четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

BISHOP' 4 OTHERS SEIZED BY LIBYANS

Libyan Revolutionary Guards have seized a Roman Catholicbishop, a nun and three Franciscan friars, the Italian ForeignMinistry and church sources said yesterday.

The gunmen of Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy's militia burst intoa house in the port of Benghazi and arrested Monsignor GiovanniMartinelli and the others Thursday when the bishop was on a pastoralvisit to the city, the sources said.

The nun also is Italian. The Franciscans are a Pole, a Filipinoand a Maltese. It was not known why they were arrested, or whetherthe detentions were linked to Libyan preparations for a possible U.S.attack.

Martinelli, 43, is the apostolic vicar of Tripoli, the …

Text of Bush News Conference Thursday

Text of President Bush's remarks on Thursday, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions.

BUSH: Good morning. Thank you.

Yesterday, America lost an extraordinary first lady and a fine Texan, Lady Bird Johnson. She brought grace to the White House and beauty to our country.

On behalf of the American people, Laura and I send our condolences to her daughters, Lynda and Luci, and we offer our prayers to the Johnson family.

Before I answer some of your questions, today I'd like to provide the American people with an update on the situation in Iraq.

Since America began military operations in Iraq, the conflict there has gone through four major phases.

UK court sentences serial rapist to life

A British man who may be behind dozens of sex attacks has been jailed for life.

Kirk Reid, 44, must serve a minimum of 7 1/2 years for more than two dozen attacks on women. But London police are investigating whether he is responsible for a further 71 attacks.

Judge Shani Barnes on Thursday called the attacks "utterly terrifying and humiliating" for the …

British Toad Patrols Hustle To Rescue Mating Migrants

CHARLTON KINGS, England When night descends in a spring mist,Sandra and Tony Jeans sense love and danger in the air. They marchwith buckets and flashlights to the busy A40 highway. Their mission:Rescue toads from the perils of desire.

Each spring, the Jeanses and hundreds of other volunteer toadpatrollers across Britain carry amorous toads that are in thebesotted throes of an annual mating migration across dangerous roads,so the toads are not flattened.

For growing numbers of British wildlife enthusiasts, this isserious and increasingly futile work.

"OK, it's not the prettiest of things, and it's always been castin the bad role in the fairy stories . . . …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Mets' LF Bay back in NY for tests on rib muscle

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Mets left fielder Jason Bay had tests on his strained rib cage Wednesday in New York, and the team planned to wait until he returned to camp to decide whether he will start the season on the disabled list.

Bay felt discomfort on his left side Tuesday and was pulled from the lineup. He went to New York on Wednesday morning for tests and was scheduled to get back at night.

The Mets open the regular season on Friday night at Florida. The team told outfielder Lucas Duda he will make the 25-man roster if Bay needs to go on the disabled list.

Rosters must be set by 11 a.m. Thursday. If Bay goes on the DL, the move could be backdated so that he's …

Paul Tracy trying anything to find a ride in IRL

Paul Tracy is doing anything he can to land a ride in the Indy Racing League.

He's calling other teams, shopping his services, even checking with the man who cost him an Indianapolis 500 win.

Tony George, the IRL founder and now owner of Vision Racing, said Tuesday that Tracy's business manager called Monday seeking help in finding Tracy a ride this season.

"I'd like to see Paul here at Indy," George said. "If it would be with Vision Racing, that would be great. If it's with another team, that would be great. It is kind of unfortunate, some would say a travesty that he's not here today."

The mere thought of pairing …

Pop goes modern art in Warhol print exhibit

Images by the artist known as the the Prince of Pop are showcasedin "The Prints of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again)," a newexhibit at the Bachman Gallery at the Center for Visual andPerforming Arts in Munster.

"Through his work, Warhol mirrored back to us the banality andartificiality of pop culture, as well as our preoccupation withcelebrity and consumerism," said Ruth Crnkovich, director ofexhibitions for the Northern Indiana Arts Association.

Warhol (1928-1987) was most famous for his commercial screenprintsof movie stars, advertisements and comic characters. A 1964lithograph of actress Elizabeth Taylor is one of Warhol's earliestimages in the exhibit. The …

Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Stories/Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom

Beyond the "Mosses" Myths Two new biographies examine who Harriet Tubman really was Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Stories by Jean M. Humez University of Wisconsin Press November 2003 $45.00, ISBN 0-299-19120-6

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton Little, Brown and Company, February 2004 $25.95, ISBN 0-316-14492-4

The "peculiar institution" of American slavery ended less than 150 years ago, endured for more than three centuries and claimed millions of black lives before it was finally abolished. Yet the war against slavery in the United States began long before 1865, and went way beyond public antislavery efforts. In fact, the earliest forms of …

Yankee mag photographer offers fall photo tips

Jeff Folger photographs fall foliage and provides commentary for Yankee magazine's http://www.yankeefoliage.com Web site, where readers from around the country ask questions about fall color and post stories about what they're seeing. Folger's pictures can be seen at http://www.vistaphotos.net. He offers these tips for amateur photographers trying to get good shots of autumn color in any region:

-Don't discount overcast …

Summer was made for song

CBS dismissed the political conventions as infomercials. Instead,CBS News devoted more time to the CBS show, "Survivor," seen by 25million people a week but unseen by 250 million. To help my sonscatch up on the summer's news, I shall rewrite the musical "Grease."A side trip through Rydell High will help any Poca Dot.

I'll start with "Summer Nights."

"Summer schmoozing, had me a blast /Politicking happened so fast /Dubya Bush is one crazy man /Nominated by the Republica-ans.

"Tell me more, tell me more/ Can he beat up Al Gore?/ Answer me,answer me/ Why'd he pick Dick Cheney?"

The song, "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee," would be perfect for …

Review: 'Lost Planet: Extreme Condition'

Simple controls and excellent graphics turn out to be a fun combination in "Lost Planet: Extreme Condition," a new T-rated, $59.99 video game for the Xbox 360 where deciding what to blow up first will be your only tough decision.

The action is brisk and constant in a science-fiction setting featuring human colonists trying to establish a presence on an unforgiving ice world. Things are going well until some locals on planet E.D.N. III - a swarm of hulking enemies that look like giant bugs - decide humans aren't welcome.

In typical fashion, the stubborn Homo sapiens aren't so willing to give up, especially once they discover that the killer critters - called Akrid - …

Wells Fargo slashes dividend, expects $5B savings

Following the lead of other major banks, Wells Fargo & Co. said Friday it will slash its dividend by 85 percent in an effort to save $5 billion annually.

The San Francisco-based bank said it will cut its quarterly dividend to 5 cents from 34 cents. The next dividend is expected to be declared in April.

Wells Fargo is the latest of the money-center banks to succumb to the decision to lower its dividend to shore up capital as a buffer against future losses.

Last month, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its quarterly dividend to 5 cents from 38 cents. In January, Bank of America Corp. slashed its quarterly dividend to a penny from 32 cents. And …

Squirrel at cemetery wraps nest in US flags

A patriotic squirrel?

A brazen squirrel has been grabbing small American flags placed in a Port Huron, Michigan, cemetery and carrying them up to its nest, which now looks as if it's bedecked in bunting.

Every Memorial Day, volunteers place the flags next to the graves of nearly 1,000 veterans buried at Mount Hope Cemetery about 55 miles northeast of Detroit. The flags were undisturbed during a Mass held Monday.

The Times Herald newspaper reports that workers at the cemetery on Tuesday noticed several flags had been torn off their wooden staffs, which were still in the ground.

The mystery was solved in front of superintendent Ron Ceglarek's eyes. He watched a squirrel detach a flag stapled to a staff and carry it up a tree to the nest.

Monthly interest

Financial institutions are cropping up everywhere, but no one ever expected for the Longhorn Motel in Tyron, Neb., to become the town's new financial center. For some time, room one was the place to do business for this small ranching county of about 120 people and the first banking institution in more than 60 years. This room has become the home of the McPherson County Federal Credit Union. It will probably be the only credit union located in a motel room and the only one to use schoolchildren as part of its operation.

According to an article in Omaha's Evening World-Herald, it will be Tyron's fifth full-time business. It will give people another reason to stop in the town, but also will keep money in the county and provide local students with a valuable learning experience through the Nebraska's School at the Center program.

Chad Fisher and Jeremy Neal were high school students at the time and have since graduated. They were the planners of the credit union and are now among the 10 investors. McPherson County High School art students will provide promotional brochures and a logo through a school wide contest. Business students will handle mail solicitations and bookkeeping responsibilities.

For the time being, the credit union will be restricted to loans of less than $2,500 and no checking accounts.

Organizers of the institution say they are determined to convince area residents that the credit union is here to stay. Rectifying the "digital divide" is making news on the financial front. As Dart of this effort, FleetBoston Financial is preparing to give away 3,000 new computers with Internet access to low-to-moderate income families and small businesses, citing access and educational disparity as the major motivation.

FleetBoston Financial Foundation and the University of Massachusetts Poll conducted a survey in Boston, Harlem, Brooklyn, Newark, N.J., and Hartford, Conn.

The results indicated that fewer than half of the families surveyed in the Northeast with less than $40,000 of household income per year have computers in their homes and only about one-third have Internet access.

The report noted that among those who earn less than $40,000 a year and have less than high school education, 70% were without a computer, versus 40% for those with a college degree.

To be eligible, individuals and small businesses must have been Fleet customers for at least six months before applying and must not have a computer

The bank will also offer training and follow up with the recipients. With National Teach Children to Save Day on April 24, 2001, just around the corner, it's appropriate that a new software program, Kid Savers, has been developed by Integration Group Services, Inc., (TIGS) to help children make sense out of dollars and cents and encourage saving.

The mission of Kid Savers is to help children learn about money and the financial world in a fun and interactive way.

TIGS in Rochester, Mich., has established a Kid Savers Network of banks, credit unions, independent representatives and philanthropic organizations that will in turn offer Kid Savers to grade school students in their respective communities.

Kid Savers is a hands-on deposit program that is bundled with an interactive money game called, Money Town, from Simon & Schuster. Kid Savers also includes an integrated translator program that converts the program into Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Four Michigan cities, Wyoming, Grand Rapids, Royal Oak and Auburn Hills, were the first to implement Kid Savers.

The cost of the program is free to all schools. The sponsor incurs costs ranging from $199 per school to $499 per school based on school size. A financial institution can also implement Kid Savers using Kid Savers Zone, an all-in-one PC, soft-- ware and learning game that offers children the ability to enter their own deposits at the bank or credit union. To continue the tradition banks have of helping their communities, St. Johns Bank and Trust Co. in St. Louis was busy making the 2000 holiday season happier for families through adoption and profits from the sale of state quarters.

Employees at each of the seven branch locations of the bank participated in a giving program to bring cheer to four local families. Two of the families were adopted through Community Helping Ministry, a cooperative community-wide effort assisting low-income persons in need. Employees took up an internal collection, which resulted in a total of nearly $1,500. Gifts were purchased for each member of the four families and wrapped by the employees. Nineteen people benefited from the bank's generosity.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis and Castlio Elementary School also received a special holiday gift from the sale of packaged state.

Profits from the sell provided winter coats to eight students at the school, as well as a check for $250 to assist with future family emergencies the students may face in the future. Big Brothers Big Sisters was presented a $500 check by the bank.

All St. Johns Bank locations will continue to sell the specially packaged state quarters for $3.50 each. Profits will continue to be donated to local charities.

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

December marches to dozens of new CDs

Until 1998, December rarely saw any music releases. But sincethen, the month has quietly evolved. Now it's loaded with titles asbig as those in the other months in the crowded fourth quarter.

This December's lineup includes "Eminem Presents the Re-Up," GwenStefani's "The Sweet Escape," the Pussycat Dolls' "Live in London"DVD, the Black Eyed Peas' "Live From Sydney to Vegas" DVD, the"Dreamgirls" soundtrack, self-titled albums from Taylor Hicks andFantasia, Ghostface Killah's "More Fish," Snoop Dogg's "Tha BlueCarpet Treatment," Mary J. Blige's "Reflections -- The Journey," MosDef's "Tru3 Magic," Young Jeezy's "The Inspiration: Thug Motivation102," Nas' "Hip-Hop Is Dead" and Bow Wow's "The Price of Fame."

The month's releases are heavily slanted toward hip-hop, rap andR&B, but the titles coming out Dec. 26 are almost exclusively inthose genres. Those titles include N.W.A's "Greatest Hits," theDiplomats' "Dipset: More Than Music Vol. 2," "Death Row: 15 Years onDeath Row," Johnta Austin's "Ocean Drive" and Omarion's "21." Alsoout that day is a Matisyahu CD/DVD, a new Family Values tour CD/DVDand Switchfoot's "Oh! Gravity."

Until 1998, December generally was bare because store ownersdiscouraged new releases, theorizing that their employees are toobusy dealing with customers then. But "that changed once Island DefJam started to play the game of 'We want to be the No. 1 label atChristmas,' " said Newbury Comics buyer Carl Mello.

That year, Island Def Jam released albums from DMX, Redman and DJClue in December. Actually, two other rap releases arrived at thattime from Busta Rhymes and Mystikal. Because of Island Def Jam'soverwhelming presence that year and the fact that the label followedup in 1999 by announcing four releases for December (only two cameout), retailers back then started calling the month "Def JamDecember."

Since then it has blossomed into just another month on therelease schedule, at least for the majors. Retailers say thereleases drive traffic, and they particularly like the ones arrivingDec. 26, one of the year's best shopping days. "It makes sense tohave releases that day, particularly if you look at all the kidscoming into stores with gift certificates," said Super D's vicepresident of purchasing and marketing Thuy Ng.

In fact, "the gift-card business has grown substantially over thelast 10 years, so titles that come out on that day benefit" fromthat phenomenon, Trans World music divisional merchandise managerJerry Kamiler said.

Muchiri wins Chiba cross country race

Kenya's Karoki Muchiri edged compatriot Julius Gitahi on Sunday to win the men's race at the Chiba international cross country meet.

Muchiri clocked a time of 34 minutes, 40 seconds in the 12-kilometer race to finish 35 seconds ahead of Gitahi. Japan's Makoto Fukui was third with a time of 35:19.

Japan's Yoko Shimizu won the women's 6-kilometer race with a time of 19:38, finishing one second ahead of compatriot Risa Takanaka. Harumi Hiroyama, also of Japan, was third with a time of 20:19.

Sunday's races were qualifiers for the World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan on March 28.

A Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas // Heirloom Customs Weave A Tapestry of Delicacies

The Moravian towns of Bethlehem, Nazareth and Lititz inPennsylvania are transformed each Christmas into virtual fairylandsof candlelight, star lanterns and evergreens. For the Moravians,Christmas is extremely elaborate, with highly ornamented pyramids offruit and evergreens and entire miniature villages of putz (carvedfigures) built under the Christmas tree or across one wall of themain room in the house.

Since the Pennsylvania Dutch consist of so many diversereligious groups, it's hard to generalize about the way Christmas iscelebrated. But, against this rich tapestry of Christmas feasting -from the Moravians, who prepare for it months in advance, to theAmish, who observe Christmas only as a religious holiday, withoutChristmas trees, gifts or even special holiday foods - there arecertain customs that characterize the Pennsylvania Dutch majority.

Foremost among these is the idea of erecting some type of treedecorated with foods and ornaments. This custom comes from the factthat Dec. 24 was observed as Adam and Eve Day, which focused on theTree of Life. Most European historians of Christmas recognize thiscustom as a Christian reshaping of pre-Christian midwinterobservances that brought greenery into the house.

The oldest forms of the Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas tree werenot actually trees but branches. The grischdaagszweeg or zuckerbaamwas usually a large branch of wild cherry brought into the house onSt. Barbara's Day (Dec. 4) so that it would bloom by Christmas. Itwas hung with cookies and candies, the main gifts children received.A variant of the grischdaagszweeg was the grischdaagsmoije, anevergreen bush, usually mountain laurel or juniper, set up on a tableor hung from the ceiling.

On Christmas Eve it was customary in some households to leaveempty plates on a table near the tree, one for each child in thefamily, to be filled with cookies and candies by the Grischtkindel(Christ Child) during the wee hours of darkness. Bad children wereleft switches.

Aside from the Grischtkindel, the other major gift bringer wasthe Belschnickel, the Pennsylvania Dutch counterpart to Santa Claus.An adult member of the family would don furs and a frightening mask,and on Christmas Eve, when all the children were assembled, thisfierce-looking creature would burst into the house ringing bells,snapping whips and tossing nuts and candy at the shrieking mob.

Being spooked by the Belschnickel is one of the great childhoodgames the Pennsylvania Dutch reminisce about most when the subject ofold Christmas customs comes up. The Belschnickel still appears nowand then, but has been replaced for the most part by the benign andportly Santa Claus.

An extension of the Belschnickel tradition was the custom ofbelschnickling, which took place on Second Christmas (Dec. 26), informer times a great market day throughout the Dutch Country. Thebelschnicklers were usually teenagers dressed in costumes who"mummed" from house to house amid the din of noisemakers, demandingrefreshments. Mifflinburg rose soup and nut sticks (niss-schtengle)(recipes follow) evolved almost exclusively as food forbelschnicklers.

Christmas Day itself was a time for unabashed celebrating, orschmausing, a time to relish the labors of weeks of preparation, beit butchering and sausage-making or the seemingly endless baking ofcookies and cakes.

The Society of Pennsylvania German Gastronomes issued a pamphletin 1928 on classic Pennsylvania Dutch feasting under the pen of BlandJohaneson. It extolled the kind of old-style schmausing for whichtowns like Womelsdorf had once been famous.

There was a time when schmaus was considered a vulgar way ofsaying "banquet" in Pennsylfaanisch, and only the word fescht woulddo. But today the very quaintness of schmaus with its rusticchow-down connotations evokes pleasant images of lusty feasting underbackyard grape arbors or, in cold and snowy weather, at a vast tablespread with culinary booty within full view of the Christmas tree.

St. Martin's Day (Nov. 11) initiated the unofficial start ofholiday feasting. Historically this was the day when rents werecollected from tenant farmers and others who had agreed to use one'sland for a fee.

For rich farmers with large incomes falling due, Mordidaag was aday for celebration, a time to feel generous, yet also a time tothink ahead toward Christmas and all the debts that demandedrepaying. The farmer who was both rich peasant and poor nobleman wasthe true Father Christmas, for it was in his best interest to keepthe festive traditions alive.

Here are some recipes to celebrate the holidays,PennsylvaniaDutch style.

Traditionally served to belschnicklers with rose soup, nut stickcookies first appeared in the Neuer Gemeinnutziger PennsylvanischerCalendar for 1909. In the Pfalz, as in Alsace, they are known asnuss-spritzen and are formed by forcing the dough through a pastrygun. This allows for some of the fanciful shapes our German brethrencreated for Christmas. The Pennsylvania Dutch, however, hand-rollthe dough into fat almond-shaped sticks; hence the term schtengle.

Popular in the Buffalo Valley area of Union County into theearly part of this century, old-fashioned Mifflinburg rose soup wasmade only at Christmas. It's served not as a starter course atdinner but as a refreshment for the belschnicklers who went fromhouse to house begging for treats.

Kids of all ages love edible creatures, and Wilbur Zimmerman ofcentral Pennsylvania is one of them. Christmas shortbread "mice"cookies, an heirloom recipe from his wife's family, was a favoriteamong Pennsylvania Dutch children a century ago. Fitted out withcurrant eyes and little paper ears and tails, the cookies resemble -well, what else - real mice. NUT STICKS (NISS-SCHTENGLE)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1 extra-large egg

3 1/4 cups (8 ounces) finely ground hazelnuts or hickory nuts

1/4 cup rose water (see note)

2 cups pastry flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

3 tablespoons rosehip jam

1/5 cup confectioners' sugar

Beat butter and superfine sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat egg until lemon colored; work into butter mixture. Fold innuts and rose water.

Sift pastry flour, cinnamon and allspice together twice, thenadd to butter mixture. Stir to form a soft dough. Cover andrefrigerate for 5 hours.

Form dough into fat almond-shaped sticks 2 inches long. Arrangeon greased baking sheets.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until golden brown on thebottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

While cookies are cooling, in a small bowl combine rosehip jamwith confectioners' sugar. Pack mixture into an icing decorator witha small tip. Make a zigzag of icing down the center of each cookie.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

Note: Rose water is sold in Middle Eastern and Indian grocerystores and in some specialty food stores. MIFFLINBURG ROSE SOUP (MIFFLINBARRIER ROSESUPP)

4 large red potatoes (2 pounds), peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon rose water (see note)

Unsprayed red or pink rose petals

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to aboil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and cook until soft. Drainand set aside.

Meanwhile, place carrots and onions in a separate saucepan with2 cups of water. Cook, covered, until soft.

Place cooked potatoes, carrots, onions and cooking liquid in afood processor along with butter, sugar, sea salt and milk. Processuntil pureed. Add cream and pulse 2 or 3 times.

Pour soup into a clean saucepan and warm it over low heat. Whenhot but not boiling, add rose water.

Serve immediately in cups garnished with minced rose petals.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: Rose water is sold in Middle Eastern and Indian grocerystores and some specialty food stores. "MICE" COOKIES (MEISLI)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus some for sprinkling oncookies

1 tablespoon rose water or rum (see note)

1 cup finely ground hickory nuts or hazelnuts (see note)

2 cups flour

Currants

Construction paper

Beat butter and confectioners' sugar. Stir in rose water, thennuts. Gradually beat in flour until dough is stiff, then mix doughwith fingers and knead until smooth.

Break off pieces of dough and mold them into 2-inch mouse"bodies." (Remember, mice are thicker at back than at the head.)Pinch face a bit to make a long nose. Place on greased bakingsheets.

Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven until light brown on thebottom, 20 to 24 minutes.

Roll hot cookies in a generous amount of confectioners' sugar.Set on wire racks to cool.

To make cookies look more realistic, press bits of currants intothe faces to make eyes, and cut out paper ears and tails. Cut pointson bases of ears and tails so they will stick into baked dough.

Store in airtight containers.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Note: Rose water is sold in Middle Eastern and Indian grocerystores and at some specialty food stores.

The nuts, regardless of type, must be ground to an even, fluffy,sawdust consistency. The texture and weight are crucial. This iseasy to accomplish with a Swedish nut mill (mandelkvarn) or a coffeegrinder, but not with a food processor. Food processors will onlyreduce nuts to a fine, gritty consistency before turning them intopaste.

NFL stresses illegal hit penalties in new video

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL delivered its message about heavier punishment for illegal hits, including suspensions, directly to the 32 teams Thursday with a video spelling out what to avoid.

The video includes three tackles from last Sunday that led to huge fines, and warns players that even first-time offenders will immediately be subject to suspensions for delivering such flagrant hits to the head and neck area of defenseless players.

"Illegal hits to the head of an opponent will not be tolerated," NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson says in the video. "A player is accountable for what he hits. Illegal techniques must be removed from our game.

"We all accept that football is a physical and tough game, but players must play under control. If a player launching into an opponent misses his aiming point, he will nevertheless be responsible for what he hits."

In the video, Anderson calls Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather's helmet hit on Ravens tight end Todd Heap "inexcusable." Meriweather was fined $50,000 for the hit in which he launched himself headfirst into Heap's helmet.

Also on the video is James Harrison's hit on Browns receiver Mohamed Massaguoi that brought the Steelers linebacker a $75,000 fine, and the collision between Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson and Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson that gave both players concussions. Robinson was fined $50,000 for that tackle.

Anderson says of Robinson's hit, in which the cornerback launched himself toward Jackson but did not make contact with his helmet: "It's bang-bang but still illegal. The receiver is defenseless and in the act of attempting to catch a pass."

"These hits can have severe consequences for the player delivering the hit as well as for the player taking the blow," adds Anderson, a member of the NFL's competition committee. "Using the head, forearm or shoulder to deliver the initial hit against a defenseless player will draw significant discipline."

Players had seen the 4-minute video by midafternoon Wednesday and had mixed reactions to it.

"We talked about it today," Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "We watched the video that the league sent. There was a lot of comments and observations from the defensive guys, and the offensive guys were mostly quiet. That's just how it is.

"It's a tricky thing. From my perspective, I'm trying to protect the guys that I'm throwing the ball to. I'm trying to put them in a situation where they're not going to get hit like that, but that's about it for me."

Denver cornerback Champ Bailey wasn't particularly impressed by the video.

"It's nothing that we didn't know," he said. "I think it was good for some people who hadn't been in the league for a while to see that and to kind of refresh your memory for the older guys."

Other illegal tackles shown in the video include Carolina safety Sherrod Martin's hit on Giants tight end Kevin Boss in the season opener that gave Boss a concussion; and Kansas City rookie safety Kendrick Lewis' shot on Cleveland tight end Evan Moore in Week 2 that gave Moore a concussion.

The video also shows several hits that are legal and display what Anderson calls "tough, clean football."

Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis is shown using his shoulder to deliver a chest hit in what Anderson terms "a great player making a great play. No launching, no head or neck impact, proper technique that minimizes the risk to the opponent. This is what we are asking."

The crackdown, and subsequent possible suspensions, begins with this weekend's games because the league wanted to give players fair warning. The video delivers that warning explicitly.

"Gentlemen, you must know that player safety is our highest priority," Anderson says. "We have said publicly and we repeat to all of you we will not apologize for or be defensive about aggressive enforcement to protect players from illegal and potentially life-altering blows to the head and neck.

"So please, know the rules and play by the rules. You are on notice and we will appreciate your compliance."

___

AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Denver and Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed to this story.

___

Online: http://apne.ws/aLYTFk

Officials: Bomb explosion kills 10 outside army base in Pakistan's volatile northwest

A suicide bomber attacked a busy market just outside an army base in Pakistan's militancy-plagued northwest Sunday, killing at least 10 people _ including four soldiers _ and wounding 18, officials said.

The attack in North West Frontier Province was the deadliest in more than two months in Pakistan. It came amid ongoing efforts by the new government to reach peace deals with militants and on the heels of a suspected U.S. missile strike that left several dead in a nearby tribal area.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

The attacker detonated his explosives between a bakery and the gate of the Punjab Regimental Center in the town of Mardan.

Shaukat Khan, a senior police officer, said 10 people were killed and 18 injured. Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army's top spokesman, said four of the dead were soldiers guarding the gate of the base, which appeared to have been the target.

Abbas said the bomber blew himself up when he was stopped by one of the soldiers. He said that the bakery is also run by the regimental center and that the commercial area is routinely guard by army soldiers.

Mussarat Khan, a witness at Mardan hospital, said at least 12 people were taken there. Security forces cordoned off the blast site and were collecting evidence, Abbas said.

Pakistan's northwest is considered a haven for militants with links to the Taliban and al-Qaida, many of whom are determined to drive U.S. forces out of neighboring Afghanistan.

The new government, in power some seven weeks, has sought peace deals with some militant groups, a step away from the more forceful tactics of President Pervez Musharraf, a longtime ally of the United States in the war on terrorism.

One of the militants' demands has been the withdrawal of the army from parts of the northwest, where tens of thousands of troops have been deployed to fight extremists.

Attacks had subsided overall since the new government came to power, though they had not entirely disappeared. Just last month, a car bomb near a police station in Mardan killed three people, including a policeman.

The latest attack appears to be the worst in the country since a pair of suicide bombings in mid-March killed 27 people in Lahore, a normally peaceful city in Pakistan's east.

Wajid Ali Khan, a government official in the North West Frontier Province, condemned the attack, calling it "cowardly."

"We are engaged in efforts for peace and stability in this province, and this seemed to be an act to sabotage our efforts," Khan said. "We will keep on going in our peace efforts; we will continue our talks."

Spokesmen for Taliban militants in Pakistan could not immediately be reached for comment.

Just days ago, an apparent U.S. missile strike on a suspected militant hide-out in Pakistan's Bajur region left about a dozen people dead and drew sharp protests from some Pakistani officials and political parties.

Militants vowed to take revenge on America for the attack _ but also said they would continue to support the peace talks.

___

Associated Press Writer Zarar Khan contributed to this report.

Gates hopes to expand US-Russian cooperation

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Robert Gates has arrived in Russia for what is expected to be his final visit as U.S. Defense Secretary, and he's hoping to ease Moscow's worries over a missile defense shield in Europe and expand a military relationship that has grown dramatically since his Cold War days at the helm of the CIA.

Gates, who is expected to retire this summer, says Russian cooperation in the Afghanistan war and its support of U.N. Security Council resolutions against North Korea and Iran underscore cooperation that has dramatically evolved in recent years. Russia also abstained in the recent United Nations vote for military intervention in Libya, effectively allowing the allied assault to go forward.

The Pentagon chief will meet with Russian leaders and speak to a class of Naval Academy junior officers.

Small church supports immigrants to Germany

Winnipeg, Man.

Leading the little church at Niedergoersdorf-Flugplatz in Germany has brought James and Henriette Schellenberg both challenges and rewards. The Schellenbergs are members of Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.

Fifteen months into a two-year assignment, the Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers tend a small congregation of Aussiedler (immigrants of German background from the former Soviet Union). The church is located on a former Soviet military airbase (Flugplatz) near the village of Niedergoersdorf. The church meets in a former Soviet officers' club.

The Schellenbergs dream of the congregation becoming independent and producing its own leadership. Most immigrants arrive with little or no Bible knowledge but find a welcoming, if all-too-often temporary, home in the congregation. One old man, having come to faith late in life, laments "the time he has wasted" and is now rushing to memorize scripture and the Lord's Prayer before his eyesight fails.

Treated as outsiders by Russians and Germans alike, the Aussiedler "don't have a strong sense of belonging," said James. "We can proclaim to them that God loves you and God cares about you and we care about you."

[Graph Not Transcribed]

However, the economically depressed community, located 70 kilometres south of Berlin, offers new immigrants slim prospects. Most church members move further west as soon as they can, but many miss the tight community of the Flugplatz.

"If they can find a job or put down any kind of roots in those first few years, many are happy to stay," said James.

There are stories of hope. One couple, Igor and Irina, have become very active in the church, have found jobs and are renovating a home they've bought. Irina is trained as a geologist but works as a teacher's aide. Igor creates art with a chainsaw, working on children's playgrounds, among other things.

The provincial and municipal governments, with which the church cooperates in social services, say the community would be in bad shape without the church. This work is also supported by Mennonite Central Committee, local Lutheran parishes, and German and Dutch Mennonite churches. The Berlin Mennonite Church is particularly active and has absorbed a significant number of Aussiedler in the past five years.

One supporting congregation, at Wolfsburg, was started by the Conference of Mennonites in Canada 25 years ago and is now fully independent.--MC Canada release

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Meningitis risk higher in dorms Study: College freshmen more likely to get disease

College freshmen who live in dorms are 3.6 times more likely thanother students to get life-threatening bacterial meningitis, a studyhas found.

Each year, between 100 and 125 college students get meningococcaldisease, which typically causes meningitis or blood poisoning.Between 5 and 15 students die from the disease, which also can causepermanent brain damage, hearing loss and kidney failure, and lead tolimb amputation.

The study found that undergraduates as a whole were less likely toget meningococcal disease than nonstudents. But the risk is higheramong freshmen in dorms probably because they live in close quarters,the study found. Meningococcal bacteria spread through the air and bydirect contact, such as kissing or drinking from the same glass.

The study is published in today's Journal of the American MedicalAssociation. It was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Controland Prevention and American College Health Association.

Widespread use of a meningococcal vaccine could "substantiallydecrease" students' risk of contracting the disease, researcherswrote.

However, the vaccine is expensive--about $75 per dose--and manydoctors' offices do not stock it. Moreover, the vaccine lasts onlythree to five years and does not protect against all strains of thebacteria. The study found the vaccine could have prevented up to 68percent of the 79 cases examined.

Because meningococcal disease is so rare, immunization is not cost-effective to society as a whole, according to recommendations lastyear by the federal government's Advisory Committee on ImmunizationPractices. Vaccinating all freshmen who live in dorms would prevent15 to 30 cases and 1 to 3 deaths each year, at a cost of up to $1.8million per case prevented and $20 million per life saved, thecommittee said. The committee instead recommended that freshmen andtheir parents simply be told about the disease and the benefits ofvaccination.

Authors of the new study said a dollars-and-cents equation "doesnot take into consideration disruption of campus life, public anxietyand private tragedy resulting from a case."

An outbreak can create a campuswide panic, said Dr. DavidLawrance, director of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignstudent health clinic. "It's a nightmare," Lawrance said. "Everyoneis scared to death."

During the 1991-92 school year, there were seven cases and threedeaths at the U. of I. Although the university offers the vaccine forno charge, fewer than 25 percent of freshmen get the shot. "Like alot of things having to do with mortality, [meningitis] is not on an18-year-old's mind," Lawrance said.

Finding new approaches for management of biosolids

The Northwest Biosolids Management Association has prepared an excellent agenda for its September 9-11, 2001 Conference on "Biosolids - The Next Generation." In searching for solutions, conference organizers asked themselves: "What if we designed biosolids products that would excite not only our present customers but those reluctant potential customers? What would those biosolids be like?"

Specific topics include: Use of Class A Biosolids in Urban Environments; Holistic Farm Management at Natural Selection Farms; Advanced Digestion Technologies for Class A Biosolids; Getting the Public's Ear on Biosolids; Sources of Diozins and Furans at Wastewater Treatment plants; Use of Biosolids Compost in Watershed Restoration Projects; Optimizing Application Rates; and Biosolids Compost for Bedding Plants. For registration details, contact Washington State University Conferences & Programs at (509) 335-3530. E-mail: wsuconf@wsu.edu.

Vegetarian cooking: Jamaican rice and peas

Every Jamaican household, rich or poor, serves rice and red peas, the nutritionally complete one-pot meal. It's the backbone of the island's cuisine, food writer Lucinda Scala Quinn says. She also points out that "red peas are what folks outside Jamaica know as kidney beans."

Quinn includes the recipe in her new cookbook, Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican (Wiley, 2006, $17.95), a warm, appetizing, recipe-packed survey of the island's cooking traditions.

Quinn, who spends a lot of time in Jamaica, is head of the food department of Martha Stewart Living and other magazines, and is the host of related TV food shows. The book's introduction is an affectionate taste-tour of the island, followed by about 50 recipes. Color photos of locations and food set the scene.

The rice and peas dish is a Sunday lunch staple, along with fried plantains - "yet for my money it's a perfect choice all by itself for any meal any day," Quinn says. "The basic recipe has many variations according to personal tradition." Her preference is not to add hot pepper, she says, keeping it as a sweet, smooth complement to more robustly spiced dishes.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Makes 6 servings.

1/2 pound dried red peas (kidney beans) or small red beans (1 cup)

6 to 8 cups coconut milk

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 whole scallions, crushed

2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

2 teaspoons salt

Wash the beans thoroughly and place them in a medium-size saucepan with the coconut milk, black pepper, scallions and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the beans are almost tender (adding water as needed to keep the beans covered). Remove the thyme (if using whole sprigs) and scallions. Add the rice and salt. If necessary, add more water so that the liquid is 1 inch above the rice. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff it with a fork. The grains of rice should easily separate and not be mushy.

PLUS SPORTS

SCHOTT AT PARADE: Marge Schott was given an enthusiastic greetingtoday by Cincinnati Reds fans at the traditional Opening Day parade.The Reds' owner, suspended by baseball's hierarchy for making racialslurs, didn't plan to participate in the parade. But she showed upbeforehand to pet the Budweiser Clydesdale horses, who pulled acarriage. As she posed with the horses, fans huddled around her.Some called out, "It's good to see you, Marge" and "We love you,Marge" - a sentiment echoed on some of the 150 parade floats.Others thrust baseball caps, schedules, newspapers and scraps ofpaper at her, which she signed with her name and that of SchottzieII, her St. Bernard. Adriane Redmond of Cincinnati asked Schott tosign her diary. Redmond said she didn't approve of Schott's use ofslurs but forgave her. "Everyone can have their downfall. Thatdoesn't mean we can't support them," said Redmond, who is black. MICHIGAN POLICE READY: About 150 police officers in riot gear wereto begin lining South University Avenue at halftime of tonight'sMichigan-North Carolina NCAA basketball title game to safeguardagainst violence. Sgt. Pam Wyess said the same plan was usedSaturday night when 12,000 fans jammed the streets to celebrateMichigan's semifinal victory over Kentucky. "If they want to stayand celebrate, we don't have a problem with that," Wyess. "It's onlyif things get violent do we plan to move in." The state police andthe Washtenaw County sheriff's department were expected to assist.Police broke up the crowd around 12:15 a.m. Sunday after severalhundred fans became increasingly rowdy, some of them breakingwindows. Police expected smaller numbers tonight. But Wyess saidthat based on past experience, fans tend to be more intense after achampionship game. Last April, police used tear gas and horses tobreak up the crowd after Michigan lost to Duke in the final game. SEAHAWKS' FOUNDER DIES: Elmer J. Nordstrom, who was instrumental inthe early years of both the Nordstrom department store chain and theSeattle Seahawks, has died. He was 88. Nordstrom died Sunday ofcomplications from pneumonia after being admitted to Swedish Hospitalin Seattle on Friday, Nordstrom spokeswoman Kellie Tormey said.Nordstrom was majority ownership representative for the Seahawks from1976 to 1982, the first six years of the franchise's existence. He'ssurvived by his wife, two sons, James and John; seven grandchildrenand three great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be heldWednesday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Seattle. DREXLER HURT AGAIN: Clyde Drexler will miss several games afterstraining a hamstring tendon Saturday night in the Portland TrailBlazers' loss to the Washington Bullets. The guard strained thesame hamstring that forced him to miss 13 games last month, but theinjury is to a different portion of the tendon, Dr. Robert Cook saidSunday. He said the new problem was not a reinjury of the firsthamstring strain and there's a good possibility it might not be asserious. However, Drexler will more than likely miss all four gamesthis week, beginning tomorrow against Utah. "This is far beyondwhat's normal," Drexler said. "It's tough, it's frustrating, butwhat can you do? What can you do?" NHL HONORS MOOG: Andy Moog, who had a shutout and posted agoals-against average of 1.00 in helping the Boston Bruins to threevictories last week, was named the NHL's player of the week onMonday. Moog stopped 19 shots in a 3-1 win over Hartford on March30, then stopped 22 shots as Boston beat Buffalo 3-2 on Saturday.The next day, he registered his 17th career shutout, stopping 31shots as the Bruins defeated the Sabres 3-0. PELE PRAISES U.S: Former soccer star Pele praised the U.S.organization of the 1994 World Cup and said he expects a greatsuccess. "It's a perfect organization. All the stadiums are alreadyprepared one year prior to the finals," Pele said Sunday. "I'mcertain that the 1994 World Cup will enjoy a great success."

Johnson helps Texans beat Dolphins 23-13

MIAMI (AP) — With the game on the line, five-time Pro Bowler Andre Johnson found himself covered by a reserve cornerback. The result was no contest, just like the one-sided series between the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins.

Johnson badly beat Nolan Carroll for a 23-yard score Sunday that helped seal the Texans' 23-13 victory over their favorite foils.

Houston improved to 6-0 against Miami, in part because the Dolphins' sieve-like pass defense was no match for Johnson and Matt Schaub.

The Texans improved to 2-0 for the second year in a row. Last season they faded to 6-10, extending their streak of never making the playoffs.

"We've been here before in this situation," said Johnson, who is in his ninth season with Houston. "Our goal is to go 1-0 every week."

The Dolphins are 0-2 for the fifth time in the past six years, and perhaps it's just as well they're on the road for most of the next two months. They're 1-11 at home since late 2009.

"This stinks," receiver Brandon Marshall said. "We're trying to get things going in our stadium and our community, and you have to win at home to do that. It's frustrating. It's embarrassing."

With fan apathy on the rise the stadium was half empty, despite Miami native Johnson buying 170 tickets for family and friends. He uncharacteristically dropped a deep pass in the third quarter but more than made amends, finishing with seven catches for 93 yards.

"Andre made some great plays all day long," Schaub said.

The biggest came after a Miami field goal cut Houston's lead to 16-13. The Texans responded with a 63-yard drive capped by Johnson's score. Carroll was on the coverage because Vontae Davis hurt his hamstring.

"When the play was called, I knew I had a chance to score, and that's what happened," Johnson said. "The way he was playing me, I knew it was six."

Schaub went 21 for 29 for 230 yards and had a quarterback rating of 118.5. Houston had no turnovers while the Dolphins committed two, had a 22-yard field-goal attempt blocked and missed a 34-yarder.

Miami's Daniel Thomas rushed for 107 yards in his NFL debut, but Chad Henne went 12 for 30 and was especially erratic in the red zone.

Houston's Ben Tate topped 100 yards rushing for the second time in as many career games — he netted 103 yards in 23 carries. Teammate Arian Foster, who missed the opener because of a sore left hamstring, carried only 10 times for 33 yards.

Mario Williams forced a turnover to set up the game's first touchdown. The Texans had two sacks and pressured Henne enough to limit him to 170 yards after he threw for 416 in the season opener.

The Texans' defense, revamped after they ranked 30th in yards allowed last season, has allowed two touchdowns in two games.

"We only gave up 13 points," Kubiak said, "and you're going to win a lot of games doing that."

One bright spot for the Dolphins was Thomas, their first 100-yard rusher in the past 21 games. He lost a fumble but played well enough to keep Reggie Bush on the bench for much of the game. Bush had only seven touches.

Williams had a hand in the first touchdown. With Henne throwing from his goal line, Williams beat tackle Marc Colombo and reached to hit Henne as he released a pass, which fluttered to cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

Two plays later, Schaub threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Owen Daniels for a 13-3 lead.

Houston's Neil Rackers scored the game's first points with a 23-yard field goal that deflected off the right upright. He also made a 22-yarder, then hit a 36-yarder on the final play of the first half.

Miami twice failed to score after driving inside the Houston 20. Dan Carpenter missed wide left on one field-goal try, and another was a low line drive that rookie J.J. Watt blocked.

On one of those possessions, Marshall had a shot at a lunging catch in the end zone but failed to hold onto the ball.

"We had a chance to score some points," coach Tony Sparano said. "We've just got to do a better job in the red area. That's the bottom line."

Notes: Houston's Joseph hurt his right ankle in the first half. ... Miami LB Karlos Dansby left the game in the first half with a groin injury. ... Thin air? Miami's Brandon Fields had a 70-yard punt, and Houston's Brett Hartmann had a 69-yarder. ... NFL active sack leader Jason Taylor reached Schaub once, increasing his total to 133½. ... The Dolphins started seven possessions at their 20 or worse.

United States rolls past Kazakhstan 12-0

The United States coasted into the world junior hockey championship playoffs with a 12-0 rout of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

The U.S. will play Canada in a matchup of unbeaten teams Wednesday with the winner claiming the top spot in Group A.

Kazakhstan (0-3) will head to the relegation round.

Aaron Palushaj led the U.S. with two goals and two assists. Colin Wilson also had two goals, while James van Riemsdyk and Ian Cole each had a goal and two assists. Matt Rust, Mitch Wahl, Drayson Bowman, Mike Hoeffel, Jimmy Hayes and Danny Kristo had the other U.S. goals. Kevin Shattenkirk added three assists.

Goaltender Thomas McCollum made 10 saves.

Andrei Yankov made 49 saves on 61 shots for Kazakhstan.

Also Tuesday, Nikita Filatov scored three goals and Russia remained unbeaten with an 8-1 win over Slovakia.

Filatov opened the scoring at 2:12 of the first period and then scored power-play goals at 4:29 and 9:15 of the second to give the Russians leads of 4-1 and 6-1. He later added a third-period assist. Filatov, the No. 6 overall pick of Columbus in the 2008 draft, had one goal in four games this season with the Blue Jackets.

Defensemen accounted for three of the other five Russian goals with Maxim Goncharov scoring twice and Igor Golovkov once.

Slovakia goalie Zdenko Kotvan was taken out of the game after Golovkov's goal. Kotvan allowed five goals on 17 shots just nine minutes into the second period. Jaroslav Janus finished the game stopping 11 of 14 shots.

Sergei Andronov had a goal and three assists while Sergei Korostin had the game's final goal. Maxim Chudinov had four assists for Russia, which is 3-0 in Group B play and will face Sweden (3-0) on Wednesday afternoon.

The winner will clinch the group and advance to the semifinals on Saturday while the loser will play a quarterfinal game Friday.

Adam Bezak scored for Slovakia past Russian goalie Vadim Zhelobnyuk, who finished the game with 26 saves. Bezak scored at 13:12 of the opening period to tie the game 1-1.

Slovakia (1-2-0) will play its final game of the preliminary round Wednesday against Finland, which improved to 1-2 with a 5-1 win over Latvia. Mikael Granlund scored twice. Tomi Sallinen, Nestori Lahde and Antti Roppo also scored for Finland. Roberts Jekimovs scored for Latvia.

Also, the Czech Republic earned a spot in the playoff round with a 6-0 win over Germany. Ondrej Roman scored a pair of goals.

Tomas Knotek, Radko Gudas, David Stich and Zdenek Okal added goals for the Czechs (1-2), while Milan Doczy, Jan Kana and Tomas Kundratek had two assists each.

Dominik Furch stopped 18 shots.

Timo Pielmeier made 47 saves in defeat for the Germans (1-3).

Stocks Continue Slide Despite GDP Report

NEW YORK - Wall Street extended its decline Friday as investors already anxious after the second-biggest market drop this year cast aside a stronger-than-expected read on the economy.

Investors clearly had a selling bias a day after the market shuddered amid worries over the U.S. mortgage and corporate lending markets, sending the Dow down by as much as 450 points before it closed with a deficit of 311. Investors globally took flight from equities, shifting cash into safer investments in Treasurys.

Although the market has often rebounded after a steep drop - and has done so in recent weeks - investors appeared unable Friday to set aside their concerns about a weakening housing market and tightening credit.

Anxiety from Thursday's sell-off, which erased $314.65 billion in value from the Standard & Poor's 500 index, remained entrenched Friday and a Commerce Department report that the U.S. gross domestic economy rose at a better-than-expected pace in the second quarter appeared to do little to quell investors' unease. GDP increased at a 3.4 percent annual rate, indicated that the drag from the housing sector lessened. Economists had expected an increase of 3.3 percent.

"I think people are really cautious right now. We're seeing the convergence of a whole host of sort of unrelated or only slightly related issues," said Randy Frederick, director of derivatives at Charles Schwab & Co. He contends market volatility will remain as investors sort through issues such as the availability of credit for corporate buyouts, soured subprime mortgages and rising energy prices.

In midafternoon trading, the Dow pared some of its declines and traded down 114.53, or 0.85 percent, at 13,359.04. The index had been down more than 150 points.

Broader stock indicators also fell. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 11.22, or 0.76 percent, to 1,471.44, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 21.89, or 0.84 percent, to 2,577.45.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to a heavy 1.58 billion shares.

Bonds added to a huge advance logged Thursday as investors clearly sought the relative safety of Treasurys. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.78 percent from 4.79 percent late Thursday. The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices fell.

Light, sweet crude rose $2 to $76.95 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Although the GDP reading might have reassured investors that the economy was more than holding up even with soaring fuel prices, it also raised the possibility that the Federal Reserve, ever vigilant about inflation, might lean toward raising interest rates. Higher rates would exacerbate the market's intensifying concerns about credit.

Investors seemed little-moved by a stronger-than-expected consumer sentiment reading. The Reuters/University of Michigan index rose to 90.4 in July from 85.3 in June.

"I think we're going to have continued sideways movement with 100 point up-and-down days," said Frederick, referring to the Dow's back-and-forth movements. The Dow has vacillated between posting gains and losses in the past eight sessions and only last week traded above 14,000 for the first time. The blue chip index now is now roughly 650 points below the trading high of 14,021.95 it set last week.

"The 14,000 level is going to be tough for this market to get back above," Frederick said.

Still, he said investors shouldn't overreact to the moves, in part because of the gains stocks have logged this year. Before Thursday's decline, the Dow was up 10.6 percent for the year, while the S&P had gained 7.04 percent and the Nasdaq 9.64 percent.

"You look at a 300-point Dow day and it seems like a big day but from a percentage viewpoint it's not a big move," Frederick said.

The volatility that has taken up residence on Wall Street in recent days has perhaps exacerbated concerns of investors grown accustomed to the largely calm markets of recent years. The Chicago Board Options Exchange's volatility index, known as the VIX, and often referred to as the "fear index," jumped Thursday to its highest level in about 13 months and continued to rise Friday.

There was little corporate earnings news for traders to mull over, with about half the Standard & Poor's 500 index already having posted results over the past few weeks. The biggest earnings news came from Chevron Corp., which reported second-quarter profit climbed 24 percent to surpass analyst estimates as the second largest U.S. oil company cashed in on higher gasoline prices. Chevron fell 78 cents to $86.68.

Evidence that not all private-equity deals have screeched to a halt came as Lee Equity Partners LLC struck a deal to acquire retailer Deb Shops Inc. for about $391.1 million. Deb rose 27 cents to $26.95.

Also, medical device maker Medtronic Inc., seeking to expand its spinal products business, said it would acquire device maker Kyphon Inc. for $3.9 billion. Kyphon jumped $13.17, or 24.5 percent, to $66.85. The stock rose as high as $68.40, moving above its previous 52-week high of $57.10. Medtronic slipped 11 cents to $50.81.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 9.12, or 1.15 percent, to 782.57.

Most Asian markets fell Friday in reaction to the market plunge, while European markets - which were open during part of the big U.S. drop Thursday - showed more modest moves Friday. Japan's Nikkei stock average closed down 2.36 percent, while the often-volatile Shanghai composite eased lower by 0.03 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.58 percent, Germany's DAX index dropped 0.76 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.55 percent.

---

On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Japanese Stocks Drop; Dollar Down

TOKYO - Japanese stocks were lower Friday morning, hurt by declines in financial stocks, amid concerns about a temporary lull in the economy. The dollar was lower against the yen.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index shed 58.46 points, or 0.36 percent, to 16,140.11 points on the Tokyo Stock Exchange at midday Friday. The index finished down 17.17 points, or 0.11 percent, at 16,198.57 points the previous day.

Wary sentiment over the state of the economy led to the Nikkei's fall in morning trade.

Stocks slumped after the government said Wednesday that September's leading indictors fell below 50.0 boom-or-bust line for the third month in a row.

Traders would be watching the results of machinery orders, due out later in the day, and third-quarter gross domestic product data due next week for further clues.

Megabank Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group was among the decliners, while Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. rose slightly.

Sumitomo Titanium Corp. and other commodity stocks posted gains, while the overnight rise in oil prices to $61.16 per barrel on Wall Street lifted such oil-related stocks as Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. and Inpex Holdings.

The broader Topix index, which includes all shares on the exchange's first section, fell 6.42 points, or 0.40 percent, to 1,582.64 points Friday. Losers beat gainers 1,007 to 537 on broader TSE first section.

In currencies, the U.S. dollar was trading at 117.63 yen on the Tokyo foreign exchange market at 11 a.m. (0200 GMT) Friday, down from 117.95 yen from late Thursday in New York. The euro rose to $1.2860, from $1.2826.

The yield on Japan's 10-year government bond was 1.6900 percent, down from Thursday's finish of 1.7000. Its price rose to 100.92, from 100.84.

Awaiting Other Shoe to Float Ashore

This a reading comprehension exercise for children. It is writtenby Susan Fineman, a reading specialist in the New Haven, Conn.,school district.

ANCHORAGE -- Enough soggy Nike basketball shoes to outfit everyhigh school team in Alaska drifted through the Pacific Ocean towardthe state recently after spilling from a container ship off NorthernCalifornia.

There's just one hitch.

"Nike forgot to tie the laces, so you have to find mates," saidCurtis Ebbesmeyer, an oceanographer in Washington state who tracksflotsam. "The effort's worth it because these Nikes have only beenadrift a few months. All 33,000 are wearable."

A beachcomber told Ebbesmeyer about the shoe spill after findingtwo new Nikes washed up on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. But theywere sizes 101/2 and 81/2. Both were lefts.

A little research by Ebbesmeyer confirmed that a ship lost cargoDec. 15 during a storm, including three 40-foot containers carryingan estimated 5,500 pairs of shoes each.

"Nikes will be soon in your neck of the sea," Ebbesmeyer said inan e-mail to the Anchorage Daily News.

Over the past decade, Ebbesmeyer has tracked 29,000 duckies,turtles and other bathtub toys; 3 million tiny Legos; 34,000 hockeygloves; and 50,000 Nike cross-trainers that went overboard in thePacific in 1999.

He and government oceanographer Jim Ingraham have published theirresults in academic journals as well as Ebbesmeyer's newsletter,Beachcombers' Alert.

This time, Ebbesmeyer took the serial numbers off the shoes totrace the shipment. Nike told him the shoes were being shipped fromLos Angeles to Tacoma, Wash.

After the two shoes washed ashore on the Olympic Peninsula inJanuary, Ebbesmeyer calculated that they had moved more than 450miles in a month -- up to 18 miles a day. At that pace, he calculatedthe Nikes could bob and weave an additional 1,600 miles by the timethe current eases in mid-April, sprinkling basketball shoes along theGulf of Alaska and Aleutian coasts.

Lee Weinstein, a spokesman for Beaverton, Ore.- based Nike, saidbeachcombers who find soggy shoes can mail them to Nike forrecycling.

Nike has used recycled rubber sneakers to repave basketball courtsand playgrounds, including all the outdoor basketball courts inPortland's parks, he said.

Awaiting Other Shoe to Float Ashore

This a reading comprehension exercise for children. It is writtenby Susan Fineman, a reading specialist in the New Haven, Conn.,school district.

ANCHORAGE -- Enough soggy Nike basketball shoes to outfit everyhigh school team in Alaska drifted through the Pacific Ocean towardthe state recently after spilling from a container ship off NorthernCalifornia.

There's just one hitch.

"Nike forgot to tie the laces, so you have to find mates," saidCurtis Ebbesmeyer, an oceanographer in Washington state who tracksflotsam. "The effort's worth it because these Nikes have only beenadrift a few months. All 33,000 are wearable."

A beachcomber told Ebbesmeyer about the shoe spill after findingtwo new Nikes washed up on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. But theywere sizes 101/2 and 81/2. Both were lefts.

A little research by Ebbesmeyer confirmed that a ship lost cargoDec. 15 during a storm, including three 40-foot containers carryingan estimated 5,500 pairs of shoes each.

"Nikes will be soon in your neck of the sea," Ebbesmeyer said inan e-mail to the Anchorage Daily News.

Over the past decade, Ebbesmeyer has tracked 29,000 duckies,turtles and other bathtub toys; 3 million tiny Legos; 34,000 hockeygloves; and 50,000 Nike cross-trainers that went overboard in thePacific in 1999.

He and government oceanographer Jim Ingraham have published theirresults in academic journals as well as Ebbesmeyer's newsletter,Beachcombers' Alert.

This time, Ebbesmeyer took the serial numbers off the shoes totrace the shipment. Nike told him the shoes were being shipped fromLos Angeles to Tacoma, Wash.

After the two shoes washed ashore on the Olympic Peninsula inJanuary, Ebbesmeyer calculated that they had moved more than 450miles in a month -- up to 18 miles a day. At that pace, he calculatedthe Nikes could bob and weave an additional 1,600 miles by the timethe current eases in mid-April, sprinkling basketball shoes along theGulf of Alaska and Aleutian coasts.

Lee Weinstein, a spokesman for Beaverton, Ore.- based Nike, saidbeachcombers who find soggy shoes can mail them to Nike forrecycling.

Nike has used recycled rubber sneakers to repave basketball courtsand playgrounds, including all the outdoor basketball courts inPortland's parks, he said.

Andrea Could Pack a Wallop at Players

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Tiger Woods no longer is the most daunting name at The Players Championship. Someone named Andrea joined the strongest field in golf Wednesday. That was the name assigned the first storm of the year, off the coast of northeast Florida and arriving just in time to rain on the PGA Tour's parade. After all, one reason the tour moved its flagship event from March to May was to avoid the kind of wet weather that has caused the tournament to end on Monday three of the last six years.

"Welcome to sunny, dry, warm Florida," commissioner Tim Finchem said Wednesday. "We never said it doesn't rain in May. We just said the patterns are different, and it's not going to rain as much."

Players won't be the only ones tested when The Players begins Thursday with the deepest field of the year on a refurbished Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for $9 million, the biggest purse in the golf.

Sawgrass is nothing like it was last year, when Stephen Ames blew away the competition by closing with a 67 for a six-shot victory.

Tired of a little rain leaving small rivers in the middle of the golf course, the tour spent more than $12 million to make the famed Stadium Course as close to indoor golf as the game allows.

Every fairway was stripped of its grass and replenished with soil that allows for better drainage. Ditto for the greens, which resembled empty pies shells as workers installed a vacuum under each putting surface and restored the original design, except for a few greens in which the slopes were made less severe.

And because the tournament moved to May, the common Bermuda grass was left alone.

"It looks very different," said Woods, who last saw these conditions at Sawgrass when he was a skinny 18-year-old who won his first U.S. Amateur title here in 1994.

But that was after he played it in sunshine, before anyone realized Andrea would show up and shower the course. That means the tour's plan to build a course to withstand rain might get its first big test.

Even in the on-and-off rain, the fairways looked like carpet, minus some of the roll.

"The greens stayed pretty firm," Justin Leonard said after playing the back nine. "They didn't soften any."

It probably won't be as firm, fast and frightening as some players predicted when they realized there hasn't been too much measurable rain over the last month, just the stench of smoke from wildfires in neighboring Georgia.

One other change is the mounding around the greens, which have been reduced slightly and in many cases mown down. Instead of hacking onto the green, players now have options whether to chip up the slopes or use the putter, much like at Pinehurst No. 2.

The one conclusion just about everyone drew was summed up best by former Players champion Adam Scott.

"There's going to be no faking your way up to the top of this leaderboard," he said. "Anytime it's soft, you can play bad and score pretty good. The ball won't run out of the fairway. The ball never runs into any trouble. Once it comes down to having to strike the ball well to get any spin on it to hold a green, that's when you see the guys who are playing their best."

And who might that be?

If recent history is any indication, it could be anybody.

The list of champions have ranged from the long (Woods and Davis Love III) to short (Fred Funk), from great iron players (Ames and Hal Sutton) to remarkable short games (Craig Perks).

"Anyone can win here," Woods said. "That's the beauty of this golf course. There really is no advantage to taking out driver and bombing it down there because of the trouble, but also have everything pinches in. Over the years, we all hit the ball to the same area and just play from there."

Still to be determined is the effect of the rough, which will be about 2 1/2 inches, about half as high as it was. But the nature of Bermuda grass is that players don't know how it will react, and the targets at Sawgrass can be awfully tiny.

"The rough is much more playable than it used to be," U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy said. "But that could turn out to be more difficult because you're going to go for greens out of the rough when you never used to, and you're going to bounce over the backs, and you're going to have some trouble that way.

"It's still Sawgrass, still a tough course. Just a little different."

Woods is coming off a two-shot victory at the Wachovia Championship, his third of the year, and his ninth on the PGA Tour over his last 12 starts dating to the British Open last summer. It wasn't his smoothest victory at Quail Hollow, not the way he was struggling with his swing, and coach Hank Haney again was at his side during practice rounds.

The Players has a varied and impressive list of winners, the majority of them major champions. Still missing from that roll call are Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk - both live near the course and spend most of their time in practice at Sawgrass.

Mickelson has tied for third in his last two tournaments since switching to swing coach Butch Harmon, although he didn't have a serious chance to win, either. He remains a work in progress, and his best finish at The Players was a tie for third in 2004, four shots behind.

"I think it will take some time for me to feel comfortable and confident with a couple of changes," Mickelson said. "But I'm starting to see the difference. There's no little, quick fix to years of poor driving."

About the only quick fix was to the golf course. Work began five days after Ames hoisted the trophy, and the course was open again about seven months later. Now comes the first test, likely to be observed in similar fashion.

From under an umbrella.

вторник, 6 марта 2012 г.

The feet of those who bring good news

Breslau congregation attempts to 'walk across Canada'

Sept. 21 was a beautiful day for a walk. The Breslau Mennonite Church sanctuary buzzed with noise as people clipped pedometers to their belts. Parish nurse Karen Good had hers on already.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" Good quoted from Isaiah 52:7 to the congregation before listing many of the benefits of walking. The goal of the church's health cabinet and parish nurse ministry was to get the congregation to cumulatively walk across Canada-more than 8,500 kilometres-from Sept. 21 to Oct. 12.

People walk to slow down and enjoy a more relaxed pace while talking with a friend, Good said. Families and friends hike together, exploring the nature of the great outdoors. People walk for pleasure, or to get in shape or stay in shape. Some use walking as therapy for injured muscles or troubled feelings. All-in-all, walking has lots of health benefits, including reducing elevated blood fats and blood pressure, improving digestion and strengthening bones. People's carbon footprints are reduced when they walk to the grocery store instead of driving.

Ten thousand steps a day is considered necessary for a healthy life style. With 1,300 average stops to the kilometre, the congregation had a lot of stepping ahead on that first Sunday. But with lovely weather outside and a soup fundraiser lunch in the offing, the congregation stepped out to get a head start.

In the end, Breslau congregants walked a total of 4,850 kilometres, a little short of their goal, but Good's real hope is that they will develop patterns of walking that they can keep up in the months and years to come.

[Author Affiliation]

BY DAVE ROGALSKY

Eastern Canada Correspondent

BRESLAU, ONT.

понедельник, 5 марта 2012 г.

Ariz. airport to test X-ray screening at security checks

PHOENIX - Sky Harbor International Airport here will test a newfederal screening system that takes X-rays of passenger's bodies todetect concealed explosives and other weapons.

The technology, called backscatter, has been around for severalyears but has not been widely used in the U.S. as an anti-terrorismtool because of privacy concerns.

The Transportation Security Administration said it has found a wayto refine the machine's images so that the normally graphic picturescan be blurred in certain areas while still being effective indetecting bombs and other threats.

The agency is expected to provide more information about thetechnology later this month but said …

Right way, wrong way.(Brief article)

Toyota unveiled the Lexus LS 400 in 1989, and VW rolled out the Phaeton in 2003. Here's why Toyota succeeded and VW failed.

Lexus LS 400

-- Promised luxury/quality equal to segment leaders, at lower cost

-- Built a brand around the car

-- Started with big …

Queensbury committee sets planning workshop.(Capital Region)

QUEENSBURY - The Planning Ordinance Review Committee of the town of Queensbury is sponsoring a public workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. today in the Scoville Center Auditorium at Adirondack Community College, 640 Bay Road.

This will be an interactive public workshop to provide community residents an opportunity to define a vision for the future of the town for the next 5, 10 or 20 years. The town of Queensbury is updating its comprehensive plan and its zoning and subdivision …

Palsgaard rolls out non-GMO chocolate emulsifier.(NEWS)

JUELSMINDE, DENMARK -- Chocolate makers seeking a non-genetically modified alternative to soy lecithin have a new option with the introduction of Palsgaard 4201, a citric acid ester said to be suitable for use as a chocolate emulsifier.

Developed and marketed by Palsgaard A/S, …

Egypt's Mubarak: a survivor comes undone

CAIRO (AP) — He survived assassination attempts and wave after wave of Mideast crises, a solid ally of the West whose stable image reassured many Egyptians. Hosni Mubarak ended his presidency Friday as a symbol of what was wrong with Egypt: the repression, the corruption, the lost hopes of a swelling, impoverished class.

Mubarak, in power for nearly three decades, was such a fixture that his exit from power was hard to conceive for most Egyptians just a short time ago. Year after year, as the president aged and ailed, people watched his scripted appearances on television — the suit and tie, the wagging finger, the "father of the nation" aura.

After protests and upheaval swept …

MARY PORTAS: SECRET SHOPPER (Ch4, 9pm).

You don't mess with Mary Portas - just ask the shopkeepers she'sattempted to help while making her BBC Two show Mary, Queen ofShops. So when she gets a bee in her bonnet about something, you canbet she'll do everything in her considerable powers to put it right.And so …

воскресенье, 4 марта 2012 г.

Scientists at University of Costa Rica target agriculture and forestry.

"We estimated the magnitude of the total leaf area of the neotropical palm Euterpe oleracea and examined its allometry relative to the variation in stem height and diameter at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. The allometric relationships between frond leaf area and frond length (from tip to base), and between frond leaf area and number of leaflets, were determined by natural logarithmic regressions to estimate the total area of each frond," scientists in San Jose, Costa Rica report.

"Palm total leaf area was then estimated by adding the area of the composing fronds. We fit 14 separate regression models that related one or more of the morphological variables (number …

Cause for concern.(News)

The choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act makes provision for provincial governments to designate facilities for services.

This is to improve local efficiencies and afford greater access for women to obtain abortion services.

The current legal action by the provincial government of the Western Cape against Marie Stopes is extremely worrying. Only 55% of designated facilities are up and running nationally.

Marie Stopes has been assisting in bearing the load of service provision. It seems like this legal process is about blocking women's access to abortion. Why has the government stopped the …

HEALTH MAGAZINES MERGE.(BUSINESS)

Byline: -- Bloomberg News

NEW YORK -- Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company, said its Health magazine unit agreed to buy the subscriber list and trademark of rival American Health from Reader's Digest Association Inc. for an undisclosed price, to boost circulation and advertising revenue.

American Health magazine will cease publishing after …

US DoE invests $3m in clean-up.(bioremediation research gets finance)

Bioremediation has received a major boost in the US with the awarding by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) office of science of $3m to a project headed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to build on progress made through a three-year consortium in sequencing the genome of seven strains of Shewanella oneidensis, a relatively common bacterium with diverse capabilities.

The research could have a major impact on the two trillion gallons of heavy metal contaminated groundwater and 75m [m.sup.3] of soil and subsurface sediment at various DoE and other sites in the US.

The other institutions involved in the project include the University of Tennessee, the Oak …

Global rice market seen to remain tight in 2009

Export restrictions by key producing nations, coupled with population growth, are expected to keep the global rice market tight for the second consecutive year, an international institute said Monday.

Rapid hikes earlier this year in the price of rice _ the staple food of 2.5 billion people _ set off riots and protests from Africa to Asia to the Caribbean amid fears of a global food shortage.

From a record US$1,000 per metric ton in May, the price of Thai 100 percent Grade B slipped to about US$800 in June and US$764 in September, according to a quarterly publication of the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute and the Food and Agriculture …

Cathay Pacific introduces new uniforms for frontline staff.

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

Cathay Pacific Airways, a Hong Kong based carrier, on Wednesday announced plans to launch it's new uniform to 13,000 staff worldwide.

Launch of the new uniforms for more than 8,000 cabin crew and 4,000 staff working in airports, reservations and cargo …

SHE MEETS HER LIFE HEAD-ON.(Local)

Byline: Fred LeBrun

Some people's lives just naturally translate into screenplays without adding a line. You wonder how they do it, outdoing two and three of "Stand By Your Man."

Polly Henke is twice a mail-order bride, a full-fledged character who regularly goes more than halfway to meet life and squeeze it.

She'll be 41 in April, lives up in Washington County, and just left a job as retail manager of Home Electronics in Greenwich for the new man in her life.

This weekend, Leonard comes in from Buelah, N.D., and next week the two of them will drive out to his ranch and the wedding. Two weeks ago she got engaged, after a whirlwind romance. …