Stories for May 25, 2008

Take me out of the ballgame

Sun, May 25, 12:25 p.m.

By Ross Anderson

This is the year to quit. This is the season to kick the habit. No patches, no pills, no support groups. Just say no. To baseball, that is. It's time to kick it, and the hometown team — God bless their mediocre souls — is making it easy.

Behind the scenes at the Big Top

Sun, May 25, midnight

By Arne Zaslove

The Art of Clowning: What the audience sees at a Cirque du Soleil show is only a portion of the story, from the intense training and tough competition among performers to the challenges of translating a timeless art form for modern audiences. A veteran insider offers a behind-the-scenes look. Part 1