Fearless

Lindsey Jacobellis versus the world. That's what it has come down to for the blond bombshell from Stratton Vt., the term in this case describing her win-at-all-costs style in a snowboard slalom during which riders careen shoulder to shoulder in a jump-filled dash to the finish. Jacobellis, 20, is the lone entry on the U.S. women's team, so the nation's hope for a gold medal in this new Olympic event rests solely on her shoulders.

You're not hard-core Unless you live hard-core. -- Dewey Finn, "The School of Rock" * SACRAMENTO -- Meet hard-core. Genius comes in many packages, but no one ever saw anything like Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, a one-man cultural revolution from the top of his cornrows to the bottom of his shorts, which drooped inches from his black ankle braces and inspired one of many memos from the league office. Referees called him for palming on his killer crossover dribble.

"He not busy being born is busy dying," wrote Bob Dylan -- and that could sum up the essence of Terry Riley. Although UCLA Live was a little late Saturday night at Royce Hall with its celebration of Riley's 70th birthday -- which occurred June 24 -- the long program caught the ever-questing spirit of Riley (and Dylan) perfectly, with young musical groups fearlessly, sometimes recklessly, mutating the seeds that Riley planted long ago.

Let us now praise satirical Jews. It's a noble tradition that includes such luminaries as Groucho Marx, Fran Lebowitz and Jon Stewart, outsiders who mock society with a surgical scalpel of wit to reveal the ridiculous in sharp relief. To that illustrious group some may consider adding writer Shalom Auslander. In his debut collection of short stories, "Beware of God," Auslander takes his knife to the pious veneer of modern-day religious Jewish life and makes sport of exposing its underbelly.

To not be afraid in combat is to not be human, but eyeballing the ape -- encountering the kind of fear that immobilizes and twists the body fetal -- can ruin a man. It surely can ruin an officer leading other fearful men. Halfway through Donald Pfarrer's jarring novel "The Fearless Man," Marine Capt. MacHugh (Mac) Clare eyeballs the ape.

John Cassavetes: Five Films Criterion, $125 Criterion's comprehensive six-disc set includes five features by the influential maverick director-actor who has been called the father of American indie cinema -- "Shadows," "Faces," "A Woman Under the Influence," "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" and "Opening Night" -- and a compelling documentary on Cassavetes, "A Constant Forge." What the set really spotlights is Cassavetes' fearless desire to explore the intricacies of the human condition.

Observations, reflections and opinions of a kickoff college football weekend during which USC literally sweated out a victory over Virginia Tech in 74% humidity: * If Trojan tailback Reggie Bush keeps this act up, he could be the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. (OK, that kind of talk is irresponsible and premature, but, for sure, Bush is the NCAA's player of the month for August.

Re "Ridge Warns of Specific Threats," Aug. 2: Every age is one of cynicism that exceeds that of the last. One has to wonder if the government's terror alert for New York, northern New Jersey and Washington is real or simply the administration's government-funded orchestration to steal attention from Sen. John Kerry's post-convention campaign. If nothing happens, are we to conclude that the power of the federal, state and local intelligence and law enforcement agencies have succeeded in keeping us safe, or have they elevated our level of fear in order to portray President Bush as the fearless leader?