SMOOTH OPERATOR: The big visions of AT&T chairman C. Michael Armstrong began to take shape last week as the company wooed and won cable TV provider MediaOne and secured the $5 billion support of Microsoft, making America's largest long-distance phone company its biggest cable provider. Illustration for TIME by Paul Davis

W I N N E R S JAMES BROWN No wonder he feels good. Godfather of Soul could make $55 million on bonds backed by his song royalties PHRA MAHA BUA YANASAMPANNO He should run for office. Thai monk raises $8.8 million in gold and cash for national coffers CHARLIE TROTTER Chicago cook wins gourmet's Oscar: James Beard Foundation names him chef of the year

L O S E R S SEAN CONNERY Not even 007 can pull it off. Actor lobbies, but Scots favor British Labour Party, not his nationalists, in vote ANDREA O'NEILL British Airways flight attendant loses bet plane won't land early, takes nearly naked lap around aircraft HOWARD MARKS Smoke this. Hong Kong refuses entry to onetime king of marijuana trafficking

V E R B A T I M
"Freedom of the press must have restrictions." Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's Deputy PM, after the judge in the sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim placed a gag order on the media "Film is a director's medium. We are basically puppets, walking around, hitting marks, saying lines." Liam Neeson, actor and Jedi master in the upcoming Star Wars film, announcing his plans to quit the movie business	"There was one big crack and the house was gone above us. Just crack, and it was gone." Tom Chase, Oklahoma resident hit by one of the deadly tornadoes that ripped through the region "The only way to achieve the summit is to come back alive. The job is half done if you don't get down again." John Mallory, son of British climber George Mallory, whose body was found on Mt. Everest last week