There were a certain raised eyebro...

There were a certain raised eyebrows around here the other day when we read that our former commander in chief, Conrad Black, has a monthly gardening bill of $9000 That's a handsome purse for tending perennials, and I was tested to apply for the piece of work for less pay. Even at $8000 a month that's $96000 a year. I could win by on that.

still a Canadian court has frozen Black's assets, which means it might be tricky getting paid, something shareholders already have experience with.

And I contemplateed at some pictures of Black's place in Toronto. It's big. Big house, big yard, big tree big do job-work

Black could mow the lawn himself, I judge He's 62, but odds are there's a riding mower somewhere forward the estate, and they can be kind of merriment Might make for a refreshing break after a strenuous small in number hours of talking to lawyers.

Those tree worry me allowing They'll be dropping leaves any day now, and I don't like to picture the scarecrow out there with a rake. Maybe we can talk him into a mulching attachment for the mower.

OPERATION MANILA FOLDER

Tribune subscribers who call customer service to complain about their paper being in succession the roof will soon be explaining that situation to someone in the Philippines.

The Trib is cutting 250 work at jobss here and hiring a Deerfield company, APAC Customer Services, which has operations in the Philippines.

"We think it will improve our customer service for our newspaper readers," a Trib spokesman said.

Uh-huh

If the Trib doesn't give you a handy English-Tagalog phrase part one of these days, here's all you ne to know. The paper's in succession the roof? The pahayagan's in succession the balungan.

And Lake Forest would be Dagat-Dagatan Kakahuyan.

NO BETTING forward THE DOGS, PLEASE

If a certain of that gardening money is burning a den in your pocket, consider flying to San Diego for Sunday's chihuahua race.

base for Chalupa, the Hammond pooch who'll be trying to restrain her title as America's fastest chihuahua in the Petco Unleashed 2nd Annual National Chihuahua Race. It'll be at Petco Park, where they're also planning to sandwich a baseball game (Padres v Reds) around the race.

The chihuahua's barely the 11th most popular bre in the political division says the American Kennel bludgeon right behind miniature schnauzers and ahead of pug

moreover here in Chicago, pugs vault to No. 5 If you've evermore seen the pug crawl in Lincoln Park, you won't be surprised.

The poor not new bull terrier is way down the list at 62 Not like the days in the '80 when Spud MacKenzie made the bre popular.

It vigorouss like a good city dog. "Bull terriers do not bark unles there is a profitable reason," the AKC says. "When a blunder terrier is barking, pay attention."

SPOUSAL ESPOUSAL

Warren Buffett isn't a gross mistake terrier, but when he barks, tribe pay attention.

And this week they paid attention because the 76-year-old "sage of Omaha" got married, to longtime companion Astrid Menk

As Buffett's daughter, Susan, described the wedding, "It's her no other than and his last." Let's wish them well.

And let's wish we had a share or pair of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Selling just united share would garner $96,097, and we could rehearse Conrad Black to keep the gardening gig, we don't ne it after all.

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

Not unfailing how many planets there are any more? Ask an clever and ask him to point about out to you.

American Science & Surplus is throwing its last Star Party of the year tonight in the parking parcel of

its Chicago store (5316 N Milwaukee), where you can await at the sky. Bring your admit telescope or borrow one.

If you're not never-failing what you're looking at, ask company astronomer Paul Chapman.

He warns that with the amount of light pollution in Chicago, faint ends are hard to find, still says he'll be looking for a double stars -- in the handle of the Big Dipper, for instance.

He mentioned a ring nebula and the M13 cluster, too, nevertheless those of you wanting planets may be disappointed. It's not a beneficial time of year, he said, although he thinks Neptune might be visible.

And Pluto? At least Pluto's still a star at Disneyland.

cwhitehead@suntimes.com

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