Janet

The art of subtext in playwriting--in which a character says one thing, but is thinking something else--has almost become lost in the current theater, where on-the-nose dialogue is king. Except subtext is how real people talk in the real world.

One morning in the nation's foreclosure capital, several dozen property owners filed into the Clark County Government Center, their expressions as dreary as the gray sky outside. Carrying manila folders thick with documents, they settled into a cavernous room, praying an obscure board would lower the values of their homes. This might seem counterintuitive. But one odd consequence of the recession is that, in Clark County, more people than ever are trying to drag down their property values, which are already in the dumps.

Today is the day that Michael Jackson begins the defense of his pop crown. Or, more precisely, the day he attempts to regain his pop crown. Epic Records is releasing to radio stations today "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," a duet with Siedah Garrett. It's Jackson's first new record since 1982's "Thriller," the most successful album of all time with worldwide sales of 38.5 million.

Question: What are the travel requirements for going to Cuba? Is it possible to fly out of Tijuana, Mexico, to Cuba with a U.S. passport? Are there any other ID or passport cards required? Patricia Morrison San Juan Capistrano Answer: Yes, an individual can fly to Cuba from Tijuana, but a license - that is, a special permission - is required to do so (although some websites argue it's not necessary). Treasury Department regulations say this: "The Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 CFR Part 515 (the 'Regulations')

The California Air Resources Board on Thursday banned popular in-home ozone air purifiers, saying studies have found that they can worsen conditions such as asthma that marketers claim they help to prevent. The regulation, which the board said is the first of its kind in the nation, will require testing and certification of all types of air purifiers. Any that emit more than a tiny amount of ozone will have to be pulled from the California market.

On Christmas Eve 1955, "champagne music" bandleader Lawrence Welk introduced the Lennon Sisters from Venice - Dianne, Peggy, Kathy and Janet - on his popular ABC musical variety series, "The Lawrence Welk Show. " And before you could say "a-one-and-a-two," the girls, ages 9 to 16, were an overnight phenomenon. Their harmonies were pure, with Peggy singing the high notes, Kathy the low, and Dianne - known as Dee Dee - and Janet, in the middle. They scored their first hit "Tonight, You Belong to Me" in 1956.

David Beckhams of the world, Mafia snitches who get their kneecaps broken and even folks prone to whacking their legs on inanimate objects have one more thing to worry about. Injuries to the leg may increase the risk of blood clots. In a study of 2,471 patients diagnosed with either deep venous thrombosis (a blood clot in the leg) or pulmonary embolism (a clot that has traveled to the lung), researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that 11.

It's a worst-case scenario for most employees: There's someone in China who can do your job quickly, efficiently and for about one-fifth of your salary, and your boss absolutely loves his work.  But one U.S. software developer turned this nightmare on its head and actually benefited from outsourcing, a report says. That's because, unbeknownst to his bosses, he hired a Chinese developer to do his job, allowing him to take home impeccable performance reviews while actually spending the day watching cat videos and shopping on EBay.

Bobbi Kristina Brown has slammed her grandmother's new book, "Remembering Whitney," about the late Whitney Houston, Krissy's mom.  "ANYTHING concerning my grandmothers Book I & @nickdgordon OF COURSE personally have NOTHING 2 do with I ask you pls RESPECT tht Haven't read & won't," she said on Twitter last week, several days after Cissy Houston's interview with Oprah Winfrey had aired. "I find it 2B Disrespect 2 MY MOTHER & me being HER DAUGHTER won't tolerate it. I LOVE YOU ALL for your support though & I thank you immensely••xO!"

Pop diva Janet Jackson is expected to sign a four-album contract today with Virgin Records worth an estimated $80 million--an unprecedented fee that analysts say could set the stage for another round of music industry mega-deals. The pact is the biggest ever awarded, surpassing the $60-million mark shared by such superstars as Michael Jackson and Madonna, whose six-album deals included film and joint-venture record label components.