Rex

THIS WEEK belongs to punk heroes and children of the '90s alt-rock revolution. In the early '80s, the large and in charge Portland punkers Poison Idea predicted the Pacific Northwest noise and then disbanded just as the rest of the world was catching up with them. After over a decade, they're back together again at Rex's (10 tonight, 344 W. Gay St., West Chester, Pa., 610-696-7769, $10, www.rexsbar.com). David Johansen, who predated punk and glam with the New York Dolls in the early '70s, and annoyed everyone as Buster Poindexter with '80s wedding reception staple, "Hot Hot Hot," is now fronting a folk-blues project called the Harry Smiths, named for the eccentric music collector whose "Anthology of American Folk Music" jump-started the folk music boom of the '50s and '60s (which begat Bob Dylan)

Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc. has sold Rex after two years of mostly disappointing sales for the line of credit-card-size personal organizers. Xircom Inc., a maker of computer peripheral equipment, is paying $13.25 million for Rex, which last year contributed 15 percent of Franklin's sales. Franklin said it would record a gain of $8 million from the sale. Although it is divesting itself of the line, the Burlington Township company will continue to work with Rex - as a software provider.

Ever since Jurassic Park, the Tyrannosaurus rex has undeniably been in need of some spin doctors to give its image a makeover. I would argue that the creature took the right step in Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster by making a terrified lawyer its first human meal. It makes more progress toward a kinder, gentler - if rather improbable - profile in the new Imax offering T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous. This is a movie with the best intentions that admirably tries to educate youngsters about the lives of the dinosaurs they love.

LOS ANGELES - The discovery of a giant meat-eating dinosaur sporting a downy coat has some scientists reimagining the look of Tyrannosaurus rex. With a killer jaw and sharp claws, T. rex has long been depicted in movies and popular culture as having scaly skin. But the discovery of an earlier relative suggests the king of dinosaurs may have had a softer side. The evidence comes from the unearthing of a new tyrannosaur species in northeastern China that lived 60 million years before T. rex. The fossil record preserved remains of fluffy down, making it the largest feathered dinosaur ever found.

BANTAM, the new punk-and-roll trio led by former Lunachick Gina Volpe, is at Rex's (10 tonight, 344 W. Gay St., West Chester, 610-696-7769, www.rexsbar.com) . . . Roots-rock godfathers the Blasters kick off a weekend of alt-country shows this week (9 tonight, Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., 215-922-1011, $28, 21+), followed by Old 97s heartbreaker Rhett Miller (9 p.m. Saturday, $15 in advance, $17 day of show) . . . Fellow countrypolitans should also check out Hem, a collaboration between New York songwriter Dan Messe, producer Gary Maurer (Jon Spencer, Luna)

When Rex left the Police Academy in Philadelphia for Willingboro this spring, officers jokingly lamented that the City of Philadelphia wouldn't be making any more money off the $3,700 German shepherd. That's because Rex, a 2-year-old police dog trained to sniff out explosives, was called on several times in the last year by the Willingboro Police Department to check out bomb threats in school buildings. Each visit cost the Willingboro school district $280 to $350. "That was the big joke in Philadelphia," said Willingboro Police Officer Christopher Vetter, who trained with Rex over a 29-week period.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . Wonder Dogs? Two caped canine crusaders were among the more than 50 animals entered by children in the annual pet parade at the PAWS Nature Center in Mount Laurel last weekend, vying for prizes in one of four categories: best dressed, most obedient, most talented and most unusual. The parade is held to encourage better treatment of animals and foster a sense of pet responsibility in children. "We really look to see how children respond to their pets and treat the animals when we award prizes," said Kate Tweedy, a volunteer at the center.

Last time around, they paved paradise and put up a Jurassic parking lot. And once again, in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the awesome creatures on an island petting zoo eat the hands that feed them. But this time, it's not just a feeding frenzy on some remote isle. This time it's The Tyrannosaurus Who Ate San Diego. Yup, a ripping yarn with more than a few ripped limbs. A cautionary tale colossal, scaly and predatory as a T. rex, The Lost World is a B-minus monster movie with A-plus production values.

It is the gadget buyer's Tickle Me Elmo, and this year another New Jersey company gets to cope with hyper-demand for a product in short supply. The same phenomenon that fueled Tyco Toys a year ago is now under way at Franklin Electronic Publishers in Burlington. Franklin makes REX, a handheld electronic organizer, that quickly produced a buzz among the techno-cognoscenti after its debut this fall. About the size of a credit card, REX stores and displays thousands of address book entries, calendar dates and other details.

When word leaked out that Rex's bar was closing, both fans and foes of the storied West Chester watering hole were caught a little off guard. Rex's - whose own proprietor describes it as "the quintessential dive bar" - has been a noisy fixture in town for nearly two decades, showcasing the rowdiest local and national bands and drawing audiences from throughout the region. The bar and rock club - near the corner of West Gay and North Wayne Streets - hosted acts such as George Thorogood, Cowboy Junkies, Dr. Dog and Squirrel Nut Zippers long before they became stars.

Rex Scouten, 88, whose 48-year career in the White House began with the Trumans and ended with the Clintons, and whose duties included helping first families transition to their oversized new home, died Feb. 20 at a hospital near his home in Fairfax, Va. The cause was complications from hip surgery, said his daughter Carol Scouten. Mr. Scouten started as a Secret Service agent and ended his career as curator of the White House's art and furnishings. Most of his years were spent as chief usher of the White House, primarily managing the 132-room mansion.

Jason Poole is dusty and canvas-clad. His leather satchel and Indiana Jones hat rest near the feet of Hadrosaurus foulkii , a Cretaceous-period dinosaur skeleton. But Poole isn't digging - he's drawing. Swiveling his head from a larger-than-life blackboard to the bones at his right, he fleshes out a rib cage. A few broad chalk strokes here, a softening of the palm there, and the creature creeps closer to life. "This dinosaur probably got eaten by T. rex ," blurts 7-year-old Juan Wilson.

TELEVISION was learning how to be television back in the '50s in Philadelphia. Live broadcasting was still in the experimental stage, with crazy people like Ernie Kovacs showing what could be done if you had the imagination and nerve. Live broadcasts on Channel 3 in those years included several kiddie shows that still stick in the memories of older Philadelphians. While Kovacs was entertaining with camera innovations and comic ad-libbing (including running through the Philly streets in a gorilla suit)

Rex Trailer, 84, the native Texan beloved by a generation of New England children for the cowboy skills he demonstrated on the Boston-based television show Boomtown , died Wednesday at his family's home in Florida, said his friend and manager Michael Bavaro. He recently had fallen ill with pneumonia. Mr. Trailer hosted Western-themed TV shows in Philadelphia for five years before landing in Boston in 1955. Boomtown ran on Boston television from 1956 until 1974. Mr. Trailer was the host, singing, playing guitar, and showing off the horse-riding, roping, and other cowboy skills he learned as a boy on his grandfather's Texas ranch.

With the ink not even dry on the New York Jets' dreadful season, Rex Ryan fled to the Bahamas only to be photographed lounging poolside at a resort hotel, book in hand, with an interesting tattoo gracing his right biceps. It showed his wife, Michelle, wearing an unmistakably green Jets jersey emblazoned with the unmistakable No. 6 of embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez. And nothing else. The * * * 

With the ink not even dry on the New York Jets' dreadful season, Rex Ryan fled to the Bahamas only to be photographed lounging poolside at a resort hotel, book in hand, with an interesting tattoo gracing his right biceps. It showed his wife, Michelle, wearing an unmistakably green Jets jersey emblazoned with the unmistakable No. 6 of embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez. And nothing else. The New York Daily News ran a front-page photo Friday and by lunchtime it was an Internet sensation.

MARK SANCHEZ is no longer the New York Jets' franchise quarterback. He might not even be the backup. Rex Ryan decided to bench Sanchez on Tuesday in favor of Greg McElroy after the fourth-year quarterback had another miserable performance in a 14-10 loss at Tennessee on Monday night that eliminated the Jets from playoff contention. "I think it's best for our team, and for this game," Ryan said during a conference call. So, it'll be McElroy under center for his first NFL start when the Jets (6-8)

THE NEW YORK Jets' Rex Ryan is the NFL's most overrated coach, according to a poll of league players. Eagles coach Andy Reid was third in the voting, behind New England's Bill Belichick. The survey was conducted by the Sporting News, which polled 103 players from 27 teams. The players were not allowed to vote for their own coach. Ryan was named on 35 ballots, followed by Belichick (16), Reid (nine) and Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan (eight). The Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin was fifth with four votes, followed by the St. Louis Rams' Jeff Fishers, San Francisco 49ers' Jim Harbaugh and San Diego Chargers' Norv Turner, who were tied for sixth with three votes each.

Gotta hand it to Rex Ryan: His team is 3-5, his players are showing an unsettling lack of grace, and through it all the Jets coach remains consistent. He'll give you straight talk no matter what the cost. After the Jets were absolutely humbled by the Dolphins - 30-9 at home, no less - Ryan was succinct: He said he was "blown away" by his team's performance. Quarterback Mark Sanchez's brutal day was a big reason for the embarrassing loss: He made mistakes throughout, missing open receivers at times and not taking care of the football.

LOS ANGELES - The discovery of a giant meat-eating dinosaur sporting a downy coat has some scientists reimagining the look of Tyrannosaurus rex. With a killer jaw and sharp claws, T. rex has long been depicted in movies and popular culture as having scaly skin. But the discovery of an earlier relative suggests the king of dinosaurs may have had a softer side. The evidence comes from the unearthing of a new tyrannosaur species in northeastern China that lived 60 million years before T. rex. The fossil record preserved remains of fluffy down, making it the largest feathered dinosaur ever found.