Jambos drop into the danger zone

Hearts assistant head coach Stephen Frail admitted the Edinburghclub are facing a relegation battle following their latest defeat toSt Mirren.

Youngster Stephen McGinn scored the only goal of the game for thevisitors at Tynecastle to leave Hearts 10th in the Premier League.

Former Hearts player Frail likened the result against the Paisleyoutfit to last season's 4-0 home humbling at the hands of DundeeUnited.

Supporters booed the players at full-time before venting theirfrustration at the directors' box.

Club owner Vladimir Romanov was absent again from Tynecastlewhere Frail delivered a candid …

Prog. uses sports to educate youths

Prog. uses sports to educate youths

Over 25 years ago John Hancock began building partnerships in education, and today they remain committed to continuing those partnerships to create relevant programs that improve the education of children.

Currently, John Hancock is leveraging the strength and recognition of its sports sponsorships to develop athletic-based learning programs to teach students leadership and teamwork on and off the field.

"The community knows John Hancock through our sports sponsorships," says Carol Fulp, second vice president, Community Relations at John Hancock. "As a result, it makes good sense for John Hancock to create educational programs …

Credit markets still taut; interbank loan rates up

Washington appeared closer to a bank bailout plan agreement, but that provided little solace Thursday to the credit markets, which remained stressed and kept Treasury bill demand high.

The yield on the 3-month Treasury bill was at 0.47 percent Thursday, down slightly from 0.49 percent late Wednesday, suggesting no relief on the part of investors, who have been shoveling their money into government debt on the worry that other traditionally safe assets _ such as money market mutual funds _ are no longer secure.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., for one, had to draw $600 million from its credit lines because it was unable to access cash _ a major chunk of the …

Christmas tree waste ; In brief

BRENTWOOD: With Christmas trees coming down across the borough,many families will be scratching their heads about what to do withthem.

The easiest way to dispose of a real tree is to leave it forusual garden waste collections, …

Bosh's 35 Helps Raptors Edge Hornets

TORONTO - Chris Bosh scored a season-high 35 points, including a tying 3-pointer with 1:01 left, and the Toronto Raptors rallied for a 90-88 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

Jose Calderon had four points and a block in the final 30 seconds for the Raptors, who trailed by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter.

Bosh pumped his fists after his 3-pointer tied it at 81. Calderon followed with a layup to give Toronto its first lead of the game with 28.4 seconds left. Bobby Jackson tried to drive past Calderon for a layup on the next play, but Calderon blocked his shot and followed with two free throws,

Jackson followed with a layup with 14.6 …

Hill leads No. 18 Ohio State over Howard

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tayler Hill scored 18 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and No. 18 Ohio State beat Howard 73-50 on Tuesday night.

Darryce Moore added 15 points for the Buckeyes (3-0), who scored 40 points in the paint and had 21 assists, including seven from Samantha Prahalis.

The Buckeyes jumped out to 16-4 lead in the first six minutes with all but two points coming off …

NKorea deploying troops, weapons near Pyongyang

North Korea is deploying troops, artillery and tanks near Pyongyang in apparent preparation for a massive military parade marking key national events later this year, South Korea said Tuesday.

The military buildup near the capital began in mid-July amid high tensions on the peninsula, South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a report submitted to a parliamentary committee.

"Preparation for a massive national event is under way" in North Korea and the move is presumably related to a key Workers' Party meeting in September and the 65th anniversary of the party's founding in October, it said.

North Korea would likely use the military assets …

CALL FOR PAPERS - COMPOSTING IN CANADA

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Composting Council of Canada issued a Call for Papers for its 17th Annual National Composting Conference in Moncton, New Brunswick, September 19-21, 2007. Papers on the following topics are encouraged: Compost marketing strategies (high volume markets vs. high value broker options); compost technology developments; operational issues including odor control; education and …

New-home sales plunge to lowest level in more than 12 years

Sales of new homes in the United States plunged last month to their lowest level in more than 12 years, a grim testament to the problems plaguing the housing sector.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that new-home sales tumbled by 9 percent in November from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 647,000. That was the worst showing since April 1995, when the pace of sales was 621,000.

The sales pace for November was much weaker than economists were expecting. They were predicting sales in the weakest sector of the economy to drop by around 1.8 percent, to a pace of 715,000.

The median sales price of a new home dipped to $239,100 …

Obama to address Sharpton convention

He avoids race, so the story goes. He can't afford to alienate white voters, black people will vote for him again anyway, so he has little to gain by approaching such a volatile subject.

Yet today, President Obama is scheduled to make a foray into racial territory by speaking in New York at the Rev. Al Sharpton's national convention — an early step on the tricky path that Obama must navigate in order to engage black voters who are crucial to his re-election.

Obama remains highly popular among blacks. In 2008, 95 percent of blacks who voted chose Obama. In a Gallup poll last week, 84 percent of …

Electrical circuit simulations

DC Circuits, an innovative simulation program from Physics Academic Software, includes over 70 activities and exercises designed to resolve common student misconceptions about the core concepts of electrical circuitry.

The program allows students to virtually combine switches, bulbs, diodes, fixed and variable resistors, fuses, and voltage sources to create and control a variety of DC circuits. Students can also introduce an unlimited amount of ammeters and voltmeters into their circuit designs, and use the program's capacity to display multiple circuits on screen …

Dodgers 5, White Sox 0

…

88Dodgers 5, White Sox 0

CHICAGO @ LOS ANGELES @

ab r h bi @ab r h bi

OCabra ss 4 0 0 0 Pierre lf 4 1 1 0

Przyns c 4 0 1 0 Ethier rf 4 1 1 1

Quentin lf 3 0 0 0 Kent 2b 4 0 0 0

Dye rf 4 0 1 0 Maza 2b 0 0 0 0

Swisher 1b 4 0 0 0 Martin c 4 0 1 1

Ozuna 3b 3 0 0 0 Loney 1b 4 1 1 0

Australia: East Timor could process asylum seekers

Australia's new leader launched a plan Tuesday to stop an influx of asylum seeker boats by making East Timor a hub for processing U.N. refugee claims for people fleeing war and persecution across Asia.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she had discussed the idea with East Timorese President Jose Ramos Horta and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres _ though neither had signed on yet.

Gillard's announcement was a shift in policy that aims to defuse a politically and racially charged debate that has flared in Australia ahead of elections expected to be held within months.

Australia receives just a tiny proportion of the world's asylum seekers, but in the past three years has witnessed a surge of people arriving via Indonesia in rickety boats _ some 150 in the past three years carrying around 4,000 people.

Each new boat receives wide media coverage and stirs feelings among many Australians that the country is being forced to take them in.

The asylum seekers, mostly Afghans and Sri Lankans who have paid criminal syndicates to bring them to Australia, have overflowed a detention center at remote Christmas Island and many have been moved to the mainland while their applications are assessed.

In her first major speech touching on foreign policy, Gillard on Tuesday said Australia had an obligation to treat legitimate asylum seekers fairly while also ensuring its borders are secure.

She proposed the creation of a regional center for processing refugee claims under U.N. auspices, and that Ramos Horta had agreed to discuss the possibility. Gillard said she had proposed the idea to Guterres, though she did not say what his response was.

"A regional processing center removes the incentive, once and for all, for the people smugglers to send boats to Australia," Gillard said. "Why risk a dangerous journey if you will simply be returned to the regional processing center?"

She said New Zealand had been asked to support the plan _ a likely sign the country would be asked to resettle some people whose applications were approved for refugee status at the center.

She offered few other details _ such who would pay for the East Timor center _ but said she would pursue the idea "relentlessly."

Refugee advocates cautiously welcomed the plan, as long as applications were assessed under U.N. guidelines, applicants were treated humanely, and that other countries agreed to accept those who were judged to be legitimate asylum seekers.

"From our perspective this is a positive thing," said John Gibson, the president of the Refugee Council of Australia.

He said the plan appeared to be different from an earlier government's system of detaining asylum seekers in prison-like camps on the pacific island of Nauru because it would involve the United Nations. The former system, dismantled by Gillard's predecessor, was criticized by the U.N. refugee body and other groups as inhumane.

Australia grants nearly 14,000 places a year to migrants for humanitarian reasons, among nearly 190,000 total migrants a year, according to official figures. Fewer than 2 percent of humanitarian immigrants are asylum seekers who arrive by boat.

While migration is generally accepted as positive for the country _ Gillard herself is Welsh-born and emigrated as a toddler with her family _ Australians have long been divided on the issue of asylum seekers arriving by boat.

Many people want the government to take a tougher line, while others advocate a more open policy. The issue has helped decide elections in the past.

Gillard named the issue as a top priority soon after ousting Kevin Rudd in a June 24 revolt in their Labor Party. Gillard on Tuesday sought to appeal to both sides of the debate.

"It is wrong to label people who are concerned about unauthorized arrivals as rednecks," Gillard said.

She later added, "Australians' basic decency does not accept the idea of punishing women and children by locking them up behind razor wire, or ignoring people who are fleeing genocide, torture and persecution."

Gillard on Tuesday lifted an order suspending the processing of asylum seeker claims from Sri Lankans _ something Rudd imposed in April to try to slow the influx. She left in place an order suspending claims by Afghans.

The leader of the main conservative opposition party, Tony Abbot, also launched his policy on Tuesday with a promise to "turn back the boats" with tough measures against asylum seekers arriving by sea.

About 500 residential units planned for township

Two Harrisburg-area developers plan to build a total of about 500 residential units in Hampden Township, the most populous municipality in Cumberland County.

Yingst Homes Inc. intends to build approximately 300 townhouses and duplexes near the intersection of Good Hope Road and Interstate 81, said John Murphy, president of Alpha Consulting Engineers Inc. His Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County-based engineering firm is handling the project for Yingst of Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County.

Tom Gaughen Realty plans to develop a 206-unit apartment complex near the intersection of U.S. Route 11 and state Route 581, said company principal Tom Gaughen. The Camp Hill-based developer hopes to begin building in June and have the structure ready for occupancy in spring 2004, he said.

Hampden Township's population increased by 18.4 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. During that period, the township's population rose by 3,751, to 24,135. The township is one of Cumberland County's fastest-growing municipalities.

The township's access to much-traveled highways I-81 and Route 581, its relatively low taxes and the strength of its Cumberland Valley School District have fueled the municipality's growth, said township engineer Jerry Spease.

Yingst Homes' project

Yingst Homes intends to submit land development plans for its project in four to eight weeks, Murphy said. The houses would be built on 56 acres across from Cumberland Technology Park, he said.

Representatives of Yingst Homes did not return calls seeking comment.

Tom Gaughen Realty's project

Gaughen declined to disclose how much money his company's apartments would Tent for, saying that cannot be determined until his business secures financing for its project.

Construction would cost more than $5 million, said Donald B. Smith Jr., president of Conewago Enterprises Inc. His Hanover, York County-based general contracting firm is working on the project for Tom Gaughen Realty.

In November, the Hampden Township Board of Commissioners granted preliminary approval for Tom Gaughen Realty's building to have 228 residential units and five stories. Since then, the company has downsized to a lesscostly proposal. The revised drawings call for a structure that would have 206 units, four stories and about 130,000 square feet, Gaughen said.

The developer soon plans to submit his revised plans to the township, Gaughen said. The earliest the township could vote on those plans is in March, Spease said.

Tom Gaughen Realty has agreed to help pay for a traffic study at the intersection of Route 11, known as the Carlisle Pike, and Sporting Hill Road, Spease said. He said he does not know how much money the company pledged to contribute to the study.

Caniglia, Maria

Caniglia, Maria, Italian soprano; b. Naples, May 5, 1905; d. Rome, April 16, 1979. She was a pupil of Roche at the Naples Cons. In 1930 she made her operatic debut in Turin as Chrysothemis, and later that year made her first appearance at Milan's La Scala as Maria in Pizzetti's Lo Straniero. She continued to sing at La Scala until 1943, and again from 1948 to 1951; also appeared with the company on its visits to London's Covent Garden (1937, 1939, 1950). On Nov. 21, 1938, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Desdemona, but returned to Europe in 1939. In 1939 she married Pino Donati. Among her best known roles were Tosca, Aida, Alice Ford, the 3 Leonoras, Maria Boccanegra, and Adriana Lecouvreur. She also created the title role in Respighi's Lucrezia (Milan, Feb. 24, 1937).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Hablando con la Verdad

Hablando con la Verdad

LA TERGIVERSACION de datos tambien esta presente en el documento. Si se consultan las estadisticas anteriores a 1959, veremos que la poblacion cubana analfabeta en aquella epoca ascendia al 16% y no al 40% como se consigno. Tambien se manipulan las cifras, es decir, que el 7% de la poblacion voto en las elecciones de principios del siglo; seto implica que el 33% restante estan incluidas las mujeres (51%) que no sufragaban, los ninos y el numero de extranjeros que vivian aqui, como era logico en un pais que deja de ser colonia.

Sobre el debido proceso de juicios celebrados a los batistianos, los castristas hacen su propia interpretacion pero no hay que olvidarcomo reconoce el documento-los mayores implicados huyeron del pais el primero de enero, fecha en que comenzaron las ejecuciones masivas; a los fusilados se les detuvo, acuso, juzgo y ejecuto en menos de 24 horas. El arribo al poder del actual equipo de gobierno quedo signado por un feroz ajuste de cuentas: los llamados "juicios revolucionarios" no guardaban la menor relacion con lo que es un debido proceso, ni con un verdadero derecho a la defensa. Un ejemplo notorio fue el juicio de los pilotos sancionados despues de ver sido absueltos, el cual llevo al suicidio al capitan Felix Pena.

Cada ano, con votacion siempre reciente, la Asamblea General de la ONU demanda que se le ponga fin al llamado "bloque"; esa afirmacion es cierta, pero no se dice que, con la misma peridiocidad, el actual gobierno cubano es sancionado por sus violaciones a los Derechos Humanos.

Se menciona la "Crisis de Octubre", pero se omite que la dirigencia cubana propuso a Moscu asestar el primer golpe, sin esperar que los "yankies" tomaran la iniciativa. Esto lo reconoce la historia. Un ataque nuclear contra los Estados Unidos hubiera significado una terrible catastrofe para toda la humanidad, pero no cabe dudas que Cuda hubiera sido barrida del mapa.

Esa salida a la crisis fue ofrecida por los mismos miembros del Partido, que ahora estan preocupados porque - segun ellos - su separacion del poder implicaria la desaparicion de Cuba como nacion.? Pero podriamos olvidar la forma inconsulta que trajeron al pais esas armas nucleares y las tropas extranjeras? El pueblo solo se entero cuando el problema estaba andando,

Como bien dice el documento "todo empezo a cambiar el 26 de julio de 1953";no debemos dejar de destacar que - en efecto - ese dia por primera vez en muchos anos,se derramo tanta sangre cubana. Hasta ese momento los muertos en las luchas politicas acaecidas durante el gobierno de bastista podrian contarse con los dedos de una mano. Para encontrar en la historia cubana un, dia tan luctuoso y fraticida como este, tendriamos que remontarnos decenios atras. A pesar de ser una fecha tan triste, se tomo como un dia festivo y se celebra como tal, lo que suponemos que tenga el repudio de los familiares de los martires.

Son estos algunos ejemplos de la forma en que los comunistas, han querido INTERPRETAR LA HISTORIA. II en nombre de la unidad

El partido insiste en la unidad, pero olvida que, para que esta sea valida y real (y no una mera parodia) es necesario que surja del consenso alcanzado por los ciudadanos; lo contrario es una burda imposicion, lo unico que tiene la unidad es el nombre. Aqui estamos los opositores para demostrar que en nuestro pais no hay consento.

El texto plantea: "Solo la unidad de los revolucionarios puede conducir a la unidad del pueblo". Este razonamiento, asi como todo enfoque de este asunto, incurre en lo que en Logica se conoce como "peticion de principio", que consiste en tomar como premisa, lo mismo que se pretende demostrar.

El Partido, atribuyendose la condicion de representante del pueblo, elaboro el documento que conmina a la ciudadania a que participe en las reuniones de apoyo al mismo. El pueblo sometido a las presiones del poder totalitario, asiste, y entonces ese hecho se presenta al mundo como un plebiscito de la prueba sociedad cubana. Se dice que es la prueba mas evidente e irrefutable de que el Partido representa a todo el pueblo. Precisamente es la misma premisa de la que se partio, Aunque se habla de plebiscito, ya el pueblo ha sentido como se pasa por encima de el. Ahi esta. Aun latente la voluntad popular cuando fueron a fusilar al general Arnaldo Ochoa y a sus companeros de causa. A pesar que la gran mayoria no estaba de acuerdo, se declaro oficialmente que era una necesidad y se hizo caso omiso de la opinion de las masas.

Si - como afirman sus dirigentesla generalidad de los ciudadanos apoyan al Partido Comunista, no existe razon para que no se convoque a unas elecciones libres bajo la supervision internacional, lo que haria callar a todos los detractores del sistema.

En nombre de esa unidad, el Primer Congreso del Partido se sintio legitimado para autoconcederse la potestad constituyente y apoyar la version definitiva de la Carta Magna de 1976,incluyendo el Articulo v, que proclama al propio Partido como:"fuerza dirigente superior de la sociedad y del Estado".

Sabemos tambien que la historia ha dejado plasmada esta concepcion de la unidad: el Partido Comunista de Cuda, al imponer el monopartidismo, se coloca en la poca envidiable compania de Stalin, Musolini, Hitler, Franco, Trujillo, Pol Pot, y Sadam Hussein, entre otros.

Despues de haber concentrado las filas de la unidad, no habia motiva para que dejaran de afirmar al pueblo cubano decidio tener un partido unico". Pero en nombre de esta unidad hemos visto hacer muchas cosas que ha de quedar manchadas para la historia,por haber contribuido a crear el caos y la desestabilizacion del pais, bajo el criterio que cuando se comete un error, es de todos; basta citar algunos ejemplos: * Intentar desecar la Cienaga de Zapata * Crear un cordon agricola alrededor de La Habana * Colectivazar la agricultura * Cambiar la genetica ganadera: en particular, el ganado vacuno * Concebir un plan alimentario y la produccion masiva de platanos micro jet * Desmantelar la industria azucarera y tratar de cambiar la variedad de cana * Imponer ideas que llevan inversiones desastrosas, como la presa de Palo Seco, que es un monumento a lo que no se debio hacer.

Mass. man wants new trial in Obama-inspired fire

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A white man convicted of burning a predominantly black church in Massachusetts to protest President Barack Obama's 2008 election wants a new trial, saying he has found evidence backing his alibi.

A lawyer for Michael Jacques (jayks) has filed a motion for a new trial in federal court in Springfield. Attorney Lori Levinson says new evidence found on Jacques' family's computer shows he uploaded a photograph onto his MySpace account at his parents' house on Election Night. Jacques says he was there all night.

Jacques faces 10 to 60 years in prison. He is set to be sentenced Dec. 22.

Prosecutors say Jacques and two friends who pleaded guilty burned down the Macedonia Church of God in Christ.

No one was injured in the fire. The church has been rebuilt.

March of Dimes ambassador

Like many 3-year-olds, Aiden Bronkema of Orland Park loves to read and play video games. His favorite superhero is Spider-Man.

But he has been battling for his life since his premature birth.

Aiden weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces when he was born and immediately faced a variety of health issues. He spent three months in the neonatal intensive care unit, where he was treated for a serious bowel infection. He needed a ventilator to breathe and underwent multiple surgeries that were necessary because he was born several weeks early.

Aiden has a scarred belly from all of his surgeries and wears glasses because he experienced Stage 3 retinal neuropathy. He also is undergoing speech therapy.

His mother, Elaine Ostrowski, said her son is nothing short of a miracle.

"At 20 weeks, I went in for an ultrasound. They told me it was a boy but that my fluids were so low that if that didn't improve, his kidneys would not form and he would not survive," she said. "Aiden decided to change that."

On April 17, Aiden will join about 500 people in Midlothian to participate in the annual March of Dimes March for Babies. He is the south suburban ambassador baby for this year's walk.

The event is one of six in the Chicago area to raise money to help prevent premature birth and birth defects and lower infant mortality rates.

The walks also will take place in Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Libertyville, Naperville and St. Charles.

For information on the April 17 event call (312) 596-4716 or visit www.marchofdimes.com/illinois.

Aiden Bronkema, 3, of Orland Park, is the south suburban ambassador baby for this year's March of Dimes March for Babies on April 17 at Midlothian Meadows.

U.S. OPEN: ; Sharapova makes shining return to Flushing Meadow

NEW YORK - Maria Sharapova was right where she likes to be: onthe Grand Slam stage and in the spotlight.

After missing last year's U.S. Open with a shoulder injury, the2006 champion returned to the tournament Tuesday night with animpressive 6-3, 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.

Sharapova's game was as glittery as her black-and-silver dressand matching headwrap.

Several hours after Dinara Safina came perilously close tobecoming the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose in this majortournament's first round, Sharapova gave a much strongerperformance.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner produced 29 winners - awhopping 23 more than her 98th-ranked opponent. And Sharapova's gamewas particularly clean in the second set, when she hit 16 winnersand only five unforced errors.

Apart from four double-faults, Sharapova showed no signs of theshoulder tear that forced her to have surgery in October and keptoff the tour for nearly 10 months.

"This is a Grand Slam. You've got to get going from the firstmatch," Sharapova said. "After being gone, this is what it's allabout."

In addition to tennis skills and grit that once placed her No. 1in the rankings, Sharapova always has placed an emphasis on fashion.On this night, her black dress carried bold, metallic accents thatwould gain her entry into even the trendiest of New York clubs. Shepaired it with a matching, '60s-style silver headband.

Safina's coach certainly did not appear to like what he saw.

Sitting in the stands at the U.S. Open, he'd cover his eyes withhis hands or turn his head with a wince as Safina's 11 double-faults and all manner of other mistakes mounted - or put anotherway, as she looked less and less like a woman who is ranked No. 1.

There's been some debate this season about whether Safinadeserves that standing, one spot ahead of Serena Williams. TheRussian did not bolster her case Tuesday.

Nearly undone by her own poor play, Safina was a point away froma 4-0 deficit in the third set before coming back to beat 167th-ranked Olivia Rogowska of Australia 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4.

Safina, younger sister of 2000 U.S. Open champion Marat Safin, isused to faring well in the early stages of Grand Slam tournaments.Usually, it's later on that problems arise: She is 0-3 in majorfinals, all lopsided losses.

Women Get More Active, But in Different Ways

American women have moved off the sidelines and are now just aslikely as men to work out. But there are still significantdifferences in how each gender approaches exercise.

Men are more likely to exercise vigorously and pick sportsthat involve competition and physical contact, recent studiesindicate. Women typically choose moderate-intensity,fitness-oriented activity that involves cooperation and boostshealth. And women still face more barriers to exercise than men,particularly in carving out time to work out.

"Men are more likely to efface the body and women to embracethe body," says sociologist Don Sabo, project coordinator for theWomen's Sports Foundation's recent report, "Sports and Fitness in theLives of Working Women."

"The military model of male sports is hyper-competitive, withmen urged to sacrifice their body for the team. Women's athleticsare typically more cooperative, with health and fitness at the center, not necessarilywinning."

One reason for this difference is that men historically havebeen encouraged to play team sports, where they are often taught - asSabo says he was in football - "to push myself until I puked and beatup anyone who got in my way."

Women under 30 are more likely than older women to have takenpart in organized athletics, Sabo notes, since they were in schoolafter the enactment of Title IX in 1972, which mandated equalopportunity in sports participation. But even though today 37percent of high school athletes and 34 percent of inter-collegiateathletes are female, women still tend to gravitate more towardfitness activities than athletics.

"The guy stuff still exists," says Thomas B. Doyle, directorof information and research at the National Sporting GoodsAssociation. In 11 of the more than 50 sports surveyed by NSGA, 75percent or more of the participants were male. These includehunting, football, baseball, ice hockey, target shooting,skateboarding and martial arts.

"With the exception of golf," Doyle says, "the male-dominatedsports involve a fairly high degree of physical contact orabove-average risk of injury."

Women constitute a majority in 11 activities, primarily solosports or fitness-oriented pursuits. These include aerobicexercising, exercise walking, ice skating, croquet, horseback riding,calisthenics, badminton, swimming and exercising with equipment.

"Women are also slightly more likely than men to use a fitnessfacility," Doyle says. "Just over 51 percent of those who work outat clubs are women."

Men and women are equally likely to start or drop out of anexercise program, according to research by James Sallis, professor ofpsychology at San Diego State University.

"But women do tend to choose less vigorous activity," Sallissays. "Even in preschool, boys are typically more active at a higherintensity than girls." Complex factors play into thesedifferences say experts who cite socialization, biological tendenciesand discriminatory barriers. Also, married working women, who domost of the housework and childcare, have less time for exercise,particularly team sports that have rigid schedules, revealed theWomen's Sports Foundation's report. "It is usually easier to findtime for a walk, jog or Nautilus session than it is to organize ateam athletic event," the report notes.

Women are more likely than men to miss a planned exercisesession, even though they do manage to work out about the same numberof days per week as their male counterparts, revealed a study byPatricia Dubbert, chief psychologist at the Veteran's AdministrationHospital in Jackson, Miss. "The pattern suggests that women must tryharder and do more planning to complete the exercise they do,"Dubbert says.

But despite their differences, both sexes rely on exercise tocreate emotional, physical and social balance in their lives.

"Men have always found refuge in the locker room," sayssociologist Sabo. "Now women are discovering this same kind ofsanctuary in sports and fitness."

Darcis wins 2nd career ATP title, beats Soderling in straight sets

Steve Darcis sank to his knees, pumped his left fist and let out a yell. What better way for the Belgian to express his disbelief and joy at winning his second ATP title in two finals.

He beat Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Sunday in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and was left almost speechless.

"At the moment, I don't know. I think I don't realize what I did today, so maybe if you ask me the same question tomorrow I could answer better," Darcis said when asked how this victory compared to winning in the Netherlands last year as a qualifier.

"It's just amazing the way I feel right now. It's really tough for me to explain."

Not bad for a guy whose goal for this year had been to crack the world's top 50 rankings. Mission already accomplished with the victory moving him from 81st to a career-best No. 45 with most of the 2008 schedule still to play.

Soderling, seeded eighth and playing in his second straight ATP final, was going for his third career title. He upset top-seeded Andy Roddick to reach the semifinals and fell instead to 2-5 for his career in finals _ all indoors. Soderling credited Darcis, in their first-ever match, with serving better than he expected.

"It was tough, just a bit of a shame that I played my worst match in the final two weeks in a row," said Soderling, who lost at Rotterdam last week.

"I think I played some really good tennis this week. I didn't play bad today either. I played a lot better in my other matches. Maybe he made me play bad as well. ... He played really well."

Darcis survived 17 unforced errors and became the first player to break Soderling's serve this week. The Belgian earned $163,750 (euro107,965), the biggest check of his career.

"For my part, I tried to serve today very good and tried to put a lot of rhythm in," Darcis said. "But he was serving pretty good in the second. In the tiebreaker, I tried not to miss. ... It was going the right way today."

Soderling, ranked No. 23 a little more than a year ago, will rise from No. 42 to No. 39 as he continues his return from left wrist injury that kept him out between August and January.

He was trying to end Sweden's ATP title drought, which dates to Jonas Bjorkman's win in Vietnam in October 2005. By comparison, Belgians have won five titles over the past two years with Olivier Rochus winning Munich in 2006 and Xavier Malisse grabbing titles in Chennai and Delray Beach in 2007 to go with Darcis' own two victories.

That is why Darcis now must consult with his coach Reginald Williams about where to go from now. He was playing Futures matches only a year ago after being hampered by knee, ankle and wrist injuries that kept him out four months in 2006. His top goal for 2008 had been being ranked inside the Top 50.

"Now it's done," he said.

Coming into Memphis, Darcis had been struggling. He had won only one of five matches on the main ATP tour, having reached the second round in Sydney before losing in the first round in Adelaide, the Australian Open and San Jose. His other victories came in Davis Cup play against the Czech Republic and in a Challenger event in Poland.

But Darcis beat Vincent Spadea, seventh-seeded Jurgen Melzer, Benjamin Becker and Bjorkman to reach his second career final and first indoors. He improved to 7-5 by upsetting the No. 8 seed for the title.

Darcis broke Soderling in the fourth game and served out to win the first set in 27 minutes.

The second set went to the tiebreak, where Soderling led 4-2 when Darcis netted a forehand and tossed his racket to the ground. He recovered with an ace and watched Soderling go up 5-3 with a service winner. But Soderling hit a forehand wide and sent a forehand long for Darcis to tie it 5-5.

"I couldn't afford that because he wouldn't give me anything," Soderling said. "I had to do every point, so it was tough."

Darcis went up 6-5 in the tiebreak with a forehand pass after a long rally. Soderling then ended the match with a long forehand as Darcis dropped to his knees and started celebrating.

"It was like I could say, `Ooof.' I don't know how to explain. It was a great moment," Darcis said.

Mexico: Bodies From 1968 Maybe Found

MEXICO CITY - The bodies of several student protesters gunned down by police in a massacre four decades ago may be buried under a Mexico City hospital, according to an architect who helped renovate the building.

Rosa Maria Alvarado Martinez said that police had threatened her not to come forward in 1981 after human remains and a bullet were found at General Hospital 27, which she was helping renovate.

"They told me that if I didn't keep quiet I would never again see my son, who was 3 years old at the time," Alvarado told a news conference on Monday.

Alvarado said she has filed a legal complaint asking federal prosecutors to investigate the remains, which she said were reburied in the foundation.

The hospital is adjacent to the capital's Tlatelolco Plaza, where in 1968 police opened fired on a huge student demonstration. Decades-old official reports say 25 people were killed, but human rights activists say there were as many as 350 victims.

Charges in the massacre have been brought against several former officials including ex-President Luis Echeverria, who was interior secretary at the time. He is currently under house arrest.

Expansion Earthquakes win reunion game 2-1 over former San Jose stars who moved to Houston

Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero scored second-half goals, and the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Houston Dynamo 2-1 Thursday in a match between the current and former editions of Major League Soccer's Bay Area franchise.

Brian Ching scored in the 88th minute of an unusual homecoming night for the Dynamo, which is largely comprised of erstwhile Earthquakes.

Houston's core was first assembled in San Jose, where the Quakes won two league titles before moving to Texas in 2006. The Dynamo have since won back-to-back MLS Cups under coach Dominic Kinnear, a Bay Area native who moved along with the club, while a new ownership group secured an expansion team that kept the Quakes' history and colors.

San Jose, which had an MLS-low four goals and five shutout losses entering the game, earned its first home victory of the season with a surprising second-half effort in front of a delighted near-sellout crowd at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Woman Marries Death-Row Pen Pal

RALEIGH, N.C. - It began with an inmate pen-pal program. It blossomed into poetry. It led to a marriage.

James Lewis Morgan and the former Tracy Cope are husband and wife. She, formerly of Nottinghamshire, England. He, of death row at Central Prison in Raleigh.

Tracy Morgan began her courtship of convicted killer James Morgan 4 1/2 years ago, visiting him in prison from England five times before she moved to Raleigh with her 15-year-old son.

Her poetry touched Morgan, she said.

"It was called, 'Where Is My Beloved?'" she told WRAL-TV in Raleigh. "When he wrote back, he was so touched by it, and he said, 'Nobody's ever called me beloved before.'"

James Morgan, 52, was convicted of the November 1997 stabbing death of 34-year-old Patrina Lynette King of Asheville. His new wife says they talked about the crime and it was no longer a concern to her "once I found out all the details."

The state Department of Correction said Morgan is one of two people to get married at Central Prison in the past five years. He's the only one on death row.

Prison officials allowed the couple to hold hands, hug and kiss during the wedding ceremony. But their visits will last about 1 1/2 hours a week with a glass partition.

Congressional panel to examine big Calif. wildfire

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — A congressional panel on Tuesday will look into the U.S. Forest Service's initial response to last year's gigantic Southern California wildfire that killed two firefighters and destroyed 89 homes.

Lawmakers will try to determine whether the so-called Station Fire could have been contained before it grew into a 250-square-mile inferno.

The fire has raised questions about the Forest Service's decades-old policy against nighttime helicopter water drops and whether budget concerns constrained use of resources.

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat who represents communities in the fire area, said last month that he organized the panel of Congress members to hear from representatives of the Forest Service and other agencies, outside experts and critics to shed light on how firefighting procedures were used and how they may be revised.

Invited speakers included the supervisor of the Angeles National Forest, the director of the Forest Service's fire and aviation management, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials, retired Forest Service employees — including a former Angeles forest fire chief — and representatives of burned-out homeowners and a firefighters union.

The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that a review conducted for the Agriculture Department, which runs the Forest Service, found that arrival of critical resources to the Station Fire was delayed by a decision to initially only use federal personnel.

The review cited a Forest Service letter sent to forest supervisors in early August 2009 urging them to hold down costs and, when appropriate, use Forest Service resources rather than ordering them from contractors or state and local agencies. Forest Service officials have insisted cost concerns did not impede the response.

The Station Fire was ignited by arson at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2009, near a ranger station along a highway in the 1,000-square-mile forest, which sprawls across the San Gabriel Mountains north and east of Los Angeles.

The blaze remained small overnight as it burned on a rugged slope above suburbs that crowd the foothills of the mountain range. Fire commanders called for an aerial assault to begin at 7 a.m. the next day but aircraft did not actually arrive until about two hours later and by then the fire had begun to rage out of control.

The wildfire burned furiously for a month, killing two county firefighters when it overran an inmate firefighting camp.

At more than 160,000 acres, it became the largest wildfire ever in Los Angeles County and the 10th largest in California history.

Losses were considerably lower than the state's 20 worst wildfires — topped by a 1,600-acre Alameda County blaze that destroyed 2,900 structures and caused 25 deaths in 1991 — but the Station Fire threatened thousands of homes for days and forced extensive evacuations.

The denuded watershed also put communities at risk of devastating debris flows from storm runoff, forcing repeated evacuations last winter. In February, more than 40 foothill homes were damaged by a surge of water laden with mud, boulders and debris. Experts say the risk will remain for years.

For Investment Opportunities, Look Abroad

The long winter for international-fund investing appears to bedrawing to a close, and bulls are starting to come out ofhibernation.

Foreign stock markets are warming up and the dollar hasstabilized in value - two factors that helped international funds toan average gain of about 8.8 percent during the first quarter of1993.

Encouraged by this apparent thaw, several investment pros whohad been neutral or negative have boosted their overseas exposure inrecent weeks.

"International funds are in an uptrend," says Tom Lydon, avice president at Fabians' Telephone Switch Newsletter of HuntingtonBeach, Calif. "We believe now's a great time to get in."

Based on positive price movements in recent weeks, theadvisory service on March 19 told its 43,000 subscribers to move intoselected international funds - the first buy signal for the groupsince July, 1992.

"This area is way overdue for some gains," says Lydon, notingthat two of the past three calendar years have been downers for theforeign funds.

Jack Bowers, editor of the Fidelity Monitor newsletter inRocklin, Calif., has in the past three weeks flashed a buy signal forFidelity's Diversified International Fund and the Fidelity CanadaFund, his first purchase recommendations for any foreign portfoliossince late last year.

"I'm starting to warm up to international funds," says Bowers,who generally prefers to stick with U.S. equity investments.

At current levels, stock prices in this country will likelyappreciate at a slower-than-normal rate, he says, adding thatinterest rates have more room to drop in various other countries.

Germany, in fact, trimmed its key discount rate half a pointto 7.5 percent on March 18 in response to sluggish economic activityin Europe.

That move affirms the trend to lower European interest rates,says George Murnaghan, a vice president at T. Rowe Price Associatesin Baltimore.

Certain mutual funds have boosted their holdings of foreignstocks of late. The GAM International Fund, for instance, now has 68percent of its assets in foreign-equity holdings, up from 46 percentat yearend.

GAM International has relatively large investments in emergingAsian markets, notably Hong Kong, which accounts for 22 percent ofthe portfolio's holdings. The fund also is high on Singapore andMalaysia, but has only a 4 percent stake in Japan, which until lastquarter was a major disappointment in terms of stock marketperformance.

Then there are firms like T. Rowe Price, which was bullishabout the international outlook prior to this year and is even moreoptimistic now. "The U.S. is one of the few markets in the worldclose to its all-time high," says a recent T. Rowe Price report oninternational investing. Foreign stocks, the report predicts, willsoon start to pull ahead of U.S. equities - something that hasn'thappened on a yearly basis since 1988.

The emerging economies of the Asia/Pacific region are stillgrowing at an impressive 6 to 7 percent annual clip, Murnaghan says,and several Latin American countries are making progress.

And while the European economies are still flat, those marketsoffer more bargains than the United States, he adds. T. Rowe Pricesees a significant decline in European interest rates this year,"which should unlock those stock-market values for the patientinvestor."

It's likely more professionals would favor foreign investingif it weren't for the currency risk. A rising dollar tends toundercut the values of international and global funds, although aslumping greenback produces the opposite result.

Given that the United States has emerged from recessionearlier than many leading foreign economies, C. Beth Cotner, aportfolio manager for Kemper Financial Services in Chicago, figuresthe greenback will remain strong at least into the third quarter of1993.

"The times you make the most money in foreign markets is whenthe dollar's falling, not rising," Cotner says. In her view, foreignstocks appear somewhat more attractive than they did several monthsago, but she hasn't materially boosted her international holdings dueto the strong-dollar threat.

Because of currency movements, which are difficult to predict,Bowers suggests that investors view international funds as aggressiveplays that shouldn't total more than 25 percent of a person'sportfolio.

T. Rowe Price, however, minimizes the dollar impact out of abelief that currency movements don't exert more than a secondaryinfluence over time. Besides, says Murnaghan, the dollar's long-termtrend likely will be downward, given our budget and trade deficits.

Women's World Cup Slalom Results

Results Sunday from a women's World Cup slalom race on the Ofterschwang course (run times in parentheses):

1. Marlies Schild, Austria, 1 minute, 40.85 seconds (48.39-52.46).

2. Therese Borssen, Sweden, 1:41.27 (49.51-51.76).

3. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 1:41.36 (49.71-51.65).

4. Veronika Zuzulova, Slovakia, 1:41.39 (49.25-52.14).

5. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 1:41.45 (49.34-52.11).

6. Chiara Costazza, Italy, 1:41.50 (49.82-51.68).

7. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic, 1:41.54 (49.51-52.03).

8. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:41.88 (49.73-52.15).

9. Sandra Gini, Switzerland, 1:41.99 (49.82-52.17).

(tie) Monika Bergmann, Germany, 1:41.99 (50.29-51.70).

11. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 1:42.88 (50.66-52.22).

12. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 1:42.90 (50.26-52.64).

13. Nina Loeseth, Norway, 1:42.95 (50.69-52.26).

14. Claire Dautherives, France, 1:43.02 (50.73-52.29).

15. Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany, 1:43.18 (51.01-52.17).

16. Sandrine Aubert, France, 1:43.22 (51.57-51.65).

17. Marina Nigg, Liechtenstein, 1:43.32 (51.56-51.76).

18. Fanny Chmelar, Germany, 1:43.72 (51.51-52.21).

19. Frida Hansdotter, Sweden, 1:44.08 (50.50-53.58)

20. Anne Maria Mueller, Norway, 1:44.12 (51.88-52.24).

21. Carolin Fernsebner, Germany, 1:44.24 (51.42-52.82).

22. Nika Fleiss, Croatia, 1:44.38 (51.82-52.56).

23. Marusa Ferk, Slovenia, 1:44.39 (51.45-52.94).

24. Anna Goodman, Canada, 1:44.41 (51.68-52.73).

25. Eva Kurfuerstova, Czech Republic, 1:44.90 (51.90-53.00).

26. Nicole Gius, Italy, 1:49.21 (50.57-58.64)

27. Ana Jelusic, Croatia, 1:56.59 (49.55-1:07.04).

Did Not Finish Second Run

Susanne Riesch, Germany; Manuela Moelgg, Italy;

Disqualified For Second Run

Florine De Leymarie, France

___

Slalom World Cup Standings

(After 7 races)

1. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 465 points.

2. Marlies Schild, Austria, 460.

3. Veronika Zuzulova, Slovakia, 361.

4. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 352.

5. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic, 292.

6. Therese Borssen, Sweden, 274.

7. Chiara Costazza, Italy, 265.

8. Maria Riesch, Germany, 249.

9. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 142.

10. Ana Jelusic, Croatia, 135.

Overall World Cup Standings

(After 23 races)

1. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 899 points.

2. Lindsey Vonn, United States, 773.

3. Marlies Schild, Austria, 751.

4. Maria Riesch, Germany, 745.

5. Julia Mancuso, United States, 703.

6. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 651.

7. Denise Karbon, Italy, 619.

8. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 616.

9. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 604.

10. Renate Goetschl, Austria, 411.

11. Britt Janyk, Cannada, 406.

12. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 388.

13. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic, 387.

14. Ingrid Jacquemod, France, 377.

15. Veronika Zuzulova, Slovakia, 371.

BMW sells Formula 1 team to Peter Sauber

German car maker BMW has agreed to sell its Formula One team to previous owner Peter Sauber, provided the team gets a place on the grid next season.

BMW announced in July that it would pull out of Formula One at the end of the season, citing the global economic downturn. The company said Friday that a previous agreement to sell the team to Qadbak Investments has been annulled.

"I'm the sole investor right now," Sauber told reporters at the team's base in Hinwil, Switzerland.

The 66-year-old owner said he planned to lead the team for just one season then find a successor.

Sauber said he was "very confident" that the FIA governing body would find a place on the grid for the team, which would use Ferrari engines.

The number of team employees will be cut from 388 to about 250, BMW said.

"That is not an enjoyable solution, but the best one available," Mario Theissen, BMW motor sports director, said.

BMW acquired a majority stake in Sauber in 2005.

"Our relationship with Peter Sauber has always been excellent and marked by absolute respect. We would like to express our thanks to Peter Sauber and the whole team for the excellent cooperation during the recent four years," BMW's development chief Klaus Draeger said.

BMW finished sixth in the constructors' championship last season. Its drivers were Nick Heidfeld of Germany and Robert Kubica of Poland.

Kubica has gone to Renault, while Heidfeld is without a team.

Bungled edit or change in policy?

Changes on White House Web site irk LGBTs

It's a little like President Obama's controversy last month over whether he bowed to a Saudi king or just "bent over" unusually far to shake this hand. But the latest controversy involves whether the White House intentionally removed progay language from its Web site in order to re-couch the president's intentions on gays in the military.

The Obama White House included the president's commitment to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell when it first booted up its own version of whitehouse.gov after the inauguration. Many gay activists were pleasantly surprised at that time, in January, to see such a prominent inclusion of LGBT issues.

But blogger Joe Jervis of JoeMyGod. com discovered last week that the LGBT information had been pared back significantly and spread the word. Soon thereafter, the Web site put back some of the information it had cut. But, more troubling, noticed blogger John Aravosis at AmericaBlog. com the language on the DADT policy had gone from stating President Obama's commitment to "repealing" the policy to saying the President "supports changing Don't Ask, Don't Tell in a sensible way that strengthens our armed forces and our national security."

For a president who clearly chooses his words very carefully, the edit job prompted red flags in many quarters.

Aravosis said many people he talked to saw that as a "backward step" on the president's promise. Kevin Nix, communications director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said that group was "confused" about the change.

"Words matter," wrote Nix on the group's blog, "and these two words ('repealing' and 'changing') on this particular subject have dramatically different implications for gay and lesbian servicemembers."

Nix said SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis contacted the White House about the change but got the "standard e-mailed response about the site being revamped."

"If the White House is still in favor of 'repealing' Don't Ask Don't Tell, albeit in a 'sensible way' - and we're happy to take them at their word - then say just that," said Aravois. "Change 'change' to 'repeal' and be done with it."

White House spokesman Shin Inouye told this reporter that the administration was simply updating its Web site and that the president is still committed to repealing the policy. And, as of May 4, the Web site was back to saying "repeal," instead of change.

To be exact, it says the president "supports repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell in a sensible way."

"Like any Web site, there's periodic changes," said Inouye. The White House "did overhaul" its Web site - every page, not just the page on Civil Rights, he said.

"But the president hasn't changed his position at all" on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, said Inouye, "and any suggestions otherwise are just wrong."

[Sidebar]

For a president who clearly chooses his words very carefully, the edit job prompted red flags in many quarters.

Police and courts

Charleston boy killed in car wreck in Ky.

A 4-year-old Charleston boy was killed in a car crash on icyInterstate 64 in Kentucky.

Kentucky State Police say Dominick Michael Uslin was pronounceddead at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland soon after thecrash.

Dominick and his 1-year-old sister, Isabella Uslin, weretraveling west on Interstate 64 in Carter County, Ky., with theirmother, Emily Westerman, and their stepfather, Paul Westerman,Friday morning, police said.

Emily Westerman, 32, was driving the Ford F-150 truck when shelost control of the vehicle on the slick roads, according to a newsrelease from the Kentucky State Police. Just after 8:30 …

July Murder Toll Increases to 97

The murder toll for the deadliest July in Chicago history wasincreased Monday to 97.

Although July was the worst month so far this year, the yearlymurder total through Monday morning was 75 behind the same periodlast year.

The old record for July was set in 1973, when 93 murders werereported.

The 97th July victim was Melvin Clay, 32, of the 900 block ofNorth Willard Court. He was shot in the chest Saturday night as hesat in his van at a traffic light in the 100 block of North Kedzie.A passenger was wounded.

The 96th victim was Terron Jackson, 23, of the 5000 block ofSouth Michigan. He was driving his car in the 600 block of East 37thStreet Saturday when a group of men forced their way into his car.He was shot in the head during the struggle.

Police had no suspects in custody Monday in either shooting.

The carnage for July makes it one of the seven deadliest monthsin Chicago history. The worst month was August, 1991, with 121homicides.

2012? We are all doomed

While we partially insulated residents of Bath tinker at theedges of our discontent, is there not a much larger rumbling goingon around us? The year 2012, according to past soothsayers, hasenormous consequences for the human race worldwide.

Should we be concerning ourselves as to whether Pulteney Bridgebe free of traffic or not, as another revolution springs up in yetanother Middle Eastern dictatorship? Is there really any point,debating the importance or otherwise of a contentious bus route fromNewbridge as Al Qaeda and the Taliban seem as elusive as ever? Do weneed to concern ourselves watching bland blocks of Eastern Europeanstyle dwellings go up on our beautiful riverside, as Israel, withthe blessing of the United States, ignores the dictat of the UnitedNations and constructs thousands of houses on others land.

Is it that important in our daily lives, that Bath is to have yetmore Sainsbury's superstores, a much larger Waitrose, and a hugeTesco, knowing there are vast swathes of humanity unable to get justa loaf of bread? Why the trepidation at the loss of thousands of MODjobs, and the closure of a factory in Keynsham, knowing that some 70per cent of the populations of North Africa and Middle Easterncountries are unemployed or below the poverty line? Does it worry usin our little Georgian enclave which political party wins control inMay, as an anti-Islamist movement is quickly swelling in Austria andGermany? If, as predicted by some, May or December of next year seesthe world as we know it come to an end, with Islam, Judaism andChristianity at each others throats, forcing the demise of theUnited States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Great Britain andmost of Western Europe, followed by mans final war, I can't see thepoint in spending millions just to get me from Newbridge to the citycentre two minutes quicker.

DAVE LAMING Larkhall, Bath

Let's do brunch Choices aplenty for Easter Sunday

Hop to it; time is running out. The only brunch of the year thatis more popular than Easter is Mother's Day, so just in case yourwell of ideas about where to go has dried up, here are a fewsuggestions.

All the caveats are in place. Call for reservations; verify thehours and prices. Tax and gratuity are not included in the pricesunless otherwise noted. I bring this up because all I know is whatthe restaurants tell me, and specifics can always change at the lastminute.

Wyndham Hotel Northwest Chicago, 400 Park, Itasca (630-773-4000, ext. 1482). The word that comes to mind when I think about the brunchat the Wyndham is "heroic." This brunch is a behemoth that …

Watershed management.(NICARAGUA)

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. A $4.04 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank is for Integral Management of the Apanas and Asturias Watershed (NI-X1005). The operation seeks to promote the sustainable management of the land, forest and biodiversity of the Apanas and Asturias watershed. …

TEAM PITCHES EMPIRE STATE.(BUSINESS)

Byline: JAY GALLAGHER Gannett News Service

CHICAGO -- Team New York, a group of about 15 state and local economic development officials from the Empire State, was ready for the big game.

The team was set to try to impress on some of the more than 3,000 corporate real estate executives and consultants who had gathered at a convention in Chicago the advantages of doing business in New York.

They had rented a cavernous ballroom with a wall of windows overlooking the Chicago River in the convention's headquarters hotel. They had a jazz band playing softly in the background. They had tables groaning under the weight of a sumptuous breakfast buffet.

But early on a Sunday morning in May, they had the room mostly to themselves.

``This doesn't look good,'' said Jeffrey Janiszewski, the team leader and an official from the state agency that promotes economic growth, Empire State Development Corp.

But two hours later, his mood had brightened considerably. About 340 people, apparently most of them late risers, were in the room, many talking to team members, who stood out in their gray-and-blue ``Team New York'' golf shirts.

``A lot of states do events at night, but a breakfast is more businesslike,'' he said. ``The music isn't loud. We're insistent on an event where networking is possible.''

Networking was the main activity at the convention, run by a …

Cross-border banking faulted for laxness. (international correspondent banking procedures)

A U.S. government seizure of $7.6 million from a Marine Midland Banks Inc. account has observers questioning whether international correspondent banking procedures are adequate to comply with federal rules designed to thwart money laundering.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York seized the money last month from a HongkongBank Panama correspondent account held at a Marine Midland branch in New York. Both banks are units of HSBC Holdings PLC, based in Hong Kong.

The U.S. attorney's office for the district said much of the money was proceeds of drug sales by Columbian cartels.

Bank Countersuing

Marine Midland has filed a countersuit …

CFL team looking into Pryor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Saskatchewan Roughriders have acquired the negotiating rights to Terrelle Pryor and have spoken to Pryor's lawyer about bringing the former Ohio State quarterback to the Canadian Football League.

Pryor's attorney, Larry James, said Wednesday that the CFL is a genuine possibility for the ex-Buckeye.

"Yeah, it's like I told (the Roughriders). My house is not for sale, but at the right price, it's on the market," James said.

James was in a meeting and had yet to speak with Pryor about the Roughriders, however. James said he did not believe Pryor had ever mentioned the CFL as a strong possibility in their conversations.

Pryor, a three-year …

Police blotter

Police working

to identify victim

PARKERSBURG - Wood County authorities have been working toidentify a woman who died after she was struck twice by motorists. The woman was crossing W.Va. 95 outside of Parkersburg at about11:50 p.m. Sunday when she was hit by a car driven by a 16-year-oldboy, Wood County Sheriff's Deputy Brett Pickens said Monday.

The victim hit the windshield and was knocked to the road whereshe was run over by a second car driven by a 17-year-old boy,Pickens said.

Neither driver saw the woman because of her dark clothing.

The woman, who is believed to be between 40 and 45 years old, waswearing black shorts and a dark shirt. She …

Australia to import apples from China.(AUSTRALIA IN ASIA)

CANBERRA -- Australia's apple growers are angry that authorities have allowed Chinese imports while an inquiry into the risks is still under way, and amid fears a Chinese fruit fly could be mutating.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) announced in June that Chinese apples can come to Australia under strict conditions. Seven apple growing provinces in northern China …

Corruption accused Shinawatra bids for Man City.(News)

Deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra has made a bid to buy Manchester City football club for A[pounds sterling]81.6 million but will not return to Thailand to face corruption charges, says his lawyer.

The Lebanese army's insistence on the surrender of Fatah al-Islam leaders holed up at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp is complicating efforts to end the fighting, says a Palestinian source.

Greece's Orthodox Church leader, Archbishop Christodoulos, 68, has been diagnosed with cancer of the intestine and liver.

A Nato soldier died yesterday after a vehicle struck a landmine in …

DEMOCRATIC FAITHFUL DESERVE SOME RECOGNITION.(MAIN)

Byline: ALBERT PAOLUCCI Democratic committeeman ALBANY

As I read the newspapers each day, I am inclined to believe that the Democratic Party in Albany County needs revision.

Of late, our elected officials are personally dictating party policy without respect for the rank and file. …

The UWT BOT 3000, from Universal Walkway Testing, is a state-of-the-art floor tester designed to provide readings relating to static and dynamic coefficient of friction on both wet and dry surfaces.(Tools of the Trade)

The UWT BOT 3000, from Universal Walkway Testing, is a state-of-the-art floor tester designed to provide readings relating to static and dynamic coefficient of friction on both wet and dry surfaces. Developed to assist businesses that …

More EU aid for Georgia

The European Union says it has freed up an extra euro5 million (US$7.4 million) in humanitarian aid for Georgia.

The money comes on top of euro1 million (US$1.5 million) released by the EU on Aug. 10.

EU Aid commissioner Louis Michel complained Friday that access remains difficult for aid workers and …

Council eases water bill crackdown

Mayor Daley's proposed crackdown on water bill scofflaws waswatered down by a City Council committee Monday amid aldermanicdemands that homeowners reeling from skyrocketing natural gas billsbe let off the hook.

Instead of imposing penalties as high as $500 a day against peoplewho owe the city more than $1,000 in water bills, the BuildingCommittee established a $10,000 benchmark that only business andcommercial property owners could reach.

Even then, the $500-a-day penalty would not be automatic. Instead,Water Commissioner Rick Rice would evaluate each scofflaw on a case-by-case basis, then suggest a fine to a city hearing officer, whowould make a final judgment. …

A comparison of the effect of different flame retardants on the compressive strength and fire behaviour of rigid polyurethane foams.(Report)

INTRODUCTION

Rigid polyurethane foams are considered the materials of choice for many applications because of their excellent heat insulating and good physical and mechanical properties (1). They have wide range of applications both as insulating and structured materials (2,3) and final application in refrigeration technology, transportation, building and construction, automotive industry, packaging and sporting goods (4,5). The word wide demand for these foams has been estimated to be about 5% of the total world consumption of plastics (6).

However, the rigid polyurethane foams are particularly flammable due to their high surface area and more attention has been paid to improve the flame retardant properties of PU foams through numerous studies (1,7-8).

The main approach reaching such a target is to incorporate flame retardant materials into the foams. Many flame retardant materials and methods of their application have been used to improve fire retardancy of polyurethane foams (9-12). The most widely used flame retardants are halogen (13,14), phosphorous (13,15-16) and nitrogen (17-20) compounds, although use of halogenated additives may be restricted because of corrosive, obscuring and toxic smoke release and environmental protection which is a key factor in all stages (7-8).

Although the effect of different kind of flame retardant on fire behavior of rigid polyurethane foams have been studied and reported individually (12), but comparison between these different kinds of materials on fire retardancy have not been reported.

The aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the influence of different flame retardant materials on fire behavior of rigid polyurethane foams. For this purposes the amount and structure of ammonium poly phosphate, borax, aluminum trihydrate, melamine cyanurate and expanded graphite on some properties of the foams, mainly on their resistance to combustion are studied and reported.

EXPERIMENTAL

Materials

The isocyanate used in this study was a polymeric aromatic isocyanate based on diphenylmethane 4,4'-diisocyanate with NCO%=24.3, from Bayer, Germany.

Polyol with OH No=350mgKOH/g according to ASTMD4274-05was obtained from Bayer, Germany. The polyol was premixed with catalyst, blowing agent and surface active agent before use.

Ammonium poly phosphate (APP), Borax (Bo), melamine cyanurate (M), Aluminium trihydrate (ATH) and expanded graphite (EG) were obtained from local market in Iran.

Foam Preparation

The filler containing polyurethane foam samples was prepared by hand mixing technique by using a mechanical stirrer with variable speed. The chemical compositions of the studied formulation are given in Table 1.

The flame retardants materials were first well …

RPI'S DEPTH TO BE TESTED ON NORTH COUNTRY TRIP.(Sports)

Byline: Pete Dougherty Staff writer

A statement heard around RPI hockey camp in preseason was repeated Tuesday.

"This is the deepest, most talented group of forwards I've coached at RPI," said Mike Addesa, now in his ninth season at the Troy school.

This week, the Engineers (2-0), ranked 10th nationally in the latest radio station KBJR (coaches) poll, will get their first chance to test that depth.

RPI heads to the North Country for Friday and Saturday games without two of its veteran forwards: senior center Maurice Mansi, who has a slightly separated right shoulder, and right wing Jim Kropp, who "resigned" from the team this week. …

RPI KICKING OFF $5.9M CAMPAIGN.(Local)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will begin a $5.9 million fund-raising campaign today

aimed specifically at alumni in the Capital District.

The local campaign is the first of 25 regional campaigns RPI will conduct nationwide in the next four years as part of its five-year New Century Campaign to raise $200 million.

Campaign plans call for the addition of $61.7 million to the college endowment, $48.3 million for facilities and $90 million to strengthen current programs, according to spokesman Matthew Maguire, who said Wednesday that more than $83 million has been raised thus far.

The single largest campaign priority is student scholarships, …