CRIB NOTES

Homemaking book simplifies organizing

It’s effortless to be an armchair homemaker, channel surfing from one DIY program to the next, dreaming of someday cooking that four-course meal in 30 minutes, or having a bathroom organized just like Martha’s.

But when you’re ready to put down the remote, "Home Made Simple" (St. Martin’s Griffin, $27.99) could be a handy reference book to have. Just released by the experts of TLC’s "Home Made Simple," which airs 9 a.m. Saturdays, its 328 pages are steeped with simple how-tos for organizing, cleaning and entertaining, and even has recipes.

Handy illustrations include one on how to set a table properly. Never again wonder what type of fork is supposed to go where.

And tasks such as cleaning a coffee maker sound so easy, it inspires the urge to get off the couch and give it a test.

According to "Home Made Simple," here’s how:

» Fill the pot with one part white vinegar to two parts water, or half vinegar and half water, depending on the amount of buildup in your machine. Do not use baking soda because it will clog and ruin the appliance.

» Place a filter in the filter cup, pour the solution where you usually put water, and let the liquid run through the machine.

» Discard the filter and mixture.

» Run plain water through the coffee maker twice to rinse away any remaining vinegar.

» Run your filter cup and pot through the dishwasher.

— Ruby Mata-Viti, Star-Advertiser

PEOPLE

Lithuanian fans give Baltimore Zappa bust

Baltimore » Rocker Frank Zappa was born in Baltimore but gained greater popular acclaim in Europe than in the United States.

Yesterday, devout European fans of the late musician brought his mustachioed likeness back home in the form of a bronze bust.

City officials dedicated the bust of the composer outside an East Baltimore library. The bust is a replica of another in a public square in Vilnius, Lithuania, and was donated to the city by Zappa enthusiasts in the small Baltic nation.

"The spirit of Frank Zappa is alive and well in Baltimore," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said.

Zappa’s widow, Gail, and three of his children watched as a curtain was drawn back to reveal the bust set atop a 12-foot steel pole. Later, Zappa’s son Dweezil took the stage with his tribute band, Zappa Plays Zappa.

‘Speech’ garners fan award at filmfest

TORONTO » "The King’s Speech" was crowned the fan favorite yesterday at the Toronto International Film Festival, a possible precursor to an Academy Award nomination.

The British/Australian film is a critically acclaimed portrait of a stammering monarch preparing for war. It stars Colin Firth as King George VI, Geoffrey Rush as his Australian speech therapist and Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen Mother.

The film festival’s director, Piers Handling, predicted Oscar nominations for the three leads and a possible best-picture slot for Tom Hooper’s film, noting it garnered steady attention throughout the 11-day festival, which ended yesterday.

The Toronto International Film Festival is a prime launching place for big Hollywood movies and Academy Award contenders.