Phone09: марта 2012

четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Rachel Alexandra is 8-5 Preakness favorite

Rachel Alexandra was made the early 8-5 favorite Wednesday for the Preakness Stakes, the first filly accorded that status since 1988.

She brings a five-race winning streak into Saturday's 1 3-16-mile race at Pimlico.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Calvin Borel, Rachel Alexandra drew the No. 13 post on the far outside.

"It's beautiful. She's going to be able to get position," said Scott Blasi, Asmussen's assistant.

Borel chose to stay on as Rachel Alexandra's regular rider, switching off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who gets Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

"Calvin knows this filly so well, I don't …

Hinsdale S.'s pair follow in footsteps

It isn't exactly celebrity softball, but the roster of thesophomore team at Hinsdale South includes pitcher-first basemanGretchen Boerwinkle, whose father Tom was a star for the Bulls andinfielder Misty Soderholm, whose dad Eric played for several majorleague teams including the White Sox.

"Both girls start for the sophomore team and dress for varsitygames," Hinsdale South coach Brenda Whitesell said. "Both fathersare very supportive and attend the games. It is a lot funnier when(Boerwinkle) comes because he is so tall (7-1) that everyone noticeshim."

Whitesell said Boerwinkle has expressed interest in helpingcoach the Hornets' summer team.

"Gretchen …

Swedish court upholds Assange detention order

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a court order to detain WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual molestation.

The 39-year-old Australian, who denies the accusations made by two Swedish women after his visit to the country in August, had appealed two lower court rulings allowing investigators to bring him into custody and issue an international arrest warrant.

He has not been formally charged.

WikiLeaks has angered the U.S. and other governments by publishing almost half a million secret documents about U.S. diplomatic relations and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The search for Assange, whose …

Syrian member: IOC should seek Nobel peace prize

IOC president Jacques Rogge rebuffed a proposal Wednesday from a Syrian member that the Olympic body should campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Samih Moudallal made the recommendation during the general assembly of the International Olympic Committee and received support from Uruguayan member Julio Cesar Maglione.

But Rogge, who has been IOC president since 2001, quickly put the proposal to rest.

"I'm very frank with you," he said. "I don't think that would be a wise thing to do. You don't ask for an honor but you don't refuse it either.

"Deploying diplomatic activities or lobbying activities would definitely not be …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Go figure - Barbie's rival dolly says hello to reality

Wider hips, a thicker waist, bigger feet and larger thighs arenot the things that little girls dream of. But they are the thingslittle girls probably will live with.

Cathy Meredig, a Minneapolis entrepreneur, hopes her newinvention, the Happy To Be Me doll, will bring little girls' dreamsin line with their reality.

Unlike its fashion doll rivals, Meredig's doll will have morerealistic measurements - 36-27-38 vs. 36-18-33 for Barbie - its feetwill be bigger and its legs will be shorter. Just like real women.

Meredig, a computer scientist by profession, spent $100,000 tobring the doll to market after she failed to persuade established toymanufacturers to …

How can utilities effectively and efficiently develop new sources of revenue?

In the next five years, utilities will be investing an unprecedented amount of money in call center services. Some of that investment will be in internal infrastructure while some will be in outsourced alliances. The critical objective for utilities, however, will focus on adopting sophisticated call center strategies in this new era of deregulation, and to achieve their goals of enhancing customer service, improving efficiencies, reducing costs and, ultimately, finding new sources of revenue.

The utility industry's core competency in call center services has historically been in the areas of customer service and collections. Today. the deregulation in the utility industry has …

US study links oil prices to speculation

An independent study of oil markets concludes that speculation by large investors was a primary reason for the surge in oil prices during the first half of the year and for the more recent price declines.

It said investors poured $60 billion into oil futures markets during the first six months of the year as oil prices soared from $95 to $145 a barrel and since then …

TODAY'S LINE

NCAA Football

Bowl Games

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY UNDERDOG

Jan. 1

Fiesta Bowl at Tempe, Ariz.

Oregon State 21/2 3 Notre Dame

Jan. 2

Sugar Bowl at New Orleans

Miami (Fla.) 41/2 5 Florida

Jan. 3

Orange Bowl at Miami

Florida State 11 11 Oklahoma

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Tonight

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY (O/U) UNDERDOG

Kansas City +1 1 (40) at New England

Sunday

at St. Louis 4 31/2 (581/2) Minnesota

at Jacksonville 151/2 151/2 (421/2) Arizona

at Tennessee 14 14 (361/2) Cincinnati

at Green Bay OFF OFF (OFF) Detroit

at Miami 11/2 21/2 (34) Tampa Bay

at …

Retail owners push store with fashion consulting

At 7 years old, Michelle Grasier walked down the dirt road from her home to her friend Brenda's house for tea, wearing a flowered 1940s vintage dress, heeled shoes and matching hat. That was in the 1970s.

"We've always had weird clothes on our minds," said Sharyn Lesher, who used to wear her father's 1980s suits and skinny neckties as a teen-ager, much to the chagrin of her father, she said.

The two women own POP Deluxe, a vintage clothing store at 6 N. Prince St., Lancaster.

POP carries men's and women's clothing from the 1940s through the 1980s, along with contemporary bodypiercing adornments.

Grasier, who attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New …

Icelandic police tear-gas protesters

Icelandic police have used tear gas to break up an angry protest outside the country's Parliament. Two officers were hospitalized after being hit by rocks.

Reykjavik police chief Stefan Eiriksson said about 2,000 demonstrators protesting Iceland's economic crisis surrounded the parliament building late Wednesday, hurling fireworks, shoes, toilet paper and …

Eugene Daniell; once gassed stock exchange

FRANKLIN, N.H. (AP) Eugene Daniell, a self-proclaimed championof the underdog who once tear-gassed the New York Stock Exchange andwas known for his oratory in the Legislature, has died at age 83.

The maverick former nine-term lawmaker died in a Franklinhospital Friday.

Mr. Daniell, who retired in 1986, had an oratorical stylecompared to that of unsuccessful turn-of-the-century …

Wall Street Slides As BofA Disappoints

NEW YORK - Wall Street fell in early trading Thursday after Bank of America Corp. missed analysts' earnings expectations and provided investors with further evidence of how the credit crisis has hurt the economy.

BofA, considered a bellwether for the banking industry because it has branches across the country, said "significant dislocations" in the capital markets caused third-quarter results to fall 32 percent. The disappointing results follows similar reports from other financial companies including Citigroup Inc. and Washington Mutual Inc.

Banks and brokerages have been hurt during the third quarter in the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis. As people with weak …

Iranian cleric: harsh punishment for riot leaders

EDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

By KARIN LAUB

Associated Press Writer

___

Iran's increasingly isolated opposition leader effectively ended his role in street protests, saying he'll seek permits for future rallies. A leading cleric demanded in a nationally broadcast sermon Friday that leaders of the unrest be punished harshly and that some are "worthy of execution."

Iran's ruling clergy has widened its clampdown on the opposition since a bitterly disputed June 12 presidential election, and scattered protests have replaced the initial mass rallies.

The official Web site of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, his main tool of communicating with his supporters, was hacked Friday, leaving it blank, an aide said.

Mousavi has said victory was stolen from him through fraud, challenging the proclamation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner.

However, Mousavi has sent mixed signals to his supporters in recent days, asking them not to break the law, while pledging not to drop his challenge of the election results.

Hundreds have been detained in recent weeks, including journalists, academics and university students, and a special court has been set up to try them.

In Friday's central Muslim sermon at Tehran University, a senior cleric, Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami, called for harsh retribution for dissent.

"Anybody who fights against the Islamic system or the leader of Islamic society, fight him until complete destruction," he said in the nationally broadcast speech.

The cleric claimed some involved in the unrest had used firearms.

"Anyone who takes up arms to fight with the people, they are worthy of execution," he said. "We ask that the judiciary confront the leaders of the protests, leaders of the violations, and those who are supported by the United States and Israel strongly, and without mercy to provide a lesson for all."

Khatami said those who disturbed the peace and destroyed public property were "at war with God," and said they should be "dealt with without mercy."

He reminded worshippers that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rules by God's design and must not be defied.

The cleric also lashed out at foreign journalists, accusing them of false reporting, and singled out Britain for new criticism.

"In this unrest, Britons have behaved very mischievously and it is fair to add the slogan of down with England to slogan of down with USA," he said, as his remarks were interrupted by worshippers' chants of "Death to Israel."

Iran's rulers have accused the West, which has become increasingly vocal in its condemnation of the post-election clampdown, of meddling in Iran's internal affairs. Earlier this week, Iran expelled two British diplomat, prompting the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats by Britain.

In Trieste, Italy, foreign ministers of the Group of Eight countries called for an end to the violence in Iran and urged the authorities to find a peaceful solution.

Khatami, meanwhile, alleged that the icon of the opposition, slain protester Neda Agha Soltan, was killed by demonstrators, not the Iranian security forces. Soltan, 27, was killed by a shot to the chest last week, on the sidelines of a protest.

"The proof and evidence shows that they (protesters) have done it themselves and have raised propaganda against the system," he said. "I say hereby that these deceitful media have to know that the ordeal will be over and shame will remain for them."

In quelling protests, Basij militiamen have broken up even small groups of people walking together to prevent any possible gathering. Still, dozens of friends and relatives of Soltan managed to pay tribute Friday, arriving at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in groups of two and three, uttering brief prayers, placing flowers on Soltan's grave and then leaving, witnesses said.

Vigils for Soltan have been held around the world.

On Friday, Mousavi, who has said he is being increasingly isolated, lost his main link to the world after his official Web site Kalemeh, came up blank and stripped of any text or pictures. Mousavi's associate Ali Reza Beheshti told The Associated Press the site had been taken down by unknown hackers.

In a message on the site late Thursday, Mousavi had said he would seek permission for future protests, even though he said unfair restrictions were being imposed. He said he has been asked by the Interior Ministry to apply in person, a week ahead of time.

The opposition leader noted that his rival, Ahmadinejad, has been able to hold two post-election marches and a Tehran rally "that were well publicized on state television, seeming to encourage participation with their regularly advertised march routes."

Mousavi has said the authorities are pressuring him to withdraw his challenge by attempting to isolate and discredit him. He hasn't led a rally in more than a week.

Khamenei has ordered a large security detail around Mousavi _ ostensibly to protect him, but presumably also to restrict his movements. Authorities have also targeted those close to Mousavi.

Late Thursday, state TV reported that the head of Mousavi's information committee, Abolfazl Fateh, was banned from leaving Iran for Britain. The report, which could not be verified independently, identified Fateh as a doctoral student in Britain.

The semiofficial Fars news agency said Fateh was banned from travel so authorities could investigate "some of the recent gatherings," a reference to election protests.

At least 11 Mousavi campaign workers and 25 staffers on his newspaper have been detained since the election.

On Wednesday, 70 university professors were detained immediately after meeting with the opposition leader. All but four have been released. Those still in custody included Qorban Behzadiannejad, Mousavi's former campaign manager.

In all, at least 17 people have been killed in postelection protests, in addition to eight members of the Basij, the government has said.

_____

Laub reported from Cairo; Associated Press Writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer contributed to this report from Cairo.

Noah stuns Lendl, faces Agassi in final

Yannick Noah of France, seeded fourth, upset top-ranked IvanLendl of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2 in 59 minutes Saturday to reachtoday's final of the $190,000 Norstar Hamlet Challenge Cup inJericho, N.Y.

In the final, Noah will meet No. 2 seed Andre Agassi, at 18 theworld's fourth-ranked player. Agassi, of Las Vegas, reached thetitle match by stopping third-seeded Boris Becker of West Germany 7-6(7-1), 6-3.

Agassi, winner of six tournaments this year, has won 21consecutive matches in taking three straight titles and gaining thefinal against Noah.

Lendl, who begins the U.S. Open tomorrow as three-time defendingchampion, shrugged off his loss. "Losing to Yannick will have noeffect at all," he said. "This tournament is preparation. I've hadgood matches. He played good and if I played my best now I'd beworried."

Noah, who served 11 aces, said, "I haven't served this well in along time."

UNITED JERSEY BANK: Steffi Graf won her 27th straight match and gained a place in the finals of the $200,000 tournament inMahwah, N.J., with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Helena Sukova.

West Germany's Graf, the No. 1 ranked player, overpowered Sukova,of Czechoslovakia. Graf swept the first five games and the last sixin the 50-minute semifinal.

In today's final she will face unseeded Nathalie Tauziat ofFrance, who upset fifth-seeded Katerina Maleeva of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-3.

NYNEX OPEN: Ramesh Krishnan of India, the No. 2 seed, overtookNo. 5 Horacio de la Pena of Argentina 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to gain the finalin the $123,400 tournament in Rye Brook, N.Y. Krishnan, India's No. 1player, and winner of six ATP Grand Prix titles, will opposefourth-seeded Milan Srejber of Czechoslovakia in today's final.

WILMINGTON CLASSIC: Emilio Sanchez of Spain defeated Dan Goldie6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to move into the final of the $52,000 tournament inWilmington, Del. Sanchez will meet Kevin Curren, who reached today'sfinal by beating Michael Chang 6-2, 6-4.

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

Balloonist tries again Balloonist tries again Chicago adventurer lifts off on solo trip Chicago adventurer lifts off on solo trip

NORTHAM, Australia--American adventurer Steve Fossett took off atdawn today on his latest attempt to fly solo around the world in aballoon.

The helium-filled "Solo Spirit," after weeks of delays andsetbacks, slowly rose from an Outback airfield in the small town ofNortham, 60 miles east of Western Australia state capital Perth.

Before liftoff, the 57-year-old Chicago millionaire said he wasconfident.

Fossett plans to cruise eastward around the world, spending mostof his time flying at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet in a crampedcanary-yellow capsule.

Jet stream winds will propel the balloon at speeds of up to 130mph.

If successful, the trip should take about 15 days.

Now that he's airborne, Fossett will discover whether all hispreparation had paid off.

"In the first night I will have to find out whether the equipmentis working," he said.

"That's when I'll find out whether there are any leaks in theballoon, whether there's failures in the communication equipment andwhether the all-important cabin heaters work. So I have good reasonto be nervous about the first night of flight."

Project manager Tim Cole said the team and Fossett were eager tomake another launch after the disappointment of June 17, when a freakgust of wind blew over gas tanks attached to the balloon's capsuleand ripped the silver-colored envelope.

NORTHAM, Australia--American adventurer Steve Fossett took off atdawn today on his latest attempt to fly solo around the world in aballoon.

The helium-filled "Solo Spirit," after weeks of delays andsetbacks, slowly rose from an Outback airfield in the small town ofNortham, 60 miles east of Western Australia state capital Perth.

Before liftoff, the 57-year-old Chicago millionaire said he wasconfident.

Fossett plans to cruise eastward around the world, spending mostof his time flying at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet in a crampedcanary-yellow capsule.

Jet stream winds will propel the balloon at speeds of up to 130mph.

If successful, the trip should take about 15 days.

Now that he's airborne, Fossett will discover whether all hispreparation had paid off.

"In the first night I will have to find out whether the equipmentis working," he said.

Best bass lines are thumpin' to please

Jim: Thank you for your article on Roger Waters (July 23). Theidea of best bass hooks would make an interesting sidebar, as Iinstantly thought of "Come Together" by the Beatles and "Walking onthe Moon" by the Police.

Bruce Colon

Best bass line? My vote goes to the Animals for "It's My Life."A great opening to a powerful song.

Ken Dietz

Other great bass lines: "Breakdown," the Alan Parsons Project;"Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel; "Parallels," Yes; "Long Cool Woman (ina Black Dress)," the Hollies; "Stayin' Alive," the Bee Gees (hate toadmit it, but); "Good Times," Chic; "Come Together," the Beatles;"Bouree," Jethro Tull (by way of Bach, who, if you think about it,wrote the best bass lines of all time); "Electric Funeral," BlackSabbath (Geezer is the band's secret weapon).

John Hirn

I'd like to add my two cents and say that Tommy James & theShondells' "I Think Were Alone Now" and Queen's "Another One Bitesthe Dust" (and to a lesser degree, "Under Pressure") are right upthere as far as bass lines go. RJ

Bass lines? What about Keith Richards' (yes, Keith; look at thealbum credits) on "Live With Me"?

Marty Lennartz

Jim: Enjoyed your thoughts on Roger Waters/Pink Floyd. One thing,though: For "Money," you wrote the bass line out as dum da-da-dum,dum dum dum, which musically counts as five. The actual bass line isin seven-four time, which would write out as dum da-da-dum, dum dumdum dum dum. Ethan Spotts

A. Ethan's right. Dum, dum indeed.

Dear Sun-Times: Upon reading the Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothersreview by Jim DeRogatis (July 21), I was immediately conscious of hisdisdain for electronic dance music. Throughout his review hisopinions about the genre are evident, showing that his review wasnothing more than an outsiders' perspective on the scene.

Jeremy Thompson

Jim: Just what, exactly, is your bone with techno? OK, so youobviously don't "get it." But your personal distaste and ignorancehardly justify your vitriolic rant. Rather, your unfounded prejudicemakes it obvious you know nothing of the genre. AnnaHanuszewicz

Anna and Jeremy: Call me old school, but the central point in myFatboy Slim/Chemical Brothers review was that techno is bestappreciated in a rave setting, not a tarted-up rock concert like theone at the Aragon. That contention comes from having enjoyed a lotof techno at quite a few raves, all of them featuring better musicthan Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers.

WVU secondary should be strong

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

MORGANTOWN - One must sift through the first waves of players tofind West Virginia University's defensive strength for next season.

The secondary.

That particularly goes for the areas that assistant coach TonyGibson leads on the Mountaineers. He likes the depth and talent atfree safety and at both cornerback spots.

"We're probably as deep (at corner) as we've ever been," saidGibson, entering his fifth season on Coach Rich Rodriguez's staff."With the playing experience, right now, I feel pretty comfortable."

WVU will complete its second week of spring practices over theweekend. The Mountaineers have two weeks remaining with the Gold-Blue intrasquad scrimmage closing the session on April 16.

One of the things the Mountaineers are looking for are defensivelinemen and linebackers after graduation mangled the depth chartsthere.

Gibson said his cornerback starters this spring are senior-to-beAnthony Mims at the field spot and senior Dee McCann at boundary.Mims was a starter last season and, according to Rodriguez, playedhis best game of the 2004 season in the Gator Bowl against FloridaState.

McCann played more in the second half of the season behind Adam"Pac-man" Jones, who left WVU's squad in January to make himselfeligible for the upcoming NFL Draft. McCann is a former junior-college transfer.

"What Alton (McCann's real first name) has to do is settle downand not give up the big play," Gibson said. "He's gambled, taken arisk and they throw it over him. But he seems like he's always aroundthe football."

With Jones gone, WVU has lost the last of its game-changingdefensive personnel from two years ago. In 2003, players such asGrant Wiley, Brian King and Jones had knacks for creating turnovers.

McCann, however, will have to look over his shoulder for sophomoreAntonio Lewis, a former high-school quarterback from Waldorf, Md.Lewis played in eight games last season and blocked one kick. He alsocould take Jones' spots returning punts and kickoffs.

"It will be hard to keep Antonio off the field," Gibson said."He's as big as No. 9 (Jones) was. At this stage of their careers, Isometimes look out there and say, 'We just have to put a No. 9 onhim' because he looks like him a lot of times breaking on the ball,being aggressive, being physical."

Sophomore Larry Williams is backing Mims. The third-team cornersare also familiar names, sophomore Vaughn Rivers and senior ThandiSmith.

Free safety is owned by multi-year starter Jahmile Addae, asenior. His backup is junior Abraham Jones.

WVU is also strong at least at one of its strong safety spots.Senior Mike Lorello, however, is missing the spring because of abroken hand sustained in the Gator Bowl. Sophomore Ridwan Malik is acontender for the other strong safety spot.

* n n

On the other side of the ball, Rodriguez is looking for twoveterans to be productive. That is something he cannot count on sincethe top returning receiver, Brandon Myles, had six 2004 catches.

"We don't have many veterans at wide receiver," Rodriguez said.

A possible glimpse of WVU's receiving future came late in theGator Bowl when 6-foot-5 Rayshawn Bolden caught a 49-yard pass.Bolden's slow development has kept him off the field for longstretches.

"He's a talented guy," Rodriguez said. "I think he's committed tobecoming a better player and better leader. For us to be good atreceiver, we probably have to rely on him and Brandon Myles as big-play guys."

Myles will be a senior next season and Bolden a junior.

* n n

About 300 high school and college coaches are expected to attendWVU's annual clinic today and Saturday at Mountaineer Field.

The Mountaineers will practice both days with an intrasquadscrimmage to be held Saturday.

Women own nearly 25% of small U.S. firms

WASHINGTON (AP) Women own nearly 25 percent of the nation'ssmall businesses, although their companies generate only 10.2 percentof all receipts, the Census Bureau said yesterday.

A new analysis of the 1982 U.S. Economic Census found that womenowned 2,884,450 businesses - 23.9 percent of all individualproprietorships, partnerships and small business corporationsoperating at that time.

The report did not include large corporations - those with morethan 25 shareholders - because researchers were not able to determinewhich of those were owned primarily by women.

Of the companies owned by women, the vast majority - 2,661,210 -were individual proprietorships. About half of the women-ownedcompanies had gross receipts of less than $5,000, the report said,while a miniscule 0.3 percent of them brought in $1 million or more.

Personal services, such as laundries and cleaning services,beauty shops, photographers and baby-sitting services, were the mostcommon business for women to be engaged in, with 419,113 women-ownedbusinesses in this category.

Real estate agencies were second with 225,551 women-ownedbusinesses, followed by health services, such as nurses, doctors anddentists, with 128,389.

California had the largest number of women-owned companies,396,294, followed by Texas with 220,221. Illinois had 121,295.

AP-mtvU Poll: College students' Obamamania wanes

WASHINGTON (AP) — College students, who were a key to President Barack Obama's 2008 sweep into the White House, have cooled in their support as they confront a miserable job market and anemic economic recovery, according to an Associated Press-mtvU poll.

The poll results appear to compound the bad news confronting Obama and his Democrats as the president battles to rekindle enthusiasm among the newest voters with only three weeks left before congressional elections. Obama does not face voters again until 2012.

The U.S. economic malaise and stubbornly high unemployment — nearly 10 percent — have considerably curbed Obama's popularity among all voters, taking a sharp bite out of his support on the nation's college campuses, where graduating seniors are facing truly dismal employment prospects.

Virtually all forecasts of the outcome of the Nov. 2 vote show Democrats losing their majority in the House of Representatives. Some Democrats worry about the same outcome in the Senate, although that is considered a long-shot for the Republicans.

All 435 seats in the House are on state ballots. In the Senate, 37 of 100 seats are at stake. Thirty-seven state governorships also will be decided in the election.

Should the Republicans gain ascendancy in either chamber of Congress, Obama's agenda for the final two years of his term likely will be crushed by opposition no votes, likely fueling even further one of the nastiest partisan political climates in recent American history.

Forty-four percent of students approve of the job Obama is doing as president, while 27 percent are unhappy with his stewardship, according to the survey conducted late last month. That's a significant drop from the 60 percent who gave the president high marks in a May 2009 poll. Only 15 percent had a negative opinion back then.

Obama's diminished backing from college students raises further questions about the successful outcome of his and fellow Democrats' efforts to rally them — and other loyal supporters such as blacks and union members.

There were 15 million first-time voters in 2008 — nearly one in eight of that year's total, but Obama's loss of support among that group suggest the newly engaged have not become assured backers.

Exit polls from 2008 showed 55 percent of new voters were age 18 to 24, and those young first-timers strongly backed Obama and Democratic House candidates — a potent bloc if Democrats could lure them back to the voting booth.

In an effort to revitalize that voting bloc, Obama plans to appear Thursday at a youth town hall being broadcast live on MTV (which focuses on the popular music scene), BET (a network that caters to African-Americans) and other networks. He also is to lead a rally Sunday at Ohio State University, and in recent days he headlined gatherings at two other universities.

Political scientists, campaign workers, students and others say many students are unhappy with Obama's handling of the economy, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and failures to end the ban against gays serving openly in the military or to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. There's also frustration with the messy political process and his inability to deliver on his campaign promise to change Washington.

The findings in the AP-mtvU poll, which surveyed more than 2,000 undergraduates age 18 to 24, coincide with what students and others say is sharply diminished political activity on campuses, way down from the frenetic levels of the 2008 presidential race.

Enthusiasm among all groups dips in midterm elections compared to presidential races. The drop-off is compounded for college students, who can be distracted by everything from classes to football and often aren't registered to vote in their school's congressional district.

Meanwhile, first lady Michelle Obama returned to the campaign trail Wednesday, saying that even though change hasn't come fast enough for some people, it would be a mistake for voters to return Republicans to power next month.

Mrs. Obama, in Milwaukee to stump for Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, tried to restore the same enthusiasm that surrounded President Barack Obama's inauguration early last year. She said people were energized back then because they were hopeful, and that it was important for them to re-ignite their passion so the country can finish what voters started.

Later, Obama campaigned for the Democratic candidate for the president's old Illinois Senate seat.

In Delaware, Republican Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell dismissed comments she's made over the years on religious and social issues such as evolution, sexual abstinence and homosexuality, saying they're not relevant to the campaign.

Squaring off against Democrat Chris Coons in a nationally televised debate, O'Donnell said voters want to hear about job creation and spending, not comments she made as a television commentator long ago. She refused to say if she still believes evolution is a myth, as she has said in the past.

O'Donnell trails Coons by double digits in some polls.

___

AP Polling Director Trevor Tompson, Deputy Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta, News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

___

Online:

AP polls: http://surveys.ap.org

Mideast foes nearing the heart of the talks

WASHINGTON After weeks of maneuvering by Israel and its Arabneighbors to gain the public relations and procedural upper hand inthe Middle East peace process, the parties say they are finally readyto start talking about the issues.

The long-delayed talks are expected to start today. But thecloser the participants get to talking about substance, the wider thegulf between Arabs and Israelis is likely to appear.

The negotiations consist officially of three - but reallyinvolve four - sets of talks that will put Israel in separatesessions with Syria, Lebanon and a joint Palestinian-Jordaniandelegation.

If the delegations manage to get past more procedural haggling,sources familiar with the peace process believe the early stages ofthe talks will approach the different issues according to thesenegotiating strategies: Israeli-Palestinian talks. The effort to reach an understandingabout the immediate future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is themost pressing of all the issues because of the unrest that continuesamong the Palestinian population of 1.7 million. However, it also isthe one that both sides believe is most likely to result in some kindof agreement, or at least temporary arrangement.

The Palestinian negotiators, all residents of the territories,will begin by espousing the Palestine Liberation Organizations's callfor an immediate end to Israeli occupation, followed by creation ofan independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.However, almost everyone involved appears to agree that thePalestinians have no hope of realizing that goal at this time.

Instead, Israel, with the acquiescence of the United States, hasinsisted on basing its position on a formula reached at the 1978 CampDavid talks that called for a five-year period of limited self-rulefor the territories, with their final status to be determined at theend of that time.

Israel is expected to seek limits that will prevent thePalestinians from using self-rule as the basis for a futureindependent state.

The most contentious issue in the autonomy talks undoubtedlywill center on Israel's policy of building Jewish settlements in theterritories. The Palestinians will demand that they be halted, andIsrael is expected to argue that settlements should be a subject fornegotiation only when the time comes to settle the permanent statusof the territories. Israel-Syria. The overt hostility toward Israel of Syrian PresidentHafez Assad's government makes this the negotiation that observersexpect to be the most difficult. The central issue involves Syria'sdesire to regain the strategic Golan Heights, occupied by Israelsince 1967, and Israel's contention that it must hold onto the Golanto protect itself against possible future attack by Syria.

Israeli sources say they will contend that the goal of the talksis a peace treaty between the two countries. However, Israeliofficials say their government is unlikely to go beyond some kind ofvague offer to recognize Syrian "sovereignty" over part of the Golan,while keeping it under Israel's physical control.

In a bow to Assad, the United States has suggested that Israelconsider at least partial withdrawal from the Golan, which Israel hasformally annexed. Israel-Lebanon. The new Lebanese government of President EliasHrawi wants Israeli forces to vacate the security zone that itoccupies in southern Lebanon as a buffer against incursions by PLOterrorists. It also wants Israel to end its support of a Christianmilitia battling Shiite Muslim groups in that area.

But these aims have been complicated by the fact that Hrawi'sgovernment is a virtual puppet of Syria and has little control over acountry badly fractured by years of civil war. Israel-Jordan. Beyond the general goal of ending the technicalstate of war between the two countries, Jordan's real importance inthe talks is to serve as a cover for the Palestinians. Israeladamantly refuses to negotiate with the PLO, and to deal with anyfree-standing Palestinian delegation would be an admission ofPalestinian sovereignty.

Rwandan priest acquitted of genocide charges

A United Nations court on Tuesday acquitted a Catholic priest charged with genocide, murder and extermination in Rwanda's 1994 genocide after the judge said the prosecution had failed to prove its case.

Father Hormisdas Nsengimana, 55, had been imprisoned for seven years since his 2002 arrest in Cameroon. Judge Erik Mose ordered his immediate release from the U.N. detention facility in Arusha.

"I wish for peace and reconciliation in Rwanda ... I thank God for this (release)," Nsengimana told the press after his acquittal.

At least 500,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during Rwanda's genocide, which began after President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane was brought down in April 1994.

Nsengimana was alleged to have been at the center of a group of Hutu extremists that planned and carried out targeted attacks in the southern Rwandan town of Nyanza, where he was head of a prestigious Catholic school.

He also was accused of supervising at least three roadblocks that were used to stop and kill Tutsis, according to a statement by The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Mose said the chamber had assessed all the evidence supporting the three counts against Nsengimana and did not find any credible evidence to implicate him.

"One prosecution witness testified about this event. His credibility is doubtful ... The chamber has not found the allegation proved beyond reasonable doubt," Mose said during the 30-minute ruling.

The prosecutor, Hassan Bubacar Jallow, said they needed more information to look into an appeal.

"We have not received the full text. When we receive it, we'll study it and make our position," he said.

It was the second acquittal by The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda since Monday, when the appeals court overturned a conviction and 20-year sentence faced by Protais Zigiranyirazo, the former Rwandan president's brother-in-law. Zigiranyirazo, known as "Mr. Z," was sentenced to 20 years in December 2008. The Appeals Court said it found serious errors committed by the Tribunal in Zigiranyirazo's conviction.

The tribunal, set up by the U.N. to try key suspects of the genocide, has now convicted 39 people and acquitted eight.

Nsengimana is one of the four Catholic priests indicted by the ICTR. Athanase Seromba, a former vicar in western Rwanda, is serving a life sentence. Emmanuel Rukundo, a former military chaplain, was sentenced in February to 25 years in prison. Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, a former vicar at the Parish of the Holy Family in Kigali, is awaiting trial.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Kaka not worried with his fitness at World Cup

Kaka says he's ready for one of the biggest challenges in sports: leading Brazil at a World Cup.

Kaka enters the tournament as Brazil's biggest star, but he also arrives bothered by injuries. The brilliant playmaker, however, is confident he will be in good physical condition when the World Cup begins for the five-time champions on June 15 against North Korea.

"I am getting better every day," Kaka said. "The injury does not bother me anymore. I've been doing everything planned so far, and by the time we play the opener I will be in great condition."

Kaka is coming off an injury-plagued season that kept him from being at his best with Real Madrid. He had groin and thigh problems that kept him sidelined for 45 days at one point, unable to perform like the FIFA player of the year he was in 2007.

Brazil doctors said the groin problem is not an issue anymore, and that the left thigh ailment should not keep Kaka from starting for Brazil in the team's opener.

"I was worried at first," Kaka said. "It was very limiting, but now I'm being able to move around much better. I'm going through intense treatment, and with 10 days left until the opener I will be fine."

Kaka has been practicing normally with the rest of the Brazilian players since the team arrived in South Africa on May 27, but continues to receive separate treatment even when the other players get a break.

He played 45 minutes in Brazil's 3-0 warmup win over Zimbabwe in Harare on Wednesday and said he felt fine.

"It wasn't my best match with Brazil, but it was very positive," the 28-year-old Kaka said. "I was able to do a lot on the field without any problems."

It was his first match in more than a month, and coach Dunga also was pleased with what he saw.

"He is progressing, and the tendency is for him to keep improving," Dunga said.

Kaka was already a top player with Brazil at the 2006 World Cup, but at the time he shared much of the spotlight with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Adriano. Now, few players are attracting similar attention to what Kaka draws.

Wearing Brazil's famed No. 10 jersey, Kaka knows all eyes will be on him this time.

"I'm ready to be one of the team's leaders, I'm ready to take this responsibility," Kaka said. "I've always accepted this responsibility."

Kaka also was a member of the 2002 team that won the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, but he played less than 25 minutes in that tournament.

One of Adidas' high profile players, Kaka also downplayed complaints from teammates about the ball being used in this month's tournament, saying such criticism is normal before every World Cup.

"I'm not going to criticize the World Cup ball," he said. "I always hear players complain about the ball in every competition. People were complaining a lot in the first week, but then everyone starts adapting to it and things start changing."

Players from Brazil and other nations complained about the ball, some even comparing it to those bought at supermarkets.

"It's a new ball, and everything new causes an impression," he said. "There have been some complaints now, but maybe during the World Cup players will start saying different things."

Corn Prices Force ADM Ethanol Cuts

The record high price of corn is forcing Decatur-based ArcherDaniels Midland Co. to temporarily trim its production of fuelethanol, a top company executive said Thursday.

Senior Vice President Martin L. Andreas said ADM's fuel ethanolfacility in Peoria will reduce its consumption of corn by about 8million bushels a month.

Andreas declined to say by what percentage the plant's ethanolproduction will drop, but said, "It's a significant cut."ADM is the nation's largest producer of corn-based fuel ethanol,which is used as an additive to make gasoline burn cleaner. Lastyear the company idled a small ethanol plant in North Dakota.The move follows an announcement that Wichita, Kan.-based HighPlains Corp. is cutting its production of fuel ethanol by 20 percentbecause of high corn prices.Corn prices have soared by roughly 70 percent during the lastyear on a combination of strong exports and a poor 1995 corn crop.U.S. grain stocks are projected to fall to their lowest levels sincethe 1970s before autumn harvest replenishes supplies.Poultry producers and small hog farmers have already cut backproduction because corn is a big part of the cost of raisinglivestock.Ethanol producers have been hit particularly hard by higher rawmaterial costs because the price of fuel ethanol is flat comparedwith last year, meaning that producers haven't been able to passalong their higher corn costs.Thursday, corn futures rose to new all-time highs for the thirdconsecutive session on the Chicago Board of Trade in a market growingincreasingly concerned about U.S. supplies.Corn futures quickly shrugged off profit-taking pressure inadvance of the three-day holiday weekend, showing particular strengthin contracts representing the fall harvest.Investors are concerned that cold weather will delay plantingand are afraid the harvest will not be bountiful enough to adequatelyreplace the rapidly depleting stock.Investors also ignored ADM's announcement it will trimproduction of corn-derived ethanol at the Peoria plant.Corn prices have soared by roughly 70 percent during the pastyear on a combination of strong exports and a poor 1995 corn crop."It ain't over yet," said analyst Daniel Markey at AgriAnalysisin Evanston, Ill. "There's real anxiety out there over whetherpeople will be able to get their hands on any grain" in coming weeks."There is an awful lot of emotion in the market right now, andanything is a concern," said Don Roose, analyst at U.S. CommoditiesInc. in West Des Moines, Iowa. Too little moisture "is enough topush the nervous button."December corn rose 5 cents to $3.33 3/4 a bushel at the ChicagoBoard of Trade, the highest price yet for the 1996 crop. May cornrose 2 1/4 cents to $4.26 1/2 a bushel.There's little margin for a late crop, which will begin to becollected in September. The government projects corn stocks beforethe fall harvest will drop to 412 million bushels, the lowest in twodecades and less than three weeks of supply.Contributing: Associated Press, Bloomberg Business News

Haze is back rocking, rolling with changes

When Patti Haze signs on Monday at WXCD-FM (94.7), she'll havemore on her mind than the titles of the classic rock hits on her playlist.

Don't be surprised if she includes occasional updates on theantics of her new daughter along with the time and temperature.

"Where you can work it in, you can work it in," said Haze, whosenew show will air from 3 to 8 p.m. weekdays on CD-94.7. "You know,I've always been able to pick my spots."

Haze, a 21-year Chicago radio veteran, returned from China lastmonth with Molly Fei Fei, a bright and active 2-year-old she adoptedthrough an international agency.

"She is just fabulous," Haze said. "It's amazing how you'rematched - because this kid is a ham! She loves music, she sings, shedances all the time. I can't believe how lucky I am."

On Aug. 29, Haze and her fiance, lawyer Ray O'Malley, will tiethe knot. "My philosophy is why take 20 years when you can do it allin six weeks?" Haze said with a laugh when she pondered all thechanges in her life.

Haze has been off the air since May when WCKG-FM (105.9) pulledthe plug on the evening talk show she co-hosted with Mary Pat LaRue.

"I had a great time doing talk. The audience loved what wedid," Haze said. "But I've been in this business long enough and I'msavvy enough to know how all this stuff works. It's unfortunate thatwe didn't get a chance to do more. We had a great time. But it'stime to do something different again.

"I have no problem playing rock 'n' roll. It's what I'm knownfor. I'm really looking forward to it. It's what I do. It's who Iam.

"But doing talk made me realize I'm more than a one-trick pony.I can do a whole lot of stuff. I think that bodes well for thefuture of my career 10 years from now." Dialing: WCKG selling program airtime on weekends Now you can have your own show on the same Chicago station as HowardStern, Jonathon Brandmeier and Steve Dahl. Starting Sept. 5, WCKGwill begin selling blocks of airtime on weekends for program-lengthcommercials and talk shows. Look for a stampede of lawyers,psychics, financial advisers and home-repair experts to buy their wayonto "The Package."

Mike Disney, vice president and general manager of the CBS-ownedstation, said the move is designed to create a new source of revenuewhile eliminating most music programming on weekends. WCKG willcontinue to air "best of" Brandmeier and Dahl shows on Saturdays and"Breakfast With the Beatles" on Sundays. In a first for urban-contemporary radio, top-rated WGCI-AM/FM(1390/107.5) has announced plans to sponsor its own music awardsshow. Artists will compete in 15 categories - including rhythm &blues, rap, blues, jazz and gospel - with winners to be chosen by thepublic. WGCI's first Urban Radio Music Awards will be presented Nov.14 at the Chicago Theatre. Are two Madisons better than one? The Madison hired this week tohost middays at WNND-FM (100.3) is not the same Madison who has beenhosting weekends at WRCX-FM (103.5). Windy 100's Madison, whose realname is Miriam Milliken, hails from WMVX-FM in Cincinnati. Rock103.5's Madison, whose real name is Wendy Rickman, previously workedat WKQX-FM (101.1). To avoid confusion, the Windy 100 jock will callherself Lisa Madison. Walter Payton is returning for a second year as football analyst atWSCR-AM (1160). He'll turn up with Norm Van Lier and Doug Buffone at7:30 a.m. Mondays, starting Aug. 24. And he'll host the Score'sweekly football luncheons with Dan Jiggetts and Mike North at noonTuesdays, starting Aug. 25. Ted Stecker, former operations manager and program chief at thedefunct "Kicks Country," has landed as operations director at KTST-FMand KXXY-FM in Oklahoma City. Get well wishes to Johanna Zorn, executive producer at WBEZ-FM(91.5), who is recovering from emergency surgery Saturday atNorthwestern Memorial Hospital.

Hawaii Democrats hope to regain governorship

HONOLULU (AP) — After a bitter campaign marked by mudslinging and contentious divisions over race, religion and gay rights, two longtime political rivals in Hawaii meet in a primary Saturday to decide which Democrat will try to recapture the governor's seat from Republican hands after eight years.

Former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who first faced each other in a primary 24 years ago, are competing in a tight race for the chance to succeed Gov. Linda Lingle in President Barack Obama's birth state.

Term limits prevent Lingle, who became Hawaii's first Republican governor in 40 years when she was elected, from running again. That leaves open the door for Democrats in November to possibly regain control of one of the most blue states in the country, which gave Obama 72 percent of the presidential vote two years ago.

Democrats also are looking to retake the congressional seat Abercrombie left after 19 years to run for governor, although that race won't be settled until November. Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Djou, who won a May special election for Congress, and Democratic state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa hold vast fundraising and name recognition advantages heading into their party's primaries Saturday, and if they win they'd face each other in the general election.

In the Democratic governor's race, there's no love lost between the 74-year-old Abercrombie and the 56-year-old Hannemann, who first faced off in 1986 in a congressional primary, won by Hannemann, in which he attacked Abercrombie for being soft on drugs and claimed that he "enjoyed marijuana." Abercrombie said those assertions were untrue; Hannemann later lost the general election.

This year's campaign has been filled with personal attacks and comparisons of their character, ethnicity, experience and views on gay rights.

Abercrombie blasted Hannemann's campaign following a radio ad by Hannemann supporters that claimed Abercrombie is "unacceptable" because he doesn't hold "traditional Christian values." Hannemann is Mormon, and Abercrombie's campaign has said he was "confirmed as an Episcopalian."

Abercrombie backs same-sex civil unions, while Hannemann has said he would have vetoed civil union legislation that passed the Legislature earlier this year but was vetoed by Lingle.

Hannemann also has drawn criticism for telling a carpenters' union "I look like you," a reference to Hannemann's Samoan-German ancestry; Abercrombie is white. A Hannemann campaign brochure emphasized that he was born in Hawaii and Abercrombie in New York.

Mudslinging between the candidates could damage the winner's chances of success in the Nov. 2 general election against the Republican nominee. In the Republican primary, Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona holds a vast advantage over attorney John Carroll in fundraising, campaign organization and advertising.

Despite the Democratic candidates' rhetoric over their character and experience, they share similar plans to improve public education, promote renewable energy and build Honolulu's rail system.

But Hannemann has kept the pressure on by saying Abercrombie is making unfunded campaign promises, received a low rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is trying to "retire to the governor's job." The Hannemann brochure also mockingly praised Abercrombie for winning a beard contest.

Abercrombie has accused the Hannemann of manipulating Honolulu's proposed rail line for political purposes and then abandoning the project by resigning from the mayor's office halfway into his second term to run for governor.

Abercrombie, a friend of Obama's father from their days at the University of Hawaii, picked up on Obama's theme of change by calling for "A New Day in Hawaii" in his platform. Obama has stayed out of the race, but both candidates say they knew him when he was young and went by "Barry" instead of "Barack."

"The people of Hawaii will have an opportunity to reject politics-as-usual when they cast their ballots," Abercrombie said. "I am confident that the people will move Hawaii in a new direction."

Hannemann has countered that Abercrombie's message of change doesn't ring true after so many years in Washington.

"I'm not afraid to make tough decisions," Hannemann said. "I'm never going to be someone who sits behind my desk and becomes invisible."

Polls have shown Abercrombie in the lead, but Hannemann had nearly three times as much cash left in his treasury as of Sept. 3, according to campaign finance reports. In all, Hannemann has raised about $3.5 million to Abercrombie's $3 million.

President Defends Immigration Bill

WASHINGTON - President Bush, calling the nation's current immigration situation unacceptable, urged senators to try again to pass legislation that he described as imperfect but the best option available.

In his weekly Saturday radio address, Bush said the bill would not grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, that they would have to pay fines and take other steps to get on a path to legal status and possibly citizenship.

"Securing the border and upholding family values are not partisan concerns," the president said. "They must be addressed, and this bill is the best way to do it."

Bush recorded his address Friday in Germany where he was attending a summit with other world leaders.

The White House and a bipartisan group of senators drafted the wide-ranging bill, but they could not overcome steady attacks from the left and right during weeks of Senate wrangling. When the Senate failed Thursday to end debate and schedule a vote, Democratic leaders set the bill aside with no promise of reviving it.

Bush plans to lunch with Republican senators in the Capitol on Tuesday, part of a more hands-on approach to persuading party conservatives that the compromise bill is much better than the status quo.

In his radio address, Bush acknowledged mistakes in handling immigration and pledged to improve the bill as it moves through Congress.

"Today, illegal immigration is supported by criminal enterprises dedicated to document forgery, human trafficking, and labor exploitation," he said. "This is unacceptable, and we need to fix it in a way that honors our finest traditions."

He said the bill "puts border security first, establishes a temporary worker program to meet the legitimate needs of our growing economy, sets up a mandatory system for verifying employment eligibility, and resolves the status of the estimated 12 million people who are here illegally."

Conceding that a 1986 immigration overhaul largely failed, the president said his administration "is determined to learn from the mistakes of the past decades." The bill would double the number of Border Patrol agents, he said, build more border fences and employ infrared sensors and unmanned aircraft to detect illegal border-crossers.

"Unlike the 1986 law, this bill gives honest employers the tools they need to ensure that they are hiring legal workers," Bush said, including "a tamper-resistant identity card." Businesses that "knowingly hire illegal aliens will be punished," he said.

Addressing the word that has rallied the bill's opponents, the president said: "Amnesty is forgiveness with no penalty for people who have broken our laws to get here." The bill, he said, "requires illegal workers to pay a fine, register with the government, undergo background checks, pay their back taxes, and hold a steady job."

If those immigrants eventually want a green card for permanent residence, he said, they will have to pay another fine, learn English "and return to their home country so they can apply from there."

Britain, Ireland close Ulster's terror watchdog

DUBLIN (AP) — The governments of Britain and Ireland say they have closed down an expert panel that provided assessments of terrorism trends in Northern Ireland.

Thursday's move concludes seven years of investigations by the panel into the activities of the Irish Republican Army, its splinter groups and a range of anti-Catholic gangs in Northern Ireland.

The group included a former CIA director and a former commander of the anti-terrorist unit of Scotland Yard. Analysts say its early reports pinning blame for major crimes on the IRA spurred that outlawed group to renounce violence and disarm in 2005.

Britain's lead official in Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, says the experts' final report will be published after the May 5 election of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Red Sox prevail 1-0 over Toronto in pitcher's duel on ninth inning RBI hit

Kevin Youkilis lined a run-scoring single to center field in the ninth, ending a brilliant pitching duel between Roy Halladay and Jon Lester and giving the Boston Red Sox a 1-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Halladay (2-4) retired the first two batters in the inning before walking David Ortiz. Manny Ramirez looped a single to center, sending Ortiz to second, and Youkilis hit a ball in front of center fielder Vernon Wells that he couldn't handle.

The hard-luck Halladay pitched his fourth straight complete game, but he's lost the last three.

Orioles 7, Rays 4

At Baltimore, Garrett Olson took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Baltimore ended Tampa Bay's six-game winning streak in a surprising duel for first place in the American League East.

Aubrey Huff homered and Melvin Mora had two RBIs for the Orioles.

Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game, Olson (1-0) gave up two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings, walking five and striking out six.

Tampa Bay's Jason Hammel (2-2) allowed three runs, six hits and four walks in 2 2-3 innings, the shortest of his 28 career starts in the big leagues.

Tigers 6, Yankees 4

At New York, Gary Sheffield and Curtis Granderson homered in the third inning, helping old pro Kenny Rogers and Detroit beat road-weary New York.

Magglio Ordonez got Detroit going with a two-run single off Phil Hughes (0-4), who was booed by the crowd of 49,194 for allowing six runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings.

Rogers (2-3) held New York in check despite giving up six hits, including Robinson Cano's two-run homer, and four walks in six innings.

Mariners 7, Indians 2

At Cleveland, Adrian Beltre hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in Seattle's five-run ninth inning, making a winner of Mark Lowe.

Jose Lopez singled to start the inning off Rafael Betancourt (1-1) and took second on a soft single by Raul Ibanez. Beltre then hit an 0-1 pitch for his fifth homer and a 5-2 lead. Yuniesky Betancourt added a two-out, two-run single off Craig Breslow.

Lowe (1-1) came on to strike out Jhonny Peralta and end the eighth after Cleveland tied it 2-2 on an RBI groundout by Travis Hafner.

Twins 3, White Sox 1

At Minneapolis, Boof Bonser picked up Minnesota's beleaguered starting rotation with the group's first win in 10 days.

Bonser (2-4) gave up a homer to Joe Crede among six hits and struck out eight. He mixed a sharp curveball and a sneaky slider with a fastball to keep first-place Chicago off balance.

Gavin Floyd (2-1) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings and Crede hit his AL-leading seventh homer of the season.

Royals 9, Rangers 5

At Arlington, Texas, Jose Guillen hit a two-run homer and drove in five runs, helping Kansas City win for the third time in four games after snapping a seven-game losing streak.

Texas has lost 14 of its last 18 games to fall to a major league-worst 9-18.

Texas starter Jason Jennings (0-5) gave up eight hits and five runs before leaving in the third with ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm. Given a 7-2 lead, Brett Tomko couldn't last more than 3 1-3 innings. He gave up five runs and seven hits.

Angels 2, Athletics 0

At Anaheim, California, Joe Saunders outpitched Greg Smith to remain undefeated in six starts, and Los Angeles climbed back into a first-place tie with Oakland in the AL West.

Saunders (5-0) combined with Francisco Rodriguez on the Angels' second shutout victory this season, scattering four hits over eight innings with five strikeouts and a walk. Saunders joined Frank Tanana as the only pitchers in the franchise's 48-year history to go 5-0 in April.

Rodriguez pitched a hitless ninth for his major league-leading 11th save.

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

NEW VIEW OF A ROOM Aspects of lighting; THE 'BEFORE' ROOMS ARE DRAB - 'AFTER' THEY DAZZLE Series: HGTV: BEFORE AND AFTER DECORATING

Lighting is a major consideration for any kitchen. Kitchensrequire a blend of general, task and accent lighting, with each typeserving a different need. General or ambient lights provide auniform, overall glow. Task lights are positioned to give light whereyou need it for specific jobs, for instance, doing dishes or choppingvegetables. Accent lights focus light on an object or surface tohighlight it.

Above, lights tucked inside glass-fronted cabinets offer a warmglow; glass shelves allow the light to flow through the cabinet. Notethe recessed task lighting above the countertop run.

Natural light is just as important as artificial lighting,especially in a kitchen. Sunshine can provide lovely ambient light inkitchens with large windows.

Light bulbs

Choosing the correct bulbs will make your lighting as efficientand effective as possible. Keep the following in mind the next timeyou shop for light bulbs.

**Incandescent: While these bulbs are inexpensive, they producemore heat than light, so they are inefficient unless used onlysparingly.

**Halogen: These bulbs are more efficient than incandescent: Theylast three to four times longer, and a lower-wattage halogen bulbwill give the same illumination as a larger-watt incandescent.

**Compact fluorescent: These bulbs screw into the same sockets asincandescents but use about 75 percent less energy than incandescentbulbs -- and last 10 times longer. They can be expensive, but overtime they save many times their initial cost.

Serving up style

To create beautiful settings quickly and conveniently, you'll needkey elements on hand. Start by picturing the kinds of meals you planto serve.

u Begin with breakfast. If your dining room is in use daily, startby gathering the items you'll need for family meals. A good, sturdytable that can handle constant use is a must. Here, the painted tableand chairs have good lines, but they're basic pieces that won'tsuffer from a few dings and nicks. Tableware, too, needs to besturdy. In this house a collection of red and white transferware isat the ready in the cabinet. The pieces are complementary, notmatching, and most are vintage. A few chips or the loss of a piecewon't upset the balance.

u Plan for regular events. Casual entertaining calls for a secondlayer of decorating. The better china, the slipcovers for chairs, thetablecloths are all of the same caliber and well suited to eachother. Have more than you need for any one occasion if you entertainregularly to give you the flexibility to create a variety ofsettings.

u Be ready for formal only if you'll really do formal. There's nopoint in having formal dinner service for 12 if you'll use it onlyonce a year. If, however, you don't have good china and a big eventis coming, consider renting the good stuff. If you entertainfrequently, keep the good china and linens easily accessible soyou'll use them often.

u Plan the table when you plan the meal. If you're planning toentertain, imagine how you want the table to look. That way, ifthere's something you've been longing to add to your collection orsomething that needs replacing, you can address the need ahead oftime, not at the last minute.

LIGHT BUT NOT WHITE

Design axioms are best interpreted rather than blindly applied.For example, "use white to make a space look larger" can sometimescreate a stark and boring room. Instead, select an eye-pleasing blendof light tones. In this tiny condo kitchen, a $1,000 makeover createda space that's bright, inviting and functional.

Warm the space with color and wood tones; add visual punch withhardware. A combination of mellow white and soft yellow paint softensthe harsh contrast of heavily grained oak cabinets and muddy-bluewalls. Large, shiny drawer and cabinet pulls make way for small,brushed-silver-tone knobs. New wood laminate flooring topped with anapple green rug completes the surface warming.

With two doors but no windows, the room required a good lightingplan. The soft yellow walls and one-shade-from-white cabinets stretchand soften the light from existing sources. To improve the countertoplighting, two brushed-nickel lamps stand at the ready, an unexpectedbut elegant addition to the lighting pool.

Keep an eye on the details. The new faucet upgrades the plainstainless-steel sink. New towels and a rug complement the new look.The lamps and a gathering of simple white pitchers pretty up thecountertop landscape.

Color Tips:

Follow these cues to help you select the colors that are right foryour particular needs.

u Closer: Warm colors advance, making walls seem closer.

u Father away: Cool colors recede, making walls appear fartheraway.

u Narrower: White or light-color ceilings make a room looknarrower -- and taller -- when paired with dark walls.

Cyanide stored in Chicago subway raises concerns; 'Dr. Chaos': Konopka remains in custody charged with having a chemical weapon

CHICAGO (AP) - Authorities tried Tuesday to determine how a manwho called himself "Dr. Chaos" obtained cyanide and stored it in acloset of the city's mass transit system, locking it to protect thepotentially lethal stash.

Joseph Konopka, 25, remained in federal custody, charged withpossession of a chemical weapon. Investigators in Wisconsin, where heis charged with going on a five-county rampage of vandalism, saidKonopka, was an anarchist who had the "propensity to commit massdestruction."

Experts said that an individual intent on trouble is hard to spotahead of time.

"You get some lone nut out there, whether they are passing cyanidearound or botulism or any type of strain of harmful bacteria, as longas they are not contacting anybody, that is going to be hard tofind," said Dick Skilling, a former FBI agent who is now a consultantfor a Chicago area security company.

"Am I concerned as a private citizen? Very definitely," saidViolet Smith, former president of the Chicago Chapter of the AmericanAssociation of Industrial Security. "My first questions would bewhere did he get the stuff and how available is it?"

An FBI spokesman said agents are trying to determine preciselywhere Konopka did get the cyanide, which experts said could have beenput to lethal use. FBI agents would not say where they were looking.

Wade Freeman, a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, said that mixing cyanide with any acid would create a cloudof highly toxic gas. He said the pound and a half of powdered cyanideallegedly stashed in the subway by Konopka would make "a very bigpuff" but that the subway's ventilation system probably woulddissipate the gas quickly.

"The subway would probably be safe because it's so ventilated, butreleased in a confined space with a lot of people, it could bedisastrous," Freeman said.

Freeman said cyanide is "a fairly common article of commerce" andcould be ordered from dozens of chemical supply houses around thecountry.

Konopka was arrested Saturday night in a steam tunnel in thebasement of the UIC Education Building by campus police on a stakeoutfollowing a series of burglaries. A 15-year-old boy also was pickedup.

The 15-year-old told police and agents of a stash of chemicals ina subway passage, prompting authorities to shut down the ChicagoTransit Authority's Blue Line for three hours while they conducted asearch, which they said at the time was for the possessions of ahomeless man.

Found in what was supposed to be a locked passageway was acollection of potentially deadly chemicals that included potassiumchlorate - a substance used in fireworks that can also emit toxicgas.

FBI agents and CTA officials were also attempting to learn whereKonopka got keys to open the doors to the passageway.

Security Expert John Burke of Schaumburg-based SearchInternational said that both the chemical and locksmithing industrieshave tightened security since Sept. 11. But he said it was possiblethat an expert con artist could trick a locksmith into makingunauthorized duplicate keys.

Lock picks are more readily available, he said, although it takesspecialized skills to use them. Police Superintendent Terry Hillardsaid on Monday night that Konopka is "a burglar by trade - he's goingto have that equipment and skill and expertise to get into thoselocations."

In Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Sgt. Teri Vogel of the Door Countysheriff's police said Konopka "definitely has the propensity tocommit mass destruction." He said Konopka has been charged withvandalism in four counties and convicted of disorderly conduct in afifth.

In one community, Algoma, Wis., he was responsible for a powerbrownout after sabotaging a power substation, Vogel said. He saidpolice from many Wisconsin counties formed a task force just toinvestigate Konopka.

Konopka had been living in the Chicago subways for months sincejumping bail in Wisconsin, officials said. His grandmother, MarianKonopka, 76, said that he left the community of De Pere where he grewup because he was "scared to death" he would be imprisoned for 10years.

"I don't know what kind of dark clouds have been going through hismind," she said.

Door County District Attorney Tim Funnell said that Konopka hadgone on a rampage of vandalism because "he's an anarchist."

"He's sort of disillusioned with society in general, disillusionedwith the way society works, disillusioned with the way governmentworks," Funnell said. "This is the way he chose to protest."