, pressing them into albums or tossing them into dresser drawers. Not Walter Veltroni, however. Drawing on all his Latin pride - and, by the way, sensing a priceless photo-op - the mayor of Rome marched to the city's legendary Trevi fountain and tossed his last lira over a shoulder and into the water, just as tourists have done for centuries. Yes, news cameras were there to record it all.

US-made vehicles dominated this year's Drivers' Choice Awards from "MotorWeek," a magazine program produced by Maryland Public Television. A 10-judge panel rated vehicles on performance, technology, practicality, and value. A partial list of its "best of 2002":

Small car: Nissan Sentra*

Family sedan: Nissan Altima

Minivan: (tie) Dodge Caravan*; Chrysler Voyager*; Chrysler Town & Country*

Convertible: Ford Thunderbird

Luxury sedan: Cadillac CTS

Sport sedan: Subaru Impreza WRX

Small SUV: Saturn Vue

Family SUV: (tie) Ford Explorer; Mercury Mountaineer

Pickup truck: Dodge Ram

*Repeat winner from 2001

- Associated Press