Periscope

EXCLUSIVE Guggenheim: Flying Down to Rio New York's Guggenheim Museum has already taken the notion of global franchises farther than any other American palace of culture, with its famous branch in Bilbao, Spain, designed by Frank Gehry, as well as satellites in Venice and Berlin. Now the museum has a big new gallery under construction in Las Vegas, in a deal with the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino that includes the Guggenheim's new cultural partner, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. So where has the Gugg's globe-trotting director, Thomas Krens, set his sights for his next colonization? The land of the bossa nova. On Nov. 15, at a Guggenheim gala in New York, Krens is expected to announce a partnership with Brazilian financier and philanthropist Edemar Cid Ferreira to do a feasibility study for two new Guggenheims, one in Rio de Janeiro and one in a regional city. This week Krens is scheduled to fly to Brazil with his posse--Gehry and Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, designer of the Vegas gallery--to scout sites in Rio and the cities of Curitiba, Recife and Salvador. In Rio, the trio will check out big chunks of real estate: sources say a museum there might be part of a larger complex with a concert hall, convention center and shops. Everything a girl from Ipanema could want.

POWER 'Madeleine Inc.' For Albright? No matter who wins the election, few members of Bill Clinton's cabinet are likely to be spotted around the White House much after Jan. 20. That includes the administration's most senior member, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. "She very much wants to stay," says another cabinet member, "but [Al] Gore would not want her." One reason is that an Albright rival, U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, is a favorite to take the spot if Gore wins. But Albright won't be idle: associates expect she'll write a book, start a democracy foundation, give speeches and revert to her old role of running one of Georgetown's best salons. "My guess is she'll pursue some form of Madeleine Inc.," says ex-aide James Rubin. But one who could survive a Gore purge is Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, who has expressed confidence he'd be asked to stay on (at least for a time; Gore crony Jim Johnson, the ex-Fannie Mae chief, also could head Treasury).

THE WEB Short on Funds, Big on Fun While dot-com success has never been measured in traditional ways, the latest badge of honor is particularly curious. For sites that tank, a stellar "e-obituary" is the hallmark of going out in style. Animators at yourownworld.com, a kids' site, created a final cartoon where the site's characters sail into the sunset. Freescholarships.com asks: "So is this goodbye forever? Who knows? Even David Hasselhoff's career had a bit of a resurgence." "It's hard to have fun doing this," says Philip Kaplan, who runs dot-tank monitor f---edcompany.com, "but I guess it's nice to have the last word."

THE BUZZ Dennis, Start Blow Drying Your Hair Dennis Miller hasn't exactly been the touchdown ABC was hoping for: If "Monday Night Football" ratings get any lower, the show will be competing for air time in purgatory, babe. Time to punt? Here's what people are saying in print, on air and online:

Bell Jarred Football fans don't 'want a smartalecky PhD in the booth, quoting Sylivia Plath as if he were hosting a Mensa potluck party.' (Paul Farhi, Wash. Post)

Bad Taste 'He loves every football coach and corporate sponsor he meets-he sucks up more than the McCaughey septuplets to a baby bottle.' (Norman Chad, Wash. Post)

Diaper Dandy Of the four new teammates, the star rookie is actually comely sideline reporter Melissa Stark. Solid, smart, she's been a 'winner from the start' (USA Today). And, uh, she's silly hot.

Time Out During last week's 'MNF,' 'Miller didn't come on until 9:08, his latest bow yet, and his opening segment was the shortest yet. The phrase "easing him out" leapt to...mind.' (Slate)

NEWSWEEK.COM LIVE VOTE
Will you still use Napster if you have to pay a fee?
1. Yes, even if you have to pay, it's still cheaper than buying CDs.
2. Yes, I'd feel more comfortable using it if there was a charge.
3. No, I enjoy getting something for nothing.
4. No, Napster doesn't play any role in my life.

TRANSITION Double Oscars Ring Lardner Jr., son of humorist Ring Lardner, won an Oscar for co-writing the first Hepburn-Tracy vehicle, "Woman of the Year." A communist, he refused to answer questions from the House Un-American Committee, saying, "I'd hate myself in the morning." He spent nine months in prison and years on the black-list, then won a 1970 Oscar for "M*A*S*H." He died at 85.

MOVIES The Angels' Style Guide "Charlie's Angels" is hawking everything from baby Ts to designer shades--all to give laywomen that heavenly '70s style. But why pawn your halo to dress like an angel? The film's stars use accessories all women are born with. In the original series, one angel was smart, another athletic and the third pretty. Now there's only anatomical individuality--the butt, the mouth and the hair angel. In scene after scene, Cameron Diaz bumps and grinds, Drew Barrymore licks and Lucy Liu's hair shimmers in slow mo. Cleavage, of course, remains every angel's best friend.

MOVIES Guess Who's Coming to the Rescue Critics fried "The Green Mile" for its depiction of a black convict with all the traits of a stereotypical "good slave": mystical healing powers and an overriding interest in saving the white man. But judging from the crop of fall movies, Hollywood isn't giving up the formula just yet. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" has Will Smith caddying Mr. Damon. All-knowing black characters prompt their white counterparts' self-discovery in "Unbreakable" and "The Family Man." And "Bedazzled" takes the cliche to extremes with a black actor as God. "In one sense these are positive roles," said DePaul University's Michael Eric Dyson, a cultural scholar. "But they're just means to an end--means to the white characters' salvation--and not ends in themselves."

TRENDS With Toys Like This, Who Needs Friends? There have been talking dolls since 1888, but now everything's gone interactive. PERI takes a look at the evolution of interactive entertainment, but as George Darrow of NYC's Antique Fun advises, "Don't forget toys without batteries - they never go dead." FAST CHATBon Appetit, American Style Let us give thanks for Julia Child. With a new book, "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom," the unstoppable, 88-year-old matron saint of cooking offers some pointers for that most glorious of meals around the corner.

PERI: What do you think of Thanksgiving?
CHILD: I love Thanksgiving. I love tradition. I hate Christmas, with all the presents. But Thanksgiving is just a big feast.

What do the French think of it?
They don't think about it, they're focused on themselves.

What is the most important part of Thanksgiving?
The turkey the next day. I like an open-faced sandwich with a big turkey breast on white bread with a lot of mayo. And capers. Capers are very good.

Is it important to eat everything, even the rutabagas?
You should eat what you like.

Are there any new trends in Thanksgiving feasts?
I haven't heard of any, have you?

No, not since the deep-fat-fried turkey a few years ago.
That would take a lot of fat, wouldn't it. It's supposed to be delicious.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM On the eve of the election, the CW takes a break from politics (wait for our special issue). In the meantime, vote for the candidates of your choice - or at least just vote.

                           C.W.


Space Sta.          =      Good news: The lights and toilet work
                           Bad news: What do we do with this thing?

S. Allen            +      "Tonight Show" pioneer was the smartest
                           man ever on TV. As he kept reminding us.

Kasparov            -      First he loses to a computer, now to a human
                           protege. Next stop: Washington Square.

Newcombe            +      Former tennis pro now trivia answer: What
                           athlete was in Dubya's car when he DUI'd?

'C.'s Angels'       =      Remake has all the substance of cotton
                           candy and is just as tasty. Hellllo Oscar!

Asteroid            =      There's one that could hit us in 2030. So who
                           cares about the Social Security trust fund?