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Iraq's Leader Expects Favorable Report

BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister said Monday he expects the U.S. ambassador and military commander to give his government favorable marks when they report to Congress next week and predicted passage of a law soon that could return more Sunnis to government jobs.

To the south, Basra was reported calm Monday after British soldiers abandoned their last outpost there, leaving the country's second largest city largely in the hands of Iranian-backed Shiite militias.

Also Monday, the U.S. command said an American soldier was killed and three others injured when a roadside bomb blew up next to their patrol on Sunday outside of Baghdad. No further details were released.

…

Chinese pottery may be earliest discovered

Bits of pottery discovered in a cave in southern China may be evidence of the earliest development of ceramics by ancient people.

The find in Yuchanyan Cave dates to as much as 18,000 years ago, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The find "supports the proposal made in the past that pottery making by foragers began in south China," according to the researchers, led by Elisabetta Boaretto of Bar Ilan University in Israel.

The pottery found at Yuchanyan "is the earliest so far," Boaretto said.

Pottery was one of the first human-made materials and tracing its …

A Royal Bore // Movie turns Rich, Titilating Tale Into Common Trash

CHARLES AND DIANA: UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER (STAR) 8 to 10 p.m. Sunday, WLS-Channel 7

Get out your monogramed hankies and weep. Not for the sad stateof Charles and Diana's sham marriage, but for the tragic fact thatABC has turned a delicious scandal into a royal bore.

What with allegations of bulimia, suicide attempts, familybattles and adultery, the raw material for ABC's "Charles and Diana:Unhappily Ever After" couldn't have been rawer. At the very least,executive producers Frank Konigsberg and Larry Sanitsky and directorJohn Power should have generated a trashy, tearful and entertainingexpedition into Buckingham Palace's heart of darkness. Instead, theyhave created …

Man Charged in Ga. officer killing waives hearing

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A man charged with killing a north Georgia police officer and wounding another in a shooting has waived an initial court hearing.

The Athens-Clarke County magistrate court says 33-year-old Jamie Hood waived a hearing Monday morning. The court did not have the name of Hood's …

Beauty contest for nuns in Italy

An Italian priest and theologian said Sunday he is organizing an online beauty pageant for nuns to give them more visibility within the Catholic Church and to fight the stereotype that they are all old and dour.

The "Miss Sister 2008" contest will start in September on a blog run by the Rev. Antonio Rungi and will give nuns from around the world a chance to showcase their work and their image.

"Nuns are a bit excluded, they are a bit marginalized in ecclesiastical life," Rungi told The Associated Press after Italian media carried reports of the idea. "This will be an occasion to make their contribution more visible."

…

Justice Dept. doesn't support SBC long-distance bid in Illinois

SBC Communications, the second- largest U.S. local-telephonecompany, failed to win U.S. Justice Department support for its bidsto enter the $7 billion market for long-distance service in fourstates.

SBC is one of the regional phone companies created by the 1984breakup of AT&T Corp., known as Baby Bells. The companies must proveto regulators they have opened networks to competitors before theycan sell long distance in states where they dominate local calling.

SBC has issued inaccurate bills to carriers who buy wholesalelocal services on its network, the Justice Department said in itsdecision on SBC's application to sell long distance in Illinois,Indiana, Ohio and …

Acquaintance charged in senior's slaying

Acquaintance charged in senior's slaying

A 37-year-old man identified by Chicago police as Donald Wilson has been charged with the murder of Lilly Hall, an 81-year-old woman whose family reported her missing last week.

Wilson, who has an extensive police record, is the boyfriend of the slain woman's daughter. He allegedly stole her wallet and car to collect on a debt. The victim was found slain in a vacant garage early Sunday.

Hall, who resided in the 7400 block of South Stewart, was found in a commercial garage located in the 1100 block of East 76th Street, near an Scurve just west of South Chicago Avenue.

The Medical Examiner's Office has determined that …

Tweet: Utah govt. gives live updates

In Utah government, blogging is becoming so 2007.

The new cool for state agencies and politicians is quickly becoming Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows people to post 140 character updates from the Internet and cell phones that can be read online or via text message.

Information about public hearings, upcoming events and even how long lines are at the Capitol is increasingly being spread through Twitter to a small but growing audience.

"Maybe this is a sign of the times, but blogging got to be too tedious," said Ric Cantrell, chief deputy of the Utah Senate, who blogs and uses Twitter on behalf of the …

Man had over half a million 'sick' pictures ; Indecent images included a two-year-old

A MAN who admitted having more than half a million indecentimages and films of children has escaped jail.

Brentwood man Sanjiv Dale had already admitted to 12 counts ofmaking or distributing the massive hoard of images and videos priorto his sentencing at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday.

Taking into account his early guilty plea, Judge Alan Saggersonordered Dale to be closely monitored under a three-year communityorder, and instructed him to attend a three-year sex offendermanagement course.

Content The 38-year-old was arrested when special police unitsdiscovered the sick content on several computer hard drives afterthey raided his home in Gresham …

Bush Vietnam Trip Revives Iraq 'Quagmire'

WASHINGTON - President Bush's recent acknowledgment that the war in Iraq was comparable to the Viet Cong's psychologically devastating Tet Offensive in 1968 was hardly the first time a parallel has been drawn between the Iraq and Vietnam conflicts.

Questions about a "quagmire" have haunted the president's Iraq policy since before a single bomb fell on Baghdad.

But this week, amid an intensifying discussion at home about the future of the war, Bush gives the comparison debate another kick by walking among Vietnam War relics on a four-day visit to the communist nation created after American troops departed 33 years ago.

The president left the White House on Tuesday …

Landon Donovan can't wait to play Mexico

Looking ahead to the Americans' World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, Landon Donovan said the series with Mexico has changed dramatically from when he first played against El Tri.

The two sides have met 54 times since 1934, with Mexico winning 29 and the U.S. 14. But since 1999 the U.S. has won nine of 13 matchups _ including the two previous World Cup qualifiers at Crew Stadium, by 2-0 counts in 2001 and 2005.

Mexico hasn't beaten the United States on U.S. soil since 1999.

"I would guess that the tone of it has changed, for sure, since we first played them a long time ago," Donovan said on Tuesday. "That's good. But it doesn't give us …

Error helps Valley gets win against Midland Trail

Robbie Belmont reached base on a throwing error in the bottom ofthe 10th and Dillon Ganoe drove him home with a single to giveValley a 12-11 win over visiting Midland Trail Monday in high schoolbaseball action.

The Greyhounds (5-3) played long ball all day with Belmont,Ganoe, and Tyler Sears hitting home runs. Marshall Woods had thePatriots' lone round-tripper.

Roane County 8, Ravenswood 3 - The Raiders (5-0) used a five-runoutburst in the second inning to remain undefeated.

Josh Jones improved to 2-0 on the mound and drove in two runswith a single and home run to lead the way.

Jonas Jelic belted a home run for the Red Devils (3-5).

Poca 10, …

techn@logy baylor business

New graduates who majored in Information Systems rake in one of the top starting salaries for undergraduate degrees, according to the Summer 2006 National Association of Colleges and Employers Salary Survey. A graduate with an information systems degree starts at an average annual salary of $45,724.

Students looking for an exciting career in information systems technology need to look no further than the Information Systems department at the Hankamer School of Business.

With a challenging and cutting edge curriculum maintained by world-class faculty and an advisory board comprised of information systems executives, Baylor business students can expect to learn the latest technical skills, as well as fundamental project management, communication, programming and quantitative skills needed to join the emerging technology workforce.

Information Systems gives students hands-on experience with systems that help organizations and people communicate, systems that automate business processes and collect information, and systems that enhance organizational decision making. State-of-the-art courses include work in object oriented programming, modern programming languages, advanced systems development methodologies, telecommunications and the Internet, electronic business concepts and database technologies.

The Information Systems Department at Baylor encompasses information systems, quantitative business analysis and business communication. Degrees are offered at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Undergraduate IS majors have two tracks to choose from: Management Information Systems and Accounting Information Systems

The Management Information Systems track builds technical skills with a theoretical, hands-on, and project-based curriculum. Students pursuing the MIS track master the latest technologies and understand system development basics. Students will be assets in the current business environment and will have skills that will enable them to master the latest technical trends.

Accounting Information Systems track graduates will be able to help bridge the gap existing in organizations between the IT function and the accounting function. Technology provides the infrastructure to collect, analyze, compile, and disseminate accounting information. The emergence of new technologies, real-time data, and the creation of international electronic standards for transmitting financial information electronically (i.e. XBRL) requires a new type of professional that can integrate accounting and information systems functions. With Sarbanes-Oxley's strict reporting requirements this professional skill mix is in demand and growing. It will experience increased growth as federal legislation such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposes strict requirements on accounting and financial data.

At the graduate level, students may choose from two tracks of study to complete the Master's of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) degree. The Management Information Systems track offers students the more traditional MIS degree while the newly created Information Security track focuses on training students to become leaders in the information security field.

Information Systems students are placed in internships and in challenging professional positions with top companies such as Accenture, Microsoft, Ernst, Protiviti, JPMorgan Chase, USAA, Exxon Mobile, Applied Materials and SunGard Consulting.

Our graduates competently perform in careers such as: Web designer, telecommunications specialist, database coordinator, software engineer, project manager, systems analyst, information technology auditor, financial information systems consultant, internal auditor, systems security specialist, chief information officer, Corporate e-learning consultants, e-learning trainers and human resource project management consultants.

For more information about all majors that the marketing department has to offer, please visit: www.baylor.edu/business

CASEY COMPUTER CENTER

You've come a long way, baby!

Hankamer's Casey Computer Center was created in 1962 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Casey, who funded the purchase of one of the first (if not the first) computers on the Baylor campus - an IBM 1620, a central processor with 30k of memory - and an IBM 407 accounting machine. In those days of 'the keypunch and mag cards,' the fledging center resided in the basement of the Hankamer Building. In 1974, the IBM 1620 was replaced by the IBM System 3, which allowed students to program not in FORTRAN, but also in COBOL.

Since that time the center has provided excellent service and state-of-the-art equipment for students, faculty and staff of the business school. The center currently includes two microcomputer labs equipped with desktop PCs: The Advanced Technology Lab and the Business Writing Lab.

The Advanced Technology Lab includes 100 computers, one third of which are replaced every summer to ensure students have access to the computing resources they need. Additionally, two multimedia stations with scanners, two VCRs, video capture capability and special software are available for project work. Every computer has full Internet access along with the capability to print to either of two high speed monochrome laser printers and a color laser printer. The Business Writing Lab houses 28 computers.

To enhance the classroom experience for both students and faculty, the center has equipped every classroom in the School of Business with multimedia computers and projection equipment. By using similar computers in each classroom, the center has attempted to eliminate potential obstacles for students developing individual and group presentations in the lab and then displaying them in the classroom. A special, state-of-the-art, multimedia classroom also includes two built-in projection systems (one capable of producing a 12-foot diagonal picture), color video overhead projection system, Super VHS video cassette recorder, five-disc compact disc player, laser disc player and audio cassette player. This hardware is under the control and coordination of a Crestron unit. The room is also wired to receive video transmissions from the satellite dish on the roof of the Academic Center, local cable TV services, and the Baylor University satellite dish array. All areas of the Business School provide access to AirBear, the University wireless network which allows students to use laptops and access the Internet, network data, collaborative software, etc., during class sessions.

While the center is primarily responsible for meeting the computer needs of the students, it also provides research facilities for the faculty and staff. Each faculty/staff member has a PC or Macintosh computer connected to the University network to access Internet, email, the library and local collaborative resources. In addition, the center staffs a Help Desk and a Graphics/Desktop Publishing workstation that can produce video presentations, color transparencies, electronic slide shows, desktop publishing and World Wide Web page creation for newsletters, classroom use, and research papers.

The center is staffed by dedicated IT professionals, each with a different area of expertise, under the leadership of Anthony Lapes, Director.

Elbow to Thomas costs Malone 1 game, $10,000

The NBA delivered a one-game suspension and $10,000 fine toKarl "The Mailman" Malone who elbowed Pistons playmaker Isiah Thomasin the forehead Saturday night and opened a gash that required 40stitches. Malone drew a flagrant foul and was ejected.

The tote board included a $5,000 fine to Detroit guard DarrellWalker, ejected for coming off the bench and throwing a punch atMalone. The league added $500 fines to six players from each teamfor leaving the bench.

The Pistons screamed about what they believed was maliciousintent, a charge that angered Malone.

"It's ridiculous for the Pistons, of all people, to be accusingsomebody of dirty basketball," Malone said. "It was an accident. Iwas going to block the shot."

KAREEM HAS DOUBTERS: Although destined Hall of Fame center KareemAbdul-Jabbar has said he would be willing to come out of retirementto help the Lakers on the court and help former teammate MagicJohnson's campaign against AIDS off the court, Lakers GM Jerry Westreportedly is not enthused about the idea. Lakers insiders doubtthat Abdul-Jabbar could get back into effective playing shape, and,besides, West has never been a strong Abdul-Jabbar fan.

However, there is interest in Abdul-Jabbar from the RockfordLightning of the Continental Basketball Association. General managerTom Kayser said he had contacted West about the possibility ofAbdul-Jabbar playing for the Lightning before joining the Lakers.

"At 44, I think he can get to the NBA, but he needs time to getback in shape," Kayser said. "We think Rockford would be an idealplace for him to begin his comeback."

One possible drawback, though, is the CBA salary cap - $110,000per team for its 18-week season.

YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS . . .: NBA commissioner David Stern andoperations chief Rod Thorn have had enough of being haunted by thespirit of Christmas past.

So they changed the league's roster freeze date from the 56th dayof the season - Dec. 26 this year - to Jan. 10, the 71st day. That'sthe deadline for teams to release players to avoid guaranteeing thema full season's pay. Because the 56th day usually falls aroundChristmas, many players were being released on Christmas Eve.

"We just didn't think that was fair," Thorn said.

In 1987, Bulls operations chief Jerry Krause released ArtisGilmore on the road on Christmas Eve. "It was the most painful thingI ever had to do," Krause said.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: Houston Rockets coach Don Chaney says he isgoing to stand behind starting playmaker Kenny Smith. Smith, whomissed training camp as a contract holdout, is shooting only 42percent after shooting 52 percent last season.

"He's my guy, Chaney said. "He showed last year he can be atop-caliber point guard."

NOTES: Charles Barkley can go on and be surprised now. With DaveHoppen, the Philadelphia 76ers' only white player, following MitchellWiggins to the injured list, the 76ers signed CBA standout MichaelAnsley and now have an all-black team after all. Ansley led the CBAby averaging 35 points and 11.7 rebounds for Birmingham.

The Heat's string of 108 consecutive sellouts was snappedWednesday night when it announced an attendance of 14,707 in the15,008-seat Miami Arena against Cleveland.

US inmate executed for fatal stabbing in 1994

McALESTER, Oklahoma (AP) — An Oklahoma inmate has been put to death for killing a man during a knife fight nearly two decades ago, marking the nation's first execution this year.

Forty-nine-year-old Gary Roland Welch was given a lethal injection at 6:10 p.m. Thursday at the state penitentiary in McAlester for the fatal stabbing of 35-year-old Robert Hardcastle in Miami, Oklahoma.

Nearly three weeks ago, Welch attempted suicide by slitting his throat with a smuggled shaving razor. Prison officials and Welch's court-appointed attorney insisted he was sane and understood his fate.

Welch continued to maintain that he only killed Hardcastle in self-defense.

Welch remained defiant at a hearing last month before the state Pardon and Parole Board, telling the board he wasn't "here today crying, begging or sniveling for my life."

Illinois must learn to live within its resources

Gov. Thompson's 14th, and last, budget message wasuncharacteristically brief, but quite revealing. To the end, heremains increasingly pro-tax and accepting of fiscal sleight-of-handto sustain increased government spending.

It is questionable whether he will leave the state in betterfiscal condition than when he inherited it. Indeed, no matter whichcandidate assumes the governor's office next January, he faces themonumental task of trying to bring state finances under control.

Taxpayers and government budgeters alike have been on a fiscalroller coaster since 1983. Every third year, the General Assemblyand governor have set spending plans in motion that cannot besustained without successive tax increases. Nine months ago theGeneral Assembly repeated the performance. With the benefit of thelargest tax increase in the state's history and a surprisinglyattractive year-end balance, lawmakers crafted another short-fusedbudget.

In a particularly revealing departure from the prepared address,the governor said, "There was no way that members of this GeneralAssembly, or the governor or those out there who need our help aregoing to let that (state treasury) balance stay over a half a billiondollars. No way. I have been around long enough to know that."

This comment clearly illustrates the short-term fiscal approachour state's politicians have adopted. In the one year that there wasa chance to improve cash reserves, they could not do it. Indeed,after 14 years, the Thompson administration still considers a $200million daily balance, an amount equivalent to just two days of statespending, an acceptable measure of fiscal health. The state'sfinancial planners know reserves should be higher, but they cannotresist the demands of spending interests.

The governor's 1991 budget proposal is predicated on more taxincreases, but no one should be surprised. The call for additionaltaxes was set in motion last summer when the General Assemblyapproved a deficit budget and the governor failed to use hisline-item veto power to scale it back further.

The governor brought home the point when he told the assembly,"Almost all of our new natural revenue growth is eaten byannualization of Medicaid reimbursements you voted for last year, andthe federal mandates imposed upon us by Congress."

In short, there is limited flexibility and little opportunity toprovide spending increases over this year's budget levels. Havinglost the will to say no, the governor's only alternative is tocontinue asking for more revenue.

In addition to seeking tax increases, the governor proposes toreturn to the use of fiscal gimmicks, such as delaying payments tomedical providers and reducing contributions to public employeepension funds. He even plans to renege on his long-term funding planfor state pension systems that was crafted just last year.Ironically, it was the elimination of such distasteful practices andthe assumption of greater fiscal integrity that were among the chiefarguments in support of tax increases during the last three years.

The governor is prepared to abandon these hard-won measures sosoon after the Legislature approved them because they severelyrestrict budgetary choices. The process of putting the state'sfiscal house in order is necessarily restrictive. Apparently, theprescription has proven too limiting for the governor's comfort.

The governor's budget message also revealed that 72 Illinoiscounties have no regular state trooper patrols between 11 p.m. and 7a.m. The admission that the state is not meeting basic serviceexpectations suggests the proper approach is a re-evaluation offundamental governmental services and how well the state providesthem. However, it is too much to expect a well-entrenchedadministration to successfully engage in zero-based programevaluation.

One explanation for the governor's revenue problem is theduration of his reign as the state's chief executive. Constantexposure to the needs, challenges and expectations of government'sdependents has resulted in a vision of what government can and shouldbe doing that far exceeds the state's fiscal limitations. A goodexample of how the governor has dealt with the spending restraintdictated by annual cash receipts is the enthusiasm he has forcapital projects and miscellaneous tax increases to help serviceincreased long-term debt.

Therefore, it should be noted that a discussion of an expansionfor McCormick Place or a domed Chicago sports stadium wasconspicuously absent from the budget message. If it is true thatGov. Thompson is committed to securing these projects before leavingoffice, last month's budget message revealed only half of his plansto increases taxes, for another billion-dollar bond program cannot befinanced with existing revenues. If history repeats itself, the endof June will have the governor offering more tax plans.

Fortunately, the General Assembly's leadership has solidlydisavowed any sympathy for tax increases in 1990. Legislators mayhave recovered from the 1989 spending binge and will rediscover thefiscal responsibility they briefly assumed in 1988. "Reallocation"and "living within available resources" are not the phrases therecipients of state revenues like to hear. Nevertheless it is theonly way to control government spending and halt new taxes.

Douglas L. Whitley is president of the Taxpayers' Federation ofIllinois.

FDIC channel enables electronic branch filings

The FDIC has introduced a new egovernment channel that enables FDICsupervised institutions to submit branch applications electronically. The Electronic Branch Application became operational Dec. 19. It can be used to submit an application to establish a domestic branch, relocate an existing branch or relocate the main office per Subpart CPart 303 of the FDIC rules and regulations.

At this time, the system does not accept applications for merger transactions, establishing insured branches of foreign banks or foreign branches of domestic banks, interstate acquisitions of an individual branch or branches, or to provide notice of branch closings.

Chester `Chuck' Pacione

Chester "Chuck" Pacione, 73, the father of Chicago Sun-Timescomposing room employee Robert Pacione, died Tuesday at his Berwynhome.

Mr. Pacione was a tool grinder who retired from the DanlyMachine company 11 years ago. He had been with the Cicero companyfor more than 40 years.

Mr. Pacione, who lived in the western suburb for 41 years,belonged to Cicero Moose Lodge 265. During World War II, he servedin the Army.

Besides his son, Mr. Pacione is survived by his wife, Mildred;two daughters, Janet Cairo and Diane Jensen; a stepson, Pat Berillo;a stepdaughter, Patricia Curtis; two brothers, John and Albert; twosisters, Annie Tonazzi and Phyllis Ramoino, and six grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 2 to 9 p.m. today at Svec & SonsFuneral Home, 6227 W. Cermak, Berwyn. Mass will be offered at 9:30a.m. tomorrow at Our Lady of the Mount Catholic Church, 2414 S. 61stAve., Cicero. Burial will be in Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 1400 S.Wolf Rd., Hillside.

Front Desk Clerk Tired Of Rude, Up-Front Men

Dear Zazz: Please settle a dispute between me and a co-worker.

I work at a hotel on the 3 to 11 p.m. shift. Because I ambig-breasted, guests sometimes stare at my chest. Many are notdiscreet. They are very obvious. I think I should pretend they'renot looking, say nothing to them and then send them to their rooms.My co-worker says I should tell these guests that they're beingignorant and rude. What do you say?

FRONT-CONSCIOUS

AT THE FRONT DESK

Dear Front: Yes, a hotel guest who blatantly gawks is rude. Butif you make a stink about it, he'll surely deny that his eyes wereroaming. He might even complain about you to your superiors.

You could let a guest know that you know where his eyes are bysaying something like, "Yoo-hoo, I'm up here!"

But I think you have a better idea: Say nothing and send him tohis room. (Many of these bug-eyed guys will be happy to go, sincemost hotels these days have dozens of big-breasted women in everyguest room - via the adult movies on pay TV.) Your letter can serveas a reminder to men to guard against absent-mindedly losing controlof their gazes.

Dear Zazz: I'm a single, 62-year-old man. Since my divorce 14years ago, I've always used a condom. At what age can a man safelyassume that he doesn't have to use a condom for birth control?

62

Dear 62: Most men can make millions of sperm for all theirlives. To put condoms away forever, you'll have to either have avasectomy or have sex only with a woman who can no longer bearchildren.

Dear Zazz: Three years ago, I had to literally drag Joanne, myfriend and fellow nurse, to your annual Zazz Bash. Little did sheknow that at the party, she'd meet Phil - her future husband. I waspleased to play matchmaker, and I'm writing to tell others that yourbash really is a great, easy way for singles to meet.

TERI CROCILLA, Chicago

Dear Teri: Phil and Joanne Roney are the 14th couple to meet ata Zazz Bash and later marry. After I received your letter, I calledJoanne and she told me all about meeting Phil at the bash. Eventhat night, she says, he was insisting they'd one day marry.

They happened to meet a partygoer who was a disc jockey. "Philtook his card," Joanne recalls. "He said, `Joanne and I might beusing you someday when we get married.' I couldn't believe he saidthat. I was taking a drink, and I actually choked on it."

This is a legendary story at the hospital where Joanne works.Indeed, her co-workers have all become Zazz Bash partygoers on thechance that lightning will strike twice.

This year's bash is set for Aug. 26 at Navy Pier. Tickets are$17. Mail checks, payable to the Sun-Times Charity Trust, to ZazzBash, Box 3455, Chicago 60654. Include a self-addressed stampedenvelope. Questions? Call (312) 321-3010.

Dear Zazz: I see that your theme for this year's Zazz Bash is"Seinfest." I've never seen the "Seinfeld" TV show. Will I feel outof place at the party?

WHO'S KRAMER?

Dear W.K.: You won't feel out of place, because Seinfest will bejust part of the festivities. There are dozens of other activitiesand surprises planned.

Of course, if you don't pass the 500-question "Seinfeld" triviatest, you'll be publicly humiliated in front of everyone and asked toleave the party. (Just kidding! There will be no test.)

By the way, many married readers have called to say they're huge"Seinfeld" fans and would love to attend the bash. We're welcomingmarried folks to the party as long as they behave. Keep thosewedding rings on!

NJ Sen. Frank Lautenberg finishes chemotherapy

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (LOW'-tuhn-burg) of New Jersey says he has completed his chemotherapy treatments for lymphoma.

But the 86-year-old Democrat says he won't know until later this month if the cancer is gone.

Lautenberg, who returned to work shortly after being diagnosed, told The Record on Wednesday that he feels "terrific."

He said he lost weight and his hair while undergoing treatment.

Lautenberg, the U.S. Senate's second-oldest member, was hospitalized Feb. 15 after falling at his Cliffside Park home. He was treated for a bleeding ulcer, and it was announced Feb. 19 that the B-cell lymphoma was found in his stomach.

He began the chemotherapy treatment a few days later and returned to the Senate on March 2 while receiving periodic treatments.

___

Information from: The Record, http://www.northjersey.com

Report: Iran explores new oil field

Iranian state TV says the country is exploring a newly discovered oil field believed to contain more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil.

The report quotes Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari as saying the area holds about 1.1 billion barrels of crude oil. He says about 220 million barrels are "recoverable." He did not elaborate.

The report broadcast on Sunday says the oil field is located near Andimeshk, in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan, located about 290 miles southwest of Tehran.

Iran is the fourth-largest oil producer in the world and ranks second in output among OPEC countries. It controls about 5 percent of the global oil supply.

DAILY DOUBLE

I'm a 12-year-old with a 16-year-old boyfriend. We love each other,but he wants to have sex and I'm not ready. What should I do? Not Ready Diane Crowley

A. Tell him you're not ready and that you won't be ready for along time. Please get from your doctor, your library or yourparents, information about sex, pregnancy and the risk and preventionof AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Then share theinformation with your friend. If he's smart, he won't be "ready"either. Jeff Zaslow

A.Don't be stupid. Say "no." Say it again. Say it so much thatit's the only word in your head. You're 12 years old, for goodnesssake. And at 16, your boyfriend should know that what he's asking isunfair and wrong. Before you lose your virginity, you need a certainmaturity that you couldn't possibly have at age 12. If yourboyfriend can't understand that, then it's time to get a newboyfriend. Got a question for the Daily Double? Call 321-2003 anytime to haveyour message taped.

Aging Fidelity chief remains in charge: ; 77-year-old CEO at helm for three decades; analysts predict big change when he retires

BOSTON - At age 77, Edward "Ned" Johnson III can't keep this paceup forever. But it sometimes seems the Fidelity Investments chiefhopes to.

Johnson's tenure running the nation's largest mutual fund companyhas spanned three decades - the only other change of leadership in61 years at Fidelity was when Johnson took over for his father. Butthe job has become increasingly complex as Johnson tries to fend offrivals' gains and streamline operations, while outsiders' calls forgovernance reform grow louder.

"He hasn't missed a beat, and a lot of people have crumbled whilehe's still going 100 miles per hour," says Eric Kobren, a formerFidelity employee who edits the independent money advice newsletterFidelity Investor. He suspects Johnson "isn't going anywhere soon."

The notoriously insular company isn't publicly offering atimeline for leadership change, or disclosing details of asuccession plan it says it has in place, even amid some suggestionsthat the uncertainty could be hurting Fidelity's competitiveness.

The heir apparent - Johnson's 46-year-old daughter, AbigailJohnson - has not been confirmed as such, and some observersquestion whether she even wants the job. And a flurry of managementand organizational changes this year eliminated two other successorcandidates from contention.

Outsiders still regard Abigail Johnson as an odds-on favorite forthe top job, by virtue not only of her bloodline, but the diversityof management positions she's held overseeing Fidelity'sincreasingly far-flung financial services.

But her father is still firmly in charge - and by all accounts,apparently healthy.

"Nothing has told me that he's anxious to pass the baton veryquickly, unless something were to develop with his health, or somefamily issue," said Patrick McGovern, a friend who occasionallydines with Johnson and is founder and chairman of IDG Group, aBoston-based technology research and publishing firm.

Fidelity rarely makes executives available for interviews, anddeclined requests from The Associated Press. A recent statementissued by Ned Johnson on succession planning described a continuingprocess to "pass the corporation on in good operating order to thenext generation of executives at the appropriate time."

Whoever eventually succeeds Johnson, big changes are expected atthe Boston-based company that's a huge force on Wall Street, as thelargest provider of Americans' workplace retirement savings plansand a manager of nearly $1.6 trillion in assets.

Observers say Johnson's successor won't have as much power as hehas wielded filling the chairman and chief executive roles since1977 - posts that could be split between two people when hisreplacement is named. And the private firm will face increasingpressure to operate more like a publicly held company, with greaterattention to open governance, cost-cutting and short-term financialresults.

"Whoever follows Ned Johnson can't run it the way he has. The oldmodel doesn't work anymore," said Bruce Raynor, co-chairman of theCouncil of Institutional Investors, representing public, labor, andcorporate pension funds, and general president of Unite Here, aunion of hospitality and textile workers.

Fidelity has recently diversified from its core mutual fundbusiness into areas such as individual retirement planning andemployee benefit management, after seeing only middling returns inrecent years from key mutual funds that fueled rapid growth in thelate 1980s and early '90s.

Today, 46,400 Fidelity employees provide financial services to 23million individuals.

Meanwhile, Vanguard Group and Capital Group's American Funds haveenjoyed greater success attracting investor money amid risingpopularity of low-cost index and exchange-traded funds. Thoseinvestments don't play off Fidelity's strength as an active managerof funds that capitalize on the hottest stocks from day to day.

At Fidelity, Johnson family members hold 49 percent of Fidelity'svoting stock - key managers control the rest - and the company'sboard consists solely of current or former company executives andJohnson family members.

Overseas Sales Help Nike Earnings Rise

Nike Inc.'s third-quarter profit jumped more than 30 percent because of strong sales overseas and a weak dollar, the athletic shoe and apparel company said Wednesday.

Nike said its net income grew to $463.8 million, or 92 cents per share, up from $350.8 million, or 68 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue for the quarter, which ended Feb. 29, grew 16 percent to $4.54 billion, up from $3.93 billion a year earlier. Changes in currency exchange rates accounted for 6 percentage points of revenue growth for the quarter.

The results exceeded Wall Street's projections. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected the Beaverton, Ore.-based company to earn 81 cents per share on revenue of $4.36 billion.

Nike's stock, which closed Wednesday at $61.83, up one-fourth of 1 percent, rose 4 percent to $64.30 in after-hours trading after the earnings report was released.

Nike President Mark Parker said the results are a "clear indication that our strategy is working and that we're on track to achieve our financial goals for this fiscal year and beyond."

Revenue grew 20 percent or more in overseas markets, with particular strength in Asia and Europe. Company officials said Nike has already hit its goal of more than $1 billion in annual sales in China.

By comparison, U.S. revenue increased 5 percent, with gains in shoe and apparel goods but a drop in equipment sales.

Still, analysts said the U.S. performance was solid in light of weak consumer spending amid a struggling economy. And the overseas sales were strong, even given the weak dollar, said Sara Hasan, an analyst at McAdams Wright and Ragen.

"We all know that financial markets are in flux," Parker said. "That makes having a strong brand, a diverse portfolio and solid growth strategy to drive cash flow especially valuable."

Nike has made several changes to its subsidiary lineup, which brought in 15 percent more revenue for the quarter at $600.9 million.

The $29 million sale of Nike's Starter brand to Iconic Brand Group Inc. is included the quarter's income. Other recent deals, such as its acquisition of British soccer company Umbro PLC and the sale of its Bauer Hockey unit, are not reflected.

The company saw its future orders, for products to be delivered from March through July grow, up 11 percent for the quarter.

Expected marketing expenses for major sporting events, such as the Beijing Olympics and the European Championships, will be reflected in the fourth quarter.

"I believe there is tremendous opportunity in our industry," Parker said. "It is important to look through cyclical pressures and focus on the long-standing powers in place. The price of oil is not as powerful as the global passion for sports. This is true for Nike and the industry."

IN THE LAND OF LITTLE RAIN; A look at Mary Austin's work

One weekend when I was in grad school, I was seized with the irresistible desire to take a long nap outdoors. I was experiencing a lot of turmoil, and I knew that if I could escape to a quiet place for just a little while, I would feel much better. The most peaceful place within my reach was the California desert. So I drove a few hours to Joshua Tree National Park, paid the entrance fee, and pulled over at a likely looking picnic area. I walked a few hundred yards back behind some giant boulders to avoid making any tourists nervous and just curled up on the sand. It was fall, the temperature was cool, and everything was quiet except for the gentlest of breezes stirring in dead grass. I woke up about an hour later, refreshed and clear-headed, having found exactly what I was looking for.

Of course, I am not alone in seeking peace in the desert. Throughout human existence people have escaped to the dry, empty places of the earth to find the kind of serenity that only comes from solitude and a submission to forces greater than we are. In The Land of Little Rain (Penguin, $12), Mary Austin (1868-1934) writes of her sojourns in a specific desert, the region between the Sierra Nevada mountains and Death Valley in California. Like most deserts of the world, this one is scantily settled and lightly explored in general; it shows up even on current maps largely as blank space except for the shaky red line of Highway 395. Like most other deserts, it changes slowly. In the one hundred years since this book was published, the military has pierced the stillness with test ranges, Owens Lake has shrunk dramatically, and most of the ranchers have moved on, but I think Austin would easily recognize her old stomping grounds.

What did Austin and others like her find so attractive in this forbidding landscape of sand, tough shrubs, and furtive animals? One, perhaps obvious, answer would be the lack of human imprint. Though she writes with fondness of fellow desert inhabitants such as sheepherders, miners, and Indians, most of the book details the absence of people in this country. The desert has absolutely no need for humans, in fact it disdains them, and when they enter its borders they must either bend to its will or be destroyed. In her portrayal of a miner whose only companions were a couple of pack burros, she described how he worked day after day "burrowing to oblivion in the sand" in a "lonely, inhospitable land, beautiful, terrible." But this land "tolerated him as it might a gopher or a badger. Of all its inhabitants it has the least concern for man."

Within the framework of achingly beautiful prose, Austin finds the desert's disregard of humanity ultimately comforting. It may seem paradoxical to be glad to discover you're not the center of the universe, but like her I've found that even one night under the humbling desert stars can bring your life a startling new perspective. You may feel small and insignificant, but so do all your worries. And the land can bless you with more valuable gifts than self-esteem: "For all the toll the desert takes of a man it gives compensations, deep breaths, deep sleep, and the communion of the stars."

Photograph (Book jacket; THE LAND OF LITTLE RAIN by Mary Austin)

Grimshaw is looking for boost from fans

MARTYN Grimshaw is urging Mangotsfield United fans to turn out inforce for tonight's home clash with Dr Martens League WesternDivision leaders Redditch at Cossham Street (7.45).

United have endured a poor run of results which has seen theBristol club slip to fourth from bottom.

But recently-appointed manager Grimshaw is determined to launch arecovery and is appealing to the supporters to back him and his team.

He declared: "Clubs need their supporters more than ever whenthings are going wrong and I hope they respond by getting behind theplayers. I can promise them they will see a team totally committed tothe cause." Redditch have lost only twice in 17 league games thisseason, but Grimshaw insists his team has nothing to fear. Heclaimed: "If we play to our full potential, we're capable of givingthem a hard game. We couldn't have asked for a better game.These arethe kind of games players should want to play in." Loan signing DannyGreaves deputises in goal for the injured Tony Malessa and IanPratchett, recruited from Tiverton last week, is included in thesquad for the first time.

United are further strengthened by the return from injury of MarkSummers and Gary Kemp, while striker Darren Edwards is availableafter serving a four-match ban.

Keynsham Townhave been handed the perfect incentive to see offHertford Town in tomorrow night's FA Vase replay at Crown Field.

The winners will play at home to United Counties League St Neotsin the fourth round on January 17.

Keynsham drew 3-3 at Hertford on Saturday and manager TonyCornelius said: "This draw is a fantastic incentive for the lads tofinish the job off at home.

"We're confident we can win the replay, but we know we're in foranother very hard game.There's still a lot of hard work to be donebefore we can think about St Neots." Fellow Screwfix League clubBittonmust travel again after being drawn away to Lymington and NewMilton or Buckenham Town.

The Bristol side, unbeaten on their travels this season, won 1-0at Maidstone in the last round.

Manager Keith Brown admitted:

"We would have preferred a home draw, but we'll take what we'regiven.We've won away from home already in this competition and we cando it again."

35-ton Silo crashes through Philly business' roof

Fire department officials say a 35-ton silo being used to collect dust has collapsed and crashed through the roof of a suburban Philadelphia concrete business.

No injuries have been reported.

The silo was on top of CGM Concrete in Bensalem, just northeast of Philadelphia. It fell through the business' roof Monday night.

Investigators say the collapse severely damaged the building, which may have to be demolished. They say it also ruptured gas and water lines inside the building.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

___

Information from: Bucks County Courier Times, http://www.phillyburbs.com

Despite volatility in Africa economists say invest

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Unrest in Libya has gone from bad to worse, thousands have been killed in Ivory Coast clashes and Nigeria is about to take on elections that could rock the already volatile oil-rich country.

With Egypt's economy battered after the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak and governments like Zimbabwe rife with corruption, the outlook for stability in the world's poorest continent is bleak.

Yet, when it comes to the continent's future, many economists are echoing the same message: invest. And investors are actually following the advice.

Inflated commodities prices — oil is trading at its highest in more than two years — have swelled returns on the resource-rich continent, full of untapped reserves of metals such as gold, platinum, copper and iron ore. That, coupled with a growing middle class of more than a billion people means huge economic potential, said Johan de Bruijn, a portfolio manager at Emerging Markets Management, an investment firm based in Arlington, Va.

"It's absolutely inevitable that despite any kind of political upheaval or cross border risk, the world attention is focusing more and more on Africa, " de Bruijn said.

Investors are starting to view more developed emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, China and India, which have brought back soaring 150 percent returns since the global meltdown, as overvalued, says Richard Marston, the director of a center for international financial research at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

As a result, they are now moving to frontier markets: the less developed emerging economies such as markets in Africa.

"You have a bit of a scramble right now from investors who want to be the first and want the reward of being first," said Bobby Pittman, the vice president for infrastructure at the African Development Bank, which provides loans and grants to promote investment in Africa.

Nile Pan Africa Fund, one of a few U.S. based actively managed mutual funds focusing exclusively on Africa, has seen some of those rewards. It outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by 16 percentage points in its first eight months since going public in April 2010.

Some of the world's biggest corporations are also eyeing the continent's potential: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is finalizing plans for its billion-dollar takeover of a South African retailer.

To be sure, investing in Africa isn't for the weak-hearted, especially those who can't endure short-term volatility.

High-reward investment destinations come with high risks. Aside from the conflicts currently rolling across North Africa, the continent is facing more than a dozen presidential elections this year. The continual political unrest is a reminder that the continent may not be as stable as investors would wish. The Nile Pan Africa Fund, for example, fell 4 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

What makes Africa even riskier than other emerging market funds is that — aside from South Africa — it's made up of relatively small markets, said Karin Anderson, a mutual fund analyst for Morningstar.

"Given all the volatility we can expect this year, it seems like a very difficult place for most investors to stick with," Anderson said. "You're kind of playing a couple of sectors in a couple countries, which means more volatility and goes against the idea of adding diversification to a portfolio."

Anderson also said Africa doesn't have the depth, trade valuing, regulation levels and corporate government levels of other emerging markets, making it harder for fund managers to determine which firms to invest with.

But some experts say that investors with long-term views will ride out the risks.

Indeed, even the turmoil in northern Africa could be a positive for investment down the road.

"As a result of these demonstrations, you're getting change in governments in North Africa," said Mark Mobius, chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets, which manages $54 billion in emerging market funds. The Templeton frontier markets funds — ones focusing on emerging markets with less liquid markets such as in Africa — have increased 12 fold to $1.2 billion since they opened two years ago.

Mobius added, "The biggest barrier to growth in these countries is the governments — governments taking too big a share of the wealth and not using if efficiently." Better corporate governance means better disclosure, which makes it easier to predict when to invest and when to withdraw, he said.

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age

Cheryl Bardoe

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Photos and accounts of real-life research bring extinct mammals to life in this book, published to coincide with a current exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum. (Ages 9-12) Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010, 48 p., $18.95.

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age

Cheryl Bardoe

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Photos and accounts of real-life research bring extinct mammals to life in this book, published to coincide with a current exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum. (Ages 9-12) Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010, 48 p., $18.95.

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age

Cheryl Bardoe

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Photos and accounts of real-life research bring extinct mammals to life in this book, published to coincide with a current exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum. (Ages 9-12) Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010, 48 p., $18.95.

Mob kills British soldier in Iraq U.S. proposal for UN troop mandate makes little progress

BAGHDAD, Iraq--A British soldier was killed when a mob attackedhis convoy in southern Iraq, officials said Thursday. The commanderof U.S. forces in Iraq blamed continuing violence on insufficientintelligence and said better cooperation with Iraqis was key.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said he doesn't need more U.S. troops butwould welcome forces from other countries as a sign of internationalcommitment to the pacification and rebuilding of Iraq.

Sanchez spoke after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State RichardArmitage said the White House is now open to the idea of a UN-endorsed multinational force in Iraq if it is headed by an Americancommander.

But the Bush …

SA economy brakes sharply.(News)

As industrialised countries move into recession, South Africa's economy is braking sharply and is likely to slow further. Yesterday Statistics SA released third-quarter figures showing that gross domestic product (GDP) grew only 0.2%, from a revised 5.1% in the second …

DENTISTS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRIGHT SMILES ON THE SCREEN.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)

Byline: HAP ERSTEIN Cox News Service

It is 1944 in the acclaimed film ``Saving Private Ryan,'' and Tom Hanks and his Army squad have risked their lives trudging across Europe in search of one woebegone GI. When they meet Pvt. James Ryan, he flashes such a gleaming, toothy grin that the audience starts reaching for its sunglasses.

Suddenly, the moment is about actor Matt Damon and his Hollywood cosmetic dentist, not the story Steven Spielberg wants to tell.

It happens time and again in the movies. Think of Anthony Hopkins in ``The Mask of Zorro,'' released from a squalid prison after two decades but sporting perfect white choppers. Think of Leonardo …

Army presence soars amid deadly Kashmir protests

Indian troops patrolled tense, curfew-bound cities in Kashmir on Wednesday in a show of force to help quell increasingly violent street protests.

Patrols in Srinagar, Kashmir's main city, and the key town of Baramulla marked the first time in nearly two decades the army was called in to help police and paramilitary forces curb deadly civil unrest in the troubled Himalayan territory.

The recent deadly violence during demonstrations against Indian rule have raised concerns the situation could spin out of control.

"We are out to give support to the state machinery. We are ready to move anywhere, anytime," Col. Vineet Sood, an army spokesman, …

Ciba Specialty Chemicals resists challenging environment

Ciba Specialty Chemicals Inc. increased its sales, operating profits and EBITDA during the first half of 2003 in local currencies, each by 2% compared to the same period of last year. Four of its five business segments equaled or increased sales in local currencies compared to the first half of 2002. These results were achieved despite the expected continued volatility in global markets.

Both the Swiss franc and the euro strengthened considerably against most major trading currencies during the first half, particularly against the US dollar. In addition, the results are compared to peak periods in 2002. This led to lower first half results in Swiss francs for sales (CHF 3,379 …

Rawls brings Capitol Hill experience to BIO.(Biotechnology Industry Organization)(Brief Article)

The Biotechnology Industry Organization's new vice president for government relations said the election of George W. Bush likely lessens the possibility that Medicare prescription drug legislation will include price-fixing measures. "The election diminishes the chances of some form of price fixing -- they don't completely go away, but they diminish," said Lee Rawls, who will begin work with BIO Jan. 22, just two days after the Bush inauguration. Rawls, a longtime Capitol Hill insider, currently is the chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Rawls is expected to bring to BIO extensive experience and an outstanding reputation for working and winning across a broad political …

COAI asks government to approve NIL duty on import of OFC and tax benefits.(INDIA)(Cellular Operators Association of India)(optical fiber cable)(Brief article)

GSM body COAI has made an addition to its list comprising the submissions made to the Indian government and has sought NIL duty on the import of OFC (optical fiber cable) used in the telecom segment. It has also requested the government to provide tax benefits for IP-1s (Independent Infrastructure …

War costs cause a climate change.(Main)

Byline: CASS R. SUNSTEIN

For the United States, the cost of the Iraq war will soon exceed the anticipated cost of the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement designed to control greenhouse gases. For both, the cost is somewhere in excess of $300 billion.

These numbers show that the Bush administration was unrealistically optimistic in its prewar prediction that the total cost would be about $50 billion.

And the same numbers raise questions about the Bush administration's claim that the cost of the Kyoto Protocol would be prohibitive, causing (in President Bush's own words) "serious harm to the U.S. economy."

With respect to the Iraq …

HUGH MACPHERSON.(CAPITAL REGION)

WATERVLIET Hugh G. Macpherson, 66, of 17 Lake Shore Drive in Watervliet, died Friday in Albany Medical Center Hospital.

Mr. Macpherson was born in Rochester. He graduated from the State University College of Arts and Science at Brockport. He was a World War II Coast Guard veteran. He had lived in the Capital Region for about 15 years.

Mr. Macpherson was a program specialist in the food stamp division of the state Department of Social Services for 20 …

Poor fitness increases risk of death in women more than in men.

2003 OCT 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Physical fitness level predicts death in women more than in men, Chicago researchers report. Findings from the St. James Women Take Heart Project (WTH) could influence how doctors test and treat women who have no outward signs of heart disease.

Researchers, who started the study in 1992 and followed 5721 Chicago women, said physical fitness was a stronger predictor of death than other measures, such as the Framingham Risk Score (a questionnaire based on cholesterol, age blood pressure, diabetes and smoking). A score is totaled and helps physicians decide whether a person is at high risk for dying from heart disease and …

UK judge nixes 'Lady Goo Goo' after Gaga lawsuit

LONDON (AP) — Pop star Lady Gaga has won an injunction stopping the makers of an online children's game from promoting an animated character called Lady Goo Goo.

British company Mind Candy is behind the Moshi Monsters site, which allows children to adopt a virtual pet monster.

Its characters include Lady Goo Goo, a sunglasses-wearing blonde baby who appears in "The Moshi Dance," a video …

Yes, you CAN make 'em at home

The old PB&J sandwich still belongs to Every Man (and Mom).

The U.S. Court of Appeals recently shot down J.M. Smucker's Co.'srequest to patent its pocket-shaped peanut butter and jellysandwiches known as Uncrustables.

Moms across the country knew that while the Uncrustables are cuteand convenient, this is something that any of them can do and dooften. After all, don't most kids go through that phase where theywon't eat a sandwich with the crust still on?

Skeptical? Well, just follow the steps we show here and you'll seeno special crimping machinery is needed to duplicate the Smucker'sproduct.

1. Cut 31/2-inch circles from slices of …

Free whitepaper from In-Stat identifies growth opportunities for IPTV in high-density multidwelling-unit environments.(MARKET INTELLIGENCE)(Internet Protocol Television)(Industry overview)(Brief article)

Deploying IPTV in the MDU market is a "no brainer" for service providers, according to the free whitepaper by market research and consultancy firm In-Stat. Deploying IPTV in high-density environments offers significant cost savings compared to single-family housing markets. In this economy, services providers are looking to maximize the return for every infrastructure investment dollar, and MDU deployments provide just that.

The whitepaper, "The Case for High Density IPTV in MDUs," can be downloaded for free from www.instat.com.

IPTV in high-density environments, such as apartments, is in many ways different from …

MUSICAL ANGEL IN THE WINGS GLOVE'S `EVITA' AT PROCTOR'S.(PREVIEW)

Byline: MICHAEL ECK Special to the Times Union

Broadway shows and national tours regularly make their way to Proctor's Theatre. But the production of ``Evita'' that plays at Proctor's this weekend isn't coming up from Manhattan or even busing in from Peoria. It's heading down from Gloversville.

In October, the folks from the Glove Theatre invited the Proctor's powers-that-be to a production of ``Evita'' in the hopes that Proctor's might be impressed enough to aid in their restoration efforts by allowing them to stage the show in Schenectady.

Evidently, it worked.

``We've been tracking their activities for a while,'' says Proctor's General …

Banana subsidy continued.(St. Vincent & Grenadines)(Brief Article)

Those engaged in the growing of bananas in St. Vincent & the Grenadines will continue to benefit from government subsidies during 2005, said Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, adding that come next year, his government will subsidize the production of the fruit by in excess of some US$1.75 million, reports Caribbean Net News (Dec. 20, 2004). Dr. Gonsalves who is also the country's Minister of Finance, said that the reason for the subsidy is "to give farmers sufficient time to adjust to the international situation by making the necessary improvements to their …

Woman accused in death of baby found in washer

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (AP) — Prosecutors have charged an Oklahoma woman whose 10-day-old baby was found dead in a washing machine with child neglect.

Lyndsey Fiddler appeared in court via video monitor from jail Sunday. She did not yet have an attorney and told the court she would apply for a court-appointed one.

According to police, Fiddler's roommate found the baby, Maggie Trammel, dead …

IT Aktier.

International Data Group (Framingham, MA) has launched two monthly magazines for the Swedish market. IT Aktier has a mixed paid/controlled circulation of 20,000 and is targeted to …

Leader admits mistakes amid French protests.(Main)

PARIS - Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said in a newspaper interview to be published today that he was misunderstood and made errors in his management of a hotly contested youth labor law that sent 1 million protesting students and union members into the streets.

He denied, however, that he has been disavowed by President Jacques Chirac, who, in the hope of restoring calm, ordered up a new, softer version of the law meant to make it easier to fire young workers. …

Exploit trade pacts, Thailand urged.

Byline: Aranee Jaiimsin

Nov. 22--To reverse the decline in investment and trade volume from Germany, Thailand needs to promote the advantages it holds as a member of regional free trade areas with Asean and China, say German experts.

According to the Board of Investment, approved German investment in Thailand declined significantly last year to 413 million baht compared with 2.1 billion in 2002 and 13.8 billion baht in 2001. However, an improvement was shown in the first 10 months of this year with the BoI approving 804 million baht worth of investments from Germany, up from 319 million baht in the same period last year.

Andreas von Stechow, the …

Strike hits Illinois Bell

Rejecting an Illinois Bell offer as "totally inadequate," about2,900 union operators and repairmen struck at midnight Saturday.

Talks between the union, the Communications Workers of America,and Illinois Bell broke down at 8:40 p.m. Saturday, when unionnegotiators left the bargaining table.

Illinois Bell will use management personnel to fill in for thestriking CWA workers, mostly operators and directory assistancepersonnel, and said interruptions in service will be minimal.

"There may be some delay in calls to an operator orinformation, but we expect minimal delays because managementemployees will be handling those calls," said Larry Cose, an …

LOTTO JACKPOT AT $7 MILLION WITH NO WINNER SATURDAY.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: Associated Press

SCHENECTADY -- There was no first-prize winning ticket sold in Saturday night's Lotto drawing, meaning the jackpot will increase to $7 million, lottery officials said.

Saturday's winning numbers were: 2, 18, 23, 42, 46 and 50. The bonus number was 3.

There was no second-prize winner. …