41.   Rain will dampen the Northeast coast again this weekend, continuing a trend of wet weekends established in late May.

42.   Probably not, say most demographers, who see the new generation continuing long-term trends toward individualism, mobility and technological mastery in American society.

43.   Sales also continued the trend upward.

44.   Sales at major retail clothing chains were poor last month, continuing a trend that has been in place for months.

45.   SpeechWorks International Tuesday continued a trend of telecommunications firms bucking the choppy market for technology-sector initial public offerings.

46.   Tennessee has dominated the Bengals and will continue the trend, adding to what has been another in a series of losing seasons for Cincinnati.

47.   That continues the trend begun last season, when several players were forced to take pay cuts of millions of dollars to secure jobs.

48.   The accord between Conrail and CSX continues a trend by railroads to expand through acquisitions and mergers.

49.   The agreement on Friday continues that trend.

50.   The Astros continued the trend Saturday, failing to capitalize against a Florida pitching staff that walked more batters than there were suntanned bodies on South Beach.