21.  Any purchases by Telmex just before earnings were reported would be "obviously outside the law," he said.

22.  Any record-breaking winter must conjure memories of the Blizzard of '78, when more snow fell in one storm than any before or since.

23.  Dent looked great before his knee surgery, but now, who knows about next year?

24.  Denver and Oakland pulled the biggest toe stubs, losing to Kansas City and Seattle, respectively, which had won a combined 11 games before this week.

25.  Denver departures are also halved, from 16 before Sept. 11 to eight beginning tomorrow.

26.  Deferring to age before beauty, we'll deal with 50-year-old Luther Vandross first.

27.  Denver would seem to have the edge because Shanahan has been there before and is close to quarterback John Elway as well to Bowlen.

28.  Deficit spending, on a scale no nation at peace has ever tried before, has kept the economy afloat.

29.  Definitely the latter, according to the Bruins, who defeated Oregon State 85-67 Sunday afternoon before 9,472 in Pauley Pavilion, in an otherwise forgettable game.

30.  Defrost 15 minutes before serving.