Magic Wand

Ever wish that you could just wave a magic wand and--poof!--you wouldn't have to work out or diet? Even witches have to work at it. Melissa Joan Hart does as "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (ABC). Hart, 21, does put the whammy on skin problems, though. "Tea tree [oil] I use all the time, like if I get zits or for my scalp if I've had a rough week with blow dryers." * Question: Any other potions? Answer: I put tub tea--they're like big tea bags--in the bath to relax and Ylang-ylang.

Sabriya Bakewell was lucky, because she was such a happy child and so well-loved. But neither love nor money could stop the leukemia that led to her death in Childrens Hospital, where she spent her last two months of life. Sabriya had just turned 17 when she died last April 28. And, as her father, Danny Bakewell Sr., explains: "She left a gift." A dazzling idea that popped up from nowhere and danced around in his brain.

Gripe all you want about the practices of the 90-odd (and we do mean odd) members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. and their annual Bizarro World slate of Golden Globe nominations. We get it. But deep down, we admit we harbor a smidgen of affection for this crazy uncle of the awards season and its ability to look beyond the same old same-old in ways that frequently irritate, yes, but also occasionally make us smile with appreciation. What's to be gleaned from this years slate of noms?

Earl Weaver has not been able to wave a magic wand and make instant winners of the Baltimore Orioles. But one of the first moves Weaver made upon his return as manager may be paying dividends for several years to come. Weaver, a man who likes to be surrounded by home run hitters, installed Mike Young as a regular in the Orioles' lineup. The switch-hitting outfielder-designated hitter has just about the hottest bat in the American League.

For all the trouble they cause, bacteria and viruses are actually very fragile. Shower them with a little bleach or Lysol and they'll die in apocalyptic waves. Make their homes too dry, too cold or too hot and they'll drop like microscopic flies. Ultraviolet light -- more specifically, short wavelength ultraviolet light, or UV-C -- kills germs too.

According to "Russian Budget Is Beyond 'Deficit' " [Nov. 21], the shortfall is so serious that the word "deficit" is no longer adequate. Their chief economic guru says they need a new word. Haven't they learned anything from us? You call it a surplus. That's what Congress (with White House acquiescence) does. They borrow (steal?) from the Social Security trust fund and--presto--no more deficit. You say the Russians don't have a Social Security trust fund? Well, don't tell anybody, but neither do we. The money is gone.

"WE go until it happens," rap producer Dr. Dre says about all the time he spends in the recording studio searching for hits, once as long as 79 hours in a single stretch. "When the ideas are coming," says the man who is one of the half-dozen most influential producers of the modern pop era, "I don't stop until the ideas stop because that train doesn't come along all the time." Some hip-hop fans, however, must be wondering if this particular train isn't off the track.

A half-year's listening has produced a list of recordings that are likely to linger in the memory, perhaps even take their place among the classics of the medium. The following, heard in recent weeks and in some instances overlooked earlier, join the list of the best at midyear, 1993.

Reporting from Johannesburg -- Forget South Africa's talented midfielder Steven Pienaar, hulking defender Matthew Booth or strapping goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune. The man who may give Mexico the most trouble in Friday's World Cup opener is a frail 91-year-old great-grandfather. Former South African President Nelson Mandela is expected to make a brief appearance at Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium, where he will greet players and fans before South Africa and Mexico kick off the first World Cup to be played on African soil.