Many years ago, while wasting the time of my economics tutor, Iwas told that increased productivity would one day present a problemof large numbers of unemployed, unskilled workers.
Today the whole world is faced with very real economic problemsand I find it quite …
LOS ANGELES - Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband provided a DNA sample Friday in the ongoing dispute about the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter, and said he wanted to raise the child if he was the father.
Frederic von Anhalt said he's "almost sure" the test will prove he's the father of 6-month-old Dannielynn. He says he carried on a decades-long affair with the former Playboy Playmate of the Year.
"I'm almost sure the baby's mine, almost sure," von Anhalt, 59, said after having a cotton swab brushed along the inside of his mouth. He added he hopes to gain custody as soon as possible.
"Oh yeah, if it's my baby, it belongs in my home," von Anhalt said. "I'm …
The House is scheduled to vote today on a bill that would levy a 90 percent tax on bonuses paid to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money.
"We figured that the local and state governments would take care of the other 10 percent," said Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
Rangel said the bill would apply to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, among others, while excluding community banks and other smaller companies that have received less bailout money.
House Democratic leaders unveiled the …
The commodity fraud trial of 16 Chicago Mercantile Exchangecurrency traders will begin on schedule Sept. 5, even though twodefendants have just hired new lawyers, U.S. District Judge WilliamHart ruled Thursday.
Without explaining his move, defendant John Baker asked Hart'spermission to fire Jenner & Block and hire Schiff, Hardin & Waite torepresent him in the upcoming trial. "Changing your lawyers at the11th hour is a dangerous business," Hart told him. But the judgeagreed to the change after being assured Jenner & Block wouldcontinue assisting in the case.
Baker's new attorney, Joseph Duffy, requested an extra week toprepare. His new client "may be the lead …
Development, modernity, and industrialization became dominant themes in corporate advertising in Africa in the 1950s and remained prevalent through the following two decades while many African nations were gaining independence. British businesses operating there created a publicity strategy that couched their presence in less developed countries in terms of a commitment and a positive contribution to the progress of the new states. Eventually, British companies tried to "Africanize" their corporate image through these campaigns.
In the 1930s and 1940s, British business in West Africa was faced with a rising tide of public discontent and criticism. Closely associated with the …
Following protests from students, former presidential adviser Karl Rove has withdrawn as this year's commencement speaker at a prestigious prep school, the school's headmaster said Monday.
The choice of Rove as speaker for the June commencement at Choate Rosemary Hall had led some students to plan to walk out of the ceremony. Others had sought to bring comedian Stephen Colbert to campus for an alternate speech.
Instead of commencement, Rove now will speak at the school on Feb. 11, headmaster Edward J. Shanahan said. Shanahan said he will deliver the commencement address at the school, the alma mater of John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson.
…
Three men, including two former Syracuse ball boys, have accused Fine of molesting them as minors.
The official confirmed …
PFLAG-Detroit celebrates 25 years of keeping families together
There's something special about a PFLAG hug.
For starters, it probably comes from a perfect stranger. And it's not one of those stilted butt-out hugs, or quick, arm-only side hugs - it's a full-on embrace.
It's a hug that comes from people who know what you're going through and care about you, no matter who you are.
PFLAG stands for Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays, and it's a support group with more than 250 chapters in 50 states. Its Detroit chapter is celebrating 25 years of educating, providing community, sharing resources and creating connections.
Or, as the …
Stocks fluctuated Friday after a sharp dive in the previous session, with investors anxious about a new oil price record but relieved about increases in personal incomes and spending.
The Commerce Department said spending rose 0.8 percent in May, as taxpayers started receiving their stimulus checks. The increase was higher than the 0.7 percent economists predicted. The report also said personal incomes surged 1.9 percent _ significantly more than anticipated. After taxes, incomes surged 5.7 percent, the largest amount in 33 years.
The data appeared to provide a bit of solace to investors nervous about consumers struggling with rising prices, falling home values …
It's a high-tech lab that seeks to unlock the secrets of thefuture, but at this time of year the far west suburban campus offersscenes that seem to have drifted in from the distant past.
Bison calves hover near their mothers' sides before venturing outon wobbly legs to prance on the prairie.
It is birthing season at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratorynear Batavia.
"Some people get stressed out during the birthing season -- Ireally like it," said John Plese, Fermilab's chief herdsman. "You cansee how happy they are. They play like puppies."
The bison calves are a rite of spring at Fermilab, as well as asymbol and main attraction in a place where …
Vancouver- An international team led by three University of British Columbia microbiologists has completed the sequencing and annotation of the genome of Rhodococcus sp. RHA1, a soil bacterium, which is the largest bacterial genome sequenced to date. It is the first genome of a Rhodococcus to be completely sequenced, and the first bacterial genome to be entirely sequenced and annotated in Canada.
"We began this project expecting to learn more about how these bacteria degrade toxic pollutants, but ended up also coming up with ideas on how to cut costs in the production of antibiotics and other important pharmaceuticals," enthused Prof. Lindsay Eltis, who together with Profs. …
iTunes' top 10 selling singles and albums of the week ending June 6, 2011:
Singles:
1. "Rolling In the Deep," ADELE
2. "Give Me Everything (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer)," Pitbull
3. "Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock)," LMFAO
4. "The Edge of Glory," Lady GaGa
5. "Super Bass," Nicki Minaj
6. "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall," Coldplay
7. "How to Love," Lil Wayne
8. "The Lazy Song," Bruno Mars
9. "The Show Goes On," Lupe …
THE 61-MEMBER UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) remained deadlocked at the June 25 conclusion of its second working period of the year, having failed to begin any negotiations or to resolve any outstanding issues. Sole U.S. resistance to initiating work on prevention of an arms race in outer space may forestall any talks--including those on a fissile material cutoff treaty-in the conference's third and final working part, scheduled to take place July 26-September 8. No delegation opposes fissile cutoff talks, but the CD has yet to adopt a consensus work program for 1999, a prerequisite to negotiations.
The conference did, however, move closer to a compromise on the long-divisive issue of nuclear disarmament. Speaking on June 17, CD President Ambassador Mohamed-Salah Dembri of Algeria indicated unanimous acceptance for a nuclear disarmament ad hoc working group, though he added that its mandate still needed to be resolved. If finalized, the mandate would likely resemble the February 2 proposal by Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway calling on the CD to "study ways and means of establishing an exchange of information and views" on nuclear disarmament.
Despite the apparent readiness of the nuclear-weapon states to agree to a working group, their staunch opposition-with the exception of China-to formal CD negotiations remains unchanged. A working group on nuclear disarmament, however, would mark a step up from last year's "troika" process where the past, present and future presidents of the conference simply held consultations with delegations on the issue.
In past years, the Group of 21 (G-21) non-aligned countries, led by India and Pakistan, has sought time-bound negotiations on nuclear disarmament as its highest priority, while the nuclearweapon states, minus China, have opposed any formal negotiations on that subject. Because the conference operates by consensus, this central disagreement has impeded any substantive work since completion in 1996 of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Outer Space
While most member-states, including Russia, China and France, favor an ad hoc committee on outer space, the CD is weighing a working group because the United States will support nothing more formal. Washington, which has repeatedly claimed that there is no arms race in outer space, may oppose even a working group, partly out of concern for the implications such a move could hold for U.S. national missile defense (NMD) plans.
Uncertainty over an outer space mandate has further reinforced U.S. reluctance to work on the issue. Beijing and Moscow, worried about U.S. NMD plans, have called for preventing the "weaponization" of outer space, while some non-aligned states use the much broader term of "militarization," which is aimed at checking the military use of space for command, control, communication and intelligence purposes.
Also in the second working part, India termed a U.S., British and French proposal to exempt fissile cutoff talks from the annual, standard practice of agreeing on a work program "unacceptable." (See ACT, April/May 1999.) Indian Ambassador Savitri Kunadi said June 24 that such a move "divorces the work of the CD from the overall reality in which that work is undertaken."
The CD is facing a repeat of the 1997 conference, in which no negotiations took place. Even if a work program is adopted in this year's final six working weeks, a new work program will have to be agreed upon next year for any negotiations in 2000. -Wade Boese
BANGOR, Maine - A West Virginia man is going to prison for 40years for manslaughter and kidnapping in the case of a marijuanapartner who was chained to a tree and killed in 1989.
Patrick Alexandre, 46, of Parkersburg, W.Va., received the maximumsentence on each count from Justice Joseph Jabar in Penobscot CountySuperior Court. The 40-year sentences will be served concurrently.
The family of the victim, Joseph Cloak Jr., expressed satisfactionwith the outcome on Thursday.
"This is one person who thought he was going to outsmart thesystem, and he didn't," said Cloak's sister, Linda Norris.
Detectives first met with Alexandre in November 2000 after heindicated he witnessed a murder and knew where a body was buried inhopes of shaving time off a sentence for a probation violation inWest Virginia.
During the trial, Alexandre testified that he and Cloak, who was27, were partners in a marijuana operation near Alexandre's home.
Alexandre admitted helping to bury Cloak's body in Bradford afterdiscovering Cloak chained to a tree with his head wrapped in ducttape. But he said it was a friend from New Hampshire, Charles Emery,who had killed Cloak.
Emery, 53, of North Hampton, N.H., did not testify after tellingthe judge that he would invoke the Fifth Amendment against selfincrimination.
Defense attorney Don Brown of Bangor urged the judge to sentenceAlexandre to 20 years in prison followed by a term of probation. Hesaid that Emery, not Alexandre, was responsible for Cloak's deatheven though the New Hampshire man has not been charged in connectionwith the case.
Jabar rejected Brown's argument.
"Charles Emery is not an alternative defendant to the exclusion ofPatrick Alexandre," the judge said Thursday.
"The person (responsible for Cloak's death) is devoid of anyhumanity," said the judge added. "Certainly Patrick Alexandre was apart of that."
Alexandre was arrested on Nov. 22, 2000, at a weigh station onInterstate 95 in Old Town and held at the Penobscot County Jail on awarrant because of a probation violation in a drug case in WestVirginia.
It was at the jail that he told guards he had witnessed a murderyears earlier and knew where a body was buried.
Assistant Attorney General Fernand LaRochelle said after thesentencing Thursday that state police are continuing to investigateEmery's possible connection to the slaying.
But Brown doubted that Emery would be arrested for the role heallegedly played in Cloak's death.
"So far, the police haven't laid a hand on Charlie Emery," Brownsaid. "That is a serious miscarriage of justice."
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Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter appears to have several broken ribs after being injured while riding a bicycle.
Ritter's spokesman, Evan Dreyer, says the accident occurred early Tuesday when the governor collided with another cyclist in a group of four. Dreyer says Ritter appears to have multiple rib fractures on his right side.
Dreyer says Ritter is being treated at Denver Health Medical Center and is in good spirits, laughing and joking with hospital staff.
Dreyer says the other cyclist had minor injuries and wasn't taken to a hospital.
Peter A. Picknelly and his wife, Melissa, have a long-standing, built-in Friday date-night routine--only there's nothing routine about it.
Each week, it's a different restaurant, all within roughly 45 minutes of their home in Springfield, and Peter's in charge of picking the venue and, essentially, providing the surprises. They come in the form of usually smaller, lesser-known establishments that he finds via a combination of referrals and exhaustive research.
Through that mix, he has found such gems, as he calls them, as the Mill at 2T in Tariffville, Conn., the Trattoria Rustica in Pittsfield, and Cavey's in Manchester, Conn., all of which have made his very-much-unofficial list of favorites. "We get a kick out of finding new ones, and try not to go to the same one twice in a year," he said. "And we hardly ever miss a Friday--only if there's kid issues."
Picknelly, third-generation president of Peter Pan Bus Lines, the regional transit business started by his grandfather, Peter C. Picknelly, is quick to point out that, while he's ventured far out of the Springfield area to find new places for date-night dinners, he's still quite partial to established eateries in and around the City of Homes. "I'm at the Fort five days a week for lunch," he said, acknowledging that he's exaggerating slightly, but that on those days when he's not at that downtown Springfield landmark, he's at one of several other nearby restaurants.
And he's almost always there with a manager from Peter Pan Bus Lines, either a direct report or one of another few dozen department administrators. These are working luncheons for the most part, and, for Picknelly, learning opportunities.
"I bring a list of things to discuss," he told BusinessWest. "We talk about business and family. I never leave without some tidbit of information that helps me understand the business better."
All this time in restaurants serves to help Picknelly better focus on the two most important aspects of his life--family and the family business (the community and service to it would place a close third)--and to do what he thinks he might do best: plan.
"I'm definitely a planner," he said, adding that this goes for his family, Peter Pan, and a host of other business ventures with which he's involved. "And with the family, it's vacations that I love planning; I know where we'll be vacationing a year from now."
That would be Tuscany in Italy, the first European excursion for the family as a unit, meaning Peter, Melissa, and their four children--Lauren and Alyssa (13-year-old twins), Peter (that's Peter D.), 10, and Olyvia, 7. Together, they've been to several spots on this side of the Atlantic, including the Bahamas, Mexico, and, most recently, Costa Rica.
'Planning' is a term that may also be applied to Pidmely's affinity for high-end sports cars--very high-end. The burgundy Ferrari F4-30 (license plate. PETER) now in the Peter Pan parking lot will soon be replaced by the Italian automaker's 2010 4-58 Italia model, this one blue, and, reportedly, the first one in New England.
Picknelly, who says he'll get nearly what he paid for the F4-30 when he turns it in, has owned a variety of fast cars over the years, including a few Lotuses and Jaguars, choices far different from his father (the late Peter L. Picknelly), who was, as most in the region know, partial to Rolls-Royces.
"I can't see me driving one of those," said Picknelly, adding that he hasn't emulated his father
in several other ways--he believes he's a much better delegater and family man, for example--but took a number of life and business lessons from him.
BusinessWest will elaborate on those and other points as it continues its Profiles in Business series with a look at someone who's a driving force in local business and the community--literally and figuratively.
In the Clutch
As he talked about the many nuances of life in a family business, Picknelly noted that there are advantages and disadvantages, and they often go hand in hand.
He acknowledged that many people look at second-, third-, or fourth-generation managers of family businesses and conclude that things have been handed to them, and that they are perhaps not as worthy of praise for their exploits as someone who started from scratch and built his or her own company.
"And there's something to that, certainly," he noted. "I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for my father and grandfather, I know that I've been incredibly fortunate. If you were to go out right now and hire a president for Peter Pan, I'm not sure I'd make the cut.
"That said, I'm quite sure that you couldn't find anyone who would work harder in this job than me," he continued, adding that part of what drives him is that recognition of the fact that, to many, it's simply his last name that is responsible for his title and success.
"It does push me a little harder," he told Business West. "It's when people say I can't do something that I try to prove them wrong."
While Picknelly says he's been helped by the Peter Picknellys who preceded him, he's had to earn his stripes. And that meant starting at the bottom, which, in the bus business, means cleaning, or 'dumping' (that's the technical term), the toilets in the back of the vehicles.
"Yeah, I did that--I've done just about every job in the company," said Picknelly, noting that he started working in the garage on weekends and during the summer when he was just 13. He would later go on to take a number of different positions, from dispatcher to manager of the company's then-much-smaller Boston operation when he was a student at Boston University. Years ago, he actually drove a bus on occasion when the company was short-handed and needed someone, but hasn't done that for decades, and couldn't now because his standard Class 2 license wouldn't credential him to do so.
He kept moving up the ladder, and eventually assumed the title of president several years ago, when his father became chairman.
Over the past several years, he's strived to continue growing Peter Pan, even in the face of mounting competition from new carriers, and even improved rail service to many cities the company serves.
"The business has changed considerably over the years ... it is more competitive now than perhaps it ever was," he said. "We just have to put ourselves in a position to succeed."
As Picknelly mentioned, he took a number of life and business lessons from his father, and far more of the latter than the former. One of the keys from that realm was achieving diversity in one's business portfolio, as a hedge against the vagaries of the economy and society in general, he said.
The younger Picknelly has accomplished this through both acquisition and new-business development. In the first category are purchases of companies including Camfour, a firearms distributor based in Westfield; Belt Technologies, an Agawam-based maker of metal belts and pulleys for several applications, including aerospace, medical equipment, and food processing; another firearms distributor in Austin, Texas; and a woodworking company based in Connecticut.
As for new business development, Picknelly, in conjunction with Greyhound, started a second transportation-based operation, called BoltBus. Designed as competition for so-called street-corner operators who offer low fares and few, if any, frills, BoltBus, which features more leg room and WiFi, among other amenities, has been an enormous success, said Picknelly. With runs to and from several large Northeast cities and New York, the carrier is boasting 80% capacity for all its runs, about one-third higher than the average for the industry.
Meanwhile, Picknelly has started a real-estate operation, called OPAL, an acronym that takes the first letters of his children's names, in reverse order from when they were born.
Among other initiatives, OPAL is the main developer of the intermodal transportation facility taking shape in an old downtown fire station in Holyoke. It will feature a bus terminal, a two-story learning center to be operated in conjunction with Holyoke Community College, and a Head Start facility.
The value of such diversity was clearly on display during the recent economic downturn, said Picknelly."Belt Technologies has been a victim of the economy," he said, "but Camfour had its best year ever. Now, Belt is starting to pick up a little, and Camfour is slowing somewhat. My father always used to stress the importance of diversity, and I've learned
that lesson well."
But while Picknelly has emulated his father in many regards, from most business philosophies to work within the community, he's written a much different script in what he considers the most important realm--family life.
"My father always used to say that if he had to do it all over again, he would have spent more time with his children," said Picknelly, adding that his early years did not include trips to the Bahamas, and probably because of that, he devotes what he considers excessive amounts of time and energy to family.
"It's very important to me I love being a dad," he said, adding that, unlike his father, he doesn't micromanage every aspect of his businesses, and that leaves him time for other, more important things.
In High Gear
A quick look around Picknelly's office and adjoining conference room provides ample evidence of the forces that shape his life.
There are photos of the generations the preceded him, models and pictures of buses from several different decades, a globe (presumably to help with planning the next family vacation), and several drawings crafted by his youngest child, Olyvia.
Together, they explain what drives him, professionally and personally, to succeed at whatever he's doing.
Even picking the restaurant for date night.
A new model of headphones can play MP3s themselves, without connecting to a separate device.
Hauppauge, New York-based Adrenaline Technologies LLC is releasing SlotPhones, a pair of wraparound Bluetooth headphones that work as a standalone MP3 player if you insert a song-filled microSD memory card into a tiny slot on the side. The product also serves as a stereo Bluetooth headset that can receive calls and music from your cell phone.
Adrenaline Technologies showed the lightweight, collapsible gadget this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, and expects it to be available in the second quarter for about $130.
The SlotPhones name echoes that of the recently released slotMusic format supported by SanDisk Corp., four major record labels and retailers Best Buy Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. SlotMusic comes on 1-gigabyte microSD cards loaded with music free of copy protections. Some full-length albums are being sold in this format _ and now they can be played on SlotPhones.
_Rachel Metz, AP Technology Writer.
___
LONDON (AP) — Lawyer: Parents of murdered UK teen suspect their phones had also been hacked.
PHOENIX (AP) — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been showing emotion, good memory skills and an impressive grasp of everything from legislative business to song lyrics as she recovers in a Houston hospital from a gunshot wound to the head.
The Democratic congresswoman has been undergoing extensive therapy in the nearly two months since she was shot at a political event in Tucson, and has been receiving frequent visits from her astronaut husband Mark Kelly as he trains to be the commander of the next shuttle mission.
Giffords spokesman C.J. Karamargin said Thursday that the congresswoman also gets regular, detailed updates about the work being done at her offices in Tucson and in Washington. She gets the updates from her chief of staff, Pia Carusone, who is splitting her time between Houston, Washington and Tucson.
Among Giffords' other visitors has been Stephanie Aaron, her rabbi and good friend. Aaron described Giffords' progress to The Associated Press on Thursday after a visit to the hospital over the weekend.
She said Giffords sang Don McLean's "American Pie" with husband Mark Kelly and his two daughters, and that she knew the words better than the three of them. Musical therapy is an important part of her recovery as doctors use song in attempt to improve her brain function, along with physical, occupational and speech rehabilitation.
Aaron said Giffords also chanted a Hebrew healing prayer with her, although the congresswoman didn't know the words beforehand.
Aaron said she would tell Giffords the words, and the two would chant, with Giffords getting frustrated at times.
"I would just stop, hold her hand and say, 'Gabby, it's OK. Just breathe.' And we would sit together and just breathe," Aaron said. "And what very much uplifted me was when I was leaving ... she got tears in her eyes and she hugged me. I said, 'Gabby, what do you need to remember?' And she said, 'Breathe.'"
She said when she first arrived at Giffords' hospital room, she brought the congresswoman a giant card made by students at the middle school she attended. Inside it was a T-shirt attached to the card, and printed on the shirt was a photo of the students with Giffords and Kelly when they visited Washington, D.C.
"She reached out and pulled the shirt off and held it to her heart and had a big smile, and she touched the picture of Mark," Aaron said. "It was very moving."
Aaron said that she left the hospital for a while to bring Giffords some of her favorite foods — matzo ball soup and cheese blintzes. She said Giffords happily ate the meal.
"I'm very encouraged and hopeful for the future," Aaron said.
Kelly will be the commander of Endeavour when it launches in April, and his identical twin brother Scott is the current leader of the International Space Station crew.
President Barack Obama called the astronauts on Thursday to wish them his best. Before signing off, he told Scott Kelly that he spoke to his brother a couple days ago.
"It sounds like Gabby's making incredible progress," the president said, "and we're just thrilled for that."
Giffords was shot on Jan. 8 in a rampage outside a Tucson grocery store that injured 12 others and killed six people, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl who was born on Sept. 11, 2001.
Jared Loughner is charged in federal court in the assassination attempt against Giffords that killed six people. Authorities described him as a mentally unstable college dropout who became obsessed with carrying out violence against Giffords for reasons that are unclear.
___
Associated Press Writers Ramit Masti-Plushnick and Marcia Dunn contributed to this report.
AUGUSTA, Ga. Sam Snead's eyes sparkled as he stood under the giantoak tree in front of Augusta National's clubhouse, relivingeverything from his ceremonial first drive to how he told PresidentEisenhower to stick his rear end out when he played years ago.
A few feet away, an aging trio of former champions trudged downthe first fairway Thursday, more interested in just being able tofinish than worried about what they would shoot.
Doug Ford, looking all of 78, didn't make it far. He packed awayhis clubs after spraying it weakly off the tee and making doublebogey on the benign opening hole.
For Ford, it was a record 49th Masters appearance, one of thebenefits of his 1957 win. He got $5,000 and became the subject ofMasters News Bulletin No. 11, which solemnly announced his officialwithdrawal.
"Bad hip," he told playing partner Billy Casper before leaving.
The portly Casper fared even worse, making a quadruple-bogey-8 onthe first hole. But he and Charles Coody shuffled on anyway,virtually ignored by the crowds that had come to see the likes ofTiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.
"These are the old guys," one fan said to another as Casper walkedby. "That's the guy who used to eat the buffalo meat."
Casper would need a back-nine rally to break 90, and he made a 10-footer on 18 for 87.
"Carpal tunnel," said Casper, who turns 70 this summer. "I justdon't have the power in my right hand I did before. Plus, my back wasgiving me problems."
Talk of physical ailments was almost as common as discussion ofthe fast greens among players in the Masters, where a contingent offormer champions plays on and on and on.
Though they have no chance of winning-and little of even makingthe cut-former champions such as Casper, Ford, and 69-year-old GayBrewer use their winner's exemption to return each year in an annualspring rite.
"All of us still enjoy playing the course," Casper said. "It'sjust so beautiful out here."
The 93-player field, already the smallest by far of any major,shrinks even more with the departure of players who can draw SocialSecurity and Masters' paychecks at the same time.
Not that anyone would dare criticize the green jackets who run theMasters in the tradition of Bobby Jones, where past champions arerespected, even revered, and certainly allowed to play any time theywant.
Still able to swing the club at the age of 89, Byron Nelsonthanked the crowd for supporting him since he played in the secondMasters in 1935, saying he has enjoyed all of it.
"This has helped keep me alive in golf," Nelson said.
Ford was once asked why he continued playing, despite missing thecut for the last 30 years.
"Because I won the darned thing," he replied.
North Korea said Tuesday it is preparing to shoot a satellite into orbit, its clearest reference yet to an impending launch that neighbors and the U.S. suspect will be a provocative test of a long-range missile.
The statement from the North's space technology agency comes amid growing international concern that the communist nation is gearing up to fire a version of its most advanced missile _ capable of reaching the U.S. _ in coming days, in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution.
North Korea asserted last week it has the right to "space development" _ words the regime has used in the past to disguise a missile test. In 1998, North Korea test-fired a Taepodong-1 ballistic missile over Japan and then claimed to have put a satellite into orbit.
"The preparations for launching experimental communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 by means of delivery rocket Unha-2 are now making brisk headway" at a launch site in Hwadae in the northeast, the North's space agency said in a statement carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency. The report did not say when the launch would take place.
Intelligence officials reported a flurry of personnel and vehicle activity at the Hwadae launch site, the Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday. However, the North has not yet placed a rocket on the launch pad, the report said. After mounting the satellite or missile, it would take five to seven days to fuel the rocket, experts say.
Hwadae is also the launch site for North Korea's longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2, with the potential to reach Alaska. Reports suggest the missile being readied for launch could be an advanced version of the Taepodong-2 with even greater range: the U.S. west coast.
The country test-launched a Taepodong-2 missile in 2006, but it plunged into the ocean shortly after liftoff.
North Korea should present clear evidence that it is planning to launch a satellite, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee said Tuesday, according to Yonhap. But either way, he said South Korea would consider any launch a "threat" because the technologies are similar.
Baek Seung-joo, a North Korea expert at Seoul's state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said Pyongyang is only calling it a satellite launch "to minimize friction with the United States and international criticism."
North Korea is banned from any ballistic missile activity under a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted after the North's first-ever nuclear test in 2006. North Korea could face sanctions if it violates the resolution.
In New York, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said the United Nations was "monitoring the situation very closely."
Analysts have warned for weeks that the North may fire a missile to send a signal to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who took office a year ago with a hard-line policy on North Korea, and to President Barack Obama.
Pyongyang recently has stepped up its hostile rhetoric against South Korea, saying it is "fully ready" for war. The two Koreas technically remain at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
South Korea, Japan and the United States have warned Pyongyang not to fire a missile. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the North to stop its "provocative actions," saying a missile test would "be very unhelpful."
Kup's daily outpouring of good yarns sometimes goes by so fastthat we miss a few. While the veteran columnist is vacationing, theChicago Sun-Times is reprinting some vintage work. Here are someKupcinisms that time has not dimmed.
RRep. Sid Yates (D-Ill.) tells this one about Mrs. ChesterBowles, wife of the former ambassador to India: "Mrs. Bowles summonedan electrician to repair a wiring defect in the home they wereoccupying in New Delhi. When the electrician failed to fix thewiring after an hour of trying, she became exasperated and exclaimed,"It's a simple job - all you have to do is use common sense!" TheIndian drew himself up haughtily and replied: "Madam, common sense isthe gift of the gods. All I have is technical training."
QUOTE AND UNQUOTE from Richard Burton in Playgirl mag, toexplain his split from Liz Taylor: "Elizabeth just doesn't understandthat I've reached menopause."
ABBA S. EBAN, Israeli ambassador to the United States, attendeda meeting in New York the other day, after which he departed wearinga hat that felt uneasy. A glance at the initials explained thehatcheck girl's mistake. Instead of "A.S.E.," she had given him onewith the letters "A.E.S.," which belonged to (former Illinoisgovernor) Adlai E. Stevenson, who had attended the same meeting. "Iwasn't sure," quipped Eban, "whether the hat was too small - or myhead got too big, knowing whose hat was on it."
ONE OF SAM LEVINSON'S pet comedy subjects is the fast-talkingwaiters at Lindy's in New York. He visited there recently andordered a chicken sandwich. "Sorry, no chicken," he was told. "Thenhow about a turkey sandwich?" The waiter snapped, "If we had turkey,I could give you a chicken sandwich."
ANOTHER LEVINSON yarn concerns the gent who started drinking at8 p.m. every day. By midnight he was feeling "superb" - no pain -and went to sleep with a smile on his face. Invariably he awoke at 7a.m. with a horrendous hangover. His head was a clump of aches. "Igo to bed feeling fine and wake up feeling miserable," herationalized. "It must be those seven hours of sleep that are killingme!"
THE YUGOSLAV NATIONAL Folk Ballet, terpsichoring at the OperaHouse this weekend, fortunately arranged for pronunciations of itsnationalistic dances in the program book. To wit: "Grbac"(pronounced Grbach) and "Krstack" (pronounced Krstachka). Riiight!
JACK-EEE! Leonard, at his Mister Kelly's opening, introducedyoung comedian Dick Cavett, who had just closed there, as "one of anew breed - a comedian from Yale." And, added the irrepressibleLeonard, "Rudy Vallee also went to Yale - but so long ago that it wasonly a high school then!"
MORTICIAN Jules Furth and his wife are burying their marriage.
BOB HOPE TELLS about the time he received a call from a man inAtlanta, telling him he had been selected "man of the year." Thecaller told Hope how proud Atlanta was to bestow this honor on himand would he please be in Atlanta on May 17 to receive the award."I'm elated by this honor," replied Hope, "but unfortunately I'mmaking a movie, and I can't possibly be there on May 17." There was asilence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds before thecaller inquired, "Say, do you happen to have Red Skelton's phonenumber?" . . . Here's Old Ski Nose's reminder for income-tax day: "Uncle Sam now gives you threechoices of forms - the short form, the long form and the 10-yearstretch!"
THIS STORY is making the rounds in Paris: President Charles deGaulle's wife visited the Louvre, after which she returned home andtold Magnificent Charles, "That's how I'd like to live, surrounded byMichelangelo, Rubens, Gainsborough, Van Gogh, da Vinci and all theother masters." De Gaulle stiffened to his full height and thenharumphed, "My dear, with all my other responsibilities in reshapingthe world, I have no time to take up painting!"
DIRECTOR BILLY WILDER, in town to herald his latest, "TheFortune Cookie," is one of Hollywood's prime wits. And his target isoften his longtime friend and fellow moviemaker, Otto Preminger.Wilder tells about the time Preminger was producing, directing andacting in one of his movies. When it came time for actor Premingerto play his scene, director Preminger set the camera, checked thelights and then did his emoting. When he finished, Otto exclaimed,"That was great! Print it." It was while Wilder was directing HerrOtto in "Stalag 17" that he got off this classic: Preminger blew hislines a few times, and Wilder was asked why he didn't bawl out Otto."I don't dare," replied Billy. "I've still got relatives in Germany."
AND JERRY STONE, as chairman of the Roosevelt U. dinner in theGuildhall the other eve, told of the student who was summoned by hisdean because of his poor grades - four F's and one D. "How do youexplain this?" asked the dean. "It seems," replied the student, "I'vebeen concentrating too much on one subject."
NEW YORK (AP) — The queen of New York real estate once lived in a rent-controlled studio. Illegally.
Barbara Corcoran says the living arrangement was instrumental in helping free up cash for The Corcoran Group, which was still a struggling real estate firm at the time. The brokerage went on to become an industry powerhouse before she sold it in 2001 for $66 million.
Corcoran, 62, is now a contributor for NBC's "Today" show, where she comments on real estate trends. She's also an investor on ABC's reality show, "Shark Tank." She lives in a three-bedroom apartment on Park Avenue with her husband, their 17-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Corcoran shared her experiences as a renter and first-time homebuyer. She also shared some advice for today's uncertain market. One tip for sellers? Your neighbors are your enemies.
_______
Q: What was your most memorable renting experience in New York City?
A: I was renting a one-bedroom for $1,800 a month with my husband in the 1980s. It was after the stock market crash and my business was going through a tough period.
We moved out of our house and in to an illegal, rent-controlled studio that belonged to my husband's cousin. It was a fourth-floor walk-up, $343 a month. I remember the exact rent.
It was painted all lavender. There was a large free-standing tub, and every night, a huge water bug would crawl out of the drain. I knew what I was doing was illegal. But we lived there for over two years, and it helped with cash flow until the business got back on its feet.
Q: How about the first time you bought a place. What was the most important lesson you learned?
A: I tried to buy in 1977 when prices were just beginning to go through the roof. I fell in love with this top story, one-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village. The price was $35,000, and I had saved $4,000.
But I got scared and intentionally failed the co-op interview. I chickened out. I was just too frightened to make a commitment. They said they didn't want me in the building and refused to return my ($3,500) deposit.
After that, the prices ran away from me. It took another eight long years to save enough money to buy my first New York City apartment.
That taught me an important lesson. The first home is the most important — it gets you into the game.
Q: So what advice would you give to first-time buyers given the state of the housing market?
A: Buy now. There's so much negative publicity, and uncertainty is the worst thing for the industry. But you can't sharp shoot the market and pinpoint when it might peak. If you do that, life will always get in the way.
You always have these cycles. And when it's down it can stay down for a while. But when it decides to turn the corner, it always comes back like gangbusters. And then you'll be waiting in line with all the other buyers.
Buyers have two great advantages right now — low, low prices and cheap money.
Q: What other essential tips should buyers keep in mind when shopping for a home?
A: Buy with your heart, not your head. You can look at all the aspects that make a purchase practical, but that kind of thinking makes it an investment rather than a home.
I've never seen anyone who bought leading with their heart ultimately regret it. If you love it, the next buyer is going to love it too.
Also make sure you go visit the neighborhood at night and on weekends. Most people return the same time of day, the same time of the week. Go on a Sunday and hang out at the local shops. See who your neighbors are. You'll know right away if it's a place you can see yourself and your kids living.
Q: Then there's the negotiation over the price. What are some mistakes first-time buyers make?
A: Don't pay attention to asking prices at all. What people ask for has nothing to do with the value of a property. You might see a listing for $300,000 and think you should make a $250,000 bid. But hyper-focus on what the house is worth. You should know what the house is worth by looking at comparable properties. Base your bid on that.
If a house is priced appropriately, make a bid 10 percent below that amount.
Q: On the other side of the equation, what should sellers be doing differently in today's market?
A: They have to have a different attitude. They have to remember that their neighbor is their enemy— they're the competition. When considering where to price it, it's not the kind of market where you price high and see what bids come in. Because the question everyone asks besides the price is: "How long has it been on the market?"
You want to have a good answer to that.
Q: Beyond setting a reasonable price, what advice would you give sellers?
A: Think of it as a beauty competition. You may not like the idea of putting money into a home when you're moving out. But it's demanded by the market. You need to show it off.
You don't have to rip out the kitchen and bathroom. But maybe replace the tiles or the countertops. Get professional advice. Maybe hire a professional home stager. It depends on the kind of budget you have. But there are many talented brokers out there who can give you advice too.
Q: Agents seem to have such glamorous head shots. Why is that?
A: Most people shop for a broker online. So the bio and photo are what hook people in. And buyers put a lot more stock in the photo than you think. It turns out people do judge a book by its cover.
In other professions, including a head shot is considered unprofessional. But for brokers, it's such the norm now that if you got a business card without a face, you'd probably think there's something wrong with the person.
That's why at Corcoran, there's never a shot taken without professional makeup and lighting.
Q: What else should someone do to vet prospective brokers?
A: Ask them what they've sold. The properties should be in your sweet spot in terms of your price point. Don't work with a broker who sells fancy homes if that's not what you're looking for.
Also ask to speak with one of the broker's past clients. Because once a deal is done, that's when the truth comes out. So it's a bad sign if the broker starts stuttering when you ask to speak with a past client. You might worry that making such a request will breed mistrust. But it will give you great peace of mind.
Q: What are other qualities are essential?
A: High energy is the number one trait. You want someone with wild enthusiasm for the business.
You also need someone with manners. Remember that brokers need the cooperation of other brokers. And brokers like to deal with other brokers who have good manners.
The ability to play the bad guy is important too, because ultimately you want the broker who gets the best deal for you. And that's the broker who could be as mean as you. Or if you're a sweetie-pie or pushover, then you really need your opposite.
And trust your gut. You end up spending much more time with your broker then you'd think, so you should like them. That's going to take away a lot of the pain and anxiety from the process.
___
Candice Choi can be reached at www.twitter.com/candicechoi
Aggression The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression Daniel J Flannery, Alexander T Vazsonyi, Irwin D Waldman, editors. New York (NY): Cambridge University Press; 2007. 817 p. US$60.00.
Reviewer rating: Good
In the introduction, the editors state that this volume is a result of collaboration, "dedicated to compiling what we believe to be the current state of the art and science related to the study of violence and aggression." The editors' background is mainly in developmental psychology, and this probably influenced to some extent the selection of topics in this vast volume. All 3 editors are working in the United States, and most contributions come from North America.
The 41 chapters of this book cover topics ranging from violence over the lifespan, violence taxonomy, biological bases of violence, individual factors (for example, personality) interpersonal factors (for example, family violence), contextual factors (for example, violence and culture, and also, surprisingly, psychopharmacology), methodology (including structural equation modelling), and violence prevention. The book ends with a cogent summary written by the 3 editors. On the whole, the book reflects the progress, up to about 2006, in the fields that the editors chose to cover.
Most psychiatrists will be interested in the set of chapters on biological bases of violence. This set is introduced by a well-written behavioural genetic report on model-fitting meta-analysis of criminality and aggression. This is logically complemented by a review of the genetics of aggression in mice. Autonomic, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging findings related to aggression in humans are described next. Original work on autonomic underarousal, early health factors (pre-and perinatal), malnourishment, and the interaction of these factors with rearing environment in the development of violent behaviour is described. There is an outstanding chapter on the role of serotonin and orbitofrontal cortex in impulsive aggression. An extremely brief overview of "other neurobiological factors" concludes this chapter perhaps as an afterthought; it omits or dismisses too many important findings to be useful. Chapters on neuropsychology and on interactions between nature and nurture conclude this part of the book. The set of chapters on biological bases of violence is interesting, easy to read, and provides a firm theoretical basis for the understanding of violence. Psychiatrists should become familiar with this material.
However, links to the clinic are largely missing. For example, the very large and clinically important literature on violence in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is given less than one page in the "Neuropsychology" chapter. There is a paragraph that mentions schizophrenia and violence in the chapter on personality. This seems to be, surprisingly, the entire extent of the treatment of this area in this 817-page book. (I used the book's subject index to locate text on schizophrenia; some text might have been missed.)
The other major mental disorders receive similar inattention.
The chapters on "Psychopharmacology of Violence" and "Substance Use and Violent Behavior" are well written and up to date (that is, up to about 2006). There is a substantial overlap between these 2 chapters; its elimination would have permitted more detailed treatment of diese important subjects within the space constraints.
On the whole, the book is primarily concerned with developmental issues as they are related to crime and violent behaviour. The chapters on developmental trajectories and taxonomy are very good. On the other hand, some other chapters are not written very clearly, and there is a certain amount of redundancy. The book is a good source for statistical data, particularly on child and adolescent deviant behaviour.
Some errors in references are inevitable in a large, multi-authored volume like this one. However, me number of errors in some chapters seems excessive. For example, in Chapter 30, more than 10% of the references contain only me author's name and year, without any other bibliographic data. Elsewhere, a reference may have complete bibliographic data, but is clearly wrong. It seems that the writing style, the overlaps between chapters, and particularly me references could have used more editing.
Practising psychiatrists will miss specific information about violence in major mental illness. Nevertheless, this volume can serve as a general reference source for biological, psychological, and social causes of violence. This wealth of information comes at a very reasonable price.
[Author Affiliation]
Review by Jan Volavka, MD, PhD
Big Sky, Montana
INSURANCE RATES
Car insurance rates continue to increase, but not as fast as last year, according to a report by the Insurance Information Institute (III). A decline in the number of accidents and crackdowns on fraud are slowing the rate of increases in auto insurance rates.
The cost of car insurance is expected to rise by 3.5 percent in 2004 compared with an increase of 7.8 percent in 2003.
In addition to reductions in accidents, improving financial situations at insurance companies are helping to keep rate increases below last year's levels.
However, according to the III survey, rising auto theft rates in some states will keep costs higher, particularly in Florida, Massachusetts and New York. Another reason rates keep increasing, even if at a slower pace, is the growing cost of medical care. According to the III, typical costs for treating au auto accident victim range from $6,000 to $9,000, although in some cases those costs rise into the tens of thousands of dollars.
The study also blames the increasing cost of collision repair as part of the insurance cost escalation. "Unfortunately, while drivers today are filing fewer claims, those that are filed cost more," said Robert Hartwig, senior vice president and chief economist of the III in a press release.
[Author Affiliation]
By Mark Johnson
Senior Editor
Many constructive steps can be taken to conserve energy atprices ranging from a few cents to a few hundred dollars: Shade windows that get the most sun to ease the burden on the airconditioner. In the winter, open the curtains of south-facingwindows to capture free solar heat. Lower the hot water heater temperature to between "low" and "medium"(120 to 140 degrees). But if you have a dishwasher it will need aheat booster to bring the dish-washing water to 140 degrees. Install low-flow shower heads to reduce the amount of water that hasto be heated for each shower. Clean the refrigerator's heat exchanger coils frequently, and leavespace behind the unit to allow air to circulate around the coils. Use small appliances for cooking when possible. Toaster ovens,crock-pots and microwaves use much less energy than an electric rangeor gas oven. Substitute compact fluorescent bulbs for incandescent ones. Theylast 10 times longer and use one-quarter as much electricity. Install a "setback" thermostat to adjust the temperature of thehouse automatically according to the hours people will be there.
Former Olympic and world pole vault champion Sergei Bubka will lead the IOC panel monitoring preparations for the first Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010.
The Ukrainian, who sits on the International Olympic Committee executive board, was named Thursday as chairman of the eight-man coordination commission for the Singapore event.
The others are IOC members Syed Shahid Ali of Pakistan, Nat Indrapana of Thailand, Raja Randhir Singh of India and Frank Fredericks of Zimbabwe, national Olympic committee official Guido de Bondt, sports federation delegate Andrew Ryan and IOC Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli.
IOC president Jacques Rogge and Bubka will visit Singapore in early April.
Singapore was awarded the games last week, defeating Moscow in a postal ballot of IOC members.
The Youth Games will feature about 3,200 athletes aged 14-18 competing in 26 sports. The first Winter Youth Olympics will be in 2012.
If the state Public Utility Commission grants Bell Atlantic's request, by September the phone giant could be free to raise or lower its rates to business customers.
The possibilities have competitors and customers fretting. Bell's fledgling competitors worry the giant could drive them out of business by under-pricing them in markets where they've only recently gained a toe-hold.
Customers like Internet service providers that rely upon Bell's networks fear Bell could hike its rates, forcing them to raise their own rates to customers.
Bell, however, says it simply wants the same advantages its competitors already have -- the ability to change prices and offer new …
A privacy rights group says that an increasing number of Britons are having microchips and sensors attached to their trash bins.
Big Brother Watch says that the number of local authorities fitting their trash bins with sensors that measure weight or other information …
Motorola Inc. is making iSurfTV Corp.'s interactive guide technology available in its advanced digital set-top boxes, giving iSurfTV a better shot at being adopted by MSOs.
The deal is important for iSurfTV because of Motorola's strong market share within the cable industry. Although it's already certified to be carried on Scientific-Atlanta's boxes, iSurf has made no deals with operators.
The next stop is for iSurfTV's marketing team to sell its interactive program guide (IPG) to cable operators. That's not going to be easy with the deals that IPG leaders Gemstar-TV Guide International and TV Gateway have already locked up.
Nevertheless Gene …
Staff
Douglas Tucker has returned to Pipefine Patio Furniture, bringing more than 28 years of industry experience, including furniture design and manufacture, mold and jig design and construction, production scheduling and management. Quality improvement will be Tucker's focus in his key production role.
Ironically, Tucker began his long career in the industry with Pipefine in …
Byline: Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. Second Lt. Lisa Bryant, fresh from Princeton with an honors degree, saw the Army as a step along the way to a bright future. That future was shattered by a former honor guard in a military dormitory last summer.
Sgt. 1st Class Ervin Graves, 34, an enlistee who had worked as an honor guard in the White House and Arlington National Cemetery, was convicted Thursday of trying to rape the young woman, then killing her when she tried to escape.
Bryant, 21, had been out of Princeton for just a month when she was slain. She was a newly commissioned second lieutenant, paying back a ROTC scholarship. She had …
The international community's exclusive focus on the North Korean nuclear threat is a mistake, a British legislator said Wednesday, charging that the issue has overshadowed the country's human rights violations.
The communist nation has long been accused of abusing its citizens _ including torture and public executions _ but denies engaging in such practices.
"We have made a mistake in the last 10 years in being so obsessed by the nuclear question that we have forgotten the human rights issues," Lord David Alton _ who has chaired a committee in the House of Lords on North Korea since 2004 _ told a human rights symposium at South Korea's National …
Bankruptcy filings
The following people filed petitions in U. S. Bankruptcy Court forthe Southern District for May 26, 2004:
* Robert Gene and Patricia Ann Bennett, 404 Green Terrace Court,Gallipolis. Chapter 7. Assets: $39,155. Liabilities: $64,200.
* Roger Glenn and Deborah Sue Terry, Route 2 Box 82, West Hamlin.Chapter 7. Assets: $90,855. Liabilities: $124,000.
* James Arthur and Karen Sue Randolph, Route 1, Box 242 H,Gallipolis Ferry. Chapter 7. Assets: $79,431. Liabilities:$104,293.17.
* Jerry Lee Pauley, 1234 West Fifth Ave., Huntington. Chapter7.Assets: $1,350. Liabilities: $70,351.
* James Clifford Venable Jr. and Wanda Lee Venable, 5 …
DVD-ROM/CD-RW DRIVE
Consider it a minor optical-media miracle: Ricoh has paired 6x/4x/24x CD-Rewritable technology with 4x DVD-ROM capabilities in the same drive. The MP9060a ($699) is an enticing upgrade option; before now, you needed separate drives to watch DVD movies and to burn audio or data CDs. And the drive largely lives up to its promise: except for a glitch with the bundled DVD movie player, the drive easily passed muster, though it's not the fastest at CD-RW or DVD operations.
The physical setup of the MP9060a on our 400MHz Celeron test system went as smoothly as that of any internal ATAPI drive; the unit was set as the master drive on our …
ALBANY - A total of 47 underage drinkers were ticketed for having fake identification when police and state agencies raided the Pearl Restaurant and Lounge on North Pearl Street late Thursday night, authorities said.
Four bartenders were arrested and charged with serving underage drinkers, but the Pearl's liquor license was not immediately suspended as an investigation continues. Authorities estimated that as many as 200 of the roughly 300 patrons in the bar were underage, but if they were not observed drinking or caught with unaltered IDs, they were not ticketed, according to the Albany County district attorney's office.
The proprietor of the club, …
Byline: FELLICIA SMITH Staff writer
Bill Gervisio used to be an avid cyclist, but he has given up the sport except for special occasions.
The annual Multiple Sclerosis North Country Expedition Bike Tour is one of those exceptions. The weekend event, which begins Saturday, has become a must-ride for Gervisio and nearly a dozen of his co-workers at Lockheed Martin Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory In Niskayuna.
``I'm going to do it every year as long as I'm able,'' said Gervisio, who has ridden on the tour four times.
Last year approximately 200 cyclists from the Capital Region took part in the tour, which is used as a fund-raiser for the …
Byline: Associated Press
It's sort of like getting a letter in the mail from Ed McMahon.
The state Education Department said Monday that winners of the state's Regents and Empire State scholarships will be notified next month of their achievement.
But there will be no check in the mail. Due to New York's fiscal problems, state leaders last month eliminated the programs, which annually give a boost to thousands of high school graduates going on to college.
Since pupils took tests and competed for the scholarships under the assumption that the money would be there, winners will get a certificate saying they would have been selected, said …
The Turkish-German drama "When We Leave" and the Down syndrome romance documentary "Monica & David" have won top honors at the ninth annual Tribeca Film Festival.
"When We Leave," which stars Sibel Kekilli as a mother who flees her abusive husband by moving with her 5-year-old son from Istanbul to Berlin, won best narrative feature. Kekilli also won best actress.
The jury that decided the category, which included actors Hope Davis and Aaron Eckhart, said in a statement that "When We Leave" "examines one woman's struggle for personal freedom. It's a theme that is often explored _ but rarely told with such …
UNITED NATIONS - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly Thursday that the planned national unity government will recognize Israel.
The Hamas-led Palestinian government has refused to recognize …
Every writer has a place they call home. For James Baldwin, it was Harlem. For Zora Neale Hurston, it was Eatonville, Florida. Whether consciously or intuitively, that sense of place invariably creeps into an author's writing. Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins' novels are set in Los Angeles--the city where he grew up--replete with familiar landmarks and references that native Angelenos easily recognize. For Colson Whitehead, author of John Henry Days and his first novel, The Intuitionist, home is New York City.
Born in Manhattan, the 32-year-old Whitehead has lived all over the city. "We were a family of renters," he says of his childhood. "Every three years, depending on fortune and how many kids were in the house, we'd move up and down Manhattan. I was born on 139th [Street] and …
Lakenheath Cricket Club hosted a late-arriving Dunmow for their Two Counties Champhionship Division Three game.
Due to traffic problems and some bizarre detours, the opposition eventually arrived at 4.20pm, for a truncated game of 30 overs per side.
Dunmow won the toss and batted as slowly as they travelled, arriving at 13 from the first 10 overs. A late acceleration increased the run rate and a score of 133-9 was posted, with K Starr being the pick of the bowlers with 6-55.
T Huffer and S Leech got the hosts off to a solid start before Huffer was caught behind for 30. This brought Bond to the crease. He cut and drove with vigour and power on an …
Byline: PETE DOUGHERTY Staff writer
ALBANY -- You knew it wasn't about the score. The New York Giants went through a 79-play scrimmage Saturday at the University at Albany without seeing its offense score a point.
It was all about sizing up talent, and one of the positions head coach Jim Fassel had earmarked for evaluation was that at backup fullback. On that count, Fassel and the 6,075 on hand at University Field liked what they saw from Greg Comella and Eric Lane.
``I liked him (Comella) when we signed him as a free agent, and I've liked him this whole camp,'' Fassel said. ``Eric Lane did a nice job, too. We've upgraded a position a lot.'' …
Shinkong Synthetic Fibres (Taipei) has commissioned a 42,000-m.t./year of polybutylene terephthalate (P81) plant at Kuanyin, Taiwan. Plant production is based on continuous polymerization of PBT from purified terephthalic acid and butanediol using a two-reactor technology. The …
City to cut bilingual education
Yawu Miller
Proposed budget cuts to the Boston Public School's bilingual program could deprive non English speaking children of the chance to receive a decent education, leaders in the Latino community charge.
"This could be devastating," said Ubaldo Lebron, a senior coordinator in the Boston Public Schools' bilingual program. "There will be no voice for bilingual education at the decision-making level. There will be no person who will advocate for bilingual programs."
Boston School Committee member Felix Arroyo said the cuts, proposed by school Superintendent Thomas Payzant for the 1999 budget, would gut the system's …
Reducing the superstructure weight of passenger ferries and cruise ships can lead to improvements in fuel efficiency and other benefits, but until recently safety regulations made it very difficult to use composites on a large scale on these vessels. In 2002 the SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) II-2 regulation 17 (part F) was adopted. This permitted a functionally based safety design to be used as long as the same level of safety could be achieved as if the prescriptive rules had been used. Various feasibility studies have been undertaken since the rule change', the most notable being the Swedish-based LASS Project that started in 2005. As a result of this work, three of the LASS …
Byline: MICHAEL ECK Special to the Times Union
LENOX, Mass. -- If you missed Shakespeare & Company's gripping and rare performance of the Bard's ``Coriolanus'' last season, you've got another chance now. If you're a fan of Shakespeare, Roman history or just good old-fashioned drama, you owe it to yourself not to miss this show.
Shakespeare & Company is using ``Coriolanus'' to open its new 428-seat Founders' Theatre, and it's a daring-but-appropriate choice. The play gives the troupe plenty of opportunities to show off the space -- the first to open on the company's new Kemble Street property.
Last season ``Coriolanus'' was staged at The Mount's …
Anibal Sanchez pitched seven solid innings and Gaby Sanchez homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs Friday night, leading the Florida Marlins to a 14-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of the Citrus Series.
The Marlins beat their intrastate rivals for just the third time in 13 tries over the past three seasons, handing Rays starter James Shields (5-5) his fourth consecutive loss while Anibal Sanchez (6-3) won for the fifth time in six starts.
Gaby Sanchez had four hits, including a three-run homer off Shields, who matched a career high by allowing 10 runs over 3 1-3 innings _ the right-hander's shortest outing of the season. The Marlins …
